Fashion's been a Passion

The series that Vision of Alliance kicks off, Goddess’s Vision, is my second series set in the world of the Seven Crowned Gods. Why Seven Crowned Gods? Because for the most part, they are universally recognized throughout that world as the major deities.

How each God or Goddess is worshiped varies from land to land, but several factors remain the same. There are always Seven. The Seven have acolytes whose titles and roles may differ from God-to-God and land-to-land. While reincarnation is accepted as reality in some of the lands of the Seven Crowned Gods, it is not a universal constant. For example, the only nations of Varen that accept reincarnation are Saubral and Keratil. Conversely, reincarnation—at least a partial form of reincarnation, where elements of a person’s essence may be reborn—is held to be true in Daran and its subject nations.

The Gods will often elevate trusted deceased followers to be their Voices and Messengers to the living. This role does not go on for eternity but for an unspecified period of time—frequently, a Voice or Messenger retains their role as long as one or two generations of the living, then they move on to an unspecified fate. Some Voices or Messengers may reincarnate as Guardians of places that hold particular magical significance and become ageless and enduring, living long beyond a typical human lifespan—for example, Imnari of Wickmasa, who protects that particular Gods-haunted village in the Varenese nation of Keldara. This tends to happen most often in the nations of Varen and in the nation of Ternar amongst the subject states of Daran. Nenanim of Waykemin, though made temporarily mindless as a kendar minost—an expedient one—by the Witches of Waykemin, may be another example.

Gods can be deposed if they choose to work against their siblings or exploit their human followers. It is rare that this happens, and is usually tied to a human sorcerer’s attempt to make themselves a God. The most recent examples are the Outcast God, who sought to elevate himself above all other Gods as the only God to be worshiped, and the Goddess Nitel, the Outcast God’s former consort, who tried to do the same in the name of her strongest follower, Chatain, Emperor of Daran. Chatain was not the only human ruler who sought Nitel’s patronage in an attempt to elevate themselves to the divine. An unnamed sorcerer in Waykemin tried to do the same thing, leading to Terani-the-God-Killer banishing Nitel’s divine presence from Waykemin. Zauril en Ralsem had the same ambition, leading the Darani Emperor Dunaran to distract Zauril by sending him to Varen with the goal of expanding Darani colonies there. When Zauril’s efforts failed, he attempted to force the issue by forcing himself on the heir to the land of Medvara, Alicira, hoping to create a sorcerer sufficiently powerful to ascend to Godhood and perhaps also elevate him as well.

Zauril failed, but his daughter Rekaré succeeded—in part due to her sacrifice to ensure that Witmara ea Miteal became the Empress of Daran.

The current makeup of the Seven Crowned Gods and the months named after them are as follows:

Artel the Judge. Head of the Seven Crowned Gods, he is often the patron of those in authority. To him falls the honor of the first month of the year after Winter Solstice, Artel’s Judgment. His anointed acolytes also frequently serve as those who hear disputes between community members, and bear the special title of shaman. Artel adjudicates specific disputes between the Gods, and his word is law.

Staul the Balancer/Staul the Destroyer—The only God with an acknowledged dual nature, the balance between chaos and order is Staul’s focus. His benign side is acknowledged as the Balancer. However, when destruction and doom become dominant, then the Destroyer side of Staul rides rampant over the lands. A manifestation of the Destroyer is never a good thing. Staul’s acolytes often help ease the dying to make the transition between life and death. They are considered to be priests, and frequently record community events as well as the weather, as part of observing the Balance.

Staul is also the lover of Dovré. Three months bear his name—Staul’s Dream, the month that follows Artel’s Judgment. Springtime two months later is celebrated as the month that Staul and Dovré first became lovers, and is called The Dance of Staul and Dovré. Staul’s last honored month is the first month of autumn, the month of the autumn equinox, and is called Staul’s Shadow to reflect the shortening days as winter approaches.

Dovré the Golden—Patroness of healers and powerful women. Dovré guides those women who are placed in positions of power, and expresses her healing side through her support of healers—this last is best known in the lands of Varen. She is usually considered to be a gentle Goddess, but when her wrath is awakened—watch out! Even Staul will falter in the face of her anger, which can be greater than Artel’s and Staul’s combined.

Two months bear her name—the month following Staul’s Dream, known as Dovré’s Awakening, then the following month that she shares with Staul, the celebration of their romance.

Terat of the Waters—Patroness of all those who travel the waters as well as lakes, springs, seeps, and the sap flowing in the plants of all the lands. She is especially beloved of the Sorcerer-Captains who sail the ocean in the magical sailships. Little is known about the ritual by which a petitioner can become a Sorcerer-Captain, except that it involves much study and a significant apprenticeship before the final ceremony where the candidate either succeeds—or never returns from Terat’s waters. The two months dedicated to Terat are the month following the Dance, Terat’s Tears, named for the rains that hopefully fall within that month, and the month following Staul’s Shadow, Terat’s Awakening, reflecting her ascension as Goddess during the autumn.

Rekaré the Wise/ The Lady of Sorrow—The newest member of the Seven Crowned Gods. Rekaré is the patroness of those who sorrow as well as those who seek wisdom. A powerful sorcerer in life, she abdicated her role as Leader of Medvara when she brought about the name and curse of Kinslayer after killing a close cousin who brought about the deaths of several of Rekaré’s close family. In that role of Kinslayer, Rekaré negotiated the unification of the lands of Varen through earning the loyalty of the Shadowwalkers of Saubral, becoming their benghaalph or prophet, the One Spoken Of.

Rekaré was raised in the Two Nations, Keldara and Clenda. Her mother Alicira was one of the Three Leaders of the Two Nations, part of a threefold bond with Heinmyets of Keldara and Inharise of Clenda. Heinmyets served as her Heartfather, a surrogate for her father Zauril, and Inharise was her Heartmother. Her months are the one containing the Summer Solstice, Rekaré’s Dreaming, and the one after Terat’s Awakening, Rekaré’s Shadow.

Karnoi of War—Twin to Cirdel, son of the Outcast God and the Goddess Nitel. Karnoi thrives in heat and flames, often expressing himself in great thunderstorms that kick off massive wildfires in forested areas. Along with Cirdel, he frequently manifests in the form of a wolf leading a pack that contains their dead acolytes. While Karnoi often feuds with most of the other Gods, his greatest loyalty is to his sister Cirdel. They are often the tools of the other Gods when vengeance is required. His month is the one after the Summer Solstice, Karnoi’s Dance, and he shares the month of Winter Solstice with his sister Cirdel, Karnoi and Cirdel’s Hunt. Their actions seek to bring offenders to Artel’s judgment. Along with Cirdel, the only children of Gods in the Seven Crowned Gods.

Cirdel of Chaos—Twin to Karnoi, daughter of the Outcast God and the Goddess Nitel. Chaotic, whimsical, and above all else unpredictable, Cirdel brings the random judgment of fate upon those who turn their faces away from the Gods. Those who seek chaos also fear overstepping their bounds and bringing about her judgment—in many ways, Cirdel takes after her mother Nitel in her pitiless pursuit of wrongdoers. Her months are Cirdel’s Judgment, the month of high summer after Karnoi’s Dance, and the shared month with Karnoi, Karnoi and Cirdel’s Hunt. Cirdel is often cited as a seducer of those contemplating wrongdoing, and leading them willy-nilly down her chaotic path to destruction. And yet those appearances of hers are frequently false manifestations.

Cirdel on her own is particularly beloved of the Wild Riders and Sorcerers of Daran’s Western Grasslands, because she reflects so much of the chaotic nature of that land.

This is but a brief introduction to the Seven Crowned Gods—or at least, all that they’re willing to share of themselves with me at this time. To discover more, check out the first book of Goddess’s Vision, Vision of Alliance, currently available through all major retailers. Find your preferred retailer at the book landing site on my website: https://joycereynolds-ward.com/books/vision-of-alliance/ef7ac7a1-fb6b-4a6b-8c5a-203b9915fda6

Given the poor response so far to this book, unless I start seeing more interest, I will not be planning to continue working further on this trilogy. I’ll probably pick it up later on but right now, it appears that there’s no particular interest in epic fantasy with a protagonist who has a disability, much less a story about a female Empress struggling with her land’s magic.