I am many things and wear many hats, but my one true love is writing fiction, which Austrasia definitely is. If you’re looking for more details on me personally, check out “About the Author” for a good breakdown. As of this writing, I have one book published (Forging Halcyon, lovingly known as “the little book”) and one much longer work (The Legend of War: Death of Mercy, or “the big book”) about to go into editing. It’s in Death of Mercy that this blog gets its name. Allow me to explain while keeping the spoilers to a minimum.
The Big Book
The big book explores how far we will go for the ones we love, how many lines we will cross to get there, and the personal cost of the journey. The main characters live in a magical wooded area in the desert whose trees hide many secrets, some magical. Of these, there is one more whimsical and devious than all the rest. Described as a pint-sized plague by the keeper of the woods, I’m talking about none other than the gnomes.
Originally, I had quite a significant part set out for a gnome named Murfy, but cut most of it in editing to pare down the length. Have no fear, though, I am writing Murphy into a later book and planning on publishing a compendium of gnomish legends at some point.
One gnomish part that did not get cut is the story of a character named Strange. Strange travels the world searching for gnomes and embodies their silly, lighthearted, and illogical nature. He is compassionate, quick with a joke, and nearly the luckiest person alive. He seeks the gnomes for a sacred quest: To find the mythical homeland of the gnomes, Austrasia.
Austrasia
Austrasia is considered a myth even by the other characters in the book, who lead lives steeped in magic and wonder. Gnomish legend says the gnomes originated from Finland, but grew to desire a land more suited to them, so they built a large mobile island called Austrasia. Eventually, it became lost when they forgot where it was parked.
Now you probably have several questions. Like, if they originated from Finland, wouldn’t that be their homeland? How exactly did they build a migratory island? Is it on the back of a giant turtle? How do you lose an island? Could you not use modern technology to find it?
My only answer is you’re overthinking it. None of the gnomish legends make a damned bit of sense. Nor do the gnomes, for that matter. Also, it wasn’t built on the back of a giant turtle because no creature is willing to put up with their shenanigans for that long. My theory, anyway.
Why “Finding Austrasia”
Strange travels the world finding Austrasia, not for glory, riches, or fame, but for the simple sake of finding it. He wants to see its beaches, mountains, forests, and overly detailed statues of suitcases for himself. He has his secrets, of course, but he searches for Austrasia to find a part of himself, both in the destination and on the journey there.
Put another way, his quest is an excellent excuse to travel around, make interesting friends, and get into trouble. I want to follow Strange’s footsteps, for all the reasons he wanders. I want to travel the land in search of adventure, amazing sights, and all the experiences this country (and others) have to offer.
Unlike Strange, I’ll have to spend time preparing and planning, but the end goal is the same. If you want to know what that plan looks like, be sure to check out the “About the Dream” post for all the details.
So what do you say? Want to help find Austrasia?
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