The Owl's Bastard

This is the first volume of an epic-length multi-part story. Would you be willing to sacrifice what you are to save what you can? Once a cloistered student of the dark arts from a fabled school, Dragos now wanders the world, making his way as an outcast of society. Magic is reviled in the country of Calruthia, where superstition reigns supreme, and Dragos bears the features of one born cursed. His life was miserable enough as it was, struggling to try to earn money or even a place on the periphery of society. When a chance encounter with a monster complicates his already uncertain path, he embarks on a search for students left behind after their school's destruction. As each encounter darkens his soul, he moves towards that which he once left behind. To preserve and protect the one legacy he has, the knowledge of the Solomonari wizards, he will make choices that dictate the kind of man he is and what he will become. Will he become Calruthia's savior or its ruin? What to expect: *Dark Fantasy/Grimdark themes*Lesser-known Mythology*Powers come from the Solomonari and operate in folkloric ways, not gamelit ways, soft magic system.*Many tragic endings (but not all)*A few romantic situations (nothing graphic) at different times. No harem for Dragos.*Light progression, training, and development that intensifies. No numbers.*Naive protag begins with slightly greater than average skills, and Vol 1 ends with a few more spells and powers.That kind of progression speed.*Weird and uncanny obstacles.*Some violence that becomes more prevalent as the story goes on*The pacing is moderate, at times built for tension or reflection alongside the action.Many early readers have stated it has a Witcher-y vibe. Let me know what you think. Updates Wednesdays. Note: If you find this anywhere other than Royal Road or MY Patreon, it has been taken without consent/plagiarized. Support my work here: https://www.patreon.com/c/Ghostcat738 I can be found on Discord in various locations like Immersive Ink, Royal Road Writer's Guild, The Council of the Eternal Hiatus, Crowe's Nest of Royal Road, as well as deLongchamp's community server. I did the art for the painted cover. The rest are AI that I doctored up. I'm cycling through them because, why not. I have half a dozen, might as well keep using them.