A Renewed Hope

My ambitions to have a family has been fruitless.

I have brought back several women throughout Sarcadia, but none can bear me a child.

The Caelestials repeatedly tell me: “These ones are not worthy enough to breed with”.

Their words are cruel but the Caelestials speak only truth.

Perhaps I am to blame, but I know conception of a Sarcadian and Caelestial is possible.

The beings of the Realm of Light speak only truths.

They would not dare lie to their Supreme Lord.

I wed my wives out of necessity, not for love.

Is this why I am unable to sire children?

Perhaps there exists beings even more superior than I who manipulate the fate of all that is.

Perhaps they know what I want, but they deny me for I do not truly love those I have taken as brides.

Do they know I only desire the wombs of my wives, not their hearts?

I have tried to convince myself such powerful entities cannot be real, yet I am evidence of the impossible.

I do desire a family, I truly do, but perhaps love is the key to a successful conception.

I thought I could not love again, not after losing my dear Leesha.

But my hope has been renewed for I have found a new love.

Three days ago, my search brought me to the white-sanded shores of Alibrium.

And there she was.

She wore a white and gold toga with a thin, orange rope tied around her waist.

A bright orange shawl was draped over her right shoulder.

Her skin was as white as the snows of Vorumorsk.

The calm sea breeze brushed her long, wavy chestnut hair.

Her light-hazel eyes were so mesmerising they could sooth the most rabid dire wolf.

She stood barefoot in the sand as small waves lapped gently across her toes.

The sensation made her smile, which caused my heart to flutter.

A feeling I had not felt since I was but a boy whose eyes first fell upon the Shirati Warlord’s daughter.

I watched her from afar for what felt like an hour before I approached her.

She turned around and froze like a statue.

Her mouth was opened wide as if she wanted to speak yet could not find the words.

I noticed the six interlinked rings she wore around her neck.

I greeted her, the words arousing her from her temporary stupor.

She said she was humbled to be in my presence, but it was I who was humbled to be in hers.

I asked her what she was doing on the beach.

She told me she regarded this place as her personal sanctuary.

A place where she could be by herself so she could be herself.

I apologised for interrupting her, but she refused to accept it.

She said she would come here to think of how she could better serve me.

She believed my arrival was proof I had heard her prayers.

We spoke for hours.

My heart played tricks on my mind. I am convinced I could taste honey whenever my ears absorbed her words.

All I wanted her to do was talk and tell me all about herself.

She revealed to me her past, her present and her aspirations for the future.

I was so captivated by her that I realised I had forgotten to ask her the most important question.

I asked for her name.

She indulged me.

“Elysia”.

A name that has renewed my hopes of becoming whole.

Elysia.

A name that bewitches me whenever I heard it.

Elysia.

A name I shan’t forget.

— “The Atriarch Monologues: A Renewed Hope”, Bruce Boward, 214 AO

The Supreme Loneliness

I have united the twelve tribes of Un’Kabaal.

I have liberated Tarana from its tyrannical emperor.

I have cured Stagnum from Draconian toxicity.

I have defeated the united forces of the Alibrii Houses.

I have vanquished the Ogre King who ruled Dektundra.

I have slain the one who believed himself to be the true Supreme Lord.

The Sarcadians, who once revered me as their ruler, now worship me as their God.

The Caelestials, who once thought me a worthless mortal, now respect me as their superior.

I am Sarcadia.

I am Caelum.

I am the All-Father.

I am…

I am alone.

I sit upon a golden throne in the middle of a golden room within my golden palace and I cannot help but wonder: “Is this it?”

When I removed Vratralarion’s head from his body, I felt a joy I had not experienced for many years.

You may think I relished in the death of my enemy, but you are mistaken.

The joy I speak of was the notion of being reunited with those I loved.

My father.

My mother.

My sisters.

And Leesha, my love.

To be reunited with you and our children. You who were all cruelly robbed from me, before we could be a family.

Oh, how I miss her.

Oh, how I miss all of them.

Spending an eternity with my family filled me with a happiness I long desired to feel again.

But the bliss was stolen and replaced by a sorrow I long to rid myself of.

My beloved isn’t here, nor my family, friends, and those who died by my side.

They never were here.

They never will be here.

They are gone.

Forever.

“There is no afterlife for a Sarcadian. Once they die, there is nothing.”

The Caelestials were so cold to me, but to them it simply was reality.

Loneliness – that is my reality.

I have sat here by myself for years thinking about what is next.

I have conquered two realms, yet I am unsatisfied.

I could subjugate more realms, but what joy would that bring?

Winnings wars without a purpose is nothing but a distraction.

Who will celebrate my victories with me?

The Caelestials, who adorn me with praise out of fear?

The Sarcadians, who pay tribute to me with the expectation of ascending to a life of immortality?

If only I could celebrate my conquest of Sarcadia and Caelum with the ones who I long to see again.

My sisters. My mother.

My father. My wife.

My children…

Children… Yes. Of course.

I have been so focused on my ambition to unify Sarcadia I forgot I desired a family.

What is an All-Father without children to call his own?

I recall seeing my old friend Shintaro relishing the presence of his grandchildren.

I remember the proud smile he bore whenever he spoke of his children during our war against the tyrant Uro Ido.

A family.

That is what I need to be whole again.

I have nothing left to conquer.

I accept that I shall never see those who have gone before me again, but I must not allow my sorrow for them to keep me in darkness forever.

They would want me to do what will make me happy.

They would never want me to waste away over what could have been.

They shall always have a place in my heart.

It is time to rid myself from this loneliness that plagues me.

It is time for me to become the father I have longed desired to be.

— “The Atriarch Monologues: The Supreme Loneliness”, Bruce Boward, 214 AO

An Introduction to the Eternal Monologues

The Eternal Monologues are a collection of shorts written by Bruce Boward, a famousHart musician, poet, and writer. The Eternal Monologues focus on Sarcadia’s “Eternal Trinity” who are:

• Atriarch, the All-Father
• Elysia, the Dark Mother
• Octavian, the Fallen Son.

Bruce Boward had travelled throughout Hartland entertaining crowds with his music and poetry. In 214 AO, at only the age of eighteen, Bruce Boward began performing the “Atriarch Monologues” which focused on key events or moments experienced by the All-Father following his ascension to Caelum.

Bruce’s work was well received and heavily praised by the Atri-Supremus Church for his depiction of Atriarch. Bruce decided to print his work, which saw him earn a small fortune. He was invited to read his work in churches and in major cities throughout Sarcadia.

Inspired by the positive feedback and from the enjoyment he was spreading, Bruce began working on his next series of monologues. On 216 AO, the “Elysia Monologues” were performed and published throughout Sarcadia. Bruce saw his pockets lined healthy with coin from the high volume of immediate sales, but the reception was mixed.

The Atri-Supremus Church immediately destroyed the copies they purchased and accused Bruce of portraying Elysia as a sympathetic figure. Many people still enjoyed Bruce’s work and praised him for being bold. Bruce accepted criticism from everyone and explained everyone’s story needed to be heard, just as much as everyone’s opinion needed to be heard.

Bruce continued to travel throughout Sarcadia though he was banned from performing in any of the Atri-Supremus Church buildings. The famous writer would begin work towards the end of 217 AO on his third and final set of monologues. Everyone, including the Atri-Supremus Church, was eager to see who the focus would be.

The “Octavian Monologues” were released in 218 AO to widespread outrage. Many people believed Bruce has romanticised vampires, which were becoming an increasing threat against Sarcadians. Bruce attempted to defend himself again using the same reasoning behind the Elysia Monologues, but his work was officially deemed to be blasphemous by the Atri-Supremus Church.

Despite the negative backlash, Bruce managed to avoid any wrathful punishment from the Atri-Supremus Church. The money he made from the series was enough to last him until the end of his days. The Eternal Monologues are now extremely rare and highly valuable as a result of people destroying their copies by order of the church.

Atriarch Monologues

1. The Supreme Loneliness
2. A Renewed Hope
3. First Born Dead
4. Birth of Happiness
5. Sarcadia Cleansed
6. A Father’s Happiness
7. Another Son Lost

Elysia Monologues

1. The Supreme Conception
2. A Blasphemous Whore
3. Chatting with the Chatterer
4. All Hail the Dark Mother
5. The Supreme Weakness
6. A Curse Conjured
7. Another Stolen Son

Octavian Monologues

1. Just Like Father
2. Battle of Former Lovers
3. A Wounded World
4. Sarcadia Beckons
5. The Wounded Maiden
6. A Bloody Consummation
7. The Fall of the Son

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

The Fall of the Son

Has it come to this, father?

You despise me so much you turn your daughters against your sons.

My sisters hunt them down like animals.

It is I you detest, not my brothers.

What have they done to incur your wrath?

Nothing.

Do you believe slaughtering your sons is enough to erase memory of me?

What have I done to deserve your hate?

Nothing.

I am befallen by a curse, yet you offer me no cure.

Neither remorse nor sorrow for the son stolen from his father.

Instead.

You forsake me to the darkness.

But this does not satisfy you.

You tell Sarcadia to fear me.

You denounce me a monster.

The newly crowned champion of Elysia.

They know not of the treachery which fell upon me.

These people shun me for the lies you weave.

I desire to help, yet they flee.

They cower at the mere mention of my name.

My exile continues because of you, father.

Do you think I will allow myself to be forgotten so easily?

I will never be forgotten, for no longer shall I be forsaken.

You envision me a monster?

Then a monster I shall become.

Rivers of blood shall be on your hands.

I will eviscerate every man, woman, and child and consume them indiscriminately.

But it will not only be your son who terrorises the innocent.

Your grandchildren, born from the same shadows as their father, shall be by my side.

Amongst the chaos, the people shall look to Caelum above and beg you to save them.

But their pleas and tears will earn them no salvation.

You will abandon them just as I was.

Then they will be forsaken, just as I am.

I promise you, my father, once I have consumed this world I will bring darkness to the Realm of Light.

I will kill my sisters just as they executed my brothers.

And then, you will finally see me for what I have become.

For what you made me.

The son you once loved.

The son who fell.

In your ignorance you shall ask: “What have I done to incur your wrath?”

And I will reply: “Everything”.

— “The Fall of the Son”, Bruce Boward, 218 AO

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