On Monday, I announced a purge, and the response has been nothing short of overwhelming.
Legionnaires far and wide clicked and replied (sometimes multiple times) to secure their place in this dingy asylum of ours. Some even had the audacity to write in asking why such drastic measures were taking place, but if they had read the email, they would've understood why.
I get it, Mondays drag, but c'mon, people.
If you're going to reply with a clarifying question, at least read the email.
Then came Tuesday's prank when I "accidentally" sent out a termination email, which was met with gasps and a chorus of relief when they realised it was, indeed, a prank.
What can I say… I'm here to entertain.
But in that same email, I also revealed that of the 44 traitors—I mean, people—contacted, only one had clicked to secure their fate at the time.
This left 43 unaccounted for.
So what happened to them?
Well, I can now reveal the final body count, and let me tell you…
IT WAS A BLOODBATH.
I'm starting to think these quarterly purges should come with a trigger warning because it's nauseating just how many heads end up rolling.
Anywho, of the 44 people originally contacted (which is blimmin' excellent for a DAILY newsletter fast-approaching 1,000 brave souls)…
41 have been banished from our earthly realm.
Let us pause to share a moment's silence for the fallen…
… NOT.
What we're left with now is a hyper-focused, hyper-engaged band of active readers who have earned their place in this little corner of the internet.
As for the banished?
They've been tagged as “Purged” inside my email settings.
Should they repent and return at a later date, they will be watched closely. One whiff of disengagement and they'll be blocked and banned for life.
Some might call that tyrannical.
They'd probably be right.
But I've always intended for The Legion to feel less like a newsletter and more like an exclusive club — a place where I sometimes share things I wouldn't reveal in the open public, like personal stories and introspections that some might consider "vulnerable."
I don't just share this stuff with any old Meghan and Harry; only my most loyal, most ardent followers.
So consider this my hat-tip to you for suffering through these musings.
Your fealty is greatly appreciated.
Perhaps we'll expand beyond the Legion's walls one day and into a Digital Town Square where we can have open dialogue and proper group discussions.
But that's not the priority right now.
The priority is finishing Book 6 as quickly as I can, and then diving head-first into Book 7 (which is being outlined as we speak) to wrap up The Divided Region.
Now, if all this talk of bloodbaths and purges has you itching for some gritty epic fantasy that doesn't take 100 pages to get going, then you can grab the TDR bundle — in ebook or audiobook — right here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/TDR-Bundle
Or if you'd rather stick to your retailers, you can start with Book 1 here:
https://books2read.com/dividedregionexiled
DJJW