Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Happy Halloween!


The winning entries have been announced: http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/Halloween.html

Thank you again to every artist and writer who made the Halloween Fanart Contest so spectacularly fun.   
If you haven't seen it yet, treat yourself to the entire gallery, and take note of your favorite artists:  https://dreamkeepers-fans.deviantart.com/gallery/64237462/2017-Halloween-Fan-Art-Contest

Entrants- your free Trick-or-Treat sticker awaits!   Contact Ferrous Studios to have it delivered:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/FerrousEnterprises?ref=shop_sugg

Grand Prize and Runner-Up Winners- e-mail me your shipping address, and I'll get prizes packaged and sent in November.  (Dreamkeeperscomic *at* gmail.com)

If you crave more Halloween horror, take a tour through our archive of seasonal Prelude comics:  http://www.dreamkeeperscomic.com/HPrelude2009.php
And for yet more horror- unplug, go out in the dark somewhere, listen to the wind in the leaves, and bring a piece of candy in case something finds you and you need a bargaining chip.
Have a great Halloween!

Monday, October 30, 2017

JUDGEMENT DAY


The deadline expired, terror inspired, from blood and sweat and talent a gallery sired:
https://dreamkeepers-fans.deviantart.com/gallery/64237462/2017-Halloween-Fan-Art-Contest

We have the impossible task of choosing winners from this fantastic display- we'll announce the results tomorrrow, but for today, wander the hall of illustrations unfettered by pronouncements.
Just beware what lurks around the corner.

Friday, October 27, 2017

Halloween Threatens- Newsletter update

Assaulting your inbox at the speed of night

Newsletter updates convey only fright

Terrifying links, dead or alive

Your only salvation is to click on "subscribe"

http://mailchi.mp/ee67baef7be9/halloween-threatens

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Halloween Fanart reminder

Enjoy Halloween with some fantastic fanart:

https://dreamkeepers-fans.deviantart.com/art/The-Haunted-House-at-the-Margate-shores-711714743

More in the gallery, deadline for entries getting close. #Halloween #Fanart

Monday, October 23, 2017

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Evil Lilith Sketch of the Month


Patrons- new Sketch of the Month is up:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/sketch-of-month-14873558 

Here's an older one for everyone- seems appropriate for the month of October.  A what-if-Lilith-were-evil theme.  Based on the singed costuming, I'd presume she just healed herself after winning in combat against a fiery opponent.  #Halloween #furry #Nightmare 

Friday, October 13, 2017

BOOOOZE


This year's Trick-or-Treat sticker- BOOOOOOOZE

Everyone who enters the Dreamkeepers Halloween Fanart contest gets a free sticker- and winners, of course, get loot.  https://dreamkeepers-fans.deviantart.com/journal/2017-Contest-Prizes-Announced-709132101

I'm excited to see what everyone comes up with this year!  Some fun entries already emerging in the gallery.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Halloween Prizes announced



Prize time- You can win a Limited Edition signed Volume 4 in this year's Dreamkeepers Halloween Fanart Contest. 

Every entrant gets a trick-or-treat sticker- catch the full prize list here:  https://dreamkeepers-fans.deviantart.com/journal/2017-Contest-Prizes-Announced-709132101

Monday, October 9, 2017

Owls and Ravens...Halloween Decorating is Complete

I can't remember what our Halloween decorations looked like before our 2014 fire, but I do know that repairing the holiday decor for it as well as Christmas became an important goal. 

So for the last two years, I've been building a superior collection of holiday decor that we leave up all of October, replace with a plush turkey for November, and then launch into full-blown trees for December.  I confess to having three trees, a large standard tree - a small blue tree - and a white beaded tree, which is out all year long.  Three trees may sound like a lot, unless you count my Aunt's eight tree collection.  It might be eight.  She misplaced a few last year and isn't quite sure. 

This is completely true.

I've worked with painting plastic horses, reindeer, zebras, and unicorns, but a trip to an archery range with friends was quite the eye opener.  They had decoy animals everywhere.  Even coyotes. 


I know, I know.  The possibilities here are endless.  The croc is $700. by the way and about seven feet long.  Ouch.

The sporting goods store, Cabela's displayed a fantastic range of animals from geese to ducks to turkey, etc.  Just stating the facts here.

And a note: Hallmark has a bird ornament collection, 'The Beauty of Birds' that I don't collect.  But in 2016, they made a gorgeous owl ornament in the same vein, and complimented it this year with a 'Ravishing Raven' for Halloween.


I started to watch Hallmark like a hawk.  I couldn't get enough of this owl.  I love the colors so much.  I was obsessed with this color choice and searched Hallmark for more Halloween owl merchandise for two years.  While they did release a miniature owl ornament in the same colors this year, I was quite disappointed about the overall lack of owl.  There was not enough owl and it was sad.

The only solution was to make some inspired art.  This is the sporting goods decoy owl I chose.  Some have heads that turn, but this was a solid piece.  Sent a pic to Dave and he didn't think I was serious.

 That is the face of serious.

This owl stands about two feet tall.  To get the thicker gold rims, I used a combination of puffy paint, glue gun, and gold paint.  The stars are glued on, there's a gloss finish that should withstand the weather.

Final result.  The sporting goods store also had two crow decoys at the time.  We love crows/ravens so much, at one point Dave and I were pursuing the ownership of an African Pied Crow, but settled on the conure parrots instead.  Same technique for the raised gold, plus gems glued on.

Crows drying.


The three birds took about two days to complete, mostly because of the layers of paint drying from each glue level.  I'm very pleased with them.  Gems glued on too, of course.  Once Halloween is over, they'll be a delight in decorating storage.  And as for Halloween night, we have something different in mind, might share a few photos here once it's set up.  And each bird has our address on the bottom, just in case they try to fly away, but I think we're fine.  Happy spooking!  - Liz


Sunday, October 8, 2017

CCA and Troika ranking system & military structure

NOTES:
What follows is an outline of the unit hierarchy /command structure for CCA units.  This hierarchy was assisted by conversations with military personnel.   Thank you to contributors for their insight- any misunderstandings inherent here are mine and not theirs.


First, an overall note on Anduruna and military structure at the present point in the story.   

They haven't had an official military for centuries because, as far as the populace is concerned, there are no significant foreign states to comprise a threat.   There is one that the government is aware of, but a longstanding treaty and significant distance has kept things amiable for all of living memory.   So the CCA has developed more as a police force than a military one, and the Troika are essentially reinventing things from the ground up.


HIERARCHY:

CCA Platoon:
18 members
2 Squads of 8 men each.
2 Fireteams of 4 men each form each squad.
One member of each fire team is a Fire Team Leader, and one member of each squad is also the Squad leader. 
1 Platoon Commander
1 Transportation officer to handle the Gnossus & troop carrier.

If multiple platoons are deployed their sergeants are commanded in the field by a Lieutenant.
District lieutenants are commanded by a district Major who generally does not deploy.
District Majors are under the command of the office of Guard Captain of Anduruna.

District Major offices have administrative staff, some of which may carry the rank of lieutenant even though they are not combat personnel.  These include liasons with local police forces, CCA detective units (distinct from local law enforcement), internal affairs, and various necessary bureaucratic positions. 

The office of the Guard captain has administrative staff, some of which carry the rank of lieutenant or even colonel- placing colonels higher in rank than the Majors who command districts.  Various roles include those within the local district offices, and additional unnecessary bureaucratic positions due to constantly increasing annual budgets. 

The shock troopers do not answer to local law enforcement or local civic bodies, and take their orders directly from the Central City Authority offices of the Guard Captain.  This said, district shock troopers work closely with local law enforcement by necessity- most local branches are prohibited from deploying lethal force or possessing lethal weaponry, with rare exceptions licensed after much paperwork- so the shock troopers are a necessary but unaccountable component of law enforcement at the local level.

Local law enforcement tends to be comprised of 'officers,' and the term 'officer' is often used colloquially for anyone in uniform / CCA combat roles.

Formal Titles:
Shock trooper:  Private
Fire Team Leader: Corporal
Squad Leader: Corporal
Platoon Commander: Sergeant (Colloquially: Commander)
Transportation officer:  Officer.

Field Commander: Lieutenant
District Commander: Major
Head of the CCA troopers:  Guard Captain.

Gnossus are numbered, and naming them is prohibited- although this rule is often ignored, and not strictly enforced. 

The shock troopers also utilize an animal which has a highly developed sense of smell in their detective division.  (Note:  Not ryuu-nekos?  Maybe something we haven't developed yet.)

As for the Troika:

Their structure is currently dispersed.  Prior to the start of Prelude, they had a more cohesive structure- but they were compromised, and the organization suffered catastrophic damage.

The survivors have rebuilt it- but in a different manner.  There are very few central characters with access to relevant information about local leaders- Scinter, Igrath.  They could be designated as generals. 
Directly below them are lieutenants.  Characters like Vi, Bobby, Tia...   Local leaders.    After an initial training period, the lieutenants occasionally meet up at the remote bases for training exercises.   But never all the lieutenants at the same meeting- only Scinter and Igrath could list everyone. 

The lieutenants then recruit more Troika members from their respective communities, and seed independent cells of operatives, trained by the lieutenants.  In addition to these cells are a number of direct operatives and sleeper agents recruited, one way or another, by Scinter, Nainso, and Igrath, riddling the CCA power structure. 

The general Troika strategy is to train in secret and gather intel on Dark Dreamkeepers that have infiltrated the CCA- so, when the time arrives, they can execute simultaneous strikes to kill their antagonists, and take the Troika public to serve as a defense force against the oncoming Nightmares. 

Once public, their plan is to implement a loose hierarchy of responsibilities among the lieutenants- one of the primary ones being to train citizens, en masse in the use of their powers, to create an army capable of repelling a large-scale nightmare assault. 


The general contrasts between the CCA and Troika:

The CCA is more about top-down command and obedience within an established hierarchy.  Initiative is often discouraged, as liability is a concern and obedience is prized.

The Troika, by contrast, foster initiative and responsibility among their operatives, by necessity.  Their lieutenants and soldiers have to be capable of operating unsupported and, if comms are cut, undirected.  So the Troika organization has grown to utilize discrete cells, and even after going public, their general operational structure will be to enable decentralized action.   CCA troopers are trained to execute orders- whereas Troika are trained to achieve objectives.

Now, here's where it gets a bit messy.   So the Troika will have a handful of generals at the top, determining overall strategy.  But when you have hundreds of lieutenants directly below them, how best to communicate those strategic aims?   Will they need to integrate another layer of command structure above the lieutenant level to keep things organized?  Because of the decentralized nature of their organization, I'm not sure how something like that could be optimally organized- if at all.   

One other note to share, regarding the Troika strategy after they go public.

Their forces will be generally divided into two categories.

One category will be primarily tasked with training, organizing, and leading the civilians as a rough militia force. 

The second category will be primarily a combat unit, comprised of the trained soldiers and few to zero civilian recruits. 

While the militia forces will see combat, they'll be in more of supportive or defensive roles, with the elite Troika units acting as spearhead assault and special operations forces.





September Patreon Q&A

Friday, October 6, 2017

Faction War- Create Your Character

Get ready for Faction War.

We're testing out a new roleplay system- I ramble about it here.  Jump ahead and create your character in 6 easy steps:  https://youtu.be/kJaF77A3TuM?t=9m35s

The goal is to have a light, fast, fun roleplay that fields hundreds of players to participate in the same story- while putting them into a close-knit team of allies. 

You can, of course, die. 

We're taking volunteers.

I'm looking for maybe 16-20 players who want to try this out- preference is being given to existing community moderators.   The idea is that anyone interested in moderating jumps into this test game to learn the system-I'll make a video for every stage of the game to explain how it works.  Then, after our test is complete, the mods will take it public and run the show.

 If you're interested, DM us in Discord:  https://discordapp.com/invite/0119hlzTKxn9xDjvy  The game will be hosted on a special Discord server that is being set up now.

Character sheet templates and the full rules  are available here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TbzmMEcYrBOLW3bQyBd0JkAWzb3ipe5tlG3VQ8rcXNQ/edit?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-nsNunMwFGYY1dWRGhtN05SRjQ/view?usp=sharing