My dad’s an identical triplet, and probably the greatest experiment of nature versus nurture. Obviously he and his brothers have a lot of similarities, but when it comes to driving along hills or shooting guns, the Georgia bros outmatch my Floridian suburban dad. Where you live defines a lot about who you are, and Thief of Cahraman utilizes this for Adelaide’s transformation.
The Humble Woods of Aubenaire
All small villages in fantasy tend to feel the same, but I don’t mind. I love the homely tavern that attracts merriment and feasting nearly every night. I soak in the splendor of a lord’s manor filled with portraits and ornate sculptures. The bustle of dirt roads, the conversation by the well, and the general smell of cooking and hard work on the air.
There’s something so surreal about it all, though Adelaide doesn’t quite enjoy it. Aubenaire is all she’s known, yet she feels out of place in the humble little town. Nevertheless, she will make it work. The gaudy festivals, the subconscious caste system. She’ll take the role of a woman in a small town so she can have a place to call home.
Then a witch gets in the way.
The Extravagance of Cahraman
Palaces irk me. They’re so beautiful to look at, but I can’t comprehend how the rooms fit in the facade. Nor can I navigate a palace while I’m reading; I need a floorplan just to understand where the kitchen is. However, I love a good castle, and Adelaide walks into the most stunning across the realm. This desert beauty has a plethora of rooms, an amphitheater, and a massive vault. Not to mention secret halls for servants and quarters for staff. Every room is its own adventure.
But this setting is just as foreign to Adelaide. Perhaps even more. Walking the halls, pretending to be something she isn’t, she’s unsure how to act, what to say, and how to return to the life she’d resigned herself to. Cahraman wasn’t part of her plan, and what doesn’t fall in line is an obstacle.
Perpetual Outsider
With the setting of Thief of Cahraman, you get this constant discomfort. Aubenaire isn’t home, Cahraman isn’t home. So where is?
Remember my dad and his identical brothers? Despite their differences based on “nurture,” their “nature” isn’t super different. My cousin and I confirmed that two of them always shop Publix BOGOs and find the weirdest flavor to try. Similar humor, matching mannerisms. No matter where they go, they are who they are.
Same goes for Adelaide. Whether in Aubenaire or Cahraman, she’s the orphan seeking a home and hoping to make others feel like they belong. And as the story continues, her personality further grows.