A writer's mind

   A fellow writer posted a meme on their Facebook the other day. " Writers will escape into their on world at any given time without notice." In recent days with the ever growing frustration of my day to day work life, I find myself needing to escape. Some people escape into drugs or alcohol,  myself I escape into my head. The world of Luimere has pretty much taken over, though it is one of four worlds floating around in there.
   As a gamer nerd (that's tabletop RPG, not video games, Though I'm that kind of nerd as well) I spend more time as a Gm than I do as a player. I have crafted high fantasy world riddled with turmoul then dumped unsupecting heroes into the middle of it.  Ages ago I began using the stories I took my players through as the frame work for novels. In truth Moore For Less Investigations:  The Kid is the first story that was purely from my head. It is also far closer to completion than any of my older works.
    Speaking of Roleplaying Games, I began the ground work for Luimere the Steampunk rpg this week.
I'm using the base mechanics from dungeon and dragons 4th addition, but i'm crafting my own skills system. The idea is to force more roleplay of out of players. The game is quite a way away from even alpha testing as i have to build each class with a variety of powers for twenty levels. I'll add progress on the game as i move forward.

Today's Progress report.
Word Count: 60231/80000
Page Count: 193
Chapters: 20

To Change thing up a bit todays sample is from my unfinshed novel "The Violet Eclipse".
This is completely unedited so please forgive the poor grammer and the misspelled words. I'm considering making this a two part novella after i finsh book 1 of Moore For Less Investigation.  

Chapter 1

Gladia

Kritis side stepped the incoming spear point. In one fluid motion he wrapped his arm around the spear’s shaft. With a jerk and twist of his hips he pulled his attacker onto his blade. Blood surged from the slained man back as the point thrust through it. The crowds of Gladia burst into a wild cheer in reaction to the brutal display. Kritis kicked his opponent away from him and took a brief moment to survey his surroundings.

Gladia was a large arena and a prison combined as one. The arena stood a quarter of a mile in length and nearly half as wide. The inner walls stood a good thirty feet high, circling the arena floor in an oval shape. The arena floor this day was not your typical blood stained sand but the difficult terrain of a drying riverbed. The terrain was rough and rather hazardous one hurried miscalculated move and you could find your foot stuck in unforgiving mud. All things considered still more favorable than other possible settings. The Grand King had mages specifically for altering the arena’s battlefield.

“You have two behind us dealing with the giant fire ant and one other wielding a sword in each hand coming from the right.” Elenoren whispered.

“Thank you Elen, let’s take care of the fool with the dual blades. If we are lucky the other two will manage to kill the fire ant.” Kritis replied as he turned to face his next attacker.

Kritis positioned himself in an inviting stance with his blade held low and behind him. From his attackers view point the blade was invisible. The muscular man charged Kritis with a vicious dual blade swipe a driving the blades down rapidly at Kritis’s head. Kritis waited, the surge of the crowd swelled as the blades grew closer. At the last moment possible Kritis quickly stepped off to the right bringing his hand up and around his body. He plowed his blade firmly into the brute’s head completely clear of the man vicious strike. Head split in two the gladiator fell to the ground blood drained rapidly into the dried dirt and mud.

A scream from behind Kritis informed him that the elven female had fallen to the fire ant. The tiger half man was holding his own if only barely. The hulking body of the insect appeared unmarked to Kritis’s eye. He sighed as he looked around for options.

“Suggestions, Elenoren?” He asked the tattoo on his body that was once his sword.

“I suppose, waiting and see what happens isn’t an option?” she replied jokingly.

“Elen!”

“Fine, fine this would be far easier if you were wielding me. Grab the spear you disarmed a second ago. The Ant is weakest from behind, aim for the base of its neck.”

Kritis moved quickly grabbing up the spear without missing a step. His muscles flexed and strained as he gained more speed. He calculated the steps needed to reach the creature, As well what foot he must land on to achieve maximum height and distance with his leap. Kritis planted his right foot on what he judged to be a sound bit of ground and vaulted on to the back of the giant ant. The monstrous creature vomited hot molten rock at the half-man. Who by Kritis’s surprise managed to roll clear of blast of smoldering rock.

The beast began to buck and thrash in attempts to remove Kritis from its chitinous backside. Still, using the skill learned from many sword fights atop balancing beams and pole shafts Kritis remained aloft. Timing his blow with the moment of a descending buck Kritis drove the foot and a half long spear head through the neck of the giant fire ant. He rolled backward off the back of the creature as molten rock erupted from the wound. The crowd roared again and began to chant his name. The sound of Kritis’s name had been a common occurrence these last few months in Gladia. Kritis did not pay the chants much mind. He instead found his hands on the long sword the elf girl was wielding.

Kritis planted his left foot forward and his right behind. He placed his hands were at rest just about his belt holding the handle of the sword. The flat of the blade pointed toward the half-man the point of sword toward the ground. Kritis stood prepared for his final opponent for the day. Kritis did not know the half-man nor did he care too. In fact his only care was to one day earn his freedom, his care and Elenoren’s.

“Half-men are tricky ones Kritis, It appears he has not altered form either. He may have been saving it for the final battle with the Fire Ant.”

“Must have, none of us thought they would release it on us while we were fighting.” He and the half man circled one another. As they paced and judged one another the Half-man’s features began to become more feline.

“Well love, unless you intend on facing a feral half-man I suggest you press an offensive before he completes the transition.” Elenoren recommended.

“I must let him.”

“Are you mad?  His strength and speed will double and will be as refreshed as a new day.”

The half-man’s body bulked with the expansion of his muscles the black stripes on his bare skin became more defined.

“I have to be impressive, the Daskan festival nears. Those chosen to fight the final battle are given a pardon of their crimes.” Kritis explained.

“If they survive, this I know. But fighting a fully feral half-man is ill advised, Kritis.”

“Have faith dear Elenoren, he’s just a big cat” he insisted with a smirk.

The half-man stopped his pacing. He stood two feet taller than he had before. The claws on his hand extended nearly six inches from his fingertips. His muscles rippled with each heavy breath he took. Kritis stared into the golden cat-like eyes with a hearty smile. The half-man growled deeply and charged. The half- man was fast, so fast in fact that if Kritis had been a second slower he would not have survived the first exchange.

Kritis parried the claw high and swept the half man’s feet from beneath him. The half man caught himself with hands and instantly mule kicked at Kritis. The blow struck true and sent Kritis sailing through the air. Kritis landed about twelve feet from where he stood. Blood pours from a nasty gash on his left shoulder.

“Told you to insist on pauldron’s” Elenoren bickered.

“This is most defiantly not the right time, Elen.” He snapped back.

The black tattoo on his chest, right shoulder, neck and right cheek let out a warm laugh.

The half-man pressed another attack his arms became a blazing fury of lashing claws. Elenoren began to hum a melody. As he parried and dodged the blows he fell in sync with the tune. “Sword of Aquaina” it was called. Kritis’s blade began to flow as the water would. Kristis’s movement synchronized in time with the furious half-man’s strikes. Kritis side stepped followed with a parry. He then shuffles forward and to the left pushing the elbow of the gladiator. Kritis changed the flow of the dance. The half-man swiped the right clawed hand to be followed by the left one. However, before the right hand completed its slash at him. Kritis, stepped to the outside of the man-beast flicking the blade point upward cleanly slashing the half-man’s wrist. The Half-man reels back gripping the open wound.

Without hesitation Kritis followed the attack with another slashing deeply across the man- beast’s bare chest. The blood spilled rapidly from the gaping wound as Kritis finished the encounter with a final thrust through the half-man’s chest. Silenced rang throughout the arena as this exchange happen within the span of a few seconds. The half-man’s body hit the ground with a solid thud followed by the chanting crowd. The masses leapt for joy screaming loudly and in unison Kritis’s name.

Kritis the Blade! Kritis the Blade! The mob screamed.

“Well, give them what they want, Love” insisted Elenoren.

Kritis threw his unwounded arm high with a victorious shout. He felt no pride or joy in the victory, but he was well aware of the basic rules. Win the crowd and you win the grand kings favor .The crowd shouted even louder jumping, screaming, and near rioting. Kritis raised his head to the high dais were the Grand King and his High Chancellor sat. The Grand King was built like a warrior though his face was weathered with age and his sculpted muscles rippled beneath his royal robes. He had white hair cut shoulder length and a beard cut close to his face. The king stood from his throne and made eye contact with Kritis giving him an approving nod.  Kritis bowed his head and walked to the main gate to the Underdepths.