Alex’s mind was under attack.
The Mark wanted control, and wanted to bury it under failure after failure.
His mana was like an eel, slipping from his control.
But he fought both the spell and the Mark.
Determined, Alex set his jaw like a warrior and marched into the storm, continuing to wrestle with the spell. Distantly, he heard Professor Mangal encouraging him as he finished the final syllable.
Then came the rushing sound of water.
And a torrent of liqu...
2023-08-31 21:20:52 +0000 UTC
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The spell array seemed to loom off the page like a monstrous demon lord.
Every twist in the diagram resembled claws, clenched to tear Alex’s mind apart. Every sharp curve was like salivating fangs gaping wide to devour him whole. And the centre of the diagram?
Seemed to grin like the Face of the Fool, smirking and mocking him in silent malice.
Alex rubbed his eyes, trying to banish the illusions...if that’s what they were. Was he seeing them because he was running himsel...
2023-08-30 20:20:34 +0000 UTC
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“Come in,” Professor Mangal’s voice called through the door.
‘Good, she doesn't have a class,’ Alex thought with relief as he stepped into her office.
She looked up from a notebook she was sketching in at her desk.
“Ah, Alex, pleasure to see you,” she smiled at him warmly. “How can I help you? I doubt you’re here for extra help since you’ve been mastering our lessons in class so far.”
“Professor.” He marched to her desk like a knight about to ...
2023-08-29 20:31:55 +0000 UTC
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While contemplating his rapid descent into old age, Alex walked downstairs, on his way to the Cells.
All around, first year students scurried about, searching for Cells they’d been assigned to for first semester lab work.
‘By the Traveller, I still can’t believe how young they look,’ he thought, shaking his head as he reached the administration desk at the bottom of the building.
Waving to the administrator sitting there, he greeted her. “Hi there,...
2023-08-26 22:41:51 +0000 UTC
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“Alex, when are we going to learn about fire magic again?” Selina said, yawning as she came downstairs to the dining room. “I know you’re busy, but if you have time, I’d love to learn some more.”
“Oh, we will.” Alex heaped steaming links of breakfast sausage onto a platter in the middle of the table. Nearby, Brutus was drooling, watching the food.
“When?” she asked, sitting down.
“Soon,” he said. “Theresa! Breakfast time!” He called upstairs, join...
2023-08-25 23:06:46 +0000 UTC
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“Did you know that most members of our wizard-council have been regular customers of yours for months now?” Kartika, a councillor in the city of Generasi, asked Alex.
He raised an eyebrow. “No, I didn’t know that…”
Alex remembered Kartika well; she and some of her fellow councillors were with Baelin the day of the grand opening of the Roth Family Bakery. The six-armed wizard had been partly responsible for Govert Beerensteyn’s arrest after he’d bungled his sabotage...
2023-08-24 22:57:15 +0000 UTC
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“Behold!” Alexander Roth announced in a voice booming with the majesty of a king as he seized the edge of a tarp. “A wonder of wonders! Majesty beyond majesty! The birth of a legend! The—”
“Will you just show her the goods, partner?” Toraka rolled her eyes.
“Fine, fine!” the young wizard said grudgingly. “Some people have no respect for showmanship.”
With theatrical flair, Alex yanked the tarp away, revealing a golem.
The first word that ...
2023-08-23 22:54:04 +0000 UTC
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Hey everybody!
I just wanted to tell you that I am releasing a new project on royal road that was co-written by me and my good friend CJ Thompson. It's not related to Fool, it's new and it's something we really enjoyed working on.
We will be releasing it onto amazon, but I figured I would serialise it on RR for anyone that wants to read! It will be updating Sunday-Friday.
It's a litRPG progression fantasy. As for what it's about, well...
2023-08-23 00:00:27 +0000 UTC
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August 22nd Special Note: See the author's note below. No it's nothing bad, I'm okay and so is Fool. :)
###
“Well, this is going to be an exciting day,” a smiling Lucia said, stepping off the gangplank of her flagship. The heel of her boots clicked as they touched the stone wharf in Generasi’s harbour.
At her back, her crew had begun unloading cargo brought all the way from the southlands; crates and chests loaded with fragrant spices, alchemical rea...
2023-08-22 23:54:48 +0000 UTC
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“The Saint of Thameland, eh?” The Stalker sat pondering his lord’s words.
Surprising words. Strange words.
As far as he knew, there was no enmity between the fae lord and the holy Hero of Uldar. Had the young man said something to offend Aenflynn?
He was easily offended, after all.
And what of his oath to the Heroes? Merzhin hadn’t broken any law of the fae wild, or betrayed either the lord, nor the realm of Och Fir Nog. So what was this all about, wou...
2023-08-19 23:04:14 +0000 UTC
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Clouds of white and grey hid the castle’s highest towers.
Below them, on the peak of a lofty mountain, the castle rose from a forest of gold and scarlet, filling the horizon. An irregular facade of silver stones glittered in the moonlight, highlighting walls, roofs, and a host of towers spun from autumn leaves stronger than steel.
In the courtyards, fountains flowed with cider and mead, and every garden was abundant with luscious fruit, near bursting with magical juices. Stables...
2023-08-18 21:25:14 +0000 UTC
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Suddenly, the air felt charged as the temple went still. Not even an errant cough broke the stillness.
Everyone’s eyes rested on the professor. Whether they watched her seeking comfort from the words she was about to deliver, or—in the case of the Londons and other grieving families—with judgement, only time would tell. She moved to the podium.
If you knew the alchemy professor, you could tell that her usual self-assurance was absent. Gone was her matter-of-fact manner, and ...
2023-08-17 20:52:46 +0000 UTC
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Carey’s parents were—from all appearances—just an average middle aged couple walking into the temple, and most in attendance reacted to them as such. There was no grand fanfare, no announcements, no one jumped to their feet, or bowed.
Yet, those who knew them by sight paused when they entered.
Professor Jules and Watcher Hill stared at them for a moment, subtly whispering to each other. The professor’s face showed resolve, and tension, much like a first year student taking...
2023-08-17 00:19:04 +0000 UTC
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“Happy belated birthday, honey,” Alex said.
The twenty-year old huntress stopped untangling her hair in front of the mirror on her dressing table, pausing part way through a section of her black locks. Her clothing was of the deepest ebony, and to Alex, tangled hair or not, she was beautiful.
Theresa turned, her face looking confused until she suddenly raised her eyebrows.
“Oh, by the Traveller, you’re right!” she gasped. “I am twenty. My birthday passed...
2023-08-15 20:14:01 +0000 UTC
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Convergent development.
A phenomena where two different individuals or groups craft a similar—but different—solution to try to solve the same problem.
Two cultures who live near large bodies of water might produce slightly different designs for boats.
On the surface, the vessels might appear similar—both would be made of wood, concave in shape, and able to float—but the differences could be very important.
A boat developed by folk from a riverside village might...
2023-08-12 21:04:55 +0000 UTC
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Grey.
The perfect word for the day.
Summer’s heat was waning.
Autumn rains were coming.
But this day didn’t find Alex preparing for his new classes. He wasn’t in the library or any study area around campus. Nor was he in the city working on his businesses.
He was in the office of his rather unconventional mana manipulation professor. Professor Val’Rok was one of those people who never seemed to change, except today his scales seemed a lot shinier. His exc...
2023-08-11 22:40:22 +0000 UTC
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“Ten miles this time,” Alex Roth muttered, lost in thought.
Reaching into the energies of his soul, he called on the power of the Traveller, disappearing from the blazing hot sky, then reappearing miles ahead.
He looked down, using the landmarks he’d set to measure distance.
“Let’s see, that sword-shaped rock is over there… Which means…” His mind did some quick calculations. “...eleven miles. Good stuff. I’m breaking my records. I’ll keep going and try ...
2023-08-10 22:53:36 +0000 UTC
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The massive xyrthak called across the Barrens of Kravernus, its mournful cry striking terror into every creature that heard it.
Roaming through the sun-blasted ground below, muupkaras and gorgers abruptly fled at the sound of its voice and the creature hunting them below.
A dune worm.
The monster swam through the earth, its mouth open, ready to swallow them whole.
Yet the xyrthak was unfazed.
He was king of the sky, after all. What did he have to fear from anythi...
2023-08-09 20:00:57 +0000 UTC
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August 22nd Special Note:
I have a surprise announcement after this. It's not related to Fool or Ogre's Pendant but for all of you interested in more stories? Wait for the announcement in a couple minutes. :)
###
Alex rarely had drinks with his professors. As a matter of fact, he could probably count the number of times he’d done so on half the fingers on a single hand. Raising a few glasses…or more than a few, was normally reserved for enjoyi...
2023-08-08 20:45:26 +0000 UTC
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Professor Jules looked at Alex like the only thing she wanted more than a strong drink was to simply crawl away.
“I take it this is urgent, Mr. Roth?” she said reluctantly.
A part of the young wizard wanted to scream that it wasn’t and scurry away. That part wanted to present her with a long string of excuses and stall the conversation so he could hide for just a bit longer.
It desperately wanted things to remain the same: for his secret to stay with only his family, h...
2023-08-05 20:53:40 +0000 UTC
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Alexander Roth had lived a good part of his young life with swords hanging over his head.
After his parents died, he worked hard in McHarris’ bakery, saving every coin to help the Lu Family afford his and his sister’s keep. Everyday, the man would abuse him, and everyday the spectre of being fired loomed above him like a deadly sword, ready to fall and split his head in two.
After he’d been Marked, a sword still swung above his head, waiting to strike if his secrets came out...
2023-08-04 21:16:07 +0000 UTC
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The Stalker.
An ominous name for a seemingly innocent fae.
Or at least, he might have seemed innocent to the untrained eye; to the First Apostle’s well trained one, he looked anything but.
To most, the blue-skinned fellow looked quite harmless, even jolly, much like any simple dwarven-like fae with a stark white beard and blue skin. But to Gabrian…his body language told a different story; it bled a primal menace that could make even a predator tremble with terro...
2023-08-03 21:50:34 +0000 UTC
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There once was a man named Gabrian.
Well, more accurately, a boy named Gabrian.
His birth was an ordinary one, occurring in early summer as the trees filled with leaves and the flowers bloomed. There were no blazing lights in his parents’ cottage when he came screaming into the world.
No blasts from horns.
No engeli descending from the heavens to announce his birth.
But to Gabrian’s father and mother, he was—as many children are to their parents—...
2023-08-02 22:01:53 +0000 UTC
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‘Damn Uldar to every hell and back!’ Alex thought.
Why would he design and make something like the Ravener? Why? The young wizard now had another shocking revelation about the god to consider, another revelation that was as far from good as one could get. His thoughts were reeling. He knew that even though Uldar was dead, he was still the architect behind Thameland being destroyed, the reason why people fled their homes, the reason why those who stayed behind ...
2023-08-01 17:01:42 +0000 UTC
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After two years of gathering information and knowledge.
After a year of Ravener-spawn, and dungeon core hunting.
After months of alchemical examinations of dungeon cores and hunting for hidden churches and truths in Thameland, they’d discovered what most sane folk would think was the ultimate blasphemy.
It had been Uldar—Thameland’s own god—who had created the Ravener.
That truth glared from the pages of the notebook Khalik was holding.
Alex and those clo...
2023-07-29 20:41:27 +0000 UTC
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The throne loomed ahead, rising at the other end of the chamber.
Uldar’s body slumped to the side just as it had when they’d first found him.
As it had for thirty-five hundred years.
He was silent.
He was still.
And they were about to desecrate him.
Some didn’t think too highly of the idea.
“We cannot disturb our dead god!” Merzhin’s voice rose. “It is vile! You would not dig up the body of a loved one from a graveyard, would you?”
...
2023-07-28 21:05:08 +0000 UTC
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The longer Alex and his companions explored Uldar’s sanctum, the more he learned about the god of Thameland.
First, it was clear that Uldar surrounded himself with reminders of past glories, both his own, and his Heroes in battle. Second, his sanctum was a place where he spent time entertaining visitors, judging from the vast mead hall laid out with platters of steaming food on long white tables. The room also featured a towering fountain where wine flowed without end. Third, he’d s...
2023-07-27 22:25:46 +0000 UTC
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Two closed doors.
Two closed doors led from Uldar’s mead hall; their surfaces were completely smooth and lacked keyholes. The first door frame—on the left—was carved with painstaking detail, recreating a garland of delicate branches heavy with leaves and ripened fruit, trailing toward the floor.
The second door frame was also sculpted, but this image was of waves that ran together, each so highly detailed, it seemed they could flow from the doorway and splash across the floo...
2023-07-26 21:16:51 +0000 UTC
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Footsteps echoed through ominously quiet corridors of white stone.
Within the sanctum, the group moved cautiously, searching Uldar’s hallways, eyes constantly scanning for traps or guardians.
Though they had been assured that the place was secure by the spirit of their fallen friend, they took no chances; these were the halls of a dead god, his home, after all, and they were trespassers in them.
Claygon’s head swivelled in all directions...
2023-07-25 22:51:27 +0000 UTC
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‘It is time for me to go.’
Those words hit Alex deep in his core.
Before him, Carey’s spirit was fading. Her voice was. Her image more indistinct. Soon, her spirit would be gone, gone to the after-world and there was nothing he could do. Nothing any of them could do to stop it.
Until now, he’d had no time to let the full gravity of her death sink in, no time to reflect on it.
Uldar sitting dead in his throne room had much to do with that.
Ale...
2023-07-22 16:06:00 +0000 UTC
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