Reshaping WotFS blog description text

The prior blog description remained nearly unchanged for 5 years.

A little time and effort will be going into the blog description to make something a little more accurate for the current decade.

Notable changes are the increased interest again in online RPG gaming. Solo RPG gaming was not in the original description. Fantasy languages are available.

Here is the current description.

RPG pen & pencil gaming. After 5 years since returning to tabletop RPG playing, online RPG video games beginning to interest me once again, I am learning and making new material RPG material—especially solo RPG gaming material. I'm also working on Aioskoru material such as fantasy languages. Some goals are to write stories on the side, develop the world, and to write or use customized rules for my own story world. Newer digital map techniques will also be explored.

World of the Fifth Sun progress 2014 to 1018

Summer of 2014

Everything really began in 2014 when during the summer I came across NaNoWriMo. Sometime around the mid or late summer I decided to try writing a novel during November. I remember checking out several books and taking notes on how to write novels.

I created Song and Fire, a short novel set in a world that I called the Ea, the World of the Fifth Sun.

2015

For a more complete look at 2015 summary, see my 2016 year end review of 2015 post.

I remember revising Song and Fire during January of 2015. While this first novel only sold a few copies, it spurred me to return to tabletop RPGs after 20 years. This book's mythology is that Ea is on the third planet on the fifth sun or 'sol' in a series of worlds, each proceeding world having been destroyed in a war of gods. I can actually easily move this story into an Aioskoru human region if I wanted to.

I began World of the Fifth Sun blog on March 13, 2015.

Exploring into RPG engine source documents

I created several documents which would inspire generator and engine products this year in 2018. 

Much of my Character Generator and flaws was initially created in the Stories vs RPGs series and resulting book.

July of 2015 my nephew in my family was tragically killed by a drunk driver.

I began my Rolemaster beta testing experience around this time as well.

In October, I began creating Aioskoru.

October 28 I began trying to build Aioskoru using online random content generators and learning to expand map techniques. 

November I wrote my 2nd novel, a collection of short stories for the World of the Fifth Sun which resulted in two of the short stories being released Worn and Lanic. Although only those two stories were ever published in one small volume, I still have the remaining stories unedited in my collection. I might be able to do something in the future with this old unreleased content.

I ended the year with more map creation techniques which resulted in techniques used in Quick free maps series and book in 2016.

2016

For a more complete look at 2015 summary, see my 2016 year end review of 2016 post.

2016 began by finishing my map making techniques. 

I then switched to fantasy constructed languages. 

Dice, card, and probability brought me to ABS12 creation series. This was actually my 3rd RPG game attempt after a WotFS Fudge and FAE versions which are actually inspirations for One-Roll Fudge RPG, which were never published anywhere. While A Basic System 12 (ABS12) V1.08 may not be great in it's entirety, pieces of that game are great and are actual pieces such as the Plot Generator and Fact Generator. 

In mid 2016 summer, I began selling products on DriveThru and RPGNow. First, maps were my topic. It quickly switched to Aioskoru and the Solo Game Engine and Fact Generator (which are pieces of ABS12).

In late that year, I began creating Fairy language, which is a test into the possible content of books such as Elvish Language. I've had words written for Elvish since earlier this 2016 year but have changed much of it in it's current form. It is based, however, on the same words. Fairy would be published first since I knew that I owned the rights to this invented language.

5e x 5 was really the emphasis at the end of this year 2016.

Comparing open gaming systems during this year also fueled my more recent Parallel Open Gaming Systems products.

2017

2017 began by finishing 5e x 5 products for a few months. Later, Character Gen (based on Stories vs RPGs) vs, Description Gen (item focus), and Motivation Gen  (based on Stories vs RPGs) were released. 

In the blog, I began with finishing my Fairy Language which I would release a year later in PDF.

My Aioskoru Myth Making series created early 2017 has yet to be published anywhere except on my blog.

The Star Frontiers blog series helped inspire me to complete 5e x 5 Future Characters later during the year. 

In the middle of the year 2017, my MERP Collectors Edition series helped to quench my RMX anger.

Next post

Tomorrow, I might look at some goals that I wrote at the beginning of 2017 and see if there is any inspiration there.

2nd week of writing

Progress so far

More typing, mapping, and drawing

Like a dam in the river, the free flowing spontaneous action swerves and turns, thoughts become words. The unknown becomes a challenge.

And here is my score so far.

That is the story of this last week.

When I started this writing, I only had vague plans and ideas about the initial setting, in an elf trading city in the southern elf lands. I picked one place on the map and created a trading city. I knew what type of game structure I wanted to create and also that I would try using Fudge RPG system. I wanted to have it be a character origin type story. Everything else would be created using mostly discovery writing-technique since I had no NPCs, no established settings, and no history created.

I posted this at the NaGa Demon event Fudge RPG on MeWe page late last night, for more details.

*****************************************************************************

Assessing my progress so far with the bulk of the story of the game. I've covered the one major city, most of one major town, finished one small village, and starting the minor town, did one small cave, random encounters for the area, have written 4 major clues about the story, added one helpful tool hidden. I've started two or three side story arcs I'm not sure where they are going yet.

62 pages currently of 22,000 words total.

Out of 94 current sections outlined, 66 are to the 1st draft state, 17 are in the writing stage, and 11 are still in outline state. I'm guessing I will add at least 70 to 100 more sections at least.

About day 8, I noticed my speed slowing down as I approached the middle area not planned during my preparation. I've been grunting through the unknown, figuring that everything can be refined later. Just get something on paper first.

That's my update.

Halfway through the month is soon.

First week of Writing

My screen every day

Typing, mapping, and drawing

Like a free flowing spontaneous action, thoughts become words. And here is my score so far.

That is the story of this last week.

I haven't swam in the sea of Aioskoru since the map making and mythology days several years ago. A time before 5e x 5. Sure, Elvish and Fairy Languages are a part of Aioskoru. However, the language are more isolated right now than the maps, world guides, and creatures. Diving back into a story brings alive the maps, creature plans, and even weather that I did so long ago.

Writing stories brought me back to RPGs as my blog site mentions in the summary.

Writing brings back fuel, energy, and brings stuff alive.

After two years of mainly writing rules, languages, and random charts diving back into stories helps bring what the other books actual are about. The fantastic and cool stories that help us live mythical lives and see through different eyes for a brief moment of time

New Project

I just started a Fudge RPG page, which is related to my November Naga Demon 2018, NaNoWriMo, SGAM 2018 Fudge RPG project that I'm currently working on.

This will be a Aioskoru (https://sites.google.com/site/aioskoru/) and Elvish (https://www.rpgnow.com/product/255014/Elvish-Language-Updating-Version) mix hopefully. This is my first Elvish City, named in English Wood Fell. I'll make it into Elvish later, as will I change NPC names. I also have the region and local terrain maps nearly finished, ready to add more cities, towns and villages. Already, four major NPCs and two minor NPCs, several locations, three classes, and two power systems have been created. Just last night I finished writing material up to the first encounter.

Small hand drawn incomplete sketch of first city for my story game. I only drew a few of the building areas, the wall around the city, the shore, piers with boats, major streets, a few farms outside the wall

The current page has links to the Fudge Files describing what's in the core files.

This page may be expanded as I work with Fudge more.

https://worldofthefifthsun.blogspot.com/p/fudge.html

Fable part 3: snake symbolism

Myths Series
Myth making: my plan
What are myths, legends, and folklore? Definitions (Quotes)
Joseph Cambell : Myths

Myths: Types and functions

Mythology: How they are created

Myth #1: Blood and Water - Begin

Myth #2: From them, all become

Type of Myth #1 & #2; Fable #1: part 1

Fable part 2: bird symbolism

Myths and Fables: ponderings  & decisions

What have snakes symbolized?

For Native Americans, the snake can symbolize healing and rebirth. For Pueblo, the snake may mean storm bringer.  

For the Pueblo, Avanyu - the Horned Serpent - is benevolent but fearful. It is the companion of the trickster god Kokopelli. The antlers or horns represent spiritual power. The Horned Serpent normally symbolizes rain, thunder, and waterways. 

for the Hopi, they perform an annual snake dance to celebrate the union of the Sky and the Underworld and renew the fertility of nature. The hopes is that rain will fall upon the crops

For Mississippians, the the horned serpent was normally benign or benevolent. However the Great Serpent was normally malevolent. 

The Choctaw Horned Serpent is a source of inspiration.

The Feathered Serpent is more prominent in Mississippi, Aztec, and Mayan cultures revered much similar to the Horned Serpent of other cultures.

Southeast Asia and Australia

Rainbow Serpent has played a significant role as creator for the original people of this area.

Past Fables

Aesop, Greek fable storyteller, has several snake related fables.

In "The Laborer and the Snake", the snake killed the cottager's son. And then the cottager wounds the snake. The cottager then tries to make peace, but the snake warns that there will never be peace because of what each other did.

In "The Farmer and the Snake", the snake found frozen by the farmer is brought to the farmers body to try warming. The snake awakes and bites killing the farmer.

In "The Serpent and the Eagle", the eagle tries to capture and eat the snake. The snake fights back. The countryman frees the eagle from the snake. The snake spits venom into the guy's drinking horn. The eagle dumps the drinking horn before the countryman drinks the poison.

For all three Greek fables, the snake is untrustworthy, dangerous, and vengeful.

Christianity

In much of the New Testament, the serpent is Satan.

Chinese

In the chinese zodiac, the snake is intelligent though without morals.

Snakes in dreams

In dreams, snakes can refer to fear, hidden threats, the subconscious, sexual power, cold people, transformation, healing, or creativity.

Type of Myth #1 & #2; Fable #1: part 1

Myths Series
Myth making: my plan
What are myths, legends, and folklore? Definitions (Quotes)
Joseph Cambell : Myths

Myths: Types and functions

Mythology: How they are created

Myth #1: Blood and Water - Begin
Myth #2: From them, all become
Type of Myth #1 & #2; Fable #1: part 1

Earth Diver, Secretion, and Sacrifice type myths

Looking at Marta Weigle's creation type list, I try to categorize my two creation myths. She lists accretion/conjunction, secretion, sacrifice, division/consummation, earth diver, emergence, two creators, deus faber, ex nihilo as creation types.
Types of Creation Myths

If I categorized the first two myths, the blood and water is more like a mixture of creation types earth diver and secretion. Whereas the maggot myth is more like sacrifice creation because the maggots came from the ancient skeleton and had eaten away flesh - so both have been caused by parts of the god. After falling down to Aioskoru, powers morph them into new beings.

Beginning to attempt to create a fable.

After the first two creation myths which saw the creation of winged creatures and serpents, I wanted to create my first fable which includes the three moons of Aioskoru.

Story idea pieces
Winged beast
Serpent
Three moons

So i thought about making a fable of bird taking snake to the moons.

I write down these words, which I want to develop into a fable.

Bird takes snake to the moons

Bird takes snake to the moons
© 2017 Ken Wickham

I really want to do more than that summary sentence. But first, I want to look at a few fables in the next post. I want to see how people have created fables in the past.

So my next posts will look at fables, so that I can equip myself with some basic fable making knowledge using some of the knowledge of the past.

Myth #2: From them all become

Myths Series
Myth making: my plan
What are myths, legends, and folklore? Definitions (Quotes)
Joseph Cambell : Myths

Myths: Types and functions

Mythology: How they are created

Myth #1: Blood and Water - Begin
Myth #2: From them, all become

In this section, I join and differentiate the maggots from the blood & water..

Struggling maggots falling as well.

Flies soon emerge, ready to fly

Spreading across the great land.

Some eat from the ancient remnants.

Some begin to eat each other. 

From maggots, the first serpents form. 

And from the flies, winged beasts grow.

Feed by the powerful essence,

the hidden beast from blood & water,

to small to be of concern to the offspring of maggots,

multiply and live in secrecy.

They are the offspring of maggots.

They are the offspring of blood & water.

From them, all become.

From them, all become 
© 2017 Ken Wickham

Myth #1: Blood and Water - Begin

Myths Series
Myth making: my plan
What are myths, legends, and folklore? Definitions (Quotes)
Joseph Cambell : Myths

Myths: Types and functions

Mythology: How they are created

This is a creation story somewhat similar to the Japanese creation story. It continues from the initial myth of the immense skeleton Hewhoshestes floating in the endless void. The maggots having consumed the ancient being's flesh crawl towards the world. The skeleton dips a quill into a bottle with the ink of life (blood) and and upon the scroll begins to create.

Myth #1: Blood and Water - Begin

Blood dripping from the sky.

Falling into a pool of water. Simmering and stirring.

Sparkling bubbles rising to air.

From within the pool, the blood condenses. 

Formless becomes form. Stillness into movement. 

The blood of the ancient one, grandfather bones.

Life awakes, or transforms, or becomes.

From blood and water, it begins.

Blood  and Water - Begin 
© 2017 Ken Wickham

2017 World of the Fifth Sun

2015 World of the Fifth Sun summary
2016 World of the Fifth Sun summary
2017 World of the Fifth Sun goals

Contributor levels for 2017

With content on the World of the Fifth Sun blog, RPGNow, and Aioskoru Website on Google and with this being a new year, I wanted to expand upon a contribution tier system which we tried for November's 5e x 5 launch. I'm going to try expanding it across all of the products that I made or helped make. Anyone who has bought or contributed to any of the products already counts has them count towards these amounts and may already have qualified for the contribution benefit(s).

Because of this, I am creating a structure within each and one across all four categories. Next year, these amounts may increase to due to new product and/or price increases.

It can be categorized into 4 major categories.
A) Solo Gaming (SG)
B) Aioskoru World (AW)
C) 5e x 5 (5x5)
D) Map making (MM)

and one combined tier
E) Ultimate Contributor (UC)

All purchases and contributions from the first July 2016 purchases up to now and those into the future are included when I figure out who is qualified in the current tiers including bundle packages.

(SG - AoO) $1.50
Solo Gaming contributions include the Ezine #1, Solo Game Engine, and Fact Generator. The current tier "Army of One" (AoO) is set at $1.50 contributing to any or combined among those three. This level will let you gain early access to upcoming solo game products such as the Flexible Story Engine and the Drama Escalator for the 2017.

(AW - FJ) $2.50
Aioskoru World contributions include the Aioskoru World Guide, Aioskoru OGL Maps, Aioskoru Outline maps, and the Aioskoru World Atlas. The current tier "Fantastic Journey" (FJ) is set to a $2.50 contributing to any or combined among those four. If you bought the Aioskoru World Atlas at any price or in any bundle, you are automatically in the FJ tier. This level will let you gain early access to upcoming campaign material for the 2017.

(5x5 - RC) $4.00
5e x 5 contributions include the 5e x 5 OGL SRD, Characters, Spells, Monsters, Equipment & Treasures, Combat & Conditions, Ezine #1, Future, or Modern. The current tier "Rules Conversion" (RC) is set to $4.00 contributing to any or combined among these nine. If you bought the 5e x 5 core, then you are automatically in the RC tier. This level will let you gain early access and a 30% discount on upcoming titles for 2017.

(MM - DC) varies
Map making contributions so far only includes the book Quick free world maps using GIMP filters and Donjon fractal maps. If you have that book, you are in the "Design Cartography" tier. This level will let you gain early access to and a 30% discount to the planned upcoming Intermediate free world maps book.

All Four Contributor categories
Ultimate Contributor (UC)
If a person contributes to AoO + FJ + RC + DC = UC for 2017

Future Project Goals for 2017 and further

Here is a list of projects that come to mind looking over the current landscape of products and the blog. This list is mixed blog and RPG products.

On top of the goal* list is:
Because of commitments made during November and December, some projects are placed high on the list.

Done
5e x 5 Modern Equipment

Soon to be ready
5e x 5 Future Equipment

Short term goals*

5e x 5 Fantasy formatting
Aioskoru Fairy Language - this is rated high for the blog material
Aioskoru Campaign material - content feature sections of the Aioskoru world
5e x 5 Future - system with cybernetics, robots, mecha
5e x 5 Modern - system with psionics
5e x 5 Psychic Powers - Fantasy mind powers

Peter is working with the 5e x 5 Monsters to add some CC and Open Images to the book

Mid Term Goals*

Also in the works is:
Release Fairy/Celestial & Demonic PWYW and the others for a low price: Common, Goblin, Elf, Orc, Dwarf, and Halfling.
5e x 5 Equipment & Treasures II
5e x 5 Monsters listed by CR & Terrain
ABS12 Flexible Story Engine
ABS12 Flexible Drama Escalator
ABS12 Fantasy solo game system

Long Term Goals*

Planned
5e x 5 Magic Item categorized list
More JAGs content
More Reviews & Played Reviews
Intermediate quick free maps using

Distant Possible Projects
5e x 5 Monsters II
5e x 5 Characters II
5e x 5 Combat & Conditions II
RPG vs Story Adventure

*Goals are subject to change, reorder, or be dropped for unforeseeable reasons.

Fantasy Constructed Languages Part 10: fantasy jargon, 1st set

Other fantasy language posts
Creating a fantasy languageElfin and Orcish amount of words so far
Fantasy Constructed Languages Part 1: Sounds
Fantasy Constructed Languages Part 2: Parts of speech - nouns
Fantasy Constructed Languages Part 3: Parts of speech - adjectives
Fantasy Constructed Languages Part 4: Parts of speech - articles, quantifiers, prepositions, questions
Fantasy Constructed Languages Part 5: Parts of speech - why, pronouns, conjunctions,
Fantasy Constructed Languages Part 6: Parts of speech - verbs
Fantasy Constructed Languages Part 7: Parts of speech - verbs (Part 2)
Fantasy Constructed Languages Part 8: Parts of speech - verbs (Part 3)
Fantasy Constructed Languages Part 9: Parts of speech - verb tense

Here is the first set of fantasy jargon words. I am focusing this set on the four basic fantasy races and two monsters.

1. human          fa-on (mortal beings)
2. immortal,       thafa (no death)
3. mortal, death    fa
4. elf                  hen-on (ancient beings)
5. ancient          hen
6. dwarf            yolo-on (under beings)
7. halfling          itha-on (sneaky beings)
8. sneaky           itha
9. monster         tamlang (to warn tamda, big lang
10. to warn          tamda
11. demon           tsomrisa  (bad tsom, fire  arisa)
12. dragon           arimolang  (fire  arisa, claw   moda, big  lang)
13. lizard             mola

Total Words in Fairy Language

To the 197 words that we made in the two prior posts, we have now added 13 important words (used as prefix and suffix), which brings our total Fairy words to 210 important basic Fairy words.

The next post I'll continue with another set of common fantasy jargon words like sword, magic, and more.

2016 World of the Fifth Sun summary

2016
2015 World of the Fifth Sun summary
2016 World of the Fifth Sun summary

Maps

2016 began where I left off in 2015, with map work. I first produced an Aioskoru Highway map.

I had been working on Aioskoru languages as well, revealing that I had 175 elfin and orcish words in mid January. These words would expand along with Common, Goblin, Dwarf, and Halfling throughout this year in spurts.

In February of 2016 I returned to FAE, which I had paused studying due to RMU the summer before. I considered bidirectional approaches.

In March, my Quick free world maps using GIMP filters and Donjon fractal maps. I used a new technique to make more accurate 3D maps than the prior methods I had tried, using grayscale maps.

I also started my Dice, Cards, and Probability series of posts.

ABS12

In April, I began my A Basic System 12 (ABS12) system creation. I did this to give me a system that I could fool around with different mechanics. The entire series of posts shows my struggles, victories, and problems creating a system from scratch. Although the current system might not be entirely polished nor great, however I think the actual value is within the process posts. It's sort of a journal showing how they came to be.

In late April, I wrote a post that would serve as a basic model to me when comparing different game system attributes. I tried to fit together a Master chart of attribute words used to describe characters and monsters. Attributes, skills, and special gifts

In May, I wrote a post that would influence how I set monsters up for Aioskoru World Guide monster list. In my Looking at OGL stat data: Black Bear eight Open Gaming License (OGL) systems were examined comparing Black Bear stats.

Stories vs RPGs

Also in May, I started the series that would become the book Stories vs RPGs. In it, I compared character approaches, theory, and methods in story writing vs role playing games.

In May, I started my Search for a current fantasy main system. I would post a summary of process, comparisons, and criticism/praise beginning in June's Search for a current fantasy main system Part 1: suggested games and evaluating their samples

In late May, I created my ABS12 Solo Game Engine and Fact Generator.

I wrote a microfiction piece "Bargain for Eternity" at the end of May.

In June I began writing a RPG and Story Scenes. This is a short series that I hope to do more with at a future time.

In June, I started what would become In search of Centaurs using the ABS12 system.

In July, I wrote my Test Played series using the game information that I had gathered in the Search for a current fantasy main system process.

Quick free world maps using GIMP filters and Donjon fractal maps

I released the book Quick free world maps using GIMP filters and Donjon fractal maps on July 4th which included all of my blog post and a few new sections unique only to the book such as how to create the topographical maps and how to alter the biome maps to add new symbols. This was my first RPGNow book listed.

I also created some JAGS content such as some NPC templates, wild west creatures, and a d20 to JAGs conversion.

New Maps w river flow

July also saw my experiment with maps return, with me trying to find a way to figure out rivers quicker. This lead me to experiment with wilbur which resulted the map below which is the area for In Search of Centaurs story in Western Ekouinmanus Kapos.

Fantasy Constructed Languages: Fairy Celestial

In August, I began my Fantasy Constructed Languages series where I try to create a Fairy/Celestial language. Unlike the Common, Goblin, Elf, Orc, Dwarf, and Halfling this would be a constructed language entirely created from the sounds on up to the grammar. This series lets you look into my journey from a blank slate and see how I've created 194 words so far with some grammar rules and sentence structure.

RPGNow Aioskoru and solo game books

I also released the Aioskoru World Guide, ABS12 Flexible Solo Game Engine, Aioskoru OGL maps, ABS 12 Fact Generator, In search of Centaurs, and then Aioskoru World Atlas. Although it may appear that these were created simultaneous, really they had been in the works since late of October of 2015 - most of the work taking place at the end of 2015 in October to December, as mentioned in the last post. They had been on hold for several earlier months of 2016 while I looked into some theory and practiced game design. The Aioskoru World Atlas has some of the river techniques only recently discovered at that time.

I made two YouTube videos for the Aioskoru World Atlas and the Aioskoru World Guide

5e x 5

In September after an agreement with a partner Peter Rudin-Burgess who had created the first region of Aioskoru which he that he named Melos. We created a project named 5e x 5 to convert 5e SRD into a d100 attribute and skill based system.

For two months all other projects went on virtually on hold. Most of my posts at that time concerned either 3.5e or 5e, except one fantasy language post.

At the end of the project, we released the 5e x 5 OGL SRD using a kickstarter like tier system. We did the tier system to help generate contributions even though the actual SRD was PWYW. Keeping the system OGL and free if need be is the spirit of both Aioskoru and 5e x 5.

The motivational draw that I presented for contributors was an unavailable 5e x 5 Modern and Future conversion, which I began in November.

Since then, I've made strides into converting 5e x 5 Modern Characters, Modern Equipment, and recently began Modern Psionics.

For future I have converted 5e x 5 Future Characters, Future Equipment, Future Cybernetics, Future Robots, and recently Future Mecha.

Ezine #1

We released a collection of Peter and my blog posts named 5e x 5 Ezine #1. In addition, for contributors, we offered 5e x 5 Fantasy Weapons & Armor II as a motivational draw to contributors of the ezine.

5e x 5 two-column

We released a two-column version of the 5e x 5 books priced individually or by bundle with some savings.

That two-column version has received background images in the fantasy Character book and in the Spells book. 

In the next post I'll look at the next year and future current goals of World of the Fifth Sun blog. Ken Wickham

2015 World of the Fifth Sun summary

This year has been very fruitful with several interesting results. First I'll review what happened leading up to 2016, and then the next post highlights of 2016. In the third post I will do a post that is looking forward into 2017 and beyond - more of a hopes, goals, and challenges post.

WotFS 2015

I began World of the Fifth Sun on March 13, 2015.
Exploring into RPG engine source documents
In that post I was looking for a rules system to maybe support the world that I had created during the November Nanowrimo. I had started looking into rules systems late summer of 2014 before writing Song and Fire, my first attempt at a fantasy novel. The Fudge rule system seemed interesting. I used it to attempt to create two Fudge rule sets over the time since, which have never been used or entirely fleshed out.

Later that month I wrote a personality post which discussed using the stats with modern five factor personality theory. Modern personality theory was in my mind carrying over from the character creation notes and systems which helped create my fictional characters. I found that personality theory really helped me create several unique characters based on personality types rather than basing it on real life people that I know.

Some of this character personality work would end up as sections influencing my Stories vs RPGs series which I put into an Ebook format in 2016. My Fudge personality post is likely being added into the Fudge Compendium which may be published soon.

June of 2015 I looked into Fate Accelerated, drawn by the simple and more compact rules system. 

July  of 2015, after ordering FAE and RMX which I had decided to purchase in late June, while I was waiting for it to arrive I spent time looking for RMX stuff on ICE's forum and looked at the updated beta 2 RMU file and was drawn back to RMU. I had sworn off RMU the year prior due to a format that is written for someone who already knows the RM system. This new version was easier to understand and had a better learning curve - which since then is being reversed unfortunately from what I read by the powers that be. Most likely the final RMU will be as clunky, blocky, and user unfriendly as the RMSS that proceeded it.

Instead of playing RMX which I ordered because of a review that said it was similar to MERP, I ended up test playing RMU and doing a thorough review on ICE Forums. I gave my feedback and 2 cents of input from a returning GM perspective and former MERP GM.

October 28 I began trying to build Aioskoru using online random content generators and learning to expand map techniques. 

November of 2015 for Nanowrimo I wrote the compiled collection of tales for my world which acts as a prequel to Song and Fire. Two of the tales written I released in a two short-story book called Worn and Lanic.  The remaining stories have yet to be released.

Mid December I started trying to make city maps. Two of my attempts were later designated for Melos and Denusos. 

December 15, 2015 I've been working on maps for Aioskoru.

Despite looking into city maps, I continued trying to make better and more detailed Aioskoru region maps. The next day I put together information that I had gathered in late October and November making maps and experimenting with graphical processes started my Quick free world maps using GIMP filters and Donjon fractal maps series of posts.

In my experiments I came across a radical breakthrough technique which brought me closer to knowing how to do what I wanted to do with the maps - greater details found within the free maps. This was the technique used to make topographical maps, which became the focus for the book along with the 3D bump maps. This is the Melos region which I posted on December 20, 2015.

On December 23, 2015 I made and posted two pictures which I would use later for the Aioskoru World Guide and the Aioskoru OGL Maps.

On December 28th, 2015, I ended the year by choosing a logo for the world.

So these events leads up to the beginning of this year 2016. Although many of these things were last year, they would help influence and be used in several projects/posts studied and created this year.

In the next post, I will look at World of the Fifth Sun in 2016.