Broken
When did the veil break? In 2010...ish, I had a dream about a baby dragon scrabbling on the roof of a house somewhere in the south. The twin sisters sitting on the porch of the house saw the dragon and rescued it. It was clear in the dream the twins could see the dragon when others couldn't, and something had happened to release the dragon from its normal habitat.
That dream inspired the winding trail of creation to the concept of The Broken Veil. Twins Andy and Rori share the blessing of the Uktena dragon passed down through the bloodline from generation to generation. But, unlike their maternal predecessors, the gifts of the Dragon Bitten are split between them. Rori is all physical strength and ability and Andy received the intuitive and healing abilities.
In addition to the lovely dream which sparked the inspiration, I was always fascinated by my geneology (thanks, Mom!) including a sliver of Cherokee ancestory. So, I began to read Cherokee myths, particularly the ones about creatures. James Mooney's History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees was my regular reference. I was particularly interested in the Uktena dragon, its Ulunsuti stone and the Ani'Kutani priests. According to the myths and history, the priests had abilities akin to magic. But, they used this magic to rule over the Cherokee. That is, until the Cherokee revolted and overthrew them.
After researching these aspects, I found a link in the mythology from the Ani'Kutani priests to the Cahokia mounds where I discovered there was evidence of human sacrifice and a burial of the Bird Man.
And that, my friends, is how The Broken Veil world was born.
Curious? Read the first chapter of The Broken Veil here.