Tag: Art

What’s Next? Author Blog Update

by Peter Hopkins, posted in Book Stuff

Hello everyone,

 

After the successful launch and sales behind The Cripple and the King, I’m finally ready to announce my next two projects, which I’m hoping to finish a majority of the work on over this school year. I’ve just started Sophomore year so progress might be a bit slow, but I think I’ll have plenty of time to work on both. The first, is the next installment in the fantasy series, The Northern Cycle, which follows a tribe of Hirdlanders, who some of you may remember as some of the antagonists in The Sword to Unite, and their forced recruitment into a foreign war whose outcome could decide the fate of their nation and the entirety of the northern realms. Following the main character Vilsind Layson and his tribe’s interactions with Kaiser Darador, a young king driven by ambition and an unconquerable intellect for politics and war. Vilsind must carefully navigate an intricate web of lies and outrun the past of his father’s cursed name. This is the cover art for the book, created by artist Reza Afshar.

Another project, which I will reveal in a little bit, will be in a new genre and is heavily inspired by the works of Lovecraft and the art of H.R. Giger, and I’m very excited about it!

Thanks for reading!

Peter

Geladhithel, Last Holdfast of the Silver Elves

by Peter Hopkins, posted in Coat of Arms

With the fall of Glanfech, the first kingdom of the Hlútrian, or the proper name of elvish people, was lost. The elves were divided, many chose to stay close to the ruins of their home, residing in the lake city of Evrand, while others went north towards the woodland realm of Lusani, where a great number of their people already dwelled. A small fraction departed for Antiquii, the ancestral homeland of the elves, where they devolved in technology and culture to a more primitive state, seeking harmony with nature. The fourth group of elves fled to the east, hoping to avoid the senseless brutalities ensuing in the west. Along the eastern coast of Yennen, they settled in the palisade of Geladhithel, which had been a minor border fort until this point.

The eastern elves became known as the Silver Elves, called this by the native men who marveled at their skill of smithing and art, for their steel was well made it appeared as shining silver. The elves built up Geladhithel, turning the earthen mud fort into a stone city with many walls and towers. The royal palace in Geladhithel became known as the Blue Star, for the blue tile which adorned the roofing of the keep. Here, the Kings of Geladhithel rose to power over the lands they had fought and journeyed for, yet they could never surpass the majesty of Glanfech.

In worship, the Silver Elves worship Duwel alone, believing all other gods to only be his cohort of angels and servants, not worthy of prayer. They take their sigil after Duwel's cloud, which supposedly fell over Rohiel, greatest of elven kings, and gave him the knowledge of the world.

Wars with the Dradanians to the north and Silverscale to the south bled the treasury and army. On Lake Fyrk, the Silver Elves had attempted to build a city similar to Evrand, naming it Lirfell, yet the city was burned and left to ruin by a host of Silverscale who sacked the city for its deposits of gold and jewels. After this, nearly a fourth of the Silver Elves population had been lost to war, and finally, the Sky Kings were forced into a peace with a heavy tribute of taxes to Silverscale.

Allied with Nacia for centuries, Geladhithel had begun to regain strength, and have finally paid off their war debts; wealth they intend to win back through martial power or cunning plot.

The Company of the Shining Sword

by Peter Hopkins, posted in Coat of Arms

The mercenary army, known chiefly as the Company of the Shining Sword, has been active for two generations of command and has seen battle across the entire world. A host of four thousand spears and swords, one thousand lightly armored lancers, and two thousand archers and crossbowmen, as well as some five hundred mounted archers with compound bows. A true glass cannon, the army is meant for strategy focusing on hit and run tactics, preferring to harass their enemy and keep a good distance away before striking and retreating to start the cycle again.

Founded by an exiled elven prince of Evrand, Tulmo the Once-Watcher, named for his revoking of the title of captain of the city guard at Evrand. Supposedly he had been taking bribes from smugglers and usurers, though many in his company and those of his family claim he was set up to cover a string of corruption in the council of that fair republic.

Either way, Tulmo was ousted from the city with twenty loyal guardsmen from the watch. Each of these men held the rank of captain granted instantly by Tulmo for their support, some of whom still hold it to this day as grizzled and old veterans of the company.

The first recorded instance of the company was at Kurithia, the city closest to Evrand. Kruithia had been besieged for months by their rivals the Ushamites, and it seemed the city would be breached in days. Suddenly, a company of some one thousand elves and a few hundred men charged the besieging camp in the dead of night. The camp burned in chaos and flame, quickly sending the Ushamite host fleeing out of fear of the savage host descending upon them. From the walls of the city, guardsmen saw shining blades glitter in the light of the flames, as the swords had been previously unused and were completely untarnished.

After the siege, Tulmo was granted a king’s fortune by the oligarchy, and word quickly traveled across the world of a new mercenary company looking for sliders of fortune to bolster their ranks. As part of his reward, Tulmo was knighted by the council, and granted his personal coat of arms, a red hand holding a shining steel blade upon an orange shield, still used to this day as the company’s sigil.

The Official Map of the Book!

by Peter Hopkins, posted in Book Stuff

Here it is, the full map of The Sword to Unite. This map uses roughly fourteen separate maps finally combined to show the whole world of Morthwyl, Yennen, and Erastrius. It is my hope I’ll be able to make specific blog posts about different areas of the map, their geography, history, and culture.

On the four corners, the artist has placed the coat of arms of a few of the most important kingdoms and households, including Crawe, Thorne, The Eternal Dawn, and The Nacian Empire.

It has been such an incredible experience to see the change in my ideas for the book and the maps throughout the process of writing the book. It feels like a real accomplishment to finally see it done in such detail and design. This map, as well as the poster, will be available in full resolution in the future. Be sure to leave a comment and like, and don’t forget to subscribe for more content!

 

The Official Poster of the Book!

by Peter Hopkins, posted in Book Stuff

Check out the new poster for The Sword to Unite. Set in the city of Wulfstan, the capital of Lorine. Seen on the docks are Cedric and Olaf, the captain of the city guard. In the background, Adalgott’s Palace. The stone jutting out of the castle is the rock on which Adalgott prescribed the first codified set of laws in the north. To the sea, the ancient lighthouse of Stormwatch Keep, which has guarded the city against coastal threats for thousands of years.

As an author, it is such an incredible experience to witness a scene I wrote transmuted onto art. During my first posts on WordPress, I never would have imagined I would be able to release my book onto Amazon, it has been such an incredible experience which I’m so glad to have shared with my subscribers! For me, art has always played such an important role in my writing, it’s a bit of an odd confession, but I’ve always had a soft spot for the classic although somewhat cheesy animated style of the original animated version of The Lord of The Rings. Knowing a piece of art, such as film or painting, comes from a passion one has for the literature it originates from has such a huge impact on me.

This has been such an incredible life experience, one which I think has shifted my focus on writing for life, if for the sake of passion. Again, thanks to everyone whose supported the blog, wouldn’t be here without you.

-Peter

 

 

The Lion Of Nacia

by Peter Hopkins, posted in Coat of Arms

Disgraced, exiled, and beaten, the Nacian Empire stands on a final leg. Forced to flee from their homeland of Nacia, the Imperators have ruled an island off the coast of Yennen, a pale substitute for the vast tracks of land they once held dominion over. Barbarian tribes in service to Nacia overthrew their benefactors, who had grown weak and reliant upon foreign arms. The tribes became civilized and proclaimed themselves the Duxdoms, an insult to the heritage and name of the lion.

Though the benefits of empire have faded from the grip of Nacia, the problems cling like a foul disease. The nobility proves ineffective, growing fat in their countryside villas. The people are broken in spirit, and the army lays in disarray. The fleet of Nacia has deserted, meaning no reclamation of the homeland can even be thought of.

The current king, as the title imperator has been lost to time, is a young man named Lucan, second in line to be king, without an empathetic trait or simple charm in his character. His people dub him, Lucan the Unloving, and for good reason.

The Lusani Elves, Dwellers of the Forest

by Peter Hopkins, posted in Coat of Arms

Between Lorine and the rest of the north, the Lusatine forest cuts across the landscape like a knife. The roots of the forest are deep and filled with a rich history of heroes and songs. None dwell there save the Lusani Elves, born and buried in the vast network of vines and branches. Few have seen such folk and even fewer live to tell the tale. A xenophobic people, they protect the forest from those who would harm it.

The Kingdom of Lorine’s powerful merchant guilds once tried to cut a swath through the land, in order to secure timber and a new trade route to the north. The expedition was never to be seen again. For centuries the Lusani have not cared for the politics of the world, but now, as evil once more awakens from slumber, the elves of the forest cannot leave their fate to chance. The drums in the woods begin anew, and the rangers and bowman take up their arms once more. Led by Queen Joanne, a girl rumored to be no older than fourteen yet fierce in her authority, the elves shall stand against the coming tide.

 

Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more content. Coming soon: a fully detailed map of the world of Yennen.

The Golden Court of Evrand

by Peter Hopkins, posted in Coat of Arms

A light, defiant to the shadow around it. The lake city of Evrand has stood as a beacon for the elvish kin since the Age of Glory. Built by the great king Rohiel, it was the vanguard in the war against the demons. Crassus Baal, the deceiver, had clouded the human and elven kingdoms in shadow, and the land fell into civil war. Rohiel cried out to the god Duwel, lord of cloud and sky, and begged for the salvation of his people. Duwel answered, and commanded the Elf King to erect a massive lighthouse at the center isle of Lake Evrand. Rohiel did so, and when he had laid the last stone, Duwel descended in a cloud of flame, and kindled the lighthouse, driving back the darkness that plagued the land.

Since this time, the Golden Court has been a safe haven for the elves, one of the last three kingdoms of the Hlútrian, the proper name of the elves. Duwel’s people are few and far, often selling their wise words or sharp steel, reduced greatly in status from the days of yore. The Golden Court intends to reclaim what was stolen, to once more, be the beacon of light and hope in a dark and hopeless world.

The Black Elk, Zelphie

by Peter Hopkins, posted in Coat of Arms

The ancient enemy to Atruitas, the fallen son of Erastrius, and the worshipper of the Black Elk, The Kingdom of Zelphie is a force to be reckoned with. The second of the kingdoms born from the Great Collapse, Zelphie lived in unity with Atruitas, often fighting alongside one another to repel foreign invaders, but no more. King Rogbert, now nearly ten generations ago, renounced his holy vows to Matuar, God of the Sea, and proclaimed loyalty to the Black Elk, a powerful and ancient being of the Zelphine Forest.

Upon hearing this, neighboring Tanaria took up arms against Zelphie at the behest of Atruitas, to purge the lands of this new cult. Rogbert ordered his men replace the image of Matuar’s trident with the Black Elk’s eyes upon their shields, proclaiming that the forest would soak up the sea. Rogbert met the Tanarians on the field, and won a stunning victory, sending the faithful running.

With this victory, Rogbert purged the land of Matuar’s priests, and tore down their holy sites, erecting new lodges with black antlers upon their altars. Since this time, Zelpie and Atruitas have been locked in a holy war, the Elk against Matuar.

Atruitas, the Silver Son of Erastrius

by Peter Hopkins, posted in Coat of Arms

To the southern realms, where fields of green blow gently in long summer’s wind, Atruitas shines as a beacon of civilization on the shores of the Ecestial sea. A nation which splintered from the Erastrian motherland during the Great Collapse, Atruitas has managed to retain the laws and learning of their now long dead forebearers. Their capital, Estphallia is a hub of culture and trade, one of the few left on the eastern coast of Yennen. To the north, the barbaric tribes of Clan Silverscale reave across the countryside, and to the south, the Zelphine, the fallen sons of Erastrius, who desecrated and abandoned their god Matuar, wage a bloody war against Atruitas.

The Silver Crown of Princes must be protected at all costs, for no others can claim the Erastrian legacy than they of Atruitas. War calls and the proud sons of Matuar are no stranger to the sound. Their navy and marines are feared for good reason, bathed in stiff leather and steel like armored monsters of the sea. Their winged helmets beckon their knights to glory. Now is the time for the Silver Son to takes his place on the lost throne of Erastrius, and reclaim that ancient empire!