The long and patiently awaited sequel to The People Who Don't Exist is FINALLY HERE!

Part I: Grimslius Sedglius, Terragrian Senator (& Co.)

So. You know the scene in The Village Chapter 5 where Fiona comes and makes the Kenhelm's life 10x better, and how she mentions living on a manor and says that her parents disappeared years ago. Now theoretically we don't know what happened to Fiona's parents from here on out, and they could be anywhere, doing anything, probably dead. They could have been nice, or they could have been mean. We don't know, right?

Well...

I'm here to BUST THAT THEORY! Welcome to Verity's Legea Conspiracies Central!

*cue dramatic narration*

What you read here is not officially acknowledged to be true in any of the Ceristen books or side stories of Legea. It's a little bit crazy and even off-the-wall. You are basically reading what amounts to a fan theory, except that it's an author theory so it's true. In a sense. Canon AU, if you will.

I know, I'm so messed up.

ANYWAY.

Fiona has three siblings, right?

WRONG.

Fiona has four siblings. Her twin, Scorpio Segelas, left Erahar with them but never made it to Orden.

But we'll come back to that later; for now we're going to deal with the parents, Grimsley and Matilda...

Why did Grimsley take his wife and hightail it out of Erahar? The simple answer is, he didn't. Not on purpose anyway.

Grimsley is an ill-tempered, grim-faced guy with long black hair and beard who believes firmly in such sayings as "If you want it done right, do it yourself". Moody, introverted, and conservative to the highest degree, Grimsley nonetheless had an incorrigible adventuresome streak, and at 35 he got bored of a lord's life and kicked it to go wandering in the wilds. Unfortunately for him, his wife caught him going and chased him doggedly down until he agreed to let her be his partner in crime.

Because that was what Grimsley wanted. He liked the smell of danger, and he found things like pirating, illegal trading, and other unsavoury tendencies just to his taste. The half of what he did I don't really know, but he spent a happy 10 years dabbling in crime, the bright sun dimmed only by his wife's untimely passing after eight of those years. Then he met his children.

Who were traveling to Orden.

Conservative dad-mode kicks in. "WHAT ARE MY KIDS DOING WANDERING AROUND THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE? What did you desert the homestead for? Say what? The steward took over? Well, who cares? I don't. Why didn't you suck it up, he probably would have let you take the rule back when you came of age. Anyway, now that you're here, you're under my wing and you'll do what I say. Come on, I've got a pirate ship to board in Arahad."

None of his kids took kindly to this idea, except one. Scorpio, who had always been something of a black sheep, was enticed by the idea of his father's exciting and dangerous life. He left the other four to travel with Dad, and looked forward to the rosy prospects of jumping ship, stealing chests of gold, etc. 

Unfortunately for him, this was about the point when Grimsley chose to do one of his radical turnarounds in life and settle down as a rigidly law-abiding citizen of the country Terragere.

But to explain Terragere, we've got to explain the whirlpool.

There is a large maelstrom that appears at times leagues out to sea in different areas off the western coast of northern Legea. Only a few have ever spotted it, and few are aware of its existence even hypothetically; those who are discount the stories as bare possibility or myth. Most of them have forgotten that thousands of years ago, through that whirlpool, there was commerce between their world and ours, and that the people who populate Terragere came in fact thither.

They were Romans, Latin-speakers, and when they were shipwrecked and stranded in Legea, they took their language, customs and government systems with them. The traffic between the worlds had been mostly with the Celts, and the Roman merchants did not know where this place was or that there was any way for them to get back. They accepted Legea as their own and let themselves be integrated into it. Some of them took the slaves for wives(for they had been a slave ship), others Runnicoran women. Gradually they began to work a little niche of their own into the expanding nations of Legea. They swelled into a country, with Runnicor bordering them on one side and Mesoremn on the other, and called themselves Terragere, which was a rough conflation of Latin words meaning land of fields. It was fertile land, not unlike the Italy they had left behind in many ways. They tilled it well and grew strong.

At the time Grimsley came to it, Terragere bore mere vestiges of its old heritage: the Latin was heavily garbled by now, influenced heavily by Runnicoran and Mesoremnian as well as having followed the path of any dynamic language, and the government that had been set up as a proud patriotic reinstatement of the Senate had degenerated into a core of a powerful few, with a head who was designated with the impressive but impotent title of Imperor. (c.f. Latin Imperator, "general" or "commander") They retained the practice of buying and selling slaves, as they had brought it with them and it was a common aspect of the countries around them, most notably Runnicor and Arahad, though Gontland to the north also provided a track of commerce.

This is all perfectly canon. But now, to return to the story of Grimsley and Scorpio...

Grimsley by his wily recourses got a good position as a wealthy landowner of Terragere within a matter of months. His adventuresome soul of course got quickly bored, and he resorted to manipulating the Imperor and other top cookies as a method of entertainment. He made bold allusions to taking over the country, though he had no such intention and would have found himself bored stiff with statesmanship if he had. Grimsley is one who needs always to be doing things. If he actually accomplishes his goal, or gets tired of the thing he's doing, he kicks it and walks away regardless of the consequences, as illustrated above in the way he departed Erahar.

Scorpio was radically disappointed that he was debarred from his dream life of scouring the high seas for gold-laden ships. He felt that his father must want him to have no fun. Perhaps there was something in that. It is entirely possible that Scorpio's presence prompted Grimsley to turn back and become a (more or less) law-abiding citizen, because if there is one thing Grimsley believes, it is that children must have structure and discipline in their lives.

Scorpio would hardly have regarded himself as a child at this point, but Grimsley was inflexible. Scorpio should address him respectfully. Scorpio should obey his wishes without question. Scorpio should be in bed by a set curfew. Having doffed the role of father for so long, when he took it up again he hung onto it for a disproportionately long time, until Scorpio himself, being of a passive nature, accepted it as life and their relationship continued static well into Scorpio's thirties. They were both rather happy with it this way. Grimsley had someone to control, and Scorpio had security and order in his life.

If Scorpio had not found his father, he would probably have wandered around without anchor or principle and unquestionably been swept up by the wrong crowd. Grimsley probably would have continued drifting, living a life of whatever looked like the most exciting crime at the moment. They needed each other, and they became an inseperable duo, really, despite the fact that there was scant affection between them. Grimsley's affection showed itself in such forms as, "Go to bed." *barked in the tone of a drill sergeant* Scorpio's affection was merely evident in the way he stuck silently by his father and shared in said father's general ostracism (this was due to the fact that Grimsley, a public figure, refused to shave his beard as was the fashion, fraternized with unlikely people, and was well known to amuse himself by manipulating the Imperor like a puppet)

Now we get to Grimsley's sidekicks.

Like him, none of these were native to Terragere. They had emigrated there and risen in society by their own means, and it is not surprising that Grimsley should associate with them. One, Falconer, was an immensely tall and dark-haired man, scornful and somewhat condescending. More sarcastic than Grimsley, he would make a snarky allusion to any social faux pas or personal shortcoming he saw, including any of Grimsley's own. Nonetheless they got on well together; Falconer was also a no-nonsense person and coming an outsider to Terragere also refused to shave his beard.

Constantine succumbed to the clean-shaven fad after several years. Despite also being an outsider like his two friends, he was eager to throw himself into all things Terragrian and for this reason came to be somewhat on the "edge" of their trio. (The most hilarious aspect of Constantine's desire to be "Terragrian" was that he always caved to the slave dealers' card of "foreign flair". Foreign flair usually translated to fair colouring, and Constantine himself was a shining blondie.) They regarded him with slight disdain in certain matters, but they would not kick him out; they had been together too long for that. Besides, they had to band together against Alair.

Alair. How do I describe him? He is nothing less than the sadistic product of a fourteen-year-old and a twelve-year-old's brains. Please bear that in mind as you read of this abominable man.

Alair is a fairly short man with brown hair and the merest of facial hair. Think Al from Toy Story 2, but downsized in the fat area. He has an irritating, whiney-nasal way of talking and you can tell by listening to him that he's aware of this sound he makes and very pleased with the irritating effect it has. To explain him and his relation to the Trio, let me illustrate with a scene that might have happened at any of their dinners.

Falconer: Enjoyed yourself at the capital today, Grimsley?

Grimsley: What is it to you?

Falconer: *smirks* Got all the laws passed that you wanted?

Grimsley: *dangerously* Look. I don't get laws passed. I'm not interested in getting laws passed. I don't care what stinking laws get passed in this pitiful country, do you hear?

Constantine: *loudly* Well, I enjoyed myself, I must say. I acquired a most pleasing new slave by courtesy of Gorgus Polien.

Grimsley: *snorts* Why? He's a worthless slave dealer.

Falconer: Oh, did it have 'foreign flair'?

Alair: *pokes head forward into the light* I shave all my foreign flair slaves bald.

*threesome ignore him by tactic agreement*

*conversation turns to disobedient slaves*

Constantine: My slaves are rarely disobedient. I pride myself on this. Although unfortunately one of the maids shattered several glasses while she was clearing from dinner yesterday.

Alair: *pokes self forward again* I put glass into all my slaves who break dishes.

*end scene*

You get the picture...

Nobody knows how many of these threats Alair actually practices. Some of them would leave him with zero slaves ever. But Grimsley, while he fails to see the wrong in slavery per se and is quite adamant that disobedient ones ought to be punished, abhors the thought of torturing slaves the way Alair does or claims to do, for no good reason. And this gives rise to an interesting fact: when Grimsley is in the slave market and Alair bids on a slave, Grimsley cannot help himself from making sure he himself gets the slave instead.

If anybody remarked on this, Grimsley would probably "knock his block off", as the saying goes. He hates softness and his own streak lands him with slaves that he never wanted. Needless to say, he tries to avoid the markets that Alair frequents.

The Trio acquired a fourth member later on in life(Scorpio was always there, but he never exactly counted... after all, Grimsley was happy to follow the adage that "children should be seen and not heard") However, he was a native to Terragere and even more outside their circle than Constantine, though more accepted than Alair.

All this started out with the paper dolls. We would play games with them, setting them in places like medieval Britain, or modern world, or... ancient Rome. Ancient Rome proved to be the most fun, because of the myriad interesting dynamics that resulted from a slave-based society. It was enormous fun to see how the different characters reacted when placed in these situations, and we got to know Grimsley and his companions quite well this way -- as well as the characters whom we made their slaves.

I recall the first of those games, played the night I made the Kenhelm family. Touching Fenris' face, wondering how he could look so lost and troubled. Laughing hysterically over Mordred's shocking stubbornness. Grimsley's furious determination to "break the slave". There is a part of me that will always be regretful that the facepalm-worthy misadventures of Mordred as Grimsley's slave will never be a part of the series.

Eventually we had to find a niche for Grimsley in Legea, and Terragere came into being. We brought Mordred and others down to Terragere, captured them, rescued them and sent them back to Ceristen. Twice. There was never any intention of writing these down: they wouldn't fit into the timeline, they were great fun but mostly pointless. Alternate universe wasn't in our vocabulary then, but that's what they were and they still are.

But somewhere in Terragere, there's a Trio sitting at dinner, with Constantine twirling his shoulder-length golden hair and Grimsley and Falconer glowering at each other in dark-eyed, dark-bearded fury over a game of checkers. Alair poking his unpleasant nose into the conversation and getting silently snubbed. Scorpio stolidly enjoying his food, braving the unquiet atmosphere and hoping his father won't bring up marriage again. Things are as they should be.

Part II: Lancelot King, or, A Tragic Tale

Don't pay any attention to that title. That's just what Lancelot would have called it.

Lancelot King is not related to Braegon, Filian, and Mirda King in any way. However, it's no coincidence that they share a surname. Because in those paper doll games, especially the modern-day ones, we liked to mesh the families into new arrangements, and somehow Lancelot Thorn (later cut out of the Thorn family) usually ended up a King, and when this happened his personality became completely altered. So Lancelot King was the most natural thing to call him.

Lancelot King grew up in 1990's America with parents who could have been jailed for child neglect, except that they probably would have been considered insane first. Again... this was thirteen/fourteen-year-old me inventing these crazy people. It was normal for people to be crazy.

He had a couple siblings, but he spent little time with them. He fended for himself most of his childhood and watched movies. He drifted in his early youth, took up smoking and occasionally drinking because it was "cool", and then fled New York City(his hometown) after accidentally burning his house down by a cigarette that he had left burning in the wrong place. He was convinced that his parents would know it was him and contrive to get him arrested. To this day he bears a secret dread of policemen, though he doesn't see them anymore.

Some key factors of Lancelot's character are these: first, he doesn't think. In some ways he's like a heightened version of Mordred. Impulse first: think later. Only Lancelot takes it to a whole new level. But unlike Mordred he lacks any kind of pride. In fact, his unpleasant upbringing beat down his self-esteem a lot, and he's terribly eager to please. Lancelot is also dramatic and has a natural performer's style. He could have made a career on stage as an actor or a singer (his voice is stunning)

A lot of his impulsive actions spring from fear or excitement. But the biggest problem of all is what he says.

Most people have a built-in mechanism that tells them when the atmosphere is wrong for levity and random funny remarks. Lancelot is not this way. He has no brakes, no buffers. Once the words have come out of his mouth he will understand that he did something wrong, but not why. And he will do it again, because he is literally incapable of controlling his urge.

Lancelot sprung partly as a need for us to provide movie quotes at opportune moments. (Lancelot's most weird and unexplained aspect is his ability to quote movies that there was no possible way for him to ever have watched) One of us might burst into spontaneous song in the middle of a game and we would just push it onto Lancelot as the person who said it. Now as time went on we couldn't just do crazy for the sake of crazy, and gradually reasons began to emerge -- but they came of themselves, really. We never had to "do" anything.

Back to Lancelot's life story...

Lancelot spent some time in a gang where he learned some knife tricks, but got scared and quit it after a few weeks. He never stayed in one place for long, always terrified that his parents would succeed in hunting him down and getting him jailed, and it was on a ship bound for Brazil, South America, in June 2012, that the tragedy happened.

Lancelot, striding breezily along deck, conscious that he cut a handsome figure despite his shabby clothes, suddenly caught sight of a policeman. The policeman was heading -- or it looked like he was heading, we shall never know -- towards him.

Remember, Lancelot is a person of impulsive and instant decision. Where other people have the brakes, he does not. Petrified for only an instant by pure terror, he turned around and dove overboard.

The ship did not immediately realize his absence. When they did, it was too late: they were nearing the current of an eddy which was rapidly growing into a whirlpool, a maelstrom which is known to form occasionally off the coast of Brazil(this, er, may or may not be scientific fact, ahem, on with the story). Lancelot King was sighted briefly on the edge of the whirlpool as the ship swung around. He is presumed to have perished therein.

Lancelot himself regretted his decision now that he had made it, and was aware that he was getting sucked down into something, but he didn't have much time to wonder about it before the water spat him back out into air and he found himself floundering in the ocean with the ship nowhere in sight.

He was, in fact, in Legea.

Long story short, he ended up in Ceristen and there found the peace and safety he'd never had. He was weird to them, of course. Any person from our world would have been bad enough, but this was Lancelot we're talking about, who if anyone said, "It's time to get up!" would respond enthusiastically with "Go, dogs, go!" and start snickering. He keeps mostly to himself, and lives with two small boys named Seeam and Prinns Capsian, cousins who were under a legaeësse's curse that made them unable to either mentally or physically mature.

Anyway. It's pretty plain why Lancelot has to be AU. He would require massive explanation and take up too much of the storytime, and besides I like Ceristen the way it is... not bothered by alien figures from earth.

But oh... some of those stories were pretty epic.