It's Wednesday, no-one likes Wednesdays so here's some awesome little cave maps to cheer you up. Ways Unseen is launching his kickstarter soon, and those in the know hear there may be interesting stretch goals and tiers (yes me, I'm in the know mwahaha) give it a look! #rpg #art #dnd #maps #games

I've been doing some shade experimentation before getting properly started on my forest geomorphs...I've already made a decision about which one, but here's the three different approaches I tried... #TTRPG #dndMap #FantasyMap #OSR

Just added a new (well old) short story and am going to try a pantsing experiment over the next few weeks on the substack. If you want to keep track of it, head over and subscribe now, it's completely free and sometimes even amusing open.substack.com/pub/lexikoni... #writing #books #art #fantasy

Geomorphs are super fun to draw! I love thinking up different ways to divide up the space to create interesting ways they could fit together. Just started drawing a new set of forest tiles! Already got some cool ideas but let me know if you think of anything you'd like to encounter in a forest...

Fancy backing a cute lil kickstarter? A pack of system neutral cave maps for your delight and delectation, and even better it won't break the bank! Launching soon but you can follow now for updates and info! #rpg #dnd #sologaming #gaming #art #maps #drawing

#vss365 "Good morning." Thos strode into the laboratory trying to feel more hopeful about today. Sleep had #reinvigorated him but he hadn't had epiphanies of how they were going to solve the problem. Elena was at her computer, leaning forward precariously. "You've been here all night haven't you?"

#vss365 "I'm a physicist not a chemist," she stared at them. "But what do you think?" "I have no idea about drug #synthesis," she threw her hands in the air but they were all still watching her hopefully. "No idea, in the way Declan would have no idea, or just that you don't know everything?" "Hey!"

#vss365 "No please, try and #rein in your excitement," Declan mocked. "This is what you wanted, a chance to show them your work." "I did..." Elena muttered, staring down. "We need the Council on side," Rowan pushed. "Please." "I want to help." She began as she searched for him. Why wasn't he here?

#vss365 She hauled the door open and saw him lying on the floor, #flinching at the sudden light flooding his cell. She pulled the door to, and knelt to check the cuffs on his bloodied wrists. "You?" His voice rasped painfully. "Sorry, not the rescue you'd hope for but..." The cuffs clicked open.

#vss365 "It's not my #style." "You didn't look at it Elle." Rowan threw the dress down. "He needs backup." "I know last time did not go smoothly," Thos began. Elena finally looked up, fixing him with a raised eyebrow. "I am sorry and I do need your help." "Oh for..." Her shoulders slumped,defeated.

#vss365 They sat in silence. The residual heat in the car was already starting to dissipate. "You're very quiet." He stole a glance. "Just trying to make it more #bearable for you." She stared out the window, watching the house too intently. "Fine," he huffed. It was going to be a long stake out.

Just written the final short story about the last member of the sidekick gang, Shade. Learn a little more about his origins, but turns out, even he doesn't know the full story. open.substack.com/pub/lexikoni... #fantasy #fiction #writing #scifi

#vss365 The others all stood and started moving away before he'd realised. Rowan paused and waited for him. "You coming?" He pulled his gaze away from the window and nodded. She followed his eyeline, straight across the quad to the doorway to the science building. "She will be back you know."

#vss365 "But this will work?" Rowan stared as Elena's hands, bloodied and covered in oil, worked on the device in front of her. "Elle?" "It's our only option right now." She hissed as the metal sliced into another finger. "Elena!" "Don't ask me to tell you our exact #chances, you won't like it."

#vss365 Thos walked into the lab to find Elena with her head on the desk. "Should I run away now?" "Erg," she mumbled before peeling her head up and staring at him thorugh glazed eyes. "A room full of #pungent fresher students. So many aftershaves and perfumes to impress. My head can't take it."

Last storied @siobhanmuir.bsky.social's #ThursThreads judge attentive @avilak90.bsky.social honored amusing @aightball.bsky.social and surprising @sterlings-son-2.bsky.social while naming laudable @lexikonical.bsky.social the winner! #WriteSky #FlashFiction siobhanmuir.com/thursthreads...

#vss365 "She is something," the Councillor agreed. Thos relaxed finally. Elena had come up with a million reasons why someone else should do the meeting not her. "Rather #audacious isn't she?" Thos froze. Audacious? "Excuse me." He went into the room and stared at the woman. "Where's Elena?"

Next up on the sidekicks series is Harix, the dopey giant with a big heart and not such a big brain. He needs a new boss, he doesn't even mind if it's a hero or a villain, he just wants to help. #writing #fantasy #superhero #villain #stories #flashfiction open.substack.com/pub/lexikoni...

Woop! My entry won this week's #ThursThreads You can read my entry and see the honourable mentions here: siobhanmuir.com/thursthreads... #fantasy #avalonandalbion #fiction #story

#vss365 "Come on, admit it, you'd be bored without all this." "Oh to be bored," she sighed. "To go back to my #mundane life where magic never existed." He twisted in the car to look at her, "If I remember rightly, you figured this all out alone and demanded to be allowed to help." "Details."

Busy makin' dungeon tiles....

So the @baenbooks.bsky.social fantasy award finalist list came out and somehow, my name is there!! I can't believe my story made the final ten! www.baen.com/pr-fantasy-a... #writing #fantasy #fiction

Terrain By Hand has been hard at work making a fabulous diorama that'll be given away to a worthy cause at Norwich Game Con this August. Wayward Adventurers Guild and I have been working on some supplement materials and this here is the map of the model, as it were 🙂

#vss365 "It was my mother's." He held up the pendant, letting the #sapphire catch the light. "Its incredible,"she smiled forlornly. "My grandmother had some amazing jewels." "Do you have any?" "My sisters have them." She turned away awkwardly. "They didn't want to waste them on me."

#vss365 He was still glaring. "Look I didn't think you'd be here, it's #happenstance." Elena tried to look innocent. "Oh I believe you thought I wasn't here anymore. But there's no way you just stumbled across this place by chance." His eyes narrowed with realisation. "You bugged me didn't you."

The paperback arrrived!!!! My story Proof of Travel is included in this time travel anthology, find it here books2read.com/ATwistonTime #scifi #writing #fantasy #timetravel

He sat beside her on the wall. She was still holding the coded note. "How long have you been staring at that?" "Not long enough." "We'll get it another way..." "I need to figure this out." Her eyes were glistening. "I'm supposed to figure this stuff out. If not, what's my #purpose?" #vss365

I've written a new flash fiction story about the sidekicks! This time it's Sandra's turn. It's been fun writing about the four back up characters, getting to know them a little better. Making me want to write a longer piece with them again though!! open.substack.com/pub/lexikoni... #writing

A couple more in progress shots of my isometric dungeon map that'll be included in the Dungeon Map Maker Map Pack! It was a fun map to draw; working within the constraints of the game forced me to lay it out differently than I normally would as well encouraging me to add some elements new to me...

#vss365 "So what were you like as a student?" Elena frowned at him. "You've actually been listening to Declan? Uni isn't a wonderland like he says, he just suffers from #nostalgia, which is just looking at the past with rose tinted glasses." "So you were pretty much the same as now then?"

#vss365 "You're an enigma, Dr Smith." Thosilian folded his arms. "I've been called worse." He chuckled, making her look up in surprise at him. "What?" "You don't often laugh." She shrugged. "And you only tend to Dr Smith me these days when you're annoyed with me, like when a parent full names you."

#vss365 "Don't mention the M word, it makes him grumpy." "It does not make..." Thos stopped mid-snap. "I am not grumpy. I merely do not like talking about that charlatan who paraded around Albion like a magical #guru." "We're talking about Merlin right?" Elena winced. "Ooh you said the M word."

Check out the next background story about the next member of the Sidelick gang. This time it’s Cinco, the mysterious cyborg. Find out where she came from and a little about her even more elusive boss. #writing #fiction #story #fantasy #scifi lexikonical.substack.com/p/one-two-th...

Just written a new substack short story about one of the merry band of sidekicks! This week it is Godley, the heroless sidekick without a clue. open.substack.com/pub/lexikoni... #writing #fiction #superheroes #stories #writingcommunity #fiction #fantasy #scifi

I've just added a story about Todd the Supervillain's Assistant on Substack and will be doing spotlight stories on the rest of the SIdekick crew over the next few weeks. Catch Todd's story free here: l.threads.com?u=https%3A%2... #writing #fantasy #writers #readers #writingcommunity

#vss365 "It was just a #glitch," Thos shrugged. Elena's eyes flashed. "It should be working perfectly." "Doctor, it's ok..." "No, it was not my tech. I triple checked it. Does your magic glitch?" "That's different, it's a.." "Part of you? Yes, and this is me. So trust when I say it was not my tech."

#vss365 She was slumped against the wall. Thos stared at the door, wanting to give chase but he couldn't leave her like this. With a grunt of pain, he pushed himself nearer. She was soundless, staring into the distance. He longed to hear a even a #whimper, anything to show she was still in there.

#vss365 "Oh I can't wait to hear what your #defence is for this one." Thos crossed his arms expectantly and waited, his eyebrow raised in challenge. She shrugged, looking at her hands. "Now you're just freaking me out." She sighed, "I just wanted to show I'm not useless. And I messed that right up."

#vss365 He spotted Elena holding back. "You coming?" "Nah, you don't want too many people in there." "Lena, you can't hide from everyone with psychic magics." "Wanna bet." She refused to look at him, he knew that wasn't a good sign. "He's not going to hurt you." 1/2

Fancy a #ttrpg bookmark? Maps by @ways-unseen.bsky.social and adventure prompts by moi. Oh so pretty... Downloads here ways-unseen.itch.io/bookmark-maps

#vss365 "He's left no trace." Elena threw up her hands. "I can't find him anywhere, not through legal channels anyway. And no, I can't access illegal ones either." "He's got to be somewhere," Rowan sighed. "Not with that name. Maybe he's going by something else?" Thos growled, "Try Merlin."

New story has gone live on substack today! Still haven't decided whether to stick with random one offs or an ongoing series like Avalon and Albion... hmmm decisions... open.substack.com/pub/lexikoni...

#vss365 Elena wandered around the training room, staring at the wild magic dancing in the air. Rainbows chased each other across the glass ceiling. "Did you ever get many stray visitors from our realm?" "Why?" "Just wondered, paradise or #nirvana, thought maybe this place gave them the idea."

#vss365 "You really need to think about your #brand." Godley was off again and Shade tried to tune him out. He was a career sidekick; it had been his only aim in life. It was why he never ever went out without his cape. But as he started showing the mug with his face, Shade looked for a quick exit.

#vss365 "I hear you've had a #promotion?" Elena hit a few buttons angrily before rounding the machine to work on the wiring. "Or not?" Thos stilled feeing like he'd just walked into a minefield. "If you an honourary title with a lot of responsibility and no extra pay a promotion then yeah. Fab."

#vss365 We writers live with our characters in our heads, popping up when it suits them. But what about the characters left behind? Do we still have a #place for them? Or do they haunt us like ghosts? Some of them are definitely louder than others... open.substack.com/pub/lexikoni...

Well, I have finally moved across to substack! After being overwhelmed by many settings, I have added an intro post! Anyway, if you fancy another substack free newsletter to add to your library I'd be delighted to have you :) lexikonical.substack.com/embed

#vss365 The unit left the briefing leaving Thos supposedly alone. He leant against the table with a sigh. "Well you seem up for this." Thos couldn't even be bothered to growl at Lamont. "It's the same old fights risking all for Avalon. I'm just not sure I can bear the #cost any more."

The world has never needed #leverageredemption more than now. Episode 3 is as good as it's ever been. And I know Noah Wyle will get awards for the Pitt but his performances in this show are awesome. Though his speech in this 1 felt a little too close to reality ... well done @deandevlin.bsky.social

#vss365 Todd looked grumpy, more so than usual. "What's up?" Shade put the drinks on the table. "You never knock off work early." "The Boss has decided that our current issues are with #marketing. So he's decided to rebrand." Todd gripped his glass. "He's got villainous uniforms for us all."