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Multiple subplots and POV narration

Nagash

Sage
This is it - i've finally done "enough world-building" to seriously start my work as a story-teller, and draft the first chapters of my book series. Over the past three years, i've been working a great deal on this one WIP i've felt compelled to bring to life through writing; but i've never definitely crossed this decisive step where you think "i've got the plot for good; i've got the characters; i've got the greater themes; and most of all, i've got in mind the story's path, where it begins, and where it will eventually end". This is to say that, while i've been in fact working on some minor sequences of the huge work i'm now apprehending, i've never put an end to the seemingly unending stream of world-building and actually got to work and write down the story - until now. At last, i do feel ready to move on.

Thing is, as i stare at the base of what will eventually become my story, i see many, many elements that i'm afraid might be confusing as i forward the narrating process, or even worst, for the reader as he unravels the story, page after page. Basically, i've been hellbent on painting a complex and sophisticated world, lore-wise, but also thematically : after roughly two years and a half spent of world-building, over three-hundred pages on general history, i may have gotten infected with this strong yet insatiable desire to explore every single details of my WIP throughout my book series. Having reasoned myself, i thought it might be better to keep the focus on some main elements of the lore, and keep shadier, lesser pieces of the universe's background to some side-projects and/or novels. Still, it seems that i'm simply trying to put too much content into what seems a herculean task for a writer : i originally planned to write five books (a fairly epic achievement if you ask me), but upon seeing all that which i wished to include, i might as well write nine, or even twelve of them (a life-long work, no doubt). Not that writing long book series is an unachievable task - some did with a fair amount of success - but for mere mortals such as ourselves (me at the very least), it seems like a hollow dream. But i might as well give it my best shot, right ?

Anyway. Its not that i lack the determination - i actually believe i have plenty of that for the time being - but i fear, that too complex a story might be suffocating for the reader, or barely readable because of a far too scattered narration/plot-line. To give you an idea of what i'm dealing with here, i'm planning on introducing over fifty characters - that is to say fifty main and/or secondary characters; not redshirts. Sure, i've planned to kill a bunch of them, but it will eventually get crowded, with many plot-lines crossing one another and making it a rather... "colorful" mashup. I realize that none of this actually makes any sense to you right now, since you don't know anything about my story or its background, so i'll try to give a brief overview of the main plot-lines, characters, major themes and intrigue. Feel free to comment - i give them up to you readers, writers and artists because i definitely need your advice on this one. I must feel like my narrative and lore base is strong before carrying on with my story-writing.

General overview

The story takes place is Zael, a medieval era world considered very old by sentient beings who recently exhumed puzzling ruins and vestiges of passed civilization they know nothing of. There are three known continents and an tropical archipelago, where many races and civilizations - some more well-known than others - have sprung over three millenniums of history. Said civilization have come to interact with each other with time, sharing their later history with the neighboring kingdoms and empires - for a bunch of reasons, while being in medieval state of evolution (technologically speaking), there is a common notion of "international order" and "world leading nations". Many empires co-exist, on land and sea.

As for magic, it is essential in the world in itself, seeing how supernatural events occur frequently, but its practice (by mages, wizards, warlocks and what have you) stays very strictly framed by sects and organization, not to mention religious institutions. Nevertheless, it is obvious that magic operates in the world, and that some kind of unidentified higher power overrules the natural order of things.

The story begins in the year 299 of the fallen age (otherwise spoke as 299 years after the Fall), three-centuries after a consequent cataclysm of unknown provenance, which resulted in the death of one of Zael's two suns. Since it was a distant star, the impact wasn't as important as one might expect, but it still had natural repercussions, resulting in the death of thousands (starvation, climactic changes, etc...). Ever since this dreaded year, untamed magical activity seems to have increased exponentially...

People and civilization

A very quick overview

- Humans : One of Zael's most populous species, divided in multiple ethnicities, and which built some of the greatest kingdoms in known history, across the three continents. In the year 299, six human Kingdoms collaborate in a fragile alliance known as "The silver Alliance", forged in the last great war, one-hundred and sixty years ago - it is a political and military union. However, geographic location has put a strain on said alliance, with only four of the six kingdoms being on the main continent and having lost their keen edge for diplomacy with time, since the thrones were since claimed by different houses. Humans are therefore a deeply divided race, geographically, historically, culturally and ethnically...

- Sehras : The second most populous specie of Zael, and arguably the most powerful. The Sehras are lizardlike humanoids, thicker and stronger than men, and yet extremely intelligent. In archaic times, Sehras fought each other savagely in an unending fratricide war, because of their natural tendency for violence and bloodthirsty instincts - over time how ever, clans were formed in order to survive, and a few centuries later, two rival empires were born - their religious differences made it impossible to melt the two empires into one. The Sehras grew - as a race - to be sophisticated and pious conquerors, always acting in the name of the "greater good". Their first interactions with mankind having been hostile, the Sehras grew closer to each other with time. Today, the twin empires are the strongest nations in the world, collaborating with men in order to maintain some sort of peace in a world tarnished by hate.

- Khalaani : The khalaani are a race of tall humanoids with grey skin and great sensibility to magic - they live in the easternmost region of the main continent, and are the shunned neighbors of the twin empires of the Sehras. Their aggressive culture was built upon a mysterious cult which grew to become a nation-wide religion that is seen as profane, unholy and heretic by most of Zael's other nations. Over the course of history, the Khalaani became the hereditary enemies of the Sehras for a myriad of reasons, starting with opposing cultures, conflicting religions, half a dozen wars and slaughters... The two share a common hatred, which culminated, 160 years ago, into the "Whitened War", where the Sehras crushed ruthlessly the Khalaani, spreading resent amid the population.

- Lycans : The lycans are a race of wolfish humanoids who came from the "second continent" and were originally pirates who foamed the seas. Some time after the conquest of their continent by men, they built a strong and lasting empire over much of the land, having resisted the assaults of the royal armies. They are fierce warriors, only matched by the Sehras, and became great merchants over time. However, when their beloved emperor disappeared (one-hundred and sixty years ago), the empire fell apart in a civil war with the original tribes clashing for the throne. Ever since, the lycans have been living in the ruins of their shattered nations, struggling with a never-ending revolutions, and the threats from beyond their borders - especially with the human Kingdom of Toxo (second continent as well) looking forward to expanding.

- Dravesh : The dravesh are a tough and strong, bull-like humanoid race (minotaurs) who once lived as nomads, on the now inhabitable island of Dragan, which was destroyed during the cataclysm of The Fall (year 0). The Dravesh were saved by explorers and were able to reach the main continent by ship when they sailed back to their homeland. The Sehras have granted the Dravesh the possibility to settle within their lands and build a new home there. The Dravesh are a weakly populated race, although it has been growing ever since their arrival on the Sehras's mainland.

- Orcs : Very little is know about this race from the "third continent" (Tyrashi) - they appeared briefly fifty years ago, when the Tyrashi empire launched a failed invasion from the sea of the main continent, bringing along these tall and physically brutish beings they had enslaved in unknown times.

- Tyrashi : Little is known about the Tyrashi and their empire, far away over the seas, since they have appeared on very rare occasions on the mainland. They are seen as barbaric humans worshiping a cruel and bloodthirsty god we know nothing of.
 

Nagash

Sage
- Mohiba : The Mohiba are the main population of the Skala'Nuui archipelago - they are probably one of the many ethnicities of human race, although most deny this. Ever since the conquest of their homeland by the Kingdom of Toxo who came from over the seas, the Mohibas have been struggling against these invaders with a far more advanced technology than theirs. Little is known about them, but it is believed that their society is built on a tribal system and an animist religion which incorporates some element of "foul" magic.

- Dixyd : The Dixyd are presumably the oldest specie alive - this insectoid race was the first one to build its imperium on the main continent, until it was almost wiped out by the Sehras. It is commonly refused to admit that the dixyd are a sentient race, most people seeing them as vermin infesting the central forests of the main land. However, the ruins of their empire speaks for their lost greatness, not to mention, sophistication.



Sub-Plots

We assume here that there are as many sub-plots as there are "locations" (per say); Since this is a medieval-fantasy series, geographic distance is seen as a narrative barrier between characters. Some are more important than others, and some will grow over time; additionally, not all sub-plots take place at the same time.

N°1 : The Southern empire of the Sehras mourns the loss of its ruler, and gathers the clans in order to chose the next, as tradition demands. During this period of strife between the main political forces (clan Sothek and clan Tash'n), unbalance threatens the empire which as benefited from a lasting era of peace. Nakash, a high-general of the imperial army is caught in the trap of politics and witnesses the decadence of his beloved nation, while struggling with depression. Meanwhile, Ker'Shal of the Tash'n, an ambitious and clever consul, claims the throne for his clan, to the displease of local political figures : the high consul Selace and Kya-Esh the ethereal, leader of the notorious Crimson Claw, leading magical organization of Zael. A clash a clans seems inevitable, although many try to maintain dialogue.

Simultaneously, Zayla Leiv, one of the few female officer in the royal army of Koshan (one of the two human Kingdoms from the far away continent of Tangeass) is sent to the Southern Empire in order to mediate with the Sehras and open the diplomatic discussions about the Silver Alliance falling apart. In an attempt to escape the overly complicated political situation in the empire, she volunteers to assist Najek, high general of the southern empire and hero of his people, in an expedition towards the central lands, where the Dixyd were rumored to appear. They meet up with a similar expedition from the Northern Empire, led by the legendary Yzlakh Sky-Screamer, and agree to collaborate, as they step into the dark forest of Yshan, and confront the rumors... as well as a forgotten past.

N°2 : In the Westernmost and desert region (Erol) of the main continent, criminal organizations rise to popular acclaim when the king fails to meet with the needs of his people. One of said organization (Aidjaani league) is led by Sohra "the great", a fierce and charismatic man in his prime, eager to seize the throne of the Kingdom of Erol. In order to do so, he must however confront a multitude of organized thugs which seem to multiply in this failing kingdom.

In the neighbor Kingdom of Lao-Sha, the ruling King is confronted to a series of gruesome events happening on his land, and that he can hardly hide from his people anymore - ancient stories and legend are exhumed as he fights an ancient evil rising again from the sands, while political strife from Erol seams to wash of on Lao-Sha. Simultaneously, on the break of an unprecedented volcanic eruption, rumors come from the independent state-region of Seth, that the apocalypse comes with the return of elementals on the land of men. Assad the Flame-Breaker, notorious leader in the region, speculates on the rebirth of Sif, a archaic god born from fire. He readies a party to explore the land claimed by the flame.

N°3 : In the northern lands of Thor-Dun (another human kingdom), still on the main continent, the High Skald Thraan Cold-Rune gathers his armies, expecting a war breaking with his human neighbors he knows are drifting away from their political alliance. Sami Black-Sea is a young man called to war, having never left his icy mountains, and hoping to prove himself in battle, dreaming of a good death. He seems to have been heavily influenced by Katla the free, a Socratic figure roaming in the mountain city of Thor-Dun, and reminiscing the long gone times of Dunaari (the ruling ethnicity of Thor-Dun) heroism.

Soon after, the catastrophic news of a dragon ravaging the mountain kingdom break out : its been almost a thousand years after the greatest defeat of Gwymir the patriarch, arch-enemy of the ancient people of Thor-Dun. The threat increases exponentially, as Agmyr (the dragon ravaging the kingdom) is a cunning and fierce creature, determined to get his revenge over the Thor-Duni for what they did to the dragon and their kin. Havoc is soon upon the northmen. Sword sisters Korna and Frija New-Wind are fighting for their lives on the surface, as the inner city of Thor-Dun closes its doors.

N°4 : In the easternmost region, the Khalaani country, a few idealist young men - among which Argryn Black-Moon and Dal Dry-Lake - raised in resent of the victorious Sehras, reconnect with their forbidden religion and fall under the influence of a shady and prophetic individual. They soon begin a quest in the night-lands, seeking a relic buried deep in the mountain.

The entire country seems to live in crushing misery, having been deprived of everything by the embittered Sehras - the old religion, Nubeism, rises again, against all odds. Slowly it sinks - yet again - in a revolutionary against the dominion of the victors. A party of three-hundred Threggs (a somewhat singular tribe of khalaani, living a nomadic life and associated with a myriad of tribal habits and traditions) led by the powerful and uncompromising Shathrag , begins to pillage the Sehras border.

N°5 : Within the Northern Empire of the Sehras, concerns grow with the arise of another revolt in the Khalaani country. The ruling dynast tries to anticipate the threat, but the time isn't right : the empire is celebrating the Earth Mother, and their closest ally, the Southern Empire, is sinking in internal political clash. Worrying for his people, he charges the Temple of Fire (a high religious institution) with the task of solving the conflict, both in the east, and in the Southern empire of the Sehras. Sanekh Ash-Tongue, ruling high-priest of the temple confronts the underground life of the twin empires, while his lieutenants discover the crisis in the Khalaani country.

Meanwhile, the other elementary temples foresee a grave event to occur in the world, as the Primordial Gods seems to rise again from their slumber. The Northern Empire is left alone on the continent, to deal with crisis exploding here and there.

N°6 : Far from the continent, in the Skala'Nuui archipelago, the colonial forces from the Kingdom of Toxo slaughter the Mahiba people, burning villages after villages as they advance in the hostile jungle. Many are taken into slavery. Kenneth Faust, a simple minded but fanatical soldier, assists to the demise of the Mahiba. The High-Generals Zalekh and Sath-Rash of the Southern Empire, sent with a regiment to keep a close eye on the Toxotes witness with disgust to the "brutish passion of men". Soon, tension arises between men and sehras.

Simultaneously, it is hinted that the Mahiba are gathering in the center of the jungle in this darkest hour, and that some bigger troubles are coming as the colonial expedition lengthens.

N°7 : On the second continent, the lycan empire continues to fall apart in a slow paced civil war, with the Suidarak and Khapesh tribes clashing for the emperorship. The Ka'Phan - a lesser tribe - has taken this opportunity to usurp the throne, dividing the once vast empire into three crumbling territories. Rashan, a solitary lycan, meets Jalec an eleven year old human lost in the unsafe city of Hydra, and helps him out of trouble. The two meet Yagan, a fierce lycan revolutionary and idealists, who seems to spark troubles wherever he goes. They both find themselves involuntarily caught in the spiral of civil war, and confronted to other underground organizations which benefited from the lack of legal authority : the criminal Cartel, and the Bloodied Den, which gathers the foul and mad lycan sorcerers of blood magic.

N°8 : Toxo is on the rise, having single-handedly organized the colonization of Skala'Nuui and obviously preparing some war against the weakened lycans. The Kingdom is about to become an empire, and break its ties to the Silver Alliance - the King seems to be prepared to wage war against its human brethren, especially its neighbor, Koshan. We follow Cecil Minoth, heir to the house Minoth, determined to make her way through the tortuous political scene of the Kingdom - she witnesses the decadence of the prosperous realm, and its aggressive expansion.
 

Nagash

Sage
Bonus sub-plot : Kya-Esh and his organization of the crimson claw study the recent disturbance in magic flows that appeared since the Fall. He witnesses the proliferation of shady cults across the world, and tries to bring the pieces together, concluding that some ancient forces are - for some reasons - trying to make their way back into Zael.

...

Okay, so this would be the main sub-plots, in Book 1 and Book 2 (seeing how i can't do all of them in both). I left out some minor sub-plots that will come in later, and include other realms, although most of it is here right now. What will come in with time however, is a huge load of characters i still have to work on. I shall add some more details in followings post, but i'm getting exhausted to write (4AM over here...).

I would desperately like some advices and comments, or simply thoughts, on this plot outline. Do you like it ? Does it seem confusing to you ? Is it too much - or maybe too little ? Would you like me to expand on anything ? Do you think i should be more focused ?

Anyway, toss whatever goes through your mind !

Thanks guys ;)
 
Perhaps I missed it while I was reading this, but what is the main plot? From what you have described, most of these sub-plots could work as stand alone stories. However, as this is supposed to be one story that is told over the course of multiple books, there should be something that links them together yes? As a reader, I would want to know what's the overall plot of the story. Why should the humans care what is happening with Sehras or Lycans. Could you briefly describe the main plot. Perhaps that could help with my understanding of these sub-plots.

EDIT: After I reread the description of your world, you mentioned "international order". What exactly is this? Is there a United Nations-esq body representing each of these empires and cultures? How long has this thinking been established? What is the general consensus from the populations? Are there tensions amongst these nations as a result of this way of thinking?
 
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That's so much I could only skim it, but my advice would be this: Forget it all for the moment. It's too big. Bits will come in when you need it and inform other stuff in ways that reader doesn't need to know about at first. Let that be part of the mystery. Start this way: Pretend you are your main character. Close your eyes. Open them. What do you see? What have you been doing? Why? And the story begins with what you do next. Let him/her carry you through the book, realizing that you'll have to stand outside your character for a while to make sure his/her motivations are clear to the readers.

If you're writing in third person, do the above, then sit a camera to record it. Where do you put the camera? Why? How does what the camera see differ from the main character does? What kind of tension does that create?

Note: the character shouldn't open his or her eyes to start the story. That would be lame.

Just remember: "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit." And 1700 pages later the Third Age had ended.
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
The best laid plans of mice and men...

Honestly, just start writing. You've obviously put a lot of effort into your world building and plot, but it's really hard to tell if anything works or not when it hasn't been written. From my experience, no plot or world building escapes unscathed once it starts its way onto the page. Everything changes in some way no matter how well you plan.

As you write, things that you thought were a big deal turn out not to be, and things you thought insignificant turn out to be very important. Solutions to problems you spent days and says mulling over will pop into your head simple as pie, and problems will pop up in places you thought were perfect.


As for trying to get everything you've world-built into they story, well, that's a part of learning to write. And the only way you're going to learn is if you start writing.

For me, the way you introduce a large world is to start small. It's like feeding a baby their dinner. Spoon them too much and they choke. You have to spoon the reader bite-sized chunks so they can swallow and digest.

IMHO, start with one character and one place. Use those as your foundation off which everything else is built. What I mean by that is that one character and that one place is your reader's reference point, the first piece of the greater puzzle. You flesh those things out in a significant way, then you start growing your world around it.

As mentioned above, Lord of the Rings starts off in the Shire with Frodo, and from there, the rest of the world and its characters get added to. You have Frodo and his immediate friends, and we have the Shire, then the roads and fields surrounding, and then the Prancing Pony Inn where we meet Strider. And slowly but surely the world gets bigger and bigger.

My 2 cents.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
Ok...many years ago, I did a LOT of world building. I built well over half a dozen worlds, some near as intricate as yours, and melded them together until I had just two left (irreconcilable geographies). If I don't watch myself and engage in ruthless editing, I still overdo the info-dump thing. Witness the (justified) comments I received during the last Iron Pen (where I didn't get the chance to edit properly).


What you have here is a base. No matter how complete you think it is, there are things missing - important things.

Time to start writing.

Do like I do: sign up for the various challenges in the Challenge Forum. Pick the regional episodes from your world that best fit the prompts, and start writing. This way, you REALLY flesh out your world, whilst generating notions for your larger works.
 

Nagash

Sage
Thanks for the many feedbacks guys ! I'll try answering and commenting as best as can.

Perhaps I missed it while I was reading this, but what is the main plot? From what you have described, most of these sub-plots could work as stand alone stories. However, as this is supposed to be one story that is told over the course of multiple books, there should be something that links them together yes?

Yes, at first most of theses subplots could be standalone stories - as i pointed out, most of them are so geographically distant, they could seem completely disconnected. That would be the case, if there wasn't a general outline - which i failed to mention clearly above, mostly to avoid spoilers. Most of the intrigues such as "past secrets awakening", "rebirth of the gods", "return of a revengeful dragon", and even "civil war and collapse of empires" are actually connected, either because they clash together, or because the same old power is at work. To put it simply, most of what happens today (299), seems to be a long term consequence of the Fall (year 0), for reasons unknown to the characters, and to the readers for the time being. Had i posted all the backstory and details from past history, the links might have appeared clearly, but we wouldn't like to spoil the readers, now would we ?

Point is the reader is supposed to get this weird feeling of anguish, seeing how all the sub-plots unfold into one main plot that stays invisible at first, that something bigger than an empire, a kingdom, is at stake - see, i really wanted to combine political intrigue and scheming, before shattering the glass, and revealing the primordial evil behind it all. I do not plan however to start the book with this impression that all subplots are disconnected : despite the geographic distance between the different plots, they obviously impact each other. For example : Sohra's claim to the throne of Erol is seen in a bad light by Lao-Sha's King, since the two kingdoms used to be one nation, and the ambitious leader of the Aidjaani league, seems hellbent on ruling over the deserts of the main continent (for an unknown reason at first). As for the Sehras, their importance as a keystone of world-wide organization, their slow fall from grace is seen as problematic to all - the Sehras in the Skala'Nuui archipelago clashing with the colonial troops of Toxo will actually spark the fire that begins a nation-wide war.

Which brings me to your second question

As a reader, I would want to know what's the overall plot of the story. Why should the humans care what is happening with Sehras or Lycans. Could you briefly describe the main plot. Perhaps that could help with my understanding of these sub-plots.

EDIT: After I reread the description of your world, you mentioned "international order". What exactly is this? Is there a United Nations-esq body representing each of these empires and cultures? How long has this thinking been established? What is the general consensus from the populations? Are there tensions amongst these nations as a result of this way of thinking?

There is indeed an international body, which has existed since shortly before the Fall, when a great war with the Khalaani and their historic leader and "Messiah", almost sent civilization back to dark ages, mostly in order to administrate the Khalaani country and avoid another conflict - each great nations (Northern Empire, Southern Empire, Naïas, Thor-Dun, Lao-Sha, Erol, Toxo, Koshan and the lycan Empire) sent its emissaries to a council set on the main continent, in order to decide the fate of the felonious nation of the Khalaani. However, world organization had existed before, even before the Fall (-800), a world-wide trade organization was built, naval trade having flourished with the improvement of boats and communication through magic. Simultaneously, the Cartel, who had been a criminal organization set on the main continent, became a world-wide concern, when it spread to the other continents, connecting most of the important crime syndicates. Finally, the magic sects and organization, such as the Black concordat and the Crimson Claw, which gathered scholars and magic wielders from all the horizons, rose to power in - 753 and became important elements of the world scene, weighting on international relations because of their significance and "polynational" nature. As a whole, all of this contributed to establish a "world order".

As a general overview one gets the impression that some empires have become so important, that stability and peace wouldn't be possible without them. Back in the bast, the colossal armies of the Southern empire marched on every threat that rose on its continent, making most of its neighboring realms, its vassals. The Sehras, because of their warmongering nature and systematic fear and distrust of the unknown, always tried to configure their surrounding according to their own needs; as history went on, and the world became smaller because of the arrival of ships and mastery of magic, they believed they had to make sure nothing in the world could ever overturn them. Through alliances and wars, they made sure this would never happen. In addition, two years after the whitened war (year 40 after the Fall), The Southern Empire fell for a short period time, under the influence of Saur'ilis, an ultra-nationalist and xenophobic organization which led the Sehras to war with the human kingdoms in the Skad'Aze (crusade by fire), after convincing the masses that Men were the cause of the war with the Khalaani and their impious actions. After a little more than a year, some High-Generals (Najek notably) rebelled against Sauri'lis, which had remained hidden, and put an end to the madness. In 18 months of crusade, the Sehras had scorched the earth of their neighbors, destroying entire cities by sending their unimaginably gigantic armies of over-trained Sehras and dragons.

World order is therefore existing, because one power is supremely greater than all the others, and brought them together. Ever since the crusade, the Human Kingdoms have grown distrustful of the Sehras (with reason), and the peace that lasted for a hundred and sixty tears, is about to vanish with the world administration of the world. Extreme tension has arose between populations as a consequence. The greatest allies of the Sehras used to be the lycans, with which they outnumbered the rest of the world - Yagash, the legendary emperor of the Lycans, was respected for his ruthlessness, strength and strict code of honor by the Sehras. Lycans as a whole, had a cultural conception of the world which pleased the Sehras. Since Yagash disappeared though (again, in the year 40 after the fall), the lycan empire has collapsed, and the Sehras find themselves alone against many kingdoms resenting them.

Another important element of the main plot, is the supernatural background and history of Zael - the Gods and entities overruling it, seem to arise from the depths once again. Elementals are reappearing, and represent a threat bigger that anyone could possibly imagine. And, simultaneously, gaunt ethereal figures appear from the void, and spread havoc, everywhere across the world, for unknown reasons. The dragons begin to rebel against their masters, following the example of Agmyr. Shadows of the past come back to life, and obscure powers seem to come back to life. A look at the supernatural canvas of the world, makes it clear that the link between subplots lays here, with the gods awakening, and magic growing unstable.


As for the other comments, I do see where you're getting at, and you're absolutely right to mention the Lord of the Rings - it appeals to me ... - which i hadn't in mind at first, when planning these books (i was more thinking of ASOIAF). However, this may be a better pathway to achieve this work. I do intend to do some deep character building and introspection as you suggested stephen, since they are the key of the series - i intend to make human suffering and emotion the heart of my work, since after all i'm trying to narrate the struggle of mortals against their own world. In this regard, Zael isn't so different as our own world.
 
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