Ways of the Stygia
Cult of Morgod
Characters I
In my last WotS article I promised to cover some
of the characters in the next article.
Tada! It’s the new post!
So what about the characters?
Everything in a
Ways of the Stygia novel begins here. I
write from a different standpoint than some of my peers. I am not putting my work on a higher shelf, I
just feel that I take a somewhat different approach than many authors- it’s
even a bit unorthodox.
I actually think I’ve taken such an
approach because of who I am. I’m a
pretty sensitive person. Intense
emotions are felt more intensely and the things others wouldn’t even react to
wound me inside. Some call what I go
through depression. Though I am not sure
I would be doing anyone any good to act like I am special when so many wonderful
people suffer from darker days than I have.
Besides, I’m an author. Dark days help my creative mind. Right? I know I like to exploit feelings I am
having, and assign them to wilder realities- like the feelings Thomas
experiences early on in Fallen
Song, when he suffers a terrible loss. Banner
feels different from everyone within his reality. How many of us have felt that one?
In Cult of Morgod, Henry
constantly feels like he is not doing enough- even though he carries more than
his share of the load…
Behind my sometimes straight
fantasy characters are driving emotions- cool.
To me this is the story… Plots present themselves when you understand
your characters and the worlds or situations you place them in. Take Thomas Van Pelt for example. Here is a complicated guy. In Fallen Song, you will find that Thomas is
as lost as you in the beginning- you are in it together- Trying to figure out
if he is good or evil. His inner
struggle is like so many people go through- blown into god-sized
dimensions.
At one point within Fallen Song,
Banner appears to Thomas. Something in
that inner dialogue struck me. I kept
wondering How come this one night stalker
is peaceful?
Because not everything is static in
Ways of the Stygia.
While Banner is not at all alike his
species- who are harvested from the void by one of three Harvesters, Loki,
Nonyl, or Kain, he is still a night stalker.
It is important to point out that Tyrrell, who once governed Purgatory
and the Barrens (see Fallen Song) never had the power to harvest souls from the
unmaker (the void).
While Culvex, a demonkin, serves Kain,
he hates Loki- and loves Quantanost?
Exactly. Here is a demon that thinks
for himself.
Oh and then there’s Kain. What if Genesis 4 is a lie? Sit with that. Often Kain’s actions are overtly evil- on the
surface. Who remembers what Kain did in
Fallen Song? You know with a certain
sword… well what if there was information pointing another direction… that Kain
might have been duty-bound? While Kain’s
intentions are not always clear, he wears that bad boy image well. But is he?
Thomas is extremely headstrong- and
sensitive.
But these are just a few of the more well-known
characters within WotS. Even if you take
the books one novel at a time, it might be easy to get confused. Fact is, the casting in Cult of Morgod alone
is extensively vast. I’m not going to
name them all today, but I am going to give you an inside look at the types of
players involved in the novel. Keep in
mind, I develop my characters- and you will know how they feel about their situations
and actions…
Here are a few
definitions to help out.
Revels
An archangel from another galaxy, in service to
Morgod and the great Abyss. Revel souls
are housed in host bodies by Morgod’s twisted powers. They are murderous, scheming souls, with
powers to transfer soul energy to their Lord, Mor. As the Revel grows in destructive potential
and indestructability- so in turn does Morgod.
Suttgars
Angelic souls, born of the old cosmos, who once
served Mor, before his downfall to darkness.
Beautiful and complex the Suttgars believe in light and balance. They have hidden for vast spans of time for
Morgod wants their souls the most and will stop at nothing to gain them.
Demons
The demonic generally have Stygian blood, and in
some capacity serve the abyss. Though
not all of them. There are several types
of WotS demons.
Stalkers
The night stalker, born of the abyss is humanoid, possessing
ebon skin, eyes, hair, & nails… Most rejoice in Purgatory and its history of
suffering, living to bring torture and darkness. They have the power to devour souls, and prosper
from their energy, and some can shift into whatever they desire themselves to
be, but this is a rare ability. Many possesses
magical prowess- as demonstrated in Feromin’s Magi. Again, not all of them are evil. Many serve Kain, and many more Loki. None know how many serve Nonyl, though all
bow to Lucifer.
Vampires & Lycans
In Ways of the Stygia, no two vampires are the
same, nor any pair of lycans. The
origination of the curse comes from Kain’s blood. All vampires and werewolves are ultimately of
his lineage. As the curse affects each
individual differently, it grants different blessings, and curses upon its
various subjects. I/e some may walk in
the sun freely, while others would burst into flames.
Trollkin
Trolls exist mainly with the Barrens until the
events of Fallen Song transpire. They
are an highly intelligent alien race, gifted in architecture and maintaining a
structural society. Most trolls are not
evil, though they have served Loki, and Tyrrell solely throughout their stay in
the Barrens, where they are chiefly responsible for building Sistinal, Loki’s
keep.
Angelic
Jehovah’s children, who dwell in Havendell. Some think they are entirely mad- others see
them as angry. The truth is hardly
known.
Name dropping:
Here’s a few of the characters you will find
within Ways of the Stygia- Cult of Morgod:
The Few:
Thomas Van Pelt, Franco Birat Oni, & Henry
The Revels
Sangul, Balfren, Vex, Dina, Zassul, Byron, Abyx,
Melkin, & Tangas
Vampires:
Faus, Brennan
An excerpt from Ways of the Stygia Cult of Morgod:
Drums sound in the night. Even as I carve these runes, I do so hastily,
knowing I am not long for this world.
Around me the village burns and for some matter of divinity, I sit,
frightened beyond terror by the hearth, my own home unencumbered by flames as
the fiery furnace of the death god razes my settlement asunder.
They
came silently from the sea in large numbers.
Our scouts picked them up right away.
The first of the vessels were large and blockish on the water and seemed
to hold cargo. King Ragnar advised us to
prepare for battle just the same. I
silently hoped they were a distant group of traders or the like. I gave the proper orders, placing the men
under my command on high alert. They
went to it immediately, archers lining the fortress walls, swordsmen at the
gate.
They
waited us out. More ships arrived, as
men grew restless and weary, relaxing their grips on axes and pole-arms. Ragnar also grew wearisome and impatient. He ordered fires lit under pots on the walls
and filled with brass. The metal became
molten, and the order given to pour the pots onto any on rushers. He ordered every man, woman and child to the
arsenal for outfitting and placed them in specific groups to defend in the
upcoming attack.
As
more and more ships arrived, it became evident that our force was too smallish
to ward off whatever curses they held.
The King sent scouts to the rear of our compound, to see if retreat was
an option. They returned them to us,
full in flame and arrows. The bodies
rained onto the homes of a few, burning uncontrollably. This was the start of the fires in our
village, and the panic. I looked around
and a realization came with full impact, none of us was prepared for this! I sapped at the sight of children holding
blades for the first time; their weak faces positively flush with fear. I felt it too.
I can
now say with true conviction that a man or all men are no match for these
things. The fires of doomsday would not
hinder them. I fought a few, but found
no hope in winning the day against so many.
They came all at once and from everywhere. Most of us died in that initial assault. Those who lived were not long for life. Divinity came once more for me when I fought
a fiend, slipping in the muck under my heel, impaling it on a hayfork that hung
in an angle from the cart I fell beneath; demon blood dripped and spattered on
the ground nearest my left ear, reminding me of the death surrounding me. I watched the creatures, (for that is what
they are, for they are not men) burning buildings and slaughtering livestock
before me. Then against the burning
street, I witnessed cold murder. I could
not move. I did not. I lay there hidden from sight for a time,
until the street cleared before me, at which point I rolled and sprinted for my
door.
Now to
the message at hand: King Ragnar is dead.
His head hangs from a pike in front of Castle Randaar. He fought as a man possessed… until the one
called Morgod arrived. The fiends who
faced my beloved majesty he reduced to bits and pieces by sword and axe. I fought hard as well, until the
aforementioned point of my escape and witnessing the death of my King. Even though I know I could not have changed
the outcome, I still feel a coward for lying there, doing nothing. I tried, but I could not move. My body felt like stone… I could not close my eyes.
This
is all I remember:
The
fearsome Ragnar, riveted in place, rooted so deeply as to appear more model
than man. I was riveted as well, my eyes
forced into an unblinking state such as they were. I saw the entire thing. Morgod, tyrannical, terrible to behold,
un-killable by any weapons our warriors held, clutching a gigantic two-handed
axe, which he seldom used. His eyes were
distant and dead; they committed murder.
With a glance, he froze beating hearts in weaker men, and rendered
stronger ones weak. Next to him was a
fiend three times his size- yet Morgod loomed larger, the true terror.
When
Morgod was near enough for Ragnar to strike him, he said, “Do you
yield?"
Ragnar
said nothing.
"Now you do."
The
horned fiend took Ragnar's head.
"Well
there is the smell of war for my reward, even if his majesty was no more than
the others."
“Indeed,"
The fiend returned.
I fell
into a blind rage… I do not know how my
rational mind held me in check. I wonder
now if self-preservation transformed me into a frozen body with trapped open
eyes… I will never know.
The
screams have stopped. It confirms my
worst fear. The end is here. Death has come. Take heart anyone who finds…
Just
now, I saw a brilliant white flash behind Castle Randaar… there is still a
faint glow there. Perhaps I am
dreaming… I feel I must go to it and I
will.
Let he
who finds this prevail against Morgod and his army of fiends. Let there still be hope, this is my last
request. I am going now, to investigate
the light. I am sure I will not return.
Fight
Morgod- Hagane Shreve*
*This tablet, which took me to
a deity to decipher- is the only written record of Morgod during the time he
raised his armies on Earth. From
everything I have ascertained, the ancient civilizations Morgod destroyed were
not rivaled for many centuries after, this was a time when gods walked the
Earth, sharing inventions with humanity that would not be seen again, such as
iron, steel, wheels and language for lifetimes.
Perhaps the world would be different now had these ancestral humans been
left alone to prosper, war as I am told was a rarity then… until The Army of
the Haunted Eye came to the world.
Whatever became of the rubble was lost.
This period is not discernable by any modern records, ancient accounts,
or artifacts. When Morgod came to power
remains a mystery –Banner
I hope this
article has begun to shed so light on things;
Continue reading
to find links to my work,
Donny Swords
Other
pertinent Ways of the Stygia articles:
Concerning
Ways of the Stygia I (click here
to read)
Concerning
Ways of the Stygia II (click here
to read)
Cult
of Morgod Concepts (click here
to read)
The Indie Collaboration (web)
Novels & Links
The Bitter Ends
Somewhere in the Bible
Belt Gateway has gone insane. Who knew
what would come? Thrust into the end of
times, Gateway’s citizens attempt to outrun the zombie outbreak…
Discover 12 unique stories, and see how
Gateway’s main cast fares against the deadheads. See how they live. Watch lives expire and people become heroes or
villains. The Bitter Ends is more than
just a book about zombies. It is about
the characters, like Anna. It is seeing
what ordinary people might do in a zombie apocalypse and unordinary ones too.
Will any of them survive? Or Will They All Meet Their Bitter Ends?
Ways of the Stygia- Cult of Morgod (Book
1) Releases September 19th
2014
Destruction.
To see something destroyed, gone.
None can deny its appeal. To the
abyss, nothing is forever. To the
World-Eater creation is flawed… Flesh is weak.
Souls are fodder- fuel. Power is endless. The Stygia grants unlimited strength to the
daring… Slavery and death are a means to an end… For Morgod , everything must burn. Ruination must reign immaculate.
Heroes come in many forms. For who is truly evil? There are shades of light and dark. Left with two choices, survival or total
annihilation, the cosmos displays signs of harmony…
They face a common foe.
Ways of the Stygia- Fallen Song
(Book
2)
Thomas
Van Pelt lived a normal life. On one dreary raining evening that all changed.
His work as a CSI investigator had led him to yet another crime scene, and
there, prompted by his primal senses he discovered the ancient artifact that
would that day forward alter his own life and the fate of the universe itself.
The ancient weapon Fallen Song summons Thomas, and reawakens his forgotten
past. He embarks on his new calling- bringing justice to the guilty, the ones
who would otherwise remain free to perpetrate their vile acts on the
unsuspecting.
Thomas is reunited with past allies and
embarks on an epic adventure involving demons, necromancers, deities, vampires,
sorcerers and the terrorists of Purgatory itself, the night stalker. Get pulled
away to new lands, terrible enough to cost you sleep and see what ends Thomas
will go to in his quest to bring a new era of light to an ailing universe.
Ways of the Stygia- Fallen Song is intended for mature audiences.
Ways of the Stygia- Banner
(Character Novella 1)
In Purgatory, there is one law. It is damnation.
The abyss plots as the gods use its powers to suit themselves. Born of the void, to the hostile landscapes
of Purgatory, not as a child, and not as a man, Banner must overcome his roots. The realm of Purgatory does not forgive so
easily, suffering is ceaseless. It is a
realm where death grants rebirth so suffering can begin anew. Those of his race are bred killers, evil, and
cold to their marrows.
Banner, a night stalker set apart from
his peers in extremity faces an uncertain future as he attempts to leave
Purgatory and the nightmares behind.
He cannot do it alone...
Anthologies:
Free
on Smashwords across all e-reader platforms.
The Indie Collaboration Presents:
Snips, Snails, & Puppy Dog Tales
(The Wacky Adventures of Bob &
Dill, Case of the Missing Ghost & Barracuda Blast by D. Swords)
Summer Shorts (Boots by Donny
Swords) Spectacular Tales (Sparks by Donny Swords)
Tales from Darker Places
Releases October 25th, 2013 3
stories by Donny Swords
Coming Soon:
Ways of the Stygia- Cult of Morgod- Street
date September 19, 2014
The Bitter Ends_ Other Side of Town- Tentative street date Oct 25th, 2014
7 Slices - November
2014
.jpg)
