The party of imperial accountants and their entourage left Rowan Keep, Theordis stating he had finished for the day and would do the rest on their return trip. He was quite shaken by something. When Manfred and Geoffrey heard the story being passed around by the guards, they chuckled. Theordis saw things one way and would rather try to change the course of a river than admit he built the bridge in the wrong place. Geoffrey dealt with the movement of goods from one place to another within the ...
2023-03-06 03:29:14 +0000 UTC
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Some re-arrangement of chapters. I almost was tempted just to ignore the gods since the Splinter sailed away and avoided dealing with them. But Jack owes Ozzy a reward!
Correct chapter order
257: Sailing Home
258: Horse Sense
259: Trade Talks
260: Homecoming
261: Let’s get out of here before the gods show up.
262: Urban Planning, Southern Style
263: Accountants
I've also got two stubs of chapters for here on Patreon that deal with Dauntless/Cavend...
2023-03-05 20:07:10 +0000 UTC
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I felt like I was missing a part of the story, and a couple of you asked about Rolly and Ben. This bit needs to go in after Chapter 257, where Splinter sails down from the smoke. It will be the New Chapter 258. The chapters currently up will bump up a number when they hit Royal Road. I'm going to try and get 3 chapters up this weekend. I'll be going over this one more time before posting; it might have a couple of errors.
Ozzy was still light-headed even hours after they dropped ...
2023-03-05 07:06:23 +0000 UTC
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With a small flash of light, several people appeared on the teleporter at Rowan Keep. They paused momentarily, looking around at the new construction and half-built walls. Four of the men were bodyguards. The other three were imperial bureaucrats. As they stepped aside, three scribes, one groom, and the first of ten horses appeared. The bureaucrats could be easily recognized by their rich clothing, shoes not made for walking outdoors, and perpetual scowls. They seemed to have the same look re...
2023-03-03 05:25:56 +0000 UTC
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This chapter is essentially done, but I will be going over it in a day or two, to make sure everything about the use of runes is correct.
Runes. Milo was thinking about runes. His valiant scouts had saved him from being stuck in the infirmary for three days. It had been a close race, barely getting himself to safety before Gendifur investigated his latest mishap. It had been a bumpy and painful journey, but now he was in his favorite spot and could nap, read, and think about ...
2023-03-03 02:27:43 +0000 UTC
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Two stealthy scouts moved through the night bearing a stretcher. They were on a secret mission to deliver a brave fallen warrior to a place where the spies of the Master Healer wouldn't find him. Normally, Tweedle and Ringtail would avoid the Tower of Strife at all costs. It was a perilous place full of books and lessons. There were horror stories of brave shadow skulkers being trapped inside for days on end, forced to do long division problems until their heads exploded.
They raced a...
2023-03-01 02:21:40 +0000 UTC
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For those interested, the last and first mention of this big city was back in Chapter 70: Knives in the back. We haven't seen much of it since then.
Vernon Throckmorton stared at his mostly useless group of managers, searching their tanned and perfect faces for some hint of an idea about how to deal with the current situation. He saw nothing.
One of them was at least reading the briefing material he had dictated before the meeting. Ricardo was a new face at ACME. Nepot...
2023-02-27 22:13:38 +0000 UTC
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An hour of hard work by two strong men filled the hungry chains of the charnel pit with the carcasses of slaughtered sedge beasts. Thick smoke filled the building that would have choked anyone addicted to breathing normal air. The charnel pit, frantic at first at Ozzy's return, began to calm down. With every breath, he left his mark on the building as his smoke coated the chains, turning them from a greenish silver to a dark black. He hauled down one of the fully smoked beasts, tore off a leg...
2023-02-27 17:50:28 +0000 UTC
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I am feeling a bit better. Enough coffee and loud music, and I can write again.
"When I told you to take it easy, I thought we had an understanding. Obviously, you were confused by what I meant by Take it Easy." The large healer was very upset, and somehow, Milo felt he was being blamed for what had happened.
Milo really didn't want to argue with Gendifur, but he agreed with her that they hadn't defined the term 'take it easy.' " I was just do...
2023-02-26 21:20:08 +0000 UTC
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Moving a little slowly and sleeping 14-16 hours the last few days. I wanted to get up chapters for both stories, but it took all day to finish this one. Hopefully, a Butcher story tomorrow.
An air duct with a 24" diameter was not someplace to be shooting through head first at 30 feet per second. Part of Milo's brain was calculating the risk, while another part calculated his chance at survival if any part of the duct had collapsed or changed. Mostly, Milo ignored those parts and enjoy...
2023-02-24 03:07:51 +0000 UTC
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This one is a little short. The basics of the story are here, but I might expand on it some. It needs time to percolate in my head.
People curse the route to the City of Blothbezmadan. They joked that the only thing harder than getting there was trying to get back out. Only it wasn't much of a joke. Probably because not many of the people (And we use that term loosely) in the city had a sense of humor. Still, there was money to be made there, and with the lure of money came th...
2023-02-21 06:55:36 +0000 UTC
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It was Lord Hound who spotted the ship first. He came into the tavern, slamming open the door and barking at 'Bob' who was sitting with 'Harry' and 'Selma' enjoying a casual lunch. Suzette's tavern had become a popular place for some people to come and not be Lords of the Fae for an hour or two. The unofficial rules laid down in each of their lands forbid disturbances. Bob had made no such rule for Lord Hound. He knew the Hound would ignore the rule, which would be embarrassing.
Selma...
2023-02-20 06:51:23 +0000 UTC
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Someone made a comment, and didn't know I was listening....
Outside of the little town of Sedgewick (or perhaps it was a Hamlet?) was an enchanted fairy ring traditionally used by the Lords of the Fae for traveling between their realms and those of mortals they favored. It was general knowledge that mortals who attempted to use such rings might disappear forever, spend a century in captivity, or even end up thousands of years into the future. But there were exception...
2023-02-20 04:32:09 +0000 UTC
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"Aaaahhhh!! Dammit." Woodrat yelled as the ship abruptly went into a steep dive and descended hundreds of feet as the hull lost heat and lift. Splinter had been ascending steadily through the highest levels of the Smoke and had just transitioned into Sky a few minutes ago when she clipped the edge of a fluffy, white cloud, cooled off, and began to drop quickly. There were smaller screams from the rest of the crew as the ship took a sudden nosedive. Everyone on the ship was wisely dou...
2023-02-20 01:17:26 +0000 UTC
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Mcteeth screamed as he fell into the Demonic Statue's belly and then further beneath the city. His screams alerted two of the ghouls that were looking for scraps nearby. They'd been looking for over a hundred years, but they were certain that they would find something to eat if they checked each nook and cranny of this small cave. It was an understatement to say they were overjoyed when a sack of meat fell into a pile of rotted wood. Mcteeth gained a few seconds as they fought over who got to...
2023-02-17 05:28:34 +0000 UTC
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"I am very sorry, my new friends, but I can't take less than 50 gold each for these fine horses. I am taking them to the monthly market in Hurlsford, where I can surely receive a fair price of over 75 gold each." Gili Moonface shook his head sadly, obviously wanting to make a deal but not willing to budge on the price any further.
"Look, mate, I understand you need to make a profit but are you considering the state of the roads? A horse might break a leg or something. Thunderhead is st...
2023-02-17 04:23:06 +0000 UTC
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A half-hour later, Milo had to admit to himself that the party wasn't some nefarious scheme by an evil corporation. It was a media event designed to gain free advertising for the Manpower Corporation and to help launch their new streaming channel, Great Gaming. But for people from the hab attending the event, it was just entertainment and free food. And a type that most young hab dwellers had never seen. Someone had the good idea to fill a room with people playing games to advertise a channel...
2023-02-16 19:26:38 +0000 UTC
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Milo's list of things he needed to do was getting longer and stranger.
Research the party.
-Identify possible dangers of attending the party.
-Find out if they will have food at the party. (New things to try.)
-Find out why the group running section H is holding a party.
-Get stuff ready for a swap meet.
Research 'Gaming Gloves'
-Create a design for gaming gloves and set up fabricators.
Rese...
2023-02-16 04:40:36 +0000 UTC
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Sonya Thornfist, battle-druid of the Emerald Reavers guild, looked around the table, judging whether her peers had a consensus. "I seek your opinions as council members of our guild on our next course of action."
No one was paying attention, and Sonya vowed never again to hold a 'working lunch' at the local tavern. Most of the guild just wanted not to have to pay for the food. Four people were still looking at the menu and figuring out which of the four items to order. Dirk and Brad we...
2023-02-14 07:50:38 +0000 UTC
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You have maximized your contribution points to Limburger Hollow and fulfilled several quests before they were offered to you.
The following rules apply:
-You will no longer be charged contribution points for meals. This includes up to two cheesy snacks a day or more if approved by Gendifur or Smiley.
-You have earned tenure in the Tower of Strife. You will be addressed as Professor Tallsqueak by all students.
-As a current member of the Conclave, you may use contributio...
2023-02-14 06:05:52 +0000 UTC
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When I started Patreon I didn't know much about it, and sort of copied what other people did. But after doing it for some time, I'm thinking of changing things around.
I'd like to structure things by story.
-An option for supporting BOG with 10+ chapters ahead
-An option for TR with 10+ chapters ahead.
-And an option for both stories, 10+ chapters ahead.
I've had some complaints from people that they like one story or another, and would like to just have updates for that ...
2023-02-14 00:38:02 +0000 UTC
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Ghastful predators stalked the night in Hungrytown.
Gravestones overturned as the restless dead emerged, heading the call of more powerful monsters to come forth. Ghouls emerged from their crypts, no longer content to chew on old bones. Tonight was special. A creature of hunger and death had emerged from where it had been chained below the ground. Atop one of the larger tombs, a Dreadwulf had appeared. Its howls summoned the lesser creatures and infected them with its hunger, for such c...
2023-02-14 00:27:43 +0000 UTC
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The sun peeked over the horizon, spreading its light over a world that wanted another half-hour sleep. Or so Captain Bernice always assumed, based on how her troops moaned each day. The Red Banner Mercenary Company was warm and toasty in their bedrolls, clustered in squads around the ashes of their campfires. The night guards were up, of course. They had been on duty since midnight and were eager to turn over their watch to the next four men and get food from the cook.
By tradition and ...
2023-02-11 05:38:18 +0000 UTC
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The news that Rifkin had escaped bothered Milo, but at the same time, he thought there was little that sneakybadguy could do anymore to hurt Limburger Hollow. No one trusted him, and he'd be grabbed as soon as he poked his nose out of whatever hole he was hiding in. And, of course, there was Larry. Larry didn't like Rifkin, and with how keen Larry's senses were, if Rifkin had any survival instinct, he would go far, far away.
Milo was just happy to have things settling down. It seemed ...
2023-02-10 03:10:00 +0000 UTC
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Gendifur was scowling and looking at samples her needles had taken from Tallsqueak using Arlothe’s Advanced Device for Looking at Small Things. "He probably should have died. Possibly his bone structure saved him, storing the excess elixir until it was needed. I don't recommend anyone ever drinking two doses, let alone six."
Old Healer had his own idea. "Multiple poisons could have done it. He was suffering from the venom of a Noble spider, then several doses of unknown less...
2023-02-09 04:10:48 +0000 UTC
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Cooking pancakes was much more complex than Milo had ever imagined! He hadn't considered that half the people didn't know what pancakes were. There was also the question of why he was doing it. Saying, "I want pancakes, I don't care about the money, and I had to order in bulk for fast delivery." would have generated even more questions, some of which he didn't want to answer.
Luckily, he'd come to the right house. Mama got to work instructing the young ones how to mix pancake batter. F...
2023-02-07 01:34:05 +0000 UTC
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No, I still haven't gone to sleep. I slept last night, and that's enough. On a roll and didn't want to quit writing. But Bruno wants his early morning meal and a walk, and I'm thinking it's time for bacon, eggs, and more bacon.
As Joe pursued Blackgut into the sky, a glass jar with a chain attached fell next to the Butcher, breaking. The smoke inside the jar flowed into his mouth as he struggled to catch his breath from the blow Blackgut had dealt him. Images poured into his m...
2023-02-06 10:53:08 +0000 UTC
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Two cyclones fought high above in the Smoke near the border of Skye. Joe was rusty. He hadn't had access to all of his power in centuries. The curse that allowed a Cyclone to be bound also separated them in two. The bulk of their power was contained in a wild Cyclone, bereft of most of its intelligence and will, easily controlled by the gods of the planes and kept under control. The rest, their soul and mind, was bound to an object or individual. Joe had become a 'smoke golem' bound to one bu...
2023-02-06 10:49:22 +0000 UTC
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Twelve more times Ozzy drained the sails of heat to turn barrels of rotten rum into bombs. Each time they cleared the top deck of the galley of the undead. The wood of the Black Ship was too old and hard to catch fire or char. The ship had been making the trip from the bottom of the smoke to collect the dead since humans had first come to the smoke. It was an artifact of another age. The charred were another matter and were destroyed by the released heat.
Black gut sat and watched as ...
2023-02-06 00:55:05 +0000 UTC
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The lookout's voice echoed down from the crow's nest, fear in his voice. "Enemy ship off the port side, closing fast!" A large, black galley with three tiers of oars and no sails lit was closing with them fast; their intent to ram was obvious. A steady beat of a drum and the screams of the damned echoed over Dauntless.
Not waiting for orders, one sailor began ringing a large alarm bell, and two mates sprinted below decks to alert the crew.
Cavendishe's voice rang out, amp...
2023-02-05 22:58:03 +0000 UTC
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