Magic is a funny beast in Fedran. Using some of the concepts I got from my various religion classes in college, I decided that no one actually knows how magic works. While there are some consistent rules

No words can ever describe the pain a warrior feels with the blood of her clan on her hands. —Demyokiso Achīgo What appeared to be an unreachable distance at the Wind’s Teeth ended up only being a short

The whole idea of the United Hidanork Tribes started with Elizabeth Moon's The Deeds of Paksenarrion. It was the first time I heard of the term taig to refer to the land itself as a distinct being capable

Magic in the desert doesn't happen because someone knows mystical words or waves their hands in some special way, it happens when a person's actions and intent matches their clan spirit's. --- *Exhaustive

With the advent of steam engines, suddenly the so-called world records opened up to new possibilities. --- The Rise of Steam Storm clouds boiled across the night sky but at least it wasn't raining. That

The dalpre are dumb beasts with the shapes of human, incapable of anything other than obeying the loyalty bred into their simple minds. --- Pidor Calsanimum, The Promise of Genetics Tisken hummed cheerfully

For this week's world-building post, I want to talk about tent poles. In this case, I'm not talking about the ones under a circus tent but ways of exploring the world through fiction and documentation

As I stand before the impossible, I am judged more harshly by a gaze that sees more than mortal man. --- Tears Across the Rocks (Act 3, Scene 7) Heavy footsteps broke him of his sorrow. He looked up in

Last week, I wrote a short story called I Will Hurt You Only Once. This is a story about Gichyòbi telling his young daughter about the rite of passage into adulthood such as Rutejìmo's in Sand and Blood.

Only a fool names the desert in a fit of rage for she has no humor or forgiveness. --- Chitosane Achyòga Desòchu sat with his back against one of the Wind's Teeth. A small fire, only a log's worth, crackled

The strongest magic comes from the deepest trauma. That's the cruel price of magic. --- Galdinol Misfanic, Civilization, or The Cause for Magic Leaving Our World Gichyòbi yawned as he headed to the front

So, with me writing Looking for The Wrong Thing, I realized I need to start working on the constructed language Hissian, the language spoken by the United Hidanork Tribes in the creatively named country

Desòchu groaned as he jogged toward the Wind’s Teeth. He considered slowing but couldn’t, not with the horrific memories of wanting to taste some creature’s blood and the image of his brother’s blood haunting

Adultery tears a family apart with blood and lies. --- Casor da Robins, Codified Rules of a Holy Life It was one of the mornings where nothing was in a hurry to get anywhere. Even the fog clung to the

One of the first questions asked at world-building panels is "how to get started?". Starting is scary when trying to build a world intended to be used for decades as opposed to a (relatively)

Desòchu woke up to a sharp pain in his chest. It thumped between the gap of his ribs, the sharp edge of something feeling like a knife blade as it jabbed into the sensitive spot repeatedly. His eyes snapped

Signs of the second Kormar Civil War came from the edges when rural barons and and knights began to carve out private domains. --- Faston Cargril, Brother verses Sister: How Kormar Fell Gertrude sat on

The red corn is fed on blood spilled in guilt and anger. —Tales of Horror From the Gepaul Countryside Korl took a step forward and lifted both of his hands. The tumble of corn stalks piled in front of

With a groan, Desòchu slumped to the ground. His torn palm dug into the fine sand, cushioning the blow but also scraping his open wounds. He panted for a moment and small clouds of his breath wreathed

The gathering of tokens and trinkets is a ritual in itself, one that is important only for the length of the moot and then quickly forgotten as the Hidanork go their separate ways. Everything is forgotten