When you are creating a book like COINS OF JUDAS. You need to do a lot of world-building before you even put pen to paper. World-building is my favorite part of comic book-making.
Here is the basics of World Building
Setting:
Figuring out how big the story is one of the first steps i always take with a book. Do, i want it to be set to a small area or do i want it to be larger and world-trending adventure? For COINS OF JUDAS, I wanted it too be world treading. So, I picked IRELAND. I want to use the accent in the writing and i wanted to bring some of the culture into this story. The other reason is i knew i wanted to add various groups and cults so i needed something to make each of the stand out.
History:
Developing a history for the world gives it depth and context. This includes significant events, wars, discoveries, and cultural shifts that have shaped the current state of affairs in the world. When you are dealing with these coins being around for 2000 years because they come from the betrayal of Jesus. You need massive backlogs of the how and why. So, in developing the setting history and then the brother and sister history of the main characters it was very important to have a huge back story to help the readers invest.
Culture and Society:
What are the beliefs, traditions, customs, and social structures of the people in this world? This includes everything from religious practices to social hierarchies to fashion and cuisine. This is why you see some of the things you do in COINS OF JUDAS. From the magic and how it works, its designed for IRELAND.
Technology and Magic:
Depending on the genre, world builders need to decide the level of technological advancement or the presence of magical elements. This shapes how characters interact with their world and each other. In this world. In fact, spoiler we take away this magic in The Gambler because they travel to the US. I think this adds extra lore understanding. I also loved looking deep into this the lore of a issue.
Languages:
Some world builders create languages for their fictional cultures, complete with grammar rules, vocabulary, and scripts. This adds authenticity to the setting. This has been hard for me. I want these characters to speak in Irish.
So, now we have build the world. Why choose IRELAND? First, i love IRELAND!! I love the green, i love the culture, i love it all. I even love the Irish SEASON OF SONS OF ANARCHY. I love it. I love the lore, here is the lore of some of the supernatural elements of IRELAND that i found!! All of these could be coins and would make some great demons to play with.
Northern Irish Folklore and Supernatural Tales
The Black Annis:
Though not specific to Belfast, the legend of the Black Annis is a tale of a blue-faced witch with iron claws who haunts the countryside. Similar stories might exist in Northern Irish folklore.
The Dobhar-chú:
This is a creature from Irish folklore that is said to resemble both a dog and an otter. It is said to live in water and has been blamed for deaths in and around lakes.
Faeries and the Sidhe:
Like much of Ireland, Belfast and the surrounding areas have their tales of faeries or "the Fair Folk" who are believed to live in mounds or sidhe (pronounced "shee"). These beings were said to be beautiful but sometimes mischievous or even dangerous.
The Banshee:
A banshee is a female spirit in Irish folklore who is said to herald the death of a family member with her wailing cries. While not specifically a demon, she is often associated with death and the supernatural.
LAST but not least!! Belfast is in some Christian circles rumored to be named after the demon Bael. Now, i cant find proof of that but i sat with a pastor once and he explained to me that Belfast is short for demons. Baal is mentioned bunch in the bible and its a false God that takes worship from christ. Here is some links
https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Baal_(demonology)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bael_(demon)
So, using all that history is why i made it set there. So, if you like this kind of world building. Please consider backing COINS OF JUDAS!! We are 800 from funding!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bandofbards/coins-of-judas-the-gambler-from-band-of-bards
Nice breakdown! I also love Ireland, its history, and its mythology.