I awoke sputtering and to the memory of a faint ringing. Had something disturbed my slumber?
“Adi,” I rasped. “What time is it?”
“One hour has passed since you lost consciousness,” Adi said, a hint of reproach in her tone.
From the unhappiness in her voice, I took it that Adi was still upset about what I had asked her to do. I didn’t know why though. It had been such a minor request after all.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. I took stock of myself. ...
2024-12-01 06:43:34 +0000 UTC View PostMy adrenaline spiked and my heart rate jumped up a notch. Twelve wolves were a lot of wolves. I didn’t fancy my chances should they choose to rush me.
The pack raced forward. I crouched down and raised my shield.
But the wolves did not attack.
The twelve beasts flowed around me, moving to surround me. My eyes narrowed. I was trapped. Encircled by the pack, all possibility of retreat had been cut-off.
They will attack now, I thought a...
2024-11-29 10:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostHi all,
Just to keep everyone updated, be aware that Grand Game chapter postings may be a bit slow in December. There will be a minimum of 8 Grand Game chapters released. Considering all the holidays, I can't say for certain if I will manage more than this.
That said, Runeguard chapters will be posted daily up until the completion of book 1 (at chapter 50).
Happy reading,
Tom
It was only much later, when we were safely back on the ground, that I thought to check my own Game messages.
You and Ghost have reached level 254!
Your light armor has reached rank 18, and your telepathy rank 23.
Ghost’s stygian claws have reached rank 14 and her nether manipulation rank 7.
Congratulations, Michael, your faction has gained its second ascendant player! The number of sectors your faction may o...
2024-11-29 07:55:31 +0000 UTC View PostI don’t know how long I lay there, stuck under the bear and unmoving. My body was suffused in pain. My left arm had been gnawed to the bone, one of my legs was ripped open, and my chest was a mess of bruises and cracked ribs.
But ever so slowly, I could feel myself healing, wounds closing over and bones mending.
Eventually I raised my head and took in my surroundings. Nothing else had ventured into the clearing.
“Status, Adi,” I gasped.
“I’m displaying a ...
2024-11-28 10:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostThis time I did not head south towards the river.
Instead I marched across the field and followed the cobbled road into the forest. Both the field and forest were silent. Pausing at the edge of the treeline, I took a moment to study its depths. The darkness enshrouding the wooded area was so complete that I lost sight of the cobbled road after only a few feet.
For a moment I wondered if venturing into the forest—before dawn especially—was the wisest course. Yet the encounter w...
2024-11-27 19:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostShael has begun playing Shaten’s Call to War.
Under the inspiring notes of the bard’s song, Ghost and I roved across the overlord’s pockmarked surface, killing serpents and tentacles alike with abandon.
In doing so, we ensured Anriq and Zekiel—who were guarding the party’s perimeter from inside Lucius‘ web—were not swamped. Safyre and the other nine nagians, meanwhile, had turned their attention downwards—to the overlord’s shell.
<... 2024-11-27 10:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostYou have been ambushed!
You have been hit by a sneak attack for 50 damage. You have 120 HP remaining.
Pain blossomed in my torso as something sharp bit hard and deep.
I screamed. Or tried to.
But my cries were muffled. My mouth had been covered. I tried rolling onto my side, but my arms and legs were pinned down too.
My eyes flew open.
Agony coursed through me, and my eyes swam with unshed ...
2024-11-27 04:58:58 +0000 UTC View Post
Hi all,
See the artwork for the Lost Reclaimed, Book 8 of the Grand Game that's releasing in Feb 2025. What do you think?
2024-11-26 13:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostI spun around to find a giant insect in my face. Unlike the other bloat flies I had killed, this one was about the size of my torso.
I bashed it away with my shield, but instead of causing the queen to fall to the floor as I expected, the blow only knocked the creature back a little.
Advancing again, the queen buzzed towards my head, forcing me to duck.
Damn, I thought, evading her zipping form. Where the hell had she come from? My hands trembled. I forced it s...
2024-11-25 17:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostYou have taken the form of a level 252 elder wolf.
Passage completed!
I emerged from Safyre’s portal crouched on all fours and with my senses trained for danger.
But the area was empty.
“Looks like we’re alone,” I murmured to Ghost.
“I’ll tell the others,” she replied eagerly.
Smiling to myself, I let her. The rest of the battle party was still in the cave. They would on...
2024-11-25 12:15:35 +0000 UTC View Post“Ouch!” I yelped.
That had hurt. I spun around, nearly dropping my sword in my haste.
I had felt the damaging sting on my back. I waved away the System’s message while I searched for my attacker. Where—?
You have been hit by a level 1 bloat fly for 1 damage. You have 8 HP remaining.
But just as I banished the first message, a new one opened to take its place as the bloat fly—was I really being attacked by a fly?!— 2024-11-24 10:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post
There was no discernible difference between the vendors that sold weapons and the others, and it took me a few minutes to relocate one.
Once I did though, I wasted no time in making my purchases.
You have bought a steel longsword for 10 gold.
You have bought a large wooden shield for 10 gold.
You have 0 gold remaining.
The items were transferred directly from the vendor’s inventory to my own. I willed them out ...
2024-11-23 19:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostI made my way to the door again, and this time when I twisted the handle, it opened without protest.
The first thing I saw was me.
Pausing on the threshold, I stared at myself in the full-length mirror fixed to the wall across the door. I looked exactly like I had last night—my last day on Earth—well except for my clothes.
I looked down and took in my homespun brown pants and white shirt—simple and unadorned. I fingered the fabric. It was rough to ...
2024-11-23 07:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostGhost has manifested.
Ghost awoke early the next morning, well-rested and eager to get going, and I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed at her insistence. I was still yawning, though, as we reached the center of the cave.
To my surprise, the area had been transformed, and where yesterday there had been only a single firepit, today there were three raised fire-beds.
“What are those?” Ghost ...
2024-11-22 04:42:27 +0000 UTC View PostMy alarm beeped.
I didn’t open my eyes. Whatever time it was, it was too early. Without looking, I reached out with my right hand to silence the damn thing.
My hand met cold stone.
What? I must still be dreaming. With a groan, I turned over onto my side.
That, too, felt wrong.
My bed was lumpy and unyielding, and felt nothing like my soft mattress should. Had I rolled onto the floor?
The alarm beeped once more...
2024-11-21 11:40:38 +0000 UTC View PostNo doubt many of you are surprised to see another post today, and one not from the Grand Game! This chapter and the ones I will be posting over the next few weeks is from a story titled: Proving Grounds, Annals of the Runeguard Book 1.
I actually wrote it almost four years ago before even starting the Grand Game, and since then, it's been languishing untouched in my archiv...
2024-11-20 15:46:48 +0000 UTC View PostI didn’t go to bed immediately. Before I could fall asleep, I needed to attend to my player advancement. To start with, I pulled up my skill and ability statuses for review.
Available Strength slots: 40. Upgradeable abilities: none.
Available Constitution slots: 29. Upgradeable abilities: none.
Available Dexterity slots: 36. Upgradeable abilities: ...
2024-11-20 10:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe golem came willingly enough.
I studied him surreptitiously as we walked. Lucius’ expression was impossible to decipher but from his muttering, I could tell he was still preoccupied by what I’d told him. “I didn’t think to ask before,” I began, “but what House do you hail from?”
For some reason, the question set the golem chuckling despite his distraction. “Can’t you tell?” he asked, gesturing behind us.
It took me a moment to figure out that he ...
2024-11-19 12:33:51 +0000 UTC View PostThe next hour flew by. If not for my nethersight, it was possible the stygians could’ve outrun us, but with it, catching the creatures was child’s play.
Nor was what followed any harder.
Four hundred stygians were a lot to face head on. But four hundred stygians fleeing and steadfastly refusing to engage? Well, that was as simple as picking stragglers from a herd.
Lurking around the edges of the stygian formation, I charmed, paralyzed, or slept small groups of the creatu...
2024-11-15 05:04:05 +0000 UTC View Post
That's right, its Dragon Mage 3 by my other penname, Rohan Vider. I'm finally getting back to it! :)
2024-11-14 06:52:34 +0000 UTC View PostThe journey south was longer than my first one—then I’d been carried by the river. Still, it was not significantly so. As an elder wolf, I could maintain an impressive ground-eating pace, and the miles flew by with barely any notice.
Around noon—or just after—Ghost and I reached our destination. Cresting another rise of barren soil, I spotted a luminous glow on the horizon.
The portal to Draven’s Reach.
And above it, another overlord.
I’d bit back a m...
2024-11-14 05:17:24 +0000 UTC View PostYou have cast shapeshift.
The moment I released the psi weaves, I began to change.
Skin rippled.
Blood churned.
Bones softened.
And little by little, my body dissolved, its solid, distinctive bulk transforming into a misshapen and malleable lump.
It was frightening to say the least, and I could only imagine what the process looked like from Ghost and Anriq’s perspective. But to me, it felt as if I would pop at the slight...
2024-11-11 14:48:16 +0000 UTC View PostFor those who requested it, here are the character sheets of Michael and the other Forerunners after chapter 533.
Level: 250. Rank: 25. Current Health: 100%.
Stamina: 100%. Mana: 100%. Psi: 100%.
Species: Human. Lives Remaining: 4. Ghost’s Lives Remaining: 4.
Active Pacts: 6 / 20.
True Marks: Powerful Initiate.
True Marks (hidden): Worthy Adversary, Wolf Protector, Wolf Progenitor.
False Marks (fabric...
2024-11-09 06:46:01 +0000 UTC View PostYour choice has been made.
You have gained 1 ascendant point.
“It’s done,” I announced.
Adriel blinked. “What, already? Isn’t that a bit hasty?”
“Nine days, remember?” I shot back, a trifle grimly. “We’re on the clock. That being the case, none of us can afford to hesitate. We must use every advantage at our disposal to get done what needs doing.”
The lich sighed. “You’re right, I suppose.” She paused,...
2024-11-08 08:42:57 +0000 UTC View PostAmazingly, I completed my task in time.
The flying serpent complied with my wishes, albeit not without a few angry hisses of protest. And no wonder, since its delicate wings suffered untold damage in the process.
Still, by the time the first group of tentacles reached melee range, the seam was blocked—leaving me free to engage them. And I did just that as they bypassed me altogether and converged on the helpless flying serpent.
Lunging forward, I plunged the sword in...
2024-11-07 04:51:30 +0000 UTC View Post“Hells,” I cursed, breaking into a flat-out sprint. “The overlord is fleeing.”
“That’s a good sign, isn’t it?” Shael asked.
“Not if we don’t kill it,” I muttered. “Or if I fall off.”
“Fall off?” Anriq asked in alarm.
“The damn thing is rotating. But don’t worry, I was joking. I’ll be fine.” I hoped. The overlord wasn’t turning all that fast, and it woul...
2024-11-01 13:40:14 +0000 UTC View PostA Game message flashed for attention as my mount alighted on the stygian Power.
A hostile entity has failed to detect you.
I bit back a sigh of relief. My blood-bound serpent’s landing had gone unremarked. Following the example of its fellows, my minion curled itself into a ball and furled its wings and was shortly indistinguishable from the rest of the flock—the only difference being its invisible passenger, of course.
Time to dismount.&n...
2024-10-31 17:22:37 +0000 UTC View PostThe next hour passed quickly.
Making good use of the time, I experimented with the flying serpent, getting a feel for where the limits of its understanding lay.
Anything beyond the most basic of commands was beyond the creature’s ability to comprehend. Still, it understood enough that I was certain I could get it to do what was needed.
The others watched me with a mixture of amusement and apprehension. But despite Adriel’s earlier remarks, I sensed their conf...
2024-10-26 12:17:15 +0000 UTC View PostThere was little doubt in my mind what was happening. The wolves were coming.
Why the Pack would do something so foolish, I had no idea, but it was the only thing that made sense. And unfortunately, there was no time to stop them. The gateway was already spilling out its first passenger.
A familiar shape stepped out. It was not a wolf, though.
“Damn,” I muttered.
“Who is it?” Anriq demanded. “It’s Duggar, isn’t ...
2024-10-25 18:31:00 +0000 UTC View Post