Amdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
When Ilya opened a six metre wide Gate, a beaming Dúhel beyond its threshold clapped excitedly at the sight of Amdirlain. Her bright smile challenged the brilliance of her blazing seafoam-green irises. “I’m so glad you’ve resumed sessions, Amdirlain.”
Amdirlain held herself nearly motionless and gave a careful nod. “I didn’t...
2023-01-13 19:12:18 +0000 UTC View PostHeading off after dinner, Teleport places me in our recovery room at Sanctuary. Before seeking Sarah or Midyåci, I layer extra wards into place and adjust the window’s seal against the stone.
The evening's discussion with Midyåci held no surprises other than the number of guild masters and clerks the Adventurers’ Guild needed to be trained. The map that the guild provided Midyåci s...
2023-01-10 11:21:16 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
Creating hundreds of crystals at once, their singing was a deluge of sound that echoed into white noise within the chamber. With each creation starting a bare second apart, it took eight minutes to wind down. As the last crystal of the session ceased glowing, Laergul gave a full-body stretch. “I’d swear some days you’re a construct. How ...
2023-01-09 03:54:29 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
In the months spent working with the Lómë, Amdirlain had created nearly two million crystal rods, needles, and other objects for the combined projects. Yet, despite that progress, the first test batch of the damned was still an irritating burr for Amdirlain. Countless attempts hadn’t progressed the corruption purification beyond the point ...
2023-01-06 05:30:59 +0000 UTC View PostGetting Sarah and the room cleansed of abyssal residue takes a few tries. As the last of its dissonance fades away, Sarah offers me the crystal staff, still glowing a brilliant sapphire. Finding its trigger among the nested layers would have taken days if I hadn’t heard it being sung into existence.
It awaits a melody with the location and some details of form; neither the inner dimensi...
2023-01-03 04:11:41 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
Amdirlain turned away from the twinned cylinders to consider Sarah. “While I appreciate you keeping me company, you don’t have to be lounging about in the Abyss.”
“Why not?”
“I can think of places that would be far more comfortable, even if you’re not trying to increase your levels,” stated Amdirlain.
“That...
2022-12-30 03:22:10 +0000 UTC View PostThough there are still a couple of hours until dawn when I awaken, I don’t shift to Sanctuary. Bringing out my harp, I wrap the room in a sound barrier and set about using the time to practice the fundamentals. Playing the scales for hours, I’m told, is tedious to some, but listening for the shifts in the pure tone and vibrato of each note is almost as relaxing as reverie and deepens my app...
2022-12-28 03:11:48 +0000 UTC View PostHagen creates padded chairs so we can talk comfortably, though the spells leave them sounding precisely the same. The days I’ve been absent have far more news to catch up on than I’d expected, though, with all the Domain’s varied activities, I’m not sure why I’m surprised. While some of it is the usual changes and growth, the news of Sage’s progression in closing two of Orcus’ gat...
2022-12-20 03:07:27 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
Sarah slipped through the Gate in human form and gave Roher a reassuring shoulder pat. Smoothly handing off the bundle of crystals, she headed towards the cavern’s edge. Once clear of the group, Sarah pushed her pace hard and sped away quicker than an F1 car at full speed, her draconic strength cracking the stone beneath her feet.
“S...
2022-12-16 13:36:07 +0000 UTC View PostI motion at their sandy boots. “May I?”
“Not going to make the youngsters clean their gear?” asks Androkles with a mischievous grin.
Rolling my eyes, I use a quick song to scour the salt, sand, and water from their gear, leaving the team—minus one—pristine.
Ipy snorts. “Cheater.”
His comment has me beaming. “That’s so kind of you to say, Ipy. Shall we...
2022-12-14 10:34:57 +0000 UTC View PostThe faithful greet us all politely when the service finishes. I get far more clasped hands and kisses planted on my checks than I’d expected from the two dozen attending the dawn service. A few fisher wives I recognise from the cove are incredibly energetic in their praise, and an elderly, stooped lady starts to cry when I slip my hand free. Her distress has me stepping in and hugging her clo...
2022-12-12 00:25:47 +0000 UTC View PostThe planar’ energy had unfurled across the Guildhall like an organic canopy, erratically grown in response to Nikias’ plight. Despite the panicked desperation that had gone into its creation, calm hours of teasing notes have it smoothly furled in on itself—a flower closing against the night’s chill air. Shifting that energy by its centre point is delicate but relatively simple work. Whe...
2022-12-09 11:36:16 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
“The Energy Drain Power you gave Erwarth has allowed her to recover more of the lost. Have you listened to the thread it sets into the souls?” asked Roher.
Amdirlain shook her head.
“This is just a thought, so we’ll have to work out the details. What if we mark the damned with an identical marker rather than one adjusted fo...
2022-12-06 07:12:06 +0000 UTC View PostLeaving Myrto at the door to the rectory, I shift us to the rear of Zosime’s house. I freeze with my hand on the latch when I catch the voices within.
“-you stayed here. Why?”
“Gail’s very strange-”
Stepping back, I pull in Resonance to avoid hearing more.
It's so tempting to teleport away; staying put is hard, and admitting to myself I’ve been avoiding Phi...
2022-12-04 16:20:36 +0000 UTC View PostAs I cross the shop’s dimensional threshold, I catch Yngvarr's song so his presence doesn’t startle me.
When I pretend not to understand Nikias’ meaningful nod, Yngvarr clears his throat to get my attention. “Has Esdras shown you a location?”
“He has a nicely detailed map, and since the price was so low, I’ve purchased it. I was just about to go there and ensure it's s...
2022-11-30 17:03:31 +0000 UTC View PostCatching hints of Petrus’ song with frightened chords hurriedly approaching prompts me into motion. “Sorry to interrupt Myrto’s tale, Zosime. You should know I told Petrus off for damaging your business. He promised to apologise before dinner, and I believe he’s heading this way.”
“I’ve got a mind to give him an earful,” huffs Zosime.
“That would be your choice and...
2022-11-28 19:58:57 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
The wide outer layer of grain fields took her hours of line-of-sight teleporting to cross. Fertilised by the damned’s corruption, the rancid grains sprang up continuously from the soil. Outwardly, continuous payments from the overseers were the only things that kept the malevolent field hands trudging between the damned and the fields....
2022-11-26 02:46:05 +0000 UTC View PostThe pronouncements from Nikias and Myrto keep a grip on the room for several chords. I catch the slightest smile from Yngvarr, but his focus doesn't shift from Imhotep, who doesn’t seem to take their rejection of the guild well. Imhotep’s energy starts to flare, but Yngvarr’s strength rises to meet it, causing Mana to coil invisibly around them before Imhotep breaks off and fixes his gaze...
2022-11-22 12:27:51 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
The simple awareness within the psi-crystal seemed content to wait, focusing on the memory crystals touching its base. When Sarah departed for the Elemental Plane of Earth with various monitoring crystals to test, Amdirlain gave its thoughts more attention. Fortunately, it seemed content to review the rules for collating information that Sarah...
2022-11-20 20:47:23 +0000 UTC View PostI’ve completed the sketches slightly before the grandmothers finish their prayers. Like all the elderly, they seem to know I’m up to no good and stick around to watch the show.
For me, creation is addictive.
The composition framework for any building is the same; it's just the details that differ: wood, stone, steel, or even mithril. Hestia’s Temple is already complete, so it ...
2022-11-19 17:47:01 +0000 UTC View PostWith the sun nearly directly above us, I head inside before my stomach can start protesting. Protean might deal with fatigue, but my body still wants food. Before I've finished cooking, the odours beckon the others to the courtyard and I have to give Pitnari a warning look to stop him from messing up my preparations.
There is cooling flatbread off to one side, but the baking wasn’t what...
2022-11-15 22:12:42 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
Their ice cream feast had passed in silence for a time. When she finally started speaking, Amdirlain kept to the safe subject of monitoring devices to tag mortals brought into the Abyss. Then it slowly became a logistical discussion about a planar network of the crystals and what items those rescuing the mortals would need.
Whenever Amdi...
2022-11-14 03:10:34 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
The presence of the surrounding demons rankled Amdirlain’s nerves, and it wasn’t an act when a Greater Schir tried to cut ahead of them. Her snarl came out with a crush of projected agony in an echo of the vile music within him. Dominion drove the Schir and a hundred demons around them to their knees. “Wait your turn, wretch.”
...
2022-11-09 05:10:35 +0000 UTC View PostDue to work commitments during December, I'm unsure how frequently I'll be able to post new chapters.
For this reason, I'll be suspending Patreon fees for the month, even though there will be new content.
I'll also pause the story completely on Royal Road from Dec 6th to Jan 3rd.
2022-11-08 10:07:50 +0000 UTC View PostAt my confession about blowing up the rune plates, Yngvarr gave me an unsurprised nod. “At least your Class names aren’t completely obvious, but one of his translates to ‘dedicate to the Anar’. There are few elves among the Adventurers’ Guild leadership, but there are enough.”
“We’ll go check out the Guildhall and meet with Imhotep.”
Tove gave a little whistle and ...
2022-11-06 15:02:27 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
With Erwarth ready to go, Amdirlain stacked up the last of the crystals they’d repaired.
“You’ve got information from the Wizard’s brain, but we need a local’s knowledge of what will most hurt Moloch to lose,” stated Erwarth. “Yeah, the cliffs and the blood plains are obvious choices, but there will be others.”
“I...
2022-11-02 21:36:16 +0000 UTC View Post“I hope I didn’t disturb your morning prayers, Ipy,” I squeeze out, and make a note to apologise to Irene and Myrto.
“Like most of Lerina’s priests, I offer prayers before dawn,” Ipy says and motions to the seawall. “I like the candle and the motif of broken chains.”
“I thought you might approve. How are you feeling this morning, Nikias?” I ask, unsure how to add...
2022-11-01 02:55:32 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
The Gate was a liquid pool of light struggling against the chamber’s oppressive darkness; beyond its threshold were the gleaming runes of Duskstone’s summoning chamber. Without the runes on the Abyss’ side, there wasn’t even a glimmer of reflected light, but Ebusuku had no issue seeing Amdirlain. True Sight showed Amdirlain’s Anar fo...
2022-10-28 03:09:26 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
Leaving behind the collapsing chamber, Amdirlain crouched amid a dank treeline overlooking a town in a brand new form. Sharp claws dug into the damp bark, and in the armoured ferret form of a Gilöglp, Amdirlain climbed onto the lowest branches. All the while ignoring the invoked memories of her first meeting with the Sisterhood’s knowledge ...
2022-10-23 22:34:25 +0000 UTC View PostAmdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic
Her journey along the road’s outer edge proved enlightening for observing her aura's impact. A juvenile Behemoth the size of a truck had swerved away from her. Despite the efforts of its driver, it had ended up stamped into the ground by a larger Behemoth moving beside it. With its blood splattered across the black-scaled shape Amdirlain pre...
2022-10-21 09:14:33 +0000 UTC View Post