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

Chalva

Chalva
by Bevie James

When Chalva came to Harbiss, little could I know
That what began as friendship, would grow and grow and grow
She had come from Aliss Harbor, a village by the sea
A dashing girl of twenty, she meant so much to me
We walked together often, and she would tell me tales
Of ships set out on oceans, hunting mighty whales

Then came the night that Chalva, walked me home at night
She put her arms around me, and I began to see the light
Her lips touched mine so gently, and her hand cupped round my breast
I let her come to bed with me, and with her did the rest
I had not dreamed it possible, to love a woman so
But Chalva owns my heart of love, and Chalva is my beau

I like the way she teases me, I like the way she talks
Sometimes I’ll hold her hand in mine, while we take our walks
At whiles she’ll stop and hold me close, in her gentle arms
She’ll giggle and play with my blouse, asking for my charms
And I never can say no to her, she fills my heart with joy
To know that I am Chalva’s love, not just some rough boy

Others in the village, will criticize us two
They say we are not natural, and it’s wrong what we both do
Perhaps they’re right, I do not know, I do not even care
For I love Chalva with all my heart, my life with her I share
And so we two young women, grow older every day
And love each other warmly, in every single way

Tescha

It's been a while since I've posted to this blog. These poems I have been writing are the foundations for actual stories, which is my concern. By publishing the poems on this blog, have I actually published the stories? I don't know. But I like telling these stories. They're all about love, and there's a healing element to them. I think so anyway. They are all written in sudden inspiration. I hope you like them.

Tescha
by Bevie James

Tescha’s love for Willah Spent was steeped with passion and so it went
She tried to court the girl each day, but Willah sent Tescha away
Alone she cried herself to sleep, wanting Willah Spent to keep
She once brought flowers to her door, and was told by Willah, “Return no more”
So Tescha’s heart was broken then, and vowed she would not love again

Willah Spent grew fast and wild, and then one day she had a child
Her pregnancy was all the talk, and followed her when’ere she walked
The other women called her names, and even men would do the same
But the men would come with bold desire, asking Willah to quench their fire
When it came that she could take no more, Willah came to Techa’s door

Tescha let the outcast in, and said no word of Willah’s sin
She fed her love and made her warm, keeping her all safe from harm
The child, too, she took her own, saying, “This is my flesh. This is my bone.”
Together they endure the stares, of others who had other cares
But Tescha lives with Willah her love, they fit together – hand in glove

Kadassa, Tahk and Brills

Kadassa, Tahk and Brills
by Bevie James

Kadassa lived in the lowland hills, with her husband, Tahk, and his sister, Brills.
Her husband worked in the forest deep, while the cabin she and Brills did keep.
Kadassa worked a garden plot, while Brills she hunted and was gone a lot

Villagers seldom came that far, for the lowland hills were very far
Sometimes the women came to town, but Tahk he never came around
Some felt sorry for the women there, alone in the cabin with all their cares

But Kadassa said she was just fine, ‘cause her and Brills could toe the line
Two years later I chanced to come, to their cabin at the setting sun
I told them I was heading west, and they gave me food and a place to rest

I was told about her husband, Tahk, who hunted now and was gone a lot
Kadassa fixed a bed of hay in the barn where she said I could stay
In the morning I was first to rise, and through their window I saw their lies

There was no husband as she’d said, it was just those two who shared the bed
I understood why they should lie, to even me, a passerby
So I pretended I did not know, and spoke no word and prepared to go

But as I turned to walk away, Kadassa had something to say
She thanked me for my manners well, and that she knew I would not tell
I smiled and kissed both her and Brills, and walked off then into the hills

Sometimes I see them in my sleep, and when I do I often weep
How sad that lovers hid must be, it’s like a prison when they should be free
And so they live there in the hills, Kadassa and her lover, Brills

Shabba

Shabba
by Bevie James

Shabba was a farmer and he had a fat old cow
He had a hog and chickens and a horse to pull his plow

He rose before the sunrise and got his morning milk
He wiped his brow of sweat with a handkerchief of silk

He fed his flock of chickens and slopped his lonely hog
Made sure the cat had cream, and fed his loyal dog

Only when his stock had eaten did Shabba get his food
Bacon, eggs, and toast, all tasted very good

When fields needed tending he was right out there of course
With a plow or with a wagon, pulled by his mighty horse

He mended leather harness, and kept his fences strong
His tools were kept well oiled, for rustiness was wrong

Shabba never had much money and so he bought few things
Mostly things for farming, but there was the diamond ring

The ring was for Melahda, the woman that he loved
Who’s beauty was as starlight, who’s voice was like a dove

She was shapely, young, and pretty, a girl for his desires
A woman filled with passion, who would light his inner fires

He went to her one morning, after feeding all his stock
Walked right up to her door, and proceeded then to knock

Her brother let him in, he was just a little lad
Who knew nothing of love’s passion, knew nothing that was bad

So Shabba saw Melahda, who’s breasts were full and bare
And the words he had then left him, to speak he did not dare

He stared and then he fled her, embarrassed to the core
She would think now that he’d shamed her, and want him never more

He returned to his own farm, Melahda in his thoughts
He thought of nothing else, except the look he got

But later in the day, when the sun was going down
When all the stock was fed, Melahda came around

She smiled and she kissed him, and told all was right
And that if he agreed, she’d like to spend the night

She had but one condition, that Shabba take her brother
For the boy was not her sibling, she was in fact his mother

Shabba looked beyond her, where the boy stood far away
And put his arm around her, and said that he could stay

Now Shabba rises early, and takes with him his son
They work the farm together, until the day is done

Melahda tends the house, and things around the yard
They three of them are there, all working very hard

At night when things are peaceful, and the boy is taking rest
Melahda gives to Shabba, the comfort of her breasts