Jenkins0311

Hello and good day, For those who have no idea who I am, don't feel bad. I haven't been online much over the past several months. Likewise, I haven't played on the server in well over six or seven months now. But, for those few people who do remember me, I thought it only fare to give you a proper farewell. When I started playing LOTC back in the spring of 2022, I was preparing for a deployment. I joined here as a way to pass the time and hopefully play MineCraft with my son a bit before I shipped out. However, as I delved into this community, a creative spark lit inside me. Up unto that point in my life, I had written a few short stories in the past, but nothing of any serious note. When I began jotting down ideas for a new story based off some of the events and people I played with while on this server, I felt like I had been electrified! Thinking I was half crazy, I pitched the story outline to my wife, hoping she would tell me I was delusional. However, what I thought would be a quick five minute conversation turned into a week long think-tank, and in the end her words to me were, "Auston, if you don't write this, then you're an idiot!" From there, we were off. Now, a year later I plan for another deployment. But this time, I have something to leave behind in the wake. For those who were around when I made my first launch of Among the Spires of East Fleet, you know how abysmal it was. I had no idea what I was doing, no direction, and no clear concept of what the future of it might hold. Lucky for me though, two members of this server believed in me more than I could have ever hoped for. @tadabug2000 and @tcs_tonsils_. These two members both inspired me and supported me throughout EVERYTHING I did. From encouraging me to re-launch the book, all the way to helping to reach out to other authors, they were my guiding spirits who kept me focused. Without them, this project wouldn't have been possible! So now, we are here. As of October 3rd, I have officially published the definitive edition of Among the Spires of East Fleet: Book 1 of The Almaris Chronicles. And as of today, I aim to continue working on the sequel: Foxes in the Forest. As I prepare to enter into this new chapter of my life, I want make sure that you all know that this story, this project, this passion, would have never been possible without such a wonderful community of players and friends. You all are the heart and soul of these captivating stories. You breath life into these personas and their realities that transcend throughout eternity, marking their stories in the pages of history that perhaps only you will ever have the privilege of experiencing. I could have never have found a better group of community members to share this journey with. And the friends made along the way are truly irreplaceable. So, now I bid you all the kindest of farewells. For any who are interested, please feel free to contact me via my website (tragedyofthought.com). While you're there, tell me about some of you wild and crazy LOTC stories; I would love to hear them! Likewise, if you're the reading type, feel free to pick up a book. It is a story you all helped breath life into after all. To the LOTC community, I wish you all the best. May you all laugh, love, and find joy together. And as always, please be kind to others... always... Forever your friend, Jenkins

Good morning everyone, I hope you are all doing well. I have given some information out to a few people on the server but I wanted to finally come out publicly and say that the second book in the Almaris Chronicles: Foxes in the Forest is set to release in October of this year! Below I have attached a link to the website where you can view the promo video for the release. I have VERY little experience with video editing, so please cut me some slack with the lack-luster effects lol. All in all, thank you all for your support so far. I know it was a learning curve with the first book and I made more mistakes than I care to admit, but I suppose we live and learn. Again, thank you all and have a great Easter weekend. https://tragedyofthought.com/ (video on main page)

Between you and Satinkira, my head is going to explode lol. Thanks for the hello. Also, yesjerryer, you're like brand new here lol. Still glad you reached out; this is probably one of the best online communities to fall into. Don't get me wrong, they have their days, but they are great people none-the-less.

Hello everyone, I hope you have all been doing well. I just wanted to stop in and say hello to you all and see how you were all doing. I have been pretty hard at work plugging away on the next installment in the book series, so I have been a bit absent on the server. But with summer right around the corner, I know training on my end will be ramping up and I'm trying to knock out as much writing as I can as quickly as possible. I noticed the new server map would be dropping soon! That should be a fun time for you all. Be sure to reach out to the admin teams in charge of that and show them your support. I know they have been supportive of me in the past; so, I know they have probably poured their hearts and souls into this. Well, that's about it guys. Nothing major, just wanted to check in. Feel free to reach out to me anytime. Just started the whole "Social Media" marketing thing, and it has been a trudge; so, any chance to just catch up with you all and chat is always welcome. As always, I hope you all have a great day and be kind to one another. Jenkins

Just popped onto the page to see how some people were doing and stumbled across this. Honestly, I don't feel like I have much room to speak since so many others on this thread are far more active in the community than I am. But as someone who is a bit older (literally retiring out of the military in a few years), I think it is important for a creative mind (whether young or old) to be free from fear of exploring new concepts or ideas. Anyone who knows me on here pretty well knows that I literally started in the LOTC community just to kill some time before a deployment and because I was burnt out with writers block while working on a short novella. I never imagined I would be inspired by a Mine Craft RP community! But, it led to me working on my first published book, and the two to follow it that I am currently working on now. Point being, I think that when you reach a creative "slum" the first thing you should do is allow yourself open to be surprised. Echoing what @excited put out there; try new things, gain a new focus, do something that you know you might fail at, and then do something else. I know I'm echoing what everyone else has said to a degree, but I will never forget what my Gunny said to me one time. "The moment you quit moving forward, you're already dead." So, move forward in any way possible. Know this isn't 'awe inspiring' but I hope it helps.

Hello and good day, Thank you to anyone who replied to the poll on a Q/A session. I have went ahead and posted the main questions I received via numerous people and hopefully you enjoy and respect my answers lol. Below is a link to the blog where I submitted all of my answers to. Thank you again. For anyone wondering, I am going to be off and on for a while as I work on the second book. If you have any immediate questions, please contact me via the website tragedyofthought.com That contact form goes straight to me and your identity is kept confidential. I will be posting updates every so often on there and will post on LoTC once the rough draft is completed and give an update on when to expect the second book. https://tragedyofthought.com/updates/f/among-the-spires-of-east-fleet-qa

Hello all, I hope this finds you well. I know I have been posting quite a bit recently and I am sorry if I have been a bit 'much' for some. Just trying to get real time feedback and answer any questions as they arise. That said, it has been suggested and I have given some thought into doing a live Question and Answer session regarding the first book in the Almaris Chronicles series; in which I will answer questions ranging from why my writing style is as bleak as it is all the way too what to expect from the series as a whole. As I have made clear to many people (including the admin staff) I want to make sure that if I am pointing potential outside audiences to this server in an attempt to make sure it receives the recognition you all deserve, I also want to ensure that my literary style is still 'my own' while also properly representing the community at large. Please feel free to let me know your thoughts in the Poll attached to this message. I will close it next Monday at 1630 CST. After that, we will go from their. Again, thank each and every one of you for your support. Jenkins

So, I have actually been debating about doing a live Q/A session with anyone in the community who might be interested. There are a wide range of things I would be willing to talk about in that; why my writing is so dark compared to most, my thoughts on character development, my thoughts on theological narratives disguised as plots for story telling, etc. I would have no problem explaining the processes I took to publish the book in that, if it ever happened. Not sure how to go about a Q/A session to be honest. Any help would be amazing, that is of course if the community would want it that is.

In response to Nectorist, I have revised this post. I would like to be the first to publicly state that I apologize for taking that opening scene a bit to far narratively. I am not above being told when I need to tone things down, and I am thankful for individuals such as this who are willing to actually speak up and give me honest community feedback, regardless if it is good or bad. The chapter has been revised and is now ready for viewing for anyone wishing to message me and request the link. I still seek to write a piece of work that is uniquely my own in the sense that it is willing to dive deeper than many would feel comfortable venturing, but some things just don't need to be touched. Thank you and have a good evening.

In response to Necrotist: First off, thank you for your words of support. Whether critical or encouraging, I welcome them with open arms. In regards to your post regarding Rape/Sexual Assault. I can completely agree with your stance and I earnestly understand where you are coming from. For someone unfamiliar with the LoTC mythos and ethos, it would come across as if we were a vial and detest-full bunch of individuals, even though a large majority of players are more concerned about RP'ing what color flowers they are wanting to plant in their garden. So, that said, I can understand and appreciate the fact that you would not want to community portrayed in a way that undermines the core following of the community and what they have built over a number of years. With that said, I suppose it should be considered that a revision of this scene be made in order to still convey the sense of unnerving reality of evil that lies within the character of Guile at this moment in his life, but also to maintain a level of respect for the community moving forward. I will revise this and re-submit once I have something written down. Lastly, would you mind to reach out to me personally via discord? I would love to bounce ideas off of you if at all possible. Although some timelines and story archs of the LoTC lore must be adapted for a narrative work, I want to ensure COMPLETELY that the users and the community are properly represented. Thank you and have a great day.

The cover art for Book 2.... For some reason it wouldn't load in the forum post.

Hello friends, I hope this finds you well. I have no words... the amount of support I have received from the community in the last 12 hours... I simply just have no words. Alamo told me that the post hit in the top 3 of user engagement within an hour or so. I won't lie, I didn't believe him at first until I saw it with my own eyes. My wife and I talked last night, and we both would like to again extend a debt of gratitude for the LoTC community. The fact that my wife was overjoyed.... you all have no idea how much joy that brings to me as a husband.... Thank you. As promised, I said that if the community seemed interested in the first book, I would drop some hints on the second book.... And man... I never expected anything like this! So, being a man of my word, here you all go! Please enjoy the back print and the entire First Chapter of the second installment of the Almaris Chronicles: Foxes in the Forest! Back Print “Jingle, jangle, in the tangles Foxes roam the night Running, cunning, always hunting Bite… Bite… BITE!” The sequel that pays honor to one of the greatest community of online role players, Foxes in the Forest is the second installment in the Almaris Chronicles. Taking place the spring following the end of Among the Spires of East Fleet, we again follow our cast of characters in their various searches to find peace within themselves and the world around them while also being forced to contend with the unimaginable consequences of their prior actions. Come along, of course leaving your fears behind lest you lose whatever semblance of humanity you might still hold, and venture into the underbelly of the scourge of civilization, as something rustles the brush in the wake of the fallen Empire of Oren. Hold your breath as we discover that while not all men are animals, some however, have no problem becoming monsters. Link To Chapter One PLEASE NOTE: The contents of this chapter depict some scenes of graphic violence that may not be suitable for readers under the age of 18. Discretion is advised. [Contact Jenkins0311 via discord or Messenger to receive link to Doc's link.] NOTE: It was brought to my attention in the comments below by the user Nectorist, that the scene described in Chapter 1 of Book 2 was in fact to violent for me to feel comfortable with while maintaining a reasonable sense of honoring the community as a whole. After discussing some options with him and a few trusted friends, I must admit that perhaps after some of the events that transpired in the first book, that I went to far in writing this chapter and that is on me as a writer; for that I am sorry. I have revised the chapter to tone down the scene while still offering the tragic truth that is the sins of the character involved. However, I feel like as a member of this community and as a writer, I am not above being told something is just "to much". My goal is to honor the mythos of this platform and it's members and I will do everything in my power to do that, while also writing a narrative that is uniquely my own in both scope and presentation. With all of that said, I will send the revised link tot he Google Doc file for Chapter 1 of the second book as I am asked to do so. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

LMAO! Had to have some form of conflict to help drive the narrative.

I have already been in touch with Admin team on this.

Hello and good day to all, I hope this message finds you all well. With a great deal of nervousness and equal part excitement, I am publicly announcing to the LoTC community that the first book of The Almaris Chronicles series (Among the Spires of East Fleet) has officially been published and available for purchase via amazon in both E-Book and paperback formats! I would like to say a huge 'thank you' to those who helped with beta-reading and revisions; your input was extremely helpful. Likewise, I would like to personally thank Alamo (tcs_tonsils_) and Tada (tadabug2000) both of whom were crucial to the development of this entire story. I would also would like to note, that many of those who helped during the process of writing this book have been mentioned in the preface and I wish you the very best in all your life's adventures. Lastly, I would like to stress again, the book is rated for 18+ due to some scenes of graphic violence. I understand this might be a turn-off for some, but the story needed to portray certain aspects of characters in a way that was both unnerving and impartial. So, please be aware that this book (and the entire series for that matter) may not be suitable for younger readers. With that all said, I truly do hope you enjoy this first installment to the series and hopefully you will forgive any mistakes I might have made as a novice author. Thank you all again and have a wonderful evening. ps - For anyone wondering, I have already started on the second book! If enough people seem interested in this first book, I will consider dropping hints and pieces that can be expected in book 2 (Foxes in the Forest). Thanks again. AMAZON LINK THE ALMARIS CHRONICLES AMONG THE SPIRES OF EAST FLEET https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTRQSS81