Severing or breaking the crystal is one of the most certain ways of slaying a Medusi. Of course, breaking it diminishes its value considerably, and many hunters go out of their way to kill the Medusi in another fashion, and cut the crystal out afterward.
Blooming and Warping
When a large number of Medusi congregate in a particular locale, this is referred to as a bloom. Wild and common Medusi are the species most likely to do this, as their reproductive cycles are fast and spawn an exponential number of offspring. Blooms can cause havoc to farmers and cities without the appropriate protections. In such numbers, Medusi can infest areas quite effectively and are difficult to exterminate. Blooms have laid waste to small towns and villages, and there are myriad accounts of the devastation left in their wake.
One strange side-effect of blooms can be seen when they happen in built up areas, or in areas with a large population who are not immediately thralled. Manmade structures seem to warp and peel, wallpaper and paint seem to sweat from the walls. Cut wood tends to bow and break, and mould and pestilence grows on every surface. Unthralled humans tend to get sick.
It is not known why this strange effect occurs, but those few scholars who have studied the phenomena have often become ill and died following exposure to the noxious mould for extended periods.
Biological experimentation
The small but influential cult of the Medousa are known to study Medusi extensively in their secluded temple. Much of the information I have come by has been written by those who eventually became, or already were, Clerics.
Medusi flesh seems to lend itself particularly well to the experiments of the Clerics. One example is the Cephea, a Medusi that cannot survive for long in the wild and is unable to reproduce, but has instead been selectively cloned to connect up a hive-mind of individual thralls.
There are others that I did not cover in great depth mainly because there is little to say beyond rumour, and no steadfast information, but I will mention them briefly here.
One rumoured species is a Medusi, bred from the common variety but possibly cloned and spliced with other types, that can offer ability enhancement in every thralling case. Instead of a lottery when the host is thralled, as to whether they will receive a skill, this species guarantees it.
Another is the Medusi womb, a large sac-shaped Medusi that takes its victim inside itself, and folds its thralling tentacle inside like an umbilical cord. The thrall inside is not known to be alive or dead.
Lastly, some Clerics speak of a final experiment, the culmination of all their work with Medusi and selective breeding. This final organism is said to be both Medusi and human in equal measure, a genetically aligned specimen with both its human awareness and the magic, skills or traits gifted by the Medusi portion. It is no longer either human of Medusi, but both. Needless to say, there is likely little truth in this rumoured Cleric opus, as no such creature has ever been observed, and the Clerics themselves talk about it as an ultimate, but as yet unachieved, goal.
Dramatis personae
Nectris, Royal House of Theris
Aurelia Nectris, Empress of Theris.
Prince Anthrom Nectris, her younger brother.
Princess Cassandra Nectris, her twin sister, thralled to a Medousan Cephea.
(d) Emperor Tiber Nectris, father to all three.
(d) Empress Titania Nectris, wife to Tiber.
Dukedom of House Argentor
Duke Lepitern of House Argentor, ruler and rebel
(d) Gerodin, Lepitern’s father
Laigus, Lepitern’s eldest son
Crescen, second son, thralled to a Medousan Cephea
Faibryn, youngest son
The Court of Argentor
Nepheli Opetreia, socialite, betrothed to Faibryn Argentor
General Ferdinand Opetreia, her father.
Terietta, Majordomo to Duke Argentor
Lucinda Marchioli, logistics officer, socialite
Meredith Larkisron, socialite, married to the chancellor
Evangeline Sepolis, socialite, daughter of the trade minister
Hyacinth Fenilein, socialite, married to the lawyer
Felicity Tavular, socialite, married to the acting Grand Premier
Chancellor Larkisron, chancellor of Argentor treasury
Baron Sepolis, Minister of Trade
Niles Fenilein, Head of the Lawyers guild
The Premiers of Argentor
Dante Tavular, Acting Grand Premier
Ennius, previous Grand Premier of Theris, retired
Harold Vingian, Premier spokesman
Reunalis
Pearl, Matriarch First Class
Coral, Matriarch Second Class
Opal, Matriarch Third Class.
Kasimir, son of Matriarch Pearl
The Royal Council of Theris
Grand Premier Verismuss, leader of the Premiers in Theris
Thaddeus Vestrigo, Captain of the Empress’ Imperial Guard
Ex-members
(d) Periphy, Secretary of State to the Empress
(d) Solmar Dactili, Minister of Commerce
(d) Bertrand Fenilein, Minister of Law
Theris Citizens
Marlena, maid
Rufinio, Lieutenant in the Imperial Guard
Argentor Citizens
Marcus, a manservant at court
Kingdom of Terracon
(d) King Stauros Isingr, first King of the Terracon Steppe
(d) Felix, eldest son and advisor, thralled to a Medousan Cephea Miriell Isingr, Stauros’ daughter
The Floating Islands
Totelun Altanji, young warrior of the Floating Islands
Altan Diosji, his father, Chief Hunter
Sedara Altanin, his mother
Bayar Altanji, younger brother
Naran Altanji, even younger brother
Kemun Altanji, baby brother
Kamal Diosji, his uncle, tribe storyteller
Chief Nebruit, head of Totelun’s tribe
Sorkhanis, Shaman Lord of the Floating Islands
Ribuqa, apprentice Shaman
Mengu, apprentice Shaman
Elsewhere in Arceth
Nausithorn, elderly nomad, Swordsman, former Medologer
Chrysaora, Healer and warrior
Shandan Cane, Captain of the Neri’id
Order of the Medousa
Noctiluca, the Medousa, goddess worshipped by the Order
High Cleric Harling, leader of the Order of the Medousa
Abrax, Order acolyte now thralled to a Celestial
Meeroth, The Order Librarian.
Sharow, acolyte
Legends of Arceth
Eleutheria, first Empress of Theris
Clariatus, second in command of Eleutheria’s army
Velella, seer, thralled to a Medusi that granted visions
The Thorn, Eleutheria’s personal assassin
Cepheus, Lord of the Overlords
Odimus, Overlord, The Leech
Rynati, Overlord, The Succubus
Kifurian, Overlord, The Shapeshifter
Ulimun, Overlord, The Ancestor
Heikriss, Overlord, Master of Storms
Minakun, Overlord, Gravity Dancer
Notes on naming conventions, pronunciation and punctuation
Within the tribes of Arceth’s Floating Islands, surnames loosely follow the Mongol or Scandinavian conventions, as well as being heavily based around patriarchal lineage.
Given names come first, followed by surnames that venerate the father. The suffix ‘ji’ means ‘son of’ so ‘Altanji’ would be ‘Son of Altan’. The suffix ‘si’ serves the same purpose for ‘daughter of’.
The suffix ‘in’ or sometimes ‘nin’ is used for married women, meaning ‘wife of’. ‘Altanin’ would be translated literally as ‘Wife of Altan’
Pronunciation within the Floating Islands accentuates the vowels like modern Japanese. For example, the ‘ji’ is like the beginning of ‘genius’, in English.
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In the old Empire of Theris, naming conventions loosely follow Latin standards, with a tendency towards the Greek or Roman style of single names with no surnames. There are many Noble Houses, that style themselves ‘of the House of’, and this House name serves as surname. Legendary heroes almost never had second names.
Square brackets [ ] are conventionally used to denote extra information or to modify another person’s words. I use them throughout this second book in a sort of spiritual twin to this intent. Words that appear in square brackets are written words, read from a page. You can see that in a sense they are ‘another person’s words’ but not in the way they are usually used.
‘Medusi’ is pronounced Med-oos-i – rather than Med-oos-ee – in the same manner as Cacti or Octopi although the word Medusi is used for both singular and plural creatures.
Acknowledgements
Like a Medusi draining its host of life, this novel has required a great deal of work to get from my brain into your hands. I hope it gives back just a little magic in return.
I want to thank my wife, Megan for her love all these years, and for helping with pitch perfect ideas at crucial times. She is the rock on which this author’s life is built.
My beta readers, Megan, Michelle, Charlotte, Paul, your excitement was infectious and helped me through many crises of confidence. Your opinions and pointers on characters, structure and names have made the novel what it is.
The amazing cover art was painted and designed by Amir Zand https://amirzandartist.com/ Typography designed by Megan Andersen.
My biggest influences have been my fellow authors, but a few have been more acute than others. James S A Corey’s Expanse series, and Daniel Abraham’s The Dagger and the Coin series, Brandon Sanderson’s work across the spectrum, as well as Richard Morgan, Jennifer Fallon, and Paolo Bacigalupi. I recommend each wholeheartedly, and each has played a part in shaping how I write, and what I write about.
Embrace of the Medusi was written to a lush synth-laden soundtrack of a hundred unmade movies. I listened to Lucy in Disguise, Simon Stalenhag, Manami Matsumae, Sacred Ape, Lena Raine, Remember, Sierra, Ben Prunty, Makeup & Vanity Set, Disasterpeace, Code Elektro, VHS Glitch, Dallas Campbell… amongst many others. If any synthwave musician or composer fancies trying to create a soundtrack to Embrace of the Medusi, please go ahead, and find some way to share it with me.
If you are still here why not JOIN THE READERS CLUB and be among the first to hear about book 3 in the Overlords Trilogy.
Table of Contents
Cover
So, what is EMBRACE OF THE MEDUSI?
Also by Toby Andersen
SUPPORT
Embrace of the Medusi
Part One
Prologue - The Trelki Hunt
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Part Two
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Part Three
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty Five
Chapter Twenty Six
Part Four
Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Eight
Chapter Twenty Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty One
Chapter Thirty Two
Chapter Thirty Three
Chapter Thirty Four
Part Five
Chapter Thirty Five
Chapter Thirty Six
Chapter Thirty Seven
Chapter Thirty Eight
Chapter Thirty Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty One
Part Six
Chapter Forty Two
Chapter Forty Three
Chapter Forty Four
Chapter Forty Five
Chapter Forty Six
Chapter Forty Seven
Epilogue
The End
AFTERWORD,
Also by Toby Andersen
Extras
Velella’s Prophecy
An Arceth Bestiary - Volume I
An Arceth Bestiary - Volume II
Dramatis personae
Notes on naming conventions, pronunciation and punctuation
Acknowledgements
If you are still here...
Embrace of the Medusi (The Overlords Trilogy Book 2) Page 67