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Character Designs (Cont.)

Part one

As a follow-up to the last post, here are the character designs for the rest of the central figures in A Revised History of Erdas. While they come second to the Four Heroes in terms of importance, these people still have big parts to play in the story.

Shane

Shane's spot on this list needs no explanation. He is the redeemed villain of the first arc and even has his own book. In ARHoE, he survives the Battle of the Tides and goes on to be closely involved with the plot of the following arcs.

One important aspect of Stetriol in ARHoE is that all its people, despite their varying skin tones, are Aboriginal. There are Stetriolans with dark skin, light skin and everywhere in between. The ones with fair skin, such as Shane, have no connection to Eurans; their lighter features are a result of evolving in the far south of the continent, where the temperatures are much colder. When comparing Shane to a Euran like Conor, the differences are clear. Their features set them apart; Shane has a wide nose, full lips and thick hair, for example, which contrasts with Conor's narrow nose, thin lips and fine hair. Despite their similarly coloured hair, skin and eyes, they are completely different races.

Shane's light golden-blond hair is, under ideal circumstances, cut short. Likewise, he meticulously shaves his facial hair. Such is the way of Stetriolan noblemen. When his transformation began, though, his mental health took a sharp nosedive, and these practices of his fell by the wayside. Abeke and Rollan meet him in The Return with hair down to the base of his neck, bangs falling into his eyes and peach fuzz lining his jaw. He resumed his normal routines after Fall of the Beasts, as his mental state and self-image improved. He has fair skin that tans easily and often. His eyes change from their natural blue to yellow-green, larger than before and with slitted pupils. These eyes have an unsettling quality about them; many cannot hold his gaze.

He is broad, powerfully built and muscular, which is partially a result of fusing with Grahv. His height was also influenced by his transformation. Naturally, his final height would have been 5'10" (177 cm) -- very tall for a Stetriolan -- but he has gained an additional two inches since he began to turn and currently stands at 6' (182 cm). He is still growing, but the process has slowed down since the initial burst.

His nose is crooked from where it was broken one too many times (once by Meilin in Fire and Ice, once by Conor in The Evertree). His scars are few, and faint against the colour of his skin. The ones he finds himself tracing most often are the ones Abeke gave him when they met in battle at Muttering Rock. He knows she bears scars from that day, too.

The change began at the site of the crocodile tattoo that curled around his chest. By the time of The Burning Tide, approximately a year and a half after the Bile lost its effect, his chest, belly, shoulders and upper arms were covered in tough new skin and pebbled green scales. The leathery hide on his torso hadn't yet spread around to his sides, which is how Uraza's fangs were able to pierce him. His face is also affected; apart from his eyes, his eyebrows have been replaced by scaly green ridges, giving him the look of someone turning into stone. His fingers are tipped with savage claws, and his mouth is filled with bristling crocodile teeth. These teeth are so fearsome in appearance that he rarely smiles anymore. Short spikes appeared on his back after Fall of the Beasts, small enough that they don't tear his clothing. He hasn't yet sprouted a tail, to his relief.

His accent is unique to the people of Stetriol. It is not an Australian accent (which is theorised to have been brought over by colonisers from England). It is not easy to place, which works in his favour as a Redcloak. Still, Abeke knows it well, prompting him to communicate with her via sign language or change the pitch of his voice prior to the reveal.

His Redcloak attire consists of a long-sleeved shirt with a quilted black jacket over top (partially for warmth and partially to make sure his scaly flesh is hidden from view), black trousers, black leather boots and matching gloves. He wears his sabre in a brown leather strap slung across his body. A belt wraps around his waist, to which he attaches pouches for storing small items. His heavy red cloak is draped around his shoulders; it has a hood that he uses to further conceal himself. Lastly, his mask is how it is originally described: Featureless and made of smooth white wood. Shane the Conqueror dressed simply and openly, in an attempt to make himself seem honest, unassuming. King the Redcloak intentionally dresses to hide every inch of himself. There is not a flash of hair or skin to give him away. All that is visible are his eyes.

His beaded bracelet from the Gulf of Amaya, the one that matches Abeke's, is blue, turquoise and white. Like her, he stopped wearing it openly after he sabotaged their relationship, but always kept it close. Believing Abeke would have long since discarded hers, he was surprised and touched when he learned otherwise.

Worthy

Like Shane, Worthy is indisputably one of the most influential characters in the series. He has been present since the very first page. His role stays relatively unchanged in ARHoE, and he remains relevant in Path of the Heroes.

He has long, straight, dark brown hair and dark freckles peppering his pale skin. His hair is worn in braided styles, denoting his high status. After leaving Trunswick behind and becoming a Redcloak, he usually opts to put it in a simple ponytail. With the transformation, it darkens to black. His eyes change from their natural ice-blue to brilliant, feline golden.

As Devin Trunswick, he is well-built, albeit a little soft around the middle. As Worthy, he is considerably broader and more muscular than before. His final height would be 5'5" (165 cm) if not for the curse, which is actually causing him to lose height. He currently stands at 5'2" (157 cm), approximately two years after the Bile lost its effect. This change is rapid and worrying.

Euran earls like Eric Trunswick style their facial hair into a neat moustache and beard; Worthy doesn't fuss over his as much. At sixteen, he has a faint moustache and a few dark hairs on his chin. He leaves it alone.

Elda was, in actuality, a black jaguar captured in southern Amaya -- not the true spotless wildcat of Euran legend. Worthy is turning into a jaguar, a completely different species than Donn or Wilco. Like all people with the curse, the transformation began at the site of the tattoo, in his case on his right forearm. Sleek black fur covers the length of that arm, thinning and fading back into human skin near his wrist. The fur spreads around his shoulders to his other arm as well, and in a long stripe down his spine to join with his tail. His tail is fully grown by the time of Heart of the Land, but only measures about two feet in length. Large rosettes with a spot in the centre are barely visible under the inky fur. He has long, pointed fangs and retractable claws on both his hands and feet. His senses are much sharper, especially his hearing and night vision.

He has the same accent as Conor, but less broad due to his background. It is still very noticeable, though, leading him to go almost completely silent as a Redcloak to avoid being identified as a native of Eura.

Since Redcloaks generally wear the same sort of uniform to avoid giving away both their affliction and their nationalities, Worthy's clothing is similar to Shane's. He wears less layers and looser fabrics than Shane, though, so as not to restrict his movement. A dagger is fastened to his belt, but he rarely uses it, preferring his own claws in combat. Fashioned after Elda, his white mask has rounded ears and a feline muzzle. His hooded red cloak makes him seem bigger than he actually is.

Tasha

Tasha is a much different character in ARHoE than she was in the original books. In this universe, she is part of the royal family of Stetriol as Shane's cousin. After the events of Fall of the Beasts, she succeeds him and becomes the first queen regnant in Stetriolan history. Even after returning home to rule and rebuild, Queen Tasha is a recurring character in the following arcs. It is for this reason, and her introduction as a main POV in arc two, that she is considered one of the central figures of ARHoE.

She also looks completely different from how she is canonically described. In the original books, she is white, with blonde hair and blue eyes. In ARHoE, she is the Erdas equivalent of Aboriginal Australian.

She has brown skin and long, thick, straight black hair, usually worn down or in a loose braid. Her eyes are dark brown. She bears a striking resemblance to her cousins, Shane and Drina; they share many of the same facial features, especially the intense eyes. When standing next to Shane, their relation to each other is undeniable.

She gains some muscle from her adventures with Abeke and Rollan, but had a strong, toned build to begin with. Her final height is 5’3" (160 cm). This is above average for a Stetriolan woman, but not enough to be considered tall.

Ever fond of jewelry, she likes to wear necklaces strung with shells and large, hanging earrings in circular or diamond shapes, hand painted with detailed designs, some with bunches of swan feathers hanging from the ends. She got the idea of wearing Ninani's feathers from Rollan. These would obviously be a disadvantage in a fight, so if she is expecting action she will preemptively take them out.

The tattoo of Ninani is branded on her right shoulder, wings outstretched and neck curved in an S shape. Since the bird is all white, she manifests as only an outline in tattoo form.

Tasha shares the same Stetriolan accent as Shane. As royals, their accents are somewhat more cultivated than the common folk's.

While on the run with Abeke and Rollan, she had to forego her long dress in favour of more practical clothes salvaged from the Tellun's Pride II -- a too-large white tunic and trousers, with a belt to hold them up. As queen of Stetriol, she wears a beautiful white dress with gold flowers embroidered along its hem and sleeves, sometimes with a possum-skin cloak draped over top, and a simple gold circlet as a crown. A feathered headdress and white face paint are worn for ceremonial occasions. The quarterstaff she trained and fought with, a Euran weapon made of ash, remains with her in her castle chambers. In its place she took up a royal sceptre, tipped with a marble swan. It serves as both a symbol of her sovereignty and a comforting reminder of the weapon she came to rely on.

Takoda

Takoda is included because he became a main POV in Fall of the Beasts, along with Tasha.

His hair is dark and curly, but he is required to shave it off as a monk. He has no way of doing this properly while underground with Conor and Meilin, so in the long months of their journey his hair grows to be about two inches long. He has medium-brown skin and dark brown eyes. His features are more Niloan than Zhongese, but still ambiguous enough to indicate that he is of mixed race.

He is naturally slender and willowy, but grows quite gaunt during his travels with Conor and Meilin. His final height is 5'5" (165 cm).

As a baby, Takoda received the tribal marks of his mother's people, the Belawa of southern Nilo. Unlike the deep grooves of the Yufandi, Belawa scarifications are raised bumps on the skin. Two rows of the small marks form a wide arc around Takoda's right eye, beginning above his brow and ending at his cheek. Usually, both sides of the face are marked in this way. Takoda's particular style signifies that he is Belawa on only one side of his family.

Like in the original books, his tattoo of Kovo stretches from his neck to his collarbone, a location that is impossible to miss. It does not, however, extend up to his jaw. Takoda doesn't like the placement very much, but luckily for him, Kovo rarely confines himself to the passive state.

He has a southern Niloan accent, with minimal influence from his Zhongese father.

In his monastery, he wears his signature blue cotton robes, fastened with a white sash, and sandals. When he temporarily joined the Greencloaks, he switched to the practical travelling clothes that everyone else wears -- tunic, trousers, boots. The tunic he chose was blue, like his old robes. His travelling cloak doubled as a blanket.

Irtike

Irtike is included on this list because, much like Tasha, she has an expanded role in ARHoE. She was a part of the Greencloak expedition to Stetriol in The Evertree, was infected by Zerif in Fall of the Beasts, and all throughout, has an important role as Abeke's cousin. Finally, she joins the main cast in Path of the Heroes.

She has cool-toned dark brown skin, darker than Abeke's, and dark brown eyes. Her short, coily dark hair is worn in the Yufandi style of braids and adorned with wooden beads. It sits at about neck-length, and she lets them hang loose around her head. Her resemblance to Abeke is not as noticeable as Tasha's to Shane; it takes a few moments of studying her face to realise the similarities. They both favour their mothers, who were sisters.

She is slight in stature; unhealthily thin in Nilo, but filling out to a more average build after enough time in Greenhaven. Her final height is 5'2" (157 cm).

Her tribal marks are similar, but not identical, to Abeke's. Irtike has the same three vertical grooves on each cheek (meaning that she is Yufandi), but only one on her forehead (meaning that she is Marked). She lacks the additional two forehead notches that her cousin has, which are for Rain Dancers.

Her tattoo of Mikak curls around her ankle. She wanted her spirit animal tattoo to be in the same place as her mother's.

As a former inhabitant of Okaihee, she has a western Niloan accent.

Irtike was so accustomed to the fierce heat of Nilo that the much milder climate of Greenhaven Island was a massive change for her. It took her months to acclimate, and even now she still prefers to wear several layers. She typically wears a fur-lined coat or woollen shirt with brown trousers and brown leather boots. A small, fur-lined bag to hold Mikak in is secured to her chest. She is very fond of her thick travelling cloak, and is usually seen wrapped up in that rather than a regular green cloak.

Song

Empress Song deserves a place here, as she was the main villain and a recurring POV in arc three. Although she is taken for dead in Path of the Heroes, her demise cannot be proved, and she haunts the arc's narrative.

She has tan skin (a lighter shade than Meilin's, due to her spending so much time indoors), long, straight black hair and dark brown eyes. She places a dangling, jewelled hairpin (called buyao) in her hair, one that sways as she moves. For public appearances, both as princess and empress, she powders her face, neck, hands and any other exposed skin, applies rouge to her cheeks and red gloss to her lips, and draws her eyebrows. For Song, a full face of makeup is like a mask that she can hide behind. Few have seen her without it.

Her petite stature belies her true nature. She stands at 5' (152 cm), which is somewhat short for a woman from her part of Zhong.

Her ears are pierced, and she wears dangling pendants made with gold, pearls or cut glass as earrings. She especially loves her glass earrings, admiring the way they catch the light.

Seaspray’s long body twists up the length of Song’s upper arm in tattoo form. His tail snakes around her elbow, and his head rests lovingly on her shoulder.

She has a refined central Zhongese accent, like Meilin.

The silk robes she favoured as a princess were in dazzling shades of green and blue. As empress, her formal wear includes a rich purple robe, lavishly embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, and a heavy, ornate fengguan (phoenix crown) made of gold and precious stones. Her headpiece holds her updo in place; it is a notably stiffer style than how she wore her hair previously, half of it loose and streaming over her shoulders with a bun at the back of her head.

And with that, the character design posts are complete! As mentioned in part one, everything you see described here is how I picture the characters, and how they will be portrayed in A Revised History of Erdas.

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any spirit animals fans in chat

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The feeling when you realise that an author you love now wrote your favourite book in the series you were obsessed with when younger.

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fear

[orcaab]

Principles and Laws of Magic for Fantasy Writers

Fundamental Laws

1. Law of Conservation of Magic- Magic cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

3. Law of Equivalent Exchange- To gain something, an equal value must be given.

5. Law of Magical Exhaustion- Using magic drains the user’s energy or life force.

Interaction and Interference

4. Law of Magical Interference- Magic can interfere with other magical effects.

6. Law of Magical Contamination- Magic can have unintended side effects.

8. Law of Magical Inertia- Magical effects continue until stopped by an equal or greater force.

Resonance and Conditions

7. Law of Magical Resonance- Magic resonates with certain materials, places, or times.

9. Law of Magical Secrecy- Magic must be kept secret from the non-magical world.

11. Law of Magical Hierarchy- Different types of magic have different levels of power and difficulty.

Balance and Consequences

10. Law of Magical Balance- Every positive magical effect has a negative consequence.

12. Law of Magical Limitation- Magic has limits and cannot solve every problem.

14. Law of Magical Rebound- Misused magic can backfire on the user.

Special Conditions

13. Law of Magical Conduits- Certain objects or beings can channel magic more effectively.

15. Law of Magical Cycles- Magic may be stronger or weaker depending on cycles (e.g., lunar phases).

17. Law of Magical Awareness- Some beings are more attuned to magic and can sense its presence.

Ethical and Moral Laws

16. Law of Magical Ethics- Magic should be used responsibly and ethically.

18. Law of Magical Consent- Magic should not be used on others without their consent.

20. Law of Magical Oaths- Magical promises or oaths are binding and have severe consequences if broken.

Advanced and Rare Laws

19. Law of Magical Evolution- Magic can evolve and change over time.

20. Law of Magical Singularities- Unique, one-of-a-kind magical phenomena exist and are unpredictable.

Unique and Imaginative Magical Laws

- Law of Temporal Magic- Magic can manipulate time, but with severe consequences. Altering the past can create paradoxes, and using time magic ages the caster rapidly.

- Law of Emotional Resonance- Magic is amplified or diminished by the caster’s emotions. Strong emotions like love or anger can make spells more powerful but harder to control.

- Law of Elemental Harmony- Magic is tied to natural elements (fire, water, earth, air). Using one element excessively can disrupt the balance and cause natural disasters.

- Law of Dream Magic- Magic can be accessed through dreams. Dreamwalkers can enter others’ dreams, but they risk getting trapped in the dream world.

- Law of Ancestral Magic- Magic is inherited through bloodlines. The strength and type of magic depend on the caster’s ancestry, and ancient family feuds can influence magical abilities.

- Law of Symbiotic Magic- Magic requires a symbiotic relationship with magical creatures. The caster and creature share power, but harming one affects the other.

- Law of Forgotten Magic- Ancient spells and rituals are lost to time. Discovering and using forgotten magic can yield great power but also unknown dangers.

- Law of Magical Echoes- Spells leave behind echoes that can be sensed or traced. Powerful spells create stronger echoes that linger longer.

- Law of Arcane Geometry- Magic follows geometric patterns. Spells must be cast within specific shapes or alignments to work correctly.

- Law of Celestial Magic- Magic is influenced by celestial bodies. Spells are stronger during certain astronomical events like eclipses or planetary alignments.

- Law of Sentient Magic- Magic has a will of its own. It can choose to aid or hinder the caster based on its own mysterious motives.

- Law of Shadow Magic- Magic can manipulate shadows and darkness. Shadowcasters can travel through shadows but are vulnerable to light.

- Law of Sympathetic Magic- Magic works through connections. A spell cast on a representation of a person (like a doll or portrait) affects the actual person.

- Law of Magical Artifacts- Certain objects hold immense magical power. These artifacts can only be used by those deemed worthy or who possess specific traits.

- Law of Arcane Paradoxes- Some spells create paradoxes that defy logic. These paradoxes can have unpredictable and often dangerous outcomes.

- Law of Elemental Fusion- Combining different elemental magics creates new, hybrid spells with unique properties and effects.

- Law of Ethereal Magic- Magic can interact with the spirit world. Ethereal mages can communicate with spirits, but prolonged contact can blur the line between life and death.

- Law of Arcane Symbiosis- Magic can bond with technology, creating magical machines or enchanted devices with extraordinary capabilities.

- Law of Dimensional Magic- Magic can open portals to other dimensions. Dimensional travelers can explore alternate realities but risk getting lost or encountering hostile beings.

- Law of Arcane Sacrifice- Powerful spells require a sacrifice, such as a cherished memory, a personal item, or even a part of the caster’s soul.

---

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VSArtParty WIP - Oct. 2024

Throwing this WIP here, because I don't know when I'm able to finish it.

Vacation is over and upcoming work week fills me with a lot of dread,... I hope it won't get as bad as I fear,... but yeah first day after vacation is always strange. I'll try to stay positive and hope for the best!

And I hope you already enjoy this lil sketch ♥

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Messaging people for the first time is so hard. What am I supposed to say? Like, "You seem really odd and your blog intrigues me. Do you want to have philosophical conversations or perhaps talk about fictional characters?" What! Whatever. I will just follow you back and stare at your blog with my big beautiful brown eyes.

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Rereading The Book of Shane

So... I lied when I said I would be taking a break from my rereads. Shane's special edition was calling to me, and I gave in. So, we're back to it!

Venom

Yumaris's powers of prophecy are innate, rather than given by her bond with the earthworm. Even in this section, she cryptically references multiple future events, like Zerif's arrival and Shane's participation in the impending war.

I know it wasn't intended this way, but I can't help but imagine that the white rabbit little Shane was chasing before he was bitten by the snake was his mother's spirit animal. The interpretation that the white rabbit is a symbol of his innocent, happy childhood, and the snake is a symbol of the ugliness and pain of the war he threw himself into, makes me think that it being his mother's spirit animal would have been fitting.

I wonder if Shane's dream about the ostrich is foretelling his fate... bonding with Grahv unnaturally, and him one day becoming trapped in Shane's body in much the same way. "People kept their distance. But for Shane there was no escape from the ostrich, because the ostrich was him."

Shane making a desperate plot to sail away to Nilo with his sister... yes, it's the closest land to Stetriol. But also, the significance is not lost on me.

It's revealed in this section that Zerif's bond with the jackal was natural... which I do not support! If Zerif called it many years ago when he was a child, why has he never named it (as revealed in The Return)? Why doesn't he acknowledge its gender, referring to the animal as an "it"? And most importantly, why does it abandon him when the Bile loses its power? This all points towards them being Bile-bonded, but Venom makes that impossible because a) Zerif already has his jackal when Shane creates Bile for the first time in centuries, and b) there are no jackals in Stetriol for Zerif to bond with, even if Kovo or Halawir gave him Bile, or if he found some on his own whilst in Stetriol. I like the theory that he discovered ancient stores of Bile elsewhere on Erdas, then forcibly bonded with a jackal he found in Nilo, Zhong or Eura. I simply can't accept that Zerif's bond with his jackal was natural all along. Theirs will always be a Bile bond to me.

We never find out what animals Shane's parents summoned, or even the name of Shane's mother. You'd think that would be important to mention. She's named Gwyneth in ARHoE, but I haven't decided on her spirit animal yet. For Irwyn, I chose a thylacine, an animal that was going extinct in Stetriol at the time.

Vendetta

So Gerathon has controlled Shane before; she does so in this section to familiarize herself with his whereabouts. I can't believe I forgot that part. But then, why does he react so violently when she possesses him in The Evertree? (In any case, I prefer the idea that she had never controlled him before that battle.)

I'm tempted to write an AU where it is indeed Abeke and Uraza who track Shane down in the Niloan jungle. Same as I'm tempted to write one where Abeke gives in to her urge and goes after him following the events of Immortal Guardians. I want to know how he would handle those situations.

"Did you ever hear the story about how the goanna and the perentie got their colouring?" I was today years old when I learned that these are actual animals that exist on Earth. This entire time I thought they were made up! They are both lizards, which confirms my theory that they were the lizards depicted on the tapestry Shane saw in Venom.

Shane's habit of talking to normal animals might be one of my favourite things about him. In this book, he does it with a kangaroo and then a monkey. It's endearing.

It's so sad that Shane and Achi ended on such bad terms. It was sweet seeing him take on something of a big brother role with the younger boy.

Vengeance

It's interesting that Shane keeps shifting the blame for what happened to Drina. In Rise and Fall, when talking to Abeke, he blames Gar. In The Evertree, he blames Gerathon. And in Vengeance, he blames Yumaris. He blames everyone but himself.

I wonder if Shane was buried in the very same cemetery where his parents and ancestors lie... I wonder if they placed him next to Drina.

The temple has spiral structures and symbols referencing the Wyrm... which makes me think it was the Hellans who built it, not ancient Amayans like Anya suggests. Initially it seems perplexing that they would build a temple in honour of it when they knew it to be an evil force, but I think they meant it as more of an entryway showing the way down to destroy it.

"Did she tell you I have a weak spot for girl archers? Did she think I'd be more likely to trust you if you reminded me of someone I care about?" The fact that even Yumaris was able to clock that Shane has feelings for Abeke says a lot. Shane must really have been wearing his heart on his sleeve. We've seen how this is true for Abeke in regards to Shane, so it's funny to see that this is equally the case for him.

"What happened to you?" Shane says when he sees what Yumaris is turning into... and Rollan says these same horrified words to him when he sees his changed appearance for the first time in The Return: Revised. The parallels.

I'm debating on bringing Anya back in Path of the Heroes. On one hand, I feel like Shane isn't meant to cross paths with most of the people introduced in this book ever again, but on the other, I enjoyed their friendship and would love to explore it some more with Shane as a changed person. I dunno. We'll see what happens.

Venture

So Shane went to Sadre and all we hear about it is a mushroom? I weep…

Yeffa and Fito, two of the New Conquerors' raiders, were actually first introduced as Conqueror bosses that you have to defeat in the Spirit Animals game. Yeffa's spirit animal was a lion and Fito's was a jaguar. I love when they write game characters into the books; it's fun to make the connections. Timote and Piri, Kalani's brothers, are also on this raider team, which means they were either exiled or chose not to return home after the war.

It certainly means something that Shane dreams of Abeke (because the leopard is clearly alluding to her) on the night before his execution.

This was a great book; definitely one of my favourites. Nick Eliopulos's writing style, so thought-provoking and rich in symbolism, is exquisite. I have always loved how Abeke haunted the narrative; she was everywhere in this book, despite never making an appearance. The hints about the Wyrm set up the next arc perfectly. As much as I love Shane, I found his inner thoughts to be quite insufferable at times, and kept shaking my head at his painfully black-and-white view of the war and his deflection of the blame that was rightfully placed on him. But it was also very intriguing to read through. I came out of this liking Shane more, as I did the first and second and hundredth time around, because I can now appreciate how much he changed as a person. Coming to that, though: I feel like we didn't get to see him grow and break out of his old mindset in this book as much as I would have liked. His redemption arc is set in motion in this book, but I wish it progressed further, considering how little time we got with him in Fall of the Beasts. Another section or two would have been beneficial, in my opinion, to explore how he formed the Redcloaks (and maybe his travels in Sadre with Yumaris) and really solidify that he is beginning to walk a better path.

This is part of an ongoing series.

Wild Born | Hunted | Blood Ties | Fire and Ice | Against the Tide | Rise and Fall | The Evertree

Immortal Guardians | Broken Ground | The Return | The Burning Tide

Heart of the Land | The Wildcat's Claw | Stormspeaker | The Dragon's Eye

Tales of the Great Beasts | The Book of Shane | Tales of the Fallen Beasts

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Tried to make prints using linoleum and softcut, and it turned out to be such a relax process for me. I love how the results look, and I’m currently working on another piece :]

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the main four + shane + my oc alastair

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I did some fanart of Abeke, I hope I did her justice

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Announcement!

My Spirit Animals project finally has a name: A Revised History of Erdas (abbreviated as ARHoE). This is the term I will use from now on to refer to the AU and all the writing that accompanies it.

The tag #spirit animals rewrite will be foregone in favour of a new, collective one, #a revised history of erdas. Posts that focus on the events of the unaltered, original Spirit Animals series will be tagged as #original erdas. All of my previous posts have been updated accordingly.

Here is a rundown of everything will be included in A Revised History of Erdas.

A master document (henceforth simply referred to as the "masterdoc") detailing everything there is to know about the altered world of Erdas, from the geography and religion to the plot changes and character designs. This is intended to serve as the reader's guide to ARHoE.

The revision of the main series, arcs one through three.

Tales of the Four Heroes, a collection of short stories that explores some of the unseen adventures of Conor, Abeke, Meilin and Rollan during and after the Second Great War.

Vow, an additional chapter of The Book of Shane that reveals how the Redcloaks came to be.

The revision of Essix's chapter in Tales of the Great Beasts, in which she befriends one of the first Greencloaks in Amaya.

King of Ashes, a novella that follows Shane's ancestor, King Lysander's rise to power in the wake of the First Great War.

Wyrmslayer, a novella centred on Abeke and Uraza in the aftermath of the War with the Wyrm.

The fourth and final arc, Path of the Heroes, in which the Four and their spirit animals must face a new adversary with their bond tokens.

An as of yet untitled book that jumps forward in time to the next generation -- the Four Heroes' children.

All standalone short stories set in this universe.

Any and all AUs that branch off from this primary AU.

Art that is commissioned for this project.

I do not have a timeline for when these written instalments will be released, nor do I want to give myself one. I will work on this whenever I can and release things when I am finished. I am determined to see this gigantic undertaking through to completion, but it will take time.

All stories will be posted (chapter-by-chapter, if applicable) on Archive of Our Own under the same username.

Once this project is in full swing, I will be using my alternate blog @a-revised-history-of-erdas to announce new uploads and discuss the project from a professional standpoint. I will also accept asks about all aspects of the AU on there. This blog will still exist as a more casual one, and to occasionally talk about the original Spirit Animals books. For now, though, this blog, bayofwolves, is the place to be for all things regarding A Revised History of Erdas.

I must reiterate: This is a passion project that I am making for me. I am glad to share what I have created and wholeheartedly welcome readers, but please keep in mind that I am not writing this to appeal to the public. First and foremost, this is for me. You are free to disagree with certain plot points or writing decisions, but unless I mention I am open to it, please be respectful and keep any criticisms to yourself. I am just a girl who is expanding on her favourite childhood book series in her own way.

Thank you all for your continued support! More news coming soon...

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How I'm thinking it's going to work (for now, subject to change):

General:

THIS BRACKET IS NOT ABOUT WHICH CHARACTER IS THE MOST MORALLY GOOD! MORALLY SHITTY CHARACTERS CAN STILL BE WELL-WRITTEN AND INTERESTING, WHICH IS WHAT MAKES A CHARACTER A GOOD CHARACTER. I just want everyone to understand that going in.

I am doing my best to collect every single canon character in this entire series. I will release the full list soon. Having said that, I am only human. It's possible I'll miss someone. If you have an attachment to a very minor character that I happen to miss, send me an ask, either to here, or to my main @dark-night-star-light. Anon asks are always on!

You can only submit canon characters. No OCs allowed, sorry. But you can submit a canon character regardless of how irrelevant or minor they are.

Voter fraud* and bribery** are not allowed. I know, I know, other fandoms allow them. I'm not, because the small-scale size of this fandom means that could actually make a dent in our results. I won't actually know if you do it, but if I find out you did, your vote will be eliminated.

This is meant to be fun! Try not to get too butthurt if your fav gets eliminated in the first round. I know a few of mine will, since they're such minor characters.

The unique tag is #best spirit animals character 2024. So if you want to participate, but don’t follow this blog, you need to be checking that a lot. Everything will be also tagged #spirit animals, #spirit animals books, and #spirit animals series. If you want to campaign, I recommend using the unique tag.

If you have any questions, or disagree with a rule and want to take it up with me, both my asks and DMs are open, both here and on my main.

Propaganda:

I am allowing propaganda. I am going to put it to a vote whether to allow anti-propaganda or not. Stay tuned for that.

I have still not created the full list of characters yet. That may take a while. In the mean time, you may start to submit propaganda to me. Ask box is open!

I will accept your propaganda if you make it about a ship (ex: Vote Shane, he’s so in love with Abeke!!!), but I don’t recommend it. In fact, I discourage it. But it’s allowed.

You can submit headcanons about a character as propaganda. Propaganda doesn't have to have any basis in canon (giving the more minor characters a fighting chance).

You are not allowed to submit links to analysis posts (or any kind of post) as propaganda, even if it's yours. Everything submitted needs to be something you wrote specifically for the bracket. If you send me a link to a post, it's an automatic delete.

Other than the above, there are no restrictions on what can be submitted as propaganda. It can be as short or as long as you want and as serious or ridiculous as you want (you could literally submit, like, "Vote for Rollan, he's so funny and he needs a hug" as propaganda and I would accept it, or you can go deep and start talking about his parallels and arc and motifs and backstory and personality and hardcore analysis stuff, and that would also be fine).

If you're unsure what to write, I'm going to release a piece of Shane propaganda I'm writing soon. Hopefully it inspires you. But again, there are no restrictions! Your propaganda doesn't have to resemble mine.

If I allow anti-propaganda, there will definitely be restrictions. More on that later.

If multiple people submit propaganda for the same character, I'm keeping them all. My goal is to have most characters have at least one piece of propaganda, so in the interest of that, as we approach the beginning of the tournament, I'll make a list of every character with how many pieces of propaganda each currently has. This is so that if a character has no propaganda, it would be a warning to everyone that it's your last chance to submit for them.

Propaganda is submitted through asks or DMs! You can submit for as many characters as you want. You will be allowed to be anonymous or not. If you choose not to be anonymous, you're signing up to be tagged in the poll that features the character you submitted for. So be aware of that. I may decide to open up a Google Form if I'm not getting any submissions. But we'll take it as it comes.

You will be allowed to submit propaganda throughout the tournament! If you decide to submit propaganda during the tournament, it will be added in the next round. Unless the character gets eliminated, in which case it won't be added at all.

This isn't really a propaganda thing, but it's propaganda-adjacent: campaigning. Campaigning is 100% allowed. There are no restrictions on campaigning except "Don't be rude". You will be allowed to campaign, and light-heartedly bash your vote's opponent (just make sure it doesn't get out of hand). You're allowed to spam the main tag or the poll with "Vote for [character]!" posts and reblogs. You're allowed to send people asks begging them to vote for [character]. In the end, it's their choice, but you can campaign as hard as you want. In fact, if you go into a poll and don't immediately know who to choose, because you like or dislike both characters equally, I recommend not voting for a while. The campaigners may be able to sway you to one side or the other.

I will submit propaganda for multiple characters. I may or may not choose to credit myself, it all depends! I will definitely be campaigning for some characters. Hopefully, this will encourage other people to campaign, too. That's half the fun of best character brackets.

Format stuff:

There may or may not be comeback rounds. It all just depends on where we're at and if I need characters to come back to create an even number. Don't count on them, but don't count them out, either.

It seems some people here haven't read the entire series, but I would still like them to be allowed to participate fully. So, I'm going to put an official description for every character, maybe a sentence or so long. This is meant to be objective, canon, and not propaganda (ex: Rollan is the Amayan Hero of Erdas that summoned Essix the Falcon).

Every poll will last one day, then we'll move onto the next for the next day and so on.

There will be preliminaries, because or else we are just going to have too many polls. The preliminaries will cut out the majority of the characters, probably including mostly minor characters.

I'm going to do my best to save the polls I feel will divide the fandom for last. So we won't see any Rollan vs. Meilin polls right off the bat. This might make the first few polls boring, but it'll get more interesting later on. Trust.

*Voter fraud is enlisting non-fandom mutuals or friends to vote for your fav, or voting from two different accounts. (Like I accidentally did in the interest poll. Whoopsie. I promise it won't happen in the real polls!) If you happen to do this by accident like I did, tell me and I will remove the extra vote(s) and you will not be penalized.

**Bribery is where you go to someone, either within the fandom or not, and offer to draw or write something for them (or do some other favor) if they vote for the character you want.

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got an hour of writing done today! i'm quite pleased with the results so far

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the spirit animals fandom is being revived, this is amazing

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Alternate titles for the Spirit Animals books

Wild Born: Off to war we go

Hunted: Sheepboy feels bad

Blood Ties: Rhinos and giant elephants oh my

Fire and Ice: ROLLAN LIKES MEILIN

Against the Tide: Angry aquatic animals

Rise and Fall: TARIK NO

The Evertree: Find the shiny tree

Immortal Guardians: The grumpy gorilla returns

Broken Ground: Attack of the people that look like Gollum from the Hobbit

The Return: *Jaws theme*

The Burning Tide: CROCODILE GUY (sort of) SAVES THE DAY 

Heart of the Land: *Umbrella vine voice* Run.

The Wildcat’s Claw: WORTHY HAS A TAIL?!?!

The Books of Shane: THE REPTILE KING… has failed.

Tales of the Great Beasts: Hi welcome to how to steal shiny objects from giant animals

Tales of the Fallen Beasts: Ew leeches