Author Journey: October 29, 2021 - Alun'de, Orma, and Skorpa Islands

 I've got three island sketches to share with you today. Each of my MCs comes from one of the islands mentioned in the title and all of them have association with the last one. I hope you'll enjoy the short tour of each of these. I may have inspiration boards to share for these by the time this post goes out, but I can't guarantee it. If I don't share them in this post, I'll definitely share them in a later one.

Alun'de Island Sketch

        Role in Story:    Atali’s home island, there is a ruling council on the island of which Atali is up for election for the newly available open seat

        Related Characters:    Atali, Elena, and Torsu are all from this island

        Season:    when the story opens, it’s in the middle of the growing season, so warmer

        Unique Features:    lots of flora and fauna, though the fauna tends to be smaller; a wide variety of colorful birds; golden sand beaches on three sides and a dark cliff on the northern edge; one mountain peak, not snow-capped but still decent height many streams and small waterfalls

        Description:    Alun’de isn’t one of the largest islands of Ikhel’dur, but the people who dwell on this island are lively and aren’t afraid to make waves. Because they are situated slightly north and west of Mapi’I Island, they have a moderate climate; many types of hardy grasses grow on the island and make it a natural resource for basket and net weavers, as well as textile working; there are many streams which teem with underwater life both plant and animal;  

        Sights:    colorful birds and flowers; flowing streams of clear water; golden sandy beaches; dark craggy cliffs; a single mountain peak;
        Sounds:    cacophony of birdsong; streams of water rippling over rocks/dips/tree roots; wind brushing through the leaves of the trees; rain showers and storms pattering the earth with droplets and thundering through the sky; busy folk at work and trading;
        Smells:    salty sea air; crisp mountain air; heady, cloying, and herbal flora; decaying loam; 

Orma Island Sketch

       Role in Story:    This is Zhein’s home island and it’s in the northern seas, closer to Genzet. Though our story doesn’t being with Zhein living here, it’s central to understand where he’s coming from.

        Related Characters:    Zhein bin Haland

        Season:    harvest season, so the weather is cooling off a bit but it isn’t so harsh sea travel isn’t possible. Storms do kick up from time to time, though, and they can be treacherous.

        Unique Features:    It’s a cliff island. There’s a beautiful natural bay and there are hot springs in the central parts of the plateau. There are a few canyons/ravines, but they don’t divide the island completely. There are a couple of waterfalls, one of which is pretty impressive and feeds directly into the ocean.

        Description:    When you approach Orma Island, the first thing you notice is the white cliff face reflecting whatever lights are showing in the sky. As you get closer, you can detect the hardy vegetation which clings to the rocky crags and covers the plateau top like a dark green spike-topped fence. The hot springs cause a mist to hover over the place on most mornings, but it’s heavier as the weather cools. It’s a somewhat lonely island, large enough to sustain it’s small population of about 500. They do trade with other islands to import a variety of foods and materials they don’t have easy access to.

        Sights:    Two waterfalls, the white cliffs, multiple hot springs whose waters are milky white or clear, and the natural bay where the main port village lies.
        Sounds:    The waves crashing on the shore, wind bending the evergreens and whistling through the canyons and ravines, the soft bubbling of the hot springs,
        Smells:    salty sea, slightly sweet & almost floral tang of the hot springs, sharp & pungent evergreen trees and shrubs, a few hardy flowers with a mix of sweet/tangy/herbal scents,

Skorpa Island Sketch

       Role in Story:    This is where Zhein currently lives in isolation, and where Atali and her companions find him…not that they were particularly looking for him.

        Related Characters:    Zhein, mainly, but also Atali, her best friend and the warrior who is their bodyguard

        Season:    harvest

        Unique Features:    Skorpa is an island that is midway between Mapi’I and Orma. As such, it’s climate is more mild. Its main attraction is the forest at the center with such an overabundance of fruit and vegetable bearing plants, it’s like a garden and an orchard all together.

        Description:    Skorpa is small, maybe big enough to sustain 20 people year round. This is why no group of Ikhel’duri has used it as a village. Still, Zhein discovered it when he took a dare and now lives there is relative isolation. He’s made a quite unique home which works with his enviroment, rather than in spite of it. The garden that makes up the interior of Skorpa has a little bit of everything one needs to survive, even an abundance of fresh water and meat. It’s hilly and there’s a small waterfall-fed lake off to one side which is filled with an abundance of fish and other sea life.

        Sights:    brightly colored birds, small swathes of white beaches, a carpet of old leaves, so many trees ferns and short shrubs, colorful mushrooms fruits and vegetables
        Sounds:    sweet and cacophonous birdsong, splashing of waves and running streams, wind rustling leaves and fronds of ferns and other short shrubs,
        Smells:    sweet-scented flowers, salty sea, crisp vegetation, rotting vegetation, leaf loam,

If you've been following my author journey posts, then you know I've been struggling a lot over the last couple of years. It's possibly because writing is daunting work and writing a series of books which are linked is even more so. But I've felt much better lately...more hopeful. I'm just going to keep writing and pray for God's guidance and help to do a good job for those who enjoy reading fantasy books. If readers enjoy my work and are encouraged to live better because they identify with one of my honorable characters, then I feel like that would be a super-awesome accomplishment. 

Enough about that, though. Please come back next Wednesday to check out more book reviews and again next Friday. I'll share about my progress throughout the Nanowrimo event and I hope you'll enjoy that. 

Until next time...