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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Top New Fantasy Books January 2021

Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire

Type: Novel Publisher: Tordotcom Release date: Jan. 12, 2021

Den of Geek says: McGuire’s Wayward Children series is a loosely connected group of novels all playing with fantasy tropes. What does it really mean to be a chosen one in a magical world? In the latest installment she turns her careful wit to centaurs and unicorns.

Publisher’s summary: “Welcome to the Hooflands. We’re happy to have you, even if you being here means something’s coming.”

Regan loves, and is loved, though her school-friend situation has become complicated, of late.

When she suddenly finds herself thrust through a doorway that asks her to “Be Sure” before swallowing her whole, Regan must learn to live in a world filled with centaurs, kelpies, and other magical equines―a world that expects its human visitors to step up and be heroes.

But after embracing her time with the herd, Regan discovers that not all forms of heroism are equal, and not all quests are as they seem…

Buy Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire.

The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner

Type: Novel Publisher: Ace Release date: Jan 12, 2021

Den of Geek says: Romance and magic come together in what looks like a fun tale with a wide variety of characters. The roguish setting reminds us of The Lies of Locke Lamora with more women. Publisher’s summary: Dellaria Wells, petty con artist, occasional thief, and partly educated fire witch, is behind on her rent in the city of Leiscourt—again. Then she sees the “wanted” sign, seeking Female Persons, of Martial or Magical ability, to guard a Lady of some Importance, prior to the celebration of her Marriage. Delly fast-talks her way into the job and joins a team of highly peculiar women tasked with protecting their wealthy charge from unknown assassins. Delly quickly sets her sights on one of her companions, the confident and well-bred Winn Cynallum. The job looks like nothing but romance and easy money until things take a deadly (and undead) turn. With the help of a bird-loving necromancer, a shapeshifting schoolgirl, and an ill-tempered reanimated mouse named Buttons, Delly and Winn are determined to get the best of an adversary who wields a twisted magic and has friends in the highest of places.

Buy The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner.

The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson

Type: Novel Publisher: DAW Release date: Jan. 19 Den of Geek says: A gorgeous and mysterious fantasy world is ready to unfold. The world-building here looks delightfully weird, with sailing ships on fields of greenery.

Publisher’s Summary: On the never-ending, miles-high expanse of prairie grasses known as the Forever Sea, Kindred Greyreach, hearthfire keeper and sailor aboard harvesting vessel The Errant, is just beginning to fit in with the crew of her new ship when she receives devastating news. Her grandmother—The Marchess, legendary captain and hearthfire keeper—has stepped from her vessel and disappeared into the sea.

But the note she leaves Kindred suggests this was not an act of suicide. Something waits in the depths, and the Marchess has set out to find it.

To follow in her grandmother’s footsteps, Kindred must embroil herself in conflicts bigger than she could imagine: a water war simmering below the surface of two cultures; the politics of a mythic pirate city floating beyond the edges of safe seas; battles against beasts of the deep, driven to the brink of madness; and the elusive promise of a world below the waves.

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Kindred finds that she will sacrifice almost everything—ship, crew, and a life sailing in the sun—to discover the truth of the darkness that waits below the Forever Sea. Buy The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson.

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askfuneraldirge · 5 years

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Legends of Arima characters

Name:Stygia Von Stroud

Occupation:Immortal of Portheous

Favored weapon:Claymore

Divine Aspects:Earth,Battle,Hunting,Metal

Stygia Von Stroud was among the first of the immortals created after the architects found they had little control of their Behemoths. Stygia’s creation did not herald new celestial bodies, the Immortal of Slaughter a void in the celestial realm. It was in the Everfree War that Stygia found his purpose: bringing slaughter to the enemies of reality. He stood at the front of nearly every battle of the war, the first into each horde and the last to leave. It was in the thick of battle that he found purpose, joy discovered in the ravages of war. The only Immortal who could be said to favor battle as thoroughly was Zalamete, his companion in creation and devastation. His history is inextricably linked with her’s, as seen during the oldest known legend they share. In the late days of the war, when bone and scale and flesh proved insufficient to destroy the worst of Everfree’s creations, Zalamete invited Stygia to the depths of her workshop with an offer. She offered to forge him a great weapon, one to suit it wielder, if he should provide the material. And so Stygia plunged his hand into his chest, and from within the depths of the earth he plucked a single chunk of ragged ore. Zalamete took the metal, and found inspiration within the rugged strength that Stygia’s blessing held. From the metal she forged the first sword, a nameless blade of iron whose edge was chipped and hilt scuffed before it even touched his hand. This blade was the first of countless, its first taste of Everfree blood enough for Stygia to decide that all should be capable of bearing such arms. And so Stygia released the secrets of mining and the earth, as Zalamete took her first apprentice to spread her arts. This sword was the first to pierce the Everfree’s flesh, the fervor of Stygia’s assault casting pieces into the heavens above. Stygia’s presence in the heavens was solidified with the greatest battle in history, the pieces of Everfree forming into the planets which hang among Delmaus’ moons and Alexandria’s stars. Following the war’s end Stygia took up his own hobbies to prevent the boredom so familiar to warriors in peace times, and so became the grand hunter of the Portheous Immortals. No hunting expedition is worthwhile alone, and so Stygia began to teach the Elysians in the art of the hunt. Lessons learned to slay the greatest creatures of the Wyld Lord were applied toward the sustenance of mortal kind, each great lesson accompanied by a story by tradition. The original, though hunters are encouraged to apply their own experiences to these lessons, is the tale of when the Wyld Lord trapped Stygia. Confined to a realm with only himself and several thousand variations of himself. Only one could leave this realm, so Stygia was forced to hunt, seduce, and slaughter himself an endless number of times. Experiencing each death and understanding every hunt from each side, the Grand Hunter gained the most vital tool of any warrior; Wisdom. And so the Great Hunt ended, with the final prey being the Wyld Lord whose foolishness created his own downfall, and whose skull still adorns the Hunter’s Lodge Temple. Once the Elysia became sufficient at slaying prey and satisfying themselves, those with greater desires began to seek conflict between each other. Stygia was disappointed with the floundering about in the arts of combat between Porthians and even in other nations. With the teachings of Zalamete spreading weaponcraft and his own growing horde of followers, Stygia began to teach the mortals of the world what it meant to truly wage war. Stygia revels in battle, and encourages others to do the same, though he has been known to scorn those who shed blood for underhanded purposes. As the middle point between the Behemoths and Immortals, Stygia is a creature of purpose. His purpose is to wage war, and so he was gifted a form suited to do so. His natural form is a colossal taur creature, furred and pawed, yet bearing leathered wings and a tuft tail capable of crushing stone. Through interaction with his siblings and mortals, Stygia reached further understanding of what it meant to be the prototype for his fellow Immortals. He developed the ability to transform his body into a closer approximation of his siblings, a grandly tall biped who stands nearly ten feet tall. Due to Stygia’s taur form, the people of portheous have found mounted combat to be a sense of pride and honor for all their people. It also proved to be incredibly effective in matters of strategy, proving the crux of countless battles. The Cavalry of Portheous is undisputed as the greatest riders in the world.

Stygia has sired many children in his long life. Some notable ones follow:

Asimar Meloka- Asimar was a great and arrogant hunter who prided herself on being able to claim any monster. She sought greater challenges constantly, and each success would be told over ale and revelry. A boastful woman, she turned down no challenges, and accepted no quarter. In time a challenge came, carried by a man in a red cloak. To slay the legendary beast known as llyranguf, a corpse eating monster whose only stories were from those who found the debris of its long cold meals. She went forth to slay it with confidence, and in her arrogance forsook the aid of her companions. They would avenge her many years later, returning her great bow to her ancestral home.

Markus Nathanial Septimus- As many of Stygia’s children are, Markus was a great hunter. Unlike his sister, he proved capable of learning from the mistakes of others, and so went on to form the Slayer’s Guild. As Guildmaster he raised the establishment to spread across the land, even establishing lodges in the lands of Kaleria and Zoartis. It was only natural that he would become companion to Regal Vaus, his legacy felt even today.

Graft Eisanhower- Graft was an incredibly powerful necromancer, who is said to have learned his arts by his own hand. Some say Graft still walks the earth to this day as a being beyond life and death, having mastered both equally. Graft would come to make his name in the face of Vilkatan invasion. The war was going poorly for the Elysians, each victory pyrrhic and every defeat crippling, the mortals swiftly losing ground. And yet following behind both Elysian and Vilakatan was a single man, and behind him trailed an ocean of the dead. The war turned to slaughter as the Vilkatans were hemmed in, and the Elysians witnessed an Archmage’s work. One hand commanded the dead, the other sweeping away mortal wounds. In the aftermath many sought to learn at Graft’s feet, and the art of necromancy took its first steps towards wider acceptance.

Jelar Hopkins-Jelar Hopkins was a disciple of the Immortal Zalamete, the first individual to hold the moniker of Gem knight. One of Zalamete’s elite sentinels dedicated to guarding the realm, so named due to Jelar’s skill with magically enchanted gemstones. Jelar met their end against a Vilkata Champion, at the end of a ceaseless duel lasting seven days and seven nights. Though Jelar did die from the battle he did so spearing his rival upon his sword. The war ended soon after, as none among the Vilkatan had seen a Champion fall in single combat, and the Elysians were obligated to carry their hero home. To this day the Gem Knights hold the honor of facing the greatest Vilkata has to offer, each ready to uphold their founders legacy. To this day he stands as the example of Porthian determination: To complete a task, or die in the doing.

Penumbra Von Stroud- Penumbra is Stygia’s current youngest daughter. A prodigy even among demigods, she took swiftly to the ways of the Iron Sentinel, the Hussar, the Necromancer, and the Berserker. This fearsome but young warrior has much to prove, burdened with overt bloodlust and crass behavior beyond even Porthean sensibilities. She is beloved by her companions and already a folk hero, known as the Fourfold Fatale. Many of the stories about her are merely stories, but even they hold a kernel of truth. One most often told, and most vigorously denied by Penumbra herself, is the tale of her three great duels with Valerie Aurora and the aftermath thereof. The number rises with the telling, as despite her denials the two continue to meet on the field of battle.

Temple- Stygia’s Temple is on the fringe of reality where the Vilkata’s largest hoards nest, to the north as Zalamete watches over the west. Known as the Hunter’s lodge, the fortress temple is not meant for protracted siege. Rather it serves merely as a rallying point for the Slayers and armies within, for each battle is met on the bloodsoaked fields beyond its low walls. The temple doubles as the headquarters of the Slayer’s guild and second home of the Hunters, along with being a major exporter of raw materials. Smaller Temples of his serve all who bear the burden of a Slayer, and all hunters can find refuge by his hearth. Temples to Stygia are often found near the border of whatever town they reside in, to better serve those weary of the road and wild.

Offerings- Pelts of animals, precious metals, bones wrapped in fat, and peaches.

Holiday-The Feast of Beasts. The Feast takes place following a great hunt, held once a year. The hunters of each city go out as a group to hunt the most dangerous beasts of the region. To be picked for the hunt is certain to earn a great honor, even if you become a meal for the beast. Once slain every part of the beast is turned into weapons, offerings and food for the Feast. For every night after the Hunt those who can will congregate to partake of the Hunt. On the last night of the Feast, one week from the first, bards and performers will enact great tellings of one of the Legendary Trials of Stygia Von Stroud.

Capital city- North Drafton: The city lays on fringes of Reality, holding the northern border of the world at the largest exit from the Great Valley to Portheus proper. Every winter the city rebuffs another invasion of the Vilkatan hordes, earning the city its second name: Vilkata’s End. The hardiest warriors of the realm live with-in the city and its sister city, South Drafton. Despite the harsh conditions and the constant invasions the city has prospered into a glorious haven of marble. The land around it is fertile and fresh, providing great sustenance to its wardens, just as their bodies and blood nourish the land.

#legends of arima #immortal #portheous #Stygia Von Stroud

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actuallykiwi · 5 years

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Once a Thief... Chapter 9: Speaking With Silence

After the long journey back across Skyrim to Riften, Cimber finally arrived at the city. She was still shivering from the snow that had drifted lightly across the land, and was relieved to see the Rift was a few degrees warmer, if still flurrying. As she walked through the streets, she found herself missing the humid, warm climate of Valenwood. Snow was rare, and really only happened in the northernmost part of her homeland. So being raised by the coastline, she was not a fan of the white stuff.

As she entered the tombstone trapdoor, her thoughts kept circling around one phrase: where the end began. The words themselves seemed to echo ominously, a secret, hidden past behind them. And this woman, Karliah... who was she, really? Why had she murdered the Guildmaster and why was she just now resurfacing to come after Mercer?

Cimber was still wrestling with these thoughts when she approached Mercer at his desk in the cistern. He was buried in parchment, clearly intensely focused on finding something. A vein was pulsing on his temple from either concentration, frustration, or both. He cleared his throat to acknowledge her presence and busied himself with the quill in his hand. “Did Gulum-Ei give up any information on our buyer?”

She nodded and leaned slightly on the desk. “It took some.. convincing, but yes. He said Goldenglow was purchased by a ‘Karliah’.”

Mercer dropped his quill and a blot of ink splashed across the side of the page. “Kar-? No, it.. it can’t be. I haven’t heard that name in decades..” His eyes widened and then narrowed in deep thought, a look of hatred flashing across his face. “This is grave news indeed. She’s someone I hoped to never cross paths with again.”

Cimber considered him before standing up straight and settling into her thinking pose. “He also told me she was a murderer.” Mercer looked grim. “Karliah destroyed everything this Guild stood for. She murdered my predecessor in cold blood and betrayed us! After we discovered what she’d done, we spent months trying to track her down, but she just vanished.”

“So why is she coming back now after all this time?” she asked. Mercer sighed, “We were like partners. I went with her on every heist, we watched each other’s backs. I know her techniques, her skills... If she kills me, there’ll be no one left that could possibly catch her. If only we knew where she was...”

“Gulum-Ei told me she said ‘Where the end began’...” His eyes widened again, and he finally looked up at her. “There’s only one place that could be. Where she murdered Gallus... a ruin called Snow Veil Sanctum...” He stood so abruptly that his chair made an awful screech against the stone before falling over with an echoed thud. “We have to go out there before she disappears again.”

She blinked in surprise. “Wait, we?” Mercer was already shoving things into a bag and fastening his dwarven sword to his belt. “Yes. I’m going with you and together we’re going to kill her.” He spat the last 2 words between gritted teeth in an attempt to unsuccessfully hide his ferocity towards this woman. “Here’s your payment for Solitude. Now gather what you need quickly and let’s go.” He handed her the payment and went to wait for her.

Seeing as she didn’t have much with her, she settled for her bow, quiver, dagger, and a small pouch on her belt. “You’re going on a heist with Mercer before me, lass? I’m a little hurt.” Brynjolf feigned offence as he approached her finishing up. “It’s... not exactly a heist-” Mercer cleared his throat loudly as he watched them. “I’ll tell you about it later.” She shrugged remorsefully and jogged over to the impatient Guildmaster, who was already climbing the ladder.

He watched them go with a small flicker of suspicion. “He almost never leaves. Something’s going on...”

Upon approaching the stables, Cimber was a little surprised to see Mercer veer off to the right towards the woods. He walked a distance before stopping, and let out a strange, eerie whistle that almost sounded like the call of a bird. A few moments later, a dark black horse trotted up to him, seeming to appear almost out of the shadows themselves. Mercer patted its neck and hopped on the dark leather saddle. “Get on.” She did as he said, climbing up behind him just before he whipped the reins and the horse took off at breakneck speed.

She held onto his shoulders for dear life for what seemed to be hours before it finally slowed to a trot, just west of Windhelm. “It’s not much further now. I would appreciate it if you stopped crushing my shoulders.” He grunted and shook her off. “Sorry...” she muttered as she drew her hands back. If she didn’t like the flurry that’s been happening everywhere else, she hated the snow that fell here. They seemed to have reached the north at the tail end of a blizzard; the wind was bitter and sharp, the snow piled up on the road in large white mounds and came down from almost every direction, and poor Cimber was in fear she might fall off the saddle from shaking so hard.

The rest of the ride was quiet aside from the soft crunching of the snow under the horse’s hooves and the wind whistling harshly. Finally, Mercer parked the horse on the side of the road and hopped down before her, turning to help his shivering companion down. Cimber’s legs ached from the ride and the cold, but she stood strong and ready for anything. Both blocking their faces from the wind, they began making their way down the slippery snowy slope until the ruins came into view.

It took her a moment to realize why Mercer suddenly drew his blade, until she saw another horse idling by some crumbling pillars. “We have to make sure she can’t get away!” He shouted over the wind, making his way to the unsuspecting steed. Before he could take its life, however, she bolted past him and gave it a hard hit to the flank. The horse wasted no time dashing out into the storm, shortly out of sight. “We’re here to kill Karliah, not her horse.” She explained to a glaring Mercer. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s just get moving, I want to catch her while she’s distracted. Take the lead.” Cimber nodded and gladly made her way to the ruin entrance to get out of the storm.

The door, however, was locked. “They say that these ancient Nordic burial mounds are sometimes impenetrable. This one doesn’t look too difficult.” Mercer stepped around her and fiddled with the lock, making sure to obscure her view. If Cimber wasn’t so focused on the mission and getting out of the cold, she would have questioned why he was hiding his lockpicking from her. But nonetheless, he finished, and the ancient door creaked open to let them in.

Relief of finding warmth was quickly replaced by repulsion. Both thieves covered their noses and grimaced. “This place smells of death... Be on your guard.” Mercer said, muffled by his sleeve. Cimber unsheathed her bow and prepared for whatever was waiting for them. They moved forward, coming across a chest. Her inner thief prompted her to open it, and she helped herself. Until the sarcophagi in the room burst into life and the Draugr battles began.

Once done with that (and a small scorning from Mercer), they pressed on into a room full of dead Draugr. “Pull the chain over there, and watch out for the spikes. It looks like she’s reset all the traps.” He growled, and she maneuvered around the spiky swinging gate to the pull chain. When she did, the gate opened and the trap swung around, perfectly timed with the Draugr running up the stairs, who was then impaled and stuck to the trap gate. “Ouch.” Cimber grinned as she once again slid around it and they trekked on.

There was a couple more fights and looting done before they came upon a room decorated in bone chimes. “Rigged to wake the Draugr, I bet. Don’t blunder into any of them.” Mercer whispered, whose blade was now dressed in crimson long-since-decayed blood. She carefully worked her way across the room, bending and ducking around the alarms that would alert the dead. Mercer followed closely behind.

The pair pressed on through the catacombs, fighting some more undead but avoiding most. Even fighting the dead-come-to-life, Cimber couldn’t shake the oncoming dread they were about to face. She had so many questions, but she felt like everything was being rushed. She had been in this guild for only a week or so, but now she was deep beneath the earth in an ancient nordic tomb with the Guildmaster, hunting for a woman who had murdered the last one.

She shook her head and focused on the task at hand. Thinking about this would have to come later. For now, she ran her hand across scorch marks along the stone walls as Mercer studied a recently re-tied tripwire. “We’re on the right track. She’s been through here as well.”

A few more tough fights and navigating later, they came across a large empty hallway with an interesting door at the end. “Ah, it’s one of the famous Nordic puzzle doors. Hmph, without the matching claw, which I’m certain Karliah has done away with, they’re normally impossible to open. Fortunately, they have a weakness if you know how to exploit it...” He grinned and began working on it, once again blocking Cimber’s view. Before she could ask him why, though, there was a click, and the door spun once and slowly slid down, the grinding of stone-on-stone sending a chill down her spine. “Karliah’s close, I’m certain of it...” he muttered.

Too close, unfortunately, for Cimber. Mercer stood back a bit as she stepped cautiously into the large chamber before them. She was halfway through turning around to look at him when she felt a sharp pain in her neck. Everything blurred, and she saw Mercer draw his blade before she collapsed to the ground.

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“...honestly think your arrow would reach me before my blade finds your heart?” Mercer’s voice was slightly distorted for a moment before she could open her eyes. Cimber couldn’t move, but she could vaguely make out the two figures before her: Mercer, his bright golden sword looking thirsty for more blood, and a small woman keeping her distance from him, whom she presumed was this Karliah. Her suspicions were confirmed when she spoke. “Give me a reason to try.”

“You’re a clever girl, Karliah. Buying Goldenglow and funding Honningbrew Meadery was inspired.”

“’To ensure an enemy’s defeat, you must first undermine his allies.’ It was the first lesson Gallus taught us.”

“Hmph. You always were a quick study.”

“Not quick enough. Otherwise, Gallus would still be alive...” Cimber could make out a slight crack in her voice at the mention of that name.

“Gallus had his wealth and he had you. All he had to do was look the other way...” She couldn’t see his face, but she swore she could hear him grin. Was he the one who...?

“Did you forget the Oath we took as Nightingales? Did you expect him to simply ignore your methods?”

“Enough of this mindless banter! Come Karliah, it’s time for you and Gallus to become reunited!” Mercer swung his sword menacingly as he lunged towards her, but Karliah downed a white vial and vanished into thin air. He looked around wildly for her as her voice reverberated around the room. “I’m no fool, Mercer. Crossing blades with you would be a death sentence. But I can promise the next time we meet, it will be your undoing...”

Mercer roared in frustration before turning and seeing Cimber’s still figure on the floor. His dark chuckle echoed around her as he sauntered up to her. “How interesting... It appears Gallus’s history has repeated itself. Karliah has provided me with the means to be rid of you, and this ancient tomb becomes your final resting place. Just. Like. Him.” He grinned maniacally and crouched in front of her face. She glared up at him. “But you know what intrigues me the most? The fact that this was aaalll possible because of you.” He moved a lock of hair out of her face and she did her best to recoil away from him. It took all of her anger and newfound hatred for this man to muster up enough strength to say one phrase to him: “Becaush you could never do anyfing on your own, you cowardf!”

Mercer laughed, and it was a laugh that would forever haunt Cimber’s mind if she survived this. He stood and raised his sword above her. “Farewell, Cimber! I’ll be certain to send Brynjolf your regards!”

Cimber’s eyes widened in terror before the blade was driven through her body. There was a guttural cry of pain, and then silence, as the world faded to darkness.

#skyrim #writing #lovestory #no horses were harmed in the making of this fanfiction #fanfiction

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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