June 2023 – Sharrukin's Palace

Special Status Report for Patrons (29 June 2023)

June 30, 2023 Sharrukin Comments 0 Comment

This one is specifically for my patrons (and regular blog readers who might be interested in my creative projects).

As I mentioned on 23 June, we’re currently fighting a flooded basement which has knocked out my primary living area and home office. I haven’t been entirely cut off from the Internet, obviously, but I’m spending 12-15 hour days just keeping up with my day job and doing pack-and-move work here. Not much time left over for creative work, so (e.g.) Architect of Worlds is pretty much on hold for now.

Architect didn’t get enough new layout done before the disaster struck to justify a new update. There will therefore be no free update for patrons at the end of this month.

I also may or may not generate a planning message for July at the beginning of the new month. Things are too much in flux for me to be able to plan anything with a straight face.

The primary effort right now is to prepare our basement for a crew who will be coming in, starting on 5 July, to do foundation repair and waterproofing work. To that end I’ve packed up just about the entirety of my library and moved it to storage. Over the next few days we’ll be policing up any remaining small items, and moving the larger pieces of furniture aside so the crew has access to get their work done. After the foundation work is finished, we’ll need to paint the new drywall, get all the carpeting replaced, and then move everything back into place. I expect all this to take up the bulk of the month of July. It might even overlap into the first week or so of August.

I’m not entirely cut off. We’re also working to ensure I have a small home-office space elsewhere in the house while the work is being done. If that works out, I may be able to get back to some creative work in a limited way, even while all the repair and rehab are being done. I’ll keep everyone posted as things progress.

Review: The Murder of Heracles, by J. Edward Ritchie

June 28, 2023 Sharrukin Comments 0 Comment

The Murder of Heracles: An Amazon Odyssey by J. Edward Ritchie

Overall Rating: ***** (5 stars)

The Murder of Heracles is a fun historical fantasy novel, which takes the familiar world of Greek myth and drives it in some surprising directions.

At the beginning of our story, four young Amazons are about to become full members of the community: Penthesilia (“Pen”), Bremusa (“Bremy”), Valasca (“Val”), and Antianara (“Anne”). They complete their final trial, defending their homeland of Themyscira against invading men. Victorious, they return home to claim their reward. Unfortunately, on that very night, a more effective army of Greeks invades Themyscira, massacring the Amazons and killing their queen Hippolyta. The leader of the Greeks is the “hero” Heracles, here portrayed as an intelligent but monstrous and barbaric figure.

Fifteen years later, the few surviving Amazons live in exile, scraping out an existence in the wilderness, having lost all their culture and pride. Only Hippolyta’s daughter, Derinoe (“Dee”), offers them any hope as she grows to womanhood as a potential queen. Then the survivors discover that Heracles is still alive, standing at the head of a vicious religious cult that demands tribute from across the world. Pen and her companions set out on a quest for revenge, hoping to find Heracles and kill him for what he has done.

What follows is a journey across the world, full of bloody battles, narrow escapes, triumphs, and tragedies. The astute reader will spot references to many stories of Greek myth, even some that are rather obscure; Mr. Ritchie has definitely done his research here. In most cases, there is some dramatic twist to render the familiar story strange.

In fact, this story gives us a very contemporary take on the Greek heroic age. Character dialogue and authorial voice are all in modern and highly colloquial language. The setting is full of anachronisms, elements of the historical Late Bronze Age mixed with much later eras and the fantastic world of myth. I detected some very distinctive influences here: a dash of Xena, scraps of George Pérez’s take on Wonder Woman, and even hints of a recent Assassin’s Creed game. At times, the classicist in me was having seizures . . . but the recipe honestly works well, and the result is a very engaging story.

After all, the core of this story isn’t the mythical or pseudo-historical premise. The core of this story is its leading characters: a band of tough, cynical, bloody-handed, foul-mouthed women who have already suffered all the pain and betrayal the world has to offer. Their personal development across this story is a delight to watch, and their resolution feels very well-earned.

The mechanics of the prose are strong. I caught a few typos and odd word choices, but it was never enough to break me out of the flow of the narrative for long. Viewpoint discipline is very good – the entire story is told from Pen’s perspective, and we hear only her internal dialogue.

This isn’t a novel I would have written, despite my interest in the setting, but I still found it thoroughly enjoyable. I’m very interested to see what Mr. Ritchie comes up with next. Very highly recommended.

A Prized Possession

June 28, 2023 Sharrukin Comments 0 Comment

While doing some post-flood cleaning and packing in the basement today, I came across a neat item: the one and only exchange of correspondence I ever had with Poul Anderson.

I generally do not engage in fanac. I don’t go to many conventions and I don’t pester my favored authors with my presence. I can count on one hand the number of times a well-known creative has ever been prevailed upon to give me even a moment’s attention. This was an exception, and all the more valuable to me as such.

Back in the late 1990s, I had a contract to write GURPS Traveller: First In, the sourcebook for the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service. A big chunk of that book was going to consist of my update to the old Traveller Book 6 world-building rules – the first (but not the last) attempt I ever made to design plausible new world-building systems for a game.

A lot of my inspiration for world-building had always come from Poul Anderson. He was always famous as one of the SF authors who took the time to make his planetary environments exotic but also scientifically plausible. Read, well, just about any of his Technic History stories if you don’t believe me. I would honestly have put him on a par with Hal Clement in that field.

So when I got to write this book, I asked to do something unusual: I wanted to make a small dedication on the title page. GURPS books generally have never had dedications, but in this case I was allowed to make an exception, so long as Mr. Anderson was cool with it.

So I wrote him a concise, polite letter (yes, a letter, this was back in the 1990s after all) explaining the project and asking for his permission. In due course, back came the self-addressed, stamped envelope with his even more concise and gracious agreement. So the book got its dedication.

At the time, Mr. Anderson was getting along in years, and he passed away a year or so after the book came out. I’m told, however, that a GURPS Traveller fan out in California reached him with a copy of the book at one of his last convention appearances. He got a lengthy opportunity to see the dedication and leaf through the book. The phrase “like a kid in a candy store” was included in the after-action report that got back to me.

We never know just how we might manage to touch people with our work.

Status Report (23 June 2023)

June 23, 2023 Sharrukin Comments 2 comments

Only a short note today, to report that I’m likely going to be getting little or no creative work done for at least a few days, possibly as much as a few weeks.

My living quarters and home office are in the finished basement of our home, and as of yesterday afternoon, that basement is being flooded. So far it’s not too bad – only a few of my possessions have been water-damaged, and the bulk of my library of books and tabletop games is safe for the moment. On the other hand, the bulk of the carpeting is water-logged and we’ve had to shift a lot of furniture around. As I sit at my workstation right now, the carpet under my feet is soggy and wet.

(No, the image above is eye-catching, but it’s not actually that bad. Even if it’s starting to feel that way.)

We have a specialist coming this afternoon to make an assessment and estimate what would be involved in repairs. I suspect we may need to move most of the furniture and items from my space into storage for at least a few days, cutting me off from my primary work machine and resources while repairs get done. In particular, if the flooding worsens, we may need to move everything to save my equipment and prevent significant losses to my library. In the worst-case scenario, it may be several weeks before things are back to normal.

All of which is to say that work on Architect of Worlds and other projects is at a standstill until I get my space back. I can’t even promise any free updates for this month, and I may miss my monthly book review for June. We’ll see how things go. I’ll post again as soon as I know more, and have some idea how long I’ll be offline.

Status Report (11 June 2023)

June 11, 2023 Sharrukin Comments 5 comments

Some quick notes on the state of Architect of Worlds.

While I was doing further layout, I realized two things. First, the extended examples at the end of each section of the main design sequence were a mess – I had let them get out of synch with each other and with the design rules while those evolved. Second, I wasn’t happy with some of the previous layout; in particular, I’ve decided that I would prefer to have every step in the design sequence start at the top of a page, allowing more space for interior art when the layout is finished.

I’m going to have to correct both of those items at some point, so I’ve decided to go back and do it now. I’ve been reworking the “Arcadia” extended example in particular, since that was the one that got into trouble. Once that’s done, which may be as early as today, I’m going to go back and start reworking the layout through the design sequence. That may lead to some repagination, and in particular I may end up having to move a lot of the tables around. I may take the opportunity to tweak the master page setup too.

All this may take me a few more days, during which I won’t be laying out any new material, but the book will look better and more coherent in the long run. It may impact my tentative milestones for June, though.

David Kano

June 9, 2023 Sharrukin Comments 0 Comment

David Kano (150 points)

David Kano is in his late 30s, a burly man with dark skin, close-cropped black hair, and brown eyes.

ST 11 [10]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 14 [80]; HT 12 [20].
Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 11 [0]; Will 14 [0]; Per 14 [0]; FP 12 [0].
Basic Speed 5.5 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0]; Dodge 8.
5’ 10”; 170 lbs.

Social Background

TL: 9 [0].
CF: Western (Native) [0].
Languages: English (Native; Native Language, -6) [0].

Advantages

Military Rank 3 (World Space Commission) [15]; Wireless Neural Interface/TL9 – Telecommunication (Radio; Reduced Range, x1/10, -30%; Secure, +20%; Sensie, +80%) [17].

Disadvantages

Bad Temper (12 or less, *1) [-10]; Light Sleeper [-5]; Low Empathy [-20]; Truthfulness (12 or less, *1) [-5].
Quirks: Proud; Refers to Computer as “she”; Tends to trust Computer’s output too far; Uncongenial; Uninterested in romance. [‑5]

Skills

Administration (A) IQ-1 [1]-13; Astronomy/TL9 (Observational) (A) IQ-1 [1]-13; Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) (E) DX [1]-10; Brawling (E) DX+1 [2]-11; Computer Hacking/TL9 (VH) IQ-1 [4]-13; Computer Operation/TL9 (E) IQ+3 [8]-17; Computer Programming/TL9 (H) IQ+1 [8]-15; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Communications) (A) IQ+1 [4]-15; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Sensors) (A) IQ+1 [4]-15; Electronics Repair/TL9 (Computers) (A) IQ+1 [4]-15; Free Fall (A) DX [2]-10; Games (Backgammon) (E) IQ [1]-14; Games (Chess) (E) IQ+1 [2]-15; Leadership (A) IQ-4 [1]-10 *; Mathematics/TL9 (Computer Science) (H) IQ-1 [2]-13; Navigation/TL9 (Space) (A) IQ-1 [1]-13; Piloting/TL9 (High-Performance Spacecraft) (A) DX [2]-10; Savoir-Faire (Military) (E) IQ-3 [1]-11 *; Shiphandling/TL9 (Spaceship) (H) IQ-2 [1]-12; Spacer/TL9 (E) IQ [1]-14; Vacc Suit/TL9 (A) DX [2]-10.

* Includes -3 from Low Empathy.

Biographical Information

David Kano was born in 2011 in St. Andrew, Jamaica. He came from an impoverished family but showed considerable talent with computers at a very young age. He earned a full scholarship to study mathematics and computer science at Stanford University in California, earning his doctorate in 2043.

While at university, Kano became involved with early experiments in brain-computer interfaces. He volunteered to be one of three test subjects for a highly experimental wireless implant. The experiment was nearly a failure; the other two volunteers suffered severe neurological damage, but Kano emerged with the ability to interact with computers almost by instinct.

After earning his doctorate, Kano joined the World Space Commission and served in several postings on and near Earth. Early in 2049, he was transferred to Moonbase Alpha as the new head of the Technical Section.

Kano is a somewhat eccentric genius, very comfortable with computers and computer networks but awkward and standoffish with people. His colleagues in Main Mission rely on his technical skills, but he is rarely put in a command or leadership position.

Kano is very aware of his intellect and accomplishments; he sometimes loses patience with the slowness or clumsiness of others. He makes few friends and appears to have no interest in romantic attachments. He is quite fond of strategy games and sometimes challenges his colleagues to a round of backgammon or chess.

Sandra Benes

June 7, 2023 Sharrukin Comments 2 comments

Sandra Benes (150 points)

Sandra Benes is in her mid-20s, petite, with a round face, black hair, and brown eyes.

ST 8 [-20]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 14 [80]; HT 11 [10].
Damage 1d-3/1d-2; BL 13 lbs.; HP 8 [0]; Will 14 [0]; Per 14 [0]; FP 11 [0].
Basic Speed 5.75 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0]; Dodge 8.
5’ 2”; 125 lbs.

Social Background

TL: 9 [0].
CF: East Asian [1]; South Asian [1]; Western (Native) [0].
Languages: Burmese (Accented; Spoken) [2]; English (Native; Native Language, -6) [0]; French (Accented) [4]; Hindi (Accented; Spoken) [2]; Mandarin (Accented; Spoken) [2]; Portuguese (Accented) [4].

Advantages

Appearance (Attractive) [4]; Military Rank 3 (World Space Commission) [15].

Disadvantages

Combat Paralysis [-15]; Curious (12 or less, *1) [-5]; Pacifism (Self-Defense Only) [-15]; Shyness (Mild) [-5].
Quirks: Attentive; Emotionally delicate; Imaginative; Nervous around doctors; Strong aesthetic sense. [‑5]

Skills

Administration (A) IQ [2]-14; Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) (E) DX [1]-12; Computer Operation/TL9 (E) IQ+1 [2]-15; Computer Programming/TL9 (H) IQ [4]-14; Electrician/TL9 (A) IQ [2]-14; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Communications) (A) IQ+1 [4]-15; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Electronic Warfare) (A) IQ [2]-14; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Security) (A) IQ [2]-14; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Sensors) (A) IQ+1 [4]-15; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Surveillance) (A) IQ [2]-14; Electronics Repair/TL9 (Communications) (A) IQ [2]-14; Electronics Repair/TL9 (Computers) (A) IQ [2]-14; Electronics Repair/TL9 (Sensors) (A) IQ [2]-14; Engineer/TL9 (Electronics) (H) IQ [4]-14; Free Fall (A) DX [2]-12; Linguistics (H) IQ-1 [2]-13; Literature (H) IQ-1 [2]-13; Mathematics/TL9 (Applied) (H) IQ-1 [2]-13; Poetry (A) IQ [2]-14; Savoir-Faire (Military) (E) IQ-1 [1]-13 *; Vacc Suit/TL9 (A) DX [2]-12; Writing (A) IQ [2]-14.

* Includes -1 from Shyness (Mild).

Biographical Information

Sandra Benes was born in 2023 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. Her father was the world-famous engineer and inventor Lawrence Benes, developer of the Interstellar Transmitter system for deep-space communications. Her mother was Nan Sanda, a Burmese journalist and poet.

As a young woman, Benes lived in many places around the world, speaking six languages fluently by the age of twelve. She studied electronics while working in her father’s lab, and earned a doctorate in electronic engineering from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) in 2048. Benes joined the World Space Commission early in 2049, and was quickly assigned to Moonbase Alpha as the new head of the Communications and Telemetry Section.

Benes is a brilliant and extremely competent technician, a talented natural linguist, and a self-taught expert in several fields of human literature. She has a strong aesthetic sense, and is often first of the Alphans to remark on the beauty to be found even amid the dangers of deep space. She tends to be underestimated in person; she is physically petite, and is rather shy and unassuming in social situations. She has been known to “freeze up” or faint outright when subjected to sudden stress or shock. Only when working in a professional capacity does she become assured and confident. Even so, she is a critical member of Alpha’s command crew, often involved in scientific investigations or first-contact situations.

Alan Carter

June 5, 2023 Sharrukin Comments 0 Comment

Alan Carter (150 points)

Alan Carter is in his early 30s, with boyishly handsome features, light brown hair, and bright blue eyes.

ST 10 [0]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 10 [0].
Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0]; FP 10 [0].
Basic Speed 6.00 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Dodge 9.
5’ 6”; 160 lbs.

Social Background

TL: 9 [0].
CF: Western [0].
Languages: English (Native) [0].

Advantages

Fearlessness 5 [10]; Military Rank (World Space Commission) 4 [20].

Disadvantages

Code of Honor (Soldier’s) [-10]; Honesty (12 or less, *1) [-10]; Overconfidence (12 or less, *1) [-5]; Sense of Duty (Large Group; Moonbase Alpha Inhabitants) [-10]; Truthfulness (12 or less, *1) [-5].
Quirks: “Send me in, Commander!”; Aromantic (lost love); Cocky demeanor; Congenial; Proud. [‑5]

Skills

Astronomy/TL9 (Observational) (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) (E) DX [1]-14; Beam Weapons/TL9 (Rifle) (E) DX [1]-14; Brawling (E) DX [1]-14; Climbing (A) DX-1 [1]-13; Computer Operation/TL9 (E) IQ [1]-12; Driving/TL9 (Automobile) (A) DX-1 [1]-13; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Communications) (A) IQ [2]-12; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Force Shields) (A) IQ [2]-12; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Sensors) (A) IQ [2]-12; Electronics Repair/TL9 (Communications) (A) IQ [2]-12; Electronics Repair/TL9 (Sensors) (A) IQ [2]-12; Engineer/TL9 (Spaceship) (H) IQ-1 [2]-11; Free Fall (A) DX [2]-14; Gunner/TL9 (Beams) (E) DX [1]-14; Leadership (A) IQ [2]-12; Mathematics/TL9 (Applied) (H) IQ-2 [1]-10; Navigation/TL9 (Space) (A) IQ [2]-12; Piloting/TL9 (Aerospace) (A) DX [2]-14; Piloting/TL9 (High-Performance Spacecraft) (A) DX+1 [4]-15; Piloting/TL9 (Light Airplane) (A) DX-1 [1]-13; Riding (Equines) (A) DX-1 [1]-13; Savoir-Faire (Military) (E) IQ [1]-12; Shiphandling/TL9 (Spaceship) (H) IQ [3]-12; Spacer/TL9 (E) IQ [1]-12; Survival (Plains) (A) Per [2]-12; Swimming (E) HT [1]-10; Tactics (H) IQ-2 [1]-10; Vacc Suit/TL9 (A) DX-1 [1]-13.

Biographical Information

Alan Carter was born in 2016 in Sydney, Australia. He grew up on an Australian cattle ranch, where he spent most of his time outdoors and on horseback. From an early age he demonstrated talent as a pilot, earning his license as a pre-teenager and flying his family’s light aircraft all over the country.

In 2034, Carter joined the Royal Australian Air Force, serving in the Pacific War and flying many combat missions. After the war he applied for an astronaut’s position with the US/Australian Space Cooperation Program, later serving in the World Space Commission. He advanced quickly, commanding the third manned Mars expedition in 2047. Early in 2049 he was assigned to Moonbase Alpha as the Reconnaissance Section lead, and was the lead candidate for command of the upcoming Meta expedition.

Carter is a superb athlete and pilot, a natural-born adventurer who is proud of his abilities. He insists on being the first to venture into any dangerous situation, and he has the skills and the sheer courage to survive them.

Although Carter is widely respected and admired among the Moonbase Alpha crew, he is not known to have any interest in romantic relationships; female (and male) crew members who sound him out are all politely rebuffed. In fact, Carter was bitterly heartbroken in his youth, when a young woman he passionately loved was killed in a terrorist attack. Unwilling to risk such a loss again, Carter has transferred his passions to adventure, flying, and protecting his friends and colleagues.

Paul Morrow

June 4, 2023 Sharrukin Comments 0 Comment

Paul Morrow (150 points)

Paul Morrow is in his early 30s, with handsome features, light brown hair, and brown eyes.

ST 11 [10]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 13 [60]; HT 12 [20].
Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 11 [0]; Will 13 [0]; Per 13 [0]; FP 12 [0].
Basic Speed 6.00 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Dodge 9.
6’ even; 165 lbs.

Social Background

TL: 9 [0].
CF: Western [0].
Languages: English (Native) [0].

Advantages

Military Rank (World Space Commission) 4 [20].

Disadvantages

Gregarious [-10]; Honesty (12 or less, *1) [-10]; Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10]; Sense of Duty (Small Group; Friends and current love interest) [-5].
Quirks: Fond of playing the guitar; Homesick for Earth; Mild womanizer; Outspoken; Responsive. [‑5]

Skills

Accounting (H) IQ-1 [2]-12; Administration (A) IQ+1 [4]-14; Astronomy/TL9 (Observational) (A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) (E) DX+1 [2]-13; Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-14; Computer Operation/TL9 (E) IQ+1 [2]-14; Computer Programming/TL9 (H) IQ-1 [2]-12; Driving/TL9 (Automobile) (A) DX-1 [1]-11; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Communications) (A) IQ [2]-13; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Security) (A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Electronics Operation/TL9 (Sensors) (A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Free Fall (A) DX [2]-12; Gunner/TL9 (Beams) (E) DX [1]-12; Leadership (A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Musical Instrument (Guitar) (H) IQ-1 [2]-12; Navigation/TL9 (Space) (A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Piloting/TL9 (High-Performance Spacecraft) (A) DX+1 [4]-13; Savoir-Faire (Military) (E) IQ [1]-13; Shiphandling/TL9 (Spaceship) (H) IQ-1 [2]-12; Spacer/TL9 (E) IQ [1]-13; Survival (Plains) (A) Per-1 [1]-12; Vacc Suit/TL9 (A) DX [2]-12.

Biographical Information

Paul Morrow was born in 2017 in London, in the United Kingdom. As a young man, he studied administration and data science at the Imperial College London. In his spare hours, he pursued music, women, and the occasional brawl in London’s pubs. Even so, by 2039 he earned a master’s degree with distinction. A lifelong interest in the space program led him to apply for a position with the new World Space Commission.

Morrow was first posted to Moonbase Alpha in 2043 as a senior administrator. By 2049, he had been promoted to Main Mission Controller, essentially the base’s second-in-command, serving first under Anton Gorski and then under John Koenig.

Morrow is a competent administrator, technician, and pilot. Despite his para-military position, he has the demeanor of a lifelong civilian. He has a habit of speaking his mind, and has more than once come into direct conflict with Commander Koenig. Even so, he is a valued member of the command staff, and the Commander relies on him in a crisis.

Morrow has settled down considerably since his wild days of youth, although he still enjoys playing cards or chess or making music. He is often engaged in a polite and discreet pursuit of one or another female colleague. Under the surface, he finds existence on the runaway Moon to be stifling and alienating. He is often homesick for Earth. Whenever the Moon passes an even remotely hospitable world, he is often a strong advocate for Operation Exodus – the abandonment of Alpha for a new settlement.

Planning for June 2023

June 3, 2023 Sharrukin Comments 0 Comment

May was a big month at my day job, which left me short of spoons for creative work. I didn’t hit my objectives for Architect of Worlds, so that book is a bit behind its notional schedule. I did manage to redesign a major step in the design sequence and get about ten pages total laid out, so progress didn’t halt entirely. Meanwhile, I managed to post two book reviews last month.

I still have some research-and-revision work to do on the last few steps in the design sequence, although I did make a big chunk of progress on that in May as well. In particular, I think I see ways to simplify the math for measuring greenhouse effect due to carbon dioxide, and that should streamline a couple of steps as well as possibly improve the accuracy of the model. Meanwhile, Step Thirty-Two of the current draft sequence is kind of a mess, so I hope to get it cleaned up a bit before finishing the layout for that section of the book.

So here’s the plan for June:

Top Priority:
- Architect of Worlds: Complete revisions for the mini-models for a world’s atmospheric greenhouse effect, specifically for Step Thirty of the design sequence.
- Architect of Worlds: Extensively revise Step Thirty-Two of the design sequence (variations in local climate).
- Architect of Worlds: Continue work to design and lay out the finished book. Plan to finish through page 132 (out of approximately 180), or the end of the Designing World Surface Conditions section. May continue past that point if time remains in the month.
Second Priority:
- Danassos: Continue work on the new draft of Twice-Crowned.
- Danassos: Rebuild the alternate-historical timeline.
- Human Destiny: Continue compiling material for the eventual Atlas of the Human Protectorate.
- Human Destiny: Produce a map of late 23rd-century Mars for the Atlas.

As far as releases for my patrons are concerned: I expect a free update of the growing Architect release draft, and that’s about it. As in May, I may write another chapter or two of Twice-Crowned, but I don’t expect to produce enough new material to justify a charged release.

As a side note, I’m getting close to a decision as to whether to set up an LLC to publish under, rather than publishing simply under my byline. That’s a straightforward process, but there are a lot of steps and some expense involved, so I’ve been considering it carefully. May have an announcement about that sometime this month.