philtucker

Demon Prince Vorakhar

Portrait generated in MidJourney.

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 15

There was an unintended consequence to equipping Nessa with both the Twilight Crown and the Aureate Master.

The intention had been to boost her critically low Ego score. At a mere 8, reflective, no doubt, of her cracked confidence and inability to wrest herself away from her angel dust habit, she was so painfully susceptible to the scarecrow mental blasts that just one attack might have k...

Harald's Companions

Portraits generated in MidJourney.

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 14

Eclavistra was gone, her fragrance fading, the warmth on her side of the bed turned cool. Vic stared sightlessly at the subtly glowing azure pool that filled the center of her cavern, its waters gently eddying and casting rippling reflections endlessly across the rough ceiling. His hands hung between his knees, his body ached from too much pleasure, but Eclavistra had taught him the cruelest of...

Silenthros, Demon Lord of the Dungeon

Portrait created in Midjourney.

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 13

The figure that stepped through was clearly kin to Eclavistra and Vorakhar, but substantively different. He towered at almost seven feet, his gleaming ebon horns adding another foot beyond even that impressive stature, and his raiment spoke of inexpressible refinement.

Despite his fear, despite his urge to either flee or launch an attack, Harald couldn’t help but stare in wonder at the ...

Eclavistra, Demon Queen of the Dungeon

Portrait generated by MidJourney.

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 12

The moment Harald sat down a wave of exhaustion washed over him. The scales had healed the damage, expunged the infections with the Fallen Angel’s might, and even now Sam’s Guardian’s Mantle was enhancing his resilience and gently mending what damage remained in his soul and body.

But he’d been through so much.

For a moment it was all he could do to simply stare ble...

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 11

Harald ran for his life.

His lungs stewed with infection, and his every breath was a gurgle. His throat was closing up and his body was drenched in a fever-driven sweat, while his vision blurred so that the hallway slipped and swayed before him.

Shock. He felt numb, overwhelmed, and for the first time some part of him wished he’d held onto the Helm of Wrath.

Perhaps it might...

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 10

Thracos surveyed the dungeon chamber, his heart beating steadily, powerfully, vitally.

Here it was, at long last.

And Harald hadn’t disappointed.

The young man stood over a dead Thought Reaver, killed it seemed with one blow by the glorious Artifact he held lightly in one fist. The blade was mesmerizing, its splash of obsidian shaped into a scimitar-like crescent, its depths...

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 9

Lord Rowan Thorn peeled off his gloves and held them out so that some servant or other could take them, then raised his chin so a second could unclasp his cloak. The Council Meeting had been interminable, with every fool and their inbred cousin needing to bleat their opinion to the heavens, even if they were only repeating what the last idiot had shouted.

He’d sat through it all, chin o...

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 8

A great weariness befell Harald as he walked away from his friends. The austere and bleak chamber reminded him of the terror and fatigue he’d felt the first time he’d explored this level, and the endless flight through darkened corridors and into life and death battles with the scarecrows. He turned to glance back just before entering a side tunnel, and saw Sam laying out her bedroll as she...

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 7

Kársek had set out the artifacts in neat rows when Harald and Sam returned to the group. Anna had drifted off despite the discomfort of her ornate plate armor, head simply tilted back against the wall, while Nessa remained curled up on her side, though whether she slept was impossible to tell.

“So what do we have?” asked Harald, lowering into an easy crouch as he gazed at Gorkin’s ...

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 6

“Vic, no!” Harald stepped before his friend, cutting off his line of sight to the demon. “You can’t mean that. You don’t—this isn’t—”

“Darling.” Vic was amused, exasperated, and wry all at once. “Come now. You’ve seen her hips. Those thighs? How is a poor boy to refuse? You should know me better.”

“Vic.” Nessa’s voice was urgent, her expression raw ...

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 5

“It’s an absolute debacle,” murmured Snarri Blind-Eyes as he strode into the Council Basilica alongside Lady Melisende Celestis. “I haven’t seen the like since the Extraction League provoked the first Shuddering.”

Lady Melisende kept her features schooled to noncommittal calm as she led her entourage through the grand hall. The air was alive with murmuration, and everywhere co...

Pricing Update + iOS Apple shenanigans

Happy Sunday morning, everyone, if it's Sunday morning where you're at.

I put up a poll a couple of days ago and the results are in: 85% of voters are fine with a price increase from $8 to $10.

The tier was originally created at $10, but I dropped it to $8 as an apology when I reduced chapter posting to 1/week. Now that we're ramping up to 3/week minimum, with most weeks probably hi...

Huge Patreon Update

Real quick: I finally updated all the Throne Hunters chapters from Books 1 to the present. This meant creating new Collections, pasting the edited final copies over the old inaccurate ones, and ensuring that everything now is in order, up to date, and finalized.

Apologies for any confusion. If you're in the middle of reading, my apologies for the interruption. But many of my post...

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 4

Harald inhaled sharply, felt himself tense, felt all his many Abilities and Artifacts and Servitors right there for the summoning. If House Silvershield with its demon-bound Lady Argent thought he’d come quietly, that he’d be intimidated by a score of City Watch and their best raiders, well -

“Run!” Nessa’s bark was all business, low and forceful and leaving no room for argument...

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 3

(Please note, I'll be going back today to update all the old chapters to their edited and revised form.)

Harald jogged up to his quarters and pulled his raiding backpack from out under the bed. At first he simply stuffed items into bag with mechanical efficiency: his scale lantern, his remaining supply of dried rations, all four water skins, his flint and steel, his bedroll, extr...

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 2

Vic moved to the sideboard where he poured himself a glass of brandy. “Now, far be it from me to not adopt a cavalier approach to assaulting the combined military might of Flutic’s noble Houses, but honestly, even I need more than just ‘make them swear to the Crown’.”

“I can secure us an audience with Lord Draken,” said Anna, a single vertical line appearing between...

Throne Hunters Book 4, Chapter 1

(Hello everyone! Surprise chapter drop, as even I didn't know when I'd be returning to Throne Hunters and the consequences of Harald's raid on Count Gorkin's estate. Well, turns out I'm returning today, and here's the first chapter in what will become Book 4 of this series. I'm not 100% sure what the posting rate will be, but it'll be ongoing and constant from hereon out. Thanks for stickin...