The Broken Shield
The Broken Shield — The Oakhollow Chronicles
The Oakhollow Chronicles follows Aldar’Thock — a retired were-moose barbarian with forty years of war and adventure carved into his bones — as he trades his battleaxe for a bartender’s apron in the small Aldermere town of Oakhollow. Set on the continent of Valdemar, a world still exhaling after a century of war, this cozy fantasy series blends warmth and wit with genuine stakes. Each installment follows Al’s ongoing journey: building a home, earning a community’s trust, navigating the slow-burn politics of a kingdom on the edge of change — and discovering that peace, it turns out, demands more fighting for than war ever did.
Serialized fiction. New installments ongoing.
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The Broken Shield Chronicles — Chapter 4: The Herbalist
Chapter 4 of The Broken Shield Chronicles, a cozy fantasy by Chadwick Rye. Aldar’Thock’s new life in Oakhollow brings him to the village herbalist. Continue reading
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The Broken Shield Chronicles — Chapter 3: First Assessment
In Chapter 3 of The Broken Shield Chronicles, Aldar — a deer-kin veteran haunted by war — takes sole possession of a dilapidated tavern in the quiet village of Oakhollow. Through careful inspection of every creaking floorboard and smoke-stained rafter, and guided by the journals of the tavern’s previous keeper, Eliza, he begins to understand… Continue reading
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The Broken Shield Chronicles — Chapter 2: Cold Welcome
Chapter 2 of The Broken Shield Chronicles: veteran hero Aldar’Thock gets a cold welcome at Marta’s General Store in the dying village of Oakhollow. Continue reading
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The Broken Shield Chronicles — Chapter 1: The Arrival
After forty years of adventuring together, Aldar’Thock emerges from the Royal Bank of Aldermere with enough gold to start a new life—and the bittersweet task of saying goodbye. In this opening chapter, a beloved party of companions gathers for one last farewell as their antlered warrior prepares to hang up his sword and trade the… Continue reading
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The Broken Shield Chronicles — Prologue: The Last Adventure
Forty years of adventuring have taught Aldar’Thock to read a cave mouth. This one whispers of old magic and older hunger, and it may be the last job he ever takes. Continue reading
