"Not everyone gets a happy ending, but wouldn't you like to change that?"
An Original Character Tournament, housed on deviantArt
and hosted by Venomouswolf. It reached Round 5, but the finale was never completed.
A library is a haven. A vault of worlds where each book contains a story waiting to be explored. Very few libraries however, allow you to do this literally. The Library is an endless dimension stretching out across impossible space; the books within containing not just stories but entire worlds. Over time the books have warped their environment to suit their genre, creating forested areas where bookshelves twist into lost jungles, vast deserts littered with Arabian scrolls, and endless obsidian seas where books sail like boats in the night.
The premise asks characters if there's something in their story they would like to rewrite- maybe to avoid death, save a friend, or even just win for once- and invites them to compete in a tournament against other such hopefuls for the privilege. Should they win the characters can rewrite their story to their heart's content, but be warned- losing in the tournament means that the ability to rewrite the story falls instead to the host and owner of the library, Spade.
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General Tropes
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Alternate Character Interpretation: For both the librarians and contestant characters. - Alternate Timeline: Naturally, with 32 different round continuities within the tournament. This became a plot point in some entries.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Book characters who lose in the tournament may face a cruelly ironic rewrite.
- Cool Key: All contestants find themselves in possession of a key representing their story world (and the ability to unlock and rewrite it if they win).
- Everyone Meets Everyone: The entire point of the audition period.
- Great Big Library of Everything: The books within the library contain not just stories, but entire worlds. Only staffed by five people however.
- In-Joke: Multiple crack ships and shoddily done edits of novel covers featuring the contestants and librarians.
- Magical Library
- Staffed by Magic Librarians, naturally...
- Be as Unhelpful as Possible: Unfortunately this might just be their motto.
- Magically-Binding Contract: By agreeing to the terms of the tournament, all contestants enter into one with a price for losing.
- Meme Acknowledgement: The host eating birdseed was included as a cheeky easter egg in two entries.
- Misfit Mobilization Moment: Common among the different rounds as the book characters join forces.
- Meta Fiction: A story-telling contest in which characters compete to rewrite their stories.
- Playing Card Motifs: All of the librarians sport the symbol of a spade somewhere on their person...
- Rewriting Reality: The premise and entire point of the tournament is a very literal example of this.
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What Could Have Been: Tragically comes with the territory in original character tournaments.
The Librarians
Spade - The Host of the Tournament
Created by Venomouswolf Ref: [1]
Ref: [1]- Accidental Misnaming: Unless he really does enjoy giving people nicknames.
- Death's Hourglass: His true form prominently features one.
- A Form You Are Comfortable With: Disguises himself as a human to better deal with contestants, while his true form is more bird-like and monstrous.
- Lean and Mean: He's 6' 2" and built like a string bean.
Alastor
Created by Ombre-de-clause Ref: [2]
Ref: [2]- The Berserker: Alastor is by far the most outwardly violent and aggressive of the librarians, with his "hands on" fighting style and fits of rage.
- Bio-Armor: An unpleasant, Body Horror variant- Alastor's metallic armor is fused to his body, and can't be removed.
- Blood Knight: He is always looking for a Worthy Opponent to fight, and even lets his challengers strike the first blow.
- Warrior Poet: There are hints Alastor may have once had a softer side. Even as a monster, he maintains a surprisingly good vocabulary for someone without lips.
- You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry!: Seriously. Don't break the rules.
Feste
Created by KaylaBirdee Ref: [3]
Ref: [3]- Deadpan Snarker: Feste's sense of humor and general demeanor.
- Deliberately Monochrome: The colors of his skin, hair, and clothes are all desaturated and unnaturally off-color.
- Loud of War: Feste enjoys "entertaining" (i.e. harassing) both contestants and other librarians with his musical gifts, and is unfortunately persistent.
- Magic Music: His music can have a variety of spell-like effects on those who hear it.
Xheruk
- Beware the Nice Ones: Damaging books will trigger him.
- Bookworm: Unsurprising, given his occupation.
- The Slacker: Xheruk is quite... lax with his librarian duties.
- Teleportation: Xheruk's power. Used mostly for helping various contestants get to where they need to go.
Contestant Characters
Alfred "A" Packer
- Agent Mulder: A is one in his original comic series.
- Batter Up!: A's weapon is a baseball bat that used to belong to his best friend.
- The '80s: A's home story has the feel of a nostalgic 80s adventure serial, complete with Monster of the Week alien shenanigans.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With his best friend, K, leading to...
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: A's motivation to save K in the tournament.
- Obsessed Are The List Makers: A's notebook, complete with observations, questions he asks himself, and drawings of the other characters.
- One-Letter Name: A and K's names are deliberately chosen code names for their detective work.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: See above.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: K is the more action-oriented one of their duo, while A is the nerdier and more sensitive.
- Socially Awkward Hero
- Took a Level in Badass: Over the rounds and with inspiration from the friends he meets, A becomes more courageous, and better at standing up to his problems.
Adeline
Created by AdelineKnotts Ref: [7]
Ref: [7]- Apologetic Attacker: In most of the rounds she appeared in. Leads to being a Friendly Enemy to the contestants she faces off with.
- Badass Adorable: Despite her cute, waifish appearance, she is one of the most magically powerful characters in the tournament.
- Bookworm: So much of a bookworm that she creates little forts made of books!
- Interrupted Suicide: Implied in her audition.
- Last of His Kind: Adeline seems to be the only one left in her world.
Alexey "Alex" Sokolov & Evren "Ren" Holtzmann
Created by Cryo-Spectre Ref: [8]
Ref: [8]- Big Brother Instinct: Ren towards Alex... sometimes.
- Muggles: In comparison to many of the more outlandish contestants.
- Only Sane Man: Ren's first reaction to a strange man breaking into his house and offering him to compete in a magical tournament is to call the police.
- Parental Substitute: Alex even suggests Ren to be this and adopt him at one point.
- Percussive Therapy: Ren is fond of this, going by his knuckles.
- Punch a Wall: ...And the walls in his apartment.
Alpheus Abimel & Lilith Teivel Tartini
- Alternate Self: Both characters are from different alternate universes and are familiar with the alternate versions of the other.
- Curtains Match the Windows: Alpheus' blue eyes match his equally bright blue hair.
- Magic Music: Lilith has a curse to this effect.
- Morph Weapon: Al's shapeshifting sword/belt buckle.
Arande & the Fatespinner
Created by KaiserWilliams Ref: [10]
Ref: [10]- Prophet Eyes: The Fatespinner has them.
- Spider Motif Character: The Fatespinner, but as the name implies her weaving motif has more to do with spinning the threads of fate.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Arande's entire line of red-haired, historically significant descendants.
Barnett & Kitt
- Partially Civilized Animal: Kit, a young cat, who wears clothes but still meows and chases after lazer pointers.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: Who could resist those eyes?
Blacksmiter
Created by LazyNinjartist Ref: [12]
Ref: [12]- Darker and Edgier: Both Blacksmiter himself as the tournament progressed and the tone of the artist's entries.
- Dork Knight: Blacksmiter is as dorky as he is noble and good-natured.
Damien Chantecler
Created by ClefdeSoll Ref: [14]
Ref: [14]- Love Triangle: Jae, Damien, Nata
- Ring of Power: Damien has hands full of these.
Dazel Dame
Created by SolventGrandma Ref: [15]
Ref: [15]- Insectoid Aliens: Princess Umi is a cute example.
- Jet Pack & Ray Gun: her equipment of choice, naturally.
- Raygun Gothic: The visual aesthetic of Dazel's design and original story is very much this.
Dust & Fable
Created by TheDemonSurfer Ref: [16]
Ref: [16]- Non-Human Sidekick: Fable to Dust.
Ember Mieds
- Blessed with Suck: Especially considering she's terrified of fire.
- Everything Trying to Kill You: She feels this way (and isn't entirely wrong).
- Wreathed in Flames: Even though she doesn't want to be. She also has the Required Secondary Powers. If you don't want her to burst into flame at a moment's notice, you might want to try to Kill It with Water (or at least stop her from burning down the library).
Etienne Gillette
Created by Claudetite Ref: [18]
Ref: [18]- Professional Killer: Although he was trying to clean up his act prior to the tournament.
Fuzles
- Ascended Extra: In her original story, Fuzles was not even a part of the plot.
Infinite Man aka Ali Sharaf
Created by wayward-pilgrim Ref: [20]
Ref: [20]- I Just Want to Be Normal: Ali's motivation for entering the tournament in the first place.
Ivy & Grim
Created by LankyPicket Ref: [21]
Ref: [21]- Character Development: Both of them grew and developed beyond the cliche characterizations they were written with in their original story
- Spikes of Villainy: Grim's original outfit and forms when shapeshifted.
- Princess Classic: Played with- the narrative forces Ivy to be the Damsel in Distress, but freed of the narrative, she is much more competent.
- Silk Hiding Steel: Ivy's true personality.
Jae
- Berserk Button: "Fear is no excuse"
- Love Triangle: Jae, Damien, and Nata.
Jharode Kespire
Created by Rhavencroft Ref: [23]
Ref: [23]- Dark and Troubled Past: Flashbacks of Jharode's past haunt him throughout the tournament.
Louis-Thibaud Valentin Zee Third & Val-E Soo
- Ambiguous Gender: Val.
- Rage Against the Author: Val does this after learning she comes from a fictional story.
- Stylistic Suck: Done intentionally to great comic effect in their audition and round covers.
Luca
Created by HyperDanger Ref: [26]
Ref: [26]- Amazing Technicolor Population: All of the Chroma from Luca's story.
Naja & Ambra
- Genie in a Bottle: Ambra.
- Ring of Power: The ring Ambra is bound to, worn by Naja.
- Three Wishes: Ambra can grant three every half day, no rollovers. Unfortunately, Naja is prone to Wasteful Wishing.
Queen Lucinda & Skird
Created by Omegase7en Ref: [38]
Ref: [38]- Lady of Black Magic: Lucinda is a dark magic user, complete with elegant dress and rod.
- Minion with an F in Evil: Skird sympathizes with Iris, Queen Lucinda's nemesis, and seems to be one.
