Hello Inkshare pals.

I want to apologize for how absent I’ve been this month. I wish I could say it was because the contest ended, but it’s actually worse than that.

A few weeks ago I was informed by the police that my father had passed away alone in his apartment. He was only 56. Needless to say, SideScroller got stuffed into the backseat, making way for funeral preparations and estate management and all that fun stuff. I’m still in the midst of settling all his affairs as we speak.

However, I felt I owed it to all of you to at least give you an update as to where I’ve been & what I’ve been doing. Every once in a while I still hand out SideScroller flyers around the city of Toronto, but it’ll be a while before I can get back in the saddle and take those reins properly.

Until that time comes, I just want to say to all of you: THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for all the support you’ve given to me and my little book. Every time I saw SideScroller get pre-ordered my face lit up like a Christmas tree.

Now, I’m gonna finish settling all the estate business, get back to writing, and make Dad proud.

Cheers,

Andrew Fantasia

A week has passed! Time for your update, fine folk:

Once more, my friends, I turn to you for help.

You... you did it. I mean, I never doubted your level of commitment but I thought the competition would be so fierce, so aggressive and overwhelming, that there really wasn’t any chance.

But you magnificent sentient organisms you... you fraking did it.

You got The Life Engineered nominated for a 2016 Dragon Award in the Science Fiction Category.

I don’t even know what to say about that. Thank you? Seems a bit weak, so I’ll go with the next best thing; go vote again. Click this link and go put in your vote for The Life Engineered. We’ve made it this far, let’s find out the distance we can push this crazy thing.

Simply magnificent...

NOTE: If you’re in the mood to encourage other fantastic Inkshares authors along with The Lie Engineered, may I suggest An Unattractive Vampire and Asteroid Made of Dragons. Two fine books also in the Sword & Laser Collection.

JF

While Renth Vhen is considered the first Emperor of Kem, he did not actually claim that title for himself. The Empire proper would not come to be until his great-grandson, Melkeir, would officially declare Kem an Empire after conquering the first of the neighboring kingdoms. Still, Renth is afforded the title Emperor for what he began, as was his daughter and grandson.

The story of Renth Vhen’s rise to power is also the story of the First Incursion, and the events surrounding it, but there is also much more to his life. Renth saw the nation of Kem through two more Incursions after the first, each following close on the heels of the others.

During the first Incursion, he developed the first Etchings, many of which are still used today. The appearance of the Outsider Artifact seemed to trigger his Forgemind talents and he was instrumental in defeating the first waves of creatures that emerged from the gates to the Outside. By the end of the campaign he had taken command of the army, seized the Artifact, and devised the first means of harnessing its power.

Upon returning to Kemaire his claims of an alien threat to the kingdom were met with derision and he was arrested. The officers under his command begged the king to listen, but he refused. Left with little choice, his officers freed Renth from prison. Knowing that the kingdom and all surrounding lands were still in danger, Renth forged the first set of armor powered by the Artifact and led a coup against the king. He declared himself Protector of Kem, and rallied the nation’s resources to reinforce those soldiers he’d left to guard the sphere of alien influence surrounding the still open Gate.

In the years that followed, he would be plagued with threats both from the Outsiders and from court politics. Still, he created the first established defenses in the Expanse, fought off three Incursions during his life, invented Forgecraft, created the first Imperial Armor and laid the foundation for the most powerful empire of the face of Iskonar.

He had four children, two of whom would be Forgeminds. One of these, his daughter, Ghella, would become the next Protector and continue his work.

That is the much-abridged history of Renth Vhen, first Emperor of Kem, creator of the Blackforge, and first Forgemind. I wrote out a much looooooooonger piece on it a while ago, but I didn’t want to post a 10 page update. I’m not sure if tidbits like this, and the complete story of the first Incursion will make it into Impervious, in some sort of "Appendix" but we’ll see. For now, it’s just interesting information.

Now, I don’t have histories prepared for all thirteen or fourteen Emperors prior to Ghreman, but I’m willing to create them for you, my wonderful readers. All you have to do is share with your friends, and drive that pre-order number up. Every 10 new readers I get, I’ll post history for a new Emperor. Ghella Vhen, second Protector and first Empress of Kem is up next at 30. I think you’ll like her. Seth out!