vladerag

(very) Slight Delay due to Computer Troubles

Well, tablet troubles anyhow.

Short version is:  I have one chapter of Mystic Ink and three chapters of A Broken World all done for you folks, but the old tablet I was using has decided to be difficult.

I'll be getting it back first thing in the morning from the shop and publishing all of them as soon as I can!

Sorry for the trouble!

-Vladerag

Mystic Ink - Ch. 73 The Truth is Cruelty

Cass had, at the knight’s request, at least let him attempt negotiation- but there was something far more satisfying about having her hand at her enemy’s throats.  The guards reacted late, and a slight squeeze had the mages calling out.

“Stop!  Don’t come near!”  The cool voice was now tinged with panic instead of anger, to Cass’s amusement.

“Smart man,” Cass said with a laugh.  “That will make things easier I think.  My apol...

Mystic Ink - Ch. 72 A Mad Plan

“Honestly, I am rather disappointed.”  Cass grumbled as the body was hauled away.  “He talked a much bigger game than he could handle, I was just getting warmed up.”

Cass failed to notice that everyone around her was wide eyed and edging away carefully- as one might when confronted with an animal that they would not want to provoke.  She seemed more beast-like than the magical beasts themselves.

She had only worked her way up to his forearm, he ...

Mystic Ink - Ch. 71 Beast Slayer

Much to Cass’s surprise there was not an attack that night.  She slept straight through the entire night, making her the only person in the camp to get a full night's sleep.  The soldiers, even those not on watch, had trouble falling asleep given what they knew could be prowling about in the forest and the five peasants were too terrified to sleep at all.

Breakfast was light, and the group was moving again before an hour had passed.  Their first stop would ...

Mystic Ink - Ch. 70 Rabbit Hole

Sorry for the delay, found some continuity errors in the chapters and had to figure out where I put my notes over the past few months.  Took a lot longer than I thought it would, but I have my hands on them now!

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Cass examined the area well, but the reality is that she did not really have the training to deduce what had occured.  She was able to discern that when the manticores attacked that the villagers had broken up into three groups.

Fir...

The Enchanter's Apprentice [Irregular] - Chapter One

“Thank you for your patronage!”  Areius bowed deeply as the customer left the shop, not remotely disturbed that the customer did not bother to acknowledge his thanks.  It was far better, he had learned, not to be acknowledged at all in the grand scheme of things.  The reason why Areius thought this…

The blow to the back of his head as he was trying to straighten from his bow sent him to the floor.  Areius had, unfortunately, been expecting this and...

World Builder [Irregular] - Chapter One

Where…  Am I?

Instinctively, I realize that is the wrong question.  I cannot know where I am, because this is nowhere incarnate.  There is nothing here to be a where- and that is a problem.  I examine the emptiness that surrounds me for a moment before turning my attention to myself.  

Currently, I am the only something in this nowhere, and a brief examination makes it seem likely that I was something else and was brought to this ‘nowhere�...

Some Patreon Changes

Hey there, I just wanted to let my fine supporters know that I am going to be doing some restructuring.  As I said in the last announcement, for the most part nothing is changing for anyone at the "A Bit Nutty" tier.  You won't be getting any less than you got before, or rather, you won't be getting less than what you should have gotten before my adventure to Hospitalland.

So what is changing right now?

The goals section, for a start.  Considering my current situati...

A Broken World [Rewrite] - Chapter Four - A Permanent World

**Lucas Jaeger**

The first answer he got was to a question he had not asked out loud.  No, the carriage did not work well over and through the grassland that made up this island.  Being bounced around would have been bad enough at the best of times, but Lucas had to be careful not to hit his shoulder as well and the effort to do so combined with the shaking was doing nothing to improve his mood.

It did not help that the carriage was small and cramped.  ...

A Broken World [Rewrite] - Chapter 3 - A Shifting World

**Lucas Jaeger**

“Fucking shit!”  Lucas was more or less howling, and swearing his head off.  “Fuck this hurts!  What the fucking hell was that?”

Lucas had woke up and barely even recognized where he was before he saw what looked like the unholy child of a praying mantis and a shark.  The monster stood six meters tall and had a body similar in appearance to a mantis, complete with with the enlarged forelegs that ended in claws nearly a mete...

A Broken World [Rewrite] - Chapter 2 - A Bloody World

It was dark, but Lucas could see pinpricks of light through the gaps in the threads of the rough cloth hood that he suddenly found over his head.  The ground was hard and cold under him, his arms and legs were restrained, and there were loud and confusing noises echoing throughout a seemingly large space.  A hand roughly pulled him to his feet as he spluttered in confusion and pulled him along somewhere.

Was he being abducted?  No, Lucas thought to himself, h...

A Broken World [Rewrite] - Chapter 1 - A New World

If a person possessed the wings of a bird, and a constitution capable of handling the thin, frigid, air and they flew high into the sky.  Far enough that the ruins of the city directly below them could not be distinguished as ruins at all and their breath was frost as soon as it left their lungs, and they observed the land before them, everything would seem normal.

To the West, mountains stretched to reach the sky and to the East, an expanse of blue could be seen beyon...

I'm not dead, and I am coming back in full

First, my deepest apologies and most heartfelt thanks to the Patrons who- for some unknowable reason- have continued to support me over the past ten months.  You have absolutely no idea how much your support means to me, but hopefully I can give you an idea by the end of this post.

So where have I been?  In and out of a hospital unfortunately.  Since I started writing and you generous folks have started supporting me, I have owed you explanations for when my promises fall...

A Broken World - Ch. 58 World's End (Part 1)

*Terrasin deVon Almistraus*

There was a different atmosphere among the soldiers on the front line.  Not a simple one either, it was quite complex as one would expect given recent events.  On one hand, despite the strong push that the demon’s had suddenly made, human lands had never been more secure.  But on the other hand, the actions, and rumors of actions, of the Hero had terrified everyone.

Even she had been frightened, Terrasin had to admit, though she did not like t...

A Dungeon Core - Ch. 19 Siege (Part 3)

*Susan*

“An ogre!?  Are you sure?”  I ask Core, more than a little surprised at the fact that the goblins were able to get one of those brutes to work with them.  Ogres do not generally serve anything other than even stronger ogres- and even then it was unwillingly and with only when under direct threat of force.

“Its status came up,” Core replied.  “Which was somewhat surprise in itself, I did not even prompt it.  I could tell it was somewhat of a thre...

A Dungeon Core - Ch. 18 Siege (Part 2)

*Core*

I had a decent idea of how I would handle the goblins when they reached the second floor.  The staircase from the first floor to the second floor would serve as a chokepoint that could be held by some of my new heavy melee creations and bombarded by liches from the back line.  Even though they are individually weaker than Ajax, collectively I cannot see how the goblins would be able to force their way through that setup.

I certainly had the resources to spare, and I had ...

Mystic Ink - Ch. 69 Rence Barony

Cass had thought she had gotten used to luxury, having been rather pampered by Lord Hall and given her own rather impressive quarters.  She had heard that, aside from the Imperial Quarters, the Imperial Center in Tyine was more functional than not.  Built for defense first and comfort second, and many nobles rather disliked to stay there as a result- but Cass did not really understand what they meant until she visited a noble’s private residence.

They had arrived at Rence Manor and...

A Dungeon Core - Ch. 17 Siege (Part One)

*Core*

The goblins were surging into the dungeon in an unending flood, and being cut down just as quickly.  While individually weak, the sheer numbers would overwhelm most opponents- or at the very least exhaust them as they fought for hours and hours or even days.  Except, the narrow entrance of the dungeon and the winding mountain path prevented the goblins from using their numbers well, and the undead never tire.  Even if the goblins did manage to succeed, the undead would ju...

A Broken World - Ch. 57 World of Overwhelming Power

*Lucas Jaeger*

Lucas could only compare this feeling to when he had been stung by the High Spider- it was a rush, a high.  Once, decades ago, the child Lucas had desired magic.  He researched all that he could find and tested them out one by one, and was disappointed.  From there, Lucas had turned to science.  If he could not have magic, than he would create it himself!

But now, that old wish came true and more.  This was not just magic, it was overwhelming power...

Mystic Ink - Ch. 68 Stand and Deliver

It was not so much a forest as a woods, it was not sizeable enough to deserve the descriptor ‘forest,’ but if there was going to be an ambush it would happen when they traveled through here.  But still, even when the leather wearing, masked, thugs stepped on to the path, Cass could not quite believe it.  Hell, she did not really believe they were bandits.

“Good day there!”  The bandit called out with a false cheerfulness.  “This here is a toll road, upkeep and all...

A Broken World - Ch. 56 World of a Dark Hero

*The Widow*

“The scouts report the same ‘bad air’ can be found to the west as well,” one of the Widow’s officer spiders reported.  “We were able to spot the same plants at those locations too, much as you suggested we would.”

The Widow hissed and clicked her mandibles.  Having returned to fulfil her orders only to find that she could no longer move her soldiers along the lines she wanted frustrated her.  The humans were planting small bushes that put some sor...

A Dungeon Core - Ch. 16 Rescuing a Caravan

*Susan*     “That…  Is a lot of goblins…”  I said as I looked out over the gigantic camp.  I would call it a city, but the goblins tents and shacks and muddy paths did not really give that impression.  It was more like a giant camp, or perhaps a giant dump. Considering it was goblins, perhaps both.     “I have never seen, no-” Hailey shook her head, “I have never even heard of something like this.”     “This i...

Mystic Ink - Ch. 67 Beginning to Travel

    Cass was sitting in the carriage on her way to the Rence Barony along with Natalie, Owin, and Svala, wishing that she did not need to leave Tyine so soon.  But on the other hand, she was proud of her new position and the trust her Master had put in her. For that matter, she would not be gone for nearly as long this time and she wanted to be successful, perhaps someday she would be happy serving Lord Hall without having to wear the collar.     But that was ...

Exams are over!

My exams are over! I've been so busy the past week I could hardly write, but now I am not taking classes this summer and I plan to drown you folks in chapters! LOOK FORWARD TO IT!

A Dungeon Core - Ch. 15 Names

*Core*

[2,000 XP Received!]  -what?

[3,000 XP Received!]  Ok, so Susan must be killing something…  I wonder what?  When I take a look at the specifics, wow that is a lot of goblins.  Taking a look through the spirits eyes, and it looks like Susan is slaughtering some goblin village?  Well that raises some questions.  Well, I cannot do anything about it now- might as well use the resources provided to me.

Filling the space on the second floor is ...

A Dungeon Core - Ch. 14 Goblins

*Core*

“So what do you plan to do for your next class?”  I asked, through Specy, Hailey who had managed to settle in despite her distaste for me and the undead.  Between her and Susan I was getting a better picture of how this world worked, it was quite interesting honestly.  

“Honestly I am not really sure.”  Hailey said, without looking at Specy, still she was otherwise quite polite.  “It will be a bit of a pain, but I will probably go for the soldier...

A Dungeon Core - Ch. 13 A New Resident

*Susan*

I have changed my mind about the Dungeon Master class- it is most evidently the greatest class in existence.  Why?  Because it allowed me to take the decorational necropolis palace suite and make it fully functional.  It stands to reason that the master of a dungeon would need a place to sleep after all!  Plus, a few suggestions from Core had allowed me to turn the place into a lap of luxury that would not shame any noble!

When asked how he knew about these th...

A Dungeon Core - Ch. 12 Accidental Palace

*Susan*

After a great deal of effort, it was finally time to create the Floor Boss for the first floor and begin work on the second floor.  As I had thought, the Dungeon Master class made it very easy to control Core’s monsters outside the dungeon and the work went relatively fast.  I was still unsure how to feel about my new class, but I felt less bad about it when I was using it to help Core.

Core was operating the ‘menu,’ something that I still had not gotten used to, ...

Extras Update!

Ok, so I know things have been a little behind lately- by which I mean waaaayyyyyy behind, HOWEVER!

I have an artist now, the excellent and astoundingly talented MhaicsMaru has been commissioned to do the artwork- and we can hopefully expect it soon!

The first character bio will be for Cass from Mystic Ink, but you can expect the other MC's to get bio's relatively soon afterwards!

Also, although this is still in the discussion stage, I will hopefully be able to commission her to ma...

Mystic Ink - Ch. 66 A Piece of Advice

Before Cass went with Hall to apply Natalie’s tattoos, she went with her Master to meet with the soldiers who would be accompanying her.  The Warriors of Beergmutar favored light and flexible armors to complement their individual skill.  In contrast, the soldiers of the Haj Empire were mostly heavy infantry- focusing on heavy armors and powerful formations.  Honestly, Cass thought the glyphs were of more use in Beergmutar’s style, but there certainly were benefits.

The most ...