The building in front of them was a tumbled-down circular ruin, more intact in some parts than in others. What had once been the front wall and entrance was a shattered mess, but the back and sides were still standing and had most of a roof attached.
The snow was piled up a half a dozen feet deep around the sides of the building, like a silent blanket cradling the structure.
Above, ...
2021-10-18 23:47:20 +0000 UTC View PostThe only thing that held Sam back from breaking the Lykaris’s neck was that she wasn’t an Outsider. He also remembered the last civilized person he’d killed, that wizardess who had attacked him in the tunnels.
He still didn’t feel guilty about that, but it wasn’t something he was going to repeat when he knew what was going on. Perhaps it was a sign that he wasn't as young and fo...
2021-10-16 20:29:07 +0000 UTC View PostSam sprinted forward, pushing himself ahead with a burst of crystal flame as he launched himself off the upper wall. Another flare of flame beneath his feet slowed his landing as he hit the snow below.
It felt like the snow compacted, shifting to support him and absorb the impact, but he didn’t have time to pay too much attention to it.
The ruins were uneven here, with many stones...
2021-10-14 21:14:19 +0000 UTC View Post“Let’s head back to Highfold to warn the church, and from there up into the ruins,” Lenei suggested as they left the Ice Sylph village.
Except for Lenei, they were on foot now, since the horses wouldn’t do as well once they climbed up into the slopes.
Hopefully, the Initiate of Ice trait would help them to move a bit more swiftly than before.
Behind them, Aemilia and A...
2021-10-12 22:57:32 +0000 UTC View PostSiwaha’s house was a small, elegant cabin with walls made from some thick hide that was tightly stretched between wooden supports. The frame arched to form a square enclosure about twenty feet across.
The thatch of the roof above was a verdant blue-green grass that smelled like snow and winter flowers, with a faint hint of wintergreen.
On the floor, a mat of woven grasses was warm...
2021-10-10 17:42:31 +0000 UTC View Post
Here’s another sketch of Sam, by a different artist.
If you like it, I’ll have them color it too.
2021-10-10 15:02:28 +0000 UTC View Post“Hold still, son,” Jeric’s voice rumbled as he loomed in Sam’s vision. “You’re a bit of a mess, but you’ll be fine.”
Sam and Jeric's view of wounds had changed a bit over the last year, since they had more access to magical healing than they'd ever had before.
As soon as Jeric saw that Sam was still breathing, he relaxed.
The rest was fixable.
He felt his...
2021-10-08 19:09:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Here’s the sneak peek for the cover of Aster Fall!
It’s not completely finalized, but this is basically what it will be.
The next chapter will be out in a few hours.
2021-10-08 17:28:41 +0000 UTC View PostAs the essence stars flew toward Sam, the Icebloods glared across the distance at him.
There was a cloud of confusion in the shaman’s eyes. His expression turned ugly and then to something else.
Unease.
The shaman couldn’t see beneath Sam’s hood, but now that he was commanding the essence, it was clear that he was also an Outsider.
The Iceblood didn’t understand ...
2021-10-04 17:46:45 +0000 UTC View PostThe Ice Sylphs on the far side of the village were holding against their attackers for now, but they were badly outnumbered. Even their higher levels weren’t enough to fix that.
Sam and the others came to a stop in the center of the village, a couple of dozen feet from the unidentifiable old woman who was guarding the children.
He would have run straight into the battle, but somet...
2021-10-01 22:22:10 +0000 UTC View Post“It should be somewhere around here,” Jeric said as he glanced at the forest ahead of them, which was filled with silverbark pines.
Ice crystals glinted on the bark of the trees, created by the Ice-aligned mana that infused the air as it touched them, freezing the wind into a second layer of bark.
“Legend says silverbark pines were formed when a god threw a spear of ice at the...
2021-09-30 23:51:47 +0000 UTC View PostLenei’s words echoed in Sam’s ears as he looked down at the shield. He’d never heard the Cycle of Ages, and no bard had ever come to Cliff’s End, but the names of the demons resonated.
The three demons he’d seen in his dream had auras that fit that story.
He was pretty sure what he’d seen in that dream had been the very first time the demons and the Astrals met, not the ...
2021-09-29 21:41:45 +0000 UTC View PostSo, the time has come!
I need to decide what to call the series and I'd love your input.
What do you think this series should be called?
Feel free to add your ideas below. Here are a bunch I've come up with.
Sam pulled a healing scroll out of his belt pouch, one of the limited few that he’d made in between working on his bracer, and handed it to Altey.
His sister was holding onto her Wand of Ice Bolt with a fierce determination, even as she was also hiding behind him, looking across the circle with wide eyes. Aemilia’s hand on her shoulder kept her from moving any farther forward.
...
2021-09-29 00:21:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe Starfire spell exploded against the intruder as Sam’s curse echoed in the air. The explosion hurled her backward even as she raised her shield to block it, picking her up like a rag doll and throwing her across the ground.
Half of the practice area between him and the stables was consumed in a fiery, blue-white conflagration as the spell erupted in a sphere of burning energy, scorch...
2021-09-27 18:37:45 +0000 UTC View Post
I like Sam’s look in this one. What do you think?
Three or four more pieces are on the way too, all from different artists.
2021-09-27 02:35:27 +0000 UTC View PostWhen evening fell, Sam headed outside the inn to a semi-secluded area behind the stables. Few people came out here, especially at night, which meant that it was an excellent area to train.
It didn’t take him long to set up a privacy ward to conceal sound and light from the surroundings. The Amulet of Swirling Winds was useful for it, acting as a focus.
Normally, the amulet could o...
2021-09-24 23:29:27 +0000 UTC View PostBook 1 is doing well enough on Amazon that I should be able to put out an audiobook version of it, which some folks are waiting for.
Here's a poll with some of the best known narrators for LitRPG! Feel free to vote for multiples.
Who would you like to be the narrator?
I'll send them a message and see if they're available.
Looks like most are booked out 2-3 mon...
The essence from the pill was a small, icy star. It struggled in his grasp, but it was a single point compared to the seventeen that were already in his blood.
It had no chance against the force he exerted against it.
The essence rose up into the air as the pill around it crumbled, turning to dust that blew away.
With a jerk of will, he pulled it toward himself. It flew toward...
2021-09-22 22:41:06 +0000 UTC View PostWhen they returned to the inn, they spoke to Henar briefly about the supplies in the cave, so he could send his merchant friends after them. His eyes widened when he heard the amount.
“I’ll round up a few to go and look,” he said, his voice gruff. “You’ve done a good thing here.”
With that, Henar turned away, calling to Rusel. “Grab the cart, lad! Then go tell Old Eapa...
2021-09-21 22:21:51 +0000 UTC View Post“Let’s see what those bandits thought was good enough to steal,” Jeric agreed, cracking his knuckles as he looked toward the cave.
It was hidden behind the trees and snow now, the entrance invisible, but it was within the range of both Crystal Focus and Earth Sense.
He wiped the wyvern blood that was still on his hands away on the snow, rubbing off the last of it, and then he ...
2021-09-20 17:49:05 +0000 UTC View PostSam limped as fast as he could, circling around the dead wyvern as he raced toward his father. He pulled out all the healing scrolls he had from his pouch, which ended up as half a dozen sheets in his hand.
When he got there, his left leg gave out and he collapsed on the ground next to his father. He dropped his staff to the side as he activated the first scroll and pressed it to his fath...
2021-09-18 01:56:35 +0000 UTC View PostCrystal flame burned around Sam in a raging torrent as he released the Starfire spell in his hand, targeting the sorcerer in front of him.
It was an instant decision between the wyvern and the bandits, and he doubted that the wyvern would go down quickly. It was better to eliminate the trash and then deal with the wyvern with their complete focus.
He also wanted to take care of any ...
2021-09-17 20:34:14 +0000 UTC View Post“Can you see their trail?” Sam asked as he turned toward Krana. “How far did they run?”
The party was gathered in the inn, looking out the window toward the distance where the Iceblood Guild had gone.
The essence stars in Sam’s blood were singing, pushing his senses to alertness, making his mind and movements accelerate.
He didn’t want to wait for them to come back...
2021-09-16 17:07:50 +0000 UTC View Post“What is this Iceblood Guild?” Jeric asked Henar as the party and the two new additions settled into a private meeting room in the inn. His voice was concerned.
It had taken them a half hour or so to calm down the innkeeper and the guards, but the Iceblood Guild was already known for causing trouble. In the end, all they’d had to do was blame it on them.
It was also true.
<... 2021-09-14 22:08:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe half-giant’s hand landed on the boy’s neck, scooping him off of the wagon seat like a strangled chicken.
“Ucgghk...!”
As he was swept into the air, a choked-off scream echoed from the boy’s throat. He dangled there, held up only by the giant’s hand as his face turned red and he struggled to breathe.
“Of course, if he doesn’t want to work for us, we...
2021-09-13 21:32:25 +0000 UTC View PostSecond "dream" scene added for Sam. The Guardian Star is starting to feed him some info. He'll be seeing a few more of these here and there.
This one is at the end of Ch. 10, right after Crystal Focus upgrades to Advanced.
It's been added over there. Here it is for you.
Working on the next chapter now.
---
As he slept that night, flickers of intense color and image...
2021-09-12 20:22:24 +0000 UTC View PostThis scene is in Chapter 4, between where Sam sees the strange lightning vision and then makes the defensive amulet for Altey.
It should help to bring the "cosmic pressure" of Sam's job home near the beginning of Book 2.
It also gives a heads-up that the "journey to Highfold" will be a training arc.
I'll copy it here for you.
---
When he fell asleep that night, ...
2021-09-11 18:31:09 +0000 UTC View PostThe road to Highfold was covered in snow. There was only a day left in their journey and it was nearly up to the horses’ knees. Even the sturdy beasts were having trouble breaking through it now.
The level of essence was not decreasing, but fortunately, it was no longer increasing either. It seemed like they’d reached a point where it saturated the area. That made it difficult to pinp...
2021-09-10 20:08:09 +0000 UTC View PostTower Reach
On the western edge of Tower Reach, the city retreated in the face of rich mansions and manicured lawns. Magical fountains bubbled through elegant wooded glades and fields of flowers, scattered amongst edifices of marble and gold.
No peasant stepped foot in this area to disturb the serenity of wealth. They were kept away by guards who were quick to kick at a pas...
2021-09-08 21:24:51 +0000 UTC View Post