One of the things I love most about writing The Crimson Legacy is that many of the characters did not begin as characters at all.

They began as people.

Friends.

Allies.

Occasionally enemies.

And sometimes complete strangers who unexpectedly changed the course of our journey.

LowDog was one of those people.

To understand how LowDog found his way into The Crimson Legacy, we have to go back to our early Atlas adventures.

During our first season, my husband and I were fortunate enough to be taken in by a company known as Death Dream. They taught us the ropes, helped us survive, and showed us that Atlas could be more than simply trying not to sink.

When the next season arrived, however, Death Dream chose a different server.

That left Pathfinder and I on our own.

Armed with a little more knowledge than before, we set sail determined to carve out our own place in the world.

Unfortunately, so did everyone else.

The larger companies claimed islands quickly, leaving little opportunity for smaller groups like ours.

So we did what many Atlas players know all too well.

We became lawless bobs once again.

We found an island.

Placed our claim towers.

Built a modest base.

Constructed what defenses we could.

It wasn't much, but it was ours.

What we didn't realize was that we were sharing the island with Obsidian, the very same group that had wiped us out during our first season before Death Dream took us under their wing.

Needless to say, we kept mostly to ourselves.

At least in the beginning.

One day while we were playing, a ship appeared near where we had anchored our own.

Before long, they began sinking them.

Pathfinder wasted no time.

He charged straight to the shoreline.

At the time, I was halfway across the island, overloaded with metal after emptying an entire mine and desperately trying to make my way back to base.

Waiting for me was not part of Pathfinder's plan.

The battle had already begun.

There were three attackers.

Among them were LowDog, Flintlock, and the legendary Carry Reed.

Despite being outnumbered, Pathfinder managed to take one of them down before continuing the fight.

Unfortunately, our ships had already seen better days.

They disappeared beneath the waves and were claimed by the ocean.

Then something unexpected happened.

Instead of simply sailing away victorious, they began talking to us through the in-game chat.

We explained we were only a two-person company trying to survive.

They explained that life in lawless territory could be brutal.

Without the protection of combat timers, attacks were simply part of daily life.

Then came the moment I still remember all these years later.

They felt bad.

Not because they lost the fight.

Truthfully, we had all lost in some way.

Our ships were gone.

Resources had been spent.

Time had been invested.

Nobody truly walked away a winner that day.

Yet instead of simply sailing away and leaving us to start over, they took the time to speak with us.

They learned who we were.

They realized we were simply a two-person company trying to find our footing in a world much larger than ourselves.

And then they did something I never expected.

They returned to their base.

Built another ship.

And gave it to us.

Just like that.

What began as a battle became the beginning of a friendship.

Soon after, they invited us into their Discord server.

I will admit, I was nervous.

Joining new groups wasn't always easy for me.

But LowDog, Flintlock, Carry Reed, and the others quickly made us feel welcome.

They offered us a place to build on an island owned by another company called Tempest.

Even that came with its own challenges.

The Tempest team didn't initially realize Proxy had invited us and promptly attacked our newly established base.

Thankfully the misunderstanding was sorted out, damages were replaced, and new friendships continued to grow.

Looking back now, those moments became far more important than any of us could have imagined.

Because they were not simply Atlas memories.

They became part of the foundation of The Crimson Legacy.

LowDog himself eventually found his way into the books.

Not as a copy of the real person.

But as an inspiration.

A reflection of the qualities I admired.

Loyalty.

Determination.

Kindness.

Strength.

The willingness to stand beside friends when it mattered most.

In The Siren's Call, LowDog discovers there is far more to himself than he ever realized when hidden powers begin to emerge, connecting him to Ambrose and the Lumari.

At the time I was writing, I never intended for the story to move in that direction.

Truthfully, many parts of The Crimson Legacy evolved naturally as I wrote.

The first draft was enormous.

Far too large for a single novel.

I have never been the sort of writer who outlines every detail before beginning.

I let the story breathe.

I let the characters grow.

Then I refine the journey afterward.

Somewhere along the way, LowDog changed.

Light magic became part of his story.

His role grew larger.

His place within the crew became permanent.

And somehow it simply felt right.

Much like the real-life LowDog, the character remained steady.

A loyal crewmate.

A courageous captain.

Someone willing to stand and fight for what he believed in.

To this day, one of my favorite memories is how excited he was when he learned he would be part of the series.

I still remember him proudly telling his mother he was going to be in a book.

At the time, none of us knew what The Crimson Legacy would become.

Truthfully, I don't think I ever imagined it would grow into what it is today.

Yet here we are.

Several books later.

Countless adventures later.

And LowDog remains exactly where he belongs.

Part of the crew.

Part of the story.

And I have a feeling he will be sailing with us for a very long time to come.

Until next time Lovelies,

Always,

Ambrose Fider