The Sleeping God - Partial Script Draft #1
Jul 23, 2019 21:47:50 GMT -5
phantomstar57, Mᴏᴏɴ - -, and 2 more like this
Post by » ѕнαdσω ⚔️ on Jul 23, 2019 21:47:50 GMT -5
Hey guys! Shadow here. I decided to at the very least drop off some content that has not yet been shared. I asked my discord server if they were interested, and their answer was a resounding YES. They insisted I posted it here too, so make sure to thank them! :'P
The Sleeping God project is a co-creation between me and @specdetective . It falls into the Clans of the Valley Universe (same series as Curse, my finished novel) except in a totally different area of the world. Since it is so different, I wanted it to be told in a different medium. It will eventually be a comic/manga, but as Spec and I have had some issues keeping us from this project, it's been put on hold.
Here is an on the spot synopsis:
Once every quarter moon after the sun sets, the rolling rocky hills of the Fallen Stone Fields come alive. A small community of wild cats descend into an ancient burial site bearing gifts for the one they call, the Sleeping God, an ageless and ancient tom who has been asleep on a stone altar within the tomb for as long as any cat can remember. To the residence, he is precious beyond measure, and a promise that one day, their lives will be forever changed once he awakens from his slumber.
Bored with her quiet life in the Fallen Stone Fields, Amaya has spent the better part of her young life training to become a Guardian to the Sleeping God; an honorable role in the community as both a protector and caretaker to their sleeping deity. With this role, she hopes to obtain some meaning in her life even if it is mostly devoid of excitement and adventure; two ideas she has never experienced for herself.
But things change once the Sleeping God is in her care. After several strange events, she discovers that the Sleeping God is no mere immortal deity, but something more. Something that she and her fellow Guardians were never prepared for...
NOTE: This is a partial script, as in it is not finished, nor is it polished. I will not be posting the entirety of it here, as I want the story to be a surprise for me and Spec's readers.
SECOND NOTE: While me and Spec are collaborating, this is still very much a Clans of the Valley story that is CANON. Spec has actually made my ideas better if we are being honest. :'P
The Sleeping God project is a co-creation between me and @specdetective . It falls into the Clans of the Valley Universe (same series as Curse, my finished novel) except in a totally different area of the world. Since it is so different, I wanted it to be told in a different medium. It will eventually be a comic/manga, but as Spec and I have had some issues keeping us from this project, it's been put on hold.
Here is an on the spot synopsis:
Once every quarter moon after the sun sets, the rolling rocky hills of the Fallen Stone Fields come alive. A small community of wild cats descend into an ancient burial site bearing gifts for the one they call, the Sleeping God, an ageless and ancient tom who has been asleep on a stone altar within the tomb for as long as any cat can remember. To the residence, he is precious beyond measure, and a promise that one day, their lives will be forever changed once he awakens from his slumber.
Bored with her quiet life in the Fallen Stone Fields, Amaya has spent the better part of her young life training to become a Guardian to the Sleeping God; an honorable role in the community as both a protector and caretaker to their sleeping deity. With this role, she hopes to obtain some meaning in her life even if it is mostly devoid of excitement and adventure; two ideas she has never experienced for herself.
But things change once the Sleeping God is in her care. After several strange events, she discovers that the Sleeping God is no mere immortal deity, but something more. Something that she and her fellow Guardians were never prepared for...
NOTE: This is a partial script, as in it is not finished, nor is it polished. I will not be posting the entirety of it here, as I want the story to be a surprise for me and Spec's readers.
SECOND NOTE: While me and Spec are collaborating, this is still very much a Clans of the Valley story that is CANON. Spec has actually made my ideas better if we are being honest. :'P
ENJOY
THE SLEEPING GOD
Script Draft #1
1st panel:
Open with a shot of a thundercloud hovering over a tranquil, hilly landscape in full swing of mid-spring. Lots of green, a few rocks, some flowers, streams, ect. It is early morning.
2nd panel:
Zoomed in shot of rain pattering on pebbled ground with grass and flowers.
“It’s raining…do you think the ceremony will be cancelled?”
3rd panel:
Inside of a den with multiple grass nests. The main focus is on Amaya’s back as she stare’s longingly out into the downpour.
“Nothing stops the ceremonies, Amaya. Don’t worry, you will be sworn in today.”
4th panel:
Shot of Amaya turning around, her face showing excitement as a streak of lightning goes off in the background.
“Good! If I have to wait any longer I think I’ll-”
5th panel:
Shot of Amaya’s aunt sitting in the back of the den with a dead rabbit at her paws, her expression impatient.
“Have you eaten yet? We need to be ready to leave soon.”
6th panel:
Amaya frowns. She hates it when her aunt ruins her fun. She turns away and looks back out at the dark grey sky.
“I’m not hungry.”
7th panel:
Amaya’s aunt snorts, shrugging. She walks up to Amaya’s side, leaving the rabbit behind.
“Suit yourself. Don’t come crying to me when your stomach starts growling when you’re saying your vows.”
8th panel:
Amaya imagines this happening to her, and she becomes nervous. What IF that happens and the entire groups laughs at her? She eyes the rabbit and sighs. She will have to force herself to eat.
9th panel:
Skip ahead to when Amaya and her aunt leave. They meet up with other members of their group. They all walk together through the hills. Amaya looks visibly impatient, constantly twitching and looking annoyed when her aunt stops to greet others. She just wants to get to the burial site already!
10th panel:
They round a bend and come upon a larger grassy hill with a stony cave entrance at its base. A worn path leads up to it. Two cats guard the outside, flanking the path. They smile and greet Amaya warmly.
“Are you ready? He is waiting for you.”
“Don’t worry! He won’t comment on how small you are!”
“Thanks?”
11th panel:
This is Amaya’s first time ever being in the burial site. As she enters the first thing she notices are the dozens upon dozens of burial mounds on either side of the path inside of the cave. Holes in the rock above illuminate the eerie space, and water trickles in. Where the water slides over the rock, moss grows.
“Are they…uh, are they sleeping too?” - Amaya
“It is not for us to question, Amaya. Only the Sleeping God knows.” – Amaya’s aunt.
12th panel:
The Sleeping God then comes into view. He is resting up on a smooth, flat boulder and the very back with even more guards surrounding him. Two of the guards stand before him, their eyes tracking Amaya as she walks towards them. It is an intimidating sight.
13th panel:
The group behind Amaya stops. She stops too, looking confused. Her aunt nudges her forward, indicating that she should go up to the two guards. She does, now looking less excited and more nervous, her eyes shifting from the guards to the large sleeping figure behind them.
“Welcome, friends, comrades and kin. Before you gather your offerings, we have called you all here today to witness the newest member of our sacred guard taking her sworn oath before the Sleeping God, the savior and protector of our homeland.” – The oldest guard.
14th panel:
Amaya eyes the Sleeping God, noticing how still he is. He seems dead to her.
“Amaya, have you undergone the proper assessments, and have you been cleared by the established guard seated before you today?”
“Yes, I have!”
15th panel:
Amaya puffs out her chest, the eyes of the others hot on her back. She refuses to look nervous or weak before the gathered cats. She trained for moons for this position! She is ready.
“Then do you swear, before the Mother, the Father, the Beast and the Soul of the World that you, Amaya, will protect and care for the Sleeping God until the breath of life has left your body?”
“I do.”
“Then let the sky and the earth guide you.”
16th panel:
The old guard is passed an eagle’s feather by a younger, fellow guard and gives it to Amaya to hold in her jaws. Then the guard swipes at the foot of the boulder that the SG rests on, imbedding damp dirt into the guard’s paw pad. The guard then proceeds to wipe it over Amaya’s bowed head.
“Rise, Amaya, sacred guard of the Sleeping God. You may come forward and complete your oath.”
17th panel:
Amaya clenches her jaws and steps forward, padding past the guards and up to the boulder where she faces the SG face to face. She breathes in deeply, steeling herself, carefully placing the feather at his paws where there is a natural crack in the rock. There, countless other feathers are stuck upright in the crack. Amaya pulls back, sighing, a bright smile breaking through her nerves.
18th panel:
Then, as if in greeting, the Sleeping God breaths in deeply as well, and lets out a sigh, ruffling the feathers before him.
“The Sleeping God approves!”
“He breathes upon the sacred feathers of our ancestors!”
19th panel:
The group cheers, and the guards smile and congratulate Amaya. But she barely reacts, as her wide eyes are glued to the Sleeping God, where his breathing has become more even and deep. Her chest swells with happiness, and also sorrow. She craves adventure, anything to break up the monotony of her life. But by receiving this humbling sign from the SG, her fate has been sealed. She may never see what’s beyond these hills, for as long as the breath of life is still in her lungs.
“I guess I’m your guard now…” – Amaya to SG
20th panel:
Day one of Amaya’s new job.
“Shoot, shoot, shoot I’m going to be late!”
21st panel:
Small horizontal panel of a dirt path, the grass still, the flowers still, and a few cats walking at a leisurely pace. Its late morning. There is still a pinkish tinge to the sky and light.
22nd panel:
Same shot, but Amaya is running past like her life depends on it. Her fur is stuck up in different places, her ears flat against her skull, her tail streaming behind her. She rustles the grass and flowers, kicks up dirt and pushes aside cats in her way. A mix of startled, angry/hissing, and laughter from the background characters.
“I CAN’T BE LATE!”
23rd panel:
Cut to an annoyed guard’s face filling the panel. They are inside the cave, the pinkish light filtering in around them.
“You were supposed to be here at dawn to relieve me.”
24th panel:
Amaya, in the guard’s shadow, looks up at him, nervous and guilty.
“I’m so sorry! I…I overslept?”
25th panel:
Side shot of the guard walking past Amaya, looking quite tired and sighing heavily. Amaya looks perplexed, deep in her thoughts as she realizes she has never slept in before. Why is it today of all days that she sleeps in?
“S-sorry! Have a nice nap!” – Amaya to guard who is likely to go pass out after his night long shift.
26th panel:
Amaya looks up at the Sleeping God on his altar. He looks peaceful, his flanks barely rising and falling. His breath does not stir the dust collecting around him, or the feathers shoved into the crack in the boulder at his head. Amaya is reminded once again of how dead he seems. Almost like a corpse. She can’t help but feel like that; her life at a standstill.
27th panel:
Close up shot of Amaya’s feather which is not moving from his breath.
“You seem much less lively today…” – Amaya to SG
28th panel:
Amaya stiffens, realizing she forgot her manners.
“I’m Amaya, by the way…we don’t have a nickname for you, so I guess I’ll just call you Sleeping God?”
29th panel:
When SG doesn’t respond, Amaya sighs, rolling her eyes at herself. She looks down at the dust settling around his body.
“Right…I know you’re probably used to this by now, but I have to clean you. You wouldn’t be very nice to look at if I just let you get coated in dust.”
30th panel:
Amaya begins to delicately wipe away the dust around the SG using a moss ball, having to replace it a few times. The pinkish light slowly turns to gold, indicating the sun rising midway through the sky.
31st panel:
Amaya gets to a point where she is close to the SG’s head. One of the dust motes flies up and lands on his nose. Amaya instantly stiffens, her eyes going wide.
32nd panel:
After waiting to see if the SG would react, Amaya lets out a breath and glares at the small dust particle resting on SG’s shiny nose.
“You HAD to land on his nose? You couldn’t have gone to his shoulder? His neck? HIS EAR?”
33rd panel:
Amaya carefully places her front paws on the altar, her hind legs propping her up from the ground. She leans forward, her paw stretching out toward SG’s shiny nose and the dust mote. Panel zooms in close on Amaya’s paw and SG’s shiny nose. [SHINY IS KEY]
34th panel:
Close up of Amaya’s paw gently wiping away the dust mote from SG’s shiny nose.
35th panel:
Amaya slowly pulls back her paw with the dust mote on one of her pads, her eyes round, not in shock or fear, but in wonder. Curiosity fills her gaze.
“You’re very warm…”
36th panel:
The SG breathes in deeply then, his flanks rising. As he sighs, the air stirs up what was left of the dust Amaya had left to clean, and settles all over his head.
37th panel:
Amaya’s eye twitches. Long shot of her still standing on her hind legs, one of her paws on the boulder, the other still holding up the dust mote. The SG’s large form lies before her, the sunlight glowing off of the both of them.
“I’m nicknaming you Dustwind.”
Indistinct number of panels:
Funny, cute shots of Amaya tending to SG. Amaya being late over and over again. Amaya chasing away spiders/bugs. Washing down SG’s fur with a damp moss ball. Staring at his face looking speculative. Amaya eyeing cats as they come in to pay their respects/give offerings. Amaya gently playing with SG’s tail out of boredom. Taking night shifts where she struggles to stay awake. ECT. Days are passing here.
“I’m late again!”
“Move, move, move!” – Amaya to the cats she has to push through
“How do I keep sleeping in?!”
“No! Bad spider!”
“I swear to all the gods if dust lands on you while I’m doing this…”
“Good thing you don’t have to make dirt, right?”
“You know, you could be quite handsome if you didn’t sleep so much. It’s just pure laziness. VERY unattractive to the ladies, I hear.” – ALL Amaya in the scenes
38th panel:
One moon later…Amaya running down the path while it’s raining. She’s late. Again.
“HOW DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?”
39th panel:
Large, zoomed out shot of Amaya facing the sleeping god head on, her face close to his with the cave around them. The light filtering into the cave is more grey today than pink because of the rain. Darker grey streaks along the walls indicate places where water is trickling in.
40th panel:
Close up shot of Amaya’s face, her eyes narrowed in concentration.
41st panel:
Close up shot of SG’s sleeping face. His nose looks shinier. In fact, it’s wet. SG sniffs, his nostrils flaring, his muzzle crinkling.
42nd panel:
Amaya leans back, her eyes still speculative/deep in thought as she looks behind the altar where supplies are kept: little holes in the walls where moss and herbs are stored.
“This can’t be good…does he have the sniffles from the rain and colder air?”
43rd panel:
Amaya picks out some herbs and lays them out before the sleeping god. She makes quick work, knowing exactly what she needs. But not knowing how he feels makes her job of narrowing down which herbs to use to treat symptoms near impossible. She sighs, looking dismayed.
“I wish you could speak, Dustwind.”
END (for now...)
If you wish to see more SLEEPING GOD in it's proper form, shoot @specdetective an encouraging message on her own story LOST AND WANDER, a fantastic and engaging story with a main character and a plot that has stolen my heart and imagination. Or, if you want a more personal setting, send her a pm, and tell her how amazing she is!
No, seriously, go read her comic and like all of her posts and then proceed to tell her that Shadow sent you on a mission that you cannot fail otherwise you will be burned alive.
Miss you all! <3
No, seriously, go read her comic and like all of her posts and then proceed to tell her that Shadow sent you on a mission that you cannot fail otherwise you will be burned alive.
Miss you all! <3