Welcome to Phantasms and Shadow Images, Fellow Adventurer!
What will I be able to read in the newsletter?
The Phantasms newsletter is a motley collection of flash fiction, fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, Stuff I Find Interesting and Inspirational, and story fodder.
My main fantasy project at the moment is The Ruon Chronicles, which is an epic fantasy and I share some of my worldbuilding, early drafts, maps, and more in the newsletters.
You’ll also be able to read many of the stories as they unfold — this means early drafts, background, and even artwork drawn by yours truly. Basically, you’ll get the scoop on all my fiction and creative nonfiction.
Oh, did I mention it’s free?
Okay, but what on earth is “Hersenskimme and skadubeelde”?
Hersenskimme is the home of my Afrikaans fiction – you need to sign up separately to receive those as well as the usual Phantasms newsletters. It covers flash fiction and the work I’m doing on the fantasy novel Porselein.
What you can expect in The Ruon Chronicles…
During the Achtarion War between the Airus and Khaldun, the Knowledge Stone was found by the Airus Ira-laleth. Keeping the stone, which was imprinted with the very words of creation, secret from the Khaldun, Ira-laleth found that she had received the gift to add and imprint other knowledge on the stone as well.
Safely sequestered for three thousand years, the Keepers of the Stone was at last attacked in their shrine — but not before they broke the stone into many pieces to be taken to safety. Given to Airus who fled into the wilderness in order to keep the stone’s knowledge secret, the Khaldun set out after them, slaying many and taking the slivers of stone for themselves. At this time Ira-laleth and her entire family were slaughtered by the Khaldun.
The remaining Airus heeded a call in their dreams to flee to the Midlands and the Sanctuaries there and, so, most of the Knowledge Stone pieces were saved when the First Sundering tore through the lands of the Airus and Khaldun, and much of the land sank beneath the Southern Ocean. After the Sundering, many of the Airus went into hiding throughout Airtha-Eyrassa, fearing that the Khaldun would still hunt them. Yet none forsook their oath to keep the stones safe.
The Age of Blood and Sorrow dawned on the lands of Airtha-Eyrassa, ending with the Second Sundering.
***
Many years pass while the Knowledge Stones become a part of Airtha-Eyrassa’s legends and folklore. With the pieces of knowledge stone now scattered throughout the lands, the long search of the lost Stones by the Seekers of Knowledge begins.
When two Seekers find a piece of Knowledge Stone that contains knowledge about creation itself, a fire is kindled in Airtha-Eyrassa, and what was only legends suddenly becomes truth.
Enter Airtha-Eyrassa, the world of The Ruon Chronicles…
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.