As the elevation increased, so did the cold and wind until they were a constant, cutting force against Sam’s skin. His Constitution and the Belt of Gentle Climes kept him from being uncomfortable, but there was an implicit threat in the touch of the ice.
Snow began to drift through the air as they climbed higher, a li...
2021-09-07 21:23:51 +0000 UTC View PostHighfold was still two weeks away on their travels, but the Western Reaches were already looming large above them, their towering forms stretching higher into the sky ahead. The city was nestled on the shoulder of a high peak above one of the rare passes through the mountains.
For the human inhabitants, it was a difficu...
2021-09-05 23:52:48 +0000 UTC View PostA couple of days later, they stopped for the night near a grove of scattered redfrost pines. A lone merchant wagon was the only other traveler on the road here, heading in the opposite direction. They waited for it to pass before they cut off into the grove, which was far enough away to give them some privacy.
After eve...
2021-09-04 01:39:46 +0000 UTC View Post
Just a quick post to let you all know that Book 1 is now available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited.
If you have a moment to leave a rating or review, it would always be appreciated.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09CLKKF48/
Thanks so mu...
2021-09-03 05:45:20 +0000 UTC View Post“So, that Barbarian knows you’re an Outsider,” Jeric frowned as he took in Sam’s words.
The fork towards Highfold was just ahead of them and the afternoon sun was bright in the western sky, radiating out a liquid gold energy across the horizon.
“What I don’t understand is why he had so little of a reac...
2021-09-02 21:53:18 +0000 UTC View PostSam will be doing some training and crafting over the next bit, and of course, killing monsters.
He'll be doing all of them to some extent, but the scenes can focus more attention on one part or another.
Where would you like to see the most attention, and which would be the most fun?
Options belo...
2021-09-02 04:08:28 +0000 UTC View PostThe Barbarian stared at Jeric as the threat to twist his head back on straight registered. Then he barked out a rough laugh. Unfortunately for him, Jeric’s anger wasn’t dissipating, and he took a step back as he assessed the situation.
“For thieves, you have balls.” He looked around, taking in Sam and Lesat. His...
2021-09-01 21:02:39 +0000 UTC View Post“Damned adventurers,” Sam muttered, agreeing with Krana as he jumped off his horse and walked forward in front of the others. If the adventurers had planned better, they wouldn’t have made the monsters go crazy.
Now they’d made them his problem. The Storm Striders and all ten of the Flamecaller Devils were headi...
2021-08-31 23:15:16 +0000 UTC View Post“No.” The answer was said without any particular emphasis.
“What do you mean no?” Nelgen was staring at a whipcord thin, vicious-looking man in front of him.
There was a prominently-placed tattoo of a silver viper curling around his forearms, which shined with some type of totemic magic.
“...
2021-08-30 23:58:02 +0000 UTC View PostEveryone else was sleeping as Sam kept watch. It was near the middle of the night now, and except for the lightning, everything else was silent. The elemental storm was showing no sign of its force decreasing, which meant they might be here for a while, perhaps for a day or two.
The storms were the main reason that the ...
2021-08-30 04:42:33 +0000 UTC View Post
This is the first sketch of Sam from the artist.
Sam looks pretty barbaric here, which fits in many ways.
My first thought was that he should look more intelligent or cultured, but his Charisma at this point is only 15.
He’s wearing a rat hide tunic, angry that the warlord is attacking, and defending...
2021-08-29 22:54:27 +0000 UTC View PostThe road stretched ahead of them across the Storm Plains. It wasn’t much more than a beaten cart track that somehow resisted the encroachment of time and grass. Whatever had gone into its construction, there was something about it that endured, like the western provinces themselves.
His gaze pierced back through the m...
2021-08-28 02:52:28 +0000 UTC View PostSomewhere
In the layers of the dimensional barrier around Aster Fall, the Outsider man and woman were staring at their orange spell sphere, which was flickering intermittently. It didn’t look as robust as it had a little while before.
Their spell bubble was currently floating in the fifth layer of the S...
2021-08-27 00:40:04 +0000 UTC View PostThanks for all the support this month, folks!
Some artwork is on the way from the last Goal tier. I've found a good artist and he's working on some concept sketches, which I'll add here as soon as they're ready.
The scene will be from Book 1, Chapter 30, with Sam and Jeric fighting against the Basalt Gnome W...
2021-08-25 22:38:54 +0000 UTC View PostSam Hastern
Character Sheet at the End of Book One.
General Level: 42
Class Level: 42
Class: Battlefield Reclaimer.
It probably wasn’t a good idea to incinerate the villagers, but it was tempting.
Currently, a pack of idiots was blocking their path out of Cliff’s End. They were led by Nelgen, the village's main landlord who was more than a little shady.
This conflict had been building up over the last three days, ever...
2021-08-24 21:41:03 +0000 UTC View PostHere's the epub for Book 1! It'll be up here for about a week until I have to take it down when the Kindle Unlimited version goes out.
2021-08-22 17:42:57 +0000 UTC View PostTwo and a half months later.
A tall, broken-off cliff rose above the winding hills as a group of four people moved along the road through the rough terrain below. Calling it a road was generous, since it was little more than two cart tracks barely visible amongst the scraggly brush to either side.
The cli...
2021-08-22 17:33:36 +0000 UTC View PostWhen the world faded back into existence, Sam wasn’t sure how much time had passed. The image of the darkness stretching away from him hung in his mind, along with the distant stars. It was a strange vision, similar to when the Outsider ruins had transported him. Something about it told him that it was real, as if he'd glan...
2021-08-20 18:17:57 +0000 UTC View PostThe figure of the Bloodweaver was clear in Sam’s mind. It had turned toward the explosion just in time to see what was happening as the cores exploded. Somehow, it had survived the blast that had devastated the rest of the cavern. As he kept looking at it, however, he realized it wasn’t moving much.
It looked like t...
2021-08-18 21:04:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe wave of bloody serpents slithered toward Sam as his Essence Blade sped across the distance between him and the Bloodweaver. The snakes were moving quickly, but Essence Blade was faster. It closed in on the lizard with a burning crackle of energy.
The Bloodweaver’s staff shot into the air, a golden shield appearing...
2021-08-17 00:49:29 +0000 UTC View PostAs the figure’s hood fell back around his shoulders, its face was revealed. It bore some resemblance to the Grey Shard Stalkers, at least in a basic lizard-like appearance, but there were qualitative differences. All across its visible body, there were diamond-shaped scales made of a dull, dark gold, patterned with lighter ...
2021-08-15 22:31:16 +0000 UTC View PostSam set the second core down gently on the stone table in front of him while holding his breath. It shouldn’t blow up until he activated the rune pattern on it..., but it was charged with an incredible amount of energy. He had to handle it with care.
The enchanted sphere was a combination of two fully charged auras, f...
2021-08-15 00:10:14 +0000 UTC View PostAs he finished his meditation, Sam summoned a wave of crystal flame between his hands and began to study it. It was as easy to call as ever. All it took was a flicker of will. Sometimes, it was harder to keep it from appearing.
Spell theories and schools of magic were on his mind as he looked at it. The flames changed a...
2021-08-13 23:43:30 +0000 UTC View PostThanks for all the support building up to the release here!
Here's the pre-order link for Book 1!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09CLKKF48
There will be minor content edits and revisions in it.
---
The Advance Reader Copy ep...
2021-08-13 17:49:18 +0000 UTC View PostHere's a quick ePub for Chapters 1-52, if you're looking for it. This is just to make it easy for folks who want to read it like that, since I was asked.
I'll delete this one and replace it with the full Advance Reader Copy for Book 1 after the last chapters come out here.
Ch 54 will be out later today.
2021-08-13 17:46:59 +0000 UTC View Post“That worked, but maybe a little less destruction next time, Sam?” Jeric chuckled, as he looked toward the ruins of the maze. “We could have pinned them down and finished them off together.”
His dad was looking at him with a mixed expression, one that was half amused and half frustrated, and it made it clear tha...
2021-08-12 21:27:01 +0000 UTC View PostWhen he reached Ayala, Sam set the lizard down to the side as he looked at her. Her eyes were closed in meditation. He debated whether or not to disturb her, but he wanted to see if there was something he could do to help.
“I brought you a lizard,” he announced, trying to sound positive. “Are you alright?”
The splintering sound of cracking stone exploded through the cavern as the wall blocking the tunnel shuddered under the impact of the Horned Water Lizards. Jeric turned to look at his son as he heard it, making sure that Sam was holding up alright. When he saw Sam’s confident expression, he only nodded and looked f...
2021-08-10 22:24:47 +0000 UTC View PostSam’s attention locked onto Krana as his thoughts raced, trying to figure out what could have scared a pack of Ivory Scale Pythons so badly that they’d fled from it rather than fighting. Whatever it was, it had to be more terrifying than they were, since the pythons had attacked them instantly.
He should have figure...
2021-08-09 22:40:54 +0000 UTC View Post
