Duir'Aion is populated by a myriad of characters. Heroes and villains dot the landscape, and the innocent and not so innocent are usually unfortunate collateral damage in the battles they fight. I believe strongly in character, and before I ever start writing I'm nearly always figuring out the villain first, and the heroes second. Why? … Continue reading A question of character…
The Ivory Bard
So the Ivory Bard actually has two origins. The character and the concept. It wasn't until I married the two that Chord, The Ivory Bard was born. The character existed in one form or another throughout my games. He was a throwaway character. If he had ever died, I wouldn't have used him again. He … Continue reading The Ivory Bard
Duir’Aion Atlas
Someone asked me how large my world actually was. So I figured I'd show you all. It's fairly massive. I drew this map years ago, before I even decided to write for a living. Well I'm not writing for a living yet, still in the hobby stage. Hopefully though I can quit my day job … Continue reading Duir’Aion Atlas
Writing Evil
Writing evil is not supposed to be pretty. There's a difference between Thanos in the Avengers movies, and say the Red Skull, Crossbones, or even Ultron. The latter three were bad guys. Doing bad guy things. While Thanos could be argued to be included in that mess, what sets him apart is his willingness to … Continue reading Writing Evil
The Great Kingdoms
The majority of my novels take place within the boundaries of the Great Kingdoms. The Great Kingdoms are a collection of kingdoms that exist on the south eastern portion of the continent of Tanaraq. At the time of the first novel (the 2nd takes place 200 years later) they are: Cheshire - The jewel of … Continue reading The Great Kingdoms
The Darkness stirs…
One of my favorite things about my Darkness Rising setting is the actual Darkness. Something stirs beneath the world Duir'Aion, and if it should rise, it could very well be the end of the world. As a writer, creator of worlds, I like having this over arcing theme over all of my novels and short … Continue reading The Darkness stirs…
Designing Divinity (part 2)
I had a great deal of fun coming up with a cosmology for Duir'Aion. I had basic ideas of gods, but as I started coming up with quick backstories for them, they evolved. I started by modeling the gods of the Forgotten Realms, but man do they have a ton of gods. I didn't want … Continue reading Designing Divinity (part 2)
Designing Divinity (part 1 of 2)
Magic is one of the three primal forces of the universe. The other two being life and death. Every wizard taps into a font of magic, learning how to unlock the mysteries of such power. Clerics don't learn how to unlock it, rather they request a spell or miracle from their god, who channels that … Continue reading Designing Divinity (part 1 of 2)
Hidden Deus Ex Machina
I have one last stanza left in the Tale of aMinor Chord and I'm currently stumped. Not on how to finish but whether or not I had inadvertently used a Deus Ex Machina. In the Tale of a Minor Chord, the protagonist must fight for his life in the Crimson Ring. A trial by combat. … Continue reading Hidden Deus Ex Machina
The Fallen
It just occurred to me that I haven't discussed my major project, the Fallen. This one means a great deal to me as it was the first story I ever wrote. It originally existed on 4 pieces of loose leaf paper. When I developed insomnia in my mid twenties, I started expanding on this interesting … Continue reading The Fallen
A Darkness Rising 