Author: Reistache

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The Spark

The Bellweather Chronicles will have an aspect of magic. I have decided to use the reference, in everyday speech, as a “spark” or “sparks,” each with an affinity to varying elements. The relevance of a spark and how it manifests can also change, even among family members.

Magic was something that was always passed down through generations. Everyone knows this. Its relative strength did not have anything to do with the inherited spark as magic in a person was commonly referred to, or in some cases, sparks. However, this was rare. It was always there, and increasingly, it was becoming so latent in its appearance that families would lose sight of the spark they were known for. This was often the reason if a few generations did not exhibit any sign of their spark, the family elders would start turning their history into gossip and rumor.

~ taken from “The Grove’s Secret Exit”

Another scene, just under 1000 words, has been drafted with a more directed backstory reference for magic users in The Chronicles.

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The Pherencia

I’m going to introduce these people here. This will only be a relatively brief introduction as these people and their practices will be considered ancient myths and mysteries for the most part. However, there is an excellent chance for modern practitioners of their crafts and skills.

One such person, at least one well-versed in their history, is Aerilon, the wizard. He has studied all that he can find about the Pherencia, and of the current scholars on the subject, he is considered the most learned. Some may say he has even been able to recreate some of their magics. The notion of this being possible is still considered entirely outlandish and more parlor tricks than anything else. Aerilon has never felt the thoughts of others to be of any importance on these ideas for much longer than most of these nay-sayers have lived.

Although at this point, when Aerilon and Alex meet, there is no direct evidence of the Pherencia being involved. Close inspection, especially in the Wellington Grove escape route into the mountains, points to the architecture used by the Pherencians; it is also something to consider the inherited magics of the people of Nottilham, especially the hidden grove of the Wellingtons and its innate magic qualities.

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More Tools Of The Cartographer

It feels like I have settled into the 10×10 grid geomorph style for the majority of my #dungeon23 entries. With that being the case, I have also settled into using a standard six inch by six inch index card.

It makes for a straightforward template/layout to set the map into the center of the card using the third and eighth block of each side as the entrance/exit, although I have also realized that not every entrance or exit needs to access the overall 10×10 grid space. However, I also recognize they should be drawn out all the same.

The ongoing theme of these dungeon rooms/maps touches on possible scenarios and environments that may be used in “The Bellweather Chronicles,” which has been engaging in how it has been applied to the world-building processes behind the lands being traveled by the story’s heroes.

As much as I have been using my daily creations as distractions, they also serve as incentives and inspiration. This is pushing me to improve the maps with more details and better perspectives, justifying the addition of more tools of the cartographer in me… that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. However, I still need to return and get the “Light Cool Gray” version of the pens I purchased today.

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The Grove

Aside from a new, nearly 1600-word scene, the good news is that no one died. Mitch, Gurty, and our hero Alex survived the encounter with the shambling plant creatures.

First, Mitch had a definite possibility of not leaving “The Grove.” Then, Gurty was going to be sacrificed — spoiler alert — Mitch led the way out of the valley, and Gurty proved to be an unexpected guardian.

They scanned across the secret grove valley for signs of what they thought they spotted earlier. There were no telltale signs, although Alex felt something was out there all the same. They saw the trail entering the hidden tunnel to the grove, and there were additional markers throughout the tunnel. Still, once they reached the valley’s opening, especially at its height above the tallest trees in the woods, they could not see anything that looked like it made the tracks they had found.”

In the scene “The Grove.”

I’m happy not to have taken out any characters, but I also recognize I will only sometimes have the opportunity to save everyone. However, as the author, there will always be hope.

One can never know; Mitch might find a more prominent role than being the best friend from Nottilham… and there will always be room for Gurty the gizzard.

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The Tunnel To The Grove

It took a couple of pauses, but I finally got more of an initial draft for this scene in “The Chronicles” (another 1000+ words). Alex and his best friend Mitch continue to Wellington Grove to harvest timber for the Wellington Sawmill in the village of Nottilham.

Alex stowed his pack in the back of the sled, adjusted his coat, and hitched up his pants, adjusting his suspenders to snug them up. His father taught him many things, but he needed to learn how to sew a stitch. Alex learned what he knew by trial and error, and no one would ever confuse him with a sewist. He thought about asking Mitch’s sister Phoebe, knowing full well that as skilled as she was with a wood blade and quartering a piece of lumber, she was all thumbs regarding needle and thread. However, asking her for some alone time to help him with his needlework would be a good ruse.

In the scene “The Tunnel To The Grove”

Not everything in life is a roaming adventure. Sometimes, even the interactions with the villagers can be an adventure. Learning more about the people who live in Nottilham will help to move along the story and give some more background to Alex and the skills he has learned, and a few more are exposed in this scene.

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Blue Bird Approved

OK, so I’m not using the fancy check-mark but I did get my develop account approved so I can automatically tweet these posts (and pages) as they get published here.

Watch for more!

Look for posts about Alex The Ranger and his companions, the village of Nottilham, “The Bellweather Chronicles,” and much more. I look forward to sharing more from the dungeon “room” cartography experience I am gaining (mainly as I meld the ideas of #dungeon23 and some of the locations found in “The Chronicles”) and my upcoming book.

“The Bellweather Chronicles” will be an ongoing story of several characters, with the first focus being on Alex Bellweather, a young ranger on an unexpected adventure.

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The Swamp At The Gateway

I’ve scratched out another 1000-plus word scene to move the story further. I’m filling in some gaps that are separating several scenes I have already written to these opening scenes I am using to set the stage and send our hero off on an adventure.

Alex thought himself a bit of a tracker; for a good reason, he could track better than anyone else in the valley with a natural ease and surety that few could match. When Stu Wellington suggested he and Mitch keep an eye out for any signs of little Billy Watkins, Alex took that up as a challenge.

In the scene “The Swamp At The Gateway.”

Interestingly enough, these opening scenes I have hinted at here are starting to take the stories around Alexandre Bellweather, a young woods guide, or some may say “ranger,” in a slightly different direction than I originally envisioned—a good approach, just not exactly how I had initially imagined the story would begin.

If you follow me as @Reistache on Twitter, you might have seen a reference to “the gateway” in my #dungeon23 entry for today (January 18, 2023), but you will have to gain access to the novel “The Bellweather Chronicles” to read how a swamp is involved.

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2000 Words

Two scenes, each 1000+ words!

I don’t know where the impetus came from, and that is nothing to be questioned, although two scenes, each with over 1000 words, is well outside my typical writing session achievement of a single scene in the 500 to 600 words range.

Today’s scenes are near or at the beginning of my “NovelTwo” (a placeholder title) novel.

The first scene, “The Wellingtons of Nottilham,” introduces the Wellington family. A close acquaintance of one of the main characters, Alex — the ranger that may be a mage.

Winter was just near enough to start thinking about stock-piling wood for the hearth and stove before the chill set into the nearby lands. Many a day would be spent collecting firewood to last a mild winter. If the winter were going to be a harsher one than anyone had seen in years, like old Matilda kept prophesying from her chair by the double-wide cooking fires of the Bull & Goose tavern, Alex would be doing more than wandering the woods with his best friend, Mitchell, the son of Stu the village bowyer and fletcher.

from the scene “The Wellingtons of Nottilham.”

The second scene, “The Secret Grove Trail,” has Mitchell Wellington and Alex on their way to a “magical” grove of trees to bring back lumber for the Wellington sawmill, the “Stave and Staff,” where most of the Wellington family works.

Alex stepped through the doorway of the Wellington kitchen and headed to the stables where the gizzards were kept. Gizzards are not meant to be ridden; they are bred purely as beasts of burden. Although Alex was one of the few that had managed to straddle a gizzard, let alone ride one, Gurty to be exact, very few had the nerve or the inclination. Most gizzards tended to be quite temperamental and have been known to shorten the fingers of those not paying attention well enough.

from the scene “The Secret Grove Trail.”

Follow me here or on the blue-bird service as @Reistache for more adventures of Alex, the ranger.

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Shifting Gears For #dungeon23

Yes, that’s me above. However, I want to work towards using this (@Reistache) account for these #dungeon23 updates on the blue-bird services.

That being said. Although the idea of a single room a day for every day of 2023 is a phenomenal effort and will be quite the accomplishment, I would like to devote some of that time to the actual building of the dungeon as well as the adventure that may happen in it. I’d also like to go into more detail about my approach to this project.

In general, I plan to create my rooms as 10×10 grid “geomorph” tiles to be used in any number of ways, including those not even related to the #dungeon23 project. With these geomorphs, I also plan to provide a means to connect them without necessarily lining them up side-by-side — this leads to the “hallway” rooms I will be focusing on next.

Another underlying concept that I will be toying with is a means to generate the dungeon using a randomized selection of geomorphs and hallways… and potentially other layout “themes” to be worked towards as the project progresses.

With any luck, the quality will also improve over time. Wish me well and follow along on this adventure.

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Cartography Tools

Cartography tools used by Reistache & JellyBeen & Cais (aka me).

Day 7 of #dungeon23 has been posted (see my @JellyBeen blue-bird account). I added a bit of color this time — I needed some better delineation than my typical black ink and pencil. Check it out, and let me know here or there.

The featured image of this post shows a collection of some of the tools I use (there are more but only so many that I find helpful daily). Please have a look below for a reference list.

  • Staedtler mechanical pencil (my favorite since high school)
  • Staedtler white eraser (another long time favorite)
  • Staedtler triplus fineliner (for colors)
  • Micron 0.1mm, 0.3mm, and 0.5mm black (for majority of lines)
  • Metal straight-edge
  • Dotted paper journal from Artist’s Loft (not quite the quality of LEUCHTTURM1917 but a very economical substitute)
  • A very handsome leather cover for my journals
  • A bandolier I picked up on Etsy holding the following:
    • A mid-century modern pen using a very modern gel ink refill (a perfect match IMHO).
    • Staedtler pencil
    • Uchida Le Pen Fineliners (black and green — other colors not pictured)

I have so many more tools at my disposal, and I look forward to trying out a few more as I work through some more design ideas and thoughts for this #dungeon23 campaign.