Almanac – Freeports of the Kennard Reach
February 7th, 2013This week’s almanac entry discusses the Freeports of the Kennard Reach. This confederation of port cities are the homes to some of the greatest explorers and navigators in Corthis. A gold star to anyone who can guess what real world organization I’m basing the Freeports off of. The entry also mentions the fallen Kingdom of Lyonesse and the great spirit Taliesen. Those names may be familiar to some of you. Also, I added in a picture of Aileon’s flag that I neglected to include in an earlier update.
Speaking of updates, Diane and I are looking into doing a site redesign for Snow by Night. Is there any features that you would like us to include? Likewise, is there anything on the current site that you think needs improving? Let us know and we’ll see what we can do.
Almanac – Tricornes
January 31st, 2013Aradie was founded for the sake of a hat. Not just any hat, but a tricorne made of beaver fur. They are all the rage in Saronne and everyone who is anyone MUST have one. And so Sherbourg was settled and Aradie founded. Read about it in this week’s Almanac entry on Tricorne. They are wonderful hats for the time, even is my artists don’t agree.
We made it to February, which means one month left to submit entries to our Art Contest. I hope you will consider submitting something. We tried to make the criteria as broad as possible while still having a Snow by Night focus. Cash prizes to our winners!
Almanac – 16th Century
January 25th, 2013Our procession through the years continues with the 16th Century in today’s Almanac. It is full of interesting facts. Like that Sherbourg was saved in 1595 by mayonnaise. The colonists used the recently invented condiment to suffocate the typhus-bearing lice that was infesting the town. While the Center for Disease Control isn’t sure whether this works or not in the real world, for the purposes of Corthis, it does.
I got the convention report for Ohayocon uploaded this afternoon. It’s in photo form since people seem to enjoy that the most. You can find it on Snow by Night’s Facebook page. I also invite all of you to submit something to our Art Contest. Entries are due March 1, and there are cash prizes for the first 8 spaces.
Almanac – 17th Century
January 10th, 2013This week’s almanac entry is the 17th Century. More accurately, it’s an update to the historical timeline where I’m adding a lot of entries for the 17th century. Lots of wars in this century as the colonial powers go at each other. This won’t be the last update to the timeline. I’ll add to it as the story continues. One thing I really want to expand is the dates for important events with the native tribes. Lots of things are happening in Everique just like lots of things were happening in North America at this time as well.
We have a convention coming up soon. We’re venturing across the Appalachians to Columbus, Ohio on Jan. 18-20 for Ohayocon. Come by and see us if you can.
Almanac – Gunpowder
December 21st, 2012This week’s Almanac is gunpowder. Alchemical gunpowder, that is. Salt (charcoal), sulfur (sulfur), and mercury (saltpeter) in unison to create a highly flammable compound. Interesting factoid. Europe (like Japethe) had a shortage of naturally occurring saltpeter so chemists developed the “French Method” of making it. What is the French Method? It’s a polite way of saying that they use dung and urine to make saltpeter. Oh euphemisms.
Snow by Night’s holiday break begins next week. We’ll be posting holiday sketches for the next two weeks. Stop by and get some holiday cheer. Pages resume on January 7!
Almanac – Gloire
December 14th, 2012Reputation, pride, status, glory. All these words are wrapped up in the ideology of Gloire, which is discussed in today’s Almanac entry. We’ve seen gloire raise its head a couple times in this comic. Jassart felt that Snow-by-Night was making him look bad (she was) which hurt his gloire among the other rooks. We saw gloire in all its ugliness in Losing by Winning which drove Vivienne into conflict with Marguerite and cost her family dearly. Gloire is the driving force of many of the great figures of Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. It still lives on today when presidents talk about leaving a legacy.
A bit of news. Snow by Night will be taking a brief break over the holidays. We will not be posting pages or Almanac entries from December 24 to January 6 (so we still have all of next week when we are posting). This unintentionally works out to be the 12 Days of Christmas. During this time, we will be posting holiday-themed illustrations. So check back with us during the break to see some merry whimsy. Happy holidays everyone!
And now, our last riddle for the week. I saved one of my favorites for last.
A march to hold back the foreign seas
Yet leaks a thousand salty streams.
Its soil ranges from rich, dark loam
To palest sand by the white sea foam.
Smooth as silk, rough as leather,
Wrinkled as time, soft as heather,
Thin and thick, you can split it in twain;
The ground can mend but the mark remains.
To see the answer, vote for Snow by Night on Top Web Comic.
Almanac – Even More Slang!
December 6th, 2012Hello everyone. This week’s Almanac entry is more slang! It’s been a while since I updated our slang page and I’ve been sneaking in more terms over the past couple chapters. Updates include: Arrête, Bavard, Be in the Moon, Belle, Boggle, Cachet, C’est bon, Crew, Ferme, Greenhorn, Heave, Joual, Make Like the Air, Manitou, Manse, Marque, Quel Dommage, and The Roost.
As you are probably aware, The Hobbit comes out in the U.S. next week. I’m a HUGE Tolkien fan. So in celebration of the release of The Hobbit, Snow by Night will be hosting Riddle Week next week. Every day, I will be posing a riddle for you to puzzle out. Those who guess the riddle get a gold star and an appreciative nod from Cienan (our character who likes riddles the most). Get your thinking caps on, because I have some good ones planned for you.
Almanac — Tomahawks
November 29th, 2012This week’s almanac entry is the famous tomahawk. This useful tool is ubiquitous on the colonial frontier. Besides, it’s fun to say. Tomahawk, tomahawk, tomahawk. Also, don’t forget to vote for Snow by Night on Top Web Comics. Every vote is very appreciated. You can vote daily.
Fun fact I learned while researching Snow by Night — all those tomahawks that the Indians used? They were trade goods. The tribes didn’t forge their own iron (at least not in significant quanities). There were entire forges in France doing nothing but pumping out tomahawk heads for the traders to swap for furs. But wait, you say, tomahawks were everywhere among the tribes. Yes, you’re right. That’s how widespread the fur trade was in North America.
By the way, I ran across an incredible resource for people interested in life in colonial America — The Journal of the Early Americas. If this period interests you, I recommend it.
