Myds6

Story Part 23

That’s when she saw someone emerging from the bush near her armor. A hood obscured the person’s identity, but from the build and gait, she couldn’t imagine it to be one of her travelling companions. She thought for a moment to shout, but perhaps they hadn’t noticed her yet, and threats from a wet, nude half-elf might not be effective at keeping them away from her equipment. She started to climb for her feet to make her way to the shore.

She couldn’t see the figure’s face, bu...

Story Part 22

Maddy stretched out her bedroll on a soft spot of ground not too far from the firepit Minna was working on. Although it was rather warm this time of year, it could still get cold at night. Miri, meanwhile, made her way down to the small stream she had noticed on the map. She looked at the sparkling water flowing through the wood. It looked so refreshing. She crouched down and dipped a finger in. It was cold, but not too cold. Looking around cautiously to make sure no one was watching, she sta...

Story Part 21

(You'll notice no images in this section, because I'm trying to speed toward some "action," now that the characters have been introduced and the stakes have been explained.)

Back in the realms, the combined party, bringing a wagonload of provisions, was just passing beyond the outskirts of the city. In the city itself, no one batted an eyelash at a heavily armed party of elves, humans, and a dwarf. Nobles moved around the city with their mercenaries often, since travelling wi...

Vote for Your Favorite Character in This Story

Who do you like most?  I don't think I forgot to list any we've met yet.  I know at least one or two others have been mentioned.

Writing is still very much happening, so I might or might not find a way to act on any results I get.

Story Part 20

The admiral nodded, “But which buys more?” “Trade with the Realms produces, 74% of our profits, last I checked.” Albertine cracked a sly smile. It was clear that she was about to make her point. “Has it always been so?”

“No!” Gabriela said, a bit enthusiastically, beating Carlotta to the answer. “In the past, there was constant war, with Bleakmorne and the Realms trying to conquer each other, and in turns threatening our cities. That ended when…the realms made the Wa...

Story Part 19

“Ah, you arrive together,” said a grey-haired figure in a lavish frock coat, “I thought perhaps one of you might arrive late. But I guess no one got lost on the way here.”

“Either that, or she walked faster to make up the time,” Carlotta said.

Gabriela shot her a stern look. “Thank you for inviting us, High Admiral Albertine.”

“As you know, captains, we here at the Admiralty believe in letting captains handle their own business most of the time. So you know...

Story Part 18

Portodorado.

Captain Carlotta walked down the long corridor to the Port Offices. It wasn’t first time a member of the Admiralty had requested her presence—but in those instances, she had always known why she was being summoned. Halfway down the hall, she heard footsteps behind her, catching up to her, a peculiar and familiar uneven gait. Carlotta walked faster, but didn’t turn to look.

“Well, if it isn’t the overstuffed peacock herself!” an exuberant voice called out. ...

Story, Part 17

“Then the night foretold is at hand.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Archdeaconess. Spies also inform us that the council has met. They travelled to Rynchus. Their meeting, of course, was in their council hall, hidden in the spaces between the planes. Of course, that can’t bar access to the faithful of Occultia.”

“So, you want me to infiltrate the council hall?”

“Keep up, darling. Our spies have already reported on their meeting. They are sending a small for...

This is Now the Story

I'm going to stop calling it preview of a future story, as I'm committed to this story, at least for the next several months.  I expect my time to get sucked up by the day job, so I did some advance work on this--a day or two that I "should have" been working on another project.  I can promise (because I've already set it up) regular story and image updates about once a week or less, mostly with 2-6 images, (average 3 or so, one and exactly one single chapter of story advancement ha...

Preview of a Future story, Part 16

High in a tower, over the city of Ofusca, Queen Ursulax paced back and forth, occasionally looking out the stained glass window in the direction of the Cowl, the great Cathedral of Occultia. Her reign-name, “the Peacemaker” was unfairly applied and no one used the title to her face. The peace had been through no action of hers, but a situation that had stifled the kingdom since before her birth. And like her predecessor, she had spent no small amount of time and resources in an attempt to...

Update

Thanks for being a patron!

I'm glad to say this story is rolling along, and I'm starting to render some of the "good parts" that will be showing up in a few weeks.  I'm happy to get there, as I had a grand vision that involves a lot of characters, and many introductions.

Let me know in the comments which characters seem most interesting to you so far--who you like, or don't, and would like to see in the kind of non-lethal "peril" my work does so much of.

Preview of future Story, Part 15

Six-hundred miles away things were quite different. Outside of the Council Realms, the nation of  Bleakmorne was as violent a locale as the realms were peaceful. Ruled for the last century by the Sorceress Queen Ursulax, the military power had been the biggest threat to the Realms until the creation of the Wardshells. It was unknown how the monarchs of the Kalorath dynasty were so long-lived, but there were rumors that it was due to a pact with Occultia, the nation’s patron goddess. Th...

Preview of Future Story Part 14

An imposing elf in a purple surcoat, carrying herself in a distinctly military posture stepped forward. “I’ve seen to your logistics. On the other side of that portal, you will find transportation, victuals, and camping supplies. If you need further armament, speak to my quartermaster to arrange it. She’ll be with the horses. Lady Sivallien bowed, “Thank you , Councilor Maelyrra.” “My instincts as a general tell me to throw an army at this problem,” the councilor grumbled, wavin...

Preview of Future Story Part 13

Muxijiko half-walked, half floated over to the Exarch, who looked at the undead mage respectfully, but with a hint of trepidation. “Now, Grand Exarch, as you’ve rightfully pointed out, you are needed here, at the Fane, but we asked that you bring some of your great army of retainers. As you remember, we asked for some particular skill sets. Why don’t you tell us who you’ve brought?”

Minna looked at Maddy, as if to say “We’re going to be working with THEM?” but a quick el...

Preview of Future Story Part 12

“Let’s start with Lady Sivallien,” Baydeona started. “She has a reputation around here,” “Yes, quite!” the Exarch interrupted, before being silenced with a cold glare from the Councilor, “She has a reputation for her loyalty to the realms, and her skill with sorcery. Not to mention that she has no lack of willpower or diplomacy.” Baydeona started right at the Exarch as she finished this sentence. For her part, Lady Sivallien bowed to the council. Miryala noticed that she was...

Preview of Future Story Part 11

For the first time, Lady Sivallien spoke out brashly, “Am I to understand I’ll have the aid of the Grand Exarch herself?”

A flash of panic briefly skimmed over the Exarch’s face, but she put it to rest as quickly as any political animal could manage. Her eyes met Deskelon’s who gave her the answer she needed, and allowed her to speak it. “Don’t be a fool, darling, my duties at the High Fane are FAR too important to allow for my absence, but I brought along the aid of three...

Preview of Future Story, Part 10

“Not just any relic will do,” Uzpha added. “But we do know of one, lost long ago, in the days of the Catastrophe. The Crown of Beleth the Pious, favored of Illuminora. It is our intention that you retrieve it for us, and in doing so, help us save the Wardshells and the Realms.”

Maddy’s eyes widened. Miri elbowed her in the side to get her to compose herself before someone noticed, but it was too late.

Baydeona stood in front of her, staring into her eyes, as if she had b...

Preview of Future Story, Part 9

Miri was getting quite angry for her liege, but a stern glance from Lady Sivallien showed that she was aware, but demanded her silence.

“I think it’s high time our guests learn why we have brought them here,” Baydeona said, caging her fingers. “I concur,” said Deskelon. He continued, “17 days ago, in Oniridge, there was a fluctuation in the power of that region’s Wardshell. I suspect most of you have heard the rumors by now. What you might not to have heard was that was no...

A few Orcward Renders

I was inspired a while back to make some renders of a character that interests me in a wonderful comic on DeviantArt by someone named Darianblood.  I have permission from both the author and original artist to share this mockup of a situation I enjoyed, but I haven't yet shown it to anyone except them, and now you!  I assume I'll make it public sometime as an homage, but that's not what my DeviantArt site is up to right now.  So you get to see it first!

The name of the ch...

Preview of Story, Part 8

Miri’s starstruck moment was shattered by the grating voice of Deskelon. “I see you’ve brought your…retinue, just as we instructed. Good.” The half-elf bit her tongue lightly to keep from grimacing that he’d address her lady that way.

Before Lady Sivallien could respond, loud footsteps rang out throughout the chamber. Miri looked to see a group of four women walking past her. She recognized their leader, a portly human woman in Red and Black robes. That was the Grand Exarch,...

May the 4th

More exclusive story previews soon.  For now, it's going to be May the Fourth, so check out "Fan Wars: A Star Wars Parody" over on Deviantart.

Myds6 - Hobbyist, General Artist | DeviantArt

Epilogue

If you joined this Patreon after this story has started, the long, epic story of Mariana’s own defeat and humiliation precedes it. The later fate of some of the other characters in this prequel (Broussard, Rowena, Helena, Duchess Vittoria, the three mercenary sisters, and probably others I can’t remember right now) are also in that story. Three are literally thousands of images, over the past few years. If you want to see what happens to her, in a story by the great TKPrince, read again f...

It would be a very long journey, before the sore, disgraced women would make it back to the Misty Isles. And they were certain that their ordeal would continue once they arrived. FIN

***FIN***

And so, the would-be-conquerors leave the sleepy town of Dacquoise, not as fearsome sorceresses, but as ridiculed failures, flailing and bouncing in an effort to keep their well-chastened behinds from the jaws of the canine that goads them ever onward, and carrying their wands in ways they had never anticipated. The cheering crowds weren’t their army, as expected, but the villagers who they had hoped to subdue.

They only needed cross the bridge to cross over the border and arrive at the hamlet they had used as a staging ground for their attack on Dacquoise. That would be the first of many towns to learn it had been liberated, and settle the score with them. All made possible through the generosity of Marianna le Foy.

Marianna laughed out loud on seeing the result of her sorcery. “Now take them. If you want them to move faster, you might talk to the houndmistress of my army before you leave. I’m sure she can spare some assets that will keep their oversize assets on the move.”

Fiona and Selena each let out a little squeal at this final indignity. Their eyes widened, and Selena began to regret teasing Fiona about the dainty size of her wand, as her own longer, girthier, yet now so impotent magic tool still rigidly worked its way into her.

“…return their wands to them!”

“There is one more thing I need to do before you take them,” Marianna smiled, and waved her hand.

The end is nigh!

Working on the last few renders of the prequel now.  I can say the story will wrap up exactly as I had planned to write it.  And that it will wrap up before May.

Preview of Future story, Part 9

“I think it’s high time our guests learn why we have brought them here,” Baydeona said, caging her fingers. “I concur,” said Deskelon. He continued, “17 days ago, in Oniridge, there was a fluctuation in the power of that region’s Wardshell. I suspect most of you have heard the rumors by now. What you might not to have heard was that was not the only power fluctuation. They have been continuing there, growing in frequency, and perhaps spreading to the Wardshell in Shroudspire. We...