Into the Nanten – The Record of My Exile
Written by the illustrious Jay Swanson
Into the Nanten is derived from the journal of Marceles na Tetrarch, a character in my world.
Marceles is a man who has been condemned into exile by his order, the Tetrarch. His crimes aren’t yet known to us, but we know they were of a national scale (you’ll find out more in his third post). As for the Nanten, it’s the single most hostile environment on the planet. At least as far as anyone in the Old Empire is concerned.
The Nanten Kingdom is a failed state, one that is overrun with bandits, monsters, cannibals, and worse. The jungle itself is comprised of any number of lethal plants and animals. No one enters it willingly any more, to do so is considered suicide. But Marceles must enter the Nanten, or he will never see his home again.
He is sent to find a man he hates, Brin Salisir, who was exiled into the Nanten twenty years before. He was the first to be exiled from the Tetrarch, and the last until now. Until Marceles.
Marceles begins writing in his journal after three months on the road to the Nanten. He wants to expunge the mark on his name, and leave a record of all that has transpired. This is a massive task for him as he begins to weave his story together with that of Salisir’s and the daily events of his exile. But it will prove to be a cathartic one for him as well.
Into the Nanten will begin posting at intothenanten.com on September 9, 2014 as Marceles begins writing in his journal. It will continue on from there in real time. His journal will feature illustrations by Nimit Malavia, and will continue on for months – however long it takes Marceles to complete his mission to find Salisir, dead or alive.
You will also be able to follow along with his thoughts over the course of any given day on Twitter at @MTetrarch. This will be one of the best ways to keep track of when he posts new entries into his journal.
Check back here for more previews and the story behind how I came to create Into the Nanten. I can’t wait to share it with you!
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