tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2567785133157414962024-03-20T23:21:32.933-07:00Sky Luke CorbelliJust a guy, writing some words.Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-68056372216610840042014-02-03T23:12:00.000-08:002014-02-03T23:13:05.287-08:00Another Year of Worldbuilding<span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="http://worldbuilders.org/" target="_blank">Worldbuilders</a> ends tomorrow. I just posted my last set of pledges, and I'm feeling pretty good about it.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">You see, every year I donate all the profits from my book sales to Worldbuilders, because <a href="http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/" target="_blank">Pat Rothfuss</a> is awesome, and because <a href="http://www.heifer.org/" target="_blank">Heifer International</a> is awesome, and because helping them out makes me feel pretty awesome too.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">This time around, that came to just over $2,530.00. I know, not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but hey, it's just over double what I brought in last year.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">When I think about how The Will of the Elements started - as a story that I told my fiance every night while we were a state apart - it kind of boggles the mind. I mean, that's like 5 cows and 5 water buffaloes for people who need them in 2 years. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">From a story. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">That I related over the phone. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Two hours at a time.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">You know what? That does feel kind of awesome.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">So, to anyone out there reading this, thank you for taking a chance on my books. Thank you to the people who reviewed them, to the people who recommended them to friends and family, and to the people who kept me having fun along the way. And thank you for helping to make the world a better and more awesome place.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Wow, that sounded kind of final... don't worry though! I've got stories and surprises aplenty to come. Maybe I'll even post something more than once every six months!</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-48901052682876120362013-08-30T22:38:00.000-07:002013-09-05T12:30:06.368-07:00Portal Gun, in Depth<span style="color: #cccccc;">True to form, I took my sweet time updating this. So before I get into the nitty gritty details of putting together my portal gun, let me just say that PAX Prime 2013 is awesome. Seriously. The Pat Rothfuss panel? You had to be there... literally, because we all promised to not record it in exchange for getting to ask "3rd or 4th date" questions. It was great. Wildstar was looking classy (going to focus on their panel and off-site party tomorrow). SolForge remains one of my favorite Kickstarter projects ever, if only for the level of professionalism and the forthcoming attitude that they consistently display. If you aren't playing it, you probably should be. Lots of other cool stuff, of course, as always... but who cares what I have to say about PAX? Portal gun, here we come...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Okay, so last time I gave a brief outline of how we got the shells of the portal gun created. Once again, I cannot recommend florist foam highly enough; it is (relatively) cheap, easy to cut, easy to sand, and hardens like nobody's business after a couple coats of regular Elmer's glue. So, once you've got your shapes done, apply a couple coats of glossy paint (I use spray paint because pointing and spraying is about the limit of my artistic skill) and maybe a coat or two of a clear gloss finish to protect it...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenUtVFB2DFF8jYrc_VsYGQMe7dumYddtfNEzZlJcteo5nQyaZbxA-91tXzeJqITEZqEDrqKncPvk3tOnF1gsIENdF3wuwkKcXk-HuOGEPdOzV0qJvYl2-9N-aot4W30uTjl8eCcPTGAof/s1600/All+The+Pieces.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenUtVFB2DFF8jYrc_VsYGQMe7dumYddtfNEzZlJcteo5nQyaZbxA-91tXzeJqITEZqEDrqKncPvk3tOnF1gsIENdF3wuwkKcXk-HuOGEPdOzV0qJvYl2-9N-aot4W30uTjl8eCcPTGAof/s400/All+The+Pieces.JPG" width="298" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">...you're ready for the fun parts. Yes, I totally just used the same picture from last time. Forgive me.</span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Let's start with the main shell...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70e20x-msXZIt8SqxRJP9eLe5FJARquGKPDPDiZK43_CIrrxzSQGPbS9TuPcrc612vD6YuFOB1fMJRI56RM88v1LclHkjscK0JhmCUQiOsmEZ6w1_xCRkYrvwfrt2Kn9AbdlJr5EG57F2/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70e20x-msXZIt8SqxRJP9eLe5FJARquGKPDPDiZK43_CIrrxzSQGPbS9TuPcrc612vD6YuFOB1fMJRI56RM88v1LclHkjscK0JhmCUQiOsmEZ6w1_xCRkYrvwfrt2Kn9AbdlJr5EG57F2/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="239" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">See that nifty red light at the top? Here's how I made it...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">1. Take a red, see through plastic folder.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">2. Cut a circle out of it.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">3. Shine a LED through it (also purchasable from any craft store).</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">4. Notice that the LED is too bright, stack more circles until it looks red.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Alternately... just buy a red LED. Anyway, you drill a hole through the top of the shell, attach your folder piece to the top using a clear glue (or an epoxy... I find Gorilla brand works very well), put the LED at the bottom of the hole...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGmhqzyNTrW7FuALcgrTBhAitAA-gCQG4OBXrYDWxnidHbxbzQcK5CwwWRpb0hfpNRC3jODMYRlXLg9U4hU_dZxbPxFnW1T1S2VSXZEO-2sZwQaozt4cHOCi5jkxRwAm4bL6fgYDf5ZAv/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGmhqzyNTrW7FuALcgrTBhAitAA-gCQG4OBXrYDWxnidHbxbzQcK5CwwWRpb0hfpNRC3jODMYRlXLg9U4hU_dZxbPxFnW1T1S2VSXZEO-2sZwQaozt4cHOCi5jkxRwAm4bL6fgYDf5ZAv/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="239" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">And POW! you're golden. Maybe print up the Aperture logo and cut out the letters to make a cheap stencil, then tape it to the side and use some paint (or, if you're me and suck at art, Sharpie) it on to the side...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdoyLB5vQbMTALK1JqQ0GULfoSuTnG84IpAbZ3tpLCr5i-YaQI0N2ra27i3N_okkMFdxjBY01D0rGK8B4EQ6AkCTMbpSHUTp478Oy5m2ShXmEVh6yXZeBKOhGpL8Un60MT03doSgtJk5K/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdoyLB5vQbMTALK1JqQ0GULfoSuTnG84IpAbZ3tpLCr5i-YaQI0N2ra27i3N_okkMFdxjBY01D0rGK8B4EQ6AkCTMbpSHUTp478Oy5m2ShXmEVh6yXZeBKOhGpL8Un60MT03doSgtJk5K/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Yeah, that doesn't look half bad.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Okay, cool,, on to the barrel and that glow-y tube thing. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSu7giZFqDZXDsFmYFrNjqcOMfOaVbGu2YsY_B72R_PWMk_Y_2WpdiTK0sFybFu6zy6aDRvT2DLmasMXwMGSvBBuegbF4FY-iOGm10gBHEnLk9UKvI3Dr_3f2pe5_iRFoz0mh0QOoBkbEJ/s1600/photo+1+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSu7giZFqDZXDsFmYFrNjqcOMfOaVbGu2YsY_B72R_PWMk_Y_2WpdiTK0sFybFu6zy6aDRvT2DLmasMXwMGSvBBuegbF4FY-iOGm10gBHEnLk9UKvI3Dr_3f2pe5_iRFoz0mh0QOoBkbEJ/s320/photo+1+(1).JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Now, I'm not afraid to admit that I was pretty intimidated by that thing. It's like a tube, inside a tube, and it's supposed to glow or something! Luckily for me, translucent folders (like the red one I used above) tend to come in big old packs... So, I grabbed a blue one and I rolled it up, tacked it down with clear tape and shoved both ends into cardboard toilet paper rolls. Then I shoved that inside the styrofoam barrel, grabbed a frosted folder and glued that down to make the outer tube:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07F8bOzwzRGx-oha7iITAmvga3OlzZvZ54PSvxQJvERxtK2LgA031NJfeRhljy1y7zGrQwdy5aM8OYKOHPqpEjXuhOnfpl44mEdAIDUnZDPmtMkAYShNCCglHqgzI_nxfpwDogajBlkMh/s1600/photo+1+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07F8bOzwzRGx-oha7iITAmvga3OlzZvZ54PSvxQJvERxtK2LgA031NJfeRhljy1y7zGrQwdy5aM8OYKOHPqpEjXuhOnfpl44mEdAIDUnZDPmtMkAYShNCCglHqgzI_nxfpwDogajBlkMh/s320/photo+1+(2).JPG" width="239" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IY5nMvyhVJ5Ytw1D7ItGDQOXFt833FkHCAgeOnWUwyWl6voAgEpds47jcrQt2zU3-BYTLlXObfv0JzXesirP5rj_5hJCwMTvVQaMKUUN93KRr6Ss_xglTMgGEhv7hSnZVP7plgTtraSJ/s1600/photo+2+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IY5nMvyhVJ5Ytw1D7ItGDQOXFt833FkHCAgeOnWUwyWl6voAgEpds47jcrQt2zU3-BYTLlXObfv0JzXesirP5rj_5hJCwMTvVQaMKUUN93KRr6Ss_xglTMgGEhv7hSnZVP7plgTtraSJ/s320/photo+2+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"> Which brings me to the next part: projecting a portal out of your portal gun. Okay, you're going to need a few things for this... first, as you can see above, I printed up a transparency of the image I wanted and secured it inside the barrel at the end of the blue folder. Second, I got a good flashlight. I mean, a really good flashlight... expect to pay a little bit on this:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi1toLP9ZDMC6uO9X0H32eD-VrS9vPeFVQHjXI5K9urYfrv0-NbdnviBMkpyL27ijPAvSuQlya8nQ6CJvaVjKl1AZ6HFgsg_MQm2v9rgP4Vu-Hr6_bZfuq0ONsj9Skn6JoA0syBT3MUe7/s1600/Barrel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi1toLP9ZDMC6uO9X0H32eD-VrS9vPeFVQHjXI5K9urYfrv0-NbdnviBMkpyL27ijPAvSuQlya8nQ6CJvaVjKl1AZ6HFgsg_MQm2v9rgP4Vu-Hr6_bZfuq0ONsj9Skn6JoA0syBT3MUe7/s320/Barrel.JPG" width="239" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">That little thing. See it? It's rated at 850 lumens and has a very high lux (lumens per square meter). Lux is important. You need to have the light throw a large, solid circle if you want the image to projection to work (at least, without filtering the light through a piece of tissue paper). So you hook up that flashlight to the back of the barrel (the art that will be hidden inside the shell) and take a magnifying glass lense...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08Oq0tjeqFfLrdkp3wP6m4FAF0jmAdH6YBvR5En6yS-L_DNHV2ssBv7snbCyLIkLUN9lq4WS7JksVwej28ZVfR1nnib_gHfEg1VpANlkd4tv5HVzU1BXYNwa1lNWUDrhvIB-qQB3LLoYu/s1600/photo+2+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08Oq0tjeqFfLrdkp3wP6m4FAF0jmAdH6YBvR5En6yS-L_DNHV2ssBv7snbCyLIkLUN9lq4WS7JksVwej28ZVfR1nnib_gHfEg1VpANlkd4tv5HVzU1BXYNwa1lNWUDrhvIB-qQB3LLoYu/s320/photo+2+%25282%2529.JPG" width="239" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">...and adjust it so that the image comes through clearly. Then you remember how light works and realize that you need to flip the image upside down. But you don't tell anyone that you made that mistake, because you need to keep up the illusion that you know and physics are tight. Secure it all, notice that the really really bright light also lights up the chamber very nicely *ahem* exactly like you planned it. Slap a little more epoxy on everything, fit it all together, and tada!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIDQYijvMKR5Pke6WknTha7LZVtVe5OFWgPymHTb-HwE5Hp_HKlohxHAZI3fkNmgc5Sx8lEhU2k9I3np2bNDhbApVF4rUd3CWLNc8-YGN357AmQGbYgowj9_W-G7BZUDwH1HqMQ1AaM9a/s1600/IMG_1266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIDQYijvMKR5Pke6WknTha7LZVtVe5OFWgPymHTb-HwE5Hp_HKlohxHAZI3fkNmgc5Sx8lEhU2k9I3np2bNDhbApVF4rUd3CWLNc8-YGN357AmQGbYgowj9_W-G7BZUDwH1HqMQ1AaM9a/s320/IMG_1266.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU68NYxn50rkxYq4MngNp1OBHzKev9qZE0lAVRW1OaTIbzCtbQDH6lh6OzPuLcoVmOfPAT2IAkmZVR_Tw8QrXCdYu01iu5mimjIQ-F2_LECzCAjlGNv_0oECWyi9AnSXnrrypFUpvWu0zT/s1600/IMG_1275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU68NYxn50rkxYq4MngNp1OBHzKev9qZE0lAVRW1OaTIbzCtbQDH6lh6OzPuLcoVmOfPAT2IAkmZVR_Tw8QrXCdYu01iu5mimjIQ-F2_LECzCAjlGNv_0oECWyi9AnSXnrrypFUpvWu0zT/s320/IMG_1275.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #999999;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #999999;">You've got yourself a portal gun. Honestly, I was hoping to use a pico projector and get a live portal feed going... but as it turns out, the technology to pull something like that off was a little bit out of my price range for prop creation. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #999999;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #999999;">Okay, tomorrow, we'll take a look at the GLaDOS helm. Maybe. If I'm not lame. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #999999;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #999999;">I'm usually pretty lame, when it comes to this blog posting stuff...</span></div>
Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-84060576600595930702013-08-21T22:30:00.000-07:002013-09-05T12:29:28.291-07:00Portal Cosplay Props!<span style="color: #cccccc;">So apparently I suck at updating everything all the time. I should make up for that or something...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Well, no time like the present, I guess. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">First, I'll mention something about how my wife and I are making a Portal cosplay. There. That was it.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Next, I'll come up with a not-very-clever way of saying that I got put in charge of the props (a portal gun and a GladOS helm, mainly) and then quickly make sure that no-one remembers this sentence by posting a picture of my portal gun test-fire in convention level lighting.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtlRiM0igQdbuj0S3ZqTozaPahErEMxJ1QIMkM8K3uaRFJl6jINWNndvtLUwxCMS14U5kyYfx_s3qLO90WoScmU2pSfubHGcpPFbpNWemnf41wKvIAP5tr0Rg3ASZQoLvw9YDxAD4TqkW/s1600/Portal_Test_Dark.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtlRiM0igQdbuj0S3ZqTozaPahErEMxJ1QIMkM8K3uaRFJl6jINWNndvtLUwxCMS14U5kyYfx_s3qLO90WoScmU2pSfubHGcpPFbpNWemnf41wKvIAP5tr0Rg3ASZQoLvw9YDxAD4TqkW/s400/Portal_Test_Dark.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Yeah, something like that would be cool. Oh, and maybe one of the same thing under brighter-than-normal lightning!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDc6rAVsmW89NYKu0wSvZ0vKxMQILW0Y12hHytdiJrQoe9vT9IYOjEl2kWB3w4yNJdzhrYbzdnL2EWUMbGtV8R5LhJWf81fY0V30_p2w26fXvVM4AoI_H96GPUa820cWqls1cPqjrEsav5/s1600/Portal_Test_Light.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDc6rAVsmW89NYKu0wSvZ0vKxMQILW0Y12hHytdiJrQoe9vT9IYOjEl2kWB3w4yNJdzhrYbzdnL2EWUMbGtV8R5LhJWf81fY0V30_p2w26fXvVM4AoI_H96GPUa820cWqls1cPqjrEsav5/s400/Portal_Test_Light.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Not quite as impressive, but you get the idea: it's a powerful light in that thing! But I should go back to the very beginning... so, for today's blog, here's how the portal gun got started!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Step one was to draft out the images. After careful measurements, here's what we came up with (well, mostly my wife):</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCYOKwzPZoPCKf3NUSZ83fdCtjo-E5Sm6ozmGoTK9mIN5AjcM_H5xtLa3bqeXmwvaOxpQ2PJHWtbYbDN2gB7LKcn9FM4Zk3TDP_Q82hcm1oRxrhHJEd6951-qOD8jylo_aPqqDHHSbtjd/s1600/Shapes_Drafted.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCYOKwzPZoPCKf3NUSZ83fdCtjo-E5Sm6ozmGoTK9mIN5AjcM_H5xtLa3bqeXmwvaOxpQ2PJHWtbYbDN2gB7LKcn9FM4Zk3TDP_Q82hcm1oRxrhHJEd6951-qOD8jylo_aPqqDHHSbtjd/s320/Shapes_Drafted.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Basic portal shapes, nothing fancy. Next, we prepped the florist foam (which you can buy in nice blocks at just about any craft store):</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEuAkiuZER-G1NuQ-O8PhsTNpkwAeoAzqz-42E7uL_rYfrg87cEDvwCqBmSubFJ08ZnP7QaSo3en2Y1xbOP74bHOq8mspGLkDR_c_hp3s-KUI9sC6RzMLoBPfdyZQ-yim8PFSD1VZDTk5/s1600/Florist_Foam_Prepped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEuAkiuZER-G1NuQ-O8PhsTNpkwAeoAzqz-42E7uL_rYfrg87cEDvwCqBmSubFJ08ZnP7QaSo3en2Y1xbOP74bHOq8mspGLkDR_c_hp3s-KUI9sC6RzMLoBPfdyZQ-yim8PFSD1VZDTk5/s320/Florist_Foam_Prepped.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">So, cutting the blocks to shape and gluing a few together. I'm not even kidding when I say this thing is big. After that, we marked out the shapes (once again, my wife, as she's the artist and I'm just around to move stuff and do numbers):</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsOHaWFNboS5pRpV_bgIskYr1J8T5ASc4wELCpIpDo3-tQEhyphenhyphen7T1fipVairsLx5XH5lMShtceK1GzHKkDx1XGEC0c8nNIJRodRxMsjfdGUcAZu8uf1rhXhdXiAIVBZZ9if2mNbchtwJM8/s1600/Florist_Foam_Marked.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsOHaWFNboS5pRpV_bgIskYr1J8T5ASc4wELCpIpDo3-tQEhyphenhyphen7T1fipVairsLx5XH5lMShtceK1GzHKkDx1XGEC0c8nNIJRodRxMsjfdGUcAZu8uf1rhXhdXiAIVBZZ9if2mNbchtwJM8/s320/Florist_Foam_Marked.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">After that I hacked out the basic shapes using a knife or two:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsi9Xziremi9ze4uqPn-bxwXdML7jpj_DtaRbQUUihW7w1iGwBrdrmW4i4jIwlECVaig6J-TO56Kv49nrtUswM3HsboMpNd2XedvLVqhZBwbw_HmBXXUsjtWwxaza7mB-_3T5cofu0e8O/s1600/Florist_Foam_Cut_Rough.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsi9Xziremi9ze4uqPn-bxwXdML7jpj_DtaRbQUUihW7w1iGwBrdrmW4i4jIwlECVaig6J-TO56Kv49nrtUswM3HsboMpNd2XedvLVqhZBwbw_HmBXXUsjtWwxaza7mB-_3T5cofu0e8O/s320/Florist_Foam_Cut_Rough.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Then it was time for some sanding. Like, a lot of sanding. Fortunately, florist foam sands like nobody's business, takes a shape very well, and gets surprisingly smooth:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbhT8ABjDZn6jfYjaWQMLsgxzdLEud0CJ4Ve4-Rgy8Rjbb7zIr27_3bjiTgJKu-riztXOa-OYwiARMh0b4KW5xIIeOcdUku_WlsDCZy8Rnnk5l68rXjPHvkC9jVc01EigMOAvdZni9QKK/s1600/Handle_Shaped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbhT8ABjDZn6jfYjaWQMLsgxzdLEud0CJ4Ve4-Rgy8Rjbb7zIr27_3bjiTgJKu-riztXOa-OYwiARMh0b4KW5xIIeOcdUku_WlsDCZy8Rnnk5l68rXjPHvkC9jVc01EigMOAvdZni9QKK/s320/Handle_Shaped.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Then we cut out a few more shapes, like the pieces we ended up using to make the portal gun nozzle:</span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfXVM8hVYsXrGGySGLFddklzTM-l-ALcvCDRafqsmX20_RnPmDvxxcNctdOt3QJjFiTaBYY_OCfQ6phtcziDOR_baVDiBz9euOT67ATWnDrBSkOTr4SJf0LyhlX42uAKO6cjWAFOpavW6/s1600/Nozzle_Stack_Test.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfXVM8hVYsXrGGySGLFddklzTM-l-ALcvCDRafqsmX20_RnPmDvxxcNctdOt3QJjFiTaBYY_OCfQ6phtcziDOR_baVDiBz9euOT67ATWnDrBSkOTr4SJf0LyhlX42uAKO6cjWAFOpavW6/s320/Nozzle_Stack_Test.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">After that... we did some more stuff... like applying glue to the foam (pro-tip, Elmer's glue will turn just about any type of Styrofoam rock hard, and in the case of florist foam, also make it surprisingly resilient):</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXdnFWxFsEYtOiQ-EstvrFuafI9jU35cZ4kMgUE9kwqFJtjMGLYbc4DETGnLeC1T_ukFBtlWPFYP4nnzV-K0AFF0Uq8VoH4SOY5IqT8Hdn9KxeSYlhivIVSirtzginXssF1GHYCegRhj8/s1600/Shells_Glued.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXdnFWxFsEYtOiQ-EstvrFuafI9jU35cZ4kMgUE9kwqFJtjMGLYbc4DETGnLeC1T_ukFBtlWPFYP4nnzV-K0AFF0Uq8VoH4SOY5IqT8Hdn9KxeSYlhivIVSirtzginXssF1GHYCegRhj8/s320/Shells_Glued.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">And then a couple more layers of glue, until it got that just-been-glued shine:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-bnY6YHQ_O0vQ6S-w4wJC4UTeGtb8aA0_SIxURgcXBTjlDWZ3dZoJLxhDGWsAsWSUdWard1Nnpy6QQS2ASlIYNegmC8tFRh2G06maI97qGMnDBRNv2jzHBYSE3jEgm3YhOeHZFVjOW86/s1600/In_Progress_After_Glue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-bnY6YHQ_O0vQ6S-w4wJC4UTeGtb8aA0_SIxURgcXBTjlDWZ3dZoJLxhDGWsAsWSUdWard1Nnpy6QQS2ASlIYNegmC8tFRh2G06maI97qGMnDBRNv2jzHBYSE3jEgm3YhOeHZFVjOW86/s320/In_Progress_After_Glue.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Then a couple more things happened, like applying wood filler to everything so we'd have something nice for the paint to stick to (it's better than Bondo, and lighter too!) and painting:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtasY_uXrPiYB7c_vKOq5UPAEw4ENvDCN5tz4R2QfaYXgODx_31Zp8K1-o4V7dtlFNfCH-DSYaZoa-U1X1ljqAg2LISDMX7x6I4cYlFIKYUK-HFT4Cmwq-RmIosCrmT8jl5DPvlmphFnYL/s1600/Main+Body+Shell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtasY_uXrPiYB7c_vKOq5UPAEw4ENvDCN5tz4R2QfaYXgODx_31Zp8K1-o4V7dtlFNfCH-DSYaZoa-U1X1ljqAg2LISDMX7x6I4cYlFIKYUK-HFT4Cmwq-RmIosCrmT8jl5DPvlmphFnYL/s320/Main+Body+Shell.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVshugwr8QF2nJuWpbqrzNc2nS4t0n5GNtyqO5m_FYeRG4cvh6faFQeA9LzNx3FraUs1U_gyj-Mcs4vHw39WMsEoQS2pR5vn6Eo66yAH-52RqOqxulNvPCoUTcUMneWzRgEtjhghhxe4B/s1600/All+The+Pieces.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVshugwr8QF2nJuWpbqrzNc2nS4t0n5GNtyqO5m_FYeRG4cvh6faFQeA9LzNx3FraUs1U_gyj-Mcs4vHw39WMsEoQS2pR5vn6Eo66yAH-52RqOqxulNvPCoUTcUMneWzRgEtjhghhxe4B/s320/All+The+Pieces.JPG" width="239" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi1toLP9ZDMC6uO9X0H32eD-VrS9vPeFVQHjXI5K9urYfrv0-NbdnviBMkpyL27ijPAvSuQlya8nQ6CJvaVjKl1AZ6HFgsg_MQm2v9rgP4Vu-Hr6_bZfuq0ONsj9Skn6JoA0syBT3MUe7/s1600/Barrel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi1toLP9ZDMC6uO9X0H32eD-VrS9vPeFVQHjXI5K9urYfrv0-NbdnviBMkpyL27ijPAvSuQlya8nQ6CJvaVjKl1AZ6HFgsg_MQm2v9rgP4Vu-Hr6_bZfuq0ONsj9Skn6JoA0syBT3MUe7/s320/Barrel.JPG" width="239" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhGDYDlSDUri9hjsOwKZ2zWBBkvIuYwqb4_ZcVGvkifQQG69-71X3SVLaJowDKW1hkF_8Y-YaCUcNTeGtTZe9qZ5_79-NhyphenhyphengCnigRE127lKY1d7hC4bpKyRvvDjpNe2fG1XlSpJ6Scmkm/s1600/GladOS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhGDYDlSDUri9hjsOwKZ2zWBBkvIuYwqb4_ZcVGvkifQQG69-71X3SVLaJowDKW1hkF_8Y-YaCUcNTeGtTZe9qZ5_79-NhyphenhyphengCnigRE127lKY1d7hC4bpKyRvvDjpNe2fG1XlSpJ6Scmkm/s320/GladOS.JPG" width="239" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">I... may have skipped a step here or there. I mean, I didn't even explain the cake purse my wife made. Also, I got terrible at taking pictures once I started painting and adding LEDs and stuff. Tell you what, swing by in a day or two, and I'll have some more up-to-date stuff to show you. Maybe the costumes and the finished props. Or a picture of my wife with <a href="http://www.brandonsanderson.com/blog/1190/Steelheart-Preorder-and-Mega-Vault-Winners" target="_blank">the books she won from Brandon Sanderson</a>. Promise.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-22492191151620176942013-04-05T21:45:00.000-07:002013-04-05T21:46:06.171-07:00Pathfinder Character Intro: The Smith<span style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaXmi7g5kP17SqQAl6xcbZFB1ha7vWv5WCYrV_gjQ-d5UAhOEt57f7RqM55KWj2ksuBa_QhO-GOYzZPwfTjtX-1xOEBz-Qw9IWN8d41HsqhOJqEZtU40Ye2Uvqk4X91q-ufxuG_9yAGdI/s1600/gunslinger.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaXmi7g5kP17SqQAl6xcbZFB1ha7vWv5WCYrV_gjQ-d5UAhOEt57f7RqM55KWj2ksuBa_QhO-GOYzZPwfTjtX-1xOEBz-Qw9IWN8d41HsqhOJqEZtU40Ye2Uvqk4X91q-ufxuG_9yAGdI/s400/gunslinger.png" width="202" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">They call him the Smith.<br /><br />Some say he’s been around forever, just wandering the lands and doing as he pleases. Others claim he’s a dozen different men with a dozen different faces. Don’t rightly know about that, but there’s one story I’ve heard that had a ring of truth to it. Maybe it’ll give you an idea of what the man’s about.<br /><br />Growing up, the Smith didn't get on with people. He was quiet, watchful, always paying attention just a little too well or not quite well enough. But people put up with him, because he had a good eye when it came to fixin’ things.<br /><br />Cart threw an axle? He could fix that. Fence needed mending? He could fix that too. Sure, he always looked a little bored; maybe like it wasn't all that challengin’ for him, but most just wrote it off. Like I said, he had a good eye for finding problems and fixin' 'em.<br /><br />Then there was a hard year, and old Tom down the road went bandit and killed a few people, and the Smith, well… he fixed that too. Some folk saw him right after and, sure enough, he still looked a little bored.<br /><br />Now, I mentioned how people didn't get on with him before. I reckon you can conjure up how they felt about him after that. So one day, calm as you please, the Smith packed up a few things, walked out his door and down the road to the edge of town, and he just kept on walking. Some say he’s been walking ever since, an I don’t know that it’s a lie.<br /><br />Now, the way the story goes, the Smith wandered far and wide. He fixed things where he found ‘em broken, earning his keep in the world doing jobs where jobs needed doing. He learned the value of a good day’s work and saw many wondrous things. Luckily, he was just a young man without much more than his own two hands and the wits the gods gave him, and there wasn't all that much trouble he could get into.<br /><br />Well, that changed on a gloomy day when he met up with an alchemist who was down on his luck. The poor fella had a donkey with a bum leg, a wagon with a cracked wheel, and a canvas cover that was ripped right down the center. On top of all that, it looked like it was about to rain.<br /><br />“Help!” the alchemist cried when he saw the Smith passing on the old road. “My luck is down and my donkey’s lame! My cart is bad and it’s going to rain! Many gifts I could bestow on a sharp man with a clever soul!”<br /><br />Now The Smith had been wandering the world for some time. He’d seen the marvels of fire and light they’d cooked up out in the East, and he recognized the mark of a trained alchemist on the side of that cart clear as the nose on his very own face.<br /><br />“I can fix your cart and get your mule moving. I can mend that canvas up so as you’d never know it was torn to begin with. I can fix things for you, but in return I’ll have you teach me the secrets of fire that only an alchemist knows.”<br /><br />The alchemist gave a start at this, as it wasn't the kind of thing that he expected a young man on an old road to know of. But there was something about the Smith, about the way the miles rested on his shoulders, that maybe it wasn't so surprising after all. Then again, he was just a young man, and the alchemist saw an opportunity in that. With a sly smile on his face, he agreed to the Smith's terms.<br /><br />True to his word, the Smith bound up the cracked wheel and corrected the cart’s alignment so it rolled smooth and easy as you please. He found some berries to dull the donkey’s pain, and even fixed the beast’s shoes while he was at it. He got the tent mended quick and clean, and even added in a little weatherproofing to keep off the elements. The alchemist saw him work and just stared in awe; he’d never seen a man quite as apt at fixing things as the Smith.<br /><br />When he was done, the Smith dusted off his hands and turned to the alchemist. “ I've fixed your cart, your donkey, and your canvas. Now you owe me the secrets of fire, and no trickery.”<br /><br />“You've done most everything I've asked,” the alchemist said slowly. “Completed nearly every task. But I don’t think I should explain…” He grinned, a mischievous look in his eyes as a large drop of water fell from the sky, landing right between them. “Despite all that, it’s going to rain.”<br /><br />At this, the Smith scowled. He knew a problem when he saw it, and he saw that the alchemist had never planned to make good on the bargain. A second drop of rain fell, and the Smith looked up at the sky, scowl deepening. And sure as the hair on my chin, the rain stopped right there and the clouds cleared themselves right up.<br /><br />Now the alchemist saw this and he was sore afraid. Trying to short change a wandering vagabond, that was one thing… but trying to cheat a man who could stop the rain with a glance? Well, you don’t become an alchemist without a healthy dose of superstition, and despite his turn of bad luck, he was a very good alchemist.<br /><br />“Wait, wait, wait, I just misspoke! I’m sorry sir, it was a joke!" He rifled through a stash of documents behind his seat, hands shaking. "I have it here, right on this scroll!”<br /><br />The Smith took the roll of paper, inspecting the careful notations before nodding to himself. He looked up and gave the alchemist a very hard look. And in that moment, the alchemist saw something in the eyes of the Smith, something of a man almost resigned to fix things when they were broken, even though it brought him no joy. Something of a man who had fixed old Tom down the road when he went bad. Something of a man so practical it was terrifying. And the alchemist knew, this was simple not a man you tried to short change.<br /><br />“A-and for your time, another toll!”<br /><br />Now, as I said, this alchemist was a very good alchemist. He’d collected a regular treasure trove of rare and exotic loot from the four corners of the world, and when he saw that look in the Smith’s eyes he dove for the heavy chest in the back of his cart. From it, the alchemist drew an artifact the likes of which has rarely been seen on this world.<br /><br />“I noticed you have many tricks and thought perhaps that you could fix this thing I’ve had stashed in my trunk. To tell the truth, I think it's junk.”<br /><br />The Smith had traveled near everywhere. He’d seen many things that needed fixing, and he’d known what to do with most of them. But this… this was something different. With trembling hands, The Smith took the battered, beaten object, little more than a tube rigged with a few gears and levers. Cracks ran along its surface, the brass finish was scratched and scuffed, and the trigger was loose. Even still, it glinted in the afternoon light.<br /><br />“What do you call it?”<br /><br />The alchemist considered the question for a moment and shrugged. “I've only ever seen that one, but I think that it was called a gun.”<br /><br />At this, the Smith smiled and, possibly for the first time in his life, he didn't look bored. No, not one bit.</span></span></span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-53618175335182059842013-03-05T14:13:00.002-08:002013-03-05T14:13:45.461-08:00Read an E-Book Week!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;">In celebration of Read an eBook Week all of my books are free on Smashwords until 3/9. Use code RW100 at checkout.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/152150" target="_blank">Wind-Scarred</a>: Technology vs Magic, Round One</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/152158" target="_blank">Water-Seer</a>: Healers and killers and gods, oh my!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/263543" target="_blank">Child of Lightning</a>: High-speed chases on flying ships? Check. Quest to save the world? Check. Waffles? Check.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/270470" target="_blank">A Kiss of Fire</a>: Wow, this one really sounds like a romance title, huh?</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-25949182836024556602013-02-15T00:55:00.001-08:002013-02-15T00:55:45.195-08:00This is a very short post<span style="color: #cccccc;">Still alive. Still writing. Have some new stuff coming up soon, but in the meantime my wife and I will be playing some Pathfinder starting this weekend. Expect stories. Ooooh yes...expect stories.</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-61126726228228990252013-01-01T20:53:00.002-08:002013-01-03T12:23:41.992-08:00A Year in Retrospect<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">So 2012 was a big year for me. Promotions, video games, YouTube videos... Oh, and I wrote a science fiction trilogy.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br />
A good year, all around.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br />
Just as a quick recap, over the last quarter of the year my book sales have raised at least $802 for Worldbuilders (since I won't see sales reports for anything other than Amazon for a little while).</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br />
So for those of you who have been with me through it all, those of you who are new to the world of the elements, and even the random people who ended up here by mistake, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/270470">here's a short story for you.</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">
Enjoy!</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-50027826536917830662012-12-09T21:08:00.001-08:002012-12-09T21:17:13.808-08:00Child of Lightning<span style="color: #cccccc;">One year ago today, I started a little trilogy called The Will of the Elements. I figure it's about time I finished that up.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">The Will of the Elements, Book 3: Child of Lightning is now available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Child-Lightning-Will-Elements-ebook/dp/B00AL9OKZ6/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355116300&sr=1-3">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/263543">Smashwords</a>.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Thanks again to everyone who has given my books a try. I know you have a lot of options when deciding what to read, and I just cannot even begin to convey how much I appreciate that you took a chance on the stuff I wrote.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Here's another little promotional video.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uFgsazaZG5M?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Well, I haven't been sufficiently discouraged from writing yet... So I guess I'll keep doing it. Stay tuned, I have more stories to tell.</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-78677153195397949832012-11-24T13:17:00.001-08:002012-11-24T13:17:42.876-08:00The Shape of Things<span style="color: #cccccc;">Sorry for the lack of updates, been dealing with some personal things that you're probably not interested in because you came here to find out about my books. I assume. I mean, I guess you could just like my name... or something...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Book 3 is nearly done with Phase Three of beta (that's the final phase). I figure that since I'm so late already I'll go ahead and set the release date for December 9, the one year anniversary of Wind-Scarred. Because, as a math major, I'm contractually obligated to like symmetry.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">And here's a promotional video for my upcoming release:</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/902dnaIFTRg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Of course, this offer is open to any and all of you who have reviewed my books. Just send me a message, let me know who you are, and I will give you a copy of Child of Lightning and put your name into a song. And anything else that I may or may not have promised to do...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Finally, sales figures for last month. I sold a grand total of 19 copies of book 2, Water-Seer. I also got the chance to meet Patrick Rothfuss in person at his San Francisco book signing...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-vBt5Rn_MDRj2TQGJ1fxdHJdY9hbVIp4A_X3ketMUmuzXllazGbTIIKdWQ0cYI5CepXl1xMRvM50IMUiAVhMTdhA-8y-rt8yYaeX7oaiS6dS6TMhCHfxcI2ykwqJpzkDwBZ7juJII1dy/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-vBt5Rn_MDRj2TQGJ1fxdHJdY9hbVIp4A_X3ketMUmuzXllazGbTIIKdWQ0cYI5CepXl1xMRvM50IMUiAVhMTdhA-8y-rt8yYaeX7oaiS6dS6TMhCHfxcI2ykwqJpzkDwBZ7juJII1dy/s320/photo+(1).JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">...and picked up a copy of his charity calendar, which brings the total donated to <a href="http://teamheifer.heifer.org/worldbuilders2012">Worldbuilders </a>so far to $208! That's like one and three quarters goats!</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">So, to everyone who purchased a copy of Water-Seer in October, thank you. You and me, we're making the world a better place.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Thanks again for reading, and sorry for being a lazy bum. Pass the video along if you feel like it. Or, you know, whatever.</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-23073834959417122112012-10-12T17:34:00.000-07:002012-10-12T17:34:33.919-07:00Promises, Promises<span style="color: #cccccc;">So apparently I'm bad at posting updates. Also, <a href="http://skylukecorbelli.blogspot.com/2012/09/review-song-name-of-wind-by-patrick.html">keeping promises</a>.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">So here's what's going on: For the last third of this year I'm donating 100% of my book profits to Patrick Rothfuss's charity, <a href="http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2012/09/worldbuilders-sounding-the-advance/">Worldbuilders</a>.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">As such, I'll be posting my sales stats to keep myself honest.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<table border="1" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%px;">
<colgroup><col width="128*"></col>
<col width="128*"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="50%"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Source</span></td>
<td width="50%"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Units Sold</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="50%"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Amazon</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="28" width="50%"><span style="color: #cccccc;">28</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="50%"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Barnes & Noble</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="10" width="50%"><span style="color: #cccccc;">10</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="50%"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Ibooks</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="2" width="50%"><span style="color: #cccccc;">2</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="TOP">
<td width="50%"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Smashwords</span></td>
<td sdnum="1033;" sdval="1" width="50%"><span style="color: #cccccc;">1</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">So 41 sales of book 2! I'm not counting book 1 because it's free.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">We'll pretend I make $3 off of each of those sales (it's actually a little less, but who's counting?). It comes out to $123 for the month of September. So congratulations to everyone who bought book 2 last month! You've helped make people's lives better.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Oh yeah, I'm also still writing a book, huh? Well, the good news is I finished it, and finished editing it. The bad news is...I didn't like it. So I've cut out the parts I had problems with and am now rewriting large swaths of the book.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Alright, it's only about 7 chapters, but I like the word 'swath'.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">You'd think that I'd have learned my lesson about <a href="http://skylukecorbelli.blogspot.com/2012/09/review-song-name-of-wind-by-patrick.html">promises</a>, but I can safely say that this book will, in fact, be finished.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">So thanks again for reading my books and dropping by my blog. I'll keep you posted.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Darn it. Promises.</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-54954162806465865512012-09-26T20:24:00.000-07:002012-09-26T20:24:31.185-07:00Review Song: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Here's another review song for <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186074.The_Name_of_the_Wind">The Name of the Wind</a> by <a href="http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/">Patrick Rothfuss</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/2BuGvzoYGoM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">I swear I'm still working on book 3!</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">You can also expect another update later this week. Promise!</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-67233327412741954012012-08-20T22:33:00.000-07:002012-08-20T22:33:22.745-07:00Sundry Happenings<span style="color: #cccccc;">Some quick updates: I finished the first draft of the book. It was horrible. I'm fixing it now, and revising my time line for a mid-September release. So if you've been waiting for the book...I'm really sorry. I intend to release the book...well, not when it's DONE, but at least when it's (hopefully) good.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">In other news, I was recently interviewed by the Bay Area News Group for an <a href="http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_21313128/self-publishing-or-vanity-press-answer-may-surprise">article on self-publishing!</a> You should check it out, they came out and spent an hour taking pictures of me in my writing cave. Weirdest experience ever.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">And now, to top it all off, here's a picture of my cats.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3c1oHb2-yJnMw7FU6xz3hc6BzVaYvKvTa5sBnmhiFM8f7NdS1X1aor0oZAi8sAqg0F47KSvSdoEhi7dYGM1idwJoZ7jlEQKGF2qBpwP_nByFZ6qTSM-maFZR04yot7XivxQkSDm1Qd7oV/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3c1oHb2-yJnMw7FU6xz3hc6BzVaYvKvTa5sBnmhiFM8f7NdS1X1aor0oZAi8sAqg0F47KSvSdoEhi7dYGM1idwJoZ7jlEQKGF2qBpwP_nByFZ6qTSM-maFZR04yot7XivxQkSDm1Qd7oV/s400/photo.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<br />Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-76722560766643440542012-08-05T22:30:00.000-07:002012-08-05T22:30:19.121-07:00Book 3 Cover Art Preview!<span style="color: #cccccc;">Courtesy of my lovely wife, cover art!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRb83K-VP4yCcoCFM7B_a2CDIAMtcNBoV9pzGxds3KxgR2TjnzDzTU2sTgN-Aoz3h2gxmkTxfRPJwVP5b6queRemed2xdxUSSCtAdKE_J2CigqzRnu7N7kqS7U_yzPBZm3MhHAFfgbOnX/s1600/LightningPreview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRb83K-VP4yCcoCFM7B_a2CDIAMtcNBoV9pzGxds3KxgR2TjnzDzTU2sTgN-Aoz3h2gxmkTxfRPJwVP5b6queRemed2xdxUSSCtAdKE_J2CigqzRnu7N7kqS7U_yzPBZm3MhHAFfgbOnX/s400/LightningPreview.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Now to finish that book...</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-6318096586714847032012-07-26T17:00:00.002-07:002012-07-26T17:00:37.449-07:00Book 3 Update<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">20 minutes of just passing and shooting nearly killed me... I apparently
took water polo for granted. At least I can still skip a backhand shot
cross pool...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">In other news, 123k words, and I still have 8
chapters to write and another 5 that need a full re-write... which makes
this my longest book. As a series, I think I'll be pushing 380-400k
words. But I've heard the first million are a warm up... and I intend to
sprint.</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-3160449282429614222012-07-09T10:56:00.001-07:002012-07-09T10:59:26.189-07:00Review Song: The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker<span style="color: #cccccc;">Here's another book review video for the Sword & Laser show, this time featuring <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10031259-the-emperor-s-edge"><i>The Emperor's Edge</i></a> by <a href="http://www.lindsayburoker.com/">Lindsay Buroker</a>.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qZJAphJXpmw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">A swim coach once told me that I'd never be a dancer...I'm not going to hold my breath on being a singer either.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">I hope you at least get a good laugh out of it!</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-893347863420654272012-07-01T00:09:00.002-07:002012-07-01T00:27:30.530-07:00The story so far<span style="color: #cccccc;">Book 3 is coming along pretty nicely. My wonderful wife is making up the cover art. At least, when she's not playing Starcraft 2 and being wildly entertaining. (She talks to the units and scolds them for not doing what she thinks they should be doing. And she doesn't realize that she's doing it. It's adorable.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">I'm still trying to cut down on the smiling. And eye rolling. My characters were apparently smiling and rolling their eyes non-stop in the last 2 books...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">But a nice, solid 18k word day, including some massive reorganization of the timeline. I played it pretty loose with that in book 2, especially toward the end... trying to avoid hand waving and misdirection this time around. But yes, the three point of views have finally split into their own stories, so I can literally do whatever I want to them and NO-ONE WILL KNOW. MWAHAHHAAHAH!</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Ahem. That is to say that yes, the story is actually on track. Not that I ever doubted that it would be. Nope. Not even a little bit...</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-51406043512891615322012-06-16T15:03:00.000-07:002012-06-16T15:03:39.373-07:00Book 3 Progress<span style="color: #cccccc;">I guess I should post something about my progress on book 3...or something...</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Anyways, Child of Lightning is coming along nicely. It's all plotted out and broken into chapters (at the moment there are 70 of them). I am writing full time. And by full time, I mean whenever I'm not at work. Or swimming. Or playing video games. Or wasting time while I think of a reason to not write... Look, I'm sure that I'm spending some time writing. I anticipate it'll be done (i.e. edited and ready for release) at some point in August. The Kirsten O'Donnell chapters are pretty fun, if I do say so myself...</span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Thanks for giving my books a try, I'll post more updates as they come.</span></div>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-68083611747564699842012-06-06T13:21:00.000-07:002012-06-06T13:23:52.362-07:00Review Song: Zero Sight by B. Justin Shier<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11012966-zero-sight">Zero Sight</a></i> by <a href="http://www.bjustinshier.com/">B. Justin Shier</a></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #cccccc; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/tnnDBgNpDEw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
Here's a little something I did in response to Sword & Laser's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/868248-we-want-your-reviews">call for video reviews.</a> Stop me if you've heard this one before...</div>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-72666879481509340622012-05-14T18:31:00.001-07:002012-05-14T20:04:52.035-07:00Back in the Water Again<span style="color: #cccccc;">Day two back in the water, and it took me half an hour to swim a mile. The me of ten years ago couldn't even be bothered to laugh scornfully. I think all I'm getting is a look of mild disdain. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">But I know where I went wrong! It was writing those books that did it! Thinking back, I don't remember having written even one book back when I was in shape, let alone two. Yeah...that's definitely it. Well...that or seven years of math, programming, video games, and junk food. You know, one or the other. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">But I'll show the me of ten years ago. Okay, maybe I won't show him, but I'm going to get a slight nod of respect from the bastard. And I'm going to do it with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. Or a song on YouTube. Stay tuned.</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-50114897776118827092012-05-10T21:39:00.001-07:002012-05-14T18:32:02.522-07:00A (belated) Thanks to You<span style="color: #cccccc;">It's a little late, but I wanted to thank all of you who stuck with me through the A to Z Challenge. I hope that I managed to entertain you. I've got some new stuff planned for the blog, which I'll hopefully have ready for you soon. (Have you ever wondered if I can sing? No? Well, too bad. You're going to find out anyway.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Keep an eye out, ridiculousness is coming.</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-36596749868741282022012-04-30T00:00:00.000-07:002012-04-30T00:00:02.205-07:00Z is for...<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>"Free at last," the nameless god's voice whispered through the endless
void around me, barely heard and deafening all at once. "Free to end the
chaos of the world, to bring true order in death and unlife, free to-"<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
"Excuse me," I interrupted, ignoring the warnings my
system was displaying. It was still calculating my odds of survival
despite having already reached the conclusion that I no longer existed
with ninety-nine point nine nine percent accuracy. I would have to ask
Pip to look that over once I got back. "I believe there may have been a
misunderstanding."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A dark chuckle emanated from the space around me,
the glowing eye shifting to focus all of its weight on my person. "Oh?
And what might that be, little metal man?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Well, you see..."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sean's head snapped up. "No," he whispered in disbelief. "No, that can't happen."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I
smiled, slowly looking up from my twenty sided die, meeting his eyes as
the rest of the group looked on in hushed awe. "Oh," I said, the
beginnings of a maniacal laugh flirting with the edge of my voice. "Oh,
it's on now."</div>
<div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div>
"There are no more living things in this world," I
met the dark god's gaze evenly, never flinching back. "All sentient
beings are now of mechanical construction."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
==</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"That... what?" the nameless
god's single eye shifted around nervously. He was clearly buying it. But
who could blame him? After all, I was destined to be the world's
greatest liar.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-A6_azVPzSCE7vxPe5k7M0YQf2nzFiW8Zk8xJY_tFt8GFnS7D4TYJqDrvjfyUB588KkLqY5kKx5k5PWuV3XahJkqCWeHVTeRKBa4i2vgPJq9-84mrYfpXv0PIsCgTcDlv7yo_Y-PhGrK/s1600/glitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-A6_azVPzSCE7vxPe5k7M0YQf2nzFiW8Zk8xJY_tFt8GFnS7D4TYJqDrvjfyUB588KkLqY5kKx5k5PWuV3XahJkqCWeHVTeRKBa4i2vgPJq9-84mrYfpXv0PIsCgTcDlv7yo_Y-PhGrK/s400/glitch.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
<br />
"I cast entangling roots on the wizard!" Erin cried
out. "Get out of that!" Poppi growled triumphantly as she stopped the
wizard cold, preventing him from re-entering the portal.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Stasis field!" Pip yelled, struggling against the
Yuan-ti abomination's coils and throwing a gadget toward the other one.
It froze in place just as Isaru cut her free, sending the last monster
flailing back in pain and distress. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And right into Gorma's tulwar. "Take that, you
stupid snake!" she cried, blade whistling as it sliced straight through
the creature's neck, sending the cobra head flying.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
==</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"I'm afraid that there are no longer any living creatures in Eberron to die and be reanimated," I intoned solemnly.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The eye narrowed in suspicion. "Then why have you brought me here, construct?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Yes!" Tony cheered, clapping me on the back. "Go Sky! Bluff him straight back to hell!"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"I
am afraid that was the misunderstanding." I nodded my head. "You see,
we were attempting to bring a creator god into the realm, as one of
our hard coded tasks was the protection of life, and without life to
protect we could not operate at optimum capacity."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"No," the nameless god hissed, its eye looming
closer, filling my vision. "No, there are rituals which must be
completed, steps which must be taken, you could not have accidentally
summoned me to your realm."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
==</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Temporus nullus!" the
wizard cried out, flinging his hand forward, a bolt of amber energy
darting toward Isaru. The Genosi de-materialized into a poisonous mist,
evading the attack and closing with the evil caster. The man began
coughing and hacking, reducing the roots to dust with a touch as he
tried to fight free of the mist.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Poppi pounced, the wind whipping about her as she
shifted into her tiger form, striking a crippling blow and darting away
as the wizard fell, clutching his throat.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Isaru,
now!" Pip hurled a glowing cube at the wizard, and the green mist
shifted away just as the man sent out a burst of electricity. The cube
caught it, held it, then flashed into a cage of lightning around the
downed wizard, holding him in place mere steps from the portal. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He yelped in surprise as Gorma stepped through the
bars, tulwar gleaming in the erratic light. "Ready for the quills?" she
smiled, fangs casting terrible shadows over her features as she closed
on the stammering wizard.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
==</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Come on!" Sean sat back hard. "Three natural twenties in a row? I swear you're cheating."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"You may be right," I informed the nameless god. "There was a purpose for our summoning you here, to the edge of your realm."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"And what is that?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"I give up," Sean threw his hands up in surrender. "Four natural twenties in a row with two different sets of dice. You win."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I smiled triumphantly. "Another of our directives is
the discovery and preservation of knowledge. When we stumbled upon your
summoning ritual, we found that your name had been lost, and therefore
resolved to bring you here so that we might record it."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The eye stared at me for a long time. "Zghardtarth." The eye vanished, replaced with nothing but empty blackness.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I
watched for nearly a minute, then gave a decisive nod. I really had
come a long way in prevarication. Why, only a few days ago, I would have
thought it impossible to tell several lies to the face of a god. It
just went to show, with practice and hard work, overcoming any obstacle
was-</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"My lord!" the wizard cried out, barreling into the
room. His eyes were red and watering, several burn marks seared into
his cloak. One arm hung loosely at his side and his leg was bleeding
freely. Despite it all, the man had a mad gleam in his eyes. "My lord, I
have... I have..." He looked around in dismay.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"I'm afraid that Zghardtarth has decided to look for
a different plane of existence." The man looked at me incredulously.
Darn it, he obviously knew I was lying. I grabbed him by the collar and
dragged his unresisting form back through the portal. It seemed as
though I still had a ways to go before I could claim to be the world's
greatest liar.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">All artwork is (c) </span><a href="http://mcorbelli.wordpress.com/" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">Michelle Corbelli</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. Do not copy or reproduce.</span>
</div>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-64534229598214167512012-04-28T00:36:00.001-07:002012-04-29T22:08:56.817-07:00Y is for...<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"Yuan-ti?" Isaru whispered, pulling back from the edge of the corridor.
"Why are there Yuan-ti abominations guarding the throne room?"</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
I
frowned, running the numbers through my central processor. "There are
estimated to be less than ten thousand of the snake people in Eberron,
although census data is severely lacking around the marshes and forests
of Xen'drik. It is probable that they were smuggled in by the wizard and
coerced into helping him bring forth the nameless god."</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"Fat chance," Pip ground her teeth over the words,
bristling. "Yuan-ti are all highly psionic, especially the abominations.
No, they know something." She rubbed at her horns absently, thinking.
"Yuan-ti are all about bringing on the destruction of the world. Which
means that they think the nameless god is going to bring it one step
closer." The little Tiefling gave a bitter laugh. "They probably
volunteered."</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
Gorma shifted from foot to foot nervously. "I don't deal well with psionics, sometimes they can get me to-"</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"We
know," Poppi snapped, rubbing at an ugly scar on her upper arm as she
scowled at the half-Orc. "We remember the mad Kalashtar of the shadowed
tower."</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
Gorma blinked at her in confusion. "The what? Hey,
what are you doing?!" she demanded as Pip jumped up and plopped a
strange helmet on the barbarian's head. Several lights lit up and gears
began spinning with frenetic energy.</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"That should help," Pip said tersely, priming her healing gun. "We need to get in there and disrupt whatever he's doing."</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"Very
well, mistress Pip." I rose, pulling free my hammer. "I shall do
everything in my power to bring down the guards so that we may breach
the wizard's sanctum."</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"Actually," Pip smiled nervously. "We've seen that
he's some kind of necromancer, based on the zombie army and everything,
and I was thinking... you should probably be the one to go inside. You
know, not being biological and all."</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
I stared down at the Tiefling as I ran the
calculations. There was a non-trivial chance that a wizard specializing
in necromancy with the mystical knowledge to attempt something like
raising a lost god would have a strong repertoire of spells to corrupt
and destroy the living. "I understand. I shall deal with the wizard."</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"All right then," Isaru unsheathed his sword,
checking the edge. "I guess I'll be keeping the snakes' attention while
you rush through." Poppi shifted into her tiger form, growling her
agreement as she slunk into the shadows.</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
I placed a hand on the Genasi's shoulder, meeting
his eyes. "I am sure you will be able to hit them." He bristled for a
moment, then shifted into a pale green cloud that floated along the
ground and around the corner.</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"All right," Gorma grumbled, flicking at the odd
helmet in irritation. "On the count of three, we charge. One, two." She
let out a bloodcurdling scream and sprinted around the corner.</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"Calculations might be a little off," Pip muttered under her breath as we raced after the half-Orc.</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
I
tapped into the last of my reserves of mountain thunder, preparing for
another thunder step. I would need to time it just right...</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
One of the Yuan-ti hissed something, flinging
forward a hand at our group just as Poppi struck, claws raking into the
monster's side. It whirled on her, wicked sword humming through empty
air as the Shifter darted away. The second abomination raised its
halberd high, cobra-hood flaring as a wave of psychic energy hit us. I
braced myself as strange visions danced before my eyes. Pip let out a
gasp and slid to a stop, looking around in confusion. I glanced back,
then shook my head. Just a few more steps. The mission had to come
first.</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NcW41DJwxO95RkKxXMIAsrSTTGBZn5O-e-OMknX_TWOkLwVdG7NFl-TZuHoZHB0rDUoLKvO4Zk4jtD-XvCLv-cqGmyGGkWqaOkUibCJ7Qkd0bKpwYMHWl5nC-dRqO7-P5eoZQOhZ30Bz/s1600/isaru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NcW41DJwxO95RkKxXMIAsrSTTGBZn5O-e-OMknX_TWOkLwVdG7NFl-TZuHoZHB0rDUoLKvO4Zk4jtD-XvCLv-cqGmyGGkWqaOkUibCJ7Qkd0bKpwYMHWl5nC-dRqO7-P5eoZQOhZ30Bz/s400/isaru.jpg" width="303" /></a>Isaru materialized next to the second Yuan-ti, his
flaming sword weaving a in a blinding pattern that sent the snakeman
reeling back in surprise, ending the attack. Gorma gave another battle
cry, lifting her tulwar for a mighty cleave. The first abomination
caught her strike as its tail lashed out toward her. She danced away,
laughing as Poppi closed in for another harrying attack.</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"For the Hedgehog!" My voice thundered off the
walls, amplified by the power within me, and I activated my thunder
step. In the blink of an eye I was past the fight, my hammer crumpling
the doors to the chamber beyond. "For I am as the quills of the Heavenly
one, that our enemies might know the pointy-" The world distorted for a
moment, my systems going haywire as they tried to compensate. I dropped
my hammer and shield, stumbling forward, trying to make sense of the
crazy readings.</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"Mwahahahahaha!" A malevolent laugh echoed oddly
around me. "I see you've arrived at last!" The wizard stood with his
back to me, gazing up into the darkness. "The nameless one comes, and
there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it! For we are within
His realm, beyond the petty boundaries of the mortal coil!" I glanced
around. This room did seem to stretch out forever. That would certainly
explain why my tracking system was insisting that I no longer existed. I
tossed a look over my shoulder at the portal I'd come through. Good, it
was still open.</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"You fools will soon know the- Hey!" the wizard
protested as I grabbed him by the robes and started dragging him toward
the portal. "You can't stop this!" he yelled shrilly, conjuring some
kind of dark energy and flinging his hands at me. "And now you will...
um, you will..." The dark flames splashed against my armor with little
effect, not so much as heating my circuitry. "Wait! You can't just-"</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
Without preamble, I threw him back through the
portal. "That should do it." I noted solemnly, bending down to collect
my weapon and shield. "I expect there shall be no more trouble now."</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
"<i>No</i>," a dark voice that sounded of rotting
flesh and desecrated life swirled through the shadows. I turned
reluctantly, already ninety seven percent certain that I wouldn't like
what I was going to see. A huge eye opened above me, gleaming in the
shapeless darkness. "<i>No, there shall be no trouble ever again</i>."<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">All artwork is (c) </span><a href="http://mcorbelli.wordpress.com/" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">Michelle Corbelli</a><span style="font-size: x-small;">. Do not copy or reproduce.</span>
</div>
</div>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-20700154176983369002012-04-27T09:58:00.000-07:002012-04-27T09:58:36.751-07:00X is for...<div>
</div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Xenogears!</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">So this was a video game that I enjoyed immensely, back in the day of the original Playstation. It was developed and published by Squaresoft, back before they became Square Enix (you may know them for a little series called Final Fantasy).</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Xenogears is a dark, psychological, science fantasy game in the same vein as Evangelion. A combo based combat system that ranged from fist fights to fist fights with giant robots made for some interesting gameplay, and the story (which included reincarnations, memory loss, and the works of Nietzsche and Freud) was certainly complex enough to hold the attention. And even if the music was nearly identical to that of Chrono Trigger, it was still some of the best of its age.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">You can read the plot synopsis as well as I can, but let me just say, this game had one of my favorite villains of all time, and if anyone ever asks you, "Do you desire power?" just say yes. You'll make some good guy very, very sad.</span>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-3311396113415879072012-04-26T01:00:00.001-07:002012-04-26T01:05:37.503-07:00W is for...<span style="color: #cccccc;">Worldbuilding! Specifically in how it relates to The Will of the Elements.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Okay, so once upon a time, I sat through a lecture or two on The Lord of the Rings and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inklings">Inklings</a> in general. One of the concepts I really took away from there was that in order to create a good book you need three things. First, you need to inspire a love of the world. Second, you need a catastrophe. Third, you need a eucatastrophe, or a catastrophe for good (get it? because Tolkien was a linguist, so he played fast and loose with the English language and was wont to slap things like "eu-" onto words).</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">So step one is obviously building a world that people will become invested in, that they will want to see preserved because there's something special about it. So I took our world and found a catastrophe... specifically some truly horrible episodes of Heroes. Now yes, they were painful to watch, but they got me thinking. I asked myself, "What if these random people with elemental powers evolved into something more? What if they became living incarnations of the element they were associated with?" So I thought this over. Maybe they would feel compelled to overthrow the civilization that tore the earth asunder, drank her blood and reshaped her bones. Maybe they wouldn't be so cool with the way mankind enslaved lightning and chained fire for their own benefit and comfort. Maybe water and wind should be paid a little homage, being necessary for life and all.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">And thus began the War of the Elements. Oh man, let me tell you, it was epic. Earth awakening when he got pushed off that building, Wind manipulating Fire into blowing up that oil tanker to secure her aid, and all of them coming together to bust Lightning out of that cell where the government was milking him for electricity. And then their offensive, it was... oh, wait, I haven't actually written any of that yet. Basically, I came up with this story and realized that an urban fantasy adventure wasn't something I was comfortable writing just yet. But sci-fi, now that was a different story. I mean, I was triple majoring in math, physics, and chemistry for a little while back in the day, until I decided that I'd rather graduate than spend 60 hours in lab a week. Psuedo-science I could do. So I jumped forward by about five hundred years.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">You probably remember (you know, the 5 of you who read it) my post about <a href="http://skylukecorbelli.blogspot.com/2012/04/s-is-for.html">Sanctuary</a>, so you know where the tech people came from. But now I had a world to build. It was time for the eucatastrophe, as Mr. Tolkien would say, and I had some serious love of the world to work up. So the outside world needed to be discovered, the ideas cultivated, and the stage set.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">The Earth had actually become a pretty nice place. I was digging this whole <i>the apocalypse happened, and things got better</i> vibe. People were living in small towns, farming and maybe trading a little, with basically no technology, and they were cool with that. I figured that the Elements had calmed down after they destroyed civilization, maybe remembered that they used to be human once, and mellowed out the planet. No more natural disasters to deal with meant that people didn't need to work so hard developing ways to protect themselves, and the land was bountiful because the planet was on humanity's side, so long as they agreed to stop exploiting the environment. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Some stuff happened (i.e. Sanctuary picking a fight with the world) and the Elements interceded again, this time granting a small measure of their power to some of the normal people in the outside world, the ones who caught their interest and displayed admirable qualities. These people, the elementalists (see my <a href="http://skylukecorbelli.blogspot.com/2012/04/e-is-for.html">E post</a> if you're interested in the earth-crowned, fire-kissed, water-seers, wind-scarred, and thunder-struck that populate my little world) drove Sanctuary back, and everything settled down again. Now, I actually wrote this one, in the form of five short stories that my lovely wife is currently illustrating. We'll have them posted right here in a month or so, but for right now I'm going to jump forward another five hundred years.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Now we're up to the events of The Will of the Elements. I've broken up the story into a trilogy, because I like trilogies and wasn't convinced I would even finish one book, let alone three. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Book 1: Wind-Scarred, introduces Ezra Hawkins, the heir to the Legacy of wormhole technology. His adventures through Sanctuary and eventually into the outside world serve to give the reader a starting point, to build up a love for the world by revealing it as Ezra would see it, and of course, to bring in the impending catastrophe that threatens everything. What I really wanted to do was show the world I created through the eyes of someone who hadn't seen it all before. I wanted the wonders to be wonderful, the surprises to be surprising, and the tone to be one of a lighthearted adventure, with the darkness just visible if you kinda squinted and tilted your head just so. Or read to the end of the book, I've heard that does the trick as well. <i>(By the way, this one's free on Smashwords, if you want to check it out. No pressure though.)</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Book 2: Water-Seer, brings in Ciela de Leon, an apprentice at one of the Temples of Life, just starting out on her pilgrimage to become a water-seer. Hopefully (if I did my job right, at least) people will feel comfortable enough with the world on a surface level that Ciela can provide more depth, giving an insider's look into the politics and power struggles that Ezra was so blissfully unaware of, really fleshing out the world while driving the story forward. I mean, the time for exploration is over. Seriously, no more dallying about and eating waffles, there's a world to save here, and people love it after that first book (right? right?). So cut the hi-jinx and get to the plot, we need some villains, some sorta villains, some allies, and some... waffles? Really? Well, I guess I did foreshadow that in Book 1, so I'll allow it.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Book 3: Child of Lightning, reintroduces Kirstin O'Donnell, Ezra's secretary from Book 1, and her grand plan to *spoiler* her way to *spoiler*. Basically, all the pieces are in place after Book 2, and it's time get back into Sanctuary and find out what's been happening since last we saw the scientific oligarchy. Well, I could tell you more about this one... but that would involve me actually writing more... suffice it to say, I've got the first couple chapters written, the major plot points in place, and the ending fine tuned to make it look like I planned it that way the whole time. I mean, because I did. Yeah... because I did... and it's all eucatastrophic, and stuff, with appropriate consequences, because nothing worth doing comes free. Anyways, since the last book took me 3 months and it was during the holiday season, I think allowing myself another 3 for this book shouldn't be too bad. So like, late July/early August? I'll keep you posted.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Thanks for reading my (incredibly long-winded) blog post. My wife informs me that I still have to finish that silly D&D story that I've been posting throughout the month, so I'm guessing that'll end up as 2 of the next 3 days. Which means you can probably duck out now, as it's going to be full of Heavenly Hedgehog this and terrible lying that. So in case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight.</span></div>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256778513315741496.post-45890254020732565942012-04-25T00:07:00.000-07:002012-04-25T00:07:11.178-07:00V is for...<span style="color: #cccccc;">Vultures!</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Now, I put off writing this until the last possible minute, so it's going to basically just be a regurgitation of facts, some more interesting than others. Here we go...</span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">First off, there are two distinct types of vultures: old world and new world. I'm specifically going to talk about new world vultures (i.e. turkey vultures and condors), mainly because I know more about them off the top of my head. But just as an aside, old world vultures are more closely related to eagles and hawks than their new world cousins, an interesting example of convergent evolution. Both fill the same ecological niche, but while old world vultures rely entirely on their eyes to spot their next meal, new world vultures have an amazingly good sense of smell and can find carcasses entirely by scent when the need arises. Fun fact here: most birds have little to no sense of smell. It's one of the reasons owls can safely prey on skunks. So if you've ever heard someone say that you shouldn't help a baby bird that's fallen out of its nest because the mother will smell you on it and kick it right back out, you can forget about that. Help the bird, or call animal control.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Okay, back to vultures. So they're carrion eaters, and I know, that's gross, but they're providing a valuable service. Have you ever seen a vulture's feet? They're completely featherless, all the way up. In fact, they also defecate directly on their feet. Yes, yes, I know, gross. But actually, their stool is incredibly acidic, to the point where it will kill literally anything they may have stepped in while wading through rotting meat. In fact, vultures will typically stay near their meal after gorging themselves, which guarantees that they will be sterilizing their feet after every meal. They act as nature's containment and disposal unit for any diseases the dead animal may have been carrying or anything that might have taken root after it died.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Also, their heads are kinda rubbery. I know, the turkey vulture at the zoo (Toulouse) liked me and would rub his head against my free hand during feedings. We actually experimented with the whole sense of smell thing by having one of the other interns, who Toulouse hated, put on my jacket while handling him. He <i>didn't </i>go for her eyes, or even bate, which was a noticeable improvement over his normal temperament. And trust me, when a big, fully flighted bird bates, it sucks... I had a golden eagle spook on me after clipping and coping, I thought she was going to take my arm off... (all of the birds at the zoo are rescues, and only a small number of them are physically capable of flight, usually due to a bad run in with a car or a hunter)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Oh, and if you're in North America and ever see a bird circling overhead, take a look at the shape of their wings and impress your friends with the following observation: a vulture's wings are long and straight, with tapered tips, they soar and wait.</span></div>Sky Luke Corbellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15351478050678006162noreply@blogger.com4