Now you see me…now you don’t

Psi-illusion is the ability to affect what the eye can or cannot see. Psi-illusionists can play tricks on the mind—literally—by altering what the brain perceives as visual reality. The results can be anything from invisibility to camouflage, to psychically altering one’s appearance to look like someone (or something) else. Now, you can imagine the potential for enormous mischief here. Enormous and deadly mischief in some cases. Fortunately, Psi-illusion is a relatively rare talent in the world of Taren, and rarer still are those who are masters of this powerful school of psi-magic.

Psi-Clairvoyance—The Divine Inspiration of Future-sight

In The Beast at the Gate, those blessed (or cursed, depending on your perspective) with Psi-Clairvoyance can glimpse into the future and see events and occurrences before they actually happen. Depending on how talented the individual is, these glimpses may range from a brief, blurred premonition to a finely detailed showing of a scene.  While this may  seem like the perfect talent to have, the reality is that it can cause frustration at best, madness at worst. I wrote a scene that helps illustrate the complexity of dealing with such an ability. Here is an excerpt of the character Orin speaking to Cirderor. Orin is a Psi-Clairvoyant:

If Orin was annoyed, he tried not to show it. “Sir, do you know why the Princess is here?”

“Of course I do. She is here to ask my help in restoring her to the throne. I don’t need a Psi-clairvoyant to tell me that.”

“More specifically,” Orin said, “she is here to make an attempt at overthrowing Nephredom by force and clearing her name, so that she may be accepted as the new Queen. I’ve seen this image before, many times, coming about in many different ways. But only in a few such visions did I see the master mage with her, and of those few, fewer still had the Kuaran and the boy-child in them.”

“The rest were false visions, then?”

“No. No vision is ever false. What appeared in any of them could happen, depending on crucial decisions made at crucial times--far too many to count or track. As time passes, some possible futures become impossible, and clairvoyants no longer see their images; the many possible visions become fewer and fewer. Eventually, as time goes on, there is only one vision--and there is little anyone can do to change the outcome at that point.”

“Then I was right to call you here. I have a feeling there will be some ‘crucial decisions’ made tonight, and I need your advice.”

“You desire to know whether to support the Princess or to turn her away.”

Ciredor sighed as he nodded, meeting Orin’s gaze with his own. He was not accustomed to seeking counsel in others; he had once prided himself in having better judgment than most. But lately he wasn’t so certain. But I love her!  “Perhaps it was one of my own crucial decisions--one I made in the past--that has caused us to lose our way. I don’t want the problem to get worse.”

“You are referring to when you first introduced Nephredom to the Queen?”

“Yes, and I had no way of knowing the Queen would eventually grant regency to that devil.”

“The Subjugator of Joy. Respected, but hardly loved.”

“He harasses and taxes our people mercilessly. He denounced the use of magic among common citizens--the one thing that defined us as a people. Magic gave us our strength, made us whole. Now, to practice magic openly, one must undergo the secret training of the Red Robes--and no honorable man would desire to become one of those things!”

“They are an abomination.”

Ciredor smiled a dark smile. “If I had known the kind of man Nephredom was, I would have let those young urchins stone him to death back in Lamec.”

“I believe you would have.”

“And yet, now that the Queen is dead, he claims she declared him King with her dying breath. If this is true, to oppose him would be high treason--punishable by death.”

“Indeed.”

Ciredor turned an irritated eye to Orin. “Seer, if I desired a yes-man, I would have gotten one years ago. This is not the time for cautious conversation. I seek your sight, not slavish agreement!”

Orin stared at Ciredor with his piercing gray eyes. “You mistake confession of truth with false harmony. You know me better than that, Your Reverence.”

Ciredor tensed his lower lip, pressing it firmly against his teeth. The only time Orin called him that was when he was offended. Your Reverence. Coming from his calm lips, it sounded like a curse.

Orin smiled, then uttered softly, “doubting in the darkness, sifting through the ashes, I cry out, but death has plugged all ears.”

Ciredor sighed. “A verse to a new poem?”

“Yes.” A short silence passed before Orin spoke again. “I have been your lieutenant in war, your Second in peace, and your friend in both. If you want my opinion, then I will give it freely: You are being foolish.”

It was difficult at times to tell if Orin was speaking of the present or of the future. Did Orin mean that Ciredor was being foolish now, or was he referring to a future time? Ciredor laughed in spite of his displeasure. “You are a man of extremes, I’ll grant you that. I think I liked you better as a yes-man.” Ciredor’s tone grew serious. “Is that what you truly believe?”

“No, but you are missing my point. Being foolish implies that one commits foolish acts. Foolish mistakes. It is what you fear most--the consequences of a foolish mistake.”

“Is that what you see in my future? That I will make a foolish mistake?” Ciredor paused, then added the next logical assumption. “One that could cost us all dearly?”

“That is one possible future, yes. Furthermore, as time has passed, the other possibilities have begun to fade, and the few that remain still show the path you most fear.”

“Which involves me making the mistake you mentioned.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t suppose you will tell me what it is, let alone how to avoid it.”

“You know I have sworn never to influence the future in that way. Besides, my visions are muddled and unclear, and I never see the whole picture at once. What may start as a bad path may eventually right itself, and what may appear to be the good path may ultimately lead to ruin.”

Ciredor chucked humorlessly. “It never ends for you, does it?”

“No. The futures I see are endless arrays of branching roads that shed some avenues and grow new ones based on the choices people make.”

“One damned decision after another.”

Orin sighed. “Nevertheless, it is sometimes better to make a decision that could damn than to do nothing and be damned.”

“Another line for a poem?”

“No, a warning for a friend.”


© Copyright December 2012 JK Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

If you enjoyed this passage, I think you will love the book. Order a copy of The Beast at the Gate and immerse yourself in the world of Taren.

Psi-Botany, The Ultimate Green Thumb

Imagine being able to revive a wilting squash plant with a mere thought, or causing a previously stunted tree to soar as tall as its tallest leafy neighbors. A skilled psi-botanist can do all of these things and more. The practical applications of this ability are obvious, though the very West Taren regions that would benefit most from this power shun psi-magic. In fact, West Tareners not only prohibit the practice of psi-botany, they also refuse any goods they suspect were the beneficiaries of such practices. So pumpkin-sized tomatoes wouldn’t sell very well there. Nevertheless, psi-botanists can find work easily enough in East Taren, growing grapes for wine—quite a feat, considering East Taren’s frigid weather. In my book, The Beast at the Gate, some of the Soren monks use psi-botany to create beautiful flower gardens in the snow-covered Soren Woods. 

Systems of Magic

My next blog topics will cover the magic system used in the world of Taren. Many Tareners (especially the Eastern variety) possess a specialized psychic ability they call “psi-magic”. There are twelve schools of psi-magic and each one has a different focus and effect. Few Tareners are born with psi-magic ability strong enough in one school to earn the designation “high mage”, and those rare individuals who have mastered more than one school of psi-magic—they are called “master mages.” Coincidentally, the two main villains in the book, Aric and Nephredom are both master mages, while the Red Robes who serve them are high mages.

Well, that’s the background—now the magic. The first school of psi-magic is Psi-aquatic. It’s the ability to manipulate water and control its motion and various states. This is a powerful and practical psi-magic, and Psi-aquatics in Taren can make a good deal of money freezing large blocks of water and selling the ice to the hot lands of Argat. The truly skilled psi-mages in this art are sometimes employed as assassins for their ability to harden blood still flowing in the veins of their victims. Next time, I'll cover another school of psi-magic...until all twelve are done. For even more about the schools of psi-magic, and the wondrous world of Taren, I invite you to pick up a copy of The Beast at the Gate. http://www.amazon.com/Beast-Gate-Rayna-Nightwind-ebook/dp/B00AQ8WON2

The Unknown Territories

Sometimes referred to by the locals as “Outer Taren”, the Unknown Territories is land that lies beyond the Band. Any attempt to cross the deadly Band into the Unknown Territories is tantamount to suicide. And so, that territory remains unexplored by Tareners.  It is speculated that the Unknown Territories is home to unspeakable horrors, and is best left unknown.

Much of my upcoming novel, Beyond the Band of Death, takes place in the The Unknown Territories. If you enjoyed reading The Beast at the Gate, the next novel in the series will be sure to please! 

Jerel: The Crown Jewel of East Taren

Jerel is the territory where the capital of East Taren is located. Jerel is a beautiful place, full of opulent buildings and dazzling displays of wealth. Jerel citizens consider themselves privileged and perhaps more refined and cultured than those of the other provinces—especially West Taren. Jerel may have a cold climate, but that doesn't slow its people down a bit. Pomp and circumstance abounds here, with prideful gentlemen and ladies in their finery, and the smell of spices and perfumes filling the air. It’s ironic that this is the same place where Nephredom, the Subjugator of Joy rules. Like a deadly serpent in a lovely garden, Nephredom sits on his great throne in the palace, and waits for the right time to strike…

Dosk is for Booklovers (and scroll lovers too)

Dosk is a great place to be in if you’re a lover of books and all things academic. This is where schools and academies are practically on every corner, and bards sing passionate odes to libraries.  Founded by two stern scholars, the province of Dosk certainly favors the sage over the warrior. Ironically, science is dismissed as worthless folly here, so Rayna’s insistence on seeking out the Science Guild in Dosk is treated more as a punch line to a bad joke than a serious objective. Nevertheless, Dosk has a solid reputation as the place to go if you thirst for knowledge.  If you want to immerse yourself further in Dosk, or any of the other interesting places in Taren, pick up a copy of The Beast at the Gate:  http://www.amazon.com/Beast-Gate-Rayna-Nightwind-ebook/dp/B00AQ8WON2

The City of Walls

Known locally as the “City of Walls”, Soren is a holy region, and Soren City is a place of meditation, prayer and religious training.  It is where the world-weary traveler goes for  spiritual reflection, calm and peace. Ironically, Ciredor—a former soldier and war hero—was appointed by Nephredom himself to govern this province.  Ciredor is none too pleased with his new job, but to oppose his position would give Nephredom the excuse he needs to arrest and execute him.

Soren is the place that Keris desperately wants to go, but not because she's eager to attend church.  She believes Ciredor can help her win back her throne. Populated almost exclusively by monks and priests, all worldly temptations, including strong drink, gambling, and women are forbidden here. Order a copy of The Beast at the Gate to see how Rayna and Keris managed to sneak into this somber city.

 http://www.amazon.com/R.-A.-Baker/e/B002MNYE9G

Zuran the Great...Province

 Zuran is seldom referenced in The Beast at the Gate, but expect that to change in the upcoming sequels. Zuran is the last of the West Taren territories and home to that region’s governor.  Following its defeat in the War of Kings, West Taren was no longer allowed to have a King and the governorship was the highest political office a West Tarener could hold.  Zuran became the new capital of West Taren following the fall of Lamec, and its streets are filled with busy bureaucrats,  minor politicians and the like. Depending on whom you ask, the governor is either seen as a competent representative of the people, or a worthless, fat figurehead and puppet of Nephredom—regent of East Taren.  Some say, if there ever will be a rebellion against East Taren, it will start in Zuran. 

Big City Living: Argat

Argat is a West Taren province; it has a bustling city by the same name, which is known for its crowded streets and tireless vendors peddling their wares. One might think of Argat as the New York City of Taren.  This is the place to go if you are into lively music, parties and lots of company. It is in Argat where Rayna cheats death and meets Quan and Emawin—two pivotal supporting characters in the story. This is also the city where “prospectors” prey on the weak, and thieving jesters are no laughing matter to their victims.  To say that Rayna experiences culture shock while in Argat is an understatement.  Luckily, Keris and Quan are there to keep her out of (much) trouble.  You can read more about Rayna and her adventures in The Beast at the Gate. Order a copy and be amazed.

http://www.amazon.com/Beast-Gate-Rayna-Nightwind-ebook/dp/B00AQ8WON2

Lamec—A Beastly Place

Why not cut to the chase? The fallen city of Lamec is where my novel The Beast at the Gate gets its namesake.  The city is in ruins and populated by hordes of vicious, humanoid creatures that are rumored to have once been men.   These are the “Beasts”. No one really knows how the once great West Taren capital became a den for the Beasts, except that it had something to do with the Lake stone in the center of the city. 

The good news is that the city is gated off from the general populace—preventing the Beasts from getting out. The bad news is that the  gate is failing, and the Beasts are literally drooling at the chance of escape(green, acidic drool to be exact). 

Here is an excerpt from the book—a scene where our heroine Rayna Powell finds herself in the unfortunate situation of wandering into the city:

Taking heed to her watch’s warning, Rayna quickly hid herself behind the corner of a brick wall and shoved her glowing hand in her pocket. Then she saw it.
It stood over eight feet tall, and oozed a dripping, green ichor from every part of its scaly body. Its face resembled a nightmarish hybrid of boar, and lizard—creased and knotted—like heavy clay molded into monstrosity.

Its bulging eyes had lids that closed horizontally, and as the creature squinted in the daylight sun, only its elongated red pupils showed through. It was an undeniable rendition of evil personified. Its pointed-toothed mouth opened and closed repeatedly, as if rehearsing for its next meal. Rayna dared not breathe; she feared the sound of her own pounding heart would give her away…

Needless to say, the city of Lamec doesn't get many tourists.

© Copyright December 2012 JK Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

Kuara: Work All Day, No Time For Play

Kuara is the province closest to the Band. In many ways, the Band's presence has shaped the Kuarans' culture and their code of laws. At first glance, Kuara is a gentle, scenic place—full of sloping hills and rolling meadows.

However, before you grab your hammock and sunscreen to plan your next vacation there, realize that all forms of idleness are considered a crime punishable by death.  So, resting comfortably in the shade while watching the clouds float by would probably be a bad idea in Kuara.

Kuarans view their land as an opportunity to work hard and bear the fruits of that labor. The mighty plains of Kuara are the breadbasket of Taren, and that makes the West Taren province an agricultural power, if not a military one.

The Next Chapters

I took a small break from the blog in preparation for the new installment in the "Rayna of Nightwind" series. It is the highly anticipated sequel to "The Beast at the Gate".

I want to take the time to say to my fans that I am both touched and thrilled that you are as exited about this new novel as I am. It's been a while in the making, but the next draft of "Beyond the Band of Death"(tentative title, pending my publisher's final approval) is done and now I'm ready to move on  to the next phase. With a lot of sweat and a bit of luck, I hope to have the finished book ready in time for Christmas! Again, thanks for everything. I would not have gotten this far without you. So, let's move together into the exciting next chapters of the Nightwind saga.

As always, if you want to learn more about me and my books--and read some sample chapters to boot--please visit my website.

Next time: Back to our regularly scheduled  blog entries.

The Lay of the Land

Now that I've covered most of the characters in The Beast at the Gate, my next posts will discuss the world of Taren from a geographical and cultural perceptive. But first, what is Taren?

Taren is the wondrous world in which the story takes place. It is a land of extremes--and extreme danger. The Taren River divides Taren nearly in half, with one side known as West Taren and the other East Taren. The citizens of West Taren are a proud people who eschew psi-magic and instead favor the sword. East Tareners embrace their psi-magic roots, and until recently, practiced their craft freely.  All of Taren--both East and West--is surrounded by a red, barren wasteland known as the Band. It is said that all who enter the Band die.


The Band has a rather mysterious origin and no one in Taren truly knows much about it.White rods of energy fall down from the Band like unbent lightning and destroy anyone unfortunate enough to be in its path. This is where our heroine Rayna gets her first taste of Taren. Needless to say, it's not a good first impression.

The "Minor" Characters

Sometimes the supporting actors are just as important as the leading ones. I would like to think that that is the case in "The Beast at the Gate". Four supporting characters come to mind: Emawin, Quan, Katana, and Levit.

First, Emawin. She is the caring and compassionate botanist and apothecary  in the story; she is the glue to her adopted family. The normally reclusive Keris sees Emawin as family and the feeling is mutual. Even Rayna finds it difficult to keep up her defensive walls against Emawin—everyone can’t help but love Emawin! 

Quan is the curious and often mischievous boy who has a talent for playing the flute and... *ahem* pick pocketing. His character is young but important, and goes to illustrate that in the world of Taren, no one is truly what they first seem.  

Katana was fun to write and she proves to be a formidable challenge to Aric. As captain and owner of her mercenary guard, Katana is a strong, confident person with ambitious goals; Aric too seeks power, but in her own clandestine way.  It was only a matter of time before these two powerful women clashed…and what a clash it was.

Levit is the monk who trains Rayna.  He is a stern traditionalist—a crotchety no-nonsense kind of man. I mention him because we will be seeing more of this character in the next book.

Keris--who is this mysterious woman?

Keris is the last of the main characters I'm discussing from "The Beast at the Gate", but certainly not the least.  Trying my best not to include spoilers, I'll just say that she plays a pivotal role in the story--enough to justify her being co-protagonist to Rayna. In many ways she is like Rayna: strong, intelligent, and fiercely independent. However, as a Taren native, Keris is much more attuned to the land than Rayna, and recent events have given her a bit of a hardened edge. I think it's safe to say without revealing too much that Keris is on the run with a bounty on her head. Her situation has pushed her to taking more risks to stay one step ahead of Nephredom and his minions. And it's during a risky quest to recruit a mage that Keris meets Rayna...and the rest is Taren history.

Ciredor

Ah...Ciredor. He is the great war hero in the story, but recently plagued with indecision. Should he help the woman he loves fight a seemingly unwinnable battle, or should he safeguard the lives of the remaining soldiers under his protection? Should he risk civil war for the sake of a true and lasting peace--or should he let the uneasy truce they already have stay in place unchallenged? Ciredor is a man with  a lot of concerns on his broad shoulders, yet he still manages to have a fairly cheerful outlook on life.  In "The Beast at the Gate", Ciredor finally does make his decision--for better or for worse. In that way, he's not much different from any of us, who carry on with our lives in the face of adversity, drawing within us strength we never knew we had until we need it.

Aric the mastermind

Aric is certainly one of the most complex characters in The Beast at the Gate. Indeed, I could write a book solely on her and never grow bored. Although she is complex, she is by no means ambivalent. Make no mistake--Aric is evil, period. Where Nephredom may have had some noble underpinnings, Aric is rotten to her flamboyant core. She is an unredeemable and manipulative creature who delights in the ill-fortune of others and schemes for her gain, and her gain alone. The fact that she is both beautiful and intelligent, only serves to camouflage her deadly ways.

Nephredom: ruler, madman

In The Beast at the Gate, Nephredom is a rather complex character whose life is filled with both triumph and tragedy. He is an ambitious man, but he is motivated more by revenge than power. He is also slowly going insane. But without giving too much away, I would say that his madness has certain external causes, and his own arrogance has caused him to ignore the obvious signs. Nephredom is arguably the lead villain in the story, but is by no means the only one.

He is, in my opinion, the most redeemable villain--if such a thing is possible. There is a certain rough nobility in Nephredom that drives him, and in that sense, gives him a degree of honor. Of course, the heroes in the story would vehemently disagree with that assessment.

Nevertheless, what if blind vengeance and hate had not been allowed to take root in his heart? Would he had used his powers for good? Maybe...maybe not. Who knows what kind of life Nephredom would have led if the circumstances had turned out a little differently. Well, technically I would know, but that's a tale for a different time.

Who is Rayna?

Of course, Rayna Powell is the protagonist in the story The Beast at the Gate, but who is she, really? I would describe Rayna as a smart, highly motivated woman but a bit awkward when expressing herself to others.

Like Arstinax, I didn't want to create a stereotypical cardboard cutout of a character. I wanted Rayna to be flawed and nuanced. I wanted her to react to certain situations--not as the "calm, reasonable person" that always does the right thing--but how a real person (albeit a stubborn one) would react under extraordinary circumstances. And those reactions may not always look cool or even smart, but it's human.

I wanted to show juxtaposition, not simply with a modern day heroine being thrust into a pre-industrial world, but show the contrast of a how a logical, scientific-minded person like Rayna could find herself acting very illogical and non-scientific in the right situation. In short, I wanted to explore how wonderfully complex the human mind and emotion can be.

Good Night

'night all. :)

I hope your holiday season has been fun and festive.

I hope everyone got what they wanted for Christmas, and more important, I hope you all had time to spend with family and friends. Time with those we care about is always time well spent. It was a good break, but now it's time for me to get back to work. I'm working on my first draft of Beyond the Band of Death-- Book Two in the Nightwind series--and it's starting to get really good, if I may say so myself. But if you haven't read Book One, why not give yourself some fun holiday reading?

The new paperback edition of The Beast at the Gate, Book One just came out, and is available in Barnes&Noble, Amazon.com and other bookstores. It's also out in ebook format for Kindle and Nook fans. Just to sum things up, the novel has a bit for everyone: action, suspense, drama, and romance. You can read a few chapters on amazon.com or right from my website at rabakerauthor.com.

Again, I hope you all had a merry Christmas, and here's to a wonderful New Year ahead!

The Cover

The cover was just completed for the new edition of The Beast at the Gate. The stars, the "Twin Eyes of Taren" are near the top--red and blue respectively. A great city wall surrounds the city of Lamec, with the sinister green glow of Nephredom's Gate below. The foreground depicts a dark lake; here, the old hag from the story's prologue is standing in a boat beside the mysterious and powerful Lake Stone. To the right, there's an image of Aric flanked by two Beasts. I think the blue color scheme works well and accurately portrays the overall mood of foreboding in this early scene.

The Thoughtful Side of Arstinax

I'm going to start my blog by touching on each character in my new edition novel, The Beast at the Gate. Today, I'm going to comment on Arstinax.

I admit, the character Arstinax is a literary challenge. He is a paradox (a point I mentioned in the novel), a big hulking fellow with a complexity that’s more akin to a philosopher than a strongman.   I’m not a fan of stereotypes, so your standard-built muscleman who’s not very bright would be too lazy and predicable as a personality type for my tastes. Arstinax is more of a thinking man’s big guy, and the perfect foil to Rayna.

I'm back!

After a long hiatus, I’m back in the world of Taren. My new publisher JK Publishing has tasked me with breathing new life into my existing work and going forward with my originally planned trilogy. Thus, I just finished The Beast at the Gate, the new edition of book one in the Rayna of Nightwind series. I’m currently working on book two in the series.  It feels good to be working with these characters again. Rayna, Arstinax, Keris, Nephredom—they all hold a special place in my heart—heroes, villains, and all. More news to come later. As for now, back to writing I go.

By the way, The Beast at the Gate is available now at bookstores everywhere–and you can read free sample chapters on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Beast-Gate-Rayna-Nightwind-ebook/dp/B00AQ8WON2