Gary F. Vanucci's Blog, page 25
September 2, 2011
The Faceless Knights... Who Are They?
Several of my friends have asked me this question, so I thought I'd address it here for any and ll that are interested! Hope you enjoy it! *
The Faceless Knights of Order are simply one of the many factions that the Inquisition uses in order to exact their own brand of justice and order on the face of Wothlondia. The Faceless Knights are a fairly well known and officially sanctioned branch of the Pantheon of Order, which originates from the city of Safehold, keeping the churches and temples of each of the gods safe under their watchful eye.
The Inquisition is a broad term that encompasses many leaders and elders of the Pantheon of Order, who gather in secrecy to exchange information and maintain a firm grasp of what happens within their temples and places of worship. These men and women uncover heresy and the dealings of those who walk the dangerous line between the benevolent gifts of their own gods of Arcadia and the foul temptations of the demon lords of Pandemonium who entice them with dark powers beyond their imagination. Their sole purpose is to weed out the heretics and supplant them as quickly and as quietly as possible, restoring order to the Realm of Ashenclaw.
The Faceless Knights exist as both a source of intelligence gathering upon the surface of Wothlondia, and more so as a very real militant order of warpriests with exceptional skills and abilities. This branch is out in the open, remaining unhidden, and employs priests, warpriests, paladins, knights, warriors and full-fledged Inquisitors.
Inquisitors are the chosen few--the dominant persons amongst their organizations--knights, paladins or warpriests mostly, who can manipulate divine energies as well as having establisheda background that involves martial competence. Once attaining the esteemed status of Inquisitor, these few men and women have access to any and all divine realms or spheres of influence of all of the gods. They are able to use any power, ability or spell that they see fit and often use whatever means necessary in order to keep the demons of Pandemonium from spreading across the face of Wothlondia. They are typically well-tempered, charismatic and decisive individuals who show exceptional qualities that make them the masters of the pantheon that they are.
Heretics beware the Order of the Faceless Knights!
"Heresy is what the minority believe, it is the real name given by the powerful to the doctrine of the weak" ~ Robert Ingersol
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
(*This one is for you, Lee...)
(PS. Faceless Knight is a conceptual term, not a literal one...FYI!)
Sketch of Inquisitor and Faceless Knight, Garius Forge, by Justine Babcock
The Faceless Knights of Order are simply one of the many factions that the Inquisition uses in order to exact their own brand of justice and order on the face of Wothlondia. The Faceless Knights are a fairly well known and officially sanctioned branch of the Pantheon of Order, which originates from the city of Safehold, keeping the churches and temples of each of the gods safe under their watchful eye.
The Inquisition is a broad term that encompasses many leaders and elders of the Pantheon of Order, who gather in secrecy to exchange information and maintain a firm grasp of what happens within their temples and places of worship. These men and women uncover heresy and the dealings of those who walk the dangerous line between the benevolent gifts of their own gods of Arcadia and the foul temptations of the demon lords of Pandemonium who entice them with dark powers beyond their imagination. Their sole purpose is to weed out the heretics and supplant them as quickly and as quietly as possible, restoring order to the Realm of Ashenclaw.
The Faceless Knights exist as both a source of intelligence gathering upon the surface of Wothlondia, and more so as a very real militant order of warpriests with exceptional skills and abilities. This branch is out in the open, remaining unhidden, and employs priests, warpriests, paladins, knights, warriors and full-fledged Inquisitors.
Inquisitors are the chosen few--the dominant persons amongst their organizations--knights, paladins or warpriests mostly, who can manipulate divine energies as well as having establisheda background that involves martial competence. Once attaining the esteemed status of Inquisitor, these few men and women have access to any and all divine realms or spheres of influence of all of the gods. They are able to use any power, ability or spell that they see fit and often use whatever means necessary in order to keep the demons of Pandemonium from spreading across the face of Wothlondia. They are typically well-tempered, charismatic and decisive individuals who show exceptional qualities that make them the masters of the pantheon that they are. Heretics beware the Order of the Faceless Knights!
"Heresy is what the minority believe, it is the real name given by the powerful to the doctrine of the weak" ~ Robert IngersolSee you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
(*This one is for you, Lee...)
(PS. Faceless Knight is a conceptual term, not a literal one...FYI!)
Sketch of Inquisitor and Faceless Knight, Garius Forge, by Justine Babcock
August 28, 2011
Most of Chapter 18 for Sample Sunday
Here is most of Chapter 18 of Covenant of the Faceless Knights for those of you on the fence about purchasing it or wanting a larger chunk of my writing (9 pages of the book) to see if it suits your taste. I wanted to leave it on a cliffhanger for you though....
CHAPTER 18
Elec and Saeunn raced over near the base of the southern hill, where the slope wasn't quite as steep as the opposite side, Elec noted. He also observed that there were at least six ogres that he could see now! They stood one and a half times the height of a human, with sickly, heavily muscled arms and bloated bellies. Their skin was an unhealthy yellow, with patches of hair in places and blemishes all over too.Elec had never seen an ogre and seeing one in person made him reach a new level of fear he'd never felt before. They moved with a speed that belied their disfigured bodies as they seemed to shamble forward. He imagined the force with which their mighty blows would strike and it made him wince involuntarily.Elec uneasily quaffed another potion. He felt he would need every advantage that he could muster. If he took too many, or took the wrong combination, the effects would not overlap properly, but the particular combination he used now was perfected over many years and was successfully tested over and over again. It still didn't stop him from over-imbibing them when he felt edgy about a fight. It had become a nervous habit.Saeunn charged the nearest ogre bravely and almost slipped on a snow patch, but caught herself and kept going, not even breaking stride. She and an ogre collided and there was a loud thud as her solid form hit it's somewhat bulbous frame. The ogre's head snapped back as Saeunn used the hilt of her sword to slam into the creature's head, cracking its skull, while deftly avoiding its fist. The creature landed in a heap—it was dead before it even hit the ground! Saeunn turned on another ogre as Elec watched her fight with a grace and ease that made him feel more inadequate than usual. She was his complete opposite in a fight, he realized, and he could not help but be impressed by the remarkable barbarian woman from Chansuk.A large rock just missed crushing Elec and he quickly returned his attention to his own role in the fight. He decided to move toward where Saeunn was heading. He wanted to stay close to the barbarian woman for several reasons.Is that a giant mass of energy? Elec thought as he caught a glimpse of something across the valley on the northern hill. He shook his head, dismissing the sight as possibly a side effect of one of his elixirs or a trick of the sunlight. Perhaps even the slow-falling snow was playing tricks on him….He ran quickly, keeping pace with Saeunn now and stopped where she was fighting, forcing the ogres at the top of the hill to stop lobbing rocks at him momentarily and at least reset their positions. That would buy them some time.Saeunn had cornered two more ogres now and seemed to be forcing them into defensive positions with her well-placed and aggressive swings. There was no subtlety to the barbarian woman it seemed; she simply relied on brute force and honed skill.The ogres began to maneuver her in between the two of them and Saeunn either didn't realize it or didn't care. Just as they were about to complete their positioning, Elec arrived and forced them to change their strategy. The ogres both sneered and gurgled something unintelligible at him.The first ogre swung a club at Saeunn that she parried with her greatsword, cutting a rather large wedge out of the wooden weapon in the process and stopping the blow cold. She immediately kicked out with her left leg into the kneecap of the ogre.Its leg slid back on the slick surface now causing it to stumble forward a bit, giving her an opening. Saeunn reared back with her greatsword and struck a killing blow to the back of its head, knocking it to the ground to its final resting place.Elec had taken the attention of the second ogre and was now dancing and dodging its blows, trying to avoid the creature's club as it made divots in the snowy ground around him. He saw a tree behind him and formulated a plan as the ogre swung wildly and with such force that to connect with a single blow would surely spell death.Elec dodged behind the tree now as quickly as he could, forcing the ogre around its wide base slowly enough that it did not see Elec climb the low hanging branch on the other side. The ogre peered around the base of the massive tree trunk and realized too late, where Elec had disappeared to. The ogre cried out in anguish as he felt the sharp end of a blade plunge through its back as Elec drove the blade through and thrust with all of his momentum and might that he could muster on the sword as it sank deeper into the ogre's back, through its lungs, and out the other side. He rode the beast for several seconds as it fought to remove the elf until finally it collapsed to the ground with a solid thud. Elec leapt from its back toward Saeunn who had just disposed of her foe. It was just in time as three more ogres had come into sight, obviously finding a less treacherous way down the hill than Elec had planned for them. Three more! Elec thought as he removed yet another potion from its housing on the bandolier and downed its contents.
Garius could not see where Rose had gone and returned his attention to the stunned orc on the ground, now only a few paces from him. He made a few movements with his main hand that still clutched The Repentant, rubbed his braided beard and uttered an incantation, asking The Watcher, the god of the skies, for a blessing of aid.As if the clouds themselves opened up, a massive bolt of lightning exploded out of the sky and landed directly on top of the prone orc, incinerating it and leaving a scorched patch of earth in the snow-soaked ground around the orc's charred remains. Garius slung his holy-laden warhammer upon his back and looked for a path up the hill to help Rose dispatch with the archers.
Rose exited from a shadow directly behind the first orc archer, using the element of surprise and slitting the green-skinned orc's throat, dropping it to the ground softly. The second and third orc noticed now, dropping their bows in unison and trying to draw their swords.Rose used that opening to kick out at the second orc and hit it squarely in the abdomen causing it to double over, then she hammered down with Zaedra in a reverse-grip and skewered the back of the creature's head while knocking it firmly to the floor.The third orc had gotten its sword out and she sensed that her end was near if she didn't move. They were still positioned directly under a tree, so she stepped into its shade once more and moved through the shadow realm to end up behind her target.The orc, however, did not sense her as it looked closely into the shadows trying to discern her whereabouts. She stealthily drove both dagger points into the back of the orc's upper back in unison, penetrating the lungs and leaving the orc lifeless within seconds.She removed the daggers and then suddenly felt a sting in her left shoulder that radiated pain down into her arm. She looked to see what it was and noticed an arrow protruding from her shoulder that passed right through and below her left clavicle. She fought back the pain and turned to see another orc approximately fifty paces from her that she had not noticed before. She tried to step into the shadows once more, to use the shadow realm temporarily to hide her from this plane, but could not concentrate as another arrow landed in her left thigh and caused her to fall to one knee….and then there was blackness. Her last thoughts were of failure.
Elec and Saeunn looked at one another and exchanged grim looks as the three ogres bore down on them."Any ideas?" Elec asked her as he quaffed another potion, drawing a quizzical look from Saeunn, who did not quite understand the elf's need for artificial aid in combat."Survive," Saeunn said bluntly as she once again charged headlong into the ogre stampede, wild-eyed with her long blonde braid of hair bouncing behind her as she ran.Elec nodded in agreement more to himself than anything else as Saeunn had already taken off. He tightened his grip on the hilts of his two magical weapons and ran after her once more, hoping that his elixirs would last the remainder of the fight.Saeunn took a running leap and jumped feet first into the center ogre's belly, knocking the wind out of it. As her momentum continued, she knocked the ogre to the ground, landing atop it, using her muscular legs and an incredible sense of balance to remain standing upon her fallen opponent. She sliced her greatsword in such an arc as to dismember the second ogre to her right in the process. Its head flew completely off and its massive body fell to the snowy ground, blood heavily staining the area where it landed. She stood atop the other ogre and stabbed at its head, but the ogre managed to wiggle out of the way of the blade and smacked his club at her, striking her in the side, knocking her to the ground this time and losing the grip on its club as it followed her trajectory.The ogre stood and was upon her by the time she regained her balance. The creature smashed its fist into the left side of her head, knocking her senseless and back a few feet. She was blinded with rage and could hardly feel the pain. She shook off the blow, ignoring the wound and refocused as the ogre was bearing down on her once more, its club, which looked like a tree-trunk, retrieved now and held tightly in both its massive hands.It swung the club wide and she parried the strike with one of her own. The two foes matched blow for blow and parry for strike for a few rounds of swings, neither tiring nor slowing for a second. It was a fierce and hard fought exchange.Saeunn was able to position herself better and eventually was able to kick the ogre in the groin, stunning it and giving her an opening. She swung on a high-to-low swing that spanned the creature's right facing shoulder, across his body, and ending up coming out at the left facing hip. Saeunn swung the blade so hard, it cut through flesh and bone, never stopping once along its deadly path. The ogre stood with a look of disbelief in its black eyes, trying to hold its insides, as its life blood gushed out onto the snowy ground. Saeunn roared, allowing the ire to fuel her and looked around for the third ogre.
The ogre headed directly toward Elec and he considered an idea. He tossed Daegnar Giruth into the air and spoke a magical word in the ancient elven dialect.The blade seemed to grab in midair and held fast. As the ogre neared him, he sprung into the air, clutching the hilt of the blade and using it to pull himself up as the beast lunged, but passed directly underneath him instead. Elec spun around in a complete circle, continuing with his momentum to launch himself onto the ogre's exposed back.He landed with a thud, pushing the ogre forward, and it fell with its hands outstretched, sliding forward on the slick ground. Elec grabbed the ogre's head and attempted to hang on, but could not. He slid forward now unexpectedly and came to a stop just as the ogre stood up, obviously dazed as it looked around for its club, but could not find it.The ogre snarled at Elec, showing its rotting yellow teeth behind its curled lips. It charged him, covering the ten paces very quickly. Elec tried to spring away in a dive, but lost his footing and slipped. The ogre slammed into him knocking the air from his lungs, but Elec managed to remain standing, sliding on the slippery ground with the ogre's momentum. The ogre swung a series of mighty blows. Elec dodged the first one, was grazed slightly by the second and was hit hard in the face and head by the next two, which knocked him down to the ground. Another blow followed but he managed to maneuver away from it, pushing himself along the ground, until he finally backed himself into the base of a tree. This is it! Elec thought, trying to cover himself as best he could. No where left to go….Just then he saw past the tangles of the ogre's greasy, matted hair to a figure in the air heading toward them with a huge sword angled down, poised for a death blow.The tip of Saeunn's greatsword was driven straight through the back of the ogre, skewering it and killing it instantly as the sword tip angled through its huge belly.Saeunn sat there for a few seconds, allowing her adrenaline to dissipate. Then she wildly looked around for Elec, worried now that she might have killed him too in her rage! She realized now that she may have made a crucial and horrible mistake."Elec!" Saeunn cried."Up here," came a voice from above her. She looked up and in the bough of a branch was the battered form of Elec, blood dripping from his eye and lip as he was beaten soundly by the ogre. "I really need to work on my combat skills…," he added, coughing up some blood in the process.Saeunn gasped and then smiled wider than he had ever seen her smile before, then actually laughed. He didn't remember ever seeing the barbarian smile."How…how did you…" Saeunn let the question hang, obviously relieved that he was alive.Elec swallowed hard, wiped some blood from his brow and simply pointed at his ring. "I can use this to teleport occasionally, assuming that the charge has restored itself," he added as he smiled. "Luckily, it had," he said, laughing.He grabbed another elixir and quaffed it sloppily, spilling some on himself and cursing a bit. His hands were shaking, too. "How are you feeling?" Elec asked her, assuming that she had taken a few hard blows. "I have some potions that might help you.""I have been better," she flatly stated, now weary from fatigue."Here," Elec said as re-corked the top of the elixir and tossed it to her. "Drink the rest of that and you'll feel better. It speeds up the healing process," Elec said. "I couldn't open this a minute ago," he added, pointing to his left eye. As he slowly climbed out of the tree and got to the ground, he noticed the left side of her head was bleeding badly through her sash. He removed another vial with some kind of ointment from his bandolier he wore across his chest that held the potions. He had long ago come up with the right strength of glass to use that would not easily shatter against him during combat."Remove your sash," Elec instructed her and she did so, revealing a large gash in the side of her head from the ogre's swing that opened her up. Elec wondered how she was standing! He poured some of the liquid out onto her sash and dabbed at it, rubbing it around on her forehead until it started to coagulate."I don't have a lot of this left, but I know where to pick more of the root that it comes from," Elec said as he gestured at the very tree that he sat in. "Tie this back on again and let it be. It should be fine by the morn.""Thank you, Elec," Saeunn responded, truly amazed at the resources of this white-eyed, exotic-looking elf. "We should check the others!" Saeunn suddenly said and with that she was off and running, at full speed right away. It was all Elec could muster to keep ten paces back.
Garius got to the top of the hill just in time to see an orc deliver the second arrow that bit deeply into Rose's leg. His visage changed under his helmet to sheer rage now. He walked slowly, clutching the handle of The Repentant firmly once more and with purpose. He held the hammer high in one hand beckoning The Shimmering One and asking for protection while he crossed the snowy ground to the orc responsible for the apparent demise of his friend and companion. His body glowed then with some sort of protective barrier that seemed to make the arrow hit and deflect away harmlessly as he chanted the prayer over and over with vigor, growing louder with each step as The Repentant glowed with holy energy.Garius continued to cross the ground as the stunned orc realized it could not penetrate the supernatural defenses with its missiles. The orc retrieved its sword from its scabbard. Garius now stood in front of the creature and dismissed his personal fortification spell, and invoked an incantation initiating something once more from the degenerative plane, uttering an offering of prayer to The Reaper, as he outstretched an open hand toward the orc's head.The orc attempted to stab at the stranger, but the armored figure infused such vast amounts of physical pain upon it that it dropped its sword mid-swing and its body wracked and convulsed in pain. It dropped to its knees and Garius continued the incantation, invoking such pain in the orc that it finally dropped into the snow, its life force completely drained from its body, absorbed into the Inquisitor. Garius Forge's frame was glowing with energy as he felt the necromantic power dissipate, storing it temporarily within his body.He turned from the ruined orc and ran as fast as he could in his armor toward his fallen friend. Garius reached Rose and threw his helmet off, revealing a grim and concerned expression. He clutched her arm and called upon a surge of regenerative energy, redirecting what he had stored within himself and used it to channel healing directly into her wounded body.Her body seemed to light up and she tried to force her eyes open as the power infused her and visibly began closing the more serious wounds on her chest and leg. The arrows began to disintegrate as the energy exploded around her. He repeated the incantation once more, further healing her wounds and closing them, stopping the flow of blood that was seeping onto the snow-covered earth. He hoped he'd gotten to her in time.Garius turned and saw Saeunn and Elec turn the corner, coming to a halt and, in turn, the two of them saw Garius on his knees in front of Rose. They slowly crossed the ground to them, fearing the worst.
Hope you enjoyed this!
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
CHAPTER 18
Elec and Saeunn raced over near the base of the southern hill, where the slope wasn't quite as steep as the opposite side, Elec noted. He also observed that there were at least six ogres that he could see now! They stood one and a half times the height of a human, with sickly, heavily muscled arms and bloated bellies. Their skin was an unhealthy yellow, with patches of hair in places and blemishes all over too.Elec had never seen an ogre and seeing one in person made him reach a new level of fear he'd never felt before. They moved with a speed that belied their disfigured bodies as they seemed to shamble forward. He imagined the force with which their mighty blows would strike and it made him wince involuntarily.Elec uneasily quaffed another potion. He felt he would need every advantage that he could muster. If he took too many, or took the wrong combination, the effects would not overlap properly, but the particular combination he used now was perfected over many years and was successfully tested over and over again. It still didn't stop him from over-imbibing them when he felt edgy about a fight. It had become a nervous habit.Saeunn charged the nearest ogre bravely and almost slipped on a snow patch, but caught herself and kept going, not even breaking stride. She and an ogre collided and there was a loud thud as her solid form hit it's somewhat bulbous frame. The ogre's head snapped back as Saeunn used the hilt of her sword to slam into the creature's head, cracking its skull, while deftly avoiding its fist. The creature landed in a heap—it was dead before it even hit the ground! Saeunn turned on another ogre as Elec watched her fight with a grace and ease that made him feel more inadequate than usual. She was his complete opposite in a fight, he realized, and he could not help but be impressed by the remarkable barbarian woman from Chansuk.A large rock just missed crushing Elec and he quickly returned his attention to his own role in the fight. He decided to move toward where Saeunn was heading. He wanted to stay close to the barbarian woman for several reasons.Is that a giant mass of energy? Elec thought as he caught a glimpse of something across the valley on the northern hill. He shook his head, dismissing the sight as possibly a side effect of one of his elixirs or a trick of the sunlight. Perhaps even the slow-falling snow was playing tricks on him….He ran quickly, keeping pace with Saeunn now and stopped where she was fighting, forcing the ogres at the top of the hill to stop lobbing rocks at him momentarily and at least reset their positions. That would buy them some time.Saeunn had cornered two more ogres now and seemed to be forcing them into defensive positions with her well-placed and aggressive swings. There was no subtlety to the barbarian woman it seemed; she simply relied on brute force and honed skill.The ogres began to maneuver her in between the two of them and Saeunn either didn't realize it or didn't care. Just as they were about to complete their positioning, Elec arrived and forced them to change their strategy. The ogres both sneered and gurgled something unintelligible at him.The first ogre swung a club at Saeunn that she parried with her greatsword, cutting a rather large wedge out of the wooden weapon in the process and stopping the blow cold. She immediately kicked out with her left leg into the kneecap of the ogre.Its leg slid back on the slick surface now causing it to stumble forward a bit, giving her an opening. Saeunn reared back with her greatsword and struck a killing blow to the back of its head, knocking it to the ground to its final resting place.Elec had taken the attention of the second ogre and was now dancing and dodging its blows, trying to avoid the creature's club as it made divots in the snowy ground around him. He saw a tree behind him and formulated a plan as the ogre swung wildly and with such force that to connect with a single blow would surely spell death.Elec dodged behind the tree now as quickly as he could, forcing the ogre around its wide base slowly enough that it did not see Elec climb the low hanging branch on the other side. The ogre peered around the base of the massive tree trunk and realized too late, where Elec had disappeared to. The ogre cried out in anguish as he felt the sharp end of a blade plunge through its back as Elec drove the blade through and thrust with all of his momentum and might that he could muster on the sword as it sank deeper into the ogre's back, through its lungs, and out the other side. He rode the beast for several seconds as it fought to remove the elf until finally it collapsed to the ground with a solid thud. Elec leapt from its back toward Saeunn who had just disposed of her foe. It was just in time as three more ogres had come into sight, obviously finding a less treacherous way down the hill than Elec had planned for them. Three more! Elec thought as he removed yet another potion from its housing on the bandolier and downed its contents.
Garius could not see where Rose had gone and returned his attention to the stunned orc on the ground, now only a few paces from him. He made a few movements with his main hand that still clutched The Repentant, rubbed his braided beard and uttered an incantation, asking The Watcher, the god of the skies, for a blessing of aid.As if the clouds themselves opened up, a massive bolt of lightning exploded out of the sky and landed directly on top of the prone orc, incinerating it and leaving a scorched patch of earth in the snow-soaked ground around the orc's charred remains. Garius slung his holy-laden warhammer upon his back and looked for a path up the hill to help Rose dispatch with the archers.
Rose exited from a shadow directly behind the first orc archer, using the element of surprise and slitting the green-skinned orc's throat, dropping it to the ground softly. The second and third orc noticed now, dropping their bows in unison and trying to draw their swords.Rose used that opening to kick out at the second orc and hit it squarely in the abdomen causing it to double over, then she hammered down with Zaedra in a reverse-grip and skewered the back of the creature's head while knocking it firmly to the floor.The third orc had gotten its sword out and she sensed that her end was near if she didn't move. They were still positioned directly under a tree, so she stepped into its shade once more and moved through the shadow realm to end up behind her target.The orc, however, did not sense her as it looked closely into the shadows trying to discern her whereabouts. She stealthily drove both dagger points into the back of the orc's upper back in unison, penetrating the lungs and leaving the orc lifeless within seconds.She removed the daggers and then suddenly felt a sting in her left shoulder that radiated pain down into her arm. She looked to see what it was and noticed an arrow protruding from her shoulder that passed right through and below her left clavicle. She fought back the pain and turned to see another orc approximately fifty paces from her that she had not noticed before. She tried to step into the shadows once more, to use the shadow realm temporarily to hide her from this plane, but could not concentrate as another arrow landed in her left thigh and caused her to fall to one knee….and then there was blackness. Her last thoughts were of failure.
Elec and Saeunn looked at one another and exchanged grim looks as the three ogres bore down on them."Any ideas?" Elec asked her as he quaffed another potion, drawing a quizzical look from Saeunn, who did not quite understand the elf's need for artificial aid in combat."Survive," Saeunn said bluntly as she once again charged headlong into the ogre stampede, wild-eyed with her long blonde braid of hair bouncing behind her as she ran.Elec nodded in agreement more to himself than anything else as Saeunn had already taken off. He tightened his grip on the hilts of his two magical weapons and ran after her once more, hoping that his elixirs would last the remainder of the fight.Saeunn took a running leap and jumped feet first into the center ogre's belly, knocking the wind out of it. As her momentum continued, she knocked the ogre to the ground, landing atop it, using her muscular legs and an incredible sense of balance to remain standing upon her fallen opponent. She sliced her greatsword in such an arc as to dismember the second ogre to her right in the process. Its head flew completely off and its massive body fell to the snowy ground, blood heavily staining the area where it landed. She stood atop the other ogre and stabbed at its head, but the ogre managed to wiggle out of the way of the blade and smacked his club at her, striking her in the side, knocking her to the ground this time and losing the grip on its club as it followed her trajectory.The ogre stood and was upon her by the time she regained her balance. The creature smashed its fist into the left side of her head, knocking her senseless and back a few feet. She was blinded with rage and could hardly feel the pain. She shook off the blow, ignoring the wound and refocused as the ogre was bearing down on her once more, its club, which looked like a tree-trunk, retrieved now and held tightly in both its massive hands.It swung the club wide and she parried the strike with one of her own. The two foes matched blow for blow and parry for strike for a few rounds of swings, neither tiring nor slowing for a second. It was a fierce and hard fought exchange.Saeunn was able to position herself better and eventually was able to kick the ogre in the groin, stunning it and giving her an opening. She swung on a high-to-low swing that spanned the creature's right facing shoulder, across his body, and ending up coming out at the left facing hip. Saeunn swung the blade so hard, it cut through flesh and bone, never stopping once along its deadly path. The ogre stood with a look of disbelief in its black eyes, trying to hold its insides, as its life blood gushed out onto the snowy ground. Saeunn roared, allowing the ire to fuel her and looked around for the third ogre.
The ogre headed directly toward Elec and he considered an idea. He tossed Daegnar Giruth into the air and spoke a magical word in the ancient elven dialect.The blade seemed to grab in midair and held fast. As the ogre neared him, he sprung into the air, clutching the hilt of the blade and using it to pull himself up as the beast lunged, but passed directly underneath him instead. Elec spun around in a complete circle, continuing with his momentum to launch himself onto the ogre's exposed back.He landed with a thud, pushing the ogre forward, and it fell with its hands outstretched, sliding forward on the slick ground. Elec grabbed the ogre's head and attempted to hang on, but could not. He slid forward now unexpectedly and came to a stop just as the ogre stood up, obviously dazed as it looked around for its club, but could not find it.The ogre snarled at Elec, showing its rotting yellow teeth behind its curled lips. It charged him, covering the ten paces very quickly. Elec tried to spring away in a dive, but lost his footing and slipped. The ogre slammed into him knocking the air from his lungs, but Elec managed to remain standing, sliding on the slippery ground with the ogre's momentum. The ogre swung a series of mighty blows. Elec dodged the first one, was grazed slightly by the second and was hit hard in the face and head by the next two, which knocked him down to the ground. Another blow followed but he managed to maneuver away from it, pushing himself along the ground, until he finally backed himself into the base of a tree. This is it! Elec thought, trying to cover himself as best he could. No where left to go….Just then he saw past the tangles of the ogre's greasy, matted hair to a figure in the air heading toward them with a huge sword angled down, poised for a death blow.The tip of Saeunn's greatsword was driven straight through the back of the ogre, skewering it and killing it instantly as the sword tip angled through its huge belly.Saeunn sat there for a few seconds, allowing her adrenaline to dissipate. Then she wildly looked around for Elec, worried now that she might have killed him too in her rage! She realized now that she may have made a crucial and horrible mistake."Elec!" Saeunn cried."Up here," came a voice from above her. She looked up and in the bough of a branch was the battered form of Elec, blood dripping from his eye and lip as he was beaten soundly by the ogre. "I really need to work on my combat skills…," he added, coughing up some blood in the process.Saeunn gasped and then smiled wider than he had ever seen her smile before, then actually laughed. He didn't remember ever seeing the barbarian smile."How…how did you…" Saeunn let the question hang, obviously relieved that he was alive.Elec swallowed hard, wiped some blood from his brow and simply pointed at his ring. "I can use this to teleport occasionally, assuming that the charge has restored itself," he added as he smiled. "Luckily, it had," he said, laughing.He grabbed another elixir and quaffed it sloppily, spilling some on himself and cursing a bit. His hands were shaking, too. "How are you feeling?" Elec asked her, assuming that she had taken a few hard blows. "I have some potions that might help you.""I have been better," she flatly stated, now weary from fatigue."Here," Elec said as re-corked the top of the elixir and tossed it to her. "Drink the rest of that and you'll feel better. It speeds up the healing process," Elec said. "I couldn't open this a minute ago," he added, pointing to his left eye. As he slowly climbed out of the tree and got to the ground, he noticed the left side of her head was bleeding badly through her sash. He removed another vial with some kind of ointment from his bandolier he wore across his chest that held the potions. He had long ago come up with the right strength of glass to use that would not easily shatter against him during combat."Remove your sash," Elec instructed her and she did so, revealing a large gash in the side of her head from the ogre's swing that opened her up. Elec wondered how she was standing! He poured some of the liquid out onto her sash and dabbed at it, rubbing it around on her forehead until it started to coagulate."I don't have a lot of this left, but I know where to pick more of the root that it comes from," Elec said as he gestured at the very tree that he sat in. "Tie this back on again and let it be. It should be fine by the morn.""Thank you, Elec," Saeunn responded, truly amazed at the resources of this white-eyed, exotic-looking elf. "We should check the others!" Saeunn suddenly said and with that she was off and running, at full speed right away. It was all Elec could muster to keep ten paces back.
Garius got to the top of the hill just in time to see an orc deliver the second arrow that bit deeply into Rose's leg. His visage changed under his helmet to sheer rage now. He walked slowly, clutching the handle of The Repentant firmly once more and with purpose. He held the hammer high in one hand beckoning The Shimmering One and asking for protection while he crossed the snowy ground to the orc responsible for the apparent demise of his friend and companion. His body glowed then with some sort of protective barrier that seemed to make the arrow hit and deflect away harmlessly as he chanted the prayer over and over with vigor, growing louder with each step as The Repentant glowed with holy energy.Garius continued to cross the ground as the stunned orc realized it could not penetrate the supernatural defenses with its missiles. The orc retrieved its sword from its scabbard. Garius now stood in front of the creature and dismissed his personal fortification spell, and invoked an incantation initiating something once more from the degenerative plane, uttering an offering of prayer to The Reaper, as he outstretched an open hand toward the orc's head.The orc attempted to stab at the stranger, but the armored figure infused such vast amounts of physical pain upon it that it dropped its sword mid-swing and its body wracked and convulsed in pain. It dropped to its knees and Garius continued the incantation, invoking such pain in the orc that it finally dropped into the snow, its life force completely drained from its body, absorbed into the Inquisitor. Garius Forge's frame was glowing with energy as he felt the necromantic power dissipate, storing it temporarily within his body.He turned from the ruined orc and ran as fast as he could in his armor toward his fallen friend. Garius reached Rose and threw his helmet off, revealing a grim and concerned expression. He clutched her arm and called upon a surge of regenerative energy, redirecting what he had stored within himself and used it to channel healing directly into her wounded body.Her body seemed to light up and she tried to force her eyes open as the power infused her and visibly began closing the more serious wounds on her chest and leg. The arrows began to disintegrate as the energy exploded around her. He repeated the incantation once more, further healing her wounds and closing them, stopping the flow of blood that was seeping onto the snow-covered earth. He hoped he'd gotten to her in time.Garius turned and saw Saeunn and Elec turn the corner, coming to a halt and, in turn, the two of them saw Garius on his knees in front of Rose. They slowly crossed the ground to them, fearing the worst.
Hope you enjoyed this!
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
August 26, 2011
Interview with an Avid D&D Gamer
A very good friend of mine is a HUGE Dungeons and Dragons gamer. He has played since 1987 to present. He has played with me too, but most of the time without. That being said, I wanted to do a brief interview for all of you gamers and D&D players who have played over the years and thought it would be cool to ask him a few questions. He was kind enough to take the time to answer my questions.
The interview is with Nicholas Titano of Infernal Titans, a company that he established this year in an attempt to provide gaming maps (at first) to the gaming community as he felt there were very few to choose from. Check his website out here...go now! And then come back here to see what Nick had to say!
We here at INFERNAL TITANS have been avid gamers for over two decades and as such, have had our finger on the pulse of the gaming community the entire time. Being mindful of your income, our goal is to not only provide the gaming community with quality products at an affordable price, but to satisfy what our own players have been clamoring for in the past few years: new gaming products! We strive to produce the highest quality role playing supplements that we can and look forward to producing many more in the future. These products are the first in a line of what we hope will be MANY products that make your game (and ours) a more enjoyable experience.
http://www.infernaltitans.com/
What drew you to Dungeons & Dragons?I was always a fan of swashbuckling sword and sorcery stories. My favorite toys as a child were the castle themed Lego sets, and anything Star Wars. So Dungeons & Dragons was a natural progression.
What is the most important element of the game in your opinion?The social element. Dungeons & Dragons is inherently a group activity, if you don't like the people you play with, you are not going to enjoy yourself.
Did anyone ever ask you if you won or lost a game of Dungeons & Dragons?Yes, on several occasions. It's usually a waste of time to try to explain the game to them, so I usually just say "Yes, yes I did."
How would you attract new gamers in the video game age?Make a video game. If the game accurately simulates the tabletop experience, that would generate interest in the tabletop game. Then couple the video game experience with an in depth online community that caters to the video gamers, and the tabletop gamers. Thereby creating an interconnected community of gamers.
Making the game more dynamic, accessible, and user friendly is also a good idea.
What do you like best as a player in Dungeons & Dragons?Being a part of a team. I generally lean towards characters that fill more of a supporting role when I play.What do you like best in the role of Dungeon Master in Dungeons & Dragons?Creating memorable experiences for my friends.
Why do you still play after 20+ years of playing?Because I still enjoy it. As I grow and change, so does the game. That's the beauty of a tabletop RPG, it can be anything you want it to be. There are no constraints.
What is your favorite edition of Dungeons & Dragons?4th edition is my favorite. Its elegant mechanics are far easier to work with than any previous edition. At the same time it brings back the feelings I had as a 12 year old back in 1987 paging through the old Red Box Basic Edition- "Anything is possible in this world".
What is your most memorable event in Dungeons & Dragons as either a player or a Dungeon Master?
Surprisingly my most memorable events occur away from the table, as opposed to at it. The fact that my wife named her cat after an NPC from one of my campaigns is awesome. Obviously that campaign, and that NPC in particular, had a profound impact on her. That's just one of many. My players remembered minute details about a minor NPC whose purpose was purely comic relief. The party was close to Epic levels, so I figured one of the "famous" heroes should have a stalker. They remembered that his "spirit companion" (The PC he is stalking is a 4E shaman) was a plush badger attached to a string. Things like that stand out to me more than anything specific that happens at the table. What do you think of the internet wars of Pathfinder vs. Dungeons & Dragons?I don't, and neither should anyone else. Internet "Wars" are a waste of time.
Nick can be reached here:customerservice@infernaltitans.com
Oh, before I forget, go like Nick's facebook page found here. It is so easy! Follow the link here, click the 'Like' button! It is super simple!Thanks in advance for you assumed compliance and cooperation in this matter. :-)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Infernal-Titans/154985021241455
Also, I would encourage any of you who are interested to take one of the questions, copy it and paste your answer in the comments!
See you in Wothlondia! (And maybe at the gaming table!) Cheers!
Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
August 21, 2011
Guest Blog - GritCity Emotobooks with Ron Gavalik
Grit City Emotobooks Revolutionize Fictional Storytelling
Ron Gavalik
As a writer it's always been a goal of mine to bridge the gap between the cerebral gratifications of well-plotted writing and the visual stimulation of illustrative art or film. Like a mad scientist with crazy hair and a battered lab coat, I experimented with various styles, structures, and word painting exercises. Nothing seemed to achieve my goal.
Then it came to me. I had a mini-epiphany. Insert abstract, emotionally representative illustrations during peak moments of tension. By delivering a visual of what the character feels and experiences, the reader becomes more intensely immersed in the story.
The term emotobook is simply a portmanteau word I conjured, as a fun and memorable label for this new medium of fiction.
Unlike comic books that use direct illustrations as the primary storytelling device, Grit City emotobooks are written mystery noirs, with an urban fantasy twist. The four of five illustrations in each thirty-page installment merely lend a visual experience to the internal emotional processes of the characters.
It's lots of fun.
Grit City is continuing story, published each month to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other eBook retailers. In each installment the reader is exposed to a dark and calamitous world, where the nefarious rule.
Our main character is Dillon Galway, an idealistic freelance journalist in his mid-twenties, who barely scrapes out a living reporting on corruption for the metro newspaper and his own blog.
Dillon embodies a double meaning of the term grit. He is a gritty individual, who drinks and lives meagerly. But he also possesses grit. Courage and strength of character are his dominant personality traits.
I've constructed a world where Dillon shares a symbiotic relationship with the city. Its failures have lowered him, yet he remains hopeful for the restoration of peace and opportunity. Occasionally, he relies on the sexy and sultry Alyssa Stephano (gun for hire) to help when situations require her nickel-plated Colt .45 revolvers.
Grit City was an ideal place to live at one time. We all know of towns that have fallen over the years. The murder of Dillon's Father and the rise of the Syndicate started Dillon's downward spiral. All meaningful power in business, politics, and law enforcement were funneled into the hands of this wealthy organization.
But in the shadows of the back alleys, whispers stir in the underground of an unnamed force. Something or someone that's determined to upset the status quo. When Dillon is tipped about horrifying activities he's propelled into a perilous investigation that may lead to dire consequences.
As the series progresses he's faced with unfathomed challenges, but also gains abilities most consider impossible.
The creation of Grit City is a collaborative process. Leah Keilman is our illustrator and master of visual expressionism in fiction. It's her talent and passion that breathes life into the emotobook illustrations. Nikki Hopeman is our proofing editor. Her eye for detail ensures the story installments I write are held to the highest possible level of storytelling. Kunta is our web and electronic media guru, who likes to eat…a lot. We just feed him pizza and let him work his magic. Without this team my vision of emotobooks never would have existed.
With that said, we've all dedicated our lives to this pursuit. We're thankful such a broad audience is heralding the story. It seems our tagline on the website is true.
Read one installment and you'll be hooked until the gritty end.
Author Bio
Ron Gavalik has dedicated his life to the written word. He's practiced a long and successful career in fiction writing, journalism, and technical documentation. His short fiction has appeared in several magazines and online venues. His news articles have informed thousands of readers throughout the United States.
He conceived the new medium of emotobooks in 2010 while earning his M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Grit City is the maiden serialized story, and is receiving accolades among a large and diverse base of readers throughout the US, UK, and Germany.Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Ron spends much of his free time in the outdoors of Southwestern Pennsylvania. He enjoys fishing, hiking, and riding his trail bike.
Ron can be reached through his website at: RonGavalik.com.
*****
I met Ron on Twitter and he has a ground-breaking and very original thing going on here that inspires creativity and demands some respect! Check him out along with the whole GritCity team on his website. Cheers!
Gary F. Vanucci
August 19, 2011
Read Books...please?
As usual, this blog has a good amount of my opinion, for better or worse! *gasp*
I would like to open with a simple request: read!
Is it because I have a book on the market? Maybe…. But, not really…seriously.This post is not meant to be preachy, though it may come off as such. My message is meant simply to give encouragement!
I have been watching some pretty bad TV and movie trailers and thinking…wow, it doesn't matter if it is bad because even bad movies get seen.
I give you a scenario: Someone(s) on a Saturday night is watching a movie that they really intended to watch and then the 'bad' one follows it. They leave it on and watch it…even though it's bad! So, theoretically, we can watch bad movies by accident! You cannot, however, read a book by accident. It has to be intentional, right?
Music, for the most part, is something that you have a very real emotional attachment or detachment to right away also. You only need thirty seconds or less to know whether or not you like a song, but a book might take a couple of chapters to get into a groove. Same thing with comics and graphic novels, but they at least have some visual aid help! (And you would be reading—yeah!)
All in all, I think we need to encourage our little ones, sons and daughters of all ages, siblings, parents, friends and everyone else to read a little bit more. Increasing one's vocabulary increases your knowledge, which in turn, increases your IQ and may lead to greater academic or financial success down the road. It also might give you advantages in social circles as well…you never know.
Let's face it, it wouldn't hurt to turn off the boob tube and pick up a book every once in a while, even for entertainment (*gasp again*). I know as I read in my younger days, I was forced to look words up that I did not understand or I was able to understand their basic meaning due to how the word was used in the context of the sentence. And yes, I was one of those kids.
In this day and age of social media and instant messaging/texting, one can't help but notice that the populace (including yours truly) has been abbreviating words. This ends up becoming something that we may start to do in emails at work, or send to a boss or some other professional that will immediately reflect on you in a negative way, even if it was unintentional. I have been getting back into the practice now of typing things out as Mr. Webster intended!
Then there are common usage mistakes that I see in Social Media every single day. The most common example is your and you're. 'Your' is a possessive pronoun while 'you're' is a contraction of 'you are'.
I'll let Ross from Friends explain it to you:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v30q6VkphbE&feature=related
Anyway, all that I am trying to establish is that reading, in my opinion, is:A) Good for your overall mindsetB) Has a pretty good chance of increasing your vocabulary, and C) Might just make you smarter
Now, go read something! And as always, I want to hear from you!
This is my silly cat, placed here to see if you are still paying attention!
Oh, and if you need a suggestion, there is a fantasy novel from this guy that you can purchase online…
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
I would like to open with a simple request: read!
Is it because I have a book on the market? Maybe…. But, not really…seriously.This post is not meant to be preachy, though it may come off as such. My message is meant simply to give encouragement!
I have been watching some pretty bad TV and movie trailers and thinking…wow, it doesn't matter if it is bad because even bad movies get seen.
I give you a scenario: Someone(s) on a Saturday night is watching a movie that they really intended to watch and then the 'bad' one follows it. They leave it on and watch it…even though it's bad! So, theoretically, we can watch bad movies by accident! You cannot, however, read a book by accident. It has to be intentional, right?
Music, for the most part, is something that you have a very real emotional attachment or detachment to right away also. You only need thirty seconds or less to know whether or not you like a song, but a book might take a couple of chapters to get into a groove. Same thing with comics and graphic novels, but they at least have some visual aid help! (And you would be reading—yeah!)
All in all, I think we need to encourage our little ones, sons and daughters of all ages, siblings, parents, friends and everyone else to read a little bit more. Increasing one's vocabulary increases your knowledge, which in turn, increases your IQ and may lead to greater academic or financial success down the road. It also might give you advantages in social circles as well…you never know.
Let's face it, it wouldn't hurt to turn off the boob tube and pick up a book every once in a while, even for entertainment (*gasp again*). I know as I read in my younger days, I was forced to look words up that I did not understand or I was able to understand their basic meaning due to how the word was used in the context of the sentence. And yes, I was one of those kids.
In this day and age of social media and instant messaging/texting, one can't help but notice that the populace (including yours truly) has been abbreviating words. This ends up becoming something that we may start to do in emails at work, or send to a boss or some other professional that will immediately reflect on you in a negative way, even if it was unintentional. I have been getting back into the practice now of typing things out as Mr. Webster intended!
Then there are common usage mistakes that I see in Social Media every single day. The most common example is your and you're. 'Your' is a possessive pronoun while 'you're' is a contraction of 'you are'.
I'll let Ross from Friends explain it to you:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v30q6VkphbE&feature=related
Anyway, all that I am trying to establish is that reading, in my opinion, is:A) Good for your overall mindsetB) Has a pretty good chance of increasing your vocabulary, and C) Might just make you smarter
Now, go read something! And as always, I want to hear from you!
This is my silly cat, placed here to see if you are still paying attention!
Oh, and if you need a suggestion, there is a fantasy novel from this guy that you can purchase online…
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!
August 15, 2011
How much TV do you watch?
This post was something fun I was thinking of doing for a while and though it doesn't focus on writing/reading, it does relate to it.
I was wondering this myself recently as I realized that with work, shopping and the everyday things that encompass my time and the amount of reading and writing that I get done every day, I have little to no time at all for TV!
I am going to go over what I happen to actually take the time to watch on a weekly basis and share my opinions on them. Other than the occasional Discovery channel on in the background or even a Phillies game, I can sometimes watch a bit of 'Criminal Minds'. That being said, there are several programs that I DVR and watch in blocks when I have time, but all in all, I probably watch less than 6 hours a week! I do enjoy the USA lineup for the most part with 'Burn Notice', 'Royal Pains' and my new favorite: 'Suits'!
Then there are some of the comedies I enjoy: '30 Rock'—and I have to say that Tina Fey is not only a brilliant writer, but she is what I like to call 'sneaky' sexy. I watch 'The Office', 'Parks and Recreation' (See link below - Ron Swanson is da' man!) and 'Community' (which some episodes may become 'must watch' as in the Dungeons and Dragons episodes and the paint ball, too). Other than that, it's Modern Family, with the brilliant Christopher Lloyd involved in the creation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKjpqaI1Pbk
I also enjoyed 'Men of a Certain Age' very much, so of course they cancelled it as most people seem to enjoy reality TV (yuck) which puts writers out of jobs…so stop watching it! (J/K, watch whatever you want!) Speaking of cancelled, 'Arrested Development' was my all time favorite comedy on TV. Unfortunately, I missed the boat when it was on and am sorry I did, but at least we have the two and ½ seasons to watch on DVD! Oh, and I am one of the guys who WANTS TO SEE THE MOVIE, TOO! Now that's out of my system, let's move on.
I also very much enjoy 'Parenthood', a compelling drama about a family and their siblings/parents who are trying to raise their own families. Probably one of the better shows on TV when it comes to writing. And normally, I don't watch a drama, but this one is good in my humble opinion!
I watched some of the Starz original series, Spartacus, as well as what could be my all-time favorite mini-series: Game of Thrones on HBO! I am sure that there are tons more shows that are out there and my friends tell me all the time: "you gotta' watch this" or "you gotta' watch that!" Quite frankly, I might need to drop a few! But seriously, I know there are more shows out there that I would love to watch—I just don't have the time is all.
So it begs the question: How much TV and what shows do you watch? Share your thoughts here with me!
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
August 10, 2011
GENCON 2011 experience...
Well, as you all know by now, my favorite part of gencon is not a surprise. I must say that we had our fair share f mishaps, disappointments and all around frustrations. The trip out was an excruciating 11.5 hour journey from the Philadelphia area to Indianapolis. We arrived at the Days Hotel and were immediately disappointed by their lack of knowledge…not only about gencon, but about the surrounding area! We asked them if they had a map and the attendant said no, when there was one right on the end of the counter (which we found shortly after.)
Then, after eating and sleeping on Wednesday night, we managed to catch a shuttle to the convention center. This was a miracle as well as we later found out that the shuttles were all done basically by one guy and he was servicing two hotels. You do the math.
We arrived at the convention center and were greeted by a line that must have been close to a mile long! WILL CALL! Argh! Next time, we take the cab the night before and get our badges! After that, it took us a little time to get acclimated and before I knew it, the day was gone and we had played our first two sessions of the Living Divine in the 4th edition D&D game room. The games were fun!
Then we spent the next few hours waiting and calling for our shuttle, which did not arrive until 1:30ish in the morning. That sucked! Nick and I then arrived back to the hotel to find that our linens had not been changed. Strike Three, Days Inn! Next! And on top of that, one of our guys had to fly home Saturday morning as his wife went into the hospital. Turns out that she is OK (phew!) but it sucked, nonetheless! So, other than little sleep, which I had counted on, we got more than we bargained for in the way of fun-detractors!
Things did get better after that (despite the hotel's numerous attempts to blemish my trip) and we managed to visit the amazingly vast dealer rooms, eat @ Loghmiller's pub (our favorite eatery in Indy) and meet some amazing people! I met Jay Babcock, (no relation to my novel's artist, Justine) who was responsible for the 4th edition Living Divine Event and the mods were fun! Our DM, Dave, was a pretty cool dude and so were all of the DM's and marshals at the event.
Then there were of course, the costumes and the statues…pics below! People at gencon are some of the coolest people I have ever met.
And despite all of the problems with the hotel, the travel and the expenses...I would do it 100 out of 100 times again.
Then, after eating and sleeping on Wednesday night, we managed to catch a shuttle to the convention center. This was a miracle as well as we later found out that the shuttles were all done basically by one guy and he was servicing two hotels. You do the math.
We arrived at the convention center and were greeted by a line that must have been close to a mile long! WILL CALL! Argh! Next time, we take the cab the night before and get our badges! After that, it took us a little time to get acclimated and before I knew it, the day was gone and we had played our first two sessions of the Living Divine in the 4th edition D&D game room. The games were fun!
Then we spent the next few hours waiting and calling for our shuttle, which did not arrive until 1:30ish in the morning. That sucked! Nick and I then arrived back to the hotel to find that our linens had not been changed. Strike Three, Days Inn! Next! And on top of that, one of our guys had to fly home Saturday morning as his wife went into the hospital. Turns out that she is OK (phew!) but it sucked, nonetheless! So, other than little sleep, which I had counted on, we got more than we bargained for in the way of fun-detractors! Things did get better after that (despite the hotel's numerous attempts to blemish my trip) and we managed to visit the amazingly vast dealer rooms, eat @ Loghmiller's pub (our favorite eatery in Indy) and meet some amazing people! I met Jay Babcock, (no relation to my novel's artist, Justine) who was responsible for the 4th edition Living Divine Event and the mods were fun! Our DM, Dave, was a pretty cool dude and so were all of the DM's and marshals at the event.
Then there were of course, the costumes and the statues…pics below! People at gencon are some of the coolest people I have ever met.
And despite all of the problems with the hotel, the travel and the expenses...I would do it 100 out of 100 times again.
August 8, 2011
The Meeting of a Lifetime: R.A. Salvatore
I went to Gencon this year with two goals in mind: 1) to have some fun with my friends and 2) to try to market my novel to anyone that would listen!
There was an unexpected surprise, however, when I found out that my favorite author, Mr. R. A. Salvatore, would be there as well! I had signed a copy of my novel for him specifically as a gift. This was because I had gotten advice from him via email and he was kind enough to respond and always in a timely, polite and generous manner. This alone was special to me, but meeting him in person was going to be even better!I was lucky enough to run into him and his wife on Friday at the 'Neverwinter' booth for Wizards of the Coast and handed him my novel personally. He was gracious enough to accept it and my buddy Nick snapped a pic!
I was in heaven, needless to say. I was able to speak with him for five minutes and he asked if I was going to his Seminar @ the Marriot and I responded with a 'well, I don't have tickets for it,' answer and he advised me to go anyway. It was Saturday and I had two games scheduled to play, but this was my hero, so I blew them off!
I instead went to a book signing where he joked with me asking if I 'wanted a book.' I replied 'sure' and he said, 'You gave me a book, it's only fair I give you one,' or something along those lines (I am paraphrasing). He gifted me a paperback copy of The Ghost King and signed it with the words: "Fellow Author, Eh?" Again, I was beaming! I said I'd see him @ 4pm for his Seminar and off I went.
It was a two hour session of back and forth with him telling stories about Drizz't and the gang, his work on The Demon Wars series and The Highwayman series as well and the better part of the time was spent doing Q & A. I asked him which character he liked most to write about in the Forgotten Realms series and he answered with: "It's gotta' be Drizz't." I felt silly after asking the question not thinking that it would be so obvious an answer, seeing that I love Artemis Entreri! He went on to tell quite a few stories and answer tons of fan questions, never making anyone sound silly for having asked a lame question, etc. He told two stories about how two troops' lives were saved when his book stopped a bullet from hitting the target when instead the bullet was stopped by one of his books! Really crazy stuff, right!? His books literally saved their lives! He claims to have pictures of the books as well sent directly from the troops in question!
He also spoke about how his characters were what kept fans interested and how important this was in order to establish himself as a successful author. This was the exact answer that I claimed when asked what made my book different from all the rest of the fantasy out there. I believed that my characters, with their many flaws and relatable personalities, will be what make my work stand out (if I can get enough people to read it!) It is both reassuring and uplifting to hear my favorite author echo those opinions!
At the end of the Q & A, he told the famous 'Wubba-Wubba' story which I had heard before from the previous year's Gencon on a podcast. It is hysterical and worth the five minutes. Check that out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzpgAQpcp8o.
So, on the day went. I got something to eat at my new local pub, Loughmiller's Pub & Eatery. There I planned to go to a 'Meet & mingle with author R.A. Salvatore at Scotty's Brewhouse a few blocks from the convention from 8pm to 10 pm. So, naturally, I had to go to this, too!
I got there just as Mr. Salvatore and his wife were arriving and I noted that Ed Greenwood was there, too! The creator of the Forgotten Realms! Bonus! I went in the back and sat at a seat with a guy I had just met named Mike that worked for an online interview place called "With Special Guest" where he was waiting to get interviews with the authors there. Yes, I said authors, as in plural! Thirty minutes in, I was sitting there thinking 'I am not going to get to talk to anyone here' and was about to leave when Mike said "Why don't you stay until 9pm," and I did. I am glad that I did. "With Special Guest' site can be found here: http://withspecialguest.posterous.com/. After that chat, my night turned around!
I was able to speak with Mike briefly about Nick Titano's Battle Maps website and plug them a bit: http://www.infernaltitans.com/ as well as talk to him about my own project. (You probably know about that as you are at my blog site….)
I was able to meet Erik Scott De Bie, who's body of work was quite long and who's latest work is called 'Shadowbane' for the Forgotten Realms (release date of September 2011), his site is here: http://erikscottdebie.com/. All of Erik's work can be found there under: 'Bibliography'.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Erin M. Evans, an author and editor and who is responsible for 'The God Catcher' and has another Forgotten Realms novel coming out called 'Brimstone Angels' about two tieflings. Her site is here: http://slushlush.com/.
The two of them humored me as I excitedly gushed about my project, showing them my prototype copy of my novel and they told me a little bit about themselves and their current projects as well. I eagerly listened and gobbled up the information!
Later, I got a chance to get a signature from Elminster/Forgotten Realms creator, Ed Greenwood, but he was eating and I did not want to bother him for long, lest he smite me down with the might of Elminster!
I also met Scott's (former?) editor, Susan Morris or 'Serious Pixie', but did not get to spend much time speaking with her.
I spent the rest of the night listening and interacting on an off with Mr. Salvatore about life, politics, fantasy and even baseball! We talked about the real possibility of how my Phillies would be meeting his Red Sox in a World Series slugfest and he said that was what Curt Schilling predicted as well! I also had the pleasure of speaking to his wife, Diane, who was so kind and gave me some advice about marketing and conventions and other things. She was extremely gracious and too nice for words!
I have to tell you, meeting Bob Salvatore in person was a dream come true. Hearing him speak and learning what he went through as a struggling author gave me hope and inspiration to keep writing. I will persevere and weather the storms to come, the doubt and criticism that will no doubt follow me (as it follows anyone trying to be creative), and I will focus on the positive.
This memory will help guide me through the journey and help me reach my goals. And that is because my goals have changed after listening to his words. Like Mr. Salvatore, I know that when I am gone, I will at least have something to leave behind for my family. If I go no further, I will at least have written and published something to hand down for generations. I have, at the very least, left something behind that is very near and dear to my heart: The Covenant of the Faceless Knights.
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
There was an unexpected surprise, however, when I found out that my favorite author, Mr. R. A. Salvatore, would be there as well! I had signed a copy of my novel for him specifically as a gift. This was because I had gotten advice from him via email and he was kind enough to respond and always in a timely, polite and generous manner. This alone was special to me, but meeting him in person was going to be even better!I was lucky enough to run into him and his wife on Friday at the 'Neverwinter' booth for Wizards of the Coast and handed him my novel personally. He was gracious enough to accept it and my buddy Nick snapped a pic!
I was in heaven, needless to say. I was able to speak with him for five minutes and he asked if I was going to his Seminar @ the Marriot and I responded with a 'well, I don't have tickets for it,' answer and he advised me to go anyway. It was Saturday and I had two games scheduled to play, but this was my hero, so I blew them off! I instead went to a book signing where he joked with me asking if I 'wanted a book.' I replied 'sure' and he said, 'You gave me a book, it's only fair I give you one,' or something along those lines (I am paraphrasing). He gifted me a paperback copy of The Ghost King and signed it with the words: "Fellow Author, Eh?" Again, I was beaming! I said I'd see him @ 4pm for his Seminar and off I went.
It was a two hour session of back and forth with him telling stories about Drizz't and the gang, his work on The Demon Wars series and The Highwayman series as well and the better part of the time was spent doing Q & A. I asked him which character he liked most to write about in the Forgotten Realms series and he answered with: "It's gotta' be Drizz't." I felt silly after asking the question not thinking that it would be so obvious an answer, seeing that I love Artemis Entreri! He went on to tell quite a few stories and answer tons of fan questions, never making anyone sound silly for having asked a lame question, etc. He told two stories about how two troops' lives were saved when his book stopped a bullet from hitting the target when instead the bullet was stopped by one of his books! Really crazy stuff, right!? His books literally saved their lives! He claims to have pictures of the books as well sent directly from the troops in question!
He also spoke about how his characters were what kept fans interested and how important this was in order to establish himself as a successful author. This was the exact answer that I claimed when asked what made my book different from all the rest of the fantasy out there. I believed that my characters, with their many flaws and relatable personalities, will be what make my work stand out (if I can get enough people to read it!) It is both reassuring and uplifting to hear my favorite author echo those opinions!
At the end of the Q & A, he told the famous 'Wubba-Wubba' story which I had heard before from the previous year's Gencon on a podcast. It is hysterical and worth the five minutes. Check that out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzpgAQpcp8o.
So, on the day went. I got something to eat at my new local pub, Loughmiller's Pub & Eatery. There I planned to go to a 'Meet & mingle with author R.A. Salvatore at Scotty's Brewhouse a few blocks from the convention from 8pm to 10 pm. So, naturally, I had to go to this, too!
I got there just as Mr. Salvatore and his wife were arriving and I noted that Ed Greenwood was there, too! The creator of the Forgotten Realms! Bonus! I went in the back and sat at a seat with a guy I had just met named Mike that worked for an online interview place called "With Special Guest" where he was waiting to get interviews with the authors there. Yes, I said authors, as in plural! Thirty minutes in, I was sitting there thinking 'I am not going to get to talk to anyone here' and was about to leave when Mike said "Why don't you stay until 9pm," and I did. I am glad that I did. "With Special Guest' site can be found here: http://withspecialguest.posterous.com/. After that chat, my night turned around!
I was able to speak with Mike briefly about Nick Titano's Battle Maps website and plug them a bit: http://www.infernaltitans.com/ as well as talk to him about my own project. (You probably know about that as you are at my blog site….)
I was able to meet Erik Scott De Bie, who's body of work was quite long and who's latest work is called 'Shadowbane' for the Forgotten Realms (release date of September 2011), his site is here: http://erikscottdebie.com/. All of Erik's work can be found there under: 'Bibliography'.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Erin M. Evans, an author and editor and who is responsible for 'The God Catcher' and has another Forgotten Realms novel coming out called 'Brimstone Angels' about two tieflings. Her site is here: http://slushlush.com/.
The two of them humored me as I excitedly gushed about my project, showing them my prototype copy of my novel and they told me a little bit about themselves and their current projects as well. I eagerly listened and gobbled up the information!
Later, I got a chance to get a signature from Elminster/Forgotten Realms creator, Ed Greenwood, but he was eating and I did not want to bother him for long, lest he smite me down with the might of Elminster!
I also met Scott's (former?) editor, Susan Morris or 'Serious Pixie', but did not get to spend much time speaking with her.
I spent the rest of the night listening and interacting on an off with Mr. Salvatore about life, politics, fantasy and even baseball! We talked about the real possibility of how my Phillies would be meeting his Red Sox in a World Series slugfest and he said that was what Curt Schilling predicted as well! I also had the pleasure of speaking to his wife, Diane, who was so kind and gave me some advice about marketing and conventions and other things. She was extremely gracious and too nice for words!
I have to tell you, meeting Bob Salvatore in person was a dream come true. Hearing him speak and learning what he went through as a struggling author gave me hope and inspiration to keep writing. I will persevere and weather the storms to come, the doubt and criticism that will no doubt follow me (as it follows anyone trying to be creative), and I will focus on the positive.
This memory will help guide me through the journey and help me reach my goals. And that is because my goals have changed after listening to his words. Like Mr. Salvatore, I know that when I am gone, I will at least have something to leave behind for my family. If I go no further, I will at least have written and published something to hand down for generations. I have, at the very least, left something behind that is very near and dear to my heart: The Covenant of the Faceless Knights.
See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
August 2, 2011
Art in Fantasy Novels…Worth it or Not?
Let me tell you something about me…I am a very imaginative person who responds to imagery in a very emotional way. I see anything at all that is aesthetically pleasing to me and I go crazy! I recall reading Terry Brooks Shannara series back in the (mid 80's?) day and thinking…"Man, I gotta' find out who those guys are!"
So, when I went about writing my novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, I wanted to put some sketches in there too! I met a student @ the University of the Arts here in Philadelphia and after a brief chat, realized that I'd found an eager and willing participant to my project in the name of Justine Babcock. She happily showed me her portfolio and it blew me away! Her website and art can be seen here:
http://www.justinebabcock.com/work.html
We went to work coming up with a few cover concepts and when I gave her the initial ideas, she came back with phenomenal work. I then sent her an illustration that detailed the picture that I wanted (the only artwork below that is not hers!)
My Sketch and she went to work painting it! Yes, I said painting…as in—hand-painted. I could see the brushstrokes when it was drying as she sent me a camera-phone picture. Needles to say, I was pretty excited. The dream was becoming reality!
I explained to her in writing what I wanted in the way of characters and descriptions as well as scenes in the book to show the readers in my novel and she delivered! Big-time! I could not be happier with the interior art and cover art that she provided me and think that the artwork adds something special to the novel and it is something that I am extremely proud when showing off to family and friends. It is cooler than words can describe to see someone's interpretation of your character on a page in front of you. I feel that Justine really hit the mark with the impactful and dramatic art that I was looking to deliver to my audience and as you can see, she provided me with a great product to give to you—the reader! I hope you like the artwork as much as I do! (Samples below including the painting of the cover!)
Barguth on Worg, Elec Stormwhsiper, Garius Forge
Left: Initial Painting, still drying. Right: Finished Cover of Garius' Face
Question: Would you personally pay a bit more for a book specifically if it had drawings/sketches in it? Or would you rather pay less and have no artwork at all? See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
So, when I went about writing my novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, I wanted to put some sketches in there too! I met a student @ the University of the Arts here in Philadelphia and after a brief chat, realized that I'd found an eager and willing participant to my project in the name of Justine Babcock. She happily showed me her portfolio and it blew me away! Her website and art can be seen here:
http://www.justinebabcock.com/work.html
We went to work coming up with a few cover concepts and when I gave her the initial ideas, she came back with phenomenal work. I then sent her an illustration that detailed the picture that I wanted (the only artwork below that is not hers!)
My Sketch and she went to work painting it! Yes, I said painting…as in—hand-painted. I could see the brushstrokes when it was drying as she sent me a camera-phone picture. Needles to say, I was pretty excited. The dream was becoming reality!I explained to her in writing what I wanted in the way of characters and descriptions as well as scenes in the book to show the readers in my novel and she delivered! Big-time! I could not be happier with the interior art and cover art that she provided me and think that the artwork adds something special to the novel and it is something that I am extremely proud when showing off to family and friends. It is cooler than words can describe to see someone's interpretation of your character on a page in front of you. I feel that Justine really hit the mark with the impactful and dramatic art that I was looking to deliver to my audience and as you can see, she provided me with a great product to give to you—the reader! I hope you like the artwork as much as I do! (Samples below including the painting of the cover!)
Barguth on Worg, Elec Stormwhsiper, Garius Forge
Left: Initial Painting, still drying. Right: Finished Cover of Garius' FaceQuestion: Would you personally pay a bit more for a book specifically if it had drawings/sketches in it? Or would you rather pay less and have no artwork at all? See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!
July 30, 2011
Theatrical vs. Realistic Fighting...
Do you like your fictional fight scenes to represent a realistic feel or a dramatic feel? I was chatting with a friend, who happens to be a 3rd degree Kenpo instructor, and we got to talking about practical fighting style compared to the theatrical type. Kenpo, according to him, is designed as a dominating fighting style where you literally start the action and do not stop until your opponent is disabled…or worse…no ebb and flow, just flow!
This goes against the typical theatrical or dramatic fighting style seen in movies or read in books. I mean that there are some quick fights, most of the time against henchmen or lesser characters, but for the most part, the final battle or any relevant battle has to have give and take…in fiction.
In movies and books (including comics, etc.) the combat scenes need to be drawn out, with ebb and flow to them, so that you can feel a sense of danger for the hero, etc. and it might put you on the edge of your seat. Especially as a reader!
This is almost a continuation of the 'Hero?' blog from a few days ago, but with a slightly different twist.
It got me to thinking about what if the hero was that good. No matter who the enemy or opponent was, the hero could defeat them simply and efficiently. This is just my opinion and I am not trying to force it on anyone, but wouldn't that be boring to see or read? How real do you want your combat? Dramatic or realistic?
