Master of the Deck Book 0 – Fool’s Gambit

“It worked. It actually worked!” Julien whoops as he flies down the chiseled steps. The shallow cuts on his arms and legs are completely forgotten. Lirza is right on his heels. Behind them, the Mother’s maw claps shut on dusty air, missing them narrowly. Extended fully and her stronger half still in the water, she […]

“Deflect. A new skill! Congratulations! Although you lack the skill and finesse for a parry that allows a smooth riposte, you at least managed a somewhat controlled flail that saved you from being gored.” Julien sucks some air through his teeth, taking a couple of quick steps back. As Gariqa retracts her spear from the

Dark droplets of water wet the smooth section of the pyramid slope. Their pitter-patter is the only sound breaking the silence that hangs heavy in the air. The Great Mother, slithering back, settles part of her bulk against the smooth incline. Her head hovers just above the platform in front of Julien and the Fool.

“What?” Lirza shakes her head. “No. That can’t… There must be some mistake.” Julien can’t bring himself to answer. The Fool also remains uncharacteristically quiet. “Please tell me it’s not true!” Lirza walks up to Julien and squats down in front of him, leaning forward, eyes pleading. “You must have started your journey in one

The first thing Julien notices on the other side is the soft light. A close second is a slight increase in temperature. They are in a small alcove. It’s still not much, Julien thinks as he follows the salamanders that exit it through an opening, much like those of the tunnels they traversed earlier. “Wait,

A single artificial light moves in the darkness of a network of tunnels one can easily get lost in. Two men, heads bent toward one another, shuffle onwards within the small, illuminated bubble. Both wear a strangely colorful tunic. But that’s where the similarities end. Driven on by spearpoint, they try to keep up with

Julien can’t make heads or tails of the mixture of raspy snarls and trills that his captors exchange over the thunderous roar of a waterfall. The occasional prod tells him to keep moving and not try anything. As if he would. With his hands tied behind his back and flanked by salamanders, he has no

The air is heavy with the rancid scent of rotten meat. Heaving, Julien adds his share of acidic fluids to the growing puddle in which he stands. Odd bare bones surround a mostly dissolved corpse of some quadruped. It is large. Sticking to the brownish flesh are a few discolored, pink scales. The green-filtered light

“Have something to eat.” Julien, his hand closing around some strange fruit, shakes his head. He trains his eyes on the beautiful, nymph-like creature in front of him. “Not hungry.” He forces the words past his lips. I refuse to just take anything anyone puts before me. “Have something to drink then. Wet your tongue

I can’t believe I didn’t think of trying this before! After going through his stats screen and the new skills he’d learned for the third time, Julien looks away. His eyes fall on the dead moths, and he is surprised to see a screen with words appearing while the voice of the Fool speaks in