L.L. Stephens
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triempery.bsky.social
L.L. Stephens
@triempery.bsky.social
L.L. Stephens, author of epic fantasy Triempery Revelations series and other SF&F fiction. SFWA member. Player of board games and painter of minis!
Pinned
Five out of six books are now published! I'm hip deep in editing Book 6 for release in early 2026...

◾️Gods coming of age
◾️Transformations
◾️ Betrayals
◾️ Everything will be on the line

#epicfantasybooks #Sordaneon
#WIPSnips The word for November 28 is ZIGZAG

Another word not in THE RILL LORD, so I went with "snake," which as a verb does a lot of visual work!

This compact snip depicts a sorcerous battle. Can't say much more than that. This is a big book and battle!
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery
November 28, 2025 at 12:44 PM
#NovemberWorldbuilders 28.

A recent inciting incident -- there are lots of these in the series, as one thing incites another -- is the grotesque death of one of the Triempery's rulers.

How it happened, and who done it, depends on who is doing the telling. It creates a succession dispute.
Heya, #NovemberWorldbuilders! It's the last day of our HISTORY week. Tell me something about the more recent history of your world. What's something important that happened in the last 20 years or so from when your story takes place? Perhaps something that sets off the inciting incident
November 28, 2025 at 12:28 PM
#FantasyIndiesNovember 28: Free Friday

Here's a great illustration of Chyralane Rannuleonis, Denizen of the Seven Houses, who would not call herself a villain but is one. Such a fun character!

Link to my blog essay on Chyralane in comment. 😉

Art by @cblansdell.bsky.social
November 28, 2025 at 12:13 PM
#NovemberWorldbuilders 27: Legendary Event

Only immortals remember the Devastation, the destruction of the First Creation.

Even so, stories and songs about the event persist through generations as lessons against hubris, greed, and sacrifice. No one wants Devastation to happen again!
Greetings, #NovemberWorldbuilders. Tell me about a legendary event that happened in your world's history. Perhaps a terrific cataclysm, or maybe something good like the growth of an amazing tree or the greatest rock concert ever. Something that the storytellers in your world love to sing about.
November 27, 2025 at 11:43 AM
#FantasyIndiesNovember 27: For what am I thankful

Life. It's pretty amazing, isn't it? ☺️
November 27, 2025 at 11:42 AM
#WIPSnips The word for November 26 is IMPEDE

When things go wrong between Hans and Dorilian, nothing will stop Hans from trying to put things right. A short bit without spoilers from THE RILL LORD but it uses "impede."
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky
November 26, 2025 at 12:30 PM
#NovemberWorldbuilders 26

A persistent conspiracy theory drives several plot arcs of the Triempery series.

Much of the population believes Dorilian Sordaneon committed the slaughter of godborn princes at Permephedon. The villain finds that convenient. So do some rivals.
#NovemberWorldbuilders Heya, friends! In your fictional world, are there any lies or conspiracy theories (or maybe just incorrect beliefs) about a historical event? Is the government of your (fictional) world hiding anything? Please keep it fictional! No real-world stuff here, please!
November 26, 2025 at 12:19 PM
#FantasyIndiesNovember 26: My book titles

Readers may notice that my book titles describe what the book is about. Often literally.🤷‍♀️

As a reader I may not even know the title of a book I'm reading! I picked that book because the cover intrigued me. Or I read something about it. Or read a page(s).
November 26, 2025 at 12:09 PM
#WIPSnips The word for November 25th is SYSTEM

This snip is about the Rill, which plays a major role in the final book, THE RILL LORD (it's in the name!). In this snip, the Rill is having... problems. As one might expect given what's going on.
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery
November 25, 2025 at 3:45 PM
#NovemberWorldbuilders 25: War that is over.

A great war between the Aryati and the newly created Highborn race occurred at the dawn of the Second Creation.

The Three, sons of Amynas and Leur, fought the last Aryati survivors. They won and founded kingdoms that became the Triempery.
#NovemberWorldbuilders Does your fictional world have any wars in its history that are now over? What was the conflict about? What were the repercussions of it?
November 25, 2025 at 3:34 PM
#FantasyIndiesNovember 25: Share artwork

Today I'd like to showcase the work of artist @margawart.bsky.social
.
The collage is of illustrations she did of some of artifacts found in the Triempery series. Lower right is the Rill Stone and in the center is the Undying Crown. More in the alt-text.
November 25, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Reposted by L.L. Stephens
Gift giving season is fast approaching!
Want to make people happy? Nobody needs more socks, ties, or peanut butter logs.
Buy them the Hybrid Helix and bring true joy back to the holidays.
November 24, 2025 at 4:49 PM
#WIPSnips The word for November 24 is DEBUT

Though there are many "debuts" in the Triempery series, none use that word. So I went with "show up."

The scene in THE SECOND STONE where Dorilian shows up and Hans and Arne first see him is a good one.
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky
November 24, 2025 at 1:09 PM
#NovemberWorldbuilders 24

Both Hans and Dorilian are shaped by decisions the Wall Lord Endurin made in breaking Essera's succession in favor of Marc Frederick. Hans is Marc Frederick's grandson. This MATTERS.

Dorilian's ancestors were literal gods, Amynas and Leur. And the Rill. This matters too.
#NovemberWorldbuilders Let's talk about how the world's history directly impacts your main character (or some other important character in the world you're developing). Do they have an important ancestor? Was there a specific event, say a war or diaspora, that impacted their current life?
November 24, 2025 at 12:42 PM
#FantasyIndiesNovember 24: Do I listen to music as I write?

Seldom. But some scenes have benefitted from having certain music in the background.

I often use music from the Altiplano of South America for Sordan.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl4o...
Condores Bolivianos
YouTube video by Los Calchakis - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:31 PM
#WIPSnips The word for November 23rd is GLOBAL

"Global" doesn't appear in the Triempery series, but there's lots of talk about the "world." Here's a bit from THE RILL LORD in which Dorilian lays a global, as in "encompassing," truth about the series' villain, Nammuor.
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky
November 23, 2025 at 12:49 PM
#NovemberWorldbuilders 23

Endurin Malyrdeon, the last Wall Lord, used that Entity to sift through timelines both past and future. He sought to set into place both bloodlines and persons toward resolving a looming catastrophe.

Endurin is revered but some of his actions were divisive.
We're talking about our fictional world's history this week, #NovemberWorldbuilders. Tell me about a ruler or leader who made an impact in your world. How are they remembered by those living in the future?
November 23, 2025 at 12:34 PM
#FantasyIndiesNovember 23: Dealing with imposter syndrome

I've always written for joy and never felt like an imposter except when moving in certain social circles... but about my writing, never.

My advice is to proudly be what you are. An author. A writer. A creator. A unique, wonderful human.
November 23, 2025 at 12:22 PM
#WIPSnips The word for November 22 is CRYSTAL

Crystals serve to house arcane energy in the Triempery series. Here in this snip from THE RILL LORD, we see such crystals used in battle. On the field of battle, Dorilian contemplates the source of the attack.
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky
November 22, 2025 at 12:25 PM
#NovemberWorldbuilders 22

The Triempery series has DEEP history and lore. The civilization of the Aryati existed before the current story and committed acts that destroyed the original Creation.

Ruins? A ruined World. The Rill. And three Cities.
#epicfantasy #Triempery #worldbuilding
November 22, 2025 at 12:07 PM
L.L. Stephens
@triempery
#FantasyIndiesNovember 22: Saturday Snippet

This snippet is from the 5th book of the Triempery Revelations series, THE WALLED CITY. In it, Dorilian does a bit of crypt-robbing. Why? You'll have to read the book...
#epicfantasy
November 22, 2025 at 11:52 AM
#WIPSnips The word for November 21 is DIRECTION

Battlefields are chaotic. Finding "direction" is vitally important and sometimes difficult. In this bit from THE RILL LORD, Arne finds himself needing to make decisions.
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky
November 21, 2025 at 12:42 PM
#NovemberWorldbuilders 21

The Illumination of Amynas takes place in Sordan, on the shore of Sarkuan Lake, every spring. First Day is a feast. Second Day is fasting and a sacred play. Third Day celebrates the New Year.

There are grand scenes in two books set in this event.
Howdy, #NovemberWorldbuilders. What special events take place near the river/lake in your fictional world? Do they have any festivals or annual traditions? How do your characters engage with these events?
November 21, 2025 at 12:32 PM
#FantasyIndiesNovember 21: Comfort movies or TV shows

My husband and I watch mindless reality dating/marriage shows like Love Is Blind or, most recently, Married At First Sight.

I feel really good about having found and married him when watching those shows! He's a keeper!
November 21, 2025 at 12:27 PM
#WIPSnips The word for November 20 is SPECIAL

THE RILL LORD uses this word several times. One of the best is this passage with Cortogh, a Dog Man, as the POV character. The Dog Men are lots of fun, especially their differences from humans.
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery
November 20, 2025 at 3:09 PM