Moe Lane's Blog, page 73
March 9, 2025
I’m giving away free one-month memberships for my birthday month!
As is traditional for the Shire – I figure that if I was destined to end up looking like a hobbit, I might as well lean into it – I am giving away things for my birthday. Specifically, thirty free one-month memberships. Since I have only one tier (and generous patrons), that one month gets you, well, everything. So check it out!
Moe Lane
PS: If you want to give me a present, buy one of my books. That way we both get something.
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Tweet of the Day, I’ve Noticed This Myself edition.
And it’s a problem. …For other people, I guess. I personally like my book covers to actually give you a clue what’s inside the blessed thing.
Here is what the typical fantasy book section looks like in my area. Almost no artwork on the covers. Just text and graphics and color. Boring and uninspiring to say the least. Does anyone like this marketing approach? Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/lzn8OsxH6O
— MikePerryArt (@MikePerryArt) March 8, 2025
Via @presjpolk.
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03/09/2025 Snippet, [Unnamed Elf French Revolution story]
I think I am coming up with a way to get through this. I simply need to find something sufficiently horrible that it bothers even my protagonist.
At least Carteaux was happy to explain. “Berthier commands two more demi-brigades, just to our north. We will join them before Le Bete can maneuver close enough to threaten us.”
Major Legume frowned. “Even with them, the enemy will still outnumber us… ah. We are an enticement.”
“We are bait,” Joseph corrected him. “One small enough to make him tempted to offer a battle, but large enough to exploit a mistake. The other demi-brigades are in reserve, then?”
“Indeed, Citizen Représentant. Three to directly take Le Bete in flank, once he is committed. The other three will serve to harry the foe, once he has been broken in our pincers.” Carteaux shrugged. “Or they will be a final surprise, should the fight not go our way. We have twice Le Bete’s numbers for this campaign, Citizens. It would be a betrayal of the Revolution not to use them.”
“A risk, but worth it to slay Le Bete,” muttered Legume. Which was more spirit than Joseph expected from the man. Clearly having to abandon the field after seeing off the monarchists’ forces still rankled. “And the reward is worth the risk!” Legume went on, visibly brightening. “Le Bete dead, and the House of Bourbon with it. Cleared away, so that something new can finally grow in France’s soil.”
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Patreon Microfiction: An Increasingly Protracted Rearguard Action.
‘An Increasingly Protracted Rearguard Action’ is another one in my occasional series, “Do self-aware Undead HAVE to eat their friends?” Or, in this case, “Does being a walking corpse mean you stop caring about the mission?” I mean, sure, I get that there’s cravings. But if you have options, wouldn’t you rather take the one that lets you say, “Yes, but they were all bad” afterward?
Lot of questions today, sorry. I just find the topic worthy of interest.
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March 8, 2025
In case you missed it: Daylight Savings Time starts tomorrow.
…Look, I missed it until this afternoon, okay? I somehow forgot that we’re going to have a couple of annoying days until everybody’s circadian rhythms return to something semi-normal. Maybe I missed it because I’m old, or maybe it’s because people aren’t talking as much about the thing as usual. So, just in case: DST starts tomorrow.
Moe Lane
PS: At least we get our regular tank back in my MMORPG. Coordinating AUS/EUR/USA time zones can get tricky, particularly when AUS/NZ are reversed when it comes to seasons…
Book of the Week: Kthulhu Reich.
Kthulhu Reich isn’t half bad! It’s Japanese Mythos Nazi/World War 2 fiction by Ken Asamatsu, translated by Jim Rion. I mention this because the translation is particularly good. I’ve had to read some clunkers in the past, and this isn’t one of them. Check it out.
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The Mage’s Alliance, Part 2 (The Fermi Resolution)
Need to have this blocked out for the first stretch goal.
…
Scorpion of the Plains
The Mage’s Alliance’s arrival at the trans-Mississippi in 2121 AD turned out to be an opportune moment. The newly-founded kingdoms of Nebraska and the Lakes were expanding in each other’s direction, and it was clear that war would likely break out over the Iowa territories very soon. Matters were not helped by the fact that both ruling dynasties were convinced that the other was secretly in league with the much-shrunken United States, still holding out on the East Coast and stubbornly refusing to die.
It is unclear which nation first seized upon the idea of using the refugees from the East as convenient mercenaries and potential subject-allies. It was an obvious opportunity: the refugees needed land and slaves to farm it, and could offer magical services beyond the abilities of the locals. Better and better, the Mage’s Alliance was fleeing from the USA, after losing a war. That suggested that they weren’t too powerful, and could be controlled.
The MA wasted no time taking advantage. They traded limited war-magic in exchange for being granted lands in fief, which they promptly seized outright once they were strong enough. They also bought every war-captive that Nebraska and Laker slave-mongers were able to sell, paying for it with more magic. While First Mage Henderson was alive, these captives were treated as non-voting freedmen with basic civil rights. After his death in 2147 AD, their position slowly degraded over the next two centuries.
By 2150 AD the basic strategic situation in the Midwest had stabilized. The Mage’s Alliance held the rich farmland of Iowa, thus keeping Nebraska and the Lakes from ever directly fighting each other. Those two countries contested the Marcher Lands instead, spending too much time and treasure trying to bring the Illinois and Missouri territories to heel. Oddly, the MA never attempted to conquer territory east of the Mississippi, instead concentrating on the Great Plains, but they were happy to provide magical mercenaries for endless proxy wars. Every year, Nebraska and the Lakes took a little more territory that they couldn’t quite hold effectively.
And every year, the Mage’s Alliance grew just a little bit stronger.
03/08/2025 Snippet, [Unnamed Elf French Revolution story]
I have a title, actually, but it’ll give the ending away, dagnabbit.
…
Alas, Carteaux was no fool. Once Citizen Major Legume was sent off to meet the other officers of the demi-brigade (Kraemer was not sent for at all), the general grew serious on the instant. “My apologies, Citizen Représentant. That was necessary. The citizen major needed to be distracted, lest he ask too many questions while we were still in garrison.”
“No fear there, Citizen General.” Joseph quirked a smile. “Legume asks very few questions at the best of times. I suppose that I am to be allowed the privilege of being inquisitive?”
“You will find it no privilege,” Carteaux informed him. “But we cannot speak of that here. Follow me: a room has been prepared for our conversation. If it is not safe from sneaking ears, then nowhere in the Republic is.”
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March 7, 2025
‘The Irish Ballad.’
The Irish Ballad, Tom Lehrer
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