Chris A Jackson

The Ancient Ones are coming to consume our world, and only the bold investigators of Arkham Horror stand in their way, in this chilling collection of eldritch novellas.Hour of the Huntress by Dave Gross – the mysterious disappearance of dilettante Jenny Barnes’ beloved sister triggers a frantic search through Arkham’s darkest shadows. The Dirge of Reason by Graeme Davis – for federal agent Roland Banks, investigating a bizarre incident exposes him to the supernatural horrors of Arkham. Ire of the Void by Richard Lee Byers – the astronomer and professor Norman Withers finds himself the subject of a strange creature’s gaze when he agrees to assist in a fellow scientist’s weird experiment. The Deep Gate by Chris A Jackson – sailor Silas Marsh must return to Innsmouth and confront his harrowing nightmares when he stumbles on a tome foretelling the end of the world.

Valeros is a veteran adventurer whose life as a mercenary lies far in his past. When conflict erupts, however, more aspects of Valeros's past come crashing into the present day than just his soldiering days. Now, separated from his longtime adventuring companions by a burgeoning war and vast distances, Valeros must rely on new allies to prevent a diabolic dragon's sinister machinations from coming to fruition. In an exciting race against the clock, Valeros must make himself part of the crew of the Wandering Star, under the command of former pirate and current Andoren operative Torius Vin, hoping to reach the site of a nascent Hellmouth-a living portal to Hell-before a dragon can use it and a sliver of a slain god to upset the balance of power in the region. With the aid of the enigmatic sorcerer and spy Vee, the naga oracle Celeste, and a young Eagle Knight with her own ties to Valeros's past, the iconic fighter and the crew of Wandering Star must overcome the forces of Hell with the fate of Golarion hanging in the balance. From fan-favorite fantasy author Chris A. Jackson (Pirate's Honor, Pirate's Promise, Pirate's Prophecy), Operation Hellmouth promises an unforgettable adventure of infernal plotting and family drama on the high seas, set in the award-winning Age of Lost Omens setting for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Operation Hellmouth is the perfect entry point to the Hellfire Crisis event within the Pathfinder setting, a multi-year conflict that will pit the world's most powerful nations into all-out war.

From the Ashes of Battle... Reeling from the Battle of the Sky Temples, the clans of the M nggǔ r n scatter to the corners of the Empty Quarter to heal and regroup. The necromancer, Huk-Ta, is still at large, and his anubis warriors are on the hunt, seeking human souls to feed their master. Apprentice lorewarden, Sarangrel, is no stranger to pain, growing up with a deformed foot and the ridicule of those who tolerate no weakness. The heartache of losing her parents, however, is a new agony. When another disaster strikes, her heartache plunges into dispair. Wracked with guilt and unjustly exiled, Sara finds solace in a new family: the wild horses of the Empty Quarter. As she encounters other clans, they see in her strengths that few possess-the knowledge of a lorewarden and an uncanny gift with horses-strengths that she doesn't even see in herself. As the menacing shadow of Huk-Ta grows in the east, Sara joins the M nggǔ r n in opposing the plague of undeath. Using skills and gifts she barely understands, she forges an alliance with the warriors of the sky temples, embraces the blessings of the Earthmother that run through her veins, and rides forth to battle the minions of the Dark Gods.

From Darkness Comes Peace... Raised in the caves of his father's people-the brutal and warlike Oni-a half-breed boy knows only a world of darkness and pain. Life here offers one cruel lesson: fight or die. But he dreams of a world of light and beauty, the world of his human mother, an Oni slave. His only solace, she implores him not to give in to the hate and evil of the Oni, to reject their Dark God, Grund. "Be at peace," she advises, and from this, he gleans both hope and a name. As his mother wished, Peace escapes the caves, but he encounters a world of humans that he doesn't understand. A token from his mother earns him a place at the Sky Temple of Eos the Maker, where his mother trained in her youth. Here, he, too, can become a warrior for the Gods of Light. Struggling against his upbringing, he earns a home, a family. But the Dark Gods have dark plans, and they have planted their seeds within the promising young disciples of the Sky Temples. To thwart them, Peace must return to the Oni, submit to the machinations of a centuries-old creature, and offer himself to Grund. To save his world and those he loves, he must sacrifice his soul.

The Quest for Cora has BegunEmpa and Gippy now have a weapon that might tip the balance of the War of Souls in their favor, but they also have a promise to keep. From the journal of Terpsichore, granddaughter of Israfal, the angel of music, they know the reason she left Emil Ferrell was that she was pregnant with his child. This unprecedented event has forced her to flee, for Ageless cannot bear children. Or so they thought.The quest for Cora and her child is as much a quest for how this could happen as to where they are. The only clue to the former was Emil's possession by the Nephilim son of Azkeel, the Angel of Destruction. What this union of Heaven and Hell might be, and what this means for the War of Souls, drive Empa and Gippy deep into the devastated jungles of Central and South America, but they're chasing a 20-year-old trail, and much of that trail is death and ashes.

The Quest for Cora has BegunEmpa and Gippy now have a weapon that might tip the balance of the War of Souls in their favor, but they also have a promise to keep. From the journal of Terpsichore, granddaughter of Israfal, the angel of music, they know the reason she left Emil Ferrell was that she was pregnant with his child. This unprecedented event has forced her to flee, for Ageless cannot bear children. Or so they thought.The quest for Cora and her child is as much a quest for how this could happen as to where they are. The only clue to the former was Emil's possession by the Nephilim son of Azkeel, the Angel of Destruction. What this union of Heaven and Hell might be, and what this means for the War of Souls, drive Empa and Gippy deep into the devastated jungles of Central and South America, but they're chasing a 20-year-old trail, and much of that trail is death and ashes.

The War of Souls is lostFor five thousand years, the Nephilim, begotten by the angels cast out of Heaven, have fought to corrupt mankind. Opposing them are the Ageless, the offspring of the Seraphim. Mankind's fate hangs in the balance.But Hell cheats...While Earth suffers a slow-motion climate apocalypse, the love of Heaven is losing the War, while the hate and lies of Hell are winning. When the last human soul is finally corrupted, Armageddon will sweep the Earth clean.Only one warrior for Heaven remains, Empa, the last of the Ageless, daughter of the Seraphim Raphael, Angel of Healing. She is opposed by the full complement of Hell's minions, two-hundred Nephilim. She's unable to quit, even though she knows all is lost.But the war isn't over yet, and hope rises unbidden. Empa searches for a weapon that may tip the balance toward Heaven's favor for the first time. With the experiences and skills of thousands of years, but an equal burden of PTSD, she is a survivor. She has learned from the very best and worst of mankind, finally shunning love to avoid heartbreak.But love is her greatest weapon against the minions of Hell.

Nothing stains the soul like blood. With the aftermath of Jhavika Keshmir's attempted coup dealt with, Hashi Severn anticipates a resumption of her quiet, private life. Unfortunately, the arrival of the corsair Scourge brings dire tidings. Jhavika's previously ensorcelled spy to the Toki court is now free to tell all, and the god-emperor deems the Blood Sea ripe for conquest. Potential war looms, and Hashi's home is at the center of it. Captain Kevril Longbright accepts the Haven Council's commission as admiral of their privateer armada, and takes on the daunting task of recruiting pirates and warning neighboring city-states of the Toki threat. Reluctantly, he convinces Preel to remain in Haven, safe from the dangers of both pirates and the Toki navy. Haven is far from safe, however, and Preel is beset by threats from a deranged Brilla Balshi to reveal the truthsayer's secret. In desperation, Preel turns to the one person she believes she can trust. But a necromancer makes a dangerous ally; can Preel entrust her life to someone who deals in death? Hashi, Preel, and Kevril must solidify the fragile Blood Sea alliance. But as the Toki navy bears down on their pitiful armada of privateers and islanders, Hashi comes to a startling realization-wading through a sea of blood to save her home may be more than even a necromancer can handle.

The Captive Dragon...While Aleksi struggles to become human again, Lori Watkins, the single surviving victim of the rogue dragon, David Gilford, begins her metamorphosis in captivity.Traumatized by the death of her fianc and tormented by the dreams of the dragon she is becoming, Lori is struggling for sanity. She has only one hope, for others know she's being held captive. But with a dragon in hand, Lori's captors aren't likely to make a deal with the secretive organization that wields more skill in manipulating the human genome than they do, and Aleksi's new family will never trust the government with the ability to cure the Homo Draconis infection.But angering the Department of Homeland Security is not unlike taunting a dragon, and Lori's captors are as much out for vengeance as they are for the secret of creating an army of non-infectious dragons.The two organizations are doomed to clash, and in the middle stands the man Aleksi loves. But if one thing is more dangerous than keeping a dragon captive, it's threatening one's loved ones.The Dragon of Boston is going to war.

The Captive Dragon...While Aleksi struggles to become human again, Lori Watkins, the single surviving victim of the rogue dragon, David Gilford, begins her metamorphosis in captivity.Traumatized by the death of her fianc and tormented by the dreams of the dragon she is becoming, Lori is struggling for sanity. She has only one hope, for others know she's being held captive. But with a dragon in hand, Lori's captors aren't likely to make a deal with the secretive organization that wields more skill in manipulating the human genome than they do, and Aleksi's new family will never trust the government with the ability to cure the Homo Draconis infection.But angering the Department of Homeland Security is not unlike taunting a dragon, and Lori's captors are as much out for vengeance as they are for the secret of creating an army of non-infectious dragons.The two organizations are doomed to clash, and in the middle stands the man Aleksi loves. But if one thing is more dangerous than keeping a dragon captive, it's threatening one's loved ones.The Dragon of Boston is going to war.

Nothing is more damning than a deal with death.In lawless Haven, a fearsome reputation means safety. Wielding necromantic powers not only keeps Hashi Severn alive, but provides a comfortable life, a seat on the Haven Council of Lords, and the opportunity to indulge her passion for history. No one willingly crosses the woman who wields the dreadful obsidian dagger, Soul Drinker.That is, until Jhavika Keshmir attempts a coup, destroying Hashi's painstakingly structured existence.Now Hashi must embrace what she's avoided for years-alliance. Only together can the surviving council members prevail in a war against an army of enscorcelled slaves. But trusting in others is risky, because Hashi harbors a terrible secret, one that threatens not only her life, but her very soul.For dealing in death comes at a terrible cost...

Aleksi Rychenknya's metamorphosis is complete.A throwback to a long-extinct genetic twist that lay hidden with the human genome for twenty millennia, she is the only one of her kind in the world. Hunted by the government that would use her as a weapon, sought by a subversive and secretive organization that can reshape human flesh, and loved by the one man who keeps her dreadful secret, the man she longs to be with, but cannot for fear of infecting him with this dreadful genetic transformation.For the transformation that reshaped Aleksi into something more dragon than human is contagious, and as they learn more of what drives those who are infected, she realizes that she harbors a plague that could mean the end of mankind.There is hope, however, or the promise of hope. But Aleksi cannot trust those who promise to make her human again. And yet, if it means a chance to regain her life, to become Aleksi Rychenknya again, to be with the man she loves again, perhaps it's worth the risk.The greater risk comes from an unexpected quarter, however, for Aleksi is not the only Dragon of Boston. This new dragon has but one irresistible urge burning in his mind: he must find her. For male dragons are driven only to eliminate rival males and procreate.

Nothing is more deadly than a wounded dragon.Jhavika Keshmir stood on the cusp of greatness...until Captain Kevril Longbright stole her weapons of conquest. But the loss of her hand, her enchanted scourge, and her truthsayer did not defeat Jhavika, it only enraged her. Now her only goal is to take back what is hers and to kill the pirate captain in the process.Kevril flees across the Blood Sea with Jhavika close in his wake. Devastated by the changes wrought upon his beloved Preel by the scourge's enchantment, he vows to abolish Jhavika's burgeoning reign of slavery and blood if it is the last thing he ever does. And it may well be, considering the truthsayer's unsettling answer to his question of where they must go to destroy the scourge. Torn by conflicting emotions and memories, Preel seeks release from her magical torment. An unexpected ally offers an uneasy choice: a life of heart-rending sentiment or the solace of oblivion.Now all must confront their deepest nightmares in the magical maelstrom of the Serpent's Eye...

Nothing is more seductive than knowledge.Preel has more than she ever hoped for: the love of pirate captain Kevril Longbright; a home aboard the corsair Scourge; devoted friends; and freedom from slavery. Her mystical truthsayer talent - once a curse exploited by cruel masters - is now a boon to aid the pirates' missions. The future is bright...as long as her nature remains a secret. But keeping a secret in the city of Haven is nigh impossible.Jhavika Keshmir has spies everywhere, and her attention is fixed on Scourge. Possessed of an enchanted scourge and the avarice of a dragon, Jhavika intends to rule the Blood Sea someday. For that, she requires a navy, and who better to recruit a privateer armada than a pirate? But her alliance with Kevril Longbright is contentious; she resents his escape from her magical control and vows to learn how he did it.Now, Preel is caught between the man she loves and the woman who would be queen, between love and hate, truth and lies.Imprisoned by doubt, her reality shattered, only the truth will set her free...