The language metaphor I use in this chapter is one of my favorites in the book. Hrathen’s attitude can be quickly summed up in the way that he decides it is all right to preach to the people in their own language. He admits that he probably shouldn’t do such a thing, but the logical justification is just too strong for him to deny.
I’ve spoken earlier about how fantasy books tend to place modern-like characters in more archaic settings. The Seons in this book are one of my rationalizations for the way that people act. I believe that a lot of our civility and maturity as a global culture comes from our ability to communicate quickly and effectively with one another.
Instantaneous communication changes the world. It makes countries seem less distant, and it allows for faster resolution of problems. Often times, when I’m creating a magic system, this idea is one of the first that I consider. Can this magic provide for instant communication or travel? If it can, I can use that to shrink the world, allowing me to place characters in more distant settings and still have them tied to the plot. (This isn’t something I have to do often in this particular book. However, the ability to communicate with Wyrn and Sarene’s father does have the effect of shrinking the world, making it easier to plot such drastic events in such a short period of time.)
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