Written by Mr. Chapin after he read a scathing review of a singer in a small local paper while he was on tour.
A song about a singer.
A song about the self-importance of critics.
A song about doing something because you love it.
Mr. Tanner.
The Hottest Historical Hottie of All Time Returns
There is no Francis Drake, but there is a Walter Raleigh and (gasp!) Doctor John Dee!
(I think I can see his orichalcum ring…)
Making Trekhead Asplode
He’s probably already seen it, but here it is.
Why Star Trek is best when it reflects Neo-Con values.
Will this revisionist bullshit never end?
yeah.
The Elk Suaven: Jaymin Steele
Jaymin Steele
“Leave an enemy alive and he makes allies. Kill him and he makes a grave.”
House: Blooded of the Elk
Favored Virtue: Cunning
Titles: the Iron Heart, Winter’s Promise, the Ruthless
Jaymin Steele stands alone in the House of the Elk. A mountain of a man, standing a head above his brothers and sisters, he fought for the right to inherit his father’s lands, leaving bloodshed and tears behind him. It was he who first flew the banner that would eventually adorn the Senate: the Crest of the Elk.
He wore reputation like a crown. Those who plotted against him disappeared and those who aided him flourished. He was a Duke by the age of nineteen and an Archduke by the time he was twenty-five. His lands were unmatched in all of Shanri… and then it all went wrong.
Many operas have been written about the fall of Jaymin Steele, but none so stirring, so moving as The Autumn. A deceptively simple title, but a profoundly disturbing work. After establishing the largest domain in all of Shanri, after dispatching all his enemies, after consolidating the Senate’s power under his thumb… Steele lost his heart to a woman. The widow of his deadliest enemy. Blooded of the Fox. She beguiled him. Entranced him.
And very slowly, she began a delicate and beautiful Revenge.
Demonstrating the patience of a spider, she unmade everything he had built. Turned allies into enemies. Disrupted his trade. Sabotaged his every plan. But her greatest Revenge was at the end.
When she left him, he was on his knees, begging her not to leave. She did not need to kill him. She made Jaimyn Steele beg. That was enough.
Months of long solitude followed. Living off the charity of family—for he had no friends—he spent most of his life under the shadow of despair. But when Revenge finally found his own eyes, what followed was perhaps the most perfect example of vengeance in all of ven literature.
Symbol
Steele’s symbol is the Elk, a crossed Sword and dagger behind the antlers. The Sword symbolizing the conquering Elk, the dagger representing the consequence of betrayal.
Blessings
Steele’s Blessings represent his life. He never acted on his own, but bent the wills of others to accomplish his goals. His hands were always clean of blood… until the very end.
Houses of the Blooded: Word Count
2,351: Introduction
33,459: Shanri & the Ven
9,471: Character
6,161: Risk
10,15: Virtues
9,163: Aspects
7,501: Violence
2,362: Poison
2,788: Romance
16,189: Seasons
4,883: Sorcery
8,292: Suaven
9,084: Player
7,920: GM
That’s a little more than 120,000 words. And I’m not quite done. I suspect the book will be closer to 200k. Lots to write for the GM and Player chapters and I have to tighten up a few of the earlier chapters.
Back to the writing.
The Greatest Con Man in the World
It’s no secret that I adore Penn & Teller, but the first magician I ever saw, the one who made me want to be a magician all my life, was this man.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Greatest Con Man in the World. Ricky Jay.
Houses of the Blooded: Update
The release of Houses will be postponed until April, at the GAMA Trade Show. That’s four additional months of waiting.
I apologize, but trust me when I say, the delay is for a very good reason I can’t quite talk about just yet.
I will be releasing something in November to make up for it. Trust me (again), you’ll be very happy with it.
Houses of the Blooded: A Question
Why don’t weapons add to my dice?
Ask yourself this question: Is Vin Diesel’s character Riddick most lethal with…
a) a knife
b) a sword
c) a pistol
d) his bare hands, or
e) I’d rather not fight him at all, thank you very much
Never forget the Riddle of Steel.
The Fever Breaks
It is September 20, and it looks like I survived my first Arizona summer.
When folks told me the temperature would rank up near 115 in the shade, they weren’t kidding. I had to completely re-format my car. New tires, different oil, window shades.
I left a CD in there once. Once.
And the water bottle that exploded. Yeah.
God’s Tastybake Oven, indeed.
But now, the temperature is down to about 100 with a slight cool breeze. It dips down to the high 90s (like 99 or 98) at night.
* * *
While watching Fargo, I remember MN. I remember the cold. My fillings aching. The ice on everything. Numb toes. The wind that stings. Burning ears and nose. Flesh sticking to metal.
But when I watched TV or saw movies with heat, I never knew what that meant.
Now, when I see heat on the TV or in movies, I’ll know what that means. Heat so bad it burns the inside of your nose. Your back is as wet as the sea when you get up from the chair. The air so thick, you just want to sleeeeeeep…
But I survived. We’re nearing the other end. I’m expecting an Indian Summer any time now. Something that makes the temperature zip back up above 100 just before the welcome warm of winter.