Phil Giunta 

The year is 2022 and the gods of the once-great Gaul Empire have spent the last ten years hiding in a castle in Luxembourg, forgotten by humanity and overshadowed by the more powerful pantheons. Meanwhile, the relentless Roman army, led my Mars himself, has been slashing and burning its way through France.

Taranis, the Gaulish god of thunder, wants nothing more than to cast out the Romans and rule France with a benevolent hand along with Segomo, the surly god of war, Grannus, the gentle god of thermal springs and Abellio, the teenage god of apple trees who happens to wear jeans and loves comic books.  Oh, and then there’s Vasio, the silent god of…well…no one really remembers so they leave him alone.

Yeah, ain’t much to work with there, eh?  Our divine heroes have no army, no worshippers and thus, no real power.  For how mighty are gods in whom no one believes?

So how do these demoralized, depressed, dispirited deities deal with their dilemma? They call superstar motivational speaker, Orlando Start!  However, in a society where people are struggling to survive, who cares about a motivational speaker?   Ten years since the Return, Orlando’s business has dried up and his personal life is in shambles. Everyone has abandoned him, including his wife.   Hours away from living on the streets and on the verge of suicide, Orlando receives a surprising job offer that he simply can’t refuse.

In helping these ancient beings redefine themselves and muster the courage to step out onto the world stage, will Orlando find new purpose in his own life?

I came across references to the Gallic (or Gaulish) pantheon while researching the Celtic gods of Ireland and the Isle of Man for my story “There Be In Dreams No War” in ReDeus: Divine Tales.

Abellio was mentioned as “probably a god of apple trees”, so I created an eponymously named restaurant that served the best apple pie in Manhattan.  However, the god that truly caught my attention was Vasio.  Only his name is known to historians, but no references to his abilities.  I felt this was fertile ground for storytelling.

I then reviewed the ReDeus bible and noticed no mention of the Gaulish pantheon, and that sparked the idea of bringing them back now as a hapless, motley group of gods that no one remembered.  They would need as much help as possible to reassert themselves against the more powerful Romans.  I instantly thought of a self-help guru/motivational speaker and knew it would be excellent comedy material.  Hence, “Root for the Undergods” was born!

ReDeus: Beyond Borders will be available in all formats beginning in late May.