as before...

Why Mark & Ta'caal can't see each other properly, and no-one else can see Ta'caal at all

The "power of belief" is only effective on the person doing the believing. It can't change the nature of truth. Ta'caal and Mark both really exist, it is only that Mark is looking and his friends won't open their eyes. You can't see properly if you are "blinded" by your preconceptions. Until you learn to see what is really there, not what you expect to see, you can't enter into another world.


Mark in Ta'caal's world

Ta'caal being entrusted with the important message (which happens in Aunt Mern's book) hasn't happened yet. By the time Mark asks Ta'caal about it, they have established that the book/story and the real events are only very vaguely linked. So they both dismiss the wounding of Lord Maxian as an invention of Aunt Mern's to add drama to her story. They then go on to discuss other things, with Mark a little disappointed that his favourite part of the story never really happened, and Ta'caal feeling a bit fed up that people writing about him need to make up interesting things to happen to him - probably because his life is soooo boring!

Of course, Ta'caal does get given the message after all, and Mark gets to live out his 'favourite part of the story'!

Work into part 3 the side-line story of Mark being at risk from a freak show owner who wants to add this weird creature to his collection! Jen and Sam go with Mark - with greater or lesser degrees of enthusiasm.


Philosophies to express (implicitly if possible)

Sitting on the fence is not an option
Ten million people CAN be wrong!
Laws v principles (Norman!)
There IS such a word as can't
A higher authority is needed (Jer. 10:23)
Everyone is an individual - labels create barriers which create conflict (See Polly's speech to Maladicta at the end of "Monstrous Regiment")
Just what is "normal" anyway? What is the difference between "wrong" and "different"? (Some things are wrong, that's why we need the higher authority's judgement)
Where is the line between strict adherence to the letter of the law and being overly tolerant? (linked to laws - principles idea above)


 

There are some repeated ideas here, and some that contradict my earlier ideas. This is the latest off the presses...

Some fictional worlds are real, and they have fiction about our world. Inspiration strikes the author to a greater or lesser degree, so the fiction and the actual history of the world don't always match.

In this story, two worlds meet because the children who have read the fictional accounts dream about each other.

Part 1 deals with how to bridge the gap between them, so that they can enter each other's worlds. They establish that the stories are only very tenuously connected to the real events that inspired them. They can only cross when they can see each other properly. ¿Is the "door" fixed between Mark's bedroom wall and the tapestry in Lord Maxian's outer room?

Part 2 has the centaur, Ta'caal , visit our world. He and Mark try to prevent something which Ta'caal has read about, only to find that it is their interference which brings the thing about. Ta'caal's presence is what sparks off the "story" that inspires the bard in Jirand. Other people, such as Mark's friends Jen and Sam, cannot see Ta'caal at first.

Part 3 has Mark, Sam and Jen visiting Jirand, only to discover that the events that inspired "The Rebel Kingdom" are going on around them right now. As they arrive, so does a severely injured Lord Maxian. Ta'caal is prevented from introducing Mark and his friends by a summons from his lord which leads to him being entrusted with a message for the King warning about Orim's plans. Ta'caal asks Mark what happens in his book, but there are no details of Ta'caal's adventures in "The Rebel Kingdom". Mark then realises that there are no simanchë in his book either, and so they can't rely on it as any kind of guide - or even a guarantee of success. Jen and Sam consider going home, since it is not their problem. ¿Why don’t they leave? Or do they leave and then come back?

 

I have posted my first chapter of "Mark & Ta'caal". I am having trouble shifting between the views, and I'm aware that at least one switch is clumsy and unclear. The problem I have is that each character must have two descriptions - firstly there is the real description, what they really look like, and secondly there is what the other person initially sees. My point is that you don't see what someoneis really like until you get rid of your preconceptions, but I have decided to make the point visually. Except that it is not always easy for me to convey in words what I can imagine in my mind.

Please read, rate and review my first chapter!
Why am I asking you? I'm the only one who ever comes here!
So who am I talking to? Uh-oh, first sign of madness...
          (and coming back here to check for answers is the second sign)
And carefully explaining all this to yourself has got to be some kind of a sign.
 

This is a story in three parts. Since an unknown JK Rowling was allowed to plan enormous 7-book epics whilst on a train, I will take the liberty of planning a trilogy whilst sitting at my computer.

Book 1
Mark & Ta’caal can see each other, and talk freely, but there is an invisible barrier between them, preventing a crossing over from one world to the other.

Mark and Ta’caal see each other as they expect at first, but gradually they learn to see what is really there.

Mark sees Ta’caal as a “typical” centaur – very human and very equine parts, joined at the waist with almost no blend. In fact, the centaurs (who call themselves “humans”) are all-over hair (like a horse’s coat), with larger eyes, higher ears and flatter noses than human faces. Their hair is a mane that runs the full length of the spine, with slightly more hair on the top of the head, but not much.

Ta’caal sees what he thinks is a typical “Simanche” – half human (Ta’caal’s definition of “human”) and half monkey. The best way a centaur could describe a creature with two legs that were not bird legs. So that Mark – seen through Ta’caal’s eyes – has the large eyes and high ears of a “human”, and the slightly bowed, hair-covered legs of a monkey. Also a prehensile tail.

Both are surprised that the other is wearing clothes – and both are offended at the surprise of the other. Could the illustrations in their respective books be the start of discussions?

Once they see each other properly, the barrier is breached; book 1 ends with Ta’caal stepping over into Mark’s bedroom.

Book 2
Ta'caal in Mark's world. Ta’caal is invisible in Mark’s world to all who don’t want to believe in him. He is Mark's "imaginary friend" and people won't take him seriously. However, when Ta'caal saves the life of another character in Mark's world, some people start to believe in him. Others obstinatly seek for a "rational" explanation!
PTP - Ta'caal has heard (in the "story" on his world) of some danger in Mark's world that M & T try to avert? Do they succeed?

PTP - Ta'caal's presence in Mark's world is what sets off the events in Caslyn's tale? Or something similar that would inspire Caslyn's tale?

Book 3
Mark in Ta'caal's world. People there can see him OK, but they refuse to believe that he is a Simanche. After all, they know what simanche look like, and Mark is all wrong. They don’t know what he is but they are sure about what he is not.
Ta'caal is in some kind of danger, Mark crosses over to rescue him and has trouble convincing the other centaurs to help.
AND/OR - Mark becomes involved in the events of the book "The Rebel Kingdom". We see more clearly which events are real and which are made up by Marian Dehar.
___________________________________________
SO... What dangers/problems exist in books 2 & 3? Book 1 will be largely expositional, how do I make this interesting? How do I summerise this explanation in the other books, in the event of new readers? Could the dangers in books 2 & 3 be implicit in two worlds making contact?

Wow - this new story is moving much better than my first idea. I think I was right to change direction. Going away now to make some pen-and-ink notes. I still think best with a quill in my fist...

TTFN
 

First, Mark and Ta'caal see what they expect to see - show them from each other's view. This blurred vision is the "wall" that seperates them from each other's worlds. Once they learn to really look - not just see what they think should be there - the wall is down and they can cross over. But other people can't see the "visitor". They call Ta'caal "Mark's imaginary friend" and even when presented with evidence of his existance they find ways around it.

**Sam asks Mark something.
"I don't know." admits Mark
"Why not ask your centaur friend? I bet he'd know" Sam teases.
"Yes, he probably would. I'll ask him when I see him next."
"Can't you just ask him now? Believe in him and he appears - isn't that how it works?"
"Don't be silly - it's not like he exists because I believe in him. He exists anyway - it's just that I can see him because I know what I'm looking for."
"What about the "power of belief" stuff you were talking about?"
"It only changes how you see the world - it doesn't change the facts of anything. You can't fly by refusing to believe in gravity, can you?"**

PTP - this is a rant. No way is Mark this articulate! Have it in thoughts, but not being said.

If someone else became convinced, could they see Ta'caal too? Why doesn't Ta'caal do "tricks" to prove he is real?
 

I don't know if I can get this into my Mark/Ta'caal story but it is a thought I have had for a while.

Why should anyone be "proud" of their nationality? Nobody has to "achieve" nationality, they are just born. Being born into a prosperous, influential nation is, perhaps, a great piece of good luck but not a source of pride. It is like Calpurnia said about talents - just something you're born with. "A man might as well be proud of the colour of his hair."

You can be proud of something that you have worked for - or you can feel priveleged to belong to a family that has achieved great things. But to base your worth - or anyone else's worth - on an accident of birth is folly of the highest order.

I am proud to get commendations on my writing, I am proud for my sister when she passed her exams. But I am no more proud of being Welsh than I am proud of being a woman - or being short! Those are things I have no control over. Pride or shame therefore don't come into it.

End of rant.
 

Ta'caal tells Mark that his grandmother is going to die. Mark doesn't believe him - gets angry.
Next time Mark talks to his grandmother, Ta'caal's words are filling his mind. Then he realises, that was his last meeting with her. It would have been, even if Ta'caal had never told him. Decides to forgive T. (Has discussion with Gran about it? Is it her who pursudes him to make up with Ta'caal?)

Ta'caal, meanwhile, is looking around at the people in the court. He might loose a friend one day, or a member of his family. Would he want to know in advance?

PTP - what could Mark tell Ta'caal? Something that Ta'caal could try and change?

*Gran says/Mark thinks: "This would have been our last meeting anyway. It is really worse knowing we'll never see each other again? If we hadn't known, would we have wasted the visit?"

Never waste the chance to be with your loved ones - not because they might die but because the time will not come back. Never waste time, because time dies every second.*


 

Mark - still my lead human character, but much younger. Age:10(ish - not sure what to do about his school situation.)

Ta'caal - the page-centaur in Mark's current book - "The Rebel Kingdom". Aged around 11 to 13 years old.

Caslyn - the centaur in Ta'caal's world who writes about Mark.

Marian Dahar - Mark's aunt, and author of "The Rebel Kingdom" (her real name is Marian Gertrude Millar, and in the family she is known as Mern/Aunt Mern)

Mark's parents (Mr. and Mrs Sitwell)

Sam & Jen - Mark's friends at school

Pireon - Ta'caal's older brother

Lord Maxian - Ta'caal's knight master

Various people in the background of Mark's life - he initially gives them no thought but ends up seeing them all as people who have interesting lives, any one of them could inspite a story in another universe!
(Names - Mr Mandison, school teacher. Jane, older cousin, ...)

Corresponding people mentioned briefly in "The Rebel Kingdom". Ta'caal doesn't think they are interesting, but Mark shows him how important they are to the story.
(Names - Aledar, Lord Maxian's friend/second-in-command. Shalia, wisewoman. ...)


 

It is gradually dawning on me that my "all stories are real somewhere" idea is going to be baggage in this fantasy story. So, new plan: treat this story of centaurs in Jirand as the book Mark is reading when he discovers that he is fictional in Maxia's world, just as she is fictional in his. In other words, allude to the Jirand story, but focus on the characters of Mark, Maxia and one or two others. If I have a chance later on I may turn the Jirand story into a book of it's own but as "pure" fantasy.

After thought:
Make Maxia a boy, Ta'caal, so that Mark is more likely to indentify with him. Keep the character of Maxia for another time, Ta'caal is different. I haven't yet worked out his full character backstory but he is a page/apprentice at court in Jirand.
 

I've been reading other blogs and I think I may have missed the point. Other people seem to writing about their day-to-day life - I'm just threshing out ideas for a potential book!
Thing is, I really don't have anything in my life that I want to put on a public message board. If I see something that makes me smile, or something happens that I want to practice my descriptive powers on then I may make an entry about me. (That was a weird sentence - I need to re-write that!)
Meanwhile, these entries will be about Mark, Caslyn, Maxia and anyone else who ends up in my story. I have these notes here for my use, but I really would like feedback on how believable/coherant my back-stories are. I don't mean to do a Tolkein and create a detailed history for this world, I just want enough background to give my story a shape, and my characters a personality!
 

DOMINANTRACE: Sub-divided into classes. Inhabitants of the Four Kingdoms (and Orimoso)
- ARISTOCRATS: light-boned and delicate. Based on hackney horse, American saddlebred, thoroughbred joined to a very slight human build. Almond shaped eyes and long, thin ears. Fine hair, growing naturally waved.
- LABOURERS: heavy horses and strong human build. Fjord-style manes, tails naturally short and ragged.
- MIDDLEWEIGHTS: Welsh cob and smaller human build than LABOURERS. Neat, straight hair. Mostly bays. Caslyn & Maxia of this type?
- SHIRES: "Gentle giants” – advisors/wise men at court. Big, without the obvious stocky strength of the LABOURER class. Actually just as strong – if not more so – but it is a hidden strength.

Porposians: Fell ponies, Asiatic Wild horses, Fjord ponies. The only pony race. Living in the Porpoise Islands. Self-contained, separate language and culture. Don’t have the same rigid class structure as the DOMINANTRACE.

FORESTDWELLERS: Appaloosa/pinto. Not found in any of the other countries. Markings considered weird by the others – makes the FORESTDWELLERS less “human” because they are marked like dogs. Speak a different language, can be “discovered” by a young centaur from Jirand who expresses amazement that they are ‘almost like real people’ and not the savages/animals he was taught lived there. Living in ISOLATEDNORTH and ISOLATEDSOUTH, and don’t fear The Forest as much as those in Jirand and Orimoso. Accent and dialect distinguishes the two branches of the race – maybe the two countries are as suspicious of each other as Jirand is of them.

SHELTIES: A dying race of seers/herbalists, living in the Spring Mountains. Shalia is of this race.

The Four Kingdoms have variations in dialect, regions within those countries have differing accents. Certain colouring tend to be typical in each region; for example, a palomino would be very obvious in a herd of bays, maybe indicating that one or both of his parents came from somewhere else.
 

Everything in CAPITALS is going to be replaced by names once I have decided on them.

Some of this history is inaccurate, but this is what is taught in Jirand, the Eastern Kingdom and setting for my story. "Inaccuracies" may be uncovered as the story progresses.

The History of CONTINENT (as known by the historians of Jirand)

Once upon a time the countries of Jirand, NORTH, SOUTH and WEST were all one nation ruled over by King OLDKING. On his death he was succeeded by his eldest son, who had been trained since infancy in the running of the kingdom. Unfortunately, OLDKING had not been so attentive to his other children and when their brother became King the other four brothers banded together to kill him. Soon, fighting broke out amongst the four as to who had supremacy and this led to devastating war. The Grey Mountains, site of OLDKING’s palace, ran red with the blood of the four brothers, their supporters and their descendants. During this time the Kingdom fell into neglect. The Forest grew up, swallowing the whole of the Eastern end of the continent, and the Porpoise Islands broke off all contact with what they considered to be a barbaric nation.

After several generations of this fighting, the warring factions were faced with famine. The Porposians still refused to trade, and the army chiefs – all descendants of the murderous brothers – agreed to meet in peace at the site of the ruined palace. There the Great Treaty was drawn up by the SHIRES, the only family of DOMINANTRACE centaurs who had stayed neutral during all the years of the war. In that treaty, the country was divided into four parts, using rivers for boundaries where practicable. Jirand, the largest, was taken by the sons of the eldest brother, NORTH by the next brother’s sons, WEST by the next and SOUTH given to the descendants of the youngest brother. The site of the old palace was designated neutral ground and the newly crowned Kings vowed to meet there once year to discuss developments, introduce new members of the family and renew the treaty. At one of these meetings the boundary between Jirand and NORTH was re-drawn to allow for the changing course of WIGGLYRIVER. After doing this every year for a generation, an arbitrary line was drawn to prevent further administrative hassle. The four Kingdoms are now on perfectly equitable terms, although still rather cool. It would not take a large breech of the terms of the Great Treaty to spark yet another war, the peace is like a china plate – if it receives a blow it may break, it may not, but who would risk it?

Meanwhile, the Porpoise Islands have remained aloof. They have no need to contact the mainland and have a lingering disgust for the “barbarian” ways of the Four Kingdoms. As for the FORESTDWELLER race, their existence had been all but forgotten. When adventurous explorers from Jirand caught a glimpse of one of them they dismissed them as animals because of their distinctive markings. The language barrier has effectively prevented this misconception from being cleared up. The FORESTDWELLERS themselves are perfectly content and have no desire to try and make contact with a war-like race who think that they are animals.

In recent times, Orim took it upon himself to try and seize the throne of Jirand. The end result was the new “Kingdom” of Orimoso and an lull in the fighting. PTP - This could be the subject of a story.

A race of Shetland-types live in the Spring mountains. Shalia is one of the last of this race of seers/herbalists, known as the SHELTIES. Known but not paid much attention to. Largely forgotten about outside of Jirand.

 

I need to refine these ideas, then pick two or three for a single story. The list below realy is just thinking aloud.

Needed - an big event to kick-start the adventure. A Quest of some kind.

Ideas for this Quest:
-Investigate what is going on in The Forest
-Something is up with Shalia
-A natural disaster
-The rift between Orimoso and Jirand has reached a climax
-The rift ditto is just starting
-Ancient hatreds re-kindled?


To be included:
A growing friendship
A betrayal
A misunderstanding
A puzzle/mystery
A journey (physical)
A journey (emotional)
Someone who is not what they seem
An unconscious prejudice

Philosophies to express (implicitly if possible)

Sitting on the fence is not an option
Ten million people CAN be wrong!
Laws v principles (Norman!)
There IS such a word as can't
A higher authority is needed (Jer. 10:23)
Everyone is an individual - labels create barriers which create conflict (See Polly's speech to Maladicta at the end of "Monstrous Regiment")
Just what is "normal" anyway? What is the difference between "wrong" and "different"? (Some things are wrong, that's why we need the higher authority's judgement)
Where is the line between strict adherence to the letter of the law and being overly tolerant? (linked to laws - principles idea above.


After writing the entry on Centaur history, I was left with the following ideas...

–discovering that the FORESTDWELLERS are “real people”
–re-establishing contact between the Porpoise Islands and the Four Kingdoms
–Orim threatening to shatter the peace between the Four Kingdoms in an effort to grab a larger portion of CONTINENT for himself. Maybe he plans to set himself up as the ruler of the whole continent, reasoning that he is the rightful heir of OLDKING. Could his father be the older brother of the present King, but never took up power for some reason? (disgraced, abdicated or driven out?)
–The SHIRES used to be responsible for training the crown prince in his duties. This tradition has been discontinued, should it be re-instated? OR Shalia’s race used to share in this task, but they have been “written out” by history and now only the SHIRES teach?

Points To Ponder
-How is Mark involved? Is he involved at all, or is this a “straight” fantasy story?
-Could Maxia make contact with a FORESTDWELLER youngster – or should it be Mark who meets them?
-What exactly is Shalia’s role? Is there a prophecy that only an outsider can repair the damage done by generations of stupidity? Or (taking up on point 4b above) is she trying to regain status for her race? Or something else?




 

Just trying these out for sound...

Shalia - wise woman/mage
Mark - main human character
Caslyn - Maxia's mentor
Maxia - young centaur
Perion - Centaur sent into Mark's world
Aledar - Mark's mentor in Jirand
Omir - self-appointed "king" of Orimoso
Jane - in Mark's world
Sam - in Mark's world
---
Jirand - Caslyn's country
Kingmeet - neutral ground in the Grey Mountains
Keyhole Bay
Orimoso - rebel kingdom ceded from Jirand
The Porpoise Islands
The Forest
Spring Mountains - home to Shalia
Grey Mountains - surrounding Kingsmeet
 

MARK
Living on his own (PTP - where?) In contact with both parents. Early twenties, working somewhere bottom-of-the-ladderish (i.e. apprentice, office junior etc) Dressed for work when starts this adventure. May change clothes when he arrives in Jirand.
-
PTP2 - girlfirend? Brothers/sisters?
PTP3 - school life? Past events that have shaped his personality? Friends? Neighbours?

CASLYN
Lives alone in small, tight-knit community. Work - teaching languages (privately). Hobby - mythology. Not a great socialiser, but not a recluse. Aged 30-45, older enough to mentor Maxia. Not scruffy but not really aware of how she dresses.
-
PTP - any reason why she is single? What sparked her love of mythology? Parents/siblings? Past expereinces?

MAXIA
Lives in a large family, she is near the younger end of the clan, but not the youngest. Age~15. Very conscious of her appearance when embarrassed, but still loves "exploring" and consequently wears stuff that doesn't tear easily!
-
PTP - her schooling? Friends?

SHALIA
Lives in a cave in the Spring Mountains. Not as old as she looks, but still pretty ancient. Will teach if you are SERIOUS about learning, even if you don't have much talent. People avoid her, rather than vice versa, but she doesn't suffer fools gladly.
-
PTP - who taught her? Why does she live in the mountains? Any family? What actual skills/knowledge does she have?

ORIM
Self-appointed "king" of Orimoso, ?related to the King of Jirand? Age - undecided.
-
PTP - why did he rebel? What family does he have?

 

Centaurs - faces subtly different from humans (larger eyes, ears higher, hair falling from centre of head, running down the back (i.e. a mane) The body hair (fur?) is all over the whole body, although it is finer and softer on the face, esp. around the eyes, nose and mouth - similar to a horse.
Later notes...Very much a single, unique creature, not so very half-and-half as we picture them. Some horse-like elements in the facial features, human/paw-like feet. Elongated jaw, nose flat and a part of the muzzle. Not as long as a horse's face, but the same delicate nose. Arms a little longer than human, eyes slightly larger and more widely spaced. Ears above the line of the eyes, can be moved independently. However, the whites of the eyes can be seen, and the ears end in lobes.

Clothes are all in two parts, tops for the "humaniod" half, with straps passing through the mane and fastening at the front, and re-styled horse blankets for the "horse" half. Loose clothing for ease of movement, often held in at the waist by a belt/sash. Inspiration from medieval horse jousting outfits. Leather or canvas for protective clothing, modeled on horse armour, again medeival.

Cloaks go over the whole back, and can be fastened under the belly if required. Galoshes-type protective boots available, although most centaurs elect to go bare foot for every-day business. Normally, only warriors and messengers wear boots.


Centaurs are the only intelligent inhabitants of this world - and they can still find differences and grievances enough to have racism. Hmm, I wonder where I got that idea from?