Sovereign's Choice (The Gods' Game Volume V): A LitRPG novel Read online

  Sovereign’s Choice

  The Gods’ Game, Book 5

  Sovereign’s Choice

  The Gods’ Game, Book 5

  Rohan M. Vider

  Copyright

  Sovereign’s Choice (The Gods’ Game, Book 5), a self-published book by Rohan M. Vider.

  Copyright © 2021 Rohan M. Vider.

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected].

  First Edition

  Revision 1.0

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  To my readers who have made these stories possible.

  Books by Rohan M. Vider

  The Dragon Mage Saga

  Overworld, Book 1

  The Gods’ Game (A LitRPG series)

  Crota, the Gods’ Game Volume I

  The Labyrinth, the Gods’ Game Volume II

  Sovereign Rising, the Gods’ Game Volume III

  Sovereign, the Gods’ Game, Volume IV

  Sovereign’s Choice, the Gods’ Game, Volume V

  Tales from the Gods’ Game (A LitRPG collection of short stories & novels)

  Dungeon Dive (Tales from the Gods’ Game, Book 1)

  Sovereign’s Choice

  The Gods’ Game, Volume V

  The stunning conclusion to the first arc of the epic LitRPG fantasy adventure…

  The Game advances, and the gods continue their relentless pursuit. Day by day, Kyran gets stronger, both in his own power, and the allies he gathers around him. Will he be ready to face the wrath of the gods when it descends upon him?

  And will he choose the right allies? Enter the world of Myelad to find out where Kyran’s journey takes him!

  Author’s Note

  Dear Readers,

  Thank you for reading The Gods’ Game. A cautionary word to those of you unfamiliar with the genre, this is a story based in a game-like world. It contains elements common to CRPG and MMO computer games, but knowledge of such games is not necessary to enjoy the story.

  This is a self-published work, and even though care has been given to the review and editing of this book, some errors may have slipped through. For these, I apologise.

  I encourage you to drop me a message on anything related to the Gods’ Game or otherwise. Please also let others know what you think about the book by leaving a review on www.amazon.com and www.goodreads.com.

  Most importantly, I hope you enjoy the book!

  Best Regards,

  Rohan M. Vider

  [email protected]

  Contents

  Sovereign’s Choice

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Books by Rohan M. Vider

  Sovereign’s Choice

  Author’s Note

  Contents

  What has come before

  List of Key Places

  List of Key Gods & People

  World Map

  Prologue

  Game Data

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Game Data

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Game Data

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Game Data

  Chapter 9

  Game Data

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Game Data

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Game Data

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Epilogue

  Game Data

  Afterword

  Excerpt from the Dragon Mage saga

  What has come before

  Book 1 (Crota)

  On Earth

  Kyran attempts to rescue a woman named Sara Milton and is accidently pulled into the Gods’ Game with her. The Gods’ Game, the world of Myelad, is a prison built by the god Eld to imprison his fellow immortals and free the cosmos from their tyranny. Winning the Game is the only way the gods may escape.

  In Godshome

  Sara is chosen as the goddess Iyra’s champion. The gods are prevented from interfering directly in the Game and use their champions as game pieces in a bid to win the Game.

  For the crime of being a free agent—possessing no divine spark and being unbeholden to any god—Kyran is sentenced to die in the Labyrinth beneath the abandoned city of Crota.

  01 Jul 2603 AB

  Kyran’s entrance into the Game is sensed by the dragon Yddreinth, who informs the avowed enemies of the gods, the Brotherhood. Their leader Elasien sends Deegan and Mirien to recruit the free agent.

  02 Jul

  Kyran’s intrusion is detected by the undead lich king, Zarr Dwamenkor.

  03 Jul

  Zarr further dispatches the vampires Aveyad and Tyeliss to pursue Kyran. The undead believe Kyran is a champion of one of the gods.

  05 Jul

  Kyran is captured, but not before reaching level ten. The gods are notified that he remains alive.

  Book 2 (The Labyrinth)

  06 Jul

  Xetil dispatches his champion Lesh to orchestrate Kyran’s death.

  Iyra sends Sara to capture Kyran.

  07 Aug

  Kyran discovers Eld’s Jest, a locked room in the citadel with instructions on how to find the Thirteenth Well.

  08 Aug

  Kyran and Zarr forge an alliance. The lich king agrees to let Kyran go in exchange for the free agent performing three tasks on the undead’s behalf.

  Kyran reluctantly agrees to take on the vassals Zarr provides: Adra and Gaesin.

  11 Aug

  While escaping the Labyrinth, Kyran’s party find an unexpected prisoner, a jade great bear. The bear Aiken, requests Kyran’s aid in freeing his captured clan.

  22 Aug

  The party rescues the imprisoned great bears. In thanks, the matriarch of the clan grants Kyran the friend of the bears trait. Aiken chooses Kyran as his companion.

  06 Sepa

  The Brotherhood ambush Sara and except for Mirien are all killed. She heads south to the dwarven city.

  Elasien, in Bein Tor, finds herself pursued by Iyra’s Hounds and has to flee the city.

  20 Sepa

  Kyran finds and binds the thirteenth Essence Well, creating a new and hidden domain in the Gods’ Game named Labyrinth Deeps.

  08 Octu

  Kyran’s party travels to the dwarven city, Durn Duruhl, where he binds the city to his domain and discovers the armoury of the enchanter’s guild. To escape the kobolds, Kyran activates the obsidian golems.

&nbsp
; Thoril, a master enchanter from the exiled dwarven clan, senses the activation of the golems.

  Xetil sends his champion-prime Yiralla after Kyran.

  The god Kharmadon convenes another god council. During the meeting, the goddess Misteria reveals that Kyran has slain Lesh and that Iyra’s paladins have been ambushed by the Brotherhood.

  Book 3 (Sovereign Rising)

  08 Octu

  Kyran’s party encounters Mirien outside the south gate of Durn Duruhl. He learns that the Brotherhood wants him to join their cause. After a tense standoff Mirien, a whiesper, joins the party, though they are mistrustful of her.

  Kharmadon launches a new offensive against Iyra, distracting her from matters in Crotana.

  09 Octu

  Kyran investigates the pass guarded by Durn Duruhl and finds it infested with gargoyles.

  Zarr traps Sara and the paladin company within a containment ward, delaying their departure from Crota.

  Xetil tracks Kyran through Gaesin and Adra’s divine signatures, and sends Yiralla north in pursuit.

  10 Octu

  Kyran’s party sets off east with the intent of scaling the Ruiven Escarpment.

  Aveyad requests that Lera, a survivor of Crotana’s fall, have her people search for Kyran.

  11 Octu

  Xetil finds the exiled Balturra ogre tribe in the mountains and convinces Gnarok, a young ambitious ogre, to hunt down Kyran.

  15 Octu

  Hamen, the dwarven thane’s son, spots Yiralla and follows her with his men. Dhoven, the apprentice enchanter, accompanies him.

  Kyran classes as a wild druid and learns the worg beastform.

  16 Octu

  During an encounter with Gnarok, the party loses the rope they need to scale the Ruiven Escarpment and find themselves stranded in the inner mountain with winter fast approaching.

  Kyran tells Mirien he will not go to the Brotherhood and that instead, the party will head into Crotana to seek out Iyra’s champion.

  17 Octu

  Kyran conceives a plan to retrieve the stolen rope by befriending a nest of wyverns.

  18 Octu

  While Kyran tames the wyverns, Mirien enters the creatures’ lair with the intent of killing Kyran, but is stopped by her own sense of honour and Aiken’s intervention.

  Adra sees Mirien with a communication crystal and suspects the whiesper of being one of Iyra’s hounds.

  19 Octu

  The containment field around Sara’s company expires and they head south, tracking Kyran.

  Kyran’s party, with the wyverns in tow, searches out Gnarok’s warband.

  23 Octu

  Kyran meets Limeira and Wynak, and together they form an alliance to defeat Gnarok.

  24 Octu

  Wynak and Kyran’s party slay Gnarok and the demon warlock, Nekuhr.

  After the battle, Kyran takes Wynak, Limeira, and a few of the legionnaires on as vassals.

  The wyvern mother and Limeira become companions.

  To escape Xetil, Wynak’s people abandon their camp and head east into the mountains.

  28 Octu

  Kyran’s party escapes the inner Skarral mountains, and Mirien shares the truth about events in the wyvern caves and the identity of Iyra’s champion in the Elder Forest.

  29 Octu

  Sara reaches the forest Heart, and diverts east around it to travel further south.

  Misteria’s champion Vyne enters the Fellmist dungeon.

  Yiralla reaches the abandoned Balturra camp as the first storms of winter descend. Xetil orders her onwards to continue her pursuit of Kyran.

  Hamen and his men get ahead of Yiralla and follow on the heels of her forward scouts.

  Book 4 (Sovereign)

  29 Octu

  Hamen’s party take refuge in a cave from the storms in the mountain.

  Yiralla’s Dread Spear company find sanctuary from the storm under a celestial shelter.

  Thoril and the dwarven clan enter Durn Duruhl.

  30 Octu

  Kyran’s party enters the Elder Forest. They are ambushed by forest serpents. After fighting off the attack, Kyran tames five of the creatures.

  Heading north, they encounter a herd of ivoranors under attack by ghouls. The party defeats the attackers, but fail to save the ivoranor elder infected by the ghouls. The ivoranor herd Mare tasks Kyran with avenging the fallen elder.

  01 Novo

  Kyran’s party enters the dead city of Celne and discover it occupied by party of necromancers called Reapers. They defeat the necromancers with the help of Cilantria, a spectre.

  During the battle, Mirien is infected by the ghouls’ diseased touch while trying to save Kyran and falls unconscious.

  Cilantria agrees to help Kyran find a cure for Mirien if he helps her defeat Sula, the Reaper leader. The pair enter the Ivory Tower in search of Sula.

  Vyne loses two of his vassals in the Fellmist dungeon, and is forced to leave the dungeon. When he informs his goddess Misteria, she sends him to hunt down Kyran.

  02 Novo

  Kyran and Cilantria climb the tower and find Sula accompanied by two other spectres, Tiara and Tulkarmar. Tiara is Cilantria’s twin. The sisters were Eld’s champions before their deaths. In a bid to defeat Sula, Kyran allows Cilantria to possess him.

  Cilantria’s rebirth in Kyran’s body triggers the reformation of her pledge of Undying Loyalty to Eld and the lost god is drawn back into the Game.

  Eld’s re-entry creates a disturbance in the ether felt by many of the world’s Powers, but only the Overseer is able to identify the cause.

  Cilantria summons an aspect of Eld, and with the god’s help, defeats Sula. In reward for the sisters’ service, Eld grants the pair two Greater Boons.

  Kyran awakes to find Sula dead, and himself wearing the Amulet of Prime and two rings bequeathed to him by the sisters: Cilantria’s Wrath and Tiara’s Grief. He leaves the tower and cures Mirien.

  04 Novo

  The party leave Celne and continue their journey north, but are side-tracked once again when they encounter a goblin settlement. The party detours around the goblins, but run afoul of a gibbon stampede. They survive the stampede, only to find themselves discovered by a nearby goblin hunting party. They defeat the goblins and make camp for the night.

  Vyne discovers that the essence artefact Misteria provided him with to establish a settlement in Crotana has been stolen.

  05 Novo

  The party is ambushed by more goblins during the night. To save the party Mirien uses her ancient heritage to communicate with the forests’ eldest trees, the grandfathers. But ultimately, the goblins’ numbers are too many for the party to defeat and they are forced to flee.

  Kyran delays pursuit while the others escape. In worg-form, he ambushes the goblins and kills the old hag leading them.

  After the party separates, Mirien and the rest are captured by elves from Eldervale.

  Vyne reports the loss of the settlement stone to Misteria, who gives him one final chance to redeem himself by recovering the stolen artefact.

  The mountain storm breaks and Hamen’s dwarves reach the top of the Ruiven escarpment. Yiralla resumes her pursuit, too.

  Kyran tracks the party and finds they have been captured by elven rangers under the command of Talien and a young elf, Gayla. He agrees to accompany them back to their settlement to meet their leader.

  08 Novo

  On the outskirts of Eldervale, the party is met by a band of Protectors under the command of Lothar. Lothar recognises Mirien as a Tolyrandil and daughter of the eleven royal house that in times past ruled in the Elder Forest.

  Kyran meets Lera, the dowager of the Eldervale. She tells him Misteria’s champion is hunting for them and initially requests his help, but on finding out his low player level, rejects his help thereafter.

  The protectors pledge themselves in service to Mirien.

  Kyran makes the decision to do whatever necessary to help Eldervale.

  Yiralla reaches the top
of the Ruiven escarpment.

  Sara’s company encounters a band of dryads in the forest. The dryads are slaughtered by the paladins, and Sara begins to have misgivings about the goddess she serves.

  09 Novo

  Kyran and Talien come up with a plan of defeating Misteria’s champion using Kyran’s druid abilities. They take the plan to the dowager, but while pitching it to her, they are interrupted as news arrives of a party of slaughtered scouts.

  One of the surviving scouts reports that Misteria’s champion and the saurian company he commands will reach Eldervale in eight days.

  Kyran, Lera, Talien, and Mirien travel through an ether gate to Crota where they meet Zarr, Aveyad and Tyeliss.

  Under the protection of Zarr’s barriers, Kyran reveals the full extent of his plans and all his secrets to his allies, including the existence of the Thirteenth Well.

  Zarr pledges himself to Kyran and anoints him king of Crotana. However, being undead, Zarr does not transform into a vassal of Kyran’s.

  The dowager surrenders the stewardship of Eldervale to Talien, who becomes Kyran’s latest vassal.

  Kyran gives Tiara’s Grief to Zarr so that he can free the Crotan undead from their curse of undeath.

  Zarr recognises the grandfathers’ mark on Mirien and names her: Warden of the Elder Forest. Mirien makes a sovereign’s pledge to Kyran, transforming herself into a player, but one unbound by a vassal bond to Kyran.

  Misteria meets with Xetil who demands to know where Kyran is. She refuses to cooperate and share any additional information.