Tale Mix

Pathfinder Tales short stories arrive in ePub form!

In just a short while, we'll begin shipping our second Pathfinder Tales novel, Elaine Cunningham's Winter Witch. But you don't have to wait until then to get your Pathfinder fiction fix!

In June, we began publishing Pathfinder Tales web fiction, with new serialized installments each Wednesday, and now that we've got a few stories under our belt, we've decided to collect them in ePub format for your convenience. ePub is a digital book format that's great for novels and short stories; ePubs can be read on many portable and desktop devices, including Apple's iBooks app for iPad and iPhone; Mobipocket for Blackberry, Windows, and Windows Mobile; Sony Readers; and Barnes & Noble's Nook; and can easily be converted for use with Kindle. This month, we've released the first five Pathfinder Tales short stories as 99¢ ePubs, available here at paizo.com and in Apple's iBookstore.

In "The Lost Pathfinder," by Dave Gross, half-elven Pathfinder and noble detective Varian Jeggare is down on his luck and searching for it at the bottom of a bottle, sunk so deep into his own despair that not even his loyal bodyguard Radovan—a streetwise rake with the blood of devils in his veins—can drag him out of it. But when a job gone wrong puts a price on Varian's head, can Radovan hunt down the assassin and save his boss from their enemies—and himself—before it's too late? Though this short story stands on its own, the further adventures of Radovan and Jeggare can be found in our first Pathfinder Tales novel, Prince of Wolves, which begins shortly after this story ends.

"Noble Sacrifice," by Richard Ford, takes place in the thick of the Goblinblood Wars, with the desperate residents of the nation of Isger allied against the monstrous hordes clawing at their walls. Two soldiers are sent out on a crucial mission: One is an idealistic young Eagle Knight of Andoran, sworn to defend freedom and liberty with his life. The other is one of the infamous Hellknights, a warrior for whom law and order is the only consideration, to be enforced by any means necessary. Outnumbered and racing against time, can the two warriors learn to put aside their differences and work together in time to fulfill their mission?

"Blood Crimes," by J. C. Hay, is set in the dead city of Mechitar, where vampires and zombies rub shoulders with still-living citizens. For plucky thief Omaire, it's a perfect setting for a girl with quick hands and even quicker feet who's looking to grab a little cash. But when her bumbling ghoul associate brings her into contact with a human Pathfinder disguised as a zombie, things quickly become a whirlwind of crime lords, covert scholars, and human chattel raised to the slaughter. Can the quick-witted rogue stay one step ahead of the competition, or is she destined to join the ranks of the shambling dead?

"Certainty," by Liane Merciel, contemplates faith, the greatest battle. To fallen paladin Ederras, right and wrong aren't as clear as they once were, and even the forces of good seem tainted by sin. Lost and broken, the formerly righteous warrior joins up with the crusaders of Mendev, the last bastion of civilization fighting desperately against the demonic tides of the Worldwound. There he plans to rediscover his faith—or die trying. Yet even on the edge of total destruction, humanity's base nature runs rampant, leading any crusader to wonder: Is there anything left worth fighting for?

In "The Swamp Warden," by Amber E. Scott, you'll learn to fear the scaled ones. At least, that's the lesson Rhyn has learned from life as a ranger in the swamps of Nirmathas. Yet when something new starts hunting the defenseless residents of Crossfen, Rhyn's honor won't let him stand aside. Haunted by his past, and armed with nothing more than a sword and his wits, Rhyn sets off into the marshes to fulfill his role as self-proclaimed defender of the swampers' village. Yet what he finds in the deep marshes will change his life forever.

Stay tuned for more ePub releases as Pathfinder Tales web fiction continues!