Princess Nuru and the Seven Kingdoms (of Oz) Headcanons
Princess Nuru as Dorothy Gale
Donella as the Wicked Witch of the West
Ulla as the Wicked Witch of the East
Ruddiger the Raccoon as Toto
Amber as Glinda the Good Witch
Cyrus as Leader of the Flying Monkeys
Queen Rapunzel as Princess Ozma
Mother Gothel as Witch Mombie
Cassandra as General Jinjur
Pascal the Chameleon as the Sawhorse
Eugene Fitzherbert as Jack Pumpkinhead
I’m technically switching the order of the storylines of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz with this Alternate Universe casting.
Princess Nuru of Koto is trying to figure out what is causing the constant meteor showers that plague her kingdom. One night, while trying to get a better view of one storm from the top of the highest tower in her family’s castle, a strong wind causes her to fall off the roof and she is whisked away through the eye of the storm!
When everything comes to a halt, Nuru opens her eyes and finds herself in Oz… where she is apparently in trouble with Donella, the Wicked Witch of the West, who is angry at her for accidentally releasing Ulla, the Wicked Witch of the East, from her underground prison by landing on top of the Silver Stars that formed the enchanted seal, which are now stuck to her dress! Nuru manages to escape the wrath of both Witches because they are more focused on each other than on her running away, but she is informed by some friendly Neserdnian Munchkins that she must complete the Seven Yellow Brick Trials, and unlock the Emerald Library if she wants to undo the Witches’ damage, get back home to Koto, and discover the ultimate solution to stopping her kingdom’s meteor shower problem. She is told that the first Trial is south, in Quadling Country’s Fire Kingdom, Bayangor.
Along the way to the first Trial, Nuru meets a radical scarecrow named Varian and his raccoon, Ruddiger. Varian likes to see the world through a scientific lens, including questioning how he exists as a talking Scarecrow. He also sometimes forgets that straw is more vulnerable to fire than whatever actual humans are made of, much to the concern of his farmer, Quirin, who would much prefer that his Scarecrow stay in one piece and focused on keeping the crows away from the crops (and NOT by burying exploding waterspouts and handmade flare cannons in the cornfield). She also meets a smooth-talking con artist named Hugo, who is made out of tin, and a playful Lion Cub named Yong, who is obsessed with fireworks. All three join her on her quest through the Seven Yellow Brick Trials, each with their own reasons for wanting to find the Emerald Library (except for Yong, who is just excited to be going on an adventure with “friends”). Over the course of their journey, Nuru discovers, with help from a good Witch named Amber, that the Silver Stars on her dress serve as an astronomical map, and also light up whenever they get close to one of the Trials.
Meanwhile, Witches Ulla and Donella have unfinished business with each other, since Ulla is still angry at Donella for imprisoning her and Donella is determined to return her to that state. However, they discover that they are unable to use magic against each other since Nuru’s arrival, so they each race to track down the princess and her ragtag companions, coming to the conclusion that they each need to possess the body of another in order to advance in their ultimate goals. Ulla attempts to possess Scarecrow Varian by force, while Donella plans a more calculated approach so that Tin-Man Hugo willingly allows her to slowly take control of his body…
Seven Kingdoms Compared to Oz (and their Trials)
Quadling Country, Southern Oz = Bayangor / 巴揚古爾 (Fire Kingdom, with the First Trial of Calcination) & Corona (Kingdom of the Sundrop, with the Seventh Trial of Coagulation)
Munchinland, Eastern Oz = Pittsford (Kingdom of the Trojan Eggs) & Neserdnia (Water Kingdom of the Shore); Second Trial (Nuru essentially has to turn around and go back the way she came for this one…): Dissolution
Gilikin Country, Northern Oz = Galcrest (Earth Kingdom of the North); Third & Fourth Trials: Separation & Conjunction
Vinkus (often called Winkie Country), Western Oz = The Dark Kingdom of the Moon’s Stone Opal & Ingvarr (Iron Kingdom); Fifth & Sixth Trials: Fermentation & Distillation
Just like in most versions of the Wizard of Oz, Nuru still initially lands in Munchinland before setting off on her journey down this version of the Yellow Brick Road. However, this version of the Road leads Nuru in an almost perfect circle around the entire land of Oz; starting east, she initially goes south to Quadling Country for the first Trial (while picking up her new friends along the way), but then Nuru and her friends have to turn around and go back to Munchinland for the second Trial. Following this redirection, Team Radical goes in a full counterclockwise circle, as the seventh Trial is in the same Ozian cardinal territory as the first Trial was.
Koto, which is usually associated with the Air Kingdom and the third Trial in Varian and the Seven Kingdoms, is now this story’s version of Kansas.
Likewise, the Emerald City, which is usually in the center of Oz, is now this story’s version of the Eternal Library from Varian and the Seven Kingdoms, with a currently unclear location…
Not sure if there is a “Wizard” in the context of this alternate universe…
