Tales from Thac: Anthology

Hey Folks,

As promised, this month we will delve into the upcoming anthology Tales from Thac. Those of you familiar with the Heroes of Ravenford will know that Thac is where the series takes place. It is not a small isle, its size comparable to that of Great Britain. Yet, it resides in the much larger world of Arinthar.

Arinthar has a single great mainland continent known as Laurentia. The rest of the world is comprised of a chain of smaller land masses that broke off of the main continent during Arinthar's tumultuous past. Many of these lands are far larger than Thac. Yet despite Thac's insignificant size, many important events have occurred on the western isle. Thus, the isle's influence extends well beyond its borders.

The anthology will therefore include stories from places in and near Thac. They will revolve around some characters that you may already know, but will also include new characters who play pivotal roles in the upcoming Rise of the Thrall Lord series. In the coming months, look for here for excerpts from these stories as well as a closer look at some of these new characters.

Note that this work is a collaborative effort. I have already penned three short stories to be included in this anthology, but some of my author friends will also lend their talents to this endeavor. For instance, my good friend Tim will be authoring one of these stories. Tim is the creator of the world of Thac, a world derived from role-playing nearly forty odd years ago. Kathryn will also be joining this collaboration with one or two short stories of her own.

Let's end this month's entry with a list of the stories that are currently planned as part of this work. Thanks for stopping by! See you next month.

The Emerald Blade (F. P. Spirit): Who is the Emerald Blade? A pirate captain whose legend precedes him for certain. Feared up and down the Pirate Coast, he's never been beaten in a duel, but never killed any of his opponents either. Instead he disarms them with his green practice sword. So who is he really? What drove him to the life of a buccaneer? What is his ultimate fate?

Grand Choosing (S. Pemrick): Kortiama is an orphan. At the age of five, she was adopted by the Lord Captain of the Dasati pirate clan. Since then, life has treated her well, but Korti wants to prove herself. She longs for the Day of Choosing, the day she gets to join a crew and sail the pirate coast. Yet that day will hold more for Korti than she ever bargain for - if she survives it.

Price of Honor (F. P. Spirit): Seishin was in search of his uncle - the same uncle who

disappeared nearly ten years ago along the Pirate Coast. He never expected to fall in love, nor that his love would have a dark secret. Skirting on the edges of death, Seishin finds that the Pirate Coast is a more dangerous place than he could ever have possibly imagined. Still, it may hold the key to his future, if he can manage to stay alive.

Art of the Steal (J. L. Price): For those who wondered about the enigmatic Donatello's origins, here it is - or at least an old bard's version of it. Where did Donnie come from? How did he get his flamboyant name? Where did he learn to be a thief, artist, and swords man? Who is the mysterious woman who broke his heart?

Fortune Tellers (K. J. Fogelman ): Fran was not always blind, nor was she always a druid. It all came down to a fateful day, and a run in with a certain blonde-haired, violet-eyed fortune teller.

Blood is Thicker (K. J. Fogelman): Kalyn's upbringing was fairly standard for a Deepwooder. Learn the ways of the wood: how to track, hunt, use a bow and arrow. She wished for a life far more interesting. Unfortunately, fate was about to oblige and it wasn't going to be pleasant.

Rescue at Redune (F. P. Spirit): Pallas Stealle had seen death and destruction. Too many died during the pirate raids on Penwick. The youth swore he would grow up to protect everyone. Now Lieutenant Commander of the warship Avenger, Pallas is about to be put to the utmost test - the pirates are back and they have hostages. Can Pallas save everyone, or anyone for that matter? And if he does, will it cost him his own life?

Battle of Fish Eye Cove (T. Doran): When we last saw Ves and Ruka, they were leading off a flight of dragons away from the young heroes. What happened after that? Outnumbered two to one, and one of those being a huge red, will Ves and Ruka manage to escape, or even just stay alive?