Fiction - Black Crusade

[Phaezen]

This came through the wotc rss feed this morning

Black Crusade

The following begins a new serialized tale from Ari Marmell—author of the forthcoming Agents of Artifice. Be sure to check back each week for the next chapter in this ongoing tale of Ravenloft!

Now I am off to read

Phaezen

 

[Jack99]

Grats on a semi-steady gig Ari?

 

[Phaezen]

Ari - grats on signing with Random for Shades of Grey. I notice your site has Black Crusade with a tentative Oct 09 release date, has this been radically moved up or will there still be a treeware release?

P.S. The Prologue was interesting, can't wait to see the rest

Phaezen

 

[ferratus]

I feel sort of compelled to defend the crusaders. Not that the bloodshed was excusable, but rather the actions of the crusaders were that of men rather than monsters.

They were essentially without water (as the wells around the city had been poisoned), suffering from various diseases related to malnutrition as well as dysentery, and were mocked and blasphemed against by the defenders who were confident that they could hold out. Really, the only way to survive and achieve victory was to whip themselves into a frenzy. In a beserk state they were able to take the walls, but once they were in that beserk state they just kept on killing.

I don't say that this massacre was excusable (massacres never are) but I kind of dislike the idea that they are monsters being selected by dark powers. I am sympathetic to the fact that most people in our society, in their situation, would have participated in the massacre as well.

 

[Thanael]

I don't say that this massacre was excusable (massacres never are) but I kind of dislike the idea that they are monsters being selected by dark powers.

But then again in Ravenloft it is always the human side that is selected by the DPs, not the monsters.

I am sympathetic to the fact that most people in our society, in their situation, would have participated in the massacre as well.

I don't know, but i certainly hope not.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Grats on a semi-steady gig Ari?

Oh, it's already written. This is the novel I wrote for the Ravenloft line, before that line was canceled. I'm delighted that it's still seeing publication in some form.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Ari - grats on signing with Random for Shades of Grey.

Thanks. It is, as I'm sure you can imagine, a huge deal for me.

I notice your site has Black Crusade with a tentative Oct 09 release date, has this been radically moved up or will there still be a treeware release?

No, that's just out of date info that I forgot to change. At least for the time being, the online serialization is the book's only release, since the Ravenloft line itself was canceled.

That said, once the serial is complete, who knows? If enough people want a hardcopy, maybe something'll happen. (That's just me guessing, mind you. I don't know/can't speak to any actual plans.)

 

[Mouseferatu]

I don't say that this massacre was excusable (massacres never are) but I kind of dislike the idea that they are monsters being selected by dark powers.

Nor am I saying that every one of them was a monster (as with everything else, some were, some weren't)--just that the event as a whole is historically based, and is the sort of horrific act that would draw the attention of Ravenloft's Dark Powers.

Keep reading the next few chapters; I think you'll get a better sense of what I'm doing with the book's historical underpinnings.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Chapter one is up: Black Crusade: Part One

 

[Mouseferatu]

Chapter two is up. Black Crusade: Part Two