About The Characters: Meet The Minor Players in “The Wall Of Night” Series — “Vern”
Recently I’ve resumed my “About the Characters” posts that focus on the minor characters in The Wall Of Night series — because “I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”
The feature is posting every second Thursday, alternating with A Geography of Haarth.
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Vern: initiate priest, serving in the Temple of Night
“Night followed day, and the stars wheeled above the earth. In the Temple of Mhaelanar someone screamed in terror and despair. Voices shouted, feet ran, and a sinuous form slipped between darkness and shadow near the sanctuary where Korriya and Vern had taken refuge. The sacred flame burned on the altar and cast the silhouette of a flat, narrow head onto the wall, reared above a robed body. The head and neck were armored with chitinous scales; the long, lidless eyes regarded the pair with contempt. “Blood demands blood,” it hissed. “Your puny defences will not save you, even here in the sanctuary of your great god. Where is your Defender now, servants of Mhaelanar?”
~ from The Heir of Night, The Wall Of Night Book One – Chapter 31, The Hidden Tower
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“…Vern was frowning at the Stone priests.
“Commander,” he said, the rough burr in his voice pronounced, “they’re building power against us within their square. I can feel it.”
“They are,” Torlun mocked. His grin was sharklike. “And what can you do about it, just the pair of you? … ”
…Var and Vern were both sweating, their expressions set. Trying to block whatever the Stone priests were doing, no doubt—but as Torlun had said, there were only two of them to oppose sixteen…”
~ from The Gathering of the Lost, The Wall Of Night Book Two – Chapter 28, Border Crossing