Annals: Year 29
A Dustsong story fragment, a codex entry, and winter updates
From the Annals of the Vaporous Realms
A stout, jovial fellow, who called himself Dubrhos, lumbered out of the far east, alongside a toothless prowler. The Wind Hunters suspected Livyat had warped his mind, and the Sand-Folk thought him sun-touched. Wherever Dubrhos wandered, he welcomed exiles and the disaffected to his tents and campfires, with a hearty laugh. None dared cross him, for they feared the foreclaws of his feline companion.
Codex: Dubrhos’s Wanderers
Dubrhos’s Wanderers were a loosely structured clan of desert-folk that arose in the wandering wastes early in the first epoch.
They were eleventh of the thirteen clans to follow Len Ghremson out of the wastes and into the valley below the Fangs. Their disparate origins and free-spirited ethos contributed to the varied and lively character of Danoh-town’s eastern quarter. But the consolidation of royal and priestly power late in the first epoch compelled most of their descendants to join the knoll-folk in the central valley.
Author Note
Goodness gracious, y’all—this was a heck of an autumn, and not in the way I’d like to repeat. Never in my life have seasonal illnesses, nearly unbroken for over three months, wrought such havoc on my productivity and plans. Lord willing, I’m finally back to my creative endeavors in a sustained way. And I’m especially grateful for everyone who’s subscribed (or stayed subscribed) in recent weeks.
Which brings me to some end-of-year updates and forecasts:
Because I’ve been so spotty in posting this past year, and had to delay a lot of the paid-only content I’d planned, I extended all paid subscriptions by several months. I appreciate y’all so much! (Please message me directly if you’re not sure when your sub renews now.)
Going forward, the Vaporous Realms site and archives will be better organized: certain kinds of posts will always be free, others will always be paid, and there will be a thorough (and hyperlinked) overview of the site contents.
In the next few days, Steelhearts campaign backers and Vaporous Realms paid subscribers will get access to a version of the anthology ebook with typos and errors corrected.
Before Christmas, paid and complimentary subscribers will get a new version of the Annals, redrafted for the upcoming Legend of Len the Wanderer. A full draft of the new prologue, in a new style, ought to be ready before New Year’s.
I’m planning regular, short livestreams for the new year, for Vaporous Realms and my editing Substack. Livestreams and synopses will be available to everyone, but recordings will be paid perks.
A detailed Vaporous Realms at War beta rulebook, and much-improved miniatures, are in development for a January–February release. A crowdfund for The Legend of Len the Wanderer (and possibly its sequel) is tentatively set for this spring.
I’m forgoing a monthly “top reads” list this time, because I’ve been enjoying all the same writers and serials (and restacking my favorites more often). That said, shout-outs to Bill Hiatt for his addictive fantasy and mythology serials and to J. M. Robinson for his thought-provoking theological essays focused on reenchantment. For what it’s worth, I think both writers have been in especially fine form lately.
Happy reading, folks—and Merry Christmas!