Vampires are the origin for many of the stories about mermaids and sirens. Long ago, a group of vampires decided to hide from the sun by going deep underwater. They found that this also had the benefit of keeping them safe from vampire hunters. After all, no one questions people going missing at sea and, even if they do, it is hard to attack a vampire lair 100 feet below the water.
Continue reading “Aquatic Vampires”Category: Creative Pieces
Princess of Blood
The rule of the Chieftan Rurik of Novgorod is one that would one day be recognized as one of the most influential reigns in Russian history. It was his reign that laid the groundwork for a united Rus’ ruling over the bulk of Eastern Europe. However, it was a single gift he bestowed upon his daughter Helga that would shape military theory in Europe until the modern day by creating an order of royal warriors known as the Princesses of Blood (Царевна Крови or Tsarevna Krovi in modern Russian).
Continue reading “Princess of Blood”Options in the Afterlife
Every religion on Earth has tales of what happens after death. Some of these stories are so incompatible with each other that it has led many to conclude that it is impossible for them to all be true. What they don’t realize is that this assumption is incorrect and every religion has a piece of the full story.
Continue reading “Options in the Afterlife”Modern Necromancy
Necromancy is an ancient school of magic. Since the dawn of time, magic users have been using magical techniques to control and interact with dead spirits. Some ancient cultures held a great respect for such magic users, but in Medieval Europe, the attitude was different. In both Christianity and the popular versions of paganism at the time, Necromancy in any form was looked down upon. Opinions ranged from seeing it as disrespectful to the deceased to seeing it as actively unholy, but seeing it as a negative was universal. That all changed with the death of Ivar the Boneless.
Continue reading “Modern Necromancy”Living Pirate Ship
Let me tell you about the pirate ship Clairvoyance. It’s crewed entirely by a hodge-podge of bush mages who are bringing together a wide diversity of magical talents. None of them are exceptionally powerful and as individuals any of them can have circles run around them by any Royal Navy Wizard. But, when working together they are incredibly effective. Unmatched at sea when it comes to tracking their quarry, laying ambushes at sea, and then disappearing without a trace.
Continue reading “Living Pirate Ship”Different Habitats
Sexual dimorphism is a strange thing. Some creatures don’t have it at all and even careful observation cannot tell the difference between the sexes. Some creatures only have one or two key features that distinguish the sexes but otherwise follow the same basic size and shape. Other creatures will have such extreme differences that at first glance it is difficult to even tell they are the same species. Humanity is an especially extreme case where the different sexes don’t even typically occupy the same habitat.
Continue reading “Different Habitats”Single Minded Twins
For as long as anyone can remember, the typical human pregnancy produced two fetuses. Near-identical twins, with one male and one female body. However, despite giving birth to two babies, a typical pregnancy also only results in one mind. This mind is shared between the two bodies as a form of a localized hivemind.
Continue reading “Single Minded Twins”The DroCh
In their own tongue, they call themselves the DroCh. “Ch” is used to represent a voiceless uvular fricative, a sound that does not exist in the common trade languages but is common in the language of the DroCh (also known as DroChlaCh). They are an isolated people that have little contact with other races, but when that contact does occur, they are referred to as either “Dwarfs” or “Dragons”. As a species, they are an example of extreme sexual dimorphism and a resulting high degree of division of labor along the lines of sex.
Continue reading “The DroCh”NO MUGGINGS
Another older short story set in the same timeline as First Time.
Continue reading “NO MUGGINGS”America: A Nation of Monsters
The early 1600s was a tumultuous time in Europe. Religious wars tore through the continent causing many to flee to other parts of the globe as refugees. No Europeans were affected more strongly in this than the non-human species who hid themselves within the various human populations. What made matters especially bad for them was the English independence from the Catholic Church.
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Crayshack 