Christine Feehan's Blog - Posts Tagged "rules-of-shadow-riding"
The Rules of Shadow Riding
The ability to travel using shadows in order to bring justice to those who deserve it isn’t as easy as it may sound. Cool, yes. Easy? No.
As I began world-building for the Shadow Rider series I realized I’d have to make some things complicated in order to have conflict both internally and externally. That would make things harder on me as the writer, but the stories would be more compelling.
First of all, there wouldn’t be a lot of Shadow Riders, but there would have to be some or having two Shadow Riders marry would become very complex. By the end of Shadow Reaper, the second in the Shadow Rider series, you realize there are other Riders all over the world. Ricco had been sent to train in Japan and there you discover there are a few families who have Shadow Riders. There are leaders of those families and there are rules of conduct. Over those families is a council, but I don’t talk much about that. Not yet.
The Ferraros always had abilities, but it wasn’t until the Saldis tried to wipe out the entire family that those who survived went to America to start over.
Not everyone born into the Ferraro family, or their extended family, can Ride the shadows. Not all of them have special abilities. Some are normal people. But, a few do have other abilities like being a human lie detector, which comes in handy when you’re an investigator for the family, or a greeter.
The way it works is that someone from the outside comes in to ask for justice that they feel they wouldn’t get, or they didn’t get, through regular law enforcement. That person is greeted and assessed and if the Ferraros take their case two investigative teams are assigned; one to investigate the accusation, the other to investigate the accuser. If the investigator finds evidence of injustice then it is decided how that justice will be meted out. That’s when a Shadow Rider is called in. They ARE justice.
Shadow Riders can sense each other, especially if they can see someone’s shadow. Shadows touch and the two Riders can get an impression of each other. Sometimes they can tell if the other person would be a good match for them. They may even feel compelled to claim this person, which is both good and bad.
Claiming that other person means you’re together forever. The penalty for divorce is steep. Lost memory for one; loss of Shadow Riding ability for the other.
Then there’s the training and riding itself. Training starts at age two and begins in the home. At a certain age the child is sent to train with other Shadow Riders and remains there until it’s felt that the training is complete. A Shadow Rider, even after he/she returns from training, trains daily. Their body and mind must be kept in top shape because the act of riding the shadows is severe on them.
As a Rider enters into a shadow their molecules are torn apart. Those molecules travel down the “tubes” which connect shadows and as the person exits the tube they are instantly reassembled. This process can be painful, especially if they are traveling fast or at great distance. While they’re inside the tube, reaching the place where they wish to exit, they must mentally remain aware since they have to find an appropriate shadow to exit from and this means choices must be made in a split second. Often, before going on a mission, Shadow Riders will be given floor plans or photographs of the place in which they must exit. Even knowing where things are and that the likelihood of there being shadows to choose from when they arrive at their destination, there are no guarantees that there won’t be people already in that area. They could exit and be killed the moment they’re solid again.
The physical and mental demands of Shadow Riding means that not everyone born a Rider can actually ride the shadows. We know in Shadow Rider, the first book in the series, that the youngest of the Ferarro brothers, Ettore Ferarro, was killed when he was forced by his parents to ride the shadows. He was just 16 years old.
Shadow Riders have their own set of rules and processes. These are put in place to ensure the law never catches up with them. They use the paparazzi as alibis and are not allowed to take justice into their own hands. Justice and how it is dealt with is something that must be agreed upon by the family unless there’s imminent danger.
It becomes even more complicated within the family structure itself and how the family conducts business. For example, if it is determined justice must be dealt in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles family would not do it. They need to keep away from trouble in their own city unless they’re defending themselves. So, the Ferraros from Chicago or New York would be assigned. Several members of that family would visit Los Angeles, making sure the paparazzi see them. The Shadow Rider who does the actual assassination is never seen in the city. They slip in, do what’s needed, and wait for the rest of the family to go home. Their presence is masked and the rest of the family is given alibis.
I’m not finished with the world-building for this series, so rules and processes may evolve as new stories require. But, this was a base to start with and so far I’ve enjoyed this fictional kick ass world.
As I began world-building for the Shadow Rider series I realized I’d have to make some things complicated in order to have conflict both internally and externally. That would make things harder on me as the writer, but the stories would be more compelling.
First of all, there wouldn’t be a lot of Shadow Riders, but there would have to be some or having two Shadow Riders marry would become very complex. By the end of Shadow Reaper, the second in the Shadow Rider series, you realize there are other Riders all over the world. Ricco had been sent to train in Japan and there you discover there are a few families who have Shadow Riders. There are leaders of those families and there are rules of conduct. Over those families is a council, but I don’t talk much about that. Not yet.
The Ferraros always had abilities, but it wasn’t until the Saldis tried to wipe out the entire family that those who survived went to America to start over.
Not everyone born into the Ferraro family, or their extended family, can Ride the shadows. Not all of them have special abilities. Some are normal people. But, a few do have other abilities like being a human lie detector, which comes in handy when you’re an investigator for the family, or a greeter.
The way it works is that someone from the outside comes in to ask for justice that they feel they wouldn’t get, or they didn’t get, through regular law enforcement. That person is greeted and assessed and if the Ferraros take their case two investigative teams are assigned; one to investigate the accusation, the other to investigate the accuser. If the investigator finds evidence of injustice then it is decided how that justice will be meted out. That’s when a Shadow Rider is called in. They ARE justice.
Shadow Riders can sense each other, especially if they can see someone’s shadow. Shadows touch and the two Riders can get an impression of each other. Sometimes they can tell if the other person would be a good match for them. They may even feel compelled to claim this person, which is both good and bad.
Claiming that other person means you’re together forever. The penalty for divorce is steep. Lost memory for one; loss of Shadow Riding ability for the other.
Then there’s the training and riding itself. Training starts at age two and begins in the home. At a certain age the child is sent to train with other Shadow Riders and remains there until it’s felt that the training is complete. A Shadow Rider, even after he/she returns from training, trains daily. Their body and mind must be kept in top shape because the act of riding the shadows is severe on them.
As a Rider enters into a shadow their molecules are torn apart. Those molecules travel down the “tubes” which connect shadows and as the person exits the tube they are instantly reassembled. This process can be painful, especially if they are traveling fast or at great distance. While they’re inside the tube, reaching the place where they wish to exit, they must mentally remain aware since they have to find an appropriate shadow to exit from and this means choices must be made in a split second. Often, before going on a mission, Shadow Riders will be given floor plans or photographs of the place in which they must exit. Even knowing where things are and that the likelihood of there being shadows to choose from when they arrive at their destination, there are no guarantees that there won’t be people already in that area. They could exit and be killed the moment they’re solid again.
The physical and mental demands of Shadow Riding means that not everyone born a Rider can actually ride the shadows. We know in Shadow Rider, the first book in the series, that the youngest of the Ferarro brothers, Ettore Ferarro, was killed when he was forced by his parents to ride the shadows. He was just 16 years old.
Shadow Riders have their own set of rules and processes. These are put in place to ensure the law never catches up with them. They use the paparazzi as alibis and are not allowed to take justice into their own hands. Justice and how it is dealt with is something that must be agreed upon by the family unless there’s imminent danger.
It becomes even more complicated within the family structure itself and how the family conducts business. For example, if it is determined justice must be dealt in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles family would not do it. They need to keep away from trouble in their own city unless they’re defending themselves. So, the Ferraros from Chicago or New York would be assigned. Several members of that family would visit Los Angeles, making sure the paparazzi see them. The Shadow Rider who does the actual assassination is never seen in the city. They slip in, do what’s needed, and wait for the rest of the family to go home. Their presence is masked and the rest of the family is given alibis.
I’m not finished with the world-building for this series, so rules and processes may evolve as new stories require. But, this was a base to start with and so far I’ve enjoyed this fictional kick ass world.
