Sneak-Peek: Building a Pantheon (WM) (Patreon)

Hey, everyone!

First, an update on a longstanding Good Intentions issue: I have finally resolved my problems with print formatting and publishing. Most of my books have been formatted and published through Createspace, which was an Amazon subsidiary. Amazon shut Createspace down a while back and folded things into KDP, which presented some problems for me. I searched and searched for another provider, and people kept telling me "Just use Vellum if you have a Mac! It's easy and you can do it yourself!" ...and the answer was no, I didn't have a Mac.

Until finally a week ago I got fed up and realized it was time for a new computer, anyway, so I bought a Mac Mini. And then I bought Vellum. And OH MY GOD IT'S SO EASY. With an acknowledgement of privilege here, because people don't generally buy computers on a whim: if you're interested in self-publishing, Vellum definitely offers the best and easiest tools, but it's Mac-exclusive. Something to keep in mind.

I've spoken before about wanting to remove some racist language from the first book. I feel like my intent of messaging AGAINST that language was plain, but I also don't need to use the language to make the point, and that was a bad call I made all those years ago. The ebook and audio have had that stuff removed for a while now. This finally allowed me to resolve it in print. Not trying to erase the past, but nobody needs that harm going forward, y'know?

So with that issue, and in needing a print version of Past Due to match the others, I've needed to reformat the whole line. The print copy of Good Intentions just got back to me the other day and it looked GREAT, which was a huge relief. You might not see a huge difference in how it looks, but again, it's to make sure things all match up going forward. So you don't NEED to buy copies of all the paperbacks all over again for any reason... unless, y'know, you want to. I wouldn't mind.  :)

Bottom line: The paperback edition of Past Due should be available real soon. I'll have that all loaded up (and the rest of the line) in the next couple days.

Moving forward, and today's sneak-peek: as I've noted earlier, I'm veering between the next Wandering Monsters and the next Poor Man's Fight. PMF is feeling like the more likely next production, but along the way I've been thinking about the gods of Wandering Monsters and finally sat down to work out a pantheon.

Turns out creating a pantheon is, in fact, work.

How many gods do you need in a polytheistic setting? Especially one where the gods are, in fact, real divine beings and not unprovable concepts? It turns out, you could have many, but there's also the concern for presenting things in a smaller package for fiction. Most readers won't be interested in learning every god. Chances are we'll only see name-drops for most of these, with actual involvement from only a few. But the crew of Wandering Monsters includes a paladin of Dastia, and religious issues will likely play a big role in the next novel.

These notes are written mostly for me. There are some tonal shifts, because WM involves a big dose of comedy, but I also wanted to work out a viable setting. So, sure, these are "real" gods and they have a mythos and history and dogma... and a lot of it could be presented in common internet memes. I feel like "Woman Screams at Cat" would be instructive.  :)

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With some exceptions, the gods are common across the races; most will depict a god in their own image, and tales of godly appearances usually back this up. Names and domains remain the same. Some few gods are specific to a particular race, place, or a people, and their images tend to be more strongly defined.

The pantheon has no formal leader, ruler, or structure. Most are born of Rahena the Sky Mother and Borti the Earth Father. Yet others appeared alongside or apart from the pair, with no explanation; Maral the Sea Queen coexists with the mother and father from the beginning. Some later gods also arise out of spontaneity, need, or sheer mortal ambition.

Borti is long gone. Rahena acknowledges her children as adults and equals. They don’t even call her “mom” anymore.

Pointedly, there is no god of justice or law – almost as if people can’t really agree on the real meaning of those words and what such a god would advocate in practice.

Rahena – the Sky Mother, goddess of wind, air, seasons, weather. Rahena is free, and thus is open to constant change.

Borti– the Earth Father, cast out by Rahena and their children for his lies, infidelities, abuse. Lands change slowly because their creator has abandoned them. Earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. are seen as Borti’s sins and mistakes stirring in the deep. (Goblin folk see this as an implication and find it offensive.)

Maral– the Sea Queen, who trysted with Borti when he assured her that he and Rahena were totally getting a divorce. She soon saw his lies and gave up on him, getting over his nonsense far faster than Rahena, whom she knew she must tell.

When Maral finds one of Borti’s old gifts, she hurls it back onto land in a big wave. Storms are Rahena and Maral getting together for a day/night out, or sometimes a real rager.

Moon, Stars, Sun – Sure, they’re gods, but they’re like distant cousins. Don’t get hung up on the family tree stuff, kid. You’ll go mad.

Dastia – Hearth, home, protection, war. A House of Dastia will include depictions of all the gods welcome within the home, which will include some of the “bad” gods—but not the “evil” gods, and not outcasts like Borti. Dastia is big on found family.

Raccoon– the trickster. An outsider welcomed into the home, even if he’s aggravating and kinda trash sometimes, because he has also been super useful and helpful and not harmful. Also a reminder not to think one is ever above or immune to nature.

Valant– Glory, war, valor

Lahstul– light

Adona– Love, beauty, desire

Ilvadir– Marriage, childbirth, family, harvest, agriculture, fertility

Alene– Goddess of crafts, forge, invention. A major figure, believed to have taught mortals to cook, how to weave and sew, and the secrets of pottery and smithing.

Tholene- Disease, famine, accidents. The “Keeper of Misfortunes” carries a heavy burden that inevitably spills onto others. It is pointedly not her fault; she’s doing her best. Dastia, the hearth goddess, is adamant that Tholene be included, and those affected in her wake be supported and not blamed.

Ledon – Money, commerce, business, bargains, wealth. Pointedly, Ledon arose after money was invented. As money is remembered as a human invention, he is always depicted as human.

Many in the “soft” races claim the gods who spawned the goblin folk are among Borti’s consorts and illegitimates. Goblin folk, orcs, etc. say this is crap. They also believe the earth and caverns were always theirs with or without Borti. (Dwarves, of course, also believe the underground is theirs.)

Malis/Ravaj– Bloodlust, war, monsters. “Ravaj” was believed to be a separate entity and god of the gnolls until eventually revealed as Malis.

Kravass– orcs, war

Loonkth – caverns, goblins, war

THE FIVE GODS OF DEATH and the complaints they lodge against one another’s legitimacy as “true” death gods.

Niloth, god of Death (Oh come on, ALL of death!? That’s too much.)

Caera, goddess of Dying (Dying? What is that? Seriously?)

Koth, god of the Underworld, Afterlife, the unclaimed Dead (Just an admin job, really)

Dyilann, god of Tombs, Cemeteries, Burials, Necromancy, Undeath (Booo, you scratched up a bunch of technicalities and you got here like five minutes ago. Practically still mortal.)

Jenith, goddess of Decay, Disease, the Lost, and the Forgotten (“Oh come on, that’s not technically death!”)