skribeworks

So, recently I coded up my first WordPress plugin. Nothing majorly impressive, but it did suddenly place me in some very rarified company, and that was a little intimidating.

I’ve recently joined Mastodon.  No I haven’t left  Twitter, but my engagement there is minimal (and has been for almost a decade).  It’s no longer the place it once was, and I have better things to do with my time.  Like writing some code (and maybe even another novel or ten).

One of the issues that Mastodon faces is that it’s so unknown.  Despite existing since 2016 it has only recently (Nov 2022) gained prominence in popular culture, as Twitter users sought an escape from the belligerence of Musk.  That means that there aren’t a lot of apps and other niceties that are common-place when using Twitter.  One of those is a widget that properly formats Mastodon feeds for display on WordPress.

Tæsca (tæːska) is the Murgaen name for the range of forested hills to the north-east of Harnsey, east of Milardus. The name is derived from the Davan word tásqa (tɑ:skʷɑ) meaning place of many shadows, an apt name given the many shadowy regions under its great boughs.

As the world becomes more and more technologically advanced, it’s no surprise that science fiction and fantasy novels are starting to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into their stories. AI chatbots, in particular, are becoming an increasingly important part of these stories.

In the past, AI chatbots were often depicted as simple, robotic characters that were limited in their abilities. They were often used as background characters or as a means of exposition, providing information to the reader or the main character. But as AI technology has advanced, so too have the capabilities of AI chatbots in fiction.

A few weeks ago I made this as part of my #CS50 computer science course. It’s a game made with Scratch.

The aim of the game is to avoid being killed by all the Aussie Terrors.

I really like Ifonsa as a character. If one can have a favourite child, then she’s mine. I love her for her attitude, but mostly because of how she has grown from the original concept.

In the primaeval myth, Ifonsa was an ever-dependable stalwart, never one of the stand-out characters like the other original four. She did her part, especially when a fight was in the offing, but she was generally just happy tagging along with the others.

I’ve had several people ask how to pronounce the names and places in my novel Coils of the Serpent. I’ve created an IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) pronunciation guide for the first ten chapters.

Use the link at the bottom of the page if you’re curious on what they sound like. I recommend using a German or Dutch voice.

According to the Scroll of Hemalsdour, it is said that Men lived upon the grass plains for many generations, feeding off the bounty that the Gods had provided, their lives content, their numbers growing.  They roamed widely, for they desired not to settle in one place for there was much to see, and they sought out the many things that were new to their eye, and the new foods that were new to their mouths.

And amongst their number there dwelt Old Nútrúl, which means far eye.  He was keen of sight and a cunning warrior in his youth, but his days of hunting were long past him.  Nútrúl had to be carried by his daughter’s daughter, Thúlornar – which means moon woman – and her husband, Rátenár – which means big man – whenever the people moved to a new location, for Nútrúl could no longer walk far without resting.  This caused much consternation amongst the people, because it slowed them down and prevented Rátenár from joining the hunt.  And so it was decided that Nútrúl would be left behind when the group next moved on, as was the tradition of that time when someone became too infirm.

The Kingdom of Murgaen began as an idea, which bloomed into an insurrection and ultimately a reality.  The spark of liberation flared when Goblins began to migrate and conduct raids in the area.  Whereas before the landowners were content with the exploitation of the land and populace, the Goblins posed a serious risk to nor just their profitability, but also their very lives.  Goblins didn’t care if their victims were slave, bonded, free, or highborn.  They killed each and all without fear nor favour.

However, the Overseer of Awem, a man named Kovai, refused to send aid.  Even after the murder of the entire Mahyrst famiily, and the razing of their town, Kovai ignored all requests for help. The wealthier families were forced to deal with the situation themselves.  They hired former soldiers from the Kza-Lan Legions to root out the Goblin enclaves, and to provide guards for their towns and trading caravans.

I really like to know what my characters look like. It helps me write and get a feel for them. These images are of my protagonists from my novel The Coils of the Serpent. They began as 3D models, which I layered with various backgrounds, and items, and then adapted into these portraits.

I hope you like them.

Milardus is an important town on the south-western coast of Murgaen. Many believe that it is the birthplace for many of The Nine, although others point out that none of The Nine were actually born in the town and at best they spent only short amounts of time there up until the end of their saga.

Milardus is derived from two Davan verbs: to milk (mila), and to do (dwa).  The initial settlement was a cow farm. The owning family, ancestors of the current baron, eventually took the name as their cognomen.