Names for the Unnamed

In my first post (which, if you haven't read, go read it - it contextualizes this blog), I mentioned a novel that I've been working on but I didn't share any details beyond how many times I've scrapped and rebooted it. I'll share some of the things I'm most excited about here.

---

The book is planned as part of an epic fantasy trilogy I'm currently calling The Will of Beyond, and the first in that trilogy has the working title of Inheritance.

In the Will of Beyond world, people are granted blessings by divinity. On the continent where everything takes place in Inheritance, these people are called the Sacrosanct. Each type, of which there are four, can attune themselves to water vapor in the air and manipulate it.

1. Spectres can change the concentration of water molecules around them. This allows for some particularly creative applications of power.

2. Sublimats can freeze and sublimate water at will. Unfortunately they can't push or pull frozen things, so shooting ice spikes at their enemies is unlikely.

3. Conduits can change the ionization of water molecules and have a greater range than other blessed. Their ability to charge and discharge water allows them to conjure electric arcs.

4. Blisters can turn water vapor into superhot steam capable of burning and igniting. While the most destructive of the four and a formidable foe to each, they are the least common.

I mentioned the Sacrosanct, but how they come to be needs explanation beyond "people are granted blessings by divinity." This is the system I'm most excited about, and why I can't wait to write more and really explore where it leads me:

Inhabitants of Velkas, the main continent in The Will of Beyond, all have a biological aspect that differentiates them from your typical human. Each person has something inside of them that they call a Soul. It's a membranous sack in-between their heart and lungs that serves no purpose in life. However, at the moment of death oily golden liquid called Ichor rushes in through veins connected to the spine and heart, and quickly fills the Soul. These veins disconnect and the Soul seals itself, preserving the Ichor inside. This is the essence of a person — their abilities, talents, muscle memories, and actual memories. Ichor is the distillation of that person's being, and the Soul is its vessel. When someone consumes a Soul, drinking all of the Ichor within, they inherit all of that person.

In Velkan culture, it is common for parents to pass down their Souls, and by extension their blessings. It is also common for Sacrosanct to be kidnapped, killed, and have their Soul traded on the black market. Illegitimate holders of blessings are called Profane.

By this point you're probably wondering a few things. What if someone's Soul is damaged, and Ichor can't be stored? What happens when you consume a Soul, mentally? Physically? When you consume more than one? Can you stack blessings, and become a small god of water manipulation? Does the main character have an animal companion? If you have any of these questions, or one I didn't mention, that's good. I want the systems in my book to have nuance and mystery, and I plan on exploring this property of Velkas in the first book, lovingly titled Inheritor.

---

That's all I'll share for now. Each week I plan on posting some information about the book, and each post will be categorized under "Writing" so they're easy to find.

Pictured: You (left), Future Worldbuilding Posts (right)

Next week I'll continue to focus on the world and the people that live there while I tinker away in the background on Act II. As always, thank you for reading.