2012 News and Happenings - Week of: February 5th

The Epic of Cougran - Adventures in Raoolia

Book 1: Tragedy at BellBour Village
Chapter 2: BellBour Village
Date: Shou 8, 5049

BellBour Village is a quaint little village by the Raoolen River, which is not far from Lake Leopold. The village is a peaceful one that has been around for five generations. The people of BellBour split off from the main city, Shalou, populated by 1.1 million Carcalians. The city is very active with industry and crime. Gangs of thieves roam the streets. They steal food from merchants, run off with beasts of burden, and rob those returning from their employers after receiving their week's pay. Rumor had it that a local crime syndicate had stolen baby Tigrens on route to Castle Shven-Shong in the hopes to harness their violent tendencies and turn them into soldiers. But when the Age of Shen-Long came, (the time when the Tigrens first metamorphosize), the Tigrens didn't have the necessary training to focus their wild instincts, so the seven of them supposedly ran off into the wilderness. That was sixty years ago. Nobody really knows if it is true; the coach that transported the Tigrens to the castle disappeared and the driver went missing and presumed dead.

The Leonian Crime Syndicate is the group accused of this disappearance. They coerce local businesses to pay them protection money so that their thugs won't destroy their shops or kill them outright. They also divert imported goods, like aaple wine from Cougranada, to their secret warehouses so they can sell them for a profit to fund their illegal activities. There were even rumors of several crime agents that had infiltrated the Mayor's Office so that they can run all the city's affairs. The Shven-Shong Clan, the governors of Raoolia, however, could never prove that any corrupt activities were taking place in Shalou.

It was because of this corruption that the founders of BellBour Village decided to split off from the city. They formed their own society based on cooperation and unity. Instead of buying goods with coins and pursuing a life to acquire wealth and status, BellBourians barter based on the value of goods or services. Meals are events held in the center of the village where everyone may attend.

Each village member has an assigned duty within the village. These duties have grown into organizations called guilds. There is a blacksmith guild, hospital guild, an agricultural guild, a hunter's guild, a gatherer's guild, a guild for animal husbandry, one for builders, and an elected council to oversee the rules of the town, to make important decisions. The council members elect new members every three years by popular vote. They nominate an official called the Prime, which takes control in emergencies.

A hospital guild was one of the first guilds formed, for life in the forest is very dangerous. There are many dangerous creatures, like the six-legged tansor, that live in the forest, which will kill and eat any unsuspecting Carcalians. Tansors are furry carnivorous predators that stand upright on their hind limbs, climb trees, and push them over in the pursuit of a meal. They shoot a sticky substance that immobilizes their prey like glue. Once absorbed through the skin, the substance causes the victim to go into a trance. Early in BellBour's history, tansors hurt and killed many Carcalians in surprise attacks.

Residents gather water from the Raoolen River through an aqueduct system that feeds into a filtering system made of sand, charred wood, and paper. Aquatic animals are not caught in the ducts due to careful construction and rerouting. If by chance any aquatic animals get through, caretakers are there to return them to the water before they die.

In the southeast corner of the village, the BellBourians grow crops to supplement their diet of fruit, nuts, and small mammals. They raise larger animals to provide transportation and to haul heavy loads. They also use their meat as an alternate source of protein and their bones for jewelry, needles, weapon ornaments and handles, and building material. Once butchered, they process the entire animal and nothing goes to waste.

A very thick, reinforced wall made from stone blocks encircles the village in order to keep out large animals from the forest. A moat filled with water diverts the river encircling the village, preventing deadly water insects from breeding. Guards patrol the walls to make sure that criminals from Shalou City don't take advantage of the BellBourian hospitality. The drawbridge extends over the moat to let Carcalians into the village. The guards hold them in a debriefing room, in the Municipal Building, for a short period, to prove their authenticity and to prevent the harboring of criminals.

* * *

Pam's Current Drawing

The drawing of the oak tree and the airliner has progressed this week. She worked on the sky, blending it from dark to light. She also worked on the fence, increasing the visual texture of the cabling that makes up the wire fence. She is adding lighting and shadow in the quest to create depth within the picture plane.

Music News and Updates

I completed the vocal score of Choices and was able to work on the electronic version of the instrumental song. I am still reorganizing the whole song so it follows a pattern of Instrumental, Verse and Chorus. I completed the fourth instrumental section and am working on the refrain (repeat) of the first verse in D minor. There are a total of six sections.

Other News

I completed the compositions for the Impressionist paintings that I am going to do using the photographs from my cousin-in-law. He supplied three photos and I have derived 12 compositions from them, cropping them in different ways. I will then form the color sketches that will be the basis for the color schemes for the Impressionistic paintings.
Talk to you all soon. May God bless you, and keep you, may he let his face shine upon you. P*JET * IMAGES - out!