nrsearcy

Weekly Check-In (8/13/2022)

Another week's in the books, and I have to say that I'm really excited about the chapters I wrote this week.  I can't wait for you all to read the upcoming arc.  As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, here's where to put them.   I'll do my best to respond...

Chapter 127 - Reunion

Zeke paced back and forth on his balcony, which was a new addition suite of rooms, probably prompted by his persistent complaints that his porch had disappeared when it had evolved from a cottage and into the tower it had become. The pair of rocking chairs Abby had bought back in Beacon sat unuse...

Chapter 126 - Vengeance

“You want me to do what, now?” Abby asked, leaning back in her uncomfortable seat among the sharp branches of the metallic nest.

“Is there a problem? Perhaps you do not wish to give up your weapon?” asked Mrwyska. “I assure you, the Framework rewards sacrifice, whether it is putti...

Chapter 125 - The Easy Path

Come to us, child, came the thunderbird’s intrusive thoughts. The way is clear, and we will be undisturbed. This mental connection is…tiring.

Suddenly, Abby’s mind bloomed with knowledge, and she became acutely aware of the temple’s layout. More importantly, she kn...

Chapter 124 - The Climb

Abby trudged up the shallow steps, which had been crudely cut into the mountain itself. The gnolls were a lot of things – vicious, territorial, and powerful, among other, less savory characteristics – but they were not expert craftsman. Their handiwork left much to be desired, a fact which Ab...

Weekly Check-In (8/6/2022)

I think this week was pretty awesome, not least because I was finally able to release the new artwork.  I wish I could release the artist's name, but he wanted to remain anonymous for now.  The story's coming along nicely (I really enjoyed writing the Myconid caves), and I'm eager to sh...

Chapter 123 - More than a Distraction

Talia skirted the edges of the cavern, carefully keeping just far enough away from the walls so that their creeping vines couldn’t reach her. She wasn’t certain if they were connected to the patriarch in the same way as the more ambulatory myconids, but she wasn’t going to take the chance. ...

Chapter 122 - The Nest

Pudge tackled a humanoid myconid into the tunnel’s wall, his momentum enough to shake loose enough spores to infect an entire village’s population. In an instant, his claws arced out, slicing through the monster’s fungal flesh. There was no blood; it was too far gone for that. However, with...

New Art!

I just got the cover art for the first book in this series, and I was eager to share it with you all.  I think it's pretty awesome, and I hope you will too!

Chapter 121 - Dashed Expectations

Abby peeked out from behind a boulder, taking in the scene before her. Laid out at the base of the mountain was a crude village, comprised of wooden huts, communal campfires, and a few crude totems that were clearly meant to depict majestic thunderbirds. Whoever the artists had been had clearly f...

Chapter 120 - Myconids

Zeke strode forward, his booted feet making a squelching noise with every step. Luckily, the effect from his [Greaves of the Spider Queen] remained just as noticeable as ever, keeping his footing sure. The same couldn’t be said for his companions, who were struggling with the swampy terrain. An...

Weekly Check-In

As I said earlier in the week, Death: Genesis is going to be coming to Audible and Kindle soon (November 29).  It's been in the works for a little while, now, but I wasn't sure if I was clear to announce it until now.  It'll be narrated by Audie Award finalist Eric Michael Summerer, who...

Chapter 119 - In Pursuit of Power

Abby pressed her back against the wide trunk of the tree, praying that her stalker would leave off its pursuit. It was a vain hope, born of nothing but wishful thinking. Never was that more clear than when she heard it splash through the shallow stream that cut between them. Abby had hoped it wou...

Chapter 118 - A Side Quest

Tucker stalked through the heavy vegetation, hacking back and forth with a machete he’d bought in Salvation. It was useless in combat, but it had been enchanted with the ability to cut through vegetation with relative ease. In his travels, which had taken him all across the Radiant Isles, it ha...

An Announcement

I just wanted to take a moment to let you all know some great news.  The first volume of Death: Genesis is going to be coming to both Kindle and Audible in November.  This shouldn't really affect the content I put out on Patreon, so don't worry about that.  However, it's really exc...

Chapter 117 - Shadows

Carlos perched in the rafters, shadows clinging to him like a second skin as he watched the exchange taking place far below him. Shafts of soft moonlight illuminated the interior of the ruined building, allowed access via a gaping hole in the roof. Carlos paid it no heed; he was too focused on th...

Chapter 116 - Wisps

“How far is it?” Zeke asked, glancing back the way they’d come. They had been following a game trail for a couple of miles, which meant that their companions were well beyond shouting range. If he and Abby got into trouble, they wouldn’t be able to count on the others for help. Even Pudge...

Weekly Check-In

Another week's in the books, and I'm really happy with the progress in Death: Genesis.  I'm also super excited about the last few chapters I've written, and I'm anxious to see how they're received.  Anyway, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, this is where to address them....

Chapter 115 - Moving Forward

Abby sat next to Zeke, her fingers intertwined with his underneath the table as she looked from one member of their impromptu party to the next. Whatever surge of life Talia had experienced after consuming the Jotun heart had disappeared in the two days since they’d fled the giants’ territory...

Chapter 114 - A Second Path

Zeke wasn’t certain how he managed to maintain his grip as Pudge carried him through the mountains. A few times, the group had to defend themselves against stray giants or ambitious monsters, but they managed to proceed without much in the way of delay. Soon, the sun dipped below the horizon, p...

Chapter 113 - Breakthing Through

Using the lightning storm as a distraction, Zeke barreled into the nearest Jotun, his shield connecting with the giant’s waist. He moved with such momentum that he knocked the creature from his feet, flipping him over as he pushed forward. Even as the giant landed with a sickening crunch, Zeke�...

Chapter 112 - Rescue

Tucker knelt beside the beaker, eyeing the concoction on which he had spent the past eighteen hours working. The liquid contained within the glass was thick, almost solid, and a deep, angry red with tendrils of darkness running through it. He tapped the glass, listening to the sound before thinki...

Chapter 111 - Jailbreak

Like a marble statue, Talia knelt in the shadows. She didn’t move, not even to breathe, the necessity for which had faded with her transition into undeath. Even now, weeks later, she found the transformation both jarring and imminently comforting. The act of breathing was a perfect example of t...

Chapter 110 - Among Titans

Zeke leapt down the scree-covered incline, kicking up a rooster tail of rock fragments as he slid down the slope. His armor held up to the sharp rocks, but it screamed in protest. If the giants didn’t already know which way he’d gone, then they certainly did now. Zeke could only hope they wer...

Chapter 109 - Tight Spaces

Abby felt the walls shake as she slowly inched her way down the air shaft. Suspended in midair, held in place by her outstretched hands and feet, she couldn’t move very quickly, but her heart felt as if it was beating out of her chest. Above her, Talia clung to the rocky wall like a spider, her...

Chapter 108 - Distractions

Zeke peered down the exposed airshaft and felt a rush of warm air. “Do you think we’ll fit?” he asked, extremely aware of just how narrow the space was. He didn’t think of himself as claustrophobic, but those close confines definitely sent a shudder up his spine. He wasn’t afraid. Just ...

Chapter 107 - No Man Left Behind

After going back and forth on whether or not to do it, I decided to go ahead and skip ahead of my plan and increase the number of chapters available on Patreon (by five).  So, now, Monarchs can read twenty-five chapters ahead instead of twenty.  For those of you who're at th...