Showing results by author "J Pal" in All Categories

Almost half a century has passed since prison ships en route to Australia discovered the mysterious Tower rising out of the Indian Ocean, known as Gaia. Monarchies, republics, and trading giants came together to build a city around it, and contain the monsters spilling out of the rune-covered structure.

Magic school isn't cheap. To be a Mage, he must work smart and learn fast.Fate dealt Nox the Alchemist unfavorable cards, but he has learnt to compensate for his shortcomings with scholarly pursuits, tenacity, and sheer grit. Fortunately, for him Woodson University and their scouts are always seeking individuals with his work ethic. The Department of Dungeon Studies sees the value of the mind and its ability to overcome all limitations. After all, they stripped the divine of their titles. The department turned gods into Dungeon Lords and their domains into Dungeons.

Nox had hoped a successful alchemy business would mark the end of his financial troubles. He couldn't be more wrong. City taxes, labor and material costs, and his competitors now threaten to do what cultists and his step families failed to do—cripple him. Mysterious and concerning dreams also plague his nights as he struggles to stay afloat. But all hope is not lost! A fungal plague threatens the continent's residents and the farmland that feeds them.

After serving two terms in the Iron Army's Building Division, Flint Woodson is done with it all. With his four-legged friend at his side, he wants nothing more than to find a remote settlement, work as a guard or a builder, and find a wife. He doesn't care about filling his remaining nodes with Skill Stones or wasting his life looking for a Class. Wyldbloods like him aren't destined for greatness. But the realm is at war. The Fae are sick of humankind violating their treaties, their Wyld armies taking to the fields.

Everyone wants to be the chosen one. The job's perks often involve overpowered abilities, world-breaking equipment, and an eager line of bodacious partners. But due to a goddess' clumsy meddling, a struggling musician named Perry ends up accidentally transmigrated alongside her true chosen one with none of the above. Demanding a portal home or reparations for his bereaved family doesn't win him respect either. Instead, he finds himself thrust into a world of magic, monsters, and a wisecracking System.

I was in my garage, when the space elves addressed the whole world. They didn't call themselves space elves, of course, but most humans struggled to pronounce Khjurhnalva. They had a message for us: Forces that had eradicated their species' males were heading for Earth. The space elves offered us access to the System, as cooperation was vital to the survival of both our species. I, Mathew, know all of the above is bullshit. I saw the truth with my own eyes, heard it from their beautiful, deceitful mouths. No one believes me, though. A planet-wide, survival reality show? Ridiculous.

I was in my garage when the space elves addressed the whole world. They didn't call themselves space elves, of course. Most humans struggled to pronounce Khjurhnalva, so we opted for the easier version. They had a message for us: Forces that had eradicated their species' males were now heading for Earth. Hungry for our resources, the alien hordes annihilate everything that stands in their way. The space elves offered us access to the System and asked for very little in return. After all, cooperation was vital to the survival of both our species.

Flint thought over a decade in the Iron Army's Building Division gave him enough experience to complete the life quest. He was wrong. Restoring the Slumbering Fort and awakening proved no challenge for a man of his talents. However, protecting it and Lea's Slumber from looming threats is an entirely different story. The first two attacks were minor. Now more formidable threats are on the way. Fortunately, Flint has his pack and the Woodson Council by his side. When the Iron Army returns and the Wyld inevitably arrives, they'll need to work together.

Flint might be safe and amongst his people, but the Woodson lands and the Iron Disk no longer feel like home. He was only away for half a year, but close to a decade has passed for his people. New ruling structures have formed. The pack's alliance has shifted, and the Woodson Fort has flourished. The council he gathered to advise him has now replaced his position as ruler. Flint might have started it all, but now he might as well be an outsider. This loss is the least of Flint's concerns. Oth, the Devourer of Worlds, haunts Flint's dreams.

With one Champion under his belt, Perry is ready to set his sight on new horizons. The human city of Eldar's Port is in dire straits. Gnomish entities are taking control of the economy and children are disappearing off the streets. Domestic terrorists are making lives difficult for everyone and the Thieves Guild alone can't solve the people's problems.

Lost. Crippled. Alone. The defences, army, and pack Flint built are safe on the Iron Disk. Flint is not. Flint gave everything to save his home, believing his life was forfeit. He was wrong. Now, he's stuck in an alien world of forever night. Cannibalistic vikings and draugr plague the land. An eldritch, world-devouring god floats in the sky. Despite the loss of a limb, Flint must fight and find a way home. If not for himself, for the young woman and puppies that got trapped in the dangerous world with him.

With 750 million people living in villages, India has the largest rural population in the world. Based on his Indian experience, Dr Kalam recommends a sustainable and inclusive development system called PURA - Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas - to uplift the rural masses not by subsidies but through entrepreneurship with community participation. Dr Kalam cites the examples of individuals and institutions, in India and from across the world, who, with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to make a difference, have successfully tapped into the potential of the rural masses.

Rigorous research paired with visionary public policy has shaped a program that empowers communities to lower violent crime, reduce incarceration, and save lives: Summer Youth Employment Programs. In this podcast from the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab North America (J-PAL North America), you’ll come to know the stories behind the impact. Hear from advocates and program coordinators, researchers, and most importantly, the participants themselves about why these programs matter to them and why they should matter for all of us. Listen and learn about how summer jobs programs fit into ...