In my latest author interview, Devan & Jade Johnson, co-authors of Dauntless Dungeon have answered some tough questions on how they go about worldbuilding within their fiction. Dauntless Dungeon is a new fantasy adventure novel that will most likely appeal to a young adult audience and people who enjoy table-top RPGs.
Susan: Especially in worlds based on science, readers are likely highly educated people. Pick one of your worlds and tell me how you make it logical. For more information on logic in worldbuilding, check out Worldbuilding 101: Logic.
In the world of Rhespira, magic and science exist side by side. One way that we establish logic in a world with both of these elements is by keeping their power sources separate. For example, magic items are powered by green arcane crystals, scientific steampunk inventions use blue energy crystals, and pink crystals have healing properties. By establishing the three power sources, readers can better understand how the world works, from how an island can float suspended in the air to the intricate vehicles rode in the city of Dravenmoore.
Another way that we brought logic to Rhespira was by creating the Quester’s License. In order for a citizen to become a Quester and go on various missions, they must obtain a License. In order to achieve this, one must attend Dauntless Dungeon, join a party of other Quester-hopefuls, and pass the entrance exam. Every Party is split into five roles and each role can be one of two classes. Establishing this system allows the reader to deduce what a character’s job should be in any situation based on their class and role. It also irons out what abilities each character should be able to possess based on the same information.
Susan: What is your favorite “What if…” that you have written a story based upon?
Our favorite “What if” situation would be Dauntless Dungeon. My wife and I are huge fantasy nerds, we love all things fantasy, and realized that in an adventure the Quester is usually either a chosen-one hero or a middle-aged adventurer. This led us to wonder what life would be like in a fantasy school inside a Dungeons and Dragons style world. We had the question of “what if you had to get a specific license in order to even go on a quest?” This train of thought spawned our Legends of Rhespira series as well as a thousand other questions.
Susan: What is your favorite “What if…” that you have NOT written a story about?
Our favorite “what if” that we haven’t written about yet is a somewhat controversial topic. What if we are all currently in hell? Your life here on ‘earth’ is really the afterlife, and you have to try to be a good enough person to get out of hell; but they won’t tell you that because it has to be an internal decision. This would explain déjà vu and many other odd things about our world, such as reincarnation. It’s our favorite theory and one that we plan on returning to.
Susan: What specific details do you include in your world to make it come to life for the reader?
We like to include sensory descriptions on everything from a location to an object or person. We feel that when a reader is done with a paragraph, they should be able to close their eyes and know what they smell, see, hear, the temperature, etc. Of course, this can be done to a detrimental effect if used in excess. An example of specific detail in our work, Dauntless Dungeon, is below.
Kneeling down she grabbed ahold of the clawed hand still embedded in her leg and gave it a quick tug. White pain caused her vision to go blurry for a moment and the maze began to spin. Blood trickled from the gash in her lower extremity as Kheeta ripped the bottom of her shirt off, tearing it into strips, and bandaging herself up with a wince and grimace.
I need to find my way out of here… I’m sure that they’ll be back soon and I’m not in any shape to defend myself now, she urged, flinching as she pulled her homemade tourniquet tight. There has to be some indication of the exit, she thought, looking around for any clues, only to be met with familiar darkness. Well clearly seeing isn’t going to be how I find the way. Her ears swiveled trying to find any new source of noise, the sounds are just the same as they’ve been since I got here, maybe…? Raising her nose to the air she took in several big sniffs, that’s new, she thought, following the smell, it isn’t dusty or mildewed, this is almost…floral. She picked up the pace, a smile spreading across her face, despite the pain. Aurora must have gotten out! I mean she’s passed every other test.
Susan: How do you use your characters’ perceptions to further paint the picture in your story?
Our main character is a Kitsune, whose race has been in hiding for 200 years, as such she is very naive to the way the world works; something she must overcome if she wants to achieve her goal of being a Quester. This perception of adventures and heroes is what leads her to run away from her home, and then she has that perception challenged, forcing her to adapt. Below is an excerpt scene showing this.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that the Questers in your books don’t exist anymore, and those that still do are few and far between.”
“That’s terrible!” Kheeta exclaimed her eyes wide with shock, and a knot settling in her chest. Disappointment threatened to send her spiraling after having her whole world view shattered in mere moments.
“Yes, it is. That’s why I must venture into Glittermoore Cave twice a month by myself,” Calisto said bringing Kheeta back from her thoughts, “we can’t afford to hire a regular quester. So I get to risk my neck to keep everyone, including Questers, healthy,” he scoffed at the end, but his face betrayed a pang of guilt.
He opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted as she suddenly perked up and looked at him, her eyes sparkling with tears and determination. “I know what I have to do then, I’m going to go to Dauntless Dungeon and become one of the true Questers, who helps where it’s needed not where it’s profitable.”
“Well there’s a fire,” Calisto chuckled, “you can do it Kheeta, I’m sure of it.”
Susan: Do you believe this statement to be accurate: “The World Serves The Story, The Story Does Not Serve The World”? Why or why not?
We believe that the best stories are ones told by authors who take time fleshing out a world and characters, typically long before the story is ironed out. The philosophy that we created is, “an author should observe their characters, not direct them.” We work on religion, politics, flora, fauna, class systems, and more, long before a plot line is ever drawn up. If you world build correctly, you should be able to act as a journalist, recording your character’s story. You might know, ‘I need my character to get from point A to point B and then this has to happen,’ but be fluid in how they get there. Allow your world and character, with their flaws, aspirations, and everything, to influence your story. If you don’t, then it can seem forced and stagnant; plus, no one enjoys a book that changes all the world rules half-way through just because the story needs something, find another way to accomplish the goal without messing with pre-established concepts.
Susan: Small details are just as important as big ones. What small details have you included in your fictional works that serve as proof that the world you’ve built is real?
In our world, Resphira, most areas are full of steampunk inventions, however, where our main character is from is set apart from the rest of society and go about things in a more old fashioned way. Due to this, she is surprised when she is introduced to a new creature, the Paloofs. They are animals that feed off pollution, and so in a village where everything is done by hand, she had never known of their existence. After her initial meeting with Paloofs she begins to notice them throughout the cities; being bigger and more vibrantly colored in well-populated areas and smaller with duller colors in the villages.
We also have characters with various skin tones, such as Bartlebee who is blue. When our squid-like bard gets flustered or embarrassed he turns a deep purple instead of red or pink. Keeping this detail is small, but consistent with the knowledge that the reader already possesses.
Another small detail that we used is in the way our Aven speak. Avens are bird-folk, who squawk when they try to pronounce the ‘r’ sound. We showcased this small detail by italicizing every ‘r’ spoken by an Aven character. This pulls readers in and helps the illusion that Rhespira and its inhabitants are real. Below is an example from Dauntless Dungeon.
He gave the room one last look over as if sizing up the prospects, before taking his seat, allowing the person to his left, a tall, bird-like man, to stand.
“Ah, well okay. Following that uh… intimidating display, I feel it best I go. My name is Az’rocc,” he said, squawking the ‘R’ of his name and clearing his throat. “And I am a Cleric Class Quester, meaning I specialize in the healing arts, but I also know how to smite a zombie with a wave of my wing.” Looking at the man Kheeta believed it; he stood shorter than Gorn but still taller than an average man, with a beak and piercing eyes. Head to toe he was draped in brown feathers and his wings ended at scaly hands. Az’rocc continued, “I will be conducting the testing tomorrow and then convening with the Gods to decide who will be joining the ranks of Rhespira’s Clerics. Give it your all tomorrow and pray diligently.” Kheeta stifled a chuckle as the man squawked every ‘R’, but her line partner Bartlebee was not as composed, drawing stares from the crowd as he laughed loudly.
“Sorry,” he mustered meekly trying to hide behind the tentacles on his head, his skin turning a deep purple.
Susan: Give me an example of where your characters’ interactions further develop your world.
Since Kheeta is from The Den and no Kitsune has left in 200 years, she is discovering most of Rhespira for the first time. In doing this, we place the reader directly into her fur allowing them to learn about the various flora and fauna through her interactions. An example is down below.
“Mimic’s enjoy a meal that wiggles ‘n screams the best.” Before her, stood three small creatures; only about two feet tall, with long floppy ears, grey skin, and one large, bulbous, yellow eye, each hand ended in three clawed fingers, with a mouth full of sharp jagged teeth that seemed to stretch from ear to ear. It would be a stretch to call their clothes rags, and their hair was more like wispy wire hanging and sticking up in every direction.
“Please help me! Let me go!” Kheeta pleaded through tears as the Mimic bit down again, its teeth piercing the skin of her arm; she could feel the blood trickling down her fingers and knew that she’d lose her entire hand before too much longer.
One of the creatures went to make what Kheeta assumed was going to be a snarky reply, but as it opened, its mouth it was knocked off the rock by a crossbow bolt. The other creatures screeched and began to scurry on all fours towards a hole in the ground not too far away.
“Oh no you don’t!” Called out a smooth voice and two more crossbow bolts found their marks, leaving both the fleeing creatures dead.
“Help me please!” Kheeta called out still trying to painfully wrestle her hand out of the closed and snarling Mimic.
“Here allow me,” the smooth voice answered and after a moment the chest began to loosen its grip. “With these little buggers you’ve got to go for the hinges in back, it’s pretty much their only weak spot.” As the voice finished his tip, the chest snapped back open and Kheeta fell over, her bloody hand cradled against her chest. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at her mauled hand. I don’t think it’ll ever work again! She panicked as a few salty tears fell on to the torn flesh and fur.
“Here let me wrap that for you,” Kheeta looked up from the bloody dirt and saw a man roughly five feet tall standing before her, his hand extended. She took it and he helped her to her feet before immediately grabbing her injured hand and turning it over. “This is going to sting a little.”
“What is—” Kheeta’s question was lost in her howl as he poured a clear liquid over her hand.
“That will help clean and heal the wound… Gremlins can be nasty little creatures.” He explained as he began wrapping a white cloth, that he had pulled from his satchel, around her hand.
“Is that what those things were? They were so creepy!” Kheeta replied wincing as he tied the cloth tight, small traces of red beginning to seep through already.
Susan: Specific to one of your stories, how did you make it come alive?
Here is an excerpt from Dauntless Dungeon.
The first thing she noticed as she stepped out into the bright sunlight was the smell. Taunting her nose every which way were delicious scents, she could isolate a few: roast pig, apple pie, cider, potatoes, and finally her favorite… funnel cake. Her mouth salivated, and her stomach growled at the thought of getting a nice hot funnel cake, like the ones that she would get at festival back home. Not right now stomach, we need to focus. She scolded herself internally as she helped Calisto with the bags.
“So, we just set up shop right here in the market square,” the goat man said turning back to Kheeta. “It’s been an honor to meet you, and I truly believe that you’re special… If you stay true to your convictions, you can accomplish anything, I’m sure of it.”
“Oh, stop,” Kheeta replied her cheeks growing warm as her two tails flicked back and forth.
“I mean it, when you’re at Dauntless Dungeon you better not forget us.” He looked sad to see her go and Kheeta couldn’t quite understand it, I doubt my own parents were this upset when I ran away.
“Of course, she won’t forget us, she’s going to write to us every month. Huh Kheeta?” Tianara said galloping up to stand next to her father.
“Of course I’ll write to you all and I’ll keep your letters, so you better make me some good pictures,” Kheeta answered leaning forward and booping the girl on the nose softly with her finger. Merigohl gave her a warm hug goodbye as Tianara laughed and ran off to go play with her rambunctious brothers.
“Take this with you,” the Centaur woman said handing her a long green cloak with a deep hood. “Keep the hood up when you’re in town and try to keep your tails twisted together… it’ll keep away unwanted attention.”
“Thank you so much!” Kheeta replied with tears in her eyes as she threw her arms around Merigohl again.
“You know Kheeta, if you’re not ready to leave yet, I could use some help lugging all of these supplies to the apothecary shop,” Calisto suggested as he gestured to the three overflowing backpacks at his feet.
“I’d love to,” She responded, putting on her new cloak and snagging two of the packs up swinging them over her furry shoulders. “Which way is it?”
Susan: “Shut up! It’s cool!” Every writer does it. Provide an example of one of your “It’s cool” moments that maybe we’ll never see within one of your works.
When Devan published his first novel in 2009, there was a scene in which one of his characters sacrificed himself by jumping into the throat of a dragon and detonating some remote explosives in his pack. To this day Devan stands by the scene saying literally quote, “Shut up! It’s cool!” That book is no longer available, but the scene inspired a less silly one in Dauntless Dungeon.
Susan: Research: What research have you done that helped to build a specific world in your writing?
Countless adventures in Dungeons and Dragons campaigns really helped us with both story-telling, adapting to unforeseen situations, and world building. We are able to allow our characters to lose every once in a while; something that increases the entertainment value, because the perfect chosen one is boring.
Susan: Do you set goals for your worlds?
When we want our world to be fleshed out with a level of detail, that we could give our reader any hypothetical situation and they should be able to figure out on their own roughly how it would happen based on our predetermined rules and laws in our world. The main goal for us is for our reader to get lost in the world that we have created, spending as many hundreds of hours there as we have.
Susan: Give me an example of one of your worlds and the self-imposed limits you included? Limitations (much like character flaws) add depth to your story.
In Rhespira there are a few planes of existence, the Mortal, the Elemental, the Ethereal, the Arcane, and the Divine. People can travel from the Mortal Plane to the ethereal with special rituals and spells or by dying. One could enter the Arcane Plane where all magic originates from, but if they stay too long Trepidors will hunt them down. The Elemental Plane can be traveled to but is very dangerous, and the Divine Plane is the home of the Gods, to be graced by no mortal.
Susan: Cause and effect: Give me an example of one of the laws of your world and how it applies and impacts your characters within the story.
“Well after the festival and Mrs. Vines… not to mention my family is going to kill me for ripping the dress.” Kheeta’s eyes began to well up with tears and her throat tightened. “Well think, at least if they do that we can hang out forever.” Celia joked trying to lift her friend’s spirit. “I just… I don’t know what to do Celia…” Kheeta responded trying to hold back the tears that threatened to burst forth. “Well if you can’t go back…” Celia began sitting up and looking down at her furry friend. “Why don’t you finally take my advice. Quit daydreaming about being a quester and just go do it.” “What? I don’t even know where I’d start!” Kheeta exclaimed sitting up as well and looking at her friend like she was crazy. “You know exactly where to start, I’ve told you a million times, Dauntless Dungeon in Dravenmoore. It’s a school where they teach you how to be a Quester!” The ghost girl interjected with a small hint of annoyance. “I can’t go by myself… no Kitsune has ever left The Den… at least not any that I’ve heard of… Can you come with me?” Kheeta asked excitement starting to fill both her eyes and tone. “I’m tied to this lake and forest Kheeta,” Celia began, knowing her friend already knew how this was going to end. “I could take your finger bone with me,” Kheeta suggested quickly with a partially hopeful laugh. “If only it worked that way,” the mer-ghost chuckled back. “No, this is something you have to do on your own; but don’t worry, I’m obviously not going anywhere.” Celia looked at her friend and smiled, “then when you come back to visit me you can show The Den they were wrong. Plus I think it’s about your turn to tell me some fantastical journeys of your own.” Kheeta looked at her one and only friend as the tears she had been fighting so valiantly pushed through, only she didn’t mind, this time they were tears of joy. “Okay, I’ll do it. First thing in the morning I’m going to go to Dravenmoore, I’ll find Dauntless Dungeon and become a Quester!” A new fire of determination had been lit inside of the young Kitsune as she went to bed that night, eagerly dreaming of her future life as a Quester of Rhespira…
Check out Devan & Jade’s map of Rhespira
Get your copy of Dauntless Dungeon today!
Dauntless Dungeon was released by Haffox Publishing in March 2019. It very much reads like a role-playing campaign. You can get your copy here:
You can also find more about Devan & Jade on their website: https://haffoxtales.com/
Or email them directly at: HAFFOXTALESLLC@GMAIL.COM
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