Welcome to Realm Explorers! In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors. Enjoy your travels! And don't forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book.
Author’s name:
Michael Eash
Title of book:
The Living Light
Brief summary of the
story:
A rebellion long planned by the King’s top adviser begins to
take shape. As the villain builds his army in secret and forges alliances with
old enemies, his experiments open a portal to
our world. With Terrmara’s unique resources and technology from the earth, he plans to rule his world and take his
rightful place as King.
Brief description of
the world or location you created for this story:
Terramara is the western most continent of my fantasy world.
It’s covered mostly in rolling hills and
towering mountains. However, a large peninsula juts out from the mainland and
is entirely covered in woods.
If we were to visit
Terramara as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
A trip to the King’s city, Atlantia, would be worth your
while. It’s the largest gathering of
peoples in the world. Inside the city, the citadel of the King is a must see. It’s shaped like a five-pointed star and
painted in colors of the sunset. A golden
tower rises above the city to give visitors a view of the Great Western Ocean.
The Wooded Peninsula is worth a long stroll as the sunlight
filters through the evergreens. Both the
tree-top village of Yamara (think Star
Wars) and the fabled Elvish city Lena lie
within its borders.
What dangers should
we avoid in Terramara?
If you made it in before the war, you would need to be on
the lookout for Rogues. Rogues are a highly organized group of thieves,
bandits, and pirates. Many were driven
out when the continent was first settled,
but enough remain to threaten the unprepared traveler.
If you arrived during the war, Antlatia and Lena would be the only 100% safe places. Anywhere else
you’d risk detainment or being caught in the middle of a battle. Natas is
ruthless in his war against the King and will kill you out of spite.
Is there a distinct
or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Terramara?
Not necessarily. The common folk eat homegrown fruits and
vegetables and purchase grain and wild game when they can. The deer living in the
Wooded Peninsula are highly prized by hunters.
What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in
Terramara?
Most elves and men carry some kind of blade. The wealthy customize their swords to their fighting styles. The Prince, hated enemy of Natas, wields a katana-like sword.
The elves of the Wooded Peninsula prefer a good bow but will use knives and
daggers in a pinch. The giant men from the mountains are the only ones to use
war axes, but the most uncommon weapons are wielded by the elves of the flame.
This sect of the elvish race fights with claw-like weapons attached to their
wrists, freeing their hands to use their unique abilities.
What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are
used to travel in or to Terramara?
The original settlers sailed
to Terramara across the Ocean and kept their ships to defend against Rogues.
The Rogues also maintain a fleet on the southern coasts. Elves and their
allies are the only ones that ride Griffins, the intelligent creatures have sided
with the King. Riding bareback is an experience
unlike anything you can imagine.
What types of plants,
animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Terramara that we don’t see on
Earth?
Plant life is relatively similar to Earth thanks to the environment, but there are many sentient races
spread across the continent. Elves are the most common species in Terramara.
Five separate cultures have arisen over the years.
Light Elves are what you would find in a Lord of the Rings
world and inhabit villages and towns alongside humans. Wood elves are an
offshoot of the Light Elves that live on the peninsula and prefer the long bow
to the sword.
Twilight Elves are the most ancient elven races and migrated
later to Terramara after escaping a bloody civil war in their homeland. Their
hair turns a silvery-gray before adolescents and their eyes carry a violet
pigment, allowing them better night vision. Older Twilight Elves, most of them
veterans of war, are the best warriors to be found.
The Elves of the Flame are a mysterious group. They are
blessed with a magic that enables them to call fire to their hands and control
it. Their ancestors came from the Twilight Elves' homeland.
The last group are the
Dark Elves, those who’ve joined Natas and been corrupted by his power. Natas is
a Dark Elf.
One other race populates Terramara.
The Chromes usually stick to their vast, underground caverns. They migrated around
the same time as the Twilight Elves and settled in the mountains. They are a strong, dark-skinned
race of enormous proportions. Some stand
as high as nine feet though the average
is closer to seven. They are hardy miners and make powerful soldiers should the
need arise.
What role, if any,
does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Terramara? If there is magic, please give some examples
of what it involves or how it’s used.
The Elves of the Flame are born with their abilities to call
fire to their aid. The only other aspects I would deem ‘magical’ are the swords of The King and The Prince. They give
off a wholesome, living light that can tell if a person is a faithful follower
or a traitor sided with Natas.
As far as the supernatural, this whole story is an allegory
waiting to be discovered by the reader. It’s not so over the head that a
typical reader couldn’t ignore it if they wanted to, but it’s there for a
reader to find.
Is there any advanced or unusual technology in
Terramara? If you haven’t described it
already, please give some examples.
Several crystalline elements exist in Terramara that don’t
exist on Earth. It is unknown whether their properties are magical, chemical
or both. These stones are used to propel small, flat-bottom boats at high
speeds.
Natas has found a way to utilize these in combination with
Earth's projectile weapons. The results are devastating.
What is the political or government structure in
Terramara? Who is in charge there at the
moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
Terramara is divided into four primary regions. The southernmost islands are dominated by the
Rogues and their fleet. The Mountain Ranges just north of the islands belong to
the Chromes.Their capital is the underground fortress-city of Argonum. Light
Elves and Humans inhabit towns and villages scattered near the coasts and
rivers. Each city oversees its villages
and is ruled by a governor answerable to
the King. The remaining Elvish races live in homesteads
scattered thorugout the Wooded Peninsula.
Lena is a central meeting place known only to the elves. It is used as a hidden
refuge in times of trouble and Natas, the leader of the rebellion, will do
anything to burn it out of existence.
The King is the ultimate authority and is like no other
being in Terramara. Light purer than the sun radiates from him at all times and
inspires courage in his followers and dread in his enemies. No warrior can
match his skill with the blade or his compassion. The King and his son are
central figures in the fight for Terramara.
Are there any other unique cultural practices that we
should be aware of if we visit Terramara?
Last names were
invented by the elves and most humans don't have one yet.
The Wooded Peninsula came from my love of Washington State's
evergreens. Even when the skies are gray,
the trees are still full of life and color. Beyond that, both the Bible and the
Tolkien's Lord of The Rings influenced Terramara's creation.
What, if any, “hot-button”
or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
I touch slightly on
the moral issues of killing in war, but only as is appropriate for Middle
School or Young Adult audiences.
This is my third year of serious writing. I published The
Living Light at seventeen and haven’t stopped writing since. Currently, I’m working my way through my
college degree while tweaking the second short-story in my Sci-fi/superhero
series. I love Christian Speculative Fiction (Fantasy, Sci-fi, and all the
related genres) and think it’s a great way to reach an entertainment-hungry generation
searching for direction.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your
book?
Where can readers connect with you online?
Email: M.eash@comcast.net
I’m still working on building my blog/website.
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Terramara. Questions about the world or the book? Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the fantasy world of Lauramore, in Realm Explorers Part LIII!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the fantasy world of Lauramore, in Realm Explorers Part LIII!
-Annie Douglass Lima
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