//Disclaimer: this post might have minor spoilers

For those who don’t know about this, #ilovemyWIP is a hashtag game by @rq_woodward (https://twitter.com/rq_woodward) on Twitter (please correct me if I’m wrong?). Here’s where us writers gush about our own work :3

 

I’m a little late, but I don’t really care xD Last week’s theme was FAITH, and I’ll be talking about my main project “SALANDRINE”.

 

Blessed be the dragon

SALANDRINE is set in the desert country of Mnaluria. It is a paradisical land filled with magic and tropical beauty, but also the land of the dragon god Aeon. Their worship is the focal point of the dominant religion in Mnaluria, but not the only one.

Here’s how Aeon is introduced in chapter one of SALANDRINE:

Eventually the sky grew dark and restless, heavier, making it harder to breathe. Gales rushed through the area, flinging sand in all direction and growing in strength with every one that followed. Their patterns shifted into rhythmic beating, until recognizable as the carry of wings.

Within minutes darkness solidified before them, steadily growing until they could hardly see an end to it. Its silhouette sharpened into an arrow-like head, a long neck, and the split of two vast wings cast aside from its body. 

Read rest of the chapter here…

Smaller communities still have families revering the old deities who helped their recent ancestors survive the harsh climates, before Aeon and their first priests helped shaped the country into its present glory (well until recently, considering the book’s plot). Although these smaller religions are not prosecuted for their beliefs, they are looked down upon by some of the higher class Mnalurians.

Aeon’s believed to be the source of the people’s magical powers, and as most of the country relies on magic and/or magic-tech the way we do oil, gass, solar energy, etc., they are an integral part of their society.

BUT, recent events are threatening the Mnalurians’ way of life. Magic is growing out of reach and their god less present than they used to be. Power has been shifting away from the religion and towards the royal family and their advisors, allowing the people’s faith to weaken even more.

To Salandrine personally, Aeon is present, she believes, but with all the struggles she’s put through she isn’t an active worshiper.

 

Have a little faith in me

Honestly, this fits my story’s themes even better than I’d expected. Salandrine (book and character share the same name) grew up in a very ableist environment. Because of her Autism people don’t have a lot of faith in her, and it gave her self-esteem issues (amongst other things). Due to her upbringing, she’s lead to believe she needs to have faith in others because she cannot trust herself, which leaves her vulnerable to people who abuse this power imbalance. Then… *things* happen (don’t want to spoiler too much xD), and has to learn to believe in herself, and to put her trust in those who’ve actually earned it.