The classification of magic into “hard” and “soft” systems was conceived by award-winning author (and author of my second-favourite series!) Brandon Sanderson. He theorized that magic fell into two general forms
1. Soft magic, where magic just exists and is loosely explained (like the Force in Star Wars, and Tolkien’s magic system in his Lord of the Rings series)
2. Hard magic, where magic and its wielder must adhere to rules and restrictions, with consequences if those rules aren’t followed (like alchemy in the Fullmetal Alchemist series, and bending in the Avatar: the Last Airbender series).
In short, hard magic is defined but predictable, soft magic is ambiguous but unreliable. Neither system is better than the other as long as it fits into the world you’re building. Think of how boring it would be if Luke Skywalker had to pause mid-light-sabre-duel to chant up a conjuring of the Force, or how uninteresting it would be for Edward Elric to transmute his often hilarious weapons from thin air and not topple a building in the process?
In my current series, The Rose Cross Academy, I use a hard magic system based on alchemy, but the system is not used as heavily as in most fantasy novels. In my world, the story centres on the war brewing between humans and demons. The magic system is a tool used occasionally to help the students of the Academy through obstacles.
The students are limited to transmuting only certain weapons. Higher-level alchemy, such as raising barriers or exorcising demons, must be done by way of a mote—a pre-concocted spell meant to do one task and one task only, such as exorcising demons using fire.
The transmutation abilities of the students of the Rose Cross Academy are used as tools for their day-to-day, but the magic system is not the underlying story. That will be different for my next series.
In my next series, I want magic to be the underlying struggle in the world I’m building. Magic and how it’s used or abused sparks tension, war, and eventually destroys an entire civilization. In order to achieve that, I came to the conclusion I needed a hard magic system versus a soft magic system. Breaking rules and going beyond limitations will be what incites the struggle in my next world.
The challenge I face: since my last hard magic series served only to arm my characters with weapons and not drive the story, I had to essentially start from the ground up with my next magic system. In my adventures doing so, I’ve learned a few things along the way I though I should share. But before we get to that, let’s look at how an improperly executed magic system can go wrong.
Pitfalls in loose magic systems
The biggest detriment to soft magic systems is that the lack of definition and boundaries tend to create plot holes. In worse cases, the lack of magic clarity is used a plot device for getting the MC through a pinch. Soft magic used in this way can feel like lazy writing.
Case in point, the novel (or movie if you wish), Eragon. The titular character, Eragon, learns he can use dragonrider magic just in time to escape the bad guys. In this case, the loose and undefined magic system creates a plot convenience which feels lazy.
The lesson here is: If magic is going to be used to solve a problem, said magic must be present and used or explored before the story requires it. Pulling magic out of thin air because the plot calls for a speedy escape can leave your audience groaning.
Hard magic systems on the other hand can be predictable. Each “spell” does the same thing with the same amplitude, and has the same outcome each time. That may sound boring at first, but what this creates for the reader is a knowledge of what to expect. But at the same time, if the author forgets the rules because the plot calls for it, then once again, the audience groans.
Take for instance A Letter for the King. After several plot points, it’s established that the magic Viridian has gathered can revive the dead. Later when Lavinia absorbs his magic, she’s unable to revive Jussipo.
I for one was yelling at my TV during this plot hole. Not only is it frustrating when the rules of magic are changed for plot convenience, it takes the reader right out of the story. When the reader is smarter than the author, you have problems.
So how do you avoid those problems? Simple. By setting up the rules.
Determine the rules (even if you’re choosing a soft magic system) and stick to them. Define the magic upfront to the reader and don’t conveniently make up the magic as you go.
Now, since this post is about hard magic systems, with those annoying limitations and rules, how do we make them less annoying? Let’s get on to crafting a magic system.
What happens when magic is used?
In hard magic systems, the effects of magic on the world being built can be as vague or as scientific as needed. The underlying point I had to keep in mind was that there must be some limit or consequence of using said magic. These constraints and complications could then be used to strengthen the story and its characters.
Take something as seemingly harmless as Fullmetal Alchemist’s Law of Equivalent Exchange: a mystical version of matter can neither be created nor destroyed. In order for Edward Elric to craft his famous pole lance, he needs metal and wood. Simple enough to find in post-industrial Germany, but not so simple to conjure in the middle of a desert.
But this Law and it’s hard and fast restraints sets the story into motion when the Elric brothers try to bring their mother back from the dead and it goes horribly wrong. All because they didn’t follow the rules. The Law strengthens the story and keeps its characters from becoming all powerful or creating plot devices.
Is there a cost to using magic?
Hard magic often has costs to use, or consequences of using too much of it. One of my favourite writing prompts for a hard magic system dealt with the dark and sometimes horrific cost of using magic.
In a village, the local healer could heal any ailment with magic, and there was much rejoicing. But in a poor village on the other side of nowhere, its residents were dying of these ailments. The cost of using this magic was that the local healer simply transferred ailments from one person to another. The world was all peachy-keen until the reader found out what was really happening. Then each spell came with a thought problem the reader knew but the magic user didn’t.
Once again, the Law strengthens the story and keeps its characters from becoming all powerful. Your hard magic system doesn’t have to go to this extent, but having consequences and costs keeps the characters on their feet and makes them think of resolutions to situations, rather than relying on a fireball or three.
What are the limitations of magic?
Just as magic should come with a cost, magic also needs its limitations, otherwise anyone can become a super-duper-magic-user with little-to-no training. And that’s boring. If there are no limits, no one is special. If all it takes is a couple chapters of tutelage and a rough idea of a spell, then it’s no longer special. (Harry Potter and your Patronus Charm, I’m looking at you!).
Limitations keep magic from becoming a plot device, and one of the most well-known limitations is mana, or the well of magical energy one possesses. Although not specifically created by the huge and rambling universe of Final Fantasy, mana limits most of this game series’ underlying magic systems. At the most basic level, users are limited by mana and spell “cool-downs” from casting the same powerful spells over and over again to vanquish foes, or from endlessly reviving dead party members.
The fifteenth installment in the series widdles down the magic system even further to only certain playable characters being able to use magic, like Noctis. Although born into magic by way of his nobility, Noctis’ powers are limited in strength and effectiveness by the number of Royal Arms he possesses. In turn, using the Royals Arms also depletes his health, so not only does this introduce the limitations construct, but the cost construct of magic as well.
Other characters in Final Fantasy XV can equip magic as a weapon, but you have to find that magic first. Magic can be harvested from the world then combined into a materia-like physical construct using elemency. If you can’t find the magic, you can’t use it. When you do find the magic, its power is only as great as the materials you use to craft it.
So where do we go from here?
In my journey, I’ve found that these were the first three questions I had to figure out before I could start building my magic system. In subsequent explorations, I needed to figure out the elemental structure and the wielder structure of my magic system, so we have two more adventures ahead of us.
In review:
Hard magic has rules and consequences if the rules aren’t followed. Find the rules, define them, and stick to them. If the rules need to be broken, what happens?
Magic has a cost, anywhere from the mundane (user gets tired) to the extreme (ailments get passed on to others). What happens when this magic is used? What happens when it’s overused?
Magic has limits, such as the amount of magical energy one possesses, or the items being used. What are the limitations for using this magic?
Next, we’ll look into the structure of the magic: what elements it uses, how the elements connect with one another, and how magic is acquired or learned.
I’m sure you’ve heard the adage, April showers bring May flowers. This year, however, April has been snowy and bitterly cold. We should be seeing temps in the high single digits (that’s high 40’s for my fellow Americans), but we’ve had temperatures fall as low as -14C (that’s about 7 Fahrenheit). There have been no April showers, just big dumps of snow.
When the sun did manage to peak out, the puppers and I made sure we got out for walkies. And it appears the neighbourhood birds were just as eager to get out as we were.
Chickadees are the most common bird in my area. Their chattering calls echo from the forests. How-ever-in-the-world such a tiny bird can make so much noise is beyond me.
And the downy woodpeckers are out looking for bugs. Good luck, little guy. It’s too cold for many bugs.
I also spotted this sparrow building a nest in a neighbour’s trusses.
These past few weeks have been weird. There have been several nights where I’ve had to wake up and check my phone to see what day it was, or what day tomorrow would be. My ‘weekdays’ mean my alarm went off and I got up, assuming it was a work day. What day it was exactly, sometimes I didn’t know. I just got up and did whatever!
The only good thing about working from home is an odd thing probably unique to me. I suffer from secondary insomnia as a by-product of my anxiety. Those days when I’m tossing and turning at 3 AM can now be spent on the couch playing repetitive games until I get tired again, and I don’t have to worry about the 6 AM hangover. But now that we’re going past a month in isolation, I’d much rather have the no-sleep-hangover and go to work tired if I can leave my freaking house!
The cabin fever is real, yo! I’ve always thought I was a homebody. That was, until I had no choice. Now I’m pacing in front of the window, wandering back and forth through the house, organizing my sock drawer . . . I’m going insane.
Thankfully Mother Nature took pity on us poor folk and gave us one . . . count them ONE . . . day of seasonal temperatures. Beautiful clear skies and t-shirt weather drew us out of our homes for a day. We shielded our eyes from that giant ball of nuclear explosions in the sky and waded through streets that turned to rivers. All signs pointed to spring once again returning . . .
Until frickin’ Mother Nature dropped half a foot of snow on us the next day! I swear, there’s a conspiracy going on around here. “Let’s see how cray-cray the peeps go if we tease them with “normal” weather, but then BOOM! go full tyrant on them!.
Life is not normal, and neither is the weather in these times. End of days, indeed.
Hopefully next week will be better. Fingers crossed!
Well, March came in like a lion… but out like a jerk. Snow, frigid weather, nasty windchills. Like, what the heck Mother Nature? Yeah, we may be confined to the neighbourhood, but I still have to walk my dog! Instead of the hoodies and jeans I should be wearing, I’m still donning snow pants and my ski jacket. Brrr!
Why, Mother Nature? WHY!
This week has been, well, weird. After being in COVID-19 isolation for three weeks now, I thought I’d start to get used to being cooped up in the house, but the cabin fever has been worse than ever this week. One day, I laid out on the bonus room floor to plan my April bullet journal. Another day, I organized my nail polish collection. I’ve dusted the ceiling fan. I’ve probably eaten my body weight in Jello pudding and drank a gallon of coffee a day.
Can I help do a plan?
In a nut shell, I’m going nucking futz!
Even my House Hippo is getting cabin fever.
A piece of Canadiana: the House Hippo
And I’m hearing that this may be the new norm until at least July. That’s another three months. By that time, I’m probably going to be sitting in a corner singing French show tunes while I braid my cat’s hair.
Try it. I dare you.
Ottawa is suggesting we wear masks, now, but finding them is a literal needle-in-a-haystack exercise. So, I made some myself. A quick Google search came back with a pattern. Some miscellaneous fabric and my decades-old sewing machine later, and I had a couple of face masks.
I also had lots of scraps for my House Hippo to use as bedding.
Hopefully next week will be less snow-covered and less COVID-19-infested. Although we hit the grim milestone of over 1 million people infected, there’s hope on the horizon.
Until then, I will continue to stay inside, forget what day it is, and wonder where I’ve put my phone after coming back from walkies.
My phone’s boring. Here’s a snow-covered bird feeder instead.
Why are you still here? Why is winter still here, too?
I dunno. Round about Wednesday or so, I lost track of the days. Every day felt like a Thursday. So after the third Thursday in a row, I started to loose my mind a little (not that I had much of one left, but that’s a discussion for another time).
There were only so many walkies I could take.
There were only so many belly rubs I could give.
I needed something to do with my hands that would also keep my mind busy.
One evening while trying not to climb the walls, I dug into the DIY side of YouTube. After a few videos, I stumbled across a set of videos from Nerdforge showing how to bind your own books. I won’t bore you with my processes of making the book, Nerdforge does a much better job. Go watch their videos!
I searched the house over for random stuffs with which to make a book and came across an old sketch pad I had bought for The Gibbs that he never used.
I repurposed the pages, repurposed a floor lamp to use as a binding jig, and proceeded to stab myself half a dozen times with a needle and thread as I sewed together the text block.
Oddly enough, I couldn’t find any Elmer’s glue at the time, but I did find Elmer’s Calking! Hey, when in isolation, the insane cannot be choosers. I think that’s how that saying goes.
Once I sewed together the text block and slathered the spine with caulking, I had to let it dry overnight. A box of Fresca served as a make-shift book press to keep it all together while it set up.
The next morning, I needed to make a cover. A pair of Gabe’s old jeans and a Ritz Crackers box soon got the Exact-o knife treatment.
Luckily I have an old sewing machine to stitch together the cover into one solid piece. More caulking later to ‘glue’ the cover to the text block, and I had a junk journal!
All in all, it took me one weekend to build the book. Now I need to find some junk to put in it. Shouldn’t be hard, what with my impressive hording capabilities.
Week Two, done!
Hopefully next week, we’ll get an idea of when we’ll be allowed to go back into the office. Granted, I think I get much more done at home, but I need to get out of this house and back into routine! That’s my Gold personality showing through. Structure! Schedule! Stability!
I hope you’re all doing well in this crisis. Remember to take time for yourself, get out for some Vitamin D, and wash those hands often! So far Canada’s faring well in this pandemic, but I know other countries aren’t. Health and Happiness to everyone out there! Take care!
Last week, the inevitable happened. The schools shut down, much of my city shut down, and my company issued a work-from-home mandate. I can’t say I was surprised, however I took the news with mixed emotions. Sunday night, as we read email after email about closures, the whole pandemic hit home and live became surreal. But I went to bed that night thinking “It will be kinda nice to work from home.”
At least my workspace is inspiring!
Monday came and went. Working from home was, in fact, ‘kinda
nice’. I got through a fair amount of what I term “busy work” . . . the little
things that need to get done, but other priorities tend to push to back burner.
Why are you working and not petting me?
Tuesday came and went. Not only was our puppers, Mochi, a bit confused as to why all of us were home, The Boo also gave me an odd look every time I went downstairs to make coffee.
I can’t decide if your presence is annoying or irritating.
Wednesday came . . . and the anxiety hit. The walls were closing in, I couldn’t get comfortable, I couldn’t relax. If I sat here for one more minute, I’d go mad. So instead of Mochi begging me for walkies, I leashed her up and drug her out. She didn’t mind.
March comes in like a lion and out like a jerk.
Thursday came and went much better. No feelings of impending
doom, no walls closing in. Just the stink eye from The Boo. “Why are you here,
and why aren’t you giving me snacks?”
Get back to work!
Friday. Yay Friday! At least, I think it was Friday. As I logged into work that morning, it occurred to me that every day had felt like a Saturday. Although I set my alarm to wake me at 7AM during the week, the routine wasn’t there. Sure, I fed The Boo (lest she plot my demise later). Sure, I walked The Moche. But other than that, I didn’t leave the house.
Does this hat make me look fat? (or bald?)
I felt like I was reliving Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. The same thing, day in and day out. Although Mr. Nenshi hadn’t ordered the city to stay indoors, it was strongly encouraged. “Treat everyone you meet as if they have COVID-19,” the news tells us. Soon, the walks meant we crossed the street to avoid anyone and everyone.
I felt so isolated. I felt so alone.
I need a hobby.
My go-to has always been nail art. It’s the one thing that
got me through my first diagnosis of Panic Disorder and Generalized Anxiety
Disorder. But, let’s face it, we only have so many fingers and toes. I painted
them all.
St. Patty’s Day – bars closed but nails sparkling.
I still need another hobby.
A bout of spring cleaning not too long ago turned up my old
lock box. Inside it, my aged deck of the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg.
Such a beautiful deck.
I had read tarot over a decade ago and it took a few test
spreads for it to start coming back to me. As the days wore on, I kept at my
tarot cards until I became comfortable enough to read again.
It used to freak me out when the Death card appeared in my
readings, but in general the card means transformation, and a time of change
and new beginnings, but usually in an unexpected and shocking way. Yeah, no
kidding. Thanks, COVID-19.
Quite an accurate reading, especially The Emperor reversed. I know who you are!
So, with Week 1 down and a new hobby under my belt, I look forward to the challenges Week 2 will bring. This week we’ve seen all socially active places shut down, a total stop to international travel, the border between us and our Yankee neighbours to the south closed, and an alarming shortage of toilet paper.
No toilet paper, but there is a rawhide chew bone!
Things were getting sketchy at home in the T.P. department until a hot tip led us to one particular grocery store.
My preciousssssss
For next week, I’m wondering if the strongly encouraged advice to stay indoors will switch to mandatory isolation. I’m expecting this week to be the bare minimum of isolation time, since the virus takes 14 days to show its ugly face. In all honesty, I’m still expecting at least two more additional weeks of isolation.
You said it!
The bright spot it that this week we’ve learned the epicentre of the virus, Wuhan, is getting back on its feet and its industry slowly restarting. Makes me hopeful for us over here that June is our target date for surviving this.
Soak up that vitamin D!
Who would have ever thought that a modern day plague could
hit?
But hey, they say Shakespeare wrote King Lear while in isolation from the Black Plague. I’m eyeing my fourth book with those very same aspirations.
Well, another milestone down! Bane & Butterflies, Book #3 in the Rose Cross Academy series, hit the markets at the beginning of 2018 and the series has been going strong. So now, let’s get down to discussing the second book in the series, Grimms & Garms. In much the same way I explained the chapter titles for Book #1, Risers & Dreamers, I will explain why I picked chapter names for Book #2, their meanings, and any other tidbits of information that might prove interesting.
Why Grimms & Garms? The two main demons that arise to give our protagonist June a run for his money are Grimms (as in the grim reaper) and legions of demon dogs called Garms. In this novel, we meet two Grimms on opposing sides: Haven who works for antagonist Elan Zeal’s sister, and Judge who serves and protects the Faust twins, Bahrun and Ehrin.
Garms are the legion hunters in a Grimm’s army. In Book #1, Risers & Dreamers, a pack of Garms surrounded the Barrier in which June and Jackson hid when June was kidnapped and pulled into Below, the demon world. It was the presence of these Garms that earned Dehmion Faust the nickname Mr. Grimm.
And guess who just happens to show up in the Waking World to make life difficult for our hero? Mr. Grimm himself, lending to the third Grimm of the novel
Book Cover(s) Explained
Book 2 Cover Progression
As with Risers & Dreamers, Grimms & Garms also went through an evolution in cover design as I learned more about the elements that go into covers for different genres. The original black covers followed the theme of weaponry, with Risers & Dreamers displaying the lacquered red rose lapel pin used to power and unlock a Cross’ weapon. With Grimms & Garms, I used a reapers scythe, the weapon carried by the Grimms of the series we’ve met so far.
As I researched covers, I found a common theme. The Rose Cross Academy series is urban fantasy, and most urban fantasy covers highlighted the ‘urban’ portion of the story. I developed a continuing theme of Above and Below, with the skyline of Vancouver–our urban location–representing Above and the forests of Eops representing Below.
Chapter Titles Explained
The Fog – As with the previous novel, this novel opens with a nightmare. And let’s face it, fog makes everything just a little creepier. I can think of nothing creepier than a graveyard shrouded in fog. In our opening nightmare, a young girl named Jessica is lost in a foggy cemetery with the distinct feeling something is lying in wait for her.
This is where the zombies get ya!
As the creature in this nightmare draws closer and Jessica tries to
escape, she’s confronted by the white-barked trees with the black rot
used to indicate the demon world of Below.
Under The Shade of the Elder Tree – Keeping with the
cemetery theme, the body of Jeremiah Barlett, the casualty of the demon
invasion of the elementary school from Risers & Dreamers,
is laid to rest in the Rose Cross Academy’s cemetery. In the cemetery
grow Elder trees, symbolic of protection and good health.
Out With the Old – After the funeral, June and Petra are summoned before the Headmaster to recap the events of Risers & Dreamers. They meet first in the Headmaster’s waiting room, which had been destroyed at the end of Book #1. The Gothic-era interior design is being replaced with modern construction, but this is not the ‘old’ we see going out in this chapter. As June and Petra catch up, we realize it’s the aging Headmaster Rosenkreuz who will soon be on his way out.
Almost Busted – When June and Petra debrief with the
Headmaster, he asks them to review a curious piece of footage from his
waiting room–the same footage of Petra getting a bit too handsy with an
unconscious June. Luckily for Petra, the Headmaster doesn’t show that
portion of the footage, and only shows the footage of the Ghast breaking
it into his waiting room and attacked them. Phew! Petra’s naughty
escapades almost got her busted!
Cream, Sugar, & Grimm – After the debrief with Headmaster Rosenkreuz, June invites Petra out for coffee (but it’s not a date, says June!) All seems right with the world until Mr. Grimm arrives to crash the date. Coffee and the coffee shop are regular locations throughout the series. It’s here where some of the major turning points in the novels take place. In this case, it’s the arrival of Mr. Grimm into the real world.
Mmmm, coffee….
Follow The Leader – Mr. Grimm leads June and Petra through Stanley Park with the hopes of introducing them to someone. An ongoing theme throughout the novels are nursery rhymes and children’s names. Here, June and Petra are accidental players of Mr. Grimm’s game of follow the leader, wherein one child is chosen to be The Leader, and all the other children mimic what they do, including following them through odd locations.
Tiptoe Through The Park – Mr. Grimm introduces June and Petra to his second-eldest brother, Morghen, and June and Petra try to avoid a confrontation. Not only are June and Petra treading carefully around this newcomer because they do not know his powers, they also want to prevent any form of confrontation that could harm innocent people enjoying the park. They tip toe around Morghen and keep their distance.
Stonewalled – Headmaster Rosenkreuz and Professor Ronald Jefferson pay a visit to a curious prisoner: Professor Charles Nevin. The chapter title’s purpose is two fold: the walls of the prison are carved from water-tight bedrock upon which Vancouver sits. This is pointed out later as a feat of master engineering by the Freemasons who built the Rose Cross Academy. And second, Nevin refuses to give up any information to the Headmaster, thus stonewalling him.
Room With a View – After discovering there’s another demon brother loose in his city (and possibly two), June rents Dehmion and Morghen Faust a room at a local hotel to keep them in one place until The Order can deal with them. The purpose of this title will become apparent once the third brother, Ehrin Faust, appears, but for now this hotel apartment has a rather lovely view of English Bay, the western harbour of Vancouver.
The Granville Bridge where English Bay becomes False Creek
The ‘I’ In Team – While Dehmion and Morghen figure out how they’re going to find their lost brother, Ehrin, June wants to handle the Fausts by himself, but his delivery of this notion to Petra is tactless, which angers hers. We’ve all heard this phrase, that there’s no ‘I’ in team, meaning team members must learn to work together to accomplish goals. June forgets this notion when he tries to ditch Petra to deal with the Fausts by himself.
Leapfrog – Dreamer Team Four (June, Noel, and Stella) sets out deal with the Fausts, but runs into Ehrin Faust in the process. Once again, the theme of children’s games comes into play here, pun intended. The game of Leapfrog is played with a group where children squat down in a line and take turns hopping over each others back. We’ll learn later that Ehrin’s mastery is over the amphibian world, and he embodies this in his mannerisms and actions. Here, Ehrin chooses to hop over the hood of a car and perch atop it as if its hood is a lilypad.
It’s Always the Quiet Ones – June and Dreamer Team Four track Ehrin Faust back to the hotel room, where it turns out Ehrin has a rather explosive personality. We’ve all heard the phrase to beware the quiet ones. In popular belief, those who keep to themselves and rarely socialize end up being the villainous and dangerous ones of the world. Ehrin Faust is no different. He never talks. Never. But when he does . . .
Will the Real Mr Grimm Please Stand Up? – June, Noel, and Stella chase the Fausts to Stanley Park where the three brothers have escaped on the backs of giant black birds. In doing so, our hero’s run into that most feared of demons, the Grimm Reaper. When June first fell to Below in Risers & Dreamers, he met Dehmion Faust–the man he’d later come to refer to incorrectly as Mr. Grimm. Upon meeting a real Grimm, June becomes confused as to who or what Dehmion Faust really is. Although at first you may equate this chapter title to Eminem’s The Real Slim Shady, wherein he asks “Will the Real Slim Shady please stand up?”, but the phrase originated from an American game show, To Tell the Truth, where contestants must discover the real person among the imposters.
When The Wind Blows – The last two brothers, Jhordan and Bahrun Faust, attempt to survive in Eops (Below) long enough for Dehmion to bring them into the Waking World. The phrase “When the wind blows” is a verse from the lullaby and nursery rhyme Rock-a-Bye Baby. “When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.” On the surface, this lullaby sounds cute and harmless, and many mothers have sung it to their children to lull them to sleep. A theory dating back to the Glorious Revolution was that the song was a euphemism for the proud and ambitious, “who climb so high they generally fall in the end”. When the Wind Blows is used first in an obvious manner when the wind in Eops brings the smell of death and fire to Bahrun, but it’s also a foreshadowing of what happens to his family in Book #3, Bane & Butterflies.
The Queen of Skulls – June and Dreamer Team Four have to team up with the three Faust brothers in order to escape the Grimm, Haven. I chose this chapter title because of Haven’s ability to bend June’s Barrier, and the subsequent effects that has on him–a skull-crushing dread that comes when his heart stops. I fashioned the chapter title from Lewis Carroll’s Queen of Hearts (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), who’s catch phrase will come in handy in a later chapter.
The Quill Is Mightier – When the group tries to escape Stanley Park for the safety of the Rose Cross Academy campus, Haven follows and attacks campus with a pack of demon dog demons called Garms. I used a play on the phrase ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’, meaning that written communication is more powerful than physical violence. While the Academy unknowingly holds the Garm army at bay, the Fausts must find a place to hide. Morghen breaks into the Elysium Conservatory by using a feather quill to pick the lock. Instead of participating in the battle, the Fausts attempt to peacefully remove themselves from the conflict.
I based the Elysium Theatre off of the Conservatory of Flowers in San Fransisco, CA
Sleight of Handgun – June has a plan for taking down Haven, but he needs the gunslingers to help him. The title is, of course, a play on words for the magical art of sleight of hand, but in this case it’s those who wield the guns on campus who are lending their talents.
Off with her Head – June has a unique, albeit gruesome, way of taking down the Grimm, Haven. That technique should be obvious from the title. Although the phrase originated from Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Lewis Carroll is the most famous wielder of this phrase for the Queen of Hearts in his novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, thus tying this chapter to The Queen of Skulls chapter.
Playing Stupid – So, June’s defeated the bad guy . . . uh, girl. You’d think the professors would be happy. Nope, just the opposite. Sensing something weird in the air, Noel, Stella, and Petra go along with the professor’s paranoia (they play stupid) to not only evade punishment for defying orders, but to see if they can figure out what’s going on.
Knock Knock – Professor Jefferson finds the source of the invasion: a door leading to a mysterious place called The Bastion. Building on the running theme of children’s nursery rhymes and games, Knock Knock is a series of jokes where one says “Knock, knock” and the other person asks “Who’s there?”.
Three’s a Crowd – It’s a common expression, along side third wheel and the like, usually meant to point out that whatever the situation, it would be better if there were only two of us. After his stunt with Haven, June is put before Madame Sophie, the Discipline Mistress, to answer for his insubordination. Although there are three people in the interrogation (June, Headmaster Rosenkreuz and Madame Sophie), the three people in question are actually those within June’s head–June himself, Madam Sophie’s mind reading, and the residual influence of Dehmion Faust.
I Spy – Yet another reference to children’s game: a road-trip staple, I Spy wherein someone declares they see something, and the other must ask questions to guess what the person has in mind. Here, the phase is used in a more direct fashion. The professors go over surveillance footage of the Garm attach to find the source of their most recent demonic invasion.
Catch me if you can, loser!
Wild Goose Chase – The hopeless or pointless pursuit of something is often called a wild goose chase. Here, the phase has a double meaning. When Johann leads his team to discover who or what Haven’s target was, he comes up with nothing and ends up wasting time. Coincidentally, Petra happens to stumble upon Morghen, the master of birds, but a quick intervention from Dehmion makes her forget the whole encounter.
A Grimm Night – Noel and June head back to their dorm room for what they hope will be an uneventful and quiet night. Unfortunately, Dehmion and his brothers have other plans for the night. This chapter title is yet another double-meaning, as not only has this been a trying (or grim) evening, but June still refers to Dehmion as Mr. Grimm.
Wash Away the Day – Petra returns to her dorm she shares with Sanja and the two hatch a plan for melting away the stress of the day: a nice hot bath with a bottle of wine. Now, keep in mind the two are only sixteen years old.
A sketch of Bahrun Faust
Needles and Daggers – Jhordan and Bahrun Faust struggle to stay out of range of Elan Zeal as they make their way towards a portal to the Waking World. As we explore Bahrun’s personality a little deeper, we find they’re just something not right about the youngest of the brothers. He’s not entirely stable, mentally. His tendency to glare ‘needles and daggers’ as people typically warns others he’s about to suffer a breakdown of personality.
Thy Mother’s Glass – This phrase mean’s the children are typically reflections of their mothers and the upbringing she bestowed upon them. As Dehmion gives Noel and June the low-down about the war in Below/Eops, he reveals their primary reason for coming to the Waking World: to find their mother. Their human mother. The relationship between the Fausts and their mother is a key thread in the ongoing story line, one which will be revealed in Bane & Butterflies.
Far Fetched – A story either too good to be true or just completely unbelievable is said to be far-fetched. As Dehmion attempts to explain the reason he and his brothers are in the Waking World, his reasons become harder and harder to believe.
Me and my little man!
Family – Family is an ongoing aesop in the Rose Cross Academy series. Not just one’s true family, such as bothers and sisters, but those one relies on. In this chapter, Noel and June seek the help of their other ‘family’, the students at the Rose Cross Academy. Student Marshal ‘Mars’ Chang, who is good with computers, helps them figure out why the Academy’s defense system, the Bells, aren’t going off when the Fausts are clearly on campus.
Hurry up and Wait – Meet Jason Bae, June’s older brother and a ranked member of The Order of the Rose Cross: a Seneschal. June knows nothing of what his brother does, and Jason would like to keep it that way. In doing so, he often has his hands in one too many things. In this case, he knows what’s going on with June off in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wants to get there as soon as possible. However, navigating the tight and complex inter workings of the United States government is proving to be a challenge for him.
Mornings Suck – Let’s face it, they do. And mornings right after a demon invasion at school tends to suck even more. The student body is looking a little worse for where as Dreamer Team Four gathers in first period Demonology class where the day’s lesson becomes oddly specific to the attack that just occurred. Meanwhile in Below, Bahrun and Jhordan are struggling to stay just out of reach of Elan Zeal.
A Quick Chat – Those of us in business know there’s
never such a thing as a quick chat. This is usually hiding a deeper and
more important conversation. The head of The Order of the Rose Cross,
Grand Master Von Goethe, requires a quick chat with Jason Bae to waste
even more of his time. But revelations come to the surface, such as who
started the war in Below and why, leading Jason to re-think his strategy
for helping his little brother.
Who Watches the Watchers? – The phrase has come to
mean that it’s hard to hold those in power accountable for their
actions. When Rosenkreuz and Boehme have a video meeting with the
Council, led by Von Goethe, they receive their standing orders for
dealing with the infestation and June Bae. Unfortunately for the
Headmaster, these orders are to basically leave both topics alone–the
Council are now the watchers who are operating unhindered. The
Headmaster and Boehme decide the Council’s orders don’t make sense and
secretly formulate their own plan, thus also becoming the watchers
operating unhindered.
A Rock and a Harder Place – The phrase is typically ‘a rock and a hard place’, meaning you’re put in a situation where no mater what you do, the outcomes will be bad for you or someone you know. After the day’s Alchemy lesson, Noel is called before the Headmaster for a briefing–one basically formulated to rat out June.
Convicted Bookworm – Those who love books are typically referred to as bookworms. In this chapter, Jason checks in on Mariposa Faust (the mother of the Faust brothers) in her current confinements. Although she’s human, there’s something undoubtedly demonic about her, so Jason asks that she be imprisoned under the Library of Congress.
Author’s Note: There’s a scene in this chapter where Jason is reviewing security footage, and said footage starts to get, shall we say, a little hairy. The influence for this came straight from the Japanese horror film, Ju-On. If you’re ever wanting to get yourself utterly freaked out, go watch that movie!
Caught in the Act – Noel is summoned before the Headmaster to explain security footage that shows his team leading strangers (the Fausts) onto campus on the wings of a giant bird right before the Grimm attacked the Rose Cross Academy. They are essentially caught in the act of possible treason and Noel has no means with which to talk his way out of this one.
Pool Party – Who doesn’t love a good pool party!
June goes for a swim in the school’s pool to try to relax. All is going
according to plan until someone crashes his party: Dehmion Faust.
The Ol’ Switch-a-Roo – The switch-a-roo is when
someone substitutes one thing for something else. After Dehmion appears
at the school’s pool to utterly annoy the crap outta June, he disappears
into thin air only to be replaced by Morghen. While Jackson Keaton
tries to blackmail June (he recognizes Dehmion as ‘Mr. Grimm’ from
Below), Morghen sends him off with a well placed quip and his dry
personality.
If the dog moves, I attack!
Put up Your Dukes – The phrase is a funny way of goading someone into a fight. With the pool infested by Fausts, June heads to the training room to let off some steam. Unfortunately for him, Petra’s there doing the same, and draws him into a sparring match.
You Can’t Hit a Girl – I’m sure your parents have
told you this several times as a child: you can’t hit a girl. So with
June duped into sparing with Petra, what’s he to do? As their sparring
match escalates, June ends up getting his butt kicked for several
reasons relating to Petra being of the fairer sex and not taking kindly
to being pampered for that reason.
Party of Two – Petra and Stella join up with their teams to head on to their latest mission. Usually Crosses are teamed up with a professor to deal with harder infestations, but this time two Cross teams are paired up: Johann’s Dreamer Team One, and Noel’s Dreamer Team Four. Headmaster Rosenkreuz is breaking the rules again.
A Deal with a Devil – This phrase is used used
metaphorically to condemn a person for collaborating with someone evil.
Since the Academy is starting to suspect June of conspiring with Below,
Dehmion decides to send them on a wild goose chase of his
own. He breaks into the campus jails and releases Haven on the
condition she search out June and rough him up a bit.
Repeat After Me – Ah, those travelling chapters. They have to be written as having your characters suddenly appear at their destination is a plot hole I cannot condone. So as the group travels and Johann briefs the two teams about their mission (and attempts to get in some reconnaissance), June and Petra unknowingly fend him off by teaching each other phrases in the other languages they speak: Korean for June, Romanian for Petra.
Negotiations – I love putting the most unlikely of people in the worst situations. In this case, our ornery and snarky hero, June, finds himself in just such a pinch. When the two Dreamer teams arrive at their destination, they find themselves greatly outnumbered. Diplomacy is their only tool on hand for survival, and that tool is wielded by June.
Party Crasher – We all know ’em, we probably hate ’em too. Those people who arrive at the wrong time and throw the proverbial money wrench into everything. As June tries to defuse the current demonic situation, Haven arrives to create a little chaos and keep up her end of the bargain she made with Dehmion Faust.
The Dead Love Company – The phrase is usually ‘misery loves company’, meaning those who are miserable take pleasure in knowing others are miserable as well. The phrase is manipulated to show Bahrun’s dark personality. When Haven escapes June to the safety of Below, she inadvertently runs into Bahrun and Jhordan. And Bahrun’s none too happy to see her.
The Window to the Soul – This phrase refers to the eyes being the window to the soul. Upon learning of Haven’s fate, Elan attempts to remake his sister Eiza’s Grimm by using the last part of Eiza that makes her human: her eyes.
Into the Sunrise – It’s perhaps one of the most
overused tropes in storytelling: at the end of a long and trying
journey, the hero’s are confronted by the sunrise–the promise of a new
day. Here, we wrap up the loose ends of the novel: The Crosses clean up
Haven’s mess, Jhordan leads the balance of the family to safety, and
Jason prepares to leave Washington, D.C. to go after his brother, June.
I hope you have enjoyed this rather long journey into what drivers
control the world of The Rose Cross Academy: Grimms & Garms. Not
only do I enjoy writing, but I enjoy planting little seeds and hidden
meanings throughout everything I put to paper.
As always, it would mean the world to me if you’d like to pick up a copy of my second book. The links are below:
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Until next time, happy reading, and beware your dreams. You never know what may sneak through them and get into your house.
Not much, just clouds. Because apparently I take a lot of pictures of clouds.
And I haven’t posted in forever, so . . .
Cirrus clouds, little whispy guys that just hang out when it’s warm.The haze of altocumulus clouds over the neighbourhood playground.Mammatus clouds, the acne of thunderstorms.Dunno, really. I think it’s a nimbostratus cloud, but it’s still cool.A unique phenomenon in my area of Canada: a chinook A couple pictures of a typical chinook arch at sunset. Altocumulus undulatus clouds, like waves in the sand.The underbelly of a large cumulus cloud at sunset.The chemtrail of a passing airliner.An approaching cumulonimbus thunderhead creeping in to Kemah Boardwalk in Texas.A roll cloud rollin’ in!A cold core funnel cloud (the fluffy puppy of tornadoes) trailing a thunderstorm.Quick snap of an actual funnel cloud from my office building before we were ordered to the basement to seek shelter.A sundog.And the pièce de résistance … altostratus clouds reflecting off Sandakan Bay at low tide, from my mum-in-law’s back deck in the water village of Sim-Sim, Sandakan in Sabah (Malaysia).
Call it global warming, call it climate change, call it fake news, call it whatever you want. This summer was not a summer at all. Cold temps, lots of rain and fog, and no heat: exactly the opposite of what a summer typically is this side of the Rocky Mountains. The plus, though, the unusual weather made for some great cloud shots.
The umpteenth storm approach-eth …
Oh, and excellent bird watching.
… acquiring birds …
In the green space behind our neighbourhood live many birds. To lure them out of the trees, I set out a bird bath and different types of feeders. I typically only get three kinds of birds, but that’s enough for me.
My panorama game is strong.
Most common of the visitors are the sparrows. Some may consider them pests, but I’m an equal-opportunity-crazy-bird-lady. I’ll feed anything except the magpies and cowbirds.
I especially like the tiny sparrows. Their calls sound like a frog croaking. It’s weird to hear a sound like that coming from a bird.
They come in flocks and wait patiently in the aspen trees for their turn at the feeder.
My favourites are the chickadees. They’re so tiny and fast, but they’re fearless little boogers.
Sometimes it’s hard to catch a good shot of them because they’re so fast.
This summer, The Boo had to stay inside unless they’re was someone out to watch over her. After spotting this raptor making a few fly-by’s of our porch when Boo was out, I kept a close eye on her.
And, of course, no pond is complete without the obligatory Canada Goose nearly taking your head off as it circles in for a landing.
And just like that, summer ended and Snow-tember hit. Mother Nature robbed us of summer, and she also took away our autumn. Before I knew it, snow blanketed the city and the bird bath froze over. I guess it’s time to pack in for the winter.
A red-winged black bird announcing his presence for all to hear
At least Mochi enjoyed the snow.
Here it is November, now, and the chinooks are bringing warm air. It’s 14C today. Too bad the colour didn’t stick around on the trees.
Oh no, it’s nothing nefarious . . . unless you count not writing as nefarious. This summer was all about finding ways to lower my stress levels and keep my head on straight.
Chickadee-dee-dee
Many pictures of birds were taken during this time, like this chickadee (my favourite bird!). It was about the only thing us Canucks in this part of the country could do. The weather sure wasn’t helping.
An overflowed pond makes for soggy walkies.
This summer was not a summer. We ‘enjoyed’ too much rain, cold weather, and plain-old crappy weekends. The first snows of winter came a full month early, and we got a wallop.
Snow-tember!
This year we spent most of our days below seasonal and barely reached what I would consider “hot” weather. On those rare weekends the sun poked through endless clouds and warmed the air enough we didn’t need touques, we migrated to the mountains.
A Columbian ground squirrel in Banff, Alberta
There’s nothing like the smell of the Rockies in the summertime, and nothing more magical than a walk along the river. It’s like being in a whole ‘nother world.
The Three Sisters mountain formation in Canmore, Alberta
The only positives to all the weather upset this year were the beautiful clouds.
Oh, and the morning fog on the pond.
At least the colours welcoming autumn were lovely.
Although Boo was unimpressed.
We’ll see what the winter throws at us this year. Until then, it’s time to plan for NaNoWriMo and keep my head above water!
This past weekend, Mother’s Day weekend, I gave an associate at the local home & garden centre something to chuckle about. You see, in the front I have these nice shrubs planted between my columnar aspens, and wanted to plant the same in the back yard. These are hardy, fast-growing, and turn beautiful colours in autumn.
When last I purchased these, I had a quick glance at the tag and moved on. Cotoneaster. Odd name. Cotton-easter. So when I asked for a shrub of the same name at the home & garden centre, I received a puzzled look from the associate.
“Pardon me?” he asks.
“Cotton Easter. They’re all over Bowness Park. They turn rainbow colours during the fall.”
“OH!” he exclaims, followed by a hearty chuckle. “You mean cotoneaster” (pronounced koe-TOE-knee-ASS-tor).
“But it’s spelled “cotton easter” I replied, then immediately thought of this Monty Python’s Flying Circus sketch about Mr. Luxury Yacht.
My point exactly!
We both had a good chuckle (I may be dating myself with that Monty Python reference), I purchased my shrubs, and got to gardening.
I have lots of little plans for the back yard this year, and hopefully the Fates let me finish them. First up is finishing the two shrubbery beds by the fence with shrubs. These were the beds I plotted out and had planned on finishing last year but came down with summer pneumonia instead.
So this year, I’m determined to get the shrubs in so they’ll grow into a nice living fence.
Apart from finally getting my bum in gear to finish last year’s projects, I also received a few more unexpected gifts for Mother’s Day.
A few of the neighbourhood birds let me get up close and personal . . .
This American robin kept a watchful eye on me as I gardened.
While I worked, an ominous shadow buzzed by: A raven! It snatched up a field mouse just on the other side of the fence! I was too stunned by the sheer size of this bird (it’s wingspan had to have been four feet!) that by the time I stopped cowering in fear and picked up my camera, he was already across the pond with his catch. Man, that was a massive bird!
This common raven could have taken off with my cat!
And the Hubs bought me an egg chair for the deck, upon which I may lounge and rule over my kingdom (a.k.a. my garden).
Straight from the garden to the chair!
There I sat and caught a little sun (and a little sun burn) while sipping my iced coffee. Even Boo liked my new chair, mostly because it was close to the bird feeder where she could surprise the sparrows.
After all was said and done, I realized my lovely new manicure I worked on Friday evening had been ruined. I suppose I need to trim my nails back to a more reasonable length if I’m going to be gardening regularly. The eagle talons were fine for winter but summer will demand a shorter length.
Three hours of work ruined by two hours of gardening.
Now that the weather is turning, hopefully for the better, it’s time to start planning some more projects for the back yard to get it summer ready.
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