War of Shadows

War of Shadows is a book series that takes place in a version of our own world where many of the same historical events have taken place, with some having slightly different outcomes or unseen influences due to the forces that wage the titular conflict.  This page is intended as a guide to the world of the book series, offering a more detailed insight into some of its intricacies.  This will start with a guide to the two sides of the conflict, the group referred to as The Opposition, and Ha’achava.  War of Shadows is a work of fiction, the material in this introduction will be presented as having really happened.

 

Note:  I am an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and there are quite a few aspects of the Theology of that faith, and some terminology, that will come up on this page.  Also, I will be avoiding spoilers for the novel so some aspects of this introduction will be incomplete.

 

The Opposition

 

The title conflict originated before the world was created.  Shortly before the Creation, the God of all (Heavenly Father) revealed a desire to create a world for the purpose of His children to gain physical bodies and prove themselves worthy to live with Him for eternity in Heaven.  For the plan to succeed, one of His children would need to come to Earth, live a perfect life, and offer themself as a sacrifice in order for the others to be able to gain an inheritance.

 

Two of God’s children volunteered, they would come to be known as Jesus Christ, and Satan.  God chose Jesus because he could see that Satan wanted the honor for purely selfish reasons and did not care about God’s other children.  Satan then recruited any of the children who would follow and pledge their loyalty to him to fight against those loyal to God.  One-third of God’s children followed Satan, and they warred against those loyal to God.

 

Jesus needed to be pure to serve as the Savior of the world, so God delegated the responsibility of leading the forces loyal to him to the Archangel known as Michael.  The two forces warred in Heaven, with many losses on both sides, until the forces led by Michael ultimately triumphed and Satan and his followers were banished to a place that would come to be known as Hell.

 

Following the Heavenly War, Jesus began to create the world, and all things in it, under God’s tutelage.  After humans were created, the spirits of those who sided with God in the war began to inhabit physical bodies.  After establishing himself as the ruler of Hell, Satan began his self-appointed mission of sabotaging and undermining God’s plan in an effort to bring as many of the spirits that fought against him (Satan) to Hell with him.

 

The spirits that joined Satan in banishment would give life to his creations and carry out the work of either destroying God’s children on Earth, or getting them to renounce God and join Satan.  This is at the heart of the conflict that is the War of Shadows.

 

Satan spent a long time making his own creations, and observed the frailties of mankind as they manifested.  Satan’s creations first appeared on Earth during the tail end of the Roman Empire in the year 398 A.D. when a massive black beast terrorized some villages in ancient Scotland.

 

The tactics used by The Opposition have varied through the centuries.  They first took the form of grand mythical beasts such as Dragons, Griffins, Werewolves, and the aforementioned beast that would come to be known as a Leviathan.  These kinds of creatures would disappear around the 17th century and become the stuff of myths and legends.  Satan would find that he could achieve greater success with more subtle means, preying on mankind’s frailties.

 

The main creatures that Satan has used since then are two kinds of creatures similar to Vampires.  One creature is known by Ha’achava as Destroyers.  These creatures are similar in appearance to humans but stronger and with pale complexions.  They are formidable fighters and are used to blend in with humans and destroy targets.  Destroyers are also the keepers of a Hellish creature known as a Demonic Dog, often shortened to “Dogs” by Ha’achava.  These beasts are similar in appearance to the Hellhounds from the original Ghostbusters movie, but with white eyes instead of red, and are used sparingly due to their brutal savagery and the desire for secrecy.

 

The other creatures similar to Vampires are known as Purveyors. They are so known because, while dangerous as fighters, they are mainly used for their more alluring appearances to convince people to either aid their cause or join it.  Both Purveyors and Destroyers like to drink the blood of their victims since their own blood runs cold and tasting warm blood is a kind of delicacy for them.

 

Since the 16th century, Satan has utilized something that Ha’achava calls “The Devil’s Exchange” as an effective weapon to accomplish his purposes.  This will be initiated by Purveyors and consists of a person renouncing God and slicing a hole in their forearm region to allow a demonic spirit to enter and possess their body to be used to accomplish Satan’s purposes.  In the world of War of Shadows, some notable historical figures such as Adolph Hitler, Josef Stallin, and Maximillian Robespierre have performed this in order to gain worldly power.

 

Ha’achava

 

Ha’achava was originally known simply as The Order of St. Michael, but the Church later embraced a popular legend by naming it The Order of St. George after a figure known for slaying a dragon.  When the first Leviathan surfaced, a Roman Eques who was also a Christian reported what local villagers had told him and word reached a Catholic Priest who was part of a group aware of prophecies that Demonic Creatures would come to Earth.

 

The Priest secured the services of an African slave and gladiator and went to Scotland where the Eques and the slave destroyed the beast using a weapon called the Flaming Sword that the Order to which the Priest belonged had been entrusted.

 

Side Note:  The Flaming Sword is a weapon that was held by an angel to guard the Tree of Eternal Life in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve transgressed.  This was done to prevent Adam and Eve from living forever in their newly fallen state.  The weapon, which can only come to Earth through someone who is not a mere mortal, was later given to Jesus Christ during His transfiguration and kept on Earth to be used against the Demonic Creatures when they would eventually come to Earth.

 

After the victory the Priest received permission from the Pope to create an Order with the purpose of dealing with any more Demonic Creatures that would appear.  The slave’s freedom was purchased by the Church and he and the Eques became the first warriors for the new Order.  In keeping with the Eques’ title, the members of the Order tasked with destroying the Demons were known as Knights and trained in combat.  People would report a sighting of a creature, then send word to the Church, who would contact the Order, who would then send Knights to destroy the creature.  Demonic Creatures can’t be destroyed by mortal weapons, so the Flaming Sword would need to be used.

 

The Order would continue on in this way until during the Spanish Inquisition.  A Chief Inquisitor informed The Order that there was a mortal in his area that was an agent of Satan, and a Knight was sent to deal with him.  After killing the man, the Knight learned that he was an innocent man whose only crime in the sight of the Inquisition was that he was Jewish and influential.  The Knight confronted the Inquisitor and was told that the Inquisition, and by extension the Church itself, intended to use the Order as its personal execution squad to eliminate Heretics, who the Church considered more of a danger than Demonic Creatures.

 

The Knight nearly beat the Inquisitor to death, then hurried to a large tower with a wooden pyre.  The Knight lit the pyre, which set off a string of prearranged events to inform all Knights that the Order was being dissolved and it was time to go into hiding.  The Knights of the Order had realized some time ago that the day would come when they would need to separate from the Church, and at this point they executed their strategy by leaving their respective stations and going into exile into parts of the world where the Church had little or no influence.

 

Knowing that the war would continue, the plan was that they would reassemble at the sight of the first battle their Order fought 30 years after the start of their exile.  They had faith that they would know what to do when they reassembled.  One of the returning Knights brought a man known as The Apostle, who would change the name of the Order to Ha’achava (a Hebrew term for “The Brotherhood”) and serve as its leader from that day forward.

 

Exiled Knights had learned skills and acquired knowledge from all over the world that they would integrate into Ha’achava.  The most prominent aspects were different forms of Martial Arts from Asian nations that would make the Knights more effective combatants.  The Apostle also restructured Ha’achava with the intention of making it as completely self-reliant as possible, with minimal help from anyone outside of it.

 

The Order of St. George had benefited from the support of the Catholic Church by receiving financial support, ministering from Priests, and having injuries tended to by Nuns and physicians.  Ha’achava would replace these by being directed to an island lush with valuable resources, having their own ministers, outside adherents known as Watchers who provide intelligence and report sightings, and receiving an invaluable resource known as Gifted Ones.

 

• The Island:  While in exile, some Knights of Ha’achava were shown in vision an Island in the Atlantic Ocean.  They were told that this was prepared for them by God and given to them to help them fulfill their mission.  The Knights named the island St. Michael, and began building a Monastery there.  The soil of St. Michael can grow any kind of food, and receives enough rainfall to grow and harvest all year round.  The Knights also established a quarry on St. Michael in order to cultivate the myriad of precious stones found there.  With the Monastery, built after the style of a Medieval fortress, completed and livestock brought on, Ha’achava is able to provide all of their needs.  Another great asset provided by the island of St. Michael is a mineral used to make a metal known as Decaelo that can be turned into weapons that can hurt and kill Demons.

• Shepherds:  Knowing the need for spiritual nourishment, guidance, and direction within Ha’achava, the Apostle established the Shepherds.  Shepherds come from all different backgrounds and faiths.  The only beliefs that everyone in Ha’achava need to accept are that there is a God, Jesus Christ is His only begotten son and the Savior of the world, Satan is real and the enemy of all mankind, and that there are many figures such as Mohammed and Buddha outside of Christianity who were inspired by God to bring guidance to the world.  Shepherds fill a role similar to an Army Chaplain by providing spiritual guidance to those in Ha’achava, as well as coordinating missions and receiving intelligence from Watchers.

• Gifted Ones:  While Knights and Shepherds are all men, the most valuable resource in Ha’achava is a group of women known as Gifted Ones.  The first Gifted Ones surfaced in Europe during the period of exile and Satan used every resource he could to keep them from being found by the exiled Knights.  Satan’s primary method used against those women was to rile up local populations against Witchcraft and convince them that Gifted Ones were witches.  Many Knights were warned in dreams or visions to go to different places and rescue Gifted Ones.  They then brought them to their places of exile until the formation of Ha’achava.  The major trait of the Gifted Ones is that they are healers.  A Knight brought to them can be healed of anything as long as they still have a heartbeat.  Their only limitation with healing is that they can’t restore a limb, but they are trained to reattach them and are able to ensure no further complications.  They also facilitate instant transportation for the Knights to anywhere in the world via special cauldrons that are set up in the Monastery, the homes of Watchers, and in a few other places around the world.  Many Gifted Ones live and serve in the Monastery, but some live in the world and are called Field Gifted Ones.

 

In History

 

Ha’achava is focused on their mission, so for the most part they don’t concern themselves with the affairs of the world.  A major exception is when they are informed of someone making a Devil’s Exchange as these often are done out of a desire for worldly power and influence.  Ha’achava has eliminated those who have undertaken Devil’s Exchanges, and has therefore been involved in the deaths of many famous world figures either through assassinations or staged deaths.

 

Another notable exception is that the Apostle revealed that it was absolutely essential that the United States of America come into existence and endure in the world as a place of freedom and tolerance.  Because of this, Ha’achava has inserted itself into several major events in the history of that nation.  Some of the events, and the involvement of Ha’achava in them, are:

 

• The American Revolution:  Both Ha’achava and The Opposition had intense interest in the outcome of this conflict and both moved on behalf of their chosen side.  The two forces did not fight each other directly in a manner that would have been noticed and historically documented, but sometimes did engage in open combat with each other either at night or away from the battlefields.  Some Knights of Ha’achava inserted themselves into the Continental Army and were mainly concerned with ensuring the survival of George Washington, who would become a Watcher after the war, and the eventual victory of the Continental Army.

• World War II:  While not an event limited to the USA, the victory of the Allied forces was essential for the continuation of Democracy in the world and a needed deterrent for wicked people who would seek to impose their will on the free peoples of the world.  Adolph Hitler performed a Devil’s Exchange in order to gain power in his own country and then impose his will and that of his new master onto Europe and, they hoped, the world.  From the beginning, Satan used Hitler to move against Ha’achava by targeting Watchers and Field Gifted Ones.  These efforts succeeded well enough that Knights could not use cauldrons to instantly go throughout the world.  In order to infiltrate Europe and eliminate those who had, wittingly or not, become agents of Satan, Knights infiltrated different militaries of the Allied Forces and participated in many of the great battles of that conflict.  Knights would often leave their units after intense fighting where they were presumed dead and attempt to meet up with fellow Knights while independently making their way towards Germany.  Hitler had convinced most of the leaders of the Third Reich to also make Devil’s Exchanges, and following the Normandy Invasion different Knights were able to meet up and conduct their own assaults.  The Knights successfully took out all of the Nazis that had made Devil’s Exchanges, making most of them look like suicides, and others helped bring about the end of the conflict in the Pacific.

 

Additional Notes

 

• Watchers are either children raised in the Monastery who decide they want to live in the outside world, or people living on the outside who are recruited by existing Watchers.  They are instructed in the history and mission of Ha’achava, particularly in how to identify Demonic Creatures.  They have cauldrons in their homes and regularly act as go-betweens with the Monastery and the Knights assigned to missions in their area.  To prove their position as Watchers, they have a mark on their upper arm with the appearance of a cat-like slitted eye.

• Due to the need for a universal language within Ha’achava and at the Monastery, everyone involved with Ha’achava speaks English.  In addition to that, all Knights are proficient in American Sign Language so they can operate silently on missions.

• Men can become Knights of Ha’achava by being recruited, especially after showing exceptional abilities in fields such as military or law enforcement in the outside world.  Or, boys raised in The Monastery will choose to enter an intense 2-year training program.  They are eligible for the program when they are 18 years old, or if their parents consent to them starting early.  In the course of the program, prospective Knights will be trained in modern versions of the tenets of Ninjutsu, receive special forces level military training, live and train with a different organization (including an Indigenous Tribe), and become proficient in operating in any topography or climate in the world.

• Knights must be proficient in every tenet, and achieve mastery of at least 5.  When they achieve mastery, a Gifted One performs a ritual that leaves a unique symbol, resembling a tattoo, on the Knight’s body.  These marks are placed on the torso area of the body in areas that can be concealed by a t-shirt.  A Knight is identified by having the Order symbol branded onto their chest.  The final task before they earn the brand of a Knight is to build a weapon and present it and demonstrate its efficiency to a group consisting of The Apostle with a few Shepherds and experienced Knights for approval.  A Knight who masters every tenet is known as an Elite and receives another brand at the base of their neck identifying them as such.

• Ha’achava employs several experts in a variety of disciplines including engineers, scientists, architects, food preparation experts, leather workers, and blacksmiths.  Many of them are individuals who grew up and were educated in the Monastery and chose to serve Ha’achava for their life’s work.  Some experts are also recruited from the outside world.

• Since moving to the island of St. Michael and establishing themselves as Ha’achava, they have been able to create advancements in technology and other industries very far ahead of their time.  Ha’achava will introduce some of these advancements into the outside world, and keep some of them within their own organization.

 

Where to Purchase

 

I hope you enjoyed learning more about the world of War of Shadows.  If you are interested in reading the first volume of the War of Shadows trilogy, you can purchase it via Barnes and Noble in eBook or Print form from their website.  I hope you will enjoy reading this and that you will look forward to the next installment.

 

eBook

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/war-of-shadows-steve-shaha/1146902504?ean=2940184434599

 

Print

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/war-of-shadows-steve-shaha/1146902504?ean=9780578831565