Being Intentional with Layers
Layered character themes make for interesting situations and conflict, as well as aesthetic. But conflict need not be only external, making a significant impact on the surrounding world of the story. In my series, The Orchestrylus Odyssey, battles are physical, but they are fought in a mindscape of poetry and verse concurrently.
This call-and-response method of combat gives the series a unique twist to combat, because the instruments are weapons as much as they are art.
Stanzielle awakens the ability to see the true songs of the world when she comes across her mirror opposite, Strophe, in the first book, leading to poetry and verse becoming the attacks of each combatant. Free verse might be complex and overwhelm the opponent, while a haiku might be a quick flash of an attack. Iambic pentameter might be a more specific alter chroma composition, with stressed notes and unstressed notes.
Using poetry as an attack was the method I came up with for the fact that the written word doesn’t make a sound. In a musical tale, the prose needs to be lyrical as well as dressed up. But adding to that, poetic attacks make the series stand out on its own.
Every poem has a clue about the character using it, or their temperament. The most complex poems will be those of the major characters, such as Stanzielle Quintette or the Nine Golden Masks.
Their poetry focuses on certain aspects of the self and the psychological world of everyone. This adds layers of depth not otherwise written in the story.
The Nine Golden Masks are also layered by their focus, beings interested in parts of Jungian psychology. Their interests are part of a greater whole that will be revealed in future books. Their layers involve ancient secrets and understanding the differing facets of the mind. For example:
Strumestia Harpscythe: Superego, Chroma Finesse: Judgment
Elochorden Bassblade: Animus, Chroma Finesse: Other Self
Acaria Gunflute: Shadow, Chroma Finesse: Repression Clock
Acoustera Cellolance: Ego, Chroma Finesse: Confident Insight- Within Drive, Confident Insight- Without Gear
Sonatus Lutedagger: The Child, Chroma Finesse: Innocent Carnival
Cadenzia Snipetrumpet: Id, Chroma Finesse: Final Instinct
Arphelia Wrathdancer: Persona, Chroma Finesse: Truth Unmasked
Syncaratus Drumcannon: The Sage, Chroma Finesse: Ancient Beat
Harmonus Violinbow: The Self, Chroma Finesse: Transcendent Divinity
Each of the Nine Golden Masks represents a different facet of the psychological framework of the modern age, and each one has a weapon mixed with an instrument, minus Arphelia Wrathdancer, a woman who represents the world of dance and physical fighting combined.
Harmonus Violinbow is the leader of the Nine Golden Masks, thus represents the total of the whole of a person’s being. His use of a violin is intentional, as he represents a true will in the world that needs to be carried out to lead to his own goals, but on a different path than Stanzielle Quintette.
These characters all have their own ends to their goals, and their poems will reveal inner secrets and enlightened wisdom from each of the flames of their inner eyes. Each Golden Mask has eye colors corresponding to emotions and color, as the magic system in this world deals with emotions and the power to affect the world through music, as do all characters.
Particularly powerful individuals in this world have an eye ablaze with golden flame, representing the layers of their enlightenment and inner search for their own light.
These different layers all enhance the total story, the complete picture of the world.
Layers can be thematic or aesthetic. It’s up to us to use them in the way that best serves the story.
Above all, it needs to be intentional. Every clothing color must tell you something about a character. Every name, every eye color, instrument choice, etc.
Intention is the power to shape storied worlds in the image we’d like, after all.
