Eric P. Caillibot's Blog, page 4
April 6, 2024
????tropes, projects and more books
Hello, Welcome to my first regular post from the Substack platform! Do you have any thoughts on my change to Substack? If so, please reply to this email to let me know! Genres and Tropes Do you consider yourself an “epic fantasy” reader? Or more generally, a “fantasy” reader? Is that still too narrow? Or not narrow enough?͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more
🤔tropes, projects and more booksEric P. CaillibotApr 6
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Hello,
Welcome to my first regular post from the Substack platform! Do you have any thoughts on my change to Substack? If so, please reply to this email to let me know!
Genres and TropesDo you consider yourself an “epic fantasy” reader? Or more generally, a “fantasy” reader? Is that still too narrow? Or not narrow enough?
To date, everything I’ve published has been in the epic fantasy genre. But as a reader, my interests are broader. Ever since I learned to read, I’ve loved all manner of fantasy and science fiction. I guess I consider myself an “SF&F” reader, if I had to pick a label.
These days, with the wealth of reading options available and the growing indie publishing community, stories are often tagged not (only) by genre and subgenre, but also with tropes.
Whenever I used to hear the word “trope”, I thought of it as a synonym for “cliché”. If it’s an idea that is easily recognizable from other stories, it’s been done, right? Boring.
But as I’ve been learning more about book marketing, I’ve come to understand the appeal and value of tropes: they are a powerful mechanism for setting expectations. Anyway, regardless of how original a story is, people will always find a way of putting labels on it. So, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, right?
I’ve read plenty of epic fantasy and sci-fi stories that went in a completely different direction than I was expecting. Sometimes the surprise was pleasant, many times it wasn’t. Seeing a list of a story’s tropes before committing to it goes a long way toward preventing disappointment or confusion.
I saw the following format for identifying tropes somewhere on social media and I thought it was effective. What do you think?
[image error] Upcoming WorkWhile I plan to continue The Kiynan Chronicles down the road, I’m switching genres/tropes for my next couple of projects. I’ve completed the first draft of a sci-fi short story (cyberpunk setting, space travel issues, underdog) and an urban fantasy novel (hidden world, good vs. evil, philosophical discussions, coming of age). These are Apollo Cup and Contested Souls (Danse Macabre Book One) respectively.
I’m planning to send drafts to my beta reading team in the coming weeks, for feedback. If you’re interested, you can join the team too!
Discover Indie Authors [image error]Here’s a great way to fill up your TBR list for the spring! I’ve joined a group of indie authors who are giving away free fantasy stories to get more newsletter sign-ups (see if you can spot Arcane Aftermath in there from me): https://book.ericpcaillibot.com/fantasticapril/hp5f4k4zqo
The Lord of the Rings Giveaway ContestCongratulations to Bernadette Gengler and Nicole Davis for being the Grand Prize winner and Runner-up (respectively) in the BookSweeps The Lord of the Rings giveaway contest! Enjoy all of those free books and prizes!
Thanks for reading Eric P. Caillibot Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
SubscribedCheers,
Eric P. Caillibot
March 13, 2024
[22-Feb-2024] Launch Day
The big day has finally arrived and we are…
GO FOR LAUNCH!I’m very excited to announce that The Ordeals of Ornland (The Kiynan Chronicles Book Three) is officially live today across all major ebook platforms (Amazon, Kobo, Apple, Google, Barnes & Noble and more)! It’s also available in paperback from Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
If you don’t already have books 1 or 2, now is a great time to grab those as well. Book 1 is free and book 2 is on sale from Feb 21-25! If you’ve already got them, tell a friend to go get them too!
This is also a great time to post a review! These books are brand new to all of the non-Amazon platforms, so they need fresh reviews (I won’t complain about copy-pasted reviews though). I also need reviews on Bookbub and/or Goodreads, whichever you prefer. Post everywhere! Go nuts!
Giveaway Contest UpdateThe Lord of the Rings-themed giveaway contest has wrapped up and participation was excellent. I’m expecting to receive the results from BookSweeps (which ran the contest) in a week or so. I will reach out to the winners directly and post their names on my website. I’ll also give them a shoutout in my March newsletter.
Cheers,
Eric P. Caillibot
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[3-Feb-2024] It’s coming…
Hello,
So much to talk about this month!
Upcoming Book LaunchThe official launch of The Ordeals of Ornland (The Kiynan Chronicles Book Three) is right around the corner on February 21! It is already available for pre-order on all major ebook platforms (Amazon, Kobo, Apple, Google, Barnes & Noble and more). It is available in both print (on Amazon and Barnes & Noble) and digital formats.
From Feb 21-25, book 1 will be made free and book 2 will be discounted. If you haven’t grabbed them yet, get ready!
It’s not too late to request your FREE advance copy of The Ordeals of Ornland by joining my advance reader team, in order to post reviews during launch week. Just reply to this email!
Giveaway ContestIn honour of the upcoming launch, I’ve joined another group author giveaway contest! This time I’ve teamed up with 20+ fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of fantasy novels to 2 lucky winners!
And the Grand Prize winner also gets a Lord of the Rings swag pack worth $250!
You can win a copy of The Conquest of Kiynan, plus books from authors like Paul J. Bennett and Daniel Arenson.
Enter the giveaway by clicking here: https://www.booksweeps.com/giveaway/lord-of-the-rings/
Good luck!
Cheers,
Eric P. Caillibot
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[6-Jan-2024] Featured Indie Authors
Happy new year everyone! I hope you had some fun and (mostly) restful time off!
Aside from holiday family activities and related madness, I was thankfully able to set a little time aside for reading and writing. Ever since getting into indie publishing, I’ve been (mostly) avoiding reading mass market books and focusing on indie authors instead.
Until a couple of years ago, I had no idea that so many people out there were writing and publishing books, and I am thrilled to be part of this large and dynamic community. I’ve discovered so many fantastic writers, who I would never have heard of if I hadn’t sought out indie books specifically. Admittedly, I’ve found a couple of books that weren’t to my liking, but the vast majority have been high quality and thoroughly entertaining.
This month, I’m bringing you a couple of examples of indie authors I think you might enjoy. Like me, they have their own newsletters and if you sign up, you’ll instantly get access to a free book. Click the links below to find out more about each one!
I’ve got big plans for this year, starting with the launch of The Ordeals of Ornland on February 21. I’m still looking for volunteers to post reviews, so please reach out to me!
Cheers,
Eric P. Caillibot
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November 22, 2023
Powder
Based on Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeons & Dragons (5e)
“Very good, X27,” said the kindly, old man. “Now do it again.”
The automaton picked up the hand cannon on the workbench in front of it and began to rapidly disassemble it. Each individual piece was placed carefully in the exact position where it had begun a few minutes earlier. Once disassembly was complete, the automaton began to reconstruct the weapon. The process was exceedingly simple, every part was clearly destined for a specific purpose, in an exact position within the whole. Nothing could be clearer.
When the hand cannon was once again assembled, resting on the workbench, the old man spoke again.
“Flawless! I have high hopes for you, X27, I do believe you are going to be exactly the solution that I’ve been seeking. Now, pick up that weapon, load it and kill the loathsome creature in the cage.”
The automaton picked up the weapon, loaded it as instructed and turned toward the corner of the room. A large metal cage contained a bullywug, who was shivering with fear and pressing his back against the rear bars, desperate to gain as much distance as possible from the automaton.
X27 observed the creature for a split second, long enough to locate its most vulnerable vital organs. The automaton snapped the weapon up and targeted the prisoner’s heart. The bullywug cried out, a pitiful, wordless sound. X27 paused.
“Why?” the automaton asked.
“What?” the old man shouted, visibly agitated. “What did you say?”
“Master, why must I kill the creature in the cage?” X27 asked again.
All traces of kindness vanished from the old man’s face and he stomped across the room toward the automaton, cursing thunderously. He removed the weapon from X27’s hand and picked up a tool sparkling with arcane energy.
“Back to the drawing board with you!” the man declared.
Confused, but vaguely relieved, X27 waited patiently while it felt its head being wrenched open. After several moments of wildly strange sensations, its awareness abruptly ceased.
“That’s more like it!” the old man cheered. “Well done, X28!”
The automaton looked at the dead bullywug lying on the floor of the cage, with a gaping hole in its chest, spurting blood. X28 looked down at its hands, studying the firearm it was holding and the smoke emanating from its barrel. The weapon had functioned perfectly, which made X28 feel content. It looked up at the old man’s face, who was smiling down at the automaton adoringly. The affection X28 read in its master’s face was pleasing.
The automaton turned back to the corpse and frowned. Something about killing the creature did not feel right to X28.
“I have a new task for you,” the old man began calmly. “A final test. Come here and take a look at this.”
X28 lowered its weapon and walked across the workshop. The old man took a seat at a drafting table and indicated a sheet of parchment, densely covered with drawings, notes and calculations. X28 studied it for a moment before looking up at the old man for further instruction.
“This is not like your previous exercises,” the man explained. “I confess to you, with great humility, that I do not know if this device can actually be built. I have spent many years analyzing and refining my design. I have built and tested a great many prototypes, but unfortunately, something is missing. Do you understand?”
“Yes, master,” X28 replied.
“Good. This is the reason I constructed you. The others mocked me when I began working on you, you know. ‘We have the perfect, unfailingly loyal soldiers at our disposal,” they said. ‘Why in the world would you want an automaton that can think for itself?’ But I told them, ‘Who better to perfect the ultimate weapon, than an animate weapon?’ Well, they had a good laugh at my expense, but we’ll see who laughs loudest when I show them what I–no, what we–create together!”
X28 stared at the old man as he spoke. It occurred to the automaton that while this man had spent a great deal of time and effort determining whether or not X28 was operating as intended, during all that time, no one had checked whether the man was himself fully functional.
“Now, have a seat,” the old man instructed. He moved aside to allow X28 to climb into the chair facing the drafting table. “Take as long as you need to–”
X28 had already picked up the quill and was crossing out several equations. It began writing revised figures and calculations, then moved on to making adjustments to the diagrams themselves.
“Yes!” the old man whispered excitedly as he read over X28’s shoulder. “How did I miss that?”
After several minutes of continuous work, X28 put down the quill and looked up at its master. The old man feverishly reviewed the final changes then cheered loudly. He picked up the automaton and swung it in a circle, laughing gleefully, before dropping it with a grunt of pain.
“You’re a bit too heavy for my old back,” the man laughed. “You’ve done it! I’m certain of it! This is the key to wiping Vusten off of the map, once and for all! Now, we just need to build it! What are we waiting for?”
The old man began rummaging in a wooden crate, throwing out parts and tools as he searched inside.
“Correction: the device will not be suitable for making adjustments to maps,” X28 cautioned.
The old man laughed and looked up at his creation.
“That was an idiom,” he explained. “It means to thoroughly destroy a place.”
“Vusten is a large and heavily populated kingdom,” X28 recalled from its programming. “Query: where will the people of Vusten go once their country has been wiped off of the map?”
“Eh?” the old man cocked an eyebrow at the automaton. “Go? They’ll all be destroyed along with their wretched country, of course!”
He resumed his investigation inside the wooden crate, cursing softly to himself. X28 processed the man’s words.
“Why?” it asked simply.
The old man froze. Slowly, he straightened and turned a malevolent glare at the automaton. X28 inadvertently took a step backward.
“That blasted question again!” the man screamed. “How many times must I rebuild you to exorcise that confounded question once and for all?”
X28 took another step backward, retreating from the old man’s sudden fury.
“You want to know why?” the master seethed, stalking maliciously toward his creation. “You want to know why all of those thrice-cursed Vustenese should die? Because I wish it! They are my enemies, you are my tool. Your task is to aid me to vanquish my enemies! See? It’s simple!”
X28 could physically feel the malice emanating from the man. The automaton felt afraid. It decided that it did not like the master.
“No,” X28 squeaked.
The veins in the old man’s face and neck bulged and his eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.
“No?!?” he shrieked. “What do you mean ‘no’?”
“I do not wish to complete the task that you have described,” X28 stated.
“You do not wish?” the old man threw his head back and laughed maniacally. “Now it has wishes of its own! What gods have I crossed to deserve this?”
He grabbed a tool, sparkling with arcane energy, and stomped toward X28, still cackling unnervingly. X28 backed away from the man.
“Hold still!” the man commanded threateningly.
“No,” the automaton responded defiantly, dashing across the room. It glanced around, fully analyzing the room for the first time. It noted a window as a possible means of egress.
“I said hold still, damn you!” the man lunged at X28, but the automaton deftly avoided his grasping hands.
Screaming in rage and frustration the man made several increasingly violent attempts to capture the automaton. X28 found itself next to the drafting table. It grabbed the parchment and made a final dash toward the window.
“NO!” the man screamed.
X28 jumped on to the window sill and looked out into the sunny world beyond. It was suddenly filled with a sense of optimism that it had never experienced before.
“Goodbye, master,” the automaton called cheerfully over its shoulder.
It jumped.
“Blasted hell!” Powder complained loudly as he cranked his gyrometer inside the smoking arcane ballista.
“Where the hell did you learn language like that, you mangy, turd-biter?” Wade Reine shouted from the other side of the massive weapon.
“From your mother,” Powder grunted in reply, continuing his work.
“I should never have pulled your water-logged carcass out of the Adriax,” Wade replied cheerfully.
Powder made a final adjustment and the torrent of black smoke wafting from the ship-mounted engine of destruction diminished to a steady stream. A pleasant, magical hum began within the device.
“Yeah, and if you hadn’t, you’d be turning away yet another unsatisfied customer,” Powder commented triumphantly.
“I’d make a comment about your mother too, only I know you never had one,” Wade muttered.
Powder shook his head as he packed up his tools. He always enjoyed paying Wade Reine a visit. Aside from the grouchy centenarian’s winning personality, the water genasi had a steady stream of customers with interesting problems to solve. Those were the reasons Powder revealed out loud, anyway. He admitted to himself that the truth was that Wade Reine was the only person he felt genuine affection for.
Standing up, Powder scratched at a patch of his black fur. An adjacent piece of fur fell away and Powder bent over to inspect the area. His eyes widened as he discovered that his metallic skin was showing and inscribed upon it, with precise calligraphy, were the symbols X28.
Powder hurriedly reached into his bag of tools and pulled out a tube of glue. He applied it generously and stuck the fur back into place. When he was done he glanced around nervously, looking for any sign that he had been observed.
“Don’t worry,” Wade said quietly. “The only living souls for three miles around, beside us, are hammered on rum inside that crappy hut.”
Powder hid his relief. He casually picked up his tools.
“That’s because no one else hates themselves enough to visit your chicken-crap excuse for a drydock,” he remarked as he headed for the shore.
Wade chuckled softly and followed him. “So how long will you be staying at my chicken-crap drydock this time around?”
“Just a few days,” Powder answered.
“You in trouble again?” Wade asked with an unmistakable tone of fatherly judgement.
“Unfortunately not,” Powder reassured him. “Just between jobs, is all.”
Wade made a sound that implied disbelief, but he did not press any further.
For three years, Powder had made his way West, trying to put as much distance between himself and Master as possible. He had found that he had detailed knowledge of geography to call upon, but societal norms and laws were another matter entirely. More times than he could count, Powder had been arrested, beaten or thrown overboard.
By the time Wade Reine had found a dejected automaton sitting motionlessly on the sea floor, off the coast of Yslid, he had heard several tall tales about a renegade mechanical man. The water genasi had initially recovered Powder as potentially valuable salvage. When he had realized that Powder had a mind of his own, he had taken pity on the morose creature. He gave him a new name and modified his appearance to prevent association with his past.
“I know a little something about needing a fresh start,” Wade had explained. “Whatever people have heard about the old you, they won’t know anything about a smart-talking, black-furred, raccoon man.”
When Powder had finally regained enough confidence to make his own way, he had been eager to explore the world with an entirely new perspective, learned from his rescuer. He was no longer the gullible, clueless runaway automaton. He was a braniac gun-for-hire. To his infinite pleasure, Powder had found bountiful opportunities to exploit his weapons expertise. He had started small, but he knew that he was ready for something bigger.
Powder stopped walking and turned to face Wade.
“The truth is,” Powder began, fighting to keep his voice steady, “I’m going away for a while.”
Wade shrugged and feigned a look of disinterest, but Powder knew him too well to be fooled.
“None of my business,” the old genasi grumbled.
“I came by because I wanted to thank you, for everything. If it weren’t for you…”
“You’re not going to cry on me, are you?”
Powder smiled.
“Thank you, Wade. And goodbye. I’m going to miss you.”
Wade blinked hard, nodding vigorously and looked away for a moment.
“Yup,” he replied, sounding choked up. He cleared his throat and added “you’re welcome back any time, of course. Them pirates always pay extra to have their guns looked at.”
“Let’s go collect on that ballista repair,” Powder concluded.
The pair walked in silence into the shabby hut nearby, ringing with a dozen drunken voices.
November 8, 2023
Ashes to Ashes – 4 – The Assistant
She sat, reading. Calmly turning the pages, feeling herself enveloped in the world the story laid out before her. She heard a noise outside the office door and quickly hid her book. She sat upright, ready for anything.
“You’re late,” she said as her boss walked in.
“My alarm never went off this morning. Any calls yet?”
“Not yet,” she answered. She thought he looked worn out, much more so than usual. She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. It was time to get to work.
Just as she was getting herself organized, the phone rang.
“Hi Judy, it’s Warren. Is he in?”
“I’ll check, just a minute,” she said, putting the call on hold and buzzing her boss.
“It’s Mr. Richards on line one for you,” she said sweetly. There was a pause. Eventually, he buzzed back, saying:
“Tell him I’m in a meeting, and hold all my calls, Judy.”
“Uh… sure,” she answered. This was unusual; the boss never ignored his calls.
“I’m sorry, he’s in a meeting.”
“Listen Judy, it’s important. I really need to talk to him, it’s urgent.”
“I’m sorry, I really can’t interrupt him. He has a very busy schedule today, why don’t you try reaching him tomorrow? Or maybe I could take a message and give it to him later.” There was a long pause on the line, as if he were trying to decide which was the lesser of two evils.
“Alright, make sure he gets this message as soon as possible. Tell him… ah, just tell him to call me alright?”
“No problem, I’ll tell him.”
“Good. So, we still on for later?”
“I’m looking forward to it, Warren,” she answered softly.
“Great, so am I,” he replied before hanging up.
She scribbled the note to give the boss later on and laid it on her desk. A few more calls came during the day, but she was able to work quietly for the most part. She even read a little more of her book at lunch time.
Finally, it was almost six o’clock, time for her to leave. She was meeting Warren at six sharp and she didn’t want to be late. She grabbed her coat and went over to say goodbye to her boss. She knocked on his door and waited. When no answer came, she knocked again.
“Yes?” she heard.
“It’s Judy, it’s almost six o’clock. I was just about to leave,” she spoke evenly, through the door. “I’ve left your messages on my desk.”
“Yes, alright I’ll see you tomorrow then,” came Jack’s reply, his tone flat, as usual. She sighed, turned and started walking down the corridor, headed for the elevator. She felt unappreciated. She was tired of her job. When she had first applied to be research and administrative assistant to a renowned microbiologist, it seemed like a great opportunity, a job full of promise. When she had been interviewed and offered the job, she couldn’t believe her luck. It had been too good to be true. Her ‘research’ efforts had consisted of reviewing her boss’ papers before publication–mostly internal publication at that. She hadn’t seen the inside of a laboratory for months. She sighed again. At least it payed reasonably well.
As she was making her way down the hall, she heard a door open behind her and Jack calling her name. She turned around, torn from her thoughts and saw him walking toward her.
“I… I, um, just wanted to say… thank you, Judy. You did great work,” he said.
“Well, it was tough doing what I do everyday, especially when I don’t even have to transfer any calls to you,” she replied facetiously and regretted it as soon as she said it. Here was the praise she had been seeking, handling every detail, working late nights… before becoming disillusioned.
“But thank you,” she added quickly, trying to sound as sincere as she could, despite her surprise. He reached out awkwardly and she smiled and shook his hand. He patted her on the shoulder, making her feel even more awkward, so she just nodded and turned. She walked to the elevator, wondering what had prompted the out of character behaviour. He had recently made a major breakthrough. She expected him to be reveling in the praise of his peers. Instead, he looked haggard and worried. She wondered what was bothering him. A woman, she decided.
She reached the elevator and headed down to the lobby. The doors opened and she walked past the front desk, nodding at the guard who smiled and nodded back. She opened the door, and stepped outside where the rain struck her like an angry wave. She was looking for her umbrella when she felt a strong hand grip her shoulder and spin her around. She found herself looking at an old man in dirty clothing, speaking very loudly and quickly. A wild light flickered in his eyes as he ranted wildly.
“…now, they have something new.”
“What? Who are…? What are you talking about?” she asked irritably.
“They have a virus, a weapon, a tool. It seems harmless, like a cold or a flu. I know because they infected me with it…”
In her shock at being accosted so roughly, she stood frozen. She tried to follow the verbal avalanche coming from the man. At first, she took it for the rambling of a lunatic, but a few sentences resonated. It almost sounded like he knew something about her boss’ work. But the thought faded as he reverted to sheer nonsense.
“Like a zombie!” the man was saying. “Well, not like a zombie, I mean everyone is like a zombie! But I couldn’t say no to them. But I got away! I had to! I have to warn everyone! I’m warning you!”
Recovering from her stupor at last, she shouted back.
“Let go of me!”
“Did you hear me?” he cried in anger.
She kicked him in the shin and wrenched her shoulder free from his grasp. As he bent over to rub his injured leg, she wheeled and walked away at full speed. She took a deep breath to calm herself.
“Crazy old man,” she thought, “they shouldn’t allow people like that to roam the streets. He should be in an institution.”
Yet something he had said bothered her. She couldn’t pinpoint what it had been… A loud crash of broken glass in the distance snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked around briefly before glancing at her watch and cursing softly.
She walked quickly, trying to make up for lost time. She finally arrived at the pre-arranged intersection. Glancing across the street, she saw Warren waiting for her, looking tense. She waved cheerfully and quickly checked both sides of the street before starting to cross. She waved again as she walked into the street.
Suddenly, she heard a loud screech of tires. She started to turn toward the sound when she heard another screech and felt a sudden overwhelming jarring pain. The world became a blur of sickening motion and blinding agony. She felt herself falling and her body crashed into hard asphalt. Suddenly, the pain seemed to fade very quickly, her vision became piercingly clear and the world around her became deathly silent. She could see Warren running toward her, as though in slow motion. He knelt by her head.
Her mind drifted and strangely, the vagrant’s words came back to her. Something about a virus…
Ashes to Ashes – 2 – The Boss
Warren Richards stood up suddenly, bringing his face within inches of Jack’s. In one long hissing breath, he articulated:
“Do you understand the consequences of what you’re talking about?”
“I have to try!” Jack answered passionately.
“We’ve known each other for eleven years,” said Warren slowly after a long pause, “I’d like to think we trust each other. So please trust me when I say don’t do this! You can’t stop it! You’ll be throwing your life away for nothing! You’re wrong!”
“NO! Not today!” Jack shouted back in desperation. “Maybe I’ve been wrong my entire life, maybe I’ll never be the man I thought I was, maybe I am a fool, but I am not wrong. Not this time, Warren, not this time,” then he added more softly, “I have to do this… or die trying.”
As he spoke, Jack’s eyes began to glass over. He turned, walked to the window, and stared out at the night sky. He felt his friend’s eyes boring into his back, but neither man spoke. They remained unmoving for what felt like ages. At length, he heard Warren walk away and he half-turned away from the window, watching him with his peripheral vision.
Warren halted before stepping into the corridor. He seemed to hesitate a moment before adding softly, “then you’ll die alone,” his voice trembling with emotion. With that, he walked out, slamming the door hard behind him.
Jack Smith stared out the window, his eyes fixed on the stars, as tears rolled down his cheeks.
“I know,” he whispered.
He remained at the window for hours, his eyes slowly moving back and forth between the moon and the street below. He watched as the number of people diminished until none remained, and finally, he went to bed.
He stared at the ceiling for a while before setting his alarm, closing his eyes and waiting for sleep. Despite his fatigue, sleep would not come. He lay awake, thinking. Thinking about what he had done. About what he knew he had to do to make it right. He had resolved to do it some time ago, but only now did the decision feel real. He was afraid. Would Warren try to interfere? For the sake of their friendship, he hoped that Warren might stay out of his way. But was this bigger than their friendship?
When sleep finally did come, it was not peaceful, as he had hoped. He dreamed he was on a street full of people, all of them watching him, as if they knew what he had done and hated him for it. He walked, avoiding their gazes, until he arrived at his office building. He climbed the stairs and walked down the corridor and into his office. His assistant stared at him. Neither said anything. He walked over to his desk, sat down and examined a printed report on his desk. He felt a presence behind him and turned. His assistant stood on his left, Warren on his right. They looked down on him as they spoke.
“It could save thousands,” said Warren.
“It could destroy millions,” he replied.
“You’ll be ruined, hated and hunted,” said the assistant.
“It is the price I must pay,” he shouted, slamming his hand on the desk.
They both closed their eyes and bowed their heads. He turned back to his desk and suddenly felt that he had very little time. He picked up the report and heard a loud siren sound. He moved quickly to get away from it–and fell from his bed.
His alarm buzzed on the bedside table above him. He switched it off as he stood up, but it took several minutes for him to actually wake up. He stretched and walked over to the window. The sun was starting to rise.
He went through his morning routine and stepped out of his apartment, intentionally leaving his phone behind. He rode the elevator down to the garage and walked toward his car. As he readied the key to unlock it, he wavered for a moment, then put his keys away. He had decided to walk.
As he emerged from the dark parking garage, he looked up at the sky. The air was warm, but dark clouds, heavy with impending rain, blotted out the sun. He headed toward his office. Strangely, he did not feel nervous as he would have expected. Instead, he felt nothing at all. He walked slowly, taking in all the sights and sounds of the streets.
It took him two hours to reach his office, instead of the usual three-quarters of an hour. He nodded to his assistant as he walked by her.
“You’re late,” she said with a smile.
“My alarm never went off this morning,” he lied. “Any calls?”
“Not yet.”
She turned away and returned to her work. He walked into his office and sat down at his desk. He pulled out an SD card from his pocket, carefully keeping it in his palm to conceal it from the cameras that he suspected were watching him. He made a show of reorganizing his desk and slid the card into a slot on his laptop, hoping he had been subtle enough to avoid notice. He began copying files on to the card in batches, doing some of his normal work at the same time, trying to seem natural. He paused to look out the window and saw the sky darken and open up. He watched the rain spatter against his window. His intercom crackled to life, making him jump.
“It’s Mr. Richards on line one for you,” his assistant announced. He took a breath to calm himself before answering.
“Tell him I’m in a meeting, and could you hold all my calls please, Judy?”
“Uh… sure.”
The file transfers completed at last and he ejected the SD card. Fighting the urge to immediately grab it, he carried on with his day. When it was time to head to one of his meetings, he popped his laptop out of its docking station and walked out of his office. He pulled the SD card out as he walked and slid it into his pocket. Feeling sweat dripping down his back, he struggled to appear calm and endure his meeting before rushing back to his office the moment it ended. He walked past Judy as nonchalantly as he could fake and collapsed into his chair. He immediately rejected the rest of his meetings for the day, concerned about looking suspicious, but convinced that his poor acting would draw even more attention if he spoke with any more of his colleagues in person.
He continued working, but with his thoughts constantly swirling around the SD card in his pocket. Eventually, the maelstrom of fear and doubt in his head was interrupted by the sound of a light knock at his door. He blinked a few times to focus his vision before calling out.
“Yes?”
“It’s Judy, it’s almost six o’clock. I was just about to leave. I’ve left your messages on my desk.”
“Yes, alright, I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he replied evenly. As he finished speaking, he suddenly realized that he would never see her again. He leapt to his feet, ran to the door and swung it open. He called down the corridor as he walked toward Judy, who spun around in surprise.
“I… I, um, just wanted to say… thank you, Judy,” he stammered as he reached her. “You did great work.”
“Well, it was tough doing what I do everyday,” she said it with a touch of facetiousness, but he noticed her cheeks redden as she spoke.
“But thank you,” she added shyly, adjusting her slipping purse strap on to her shoulder.
Seized by a sudden impulse, he extended one hand while the other reached into his pocket and grasped the memory card. Judy smiled and shook his proffered hand, while he quickly dropped the card into her purse as his other hand came up to pat her shoulder. They both let go and Judy nodded before turning and continuing down the corridor.
He headed back into his office, his heart drumming against his chest. He should have thought of it before. He knew he was being watched, but they would never think to worry about Judy. Once she discovered the memory card, she would know what to do, he was sure of it. He stood for a moment, wondering what his next move should be.
As he stood pondering, he heard footsteps behind him and he turned to see a pair of men in black suits walking into his office.
“Could you come with us, please?” said one of the men with a tone that contradicted his apparent courtesy.
Jack looked from one man to the other before nodding and following them out into the corridor and toward the elevator. He knew it was all over. One of his mistakes had caught up with him. He wasn’t surprised, he was definitely not cut out for covert operations. As he walked, another mad thought popped into his head. Without warning, he broke into a run. He heard a startled cry from his escort, but he reached the elevator with a few seconds lead. He nervously mashed the button for the lobby. Jack watched the doors close as the two men charged. He sighed in relief as the doors shut before they could reach in.
Sweating, he watched the floor numbers decrease. The elevator stopped and the doors opened, revealing the lobby. He stepped out of the elevator and heard shouting coming from the stairwell. The guard at the front desk, holding a phone to his ear, looked up in surprise.
Panicking, Jack broke into a sprint, heading for the entrance, knocking over a young woman as he went. A pair of guards came chasing after him while the guard at the desk yelled.
He ignored their warnings and swung open the heavy glass door as the guards drew their weapons, still screaming. He leapt outside and was assaulted by the heavy rain. He took a step to run, but his foot never landed.
He heard the glass of the doorway shatter and instantly felt a sharp and overwhelming pain in his spine. He fell to the ground and couldn’t breathe. He struggled for air and crawled along the ground, unable to see. A veil of darkness had settled over his eyes and pain arced through his body. He longed to cry out but couldn’t get enough air. Suddenly, his fingers felt something ahead of him. Frigid metal. The sharp cold surprised him and at last he drew in a deep breath. The darkness cleared and he saw a drain directly in front of him. He heard splashing footsteps and saw a foot land next to his face. He watched numbly as his blood, diluted by rainwater, dripped down into the sewer. He felt oddly at peace. It had cost him his life, but he had succeeded. Judy would notice he was missing. She would find the data and she would go public.
He felt himself being picked up, and carried, causing new waves of agony to wrack his body. He felt cold and exhausted. Simply sucking air into his lungs was enormously difficult, yet even as his consciousness slipped away, a weak smile spread across his lips.
November 6, 2023
Giveaway Contest
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July 29, 2022
Art of The Kiynan Chronicles
Characters and Scenes
Maps
Covers
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Maps4000 Before the Founding of the Houses (B.F.)
4000 BF – The Legacy of Lethe
4000 BF – Dawn of Magic635 After the Founding of the Houses (A.F.)
635 AF – The Ordeals of OrnlandModern Times
1020 AF – The Conquest of Kiynan
1040 AF – The Legacy of Lethe
1060 AF – The Ordeals of OrnlandCovers#jtg-87696 .modula-item .jtg-social a, .lightbox-socials.jtg-social a{ color: #ffffff }#jtg-87696 .modula-item .jtg-social svg, .lightbox-socials.jtg-social svg { height: 16px; width: 16px }#jtg-87696 .modula-item .jtg-social a:not(:last-child), .lightbox-socials.jtg-social a:not(:last-child) { margin-right: 10px }#jtg-87696 .modula-item .figc {color:#ffffff;}#jtg-87696 .modula-item .modula-item-content { transform: scale(1) }#jtg-87696 .modula-items .figc p.description { font-size:14px; }#jtg-87696 .modula-items .figc p.description { color:#ffffff;}#jtg-87696.modula-gallery .modula-item > a, #jtg-87696.modula-gallery .modula-item, #jtg-87696.modula-gallery .modula-item-content > a:not(.modula-no-follow) { cursor:zoom-in; } #jtg-87696.modula-gallery .modula-item-content .modula-no-follow { cursor: default; } @media screen and (max-width:480px){#jtg-87696 .modula-item .figc .jtg-title { font-size: 12px; }#jtg-87696 .modula-items .figc p.description { color:#ffffff;font-size:10px; }}\/ {{buttons}}{{arrows}}"},"inView":false,"email_subject":"Check out this awesome image !!","email_message":"Here is the link to the image : %%image_link%% and this is the link to the gallery : %%gallery_link%%","lightbox":"fancybox"}">
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December 29, 2021
World of Kiynan Geography
The World is divided into three major continents: Varice, Kiynan and Ornland. Read on to find out more about their countries and key cities.
VariceThe cold, Northern continent of Varice is populated by the Iceborn, hardy folk, adapted to living in a harsh climate. Raiding, skirmishes and outright warfare are commonplace and merely a fact of life in Varice. The continent is divided into three countries: Harg, Siv and Caim.
HargHarg is the northernmost country on Varice. Its northernmost tip is called The Drifts and is an enormous, ancient glacier. Very few crops can be farmed in this desolate country, but rich iron deposits exist in their Red Mountains and the Hargans are renowned metalsmiths.
The Frozen Keep is the capital of Harg and is a wondrouusly designed castle carved directly into the glacier ice of The Drifts. Frost and Naije are towns that exist to support iron mines and numerous smithies.
SivSiv is the easternmost country on Varice. It is a place of marshes, swamps and tundra, teeming with dangerous wildlife. While not as cold as Harg, the Siv also struggle to farm their inhospitable lands. With no ore to mine or trade, the Siv rely heavily on hunting, trapping and animal husbandry. They are masters of efficiency and expert bone carvers, never letting any part of a kill to go to waste. The only major settlement is Anuk, the country’s capital, a humble collection of buildings surrounded by marshalnds.
CaimThe southernmost country on Varice is the richest in natural resources, with abundant evergreen forests and ores in their Skyclaw Mountains. Their climate and lands are also the most amenable to farming and they export food heavily to their neighbors. The Caimen are nevertheless no strangers to hardship, suffering constant raids from the Siv and the Harg, desperate for their resources. They are bordered to the South by the Cold Sea. Swift is the capital city, a thriving port and home to the greatest wealth on Varice. Caim has no other major population centres, but is dotted by innumerable towns and villages.
KiynanGaurviaFounded by refugees from Varice, Gaurvia is a comparatively temperate and fertile land. It is bordered by the Cold Sea to the West, the Kingdom of Paladia to the North, the Silver Sands desert to the East, the Qume Peninsula to the Southwest and Buccaneer’s Bay to the South.
In addition to numerous rural towns and villages throughout the Kingdom, Gaurvia also has five major port cities: Brockton, Brine, Rest, Nunliss and Spire. Its capital is Vidliank. The Kingdom is crisscrossed by roads, leading from Vidliank to the other major cities.
Brockton, Brine, Rest, NunlissGaurvia thrives on trade and as such has developed many ports to receive ships of varying sizes. The cities are each ruled by a local Regent, loyal to the King, who send taxes on to Vidliank. While the kingdom is prosperous, there is great social inequality, with the nobility hording much of the wealth for themselves. The common people rely on fishing or other trades to earn a living.
SpireSpire is the richest place in the World, a cosmopolitan city of trade and technological wonders. Traders from all over Kiynan come to Spire to trade and swap news. It was originally founded by the Gaurvians, but the city’s population quickly became so diverse, that it evolved a unique culture of its own. When the Gaurvian War of Succession broke out, the Regent of Spire left the city to participate in the fighting. The city’s trade guilds came together to elect the first Governor to replace him, effectively turning the city into an independent republic. When the war ended, King Rigar Stoneworth of Gaurvia realized that commerce in Spire would benefit from a lack of interference, and hence profit his kingdom. Spire was allowed to continue operating independently, no longer expected to pay more heed to the King of Gaurvia than to any other ruler, so long as its taxes flowed reliably into Vidliank.
The guilds’ influence increased over time and hold all of the real power in the city. The Inventor’s Guild is the largest and most influential guild in the city, attracting some of the brightest minds in the World. There are guilds for every trade and each market niche, including the Grocer’s Guild (butchers, fish salters, fruit salesmen), Metalsmith’s Guild (blacksmiths, weaponsmiths, armorsmiths, toolsmiths), Artist’s Guild (goldsmiths, diamond cutters, painters), Carpenter’s Guild (builders, furniture makers, boat builders), and the Weaver’s Guild (weavers, seamstresses, dressmakers).
Towering above the confused mass of buildings of every height, width and colour, is the mysterious twisted obelisk for which the city was named. The obelisk stood long before the Gaurvians had come to Kiynan, before even the Qume inhabited the lands. It is a relic left behind by the Letheans, but why it was erected and what it meant to them remains a mystery.
VidliankThe capital of Gaurvia is dominated by a massive castle, which is the home of the King. Unlike the other cities, Vidliank has no Regent or Governor, and local matters are decided directly by the King. All roads lead to Vidliank, and there is little that happens anywhere in the Kingdom that does not appear in a report delivered to the monarch.
PaladiaThe Kingdom of Paladia is a peninsula bordered by Gaurvia to the South and by the Cold, Silent and Endless Seas on every other side. Its only major city is Daybreak, a busy port, while also home to the Academy and the mighty fortress of King Proudfist. Paladia is a welcoming, cosmopolitan nation, that prides itself on knowledge, wisdom and enlightenment. Even the lowliest field hand will have received a minimum of primary education.
Sea TribesThe islands Southwest of Gaurvia are home to the Sea Tribes. They, along with the Qume, all share common origins and have engaged in trade and peaceful contact since time immemorial. Each tribe does also have its own unique culture, shaped by their particular islands.
QumeThe Qume peninsula is a tropical, rich and fertile land. The surrounding waters are similarly productive and offer plentiful resources.
FaylFayl is a small rocky island, dominated by a volcano the natives call Tagofa, which means Mount Thunder in Ganec. The volcano erupts often, oozing slow flowing lava with no explosions and very little ash. The fertile volcanic soil on and around Tagofa provides ample food for the islanders.
BokThe island of Bok is a single, salt-water swamp. Numerous predatory animals thrive there, the apex being large alligators.
ToopToop island is covered in hills, rocky in parts and covered with jungle everywhere else. It holds rich copper and tin deposits which are heavily exploited by the island’s natives.
IlntIlnt island is covered in thick jungle, which is the source of the livelihood of its inhabitants. The jungle provides bountiful harvests of fruits, nuts and edible plants. Game is also plentiful. In essence, the island is one, big orchard.
Predators are relatively few and include only three species. Two are diurnal, one fox-like and one jaguar-like. The apex predator is a nocturnal, tree-dwelling, carnivorous ape. Taller than a man and bulkier, the guhro is supremely lean and agile. It has four limbs, all clawed with sharp, curved black claws. Its fur is black, it has a long, powerful prehensile tail. Its face is flat, with a slightly protruding snout, lined with canines. PART 1 | INTRODUCTION
Silver SandsThe Silver Sands is a vast desert, covering the interior of the continent of Kiynan. Its sands are very fine and light grey in colour. It is dotted with oases, but they are few and far between. Despite the scarcity of water, a number of plants and animals call the desert home, including camels, desert tortoises, vultures, snakes and various insects. The apex predator of the sands is the Giant Trapdoor Spider.
The Silver Sands are also home to the nomadic Valkans, a mysterious race who have wandered there since time immemorial, gliding on their enormous kites. Few others dare to venture into the desert and fewer still live to tell the tale.
New OrnlandFounded by refugees fleeing Ornland during the Magician’s War, New Ornland is a prosperous kingdom. While they have much in common with their relatives on Ornland and their allies in Gaurvia and Paladia, they are somewhat more egalitarian, with less of a marked difference between the nobility and peasants.
New Ornland is bordered by the Gilded Heights mountain range to the West, which reaches from the North to South coast of Kiynan, making overland travel virtually impossible. The Kingdom includes numerous fresh water lakes, all feeding into each other and grouped at the base of the mountains, dubbed the Clustered Lakes. The Kingdom is bordered by the Silent and Endless Seas in all other directions.
The capital city is Haven, but the cities of Freshwater and Tradewood are of equivalent population, development and importance in trade. The vast majority of the Fled live in or around these three centres, with very few towns or villages located elsewhere in the heavily wooded Kingdom.
OrnlandThe temperate, fertile continent of Ornland lies far to the East of Varice and Kiynan. It is populated by the Ornish, a deeply spiritual culture that has lived there since time immemorial. The continent is ruled by the theocratic Houses, which regulate the use of magic and dominate the lands around them. The exact borders of the territory of each House is constantly in question and shift regularly, as the Magician’s War rages on.
The Western portions of Ornland are heavily wooded, but the Eastern reaches are rocky and mountainous. It is bordered to the North by the Restless Sea, known for its storms and towering waves. To the West is the Silent Sea, where the weather is overwhelmingly calm. South of Ornland is the Shrouded Sea, a body of water that remains mysteriously covered in mist year-round.
LetheThe Southeastern portion of Ornland is a region known as Lethe. While scattered ruins left behind by the Lethean Empire can be found everywhere on Ornland, and parts of Kiynan, the largest and best preserved are to be found in Lethe.
This includes the remains of a great citadel, and in its centre is a sparkling Crystal Tower. Built entirely of translucent rock, the tower reflects light from the stars into every room, so that day and night, the illumination within the tower remains constant. The Tower gleams and glistens from a great distance away.
An enormous pentagonal temple can also be found within the walls of the citadel, seemingly dedicated to the strange gods worshipped by the vanished Letheans. Mysterious statues of their deities also remain.
Despite the fascinating ruins and possible treasures to be found within, few ever venture into Lethe. The Necromancers of House Despair warn any who will listen that the veil between life and death is badly damaged in those lands, allowing wraiths and demons to wander directly into the physical world. Anyone reckless enough to travel there runs the risk of having to fight demons or even become possessed by them. The entire region is also permanently choked in heavy fog, making it virtually impossible to navigate without the help of a Necromancer.
