Hello again, folks! Today is the day for the book 3 launch! That's a whole-ass fantasy trilogy. It's pretty crazy to see them all lined up over there with pretty covers and fancy typesetting.
Same promo vid above as the last time I posted it, but I think it's pretty cool so I'm adding it again!
Links!
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2025-09-17 12:39:01 +0000 UTC View PostAfter dealing with the Dungeoneering evolution, Grotto gave us a report on how his Botany skill would affect crop production. The short version was “Lots!” The Core then petitioned us to find an intelligence director better suited for investigations since, in his words, “I am naturally capable of overwhelming surveillance, but my talents are intended to evoke despair, not hunt down sewer-dwelling spies made of mincemeat and excrement.”
After that, we got some q...
2025-09-16 12:21:56 +0000 UTC View Post“This current council of directors has an ethics problem,” said Vaulty. “Generally, members of government should not hold office or other positions with significant political influence in another nation. Inquisitor Nuralie Vyxmeldo’a violates this rule, as do the Ravvenblaq siblings, Sineh Duckgrien, and Xim Xor’Drel. However, this is understandable given Closetland’s fledgling status. I recommend a sunset provision establishing a deadline and outlining ho...
2025-09-15 15:51:46 +0000 UTC View PostAt a spot beside the table without a proper chair was Vaulty, a multi-ton, four-legged golem crafted from a combo of ancient advanced magitech and a conglomerate of trapped souls. He’d originally been Throne’s minion, although we’d broken him out of that enslavement, and the two had since reconciled. Enough to work together without violence, anyway.
Vaulty could access most of the memories and skills of the various souls that inhabited his armored frame, all of whom were ...
2025-09-15 08:51:32 +0000 UTC View PostHey folks!
I've been working on a pile of chapters where the pieces all fit together like a big jigsaw puzzle. Wanted to have a larger view of the whole section before kicking any of them out of the nest.
That said, you can expect three chaps over the next 24 hours, with one or two more by Tuesday.
Papa Junior and Ayamari addendums are rapidly approaching.
The first leg of this volume is doing a lot of setup and world/kingdom building. The pace will pick back up for t...
2025-09-14 15:19:47 +0000 UTC View PostYo!
What it says on the tin. Kindle, KU, and Audible all go up on the 17th (6 days hence, next Wednesday). You can preorder here if you're so inclined. A Kindle Unlimited download on the day of release is always helpful and free if you already have KU.
Otherwise, don't forget you can rate the book even if you don't own it, so please con...
2025-09-11 08:57:00 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: Chapter 3/3 for today
I tapped a knuckle on the table. “Send the Bluewrens a bottle of–” I gestured at Xim.
“Abben Rose 93,” she said. “The cabernet. It’s the best we’ve got.”
“I believe that vintage will be well-received,” said Riona with approval. “Only a single bottle, though?”
“We’ll send more in the future,” I said. “Attach a copy of the notification we received for the death of Hysteria on some fine p...
2025-09-05 08:32:33 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: Chapter 2/3 for today
Ex-Princess Joma, Varrin’s sister Riona Ravvenblaq, Varrin’s sweetheart Sineh Duckgrien, Throne the Delve Core, Vaulty the pilfered Delve Boss, and Maybe-Governer Lena all appeared around the table.
If you don’t remember who some of these people are, or where in the hells they came from, don’t worry. I’ll include reminders where appropriate.
Once everyone was present, I looked around at the diverse crowd with a sat...
2025-09-04 21:27:09 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: Chapter 1 of 3 for today
“The first Shields evolution option is–” I stopped as an unexpected notification came up. “Oh, I get to pick another Therianthropy effect since I got the next Physical Magic evolution.” I scrolled down the list. “I think Equine is best. Improves my movement speed a bunch while transformed.”
Etja leaned forward. “Does that mean you’ll have wings like a bird, tentacles like a c’thon, and legs like a h...
2025-09-04 19:18:43 +0000 UTC View PostI stared at Varrin’s dull-edged utensil like a man who’d discovered a new species of ultra-venomous spider infesting his breakfast cereal.
“Can someone else put into words how impressive that was?” I asked, still eyeing the knife. “Still ten words or less.”
Nuralie stood and examined the damage. “As impressive as a croissant smashing through a castle wall.” She paused for a moment, evaluating her own description. Then she sat back down, looked at me, and nodded, he...
2025-08-31 09:19:15 +0000 UTC View PostI kept a careful watch on the soul threads, satisfied when I saw that they’d been severed. They were still hanging out but looked to be destabilizing.
“I hope that’s not how you choose to deal with all of your critics,” said Varrin. “Political detractors, in particular.”
“Not all of them,” I said. “Only the ones who are members of an apocalyptic cult of personality.”
“Odd choice in friends, Etja,” said Xim, bumping the mage with her shoulder.
...
2025-08-30 10:05:18 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: My chapter numbers were off by 1 at the start of this book (there were two chapter 287s). Going back to fix the others now but that's why a number looks like it was skipped.
I immediately used Reveal to clue everyone else in on the soul threads. A series of psychic signals returned, letting me know that everyone got the memo.
[Blowing this man to smithereens is still an option, one that I continue to advocate for most strongly.]
“M...
2025-08-25 10:11:40 +0000 UTC View PostWhile most souls were gathered around the city’s center, where the habitable shelter and free services were clustered, there were still some people out and about in the city. I startled one group of fellows who were engaged in the time-honored tradition of scavenging and looting as I sprinted past. They did their best not to look guilty or suspicious, failing quite impressively, but there weren't any rules that barred some profitable recovery efforts. So long as no one else held a claim to ...
2025-08-21 14:47:57 +0000 UTC View PostWatching Nuralie work was always fascinating. She moved with absolute precision, each limb and digit sliding into the ideal position for her task and holding steady as though it had been cast in steel. Her movements were quick, but unhurried; the grace and skill of a master craftsman, elevated even further by the inhuman capabilities she possessed.
To a degree, her motions placed her in the uncanny valley. There was no wasted movement, no shuffling of feet or adjusting of posture. One m...
2025-08-18 06:03:26 +0000 UTC View PostI took a seat in front of Lena’s desk before replying. “The short answer for what comes next,” I said, “is that it’s up to you, of course.”
Lena nodded. “I appreciate hearing you say that aloud, Your Majesty.” She cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably. “I would also appreciate hearing what you think our options even are.”
“You probably have more than you think. I’ll go ahead and say up front that nobody is going to kick you out of here. You’ve all ...
2025-08-13 10:46:35 +0000 UTC View PostA/N: The Dumping achievement is discussed here. For those of you who've been here for a while, that achievement was moved from the middle of book 3 to the end of book 2 during our edit for the Amazon release. Rather than Avarice manipulating things so that the rest of the party gets it, they experiment with dropping 16 points at once into a single attribute during the boss rush, which earns everyone else the achievement. We did that since it showed more agency on the part of the chara...
2025-08-06 09:54:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Howdy folks,
If you're wondering where I've been, well, my son was born on July 26th! The last week and change has been a blur. Some family came in from out of town to help us get going and I think we've gotten a rhythm down that should work for us. I'm on late-night baby duty, which is prime writing time, and little bro has gotten to where he doesn't mind sleeping for more than fifteen minutes before he needs something. That means I can probably (maybe) get back to knocking out some ch...
2025-08-05 06:11:47 +0000 UTC View Post[If we rule the world, we will be better situated to make effective use of its resources against the avatars. The logic is as simple as it is irrefutable.]
“There’s no way that was your ‘logic’ when we first met,” I thought to my surly familiar without sparing a glance at his little-man form, sitting beside me. I wasn’t even certain the core was inside, or if it were another one of his golems like the two Etja clones that also flanked us.
[I was m...
2025-07-26 06:40:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe Baobab’s upward thrust tried to skewer me from the groin up into my heart. Even with my improvements, I was at my limit, and the unexpected hit made it past my block. Fortunately, my Shielding took the hit, and my nethers didn’t suffer a single point of damage.
Your Shields skill has increased to Level 40!
The branches slowly withdrew, pulling up into gentle arcs with their tips still pointed at me. The sixteenth round appeared to be the last...
2025-07-21 23:41:56 +0000 UTC View PostAs I opened another portal, Tavio adjusted his stance and avoided it with his hammer. I raised my shieldless arm up into position to block the hit, then used Shortcut on the larger half of Gracorvus to teleport it directly onto my armguard. It locked in place, and I moved with Tavio’s strike, turning it away with my shield. My arm went noodle-mode immediately after.
Tavio flowed with my block, adjusting his strike a moment before impact so that it wouldn’t strain his grip. He swiftl...
2025-07-17 10:30:56 +0000 UTC View Post
Finally, the second RR commission is complete! This one was Arlo holding Grotto like a Bond villain holds a cat, the rest of FF dapperly dressed, looking as if they're receiving the viewer.
There's an Austin Powers Number 2 joke in here somewhere, but I'm too tired to find it.
Up next will be the first pick from you Patreon folks, which is FF falling towards The Pit, the mountain-sized boss at the end of book 2. I already have some nice sketches in hand, so that one should be out ...
2025-07-14 10:33:16 +0000 UTC View PostTavio caved my skull in with a hammer.
It was the third time he’d done it that day.
I rolled with the hit to reduce the impact and released a groan of frustration when I lost my footing and stumbled. I lowered Gracorvus and dismissed Somncres, then reached up to explore the grapefruit-sized indent in my head.
Tavio took my irritation in stride, choosing to use this moment–as he had many, many others–as a teaching opportunity.
“I think there is much ago...
2025-07-14 10:21:10 +0000 UTC View PostHowdy!
Addendum votes are in. You folks picked Ealdric "Papa Junior" Ravvenblaq Jr.
Gotta love a guy with the word Junior in his name twice. RR picked Godking Ayamari, btw. This will give us a look at two very different types of high-tier Delver society. Ayamari is widely regarded as the most powerful, while Papa Junior is widely regarded as one of, if not the, best smith.
Addendums will come out as they are written. Sir Raiu Koren takes lead on s...
2025-07-09 17:02:16 +0000 UTC View PostThe Dragons had emerged to take part in the battle, and they rode down their foes like flaming chariots. The birds were in chaos, their formations having lost all cohesion. Some rushed the new enemy while others fled, and their scattered attention was certainly a boon for the city’s beleaguered defenders.
The emergency shelter the students had fled to was underground, and its nearest entrance was inside the academy’s chapel. Nokomi flew around the outside of the crafting school, sto...
2025-07-08 21:14:22 +0000 UTC View PostAs Nokomi fell, she used her wings to guide her descent. She juked between birds, each one darting through the sky faster than most Delvers in her level range could move. Most of the birds had a grade higher than her own level of ten, so that was no real surprise, but despite their focus on speed, Nokomi still vastly outpaced the monsters. She wondered if that would still be the case once they noticed her. For now, her stealth and invisibility were still working in her favor. Lipol had drawn ...
2025-07-07 18:57:32 +0000 UTC View Post*****
SYSTEM ADDENDUM ADDED BY USER NAME: [EMPRESS RONA LITTAE]
ADDENDUM NOTE: 2 minutes before Fortune’s Folly enters the battle of Krimsim.
*****
The time it took Lieutenant Nokomi to overcome the shock of her CO’s orders was miniscule, not because of any great stoicism on her part, but because Speed was her highest attribute. From the perspective of her students, Captain Iberto barged in, announ...
2025-07-07 08:41:16 +0000 UTC View Post*****
SYSTEM ADDENDUM ADDED BY USER NAME: [EMPRESS RONA LITTAE]
ADDENDUM NOTE: 12 minutes before Fortune’s Folly enters the battle of Krimsim.
*****
“Who can tell me about the basic Delve grades, also known as difficulties?”
Lieutenant Nokomi Moonwing stood in front of her classroom of Delver hopefuls, idly shifting her leathery wings where her uniform tugged at them. Her black eyes ...
2025-07-03 09:18:45 +0000 UTC View PostIn case you aren't familiar with what's happening here:
As part of the book 2 launch stuff, RR and Patreon will each choose an existing side-character to feature in an upcoming addendum. (RR chose Godking Ayamari btw)
You folks submitted ideas for characters last week, and here is the poll to decide which character gets to become a shining star.
If you're like me, read a billion fics, and forget all the side characters between books, you might be wond...
2025-07-02 16:18:50 +0000 UTC View Post*****
SYSTEM ADDENDUM ADDED BY [SYSTEM CORE 1]
*****
Iridius waited in the throne room’s antechamber, his platinum blade gripped in both hands. Its six-foot length exuded a penetrating heat as he channeled his patron’s gift through the blade, the Lady’s power a never-ending font of strength. He muttered his devotions, stoking the fire of his invocations until they were as deep and scorching as the Plates themselves. 2025-06-30 09:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post
*****
SYSTEM ADDENDUM ADDED BY [SYSTEM CORE 1]
*****
Druka snapped out of torpor in a blind fury. She raked her claws to either side and thrust forward with her horn as she’d been trained. She stabbed backward with the stinger at the tip of her tail, then swept the appendage up to whip its barbed length overhead.
Her strikes scattered the bones from her most recent feeding, but she found nothing else within her reach...
2025-06-30 06:14:33 +0000 UTC View Post