The Butterfly and Apophis

This blog is a little unusual. It’s a brain dump for ideas which I may or not use for a story I’m working on. It won’t make much sense to anyone else though if you read it regularly the world will begin to make sense. Kind of.

I’m still unsure how I’ll be splitting the posts, provisionally it’ll be divided into generic background stuff, character bios and some plot bits as public. Anything that would give away too much or ruin twists I’ll leave as password protected for myself or anyone who I feel would contribute constructively to the process.

Comments, critiques and constructive abuse are welcomed.

I’ve been thinking about the scope of building a world for the purpose of just telling one story. Being who I am I like everything to have a reason, if there’s a fantastical plot device I’m going to include then I’ll reason why it works, how it came to be, defining rules for it that make sense and not just arbitrary ones to fit around the story. If a mythical creature can’t cross water or is burned by religious symbols there should be a reason for it. If there are gods they shouldn’t just be all powerful creatures beyond our understanding to interject a deus ex machina wherever the storyteller sees fit but be driven by the same emotions and causes as mortals, albeit on a bigger scale.

I like things to link up, crossover, causation and relationships to develop. Plot devices can be clumsy and become the focus of the story, defining the plot, characters and moral of the story. However creative it is all I would end up doing is expanding an idea into a novel instead of telling a story.

But here’s the twist. Why spend months developing all of this then discard it once you’re done? Some writers will write a whole series based on their creation which is one solution, but why limit it to my own creative ability? I’m not arrogant enough to consider no-one up to my ability in understanding this world, and especially not in writing ability so why not create an open information source for other writers who wish to add their own tales? The fan fiction communities show that there is plenty of interest in this, plus ‘ownership’ of the brand could still be retained through official releases of short stories. This would give aspiring writers the chance to get published, to piggyback ideas and possibly develop them in ways not previously considered. It would give fans of the series more to read and give them a chance to build on a story they already love.

Just thoughts and brain dumping like usual, though the idea appeals to me a lot.

Dust is everything. Dust gives power. Dust halts the machines. Dust is in all of us and we are inseparable from it. Dust was the Madness and Dust is the dark gift which will save us when Apophis returns.

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See blue instead.

Catharsis Blue. Purify yourself.

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The Choir took responsibility for Resurrection Day, which was after all the greatest spiritual matter we had ever faced. They built The Garden vaults for us and provided transport for the exodus to the safe havens which will protect us. Apophis is coming and the world will be forever changed, if we survive then The Choir is our only salvation from The Destroyer.

The Faction had tried to make us believe that we would be safe from Apophis, yet when a definitive answer was given our fate was sealed and all trust in The Faction was gone. This truth of Apophis gave us the answer to the argument between science and religion which had persisted for millennia. We turned from the technology and science which had failed us and sought faith instead.

Life is hard, crowded and rations are barely enough to keep us alive. Crime is rife yet the commodities are now those which are essential to life. The weaker ones often do not survive long, yet what choice did they have? Their only alternative was to burn.

Every living being is a Diviner. Diviners are inspired by god, though how they are inspired varies greatly from person to person. Often a natural affinity to a material is developed, simpler materials are easier than more complex ones and it is a rare and powerful Diviner that can manipulate more than one complex material. Bloodlines are important and often families can develop several powerful members, though not always. Diet is argued to play a part in the strength of a Diviner, meat is the best fuel and the organ meat of mature carnivores especially is believed to give great power.

A usable ability is rarely bought to fruition however. In many cases an affinity is not found, or there is not enough strength to observe any manipulation. This is true for the majority of people, where an ability only matures under times of stress and only then.

It was the Day of Resurrection, when Apophis the Destroyer returned to burn the earth and all who walked on her skin. The sages predicted this day and the leaders listened to them. Together they undertook the great journey, as all of humanity retreated as far as they could from the place of coming.

When the Day of Resurrection was upon them and death stalked the skies, humanity rejected Apophis who turned away. Everything Apophis saw was burnt and the skies and the rivers were poisoned as the darkest gift took much of what little that remained. Yet before man’s knowledge was forgotten it was learned that this was not to be the last of the Destroyer. Apophis’s destruction had not been stopped, only stayed a while and humanity’s time was finite once more. Less than two thousand moons were given, yet as mankind found its madness it lost the way to measure time.

Yet The Destroyer was not done. Along the path of Apophis children left to further poison the world waited. It is said that every man, every creature even every plant that grows now bears the burden of that poison. Yet we go on, and like any toxin we have grown strong to it. It is a strength which will be our only weapon at the second end of the world.