Michelle Franklin's Blog, page 47

Story for the Day: Chune's Tears Pt1

Despite the strict diet and militant exercise regime I keep, I was told that I have gallstones. I was told to cut out all coffee, chocolate, bread, and live on a diet of only fruits and vegetables for a while. First, I told the doctor to fuck himself. Second, I had a cry and a moment of why-me-o-god. Third, I wrote a story.
The cake in the oven, the roast on the range, there was nothing more for Martje to do than to decide upon which sauce to make. A white sauce with some savoury and...

The Haanta Series Venerates Ray Bradbury

Today, one of the last literary classic greats passing into the otherworld and left a blazing trail of books and stories behind him. Ray Bradbury, author of classics Fahrenheit 451, The Illustrated Man, The Martian Chronicles, pioneer of science and speculative fiction, touched many readers and authors alike over his many years. He was honest, poignant, sentimental, monumental. His works have been lauded and loved by countless people the world over. He sold stories for 20$ a pi...

Story for the Day: The Game of Red Crabs PT2

Although akaaphu was a celebrated Haanta diversion for children, Rautu could not like it. Too many remembrances had he of Otenohi’s schemes and connivances, of his cheating and deceptive machinations, of his false triumphs, of his gloating and dancing about, that he must sneer at the very sight of the board. So odious and horrid a game, a ridiculous article that had ruined all the peace of his younger years and had forced him to seek a partner in Unghaahi and Leraa for games, though this neve...

Story for the Day: The Game of Red Crabs PT1

The Haanta have many games, most of them strategy or sowing games, but there is one racing game taught to children which teaches them about an important discovery made when the Haanta first made their settlements-- a game which Rautu hates with his whole soul: Akaaphu: the game of the red crab .
As the children were fawning over the new games before them, Varthrasta said his quiet salutations to Baronous and to Martje, who was just returning with the daily shipment for the larder in h...

Story for the Day: Importance of a Hat

Many in Frewyn wear various types of caps: Tyfferim flat caps, Kileen fishing hats, vintage tweeds, but only the Hallanys patchwork cap, though made in various styles, can mean one thing:
My favourite hat from Donegal's Hannah HatsShe would have responded with an equal assertion of her adoring her Big Beryn, but even the purposeful misconstruction was silenced when Beryn lay down and drew her into his arms upon him. He wrapped his arms around her, trapping her within his unassailable hold, and...

Story for the Day: Frewyn Games P2

Alasdair would rather play Frewyn's Brandubh
The board was placed, the seats round the table taken up, the pieces representing weapons and health were duly allotted, and the characters were claimed as Alasdair took his place at the head of the table. While the children began their negotiations as to which pair of them should play as which of the three hero characters, Alasdair took up the rule book in the box and began to read the regulations. He had played the game only a few times in his you...

Art Showcase: The Map of Frewyn

As proof that Twisk has unbelievable and somewhat prophetic skill, here is the map that Soledhan drew of Frewyn when she asked me about where everything in Frewyn is situated...







And from that, this is what she came up with:

I think Twisk might be Jesus.

Adventures of Crab Asaan: Frewyn Games Edition!

Tafl board with Fidchell variant setupFrewyn has many games, but two of its most popular games are Brandubh and Fidchell. Frewyn's versions of these ancient Celtic games are Tafl game variants, each of them with differeing regulations, number of pieces, manner of captures and movements, but what is Tafl?


Tafl is Old Norse for table. This is a term used to describe a specific family of board games that were widely played throughout the Viking and Middle Ages. Some believe that this te...

Story for the Day: Frewyn Games Pt1

Frewyn has many games, and though Alasdair loves playing games with his friends and subjects, he absolutely abominates dice. 
                The game of letters won, Alasdair was well inclined to sample another of the games found at the fair. He was all sanguine good humour as he perused the selection laid out upon the table, humming to himself and twiddling his fingers about in high glee. He was young again, it w...

#MothersDay special: The Husbandmen

There are many different types of mothers in the world. Though Beryn may be a poulterer and Lochan a husbandman, that doesn't mean that they are any less mothers.
Lochan was full of frolic and mirth as they secured the hens safely away in their new home until Shirse should be by on the morrow to take them to Farriage. What was to happen to old hens who had past their prime for laying, Lochan could only conjecture, but he distracted himself from any unpleasant cogitations by showing Beryn the n...