Howard Lyon Life, the Universe, and Everything Walking ... - Bitly

Howard Lyon

Featured Cover Artist

Life, the Universe, and Everything Writing Symposium

Walking Through Walls Chapter 9:

FREE

The Demons Head Original Fiction by

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com UtahGeekMagazine.com

David Page 1J West

The 1st 1000 Pre-registered attendees will receive a free game. The 1st 400 Pre-registered Adult/Child 3 Day Ticket attendees will receive a free game. Courtesy of Tasty Minstrel Games and Mayday Games

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www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Publisher & CEO Dennis Lundstrom

Executive Editor & VP Adrian Broadhead

Contributing Editors

Make Morning Magical By Deborah Moore Photo credit Nathan Bittinger CC BY 2.0

Alex Sousa, Ricky Alvarez

Contributing Writers

Alex Sousa, Carter Reid, Daniel Yocom, David J. West, Deborah Moore, John Blackham, Mercedes Roberts, Stephanie Sharp, Zac Johnson Utah Geek Magazine may or may not agree with the views and opinions expressed herein by our contributors. Copyright Utah Geek Media LLC. Reproduction without our expressed permission is prohibited. Utah Geek Magazine, UGeek Media, and the UGeek logo are trademarks (TM) of Utah Geek Media LLC. To advertise in Utah Geek Magazine, visit UtahGeekMagazine.com/advertise, or call Dennis at 801.839.4581

Website: www.UtahGeekMagazine.com Email: [email protected]

O

n December 4, I had an amazing morning with my daughter. It didn’t involve money or going anywhere. All it involved was a little bit of time and attention.

It started when I asked my 6 year old, Nelina, if she wanted to help me make cookies. She happily raced over to help. While we were mixing the dough she asked if we could pretend to be bakers. This wasn’t a big stretch from what we were doing anyway. I agreed. That’s when my daughter took over. “We have to check the dough because our boss is evil. He wants to poison the cookies,” Nelina said. She explained that we worked for bad pirates. Like any villain they were trying to take over the world. The only way to stop them involved finding a treasure. This involved me coming up with silly clues for finding things that were lying around our house. There were plenty of toys, clothes or other items to choose from. It’s one of the perks of living in chaos. We went on our adventure throughout the house. There were sword fights, kidnappings, rescues and lots of gallivanting.

The house was messier than when we started. The kitchen looked like a dough monster had sneezed all over the counters and there were still dishes. But we left the house giggling and in wonderful spirits. It was a magical morning. No money was spent. We didn’t use any electronics. That morning was wonderful because I put my phone and to do list aside. During that hour I followed my daughter’s lead. It was my job to be there, listen and have fun.

Raising Geeks

Nellie and I wrapped up our adventure after defeating the pirates and the evil boss. All of the cookies were baked and we had saved the world. At that moment I realized that it was time to take her to school.

The kitchen will always be there. I will always have large to do lists. However, there’s only so much time to play pirates with my daughter. It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of daily life. I’m thankful that my daughter reminded me that there’s always time for an adventure.


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Mightier than the sword:

Sitting down with illustrator Howard Lyon

Artist Spotlight

By Alex Sousa Photo courtesy Howard Lyon

“I

had always loved to draw,” says Howard Lyon, sitting in his art studio in American Fork. “But my roots for art really went back to when I was about ten years old. A friend of mine had the starter set for Dungeons & Dragons. We started playing, and I spent most of my time drawing characters and the monsters that we’d encounter instead of actually playing.

“Looking through the Monster Manual and the Player’s Handbook—seeing all the illustrations by Keith Parkinson, and Larry Elmore, and Brom—I thought that if I could do the same thing for a living, then that’s what I would do.” For over 20 years, that’s just what Lyon’s done. An Arizona native, he‘s built an impressive portfolio full of fantasy and sci-fi illustrations. His notable career has put him alongside the great artists, his work published in popular properties like Dungeons & Dragons, World of

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Warcraft, and Magic: the Gathering. “When I was about 12, I told my parents that I wanted to go into art, and they were really supportive,” says Lyon. Pursuing his education at Brigham Young University, he first looked into their fine art program. Their abstract emphasis and focus on contemporary art didn’t feel like the right fit for him. “The illustration program looked like it had the kind of training that would be beneficial to me.” It was there, in BYU’s illustration program, that Lyon was introduced to Don Seegmiller, one of his professors at the time. Seegmiller was the Art Director for Saffire Corporation, a video game design house that largely created artwork for other games. As his first assignment, Lyon was tasked with taking black and white scans out of the NFL Player Guidebook and then painting them to be color. He colored hundreds and hundreds of the scans, and though the work was tedious, he was happy to be working as an artist. “The hours I was working in the game industry were so long, I thought that if I worked that hard for myself, then I could probably do better,” Lyon says. He began freelancing as an artist, picking up work with Wizards of the Coast and Paizo Publishing. “I did a few portfolio pieces that I hoped would show the art directors I was a good fit as an illustrator for them,” he says. Contacting them by email, he sent his illustrations, which the creative directors liked. Through that rela-

tionship, Lyon began illustrating for Dungeon Magazine and Dragon Magazine. Eventually his work was published in the 3.5 and 4.0 Dungeons & Dragons manuals—earning himself a place amongst the artists that had first inspired him. Lyon hasn’t slowed down, though. He’s continued his relationship with Wizards of the Coast and Paizo; his notoriety opening up opportunities with Blizzard Entertainment, Electronic Arts, and more. “I find more and more than I’m driven and inspired by beauty in art,” says Lyon. “If I’m painting a dragon or whatever it might be, I love to search for the things that are beautiful about it, and try to capture it.”


Lucha Libre HERO By Daniel Yocom www.UGeek.us/DanielYocom Photo credit HERO Games

characters are willing, and wanting, to work together for the betterment of the people. The additional information in the book gives you everything you need to create a wrestler who is willing to go out and be one of the good guys.

The book also contains pre-generated characters and an adventure you can use. The adventure is a good basic storyline for introducing players to the genre. If you want to see more of what is available, there is a list of movies and other resources.

W

hen reading the title of this game, you probably thought it was developed for comedy. It’s not, and I am glad I had the opportunity to check this out. In case you haven’t heard of Lucha Libre, this is a genre of well over 100 movies, with Mexican wrestlers as the heroes, fighting off everything imaginable from bad people, to aliens, to the undead. There have even been some American made variations. If you think about it on the basic level, this is a super-heroes game of every-man heroes, with a rich history.

Although the premise is not based in comedy, it is there. You can play and enjoy this game as a serious player and have a lot of fun with what you and your opponents can do.

Tiger Leader By Daniel Yocom www.UGeek.us/DanielYocom Photo credit DVG

Instead of recreating specific battles, Tiger Leader uses nine overarching campaigns, with six different objectives you can mix and match. You choose your units and leaders, but the enemy battalion cards are selected randomly. So, even though you are playing in the World War II arena, your battle strategy is not historically accurate. This was good, since it allowed me to try something new without feeling like I was doomed from the beginning. There are several levels of developing strategy. You have your units and leaders, and when you decide which enemy battalion you are going to fight, you decide which units and leaders you are going to use. There are consequence to your actions, which come into play later in the game. This means you have to strategize your forces before engaging the enemy in different battles, then strategize your individual battle plan. Though strategy was still in play the mechanics moved rather smoothly. The rulebook wasn’t overly complicated and was easily referenced during play. Mechanics were also laid out on the game board for quick reminders.

The authors, Darren Watts and Jason Walters, give a great introduction into Lucha Libre. With their insights, my interest in how the game would play grew, and my gaming group became interested, too. The ideas woven into Lucha Libre permeate societal fabric of life. For example, the cult comedy movie Nacho Libre is loosely based on a real character. This allows some rich play of the different characters. The main difference between this game and other role-playing games (RPGs) is that, instead of spells and superpowers, you have wrestling moves. Your Atomic Pile Driver might be used to take out the invading aliens in one adventure, while a partner’s patented Backbreaker works on the evil priest in the next. This isn’t just facing off in a ring against the bad guy, this is saving the world and the people you live with. There is a code to live up to. The nature of the social implications of being a luchador means the

If you’re familiar with the older historical recreation strategy games, you probably remember piles of chits in a predetermined starting position. If you were on the winning side of the historical battle, you had a good chance of winning. If not, you were working to create some twist into an alternate reality. Tiger Leader uses the historical reference, however, there are plenty of options to eliminate a predetermined outcome.

Tabletop Games

Lucha Libre Hero is from HERO Games and uses the HERO game system. If you are not familiar with a point buy system for character creation, the first time you build one on your own will take a little longer. There are benefits to a point system. You have the ability to create every aspect of your character into what you want them to be: special abilities, weaknesses, moves, equipment, etc. The drawback to a point system is you don’t have levels where all sorts of new abilities are suddenly available. Your character still advances, but not in big jumps like you have in level-based systems.

DVG provided Utah Geek Magazine with a copy of one of their recent releases, Tiger Leader: The World War II Ground Combat Solitaire Strategy Game. I played it, and long-time strategy game enthusiast friend of mine, who has also played games on his own, played it as well.

I

think most people who enjoy hard-line strategy games have at some time set up a game and played each side. I’ve done it. Sometimes because I was learning the game, but often I was simply the only person available. Don Verssen Games (DVG) has addressed this issue by producing a line of solitaire strategy games.


According to the box, each mission takes 30 minutes to play, which I found to be true. However, even the introductory campaign ends up being 4–6 missions long. They don’t have to be played through from beginning to end, though. You can track your forces from game to game, so you can play a mission now and the next one later. Comparing notes with my friend, we both enjoyed the game. If you are into the realistic, historical recreation, you may have some problems with the concept. If, however, you are into strategy games, and don’t always have the opportunity to pull another person into a game, this solitaire is a good one to have on your shelf.

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Disnifying Geekdom:

top ten highest grossing films—Cinderella, Inside Out, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In television, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Disney brands have been dominating a fair portion of the geek empire with Jessica Jones, Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Gravity Falls, Once Upon a Time, Star Wars: Rebels, and so on. And looking forward to this year and beyond, there will be few geeks able to resist the lineup Disney has in store for us in various media: Captain AmerBy John Blackham Pictures by Disney ica: Civil War, Alice through the Looking Glass (may you roll comfortably in your grave, Lewis Carroll), Rogue One, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, ack in the 70s and 80s, when future Disney dissidents Tim Burton and John Star Wars: Episode VIII, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mean Tell No Tales, a new Indiana Jones Lassiter worked for them, The Walt film, the far-away dream of Kingdom Hearts III, Disney Company was getting worried about etc. And while there may be some fluctuation its future: young adults frequently reported that they wouldn’t be caught dead at a Disney in actual anticipation for these films (raise of hands: who is more excited for Pirates 5 than picture, and Disney’s box office gleanings Star Wars: Episode VIII? Anyone?), that is still proved it. Seeing the meager lineup that the company was offering at the time, it’s not hard pretty ambitious. to understand why. Of course, Disney doesn’t exactly have a monopoly on all things geek. For example, Cut to 2016. Disney has reasserted itself as a staggeringly successful media empire, having Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Supernatural, X-Files, Ghost in the Shell, and Deadpool remain, for acquired not only major companies like now, outside The Mouse’s domain (although ESPN and ABC, but also geek powerhouses note that Disney XD began last year to syndilike Pixar, Hyperion, Tim Burton, and Marvel. cate Doctor Who series 2–4, so watch out). But They own the rights to distribute the US the fact of the matter is that so much of the versions of Studio Ghibli films, and perhaps future of geekdom in the coming years will be most ubiquitously, of course, they now own in Disney’s hands. So what does that mean for Lucasfilm, and the billions of dollars worth of geekdom? merchandising and licensing that came with

Herald of Good or Harbinger of Destruction?

B

Which attitude is deserved is ultimately up the reader’s personal taste and views, but the result of the Disney blitz of geeky franchises reveals two things:

Feature

it. In the last year, Disney gave us four of the

Remember how in 2014, when it was first announced that Disney had purchased Lucasfilm and Episode VII of Star Wars was on its way, the initial fear was that Disney was going to “Disnify” the franchise and ruin it? The local reader may recall a Studio C sketch to that effect, where a ballgowned princess radiates joy from the Emperor’s throne room, uttering sweet platitudes as the message of a violence- and tension-free film. That sentiment is one that has terrified Disney’s critics from the get-go. Tolkien didn’t want his stories told by Disney after seeing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Intellectuals gathered to protest the construction of Disneyland Paris fearing it would work to the detriment of the revered French culture. Banksy’s recent “Dismaland” park expressed what Disney is to its bitterest cynics: shallow, sugar-coated, and aiming to manipulate people out of their money. To its defenders, however, the company has always been made up of romantic artists and business visionaries, starting from a Missouri kid stuck in LA with a few bucks in his pocket and resulting in really quite high-brow works like Fantasia and The Old Mill, establishing animation as a legitimate art form in the first place, envisioning Utopian societies with the EPCOT project, inventing the modern theme park, etc.

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Geeks have, at last, inherited the earth, and Disney is actually doing a great job. To the first point: Disney is always careful to make a product it thinks people want. Nearly $2 billion in one year for four films alone showed Disney its investment payed off and it has responded by telling everyone they can expect more (a lot more). Second: how was The Force Awakens? Some Internet articles (cough, cough) may have been way off in their guesses about the plot and background, and certainly not everyone liked it, but by and large it was well-received and it felt very true to Star Wars. It didn’t feel dumbed down for children (the very suggestion that children need to be dumbed down to itself is one Disney has long been fighting against, given the complexity of some of its films, like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Fantasia, or The Black Cauldron). If anything, it arguably felt more intense and dark, where planet-destroying beams approach screaming cities, viewed from the first person. The same goes for the Marvel films Disney has released—it may bear Disney’s logo, but they have thus far been relatively faithful, fun adaptations well worth the watch. In fact, the new Jessica Jones show (co-produced by Disney/Marvel and Netflix) may be a cut beneath The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones in terms of mature content, but only a few rungs down the ladder. In short, Disney has not been afraid of branching out and challenging its traditional core audience in its outreach

to fans of other franchises. In acquiring these new properties, well, the properties have only been prospering, both critically and financially. Combined with Disney’s remarkable advertising campaigns, the franchises it serves as guardian over have never done better. So, yes, perhaps everything is getting taken over by Disney. Worry not, as for now Star Trek and Doctor Who and Harry Potter and many others remain free of Disney’s clutches, and are instead in some other media conglomerate’s clutches (which arguably shouldn’t ameliorate things much for the cynics). And these franchises have been doing well, no doubt about it. But how well have they been doing compared to the franchises Disney


owns? Since Disney has purchased Marvel and Lucasfilm, there have been rough patches— rights for all the comics are distributed among a variety of companies unwilling to relinquish them, the overhaul of Lucasarts and the loss of anticipated projects like 1313 are lamented—but by and large, the media empire of Disney throwing itself into the work of making these franchises popular and profitable has led to a Marvel and Star Wars golden age. It seems clear that at the rate things are going, with Disney at the helm and competitors doing what they can to keep up, the next few years will continue to be good to geekdom.

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Cosplayer: Ainsley Bircher Character: Princess Zelda Photographer: Devan Davidson, Ideas for Hollywood YouTube channel Page 8


Cosplay Tip:

Material How-To’s By Mercedes Roberts www.StitchAndSeam.blogspot.com

As a crafter who only started making cosplays in 2013, Ainsley sure knows a lot about different material. Also known as Pigtails and Power Tools Cosplay Creations, Ainsley has always made a point of learning something new with each project. Below are the top five materials she wants to try or improve on the new year, along with links to tutorials or websites that can get any beginner started. So what say you? Try out these cool techniques this year and make some cool cosplays!

B S

eadworking: Beadworking can be a labor of love. This site has great tutorials to get you started: beadwork.about.com culpting: Ainsley is actually posting progress of her armor sculpting project on Facebook, so she would be a great reference for your project: facebook.com/Pigtails-and-Power-Tools-CosplayCreations

S

oldering and Lighting: The Cosplay Tutorial website has a long list of lighting tutorials and is a great place to start: cosplaytutorial.com/ list/lights.php

A

irbrushing props and armor: Dark Light Airbrush might not be tutorials but this YouTube channel shows off some very cool techniques for painting helmets. youtube.com/user/DarkLightAirbrush

C

asting and Mold Making: The Cosplay Tutorial also has a wonderful list of tutorial websites for casting and molding: cosplaytutorial. com/list/casting.php Make sure to read the full interview with Pigtails at the Cosplay Stitch and Seam.


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Walking Through Walls Chapter 9: The Demons Head By David J. West The story so far: Kenaz, a young information broker, can step outside his body to gather secrets. He has been blackmailed by multiple sinister parties to retrieve a powerful artifact known as “The Reliliqy”. Now his accomplice Lysandra has the priceless artifact, but it’s sealed in a chest she can’t open and it seems everyone wants it—and wants her dead!

A

n orange sunset splashed the clouds over the city. It would have been a beautiful view from atop the roof of the tall apartment complex if the three dark shadows hadn’t suddenly surrounded her. Looking like a mind-bending cross between men and crows, the three black feathered assassins silently put Lysandra in the center of a triangle between them. They swung spiked balls upon six foot chains connected to their sickle-like kamas. Deadly weapons in the hands of a ninja master, deadlier still in the claws of creatures like these that were born of sake, sorcery and blood. They were widely regarded as among the best killers good Tolburn silver could buy.

Fiction

Facing three birdlike Karsvell assassins can make most anyone pause, but not Lysandra. She knew she shouldn’t be able to beat them, but she would not go down without a fight. Lysandra threw her wrist stiletto at the one to the left while charging the rightmost. She didn’t wait to see if luck had let the blade strike true, instead she slammed her Nybo blade into the body of black feathers behind the maroon kimono. It wasn’t a deep cut but the birdman squawked like a stuck raven, albeit a raven six feet tall. The other assassins didn’t hesitate either, casting their spiked balls upon singing chains right at her. She dodged right, then left, just in time to let the morning star destroy her wounded squawking opponent’s beak and hooded skull beneath. Shorn black feathers caught the breeze and jetted away like the notes to his death song. Cawing, the two assassins swung again and again, keeping Lysandra off balance upon the

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david-j-west.blogspot.com precarious rooftop. Tumbling backward, Lysandra caught herself at the edge. A stray copper denarii fell from her pouch, rolled to the edge and cast itself to the street below. She didn’t see it hit the ground. She was already rolling away from the multitude of strikes. A spiked ball caught the lip of the roof and stuck fast. Lysandra slashed with her Nybo blade severing the connection. The assassin had been pulling and the shock sent him or it backward. What sex were Karsvell anyway? wondered Lysandra as she regained secure footing. She was careful to keep the sun at her back and their vision hampered. But they came on all the more fiercely forcing Lysandra back toward the edge of the roof. She knew it was more than a sixty-foot drop to the ground below. Almost out of options. She didn’t think she could beat them in a straight fight. Would she rather jump to her death than be taken alive? Certainly. The grave would be a welcome respite compared to being a prisoner of The Torch’s gang. One Karsvell moved slower than the other, her thrown stiletto must have done damage. Normally, Lysandra would taunt her opponents into error, but she sensed there was little to be said that could engage these avian things. But why not try? “I had eggs for breakfast. And I’m still hungry.” No response at all from the yellow-eyed assassins. Lysandra tossed her head back and laughed. She was a fool to think she could anger these creatures with such pathetic wordplay. This, however took them aback. They were confused at her sudden mirth and looked about wondering why she should drop her guard and be in such an insane state when she stood upon the very precipice of death. Curiosity became paranoia then sudden panic. The superstitious Karsvell believed they must have walked right into a trap and were about to be shot full of arrows. They pulled back from her, watching every other tower or shadow behind them. Realizing her good fortune, she beat upon their fears like a drum master. “On them boys! They’re wide open!” She swung her hands pointing the way for phantom arrows. The Karsvell fled and ducked low to the parapet,

hoping to avoid the incoming yet non-existent missiles. In a flash Lysandra fell upon them, slicing their feathers and kimono’s to ribbons with her savage blade. It had been a blessed lucky fight. Lysandra knew she shouldn’t have won, but she would never let anyone forget that she had. We always have reputations to keep and in this business sometimes that’s all you get to collect. Moon Sister Azalia’s sarcastic clapping echoed from the rooftop doorway. “You were lucky.” “Care to try your luck?” said Lysandra, beckoning with her knife. Azalia smirked. “I never try anything. I just do it. But not today.” She retreated into shadows. Now Lysandra would have a small bit of relief but others were still hunting her. She had a decision to make: turn to Count Magnus or the Witches of Vavath? Which would provide a better foil against The Salamander? That’s when the thought struck her. Why not let them both know she had The Reliliqy and bid for it? Then she could see who was truly invested in obtaining The Reliliqy and thusly shield her from The Salamander’s duplicitous wrath. Lysandra had to admit the thought of an auction for The Reliliqy seemed to have come from nowhere and was not one she had previously considered. She was still breathing hard from the fight with the Karsvell. What if . . . “Kenaz?” I’m here with you. The reply came from inside her head as she made her way down the stairwell. “I’ll thank you not to possess me like one of your devil-fish.” Wouldn’t dream of it. “Why did Sal betray me?” She asked, putting her hood on to disguise herself on the street below. He claimed you betrayed him. I didn’t believe it, that’s why I came to see you. I don’t understand his motivations yet. Nothing makes sense. “Did you tell me to make the Count and Witches bid for the Reliliqy?” Yes. Do it for yourself. It will be a good distraction. I’ll be in touch about Sal’s plans. Until then you are safe to make your way across Old Towne. And thank you for ridding me of The Torch. “That was my pleasure,” she said, stepping


out the bottom of the stairwell and into the open street. A cobbler tipped his hat at her thinking she was talking to him. “No one else can hear you can they, Kenaz?” No. “Wonderful, I’ll look insane if I keep talking to you.” No one will bother you with blood and Karsvell feathers stuck to your trousers. “Argh! You could have warned me!” said Lysandra, brushing furiously at the stain and tossing aside the dark feathers that clung so tenaciously to her pant leg. I have to get back. Sal is going to throw me a party. “Party? Why? Shut up!” she snapped at a curious fruit vendor, staring at her speaking to herself. He said he intends to make me his heir and publicly proclaim such tonight. “You his heir? Why? Not that I care.” I don’t know. I have a bad feeling but can’t deny he has been there for me time and again. “It’ll pass. See how fast he sold me out? And for what?” Lysandra made a face at a beggar staring. I don’t know yet, but I swear I will find out. “An auction for The Reliliqy is your idea Kenaz. I can send word to start the bidding but where is a safe place to hold it?” Go to the Shrine of the Demons Head. It will be neutral and you’ll have a dozen ways to exit if you need to. “To the Demon’s Head then,” said Lysandra. Where is The Reliliqy by the way? “You don’t know?” she scoffed. “It’s safe. Don’t you concern yourself.” Until next time. I will find you. “Give me some space, Kenaz.” She felt his presence depart and wondered if she would feel his return later. Lysandra stopped by the Courier Service and wrote several quick messages upon fine vellum. She paid double to see that they were promptly delivered to the intended parties. With any luck, representatives would arrive by moonrise to bid upon the troublesome Reliliqy. The Shrine of the Demon’s Head was one of the largest sanctuaries in all of Tolburn. The octagonal walls rose twenty feet and staggered inward becoming an eight-sided dome. At the peak there was a house-sized hole in the center, wide open to the vaulted sky above. And beneath lay the massive demons head of stone. Originally built by sailors and monks from Shang-Henj it was dedicated to their nameless god of good fortune. Many other creeds paid homage and came to be blessed by the huge serene face of the horned god. It was the horns that made the locals call it a “demon” however benign it was. The moderate clime of Tolburn permitted a steady growth of moss over the stone face, save for the lips where pilgrims kissed the massive sculpture in reverence. Lysandra walked the grounds inspecting her

means of retreat, if necessary, as well as any places an assassin might ambush her. Satisfied, she took up a spot near the glyph of Kronos to wait. She didn’t have to wait long. Orange robed monks passed throughout the hallowed edifice, lighting the libation braziers, chanting indiscernible hymns to their nameless god. “The Demon’s Head. Rather dramatic for our business,” said a man, stepping from the shadows. “Count Magnus!” said Lysandra. “I expected a herald, not you.” Tall and thin with dark eyes, grey hair and a sharp pointed goatee equally ashen, he wore the finest crimson velvet suit Lysandra had ever seen. Behind him, swaddled in darkness, scuttled a short robed figure with crossed arms that Lysandra could see no features upon. “A matter of this importance gathered my attention. I know what was taken from the Grand Sahir last night and consequently that I should have it. Let us do business and be done without any interruption,” said the Count. His companion remained silent and impassive. Lysandra rubbed her chin, saying, “Tempting as that is, it wouldn’t be fair to the others.” “To the seven hells with the others! I want it.” A clear strong woman’s voice broke the Count’s tirade. “Then we must bid, it is only civil. And we are civilized, are we not?” She was tall, pale and slim with an air of great entitlement despite her diplomatic words. Dressed in a gossamer gown of the finest silk, long platinum hair swept over her shoulders like the sea in a storm. A girdle of gold hung upon her ivory waist. Even the monks had stopped their work to gaze upon her. “Ytainlyn,” said the Count, with smoldering disdain. Lysandra was glad he knew her name, because she had never seen nor heard of this woman before. Was she a Witch of Vavath? As if reading Lysandra’s mind, Ytainlyn answered, “No dear girl, I did not receive one of your invitations. Luckily I intercepted the message to the Witches. I wish to obtain your prize. I am quite willing to pay more than whatever Magnus can.” “You foul hag!” snarled the Count. “I should . . .” Ytainlyn sniffed at that. “Should what? What will you do? Have your pet attempt to a savage me?” The short robed figure moved slightly forward. Lysandra thought she saw a green tentacle poke from the sleeve of the figure. It wasn’t human! “I should,” spat the Count. Her smile was cruel as the north wind. “Try me,” said Ytainlyn. “My business is urgent,” broke in Lysandra. “I’m selling The Reliliqy to the highest bidder.” With a dismissive wave of her hand, Ytainlyn said, “Whatever Magnus offers, add two hundred gold crowns. You may as well go home to your invalid wife, dear Count. You can’t win.” “Harpy! You’ll get yours!” shouted the Count.


“We can still do business,” he said, to Lysandra. “Away,” said Ytainlyn, with a frown. “I tire of your company.” “Hussy! You’ll get yours!” screamed the Count, storming away, his companion scuttling behind. Stifling a laugh, Lysandra said, “I intend a profit. Are you muscling out the competition?” “I most certainly am, but you will be paid handsomely. I don’t need The Reliliqy. I just don’t want anyone else to have it.” She motioned toward a quintet of advancing women. “The Sisterhood of Vavath will not be denied!” proclaimed the foremost sister. “Can I get a bid of a thousand gold crowns?” asked Lysandra, hopeful for a bidding war. Ytainlyn cocked an eyebrow at her for the comment. “Trying your luck? My word is good; this only complicates things.” “You said bidding is civilized,” said Lysandra. “True, I did. But it isn’t about gold. It’s about some people knowing their place.” Ytainlyn snapped her fingers and snarled at the witches. “Back to your foul woods. I alone claim this prize!” The five witches formed a pentagram, making the signs of Kish and Voor with their left hands and chanting in unison, “We evoke the right of the Blood! Vavath hear us! Justice and death!” Their eyes changed color and became as dark stars in the gloom. Winds blasted from nowhere howling through the shrine like banshees. The monks cried aloud and fled as their torches were snuffed out. Ytainlyn laughed, “Blood? Ha, if it’s blood you want, I’ll drown you in an ocean of it!” Count Magnus reappeared at the nearest archway standing against the force of the gale winds. With him was his robed non-human pet and a squad of armored men. Magnus shouted, “Enough insults Wench! Kill them all! My sacrament to the Demons Head!” His troop of armored men pushed into the maelstrom, swords and spears glinting in the dark sorcerous light. Ytainlyn smirked, saying for Lysandra’s ears alone, “Now there is some blasphemy for you. Take cover. This will get messy.” As the screams and winds tore through the shrine pulling at her hair and ears, Lysandra retreated to a spidery alcove. All she had wanted was to sell The Reliliqy and gain a distraction, protection even. Not step into yet another triangle of death. Some girls have all the luck. Next Time: The Hammer of Witches About the Author: David J. West writes dark fantasy and weird westerns because the voices in his head won’t quiet until someone else can hear them. He is a great fan of sword & sorcery, ghosts and lost ruins, so of course he lives in Utah in with his wife and children.

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LTUE: Life, the Universe & Everything Symposium Conventions

By Stephanie Sharp Images courtesy LTUE

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amed for Douglas Adam’s novel, Life the Universe and Everything, LTUE is Utah’s longest running speculative fiction symposium. You won’t find Marvin, the Paranoid Android, in attendance, but you will discover a large number of well-known authors, illustrators, publishers, and designers; as well as aspiring writers.

Have you ever wanted to sit and chat with your favorite author? LTUE gives attendees the opportunity to network with fellow wordsmiths. Unlike bigger conventions in the area, LTUE has a relaxed, low-key atmosphere. You can easily approach New York Times best-selling authors and renowned artists in a way that just doesn’t work at other pop-culture conventions. It provides an opportunity to interact and ask real questions. For 34 years, LTUE has also helped build Utah’s creative community. Many popular writers have ties to the symposium. Brandon Mull (Fablehaven) was educated at BYU. Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn / Wheel of Time) is passionate about LTUE. He attends each year and encourages aspiring writers to also attend. Dave Farland, better known by

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his pen name Dave Wolverton (Runelords), has been a mentor at LTUE over the years. LTUE’s focus is on writer accessibility and giving back. There is a tremendous amount of creative talent coming out of the Salt Lake area right now. Add to this a great media expansion: Disney Interactive and EA Games both have offices in Salt Lake City, along with a dozen of other major design studios. There are ample opportunities to write and illustrate for comicbooks, manga, novels, video games, storylines, and more! This year we can expect to see Author Guests of Honors Kevin J. Anderson and Shannon Hale, along with authors Eric James Stone, Rebecca Moesta, Robert Defendi , Julie Frost, and Lisa Mangum. Featured artists will include: Jess Smart Smiley, Bill Gallivan, Carter Reed, and special guest artist Howard Tayler. The art show will include originals from Howard Lyon and Dustin Foran, as well as works from other local artists in comicbooks, sci-fi, fantasy, illustration, and pen & ink.

hensive professional development track. Over 1500 attendees are expected, with over 700 students.

Event Details • • • • • • • •

Thursday, February 11th through Saturday, February 13th, 2016 Provo Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 101 W. 100 N. Provo, UT http://LTUE.net Thursday: Charity Magic Tournament Friday: Mass Book Signing - FREE to the PUBLIC - over 130 authors! Saturday: Writing Excuses Podcast Saturday Night Gala: $40 includes dinner and celebrity banquet toast Daily sit down discussions with your favorite bestselling authors Nightly film festival from 8-12pm featuring flicks from some of Utah’s favorite film studios!

LTUE began humbly with a single speaker at BYU in 1982. The first organized event was held a year later in 1983. Orson Scott Card, who has strong ties to Utah, served as guest of honor that year. LTUE’s past guest list reads like a walk through your favorite section of any book store! From Stephen R. Donaldson to Tracy and Laura Hickman, James Dashner, Jessica Day George, and Larry Correia, to name just a few. All have been an influential part of LTUE. As always, students of all ages and schools (with valid student ID) are free; regular 3-day admission is $55.00. Entrance includes all panels and presentations on design, writing, illustration, art, board and video game development/design, as well as a compre-


Shanon Hale By Stephanie Sharp Photo courtesy Shanon Hale

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What ensued was a bright writing career spanning three young adult series, three adult novels, and two fantasy-adventure graphic novels co-authored with her husband, Dean. The Ever After High trilogy is the most popular of her young-adult works, but Shannon and Dean are currently working on bringing two of Marvel’s characters to life! Together they’ll pen the story of Squirrel Girl, a fun, comedic character with the ability to talk to squirrels, and a young-adult version of Captain Marvel. This New York Times best-selling author premiered at Sundance Film Festival (2013) with the funny, spirited movie, Austenland (the story of a 30-year old woman obsessed with all things Jane Austen), which was based on Shannon’s first adult novel of the same name. Shannon and film director Jerusha Hesh co-wrote the screenplay which was later released by Sony Pictures Classics. While writing has always been her passion, Shannon has also explored an acting career, both onstage and in improv. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Utah and a Master of

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Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of Montana. She also worked as an instructional designer before becoming a full-time writer. Where do you find inspiration? “I get bored easily. I’m shelved in five different areas of a bookstore, which isn’t the ideal. But I can’t keep writing the same kind of thing over and over. I have to try new things. If it isn’t a challenge, then it’s too boring to bother with.” How is Squirrel Girl and Captain Marvel affecting your writing? “Everything goes on hold while we’re working on Squirrel Girl. The deadline is very tight. Then Captain Marvel is next. I have three other books in progress and many more ideas, but they’ll have to wait for now!” What’s in store for Squirrel Girl?

“Everything is top secret! I will say that Squirrel Girl is a pure delight to write. She is funny, powerful, silly, unique. It’s a blast.” For more of Shanon’s interview, visit utahgeekmagazine.com.

CelticGifts

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Author Spotlight

hannon Hale began writing at the age of 9, and she wrote her first young adult novel at 23. Fast forward six years, many stories, dozens of revisions, and an exhaustive list of rejection letters later, Shannon published her first novel, The Goose Girl, based on the Grimm’s fairy tale. She immediately won the 2003 Josette Frank,

Utah Children’s Book, and Utah Speculative Fiction awards.

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Reprinted with permission

Geek Cred Pop Quiz By Zac Johnson

A) 3 C) 7

B) 5 D) 9

2

In the board game Monopoly, the Mascot “Mr. Monopoly” originally had a different name. What was that name?

A) Mr. Moneysworth B) Monopoly Man C) Richmand Pennyworth D) Rich Uncle Pennybags

3

How many Pokemon were originally intended to be in the first round of Pokemon games upon release?

A) 150 C) 190

4 5 6 7

B) 170 D) 210

In the new series of Doctor who, Who is “Bad Wolf”?

A) The Moment C) The Master

B) Rose Tyler D) Davros

In the “Mad Max” series, what was Mad Max’s last name?

A) Swaisey C) Chevvy

8

In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, what pizza place did the turtles primarily get their pizza from?

B) Rockatansky D) Zanetti

What was the name of the night club in the movie “The Mask”?

A) The Majestic B) Coco Bongo C) The Trailhouse D) Club Mahogany

9

A) Audino’s C) Antonio’s

B) Antwon’s D) Shredder’s

In Star Trek Next: The Next Generation, what was the first ship Jean-Luc Picard was Captain of?

A) Stargazer C) Reliant

B) Enterprise-D D) Defiant

10

In the show “Yu-Gi-Oh!” the main antagonist of the first season, Maximillion Pegasus, was a fan of cartoons. What cartoon did he admit he watched? A) Action Guy B) Rampant Rabbit C) Funny Bunny D) Rascal Cat

In the game series “Fallout”, how many Vaults are believe to be in the US?

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A) 103 C) 115

B) 111 D) 122

Answers at www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

1

According to George R. R. Martin, how many books were originally going to be in the series “A song of Ice and Fire”?


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