WISH WEEK DAY THREE HEROES, VILLAINS AND THE ROLES WE PLAY AND THE ROLES THAT PLAY US
Posted on July 17, 2012
The IRVING WISHBUTTON saturation bombing campaign continues apace. Today, we shed light on the heroes, the villains and those who straddle the line between both.
At the academy, villains and heroes attend classes together. Their interactions provide some of the most memorable scenes.
Ned Firebreak- Yes, he's the hero of the new book I'm writing. Think of this as a special preview. He's relatable to Irving as he also arrived at the academy as a smudge. Irving's first telling interaction at the school is with Ned's Aunt Nance at the Office of Fine Aunts. She gives him great advice and is there for him for an important revelation. Irving also runs in to the ice princess, Stacia, who is rather obsessed with winning Ned's heart by any means necessary.
Irving Wishbutton- Don't want to say too much about our main character, other than he arrives as a smudge and soon sees that he's a second class citizen at the academy. Even without a face, he still makes huge a impression early on.
Valiant Forge- This time-traveler from the Revolution is the glue that holds the smudges together. Strong and opinionated, he's not afraid to jump into the fray. He's also the house cook and makes a mean casserole with the help of his faceless fairy assistants. Plus, he's got a cool cybernetic arm. You can't go wrong with that.
And now for the villains.
Lord Raggleswamp- This little bad guy arrives on the same day as Irving. He also is a smudge, but quickly gains a face and status at the school. His sudden rise in stature doesn't sit well with Irving. Even worse, the foul villain targets the fairy Sarya to be by his side. Irving experiences jealousy for the first time thanks to the annoying Raggleswamp.
Gared the Golden Knight- He fills the bully role for Irving. With his silver tongue, he commands any monster who crosses his path. His own author hasn't decided if his brother or Gared will assume the role of the hero or the villain in his story and this forces Gared to overcompensate and tout he's the hero of his novel despite his constant actions as a villain. It also gives the bully doubts about himself. A key element in this series will be where Gared ends up in his allegiances. Ned sees him as all villain throughout most of the first book, but even those with villainous streaks can conduct themselves as heroes as Irving reluctantly has to admit when the Golden Knight comes to the aid of a crucial cast member from Irving's own book.
Dean Harmstrike- Not going to say much about the head of the Questing Academy other than he's hiding something huge. He also doesn't appreciate how Irving asks questions about the school when Irving should be trying to find out about himself. He hates students who are too curious and look outward and not inward.
Teardrop- She's the villainess in Irving's own book. She will become a critical influence in the later volumes. Much like Gared, where she ultimately ends up (hero camp or villain camp) is part of the rich journey that is Irving's tale.
Unique setting detail: The heroes live on Hero Row, while the villains set up shop along Villain Way. Both locations are designed to evoke the houses found along fraternity row on a college campus.
Wish Week continues tomorrow with a look at the ladies in Irving's life.