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The Tales of Varg came about as the result of my wanting to write something that would be fine for my children to read. Since all of the Worldwalkers Universe books and short stories were intended for adults, this was an interesting puzzle to solve. It was obvious that in order to write stories for children in the Worldwalkers Universe, I would have to focus almost exclusively on the rael-shaa.
It took me some time to come up with a story compelling enough to make me want to write it, but I finally did so, in the midst of working on one of the adult novels. The seed for the idea was there, and only needed to be expanded.
The rael-shaa are lupine shapeshifters. Not precisely werewolves, they're a separate species from humanity, but are able to shapeshift and take on human-like form. Humans are an aggressive species, and they eventually gained the upper hand over the rael-shaa, decimating their numbers and suppressing their progress in Origin Variant. The humans of Origin Variant don't know the rael-shaa exist; they have only the legends of werewolves in their folklore to suggest such things are possible. The human war on habitat and predators caught the rael-shaa in the crossfire, and they were hunted down like the wolves they resembled.
It was only through their partnership with the vampires of Origin Variant that the rael-shaa found a way to survive. The highly psychic rael-shaa theorized that it would be possible to breach the boundaries between quantum realities, and travel from one to another. The problem was, the rael-shaa species didn't produce the right type of energy, nor have the right kind of connection with one another to make using the energy in that fashion possible.
The vampires, however, did. Their donors created the needed energy type, and the vampires had the right type of connection to them, and the right type of skill to manipulate it. With the help of the rael-shaa, the vampires of Origin Variant learned to Gate. Gating set the rael-shaa free, and saved their species from extinction. They gave their vampire allies a new name, out of respect for their ability: Worldwalkers. The freedom of Gating eventually compelled the rael-shaa to ask a question they'd never asked before.
In the absence of humans, whose technology and behavior they had always mimicked when not in their natural forms, what would the rael-shaa be like? What would happen to their culture?
The rael-shaa proposed a new colony, in a Variant devoid of human or other intelligent life. They populated it with volunteers from rael-shaa Clans around the world, and then they closed the borders. The separatist colony of Varg Variant was born. Varg Variant's Earth has contact with the combined cultures of vampire and rael-shaa only through a single embassy, staffed by a Worldwalker Circle. Rael-shaa are permitted to leave Varg, but once they do, they can never return. Visitors are limited.
What will the rael-shaa become, now that they are alone?
The first book in the Tales of Varg series is being written. It is titled 'By Hand and Paw.'
Fans, you may find The Tales of Varg facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/TalesOfVarg
'Like' my page and add it to your interest lists or select 'get notifications' to ensure that updates will show up in your feed. I'm not much of a blogger, but I will post updates on the progress of the books and short stories, and fun tidbits about the research I've done to write the books, cover art, and more!