Scarlett’s fingers sifted through the towering stack of documents cluttering her desk. The papers, a mixture of official business and reports, ranged from shipping manifests and bills of lading to imperial charters and writs issued by the relevant authorities. Invoices from entities such as Elystead Tower mingled with correspondences from the Followers of Ittar, while preliminary reports from Evelyne’s various newly hired clerks peeked out from beneath the chaos.
The sheer volume of...
2024-05-05 21:28:16 +0000 UTC
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The candles around the room flickered to life with a subtle flick of Scarlett’s wrist, their warm glow illuminating the prone figure on the bed.
Evelyne’s eyes widened slightly as they focused on her. “…Scarlett?” Her voice wasn’t much above a whisper.
Scarlett’s features hardened into a scowl as she regarded the injured woman before her. Evelyne’s face was partially obscured by thick bandages that extended over her left shoulder and arm, the latter secured in a sl...
2024-05-02 21:22:24 +0000 UTC
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Guifford Knottley stood at the broad window of his office, his calloused hands clasped behind his back as he surveyed the errant signs of devastation marring Freybrook. His gruff face, etched with lines of exhaustion and disquiet, reflected in the glass as he gazed upon the occasional broken rooftop, charred dwelling, and shattered street below.
Count Hayden’s voice cut through the heavy silence from the communication device on his desk. “We’ve reached a consensus among us lords. ...
2024-04-28 21:35:02 +0000 UTC
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Scarlett sat at the table in her quarters on the Rising Isle, poring over a weathered old Zuverian tome. It was something she’d used on occasion to practice reading the ancient script, but now was the first time she could truly comprehend its contents. Mostly, though, she was reading to distract herself, an effort that was only marginally successful as her mind kept drifting back to the events unfolding in the empire.
The day had crawled by without word from Gaspar, leaving Allyssa an...
2024-04-26 21:13:37 +0000 UTC
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Due to some added-up work, today's chapter will be posted tomorrow instead (Sunday's chapter will still be released on schedule)
2024-04-25 21:31:43 +0000 UTC
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Evelyne stirred from her slumber, roused by an unsettling cacophony of distant noises and faint, haunting cries. Groggily, her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the darkness that enveloped her bedroom as consciousness slowly seeped back into her mind.
What in the world could that be?
With a soft rustle of fabric, she pushed aside her bedsheet and gingerly rose, her bare feet recoiling slightly as they met the cold floorboards. She padded across the room until she reached the windo...
2024-04-21 21:26:41 +0000 UTC
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“What’s going on? What’s that on your wrist?” Allyssa’s voice snapped Scarlett back to the present.
“You can see this?” Scarlett asked, turning to face the girl with a furrowed brow.
“Um, yes…?” Allyssa replied, her eyes darting uncertainly between Scarlett and the others. “Am I not supposed to?”
Yamina stepped forward, her keen gaze fixed on Scarlett’s wrist. “What manner of artifact is that?”
Scarlett’s frown deepened as she regarded t...
2024-04-18 21:02:29 +0000 UTC
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Rosa and Fynn exchanged worried glances as Scarlett turned to face them.
After a brief hesitation, Rosa broke the silence, her voice gentle but still laced with concern. “Scarlett, mind telling us what’s going on?”
Scarlett looked at her, finding that it took a moment to articulate her thoughts. “I am…fine,” she replied measuredly. “I have just had an encounter with the remnants of an ancient Zuverian demigod. It left me somewhat disoriented, that is all.”
Fy...
2024-04-14 21:13:32 +0000 UTC
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Though Scarlett couldn’t be sure, she felt like Thainnith cocked an inquisitive eyebrow in response to her question. After a brief pause, his mostly featureless visage raised a hand, and an image shimmered into existence above his palm — a vast, cloud-streaked sky. Within its expansive vista, glimpses of a tremendously long, serpentine creature periodically emerged, slithering through the clouds like one colossal leviathan.
The sight made the hairs on the back of Scarlett’s neck p...
2024-04-11 21:03:21 +0000 UTC
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I'll be gone for a few days, so there unfortunately won't a chapter this weekend. Will be back again next week.
2024-04-04 21:28:36 +0000 UTC
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Scarlett’s eyes quickly adjusted to the gentle, otherworldly light suffusing the chamber, some of it seeming to emanate from the myriad symbols adorning the walls, each pulsing in a mysterious rhythm. Tall structures resembling pods occupied the corners, their surfaces intricately etched with ancient runes.
Scattered throughout were arcane devices and instruments, their purposes and designs unfamiliar to Scarlett. At the room’s center floated a conspicuous orb, its light casting dan...
2024-04-04 21:28:12 +0000 UTC
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The final room in the Veiled Library wasn’t anywhere near as vast as the main chamber, but it still held an imposing presence. Its design echoed that of the main chamber with rows of stone shelves, but the aisles were wider, and the eerie librarians were conspicuously absent.
Instead, however, there was a lone, towering figure in front of them, commanding their immediate attention. Dressed in grey robes similar to those of the librarians, it was significantly taller and had a gangly b...
2024-03-31 20:40:45 +0000 UTC
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When Scarlett and the others reached the bottom of the stairs, they stopped for a moment to take in the sight before them. The room was vast, far larger than the chamber above, with countless rows of stone shelves laden with books and other texts. Spectral entities, clad in thick, grey robes, glided gracefully between the aisles, pausing now and then to peruse or touch the spines of the books with an almost reverent delicacy.
“…Alright, now this looks more like a libra...
2024-03-28 21:32:56 +0000 UTC
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Scarlett and her companions found themselves in a dimly lit underground chamber, its age-old stone walls sporadically illuminated by glowing green crystals, painting everything in hues of ghostly jade.
It was eerily silent here, broken only by the soft echoes of their footsteps. Statues of ancient Zuver lined the walls, their impassive stone faces eternally watching. At the center of the chamber stood rows of bookshelves, obscured by a dark, purplish fog that seemed almost sentient, hin...
2024-03-24 22:27:27 +0000 UTC
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“I presented Grand Wizard Hartford with my response this morning,” Scarlett informed Magister Penney calmly. The man sat opposite her in a spacious armchair, watching her with keen interest. “I trust he will bring it before the council without delay. My terms are rather comprehensive, so I sincerely hope that you will give them thoughtful consideration before coming to a decision.”
Evening had set in, and only the dim light from a lone chandelier illuminated the room.
“I...
2024-03-21 22:02:20 +0000 UTC
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Scarlett sat on a bench at the edge of a thin, lush wharf, cradled by the natural beauty of the Rising Isle. Before her, one of the Isle’s countless waterfalls cascaded gracefully into the network of waterways that weaved through this place, painting a picturesque view.
Behind her loomed a tall structure reminiscent of a lighthouse, though it likely had a more arcane purpose, considering where they were. Its long shadow provided Scarlett with a peaceful retreat from everything else. E...
2024-03-17 22:18:55 +0000 UTC
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Later in the evening, following their exploration of the Astral Sanctum and its hidden dungeon, Scarlett found herself in the communal space of their accommodations, joined by her party. They were seated around a secluded low table, the others engaged in heated conversation. Allyssa and Rosa, in particular, seemed keen on interrogating Fynn about the events in the Sanctum, while Scarlett's attention was focused on the object in her hand.
[Orrery of Dissonant Convergence (Unique)...
2024-03-14 22:16:22 +0000 UTC
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Scarlett surveyed the lineup of robed wizards in front of her and Grand Wizard Hartford within the Astral Sanctum, studying their faces. They were all Senior Wizards or Principal Wizards, which meant they were skilled enough, but she had expected at least one Grand Wizard or Arch Wizard.
Her gaze lingered momentarily on the purple-haired wizard at the end of the line before she turned to address Gaspar. “Are you certain that this assembly meets the requirements?” she asked.
...
2024-03-10 22:02:27 +0000 UTC
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“Be careful with the etheric temporances, and don’t lose focus on your focalizations!” Grand Wizard Hartford’s sharp instructions echoed as a group of Senior Wizards cast their spells in unison. Six of them stood before a massive stone door adorned with innumerable runes and sigils, all aglow in a spectrum of colors as the wizards’ spells interacted with the engravings.
Scarlett observed this scene from nearby, her arms folded, patiently waiting for them to finish. Behind the ...
2024-03-07 22:11:11 +0000 UTC
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The accommodations provided to Scarlett and her party were decent, though they weren’t really comparable to her mansion back in Freybrook. While the Rising Isle boasted plenty of impressive landmarks, it seemed their appreciation for stunning architecture didn’t quite extend to interior design.
Shortly after Bunce had introduced them to their lodgings, food had been delivered to their rooms. Around the same time, however, Magister Penney arrived to greet Scarlett, prompting her to l...
2024-03-03 21:39:27 +0000 UTC
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After Scarlett’s meeting with Grand Wizard Gaspar Hartford, she and Fynn waited for the rest of their party to return from their exploring. After they did, they also waited for Principal Wizard Bunce, who had the finalized arrangements for their stay.
“I hope that everything will be up to your standards,” the man said as the group began to exit the meeting room.
“I trust that it will,” Scarlett replied somewhat coolly. Her earlier frustrations—if you would call them th...
2024-02-29 22:10:11 +0000 UTC
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The gondola eventually made a smooth landing near the heart of the Rising Isle, where a central island featured a magnificent waterfall cascading into the network of waterways winding through the city. The island was adorned with numerous grand structures, each unique and intriguing in its own way.
One building appeared as though carved from a vast vein of pearly moonstone, ascending towards the heavens like a beacon. Another presented a stark contrast in its more—to Scarlett’s sens...
2024-02-25 22:26:22 +0000 UTC
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The carriage rolled into the expansive, circular plaza that surrounded Freybrook’s Kilnstone. Scarlett and her companions peered out the windows at the bustling lanes, watching as the coachman navigated past the queues leading towards the marble structure at the plaza’s heart, drawing curious looks from many in line.
“So, what do you think it’ll be like?” Allyssa asked across from Scarlett in the cabin.
“Watery,” Rosa responded crisply.
“It’s an island. Tha...
2024-02-22 22:41:26 +0000 UTC
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A few days after her conversation with Beldon, Scarlett returned to Freybrook late in the afternoon from a day-long dungeon expedition, accompanied by her party. As they arrived, the party members quickly dispersed to deal with their own business, while Scarlett was greeted by Garside in the foyer as she was heading to her office.
“My Lady,” the elderly butler began, his well-groomed mustache moving slightly. “Young Lady Evelyne asked me to relay that she received a response from ...
2024-02-18 22:11:09 +0000 UTC
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A cavalcade of elemental forces unfolded before Scarlett as she channeled her mana into her magic, with fiery whirls of concentrated flames bursting into existence only to be smothered by cascading vortexes of water. These vortexes enveloped the flames, dousing them in a dramatic clash of opposing forces that resulted in towering columns of steam. This cycle of fire and water continued relentlessly, creating a daunting spectacle for any who looked upon it.
Sweat lined Scarlett’s brow ...
2024-02-15 22:09:02 +0000 UTC
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When Scarlett returned to Freybrook, the courtyard was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by the faint glow from the windows overlooking it. The air here was starkly colder than on the Rising Eye, and the abrupt shift in temperature was somewhat jarring.
Using her pyrokinesis to warm herself up, Scarlett allowed herself a brief moment to observe her surroundings before tapping into her bond with the [Obedience’s Solitude Loci] to survey the estate in full. Through a cursory check,...
2024-02-11 22:05:21 +0000 UTC
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An oppressive silence filled the cavern after Scarlett spoke, as though she had challenged the very sky itself.
She found herself unable to suppress the surge of indignation and defiance that had risen up inside her. The stifling pressure seemed to assert its authority, feeling like a direct challenge to her very essence — an affront her instincts said was nigh unforgivable.
The atmosphere intensified, the temperature around Scarlett climbing. For a moment, it felt as though an ...
2024-02-08 21:50:04 +0000 UTC
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Scarlett’s attention was fixed on the broken device before her, studying the damage that had been done to it. She’d had her suspicions, but seeing tangible proof was a different thing entirely.
To anyone else, this sight, by itself, might seem insignificant. Even if they recognized it as odd that the device was in the state that it was, they wouldn’t understand its implications.
Scarlett did, though.
With purpose, she crossed the chamber, stopping in front of the round...
2024-02-04 22:36:34 +0000 UTC
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Scarlett stared at Nol’viz. In return, Nol’viz stared back at her, the trio of eyes on her expressionless mask blinking in concert.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Scarlett’s mind raced, trying to figure out why one of the Hallowed Cabal’s more formidable agents would be here, right at this moment. As far as she was aware, the Cabal shouldn’t have any business in this area right now.
Unless it somehow involved Ayrlazkreh, maybe? But they wouldn’t have...
2024-02-01 21:24:35 +0000 UTC
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“So,” Rosa began, moments after Scarlett had vanished in a blinding flash of light, turning to face Dean Godwin. “Frequent visitor around here?”
The corners of the man’s mouth lifted in a subdued smile as the honest-to-gods archmage flipped his cape back and clasped his hands behind him. “More frequent than I had originally anticipated, it would appear.”
“Yeah, I get that. Once Scarlett’s got her fangs in you, making your escape isn’t easy. Last time I tried, s...
2024-01-28 22:59:47 +0000 UTC
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