Hey all,
So I've been trying to write a Dresden Files-esque urban fantasy set in the American Southwest (mostly the Four Corners states). I'm having fun with a few ideas for the setting (and a little bit of writing the actual story), but I'm having trouble with fully developing the setting. I've only got a few characters and a few concepts for the setting. I don't want anyone to dictate my writing or my characters, but I've been unable to think of new twists for the setting for weeks, and I feel like my setting is a bit "empty". So I'd like some help in figuring out how to fill the setting in interesting ways. Here's what I have so far.
Trans-dimensional Railroad: Most of the American public knows that there was a transcontinental railroad built across the nation, from sea to shining sea. Many know that the last rail spike, a golden ceremonial spike, was hammered in Utah. What only the students of the supernatural know is that the golden spike was the focus for a ritual that created a spectral railroad network across the Southwestern United States for the traveling sorcerer.
All a magician needs to do is slam an iron spike into soft ground, extend their supernatural will, and a spectral train will appear, visible only to those of a magical persuasion. Once boarded, the train vanishes from the plane of mortal existence, and the magician must inform the conductor (a humanoid being cloaked in shadows) where they want to go. Once the destination is given, the train continues on, traveling through terrifying sorcerous realms, always arriving at it's destination in an hours time. Unfortunately for some travelers, while hostile humans cannot follow the train through dimensions, the more hardy supernatural creatures can.
Four Corners Neutral Ground: While most people assume that the borders of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet at the Four Corners Monument, the occult-minded know that this is not quite true. As it turns out, the "official" border of the four states was deliberately falsified to draw the curious tourists away from the real location. Where the states actually touch, there is a small Navajo village placed on a crossing of magical ley-lines of the region. This neutral ground, known simply to supernatural types as "The Meeting Ground", is a place for disputes to be aired nonviolently, a sort of American magical Switzerland. Large-scale magical warfare is forbidden here, and no weapons are allowed. However, duels based solely on magical ability and natural advantages (such as claws) are permitted.
The Navajo guard their neutrality (extended from the Meeting Ground to their entire people by informal agreement) jealously, however, and any violations are greeted with a mixture of firearms and nearly every magical defense known to mankind. The Navajo enjoy playing up a harmless "mystic" stereotype to anyone who asks, but once their homes are violated, very few beings have lived to tell the tale.
Supernatural Cartel: I'm unsure of most details for this (including the name), but they're going to be a major antagonistic force, a drug cartel whose upper leadership delve into the supernatural, and either secretly employ monsters or seek to subvert and control all users of magic in their area of influence.
Main Character: I don't have a name for him yet, because I'm unsure of what culture he's going to be from. See, a big part of his backstory is that he and his family fled somewhere as refugees when he was young, used the Transdimensional Train on a friend's suggestion, but were attacked while on it. His parents went missing (presumed dead), and he was effectively crippled on his left arm and leg. He was later adopted (by who, I don't know), or perhaps a ward of the state. Thing is, while he feels survivor's guilt, and is permanently harmed, he also feels an excitement at the memory of the attack. In fact, he's become a danger junkie, obsessed with interacting with the supernatural and confronting supernatural threat. He's got a non-magical job, but his real interest is figuring out more about the supernatural community. He lives in Utah, but due to the convenience of the magical train, he can operate nearly anywhere in the southwestern US.
JT: Also known as Jason Tovioni, JT is the main character's best friend, a happy-go-lucky sort of guy who also lives in Utah, and operates as a modern day auspice. He's an aspiring writer, and is Tongan. He gives the main character a heads up for supernatural conflicts in the Four Corners states.
And that's really all I have, besides a one-time antagonist that the main character defeats early on in the story. So I really need help fleshing the setting out, because I don't know who or what else to add to the setting. I want to use a lot of Southwestern legends/mythology, but I'm also leaning towards using European supernatural themes for this.
So I've been trying to write a Dresden Files-esque urban fantasy set in the American Southwest (mostly the Four Corners states). I'm having fun with a few ideas for the setting (and a little bit of writing the actual story), but I'm having trouble with fully developing the setting. I've only got a few characters and a few concepts for the setting. I don't want anyone to dictate my writing or my characters, but I've been unable to think of new twists for the setting for weeks, and I feel like my setting is a bit "empty". So I'd like some help in figuring out how to fill the setting in interesting ways. Here's what I have so far.
Trans-dimensional Railroad: Most of the American public knows that there was a transcontinental railroad built across the nation, from sea to shining sea. Many know that the last rail spike, a golden ceremonial spike, was hammered in Utah. What only the students of the supernatural know is that the golden spike was the focus for a ritual that created a spectral railroad network across the Southwestern United States for the traveling sorcerer.
All a magician needs to do is slam an iron spike into soft ground, extend their supernatural will, and a spectral train will appear, visible only to those of a magical persuasion. Once boarded, the train vanishes from the plane of mortal existence, and the magician must inform the conductor (a humanoid being cloaked in shadows) where they want to go. Once the destination is given, the train continues on, traveling through terrifying sorcerous realms, always arriving at it's destination in an hours time. Unfortunately for some travelers, while hostile humans cannot follow the train through dimensions, the more hardy supernatural creatures can.
Four Corners Neutral Ground: While most people assume that the borders of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet at the Four Corners Monument, the occult-minded know that this is not quite true. As it turns out, the "official" border of the four states was deliberately falsified to draw the curious tourists away from the real location. Where the states actually touch, there is a small Navajo village placed on a crossing of magical ley-lines of the region. This neutral ground, known simply to supernatural types as "The Meeting Ground", is a place for disputes to be aired nonviolently, a sort of American magical Switzerland. Large-scale magical warfare is forbidden here, and no weapons are allowed. However, duels based solely on magical ability and natural advantages (such as claws) are permitted.
The Navajo guard their neutrality (extended from the Meeting Ground to their entire people by informal agreement) jealously, however, and any violations are greeted with a mixture of firearms and nearly every magical defense known to mankind. The Navajo enjoy playing up a harmless "mystic" stereotype to anyone who asks, but once their homes are violated, very few beings have lived to tell the tale.
Supernatural Cartel: I'm unsure of most details for this (including the name), but they're going to be a major antagonistic force, a drug cartel whose upper leadership delve into the supernatural, and either secretly employ monsters or seek to subvert and control all users of magic in their area of influence.
Main Character: I don't have a name for him yet, because I'm unsure of what culture he's going to be from. See, a big part of his backstory is that he and his family fled somewhere as refugees when he was young, used the Transdimensional Train on a friend's suggestion, but were attacked while on it. His parents went missing (presumed dead), and he was effectively crippled on his left arm and leg. He was later adopted (by who, I don't know), or perhaps a ward of the state. Thing is, while he feels survivor's guilt, and is permanently harmed, he also feels an excitement at the memory of the attack. In fact, he's become a danger junkie, obsessed with interacting with the supernatural and confronting supernatural threat. He's got a non-magical job, but his real interest is figuring out more about the supernatural community. He lives in Utah, but due to the convenience of the magical train, he can operate nearly anywhere in the southwestern US.
JT: Also known as Jason Tovioni, JT is the main character's best friend, a happy-go-lucky sort of guy who also lives in Utah, and operates as a modern day auspice. He's an aspiring writer, and is Tongan. He gives the main character a heads up for supernatural conflicts in the Four Corners states.
And that's really all I have, besides a one-time antagonist that the main character defeats early on in the story. So I really need help fleshing the setting out, because I don't know who or what else to add to the setting. I want to use a lot of Southwestern legends/mythology, but I'm also leaning towards using European supernatural themes for this.
