Let’s talk about gods, and I need to do this without unveiling too much, so bear with me.
In Rise of the Veilbreaker, arriving September 1st on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers, we introduce several gods. I’ll share more about them specifically once the story goes to print. What is essential to know is that there is strife amongst the gods. There is a goddess of creation, but she is limited to the realm of flora and fauna. There is a god of the land, who creates the metals, minerals, mountains, and soil that allow the plants to grow and humankind to build. He is also her twin brother, born to the god of chaos.
The Core Conflict: A Cosmic Family Feud
Something strange happens after the first two gods create Binsmuth. Their father begins to attack the very creations that his children have made. This cosmic strife is what sets in motion the goddess of creation, forming the orders. She originally had a small priesthood, but after her father’s attack, she invested her divine power in three groups: the Order of Valor, the Order of Justice, and the Order of Nature.
Accordingly, these druids, priests, and paladins are charged with defending the world from the monsters that her father sends to Binsmuth. There is no explanation, just the struggle to survive against these invading forces.
Is it his nature as the god of chaos to do this? Why is this struggle played with mortal beings instead of the gods settling the matter themselves?
Why Mythology Matters in Worldbuilding
In developing a mythology there needs to be coherence, depth, and resonance to draw the reader into the setting. It makes the world ancient and lived-in. There is an extra layer of believability when their are gods, origin stories, legendary heroes, and cataclysmic events in its past.
There is a sense of time. An illusion of the years of culture and belief that characters are born into.
Establishing Culture and Theme
Binsmuth is a world where there are two sides of the human coin. There are the mundane kingdoms and arguments. Beyond that there are the taboos of the religious part of the world. There are conflicts that overarch the mundane, making these fictional cultures more believable and distinct.
Within the myths are the cores themes of the story. Creation, destruction, fate, rebellion, sacrifice, and divine justice are all present. These are used as the metaphorical lens through which you as the reader interpret the actions of the characters. They also serve to foreshadow the plot. Having the motives of one or more of these gods being unclear draws you deeper in. It also keeps the world from being fully explained all at once.
The Sacred and the Mundane: The Role of the Groves
The number nine holds significance for the goddess. I did that because it parallels Christian theology, where God created the world in seven days and then rested on the seventh day. On Binsmuth, the twin gods created their world, and on the ninth day, their father attacks. Right away, it conveys that this is a more challenging environment to survive in.
She has nine sacred groves spread across the world. Three of them exist on the continent of Verservor, where stories take place. Little is known of the other continents, but the denizens of this world know they exist.
Where Versevor is a cold continent, within her groves the world is a warmer place. A place of respite and somewhere even the monsters dare not tread. They are an otherworldly place. Animals, both predator and prey, coexist peacefully. Each has a pool, where believers may immerse themselves and commune with the goddess. Sometimes she speaks to people when they do this, and other times it is just a peaceful moment for those entering.
This helps you, the reader, even in this fantastical setting to connect with familiar emotions and philosophical questions. You should be able to see that the mythology is the soul of the world. A backdrop that shapes the layers of the story and enriches both the character’s experiences and your own immersion.
The Soul of Your World
What unfolds in the novel is a reckoning between those twin gods and their father. It is where the characters’ lives unfold and they take their place in the struggle. Is it a tale of good versus evil? No, that would be too easy. You’ll have to read the story to understand the truth of it. The tale has layers to it, and I hope you will find the world of Binsmuth to be an interesting place.