Showing posts with label Diar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diar. Show all posts

Friday, August 26, 2011

Ansirk - The World of Diar - Part 2



Ansirk, the capital of the Brethen kingdom, sprawls for several miles. Located west of Keeper's Dale, this is the hub of human sophistication and debauchery alike. The balance of order and corruption are held in check by the numerous factions inside the city. The Mynler District for instance, known for its exotic jewels and banking, wields influence through financial prowess. While in contrast, the Shadowling faction, an all female guild of deadly assassins and thieves, beguiles for power in the political arena. In these respects and others, each district is onto itself a different community. The dynamic ebb and flow of unrest between the diverse cultures keeps any one faction from gaining ultimate power over the others.


The city welcomes visitors from all walks of life and allows them to openly trade goods and services in the districts of their choosing. Farmers from Eshendown Gardens for example, barter vegetables for coin or magical rain generation trinkets crafted by the water mages of the Wisentrop District. Then after a long day of selling their wares the farmers can treat themselves to brews at the Drunken Eagle; just a short walk down Main Street in the Market District.

The Drunken Eagle is a gaudy inn with a quirky ambiance. Themed and adorned with the Brethen Kingdom's colors of blue and gold, the inn is also lavished with eagle depicted murals and tapestries lined throughout. The inn boasts several floors to paying customers in need of a comfortable bed; each room designated by the name of history's most beloved kings. The establishment is most noted for their honey spiced mead and scantily clad and accessible barmaids.


There are plenty of other stores and activities within the Market District to keep oneself occupied, but those with ample coin will pass through the ornate mason columns located at the back of the district. Here they will find themselves in the upscale part of the city called the Mynler District. Run by Jawg Mynler and his family, this luxurious section of the capitol opens its doors to those of elite status and purses teeming with gold.

Jawg Mynler's fortune is fed from the jewel laden mines far to the east of Ansirk and deep in the Jade Mountains. The Mynler family has wealth beyond comparison, spending most of their days planning and catering galas for even the most obscure holidays. It is rumored that if Jawg had any desire for such lofty ideals of political power, he could have bought the throne several times over. Yet his infatuation with monetary expansion and social events keeps him adequately occupied.


From the dilapidated wood buildings of the Shadowling District to the cobbled streets of the Mynler District, the city of Ansirk is surrounded by a formidable defensive wall. This massive stone structure houses thousands of soldiers within its gatehouses and battlements. The feeling behind the walls, with their impressive armaments, is considered by most to be that of comfort and security; and rightly so. The walls have stood strong for a thousand years and withstood countless wars. The latest completion of massive siege equipment mounted on the high ramparts only adds to their effectiveness of keeping the denizens safe.


Modern architecture and contemporary styling make the city of Ansirk a breathtaking site. When King Connald Blake took the throne in the Brethen Keep, he had but one single peeve; the city was to drab and unkempt. By his decree the streets were made swept regularly, gardens were planted throughout the city, and his family crest was added to large banners that now fly high on the walls. Furthermore, new monuments were erected to showcase the city's grand history of survival through the bleakest of times. It is a time of peace for the Brethen people and the King has no qualms with that. He embraces the heartiness of his people knowing them fully capable of conquest, but he cherishes their capacity for productivity as well and chooses to let his lands flourish without bloodshed.

Monday, June 20, 2011

New Direction For Blog

After quite a bit of research into the matter I have decided to make some changes here on my blog.  To throw out some credits, I took some advice from both Rachelle Gardner and the folks at Author Tech Tips.  I've been following Rachelle at her blog for some time now and just love all the great advice she doles out.  So if you are not following this wonderful literary agent, I suggest that you start, you won't regret it.  Then Author Tech Tips is a site I have just recently been turned onto and again there is a tremendous amount of information there.

The main issue with my current blog is a similar error many authors make.  Many of us omit the very reason we should be using the social media in the first place; to introduce or hype up our work in progress.  The pitfall is that the author designs the website to be more about them and their life, which of course will not attract followers to well.  Instead, it is suggested to make the blog or website more dynamic consisting of content honed more on the work rather than the author.  Sure give the site some of "you," but also include info about your work.  If you can, it would even be smart to have new content that will actually drive folks to come back.  For example, create a side or back story to your novels and then present it in your blog in issues sent out weekly or some other time interval.  

So with this in mind, I'll first roll an introduction to the world of Diar.  This will let readers know a little bit more about the setting for the novels.  I will also develop a small plot line for one of the more fun characters, Fardea Panthrex, and make it available to readers. So stay tuned.