Been working a lot lately on Miomir background world stuff and actual writing!

So, have some current stats for fun:

War of Orders: Not officially updated/worked on since 2012—Chapters three and four are in reworking status; 20869 words total so far.

The Stormwheel: Currently updated and worked on—Chapter three in progress and chapter from another part of the book (formerly known as the floating excerpt “Winter’s Heart”) also in progress at the same time; 22854 words total so far.

War of Orders, as I have probably mentioned in the past, is proving to be quite difficult to sit down and write out. I know all the major events that happen throughout the entire book, but pacing is a problem. POVs are a problem. But it will get there. There are a lot of characters and literal ground in the book to cover, and I have to remember I’m not GRRM, able to handle two dozen POVs smoothly through the course of one novel. I will be striving to find a happy medium between so many people and places and things to cover and a fluid story and style, but perhaps might work through the main series first.

The Stormwheel is somewhat opposite in problems to War, as I’m finding the pacing and POVs quite natural for it, but haven’t completely hammered out all of the background motivations entirely or the over-arcing plot for the entire main series as of yet. This is much more of a “traditional” travelling companion group, and so is on more familiar ground for me, and thus the actual writing is going well. I just get distracted doing world-building and background work a lot.

None of which I am sorry for.

Please feel free to ask any questions, send messages, or what-have-you. I know very, very few of you follow this blog for the actual story and writing updates, and I know I can’t reveal too much on here of the actual stories or plots or even much of the origins of things… but I really, really appreciate all of you who enjoy this. It really doers mean a lot to me, as a writer who is absolutely in love with the world I am creating. This is years away at this point (hopefully not TOO many), but once I reach the publication page, if any (or all) of you are still around, please please PLEASE send me a message, and I will personally ship you a signed copy of whichever book comes out first. And probably all subsequent books. I will get there one day, I promise.

And a question for the reply function—?

dagnysystem replied to your post: dagnysystem replied to your post: Most of these…

I think I get it now. Squire Knight Wing Commander/Flightmaster Arcman Sword/Dragon Knight Master Interesting how there are two separate branches. Are Flightmasters more likely to become Dragons after Arcman and Wing Commander become Swords?

Yes, though many Flightmasters decide to stay in that position their entire lives, an accept an honorary position of Arcman while still doing their Flightmaster duties. All the Orders have knights who spend/devote their lives as knights to caring for the dragons of their respective Orders, though the Tamherynaedh, I believe, is the only Order who has a specific rank within the knight hierarchy for those duties.

Any Arcman who shows a strong affinity for the dragons and such can be submitted as a nominee for the Dragon. As with the Knightmaster, the Sword and the Dragon are positions filled until death, usually (there have only been a small handful of Knightmasters removed from the position), and also given through submission or request pending approval of a panel of peer senior knights and the Knightmaster.

dagnysystem replied to your post: Most of these were posted separately, but it’s…

Great stuff. I assume the Tamherynaedh order goes in rank from top to bottom left to right?

More or less, yeah. All squires become knights before anything else, but the Flightmaster rank is a slightly separate path than the Wing Commander, though they are both the same rank level. The Flightmaster’s main duties have more to do with the dragons of the Order—their care and training and finding the right knight to bond with the right dragon. After Wing Commander comes Arcman; there are five levels of that (Fifth being the lowest level, First being the highest). Wing Commanders and Flightmasters both can become Arcmen.

The Sword and the Dragon are both the same rank, but with different duties. I haven’t completely hammered out the specifics of each, but the Sword works more with knights, and the Dragon more with the dragons. They’re supposed to work together, as knights and their dragons work together, but oftentimes the Sword and the Dragon are at odds with one another.

And, obviously, the Knightmaster is the highest rank, a position that is decided upon by submission and approval of a panel of peers.

I absolutely love the basic designs for the Tamherynaedh ranks’ insignias. I enjoy imagining them embossed into leather.

Winter’s Heart (an excerpt deux)

part one

part two

“Irylen’s teeth,” she swore, fingers automatically curling around an arrow protruding from the quiver at her hip, though her bow was still unstrung.

“How many?” Roe asked, alert with his hands already on his axes. His warhammer, which he preferred to use, rested wrapped and slung across his back, protected from the ice and elements as they traveled. On the road, for speed and efficiency in killing, Roe knew he needed the axes more than his hammer, and so always kept them sharp and ready at his sides.

Before Mirana could respond, Ceilan pointed to a boulder, roughly hewn by the winds of the ages, dropped down from the mountain peaks to rest overlooking the lower passes. “There. Should give a view.”

With a nod, Mirana was already in motion, climbing carefully up to the top of the boulder in sure movements. Both Roe and Ceilan waited below her, peering up, their restless fingers around the hilts of their weapons.

“More than three dozen,” Mirana informed them, sliding down the back of the boulder once she had seen enough.

“What are that many doing together on the move?” Roe wondered.

“Something to ponder upon later,” Ceilan grated. “We cannot fight that many. What way were they headed?”

The archer shot him a grave look. “Up the passes.”

Ceilan swore and propelled into motion, swift despite the armour he wore. “We have to find cover,” he told them as they followed him into a jog.

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Winter’s Heart (an excerpt)

So, this was supposed to be the Miomir Holiday Special that completely and utterly ran away from me (because Ceilan can’t do nice, evidently), and it’s not done yet, but here’s part one anyway. Also, this may or may not be part of the bigger Stormwheel novel….

part one

They were well into the mountains before the deep of winter was upon them. Mirana had tracked some of those crags in her travels, but they were starting to go further north than she had ever been. Glancing back at Roe, she found his face as ever amicable and serene, unconcerned as they wound their way through the rugged mountain paths. He never seemed concerned that they were going the wrong direction, Mirana mused. She supposed so long as they were going north, they couldn’t really be going in the wrong direction, anyway. It hadn’t been long that they were on this stretch of passage that Ceilan took the lead from her.

“Have you been here before, then?” she asked him as they walked up an incline, tugging the fur lining of her cloak more snugly around her cheeks. He shrugged, cloak whipping back from his body as a snap of wind assailed them. Behind her, Mirana heard Roe make a low noise against the cold.

“Possibly. Many mountains look the same after a while. There are… some landmarks I recognise. Others, I don’t.” He was unusually mellow in tone, despite the unfavourable weather. Usually he barely said a word when the cold was this biting, and Mirana suspected it had much to do with the long scar on his back. Still, she had expected him to be even more cross with ther than usual after skirting around Ceifel Lake like they did, but he had simply ignored her much of the time since then. She decided to take advantage of his version of companionable while she could.

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