Travels and Tales: Difference between revisions

'''''Travels and Tales of Emilia Rivers, Volume I: The Best is Yet to Come''''' is the first journal in the ''Travels and Tales'' series. It begins with Rivers, then still a member of the lower council of Ceyreto, complaining about the lack of events in her life prior to the events of the journal. This is followed by a documentation of her ascendance to Foreign Minister at the behest of Lord Gem Valtara (referred to throughout the series as simply "Lord Valtara"). The rest of the book mostly follows Rivers' regular visits to Cielo, the capital city of the Empire of Aether and budding friendship with the Emperor, Acero Noxaros (referred to as "Lord Noxaros"), and ends with the build-up towards and declaration of the Ceyreto-Zydel war. The book lacked a subtitle upon release, but was given a subtitle after the release of the second volume. The subtitle is taken directly from the motto of the city of Blackthorn.

'''''Travels and Tales of Emilia Rivers, Volume II: The Tyrant King''''' is the second journal in the ''Travels and Tales'' series. Despite being currently the longest book in the series, it covers the shortest span of time. Where ''The Best is Yet to Come'' spans across nearly two months, ''The Tyrant King'' covers only the first three weeks of the war. The book begins with a confident Rivers gathering allies across the continent of Ceyreto/Kuthara and follows Rivers' through the first attack of the war, her infamous stand-off on her boat with Lord Happy of Zydel (referred to as "the Tyrant King"), and her eventual transofrmation into a Rat fae after an extended stay in the Cielo sewer system. The book was received incredibly highly upon release, being seen as an improvement upon the original and a worthy follow-up. It is generally considered the best book in the series by fans.

'''''Travels and Tales of Emilia Rivers, Volume III: Year of the Rat''''' is the third journal in the ''Travels and Tales'' series. The journal is centred around Rivers' sudden transformation into a Rat fae at the hands of a mysterious magical rat living in the Cielo sewer after an attempted manhunt by the Tyrant King and Veric of Uradon (referred to as "the Lord of Uradon, curse his wretched soul"). The book later documents her return to Blackthorn after her self-imposed exile to Cielo, her relationship with the ruling Valtara dynasty, and her sudden ascendance to the title of Mayor of Blackthorn after Lord Valtara's disappearance. ''Year of the Rat'' was originally written with the intention of being the closing act of ''The Tyrant King'', with the novel starting with Rivers being beaten and left for dead, to her turning around and becoming mayor of the city, though due to the eventual length of ''The Tyrant King'', the two were split into two entries.

'''''Travels and Tales of Emilia Rivers, Volume IV: With Any Luck''''' is the fourth journal in the ''Travels and Tales'' series. While the first three entries are all very outgoing and are focused on Rivers' surroundings, ''With Any Luck'' is a lot more introspective and melancholic. The journal is heavily centred around Rivers' relationship with the village of the Faewood, the Faefolk and her newfound relation to them as a reluctant now-Fae creature. It also follows the newly formed Blackthorn Intrim Council and their plans to completely defend the town from a rumoured siege by the Tyrant King, as well as the slow but sure decline of the Triumvirate of Ceyreto. The subtitle ''"With Any Luck"'' is a phrase that is used throughout the series, commonly used by Rivers as another way of saying "I hope", and was chosen to reflect the journal's more melancholic nature.

=== Volume V: (Title TBD)Ghosts ===

'''''Travels and Tales of Emilia Rivers, Volume VGhosts''''' is the upcoming fifth journal in the ''Travels and Tales'' series. It has been confirmed by Rivers to be in the works, but nothing of it has been released. The journal is suggested to possibly document the falldownfall and decay of many locations in the world of ''Travels and Tales'', likely within the Triumvirate of Ceyreto.