Back up and running, for how long we can't say

My computer magically recovered from a nasty freezing problem that had put me down for a couple weeks. i had actually booted it up just to find out what my processor was (good thing i checked too, cause it wasn't what i thought), and i was looking on the LAN server (have a P4 1.6 Ghz server that runs a UT2k4 server that the wife, boys and i frag each other on from time to time) for new mobos and i noticed that my rig was booting. i'd totally stripped it clean except for the proc and mobo, so i added a HD and was able to reinstall, and as of now i have all my rig back (haven't set up my tablet yet, and still have some programs to get reinstalled but my program drives were fine) and just lost everything in my documents (had some awesome reference pictures that weren't backed up as well as my resumes and such).

Have been running a game in Tolzar biweekly, and that is starting to heat up. I'd forgotten how difficult a party of 12 is to run, but having 5 knights with lances tends to even odds well in the barbarian tundra. Starting to get a feel for what will challenge them, and the session coming up should provide for much enjoyment.

With playing in this setting, i'm really developing the Tillian state of Tolzar, and the feudal monarchy that governs the state. I've set the players up to be one of the major noble families, and after the excursion into the barbarian tundra to thwart the bear tribe from marching on the other tribes, they'll be dropped into a world of political intrigue and ambition when a demon kills the king (and possibly takes his form, it will kind of depend on if the party figures out who the demon is before them) when their family comes to the capital so the sons of the family can be knighted by the king, and get minor holdings of their own.

their first encounter went very well, and i was able to plant a recurring bad guy in their midst, but they are starting to catch some of the clues that will lead them to finding the demon in time to stop it from taking the place of the king (the king dying is going to set off a scramble for the crown as his heir is going to be assassinated in the upcoming days, and his youngest son is off on a mission to Karat-Si'Zan to try and find allies in the upcoming war.

It has been good for me to look at this from the Tolzar perspective, and i've been running a Friday night game for kids (my two boys, and another couple of friends children who are about that age and interested in playing) set in Karat-Si'Zan. they have had fun running around in the pit, and they got to bust up an opposing crimelords best business last week and had great fun doing so.

i'll get some of the background that i've been working on posted as i get it typed up. right now it is all pencil scribbles and doodles.

Direction

Been working on a couple of things the past week. One for a D&D session i'll be running starting the end of Jan, the other more background for the arrangement in Karat-Si'Zan. The key to this is the relationship between the Zultan and the lords of Karat-Si'Zan, as the lords rule what is effectively multiple thieves guilds/mafia crime families who control the activity of Karat-Si'Zan in order to suck the most wealth possible out of the populous. it is a very effective strategy, and generally keeps the populous happy and unknowing of how they are manipulated to provide those at the top an excessive way of life.

The Zultan is the ruler of Sarlion, and Karat-Si'Zan is the capital, but the Zultan has other concerns than just the capital city. Axius fleets of Noricum carracks have recently been repelled by the war barges of Sarlion, and the Zultan is worried that the next invasion fleet will be unstoppable. The lords have manipulated laws in order to maximize their profits, making psychodelics and other intoxicants and contraband an income stream for the crimelords. The vices of the people help to keep them susceptible to this arrangement, and with the Zultan's redcloaks able to march into the city to instill order if necessary, the people of the city generally work with the hired muscle of the lords. It is easier than resisting.

The most powerful house generally leads the assembly of lords, only seven of which are able to vote on matters put forth. Currently, this leaves out many of the nobles, as Brendon, Zhepnotz, and Kruz-Alzeen have no family with which to back them, and have achieved their position due to their own personal skills. These seats are the primary motivation behind the covert warfare and assassinations that are performed in the shadows of Karat-Si'Zan.

Now to start fleshing out the individual houses and guilds, seeing the natural and forced alliances, and determining what happens from there.

Long time no post

There is a reason i haven't posted here in a while. i haven't been writing.

Such a strange job, writing. It can be infinitely satisfying at one time, and just as devastating the next. Very much a project of discipline and determination, where you have to just have an iron coated exterior while still being able to listen to criticism and make yourself better. in that, i failed.

Not one to stay beaten down forever, i came back this project recently. The holes are there for me once again, and i'm no longer thinking about getting published with this novel. i'm writing the book that i want to write, and i don't care if it ends up being a 500,000 word (or longer) epic. i'm still going to study the actual craft of writing and edit as thoroughly as possible, and keep it from being something that is slow at any point, but i need to break away from the thought that this could be a way to make a living. It can only be a project that i enjoy to work on, or else it won't happen.

In that vein, i'm currently brainstorming the setup of the lords and Zultan of the city. The story i will write is the total of Tzalaran's activities in Karat-Si'Zan, and to pull this off i'll have to come up with more of the city's political and criminal organization than i'd worked on before. This has me fairly excited and eager to work on it, and as such i might post here a bit more regularly.

Status update

Drafting Scales of Karat-Si'Zan now. 1st chapter complete.
Going to be doing a project with my buddy in November for NaNo. Should be a fun experience, and will let me get out from 1st person perspective for a while.

Life will slow down a bit after the weekend of Nov 6th - 7th, and i'm looking forward to the winter and significant writing time.

Karat-Si'Zan mines

Along the southern edge of the city wall, there is a large area east of the Southern Gate that leads to the less permanent areas of the city that has been dug into an extensive mining complex. Here the Tillians of Karat-Si'Zan mine iron, silver, copper along with a few pockets of gold and platinum. The physical area of this mine section covers a quarter of the Hollows, and heavily lashed wooden railings and stairs lead down into the deeper parts of the mine, along with certain areas that have staircases carved into the striped faces.

This area alone matches the mining production of some states in the Tillian Confederacy. Free Tillians work the mine for wages, and there are stockades of shnize slaves that perform the tasks in the mines that require less skill. Two main families run the mines, the profits from the ore allowing them to be amongst the nobility.

Another short story in the works

Started drafting another short story before drafting Scales of Karat-Si'Zan. Needed to break away from writing everything in first person, so this will be in close third person on a character i've never written about before. Threw together the rough outline/synopsis in an hour the other night, but drafting has been slow. Well, i shouldn't say slow. Just don't have much free time that i can write during right now.

Hopefully i'll post the short story within the next couple of weeks, but i don't know that i'll be done with it in that time (should only take me a night or three, shows how busy life is right now).

On to the Next...

Well, my revisions on 'Scales of the Assassin' are done. There might be one more readthrough line edit, but for the most part i consider it fini.

Realized i have the basic outline of the sequel done, just need to decide how i want to start out and then start drafting. Think that this one might be more fun to write, it is certainly the story i wanted to write.