July 2022 - So close to launch
Trading card creation, a couple new projects, and the case against seagulls
I write stories set in unique worlds, make video games that you can spend a lifetime playing, love metal music, and absolutely hate birds. Welcome to the newsletter.
See, that blurb sells it, right? Promise I’ll give you info on everything listed above. Let’s start with writing…
Update on: To Steal the Sun
So - I signed the softcover versions on Friday!
If you’re a part of the Kickstarter - get ready - they will ship out the minute the hardcover editions are in and signed.
Wow - the books look (in the second printing…) so great. I can say with confidence that all the pages are present!
A cool, small task I’ve been asked to do is to give “stats” for one of the book’s main characters. This is for a trading card set featuring creator-owned characters (cool, right!).
Honestly, its a fun exercise for any character you’ve created. I’m doing this one using Kahli—the character you can see on the two bookmarks above. Here’s the mockup of the card back (mostly blank) to give you an idea of the template.
Here’s what I’m thinking — since the power scale is out of 7 (?!) for these card backs.
Stealth: 5
If you read the sample chapter you can see that Kahli is pretty decent at stealth, sneaking all the way to a high-ranking official’s room. This is only the beginning of the lengths she’ll have to go… though her skills pale in comparison to Amara (the book’s professional thief).
Negotiation: 1.5
It would be an understatement to say that Kahli prefers action to words. However, her experience has taught her that talking in general is best left to others.
Chain Weapons: 7
In the first chapter, you never see her primary weapon - but it’s front and center in all the art. It’s a chain weapon called a Qolas — and Kahli is beautifully deadly with it.
Theology: 4
Another one that should resonate with the first chapter readers: Kahli has a very strong sense of the place of religion in the world. She is well studied, particularly in The Book of Kith.
Poisoning: 6
Kahli knows her way around a Devlin root, is handy with a dart gun, and even can cook up antidotes if that’s what needed.
Restraint: 2
Yeah… not so much for our masked assassin.
Here’s the (not quite final) version with stats and some (still editing) flavor text added.
I’d show you the front, but that would ruin the surprise :)
Now… what would that translate to on a D&D sheet? As it happens, I made D&D sheets for all my characters. Here’s Kahli stat block at level 1 in my ‘To Steal the Sun’ campaign (by that, I mean the game I got to play in my mind as I wrote the book).
Anyway.. all this to say: The book is so close. My guess is that before I send the next newsletter, Kickstarter backers will be reading it!
Update on Aardehn.
The first published prose story set in Aardehn — the fantastic world I collaborate on creating with artist Eric Vedder — was published in the latest anthology by Raid Press.
It’s an origin story for a villain in the world and probably the most fun I’ve had writing a short in years. Here’s a shot of the finished work from the anthology.
I find something incredibly romantic about the combination of prose and illustration that we presented in this story. The first time I engaged with a presentation like this was George R. R. Martins and Gary Gianni’s collaboration on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Ever since, I’ve harped on Eric that we had to try to do our own take on that style. It was a huge learning process for us, as the layout is so crucial to it feeling right — but these two pages highlight how well it can work.
The story itself is gritty, gross, and funny, but the illustrations give it heart, fill in the world, and give everything a bit of gravitas.
ALSO, and the big news here, the world of Aardehn is also the setting for the biggest project Eric and I have ever attempted together. One that will be too big to fit in an anthology, Instagram account, or website. One that will need its own beautiful book full of my words and Eric’s art.
I’m writing the the story right now and it is a sprawling epic, told from a first-person perspective, and embraces the clash between technology and nature, explores the concept of free will, and combines the sexy and the disturbing in a way that only Aardehn ever can.
I’m looking forward to sharing lots more about this over the next few months.
If you want to deep dive into the world, you can read stories set in Aardehn here, here, here, here, here, and (wow) here. As you can see, we’ve been passionate about this idea for a long while and are very excited to bring the penultimate version to life.
Update on Games
Did you see Tennocon?
My work day this entire year has been full of discussions about one of two things. Warframe’s big 2022 update: The Duviri Paradox and… our newly announced game, Soulframe.
The first line of this newsletter is about stories in unique worlds… and these two games, and what we revealed about them, knock that out of the park. I’m so proud of both.
You can see the Duviri Paradox reveal trailer here.
And the gorgeous Soulframe trailer here.
I sometimes have to pinch myself, getting to work on two projects like these.
and now for…
Bird hate of the month: Gulls
Gulls are a menace. You know it, and I know it. It’s summer and they are ruining our beaches, stealing our chips, and ahem.. carpeting bombing our cars and heads.
I refuse to add the prefix “Sea” to them, by the way. The sea is a calm, majestic body of water that refreshes and relaxes. These bastards are the opposite. Screegull maybe.
The stats* back it up. But who needs those when you have stories like this.
Have you heard about the woman whose dog was SNATCHED by a gull in Devon?
Or have you seen the Jersey swarm?
Purge the gulls. Seriously.
Well… purge the birds in general.
Hope you all have a fantastic month.
Cheers,
S.M.
*stats may or may not be true.
** I promised heavy metal, didn’t I? Hmm. I bought tickets to Ghost for September - I will have a full report. In the meantime, check out their latest album—I’ve had it on repeat since its release.