jmclarke

IABD 66: The Monk's Account

It was all there, laid out in black ink on yellowed parchment: a testament to a man’s suffering and his accounting of a supernatural grudge. With shaking hands Matthias picked the book up. <...

IABD 65: The Wailing Path

Searing pain flooded Matthias Stonebreaker’s being. 

Before his horrified eyes, his shadow tendril abruptly bent then twisted, the prismatic light doing the same, bending then collapsi...

IABD 64: The Battle on the Stairwell to Darkness

Matthias had no time to dwell on Ellian’s words, as much as their gravity struck him to his core: if this stairway led to the Old Abbey Roads, then going down them would mean descending into some...

IABD 63: The Passage Below

The sound of weeping was as clear as day, soft, as though coming from a distance.

Matthias thought the voice most likely belonged to a man, though the sobs were choked with such grief, it was...

IABD 62: The Ancient Chapel

“We should enter through the chapel,” Matthias suggested, pointing to the long structure. “It’s the biggest space in the abbey, and probably where the ghouls are most likely to gather. I sa...

IABD 61: The Blizzard

The fires of combat faded long before the bonfire did. 

For a time, Matthias and Beggahasta sat by the flames, enjoying their wine and talking. Wine loosened the warrior woman’s lips, ...

IABD 60: Blood Hunger

The undead troll loomed above Matthias, long tongue lolling out, arms spreading wide. Beside it shuffled a pack of smaller ghouls, snarling, fangs gnashing. Their claws gleamed in the firelight, we...

IABD 59: The Ghoul Trap

Ignite,” Mistress Polla commanded. “And burn long.”

Inside the derelict hermit house, a towering pile of wood hissed, steam rising, abruptly bursting into flame. Flickering firelight an...

IABD 58: Stonebreaker vs. Stonebreaker vs. Stonebreaker

“Before you face ghouls,” Beggahasta’s voice rang out over the courtyard. “I’d like to get an idea of how you fight while circulating your energy. Facing ghouls without knowing that life ...

IABD 57: An Idea for a Trap

Snow crunched in the courtyard, jolting Matthias from the Realm in Dream.

Moving silently, he sprang from his bedroll, peering through the window—behind him the room was unnaturally bright,...

IABD 56: Sprinting Ahead

Matthias Stonebreaker shielded his eyes as crimson light flared across his brother’s back, momentarily blinding everyone in the garden. Bregindoure’s roar thundered through the sky.

Every...

IABD 55: A Test of Affinity

Matthias silently climbed from his bed roll, tiptoeing through the dark hermit house, passing his sleeping sister. Bregindoure’s bed roll was empty, and the young greatfolk could hear his mother ...

IABD 54: Training

The ghouls hadn’t tried testing the wards with force of numbers again, but they hadn’t given up on trying to get to their prey either. After that failed headlong charge, they had changed tactic...

IABD 53: Beginning Training at Windstone

For three days, Matthias practised Life Energy Circulation.

For three nights, Matthias practised Life Energy Circulation.

The days were trying; the miasma constantly hung over the abbey...

IABD 52: Enduring and New Life

“It’s eerily quiet.” Bregindoure gripped his shield and mace, moving cautiously through the woods, eyes glancing frequently at the surrounding trees.

Reds, yellows and browns had begun ...

IABD 51: Setting Up Camp

As Matthias gingerly picked up a ghoul’s corpse in the living room of their hermit house, it struck him that no essence had risen from the thing and entered his shadow after it had died.

It...

IABD 50: A Horde of Grey

‘It spoke,’ Matthias thought. ‘The thing can speak! It speaks our tongue!’

The ghoul knight’s eye-symbol was fixed on Matthias as though he was its oldest enemy. A long tongue slipp...

IABD 49: The Hermits' Houses

The stench hit Matthias first; stinking worse than the smell of several privies, a rotting wound and decay, clinging to his nostrils, making his nose and eyes water. Yet, the assault to his senses ...

IABD 48: The Anatomy of an Abbey

The rain began falling, pounding on the carriage just as it reached the outer edges of the Windwood.

One moment they were flying in comfortable silence, and the next they were caught in a dea...

IABD 47: The Curse of Windstone

“But it’s only a coin,” Dagma pointed out. “Coins are just meant to be spent.”

“I know of several collectors who would spit blood if they heard such a statement, but more importan...

IABD 46: Coin, Cultivation and Negotiation

Ecaris’ revelation rolled over Matthias, transfixing his thoughts to silence.

He’d never really given any thought to what meeting another Divine Breath cultivator would be like, or if he�...

IABD 45: The Hidden Merchant

“What do you mean ‘make proper use of them’?” Matthias asked. “Are you an alchemist?”

“Among other things. Many other things, but let’s stay on topic. The body parts of the de...

Mark of the Fool Announcement: Light Novels Delayed to Due Paper Shortage

Hello everybody!

Just wanted to give you a quick update on the light novels. I've been informed by my publisher that due to a paper shortage, the printer won't be able to get them done until...

IABD 44: A Situation

Matthias whirled to see a man trying to rob his sister.

Dressed in plain clothing, the stranger was unremarkable except for the pair of daggers at his hip; his stubbled face scowled as he tri...

IABD 43: Dagger Rock

“Good, there is enough mist about to let us land in secret.” Polla watched the mural change before her. “Better that we land unseen. Dagger Rock is a place where you don’t want the wrong ki...

IABD 42: A Trusted Friend

Jan Eklund shivered like a mouse caught between a cave-lion’s front paws. “G-give me a moment, I will get dressed and—”

“That will not be necessary,” came a voice so deep, it seem...