FFM 2023 - Day 1: The Eyes of the Trickster by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2023 - Day 1: The Eyes of the Trickster
Xamodas arrived at the Crooked Priest Inn early, finding a room away from any prying eyes. His draconic construct lay curled up in a corner by the door, eyeing its master patiently. Once he had settled in, the door of the room opened, and in stepped a pale-skinned elf with white hair. He was dressed in common attire, only so that he wouldn't stand out in his usual dark gray clergy robes. "Could've given me a day's notice, Thovel?" Xamodas sighed, wiping sweat from his speckled brow. "My apologies, Xam," Thovel replied, quickly tracing a rune on the inside of the room's door. "This is an urgent matter, and I didn't want to draw any attention from the syndicate." "You do remember I'm also part of the syndicate, right?" Xamodas teased, letting some of his native accent slip through. "Why single me out?" Thovel finished the rune and a muffled hum rang in the room, indicating that the silence spell had taken hold. "I singled you out because I trust you more than anyone I know," Thovel
FFM 2022 Day 2: Lupophobia by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2022 Day 2: Lupophobia
Gelnu hated wolves. Her tribe often encountered them as they traveled through the boreal forests of Tius, but Gelnu would always run and hide at the sight of them. It didn't matter if the wolves were simply minding their own business; Gelnu wanted nothing to do with them. This disposition often drew the ire of her goliath kin and during a hunt that went horribly wrong, she was exiled and left to wander the mountains. Now, two years later, a pack of werewolves was staring her and her companions down, and it took every fiber of her being to not scream in terror. Trishaa and Zrul managed to hold their own against their lupine foes with steel and sorcery. Wilner drew his flame tongue rapier and goaded the alpha towards him, landing some solid blows in the process. Despite her instincts demanding that she run away, she rushed in to help the others, but the creatures proved to be too agile for her. One of the werewolves on Zrul bite hard into the hobgoblin's arm, causing him to wince
FFM 2022 - Day 1: Desert Winds by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2022 - Day 1: Desert Winds
The desert sun beat down on the group of red-skinned adventurers as they made their back to the outpost. Krardun was still recovering from their fight with the lamia in the ruins, but Shovluk was helping tend to his fellow hobgoblin's wounds, humming a tavern song as they trudged across the sands. Shag led the march, the cool of his presence easing the heat enough for it to be bearable, while Klun Prowl took up the rear, carrying his trusty automaton on his back to keep the sand from clogging its joints. They were about an hour out from the outpost when it finally appeared on the horizon, the sun above moving into the late afternoon. "The watch'll be glad knowin' they don' hafta deal with that beast ever again," Shovluk joked, hoping to lighten the mood. Shag looked down at the large satchel at his side, the bottom stained black. "First, we have to get this to them," Shag replied. "We won't get paid otherwise." The sun drew ever closer to the western horizon as the group
FFM 2021 - Day 31: Visions of the Past by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 31: Visions of the Past
This isn't my body. I had found myself back at the bandits' hideout, but I was witnessing the events of that night through another's eyes. Instead of racing alongside the other captives to freedom, I was guiding them to the exit. I was in the body of the pale-skinned elf who had saved me, the original owner of the dagger. I tried to speak out, to warn the elf of what would happen next, but this body wasn't mine to control. I was merely an observer, watching the memory unfold before me. Soon, we were outside the hideout, heading for a ferry that would take us to safety. The half-drow leader of the bandits was in hot pursuit and I was forced to see the fight through my savior's eyes. He fought valiantly, but the half-drow feinted and tripped him. Through the elf's eyes, I saw as the half-drow turned his attention toward me, trying to lead the other captives below deck. He ran towards me, blade raised, and I felt the elf's body stand back up and scramble after him. I knew what
FFM 2021 - Day 30: A Simple Favor by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 30: A Simple Favor
So...you all died...and you've just barely begun to make a name for yourselves as adventurers. Nothing to worry about. I've been keeping an eye on you all since you saved that village from the machinations of a mad hag. I must say I was impressed, so much so that I'm willing to extend my aid to you all. You see, I can get you back to the mortal realm, no strings attached; all you need to do first is one simple favor for me. I'm in need of ingredients for the spell I will cast to send you back. I have a few of the ingredients already and I'm able to get some of the rest. However, there is one ingredient that will require your assistance. There is a plant called bloodroot wheatgrass that only grows in the Abyss. The good news is that I know where in the Abyss it can be found and can send you straight there. The bad news is that it is the Death Dells, the realm of Yeenoghu, Beast of Butchery. I have no doubt the demon lord's lackeys will be roaming the area, so you had best be
FFM 2021 - Day 29: The Silent Monk by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 29: The Silent Monk
The bandits that were ransacking our village stopped and turned their attention to the sky. A stranger in dark robes glided down on an ornate carpet, landing gracefully in the middle of the chaos. A large crow's beak poked out from under the stranger's cowl as he looked up at the bandits. "An' jus' wha' do ye think you're doin' here?" the bandit's leader shouted at the stranger. "This is our turf, ye hear! Now, take yer magic mumbo jumbo back where ye came from!" The stranger remained silent, staring back at the bandits with his piercing yellow eyes. "Hmph, 'ave it yer way." The bandit leader motioned to his men. "Get 'em, boys!" The bandits aimed their crossbows at the stranger and fired. And what happened next was unlike anything I had ever seen. The stranger effortlessly dodged each of the bolts fired at him. He even managed to catch one of the bolts and sent it back. The bolt went between the bandit's eyes, lurching back from the bolt's momentum before collapsing to
FFM 2021 - Day 28: Spawn of the Underdark by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 28: Spawn of the Underdark
Kaludak had heard tales of a colony of illithids that had employed vampirism in their practices, but seeing the result up close was unlike anything he had imagined. The two illithids shambling toward the trio were bony and malnourished, baring a maw of fangs that extended down the underside of their tentacles. Trabar quickly reached into his pack and pulled out a fist-sized flask of white, viscous fluid. The gnome then threw the flask over towards the creatures and the flask smashed open, causing a mass of thick webbing to explode out, sticking to the floor and nearby stalagmites. Kaludak shot at one with his crossbow and Cordelia called forth a beam of moonlight down on the other. The moonbeam burned into the illithid, but not by much, and it and the other illithid managed to nimbly escape from the webs. Seeing his trap hadn't worked as he hoped, Trabar threw another flask between the creatures, covering the ground beneath them with grease. Both of the illithids slipped on the
FFM 2021 - Day 27: Pines of Rome by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 27: Pines of Rome
Atticus was in the mood for love. He had thought his wife would be enough to satisfy him, but he wanted more. He wished to indulge his every desire, something he discovered he couldn't receive from his wife alone. Without her knowing, Atticus snuck out of the domus to enjoy the nightlife of Rome. It was during one of these nights, stumbling in a drunken haze, that he met Cecilia. She claimed she was the best woman in all of the city's brothels and she could give Atticus what he longed for the most. Atticus hesitated at first, not wanting to bed with a woman that wasn't his wife. He politely refused, but the woman told him which brothel she worked at, in case he changed his mind. Over the next week, Atticus's mind was plagued by the memory of Cecilia. Her voluptuous form, her piercing gaze, her alluring voice. Tried as he could, the woman couldn't leave his thoughts. And soon enough, he was pining for her. He snuck out one night and headed straight for the brothel she
FFM 2021 - Day 26: Don't Get Eaten! by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 26: Don't Get Eaten!
"Don't get eaten!" That was the only advice we received when the quest giver sent us off. According to the tip, a rancher's herd was being ravaged by some dragon-like monster with no wings, many claws, and could breathe lightning. Gaspard had heard of such creatures roaming the mountains, usually harassing true dragons, but it was odd for one to be roaming about in the grasslands. Either way, if it was being a nuisance, it had to be put down before it started going after people instead of livestock. After an hour of walking, we came upon it while it was asleep. Unfortunately, Ursine tripped on a stray rock, startling the monster awake. It let out a loud roar and the fight was on. I magically armed myself and summoned my omen hound, Grim, to engage the monster. Ursine called upon his deity and blessed each of us with her favor. Gaspard shot an arrow at the monster, but it glanced off its scaly blue hide. Grim also had trouble biting through the scales. Quemila attempted to
FFM 2021 - Day 25: The Ballad of Garu the Fury by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 25: The Ballad of Garu the Fury
Allow me to weave you a tale of the bravest of kobolds: the fierce warrior known as Garu the Fury. Where most kobolds would cower in fear, Garu the Fury would stand his ground. A true champion among his clan. But his greatest test would come when a troupe of goblins raided his home, brought there by the vile draconic commander Salensor, the Red Death. Leading the clan's warriors, Garu the Fury faced the goblin incursion, including their boss and his dire wolf. Both the air and ground garrisons pelted the goblins with rocks, weakening their numbers. The dire wolf was a formidable foe, but Garu the Fury rose up to the challenge, bloodying the beast with his mighty morningstar. The boss of the goblins lumbered to the heroic kobold, barely hanging on from the assault, and swung his blade, only for Garu the Fury to parry the blows with his dragon scale shield. Dismayed as he was, the boss failed to defend himself from one of Garu's allies, feeling the cold steel of a dagger before
FFM 2023 - Day 1: The Eyes of the Trickster by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2023 - Day 1: The Eyes of the Trickster
Xamodas arrived at the Crooked Priest Inn early, finding a room away from any prying eyes. His draconic construct lay curled up in a corner by the door, eyeing its master patiently. Once he had settled in, the door of the room opened, and in stepped a pale-skinned elf with white hair. He was dressed in common attire, only so that he wouldn't stand out in his usual dark gray clergy robes. "Could've given me a day's notice, Thovel?" Xamodas sighed, wiping sweat from his speckled brow. "My apologies, Xam," Thovel replied, quickly tracing a rune on the inside of the room's door. "This is an urgent matter, and I didn't want to draw any attention from the syndicate." "You do remember I'm also part of the syndicate, right?" Xamodas teased, letting some of his native accent slip through. "Why single me out?" Thovel finished the rune and a muffled hum rang in the room, indicating that the silence spell had taken hold. "I singled you out because I trust you more than anyone I know," Thovel
FFM 2022 Day 2: Lupophobia by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2022 Day 2: Lupophobia
Gelnu hated wolves. Her tribe often encountered them as they traveled through the boreal forests of Tius, but Gelnu would always run and hide at the sight of them. It didn't matter if the wolves were simply minding their own business; Gelnu wanted nothing to do with them. This disposition often drew the ire of her goliath kin and during a hunt that went horribly wrong, she was exiled and left to wander the mountains. Now, two years later, a pack of werewolves was staring her and her companions down, and it took every fiber of her being to not scream in terror. Trishaa and Zrul managed to hold their own against their lupine foes with steel and sorcery. Wilner drew his flame tongue rapier and goaded the alpha towards him, landing some solid blows in the process. Despite her instincts demanding that she run away, she rushed in to help the others, but the creatures proved to be too agile for her. One of the werewolves on Zrul bite hard into the hobgoblin's arm, causing him to wince
FFM 2021 - Day 31: Visions of the Past by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 31: Visions of the Past
This isn't my body. I had found myself back at the bandits' hideout, but I was witnessing the events of that night through another's eyes. Instead of racing alongside the other captives to freedom, I was guiding them to the exit. I was in the body of the pale-skinned elf who had saved me, the original owner of the dagger. I tried to speak out, to warn the elf of what would happen next, but this body wasn't mine to control. I was merely an observer, watching the memory unfold before me. Soon, we were outside the hideout, heading for a ferry that would take us to safety. The half-drow leader of the bandits was in hot pursuit and I was forced to see the fight through my savior's eyes. He fought valiantly, but the half-drow feinted and tripped him. Through the elf's eyes, I saw as the half-drow turned his attention toward me, trying to lead the other captives below deck. He ran towards me, blade raised, and I felt the elf's body stand back up and scramble after him. I knew what
FFM 2021 - Day 29: The Silent Monk by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 29: The Silent Monk
The bandits that were ransacking our village stopped and turned their attention to the sky. A stranger in dark robes glided down on an ornate carpet, landing gracefully in the middle of the chaos. A large crow's beak poked out from under the stranger's cowl as he looked up at the bandits. "An' jus' wha' do ye think you're doin' here?" the bandit's leader shouted at the stranger. "This is our turf, ye hear! Now, take yer magic mumbo jumbo back where ye came from!" The stranger remained silent, staring back at the bandits with his piercing yellow eyes. "Hmph, 'ave it yer way." The bandit leader motioned to his men. "Get 'em, boys!" The bandits aimed their crossbows at the stranger and fired. And what happened next was unlike anything I had ever seen. The stranger effortlessly dodged each of the bolts fired at him. He even managed to catch one of the bolts and sent it back. The bolt went between the bandit's eyes, lurching back from the bolt's momentum before collapsing to
FFM 2021 - Day 25: The Ballad of Garu the Fury by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 25: The Ballad of Garu the Fury
Allow me to weave you a tale of the bravest of kobolds: the fierce warrior known as Garu the Fury. Where most kobolds would cower in fear, Garu the Fury would stand his ground. A true champion among his clan. But his greatest test would come when a troupe of goblins raided his home, brought there by the vile draconic commander Salensor, the Red Death. Leading the clan's warriors, Garu the Fury faced the goblin incursion, including their boss and his dire wolf. Both the air and ground garrisons pelted the goblins with rocks, weakening their numbers. The dire wolf was a formidable foe, but Garu the Fury rose up to the challenge, bloodying the beast with his mighty morningstar. The boss of the goblins lumbered to the heroic kobold, barely hanging on from the assault, and swung his blade, only for Garu the Fury to parry the blows with his dragon scale shield. Dismayed as he was, the boss failed to defend himself from one of Garu's allies, feeling the cold steel of a dagger before
FFM 2021 - Day 22: The Druid of the Willisp Wood by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 22: The Druid of the Willisp Wood
A single deer was grazing in the clearing. It was a little larger than the ones I usually hunted, but I felt it could take it down with my abilities. I crept towards the clearing, trying my best to keep to the shadows. A twig snapped below my foot and I crouched low before the deer turned its head towards the noise. If I wanted to get this beast, I had to be sneakier. I let my druidic magic flow over me, changing into the boa constrictor I had encountered the other day, albeit with a color pattern that reflected my true goblin form. It wasn't a form I was used to having since it had no limbs, but I made do with it the best I could. I slowly slithered up behind the deer. It was still somewhat wary, but it didn't see me. I had it. I lunged forward, striking at its leg. It slipped from my jaws and made a run for it, but I managed to catch back up to it. The deer had almost reached the treeline, but I was waiting for it. I struck again, this time on the neck, and I quickly
FFM 2021 - Day 20: Dragonsoul by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 20: Dragonsoul
The sound of crackling flames met Joyra's ears as she came back to consciousness. She looked around the chamber, aghast at the sight of her fallen dwarf brethren. It had taken everything the clan had and then some to subdue the dragon long enough for the ritual to finish. The skeletal remains of the dragon laid scattered across the dais, the floor blackened from both the dragon's fiery breath and the arcane sigils. As the lone dwarf stood up, she saw a thin sheen of draconic scales along her skin and felt a roiling inferno blazing within her, strong enough for her to notice but not enough to overtake her. They had done it: the dragon's soul had been successfully sealed within her. The cost was immense, but Joyra was satisfied knowing that the clan's sacrifice was not in vain. Joyra slowly made her way through the cave, her body still acclimating to her newfound powers. About halfway through, she heard a low rumbling behind her, and as she turned around to look, a small
FFM 2021 - Day 17: Burying the Hatchet by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 17: Burying the Hatchet
There were bodies everywhere. The entire town was covered with blood and viscera. Some of the corpses were still fresh, but most of them appeared to have been left out for several days. If there was anyone still alive, they had doused the lights in the buildings and draped the windows. Immeral walked down the main street, the silver runes on his white robe glittering in the setting sun's light. He looked around at the bodies, his nose wrinkling in disgust. "Such savagery," he muttered. "The least they could do is burn them." He spotted movement from the window of one of the houses and saw a little girl peeking out before being pulled back by her mother. Even though he was a master mage at the Academy, necromancy wasn't a subject many spoke highly of. Stories of necromancers spoke of deals with devils and leading armies of undead to ravage settlements. But the half-elf wasn't there to change nor confirm their perception of him. He was there to free them from the horror that
FFM 2021 - Day 16: The Roc of Odiah by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 16: The Roc of Odiah
The island came into view on the morning of our second day at sea. We had been trying to find that roc's roost for almost a year while it snatched up caravans left and right along the Suumela Ridge. Originally, we had assumed it lived in the Ridge itself, but the scouts that came back found nothing but wandering goblinoids and orc tribes. We were at our wit's end until the old man showed up. An upbeat, gray-blue-robed elf introduced himself as Ghesh. He said he knew magic and that he had found the bird's roost on a mountain on the island we were heading toward. I was willing to accept his claims if it meant being rid of that feathered beast for good, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't tell us everything, especially since he insisted he come with us. Not long after we moored the boat at the shore near the edge of a forest, our quarry descended from the mountain with a thunderous screech. We were in its domain now and it wasn't going to let us leave alive. I and the
FFM 2021 - Day 13: Necessary Evil by The-Livewriter, literature
Literature
FFM 2021 - Day 13: Necessary Evil
The creature's scales don't hide the familiar scar over its right eye. These serpentine monsters have turned my sister into one of them, a mindless drone to protect their young. My rage overtakes my mind and lightning strikes down around me as my inner radiance threatens to consume me. I run up to the abomination and manage to dodge the swing of its scimitar. It lunges at me with its fangs, latching onto my shoulder, and wraps its coils around me. But I break free easily as my radiance burns at its scales. Its slit-pupiled eyes flash an ethereal violet and I am become so overtaken with visions of its kind ravaging through my village that I reflexively drop my greataxe. I race back in the direction I came in, feeling the sting of its scimitar against my skin as I fled. My heart still burns with anger, but I am too shaken to face the creature again, my radiance fading away. "Sssuch a foolish endeavor, warm blood," hisses the creature as I hear it slithering after me. "Only
Divine Destiny (Part 1) by GabrielRaven, literature
Literature
Divine Destiny (Part 1)
She walked into the tavern with the grace of one who felt they belonged there, though she couldn’t have looked more out of place if she tried. The barkeep and the other visitors to the bar all looked up as she walked in and stared. She had long brown hair, tied back in a braid, strong steel armor was fastened onto her torso, and her keen blue eyes were set on the room about her. But what was odd about her was not her armor or her striking appearance…it was what lay below her waist. Instead of human legs, there was a large horse body, with four hooves, clopping on the wooden floor as she walked. A long brown tail swished behind her as she walked, and her horse hide was a slightly darker shade. Strapped to her horse body was a large pack, and a double edged longsword. But strapped to her back was a long glaive of sorts, a two handed polearm of immense weight. She was a centaur, one of the horse people of Tygeria. Centaurs had not been seen in the Kingdom of Valencia in almost 800 years
The Sorceress (Chapter 1) by GabrielRaven, literature
Literature
The Sorceress (Chapter 1)
I knocked on the door of the cottage and waited a few minutes. I was used to Ms. Fey taking a while to answer. The old woman was ancient and needed help from a cane to get around. She was nice though, and so I didn’t mind dropping by on my weekends to give her a hand with her yard work and cleaning. I knocked again to make sure she’d heard me. “I’ll be right there, dearie.” She called in her withered and husky voice. I looked around patiently to see how her house looked. It was a good four miles away from the main road, deep in the forest. It was set up on wooden frames to help support it on the slight incline of the mountain that it rested on. Were it not for the trees all around, you could look and see the town of Pritcherville in the leveled out valley beyond the mountain, a good 10 or 11 miles away. The drive here was long but not terrible. I liked the mountain air, and the seclusion. Besides, I had no real love for Pritcherville one way or another. It was a modest, out of the way
The Revenant King (Chapter 6) by The-Knight-Writer, literature
Literature
The Revenant King (Chapter 6)
Kim stirred, the sensation of wind blowing past her face and hair causing a tickling sensation on her nose as loose strands of her hair whisked lazily past her. She winced and shook her head, lifting it up to see where the draft was coming from…only to be met with a terrifying sight. She was on the head of the Statue of Liberty! It was unmistakable! The large green and hard top of the statue felt cold and tacky under her as she screamed and started to get up, her legs trembling. Surrounding her on all sides was the sea. She could see the city of lights blinking and winking at her in the distance, and she looked to her right to see the large arm of the statue holding up its torch to the sky. She let out another scream and scrambled back to her feet in panic. “Calm yourself, or you’ll fall off…” A voice spoke calmly with a hint of an Eastern European accent. Though the wind was blowing, the voice was clear as day, and Kim spun around to see who had spoken. There, standing on one of the
The Revenant King (Chapter 5) by The-Knight-Writer, literature
Literature
The Revenant King (Chapter 5)
The night was cold, and Kim was bundling up in her jacket to keep warm. She shivered to herself and hurried to the agreed meeting point. 1941 Kirk St. It was a run down old shack of a building. There were boards on a few windows, and it looked practically abandoned; maybe even condemned. But this was where Ricky said he would wait for her. She just hoped that he wasn’t bullshitting her. She hadn’t come unprepared though. The Chief’s warnings still played in her mind as she approached the building. She had her weapon hidden beneath her coat, ready in case anything funny happened. She also wasn’t alone. Walking beside her, yawning tiredly, was Officer Grayson. He was a mousy haired fellow in his mid 40’s. Lazy and a bit of a doofus to a few in the precinct, but he did like Kim. He was always sneaking peeks at her when she walked by, and anyone with eyes could see that he fancied her. Too bad for him, she thought, he wasn’t her type. He knew it too. But that didn’t stop him from trying.
This time, this is what I really look like. My hair is brown and my eyes are hazel, just in case you wanted to know. I have also decided to change my pen name from "Taylor Audley" to something a little closer to my "real" real name. It's short, catchy, and rolls nicely off the tongue, at least that's how it feels to me.
At last, NaNoWriMo has come to an end. I managed to pass the 50,000 word goal on time and I can now have some much deserved rest. But just because I reached my intended goal, that doesn't mean the novel I was writing is done. I still have to finish two more chapters, one of which includes the final action scene of the story, but I'm gonna take it slow for now since I no longer have it hanging over my head like the Sword of Damocles.
As promised before NaNoWriMo, I will be taking requests once again; this time with a revised set of rules as to what I will accept:
1) No Erotic FictionThere's enough of this in the world and I am not going t
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
No, wait! Hang on! It didn't happen like that!
Twenty years ago, in our Milky Way galaxy, I watched the original Star Wars for the first time. Not too long after that, the Special Edition comes out and not only did I get the chance to experience it in theaters, but also see the rest of the original trilogy. As time went by, the prequels came out and I got to experience even more of the series' lore. I've even caught myself up with The Clone Wars and Rebels. As for the Extended Universe...Well, actually, I think I'll stick with the official canon. There is way too much for me to catch
Hello, everyone!
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) shall begin one week from today. All of this month, I have been planning my story, sketching out my characters, and preparing my schedule for November. My goal is to get a good chunk of my novel done by Thanksgiving; that way I can free up some time to spend with my family.
As for what my novel will be, I've decided to go back to my Jacob Ravenwood story and do a full revision. I don't know how long it is going to be, but I am planning on making a series with this character. My novel will be the first book in the series, entitled The Sage's Reliquary. An excerpt from the novel w