*New chapter when I can get some time free of work or university.  You! Yes, you! Were you ever kidnapped by a sentient tree and tossed through a portal into a colonial fantasy world that has just discovered gunpowder? Do you like action, adventure, not knowing what the hell is going on, and strange curses? If so, your name might be Ben Everett.  Ben Everett was enjoying some after-battle relaxation when an ill-fated act of mercy has him kidnapped from his own reality. Thrown in the middle of a battle between two rising powers, he must make sure he survives long enough to learn the mysteries of this new world.