Almanac – Dancer-in-the-Dawn
January 8th, 2015Today’s Almanac entry is Dancer-in-the-Dawn, the manitou of spring. She’s associated with growth, youth, and beginnings. If you imagine her as an excited preschooler, you have a very accurate idea of this spirit. My preschooler loves things with her whole being. When I ask what she wants for lunch, she’ll declare “I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER!” It really doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you present it to her as an exciting and new experience. This past week, I got to introduce her to the thrill shoveling snow. “I LOVE SHOVELING SNOW!” Her enthusiasm did not last long enough to clear the entire driveway. The lure of snow angels then the call of hot chocolate inside were too strong.
Almanac – Cannons!
December 12th, 2014Today’s Almanac entry is cannons! These are the biggest, baddest boomsticks of the era. They sink ships, smash citadels, and wreck armies. Vivienne’s squadron was sent after that batter for a good reason.
Almanac – Continental Style
December 5th, 2014This week’s Almanac entry is Continental Style. With the approach of the Morantine infantry, it seemed a good time to discuss the standard form of combat in Japethe. A lot of Americans look down on the continental style because of our instruction covering the American Revolution and how it is depicted by Hollywood. I remember my father joking that the colonial revolutionaries won the coin toss because they got to wear blue and hide in the woods while Britain had to wear red and stand in the field.
Put that aside because those are not accurate depictions. The continental style was horrifically effective. A synchronized volley from a line of British regulars was like facing an enormous shotgun that rips apart everything in its path. Until recently, Hollywood couldn’t depict the mayhem and the mutilation of an 18th century battlefield. Soldiers didn’t just blithely slump to the ground. They were spun, dropped, and shattered. And those red coats with their fancy brass buttons that were polished to they gleamed to match the bayonet, were a terror to beyond. Imagine watching a line of red death approaching you in unison. You shoot and you shoot, but they just keep coming. When they get to you, you’re going to die. A bayonet charge by the Redcoats broke armies.
On a less grim note, script and thumbnails for Chapter 10 are done. Julie will be hosting a livestream of a page next Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST. I’ll be doing color commentary. :-)
Almanac – Chimerae
November 20th, 2014This week’s Almanac entry is Chimerae. These creatures of the result of alchemical processes that modify natural creatures. Sometimes it gives them unnatural enhancements. Sometimes it mashes together elements of different creatures. Being a long term D&D player and writer, mad alchemists can explain so much. Owl bears, for example.
We’ve been accepted to Ravencon next April. I’ve heard really good things about this convention, and I’m looking forward to attend.
Almanac – Alagnon River
November 13th, 2014The stately Alagnon River flows through Japethe, separating three nations from each other in its course. The river is the site of many battles as one nation or another takes dominance over the waterway. It is also the scene for Vivienne’s battle in Engagement on Vineyard Hill. All in today’s almanac entry.
Almanac- Aradien Warfare
November 7th, 2014This week’s Almanac entry is Aradien Warfare. Irregular warfare is a necessity on the wooded frontier of Everique. Diane and I are off to Nekocon really early tomorrow. So a short entry tonight. See you all when we get back.
Almanac – Liranequoia
October 30th, 2014For this week’s almanac entry, I’m moving to the western side of the Levian Ocean to discuss Liranequoia. Liranequoia is one of the most powerful nations in Everique and controls the crucial trade routes from the inland rivers to the seaboard settlements of the Japethan colonies.
This is just the first entry for the Liranequois. I will keep adding to it as their role in the story continues to grow. I suspect that the Liranequois will become as large an entry as Aradie and get its own banner before I’m through. I’m doing a lot of research on the First Nations that I’m using as a model. There’s lots and lots of reading in my future to make sure I represent them properly.
NekoCon is coming up next weekend. Almost the whole gang will be there — me, Diane, and Julie. I just need to convince Naty to come up. heh heh
Next week, we begin the high action vignette Engagement on Vineyard Hill, starring Vivienne!
Almanac – Taliesin
October 23rd, 2014Today’s Almanac entry is Taliesin, the absent great spirit of travel, exploration, and curiosity. He vanished across the western sea several hundred years ago, triggering the Age of Discovery. He has not been seen since.
Next month is Nekocon. I’ll be attending along with Diane. Julie will be down the aisle with Ianua. I’ll be participating in several panels with other webcomic artists, including Alternative Magics in Fiction, Making Imaginary Worlds, and, my favorite, Strong Female Characters: More Than Just a Big Sword.
