#FantasyFiction

Raven & Quill #6, vol. 2

The Meteor Crater and the Music of the Void:

Conflicting Calendars, Thermodynamic Magic, & Chapter 9

Fellow Worldsmiths,

How often do we let magic be "hand-wavy," or gloss over the logistical nightmare of how different cultures actually measure time?

In Raven & Quill Issue 6, I dive deep into the mechanics of Aithyris to address both of these issues, and I wanted to share some of that forge-labor with this community.

The Clocks of the Five Seas

If you've ever looked at the historical mess of the Julian and Gregorian calendars and thought, "I should do that to my characters," you'll understand "The Lag".

The ancient Shandaryn calendar of my setting uses a perfect 351-day solar year. But humanity couldn't leave the math alone. The trade-focused Therysians anchored their New Year to the Spring Equinox , while the traditional Vesprians anchored theirs to the Winter Solstice. The result? A predictable annual overlap where one nation is technically a full year behind the other for three months and a week. You can read the full mechanical breakdown in Calendars & Timekeeping.

The Somatic Economy & Thermodynamic Magic

I also touch on the physics of the "Shadow". Instead of treating darkness as just "bad lighting," I built it as an active endothermic vacuum. Because the medium of the Shadow is acoustically dead , moving a living soul through it creates intense "Friction of Identity". Magic isn't free; it's a zero-sum thermodynamic exchange.

The issue also features a personal journal entry about a recent lecture I attended, a fumbled question about entropy, and why the physical "connectedness" of the universe matters so much to the themes of my story.

If you enjoy deep-dive worldbuilding, strict causality models, and the emotional toll of the craft, you can read the full issue of

The Meteor Crater and the Music of the Void (and Chapter 9 )

I'd love to hear how you handle conflicting timekeeping or strict magical limits in your own worlds!

Shine Bright!

— VS

#Worldbuilding #FantasyFiction #MagicSystems #Lore #WritingCommunity #Aithyris #AmWritingFantasy

Hey all,

I've published four new episodes of my #SerialFiction tonight. These were previously on early-access to Patreon supporters.

You can jump back in from XXII They Are Not Alone.

Not Started Yet?

FYI, this story begins at Fallen Down of Nectar Glen followed by Prelude: The Landing.

New Episode for Patreon Supporters

If you're on my Patreon, you also have a new Episode and another is in the works.

Thank you, and Enjoy!

FJB

PS: I'm not sure how to check which hashtags work or are worth using here, so I'll just add a few.

#SerialStory #Fiction #FantasyFiction #Serial #Fantasy

New Chapter 18 of The Cleansing.

Having had medical aid, Kanda-Nor is refreshed and ready for research. Having slept in a chair in the medical wing, Vazkyr... is not.

But a stressful 23 hours gives way at last. If only they could figure out how to say goodbye.

Working on Drawings

I've also started to do a bit more sketching to add to my writing (hence the cover). My hand sketches always seems to look worse after a camera has had its say, but I know I'm no famous illustrator either!

Thanks all,

FJB

#AmWriting #Fantasy #Fiction #FantasyFiction #SerialFiction

My task to convert chapters of The Cleansing to Manuscript format is continuing. Tonight I've published Chapters 5 and 6.

In one chapter a delivery brings a sign of hope. In the next chapter, a totally different delivery threatens despair.

Start at Chapter 5 →

It's not Prose vs Manuscript

Manuscript and Article is not an either/or. I am leaving the Prose Series as it is, but using manuscripts to let you read whichever way is the most comfortable for you.

Drawings

I am still doing sketches for this story, but writing has to come first.

Thanks for your support, even if that's just silently reading what I write.

Take care,

FJB

#fiction #manuscript #fantasy #fantasyfiction #serialfiction

Why can't we help wild animals understand words? [Azachet] wondered in annoyance, then again, many people refuse to understand words despite being able.

Naja unwittingly invites the attention of the one creature she laughed about cooking. Azachet and Shenzàn must defend the party, while not taking life when it is avoidable.

#fiction #fantasy #FantasyFiction