Hello everyone, this is QuiteTheSlacker, author of Aegis, and I would like to thank everyone who’s stuck with me on this behemoth of a story to the very end (of book 1).
This is my first attempt at writing a full-fledged book. Now, after 71 chapters and over 160,000 words, it’s finally complete. Of course, there are some parts that need some working on due to my inexperience writing in those beginning chapters, but nonetheless I’m proud of how this story turned out and the personal progress I’ve made as a writer.
I’m planning to do a mini-rewrite in the future where I’ll expand on more details and fix the pacing so that it flows better, and you’ll have more time and characterization with some of the more neglected knights like Abel, Simon, and Dismas, as well as have some extra bonus content about Lorelai. Some names and the system of Creation in the world itself will be undergoing some changes as well, but the story won’t veer off too much from what I’ve already written here.
When I’m finished with the rewrite, I will publish it under a different story separate from this one. This story will be marked complete after this little update and no more chapters or content will be published here. However, I will not be deleting this so those curious about the story’s original draft will have the chance to peruse it at their will. It’ll also, hopefully, serve as a nice comparison of my own growth and allow anyone who’s impatient about waiting to have something to chew on while I upload the rewritten chapters.
But I will not be starting right away. I’ve been writing this story for seven consecutive months, always two chapters a week and never missing a deadline, and though it has been a really fulfilling experience, I honestly need a small vacation as a sort of celebratory gift to myself for completing this book. It will not last long, maybe around two months, but I guarantee that the rewrite will start to roll out by February at the latest.
I hope to see you all again when the time comes, but until then, I’ll post some little fun tidbits about the creation of this story and my own personal history below.
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-I did not do a single bit of planning or create a backlog during the course of this story. Of course, I had an idea of what I wanted to happen and how certain events would go, but, as some people call it, I was “writing by the seat of my pants”. Every single chapter was written on the spot, quickly combed over and reread to ensure there were no errors, and immediately published.
-I did this because I was focused more on creating a completed story. Posting on RoyalRoad was meant to serve as motivation for me to continue writing, to force me to keep a steady schedule, and it allowed me to receive a bit of comfort knowing there were actual, real people reading this.
-Many events and powers were pretty much created on the spot when I started the chapter. Xeros was a prime example for this, as I had no clue what I was going to do with his power until I reached that major section where the POV switched to Nox Caelum for a while. The eye and red lightning in the beginning was a beginning concept I believed to be cool, but I didn’t know where it would go until that crucial point later.
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-Ascalon was not supposed to realize The Knight’s true identity during the ending. I was initially going to have The Knight assassinate him while the two are sharing a final hug, and The Knight would sink even deeper into its despair and darkness, but I felt that it would sort of invalidate all the characterization I built for it before that moment, and spending the second book with it back to being an emotionless construct wouldn’t really be that interesting since I already spent book 1 doing that.
-I first became obsessed with knights after playing an oldish ps3 game called White Knight Chronicles that came out in 2008. I had read some classic novels about King Arthur before that, but seeing the designs in that game would irrevocably change my taste in fantasy forever.
-Each book will center around a specific nation. Book 1 is all about the Polus, and Book 2 will center around Nox Caelum. From there, Book 3 will explore Augurium; Book 4 will be about The Steppe; Book 5 will reside in Futurum; Book 6 will explore the wilds of The Antiqua; and Book 7…well, you’ll see in maybe ten years.
-Some chapters are a reference to some of my favorite songs. “In Hell We Live, Lament” is one, as well as “For You, Angels Have Fallen”. Both are by an artist called Mili.”
-A lot of female names start with L for some reason. I did not intend that, but it is a bit interesting to look back on: Lorelai, Luxanne, Luxmi, Libevich, Latizia, and Lilac. Well, I can’t deny L names are pretty cool sounding.
-Satanael is inspired by a character name Jhin from League of Legends. It’s a terrible, terrible but addicting game, but if there’s one thing I have to give credit to the developers for, it’s that their character designs and lore are very high quality.
-Speaking of Satanael, his creation is an interesting one. I wanted to deviate from the norm where the MC’s teammates/sidekicks are the typical good guys/goody-two-shoes/empathetic friends. Instead, I wanted the most irredeemable, deplorable, and monstrous characters in the story to join The Knight’s and Aegis’s journey. There will be no redemption for them, nor any positive character development. They will remain as villains, controlled tightly and held on the leash by The Knight’s (and sometimes Aegis’s) manipulation and charm.
-Each book will have its own vile servant for The Knight and Aegis to collect. Can you guess who the one for Book 2 will be? Here’s a hint: you’ve already met them.
-Similarly, each book from now on will have a specific Star to focus on. Book 2 will be, of course, about the Star of Insatiable Greed. Book 3 and 4 have their own Stars I have a loose design for, but the others I haven’t yet thought up yet. Book 3…oh I’m really excited for book 3.
-Personally, my favorite character is Satanael. There wasn’t much opportunity to characterize him in book 1, but there’ll be more content about his origin and past in books 2 and 3 I’m excited to explore upon.
-Xeros’s favorite food, before he lost his sense of taste, is tomato bisque. Ascalon’s was roasted mushrooms. The Knight doesn’t have one.
-The Knight will have their name changed to The Engineer in book 2 since it has now shed its Polus identity. Its time as a woman will also cease to be, and it will don the face of a man during its stay in Nox Caelum.
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Once again, thank you to everyone who’s made it all the way to the very end of this journey with me. May the guiding hand of Cosmos be with you always.