The Virian Chronicler

I'm somewhat of a rebel when it comes to obeying rules and style guides.   Standing in the dock now, facing the judge and jury.   I plead guilty on multiple counts. I refuse to ditch all adverbs from my writing.   It doesn't make me lazy.   Adverbs are a legitimate part of language and they have their place. I utterly reject "Show, don't tell" and I've blocked people on social media for criticising my stance as regards this.   While I get that info-dumping can be tedious for readers, I remain of the view that a book is a book and not a movie.   There's a great example of over-showing that I saw recently on a writing tutorial blog, whereby someone "showed" the exact procedure needed to get into a car and drive it away.   It was a long, overly detailed paragraph which I have dubbed a "show-dump".   Then underneath there was the simple sentence "She got in her car and drove away".   There are many things that we kn...

My latest author interview, dated 24th January 2020, conducted by friend and fellow author, Sue Baron. 1. Please tell us a little about yourself. I’m a self-published author and I’m married to a home-based rock musician.   We’re on the alternative side in our lifestyle.   We don’t keep what most people would call regular hours.   I consider myself a goth-hippie hybrid with a little nerdiness thrown in. 2. What do you write (genre, length)? My main genre is fantasy, both epic and urban, in a modern-day setting.   My novels tend to be on the long side, especially the later ones. 3. What is/are your current project/s? Please give us some details. I’m currently working on a fantasy series called The Vyrdigaan Prophecies , consisting of four novels.   The first and last novels in the series are drafted and awaiting revision and editing.   I’m in the midst of writing the first draft of what will be the second in the series, titled ...

PLANET SOUL CONCEPT It is a widely held belief throughout the Fenian Galaxy that there is a symbiotic link which connects the structure of each planet to everything upon it, including the rocks, soil, minerals, flora and fauna.   This belief forms part of the crystal theory which is taught as part of the sorcerer’s arts.   Each planet is regarded as a living entity in its own right and it possesses a consciousness which is known as the Planet Soul.   There are various terms for the Planet Soul. On Viria, it is called the Viristraan. On Malvania, it is called the Vanistraan. On Sartoria, it is called the Seed. In Carpathian culture, it is known as the Circle. In Varagan culture, it is known as the Varageye. The Cyad Confederacy refuses to acknowledge such a concept and all references to it are considered to be nothing more than fairy tales.   Hence on Mondias and Yttria, belief in the Planet Soul is strongly discouraged and very few citizens wo...

THE MASK OF MARTIUS The death mask of the Varathusian Warrior God Martius is an artefact of power dating back to the earliest times of the Carpathian Movement.  (See Carpathian Movement for more details)  It was widely believed to be only a myth until an archaeologist discovered it and delivered it into the hands of Sean Donovan, a distant relative of the founders of the Donovan Institute.  (See Donovan Institute for more details) Martius was born an ordinary mortal, a Carpathian by the name of Lord Marco Entrevi. Due to his heroics in protecting Varathusia from many enemies, the other Gods granted him ascension to Godhood at the time of his passing. His tactical and fighting skills were superb and he passed on his knowledge to many others. Varathusia would not be the flourishing planet of today without that knowledge and skill. Made from obsidian with eyes of Elediyaan crystal, the mask contains vestiges of its creator's life essence, often referred ...

CARPATHIAN MOVEMENT The Carpathian Movement (also known as the Carpathian Way) was founded by the Cesario family millennia ago.   Through cunning and diligence, they gathered power and established a set of rules which formed the basis for the Carpathian Way.   As with all large families, schisms occurred and different offshoot families were formed. These offshoot families prospered and multiplied, becoming the earliest incarnation of the movement.   The ten families with the greatest power and influence established themselves as the Inner Circle.   The rest became known as the Echelons, decreasing in power from the First to Tenth Echelons.   Over time, other families outside the Echelons adopted Carpathian principles but they remain obscure and lack the influence of the more well-known names. In those early days, the ordinary Varathusian citizens (known as the Varahs), used the term Carpathian in a derogatory sense.   It was derived from ...

THE VYRDIGAAN ORDER An ancient cabal of sorcerers dedicated to the study of crystal bonds.  The pioneering Malvanian alchemist Drusyt Retnik was among the first to perfect the technique of artificial crystal-bonding.  Together with his colleagues Judaas Fendor (Malvanian), Reginald Levereton (Virian) and Wilfred Trahern (Virian), he conducted many experiments on unbonded test subjects until the four sorcerers discovered the best way of introducing crystal fragments into the DNA of those without crystal bonds.    Judaas Fendor   Drusyt Retnik Reginald Levereton Wilfred Trahern Their techniques were considered blasphemous throughout Viria.  They were forced into hiding and eventually relocated their laboratory to Malvania, where their experiments were revered instead of reviled. The four men became known as the Crystal Mages.  It was only later that they adopted the term Vyrdigaan — an ancient word meaning "mixture" or "combination...

SACRED SITES (AKA SACRED PLACES) The Sacred Sites or Sacred Places are more than the name suggests.  While some of them are indeed places of worship and pilgrimage, all of them have a special distinction.  They are a safeguard against attacks or invasions to the Fenian Galaxy.  They were created by the Fenian deities and Ascended Masters.  Whole planets can be reconstructed using a single atom from a Sacred Site.  Obviously specialised sorcery is required in the reconstruction procedure and the method is known only to the deities themselves, a few Ascended Masters and Master Sorcerers, passed on to trusted successors by decree of the deities.   Some of the sites remain in their natural state whereas others have been adapted or built upon.   The following is a list of the known Sacred Sites: Vernon's Volcano on Viria Emporium Babaloney on Viria Vyrdsphere (able to move but usually in orbit around Malvania and is considered an extens...