Wow, we’re only 1 day away from the re-launch of The Sacrifice of One! Tomorrow I’ll be celebrating this book launch with a Facebook Live event at 3pm. I’ll be doing a book giveaway, a Q and A session, and reading an excerpt from the book. Tune in here to join in on the fun! >>> https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEmilyFortney/
So, it’s the day before the big launch and I wanted to share a little bit about Camilla’s world. On Tuesday I talked about the character of Camilla and today I get to tell you about the town she grew up in, and give you just a little sliver of the world I created for her.
As The Sacrifice of One opens, we see Camilla in the small town of Rande (Pronounced ‘Randy’). Although Rande is small and a bit run down, it’s famous in the land of Elmyra. Rande is home to the big, national farm. The main road in town, known as Reaper’s Way leads the mass of workers to the gate of the farm. It’s a farm dreamt up by Supreme Ruler Warwick. It was started 12 years when Warwick came to the throne and it was intended to feed the whole nation of Elmyra.
One farm would supply food to the entire country. It sounds like a lofty goal, but sure enough, Warwick pulled it off by claiming that there was a disease rampant in the seed supply and only his scientist could make a clean batch, and grow safe crops. Growing your own food suddenly became illegal in Elmyra. Warwick used Rande’s vast, open lands to build his massive farm, and just like that he placed Rande on the map, and it became famous.
Rande is a part of the Bear Gap territory which is the southern most territory in Elmyra. It sits a two day’s journey from the capital city with the mountains dividing the areas. Because of the farm, most of the villagers are employed by Warwick as farm laborers, including Camilla. The only other industry in the town is that of shops and restaurants specifically to serve these farm workers.
It doesn’t pay much to work at the farm, but it’s just enough to get by, and for the farm workers to continue their miserable lives. Unsurprisingly, working at the farm isn’t a pleasant experience. Whippings and beatings are common and let’s not forget the brand that every new worker receives when they’re inducted to work at the farm.
Most of the country is oblivious to the hardships within Rande and the farm. They live off the food it produces and carry on with their lives. There’s a delicate supply chain of the food that’s produced in Rande. While everyone in the capital city of LilyAye indulge in the abundance of the farm, by the time it makes it to some of the northern territories, the food is old and sometimes rotten.
The farm is absolutely critical to Warwick’s success as a Supreme Ruler. The farm is how he controls his citizens. They are unknowingly dependent on him for their every need. Although food supply is the cornerstone of Warwick’s power, he also has control over most industries including slave trade, leather, iron ore, and most importantly, Catahli, the mineral in which they make their money with.
Rande is a small, yet vital piece in Warwick’s puzzle of control. Because of the farm, Rande has the greatest soldier presence, second only to the capital city. That means the town is equipped with a large dungeon inside the Justice House where court proceedings are carried out with the Governor as the judge. The Justice House is where Tuor is eventually held in The Sacrifice of One, and Camilla is determined to find a way in to save him.
Lindon Place is a popular inn and restaurant in Rande that Camilla frequents. It sits in Rande Square, right across the street from the posting tree where soldiers nail important news. Past the posting tree on the other side of town is Mirabelle’s house. It’s a stately home with an impressive library that tells of a bygone time in Rande. No longer do modest homes like this exist to regular citizens. Only those that work directly for the governor have houses anything close to this. But Mirabelle’s home has been in her family for decades and its hidden spot in the woods keep it out of the eye of soldiers.
Most of Rande’s residents live either in the government built homes in town or in the swamps. Camilla and her father live in the smelly, depressed swamps. They’re the slums of Rande. The only good thing about living there is that the soldiers avoid it at all costs.
This is the type of place that Camilla grew up in. It’s all she’s known. Camilla has barely left her hometown let alone leave the territory, but all of that will change as you read the whole series.
Remember, tomorrow is launch day! Check in here at 3pm to join my online launch party! >>> https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEmilyFortney/
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