Author's Notes
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Chapters 18 - 25
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Chapter 18
The modes of address that Hoil and Siran use when speaking to Rill are deliberate and tell him immediately the fate of his grandfather. "Highness" is the reference for a prince, "Majesty" is for a king. As taciturn as Siran is, that one word sums up quite a bit.
I'm glad the English language is so adaptive and adoptive of terms from other languages, but occasionally it trips me up. For example, the term "coup" has become common enough that I can get away with using it, and as a general term, it works. But the more appropriate and complete term would be "coup d'Etat". I don't know if you noticed or not, but there are absolutely zero French people in these books, and while I'm sure I've missed a few terms here and there that are still pretty much non-English words we sort of appropriated, in these books I've tried to stay away from words that are conceptually still completely foreign. I've borrowed and played with plenty of Latin and a bit of ancient Greek here and there, but usually that's in the context of the immortal language or the occasional elven word. The idea behind that was to give the idea that the human language evolved much the same way the English language did here, cobbled together from more ancient dialects and bastardized into something pronounceable (with abhorrently inconsistent rules of grammar and spelling).
As soon as I started this book and saw where Maran's story arc was going, this was where he was going to end up. Sedel's character was actually reverse engineered from Maran's destiny, then fleshed out and expanded from there. Maran was one of my favorite second-tier characters, followed closely by Siran, who still gets to play a part going forward.
Of course the unfortunate result from this whole episode is that the goal of The Three was met here without one of them ever setting foot on the elven island. The turmoil created by the failed coup has locked up the majority of the elven forces, though Rill's decision to send some of his elite warriors will doubtlessly be of use (and his wisdom in sending Siran will actually be useful far into the future).
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
By now you of course know the source of Birch's powers, and you've probably gleaned why he has so little control over them. It's not his power, it's borrowed from Kaelus, who is interpreting Birch's needs and acting accordingly to give him what help he can. Every time Kaelu's power is used, however, Birch's "allergy" to his blessed sword becomes slightly more pronounced and painful, due to the growing prevalence of demonic power within him.
It's entirely possible that Maran will become the next Do'Valoren sometime in the distant future. If not, it's just as likely that he'll find himself in some sort of conflict with the man who eventually replaces the current one. That's currently where I see his path taking him, but for the time being, he is relegated to being "no one". (I considered making Sedel's name "Nemo" instead, since it actually means "no one" in Latin, but then the cartoon fish movie came out and that sort of ruined that idea.)
I'm glad the English language is so adaptive and adoptive of terms from other languages, but occasionally it trips me up. For example, the term "coup" has become common enough that I can get away with using it, and as a general term, it works. But the more appropriate and complete term would be "coup d'Etat". I don't know if you noticed or not, but there are absolutely zero French people in these books, and while I'm sure I've missed a few terms here and there that are still pretty much non-English words we sort of appropriated, in these books I've tried to stay away from words that are conceptually still completely foreign. I've borrowed and played with plenty of Latin and a bit of ancient Greek here and there, but usually that's in the context of the immortal language or the occasional elven word. The idea behind that was to give the idea that the human language evolved much the same way the English language did here, cobbled together from more ancient dialects and bastardized into something pronounceable (with abhorrently inconsistent rules of grammar and spelling).
As soon as I started this book and saw where Maran's story arc was going, this was where he was going to end up. Sedel's character was actually reverse engineered from Maran's destiny, then fleshed out and expanded from there. Maran was one of my favorite second-tier characters, followed closely by Siran, who still gets to play a part going forward.
Of course the unfortunate result from this whole episode is that the goal of The Three was met here without one of them ever setting foot on the elven island. The turmoil created by the failed coup has locked up the majority of the elven forces, though Rill's decision to send some of his elite warriors will doubtlessly be of use (and his wisdom in sending Siran will actually be useful far into the future).
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
By now you of course know the source of Birch's powers, and you've probably gleaned why he has so little control over them. It's not his power, it's borrowed from Kaelus, who is interpreting Birch's needs and acting accordingly to give him what help he can. Every time Kaelu's power is used, however, Birch's "allergy" to his blessed sword becomes slightly more pronounced and painful, due to the growing prevalence of demonic power within him.
It's entirely possible that Maran will become the next Do'Valoren sometime in the distant future. If not, it's just as likely that he'll find himself in some sort of conflict with the man who eventually replaces the current one. That's currently where I see his path taking him, but for the time being, he is relegated to being "no one". (I considered making Sedel's name "Nemo" instead, since it actually means "no one" in Latin, but then the cartoon fish movie came out and that sort of ruined that idea.)
Interlude
So what's Shadow Company been up to? I sometimes hate having to go back and fill in a couple weeks (or longer) of time, but there's still just so much to get through and the narrative flow of the elven island section really couldn't be broken up, so it just made sense to leave the denarae alone for a little while. In this case, at least, it gives you a chance to see the company evaluated through Gerard's eyes, as well as the paladins leading it, which gives you a rare perspective on them. The description you see here, and one or two other places moving forward, was apparently inspired by the makeup of Ender's jeesh in the original Ender's Game. It wasn't until I was re-reading that book (for maybe the fiftieth time or so) that I realized that's where some of this section came from, and those who are familiar with the book can probably go back and find out who was inspired by whom. I'll say again, this was in no way intentional, and once I discovered it, I left it alone as an homage to one of my favorite books.
The second section was a late addition that resulted from an uncomfortable realization. The paladins are sworn to avoid taking another mortal's life whenever possible, but originally Gerard leaped into his private little war with gusto and without a second thought for the lives he was taking. Shadow Company is the weapon in his hand he's using to kill thousands of humans, and it took me an unfortunately long time to realize that Gerard's actions and motivations here were somewhat less than in-keeping with the Prism and being a paladin. Fortunately the solution also gave me a way to bring out Flasch's more serious side, which is almost as rare as hearing Silent Bob speak. It also offers a glimpse into the Prism's role in the world throughout history, which has to be a tricky position for them to maintain.
Final thought on that section: I honestly don't know what happened to Gerard's face to cause all of those scars. I've come up with a half-dozen scenarios, some of which involve him meeting Birch for the first time. If I ever write a prequel story about him/them, this will probably be included, but for now it's just a happy little mystery.
The fourth section is the first time we really get to see Shadow Company operating in the field, and it's a non-combat role. It works well to introduce how well they've learned to work with each other and with the paladins leading them, while accidentally creating a new tool/weapon for them to use. I say "accidentally" because it was - I wrote the scene without the conscious intention of making a psychic blast weapon, it just sort of happened. It makes sense - if the denarae are sending and receiving mental impulses akin to nervous signals in the brain, the potential to cause a massive and debilitating headache is well within the scope of possibility. Ultimately it's a form of inducing intense pain to the point where the person loses consciousness - sort of like causing fifty migraines at once, or a flashbang going off in your brain.
The sixth section was another late addition, mainly because I realized you really don't get to see Gerard and Garnet spar once Gerard takes him under his wing during training. The training and techniques are mentioned later, but you never see it firsthand, and that felt wrong.
The last section I'll admit was inspired by a particular scene in STNG - and solid fans will probably be able to recognize it without too much difficulty. When I started writing it, the two goals I had were to have the brothers fight and for Birch to admit to Hoil that he felt he'd been broken. That harkens back to the STNG scene so there's a definite similarity there, even though I tried not to let the original scene influence this one too much. This scene is the culmination of the little moments building between the two brothers since the beginning of Book 1, as Hoil finally sees what's underlying Birch's attitude and actions. Originally when Hoil asks "was it worth it" Birch's answer was "No". Finally after the fifth or sixth time through the book, I realized that section was bothering me and that word was why. Of course Birch thinks it's worth it, because his devotion to God and his calling as a paladin is the overriding force in his entire life. That's one of the central points of his character and ultimately the reason he was chosen for his role in this story.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
As I wrote this I went back and found the relevant chapter in Ender's Game I mentioned above, and it was only now I also realized/remembered that the way the buggers (and subsequently Ender's jeesh) operate was part of the inspiration for a company of denarae soldiers in the first place. They're described at various times as operating as extensions of their commander's will, working as a single entity rather than separate groups of individuals. In Book 3, Garnet makes a reference in the beginning to not wanting to see their strategy from the "I" perspective of any single platoon or become locked into viewing the battlefield from any particular angle. This was knowingly adopted from Ender's Game, since it just makes good tactical sense. I don't think I realized until I was writing this commentary just how much of Shadow Company was inspired in some way by Ender's Game.
There's a brief mention later that indicates Hoil is going to make good on his promise to Birch to go straight, and in Book 3 you see a bit more of it. It's still in the background, since that's hardly a major plot point, but it's not forgotten.
The second section was a late addition that resulted from an uncomfortable realization. The paladins are sworn to avoid taking another mortal's life whenever possible, but originally Gerard leaped into his private little war with gusto and without a second thought for the lives he was taking. Shadow Company is the weapon in his hand he's using to kill thousands of humans, and it took me an unfortunately long time to realize that Gerard's actions and motivations here were somewhat less than in-keeping with the Prism and being a paladin. Fortunately the solution also gave me a way to bring out Flasch's more serious side, which is almost as rare as hearing Silent Bob speak. It also offers a glimpse into the Prism's role in the world throughout history, which has to be a tricky position for them to maintain.
Final thought on that section: I honestly don't know what happened to Gerard's face to cause all of those scars. I've come up with a half-dozen scenarios, some of which involve him meeting Birch for the first time. If I ever write a prequel story about him/them, this will probably be included, but for now it's just a happy little mystery.
The fourth section is the first time we really get to see Shadow Company operating in the field, and it's a non-combat role. It works well to introduce how well they've learned to work with each other and with the paladins leading them, while accidentally creating a new tool/weapon for them to use. I say "accidentally" because it was - I wrote the scene without the conscious intention of making a psychic blast weapon, it just sort of happened. It makes sense - if the denarae are sending and receiving mental impulses akin to nervous signals in the brain, the potential to cause a massive and debilitating headache is well within the scope of possibility. Ultimately it's a form of inducing intense pain to the point where the person loses consciousness - sort of like causing fifty migraines at once, or a flashbang going off in your brain.
The sixth section was another late addition, mainly because I realized you really don't get to see Gerard and Garnet spar once Gerard takes him under his wing during training. The training and techniques are mentioned later, but you never see it firsthand, and that felt wrong.
The last section I'll admit was inspired by a particular scene in STNG - and solid fans will probably be able to recognize it without too much difficulty. When I started writing it, the two goals I had were to have the brothers fight and for Birch to admit to Hoil that he felt he'd been broken. That harkens back to the STNG scene so there's a definite similarity there, even though I tried not to let the original scene influence this one too much. This scene is the culmination of the little moments building between the two brothers since the beginning of Book 1, as Hoil finally sees what's underlying Birch's attitude and actions. Originally when Hoil asks "was it worth it" Birch's answer was "No". Finally after the fifth or sixth time through the book, I realized that section was bothering me and that word was why. Of course Birch thinks it's worth it, because his devotion to God and his calling as a paladin is the overriding force in his entire life. That's one of the central points of his character and ultimately the reason he was chosen for his role in this story.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
As I wrote this I went back and found the relevant chapter in Ender's Game I mentioned above, and it was only now I also realized/remembered that the way the buggers (and subsequently Ender's jeesh) operate was part of the inspiration for a company of denarae soldiers in the first place. They're described at various times as operating as extensions of their commander's will, working as a single entity rather than separate groups of individuals. In Book 3, Garnet makes a reference in the beginning to not wanting to see their strategy from the "I" perspective of any single platoon or become locked into viewing the battlefield from any particular angle. This was knowingly adopted from Ender's Game, since it just makes good tactical sense. I don't think I realized until I was writing this commentary just how much of Shadow Company was inspired in some way by Ender's Game.
There's a brief mention later that indicates Hoil is going to make good on his promise to Birch to go straight, and in Book 3 you see a bit more of it. It's still in the background, since that's hardly a major plot point, but it's not forgotten.
Chapter 19
Originally it was Marc who questioned Gerard on why the arriving paladins hadn't used their dakkans, but then I felt I was kind of picking on him. He has more than his fair share of "duh" questions and comments, and in reality everybody has something like that to say at some point. So this became Michael's turn.
If you've been reading these commentaries, you've probably noticed a theme in my writing style. I have a lot of things that are just there because they feel right, even though I don't know why at first, and a lot of mistakes that have to be gone back over and usually end up turning into something much better than anything I originally intended. The arrival of James and company is one of the latter. I think it took me until my second or third read-through before I asked the question Michael did, and unfortunately I didn't have an answer at the time. That obviously changed, but it wasn't until I went through it for the eighth or ninth time that I changed it to something I was actually satisfied with. Another one or two read-throughs later, I went back and filled in more of James's narrative whilst building more of the Merishank culture and societal structure. Several holes got patched and a much better framework developed, all because I originally forgot about their dakkans. Go figure.
Speaking of dakkans, Vander's is the least-mentioned beast in the entire story thusfar, and it wasn't until I was actually writing this commentary that I realized I never set his alternate form, so when I went to make a change to the scene where they're rescued, I had no idea what Vander's dakkan was doing during this. (Certainly not being ridden on despite being injured. Surely there wasn't a draft that included that oversight.) It couldn't be something sneaky and stealthy, or it would have gone with them into Den-Furral. Not a horse, since that was already ruled out and wouldn't make sense here anyway, and something small enough for him to carry yet large enough to be a burden. And not cute. In the instant the words "not cute" crossed my mind, I immediately went to bulldog, which my wife was delighted to hear about when I told her. She has a love of ugly animals (which she assures me doesn't extend to her taste in men), and a bulldog is at the top of her list of "to own someday" pets. I just have this image of the ugly jowls making a sad face as they peek out from the blankets.
I feel like James's story here gets short-changed a bit, in that you don't actually get to see any of it happening, it's all told after the fact. The major reason for that is the length and pacing of the rest of the book, but almost as important is the fact that these story arcs focus almost exclusively on the de'Valderat family. Sure, you see various chapters and sections from other characters' points of view quite frequently, but they're always the people immediately around and affecting the threads of Danner and Birch, or a quick one-off section to set someone on the path they'll need to be on to join one of those two (such as Moreen leaving Demar or Hoil and Maran setting off at the end of Book 1). The ongoing action of the books always follows them. If I ever do a short-story anthology ("Tales from the Pandemonium War") this storyline will be a leading contender to be told, though James does a pretty good job of summing it up here, so maybe not. We'll see.
Marc gives you a glimpse of Vander's "secret" if you're paying attention. It'll be explained soon enough.
The idea of God and Satan having a "hands off" approach is hardly unique to this story, but usually it's due to some bargain between them or something. That isn't the case here, at least not in so many words, but you won't see the true form this situation takes in Lokka for several books. Some of it will come back into play later in this book, but the broader implications and underlying reasons won't be spelled out until they absolutely need to be.
The other major point Vander brings up is the idea of the dybbuk (the term is borrowed from Jewish mythology, which was a happy accident since the idea behind it fit almost perfectly with what I'd already written - I just didn't have a satisfactory name for it yet). At the beginning of this book Danner and his friends are reminded that someone else is still around and has been controlling the corrupted paladins, but they were so busy at the end of the last book they completely forgot about it and haven't done much better since then. Too busy training, fighting, etc, I suppose. Anyway, Vander became the perfect vessel for bringing up this character again and giving a bit of explanation about it.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Semi-Spoiler - The very end of Book 3 in this trilogy actually makes the point I mention above with regards to following the de'Valderat family. The character drafting his "historical" work needs a starting place and a focus for his work, and this family proves to be the ideal inspiration.
The bit here about the judging of souls is a play off the idea that's popular in our world. For those here who believe in an afterlife, it's pretty much a given that good people go to Heaven and bad people go to Hell (or some variation on
that). The idea dates back at least to ancient Egypt with the weighing of the heart (or "Ib"), and from a historical perspective, who knows where the idea originated. In Lokka, the idea is there and has been for centuries, which is why it's so prevalent, but there's never been any corroboration in their religious texts. Vander's work and Danner's translation are the first known confirmation of that belief, and part of the reason I include it here is to set up the idea for use in Book 3. Having finished this book, you can probably guess from the ending that Book 3 will probably take place (at least in part) in Heaven, where the action seems to be headed next.
If you've been reading these commentaries, you've probably noticed a theme in my writing style. I have a lot of things that are just there because they feel right, even though I don't know why at first, and a lot of mistakes that have to be gone back over and usually end up turning into something much better than anything I originally intended. The arrival of James and company is one of the latter. I think it took me until my second or third read-through before I asked the question Michael did, and unfortunately I didn't have an answer at the time. That obviously changed, but it wasn't until I went through it for the eighth or ninth time that I changed it to something I was actually satisfied with. Another one or two read-throughs later, I went back and filled in more of James's narrative whilst building more of the Merishank culture and societal structure. Several holes got patched and a much better framework developed, all because I originally forgot about their dakkans. Go figure.
Speaking of dakkans, Vander's is the least-mentioned beast in the entire story thusfar, and it wasn't until I was actually writing this commentary that I realized I never set his alternate form, so when I went to make a change to the scene where they're rescued, I had no idea what Vander's dakkan was doing during this. (Certainly not being ridden on despite being injured. Surely there wasn't a draft that included that oversight.) It couldn't be something sneaky and stealthy, or it would have gone with them into Den-Furral. Not a horse, since that was already ruled out and wouldn't make sense here anyway, and something small enough for him to carry yet large enough to be a burden. And not cute. In the instant the words "not cute" crossed my mind, I immediately went to bulldog, which my wife was delighted to hear about when I told her. She has a love of ugly animals (which she assures me doesn't extend to her taste in men), and a bulldog is at the top of her list of "to own someday" pets. I just have this image of the ugly jowls making a sad face as they peek out from the blankets.
I feel like James's story here gets short-changed a bit, in that you don't actually get to see any of it happening, it's all told after the fact. The major reason for that is the length and pacing of the rest of the book, but almost as important is the fact that these story arcs focus almost exclusively on the de'Valderat family. Sure, you see various chapters and sections from other characters' points of view quite frequently, but they're always the people immediately around and affecting the threads of Danner and Birch, or a quick one-off section to set someone on the path they'll need to be on to join one of those two (such as Moreen leaving Demar or Hoil and Maran setting off at the end of Book 1). The ongoing action of the books always follows them. If I ever do a short-story anthology ("Tales from the Pandemonium War") this storyline will be a leading contender to be told, though James does a pretty good job of summing it up here, so maybe not. We'll see.
Marc gives you a glimpse of Vander's "secret" if you're paying attention. It'll be explained soon enough.
The idea of God and Satan having a "hands off" approach is hardly unique to this story, but usually it's due to some bargain between them or something. That isn't the case here, at least not in so many words, but you won't see the true form this situation takes in Lokka for several books. Some of it will come back into play later in this book, but the broader implications and underlying reasons won't be spelled out until they absolutely need to be.
The other major point Vander brings up is the idea of the dybbuk (the term is borrowed from Jewish mythology, which was a happy accident since the idea behind it fit almost perfectly with what I'd already written - I just didn't have a satisfactory name for it yet). At the beginning of this book Danner and his friends are reminded that someone else is still around and has been controlling the corrupted paladins, but they were so busy at the end of the last book they completely forgot about it and haven't done much better since then. Too busy training, fighting, etc, I suppose. Anyway, Vander became the perfect vessel for bringing up this character again and giving a bit of explanation about it.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Semi-Spoiler - The very end of Book 3 in this trilogy actually makes the point I mention above with regards to following the de'Valderat family. The character drafting his "historical" work needs a starting place and a focus for his work, and this family proves to be the ideal inspiration.
The bit here about the judging of souls is a play off the idea that's popular in our world. For those here who believe in an afterlife, it's pretty much a given that good people go to Heaven and bad people go to Hell (or some variation on
that). The idea dates back at least to ancient Egypt with the weighing of the heart (or "Ib"), and from a historical perspective, who knows where the idea originated. In Lokka, the idea is there and has been for centuries, which is why it's so prevalent, but there's never been any corroboration in their religious texts. Vander's work and Danner's translation are the first known confirmation of that belief, and part of the reason I include it here is to set up the idea for use in Book 3. Having finished this book, you can probably guess from the ending that Book 3 will probably take place (at least in part) in Heaven, where the action seems to be headed next.
Chapter 20
I hate to admit it, but the "I believe I did" comment from the chapter quote is from personal experience, and no, it did not go over well. Still, it fits the broader point made in the first part of the quote. Technically, Relativity and Evolution are still just theories, and there is a truly infinite number of things you can point to that we "know" in this world that could turn out to be untrue based on a greater understanding of the world. (For an easy example, think about what we "know" about history and then remember that it's usually written by the winners. Even people who actually lived through the events of history only actually "know" the things they witnessed firsthand, and really that's limited by their perception of those events.) ... Yes, these are the thoughts that fill my day.
This was always where Danner and Alicia were going, and as I've mentioned before, I always worry that it feels rushed. Lokkan culture only exists in my head, and sometimes it's hard to sort out how things should be (based on their world) from what feels right based on our world and my own experience of American culture. I know plenty of people who went even faster than these two, and quite a few who make Danner and Alicia look like speed demons. In the end, I'm comfortable with how things turn out between them because this isn't how it is for everybody - it's how it is for them, and it's right for them. And really, that's how it is for everybody - something's either right or not right for you and your partner, and the only people who can tell you that is you. Stay tuned for their own thoughts on this matter, however.
I don't think there's enough random violence and encounters in books, emphasis on the word "random". You know, sometimes stuff just happens, and for no better reason than someone walking down the street hates the skin color of someone else walking down the street. It's stupid, but it happens. The assualt on Trebor is kind of a brutal reminder of what the racial tensions in Lokka are really like, lest you be too comfortable with the more relaxed situation amidst Shadow Company and its abnormally tolerant humans. Most of the racism you see directed their way is done as a group, rarely at the personal level, so it's sort of easy to brush off. This is a bit more visceral, and deliberately so.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
You may be wondering about Danner's little lapse of control during his climax. At one point Marc speculates whether Danner would pass on his angelic heritage to any children he might have. This should be your clue that yes, he absolutely will, and in fact they will be the focal point of future books in this series.
Something to remember waaaaay into the future (i.e. the next trilogy), is that the damned souls only have corporeal form in Lokka because of the will of Mephistopheles.
This was always where Danner and Alicia were going, and as I've mentioned before, I always worry that it feels rushed. Lokkan culture only exists in my head, and sometimes it's hard to sort out how things should be (based on their world) from what feels right based on our world and my own experience of American culture. I know plenty of people who went even faster than these two, and quite a few who make Danner and Alicia look like speed demons. In the end, I'm comfortable with how things turn out between them because this isn't how it is for everybody - it's how it is for them, and it's right for them. And really, that's how it is for everybody - something's either right or not right for you and your partner, and the only people who can tell you that is you. Stay tuned for their own thoughts on this matter, however.
I don't think there's enough random violence and encounters in books, emphasis on the word "random". You know, sometimes stuff just happens, and for no better reason than someone walking down the street hates the skin color of someone else walking down the street. It's stupid, but it happens. The assualt on Trebor is kind of a brutal reminder of what the racial tensions in Lokka are really like, lest you be too comfortable with the more relaxed situation amidst Shadow Company and its abnormally tolerant humans. Most of the racism you see directed their way is done as a group, rarely at the personal level, so it's sort of easy to brush off. This is a bit more visceral, and deliberately so.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
You may be wondering about Danner's little lapse of control during his climax. At one point Marc speculates whether Danner would pass on his angelic heritage to any children he might have. This should be your clue that yes, he absolutely will, and in fact they will be the focal point of future books in this series.
Something to remember waaaaay into the future (i.e. the next trilogy), is that the damned souls only have corporeal form in Lokka because of the will of Mephistopheles.
Chapter 21
As I've said, I have to go back a lot and redo people's motivations for doing X and being at location Y with person Z (etc). Ran's continued presence was another one, because all of his plans are falling apart, both of his brothers are dead, he knows a group of paladins is coming for him and that he's felt an angelic presence nearby, and yet for some reason he sticks it out and essentially copies Sal's plan for killing Birch. The Three were not chosen for their brilliance in strategy or original thinking, obviously.
Okay, so in the commentary for Book 1 I owned up to the fact that I'd completely forgotten about The Three's plan for using Moreen against Birch and trying to turn him somehow. I promised I'd address it, and here it is. Ran's explanation makes sense, even if it's a little late in coming, and hopefully if you never read these commentaries you wouldn't have noticed a thing beyond maybe a "Hey, what happened to that?" thought in passing. Okay, moment of self-flagellating honesty complete, on with the story.
This chapter officially begins Danner's transition to an adult in his father's eyes, something you'll see played out a little bit in the chapters to come. Not that Hoil views him as a child, just... a "boy". I would guess that all parents have to go through this at some point (I've still got a long time, thankfully, as of this writing), and Hoil's has been a bit delayed because of his personal issues.
Birch's "it's all on me" attitude comes on a little thick here due to the circumstances, and I'm quite glad that Gerard put him in his place. Originally I'd wanted him to knock Birch out by blunt force to his leg (based on something I read in "Blackhawk Down"), but I couldn't find enough information on that type of attack/injury to feel comfortable using it, much less that it was something Birch would easily recover from and Gerard would be willing to do to him. So a nice, satisfying, knock-out punch was enough, and it fits with Gerard's character.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
I still feel sort of bad about Vander. I mean, he wasn't a bad guy - ultimately what happened was I decided somebody needed to die. That's it. I looked at my available list of people and decided he was expendable, and with his bizarre little "secret" I'd given him, I was kind of tired of having him essentially a non-entity in groups and only existing as other people's perceptions of him based on their own flaws. The trouble was finding a decent "why" and Ran touches on it here. There's certain information the demons didn't want becoming common knowledge, and the missing "key texts" the dybukk is supposed to find are the ones Marc has already borrowed from the Prism's local library. (Remember Marc's conversation with Vander and the recommended reading?)
Trebor's only real purpose in being present for the conversation with Birch is to give you another clue about the nature of Birch's powers. Well, that and he's Danner's best friend, but mainly the clue-giving part.
Garet's fighting section here was to give you a first glimpse into the nature of the forces attacking the Barrier. At this point, nobody in Lokka knows that the damned souls have been transformed into monstrosities, so to their eyes they are being overwhelmed by countless minor demons. The description teases it out a bit, and of course Malith has already indicated something along these lines in his previous sections, but I only referred to them here as "creatures" because I didn't want it to get confusing when the actual demons showed up.
Okay, so in the commentary for Book 1 I owned up to the fact that I'd completely forgotten about The Three's plan for using Moreen against Birch and trying to turn him somehow. I promised I'd address it, and here it is. Ran's explanation makes sense, even if it's a little late in coming, and hopefully if you never read these commentaries you wouldn't have noticed a thing beyond maybe a "Hey, what happened to that?" thought in passing. Okay, moment of self-flagellating honesty complete, on with the story.
This chapter officially begins Danner's transition to an adult in his father's eyes, something you'll see played out a little bit in the chapters to come. Not that Hoil views him as a child, just... a "boy". I would guess that all parents have to go through this at some point (I've still got a long time, thankfully, as of this writing), and Hoil's has been a bit delayed because of his personal issues.
Birch's "it's all on me" attitude comes on a little thick here due to the circumstances, and I'm quite glad that Gerard put him in his place. Originally I'd wanted him to knock Birch out by blunt force to his leg (based on something I read in "Blackhawk Down"), but I couldn't find enough information on that type of attack/injury to feel comfortable using it, much less that it was something Birch would easily recover from and Gerard would be willing to do to him. So a nice, satisfying, knock-out punch was enough, and it fits with Gerard's character.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
I still feel sort of bad about Vander. I mean, he wasn't a bad guy - ultimately what happened was I decided somebody needed to die. That's it. I looked at my available list of people and decided he was expendable, and with his bizarre little "secret" I'd given him, I was kind of tired of having him essentially a non-entity in groups and only existing as other people's perceptions of him based on their own flaws. The trouble was finding a decent "why" and Ran touches on it here. There's certain information the demons didn't want becoming common knowledge, and the missing "key texts" the dybukk is supposed to find are the ones Marc has already borrowed from the Prism's local library. (Remember Marc's conversation with Vander and the recommended reading?)
Trebor's only real purpose in being present for the conversation with Birch is to give you another clue about the nature of Birch's powers. Well, that and he's Danner's best friend, but mainly the clue-giving part.
Garet's fighting section here was to give you a first glimpse into the nature of the forces attacking the Barrier. At this point, nobody in Lokka knows that the damned souls have been transformed into monstrosities, so to their eyes they are being overwhelmed by countless minor demons. The description teases it out a bit, and of course Malith has already indicated something along these lines in his previous sections, but I only referred to them here as "creatures" because I didn't want it to get confusing when the actual demons showed up.
Chapter 22
Gerard's line about it being monstrous for men to kill men actually predates the writing of his conversation with Flasch earlier. The idea was always there, I just hadn't come around to full realization yet.
If I remember right, their infiltration of the Merishank camp included a bit where a soldier peed on Danner while he's hiding, and Trebor helpfully passed along the man's name, rank, and squad. I meant to have the two of them run into each other later, but when I eventually forgot about it, I decided it was probably better that way and excised the scene. It's probably just as well.
Gerard and the others are probably just a bit over-confident in approaching Ran, who is without a doubt the most powerful demon any of them have ever faced. Danner's success in destroying Min was mostly luck, and most sane paladins would want at least a full jintaal backing them up before even thinking about taking on a demon of Ran's power. Danner's flying assault underwent a few changes as I ironed out how his powers could and couldn't be used and what the resulting effects were, but for the most part it survived intact from the original concept. This was pretty much always Gerard's moment, rather than give everything to the "main" characters, whose time will come.
Had they been thinking clearly and not in the heat of the moment, it probably would have been a better idea for Danner to carry Garnet back, what with his immortal strength and all. Clearly I hadn't thought that through, but I caught it early and decided to leave it as-is for just that reason. People don't always think of the best answer, no matter how smart or quick-witted they are.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
If you read the chapter quote and have been paying attention to his character, you might come to the conclusion that Birch is a bit torn on his role in things. On the one hand, he's got his "it's all on me" thing going. But this quote from his memoirs indicates he doesn't think he's any more special than anyone else, he just did what was necessary. Both are accurate, but the latter thought comes a bit later (chronologically) than the former. The memoirs date is 1013, which is in the future compared to the "now" of the storyline. Ultimately this is a form of modesty on his part, since he really believes that he's not a hero, because heroes are special people, and he's just someone who did what anyone SHOULD have done in his position - what God asked him to.
If I remember right, their infiltration of the Merishank camp included a bit where a soldier peed on Danner while he's hiding, and Trebor helpfully passed along the man's name, rank, and squad. I meant to have the two of them run into each other later, but when I eventually forgot about it, I decided it was probably better that way and excised the scene. It's probably just as well.
Gerard and the others are probably just a bit over-confident in approaching Ran, who is without a doubt the most powerful demon any of them have ever faced. Danner's success in destroying Min was mostly luck, and most sane paladins would want at least a full jintaal backing them up before even thinking about taking on a demon of Ran's power. Danner's flying assault underwent a few changes as I ironed out how his powers could and couldn't be used and what the resulting effects were, but for the most part it survived intact from the original concept. This was pretty much always Gerard's moment, rather than give everything to the "main" characters, whose time will come.
Had they been thinking clearly and not in the heat of the moment, it probably would have been a better idea for Danner to carry Garnet back, what with his immortal strength and all. Clearly I hadn't thought that through, but I caught it early and decided to leave it as-is for just that reason. People don't always think of the best answer, no matter how smart or quick-witted they are.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
If you read the chapter quote and have been paying attention to his character, you might come to the conclusion that Birch is a bit torn on his role in things. On the one hand, he's got his "it's all on me" thing going. But this quote from his memoirs indicates he doesn't think he's any more special than anyone else, he just did what was necessary. Both are accurate, but the latter thought comes a bit later (chronologically) than the former. The memoirs date is 1013, which is in the future compared to the "now" of the storyline. Ultimately this is a form of modesty on his part, since he really believes that he's not a hero, because heroes are special people, and he's just someone who did what anyone SHOULD have done in his position - what God asked him to.
Chapter 23
No, Danner isn't imagining things - Birch's eyes really do glow more intensely than they did before he left with the jintaal. And yes, Gerard would win in a fight between him and Birch. It's happened many times before, but rarely was there any anger involved, and it was almost always on the practice field.
I admit, I get a little choked up myself listening to Hoil talk about his wife. I wasn't 100% yet what had really happened to her at this point, only that she'd left them behind and gone back to Heaven. Her destiny and her rationale behind what she did actually became extremely important to Book 3 and the broader story of the Pandemonium War as a whole. Hoil, of course, never put two-and-two together and realized that what she was looking for was him.
Flasch's "too late" comment is a nod to the movie "Clue" - an all-time favorite of my wife and me.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The brief funeral scene here stands in stark contrast to the one later, and for obvious reasons. I made sure a reasonable number of denarae died in the previous chapter for the sole purpose of having this scene here as a reference for later.
I admit, I get a little choked up myself listening to Hoil talk about his wife. I wasn't 100% yet what had really happened to her at this point, only that she'd left them behind and gone back to Heaven. Her destiny and her rationale behind what she did actually became extremely important to Book 3 and the broader story of the Pandemonium War as a whole. Hoil, of course, never put two-and-two together and realized that what she was looking for was him.
Flasch's "too late" comment is a nod to the movie "Clue" - an all-time favorite of my wife and me.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The brief funeral scene here stands in stark contrast to the one later, and for obvious reasons. I made sure a reasonable number of denarae died in the previous chapter for the sole purpose of having this scene here as a reference for later.
Chapter 24
If you notice the genetic makeup of the defenders on the Barrier, every race except the denarae is represented and mentioned.
A note on the structure of the Barrier. I'm not a medieval tactician, nor even a modern one, so I can't speak authoritatively on whether this is the best technique or not, but it's what works. There are seven gates through the Barrier. One would normally think that reducing the number of entrances to your fortress is the better route, since the non-stone-wall portion is presumably the weakest point and therefore you can concentrate your forces there. Sure, people can scale the walls, but that's harder than running through a breached door, so it's a question of flow rate. In the case of the Barrier, however, the idea is compartmentalization. They've got a pretty long wall to defend, and if a single gate is breached, the courtyard within can still be defended from three sides and potentially retaken without jeopardizing the rest of the wall. Were there but a single gate, if that point is lost, it becomes much harder to limit the damage. I'm quite certain there are ways to structure the defenses to make a one-gate system feasible, but to my mind, this structure not only works tactically but it also makes the narrative possible. In full honesty, the Barrier was never designed to handle an invasion such as this one, which is supposed to be impossible.
I'm hoping the Prismatic Council will not be such bureaucratic jerks in the next trilogy, but my hopes aren't too high. My plan is to rehabilitate them somewhat, but with a few ups and downs and at least one tragedy along the way. But that's several books away. In the meantime, you can probably count on disliking them for the foreseeable future. As for Gerard's tirade against them and their muted response - really, what do you say to something like that? Every single person there knew he was right, and protesting a defense would just seem a bit childish. Aside from that, pay attention to the reactions of the council members toward one another and you'll get a hint about what's going on beneath the surface.
I've indicated before that a major inspiration for Shadow Company, at least at this stage of the game, was the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (as depicted in the movie "Glory"). The structural parallels are built in (white/human officers leading a pioneer group of non-white/human troops), and I had to watch the movie and write a paper on it for a history class in college. One thing that struck me was the scene where Col.Shaw (Matthew Broderick) volunteers his regiment to lead the charge on Fort Wagner, specifically, why in the Hell did he volunteer them? It's not portrayed this way in the film, but I wondered if his rationale didn't run somewhat parallel to that of Gerard's here. ("Because they were going to send us out anyway.") I'd believe Shaw was trying to prove his men were equal to the whites and up to the task, but I have to wonder if he wasn't thinking in the back of his head that they would send his men out first anyway to soak up losses and divert the enemy's attention, so why not make a stand doing it? That thought was part of the original inspiration for Shadow Company, whose destiny was always to get them to this point so they could be put in this position. Gerard's justification for going through with it (when he obviously thinks it's idiotic) had to come later.
"That's what it means to be a paladin." Gerard pretty much summed up the message that carries in from the introduction to Book 1. This is a story of sacrifice. Being a paladin is a sacrifice. Part of the reason we revere our military, our firemen, and our police officers (etc) is because they put their lives on the line to protect us, the people who usually haven't the foggiest clue who they are unless we have a friend or relative enlisted. Paladins take this to the next level, protecting the entire world from an existential threat to their lives and their very souls, and there's not a whole lot in the way of "retirement" for a paladin. Most of them serve until they die, and even for the few who achieve old age they never stop being a paladin and never stop their service. When they say "For God and for man. For life." they mean it.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The thing Birch notices about the battle, even though he can't place his finger on it, is that there are no true demons in the assault at this point. The "men of desperation" (i.e. - regular men who are not paladins) are able to kill the corporeal souls of the damned just as easily as the paladins, which obviously wouldn't be the case with true demons.
Danner's reaction to their orders ("I'm not going to die for them") is minor here, but will be part of a broader character arc for him that spans numerous books. In the end, you'll be able to harken back to this scene and see it as the beginning of something for him that will culminate in his final moments in the Pandemonium War series. (Yes, I already know how he dies. I already know how pretty much all of the current major characters die, even if I don't know exactly when.)
A note on the structure of the Barrier. I'm not a medieval tactician, nor even a modern one, so I can't speak authoritatively on whether this is the best technique or not, but it's what works. There are seven gates through the Barrier. One would normally think that reducing the number of entrances to your fortress is the better route, since the non-stone-wall portion is presumably the weakest point and therefore you can concentrate your forces there. Sure, people can scale the walls, but that's harder than running through a breached door, so it's a question of flow rate. In the case of the Barrier, however, the idea is compartmentalization. They've got a pretty long wall to defend, and if a single gate is breached, the courtyard within can still be defended from three sides and potentially retaken without jeopardizing the rest of the wall. Were there but a single gate, if that point is lost, it becomes much harder to limit the damage. I'm quite certain there are ways to structure the defenses to make a one-gate system feasible, but to my mind, this structure not only works tactically but it also makes the narrative possible. In full honesty, the Barrier was never designed to handle an invasion such as this one, which is supposed to be impossible.
I'm hoping the Prismatic Council will not be such bureaucratic jerks in the next trilogy, but my hopes aren't too high. My plan is to rehabilitate them somewhat, but with a few ups and downs and at least one tragedy along the way. But that's several books away. In the meantime, you can probably count on disliking them for the foreseeable future. As for Gerard's tirade against them and their muted response - really, what do you say to something like that? Every single person there knew he was right, and protesting a defense would just seem a bit childish. Aside from that, pay attention to the reactions of the council members toward one another and you'll get a hint about what's going on beneath the surface.
I've indicated before that a major inspiration for Shadow Company, at least at this stage of the game, was the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (as depicted in the movie "Glory"). The structural parallels are built in (white/human officers leading a pioneer group of non-white/human troops), and I had to watch the movie and write a paper on it for a history class in college. One thing that struck me was the scene where Col.Shaw (Matthew Broderick) volunteers his regiment to lead the charge on Fort Wagner, specifically, why in the Hell did he volunteer them? It's not portrayed this way in the film, but I wondered if his rationale didn't run somewhat parallel to that of Gerard's here. ("Because they were going to send us out anyway.") I'd believe Shaw was trying to prove his men were equal to the whites and up to the task, but I have to wonder if he wasn't thinking in the back of his head that they would send his men out first anyway to soak up losses and divert the enemy's attention, so why not make a stand doing it? That thought was part of the original inspiration for Shadow Company, whose destiny was always to get them to this point so they could be put in this position. Gerard's justification for going through with it (when he obviously thinks it's idiotic) had to come later.
"That's what it means to be a paladin." Gerard pretty much summed up the message that carries in from the introduction to Book 1. This is a story of sacrifice. Being a paladin is a sacrifice. Part of the reason we revere our military, our firemen, and our police officers (etc) is because they put their lives on the line to protect us, the people who usually haven't the foggiest clue who they are unless we have a friend or relative enlisted. Paladins take this to the next level, protecting the entire world from an existential threat to their lives and their very souls, and there's not a whole lot in the way of "retirement" for a paladin. Most of them serve until they die, and even for the few who achieve old age they never stop being a paladin and never stop their service. When they say "For God and for man. For life." they mean it.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The thing Birch notices about the battle, even though he can't place his finger on it, is that there are no true demons in the assault at this point. The "men of desperation" (i.e. - regular men who are not paladins) are able to kill the corporeal souls of the damned just as easily as the paladins, which obviously wouldn't be the case with true demons.
Danner's reaction to their orders ("I'm not going to die for them") is minor here, but will be part of a broader character arc for him that spans numerous books. In the end, you'll be able to harken back to this scene and see it as the beginning of something for him that will culminate in his final moments in the Pandemonium War series. (Yes, I already know how he dies. I already know how pretty much all of the current major characters die, even if I don't know exactly when.)
Chapter 25
It's probably pretty obvious to you what Birch is fishing for with Danner, trying to uncover whether he's also somehow part-immortal in some way, or at least the beneficiary of some form of immortal powers. Danner doesn't get it, obviously, since he's a bit preoccupied.
I pointed out previously in commentary that Birch and Moreen had never slept together, and this is the first time it's plainly stated. Birch is still a virgin, and I'm 99.9% sure Moreen is, too. I don't want Birch's little speech here to sound preachy, but I felt I had to address the issue and how the Prism would view it - I'm not trying to put forth one message or another here of my own. (I'd like to state this clearly here, just in case one or more of my kids reads this some day and tries to use this argument against me.) These beliefs were thought out and structured specifically for Birch to explain why he hadn't committed himself fully to Moreen, and the simplest way to demonstrate that was a complete lack of sex. If there's one thing Birch says here about sex I will unequivocally advocate, it's this: "Think long and hard, Danner, and be certain of what you really believe, because it's all too easy to get swept away, and then it may be too late."
I'll admit, this chapter sort of drags - it's supposed to. It's right there in the first words of the chapter.
Okay, so, the play. It serves a dual purpose, but you have to read the comments and spoilers for the NEXT chapter to see what they are. Moving on, we finally see the explanation for Vander's "secret" even though you still don't know exactly how/why it works. The perceptions aren't necessarily accurate, because we rarely see ourselves accurately, and that's ultimately what it is. Vander projects our own negative impressions of ourselves, and I believe there's some saying out there about being your own harshest critic. Still, there's value in the impressions, which is why James uses it. If you think back, there's only two people who are shown to actually like Vander at all - James and Marc. James knows the secret and well, he's a Yellow paladin, so he's a bit more level-headed and introspective than most. Marc doesn't have the foggiest clue about a "secret" but he's the only one who recognizes that he suffers from the same things he senses in Vander, so he moves on and gets over it.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
If you think back to Book 1 and Birch's original thoughts about Vander, you see some of those reflected traits at play here. Birch is being secretive for the sake of it, believing yet again it's all on him and that he's got to figure things out and keep it to himself.
I pointed out previously in commentary that Birch and Moreen had never slept together, and this is the first time it's plainly stated. Birch is still a virgin, and I'm 99.9% sure Moreen is, too. I don't want Birch's little speech here to sound preachy, but I felt I had to address the issue and how the Prism would view it - I'm not trying to put forth one message or another here of my own. (I'd like to state this clearly here, just in case one or more of my kids reads this some day and tries to use this argument against me.) These beliefs were thought out and structured specifically for Birch to explain why he hadn't committed himself fully to Moreen, and the simplest way to demonstrate that was a complete lack of sex. If there's one thing Birch says here about sex I will unequivocally advocate, it's this: "Think long and hard, Danner, and be certain of what you really believe, because it's all too easy to get swept away, and then it may be too late."
I'll admit, this chapter sort of drags - it's supposed to. It's right there in the first words of the chapter.
Okay, so, the play. It serves a dual purpose, but you have to read the comments and spoilers for the NEXT chapter to see what they are. Moving on, we finally see the explanation for Vander's "secret" even though you still don't know exactly how/why it works. The perceptions aren't necessarily accurate, because we rarely see ourselves accurately, and that's ultimately what it is. Vander projects our own negative impressions of ourselves, and I believe there's some saying out there about being your own harshest critic. Still, there's value in the impressions, which is why James uses it. If you think back, there's only two people who are shown to actually like Vander at all - James and Marc. James knows the secret and well, he's a Yellow paladin, so he's a bit more level-headed and introspective than most. Marc doesn't have the foggiest clue about a "secret" but he's the only one who recognizes that he suffers from the same things he senses in Vander, so he moves on and gets over it.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
If you think back to Book 1 and Birch's original thoughts about Vander, you see some of those reflected traits at play here. Birch is being secretive for the sake of it, believing yet again it's all on him and that he's got to figure things out and keep it to himself.
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Chapters 18 - 25
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