To My Players

The Ennead—the nine of them—have been with me for a decade. I didn't start actually writing Karai's Chosen until 2019, but about 30k words in, I found myself directionless.

 

So, in summer 2020, I decided to run a ttrpg campaign in a darker version of the universe I had constructed. The campaign was so much more than I thought it would be, and it kicked off a series of campaigns for the next year that helped me shape The Ennead even further. But that first campaign never left my mind.

 

In December 2021, I decided to scrap the original concept and shift to the premise of that campaign. I was originally going to use my own characters, but a handful of my players lent me their ocs, and I am incredibly grateful for that, because as much as this story is my own, it was always going to be a love letter to my players—and not just the ones who lent their characters to me. 

 

Perhaps this story is most obviously a tribute to Joshua, and Lian, and Auster, and Peter, and Morgan. But it’s also a love letter to Blair and Mikael and Lyra. It’s a tribute to Taylor, and Benji, and Ai, and Matilda, and Maila. It’s a reminiscence of the times we shared with Lawrence, and Rory, and Bryce, and Emil, and Pierce, and Alexis, and Nick and Dick, and Mo, and Vel.

 

My characters wouldn’t be who they are today without your characters there to guide them. Some of the prose from this novel came directly from things I wrote for you. And really, none of this would exist if you hadn’t played my silly little game.

 

So, thanks. This work is dedicated to all of you.