[Preview] The diary of Ferrucio Espada

Ferrucio Espada and his Dear Diary

Day 5 of NaNoWriMo. I am at 14,109 words with 6 chapters and still building the background story around Orpesia in general.

I've finally set the pace to talk about the voyage of Ferrucio Espada which will inadvertently lead him to discover the New World. To help me paint a better picture of it all, I've been researching about Christopher Columbus.

I just realized that there are a lot of similarities drafted with the fictional character of Mr. Espada with that of 'ol Chris, although the circumstances or the story behind their similar discovers were somewhat different.

And yes, Pioneers, the Pinta did exist. It was one of the fleets that sailed with Columbus in the 15th century.

Since good 'ol Chris kept a seafarer's diary to chronicle his perilous adventure out in the ocean, I thought maybe I should give Mr. Espada similar treatment as well. And without further ado, here's a short preview of Mr. Espada's Dear Diary moments. XD

Today, we ran at about 7 ½ knots, sometimes at 9 knots. Approximately, we made 177 miles, but I told the crew 132 miles; it seems they cannot stand it any longer. They mutter incoherent things under their breaths, yet I know that they mock and slander me for dragging them to this long voyage. I accuse them for their lack of spirit and their deliberate disobedience to me, their captain. I had to tell them repeatedly of the oaths they swore before the king to see to the end of this mission. I tried to lift their spirits as best as I could, telling them all about the rewards we will all reap once we accomplish our task, but to no avail.

They said it was insanity on their part to risk their lives, regretting the very pledge about swearing allegiance to me in this journey. Some feel that they have already reached the point in the voyage where no man has gone before and are thus not required to go to the end of the world with such dwindling provisions and lack of resources for the trip back home.

Some of my trusted men (who continue to dwindle in number as we go about this perilous quest) told me that if I continue to persist, the men will throw me into the sea when I am asleep. They will then craft this tale that I fell overboard while taking the position of the North Star with my maps.

There are times when I had to bite back my tongue in agreement to their complaints; I too feel that this journey has been an act of lunacy on my desire to embark on a new adventure. As much as I love a good exploration as any sailor, I do not want it to be at the expense of these men whose families are still awaiting their return back home. Yet, I am confident that if I lose command of this expedition, the flotilla will never reach Katai, and will most probably never make it back to Oporuto.

I still pray to God that He will give me the strength and the perseverance to see through all this and show us the way.

I haz a synopsis!

Finally, some progress!

And yes, NaNoWriMo is but three days away! Oh gahd...I am shaking in my skivvies. XD

My chapter scenes are a mess. I hope I make a semblance of order out of all these when November 1 hits. There's just so much to do, and what am I doing? Procrastinating, that's what! Somebody shoot me.

I'll be posting sporadically until I'm satisfied with the lackluster progress I'm making.

So help me God.

The 3 heroines: Familia del Castillo

She may be the youngest of the three sisters, but no one can mistake the sense of honor and duty in her words and actions. Decisive yet prudent, sharp but witty, guarded yet vulnerable, she wields guns and rifles with sheer accuracy and resolution. A true daughter of a Margrave and a Vespanolan Princess, she vows to protect her sisters and to unmask her parents' murderers as they unravel the secrets and mysteries in the New World.

Mute since the day of her birth, she has the uncanny ability to communicate with her sisters and kinsmen with the power of her mind. Her sweet and innocent facade hides the steely, resolute conviction of a woman determined to unlock the secret of the greatest treasure in the New World---the Legacy of Ferruccio Espada.

Dazzled and enamored by the pomp and frivolity of court, her concerns revolve around snagging the best catch in the kingdom. Despite her vanity, she carries her mother's skill in the magical arts, an ability that only she has mastered. Hoping to end the strife between the countries of Orpesia, she learns that there's more to the people of Granado Espada that she and her sisters could ever fathom.

-----

Yeah, I know it's been forever, but I have to lay out my plans this November for NaNoWriMo as I'll be pretty much busy at work next week. So far, I'm hoping to finish a more detailed character profile for each of my MCs (main characters). I can already visualize the first few scenes...I just hope I don't run out of ideas.

Just don't let November come just yet. :p

The GE fanfic novel project

I'm back! Well, back to blogging, that is. I've missed this place after months of hiatus! It's great to be back!

I've joined yet again this year's National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which means it's going to be another busy November for me. But what's got me so excited about this project is the fact that I'll be writing a 50k word fanfic on...what else? Granado Espada!

I have to admit that this is going to be one hell of a busy month. Although I'm really psyched to write this fanfic, the very same fears plague me every time I join this thingamajig, i.e., beating the 50k word cut, writing something that doesn't look like a pathetic attempt at novel writing, and making the story believable.

Right now I'm doing a bit of research on feudal/medieval Europe just to give me an understanding on the historical basis of GE. I admit it's already late to be researching a broad topic, but I wasn't sure if I can pull it off, that was, until this month. I figured that I basically know the ins and outs of the game and writing a fanfic novel of GE is something that I should really get started on. I've been wanting to write the back stories of the various NPCs as well as my own speculations of the game's end story, and joining NaNoWriMo will hopefully get those creative juices flowing.

I shall try to blog about the novel's progress here, as I think it's but fitting to talk about my novel writing woes about GE in this blog. Hopefully when the story's fleshed out, I might post a few snippets. :)

This is something that I'd like to do not just for myself, but for the game that I grew to love for the past 2 years.

Let the agony begin! XD

Grind till you drop: The race to Master level

IAH announces the arrival of the Master Promotion Scroll to the Cash Shop, as well as the in-game event for the race to Master level.

This is good news to those who've practically known no other place in GE but those paid dungeons. LOL. I know a few people who have already reached Expert Lvl. 10 (100%), so it's just a matter of buying those scrolls and promoting their characters.

As for me...well...I'm going to be realistic in saying that I can't possibly boost my mains in just a month to Master. But this doesn't mean that it will totally be a far-fetched idea. I remember saying before that I may not probably reach Expert level, but look where I am now. My main team's Expert, plus I have 2 additional characters waiting to be promoted. I'm thinking that I may probably reach Master level, but not within the month. I have priorities too, and that includes beefing up my team and equipping them with the right armors and weapons.

Although I couldn't help but wish that IAH can help the players power level by giving us a 2x EXP event, or perhaps opening another dungeon similar to the Ancient Shelter now that more players have access to the Premium Buff.

I'm guessing that sGE won't be able to access future game content if a considerable number in the player population have reached the level requirements. This happened previously as one patch got delayed a couple of times because only a small percentage of the players have reached Expert level. If IAH manages to get IMC's approval for a 2x EXP and a new dungeon, it's going to be a win-win situation in terms of item sales & player numbers. But of course I'm not an expert on this, nor do I know the set-up between IAH and IMC. Nevertheless, I hope they can do something about the EXP rate for those leveling to Master.