The History of Neverwhere!

I have always been fascinated by histories, Real, imaginary makes no difference. I love seeing how the actions of one thing lead to greater upsets or victories and how it shapes the lives of those who pass through its wake.

I first got enamored by this concept after reading Lord of the Rings and then the Book of Lost Tales. Tolkien sense of history and culture woven into Middle Earth hooked into my brain like a giant claw and gently set me on a path to create my own mythos... or two.

I found a great avenue for this in Dungeons and Dragons as a child. I could create any world set up any rules and culture I liked. It was a great time for my imagination. It is still with me today.

Since those early days I have had the fortune to create some imaginary worlds with long histories and cultures of their own, it has been a pleasure.

Now if you are wondering where all of this bragging is leading to, it’s simple…The Realm.

The world of the Realm has a unique 10,000 century history I have crafted and probably less than 1 percent will make it to the screen. The reason it matters is that knowing where the world the story takes place came from makes it easier to shape its future as well as use the smallest detail to propagate a storyline.

Names like Ironcrest, Mayamar, IP, Thayne, Alatiphuna and The War of the Dark Ones are part of that history and you will only hear slight references to them in The Realm but they all have history and meaning to people from this culture.  It allows the characters to speak with them as casually as we might talk about Washington or World War 2. 

Cross section of the Ironcrest Map

So I would say if you ever want to create your own world for a story, dig deep! Enjoy discovering the people and events that shaped that world. Eventually they will start telling you their history and that becomes its own reward.

I love exploring the back stories of a world and discovering why two sects might be at war with each other. Maybe someday if people are interested I might start a Wiki on The Realm who knows I might do it because I think it’s fun and cool.  I hope one day you can find your own history of Neverwhere and hold it close to your heart.