DRAGONMOUNT

Yesterday was Mother's Day in the USA, so I hope all the mothers out there had a chance to relax and feel special.  I'd like to give a shout out to my mother, who is an absolute saint and the best mother in the world.   If you are looking for a good fan-made Wheel of Time RPG to play, check out A Game of Stones.  It's a free, browser-based RPG.  For more information directly from one of the game designers, be sure to check out the thread I linked above in our The Wheel of Time in Other Media forum.   Speaking of games, if you enjoy playing Mafia and haven't been to our DM Mafia Games forum yet, stop on by!  If things look overwhelming at first, read this handy introductory guide.  There are also plenty of experienced players who would be happy to help orient you.   The May Challenge for the Artists, Crafters, and Writers Guild is Journeys.  What journeys have you taken in life?  Show us through your favorite artistic medium.   It's time to send in your nominations for the Black Tower Social Group's May Shockwave Competition.  The deadline for submissions will be May 24th.   Come one, come all to the Ogier Social Group's Ice Cream Social and Rank Advancement Celebration!  This group is reviving itself under new leadership, so be sure to keep an eye on them for exciting changes!   That's it for now.  Stay tuned, because the 4th Age Podcasters will have new episodes for us soon!

"He scared me," Rand said faintly. "He just looked at me, and…" He shivered. "No need for shame, sheepherder. They scare me, too. I've seen men who have been soldiers all their lives freeze like a bird facing a snake when they confronted a Halfman. In the north, in the Borderlands along the Great Blight, there is a saying. The look of the Eyeless is fear." ~Chapter 8 ("A Place of Safety"), The Eye of the World   Oh, for the days when Rand was still afraid of things. But that's a topic for another day. Today, the Fan Art Friday spotlight is on the eyeless, soulless captains of the Dark One's army known alternatively as Myrddraal, Lurks, Fades, Halfmen, or Ringwraiths (Whoops, wrong series!). These spine-chilling, slithery monster-men are my favorite Wheel of Time minions.   ...Or should I say "mini-ons?"     1. Chibi Myrddraal by John Michael Emanuel Harfouche (Jonmkl):   This daunting beastie sends soldiers running with a single toss of his carefully arranged emo hairstyle.         2. Myrddraal in Tree by Heather Soiferman:   Even Myrddraal need downtime sometimes. I mean, it's not like they're going to cook the soldier stew themselves. That's what trollocs are for.         3. Myrddraal Fella by swidhalm:   Apparently the deviantArt mascot (Fella) is a fan of The Wheel of Time. He'd better be, since I'm always featuring work from his site!         4. Myrddraal by firheruwen:   Nothing says "sinister" like Sculpey®!         5. Myrddraal by hmuraS:   This Australian fan artist's playful style is pitch-perfect, as always.  

It's time for another audiobook giveaway! Here are the rules again for those who aren't familiar with our giveaways:   This month, we will be giving away a copy of The Dragon Reborn. Click here for a clip from the audiobook.   This month's question is: If you could join an Ajah from the books, which one would you choose and why? You have until Wednesday, May 16th to answer in the comments section. Good luck!

It's a busy time of year for many of us, but even that won't stop us from taking time for our online home.  We have a lot going on this week!   We recently revealed Michael Whelan's cover art for A Memory of Light.  For many, the cover art broaches more questions than it reveals answers.  If the chatter on the front page isn't enough for you, we also have a discussion thread on the cover art right here in our forums.  Yes, you may use spoilers in that thread.   It seems like everyone is rushing to see The Avengers in movie theaters, and I have heard nothing but rave reviews of it from my friends who already saw it.  Have you seen it?  If so, how was it?  You can tell us more either here or in this thread in our Movies and Games Discussion forum.   The Aiel Social Group wants to know about your fond memories from childhood.  What games, movies, tv shows, books, and toys were your favorites?  Be sure to let them know here.   The White Tower & Warders Social Group invites you to the Month of the Greats!  This event is hosted by the White and Blue Ajahs and celebrates people who have made an impact in such diverse fields as the sciences, philosophy, literature, and more.  You can follow the thread I linked above for updated links to the various events or simply keep an eye on this Social Group's main board.   School's almost out, and summer is almost here!  The Wolfkin Social Group's May discussion is all about summertime.  What do you enjoy doing in the summer?  If you have vacation then, where do you like to spend it?   Ooh, I spy a main plotline role play!  It's been awhile since I've seen one.  This one is brought to you courtesy of the Band of the Red Hand Role Playing Group and is called This is Some Rescue...   That's all for now.  Stay tuned for Wednesday, when I post this month's audiobook giveaway!

Usually, fan art or fiction in which characters from fantasy worlds are transplanted into the modern day would be labeled "AU" (meaning "Alternate Universe"). That's not exactly the case for The Wheel of Time, since Earth as we know it is both a past and future incarnation of the world of the Wheel.   So, who knows? Maybe, in a previous life, Rand was a hipster with a penchant for PBR and ramblings on Taoist philosophy. Or maybe he was a fantasy fan just like the rest of us, wasting many an afternoon browsing the Dragonmount forums instead of studying for his final exams, or getting the car fixed, or doing his laundry, or...   ...or maybe not. But in the spirit of time-twisting silliness, here's a taste of what The Wheel of Time might look like today.     1. Mat's Inbox by sleepinghour:   Fortuona made Mat get an account in the hope it would help him get organized. She just hasn't figured out how to make him check it.       2. WoT-Pod... by RoseMuse:   Mat's "hip" friends can't understand his love for traditional Celtic jigs, or why he dances like a seventeenth-century yokel. They forgive him, though, because his fashion sense is to die for.       3. Wheel of Time Magazine by Dragonmount's own sus-b (using the e-book cover for The Shadow Rising by Sam Weber and the Wheel and the Great Serpent chapter icon):   The editor is going to wish he had a copy of Mat's ter'angreal when Siuan, Elaida, and Egwene get a hold of the poll results in this issue of Randland magazine.       4. Sea Folk Porcelain by minniearts:   Sales spiked when the merchants discovered the wonders of advertising.  

Tor Books has revealed the official cover art for A Memory of Light, the fourteenth and final Wheel of Time novel. Click the image shown here for a larger version, or click here for the full resolution version where you can see Rand in all his 300 dpi glory. The artwork is by renowned artist Michael Whelan. Mr. Whelan was commissioned to do this cover after Darrell K. Sweet passed away. He will be the Guest of Honor at next year's JordanCon V convention. So, what do you think of the cover? Rand looks pretty awesome, huh? Tell us what you think in the comments below! A Memory of Light will be released in hardcover and audiobook on January 8, 2013. The eBook will be released a few weeks after that. Here's the full wrap-around image: Links and other info Read the opening portion of the AMOL prologue. AMOL info page. Discuss A Memory of Light on our forums. Please consider pre-ordering the book through one of our international Amazon affiliates, and help support our website.    

Matt Hatch of Theoryland fame recently sat down with one of our favorite people, Harriet McDougal Rigney, for an interview.  She was kind enough to divulge personal information about her life, and this beautiful interview reflects her keen wit, charm, and honesty.  The interview also provides an intriguing glimpse into the culture of Charleston and a peek into the workings of the publishing industry.  Here's an excerpt from the interview:     That is just a small taste!  Go here to enjoy the complete interview.  

Welcome back, everyone!  Although I have been back from JordanCon for a week, I'm still recovering.  I had a fantastic time, and I hope to see more of you next year.   Those of you who read the excerpt from the A Memory of Light Prologue from our front page are probably itching to talk about it, but don't want to spoil anything for those who do not want to read it yet.  We have set up a Prologue discussion thread that allows spoilers just for you.  Make sure to keep all spoilers inside that thread!   It seems that this year is going to be packed full of superhero movies!  Perhaps we geeks are taking over the world after all.  Which upcoming superhero movie excites you the most?  Voice your opinion in our Movies and Games Discussion forum.   The Artists, Crafters, and Writers Social Group is spearheading the creation of a Dragonmount Social Group Board Game.  Currently, they are holding a competition to see which group can send in the most card ideas for the game.  For the full details about the creation of this unique game, read this thread.   Even though the event is wrapping up, you still have time to participate in the White Tower & Warders Social Group's Shakespeare Week.  Check out this thread for a guide to the week's events.     The Wolfkin Social Group is finishing up their second annual Nature Week.  Some of the contests and games will be over by now, but there are still some discussions and events up on their boards.  Whether you like stars, plants, animals, or other things, there's something for everyone.   If you're still looking for pictures, reports, and buzz from JordanCon, check out our Twitter account, as well as JordanCon's Twitter account.  You can also find us on Facebook.  

Most people hear the word "foreshortening" and go, "Huh?"   Most artists hear the word "foreshortening" and run for the hills.   Perspective drawing tricks like foreshortening are some of the most powerful tools in an artist's toolbox, and the most difficult to use. They differentiate the masters from the mere mortals like myself.   This week, I've decided to face my fear of foreshortening and get a little perspective.   1. No Crying over Spilt Peas by Makena:   Here's an ambitious and beautifully executed depiction of Mat's inability to stay out of trouble. The scene shown here is from Chapter 2 of The Shadow Rising, in which a bubble of evil strikes and his playing cards attack him.       2. Lan Mandragoran by solitarium:   This amazing Malaysian fan artist isn't afraid of perspective (and here's another great one he did of Birgitte Silverbow).       3. Race to the Stone by Forbis:   I will never get tired of featuring this artist's work. Here's a fun one she did of Mat breaking into the Stone of Tear (Chapter 54, The Dragon Reborn).       4. Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn by Ariel Burgess (ReddEra on deviantART, and here is her Facebook page):   The perspective on this painting is pretty subtle. Why have I chosen it for this week's theme? Two reasons: 1. Sometimes a subtle use of perspective is all that's needed. Notice how we're looking up at Rand, rather than dead-on. This technique forces us to take a subservient position, making him appear more powerful. The artist's flawless use of perspective and posture (and Rand's crazed expression) makes this my favorite depiction of Rand--not just of ReddEra's works, but of all the depictions of Rand that have landed in my Wheel of Time art collection over the last ten or so years. 2. Ta'veren Tees just announced they will be producing and selling official Wheel of Time playing cards featuring this artist's work. So, a celebratory feature was definitely in order!  

This year's JordanCon installment - Car'a'Con - wrapped on Sunday, to the mingled delight and dismay of the attendees. Dismay, of course, because a great weekend had ended. And delight because, once again, JordanCon had fully delivered on its promise and premise, wrapping con-goers in the welcoming and non-judgmental embrace of a fully geeked-out Wheel of Time communal experience. From the informative and lively Writer's Track sessions with published authors and publishing insiders to The Last Ever WoT Theory Panel, JordanCon 2012 was a true home run. I can't do the entire con justice, but for what it's worth, here are my top reactions to my first-ever con experience.   1) I'm a WoT Slacker   I've always viewed myself as a major WoT fan, and a fairly knowledgeable one. It took one of the con's opening sessions - the Daes Dae'mar trivia game - to rid me of that illusion.   With great fanfare, the con attendees who chose to take part in the trivia contest were divided into teams and told to choose team names, ready to do battle in a WoT Trivia Agni Kai (I'm an Avatar nut too. Deal with it). In this corner, Terez and the Tamyrlin's Know it Alls. Across the room, the Defenders of the Stone - a trivia group so serious that one member was Skyping in. One group called itself the Aelfinn, and had Maria sitting in with them. Another group was the Eelfinn. Corruption. And us - the dramatically named No Costume Is a Costume. (The name would make more sense if you read the fine print on the JordanCon program guides.)   I knew we were in trouble from the start - our team of five included two girlfriends who had never read any of the books - but I didn't quite realize how much trouble until the questions started rolling in. What is the Old Tongue name Moghedien used for Shaidar Haran? (Mia'cova). What is Gaidal Cain's weapon (I still say "Birgitte" is a better answer than "two swords"). Who was Rogosh Eagle-Eye's love? (Dunsinin). Even Terez' team got some of the questions wrong. No Costume? We were just glad to end the game with positive points.   So, uh, no, we didn't win. And I realized I know only slightly more WoT trivia than my hasn't-read-the-books girlfriend. So, congratulations, JordanCon - you just got me to do a reread in advance of A Memory of Light. Something to be proud of.   2) Meeting Online Friends in Person is Awesome...If They Recognize You   One of the primary attractions to JordanCon, for me, was the chance to finally meet, in the flesh, some people I've spent the past decade virtually hanging out with. Jason Denzel. The Liangs. Dwyn. Shendare. And there were surprises. I mean, I knew Jason was tall, but nobody mentioned that he was actually part stork. Jennifer not recognizing me immediately...or on slow prompting. (Come on, Jenn...how many guys with yarmulkes were you expecting? To be fair, Jenn is to "short" what Jason is to "tall", so she couldn't really see it, but still...I cried a little, on the inside). Dwyn was much more petite than I expected. You build up a picture of people in your head, and the force of their personalities makes you think of them as larger than life. Dwyn was barely life sized.   Seriously, though, meeting old friends, and making new ones, is what a con like this is really about, in my opinion, and JordanCon was uniquely well set up to make that happen. Daes Dae'mar, the Ji'e'toh competition, the Saturday night party, the open-gaming room, and the panels all provided real opportunities to interact with other WoT fans, and I had a blast doing it.   3) JordanCon Hates teh Jews; or Why is the Awesome Scheduled for Saturday?!?   OK, OK, I get it. Saturday is the weekend day, the day off, the day with the most attendees, and the day without either opening or closing ceremonies taking up time. But man, if knowing the con organizers can't get them to schedule Harriet McDougal's reading of the AMoL prologue for "not Saturday", what good is it, really?   So, yeah. Sadly, I had to miss the reading - which I heard was terrific - and most of the Saturday night party. I did manage to show up for the last hour of dancing Saturday night, and that was fun, if a bit embarassing. (In a room full of mediocre to bad dancers, shot through with occasional awesomeness, I was by far the most awkward dancer on the floor. The last time I'd actually danced to, well, dance music was in high school, more years ago than I care to think about...and I wasn't particularly good back then. I'm uncoordinated, arrhythmic, and apparently - according to my girlfriend, who laughed at me but still loves me, unaccountably - I make weird faces when I dance. Top that!) Any dance party that has the DJ screaming "I am the Lord of Chaos" at random times works for me. Plus, I got introduced to an awesome but decidedly NSFW love song to Ray Bradbury. Yes, that Ray Bradbury. Google it, if you're of age. Win all around.   4) The Writer's Track Had Some Serious Info for Aspiring Authors   Not going to be funny here at all (Yes, Barm, Luckers, I hear you. I wasn't funny anywhere else in this post. Got it. Be less predictable, dammit!) - the Writer's Track panels at JordanCon were extremely useful. Industry vets at every level, from Hugo and Campbell award winner Mary Robinette Kowal to behind the scenes folks like Peter Ahlstrom (Brandon Sanderson's assistant) to up-and-coming and successful self-published author Will Kenyon, shared valuable knowledge and insight about the writing and publishing process.   5) JordanCon's Blademasters Are Awesome, and I Am Not   Interesting side note: In college, I choreographed sword fights for stage and actually spent a little time in a fencing club. More relevant side note: That was way too long ago to make a difference when I decided to take part in the con's swordfighting tournament.   Armed with practice swords gifted by Robert Jordan himself, con attendees were paired up in mini brackets of four, with the winners of each bout facing off in a second round, and the winner of that second bout getting to challenge one of three Blademasters. Watching the random bouts was fun, in an "opening rounds of American Idol" kind of way - occasionally, someone who knew what they were doing would be involved, by pure luck, but most of the time it was completely untrained folks whacking each other with sticks. Awesome.   Watching the Blademaster bouts was awesome in a whole different way. Those guys really know what they are doing, and it was much like watching any other elite athlete - just stand back and appreciate it.   As for me, it didn't help that I got matched up with Stork Denzel himself. I didn't land a blow.   6) The Exhibitor Floor Rocked   There is some truly amazing art being done out there, in the fantasy realm in general and the WoT arena in particular, and despite not having the funds available to bring any of it home with me, it was a privilege to walk the room and see some of those beautiful works - a number of which were replicated on Ta'veren Tees. And meeting the son of the late Darrell K. Sweet, hearing him talk about his father's work, and examining the full size paintings from which the book covers were made was definitely memorable.   7) The Wrap Up   Bottom line - I drove from New York to Atlanta for this con, and it more than met my expectations. I'm looking forward to going again next year. In fact, I'm going to start working on my dance moves and fencing now.