For as long as she can remember, Laudna has had a friend. A mentor. A little voice whispering in her cropped ear, promising that, no matter how monstrous she becomes or how far she wanders, there will always be someone to guide her. And so, Laudna is content. But the thought of more—of life, of love, of the magic stirring in her still veins—is unrelenting in its familiarity.

Celebrate a decade of Critical Role with this anthology featuring the perspectives of ten characters who fought alongside—and against—Vox Machina, with a foreword by cast member Liam O’Brien. In these ten stories, see the legendary adventuring party anew through the eyes of some of the...

Slinging hotdogs may not be the most glorious side gig, but hey, if it paid for college, that’s all Emma could ask for. And let’s be real, of all the crowds in the world, what were the odds that Comic-Con would get Portalled next? Emma really should’ve known better. Once again, the universe conspires against her, and now she’s stuck in a world where the laws of physics don’t seem to apply, and even the grass is trying to kill her. She better pay close heed to the Artificial Intelligence guiding her and make some new friends fast, because out here, it’s thrive or die.

As a primal conjurer, Ryn Xaven is a rare sorcerer who can use all types of magic. When he bonds beautiful mages as his protectors and companions, his power grows. Together they'll root out devils, protect their world from demonic invasion, and keep each other warm on cold nights.

The decision to start a new life is never an easy one, but for Joe the transition was far from figurative. Becoming a permanent addition to a game world, it doesn't take long to learn that people with his abilities are actively hunted. In fact, if the wrong people gained knowledge of what he was capable of, assassins would appear in droves.

All of the incredibly powerful high mages died out centuries ago. Nobody expected one to return. I was just a simple blacksmith apprentice when a visit by the mages of Essalin confirmed what I’d long suspected—I could touch the aether. Destined to be a mage, I’m plucked from my village alongside a feisty redhead so we could journey to the fabled city of the high mages to learn how to control and wield the aether. The road there isn’t going to be easy though.

Orodan was an orphaned street rat who clawed his way to the county militia with hard work. When calamitous events unfold and draw him into events bigger than himself, Orodan's battle-loving disposition leads to a warrior's death. Then he wakes up again at the start of the Cataclysm. Then again. And again. In a world of skills, titles, and blessings, a smart time-looper would perhaps scheme, plan, amass equipment, and allies. But not Orodan. If there's one thing he's good at, it's stubbornly trying the same thing over and over again via brute force till it's done.

Nevada Baylor runs a small-time detective agency in Houston, Texas, busting scammers, exposing cheaters, and dealing with petty criminals. She's very good at her job–helped by a magical ability to sense when someone tells the truth or lies. But when she's forced into accepting a case to find a radical pyrotechnic who can conjure heat and fire at will, Nevada knows she's out of her league. To bring him to justice, she'll have to join forces with someone who wields an even more dangerous power.

When Mira’s home is destroyed by gods, she makes two requests to the System that sends her to another world: to be sent to an isolated forest where she can avoid the violent path to godhood, and to gain magic that helps her live and thrive in the forest. She is granted both, though in the harshest way possible. The System strands her in a dangerous forest where half the plants are poisonous, the rivers teem with souls, and even the smallest beasts lay waste to experienced adventurers.

Thrust into a new world filled with monsters and magic, Will's life has become a war for survival. He has nothing more than a class called “soldier” and a strange leveling System he’s never seen before. When he stumbles across a dying stranger, a mysterious questline activates. Now Will must head to the front lines where humanity wages war against a ruthless Goblin Horde. There he will join the standing Kadian Army and forge his name from the fires of legend.

Rew, the King’s Ranger, accepted a role on the far edge of the realm to avoid the morass of intrigue and betrayal that bleeds from the heart of the kingdom. His only desire is to shoulder the burden he’s taken, to protect the village of Eastwatch, and to monitor the wilderness beyond. When three youths are arrested for petty theft in the village and beg for help, Rew’s friend insists he take responsibility for them. By ties stronger than steel, Rew is forced onto a path he knows leads to chaos. The King’s Ranger will battle to grant the youths a life he never had a chance of.

Five years ago Corin Cadence's brother entered the Serpent Spire - a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire's trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the spire's goddess. He never returned. Now it's Corin's turn. He's headed to the top floor, on a mission to meet the goddess.

Corporate flameout Ned Altimer dreams of leaving his world behind. So, when Earthblood Online splashes onto the VRMMO scene, he dives in and never looks back. His advantages are twofold: exclusive access to the game’s three-day Head Start period, and a ridiculously handsome talking axe named Frank who has knowledge of the game’s deepest secrets...if the magnificent Frank ever feels like sharing them.

Born to a Magical Fantasy Princess and a nine-to-five Supervillain in the most superhero riddled city in the world, Perry's never felt...adequate. He's got no talent for magic, and not a scrap of superpowers to his name. When The System boots and unlocks his powers, it forces him to follow in his father's footsteps, but he'd rather take after his mother... Maybe there's a way he can do both...

For Ianthe, war is all too familiar. A former soldier in the Astra Militarum, she now serves Inquisitor Covenant as an agent of the Throne. Her first mission sees her investigating a cult called the Children of Eternity. Falling foul of the local Enforcers, Ianthe soon learns that war in the shadows is seldom straightforward and that the local, angry law-keepers are the least of her troubles.