"Malice"
A disillusioned knight finds himself in way over his head when he finds a legendary dragon menacing a small community.
CW violence, animal death
https://shaker-e.dreamwidth.org/6957.html
I really enjoyed writing this one. Adapted from a #tttpg adventure scenario I've been simmering for ages.
"Heelbiters"
A young adventurer tries desperately to convince his companions that the goblins harassing the party are much more dangerous than the average goblin band.
CW blood, death
https://shaker-e.dreamwidth.org/6562.html
To paraphrase a member of the salon, 'Goblin week?? No, goblin strong!!' Took some musing I've done for #ttrpg stuff and wrote a little short.
#goblinweek #goblinweek2025 #shakerwrites #FediWriters #fantasy
Mage Hands
https://shaker-e.dreamwidth.org/5409.html
Theophrastus Bombastus, a wizard who only knows one spell (but it's a good one), pleads his case to the council of Magi, but his temper gets the better of him. Just a little bit.
One of my favorites. I really want to write more shorts about Theo, the wizard with a tendency towards berserk anger. I deeply regret that I can't link to every response this prompt received because it was all gold. RIP Cohost.
Toadmother, Chapter 2
https://shaker-e.dreamwidth.org/3588.html
Another short Bardic Quarterly excerpt, with Toadmother guitarist Roserot Snowblüt, about the band's unique and powerful magical sound and how they achieve it. Cut short when Briarthorn discovers the interviewer is learning too much.
It's so fun making up heavy metal spins on fairytale character names.
"Toadmother" Chapter 1
https://shaker-e.dreamwidth.org/3472.html
A fragment of a Bardic Quarterly interview with the shocking Briarthorn Blacktongue, discussing her band Toadmother and their unique origins, consisting exclusively of "wicked sisters" cursed by fairies.
Insects, toads and lizards spilling out every time you speak? Sounds pretty metal to me!
"Alysia Goldenseal" chapter 3
https://shaker-e.dreamwidth.org/1738.html
In which Alysia and Armes visit the witch Loemma, who is known for her expertise in curses, and for a few other reasons. Armes has a bad fall. Alysia makes a discovery.
The first fiction I've written since Cohost went read-only, finished just the other day. The girls are back!
CW for blood.
"Alysia Goldenseal" chapter 2
https://shaker-e.dreamwidth.org/2571.html
In which the secret gets out, and there are horrible, awful consequences - for someone else. Alysia tries to stop it. Armes demonstrates why she has her bad reputation.
CW for violence and blood, though it doesn't go into graphic detail.
"Alysia Goldenseal" chapter 1
https://shaker-e.dreamwidth.org/3248.html
In which we are introduced to Armes Albrecht, the champion of the realm with a very bad reputation, her foolish traveling companion, and a very small stuffed bear with a very big secret.
These characters had been rattling around in my head for years when I wrote this. It was such a pleasure to meet them at last!
"Dungeon Junk"
https://shaker-e.dreamwidth.org/1016.html
A tired merchant gives a painfully young dungeon crawler a crucial lesson about selling "treasure."
Written as a sort of finale to Dungeon Junk, an account I ran on Cohost where I posted weird, fun, or broken things that ttrpg characters might find in the dungeon. This was my contribution to the Cohost Writers Salon Zine!
"Damien"
https://shaker-e.dreamwidth.org/2384.html
This youth is destined to bear a cursed gauntlet and be the puppet of a terrible dark power - unless someone can step in before it gets its hands on him.
A short response to the Making Up Adventurers prompt, "Adventurer who showed up early." What if the cycle of tragedy was broken before it could begin again?
CW for mention of parental child abuse.
The Shaking Earth