Chapter Nineteen has been posted

Chapter Nineteen is up.

I have just $15 toward Chapter Twenty, which isn’t written yet. Been busy with other stuff.

The protagonist’s name is now Emmis, rather than Vengar; “Vengar” just wasn’t working for me.

I’ve started talking to printers about that limited first edition; it looks financially viable, though a bit more costly than I’d hoped.

I’ve sent out all the copies of The Spriggan Mirror that I had on my list; if you think you should have received a copy and it hasn’t shown up, let me know.

27 thoughts on “Chapter Nineteen has been posted

  1. I have to admit it never occurred to me that a wizard could choose what kind of stone to turn somebody into.

  2. From what I have seen, there are many varieties, but essentially only two forms of honey drops out there. One is cooked-down honey mixed with glucose/corn syrup to form a honey candy, and the other is a candy shell filled with liquid honey. I would presume that the Assassin would have accepted the latter more readily.

  3. not that my opinion is worth anything, but I
    think you are right in changing the character’s name.
    “Vengar” is reminiscient of “vengeance”, and that
    isn’t relevant to that particular character… At least, yet.

  4. I just re-read Chapter 1 and was surprised to see how much difference the name does make.

    The image I have of the protagonist has changed from that of a somewhat savvy ruffian/outcast/loner dockworker to that of a sly, canny bravo not afraid of a little physical labor when times are tough. In my mind’s eye, he has lost approximately 20 pounds or so, about half of which was muscle, wears cleaner clothing, and is is far less urgent need of a haircut or shave.

    Hard to believe something as insignificant as a name would alter my conception that radically, but I suppose that’s why Lawrence made the change in the first place.

  5. I’d guess that Ethsharic honey drops are solid candy, liquid filled candy shells are hard enough to produce without modern tech or the equivelent in magic that it’s unlikely a guardsman would have liquid filled ones. Then there’s the breakage chance….

    If you can make them with cooked down honey + sugar (either corn syrup or glucose) then you can presumably make them with just cooked down honey. Honey is mostly sugar water anyway after all, I’d guess the use of corn syrup is just the confectioner saving money by substituting a cheaper ingredent rather than using pure honey.

  6. I’m curious what effect a certain first-order spell would have on Fendel’s Assassin. It would seem to depend on what kind of creature the assassin is—he might disappear instantly upon entering the no-magic zone; his compulsion might disappear when entering the zone, and reappear when leaving; or, just possibly, the compulsion might remain, but if carried out within the zone, the part of the wizardry that sends it back where it came from might not work, leaving the assassin permanently in Ethshar, and no longer bound by a geas in any way. That could be interesting.

  7. Re: Steven
    If nothing else, it will show whether the assassin is created by the spell or just borrowed from someplace.

    But I doubt we’ll see it tested in this book, since Tobas is still in Dwomer and The Spell of the Black Dagger won’t happen for another 3 years.

  8. You won’t see it tested in this book.

    By the way, my apologies to those of you whose posts were delayed; I’ve recently tightened the moderation rules, as the spam was getting bad.

    Interesting that you thought Emmis lost weight, RM; if anything, I’d have thought he was a bit more heavily built than Vengar. Definitely less scruffy, though.

  9. Very interesting chapter. I enjoy reading about the powerful wizards in Ethshar. However, I’m puzzled how Vengar/Emmis, a simple dock worker, would know that honey is an ingredient in one or more spells. Strangely, it seems that by just changing the characters name the envisioned personality is also changed.

  10. I thought I’d made it clear that Emmis was in the habit of chatting with the magicians hired to protect ships, and also asking what was in the cargoes and why, so he’s picked up lots of odd little facts like honey being used in spells.

    I’ll need to emphasize that more in the final draft, I guess.

  11. I’m curious what effect a certain first-order spell would have on Fendel’s Assassin.

    The rule is that links are not broken by entering the area. There was a comment that the spinning coin spell would continue to work if the ‘target’ entered the area. However, the link could not have been setup by a wizard who was in the area or (presumably if the target was there).

    Spriggans had no problem operating in the dead area and they are also magically created creatures. What was important was where the mirror was. If that was in the area then they had issues. Hmm, was it ever said if they could heal when in the area even when the mirror was there ?

    or, just possibly, the compulsion might remain,

    I think this is correct as the link from assassin to target would be unaffected.

    but if carried out within the zone, the part of the wizardry that sends it back where it came from might not work

    No idea :). Does the sending back count as an extra magical ‘burst’ or does the whole thing count as happening when the spell is cast.

    Alternatively, maybe the magic holds the assassin in the world and just has to be released and the assassin goes back.

  12. about honey drops. the reason corn syrup/glucose is used in making candy is that it is an invert sugar . As honey contains a naturally invert sugar (accounting for its runniness) none has to be added .

  13. Well Vengar isn’t great, but I can’t say a name that’s going to be pronounced MS is such an improvement. Especially not when a god named for a computer company is already making an appearance.

  14. The petty nature of the guildmaster bothers me. Ildirin said that the government was picking up the tab, yet she is being a jerk about giving out a small amount of honey. Why act petty in front of a senior member of the government? Doesn’t even matter if she is giving it to someone other than Ildirin. Makes no sense.

  15. Wow!
    I am officially up to date. Lawrence, my thanks for not sending me any emails letting me know that the new serial had started. It was much better for me, reading it in large chunks. _The Misenchanted Sword_ is still my favorite, but I am blown away by how much I like Ethshar. I’m not sure what it is exactly, but the variety of magics and consistency in the world are definitely a part. I suppose some small credit goes to the author…. 😉

  16. Oh yes, you’re right.

    On a side note, the cover that didn’t get used for The Spriggan Mirror, the one with two Spriggans, tree frogs photoshopped with teeth?

    That is the funniest thing I have seen in…a lifetime. You have to imagine that you have no idea what this book is about, no knowledge of the Ethshar series at all.

    You see the picture and text:”Gresh had a reputation for finding anything his clients needed, but this time there were a few little…obstacles.”

    Someone needs these magic frogs with teeth? Am I the only one who thinks the Spriggan holding the mirror is a bit effeminate? Do the frogs hire Gresh? *Is* Gresh one of the frogs? Is everyone in the story a frog with teeth in the tradition of Watership Down and horrifying young children? Is Richard Gere involved?

    The ambiguity combined with the amazing, yet disturbing, images makes for hilarity and, possibly, nightmares.

  17. Allen,

    I like the cover image as well, but that’s because I made it. 😉

    I did it a while back shortly after the Spriggan Mirror was in progress. It came together relatively quickly, just as something I wanted to send to Lawrence as fan art. I have since redone it hi-res and changed some things just as a personal project. Still can’t get the big spriggan ears to work in that composition. Nor could I decide on whether they should be more like bat ears or deer ears, or even Chihuahua ears. There are so many different types of ears, yet none seemed to work with the frog look. Oh well. It was probably too simplified for a Fantasy cover. I would have loved to have included the flying carpet and dragon aspects as well. But I guess I need more free time.

    And Lawrence…great job on this book so far. I even love the name change. Emmis…hmmm, sounds a lok like Innis. That’s a good name too. 🙂

  18. >> I like the cover image as well, but that’s because I made it. >>

    It’s a great cover. I wish Wildside had used it.

    kdb

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