Memories give rise to one’s inclination, but it is the soul that shapes the direction of our will.
- Vincenzio Barbierri.
Whatever magic the Necromancer used to preserve me had faded. My bodily urges returned, and I found myself needing to use his bathroom. The flowing water was a technical marvel for this place, but for me, it felt like an experience from the third world.
Making sure to wash my hands, I rejoined Larynda in the ancient st...
2024-07-21 07:04:40 +0000 UTC
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Finally, got onto Rising Stars. Love of heavens, I had to make another page for it as I knew there was a black mark somewhere. Thank you guys for all of your support and putting up with my somewhat irregular postings!
On the other hand, I've lost my editor which is a bummer.
2024-07-18 18:34:20 +0000 UTC
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Many times have I counseled this esteemed body to bar entry to our glorious city for the Beastkin. Since time immemorial those blasted creatures have brought nothing but trouble to Al-Lazar.
As we all know too well, a countless number of their diseased ilk have taken refuge in our sewers. The Perfumers have observed that these creatures are almost entirely rodent-like in aspect. Also, according to the Adventurer’s Guild, they are a truly horrendous lot, feasting upon the ...
2024-07-17 13:52:12 +0000 UTC
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The Lirkud, or Sandray, is a monster resembling a ray fish of the oceans but adapted to the conditions of the deep places of the Whispering Wastes. These magnificent beings float effortlessly a sword’s length or two above the scorching dunes, gliding with an eerie grace that belies their substantial size. Their wide, flat bodies are covered in scales that shimmer in the desert sun, giving them an alien aspect in their sandy environment. Long, trailing fins ripple like silken bann...
2024-07-15 15:45:13 +0000 UTC
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The gryphon has come to symbolize the raw military might of the Empire. While many nations can field a few units of these majestic beasts, only the Empire can deploy entire wings—veritable legions of these winged creatures. The advantages are undeniable: soaring high above the battlefield, out of range of archers, they can scout, harass, and make a mockery of even the highest walls.
Yet, why do other nations not utilize them in greater numbers, or at all in the cas...
2024-07-13 21:15:13 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 46 - Conundrum
2024-07-09 21:09:59 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 41 - Small World
2024-07-09 21:03:58 +0000 UTC
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Got a bit of good news... and got a bit of bad news.
My editor has opened up his own English school which means he can no longer edit for me. On the other hand, I now no longer have to worry about going over comments which slows down writing!
2024-07-07 00:02:20 +0000 UTC
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Revenge bears no fruit save for that of a bitter satisfaction. A flavor that lasts for many a year.
- The Human Question by Gideon de Salavia 378 AC.
I opened the visor of my helmet, giving Fen my best and bloody smile. “You let your guard down and paid the price for it. Not even you, oh mighty Fen, can best me now…” I declared gleefully, enjoying the moment for what it was.
Despite my desperate predicament, I took some joy in seeing that my He...
2024-07-06 23:47:31 +0000 UTC
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It is the tree with many branches that is damaged most by the wind.
- A Quassian Aphorism.
“Enough! It is time to test your skill and resolve,” she exclaimed, drawing the sword at her side with the rasp of sharp metal.
It was too soon. I sensed that I had but enough Mana to cast only the simplest of spells. Reflexively, and against my better judgment, I threw an Identify at Fen.
The spell failed to take hold, seeming to skitter of...
2024-07-06 23:43:03 +0000 UTC
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There have been many that have professed to be my better. They were crushed by the weight of their false pride and my iron fist.
- Gilgamesh of Uruk.
Meditation, what useless nonsense. Clear your mind of extraneous thoughts? What use was there in pretending to be a rock? It was all mysticism and mumbo jumbo.
Instead, I delved deeply into the nature of my magic. My recollection of scattered bits and pieces of knowledge was clearer here, perh...
2024-07-06 23:35:26 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 2 - Time’s Up
Grasp the essence of the principles deeply, but wield them with the fluidity of water, ever-changing and adaptable.
- The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus circa 520 AC.
And so it continued. On and on, a litany of advice and physical education that did not end. The tiniest of details were scrutinized over, from the very way I stood to how much I leaned forward. I was taught a myriad of stances and forms with ju...
2024-06-30 02:23:42 +0000 UTC
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The Sea Hydra, known to the Mer as Tiamtu-Balmu and to surface dwellers as Sevensnake, is a fearsome war beast employed by the enigmatic people of the sea. These colossal creatures, each bearing seven serpent-like heads, serve as the living engines of war for the Mer in their relentless battles upon land and sea. Each head, capable of extending up to 40 feet, is lined with serrated teeth, designed for tearing flesh and armor alike, and can unleash a paralyzing, venomous spray that fells e...
2024-06-23 03:04:09 +0000 UTC
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Epilogue
All around him was darkness, but the smells and sounds of the world painted a vivid picture, a tapestry woven since his first squeaks and chirps. This was the world he had always known.
A sharp bite pierced his thick, matted fur. It was a new parasite, one of many that plagued him. Instinctively, he twisted to investigate with his nose, but the nuisance was just out of reach, nestled behind his neck. Chittering angrily, he rubbed himself against a rough s...
2024-06-23 03:03:04 +0000 UTC
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A true understanding of the martial path will forever elude the one who seeks only the journey’s conclusion. It is in the depths of study and the intricacy of the reasons behind each step along that path that true enlightenment and mastery are truly found.
- The Living Sword by Fen Vaigorus circa 520 AC.
The first meal of the day was a light breakfast of fruit and lightly salted meat on saffron rice. At first, we ate in silence, our expressions dour,...
2024-06-16 05:45:10 +0000 UTC
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Trust gravitates towards those who wield power with wisdom. Nurture your own strength and wisdom so that trust flows effortlessly from you to others, thus becoming a paragon of trustworthiness and a pillar of society.
- The Human Question by Gideon de Salavia 378 AC.
Chains of bone and bronze had me bound to four stone pillars, but not steel and iron. I stood in a wide, dusty plain, beneath a gray sky, the sun a dull presence overhead. The wind blew through, sti...
2024-06-09 07:48:22 +0000 UTC
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If a man claims he does not fear crossing the Shallow River, he is either a liar or one of the people from the Sword Ridge mountains. At the heart of the ancient Empire, the Ridges stand tall, home to the Sara Sikuttu, the indomitable people of the curved blades, since time immemorial. Tough and proud, they are almost always short of stature and hold themselves closest to the gods because of their lofty mountain homes.
Among these mountain folk, men of fighting age a...
2024-06-02 13:14:07 +0000 UTC
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Just swapped out my phone and I am having a little trouble accessing my google drive. I have my notes from this week's chapter and am currently reconstructing/rewriting it. Will update tomorrow morning Japanese time before I go to work. Apologies everyone for the delay.
2024-06-02 10:58:16 +0000 UTC
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What use is a good bow if there are no arrows to string?
- A Quassian Aphorism.
I had received the first reward for a chain quest, making it feel like the holidays had come early. Immediately I felt a childish urge to wield it, to spin it about and test it. To smash it against some innocent object in an explosion of delight.
But such thoughts were short-lived as Elwin and Kidu burst into my room, without even knocking. I jumped in surprise.
“Wha...
2024-05-26 03:57:33 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 36 - Jealousy
2024-05-19 02:42:27 +0000 UTC
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Truth is only valuable to those who can bear it.
- A Quassian Aphorism.
“Sounds right fancy then,” cooed the half-elven girl.
“Oh, and when are you usually on duty?” I inquired of Aldina as casually as I could, wanting to make the very most of my spent silver. I was surprised to see Larynda shooting me a dirty look.
The woman turned away slightly, and I caught the faintest hints of a blush. I had a feeling that she had m...
2024-05-19 02:37:43 +0000 UTC
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For five generations my family has held back the tides of disease, injury, and death. Until me, we had always lost. Now, finally, I have achieved an unsteady stalemate and those ignoramuses would have me fall upon my sword.
- an exerpt from the Diary of Vincenzio Barbieri.
The majority of all human conflict was born from miscommunication. This was my conclusion as I slung the bloody bundle of rat tails over my shoulder, sighing inwardly at the current state o...
2024-05-12 01:47:49 +0000 UTC
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Book 3 last few chapters are getting rather hectic with a lot of dramatic things happening! As you have probably noticed, he is getting more and more insane as he grows in power as the magics he thinks controls are pulling him this way and that!
I do not think I can leave the artwork in the studio I had previously employed, and will have to do a lot of the character designs myself. Cordelia and Larynda are some examples of my work when I set my mind to it, but since I am not a professio...
2024-05-09 12:37:43 +0000 UTC
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And Her Herald, peace be upon him, was the one who said: Oh people, give greetings to those you meet, and give succor to the ones in need. Give prayer before sleeping and the gates of heaven will be open to you.
And Her Herald, peace be upon him, was the one who said: Oh men of this world, fear the Goddess in women. I command you treat them well for they are in Her image.
And Her Herald, peace be upon him, was the one who said: Oh people, the Goddess did not ...
2024-05-05 08:19:51 +0000 UTC
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Today I have come to the conclusion that those who are rich need only risk a portion of their Share and assets to succeed and to become greater. Those who are poor must risk their very lives if they wish to become more.
- From the diary of Lady Aelayah of House Salahaem.
This world was slowly teaching me in a manner most crude of the limits of language and hyperbole. It was both the most intimate of sharings and the most heinous of violations. F...
2024-05-01 22:09:53 +0000 UTC
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Put on here for posterity. Please check Collections for latest chapters. vol 1 removed!
2024-04-30 13:17:10 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 31 - Scripted Events
2024-04-28 05:01:29 +0000 UTC
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Reflect carefully upon your memories, for when we gaze upon them at our convenience, they are oft inclined to present themselves in a manner most flattering to our own desires.
- From the Analects of Quassian Discourse.
I prodded the remains of Gersal to make sure things were absolutely safe before I approached closer. Most of the soft parts of the corpse, the unprotected places, had been eaten, leaving behind a rotted thing best placed in the realms o...
2024-04-28 04:47:39 +0000 UTC
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** Edited chapters 30-40 should be done Wednesday.
The sewers of Al-Lazar, ofttimes ironically dubbed as the ‘Perfumery’ by the locals of the city, is a vast underground network of tunnels that funnel out the wastewater of the city. Over the generations, strange creatures have come to call the place home. Cunning rodents the size of wolves, and in sufficient numbers almost as fearsome, clades of reptilia and chitinous horrors live alongside each other. Strangest of all ar...
2024-04-21 00:20:26 +0000 UTC
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When dragons fight, it is the trees that are burned.
- A Quassian aphorism.
Through a raised visor, I munched on some laverbread, the flavor almost an afterthought for me. Encased in solid steel, I felt more confident and safe. Skipping beside me, Larynda was her usual whirlwind of effervescence. She had decided to wear a dagger at her waist and took with her one of the wooden practice staves I had bought for her long age. The staff looked a lit...
2024-04-14 02:28:21 +0000 UTC
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