“We must be careful what we imagine, fear, or hope for,” Mithorden said one day as they rode. “The echoes of our thoughts live on in eternity. (more…)

When Lunen came of old to dance
With glimmers through the night
A fire burst upon the black
Our star: Soelee the bright

Her birth was like a tear in space
Through which an ember gleams
Then blazes all about with flame
Within a wreath of beams (more…)

Well I just received an excellent question from a friend on myspace. The question was — “what is the Luthiel’s Song series about?” I don’t think it’s one I’ve answered at all to any degree of satisfaction. I mean, I’ve talked about the first book to thousands of people, but I haven’t really mentioned much about the series itself.

Since we’re ramping up production on “The War of Mists” — the second book in the Luthiel’s Song series, I think it’s a great time to talk a little bit about the larger story. 

So for you all and for the young man who asked the question, here is my answer. I hope it is a good one! (more…)

On the World of Oesha, dragons grow only as they dream. So without a proper dragon sleep, it will remain small.

Melkion is in such a state. Though he’s hundreds of years old, he’s still quite small for a dragon –not much larger than an eagle. (more…)

The Vyrl of Luthiel’s Song. Fallen angels who once fed on dreams. Now forced to feed on blood. Once spirits of life and vitality. Now struggling to survive.

Can a Vyrl still feel love? (more…)

So, just for fun, I thought I’d chat a little about fantasy map drawing! But before we do, let’s talk about the mapmakers themselves.

In the real world, people who make maps are called cartographers. But since we are talking about fantasy map drawing, why don’t we come up with a fantasy name for this sort of thing.

Let’s start with the word “fantasy.”

Well we all know that fantasy means make-believe and since we are going to draw make-believe things in our maps we’ll use that as our root word. Now let’s add the word “graph.” In this context, graph means map. Put them together and look at the strange word we’ve just made up.

Fantagraph.

See how easy it is to take two perfectly good words and make them completely incomprehensible? But since fantasy means make-believe and graph means map — what we have here is a make-believe map.

Real map

Make believe map

You get the picture?

Now since we all want to learn how to draw fantasy maps, let’s come up with a fantasy name for ourselves. (more…)

Far off the Faeland’s west coast, a great storm constantly blows. Centered on the wreckage of Arnen Tor, the seat of Vyrl’s power from another age, this storm sends its outriders like armies to crash against rocky shores. Squalls, their bottoms painted with lighting, fling themselves against the coast in intermittent gales.

The squalls come and go but are most intense in springtime as the world struggles out of chill and darkness. Then great waves rise up — tall as hills — and on them are born thousands of white and green blossoms. Shaped like starbursts, they roll in the heaving tide. Many are buried in sand or broken on the jagged shore. Others are drawn deep by ocean currents where they eventually water-log and drown. (more…)

Thirteen Wyrd Stones were crafted by Vlad Valkire while under the instruction of Mithorden at Lenidras. They are crystals that hold within them each a bit of the song of Aehmiel and the light of Lumen. Powerful aids to sorcery, the Wyrd Stones transport their users into the World of Dreams — the world from which all things spiritual and magical come. Wyrd Stones wholly reveal what sorcerers must sense in order to practice their art — the raw stuff of creation — true dreams, making it readily available for use in magic. When activated, the Wyrd Stone causes its user to become ghost-like and semi-solid. Things of the physical world other than moonsteel or nethril affect them less, passing through them with only slight resistance. Great wounds become minor. Hunger, fatigue, pain, all become an afterthought in the World of Dreams. But creatures of nightmare and dream may directly affect a sorcerer entering the World of Dreams.

She is the spirit of Oesha given flesh and form. Perhaps the greatest of the Ahrda, she is also the wife of the Lord of the Dark Forest. For thousands of years, now, she has slept — much to the grief of her lord.

Of old, Vyrl were graceful Aedar who lived upon the moon Eledweil. These angels were wise in the ways of all living things and held a deep bond with any creature who roamed the face of that once-beautiful moon.

In these days, the Vyrl sustained themselves by feeding upon the dreams of any creature they happened upon. (more…)