A Teller’s Tale

A blog about my debut novel

[a-tellers-tale]

Main Cast Introductions: Chase

Chase; what to say about Chase,,, Well, I don’t want to spoil it for you. Chase is a very important character, pivotal to the story even, but you’ll have to read the book to find out more about this plucky little runt. 

They have a physical disability - that much I can tell you - which causes their wings/legs to be stunted. Though they can still fly and run, they can’t do so for very long. Also fair to note, Chase uses they/them pronouns, so you may want to familiarise yourself with singular they/them usage before you hop into the novel, just in case you get a bit confused.

(art above by @howlsnteeth)

Thank you for reading,

R

[a-tellers-tale]

Main Cast Introductions: Von

Von is, arguably, the main character. Von is much younger than the other three dragons - in fact, while Catalysta is ancient and both Nix and Veratrix fully-grown adults of at least 100 years, Von is comparatively young. Classed as a juvenile, or ‘young-adult’, she still has much to learn about the world around her. 

Thanks to Nix’s sharp eyes and Catalysta’s careful claws, she was spotted as an egg being transported by apes back to their homeland. Instead of letting Nix kill the entire band, Catty swooped in and plucked her out of their caravan, taking her home to the mountain. During their argument about what to do with the egg, Von hatched, and became the daughter of all three dragons - imprinting on them as her family. 

(art above by @demonjunk) 

Though she is arguably a little young to be taking on the responsibility of Teller, she’s doing her best to follow in Catalysta’s footsteps. Magic isn’t her strongest talent, but she is very good at reading up on lore and following the 5 Teachings. Sadly, the deep magic of Terria has a few surprises for her - mainly in the form of visions…

Thank you for reading,

R

[a-tellers-tale]

Main Cast Introductions: Nix

Nix was also kept by apes, but more aptly is the term ‘slave’ applied to her circumstances. Used to guard an ape ‘royal’, she laid down her life time and time again to keep the so-called princess safe. Thinking it was her destiny to keep her charge forever, she threw herself into each battle with the ferocity to repel even the most experienced knights. Alas, eventually she was outsmarted and betrayed by the very princess she was so devoted to; drugged, outnumbered and heartbroken, Nix lay herself down to die after her princess was stolen, her wounds grievous and many. 

She would have died there, if it weren’t for Catalysta - who had been drawn to the area by a vision. After being nursed back to health, Nix has become entirely loyal to Catty and close friends with Veratrix, even though she struggles to show her affections. 

(art above by @consolegenji)

Tarring all apes with the same brush, she actively hunts and collects those that pilgrimage past the mountains, freezing them to death with her frostbreath and keeping them as trophies. After her long imprisonment, she knows common Ape-tongue, but refuses to speak it. She also has since learnt draconic.

(art above by @howlsnteeth)

Thank you for reading,

R

[a-tellers-tale]

Main Cast Introductions: Veratrix

Veratrix is next! Hatched into the captivity of apes, she was kept as a ‘pet’ by a family of akin to ‘nobility’, mostly for the entertainment of their son. As she grew bigger, she became more of a glorified guard, keeping the poor from their lands. The son she lavished much of her affections on to went to war one day, and never returned - and though she waited for him, his family never dared tell her. 

(art above by @howlsnteeth)

Eventually, after years of neglect, she overheard two apes talking about the loss of the estate’s boy and broke free. She burnt the place to the ground in her grief, and flew north, over the sea and into draconic territory. Catalysta found her, injured and weak, and took her in; mending her wounds, and her broken heart.

She went on to help heal Nix when she arrived, and the two are very close; closer than Veratrix knows how to express. She is known for her massive size and her gentle disposition. She is bilingual, speaking both common Ape-tongue and Draconic.

(art above by EternalFyre413)

Thank you for reading,

R

[a-tellers-tale]

Main Cast Introductions: Catalysta

So these are the faces of the Teller’s Tale crew! In these short breakdowns, I will be introducing individual characters and telling you a little bit about them. And yes, there are pride-flags included on these ‘reference sheets’, mostly because I wanted to come straight out and say immediately that dragons on Terria have a much less rigid gender/sexuality system than we do here. These are best translated into human terms, just so everyone knows and there’s no arguing amounts fans as and when the story is published.

Firstly, we have Catalysta, or ‘Catty’ for short. The oldest of the bunch by a large margin, she is an exceptionally powerful mage, and has earned the title The Teller of Ways. Following the 5 teachings of Blesk (Compassion, Duty, Loyalty, Justice, Empathy) Catalysta is kindly, and will not turn away those in need. Though she resides in the Teller’s Mountains, a mountain range just south of the Northern Lands, she is very active in her duties and will often fly out to run errands in the capital city, Dracora. Not only does she give wisdom in her lectures in the Great Halls, she also sits in the lower tiers of the Citadel, hearing the dreams of other ‘Seers*’ and helping to decode them. She has a seat on the Draconic Council, and is part of the Empress’s inner circle. Catalysta can speak most languages, including Angelic, which makes her vital to peace talks with the angels. 

(art above by @howlsnteeth)

Catalysta is bound by the Teller’s Law, which means her magic will turn on her if she uses it to harm another creature. 

(art above by @demonjunk)

* Seers are a group of dragons gifted with the ability to see the future and the past. These often manifest in dreams/visions, which can sometimes be difficult to unravel.

Thank you for reading, 

R

[a-tellers-tale]

New Beginnings

For all those who follow my main blog, and for those of you who are new, hello! I’m Robyn, and this is my space for content entirely related to my current project; A Teller’s Tale. This is my debut novel (which is currently a work in progress). The story itself takes place on a planet populated entirely by dragons, and follows a young dragon called Von. The main cast will be posted here frequently, and will answer questions if you ask! I may also post snippets of my work here, including favourite passages and quotes. Art will also feature on this blog, so feel free to submit any fanart of the characters!

Finally, I want to say thank you for the support I’ve recieved so far on my main blog. This will be my professional space for discussing the book, so for those that are genuinely interested in following along on the progress of the novel, this blog is for you. I won’t reveal all my secrets, but I hope that this space will give you an idea of the novel and what you can expect from me in the future as an author.

Much love,

R