By James Christopher Gilliam
Copyright © 2026 James Christopher Gilliam
All rights reserved.
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Table of Contents
Dedication and Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 – Typhoon on the Bay *10 July 2026
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DEDICATION
First to my family, whom I love dearly. For all of our adventures together have helped inspire the stories I have created over the years. For my wife, who never got too upset when I was supposed to go to bed three hours ago, while finishing a chapter. For my kids who want to see all the spooky monster pictures one more time.
Next to my future readers. For far too long, we all have been without strong moral and mythical stories to help guide us, entertain us, and show us that though we often get it wrong, it is infinitely worth it to keep trying until we get it right. We need heroes who are unabashedly bold, daring, and willing. We need villains who are undeniably and nearly irredeemably evil. We need that true escape from the real world to remind us that our choices make a difference, and while we may seem small and insignificant in the infinite cosmos…we still matter.
And last, but certainly not least, to God almighty who has brought me through two wars, several brawls and fist fights, natural disasters, car wrecks, and many things unpleasant, but also the opportunity for my family and I see the vast majority of the world and experience all the wonderful people within it. I thank Him for the opportunity to share my stories with you and to give me a better eye for my future revisions.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The outlining process was created largely with too many sets of multi-colored, multi-sided dice, the core Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 Edition rulebooks, The Solo Adventurer’s Toolbox Parts 1 & 2 by Paul Bimler, pens, pencils, and paper, both lined and graph. Playing through the novels as they grew from a simple brainstorming session to a massive and immersive world truly has been the most enjoyable way to develop a story. Stepping into the shoes of the main characters, living through their experiences during the first five quests, and discovering all there was about them over the course of a year left me with ample material to craft the series. Now I just have to jump back in and finish out the rest of the campaign.
I’d also like to thank the indirect aid of several individuals who provided support in the form of YouTube videos watched during my commutes and breaks at work. Without the numerous hours of content these author-creators provided, I would not have been able to bring the world to life for the reader to experience the way I had in playing through it:
Malcolm Pryce, the Oxford Writer, whose simple lessons helped me navigate the instances of writer’s block and self-doubt.
Jed Herne and John Fox, who helped me steer clear of the common pitfalls for first-time authors and ensured my story had great structure and truly meant something to the reader.
Abbie Emmons and Allyssa Matestic, who helped me focus on the emotional and interpersonal development of the characters and how best to write solid and compelling female characters.
Sascha, the Tale Tinkerer, who is an absolute master in proper character development and meaningful world-building.
And the band Eclipse, whose song Anthem became my anthem for the series.
Special thanks to my early draft readers who suffered through the rough cut versions of the story to give me over and abundant critiquing:
Andrea Gilliam
Dacia Arnold
Robert Montgomery
Tabitha Shofner
James R. Gilliam
Jacob Gilliam
And the many others who enjoyed me telling them a good story.
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Chapter 1 – Typhoon on the Bay
James C Gilliam 