The Arcadia Series

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This article is about a future or planned project. Information may change significantly as the project progresses.

The Arcadia Series, when completed, will be a mixture of mature (in the vein of Lis Morris' Chronology Series) short stories and chapter stories revolving around the inhabitants of a C2 Albia known as Arcadia, and their many misadventures. The story will largely focus on PF and his friends and family, and is loosely based on events that their real-life counterparts experienced in-game. The sole author is Officer 1BDI, and there is no projected release date for this series. It is believed that the series will eventually be released in parts over a time span of several months.

[edit] Segments

The following is a tentative list of projected chapters and short stories. All titles and plot descriptions (especially the very silly ones) are subject to change.

• Untitled: This first chapter would explore PF's early life: how he was found and adopted by Arcadia's Hand, his childhood and teenage years, his relationship with Ale, his role as one of a handful of "educators" on the planet, and the discovery of some unusual powers.

• The Gift: Originally conceived as a tale for the 2005 CCSF Writing Contest, this short story revolves around PF's young daughter, Paris, and her search for a cure for her baby brother's genetic disorder.

• Lament of the Misinformed: The first of PF and Ale's children have hit the adolescent mark, and the rebellion of Paris in particular is in full force. But teenage rebellion and reckless abandonment never mix well, and when disaster strikes Paris hard in response, something's got to give (and someone's going to pay).

• Parallel: Something strange is going on in a foreign Shee Ark, and Arcadia is thrown for a loop when a battered and disraught grenorn somehow jumps ship and ends up in the world. Disturbed by the story the young creature has to tell, PF and his friends organize a rescue mission for the remaining creatures trapped on the ark. Things are not all as they seem, however, and PF unintentionally runs head-first into an old and deadly foe in the process.

[edit] Characters

In order of appearance (probably):

• Erik- Erik is a 14 year old human boy who is also an avid Creatures player. He is the Hand that watches over Arcadia, acting less like a ruler and more like a mayor as he listens to the input of the inhabitants and tries to make as many creatures happy as humanly possible.
• PF- (Please note that although RP PF considers 1BDI his Hand, that for the purpose of this story, Erik is his Hand.) PF is a Horse norn cross who was found as a baby drowning in the West Ocean when Erik returned to his running Creatures 2 game one day. He was taken in and raised by Erik personally, and has since grown up to be an intelligent and perceptive norn. He is rather scrawny, despite his Ron norn genes, and has maintained the same auburn tinge throughout his life.
• Joselyn- Joselyn (a.k.a. "Jo") is Erik's twin sister. She also plays Creatures, but is more interested in the genetics aspect than the raising of norns. She appears briefly in the first story to establish her role as Erik's annoying, easily irritated (and irritating) sibling. Later on, PF discovers Jo's knack for writing and helps her compose her thoughts on paper (after much requesting on her part).
• Homer- Homer, a Fox norn cross, met PF when they were both young children. The two have been inseperatable ever since, and consider each other unofficial brothers. Homer is a bit of a womanizer, but is otherwise a fun, enthusiastic creature to hang around, if a bit on the dull side.
• Ale- Ale is a tomboyish Purple Mountain norn cross who loves being active and hates the glamour so often associated with her breed. She is the middle child in a large family of half-siblings, and starts off the story living with her father. She has known PF since his mid-childhood (she's two seasons older than him), and the two maintained a close friendship before finally diving head first into love.
• Gif- Ale's father, a meek Purple Mountain norn cross who is a dedicated creature-pleaser, even at his own expense. He and Ale's mother separated when she was just a nornling.
• Katey- Ale's GD norn crossmother and widely-regarded world jade. She goes through mates like Borland through zander fish and has many children from her wide array of relationships. She loves her kids dearly, but Ale is not so fond of her for breaking her father's heart, and ultimately wishes to never follow her footsteps.
• Luck- Luck is from an Old (Creatures 1) Albia, but often comes to visit Arcadia to see his many children and kin on the planet. He is an immortal, hatchery generation Purple Mountain norn who has remained an adult for several years now. In his time, he's watched many of his mates and children pass on before him, but he tries to distract himself from this depressing outlook by focusing on the kin he still has, including his son Gif and granddaughter, Ale.
• Herb- PF and Ale's first child. Like his father, he is a dedicated bookworm, and is the quietest and most collected of all his siblings.
• Eiffel- PF and Ale's second child and twin to Paris, he is very protective of his twin and will go to great lengths to keep her happy. He is eager to compromise and has a big heart.
• Paris- Paris, much like her mother, has a bit of an attitude. As a nornling, she constantly scemes to make things go as she'd like them to, and as a young adult, she strives for full independence. She refuses to take any tripe from her older brothers (especially Eiffel, who is only ten minutes older), but guards her younger siblings with her life. She is especially fond of Dwight, and almost lost her life trying to find a way to "cure" him as a child. She and Eiffel leave home together during their early adolescence.
• Dwight- The fourth child of PF and Ale, the boy nearly died at birth from a lack of energy chemical. After a long night of fretting and experimenting, Erik finally concluded that Dwight had developed a mutation that did not allow his body to break down food. As a result, Dwight is on a strict, specialized diet, and is constantly weak and ill. Despite this, he is a very optimistic and pleasant norn, helping out whenever he is able.
• Mia- PF and Ale's fifth child, and the first to take after her mother in the appearance department. Like Ale, Mia is spunky and athletic, but is much less tempramental than her older sister. She's not as smart as her father, but what she lacks in intelligence she makes up for in imagination.
• Rudy- Paris' rude, rebellious, and older boyfriend. He and PF don't get along very well (read: at all), and he's in charge of a rather rambunctious gang of teenagers in Arcadia.
• Hugh- PF and Ale's sixth child.
• Pine- PF and Ale's seventh and last child. She also has a genetic mutation, but this particular alteration left her unharmed, but green!
• Grinny- This odd-looking grenorn (and odd he is, with C3 nornish features, a grendel face, and fur instead of scales), somehow avoided the tight security of the Shee Ark Thorne and escaped to one of Erik's C12DS worlds. Erik takes pity on the escapee and sends him to Arcadia, where PF and Homer try to teach him the ways of the peaceful and the relatively worry-free.
• La Diabla- The name taken on by the cruel Hand who rules over Thorne. Very little is known about her, except that she is ruthless and unpredictable.

[edit] Comments

I am more than open to comments, but please understand that this story is still a good ways off. I have several other projects I'd like to pursue first. --Officer 1BDI 01:30, 8 August 2006 (UTC)