Schisms

by V. A. Jeffrey

  APPENDIX C

  Chialis, The Red Planet

  This supplementary material has been concerned mainly with Hybron but there were, of course, many cultures across the planet and history books are still being written about them. There was much trade between the Middle World of Hybron, Ellah and Egi, and the largest of the Far Southern kingdoms: Jura, Iyaye, Tisran and Funda. In fact, many archeologists believe that these kingdoms arose and expanded roughly around the same time and during this growth there were also much warring between them before and during the Age of Empires. But there were many kingdoms in other parts of the world fighting for supremacy. To the northwestern part of the planet were the lands of the Great Ridge, that vast valley of dark green forests and rain and cold and snows in winter, one of the few places where rain fell regularly and in it grew kingdoms starkly different from the Middle Word kingdoms and the Southern Kingdoms. A few of those lands that had the most contact with the Middle World and the South are Volgur, Icyt of the far north in that place, Dyrland and Pallinona. It must be said that because of its low elevation and difficulty traveling there in the deep past and because the climate was so different the cultures there were considered “hidden kingdoms” or very mysterious places. To the far north outside of the Great Ridge are the Far Northern and Far Eastern kingdoms and lands and there was not much contact between these lands and the Middle Kingdoms until many years after the Twilight Age had ended. However, some in Hybron had dealings and contact with the nomadic tribes of the eastern steppes throughout the centuries. Sometimes this was beneficial, sometimes it was not. Occasionally, these horsemen would kidnap women and girls from villages and sometimes marry them and sometimes nomadic men from the Middle Lands would do the same. It must be noted that many people in Hybron and even to this day have the tribal steppes genetic material in them, whether they know it or not.

  Chialis is far drier now than even it was back then, and the storms in the worst centuries can last for over a year and rage over nearly half the planet. Thankfully we have been raised up to the stars. The forests, lakes, rivers and oceans, though greatly diminished, are still there. The natural flora and fauna all over the world suffer; many, regrettably, are now extinct and those left are endangered. The great beasts of the deep past are long gone, for now. Even so, there has been a movement to find and preserve species genetic material from bones and preserved animal remains found near the polar ice caps and in the deep deserts, a very expensive and arduous work but necessary. Perhaps one day future generations will see a yaryebu in real life! The work being done by the Royal Planetary Conservation Arch-confraternity is a great and vast work and they, within time, centuries from now, will make Chialis whole again while humans inhabit other places and explore new territory in the heavens. For now it remains a place for many to study and preserve what is left. It is very much like Elitaph in many ways – what ancient people once thought was a beautiful blue star in the heavens is now known to be another planet. However, Chialis remains unique and is a harsher mistress. For those born on it there is nothing like its fierce and stark beauty, its silver-gray seas of the north and the silver-blue waters of the south, its unique vegetation - some would say, even frightening.

  I cannot end without saying something of the ancient tribal people, the forebears of all humans on Chialis. They are still with us, not only in genetic material but also physically. Most still choose to live on Chialis and often work with archeologists and scientists as guides and revered keepers of man's shared history. They know the planet best as they have always lived close to it and never left it. Divine Purpose has preserved them alive to help us preserve and revitalize our home in its hard times of the natural and necessary yet devastating cycle of climate change. In the past they endured many abuses, violence and at times misappropriation of their cultures whether they live in the middle of the world, the south, the west, the east or the north. It is a lesson to those who would try to rid themselves of “primitive” peoples or to “civilize” them. They are keepers of ancient wisdom and when Man goes too far in unhinged and unfocused unrestrained progress these are the peoples that anchor and remind us of where we came from and where we should be going. If we go too far they are there to say: “You have gone too far over here or over there and you need to come back to the traditional wisdom, to the old ways in this or that.” Now we have the best of both worlds, the modern and the ancient, so that we do not become staid and unmoving and calcified but also we do not fly off into the great unknown without purpose and guidance. Such is the great lesson of living and connecting with the Red Planet. It is a teacher of peoples, for it is written: “Chialis is the Eye of God.”

  Finally, a thank you for the patience of the reader and to those who compiled all the vast histories and myriads of other reference materials used for this supplementary material. Most of this information was gleaned from the works of the Most Honorable Lady Faruma Oudem, with her permission, and that ancient and greatest of scribes Demos, who wrote the venerable book Second Dawn of the Reshaim and The Third Book of the Kings of the Holy Aishanna.

  From the Author

  Notes on Origins

  I first thought about writing this story years and years ago. In fact, I might as well be honest. When I was a teenager I'd read Frank Herbert's Dune and like Tolkien's work, it had a major effect on me as a writer. I knew after reading it that I wanted to write an epic story, or something close to an epic. I have always been fascinated with the celestial heavens and all that is out there or might be out there. Also, I wanted to write something akin to what Tolkien wrote but I'd figured he did high epic fantasy with elves, dwarves, knights, etc. best of all and there were many others who came along after him with stories of their own in that vein. I didn't feel that I could contribute anything interesting there that wasn't already written. But an epic set on Mars? That was somewhat biblical in nature? That seemed like a interesting idea. Dune was the closest thing to that. I wanted to write something like that but in my own way, naturally. Instead of spaceships and intergalactic-travel I chose Antiquity and many sources from the Bible. Of course, as Mars is a desert planet, the cultures that I chose are ones that were inspired by ancient Mesopotamian, Eastern and Northern African and southern European cultures. There is also inspiration from ancient west African kingdoms as well. Written from the point of view of a person who was born and raised in the West, obviously. So if you see things that don't quite line up with Mesopotamian or African cultures or lands, that is the reason why. What you read in this book are certainly not one on one stand-ins. Many things are not authentic; they are made up but are there to give the flavor of some ancient culture in antiquity that arose on Earth.

  For this first book in the trilogy I focused on drawing inspiration from the following ancient kingdoms and empires: Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, Israel, Axum, Nubia, the Ajuraan Empire, ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. I imagined Mars as it might be or as it could have been billions of years ago if there were water flowing there and a stronger atmosphere, something very different from what we currently know of the planet. And why not? In the solar system it is virtually a twin of the earth and has fired our imaginations since ancient times. I remember as a kid seeing many astronomy shows and reading many books on what Mars and other planets would be like if we were on the surface. So I tried to do the same. I tried to imagine what human cultures might look like there? For those who actually know something about science and the planet Mars I hope you will forgive me. Like with any fantasy or science fiction work we writers sometimes take obscene liberties to tell the story. There are many things that I have chosen to overlook and say: “See here! I am imagining the planet as it could be if it could hold life!” So liberties have been taken and with great relish, I must say. As to the wedding procession of Queen Taliat? Yeah, I totally stole that from Mankiewicz's 1963 film Cleopatra!

  But there are similarities that continue to fascinate me and the rovers there only spur the imagination. Have you seen the 360 deg
ree video of the Martian desert from the Curiosity Rover? Wonderful! There are mountain ranges, “seas”, valleys, plains, basins, polar ice caps and deserts galore, many features that Earth also has. I imagined a Martian planet nearly as varied as earth with a climate amenable to carbon-based life. Mars even has its own seasons and its own moons. Moons are another planetary body I find fascinating and Mars has two of them. I imagined the constellations must look a little different from the Martian surface as well. I came up with the name Chialis, which I thought sounded like “chalice” - a word with religious connotations. A vessel set on a pedestal and used for ceremonial purposes, something set aside as special and precious. In a way it is how I see the Earth and it is how I pictured Mars in the story.

  Lastly, books like Dune or The Lord of the Rings aren't just long but complex. They, like another great book, the Bible, require more than one reading to really “get the sense of it”. So I have taken to reading Dune every summer. I find that each reading gets more nuanced. More information and new understandings that I may have missed previously come to the fore. It makes me sad that Frank Herbert is no longer with us. I've read much of his work. Who knows what other great stories he might have weaved? Even so, I am glad he gave us the Dune series and I hope it continues to dazzle new young science fiction and fantasy writers coming up, like it did for me.

  Notes on Constellations and the Night Sky

  They were always amazing to me, the stars in the heavens. Still are. One thing I've found in my reading is that at times the sunsets on Mars are bluish looking. Usually when we think of sunsets we think warm or hot colors. So that was surprising information and I tried to match that in my writing of sunsets in the story. Also, I wondered what does the night sky look like on Mars's surface? One thing I learned was that the earth is an evening star in the Martian sky. A beautiful, blue star-like body. So I named it Elitaph in the story, an important star for sailors. I do not make much of constellations in this particular story because it is only the first book. More information may come about this in the next two books. It is something that I continue to read and learn about.

  Coming in spring, 2013

  Cryptic Tongues

  Book Two of the Red World trilogy

  Check out Edge of Darkness, the short story prequel to Schisms!

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  Dedications:

  Mostly, I am thankful to Frank Herbert for writing his phenomenal Dune series, a foundational inspiration for this story.

  Schisms

  By V. A. Jeffrey

  Artwork by

  Ferdinand Ladera

  An Epistle Publishing book

  Copyright © 2012

  All rights reserved.

  Also by V. A. Jeffrey:

  Secret Doorway Tales series:

  The Green Door

  The Pumpkin Princess

  The Winter Wolves

  The Lady Moons

  The Mountain King

  The Battle of Dusk and Dawn

  Short story collections:

  Keeping Strange Time

  Rainfall

  Dust and Bones

  The Candy Shop

  Edge of Darkness

  3 Fables

  Poetry:

  When The Sky Is Gray

  Half Light

  City Life

  Other works:

  Fairy Tales and Fables

  And watch for book two of the Red World trilogy, summer, 2012:

  Cryptic Tongues

  and check out

  the Red World trilogy short story prequel:

  Edge of Darkness