Matters of Perspective
As I contemplated an article for this week (all my current ideas having failed to garner any inspiration), I got to thinking about legacies. Although the events of the past…
He Who Knows No Fear
After spending the past couple months delving into fantasy races, monsters, and the nature of villains, I thought it was time to change things up a bit. Let’s return to…
Quotes: The Birth of Empire
This is my third article on the quotes that begin each chapter of “Tears from Iron.” You can find the other two articles here: Concerning Chapter Quotes Quotes: Memories of…
Individuals, Society, Change, and Story
This article centers on a combination of seemingly disparate thoughts, so I ask for your patience as I bring them all together. The conclusion, I think, will be interesting.So the…
Cities of the Kayrstaran Empire
Having spent the past couple articles talking about general writing themes, I thought it might be time to return again to the world of “Tears from Iron” and the empire…
Quotes: Memories of the Great War
While the series that “Tears from Iron” begins is called “Memories of the Cataclysm,” the Cataclysm was the second of two devastating events that struck Isfalinis. It was immediately preceded…
The Aestarin Alphabet
Last week, we looked at some background on the languages of the Aestari and humans, particularly concerning the names of peoples and places and how they interrelate. Now, let’s take…
A Look Behind the Languages of Isfalinis
The world of Isfalinis, much like our own world, has many languages. In “Tears from Iron” the most readily obvious language is that of the “Words of Power” used in…
Divisions of the Aestari
Alone among the races, the children of blessed Ainii avoided the curse of aging death. In the dawn of the world before time began, she shaped the Aestari as a…
Concerning Chapter Quotes
“And on that final day, Cydion, the Lord of Life and Death stood upon the Hill of Kensethir, triumphant over the broken bodies of the last of the Etyni. Yet…