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April A-Z Blogging Challenge: J is for Jewelry, a brainstorming invitation

Apr12

The Meme Master Post

For J-is-for-Jewelry, I’d like to invite you to engage in some worldbuilding with me: Caleyena jewelry.

The Calenyena are one of the two major nations/socioethnic groups (that doesn’t appear to be a term but I don’t know why not) on the continent of Reiassan in my fantasy setting by the same name.

The Calenyena (and the proto-Calenyena, back in Homeland) have 5 major time periods I’ve touched on: Before they encountered the Tabersi (proto-Bitrani), during the time when they were trying to live with the Tabersi, the “sword and sorcery” era on Reiassan, the Rin-and-Girey era, and the Steampunk era, where Edally Academy is set.

For this, let’s focus primarily on the last two time periods, since I’ve written the most in those two times.

Things I know about these times:

They have only the Bitrani, the island people, and the semi-independent island people to trade with; there is no contact with other continents. In the Rin-and-Girey time, they are often at war with the Bitrani & thus have to go to extreme lengths to GET to the island people, since the islands are in the south.

The north and mid-north, where the Calenyena live, are wood-poor; there is more wood in the south, much of it mangrove- and teak-style.

They have lots of mountains: mining exists.

They have glass-blowing skill and technique and lots of sea-side beach.

Their primary garments are a tunic, often buttoned over one collarbone or, later, down one side of the front, over long pants or a skirt.

They love bright colors, the brighter and more colors the better.

Their technology in the Rin-Girey era is vaguely height-of-Roman-Empire in in the steampunk era is, ah, vaguely steampunk.

So: Thoughts on their styles and types of jewelry in both those eras? Questions?

[personal profile] anke suggested enamel.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/921959.html. You can comment here or there.

World/Character-Building Fun Prompt Call – Dragons Next Door, Addergoole/Doomsday, Reiassan/Edally

Mar28

I had so much fun writing the four world/character/storybuilding stories yesterday that I want to do more! 🙂

But I’m still really busy with Sekret Projeckt. 🙁

So! No promises I’ll get to any of these, much less all of them, but here goes:

For Addergoole/Doomsday/FaeApoc, Dragons Next Door, or Reiassan/Edally, ask me any world/character building question that can be answered in fiction form.

For example: How did Akatil end up at Addergoole (I’ve already answered that one, short form), Where did Aud go to school? (another one already answered ;-)… I think you get the idea.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/915765.html. You can comment here or there.

Tweets about Reiassan Food, preserved for posterity

Mar26

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This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/914744.html. You can comment here or there.

Something Later in the Rin/Girey timeline, just for fun

Jan19

Rin/Girey/Reiassan has a landing page here. The prompt was “something hot;” I ended up with something cold. Whoops!

“Remind me again why we’re up here?”

It was snowing; it had been snowing since they left the capital – no, in truth, it had been snowing since before winter had properly arrived. Southern-born Girey was miserable in the cold; Rin’s first tour of duty had been further north than this, and she was in her element.

“Well, we’re up here to check on a few problems that have been brought to the Emperor’s attention. And we’re up here because it’s harder to assassinate us on the road.” They were on one path out of seven to their destination, neither the most obvious nor the most hidden. “Ah, here.” She tilted her head. “A way-station. We can thaw out your bits.”

“My bits?” It was impossible to see his eyebrows through the layers of hood and scarf Girey was wearing, but Rin could hear the raised-eyebrow tone in his voice.

“Your bits.” She stifled a chuckle. “It’ll take a while to heat up, but it looks unoccupied.”

Half an hour later, they were down to three layers of clothes, their coats and hoods dripping dry by the doorway. The fire was burbling along merrily in the fireplace, and the tiny cabin was warming up quickly. “So.” Rin raised her eyebrows. “How are your bits doing?”

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/886921.html. You can comment here or there.

Knowing Where His Place Is

Oct27

Egarengar had known things when he married Inatalana.

He had known that it was a political match first, a financial match second, and a match of compatible personalities third.

He had known that her title was so much higher than his as to be on a different ladder altogether, and that they were distance enough related that, if they had been goats, they would not have even had the same colors in their coats. He had known that she was a daughter of the Emperor, and that they would be expected to have many, many children.

He had known that he was stepping into a subordinate role, but one where he would be respected and honored, treated as a peer and not as an employee.

He had known all this because he paid attention, because he asked pertinent and impertinent questions, and because he had an extended family to tell him those pieces he hadn’t noticed on his own.

Watching Girey, he realized the young Prince had none of that. He did not know who Arinyanca was, not in the context of Lannamer. He didn’t know what position she’d offered him, in giving him the bracelet which Egarengar had carved. He didn’t know where he would stand in relation to the court he had been thrust into. All he knew was that Arinyanca had plucked him from a tent and dragged him across the length and half the breadth of Reiassan.

And yet, he was still standing, just behind and to the left of Rin’s shoulder, looking unfortunately Princely. And, more importantly, he looked as if he would smash the face of anyone who insulted Arinyanca.

The girl could hold her own, of course. She was Inatalana’s daughter and Egarengar’s. But Egarengar smiled to himself. He might not understand it yet, but the boy had found his place.

Written to [personal profile] kelkyag‘s prompt, or at least near it.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/837569.html. You can comment here or there.

Insult atop Injury

Sep18

Thimbleful Thursday is a new microfic prompt site (mine!). This week’s prompt was “Add Insult to Injury” and the word limit was 300 (270-300).

This piece is 303 words, and comes after Other Soldiers, Other Fates.

Reiassan has a landing page here.

“And there we go.” The chains between his shackles locked securely to the back of the goat’s saddle. “Ready to travel.”

Hiron had, he supposed, been in worse situations. He had been a thief before he was a soldier, after all, and a beggar before he was a thief – in far-South Bithrain, what was more, where beggars who did not have the excuse of an injury or a disfigurement were looked at as something lower than the shit the goats left in the gutters.

And yet there was something absolutely humiliating about being taken as a captive by a Calenni woman. Okay, the Calenni had won the war. Okay, long before that he’d gotten slashed in the calf and ended up in their stinking prisoners’ tent. Okay, long before that he’d found himself conscripted into the army, because the good lords weren’t wasting meals nor space on thieves when they could shove a sword in their hand and send them to the front lines.

All of that put nicks in what had once been a mighty pride. But now, now – still healing from the injury to his calf – Hiron found himself in the hands of a goat-faced Calleni woman.

“You’re pretty.” She patted his shoulder. “You’ll do just fine.”

Hiron found what was left of his heart sinking. He wasn’t being picked up as some sort of field-hand, was he? He had to have misunderstood. Her field-Bitrani was awful.

“I’m sorry.” He tried Calleni – nearly as bad as her Bitrani – in hopes that something would make sense. “I’m not-”

She grinned – like a goat, argh – and patted him again. “I know what you are. Mine, now.”

Hiron slumped against his chains. As if every blow he’d suffered wasn’t enough, he was being taken as a war-bride.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/812544.html. You can comment here or there.

Semi-Formal Timeline of Reiassan

Sep16

Note: This will conflict with several dates posted here and there. I’m still working on that!! But this is meant to give me a solid reference from which to work.

Dates of R are listed as years from landfall on Reiassan.

Lyuda Era – approx. 500 R.
Edally Academy was begun approximately one thousand years ago, in the time of the Emperor Eleddeltendel…

Skirmish Era, from 200-750 R

About 500 years ago, the original tower of Edally was torn down.

Rin & Girey Era: 900 R.

Edally Academy (Serial) era: 1650 R.

Doonts it with the stick of Officiadom.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/811085.html. You can comment here or there.

Goatback or Not

Sep12

After With the Goats

Liegya hadn’t meant to be a census-taker.

She’d meant to be a show-rider, a fancy-goat-dancer, a parade-trick-acrobat.

And she was good at it, good with the goats, good with the acrobats, good with the showmanship.

She still was. But parental push had been harder than she’d expected, she’d gotten very good marks in counting and accounting in school, and the position in the census bureau had come with a very nice salary and a house she only saw once a year.

And it came with her pick of goats, and being with the goats 9/10 of the time, even if she’d rather be counting other people’s goats than the people themselves.

When the villagers told her about “oh, Lazhman, probably out with the goats…” She had to go look. At the goats, of course.

And maybe at another soul who’d rather be with the four-legged than two.

Reiassan has a landing page here (and on LJ).

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This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/809674.html. You can comment here or there.