Firstly, I am proud to present the reissued covers for Scarab Path and Sea Watch courtesy of Alan Brooks:

I'm particularly proud, in a bizarre kind of way, of the Sea Watch one, not because it looks vaguely like me, although that was a weird coincidence, but because I kid myself that I can see there some trace the piece of concept art that I pitched over. I did quite a bit of insect-kinden concept art, much of which will never see the light of day for being what we artists technically refer to as "awful." However, my sketch of Nemoctes came out just about acceptably, and I leave it for you to judge whether it has in some small way been immortalised by Mr Brooks:

No Picture of Che. I cannot draw Che.

What's that?

OK, you twisted my arm. Here's Che, or at least living proof that I can, in fact, not draw her.

Anyway, let's just leave it that it's just as well I'm not trying to make a living doing that, or just one day job to pay the rent might not be enough.

And yes, Nemoctes. Sea Watch is the first (and will probably be the only, as it's still Tynisa planned for an eventual Heirs reissue)  to have a change of cast on the cover, although in all honesty I think Jon Sullivan nailed Rosander so well on the original cover that a new face was probably wise.

Other business: you'll recall Gabriel Brouillard, whose story The Violet Stranger was up on site a short while ago. Gabe is looking to write another, and has thrown down the gauntlet for inspiration. He's looking for some potential new kinden for a story, and has asked for suggestions from the floor. The story synopsis is:

"Story Summary

Time is short for the Flower Mantis-kinden Lynaeus. His master and lover, Illyria, has had her condition worsen and even after the Mantid’s semi-successful venture in Collegium, no cure has been found for the Spider woman’s creeping, fungal sickness. A small sliver of hope appears in the form of a written passage in some obscure, traveler’s journal: an Alethi Scorpion King that has somehow managed to overcome a disease similar in nature and may still live deep within the jungle ruins of Gal Barag. With no further leads a small group of explorers set off in search of this elusive jungle king. The Trio: Lynaeus, the deadly and fanatically loyal Flower Mantis, Savaris, a Spider-kinden doctor and formerly one of Illyria’s medical caregivers, and Tovi, a Fly-kinden jungle guide who’s loyalty belongs only to those with the gold enough to buy it. These three men, traveling deep in unknown territory, must contend with the worst the jungle has to offer in search of the one person who has overcome certain death. The truth behind the man’s survival however, is atrocious beyond imagining and that the prospect that Illyria or her three champions will survive to see another sunrise is more unlikely than even her improbable cure."

So, if anyone has a favourite arthropod yet to be seen in print, now's the time to pipe up.