THE ART AND ORIGINS OF THE DRAGONS BANE SERIES-PREVIEW BOOK OUT NOW ON CREATESPACE.COM!

THE ART AND ORIGINS OF THE DRAGONS BANE SERIES

BY W.E.BROWER JR.

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DEDICATIONS



This book is a companion piece to my novel “Chronicles of the Dragons Bane” and is a wonderful example on the importance of motivation. I wish to take a few moments and acknowledge those who motivated me to this level:


In memory of my father William E. Brower Sr. (7/26/47-4/15/08) who taught me that history always starts with the roots of your family and grows outward.

My loving wife Cindy who for 17 years has dealt with a writer’s work ethic and lifestyle. The famous last words from me, “I have an idea for the book! Just give me 5 minutes and we’ll go out” then 11 hours later have dinner at 4AM without complaining. She has supported me through this like a trooper.

Rodrigo Negreira who in 9th Grade drew a Minotaur inspiring the work before you.

Dan Sacharow for looking over my drafts over lunch during high school giving me feedback on what should happen next for the story.

Lisa Lamb a fellow writer who helped on finishing the 1st story during an all night writing session on Spring Break 1992.

Paul Valdez and his band Deck Lid Casket for being inspired by my writing to do a soundtrack to Dragons Bane

Reut Cohen for painting amazing wildlife images inspiring a bashful writer in 12th Grade

Carol Sarel my English teacher in High School who allowed me to write Dragons Bane instead of working from the text book.

Vivian Coril my Creative Writing teacher who helped me visualize my descriptions in the series but felt the battle scenes a little harsh

Jim Joiner my former head Warehouse Manager at Alliance Entertainment who demonstrated the importance of motivation at the work place.

Jane Bergeron my former Department Supervisor at Alliance who didn’t complain if I pulled out my notebook to outline a chapter of Dragons Bane during business hours.

George Goodman for reminding me to put ideas for the story on paper and supplying the materials needed during work.

Gina Treece aka “Hearts the Clown” for buying a writing program for me to work more efficiently.

Bob Domzalski for spending time at Dunkin Donuts listening to my ideas and giving support when the work got frustrating.

Dennis O’Hare a good friend who has helped sending flyers for the book out and directing people to look at the finished piece.

Dr. Jeff Singleton my friend and mentor for 10 years who changed my life over a cup of coffee.

Finally to you fellow readers for helping me achieve my goal and write more books!

From the bottom of my heart you have my thanks.


THE BEGINNING OF AN EPIC


People have often asked me what inspired me to create a fantasy series in the writing style of an Epic poem. I can’t help but answer without smiling, because it’s a trip through history that has been my driving force. I’m getting ahead of myself though so allow me to start at the beginning….


When I was 5 years old, my world began to change. Our house was filled with many antique weapons and old photos, being at the age of curiosity I started to ask about everything we had. My father started to answer those questions and show me the roots of the family tree. Our earliest ancestors were predominantly Lords and Knights in England. The remains of the family castle are said to still remain standing.



A LIST OF ANCESTORS FROM WILLIAM ‘S FAMILY TREE

During the little lesson I was also shown the family crest and was given my first lesson in Latin by translating the motto “Nec Gladio Nec Arcu” (not sword not arrow) our family creed
..




Each of my ancestors left relics from their achievements to be passed down through the ages. Some of them weapons, others left documents. It was an interesting lesson which was only the beginning. As we traced the journey to America, is when moments in the Nations history blended into my family line. Our first contact in the states is Thomas Dudley the first Governor of the Massachusetts Colony. At first politics wasn’t in my interest until the lecture switched itself to the Revolution. This was when I became introduced to my ancestor Roger Sherman one of the Founding Fathers.

After a brief pause, I was told about the next generation of the family involved in the Civil War. Among them were historical figures such as John Brown (Abolitionist who led the failed raid in Harper’s Ferry Va. 1859) and Robert Gould Shaw (Colonel of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry the first colored regiment in US. History) though most of their possessions are in museums the names are in the genealogy. From the same time period we do have a rifle that belonged to another relative who was attached to the 20th Maine and was killed during the charge from Little Roundtop at Gettysburg. My interest in history was born at that moment and slowly began to intensify, I had spent time with my Great Uncle Johnny Dudley listening to him speak of the Normandy Invasion during the 2nd World War. Of course at my age, he gave me the generic details and spoke of being a tank Commander. The real story I would learn years later as I got much older. His tank came under fire by German Artillery and took a direct hit, the shockwave threw him out of his battle station, ruptured his ear drums while shrapnel pierced his back and body. The people around him who served with him were obliterated by the blast. Before returning to the States, Uncle Johnny had collected various things from the Nazi’s that he brought home. They’re here (as I was explained later) not to worship or promote the atrocity of Hitler, but show how one man’s madness can overcome an entire country. When my grandparents came to visit, I would hear war stories about the Pacific Campaigns from my Grandfather. He and his buddies went in the service together but before shipping out, My Grandfather became deathly ill and was delayed. His friends wound up being stationed together on board the U.S.S. Arizona where he stated adamantly “They’re on permanent watch”

He vowed revenge and spent the war keeping his promise earning the nickname “Trigger- .
Happy Harry”
Around the same time, I started traveling with my family to various countries. My father always felt that in order to learn something you do it first hand and not by reading about it. One of the prolific trips for me was when we went to Mexico; I was going to learn about the Aztec culture among other items. The images of human sacrifice and statues gave me nightmares but peaked my curiosity. Our return trip to the states was turbulent and our plane lost pressure. In a few seconds I developed a huge fear of flying.

The only remedy to the problem was reading, I started carrying a minimum of 2 books if we were to fly. This solution helped increase my reading levels ahead of my age. Although people around us found my selections odd for someone as young, most of them were famous pieces of Literature such as “The Odyssey” and “Iliad” (large manuscripts for the long flights) these two in particular held my interest for awhile and introduced me to Epic poems. The older I got, the more my lessons in family history increased. By the time I was 8 years old free time with my dad meant sword practice in the back yard. We would hold matches and lessons while also teaching me the importance of chivalry. An art that has long since vanished from regular society.


Even some of the television shows I watched helped on my inspiration. Family members tease me on occasion because at one point all my favorite shows were on consecutively during the week. Years later I still remember the schedule and with the advent of DVD have been able to enjoy them again even now. After school, I would rush home to catch Robotech, then Voltron followed by Spectreman and finally Battlestar Galactica. I guess you can say I was a sci-fi fan.


The summer of 1986 was a turning point for me as we took a family road trip. My dad had taken off from work to drive us across the various battlefields from the Civil War. We were tracing the early years where my ancestors took part. The highlight was when we arrived at Gettysburg; together with my cousin in tow I climbed the summit of Little Roundtop while Dad showed us the layout during the battle. Using his same belief about experiencing history versus reading, He gave a better description of the significance of the location. The 20th Maine led by Col. Joshua Chamberlain was the back or flank of the entire Union Army. They were ordered to hold the line no matter what happened. As waves of Confederates stormed them, they ran out of ammunition and in a last ditch effort did a bayonet charge turning the tide of battle. It was during this charge that my ancestor had fallen.





Before we left the battlefield, there was one more lesson to hear about. It started with a short stop in town where we picked up some replica rifles and Confederate caps. My dad meanwhile purchased a Confederate Officer’s hat and saber. The next morning we were going to what is called “The most hallowed ground” at Gettysburg. The open field where Pickett’s Charge took place.



I donned my cap and shouldered the toy rifle while my cousin carried a replica Confederate flag from Virginia. While visitors looked on with surprise, our lesson in history continued. Dad started off by speaking of the artillery that rained down before the charge while 4 divisions came together and formed rank. While he continued with the story, we stepped to the side and waited. At our own moment, all of us recreated the event on a smaller scale with my Father in front of us leading the charge pointing locations where the Union Army would have opened fire during the real battle. Rangers stared in shock as the Rebel Yell was screamed and a group of tourists ran the last length of the field.


When we got home, my sword practice and traditional lessons became more intense. I was getting older and there were more things for me to learn. To keep my mind flowing I started writing short stories combining horror with history for some strange results. Our practice rounds on the weekends also started to change as well. With the limited experience behind me, my father was a worthy opponent. That’s why I found a book about the samurai and their fighting methods. Feeling confident, the next match was going to have something extra. Every technique I was taught had been the same maneuvers over the years, I tried to emulate the samurai instead and finally won the match! As a reward, I was given the Civil War Spencer. It seemed that this was my first test to prove myself.




For 3 years I continued my matches and looking over the family tree. Ideas were bouncing around my head but nothing was solidified. At this point I was getting writer’s block among other problems, but all that changed on a trip to Reno where I was introduced to my Great-Great Aunt for the first time. Spending time with her and listening about the lives of my relatives inspired me to outline a couple character ideas. That fall was going to be the jump to High School and the start of my future…




A STORY IS CREATED


In 1991 I started 9th Grade, a little fish in a big pond called High School. Life has a strange sense of humor at times and this was one of them. It was the start of the morning in my Earth Science class; the teacher was getting ready to talk about plate tectonics. I had already read about the effects over the summer for a story idea. Needless to say I got bored with the lecture really quick; I couldn’t sleep in class because we were seated in alphabetical order. I took out my notebook instead and continued to put ideas down. As I glanced to my left there was a fellow student who was also bored with the class. He was drawing skulls along his notebook staring blankly. While the teacher walked across the room I leaned across holding my desk in the process and asked,
“Do you know how to draw a Minotaur?”


The gentleman shot me a look as if smoke was pouring from my ears and I turned back around thinking I made an ass out of myself. While watching the teacher pace around continuing with the lesson my thoughts were shifted by a tap on my arm. An image of the Minotaur holding a torch was passed along. The floodgates opened at that moment and I quickly outlined all my ideas to a single sheet of paper. I pulled my inspiration from every facet of history that held my attention.

I imagined a world that was divided by Civil War for over 10,000 years, a land on the verge of implosion filled with great walls spanning from both ends of the realm. Racism and lynch mob justice were to be common events. Yet even in the darkest times, there would be hope. I passed my idea over to the mysterious artist across from me and waited. He looked over the material and whispered,
“The name is Rodrigo, did you just write this?”

I smiled then nodded my head while flashing the Minotaur sketch once more before fitting my notes together into a paragraph, at the top of the page I wrote Quest for the Dragons Bane.



As class ended, Rodrigo and I walked together. There were hundreds of questions to ask and only a few moments between classes so I went with the basics instead,
“Can you draw a dragon?”

The answer was silent but a repeat expression from earlier. My response however showed the large spectrum between us,
“I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship”

“What are you talking about?” he asked me throwing an even more peculiar expression.

“I’m quoting Casablanca. The end of it at least when Bogey walks off with Michael Reine.” I answered.


“Yeah…” was his reply.

I knew that I’d wind up looking like the oddball, so instead I elaborated.


“With your drawings and my writing I think we might be on to something here.”

We left the option open for future discussions and went our separate ways. During my next class I started to write the prologue to Dragons Bane. There were things I wanted to do differently versus other legends etc. So I created the hero loosely based on me. Tall and skinny, bookworm over Braun, has an idea about his talent but unsure which direction to follow. Most of the stories I read had heroes who resembled Fabio with a woman in one arm and sword in the other.

I wanted this to be shown as a growing experience, my main character was going to be weak in the beginning. Like life itself, one is not born an adult therefore you take baby steps until maturity. Ignoring the lecture in this class as well, (you can probably see a pattern here) my thoughts shifted to the other characters. Basing their characteristics on the Vikings with physical features pulled from Egyptian Mythology, I created a race of beings called Animiles. This time I also was playing around with word origins as well hence the name. The creatures are introduced early in the story appearing as invading warlords who conquer a section of land. One of the warriors becomes attracted to a human woman who wouldn’t give him the time of day; in a moment of rage she is killed.
Her death sparks the Civil War in the world turning every living creature against the other.

The villain of the story I wanted to be sympathetic. He starts as an average human who gets involved in a situation that goes wrong. I always compared the scene to Frankenstein’s monster. He can’t help what he was made from or who he is.


As the afternoon rolled around, I was fortunate to see that Rodrigo and I shared the same lunch schedule. Placing my tray to the side I introduced myself to the other people around us and handed him my notes with bullet points included to help get the concept across. My surprise would come the following morning when we arrived in Science class again….a folder with character sketches attached to my notes! The puzzle pieces were starting to line up from that moment on. To see the foundations of the story turn the page.


PHILLIP


Selected as the “Chosen One” from the ancient prophecy, Phillip is a Magistrates son who is framed for a crime and banished from his village. His body is covered in burn scars from a horrific accident, he attempts suicide early in the story but is rescued by a stranger dressed in red. After being informed that he is the one who will unite the world in its darkest hour, Phillip begins a journey to find the ancient weapon and armor called Dragons Bane. A self conscious hero who not only needs to learn to be more confident but also how to effectively speak to others and raise their morale. The first trial and challenge for young Phillip was to confront creatures whose very name invokes fear in people’s hearts.





THE ANIMILES

LATARIAN LORD OF THE LANDWELLERS


Short tempered, powerful intimidating are all words that can describe Latarian. Physically he is inspired by Anubis the Egyptian God of the Dead who has a jackal head.
His weapon of choice is a five bladed axe that was passed down from the previous leaders. The armor is similar to the breastplate of the samurai circa 1320. The Landwellers kingdom was inspired by photo’s of Ankgor Wat in Cambodia, a land where the jungle grew over the temples themselves. As I created this creature there was a mental flashback that played through me. After my Grandfather suffered the 2nd of 18 strokes, he was put in a wheelchair and was partially paralyzed. We had gone on a family trip to Disney when he was released and were disembarking from the monorail. A few feet ahead of us was an Asian group who were walking down the ramps, before we could stop him my Grandfather had inched the wheelchair towards the ramp.
“You killed my friends you slant eyed Bastards!” he screamed and charged down the exit.

All of us ran after him and split the group, I raced towards the front and put my arms out while everyone gathered along the side and grabbed the handles preventing what would have been an awful day at the park. In the back of my mind I realized that this year (1991) was going to be the 50th Anniversary on the attack at Pearl Harbor. Even after all this time there was so much animosity lingering from him that it caused an idea to form.





CARAVAX KING OF THE HAWKPEOPLE


A quiet patient warrior, Caravax looks like Horus from the Egyptian Pantheon. His weapon of choice is a magical crossbow that never runs out of ammunition. The Hawkpeople reside in a kingdom called Wonderouspeak, inspired by my trip to Macchu Pichu capital of the Inca Empire built in the Andes Mountains. Caravax’s personality is based upon the stories from my Uncle Johnny. His voice was solemn whenever he talked about the European Campaigns of World War 2, the choices that he made while over there haunted him for many years and although the stories were fascinating it was the way they were told that rang out to me.


KEPHERON LORD OF THE SEADWELLERS

The only race to declare total neutrality from the rest of the world, the Seadwellers live in the shipwrecks and reefs below the ocean. Kepheron is really a Pharaoh during the early reigns of Egypt. He is physically based upon my favorite Universal Movie Monster the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Seadwellers rely upon their religious beliefs to maintain their lifestyle but everything changes when they are introduced to Phillip.



JAMESON THE SERVANT OF TARAKON

Jameson is a mage who was traveling through Mysidia with his wife and children. When they accidentally stumbled through the kingdom of the Landwellers, they were attacked. The mage was cast adrift the sole survivor and became beached on a deserted island. A lone winged statue lay buried in the sand and spoke to him. Promising vengeance and an army to carry out his will but all of this was to come with a hefty price...
Jameson’s rise to Evil I based upon some archive films of Hitler between 1939 and 1940. It was a surprise to me seeing how members of the Nazi party held blank expressions as they marched through Berlin. Their gaze was a cold brainwashed stare that reflected the corruption.



TARAKON GOD OF EVIL


A mockery of life itself, haggard and chaotic are among the descriptions of Tarakon. The combination of man/beast was incorporated into the character as well. Using mostly goat features and bat wings for the beginning of the series. Tarakon offers vast powers to those who wish to serve him however; they must sacrifice themselves and any prisoners to appease him.

I based the religion off of the Aztecs after my trip to Mexico, the murals showing human sacrifice etc. Still made an impact. At the time, I had also finished reading the play “Faust” and likewise toyed with the notion of the Faustian deal. In this case atonement and revenge. There has also been an epidemic which was brought to my attention at the time, it’s called “cutting”. The situation affects mostly teenage girls though boys are occasionally reported. They use razorblades and other instruments to cut themselves as a stress reliever. I included this method into the story not to be an advocate of it, but rather as a subtle warning. In the story though, followers who offer themselves lose a portion of their own life in exchange. One eye becomes glazed to a dull red from congealed blood.



With the early images of the followers I kept visualizing the headdress worn by Aztec priests and wanted to create a similar design.

Using the images I continued to add more to the story, basing scenes by doing a rough storyboard. The sketches were placed in random order while sticky notes held them together with notations about the background written on them. People were starting to take notice of Dragons Bane; classmates would ask me to pass whatever I’ve written along to them so they could read it. I gladly handed it over and even started to include a separate notepad, this was for them to leave feedback and suggestions for me to consider.

The idea of market research was working fairly well until I was caught passing the notes in class. The teacher assumed he would find an answer key or some hot teenage love letter to read aloud. The expression on his face was a combination of disgust and surprise, rather then seeking disciplinary action I was asked to leave the story in my bag.

As I went to my English class, my teacher Carol Sarel made an offer I couldn’t
refuse. For awhile I refused to do the work in the textbook or reading material provided, they were methods I was well accustomed to working with. Instead, I spent the time working on Dragons Bane. When she pulled me aside after class she requested to see the notebook. She saw that my writing already had the proper punctuation within the manuscript so I was permitted to write the story during class. Only under the condition that I include her daily lessons into the project itself. This was an opportunity of a lifetime; my passion for writing was coming to fruition!

We agreed on the terms and my pages continued to be filled. Under her guidance certain scenes that were difficult to write (the treaty sequence) became simple. Ms. Sarel also motivated me by saying a simple phrase, “You know Stephen King
started his career the same way!”

I’ve read Stephen King’s books for 7 years and had become a huge fan of his
work. My classmates used to joke and call me “Young Stephen King” because I
wear glasses and write as well. The motivation was coming along full force by
then and I continued to pour my heart into the work. Even at this age life began
to open doors for my talent when the first couple of pages were picked up by my
school’s literary magazine. I asked Rodrigo to help with another drawing that
would attract attention. He complied but also added a challenge for me, the image
showed Phillip on the cover standing beside a dragon.


In my original story, the dragons left the world because of the coming war. They
were mere guardians such as in the Eastern Myths. Now with one of them
standing beside the Protagonist I would have to do some rewriting to match the
drawing.


An idea struck me and I kept the original writing, but introduced another character
instead. Phillip’s savior from his suicide attempt, the stranger dressed in red.
Throughout Mythology there are tales of messengers who wander the earth in
various forms. Hermes from the Greeks for example who had the winged sandals
and a cameo in the Odyssey. So into the world of Dragons Bane entered

CLAROK THE DRAGON ELDER

The oldest of all the realm’s creatures, Clarok is the son of Cronius the God of Purity. It is his vision that generates the creation of the Dragons Bane. While wandering the world in human form he stumbles upon a man who has reached his breaking point. However the dispirited human bears the mark from the prophecy and a bond begins to form.

When the story got published, I was surprised with the reactions from fellow classmates. Many of them asked if there would be more chapters, my original thought was a small 5 page item was fine. The thought process for ideas had struck a roadblock; most of the myths were already used within the first half. This was one of those moments where life opened a door to creativity, it started with Spring Break. During the early part of vacation I was invited to attend my first Seder. It was in the middle of said ceremony that I learned the hard way about my allergies to seafood. After sampling geveltafish and fighting the nauseous cramps, an idea for the story popped in my head. After going home, I put the concept to paper and stuffed it in the notebook. Taking moments from my own life for inspiration became a new variation on this project. The dyslexic side of me appears during the writing because I generally started with an opening paragraph and the ending one. However there was a challenge with Dragons Bane, Phillip began to have a following. People, who normally refused to read even if forced, looked over Dragons Bane and started to leave feedback!

As the break continued, I met up with my old friend and fellow writer
Lisa Lamb. Our friendship was one that generated more rumors than a
weekly tabloid. We were at her house working on our own stories.