Siobhan
Month 5, Day 16, Friday 2:00 a.m.
Siobhan’s skin tingled and itched, as if her entire body was a limb that had fallen asleep from having the blood flow cut off for too long. This prickling, stinging feeling traveled inward, through her flesh, bones, and the soft organs inside, until it converged in a spot behind her belly button and expanded outward again.
For a short moment, she saw Grandfather’s worried face. Two of his fingers were inside her mouth...
2025-09-11 22:51:23 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 5, Day 15, Thursday 11:30 p.m.
Siobhan’s mind settled back into her body, which was close to Mom’s frame this time. Claudio must have dragged her unconscious body closer to him so that he could keep an eye on her while he worked. This time, Siobhan didn’t even try to get up, instead biding her time. She was sicker and weaker than the last time she’d returned, like having a dangerously high fever combined with acute food poisoning. Despite this, she was ...
2025-09-08 23:23:34 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 5, Day 15, Thursday, Time Unknown
When she became aware again, Siobhan was standing at the edge of something that looked somewhat like a happy little ornamental garden, though the shapes of things were crude and twisted, and it also looked nothing like an actual garden made of growing things. The purpose of everything needed to be interpreted with squinted eyes, like one might use when looking at a toddler’s semi-incomprehensible drawing, but the feelings...
2025-09-05 02:15:08 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 5, Day 15, Thursday 10:40 p.m.
Siobhan’s stunned expression must have pleased Claudio, because he tousled her hair and played painfully with her cheeks, pinching and tugging until tears sprang to her eyes. “I even suspect that the ability to give myself minor new abilities might come from Hyperiodax. But…” He sighed deeply, full of sorrow. “This blessing does not come without a commensurate burden. Really, so many downsides and restrictions! It’s a ...
2025-09-01 23:51:44 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 5, Day 15, Thursday 10:30 p.m.
The workshop’s lead door swung open and someone entered, but Siobhan barely registered it, still breathless and heaving with raspy, broken cries.
Claudio crouched down beside her—she had fallen, even though she could not recall doing so—and wiped her nose and upper lip with his thumb. He drew it away bloody.
When had her nose started bleeding? Why was Claudio here?
He looked at his thumb with mo...
2025-08-29 01:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 5, Day 15, Thursday 9:20 p.m.
Siobhan ran like she had never run before in her life, like a panicked deer fresh with hot lifeblood. Once she made it to the woods, she kept running, but tripped over something in the darkness and sent herself tumbling along the ground. She slid to a stop, then lay there panting as her leg muscles screamed and newly formed bruises and scrapes bloomed in her awareness. She tried to suppress her heaving breaths enough to listen for ...
2025-08-26 01:38:36 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 5, Day 15, Thursday 9:00 p.m.
Siobhan looked up to the sky above the village, leaning more of her weight against the tree supporting her as the world seemed to tilt and twist dizzyingly. Storm clouds like pus-filled boils hung low and heavy over the village, ready to burst. Somehow, the sky itself seemed to have descended, looming low and predatory. There was…something there. Siobhan squinted, trying to understand what she was seeing. It was uncannily captiva...
2025-08-22 00:35:38 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 5, Day 14, Wednesday 5:30 p.m.
Despite everything Siobhan had seen over the past few days, the sight of that single, dead hand poking out of the dirt sent rippling chills running from her scalp to her toes. She froze for an embarrassingly long time. Only when her lungs began to burn did she realize she’d been holding her breath.
She let out a gust of air and, after a moment to brace herself, turned around and went back up the stairs. The shaman ha...
2025-08-14 23:22:10 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 5, Day 13, Tuesday 3:00 p.m.
If she was going to make it to the other shaman’s house before everyone in the village died, she knew she needed to make a plan and set out quickly. But before that, she decided to pass by Rory’s house. Despite how annoying the young boy was, she didn’t want him to die. Or be infected by the curse. The thought of him wasting away with a little pregnant belly was so horrifying that she wanted to vomit.
She had to av...
2025-08-11 23:30:43 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 5, Day 10, Saturday 8:30 p.m.
When Siobhan was young, Grandfather had told her a story about the time immediately following the Cataclysm. It was so long ago, and the world had been thrown into such devastation and chaos, that no one living now really knew much about what had happened back then. But there were many stories.
It was said the sky broke like a shattered mirror, the sea turned to acid and boiled, and the earth opened up ten thousand mouths to ...
2025-08-08 00:15:19 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 5, Day 10, Saturday 10:00 a.m.
Siobhan didn’t get any further information out of Old Lady Hebbers, but when she stepped outside again, she saw several people taking the road that went past her house. No doubt, they were desperate to see either Grandfather or Claudio.
If Grandfather got fed up with Claudio’s uselessness and kicked him out, surely one of the villagers would be willing to take him in.
Rather than go back to the house, S...
2025-07-31 23:44:50 +0000 UTC
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Author Note: A reminder that things get horrifically dark. I warned you before, and I’m warning you again.
Content Warnings for A Builder of Dreams:
Disturbing Imagery and Themes, Body Horror, Graphic Death, Suicide.
Siobhan
Month 5, Day 4, Sunday 7:00 p.m.
At first, Siobhan had worried that Grandfather might find out about her investigation. But then she realized that he had no reason to suspect what she was up to and certainly wasn’...
2025-07-24 23:43:58 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 5, Day 1, Thursday 4:00 a.m.
Why had Grandfather destroyed the sheep? They were evidence.
This was Siobhan’s first thought, but she realized quickly that, if these seemingly disconnected phenomena were caused by some malicious magic, and said magic really was spreading farther and growing stronger, perhaps he had been trying to stymie its proliferation. That might also be why he had gotten rid of all the evidence from prior incidents so quickly...
2025-07-18 00:44:39 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 4, Day 30, Wednesday 7:00 a.m.
Siobhan inhaled sharply as she matched the sensation of wrongness to what she had felt while staring at her treehouse. Except this time, it was so, so much worse. That had been a discordant note in a familiar melody. This was a tune she had never heard before, played by an instrument that grated at her bones inside her flesh like the sound of chalk squeaking across a blackboard.
The crowd shifted again, blocking Siobhan’s sight,...
2025-07-15 23:25:44 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 4, Day 12, Saturday 4:00 p.m.
Siobhan spent a rather morose weekend filled half with cleaning, and half with doing everything she could to avoid cleaning. Her only reprieve had been a few hours when Grandfather taught and then supervised her use of the mending spell until he was satisfied that she could cast it safely in a variety of situations. For a while, it was almost like before Mom’s death. Of course, Siobhan was forced back to reality soon enough.
On S...
2025-07-11 02:42:35 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 4, Day 11, Friday 12:30 p.m.
“Deal,” Siobhan said immediately. She nudged Rory, and he repeated it.
Claudio rubbed his chin and tilted his head to the side. “On second thought, I find myself unsure if I should trust a pair of children with something that could get me in quite a bit of trouble. Even adults aren’t known for real discretion, and I have belatedly realized that I don’t really have any where else to go if Raaz kicks me out....
2025-07-04 00:31:21 +0000 UTC
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As previously mentioned, I am making some changes to this Patreon as part of my ongoing efforts to simplify my life and work, get adequate rest, and keep my limited energy focused where it's most critical—the writing.
In service of this, I am getting rid of my more expensive tiers that require sporadic non-writing work from me as well as condensing rewards from some tiers into others.
I'll be implementing these changes after Thursday, July 3rd.
Going forward, I'll hav...
2025-06-28 01:22:37 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 4, Day 11, Friday 10:50 a.m.
Siobhan’s emotions were as confused and jumbled as her thoughts. She and Rory continued spying on Grandfather and Claudio for a while longer, but both of them grew bored when nothing interesting happened, and it didn’t seem like the two thaumaturges would be finished with whatever they were doing anytime soon.
In the end, they left the old rusted horn behind and made their way into the village. People were gathered around ...
2025-06-27 00:52:50 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 4, Day 11, Friday 10:00 a.m.
“What is it?” Rory asked, staring up at the treehouse covered in strange growths and tattered, gauzy cloth. His brows were lifted high with a combination of awe and fascination, but his mouth had twisted in disgust.
Siobhan stepped closer, peering at some of the patterned, fluttery growths spreading down the trunk of the tree. She touched it, and it didn’t react. Rather than spongy or warm, like she had been hal...
2025-06-20 00:18:50 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 4, Day 4, Friday 12:00 p.m.
“Claud, how do you and Master Kalvidasan know each other?” Aimee asked.
“We’ve known each other for a long time,” Claudio said. “He helped me out of a tough spot some years back.”
“How time flies,” Grandfather said, absently patting Siobhan’s head.
Claudio nodded sagely. “Every year, a little faster than the last.”
Siobhan rolled her eyes. Adults always said that, but she thought it was...
2025-06-13 00:14:16 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 4, Day 5, Friday 8:00 a.m.
Siobhan stared in horrified fascination at the blood egg until Aimee lunged forward, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her away from the mixing bowl as if the contents might jump out and attack Siobhan.
The woman began drawing warding symbols in the air—hedge-witchery at best and completely useless the other ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time—and choked out in an anxious, high voice with her accent coming throug...
2025-06-06 23:06:30 +0000 UTC
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Newton is an easygoing, slightly awkward but kind young man who works as a student liaison at the University to help cover tuition expenses. He hopes to raise his family out of poverty as an accomplished thaumaturge. Newton recognized Sebastien as a fellow achiever trying to escape a disadvantaged background and befriended him.
Man… Newton you sweet baby. :(
I think Oliver's card is next. I have a couple versions of his portrait, so I might do multiple.
2025-06-02 23:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Siobhan
Month 4, Day 5, Friday 5:00 a.m.
Siobhan had another dream about the tower. In this one, Mom was supporting herself in a strange, creepy position, her legs and arms spread wide as she held herself prone but a few inches off the floor, using her toes and fingertips. Her neck was turned far to the side, as if looking out the window, but her long, dark hair completely covered her face.
She was covered in mud and shallow wounds, as if she had just clawed her way ou...
2025-05-30 00:08:41 +0000 UTC
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Nat has taken her older sister Ana as a role model. She is already adept at social warfare, is prone to scheming, and has impressive acumen with paperwork. This, along with her lack of concern with the law and her growing association with the local criminal element, might be leading Nat toward a future career as a crime boss. She cherishes and flaunts her favored status with Sebastien.
Man, she's so cute with that smug little smile.
I have a couple more of these ready, so I'll...
2025-05-26 23:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Author Note: Before we start this book, I would like to post a general content warning for what's to come (not immediately, but eventually).
Content Warning: Disturbing Imagery and Themes, Body Horror, Graphic Death, Suicide.
If you've read my previous work, and especially Seeds of Chaos, you'll know that I describe violence and injury quite graphically. If you were disturbed by Newton's fate in PGTS Book 2, A Binding of Blood, be warned that this boo...
2025-05-22 23:51:53 +0000 UTC
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Heir to the Lynwood crime family, Miles has a strong mixed magical heritage. The combination of prognos, sylphide, and fey bloodlines give him unusual pseudo-divinatory powers that once also threatened his life due to extreme insomnia. He has a rivalry with Theo Russey, who fights with Miles for Siobhan’s attention. Miles hopes to begin learning magic soon.
I usually don't think about how fair Miles looks. He's almost fairer than Sebastien.
Writing update: I have been putting i...
2025-05-19 23:00:03 +0000 UTC
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An accomplished prognos whose perceptive abilities have only improved despite her blinded eye, Gera has been adopted into the Lynwood family as sister to Lord Lynwood. She places great importance on her son Millennium's wellbeing. She is a believer in and a follower of the Raven Queen, and one of the founding members of the Undreaming Order.
This is the best I can do without sitting down and painting her from scratch (and I think I'd be better off writing), but I figured it's fun to se...
2025-05-15 21:46:41 +0000 UTC
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Munchworth teaches Titanic History and Lore by day, and is secretly a member of the insurrectionist group, the Architects of Khronos. He has a nervous twitch and looks jittery all the time. When Siobhan and Ennis first came to Gilbratha, he rudely dismissed their request for sponsorship. Due to his unfortunate personality, he does not suffer from a popularity problem.
Oh, Munchworth. Maybe all his problems stem from that one time his brain was turned into taffy. Which may or may not h...
2025-05-08 23:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Miakoda, a member of the insular nomadic tribes known as "the People," was an exceptionally powerful witch. As a child, she was adopted by Raaz Kalvidasan. Against her father's wishes, she married Ennis and brought him into the family. She passed on her appearance and magical talents to her daughter Siobhan. Miakoda means "power of the moon."
Hey guys! While you're waiting for new chapters, I just wanted to offer something nice in the form of these long-delayed character portrait card...
2025-05-05 23:00:06 +0000 UTC
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I am jumping in now to start answering questions. Join me!
One question per person. If you haven't already posted yours in advance, ask me now.
And if I get through all the questions fast enough, people can get a second question answered. (I am only answering questions posted on the Alcove.)
https://alcove.azaleaellis.com/t/ama-ask-me-anything-...
2025-05-01 18:05:50 +0000 UTC
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