7/10 The Second Coming- World-building questions? - spoiler alert!!

[David]

I wanted a thread to answer questions around the world for this series. Obviously I've taken some ancient myths/legends and twisted them a little, in addition to creating new ones. I've also brought back some old cultures and given them new life.

What did you think of these? Any questions around the different races/cultures/world-building/magic that you'd like to know?

How did using blood sacrifice and summoning of the dead grab you as the premise for magic?

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

I liked the premise of the world-building - that these other races and things of myth/legend existed, but were seperated from us in the past, and that the shifting axis reopened the connections. (Sort of reminds me of the Quantum Gravity series, which I enjoy).

But I was confused as to the difference in some of the races. At first I thought the Firstborn were Fey type creatures, which would've had different names in different cultures - but then we're introduced to the Sidhe (Irish gods and/or Fey, depending) - who are different from the Firstborn, and I was confused as to where they fit in between Firstborn and humanity. Ditto with the Obek and others.

As for the magic - I like the idea that magic is a give and take sort of thing, that you sort of have to pay something to get something. However, I would've liked there to be a wider variety in types of magic. There's all these different beings, and they all sort of use the same underlying premise? Maybe it's just my occult background, but I prefer a wider playing field.

But maybe it was just to squick factor. *shrugs*

[David]

Thanks, blackrose, glad you liked that aspect of the book. There are other, lesser known, magic systems that will come out in later books. I wanted to start with the Old Testament notion of blood sacrifice and use something along those lines as the major form. It's an easy, tangible system to work with, especially considering the biblical references I'm using.

I also don't like the notion of endless magic with no consequences for using it, and that payment system will come into play in the other magic systems that will arise later.

As for the races, The Firstborn were first, humans were last, and everything else was in between. I may create a glossary down the road to give further information on the various races and some of their histories.

[David]

When I was writing the book, the Firstborn were an easy race to develop - there will be more with them as the series goes on, but I really enjoyed coming up with the Lastborn as their antithesis - looks like them, but more powerful and cruel. What did you think of the various races?

[Jeff]

David wrote: "I wanted to start with the Old Testament notion of blood sacrifice"

I completely missed this!!! Now that you mention it the offerings of animals, burnt and otherwise, involved the ritual spilling of the blood of the animal and would/could translate into the actions of the one group of magic users. That shifts my attitude towards the blood magic in this book. Prejudices and preconceptions will bite you (me!) in the... well you get the idea.

A question, did I miss something in the book that should have triggered this association?

[Jeff]

I though the Firstborn were nephilim (correct me if I'm wrong) the offspring of angels and human women. The extrapolation to Revenants and Lastborn was very slick and worked well for me. I like the native Americans (sorry can't remember the long word you used for them) and the Obek I liked a lot. I'm guessing if there are Sidhe in the world that there could well be other creatures from Faery about as well.

[David]

Jeff, there wasn't anything specific in the book that would have triggered this association. I just twisted something from the OT for my own purposes.

And, yes, there are other faery creature in this world, but they'll never be interpreted the same as what we have from myth/legend. I like putting my own spin on things. :)

As for the Haudenosaunee, that is their own name for themselves. It is a group of six native tribes that speak a similar language base, often called Iroquois. I think I mentioned the word Iroquois once or twice in the book to give them reference to our world since most people wouldn't recognize the term Haudenosaunee (which pretty much translates as "people of the longhouse").

As for the Nephilim, I have my own version of them in the series. I made reference to them once in a recital that took place in Lindhome when Paine et al were there. You'll see more of them later. But, in a way, what I did with the Firstborn/Lastborn/Revenants was something of an extrapolation of them. :)

[David]

I've received a few comments on the role of the ghouls and their trade system. What did you think of that?

[Chris]

David wrote: "I've received a few comments on the role of the ghouls and their trade system. What did you think of that?"

I enjoyed this. It was chilling and I would say that it had the biggest effect on my anticipation, to see how the trades would play out with Friar John and with Diarmiud.

[David]

I like the notion of paying for services rendered. And this system, despite its flaws, can help those that can't summon the dead. There will be other trade systems as well.

[David]

In the book I held on to some structures of the old world, or rebuilt them. I have a particular fascination with Gaudi, hence his structures in Barcelona. Is there anything you'd like to see maintained or revisited in future books? :)

[Kora]

Well, the mere mention of Gaudi was sure to invoke an other-wordly (but vaguely creepy) gothic atmosphere :) The “other trade systems” sound intriguing!

[David]

I love Gaudi for exactly that reason!