Here's a copy of the preliminary map of the continent of Arzom, the setting of TDL. There's still some work to do and you can help.
Please suggest names! Lots of names! We'll need names for castles, settlements, monuments and organisations (sects & mercenary groups) and wilderness locations!
2023-04-23 03:46:43 +0000 UTC View PostBrandr watched as his 'guests' went about killing the Guardian of the Fifth Floor. Watching them work was pleasing in its own way. They were all skilled individuals, powerful experts in their respective fields, and even though they were not used to working together, their experience made it a cinch. They did not need to. Thorn's friend Sarrod could probably handle everything on his own.
This world was strange. Its power system did not m...
2023-04-23 03:03:52 +0000 UTC View PostMonsters are a one-time cost. Loot is not. Basically, if it gets taken out of the dungeon, it will take AP to replace it. The monsters respawn so they are a one-time cost. Loot is generated and then taken out, so each item costs Dunstan AP.
Dunstan gets AP in five ways.
Please decide on Dunstan's next dungeon.
2023-04-21 04:05:40 +0000 UTC View PostA river in the sky. For the first time since they stepped into the dungeon, Ulak felt like he was truly in a faerie land. He hadn't seen sights like this since that time they were forced to take a shortcut, a path through the faerie realms, just so they could catch up with their quarry. Except, that place had been slightly more unbelievable with its dancing trees and pink elephants, but the same wonder that struck him then came on him now.
"Welcome to the fifth floor!" said the flaming sprite with a smile. "You've passed the preliminary trials and are now prepared to delve the dungeon in truth. May the core's grace guide you!"
Grimsby backed away quickly, nearly tripping over the dwarves behind him. The fourth floor was by far the worst. It was a full hour of near-aimless hiking made even more difficult by whatever magical field, the dungeon had cast over the marble pyramid. ...
2023-04-21 03:50:40 +0000 UTC View PostValerian did not hesitate. The ground cracked underneath him as he pushed off it, golden wings beating with enough force to release a visible shockwave. No sooner had he done so that fire erupted where he had been standing with tongues of flame that reached up into the air after him like grasping fingers. Hundred of metres above his opponent, Valerian circled the battlefield trying to think up a strategy.
"You're faster!" Wynna noted as she...
2023-04-21 03:43:41 +0000 UTC View PostThe Dragon-Soaring Compact was an agreement between the Jade Dragon Row and the Vast Heaven Palace. Realising the importance of a vibrant local economy and wary of the outsider influence exerted by the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Dunstan's predecessors invested in the Jade Dragon Row, a budding alliance of several notable business-aligned families.
In addition to money and resources, the Vast Heaven Palace provided securities and sureties, pro...
2023-04-14 02:45:42 +0000 UTC View PostGuillaume shivered as they walked into the entry chamber. He gripped his sword tighter, wide eyes scanning the room carefully. Adil's Shields had traipsed through this place twice without so much as a stumble, so this room, in particular, should be safe. However, the goosebumps on his skin told him a different story. The tapping of water on stone was the only sound besides their footsteps to break the eerie silence. While his team busied themse...
2023-04-14 01:58:24 +0000 UTC View PostThe first adventurer didn't even have time to scream before they were gurgling on their own blood, a dagger through their chest. They did try, though, but even in his rage, Amron was a professional. His dagger had punctured the lung. Any attempts to draw breath only caused more pain from the collapsed organ. Foamy bubbles of blood were beginning to form on his victim's lips. It wasn't enough. He needed them to suffer.
Securing the adventurer wi...
2023-04-13 16:17:26 +0000 UTC View PostThe plains of the second floor were vast in scope. The chamber he was in was so large that if you stood at one end, you couldn't quite make out the other side of it. To the uninitiated, the place was a wash of green and brown. Tall grass, dead in some places, grew damn near everywhere, and no matter how easy it was to forget, there was always a niggling reminder that you were underground. It jumped out at you when you drew too close to the cavern wall...
2023-04-13 16:16:24 +0000 UTC View PostThe dark blade stepped away from the door and walked back to the centre of the room.
"As per your wishes, I have turned Misses Langston and Gavriel away!" Pugio said stiffly.
Said master was splayed out on the floor, flat on his back. Golden wings stretched out beside him, taking up much of the room. Only the dimness of the room prevented them from filling the room with a thousand and one reflections of light. He looked like a trophy, a fixture...
2023-04-12 04:17:22 +0000 UTC View PostA crescent of mana cut through the air of the arena as Nick Adil tested his new magic sword. This one was noticeably larger and brighter than the one before it. If they had precision instruments to measure and compare the two attacks, they would find that the second was boosted by the same values marked in the sword's description. The boisterous mercenary stared down at the weapon in his hands with awe so taken by it that when his men crowded in admir...
2023-04-05 01:24:59 +0000 UTC View PostTheoren sat at the table, letting the tantalising aromas fill his nostrils and kindle his hunger. He could practically taste the spread already. She glanced away from the table, watching as Lilian laid out more food. The old array master smiled, already preparing to eat until his stomach threatened to burst. She was handling everything herself as her butler wasn't with her. A quick scan showed that they were the only two around.
'A private co...
2023-04-05 01:23:17 +0000 UTC View PostDunstan made sure to purchase the tokens in small batches to help keep up his cover. Elder Dorn and Elder Howatt stood next to him, staring in awe as a 30-piece bundle of the slate-shaped tokens hovered in the air above his hand, deposited there by a small portal. He handed it over to Elder Dorn, who immediately put it in his ring along with the others. Dunstan waited a few seconds before buying another set.
“So these are like barrier-b...
2023-03-27 08:08:14 +0000 UTC View PostIt stirred slowly, almost unwillingly, like a fitful sleeper being roused but wishing to return to its rest. However, it woke all the same. There was a warmth there. A disturbing warmth that made it unable to rest. It was too much, too close to ignore. Familiar but also hateful. The old bones began to shift, clacking and creaking as it forced itself to rise. Its head rattled from the gold coin placed in its skull. Placing a hand on an askew pew, it...
2023-03-24 12:41:26 +0000 UTC View PostNick checked behind him, making sure that the portal was still there. The swirling purple mass of cloud and light hung behind them like a bad decision. He tore his eyes away, focusing on his new surroundings instead. They were standing on a landing of some sort. He could just barely make out the stone steps descending lower to an open archway through the gloom.
“Come on then!” he told his men. “Stay alert!”
It was a short stairway, onl...
2023-03-24 02:38:22 +0000 UTC View PostOne thing they never tell you about lightning, Atur realised, was how jarring it was to hear. The first time a bolt came his way would forever be immortalised in his memory.
The cavern they were in amplified every sound, making the sounds of the fight seem louder and more intense. The echoes of their battle bounced around, making it difficult at times to pinpoint everyone's location without looking first, a distraction that could prove deadly. E...
2023-03-23 03:11:35 +0000 UTC View PostLilian gave a pause, catching herself for a moment. “Do you understand the difference between a spiritual legacy and a normal one?”
Valerian shook his head no.
“Hmmn”, his teacher intoned. “Figured that might be the case.”
“According to records older than I care to date, when Verre reabsorbed her firstborn, the smart ones among them did their best to find heirs to whom they could pass on their legacies. They chose the b...
2023-03-23 03:10:02 +0000 UTC View PostI'm back!
Whiles Dunstan appraised the old man, said old man did the same to him. For someone as old and experienced as Ranulyn, the state of the Vast Heaven Palace could be seen through with a glance. They were good, steady customers and he would be sorry to see them go especially with the mollifying effect they had on the region's more... rash personalities. Nevertheless, such was how the world turned. There was a new overlord and as the...
2023-03-20 04:45:16 +0000 UTC View PostExactly what it says on the tin. Here's your chance to suggest names for any of the series I am working on. Right now, I am fleshing out more of Arzom, the world of TDL so any names going that way would be greatly appreciated.
I have provided several examples below in both detailed and simplified forms. All are names that will feature in the story. Please stick to their format so that your suggestions will be easier to understand.
EXAMPLES DETAILED
<... 2023-03-14 02:40:48 +0000 UTC View PostIf you've been on the discord you'll know I had to go to the hospital because a scratch I got from one of my dogs got infected and my right hand swelled up like a balloon. Suffice it to say, I was pretty sick for a bit. I got all the greatest infection hits streaming through me. On that note, please remember to disinfect any and every cut/scrape/injury no matter how minor it may seem! I got this sick from a small nip the same size as a lowercase 'a' in...
2023-03-13 03:37:24 +0000 UTC View Post[The fame of your dungeon grows! +1 AP]
[Milestone reached!]
[Achievement unlocked: The first 5000!]
Dunstan gave the notification a side glance, his heart skipping a beat. Spending all his points on the dungeon had been the right choice. 5000 AP in a matter of hours. That was the loot pool satisfied and then some. He had to assume that most of this AP came from his sect’s three thousand, two hundred and fifty-seven members. Even so,...
2023-03-13 03:26:45 +0000 UTC View PostThe entrance to the 'Realm of Valour" was an imposing thing. The giant marble arch stood ten metres tall and its surface gleamed even in the sunlight with the glow of powerful magic. The arch was adorned with intricate carvings and ornate symbols that glimmered softly but drew the eye. Wide enough to allow several people to pass through side by side, and tall enough for a giant to pass with lots of clearance, the dungeon entrance seems to beckon ...
2023-03-09 01:36:44 +0000 UTC View Post
After a lot of faffing about trying to find a covenient way to send the ebooks, I decided to simply use what patreon has on offer.
Thank you very much for suporting my writing!
Happy reading!
2023-03-07 12:23:50 +0000 UTC View Post
As the small group made their way through the vast grounds, they were struck by the scale and grandeur of the sect. The buildings and structures towered above them, their massive columns and arches stretching towards the sky. The gardens and lawns were meticulously manicured, with fountains and statues dotted throughout.
As they walked, their guide pointed out various landmarks and structures, explaining their history and significance. They enter...
2023-03-05 23:39:40 +0000 UTC View PostDC/RH won the side story poll by a landslide. Please choose the subject matter and POV of this month's patron-only side story!
2023-03-03 02:03:07 +0000 UTC View PostFirst, let me say thank you to all of you for becoming my patrons! I truly appreciate the support.
The study had once been a magnificent sight to behold. With its rich oak panelling and gleaming brass fixtures, it was a testament to wealth and refinement. Shelves lined with rare leather-bound books, knickknacks gathered over centuries of travel and a desk that was a masterpiece of intricate woodwork; this place once offered its mistress space for moments of quiet contemplation and focused work.
Now, the study lay in ruins.
<... 2023-03-03 01:21:04 +0000 UTC View Post"My plan is to have a jump scare right here", Dunstan said pointing at an intersection on the projection between them. "Nothing too major this time, just a spectre leaping out of a painting to attack anyone passing too close."
The Sixth Preceptor followed along with a small nod, his eyes never leaving the dungeon simulation.
This was another function that Dunstan had discovered. Fun fact: He didn't need to be in the dungeon space to e...
2023-03-03 01:19:15 +0000 UTC View Post