ddwebb

An optionally quick update

Optionally cos here's the tl;dr: next chapter will be a bit late as a side effect of the bonus chapter being pushed out last night.  More detail to follow for those who want to know.

So the long and the short of it is I'm having trouble with the bonus chapters; that should be apparent from how deep the backlog is.  I alluded to this in the last bonus topic poll, but not everybody got to see that so I'm posting the updated info here: for at least the next bonus chapter and poss...

Bonus #10 In Which the Lads Unravel a Mystery

“They’ll be fine.”

“I know.”

“They’re big girls, and you said they pushed back the goblin attacks pretty easily.  Plus they’ve got healing slimes.”

“I know.”

“It’s not like everybody doesn’t know where we sleep, Kass.  If they need you, someone’ll come get you.”

“I—nff—know!”

He winced with pleasant discomfort as Harold’s thumbs, strong as thalnin blades, dug particularly hard into the ba...

3.29 In Which the Dark Lord Unburdens Himself

“We’ll reach our goal before you do,” Judge Gazmo stated at the crossroads.  “Your route goes the long way around; if you make good time you should reach the Flats tomorrow, assuming you stop for a few hours of rest.  And do that,” he ordered in a more serious tone, pointing a finger up at me for emphasis.  “Hoy’s route puts him behind you, and you do not wanna face him tired on top of everything else.  You should still get there first in ti...

3.28 In Which the Dark Lord Signs Up for Disaster

Obviously, this was going to change our calculations for the next steps of our strategy, but first things first.

“Sorry about your, uh…central square, there,” I said moments later, when we reconvened back at the platform outside Gilnik’s place, addressing the pompadoured goblin in question.

“Hey, that wasn’t your doing,” he said, giving a very pointed stare to Get Fucked, who was lurking around the back of the group looking as downcast and depressed as anyon...

3.27 In Which the Dark Lord Tries Diplomacy

Pashilyn was quick-witted under pressure and this time it cost her, though it probably saved the rest of our lives.  She got that Light Barrier up above us at an angle, sloping down toward the front of the platform; the rocks and masonry that landed on it immediately rolled forward instead of just applying all their force straight down onto it.  Which was the only reason that worked at all.  She lasted about a second and a half under those impacts before letting out a strangled...

On the possible tier increase

Hello my esteemed supporters, and thank you as always for making everything possible for me.

This is the matter I referred to in my previous big update.  If you didn't want to read that whole thing (and I don't blame you), I am considering increasing the pledge amount for the Nemetite tier (that's yours, if you're getting this message) from $3 a month to $5 a month.  More detail is in the aforementioned post, but here's the tl;dr:

Arguments for the change:

- $5 ...

State of the Webb Address

Hi folks, this is the more detailed update post I alluded to in my break announcement a week ago.  After a week of rest I have more spoons and have had time to gather and clarify my thoughts on my current issues and future plans.

Thanks, first and foremost, for supporting my writing.  I really hope I can continue to provide you all with some little measure of joy.  That’s what fantasy is for, after all.

So, to business.  This is gonna be a longish post (sorry...

Monthly break

Sorry about the short notice, I usually prefer to do this with at least one update cycle of warning.  Best I can do is give notice as soon as I reached the decision this morning.  This one's an emergency break.

Basically, I'm taking my July break now instead of at the end of the month as is the usual plan.  It's close to the end anyway, but this is an emergency situation.  The current patron chapter will be posted to RR as usual on Tuesday; updates of OVDT will resu...

3.26 In Which the Dark Lord Receives a Delivery

Yoshi was trying, bless him.

“So, that’s a cool artifact, uh…  It’s Adelly-san, right?”

She gave him an inquisitive look.  “It’s Lord Seiji’s, he took it from some criminals who were trying to…it’s a long story.  I’m just using it.  More importantly, what did you call me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Yoshi said hastily, “I must’ve misheard your name.  Fflyr is really hard for me to pronounce so I still mess up details sometimes...

3.25 In Which the Dark Lord's Personnel Decisions Come Under Scrutiny

We could tell how badly our various companions were coping with the wait even as we walked down the hall.  Even so, I was surprised to emerge from the door onto the mist-soaked platform and find the sounds of complaining and scuffling were caused by Nazralind holding Flaethwyn in a headlock.

“What is wrong with you?!” Flaethwyn was squalling as we arrived.

I glanced swiftly around, verifying from the amused and/or resigned expressions of the humans and g...

3.24 In Which the Dark Lord Gets Schooled

I almost signed a document without checking all the details, I’ll admit that, but I did pull it out of the fire at the last second.

“So, this business I’m authorizing you to continue under my hypothetical future rule,” I said, pausing the wrapped ink stick a centimeter above the damp paper I had placed against the wall to add my signature go Goggin’s (the writing technology here was no less ingenious for being behind Earth’s), “it’s just the Spirit? &nb...

3.23 In Which the Dark Lord is Too Late

“We got activity ahead, boss,” Biribo reported as we marched, zipping up to my ear and just barely beating Radatina to making a similar announcement to Yoshi, to her visible annoyance.  “The tunnel opens up into a cavern with goblins all over it.  One goblin’s in a high position at the tunnel entrance overlooking it, obviously a lookout.  They don’t seem to have a ranged weapon but that’s a perfect sniper’s perch.”

“Okay, here we go.”  I ...

3.22 In Which the Dark Lord Gets a Warm Welcome

Gizmit vanished at some point during the night, which had me actually worried for a moment before Zui said she’d just gone ahead to report back to Sneppit.  Apparently we were close enough that it wasn’t much of a hike for an experienced underground scout like Gizmit.

It ended up being not much of one for us, either.  A bit less than two hours after we broke camp and doused the fire slimes, our much-expanded troupe came to the first set of tunnel barricades covering access...

3.21 In Which the Dark Lord Confronts His Nemesis

I was, as usual, right to have a bad feeling.

“Wait, so…anything Japanese?”

“I don’t know exactly what they’ll know to look for,” Yoshi admitted.  “Maizo knew about chopsticks, so we can ask him what else he might be aware of.  Probably there are different, uh, establishments and lineages which have preserved some secret knowledge of Japan, but I doubt any of them have more than a few things to look out for.  So anything Japanese 2022-06-23 21:25:46 +0000 UTC View Post

3.20 In Which the Dark Lord Rethinks His Position

For once, I decided not to make a speech.

Not that I didn’t make a spectacle—reassuring my new gang about their decision and securing their loyalty was a priority—but in show business you have to be able to gauge your audience.  In my professional opinion, the last thing any of these folks wanted right now was more pressure of any kind.  It was a moment for calm and a much-needed sense of security.

So I simply told everyone, in a quiet and empathetic tone, that we ...

3.19 In Which the Dark Lord Lays it All Out

Ephemera being what it was, my introduction to a new culture once again led quickly to learning about their funerary customs.  Well, learning a very little bit, at least.  I offered my assistance, of course—quickly echoed by Yoshi—but Rizz politely yet firmly informed us that goblin business was none of ours, and in fact it would be preferable if we could go somewhere else.  By that point they had neatly arranged the bodies on the big, explosion-pocked ledge and begun const...

Bonus 9: In Which the Scout Commences Counter-Revolutionary Activities

She did not need to watch the conclusion of the fight to know what would follow.  Everything was clear to someone who knew how Lord Seiji operated as soon as the first goblin turned his slingshot on the Void witch.  He would walk out of there with an entire new gang of followers.  That was just what he did.

It was just as well, because she was in no position to see that part.  Velaven had silently clambered and vaulted across the tiny footholds provided by the cavern...

3.18 In Which the Dark Lord Comes to the Bridge and Blows it Up

“Don’t even fucking think about it!” Hoy barked at me, his mocking demeanor suddenly switching to pure contemptuous rage—which was weird, since I wasn’t even doing anything at that moment except dithering in the realization of how out of my depth I was.  “I see even one of you shitheads aim those things anywhere near me and I’ll strangle your families with your fucking colon!  Shoot the other one, morons!”

Oh, he wasn’t talking to m...

3.17 In Which the Dark Lord Will Cross that Bridge When He Comes to It

“This is a trap,” Gizmit quietly declared once we were all in position.

“Explain?” I requested.

“Hoy used to live in this complex, as a high-ranking authority.  He knows how it’s laid out.  He’s leading what amounts to a raid on it, which should mean moving his people in as fast as possible to fan out in a search pattern and find the intruders.  Instead, he’s got them all milling around in that extremely exposed courtyard, doing…e...

Brain check

The good news is the chapter is about 3/4 done this time, so finishing it shouldn't take too long once I can resume.

I've had a really bad couple of days, mental health wise.  This time at least I saw it coming on far enough that I was able to get a head start, and I've been pushing at the chapter since last night so I've managed to make good progress.  But currently I have hit a wall and my mental circuits are tapped out for the day.  I will resume work in the ...

3.16 In Which the Dark Lord Gets a Second Opinion

We never did find those keys, but some time spent scrounging through the surrounding tunnels and chambers provided us a surprising workaround in the form of a stockpile of alchemy supplies.  It had been thoroughly looted, of course—Jadrak’s people had taken all the valuable stuff, leaving behind mostly what was both cheap and stored in large enough containers that it would’ve been hard to bring along in a hasty evacuation.

“But that works in our favor!” Amell said with mo...

3.15 In Which the Dark Lord Presses the Big Red Button

I gave Yoshi the very quick, one-minute rundown on the Void and the Devil King while Radatina visibly seethed, which was adorable.  And while it was pertinent information that he definitely needed to know, I’d be lying if I denied that the sight of the pixie’s impotent fury was what motivated me to finish up with a final warning.

“And the reason your familiar hasn’t told you any of this, and wouldn’t have, is because while it feels like they work for us, the truth is fami...

3.14 In Which the Dark Lord Does the Right Thing, Sort Of

Who the hell was Maizo?

I took a moment to verify that our opponents were under control before turning to see for myself.  Nazralind had her bow drawn; Aster, Flaethwyn, and Adelly all had weapons ready; even Rizz and Rhoka had silently come in at the rear with those staffs of theirs held out, blades extended.  These goblins weren’t much of a threat anyway, now that I looked.  Those “weapons” I’d glimpsed while bursting in turned out, on closer inspection, to be p...

3.13 In Which the Dark Lord Bends the Knee

There came a pause in which we all considered the tunnel ahead of us, and during that silence a few things I knew about goblins and Jadrak in particular clicked together.

“Hey, Biribo.  Can you detect the presence of bombs?”

Everyone’s heads whipped around to stare at me.

“Well…  Not directly, boss.  I can scan for the shapes of stuff that’s out of place…particularly stuff like fuses and packages of liquids or powder attached to a mechan...

Bad brain day

Chapter should be up by tomorrow, possibly later tonight if I get a second wind.  I just wanted to post a quick apology for the delay because I'm about to give up and put the previous chapter on RR.  I'm okay, just having the usual mental health issues.  Depression and brain fog are slowing down my progress but I am still working, just making much slower headway than I like and probably going to miss my self-imposed deadline.

Soon, though!  Thanks for your patience,...

3.12 In Which the Dark Lord Gets No Respect

“All right, I get it, none of you like my plan.  But we’re all still here, because none of you clods could come up with anything better!  So unless you can produce a superior idea, just do me a favor and button it.”

I stared challengingly at the little strike team assembled around me on Sneppit’s tram platform, all of whom returned unimpressed looks.  Of course, it was Flaethwyn who opened her mouth again despite my very clear instructions.

Monthly break

Hey, folks, as you may recall I decided with the launch of Book 3 this year that I'd be taking a week off per month to prevent burnout-induced schedule slips.  As you may also have noticed, I completely forgot to do that last month.  I figured it wouldn't be a problem, I could just push through to the last week of this month and then get the schedule back on track and it'd be fine.

Yeah, so, that didn't work out.

I've been trying to write the next chapter for ...