The Blue Dragon's Geas First Fan Fiction

Andrew Murray
Sordith's Shipment
Fan Fiction - Pre-Outcast time frame

Sordith sighed to himself as the wagon rumbled down the wide cobbled road. The slow pace of the large korpen provided little breeze to help on such a warm day. The sun set high in the sky burning down on the green plains that surrounded him. As Sordith looked into the distance he could see the peaks of the mountains that surrounded Silverport. His home and where he and the small crew of men who accompanied him, with the large covered wagon, were destined. He looked around taking in his surroundings before looking to the wagon driver.

Insertion - Live Writing

(Please remember that other than a quick spell check, live writes are not edited. They are warm-ups for me, glimpses for my readers of the world of Vesta beyond the great isle, and ideas for future novels.  I love feedback so if you see something that you would like me to move to novel ... please let me know.)


     


Hythinca placed the poultice on her leg and carefully bound it with strips of cloth.  She was going to have to admit to King Jesparian that she had again failed to get close to the dwarven king.  The man had a second sense for magic of any nature close to him.  She had thought she had kept just far away enough that he would not sense her true nature. Hythinca winced as she tied the strips tight over the poultice.

Her error had almost gotten her killed.   If this leg wound did not start healing, it would still do so.  She sighed as she pulled down her leather skirt.  She might as well get this over with for King Jesparian was not a man to keep waiting.  She did not fear death at his hands.  He had no other shapeshifter at his call.  Her gift seemed outside any sphere of magic.  It was a unique manifestation of magic and it was the only magic she held.

It was no surprise when she was ushered straight into the King's private parlor.  He was sitting with his feet on his writing table.  The room was plush and furnished in shades of deep greens.  The table seemed almost a trunk of wood to the sprawling carpets and forest wall hangings.  

Hythinca limped to stand before it and laid several sheets of parchment before him.  She dropped a deep curtsy then stood quietly with her hands clasped behind her back.  

Free to Wander - Live Writing

"Thief!  Guards, Guards!"  The vendor pointed at the young woman as she meandered through the market stalls.

Abrya took no note of the man's shouting.  She was sure what ever thief was about would soon be caught.  No, today she was in amazement.  Last night she had received her full name, Abrya Moonsong.  Today, was her first day to wander on her own.  She had never been so excited in her life.  Many did not get their first wander in a city.

The caravan traveled across the lands going where ever the dragons led them.  Lately, it seemed as if they would wander alone in the wilds, forever.  The caravan had been going north for a month now. She had no idea what lay north but the dragons were all headed that way.  Usually the caravan stayed in the warmer southern lands.

Abrya cried out in fright when a large metal hand grabbed a hold of her arm.  She looked up to see a large man with a mostly metal face.  Her fear instantly forgotten, she attempted to reach up to touch the metal over his nose to see if it was riveted into his skin.

Such an Exciting Week!

I am not sure where to even start.  I took my cover illustrator around the terrain that inspired the terrain in Outcast and The Blackguard.  We even managed to get some shots that were from "a dragon's view"

Heather and I have had a great time touring the area and showing her different vantages she can use for the cover of Bloodmines.  We covered most of the state in one capacity or another.  We even sat by a stream for awhile that shows up in The Bloodmines.

It meant I wasn't around a lot to work on the next book or publicity.  So imagine my joy when this came out in the local paper.

Add to that, I have heard the first three audio chapters for The Blackguard and you could just about peel me off the roof.  Life is spiraling to somewhere good and I feel caught up in the whirlwind of excitement.  My new website is well on its way to being built for the release date of August 1, 2014 and Becky even put a little dragon in a hard hat on it for now.  dragonologists.com

If anyone ever tells you that dreams don't come true.  I can attest they do.  You just have to work hard to obtain them and not give up!

Mesiande's Story - Part Three

"Why yah moping Mesi?" Gregor plopped down beside his friend. He was a light-hearted Daezun with a penchant for mischief. However, today he was serious for Mesiande was usually just as bright and now she sat with tear stained cheeks at the river's edge. The sun was dropping slowly behind the hill and the refraction of the clouds bathed the small clearing in shimmering golds. The water tumbled and frothed over rocks in a cascade of noise like a thousand voices.  Mesiande was caught in a beam of gold as she turned her face to look at Gregor, her hair seemed streaked with the soft metal that was so abundant in their lands. "Did yah not find any stones this trip?"

 "I found a few. Alador found an enormous one but..." She looked back at the river choking back a sob and tossed a rock into it.

"But what? I bet he is so happy." Gregor's smile faded. "Did Potre take it again?"

Mesiande's Story - Chapter Two

The next installment of Mesiande' tale after the jump!

Advanced Dragonology of Vesta - Dragon Habitats

Dragon habitats are as varied as there are dragons.  Most people just assume that they have a cave and often this is the case.  However, there are definitely some preferences and variations.  Like people, not all dragons want raise their fledglings in the same environments.  Of course, exploration of these habitats are dangerous and therefore most of what we know are from abandoned nests.

Black Dragons are slightly more wiry than their larger cousins.  Due to this, they often find holes in the ground that cannot be really classified as caves. However, they have no qualms in taking over an abandoned cave.    They prefer dark recesses where they can blend in and their spaces are often tighter then many of their kin.

Blue Dragons usually find natural caves that can be reached from underwater but have an air space within. They often will also choose sea side caves hard to reach due to the tides and crashing water. They prefer wet caverns as they often incubate their eggs in warmed water.

Bronze Dragons almost always dig their own caverns and these are as varied as the dragon.  They may have winding corridors to their nest, organized rooms or even one large cathedral like space.

Green Dragons do not like caves at all. They will usually choose natural crevices that are hard to reach except by flight but never one with a roof.   They do not mind the rain and will migrate to avoid the snows.  They are most comfortable in mossy and heavily wooded areas.

Gold Dragon - Unknown at this time. No known nest or cave has been found.

Red Dragons are your typical dragon.  They like caves and often have them close to areas of natural warmth. They tend to live in areas without snow. However, if the cave is deep enough to maintain a year around tempature, they have been found that far north.

Silver Dragons like to take over fallen cities, old castles and other such shrines.  They redecorate making their nest an area of beauty, serenity and peace.  They can also be found behind waterfalls if the area behind is dry enough.

White Dragons prefer sea facing caves hollowed out from icebergs or glaciers.   Their caves are made by their own efforts and are often marvels of sparkling ice and sculpture.  Rare is the ice dragon that has not created an ice scape that draws the eyes.  This can be dangerous if you are staring at their surroundings if they are hungry.

Waking a Dragon!

My fascination with dragons, dragon books, dragon myths is never sated.  I have spent many an hour with movies and books portraying their mighty stories.  My favorites are still Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1) and Dragonheart .

When I built Vesta, I wanted a different type of dragon.  I did not want just the typical intelligent beast that was hunted by the brave Sir Knight.  I wanted dragons that had the capacity to interact with the mortal world if they chose. I wanted them to have emotions and their own code of conduct.

Now, as I sit back having given birth to the first book, I watch the reviews rolling in.  So far, (knocks on wood) there have been no bad reviews.  Most all my reviews are five star with a lesser number of four stars.  It is like taking your baby out for the first time with fear and concern yet wanting people to see it.

There is more to Vesta's dragons then meets the eyes.   The biggest challenge I have found is to let the dragons be capable of shape shifting and walking among the people of the isle.  Who is mage and who is dragon?  How can you tell?  I will let the reader figure that out.  In the meantime, I continue to devour all things dragon!  The Blackguard, book two of The Blue Dragons Geas series, is progressing well and is about half way through first draft.

My goal this year, to work on publicity hard enough that by this time next year, I can stay home and produce books at a faster rate. Working four eleven hour days makes writing on those days difficult as your brain is pretty wrung out by the time you make the commute home.  The coolest thing about having written and broke the ice with that first book?  My mind has not stopped writing ever since. Now if my fingers could find the time to get it all out of may head.

However, I truly want my blog readers to answer.

How do you wake a dragon and not get eaten?

The Trenches of Silverbrook

The trenches of Silverbrook were a mass of activity before the sun even peaked its first rays above the hilltops to the east.   Named for the access to the sewers, the trenches were an area below ground level, although they were open to the air above.   This wide cut around the base of Silverbrook had a trench running through the center of it where bridges crossed back and forth.  The trench held stagnant water, sewage and was flushed by the city’s runoff whenever it rained hard.  And additional main sewage tunnel opened from behind the trenches for the upper levels and fell away into the sea where a small silver stream from the top cascaded down to the sea.  It was this small stream that the city was named after due to the crystals beneath it that made the water shimmer.

Caves had been cut into the hard rock so that shops and houses were underground with only their tented fronts visible from the first tier of the city.  It was a den of destitution, criminal activity and survival.  It housed all those of Silverbrook who had not been able to coax forth a spark of any magic.  It held outlanders who came to trade or were running from their own authority.  It held Daezun outcasts and half breeds.  It did not house kindness, mercy or honesty.  The trenches were a place one did not walk alone and one that was necessary.  Here the pulse of the city’s luxuries began.  Blacksmiths, silversmiths and jewelers sold their wares to upper level merchants and craftsmen. Many women worked in the upper levels as servants but still spent their nights in the trenches.  Others took in laundry and mending for those who could not be bothered by such things.  Each tier fed the next tier but the trenches fed them all. 

With such destitution came crime and with crime a form of structure.  The trenches were overseen by the Trench Lord.  The Trench Lord was not voted upon or appointed, he was the strongest and most influential of the criminal element.  His men muscled those trying to live for protections.  He took a cut of all trade coming in without the High Minister’s approval.  The secret market held many treasures from the outlands that were frowned upon or coveted by the high tiers.  One could find herbals that induced euphoria, buy slaves and even an occasional service of violence.   The Trench Lord lived in almost as grand of style as the High Minister, though to look at him, one knew that to cross this man was to earn death.    The Trench Lord had only two mandates from the council.  Keep the sewage tunnels behind the walls of the trench households flowing, and to insure that basic goods were available to the upper tiers for the craftsmen.  Other than these two purposes, the council did not interfere with who was the Trench lord or what business he was involved within.

copyrighted December 2013 

Reistare - The Next of the Gods of Vesta

Reistare is the God of Nature.  She is revered by farmers and those dependent on growth and a good harvest.  Mate of Rian, the two work together to insure that the people of Vesta have what they need to sustain life.  She is often celebrated in the Spring when the first signs of blossoms form.

Reistare was the last to make a dragon type to represent her in the mortal world.  Her indecision is clear in the shy nature of this dragon.  It often stays burrowed deep in the forests.  They are rarely seen unless a hunter blunders upon their den. They tend to hunt at night and prefer to eat fish.  Their breath weapons is a corrosive gas.  It is weak in nature but if  not immediately washed off, tends to rend armor useless and unrepairable after an hour or so.  It burns on exposed flesh.  Green dragons often use their weapon to blind their attacker and leave.  However, they are champions of the weak.  They will overcome their reclusive nature to right a wrong once it is perceived. Once angered they are firm, focused and powerful.

Followers of Reistare tend to revere nature in all its forms.  They tend to be excellent problem solvers. They can read nature well as they mature.  They looks at obstacles as problems to overcome. They are innovative and often find new and better ways to achieve goals. Like their Goddess and the dragons she created, they will go to great lengths to correct a wrong.

Rian the Stoneheart - The Next of the Gods of Vesta.

Rian is the god of all things mineral.  He is often paid tribute by miners and blacksmiths as his blessings bring great finds and strong tools.  Almost all recognize the power of Rian in some capacity given that the land they live upon is his domain.  Without his cooperation, the Goddess of Nature, could not function.  It was a natural melding of domains when the two, Rian and Reistare joined forces.  If both were to turn upon a farmer, there would be no redemption for his craft.  

Rian was not to be outdone by his godly kin and formed his own set of dragons to represent him in the mortal world.  Grand beasts with bright bronze scales took to the skies.  They are hard creatures and often isolated.  It is rare to see two together except during mating. They breathe out a mixture of hot sand and pebble as their breath weapon, scouring the prey before them.  A large dragon has been known to have abraded his prey to the point of no fur remaining.

Those that serve Rian are often quiet managers of resources and people.  They are very sensitive to the environment and do their best to insure balance and cooperation, much as Rian works with Reistare.    People who serve the land often are highly empathetic.  They are often hyper-aware of the emotional currents around them.  

The first book of the Dragons' Geas series is on dragonsgeas.com now.

Hamaseic - God of Water

Hamaseic is the God of all things water.  Fishermen and seamen often have emblems of Hamaseic on the prow of their boats.  Even the great masted ships of the Lerdenian fleet have the emblem boldly imprinted with shimmering emblems.  Seen as in control of both the elements of water and storms, Hamaseic is most often followed along the coast villages and cities.

As varied as the bodies of water he rules, Hamaseic's blue dragons come in varying shades with simple commonalities.  They can remain under water for long periods of time and are for more graceful in the water than the air or on land.  Their bodies are more rotund making a buoyant mass upon the bottom of the sea waiting for large fish to swim above them.  Their eyesight is particularly good whether under water or hovering above their prey.  They easily can narrow in on their target and often are the first to notice movement.  Their breath weapon is steam, often preferring to cook their fish in their own breath before they eat it. These dragons are often curious and get into the most trouble as fledglings for they question and explore everything.

Followers of Hamaseic are often innately curious.  They adapt to change easily and are very fluid.  They are people of great compassion and will work hard to repair and restore.  While they can function within structured and ruled environments, they will not hesitate to change the rules or challenge the consensus if they feel it for the greater good of all.   

Seen as the evil seductress, Dethera is the Goddess of Death.  She governs the night and all the creatures that  move solely through its murky depths.  She is often blamed for plagues and lingering illnesses.  She is said to have lured men to their deaths within the bogs and the deep places. Her beauty is contrasting with a pale face and raven black hair.    She is often related or connected to things hidden, secretive and unknown, and as a result, she is the epitome of mystery

Dethera is said to have created the black dragons in contrast to Krona's vivacious red dragons.  Their wing span is shorter and thinner giving them the ability to bank with greater agility.  Their bodies have a more lithe form, and often on a moonless nigh,t one cannot even see them in flight.  Her glorious swarm of deadly children bring weapons of acid to the battle. Like their goddess, prestige and power is important to them and so there is often infighting for the flight leader.

Followers of Dethera are often seen as cold and without true emotions.  They are highly skilled in manipulations and therefore are often used by opposing parties for negotiations.  Long standing followers of Dethera often show great self-control and discipline.  They are often independent with a strong will. Due to the seeking of power, they are often found in leadership positions.

Krona the Destroyer

Krona is the God of Fire, Destruction and Rebirth.  One of the Gods of Vesta, he is the most feared by the majority of the populace.  Wild fires are seen as Krona's handiwork to punish those that have erred.   However, with destruction also comes rebirth.  Typical of wildfires, often the areas affected become more fertile and life recovers quickly.  

Krona is said to have given birth the red dragons of Vesta.  He is fabled to have gifted them with fire and other skills to bring forth his vengeance as well as to inspire the people to passion and beauty.  

Followers of Krona aspire to be full of energy, assertiveness and a passion for life.  Like fire, they often brighten those about them.  When angered, their judgement is swift and often their passions are known to consume them.  They often are leaders in groups and have vibrant personalities.  It is rare to find a shy follower of Krona as they often lulled away by quieter gods and rituals. 

Cover Art Complete for Outcast

My illustrator for Outcast has done  a magnificent job of lining up her artwork to my novella.  The cover will be a wrap around.  The book is scheduled to hit Amazon on December 2nd and the kindle version will be out by the 15th.  I am very excited.  Those who have done a previewfor me have had good feedback and minimal changes were needed.

Now that the editing is done, I will be working on more background content here on the blog. I will be giving short stories and snap shots the paint the world and create a rich backdrop for the novel series.  Thank you all for your patience and support.

Where do Elves Fit In?

I have been asked by those that have pre-read "Bloodstone" to explain where the elves fit in if I was a DM for so long.  I had originally planned like all fantasy to have the typical dwarves and elves within the very first book.  However, I quickly came to realize to write a truly timeless being such as an elf and not merely make them human was difficult.  There are still elves in the world of Vesta.

A truly great article on the challenges of writing elves can be found at a Lord of the Rings Fan Fiction site:  http://www.lotrgfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=2213 .  This well researched article shares the many flaws that even brought Tolkien, himself, to dismay.

The ‘Elves’ are ‘immortal’, at least as far as this world goes: and hence are concerned rather with the griefs and burdens of deathlessness in time and change, than with death. (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien, 131 To Milton Waldman)

I found, for myself, that creating my own races was much more exciting and allowed for twists and turns that truists would have taken exception too if I had used dwarves and elves.   Later, for those that find the World of Vesta an interesting realm for their own campaigns and roleplay, I will post their stats and racial abilities.  

Take a moment to read this article for those of you that write.  The researcher did a fine job of insuring the sources and makes some great points in writing the timeless Tolkien elf.