grandgame

Grand Game 266: Pack Loyalty

I awoke slowly.

My gaze was cloudy, and everything was hazy. Blinking rapidly, I waited until my eyes cleared before studying my surroundings.

Murky water, rotting wood, and the dank overpowering smell of decay filled my senses. I’m in the saltmarsh, I realized. More precisely, I was in one of the dilapidated buildings infested with blood flies. Despite the unappealing surroundings, I was pleasantly surprised to find I was not dead.

How did I survive?

Grand Game 265: Wolves at Bay

The day was still young—barely noon—when Anriq and I exited the saltmarsh district.

It was also the busiest time of day in the plague quarter, and more than a few people were about. Still, I didn’t think that would be a problem.

Anriq and I were just two more players walking the streets, and so long as we didn’t draw any attention to ourselves, there was no reason the passersby should pay us any heed. Admittedly, Anriq in the hag mother’s robes and boots—he couldn’t ...

Grand Game 264: A Perverted Trial

The casual invite to Anriq had been a test, of course.

I couldn’t deceive him with lies nor bind him by magic, which left only one option: winning his trust with the truth. Determining how far I could trust him had been the true purpose of my act of disinterest. So far, the werewolf was proving to be exactly what he appeared—an earnest young man who had run afoul of his pack.

Still, there were a lot of unanswered questions surrounding Anriq.

Namely, how...

Happy New Year everyone! And to start the new year, the first foreign translation of Grand Game

Hi all,

I hope everyone has enjoyed their year end break. This year promises to be a full year for the Grand Game, with lots for you all to read!

Today, too, is the release of my first foreign translation: a German version of the Grand Game, Book 1. If you're curious, you can find it here:

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0BP77GT3S

2023-01-02 03:21:06 +0000 UTC View Post

Grand Game 263: Ties of Blood

“You can’t be one of Dathe’s!”

I nodded. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

Spinning on his heel, Anriq paced across the grove, the waist-deep water barely checking his stride at all. I watched him, slightly envious. Having all that Strength must be nice, I mused.

“No pack can have two alphas,” the youth said aloud.

I said nothing, knowing he was working through the implications of my Mark.

“That means…” Anriq ...

Grand Game 262: A Wolf in Chains

Like the tree itself, the prisoner was riddled with seaworms—thousands of them. But thankfully, they were all dormant, which likely explained why the wolf was only awakening now.

How is he still alive? I wondered. The hags had not mentioned how long they’d been holding their captive prisoner, but I’d gotten the impression it had been for some time.

Metal clanged. Wood creaked. And bits of dead bark fell.

The wolf was coming out.

I backed away fr...

Grand Game 261: The Offering of a Hag

“Stop!”

The command rang across the grove, harsh and demanding, and in response, the hag I was charging lowered her hands.

For a split second, I contemplated following through with my attack anyway. But then curiosity and common sense caught up. Pulling back my swords, I altered my trajectory to dive past the hag and back into the marsh.

Surging up from the water again, I whipped around. Both bodyguards were watching me impassively. I eyed them suspiciously, but even und...

Grand Game 260: The Maze of Traps

I didn’t stay under long. When I judged myself a safe distance from the coral hag, I resurfaced.

“There he is!”

Three sea witches were directly ahead of me, only one of whom was protected by an ice shield. Not troubling to analyze my targets, I let fly with my astral daggers.

Your attack has failed! Your target’s spell has blocked your attack.

Your attack has failed! Your target’s spell has repelled your attack.

Not une...

Chapter 259: A Game of Cat and Mouse

In the wake of the near miss, my heart pounded furiously, and my adrenaline surged. That was too close, I thought. Staying under, I waited for my pulse to slow and reflexively cloaked myself.

You are hidden.

The shadows wrapped comfortingly around me like a warm blanket, and almost instantly, I felt calm descend. I was far from safe, but as much as water was the hags’ ally, darkness was my friend, and in its embrace, I felt my worries fade.

My foe...

Grand Game 258: Contact

It took me two hours to reach the forest grove.

Although the swamp teemed with life—mostly insects and creatures too small to pose a threat—there were a few larger occupants, but with mindsight to guide me, I was able to detour around them without trouble.

Still, the trip was far from pleasant.

Lacking any form of higher ground to ease my journey, I was forced to wade through the marsh the entire distance. Needless to say, that left me soaked and miserable. The ...

Grand Game 257: Hidden Amongst the Reeds

Wood creaked and broke, causing my foot to plunge through the stairs more than once. I didn’t let it slow me down. Each time, I caught myself before I could stumble and raced onwards.

I reached the third floor still encased in blood flies.

Your health has decreased to 91%!

Second by second, the volume of the swarm’s buzzing increased. I assumed it was the blood flies’ manner of voicing their anger, but I had little attention to spare the phenomenon. 2022-12-05 08:59:00 +0000 UTC View Post

Grand Game 256: The Fallen District

I stopped when the street I was following south through the plague quarter came to an abrupt end. I’d reached the saltmarsh district.

Before me was the marsh itself, it stretched out as far as the eye could see, miles of brackish water filled to the bursting with bullrushes and other vegetation. What I had not expected, though, were the derelict buildings. There were entire blocks of them—dilapidated, abandoned, and sinking.

Some buildings were missing—no doubt already compl...

Grand Game 255: A Handful of Jobs

I awoke early the next morning and, without delay, exited the room. I had an entire ‘free’ day before I left for the valley, and I intended to put the time to good use. Making my way through the hotel, I deliberated on what to do today.

Unfortunately, my goals had multiplied rapidly.

There was the hidden sector in the guardian tower to explore, Ceruvax to find, and Kolath’s mystery to uncover—not to mention, deciding what to do about Loken’s quest or Tartar’s interest....

Player Profile: Michael

Level: 131. Rank: 13. Current Health: 100%.

Stamina: 100%. Mana: 100%. Psi: 100%.

Species: Human. Lives Remaining: 2.

True Marks (hidden): Pack-alpha.

False Marks (fabricated): Lesser Shadow, Lesser Light, Lesser Dark.

Active Buffs

Damage reduction: 0% life and death magic, +5% air, earth, fire, water, shadow, light, and dark magic, +26% physical.

Resistances: 0% life and death magic, +2.5% air, earth, fire, water, sh...

Grand Game 254: Planning for the Future

You have acquired 5 x rank 4 disease protection crystals.

You have lost 100 gold.

After I’d rattled off my list, Kesh laid the protection crystals I requested on the table—but nothing else.

I looked at her questioningly.

The old merchant sighed. “As much as it pains me to say this, but if you’re going to visit the brotherhood, you should get your stygian equipment from them too.”

I nodded slowly. I’d asked Kesh for ge...

Grand Game 253: Windfall

Kesh set down a familiar-looking thin film of metal on the desk. It was the same emporium catalog I’d used before. Scanning the sheet, I saw it contained a list of skills.

Picking up the catalog, I read avidly.

The Emporium’s List of Void Skillbooks

Cost: 200 gold each. Tier: Master.

Constitution skillbooks:

poison absorption (unavailable),

disease 2022-11-23 11:58:14 +0000 UTC View Post

Grand Game 252: Restart

I exited the hotel with my thoughts in turmoil.

My conversations with Loken never seemed to turn out the way I envisioned. Once again, the Shadow Power had me questioning what I knew. Was there a kernel of truth behind his words?

Had the ancients been monsters?

I wasn’t sure, but ultimately, I didn’t think it mattered. Whatever the Primes of old had done, I was not them. My path was my own to forge. And despite Loken implying otherwise, I was not doomed to repea...

Grand Game 251: A Mixed Dose of Truth and Lies

Author's note: Hi all, the next chapter is finally ready. This one took me a few days to write. For many reasons, it was a difficult chapter to finish, and I rewrote it more than once. Hopefully, it all makes sense the way it is!

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“We’ve nothing to talk about,” I said grimly.

Loken sat back. “Come now, Michael. You know that’s not true.” He scanned the room in a pointed fashion...

Grand Game 250: Head and Heart

“We heard everything,” Tartar confirmed. His gold-flecked eyes brimming with fury, the minotaur kept his gaze pinned on Loken. “Your intrigues know no end, jester.”

The stick-thin figure standing in the minotaur’s shadow waved his neon-green appendages in the air, signifying agreement. There was a healthy dose of trembling rage mixed in the gesture, too, I thought. Tartar’s companion was Menaq, of course. The faction head of the Mantises was present here at Tartar’s behest...

World Nexus Audiobook Released!

Hi all,

The audiobook of World Nexus is finally out! You can find it here: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0BLT5P848 

Grand Game 249: A Foiled Jest

Less than an hour later, Shael came running back with a response. It read simply, ‘I will be there.’ There was no signature, but I knew who it had to be from—Loken.

I smiled in relief. I’d been sure Loken was in the city and paying close attention to events. The mantises’ ambush at the dungeon exit portal confirmed that, but I hadn’t been quite as certain he would agree to meet.

The Shadow Power was ever fickle.

Pocketing the letter, I handed the bard th...

Grand Game 248: The Raging Bull

The legion commander was a tall man with graying hair and a stern demeanor. He took one look at the token before bowing respectfully and motioning me to follow him into the palace.

The commander refused to answer any of my questions, though, and after leading me into an empty anteroom, he spat out a terse set of instructions. “Stay here, and whatever you do, don’t leave.” His piece said, the soldier spun about and hurried away.

Turning around, I saw him disappearing through ...

World Nexus out today!

Book 3 of the Grand Game is finally out on amazon! With its release, I've put book 1 and 2 on Kindle Unlimited too.

Happy reading,

Tom

Grand Game 247: Overturning the Gameboard

Surprisingly, the suspicion that Loken knew the truth of my heritage did not dishearten me. On the contrary, my first reaction was one of relief.

Ever since meeting the trickster, I’d felt as if he toyed with me. I’d never been quite able to trust him nor take his actions at face value. Always, the Shadow Power’s apparent generosity had seemed to be tainted by hidden motives. But now, finally, I felt as if I was beginning to draw back the curtain and catch my first glimpse of the ...

Grand Game 246: The Shadow Behind the Curtain

I awoke with a gasp, my eyes wide and unseeing, and my breath coming in uncontrolled bursts. I was alive. No. I was dead. I’d died. Brutally staked through the heart.

No.

I had died, yes—but by my own hand. Or at the hand of my minion rather. Death had been preferable. Now though, I was alive. Rising shakily to my feet, I studied my surroundings.

I was in the same cell I’d resurrected in before—what had Stonebeard named it? The southeast watchtower, that...