Telling Time

Divers of the Sky Cliffs

The Besol sea was calm. The clouds hung low, pale and sparse. Through the scratched lens of a tired spyglass, Rithio watched the ship crest paltry waves that broke upon its bow. From up here, the sea seemed to stretch infinitely, reaching out boldly to embrace the horizon, both a pure, bright summer’s cerulean. He…
Can We Trust English Accounts of a Welsh Hero?

For a long time Owain Glyndwr has been depicted by historians as a leader of a great national revolt, a freedom fighter, the last native prince of Wales, a man who stirred his people to rise against their English colonisers. Recent scrutiny of the contemporary evidence by has suggested, however, that this image may be…
Ranking All Halo 2 Maps by Their Holiday Potential

Given Halo 2’s reputation as the game that brought online multiplayer shooters to the masses, there’s been a lot of debate in the nearly twenty years since its release regarding which of the game’s multiplayer maps is the best. But despite all this discussion, no one seems to have answered the most important question. “Which…
In Spiritus —The Linguistic Link Between Life and Breath

The connection between life and breath can be found within cultures and languages across the globe and through time. But how did it develop, and where can it still be found?
Arthur of Brittany: The King That Could Have Been

In 1166, the Duke of Brittany was in trouble. Across his duchy, powerful nobles were rising up in revolt against him. Desperate, he turned to Henry Plantagenet, King of England and ruler of the Angevin Empire, which at its zenith stretched from the forests of Northumberland to the vineyards of Bordeaux. Henry responded. He rode…
The Battle of the Roil

Just three moons past, one could find the great hall filled with laughter and song on a night like this. Hrodwyn felt like it was only yesterday that he had been sprawled out on a bench with a bellyful of goose and spiced wine, his arm around Gethen’s shoulder, bellowing a poor rendition of “Frost…
Where Did the Phoenix Come From, and Why Does It Keep Coming Back?

“A mysterious fire flashes from its eye, and a flaming aureole enriches its head. Its crest shines with the sun’s own light and shatters the darkness with its calm brilliance. Its legs are of Tyrian purple; swifter than those of the Zephyrs are its wings of flower-like blue dappled with rich gold.”
The Last Days of Farandil

It was in the uncertain days of the Third Era that the Graentree Farandil perished. Memories of the War of Reclamation had not yet gone from the minds of elves, but the War of Free Lords had yet to blight the Moorvale, for at this time neither elf nor man had even dreamed its inception.…
How to Slay the Snake That Eats Itself

The serpent is a creature that suffers from a somewhat imperfect, volatile PR strategy. Throughout our history the animal has populated our lands, thoughts and tales, a denizen of the cosmic realm as often as the earthly. As best said by Okuda & Kiyokawa; “no animal has been more worshipped yet more cast out, more…