The conspiring siblings spent the remainder of their evening chatting about what they could try to help Losq gain the Titles he desired. Ideas were suggested and disregarded as too simple or too obvious; clearly anything that a pair of not yet four-year-old kobolds could come up with had to have been tried before, right?
Their best idea so far was simply mixing what they’d both already knew, herbs and brews, then tossing in some mana and seeing what would happen. There was however a r...
2025-03-31 03:02:23 +0000 UTC
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<Note>
Sorry about the delay everyone.
</Note>
With the first of her two months without a formal apprenticeship at its end, Kori was beginning to enjoy her time spent at the brewery. It wasn’t the frenetic paced work of Bolst’s lab but it was fun. The pair worked closely together for the past weeks, him assisting her in mastering all of the equipment in the prep room she needed to use for concocting and her lending him a hand with his own duties whenever possible. ...
2025-03-29 22:04:09 +0000 UTC
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The morning came and before long it was time to depart for their day’s work. The younglings all went their separate ways to their various apprenticeships, though three of them travelled together that morning. Losq and Qot were headed to the same place they did every day, but for Kori who walked alongside them, it was a new destination. She’d never been to Elder Aldr’s brewery before and was unsure what to expect when she arrived.
Each of her experiences working in an Elder’s dom...
2025-03-26 03:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Kori’s outburst was met with confused and aggrieved stares from those around her, “And what, exactly, is so ‘awesome’ about this situation youngling?” Ortik punctuating his question with a his most disapproving glare.
Snapped out of her fixation on the pair of Titles she had just earned, Kori realized that the rest of them lacked context to her little exclamation. “What? No. Not that! Definitely not that. That’s just as terrifying as I thought it was…A little bit more so...
2025-03-24 03:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Before any of the assembled Elders could make a reply, Kori answered what was more than likely a rhetorical question. She still struggled a
Before any of the assembled Elders could make a reply, Kori answered what was more than likely a rhetorical question. She still struggled a bit with the concept of a question that wasn’t meant to be answered. “It’s not my fault! Well… No. It is my fault…” She stammered out as every eye in the room was suddenly focused on her. “Bolst to...
2025-03-21 03:00:10 +0000 UTC
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Hello everyone, so many of you probably know that I wasn't happy with the way the prologue was. It's not bad, just full of the mistakes a first time writer is bound to make.
So I've fixed that. Attached is a PDF version of the updated prologue for your enjoyment. Of note, it's been reduced to 5 chapters (no content removed, just a few combined instead of being separate), and it's even a bit longer than before... I have given up and chosen to embrace my fifty page prologue.
Like a...
2025-03-19 19:59:50 +0000 UTC
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The deep echoing thud of the heavy stone door practically slamming behind them as they fled into the main chamber of the trapper’s hall pulled every eye towards the trio, who stood bent over with their hands on knees panting after the mad dash from the confines of the lab. Some smartly took this as a sign that they’d be better off anywhere else, their tools clattering to the floor as they too fled punctuating the low base of the door with a cacophony of lighter sounds. Others rushed towar...
2025-03-19 04:04:15 +0000 UTC
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The tension thick enough in the air that it could be mistaken for the earlier fumes, barely broken by the voices rapidly speaking over each other. A sudden exclamation, “Finally!” Echoing through the room startling the older pair of kobolds and causing them to duck for cover behind the table they had all been cowering behind moments beforehand. Looks of terror fading quickly to aggrieved expressions as they both leveled hard stares at the youngling.
A grin spreading across Kori’s ...
2025-03-18 20:44:46 +0000 UTC
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With no moss remaining and still hours left in the day, Bolst suggested that she lend a hand with one of their easiest tasks, one he generally left to Kora as it had long been reduced to being rote. “We need to produce some flame liquor. It’s relatively simple to make, just a few ingredients and some pure alcohol that we get from the brewers.” Fishing around in a cabinet and retrieving a sheaf of papers, “This has the process on it. Just follow the directions and it won’t take too l...
2025-03-16 19:29:36 +0000 UTC
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The next day, with her new Skill acquired and a much better understanding of just how dumb she’d been in grasping an unknown insect in a room dedicated to producing poisons and other dangerous products for use in traps, Kori was finally ready to do a bit of work in Bolst’s lab.
With the differences in the tools she had available to her here, she was excited to see what she could make. Though the ointment would be her first project of course. Bolst had prepared a quantity of the lumi...
2025-03-14 03:00:05 +0000 UTC
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The only solace she could take in her paralysis was that her ability to interact with the system seemed unimpeded. Several notifications had rung out as she felt herself moved somewhere slightly more comfortable, though the tingling sensation prevented her from being actually comfortable.
The first notification she saw, soon after succumbing to the effects was a welcome addition to her Vitality. Hopefully one that will help in overcoming the situation all the quicker.
<...
2025-03-12 03:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Note: Here's Monday's chapter a bit over an hour early. Think of it as an apology that the last couple of weeks haven't met the regular schedule I'd promised. We are now fully on schedule and a week ahead of Royal Road here on Patreon.
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During her pause for breath between questions about why a particular portion of the ceiling was blackened and what the long robe like tunics were for, she finally realizes that she was being laughed at. Her response to which a light harumph an...
2025-03-10 01:39:20 +0000 UTC
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And needed it. The ointment was spread sparingly across many of her siblings by the time they had all tired each other out. Nothing more ser
And needed it. The ointment was spread sparingly across many of her siblings by the time they had all tired each other out. Nothing more serious than a cracked finger or torn scale, things that would have perhaps scarred without Kori’s ministrations with the ointment, but plentiful across the dozens of younglings involved. Though there may have a...
2025-03-09 21:38:09 +0000 UTC
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“Before you go, please do gather your things from your chamber. Feel free to take the inkpot and pen with you, that little spirit is quite happy to be useful and I’d hate to see it get lonely. Plus, I’m sure you’ll have use for it.” Waving Kori off to gather things that weren’t really hers, but she would most definitely like to keep. “Oh, I suppose I should ask for the sash back.” Finally realizing that she isn’t actually wearing it, “Where is it by the way?” Ey...
2025-03-07 02:44:03 +0000 UTC
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Before Kori could even stammer out a disbelieving ‘why?’, Korse breaks in with a remark of his own. Nearly making the same remark that he just prevented Ortik from making before holding himself back and saying something a little tamer. “That slime sucker…” Not entirely tame, but at least a little, and Glancing Kori’s way before mumbling out a muffled, “Sorry…”
Momentarily taken aback by Korse’s tone and words, Kori just looks between the two for a moment. Before eith...
2025-03-06 02:56:33 +0000 UTC
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Taking a few minutes to track down one of the aides in the halls, Korse get’s some breakfast settled on the table and they pause the more serious discussions. All three of them dig in, the exchanged glances and pregnant silences only making the meal awkward. Kori, still feeling spiteful and impish over the matter, takes this time to purposely savour her meal. Ensuring she is the last to finish and both of the elder Kobolds have to wait on her.
OK, that was a bit petty… But it st...
2025-03-05 00:01:59 +0000 UTC
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AUTHORS NOTE:
Sorry it's late. Writing is back on track after a bit of a snag. There will still be 4 more chapters this week to get us back on track. Expect at least one for Wednesday and Friday and the other two to be published by Sunday to get us up to 3 ahead of RR. I will strive to get us to 5 by the end of next week.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standing awkwardly for several moments, ...
2025-03-04 02:14:40 +0000 UTC
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“I’m sure you must be imagining things dear.” Lowy pipes in in her condescending tone, “That spirit has stood watch for hundreds of years, as long as it gets fed now and then, it’s fine.”
“That may be the cause entirely, Lowy…” Ortik ponders before he responds to their assumptions. “Spirits gather around us and it takes a bit of their energy as we pass, initiates bring with them a guide that it can do the same from. Kori here had nothing. The guardian likely took off...
2025-02-28 04:00:00 +0000 UTC
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“Well, after the confluence? Is that what it’s called?” Getting a nod from Ortik, “After the confluence, it took me a while to recover, it r
“Well, after the confluence? Is that what it’s called?” Getting a nod from Ortik, “After the confluence, it took me a while to recover, it really hurt… Then I saw all the braziers, burning in their bright colours, swirling with impressions of so many things.” The impressions left by the essence of the Great Dragons from each bra...
2025-02-26 04:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Slowly stirring from her stupor, her surroundings entering focus as her eyes adjust to the light of the braziers and runes lighting the all
Slowly stirring from her stupor, her surroundings entering focus as her eyes adjust to the light of the braziers and runes lighting the all too familiar space of the Circle’s cavern.
“What… Why am I back here?” Looking around herself and trying to piece together what happened, “Was the door a trap? Did I take the wrong path…” Dis...
2025-02-24 04:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Slowing as she reaches the first intersection, Kori observes her surroundings more closely than her previous time walking through the maze like corridors. She makes several notes of things that she failed to notice the first time through. Like that the corridor between the Circle’s cavern and the first intersection was ever so slightly declined, just enough that the ceiling at the intersection would be just below the floor of the cavern.
Formulating an idea of the why of that, Kori ma...
2025-02-21 04:01:01 +0000 UTC
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With the brazier behind her, its call still beckoning her to return to its side, Kori moves onward. The final obstacle left on the dais strewn about before her as she approaches. Stones of various shapes and sizes, some precious, some mundane. Skulls and bones of all sizes from all manner of beasts large and small. Icons carved from a multitude of materials, some blurring the lines between what she should count as bone or stone and what is an icon. All these things intermingle in the final me...
2025-02-21 04:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Still observing her surroundings from where she lay after feeling as though the mist spat her out upon the ground. The feeling of being crushed and compressed as she passed through the mists lingering on her scales and in her bones. She notices that the spirits on this side are larger, brighter, and move more energetically as they flit about. Their hues that before were pale and washed out, growing more vibrant and intense as they gather around the braziers. Taking on the depth of colour pres...
2025-02-19 04:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Standing from where she had fallen, though still struggling to remember actually doing so. Kori peers around, looking to the shaman surround
Standing from where she had fallen, though still struggling to remember actually doing so. Kori peers around, looking to the shaman surrounding her, their faces a blur and forms featureless, she can’t even tell which of them is Ortik. Around each of them float and swarm tiny lights, congregating in places around brighter spots arrayed about their...
2025-02-17 20:30:40 +0000 UTC
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So there is a less than pleasant storm passing through my area and my power is currently out… unfortunately the draft was still in editing phase so it wasn’t posted yet when it happened. If power comes back before bed I should have it up relatively close to on time, if not it’ll be tomorrow afternoon.
2025-02-17 00:27:20 +0000 UTC
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Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, or so they say, and Kori’s days off eventually do as well. On the morning of the fifth day, her first day returning to her duties, Kori finds another surprise waiting for her. Having already fetched breakfast for the Spiritcaller, she’s surprised by his attire when he exits his sleeping chambers, his usual garb still fairly high quality, what he’s wearing today can almost be called ornate.
His totems on full display, arrayed acro...
2025-02-14 04:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Exclusive to Patreon preview of the cover art, it's still rough but depicts Kori reaching out to the scale of the Garnet Tyrant in the Chapel of the Scale within Emberscale Caverns.
It may take some time to be completed, but I wanted you to see how it was coming along.
2025-02-13 17:33:48 +0000 UTC
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“What do you mean, Spiritcaller Ortik? You told me to finish in ten days, it’s the tenth day, so I finished it… How was I supposed to know y
“What do you mean, Spiritcaller Ortik? You told me to finish in ten days, it’s the tenth day, so I finished it… How was I supposed to know you didn’t actually want me to finish it today?” Her tone changing to one of feigned innocence, clearly trying to call him out without saying it.
“’Want’ is not the corr...
2025-02-13 17:13:27 +0000 UTC
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Falling asleep did not come as easily as she was used to that night, the slightly pleasant tingling feeling suffused through much of her hand and seemed to rise and fall with her pulse. Eventually fading to a peaceful slumber, Kori woke the next morning feeling refreshed and renewed in a way she hadn’t for a very long time.
“It worked!” Stretching and contorting her formerly strained and abused fingers and wrist without a twinge of pain or stiffness was a blessed experience after ...
2025-02-13 17:12:10 +0000 UTC
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As the pages pass Kori learns many things, mostly about how to use plants to treat various illnesses or what plants are best to counteract the effects of other plants should you mistakenly ingest, handle, or in some cases just breathe too deeply in their presence. One of the other things she learns is that writing for hours on end has a distinct effect on your hands, namely that it causes cramping.
There was one unexpected benefit from her work on the tome however, on her third day afte...
2025-02-13 17:11:20 +0000 UTC
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