Pilgrimage - Tales of the Bormecian Barbarian

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Follow Reyn Caleran, a Bormecian Barbarian on her pilgrimage across the kingdoms. Armed with a greatsword nearly as tall as a man and a philosophical outlook that borders on the poetic, she must perform good deeds in each realm before returning home with honor, wisdom, and a collection of trinkets woven into her braids.

From the bustling, chaotic port city of Westkeep to the mountainous reaches of distant kingdoms, Reyn navigates a world where magic exists but rarely behaves, where bandits prey on travelers with official indifference, and where the simplest explanations are usually correct. Unless dragons are involved.

Join her as she masters the controlled fury of her people's Rage, battles corruption and monsters, finds unexpected allies, and discovers that performing good deeds is significantly more complicated when everyone has a different definition of "good."

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Pilgrimageis a passion projectfeaturing a series of interconnected short stories that I work on between installments of my main series. This means the release schedule is delightfully unpredictable.that began as a series of interconnected short stories, then suddenly decided to be a webnovel instead.

I aim to release one chapter a week, sometimes every two weeks.

I have kids and a job, after all.

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This journey neither take itself too seriously nor shy away from moments of genuine emotion and philosophical depth the size of a puddle, and I hope they will pay homage, maybe with a little wink, to the Fantasy genre, as well as RPG's and DnD in general.

After all, as Reyn's people say: "The journey matters more than the destination."

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This isnota LitRPG, and although Reyn will become more skilled and gain new equipment and abilities, it will probably fall short of Progression as well. Just to set expectations early.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: CM Saltwind

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.9/ 5.0
Followers: 26
Views: 12,588

What readers say about Pilgrimage - Tales of the Bormecian Barbarian

“I remember first encountering this book during my "free first chapter reads" I posted in forums. Out of the many first chapters I read, I remember this one sticking out to me. Mainly because Reyn was a very unique female main character. I am really glad tha…”
5FivesRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Pilgrimage is a treat, and it knows it! Brimming with tactile reality and a tongue in cheek mischief, this story starts by bringing a world to life, and keeps it that way. Style: A fun, almost whimsical use of descriptive language sets this story apart. Loc…”
Thistle_DownRoyal Road4.5 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(2)

5FivesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I remember first encountering this book during my "free first chapter reads" I posted in forums. Out of the many first chapters I read, I remember this one sticking out to me. Mainly because Reyn was a very unique female main character. I am really glad that I came back to reading!
Style/Grammar: The writing is pretty straightforward and easy to digest. I definitely appreciated it. I can't remember any grammatical errors.
Story: I think the worldbuilding is pretty phenomenal in this book. Reyn makes the story interesting by acting in counterintuitive (but good!) ways. I particularly liked when
Rast tried to rob her and she instead said that they might make a good "partnership." lol
Another part I liked was when Reyn asked Rast why he's a brigand and said he seemed to "thoughtful for random violence."
The mystery of the portals hints to a larger plot that's going to be epic. Chapter 13 has a great action scene. ;)
Character: This is where the story shines. I already talked a lot about Reyn. I love how she acts and speaks in counterintuitive ways. She is very straightforward and cheerful -- a very refreshing MC.
I look forward to reading more and Reyn is a protagonist I am willing to follow to the end.
Thistle_DownRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Pilgrimage is a treat, and it knows it! Brimming with tactile reality and a tongue in cheek mischief, this story starts by bringing a world to life, and keeps it that way.
Style: A fun, almost whimsical use of descriptive language sets this story apart. Locations, movement and feeling all come delivered through clever witticism, and competence of craft. A joy to read, this is one of those stories where it almost wouldn't matter what's going on, big fight, or conversation on the riverbank, it is all handled with care and passion. Only note on this is that occasionally a descriptive phrase is used twice that felt as though it should have been a one off.
Story: Grounded, with a touch of the absurd which is always there in life if you care to look for it, the story holds the potential to take readers on a journey that should be straightforward, but most likely won't be. Fair warning, there is a small shaky patch around the chapter six mark that may seem a plunge in a completely bizarre direction, but hold on! The story continues past it in much the same manner as it started, and I am sure that section is going to lead to a very interesting thread when it comes time to follow it.
Grammar: Very competent language use throughout with a few minor grammatical issues. There is a slight tendency towards casual language in dialogue which can feel out of place with the more structured tone of the rest of the work, but for the majority, this is a story written by a master of the craft.
Character: Overall, I think that the characters of this story are wonderful. As a protagonist, Reyn is introduced to the reader with a very clear and well thought out character, she knows who she is, what she wants from life, and knows how she is going to do it. Her Rage ability adds a beautiful complexity to her character, beyond just being a good person, as she is also capable of devastating acts of violence. I can see her growing in understanding of the world as the nuances of morality meet and