Dispatch # 5: Meet The Cast, Part 2
Wherein We Introduce The Reader To A Few Supporting Characters
A Note To The Reader
Please note that virtually everything pertaining to this story and book - The Other Side Of The Sun - is subject to change or revision over time, to improve the story and/or to conform to some newly discovered fact-based reality. Because I am as human as you are, rest assured that I will be unsurprised to discover that errors might exist in my dispatches.
Should you, the Informed Reader, identify something that you believe or know is in some way inconsistent or reality-impaired, you may write to me directly at me@beturpin.com to share it. I seek constructive criticism, not destructive criticism… Grace for Grace, please.
Today’s Topic: Meet The Cast, Part II
Greetings, Sublime Readers! Welcome to the 2nd installment of Meet The Cast.
You may recall in last week’s Dispatch, we brought together the book’s protagonists, which I nicknamed the Band of Five. This week we will introduce to you some of the more important supporting cast.
A Brief Summary Of This Week’s Group
Today’s cast review features 4 characters - 3 humans and 1 humaniform character.
First, A Word About The Human Characters
Today we will meet 3 humans, supporting characters who will help our Band of Five try to achieve their goals in The Other Side Of The Sun (TOSOTS for short). One of them (Alya Kronar) is a woman in her early 30s who was born in the Kingdom of Bryn. The other two (Kryd and Dypa Atma) are older.
All 3 characters have their own individual histories, which I won’t be able to get too deep into in this Dispatch. While all three of these Esteemed Characters will be featured in strictly supporting roles in TOSOTS - the stars of the show will be the Band of Five - rest assured they will get even more prominently roles in future books. I like each of them too much to relegate them to only one installment.
Next, A Word About Humaniform Characters
The fourth character we are introducing today is a humaniform being - humaniform meaning “like a human or that of a human in form or appearance.” All such species are sentient (meaning “endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness”), and most but not all are also sapient (meaning “possessing at least a degree of intelligence, wisdom, discernment, and self-awareness”).
To remind, on the planet Vadu human beings are an introduced species - they migrated to both Avalonia and the Known World from Earth. Even after several centuries since their arrival, some individual humaniform folk are still less than thrilled with humans, while others have come to more or less accept the presence of humankind - or at least they’ve figured out how to monetize their relations with them. These folk will each have their own individual tastes, preferences, desires, skills, and prejudices. Many a humaniform character, some of them quite iconoclastic, will grace the pages of my forthcoming book(s) over time.
The humaniform character working the runway for you today will be a friend of Kryd’s, a Manikin named Nadylo Voax. Nadylo is a handsome enough lad, as you’ll see. Other humaniform characters likely to get some airtime in the next Dispatch will be a rather acerbic and irascible fellow of Montodwurin lineage named Ĵorma Xodin [Johr-mah Thoh-dihn], as well as a smaller fellow named Sî [pron. like Sigh], a member of the Dandiprat species and a devoted sidekick of Alya’s. Then there are the Xeradi, a very non-simian looking species… but that’s further down the road a bit.
BTW, No Elves Or Dwarves To Be Seen Here
Note that there will be no elves, dwarves, goblins, orcs, or gnomes in the Known World, now or in the future. This is by design.
I want to break out of the tired old trope of featuring Lord Of The Rings-y humanoid supernatural beings. Such beings have dominated fantasy fiction for much of the past century, and continue to do so even now.
I’ve been a Tolkien fan for over 50 years, and I have nothing against elves, dwarves, goblins, orcs, or gnomes - they just didn’t make the casting call for TOSOTS. No doubt they will still find plenty of work in other literary works and cinema, like this upcoming film. We wish them all the best.
This Is Not A Planet Of The Apes Rehash, Either
The Discerning Reader might notice that many (but not all) of the humaniform characters showing up in my own Literary Universe bear some primate-like features. They are indeed somewhat primate-y, for reasons burrowed quite deep into the backstory of life on the planet Vadu. Maybe someday I’ll have a podcast where I can explain all that.
For now, have faith that I, your Humble Author, have no desire to rehash some Planet Of The Apes or Chronicles of Narnia story here, either - despite Nadylo’s somewhat simian/feline like appearance, he’s not just cosplaying as some kind of medieval Furry. (If anyone does actually cosplay Nadylo or one of my other humaniform characters, however, I say cosplay on! Just try to keep it PG rated please…)
Now, Let’s Meet The Next Four Characters
OK, so now it’s time to meet the next collective of characters. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Alya Kronar
Alya Kronar [Ah-lee-ah Kroh-nahr] is a Master Ranger.
Currently in her early 30s, Alya was born and raised as a gentlewoman daughter of the local lord of the wealthy mining and pastoral manor of Kronax, located in southernmost Aranel Barony of the Kingdom of Bryn. A member of clan Kronar, one of the oldest and wealthiest clans in Bryn, Alya is the only daughter of Arvin Kronar, Lord Kronax and her mum, Lady Yana [Ee-ah-nah].
However, Alya is generally estranged from her father and her clan. She has had very little contact with them since she ran away from home at age 16 to go live with her uncle, the renowned master Ranger Jador Kronar, who himself is distanced from their clan. Alya and Jador share a rustic cottage nestled deep in the upper reaches of The Pinnacles, a very old mountainous area located due east of Meldûn.
Despite having lived the rugged life of a Ranger for almost two decades, Alya’s former status as a gentlewoman still comes out now and then, through her graceful movements, her manner of speaking, and her ability to readily adapt to the etiquette and ways of the upper classes when necessary.
Whenever Alya goes on patrol, she is usually accompanied by her horse Blêz [Blaze], a very loyal dog named Grim, and a dandiprat companion named Sî [Sigh]. For personal protection, Alya also carries a single shot, break-action pistol that resembles a Queen Anne pistol but opens like a double-barreled shotgun for fairly quick reloading. She often wears a bandoleer with pockets to hold up to 12 rounds for the pistol, but still keeps her sword in a sheath strapped to her horse, as well as her trusty bow and arrows and other gear.
Despite her rather innocent looks, Alya has a reputation for being able to drink nearly everyone else under the table, other than perhaps the Dwurin folk. Her friends will occasionally try to convince strangers at one of local taverns to undertake a drinking contest against her for fun and profit. Usually Alya makes them give the money back, though.
Alya has a complex relationship with a very handsome wandering Minstrel and Bard named Merin Indalon, who passes through Meldûn a few times each year. Merin and Alya always seem very attractive to one another, but always on different paths in life at any given time. As a result, they have dalliances that tend to be rather brief but fiery. They often disappear for at least a few hours, sometimes for days, to rekindle their mutual interest.
(Both Jador Kronar and Merin Indalon will be featured in later Dispatches.)
Dypa Atma
Dypa Atma [Dee-pah Aht-mah] is quite a Renaissance Woman, being a master weaver, clothier and physician, as well as a knowledgeable apothecary, astronomer, culinary master and herbalist. Dypa has an extensive back story that is much too big to share here properly. That, plus Dypa and Talavar’s granddaughter, Prya Atma, is one of the previously mentioned Band of Five, so there are several plot implications there, too. But we can start with the fact that she and her husband, the celebrated Master Swordsmith Talavar Atma [Tah-lah-vahr] hailed from the distant realm known as Dakŝinraĵa [Dahk-shin-rah-jah] by way of the legendary trading port city of Nargoxa (Nahr-goh-thah].
Back in the spring of 460 JE (about 30 years ago), Talavar and a very pregnant Dypa, along with their son Samir and daughter Sana, were flying aboard the cloud ship NŜ Fursa to Kalyba, a city on the other end of the old Bryn Trail in the nearby kingdom of Kêdix. As they were sailing at night somewhere above northwestern Bryn, Dypa abruptly went into very painful labor. The Fursa was able to divert and put down on the River Adaveral at Meldûn for Dypa’s safety. Just after landing, Dypa gave birth to her 3rd child, Navi Bona Atma. The family ended up settling down in Meldûn, and they have lived there ever since.
Dypa, Talavar and the rest of the Atma family went on to become respected members of Meldûn and vicinity, having leveraged their various mercantile interests into very lucrative enterprises. Samir has gone on to become a leading gunsmith, and young Navi is an accomplished printer, writer, inventor and metalsmith with a passion for also exploring the hills and dales of the Meldûn Borderlands. Dypa’s own skills as a physician are especially important to the local populace, and it seems nearly everyone there appreciates Dypa’s wise counsel and insights.
Some folk even speculate that Dypa is such a gifted person that she must be a living avatar of the greater Goddess known as The Lady Of Our Fate, whose real name is too sacred to write or speak aloud. Is this allegation true? More will be revealed in time, Dear Readers.
(What’s a cloud ship you might ask? We’ll discuss them in some future Dispatch, and also take a look at some of the Known World’s array of gods and goddesses.)
Kryd the Archmage
Kryd [pron. like Creed] is an Archmage of great power. As you might notice from the picture above, Kryd is, as folk in Bryn might say, “a little way different” - a commonly used understatement meaning someone or something is definitely different.
Well, Kryd is indeed a little way different. Like Dypa, his backstory is very extensive, and much of that backstory needs to stay under wraps for now. Nonetheless, we can divulge some interesting bits about him for you today.
First off, Kryd originally lived in Avalonia, but became discontented with living there. Around 485 or so years ago Kryd slipped out of that distant land and made his way to the Known World as a sort of illegal alien, eluding the Avalonian authorities in so doing.
Kryd soon came into contact with a lady Manikin named Irakaŝle [Ihr-ah-kahsh-leh], a leading Archmage who quickly saw that Kryd had teachability in the esoteric field of metaphysical discipline known colloquially as The Skill. Despite being almost middle aged at the time, Kryd proved to be a very bright student and advanced to Mage status in only 5 years, becoming only the 2nd ever human to become one. (You’ll meet the 1st human to do it very soon…)
For many years thereafter, Kryd wandered far and wide around the Known World, experiencing its nooks and crannies over several decades before finally arriving in Meldûn around 60 JE, when the region was more sparsely populated. He entered some mysterious looking woods just east of the Isle of Meldûn and ended up settling there. Those woods are now known regionally as the Forest of Kryd (Arbaro de Kryd in the Common Tongue), and Kryd maintains a three story treehouse therein, next to a mysterious spring whose waters seem to shroud the entire forest in a nearly perpetual fog.
Interestingly enough, anyone entering the Forest uninvited will suddenly lose their bearings and end up exiting the Forest at seemingly random locations away from their point of entry. Only friends of Kryd can enter the Forest of Kryd and reliably find his home there; the Band of Five are amongst them.
(Rest assured, Kryd’s earlier backstory will be the focus of a future book.)
Nadylo Voax
Nadylo Voax is a Manikin who might look pretty, but is actually quite skilled as a fighter, spy, and thief. He also sports a few basic Mage capabilities, though he is not a true Mage. (His mom was the Mage, not him. And his father was a Forester.) Nadylo is currently about 60 years old, but as Manikins go, Nadylo is more like 25-30 years old in “human years”. (I should mention that Manikins can live 150+ years, so he’s still something of a youngster.)
Nadylo was born and raised in Nyon [pron. like Neon], a town in the northernmost Draŝta (county) of Petên in the Manikin realm of Teregon. Nyon sits astride an important trade route, nestled alongside the River Nyon in the midst of a large, hilly and densely forested region known as A Petên [Ah Peh-tayn], or La Petên in the Common Tongue.
Growing up in Nyon, Nadylo split his time between exploring the forests of A Petên with his father and hanging out with his mother at the Nyon Chantry, one of Teregon’s more important (and more beautiful) chantries where Mages spend time to further their knowledge of The Skill. Nadylo first met Kryd at the Chantry in 439 JE (about 50 years ago), when he was only 7 years old and Kryd was there to study some ancient writings he had found. Kryd left a big impression on young Nadylo at the time, and little Nady vowed to join Kryd someday to travel the world.
Several years later, Nadylo was quietly courting a young Manikin woman named Norana Sero aboard a small boat on the River Nyon, when he unwittingly triggered a boating accident that resulted in her untimely death. Norana was the daughter of a powerful Manikin merchant clan whose clanhead did not approve of young Nadylo, and they accused him of murdering Norana. The local lawgivers (Manikin judges) ultimately found no evidence of foul play and ruled Norana’s death to be the accident that it was, but her clan still ran Nadylo out of the Teregon Valley and into neighboring Bryn.
Nadylo undertook a Pravas (a Manikin term for undertaking a journey or pilgrimage of discovery, sort of a backpacker-style wandering) for about a year when he randomly encountered Kryd at a crowded marketplace in the Byrn capital city of Bôlada [Bao-lah-dah]. Together with a Montodwurin named Ĵorma Xodin, Nadylo resettled in Meldûn and has lived there ever since.
Nadylo is an inquisitive fellow, a bit artistic and given to wanderings. He is very skilled at acrobatics, archery, trekking through forests and mountains, and wrestling. Alya’s friend Merin Indalon taught him how to play a couple of stringed musical instruments, and he’s also good at Tasoda, a skittles-like bowling game similar to the Finnish game known as Finska. Nadylo also likes to read when he can.
More Character Introductions To Come Later
I plan to introduce other characters in future dispatches, in batches of 3-4 at a time going forward so as not to overwhelm you, my Distinguished Readers. Next up for sure will be Mordax, Ĵorma Xodin, and Sî. Queen Ydela, her Knight Protector Vêla Not-A-Lady , and the aforementioned Jador Kronar and Merin Indalon will all get their turns on the catwalk soon as well.
Stay tuned. :-)
Conclusion
That concludes today’s dispatch!
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Thanks for reading!
— B.E. Turpin
Dave, he's going to be pretty awesome. :-)
I think I’m going to like Kryd