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Jess D. Astra

Jess D. Astra

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Jess D. Astra posts

Thirsty Thursday Thoughts

Henlo my dudes! Yep, that's Pinot in a can! It's meh, but boy is it helping with my screaming hip. Hours on a flight, 4+ hours waiting for the next one, my hip is like "WHY YOU DO?!" T_T the woes of physical damage.

Deathless Dungeoneers

Did you see that chapter heading in the pic? Yep... It's coming along. About 70% of the way through book 2 now. You guys might have to get accele...

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DD2 - Chapter 8: Long Distance Calls

It was dark when they arrived in Desedra. The train hissed to a stop and Rhen had to reign in his nervous energy. He wanted to leap to his feet and run to the communications center but had to restrain himself.

“Shall we stay at the Silver Mark?” Rhen asked. It was a choice pick, close to the downtown center where Arannet could access the guild tower, the comms center so Rhen could mak...

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DD2 - Chapter 7: Wanted Post-its

They got into Yu in record time, poor Arannet flustered and a little wet. Rhen promised that taking the boat back up would be a lot easier than walking, though Arannet wasn’t opposed to with her new boots.

The train had arrived, and Rhen knew it would only stick around for ten minutes to offload and load before getting on its way. Rhen walked toward the station when Arannet’s pesky, p...

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Deathless Dungeoneers Cover Art Reveal!

Henlo my dudes! WAAAAHHHHH!!!! I love this so much! Aki, Rhen's main dude! We took a few liberties with adding the armor, thought it looked cooler.

What do you guys think?

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DD2 - Chapter 6: D(r)eadlines

Arannet pulled another sheet in front of him. “This one is talking about the proper use of materials for any structures used to gain access to the nexus node. This one is going to be important for you, because nexus nodes can’t be shifted around like other dungeon nodes without a risk of losing the connection to the other realm. And since yours is drowned under a mile of water, this is espe...

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Thirsty Thursday Thoughts

Henlo my dudes! As usual, I've got some water here with me as I walk very slowly on my treadmill. It's been a crazy crazy week... let's jump into it!

Deathless Dungeoneers

Book 1 is hitting editing soon and book 2 is releasing here M-W-F! What do you guys think of it so far? Too slow? I got some feedback on Royal Road that Rhen was a butthole in the first chapter.... but that's ki...

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DD2 - Chapter 5: Syntialating

Rhen booked it a full speed, triggering swift twitch and surging his legs with anima. The yeti monster roared in defiance, clawing after them. Aki lifted a bubble of water from the river and tossed it over Rhen’s shoulder. It landed with a wet splat against the monster, but it’s thundering strides never stopped.

“Just go!” Rhen yelled, his heart pounding. He did not want ...

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DD2 - Chapter 4: Yeti-Nother Surprise

A wet splash on Rhen’s face jerked him awake.

Aki stood over his bed, glowing his happy yellow-pink color. “Good morning.”

Rhen groaned and sat up. “Less so now that my face is wet.”

“Well, it is a good morning for me, so I will still say it.”

“Hand me my pants, would you?” Rhen asked, reaching out for them.

He was sure Aki didn’t care about his...

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DD2 - Chapter 3: Bylaw Hotel Bravo Nine Six Five

Within thirty minutes, everyone had respawned, cleaned off, and dressed. They came back to the inn where Patti and Rhen served the hungry respawners old stew. While Rhen and Patti regaled them with tales of the battle, and the new realm, Arannet sat quietly in the corner, smiling ever so often.

Maybe she wasn’t so bad.

With the meal finished, Rhen decided to address the elephant i...

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Thirsty Thursday Thoughts

Henlo my dudes! I just woke up from a serious nap... did not sleep well last night but feeling pumped and ready to do it now! I've got some icy splish splash to accompany me on this journey, but I might get a zevia root beer soon >_>

Deathless Dungeoneers

Book 1 just finished its first genre evaluation pass with some great updates added to it. You guys will get a bookfunnel ...

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DD2 - Chapter 2: Welcome Home

Arannet clutched her hands at her chest. Rhen could just see the thoughts of “Oh no, where am I going to sleep?” running behind her eyes. Finally, she looked at him.

“What happened?”

Rhen tried to pout but he just couldn’t hold it anymore and snorted a laugh instead.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, aghast.

“Sorry, it’s been like this a few weeks. I was ...

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Deathless Dungeoneers 2 - Chapter 1: Paperwork Nightmare

~Author preface~ Just wanted to let you all know how grateful I am to be able to grind out these chapters for you! I've loved writing Deathless, and want to write lots more!

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“Signature there,” the tenured clerk, Betty, said with a thin-lipped smile.

Rhen scribbled the pen across the page for what felt like the hundredth time. Why ...

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Thirsty Thursday Thoughts

Henlo my dudes! I'm currently drinking a Ginger Ale Zevia... mmmm.... zero calorie soda. This one is meh, the root beer one is pretty good, but also clear, which is confusing to me. Would not make a float with it >_>

Deathless Dungeoneers

Book 1 is sitting with the genre reader right now, getting evaluate to make sure I didn't make any horrible snafus.

Book 2 is sittin...

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I NEED YOUR OPINION

Henlo my dudes! I decided to drop the final chapter of DD early so we can get on with some more chapters!

I'm working hard on DD2 right now, but I'm sorry to say I'm not as ahead as I'd want to be to start posting chapters... SO!! There's two options for you...

I can start posting Prison World: Earth chapters (the Gamelit PNR Female Lead) which is at chapter 10 right now (but moving...

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DD - Chapter 31: Paradise

Rhen gave a gurgling gasp and spit up water. Right, Amphibian Lung. He activated the spell to swap back to atmospheric breathing, sputtering all the while.

Water rushed behind him and lapped over his feet. The sand beneath him was warm and soft. There was a gentle breeze that licked the warmth from his skin. Chirping birds called somewhere nearby, and leaves rustled in the wind. When he w...

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DD - Chapter 30: Feast for the Beast

Joseph’s tentacles slipped off the monster’s tail as it grew too large to be held. Eli zipped out from the darkness and smashed into the monster’s underbelly, his thorny head piercing through the armor and cracking it.

A purple syntial glowed on gigafish’s neck and it roared. The shockwave smashed the raid party up against the wall, hitting them over and over with multiple waves. ...

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DD - Chapter 29: Cephalo-Raiders

Leslie and Ghwan moved about the gathered bruisers, securing their colorful feathered armor into place and giving instructions.

Jakira looked incredible.

Mulit-colored reds, blues, greens, oranges, and yellows cascaded across her dark body in a rainbow. Everything was form fitting, with no need for gaps at the waist or joints to allow movements. She sported dark leather pau...

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Discord for all!

Henlo my dudes! Due to the prodding of a lovely patron, I've started a public discord server. You can check your benefits to get on in there!

Later taters!

~Jess

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DD - Chapter 28: A Crafty Plan

A week later, everyone had gone through the aquatic chamber with their new aqua-syntials, practicing their abilities on the smaller fish. There were only twelve days left, but Rhen was feeling confident the small raid of thirteen could make it happen. Everyone had agreed to get Cephaloshifter—because who wouldn’twant that—and Sea-Shell. This was the core foundation of the plan. View Post

DD - Chapter 27: Fin up or fluff off

Rhen held two of the fish cores in his hand and stared at the mastery node, unsure what to ask for. He didn’t think Aki would be able to maintain every air bubble for everyone in the raid party, so perhaps long-breath or water-breathing would be good choices. What other abilities that would work well under water?

Ranged attacks would be good. Having to get up in a fishes business every ...

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Thirsty Thursday Thoughts

Henlo my dudes. Today I'm drinking theraflu.... No fever, no COVID, but I've got something nasty going on. Trying to take it easy, but wanted to update you before I passed out and forgot.

Deathless Dungeoneers

Starting to work with an artist on this. Excited for the cover concept on this one ^_^

Book 2 outline approved. I set up that document yesterday, though didn't write a...

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DD - Chapter 26: Here Fishy, Fishy

There had been just enough anima left for Rhen to craft a passageway down to the shore of the aquatic chamber, and while it hurt to use it all up, he didn’t want to waste anymore time searching for a way in. With that done, he put a team together to go hunt some fish.

Aki was essential. It was going to be his responsibility to keep an air bubble around the team as they dove down to do b...

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DD - Chapter 25: Zephitz Inn

Rhen was quiet on the way back, thinking through his speech. He had a lot to apologize for, but apologies wouldn’t win them over—a plan would. He had that, but how to present it… especially when it relied heavily on Wyland’s machines?

Maybe he should let his actions do the talking, first? No, that would be weird. He had to tell them what he was thinking.

They arrived just be...

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DD- Chapter 24: Burned and Broken

Rhen walked through the soaking wreckage of his village. The inn’s foundation was all that remained, just charred and cracked stone barely holding together. He crouched at the place where his tent once was and grabbed a handful of mushy ashes.

“What happened?” Jakira clutched the towel around her shoulders as if it would protect her from the hurt that came with losing everything. Rh...

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DD - Chapter 23: Resurrection

Rhen stood at one of the six transference rods imbedded in the ground around the node. The other five candidates, Olliat, Barrek and both of his woodworker friends, and a very reluctant Joseph stood holding the other rods. Eli, his mother Valine, Bort, Barrek’s wife stood guard around them to make sure no terrocken’s decided to take advantage at a vulnerable moment.

They were all nerv...

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DD - Chapter 22: Bury the Hatchet

All mining operations had stopped, and round-the-clock shifts had been posted at the resurrection node. Everyone saved an anima profile, and Rhen adjusted the setting so that they could afford to resurrect everyone if they died. It resulted in the speed of Jakira and Aki’s resurrection being affected—which Rhen could actually track from the control node.

Three more days… that’s ho...

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DD - Chapter 21: Downpour

Pain lanced through Rhen’s shoulder, and he was hauled into the air. Rhen pulled his crescent blade from its holster and slashed at anything he could above his head. There was a monstrous hiss and the claw’s grip slipped. Rhen’s flesh ripped and he dropped back to the forest floor.

Rhen rolled onto his back, both weapons poised at the sky. Creatures as silent as the night sailed ove...

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Thirsty Thursday Thoughts

Henlo my dudes! I've got that clear splishy-splashy today for a drink but I'm thinking about cracking a cold one... my brain is mush.

Deathless Dungeoneers

Book 1 is done! You'll be wrapping up chapters in the next few weeks, unless you want me to accelerate their release.

Book 2 has an outline that's waiting for approval from the head bossman. I think it's a fun idea =)

...

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DD - Chapter 20: Get your grind on

Rhen used tremor blast below the terrocken junior’s feet, tripping it up. The monster’s feet sunk into the earth. It wobbled to the side as it tried to free itself, then collapsed. Jakira was on it in a second, bashing the side of its skull in. Her club flared green, leeching some of the life-sustaining anima out of the monster’s body and into hers.

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DD - 19: Slander and Slights

Rhen dozed in and out, the train home rocking him to sleep after a night of hard work. He clutched the inflammatory leaflet he’d gotten from the Delver’s Guild on the Zephitz dungeon.

Young. Inexperienced. Foolhardy. Don’t delve with Zephitz,” read the title of the pamphlet. Welsh must’ve spent at least a thousand marks getting this pushed to the front page of the de...

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