drakenwriter

[drakenwriter]

Here is the post that we have been waiting for! After over a year in production, my first novel is now available on Audible! This is a story that I have poured my heart into over the past five years, the world has been well over ten in the making. Va'Sith Arithis was narrated by Ella Lewis, and let me tell you, to say that she did a wonderful job does not do her justice. She not only narrated the story, but she brought the characters to life with their own voices and personalities. She'll make you laugh, she'll make you cry. I am incredibly honored to have been able to work with Ella to bring my world to life. You can find the link to the audiobook on my linketree! Now, let's get this up there on the charts and please share! For desktop users: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0BLMDWM2R/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-328460&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_328460_rh_us @audible #symphonyofelliandor #soe #vasitharithis #vilsindris #vilsindrisallivstar #audiobooks #audiobook #fantasy #fantasyfiction #fantasyhorror #book #books #novel #newbooks #romancebooks #vampire #vampirefiction https://www.instagram.com/p/CkrQOOOuVEA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[drakenwriter]

Good morning/evening everyone! I have some exciting news to share. A little while back, I had commissioned the wonderful @khazaaddum to recreated the cover of my first novel, Va'Sith Arithis, and what a beautiful job she had done! With the creation of the new cover also came the official 2nd edition copy, which includes an updated author bio picture that some of you might recognize, and also a whopping 35 page preview of the upcoming book two: The Winter King. But also, something even more exciting is that the audiobook narrated by Ella Lewis is complete! I submitted it to Audible a couple of weeks ago and am awaiting their approval, which could be any day now. I will make a post to let you all know when Va'Sith Arithis is live on Audible, but until then if you want to get a head start on reading the book, you can find this beautiful new 2nd edition copy on Amazon, or simply by following my linktree. If you are interested in having a personally signed copy of this book, send me a pm! Thank you all! #fantasy #fantasyfiction #fantasyhorror #symphonyofelliandor #vilsindris #vilsindrisallivstar #vampire #vorseth #story #gothic #goth #gothicstories #digitalart #digitalillustration #digitalpainting #painting #characterart #characterillustration #fantasyart #fantasy #illustration #books #novel #adventurestory #vasitharithis https://www.instagram.com/p/CklTE3qNxt-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[drakenwriter]

Here's my next entry for @epicjim #epicinktober Elvish. I wanted to break the norm and do something different for the elves, rather than something leafy, I thought of ash. So the Dunmer from Morrowind it is! Here's one of the manors from Ald'ruhn, or a "croissant house" as I call it. I had a blast recreating this home. I've always loved the architecture design from Morrowind! I hope you all have a safe weekend! @bethesdagamestudios #digitalart #digitalillustration #digitalpainting #painting #characterart #characterillustration #fantasyart #fantasyillustration #fantasy #elderscrolls #elderscrollsfanart #morrowind #morrowindfanart #bethesdafanart #bethesdagamestudios #dunmer #art #artistsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CkTvhrkOQ0h/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[drakenwriter]

Symphony of Elliandor: A Dream Of Fellinar.

You ask me why I am disturbed tonight? Please then, stay and listen, for I have a confession to make that will reveal to you the reason for my unease this night. A dream I have just suffered was one that I endured long ago, and the current events have brought this nightmare back into reality.

           During a tireless night many ages ago, I was wounded while traveling on the road. Darkness was looming, and I lay on a bed roll --confused and sick-- next to Simothis, my lover of yore. I wept, for you must remember that I had just been reborn not but a month prior as what I now know as a Stravost'Kai. Simothis, in an effort to comfort me, told me in a calm, kind voice: “Vilsindris, my sweet, you are safe, I will protect you.” You see, I was being hunted by assassins sent by my traitorous uncle. Though it was not the assassins or my uncle who scared me, it was a battle of faith and damnation. As I mentioned, I was resurrected; reborn in Vordian’s flames. ‘The Devil’s Daughter’, they now call me, for my sins are laid bare for all of Elliandor to see. Eventually, the fever of my wounds took me, and I fell unconscious. Though what I saw was no dream, I fear, but a vision.

    I climbed a tower, up the spiraling steps along the outer rim. The air was dark and heavy, the black sky alight with hellfire. The steps I ascended were pale sandstone, no, bone, and blood trailed out of their cracks. My bare white feet were soaked in the wine of the fallen. In the shadows, impish creatures feasted off of the tortured souls trapped within spiked cages of wrought iron.

    I continued to climb, listening to the seductive whispers of he who granted my rebirth. Screams of agony filled the night, and cries of the damned roared like a sea of despair. I reached the top of the Tower of Bone, and red lightning forked in the twisted sky. Spikes like horns curled up from the four corners of the tower, on one side down below was a dry sea; a desert stretching for miles unending. There were strange formations in the sand, hills that seemed to make various long serpentine shapes. The other side was a portal: it was circular, swirling like lava in the sky, and glowing hotter than the sun itself.

    He stood there, in humanoid form. Black skin, thousands of diamond-shaped scales, and a crown of horns upon his reptilian head. He had eyes of ice like my own, and slitted draconic pupils that pierced into my soul. He wore no shirt, rather a simple loin cloth of black and gold, glowing from the flames of Fellinar. And his wings: his wings were long and black, batlike in appearance with scales to match his draconic nature. He extended his hand out, holding a spiked crown made of darkened dragon bone. It was made for me, and he would take no refusal, thus I placed it upon my bare head, this gift from Vordian. He bid me look upon the sand once more, and what I saw were legions of reptilian monsters. Twisted black forms with red cracks in their flesh glowing like lava. They marched for the Tower of Bone, and bowed, not before Vordian, but me, their queen.

    Vordian made a devilish smile, speaking no words, instead, he rose his arms into the hot air. The sand below turned to glass as hellfire burst forth from below. Brimstone formed and lava spilled from the cracks like blood. Those shapes that once were hills in the desert were now clear. A great leviathan rose: Massive wings spread from its large scaly body, a tail for miles it seemed, swept aside the flames of Fellinar. Seven draconic heads looked upon me with their fourteen fiery blue eyes. The leviathan bore resemblance to Vordian in his draconic form, though it was not him. Rather, he called it my brother; ‘Kul’Phurax,’ said Vordian in his deep tri-toned voice.

    This beast with its seven heads, rising and falling in a slithery motion, continued to stare at me. It bore no hint of love, no touch of care, only hunger and malice. Then to my fright, it began to devour all below, the souls of the damned, the demons, everything.

    I turned to face Vordian, yet all he could do was smile, bloody tears trickling down his scaly cheeks. He extended his arms and took me under his embrace as a father would. Then the flames of the Leviathan consumed us, yet Vordian’s icy-blue eyes remained in the darkness, and all was cold.

    I awoke from that dream with a terror unlike I had ever felt before. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead into my eyes. I wept bloody tears, and I remember climbing out from the blankets to kneel in prayer to the Four above. I felt a fleeting grace of love, though it vanished quickly. Instead, I was left with a hellish embrace as I remembered the words Vordian spoke to me long ago before my rebirth: “You should not be so eager to make deals with the devil.” And that was the first time I truly feared for my soul. For that darkness in my heart has never vanished. It has lingered on through the years, sometimes lying dormant, other times it shows through to the surface, and I am reminded of what unfettered evil feels like. For that malice is in my blood, it is the very fiber of my soul. And that is why I am terrified of death.

This short is an offshoot story of my main series: Symphony of Elliandor. It is copyrighted as of April 29th 2022. No one can copy the content within this story or repost it without explicit permission from me, the author.

[drakenwriter]

"This was not butchery. This was justice..." Vilsindris Allivstar: Year 257, First Age. I want so much to leave more of a qoute, to explain the situation of this picture but it would only spoil large portions of the plot. I should say that Va'Sith Arithis is finally coming to Audible, hopefully in the next few weeks. I have been listening to the complete audio files and this scene came across. My narrator, Ella Lewis, did such a beautiful job with the characters that they feel real. When this scene came across, I pictured it more vividly than when I had wrote it because of Ella's narration. I instantly stopped playing Skyrim, pulled out my tablet and, began drawing. I originally wanted to do a more detailed background, but I kind of like the calm gray to black gradient. I was worried that if I did anything else, it would pull away from Vilsindris and Simothis. This might be the first drawing that I've done that has actually captured emotion in characters faces. The sorrow, the rage, the horror. I wanted to go for something beautifully tragic, and I believe I did that. I should also state that I think this is the first time I captured Vilsindris' age in appearance. Usually she ends up looking much older in my drawings than she really is. She was turned into a Vorseth (vampire) at the age of 17, and is 24 in the first book, which means she retains her more youthful appearance. But she always ends up looking more late 20s, mid 30s whenever I draw her lol. If you want to read my stories, "Symphony of Elliandor: Va'Sith Arithis" can be found on the link in my bio! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and a great start to Inktober! #symphonyofelliandor #soe #vasitharithis #vilsindris #vilsindrisallivstar #vampire #vorseth #story #gothic #goth #gothicstories #fantasy #fantasyfiction #books #artistsofinstagram #digitalart #digitalillustration #digitalpainting #painting #characterart #characterillustration #fantasyart #fantasyillustration #sad #horrorart #horror #lovers #art https://www.instagram.com/p/CjI2LoROLd4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[drakenwriter]

Symphony of Elliandor: A Goblin's Holiday - A Goblin's Holiday (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1170488856-symphony-of-elliandor-a-goblin%27s-holiday-a?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=ZacharyMusgrove&wp_originator=8GIti2hXlPlemnwnacY%2FMQ9vVYCyuC2t6MIzk4ZKew8a88sFbgKQALZyRlTzR1MapI1L21AK59tsLErb4PPuhA2rvqmeYNNkWFj4jVZ3%2B9NwsDDAgbGbIbQ0oaiqOUey On their way home from the Royal City; the sell-sword duo, Bain, and Mortimer prepare to celebrate their winter holidays together, unaware of the mischief that will be caused by Mortimer's present.

[drakenwriter]

Symphony of Elliandor: Creation Day 2020 - Creation Day (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1169328237-symphony-of-elliandor-creation-day-2020-creation?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=ZacharyMusgrove&wp_originator=foNJd8ftwLFM5u7ZPLEqUkOPANUlh2fcHggTTQVbwCbn%2FblHsKVRzTV%2FhVyhSfEcKv4b8XqfbQKBBe0oOexWYIoxehJx%2FVDnjw7fBjd%2FMdfBl9xUlnDtyAM2lgZhhQM7 In the world of Elliandor, the Dracion, Carzon, celebrates the most sacred holiday in this heartfelt fantasy short story. This story was writing on Christmas Eve of 2020, and edited upon release here on Wattpad. Zachary T. Musgrove.

[drakenwriter]

Symphony of Elliandor: The Adventures of Simothis (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/story/265986307-symphony-of-elliandor-the-adventures-of-simothis?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_myworks&wp_uname=ZacharyMusgrove&wp_originator=xc%2BbK5ssDrqHvjzYY8LR4iMxOdU704lf6Cz4f6QOijKaBHdnjU62ZhYqvlJFiplcHzWxkd4x%2FQuwrnU44MBZ4WqwSeoLaOswq1%2FQBcdG1EPApKq84bSKSXtZPRsygMiU Set two years after Vilsindris revealed her true nature, and rose to her throne during the event known as the "Butchery of the Vil'Morvoth"; we follow the monster hunter, Simothis, as he attempts to bury his past by hunting the creatures which prey upon the weak. Be it werewolves, demonic statues, sorcerers, or the blood-sucking Vorseth; though none are so deadly as the Stravost'Kian queen, Vilsindris. She, who he once loved, she who he helped rise to the throne. The betrayer, the Devil's Daughter. . . He has sworn to slay her, and will stop at nothing to do just that. "The Adventures of Simothis" is a compilation of short stories which I will be updating on a monthly basis. The entire story is largely finished, and edited by myself. That being said, one day soon I will have a professional editor clean up the entire story. However for now, I would like to share these adventures one at a time, while I continue writing the sequel to my published novel, Va'Sith Arithis-- "Symphony of Elliandor II: The Winter King". With these stories being a continuation of Simothis' story arc, there will be spoilers to "Symphony of Elliandor: Va'Sith Arithis". While it can be read on it's own as a standalone story, I highly recommend reading "Va'Sith Arithis" first so that you can fully enjoy what these stories have to offer. While I am sharing these stories for free, I am currently working to build the funds that I need to not only edit this compilation, but also "The Winter King". If you like my work, and want to see these stories in a physical published format: please consider supporting me on Buymeacoffee. Tips are never expected, but always welcome! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/DrakenArtMinis Please feel free to leave me feedback on the story so that I can continue to improve my works! Thank you, and enjoy this story!

[drakenwriter]

Check out Zachary Musgrove's profile on Wattpad https://www.wattpad.com/ZacharyMusgrove?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_profile My name is Zachary Musgrove. I am a self published author through both Amazon KDP and Barnes and Noble. Currently I have one novel published "Symphony of Elliandor: Va'Sith Arithis" which is the first in a fantasy epic of seven planned novels, including several short stories. 

[drakenwriter]

Faeona Verkhiem's portrait is finished! I had a ton of fun working on this one. I've been wanting to draw a detailed illustration of Faeona for some time now, but I usually end up defaulting to Vilsindris instead.

Here is a page taken from the second book of "Symphony of Elliandor: The Winter King" that helped inspire this illustration. (Note on the manuscript page: It is from an unfinished product, thus not professionally edited as of this time. *The scene is taken from a nightmare that our protagonist, Thedric Morvius, is currently suffering* )

“What’s going on? Where are you?” I look around the large chamber: there is a set of grand double doors opposite to the balcony, a large round table with golden goblets full of blood, and a fireplace adjacent to the bed. A soft and cold hand with black nails touches my cheek. I turn around to see the face of a woman; her cheekbones are defined and cheeks gaunt, her skin is pure white in contrast to her stark black hair. She looks to me with icy-blue eyes that are startlingly draconic. White locks of hair dangle loosely over her eyes, wavy like the rest of her otherwise raven hair. She wears a black sheer dress and nothing underneath, her skin is again, pure white as though unbesmirched by the sun. “Who are you?” I ask.

    “I. . . I cannot tell you. If I do, she’ll. . .” out of a nightmare, blood runs down her eyes as if they are her tears. The chamber was cold to begin with, now freezing as though the stone walls are turned to ice. I hear a shriek as a clawed hand roughly grips the shoulder of the pale woman in front of me. Her eyes open wide with terror as she is wrenched away into the darkness. I jump back, reaching for the sword on my belt only to realize that I wear nothing but my travel pants in this dazed nightmare. I hear a growl then the woman cries out as though in pain. Suddenly, another set of cold blue eyes appear in front of me full of hellish rage, her face is gaunt and her jet-black hair long. Her glossy lips are red with blood, her mouth opens to show a set of four snake-like canines. She reaches for me and pulls me in. . . those fangs sink into my neck, and my vision fails me."

[drakenwriter]

"The Adventures of Simothis, Part 3: The Tower of Dusk" is now available for free on My Wattpad as part of the monthly episodic release of the continuation of Simothis's journeys from the Symphony of Elliandor. "Join Simothis, and his orcish friend, Joxer the Bard, as they brave the depths of an ancient tower built into the Mountains of Dusk. It is there where they will face a sorcerer hellbent on vengeance, but they find a much darker force in play. One that could forever change the fate of Elliandor." Be sure to catch up on the Adventures of Simothis, by following this link: https://www.wattpad.com/user/ZacharyMusgrove to my Wattpad profile, Or by following the Linktree in my bio! I'm posting my stories there every month for free, so check them out and spread the word! #symphonyofelliandor #soe #vasitharithis #vilsindris #vilsindrisallivstar #simothis #simothisfarholst #adventuresofsimothis #characterart #characterillustration #fantasyart #fantasyillustration #sketchbook #sketch #sketching #books #fantasystories #booksofinstagram #horrorstories #epicfantasyseries #shortstories https://www.instagram.com/p/CO0rpMSHQ-d/?igshid=12qjo9ua652n9

[drakenwriter]

Hey everyone! Long time no post. I have some exciting news, over the past several months (since September of 2020 in fact) I have been writing a series of short stories continuing Simothis' storyline from "Va'Sith Arithis" For those of you who have read Va'Sith Arithis through to the end, you'll note something interesting about the way the story ends and more importantly, where the sequel "The Winter King" will pick up. Thus, that being said I wanted to continue Sim's story in a way that would not directly effect the timeline of the main series.

That being said, while celebrating the one year anniversary of Va'Sith Arithis, I have begun to publish some short stories titled "Symphony of Elliandor: Adventures of Simothis" which will become a full compilation overtime in a physical release. I'll be releasing the stories one month at a time on a website called Wattpad (I'll drop the link in a few).

These stories are in a work-in-progress state, meaning that they have only been edited by myself and my wife, however they are fully readable. That being said, I will be saving up the funds to have them professionally edited as I did with Va'Sith Arithis.

They are free to read as it is my hope to gain a little more exposure as an author.

Now that being said, if you like my work and want to help support me, there is a link to my Buymeacoffee account attached to the story's description. All of the tips will go towards paying a professional editor for both "The Winter King" and "The Adventures of Simothis".

Tips are never expected, but always welcome.

https://www.wattpad.com/user/ZacharyMusgrove

[drakenwriter]

And here we have my latest drawings of Vilsindris as depicted in "Symphony of Elliandor: The Winter King" I had so much fun drawing this piece, and I did something a little different this time around: I thought myself some photo editing skills using GIMP on the computer. My original intention was to add blood rain using paint, but I was extremely worried that it would end up messing up the original picture, so I decided to turn to the digital world. While it is not perfect, I do enjoy the effects. So I've got two variations of this illustration. I was going to post a qoute from the unfinished book with the drawing, but I don't want to risk spoiling anything as this scene is from one of the final chapters in that massive novel (currently 633 pages long, and goodness the editing is going slow on it. I feel George R.R. Martin's pain here 😆)

[drakenwriter]

Here is an extremely old drawing that I did of my character, Carzon, from Symphony of Elliandor. He's a vampire (Vorseth in my series) lizardman, and one of my main characters. In fact, he's largely the reason that I started writing books in the first place. I had a ton of fun with this one, and I plan on one day remastering it in full color.

I hope everyone's staying safe this weekend, and just a reminder I am starting to take commissions for character art now. So feel free to dm me for details and requests!

[drakenwriter]

I just finished the Knight of Shrouds last night. (I'll do his base in a group with some of my other Nighthaunts) I'm extremely happy with how he turned out. I originally planned on making him green, but I decided to go with a more bloody wraith kind of look. I think he turned out extremely imposing, and he' ll be a great center piece for my Vampire Counts.

[drakenwriter]

A SliVoth'Kor from Symphony of Elliandor. A demon from the Void, one who preys on its victims in their sleep. Turning dreams into nightmares, and nightmares into reality.

[drakenwriter]

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone!!