Welcome to my A to Z Challenge 2019 posts. This year I’ll be writing about the world of Kinyal which is the setting of my epic fantasy novels and short stories. These posts offer insights into the world’s history, locations, and factions, but do not spoil any of the events or secrets from the novel.

You don’t need to read them in order, and as the challenge progresses, I’ll do my best to add links to related topics for each post.

Big-scale politics

Where there are more than two human beings, there are probably politics, because different ideas and interests clash. Politics play an important role in both Kinyal and my novel, so I was aiming for something that would at least partially reflect the complexity of the real world.

The countries and individuals’ interests stem from both from historical events and ambitions. Therefore, even though they failed to conquer the Free City of Kaighal in the past, both Tivarashan and Western Kingdom still greedily look toward that flourishing port and focus their efforts on gaining more influence, while Kaighal’s Gildya Magna and High Mages work to ensure the city’s independence.

In Juamha, following the politics of all the regions is nearly impossible, as the alliances and borders can change overnight, and the constant turmoil thwarts most of the long-term plans, forcing the old and emerging players to continuously adapt to the changing situation.

Internal politics

At the same time, politics don’t end on the countries’ level. Tivarashan noblewomen thrive in politics, their ambitions pushing them to engage in plotting and temporary alliances, while Gildya Magna and High Towers are engage in the constant tug-of-war over the influence in the city itself. The sudden arrival of a large group of Devanshari people also might affect the delicate balance between them.

And there is yet another layer to the political machinations as different factions aren’t always as solid as it could seem from the outside. Different members have often contradicting goals or personal reasons push them against their colleagues. Interest groups in Gildya compete with each, but it isn’t uncommon for one of the members to go against their goals where their private vendetta or ambition is involved. In High Towers, many high mages covet the position of an archmage, and the archmages themselves engage in intrigues to further their own goals and gain more power.

This all gives a lot of opportunities for the interests to clash, and for characters to do things that push the plot forward. It’s also a breeding ground for many more stories to be told in Kinyal, isn’t it?

If you’d like a taste of the world, my free collection contains two of the stories from my free short story collection are set in Kinyal. The Arcanist and the Mage Killer and Scourges, Spells, and Serenades tell of the early adventures of Kamira and Veelk, the main protagonists of the upcoming novel.

You can get the collection by signing up to my newsletter.

All posts in this year’s challenge (links updated with new posts):

Arcane Magic || Barriers and Circles || The Cataclysm || Devanshari  || Essence || Free City of Kaighal || Gildya Magna || High Magic || Imbued Stones || Juamha || Kamira Altrainne || Languages || Mage Killers || Nightflies & Other Creatures || Origins of the Idea || Politics