Setting, magic system, and some character profiles for the short story “The Pooping Poodles”

Genre: Fantasy

[Because the setting and some of the characters are created with magic, everything is included in this file, classified as part of the overall magic system.]

1) CHARACTERS: The Magical Poodles

1a) The poodles, in general

The witch has 60 magical dogs. They are separated into three squadrons of 20, based on size. They’re sized as small as a mouse up to as large as a standard poodle. Describing them can be something like “a hamster-sized tawny toy poodle stepped forward.”

All of the poodles are named Poodle #, starting with numbers 1, 2, and 3, which are the heads of the squadrons. Then the others are numbered starting with 4, from the largest to the smallest, which is named Poodle 60.

When she walks the magical poodles around town in the mornings, there are only three of them: a standard, a miniature, and a toy size. And each of them appears to be quite fat because they each have 19 other magical poodles inside of them.

All of the dogs can speak in human language but to keep things orderly during their daily meetings after the walk, only the leaders of the three squadrons speak out loud. The others speak telepathically within their squadron only. The witch set it up this way because it reduces confusion and wasted time.

After the morning walk, which is actually a safety check, they all return to the witch’s mansion. In the meeting room, the members of each squadron converse telepathically about their findings. After they’ve come to a consensus, it’s up to the leader of each squadron to convince the witch that their conclusions are correct regarding any possible future dangers that might befall the town.

The three squadrons are SIGHT and SOUND and SMELL. With their supernatural senses, the dogs can usually detect an impending disaster around 48 hours before it starts or hits. This usually gives them enough time to prevent the disaster secretly without letting any of the townsfolk know. The townsfolk don’t WANT to know because they are there to live out their final years peacefully.

The dogs are very competitive in a playful way and this makes the story lighthearted as they compete with each other to prove to the witch that their hypothesis is the correct one.

1b) The poodles’ creation magic

The poodles’ poops are not really poop at all. They’re made entirely of magic and they’re the main means the witch uses to create any physical thing in and around the town. The buildings, streets, clothing, and even food and water, all start with the correct piece of magical poop from the correct poodle.

This is also how she repairs the dam, the roads, gate, buildings, and anything else in and around the town that must be repaired.

1c) The poodles’ personalities

The witch made them, mostly because she loves poodles but also because she needed tools for her magic. They don’t need to have stimulating conversations with her, so basically they all have the same personality, which is bright, intelligent, cheerful, happy, dependable, responsible, playful, friendly, kind of competitive nature. They’re also competitive but they still get along with each other. Each one wants recognition but even if they don’t get recognition, their master being happy is the most important thing to them. Sometimes they argue but it’s always good-natured. The witch enjoys good-natured debates.

1d) The poodle squadron leaders

/Sight Squadron captain:
Poodle 1, the largest poodle of them all. Black fur

/Sound Squadron captain:
Poodle 2, middle sized of the captains. Honey brown fur.

/Smell Squadron captain:
Poodle 3, smallest of the captains. Snow white fur

2) CHARACTERS: The Old Woman / Witch

2a) The witch and the town’s history

For as long as anybody in the town can remember, the old woman lived in that small town at the bottom of the valley. She is one of that town’s founders, which was founded at least 100 years ago. There are pictures of a younger version of that woman (she was 200 at the time of the founding) in the main room in the mayor’s house, which is also the town hall.

When she founded the town, she put it in that somewhat dangerous place because the magical energy there is very strong due to the geography and the makeup of the earth (the types of minerals that are in the ground, for example). Those things help enhance her magic so it can be at its strongest to keep the illusion going.

2b) The witch and her poodles

In that world, magic must be done through familiars. The poodles are hers. All of her magic is done through those dogs in some way. she can’t do magic without them.

Every morning she walks the 3 fat magical poodles (the squadron leaders) along the perimeter of the town and down the center on Main Street, which is where the mayor’s office/house/Town Hall and all other very important buildings are located.

What she’s actually doing is taking her dogs around to survey for danger in the town so any earthquakes, sinkholes, or anything else that might be happening within the next 24 to 48 hours can be detected by the dogs.

If an impending disaster is detected, she quickly does whatever she can to prevent it, without letting the townspeople know. She keeps it a secret from as many of them as she can so they can continue to live in peace.

2c) Why she created and supports the town

It’s good for her because she always has friends there and she gets to stay safe from the outside world as well. She also gets to help people in a way that only she can.

3) CHARACTERS: The Living Dolls

3a) The dolls, in general

To provide love, warmth, and comfort to the townsfolk during their final years, the witch crafts anatomically correct living dolls with personalities and looks that are customized to each citizen’s preferences. This is another reason why there’s a trial period during which any newcomer is closely observed and is engaged in carefully planned conversation by the townsfolk. It gives her time to learn about them so she can create the perfect partner for them.

After the trial period, if she decides they’re a good fit for the town, everything will be explained and a doll will be crafted just for them. They aren’t required to accept a living doll, but so far, everyone has.

Besides the partner dolls, she also makes living dolls without any personality to help around the town. They do things like open the gate, deliver things to the townsfolk, help with moving, cook, and do other things for the residents. The ones without personality rarely speak and they rarely look anyone in the face. They bow in greeting, keeping their eyes either on the floor or the task at hand. They aren’t servants or slaves, but more like humanoid robots programmed to perform certain tasks.

All of the dolls look around 40 years old. They’re all fit, beautiful, energetic, and lively. The ones that speak have personalities that range from very cheerful to somewhat solemn, depending on the villager’s preferences. A few might nag or be a little grumpy but none of them are rude enough to disturb the peace of the townsfolk.

3b) How the dolls are created

To make the doll, one of the witch’s magical poodles must produce a magical poop. Each of the 60 different dogs produces poop that can be made into a different kind of living doll. For example, some create cuter dolls than others or larger ones than others. Some are better at creating females while others are better at creating males. While it’s still warm, she sculpts the magical poo into a realistic, lifesized human sculpture. Then, using the poodles to manifest powerful magic, she gives the doll an appropriate personality and the ability to move on its own. When she’s finished, it’s impossible to distinguish the doll from a real human simply by looking at it or touching it.

The beautiful living doll will be the partner or mate — in all senses of the word — for that new member of the village.

4) SETTINGS: The Town

4a) Overall aesthetic and design

It’s Georgian style (1714 – 1830). The witch is around 300 years old in the 2020s, so she grew up during that era. And since she created most of the things (animate and inanimate) that are in the town, she chose to create it in an aesthetic that was nostalgic for her.

4b) Geography and layout of the town

The town runs from the gate in the south to the dam that’s nestled between the bases of two mountains in the north.

The huge wrought iron entrance gate at the south has a big, elaborately carved sign on it, which is part of the gate. It bears the town’s name (to be determined) and its nickname, “Town of Lonely Hearts.”

Step through the gate (no vehicles are allowed in the town) and you’re standing on Main Street, which is the town’s main road.

Just to the left (west) of where you enter the gate is an immaculately landscaped park with bushes, flowers, dense vegetation, paths, benches, and koi ponds with pretty bridges. It’s teeming with various butterflies, other pretty bugs, and birds from all over the world. It’s a spacious park that’s perfect for relaxing and enjoying nature.

To the right of the gate (southeastern corner of the town) is a lovely golf course that she can change at will when enough residents tell her it’s gotten too familiar.

It has a portal somewhere so you can access the rest of the course. But from the outside, it looks like it’s smaller than a half-course. During the observation period, newcomers don’t know there’s a portal on the course because the portal is hidden and they aren’t yet aware that the town was created by magic.

Main Street goes down the center of the small town, past the mayor’s house, which is also the town hall. The town hall is in the very center of the town, in the town plaza, where the restaurant and grocery store are (you don’t use money there — you just pick out or order whatever you want).

The residential area is also in that area. It has luxurious apartment buildings with elevators and spacious accommodations, at no cost to the residents.

Main Street goes back to the dam at the very rear of town (the northern end). This town is in a valley with tall mountains on the sides and back, and the dam is the only thing keeping the waters from the mountain range from washing the town away.

The witch’s massive mansion is on a huge plot of land on the western edge of the town, removed from the rest of the people. The mansion is grandiose, with vaulted ceilings, and is lavishly decorated with the centuries’ worth of stuff she’d gathered in her 200 years of life before she founded the town, plus stuff she conjured using the dogs. Among the finery, there are rich tapestries, massive paintings with thick, elaborate frames, and a library housing thousands of antique and ancient texts, magically preserved against further decay.

In the town’s northeastern quadrant, there’s a beautiful beach with a lovely patio and sitting area with never-ending tropical weather and abundant sea life. This is located high in the mountains, so newcomers are always shocked by it. It also has a bartender who mixes drinks for you (this is one of her dolls, male, in a white suit).

Just “offshore,” there’s a coral reef where you can scuba dive or take a glass-bottom boat tour.

There are all kinds of wonderful things to do on that lovely beach which was, of course, conjured by the witch. It’s a favorite destination among the residents.

4c) The citizens

The population of the town is very small because she’s picky about the people she allows to even realize the town exists. After a new citizen is allowed to enter, there is a covert “trial phase” that they are unaware of. If the witch and the council find the newcomer isn’t a good fit for the town (for any reason), they get sent back out of the town. Once they’re outside the borders, they can no longer see the place and they forget all memories related to it.

The witch dubbed the village “Town of Lonely Hearts” because she draws people there to retire, but only if they match her requirements.

She only chooses highly intellectual types, regardless of things like gender, lifestyle, religion, etc. She especially favors people that have made a positive impact on the world in some way. This can include professors, scientists, and inventors, for example.

Candidates must be able to speak and understand English well enough, not have a spouse or love interest, and either be estranged from their families or have no living family. Those are the poor souls she allows in. She chooses them for stimulating intellectual conversation, to learn from them, and to give them the gift of happiness for their remaining years.

Of course, after the trial phase, all the villagers know this and they also know that she protects the town and saves it from natural disasters and any kind of negative outside influence.

4d) How the town is protected

Nobody can enter the town unless the witch lets them. The town can’t even be seen from the outside unless she allows someone to see it. Her magical dogs create all the food, building materials, and everything else the villagers could ever need. It’s a self-contained paradise for people to live out the rest of their days with a loving, attractive mate and no danger from the outside world.

5) SETTINGS: The Town Hall

The official town hall is the living room of the mayor’s mansion. It’s the first room you enter from the front entrance. It’s very grand, with polished wood all over everything. A long, high gloss polished coffee table is in the center of the deep room, with antique cabriole 2-seater settees with velvet upholstery and delicate spindly legs are lined up on each side of the long table.

A matching wood and velvet wingback chair is on either end of the table. The room’s architecture is designed for great acoustics. At either end of the long table, you can hear anyone else in the room talking quietly. No need to shout.

The cozy fireplace in perfectly polished white marble is striking against the glossy polish of the mahogany walls, above which jut hanging shelves of mahogany, beset with black and white photographs, paintings, and artifacts of the town’s history. The shelves go up so high you can barely see what’s on the top few shelves.

Above all this hangs a massive brass chandelier, bedecked with an almost dizzying number of bright bulbs and dangling crystals.