ART SNEAK PEEK: Act 1 Banner Art

I'm still enjoying a break from the draft to gather my thoughts, read up on lore, and wrap up a few other things that have me working late these days while the new readers here take the time to catch up on the story thus far.

In the meantime, I managed to sneak a couple of hours over the weekend to sketch an idea I had for promo art for Act 1 of The Uncrucified!

Kalara leans against a wall at Taresh's elegant estate, the skyline of Chiaroscuro behind her as illusionary butterflies float by.  I worked in a foreshadowing of her choosing as an Eclipse Caste in the wall carving behind her with the caste mark in the design.  She's also wearing the gold dress from the high stakes game and her 'lucky' jade necklace.  I finally have my chance to paint succulents, as well!  They act as a fun decorative way to tie the climate of her setting to the desert.

I've been adding some really cool examples of modern stained glass and skylines of Dubai for Chiaroscuro inspiration over at my Pinterest board for this story, for those interested in mining for inspiration!  I really want to tighten up the skyline and make it more unique as I start refining details for this image.

I can't wait to work on this image when I have time!  I'm hyped by the moment of quiet introspection and glittering desert city I was able to capture here.

Act 1 Wrap-Up!

Here we are at the end of Act 1!  Congratulations and thanks to those of you who made it this far!

The first part of Kalara's tale wraps up so neatly with her time in the South drawing to a close.  At this tidy port in the storm, I want to let this draft rest for a little while, gather reader feedback, and make sure that everything is ship shape before I move on to Act 2!

I also have many 2e rulebooks to re-read to start refining the lore, so I'll be doing that for a little while as well while you, my lovely readers, tear this thing to bits!

Where will we go from here?  For those who read the original memoir, you already know the immense change coming up for Kalara.  It's the time of her life where she'll truly learn who she really is, while also seeing the shades of who she will become.

I'm super looking forward to writing this next bit!  No doubt, it's going to be the most challenging part to write, as well.

For now, pat yourselves on the back. We've made it a 3rd of the way through!

The Uncrucified [ALPHA] - Ch.8 - Parting Gifts

RATING: R
- Gore

Kalara didn’t know how much time had passed before she came to a version of consciousness dulled by poppy milk and filled with the metal smell of blood.  A doctor was suturing the wounds on her back and sealing them with herb-filled poultices.

“What a waste of a slave…”  She heard him say as he sucked his teeth and moved on to the next wound.

The Uncrucified [ALPHA] - Ch.7 - Blood and Jasmine

RATING: R
- Language
- Violence
- Slavery
- Physical Abuse

The next day began like any other, or it would have if Kalara hadn’t slept in by a few minutes.  She was late in preparing Sana’s tea by nearly ten minutes, a fact which quickly earned her a chiding as she knelt by the table and served the tea.

“What’s wrong with you, girl?”  Sana scolded in a huff. “You’re late!”  Her keen eyes moved over Kalara’s unkempt hair and hastily assembled robes.  “Wipe your face, you’re a mess!  What have I told you about appearing improperly in my presence?”  She threw a handkerchief at Kalara, who quickly did as she was told to remove whatever it was Sana didn’t like.

Sana raised a brow at the strange mix of leftover khol and gold dust left in the handkerchief before waving Kalara off with a testy motion of her hand.  Kalara quickly bowed, knowing better than to say anything else when Sana was in such a mood. 

The Uncrucified [ALPHA] - Ch.6 - Hidden Empress

RATING: PG
- Gambling

Varia, out of breath and red faced, fell into a seat next to her where the Serene Viper had just been sitting.  Kalara set aside the pitcher she had been clutching for protection and dared to lay her hand on his arm.  “Varia…I saw him…The Viper.”  She whispered, fear making her voice shake slightly.

At that, Varia let out a long sigh, pushing his thumbs to his temples to sober himself. “Yes I know.  It’s the deadline, the final one I will likely get for repayment.  I haven’t seen him, but I knew he’d be here…”  His gaze wandered to a far-off place as he sat quiet for a long moment, contemplating the outcome of the night.  If he won, his troubles would be over, if he lost, he most likely would never be seen again after this night.

The Uncrucified [ALPHA] - Ch.5 - Cynis Varia's Lucky Charm

RATING: PG
- Gambling

            Over the course of the next few months, Kalara found herself embroiled in a secret night life.  Varia encouraged Sana to be more active in her social circles and in promoting their bathhouse businesses.  He became intimately aware with her social calendar, slotting in secret gambling meetups on the nights she was away.  Thankfully for Kalara, Sana still preferred to take a Realm servant with her to her social outings, rather than a lowly Southern girl.  Sana would think Kalara was home helping to take on more of the duties of household maintenance when, in fact, she embarked with Varia on one adventure after another.

The Uncrucified [ALPHA] - Ch.4 - The God of Fivefold Luck

RATING: PG-13
- Slavery
- Gambling
- Drug Use

After that day in the bath with Sana, the mistress’ ire towards Kalara lost some of its sharpness.  The dynamic of the household grew tense.  Even Sana’s ability to pretend as if everything was normal couldn’t hide the fact that servants were being laid off and valuables in the household were disappearing, sold off by Rij on what Kalara guessed were Varia’s orders.  More than once, Kalara spotted the candlelight of late night business meetings between Varia and his partners.  It seemed his ventures in setting up bathhouses in the area were having a hard time staying afloat amidst local competition.  It was a problem he couldn’t just throw money and the Cynis name at.

The Uncrucified [ALPHA] - Ch.3 - Breakable Dolls

RATING: PG-13

- Slavery
- Violence

          A month passed, then another and another until Kalara had spent the better part of a year in the service of Cynis Varia and his wife.  Her life had become a numbing repetition revolving around Sana’s wants and needs.  She prepared her tea.  She cleaned her chambers.  She emptied her chamber pots.  She did whatever errand was demanded of her.  

          When Sana was pleased with her, Kalara would sometimes be allowed to venture alone into the markets where she would have her only respite from the household.  She spent many evenings staring towards the horizon to Gem.  Sometimes she’d gaze towards Paragon, where a slave could be truly freed of their obligations by the city’s oath of fealty. 

           Such things were fantasy, however.  She was never allowed to stay away long enough to think too long, to ever forget who owned her destiny, lest she get a lashing when she returned home or sold off to a worse fate than a household slave’s.

The Uncrucified [ALPHA] - Ch.2 - Her Sharp Tongue

RATING: PG-13
- Slavery
- Violence
- Physical & Verbal Abuse

After the caravan's brief stop at the Rock, their monotonous vigil of the dunes resumed. The sudden shift to the shade of the buildings of Chiaroscuro was a welcome sight after so many days of sand!

Kalara arrived at the estate of Cynis Varia sun-worn and sand-beaten, the small lot of slaves hurried out by the attendant she had met before.  He bid them to stand in a line with other souls such as herself, the new slaves mixed in with prior servants of the household's original owners, all awaiting instruction.  A stream of workers carried furniture in and out of the home, removing Southern furniture and tossing it in a pile and bringing in brand new furniture marked by the stylistic flair of the Blessed Isle.

The Uncrucified [ALPHA] - Ch.1 - No More Daydreams

RATING: PG-13
- Slavery

The gods took no more notice than usual on the day that a slave named Kalara was born in the dusty slums of a basement in the city of Gem.  The cycle of a soul began anew, as it always did, the web of destiny continued as usual without tangles, the spiders pleased with their work.  The sun moved overhead, Sol Invictus forever journeying on his sure path across the skies of Creation.  If he noticed her then, he made no motions to show it.  Her fate seemed settled the day she was born to a pair of slaves, doomed to be yet another slave with a hard and short life.

            If she had a last name when she was born, she would never learn it.  The most the child would learn from her real parents was the melody of a lullaby sang softly in Firetongue.