Plum Parrot

Vainglory 1.18 - A Parting of Ways

Enjoy!

18 – A Parting of Ways

“I don’t like this at all,” Haley said as they traversed another long, descending tunnel. They’d been walking for what felt like an hour or more, and they’d passed more than a dozen branching tunnels. Wherever they had to make a choice, they’d been choosing the right-hand option, following some rule Ward had read about mazes—something about following one wall being the way to get...

Vainglory 1.17 - Unexpected Reunion

Hey all! I know these "hemograph" charts aren't coming out perfectly aligned on Patreon. It's the editor. I use "tab" to set the lines on Word and over on RR, but guess whose text editor doesn't do tabs? Silly Patreon . . .

Enjoy!

Plum

17 – Unexpected Reunion

When they stepped through the copper door, they found themselves in a circular, stone-walled room with...

Vainglory 1.16 - First Loot

Enjoy!

16 – First Loot

To Ward’s relief, the pedestals didn’t sink, and no chimes began to sound as they made their way over the shimmering water to the platform with the door and the square copper box. Nevkin was the first there, naturally, and Ward was contemplating threatening him again so he wouldn’t open anything ahead of his arrival, but the young man restrained himself, pacing back and forth before the box, or...

Vainglory 1.15 - Encounter

Here we go - the last one for tier 2 for now. When I start posting more on RR, I'll be sure to keep opening up further chapters on Patreon to keep you all ahead.

Thanks!

-Plum

15 - Encounter

The room Ward stepped into was starkly different from the one he’d left. It was so distinct that he began to wonder if the archway had teleported him somehow. He wasn’t ...

Vainglory 1.14 - Together

Next!

14 – Together

“Do something!” a man screamed from near the back of the clustered would-be challengers. Someone threw something metallic at the door, and it clanged, bounced off, and spun away down the pit.

“Anyone got a bow? Shoot an arrow into it!” a woman yelled. Ward thought about it, wondering if maybe the door wasn’t solid copper. Maybe it was only a thin sheet of metal over wood, and the ...

Vainglory 1.13 - A Harsh Welcome

Hope you enjoy :)

13 – A Harsh Welcome

The long marble staircase was the steepest Ward had ever been on, and as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he felt a bit of vertigo sending queasy butterflies into his stomach. Some of the other challengers spoke to each other. A few made quips, trying to lighten the mood, but most were silent as they climbed down the precarious, seemingly endless stairs. Ward looked over his shoulder a few times, trying to ...

Vainglory 1.12 - Nothing Ventured

I'll be posting a few chapters today - handing them off to you all as I finish my revisions. :)

-Plum

12 – Nothing Ventured

Ward looked down the long stretch of marble stairs, past the rows of tiered stone benches, into the bowl of an outdoor amphitheater where the entrance to the Tarnish catacombs sat. He found it hard to believe that he could just walk into some old ruins with some other f...

Vainglory 1.11 - The Truth

Hey folks! Two things: I'd really appreciate any feedback on the "stats" - are they clear enough? I mean, I understand if they don't make sense, but are they clear enough to keep you interested? I'd also love to hear if this conflict with Grace is believable. This is some new "motivation" for Ward that I've added for this revision pass, and I want to know if his decision to go into the catacombs feels believable at this point.

Thanks!<...

Vainglory 1.10 The Hen's Nest

Enjoy the chapter! Another chapter is coming right after this - I'd love to hear any feedback from folks reading along with this new story! Thanks :)

-Plum

10 – The Hen’s Nest

Ward followed Fayella through town, down winding streets, up steep hills, and past buildings and folks of all kinds. The strangeness of the animals and people began to fade to a sort of background noise in his head a...

Victor 9.3 - Balance

Here's a little check-in on Darren and the others, and some cultivation time with Victor. Happy Sunday :)

-Plum

Darren looked at his plate, then up at Edeya, and made clicking sounds deep in his throat. She narrowed her eyes. “I forgot, Darren—is that one a happy sound or an annoyed one?”

“Happy! It’s like a smile. I love chicken!”

“It’s a chottle hen, according to the woman at the...

Vainglory 1.9 - Bargains

Last one for a while :) Gonna work on tomorrow's Victor chapter.

Cheers!

Plum

9 – Bargains

Tarnish wasn’t anything like any city Ward had ever visited. For one thing, it must have been built before or in spite of any sort of vehicular transportation. There seemed to be a central sort of spine of broad roads that ran west to east through the city, with major ...

Vainglory 1.8 - The Road To Tarnish

If anyone's wondering about the pace of posting these chapters, basically, it's going to go pretty fast until I've got 25 up on Patreon. I have the chapters written, but I'm revising as I go. Some chapters are quick to revise 'cause they're not changing hardly at all. Others will require near-total rewrites. Still, I hoping that before next weekend, we'll be at the 25 mark, and I can get launched on Royal Road.

8 – The Road to Tarnish<...

Vainglory 1.7 - A Stranger in Need

A little encounter, a little flavor, a few more clues about what's going on . . .

Enjoy!

7 – A Stranger in Need

When Ward woke the following day, his mouth was so dry it felt coated in cotton, and the twisting knot of hunger in his belly demanded attention. He groaned and rolled to his back, opening his eyes to the pale gray-blue sky. He blinked rapidly a few times, growing accustomed to the light, and then he noticed a tall shadow to ...

Vainglory 1.6 - Stargazing

Here we go! Enjoy the chapter. I'll probably post another two or three today.

-Plum

6 – Stargazing

Ward looked around the little clearing, a space of soft, new grass surrounded by tall, slender saplings, and nodded. “Yeah, this should do.”

“Get yourself a good night’s sleep, and we’ll keep hiking tomorrow.” Seemingly following her own advice, Grace delicately settled...

Vainglory 1.5 - Mana

How about a chapter this fine morning? Enjoy!

-Plum

Oh, just as a side note - if you want more involvement or discussion with regard to my posted chapters than you can get in the comments, don't forget about my Discord! There is lots of activity on there these days :)

5 – Mana

Grace, who’d wandered a few feet away and was busily poking at a tuf...

Vainglory 1.4 - Scavs

In this chapter, the first elements of the "LitRPG" come into play. I'll probably stop posting for today so people who are interested can comment. I'm curious what you think of this little table. I know it seems obscure right now, but things will slowly become clear as Ward figures them out.

Thanks!

Plum

4 – Scavs

Ward arched an eyebrow at Grace’s sudden out...

Vainglory 1.3 - Crash Course

Here's another for you! To incorporate the changes I have in mind, some chapters will need a lot of revision and some not so much. This one was quick :)

-Plum

3 – Crash Course

Ward snorted again and raised a thick brown eyebrow, locking his pale eyes with Grace’s strange, fiery ones. “The hell do you mean the lowest world? The hell is Vainglory?” Grace might not have realized it...

Vainglory 1.2 - Welcome to Vainglory

Here's chapter 2. Might have some more for you as the day goes on. :)

-Plum

2 – Welcome to Vainglory

Ward groaned and pressed his knuckles to the wound on his lower back. He could feel the hot blood, but the injury didn’t hurt too much. He figured that wasn’t a good sign. He bent over, and the world swam as he braced himself on his knees. He slipped his gun into his coat pocket, and, wit...

Vainglory 1.1 - Dark Dealings

Here's Chapter 1. I hope you enjoy the mood. If anyone's wondering, I AM adding some LitRPG elements into this series, but they'll be much lighter than most. Some stats can be seen and improved via narrative-driven means. No "system" per se. The magic is complex and fun, and the world will have some steampunk/fantasy vibes.

Anyway, hope you enjoy :)

-Plum

1 – Dark Dealings

...

Vainglory Cover Art and Blurb

Hi, everyone! Here's the cover art for my newly revised Vainglory series. I've also included the blurb I've been working on. I'm very hopeful that some of you will have feedback on it. Does it grab your attention? Does it reveal too much? Is it too wordy? Not wordy enough?

I'll be posting the first couple of chapters today for my tier 2 and 3 patrons. After that, I'll post the chapters to Patreon as I finish the revisions. Once I have 25 here (tier ...