ELYDEN Choose the Fate VOTING 1

VOTING IS NOW CLOSED (See note at the end of the post for update)

Here it is - your chance to determine the overarching theme for the 'Choose the Fate' serialised stories I'll be telling starting early next year.
    I've outlined three broad choices below, the winning option of which will determine the main focus of the stories, going ahead. That is not to mean that the losing themes will not feature, but they just won't be the main focus. I'm pretty sure all three of the themes will come into play in some form or another as the story develops, especially since YOU will be responsible for the development of major plot points along the way.
   I'll go into a bit of detail on each of the themes:

EXPLORATION: A chance to explore Elyden on a more personal level, from the point of view of the protagonist and detailed by the places they visit and the people they encounter. Elyden is a hostile place, so An Exploration story will almost certainly encounter war and political intrigue along the way. Even if Exploration loses the final vote, I'm sure that we'll end up visiting other parts of Elyden as the story develops. 
     An exploration theme might follow a pilgrim on the Shadow March as they travel south to the fabled Sepulchral Palace; or it might follow a polymath who is part of an expedition to explore distant shores. It may be on a smaller scale, following a group of treasure hunters or spelunkers who are searching for an ancient artefact.

WAR: There's a lot of tyrants and rulers in Elyden, and some of them have lived for centuries, if not millennia. One thing is for sure, is that they all have big egos. On a  smaller scale, the patricians and magnates whose houses and businesses effectively control trade around the Inner Sea are incredibly influential, with a far reach that seeks to consume smaller rivals and protect against larger ones.
      War in Elyden has reached a modern theatre - engineers and strategists have begun to use trenches in their larger battles, as primitive tanks crawl across shell-battered plains. Behind them, simple men and women do their best to simply survive against the artillery and gunshots of elite foes. Shapers use their powers in covert operations or blast the terrain, fusing crater-strewn battlefields into glass, killing entire regiments of enemies. exotic beasts are drafted to the conflicts as otherworlders and other scion-born beings showcase their powers.

POLITICAL INTRIGUE: Elyden is hardly bereft of people with aspirations and dreams. Men and Women seek power and those with power seek to keep it. Governments clash with religions. Patricians across the Inner Sea scheme against greater powers, stabbing each other in the back as they seek to expand their holdings and influence. Shapers and advisors scheme against those they claim to serve. Deals are struck and alliances are betrayed in this endless squabble for power.
      Expect to see the inside of many throne rooms and council chambers, wine being poured for noblemen and diplomats, and assassinations and machinations.

EDIT:  so the voting is now closed and it's pretty clear that exploration is the most popular theme that patrons (as well as non-patrons who voiced their opinion) want to explore.

I'll be posting the first chapter of the story soon, which will end with some choices as to where the first leg of the journey will take the protagonist.

Thanks so much to those who took the time to vote! 

See you soon!