A Cold Tide against a Heatwave
Finding comfort or having comfort find me
Hey! Do you drink coffee or tea?
I’m back in Paris and bracing for those most uncomfortable months of the year. The warmer weather wearing tensions thin as houses heat up and no air conditioning is found within.
All the more reason to reminisce and remember the feeling of Besnowed.
And what better way to cool off than with a look into how I found that snowy setting.
Northern Reality
I’ve mentioned before how the idea behind my story evolved over time. Going from a more classic arc with a villain to a surreal character study.
However, before the real writing could begin though I needed to take a deep dive. I wanted to research and understand how extreme northern cultures survive and thrive.
There are no shortage of examples along the Arctic rim. The Sami in northern Europe, the Yup’ik in Alaska, the Sakha in Yakutia, and many others around the world.
I learned to appreciate their real experiences, painting an image of a life worth living in a setting that, for some, may be unexpected.
Kiun B’s youtube videos were particularly helpful for immersing myself into a cold climate. Her videos about everyday life in one of the coldest places on Earth are as captivating as they are informative.
Kiun gives us an honest look into an underexposed corner of the globe. Her videos convinced me to push the boundaries of belief further, helping me breathe life into a cold continent.
Echos and Mediums
Inspiration goes beyond words on a page for me. Pictures or portraits, music or movies, expression in all its forms motivates me to create.
For Besnowed, one of the sounds that let me meet my muse came from a mix of the traditional and the modern.
OTYKEN, a Chulym group from Siberia, is a perfect example of that. Listen to this song and you’ll see what I mean.
The group masterfully weaves the old with the new. Telling an ancient story with a message that rings true today.
I swear I wasn’t stuck in North Asia though!
I looked far and wide for snowy locations in and out of the real world. Two prominent examples from games are Flamesgrace in Octopath Traveler and Ishgard in Final Fantasy XIV.
Both feature cold winter themes steeped in religion.
I would leave this song on repeat as I worked to flesh out the village of Besniwod and its flavors of colors.
And if Octopath’s Flamesgrace helped inspire Besniwod, Final Fantasy’s Ishgard helped inspire Veranum.
In the game, the city of Ishgard is a grandiose castle city that sits in an impossible location. Spires jut out to the sky and bridges tower over a magical abyss. It’s a spectacle braving the constant onslaught of the cold.
I couldn’t help but be drawn to such imagery.
While Ishgard steps a bit too far into the realm of fantasy for what I was writing, the awe inspiring architecture and emotive atmosphere were elements I hoped to capture.
Besides, I live on that edge between the acceptable and the believable.
Vicariously Veranum
More than a fake castle in a fake world, Veranum is actually based on a real place!
In the latter half of the 20th century, Argentina built Base Primavera along the coast of Antarctica. The outpost is meant to strengthen the country’s claims on the continent and has been inhabited in one way or another for most of that time.
The mild climate fluctuates between the mid teens to below 20 degrees celsius - a veritable spring! I rather enjoy the juxtaposition of a moderate Antarctic climate.
And for those of you familiar with Latin you’ll have already caught the reference.
Primavera is the Spanish word for spring and Veranum is the Latin word for spring.
While Base Primavera might not be the bustling city I describe in Besnowed, the very fact that it exists means it could one day!
So I melded the concepts of Isghard together with Base Primavera. The result is my Veranum and its walls along the coast.
Comfort in the Cold
Whenever I think about the world of Besnowed I’m reminded of how different everyone’s normal can be.
I recently saw a viral TikTok from someone in Antarctica that really drives that point home.
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Memes from the cold continent as relatable and funny as anywhere else in the world!
I’m not sure if all this will help me feel any cooler as the heatwave blasts Europe, but it does help me feel comfortable in my choice of setting for the story.
The possibility for humans to adapt and overcome, always learning the hard way how to express themselves in new places and cultures.
Until next time.
Cheers,
John