Hello all! Today I wanted to talk about a character who came into Sovereign Soul late into development, and the crazy world he hails from.
One of Sovereign Soul’s greatest themes is the various worlds of vastly differing qualities, and how even those seem to be transcending into something else altogether. Lamont hails from Vortiger, a world that fluctuates each day between extreme heat and cold. Much of daily life in the world involves scheduling your travels around the extremes, having a variety of protective clothing, and finding shelter. The Capital itself is protected by a large dome that keeps it in an eternal medium, even if the sky is blotted out by snow.
Oh, and this extreme world also became a dwelling of dragons. This appears to have happened since Loki last visited the realms, but Lamont claims it has been this way for several generations. People and dragons worked together for a few generations at least, forming powerful bonds between them and tackling the elements together. Dragons were also, unusually, unaffected by the extreme weather. However, following a tragic event, the dragons have also been hunted almost to extinction by one of their own. This dragon, Brozogoth, takes ownership of the Capital by force and ensures there is no competition to his rule.
Lamont was one of these people, as was his father before him, who was forced to surrender his dragon to the dragon emperor. Even with submitting to the new ruler, Brozogoth arrived and killed his two sons, essentially breaking Lamont and quelling his biggest threat. Without opposition, Brozogoth and two dragons that he forced into submission rule Vortiger in tyranny. However, Lamont might not entirely be out of options – just spirit.
But there’s more to Vortiger than just the domed Capital. Many worlds that have differing weather or seasonal systems have a disjointed flow of time, and Vortiger is no exception. In the short lifespan of the current spirit realm, Vortiger has evolved into a rich history full of plague and war. Due to the extreme weather, very little of Vortiger is properly explored, and there exists an effort to create more domes and protect more people. While Ryoku and the others travel, Vortiger can go through time at a rapid rate. And, due to the rich resources and talented smithies at their hands, Vortiger is a prime ally in the coming battle against Orden.
So how did Vortiger and Lamont come into Sovereign Soul late into development? After the first draft, like some other plot points, Vortiger’s setting came to me in a dream. I adapted it into wanting to mention more dragons in the series (Defenders of Laia revolves around them more) and created Lamont. Even so, some early drafts of Sovereign Soul: Akin Minds show a different setting and plot. (You can view those on the same website as the book 2 preview, here)
Well, that’s about all I can share about Lamont and Vortiger without getting into spoiler territory. if you want to find out how Lamont can break free, check out Sovereign Soul: Akin Minds and stay tuned for Book Two: Serpentine Empire, where his journey also continues!
Sovereign Soul 