Long ago, the world was a harmonious place where humans and magic coexisted in peace. However, the Jade Emperor, a powerful and immortal god, became alarmed by the prophecies that an evil force threatened to overtake the world and challenge his ultimate control. Fearing this force would corrupt and destroy humanity, he decided to divide the world into two separate entities, eliminating mankind’s access to magic forever. This division created Derthal, the human world we know today, and the Rhelm, home to all magic. The Jade Emperor’s decision angered other gods, who plotted to reunite the two worlds. Despite their efforts, the Jade Emperor remained firm in his decision to protect humanity from the dangers of magic. To ensure this, he created an army whose task is to safeguard the seal that separates the two worlds. If the barrier between Derthal and the Rhelm is ever fully breached the Jade Emperor’s Army of Past Champions will defend mankind and go to war against the magical forces of evil led by a sorceress named Morugga.

The Series

The World in which The Defenders of Derthal series is based was inspired by my love of magic and the ever-enduring idea that it might exist somewhere.

The basic conceptual history of the series is that a long time ago before the memory of mankind begins, the world was once filled with magic and mythical creatures of all types. Everything mankind now considers to be imaginary or fantasy was once part of our reality including immortal beings, fairies, dwarves, magic powers, unicorns, elves, dragons, gnomes, and gods, to name a few. This series is also deeply inspired by Chinese mythology and my curiosity as I read and learned about the folklore of a different culture other than the one I was raised in. I tried to respectfully embrace the stories I enjoyed as I wove them into expanding ideas that integrated with my idea of an epic adventure story where the world of mankind has been cordoned off from magic. Some of the overarching topics and figures from Chinese mythology that I prominently incorporate to varying degrees include the Zodiac Cycle, the Jade Emperor, the Immortal Eight, the Peaches of Immortality, Peng Lia Island, and Nian, not to mention the countless other mythical creatures from Chinese mythology.