An Inroduction to World of The Precipice Dominions
Foreword
I have been writing for about 35 years collecting drafts which never developed and were consigned to wastepaper. As is all too common I fell foul of someone masquerading as an agent and for a while gave up.
In recent years the urge to write started up again and after a few false starts, three volumes of a knock about comedy fantasy were produced through self-publishing, as they lacked plots and I had no idea of marketing they fell flat. Eventually I did start to take advice and interact with other writers and the current project began to take form. The website concerns this project; a series of books under the title of The Precipice Dominions.
The World of The Precipice Dominions
The narrative of the series takes place in a world, which may our future, or an alternative version. At some stage in the past a previously unknown Natural Force arrived. The circumstances of its arrival are clouded with allegory in the form of legends and religions. Its arrival caused disruptions in the environment exacerbated through profligate usage by opportunistic factions, which culminated in series of wars. One result of this turbulence was the bringing into existence of a number of realities which are linked to the world by tenuous pathways
This force is called by many names; the most common being The Ethereal or The Stommigheid. It has many properties; to name a few, a means of travel or communication, a destructive force, an engine of power. Some beings have a latent ability to use this while others work through machines or device we might recognised as laptops. Most consider it something to be wary of, in some areas of the world its use is officially restricted to the ruling authorities, although unsanctioned use is common.
A second and arguably more dangerous result was the arrival of alien predatory creatures, these are viewed as demonic creatures and their realm and collective name being The Zerstorung; categorised by most of humanity as The Lords of The Land, The Lords of The Deep and the Lords of The Air; the latter having a kinship with Humanity.
The majority of the narrative takes place in The Oakhostian a long standing empire on a land mass similar to Europe whose general level of civilisation bears resemblances to the early 17th Century with aspects of later centuries also noticeable. The empire comprises a number of princedoms and city states. Imperial houses come and go as do princes, the principal dynamic being the Grand Dukes of the various princedoms. Religion teaches of “The Good Lord God” and is organised by the currently lacklustre Ecclesiastes, itself relying upon supposedly subservient institutions. Firstly, The Custodians of The Word similar to Inquisitors but very fragmented with a tendency for independence or internal intrigue and secondly The Libratery a wholly female organisation set in various nearly fortified locations with its own agenda to survive, guard the culture and supply social support to the localities. Most formidable and least liked is The LifeGuard, military, originally charged with assisting protecting The Stability of the Empire, now very much a state within a state supressing outbreaks of instability as it sees fit. The latter two agencies share a certain accord, particularly in the area of The Stommigheid at which they are both adept.
The realms which are literally attached to the world are homes to a variety of folk, some once human other are of the Zerstorung. From Volume Two; The Shadow Lords are introduced, the first to harness some of the Ethereal potential and thus rule the world, probably of Human origin due to arrogance they fell from grace and now live in exile some plotting to return and rule again, others have another esoteric agenda.
The books cover an interlude when the general informed consensus in The Oakhostian is the danger of an large incursion by The Zerstorung is at a high point. This has resulted in divergent approaches. Some are making preparation to repel this, others endeavour to use the Ethereal/ Stommigheid to foil it taking place, within The Custodians the notion is to supress all use of the Stommigheid as they see this as the cause. Some folk seek to gain the favour of the Zerstorung, while others more opportunistic look to make the best of whatever happens. The vast majority of the population remain ignorant of the situation.
All this takes place against the backdrop of a new, young untested emperor seeking to assert himself from forces within his and realm and at least one rival empire.
These events and manoeuvrings play a large part in the narrative, although such characters as members of the nobility and the emperor himself do figure in the tales. The stories are mostly seen from the perspective of characters whose positions are relatively low in the social chain, in particular the three central characters. These three would rather it remain so but events and their own natures preclude them from remaining in the background. The books therefore chart their progress through a turbulent episode in Oakhostian history.
