Short Fiction: Ministry of Land and Resources Offers Free Farms For Retired Guardsmen
A newspaper article on how Grendel, first lord of the Northlands, cares for his own. Also I'll be selling at Stone Mountain 3/3 and a new Atlanta convention 3/15-17
Stenhus Posten
By Nils Berglund
The Obsidian Guard, in partnership with Sejera's own Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR), has formally put out another call for retired guardsmen or guardsmen considering retirement to apply for lands in the Basin.
"Since the defeat of the Camrose Confederation eight years ago, hundreds of millions of acres in the eastern and southern Basin have been vacated due to the vagaries of warfare — the death or flight of the original occupants, failure of irrigation systems, or other causes," said Erica Wivell, a spokeswoman for the Obsidian Guard. "Hundreds of millions of acres of land that, if put to good use, can support a family or many families, but at present are lying fallow, serving as haunts for bandits, or simply not being put to efficient use."
Wivell went on to say that Grendel, lord of Sejera and first lord of the Northlands, believes very firmly that those who have helped win this land should be the ones to benefit from it. Consequently, members of the Obsidian Guard eligible for retirement or who have already retired may apply for a land grant. Experts from the MLR will interview them and any families they intend to bring to determine their eligibility for a land grant and, if so, what type of grant they might receive.
“Generally speaking, a veteran colony dedicated to farming should be self-sufficient in terms of labor, both in quantity and in skill," she continued. “A veteran with a wife and children skilled in agricultural pursuits would be able to put a large amount of prime farmland to good use, while a single man without agricultural skills might be better-suited for a personal home and a different occupation."
She added that local labor, though often available, is best not relied upon, especially in sensitive matters.
And this boon isn't solely for those who've faithfully served their twenty years. If a guardsman has received a medical discharge due to injury or illness, doctors and agronomy experts will judge their fitness for particular jobs and if their kindred can take up any slack. Wivell cited the examples of Sergeant Chao Wang, given a medical discharge for epilepsy after ten years' service, who now owns a prosperous farm in a veteran's colony near the interior entrance of the Pass, or Private Abbas Naifeh, who lost a leg at the Battle of the Iron Horse and ironically now shoes horses at the veteran settlement of Klókskapr near the borders of the new Firebird Host in the northeast.
But any interested veteran would be advised to act quickly. Wivell emphasized that available lands between Sejera and the Pass are filling up quickly and requirements for skills and capital to claim the remaining land are rather strict. Further east, in the regions of the Basin across the mountains from the lands formerly ruled by House Merrill and now controlled by our loyal allies the Flesh-Eating Legion, the requirements are less strict. The Obsidian Guard and the MLR will even provide capital and tools for deserving applicants. Although the risks are greater, the rewards will be greater still.
So how did this policy implemented by Grendel, Lord of Sejera and First Lord of the Northlands, work out? The answers can be found in Battle for the Wastelands and "Son of Grendel." Both of which are now available in audio.
March Conventions: Charlie’s Comic Show (3/3) and Nerdi Gras (3/15-17)
On Sunday (March 3), I will be selling from 10 AM until 5 PM at Charlie’s Collectibles in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Owner Charles Hsu seeks to have his first comic con and since comic-cons have been successful for me before and it’s pretty close by, I figured I should help out. If you’re convenient to Atlanta come on by — lots of vendors and free parking.
Next comes a (relatively) new convention in Atlanta called Nerdi Gras, which this year includes organizing personnel from the CONJuration convention I’ve been a vendor and panelist at before. I didn’t attend the first Nerdi Gras last year — I think I had committed to a podcast recording that evening — but this year I’ve gotten an Artist Alley table. Since the convention is relatively new, table costs are low and hopefully I’ll be able to talk my way into a substantial profit.
At both events I’ll be selling the Lovecraftian The Thing in the Woods, its sequel The Atlanta Incursion, my steampunk military fantasy Battle for the Wastelands, its prequel novella “Son of Grendel,” its sequel Serpent Sword, the horror-crime farce novella “Little People, Big Guns,” and the short story collection Flashing Steel, Flashing Fire. No comics this time — I sold the last of my new Death Dealer comics to a hard-core Frazetta fan at Days of the Dead.
Nerdi Gras will be at the Sonesta at Gwinnett Place Hotel and will feature video games (including full on virtual-reality), board and tabletop games, and a lot of other cool stuff. Come on by!