I have to admit, old man Snipey is a little under the weather today. But I wasn't gonna let a sick day stand in the way of the shiny train!

That said, if I spent some time to tell you about my day today, it would mostly involve tales of vomit, lots of vomit, so let's skip that, and instead finally return to that architecture series I promised we'd get back to. Next week, I think I want to talk a little bit about the RPG aspects of what we're doing with combat, but I didn't have access to good images from my fortress of vomitude. On the other hand, I've had this one ready for a bit, so let's take a look at Waerd structures!

I really love the Waerd style. Look at the holes cut into the roofs to let in light without exposing too much of the interior to the desert heat, it shows their cleverness. And their communal nature comes through in the way their buildings are all connected, built out of the same mesa rock, protected by the same walls.

The architecture of the Waerd tells a story about them. You can't see a Waerd village and not understand at least some of the struggle they face, and how they come together to confront it. Of course, just as they build to keep their settlements in the shadows, there's a bit of a dark side to the Waerd, something you can't see so much as feel.

But, for me at least, that just makes me want to know more. A good mystery yearns to be solved, and the Waerd? The Waerd are a good mystery.

Stay shiny, Elyrians!