Master of the Deck Book 0 – Fool’s Gambit

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

Soft, gentle breezes, alternated by slightly ticklish brushes of a large…plumed fan? Ah, that’s nice. It almost makes this headache bearable. Feeling about as energetic as a limp dishrag, Julien tries to ignore the feeling of his strength ebbing even more. But sleep is impossible with that faint yapping in his head. Ugh. Never again.

“I knew it!” Cursing his bad luck and considering whether his thoughts had jinxed him, Julien swats gently at the melon-sized bees that buzz around his body. “Go on. There are enough flowers to visit. Leave me alone!” Julien suddenly retracts his hand. “Yow! Sonuva…!” A stinger the size of a pencil sticks out the

Was that all of them? In a haze of pain and exhaustion, Julien limps off, his health bar on just a quarter left and still steadily declining. Shit, even breathing hurts! He heads to the Pagoda, remembering the gourd-shaped Balmea. He gets lucky. He cuts the first one he finds from its branch. An uncoordinated

“Synthisa Activa.” The words sound flat and devoid of energy. Julien looks all around him. Still nothing. Damn him. What spooked him? He is supposed to help me figure this world out, not get scared and disappear! As the opaque light of the dawn slowly repels the night, Julien attempts to banish his night terror

Ugh. Stupid birds. It’s too early. Julien squints against the intrusive light of day, completely unappreciative of the morning’s symphony. If I can just make it to the coffee machine, I might be able to pry my eyes open. He swings his legs over the edge of his makeshift bed to dangle above nothing. Wait.

With a sharp intake of breath and jerking of muscles, Julien startles awake. The first thing he sees is a furry shape jumping away from the entrance to the pagoda. He leaps to his feet, fingers clutching the hilt of his sword, and runs to the door. He is just in time to see a