Accidental War Mage

  General Ognyan Spitignov, a large man nearly the same height as Mikolai but considerably greater bulk. Dangerous war mage, repeat war criminal, a one-man army notable for his lack of scruples or sanity. A loyal citizen of the Golden Empire who receives the honor of a promotion partway through

  Vitold Szpak, the bunkmate of Mikolai and fellow mechanic. A baker’s son from Lviv, short and at some points a little rotund, talented with lockpicks and card tricks.

  Karlov, a mechanic who lost an extra toolkit in a card game with Mikolai.

  Mikolai Stepanovich, the main character of this story. A farmboy from the Ruthenian countryside west of Khoryvsk with six older brothers and half a dozen elderly uncles. Called Mikolai Stepanovich Yagin by the abovementioned general, Maikoli Stenapovek by an ancient undead king, and later assumes the name of Marcus, which soon becomes Marcus Corvus or Marcus the Raven or Colonel Corvus. A certain old woman calls him Kolya for short.

  Yuri and Igor, a pair of steam knights whose dress uniforms are borrowed without authorization.

  Konstantin, a cousin of Mikolai’s who is tallest person that Mikolai knows—taller than Mikolai himself or General Spitignov.

  Colonel Illinich, a base commander who was glad to get rid of two of his most troublesome mechanics.

  Colonel Ivan Ivanovich Romanov, a nobly-born weasel-faced officer assigned the task of minding and managing the erratic General Spitignov.

  Gregor, a taciturn veteran in Mikolai’s steam knight squad with an amiable personality who tutors Mikolai in the ways of being a steam knight during the train ride.

  Misha, another member of Mikolai’s steam knight squad, also taciturn, but with an unfriendly personality and subject to multiple rumors related to a past criminal history.

  Ilya, the final member of Mikolai’s steam knight squad, handsome and charming and chatty. Strikes up relationships with Katya and also a Wallachian partisan.

  Captain Nikita Egorov, a superior officer placed in charge of a variety of forces including Mikolai’s steam knight squad.

  Kayta Borova, a redheaded sharpshooter from northern Khazaria. Previously stationed in the backwater town of Muzga near the Lithuanian border. Involved with Ilya and then later Mikolai. The younger child of a gentleman’s deceased second wife, five years older than said gentleman’s third wife’s eldest son and said gentleman’s eldest grandson through his first wife.

  Murgu, a young and large Wallachian partisan.

  Doctor Onofrei, a Wallachian partisan with some resources.

  Yosef, an alleged steam knight in Mikolai’s squad. Possibly fictitious or a deceased person whose identity was misappropriated by Vitold.

  Major Alexei Pavlov, a nobly-born chaplain and certified alchemist of questionable alchemical ability beyond his capacity for biological transmutation of vodka into urine.

  Emperor Koschei, the undying emperor of the Golden Empire.

  Emperor Leon I, Emperor in Paris, High King over Loegria, Lord of the Seven Great Isles, Protector of Jerusalem and Cyprus, aka “Leon the Usurper.” Originally from Corsica.

  King Janos, ruler of Avaria.

  Boris Volkov, Katya’s father.

  Baba Yaga, a mythical witch. An absurd rumor circulated among General Spitignov’s task force claiming that Mikolai had tea with Baba Yaga.

  I.V.T., a correspondent of Colonel I. I. Romanov.

  Yuri, a dog.

  Lieutenant Fyodor Kransky, an artillery officer with a small talent for reading the winds.

  Torvald Bauerstein, a fictitious identity for…

  …Lieutenant Ragnar Rimehammer, a Swedish mercenary officer, known to many readers from the popular publication Ragnar Rimhamar, Gentleman Adventurer.

  Captain Felix Rimehammer, also a Swedish mercenary, cousin of Ragnar (father’s elder brother’s second son). Has a peg-leg and a fondness for meticulous record-keeping.

  Radu Odobescu, a Wallachian aristocrat who wields a pen-knife to unfortunate results.

  Konstantin Borovich, one of Katya’s older half-brothers.

  Ljubomir Ignatovich Vladislav, a neighbor of Katya’s father Boris.

  Magister Igor Vladimirovich Topylov, of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

  Ehrhart, a simple tinker who had a pet pigeon.

  Quentin Gavreau, of Wallachian ancestry and a Parisian stepfather.

  Corporal Banks, a woman under the command of Felix who is, alas, lamentably gripped by uncontrolled lust for Ragnar, at least according to Ragnar’s account.

  Septima Gavreau, a younger sister of Quentin who gave him a diary for Twelfth Day.

  Vladislav the Dragonslayer, former ruler of Wallachia, presently living in Rumelia. He succeeded…

  …Vladimir the Dragon, deceased former ruler of Wallachia who nevertheless has four known living sons, including a potential heir of the same name who was sent to the sultan’s court.

  Princess Marie, daughter of Leon I and now wife of King Janos.

  Emperor Sigismund II, ruler of the Gothic Empire.

  Elizabeth, also Elisabeta or Erzsebet depending on language, a powerful war mage who led an army of mercenaries against Mikolai’s force, known as the New Wallachian Army.

  Banneret Teushpa, later Lieutenant Teushpa, a Cimmerian cavalry officer. Allegedly an illusionist of considerable skill, though Mikolai has his doubts about that.

  Maestro Zilioili, a former physician who fell into the lowly profession of surgery, originally from Venice. Noted for his skill and competence relative to the usual range of barbers who work as surgeons.

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  Captain Helen Maude Victoria Winslow, Loegrian commander of a free company working for a Gothic margrave.

  Caleb Pendley, veteran of the Century War and one of Helen’s soldiers.

  Jacob Fairfax, a green young nobleman and one of Helen’s soldiers.

  Alan Gant, a man of remarkably unremarkable appearance and one of Helen’s soldiers.

  Mathilde Gavreau, a second cousin of Quentin whom Helen has met.

  Burgheard, Helen’s large bodyguard and manservant.

  Chief Wofford, a mechanic in Helen’s employ.

  Intentional War Mage

  Frederick, the servant of a noble living in Dab.

  Leontina Odobescu, a false name placed on Katya by Mikolai. May or may not be an actual Wallachian noblewoman.

  Gertrude, the mother of the aforementioned nable.

  Pavel, a sharpshooter.

  Yaroslava Ivanova, or “Cousin Yarka.” A resident of Tanais.

  Igor Vladimir Tsarevich, someone who writes letters. Perhaps the same I.V.T. as seen earlier?

  General Boredom, a metaphorical commanding officer whom all soldiers sometimes serve under.

  Baron Erasmus von Vasco, “Asman” to his friends.

  Carmen, a “friend” of the baron’s daughter. Allegedly very skilled at riding, though Mikolai is skeptical. The favorite grand-niece of the margrave’s wife.

  Socksy, the baron’s daughter’s horse, who survives the hunting expedition (in contrast to Carmen’s mount).

  Amelia, the baron’s daughter, with hair the color of aged cheese.

  Peter, a light mech rebuilt from a steam suit and a disassembled heavy mech. Named as such by the living steam knights.

  Septima Gavreau, a younger sister of Quentin Gavreau and the seventh child of his mother.

  Flavia Gavreau, Quentin’s mother.

  Prince Vladimir, the presumptively-deceased son of Vladimir the Dragon, apparently alive after all.

  Maria, Quentin’s mother’s maternal grandmother’s sister, married to a man named Bogdan.

  Bogdan (not the same as the above), the fourth empress’s nephew’s son, married to a woman named Maria (also not the same as the above).

  Zaleska, a weather-witch.

  Vyachesla, Fyodor’s unmarried brother.

  Georg, an assumed name adopted by the baron’s daughter’s maid, who also has hair the color of aged cheese. Seen at this point wearing ill-fitting men’s clothes for some reason.

  Johann von Zauberer, a student thaumaturge with a need to address his finances before returning to Vindobona. Recruited into the battalion at the rank of banneret. While educated in some matters, is strangely ignorant of the Hleode language and proto-writing, extant in Cimmeria a few millennia ago.

  Giselle, the daughter of a would-be bishop, possessed of brilliant blonde hair. Niece of an artist who painted for the old bishop.

  Raphael de Burgogne, a Burgundian claimant for the title of bishop of Batavis, with a talent for reading auras.

  Father Waldemar Hellenbodus, father of Giselle and a local claimant for the title of bishop of Batavis.

  Sir Wolfgang, the tallest knight in Raphael’s party and therefore the man to loan equipment to Mikolai.

  Saint Jerome, a well-known historic wizard specialized in the protective arts, studied routinely by any Christian mage within the Roman church.

  Abraham, owner of a traveler’s inn in a village just outside of Vindobona’s walls.

  Sara, Abraham’s wife.

  Captain Odelbrand, the captain of the boat that took Mikolai upriver from Vindobona to Batavis.\

  Fritz, a friend of Johann’s.

  Margelein, someone in Vindobona who Fritz was told to lie to, except that the lie about traveling with a master thaumaturge appears to have been the truth after all.

  Herr Doktor Von Stetten, a lecturer on comparative magical ritual arts living in Vindobona.

  Princess Anna, a storied beauty publicly known as the emperor’s grandchild, and—to Sigismund II’s disappointment—not married to King Janos, who chose to marry Leon I’s daughter Princess Marie instead. According to her portraits and description, she does not have a crooked nose, a strong jawline, or pockmarks upon her cheeks. Clearly Mikolai has never met this person, but she is a frequent subject of discussion anyway—and allegedly both present and deeply in lust with Ragnar according to his account of the matter.

  Landgravine Wilhelmina von Gschwendtberg, a noble of the Gothic Empire overdue for marriage.

  Pasha Mustafa, an emissary of the sultan to the Gothic Emperor’s court.

  Charles the Hammer, a historic figure.

  Charles the Anvil, another historic figure, grandson of the above.

  Albrecht, a cousin of Wilhelmina von Gschwendtberg.

  Sultan Allaedin, ruler of the Sultanate. Unmarried, albeit with a harem of concubines.

  Vladimir, a Wallachian prince living at a monastery in Moladavia, not to be confused with his previously mentioned older brother Vladimir, who was a hostage in the sultan’s court.

  Radu, a Wallachian prince who appears loyal to the Sultanate.

  Mercutio, the friend of a man who Mikolai briefly encounters in Verona under the disappointed gaze of a thirteen-year-old girl fond of staring down out of upper story windows.

  Proteus, a gentleman who stowed away on Mikolai’s barge on the way out of Verona.

  Granso, the dog belonging to Proteus’s servant. The name means “crab.”

  Maestro Zilioli, the better (and sometimes only) surgeon of Raven’s Battalion. Also a physician, which is quite unusual among battlefield surgeons.

  Bianca, some kind of friend or relative of Maestro Zilioli. According to Mikolai, accompanies Ragnar to the masquerade. Not mentioned in Ragnar Rimhamar: Gentleman Adventurer, only in Mikolai’s account.

  Jessica, the daughter of a merchant on the road from Verona to Tridentum.

  Constantine, thirteenth of that name, known also by the false name of Baron Logos—evidently from Negroponte.

  Zaneta, a Venetian-speaking woman with soft hands and little experience in being a personal servant, gifted as a servant to Mikolai by Constantine following his return to Negroponte. Not available for purchase as far as Mikolai is concerned, although the topic seems to be recurrent for some reason.

  Vesel, a Wallachian slave in Constantinople.

  Mahmud, a gentleman of some standing in Constantinople who speaks fluent French and Persian and enjoys discussing poetry by “Adni.”

  Gulben, an auburn-haired enchantress and youngest sister of Sultan Allaedin.

  First, as noted in the changed fiction title, Book 1 will stub on February 28th, 2025 March 28th, 2025. Book 2 will probably stub around the end of June. The first two volumes of Accidental War Mage, to be released under the titles Accidental War Mage and Intentional War Mage, are under contract with . I've been told that the narrator for the audiobook will be .

  Second, my next planned project is still a "sidequel" in the same universe as Accidental War Mage, working title A Son of the Dragon. It will release as a separate story, because it is a separate story. If you click the "Follow" button on , you will be notified immediately on launch. The release date will be timed to the conclusion of , both on and here on Royal Road, which is to say "coming soon." Most likely February. I've already been thinking about how to advertise it.

  A Son of the Dragon will go up on Patreon significantly before Royal Road sees it.

  Third, I still plan on writing a Book 3 for this series. It will post here, with numbered chapters starting at 100, starting after the conclusion to Son of the Dragon. If you keep this fiction on your follow list, you'll see it pop up on your reading list immediately.

  Fourth, I'm almost done writing . I'm at around 58.5 chapters drafted out of 60 for Volume I. A related short story will follow, though . I plan on writing a Volume II eventually, but I haven't put it in my schedule yet.

  Fifth, you can see me chatting with other authors on YouTube: See the .