"The Legion" Podcast #1 ... woo!!!

Okay, so yesterday was my lazy day. I trained all day and then came home, walked my dog and sat watching Investigation Discovery for I have no idea how long.

Anyway, here's a transcript (plus some extra fun facts) from Saturday's podcast!!

Hey, guys, this is Juniper Trela for "A Million More to Go," the blog/podcast/whatever for all things "The Legion."

As promised, I'm going to be giving a little info on the world of "The Legion," but as kind of a surprise, it's in audio form! Now, don't worry, I'll be transcribing this on the actual blog if I talk to fast, which I can do from time to time. Plus, I'll be adding more details to the bare bones stuff on here.

Anyway, as I wrote last time, the Guardians essentially protect our world from beings and spirits from other realms, because it's exceptionally susceptible to even minor disturbances. UFO sightings are just an example. The Guardians are split into 3 major branches: the Legion, the Visions and the Scholars.

To start off, the Legion is made up of about five to six thousand people who patrol and banish demons back to their respective dimensions. The term Legion is interchangeable, for both the group as a whole and the individual. They have pretty badass capabilities, like incredible resilience, quick reflexes and fast healing. They're basically an army of Wolverines or Buffys. A Legion also can sense demons, although it usually takes many years of practice to locate them by sight. While magic is kind of monopolized by the Visions, a Legion also has access to some of the arcane. With a simple prayer, they can summon a portal to return a demon to its original realm.

Now, it might seem kind of awesome to have these powers, but the rub is that you have to die first. God chooses people that are on the outskirts of society, like exterminated criminals, runaways, outcasts, that sort of thing. This way, it's easier for them to operate since they don't have many ties to society and no one's really looking for them. Many of the people selected to serve as Legions want that second chance at life but don't really receive too much information on what they will actually be doing. There have been talk among several Legions that have managed to survive that they might actually want to establish a training regimen for new Legions, but as of yet, nothing has been created.

As a general rule, most Legions work alone. On occasion, they'll team up with each other if a demon gives them enough trouble. There have only been a few instances of unification as an army, the most recent one occurring back during the 1960s in Africa.

Occasionally, Legions can act as guards for emissaries from other realms that have chosen and requested to use ours as a neutral ground, but this is a highly unusual occurrence. It is a very hush-hush situation in most instances, and a select few actually know about such things.

Next, we have the Visions. They are usually shamans or psychics that operate out of a geographic area, typically dependent on population density or even something as simple availability. A Vision is the means by which the Legions learn of their assignments. They have an incredible command of magic, but they don't always have to use it, as it's not really their primary function. They communicate telepathically with each other and with Legions and have connections to the other realms outside this physical one. They tend to be very sensitive to fluctuations within our world, and as such, they are the ones who locate new Legions and nurture them after their resurrections.

Like the Legions, the Visions don't really have much choice in the matter of their status, as they are given their powers at birth. They also tend to be on the outside because of their deep spiritual beliefs and affinity for magic and the occult. But unlike a Legion, they have a certain amount of stability in their lives. Many have families and strong ties to communities and are usually considered holy men or women.

Visions are highly networked, mainly because of their telepathy, but only a loose government of sorts rules them. A board of advisers is infrequently called to decide matters that affect the entire group, but even then, it's up to a vote and isn't always followed by all members. Even the advisers consider their "laws" to be guidelines, and exist to mentor other Visions.

And finally, onto the Scholars. The Scholars have no special powers, per se. They don't use magic and they don't have super strength, but they do have the power of information. They are stationed throughout the world and are usually men or women serving as ministers, priests or monks, so they are able to have moderately normal lives and don't have to bite the dust in order to do so.

There are three types of Scholars. One is jokingly called the Office Scholar, even though they don't really have any special title. They live close to a major base of operation - sometimes even in once since one is located in a secret Buddhist temple deep in the Himalayas - and spend their time cataloging and storing information on the other realms and their denizens. But they are also able to be active in their churches, synagogues or temples, lead worship and take on charity work.

The second type is the Field Scholar. He or she actually travels, usually with a Legion, to learn about the various types of demons. The Scholar then records the information and sends it back to a base close by, either via a local Vision or something as ancient as writing a letter. They are often treated as outsiders by the Legions they follow, as it most often means that the Legion will have to spend a great deal of his or her time protecting the Scholar from harm. But they are considered vital to the other Scholars. Most often Field Scholars are the younger and newer members, and some view the position as a training or a weeding out process.

The third type is called the Elder Scholar. They are the ruling class and many consider themselves to be the government of the Guardians, although this has been proven false many times in the past. The Legions typically despise the Elder Scholars, as they tend to make decisions for them without consent, and the Visions keep them at bay, usually due to the fact that most Elder Scholars are highly suspicious of anyone who can use magic without consequence. Despite this, they still carry a tremendous amount of weight with the other Scholars, as they tend to be the eldest and most experienced.

Alrighty, so that's pretty much a quick run-down of the different aspects of the Guardians, and like I said, once I've gotten this little podcast typed up, I will definitely post it on the blog, "A Million More to Go" with a few extra bits thrown in there for good measure.

So please, stay tuned for the second ever podcast of "A Million More to Go" on Tuesday, August 25, for me talking a little bit about the site and what plans I have for it over the next couple of months. Stay frosty, peeps!!

Be sure to check back later tonight for the second podcast!