The Ayrelon Times

I haven’t posted a blog in some time, so I figured I’d catch everyone up on what’s been happening, what I’m doing, and what’s up next from me, R.L. Parker, and the world of Ayrelon in general. As some of you might know, a few things happened quite rapidly at the end of 2022. First, I published Dusk, my third novel, on November 15th. It’s launch was decent from a pre-order perspective, and I was excited to continue promoting it. To do so, I joined TikTok and that ended up taking over my life for the next few months. I’ve grown my TikTok account a great deal, made a lot of new writer / reader friends in the process, and helped many authors along their publishing journey. All of that has been amazing, but to say it took a lot of my time would still be an understatement. Even with a new social media platform as a distraction, I managed to write the first draft of Enveloped by Dark’s Embrace in November, December, and February (I took most of January off). It currently clocks in at 195k w...

ROLEPLAYING VS DICE ROLLING, THE VALUE OF STORYTELLING AS A DUNGEON MASTER, AND WHAT IT MEANS AS A WRITER. This topic has come up a lot on social media recently. As a former hardcore pen & paper roleplayer, and current author, I figured I might have a unique perspective that will at least be an entertaining read, if not help some of you with your games, or your approach to novels. Now, I’ve covered some of my thoughts in previous blog entries. You can go hunt them down and read those first if you’d prefer, but it totally isn’t necessary. Without further ado, let’s get into it… after all, this is going to be fairly long. Why now? With the popularity of Stranger Things, many people around the world are being exposed to Dungeons & Dragons for the first time. They get to watch kids on screen have a blast playing a game they have no understanding of, and for some that piques their interest. So they jump online, or talk to friends, and try to gain an understanding of this strange gam...

Drakahl is a member of a species known as the Toor. Created by Titans many eons ago, Toor appear as nearly human-sized Titans, usually standing between 7 and 9 1/2 feet tall (213.3cm to 289.6cm). He appears quite young, even though he is centuries old and often passes as a human barbarian; hiding the fact that he is Toor. At the start of Bathed in the Blood of Ravens he can be seen wearing armor forged from draconic flesh, empowered by demonic souls, which grants him otherworldly strength and power. He wields a sentient blade named Strambáneur that drinks souls and feeds their power to both itself and its wielder. Read more about Drakahl ! Another in a series of profiles for several key characters in Bathed in the Blood of Ravens. These articles are not meant to be in story format, but closer to a wiki in format. Hopefully they shed additional light on the many characters you’ll grow to love, or detest.

Delriahna is a feisty, no-nonsense woman who helps her husband, Andor, keep control of the town council through political maneuverings and her widespread influence. She is well versed in the nuances of the court, and how to sway people to a common cause through intrigue and subtle nuance. Her day is equally divided between her duties in support of Andor’s position, and raising their daughter Tylee, who seems intent on driving her insane. Read more about Delriahna ! Another in a series of profiles for several key characters in Bathed in the Blood of Ravens. These articles are not meant to be in story format, but closer to a wiki in format. Hopefully they shed additional light on the many characters you’ll grow to love, or detest.

Nightweaver most commonly appears as a decrepit, hunched over, old hag who seems barely able to stand, let alone walk. This state of extreme aging is a side effect of an unwanted contract with a demonic host, who saps her of youth and prevents her from spending prolonged periods in her natural state. She is a being of unknown origin, who appears human. Her actions indicate that she is operating decades ahead of even the most powerful, knowledgeable people in the world toward a goal that only she understands. She has been a thing of legend among cultures the world over for thousands of years. Descriptions of her have been found by Mordechai that predate remembered, recorded history. Read more about Nightweaver ! Another in a series of profiles for several key characters in Bathed in the Blood of Ravens. These articles are not meant to be in story format, but closer to a wiki in format. Hopefully they shed additional light on the many characters you’ll grow to love, or detest.

Mordechai is a myth to some, and an enigma to others. He often introduces himself as a mere student of Fel’Vizsiour, and is glad when others believe that lie. Unlike most spellcasters, fame and glory has never been of interest to him. Instead, he seeks lost knowledge and the truth of his origins. He appears to be a very fit and trim human, with elf-like facial features and personal style. Read more about Mordechai ! Another in a series of profiles for several key characters in Bathed in the Blood of Ravens. These articles are not meant to be in story format, but closer to a wiki in format. Hopefully they shed additional light on the many characters you’ll grow to love, or detest.

Lyla (Lie-la) is a small, plump, energetic woman with a heart of gold who sees the good in everyone. She has a sharp wit and takes most things in stride, and enjoys going back and forth with Gaerin in pointless conversations poking fun at each other. Her skill with clerical spells and prowess with a mace made her an invaluable companion in their adventuring days, but she was more than happy to settle down, work the land and keep her husband fed when they returned to Mooncrest. One thing everyone notices about Lyla is that she treats everyone she meets like family. Read more about Lyla ! Another in a series of profiles for several key characters in Bathed in the Blood of Ravens. These articles are not meant to be in story format, but closer to a wiki in format. Hopefully they shed additional light on the many characters you’ll grow to love, or detest.

Gaerin (G-air-inn) is a tall, stocky, muscular former adventurer now retired and living a peaceful farming life just outside of Mooncrest. He studied and is well versed in all forms of armament, but always preferred to wield a warhammer and shield. He has a dry humor, and often quips back and forth playfully with his wife Lyla, with whom he shares a deep bond. He is a driven man, with great focus, and is not happy unless he has something he can obsess over. For over a decade, that obsession has been training Laurence to be a better fighter than he is, using lessons he learned at Fel’Rechaun and on the road as an adventurer. Nothing matters more to Gaerin than family. Read more about Gaerin ! Another in a series of profiles for several key characters in Bathed in the Blood of Ravens. These articles are not meant to be in story format, but closer to a wiki in format. Hopefully they shed additional light on the many characters you’ll grow to love, or detest.

Kyrilis (key-rill-iss) is renown Kingdom-wide by all those familiar with those in key positions of the Arkhanian Legion as one of the most, if not the most, skilled martial combatants in recent times. She is so skilled in both Griffin-back scouting and melee combat that the school of Fel’Rechaun, where she is based, reduced their funding for Griffin Riders down to one, and dismissed the rest of the unit back to the Afyr homelands as unnecessary. Few know Kyrilis on a personal level, and fewer still can be counted among her friends. She is a powerful force, and would rather be seen for her strengths and accomplishments than as a woman. Read more about Kyrilis ! Another in a series of profiles for several key characters in Bathed in the Blood of Ravens. These articles are not meant to be in story format, but closer to a wiki in format. Hopefully they shed additional light on the many characters you’ll grow to love, or detest.