Author's Notes
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Chapters 26 - 34
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Chapter 26
As promised: Purpose#1 for the play - Setting up an appropriate death scene for Vander. I don't spend a whole lot of time on the play, but a less important reason I wanted it here is yet again to make this world feel lived in. Not only is there history, there's arts and drama ABOUT that history. If you really go through and look at all the stories, historical events, and historical characters mentioned, I could spend the rest of my life writing nothing but books in the Pandemonium War series and never run dry. Heck, if another author liked the series enough (and we work something out), the world is open for something along the lines of the Dragonlance Saga, which is one of my all-time favorite series. Putting that aside, though, I'd already decided Vander was slated to die, and his death here begins to darken the mood of the story a bit, and intentionally so. Warning: If you get upset over the deaths of main characters in the stories you read (and Vander only sort of qualifies), you should probably be prepared to get mad at me several times over the course of this trilogy and the series as a whole.
If Danner had better control over his powers, or at least if he knew it was possible for him, he could easily have the same type of night vision Birch has. His solution works, but is much more conspicuous.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Purpose #2 for the play - Setting up the two lines of the play spoken by the demon and the paladin, solely for the purpose of giving Garnet something to say when he goes after Malith. Maybe corny, but I'm like that sometimes, and it seemed appropriate.
Garet's line about bouncing grandchildren on his knee was added late, and specifically for part of Garnet's own story arc across this trilogy and into the rest of the series. It's a minor point, but ultimately it carries quite a bit of weight with Garnet.
If Danner had better control over his powers, or at least if he knew it was possible for him, he could easily have the same type of night vision Birch has. His solution works, but is much more conspicuous.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Purpose #2 for the play - Setting up the two lines of the play spoken by the demon and the paladin, solely for the purpose of giving Garnet something to say when he goes after Malith. Maybe corny, but I'm like that sometimes, and it seemed appropriate.
Garet's line about bouncing grandchildren on his knee was added late, and specifically for part of Garnet's own story arc across this trilogy and into the rest of the series. It's a minor point, but ultimately it carries quite a bit of weight with Garnet.
Chapter 27
The ebb is just about over, and this chapter begins the surge of the wave that will carry through to the end of the book. The first 26 chapters of the book span a period of 112 days. From the dawn of the morning here until the end of the book is only 13 days, and most of that happens in the next 3 chapters alone. The story will surge, then recede, then repeat the cycle again, then crash down and sweep everyone along until the conclusion. I hope you enjoy it.
The exit of Shadow Company onto the plains of Nocka is the last direct inspiration from "Glory" and anyone familiar with the movie can immediately pick out the scene that inspired it. This scene plays powerfully in my mind, and I get little tingles just about every time I get to it. Maybe I'm just overly invested in it, but I think it works well. I would, however, like to point out, for those of you with military experience, I'm fully aware that "Forward at the double time, march!" is not a valid command.... in the United States military (or maybe for any military in the world and/or history, for all I know). But it's a perfectly valid command in one or more militaries in Lokka.
If you're wondering how Shadow Company can hold out so long without people dying, consider several things. First, they're extremely well-trained and battle-tested against the Merishank Army, who're not exactly slouches on the battlefield. Second, the creatures they're facing do not have armor or weapons, which immediately gives Shadow Company the advantage in reach and sheer killing power. Third, as is mentioned, they have paladins who can heal the worst of their wounds, so unless someone gets in a killing stroke or pulls a denarae off the line, there's a good chance he'll survive. Still, men die, and it's a game of attrition that they can't help but lose if they stay out there long enough.
Originally Shadow Company didn't have much of a respite, but when I reworked the calendar it added a few days in here, which made it ridiculous and unbelievable for them to survive outside as long as they did. So they managed a couple quick breaks to make up the difference. By their fifth day, given everything they've been through, they essentially have an honor guard of paladins and defenders (the latter of which wouldn't have given them the time of day a week before) guarding their sleep and keeping them safe. It's a small gesture, but the first step in breaking the wall between them and the other units on the Barrier. The decision to isolate them was a bit of an over-play on somebody's part, since it's managed to glean the denarae more respect and honor from the defenders of other races than would otherwise have been possible.
If you remember back when Birch first looked at the oncoming army, he sensed something amiss. (If you already read the spoilers for that chapter, this will be a repeat comment.) What he noticed but didn't realize was that the non-paladin defenders were injuring their attackers just as readily as the holy warriors, and also that he wasn't sensing a demonic presence despite the veritable sea of enemies assaulting the Barrier. Trebor's comments here about the nature of their enemy reveal that without specifically going back to the previous moment, which was solely inside Birch's thoughts.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
However suicidal the decision was to send Shadow Company out beyond the Barrier, it's a decision that will backfire with long-term consequences for the racial relations in Lokka.
Fourth (see above), the creatures facing them don't really want to be there. They're being driven mostly by fear and mind-control, just like those that Birch liberates later, and that's not nearly as good a motivation as a determination to live and protect everything you hold dear.
The exit of Shadow Company onto the plains of Nocka is the last direct inspiration from "Glory" and anyone familiar with the movie can immediately pick out the scene that inspired it. This scene plays powerfully in my mind, and I get little tingles just about every time I get to it. Maybe I'm just overly invested in it, but I think it works well. I would, however, like to point out, for those of you with military experience, I'm fully aware that "Forward at the double time, march!" is not a valid command.... in the United States military (or maybe for any military in the world and/or history, for all I know). But it's a perfectly valid command in one or more militaries in Lokka.
If you're wondering how Shadow Company can hold out so long without people dying, consider several things. First, they're extremely well-trained and battle-tested against the Merishank Army, who're not exactly slouches on the battlefield. Second, the creatures they're facing do not have armor or weapons, which immediately gives Shadow Company the advantage in reach and sheer killing power. Third, as is mentioned, they have paladins who can heal the worst of their wounds, so unless someone gets in a killing stroke or pulls a denarae off the line, there's a good chance he'll survive. Still, men die, and it's a game of attrition that they can't help but lose if they stay out there long enough.
Originally Shadow Company didn't have much of a respite, but when I reworked the calendar it added a few days in here, which made it ridiculous and unbelievable for them to survive outside as long as they did. So they managed a couple quick breaks to make up the difference. By their fifth day, given everything they've been through, they essentially have an honor guard of paladins and defenders (the latter of which wouldn't have given them the time of day a week before) guarding their sleep and keeping them safe. It's a small gesture, but the first step in breaking the wall between them and the other units on the Barrier. The decision to isolate them was a bit of an over-play on somebody's part, since it's managed to glean the denarae more respect and honor from the defenders of other races than would otherwise have been possible.
If you remember back when Birch first looked at the oncoming army, he sensed something amiss. (If you already read the spoilers for that chapter, this will be a repeat comment.) What he noticed but didn't realize was that the non-paladin defenders were injuring their attackers just as readily as the holy warriors, and also that he wasn't sensing a demonic presence despite the veritable sea of enemies assaulting the Barrier. Trebor's comments here about the nature of their enemy reveal that without specifically going back to the previous moment, which was solely inside Birch's thoughts.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
However suicidal the decision was to send Shadow Company out beyond the Barrier, it's a decision that will backfire with long-term consequences for the racial relations in Lokka.
Fourth (see above), the creatures facing them don't really want to be there. They're being driven mostly by fear and mind-control, just like those that Birch liberates later, and that's not nearly as good a motivation as a determination to live and protect everything you hold dear.
Chapter 28
One last chapter of romance development, then a short one with a bit of world-building, then we'll be off and running. Bear with me.
I've known more than one girl like Deeta (and more than one guy for that matter) - they fall for someone every other week and get their hopes dashed and hearts broken just as often. She's not a bimbo, she's just... intense... with her emotions and doesn't know how to curb herself. This begins to answer her fate, and she'll be back in the next book.
Danner and Alicia's relationship and the issue of their having sex HAD to get resolved this book, which is a tough thing to do when there's a war going on that all of your main characters are actively involved in. Ultimately that's why Shadow Company had their evening of incendiary fun: to provide the grounds for why the officers would be given the night off so Danner and Alicia could have their scene. I had to walk a line with Alicia, because she's extremely insecure about herself, and for quite a while that insecurity was manifested in her dislike of Deeta, who was everything she thought she wasn't. At the same time, I don't want her to come off as some unlikably jealous, shrill, ill-tempered shrew. Any mention of Deeta (in a positive light) will immediately put up her guard and she sees/hears things through her own biases. Ever know someone who reacted like that to someone else? It's weird. Danner's position here just sucks for him, because he doesn't understand that about her. (I've been in his shoes - not understanding the insecurities of the girl/woman you're with because as far as you can tell, she's just plain awesome, and how could she not know that? It's a hard place to be sometimes.) The whole issue is compounded by the fact that Alicia shared herself with him, the only man she's been with willingly (the exception being her demonic rape, of course), and the feelings she expresses to Danner pretty much sum up that difficulty for her. Fortunately he handles it in what I think is the right way: directly. Alicia is a rational enough person that it works for her, at least on one level, but I doubt she'll ever be entirely comfortable around Deeta.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
No spoilers. This chapter's pretty straight forward.
I've known more than one girl like Deeta (and more than one guy for that matter) - they fall for someone every other week and get their hopes dashed and hearts broken just as often. She's not a bimbo, she's just... intense... with her emotions and doesn't know how to curb herself. This begins to answer her fate, and she'll be back in the next book.
Danner and Alicia's relationship and the issue of their having sex HAD to get resolved this book, which is a tough thing to do when there's a war going on that all of your main characters are actively involved in. Ultimately that's why Shadow Company had their evening of incendiary fun: to provide the grounds for why the officers would be given the night off so Danner and Alicia could have their scene. I had to walk a line with Alicia, because she's extremely insecure about herself, and for quite a while that insecurity was manifested in her dislike of Deeta, who was everything she thought she wasn't. At the same time, I don't want her to come off as some unlikably jealous, shrill, ill-tempered shrew. Any mention of Deeta (in a positive light) will immediately put up her guard and she sees/hears things through her own biases. Ever know someone who reacted like that to someone else? It's weird. Danner's position here just sucks for him, because he doesn't understand that about her. (I've been in his shoes - not understanding the insecurities of the girl/woman you're with because as far as you can tell, she's just plain awesome, and how could she not know that? It's a hard place to be sometimes.) The whole issue is compounded by the fact that Alicia shared herself with him, the only man she's been with willingly (the exception being her demonic rape, of course), and the feelings she expresses to Danner pretty much sum up that difficulty for her. Fortunately he handles it in what I think is the right way: directly. Alicia is a rational enough person that it works for her, at least on one level, but I doubt she'll ever be entirely comfortable around Deeta.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
No spoilers. This chapter's pretty straight forward.
Chapter 29
I almost feel sorry for Malith here, and not for the only time in this series. Yes he's betrayed everything he ever stood for and is currently leading an army of demons to destroy pretty much everything, but still. At this point, you don't know anything behind his apostasy, and just looking at his situation, it sucks to be him. He's riding high as a favored general and able to bully demons at his whim, but always with the knowledge that a single mistake could wipe out his preferred status and put him at the (nonexistent) mercy of those he once stepped on. But bullying them is what it takes to get his job done, he can't play nice and build a rapport with his demonic generals or they'll quite literally eat him alive. He's got to know that the highwire act can't last forever, but at this point, what choice does he have?
From Malith's perspective, you see a little more of the decisions that went into what you've only seen through Shadow Company's eyes up until now, namely Trebor's expulsion and Shadow Company's suicidal mission. Both were orchestrated by the dybbuk, who obviously was also the one who killed Vander Wayland. Now of course you also are reminded of the relationship between Malith, Gerard, and Birch, which has been teased out already if you paid attention to names. Kaelus's name makes a reappearance as well. (About time.)
Way back in the dark ages of my childhood, there was a He-Man action figure named Modulok. I got the toy for Christmas one year, I think, and something from that creature ended up sticking with me to inspire the appearance of Arthryx.
Ah, Hellfire. I went back and forth with this stuff for years because I wanted it to do one thing here, but something else in Book 3, and I kept confusing myself about what really worked properly.
The Dale gnomes that show up here originally included a helicopter-like contraption that I eventually scrapped because it just didn't fit with where I want Lokka to be technologically speaking. (I think I'd played a little bit too much Warcraft 3 at that point.) The planes I left in because they're not exactly modern era designs, we're talking early powered machines somewhere between Kitty Hawk and WWI, plus a few ultralight-style designs. The Dale gnomes are hovering somewhere around that WWI-era technology, even though the rest of Lokka is somewhere between medieval Europe and the late 19th Century. (I know, it's a pretty big span of time, but that's the joy of parallel technological evolution. You might have noticed they're not using gasoline-type products for fuel, nor has gunpowder been adapted for use in firearms. The latter is probably not too far off the technological horizon, but I doubt they'll ever have to worry about diesel vs unleaded.)
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The mention of the Barrier still acting as an impediment of some sort to the drolkuls was added after I wondered what took them so damn long to burrow into the tunnel system of Nocka. It's established they can burrow through solid rock with astonishing speed, so why does it take them more than a week to sneak into Nocka and ready their rear assault on the Barrier? The resistance mentioned here provided a nice explanation without spelling out what was going on and giving it away too soon.
If you pay attention to names in this book and Book 3, specifically the names of the immortals, you'll see a healthy mixture of characters who are drawn from religions and histories from our world as well as a number of immortals spun purely from my imagination. For example, Mephistopheles is drawn from our world literature (of German origins, he features prominently in the story of Faust), but Arthryx is pulled out of thin air (except his physical description - see above). The breeds of demons are a similar mixture (imps, gremlins, & balrogs vs. drolkuls, childris, and daemelans), but the choirs of angels you see in Book 3 are all drawn from real-world religious sources, even the less well-known ones. More on that to come in Book 3, I'm sure.
From Malith's perspective, you see a little more of the decisions that went into what you've only seen through Shadow Company's eyes up until now, namely Trebor's expulsion and Shadow Company's suicidal mission. Both were orchestrated by the dybbuk, who obviously was also the one who killed Vander Wayland. Now of course you also are reminded of the relationship between Malith, Gerard, and Birch, which has been teased out already if you paid attention to names. Kaelus's name makes a reappearance as well. (About time.)
Way back in the dark ages of my childhood, there was a He-Man action figure named Modulok. I got the toy for Christmas one year, I think, and something from that creature ended up sticking with me to inspire the appearance of Arthryx.
Ah, Hellfire. I went back and forth with this stuff for years because I wanted it to do one thing here, but something else in Book 3, and I kept confusing myself about what really worked properly.
The Dale gnomes that show up here originally included a helicopter-like contraption that I eventually scrapped because it just didn't fit with where I want Lokka to be technologically speaking. (I think I'd played a little bit too much Warcraft 3 at that point.) The planes I left in because they're not exactly modern era designs, we're talking early powered machines somewhere between Kitty Hawk and WWI, plus a few ultralight-style designs. The Dale gnomes are hovering somewhere around that WWI-era technology, even though the rest of Lokka is somewhere between medieval Europe and the late 19th Century. (I know, it's a pretty big span of time, but that's the joy of parallel technological evolution. You might have noticed they're not using gasoline-type products for fuel, nor has gunpowder been adapted for use in firearms. The latter is probably not too far off the technological horizon, but I doubt they'll ever have to worry about diesel vs unleaded.)
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The mention of the Barrier still acting as an impediment of some sort to the drolkuls was added after I wondered what took them so damn long to burrow into the tunnel system of Nocka. It's established they can burrow through solid rock with astonishing speed, so why does it take them more than a week to sneak into Nocka and ready their rear assault on the Barrier? The resistance mentioned here provided a nice explanation without spelling out what was going on and giving it away too soon.
If you pay attention to names in this book and Book 3, specifically the names of the immortals, you'll see a healthy mixture of characters who are drawn from religions and histories from our world as well as a number of immortals spun purely from my imagination. For example, Mephistopheles is drawn from our world literature (of German origins, he features prominently in the story of Faust), but Arthryx is pulled out of thin air (except his physical description - see above). The breeds of demons are a similar mixture (imps, gremlins, & balrogs vs. drolkuls, childris, and daemelans), but the choirs of angels you see in Book 3 are all drawn from real-world religious sources, even the less well-known ones. More on that to come in Book 3, I'm sure.
Chapter 30
So it seems that bringing blimps and other slow-moving aircraft to a fight with a bunch of creatures that have claws and can fly is a BAD idea. Obviously not all ideas can work out the way their originators want, and I think it's important to see in books that the good guys sometimes just get it wrong. Too often things just work out, or at least don't have any major negative drawbacks unless they're central to the plot or particular character development. That's always seemed a bit lacking to me somehow. I will say, however, that the reason I specifically use "gremlins" as a breed of demon is so they can wreak havoc on the airborne technology of the gnomes. Since the 1920s with the Royal Air Force, gremlins have been associated with aircraft malfunctions, so when I wanted to start messing with the gnomish aircraft, that seemed the natural route to go.
The Black Viscia were less interesting to me than I might have wanted, mainly because there's no reason to get to know any of them at this point. It might be fun someday to go back and tell the story of one of them, but at this point, they serve a function but aren't really people to me. That's unfortunate, because each one of them represents a man fallen from his place of virtue as a warrior of God, and that almost can't help but be interesting.
Malith makes light of his time in Hell, but I mean, wouldn't you? It's not explicitly stated just how long he held out under torture, but having switched sides, he's sort of rewriting his own history to suit his needs and make himself feel better about his situation. His line "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven" is a direct quote from Satan in "Paradise Lost" and very much fits Malith's character and outlook, especially now. It was always a part of who he was, though, and ultimately how he was turned.
This was Gerard's fate from the beginning, though it took me almost until I got to this chapter to realize it. I don't feel sorry for his loss like I do other people in this series, because he died as he lived.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The description of this battle, if you pay attention, is specifically designed to setup the battle between Garnet and Malith. Not only does Gerard use the same tactics he's used on Garnet, but he sets up the doubt that his protege will be able to kill this man who so easily defeats Gerard.
Let's be honest - Gerard is fun to write. This will not be the last you see of him, I promise. His death and the arrival of the true demons is pretty much the "you're screwed" turning point of the war. The outcome was never going to be any different, no matter how clever or lucky the good guys were.
The Black Viscia were less interesting to me than I might have wanted, mainly because there's no reason to get to know any of them at this point. It might be fun someday to go back and tell the story of one of them, but at this point, they serve a function but aren't really people to me. That's unfortunate, because each one of them represents a man fallen from his place of virtue as a warrior of God, and that almost can't help but be interesting.
Malith makes light of his time in Hell, but I mean, wouldn't you? It's not explicitly stated just how long he held out under torture, but having switched sides, he's sort of rewriting his own history to suit his needs and make himself feel better about his situation. His line "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven" is a direct quote from Satan in "Paradise Lost" and very much fits Malith's character and outlook, especially now. It was always a part of who he was, though, and ultimately how he was turned.
This was Gerard's fate from the beginning, though it took me almost until I got to this chapter to realize it. I don't feel sorry for his loss like I do other people in this series, because he died as he lived.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The description of this battle, if you pay attention, is specifically designed to setup the battle between Garnet and Malith. Not only does Gerard use the same tactics he's used on Garnet, but he sets up the doubt that his protege will be able to kill this man who so easily defeats Gerard.
Let's be honest - Gerard is fun to write. This will not be the last you see of him, I promise. His death and the arrival of the true demons is pretty much the "you're screwed" turning point of the war. The outcome was never going to be any different, no matter how clever or lucky the good guys were.
Chapter 31
I'm torn between wishing I had more time to allow Garnet to struggle through his despair (you know, just for character building) and being happy that he gets through it so quickly and pulls everyone along with him. Originally the first and third sections were one whole piece, and the second section featuring Vinder didn't exist. I believe I've already mentioned that Vinder himself was a late addition based on a friend's input from Book 1, and this is his other shining moment. It's also one of few places I'm able to really spotlight the Violet Facet, and I think Vinder does a pretty solid job of representing one aspect of it. He was built around the idea of the term "warrior monk".
I'm sympathetic to Vinder's arguments here and the distinctions he draws between belief and faith, at least as he defines them. An awful lot of us believe in things we're taught from the traditions we're raised in, but faith is something different, I think. Maybe I spent too much time in philosophy and literature classes and look too deeply into these things, seeing complexities where none exist, but true faith seems to me to be a step above and beyond merely believing in something. Vinder's argument here is a direct answer and challenge to Flasch's doubts and momentary crisis of faith.
I'll give Garet every chance I can to be a father, because I think he's a good one. His conversation with Garnet was written almost entirely in the moment off the top of my head, and there's a few pieces in here that carry forward in the story in ways I'd never anticipated. Perklet's involvement is one of them, as is the simple structure of Garet's family. Up until now, I wasn't even sure he had other kids, but it just felt right.
Yes, the use of the term "the dawn's early light" is entirely deliberate. It's not star-spangled, but it IS a banner, and damn it, it's still waving.
Oddly enough, the use of the term "balrog" as a species of demon didn't pop into my head straight from Tolkein, but from the original Diablo (which no doubt borrowed it from the Ring master himself, originally) and the revised version in Diablo II. The mental image I have - and therefore the description - of the balrogs is much closer to the Pit/Venom/Vortex Lord (or "Megademon") avatar from the games than it is to the awesomeness of the "fire and shadow" creation of Peter Jackson (etc). The one thing I did eventually carry over for balrogs (as seen in Book 3) from the LOTR inspiration was a preference for whips as weapons. This made them a natural fit for the role of overseers and commanders in Hell's armies, which elevated them as a species on the infernal social ladder.
The scene where Birch frees the damned souls underwent numerous revisions over the years as I worked through Book 3 and settled on some of the abilities of immortals and the half-immortals like Danner. The broad strokes survived untouched, however, and we finally get to see Kaelus firsthand. This necessarily sets off another expositional section of the book, I'm afraid, but it's all new information and will help you understand what's really going on.
If you think of the pulsing "I am" as a heartbeat, you're probably pretty close to what it feels like.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Remember the pulsating power. This scene and everything that underlies it will become critical in the next book and the series as a whole.
I'm sympathetic to Vinder's arguments here and the distinctions he draws between belief and faith, at least as he defines them. An awful lot of us believe in things we're taught from the traditions we're raised in, but faith is something different, I think. Maybe I spent too much time in philosophy and literature classes and look too deeply into these things, seeing complexities where none exist, but true faith seems to me to be a step above and beyond merely believing in something. Vinder's argument here is a direct answer and challenge to Flasch's doubts and momentary crisis of faith.
I'll give Garet every chance I can to be a father, because I think he's a good one. His conversation with Garnet was written almost entirely in the moment off the top of my head, and there's a few pieces in here that carry forward in the story in ways I'd never anticipated. Perklet's involvement is one of them, as is the simple structure of Garet's family. Up until now, I wasn't even sure he had other kids, but it just felt right.
Yes, the use of the term "the dawn's early light" is entirely deliberate. It's not star-spangled, but it IS a banner, and damn it, it's still waving.
Oddly enough, the use of the term "balrog" as a species of demon didn't pop into my head straight from Tolkein, but from the original Diablo (which no doubt borrowed it from the Ring master himself, originally) and the revised version in Diablo II. The mental image I have - and therefore the description - of the balrogs is much closer to the Pit/Venom/Vortex Lord (or "Megademon") avatar from the games than it is to the awesomeness of the "fire and shadow" creation of Peter Jackson (etc). The one thing I did eventually carry over for balrogs (as seen in Book 3) from the LOTR inspiration was a preference for whips as weapons. This made them a natural fit for the role of overseers and commanders in Hell's armies, which elevated them as a species on the infernal social ladder.
The scene where Birch frees the damned souls underwent numerous revisions over the years as I worked through Book 3 and settled on some of the abilities of immortals and the half-immortals like Danner. The broad strokes survived untouched, however, and we finally get to see Kaelus firsthand. This necessarily sets off another expositional section of the book, I'm afraid, but it's all new information and will help you understand what's really going on.
If you think of the pulsing "I am" as a heartbeat, you're probably pretty close to what it feels like.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Remember the pulsating power. This scene and everything that underlies it will become critical in the next book and the series as a whole.
Chapter 32
"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." A great line from an awesome movie, and the chapter quote here is my homage to that.
So now if you hadn't already guessed it, you see plain as day where Birch's extraordinary powers came from. He's had one of the most powerful demons in existence hidden inside him from the first moment you met him in Book 1. Remember the archaic-sounding speech in the prologue of Book 1, the only words Birch says? That was Kaelus, and while he doesn't speak that way normally, it was kind of a special occasion. The next big mystery is, for those paying close attention to the details, the discrepancy between Birch's escape and Kaelus's. Birch escaped, recuperated, and was back in Lokka for nearly a year before Mephistopheles's thunderous communication with Min, in which he revealed that Kaelus had just recently escaped. Consider that time passes twice as quickly in the immortal plane, and it took Birch several months to escape Hell once he was no longer a prisoner, and you end up with somewhere around three years (measured in Hell) between Birch's escape and the discovery of Kaelus's disappearance.
The Green member of the Prismatic Council nicely sums up one of the reasons Birch's memories were taken from him, which is expounded upon later. I'm not 100% certain how it's supposed to work in our world, but in Lokka, possession can be voluntary or involuntary, and exorcisms only work on the latter. A man who has willingly taken a demon within him is immune so long as he accepts the demon's presence, but at the first sign of rejection it becomes possible. The less accepting the host is, the more likely the exorcism is to succeed, and a strong-willed (and sufficiently self-aware) man could conceivably expel a demon from his body without external assistance.
With a story about an ongoing war, there really just isn't much room for Moreen and Hoil. I could probably have worked up a storyline that involved them (several possibilities leap to mind right now), but as soon as we move past this chapter it breaks off into several character threads and I had enough to deal with. Anything they were involved in would have been superfluous to the plot, so I opted to leave them out.
Just to clarify, when anyone refers to "creation" they're referring to the creation of Lokka, not of all existence - including the immortal planes of Heaven and Hell. That point of "Creation" was sparked when Hell and Heaven were ripped apart and separated. There's no real chronological frame of reference for things until Lokka is created: no sun, no stars, no day/night cycle, no seasons - there is literally nothing by which you could consistently measure time in Heaven or Hell. By the way, there's actually some scientific support for the idea that time passes more quickly on the immortal planes of existence. There's little in the way of physical existence there, and the further you are from mass, the less effect gravitational forces has on the passage of time (thank you, Relativity), so in a realm that mostly exists on a spiritual level, time could conceivably pass faster. Isn't science fun?
The working title for the Pandemonium War was "The Divine Game" because so many of the concepts centered around what I'd come up with for Dividha (which went by a different name then, too). Pretty much any time the cards come out, it's probably a good time to pay attention to everything that's said.
Birch's memory here is copied word for word from the dream he had in Book 1 just before they arrived at Nocka. Now that you know Birch a little better, you might understand the bit where the Voice indicates Birch "cannot" break his oaths. He's really not capable of willingly violating his oaths as a paladin, and it's precisely this unbending character trait that makes him the perfect candidate for what's to come. The only potentially "new" revelation here is that you unequivocally have the Voice's response ("Yes...") linked to Birch's final comment, whereas in Book 1 that was a little ambiguous. I'll leave you to ruminate on that for a while - the rest of the book, in fact.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The mystery outlined above (time discrepancy between escapes) is already hinted at in this chapter, again just by paying attention to details. Satan, as the Voice, tells Birch that the one he's taking with him will be with him "every step of the way" so you know Kaelus really was with Birch all along. He also tells him "No one will know of your disappearance until it is too late to stop you..." indicating that Satan somehow kept his captors from realizing he was gone until he had a sufficient head start. It's not a hard leap to conclude He did the same thing to cover for Kaelus, it was just maintained for far longer to prevent anyone from associating the two. Had The Three known Kaelus had already escaped and was probably with Birch (remember they had to possess mortals to cross the Merging at the time), their mission would have focused almost solely on capturing or killing him, not playing games to lure him away.
Just a quick note: You'll see more dreams and memories from Birch's time in Hell featuring the Voice in the next book as Birch starts to pick apart the now mostly filled gaps in his memory.
The concept of the Devil convincing the world he didn't exist is actually what inspired my idea that Mephistopheles convinced his world (Hell) that Satan didn't exist, as is explained in the next chapter. MAJOR SPOILER (DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPOILERS): Satan wanted it that way and caused Mephistopheles to do it in the first place. Ultimately, Satan really did convince them he didn't exist, he just influenced someone else to do it. This is all part of the plan that leads to the ending of Book 3 and Kaelus's final revelation there.
So now if you hadn't already guessed it, you see plain as day where Birch's extraordinary powers came from. He's had one of the most powerful demons in existence hidden inside him from the first moment you met him in Book 1. Remember the archaic-sounding speech in the prologue of Book 1, the only words Birch says? That was Kaelus, and while he doesn't speak that way normally, it was kind of a special occasion. The next big mystery is, for those paying close attention to the details, the discrepancy between Birch's escape and Kaelus's. Birch escaped, recuperated, and was back in Lokka for nearly a year before Mephistopheles's thunderous communication with Min, in which he revealed that Kaelus had just recently escaped. Consider that time passes twice as quickly in the immortal plane, and it took Birch several months to escape Hell once he was no longer a prisoner, and you end up with somewhere around three years (measured in Hell) between Birch's escape and the discovery of Kaelus's disappearance.
The Green member of the Prismatic Council nicely sums up one of the reasons Birch's memories were taken from him, which is expounded upon later. I'm not 100% certain how it's supposed to work in our world, but in Lokka, possession can be voluntary or involuntary, and exorcisms only work on the latter. A man who has willingly taken a demon within him is immune so long as he accepts the demon's presence, but at the first sign of rejection it becomes possible. The less accepting the host is, the more likely the exorcism is to succeed, and a strong-willed (and sufficiently self-aware) man could conceivably expel a demon from his body without external assistance.
With a story about an ongoing war, there really just isn't much room for Moreen and Hoil. I could probably have worked up a storyline that involved them (several possibilities leap to mind right now), but as soon as we move past this chapter it breaks off into several character threads and I had enough to deal with. Anything they were involved in would have been superfluous to the plot, so I opted to leave them out.
Just to clarify, when anyone refers to "creation" they're referring to the creation of Lokka, not of all existence - including the immortal planes of Heaven and Hell. That point of "Creation" was sparked when Hell and Heaven were ripped apart and separated. There's no real chronological frame of reference for things until Lokka is created: no sun, no stars, no day/night cycle, no seasons - there is literally nothing by which you could consistently measure time in Heaven or Hell. By the way, there's actually some scientific support for the idea that time passes more quickly on the immortal planes of existence. There's little in the way of physical existence there, and the further you are from mass, the less effect gravitational forces has on the passage of time (thank you, Relativity), so in a realm that mostly exists on a spiritual level, time could conceivably pass faster. Isn't science fun?
The working title for the Pandemonium War was "The Divine Game" because so many of the concepts centered around what I'd come up with for Dividha (which went by a different name then, too). Pretty much any time the cards come out, it's probably a good time to pay attention to everything that's said.
Birch's memory here is copied word for word from the dream he had in Book 1 just before they arrived at Nocka. Now that you know Birch a little better, you might understand the bit where the Voice indicates Birch "cannot" break his oaths. He's really not capable of willingly violating his oaths as a paladin, and it's precisely this unbending character trait that makes him the perfect candidate for what's to come. The only potentially "new" revelation here is that you unequivocally have the Voice's response ("Yes...") linked to Birch's final comment, whereas in Book 1 that was a little ambiguous. I'll leave you to ruminate on that for a while - the rest of the book, in fact.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The mystery outlined above (time discrepancy between escapes) is already hinted at in this chapter, again just by paying attention to details. Satan, as the Voice, tells Birch that the one he's taking with him will be with him "every step of the way" so you know Kaelus really was with Birch all along. He also tells him "No one will know of your disappearance until it is too late to stop you..." indicating that Satan somehow kept his captors from realizing he was gone until he had a sufficient head start. It's not a hard leap to conclude He did the same thing to cover for Kaelus, it was just maintained for far longer to prevent anyone from associating the two. Had The Three known Kaelus had already escaped and was probably with Birch (remember they had to possess mortals to cross the Merging at the time), their mission would have focused almost solely on capturing or killing him, not playing games to lure him away.
Just a quick note: You'll see more dreams and memories from Birch's time in Hell featuring the Voice in the next book as Birch starts to pick apart the now mostly filled gaps in his memory.
The concept of the Devil convincing the world he didn't exist is actually what inspired my idea that Mephistopheles convinced his world (Hell) that Satan didn't exist, as is explained in the next chapter. MAJOR SPOILER (DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPOILERS): Satan wanted it that way and caused Mephistopheles to do it in the first place. Ultimately, Satan really did convince them he didn't exist, he just influenced someone else to do it. This is all part of the plan that leads to the ending of Book 3 and Kaelus's final revelation there.
Chapter 33
Finally we have a chapter quote that's actually from the real Satan. I've been waiting a long time to have one of these appear, but it wasn't possible until the identity of the Voice was revealed. The one thing I'll say about pretty much anything Satan says in these books, is that he's not necessarily a reliable source of information. The "Father of Lies" isn't just a nickname he earned in school for fibbing to a nun. At the same time, Satan is in a position to speak great truths and offer special insights into the world, existence, mankind, faith and religion, and any number of other topics that might come up. I was directly influenced in this by Milton's Satan, who played much the same role in "Paradise Lost". Milton used that character to make astute observations about his fictionalized world that were applicable to the real world in his time, but should anyone call him out for these views, there's a ready explanation: It was SATAN saying such an objectionable thing, not one of the "good guys" so clearly that perspective isn't meant to be taken in a positive light.
This first section took a looooooong time to get right and went through numerous re-writes before it was settled, mainly because it's fundamental to the way things are structured in the overall storyline of this trilogy, and therefore the setup for the entire Pandemonium War series that follows. I can't stress enough how many little details in this section ended up influencing things that won't appear for several books, as new ideas were spawned later that had to be brought back and held up to the light of this scene, and one of them had to be changed to conform to the other.
Obviously it's not a coincidence that Danner and Birch are both summoned within minutes of each other, drawing them away from the group and from each other. Fortunately, Garnet's not an idiot and comes to the same conclusion. This marks the end of the exposition and explanations, and it begins the final build up that will carry you through the rest of the book.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
It only happens once or twice in this book, starting with this chapter following the revelation of Satan's role thus far, but there's an important, tiiiiiiny detail. From this point forward, anytime Birch refers to Satan via a pronoun, the word is capitalized. No one else will do this anytime soon, and there's a very good reason for it that's been hinted at indirectly.
This first section took a looooooong time to get right and went through numerous re-writes before it was settled, mainly because it's fundamental to the way things are structured in the overall storyline of this trilogy, and therefore the setup for the entire Pandemonium War series that follows. I can't stress enough how many little details in this section ended up influencing things that won't appear for several books, as new ideas were spawned later that had to be brought back and held up to the light of this scene, and one of them had to be changed to conform to the other.
Obviously it's not a coincidence that Danner and Birch are both summoned within minutes of each other, drawing them away from the group and from each other. Fortunately, Garnet's not an idiot and comes to the same conclusion. This marks the end of the exposition and explanations, and it begins the final build up that will carry you through the rest of the book.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
It only happens once or twice in this book, starting with this chapter following the revelation of Satan's role thus far, but there's an important, tiiiiiiny detail. From this point forward, anytime Birch refers to Satan via a pronoun, the word is capitalized. No one else will do this anytime soon, and there's a very good reason for it that's been hinted at indirectly.
Chapter 34
Malith started off as a slightly more stereotypical villain, albeit one with the interesting history of having once been a warrior of God. (Apostasy rarely makes for a boring back story.) As the story evolved and the shape of the series developed, he changed accordingly and grew into his role.
Malith does have a good point - it was kind of arrogant of Birch to actually go to their meeting alone, but it fits with Birch's character that he went through with it.
The idea of the cloak training, going back to Book 1, was partially kept in the story just so I could get to this scene. The alternative would have been to have Danner launch himself from the buggy into the air with his wings, but the drawback to that idea is he loses any extra speed he'd get as he's gaining altitude, and he's also a lower target for everyone on the ground. This way might not get him as much speed to begin with, but he's already airborne and somewhat safer than the alternative.
I listen to music when I write - there absolutely MUST be music or I can't concentrate. I get involved in the feel of the sound and the sensations it evokes, and I have several playlists crafted to match the mood of what I'm writing. (Also a great way to put myself in the correct mood for a scene if I'm not already there.) Every now and then when I hear a song, scenes for certain books will start popping up, and if I listen to it enough times they'll actually solidify into something usable. The unofficial soundtrack for a lot of this series is from the band Nightwish, and most of the music-scripted scenes are done to their work. One notable one, however, is this scene starting from Danner's rescue of Alicia and going all the way up through Danner's rescue of Birch (not counting his getting shot out of the sky). This scene was actually scripted to Chad Kroeger's "Hero", and I have a hard time hearing that song anymore without having the scene play out in my head. (I don't pick the songs, it's just whatever I hear that happens to spark a scene.) I'll probably point out other songs/scenes as they come up, but most of them are in Book 3, so be sure to come back and read the commentary for that book if you're curious. EDIT: If you haven't noticed already, the songs that have specific scenes scripted to them have been added to the website here.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Danner's powers continue to grow and change, and you start to see more hints of the negative effects of his using it. He's more remote, more focused on things than on people, and of course he still allows the euphoric feeling of using his power get the better of him. Had he been thinking rationally, he might not have gone off half-cocked to save his uncle. I think it's too easy to get used to the idea of him being a super-powered guy, though, so not only do you see more personal negative effects, but he literally gets shot down in his moment of triumph. As will always be the case in this series, immortal power isn't the answer to everything.
In the next chapter, Perklet starts to ask why they even had weapons marked with the Cthonis (which is incidentally the "other" use for metal Malith is thinking about when he's considering the endless mines a couple chapters ago). Now that you know how this book turns out, it makes sense that they have a massive amount of weapons stored up marked with the unholy symbol, which are ideal for attacking angels.
Malith does have a good point - it was kind of arrogant of Birch to actually go to their meeting alone, but it fits with Birch's character that he went through with it.
The idea of the cloak training, going back to Book 1, was partially kept in the story just so I could get to this scene. The alternative would have been to have Danner launch himself from the buggy into the air with his wings, but the drawback to that idea is he loses any extra speed he'd get as he's gaining altitude, and he's also a lower target for everyone on the ground. This way might not get him as much speed to begin with, but he's already airborne and somewhat safer than the alternative.
I listen to music when I write - there absolutely MUST be music or I can't concentrate. I get involved in the feel of the sound and the sensations it evokes, and I have several playlists crafted to match the mood of what I'm writing. (Also a great way to put myself in the correct mood for a scene if I'm not already there.) Every now and then when I hear a song, scenes for certain books will start popping up, and if I listen to it enough times they'll actually solidify into something usable. The unofficial soundtrack for a lot of this series is from the band Nightwish, and most of the music-scripted scenes are done to their work. One notable one, however, is this scene starting from Danner's rescue of Alicia and going all the way up through Danner's rescue of Birch (not counting his getting shot out of the sky). This scene was actually scripted to Chad Kroeger's "Hero", and I have a hard time hearing that song anymore without having the scene play out in my head. (I don't pick the songs, it's just whatever I hear that happens to spark a scene.) I'll probably point out other songs/scenes as they come up, but most of them are in Book 3, so be sure to come back and read the commentary for that book if you're curious. EDIT: If you haven't noticed already, the songs that have specific scenes scripted to them have been added to the website here.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Danner's powers continue to grow and change, and you start to see more hints of the negative effects of his using it. He's more remote, more focused on things than on people, and of course he still allows the euphoric feeling of using his power get the better of him. Had he been thinking rationally, he might not have gone off half-cocked to save his uncle. I think it's too easy to get used to the idea of him being a super-powered guy, though, so not only do you see more personal negative effects, but he literally gets shot down in his moment of triumph. As will always be the case in this series, immortal power isn't the answer to everything.
In the next chapter, Perklet starts to ask why they even had weapons marked with the Cthonis (which is incidentally the "other" use for metal Malith is thinking about when he's considering the endless mines a couple chapters ago). Now that you know how this book turns out, it makes sense that they have a massive amount of weapons stored up marked with the unholy symbol, which are ideal for attacking angels.
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Chapters 26 - 34
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