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paladin-andric · 2 years

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Curse of the Warhawks Profiles: Rhodri, the Curse-Bearer

Rhodri cried. His voice was strange and unfamiliar to himself, sounding higher-pitched and carrying a new accent he couldn’t place. Tears dripped from his eyes, hitting the pond and causing ripples across the still surface.

The mysterious artifact that was to disguise the warrior was his undoing! The vile amulet struck him with a horrific curse, shattering his bones and splitting his flesh as the changes took hold. His mind was nearly destroyed by the slow, agonizing transformation.

Rhodri is now one of the koutu, one of the creatures that exist on the surface world, where humanity used to thrive. Though he is “disguised”, this is only the start of his troubles. He can’t speak their language, he wears human clothing, they can see there’s something wrong with him, and with each passing day the tension worsens.

His infiltration to the surface his hit a considerable obstacle. He should be seeking out Kuldomaar, the evil tyrant that placed the dark curse upon his clan. Instead, Rhodri has found his mind betraying him. Dropping a human soul, with human memories into a koutu body, with a koutu brain has had drastic effects on his psyche. He feels as though he is split in two, feeling conflicting emotions with each decision he makes. He holds two loyalties, desperately trying to resist his new koutu side, a voice that whispers that he should trust the creatures he has blended in with. In addition, he hears and sees things that aren’t there, shadows that fade at a closer look, figures of nonexistent people. A voice in his head speaks to him, and his perception of reality cannot be trusted.

Rhodri is on a ticking clock. Each day that passes, the delusions get worse, the alien urges and voices become more compelling. How long can he retain his humanity? Can he reach Kuldomaar before he snaps? Will he even want to fight for humanity by the time he gets there?

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Previous Profiles: Rhodri (Human), Elder Onsen

Tag list: @tinydragonadventures, @lady-redshield-writes, @sheralynnramsey, @tawnywrites, @writer-on-time, @oceanwriter, @zwergis-spilledink, @fluffpiggy, @elliewritesfantasy, @homesteadchronicles, @laurenwastestimewriting, @elaynab-writing, @the-ichor-of-ruination, @writer-candy, @shewrites-sometimes, @chazwrites, @thewritingcaddy

#writeblr #writing #fantasy #bookblr #booklr #book #curse of the warhawks #cotw #art

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paladin-andric · 2 years

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Curse of the Warhawks Profiles: Elden Onsen

“You could ask the beasts above for knowledge of this dark one, as they will think you one of their own. Not a bad place to start, I think. Look… Just be safe. Okay?”

The Warhawks are a small tribe of humans living underground, safe from the monsters that lurk on the surface, ready to destroy them should they reappear. They are led by the Wise Men, scribes proven to have the knowledge and wisdom to direct the tribe. The Elder is their leader, and the ultimate authority of the Warhawks.

Onsen, the current Elder, is an aged man who has spent his life learning of the ancestors, and how their trials and sacrifices got the Warhawks to where they are today. Reserved, cautious and conservative, he is popular for his pragmatic nature.

It is he who learns of the origins of the dragon’s curse, and who instructs Rhodri on their clan’s past. It is he too that gives the young warrior the magical artifact that will change his life forever.

After he leaves in his quest to save his people, Rhodri changes in more ways than one. Will the Elder allow him to return? Will the Warhawks even recognize him?

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Previous Profile: Rhodri

Tag list: @tinydragonadventures, @lady-redshield-writes, @sheralynnramsey, @tawnywrites, @writer-on-time, @oceanwriter, @zwergis-spilledink, @fluffpiggy, @elliewritesfantasy, @homesteadchronicles, @laurenwastestimewriting, @elaynab-writing, @the-ichor-of-ruination, @writer-candy, @shewrites-sometimes, @chazwrites, @thewritingcaddy

#writeblr #writing #fantasy #bookblr #booklr #book #curse of the warhawks #cotw #art

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paladin-andric · 2 years

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Curse of the Warhawks Profiles: Rhodri

I have to do this. This is for humanity itself. I have to make this sacrifice. Besides, it can’t be that bad… right?

Time for a triumphant return?! Once again here to tell you I’m not dead, but going farther this time! In anticipation for my latest book Curse of the Warhawks: A Lost World, I’m here to drop art and bios for all the main cast of this strange fantasy adventure! Less of an action-packed tale of battle and heroics, and more about a man steadily losing his mind as he tries to cling to his last shreds of humanity in a hopeless quest to use his enemies and slay a dragon.

Rhodri is a quick-tempered, impulsive man. A young warrior from an ancient underground tribal society, he finds himself a “chosen one” by sheer chance and through no exploits of his own. A dragon’s vengeful curse on his people is steadily wracking the entire tribe with an illness that gets worse and worse the longer it lasts. In a matter of months, they’ll all die... except for Rhodri. As the only one apparently immune to this magical disease, the unready tribal warrior is propelled into a tale of madness, monsters and phantoms of the past. Ever brash, he can only fight his hardest, and all that his ill tribe can do is pray for his success.

He is given an artifact from his ancestors that will “disguise” him, so that he may walk about the surface world with impunity. If any of the beasts above ever discovered some humans survived the end-times ages ago, surely they would arrive to finish the job, dooming the human race for all eternity. It will make him one of them, with no way to revert the change. He shoulders this burden, ready to use the artifact and sacrifice himself for the greater good.

His strength and the enemy he’s facing are the least of his concerns, though. Instead, it’s what lurks in his heart when the pact is sealed that will truly test him...

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It’s been a long time since I posted, so this list may be outdated. If you no longer want to be part of it, let me know. If you’re a newcomer that wants on, I’ll be happy to add you! Apologies for disappearing by the way, between a new job, family issues and writing this book, I just haven’t had the energy to keep visiting and posting here. I’m trying to come back to write about CotW though, so hopefully some of those old ties get reestablished. This is planned to be the first in a series, by the way! I also plan to find a publisher, and am looking for beta readers! Please let me know if you have any experience or interest in any of that!

Tag list: @tinydragonadventures, @lady-redshield-writes, @sheralynnramsey, @tawnywrites, @writer-on-time, @oceanwriter, @zwergis-spilledink, @fluffpiggy, @elliewritesfantasy, @homesteadchronicles, @laurenwastestimewriting, @elaynab-writing, @the-ichor-of-ruination, @writer-candy, @shewrites-sometimes, @chazwrites, @thewritingcaddy

#writeblr #writing #fantasy #bookblr #book #booklr #curse of the warhawks #cotw #art

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paladin-andric · 2 years

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Curse of the Warhawks Excerpt: Rhodri’s Revelation

I’m still alive! I haven’t posted because my friend (who draws all the art) has not only gotten a second job, but had his computer break down. Once I get enough character sketches of the CotW cast, I’ll start posting them. There’s about three done right now.

This series I’ve been writing is a bit of an enigma for me. It’s a typical fantasy adventure on the surface, but features more internal fights than actual, physical battles and lacks a clear, present villain. It’s more of a story about how fantasy magic can be a horrifying force nearly incomprehensible to those that are its targets, despite how ‘cool’ it may seem from the outside looking in. The main character grapples with mental issues and emotional trauma associated with the magic bestowed upon him. This scene in particular happens after multiple near-breakdowns, magical assistance with his frayed mental state, and a long time to think about the consequences of being turned into something utterly alien.

Please tell me what you think! The first two books really linger on the character’s thoughts and the reactions of others around him. There’s only a couple actual battles in the first book, so I’m interested if this approach of introspection would be enjoyed as a full story.

Context:

Rhodri: A young warrior from the Warhawk clan, a group of humans that live underground. Used an artifact left by previous generations to transform himself into a koutu, to safely travel the surface. The Warhawks believe everything on the surface, not only dragons, are hostile.

Koutu are bipedal avian creatures the size of humans that resemble birds. Rhodri’s transformation into one was slow and agonizing, leaving him traumatized.

Gelace is a koutu adventurer that ran into Rhodri by chance shortly after he began his quest. She is kind, excitable and a bit dramatic.

Donall is a koutu priest that worships the Shining Lord, the creator of the world itself. Wise and generous, but has a dark past...

Piaras is a koutu paladin that fights for the Shining Lord. A mentor to Donall, and helped Rhodri come to terms with his ‘other half’.

A passage from the Chapter ‘Empire of Man’

Jet-black feathers billowed out as the priest launched into the sky, Rhodri and Gelace following soon after.

The winds swept across them all equally, from Rhodri and his friends to each stranger in the sky. The feeling of liberty once again made the warrior giddy, despite the circumstances. His friend was distant and hurt, his cousin was cursed and dying, a dragon needed slaying, and he was running out of time… Yet commanding mastery of flight made his smile stretch wide. If he wasn’t in such a hurry, a day in this city would be a time to be remembered. So many potential friends, so many wonders of the old world awaiting discovery! Ahh, to be a koutu, not a care in the world…

That injected some lucidity back into him. He used to be so afraid of changing, of losing himself forever. Now he knew it wasn’t that dire, but he shouldn’t forgo his humanity entirely. He was Rhodri, chosen by the dragon to witness the end of his clan, chosen by his people to save mankind. He may have shed his body for a new one, but he would protect them all the same.

That’s what he had told himself. It was different now, though. Something was off.

“What are you thinking about, Rhodri?” Gelace probed.

He felt a bit of annoyance. “How do you always know when I’m… thinking about things?!”

There was a hint of nervousness in her laugh. “Well, it’s not difficult! When you do, you get all quiet and scrunch your face up, like you’re thinking really, really hard!”

“It’s true,” Donall added, “You are quite expressive.”

Rhodri looked away. Damn. I’m that easy to read, huh?

“Is it about your clan?”

He shook his head at Gelace. “No. Well, I mean, not really. I was just thinking… about me.”

Gelace and Donall looked at one another, then back at him.

“What’s that mean?”

“About your new form, I wager.”

There was a pause as Rhodri considered dropping it. “Actually, about my mind. It’s true that when I began this journey I was resisting my new self. Piaras may have helped me make peace with my other half, but I just realized that I’m still… struggling.”

Donall changed his flight, pulling up beside Rhodri. “What seems to be the issue?”

“Well, after you people helped me, I accepted that I was koutu in body, and human in mind. But now I’m still feeling things I never have before. My… thoughts are different. I like things I used to hate. I get really excited about, uh, a lot, I guess. It’s hard to explain, but I think I just realized that I’m not human in body or mind, anymore. If that’s true, then what am I? I’m not a human. I’m not a koutu. I’m… not anything.”

Gelace got close from the other side, the warrior now flanked from both left and right. “You’re Rhodri.”

There was a pause before he howled with laughter, the shrieking caws echoing through the endless chatter ringing through the city. Gelace looked confused as he shook his head and turned to face her. “That’s it, isn’t it? That’s all I can call myself now.”

The vibrant archer’s expression changed from one of concern to remorse. “O-Oh, I’m sorry! I meant that to sound inspiring. I didn’t mean to be insulting…”

“No, no, it’s perfect! I’m Rhodri! The warrior with two souls! Chosen by both good and evil! He who has no kin, who is one with all! I am… The Warhawk!”

The words hung in the air, stunned silence their only company for a moment. His clan, the humans trapped deep underground, didn’t understand that those on the surface weren’t their enemies. To them, what he was saying was tantamount to treason. It was a good thing they weren’t around to hear, and banish him forever.

Donall was staring at him, clearly deep in thought himself. The priest did not offer a rebuttal as he expected. “You’re correct. You’ve changed, Rhodri.”

As it sank in, everything started to make sense. The constant struggle, fighting with his own mind and grappling to resist the mental issues that arose from completely changing every single way he sensed, felt and thought. What was he underneath the new coat of feathers, what drove him, and what thoughts came from what part of him? It ran through his head so many times before, and while he ‘made peace’ with his other half, the fight continued. It changed into wondering how human he still was, and how deep his koutu-brain had altered him.

All at once, he realized the truth; He was changed forever. He’d never be the man he once was. What mattered was perspective. He’d continue his quest, rescue the Warhawks, and uphold his loyalties to family and friends alike.

Once again, the concept of two Rhodris died in his mind. He turned to the priest, and smiled. “I have. And that’s okay.”

Tag list: @tinydragonadventures, @lady-redshield-writes, @sheralynnramsey, @tawnywrites, @writer-on-time, @oceanwriter, @zwergis-spilledink, @fluffpiggy, @elliewritesfantasy, @homesteadchronicles, @laurenwastestimewriting, @elaynab-writing, @the-ichor-of-ruination, @writer-candy, @shewrites-sometimes, @chazwrites, @thewritingcaddy

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paladin-andric · 2 years

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You have resurrected me once more.

The quality of work here is fantastic. Ever since you’ve been sharing your excerpts I’ve been inspired to try and improve my own writing and expression. You always paint such a vivid picture with your words!

A Cycle of Seals: Writing Excerpt “The Fount of Infection” (Oeden I)

It’s been almost a year since I last posted an excerpt from my WIP novel, A Cycle of Seals. As penance for my absence, here: take the (tentative) first scene of the novel and see how far this work has come since we last reconvened.

CHARACTERS:

Oeden Sincairn, a boy imprisoned due to an inexplicable illness Nadielle Sincairn, royal seneschal and mother of Oeden Isolde Godewine, the Pure Warden of Norire and friend of Nadielle Royan Godewine, Crown Prince of Norire and nephew of Isolde

LORE GLOSSARY:

Norire, a winter-ridden kingdom devoted to personal purity Wardens, the clergy and their military Pure Warden, the head priest and one of Norire’s two rulers Goodmen, the Norian nobility The Sealed God, an ancient deity imprisoned by humanity Undying Night, an annual day without sunlight The Hunt, an annual contest to procure the best offering Cycle, an expression of the world’s metaphorical seasons Crystal Sickness, the makeshift name for Oeden’s inexplicable disease, which causes crystals to be produced from his skin

(All “foreign language” herein is complete gibberish, to be replaced with a handmade fictional language in the final copy)

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Imprisonment, Mentions of Arson, Sickness/Physical Deformities, Ableism

THE EXCERPT:

Veiled by the hollowed-out halo of an unpredicted eclipse, the convicted sickened charged towards salvation. A Norian midnight provided the ideal escape for those otherwise locked out of the blessed’s sight, its marriage of moon and gloom casting an indiscriminate shroud over the immaculate and the infirm alike. One night to walk as commoners instead of as criminals. One chance to change the minds of ministers. One opportunity to prove themselves pure.

Prison carts rushed shipments of the crippled in their holds to the Hunting Grounds. Wardens perched beside their silent drivers, as cold in their countenance as they were in their war robes, ringing handbells in unarticulated warning: make way for the marred. A useless precaution – no one wanted near the invalid.

Were the Wardens as wise as they preached, they would pry their eyes from the wilderness beyond and keep them on the wiles within. Not every patient in Norire pretended they had hope of earning the priesthood’s approval. Some would sooner slip out of their cells and gamble with the monsters that lurked in the groves rather than those who awaited them back home. Their captors assumed no one would be stupid enough to defy the odds.

Oeden Sincairn – overlooked and underestimated – would outsmart them all.

Keep reading

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paladin-andric · 3 years

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Blackheart: Hardcover! And More Updates

Amazon finally added a hardcover version for making books! Considering the sheer size of Blackheart, I think it’s the best way to get it and just ordered an author copy myself. Get it here! In the meantime, if anyone’s who’s gotten it would like to leave a review on amazon, it’d mean the world to me.

As for my radio silence, I’m still alive, and I hope you are too! I got a job a few months ago, so I’ve really just been completely wiped. Apologies for that. It’s not a huge deal anyways, the only notifications I’ve been getting are porn bots following me (great job deleting nsfw tumblr!) and like, someone liking a meme I posted years ago.

My next project, the fantasy series Curse of the Warhawks, is still in progress. Book 1, A Lost World, is fully drafted and pretty much complete. I’m just waiting on my friend’s art, I’m planning on adding character sketches the same way it was done in Blackheart. In the meanwhile, if anyone would like to beta read it, it would be an honor.

Progress has slowed due to... a lot of real life stuff, but I’m still here! I just haven’t been active because I’ve been really busy, and haven’t gotten any messages or anything on this site. I’ll still respond to any messages, tags or anything, so please, don’t hesitate! It’d be great to hear from anyone still kicking around on here.

Tag list: @tinydragonadventures, @lady-redshield-writes, @sheralynnramsey, @tawnywrites, @writer-on-time, @oceanwriter, @zwergis-spilledink, @fluffpiggy, @elliewritesfantasy, @homesteadchronicles, @laurenwastestimewriting, @elaynab-writing, @the-ichor-of-ruination, @writer-candy, @shewrites-sometimes, @chazwrites, @thewritingcaddy

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paladin-andric · 3 years

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Last Line Tag

Tagged by @corishadowfang! Sorry for being so late, but I haven’t checked up on this site for a while. A lot’s been happening to me.

There’s little context to give out besides a dragon taunting the ‘puny humans’. I’m kinda jumping around books rn so who knows if and when this line will show up in the series.

Rhodri’s steely gaze bore into the monster’s eyes. “You’re right. We’re weak. But a flick of the claw and you can kill dozens. Yet here we are, victorious. Despite how immortal we thought you were, despite our cities being burned to ash, despite having no right to, we not only survived, but won. This is our land, and you were defeated. Do you know why that is? Because we already know we can’t win with might. We adapted. We mastered your magic and turned it against you. We charged into plumes of boiling dragonfire without a second thought. How else could we carve out a land for ourselves when everyone else is quicker, or stronger, or could kill us from miles away? It’s because we’re crazy enough to keep fighting. We’ll weather any storm, face any foe, and fight overwhelming odds until we find out how to defeat you! Don’t underestimate humans!”

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paladin-andric · 3 years

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Find the Word Tag

Tagged by @corishadowfang! Thanks! I think I’ve got some good ones this time... The words this time are Help, Shadow, Corner, and Tail.

Help

This threw him into a dazed state of bewilderment. Every single one of these creatures, up until this exact moment, had put on airs so friendly it was actually concerning. He’d been away from home so long he hadn’t recognized people should have different emotions and dispositions towards others besides warm friendship. It took this priest snapping at him to realize how insane his journey had been up to this point. Everyone liked him, wanted to help him, but why? The priest’s cruelty made Rhodri wonder if everything had been an act up to this point, just one grand scheme to lull him into a false sense of security. Was this the end?

Shadow

“There is shadow and there is light.” Piaras answered.

“Huh?”

“It may weigh heavy upon your heart, but know the Shining Lord did not ‘allow’ your kinsmen to die. There is shadow, and there is light.”

“I don’t understand.”

The enigmatic creature gazed down at him. “No one can resist death forever. No matter what you believe to be true, eventually, there would have been a similar conclusion. When a life ends, it is not destroyed. It passes onto Paradise. There, eternal splendor awaits. Despite what tragedy you may have endured, there is nothing but joy awaiting you in the future. There is shadow now, there is light ahead.”

Corner

The reason behind this became obvious when the young warrior turned another corner. At the end of a long, tight pathway, there was an opening. On the other side of the hole, the ground was green, and the blinding brightness caused the man to cover his eyes reflexively. For the first time in his life, Rhodri gazed at natural light.

Tail

His eyes bulged as he gazed at a sight he had dreaded since he first accepted his quest. Among the chaos and destruction, a figure stood upright. It was not, however, a koutu. No, this was something far worse. A beast covered in red scales, with a long tail, sharp claws, and a horrifying reptilian visage was viewing the destruction in silence. The large, curling horns atop its head, and massive, bat-like wings on its back combined to form a monstrosity Rhodri knew was behind it all. The description fit too well. Recalling the tales of woe, the legends of the annihilation of the human race, Rhodri stared at the back of a dragon.

As usual, mine’s open for anyone. Words are Fear, Jump, White and Mind.

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paladin-andric · 3 years

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Incorrect Quotes Tag Game

@corishadowfang back at it with the tags! Thank you!

Rules: Use this incorrect quotes generator to create quotes and apply them to your OC’s. Tag as many people as there are quotes.

Wew lad, had a good laugh at this. Highly in-character.

Rhodri: I love you guys, you're the best thing that's happened to me. Gelace: We're the best thing that's ever happened to you? Rhodri: Yes! Nestorius: I'm starting to feel a little sorry for you.

Rhodri: In light of what you did for me, you can hug me for four to five seconds. Gelace: FORTY FIVE SECONDS?!? Rhodri: No! Four to five seconds! Gelace: Too late!!!

Nestorius: I really like this whole ‘good guy, bad guy’ thing you guys have going on. Rhodri: It’s not an act, it’s just that I’m mean and Gelace isn’t.

Nestorius: Care for another sundae, weenie? Rhodri: I am not a weenie! Callum: Relax, you’re among friends. *raises their drink* Rhodri: My friends don’t hang out at Weenie Hut Jr’s. Gelace: You tell ‘em, Rhodri! *sips their drink* Rhodri: Gelace, what’re you doing here? Gelace: I’m always here on Double Weenie Wednesdays.

Gelace: I can’t believe you live nearby, and you won’t let anyone crash at your place. Rhodri: You people already know too much about me. Nestorius: I know exactly three facts about you, and one of them is that you won’t let any of us crash at your place.

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paladin-andric · 3 years

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Curse of the Warhawks: Book 1 Milestone

“I don’t want to change,” He whispered.

“It’s frightening, I know. I’m scared too.”

Well well well, it seems I’m crawling out of the vents to report yet again. I’ve been doing a lot of writing, brainstorming and mapping out of my latest work, so I’ve been pretty much mute.

I’d like to say that my first draft of Curse of the Warhawks: A Lost World is complete! It features 200 pages of weird, sometimes dark fantasy centering on one man’s fate and a sacrifice he makes in the pursuit of saving what he loves.

I still have to rewrite everything a few times and some scenes are lacking or glossed over, but that’s just how first drafts are. I’m very excited about this though, because it’s Book 1! A Lost World centers around the beginning of Rhodri’s journey, focusing on themes of loneliness and change, and overcoming the crippling problems he has to change to overcome. The next book, title pending (though I’m thinking ‘The Tyrant’s Reign’), will be about a fresh and prepared warrior finally fulfilling the reason behind his need to go off on a quest in the first place! Book 3 will center around the fallout from his decisions, and the consequences of change.

I’m taking a bit of a risk, because the story structure is kind of unusual. In Book 1 there’s essentially no actual conflict against an outside force. Instead, the conflict is an internal one, a battle between the fractured remnants of Rhodri’s mind. His dwindling stability and sanity, and the dark places his mind goes is a sharp contrast to the wonderfully bright and inviting world he knows nothing about. He’s exploring this incredible land, meeting all these strange creatures, and the entire time he’s getting closer and closer to his breaking point. What will become of him? What of his friends? It’s this feeling of a ticking time bomb, knowing everything’s going to come to a head, but not when that makes me think I’ve got a real winner here. Things might become more normal after the first book, as most of Rhodri’s mental issues are, for the most part, no longer relevant by the time an actual evil villain needs fighting. It’s not going to become another Everywhere at the End of Time with Rhodri getting more and more unhinged as the series progresses. As much potential as that might have I don’t think I could pull it off. This is already pretty far from my comfort zone as is.

Anyone who’s followed my other work, be it shorts here or my very first book Blackheart knows quite a bit about my world setting. This takes place in the same world, but from a much different perspective: One who’s seen a particularly bad side of it, and knows almost nothing about the world at large. I won’t spoil much, but A Lost World is going to be set in my personal favorite part of the world. It’ll involve Celtic, Greek and Roman inspirations for local and historical cultures. You’ll see this combine with the protagonist’s lack of knowledge to offer some interesting worldbuilding through the story. Even longtime followers will learn a thing or two!

For now, I return to relative silence. I’m always lurking, though. If you’re curious about anything, or want to know something, I’ll always read asks and messages!

Tag list: @tinydragonadventures, @lady-redshield-writes, @sheralynnramsey, @tawnywrites, @writer-on-time, @oceanwriter, @zwergis-spilledink, @fluffpiggy, @elliewritesfantasy, @homesteadchronicles, @laurenwastestimewriting, @elaynab-writing, @the-ichor-of-ruination, @writer-candy, @shewrites-sometimes, @chazwrites, @thewritingcaddy

#writeblr #writblr #cotw #curse of the warhawks #a lost world

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paladin-andric · 3 years

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Find the Word Tag

Tagged by @corishadowfang: Thank you! I’ve been working on a new book, the first draft of which is nearly complete! It’ll be fun to post something about it.

Words to find are Knife, Yellow, Love, and Curious.

Knife

Rhodri barely had enough time to hold up his dagger as the four-legged creatures leapt at him. He’d never fought with a dagger before. It’s like a knife, right? He thought, Just… stab. Easy.

Yellow

Finally, the creature’s eyes drew Rhodri’s gaze. Large, dark pupils set to the surrounding, vibrant yellow eyes hypnotized him. He stared in wonder at the creature, realizing just how different he’d become from his original self. He was so strange and alien, even his family wouldn’t recognize him anymore.

Love

Back in this sacred temple, Rhodri felt something change within him. The sights were brighter, the air sweeter, and his heart was racing. He was in love with this world. It was something he’d resisted when he was his old self. Not anymore. He knew to accept and embrace his new emotions, as he would live in harmony with his inhuman body and mind from this point forward.

Curious

“Why do you know so much?” Rhodri asked. “If you’re me, why are you explaining things to me? Shouldn’t we both be clueless?”

“I guess I just managed to think something up sooner because I was so curious about it. Maybe koutu are just more curious than humans.”

I’m going to omit tagging, but if anyone that sees this wants to join in, go ahead! Words are Destroy, Sun, Friend, and Coat.

#tag game

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paladin-andric · 3 years

Video

Is the owl video cute?

Rating: CUTE

This owl is performing a behavior known as a rouse! Birds do this only when comfortable as it creates noise and motion, making their position obvious to potential predators. It releases tension and shakes loose feathers, dust, and dander off of their bodies

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paladin-andric · 3 years

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Man, I always remember being blown away by your writing! Excited to see the reintroduction!

WIP ANNOUNCEMENT: “Kingdom Come” ➵ “A Cycle of Seals”

Those of you who followed me throughout my first year on Tumblr would know how dedicated I was to sharing excerpts and sneak peeks at my primary project. However, throughout the last year, my work went through such a massive overhaul that I felt embarrassed to reintroduce what you all once knew. However, if we all can approach this with an open mind, I believe what now is will be better than what was. And the first significant change?

My primary project, once known as Kingdom Come will henceforth be entitled A Cycle of Seals!

While Kingdom Come will always hold a special place in my heart, I knew the name was not to be forever. A Cycle of Seals most closely represents the struggles, themes, and lore unique to my world of Edenfell…and it has a better acronym for marketing.

“But Homestead,” you say, “what about that WIP page you had for Kingdom Come?” Ah yes, that. Fear not: it will be reworked as well! The link currently on my homepage will take you to the old tag for now until I can update them correctly, but please treat all of the information as liable to change.

And there’s one other major change to make you all aware of before we move forward: what was once Book One in the series has now been (mostly) redistributed into Book Two! This was the cause of the aforementioned overhaul. I realized I needed a whole book’s worth of setup to write the events I had been sharing with you all…so now I am. Congrats: you get a whole additional book from me!

As to what’s in this mysterious first entry? You’ll have to wait for the new WIP Reintroduction post, coming soon ;)

Thank you all for taking this ride with me thus far. It’s thrown curveballs at me left and right, but with each day of progress, I feel like I’m honing more and more in on something special. I hope you’ll stick around until the end :)

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paladin-andric · 3 years

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Thanks so much, Red! You’ve been a constant motivation for me to continue on all this time, reading all your great comments always made my day. I really hope you enjoy it.

Blackheart: Available Now!

IT’S FINALLY HERE! After years of work, my very first book is live and able to be purchased. Buy it right here!

A dark sun rises over the East.

The soldiers sent to investigate the mysterious fog never returned. Alexander was a gambit, a last-ditch effort to see if mankind had any hope to stop the end of the world.

The City of Palethorn is a land cursed by death and corruption. Encased in a dome of darkness, it is infested with unholy beings broken free from the Underworld. It is there the knight called Alexander must journey to, walking through the black mists and arriving at a silent tomb.

Soon he’s sprinting through alleyways, running from hordes of infested citizens, and fighting for his life against monsters he can barely comprehend.

Trapped in a city overrun by abominations, outmatched, and in a race against time, the knight must find a way to break the evil magic strangling the city before it spreads to the outside world.

Of course, a lone knight has no hope of defeating the armies of the damned alone. Thankfully, other fools have come to the city to fight desperately against the darkness, some even stronger than him. Perhaps, Alexander thinks, there’s a chance.

Still he wonders which is worse; The demons bringing forth the apocalypse, or the creatures that once lived in Palethorn, still clinging to life underground. Can he really trust that which is not human?

Blackheart is the first published work about the world of Deaco, a fantasy realm of my own creation. Inside, you’ll find a tale of a knight’s struggle in a shadow-covered city against demons and corruption, along with his inner struggles against his own preconceptions about the world he lives in. Character sketches and cover art was done by a skilled friend of mine. A lot of inspiration from this story came from Demon’s Souls and tabletop RPGs like D&D.

This book features:

-Over 500 pages of lore, adventure, struggle and change

-Traditional Fantasy, both Dark and High inspired by classic and modern stories, books and games

-A world seeped in magic, inhabited by humans and many other fantasy races

-Full sketches of the main cast by the talented artist Patrick Smith, shown between chapters

-Lore involving magic, the races of the world, history, culture, faith, economy and government

-Character development between the protagonist and the world he misunderstands

-A dramatic and emotional final confrontation against a tragic evil

Tumblr was where the majority of this book was written, edited and developed over time, so I’m especially excited to announce it here! All of you who’ve been following me for the past few years, I really hope you’ll enjoy it! Thank you so much for the constant support. Check it out and spread the word!

Tag list: @tinydragonadventures, @lady-redshield-writes, @sheralynnramsey, @tawnywrites, @writer-on-time, @oceanwriter, @zwergis-spilledink, @fluffpiggy, @elliewritesfantasy, @homesteadchronicles, @laurenwastestimewriting, @elaynab-writing, @the-ichor-of-ruination, @writer-candy, @shewrites-sometimes, @chazwrites, @thewritingcaddy

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paladin-andric · 3 years

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Thank you so much! It’s really an amazing feeling to see my book out there in people’s hands. I hope you enjoy it!

If you appreciate the all the art he did, including the cover, check out my friend’s Instagram! It’s where he posts most of his work.

I got Blackheart in today and it's huge! It also has pictures! 😁 I'm so happy and very proud of @paladin-andric. Congrats!

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paladin-andric · 3 years

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Thank you so much! It’s been a long, long journey, and it’s such an incredible thing to finally see it all complete and up on the market. If I drank, I’d be popping champagne right now.

I have to thank you personally for your support too! All those comments kept me motivated as I struggled to finish this. Thank you.