Prophecies
One thing I do in my fantasy books is leverage prophecy, particularly if I need to explain a change in plans or make the questors go in a direction that doesn't seem logical.
In my first trilogy, Reunion, the prophecy was very active. There are routine announcements of prophecy from the powers-that-be throughout the quest, usually telling the questors - particularly Aidan and Sorcha who are the Keepers - what they need to know next. Prophecy being prophecy, however, the words are usually a bit of a riddle. It's up to the questors to figure them out. This proved to be a useful device, though I tried not to exploit it too often. Usually, I had the questors revisit the words of the prophecy as they went, with only occasional additions to the prophecy. The prophecy didn't just miraculously tell them what they needed to know when they needed to know it. The prophecies had a theme, as well, about needing to reunite the stones, hence the name of the trilogy. Though it took a while for the Keepers to figure that out.
In Reunion, I also had a character - eventually two - who served as a kind of prophet. Seritas first joins the quest as a teacher for Sorcha, who organic magic is rare. Most of the mage schools don't teach organic magic. But Seritas, we learn, is from Larchmont Academy, where they teach (in Reunion) exclusively organic mages. Seritas, as the prophet on the quest, "finds" prophecies in the grimoires - which are magical books of histories and spells. The prophecies aren't there just anyone who reads the grimoires; only for special people, usually Seritas. Others do find prophecies occasionally, but Seritas is the most consistent revealer of this kind of prophecy in the first two books of Reunion. In Book Three, The Prophecy Fulfilled, the role of prophet is taken over by Kristopher. Seritas leaves the quest, and Kris "inherits" the power to find hidden meanings in grimoires. There are still prophecies from the powers-that-be that all mages hear, too.
In Jewels and Gods, there is less prophecy revealed to all mages. Prophecies usually only announce when there is a new Jewel Keeper. Instead, I leverage a prophetess to share the word of the powers-that-be with the Jewel Keepers, who have to save the world in this trilogy. Lojon - whose name is a combination of my parents, Lois and John - conveys these messages. Where prophecy is heard by all mages, Lojon's prophetic words are only for the Jewel Keepers. Unlike Seritas and Kris, Lojon just "hears" the words of the powers-that-be and conveys them to the questors. In addition, Lojon almost always says everything twice. This was a device I decided on early on, so that the reader would remember these important points. Also, it makes for some comedic elements, which can be important when you're on a big, important quest.
It's been an interesting exercise to figure out how to use prophecy in these books. And I'm fascinated that prophecy behaves differently - because even though I plot out and write the books, usually things happen that weren't planned. Keeping the Jewel Keepers quest more intimate through the use of Lojon and the powers-that-be was one of those things that just came to me as I was writing.
But I liked it. So I kept it.
In my first trilogy, Reunion, the prophecy was very active. There are routine announcements of prophecy from the powers-that-be throughout the quest, usually telling the questors - particularly Aidan and Sorcha who are the Keepers - what they need to know next. Prophecy being prophecy, however, the words are usually a bit of a riddle. It's up to the questors to figure them out. This proved to be a useful device, though I tried not to exploit it too often. Usually, I had the questors revisit the words of the prophecy as they went, with only occasional additions to the prophecy. The prophecy didn't just miraculously tell them what they needed to know when they needed to know it. The prophecies had a theme, as well, about needing to reunite the stones, hence the name of the trilogy. Though it took a while for the Keepers to figure that out.
In Reunion, I also had a character - eventually two - who served as a kind of prophet. Seritas first joins the quest as a teacher for Sorcha, who organic magic is rare. Most of the mage schools don't teach organic magic. But Seritas, we learn, is from Larchmont Academy, where they teach (in Reunion) exclusively organic mages. Seritas, as the prophet on the quest, "finds" prophecies in the grimoires - which are magical books of histories and spells. The prophecies aren't there just anyone who reads the grimoires; only for special people, usually Seritas. Others do find prophecies occasionally, but Seritas is the most consistent revealer of this kind of prophecy in the first two books of Reunion. In Book Three, The Prophecy Fulfilled, the role of prophet is taken over by Kristopher. Seritas leaves the quest, and Kris "inherits" the power to find hidden meanings in grimoires. There are still prophecies from the powers-that-be that all mages hear, too.
In Jewels and Gods, there is less prophecy revealed to all mages. Prophecies usually only announce when there is a new Jewel Keeper. Instead, I leverage a prophetess to share the word of the powers-that-be with the Jewel Keepers, who have to save the world in this trilogy. Lojon - whose name is a combination of my parents, Lois and John - conveys these messages. Where prophecy is heard by all mages, Lojon's prophetic words are only for the Jewel Keepers. Unlike Seritas and Kris, Lojon just "hears" the words of the powers-that-be and conveys them to the questors. In addition, Lojon almost always says everything twice. This was a device I decided on early on, so that the reader would remember these important points. Also, it makes for some comedic elements, which can be important when you're on a big, important quest.
It's been an interesting exercise to figure out how to use prophecy in these books. And I'm fascinated that prophecy behaves differently - because even though I plot out and write the books, usually things happen that weren't planned. Keeping the Jewel Keepers quest more intimate through the use of Lojon and the powers-that-be was one of those things that just came to me as I was writing.
But I liked it. So I kept it.
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