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Mysteries abound in the latest novel in the Primordial Quaternity. Like the Winchester Home, learn more about the hidden truths of the book in an Easter Eggs section. As El Derado is revealed to exist, so can you learn about how this story was created. Learn more about those that are involved through unique quotes provided. A fan favorite scene will give insight into what has intrigued those who have already explored this curious tale. Lastly, the collection of related images are clues concerning what is contained within to decipher.
“I just realized I’m arguing the legitimacy of the Statue of Liberty being able to walk when we know a guy who can reach inside a bag and pull out silver shoes that helped Quinn teleport something like three hundred miles away in a blink of an eye.” - Esper
Fan Favorite
A scene selected from the book.
With each new novel that is presented to the public, there will be an expected period of time for those to find a copy of the book and read through the story that is found within its pages. Tagonist Knights Publishing knows that there may not be a favorite scene provided by an audience member for some time, especially after a primary and secondary book page is established for the first time. So, as of this moment, there is not a favorite scene to feature for this narrative.
If you are someone who has read this novel and would like to make a suggestion for a fan favorite scene, send a message to tagonistknightspublishing@gmail.com
“That's mystical mumbo jumbo that doesn’t help our situation. I’m fully aware that this is coming from a shape shifting immortal that has visions of the future.” - Morana
Relevant Images
“Bunny? How dare you, sir. I am a rabbit of the highest order. My bloodline goes back to antiquity where the first of my people did something gloriously wonderful that I am certain was well worth a delightful tale to tell.” - The March Hare
Origin Story:
Multiple Versions
Attempting to resolve the cliff hanger conclusion to the previous book in the series was a daunting task for the author to accomplish. One that had to go through five drafts before reaching its final version that was published.
The first draft was focused on the Alchmist being a central figure. Every fifth scene would involve her lecturing to an audience. One was her doing so at a university, explaining philosophical ideas and blending science with that of mythological concepts. Another situation, she was among a panel of individuals ranging from religious figures to scientific minds addressing various topics. Each time it was mostly a monologue, an exploration of ideas that she was presenting to the audience. Eventually there is a scene where she is in a self-constructed underground chamber where she has hand carved wooden figurines to help her remember those who were in her life at one point in the past. All the while exploring her past through a lengthy speech as she talked to herself.
Another difference is that the bag is set in an empty room with a metal door that is controlled by the Alchemist. Milo and Carmilla escape using a large skeleton key that has nothing to do with Houdini, more akin to what is found on keychains around the 1600s. The pair arrive in the Winchester Home and encounter Trixie who was told to wait there. The location is under the control of the Alchemist, not those loyal to the air tribe, explaining why the staff had vacated the location upon the arrival of the visitors. Eventually Milo reaches into the bag and withdraws the original car design. When Carmilla and he get on it, it vanishes, leaving Trixie behind. That is when Prometheus, Emma, and Morana encounter the couple rolling down a suburban street, linking the two narratives.
Origin Story:
Failed First Draft
In the original draft, it is revealed that Aethel is alive and being cared for by a group of individuals that he was companions with along his journey in life before he met Emma. The concept being that he would create an army of people that he had connections with to combat Velkin as they prepared for war.
The original inspiration for Prometheus to depart his safe haven with Emma was because her two guardian sprits motivate her to go in search of the Alchemist who may help free his trapped spirit from his mortal body.
In the first draft, there is only one scene between Jerome and Esper before they arrive in the Amazon Rain Forest to rescue Henry, Quinn, and Scythe. There is no explanation given, no build up to it, just they show up in their unique suits that Henry refers to as aliens. They take the trio to a secret location by Jerome which is where the gathering of allies are located. That is when the others learn of Aethel's survival when he arrives to take the lead of the those gathered.
Once Carmilla and Milo meets with Prometheus, Emma, and Morana, they split up. Emma goes with Milo and Carmilla in the three wheeled car along with Orthia and they teleport away. They end up meeting with the others where Aethel and his group is located. Prometheus goes with Morana with Airmid following. That takes the reader to Chapter 12 when the author gave up on the first draft.
The second draft eliminated all of the Alchemist scenes and moved the bag escape scene as the opening of the book rather than placed at Chapter 2. Some elements of the final draft began to take shape in this version.
Origin Story:
Second Attempt
It is heavily implied throughout the second draft that the Alchemist is dead, that her being alive is a big twist at the end, or would have been.
Milo and Carmilla escaping into the home of Francis is the first of many changes along with this scene being first, that remained the same in future versions.
The three objects Milo pulls from the bag are the key and necklace that remain the same until the final draft. The third, however, is a mirror that creates an illusion of someone looking normal when someone looks into the surface. All three are tied to Harry Houdini. Francis appears human and Carmilla's shark like teeth are straight and flat. A way to allow them to interact with the public.
With movie monsters in mind, the author attempted to put another classic horror character into the series, the Invisible Man. In the second draft, he was this invisible person using spiritual energy to cloak his presence. He was alive and not alive at the same time. Quinn is the only one who can see him and he helps them survive in the forest by guiding them. He was an agent of the Alchemist who helps them find El Dorado so that she could steal the Seed of Earth from that location, where it has been transported to remain safe.
There is more scenes developed between Esper and Jerome in this version that remain in some form into the final draft. Aethel is not revealed to be alive and the group he had gathered is cut from the original draft. Partial scenes involving a gathered group with Quinn, Henry, and Scythe, were salvaged for what would take place in El Dorado instead. Much of what was written were often cut out, reworked, and dialogue or settings were placed in new locations or scenes.
Origin Story:
Trying New Ideas
In the second draft, Francis goes with Carmilla and Milo into the Winchester House. In this version, Trixie has been cut from the story. Prometheus and Emma accompanied by Morana remains the same leading up to final draft where they meet with Carmilla and Milo. There are minor changes made in each step.
The biggest difference in this draft at this juncture is that the bag opens up and sucks in all the spiritual energy of the Winchest House. Milo and Francis are knocked unconscious by the force of the event. Orthia and Airmid are victims of this occurrence, being drawn into the bag. This draft of the story had the bag as a secret weapon, the spirit in the Vault being an agent of the Alchemist. Carmilla and Milo were being set up as unwitting participants in this event. Carmilla and Prometheus bring the unconscious pair outside to meet with Morana. Emma reveals one of the marbles given to her by Matter the Hatter. She teleports away with Carmilla, Francis, and Milo. This leaves Moran and Prometheus to try to find a solution on their own. A lot of chaotic ideas were attempted in this version.
Another major change is that Adriana, from the Human Born series, is introduced. She speaks to Quinn, Esper, Jerome, Henry, and Scythe. Elements of the discourse involving Aethel in the first draft are used here. Who she is and how she ended up there is explained at the end of Deadly the novel: Deadly Haven.
The Matter the Hatter scenes were first introduced in this draft. Much of which was used in the final version. Cameron is revealed to be working for the Alchemist, using the bag to suck in the energy of the spiritual nexus created by Anubis. In this version, Cameron is in control of the situation.
Origin Story:
Three Times a Charm?
In this second version, Cameron is able to catch Anubis off guard and betrays him, stealing his spiritual nexus with the bag and giving it to Velkin. Anubis learns the truth only afterwards. Velkin arrives at the location of the Nexus, drooping down from helicopters to retrieve the bag from the desert location.
The third draft brought back the scenes of the Alchemist, however trimmed down and more focused. The order in which other scenes from the first draft were placed remained relatively the same. This was a version that also created a strict format in presentation. This reflects the Alchemist being a theme of the book, logic, being rigidly mathematical concerning scene and chapter length. due to the Alchemist having a scene in each chapter, the rest of the scenes were cut shorter to fit the structural length. However, a lot of what was written for the third draft was used on into the final draft in the early part of the book.
In this version, Carmilla and Milo go alone and Francis remains behind due to his lack of interest in being involved further, not going on another quest. It is in this version that the concept of Anubis intervening comes in. After Emma teleports away with Milo and Carmilla as in the second version, Anubis transports Morana and Prometheus to another part of the world to meet with her sisters.
In the third draft, Cameron brings the bag to Velkin instead of the other man arriving to retrieve it himself. it is Velkin, not Anubis, that transforms Cameron into a mortal body which was a part of the bargain that the pair had agreed upon. Velkin then sends the now mortal Cameron away to tell others of the impending doom of th world now that Velkin has the power source he needs.
Origin Story:
Fourth Attempt
In this third version, Emma is taken along with Milo and Carmilla to the Alchemist after the absorption of the realm of Anubis. This was when the author thought the Alchemist was fixated on recreating the experiment that led to Prometheus, using Milo and Carmilla's status as a Twin Flame to do so. There are several scenes involving her trying to convince them that she can be trusted. The last part of the book is scenes between this trio and the other group being Quinn, Esper, Henry, and Scythe discussing options of success in her hotel room. the story never concluded, no solution given, thus the end of the third attempt.
The fourth draft eliminated the Alchemist scenes, expanded greatly on the interactions in the city of El Derado and in Esper's hotel room. Attempts to find a solution to the plot just kept going on for hundred pages with no resolution. Eventually that led to a dramatic new approach to the story, using elements from all four previous drafts as source material to draw from.
A rough outline was formed, breaking down the story into three acts of a hundred pages each, four scenes per chapter focused on the four main elements of the story. The second act would have two sperate story elements meet one another. So Milo and Carmilla had to be inside the Winchester Home at the end of the first act. Prometheus and Emma had to be at the home as well at that point. Esper and Jerome had to be ready to encounter Henry, Quinn, and Scythe. Some scenes were expanded, like the scene of Carmilla, Milo, and Francis eating together was added to give them another scene. The invisible man was replaced with a spirit of the forest guiding them. Adriana is cut from the story and parts of her dialogue is salvaged using Jerome to tell the story of the Christmas Truce.
Origin Story:
Fifth and Final Draft
For the first act, much of the original material was maintained. Some was added but for the most part, it was stuff from previous versions changed, trimmed down, and adjusted. Such as the introduction of the four metal disks to motivate Francis to remain in the story long term, but to depart temporarily.
Major changes from previous drafts is that Morana goes with Prometheus and Emma into the Winchester Home. it is during this version that the author brings in a loose element from a previous book about what was buried underwater. It being the skull of Anubis, which allows the Alchemist to control him. This leads to Anubis to being the one who helps trigger the event in the home and later sacrifices his own spiritual nexus while under the control of the Alchemist. The author wanted to shocking conclusion to those events along with the time spent in El Dorado to be at a conclusion at the end of the second act.
The third act would give resolution to the secondary characters stories. One in each chapter. Prometheus/Airmid. The three sisters reunited. Francis. Jerome.
Also, this is where the involvement of the Alchemist begins to be revealed, one scene including her within each chapter. The truth is finally revealed.
By using this outline to restructure the story, it allowed for old material to be salvaged while introducing a lot of new material such as visiting the Terracotta Army and the encounter with the submarine. Most of the third act was completely new material to help tie up loose ends and set up the larger story for the final book that would draw a conclusion to this series.
“By not knowing of the past, by ignoring it, turning a blind eye to it, attempting to carefully edit the truth of those events to fit a fictional narrative that better suits a society, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes.” - Jerome
Easter Eggs and Inspiration
Page 233, the book written by a woman named Adriana refers to someone who entered the world of the Primordial Quaternity from the Human Born series. At the end of the novel, Deadly Haven, it is revealed that she had entered this world from her reality during the ancient tribal era. She was there among other humans of this world for generations, thousands of years observing but rarely interacting with those around her. The city of the high walls is called Sanctuary, featured in this other novel. This is the connecting point to that other series, continuing the ever expanding "Mattiverse" of different dimensions of reality featured in the written works of the same author.
“I’ve learned through experience that every time someone says that something is impossible, it’s only a matter of time until another proves them wrong.” – Jerome
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