The Underworld Vagabond Preptober 2024

TASK 1

Generating An Idea

Back in her prime, Laetitia Lambert was a proud and fearless explorer and the only human ever to step foot and uncover the secrets of the world of the dead.
Now, years later, she recounts her daring and dangerous tales to her granddaughter. Ever since she was a toddler Laurie had grown up with stories of the Underworld. From the myths of Ancient Greece to the folkloric spirits that roamed the European lands, Laurie had become fascinated with the cycle of the dark and deathly counterpart to the world she belongs to.
At seven years of age, Laurie says goodbye to Laetitia when she finally reaches the end of her life. The dawn after she's buried, Laurie encounters her own doppelganger from the Underworld - her Fetch¹. Promising her a long and virtuous life, Laurie fuses with the spirit; in return for good luck, Laurie now becomes host to her Underworld counterpart.
As more years pass, Laurie finds herself becoming braver and stronger and decides the time comes to study the Underworld at a closer glance, to roam its chilling lands and see the beauty of it for herself... To carry on her grandmother's legacy and maintain her memory.
Now in the lion's den of death, blood and danger, Laurie starts wandering the Underworld with nothing more than the clothes on her back, some handy dandy tools for survival, her wit and the Fetch inside her. Though before the denizens of the dark world can sink its teeth into her, they soon realise Laurie is a little more than a living snack. In fact, the Underworld Vagabond is a little more than a force to be reckoned with...
_{Word Count: 279}

¹Fetch = A supernatural apparition of a living person within Irish folklore.

TASK 2

Part A: World-Building

The Underworld is heavily inspired by myths and legends across time but giving it a somewhat contemporary influence as well. It's vast and expanding, a parallel world to the one we all live in IRL only shrouded in darkness and much, much colder. Any normal human being would freeze instantly upon stepping foot into this world, and that's without any snow. The sky is pitch black, clouds are a dark navy where you'd have to squint to catch a glimpse of them. The only source of illumination is the moon and the glow of the souls that wander and rest in burial sites across the world.

The Underworld comprises of a mix of different inhabitants; legendary creatures, souls and Underworld-born citizens.
- Legendary Creatures are exactly as they sound = Monsters and beings that are popular in modern folklore and mythology. While the likes of fairies, ghouls, nymphs and dragons are some of the many regulars that can be found in the world (depending on their mythological origins as well), some others are memories, particularly those slain in ancient stories, taking the form of stone tablets inside hidden folds of the Underworld where they're remembered in the stories carried on by the Human World, such as the Lernaean Hydra, slain by Heracles and whose stone tablet resides beneath the lake of Lerna in the Argolid.
- Souls = 60% of the Underworld is made up of souls who have died in the living world and have passed into the Underworld. Souls arrive in the Underworld every day in great numbers, giving respite to the departed across the globe. Souls will commonly be found in burial sites across the Underworld, collective spaces for each region, town and community, decorated in a blue hue and a red iron fence around the enclosure. Other souls cannot cross into a different burial site and can only go so far from their own, but creatures and Underworld-Born citizens can pass through any without trouble. Depending on their region, souls will cross over and fade much quicker than others; souls who have found peace will vanish into a higher existence while others will remain, either due to modern cultural influences or simply because they are unable to cross-over due to past grievances they can't let go of.
- Underworld-Born = Those who are Underworld-Born are the equivalent to human beings - Born in the Underworld, living in the Underworld. The story goes that when stories of the Tree of Life began to influence human world mythos, said Trees came to life in the Underworld and created Underworld-Human hybrids. Their skin is pale and will typically be born with either black or light grey hair, with dark-coloured eyes. Despite sharing a world with legendary creatures, they are no exception to their instincts and are just as capable of getting devoured, attacked, turned or enchanted by the multitude of folkloric beasts.

As the Underworld carries the influence of many different cultures and traditions, most of its laws are derived and inspired from them, including household traditions and mannerisms. Events (modern and ancient) such as The Day of the Dead, Samhain and Walpurgis Night affect the souls resting in the Underworld. Moon cycles and types can affect some of the legendary creatures, such as influencing lycanthropy and vampiric instincts.
_{Word Count: 550}

Part B: Character Creation

The central protagonist is Laurie Lambert, Laetitia's granddaughter and successor to the work she did exploring the Underworld. In the Prologue, Laurie is 7 years old where she struggles to come to terms with her grandmother's passing. The main story follows her journey around the Underworld at 22, with flashbacks and references to events in her early life in between.

Laurie starts off as a curious and rambunctious child who harbours a great fascination for the Underworld and the stories told to her by her grandmother, to the point that she wants to see it for herself. As she grows up, she becomes braver and stronger after coming to terms with her grandmother's passing, partially aided by the Fetch she becomes host to when they encounter each other the morning after Laetitia's funeral. She then becomes confident enough to start travelling the Underworld at 13, using an old and (un)known ritual to get there.

Laurie spends years in the Underworld, observing and mentally logging her experiences, partaking in harrowing adventures, schemes and plots, as well as learning more about the strange new phenomenon inside her. Over time, she builds up and exudes confidence, wit, charisma, and an incredible train of intellect and resourcefulness, a definite expert in all things folkloric. On the other hand, Laurie is also playful, tomboyish and light-hearted, harbouring an essence of a child-like mentality at times as observed in her sometimes cheeky and mischievous moments; a by-product of her Fetch merging with her when she was a child. With so much time spent in the Underworld and the experiences she's had - both good and bad - Laurie is an undeniable adrenaline-junkie and can be perceived as a little bit mad by some. Whether she actually is or not is up for debate. In spite of that however, she's loyal, friendly and knuckles down to do the right thing when people need help, exemplifying the humanity she still holds within herself.

Appearance wise, Laurie is naturally tall and blonde with blue eyes. As time passes, her hair becomes lighter (to a platinum shade) and her skin becomes slightly paler. She's 6ft in height by the events of the main story. Through her experiences, she physically capable with a slight definition in her arm and leg muscles. She generically wears either a black or dark-teal coloured thermal shirt with either a grey or black short-sleeved jacket over the top. She wears black jeans held up with a leather belt (with a few small pouches to carry essentials) and black boots, with black gloves - all of which to keep her relatively camouflaged in certain environments and to shelter her from the brunt of the biting cold of the Underworld. Around her neck is a small locket, inside of which contains a slightly worn out but readable photo of her grandmother.

Concept Art

_{Word Count: 477}

TASK 3

Le Grand Schedule;-
2,000 words a day! (1st - 25th Nov) - This will help leave time aside for editing and to complete IRL errands on the side

Early drafts will be written in advance to map out pacing and fill in gaps for coherence

Any days that I miss will be carried over into the final portion/extra time;-
Re-reading, editing, re-writing. (26-29th Nov)

_{Word Count: 71}