Who are the Esidrin
When I consider the events of 2024, everything from discovering who I have always been and holding myself accountable when I strayed too far off course to recognizing the personal struggles all of those around me have endured and the dismal failure of our political system here in the United States, I felt my typical end of year blog post would be a tad lack luster to say the least. Much like the African proverb quoted at the beginning of this post, my hope is we allow our roots to go deeper, so we can stand tall and be flexible as we venture towards an uncertain future. Come to think of it, when is looking to the future ever certain given the act itself?
Since its inception, my writings on this blog, which has subsequently morphed into a much fuller website, have been about what inspires us to create content we hope others consider worthy of their attention. There have been growth periods, where I have learned to jump off my many soap boxes and accept there are nuances associated with this industry one cannot change overnight. A post from 2019 discussing how marketing is not everyone’s cup of tea comes to mind. As in all things, once you understand what is taking place and it is not personal, an iota of responsibility falls on your shoulders to improvise, adapt and overcome. A little Heartbreak Ridge movie nostalgia for those of you who recognized my last statement.
A mentor of mine once said, It is a privilege to grow older. I fully concur with this sentiment because as I approach 58-years old in January, I look back and see how far I have come through eyes of compassion, not ones filled with self-inflicted frustration and suffering stoked from the flames of anger. The journey towards understanding who you are in the present moment has little to do with age or when you perceive to have started it. It has everything to do with who you are in the here and now, nothing more. Once we learn to embrace the beauty of the given moment, the embedded and false expectations we put on ourselves begin to fade.
Whether you chose to call it Zen or something else, self-actualization is a honed practice and plays a critical role in developing your skill as a creator of content. If I am to state the obvious, our learned experiences greatly influence the path of our stories, along with the tribulations we impose on our characters. They can also inflict unnecessary doubt in our ability to navigate a world with overly saturated genres, humdrum stories and obsessive-compulsive tendencies towards monetization, which lays the groundwork for the bastardization of beloved content.
All this to say, life gets in the way and how we work with what it throws in our direction is key in developing realistic expectations for the growth of the stories we want to tell.
Since taking a four-week detox from everything associated with computer gaming, focus towards properly prioritizing my own writing has been remarkable. I have accomplished more during this period, leading up to writing this post, than I did in the prior months. All the fine-tuning and development of missing pieces for The Sy’Arrian Legacy Series are complete. I am currently in the middle of a rough outline for book two, Destiny’s Shroud, which works nicely with several chapters I had already written for it. The third revision for book one, The Cradle of Destiny is in the hands of a good friend who is also an editor. Once complete, I begin submitting book one to legitimate publishers.
What you will read below related to a new race I created is part of the development process for book two’s outline. This is an exciting time for me and the direction for The Sy’Arrian Legacy Series. For the first time in the creative process involving this series, I am more confident then I have ever been because I can now properly focus my attention forward, rather than always looking over my shoulder to determine what should have been done differently.
No matter where you sit on the state of affairs our world is currently sitting, I am looking forward to 2025 where we build solidarity, embrace our differences, and work towards creating a world where facts and science are its foundation. I hope you enjoy reading about the Esidrin as much as I did creating them.
An indigenous race from the planet of Hyprus, the Esidrin mostly reside in the massive Isidriss Forest located 112.6 kilometers east of the Sy'Arrian city of Angira, with smaller groves living in the Sudani Mountains several hundred kilometers further to the east past the ancient ruins of Kama Nu.
The Esidrin, who average 3.66 meters in height, share many of their physical attributes with trees. They have thick and highly flexible bark-like skin, which can withstand the harshest climates and deflect most low yield energy-based weaponry. Primarily bipedal with a thick and pronounced musculature, their feet are outlined with flexible, hook like projections serving to anchor them to the ground, making them virtually unmovable and, in extreme situations, these projections will insert themselves further into the ground to form a small root system for further stability.
Esidrin are inherently androgynous. Although they may present what would be considered by other races as male and female, they are neither. Possessing a very direct and literal interpretation of the universe, they have formed deep connections with what they call the living earth, enabling them to sense climatic events long before they occur. Their evolution is directly linked to Hyprus and were humanlike in appearance until several climatic events forced genetic adaptation upon them.
The act of procreation is a very solemn and personal act, performed as needed to maintain a consistent number of their population, while also serving to maintain a harmonious balance with Hyprus' ecosystem. Typically performed during the warmer seasons as a solitary affair, an Esidrin will anchor themselves in an area, surrounded tightly by other trees. Once they have established a small root system, two seeds will be deposited from the soles of their feet into the earth, very close to one another. The Esidrin will remain anchored for approximately seven days, which allows time for the seeds to combine and create a lone seedling.
Once the seven-day period has ended and the adult Esidrin has uprooted themselves, other members of the grove will take turns standing watch until the young seedling unfolds and begins to exhibit more humanoid features. When reaching a height of 183 centimeters, the seedling will break free from its stump to begin walking on two legs and join the grove. A developing Esidrin inherits the knowledge of the one who planted it, which is part of the seven-day anchoring period. As the developing Esidrin matures, it builds new connections, which it can pass on barring any unforeseen situations resulting in its death.
Not following any specific governmental structure, the Esidrin are tribal in nature, preferring to solve issues, albeit rare, by involving the entire grove. This serves to garner diverse opinions and approaches, resulting in extended and thorough exploration prior to making a final decision. Once a course of action has been decided, implementation of a resolution is swift and rarely reversed. There has only been one instance throughout their entire history where a decision was made, then rescinded. Esidrin find excessive governance a hindrance to the successful evolution of any race and are often mystified by how other races chose convolution over practicality.
Esidrin live in harmony with the known elements, blending in perfectly with their environment and receiving the proper sustenance through direct connection with the living earth. Although demonstrating a high respect for the Sy'Arrians, they care little for the affairs of other humanoids and will only involve themselves when the ecosystem is threatened by the self-serving needs of others.
Until next time, your moment of Zen is to talk less, do more and be humble. This will allow wisdom to take hold and give you the ability to help yourself, while being effective in helping guide others to take their journey towards living in the moment.
Be safe, be well and let us get back to honing the fine art of creative writing.
