L. Blankenship's Blog, page 10

Elements of Sorcery blog tour

Christopher Kellen's Elements of Sorcery blog tour stops by today and I had some world-building questions for him (of course.) SORCERER'S BLOOD is the third book in the Elements of Sorcery series, and will be on sale March 1st.

Elements of Sorcery #1What's the most dangerous thing about being a sorcerer, in this world?

The fact that the very essence that gives the sorcerer his power--manna--is actually deadly to the sorcerer and anyone else until it's transformed by the sorcerer's will. In order to be a sorcerer, the first thing one must learn is to construct a mental channel that allows the manna to be changed by the sorcerer's intentions. It's not something you can practice. If you get it wrong the first time, the manna steals away the fledgling sorcerer's soul and turns them into a monster. Only those who get it right on the first try, and then on every try after that, survive to be a sorcerer.

Second only to that is the ever-present threat of corruption. Leave an enchantment running too long and the manna will "sour" and change from azure blue to crimson red. The sorcerer usually gets to keep their soul in that case, but they are open to the influence of the ever-present Dark Gods, who lurk just beyond the edges of reality, waiting for a chance to exert their influence.

Elements of Sorcery #2What's the best thing about being a sorcerer? Why did Edar Moncrief pursue this career?

Moncrief is a puzzle-solver. If this were a world with any kind of technology (if anyone were able to live long enough to actually invent stuff and pass it on without being thoroughly taken in by manna) he would be an engineer. He loves to tinker, to discover the reasons behind why things work. Being a sorcerer allows him to go searching for ancient works and trying to understand how his predecessors made certain seemingly-impossible things happen.

It's really the only way to satisfy his natural curiosity. The fact that it also grants him a lot of raw power helps, but it's not his primary motivation.

What sort of authority and responsibility do sorcerers have in this world?

They have a responsibility to walk their path without giving over to the lure of corruption. Some sorcerers in the past have even embraced the dark way, but they always end up insane and dead quickly in the end. Unfortunately, there's no established hierarchy of sorcerers. There's no club, no school and no 'high council'. It's just a few brave or foolhardy folks delving into the most dangerous of the arts... but perhaps it's better than living the short, brutish and deadly life that belongs to the regular peasant class.

As far as authority goes, they're more feared than respected. A sorcerer is a dark creature, the peasants whisper. Dangerous, unpredictable. They could turn on you at any moment. City folk will tolerate one for a while, generally (there are exceptions, like the city in which SORCERER'S BLOOD takes place) and peasant folk hate and revile them.

All in all, a lonely road to walk, but that doesn't bother Moncrief. He prefers to be alone, anyway.

Does Moncrief have a talent for getting in trouble, or is he just really unlucky?

Moncrief's sole motivation (at the time of SORCERER'S BLOOD) is safety and security. He wants nothing more than to simply settle back down into the lab he was forced to burn to escape the Arbiter that threatened to kill him in SORCERER'S CRIME. He's by no means just unlucky. It's his desire to understand that's gotten him into trouble so far--if he'd left well enough alone, he could still be safe in his original lab. His drive for comprehension keeps getting him into places he'd rather not be, and once you've left home behind, it's very difficult to find it again.

And to wrap it up, what's your next project?

Right now I'm working on DESTINY, Book Three of the Arbiter Codex. After that, I have a science fiction novella on my plate, as well as the other two Elements of Sorcery books before the end of the year, and maybe another sci-fi novel (following up my book SINS OF THE FATHER) if time permits. I'm always trying to keep busy!

Elements of Sorcery #3Sorcerer's Blood will be on sale March 1st!Six months after the events of SORCERER’S CRIME, Edar Moncrief has taken refuge in an ancient city. Within the walls of Selvaria, a war is brewing between the aristocrats and a cabal of sorcerers intent on seizing power, and Moncrief finds himself caught in the middle. Everything changes when Moncrief is assassinated… and survives. When he finds the trump card that the aristocrats intend to play in the war, he’ll have to step up and play hero, or an awful lot of innocent people will get caught in the crossfire. Does he have it in him?
Enter to win all three!
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The Last Priestess blog tour

Welcome to Elizabeth Baxter, fellow Magic Appreciation Tour author!

We’re celebrating the release of The Last Priestess today. The Last Priestess is a fantasy novel by author Elizabeth Baxter. Purchase the book today!

There is a name that is uttered only in whispers. The Songmaker. A ruthless rebel mage, he is bringing civil war to the once-peaceful kingdom of Amaury, enveloping all in a tide of violence. For Maegwin, a tormented priestess, the path forward lies in forgiving her temple's enemies—but she dreams only of revenge. For Rovann, a loyal mage haunted by his failures, salvation might be found in the unthinkable: defying the very king he swore to protect. If they are to succeed they must form an unlikely alliance. For someone must stand against the Songmaker. Someone must save Amaury from his dark designs. But first, they’ll have to learn to trust each other.

And so a magical fantasy of darkness and redemption begins.

Read an excerpt:
Hands grasped her beneath the armpits and pulled her up. She tried to stand, feet scrabbling against the platform, but her legs kept folding beneath her. The hands lifted her onto a stretcher.

The crowd erupted into a chorus of angry shouting. Someone — Shador? — said, “Open the gates. Disperse the crowd and make sure nobody hangs around outside. I’ve seen riots start this way.”

Everything went dim and from the silence, Maegwin guessed she had been taken back inside. She was lifted onto something soft. Cool hands probed her neck. After a moment, they retreated.

“Will she live?”

“I think so.”

There was the chink of a kettle and the sound of pouring water. A hand lifted her head from the pillow.

“Maegwin? I need you to drink. It will help you.”

A cup was set against her lips and a warm liquid dribbled into her mouth. She swallowed reflexively. The fluid tasted bitter and it scraped her throat raw, as though she was drinking molten metal. She gasped, slumping back onto the pillow.

“Give it a moment. It will pass.”

About Elizabeth Baxter:
I've been a bookworm since I was five years old. The first book I ever read was about a boy going shopping with his mum. I picked it up from my brother's bedroom floor and suddenly those strange shapes on the page made sense. I could read! Hallelujah! I was soon working my way steadily through the school library and it wasn't long before I realised that stories about dragons, elves and great big talking lions were by far the most interesting. And that was it, my obsession with fantasy fiction was born.

I wrote and published my first book when I was six. This was a rip-roaring adventure tale called “The Golden Pheasant,” about, well, a golden pheasant. I wrote out three copies on bits of paper pulled from my school books, bound them in covers made from old cereal boxes, and gave them out to my teachers. And that’s it. I was a writer!

When I’m not writing I enjoy playing tennis (badly), playing the guitar (very badly) and watching cricket whenever I can. I’m also intent on cramming as much world travel as I can into one lifetime. Funny, but my list keeps getting longer. You can never see it all can you?

Places to connect with Elizabeth Baxter:
Author blog
Amazon author page
Facebook
Twitter

Coming in March...

[image error] I will be busy preparing Disciple, Part II for publication and writing posts for my blog tour in April. The presskit page has been updated with official release information. Goodreads has a page for Part II. And I'm working on appendix material; a conversation I had recently has nudged me toward writing a second new bit for that...

Look for the Spring Equinox Sale over at the Magic Appreciation Tour -- Disciple, Part I will be 99 cents for only three days, March 20 - 22. Then it will return to $2.99.

Plus, I'm revising Disciple, Part V and Part VI for my beta readers. I've got some new story ideas simmering now that Disciple is finished, both fantasy and science fiction.

So it may be a bit quiet here in this blog. I will still be posting over at my writing blog, and tweeting my daily progress. Fortunately, the work is keeping me from getting too stressed out about April 1 -- and I'm confident I will be ready before the drop date. No fooling!

In honor of Valentine's Day, Disciple, Part I is now only...

In honor of Valentine's Day, Disciple, Part I is now only $2.99 
Back cover:  [image error] The saints favor her, else-wise a peasant girl like Kate Carpenter would never be apprenticed to the kingdom’s master healer. But her patron saint also marks her ready for the duty of tending to a mission that must cross the ice-bound mountains. Their little kingdom faces invasion by a vast empire and desperately needs allies; across the snow-filled pass, through the deathly thin air, is a country that’s held off the empire and may be willing to lend an army.
Kate knows about frostbite and the everyday injuries of wilderness travel. She can heal those.
She’s not ready for the attentions of a ne’er-do-well knight and the kingdom’s only prince, though.
And she isn’t ready for the monsters that harry them night and day, picking off their archers first, wearing the party to exhaustion, pushing Kate beyond the limits her healing abilities.
She must keep them alive, or her blood will be on the snow too.
List of online retailers here.
...and the romance will continue April 1st 
with Disciple, Part II
  [image error]

The Magic Wakes tour

I'm always glad to host book tours, and especially glad when it's a friend. Charity Bradford is a fellow Unicorn Bell host, and her first novel The Magic Wakes will be on sale soon!



I want to thank L. for hosting me today. One of the things I admire the most about L and her amazing book is her world building skills. When I read Disciple, that’s one of the things that grabbed me from the very beginning.

There are so many levels and details that go into creating a new world. Today I’m going to talk about one aspect of my planet Sendek—the rules of magic. I’ll fess up and tell you that I didn’t sit down and think this out until after finishing the first draft. That meant a lot of tweaking and rewriting after I figured out my system. So my suggestion is plan these kinds of things before you start writing.

Here are my notes dealing with magic on my planet, and a few thoughts on how the rules might change how Talia views it.

The rules of magic 
Magic is hard work
.
Magic requires effort. There's a kickback effect for magic used, a sort of karmic boomerang that will slam the user with a force equal to that which the user applies. Mainly, a draining or exhausting of life energy. It will renew, but the magic user is rendered weak until they have time to recover. Prolonged use of magic can in effect kill you if you do not pull energy from other life sources. If you take life from other sources you shorten or end their life depending on how long you steal energy.

The only sources of energy that a mage can draw from without noticeable effect are the suns. Of course, this also shortens the life of the suns, but the energy drawn from them is so infinitesimal that it is almost immeasurable.

This won't eliminate the use of magic—after all, if you know the punch is coming, you can brace for it. And magical defenses will be effective. The majority of people will choose not to use magic on a regular basis, especially in a scientifically advanced society like Sendek.

Magic can be augmented by group work 

Magic works on an individual basis, but a group of people working together can make the spell more powerful and sustain it longer. Especially helpful if the group consists of young or inexperienced mages.

There will be a few rogue mages, hungry for power, and they will gather like minded people to their cause.

(Mini Spoiler) Magic is tied to the planets seeded by the dragons

Sorry, you’ll have to wait for this one since it is directly tied to the series finale.

Effects of the rules of magic 
These magical rules will have the following effects:
Because it is so rare, its practitioners will aim big—the main goal of evil magic will be the acquisition of power, good magic to protect the defenseless from the power hungry.Magic will be a tool of war. Sendek specific—scientist will want to study the differences in those who have magic and those who do not in an effort to duplicate the effect.Eventually, with Talia’s help, they will use magic to push science farther than they could without it. The laws of magic (these may look familiar, wish I could remember where I found them)
Law of Magical Reaction: Every action has an equal and opposite, but aligned, reaction.Law of Magical Inertia: Inertia holds; spells in force tend to remain in force unless acted on by an opposite force. Spells in latency tend to remain in latency unless acted on by an opposite force. For my purposes, TIME and DISTANCE are forces that weaken spells.Law of Magical Conservation: Magic, mass and energy all conserve. Magic conserves by returning to the wildlife, planet core and into space.Law of Spellcasting: The force of the spell cast will be equal to the energy used multiplied by the number of casting magicians, minus conversion energy.Law of Spellshielding: The damage done by a spell will equal the energy sent minus the capacity of the buffer (or defending mage).Law of Harm: Every spell used to inflict harm, damage, pain, or death, no matter the nature of the target, carries a negative charge. Degradation of cellular structure similar to radiation poisoning, death of surrounding nature, possible death of caster (dependent on strength of mage, strength of spell, strength of defender)Law of Neutrality: Anything that carries a neutral charge can be affected by and drawn to either positive or negative charges. Neutrality is a position of weakness, not strength.
Back cover: The Magic Wakes
Talia has a secret, one that will save her world and yet rip it apart. Only she can decide if the price is worth it.

Scientist Talia Zaryn has always had visions of an alien invasion and of her own death. She’s kept it a secret, hoping they are nothing more than childish nightmares. But when her face in the mirror matches that of her dreams, she fears the dreams are prophetic. Talia must prove that life exists beyond their planet, Sendek; perhaps then people will prepare to fight.

Talia’s work at the Space Exploration Foundation leaves no time for personal relationships, but Major Landry Sutton isn’t looking for a friend. He’s looking for a traitor. His ability to sense emotions convinces him Talia is that traitor until a touch sizzles between them. In an instant their minds are connected and they can communicate telepathically. Just as the two begin to trust each other, the invading force arrives.

Talia and Landry must uncover the secrets of Sendek’s past if they hope to defeat these terrifying creatures. And Talia is the key—if only she can learn to trust the magic coursing through her veins.

See the book trailer • Read the first chapter
Buy The Magic Wakes at AmazonCharity's Facebook • Twitter • BlogThe Magic Wakes on Goodreads

World Building Blogfest: Excerpt

It feels strange to be posting an infodump as a sample of Disciple, Part II. That's not a good way to draw in readers! But this is the last day of the World Building Blogfest, so here you go:

Elect Parselev wrote a letter at his desk while I sat in the spare chair and read the book he’d handed me. His office was cool despite the beam of sunlight through the window under the south-facing eaves, but smelled pleasantly of drying bergamot and mint. I sat with legs crossed on the seat, leaning over the book and tracing my finger across the words as I worked them out. Parselev had written it himself, years ago, and he had sketched illustrations in the generous margins. His work was as fine as any craft-hand’s.

“Did you see these starving people yourself?” I asked.

His quill stopped scratching. His voice was quieter than I expected when he answered. “I did.”

“Was it a drought?”

There was no indication of who the people were, or where; he merely described the stages of starvation as they manifested in flesh and kir. The few faces included were ordinary enough, though I saw no Blessings.

“When Arcea conquered Suevia, miles of crops were burnt and grain stores captured or destroyed. Without food and without seed for the spring, no drought was needed. Arcea was little inclined to aid a people who had fought them so hard. Or to allow Wodenberg to aid them. I made those observations during a diplomatic mission to Temitte.”

My gaze lingered on the black ink sketch of a man’s bony hand with the kir whorls overlaid in red. I wondered how much would be lost in the spring, for a moment. “Arcea left them to starve? My parents never spoke of starving after Wodenberg conquered Englia.”

“Our wish was to incorporate Englia, not to rape it. Saint Ethmund was slain, yes, but the people were not left helpless as the Suevi were.”

Ethmund had been the saint of Englia; my parents had spoken of him often enough. “Surely the Suevi elect still defended their people?”

“A saint is more than a leader and protector. He is the link between the founts of his kingdom and his people. When Saint Seaxneat was killed, every elect, blessed and disciple was left with what kir they had or what they could draw from others. Arcea’s elect and the saints they sent to murder him, however, had the empire’s kir to tap and they took ownership of Suevia’s founts as well. She lost her saint, her royal bloodline, her elect, many of the blessed as well… and the common folk starved. They will do no less, here. Now, I need to finish this letter.”

My gaze crept to him, as he inked his pen, and my heart quavered in my chest. Arcea would murder him, if they could. Kiefan. Would they kill Anders, for being the king’s bastard? Me, for being the Elect’s student?
Thanks for stopping by -- there's been a lot of good stuff posted for this blog tour!

Disciple, Part II on sale April 1st!
Read a sample of Part I, Chapter 1 • Read a sample of  Part II
Cover and blurb for Part I or Part II

Goodreads links:
Disciple, Part I •  Disciple, Part II

World Building Blogfest: Food and drink

More about Wodenberg, the fantasy kingdom in Disciple...

Food is a fairly straightforward affair, in Wodenberg. It's simple, fresh and hearty. And seasonal, of course. From late summer, when the vegetables ripen, through the last apples and oat sheaves of autumn, tables are just as bountiful as you'd hope they could be. The goodfolk aren't afraid to pack on a few pounds to get them through the winter. Dried, pickled and smoked fare carry them through five months of cold, and hopefully they have enough put by. Come spring, those are supplemented with early greens and fresh-killed game.

But let's talk about beverages.

Beer
Beer is the alcohol of choice in Wodenberg. I happen to be quite fond of beer, myself. This is entirely coincidental, of course.

The basics: beer is made by extracting starches and sugar from partially germinated, then dried grains (“malted”), then adding flavorings (such as hops), and then letting yeast eat the starches and sugars so as to produce alcohol. Beer in Wodenberg is made primarily from oats and barley. Wheat is a minor crop, and is mostly ground up for bread flour. They also have other brewable crops on hand — apples, pumpkins, berries — as well as hops and some other bitter spices for balancing out the flavors. Wodenberg beer isn't likely to be filtered, and it certainly isn’t pasteurized.

These are some of the varieties that are mentioned in Disciple:

Small beer
Small beer is a low-alcohol brew (about 1%, whereas “standard” beer is 4-6%) that can be made from the “leftovers” of brewing full-strength beer — or done in its own right with limited resources. It’s cheaper, quicker and easier, and was common from the medieval period right up through colonial America.

It’s weak stuff, by all accounts. Humble. Every mother in Wodenberg has her own personal recipe for small beer and her own secret ingredients. It’s made for household consumption, and unless it’s especially good it’s not likely to be sold.

Bock
This is the special-event drink of choice — higher alcohol content and it takes a bit more work to brew. Bock makes its first appearance at the Solstice banquet… and Kate loses track of how much she drinks, since the pages are so studious about keeping steins filled.

Stout
Oatmeal stout, to be specific. Since oats are a major crop in Wodenberg, oatmeal stout is common. Especially in the winter, when you want a hearty beer to keep the meat on your bones. Stouts can be bitter; it’s an acquired taste.

Ale
Ales are especially sweet beers brewed in warmer weather. In Wodenberg, the last ales of the summer are brewed from apples and early grains and they’re gone by mid-autumn.

Tea
Herbal tea
Wodenberg got its herbal tea habit from the medicinal side — who doesn’t like a nice, hot cup of mint tea when you’ve got a stuffy nose? Since I based the climate and ecology of Wodenberg on New England, hunting down what herbs would be native, or at least easily grow there, was surprisingly challenging. Mint, bergamot (bee balm,) and rose hips, I was sure of. They’re all mentioned in Disciple.

Black tea
All black teas come by way of trade from the empire of Arcea, which is currently intent on invading Wodenberg. But caffeine is a hard habit to break, as we all know. While the war sends prices through the roof, it’s still brought out for important guests.


Disciple, Part II on sale April 1st!Pre-order Part II, or pick up a bundle of both parts, NOW at Kickstarter! Click on the widget to see the book trailer and the pledging options -->  
Read a sample of Part I, Chapter 1 • Read a sample of  Part II
Cover and blurb for Part I or Part II

Goodreads links:
Disciple, Part I •  Disciple, Part II

World Building Blogfest: Religion

The Worldbuilding Blogfest continues! Religion is a big part of any culture, regardless of how religious your characters are. This blogfest is a chance for me to pull together all those background details from Disciple and organize them.

Overview
All people belong to a Flock — their neighbors, their kingdom, all humanity — which is headed by the Ram and the Ewe. These alphas are more commonly known as Father Duty and Mother Love. They teach the Flock how to be good sheep so that the Shepherd will find them worthy when he comes for them.

Since the Flock is so large, it’s naturally divided into smaller Flocks. Those are the kingdoms, which are led by the saints, who were given their magical talents by the Mother and Father to mark them as leaders. Kingdoms are further divided into city neighborhoods and villages, overseen by abbots/abbesses of the Order.

Rituals are determined by one's local saints, heavily influenced by tradition. In Wodenberg, Saints-day rituals are observed once a week; the more pious can observe them daily, or take vows and dedicate their lives to service of the Flock.

Mother Love, the Ewe
The Ewe is all things warm and homey, gentle and nurturing, loving and healing. She teaches the Flock to care and forgive, to help and shelter one another. Community and sharing are encouraged in her name. The Mother’s Discipline is marriage, which is more rigorous than it would seem: fidelity, the raising of children, giving one’s support as a family to the Flock you live in.

The Mother is merciful, rather than stern, and advises seeking compromise whenever possible — whether it’s a cheating spouse or quarrelsome neighbors. Colloquially, the running joke is that the Mother's teachings come easier to women, the Father's easier to men, and thus the two sexes are always a little at odds with each other. But one is to obey both the Mother and the Father, regardless of one's gender. Teamwork, whether at the level of families or kingdoms, is always the overriding concern.

Father Duty, the Ram
The Ram oversees all one’s duties: work, service, teaching, and generally the less pleasant things in life. The Father’s Discipline is a month-long purification that demonstrates one's dedication to duty, and it requires equal doses of humility and perseverance as well. Taking Discipline is required for any squire seeking knighthood, any wishing to take the vows of the Order, or can be endured to clear a debt of honor.

While the Father can be harsh and unforgiving, the sacrifices one makes for duty are noble and praiseworthy. Authority and power are implicit in observing Father Duty’s teachings. One should know one’s place, and know that all places have value. A Flock must stand together against the wolves and monsters of the world, not run willy-nilly and defenseless. Again, teamwork is paramount.

The Shepherd
The Shepherd is death: sometimes merciful, sometimes incomprehensible, and never cheated. He is fair in his evaluation of his sheep, and they cannot hide anything from him. The Shepherd culls his flock, when he chooses, of the unworthy. He also chooses those to bring home to his fold where it’s safe and warm. Those who are especially worthy with will have a place at the Shepherd’s hearth.

Sheep he isn’t pleased with are banished to the Winter Wood, to wander forever.

The Hearth
Heaven is eternal warmth, companionship and hospitality. All the good things of life are there, all those you loved who’ve gone before you. But like most heavens, people catalog its wonderful things and then prefer to talk about the horrors of hell…

The Winter Wood
Hell, conversely, is cold, isolation, and wandering the monster-infested Winter Wood. It’s well stocked with folklore villains: rogue Elect, kobolds, wild animals, kir-mutated beasts, and all the agonies of the cold. Since life for most goodfolk is cold and wild animals are often a concern, the line between life and the Winter Wood is far blurrier than the Shepherd’s Hearth. Nobody stumbles into heaven accidentally, but the warning signs of the edges of the Wood are well known.

And, of course, everyone gets a little taste of hell each winter.

Heroes find their way to the Wood, sometimes, to rescue someone who’s been stolen by rogue Elect or kobolds. Lovers swear they’ll fight their way back from it, if they must. Most are content to take care when they venture into the forest, to avoid drawing the notice of the evils in the Wood, and be good sheep that the Shepherd would come and find if they’re lost. Or, perhaps, send a hero to rescue them.

[image error]
Side note: the moons
The largest of the eight moons is called the Shepherd, and the twelve divisions of the year are measured by its waxing and waning. The seven smaller moons are the Flock, named after the seven children of the Ram and the Ewe: Strength, Kindness, Courage, Justice, Hope, Wisdom, and Peace.

That’s three for the Mother — Kindness, Hope, and Peace — three for the Father — Strength, Courage, and Wisdom — and one who straddles both love and duty: Justice.

These are also the seven virtues and often the heroes of teaching fables told to children. Particularly Justice, who’s always having to figure out the right thing to do.

 
Disciple, Part II on sale April 1st!Pre-order Part II, or pick up a bundle of both parts, NOW at Kickstarter! Click on the widget to see the book trailer and the pledging options -->  
Read a sample of Part I, Chapter 1 • Read a sample of  Part II
Cover and blurb for Part I or Part II

Goodreads links:
Disciple, Part I •  Disciple, Part II

World Building Blogfest: History

Welcome to the World Building Blogfest. See yesterday's post for a bit about the nature of saints. Today, a timeline of Wodenberg's recent history.

200-250 years ago  Wodenberg was an unusual kingdom, jointly ruled by Saint Woden and Saint Aleksandr, who considered themselves brothers despite that one was Alemanni and the other Russe. Saint Aleks was a master craftsman and a shape-shifter. Woden was a saint of warcraft. Their descendants, intermarried into one family, were the kings of the land. 
Then Saint Qadeem presented himself openly — no small thing in a world where saints murder each other for control of the magic kir-founts and to harvest each others’ talents. He came in good faith and full assurance of his own ability to survive such a meeting. 
He warned them of the Empress of Arcea, her intent to conquer the world, and her ability to see it through. The three saints spent several years discussing it, becoming friends, and eventually agreed to something new in the world: a trinity, sworn as equals, sharing founts. Qadeem and Aleksandr jointly developed the Blessings — something else never seen before — and bestowed them on all young folk of Wodenberg. Kir-gifted or not.  
About 50 years ago The Empress invaded Suevia, Wodenberg's closest neighbor. Its saint, Seaxneat, was no friend of Woden's or Aleksandr's. Wodenberg's army mustered on the border, but only to defend it. Arcea's saints killed and harvested Seaxneat, took control of Suevia's founts, and set about cleansing the land of the saint’s bloodline -- which was also its royal family -- all its elect, and many of its blessed. 
Famine cut Suevia's population even further. Over the next few years, several attempts at rebellion were brutally put down. Mercia, the infant princess of Suevia, was kept alive and in hiding by her kinsmen, the Heathugrim. 
32 years ago In a daring raid that nearly started a war, Prince Wilhelm of Wodenberg “abducted” Princess Mercia from Suevia. He took her home and married her. This was all pre-arranged, but they liked each other well enough. At first. 
22 years ago The younger of King Wilhelm's two sons, Gerhardt, tumbled down the castle's great staircase, cracked his little head open on the stone steps, and died. Queen Mercia was inconsolable. Wilhelm mourned, moved on, and gradually wearied of his wife’s inability to do the same. Their marriage grew distant and strained.
21 years ago The elder of the king’s two sons, Wilhelm, was thrown by his horse during a riding lesson and died. The queen blamed the king for the accident, and soon afterwards she moved into her own bedroom suite at the other end of the castle. It had been the nursery. 
They remained polite in public, but did little more than argue in private. 
Side note: Elect
Elect are kir-mages second only to the saints in power. They're more common than saints, but still only one in some thousands has the potential to become an elect. Saints seek them out, bind them, and offer a steady supply of kir in exchange for loyalty and mutual protection.20 years ago King Wilhelm led an army into the kingdom of Englia -- and was quite glad for the time away from his wife. Saint Woden rode with the king to oversee the invasion, and brought Wodenberg's only two elect: Parselev, and Prince Wolfgang, the king’s younger brother. By the end of summer, Saint Ethmund was dead and Englia conquered. Elect Wolfgang, sadly, did not survive the campaign.
19 years ago King Wilhelm indulged in a brief affair with the equally lonely and miserable Baroness Frida Bockmann. Queen Mercia caught them, flew into a rage, and suffered her first serious fit. Frida later learned she was pregnant and her husband wanted to divorce her, but after a visit from Saint Woden they kept the child and their marriage. Anders was born late in the year. 
18 years agoDriven by duty -- and, probably, the saints -- the king did what he must. Queen Mercia bore a third son, Kiefan. She refused to speak with, or be in the same room as, her husband after that. Her fits of rage and despair continued for some years, but her son's presence was a balm. 
4 years agoA 12-year-old Englic peasant girl named Kate Carpenter, recently Blessed and claimed by Saint Qadeem, was sent to the Order to learn to read and write.
3 years agoA knight caught his squire in bed with his wife, attempted to beat the squire to death, and demanded a duel. Anders won that duel, and his knighthood. Thus began his career as as the tempting bad boy that all the fathers of teenaged girls were losing sleep over.
2 years agoElect Parselev chose Kate Carpenter as his apprentice, overlooking more qualified students. Earlier that year, the piglet that was the linchpin of Kate’s dowry died of unknown causes — presumed to be illness. For want of the piglet, her betrothal was broken off and she returned to her studies, much to her father's disappointment. 
Summer Solstice, this yearPrince Kiefan was graduated from squire to full knighthood, after evaluation by Saint Woden.
Late Summer Moon, this yearThe Empress of Arcea sent an army to Wodenberg. It laid siege to Ansehen, at the lower of the two passes through the southern hills, and King Wilhelm pulled together what garrisons were at hand to reinforce the town. In the battle, Prince Kiefan led a cavalry charge that shifted the odds to their favor. Arcea’s elect, faced with failure, set off an earthquake that destroyed Ansehen’s fortifications. Wodenberg won the battle, but at great cost. 
Arcea will return in the spring, with a larger army. 
1st of the Grain MoonPrince Kiefan was sent across the uncharted mountains to ask the kingdom of Caercoed for aid. (Disciple, Part I begins here.)


Disciple, Part II on sale April 1st!Pre-order Part II, or pick up a bundle of both parts, NOW at Kickstarter! Click on the widget to see the book trailer and the pledging options -->  
Read a sample of Part I, Chapter 1 • Read a sample of  Part II
Cover and blurb for Part I or Part II

Goodreads links:
Disciple, Part I •  Disciple, Part II

World Building Blogfest: Geography and climate

Welcome to the World Building Blogfest -- which I am using to wrap up my blog tour for the first two parts of my fantasy epic, Disciple. I'll be talking about Wodenberg, the kingdom my heroine Kate calls home, all week.

This is a great time for me to post my map online! It's in the ebook and the paperback, of course, but I'll post an extra large version here so you can zoom in and look around.

Click here to read my previous post (over at my writing blog) about geography.
A secluded northern vale...Wodenberg is a broad, rolling valley cut between two mountain ranges by the glaciers of the last ice age. Only Mount Woden survived — it was carved out and left standing in the middle of the vale. The heavy moraines abandoned when the glaciers melted made for a line of rocky hills along the valley’s southern border. 
Forest took over from there: pines, sugar maples, paper birches. A deep lake settled into a notch the glaciers had left in the middle of the valley. Rain and meltwater rolled off the high mountain slopes toward two coasts — one to the north, one to the south. The Neva River, southbound, carved its way through the line of hills and spilled into the lower lands. 
When people found their way up through the two lowest passes into the valley, at Ansehen and Knapptal, they brought their sheep and goats. It was a cool-weather valley, snowy in the winter thanks to the coastline on the north, but good for herding, foraging and hunting. Thin, sandy soil kept farming from catching on as quickly as it did in the land below the valley, but it did settle in eventually. 
And there were founts, the people quickly learned. Places where kir welled up from the earth and ran free in fresh water. Often, in a place where a spring had no business being — such as the icy peak of Mount Woden. 
There were saints guarding the founts, already, when ordinary folk came. Lonely, half-wild saints. Or so the legends say.

Saints
For common folk, the saints are as good as parts of the geography. Saints are kir-mages at the pinnacle of talent; they take ownership of founts, which fuel their magic, and guard them jealously. They never die of natural causes, as kir preserves them from age and other saints will murder them both for their founts and to harvest their hoarded wisdom. Even so, many saints live for centuries.

Common folk can no more kill a saint than raze a mountain, so naturally a saint's word is law in his (or her) kindgom. His descendants generally rule the land as kings and nobles. And while a saint's kin may be talented with kir themselves, they're no more likely to be than anybody else. New saints, elect, any rank of kir-mage, can arise from any family. 
Map
Click to embiggen. This will be available in the Goodies Index too.



Disciple, Part II on sale April 1st!Pre-order Part II, or pick up a bundle of both parts, NOW at Kickstarter! Click on the widget to see the book trailer and the pledging options -->  
Read a sample of Part I, Chapter 1 • Read a sample of  Part II
Cover and blurb for Part I or Part II

Goodreads links:
Disciple, Part I •  Disciple, Part II