Shut Down

Going to be going offline (again) beginning on Monday, August 10th. Part of the losing my home disease which has struck with deadly malevolence of late.

I feel bad about this blog. It's never developed as I hoped. It has a minimal readership. I have neglected it often of late, and now I will be neglecting it by reason of no online service. If/When I come back online I'll have to see what I can do.

In the meantime, I will leave you with a song. Used to have it posted here. Here are the lyrics, and link, in case you'd like to sing along.

Dont think sorrys easily said
Dont try turning tables instead
Youve taken lots of chances before
But Im not gonna give anymore
Dont ask me
Thats how it goes
Cause part of me knows what youre thinkin

Dont say words youre gonna regret
Dont let the fire rush to your head
Ive heard the accusation before
And I aint gonna take any more
Believe me
The sun in your eyes
Made some of the lies worth believing

Chorus:
I am the eye in the sky
Looking at you
I can read your mind
I am the maker of rules
Dealing with fools
I can cheat you blind
And I dont need to see any more
To know that
I can read your mind, I can read your mind

Dont leave false illusions behind
Dont cry cause I aint changing my mind
So find another fool like before
Cause I aint gonna live anymore believing
Some of the lies while all of the signs are deceiving

(chorus)

The Girls

Just an odd poem which came to mind.

Tuwa, Tiva, Wawa and Awentia, four girls of the street
The four were all called pretty, and known by all as sweet

Two of them were sisters, but which they would not say
It was hard to tell at night and no none saw them in the day

The house they kept was small, but a room for each they kept
The beds were soft with down, and that was where they slept

Each morning at the dawn, a young boy named Nibaw
Would knock upon their door, he was the only one they saw

He brought them things they ordered, they paid him off in gold
And whether he got more, Nibaw he never told

The girls were all hated, and shunned by all in town
To speak their name was shame, and met with stares and frowns

And yet each night their came, upon their door soft knocks
From men who in the day spoke of them all with shock

Then Nibaw grew up stately, and was no more a boy
And when he found a gold mine, his heart was filled with joy

He went back to the girls’ house, and knocked upon their door
And told them that for gold they need slave themselves no more

Then did the girls exclaim with joy and open their door wide
And when the knocks came in the night, it was Nibaw who replied

Aislin

Aislin was a pretty girl, warm and sweet and bright
Her hair was thick about her face, and burned red in the light
Without so much as effort, she kept her body thin
When asked how she could do this, Aislin would just grin

Saoirse was plain as paper used to wrap fresh fish
Pudgy, clumbsy, silly, one could hardly call her dish
Yet Saoirse was still friendly, caring and a treat
She treated all else kindly, everyone she’d meet

One day down by the river’s edge, Aislin chanced did spy
The young girl known as Saoirse, who wanted but to die
For Saoirse was lonely, just wanting to be loved
To know that she was worthy, to be someone’s pure dove

There was a boy named Gradin, who’s mind was in his pants
Who offered once to Saorise, the chance with him to dance
She let him have his way with her, she gave him his desire
And when he finished he gave her coins, as payment for her hire

Aislin knelt beside the girl, and held her in her arms
And promised she would love her most, and keep her safe from harm
And when the boy named Gradin, thought again to have his way
It was Aislin’s thought to punish him, in such an awful way

Exactly what she did to him, not ever has she said
But Gradin walked in shame from then, and wished that he were dead
And so the two girls became fast friends, and lovers in the night
And found that love was just enough, and made them feel just right

Putting the Years Together

Have progressed through thirty-two years of military history. Only 320 years remaining to catch up to present.

It's interesting to learn some of my assumptions about who probably held what rank back when are completely unfounded. It just couldn't work out that way. By Year 81 - the year when flameswords became part of the training - I am going to have to make some adjustments to the structure.

The idea is that, by Year 320, the following structure needs to be in place.

There will only be five Marshalls.

For every Marshall there should be four Generals. This is a change from two.

For every General there should be two Commanders. This remains unchanged.

For every Commander there should be two or three Captains. This is down from four.

For every Captain there should be one or two Scouts and six to eight Lieutenants. This is a change from four Lieutenants.

Pretty dry stuff, I suppose, but it's part of the world building process. Not all of world building is creative excitement. Some of it is simply diligence and adherence to logic and rules already set in place. Changing a rule is permitted, but only if it is exatrapolated throughout. This is required if one wishes to maintain credibility and believability.

We've been watching Dinotopia, another poorly made fantasy movie in which the focus is primarily on strange creatures doing strange things. Time and distance are ignored, making the story seem implausible within itself. As a viewer I am willing to suspend disbelief, but only if the story keeps true to itself. Don't show me that people walk no faster there then here and then expect me to believe someone with asthma can climb a 300-step stairwell in ten minutes, or even a person who is fit can walk miles in a few minutes through jungle.

On average, people walk about three miles in one hour. That is on level ground. So, to walk through jungle it is reasonable to believe the pace will hold true. Disbelief can be set aside for speeds of up to five or six miles in an hour (two leagues). This means, walking, a well fit person could make about twenty leagues (about sixty miles) in a day, but that would be pushing it. And that is a ten hour day, not four or six. I just hate it when writers get time and distance wrong. There is no way I can suspend my disbelief.

And that is why I devote so much time, energy, and pure creative thought to things like who was Head-of-Family in Year 30, and who was High Marshall, and who were the acting Scouts. (For the record, Khirbah was still Head-of-Family in Year 30, Daheek was High Marshall [I had been hoping for Jora], and Alanta, Gahbi, Nordahn and Raigur were the Scouts.) It's a lot of work, but it is part of the creative process.

Military Structure

So I'm progressing along with the military history. Up to Year 24. It's kind of amusing how things worked out. Due to the strict adherence in keeping young families together, there actually was a period of several years in which there were no regular warriors in the military structure. Only officers. In fact, in the current year there are only 20 warriors out of a military structure of 74. But it's changing. The first generation born at the Compound is entering military service. Eventually, things will balance out. However, as each generation ages the military force shrinks. This will continue for three hundred years. It will take that long for the family to reach a population in which there is constant military support.

The military structure is as follows:

• Head-of-Family
• Sovereigns
• High Marshall
• Marshalls
• Explorers
• Generals
• Commanders
• Captains
• Scouts
• Lieutenants
• Warriors
• Sub-Commanders
• Sub-Captains
• 2nd Lieutenants
• Officers
• Soldiers

There can be only one Head-of-Family and one High Marshall at any given time. And while Sovereigns technically outrank the High Marshall, the High Marshall reports directly to the Head-of-Family.

Something similar takes place with Explorers and Scouts. Generally, it is accepted that all family members will marry and have children. However, for those few who decline the benefits of matrimony, the position of Explorer is available (unless they are unaligned). Explorers report directly to the High Marshall, although technically they aren't an officer at all. Scouts report to Captains, although they are almost equal with Lieutenants.

The positions below Warriors are all pre-military ranks, for those too young to actively participate in military companies. At the moment I am not dealing with those ranks. Got enough going on as it is.

Familiar Ground

So I've been working on military history for a few days now. Got all of the database records updated as to who was in the military when, and began work on assigning rank and companies. Got to Year 23 before I realized I had mucked something up. So, I've begun anew at Year 1.

It should be okay, though. Made a couple of tweaks to the system to account for Village Defense and Reserve Force. Ultimately, this should speed the process up. I just have to start from the beginning again.

Deja vu. I've been here before.

The Work Goes On - and on - and on - and on

Getting a lot of work done on the military backstory. Some of this work has, in fact, been done for years. Such as a compiled list of all Presiders/Heads-of-Family over 352 years. There have been fifteen.

Name .. Begin Ended
Khirbah....1.....60
Perdisch..60.....85
Daheek....85....105
Alahnta..105....145 female
Dakisch..145....168
Thiona...168....175 female
Rokell...175....210
Chonatha.210....232 female
Soviah...232....251 female
Khirdo...251....293
Kuschone.293....311
Deschone.311....320*
Dezro....320....340*
Kraston..340....340*
Abrin....340.......*

Four of the Presiders have been women. The last four (marked with asterisks) are father-to-son successions. This is the motivation for the treason of Book I.

I also have entered all of the Sovereigns into the database (also compiled years ago). I won't list all of those as they comprise 262 records.

Another thing I've completed (just this week) is the determination of who was in the military during which years of their life. That was fun. I generated 159,710 records encompassing a 352 year period. Everyone has been grouped according to village, and villages have been grouped according to companies. Now I'm going through each year, one at a time, assigning warriors to companies and assigning military rank to warriors. I am on Year 3. This is the tedious part of the project. I see no way to generate records based on logic queries. It is going to come down to me looking at everyone for every year. When I am finished my military history should be quite impressive. Just as my sword skills records are impressive, and my family tree records, and my housing records, and wedding records, etc.

Sometimes this seems so real.

Shoring Up the Background

Well, that idea didn't last long. On just my second random person (Uhahna, an Unaligned born East Village during the year 230) I became confronted by the need to know more background history than I've established. So, I'm taking the big plunge and returning to developing the miscellaneous background information. I'm beginning with military history, but I'm hoping to get some duty work accomplished at the same time.

It's not going to be easy and it is going to be time consuming. I've more than 6,000 characters spanning 3-1/2 centuries of time. What I must do is establish when each and every one of them entered military service, when they received whatever promotions they did, and when they left.

This is complicated by the fact that the family has a policy that parents of children under five cannot serve, and at least one parent must remain at home until children reach sixteen. So, even the best warriors would exit military service to begin their families and not return until their youngest reached the age of five. Then they would return. But in the meantime, they had to have duty. What would it be? It would vary with their line, their village, and their skill with the flamesword.

Lots of work.

I'm kind of looking forward to it. I've already begun. Did you know that there are 22,238 records just for the ARTS line? DEFENSE, the largest line, has 58,279 records. Got these statistics from the Yearly Archive table, which contains no less than 541,348 records.

Like I said. A LOT of work.

Character Bio 0001 - Schago

So, this is my first submission for random stories about the 6,770 characters in my Swords of Fire Archive Database. This hardly a story, though. More a statistical biography than a tale of events. That's how some things begin.

I was pleasantly surprised to be given a character who's first child was Unaligned. The Unaligned play important roles in the Saga. These are the people who are punished for something someone else has done. They are a constant reminder that the culture I created is far from perfect. Prejudices and hateful attitudes exist everywhere, and in every culture a class system evolves to reward some without merit and punish others without cause.

Anyway, the random number generator gave me: Schago.

Schago was born in East Village in the year 161 to Schatuah and Wogo, Healers. She was the third of three children. The only girl.

Schago was born, lived, and died in the same house. At her birth the house was known as Wogo House, to honor her father, who shared healing duties with her mother, Schatuah. They became the village’s only healers the year 150, when they were married. Tantu, the previous healer, left to help start Lake Point West. Wogo came from Gahrem Village, the son of Dayona and Wingroh. Schatuah was Tantu’s grand-daughter.

The house would later be renamed Okar House, in honor of Schago's husband.

Schago was the 85th resident of East Village the day she was born. The day she died, at the age of 125, she reduced the population to 156.

She was a contemporary of Bolar, although from the previous generation. By the time most of the significant characters of “Traitor” were born, Schago was gone.

She shared her birth year (161) with four others, all girls: Kenka, born to Wenka and Katchin, Unaligned; Vewahnna, born to Kizza and Venwan, Unaligned; Rahntua, born to born to Rahnentu and Suchlah, Healers; and Tavadar, born to Tavashar and Jadkur, Outposts. That year five family members died: Deekl of Healers; Seffan of Defenese; Gjahn of Supplies; Foren of Temple; and Raschall of Flocks. There were no marriages that year.

Schago died in 286. That year there were ten births: five boys and five girls. Twenty others died that year, including one baby: Lana, the daugther of Renviska and Trahm of Crops. It was also a big year for weddings, with 53 taking place. Among these weddings was the union of Aberna and Kordan, who were destined to be parents of Klarissa, Khirhsa's mother.

She was not a warrior. At her peak, she only made level four flamesword. That was not particularly unusual. Few healers had the interest to become great warriors. Perhaps the most notable was Bolar, who figures prominently in the final portions of Tavaar’s Backstory – as well in Madatar’s Saga. But as that tale is told elsewhere, no more will be said of it now.

She began training with mock weapons at the age of eight. This was the best indication that a warrior career was not to be her fate. The best warriors generally began at age six, or even five. She was fourteen before she moved on to drained weapons. She began flamesword training in 183, at the age of 22. Again, the latest anyone did. It would take her seven years to reach level one, and another ten to make level two, in the year 200. Levels three and four would also take ten years each. After 220, when she reached level four, Schago quit trying to improve and devoted her time and effort to healing. She was 59-years-old and through with warrior prowess.

When Schago was 19 her brother Woshag married Kahnta, a Healer from Orchard Village. That was in 180. Three years later her brother Wotah married Favta, from West Village. Favta was from Housing.

Deeply interested in the craft of healing, Schago also tended to be – wild. She was attractive and saw no reason to make the best use of that gift. As a result, Schago was never in want for attention. She kept her head until she met Okar, from South Village. Okar was from Arts, the only line less inhibited by sexual mores than Healers. The result was, at age 25, Schago became pregnant. There was no choice. She would be married. She named Okar the father and Okar never claimed otherwise. The marriage took place on Storday Intument 3. Chobey was born 181 days later, on Storday, Algiden 1. He would be constrained to Unaligned status all his life. Chobey would refuse marriage and remain in the military, becoming a professional warrior and attaining level four status.

In 190 both of Schago’s brothers would leave East Village to help establish a new village in the western forests: Deep Forest. This made for a small household, and greatly reduced the village’s healing force.

Schago would have three more children by Okar: two girls and a boy. Okaga would be the first of her children born to a line: Healer. After Okaga came Oschogo, the first male healer. The youngest was Schikar, who would be the only one of Schago’s children to remain with her and Okar. Okaga would marry her near cousin and move to Deep Forest. Oschogo would marry Gratha and move to West Village. In 224 Schikar married Turmord, but they remained in East Village, to take up the mantle of healing after Schago, who was the only Healer (Okar was from Arts).

In 229 Schago’s grandchildren began arriving in Wogo House. Schikar married Turmord and they had three children – all within marriage. Like her mother, Schikar would have two girls and a boy, the boy in the middle.

Schago’s mother, Schatuah, died in 253. The following year Schago's grandchildren begin to marry. In 259 her great-grandchildren begin to arrive. Her father, Wogo, dies in 268, and the house is renamed Okar house. Okar, however, will only live another eleven years, dying in 279. Schago will live until 286. The house is renamed Turmord House.

Born: 161, Seeday Harven 2, East Village, eighth generation
Died: 286, Mid-Winter, East Village
Line: Healer
Mother: Schatuah (healer)
Father: Wogo (healer)

Siblings:
Woshag, brother, born 155
Wotah, brother, born 158

Married: 186, Storday Intument 3, East Village

Children:
Chobey, 186, male, East Village, Unaligned
Okaga, 191, female, East Village, Healer
Oschogo, 194, male, East Village, Healer
Schikar, 199, female, East Village, Healer

Grandchildren:
Okaga:
Togwahn, 224, male, Deep Forest, Healer
Owhana, 226, female, Deep Forest, Healer
Oschogo:
Thogo, 224, male, West Village, Crops
Grothea, 227, female, West Village, Crops
Schikar:
Schimorda, 229, female, East Village, Healer
Gilkar, 230, male, East Village, Healer
Shigrath, 235, female, East Village, Healer

Great-Grandchildren:
Owhwek, 256, male, Deep Forest, Healers, Owhana, Thuwek
Glamahr, 257, female, Northern Gateway, Arts, Grothea, Slahr
Chetoh, 259, male, Santiv Village, Arts, Chesey, Togwahn
Schizah, 259, female, East Village, Healers, Schimorda, Zahk
Gilzak, 260, male, East Village, Healers, Zakalla, Gilkar
Hana, 261, female, Deep Forest, Healers, Owhana, Thuwek
Grishl, 261, male, Northern Gateway, Arts, Grothea, Slahr
Chetow, 263, female, Santiv Village, Arts, Chesey, Togwahn
Zahmor, 263, male, East Village, Healers, Schimorda, Zahk
Thuho, 264, male, Deep Forest, Healers, Owhana, Thuwek
Grazala, 264, female, East Village, Healers, Zakalla, Gilkar
Thamar, 265, female, Northern Gateway, Arts, Grothea, Slahr
Zahnig, 265, male, West Village, Healers, Shigrath, Belzahn
Shogosa, 266, female, West Village, Crops, Sarosho, Thogo
Chewahn, 267, female, Santiv Village, Arts, Chesey, Togwahn
Ghrazah, 267, female, West Village, Healers, Shigrath, Belzahn
Sarthog, 268, male, West Village, Crops, Sarosho, Thogo
Gorthor, 268, male, West Village, Crops, Sarosho, Thogo
Kallakar, 268, female, East Village, Healers, Zakalla, Gilkar
Schinehl, 271, female, West Village, Healers, Shigrath, Belzahn

Sword Progression:
Mock Sword, 169, 8-years
Drained Sword, 175, 14-years
Training Sword, 183, 22-years
Level 1 Sword, 190, 29-years
Level 2 Sword, 200, 39-years
Level 3 Sword, 210, 49-years
Level 4 Sword, 220, 59-years

What to Write About

So, I'm not sure what to post to this blog right now. My life has so much going on (but so little of it meaningful) that it's hard to know what to write.

The problem has to do with being "published". Technically, anything I post to this blog is "published". (Don't you just love reading things in quotes? Or parenthesis?) That poses a problem with anything I would like to be paid for later.

I suppose it doesn't matter. After all, I haven't been paid for anything I've written since I worked at the newspaper.

I would like to continue posting short story-poems here. They write quickly, and they convey what I'm feeling at the moment. Unlike a full novel, in which I have to recapture feelings because it's been weeks since the thing was begun.

Of course, most of my story-poems are same topic, and I suppose they get kind of samey after a while. But not for me. They're all different people. Different stories. To me, these are real people. I enjoy writing about them.

There are also nearly 7,000 characters in my Swords of Fire Saga. I've only dealt with a handful of stories. I could spend a lifetime writing about these lifetimes. Wish I could paid to do it.

Perhaps what I should do is spend some time writing about how The Great Sea became such a complicated place. Write about the process, instead of the result. I don't know. What do you think? Don't get many readers here, so I expect it doesn't matter at all.

Urelvent and Nagasil

Not all of the tales from The Great Sea involve women and love. Here is a tale of a fifth-born P'Lei Dragon. P'Leis were spikey, and of purple color. They were not formidable as dragons went, but any dragon made for a difficult opponent. As a fifth-born, Urelvant lacked the intelligence of older siblings, and he was a non-breeding dragon. Their lust for gemstones often put dragons at odds with Dwarfs.

Urelvent and Nagasil
by Bevie James

The dragon known as Urelvent was a mighty beast of yore
A giant thing of purple hue upon the winds did sore

It settled in the mountain tops near Valdid Village East
And soon made war and faced an army set to kill the beast

Urelvent laughed and killed at will and feared no mortal dart
Until the Dwarf named Nogasil came and pierced his heart

Nogasil was then renown, his name spread far and wide
He said he did not kill the beast, what killed the beast was pride

Oloara

Oloara
by Bevie James

Oloara was a pretty girl, as flowers in a field
The boys would try to lay with her, but ne’er did she yield

Fresh Lips like roses on her face, and breasts so soft and plump
Boys went wild to watch her pass, and see her tight formed rump

She knew that any boy was hers, she had just but to say
But ne’er a word Oloara said, and kept the boys at bay

I was a friend of hers back then, we often talked and played
And when too dark it was to walk, at her house I stayed

Sometimes I’d ask her how it was, she’d resist all the boys
She’s laugh and smile sweet at me, and say there’s better joys

Then she would turn to me and say, you have no boys with you
How is it you should be alone, and that your loves be few

No words had I for her to give, I could not let her know
That love for her was in my heart, how could I tell her so

One evening when a storm raged strong, a book Oloara read
Then later when the lights blew out, she took me to her bed

While outside rain and wind blew hard, in bed all was calm
And kisses that Oloara gave, soothed my heart like balm

For two full years we shared our love, and ecstasy we had
While others in the village scoffed, and said our love was bad

Then came one day to our village home, a boy from far away
He fell in love with Oloara and took my love away

Alone I lived as years flew by, no boy came to my door
And love it faded from my life, I’d know it nevermore

Then after many years had passed, when I was old and grey
Someone at my door did knock, needing a place to stay

When my door swung open I did see, standing in the night
Oloara looking worn and spent, she looked a sadly fright

Into my arms she fell with tears, asking for forgiveness
I held her tight and kissed her brow, my love had not grown less

She ate my food and slept that night, warmly in my bed
Her husband had run off from her, fell and now was dead

Her children they were three, she said, all grown and moved away
For the village where they had grown up, required them to pay

Oloara, though, did not go with, she came home to me
For now she knew she loved me best, and with me she’d be free

That night I let her sleep alone, though my heart had desire
I let her sleep upon my bed while I lay by the fire

Amidst the night I heard her call, I went and kissed her face
She held and pulled me down with her, this now was my place

And so with gentle hands and lips she granted me my flames
I cried and wept within her arms, she was mine again

It’s been three years since she’s come home, we’re happy in our home
And joy is mine forever more, I’m no longer alone