Showing results by author "Daniel Schinhofen" in All Categories

Gregory’s year-long posting along the northern wilds was done. He’d had to face corrupt magi, assassination attempts, aether-using bane beasts, and even deal with the loss of some of his men. The year had left a mark on his soul. He’d accepted the burden of leadership fully, knowing that his men could and would die under his command. He might’ve avoided all of it if he hadn’t made his moral stand, using the empire’s slave laws to force the corruption to come to light. Because he had, it threw his posting into conflict.

Benedict Aaron Rodney had a terrible life for eighteen years. Then, something miraculous happened: the Heavens stepped in, granting him a Sphere. Spontaneous manifestation of a Sphere was very rare, but it happened on occasion. Benedict, while being beaten unconscious and having his bones broken, was suddenly the Holder of a Sphere of Regeneration.

Sean was just waiting for his best friend to show up at the bar so they could play some pool. It came as a shock when the tall blonde man accosted Sean and demanded that he change seats. His refusal would change his life. When the fight ended, Sean found himself in the strangest meeting of his life. Odin, Archangel Michael, Lucifer, and Morrigan all vied for his soul, each offering different deals. Sean had to choose, so he chose to go with the goddess of Fate, Death, and Battle.

Sean had long waited for his chance to avenge his friends from Oakwood— when the time finally came, it was with several unlikely allies: High Lady Minerva Queensblood, who felt her family owed Sean for helping her son, Commander Queensblood. Advisor Mackenzie Earthfoot, who had to walk a thin line to not favor Sean too much, lest she earn the Queens’ ire. With his friends and allies, Sean time and again thwarted Lord Truestrike and his minions. He even befriended his daughter, Dame Trisha Truestrike, giving her hope that she might one day see Darragh again.

Nearly everything in Gregory’s life had changed by the end of his first year at the academy. Alone at the start of his novice year, he’d gotten engaged to Yukiko Warlin and found a friend in Jenn Bean by the time the annual tournament was over. The three of them went on to join Aether’s Guard, bringing the name of the nearly dead clan back to life. Elder Lightshield, the leader of Aether’s Guard, gave them his support and backing and Magus Dia guided them.

Doc left Furden behind after six months in the capital of the Coalrud Territory. A lot had happened in that time span—there’d been a lot of new business deals, personal accomplishments, and Doc made great strides toward bringing the name of Luck to the world.

Gregory, Yukiko, and Jenn were thrilled—not only had they won their first apprentice tournament, their friends finally joined them in Aether’s Guard. Daciana, Nessa, and Victoria were only halfway through their novice year, but had made an impact during their novice tournament.

Gregory’s life changed when his aether sparked to life during the Age Day ritual. He left his old friends and his old life behind, and was taken to the Magi Academy to start training to serve the Vela Empire. Suddenly alone and out of place, he prepared for the worst. When the beautiful novice, Yukiko Warlin, asked if they could be friends, his life changed again. After six months of duplicity from the people who they had thought of as friends, Gregory and Yukiko isolated themselves from all the other novices.

Advances in technology have led to the creation of ever more realistic virtual reality games, but now Full Immersion Virtual Reality is finally coming true. Join David and his oldest friends as they sign up to beta test the first game of its kind. Last Horizon will give the old gamers the chance to live out one last adventure together.

Every year, the empire administers the rite of passage into adulthood. That rite serves to identify those blessed by Aether to become magi. The new magi are shipped to the academy to learn the arts of magic. The academy is a dangerous place; the tournaments held twice each year can cripple or kill the students, and the clans of the empire will go to great lengths to recruit the students they want. Gregory had one dream: to become a magi like the legends of old. Though he was ridiculed by the residents of the village and his unsupportive father, he never wavered from his dream.

Sean discovered that words do indeed have power, and agreements are binding in this world, where the Queens of the Fey rule. Fleeing the burning village of Oakwood, with Feline Moonbound pursuing them, Sean, Fiona Mithrilsoul, and Myna Mooncaller will have to find a way to coexist as they cross the wilds to distance themselves from the atrocities behind them...Sean worries what might happen with the woman he loves and the friend he pulled back from death’s door.

Sean and his Bonded settled in Hearthglen to learn, train, and grow. Taking on an apprentice, setting up his shop, and Bonding both Chastity and Andrea to him, Sean felt like he would finally be able to learn about this world and try his hand at new things. Sean stepped on some toes as he tried to find his place in the city, but by ignoring conventions, he friended smith and Shaper alike, forging friendships across the divide. The newly formed alliance discovered common ground when opposition rose up to hinder them.

Having accepted the love of both Myna Mooncaller and Fiona Mithrilsoul, Sean discovered happiness he hadn’t ever thought he would know, and began to acknowledge how different this society was from his old world. Everywhere they went, they ran into trouble. First had been bandits, which actually proved to be fortuitous, with Ryann Cullin entering Sean’s service after that attack. The sudden harsh blizzard had been the worst trial they had to endure. Cold that even Sean couldn’t withstand had nearly stopped them in their tracks, but they managed to reach Flento.

How does Alburet feel about Stacia suddenly becoming his Succubus? How will her family react to her sudden change? While trying to handle this sudden transition, Mindblown is also going to take the server down for maintenance. Alburet will have to deal with emotional turmoil, all while continuing to play the game he has been sentenced to play for life. What else is about to change in Alpha World? Mindblown announces the ability to form guilds. Alburet sees an opportunity to form a guild himself and takes it.

Alvin and his wives had been busy over the last few weeks. They’d gone out of their way to visit settlements they’d helped in the past, all while killing a string of mini-bosses across what had been the American west. Life looked good for Team Asshole…until the devs made a mistake. Without any warning, Sammi stopped showing up. At first, they brushed it off as her being too busy, or maybe in trouble. That changed when a new dev showed up and tried to assert his dominance.

Doc was happy with his new life—he’d married Fiala and Sonya, had allies who were steadfastly beside him, and was building the name of Lady Luck. Things were moving in the right direction, and life was good. But powerful enemies were starting to rise against him. Doc knew that Sheriff Grange and McIan, the preacher of Apoc, would be problems eventually, but the two he had to deal with first were Suez and Goodman. Suez was still a mystery to Doc, and the man had effectively split the town with Goodman.

After visiting Nevada, California, and two apocalypse gates, Alvin was tired. With Gothy, and now Kuro, beside him, they faced necromancers, an undead army, and saved a queen from assassination. Alvin could only wonder what was going to be thrown at them next! First, however, a vacation was in order. Returning to Green River, seeing the first settlement he had helped build, and revisiting old friends was cathartic. Alvin knew that he would not be able to stay long, as something was bound to happen to push them back on the road again.

Finally settled into Accord, Sean’s work had barely begun. The plan was to take away Lord Truestrike’s powerbase, then move against him, with Hallie working to strengthen their ties with the nobility. Sean knew better than to get involved with that side of things, knowing he’d just say the wrong things to the wrong people.

Shifted by quantum entanglement from Earth to an alien planet, military contractor Zander Greaves and his squad would have to adapt—and quickly—if they wanted to live. As they tried to understand what was happening, the stark truth of their new reality thrust itself on the shaken humans. Giant machines of war were attacking an equally humongous bug. And, quite unfortunately, the giant bug had a lot of little friends.

At the end of their apprentice year, Aether’s Guard headed off to Buldoun for an international tournament. They had allies there in the Swift Wind and Iron Hand clans, but they also had to deal with the Eternal Flame; Nick Shun had no interest in letting go of his perceived grudge against Aether’s Guard. However, with the academy overseer on the trip, Nick had no chance to act out against them.