Oathbreaker: A Dark Fantasy Web Serial
Oathbreaker: A Dark Fantasy Web Serial
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SUMMARY
Welcome! If you want to jump in without any spoilers, feel free. Otherwise, here's a story primer, with a list of more specifics on what to expect from my work further below.
Our story follows a fallen knight haunted by his past, in a world afflicted by war and supernatural wounds. Alken is the Headsman of Seydis, an executioner tasked by the divine powers of his homeland to hunt dark sorcerers, warlords, and traitors of all varieties, lest they drag the world into calamity.
Once a paladin, this role ill suits him. Forced to cross lines that shake his beliefs, tempted by dark forces, and seen as an ill omen wherever he wanders, his path is often a bloody one. The longer he spends in the shadows of his world, the more he comes to realize just how many have been disenfranchised by the existent order. During his lonely battles through a land haunted by the restless dead and ancient magics, his journey becomes increasingly strange and personal.
Enter a realm where the dead stir in every shadow and brooding demigods wage a millennia long war for a ruined heaven, where blessed knights wield gilded flames and sorcerers battle with weapons forged of their own souls. Enter a world of faustian alchemists, of saintly demons, and of time-weary elves.
From Oathbreaker you can expect
— A setting heavily inspired by Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Fromsoft games, and authors such as Michael Moorcock and Kentauro Miura.
— A first person POV from an older protagonist who already knows a lot about his world’s history and cultures, who shares this information with the reader as it becomes relevant.
— A mix of action adventure and quieter moments where the focus is on character development. Lore is shared piecemeal, usually only as it relates to a particular arc or character beat.
— A heavy focus on mystery, both with the setting and the protagonist. The main character’s backstory isn’t shared up front, and a lot of the narrative involves learning about him a bit at a time, either from his own narration or other characters interacting with him.
— A semi-soft magic system where many mages manifest unique powers tied to their own soul, or gain unique powers through eldritch pacts.
— Romantic elements. These don’t crop up much until later in the story.
— A variety of supernatural beings, such as elves, vampires, gargoyles, chimera, and trolls. Many are familiar, some are not, and most of the familiar ones have my own twists put on them.
—Nobledark fantasy. This means that the world is often themed around tragedy and horror, but it’s not dedicated to being gritty. There are elements of high fantasy intermixed with the scarier stuff.
—Episodic arcs. Each story arc usually has a specific locale and antagonist or set of antagonists, but certain overarching plots tie them together.
— A long running narrative. I don’t have a specific projection of how long or how many arcs or books, but you should expect this to be equivalent to a long running serialized work.
This is my first web serial! I hope everyone enjoys it. For trigger warnings, readers should beware that there are some heavy topics in here. When I think something might upset certain readers, I’ll put a warning in the author notes above a chapter. If I miss or overlook anything, feel free to let me know in the comments!
I am currently publishing the same story on my wordpress, which is linked below and in my profile. I release three chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Thanks for reading!
(I originally had a link to a wordpress, but I'm in the process of overhauling that space. It's not a priority since my readership is all here, but just in case anyone noticed and was wondering)
6 Latest Chapters[ Updated 16 hours ago ]
Chapter List
- Arc 1: Execution || Chapter 1: Headsman
- 1.2: Red Rain
- 1.3: Glorysworn
- 1.4: Memory of a Dream’s End
- 1.5: The Fallen
- Arc 1: Chapter 2: Red Rain
- Arc 1: Chapter 3: Glorysworn
- Arc 1: Chapter 4: Memory of a Dream’s End
- Arc 1: Chapter 5: The Fallen
- Arc 1: Chapter 6: Kindness of Strangers
- Arc 1: Chapter 7: Ill-omened Road
- Arc 1: Chapter 8: Curse-burdened Wanderers
- Arc 1: Chapter 9: Onsolain
- Arc 1: Chapter 10: Shadows Over Caelfall
- Arc 1: Chapter 11: Amid the Mists
- Arc 1: Chapter 12: The Hungry Dead
- Arc 1: Chapter 13: Castle Cael
- Arc 1: Chapter 14: Dark Things
- Arc 1: Chapter 15: Shadow Council
- Arc 1: Chapter 16: The Lord of House Falconer
- Arc 1: Chapter 17: Night Visitor
- Arc 1: Chapter 18: The Dhampir
- Arc 1: Chapter 19: Baron’s Order, Headsman’s Path
- Arc 1: Chapter 20: The Hunters
- Arc 1: Chapter 21: Bane
- Arc 1: Chapter 22: The Oradyn
- Arc 1: Chapter 23: Clash in the Elf Lord’s Hall
- Arc 1: Chapter 24: Irn Bale
- Arc 1: Chapter 25: Executioners
- Arc 1: Chapter 26: Unhallowed
- Arc 1: Chapter 27: Smite
- Arc 1: Chapter 28: Return to Castle Cael
- Arc 1: Chapter 29: Catrin
- Arc 1: Chapter 30: Recusant
- Arc 1: Chapter 31: Departure, Duty, Dream
- Arc 1 Retrospective
- The Accursed Ones
- Arc 2: Crow | Chapter 1: The Owl of Strekke
- Arc 2: Chapter 2: The Drowning Dead
- Arc 2: Chapter 3: Oathbound
- Arc 2: Chapter 4: Oria’s Fane
- Arc 2: Chapter 5: They Who Deal Death
- Arc 2: Chapter 6: A Dream of Dei
- Arc 2: Chapter 7: Golden Elder, Briar Brother
- Map of the Alderes #1
- Arc 2: Chapter 8: The Warlock
- Arc 2: Chapter 9: Condemnation and Dawn
- Arc 2: Chapter 10: Emma’s Tale
- Arc 2: Chapter 11: Shrike
- Arc 2: Chapter 12: Silver For The Dead
- Arc 2: Chapter 13: The Paladin
- Arc 2: Chapter 14: Heal and Harm
- Arc 2: Chapter 15: The Hunt
- Arc 2: Chapter 16: Infernal
- Arc 2: Chapter 17: Clash of Arts
- Arc 2: Chapter 18: Scion
- Arc 2: Chapter 19: Confession
- Arc 2: Chapter 20: Council
- Arc 2: Chapter 21: Thorned Wisdom
- Arc 2: Chapter 22: Crow
- Arc 2: Chapter 23: Debate For a Soul
- Arc 2: Chapter 24: Emma’s Doom
- Arc 2: Chapter 25: Roads Untraveled
- Interlude 2: Three Deaths
- Arc 3: Dogma || Chapter 1: Wounds
- Arc 3: Chapter 2: Portents
- Arc 3: Chapter 3: The Backroad Inn
- Arc 3: Chapter 4: Turning of the World
- Arc 3: Chapter 5: Scent of Blood
- Arc 3: Chapter 6: Ambush Beneath The Corpse Moon
- Arc 3: Chapter 7: Swarm and Revelation
- Arc 3: Chapter 8: The Mercenary
- Arc 3: Chapter 9: Winter Lingers
- Arc 3: Chapter 10: A Storm Arrives
- Arc 3: Chapter 11: The Wizard
- Arc 3: Chapter 12: Thaw
- Map of the Alderes #2
- Arc 3: Chapter 13: Motives
- Arc 3: Chapter 14: The Floating City
- Arc 3: Chapter 15: Yselda’s Manse
- Arc 3: Chapter 16: Into the Low City
- Arc 3: Chapter 17: An Academic Guide to the Profane
- Arc 3: Chapter 18: Sooth
- Arc 3: Chapter 19: The Hidden Folk
- Arc 3: Chapter 20: Rose Malin
- Arc 3: Chapter 21: Clash of Two Devils
- Arc 3: Chapter 22: Dogma
- Arc 3: Chapter 23: Abyss
- Arc 3: Chapter 24: Fidei
- Arc 3: Chapter 25: Flicker
- Arc 3: Chapter 26: Woed
- Arc 3: Chapter 27: Bastion
- Arc 3: Chapter 28: The Headsman and The Queen
- Arc 3: Chapter 29: Bonds
- Interlude: Credo
- Character Glossary for Book 1
- Arc 4: Roar || Chapter 1: Downpour
- Arc 4: Chapter 2: Stormclouds Over Garihelm
- Arc 4: Chapter 3: The Aspirants
- Arc 4: Chapter 4: Ties That Bind
- Arc 4: Chapter 5: Sleuth
- Arc 4: Chapter 6: Lair of the Magi
- Arc 4: Chapter 7: Fellow Feeling
- Arc 4: Chapter 8: Auspice
- Arc 4: Chapter 9: The Demon, Yith
- Arc 4: Chapter 10: Hollow