DarkTechnomancer

My Own Worst Enemy 31 - Some Habits Are Beaten In Too Deeply

Even though I’ve been in the city for a few days now, this is only the second time I’ve had a chance to get a look at it. The streets are lined with lampposts with a similar design to the sconces in the cave just outside of the convergence point. It’s pretty distinct, with the glowing mana crystal held in place by a thick cast-iron cage. 2025-09-08 17:27:59 +0000 UTC View Post

My Own Worst Enemy 30 - You Aren't That Important

There’s not a whole lot to do once we get settled in at the Goa estate. They give us a room in one of the guest houses on the main estate—something that seems totally excessive until I find out that we are far from the only ones staying here.

In fact, the guest houses are all pretty busy places. The Goa family is huge, and the...

My Own Worst Enemy 29 - Talla and Tara

“Sorry about all that,” Talla says once her mother has left. “She means well, but Mother always puts the family first.”

“It’s okay,” I sigh. “Honestly, that went better than I expected. I was just surprised to learn that I was brought to this world on purpose.”

“By the church, no less,” Maggie points ou...

My Own Worst Enemy 28 - Giving Her the Pitch

“So does everybody know that Maev is dungeon-borne?” Talla huffs irritably as her mother leads us through the expansive estate.

“Not everyone, dear,” Lady Goa replies. “Just the ones that matter.”

“How? I get that Maari sent a letter, but I trusted her to keep it a secret.”

“Oh, she did,” the matria...

My Own Worst Enemy Interlude - Reporting In

The Order of Rangers exists in a strange limbo. While they are technically a private organization, the vast majority of their funding comes from the crown, with the church not far behind. Neither benefactor likes the organization, but they maintain it anyway. They have to.

Ostensibly a group of mercenaries that specialize in long-...

My Own Worst Enemy 27 - Giving You Context

Predictably, Violet retreats at the first sign of having to actually socialize. Less predictably, instead of Allison, somehow I end up in front.

“You’re such a baby,” I complain as Talla guides us through the busy city streets. “If the only time you deal with people is when killing them, you’re going to look like a psych...

My Own Worst Enemy 26 - Where We Part Ways

There’s no clear point where the wilderness stops and the city begins. Unsettled land along the riverbank disappeared long before we could e

There’s no clear point where the wilderness stops and the city begins. Unsettled land along the riverbank disappeared long before we could even see the ocean on the horizon, and eventually the tow...

My Own Worst Enemy 25 - I Still Trust Them

Sitting cross-legged on a cushion in Jira’s quarters makes me feel like a kid being forced to visit the principal’s office in school. The ca

Sitting cross-legged on a cushion in Jira’s quarters makes me feel like a kid being forced to visit the principal’s office in school. The captain looms over me, even seated, the light shawl ar...

My Own Worst Enemy 24 - Beginner's Luck

In order for my plan to work, I need three things. First, I need them to keep underestimating me. That’s not too difficult—I just spend a fe

In order for my plan to work, I need three things. First, I need them to keep underestimating me. That’s not too difficult—I just spend a few hands leaning into their biases. I play simple han...

My Own Worst Enemy 23 - Light Also Blinds

Miss Allison is so mortified that she retreats within, leaving me to handle things on my own. I have no idea why the others are so embarrass

Miss Allison is so mortified that she retreats within, leaving me to handle things on my own. I have no idea why the others are so embarrassed by a perfectly normal bodily function. How would the men ...

My Own Worst Enemy 22 - We Need a Name

Despite my exhaustion, I can’t do much more than toss and turn restlessly in the stiff bunk. It’s not the bed—which is a solid six out of te

Despite my exhaustion, I can’t do much more than toss and turn restlessly in the stiff bunk. It’s not the bed—which is a solid six out of ten on the scale of places I’ve slept in this wo...

My Own Worst Enemy 21 - Death is a Flirt

It’s pretty exciting boarding the ship. I’ve been on boats before, but this is like...a ship. One of the biggest in the harbor, with three m

It’s pretty exciting boarding the ship. I’ve been on boats before, but this is like...a ship. One of the biggest in the harbor, with three masts, a wide hull, and sturdy wooden constr...

Announcement - Return and Update

We're back! Thank you all very much for your patience. I feel recharged after some time off and ready to get right back to work. Well, as some of you may know about the nature of my "breaks" I don't typically stop working in the first place, but this time I did! Not for the whole two weeks, but some of it, and wow did I ever need it.

Anyho...

My Own Worst Enemy 20 - What Should I Call You?

While Draga and Maari are busy securing our ride, Talla stays with me and forces me to eat breakfast despite still feeling queasy, sore, and

While Draga and Maari are busy securing our ride, Talla stays with me and forces me to eat breakfast despite still feeling queasy, sore, and miserable.

“You’ve got to keep your strength up, ...

Announcement - Short Break

I'll be taking a week or two off to rest my wrist and rebuild my backlog. It's been very busy lately, and the System Lost release/writathon really took a lot out of me. I've been burning the candle at both ends to keep up until the first book finished on RR, and I need to decompress for a bit. I'll be back on the 11th at the latest, sooner if I'...

My Own Worst Enemy 19 - Free to Go

I awake to the sensation of soft bedding and silk sheets with a vaguely floral scent. I blink my eyes open and look around at...nothing. Blurs and blobs. Right—this body’s eyes are atrociously weak. I’m familiar with the concept of spectacles, of course, but it’s almost inconceivable that a simple piece of glass could correct such blindn...

My Own Worst Enemy 18 - Never Again

For once, I’m grateful for the car’s lack of seatbelts, doors, or a roof. The blast sends all three of us tumbling from the vehicle amidst a

For once, I’m grateful for the car’s lack of seatbelts, doors, or a roof. The blast sends all three of us tumbling from the vehicle amidst a rain of metal fragments and burning luggage. The ba...

My Own Worst Enemy 17 - Not Again

“Ah, Ranger Draga,” Maari says once she composes herself. “And Sheriff Rania—our sincerest apologies for the disturbance, but there’s nothin

“Ah, Ranger Draga,” Maari says once she composes herself. “And Sheriff Rania—our sincerest apologies for the disturbance, but there’s nothing to be alarmed about.”

Draga fr...

My Own Worst Enemy Interlude - Duty and Pride

There are days when being a ranger is the greatest thing in the world. Living among nature, protecting the countryside, and carefully managi

There are days when being a ranger is the greatest thing in the world. Living among nature, protecting the countryside, and carefully managing convergence points—those mixed blessings that have been...

My Own Worst Enemy 16 - An Excellent Hostess

Maari—who I am trying very hard not to call “Mary” in my head—insists on giving us the full tour of her estate, eager to engage in the long-

Maari—who I am trying very hard not to call “Mary” in my head—insists on giving us the full tour of her estate, eager to engage in the long-standing and universal rich-person pastime o...

My Own Worst Enemy 15 - Don't Embarrass Yourself

When we reach town, the first thing that strikes me is how much bigger it is than the village we passed before. Unlike the little nameless h

When we reach town, the first thing that strikes me is how much bigger it is than the village we passed before. Unlike the little nameless hamlet, this place is accessible by road, and the sandstone c...

My Own Worst Enemy 14 - He's Very Likeable

“No! Not that one—the other one you stupid worm!” Nipper shrinks back as I flick him, looking despondent over his repeated failures. “I’m so

“No! Not that one—the other one you stupid worm!”

Nipper shrinks back as I flick him, looking despondent over his repeated failures.

“I’m sorry,” I sigh. “You’re ...

My Own Worst Enemy 13 - Let's Make You Bleed

We’ve got a lot of free time on this road trip. Allie’s using that time to learn the language and teach Eva math or whatever, Vi’s finally s

We’ve got a lot of free time on this road trip. Allie’s using that time to learn the language and teach Eva math or whatever, Vi’s finally seen the light and started learning magic—good ...

My Own Worst Enemy 12 - You Made a Difference

Once we’ve finished gathering up all of the stingroot in the patch of grass—a process made much easier by my new spell—Draga has us prepare for the hunt, starting with stringing his bow. Saban’s bow, I realize. Nothing wasted, I guess.

“Is it okay for us to have taken all of the stingroot here?” I ask. “It won’t mess with t...

My Own Worst Enemy 11 - Let's Hunt

During one of our breaks, Draga takes me into the forest to do some hunting and gathering while Talla does some maintenance on the vehicle. Apparently it’s not just the engine that’s finicky.

“If you’re going to be a ranger, you should know how to live off the land,” he says. “You did well to survive in a place as inhospitable ...

My Own Worst Enemy 10 - A Difference in Focus

Lady Baanu is more than happy to leave our excess supplies with the villagers, and Sir Draga gives his permission to unload several crates of preserved lizard meat, hides, and other miscellanea collected from the culling of embergaze basilisks.

I still think it’s backwards that Lady Baanu needs his permission at all, but the rangers have...

Character Design Update - Nipper and the Girls

My Own Worst Enemy 9 - Now There's Two of Them

Since Draga has a bunch of interrogations to do and it’s already late, the village elder lets us stay the night. It turns out the big stone building doubles as a sort of town hall and personal domicile for the elder. There’s nothing like an inn or tavern in the village—just a spare “bedroom” that isn’t much more than a pile of dried ...

My Own Worst Enemy 8 - It's Rude to Refuse

Elder Saara and the others lead us into the village proper—a tiny little fishing community on the edge of the Sagaa river. There are no roads or paths except for those that have been beaten into the ground by the natural foot traffic of the village, though Fa’aun hooves clearly do a pretty good job of that. The houses are all small huts made...

My Own Worst Enemy 7 - You Know How It Works

Thanks to Violet’s new spells, we’re able to travel in relative comfort for the rest of the day. By the time the sun starts to set, my butt is sore and my joints are stiff as heck, but it definitely beats walking. Still, as I get out to stretch, I almost envy Draga. He basically just ran for like twelve hours at a dead sprint and doesn’t e...