We are all about the ocean and preserving it to keep animals and beaches safe and clean. With World Ocean Day on June 8, we’re celebrating by visiting the Bay of Nailo in Thread of Souls!
Bay of Nailo
The Bay of Nailo sits between the pristine and luxurious city of Ocealo and the wilderness of the Southern Kingdoms. It’s part of a major trade route that crosses the entirety of Corventos. Merchants who travel the Bay of Nailo make port at Ocealo to collect fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish before delivering them to other cities on their route.
Silvertongue Hollow rests near the banks of the water. It’s a city of thieves and anyone looking to avoid the law. Any merchants willing to travel up the channel only do so to make a deal with the rulers of the lawless and dark town.
The waters of the bay come from the Ice Cap Inlet way in the north of Corventos. They flow down from the elven capital of Eleste’si and split into the Iron River and the Amakiir River. The Amakiir flows through the small village of Vesper and onwards into the Bay of Nailo.
Life in the Bay
The bay is home to much aquatic life including colorful fish, turtles, crabs, jellyfish, and sharks. It’s even home to a guardian that protects Oceala from harm. The great turtle Majora. The behemoth creature guards the port and prevents anyone from entering unless they offer a great amount of tribute.
Jade’s other Home
Jade’s grandparents govern Ocealo and she will often visit them and explore the city. However, she isn’t fond of the ocean or the bay for one specific reason.
A beautiful gem sitting on the coast. Her family visited it often as she was growing up. She recalled days playing with her brother, Heron, in the shallows of the Bay of Nailo. But that was before she’d realized what could live in the water. Before she understood the great depths of the ocean could hold monstrosities larger than castles. Her grandparents had laughed at her fears and assured her the bay had always been safe. But experiences as children tended to stick with people, and Jade had never quite outgrown her fear of the ocean.
Happy June or Loreix in Theretos, the world of our fantasy book series Thread of Souls! Things are heating up and we’ve got several hot announcements for Thread of Souls as well!
Thread of Souls Summer book release
We are putting the final touches on a standalone Thread of Souls book releasing later this summer. It’s a compendium featuring fantasy monsters and creatures found within Thread of Souls. Many of which have yet to make an appearance in the series. While others may be familiar to fans. It contains original art from Talia and a short description of each creature. Look forward to its release near the end of summer.
Thread of Souls Book IV: Asunder
We are editing Part II of Asunder putting us about two-thirds of the way through the entire book. Once we’re finished editing, we’ll move on to Part III at the end of the month.
Animation
We can call ourselves animators now as we are working on animations! Here’s an early draft of Ruuda Drybarrel swinging her sword and hammer. Many more animations are on the way!
ARC Team
We are still adding to our growing ARC team! If you love fantasy and/or TTRPG’s, reach out to become a member of our team. You’ll get free copies of the books to enjoy as well as merch as a thank you for supporting our book launches.
That’s what we’ve got going on for June! So much is going on here at Thread of Souls land and we’re excited to share more in the future!
This month’s character feature is Ruuda Drybarrel, the unblessed dual-wielding dark dwarf that is as pragmatic as she is passionate.
Ruuda was born as the last of twelve children to Clan Drybarrel. Growing up in the industrious city of Balum Guar, Ruuda was surrounded by a culture where worth is determined by productivity in a caste system. Young dark dwarves are taken to the temple of the Forge King to receive a blessing from their god. A priest or priestess will read the runes to determine what that blessing is. It may be woodworking, singing, serving as a soldier, or, as in the case of Clan Drybarrel, brewing beer.
Ruuda, however, found no such blessing. Despite being told she was blessed to do a certain task, she could never do it properly. As a century passed, Ruuda’s parents took her again and again to a priest to find out what her true blessing was. But with each one, she failed.
To escape the shame, Ruuda often took to wandering the outskirts of the city. There she found the deep stalkers, mercenaries and rangers of the Deep Hollows, in their daily practice. Ruuda observed them and learned their skills, until the day she was spotted by lead deep stalker Neir Shadowsnare. Impressed by what she had learned from merely observing, Neir took to training Ruuda on his own. But he had to do so in secret, for she was not blessed to be a deep stalker.
While teaching her how to survive in the Deep Hollows, Ruuda and Neir came across two quag pups, wild animals of the underground. They were sick and had been lost from their pack, so the two decided to keep them. Neir’s quag grew up strong, but Ruuda’s did not survive. The loss of her companion broke her heart.
As Ruuda’s blessings continued to fail, her family accrued debt from her projects left unfinished or with poor quality. Debtors came to collect often, and there was worry that Ruuda would get taken away to be made compliant like other dark dwarves that failed at their blessing. So while on a trade trip to the dark elf city of Berenzia, Ruuda’s family gave her a barrel full of supplies and told her to leave and not return until she figured out what her true blessing was.
Left alone in the Deep Hollows, Ruuda wandered in depression and hopelessness. We meet her in Phantom Fivetrying to make friends with a pack of quags. Things do not go her way, and she is heavily wounded before being aided by a healer named Taliesin Ostoroth. Both runaways from their homes, the two find common ground to venture out onto the Surface to try and restore what was lost in their lives.
For Ruuda, however, there is one other task she wants to complete. She vows to find the god known as the Forge King, and take vengeance for her unblessing.
The Blight Dragon, also known as Iosis, is one of the most chaotic gods in Thread of Souls. As the goddess of chaos, elements, and destruction, she demands fealty from her acolytes, having them devote themselves to her fully. She was once multiple dragons but a grievous wound from the Holy Dragon destroyed her dragon forms and split her essence. Her cultist found the remaining body parts and stitched them together to form the Stitched Wyrm.
Domains
The Blight Dragon is represented by three domains: chaos, elements, and destruction. Each represents an aspect of her and one that she commands from her cult.
Chaos
Chaos is represented by her animosity. The other gods are never quite sure what Iosis will do next. While her cult and followers work together to further her will, they often can be found arguing amongst one another. This tends to lead to infighting and splintering of cult leaders. She also spreads her chaos by tormenting those who stand against her. Promising them power or pleasure, she uses chaos to tear the person apart and drive those close to them away. Iosis takes much pleasure in both.
Elements
She is associated with the elements as she was known to create them. When it came time for the gods to create the Material plane, the Blight Dragon branched off on her own to construct the elemental planes and the dragons that rule them. She is the reason the fire, water, air, and earth planes exist and why dragons first ruled the world of Thread of Souls.
Destruction
Her domain of destruction is enveloped by both of the others. The might and destructive force of the elements blended with chaos grants her and her cult immense power. They use the magical energy of the elements to form ice barriers, hurl fireballs, create hurricanes, and decimate the land to spread her dominion.
Check out more of Thread of Souls’Insurgent and Protector god pantheon by reading our blog!
Ah, Oceala. The Gem of the Bay is featured in book two of Thread of Souls Ash & Thunder. So named because it sits near the Bay of Nailo and is nestled along the hills of a crescent shore. There are plenty of golden sandy beaches and everywhere you look, the buildings are round and pastel-colored. It’s a diverse coastal city where adventurers go to unwind and relax. Once they can get past the beast that guards the bay and the Fey creatures who protect the water crossing.
It is also a place full of music. Songs that make you want to dance or spend a calming night overlooking the ocean. The Phantom Five spent a bit of time shopping, exploring, and fighting in the city and had a backlog of music to guide them through it. During our time at the table, we put together a curated list of songs fit for Oceala. Here is what you can expect to hear while you walk the streets, dance in a tavern, or visit the many spas in Oceala.
Here’s an excerpt from Thread of Souls: Ash & Thunder.
As the late morning rolled by, land was finally seen again on the horizon. A strip of green that grew into rolling hills. A city shimmered to existence along the shore, all pastel colors and rounded buildings.
Oceala.
Island of the Starry Dream is a perfect place to start. The name alone is all it takes to understand Oceala. It’s peaceful and serene. It’s a great track for the background while the Phantom Five wanders the sand dunes and beaches of Oceala or shops at Altawayne’s Artifacts and Apparatus. The song also has an air of mystery to it and fits in well with the mysterious temple that lies beneath the hills of the city.
Tarir, the Forgotten City is meant to describe how difficult it is to reach Oceala. While it isn’t off-limits to outsiders, the city is protected by a great dragon turtle named Majora as well as Fey creatures. Both require a toll to be paid to gain entrance to the stunning town.
The Queen’s High Seas – Tavern Version can be heard playing throughout the many taverns and inns found in Oceala. Its upbeat and pirate adventure style is bright and happy, making it a wonderful backdrop to dinner scenes and arriving and leaving the port.
Devilfish on the Line is another great track for hopping from tavern to tavern or exploring the open fish market. It can also be used if the party finds themself in a bit of trouble with the local guards or the city’s underbelly.
Shantytown Shuffle plays when there are scuffles at the docks or throughout the city streets. While the Phantom Five never got into any fights with the city guard or ruffians while they visited, they did find themselves in trouble nonetheless. It may be a peaceful place to call home or visit, but there are times when things can just get out of hand.
Eye of the Storm is full of spoilers from book two Ash & Thunder.
The climactic scene from the second book in the Thread of Souls series sees the oceanside city attacked by a great red dragon and wyverns. The Phantom Five find themselves split as they face doppelgangers and the fiery beast.
Those are the sounds of Oceala. The music is as vibrant and colorful as the city and its people. You can even use these songs in your own adventures. Each works well with a city with a major port and ocean theme.
National Bird Day is every year on January fifth. Naturally, we wanted to take a bit of time to talk about Thread of Souls and how birds play a large part in the narrative. More specifically, Lady Raven, the Goddess of Death, healing, and natural order. She is so named because of her connection with ravens and their symbology with death.
Lady Raven in the Books
Lady Raven is mentioned on and off throughout the first two books. We talk about a temple in An’Ock and characters know of the deity but aren’t too familiar with what they represent. In Path of the Spiders, we learn much more about the goddess and meet a village full of worshippers. These acolytes are known as Ravenites and keep watch over her temple in the Gloomdwell. However, there are far more temples and shrines to the goddess of death throughout Tos.
Ravenites & Deathwalkers
Lady Raven’s symbol is a scythe surrounded by two raven wings. She is often depicted as a dark hooded and winged figure. She guards those that pass on and is actively opposed to necromancy, murder, and the perversion of death. She chooses an acolyte she deems worthy to become her champion known as a Deathwalker. This hero is part of an order of warriors that fight against the necromantic arts.
A common saying you will hear spoken by champions and followers is “Travel far. Threads connect us.” Her temples are often visited by groups of ravens. Her followers dress in robes of black and red.
History
Little is truly known about how Lady Raven became the goddess of death. From what texts and documents have been gathered, she joined the pantheon much later after the previous god of death corrupted his duties. She is not strongly connected to the other gods and is seen as an outsider. She took part in a key battle during the Divine Wars and is still suffering from the loss.
That’s a short history of Lady Raven to celebrate National Bird Day 2022.
Merry Winter’s Eve to all! To celebrate the holiday season, we are sharing some Thread of Souls holiday cards drawn by co-author Ashley Roepel. Enjoy these cards and feel free to share around to your favorite fantasy fans for the holidays!
The first is a scene of the Arcane Fangs. This jagged mountain range divides the Citadel’s territory from the rest of Corventos.
The second is Ruuda Drybarrel! Our favorite Dark Dwarf is carrying her signature barrel on her shoulder.
The third is Taliesin Ostoroth, the rebellious Dark Elf. The Deep Hollows don’t get snow, so this is a new experience for him!
The fourth is a scene from inside the Citadel, a new location promised in book four of the Thread of Souls series that releases next year! Here we see mage Jasita from Phantom Five and Ash & Thunder.
And finally in the spirit of friendship and caring we have Taliesin and Ruuda exchanging gifts for one another!
We hope you enjoyed these holiday cards! Merry Winter’s Eve!
The third book in the series, Path of the Spiders, is coming soon. Here is everything you need to know about the next installment in this epic fantasy series!
Thread of Souls: Path of the Spiders is coming August 27th! The third book in this 5-star rated fantasy series picks up where Ash & Thunder left off: the character groups were split up, each now facing their own dangers. Let’s take a look at this new book!
The Summary:
The words seemed to come unbidden from her, born out of nature themselves, as she said softly, “The world is in danger. We have to stand strong. The mind eaters are growing in power. And the spiders . . .”
Zok frowned, leaning closer as her voice dropped to nearly a whisper. “What about the spiders, Jade?”
The words rolled from her mouth again, almost outside of her control, barely audible. “The spiders are all gone. And nature feels it. And nature is afraid.”
“The adventuring group known as the Phantom Five is torn apart. While one group ventures through Artemis’ war-torn homeland, Unolé is flung across the planes with healer Taliesin, warrior Ruuda, and soldier Wash. All the four of them want is to go home. But this new world has its own dangers, and its own mysteries. They are forced to make dubious alliances to survive, and every escape attempt is blocked with a new threat. The shadow of the eerie ziggurat looms over the land, as do rumors of its growing army inside.
But within ancient temples, slave auctions, and blood rituals lie answers. Answers about Unolé’s stolen sister, Wash’s fugitive past, and the question that Taliesin ran away from home for. Where have all the spiders gone? Now they must ask themselves one final question. How much are they willing to risk for these answers?”
An intriguing mystery that has been talked about the last two books come into focus this third book. The missing spiders. Taliesin has discussed his interest in this event plenty, and other characters such as Jade have noted that it has been awhile since they’ve seen a spider.
The summary also tells us that we are at last entering the Southern Kingdoms, Artemis’ home that she has always avoided talking about. Rumors have spread to other characters of violence brewing in the Southern Kingdoms. Perhaps within lies answers to why Artemis has refused to return in all these years.
The Cover
To discuss the cover, first let us take a look at the last two book covers. Each were designed to show hints at the story within.
In Phantom Five, we see lots of references to the story within. We see the desert known as the Expanse pictured, along with the ruins of Soleia that the group explored. In each corner we also see a depiction of the Sunsword Brother Zok obtains near the end of the book. In the center we see a feather, a reference to the feathers Unole gets at the start, but colored red like her mask. We also can see a subtle spiderweb in the bottom left corner. Foreshadowing?
In Ash & Thunder, we see a depiction of the castle of An’Ock that the group travels to. We can see a bow and arrow in each corner, a reference to the enchanted bow that Artemis obtains from her duplicate. We also see blue fire in the center. It is a mix up of the fiery red dragon fought at the end of the book, as well as the blue lightning-breathing dragon fought in the middle. The dark gray background alludes to the storm that surrounded the blue dragon. The spiderweb in the corner is much more prominent.
Finally we get a reveal of the third book’s cover! There is a ziggurat depicted in purple on the front, likely the one from the book’s summary. We see ravens in each of the four corners. The center image is two spiders inside a vial. And now in addition to the spiderweb in the bottom left, we also see one on the top left. It goes along well with the book’s promising title.
The Creation of the Book
This will avoid any spoilers as the book isn’t out just yet. The book has been in progress for the past year. As it is based off a D&D campaign, a critical point in the campaign was really a guiding light for the events of this book. One of the players had a schedule change, which prompted the party to split and two separate games to be played that followed the two different groups.
Unole’s feathers leads her and talkative healer Taliesin, pragmatic warrior Ruuda, sardonic soldier Wash, as well as the coatl Teshuva, into another plane altogether. Meanwhile Artemis is dragged off to her homeland and is pursued by the insightful Druid Jade, the enigmatic Wizard Skar, and the complicated Paladin Brother Zok. Let’s not forget about easy-going pirate Sen, who is still in the capital city An’Ock.
It was Unole and Wash’s players that needed to split off from the rest of the group. To compensate for the smaller party, Taliesin and Ruuda were created. Although in the books we have followed Taliesin and Ruuda’s story from the start.
How to Check Out This Book Early
This Saturday we will post a four-chapter excerpt of the book! You can also read reviews of the previous two books on Amazon and Goodreads to see if it something you would personally enjoy. Feel free to further explore the world of Corventos on this site!
The book will be available in paperback or ebook format, and an audiobook is planned for the future.
The book will be able to be purchased via this link on August 27th: Amazon
Demographics 5’7, 140 lbs, 98 years old, bisexual/demisexual, slender build
Personality Taliesin is ruled by his emotions. Headstrong, assertive, and passionate, he cares deeply about the plight of anyone suffering. But his issues with authority often put him at odds with dangerous people. His risk-taking and button-pushing approach to life creates plenty of conflict. But an adept fighter and healer, Taliesin never backs down in the face of injustice or threats.
Interests Taliesin enjoys learning and reading. He is always up for a good time and a late night party. He hates the art of necromancy and has cultivated his skill in driving away undead and banishing ghosts. Religion surrounds his whole life and he wants to use it to guide and help others.
Born & Raised Berenzia – A large city within the Deep Hollows. Home to primarily dark elves. Ruled by a matriarchal theocracy overseen by eight chosen priestesses. Worship of spider goddess Aranese is strictly enforced. Taliesin was born into a wealthy House with one other sibling: sister Andraste that is 20 years older.
Where We Meet Him Taliesin’s desire to push the boundaries of male status in Berenzia have wound him up in trouble with the ruling priestesses. After recovering from eight months of punishment for his wild tongue, he has run away from home. His goal is to locate the missing spiders. He knows finding answers are his only chance to win back the favor of his people and save himself from a worse fate.
Ruuda of Clan Drybarrel
Dark Dwarf – Dual-Wielding Stealth Warrior
Demographics 4’5, 160 lbs, 107 years old, bisexual/demisexual, athletic build
Personality Pragmatic, a life of disappointments has taught Ruuda to be a realist in all situations. A firm advocate for what she believes in, Ruuda uses a “take no bullshit” approach to life. She would much rather follow than lead, making her voice heard through subtler approaches and quiet perseverance. She is quick to judge anything that is religious or Celestial in nature, harboring a deep hatred and mistrust for both.
Interests Ruuda has been trained in many skills, but the only thing she has truly enjoyed is brewing beer and learning the secrets of nature. Plants and animals fascinate her, and she is always seeking to make friends. Even with animals that would rather kill her. She enjoys long walks in solitude and camping.
Born & Raised Balum Guar – A Deep Hollow city underneath the volcano known as the Marr. This city is based around a caste system from the god Thruumdar’s Blessings. Assigned a Blessing at a young age, that is the role the dark dwarf must fill for their entire life. Mostly dark dwarves live in Balum Guar and it is a monarchy, though the ruling class rarely takes interest in the rest of the city’s affairs. Most Clans are their own separate “islands”, thriving off trade and good relations with the other Clans. Ruuda is the final 12th child in a large and boisterous family.
Where We Meet Her Ruuda has gone through many Blessings in her life. But with each new visit to the priest, none of her Blessings have worked out. Deeply in debt to other clans and worried she might go missing like the rest of the Unblessed, Ruuda’s parents have sent her from the city. Facing an uncertain future and not knowing where else to go, Ruuda has only one mission in mind: kill the god who put her in this situation.
Sen
Dragonborn – Pirate Captain
Demographics 7’0, 350 lbs, 35 years old, pansexual, bulky build
Personality Sen loves a cheering crowd. Ready to party and drink until dawn, it is easy for Sen to make lasting friends due to his laid-back attitude. Despite his often illegal sea ventures, Sen would rather be friends with his crew than boss them around. With his focus on day-to-day pleasures, Sen often doesn’t see the big picture and has trouble making plans. And when he comes across something he doesn’t understand, like magic or other planes, he is quick to leave the situation.
Interests Sen likes to brawl. Tavern brawls, pit fighting, or ship-to-ship combat, it is always a good time for Sen so long as no one dies. He drinks as heavily as he fights, and likes to collect shiny things. Reading and learning do not interest him.
Born & Raised Somberdale – a small coastal village set away from the troubles of the world. An only child, Sen had free roam of the village which led to his love of adventure. At a young age he joined the crew of a captain known as the Baroness, and his pirating days began.
Where We Meet Him Sen is enjoying the best times of his life when he gets a request from a friend. Passage along the western coast of Corventos to the desert known as the Expanse. A helping hand to venture deep into long-forgotten ruins. What could go wrong?
Jade Galanodel
Wild Elf – Druid / Elemental Spellcaster
Demographics 5’6, 135 lbs, 406 years old, bisexual, slender build
Personality Insightful and observant, Jade has no trouble having the hard, deep conversations with people. But she always approaches people with respect and a calm, quiet demeanor. She values wisdom, and she finds that a lot within nature. Patient and dedicated, Jade often puts others before herself. Except when it comes to cities. Sprawling bureaucracy with too many regulations and too little regard for the land, Jade would be happy if she never had to step foot in a single city. She has little sympathy for the problems she feels cities create for their own people, and can easily turn her back on them.
Interests Jade loves all aspects of nature. She is quite skilled at herbalism and cartography, using her nomadic way of life to sell goods to others.
Born & Raised Jade was born to a nomadic tribe that mostly stayed within the Black Reach Mountains. The tribe had a mix of races, but mostly wild elves. She spent her early life traveling with the tribe before she went to train with a druid master. She has one younger brother named Heron.
Where We Meet Her Jade has been staying in Somberdale the last few years, seeking answers to a recurring disaster vision she keeps having. Recovering from the loss of someone dear to her, Jade is trying to distract her mind with bigger issues. But she knows there is a time limit on the disaster she is seeing. And she must find answers soon.
Jasita Yolarin
High Elf – Wizard / Enchantress
Demographics 5’5, 120 lbs, 325 years old, asexual, petite build
Personality Jasita is good at being alone. An only child to absent parents and a young enchantment prodigy at the Citadel, Jasita has trouble in social situations. But she is intellectual, curious, and will happily study her way into exhaustion if it means learning a new spell. Analytical and fact-based, she finds emotion-centric people both fascinating and frustrating. Life is an experiment, and she is always gathering facts and conducting research. But many people don’t like her reading their mind without permission, and it easily puts her at odds with those who could otherwise be her friends.
Interests Jasita loves to read, learn, and study. History and archeology are her favorite pursuits. She is not much for social gatherings, getting drunk, or athletic activities. But she will make an exception for the intrigue of being a field researcher.
Born & Raised Eleste’si – The capital of the elven lands, Jasita was born to researcher parents. Living in a home crowded with books, Jasita was mostly left on her own. She made friends by animating objects in her room or reading people’s minds to hear conversations. She was sent off to the Citadel at an extremely young age to learn magic and grow her natural aptitude.
Where We Meet Her Jasita has finally gotten her first big assignment from the Citadel. The thing that she hopes will get her more independence to conduct her own field research. She is assigned to the guard towers between Eleste’si and the river village of Vesper to listen for rumors of Deep Hollowans crossing the land. But she may have gotten more than she bargained for when she discovers Taliesin and Ruuda.
Brother Zok
Half Human / Half Elf – Paladin
Demographics 6’0, 220 lbs, 29 years old, heterosexual, athletic build
Personality Zok is determined and loyal in all aspects of his life. He is completely devoted to becoming a paladin and pleasing his god, the Holy Dragon. Kind and with a keen sense of justice, Zok can’t turn down helping those in need. However, his mixed race has given him a hungry need to prove himself. He often crosses the line of what is acceptable for his order, putting his faith in jeopardy in order to impress or please others with near-obsession-like fervor.
Interests Zok’s dream is to become a full-fledged paladin. He enjoys adventures, city life, and temple devotional duties. While he has fun at local parties, an afternoon spent mediating is just as pleasing to him.
Born & Raised Sunspire – A hot coastal city that is focused heavily on religion. A merciful city that is welcoming of all, they also have strict regulations against magic. Zok grew up with his human father in a humble lifestyle. But tales of his high elven mother, and his own growing relationship with the Holy Dragon, drew him from home.
Where We Meet Him Zok has been spending his time at the temple in Somberdale as part of his paladin journey. But when his mentor, High Priest Amon, is murdered, Zok makes it his mission to bring the killer to justice. That is easier said than done when he uncovers a conspiracy within the temple itself.
Unolé
Half-Fiend – Rogue
Demographics 5’3, 115 lbs, 26 years old, heterosexual, petite build
Personality Unolé is only ever focused on her mission. Friendly but slow to trust, daring but strategic, and selfless so long as her needs are met first, life has dealt her a difficult hand. Because she grew up on the streets as an orphan before becoming a thief, Unolé is obsessed with things. All things are hers first before they are anyone else’s. And if they are someone else’s, they could easily be hers. She is sure one day she will have enough. But today is not that day. Despite her greed and the easy way lies roll of her lips, Unolé cares for her friends very deeply and will stick by their side through troubling times.
Interests Unolé likes to collect things. Especially gold and jewels. An excellent thief, Unolé dreams of one day having enough to live a worry-free life in a mansion.
Born & Raised An’Ock- The capital city of the Korventine Empire, An’Ock is a bustling monarchy home to all kinds of people from all walks of life. Unolé is an orphan along with her little sister. Having never met their parents, when they aged out of the orphanage they were on the street. Their race made others fearful of them. But soon they were taken in by the Shadow Guild. In exchange for a home and food, they could do thieving contracts for the Guild’s mysterious leader, the Grandmother.
Where We Meet Her Unolé and her sister are on a simple contract when things go terribly wrong. Her little sister is presumed dead, and her body is taken away by a strange, interplanar creature. Now Unolé is hopping across the planes to find her, no matter the risk.
Skar
Dragonborn – Wizard
Demographics 6’7, 300 lbs, 30 years old, heterosexual, tall and lean build
Personality If there is a question, Skar wants to know the answer! Amiable and eccentric, Skar enjoys collecting things others would consider vile. Like giant spider fangs or human skulls. With a proper manner about him, Skar is an easy-going follower who likes to support whatever group he is with. But when it comes to making decisions, planning ahead, or thinking strategically, Skar falls vastly short. There are simply too many distractions around.
Interests Skar loves magic. His entire focus is on learning the arcane arts, discovering things in the field, and exploring new places. He’d much rather camp than stay in a tavern. And he is always up for trying new food.
Born & Raised Unknown
Where We Meet Him Skar finds himself unexpectedly roped into an adventure. With no memory of his life, Skar hopes his travels will provide answers to who did this to him and why.
Artemis Wolfsbane
Half Human / Half Elf – Ranger
Demographics 5’7, 140 lbs, 22 years old, heterosexual, athletic build
Personality Artemis approaches most situations with a mix of smartass remarks and “ride or die” charm. Energetic and unpredictable, anyone who can’t quickly shift their attention will find her antics exhausting. Preferring to either lead or go it alone, Artemis has overflowing confidence and a refusal to admit wrongdoing.
Interests Artemis loves food. Especially sweets. The best way to work off that food is long hikes through nature and a night camping under the stars.
Born & Raised The Southern Kingdoms – a forested land with roaming dire beasts and a history of war. Artemis was raised on a southern farm to a quiet life. She has one younger brother named Romulus.
Where We Meet Her Artemis doesn’t much care where she is going or what she is doing. She accidentally ends up with the group and is happy to fight alongside them and explore new places. So long as they don’t go to the Southern Kingdoms. And so long as they don’t ask her anything about why she left home.
Wash
Mixed Race – Soldier
Demographics 6’0, 200 lbs, 33 years old, pansexual, tall and broad
Personality With dry humor and smartass remarks, Wash can work his way through any conversation with a mix of charisma and lies. He is unafraid to tell things like they are. But he is also a loyal friend who invests himself very deeply in those he cares about. Disciplined from life as a soldier and strategically-minded, Wash rarely loses his temper. But his callous way of handling things can put him at odds with those around him.
Interests Wash lives in the moment. He takes each day as it comes and tries to enjoy himself for that one day. Whether it is fighting, traveling, working odd jobs, or enjoying a quiet’s night drink, Wash doesn’t concern himself a lot with long-term planning.
Born & Raised Sunspire – A hot coastal city that is focused heavily on religion. A merciful city that is welcoming of all, they also have strict regulations against magic. Wash had humble beginnings. The son of a maid, he never met his interplanar father. He joined the army at a young age and fought for them until an event disrupted his life.
Where We Meet Him Wash is on the run from the Citadel for breaking their laws. He also seeks to find answers to why a lifelong friend of his suddenly turned on him.
We look back at the first book publication for the Thread of Souls fantasy series with some “behind the scenes” trivia!
It was this week in June of 2019 that the first book in our epic fantasy series, Thread of Souls, was released! With the upcoming release of Book III, we wanted to take a look back and share some interesting trivia with you.
The Writing Process
We started writing Book I: Phantom Five early in 2018. As this fantasy series is based off our multi-year TTRPG campaign, we had to go back to our original notes. It took some time to compile what we had and put it in chronological order. As we explored in our article on this subject, converting a D&D campaign into a book series isn’t a simple copy/paste matter. Some things simply don’t work for a book, and others have to be approached differently. As this was our first time attempting something like this, we had to do a lot of thought about how this conversion process would look.
We also decided early on to have this has a multiple POV (third person limited) book. It was the only proper way to tell the story of these characters with all the heart and depth that required. So after breaking down the plot and dividing it into chapters, it became a matter of who had the most impact in telling that chapter. And then ensuring there was a good balance in characters.
Shhh! Don’t tell anyone. But a lot of the early writing took place at an office desk during slow hours before we turned fully to self-employment! As any writer knows, it can be hard to find time to sit down and write while balancing all the other demands of life. But once we started, there was no stopping! This series is a work of pure passion.
Let’s not talk about the editing process. As any writer knows, it’s just hell.
TTRPG Comparison
Note: There are some minor spoilers for Phantom Five in this section.
We thought it would be fun to share a bit of side-by-side on differences and similarities between the game and the book.
While climbing down a rope into a well, Sen spills some rum out on Jade below him.
In the game, Jade rolled low on her athletics check, causing her to slip. The rum was used narratively to explain the struggle.
The group makes their way up a series of floating islands.
In the game, this played out much the same. But in the game, we were in possession of a flying carpet. We didn’t realize until the end we could have used the flying carpet simply to fly to the top. The flying carpet was never featured in the book, but it always gives us a good laugh!
Taliesin and Ruuda’s Plot
We follow Taliesin and Ruuda on and off throughout the book, but none of that was played out in-game. Actually, they did not join the game as characters until much later (level 10). All that is included is backstory that was role-played in a 3-hour long car drive.
The Camels
The group uses camels to cross the desert, and Artemis gives cute names to them. In the TTRPG game, one of the names was Camelot. It is unfortunate that could not be included in the book!
