Behind The Realm

BEHIND THE REALM

The series may just be starting off but as a treat, this is going to be a nice in-depth dive into the world behind Realm Of Monsters and the creation. On the surface it may appear to be another fantasy series, but if one looks closer, one can find a vast rich combination of reality and fantasy elements. Hopefully this will answer questions that the first episode may have stirred surrounding the culture, the time period, and of course the monsters!
Realm Of Monsters originally started off as a video game idea; inspired by the Monster Hunter game series and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Though much detail was developed and drawn out for the game, a lack of resources prevented it from going beyond nothing more than a concept. Great ideas never go away however, and it was at first decided to be transformed into a book or a series of books. Due to the amount of content fueling the idea, a book series would have taken years to complete. In a revolutionary move, Realm Of Monsters was turned into a blog series. As a blog series, an almost endless amount of content can created and released to readers on a regular basis. Additionally it also opens up doors for additional content that can be added on; such as artwork, additional pages pertaining to the work, etc.

THE LAND OF SHOGUN:

Shogun is essentially a continent that is large enough to stretch from just below the arctic circle to not far past the equator. This gives Shogun a vast array of geographical areas and ecosystems ranging from tundra, to mountain ranges, to tropical rain forests. As we follow the main character of Ken Khan through his travels, Shoguns various regions will be revealed and all will offer a nice dose of richness to the setting of every episode. Additionally beyond Shogun are several neighboring islands and a smaller continent to its South West. More on this other continent will be revealed as the series progresses.

As for the organisms that populate Shogun, humans are more or less the dominant species but they are clearly not alone for the world is also populated by other races of beings including: Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Witches, and Warlocks. The wildlife is a composite of both real world animals and beasts found in folklore, mythology, and cryptozoology. While the vast majority of these creatures make headlines if anyone encounters them (let alone with proof), in the land of Shogun, the sight of a Werewolf would be no different than someone seeing a bear.

THE CULTURE:

With all the different races comprising the populace readers will quickly see that the culture too is a composite of various real world cultures. The two most prominent inspirations are that of Medieval Europe and Feudal Japan. Other cultural inspirations include Native American, Aztec, and Ancient Greece.

The social and political structure is a fusion of both Medieval Europe, Feudal Japan, and modern day elements as well. Shogun is divided up in different kingdoms which is governed by kings and then lords who watch over smaller settlements; all of which answer to a single Emperor. Though the vast majority of these kingdoms live under a more democratic environment than a dictatorship; there are classes of hierarchy based around occupation. Farmers, Fishermen, Traveling Traders, and Isolated homesteads are examples of the lower class, while in the upper class are the Kings, Lords, Constables, and of course the Rangers. Though the lines between the classes are not really enforced, there is a respect given to those in the upper classes; even if at times lower classes can become wealthier than some upper class, the respect does not change. An example of this would be the three farming families of Runewood in the first episode; Though the farming families have prospered they still give a great deal of respect to Lords and Rangers.

As far as the collective beliefs of the people of Shogun, their religion is eclectically inspired as well. Their dieties are similar to those of Ancient Greece while their philosophies and behaviors are based around fundimentals of multiple religions. Rangers in particular have a code that draws from the Native American principle that nothing should ever go to waste.

There are even differences between the different races and classes in the way they dress; this is prevalent with Lord Hessian who wears a Japanese kimono with a medieval cape as opposed to his herald who is wears a simple tunic. Anthea Shinno, the herald whom speaks to everyone in the later half of the episode, is a fine representation of the Elves' style which again has a more oriental quality but more exotic in appearance.

THE RANGER GUILD:

Time to go into one of the core parts of the series, THE RANGERS! Rangers are great warriors of shogun who combat and hunt the titular monsters. Unlike standard soldiers and those who enforce the law, Rangers are specially trained to fight the various creatures which populate the land. It is because of their struggles and importance that Rangers are the highest class below royalty; much like the Samurai and Knights. The Rangers also have their own hiearchy which is based upon rank; the highest being the leader of their guild, the Supreme Master.

The Rangers training is held at an Academy which is located near their headquarters in one of Shoguns largest establishments; the Port of Windshire. Due to the difficulty, time, and resources it requires to train Rangers, enrollment is expensive and the success rate for those who do enroll is low. During the course of the training, recruits learn about all the known kinds of creatures which they will combat and the way to engage every last one of them. Upon graduating the Academy, Rangers are made apart of the Ranger guild and sent off into the world with a few special items; one item being an Arch Stone which allows them to communicate with the Supreme Master through one of his heralds' astral projections.

The tasks which Rangers undertake are largely focused on hunting and protection. Rangers can freelance hunt or be called upon by the people of Shogun in special cases. It is by completing these special hunts that Rangers earn merit to increase their rank. By hunting, Rangers also acquire resources to enhance their equipment. As explained above nothing that is hunted ever goes to waste and as explained in the first episode, the creatures which populate shogun are valued for the resources they produce; such as food, clothing, medicine, weapons, etc.

THE MONSTERS:

The monsters! The creatures which roam the lands, soar in its skies, and dwell in the waterways are as numerous as they are diverse. As mentioned above the monsters make up much of the fauna that dwell in Shogun. To the reader they may seem bizarre or monstrous but in Shogun the characters react to them as if they were common animals, which will give life to such fantastic creatures in a way that'll be both realistic and wondrous as they make up the various ecosystems.
What readers will find interesting about the monsters that appear is that all of them have some origin in mythology, folklore, and cryptozoology from around the world. Such creatures to be featured include classics like Vampires, Werewolves, and Sea Serpents as well as some lessor known or some unexpected ones thrown into the mix like Wendigos, Jackalopes, Bigfoot, and Chupacabras (which will come in two varieties). The diversity between the monsters, like the mix of cultures of Shogun's people, will add a richness and eclectic blend of elements to every episode that will keep readers entertained.
With the variety of monsters that'll appear, there will also come a variety of scenarios, obstacles, and battles that will be presented in every episode. It won't be as simple as Ken arrives somewhere and hunts something as if it were a man hunting a deer in every endeavor; not even close. Almost every time there will be a different of challenge for him to face every time. Hunting vampires would not be the same as hunting a dragon or a warlock or a Kraken, and sometimes it won't even be the monsters themselves but the mayhem that they can leave in their wake; as shown in the first episode where Ken's mother is driven mad by the Wendigo's toxic breath.