Unid was a shaman for an ancient tribe. Unfortunately, the tribe had recently vanished. Right before the disappearance, the skies grew dark and Unid lay napping under a poonta tree. When he woke and strolled back to the village, he noticed very little. However, when he got within sight of the moving city, he did notice that no one was moving…He looked around, still a bit groggy from his respite. He searched many of his neighbors’ houses and found no one.

Traincor was a tree bender. He has served as the royal tree bender for the last 20 years. Usually, his life is simple. Usually, he completes his tasks, spends time with his family, and helps neighbors with simple tasks. Usually, he doesn’t see the Czartin, the ruler of the realm. This is not a usually day. This day is different. Today, the Czartin needed the services that only the top tree bender in the realm. A neighboring world had recently contacted the Czartin, sharing their worries, problems, and possibilities of cooperating. Without a partnership, the peace that has lasted for centuries would be at risk. Traincor seemed to be one who could help build the partnership.

It is about a decade after the turn of the century…the 19th century that is. Gas streetlights have just started to replace the lanterns that hung along the safe paths. The city has used some variation of olive oil, beeswax, fish oil, whale oil, sesame oil, or nut oil to fuel the brightness overhead. They have also used street lighters to initiate the spark. Over the last month, the street lighters began lighting the lanterns later and later until one day no light shone on the streets.

When we go looking for our characters, sometimes, they find us…Think back to the older West…before it was one…before it was Hollywood and the conservation states…The buildings had character, the people were characters, and the critters were eaten without the worry of the FDA…Plan your plot, choose your characters, seek your setting…Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…