Shadows in the Smoke - Chapter 49 - Duty is a Harsh Mistress
TF Warden posts
Shadows in the Smoke - Chapter 46 - Perhaps We Could Have Been Friends
Shadows in the Smoke - Chapter 44 - Retreat
Shadows in the Smoke - Chapter 44 - Retreat
“The Revolution saw a revival in Itrian artistry. Before, only those lucky enough to obtain nobleborn patrons could practice their craft, meaning that only art that appealed to the fads and fashions of our former overlords was produced. Now, art flouri...
2026-01-27 07:40:39 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - Chapter 43 - Overwhelming Numbers
Shadows in the Smoke - Chapter 43 - Overwhelming Numbers
“One of the cornerstones of society in the Republic is our system of guilds. Guild members pay a small fee for their membership and in return their guild provides them with support if they find themselves in difficulty and helps to maintain...
2026-01-22 17:00:18 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - Chapter 42 - Special Ammunition
Shadows in the Smoke - Chapter 42 - Special Ammunition
“The Republic is surrounded by hostile powers that would like nothing more than to return the People to the oppression of the past. We can and do extend the hand of friendship to our neighbours, but it is vital that every Citizen remembers th...
2026-01-20 11:00:30 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - Chapter 41 - The Sound of Marching
Shadows in the Smoke - Chapter 41 - The Sound of Marching
“Ideology binds nations together. It is a shared consciousness which allows diverse groups of individuals to achieve more than the sum of their parts. That is why the Republic’s ideological unity is such a strength.”
Th...
2026-01-15 21:28:26 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - Chapter 40 - Alarm Bells
Shadows in the Smoke - Chapter 40 - Alarm Bells
“The integration of the Republic’s Talented into its army has helped it to become one of the foremost fighting forces in the world. After the disaster of the Battle of Grathbridge, the way in which our Talented soldiers support their fellow Citize...
2026-01-08 08:51:32 +0000 UTC View PostShadws in the Smoke - Chapter 39 - Guard Duty
Bonus chapter, woo! Next chapter will be the regular Thursday one.
Shadws in the Smoke - Chapter 39 - Guard Duty
“Before the Republic, hunger was the natural state of a large portion of humanity. Barring famine and similar disasters, most nations produce all they need to feed their peoples...
2026-01-06 17:27:04 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - Chapter 38 - A Conspiracy Against Her?
First up, happy New Year to all of you and thank you for your support. I'm very excited for 2026. Book 1 is going to be published and we're getting into the real action now for book 2. I think my writing speed has increased, so I'm expecting a few more bonus chapters too. First bonus chapter will be on Tuesday.
Shadows in the Smoke - 37 - Republican Breakfast
Shadows in the Smoke - 37 - Republican Breakfast
“In order for a society to function properly all of its inhabitants must have a stake in its success. A share of prosperity if you will. Under outdated political systems such as that of the Empire, this is limited. While the ordinary subjects of ...
2025-12-25 18:03:43 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 36 - The Long Walk Home
Shadows in the Smoke - 36 - The Long Walk Home
“Freedom of speech is fundamental to the Republic. Its Citizens welcome constructive criticism because that is what helps it to grow. Due to the protections granted by law, we can be sure that our journalists, writers and politicians tell only the t...
2025-12-19 00:58:14 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 35 - Testing a Chartered Mage
Shadows in the Smoke - 35 - Testing a Chartered Mage
“The Empire boasts of their Archmages, privileged individuals who epitomise the inequality and inefficiency of their government. They claim that the Republic has had nothing like them, since the overthrow of King Tobin. Let them make their thr...
2025-12-11 21:28:11 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 34 - All You Do Is Talk
Shadows in the Smoke - 34 - All You Do Is Talk
“The lifeblood of the Republic is coal and iron. Our mines are among the most productive in the world, using the ingenuity of our Citizens to dig deeper than any of our neighbours could hope to. Productivity is ensured through Svendsenite efforts on...
2025-12-05 00:11:14 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 33 - A Skeleton Wreathed in Arcane Fire
Shadows in the Smoke - 33 - A Skeleton Wreathed in Arcane Fire
“Many things are repulsive to good Citizens. Corruption, inequality, unearned privilege are all sickening. However, little is more depressing than seeing the servile way in which commonborn subjects of the Empire practically worship ...
2025-11-27 23:15:59 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 32 - The Laws of War
Shadows in the Smoke - 32 - The Laws of War
“Where base factionalism divides the other nations’ leadership, the Republic is united in its quest to better the lives of its Citizens. Each member of National Assembly acts on their own conscience to represent their electorate, avoiding the jockeyin...
2025-11-21 00:18:02 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 31 - We Have a Small Problem
Shadows in the Smoke - 31 - We Have a Small Problem
“Equality is a fundamental principle of the Republic. Every Citizen has the same rights, freedoms and duties as every other. However, that does not mean that we have no hierarchies. The Republic’s military, like any other, has officers of di...
2025-11-13 23:15:57 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 30 - Murder in the Night
Shadows in the Smoke - 30 - Murder in the Night
“Life for the living in the Lands of the Dead is nasty, brutish and short. Every living person there survives knowing that their survival is entirely dependent upon their usefulness to the Liche Kings. Sadly for them, this generally manifests in th...
2025-11-07 01:58:34 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 29 - A Rude Awakening
Shadows in the Smoke - 29 - A Rude Awakening
“Inheritance is the source of many of the evils of society. By allowing the accumulation of property and titles based on nothing more than birth, a nation ensures that the most talented will not have the chance to rise to the top. Nowhere was this bet...
2025-10-30 21:26:29 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 28 - Escort Duty
Shadows in the Smoke - 28 - Escort Duty
“Base superstition permeated Itria until the foundation of the Republic and continues to grip its neigbours. For example, in the Empire they regularly swear by the Spirits. Imagined benevolent beings that influence the world in their own inscrutable ways. ...
2025-10-28 21:47:55 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 27 - A Change of Command
Shadows in the Smoke - 27 - A Change of Command
“It is fortunate that the Lands of the Dead have such a backwards political system. The Lands of the Dead suffer for a myriad of reasons, but one such reason is their backwards political system. Organising a society on the basis of power and allowi...
2025-10-23 22:56:09 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 26 - Sore Feet
Shadows in the Smoke - 26 - Sore Feet
“The proximity of the Lands of the Dead to our northern regions means that Citizens must be vigilant for infiltration by the undead. Skirmishes along the border are not uncommon, but at the time of writing the Liche Kings have been relatively quiet for over t...
2025-10-16 20:46:23 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 25 - The First Shots
Shadows in the Smoke - 25 - The First Shots
“In the Empire, no one will willingly touch a Mage. With direct contact, they can murder or harm a person with no possible defence or, in the Empire’s backwards system, legal recourse. However, in the Republic, friends and comrades will embrace wheth...
2025-10-09 21:30:36 +0000 UTC View PostCrush Them Beneath Our Feet - A Republican Marching Song
Here's the whole song from Chapter 24, as written by me (no AI assistance). Now free to everyone as Chapter 24 has gone public.
Chorus
Come arise one and all
We must march lest we fall
Together soldiers stand
For victory is at hand
Verse
The liches crawl down from the north...
2025-10-05 20:34:49 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 24 - A Rousing Chorus
Just to say, the song is entirely my own work. No chatgpt!
Shadows in the Smoke - 24 - A Rousing Chorus
“Education is core to the success of the Republic. Itria is not a rich land, much of its territory lies far to the north where the soil is less productive and Citizens must struggle ag...
2025-10-02 22:28:06 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 23 - Time for a Party?
Sorry for the slightly late publication, there were technical difficulties. I decided to take a last minute trip to Mainland Europe on the overnight ferry and didn't think of the fact that there's no mobile phone signal in the middle of sea (well, technically the ship has its own network, but data is so obscenely expens...
2025-09-26 06:30:39 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 22 - Never Trust a Republican
As I'd hoped, I've managed to get enough written to give you a bonus chapter this week. Ester is trying out being a spy and getting invovled in some gambling, which is all going to end in lots of fun for her no doubt.
Shadows in the Smoke - 22 - Never Trust a Republican
“The Republic treasu...
2025-09-23 22:35:25 +0000 UTC View PostShadows in the Smoke - 21 - On the Rails
Here's the next chapter. It's got the first perspective from a Republican too.
I'm hoping to have some more free time over the next few days, so might get a bonus chapter out on Tuesday next week, but we'll have to see how the writing flows.
Shadows in the Smoke - 21 - On the Rails
“T...
2025-09-18 22:41:56 +0000 UTC View Post
