When we last interpret Erevis Cale , he was trapped in a hell dimension . The Godborn , which will be released on Oct. 1 , revolve around Cale ’s Word Vasen , who was post forward in time by the god Mask to save his life .
io9 : Let ’s start by sing about Erevis Cale , who spends a lot of fourth dimension off - phase in The Godborn , but it still very central to the story . How was that grapheme created , and how has he germinate over the year ? And who would play him in the Hollywood blockbuster ?
Paul S. Kemp : Well , when a male child with an phylogenetic relation for shadow loves a fille with an affinity for shadow very much , then … .
Oh , you mean something else . Uh , okay .
Cale actually came out of a closed call put out by WotC in 1999 - 2000 , for what would later on become the “ Sembia Series . ” Now , the Sembia Series was a very cool idea from Wizards . Essentially seven authors were each rifle to compose first a novelette and then a novel featuring one of the characters in the household of a moneyed Sembian merchant family . machination ! Secrets ! Swordplay !
At the time I was a gross newbie , and I was dead overwhelmed and excited at the idea that I ’d soon have my first tale in photographic print .
So the Sembia packet boat contained a listing of eccentric descriptions they wanted see – procurator descriptions for the most part – here you had the Patriarch of the family , here you had the extravagant firstborn son , here you had the younger son , and here you had the pantryman / majordomo , who was described as a “ man who gets thing done for the Patriarch . ”
The seven authors were to pitch character estimate base on those one judgment of conviction description . We could pitch as many of the theatrical role as we wanted . I pitched only one – the majordomo – and from that came Erevis Cale , one - time counterfeiter and assassin , current thief and undercover agent , a piece who take his place after secretly off the previous majordomo , a human race who arrived to espy on the phratry but had , over the course of age , issue forth to respect ( mayhap even love ) them . There ’s a lot of battle and potential from dramatic play in that , I thought .
I was so use up with the concept that I had a admirer of mine , a gifted creative person , actually adumbrate Cale ( and Jak Fleet and Drasek Riven ) and mail those sketch along , too . Anyway , WotC liked the pitch and Erevis Cale was stomach . Off we move . Been a great ride so far .
Cale ’s essentially conflict is trying to accommodate a span things – his past with his present , and who he is , basically , with who he want to be . His evolution as a fictional character has brought him through both spiritual and physical transformations . At this point , maybe he ’s lastly dissolve some of his internal conflict and has a measure of serenity . I ’m certain it ’s presently to be disrupted , though .
As for the doer who ’d playact him , I ’d haveMark Strong , fromLow Winter Sun , play Cale . Dude is perfect .
io9 : Erevis Cale discover me as almost a archetypical antihero . I suspect that antihero operate differently in the Forgotten Realms than in other background . Ideals and principles are much less abstractionist in the Realms , since you have deities that often interact straightaway ( or almost at once ) with characters . Can you talk about how you define antiheroes , if you think Erevis is one , and how that kind of character fits into the Realms ?
PK : Oh , I agree . Cale is very much the archetypical anti - Cuban sandwich . I hypothesise the textbook definition of an anti - hero is fairly straightforward – a protagonist who embodies not only heroic characteristics , but also some characteristic typically deem non - heroic , even nefarious . But the definition of an anti - hero I like to employ is that of a booster who embodies the difference of opinion between temptation and goodwill , between the “ well-fixed ” way and the “ good ” way . It ’s such a plentiful mineral vein to mine for drama and internal difference . The anti - hero walks the virtuously gray path and forever toy with redemption , and that flirting is just a fire to write .
You know , I do n’t think write an anti - hero in the Realms is any dissimilar from writing an anti - hero in any other setting . I believe fantasy fiction is very well - suited to exploring moral philosophy , and one of the ground for that is because so much fantasy is limit in cosmos where ( as you say ) ideals and principles ( and the blood between good and evil ) is not abstract . The Realms is no unlike in that respect .
io9 : With Vasen , you have a character who , though still driven by inner conflict , has very unlike motive from Erevis . What unlike kinds of stories are open to a role in service of Amaunator ( the Forgotten Realms ’ god of the sun ) rather than one who serves Mask ( god of shadows and thievery ) ?
PK : In some way Vasen has an internal dynamic that ’s more or less at 180 degrees from that of his Father of the Church . Where Erevis fight with whether he should do the right thing or give up to his darker impulses and do the easier thing while still hopefully arriving at the right result , Vasen has internalized doing the right thing . He was raised in an abbey , surrounded by holy men . But he hold himself to such a high standard that sometimes the correct matter is n’t correct enough , if you take my meaning . He ’s hard on himself , and that lends itself to a different dynamic in the storytelling . Small mistakes torture Vasen , so he ’ll occupy at his own ego - perceive moral failing . And unlike with his Father-God , for him the end will never justify the means for him , if the end is a well one . In that sense ( and to circle back to your earlier question ) Vasen holds himself to ideal , an abstraction that he ’ll never be capable to fully satisfy in the tangible existence . deal with that is his story .
io9 : How is The Godborn tie to The Companions ( the first novel in the Sundering series , by R.A. Salvatore ) ? How do the overall events of the Sundering affect the characters in The Godborn ?
PK : It ’s tied to The Companions in that both have the early events of the Sundering going on in background and progressing from one book to the next ( those events will develop further as the Sundering serial of novel go along ) . The characters are not the same , and the chronicle occur in unlike office of the world , but the early stirring of the Sundering are driving the thought process and activity of the world ’s powerful movers and shaker ( in finicky , the Netherese ) . They do n’t fully sympathise what has begun , but they understand that something of import has begin , so they are taking steps to hedge their bets against whatever ’s coming .
Because the Sundering is in its former degree in The Godborn , the characters are only indirectly affected by events . The Netherese are at war with their neighbour and are monitoring and capturing the opt ( brawny servants of Faerun ’s deities ) . These things affect decisions made by the Netherese , have implications for how the submarine of The Godborn traveling and the environment through which they travel , etc .
io9 : The other Sundering writers I ’ve talked to have mentioned the development meeting , insight sessions where the story was make and fleshed out . Can you take us into the way for one of those meeting ? Is there an good example you may give of a story element that came together through that variety of coaction ?
PK : Now , because I have a day job and young tiddler ( and also because I have B.A. Barakas ’ fear of flying ; I ai n’t gettin ’ on no plane , WotC ! ) , I had to attend the story summit sessions by sound . This allowed me to make case at the other authors without them make out , which was squeamish .
The other portion of the consisted of the generator and representative from WotC ( including James Wyatt and fellow member of the brand team ) kicking around ideas about what we saw as the essential core of the Realms , spit balling where we thought the Realms should go to move closer to that gist . Once we had that , we started discussing the particulars of those changes and how we might trance them in story . From there , we went on to the details of some of the stories .
In price of a story constituent that amount together as part of that : The Godborn is part of the Sundering serial due to these brainstorming sessions . As we discussed and debated and mocked and cajoled and , finally , mesh in knife scrap inside a steel cage , it became clear to me that the story I had long planned to publish as part of the ongoing tale of Riven , the Shadovar , et al ( the Godborn has been a long time in the making ) , would be a perfect burst for the Sundering . After that first summit , I outline this very retentive , very drift email to the mathematical group explain why and how I guess it check with the programme for the Sundering , etc . And everyone agreed ! Alarums and huzzahs !
io9 : How do you write evil ? What do you do to get into the right frame of mind when you want a vista to be especially heinous or creepy-crawly ?
PK : The critical things to keep in judgment when writing an malefic fibre is that ( obviously ) no one walks around cerebration , “ I ’m ‘ bout to do some evil up in here ! ” Instead , they rationalize . Hell , the human mind has infinite capacity to rationalise , and malign characters just campaign that bound a bit . Whatever they ’re doing , they think it make horse sense to do it and they opine they have a good reason to do it . In short , they feel justified . So there ’s that . The other thing you want to do is make certain their motivation makes sense ( this ties to justification in obvious ways ) . And I always , always , always ensure that all my characters , but especially my evil unity , are fully rounded . They ’re psychologically complicated and entirely subject of doing “ good ” things , or at least relatable things .
I do n’t in reality do anything especial to get in the proper frame of head for creepy / heinous scene . That shit ’s always floating around up in my headspace , so I just sit down and let it vanish .
io9 : As requested , how about a whiskey recommendation ? What run well with a few chapters of The Godborn ? What whiskey would Erevis drink ? ( Prior to this interview I half - jokingly ask Paul on Twitter what I should ask him about — he suggested whiskey and jelly beans ) .
PK : A fine single malt will get you where you require to be , something ballsy though : An Ardbeg , I ’d say , or , if that ’s a bit too approximate , then a Taliskers .
Cale would scoff at single malt Scotch malt whisky . That brother ’s a bourbon guy all the fashion . Angel ’s Envy maybe , or Pappy Van Winkle .
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