Prologue: The Mist Reaper
Haly teases the prologue for her new collection of ghost stories set among the countless islands of Argentii, and talks about the development of the anthology's fictional curator, Vombro Mistbright.
Prologue
Across the islands of Argentii, every child knows what happens after someone dies: their ghost wanders until it is cured into one of their bones and becomes a relic. Children old enough to walk often accompany their families to the shore of their island’s Death Port to welcome the New Year on the Night of Wandering Souls. Ancestral relics within the home are used to purpose or on open display as reminders of the lives and passions that make up a family’s history.
But what of the spirits whose bodies cannot be recovered? Shipwrecks, air crashes, accidents and more can claim the physical remains of a departed person. Without a bone for curing, a person’s ghost is left to wander. Over time, as its lost body decomposes, the ghost becomes problematic as it is further detached from life.
We call these troubled spirits echoes, and it is my job to collect them.
My name is Vombro Mistbright, and I am the Mist Reaper. I travel the islands, searching for the missing remains of angry echoes. Sometimes I can give them final peace as a relic. More often, they must simply be collected. In the process, I do what I can to record the ghost’s tale. Everyone deserves to be remembered, even if their lives can never be known.
These are some of those stories.
Manic Monday: Character is a Matter of Perspective
Let’s talk about the worldbuilding involved in characters, and how that relates to story! It’s something that I’ve not yet written about, and also something y’all occasionally ask about.
It’s also where I am in my own writing journey, which always makes it easier to share with you.
The God’s Eye Curse
Hands down, the biggest issue I’ve been struggling with is choosing which character to tell the story. Because I know the entirety of the story, I know how everyone fits into it. I know how everyone’s perspective is different. And this omniscience makes it difficult for me to determine the most interesting perspective, because they are all equally interesting. To me.
I know, not everyone’s brain works like this. This is why I don’t talk often about just…creating characters; I have trouble slowing my process down enough for me to dissect, examine, and explain it.
Curate Context and Commentary
For my new collection of ghost stories, I reached back to my roots in horror, and especially to my childhood. Elvira, the Crypt Keeper, Sammy Terry, Joe Bob Briggs…these larger-than-life characters collected stories and shared them with us. They gave us context and commentary, they were the lens through which we experienced the entire catalog of Universal horror, good, bad, and in-between.
Because I’m not working in a contemporary setting, providing that sort of context and commentary for my audience is key; fantasy settings often need a translator, and that is certainly the case here. Furthermore, I like the idea of each ghost story being told in the first person by the people who are being haunted.
He meets all of our exposition needs by fulfilling the roles of both Teacher and Fool.
These two desires were married with the idea of the Mist Walker, a sort of true crime detective meets paranormal investigator who is, himself, a figure of mystery. In the course of his duties, he collects the story of each echo’s haunting as a way of recording a wayward ghost’s last efforts of will.
Select for Story
Remember: building characters should always serve the needs of the story. Even — and especially! — when it’s a character-driven story. Make sure that the characters you choose as the lens for your story are built to provide the proper context and clarity to the story and its setting.
What are your best tips for building characters? Who is one of your favorite characters from fiction? Who is one of your favorites from your own work? Let me know in the comments!
If You Haven’t Already…Please Vote!
Every year, the WorldAnvil Worldbuilding Awards celebrates the best and brightest in the worldbuilding community. This year, I’ve submitted seven of my favorite pieces to different categories for consideration.
Click here to read and vote for my submissions.
In order to advance, I need you to vote! It’s FREE & EASY, just click the link, enjoy my writing, and cast your vote from the widget on the bottom left of the article.
If you’ve already voted, then please take the time to share this with your friends! Voting is open to everyone, and every vote counts.
Hang with me at GenCon!
Badges are ON SALE NOW at GenCon.com; get yours early because they WILL sell out! Hotel registration opens Feb. 23; event registration opens May 18.
MoonlightBard.com will have more information on my own events while we wait for the Event Catalog to drop on May 4.
