Tom O’Bedlam

Late Update

My flat is flooded again. I will post two chapters tomorrow and catch everyone back up. Sorry about that!

Thanks for reading!

No Update Today, 15 Aug 2022

There will be a double update on Thursday this week to make up for it!

Thanks for reading!

Interlude, or, Chapter 152

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Tarin-Tiran…

Gis scowled. The hobgoblins before him, the remnants of a scouting party, cowered before the priest’s wrath. Two bodyguards, part of Gis’s ...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 18

‘How much do you know?’ Nilsiir asked briskly, striding about the room as it reshaped itself to their will.

If Robin’s perusal of potential high level illusion spells was correct, Nilsi...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 17

It was another illusion of Nilsiir, High Priest of Rhyth in the days when Tarin-Tiran flourished. This time something was different, however, and it was not hard for Robin to put his finger on prec...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 16

Robin conjured a flaming Ace of Spades, the blue light from the witchfire surrounding it casting the scene in an eerie luminescence. The ghostly figure didn’t react, but the fog around its feet s...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 15

It was, in no uncertain terms, an unmitigated disaster. For thoroughness, they had tested glass, wooden, and paper containers. All of them dissolved into unexpected and unpredictable magical effect...

21 July Update

Hello! 

I’m afraid there will not be a chapter posting today. I’m under the gun with work and the heat wave that hit London two days ago absolutely killed my ability to squeeze in wr...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 14

Robin hissed in frustration and let his hand fall from the stone blocking the party’s way back to the cavern and the tunnel that led to the temple room. The thing wasn’t shifting and he had not...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 13

The party had already fought rats with crystal symbiotes growing form their bodies, and now they faced a far more dangerous—though curiously rhyming—foe: bats with crystals growing from them. T...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 12

The secret door gave a click and swung open as Jhess pumped her fist in jubilation.

‘Further in?’ the rogue asked, a hopeful look on her face.

‘Great fortune and great da...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 11

Robin examined the altar, Rerebos perched on his shoulder, as the rest of his party examined the remainder of the temple for traps, hidden doors, lurking monsters, or other surprises. So far they h...

Announcement: Trickster’s Song Audiobook!

Hello my Amazing Patrons!

I have a bit of news! I have signed with Podium Audio and Trickster’s Song is going to be an audiobook! They’re also going to produce ebook and Print-on...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 10

[Not a shadow but the illusion of a shadow]

The party took up defensive positions, spreading out along the inner wall of the temple so as not to be in—as Robin still thought of it—firebal...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 9

The dungeon entrance could have been any other tunnel or doorway in the vastness of the ruined city. Robin studied it alongside the rest of his party. It was a simple archway of crumbling stone, bu...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 8

Under Ruprecht’s power and influence, the ruined manor had been fully restored. In fact, it was restored far beyond any degree necessary for the party’s purposes. Ruprecht, however, was having ...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 7

“I’ve just about got it,” Drev said, a look of concentration on his face as he stood with one hand pressed against the remains of the latest mosaic the party was investigating.

This one...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 6

The mural in front of Robin depicted a golden vision of Tarin-Tiran—at least the thought it was Tarin-Tiran—as a centre of trade and wealth. It made sense, considering it graced some kind of sh...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 5

‘Frell,’ Robin muttered as he looked through Rerebos’s senses at the next location that the party intended to explore in their hunt for more illusory knowledge. The location in question had o...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 4

‘I really don’t understand why he likes you so much.’ Jhess complained as they trudged down the ruined street, clambering over the rubble and shattered stone.

‘He’s my familiar,’ ...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 3

‘I think,’ Robin said slowly, making a show of looking from the book to the winged cat and back, ‘that it might be our deceased friend’s familiar.’

It was a blatant lie, but no one ...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 2

Robin followed closely behind Jhess as the party made its way through the ruined mansion. Night had fallen, judging by what they could see from the flickers of illusion that still struggled to shro...

Descent into Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 1

Robin sent one final [Lesser Witchbolt] sparking off into the darkness and the battle ended with a small squeak! Around him the floor of the tunnel was scattered with smal...

23 May Announcement

Hello all!

Just a quick announcement here to explain why there will not be a chapter released today! It’s my birthday, and there’s a lot of stuff happening around my birthday, so my sched...

Interlude, or, Chapter 133

An unspecified time ago, above the world…

The harmonics of the realmsphere sang through the crystal ship as it knifed through the interstellar darkness. The pilot felt it thrumming...

The Gates of Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 18

The biggest problem with unleashing a tide of wild magic to consume your enemies was that it tended to consume their valuables as well. Robin let Jhess hunt down any surviving examples, co...

The Gates of Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 17

Robin grimaced as he looked down at the city through Rerebos’s eyes. He was currently crouched in an intact home of some kind, next to Savra. He’d deliberately joined up with the diviner, expec...

The Gates of Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 16

All five groups have now entered my demesne.

The words echoed in Robin’s head as he crouched, hidden, in one of the intact structures near to the group he was monitoring. Five part...

The Gates of Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 15

Robin moved amongst the hobgoblins camp, wearing a borrowed form shrouded in the illusory disguise of a nondescript hobgoblin. He’d dumped all of his experience into maximising his Sleight of Han...

The Gates of Tarin-Tiran, Chapter 14

‘So that’s where we are,’ Robin concluded, ‘we’ve got a few hundred hobgoblins soon to be bearing down on this general vicinity, bent on rooting out whatever has been killing their patrol...