Another important dimension of the Silk & Steel Saga are the pockets of forgotten peoples in the kingdoms of Erdhe. Overlooked and often persecuted, these forgotten people develop unique counter cultures that seem strange and mysterious at first contact. An example of this can be found on the Isle of Souls, where the council of mystics uses a shocking test to confirm their fortunetellers. Those who succeed gain ‘spirit hands’ for the lintels of their shops…while those who fail pay in flesh and blood. Borrowed from the mystics of India, this trial is the type of cultural detail that gives the Isle of Souls a sense of depth and realism.
To develop cultures for my forgotten peoples, I often draw on experiences from my travels around the world. As a writer, I need to not only develop these alternate cultures but I need to "show them", not just "tell them". "Showing" a culture is usually done in the details. Details that confuse, or shock, or surprise the point of view character as well as the reader. These detailed differences are the key to making an alternate cultures believable.
In the Silk & Steel Saga, readers will discover many forgotten peoples with their own unique culture.