Hubay – Lord Domestic: A summary

[Hubay]

It occurs to me that I have one of the longer running stories in circulation at the moment. With the increase in new RE members and the switch from TWG, I thought it might be a good idea to summarize my story up to this point. I'm drawing near the close, soon, but there's at least 6 more chapters coming. Here's a basic summary of my world, if not the plot.

Magic: All power comes from familiars. In matisu the practice of using one's familiar for power is known as Metsi. Men take animal familiars, and women take plant familiars. Everyone has a familiar, but not everyone has the same metsi.

• Commetsi – the most common metsi, this allows humans to speak with their familiar. Unfortunately, most animals are too unintelligent for this to have much value. Women get a better use out of it as they can get a general sort of awareness from any living plants in their vicinity – useful for spying.
  
• Dommetsi – The ability to command one's familiar, or other animals/plants of that species. Usefulness depends on what kind of familiar you have, of course. Women can use it to make plants – and certain types of plant matter, like wood - contract or expand.
  
• Manimetsi/Altimetsi – the ability to manipulate the living flesh or fibers of your familiar's species. Can be used to heal, kill, or control, to some extent. Also allows you to extract food-stuffs out of an organism without killing it.
  
• Potemetsi – the rarest and most powerful metsi, this skill allows you to draw strength from your familiar. Bird-metsi fly, ivy-metsi walk on walls, porcupine-metsi can shoot quills out of their body – you get the idea. These people tend to be the movers and shakers of the world
  
• Ommetsi - Rarer than potemetsi, but not by much (most potemetsi are ommetsi), this means you get all 4 metsi at your disposal. Most people only get 1. Often drafted into the military.
  

World: Most of the story revolves around Matis, a Rome-esque empire that is approaching its Fall. The Nothroi, 'barbarians' from the north, have attacked and have yet to be defeated. It doesn't help that the Chell, supernal entities with human familiars, have decided to punish the Empire for reasons unknown.

Characters:

Jhuz – Eagle-metsi and the son of a noble who rebelled, he's been forced to serve in the Imperial Legion to drive back the Nothroi attackers. Unfortunately, Imperial law forbids him to fight, and he finds himself more of a mascot than a warrior.

Ezlio – Porcupine-metsi and part of the imperial bodyguard known as the Praefectori. He's seen general after general die to the Chell, and is helpless to protect them.

Zaisha – Briar-metsi and leader of the Immunes, the support division of the Legion. Brilliantly capable of combining female florametsi with military technology.

Lexio – Jackal-metsi and former raider, now pressed into Imperial service in the Legion. Jhuz and co. fear he means to start a mutiny.

Lisu – Ivy-metsi and part of the captured and enslaved Druyan culture. Fiercely hates the Empire, and on the run from the Legion from evading the draft. (POV character, has no chapters yet)

Duko – The most hated man in all the empire, Duko is the one human anyone's ever seen without a familiar – because he killed it. (POV character, has no chapters yet)

Edited September 14, 2011 by Hubay