Creating the world of the Evergreen

I have an obsessive personality. I will become absolutely fixated on something until I burn myself out, then fixate on something else. As a result, I am a highly passionate person who rarely finishes things.

I'm told that's a sign of ADHD, but it is what it is. Hello, this is me.

My latest obsession is playing around with Midjourney. I was writing a story about a young woman who finds herself in the world of her favourite fantasy series, and now I find myself generating image after image of this world instead of actually writing about it.

To be fair though, generating these images is actually imbuing me with even more inspiration. For example:

In the world of the Evergreen, there are a few hidden areas only the magi can access called way-stops. Places of luxury for a passing magi to recuperate for the day and continue on their way as they travel. I had at first written the area as a dimly lit room where tiny lanterns dance high amidst the ceiling rafters, cushions and rugs are strewn across the floor and there are lounges to rest upon.

Pretty basic, really, but I wasn't intending on it being a grand experience. It's literally just a resting area for travelling magi.

But then, thanks to generating various images in Midjourney, I thought to myself... does it really have to be just a resting area? These are magi! It's a magical area! There needs to be more oomph! Amaze the little lady from the other world, AMAZE HER!

These images were then generated with marble floors and pillars and OOMPH, and I decided to change the way-stop completely.

Rubbing the weariness from her brow, she looked around the way-stop, her eyes widening further with every new detail she drank in. It was a large room with marble floors and mirrors for walls, lit by hundreds of floating, circular lanterns. Rugs and cushions of all colours were strewn across the floor and along the wall was the largest lounge she had ever seen, covered with more cushions. In one corner of the room was a reading nook complete with bookshelves, desk and ink, and in the opposite corner — her eyes boggled — was a bath with steam rising from its waters.

Much better! Thanks Inspirational Image Bot! I mean, it's not the best writing ~ first draft ~ but the idea is there now and it's much better than just a dingy dim room with a couple of lounges.

Plus, I've decided to stop denying my secret urges to be an erotica writer, so, a bath gives me a good excuse to write sexy things. 👀

Ahem.

Back to world creation! Pretty much everything I've written so far, I've tried to generate an image for, because I'm obsessed and can't help myself.

Let's begin at the beginning.

Kelsey, a young woman obsessed with the book series 'Beneath the Evergreen,' improvises a ritual to travel to the alternate universe and live a new life in the world of her dreams.

In this world, the people are nocturnal as the day is dangerous with a sun that will literally burn the flesh from your bones. The plants have evolved to drink in the sunlight during the day, and release it all at night. As such, there is no need for lanterns except inside houses and establishments.

There are creatures in the forest, dangerous creatures unlike any on Earth. Most notable are the scalekits which possess feline grace and a mass of writhing tendrils in place of fur. The tendrils spit a paralysing poison at their prey which renders it unable to flee or fight so it can easily be devoured. They are the size of a large wolf and often attack in packs. Only the females dare attack things solo, and only when they're about to give birth. A final meal before their own young eat them.

They are a prize sought after by the magi who use their blood and poisons in various rituals.

Kelsey arrives in the Evergreen during the height of day and discovers first-hand how dangerous the sun can be. Luckily, Tomias of the magi is nearby and rescues her.

Curious of her tale of being from another world, and determined to not allow a despicable Magister the knowledge of her existence to take her knowledge for himself, Tomias takes her under his wing

It's a beautiful world that she falls into completely. The people are very different to those she had read about, but the imagery of the world was spot on and she indulges in the brilliance on offer as she and Tomias travel from village to village.

Tomias travels from village to village and spends a lot of time in the taverns and bath houses, eavesdropping upon conversations. He seeks any information in regards to the city and the magi, hoping to head off and disrupt future rituals and actions that could destabilise the Evergreen further. His old mentor, Zeddicus, Magister to the King, has already done enough to ruin the world — he'll do all he can to stop the power-hungry madman from ruining things further.

Between villages, they rely mostly on caves to protect them during the day from the burning sunlight, but once or twice they come across the way-stops: secret underground resting areas only the magi can access and far more comfortable than a dirty cave.

After travelling together for some time, naturally they grow close.

Unfortunately, human trafficking is something rife in the Evergreen as the magi seek bodies for their rituals and the King himself seeks women for his harem. Kelsey has the misfortune of looking just as the King desires and thus is worth a significant amount, and they're constantly under threat by the bodysnatchers, men who make their coin from selling people.

Tomias, of course, is able to keep them at bay being a significantly powerful magi, however... Kelsey soon learns that he used to be one of them. He used to capture women who looked just as she to sell to the King.

No longer able to trust him, Kelsey has to work through herself to discover what's right, what's wrong, and what's going on in this world... becoming a power unto herself.

You can, of course, see all these at my Midjourney user gallery here:
https://www.midjourney.com/app/users/48123aec-e9b9-4634-830f-801005aac827/

Which has the added benefit of seeing what prompts I used. 🙂

I hope you enjoy these images and my inane need to babble about them and a story I'll likely never finish! But hey, who knows, maybe I'll surprise myself.

 

Until next time! 😊✨📚

 

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_{All images in this post are courtesy of me, @kaelci and were created with Midjourney.}