It all began with a spark...
Many years ago, at a simpler time of my life, back when I was a young child, innocent and more naïve than I am today, I used to live out the wildest of adventures throughout my imagination across many countless solitary nights.
Among all of those adventures, there was this one spark — young and feeble at first, that over time, grew up to be an ever-burning blaze in my mind.
At first, that spark was nothing but a main character — a hero of many adventures taking place in the mind of a lonely child, if you will. That hero was joined by a few faceless and nameless characters, all living in a formless and shapeless setting held together by dreams of something greater. These were tales and grandiose settings that gave me some shelter in my isolated and atypical childhood, as well as during my complex early adolescence.
Those dreams evolved through time, nurtured by my woes, triumphs, sins, vices, virtues, losses, laughter, tears, and everything else that comprises the flawed man that I am today. Through them, I found meaning and purpose to an otherwise lonely reality, weathered and worn as I am these days.
Many were the ways that I’ve imagined myself giving form to this dream, but never did I feel capable of doing so. These dreams also clashed with the ‘maturity’ that was expected of me by members of my extended family, and that, I’m afraid, was a burden with ongoing repercussions that shackled me for so long. And so, for the longest time, it all remained as it started: as an anamorphic reverie.
That all changed one day, right after my life began its darkest chapter — that’s when I finally decided to give it my all, and started to bring that world to life, to shape and chronicle the adventures of that once childish heroic character that eventually came to become Bastiel Isthal. Since then, slowly but surely, the Crimson Dream began to take a tangible and cohesive form.
World’s were crafted, Nations were built, maps were charted, names were assigned, and tenets were written. Before I knew it, the Nation of Vaifen finally had a name and a life of its own.
This dream is one of my deepest passions. The initial spark that started it all has lived on my mind for so long, and now it’s finally taking form. This project is something that I aspire to finish building in the near future — something that I hope will soon transcend the boundaries of my addled mind and will get to live in the imagination of others, something that I can but hope will get to live longer than I will.
To be able to create something in a world so prone to destruction and entropy is a joy that I struggle to properly explain with words — especially in the complicated reality that I continue to live in. I find purpose in creating, meaning even, and I get a faint sense of hope that perhaps by creating something I’ll someday have the means to be able to do my part and help others.
I still do not have all the answers, and have stumbled more often that I’d like to admit. Bringing this dream to life is one journey that I wish to share with you all, one that I hope will soon be in your hands all the while I continue my personal journey to find my place in a world that, to this day, I’ve never quite fit in — a world that I still don’t fully understand, and to uphold a promise I made on the worst day of my life.
This is a look at my vision and plans for this Crimson Dream of mine…
“To fight for them, and for their smiles, is our duty, and our reason.”
Sword of Vaifen, the first entry in this saga, follows the journey and exploits of the young Nasivern Bastiel Isthal and the Gestalt team, as they work together to put an end to the Ashen Reckoning and their leader, the vicious and ruthless man known as Dogma, who is hell bent on bringing the Nation of Vaifen to its knees.
I have been working on Sword (and the overall saga) for a few years now. As it stands, main work on the draft is finished, and all that remains is to get it edited and published — a journey made a tad bit more complicated by my current situation, lack of proper resources, and ongoing journey towards migrating out of my country alongside my brother.
For more information about Sword, including lore previews and a public preview of the novel’s unedited draft, please check out its hub page by clicking here.
“You are not the arbiters of truth — and yours is not absolute.”
Sins of Vaifen, the second planned entry in this saga, takes place a certain amount of time after the events of Sword. It’ll be a more personal story, with the Gestalt team facing new challenges that will push their limits to the extreme as they continue to fight towards ensuring the safety of their nation and its citizens.
The consequences of your actions, the perceived righteousness of your cause, the clash of ideals, and how the main cast impact the lives of those that they cross paths with are some of the themes I aim to focus on with Sins.
I aim to resume working on Sins as soon as I finalize some details pertaining to our impending departure from Venezuela, and bring closure to some pending personal affairs.
Stay tuned for more info!
“I will do what it takes to fix this, to make things right. I will damn myself in your name.”
Soul of Vaifen will be the conclusion to the first arc of this saga.
At the moment, I am not prepared to divulge much about what I have planned for Soul other than the fact that the rough skeleton of its plot is almost assembled.
“If we can preserve our spark, then one day our flame will light up the heavens once more.”
Once the first three entries are published, I plan on rewinding time a little and tell a different story in this universe, one centered around the so-called Heirs of Sin, the Nasivern.
As it stands, the plan calls for two entries that will chronicle the devastation, rebirth, and ultimate demise of the Nasivern race, told from the perspective of the Legendary Warrior, Isthara, and her son.
These prequels will be of a different tone and setting than Sword, Sins, and Soul, and each entry will portray a completely different era in itself.
I’m still quite a few years away before I even begin to publicly talk about my plans for the second trilogy of books.
So far, there’s some rough notes and very basic elements of what their premises will be, as well as a trio of matching tentative titles, and some key moments, tech, and twists here and there.
This is, right now, a dream for another time.
The Complementary Works, no less important in nature, will portray aspects of Vaifen (and beyond) through a different lens.
I would love to collaborate with other authors and creators to bring these different facets to life, as they would not necessarily have to be novels. I would love to expand this universe through different mediums, such as comics, graphic novels, or audiovisual works, just to name a few, expanding and enriching the living world of this saga through new perspectives beyond my own.
In addition to that, a proper lore compendium is one of the things that I’d love to do for sure, with its own in-universe media snippets, advertisements, and whatnot.
This is only a basic outline of what my plans are for this saga, but by no means is a definitive empirical chart. A lot of work remains to be done, and a lot of roads remain to be walked. Building this whole saga is a fight I want to fight in addition to the one that I’m currently fighting: To build a new life for my brother and for myself — I am determined and giving it all that I have.
I hope that this humble Crimson Dream, spawned from the unbound imagination of a pariah — a complete social outcast, inept and flawed in many ways, is soon given life in your mind just as it has lived on mine throughout these years ever since the dream began.
Thank you for your attention,
-Kal
Sword, Sins, and Soul of Vaifen, as well as Heirs of Sin, are all a work in progress.
Things are not set in stone and anything can be subject to change.
Every image, logo, and any other graphics that you see here are placeholders during this phase of the project.
2023, by Christian Kaleb Caruzo.