Hi all,
Book 2 of the Grand Game is out. You can get it here: https://geni.us/GrandGame. Note, chapters will keep posting here and on Royal Road.
Happy reading!
2022-04-10 16:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostHi guys,
I've switched distributor for my audiobooks, and as a result I have some audible audiobook codes available for Overworld, Dragon Mage Book 1.
25 FREE codes for US and 25 for UK store. Message me if you're interested for a code. First come, first serve. :)
2022-04-08 08:12:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Check out this Promo of free books!
2022-04-07 09:59:40 +0000 UTC View PostDay Five. Dawn.
I knocked on the door to the Tartan barracks for what felt like forever before someone answered. The door opened a smidge, and an unknown player stared down at me from within.
“I need to speak to your captain,” I said without preamble.
“Who—” he began.
“Now!” I demanded.
The player’s mouth worked soundlessly, and he looked ready to slam the door in my face, but before he could do that, a voice called from within. ...
2022-04-07 09:56:32 +0000 UTC View PostDay Five. Pre-Dawn.
“Kill him!” the broadsword-wielding goblin screamed.
Before the archers could release their second volley, I was upon the goblins. The melee fighters moved to intercept me. I dodged the first warrior’s attack, and his broadsword swept harmlessly past.
The second lunged at me. I parried away his attack with my left blade and sent spider’s bite snaking forward to land a crippling blow on his right forearm. The goblin dropped his spe...
2022-04-07 09:55:01 +0000 UTC View PostDay Four. Midnight.
It was just before midnight when I left the Red Rat war camp. Hurrying south through the forest, I headed back to the safe zone to carry out the next part of my plan: causing more mayhem.
With the first of my primary goals—destroying the Long Fangs—seen to, my next task was to find a way out of the sector.
That, however, was easier said than done.
I didn’t fancy depending on either the captain or the druid to escape. For one, I couldn’t fath...
2022-04-06 02:41:11 +0000 UTC View PostDay Four. Early Evening.
I strode about the crater, looting my victims of their valuables. From within their cages, the prisoners screamed at me to free them. I ignored them, not about to be rushed in my search. Disappointingly, none of the goblins had the keys to the trapped cages.
Through my scavenging efforts, I accumulated a tidy sum of coins but nothing else of value.
You have acquired 5 gold and 4 silver coins.
Only after I finished with the gobl...
2022-04-06 02:40:29 +0000 UTC View PostDay Four. Early Afternoon.
I made it out of the Red Rat camp without incident. I did not retreat far, though. Finding a likely tree, I scaled its heights to observe the goblins. While I waited to see if the apprentice would do as I instructed, I reflected on the outcome of the encounter.
In the end, things had gone better than I’d had any right to expect. I’d barely time to assess Klaxis, but he had seemed too wily for my taste. Having his apprentice in charge instead was a fa...
2022-04-06 02:39:08 +0000 UTC View PostDay Four. Early Afternoon.
I didn’t hesitate. Darting forward, I slapped my left hand on the goblin’s cheek. In the same motion, I drew spider’s bite and struck at the shaman’s throat.
Klaxis has passed a physical resistance check! You have failed to stun your target.
Klaxis has evaded your blow.
Amazingly, stunning slap failed me. I didn’t catch the shaman off guard by my sudden attack either. Moving nearly as quickly as I d...
2022-04-06 02:38:10 +0000 UTC View PostDay Four. Morning.
I headed back north, in the same direction from which I had just come. I still wasn’t certain how I would accomplish all that I needed to, but I knew already that I had to begin with the Red Rats.
Sturm’s information was the key.
If what he’d told me proved accurate, it would allow me to begin unlocking the puzzle that was this sector.
If my scheme was going to work, though, I couldn’t risk raising the Red Rats’ suspicions....
2022-04-04 05:33:02 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Night.
I reached the camp boundary without incident, and once more, my deception skill ticked upwards.
Your deception has increased to level 47.
Ducking into a nearby empty tent, I stripped off the goblin armor and reequipped my own gear before sneaking out of the crater.
No alarm followed on my heels.
Either the Red Rats had not discovered the two slain goblins, or they simply didn’t care. Leaving the camp behind me, I hurried south...
2022-04-04 05:32:10 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Night.
I weaved through the camp, swaying drunkenly and raising the empty jug to my lips anytime a goblin came too close.
Some of the passing warriors inquired curiously about what was in the sack, but none of them cared enough to stop me and find out when I pretended not to hear. With every encounter, my deception skill ticked upwards, a reassuring reminder of the success of my ploy, and as nerve-racking as the entire venture was, it went off smoothly....
2022-03-31 05:15:31 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Afternoon.
An hour later, stifling incessant yawns, I set off west through the valley. I hadn’t dared to sleep any longer and had forced myself awake despite my body’s protest. It took only a few hours to reach the glade where I had fought the hatchling, and once again, I’d spent the journey training my skills.
Your insight has increased to level 56. Your deception has increased to level 38.
Arriving at the site of my defeat...
2022-03-31 05:12:48 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Morning.
Under the watchful gaze of the gate guards, I looted both corpses.
You have acquired 10 gold. Total money carried: 45 gold, 9 silvers, and 0 coppers.
After I took their coin pouches, I saw to my leveling, this time deciding to increase my health pool.
You have reached level 48!
Your dodging has increased to level 38. Your shortswords has increased to level 49. Your two weapon fighting ...
2022-03-30 02:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Morning.
Leaving the alley, I made my way anticlockwise through the fort. The goblins paid me no mind.
The hood of my mage’s cloak was pulled over my head, and my shoulders were hunched slightly. The player I’d chosen to imitate was the one who most closely matched my size and build. Still, he had been somewhat shorter, not enough to give me away immediately, but there was no sense in taking chances.
I found the next party of hunters searching...
2022-03-30 02:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Morning.
I tracked my first chosen targets for a full ten minutes, observing their behavior and identifying their weaknesses.
The team I followed was formed of two mages and two heavy fighters, all rank six players. Forsyth had allocated each group a different quadrant off the Howler’s fort to search. While this was an efficient search pattern, it did isolate the four teams from one another. I would be able to attack each with impunity, something that...
2022-03-29 04:18:21 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Morning.
After a few minutes, the watching goblins grew bored and moved off about on their business, deciding to ignore my presence entirely—which suited me just fine.
I needed less than a minute thereafter to hide.
Then I waited.
And waited.
Amazingly the searching players still hadn’t caught on that I was no longer on the wall. It took them five more minutes to reach that conclusion, and by the time they did, I was bored to bits....
2022-03-29 04:17:27 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Morning.
After leaving the Tartan legion’s barracks, I retraced my steps to the dark druid’s cabin. On the way there, I counted the coin in the money pouch. There was over twenty gold in it.
You have acquired 24 gold, 0 silver, and 9 copper coins.
I could barely contain my elation. It was enough to buy two of the ability tomes I had seen in Mariga’s shop.
Reaching her cabin, I knocked furiously until she let me in. “...
2022-03-28 04:32:16 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Morning.
“I see,” I said, unsurprised. Given all the trouble Talon had gone to, the least I could do was to hear him out. “Go on.”
The captain did not respond immediately. Placing his hands behind his back, the Dark player paced back and forth. From the length of his laps, I gathered the privacy ward surrounding us was less than two yards in diameter.
Curiously I gazed about, trying to catch a glimpse of the shield itself but failed to spo...
2022-03-28 04:27:23 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Morning.
Outside the door of Mariga’s cabin, I dropped back into stealth concealing myself in the porch’s dimness.
Benadean had been right.
The dark druid was odd and, although I did not trust her entirely, I thought I could trust to her desires. She had been hard to read, but I was sure she hadn’t lied about wanting to rid the valley of the goblin tribes.
If I give her what she wants, maybe I’ll get what I need in return. 2022-03-24 03:06:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Day Three. Morning.
I chewed over the alchemist’s words as I slipped out of his cabin. I could not fault his logic even if it left a bitter taste in my mouth. He was only half-right, I thought. Gold in itself would not let me escape the region, but it would certainly make acquiring the means to do so easier.
Ducking into the shadows still about the square— there were noticeably fewer of now—I surveyed the village.
More players were about. Most...
2022-03-24 03:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Dawn.
After the mages disappeared from view, I crouched outside the door to the alchemist’s shop and knocked. In the distance, I could hear the four roving the streets and calling out to other players.
I knew Ishita’s sworn and I were not done yet, and the next time we met, I would likely not have the safe zone to protect me. When the time came, I would have to be ready to face them. Raising my hand to the door, I knocked impatiently again. “Where...
2022-03-23 03:05:00 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Dawn.
Leaving the tavern, I headed southeast. The streets were still empty, and much of the town lay in shadow. Gelar’s shop was the closer of the two destinations I had in mind.
According to Benadean, Gelar was a gnomish alchemist and one of the village’s most prosperous merchants. His shop was in the main market square and supposedly unmissable.
I found the square easily enough. If Benadean’s information was accurate, the alchemist’s place was the garish...
2022-03-23 03:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostDay Three. Dawn.
The gate slammed shut ominously behind us.
I paid it no mind, though. I was sure I could scale the inner wall if I needed to—it was half as tall as the outer one. But getting past the fort’s other defenses wouldn’t be as easy.
Good thing, I will have a writ then.
Wordlessly, Cecilia’s party dispersed, with only the two leaders remaining behind. I ran my gaze along the walls encircling the safe zone. They too, were heav...
2022-03-22 03:20:33 +0000 UTC View PostDay Two. Night.
After I reclaimed my swords from the rhomodillo’s corpse, I stood guard while Cecilia’s party looted the bodies of their dead. They took their time, storing their companions’ possession in their backpacks with care—to pass onto them later, I supposed.
While I waited, I reflected on my new companions. Ultack was likable enough, and Cecilia didn’t seem that bad either. As for the rest, I already knew I disliked Jorge, but I hadn’t spent m...
2022-03-22 03:19:03 +0000 UTC View PostDay Two. Night.
I sat down against a tree trunk and inspected the dead player’s shortsword more closely. It was a plain blade and made for a poor substitute for my own weapons—both of which were still buried in the rhomodillo—but at least I was not unarmed.
I was not so foolish to believe that my fighting was done for the day. For all that the party of Dark players and I had cooperated in the battle, there was no telling how they would react once the rhomodi...
2022-03-21 04:09:46 +0000 UTC View PostDay Two. Night.
After another long pause, I turned around and followed in the players’ wake. Like the two bounty hunters I had encountered before, this group was also afraid of the dark and kept their torches burning.
They were in a hurry, too, scrambling through the forests on a southerly heading. But for all that, the players moved in a well-knit and coordinated unit that scanned the surroundings constantly. Still, their lack of night vision made it easy for m...
2022-03-21 04:05:35 +0000 UTC View PostDay Two of Michael’s Pact with Erebus. Midday.
I didn’t leave the clearing immediately.
I spent a few minutes taking stock of myself and my supplies. My potion belt was half-empty, and I refilled it. I grimaced when I realized I only had eight potions left, just one of which was a full healing potion. Thankfully, Sulan had restored me to full health, so I didn’t need to drink another just yet, but at the rate I was cons...
2022-03-18 04:50:08 +0000 UTC View Post
