The Ayrelon Times

Of all the types of magic on Ayrelon, Wizardry is one of the few that can be learned through study and persistence. Channeling is learned through study and devotion to a host which provides the power for spells. Wizardry requires far more study, as there is no host entity to provide assistance in casting spells. Many who seek to cast spells have no natural affinity to do so. They are not born attuned to a source of power, so Sorcery is beyond their reach. They are not born with an attachment to the magical weaves and the ley lines which comprise it, which puts Leywalking beyond their grasp. In fact, the functions and forms that differentiate the various types of casting from one another are unknown to most of the inhabitants of Ayrelon. Many see terms such as Sorcerer, Mage or Wizard as generic terms that ultimately point to the same thing; someone who can cast spells. The truth of the matter is that a Wizard is a distinct style of caster; one that forces themselves to become what they...

Sorcery is one of the most volatile forms of magic. It is dangerous, limiting and the process of casting spells with Sorcery requires the consumption of a source of power. Unlike Wizardry and Channeling, Sorcery cannot simply be learned. The act of drawing energies out of an object, or substance, and twisting them to produce a spell, is one of the most difficult methods of casting. Most practitioners of Sorcery are born with a natural gift. Through the course of their life they discover an affinity for something in the world around them. They feel drawn to it, and more at peace when in the presence of it. Not all who are born with the gift recognize it for what it is. Many live out there lives in typical fashion and never seek to further their attachment or learn to cast spells. Sorcery casters are, therefore, one of the rarest types of spell-caster on Ayrelon. Casting spells through Sorcery requires access to the caster’s source of power. A Sorcerer who is attuned to rubies needs to d...

Channeling is the art of drawing power from a host entity or that entity’s plane of power. Spells of this type often take the form of prayers, rituals, curses or callings. Channelers learn to pass a host’s power through their form to create magical effects, or cast spells. Through practice and study, they learn to enhance these abilities and withstand greater, and greater magical forces. Channeling, by itself, does not offer access to any other source of power. One who learns and focuses on Channeling is powerless if they cannot access the powers provided by their host. Should a Channeler lose favor with, or depart from, their host they lose all powers afforded them by said host. As a result, many who desire to leave the host that they Channel seek training in other forms of magic before doing so. What types of Channeling Casters are there? Clerics / Priests

I mentioned briefly in another blog entry that I accomplished a lot of my early world-building through hosting pen & paper role-playing games. I ran dozens of players through epic campaigns in Dungeons & Dragons , Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition (the majority of them), Rolemaster 2nd Edition and Palladium Megagames . The reasons for this were: I wanted to continue building my fictional world I loved being Dungeon Master and controlling a plethora of non-player characters each session It let me flex and hone my on-the-fly storytelling skills I thoroughly enjoyed role-playing in general It let me receive real-time feedback from players, so I could refine things that missed the mark or emphasize things that landed properly Those sessions lasted between 1994 and 1999. Many players came and went, but there were a core of them who flowed through almost every campaign. Most of my campaigns lasted five to six months, and we played between one and three sessions per week… ...

This is the first in a multi-part series detailing the magic of the world of Ayrelon. Sit back and buckle in… this is going to be a wild ride! Ayrelon’s magic is complex, like it's people. There are many different sources of power, methods of casting and intricacies when it comes to magic. Nothing is more difficult to master, or as dangerous to wield. To the inhabitants of Ayrelon, magic is part of existence. It is present in all things, and constantly around them… even if they cannot access it themselves. Those who are capable of wielding its forces are rare. Items imbued with magical effects are rarer still. Some casters extract power from inanimate objects, others from the environment around them. Stronger casters are able to pull their power directly from the magical weave that surrounds the world, and can interact with that weave directly. The most powerful use the powers of the raw, primal elements; the building blocks that form reality. From memorizing magical spells to weav...

With the release of the website this week, I’ve been a little distracted. I admit that it’s been nice to take a break from the endless stream of writing and editing, but I’m anxious to get back to it. When this week started I was in a funk. Not a ‘I can’t think of what to write’ funk but a ‘why didn’t I edit more thoroughly as I was writing… please, make it stop’ funk. So, my wife made the brilliant suggestion of starting my website now… and here we are. Creating the website prompted me to write a quick short story. Which I did. ‘ Threads of Night ’ it is publishing over several days, one scene per day. But we know all that, Rick! What you aren’t aware of is that I’ve also been working on a series of blog posts that describe Ayrelon’s magic system in grand detail. The series is long, and there’s a lot of information to take in. So, I’ve scheduled the posts to begin on Monday, Aug 24th, and continue every Monday, Wednesday & Friday until September 14th. I have a few of those articl...

For those of you who’ve known me for a while, this website and my writings are a long time coming. For the rest of you, welcome to the adventure! Yes, this post signifies the beginnings of my internet presence as an author. No, I’m not published yet… but that’s not going to deter me. Publishing will come with time, and I’ve a lot of writing to do before I worry about it. I’ve wanted to be an author since I was eleven years old. At the time of this article, I’ve reached the ripe old age of forty-five. Not a big deal, I know… but it’s a long time to put your dreams on hold. I grew up poor. So, when I became an adult I focused on my career rather than my dreams. I wanted to make sure I could provide for myself, and my eventual family. It was a decision born of necessity and a deeply ingrained sense of responsibility. That may seem disheartening to some. I mean, following one’s dreams is supposed to be the way isn’t it? In reality it gave me time to grow as an individual and strengthen my ...