Rune Red Eagle: Forge Your Own Legend

Personal, Mythical and Cultural Collision.

Outlaws!

It’s been a while. Thanks for sticking with me through the holidays, a family health crisis, and publication issues. In the midst of it all though I have some wonderful news and my topic for today.

Those of you that know me from Cons or life in general will know I’m a huge Conan fan, The king of Sword & Sorcery, Howard’s tales of the sullen eyed Cimmarian have enraptured me since I was a early teen. Belit and Conan are inked into my arm, and Mallory (my betrothed) can attest to me waxing eloquent about how Conan’s life is changed by the events of his youth and his relationships falling apart. I fully believe that the camp of the movies in the 80’s failed to allow the series of short stories and novellas to get the literary credit they deserve outside of pulp circles.

My Conan and Belit, from Queen of the Black Coast, by Robert E. Howard

It bacame natural then, that when I got to be a writer myself that I would take on the task of creating my own reaver, mercenary, thief, and king. A man that walked across his world and slowly went from nothing, to the highest of infamy and respect. The problem is, that is a hell of a long story to tell, and its a very personal tale. I also don’t have an in with Weird Tales.

So a call came out from J.R. Handley & Three Ravens Publishing for air pirates, and something just clicked. I started writing, and the tale became more and more connected to my life, my family, and the pieces of culture that made me who I am. It was myth and legend and struggle and all the great pieces that make a Sword and Sorcery character so powerful.

I’ve spoken about the crazy, Outlaw mentality of part of my family before here, but I don’t think I’ve touched on Native American culture before. My family, on my mother’s side is Muscogee. My wild tempered Grandmother and Momma herself participated heavily in Powwow, and Native American style bead work. I helped sell that bead work in the booth at those shows.

My Grandmother’s book on beadwork and beading techniques.

For a little Outlaw Author it was a formative experience. I got to hear stories of creation, multiple native languages, see the native traditions, and in general really immerse myself in part of another, all be it mixed itself, culture. When you spend just that one day, every few months, for years upon years, you would be suprised at the people you meet, and the things you learn. Including a man named Jim Sawgrass.

Jim in full regailia, showing up like he did, every year for half my life. He was still there last year.

Jim wanted to educate, and keep Muscogee culture alive. He brought pelts, gave awesome demonstrations, dressed the part, and in general was an awesome person. He taught the feral gang of vendor kids running around all about the culture, and ran around with us playing Stickball. He made a impression on all of us.

Jim made me proud to have just that little connection to Muscogee and Native culture. Not as a tribe member, not even as participant, but just as someone who knew about the past of his ancestors. That little piece of history, myth, and blood.

As a much older young man I found another fun connection, Vikings. Genetic testing revealed significantly more Germanic and Scandinavian ancestry in my blood than I had ever expected. You could see the line of history back to England, Ireland, and Scotland on the surface, but a little more digging showed Northman in my Blood’s long storied past. I realized I knew all kinds of myth and legend from Greece and the Native stories, and even Japanese gods, but my exposure to the Norse pantheon was some metal songs and a comic book, so I dug more. I learned of Odin, Fenrir, Thor, Jormungandr, and Freya. I learned of the Berserker at Stanford bridge and the Sagas.

My father, when I was in college bought me a necklace I wore for many years daily, until Ronan (my son) did what all babies do and snatched the shiny thing on his dad’s neck. He blew the chain to hell. When I told my own father about this he secretly started shopping. I was soon presented with a massive chainmail weaved necklace, and a Mjolnir. (Thor’s Hammer) “I know you love stuff like this, and if Little Dude can break that, he’s Hercules.” Dad cracked. So I donned the hammer from that day forward. It’s still on my neck right now, and probably still on it whenever you read this.

My Hammer and Mal’s Engagment Ring from out engagement photos.

Ronan teethed on it, It was on me at work, at every job interview, while I laughed with friends, and when I spoke at my grandmother’s funeral. Mjolnir was my only jewelry and my constant companion. Worn enough that even the stainless steel had started to patina, it was with me when Dad left this world for the next, and when I spread his ashes. It became a symbol if our connection along with our lineage.

Alright, Outlaw, how does this ramble connect?

Well I wanted to make my own Conan remember! My Own, to Me! (so many bonus points if you get that reference.) Not some cheap rip off, but a personal and depth filled character that could carry my spirit and style through decades of stories.

So I did what I always do, cranked up the Heavy Metal and started writing.

Y’all know anything about berserkers? The Norse have some pretty wicked animal warriors. How about Skinwalkers? Its a Navajo myth by that name, but there were an awful lot of similar things that haunted the dark of North America from north to south and east to west. including men that could turn into beast or beastial figures with dark power. Wildly different men, thousands of miles apart, but somehow, some way, there was a line you could draw where it all fit, just right. It all fit together. Just like the pieces of me.

So hither came Rune Red Eagle, half Muskogee and half Vikingr, coming of age in a world undreamed of, where The War Between The States left both Confederacy and Union standing. Where the supernatural is still feared in the night and the Age of Steam takes ships into the air and sea. With his father’s axes and his mother’s eyes, Rune strode into the world seeking to understand the Beast inside himself, and the greatness he might achieve.

Rune’s story became so many pieces of my own. Jim Sawgrass’s powerful presence, my Mother singing, and My Father’s struggle to fight the disease that he could never defeat. To fight a battle he could never win. More than I could ever write for you here. Rune became his own man from all the pieces of me, a kindred soul combined from Conan, from my ancestors, and from the search in my own life to find a home after great loss.

Concept art for Rune, not perfect to his story form but I though he looked pretty awesome.

Rune’s story is all the action and mystery of Sword & Sorcery, brought into a new fantastic world with all the mastery I can show for modern prose and alluring words. He is a combination of his parts and so much more. I did something I never do. I wrote a sequel story without the first one selling. I don’t get to do this gig full time, but Rune came out so personal that I had to invest.

That Investment Paid off

Not only did Rise of The Red Eagle, Rune’s first adventure in the land of Disunited States get accepted, its sequel, Fire in the Land of Wolves did as well. Rune will be appearing in Cogs and Cutlasses from Three Raven’s Publishing, and Deadly Fire: Dragons in Combat from Bayonet Books. Both are expected to be a Early 2025 release.

I can’t tell you all how excited I am for you to meet Rune, to meet this peice of my soul that jumped onto the page.

So next time you all hear the call to create, to forge your own little soul shard. To make your own myth from all the pieces of you. Be it a song, a painting, a video, or any other passion that calls you. Don’t just stop, give it your all and the 10% left afterwards.

May We All Find What We Seek,

Jesse James Fain