Characters, oh the characters!

Posted on by D. D. Wolf

OR. how to keep track of those wonderful toys!

Given my love of RPGs and RPG books (and books in general, but that’s another topic altogether), I’ve been known to use various gaming systems to spark character designs. For the superheroic Augments of The Jagged Earth, I turned to the Mutants and Masterminds ruleset by Stephen Kenson and Green Ronin Publishing. The crew at Lone Wolf Development put together Hero Lab, a fine product IMHO, that incorporates version 2 or version 3 of the M&M and allows me to prototype, design, and refine character powers concepts. You’ll need to rustle up an Adobe PDF reader.

Up first is one of the characters from my first published story ORCHIDS ABLAZE:

FYREPLAY

NOTE FROM MANAGEMENT: This is NOT a paid endorsement, just appreciation of hard work and imagination. These fine people and companies have no idea that I exist. I just wanted to say “Thank You!” for their products.

The powers and weapons and special gear utilized by the heroes and villains are a huge part of the genre, but detailed (semi-technical) descriptions within the story detract from the flow of the story. RPG characters sheets make a handy way to keep track of various abilities. Some of my favorite reading material are compilations of characters with a generous helping of powers, biographies, and interesting tidbits.

BEWARE the 1st! I play fast and loose with the actual RPG rules. These character designs help me work through story characters, not min-max them for game night. I don’t recommend trying to pass one of these off on your friendly, neighborhood GM…

BEWARE the 2nd! I play fast and loose with these character sheets when the characters jump into my stories, so don’t be surprised when the details don’t align. These are for fun, folks, so have some fun with them. Just don’t expect to parse the characters in the stories down to match; they are hard-headed about getting their own way.

The Cosmopolitan Inn

Posted on by D. D. Wolf

Tidbit the 1st:

The tallest building in Aurora City is the Cosmopolitan Inn (aka “the Cosmo”). It rises 43 stories, not including the equipment, antennas and lightning protection on the roof. The height of all other construction in the city is capped at 39 stories by ordinance. Traditionally, this restriction also applies to the greater metro area (GMA). The influx of high-profile businesses and corporations has applied significant pressure to revise the ordinance, but the ban is unlikely to be lifted within the city proper.  However, the Mayor has indicated the prohibition might be relaxed for the GMA.

Quick Fact:

Ground level is designated as the 3rd floor above the two-level below-grade parking garage and the 13th floor is not labeled as such. This causes some confusion with new and short-term guests.

Officially A Book

Posted on by D. D. Wolf

So, it’s been a big day. At least it feels that way to me. My ebook Orchids Ablaze has been available for pre-order since late November, but the official release was (technically) yesterday 7December.

I was never quite sure that I was going to make it this far, but the finish line is in sight now. All the background information, all the characters, all the plot twists, have paved the way for me to offer to you the results of a large slice of my life. I would never have made it this far without the inspirational example of friends who gave me the insight and assistance I needed to finish the story.

I have notes on several more stories, not just Lodge of the Wolf or even just The Jagged Earth stories. There are more Story Worlds and tales to come. When they finally make their appearance on Amazon alongside Orchids Ablaze, it will be due to the continued support of my friends in the S4 team. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

DDW

Aurora City Overview

Posted on by D. D. Wolf
A high-level. map of Aurora City Greater Metro Area
Aurora City and the Greater Metro Area

Aurora City is the home of the Augmented and the primary setting for tales from The Jagged Earth story world.

Located in the Jigsaw Range of the southeast Appalachian Mountains, Aurora City proper consists of two districts that cover nearly 220 square miles. The greater metro area adds over 700 square miles. Total population at the last census was 1.9 million with over 920 thousand living in Aurora and Lockeheart districts combined.  This map provides an overall view of the major natural features and primary transportation routes, as well as major features of the city.

The Tchalitkee River runs generally west to east through the Jigsaw Range of the Appalachians, flowing through the Sequoyah Gorge and separating the two main districts of Aurora City. The Port Gateway Marine Terminal (PGMT) handles large freight and cargo going in and out of the city. The Aurora District is the older part of the city, but has been rebuilt multiple times to take advantage of newer technology. The Lockeheart District, or simply Lockeheart, lies south of the Tchalitkee River. It was officially recognized and made part of the city forty years or so after the modern-day Aurora City was established. Like the Aurora District, renovations and improvements never seem to stop.

Author’s note: Aurora City is not intended to mirror or resemble any real city. I have 3-ring binders full of maps, points of interest, roads and subways, and other setting elements to make it feel like one. I truly enjoy putting together a coherent whole for characters to interact with.

The Foundation

Posted on by D. D. Wolf

I’ve always found that the characters in a story play the largest part in my enjoyment of fiction.  The twists and turns of plots, the surprises and the crisis point are absolutely necessary, but they usually are resolved during the story and I end up forgetting them by the end of the book.  The characters, on the other hand, tend to stick in my mind for a long time.  The clearest example of that to me revolves around comic book superheroes.  I couldn’t tell you half of the plots I’ve read over the past, well, a long time, but I certainly remember the names of the characters.  I find the same true for my favorite fiction stories. Continue reading “The Foundation” →