Almost 4k words on this one. Enjoy!
* * *
Or he would have, had the man not stopped mid-stride with a sudden stricken look upon his face. "What--No! No!" The man fell backward, not even looking at Felix, as if terrified of something he coudn't see.
Movement to Felix's left revealed Thangle, now fully visible but hiding beneath another wagon; his face was red and a vein clearly pulsed from his forehead. A group of miners were nearby, chained to the wagon and staring...
2021-02-17 05:47:36 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
Felix watched the doorway Evie had disappeared into while idly tracing the outline he'd drawn. She had decided to scout ahead, despite their foreknowledge of the terrain thanks to his Ravenous Tithe. Vess had agreed, and Felix deferred to their expertise; they had a decent grasp on where the redcloaks were, but more information couldn't hurt. Felix trusted that Evie wouldn't get caught. Mostly he was staring at the door because otherwise he'd have to answer...
2021-02-15 09:33:59 +0000 UTC
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Today (Friday 2/12/2021) marks my very last day at my day job. From this day forward, I'll be a full-time author. Amazing and insane, and you're all part of that. If it weren't for all of you and your support, I wouldn't be able to manage this thing I'm turning into a career.
So from the deepest parts of my heart, thank you all!
And here's to 2021 and writing a fuck-ton of fiction!
2021-02-12 20:26:44 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
"Do you have a problem with your duty, Acolyte?" Initiate Tilwen asked as he stepped further into his subordinate's personal bubble. He could see the twitch in the idiot's cheek as he attempted to master himself and failed; a scowl bloomed on the Acolyte's face.
"I ain't doin' your dirty work, Tilwen," the Acolyte fairly spat, his young face pinched in anger. "Why not lift your own arms for once?"
There was a hiss of breath from around ...
2021-02-12 05:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
"The scouts reported that the civilians were trapped in the mines proper, along with the people our scouts were sent to collect," Cal said. The press of people had faded, but still a few of her crew surrounded us to ward any mundane eavesdroppers off. Though anyone with advanced stealth Skills and a high Perception could easily hear what they discussed, and Cal knew that. If this were truly sensitive information, they would have erected some actual wards.
2021-02-10 05:00:01 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy, folks.
* * *
"Here they are," Portia said.
She had led him to a pair of cots in the rear of the Healer's Ward. Real, actual cots held the two heavily bandaged men. Felix could make out their faces well enough, even if he didn't have his Voracious Eye to identify them.
"If you need me, I'll be making more salves," Portia said in parting, clearly intending to leave him to his...his whatever. Was it grief? Or guilt?
Felix could sense a large portio...
2021-02-08 05:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
Felix secured some replacement clothes, similar to the natural ivory and taupe color of Evie's own get-up. Felix had asked her about her armor, but she'd just muttered something about it being ruined and a new set was being made. Apparently Rafny had made it back and was doing some work on new equipment for people.
I never did get back to them about armor, did I? Felix had wanted to get some armor since he got into town, but one thing or anot...
2021-02-05 05:01:00 +0000 UTC
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We didn't quite make the cut off on Patrons, so only three chapters this week. I'll see what I can do about more chapters soon, though!
Enjoy!
* * *
"What do you mean, I am not allowed to train with Zara?" Vess demanded.
Darius Reed, Hand of the Duke and her personal minder, didn't bother to stop. He plodded onward toward their own training area Reed had secured hours before. "It is forbidden."
"You cannot be serious," Vess said. She hurri...
2021-02-03 06:12:46 +0000 UTC
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As of posting this ( at midnight EST, or GMT-5) we are at 499 patrons! That's amazing. If we can hold or even push higher then 4 chapters are coming your way if you're in the Journeyman Tier.
Enjoy!
* * *
Stone crunched beneath the Archon's golden foot, loose debris scattered across the warped passages deep in the earth. His step was sure and steady, the pace of a creature that did not feel fatigue nor pain, as tireless as the mountain he trod beneath. Beside him...
2021-02-01 05:11:53 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy! More on Monday!
If we can stay above 490 patrons past the 1st, I'll write and release FOUR chapters for Journeyman Tier next week.
Have a good weekend!
* * *
Within the sitting room of a four story manse near the Sunrise Gate, Eliza DuFont pondered the vicissitudes of life. A wine glass balanced on her fingers, half full of her second favorite vintage, the best she could find in the manse's stores. She sighed deeply.
Only a few short weeks ago, the El...
2021-01-29 06:49:08 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
There were plenty of notifications from his recent battles, and when Felix let the floodgates loose they poured in. A veritable storm of System energy flooded his core before being spun back out as golden flame.
Unfettered Volition is level 43!
Voracious Eye is level 43!
Meditation is level 46!
Shadow Whip is level 38!
Stone Shaping is level 40!
Wrack and Ruin is level 39!
Corrosive Strike is level 40!
Unarmed Mastery is l...
2021-01-27 05:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Hey folks! Time to Temper!
Enjoy!
* * *
Pinging before his eyes in a series of alerts, Felix stared at nine (NINE!) Essences that he'd never seen before.
[Essence of Sage]
[Essence of Hearthstone Flame]
[Essence of the Celeritous Trek]
[Essence of Diamond Eyes]
[Essence of Sainted Bones]
[Essence of the Dustbringer]
[Essence of the Severed World]
[Essence of Knighted Steel]
[Essence of Primal Fury]
Voracious Ey...
2021-01-25 05:22:42 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
They were mostly silent as they made their way through the winding streets of the Dust Quarter. The roads were damaged and the buildings dilapidated, but that was par for the course; aside from a few smashed windows, the Dust had largely escaped the fall of the Eyrie and subsequent damage.
Still, the chance of running into more Revenants was high. Felix let his Perception swell outward, relying on his Manasight and high stats for any early warnings; h...
2021-01-22 07:15:17 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
Felix marveled as he flexed his hand. The hole that the priest had shot through it had healed completely. All it had cost him was stolen essence. The other slices and bruises on his body healed just as fast, fading to simple scratches in minutes, though it depleted him just as quick. The Revenants were more than happy to keep him topped off, however.
"SCREAAAAARGH!"
Felix leaned back from the Revenant's wild swipe, before closing the distance an...
2021-01-20 15:48:08 +0000 UTC
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Spent the weekend outlining arc/book 3 and I'm pumped to share it with you all. The plan is to have this next arc done in a couple months. Fingers crossed. Let's get it started!
Enjoy!
* * *
The items on the shelf burst into brilliant vapor, their essence torn free to stream into Felix's open mouth. This, he realized, this is what is worth stealing in a church.
Power surged in him.
A storm lit within his belly, and a confusing flurry ...
2021-01-18 15:24:32 +0000 UTC
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New arc begins now! More on Monday!
* * *
Seventeen Months Ago
Atop the Klaven Cliffs the City of Neer stood tall, an edifice of grey-green stone and glowing sapphires. The slums of Neer, however, draped from the fractured whitestone cliffs like the cast-off rags most of their inhabitants wore. Housing was ramshackle at best, and most of the area was tacked onto the Klaven Cliffs like an unwanted appendage. Complicated knots of rope and rusted...
2021-01-16 01:21:19 +0000 UTC
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Final chapter for this arc, what I consider Book II were this published (the goal, eventually).
Hope you all enjoyed the ride so far. We got a long ways to go, yet.
See you Friday.
* * *
"He's--" The white armored young man trembled, his eyes distant. Haunted. His cloak had burned away and his once-shiny platemail was dented and dull.
"Tell us, Klark. We heard it, we-we saw the explosion," an Acolyte got down on her haunches to look in the boy's ...
2021-01-13 06:24:43 +0000 UTC
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I think one last one on wednesday, and arc 2 is finished (plenty more still to come). Enjoy!
* * *
Screaming in terror, Felix and Pit hung on for dear life.
The Ravager King had exploded from the demolished Domain Shell, tearing apart nearly a thousand yards of dense sigaldry with a body bigger than the Eyrie itself. Felix would have been scraped clean of the Ravager's head were it not for the level of mindless fury the creature was experiencing. A near con...
2021-01-12 04:12:05 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
Two men argued below the earth, in the dank sewer network beneath Haarwatch. The larger shouted, red faced and sweating at the smaller, a slight figure with a silver goatee.
"-he holds us in the palm of his hand, Teine!" Elder Hyde growled. "The council has fallen and the guild lost its Charter! We're gutted, you skinny fool! Unless we take it back!"
"No," Teine said in a flat voice. He was leaning close to the Domain entrance and studying it, al...
2021-01-09 09:45:55 +0000 UTC
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Sorry for the wait. These chapters are emotionally draining to write, to say the least, haha.
Enjoy! This arc wraps up in a couple more chapters. Then onto Arc 3!
* * *
The books Felix had read and memorized were not complicated things. Above all else, they stressed the fundamentals of sigaldry: opposing glyphs to enhance effects, modulating the effects of primary sigils with smaller secondary sigils. Basic theory and craft. But most of all, they emp...
2021-01-07 04:12:32 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
They hit hard. So hard they bounced.
For all that he'd turned and braced against the Queen's bulk, the thing was dissolving fast. Felix hung on tight, digging his claws deep into the iron-hard flesh, but by the second impact there wasn't much left of the Queen to protect them. Streamers of its essence fled in all directions, like a popping water balloon filled with a dark, iridescent smoke. Including into the bore.
Felix's muscles felt like ...
2021-01-05 02:41:47 +0000 UTC
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Happy New Year!
* * *
The freaky sigils proliferating in the Domain were difficult on both the Mind and Spirit, but Felix pushed through it. He had no essence left, so this part had to rely upon his own talents rather than the stolen potential of his enemies. Quite apart from simply tracing it, Felix found he had to divest an uncomfortable amount of attention and care into the magical runes. Different from other such markings, he didn't so much expend Mana as he investe...
2021-01-01 20:12:10 +0000 UTC
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Late late late! Well, not really, but late in the day! Working two jobs this week, so divided attention and all that. But here you are!
Next chapter up on Friday!
Enjoy!
* * *
Holy shit, this is high up.
Getting up onto the Queens had been their first challenge. The creatures flew fast and high, and the imposing size of them was like trying to jump onto a super-fast rail car the size of a skyscraper. Thankfully, they had Pit. Felix few up first. They...
2020-12-31 04:17:36 +0000 UTC
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Sorry for the wait! These last few chapters of this arc are brutal. This fight should be wrapped up in a few more chapters.
Good news, already have a head start on chapter 163. See you Wednesday!
* * *
The Queens were just beyond the cliff, coming in fast. Felix could feel them like burning stars in his senses, descending on their position. The Envoy cackled, and Felix saw Harn heft his axes, his intent clear. The insane construct had no purpose, not ...
2020-12-29 04:16:04 +0000 UTC
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Merry Christmas! If you don't celebrate that, then happy Friday! Hope you enjoy the chapter!
* * *
"I'll send my spears ahead, pull him back from Harn!" Vess shouted, landing near him before leaping forward again. In this way, she was just able to match Felix's rapid pace. His body was more powerful than ever, his Strength, Vitality, Endurance, and Health regeneration boosted far higher than normal. He hadn't the time to do the math, but it was a lot.
"Use you...
2020-12-25 09:15:14 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
Felix steadied himself as the influx of essence threatened to topple him. While the amount posed no threat, the denuded melodies of their corrupted essence sang of discord and strife inside of his core. As he'd experienced before, it was the direct opposite of the strains that came from the System. Yet, Felix had not survived the Maw and its machinations without learning to deal with discordant power. A flare of his Will and Alacrity let him push ...
2020-12-23 06:12:44 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy! I'll have chapters up Monday/Wednesday/and Friday this week! See you Wednesday!
* * *
Voracious Eye.
Name: Ravager Queen
Type: Primordial-Spawn
Level: 75
HP: ?????/?????
SP: ?????/?????
MP: ????/????
Lore: Born of the Maw's blood and a Sub-Core, this abomination has fed upon one of the four corners of the Domain. It gains great power from its consumption.
Strength: Extremely resilient to physical and magical damage. Contains a p...
2020-12-22 02:29:47 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
The Arcids were servants built by the Archon, a figure he had encountered back in the Foglands. Why was one here, in the middle of Haarwatch?
"Let us see, let us see! Cookpot or slab? What shall it be?" The Arcid scuttled between bodies, moving first toward the nobleman. "Ah so scrawny! All bones! But the taste of force, of twinned bindings on..aha!"
The metallic man, covered in glowing lines, pulled something free from Alister's body...
2020-12-18 21:20:52 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
The Bishops of Hunger, each around the same size as a Knight, loped from the shadows. Their prehensile limbs, seemingly boneless appendages, arced behind them like a handful of scorpion stingers while they ran on all fours. Even their hands were strangely shaped, tipped with yellowed claws that tored into the stone tunnel without issue.
"Felix! On me!" Harn shouted.
Convergence!
Pit appeared in a flash of light nearby. "Pit! Stay out...
2020-12-17 02:30:48 +0000 UTC
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Enjoy!
* * *
Alarm shot through Felix, and he raced ahead, pulling the stone back into place as he ran.
Stone Shaping is level 33!
Despite his speed, Atar still made it to the sigils ahead of him, and Felix found the young man staring raptly at a series of gashes in the earth. As if molten lava was dwelling a fraction of an inch below them, the sigils emitted a light like liquid fire. Atar's face was illuminated with a dan...
2020-12-14 23:32:21 +0000 UTC
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