01. Ashes to Ashes

Ashes to Ashes is set in a more fantasy-esque universe. It's not modern, but there is technology which is powered by magic. Very heavily inspired by fairy tales, fables, myths, and folklore in which the characters in those stories are ancestors to the main characters of Ashes to Ashes. 

The creator of this world goes by many names such as Grimm, Hans, and Lang; but, they are commonly known as The Writer. They create life by writing stories; a person’s whole life being already determined and written out in their book. Everyone’s stories are kept in a huge, library like room that is always expanding. The writer has two lower tiers of helpers: The Librarians and The Muses. The Librarians help The Writer with organizing and maintaining the library. The Muses are basically like gods and goddesses; representing and being in charge of different aspects. Some examples include the muse of fire and the muse of forests. Everyone is immortal, but not indestructible. Muses and Librarians can be killed as well as The Writer themselves. 

Centuries ago, they all lived in the same plane with the other mortals. But everything changed when the fire nation attacked. However at one point the mortals began to question The Writer, disliking the fact that their destiny was already determined. A militant queen, Cinderella, took a stand and declared war against The Writer. She managed to gained favored of the many nations and countries, in which war broke loose. As the war prolonged, people's beliefs and vigor began to waver; The Writer and their underlings was just too powerful. So, ultimately, the mortals were forced to surrender. As punishment for betraying them, The Writer cursed all mortals, both at the time and into the future. Various curses were placed, often depending on the nation or group of people. For example, Cinderella and her people, hailing from the forging kingdom of Cylene, were cursed to spontaneously turn into flaming ash-like elementals. 

As time passed, mortals learned to cope with their curses to the point that it became normal. The Writer and their underlings no longer resided in the same plane, instead they now live in a separate dimension from the world. The Muses, however, usually are the ones traveling between the worlds as their responsibilities do not require them being tied down to the library.