Goodbye 2019. Hello 2020!

2019 – A “Bloody” Good Year!

Hello everyone! 2019 is coming to an end and boy, it has been a very busy year!

You might’ve noticed I’ve gone a bit quiet on providing updates since I started publishing the Eternal Monologues. The past few months have been busy for me for several reasons. Don’t worry – it’s nothing bad!

The main reason why I haven’t provided as many updates is due my heavy focus on writing. With 2019 wrapping up and 2020 just around the corner, I figured now’s a perfect time to provide you all with a big update on how everything has been traveling!

Of course, before I can begin talking about all things book related, let’s recap on my feline supervisor who’s been cracking the whip and keeping me in line.

Zoya the Destroyer

This year saw Zoya join my household which she now rules with an iron paw. Truthfully, it’s been great having her around as a writing companion, especially now she no longer finds the keyboard comfortable to sleep on!

Like all cats Zoya has developed some very interesting and random habits. For example, she’s developed a routine of intercepting anyone going up stairs then collapsing in front of them. Why does she do this? For belly scratches. I know what you’re thinking, “Don’t do it! It’s a trap!”. Yes, this normally is a classic cat trap yet Zoya seems to love it and so far, I haven’t been attacked.

No doubt 2020 will see Zoya continue to make sure I’m working heavily on all things Cardinal.

And no doubt I’ll be posting more photos of her along with my updates.

Now that the feline talk is out of the way, let’s recap 2019 and lay out my expectations of 2020!

The first draft of Encyclopedia Sarcadia completed!

I hit one of many milestones this year with the completion of Encyclopedia Sarcadia. It was a huge effort and exhausting to get through, but I’m very proud with the result. The encyclopedia has helped establish the world the Cardinal series will be set on. It has also opened an unlimited amount of possibilities for future writing projects.

Goal for 2020 – Publish Encyclopedia Sarcadia

Currently the encyclopedia is going through a lengthy edit which will no doubt turn into another lengthy re-edit. I’m not sure when I’ll begin publishing material from the book on the website, but I want to begin in mid-2020. Once the first edit has been completed I’ll be able to assemble a clear timeline so stay tuned!

The first draft of the Sarcadian Atlas completed!

2019 saw the completion of the maps of all the major continents of Sarcadia. Some were simple to draw while others took a lot longer than I anticipated. Regardless I’m happy with the result of what I’m now referring to as the “Sarcadian Atlas”.

Goal for 2020 – Continue to build the Sarcadian Atlas

My brain has been producing a copious amount of creativity the more I write. I don’t think the Sarcadian Atlas will be ready anytime soon as I see this being a “living world” which continues to build and grow the deeper I get into fleshing out more lore.

This is a good thing! The more the atlas grows the more the encyclopedia will grow. The more the encyclopedia grows the more the story of the Cardinal will grow. Parts of the atlas will be published alongside the encyclopedia so keep an eye on them!

The Eternal Monologue series completed & published!

I’m happy with all the feedback I’ve received from the Eternal Monologue series. Thank you all so much for your support. For those who haven’t read the series yet, you can check out all the stories published so far by clicking here!

I should apologise for not advising I was going to stop publishing the series throughout the Christmas and New Years period. The series will resume next Tuesday (7 January 2020) and will continue throughout the year.

Goal for 2020 – Publish the remaining entries of the Eternal Monologue series

As I mentioned mini stories of Atriarch, Elysia and Octavian will continue from 7 January 2020. There are thirteen more publications to come and I hope you all continue to enjoy them!

The first drafts of three “Menagerie” stories completed!

Remember how I said the past few months have been busy for me? Well, here’s one of the reasons why! I’ve commenced work on the “Menagerie” series which focuses on the first humans who were turned into vampires by the Fallen Son. There’ll be a focus on the last day or so of the person’s life before they meet their fate.

I’ve completed the drafts of three stories and enjoyed writing them perhaps a little too much!

Goal for 2020 – Continue working on the Menagerie series & potentially begin publishing

I plan on writing a lot Menagerie stories throughout 2020. I have ideas for at least fifty stories and the number could grow. Though Octavian initially turned three hundred people during his existence I doubt I’ll write that many stories. The focus will be on those vampires who have had relevance in Sarcadia’s history or who will play a part in the Cardinal series to come.

Speaking of which…

Work on the Cardinal series has begun!

I’m in the very early stages of beginning work on the Cardinal series. At this stage I’ve only mapped out the structure of the first three books. It might not sound like a lot but it’s a big step towards finally getting the series off the ground!

Goal for 2020 – Continue plotting out the entire series and begin the first draft of Book 1

I’ll be going away on holiday to Bali towards the end of January for some much-needed rest and relaxation. This should recharge my brain though I’ve got a feeling it will keep flooding my head full of ideas. When I return I’ll pick up where I left off and continue to flesh out the basic story arcs and plot for the entire Cardinal series. I’m hopeful to at least begin the first draft of Book 1 in late 2020. It’s going to be a very productive and busy year ahead but I’m looking forward to every single day of it!

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and thank you for your continued support. Remember if you like what you’ve read please help spread the word about this website!

I hope you all have a great start to 2020 and remember to always be safe!

Take care!

W.F. Thorne

I like big maps & I cannot lie… (Book Update – 03/09/2019)

Hello everyone! I hope you’ve all been well. Another month has gone by so that means I’m due to provide you with an update!

It’s been a wild, crazy month full of creativity. I’m happy to announce I’ve finalised the maps of each Sarcadian continent! The completion of my cartography journey has ignited a creative flare that continues to burn strongly. I’ve seen an increase in my writing productivity and there’s no signs of it slowing down.

But before we dive deeper into the realm of Sarcadia, let’s take a moment to have a quick chat about Miss Zoya –

She’s keeping me (slightly) sane as I get lost in my fantasy world. It’s nice to have a cat or an animal around to keep you company as you’re writing during the day or typing away manically at night.

It’s also nice when she doesn’t sit in front of my monitor or on my keyboard…

Enough about cats. Let’s talk maps!

Rykhart – The Sarcadian Giant

I had some concerns when creating Rykhart’s map as I spent a lot of time working on Alibrium, the second larger continent on Sarcadia. I found the process a bit frustrating, which I only have myself to blame for only having a partial vision of Alibrium’s design would be like. I immediately assumed Rykhart, the largest continent on Sarcadia, would take double the time to complete.

Unlike Alibrium, I had already mapped out 80% of Rykhart in my head.

Unlike Alibrium, Rykhart’s map took half the amount of time for me to do!

Here is Rykhart in all its vast glory!

See, I told you it was big! Let’s dive into a bit of history (and I mean, a bit!)

Rykhart, formally known as Dektundra, is home to some of the largest species of animals in Sarcadia. It’s also home to giants – humanoids who grow to an average ten feet tall.

Rykhart was once ruled by cannibalistic Ogres who enslaved the human population. The people of Rykhart were freed by Atriarch during his conquest of Sarcadia. When the All-Father ascended to the Realm of Light, Rykhart became home to Sarcadia’s bloodiest battles and power-hungry empires.

Dektundra was renamed Rykhart following the marriage between Kaiser Rykard Heidermann of Rykland and Grand Duchess Annalise Everhart of Hartland. Their “love story” ended three years later upon the suspicious death of the Ryken leader. Rykhart was split in two: West Rykhart and East Rykhart, and the powerful empires of Rykland and Hartland would be broken down further due to rebellions and uprisings.

Hartland

Hartland was once made up of fourteen Duchies who decided it was better to control the country together instead of fighting over it. For years the eight “superior” duchies of eastern Hartland bullied the “inferior” six duchies of western Hartland. Civil war would eventually break out, resulting in the founding of Edaleen.

Despite losing a third of its land, Hartland continues to thrive and exists as an “elective monarchy”. The Duchies vote for a “Grand Duke or Grand Duchess” to rule Hartland until they abdicate, die, or if the Duchies remove their leader following a vote of no confidence.

Edaleen

Edaleen is one of the youngest countries in Sarcadia. The Edalese were very peaceful people and their leaders were always fair and just. Many considered Edaleen to be a beacon of harmony until Queen Angelique Dubois came to power.

The fear of aging and paranoia about being usurped would drive Queen Angelique into the arms of the Cardinal. She would be turned into a vampire by Thomas Torino. Under the bloody rule of “Night Queen of Edaleen”, Edaleen is now a haven for Sarcadia’s second largest vampiric population.

Rykland

Rykland was one of the most powerful empires in Rykhart, controlling West Rykhart at the peak of their prime. Their ruler and founder, Kaiser Rykard Heidermann, used fearful tactics to rule his subjects and defeat his enemies. This included the use of dire wolves in battle as well as the recruiting werewolves into his army.

Rykland’s empire would crumble following a series of rebellions from the people they oppressed. Today, the country is only a quarter of its former size as a result of being slowly conquered by Rusovania. Rykland believes the next invasion from the new West Rykhart powerhouse could end their existence.

Rusovania

Rusovania is the largest country in Rykhart. They are a proud, fearless nation founded by Ivan Rusov, who led a violent uprising against their Ryken suppressors. It has been a long tradition of Rusovania to heavily fortify their borders before launching a strong offensive. They’ll only launch their invasions of Rykland when the next “reincarnation” of Ivan Rusov is born and ready to lead them into victory.

Strordom

Strordom is the oldest country in Rykhart. They keep themselves secluded from the rest of the world, barely venturing out of from their borders. They’re allied with Rusovania due to their mutual dislike of Rykland.

The Eternal Monologues

With the maps all out of the way my focus has been entirely on the Eternal Monologues series. I wasn’t expecting to begin work on this until the start of September. The Rykhart map was completed mid-August which has given me a big head start on my writing.

As I mentioned previously there will be twenty-one monologues focusing on specific key events that occurred with Atriarch, Elysia, and Octavian. Currently I have completed four monologues and will be working on my fifth the moment I’ve finished writing this update.

It’s my aim to complete the first draft of the Eternal Monologues by the end of September. After they’ve been polished up, I’ll be posting them weekly from October. I’ve made it my goal to try and complete one monologue every day. So far, it’s working! If I keep at this pace, I’ll definitely finish the series by the month’s end and I’ll be ready to share my work with you come October.

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and thank you for your continued support.

Until next time, be safe and take care!

W.F. Thorne

Book Update – 06/08/2019

Hello everyone! I hope you’ve all been well. It’s been over a month since I last touched base, so allow me to fill you in! Let’s get the important stuff out of the way first, shall we? Here’s Zoya encouraging me to write more by providing me with “creative juice”.

She has kept me busy lately, especially during the last few weeks of June when she got sick. I’ll spare you all the nasty details but she’s back to her normal, crazy self again. Owning a cat, or any pet for that matter, is like raising a child. Seriously parents – how the HELL do you do it?!

The Fall of the Son

Some of you might’ve seen this post around mid-July. I mentioned a while ago I was working on “The Eternal Monologues”, a collection of shorts written by Bruce Boward, a famous Sarcadian writer/singer/drunkard.

This post is the first of many more monologues I’m currently working on. I’m hoping to complete the full series by the end of September. Once they’ve gone through a polish, I’ll be posting them weekly throughout the rest of 2019. If you have read the Fall of the Son I hope you enjoyed it – and I hope you’re looking forward to reading more in the future!

Map Making

The cartography of Sarcadia continues though it has been slower than what I have anticipated. Over the past month I’ve been working on Alibrium which is the second largest continent in Sarcadia. I didn’t think it would take me so long to complete, but I’m happy to advise I completed the map on Saturday!

And yes, Zoya’s generous gift of wine did help a little bit.

Here’s what Alibrium looks like!

Though the map took a long time to complete I’m happy with the result! It isn’t quite finished yet as I’ll going back to naming some of the major cities as well as adding to the growing lore of Alibrium. I’ve spoken about the continent in previous posts but for those new to my series here’s a quick summary about Alibrium.

Alibrium was once divided into thousands of provinces run by many families – known as the Alibrii Houses. Over time the number of Houses would narrow down to two hundred and thirty-three and they formed the Alibrii Senate to rule the country as one.

The title of “Imperatur” was created by the Alibrii Senate with the belief one house could better guide Alibrium’s future. The Senators served as advisors to the Imperatur, who either happily listened to their suggestions, or expelled and executed anyone who disagreed with them.

The Imperatur role frequently changed hands between Alibrium’s four major houses: House Victerri, House Andorio, House Carlacaria, and House Pedios. Eventually all four would rule Alibrium equally as part of the “Imperii Council”. Their tyrannical rule would continue for many centuries until Darius Aventis and the Cardinal defeated them in the Alibrii-Aventis War.

As a result of the war, Alibrium was divided in two:

North Alibrium was given to the Imperii Council. They would take all land from the northern Alibrii houses to better strengthen their positions of leadership. Currently North Alibrium is ruled like a dictatorship and is riddled with corruption and crime.

South Alibrium was taken by Darius Aventis, who readopted the old Alibrii Senate using the southern Alibrii Houses. Darius also enforced strict laws in his country which has allowed coexistence between humans and vampires. As a result, South Alibrium is regarded as being one of the most prosperous and safest countries in Sarcadia.

What’s next?

With Alibrium completed my focus will be on the largest continent in Sarcadia – Rykhart. I’m going to aim to have the map completed by the end of August so stay tuned for an update. Trust me, it’s going to be a HUGE one!

In the middle of mapmaking I’m going to get back into some writing. Along with the Eternal Monologues I’m going to look at writing up some short stories based in Sarcadia.

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and thank you for your continued support.

Until next time, be safe and take care!

W.F. Thorne

Book Update – 18/06/2019

Hello everyone! I hope you’ve all been well. It’s been just over a month since I last touched base so time to fill you in with how things are progressing.

First thing’s first – here is your obligatory photo of Miss Zoya:

Now that’s out of the way let’s move on to an update on Encyclopedia Sarcadia.

I took a break when I finished the first draft so I wouldn’t burn out. That idea didn’t last as I was keen to get back into more world building. This time, I wanted to bring Sarcadia to life.

I purchased a program called Campaign Cartographer 3+ which I’ve been using to create fully detailed maps of the lands of Sarcadia. I highly recommend the software for any fantasy author out there, or anyone looking to create worlds for their RPGs. I found it incredibly overwhelming when I first played around with CC3+. Thankfully there are some great tutorials on YouTube that’ll teach you how to use the program to its fullest extent.

After several hours of learning I found myself thoroughly enjoying my new God-like world creating powers! I’m happy to show you some progress I’ve made on Sarcadia’s atlas. These maps are not the final product as I’ll be making changes to my world as it continues to grow and evolve.

Stagnum

I mentioned in a previous update Stagnum is a swamp continent that sits in the middle of Sarcadia. This murky land of slimy green is home to the lizard humanoids Reptilian and Draconian races as well as Duchess Beatrice Ellsworth of the Cardinal.

I initially planned for Stagnum to be nothing more than a swamp wasteland. Since then I’ve added the volcanic, sulfuric region of Yekkalon. This area was going to be a poisonous marshland that would be fatal to all non-Reptilian and Draconian races. While it’s still highly toxic, I added the volcanic scorched lands of Yekkalon to bring a bit of variety to Stagnum.

I’ve also added some dangerous islands around the mainland, such as Kelkardar to the east and Claw Island to the south-east. Kelkardar is home to some of the most dangerous animals in Sarcadia and hunters from all over the realm go there to prove their greatness. Claw Island is home to Sarcadia’s most dangerous pirates and criminals. Anyone who is foolish to visit never return.

Un’Kabaal

Of all the maps so far, the desert continent of Un’Kabaal has been the easiest to design. Un’Kabaal’s design hasn’t changed a lot from my original plans. New additions to Un’Kabaal I didn’t initially have include the Great Kabaalist Mesa, which has some of the highest peaks in Sarcadia, and the Tethimite Tower, home to a mysterious group of mages. I think I will re-visit Un’Kabaal in the future though I’m happy with the simplicity of the map.

Tarana

At this stage Tarana has been my favourite map to create. I know, I shouldn’t play favourites with my continents, but I had a LOT of fun with Tarana’s creation. You’re probably thinking “Hey that kind of looks like a turtle”, and you’d be right to think that! The Taranese believe Tarana was once a gigantic white turtle before it turned into a continent.

Much like Un’Kabaal, the main design of Tarana hasn’t changed from what I originally envisioned. I always wanted it to be a turtle-shaped landmass. I planned to add only a few islands scattered around Tarana, but I went a little bit overboard when I started creating them. Regardless I think they’re great additions and will help enhance the history and geography of Tarana.

I’ll be also writing a few short stories on some key islands in the future, such as the island of Qui-Io that’s home to an ancient cannibalistic tribe of mystic creatures.

What’s next?

Starting this week I’ll begin work on Alibrium’s map, which is the second largest continent in Sarcadia. I’m anticipating this to take at least a few weeks as the design of this continent is a bit complex, though nowhere near as complicated as Rykhart will be. I wouldn’t worry about me slacking off as my “supervisor” has been making sure I’ve been doing my job…

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and thank you for your continued support.

Until next time, be safe and take care!

W.F. Thorne

Book Update – 14/05/2019

Hello everyone! To all you mothers reading this I hope you had a lovely Mother’s Day!

It’s time for another update. I’m ecstatic to announce thefirst edit of Encyclopedia Sarcadia HAS BEEN FINISHED!!! Almost three years of work has gone into the world building for the Cardinal so I’m thrilled to have finally reached this crucial milestone.

Before I dive into what happens next, let’s have another brief lesson in Sarcadian Geography 101. But first, here’s an obligatory photo of Zoya showing off her “ninja skills”.

And now our lesson can begin!

Tarana

Tarana is a continent located in Sarcadia’s west once filled with dozens of warring empires. The tyrannical Ido Empire would dominant Tarana for almost five centuries before they were defeated by Atriarch. The All-Father named his Taranese ally and good friend Shintaro Gun as the new Emperor of Tarana. Shintaro’s reign ushered in a period of peace and harmony up until his death. The Emperor’s dying wish was to have Tarana divided into equal kingdoms between his children: Pyoyo, Heninchi, Shinlao, and Zensou.

Zensou was outraged. He believed Tarana should belong to him as he was the eldest child. Zensou’s attack on his brother and sisters would start the first of many wars between the four kingdoms. For almost two thousand years the Kingdoms of Pyoyo, Heninchi, Shinlao, and Zensou fought for supremacy. King Osamu Sun of Pyoyo would eventually defeat the other three kingdoms and claimed dominion over all of Tarana.

King Osamu proclaimed himself as the Emperor of Tarana and founded the Sun Empire to rule over all four kingdoms. He allowed the royal families of the Heninchian, Shinlaoese and Zensi Kingdoms rule their lands but installed an “Imperial Consul” in each kingdom to control them. The system has worked for almost four centuries, but now there are growing fears Tarana could be headed towards a devastating civil war.

That’s as much as I’m going to give away for now. You’ll get to read about Tarana, the other countries, major events in Sarcadia’s history, and much more over the upcoming months!

What happens next?

The first thing I’m going to do is take a quick break from writing. I’ve been working firmly on Encyclopedia Sarcadia over the past month, so I don’t want to risk burning myself out too fast. I’m going to let my brain rest for a week or so before the real work on the Cardinal series begins.

I’ll be handing over a copy of Encyclopedia Sarcadia to some people who have helped work on my books when I was publishing under another alias. I trust their input and they’ve got a keen eye for detail. I know there’s bound to be some errors floating around so I’ve no doubts they’ll give my work a good polish!

I’ll also be looking to start drawing a map of Sarcadia. I have a general sketch of the shapes of each continent and where major cities and towns are situated. Having a map of my world will help build a better story. Plus, I’m sure you’d like to see how Sarcadia looks in much more details.

Before I can start fleshing out the Cardinal, I need to figure out the extravagant journey all my characters are about to embark on. I have a rough idea of how many books there are going to be, the main plots of each book and the overarching main storyline that will connect everything together. What I need to do now is work out how the story is going to unfold. Once I know how characters will get from point A, to point B and so on, I’ll be able to immerse myself into the series.

In between all this I’ll begin writing up a series of short stories to publish on the website. These will include:

• “The Menagerie Origins”, which will narrate the night a human was turned by Octavian, and
• “The Eternal Monologues”, which are a collection of shorts written by Sarcadian bard Bruce Boward. The monologues focus on key moments that occurred for Atriarch, Elysia, and Octavian.

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and thank you for your continued support. Before you go, I figured you all deserve another photo of Zoya. Why? Just to celebrate the completion of Encyclopedia Sarcadia.

Until next time, be safe and take care!

W.F. Thorne

Book Update – 07/05/2019

Greetings one and all! I hope you’ve been well and enjoyed the weekend. It’s time for an update on how work on Encyclopedia Sarcadia is travelling.

Things are going fantastic! I’m flying through the edit a lot quicker than what I anticipated. I honestly thought I might slow down a bit, but the writing has been non-stop ever since I got back from New Zealand. I guess I should go on more hiking adventures to keep the creative juices flowing!

My work on Sarcadia’s countries and continents continues and is nearing completion. This week I’ve finished two continents and five – yes FIVE – countries! I’m proud of how far well the encyclopedia is progressing, considering my “supervisor” has been micromanaging me…

As you can see, Zoya has made it her business to get involved in my business. While I do appreciate her support there’s only so much a cat can type with their paws. No offence to any feline readers out there! I’m sure you mean well but you need to let your human-slaves do their thing. We can take care of ourselves. Well, not as well as we take care of you…

Back to the book update!

It’s tough to summarise two continents and five countries in a quick update, but I’m going to give it a try! It’s time for a brief lesson of Sarcadian Geography 101!

Stagnum

Stagnum is a swamp continent that sits in the middle of Sarcadia. Within this murky land of slimy green live the lizard humanoids Reptilian and Draconian races. Reptilians are peaceful by nature unlike their larger Draconian cousins who are more aggressive.

Humans also live on the swamp wasteland though most of them were forced there due to their diseases or deformities. Stagnum’s most famous resident is the Cardinal’s Beatrice Ellsworth. The self-proclaimed “Duchess of Stagnum” controls the continent with her large army of ghouls and the gluttonous, disgusting Tenebites known as the Garlom.

Rykhart

Rykhart is the largest continent in Sarcadia. Those who live in the north experience colder weather than those living in the south. Rykhart is home to some of the largest animals in Sarcadia, such as giant boars, dire elk, and red bears. It’s also home to giants, humanoids who grow to an average ten feet tall.

Rykhart was once ruled by cannibalistic Ogres who enslaved the human population. The people of Rykhart eventually be liberated by Atriarch during his conquest of Sarcadia. When the All-Father ascended to the Realm of Light, Rykhart became home to Sarcadia’s bloodiest battles and power-hungry empires.

Rykhart is divided into two: West Rykhart which contains the countries of Rykland, Rusovania, and Strordom, and East Rykhart where one can find the countries of Hartland and Edaleen.

Rykland

Rykland was one of the most powerful empires in Rykhart, controlling West Rykhart at the peak of their prime. Their ruler and founder, Kaiser Rykard Heidermann, used fearful tactics to rule his subjects and defeat his enemies. This included the use of dire wolves in battle as well as the recruiting werewolves into his army.

Rykland’s empire would crumble following a series of rebellions from the people they oppressed. Today, the country is only a quarter of its former size as a result of been slowly conquered by Rusovania. Rykland believes the next invasion from the new West Rykhart powerhouse could end their existence.

Rusovania

Rusovania is the largest country in Rykhart. They are a proud, fearless nation founded by Ivan Rusov, who led a violent uprising against their Ryken suppressors. It has been a long tradition of Rusovania to heavily fortify their borders before launching a strong offensive. They’ll only launch their invasions of Rykland when the next “reincarnation” of Ivan Rusov is born and ready to lead them into victory.

Strordom

Strordom is the oldest country in Rykhart. They keep themselves secluded from the rest of the world, barely venturing out of from their borders. They’re allied with Rusovania due to their mutual dislike of Rykland.

Hartland

Hartland was once the strongest country in East Rykhart. It was made up of fourteen duchies who decided it was better to control the country together instead of fighting over it. For years the eight “superior” duchies of Hartland bullied the “inferior” six duchies. Civil war would eventually break out, resulting in the six duchies founding the country of Edaleen.

Despite losing a third of its land, Hartland continues to thrive and exists as an “elective monarchy”. The duchies vote for a “Grand Duke or Duchess” to rule Hartland until they abdicate, die, or if the duchies remove their leader after a vote of no confidence.

Edaleen

Edaleen is one of the youngest countries in. The Edalese were very peaceful people and their leaders were always fair and just. Many considered Edaleen to be a beacon of harmony until Queen Angelique Dubois came to power.

The fear of aging and paranoia about being usurped would drive Queen Angelique into the arms of the Cardinal. She would be turned into a vampire by Thomas Torino. Now under the bloody rule of “Night Queen of Edaleen”, Edaleen is now a haven for Sarcadia’s second largest vampiric population.

Well, I’m just as exhausted as you are, so I think we’ll stop today’s lesson! Remember, this is just a brief snapshot of the countries in Sarcadia. Keep an eye out for more detailed posts in the future once the encyclopedia has been completed.

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and thank you for your continued support.

Until next time, be safe and take care!

W.F. Thorne

Book Update – 29/04/2019

Greetings everyone! I trust everyone is doing well, especially after watching Avengers: Endgame and/or this week’s episode of Game of Thrones. I think it’s safe to say it’s been a very emotional week for everyone who is fan of either the show, the movie, or both!

It’s time for an update in relation to all things Cardinal! I’m happy to say progression with Encyclopedia Sarcadia is going extremely well, despite some minor distractions…

Yes, Zoya has once again become fascinated with my monitor and mouse cursor. One could argue she was just supervising me to make sure I was writing and not getting consumed by my love for video games.

Or one could argue she’s a cat and they’ll play with anything that catches their attention. Note to self: buy a laser pointer.

Where was I? Oh yes! Book update!

I’ve managed to complete information for not one, but two countries in Sarcadia! Allow me to give you all a very brief rundown of the two.

Un’Kabaal

Un’Kabaal is a desert continent located in southern Sarcadia. The people of Un’Kabaal, the Kabaalists, regard themselves as the most important country in the realm as Atriarch, Sarcadia’s deity, was born there.

Un’Kabaal is ruled by a monarchical government and its leader is referred to as the “Absentar” – one who rules on behalf of the All-Father. The system has worked very well as only a handful of Absentar’s have either stepped down or were overthrown due to their poor leadership.

The political stability in Un’Kabaal hasn’t saved it from its share of disasters. Not only have earthquakes destroyed some towns, over a third of their population was killed during a Red Plague epidemic. What’s Red Plague you ask? We’ll get back to that nasty disease in another update.

Currently Un’Kabaal has no political issues, unlike most other countries, but the Kabaalists live on edge due to the high vampire presence there. Not only to they need to worry about Magnar Blutfest’s clan, they also need to protect themselves from the Menagerie’s Rebekkah Zarkari and her brood.

Alibrium

Alibrium is one of the largest continents on Sarcadia with a rich history of treachery and civil war. The country was divided into thousands of provinces run by many families – known as the Alibrii Houses. Over time the number of houses would narrow down to two hundred and thirty-three and they would all rule Alibrium equally under the Alibrii Senate.

The title of “Imperatur” would be created by the Alibrii Senate who decided it would be better for one of them to better guide Alibrium. The Senators would serve as advisors and have an equal say though their power would depend on the Imperatur at the time. Some Imperaturs were happy to listen to their Senators while others expelled or executed those who disagreed with them.

The Imperatur role frequently changed hands between Alibrium’s four major houses. Eventually all four would seize totally power over Alibrium and rule it equally under the name of the “Imperii Council”. This would continue for many centuries until Darius Aventis and the Cardinal achieved victory in the Alibrii-Aventis War.

As a result of the war, Alibrium was divided in two:

North Alibrium was given to the Imperii Council. They would take all land from the northern Alibrii houses to better strengthen their positions of leadership. Currently North Alibrium is ruled like a dictatorship and is riddled with corruption and crime.

South Alibrium was taken by Darius Aventis, who readopted the old Alibrii Senate using the southern Alibrii houses. Darius also enforced strict laws in his country which has allowed coexistence between humans and vampires. As a result, South Alibrium is regarded as being one of the most prosperous and safest countries in Sarcadia.

I’m proud of how quick I’ve progressed at this stage. If Zoya stops sitting in front of my computer monitor, I think I’m well on my way to having the first draft of Encyclopedia Sarcadia completed by the end of May!

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and thank you for your continued support.

Until next time, be safe and take care!

W.F. Thorne

Book Update – 24/04/2019

Greetings everyone! I hope you’ve been doing well and, for those lucky enough, enjoyed the long weekend.

It’s been over a month since my last update so I’m going to make this a bit of a big one! What’s been happening since last time? Quite a lot actually!

New Zealand – Australia’s Canada!

I recently returned from an epic trip to New Zealand. I’ve never been before which is really slack on my part considering I live in Australia. I guess with New Zealand being so close to home I took it for granted.

I loved New Zealand! The country was beautiful. The people were extremely friendly. And, most importantly, the food was great!

My American mates flew all the way from New York City and joined me in Middle-Earth. Come on, you had to expect there to be at least ONE Lord of the Rings reference! Trust me when I say there were plenty of them on the trip…

We spent most of our time hiking around the national parks of the South Island which included Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, Mt Aspiring National Park, and Fiordland National Park. Unfortunately, some of the trails we wanted to do were closed off due to some recent storm damage. Regardless we still got to see some amazing scenery including this shot from Gertrude’s Saddle:

Despite being in New Zealand for a few weeks I felt like I was there for a few months. The fresh air and stunning natural landscapes put my brain into a creative overdrive. Though it was sad to leave New Zealand and bid farewell to my mates, I looked forward to coming back home so I could get back into writing.

Zoya – My Feline Distraction

As you might recall, I’m now the proud father (?) of a Russian Blue kitten called Zoya. She continues to follow me around everywhere and is constantly preventing me from progressing further with my writing! I mean, look at this photo for example:

You might be asking yourself, “Shouldn’t he be writing, and not playing Sekiro?” Yes, I probably should be writing but if she’s not sitting on my keyboard or walking over my keyboard… or sleeping on my keyboard… she’s standing in front of my screen and attacking the mouse cursor.

Now I think about it, I should’ve posted a photo of that instead…

In any case! She’s a little furball of fun and recently has grown bored with my desk.

Encyclopedia Sarcadia – Vampire Section Complete!

Since returning from my trip I’ve put in a LOT of work into the Cardinal’s Encyclopedia Sarcadia. I’m happy to announce I’ve completed the vampire section of the Encyclopedia Sarcadia!

In the last update I mentioned I finished working on the backstory for Octavian, the First Vampire, and Darius Aventis, the first human turned by Octavian. Since then I’ve completed backstories on multiple key vampire characters as well as various vampire clans in Sarcadia.

Here’s just a quick sample of some of the major vampire clans and who their leaders are.

The Cardinal are the most dominant vampiric force in Sarcadia. It’s their belief humans should be under the rule of vampires, specifically the Cardinal, in order to ensure humanity’s survival from supernatural threats and to save them (humans) from themselves.

The six founding members of the Cardinal were responsible for Octavian’s death. The factions & leaders within the Cardinal are as follows:

• House Aventis led by Darius Aventis (click here to see a brief rundown on him).
• Clan Magnar led by Magnar Blutfest, a feared barbaric warrior with a violent, short temper.
• The Duchy of Stagnum led by Beatrice Ellsworth, a Duchess from Hartland infamous for her cruel regime and ravenous appetite.
• The Torino Dynasty led by Thomas and Tabitha Torino, a pair of twins who pride themselves on their appearance.
• The Lyceum of Shadows led by Leverett Augustine, spiteful boy who loathes being trapped in the body of a child for an eternity.

The Menagerie are an aggressive vampire clan spread throughout Sarcadia. Initially the group was comprised of Octavian’s three hundred neophytes and their fledglings. The numbers suffered greatly due to the vampiric civil war known as the “War of the Blood Moon”.

Those still loyal to Octavian continue to fight in his name to this day. They’re bitter rivals of the Cardinal and are feared throughout Sarcadia for their ruthlessness. The Menagerie believe Octavian will rise again and will shroud Sarcadia in permanent darkness.

What’s next?

The next, and final, major section of Encyclopedia Sarcadia will focus on the countries which exist in my world. There’s a decent amount of work to do as each country has its own history, religious beliefs etc. that need to be fine-tuned.

Despite there being a lot of work ahead of me, I’m confident I’ll have this section completed by the end of May. I’ll be keeping you updated at least once a week with how things are progressing. That way, it should motivate me to write at a quicker pace!

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and thank you for your continued support. Once I’ve completed the first draft of this encyclopedia, the real fun will soon begin!

Until next time, be safe and take care!

W.F. Thorne

Book Update – 19/03/2019

Hello everyone! It’s time for another update on how the editing for Encyclopedia Sarcadia is coming along.

Progression has slowed down a bit more than what I had anticipated but for a good reason! In my previous update I mentioned I was going to be getting a cat. Allow me to introduce to you my Russian Blue kitten, Zoya (the Destroyer)!

She’s been doing great and has settled in very well. She’s very playful, friendly, and purrs her head off constantly. She’s taken up most of my time (seriously, it’s like raising a child) but now she’s comfortable in her new home I should be able to start writing and editing again.

Fortunately, I do have a quick update this week! I’ve started to edit the vampire section with the aim of completing this by the end of the month. Here’s a quick summary of two important vampires in Sarcadia:

Octavian – The Fallen Son

Octavian was once the favourite son of Sarcadia’s deity, Atriarch. He was unique among his brothers as he took an interest in defending the innocent Sarcadians from Tenebris’ demons. Atriarch granted Octavian permission to assist Sarcadia, a decision he would ultimately regret making.

Octavian would be killed by an avatar of Elysia, the ruler of Tenebris, then resurrected as the first vampire. Atriarch was angered by Octavian’s transformation as he believed his son shouldn’t have allowed himself to be deceived so easily. Not only did Atriarch turn his back on his once favourite son, but he ordered the execution of all his sons, judging them to be weak and just as corruptible as Octavian.

Initially the Fallen Son tried to resume his normal life but Sarcadians throughout the realm violently drove him away. Octavian bared witness to his sisters slaughtering his brothers and it was then that he finally succumbed to his supressed rage and anger.

For over 300 years Octavian unleashed his “Menagerie” of vampires on Sarcadia and they spread his terror. Octavian’s demise would come at the hands of his own vampires who disagreed with his plans to eradicate humanity from Sarcadia. His death was orchestrated by the first vampire he created, Darius Aventis.

Darius Aventis

Darius Aventis is the first human turned into a vampire by Octavian. He originally served as a Senator in Alibrium and was highly revered for his progressive views and selflessness. Darius, like most of his Senators and the general population of the country, despised their ruler – Imperatur Mavos IV.

Darius was in talks with the major houses of Alibrium to install him as Alibrium’s new ruler, but this would never come to fruition. Octavian not only turned the Senator into a vampire, but also slaughtered Darius’ entire family. Darius stayed by Octavian’s side for over 300 years, slowly plotting and scheming his master’s downfall which would occur at the end of the vampire civil war.

Darius was too familiar with the dangerous threat of vampires and the supernatural. He also knew how cruel and heartless humans could also be to themselves. Along with the other vampires who helped him kill Octavian, Darius founded “the Cardinal” with the intention of protecting humans by ruling them.

Darius is regarded as the most powerful vampire in existence today and his faction, House Aventis, controls more than half of the continent of Alibrium. In doing so, Darius has established a haven for both humans and vampires.

That’s all for now! I’m hoping to have at least one big update before I leave for my trip next week. If not, I promise to post more photos of Zoya!

Until next time, be safe and take care!

W.F. Thorne