81 Days Left to Broker Peace in Sector 12,560
The ambush went off without a hitch. Well, from our perspective it did, but from the Riders vantage point it must have seemed poorly executed.
Yara and Mong began by killing the mage, Elly. Then, in what was either a planned maneuver or a very liberal interpretation of their orders—I couldn’t tell which—the two sub-squads killed not just Troy’s hellbat but all of them.
Not unexpectedly, the Riders’ init...
2024-05-10 05:56:08 +0000 UTC
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Before setting myself to wait for the envoy, I renewed my disguise.
You have cast mimic, transforming your visage into that of Jasiah, a level 152 human duelist and concealing your Powerful Initiate Mark. Duration: 10 hours.
As expected, the experience was wholly different this time. Instead of using mere light and illusion to disguise me like the facial disguise spell did, mimic physically changed my entire face.
My bones shifted. My nose broadened. My eyes...
2024-05-07 04:49:53 +0000 UTC
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I began with Constitution.
Since I had only a single Constitution ability and limited slots available, it was the easiest attribute to attend to. Picking up the tier four load controller ability tome, I began to read.
You have upgraded your load controller ability to greater load controller. This ability increases the encumbrance of any foe within 5 yards by 50% for 10 minutes. Its activation time is very slow. Note, load controller only affects hostiles who wear arm...
2024-05-03 11:34:19 +0000 UTC
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No sooner had Nicola agreed than I pulled out a slip of paper from my pocket.
“What’s that?” he asked, eyeing the parchment.
Smoothing open the paper, I laid it out on the table. “My shopping list.”
Leaning forward, the merchant studied what I had written.
Ability tomes
load controller tier IV,
piercing strike tier III, IV, & V
backstab tier IV & V,
whirlwind tier III &a...
2024-04-30 09:28:16 +0000 UTC
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“He’s alone,” Ghost said, confirming what I myself had sensed. Nodding minutely, I drew to a stop beside my visitor’s wagon.
“Are you him?” Nicola growled.
“What?” I asked with a frown.
“Are you the one Tyelin sent me for?”
“Ah, yes, I am.”
Swinging himself off his high seat, the merchant planted himself before me and held out his hand expectantly.
I glanced down at it. His palm was empty.
“Well?” ...
2024-04-26 07:43:26 +0000 UTC
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Hi all,
Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen delays on the narrator's end, the audiobook for Scion's Duty has been pushed back. New ETA: End May 2024.
Apologies, I know many are waiting keenly for it.
Tom
2024-04-26 06:19:16 +0000 UTC
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Tyelin’s lips twitched. “Ah. Your price. I was wondering when we would get around to that.” He paused. “One thousand gold.”
I laughed. “One thousand gold? For delivering a sector? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“But you won’t be delivering us the sector,” Tyelin declared. “All you’ll be doing is smuggling in a packet of cynacilin.”
“Which by your own admission, none in your faction can do,” I retorted. “Assuming your plan works, it’s my actio...
2024-04-25 04:50:23 +0000 UTC
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“You told Yara that you can help us bring down the Riders,” Tyelin said, beginning without preamble once I’d seated myself opposite him.
I inclined my head. “I did.”
“Tell me how,” he demanded bluntly.
“Malikor has deployed a significant portion of his forces outside the Riders’ fort,” I began. “I can tell you where and—”
The envoy slashed his hand downward. “We already know about that. It’s not enough.”
I started again...
2024-04-23 10:27:46 +0000 UTC
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82 Days Left to Broker Peace in Sector 12,560
You have successfully stored the nature unchained spell in the ring, mage’s surprise.
Your Dexterity has increased to rank 94. Other modifiers: +24 from items.
You have slept for 4 hours.
You have cast facial disguise, assuming the visage of Jasiah.
Dawn crept over the plains with me sitting on the grassy knoll and Ghost dozing in...
2024-04-22 08:33:25 +0000 UTC
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No more Blades emerged from their hidden base in the hills.
Perhaps there were no more inside to do so, or perhaps those inside were unaware of the deaths of their fellows. I didn’t know, but nor did I make the mistake of approaching the base again.
I had eight hours.
That was about how long it would take the Blades to resurrect and report what had happened, and I had a lot to do in that time. “Let’s go, Ghost,” I said, plotting a course sou...
2024-04-19 07:10:32 +0000 UTC
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My lips quirked upward in amusement as I listened to Yara’s frantic orders. They told me much about the Blades’ capabilities and confirmed many of my own guesses as to their skills. They also made another thing clear: I was not going to finish off my foes as quickly as I wanted to.
And if I could not make an impression on the Blades by how quickly I killed them, that left the next best thing: making them think I toyed with them.
But I couldn’t afford to suffer any serious in...
2024-04-17 08:36:04 +0000 UTC
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Ghost reached me well ahead of the pursuing Blades. Skidding to a halt beside me, she flopped down on her belly and let her tongue hang out, panting heavily.
“Now?” she asked.
“Not yet,” I replied, watching the players through my mindsight. Nature unchained had a range of a hundred yards, and while most of the Blades were inside that distance, a few stragglers remained outside. Chief amongst them was the orc, Yara.
“How much lo...
2024-04-16 09:00:06 +0000 UTC
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“Who’s Blythe?” I asked lightly, ignoring Cine’s glare.
For a drawn-out moment no one answered. I couldn’t tell if that was because my question had caught them off-guard or if they had been struck speechless by my audacity.
Ye, right.
“Blythe is our lord and the leader of the Silent Blade faction,” Yara replied finally.
I inclined my head in her direction, or tried to anyway, but the net still ensnaring me made that hard. “Thank you.”
...
2024-04-16 06:27:46 +0000 UTC
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Ghost has taken the form of a level 212 stygian pyre wolf.
Three hours later, I was wandering the plains again, with Ghost ranging ahead of me. We’d not discovered our target yet, but I was optimistic. The familiar had found a scent trail.
“It’s gone again,” the pyre wolf reported.
I paused. “You’re sure?” I’d gotten no whiff myself of whatever Ghost tracked, its traces were too faint for me to detect.
“Yes,”
2024-04-08 06:34:25 +0000 UTC
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The Devil command group did not linger long after that.
Mounting their hellbats, they flew swiftly back to the fort, no doubt to put their plans into effect.
Staying where I was, I ruminated over what I’d learned. The Riders’ conversation had certainly been enlightening. I now knew for certain that all three elites were Sworn, and that in addition, Malikor was an envoy.
More importantly, I’d learned that the neighboring sector to the south was under the con...
2024-04-04 04:49:22 +0000 UTC
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The plants could not eat me, of course.
Not unless they had more to work with than devouring pollen. Lowering my head, I turned my face away from the sea of descending seeds and waited for my void armor to do its work.
You have sustained life damage.
You have sustained life damage.
…
…
Void armor charge remaining: 95%.
It didn’t seem to matter ...
2024-03-28 04:25:45 +0000 UTC
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Amantein has died.
You and Ghost have reached level 212!
Your sneaking has reached rank 21, and your chi rank 18.
You are hidden.
A few seconds later, ebonheart was back in my sheath, and I was crawling away from the bloodied battleground. The two remaining hellbats evinced no interest in me. One hung around its dead companion, whining mournfully, while the other had collapsed on its side—gasping its...
2024-03-24 12:56:47 +0000 UTC
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I didn’t fall to my death, of course. Midway to the ground my spell finished, and I released it without ado.
You have cast windborne.
Borne upon a cushion of air, I landed softly, but I wasted no time in setting off, dashing further north. I didn’t look back. I didn’t need to. My mindsight had already told me everything I needed to know: three pairs of closely entwined mindglows were in pursuit.
A trio of hellbats and their riders.
The doors to t...
2024-03-21 05:44:04 +0000 UTC
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83 Days Left to Broker Peace in Sector 12,560
The night passed without incident, and I awoke somewhat groggily with the dawn. Rolling upright, I glanced to my left and saw, Ghost was also sitting up.
Something had disturbed us both.
“Aiyeeeeee!”
The pyre wolf’s ears pricked at the distance shout. It was coming from the river. “Trouble?” I prompted.
“I don’t know,” Ghost admitted. Still on her belly, she inched closer t...
2024-03-19 12:17:28 +0000 UTC
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The Eastern Marches consisted of thirteen sectors. Sector 75,172 was the northernmost and, without a steady stream of players exiting Draven’s Reach, was likely the most sparsely populated, too. This was largely why neither Adriel nor I had thought relocating to another sector in the region a good idea.
In sector 75,172, the four of us would be easily missed. Elsewhere… not so much.
Still, there were ample signs that the sector had not always been the backend of nowhere. The r...
2024-03-15 11:09:32 +0000 UTC
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Note from Tom: I've realized that the week after a book release is possibly one of the worst times to write. There are just too many admin tasks to attend to and things left undone or forgotten as a result of trying to push a book out.
Anyway, enough excuses. I've resumed writing and will catch up on with my chapter postings over the next few weeks.
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I couldn’t leave for the tundra ...
2024-03-13 13:22:44 +0000 UTC
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Note from Tom (13 March 2024): The chapter has been updated to remove some inconsistencies regarding the safe zone and use of the atherstone bracelet.
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84 Days Left to Broker Peace in Sector 12,560
Transfer through portal commencing…
Leaving sector 73,102.
…
…
Passage completed!...
2024-03-04 14:47:20 +0000 UTC
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Hi all,
[UPDATE 04 March 2024]: Reworked and updated.
Just to let everyone know, posting of book 7 chapters will begin on Monday, 4th March. In the meantime, please see some of the drawings / sketches I've put together in preparation for the next book...
2024-03-01 09:26:10 +0000 UTC
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Hi all,
The hardcover edition and paperback edition of Grand Game 6 have been released today, so if you're keen to leave an early review, you can do so here: [review link]...
2024-02-29 06:18:41 +0000 UTC
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Hi all,
I've posted about the upcoming release of Grand Game Book 6 on Reddit. For those who use the platform, please share your thoughts here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/1b1bge2/the_grand_game_6_coming_soon_michaels_character/
Thanks, and happy reading!
Tom
2024-02-27 13:37:01 +0000 UTC
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2024-02-26 13:37:32 +0000 UTC
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Drawing updated to remove dbl "sire wolf"
2024-02-26 13:06:34 +0000 UTC
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Hi all,
Below are some of the bigger changes I've made while going through GG6 again -- these are the mostly ones required for Game / System consistency and/or story consistency.
1. No mention of sealing a Pact - when binding Ghost as a familiar. Now refers only to a familiar bond. (Pacts can only be formed between Powers and players).
2. Ghost gets a Class point, too, when Michael gets the The First of Many feat.
3. Michael doesn't store the darkness bolt in the mag...
2024-02-24 04:28:09 +0000 UTC
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Note from Tom: We've finally reached the end of Book 6! Phew, this one has ended up taking much longer than I expected, but that was largely due to the unforeseen issues with Empyrean 2.
Anyway, between now and release day (1 March), I will be busy cleaning up book 6, dealing with inconsistencies, correcting grammar, addressing typos, and whatnot, so there are unlikely to be any further chapters until March.
Thanks to everyone who has pointed out errors and the l...
2024-02-22 06:38:15 +0000 UTC
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My grin faded. One hour? Really?
Nyra gasped. “Michael, did you see—?”
I nodded grimly. “I did.” I didn’t understand the message’s reference to a ‘final chamber,’ but I was sure Adriel and Farren would enlighten me.
Lifting my gaze, I saw the others had arrived. Their faces solemn, Ceruvax, Adriel, and Farren drew up beside Ghost and Nyra. I wanted to immediately blurt out my questions about the surprising alert from the Adjudicator, but there was ...
2024-02-22 06:16:32 +0000 UTC
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