Ryoku, the Game of Power

The concept of this universe started in the role-playing game Champions, which I GMed for about 35 years, so it was fairly well developed. It's a superhero world where magic and monsters coexist just under the surface of urban reality. I would often start the session by slapping a copy of National Enquirer on the table and demand to know which character leaked the headline story. As shorthand notation for the players, powers were often affiliated with "suits" like Souls, Justice, or Ur-Metal--each with their own themed pocket dimensions-- while power levels were linked to chesslike game pieces: King, Queen, Paladin, and various exotic pawns. After I got married and we had children, I didn't play anymore, but the universe kept developing in the back of my brain. One day, I wrote an interaction between a demon and a Jewish Kabalah rabbi that changed everything. His opening line "I am a liar" sets up the entire plot and the main character's downfall. The hero learns that no good deed goes unpunished. Merodak has cameos in all the books in this series and Solomon Oni. The original cover had chess pieces, but sales improved when I replaced it with the Stone Henge image. Audiobooks are available for the entire series.

1. Foundation for the Lost

Head of a charitable foundation and a rabbi, Aaron has been tagged as the new Paladin of Justice. Unfortunately, nobody with power wants too much justice, so the first thing all th factions try to do is eliminate him.

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2. The Redemption of Mata Hari

Mata Hari was a famous seductress and spy, not for the Germans, but for the djinn! She becomes the guide for Aaron as he travels through Hell to return home before his twins are born. I tried to go literary with this one with lots of research.

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3. Children of Ur

My least read novel...ever. This is the conclusion or Aaron's story and the tale of how Joseph Redwing, the man he appointed king of the Dwarves, dealt with the resulting Dwarven rebellion. I was proud of including Krampus and the neglected mythology around his Nordic mother.

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