Stories I Found
October 28th, 2025
And I Saw, and Beheld a White Horse…
Dear Readers,
Salutations! It’s spooky season! As such, Aubri and I have been attending quite a few costume parties. The Everett Public Libraries held their second annual Masquerade Halloween party. Aubri went as Arthur (having fun isn’t hard when you have a library card), and I went as one of the Blue Wizards from Tolkien’s works. We also attended some friends parties as Ms. Peacock and Professor Plum from Clue!
Last weekend we were able to visit Aubri’s parents in Maine. Fall is a great time to drive through the most forested state in the union (over 80% of the state is forested). The forests are filled with the full spectrum of autumn foliage colors. This makes for great leaf peeping, as the locals call it.
As for writing over the past two weeks, I have started on Chapter 17. I think at this point I am roughly 75% of the way through my outline for the book. This makes me optimistic about finishing the first draft sometime in the middle of 2026. We will see if that is actually what happens as there is always room to be surprised by more story.
This Week’s Chapter
This weeks chapter is the first in a set of four that take on a very big topic: War. Every culture at some point must take on this topic. I did not set out to write as much about this topic as I did. Perhaps I had more to say than I realized.
I have never been a solider. I have never wanted to be a solider. I have never been a civilian in an active warzone. All of this is to say that, to my good fortune, I write about war as a relative outsider. American geography shields the average citizen from the majority of the consequences of its military engagements. The brunt of consequences experienced by American citizens fall on those who serve or served in the military, and their families and friends. With that in mind, what I write about is primarily informed by stories either told to me by active or former service members, gleaned from history books and classes, or otherwise informed by media about war.
Acretia, the titular Lady of War, has many inspirations. One makes up the content of this weeks something extra, so I will let you read about it there. The inspiration for Acretia’s name comes from the astronomical phenomena of an accretion disk. These disks of matter and debris form around large masses. While they most frequently form around stars, I was inspired by there occurrence around black holes. These disks slowly spiral inward toward the mass they surround. Similarly, Acretia seeks to conquer all, slowly but surely driving across the land. The last inspiration comes from a broad historical trend. From Song Dynasty China to the American Military Industrial Complex, immense time and effort has been given to turning all sorts of technologies and social phenomena to the purpose of war. Acretia shares this trait. She is obsessed with finding any advantage she can by any avenue she can. She desires any means to power: deceit, politics, technology, magic, or organization. All in all, she is a pretty grim character who brings with her grim times.
As always, please feel free to share these newsletters with other people you think may be interested, and leave comments on the chapter!
“Chapter 4: The Lady of War
After Kilomond was cast down into the void, great grief filled the heavens. Such a conflict had never been seen before. Gods at the throats of gods. Strife had ripped through heaven and though the great mother, the everwise, and the wanderer struck down the forge lord, unrest remained. Aientas seeking peace, counseled that gods should not battle other gods, but this peace was not to be. For the spirits of the fires who had served Kilomond now imprisoned below the earth, were greatly confused. Some, like the mighty Tilsitar who worked the bellows of the great forge, remained loyal to the Great Demon, practicing her craft in secret places of the Fillion Desert. Many of them entered the service of other lords and gods. However, others wandered from place to place, owing no lord their allegiance…”
Something Extra!
Lady of the Dark by Sabaton is one of my favorite pump up jams ever. It tells the tale of a young woman who takes her brother’s place in the military and goes on to serve with distinction. The best part? It is based on a real person, Milunka Savić! You can read more about her here.
Acretia is not directly based on Savić. Savić to me seems to be a much more heroic figure than Acretia. However, the image of a “lady of the dark” who would be “remembered in the ancient house of war” did serve as the basis for much of the imagery surrounding Acretia and her city of Kilkretha. Suffice to say Acretia shares more with the song than with Savić. Regardless, I hope you enjoy (particularly the key change!).
