Smoke and Myst — Author's Airship https://airovale.com/smoke-and-myst/ Smoke and Myst is the author's airship — where Jef Gray writes about the real moments, places, and people behind the steampunk fantasy world of Airovale. http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Aurous Publishing en Sat, 20 Jun 2026 13:45:00 +0000 How Does the Law of Exchange Work? — Smoke and Myst, Author's Airship https://airovale.com/smoke-and-myst/how-does-the-law-of-exchange-work.html A lawnmower job at twelve taught Jef Gray the first hard lesson about value — the same lesson that powers Airovale's Law of Exchange, the magic system where every gain has a cost. https://airovale.com/smoke-and-myst/law-of-exchange-steampunk-fantasy.jpg Sat, 20 Jun 2026 09:45:00 -0400 Blueprints for Building a Mystic Portal — Smoke and Myst, Author's Airship https://airovale.com/smoke-and-myst/blueprints-for-building-a-mystic-portal.html Every life stage is its own portal. Jef Gray on turning that feeling into the rules, glyphs, and ghost-trails behind Airovale's Mystic Portal magic system. https://airovale.com/smoke-and-myst/steampunk-projector-blueprint.jpg Sat, 20 Jun 2026 09:30:00 -0400 Climbing Canyon Myst — Smoke and Myst, Author's Airship https://airovale.com/smoke-and-myst/climbing-canyon-myst.html Why a real climb through the Grand Canyon became the inspiration for Canyon Myst. Jef Gray on turning visceral experience and old grudges into steampunk fantasy worldbuilding. https://airovale.com/smoke-and-myst/canyon-myst-steampunk-fantasy.jpg Sat, 20 Jun 2026 09:15:00 -0400 Backstory to the Rescue — Smoke and Myst, Author's Airship https://airovale.com/smoke-and-myst/backstory-to-the-rescue.html Why every character in Airovale has a backstory — and why a few are hiding theirs. Jef Gray on the storytelling power of backstory, from football fandom to steampunk fantasy worldbuilding. https://airovale.com/smoke-and-myst/backstory-to-the-rescue-thumb.jpg Sat, 20 Jun 2026 09:00:00 -0400