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Enc ycl ope dia of Av ari ce

New Series Format: Bridging Old with New


Table of Contents
Series Forethoughts …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Revised Series’ Facts …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Glossary of Major Terms …………………………………………………………………………………………………

Articles and Commentary (A&C): Building the Universe


Magic in Avarice, In Depth …………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Seventh Circle …………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Anti-Seventh …………………………………………………………………………………………………
A History of Avarice, Era by Era …………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Races of Avarice Explained …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Terra Derrivian, the Time Assassin …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Evena Tide Forethoughts …………………………………………………………………………………………………

Book One: The Chaos Effect


Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Plot Pitch …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Plot Synopsis, In-Depth …………………………………………………………………………………………………

A&C: The Chaos Effect


Book One Afterthoughts …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Character Evaluations, Jaeden …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Character Evaluations, Order …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Character Evaluations, Chaos …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Book One’s Ultimate Decision …………………………………………………………………………………………………

Book Two: Eye of the Storm


Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Plot Pitch …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Plot Synopsis, In-Depth …………………………………………………………………………………………………

A&C: Eye of the Storm


Book Two Afterthoughts …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Character Evaluations, Jaeden …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Character Evaluations, Order …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Character Evaluations, Chaos …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Book Two’s Ultimate Decision …………………………………………………………………………………………………

A&C: Book Three


A&C: Book Four
A&C: Book Five
A&C: Book Six

Book Seven: Operation Deathserpent


Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Plot Pitch …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Original Story Brief Summary …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Revised Plot Synopsis, In-Depth …………………………………………………………………………………………………

A&C: Book Seven


Merging Old with New …………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hybrid …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Jason Kerrigan, In-Depth …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Zombies, in Avarice? What? …………………………………………………………………………………………………

Book Eight: The Seventh Circle


Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Plot Pitch …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Brief Plot Synopsis …………………………………………………………………………………………………

A&C: The Seventh Circle


A&C: Book Nine

Book Ten: Eye of the Storm II


Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Original Story Brief Summary …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Revised Story Brainstorms …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Series Forethoughts – The “Real” History of Avarice:
I’m tackling a big project here and after years of writing with still no completed book I can only wonder if this type of work is appropriate, but the changes to the story of late
have reinvigorated me and really a detailed outline chronicling where I’m hoping this all to go is going to be really helpful in keeping a lot of the things that need to stay
consistent so. I kind of write as I go here, so if my ideas are a bit convoluted, I apologize, as well as for all spelling and grammatical errors, in addition to all of those sentences
that just seem to go on forever, so much so you have to look back at the last period and start the sentence all over again.

It started with a simple verse I wrote Sophomore year in High School, one which opens every book in the series:

This land is not natural,


But it's built on the memories
Of those who fought for it.
Who struggled and died for more,
Even if not knowing what.

And so, in those memories,


In that sacrifice, it is real,
The Love is real.

The impact those simple words have had on my life since the first time I wrote them is drastic.

I began to write with only a vivid imaginative desire to create a world unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. “The Nighthawk” was
my artistic name for ten years, and he was a symbol to represent my rational inquisitive mind; an appropriate figure to conceptualize my
personality as a silent, calculating, “watcher.” It wasn't for a while that I realized my world of fantasy wasn't one at all; it, like the
Nighthawk had been me – my life and my experiences - my mind's attempting to guide itself into a rational understanding of the real world.
Honestly, to this day I'm not sure how ultimately healthy it was and is?

Irregardless, as this journey of life continued, so too did storyboards rise and fall. Evena Tide, the three book sub-series starring Alac
Draxton, materialized almost overnight, as my beacon for a new age of pursuits in my life. With the basic structure of modern Avarice
solidified my Junior year, I call it a synthetic framework in which my mind used as a launching pad to ask every question it could come up
with by putting it into an illogical or fantasy aspect, whereupon I would then attempt to rationalize what was just envisioned. I wanted to
understand the real world and my world. I, just like Alac, wanted to understand.. everything!

I can't believe then, that now on the verge of 23 and the seventh anniversary of Evena's creation – after driving myself nearly insane to piece
together this infinite puzzle of our universe - it's something I wrote seven years ago that I now carry with me as my guiding star – my faith.
Seven is a number that carries a lot of personal weight to me. As stated, 2008 was the seventh year of evena for me, and it was my year of
finding peace - “Tranquility” was my new artistic name. I can't even explain fully how it happened – it's almost like it just did. But what
my mind had known for so long and my body and spirit couldn't accept – finally, they just.. did. The trend of sevens goes way past this year
though; even going way back to my very first storyboard, where I had arbitrarily decided to have seven “main” characters. Seven eras of
Avarice and what I originally wanted to be seven books – really all I knew was that seven was seen in theology and philosophy that seemed
to have some universal understanding as peaceful or unifying (geometrical shape: the circle). Six physical principles of science, six – being
the number of evil, seemed to fit perfectly with the idea that rationality with the absence of Love or Faith lead to a meaningless and usually
evil life, while a knowledge of the rational universe combined with the before mentioned lead to a life of peace and happiness. Love took
shape in the book as the Seventh Circle, originally just a little-know belief among Avarice's mage community that there is a hidden, seventh
and unifying, element, “the human element,” which was the true force at work behind a mage's abilities. As I plowered the depths of
thousands of years of collective human knowledge to rationally find signs of this concept which even I was verbally acknowledging as
irrational, seven, it's coincidental reoccurance and assimilation with unity was the only thing I could find. Finally, it just slowly dawned on
me that I was figuratively running around the Seventh Circle.. in circles!

It came down to an ultimate choice – Alac's choice, everyone's choice; ultimately my mind was no closer to having its proof than when I'd
first started looking; there was no real physical circle in the sand. However my footsteps had made one. All the coincidences, all the sevens;
not just understanding perfect harmony of a completely rational universe, but understanding that our individual ability to understand it, and
then even more to choose to work outside of it – this was the proof.

I can't help but chastise myself: “How appropriate is it for an irrational force to work irrationally?” (God works in mysterious ways).

“Tranquil Night” was my new penname, supposed to represent the union of my mind (Nighthawk) and body/emotions (Tranquility). I spent
much of this year in this state, wrestling with my conscience to fully accept my conclusions. I worried that Avarice, the crutch I had
originally constructed to help me on my journey, was now hampering my ability to fully embrace real life. Without a college degree at 22,
working lower end jobs and no real interest in constructing a more progressive life for myself, I also shied away from wanting to really
share my long journey with anyone. I feared as I still kind of do that I wasn't going to be able to fully explain it all, making it disinteresting,
or my nightmare that it would be seen as conceited or in any way up its rear with messages and hidden meanings from some kid who hasn't
even seen much of life. I do not wish to tell anyone anything about how to live or what they should believe, nor will any of the books
directly deal with any of these issues. This is going to be a fun series that hopefully will inspire people with its vivid imagination as much
as its dealing with real life.
And so I write this encyclopedia having started again with a simple intention to explore the possibility of reviving the first two storyboards
I'd ever conceived. As I am finding that things are fitting into place a little too perfectly – no longer surprised by this anymore – my spirit is
finally uniting with mind and body. That last curve of the circle is coming into focus and the time is coming when I will release this series
and hope that it is some small contribution to this great world and its people.

I send forth this document as the beginning to making all my dreams and fantasies a reality.
I named my ego Nighthawk, and call my id Tranquility.
My anima's name is Matthew.
My final penname will be M. Tranquil Night, and this series chronicles the gradual union of my mind, body, and spirit.
So, for the first time, welcome to Avarice.

Revised Facts:
Tentative Series Name: “The Heroes of Time”
Anticipated Number of Novels: 10
Consisting Sub-Series:
-“The Evena Tide”
oThe Chaos Effect Book One
oEye of the Storm Book Two
oThe Seventh Circle Book Eight
-“The Chronicles of Avarice”
o| Unnamed 5th Era Novel | Book Three
o| Unnamed 4th Era Novel | Book Four
o| Unnamed 3rd Era Novel | Book Five
o| Unnamed 2nd Era Novel | Book Six
-“The Terran Chapters”
oOperation Deathserpent Book Seven
oThe Shadow Hunters Book Nine
oEye of the Storm 2 Book Ten
*Book Seven has been officially deemed the “tie-together” story for the three sub-universes of the series. It will conclude many of the mysterious
consistencies posed throughout Chronicles, answer the questions posed way back in book two of Evena, yet at the same time should be mostly considered
as a prequel for Chapters.

Consistent Themes: “The Seven Days of Creation” (Avarician Universe), “The Trinity” (Terran Universe), “Finding Peace in the Chaotic
Struggle for Meaning” (All)
Main Characters and the Intended Dichotomy:
-Demeth Draxton (The Father, The Mind) & Alac Draxton (The Son, The Body)
-Jason Kerrigan (The Father, The Mind) & Matthew Kerrigan (The Son, The Body)
-The People of Avarice and the People of Earth (The Spirit)
-Terra Derrivian (Derived from Earth), the Time Assassin, and his many Incarnations (Quintessential Evil)
oWhen all is said and done, Terra Derrivian is the one and only character that links all three universes together: Avarice,
Earth, and Kafadrian. This is consistent to the underlying symbols of Avarice as a “Heaven Gone Wrong,” Kafadrian
as an “Earth Gone to Hell,” and Earth of “Our Reality: With the Potential for Heaven or Hell.”

Glossary of Major Terms


Terra(n): Another name for human or “earthbound ones,” I use it here to avoid confusion with Avarice’s humans. Also, it is to be noted that
the Terran Universe is futuristic to modern standards. Following economic breakdown and world-war in the 21st Century, many of Earth’s
nations are gone, have merged, or changed completely. Progress and Technology has continued, and now humanity is supporting its first
colony in Alpha Centauri. Terra is also the name of the series main villain purposely, named so to elicit feelings from the reader that he
represents what we are capable of becoming without faith. He is Alac and Matt’s shadow, and even looks much like them.

Tesseract: The “graveyard” for fallen worldliness. Whether or not it exists is an irrelevant question; it represents a place in existence that
encompasses everything that supposedly no longer exists. In this series, that means the universes that Terra Seeds have unraveled.

Worldline: Instead of the traditional view of universes and their parallels, I instead work with worldlines: particular stretches on the same
timeline. This series links together three worldlines:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Kafadrian Woldline The Avarician Worldline The Terran Worldline

The idea that worldlines can’t overlap and link is the basis for many of the mysteries and idiosyncrasies surrounding many of the “fantasy”
elements in the books.

Universe: Despite my recent expansion into the realm of Quantum Physics, I still only believe in one physical universe. Matthew Kerrigan
and Tranquility Squadron journey to Planet Avarice only to arrive aeons after the final battle between Alac Draxton and Terra Derrivian with
no signs of life longer present. Instead, my reference to something as a universe can be seen as a synonym to a worldline.

:: Avarice Through the Years ::

2005 2007

Human: The Avarician version of our modern day earthling, they are evolved similarly and overall are recognizable as such. The only
notable difference is that their neural capacity has evolved to perceive and be more in tune with naturally occurring energies which are
manipulated incur the effect of magic.

Kafadrian: Seen in Avarice as “demons,” a true Kafadrian is any former sentient of the collapsed universe that has taken up residence on
Avarice by means of a time portal. Many Kafadrians have sought destruction on Avarice historically which is due to blame for their
reputations as bringers of chaos. However, a general lack of understanding in the greater nature of the problem is the cause for this
misperception and why Ominii’s Deathserpent Project is seen as dangerous sign.

Archaedean: This particular race is very secretive in their nature and doesn’t deal directly with sentients very often. Overall they seem very
unconcerned with the affairs of humans, and even less so with the Luminarians, who supposedly were their enemies at one point. Because
of this, little is known into how Archaedean broods survive and progress, or even survive. Officially, Archaedean’s employ 99.8% of their
brain’s power and have a genetic composition about 250 times more complex that of a human, meaning that whatever they are, they contain
perceptive abilities well past those of an average sentient. However, Archaedean’s lack one crucial element to their being: an essential
knowledge of free-will. Ultimately they are bound to the particular incarnation of science that they represent, making them very limited
creatures in their unlimited capabilities. Although popularly mischaracterized as “elementals of the Antikka,” the term suggests that
Archaedean’s can be created and destroyed at will. This, in fact, is only partially correct: while yes, the Antikka DO have the power to
create Archaedeans, they first

Draconan: I foresee a lot of confusion over the Draconans, as I know many will be tempted to associate this race with “dwarves” of most
conventional fantasies, due to their short height, thick accents, blunt nature, and history of living in mountains. I am okay with this
association personally, since the Draconans WERE originally Dwarves in my mind, and as their story changed, so did who they ultimately
become in the book. The fact that in Evena Tide, Jacques at the moment is the only significant Draconan to the story may underscore their
importance as free-willed thinkers of Avarice. I’m hoping to work on this with time and other novels. For now, it needs to just be
understood that the Draconans WERE once the Archaedean Brood of the Antikka Draconasis, however after one of their own (Amoura
LeBonn, Book 7) turns “lucid” (free-willed), the Brood was cut from the directive of the Antikka and cursed by the creature, which in turn
granted the entire Flight free-will, but greatly hindered their unbridled powers as Archaedeans. It also apparently made them susceptible to
non-violent mortality and the sideeffects of the passage of time: aging, disease.

Antikka: Definitely not Archaedean, the Antikka are five specific creatures that evolved over the course of thousands of years to specifically
come forth and destroy anything impeding the rational universe from being whole and unified again. Many problems come about when the
Antikka appear within a universe, and the severity of the problem varies on the degree and nature of the paradoxical infractions. While on
Avarice, the byproduct of the Antikka is that sentients and Archaedeans alike are able to incur effects known as magic, at times, such as the
1st era, universal law has been stretches so thin even the spirits of the dead are no longer behaving in normal terms and are physically
reappearing as the Fallen. There typically are five Antikka, one for each elemental law of science and while they personify characters of
seemingly neutral ideas the are not. They execute tactics that are indicative of the soul and intent of the current Master of Time, which
proceeding The Seventh Circle is Terra Derrivian, and following it the Terran Chapters is Alac Draxton, which is why Alac’s Antikka on
Earth (Moebius Squadron) are Antikka of “good.”

Magic in Avarice, an In-Depth Look


Why it exists has been explained, but how it works has not yet been broken down. Magic in this series is based largely on my personal
belief that scientific law can be broken down roughly into six basic categories that describe “the point at which the question stops being
how? or what? and starts becoming why?” The answer to the why is a generic, seventh, “irrational” principle centered around love being
the prime guiding force that unifies existence and the laws that guide existence. The seventh circle, as the Avaricians call it. Broken down
into their corresponding foci (plural for “focus” – an element), they are as follows:

Ic ht hyornis
Physical Matter (the properties of the atom and nuclear force)
/ \
Scin til lation Draconasis
Combustion (the properties of heat) Gravity (including multiple gravity field interactions)
| the.seventh.circle |
Electromagnetism (positive and negative charge) Spacetime (including quantum universes)
An tigua Anathe ma
\ /
Wavelengths (the properties energy’s many oscillations, including light and sound)
Ha lcyon
Mages of Avarice translate their will into a magic effect through the study and acquisition of knowledge of a focus. Once understanding the
basic nature of what they desire to produce magically, it is up to the mage to find the will and natural resources to cast the spell. It is
important to note that mages do NOT create anything from nothing. Energy is not created nor destroyed in this process, instead it acts as a
translator for rearranging naturally existing elements into different states than they were naturally. This is not much different from how we
identify plants to photosynthesize raw sunlight into a physical substance which sustains them. It is therefore appropriate to refer to mages in
Avarice also as “alchemists.”

Q: Why, if several magical foci deal with atomic forces and the manipulation of the atom, and from our current knowledge of nuclear
fission, then is there no chaotic release of energy upon casting a spell (similar to that of a nuclear bomb)?
A: In an unregulated nuclear event, yes, the massive release of energy expands outwards in all directions in an explosion. However, in the
case of magic, this energy is the fuel which will carry out the extent of the mage’s intent. With a knowledge of scintillative properties, a
mage can manipulate the raw energy into a sort of controlled nuclear explosion (not nearly as big or as powerful, we’re dealing with atoms
here) which is one of the more basic firebeam spells; whereas an Ichthyornan mage might use that energy instead to build more complex
atoms, thus being able to create physical substances out of thin air.

Magic ultimately deals with raw energy and whatever it exactly is. Scientific String Theory believes our universe to be based at the
subatomic level on vibrating strands of energy, with collections of different oscillations producing at the very least the positive and negative
charges we identify as protons and electrons. My “Magical Science” basically inserts a fantasy addendum to String Theory which says a
humanoid can command the energy strings to change according to their will, as long as they have a clear understanding of and are focused
on what is happening and what they hope to happen.

The Seventh Circle – The Philosophy as Well as the Book

I really could write an entire book on this subject, and yeah, I pretty much plan to, haha! The Seventh Circle was a placeholder symbol I
created in a time when I constantly sparred with myself over questions of the existence of God and His presence in the world.
Encompassing a general metaphysical grand irrational principle of good, the great fuel to the Seventh Circle is identified as raw “love.”
Love as an element is not new, God even identifies Himself as Love incarnate, and the concept is in general the great ultimate solution to
many conflicts - written and lived – throughout time. We humans have always attempted to further breakdown what this love exactly is, and
how we are able to translate it into our own lives to bring us happiness. In Avarice, the Seventh Circle – which is the irrationality that binds
together rationality – operates through virtues. Virtues, like scientific laws, are words given to ultimately explain the various acts of what
in this case is love, and the beneficial results that come from living in a reality where free-willed thinkers are making loving decisions.

The Seven Cardinal Virtues as seen by St. Thomas Aquinas, and Their Relevance in the Framework of the Series
2nd Era: Justice The ability to make a loving decision regarding individual human interests and rights.
3rd Era: Temperance The ability to practice self-control and moderation.
4th Era: Prudence The ability to make a loving choice within the appropriate context of a situation.
5th Era: Courage The ability to confront fear or intimidation or uncertainty with forbearance.
6th Era, Book I: Faith The ability to believe in the ultimate power of good over evil indefinitely.
6th Era, Book II: Hope The ability to believe in the return of good in the wake of evil.
7th Era Love The ability to act with selfless, unconditional, and voluntary loving-kindness.
A few points of note: all of these virtues are always present in Avarice in one way or another. When I associate them with a particular era of
Avarice’s history, it’s to highlight that that particular age chronicles a particular worldwide rise or relevance with that virtue. In other words,
when I write each book associated with that era, it will largely be focusing on themes involving that singular virtue, and conversely its sinful
counter.

Also, the 1st Era lacks a central virtue; this is because it is a time that marks not only marks a vast absence of love, but a lack of interest in
love in general. The idea will be with that book will convey the sense both in a plot and ideological way that even after working through
Avarice’s history previously, something is “really - really, not right in Avarice this time.”

I don’t stop with the Seven Cardinal virtues – while they are great generalizations, they are harder to relate in individual cases and need to
be defined further. And since there are seven main heroes, how could I NOT associate them with a particular virtue theology? So instead I
turned to this:

The Seven Heavenly Virtues (as the Direct Counters to the Seven Sins)
Alac Abstinence The constant mindfulness of others and self; self-deprivation, abstention.
Dav Humility Modest behavior, selflessness and the giving of respect.
Ariyana Diligence Passion or zeal in one's thoughts and actions, rooted in an underlying faith in ultimate victory.
Cypher Kindness Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice and simply for its own sake.
Tir Chastity Courage and boldness; achieving purity through education, conservatism, and self-control.
Slaine Liberality Constant mindfulness of others; nobility of thought in respect to the whole over the few
Jacques Patience Inner forbearance; the ability to not just whether evil, but forgive and empathize.

Why are these important? These are the inherent motivations behind the characters (commonly known as genetic personality). Ultimately,
all seven are sides to the same circle: noble minds who want love for the world and its inhabitants. Their motivation combined with their
past and present environments are the largest factors in dictating the routes and levels in which they move to bring about what they want.

Q: Are you trying to make an argument for fate?


A: No, flat out, and I answer this now and early because it's something I want out of my reader's head from the beginning. Fate and
predestination are rationalizations of what people think is at work. Yes, all these things – our personality and genetic predisposition, and
conventional stereotypes of good and evil – these are all things I do not deny are happening. But if it were just simply this, then there would
be no point to free-will. Consciousness and free-will are NOT tools of evolution: why a rational universe allow for the rise of a creature
who in its ability to perceive literally can DESTROY it.

No, ideas of fate only occur in this series because the characters themselves may be wrestling with the issue. Because yes, it is very easy
especially in this day and age of science to look at everything we know and wrongfully think it a completely logical, explainable impartially
system. But once again, if this was how it was working, that is how it really would work. That means humans would be no different
consciously from animals.

The Anti-Seventh
You might call it hell, I call it the “anti” since it is the collection of sentiments and motivations that are directly opposing those of good.
What is the root of all evil? There is no singular thing, which is why it always seems to have the upper hand in the physical realm. Upon my
own studies, I concluded that while there were seven essential counters to the heavenly virtues, really evil came down to mostly three
things: the fear of not finding peace and happiness, an apathy towards any interest in peace and happiness, or a greed to accumulate as much
physical happiness due to a lack of belief in any metaphysical happiness.

This “dark trinity” is captured in the shady leadership of Evena Tide's Everlasting Vendetta Terror Group:

Arcana Lydel, fear:Humorously, Arcana Lydel, who is fear itself in Avarice - one of the most vicious killers in its history and someone who
is not even really seen because she fakes her death – fears death, and has ever since seeing her Dad brutally kill her Mom. Her mind is
softly at a disconnect with how much people are capable of in life, but how death and time seem to invalidate it all. It all translates into a
psychotic desire to conquer time – the only problem was Terra already did that.

Seth delaGillvrey, apathy: Watching his sister choose to sacrifice herself at Kalm, Seth is one of Avarice's many unfortunate “Book of Job”
characters who's consistent pain rather drives their mind to believing their existence is only to suffer, and so the only thing Seth ever really
cares about is ending his own suffering: and that means changing the essential way things work.

Jhonathon von'Mauldron, greed: Jhon suffers from a very common existential “loss” people feel when looking out over millions of people
and believing themselves an insignificant part of the world. His obsession to prove himself stems from growing up with a father who was
chronically violent to Slaine and Jhon. Mix that with the collapsed social status of Kiy'Vala and vast suffering the common Luminarian
experiences, and really Jhon is a sympathetic character. Even if he wasn't always as cold, it's easy to see how he had to turn his back on
things to save himself. The only problem, the things he was seeking to do so never did, no matter how much he had.
There are more evils in the world, obviously. Many theories and structures are out there which better try to define the concept, with as little
or even less luck than they can explain good. The only other real format I follow when it comes to views of evil is this:

The Seven Sins of Mankind and Their Relevance in the Framework of the Series
1st Era: The coldness of the world Caused by a general absence of love, great amounts of indifference/apathy, arrogance.
2nd Era: The blindness of the world Caused by not being able to see love in all creation and rational law.
3rd Era: The calamity of the world Caused by false, misunderstood physical love, addiction.
4th Era: The sorrow of the world Caused by egotism, selfishness,greed for wealth and power, and a fear of death.
5th Era: The horror of the world Caused by a lack of true love, or a misplaced love to hate, leading to violence, war.
6th Era, book I: The misery of the world Caused by poverty & need in physical and spiritual sense; lack of faith in love.
6th Era, book II: The pain of the world Caused by the lack of the physical signs of love; general insecurity about what's right.

As was the case with the virtues, these evils are forever present in Avarice and are the evils of the world that the seven characters of Evena
carry on their shoulders. Their reference to a particular era is indicative to it being the currently prevailing Terra Virus (explained later) at
that given time. Also like the virtues, one book in the world of Avarice does not have an evil focus. That book is The Seventh Circle, and it
really isn't going to focus on evil at all. In fact, even though it's about an essentially hopeless battle between the Avarice Alliance (everyone
united) against Terra and the Antikka, it's going to be one of the most positive and endearing books in the series. Ideologically, I wanted it
to sum Alac's entire epiphany: simply by reaching the point he had was a victory. These ten books are about Terra's attempts at collapsing
the Avarice and Terran universes, which means every one of these is a failure. The thing no one realizes because people are mortal is that
Terra has had to bring it the point it is at in The Seventh Circle because no matter how flawlessly his plans are executed, he still fails simply
because many of the people he tries to destroy never “give their souls” to him.

A History of Avarice, Era By Era


section incomplete

The Races of Avarice Explained


section incomplete

The Enigmatic Villain of the Series: Terra Derrivian (George W. Bush: “We must fight Terr-ah!”)
There are many prime enemies that appear and disappear in this series. While each book is a lot more specific in terms of its individual plot
(some stories I’m hoping seem so different from others it gives the reader a nostalgic sense of seeing a new world within the same one with
each successive book), there are a few things which will always be the same. One of them is this series ultimate villain: a dark character
called Terra Derrivian. His role as a “Time Assassin” is going to be made clear in both Book Seven and The Seventh Circle. However,
what wasn’t being made clear to me until now was how Alac Draxton, an Avarician-Kafadrian hybrid yes, still was able to gain the
knowledge and power to destroy a Master of the Time. Originally, this had been explained through Alac’s Redemption: the Failsafe Device.
When it is activated in book eight, it acts much in the way Terra’s Particle Accelerator had, launching Alac into a realm of light and
knowledge and assumedly, a state of control over the universe that can rival Terra’s own, which is why in their battle of at the Tesseract, it’s
Alac’s Will that overcomes.

But why did it end this way, I kept asking myself? A lot of it stemmed from a fear I had to explore Quantum Physics, a region of science
I’ve had some trouble historically subscribing to. Terra is a Master of Time, with insight into – it’s thought – the past, present, and future,
and thus other worlds, or even the same world at different points in time. Why Avarice - and why in the way he executes his plans? I
struggled to put some sense to this enigmatic symbol: Terra Derrivian. I knew what he was after – the complete obliteration of reality – but
would such a figure fail so easily, especially with the insurmountable power he assumedly has? The simple conclusion, I figured out, was
“no, he would not.” I had already opened Pandora’s Box when deciding to base my fantasy world on a truth that could only exist with some
belief in Quantum and Parallel Universes.

And so I revised my occurring paradoxes in Avarice, and dove into the land’s lore for room for something more, a place where I could truly
give a new face to this otherwise non-visual character. Already expanding upon the Evena Tide series with hopes of breaking the gap
between Eye of the Storm and The Seventh Circle with a five book sub-series expanding upon the various courageous figures of Avarice’s
time as well as its great hidden history as a world within a “semi-verse.”

My final answer was to go back to the beginning in every respect. I revived my long dead storylines from my childhood, including the Sci-
Fi misadventures of Futurist Soldier Matthew Kerrigan and the prequel story of Kerrigan’s father Jason, who in a chance accident, found
himself in a world that defied every law he knew to be true.

How does this fit into the Terra Derrivian story? Terra’s ability to successfully destroy reality goes hand in hand with his ability to continue
to wear away at the unbending laws of reality; in short, his ability to continue forking reality through paradoxes in time and destroy reality’s
many worldlines. These take the form in many ways and can be compared to a computer virus in many respects: they are programs of will
designed to execute a particular paradox in a universe and thus corrupt it. This is not as easy as it sounds; even though Terra possesses the
means to do so, a paradox still has to be accomplished in a “rational” universe before that universe is corrupted, and that is what the virus
does. Avarice obviously is the first universe where this corruption is evident and the Antikka are the visual signs of the corruption, since
they only appear when the laws of science have had to put them in place to prevent a complete breakdown of rationality. Because of this,
Avarice is Terra’s “Home Universe,” which is why in the first era he establishes the island in the sky and intends to use the Luminari
Cloning Facility to create his Eden.

So once again, why does Terra fail? Assumedly with his power evident by the fight between Alac and him with the Tesseract (Land of
Collapsed Universes), Terra is successful at destroying many parallel lines in time. Ultimately though, this doesn’t matter. Ultimately, the
only way reality can change for Terra is if he rids it the people of free will, the people that would stand against his eden.

The Terra Virus & Terra Seeds

Since it’s hard to summarize the actual timeline of events that occur, it’s easier to breakdown Terra Derrivian through his methods. The
Terra Virus is a particular scientific paradox that brings scientific law to a weakened state. If this paradox is ever solved or put into a state
of non-effect, which only happens with sentient interference, it responds by planting a Terra Seed. This seed is a physical creature much
like an Antikka, and even by definition might be able to be called an Antikka of Anathema, or spacetime, since Terra is THE only Master of
Time until Alac and Matt, and this Terra Seed is a reflection of his will and intent.

Fragile and exceptionally vulnerable at first, the Terra Seed will take the form of something visually innocent (to Jason Kerrigan, Avarice’s
Terra Seed appears to be a small boy right as Jason points a gun at Queen Avarice, the original Terra Virus), to prevent its compromise.

Once mature the Terra Seed will survive within a universe until it is physically destroyed. It will evolve and assess the condition of a
physical worldline for at times aeons, while it studies the world’s free-willed creatures and independent thinkers, waiting for an opportunity
it perceives to be impeccable for a conclusive solution of the uncompromised destruction of all living beings in an attempt to wipe the
worldline from existence.

With all this said, it’s easier to understand truly how sinister of a character Terra is and perhaps makes the rest of the story of the series a
little bit more remarkable from the reader’s perspective. What’s meant to be concluded from all this is that “Everything was right from
Terra’s side. He had made every calculation and achieved a level of power and control over things beyond possible. Yet somehow simple
life-loving people managed to topple him even though he had directed every moment in time to bring him to that point.”

And yes, this is important: it comes down to a single point in time. The Heroes of Time series is about a lot of characters coming to terms
with their purpose in life. Alac Draxton and Matthew Kerrigan are two extraordinary characters who by how their lives play out are left at
points very vulnerable to giving hope on their belief in the good in the world. This, combined with the extraordinary circumstances that
lead them to be very powerful in their unique ways (Alac in the conventional Fantasy sense, Matt in the Sci-Fi way) make them the two
prime targets to stand against Terra (obviously because they are the two that defeat him), which in turn make them the prime targets to suffer
Terra’s hidden wrath (leading to the very events that start Matt and Alac on their paths!).

What’s to conclude from this point? Again, even in the face of ultimate evil, right down to the personal things Alac and Matt suffer through
innocently, they BOTH decide to stand against it and overcome. So why both? Terra symbolizes true, universal and omnipresent evil. He
is the only unchanging ideology, and if we are to take Alac’s triumph over him as a victory, it is a very hollow one in many ways due to the
fact that we know it is only a matter of time before another Terra Seed is planted, and the need for another Alac Draxton is necessary.

So, by now including the Terran Chapters as an addendum to Evena Tide and the Avarice Chronicles, I feel I can step back and say I have a
work that not only puts forth an idea of hope in the midst of great evil, but then again REAFFIRMS it, instead in the context of a world that
is so very different from the Avarice, yet still bound together in the same eternal struggle.

From a story standpoint, it makes sense for Earth and Avarice to be linked. Terra Derrivian himself tells Alac that the Tesseract had already
come to encompass 99.8% of reality, and that only a couple of “pesky worldliness” were giving his Terra Seeds problems, but that “no
single sentient could ever hope to truly defeat him.” And as arrogant as it sounds, he is right. If Derrivian’s grip is to be loosened on reality,
then the same principle that is to hold true on Avarice, that good overcomes evil, must ALSO hold true in relevant situations outside of the
context of JUST Avarice. So as it stands, Alac, as Avarice’s Hero of Time, even with his friends and the spirit of Avarice behind him, does
not have the power to overcome Terra, because this in the context of the universal framework, is still merely just a outlying occurrence in
the greater reality of the evil Terra has wrought. No, in order for balance to return, the Seventh Circle has to prove that it has more than just
Alac Draxton and the Avarice Alliance as its champions. It needs Matt as well, representative of a world that reflects more of the one which
first produced Terra himself, to stand up and give reason to the principle of good COMBINED with Alac.

The Sixth Day of Creation: The Evena Tide

The Seven Eras of Avarice loosely are meant to correspond to the Creation Myth according to Genesis, and the six spoken words of God
that individually created our universe in six days, with the seventh being the day of rest. With future books in the series I will be trying to
break down these six days and take them and the meanings behind them and mix them with Avarice's established history and the
corresponding central virtue and evil I will be looking at. And so, on the sixth day God created creatures, including man, and Evena Tide is
about many creatures, not the least of which is man and the things he is capable of, good, evil, order and chaos. Evena Tide being the Sixth
Era, it is supposedly a time of great tribulation and great evil, as the number six is commonly associated with by many.
Book One: The Chaos Effect
Originally: The Deathserpent Project, 2003-2008

2007: (from left to right) Amelie Celine, Cypher Ammell, Alac Draxton, Constance Draxton (Tranquility)
Davnport Rodeau, Anaiya DelaGillvrey, Jacques Black, Tirand Calytrene

Forethoughts:
The Evena Tide subseries stars seven main characters, and numerous secondary characters. Although Alac Draxton is the Hero of Time, his
story is only as important or at times even secondary to those of the others. Alac likes to see himself as an archetypal “lone wolf” yet his
story is as much about his finding out that he is not alone as it is the reader. Alac is a true warrior, and an old soul that carries can’t help but
carry the weight of the world on his shoulder. He has his limits, his faults, and his shortcomings. And in a battle where only a flawless
victory is a victory at all, Alac is only as important to the equation as his friends, family, and everyone and else in Avarice who fights for the
same ideals as him in their own unique ways. In that respect, Cypher Ammell, Dav Rodeau, and the rest all have their roles to play in the
Evena Tide world to helping Alac get to that all important point where he can accept his faith and overcome his shadow.

Plot Pitch:
The human nation of Andraxor is shook out of a euphoric state of post-war optimism when an underground network of terror called
Everlasting Vendetta successfully executes a series of attacks that rock the nation in tragedy. While working to stop whatever EV is
planning while at the same time discovering the identity of the group’s elusive leadership, the three-wings of Andraxor’s historically
honored Protectorate seem instead more intent on hurling accusations at one another, as distrust and lack of unity within the government is
to blame when they fail to stop EV’s quickly rising reign of terror. With officials even becoming targets themselves and only more
questions coming at each turn, panic and chaos seems to be on the verge of erupting.

Alac Draxton was a fairly unique Andraxan post-war child with pretty normal problems until one day changed his life, and changed the
world everyone knew. Now he must rise to the call of duty as his father did before him, and come forth as a protector of the land he loves,
no matter what the cost. Hoping to become a great mage as his father as well, Alac instead is scared to find that the forces at work are not
willing to wait for a fair fight, as it quickly becomes clear that the fate of the entire country may very well rest in the hands of only a few left
whom are capable of winning – and they may not be enough. Will Alac and his friends, old and new, be able to unravel the mystery in time
and put a stop to the new evil threatening their home?

In Depth Plot Summary: The Day By Day


The Mysterious Prologue

This short event is one of, if not THE one, central mystery within Evena Tide. Obviously the two big questions is who is the girl who dies,
and who is the girl who kills? The Chaos Effect answers the first question: Constance Draxton/Tranquility. Eye of the Storm answers the
second: Arcana Lydel/Sayuira Mishenke/Gemini.

Day One in a Nutshell

During the annual Asterion City Magical Gladiator Arena Games, a contestant launches a public attack that injures several spectators. With
debates over more restrictive magical laws raging in the government, the attack clearly brings the issue into a new light for most. As Dav
Rodeau, Tir Calytrene, and Alac Draxton, three Rangers present during the attack, and Ariyana Skysong, a sarcastic-natured mage, move to
escort Andraxor’s Princess to safety, they become locked into another investigation that might be linked to the day’s attack: a murder in a
relatively small shipping town called Rivermeet. When they turn up a suspect whom they believed locked up years prior in another high
class raid, a pirate named Jason Tyler, questions rise as to the ethical and legal practices of operations going on behind the scenes by
Andraxor’s first line of defense, the Paladins of Caecus Ominii. And with signs showing that the day’s terror attacks may have been only
the first of many to come, the Rangers are forced to make a difficult choice to when it comes to their duty to stop what the feel the Paladins
are not able to. Dav and Tir pursue their leads to Portnine, hoping to spare Alac’s future from their decision by leaving him behind.
Although offended by this, Alac follows after them when Ariyana correctly voices a belief that the Rivermeet murderer was a Gravitarian
Mage, a highly illegal and dangerous study. Dav and Tir are guided to a Portnine shipping tycoon named Mikhail Mooren, with continuing
mounting evidence of illicit operations on the part of the Paladins. However, before the duo can acquire any answers, Mooren is
assassinated and the Paladin squadron assigned to escort him fall to attack. Dav and Tir save the team and pursue one of the assassins to
The Windtunnel, Jason Tyler’s boat, where Tyler, the apparent mastermind behind the day’s events, reveals a nightmarish ally: a Kafadrian
Demon, thought extinct. The two are only saved by Alac and Jacques Black, an Asterion Arena security chief that find his and the Rangers’
path cross on several occasions. But with the day’s events public, the nation is left to lick its wounds while Dav, Tir, Alac and Jacques can
only hope that the Kafadrian’s presence wasn’t a sign of times to come.

Day one features the first two “memory sequences” of the book, one for Dav and the other for Alac. These small stretches of time are
moments where the text reflects an actual change in reality briefly (there are many ways that I can possibly represent this visually in the
text, however as of now I have chosen to display NO apparent change in visually. Instead, the text reflects moments where the particular
character is obviously drifting into his or her thoughts, then a noticeable change in scene would complete the transition, hopefully bringing
the reader into the same “lost in memory” feeling as the character is experiencing). Within the memory, Alac, Dav, and later Ariyana are
more inclined to describe exactly things they remember sensually: particularly sights, sounds, etc.

Dav’s memory sequence describing a dismal scene of the Battle of Kalm twenty years prior. It ends with news arriving that the long
evacuation of the Illimar had finally finished and the front was collapsing so that the Alliance could rejoin its forces in Andraxor and prepare
for a great stand against the advancing Zodiac. The general ending is a euphoric sense and an emotional embrace and exchange between
Dav and his love, Anaiya.

Alac’s memory sequence starts with just another day in the life of his childhood, picking up groceries from the market for his parents. Only
eleven, Alac is startled when he literally runs into Tir and Dav for the first time. Later in the evening, Alac has a fairly mature conversation
with his father for his age, and the memory ends with a sentimental scene of Alac and his entire family happily enjoying their lives together.

Day Two in a Nutshell

Opening in Andraxor City one week later, Alac and Princess Cypher Ammell continue to grow closer, but the previous week’s events have
solidified the necessity for magic training in Alac’s mind, much like his father, a protector of Andraxor before him. Apparently, Anada’heim
Archmage Hormel Eyonic has approved Alac’s studies to his surprise and Ariyana’s distaste, as she has rather eagerly departed the capitol to
work with the Anada’heim on some urgent matter. Dav and Tir stand before King William Ammell himself to answer for their actions and
what he sees as the reckless endangerment of his daughter. Despite stressing the severity of the matter and the Kafadrian threat, the duo is
suspended from active service, and Ammell seems unwilling to face the truth. The Rangers, including General Ourai Camari, are happy to
not be facing more severe consequences, and Dav especially sees the time as an opportunity to mend the damage in his and Alac’s
relationship, and support the boy’s decision to pick up the reigns in his life. Departing Andraxor City, the three first stop by the residences
of Jacques Black and his sister, whom he’s apparently staying with after losing his job in response to the unfortunate events that transpired
in Asterion. As an show of thanks for saving their lives, Dav and Tir offer Jacques a promise for a good job in Highland, their intended
destination.

Stopping off briefly in Kalm, the scene shifts briefly and introduces Slaine von’Mauldron’s character in a chapters that actually cover
moments before the events of the entire book. Roughly, Slaine attempts to kill a human Vana’Medai (Constance) attempting to gain access
from the fort to the eastern marshes. When she repels him, he’s immediately placed under arrest, however the mage commands mercy from
Slaine’s superiors, insisting that the event was an accident and Slaine not be charged. Ungrateful, Slaine writes a letter to his brother,
bemoaning how little he can stand the army anymore.

Picking up with the main storyline again, Alac, Dav, Tir, and Jacques arrive in Highland to find the city on tight watch by the Paladins who
are thoroughly investigating the mage behind the Asterion attack the week prior. Idly, Dav and Tir wonder if their presence in Highland is a
good idea in an intelligence sensitive sector especially with their suspensions in place. Still holding true to their promise to Jacques, they
send Alac to Highland Magical and Tactical Deployment (MAGTAC) to appeal to their former colleagues on the team to find Jacques a
position. Known for their unorthodox tactics, much of Magtac, including field director Andre Baron, still looks at Dav and Tir as their
mentors, and goes as far as to demand that Alac contact them in the event he or the Rangers need their help should anything like the
previous week ever happen again. Things seem to be on a good course in Highland for the most part until Alac and co. are about to close
out their day by walking around the campus of Alac’s future school. Right as they see Ariyana, a bomb goes off, obliterating the academy.
Chaos ensues, and Ariyana is injured in the blast, and it becomes clear very quick that many have lost their lives as well. After a pursuit,
escape, and blind attack on a Paladin, the group decides to lay low in Carrington while they reassess the situation and try and figure out
what they are truly facing.

In Carrington the scene shifts dramatically as Dav, Tir, Alac, and Magtac work together to begin sorting through the wreckage of the
unparalleled attack. As the night continues, reports surface that High Paladin Arcturus Redine has gone missing, with speculation rising
from the interior that he has abandoned his post. With the reality of the situation finally slapping him in the face, King Ammell rushes the
Anada’heim and the Rangers to the rescue of his failing Paladins, and large scale operations are enacted against Everlasting Vendetta, the
terror group claiming responsibility for the bombing. With high classification documents now accessible to the other wings of the
intelligence community, Dav commands Magtac to begin research into potential illegal Paladin operations. Alac protests this, claiming that
it is more important for the team’s resources to be helping the larger effort to identify and destroy Everlasting Vendetta before it was
necessary to start a war with an ally. But Dav strongly feels the level of conspiracy within the government may very well be greater than
EV, or maybe even the source of it, and Magtac in general agrees with Dav at first. However, the night continues into the next morning and
they don’t turn anything of substance up. As Alac angrily continues to fight Dav for his unbending approach, Magtac too begins to divide,
especially after the new interim High Paladin is killed in his sleep. With the Paladin’s literally collapsing overnight, fears begin to rise that
the power gap will leave the chain of command unable to handle national panic in the event of another attack or crisis.

This is a tough day. By Ariyana’s behest, Alac does visit Constance before she dies, albeit he shows no signs of emotion and even steals her
necklace, Ourai Camari and Hormel Eyonic are shaking hands on a secret alliance to seize control of the government, and Everlasting
Vendetta has inflicted severe damage to the Andraxor psyche.

The memory sequences continue, as Dav’s day at Kalm progresses with Anaiya sadly telling him that she is going to be staying behind to
buy the tanks enough time to clear the battlefield. Despite her insisting that she will see him at her rendezvous point on the last boat across
Lake Aleran, both of them seem to grasp the fact that they will never be together again. This obviously is a small parallel to the situation
Alac now faces with Constance, albeit he does not know it. As Dav reminisces about his last words to Anaiya, it’s clear his conscious is
struggling with whether he will tell Alac about Constance’s identity and give him that same opportunity.

Alac’s memory continues as well, as later on in his night at Quieton he decides to disobey his father for the second time historically and
venture into the woods beyond his family’s farm to investigate some strange noises. Alone amongst the warped trees, Alac recalls his
feeling of fear that an incredible nightmare loomed just only off in the distance. This parallels the events to come of Day Three, when many
nightmares will crash down upon him.

Ariyana also enters the memory scene with her own, however, her memories in the book do not follow the consistent timeline of one day but
rather small events on a couple specific important days. This one is of a younger version of herself being teased for her blind eye. As she
sits alone and is visibly upset by the teasing, Archmage Arcana Lydel approaches her and asks her why she is crying. When she answers
honestly, Lydel asks her why she lets others have so much power over her. Brushing Ari’s bangs over her bad eye, Lydel tells her to never
let anyone see her blind side. The memory ends with the Lydel noting how advanced in her studies Ari was for her age, and asking her if
she would be interested in studying under the Lady Archmage herself.

Day Three in a Nutshell

Opening one month later, Dav, Tir, and Jacques, are working hard with Ourai Camari to translate a smooth transition of power in the wake
of the Paladin disaster. With all signs of Everlasting Vendetta fading into the abyss as fast as they appeared, the spotlight has turned to the
people responsible for failing the nation. With the finger naturally pointing at the evaporated Paladin leadership, many, including Archmage
Eyonic are insisting that all judgment be withheld until all the facts can be examined. This coming after a public leak exposed documents
seized from Everlasting Vendetta bank accounts linking assets to Kiy’Valan foundations. The nation is tense; already disavowed with their
disgraced leader, they now face the possibility of having to make a stand against their longtime enemies.

Alac, a mage of quickly rising ability, has rallied Andre Barron, Crystal Anarion, Nathan Eyanemi, from Magtac, and along with Ariyana
and Amelie Celine, his childhood friend, intends to reform his father’s mage order, Moebius, under the banner Moebius Six. On this day,
they intend to infiltrate Amelie’s work, the Paladin’s Ministry of Intelligence and recover documents on a classified Paladin project called
Deathserpent.

Cypher Ammell has not spoken to her father since she publicly incriminated his handling of the Highland Bombing. With King Ammell
crippled politically, he has not helped his situation by obtaining anything more than a fierce public denial from the Luminarian Monarchy
over the past events. Worried that if the situation worsens it will lead to war, Cypher has acquired secret authorization from Ourai Camari
for a diplomatic mission to Kiy’Vala to meet directly with King Arduan Andonidus. With Dav, Tir, and Jacques already on board, Cypher
hopes to recruit Alac too, and they meet that night at the Kerrigan Spring. Alac confesses his intentions to reform Moebius and take it
rogue, and Cypher quite optimistically remarks that she is a rogue now in her own right. Alac agrees to take part in her escort, the two
depart, Alac rejoining Moebius Six and commencing with their operation. They succeed in retrieving their files, and for the first time, the
truth is exposed: King William Ammell himself signed off on a bill for the funding for the research and execution of Anathemian Magic on
Careon Island and it would appear the Deathserpent Project is bringing Kafadrians into the world. Even worse, medical records retrieved
show Cypher herself to be one of many receiving outpatient care in someway linked to the project.

Cypher’s escort proceeds, although not after King Ammell learns of her secret diplomacy mission and attempts to stop her in a radical show
of power which is immediately overridden by Ourai Camari. Alac is surprised to find that Cypher has also invited Ariyana. With a brief
stop through Kaifer, the group arrives at Fort Kairn, and rendezvous with Paladin Commander Steven Jasperson. There, custody is
exchanged to Jasperson’s Luminarian counterpart in a historic meeting that darkly captures a rare moment in what not days later could be all
out war on the front. Moving through Fort Zerdanis, they arrive at Kel’Drammel Port, where their next step is to catch a ship to Kiy’Aman.
However, an approaching storm has grounded seafaring for the night, and the group is forced to stay the night in town. Alac dissuades the
idea, correctly perceiving the storm to be the result of magic. Ariyana agrees, albeit surprised at Alac’s innate magical sense, and worries as
well that someone or something might be plotting against them. The only way out of the city lies in joining a small Templar (the Kiy’Valan
Paladins) prisoner escort planning to walk the long desolate road through the Peninsular Forest.

With the morning sun rising, the group is quiet, and Cypher seems worried by how distant Alac has grown. Instead she converses with the
Templar’s prisoner, a former soldier named Slaine. Apparently, with mere weeks left in his service, he went derelict, and along with a
history of non-compliant behavior, was now returning to the capitol to face court-marshal and probably prison. Cypher sympathizes for the
young man, asking him honest questions and ignoring his racist quips. As the escort reaches the ruins of a long forgotten Luminarian
village long claimed by the forest, the Templar ambush them, and the Rangers are only barely able to defeat their attackers. Dav is wounded
and Cypher falls into a seizure from the shock of the sudden attack. At this point, Slaine reveals his familiarity with Cypher’s condition,
correctly asserting that she is falling to the Mortal Plague, a Luminarian disease destroying his people. Dav affirms this, revealing the truth
behind Cypher’s lineage, and the secret marriage of William Ammell and Kellyn Andonidus, the sister to Arduan.

Alac is enraged and nearly kills Slaine, who is spared only by Cypher’s urging. Taking the Luminarian hostage, he is forced to lead them to
the city where they can forge a new plan. He does so begrudgingly, and they arrive at Kiy’Aman safely, but Slaine worriedly believes
Cypher to still be in danger, although he will not say why on his life. His fear turns out to be true however, shots ring out and chaos erupts
in the street. Fleeing the scene with everyone alright, Cypher finally is able to contact King Andonidus directly, and the group is ordered to
stay put until a known safe escort can accompany them directly. The Templar save the escort right in the knick of time: as the group finds
themselves being enclosed on all sides by a very highly trained group of militants. For saving Cypher, the Rangers decide to let Slaine go
before the Templar arrives, and he departs. With a high-class military escort finally, the group is rushed through urban Kiy’Vala peninsula,
and the reader and the characters all get their first true look at the horrid, heart-wrenching poverty and pain of the Luminarians. As the
untold truth is explained to the Andraxans by the Templar, Cypher can barely stand to see any more.

In Kiy’Vala City, Cypher urges King Andonidus to move forward cooperatively with her father to fully investigate any possibility of
Luminarian involvement with Everlasting Vendetta. He insists that his network had already been tracking potential links for months, even,
much like that Paladins, seeing evidence of rapidly rising sophisticated terror cells. His best Vana’Medai, Tranquility, had even unearthed
the name of a potential leader: Gemini, who was operating recently, somewhere out of Illimar. Apparently, EV had established an
impossible trade route through the inhospitable Illimar Marshes, and much of their highly sensitive communications were occurring
manually using the route. The Vana’Medai are authorized to operate in the dark, so it was not unusual that Tranquility had not issued a
report in months, but in the light of Andraxor’s violence, Andonidus had feared the worst. Alac confirms Tranquility’s death going back to
Carrington a month earlier, concluding that obviously her cover had been compromised in her mission. Andonidus recognizes Alac, and
before he can be stopped, grimly reveals that Tranquilty was Constance Draxton, Alac’s long-thought-dead Sister. Not even sure how to
react to the situation, Alac simply walks out on the scene.

Before the moment can even be comprehended, news comes that word has apparently reached Andraxor of the apparent death of his
daughter and hours earlier the discovery of the bodies of Archmage Hormel Eyonic and High Paladin Arcturus Redine in an apparent
murder/suicide, and that the front has mobilized. With war only moments away, the throne urgently attempts to contact the Protectorate and
assure Ammell that Cypher is alive. During this time, Slaine forces his way into the scene, insisting he has knowledge of a potentially high
ranking EV operative. He turns over a letter he received from his brother before his original transfer of custody, one which in the light of
later events foreshadows knowledge of the attempts on Cypher’s life. This new evidence is enough to bring an agreement for a stand down.

Day three closes with Alac by himself climbing up the sheer cliffs of the sacred Mount of Aeons, the great peak overlooking Kiy’Vala City.
He slips multiple times, and each time exerts a calm control over magic to pick himself back up. Reaching a small grove high in the
mountain, he makes a small memorial to his family with his two wakizashi and the pendant he stole from his sister without knowing it was
her. Then, stepping to a ledge, he leaps off, and shows no signs of intending to save himself. So, instead he is saved at the last minute by
Jaeden, an Archaedean, apparently Alac’s “guardian Archaedean.” As Alac is taken to an unknown location, he is greeted by many of the
mysterious Archaedeans. Julesera, their patriarch, claims his brood to be the Halcyonics, the patrons of light and wavelengths. Long have
they, the warrior brood of Archaedeans, fought to rid Avarice of demonic forces, and they want Alac, as his father before him, as an ally in
this pursuit. In exchange for his dedication to destroy the Deathserpent Project and the Kafadrians now loose on Avarice, he will become a
Halcyonic Slayer, armed with the weapons of the ancient ones; weapons which greatly enhance a mage’s natural control over their abilities.
Alac admits that even with this power, he does know if he is capable of the task alone. While Julesera is quick to stress that Alac continue
his unbounded study into the realm of magic, he understands Alac’s request for aid and agrees to provide equipment for Moebius Six. As
Alac dons his new armaments, he learns quite chillingly that his first command is to lead Moebius Six and the Archaedeans into a direct
assault on Careon Island to destroy the Deathserpent Project once and for all. The scene ends with Alac apathetically agreeing to the plan.

Our three memory sequences reach their conclusion finally with the attack on Quieton and Alac fleeing with Dav and Tir as he sees his
family’s farmhouse in flames. Dav, too, can only watch as Anaiya disappears behind a wall of mud, and that is the last image he has of her.

Ariyana’s memory is of the night her father attacked her with a spell and injured her eye. As she recalls the terror of the event, she
acknowledges all the anger and pain she feels by forcing herself to stare in the mirror as she pulls the hair from her eye. With a rush of
emotion she offers a vocal cry of forgiveness to her father for the event.
The Disjointed Epilogue

Dav, and Ariyana stand among the ruins of Careon with Seth delaGillvrey and a large contingent of Rangers. As the dust settles, the facts of
the sudden attack are blunt and clear. Many are dead, including former Judicator Kei Geffhouse and Caecus Ominii Bishop Donovan Bray.
The Deathserpent Project has been exposed in its entirety, and a wave of tentative calm has returned to Avarice. Arduan Andonidus and
William Ammell are set to meet in person for the first time in nearly a decade to sign a treaty toppling several walls that had nearly choked
them into a mistaken war. As Dav and Ariyana walk together back to their encampment, they each fade into one last memory:

For Dav this memory surrounds a rather enigmatic meeting with former Magtac Coroner Dr. Gracie Celase. As she presents the many
bodies that she’s examined from the past couple months, the book’s surprise twist is revealed. The Portnine Kafadrian was showing
idiosyncrasies suggesting that it wasn’t a Kafadrian at all but something else. Irregardless, bodies from Careon were confirming that
Deathserpent was using Kafadrians, so it was perhaps a mute point. But still, if the first wasn’t in fact Kafadrian, what was it? From the
reader’s perspective and ONLY the reader’s perspective, there should be a strong feeling that the answer to this is an Archaedean. With that
in mind, Alac’s entire decision, which was a hard pill to swallow in the first place, should be thrown into an entirely new perspective.
Ultimately, the reader won’t be able to gather anything conclusive except that the story leaves them questioning.

Ariyana’s memory is somewhat more bittersweet, as it recalls the stand she makes against Alac and Moebius Six only moments prior to the
siege of Careon, deciding to leave the order. As the other five fly off with their Archaedean escorts, she curses in anger.

William Ammel is finishing the treaty signing by announcing his resignation and the death of the Protectorate, as well as the birth of a new
Republic in the making. This seems to come without a surprise to anyone in particular and as Ari and Dav part ways, each asks the other
their plans. Dav remarks his intentions to work with Cypher on her campaign for Senator in the new Republic, while Ari vaguely says she
needs some time away to think about it all.

Ari asks Dav if he’ll pursue Alac and try and bring him back to reason. Dav bluntly says there are more important things in the world that
required his attention. He returns the question, and she nods vigorously. “Because that’s what friends do, dammit!”

Afterthoughts:

I think this book has a solid structure and a very powerful storyline. I also think it flows very well now with this three day format, which
really highlights the intensity of each critical moment. It is a sad book, I know, and hopefully it’s not too depressing of a story to throw on
the public as my first. This is something I’m obviously going to keep in mind as I write, as I hope to find any chance I can to throw in a
light moment or soft humor. What I hoped to accomplish in this book was a sound and engaging story that really set up the framework for
the world of Avarice. As this is the first look the reader has into the land, I’m really going to try and go that extra mile in this book to paint a
vivid picture of this place while at the same time keeping events moving and interesting. With a little bit of luck, this is going to be a great
opener and page-turner that leaves people starving for the sequel.

The Unknown Narrator


:: Moebius Six + Jaeden ::

2007: (from left to right) Amelie Celine, Ariyana Skysong, Alac Draxton
Jaeden, Nathan Eyanemi, Crystal Anarion, Andre Baron

The first step in evaluating any literary work typically is an examination of the story’s point of view. Much of this series takes place within
an emerging repopularity in a “realtime” point of view. Realtime is the merging of two standard devices, creating the sense of a narrator
telling the story from a 3rd Person Limited Omnisicient viewpoint (not new, this mode of storytelling goes way back to Homer’s Iliad). This
means that rather than following a standard timeline, the story follows several corresponding storylines within the same timeline.
Conventionally this is a 3rd person omniscient view, however, the narrator here has little insight into the characters of these stories
personally, and thus the reader is left to build their impressions on very complex characters by seeing them through only a small window of
time in which a very unstandard sequence of events and choices come to pass.

Why would the unseen narrator choose to tell the story this way? The question must be asked. Well, to answer it, one must first define who
the narrator truly is. Unfortunately, no insight into this problem is really given to the reader until the next book.

Either way I can assure that the narrator is definitely the Archaedean Jaeden, who if unknown, is a “guardian angel” of sorts to Alac, and
will become the voice of one side of Alac’s conflicted conscience later in the series. She’s grown into quite a larger character in these later
years, especially as the theme of Archaedean’s switching allegiances has started to become consistent happening in the history of Avarice.
And since her particular emergence in Eye of the Storm as the voice of Alac’s rational mind, I’ve latched onto the idea of her being the
voice of the Evena Tide as a whole. In a way using Jaeden as a narrator allows me the ability to tell this story through Alac’s 1st point of
view, with the added of advantage of small insights into the greater workings of the plot as well from outside of Alac’s perspective. That
way, in the end, the reader can come out of the story feeling that Alac made the right ultimate decision, but still knowing that the decision
was the wrong one.

The “Main Main” Characters

I call these three my main mains because they are the only three I choose to expand upon personally through the use of recurring memories.
I often choose to paint a character’s personal struggle or journey by reproducing important chunks of time in their lives. I do this because I
find it more indicative of the mind’s way of making us relive our greatest and worst moments, and in the context of Jaeden as the narrator,
these are her small insights into the people around her. We already know Jaeden has great insight into Alac, but for all three here especially,
these moments are points in time that vastly impacted the people they were to become. For all three endured great tragedies that ultimately
were out of their control, which is why on these particular days it is understandable that these memories haunt them throughout the course
of the story (and thus why Jaeden can explain them so well, as she communicates through a person’s conscience).

What these memories chronicle thus is actually how the three characters are choosing to let those memories affect them in different ways in
the context of the story’s current events. At times these memories are even insights into things occurring in the plot that aren’t supposed to
be known yet. Ultimately, these are three separate results to come out of tragedy, and this is intentional to once again reaffirm that all
important point that everything comes down to choice.

Alac Draxton

Alac can easily be called “pure” or “innocent” at the start of this book. He has seen a lot, yes,
but has weathered his tragedies and turned them into a semi-healthy passion to stand against the
things that instigated his pain. It is important to note that it is this ultimate state to which Alac is
trying to return throughout the rest of this story. The only difference is that Alac has left the
safety of a childhood state and instead came back to a state of peace after having to face the
harsh evils of reality and become an adult. (Themes: “The Prodigal’s Son: Returning Home,”
“Children as ‘Pure’ or Innately Good”).

Obviously this book is about the attempted corruption of Alac’s spirit. He continually faces
situations where he is forced into making compromising decisions, and he is also a continual
victim in many of those same decisions. Sadly, the severity and the weight of these decisions
and their consequences are too much for Alac. It’s unfortunate to say that I open this series with
the hero’s fall, but it is true. Although this book does end with an optimistic resolution, there is
Davnport Rodeau
neither a bright message nor sign of hope from Alac. In regards to his choices, the reader is left
much like him and many others in Avarice: questioning whether it was truly right.

Dav is the action-star of this book, and really is more of the hero as well, even though he seems
to be more of an anti-hero (while Alac seems more heroic in this book when he really is more of
an anti-hero). This is the only book that will chronicle any sort of personal history of Dav’s, and
the story surrounds mostly the final day of the Battle of Kalm, where his love, Anaiya
DelaGillvrey sacrificed herself to buy the town’s evacuation more time from assault.

Dav is one of the many characters I have that center around a theme of continual sacrifice. This
is because forcing sacrifice is usually the route through which to unravel one’s faith in good, and
so that pesky Terra Virus is always trying to infect the citizens of Avarice by placing them in
situations where sacrifice is necessary.
“Dav’s Sin” – Yet Another Decision

There’s a lot of debate about this one in my mind, and I admit this one is a doozy. What it comes down to is a choice Dav makes NOT to
reveal to Alac that the Vana’Medai operative dying in Carrington while they are laying low there is Constance Draxton, Alac’s sister.
Obviously the ironic conflict here is that to explain Alac the situation would be to first tell him that his sister, believed dead for 8 years, is in
fact alive, but would be dead within the day with no hope of recovery.

Dav decides not to tell Alac, of course unable to see ahead to the moment when Alac learns the truth in Kiy’Vala City. But in turn, it is this
deception that cuts Alac deepest it seems. Whether or not the reader believes Dav is rightfully at fault, Dav himself feels he is so, especially
in the light of whom Alac is to become in Eye of the Storm.

Dav, too, is not to come out of this book unscathed personally. But the great thing about Dav is that he comes in able to handle a good deal,
and he leaves with the same grace. Dav is my answer to Jack Bauer, I don’t deny it!

Ariyana Skysong

Ariyana’s role in the plot is minimal, surprisingly, for a main character. She’s everywhere and
yet at the same time doesn’t accomplish much herself. It’s with a touch of irony thus that really
her story is about her realizing her inability to step out and see the world with her own mind, not
someone else’s. And really how if you don’t you can find yourself to be a pawn to other’s
desires and misgivings.

It is supposed to be ironic, then, that Ariyana finally decides she no longer will be a pawn right
when it’s Alac who is expecting her to be his unwavering support with the controversial
operations of Moebius Six. But it is this “waking moment” that makes Ariyana such a crucial
character, as it ends up leading her to saving Alac and all of Moebius Six’s lives in book two.

The “Seconday Main” Characters

These four did take a back seat roll when it came to their personal stories’ development in this particular story. Although the reader is given
much to work with in terms of who these four are as people, nothing is really known about them outside of the events of the three days this
book covers. The fact that Jaeden seems unconcerned with any of these characters’ greater stories is important, because it means that the
characters are not concerned with them, themselves. In essence, these four are the characters who can do what the others can’t: keep their
past and present pains from hindering them. And not because they are suffering less – Cypher arguably faces some of the hardest questions
out of all of them, she’s 18 and dying. It’s very important, in conclusion, that these characters, although we know less about them, aren’t
denied their place as main characters: the heroism is no less encouraging even if we don’t know them as personally. (Parallel: Supporting
Our Troops).

Cypher Ammell
Cypher’s my political hero idealized: a kind soul of great sound mind and firm convictions.
Although quite naïve at the start of the book, it doesn’t take long for Alac’s unique perspective
to wear off on her and set off a chain reaction of self-realizations that give her the strength to
take control of events later in the book.

Physically the weakest character, her grasp on life and its importance is strongest out of
everyone. However, she’s put into an awkward situation as Alac and her relationship continues
to evolve within the circumstances of the unfolding chaos in the book. With romance budding,
she can’t help but feel guilty for having feelings for him, especially with so many around her
suffering and the fact that she can’t provide him with what he needs as she doesn’t know the
time she will have left. So instead she withdraws to protect him from the truth, much as how
Dav does with Constance’s identity (it’s no coincidence thus that Alac finds out the truth of both
situations right around the same time). And, much in the same way, the truth ends up hurting
the relationship more than helping it, ultimately guiding it down the path of failure.
Tirand Calytrene
It’s hard to say that a man I revere as much as Tir has a lesson to learn in my stories, and yes, for
a LONG time, Tir was that omnipresent voice of reason who was just there, Dav’s right hand
man. However, as the story evolved Tir did too, albeit at a much slower pace.

So as I wrote the story it just naturally seemed to happen that Tir’s role in all this is much larger
than I once thought. At the start of the book, Tir is a lot like our narrator, Jaeden. His words
often reflect some small insight into a greater issue, but really he is a figure of enigma. As he’s
described, he likes being seen this way. Physically imposing, of intense facial expressions and
the like, Tir is a character who even the reader in the back of their head is thinking beyond the
fact that his story of no concern, that “he doesn’t even want me to know his story.”

So how will Tir change? He’s going to be forced to confront his past in one way or another.
Admittedly this doesn’t take place too much until the next book, but Tir is going to come out of
his shell finally in this one. One thing he realizes is that he can’t depend on Dav to be his voice
forever. As is clear, Dav is visibly having troubles keeping himself focused and in a lead
position in the dangerous situations the duo is accustomed to seeing. For the sake of his own
life, this means Tir has to assume a leadership role on several occasions, which he actually does.

Tir is also forced to face the feelings he has for his friends. As cold and unattached as he
portrays himself, the pain Alac and Dav suffer clearly hits Tir too, even to the point where Tir
has to decide for himself if he is going to step outside of his shell to help or not. He fights this a
lot: he is as capable as Dav is of telling Alac the truth about Constance, and even more so feels it
himself to be the right thing to do. Yet the fear of actually taking a stand on this issue and
disrespecting Dav’s request to keep it quiet keeps him from doing so. Surprisingly, Alac never
calls him on this verbally. One way to look at is that much in the way Tir rarely used words to
pass judgment, often his silence said more than words ever could. Whether or not Alac truly
holds it against Tir for his secrecy as much as he does Dav is unknown, but Tir responds to the
consequences of the event as if he alone was responsible.

Jacques Black

Jacques role in direct plot is always minimal, and he’s a main character that never was intended to portray much more on a deeper level. In
this light, I wanted Jacques to be seen as our “champion of the common man.” He is a Draconan, but one who is looking to topple the
stereotypes of his people and give them an example of hope in a world that seems to have swallowed them up. He’s one of the more
comedic characters, hopefully there to help the reader remember that in the face of it all, we, the free-willed, would have no hope of
believing in good without a sense of humor.

Jacques, the short-tempered outcast we first see in Asterion, is a loveable jokester and solid warrior at the end of the book. He is a rare
character to which all the other characters seem to come to when they need happiness or a moments reprieve from their stress or fear. On
his own personal note, Jacques finds his own peace through the friends he makes in this story. The eccentric cast of personalities is exactly
the fuel he has been looking for in his great search for a sense of purpose.

Slaine von’Mauldron

Slaine is that character that everyone worries is going to be the first “slain” in the battle.
Childishly selfish, closed-minded, and unpredictable, not even the Kiy’Valan military seems to
be reaffirming Slaine’s faith in order. For a majority of the book, he is posted at Fort Zerdanis,
which would be the frontline of fighting in a war with Andraxor. Unsurprisingly, Slaine is on
the front-line of the ideological war as well, and until he meets Cypher, he’s fighting for Terra
Derrivian.

However, the simple action of Cypher insisting to talk to him over the course of their trip (since
no one else seems to want to talk to either one of them) is enough to change him. Just a little
bit of kindness saves Slaine from the abyss, and instead sets his path onward to become a
magnificent leader. The message here obviously is that you never know what a small act of
kindness might be able to do to change someone’s life, and who’s lives they may go on to
change afterwards.
Secondary Characters

William Ammell

Other than being that “stereotypical, unbending, irrational government type,” King Ammell is supposed to be a somewhat sympathetic
character. His morality by all standards isn’t the purest, but he cares deeply for his daughter, and he feels responsible for her suffering. So
much so, in fact, that he’s driven to do whatever necessary for the hope that he can save her from her suffering, even if it means turning a
blind eye to his duties as a leader. Hopefully the book will go a long way to illustrate that point and even beg the reader to put themselves in
Ammell’s situation: what if it was your child? It’s a hard position to have to face and in Ammell’s case, his choices lead to a lot of
unfortunate results.

Arduan Andonidus

Much like Ammell, Andonidus is another largely ineffective idealist at the forefront in the political spectrum, although his lack of power
derives more from a long history of corruption and inconfidence from within his nation’s system. Still, his inability to make “the big
decision” is the cause from many problems within the book. Ultimately, these two leaders will highlight a soft point about how inaction can
be as much an evil as anything else. (What happens when good people won’t stand up against evil?) Andonidus is fortunate in that he has a
chance to redeem himself in the future, Ammell does not.

Arcturus Redine

From what little we see of him before his mysterious disappearance, Arcturus is a short-tempered bureaucrat that has little tolerance for what
he sees as his subordinates errors, despite knowledge the reader acquires that those errors may be the result of Redine’s own oversight. Still,
after he’s gone, some facts are exchange that shed a softer light on the Paladin leader, including the fact that he was a great benefactor to
families and wartime refugees of the Zodiac War. In addition, he apparently strongly opposes Ammell’s isolationist policies towards
Kiy’Vala in private and is said to often heatedly clash with Archmage Hormel Eyonic. This would seem to explain the seemingly random
reappearance of his character when it’s reported that both men died in a murder/suicide. What’s up to the reader for the decide is exactly
what’s up for the people of Andraxor to decide: do you believe Redine had a sociopathic desire to make the Paladin’s the single order of the
Protectorate?

Hormel Eyonic

As an archetypal “wise and benevolent old man” (and with a name taken from a bacon company!) Hormel is the last character to naturally
associate with evil. Of course, to the wise reader’s out there, this may be a little bit obvious, which is why Hormel’s role in all of this is
shrouded, a little too conveniently, by his death. There’s no real answer to the question of why Hormel helps Arcana achieve her goals.
Knowing the way in which Arcana works, it is likely that Hormel had been pushed into a position to comply. It is revealed later that
whether or not this is true, Hormel had resolutely decided the chain of events that had been put in motion were too much for his conscience
to bare, and he was set to expose her, which is why she killed him, planting Redine’s body on the scene to support the corroborating story

Ourai Camari

Ourai is a sound thinker, tactician, and politician, and has worked to achieve a good position, however, his voice ultimately isn’t loud
enough for his words of truth to be heard until late. Yet even knowing this, he tirelessly works to perform the duties he has to his country.
As a long-time friend of Dav, he’s one of the more refreshing faces in the upper levels of the Andraxor Protectorate. Ultimately he’s a
character honoring many of those great people who have dedicated their lives to national service, militarily and politically.

Kei Geffhouse

The Thunderhawk Commander is a much larger character in day one, less so in day two although he is present for the rest of day while Alac
is at Carrington where he is visiting Tranquility before planning to journey to Careon to ask for forgiveness. In day three he is not see, and
from the epilogue, he has apparently died in the siege of Careon. Kei is a sympathetic character, even in Alac’s eyes, who is able to form a
bond with the man even though there is much conflict surrounding their meeting. He is a very faithful man from beginning to end, who
clearly by his departing from Carrington carries a lot of guilt for the weight of his decisions. The true nature of his death will be elaborated
upon in Eye of the Storm as it is one which haunts Alac eternally onward, but it’s left up to the reader to answer whether they believe Kei
found forgiveness and peace in Careon before his death.

Andre Baron

The cocky Magtac Field-Ops Director looks up to Dav as a mentor and man of impeccable character. He is the first to agree to violate
protocol and help Dav look into Paladin mainframes for signs of corrupt practices, and he is the last to want to abandon their search to help
Alac instead. Still, Baron never put his reputation on his tech skills, and is a much stronger leader in ground operations. He believes
strongly in Moebius Six’s cause by the time it is formed.
Nathan Eyanemi

A bit more on the serious side, Magtac Tech and Field Operative Eyanemi is more often than not inclined to voice a correct opinion on
something and then follow his team on exactly the opposite course of action. He seems to have great insight into things, but also seems to
lack the confidence that his insights are correct at the time. In this respect, he also lacks a fluid moral code – the only consistency being his
need to always fully examine a situation. His character seems to fit right into Moebius Six by these regards.

Crystal Anarion

Crystal is Magtac’s certified badgirl; one of Andraxor’s strongest magical duelists and reknown swordmasters. To top it off, she’s the
gorgeous High School girlfriend of Nathan (nerd who got the girl much?), and the continual voice that keeps the “boys” in check when their
playful banter strays to far. She is in many ways everything in reality Ariyana envisions herself as in her mind, and even Alac seems a bit
captivated by her. Not surprisingly, Crystal and Ari do not hit it off. Crystal tends to think a little bit too late after she acts though. She’s
kind of the opposite Nathan in this regard, which is why I hope their relationship to be a fun source of humor for the most part.

Amelie Celine

Alac’s childhood friend from Quieton, Amelie is rare as she is the only other mentioned relative in the series of a former operative of the
original Moebius. She is an extremely intelligent programmer and technical operator, has been trained in magic, and admittedly has dabbled
in network hacking (which fortunately landed her a job at the Ministry of Intelligence rather than in jail). She’s in one of the unique
members of Moebius Six in that she is outside of Magtac, yet still fulfills a vital role for the team, since the Moebius Six operation that
occurs in text centers around her. Overall, Amelie is a solid and faithful friend, as well as a faithful believer in doing the right thing. Her
technical mind has a bit of trouble thinking on a larger level, though.

Brief Character Evaluations – On the Side of Chaos


The Main Villains: The Three Prime Evils

Arcana Lydel: Fear

Our wicked Eye of the Storm only has three official appearances in this book: once at the beginning when she kills Constance, nextly within
Dav’s memories as the young Anada’heim Battalion Chief for Kalm, and finally within Ariyana’s memory as the mentor who’s proverb
inspires Ari to always wear her hair over her eye. Either way, the information given to the reader about Arcana is insignificant and
unsubstantial for her name to even be remembered or associated with anything relevant in this book, which is exactly how she wants it.

Seth DelaGillvrey: Apathy

Number two in command of Everlasting Vendetta, Seth is an interesting villain; especially since much like with Lydel the reader is given no
reason to suspect him as a villain for the entire course of the story. Instead, Seth is more of a major character in Dav’s memory sequences,
portrayed as a rigid Ranger who disapproves of his sister’s choice in men. Clearly by his reintroduction in Portnine on Day One, Seth isn’t
supposed to be seen as a good guy. But still, just like as Dav suspects, the reader is left to think of Seth as a forgivable character who over
everything else loved his sister and was hurt by the choice of her sacrifice, not that it would drive him towards a psychopathic need to
unravel the fabric of order. Seth is the silent puppetmaster to Jason Tyler, and the often referenced “hidden third wheel” Dav muses on
when he thinks back upon the Brotherhood Operations. In Portnine on Day One, Seth intentionally directs the Rangers to Mooren in time to
plant his ambush. From his perspective, at best they were killed and done sniffing around his scent, or at worst, they would kill Jason Tyler
for him as Tyler’s purpose had by that point been outlived plus he had been careless.

Jhonathon von’Mauldron: Greed

Heading EV’s Kiy’Valan operations and really most of the financial weight behind the terror order, it would be likely to believe that
Jhonathon really IS the leader of EV. By the time he is exposed and found, apparently having committed suicide, all documentation points
to his company and its associated illegal foundations and funds accounting for a vast majority of EV’s assets. But what is Jhon after before
this point? As seen through his letters to Slaine, he’s an arrogant idealist that believes money is a tool of evolution that weeds out the strong
minded from the weak. Obviously the humor here is that he is so weak-minded he doesn’t realize that he, himself, is only a pawn. His
taking the fall for EV affords Seth and Arcana time to regroup and begin the next phase of their plan: the events of this book’s sequel.

The Secondary Villains

Jason Tyler

A notorious pirate that little truly knew by name, Tyler was known for having no allegiance except to money, sacrificing at times even his
own crew to complete a particular objective, as in the case with the infamous case of the Caerstin’s Dream. He is the prime suspected
mastermind of the events of Day One’s chaos, and is a figure Dav and Tir know personally, having been the ones to put him away two years
prior in the toppling of the Maritime Brotherhood. He bites the dust after having not been in the scene for too long, but it is ultimately
revealed that he had always worked for Seth delaGillvrey and the Hen’s World Order.

Mikhail Mooren

An Andraxor shipping tycoon, Mooren was formerly a “brother” of the old Maritime Brotherhood, an underground syndicate of organized
crime and piracy centered in Portnine before it was toppled two years before the events of this book. He is not really a villain, nor is it
exactly known until the start of day two what his true role was in the Paladin’s operation before his assassination. In fact, in turn for
amnesty, Mooren and a Vana’Medai operative were in the process of producing documents on many dirty Portnine industrialists, including
Seth. The imminent release of this information threatened to compromise EV’s entire plan, and thus a plan had to be formulated to give EV
a clear shot at both Mooren and the operative. But to do that, first a distraction on a massive scale would have to scramble the nation’s
defense network – so that a murder might go unnoticed long enough for the killer to escape in broad daylight.

The Ultimate Decision


Every book climaxes with an “ultimate decision.” These decisions are usually constructed around many complex factors, and more often
than not forced to be addressed before the suffering characters are even fully able to grasp the entirety of the decision’s consequences. Why
are these decisions important? Existence comes down to choice: we have to decide for ourselves if we believe we are here for a reason or
not, and this faith is the very thing that ends up defining if we in fact do. This makes choice the only thing Terra Derrivian can not fully
predict when it comes to his conquest of reality. He’s banked his entire mission on his belief that given the right trigger any person can be
pushed into apathy. And so, in Avarice, the Terra Virus in place is executed to drive people towards that choice: giving up hope.

The ultimate decision in this book falls on the shoulders of Alac Draxton. After having just discovered the true nature of his sister’s death,
learning from the Archaedeans that the Church of Ominii is summoning Kafadrians and confirming this with Moebius Six, seeing the
country he loves brought to its knees and then nearly sent into an apocalyptic war with Kiy’Vala, finding out his “destined woman” is dying
of an incurable disease, Alac must decide if he and Moebius Six are going to step up as the lawless Halcyonic Assassins, and bring about the
swift and necessary destruction of Kafadrian presence on Avarice and all who bring it. Sadly, this is the decision he makes, which is why
The Chaos Effect is a victory for Terra Derrivian.

2006: “I Have Lost You a Second Time”

Featuring Alac on the right and Constance Draxton/Tranquility on the left, this is my favorite drawing. While
he never sees her in a conscious state as this picture would hint, it’s more suggestive of how Alac feels when he
discovers her identity. The thought that “over eight years he might have stood right next to his sister at some
point without even knowing it” haunts him. She, too, stands right next to him, yet there seems to be a world of
distance between them and her expression is bittersweet at best. I’m not sure how people overall are going to
view the big twist involving Constance – whether they will understand why it leads Alac to make the choices he
does, or if they’ll even understand why I worked in this side of the storyline when the only purpose it serves is
to drive my main character insane. Alac’s memory sequence focuses on Constance a lot, both to convey to the
reader how close the siblings are but also because Alac honestly believes that it should have been her, the
smarter and more noble, and not him to survive. To Alac thus, it is almost as if she was resurrected simply for
the purpose of confirming those exact feelings. That, within the bounds of literally having seen her die again, is
enough to crumble Alac’s faith in the good in life and drive him to plummet off of Suicide Ledge.
Book Two: Eye of the Storm
2006-2008
:: The Moebius Six Series ::

2008: (left to right) Amelie Celine, Andre Baron, Crystal Anarion-Eyanemi, Nathan Eyanemi

Forethoughts: I’ve devoted almost as much time to this book as its prequel, and it’s my favorite book in Evena Tide. The name of this
book is unfortunately under review. It was named after a particular mission in the Blizzard game Starcraft, and I even used it as the name of
my first book over a decade ago. However, Blizzard reused this title again only recently by naming one of their player verse player
battlegrounds it in their game World of Warcraft.

Symbolically, the eye of the storm is supposed to elicit a feeling of calm at the center of the chaos. However, in hurricanes, the eye is even
more deceptively dangerous than the storm itself: colder, windier, and deadlier. In Evena Tide, Sayuira Mishenke aka Arcana Lydel is the
Eye of the Storm: the hidden mastermind of Everlasting Vendetta and the torrent of tragic times of the first book and this one as well. Not
coincidentally, she also wields an enchanted elementium katana called the Storm, and speaks blankly of storms and their eyes to Constance
Draxton in their fight in the Prologue of the very first book.

I like the symbol a lot, as it fits Lydel so well. Add to it the fact that she and her undead army return in the Terran Chapters to wage war on
Earth (Eye of the Storm II anyone?), I personally think it’s a treat to be seeing hurricane Arcana twice in one series. =)
Book Eight: The Seventh Circle
2006-2008

Q: Why wait so long to conclude Evena Tide? Why not add the Avarice Chronicles after The Seventh Circle?
A: Besides plot reasons, there are financial reasons! Since Evena Tide is the first series, I predict my reader’s being tied to its characters and
its mysteries over any of the else. However, if I am to hold true to my aim in this story of “the reader experiencing the journey as Alac does
himself,” then they must fully know and understand the breadth of Alac’s great transformation: the ultimate realization that it’s been ALL
the moments leading up to this book, and ALL the heroes who have throughout Avarice’s history stood up against evil, who prove that the
“love is real.” I believe it is inappropriate and arrogant to simply state this ultimate point without holding it up to the microscope as this
series does with every other point it attempts to make.

Ariyana to Alac: “What role do words have in something the heart has to learn on it’s own?”

Sub-Series: The Chronicles of Avarice


2008

Book Three:
2008

Book Four:
2008

Book Five:
2008

Book Six:
2008

Sub-Series: The Terran Chapters


1999-2008
Book 7: Operation Deathserpent (Avarice, 1st Era): “Let There Be Light”
Storyboard: Operation Deathserpent, 1999-2003

Old Story Summary:

Jason Kerrigan, sole son to a Terran nation’s monarch, is beckoned home from his idealistic life as a Centaurian Terraforming
Project Manager to study the emergence of five alien energy collections on Earth. Bound to his duty to his country, Jason goes ahead with
the operation, only to find to his amazement that the enigmatic alien fields might have the power to distort time itself. But before further
testing can ensue, Operation Deathserpent is shut down, as it is revealed to have been a deceptive ploy to lure Jason out of the colonies. In
revolt, Jason banks his life on his theories about the alien energies, throwing himself into a time vortex to escape arrest.

Jason finds himself in the land of Avarice, a place he muses as an odd alien world where the laws of science seem conflicted, if not
even at times absent. Of what little he learns of the strange land as his modern survivalist methods land him in harms way more than they
help him, Avarice actually is a suspended island floating high above the frozen wastes of Planet, which have been locked in a perpetual ice
age for centuries. Jason is forced to assume a new identity, Turstan Grabor, by a group of tentative allies called the Planetbound
Insurrectionists, apparently a collection of warriors on the island in the sky who stand against the Avarician Queen for her cruelty towards
the suffering people of Planet.

As hope of ever seeing Earth and his Centaurian home fades and Jason finds himself becoming “Turstan” more and more with each
passing day, he’s forced into an introspective look at the life he may never know again, and the life he is being forced to assume now. The
situation is even more complex than it seems as Jason and his new friends, mainly an enigmatic rogue named Cypher Ammell and a short-
tempered brawler named Kurtlen Bromwell, are sent on a desperate mission to the Planetbound Capitol of Shendara to report on the
appearance of “Der Kai” (firearms) in the world. Apparently firearms are supposed to be seen as sacrilegious to both Avaricians and
Planetarians, so their existence is supposed to be cause for much alarm.

This novel ultimately was terminated with an increasing difficulty to sustain a direction following this point. Many ideas branched
out, including the planned including of key characters Rev Neinhous and Akeave Connistera, who I still hope to incorporate into the new
story. Overall, the story was ahead of its time, and I’m finding many of the scientific inaccuracies and plot gaps that plagued it have found
easy solutions in the framework of today’s Avarice.

Jason Kerrigan as the Wildcard Earthen Savior of Avarice?

The original story shouldn’t be hard to incorporate into the new; Evena Tide’s Avarice was built around the old Planet, so
geographically everything lines up. Just to clarify, in the first era: “Avarice” is indeed the island in the sky, and “Planet” is the name for the
continent on which the rest of the series outside of the Terra Chronicles is based. As the Terra Chronicles (TC) is the new addendum to the
Avarice Chronicles (AC), this book is thus going to be the important cornerstone linking the two worlds together. Since Jason Kerrigan is
going to remain the main character, it actually makes this book the official prequel to the TC, which is ironic since it is also the ultimate
“climax” to the AC, the book that ties together all the missing elements and questions in the Avarician Semiverse.

I think the cleverest bit in this merge centers in that this story works with Avarice’s First Era: The Beginning. In the creation, on
Day One, God created light and darkness: the very first building blocks of the universe. “Light” and “Dark” are thus going to be the central
themes of this book. These themes will be carried out through very idealistic characters and simple plot devices. The big twist is that this
simple world of “early time” is being seen in the book only through the perspective of Jason, a young man from the future!

Jason is a complex character. He’s essentially seized from his fantasy and tossed into his nightmares, but finds out that what he
once believed to be happiness in on a Centaurian Eden had in fact been more a sense of longing. Time is a big factor in this story, as it is
with every: this book will give the most insight into the personal thoughts of any single character in the series and will also be the only one
narrated in a first person perspective. There’s a lot of reasons, the least of which that Jason represents “me” any more or less than any of the
others. No, the book starts where it does, in the Terran Universe, because it is these short moments that Jason relives over and over again
through his 2 years on Avarice. 2 years being the longest amount of time by far that any of the books in the rest of the series encompass,
Jason is plagued with more than enough time to lose himself in his thoughts, especially with the exceptionally simplistic nature of life on
Avarice/Planet. Overtime then he realizes that it wasn’t until he had faced his fear of leaving Centauri to pursue the opportunity in Earth
that he had felt such purpose, and that his many years had really been times of running from himself and the truths of reality.

Why Forsake the Avarician Story for Vain Attempt to Merge Fantasy and Sci-Fi?

Outside of the previously outlined reasons, this will be a very special book for me and I personally can’t wait to rewrite it. I’m a
big numbers guy and not by accident, this will be the seventh book in the series. Seven being the number that completes the universal cycle,
this, not The Seventh Circle will be the story that concludes the missing elements of Avarice’s universe, yet it is that next book that reaffirms
everything this book puts into motion.

What this means:


-The Archangels are revealed through the all-important ending. To destroy Avarice, Shendara’s beacon of knowledge, the Temple
of Heaven, must be deactivated.
-This is the ultimate mission, a very simple one once it’s revealed, and yet the impact of this decision is the all deciding factor for
three separate universes. The decision specifically? Jason stands ready to kill Maryland d’Avarice when instead she
disappears in place for a small child, a little boy. Unsure of what is happening; Jason decides not to kill the child.
oKafadrian: “Avarice” (the island in the sky) and the Temple of Heaven, its source, are this universe’s last remaining tie to
the “new universe” (Avarice post Era 1). With their destruction, the worldline effectively ceases to exist. The child is
Terra Derrivian, the Time Assassin. By not killing him, Jason fails to sever Kafadrian’s tie to Avarice, and sets the
land up for the next six ages to come.
oAvarice: The Island in the Sky’s destruction marks the end of the Planet’s Ice Age. As it’s ruins fall into the frozen seas
of North Onemata and Shendara is left cut off from its infinite stores of energy, the people of New Avarice can only
wonder what their world holds. Obviously by the stories to come, life goes on quite good for the Planetbound, who
adopt the name of their forgotten birthright: the Luminarians.
oEarth: Jason’s involvement to Avarice ties his universe to it in ways that this book won’t actually reveal entirely, which
as it had been originally, gave purpose to the Terran Chronicles.
-Yes, Demeth Draxton is one of the Kafadrian Archangels who along with Jason imprison Terra’s six Antikka within the Pillar of
Flame (the great project Queen Avarice enslaves Planetbound to construct).
-Yes, the book finally makes it clear to the reader that this is the case, another reason for choosing Jason as a main character. Jason
and Demeth discuss quite openly the entirety of what the Kafadrians had hoped to achieve in their Particle Accelerator and the
state of their world, as well as how the Avarician anomaly might make sense from a scientific standpoint. Jason even says he
is aware of a similar device having been constructed centuries ago in Earth’s history. However, it is unclear whether or not this
dissuades the argument that Kafadrian is in fact Earth, and that IS a question I do intend to keep ambiguous. Much rather,
Kafadrian is supposed to be an example set forth as something Earth could become should it assume the ideals that destroyed
Kafadrian.

So, yes, this book will follow suit to my belief in the number seven as closure… incomplete.

Book Nine: The Shadow Hunters


1997-2008

Book Ten: Eye of the Storm II


1997-2008

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