And so marks the end of the first trilogy of The Synner Saga.
This was so much fun to write, and I'm so glad to have been able to make it this far. Godfall (AKA Season 3) has been a hell of a ride, and I'd like to go over a few things I think were really important to the story's progression.
As I was writing Echoes in the Snow, I realized that there was a lot more potential to have Ysevel go down to the Underworld with Thoma than what was originally planned out. After I wrote Autarchica Primaria (Ch. 43), I knew that this new stage in Thoma's life was going to be pivotal, as it would also mean that he was going to have to learn and grow in ways he never knew were even possible.
To that end, I also realized that I had to add characters that would support that growth, since there are very few in the world who can grow by their strength alone. So, I introduced Kalia, Sabura, and Krozz to help out with that a little bit, while also allowing Irun a bit of a redemption arc. I know some might not agree with me on that, but it plays a pretty decent role later on in the series (You'll find out in Season 4 when it begins next week).
Of course, as per usual, I have to have the prologue to each book to help set the tone, and over the last few books, I've been using some of Thoma's old memories as a way of setting things up (which, I'm sure at least some of you will have understood by now). This one is going to be particularly uncomfortable, but it'll provide answers to many of your questions.
Now, let's dive into the characters of Godfall real quick. Kalia was such a fun character to write, and one that I was looking forward to when I began writing the chapter summaries for Season 3. She's incredibly strong, both physically and mentally, though it's not entirely by choice. Instead, it's more of a reflection of her past and her culture that values strength above all else.
Knowing that, I wanted to show what it would be like to see those walls come down over time, as people and their personalities tend to change when subjected to different influences. I wanted Thoma and Ysevel (yes, Athar and Irun as well) to be a more positive influence in her life, much to her chagrin. I knew that if I could find a way to break down the walls she'd built up, she'd become an invaluable ally (as you'll see in Season 4).
Moving over to Krozz, I felt he was a necessary teddy bear character that the harsh realm of the Underworld needed. That's just about it. Making him Kalia's brother was an easy step, as it allowed me to really show how far she's come after spending so much time with the others.
Sabura, on the other hand, was supposed to be the "big bad" of Season 3 (If Thoma and Siraye had been dragged down by Ardrin), but as you can see, the story has changed a LOT from that timeline. Don't worry, the planned ending for the series will still be much the same, I'm just giving myself more tools to not make it seem like I pulled it out of my ass (lmao).
As for Ardrin… Hooo boy that was a 180, huh? I bet some of you saw it coming, but don't worry, Season 4 (Path of the Wraithborn) will certainly help to explain everything that happened. I'm not going to spoil it, but I think you'll like where it's heading (since you've made it this far, I mean).
Regarding Nexis, he was always meant to be the "biggest bad" of the first trilogy. I know some people are probably like "Oh, but why didn't you have them talk things out and stuff like they do in anime?" I mean, I did to some extent, but there was a bigger reason as to why I couldn't: You never know who may be listening.
Speaking of which, Athar's change from Human to Alternate hybrid was pretty intense. I'd like to say that it was planned from the beginning, but after a close friend of mine read the chapter summaries, I felt kind of bad that he was going to die. Yep, Athar was supposed to die so Nexis could be reborn, but after hearing my friend's plight, I knew I had to find a work around to change it.
I guess he technically did die? I dunno.
That was when I had to dig into my own lore and figure something out that would make the most sense, and I actually found it all the way back in Weavings of Fate (Season 1), when Ardrin rips the core out of the royal ochelon. I knew I could do so much more with that concept, but I had to associate some sort of cost for doing so; that cost was the person's sanity.
As it currently stands, I use Athar as my intrusive thought generator, or something I feel the reader might be thinking at that moment. In all honesty, I have a lot more freedom to say shit through him than I do many of the others (save Thoma or Ysevel), and I hope that his character will continue to surprise you with the shit that comes out of his mouth.
For the final character discussion, I'm only going to briefly go over Erumon here, since I don't want to spoil Season 4 (Path of the Wraithborn). He's incredibly powerful from Thoma's, and even Ardrin's, perspective, but I promise that he's been a planned character from the start. I've been waiting SO FUCKING LONG to introduce him, as well as some of the others you'll meet in Season 4 that I can hardly write this paragraph without wanting to spill it all.
Now, there may be one or two of you who are wondering why I changed the name of the series as a whole here on Tapas. The answer is pretty simple: It was too fucking long. I realized that I needed something short and sweet to make it easy to talk about, and so I had to come up with a shorter name that made more sense. That's about it.
In addition to posting to Tapas on a weekly basis, now that I have the first trilogy out, I've also got paperback/e-book editions of it available just about anywhere books are sold. On a computer web browser, if you go to my profile, I have links there available for each of them, though I do plan to add them to a collection of sorts eventually. It's going to take some time to figure out how to do that through my publisher, but I'll get it done.
In the meantime, however, Season 4 is done and edited, and Season 5 is already in the works. I hate hiatuses just as much as the next person, which is why I give myself a six-month buffer to write them out. With that said, Season 4 will be posting once a week on Wednesdays.
Since there are 6 (originally) planned seasons for this, the way the story is going might mean a 7th will need to be written to tell the whole story without it feeling rushed, but I'm scared of screwing my pacing up and making it drag-on for too long. It's always difficult to plan for that, but I'll do my best.
I hope you've enjoyed Season 3 (The Synner: Godfall) as much as I've enjoyed writing it. See you in Season 4 (The Synner: Path of the Wraithborn)!!!!!