Hi,

I authorized you so you should be good/verified.

Book IV is coming after OOA:ITN, then either Book V or COA:ITW after that etc.

OOA:ITN is about to start beta in the next week or so. It takes place at the same time as book IV and there is some overlap, since it's another shaman's story, like the one with Tal Gor, Ragala, Farsooth, etc.

However, it's a much longer timescale since it takes a long time to travel hundreds of light years. And because it's a single POV, I squeeze in more time per book.

So it ends....I don't quite know...in Book V or maybe VI?

Books 1,2,3 are really in a very short period of time, DOA ends 30 days after the "fight scene with Talarius" so the entire time is just a few months.

OOA goes more than 60 days since the end of Book III

That could take a while....

Here is the Excordium from Book IV (i.e. Previously on)

Exordium: Dates, Time and Previously
Reminder from Volume I: The planet of Astlan has two moons, Uropia, the closer moon, orbits Astlan around the axis of rotation from East to West (like Earth’s moon) and Anuropia, the further out moon orbits Astlan over the poles of rotation from North to South and then South to North.
http://www.astlan.net/Ho...MoonsandTheirCycles.aspx
Uropia, the moon with a feminine aspect has 10 months per Astlanian year, Anuropia has 5 months per year and thus for every one Anuropian month, there are two Uropian months. The five months of Anuropia conveniently correspond to the five seasons: Hearth, Winter, Spring, Summer, Harvest.
Anuropian months are not specifically named, given that they also correspond to the seasons which are reversed in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Anuropian quarter months are however named, each named quarter month has two ten-day weeks that correspond to the relative positions of the two moons.
While timekeeping does vary across Astlan, the dates are fairly standardized for trade purposes. Typically, dates are given as Anuropian Quarter Month/Day of Quarter Month/Year. In texts, the quarter month is denoted by either a number 1 to 20 or the name of the month.
http://www.astlan.net/Ho...y/AstlanianCalendar.aspx
There are multiple calendars that designate the current year depending on specific events; over the last few centuries, those calendars that do not start and stop at the same time have fallen out of favor so that currently the major calendars in use have years that are only offsets of each other.
http://www.astlan.net/Home/History/Timeline.aspx
The Council States, where many of the humans in Demons of Astlan live, officially uses the Post-Vargosian Calendar which dates from the fall of the Vargosite Empire 424 years before the arrival of the Dark Lord Tommus. Mount Doom is obviously in the Abyss which does not have real days or nights, nor seasons. However, they do use a rough calendar system in which the years seem to roughly correspond to Astlanian years, although this is a completely arbitrary choice made by various demon lords.
As a quick summary of historical milestones:
• Mount Doom was founded 54,760 years before the Dark Lord Tommus ascended to the Throne of Orcus.
• 4,467 years ago, in the final battle of Ragnarök, Asbrú the bridge connecting Ásgarðr,' Jötunheimr and Midgard was destroyed by Loki thus sealing both the Æsir and the Lords of Jötnar from access to other planes of existence.
• 4,027 Astlanian years ago, Sentir Fallon, an avatar of Tiernon, slew the Demon Prince Orcus on the world of Etterdam. Most of Orcus’s D’Orc army was slain permanently by unknown means.
• Oorstemoth was founded by the Anilord Ponchas 1,631 years before the Dark Lord Tommus appears.
• The last of the Anilords were slain 1,071 years before the beginning of the current events.
• One year later, 1,070 years ago, the first Etonians (a.k.a. The Five Siblings) arrived in Natoor where they spent approximately the next 200 years eliminating the followers of the Nyjyr Ennead
• The last temple of the Nyjyr Ennead fell 820 years before Lord Tommus ascension.
• The Vargosite Empire, founded 1,052 years ago after the fall of the Anilords, collapsed 440 years ago.
• 3 Years later, 437 years ago the Magedom of Turelane was formed by Archimage Turelane Al-Addin.
• In 5 PV, 435 years ago, the Kingdom of Abancia was founded, it would last for 300 years until the Abancian War of Dominance, in which Exador laid waste to Abancia when they refused his demands.

Recent milestones:
• Approximately 150 years ago, the Archdemon Bess arrived in the Courts of Chaos having previously been living in the outer realms due to a feud with Orcus. She claims no one bothered to tell her that Orcus had perished several millennia previously. Her principle fortress near the Courts of Chaos is called “The Outpost”
• Approximately 100 years ago Bess aligned with the archdemons Ramses and Exador; they began researching legends of a book containing information that would enable them to depose Lilith and Sammael, the Co-Factors of the Abyss.
• Approximately 10 years ago, Lenamare the Great learns of this same book and its contents.
• A few years ago, Lenamare ascertained a very likely location for the book and hired a band of interdimensional rogues and bounty hunters to retrieve the book from ruins inside of Oorstemoth.
• Lenamare’s agents acquired the book but were captured; Lenamare, however, had planted magic items on his agents that caused them to blame Exador for the robbery.
• Exador spent nearly a year clearing himself of the charges, and determined that Lenamare had the book that he and his allies wanted.
• Exador and his allies plotted to seize Lenamare’s Academy of Wizardry and more specifically the book. Lenamare discovers the plot by Exador and begins planning his defense.
• On Cyclos 7th 440 PV during a training session with students, Lenamare and his partner Jehenna discover what they believe to be an unbound lesser demon. Upon trying to summon the demon for the first time they realize it was actually a Greater Demon. With great risk to themselves and the students Lenamare succeeds in binding the demon to his will.
o Cyclos 7, 440 PV is Day Zero for the events detailed here. It is the day that the Demon Tom is first summoned.
• 14 days later (DZ+14), Lenamare blows up his own school and takes out the majority of Exador’s forces.
• The following evening (DZ+15) Verigas, the High Priest of Tiernon in Gizzor Del has his own demon summoning hijacked by a Demon Lord in possession of a party of humans. This begins the involvement of the Rod of Tiernon.
• A few days later, an Oorstemothian ship attempts to apprehend a smuggler and was illegally destroyed by one Lord Edwyrd, a powerful animage who also controlled demons. This event triggers Oorstemoth’s involvement.
• Within a week both the Rod of Tiernon and Oorstemothian had surrounded the city of Freehold, home of the Council of Wizardry and capitol of the Council States. They both, independently, demand that the Council turn over the individuals they are pursuing.
• The Council reacts by raising the city’s incredibly powerful wards of protection, shielding the city from both magical and physical intrusion.
• Talarius, Knight Rampant of Tiernon while patrolling the city from above discovers that the city is infested with at least one thousand demons as well as several Arch Demons.
• 30 days after Day Zero, on Electh 17th 440 PV the Council manages to expel the demon infestation along with the Arch Demons and Lenamare’s Greater Demon. The demon Tom battles Talarius, Knight Rampant of Tiernon, Tom defeats Talarius by subverting the mana links between Tiernon and his priests, and using it to take control of the Rod of Tiernon, the holy army. Further, he reverses the blade used to kill Orcus and tosses Talarius “Into the Abyss.”
o DZ+30: Electh 17th 440 PV is known as the “Day of Fight” or DOF.
• One day later, Saint Hilda of Rivenrock arrives as part of a scouting party for the Host of Tiernon’s arrival; she quickly determines that things are very odd and the Archons of Tiernon decide to abort the Hosts' appearance and proceed more surreptitiously.
• In the Abyss, the members of the Courts of Chaos celebrate Tom’s victory and try to figure out who and where he is.
• The Incubus Reggie is summoned by Merit-Ptah as part of a plot to secretly repopulate Astlan with followers of the Nyjyr Ennead.
• An expedition to investigate a vision of an orc uprising and the nature of the demon Bess is launched by the Council of Wizardry and the Grove, led by Trevin D’Vils, Enchantress of the Grove.
• A few days later, as the expedition left the Grove in the Cloudship Nimbus, they were attacked by a contingent of Storm Lords of Nysegard, undead liches on ice dragons.
• Shortly thereafter, the wizard Exador is exposed as an Arch Demon. In anger, he attacks those that witnessed his unmasking. He is driven from Astlan by Randolf, Exador, Gandros, Lenamare, Jehenna, Tureledor and Davron. In the process, Exador attacks the djinni, Crispin, unprovoked, thus unleashing the wrath of the Djinn upon himself.
• 10 days after absconding with the knight Talarius, the D’Orcs of Mount Doom swear allegiance to the Dark Lord Tommus. This day is known as the Day of Allegiance” or DOA: Demoni 7th, 54,760 MDT (Mount Doom Time) (DZ+40)
• The following day, the D’Orcs, Lord Tommus and Sekhmet the Nyjyr Ennead Goddess of War defeat two thousand plus demons sent by Lilith and more spectacularly, destroy 23 Knights of Chaos that arrived at Mount Doom in a Chaos Maelstrom.
• After freezing Mount Doom and its environs to near absolute zero, one of the Titans imprisoned deep below Mount Doom, the Kraken, is disturbed in its slumber by the low temperature. Lord Tommus discovers that Mount Doom is actually a fortress sitting on top of the legendary Tartarus, prison of the gods. The remaining members of the Tartarvardenennead work to adjust settings and ensure the Kraken does not awake.
• Two days later, Dante Alighieri’s Inferno departs Oorstemoth for the Abyss in search of the knight Talarius and Lord Edwyrd.
• The Doom of Nysegard is opened for the first time in four thousand years 4 days after the battle with the Knights of Chaos
• The Apostles of Doom begin their quests to find the Doomalogues of their respective worlds.
• Demoni 14th, 440 PV, Fort Murgatroid restored by saints of Tiernon and Torean, the chapel is consecrated to both gods. Teragdor al Tiernon is named Apostle of Tiernon, Rasmeth Wegsucher named Apostle of Torean.
• Demoni 16th, 440 PV Fort Murgatroid opens Saintly Gateway to Citadel of Light on Nysegard.
• Demoni 19th, 440 PV Alvaran patrol intercepts Tal Gor, Apostle of Doom in Astlan over orc territory, in violation of armistice agreements. Alvaran forces escalate the situation by attacking the small party from Doom; naturally, the Alvarans are promptly slaughtered but for a few prisoners.
• Twelve days after Lord Tommus’ ascension, Karth Death Cheater becomes the first new D’Orc in over fourth thousand years via a ceremony that takes place on Nysegard, Excelsion and the Abyss.
• The Grove’s flagship, the Nimbus, intervenes to provide negotiation between the alfar, the orcs and Mount Doom.
• Mon 6th, 440 PV Astlanian time, Storm Lords complete siege of Citadel of Light on Nysegard and impose Interdiction cutting off the citadel from all off-world access. Later in the day, Grob Darkness Slayer, Vicar General of the Citadel of Light orders Karis Crooked Stick to contact the Isle of Doom in what is considered a very remote chance of assistance.
• Later on the 6th of Mon, the Citadel of Light is shocked to have their pleas answered in person by Orcus, Prince of Light, Lord of Oaths and Honor, Punisher of the Damned, long assumed permanently slain by Sentir Fallon.
• Twenty days after the ascension of Lord Tommus, the Forces of Light fully engage with the Storm Lords, avatars of the Five Siblings battle alongside D’Orcs, D’Wargs and demons and mortals of every race to defeat the Forces of Darkness.
• After long night’s battle resulting in the loss of over a hundred thousand members of the Storm Lords’ army, unprecedented damage to the Citadel of Light done by partially dead and controlled mortal risar; Lord Orcus and the Forces of Light, break the Interdiction, free the trapped risar and force the Storm Lords to retreat using an Abyssal Switch spell. Mon 7th, 440 PV, DOA + 20, DZ + 60 is the Dawn of Light (DOL)

Hah! Good catch!

Thanks!

You've already started the Beta for Book 4!

Thanks!

Sorry for the holdup in replying....I've been overly focused on the new cover and prepping and formatting for the release of COA.

Once I get this stuff out the door, I'll be back on Book IV, which is really a lot more fun than the technical details I'm working on now.

He's got my demonic wishes to keep his butt in gear writing.....

I wish we demons were all issued pitch forks when we arrive, because then I could use mine to prod him a long, and we'd be at boot 6 by now.

And it's not like other authors, he doesn't have to be 'creative' or anything!

He just needs to take dictation and write down what I tell him! It's all established history, well documented by Antefalken and I, although my notes are rather unorganized, makes it a pain.

Hope?

If you are in the Abyss and still have hope? We aren't doing our job as demons!

It's probably about a year out, this thing is long and convoluted and given the time that's passed, T-A-G is spending quite a bit of time on continuity with the various threads, so that's taking some time. But even so, given its size, once finished, beta and editing will probably be close to 6 months.

Hence the year from now sort of thing....

Ahh! Very astute!

It is the one that was not returned, and that HOPE we have in spades! I was referring to real hope/true hope/realistic or rationally optimistic hope.

Because that must be abandoned, but all of us demons are more than willing to give you "Box Hope" which is false hope! irrational/foolish hope based on false expectations.

Now to be fair, this is demonology 590....because it's a fine line between unrealistic false hope, or foolish hope and true hope. The first we are more than happy to give you but the second, you may not have. But it's that fine line semblance that makes "Bos Hope" such a great tool for us! Very hard to resist until we crush it, over and over!

I mean, realistically, we get our claws on you, you ain't getting out, your best "hope" is that we'll tire of torturing you and leave you whimpering in a corner.

Now again, that being said, there are alternate hopes, but those are ones we won't let you know about, because they are not hopes and dreams most would ever have, but there are some that have overcome their situation and learned to thrive in the Abyss.

I guess my point is, whatever hopes you might rationally have, you must give up, we will likely feed you a lot of Box Hope as part of your torture, but the only way to "thrive" requires relinquishing your old hope and embracing your situation. And there have been a few people who've actually managed to do that, although admittedly those individuals were pretty supremely 'evil' when alive. You've basically gotta be stronger and nastier or cowardly craven and despicable than your demonic captors and so outlast their patience and grow strong in the ways of the Abyss and after thousands of years you curl up into a larva and....

Yada yada, where do you think sprites come from? Almost no one is summoned as a sprite, such an individual probably couldn't survive the process.

Once a tortured soul becomes a sprite, it's only a few thousand more years to to becoming a fiend! And then, well, you're basically as screwed as the rest of us demons, which admittedly, is less screwed than the damned....but so....anyway, that's what I mean by alternate hope.

The Investigative Committee is definitely putting a lot of meat on the bones of the inquisition!

I promise there will be some massive revelations of what happened on that fateful day in Etterdam!

Lots of witnesses shall emerge and testimony given as well as onsite forensics!

Doom shall have it's Day!

It's just still moving slower then I like, T-A-G and his damn day job.

I suppose one could argue that a forced Phoenix Cycling and Murder are one in the same for someone who can Cycle. It just so happens that you can be a witness to the trial of your murderer.