Another World

It's a rather large task I'm undertaking. You might know that I'm working on an epic book series. The gist of it is the story of a kid who discovers that he can do some pretty extraordinary things and because of it, is whisked away to discover a completely new world.

Though, the new world isn't exactly new. While it was previously unknown to the character in the book, this world still has an enormous history. Likewise, the people who live in it also have histories. So, the amount of background that must be generated for the book series is tremendous. I've read and heard the advice that a writer just needs to start writing to get the story down and then he can go back and work out the details, but that's not so easy. The details largely govern the story. They must be carefully thought out, tuned, and applied to sustain the world the story takes place in. There are rules that must be clearly defined that apply to angels and demons, humans and animals. The background of different peoples makes a difference in who the characters interact with. The placement of the original, gifted Makers of the other world is imperative since they play a role in both the history and the current story.

In total, the planning has taken months of work and effort. The decisions are still not completely made, but I'm close enough now to having it all figured out that I've begun writing the main story. It's pretty exciting to start the actual storyline, but I still fear that the loose ends might eventually force me into a rewrite. Let's hope not.

Even if I do find myself rewriting it, I'm so confident that this book is buildable and genuinely marketable that I won't give up on it. I hope to have at least the first book written by the end of 2010. This should include personal revision and editing along with outside revision and editing. If all goes well Atomorphism's practicioners, Duncan Wallace, Maccabeus MacMillan, Obed Benaiyah, Hadwyn Adams, Taylor Lafayette, and Anna Timber might become common household names.

Just to get your curiosity going, here is a very small portion of my notes (this is not a complete list):

Disciplines

• Refracting light to appear invisible or different.
• Flight
• The language Nahbi.
• Restoration and regeneration of self.
• If an atomorpher is injured he can heal himself. If he loses a limb, he can replace it.
• Deific Studies.
• This is the study of God and his Bible along with the teaching that it is by Him that all things are done. This is a required course of study for all atomorphers.
• Soul Combination.
• This discipline centers around the creation of new creatures. By combining animals there is a mixing of souls and instincts, thus the name soul combination. This discipline requires great care since the wrong combination can result in an improper and sometimes destructive match. The instinctual behaviors must compensate for the new physical structure of the creature. This is related to the study of the Creatures of the Dunamae.
• Dunamae studies.
• The study of the evil sect of atomorphers. These dark and demented practicioners pervert the skills that God has given them in order to further the rebellion and destroy, if possible, the atomorphers.
• Demon Channeling.
• Demons can assist with fortune telling, the manipulation of dark matter, mind reading, tormenting targets, ancient knowledge, greater agility and skill, and control over animals.
• Philosophy.
• The Dunamae philosophy is a dark and mysterious set of half-truths and servitude under Satanic authority. Some are bought by deception while others partake with full knowledge of their rebellion. The belief system is not discriminatory. If a dark atomorpher or Dalmatia (deceitful lamps; vain brightness) is well intentioned and believes in doing the work of God, it is not beneath the Dunamae to accept, through deception, this recruit. Any manipulation of truth--any deception--is admissible to further the rebellion.
• Weaponry creation.
• The art of knowing how to create forged steal, perfectly machined guns, and explosives from sand or whatever is available.
• Mechanical study.
• For the creation of machines. An atomorpher can, for instance, build a respirator in a serious emergency.
• Elemental Manipulation.
• This is the manipulation of weather, water, fire, ice, electrical current, and wind. Weather manipulation, like stopping a storm, requires either a long string of Nahbi, or tremendous concentration by multiple atomorphers. Note that Jesus calmed the storm simply by commanding it to be at peace without using the Nahbi language. That's because he's God.
• Transfigurement.
• Changing the physiology of oneself into some other form.
• Perception.
• The ability to sense when another is capable of atomorphism. This is particularly useful for Seekers who seek out children for the school.
• History.
• The study of atomorphic history. The history of Sethesus. Many Nonatoms become historians.
• Dunamae defense.
• Atomorphers must be prepared for the violent and destructive powers of the dunamae. This study brings the students into a knowledge of the strategies that exploit the gifts for killing, hurting, and manipulating others. The stratagem must be known to counter it. It is a tempting study for some to become Dark and even for some to consider being a dunamae. Simply speaking of the deceptive qualities of the sect can inadvertently draw those that are not careful into it.
  
• Creatures of the Dunamae
• This teaches about the creatures made by the Dunamae and how to defend one's self from attack by them. These creatures, like the Gothrokar, the Tibla, and the Rykon are deadly unless Atomorphers are trained to counteract them. These creatures were made for war and are thus terribly deadly. This discipline is related to Soul Combination.

"What is the matter, James?" Bernard asked. His voice was soft yet sultry, strictness falling off every word.
James stood in the dark monastery, surrounded by candles that led up before him to a door seemingly made from bronze. Bernard stood behind him now. He had been here alone, hesitating and lost, but content to be left alone. This man was not welcome during his final moments.
"James," Bernard rumbled in a low voice. "Why are you waiting?"
With a sigh of irritation for the man James replied to him, "Where will I go?"
"I have told you young man. You will go where you are most needed." Bernard's tone hinted at having said this on a number of occasions before. "Have you not spent your childhood in preparation for this, James? What holds you from it now? You have the knowledge! You have the practice! Though I say you do not, Megolas says you are ready, and I cannot hold to my own words any longer. Though I advised against it, here you stand, and so I will be proved wrong. Now, go lest you cave to your cowardice and make my previous arguments right before Megolas." The words were scathing and heartless, though James had come to expect this from the man. A teacher and a mentor of the young, the man was said to have done his duty as well, though James could hardly believe it.
Bernard spoke again, startling James at how close he had gotten without his noticing. "The ministry has claimed you, God has chosen you, and I have trained you. Now, you mustn't dispair over your calling, it is what you were born to do. Go and do so with God." The words were somehow soft, in complete contradiction to everything James knew of the man. He glanced sideways at him and saw the man's cowl was drawn up over his head and his face was well hidden. James actually wondered for a moment if maybe this wasn't Bernard, but, as though reading his thoughts, the man pulled back his hood and met his eyes with a fierce gaze. "I too was fearful, but it will pass."
James was so stunned that he was speechless. His features must have shown it because Bernard smiled at him, as though amused. "I have let down my guard because you will probably never see me again, nor be able to tell the other students of my kindness. Truly, this is likely the last time you will ever see me or anyone you have ever known." Bernard's smile faded and the man's eyes showed a profound sadness. "Before you go," He began, his eyes searching James's. "You should know that I have always loved you as a son."
For what seemed a long while, James only stared. Startlement mixed with disbelief mixed again with a welling up of emotion rushed through him. Then he found his voice. "Thank you Bernard. I am honored to think of you as my father." In truth, Bernard was the closest he had ever had to a father, though he had been a strict and difficult father at that.
"Go with God, my son. My prayers are, have been, and will be for your safety and success. May you find happiness in your new life as I have found in mine." He placed a solid and reassuring hand on James' shoulder. "Perhaps you will leave me a message or you will find mine someday."
After a moment studying each other for the last time, Bernard pulled him into an embrace. James felt the full weight of his attachment to the man in that span of a few short seconds. And then, Bernard patted him on the back and stepped back. James nodded and turned for the door.
"Do not forget, my son," Bernard called after him, "that iron sharpens iron. Find others when you have found your new place. They will aide you. And friendhsip is something to be highly valued in life."
"I will," James replied, and then added, "father." He felt Bernard's smile on his back as he took hold of the door and went through.

Snow Day

So it seriously snowed today and is still snowing. I worked from home even though the freeway was open this morning. Lucky because it closed midday. Unfortunately, Darion did go down on the promise that his employer (Schwans) would put him up in a hotel if he couldn't get back up. Well, he didn't plan on having to stay down there, but he is.

Cyndi hung out from lunch time today. I went and picked her up, came home, and then we went to the "usual place" (Molly Brown's) where the waitresses know us by name. I had the pepper steak blue plate special and it was pretty dawgon good. The strognoff they served the other day was out of this world. Maggie got it and I proceeded to eat off her plate. I ate the leftovers for dinner tonight. Very delicious.

After that I worked while Maggie and Cyndi entertained themselves. They ended up making a snow man with the carrot nose and everything--a piece of which ended up in Sandie's mouth. When I finished work I went out back with Sandie and she frolicked around through the snow with me. It was downright adorable. Afterwards, though, she had little ice balls worked throughout the hair on her legs. We all took her over to the wood burning stove to keep her warm while we worked the ice out of her hair.

I need to find our police scanner! My dad called and told me that the airwaves were filled with chatter, so I looked all around for it and couldn't find it. Ugh, I'll need to do a more thorough search.

So after that the news became definite that Darion wouldn't be able to find a way home. Every route to get back up was closed. Cyndi wasn't happy and I can understand why. Tonight will be their first night apart since they've been married. Maggie and I played Cyndi and Darion's Wii while Cyndi went on Myspace and updated her status to indicate that she's very very sad. I know it's selfish to be this way, but I hate it when Cyndi gets upset or sad because it affects everyone around her. She's usually very lively and fun, so when she's down, it's not only noticeable, it's a tangible deflation of the mood. I understand that she can't be up all the time, but it still sucks when she gets down.

After looking like a big dork for awhile with Wii Fit I asked Cyndi if she was ready to go home. She didn't want to try to spend the night here, so we loaded up her stuff into my truck and pulled out to get her home. Holy stockings! Driving in the snow is very tricky! We did pretty well until we turned up First off of Nisqualli. First is an incline, so I only made it up so far and then stopped making progress. I tried putting the truck into 4 wheel drive low, but it did us no good, so I had to back down the hill and back out onto Nisqualli. Now, this all seems scary, but it actually worked to put Cyndi back into a better mood. We were laughing by the time we got back onto Nisqualli. After that little fiasco we made it to her apartment just fine and I helped her carry stuff in, hugged her goodbye, and went back out to my truck.

Then I was stuck. It took awhile of rocking back and forth, but I got out and went down the road. So, the falling snow, the eerie haze, the glow of the sky, and the abandoned landscape has a tendency to remind me of Silent Hill. Then, as I was driving down Second to get out the Bear Valley Road, there was a car sitting in the middle of the road and, judging by the amount of snow on it, it had been sitting there for a few hours. I imagine whoever it was got stuck and just left it. Later on I felt bad because I probably should've stopped and knocked on the window to make sure someone wasn't inside. Had there been, they'd be awfully cold. There is a hospital on that very street though... Anyway, that was a little weird, but then there were also a bunch of hoodlum-type guys walking around as well. I don't know what they were up to, but at 9 o'clock at night, I'm not betting it's anything good. It was afterward that Maggie and I made the connection that they might be out because there happen to be abandoned cars in the road where people had to leave them stuck in the snow. Seems like a good opportunity to break in and steal away a stereo or whatever. I'll bet the cops are busy taking care of the crazies that are crashing into to things because they still attempt to do the speed limit on all the roads.

Speaking of which, there are a bunch of crazies on the roads that still attempt to do the speed limit on all the roads. I don't know about you, but it irritates me when I'm driving carefully down the road through intense snow and some moron passes me because I'm not going fast enough. Boy, I wonder why the scanner was chattering so much?

So then, once I got home I was faced with a driveway that is on an incline. I didn't make it, so I got a shovel and started clearing away snow to make a path for the truck to go up. Maggie stood and talked to me while I shoveled. :-) It wasn't too long after I started that James, my neighbor down the street, came over with his own shovel and offered to help. Between the two of us we had the snow cleared away quickly and I was able to get the truck into the garage. I thanked him for his help and Maggie and I decided after that we need to send some fudge his way.

Personally, I rather enjoyed tonight's adventure. It's fun to get out and put down a challenge. Driving through the snow with a bunch of crazy people isn't a good thing, but figuring out how to get unstuck and find ways around terrain that can't be passed is the kind of thing I enjoy.

So tomorrow will likely be icy and dangerous as well, so I'm planning on working from home. Maggie got called by the school district tonight and was notified that the district will be closed for the remainder of the week. That means that school hasn't been in session all week and the end of this week marks the beginning of the Christmas break. So that's three weeks for Christmas vacation. Haha, that's pretty awesome. She'll be sad when May rolls around and they have to make up those days though... :-D

So that was my day in a nutshell. I didn't mention half the things that happened, but this is already getting to be a long post, so I'll wrap right here.

Remembering

Last night Maggs and I went off and looked at Christmas lights. I was telling her about a sermon by Mark Driscol of Marshill Church in Seattle. In the sermon he's talking about what couples do to keep their marriage healthy and one couple's strategy was to write down on cards highlights of their marriage througout the year and then, on their anniversary, sit down at a nice place to eat, pull out the cards, and read them. I was telling Maggie that this is cool and that I tend to forget everything as the days go by. I just never retain stuff and pretty quickly the entire year has blurred and been forgotten. That makes the passage of time seem much more pronounced. Maggie suggested that I blog in order to keep track of things and for some reason that really made sense.

So we had this conversation last night while driving around looking at Christmas lights. It was totally awesome. We drove over the Hesperia in the new developments and looked at lights. We were saying how we like to do that 'cause it gives us ideas for our own Christmas display. One of the best parts was going to Starbucks and getting hot chocolate and peppermint mocha coffee. Mine had peppermint whipped cream, which was awesome. Then we drove off to Hesperia and enjoyed Christmas.

Tonight, Cyndi and Darion came over. In fact, they're playing their Wii right now while Maggie reads and I blog...haha... We don't need to entertain each other all the time. We can pretty much just hang out and do our own things or do stuff together and nobody's bothered.

We gave Darion his birthday presents tonight. We gave him Call of Duty for the Wii, some Magic cards, and a card collector's album. He likes it all a lot. I can always be sure he likes what he gets because I enjoy the same stuff.

Speaking of Magic cards, I've taken a liking to the game. It was always one of those uncool things in highschool where if you were caught playing Magic you were labelled a dork, but now that I'm out of highschool and I don't have to care about being judged anymore I can play(only kidding, I totally would've played in highschool if someone had introduced me to it).

Tonight Darion and I played and the game lasted for a long time. Dinner was ready and we had to just stop playing before we even finished. It was lots of fun.

Anyway, now Darion and Cyndi are leaving, so I'm going to say goodbye. Thanks for reading.

Note to self: Maggie made stew tonight and it was DELICIOUS. Don't ever think you didn't like it, cause you did.

Mob Wars

So, I've discovered Mob Wars on Facebook. This game is really fun. Overall, I've spent very little time maintaining it and I'm doing pretty well. I played Knighthood for a while, but that was insane because of the amount of upkeep it required. Mob Wars opens up to new items and properties as you gain levels and build your mob. It can just sit there and make money for you. And I haven't gotten attacked too often, yet. Eventually, you can become a made man. It's fun, you should try it out.

Last night we had dinner with my boss Bryan and his wife Sue. That was incredibly fun. Their kids, Jack and Sully (almost 4 and 19 months) are extremely cute kids. I was really happy that there wasn't any awkwardness or anything during the night. We got the tour of the house and then determined to stay in and order out for dinner. It ended up being a whole lot of laughs and we stayed till almost 11:00. I'm looking forward to doing it again.

We went over to my parent's house tonight and had German Beer Roast and Spaetzle. It was fantastic. We had fun laughing and telling stories at the dinner table too. The funniest thing happened when I came over though--my dad immediately put me to work on his eliptical. I'm kind of tired now. Haha. It was a nice machine and makes me want to work out more. My dad looks incredible. He's going to have abs to show off pretty soon and all I have is a big obstruction between my eyes and my feet. I'm back to feeling uncomfortable again as well. I did so good with Weight Watchers for a while, but I just couldn't keep with it. It ended up being too much work trying to get into the website and enter all my points each day. I'm going to start trying harder to be conscientous though. My health is too important to let go.

Anyway, play Mob Wars, it's fun.

It makes for some good writing

You might be wondering why I'm posting things that seem like they'd take a lot of time and then concluding that I must not be very strapped lately. Well, I guess it's lightened a little, but I'm still pretty busy. Sometimes, too, I like to just relax with a little light reading--like Josephus. So, here're my latest ponderances.

According to the historian Josephus of two thousand years ago (wrote during the reign of Vespasien, Titus, and Domatian), Seth's descendants were "the inventors of that peculiar sort of wisdom which is concerned with the heavenly bodies, and their order. And that their inventions might not be lost before they were sufficiently known, upon Adam's prediction that the world was to be destroyed at one time by the force of fire, and at another time by the violence and quantity of water, they made two pillars; the one of brick, the other of stone:they inscribed their discoveries on them both, that in case the pillar of brick should be destroyed by the flood, the pillar of stone might remain, and exhibit those discoveries to mankind; and also inform them that there was another pillar of brick erected by them. Now this remains in the land of Siriad to this day."

Modern day historians note that the pillars in the land of Siriad, or Seiris, were erected by a Seth (Sesotris) that was king of Egypt and not by the antediluvian (pre-flood) Seth. The general tradition, however, must be founded on something that was passed down, so the coincidence, although strong, might just be that. Maybe there were pillars standing in the Egyptian desert with inscriptions that aided in informing the Egyptian astronomers. Perhaps Sesotris rehabilitated the old pillars or erected new ones on the memory of what was once there. Egypt, after all, is of the most ancient among peoples. This is speculation, of course, and will take much more learning and research before I can say anything with confidence.

So, Seth and his descendants may very well have had ancient wisdom about the heavenly bodies and it is peculiar that, according to Josephus, they were concerned about preserving the knowledge of their "inventions". This seems to allude to the possibility that there might possibly have been inventions that dealt with the heavenly bodies. Perhaps it only means that there were sundials, telescopes, and star maps, but wouldn't it be great if it were space shuttles or star gates? That makes for some good writing.

Lineage of Thought

It's kind of sad that Graham Hancock went on to write such hits as Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization and The Mars Mystery: The Secret Connection Between Earth and the Red Planet since those books relegated him to the fringes of scientific respectability. His book Fingerprints of the Gods, though, is still fascinating and thought provoking.

Hancock believes that the advanced civilization existed and was destroyed by a huge flood, but that its survivors retained remnants of the old technology, architecture, and cartography that was then passed on through the centuries giving rise to things like chronometers, pyramids, and Admiral Piri Reis's map. This theory supposes that the flood was likely more of a local event than a worldwide one, but that the shock of it was probably felt by the rest of the inhabited world. If this flood were local and it only destroyed the advanced, Atlantis-like civilization, then it stands to reason that the earth was likely not that much different looking than it is today--meaning the continents had already separated. Thus, the mapping of Antarctica is made possible by that civilization that met its end and ultimate dispersion.

Dispersion of a different kind occurred in the Bible however and could just as easily explain the drop off of advanced technology. That dispersion took place at the building of the Tower of Babel and is recorded in the book of Genesis, chapter 11. God says, "Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." This effectively began the dispersion God was after.

It is interesting to read the words of God Himself as he admits that "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." This key phrase lets me know that God saw them as being very advanced and potentially great. This was a problem since mankind would inevitably look to himself as the reason for his achievements. Josephus even states that Nimrod sought to turn mankind from God as a means to enrich his vision of himself. His idea of Nimrod was that he championed himself as the revenge for the destruction of their forefathers. His intent was to build a tower so tall that another flood could not consume it.

From this perspective, it seems obvious that men immediately turned from God even after the great flood. They took no heed of God's power and transfixed themselves on their own power as a means to their salvation. It is probably fair to say then, that when God confused their language and scattered them that the memory of God was already perverted and simply remained that way. Memory of the great flood remained, as can be seen in the writings of all the ancients from Europe and Asia to the Americas. Memory of the Zodiac went on with the ancients. Memory of some technologies went along, as well as various other elements that link the resulting great nations that are most remembered in history now. Egypt, the Mayans, the Greeks, the Chinese, etc. became the established children of the first Babylon. Those nations, however great, retained the perverted version of the truth. It was as though the new nations came out of a dark age. Brilliant ideas eventually rose to answer the eternal questions, but none ever hit the truth. This explanation can account for the similarities in history, flood legend, and astronomical understandings while the memory of God became something completely different.

The line of Eber, which eventually became the Hebrews, who eventually came to be known as the Jews were preserved by God supernaturally. They retained the correct knowledge of God and began the long genetic trek to the Messiah. Thus began the history of mankind. Many paths were begun, many legends would develop, and some things that flowed through from prehistory became enigmatic reminders of an age that diffused as confusion set upon it. Perhaps, as we study the Admiral's map, we are seeing a little of what the first Babylonians had drawn in forgotten times.

Inspired by Unknown Achievements

A while back I bought the writings of Josephus. I read a little of it, but put it down to finish the other ten books I was still trying to read at the time. Today I picked it back up.

I've done a lot of thinking over my years about a civilization far advanced for its time that has since been largely forgotten. Much of it started when I spoke with a friend who introduced me to the author Graham Hancock and his book Fingerprints of the Gods. I've since read the book through twice and am always provoked to thought and study because of it. Hancock proposes his own theory about a long lost civilization that could have been Atlantis.

I took his book to indicate the evidence for the flood and the establishment of an advanced people under the leadership of a man named Nimrod. I have a hypothesis that things like the map of Admiral Piri Reis are likely little traces of that first civilization that built the tower to rise above another flood.

The map seems to depict part of the coast of Antarctica, an impossible knowledge during the 16th century when the Turkish Admiral made his map. The Admiral, when he presented his work, made it clear that he'd used some other maps from the library at Constantinople, but didn't mention which maps or their probable antiquity. The map is a little misguided since it runs the coast of South America into the coast of Antarctica, but the general coast line is discernible and lines up well with modern, 20th century knowledge of the real coast line. According to Graham Hancock, the coast line was covered by ice and had been for fifteen thousand years preceding the Admiral's map. This date is calculated according to scientific estimates from contemporary scholars cited in Hancock's work. It can be assumed, for our purposes, that Antarctica probably was not covered in ice at the time of Nimrod and his tower. The implication, if you're still following and haven't fallen asleep, is that the map might well have been based on older maps that were perhaps based on even older maps dating back to a time of great antiquity.

I'm so impressed by this line of thought because it makes for some good fiction, but also because it may indicate that the start of history, where we draw the line between it and prehistory, may have been an emergence from a dark age rather than the beginning of our advancement. The age preceding may have fallen only because of the confusion of languages that occurred with Babel. Before this, the whole world might have been explored and documented. We may never know what heights the tower builders may have reached in the realm of knowledge, but the search is pretty fun.

I love this kind of stuff, but I don't get a lot of opportunity to go down these roads of thought. It's nice to throw off the yoke and delve into it every chance I have. I look forward to the next time, whenever that might be.