Bonus Blog: Fanart! Supplements! Sample! · 9:16am Dec 14th, 2014
So...it's probably past due that I did a blog specifically for the purpose of informing my readers about the latest progress I've made on the next story in the Savage Skies series...which I haven't decided on a title for. It is progressing at an appreciable clip, though there have been some delays, partly in thanks to the month-long (at least) hellscape that is the Christmas Season for us retail workers, which was bad enough when we were just understaffed. But now, not only are we understaffed, but our managers, in their infinite wisdom, probably at the behest of our corporate overlords, in their infinite wisdom (I don't have the clearest idea at which level of the company the decision is made, but it's clear that whoever is behind this is both a moron and an asshole), we are understaffed and running on extended hours, which is stretching our already low manpower even thinner. But hey, at least I don't work at Kohls! I've heard they're keeping their stores open continuously for the three days leading up to Christmas. With my luck, the people I work for will probably think that's a brilliant idea and copy it in the near future. Oh joy...
Other delays have at least been born of something less soul-crushing than my working experience at the moment. Following the recommendations of some of my readers, I endeavored to begin reading Assassination Classroom, which I found to be brilliant and awesome and ended up going on a total reading binge until I'd caught up with the current releases. In terms of other new reading material, I've also begun to wade my way through the first volume Anthony C. Yu's exhaustingly thorough, unabridged, and fully-annotated translation of the Chinese classic, Journey to the West, which I'm sure some of my fellow anime and manga fans will recognize as the inspiration for series like Dragonball and Saiyuki. It's actually an entertaining story, for all that it's an incredibly dense read, though I'm inclined to think that the author was more than a little loopy. I plan on doing a blog about that later. Some of that stuff is just plain crazy.
Now...onto the first of the three main purposes of this blog...For my first big announcement...I HAVE FANART!
The artist who submitted these pieces to me wishes to remain anonymous for the time being, though I can't thank him/her enough for the work. To start things off, we have the first ever submitted illustration of Dawn Lightwing:
Coming up next, we have Arcana Lulamoon looking absolutely fabulous in his Winter Gala ensemble:
I'm not exactly sure what it says about my writing that the cross-dressing stallion is the thing that gets my readers' artistic juices flowing, but...Oh who cares! I have fanart! Squee!
In celebration of the above, I'm inclined to post another segment of supplementals to my series, expounding on some factors of the setting that may or may not find their way into the actual narrative of my stories. First off...
Cloud Architecture:
Pegasus buildings have a lot of advantages over conventional architecture. Being airborne and made of clouds, they are inherently more mobile than any earthbound structure, easily allowing for their relocation. Furthermore, they are considerably more malleable, easily allowing their owners to modify their designs on the fly, often to suit the owner's whims (which is my theory behind the different forms Rainbow's house goes through over the course of the series). As long as there is available moisture, a sufficiently skilled pegasus can theoretically assemble a cloud house or structure at will wherever they please.
Cloud architecture has its disadvantages as well. Because they are composed of...well...clouds...Cloud houses and other such buildings are much more susceptible to rough weather than a sufficiently sturdy earth pony or unicorn dwelling. This is largely dependent on the size and design of the cloud structure in question and can be fairly easily trumped by the structure's mobility, as the owner can simply move the building out of the way of dangerous weather patterns so long as they have enough warning. On the other hoof, a cloud house can be assembled so long as there is sufficient moisture...which probably helps to explain why the desert kingdom of Saddle Arabia is not exactly teaming with pegasus cities. In an environment lacking available moisture or an environment where moisture will quickly be sapped away, any attempt at cloud construction is ultimately doomed to failure.
Further challenges are encountered when attempting to support terrestrial substances and objects in a cloud dwelling, this includes mundanities like food. Skysteel is one option, which is steel made from using pegasus magic to infuse clouds into the metal during the forging process. The resulting metal, while having all the qualities of regular steel, also has the quality of being able to rest on cloud surfaces. However, because it's creation is quite labor-intensive, skysteel is expensive and being able to afford enough to hold up large quantities of terrestrial furniture is considered a sign of wealth. For pegasi on a more conservative budget, the alternative is solid-state clouds.
Solid-state clouds are heavily compressed cloud structures, usually in the form of tables, counters, and other supporting surfaces. The clouds composing such objects are compressed to the point that the sheer concentration of moisture would normally trigger precipitation, but are charged with pegasus magic during the process, rendering them solid enough to support terrestrial objects. Solid-state clouds are the default for most pegasi when it comes to housing terrestrial objects in their homes because any sufficiently skilled pegasus can make such clouds fairly easily. The primary downside of such clouds is that they need to be periodically recharged with pegasus magic or they lose their solidity and simply start precipitating. The more solid-state surfaces a pegasus has in her home, the more she has to keep track of and the easier it is to lose track of what surfaces need to be recharged, which can lead to a cherished possession dropping out if the owner isn't attentive or careful. Because of this, adapting to life in a cloud house can be trying for pegasi who've been raised on the ground.
Building clouds come in three basic varieties:
Stratus:
Stratus clouds form the backbone of any pegasus structure. Flat, sheetlike clouds, they are hardened with pegasus magic into solid, impermeable barriers that are used to form the core of walls, floors, and ceilings. They are also used to create the framework of furniture, like chairs and beds. Though solid to pegasi, stratus clouds are just as intangible as any other cloud to ponies from the other tribes (unless they have a cloudwalking spell).
Cumulus:
Cumulus clouds are essential in cloud construction. Puffy and soft, cumulus clouds are used for cushions and mattresses. However, they also serve a much more important function. While the architectural core of any cloud is formed by stratus clouds, the inner and outer surface of any cloud construct is almost always coated by a layer of cumulus clouds to serve as padding, which serves as a critical safety feature in pegasus dwellings and cities, where crashes, often at high velocities, are practically an inevitability at some point. The degree of thickness and the softness of the padding varies depending on the surfaces being coated. The sides of buildings are considerably more heavily padded than the avenues between them, thinner padding allowing a walking pegasus to get a good kickoff if they decide to take to the air. Ponies skilled at manipulating pegasus magic can generate compression effect on contact that allows them to use cumulus clouds as a springboard of sorts.
Cirrus:
Soft, feathery, and fragile, cirrus clouds play little to no structural role in pegasus architecture. Rather, their nature is almost purely decorative. The same pegasus magic that renders other clouds into pliable, yet ultimately solid, building materials tends to give cirrus clouds the qualities of fibers and textiles. Skilled pegasi wave cirrus clouds together to form the cloud equivalent of fabric, which is used as curtains or carpeting in most cloud houses. Because of their fragile nature while being worked, cirrus clouds must be handled carefully and precisely. Skilled cirrus weavers are celebrated artisans, on par with master cloud sculptors. The finer the weave, the more expensive the cirrus construct is. Thus, just like skysteel-supported furniture, finely-woven cirrus rugs and carpets are a symbol of the status and wealth of the owner.
That was my primary supplemental for this entry. I'll have more later, of course, but this is the one I really wanted to get into now, simply because it had been one that I'd been putting a lot of thought into lately.
And now...for your viewing pleasure, I am pleased to present a sample from the next story in the Savage Skies series, if only to show everyone that I have been working on it and not just been sitting around on my duff doing nothing for the past month.
"Oooh! I'm not sure about this," moaned Twilight Sparkle as she paced back and forth frantically along the platform.
"Um...not to be a jerk, but I'd like to point out that you're the one who made me send the letter," said Spike, looking none too pleased with Twilight's antics, "If you weren't sure about it, you shouldn't have accepted his offer."
"I know!" snapped Twilight, "But I can't help but wonder what angle he's working. What the hay is he after? What does he gain by coming to talk to me in Ponyville?"
"There's only one way to find out," replied Spike. He watched Twilight trot back and forth for a few more minutes before raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't want me to get Arkenstone?"
"No!" shouted Twilight, freezing in place before whirling around to face Spike directly, "I already told Arky I could handle this. None of my training will be worth anything if he has to look over my shoulder all the time."
Spike snorted, sending twin emerald streams of flame spurting out his nostrils. As always, it was frustrating to watch Twilight worry herself into a fit every time something like this happened. But there was little that he could do to stop it...short of dumping a bucket of water on her head, which, given that it was in the dead of winter, wouldn't be much appreciated and would probably do more harm than good.
At least it was easier to get Twilight's attention now that he was at eye-level with her when he reared up on his hind legs. Spike's purple-scaled body had been growing all throughout the winter, his back, tail, and neck elongating a little more with each passing week. His face was quickly losing the chubby baby fat that had defined its shape for years and was slowly stretching outwards, now looking slightly more angular, with his snout morphing into something of a beak-like shape. His new wings, which had grown out of his back over the summer, were a fair bit larger now, actually stretching out past his shoulders. Though they were still too small to carry the young dragon in flight, their growth was the best marker of how much Spike had grown over the past few months.
Twilight...was still Twilight, of course. She hadn't changed all that much over the months, in looks or personality. Not even getting herself a coltfriend had done much to tone down the perpetual worrier part of her personality and she would agonize constantly over the most banal trivialities imaginable. Not to mention that Spike still didn't trust her by herself in the kitchen very much.
A whistle in the distance made Twilight freeze yet again, her head whipping around to follow the tracks that led up to the city of Canterlot. A plume of smoke in the near distance heralded the approaching train. "He's almost here!" Twilight squeaked, quivering, "Am I ready? Of course I am! I've reviewed everything five times-"
"Ten times," corrected Spike.
"Ten times. I've got this! I can do this! How do I look?"
Spike raised an eyebrow. "Like you're gonna blow a gasket if you don't calm down. I know you're worried about what this guy can do, but isn't showing so much anxiety the worst thing to do around a member of the Noble Court."
Twilight groaned. "Of course, you're right." Raising a hoof to her chest, Twilight took a deep breath, before slowly letting it out. As she did, the tension began to flow out of her body and she began to relax a little. Spike couldn't help but smirk at the sight of it. That calming technique Cadance showed her is practically a miracle worker.
A few minutes later, the Ponyville train platform began to vibrate as the train drew closer, accompanied by the squealing of brakes as they worked to slow the behemoth vehicle down. Gradually, it came to a shuddering halt next to the platform.
Spike used a hand to back Twilight up a little so that the ponies on the train would have room to disembark once the doors opened. The crowd that emerged from the cars was light. Now that Hearth's Warming was over, there weren't as many ponies with a reason to travel and even fewer who had legitimate reason to visit Ponyville. It wasn't like the village was a major tourist destination or anything.
However, Twilight and Spike's attention wasn't on the regular cars. Rather, they gravitated towards the car that had been coupled between the rest of the passenger cars and the caboose. It was one of the luxury private cars favored by ponies of the noble class, most of whom loathed the idea of sharing space with the common ponies, even those wealthy enough to afford first-class passage. The car itself was practically a hotel suite on rails. It would contain a luxurious bedroom, a sitting and dining room, and even its own kitchen where the passenger's servants could fix meals for their employer. Practically ever single one of the Canterlot nobility had their own car, which could be coupled onto any train to carry them to any part of Equestria. Some even owned multiple such cars. The elaborateness of the furnishings served to declare the wealth and status of the occupant to the few privileged enough to be allowed onboard such a car.
Even as Twilight and Spike watched, members of the station's staff were already going through the process of uncoupling the car so that it could be towed to an adjoining track, allowing the train to continue on its way without the car and so that the car could be coupled to another train heading back to Canterlot at a later time.
The doors to the private car slid open, allowing a pair of unicorns clad in light leather armor with steel edges. The steel had been colored a light-purple color, which set it apart from the brown of the leather. Twilight found herself wondering nervously just where that leather had come from.
"Ah, Dame Sparkle," said a stallion in a smooth voice as he appeared in the doorway of the car, "Thank you for being so kind as to greet me at the station."
His coat was a light-purple color, only a shade off from Twilight's own, though most of it was concealed by the stark white suit jacket that he wore. His mane, likewise, was a darker purple that, again, came close to mirroring Twilight's, albeit without the streak of hot pink that ran through Twilight's own mane and tail. His eyes, however, were a dark shade of brown, intelligent and calm as they looked out at the mare and the dragon. His expression was warm and friendly, surprisingly lacking the arrogance and condescension that seemed to characterize ponies of the noble class, particularly when they had to deal with a pony like Twilight, who had been knighted for her part in the defeat of Discord. As far as most nobles were concerned, Twilight still counted as a commoner for the most part and few of them seemed to think that the nobility she had been conferred was remotely equivalent to the nobility that they had been born with.
Twilight bowed her her head, bending her forelegs to lower her stature a little, as was appropriate for greeting a fellow noble of superior rank. "It's an honor to have you visit my humble home, Lord Baron."
Baron Elderflower of Dream Valley smiled a little bit wider at Twilight's formality, as though her display had pleased him. He lifted his head all the way up and inhaled deeply, as though he were trying to savor the fresh, country air. Exhaling back out his nostrils, he returned his attention to Twilight, still smiling. "Humble though it may be, there is certainly a quaint charm to this place. I can see why you enjoy it so. It's certainly a pleasant change of pace from Canterlot."
That was a reach, considering he hadn't even stepped outside of his private car yet, much less seen any of Ponyville up close and personal. Sure, even from a distance, the town exuded a wonderful, rustic charm that had attracted any number of visitors. However, one had to actually walk down the streets truly get a sense of the life and energy that ran through the village.
The voices of the stallion and mare working to uncouple the Baron's car reached their ears. His coming to Ponyville had created a lot of extra work for the train crew. The caboose and his private car would have be towed onto a separate track, then the caboose would have to be towed back so that it could be reattached to rear of the train. Ponyville's station, not exactly being a hub of commerce, didn't give them a lot of room to maneuver and they couldn't afford to take too long if they wanted to keep to their regular timetable.
Nonetheless, Elderflower didn't take a step past the door. In fact, a light flick of one ear was the only acknowledgement to the voices, as though he had all the time in the world and the petty concerns of the working pony didn't mean a thing to him, which they probably didn't. After all, who was he to care if some commoners got their schedules messed up? It set both Twilight and Spike's nerves on edge; one of those things that showed through the Baron's kindly, personable demeanor and showed that he was a pony who set himself apart from others and considered them beneath himself.
"Since we have this opportunity," said Elderflower, "I am more than happy to invite you to join me in here. I assure you that it is perfectly comfortable, if a bit spartan for my tastes, and that we can talk easily. I have a fine selection of drinks on offer that we can enjoy while we talk."
Twilight gave the Baron a brittle smile. "Thank you for your kind offer, My Lord. But I am more than happy to host you in my home. I understand that it is probably beneath your usual standards, but I assure you that it will serve well enough."
Elderflower inclined his head toward them in the barest hint of a suggestion of a nod. "Of course," he said, "I am here at your indulgence, Dame Sparkle. I am happy to hold our conversation in the venue of your choice. It would be rude otherwise."
Only then did he step leisurely down from the car and away from the door, giving Twilight and Spike a clear view of his cutie mark, a bookshelf full of neatly arranged books, in the process. His two guards moved with him. There was barely any delay as two powerfully-built earth ponies harnessed themselves to the caboose, pulling it and the private car away from the rear of the train. There was a sense of urgency to their movements that prompted Twilight and Spike to throw them an apologetic glance as they worked. However, the Baron's eyes didn't so much as twitch in their direction.
"I am grateful, Lord Baron," said Twilight, returning her attention to Elderflower, "Please follow me."
"By all means," said Elderflower, his polite smile still in place, "Lead on."
And there you have it. It's a brief segment, still a bit rough around the edges, but it is a little sample of what's to come in the next story. There will be all kinds of intrigue, as well as the occasional segments of gratuitous violence. There was a lot more going on in this story than I initially planned, so it may end up even longer than the last one, which is probably fitting, given that it's a lead-up to the series' climax.
That's all for now.
the last one is the climax? you are not going to do a LotR and have another sub-story afterwards to show how the characters have grown?
2652566 Technically, the second-to-last one will be the climax of the series.
Thanks for the update I'm glad that things will be hitting off that way in the newest story. I was thinking of all the nobles they want to get twilight by herself to do their mischievous deeds and even so Elderflower plays it off extremely smooth (really curious how he starts things off) but still I hope you have a awesome plan for this guy. Will Arkenstones perception see through this guy is another thing I wonder. Good luck with the newest story and be as greedy as you want with the updates no one here will complain :)
Things are about to go down, aren't they?
I would be inclined to think that you'd do well to cut the, "Hey, this guy's a butt," stuff. As is, he comes across as rather unskilled at convincing people of stuff, which makes him appear to be a threat that is not credible. By my understanding, this character is supposed to be some higher difficulty level of noble, capable of charming and manipulating folks, and using his high levels of intelligence to achieve his aims.
He should be reasonably capable of at least starting to convince Twilight, because it would both heighten the tension, and give Twilight's ultimate triumph more weight. That begins, to my mind, with making her think that he's unlike most nobles, thus giving a better impression of the nobility, and just generally behaving in as mannerly a manner as possible (and no, as anyone knowledgeable about manners will tell you, effectively being rude to the waiters is not mannerly). You can have some cracks appear later, when things go downhill to any extent, but right now you should be aiming less towards Jet Set and more towards Fancy Pants. Maybe have him contrive things such that Twilight thinks he's coming in a noble car, while actually coming in a normal one.
"'Oooh! I'm not sure about this,' moaned Twilight Sparkle"
Ugh, you just had to start the sample with those words!
Just from that segment, I'm just iching to seperate the barons(No, I will not use caps... he doesn't deserve them) head from his neck!!!