The Name-Seeker

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Description

A quarter of a century ago, a great plague ravaged Saurellis, killing thousands of people and leaving hundreds upon hundreds of orphans.  Some have gone on to make lives for themselves; others… not so much.

Kang Yoorae is one of the former.  A rising star in the capital city of the Saurellian archipelago in her role as magistrata, she is an accomplished sigil mage and a respected enforcer of the law.  But in the face of rising dark magic from across the seas, she has also joined The Name-Seekers, a secret group dedicated to chasing down the true names of the orphans and vagabonds on their streets.  Using a person’s true name has helped her hugely in the binding spells she places on the convicted criminals to keep them out of trouble in the future.  There’s just one problem: naming magic is illegal, and even the faintest whiff of it is grounds for execution.

The Pirate Prince has made a very different life for himself, but a successful life nonetheless.  He first appeared nine years ago, one of the many pirates that scourged the shores of Saurellis and all the neighbouring and distant lands.  With the skies and the seas at his command, he’s the undisputed Lord of the Waves and clearly capable of wielding monstrously powerful dark magic.  Rumour has it he stalks the streets of the Saurellian capital on the nights of the new moon, when his power is at its height.  His aim?  The whispers in the shadowy alleyways say he wants the Lifestones, which have kept the archipelago islands above water for a thousand years.

Yoorae is determined to put an end to him and his plans for devastation, but it’s hard to know where to start.  The Pirate Prince’s ship vanishes on the zephyrs, and no one who has actually seen the Pirate Prince has lived to tell the tale.  If she wants even the faintest chance of surviving a confrontation with him, she’ll need to know his name.

All she has to go on are the terrified stutters of those unfortunate enough to cross paths with his crew, and a single moniker – Chen.

Foreword

Happy birthday, Chen!  I promised a fellow Chen stan I'd upload this today, since it's his birthday, but unfortunately it won't be my main focus just yet – that said, don't be surprised if you see a couple of chapters coming out over the course of October, because I'm super stoked for this!  I've been wanting to write a pirate au for a while, and originally it was going to be Pirate-Xiumin but I already have a very successful Xiumin fic, and I kind of wanted to do a semi-royal Chen.  Plus Pirate-Chen is very rare, so... here you go!

 

While you're waiting, have some nice pictures of Chen, courtesy of Sicaday21 sending them to me:

 

Chen with a guitar

except his vibe in this is kind of more

Usual drill: please call me Korey rather than authornim.  Don't ask me to update, especially not soon.  Don't plagiarise.  Translations are forbidden.  I don't own EXO,  their image, or anything branded to SM (or any other celebrities/companies).  The plot, setting, and original characters, however, are my own.

 

(There will definitely be an update in October.  I don't think I can restrain myself that long.)

YifanForever made me the gorgeous poster and background at very little notice.  She deserves a round of applause :)

Korekrypta
First chapter of The Name-Seeker is up! Enjoy! 23/10/17

Comments

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weird_fellaf #1
Chapter 4: Whooooa, I finally get to witness the Naming in action! So is it some kinda hypnosis or pheromone that make sure certain subjects/objects to obey the caster? And would we see the story from the Prince's point of view later on, I wonder...?
weird_fellaf #2
Chapter 3: I don't know why but I really love it when I got to read Kyungsoo in action! And nice conclusion, by the way, Kyungsoo. I'd love to got you to summarize all of my studies and stuffs. I think that'd be awesome for sure!

And oh, oh! The captain of Chen Madreen is getting the spotlight little by little! Goodness, this is so exciting! And by the way, your poets in the end really helps to set up the mood, I mean, like, seriously, I love them :DD
weird_fellaf #3
Chapter 2: I guess this whole idea of Naming still doesn't sit well with my brain hehe. I'm sorry, gimme a bit more time to sink into the story :'))

Aand, right. About this dangerous, secret rendezvous they're doing - The Name-Seekers, if I'm not mistaken? I wonder if a betrayer will turn up later on in the story... That'll surely lead to me thinking up some cuss words but that'd be a pretty awesome twist to the story, I imagine. But this story is all yours to create, anyway. And I believe your storyline would be awesome as always! >;D
weird_fellaf #4
Chapter 1: Ahaaahah, if you're sorry because you're not acquainted that well with neither boat stuffs nor poetry, I must say I'm sorry because I at understanding them stuffs more than you claim you are, Korey :')) I hope that my brain can process all this stuffs as the story rolled out, tho. :'DD
weird_fellaf #5
Well, I guess it's just me and my thick head. But I don't really get the foreword ;((
But for a pretty long time that I was a reader, a foreword that leaves me intrigued and not really understanding it usually has an awesome plot waiting! Soooooo, I'll just go drown in this story, then! >:DD
zan8901
#6
Chapter 4: I love the relationship between Yoorae and Kyungsoo. They may not end up being biological siblings, but their bond is akin to one and that's all that matters. And I felt so bad for her in the beginning, she has so many responsibilities and tasks she needs to carry out, that's so much hard work! "By the time Yoorae was finished for the day, the courtroom was so cold that her breath was condensing on the air." D*mn! How was she able to function? XD It's so sweet what they are risking to help out those children.

And with what Yoorae did, it was so nice to read her using her powers on the troubled children. Yeah, maybe in a way it's ridding them of their ability to make choices, but it's not like they don't want what they're striving for. They finally don't have to deal with the mental trouble of wanting to gain a better life whilst also falling back into a sea of crime; now, they can focus only on fixing their future. In the long run, it really will be worth it and they'll have safer lives that are meaningful and positive. Honestly, what more could you ask for? It was nice to see her mention the other kids she'd helped who managed to gain better lives because of her. "It was long enough for them to break bad habits and form good ones - long enough for them to get a taste of what an honest, good life could be." Exactly! Couldn't have said it better myself. XD Reading how the sigils act in the story and also just being able to read Yoorae use her naming magic was awesome. Can't wait for more of this amazing story and its characters. <3 Missed you lots, Korey. Hope you enjoyed the comments and they brought a smile to your face. <333
zan8901
#7
Chapter 3: "A thick mist hung over the capital city as they wound their way through the streets, punctuated every so often by the low-burning lamps. The mist clung to the cobbles, making them slippery, and Yoorae grabbed at Kyungsoo's elbow more than once to stop herself from going sprawling." Wow, Korey, it's the second paragraph and already I'm stunned by your incredible detail of the environment. I can picture the scenery so clearly along with our main characters interacting in it. I had to re-read it because I found it so beautifully done, and just had to comment about it.

So interesting to read about what happened to the Nuisance. I don't have a theory as to why he was murdered but it what happened to him. When finding out what occurred inside the jail, it highlighted how our mysterious murderer (cough, Chen, cough) is quite a dangerous opponent. Everyone passed out and couldn't remember who he was - now that's exciting and had me super absorbed into finding out more! And I was so happy to see that Yoorae was beginning to suspect Chen and his medallion. Then they couldn't remember of his details. I liked reading that part, it kind of upped the mystery and made Chen so much more of a powerful threat.

"So basically, he was handsome." LMAO Kyungsoo always coming in with them witty comments. XD Chen (and his lackeys) are really getting around! Now abducting historians? I can't wait to find out more of who he is and what exactly his plans are (after he gets those Lifestones. I mean, why would he need to have that much power? Either he's greedy as hell or has a plan for them.). Ugh, need I say more about your poetry? XD You know exactly what I'm going to say. <3
zan8901
#8
Chapter 2: Korey, you are so d*mn brilliant. Your mind still manages to boggle me and I have known you for how many years? I actually went back and checked and funnily enough, my first ever comment I sent to you was September 11, 2015. XD Isn't that insane? How time flies by! Reading this, I actually felt myself get goosebumps; it was like I was reading your writing for the first time all over again. I've said it countless times before but your writing still manages to blow me away and make me feel so happy because it's just so beautiful - the descriptions, the details, the flow and the writing itself. Korey, I swear I'm not kissing a*s, but you're still my favorite writer after all these years. <33 Your writing does stuff to my soul, and I love it. <333 Please don't tell me you've forgotten me, my senpai/queen. <333 I'm still your number one fan, just because I went AWOL doesn't mean anyone can take my place! XD

Anyways, onto the story! I apologize if I don't remember some details from chapter one. I wanted to start immediately where I left off and make some comments before I went to sleep. Very intriguing to learn more about Junmyeon and his history, as well as Yoorae's and Kyungsoo' speculation on being related. It's so sad to know that he had actually known his parents and felt the pains of loss because of the plague. =( I can't help but comment on how beautiful your descriptions were when introducing the new characters. It's just enough to gain an understanding of who everyone is without having to dump too much information on the reader so they become confused. What they're doing is pretty admirable, trying to help out the orphans so that they may better their lives. And then the ending, bringing up the "pirate prince". Oooh, I'm so excited now! Especially since Yoorae has actually seen Chen and the medallion - it just makes things so much more interesting.

"Oft at new moon he comes ashore. And prowls the darkened streets." "-but others that he's searching. As he hides within the throng. He vanishes like vapour. His presence like a dream - or possibly a nightmare - back to the Chen Madreen." I'm sorry, but do you hear that? It's nothing, just the sound of me screaming at my Queen's amazing poetry skills. <33 You could write two words and I'd still do my best to analyze the sh*t out of it and make a comment AT LEAST two paragraphs long. I could gush endlessly about how much I missed you but I'm going to refrain and continue to read the story or else I'll be here all night. XD <333 Missed you, girl. Hope you're doing alright (and that you've been managing without my amazing, lovely, lengthy a*s comments to brighten your day ;D).
exokexomkai
#9
Chapter 4: I can feel my gut bubbling. Ready for this story.
softsology
#10
Chapter 4: theses poems at the ends of the chapters are so beautiful!!
woaahh naming magic is so cool (and kinda scary!)