Under the treaty, the Sisters of Astraea were proclaimed the judicators of the land because they could tell truth from lie—a gift of a golden viper bestowed on the Sisters by the God Naga. The treaty prevented a revolution by the commoners which would have ended the nobility. Now, however, many nobles want to go back to being above the law and Duke Chaney is using this discontent to raise an army against the king. Senior Judicator Tenzen sets out with Jola, a newly promoted judicator, to investigate the growing hostility, unaware the rebels are killing judicators to keep the rebellion a secret. Fortunately Jola has been trained in the art of the sword, grew up as a homeless street-urchin, and knows how to survive. But it will take more than surviving to stop the rebellion. No one could have anticipated that the faith of the kingdom may depend on Jola's ability to untangle the discontented from the traitorous.

    A haunted assassin. Can he unmask his true nature without dooming his world? 4 epic novels. 1,400+ pages of dark epic fantasy action! The Hunter may be only one who can protect a boy in need. As rival demons clamor to recruit him to their devious purpose, he wields his blade solely to atone for his bloody past. But with a killing curse buried in his soul, his struggle to restrain his evil urges could cost the lives of those he’s sworn to protect.As the Hunter’s craving for slaughter rages, the young ward he’s grown attached to falls victim to a form of inherited mind-corrupting magic. And the only way the Hunter can pull him back from the brink of insanity is to unlock an ancient city’s dark, deadly secrets. Darkblade Guardian: Defenders of Legends Omnibus #2 is a boxed set featuring four revenge-filled epic fantasy novels. If you like gritty action, unlikely heroes, and death-defying quests, then you’ll love Andy Peloquin’s pulse-pounding tale. Buy Darkblade Guardian to join a killer’s mission to save humanity today!

    

    Roland grew up halfway to nowhere. His father is human and his mother is elf. Being Half-Elf would always bring difficulties and it also brought about innate magic. He heads off for adventure joining the Adventures Guild. The world is tough and Roland is an innocent. He discovers he is unique in more than one way. Danger is everywhere especially for those who adventure. He makes a decision that will affect him for the rest of his life. The he realizes he has made a rash decision. It might turn out good or it might turn out bad. He just doesn't know enough but he is committed. His unique gifts are needed and he heeds the call for help.

    Sawyer had been training his whole life to make the cut to be considered a warrior when his plans go astray, Sawyer is found to have magic. While the talent is not unheard of in Haven it becomes clear Sawyer is much better than his well bred peers, when war starts looming many will find out why Sawyer is the Mage of Mages.

    Trade Paperback. Book Condition: Good. The cover does show some normal wear. Fraying on lamenation along edges of front and back cover.

    Inspired by a dark masterpiece. Twenty years into the future, an independent virtual reality developer named Fulton Milner creates a VR program that is so immersive that it truly fools the mind. His program, a virtual resort, created such pleasurable immersion that he is soon recruited by a renown games studio. Here, one of Milner's projects, a virtual fantasy game, catches the eye of some investors and he is finally given the approval he needs to begin the project that would define his career. It's a dark fantasy adventure simulator known only as Project DH. Sam Nagai thought testing videogames would be a dream job until he got saddled with a ton of barely playable mobile games that used very wonky holographic gimmicks. The lack of fun in these games and small pay makes Sam typically reluctant whenever he gets a call for a new gig, but customers for his art commissions have been scarce and Sam needs all the money he can get. He finally gets a call for a new gig with potential bonus pay, but not much else is known about the game itself. From what he does know, it sounds sort of interesting. Virtual reality, dark gothic fantasy world, role playing game mechanics, and uber hard difficulty? Sam's all in for that. After all, even if he gets in over his head, the simulation isn't truly real so there's not really any danger. Join Sam in a virtual sword and sorcery role playing adventure where the main goal is survival at all costs. It's an adventure that's filled with diverse starting classes, customizable combat options, upgradeable weapons and armor, upgradeable statistics, open ended questlines, realistic NPCs with classically trained voice actors, a dark and atmospheric immersive game world, multiplayer content, eye popping creature designs, and so much more. Players say its the perfect blend of simulation and fantasy, where their imaginations can truly run wild. **Note to readers: If any of you are sensitive to swearing, then this book isn't for you. There is copious swearing from the main character, Sam, that's mainly played as a character flaw/trait for laughs and dramatic effect.

    Sam and the Devil Dogs may be relaxing in Tarna, but it’s not by choice—they’d rather be employed than resting up. When a dangerous job offer comes from “the old man,” Sam takes the Devil Dogs and their newest recruit, Dawson, on a perilous hunt to capture an unidentified warjack before their rival Steelheads or the horrific Cryx make a claim on the never-before-seen technology.Whether their mission will be worth the risk remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Sam and the Devil Dogs will do whatever it takes to bring home The Devil’s Pay.

    Scores of monsters, challenges, and advice give gamers the tools to create their own worlds and adventure, providing countless hours of gaming excitement. With streamlined rules and a focus on action-packed heroic adventure, this deluxe boxed set is the ideal introduction to the world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and the best starting point for a lifetime of pulse-pounding adventure!

    

    It discusses the genre in depth - with all its subgenres and inspirations (myth, novels, movies, etc.) - letting you design just the kind of fantasy setting that you want.GURPS Fantasy gives detailed, concrete advice - from the basics of the landscape itself, through its inhabitants and cultures, to the details of believable histories and politics. It also examines the nature of supernatural forces, and discusses the impact of wizards, monsters, and gods. And, of course, it looks at the many different ways that magic and users of magic can work in a fantasy world. And, perhaps most importantly, it advises GMs and players alike on the kinds of characters appropriate to fantasy - including ordinary folks, people with fantastic powers, and nonhumans.Whether your model is Tolkien, Jordan, or Leiber, this book will let create a town, a country, or an entire world. Like all Fourth Edition books

    If you are one of the first 15 000 (or thereabouts) readers whose versions have only 62 chapters, you are missing this addition.If you haven’t read the book, you probably shouldn’t read this, which likely makes the prospect irresistible. The free sample of Dawn of Wonder is around 70 pages, but if you someone who likes to sample the middle of a book before making a decision, you are welcome to jump in here. The spoiler-index of these chapters is relatively low.

     While attempting to save the lives of his fellow orphans he manifests a magic like power. He soon learns that using this power comes with a great risk to his own life. A beautiful sorceress, clad all in black, soon arrives with an offer to adopt him and teach him how to properly wield his powers. Once they leave, he learns that the sorceress is really the leader of a group of adventurers, and they're not the type of heroes that he has ever read about in books. They’re the kind that steal, get drunk, rob graves, loot tombs, and shoot people in the back. They basically only do what they need to in order to have a really good time. Badger is wondering what type of tale has he gotten into, because he has never read a story quite like this one!

    Follow Mira's story as she faces life as a single mother, wrestles with the constant call of the ocean to her mermaid nature, and joins an all-male salvage team who is less than thrilled to have her. When my mother died, I ran to the ocean like a coward. Its cradle of salt puckered my memories and withered my sorrow like a grape drying in the sun. I had cheated grief and was foolish enough to think I had gotten away with it.When Nathan died, I couldn’t run away. No matter how much I flinched, bending toward the Atlantic the way ivy strains for rays of light, I could not leave. Grief was back to take what belonged to it for the time it was allotted. I had everything I wanted a few short years ago. My mate. My daughter. A home, a family. It made my head spin to think how much could change so suddenly. I mused, wondering later if I was the only mermaid to ever walk fully through the five stages of grief. But I had my daughter.Targa had yet to turn, the color and shape of her fins were yet to be revealed, but she would. I had been so sure of it then. Siren genes are passed from mother to daughter, without fail. Young legs melded into a shimmering virgin tail in response to a salty sea. But Targa didn’t turn in response to ocean water, not the first time, not any time after that. Something was wrong. I shoved my fear down deep into some dark corner where Targa would not see it and said with a smile that we’d just have to keep trying. I had turned at the age of three, but if there could be late-bloomers in the human race, why not ours too?Her fifth birthday came and went, still she hadn’t turned. Concern sent its barbs into me like a thistle, then it rooted and grew.Targa and I had weekly late night secret swims in the Atlantic, which had once been fun but were now polluted with expectation and suspense. Coaching sessions (my idea), where I attempted human psychology exercises I’d found in outdated textbooks at the library; guided visualization, breathing techniques, and even a failed go at hypnosis. The memory of her skinny little frame sitting in a bathtub containing more salt than water (Targa’s idea) is still enough to fill my eyes with moisture.I don’t know exactly when she lost hope, but she hid it expertly, patiently participating however I asked.I ignored the creeping thoughts that whispered in my mind; she didn’t even like water, didn’t really want to go for swim, couldn’t hear the ocean calling her. I would shove the thoughts away violently, excusing them as nothing but my own anxiety. It was ridiculous. A daughter of a mermaid who disliked the ocean. Impossible. When I muzzled those fears, I became aware of others of a different kind. Not my own, but hers, for me.She could see the want in my eyes. Whatever mechanism bees and dogs used to smell fear, Targa had it for despair. She could sense it on me, reeking like cheap perfume. Her eyes dipped in desperation, her obvious desire not to disappoint me sliced through me like a white-hot blade from heart to gut. She thought she was my tormentor. The realization struck like a hammer and gave me the strength to do what was needed: Let it go.The ocean could call. I’d let the smell of it crucify me, the sound of its waves crash against me, echo through me, call me, beg me.Targa’s need and my love for her was greater. If she never turned and I was locked in a land-cycle for the rest of our lives, so be it.So be it.

    Brave, unwavering in his devotion to the queen, his courage knows no bounds. But it was not always so. Every story must begin somewhere, but some beginnings are darker than others.The Shadow is a prequel to the Legend of the Gate Keeper series. Although this installment features the early years of one of the main characters in the series, it is a standalone, and can be enjoyed with no prior knowledge of the series.Book 1: Land of Shadows - Our story begins here. A blacksmith from the small town of Bryer, Eric believed he would live out his days leading a peaceful life doing the work he loved. But it seems fate had other plans for him. When his home town is attacked, Eric is uprooted from his familiar surroundings and forced to embark on a journey for answers. Only one thing is certain to him now. It's painfully clear that his whole life has been nothing more than a series of lies.Book 2: Siege of Night - Whispers of the Gate Keepers return rage through Tarmerria like a forest fire. Could it be true? Has this mystical figure actually returned? Some have embraced the idea while others want to see Eric dead. Lines have been drawn, sides have been taken. There is only one way to stand for what you believe in. Tarmerria must go to war.Book 3: Lost Empire - The war is over and the city of Taron is still recovering from one of the darkest days in its history. With one battle over, another is about to begin. Our heroes must leave their familiar lands to embark on a journey by sea, far away from Tarmerria.Book 4: Reborn - Is the Gate Keeper some sort of demon? The people of this new land seem to think so. For years they have been tormented by a being with abilities similar to Eric's. So how is this foreigner who washed up on their shores any different? The Gate Keeper must prove himself and transform before their very eyes. In the eyes of the Gods and in those of the people, he must be...reborn.Book 5: The Trials of Ashbarn - The world has seen what Eric can do. Is this the one man who can take down the demon Krytoes? He has proven himself to the mortals, but must now establish himself in the eyes of the Gods themselves. Let the trials begin.Book 6: End of Days - The Gate Keeper has been named... The prophesies have come true... The world as we know it will never be the same...End of Days is the exciting conclusion to "The Legend of the Gate Keeper" series. Join Eric and his friends as they make their final push against the forces of evil.Warning Graphic Content: These books are intended for mature audiences