Fernwall’s Great War
The Great War dramatically changed almost everything and everyone on Menelon. That is no secret, and Fernwall's Great War was no different. What is not generally known is what those changes were, and how they affected each culture. The war spanned three…
Middle Class Life in Fernwall, Part III — The Accident
Police Inspector Barbara Cole first appears in Raven's Tears and her story continues throughout the Raven & the Iris Series. In this series of shorts, which we're titiling "middle class life in Fernwall", we go back in time to Barbara's preparations…
Fantasy Sailing Ships: The IMMC Golden Dawn
Fantasy sailing ships are the front line war machine of The Great War. In the fantasy and fiction world, there are several definitions of the "schooner," but in the 18th century, a schooner was defined as a two-masted, fore and aft gaff-rigged vessel.…
Middle Class Life in Fernwall, Part II — Of Deals & Uniforms
Police Inspector Barbara Cole first appears in Raven's Tears and her story continues throughout the Raven & the Iris Series. In this series of shorts we go back in time to Barbara's preparations to become a police detective, and take a peek at what…
North Across the Caspian
This photo might have been taken from a riverboat traveling north across the Caspian River. The picture looks north to the hills that separate the Caspian Valley from the highlands of Nothern Cascadia. On the left hand side, where the meadow meets the…
The Price of Everything
One of the things that used to drive me crazy was finding, or figuring out, believable prices for stuff. If you're a scifi/fantasy author, gamer, or game designer, you can probably sympathize. Whether it's the price of everything, or the prince of…
The Back Alleys of Old Castle
If you've looked at our map of Fernwall, you'll see that at the far south end of the city are the back alleys of Old Castle, which are in the district of Old Castle. It was once the proud City of Fernwall. In those days, Merchants Island was was still a…
That Dreadful Back Street
In every city, it seems there is that dreadful backstreet. That's true of Western Angels, in the City of Fernwall, we well. It's well known for its old, narrow, winding streets and back alleys as, it is for the ubiquitous "brownstone" for which the city…
From the Walls of the Mighty Fortress
You know, I don't even remember where I took this photo; but it may as well be from from the walls of the mighty fortress of Par-Isen, which many Guardian Paladins came to call "The Fortress" during the Great War. Located at the southern end of the…
The Archmage of Brechtmal
Here's another fantasy fiction short: In this little piece we meet the evil Archmage of Brechtmal, one of the powerful leaders of the Confederation in The Great War. The orc to her left hit her in the back with his pole axe, dropping her to her knees…