Paksworld

Or, what about clothes?   Since I’ve been asked some detailed questions about the clothes in Paksworld.   This post can’t possibly answer them all, but will suggest some of the sources I used in considering what clothes the characters wear.

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I had ridden for years and read about cavalry engagements when I first climbed on a horse with a sword belted on.    I thought I knew what it would be like to knock various objects off the tops of fence posts.    I didn’t.   I’m sure that back in the day youngsters learned from experienced elders (by watching or by direct instruction)  some of the things that a few sessions with horse, sword, and fence-posts taught me.    And ritual disclaimer here:  I’m not an expert in this stuff.

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Having opened this stable door, it’s time to go in and see what we’ve got–I expect it’s going to take more than one post to cover both horses and horsemanship, so I’m starting with the easy one.

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Something has been brooding in the depths of the plot for this entire world (not just this book, or the previous, but I’m finding its shadows on sonar of the oldest–in story time–books, Gird & Luap as I re-read them for continuity)  for years.   Now it’s rising slowly  into view.   These are foundation-level conflicts that I’ve never really examined, having just discovered outcrops of apparent bedrock on which to put the foundations of the world 27-28  years ago.

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In honor of Amazon having it listed for pre-order, here’s another Kings of the North snippet.  This one introduces some new characters, all young.   Location:  Verrakai House in Vérella.  Dorrin has  squires, who have just arrived to begin their service with her.     They are leaving for the country the next day.    The squires are Beclan Mahieran (the king’s cousin and younger brother of Rothlin), Gwennothlin Marrakai ( younger sister of Juris Marrakai), and Daryan Serrostin (younger brother of Rolyan Serrostin)…all dukes’ offspring, in other words.

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Still working on the map(s).    I’m going to have to take the current set of “stuff” down to the city again to the bigger scanners & copiers.  But I got a halfway decent photo of the west map (not perfectly aligned…standing on step-stool above the drafting table with only a room light and the camera flash…trying not to wiggle and also not fall off the stool…

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Not talking here about the obviously fantasy weddings we usually see (in pictures in the paper announcing them, for instance) between the beautiful bride and the handsome groom who might as well be made of sugar icing because they’re going to melt in the first heat of difficulty.  No, talking here about the weddings in fantasy fiction…since there’s going to be one (though not yet…don’t start making the cake now.)

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In Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, the various wanderers in the woods sort of divided into Alured the Black’s people (well-armed, cohesive group under one commander, in the southern forest of Aarenis),  a group near Czardas (may or may not have been associated with any other group, and mention of “woods-wanderers” here and there.

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I haven’t talked about actually writing book three lately, what with so much else going on–sometimes answering comments used up my available time.  But work is progressing, just slowly.  I hope to speed up.  Read the rest of this entry »

Today was spent mostly working on the essay for the exhibition catalog, but also, for recreation, a bit more work on Book 3.    I am learning more about the Thieves’ Guild than I ever expected to and it turns out to resemble (though different in goals)  other human organizations of like size.   You have your steady, stable, hardworking members, and your crackpots, and your enthusiasts, and your explosive personalities…it’s more like what you read about the Mafia than the rather disorganized souls who fill the cells of the county jail. Read the rest of this entry »