"Blood Tax" is a story that I have been preparing for many years. The earliest idea came from "The Red and the Black", and I even considered a similar name for the original title. The red army and the black mysterious side also happen to be the core of this book.
However, it is impossible for a novel of this era to allow Griffith to lose himself in his interactions with Galadia and Sonia, and die worthless in the end. The author of "The Red and the Black", Stendhal, who is famous for his representative work, and the protagonist Julien, make a guest appearance in this book as Count Larmore's secretary Armance Søren (Sorel), but this time Larmore is Miss Moore wouldn't give it away for free.
1. World view
The world map of this world is similar to Byzantine Rome. I have hinted at it many times in the book, for example, in 1453, the capital in two sea areas (the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea), the Eastern Province across the strait from the capital, and the flooded rivers and grain-producing areas from south to north in the Southern Province ( Nile). I even used place names such as Odessa, Sevastopol, and Izmir directly, and I just missed writing the word Byzantium.
This world is the world of real Cthulhu. The real god will almost never appear. Once he does, he will be in despair that cannot be resisted. Just like a sailor on a ship looking down at the never-ending rolling waves, strange shadows appear under the sea from time to time, and there are also strange things that are beyond common sense. If these things appear, he will definitely die. However, he may not have encountered these strange things in the end, but was drowned in the sea because the ship was torn apart by the storm.
Based on this background, under certain circumstances, people in this world will lose their sanity due to those terrifying existential radiation and lost power, say crazy things (referring to JOJO memes) or become crazy (referring to doing The behavior of P Club players).
2. Combat Power Settings
Sequence 8 is the backbone of this society's combat power, and many important magic items require at least Sequence 8 to be activated. This condition is also the minimum requirement for becoming a knight class and a mage stationed in remote areas. Sequence 7 has a relatively strong combat power and can serve as the leader of the Beyonder team or the commander of the army in a certain region. Most extraordinary people will be at this level for a long time. Galadia has a special setting, which allows her to do things that other Sequence 8 or Sequence 7 people can't even think of.
Sequence 6 and above are called Extraordinary. Their extraordinary abilities can be projected under certain circumstances, forming effects similar to Noble Phantasms. The level of power is very different from that of Sequence 7. The protagonist's squadron leader Erza Valkyrie is such a character, and she has a very important plot in the later stages.
Furthermore, extraordinary strength is not the only measure of strength in this book. Physical strength and other unknown forces are also powerful, just not as common. For example, a demon wolf without extraordinary characteristics can defeat an entire group of dismounted armored cavalry by charging (refer to the use of war elephants to charge the garrison in the Roman war).
Organization, technique, tactics and quantity are very important. A team of Sequence 9 armored cavalry can basically succeed when attacking a Sequence 6 one; a powerful mage is more like an artillery unit, and is likely to be defeated or killed if not properly covered; Lana, who is very strong in terms of setting, is actually very strong. Without a helmet or equipment, he can be knocked down by a few goblins; the protagonist has blocked the terrain many times and defeated superior enemies. Future stories will also show that extraordinary strength is not the only factor that determines victory or defeat, which is one of the themes of this book. This can be regarded as some of my own innovations after reading so many fantasy novels.
3. Currency and Society
Beyeland's urban prototype was a synthesis of Constantinople and Paris. The victory of the war brought more colonies and investment opportunities. Money flowed into the farms and mines of the new provinces, diverting investment directions. The money could have been used to accelerate the industrialization of the world, such as the steel and textile industries. Bye Yelam will be rich and empty. The powerful wizard class can claim that the city belongs to them, rather than to the craftsmen, vagabonds, and traditional military nobles. The study of magic is their highest pleasure, regardless of the fact that most people cannot use magic. There are also some people who are not satisfied with this, and they will work hard to push the wheel of the times and involve the protagonist and his friends.
The currency system is a synthesis of the franc system at the end of the 19th century, with reference to a large number of famous works such as "Beautiful Friends", "The Red and the Black", and "Les Misérables". I made adjustments according to different stages of wartime and foreign trade and investment. At the beginning of the first volume, due to the wartime situation and the shortage of supplies, 1 silver lang was equivalent to nearly 100 RMB. At the end of the first volume and most of the subsequent period, 1 silver lang was equivalent to about 75-80 RMB.
The first volume is the one I am most satisfied with. Although the space and story layout are limited, I cannot expand on all the settings and foreshadowings. However, after repeated revisions of the plot and rhythm control, I think I have reached a higher level before and after winter camping. level. There will be several small volumes and small plots next, and the core of the first stage is arranged in volumes five and six.
