Annals: Year 32
A Dustsong story fragment—and updates
From the Annals of the Vaporous Realms
An orderly clan of travelers appeared in the desolate southern reach of Sand-Folk country. These southrons called themselves Scions of the Dawn, for they sought earnestly the spot where the Wright founded the earthly realm at the dawn of days. Their elder elected to guide them north through the dunes, for he dreamt that the tallest of the Fangs held the answers they yearned for.
Codex: Scions of the Dawn
The Scions of the Dawn were a small clan of desert-folk nomads, of unknown provenance, who appeared in the wandering wastes early in the first epoch. They attracted a reputation as obsessively devout followers of the Wright, uncommon among the Children of Dust in those days.
The Scions were the eighth of thirteen clans to join Len Ghremson’s exodus from the wastes into the valley below the Fangs. They settled thereafter in the western quarter of Danoh-town. Of all the clans that departed the capital in subsequent generations, the Scions of the Dawn were the last, establishing themselves on the mountain lake at the far end of the valley. There they instructed the descendants of the Wind Hunters and Prowler Kin in matters of faith and Wright-worship.
Author Note
It’s hard to overstate how pleased I am it’s spring y’all. Without further preface, here are my recommendations, updates, and public service announcements for April:
3 Recommendations
Luke Warfield’s got a new story posted, “Roughin’ It —Part 1 of 2: A Yarn from the Greatness Grand Almanacs.” I think I’ve mentioned before, Luke’s worldbuilding and storytelling blend the fantastic and historical in a way that feels similar at heart to the Vaporous Realms, but the nitty gritty details and resulting “yarn” are very, wonderfully different.
Kathrine Elaine has built a fantasy world, alternately charming and brutal, worthy to occupy a corner of your imagination—and it will, given the opportunity. If you’re only familiar with her lighterhearted fantasy fare, the immersive three-part story “Everlasting” may surprise you.
I confess I haven’t made time for more than a couple of the Black Knight’s serials (and he’s prolific) in the long while I’ve subscribed to Shadows and Space. But even in passing, his sprawling worlds, action-packed tales, and bold viewpoint make an unmistakable impression. I can’t help but notice his storytelling style, often akin to being tossed headfirst into a rollicking tabletop RPG session, gets better all the time. That includes his ongoing serialization of Wynd of Cleansation.
2 Publishing Updates
With a big comicon on the near horizon (and assorted monthly events thereafter), I’m throwing myself into a miniature-crafting frenzy for a fortnight.
This coming week,In late May [thanks to the impulsive decision to publish a new edition of the Zshurii story as a paperback novella, in record time, for imminent in-person events], be on the lookout for a poll to gauge which style you find most appealing for Vaporous Realms at War minis: (mostly) carved or (mostly) crafted. I’ll feature a current sample of each. Thanks in advance!For paid subscribers, I’m actively finishing the Vaporous Realms at War character profiles for the Watchers introductory scenario. Egwae and the Herald of Livyat remain virtually unchanged, but within a few days, they’ll be joined by a slew of less familiar characters: Kel the Accuser, Rhaet the Destroyer, Læw the Hunter, C’heseh the Scribe, Tenah the Steward, a generic Watcher Captain, the Chaos Broodflogger, the Chaos Infiltrator, and the lowly Chaos Raider. A proper book with the updated beta rules and Watchers scenario is coming together at last (ETA June, more info in May).
1 PSA
If you’ve got a Draft2Digital account for free, no-frills ebook formatting, and/or for book distribution, you probably saw the recent memo about monthly account fees for low earners. If you missed it, check your inbox (or your account). They’ll only charge you if you’ve got books in distribution through them, but they’ve created a one-button solution to unpublish everything and avoid those nasty fees. Happily, we’ve resolved the difficulty KDP was having with the Steelhearts anthology paperback cover, so it’s back in print on Amazon after a brief lapse.
Happy reading, folks!
Thanks so much for the recommendation, M.B.!