[Olympia Novel] One Hundred Daughters Released!

One Hundred Daughters is the second book of the Olympia Chronicles and a loose sequel to The Bloody Notebook. Although knowledge of the first book is recommended, this second book is also a self-contained story.

The writing for this novel was a completely different experience than The Bloody Notebook, whereas I started with a clear idea of the ending of TBN with a vague idea of how the characters would get there. For 100d, I had a strong starting point, and a vague idea how the characters would reach the ending. Whereas TBN has a small cast, this book has a much larger one and features a sea voyage in the tradition of the Argonautica or the Odyssey with a wide cast of colorful characters. Several known faces from the first book return, including fan-favorite Melita. Others make cameos, while most of the crew of the Endoxos are brand new characters that explore the world of Olympia.

So this was a fun, unique experience for me to create and discover this story. When I re-read it, and really had a blast. This story has so many twists and turns as it builds towards it inevitable conclusion. And the secrets each member has and keeps from the others.

One Hundred Daughters

A Prince without a City

Miltiades is the last prince of Ekkos, a city destroyed by a Titan over five years ago. To reclaim his crown and his homeland, he gathers a band of heroes—including the demigoddess-sorceress Melita, a drunkard captain, a dancer, a priestess, and a handful of dregs from the docks of Athenion. Together, they sail aboard the Endoxos, an old, rickety penteconter, to seek the aid of a distant nymph-queen. The gods watch their journey closely, for their own entertainment.

But will secrets and prophecies tear the crew apart before they even reach their destination?

One Hundred Daughters is available on Amazon and DriveThruRPG

For a full PDF experience of the world of Olympia, you may get One Hundred Daughters as part of the Olympia Bundle.

[Olympia Novel] The Bloody Notebook Released!

The Bloody Notebook is the first book of the Olympia Chronicles, a new book series of fiction book set in the world of Olympia. Inspired by, and using, Greek Mythology as a base, this brand new self-contained story tells of a warrior, named Arakos, from another world who comes to Olympia and seeks to discover about his origins and where he comes from.

He is joined along the way by a band of colorful characters including a grumpy wizard, a singing Spartian, a barbarian woman, and a con artist. These characters create a tapestry that was fun to write and see how their relations evolved as the story unfolded.

This is my first novel, and the first time I have really enjoyed my own fiction. The Bloody Notebook is a love letter to Ancient Greek stories, and the eternal truths they contains.

The Bloody Notebook

Arakos is a warrior from another world with no memory of how he came to Olympia. A blood-stained notebook filled with names and places he does not remember is his only tie to his past. After losing his only friend escaping a doomed city with a woman he dislikes, he sets out to regain his memories. On his travel, he encounter a colossus of a man, giants, gods, demigods, the Great Oracle, a sorcerer, and a witch. Are his missing memories worth reclaiming, or do they protect him?

The Bloody Network is available on Amazon and DriveThruRPG.

For a full PDF experience of the world of Olympia, you may get The Bloody Notebook as part of the Olympia Bundle.

[Gencon 2025] Narrative - Ophara At Night

Ophara At Night is the first of a few short pieces of fiction for Gencon 2025. I wrote two pieces last year, and will have more coming as the whole event comes together in my mind.

The first is set in Akhamet where Saggakara enjoys a rare moment alone in the Harem...

I posted the short fiction on Royal Road.

New Fiction on the FOE Patreon

Just so you know, I have been writing short mini-chapters of a big story set in Saggakar on the FOE Patreon. They are currently grouped into three sub-stories that each introduce different characters.

Welcome to Saggakar brings in people through the Mists into the savage horror that is Saggakar.

Into the Light is set in the brutal training gladiatorial pits of Spiderfen.

At the Arena takes you into the stands of the grand arena on a day of games.

Standing in the light introduces someone who arrives in Saggakar with the means NOT to be a slave.

These short story parts form a greater tapestry of a story I have been thinking about for quite a while and patrons get to read it all from the start, in short installments as the story grows.

[Patreon] Welcome to Saggakar Part 2

It's been a while since I posted to my Patreon... but here it is, a continuation of my short story "Welcome to Saggakar".

Patreon Post

Blog dedicated to Rhym

this is actually pretty cool news, JD (the mad man behind Rhym) has started a blog dedicated to all things Rhym. His blog will have inspiration, notes, stories, and fiction about Rhym. He has a good story about how much of a jerk I was to him...

What? Don't believe me? Have a look at his blog!

Click here to go to the Rhym Talk Blog.

JP

[Review] Marc Edelheit's Stiger's Tigers

If you do not know by now, I am always interested in history. In 2016, I took a large number of classes: writing, business, and of course, history. At DragonCon, I met Marc Edelheit and spoke with him briefly about his work of military fantasy, namely his Stiger’s Tigers book. It had two things I enjoyed: Roman legions and fantasy.

Now, once again, I will be quite honest – as if I was not always brutally honest – and say that I am not a big fan of fantasy literature. Now that said, let’s go to the book.

The book begins with Ben Stiger, an officer in the Imperial Legions, note: not Roman Legions, we are in a fantasy world. There is a rising in the southern provinces. From there, Stiger will be sent on a mission to relieve a perceived siege of a distant fort.

Okay, the basics work and they got me interested in reading more. I won’t spoil the novel (even though there is not much to spoil, keep reading to find out why)

The Good

The author knows a lot about Roman Legionnaire training, tactics, organization, daily life, and supply network. The writing about camp life particularly was a high point.

I enjoyed the battle scenes, which provided a fairly chaotic view of what is happening with Stiger not fully knowing what is happening as his men move in complex maneuvers. Well described and executed.

The Bad

I will start with my biggest issue with this book: the characters. Ben Stiger is the perfect human: he does not make mistakes, he is better than ALL other people he meets, he knows better than everyone, everyone who hates him ends up loving him after spending time with him, even when he may be doing something wrong things turn out better than he expect. At first, this is funny, but it gets repetitive and eventually turned me off and I just wanted to see Superman get himself killed.

The man has no attachment: his family hates him (we are not told why), he has no love or woman (one is hinted at but again we are not told much), and he has no relations other than his elf buddy. This guy is all about his work. He has no interest in anything that is not related to his job. Again, Superman.

The other characters are also very two dimensional, though a little less so. His elf buddy is just like him, with a side of super-Legolas. He is a ninja-of –the-wild who disappears when in the forest, not unlike the elves from Records of the Lodoss War and those guys he trains become just like him.

Another element that put me off was the fantasy elements. Initially, I could get over it, but the more I read, the less interesting they were. It felt like I was reading someone’s D&D game, complete with character classes.

The Annoying

Two elements I will put into an “annoying” category because they annoyed me, but other readers may not find those annoying.

The first is the use of modern, “Americanized” names for the characters: Ben Stiger, Randall, Arnold, etc. I am so used to Roman names in legion that it took a while to get used to it. Eventually, I got used it, but early on, I found that annoying.

Another element that annoyed me was the use of US Army ranks instead of roman ones. Ben Stiger is a Captain and he has his elf lieutenant, has sergeants who name corporals… This one never grew on me. I understand he may have done this to avoid going into too many details about the organization of the legion. This would have added a lot of flavor and kept up the illusion.

So…

I am stuck with having to give this book a score. The good is good, the bad is bad.

For the characters: 1 out of 5. They are weak, cookie-cutter and without any reason to like (or dislike them) really.

For the military aspect: 4 out of 5. I have to take one point off for the use of US ranks.

For the plot. This one is difficult to score exactly. The plot is not overly exciting, but it works as an intro to a series then again, I hate series. The main plot works, but again, you have to deal with Superman for who everything goes right after some minor (and I insist on minor) reverses.

So what do I give this book for its plot? I will go with 3 out of 5, thus rating it “Okay” but not good and not bad.

Overall, I will go with 2 out of 5 as my total score. The elements I hated clearly outweigh those I disliked. Too many uncompleted threads and unlikeable characters.

Which leads me to the question I always ask myself when I review one such book. Do I want to read more of this? And that one is easy to answer. NO. This first book was not interesting enough to keep me reading some more. I do not care what happens to him, his unit, his lieutenants, the Empire, the rebels, or whoever there is in that series. That they die, live, become emperor, turn into ducks or break into a line dance party, I just do not care.

JP

[Review] Fire and Gold by Mara Amberly

A good friend of mine (now) from Ireland is up-and-coming author Mara Amberly. Mara has published a number of books of poetry and other short work, but her latest book is a fantasy novel called Fire and Gold, Book 1 of the Sisters of the North. We were talking writing and she offered to send me a book to get my impressions. I readily agreed not mentioning that my stash of books has gone down to almost nothing. I had but one book to read before I was out. So two birds, one stone. Plus as you know this year, I have been trying my hand at short works of fiction, hoping to complete a bigger one myself.

So on to reading I went.

I will be honest and say that it flew by so quickly. I could not put it down until the end. The story revolves around two sisters: one fiery and spontaneous, the other quiet, pensive and reserve. This may be cliche, but it works as a basic dynamic. They are part of a religious order and have received magical training. The magic is elemental-based with each caster getting one affinity for one type. Simple.

Our heroines find themselves away from their temple when it is attacked by an evil order that kills (nearly) everyone else. From that point, they are on the run trying to reach safety of another temple of the order. There that's the overall plot in two sentences. Again simple.

This simplicity of story is not what made me like this book, but the characters themselves, with their flaws and strengths, are where this book really shines. The story has enough surprises and twists to keep you interested.
- Quite simply, the base story is good. It's simplicity makes it that much more believable.
- The main story is given in the third person narrative where the story unfolds from the perspective of the characters. As the sisters flee the city of Kalle, their flight is easy to imagine and with a good portrayal of a group of city-women heading out into the wilds. We are presented with the elements of the world we need as readers only when they become relevant through natural and realistic dialogue. Therefore, I never felt as the story progress that I was lost as to where they were or what were the challenges they expected to find along the way.
- The women were not experts of wilderness survival, but neither are we given Paris Hilton going into the wild, nor do they become master bandits because they need something. They don't go from city slickers to master huntresses. Procuring food and water is a vital challenge with decent obstacles. They are capable, but clearly out of their comfort zone.
- There is a feeling of refrained sexuality the sisters experience throughout the story (as they meet male characters). I will tell you that if there is no long romantic or sex scenes in the book (I know, I hear many of you pervs out there sigh) but this tension actually adds to the story. Providing a few interesting scenes as one of the sisters' reaction to the male lead creates moment of definite interests as she tries to look but not look, playing strong but inwardly shy. This interplay was really one of the gems and one of the elements I liked best of the book.

And now the weaker points of the story.
- As good as the main characters and their interactions were, the story has a couple of side-stories. These were weak and did not contribute to the story. They felt like distractions. Now that being said, I can see how these side-plots can develop into major story lines later. The potential is there for them to grow and mix the main story. But here, they felt weak. This is a personal peeve and a reason I dislike series, this starting of random thread. Since a number of the sub-plots should be in a different book. I would hate to pick up book 2 then go "who the heck are these people? Why are they here? Why do they do this?" Some people will love this, I dislike it myself. A lot.
- Related to the previous point, I could not care about any of the characters in these side-plots, that they lived or died, I did not care. They only one was poor Luke, whose side-plot explains part of the action and was a pretty interesting story. The thread started and ended within the book.

So if I have to give this a solid 4/5. However, this is mostly related to my dislike of unresolved threads. For those who enjoy reading this type of saga, you will find your fix here.

However, in spite of the scoring, when I get to the end and think about it, I feel compelled to ask myself. Would you read a sequel? And the answer is a clear and definite YES.

You can get your copy of the book on Amazon.Com. While you're at it, tell Mara you read this review!

JP

[Non-gaming Sunday] Fiction

I told you I was taking writing class. This is the one noteworthy piece of fiction I wrote: a short 200 words description of one of a series of characters. I won't show you the picture I wrote about, just let you imagine the character.

The goal was to physically describe the character: physical and mannerisms over action and history.

Sandra could not wait to meet with her best friend Ann. They would get together around coffee but instead she would order the fancier cortado, espresso with milk. She dressed to impress, while remaining professional: black was both slimming, professional and it would draw the eye to her shoulder-length blonde hair and away from her body. A scarf would provide a feminine touch of color to the outfit. She disliked her body as it wasn’t as slim and sexy as it once looked, so she chose loose and form-hiding tops and wide pants. Gone were the heels of her youth, replaced by more comfortable skidders. Accent jewelry covered the phalanges of her fingers. For the past few days, she had been looking over shots of period costumes and trying to make sure there were no historical inaccuracies. She had a number of stories to tell Ann about one, a Victorian-era constable. At first, she was sure it was perfect, but an online search had uncovered a number of issues. Telling Ann about them would be the highlight of her day. She liked sharing knowledge she would find about such minute detail. Ann would listen and take notes, nodding and commending her on her discoveries. She was such a good friend.

JP

Book Review: LA Story's Urbania

Some of you will remember my AAR about MidSouthCon 16 (If you don't simply Check the post here). During the Saturday afternoon, I got to sit down at Pro's Row with author L.A. Story. At the end of our short time together, she signed me a copy of Urbania.

Once I returned from the con, I added it to my stash of books and left it until it came up in the rotation.

Now I am not a big fan of modern urban fantasy. I did tell Leigh Ann that, and I dare to think that she gave me the book to try and convince me.

The book itself is 76 pages long and follows Richard Shelton, as he tries to enter Urbania.

Before I start, allow me to provide you with a blurb that will, I hope, bring your mind along the lines of what this book is about.

Richard Shelton, a determined journalist, is fascinated by the story of Urbania – the Great City. It was a city that began as an ideal and became an enigma. Populated years ago with the best and most creative minds from across the globe, the city was established in the Nevada desert. The city’s leadership became more reclusive with each generation and they eventually constructed a gargantuan 50 foot wall around the city to keep out The World. The only entrance is the city’s famed gate where most petitioners are usually shot. Richard locates Ketch, the only person to have escaped Urbania and survived. Ketch advises Richard how to successfully petition and get past the gate, but there is a price. Ketch wants Richard to help Ivey, the woman Ketch had to leave behind during his long-ago escape. Richard gets through the gate, only to find the city harbors unimaginable secrets he may not live to tell.

The first scene as he tries to enter the Great City is very much like one of the good teaser from Star Trek. It stops you in your tracks and makes you go "Wow! That's pretty strong." I was taken aback a little as I did not expect the story to start this strong - and good. I really could not drop the book as I anxiously kept on reading.

And I kept on reading.

And I kept on reading.

And I kept on reading.

I did not put the book down until I was done. I lost some sleep over it. The storytelling is strong, evocative, and at the same time revealed more secrets and made me ask more questions about what was happening. I honestly did not expect that. The pace was fast, very fast, but not to the point of ever losing the reader. It was fast because events demanded they flew by.

One thing I was worried about was excessive embellished prose (what I sometimes call mental masturbation). But L.A. really does a great job of NOT falling in that trap. The images and the mystery is describe very effectively using fairly simple language. I will say that such a tour-de-force really drew me in. I found it riveting.

To avoid spoilers, the plot had my mind wonder from an alien over-plot to the Matrix to Dark City to a Science-Nazi state. Each page adding more questions while answering a number of them.

I came in with very low expectation
- This is not my favorite type of litterature
- The blurb worried me the story would meander
- I worried the plot would get nowhere, that I would be left with more questions than answers.
- I expected long, over-complicated sentences and obscure imaging
- A blurb that only covers the first two pages of the story

However, *I* was wrong on all accounts. The plot is crisp, questions are answered, but enough remain at the end that I would be willing to read more about the characters and Urbania. Enough is resolved that I am happy with it, but should more become available, I would want to read more. The prose is simple, clear and exciting. The blurb is accurate and exact, to the point where after reading the book I re-read it (for this review) and thought "Yeah... that is a great way to say this"

Try as I might to find fault with this, all I can come up with it:
- I would love to write in such compelling style
- I would love to produce such a fiction piece
- The story was too short, I wanted more
- The story has a strong ending, not needing more, but allowing more to be produced.

Hummm.. Yeah none of this is L.A.'s fault and really on my end. Which forces me to give Urbania a 5 star rating. I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this.

JP

[Conglomeration] Teaser for the special this weekend

As I finally get everything done, I think it is time to provide some teaser material for what it coming to the campaign this Sunday morning at Conglomeration. As a teaser, I am sharing the opening boxed text for ToS1-I02 Something Borrowed, Something Blew. It will be an adventure that will run only ONCE. So the six players sitting at that table will have big choices on their shoulders. So you will be able to blame THEM if things get.. better! yeah! better!

The central courtyard of the summer palace of Tearfield is filled to the brim with local nobles, foreign dignitaries, soldiers and slave retinues. The reason for such a gathering is the wedding of His Ruthlessness, ArchDespot Gaztokell and Lady Hellebora of House Tioten. Having taken the oaths of obedience to her husband, the pair is all but effectively married. The pair stands on a balcony, waving at the crowd below. They could not be more different. He is a man in his twilight years. She is in the full bloom of womanhood. He is smiling with a content expression on his face. She is uncomfortable as her smile is forced and rehearsed. Still, the crowd roars its approval. Members of House Ougozar hope the marriage will cement their hold on the throne. Members of House Tioten see their fortune and their standing increase, cheer the loudest. Members of minor houses welcome the stability such an arrangement brings to the nation. Conspicuously quiet are the members and servants of House Faremhi, who see the alliance and their hold on the throne slip further away from their grasp. After a long ovation, the aging ArchDespot addresses the crowd. “My people! On this day of my wedding, a day that will be remembered as the first of the Gaztokian Dynasty, I want you all to enjoy yourselves. Masters, allow your slaves to do as they wish. Slaves, celebrate until you cannot remember! Celebrate the glory of the moment.” Roaring cheers erupt as a thousand slaves walk out carrying amphora of wine, and platters of food. Stations are quickly set up as musicians play joyful tunes to impromptu dancers. Within moments, the courtyard is the biggest party the ArchDespotate as ever seen. No one notices the pair retreated into the castle. First Ones gather with others of their kind, leaving you with other adventurers. A conversation breaks out between you.

JP

[Review] Clinton Boomer's Royden Poole's Field Guide

Five short stories set in a setting that includes magic and a secret hidden world. All of them written by Clinton J Boomer (CJB).

I was lucky enough to meet him at NeonCon 2011. He has just released "The Hole After Midnight" at the time, and I inquired about what it was. I like the innovative work that CJB did on a number of RPG products and was receptive to hearing about his non-gaming book. His sales pitch, at the time "It's all about swearing protagonist who say [F-Bomb] and [F-Bomb]" immediately turned me off to the idea, I did not want to know much more about it - everything he said after that sounded like the teacher in a Charlie Brown cartoon.

Unsurprisingly, I did not purchase the book.

So when I was approached to review his latest offering set in the same universe, enough time had passed that I have been curious about it. I agreed to do a review of it. I must say this book is not for everyone, and it will leave you either loving it, or hating it.

The Pros

- CJB is a great wordsmith creating very vivid imagery to illustrate his points. Four of the five stories are pretty much along the "well let me tell you about [something]" and we go on from there. The allegories and metaphors flow like a cascade, and keeps the reader wanting to know more. I sure did. Out of everything I write here, I cannot stress out how awesome the images are.

- The character's dialogues allows you to clearly see and figure out who they are and what their interest are. The best and easiest way to describe their interactions remind me of the awesome nonsense Quentin Tarrantino movies are so great for. Anyone for a "royale with cheese"?

The Cons

- Swearing cheapens the narrative. This was the biggest thing for me. While I'm not prude, I think there is usually another way to say things.

The Depends-on-you

- There isn't much action. In fact nothing really happens. A lot of talking and set up, but little actually happens. In three stories, we listen to the character tell us about something. In one, they set up some combat scene, which felt VERY Tarrantino, only to end without anything actually happening. The fight starts and the story ends. Even the final story does not actually delivers what we are following our "heroes" for. Many of these stories make me think of Reservoir Dogs: talk talk talk but no action.

Of the five stories, the last one, "End of it all: On the Farthest of the Far Sideways" was clearly my favorite, I found myself smiling throughout. I felt like I was watching one of these old animated movies with strangely deformed characters which made me like it even more.

So as I said at the start, this is the kind of books and stories that you love or you hate. I would fall in the "hate" category, simply because it's "not my kind of thing", just as if you asked me to review a romance novel. I can see MANY people loving it. The imagery alone is worth the cover price. CJB is a great writer and this book only convinces me even more. If you like his writing style or urban fantasy, then this book is for you.

So how would I rate this book? It's either a 4 stars OR a 5 stars whether you like or dislike that style. If you don't know if you like it, go ahead and get this book for yourself.

"But JP, how can you rate the book a four stars when you say you are not a fan?" You ask. Because that prose is like eating a New York style cheesecake. They are seriously great pieces of writing!

For transparency, I was offered a free copy of the book in return for writing this review.

JP

Edit: The book is available from Broken Eye Books and Amazon

New Campaign Narrative Released

I have just uploaded the latest campaign narrative to our yearly fiction (available through RPGNow/DriveThruRPG). It is also available as part of the Year 1 Bundle. As an added benefit, everything is for sale during this GM's Day period!

This one is the longest narrative we have ever published, a surprising... TWO PAGES! Seriously, I seek to keep those interludes short and to the point, but this one required more.

For those who do not know, Hellebora is the current chosen queen-to-be. The loving lady willing to give up her life to continue the ArchDespot's dynasty. The lovely and demure bride-to-be.

Here is the start, as a teaser...

Lady Hellebora stood in her room, waiting for the inevitable, waiting for that moment when her future husband would make her a queen. Ironic, as a child she dreamt of becoming queen and now that crown would fall upon her head, it felt like a yoke. As the youngest child, she expected to travel the world and do as she pleased. She never thought she would be traded and sold by her beloved father to another old man needing children to ensure a dynasty no one cared for. Heck even his own family did not want him to rule. She imagined that she would conquer her own crown, that she would lead armies of slaves into battle and that she would be victorious covered in the blood her defeated enemies. For that she trained to become the best archer, first in her native Hellsmere, then across the ArchDespotate, then finally in faraway lands. She remembered a day in Nooraka, a day long ago, a lifetime ago. It was the province's most prestigious archery tournament. She and her brothers entered the competition with the assurance of winning. She was confident in her own skills, so confident that she stayed out drinking late into the night, enjoying the company and the music. In the morning, she crawled out of bed, seeking relief from the pounding in her head. She dressed and barely reached the field on time to participate, unlike her brothers, whom she carefully neglected to wake up as she left. Her competitors were also affected by hangovers and some clever addition to the drinks she gave them. In those days, she controlled her life. She enjoyed the freedom that was due her people. She enjoyed life. She forced others around her to take their rightful place beneath her boots. She was truly the divine will of the gods.

Fiction Friday: Countess Rachel's first official address

So I was going through some of my old files, digging for ideas and found this short piece of fiction I wrote as the introduction to URC7-I01 Reclaiming Ventnor. This interactive adventure ran at Tacticon '07 IIRC. It was the first interactive following the election of our new Countess Rachel. During the last year, Ventnor, one of the County's town was handed over to evil

Dressed in the heavy plate armor with a tabard displaying the White Swan, Countess Rachel stood on her dark brown Urnstian warhorse. Standing up on the stirups, the speaks to the assembled Knight, soldiers, adventurers and mercenaries. "Knights, Countymen and foreign friends! I, Countess Rachel the First, have not yet been Countess for three months that find myself forced to call upon you. I have received grievous news from Ventnor. The laws of our land are being baffeled as worshippers of Hextor and other dark powers roam the streets without worry. They cull our good folks and herd them like cattle for whatever dark plot they are pursuing." "THIS WILL NOT STAND! Due to their blatant disregard for our laws, our former allies, the Duergar of Clan Mithraldeath have made themselves guilty of supporting evil forces within the County. They have found themselves guilty of mass murder upon the population of the County. They have been found to worship and support the worship of banned religions within the County." "That is why I call upon you all to raise a green banner and gather with us in Jedbridge to seal the fate of these vile creatures. I call upon all the Knights of the Swan and available military personnel to rally to my banner as we people of good, as we people of faith, as we people of the County strike back! Together We march to Ventnor. Together We fight for Ventnor. TOGETHER, WE RECLAIM VENTNOR!!! TO VENTNOR - TO WAR!!!"

JP

Fiction Friday: A Living Greyhawk narrative

I was going through some of my old files and happened upon this piece of fiction I wrote for the County of Urnst. To give you a little background, the regional plot from early in the year, started with the death of the previous Countess (Contessa Elone) and all of her family. What followed was a storyline where we presented a list of four candidates to the PCs over span of 3-4 months, and had them chose the replacement for the Countess (basically influence the nobles in their choice).

The four choices were:

Duke Gellor a duke from the Bandit Kingdoms. He never actually appeared, but his followers promoted him as a possible choice. He came in last.

Archbaron Ragnar Gellor the old salt. Ruled one of the County's most powerful archbarony, and definitely someone who was used to power. Of all the candidates, he had the more secure-seeming family line, with three children of adventuring age (IIRC: Two warrior sons and a daughter who was a priestess of Pelor). He came in third.

Lord Darius Dane The career politician who had managed to save the County during some tough times. Lord Dane was a well-liked character with a clear and practical view of the County and its future. He was the only serious challenger to the eventual winner. (More details about the winner after the story).

---

URC06-M03: The Council of Peers

To the assembled crowd of nobles, dignitaries, soldiers and notables, the Lord Regent stands. The crowd speculates who it will be.

Two priests of Heironeous wearing heavy armor enter the room, bringing with them the Count's sword, representing his power to declare war. Then come two priests of St Cuthbert carrying the Count's scepter, representing his power to render justice. Then come two priests of Pholtus carrying a glowing orb of rulership, symbol of the Count's role in protecting the people from darkness. Two priests of Pelor form the last of the procession as they carry the Count's mantle and crown, symbol of his burden to the people of Urnst. The 8 priests gather around the Lord Regent.

"The Council of Peers has come to a decision." Silence falls upon the room as everyone awaits Lord Duncombe's next words with anticipation...

"The Council of Peers, composed of the entire population of the County of Urnst has selected..." Lord Duncombe pauses for impact.

"My beloved daughter, Lady Rachel Duncombe" The young woman stands there shell-shocked for a moment looking around as if she'd suddenly woken up from a very vivid dream. She walks to her father as if stunned.

The Regent speaks first, using the first used at the coronation of every Count since the County was formed. "Rachel Duncombe, do you accept the charge of Countess? Do you accept to lead the people with wisdom, compassion and with their better interests at heart?"

Silence fills the hall as Rachel looks around the room, as if searching for a way out. Her voice barely louder than a whisper, she answers. "Duty is not to be shunned, with power comes responsibility. I accept."

"Countess Rachel the First, let me be the first to kneel before you and swear my allegiance to you. LONG LIVE THE COUNTESS! LONG LIVE RACHEL THE FIRST!" The crowd begins to chant "LONG LIVE THE COUNTESS! LONG LIVE RACHEL THE FIRST!"

Drowned amongst the cheers, Lord Duncombe stands once more and whispers something to the Countess. The father smiles until the daughter replies something that seems to stun Lord Duncombe. At that point, the Countess smiles to the assembled crowd.

After the eight priests bless the sacred artifacts of rulership, they place them upon the new Count with the exception of the crown. Lord Duncombe picks it up, raises it as if to present it as an offering. "The Archpaladin, The Cudgel, The Blinding Light and the Shining One have given their blessing to this crown and to the new Countess. I, Terard Duncombe II, Archbaron of Eastmarch, Regent of the County of Urnst and Lord Chancellor of the County present this crown to all the gods in the Heavens that you may bless our new Countess."

Lord Duncombe turns to the kneeling Count(ess). "This crown bears the blessing of all the gods in Heaven and the hopes of the people of Urnst. Rachel Duncombe, before the gods and the people it is my privilege to bestow upon you the title of ruler of the County of Urnst." As he places the crown on the new Countess's head, the assembled crowd erupt in acclamation once more!

Some of the Silver Swans present will later paint, write or sing about the sweet melody that must've been trumpet archons playing in unison the coronation of a new Countess. Some of the same Silver Swans also noticed the absence of ambassadors from Nyrond or the Duchy of Urnst.

---

Lady Rachel Duncombe was a knight paladin and the second in command of the Countesses' own knightly order, the Knights of the Swan. She was the black sheep in a family of very pragmatic and opportunistic rulers. She was the only one who did not want to rule, but her candidacy was promoted very strongly by her Father.

As year six came to a close, we finally had in hand all of the tools we needed to write some of the best stories the campaign had seen. I must say that we were cruising along with bigger and better ideas when the death knell of 4e happened. Still the council of peers managed to receive no less than 500 favors from the players (just under 300 went to Rachel, 150 to Lord Darius, most of the rest to Lord Agnard).

This event was one of the most interesting I had the pleasure of putting together, and the players really got behind it. Definitely a success in my gaming career.

*Sigh* I miss LG.

JP

Honest Book Review: Pallatine Rising by Roderick Davidson

Last year at PaizoCon, I was running my NeoExodus Special, having a good time with a good group.

Then during a break, one of the players come up to me and hands me a book. I'm thank him, and wonder what he wants for it. "Dude it's free, just tell me what you think." Free book in return for an honest review? Yes. I can do that!

I will admit that, when I saw this was a "book 1", I approached it not wanting to like it. I really wanted to be able to say "meh it was okay" or "it sucks".

But I cannot.

The tag line says "A young pallitine in a dragon's world" does not feel quite right. But that's a great tagline. I think the tagline should be "A dragon in a young pallatine's world"...

Straight up analysis. There is a prologue and twenty-five chapters. They are logically broken up and feel natural. The boring parts are skipped, leaving us with the interesting part. Pet peeve of mine? Yes. This breakdown allows for the ebbs and flows of the story, and handle the changes of direction.

The story follows Taryn, a girl coming from difficult circumstances, and a life flirting with crime, prostitution and drugs. Over the course of the story, she meets with a pallatine named Thoman who takes her as his apprentice. From there, we follow her training until she is accepted as a full-fledged pallatine. Of interest to the readers: the way is not without many obstacles and setbacks. Making for a good read.

Pros

- Interesting take on paladins. The Pallatines are obviously a knightly order akin to D&D paladins. Unlike the typical game-paladin, each of them come with a background and a personality that does not make them feel like goodie-two-shoes. They want to do good and seek to do good, but wrestle with themselves and their past. They never use the "I'm lawful good so I do [this]" excuse I hear too often at the gaming table.

- Does not feel like I'm reading a recap of his home campaign, complete with a round-by-round description. Combats feel chaotic and rarely have a clear impression of what is happening as a whole. This means that the character, like the reader, is sometimes surprised by the sudden action or arrival of another one. To me, that's a strength. I found myself looking forward to the fight scenes.

- The story evolves, a lot. Sometimes it feels like a Harry Potter school story, that evolves into a travel tale. So the plot is not concise in that it touches a number of themes and flow. (also see the cons, I put that here because this is mostly a positive)

- Time moves forward. Yes, it sounds stupid but I like the fact that time passes, skimming over some parts I wasn't too interested in reading.

- The main character, Taryn, grows throughout the story in logical ways. Often through brutal experiences. Often sucks to be her! The established adults, not so much (then again, they are established people, I changed less in the last 5 years than I did when I was 15-19)...

Cons

- This is an intro to a series. Some will LOVE this. Me, I have this thing about series.

- This is something pretty small, but I would like

- A LOT of loose ends, perhaps a little too much of them. I would really like to know more about the Plague that affects the animals, more about the Barbarians gathering in the South, more about the secret cults, exactly what happened at the blacksmith's shop, who betrays them, etc...

- The biggest flaw of the story, in my opinion, is linked to the above. Some people will just LOVE that. Me? I don't like that. Some of the questions deserved answers: the scene at the blacksmith's shop had a great set up, but the fallout left me flat (loose end). I really expected a resolution from this and... Nothing. The matter is covered up in a way that made me think there was a greater conspiracy at work. It felt like it didn't fit the character of the persons involved.

Overall

I would say this book is a B. Most of the cons were things that annoy me, but that I know others love. I found myself enjoying the read more than I expected, which was a nice bonus. Give it a "+" to those who love multi-book epics.

One question I rarely find in these book reviews is the answer to the question: "Would I buy the next book in this series?"

Reluctantly, I have to say yes. I really want to see what will happen to Taryn next. You can get a copy of the book through Amazon.

I will also watch for future release from Roderick (and try to get him to write for FOE!)

JP

NeoExodus Legacies: Prologue to Flames of Yesterday

Here is the prologue to the interactive adventure that will run at a few conventions around the country in February and March, including Genghis Con in Denver, CO (Feb 14-17) and CinciCon in Cincinnati, OH (Mar 21-23). If you wish to run it locally or at a local con, contact JP@NeoExodus.com.

---

93-LI-02 Flames of Yesterday

It was beautiful day in Curitzel until a shout emptied the small village. A single shape stumbled between the timber huts. Somehow, you seem to be the only ones who did not run away in terror. Perhaps you should have. The shout was of two simple words. FIRST ONE!

An adventure written for APLs 3, 5, 7, and 9 (character levels 3-10).

---

Prologue to Flames of Yesterday

The dancing glow of the candle lit Arem’shehr’s pale flesh as she waited inside the cabin for her contact. Her one eye scanned the darkness beyond the broken window, waiting for a kalisan she did not expect to see. To be certain that he was the one she expected, her minions patrolled the grounds of the lonely house.

Goosebumps brought on more by anticipation than the chill evening air made her shudder delightfully. Already the meat-bags at her command brought her a number of new slaves; simple folk all of them: hunters, mercenaries, farmers, all without any future now that she had them. Chained and gagged, they had been neatly stacked under the floorboards for later enjoyment. She smiled in anticipation of coming recreation. How delightfully they would scream and convulse in pain as she enjoyed them. Arem’shehr paced the floor, walking slowly, each step with purpose. Her heels clicked on the wood. She knew her captives would hear and cringe at every one of her steps

Midnight had come and gone and dawn would be here shortly. Her steps landed louder. This was no longer fun, she thought to herself. Where is this pea-brained human-eater, she wondered, I have to be out of here soon. She fumed and paced back and forth, constantly looking outside.

As she leaned forward to look outside once more, she felt a cold blade at the back of her neck. "You are late," she said. A quiet chuckle was her only answer. "Do you have the crown?"

Again, a chuckle.

"Here is what you want. If you look in the satchel on the table, you will find the names of every one of Queen Thais’ generals and their location..." The blade shifted in her back as her assailant looked inside the satchel and pulled out the scroll.

A moment later, she heard clanking at the back of the cabin followed by the ringing of something rolling on the ground. Turning around, she barely saw the milky white skinned man jump through the thatched roof with imperceptible sound.

Then, her eyes landed on the bronze crown resting on its side by the wall. Arem’shehr held her breath as she reached for it. The ancient antelope design and the flower patterns were exactly as she read in the scroll. She smiled triumphantly as she held the crown aloft, resisting the desire to place it upon her own head. She did not need such trinkets; she is, after all, a divine being.

All this in return for a list she was planning to give to the Protectorate generals. This is a great day, and after this, a thousand sacrifices will cover the walls of the Father’s palace. Because of her, the slaves will return to their rightful place, and a glorious orgy of destruction and pain will descend upon Exodus.

Removing the planks of the floor, she saw the cowering, bound rewards she kept to herself as she pulled a young man to her. Kissing him softly, she whispered. "This is going to be a good day," and the screaming began.

---

JP

Going to my first Writer's Meetup

Since I moved to Louisville, I have been trying to get into some new things. Although many have recommended grillin' roadkill and other redneck activities, I leaned another way.

Tonight, I went to my first ever writers' meeting. I brought with me the first chapter of a story set in NeoExodus. The story is yet unnamed but it features a small band of adventurers. The initial protagonist is a kalisan warrior dedicated to the destruction of the Janus Horde.

The guys have provided me with some great feedback for the story. They critiqued it and provided me with precise feedback and some does and don't of fantasy writing. Now I'm in a bind cuz I have to re-write most of it. But it will be MUCH better. I think this is the first time I was ever extremely excited about a major rewrite! This is going to be fun. I've had great feedback - for my own tale and from the feedback given to others.

As is consistent with the rest of my work, I tried to steer clear of the game-mechanics so it wasn't a round-by-round description of the fight. That said, the greatest downfall of my offering was they called "data download" which was I really did. I also have to work more on my combat descriptions. I think those comments will really make the story flow better and more naturally.

Also I got a few tips and some direct feedback about my "superman" character... Yeah she should not be that way but I see how she can appear like that...

Didn't I tell you, I got some great advice?

So in short, I have to reword everything. That's fine, the story has potential it's how I present it. I can honestly say I got out of this one meeting more than I expected and I am really stoked about going back. Really, people I never met before provided me with clear, concise and direct feedback. I did say I wanted to write more fiction. Well joining the group is one step towards accomplishing my goal.

I discovered The Vault: Louisville Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writers Group through the magic of meetup. A great site if I ever knew one. I also got to play a lot through the Colorado Springs RPG Meetup, which I strongly recommend to anyone in either of these areas.

JP

NeoExodus Legacies: Legacy of Lies Narrative

The mood was grave in the council room. The air was cold in spite of the many hot stones in the room and the roaring fire. Tsarina Anayanka, the First of the Arman Protectorate, looked over the many letters written to her by suitors. Most of them she had already fed to the flames as uninteresting.

Dressed in a white mink coat, her sister, and heir, Blanka spoke first. “Ana, you must choose one of them. I looked over the applications myself and think these men could all serve the Protectorate.”

Anayanka smiled at the notion of serving the Protectorate. She would have to select the man who would continue the dynasty.

The Prelate of Mureath, Sergei Andranov, added. “Your Majesty must understand that rulership brings responsibilities one cannot avoid. The Sanguine Lord, in his infinite wisdom, has granted you that mantle to bear because he knows you can do it. He would not have done it otherwise.”

Again, Anayanka smiled but remained quiet. Taking the letters once more, she went through them.

“Prince Vladimir is a boor with the social grace of a wooly mammoth. Prince Dimitri is man of war; he would make a great general. Sheik Abdel Mussul is more interested in the men of his entourage than in siring children or rulership. Prince Bial already committed regicide on his sister, I don’t think he’d have a second thought about doing it again,” she said dismissing all the suitors.

“Milady, you MUST choose. You and your people need a tsarevich to ensure the stability of your throne,” the Prelate said before a long silence descended upon the assembled generals and advisors.

General Wulf Gronnovitch, lord of the Protectorate forces in Sametia, spoke next. “My Queen, if you are unable to decide perhaps having some unaffiliated advisors serve as your eyes and ears to find out which one would be the best for you…”

Interrupting, Blanka said. “Oh! Yes! I’ll handle everything dearest sister! I’ll find you the best man possible! Leave everything to me! You just find yourself a nice dress and dress up your personal guard! It will be wonderful!” Without waiting for an answer, the Raina, and heir-to-the-throne, ran out, holding the front of her dress.

The whole assembly remained silent, as the Tsarina’s councilors exchanged glances and sharing a common disbelief in Blanka’s abilities.

The Tsarina felt the unease and doubt of her trusted advisors. She almost shared those with them, but caught herself and dismissed them with a wave of her hand. Alone again, she went to a window to watch the setting sun. Under her breath, she whispered to herself, holding back a tear.

“My love, how can we be together?”

TLDR : This year’s theme is “Legacy of Lies”. The official start of the season will be at Tacticon once more. We will premiere with two new adventures “In sickness and in health,” “Silver lining” and a multi-table storyline interactive adventure called “Never again, my Love”. Any run of these adventures during the month of September will be counted for campaign results.

The above narrative is a direct tie-in with "Never again, my Love"

NeoExodus Legacies: Post-PaizoCon Narrative

Senator Tlotoxl sat in his office in Awanesa frowning at the report before him. Written in the tight, symmetrical hand of Janissary Hausis, the news was not good. The Janus Horde had nearly leveled the barely reconstructed city of Trovaska. The Arman Protectorate kept Confessor Karena as their prisoner. Sightings of First Ones: First Ones and shape-changing horrors throughout the city.

The report detailed how the Protectorate was increasing its defenses and strengthening its garrisons. The Raina returned to Mureath for her safety. Protectorate senators had admitted in open senate that “the only way to rid the barn of its mice was to send more cats.”

The implication was clear. The orders from Mureath were clear.

A little too clear.

The Arman Protectorate military was sending more resources into Sametia. Worse, every man, woman and child that would fall in their hands would be summarily murdered to satisfy the zealous bloodlust of the Protectorate. Janissary Hausis reported that General Gronnovitch – now promoted to voivod of Arman Sametia by the Tsarina – was holding public “justice”: just a fancy word for public execution of any Sametian captured. These spectacles pleased the revenge-hungry crowds, especially when wrapped in religious iconography.

The senator had no doubt the Dominion would also increase their military presence. Though their methods were different, the results would be the same. There would be no peace in Sametia until every nation of Exodus had bled all of its children dry.

I’m getting too old for this, the senator thought to himself with a prolonged sigh. I made a terrible mistake, all in the name of peace and the defense of the Imperial Alliance. He placed the report on the desk. Wearily, he reached for a cup of tea he sipped without enthusiasm. “What now?” He asked aloud.

He jumped in surprised when he received an answer. “WE GO HUNTING! ENOUGH STAYING IN SHADOW! NOW WE HUNT! TEAR OUR ENEMIES TO PIECES!” All this time, a massive enuka warrior remained standing by the window. “ENOUGH TIME WASTED! NOW YOU ACT!”

The old senator looked at the Prelate of Awanesa, the massive Neck-Ripper. His first instinct was to reject the enuka’s suggestion but he stayed his tongue. Maybe it was time to act out in the open and try to end this masquerade. He now had blood on his hands, the blood of the children of Sametia and of every nation that broke the treaties of the Imperial Alliance.

The senator pondered some more as Neck-Ripper mimicked tearing apart some unseen enemy with childlike joy. The grunting of the Prelate brought a smile to the old man’s wrinkled face. Neck-Ripper may not be overly bright but I doubt many share his opinion, thought the old man. Perhaps it is time to use the resources of the Imperial Alliance to strike back. For the past year his people had kept tab on the enemy without striking back.

“You are right my friend, now is time to strike back. Call the others! Though we will do so from the shadows, we will strike back. Our enemies will feel the power of our unseen hand, the power of the Imperial Alliance,” said the senator. Prelate Neck-Ripper bellowed his approval by pounding his chest.