I got a late start today but have still managed to put in some quality writing. I'm still plowing ahead on Part II. (16 pages in!) I finally got to a good stopping point where I can leave the reader on a cliffhanger as the three main characters run into some major trouble on their journey and return to those left behind in the town and the excitement that is to come there.
Today I'm going to introduce the antagonist. In the novel I have only just introduced him in Part I. He does not make his big appearance until the end of the book. If you remember, I am writing a four book series. The antagonist spends most of the time in the first two books working behind the scenes in the shadows. He will not be showing his head much until book 3, and then it will be in a big way. But I'm going to go ahead and tell you a little about him now and will try not to spoil anything.
The Antagonist
Shank
"Never gave a thought to an honorable living.
Always had sense enough to lie."
-Yeasayer, "Madder Red"
Shank is, for all intents and purposes, the leader of the Yalu. The Yalu is the big group of bad guys that ultimately threaten the livelihood of the protagonists. They pretty much serve the purpose of doing the Leader's dirty work - the things he doesn't want generally known and things he can't trust his own guards to do.
He is related to some prominent people of the aristocracy. He possesses many of the traits to make him a good villain: overconfidence, stubbornness, arrogance, greed. He was taught from an early age to use his charisma to lure young men of fortune to gaming hells where they would eventually be tempted to gamble away all their money.
Shank does have characteristics that make him more of a stock bad guy. I won't get into it too much right now, because it would give too much away. Suffice to say, he has a particular interest in finding a healer for the Yalu, and once he discovers one, he will stop at nothing to procure her services.
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