Word Count: 68k
Taking place in the year 1984, in Guatemala, three very different people have their paths cross after interference with ancient ruin awakens an entity from centuries ago. Each of them has a mandate to fulfill, and their lives, and the lives of so many others are on the line-will they succeed? Or be crushed under the heels of each other?
A few good notes:
Thaumaturgy functions in an alternate history from our own. As such, historical details are always going to be a bit different, to account for multiple world shaking events. This is important for this story especially, as it touches on the events of the Guatemalan Civil War-and the genocide which took place as apart of it. This story, notably, does not have it’s timeline line up with the real war, however, in universe reasons for it’s extension are touched on. It’s not the forefront of the story I want to tell, but it is a present factor.
That said, I don’t think an alternate history is a get out of jail free card for ignoring the history involved, especially on topics of Imperialism, McCarthyism and it’s dire, dire consequences on many people. If there’s corrections I should make to ensure my work gives the correct impressions, and isn’t demeaning to the events which took place, I’m willing to pull the story down by the foundation to make it work.
If you want to know more about the conflict as it took place in our world, I’d recommend the following books:
Searching for Everardo: A Story of Love, War, and the CIA, by Jennifer K. Harbury
Monkey Boy, by Francisco Goldman
Silence on the Mountain, by Daniel Wilkinson
I intend to continue to do my research into the future, to try and find ways to improve this text on revision. As always, critique is welcome.
Kindling And Miscellany 