The dream is to write a compelling narrative with an ensemble cast of protagonists, set within a world where many of the fantasy tropes are emergent properties of the setting rather than mere genre conventions. A lot of different ideas and inspiration went into the worldbuilding, but the germ of many an idea came from here, The Gaming Den. The Frank and K Tomes, fantasy race discussions, fantasy economics discussions (and real-world economics discussions too), and so on all contributed to the stuff of this story.The world of Amalgam is made of many things, mixed poorly and left to simmer.
Several centuries ago, the hobs stole the secret of iron-working from the dwarves and carved for themselves an empire larger than any other. Slaves would be taught civilization and made into citizens, even if the lessons required the patience of generations to be learned properly. But some of the ruled remain unruly and the edges of the empire are fraying... all while conflicts older than iron smolder, ready to ignite anew.
Bonnie Keogh is a caravan guard whose satisfaction is ever beyond the horizon. Batugei of the Daguur is a warrior looking to make sense of a senseless conflict. Vex is an unlikely scholar tired of setbacks and marginalization. Realgar Hematite is a priest whose prayers aren't answered by the god he expects. These four travelers from four different races will be the harbingers of things both great and terrible... but first they have to meet.
Plus, the tone is a blend of comedy, vulgarity, and seriousness that I think is very Den-appropriate. The character Vex in particular would fit right in here and while she hasn't told anyone to go suck a barrel of cocks yet, it's really only a matter of time.
Seeing as a number of folks here are amateur writers themselves, others are avid fantasy readers, and still more have spent ample time considering the ins-and-outs of fantasy settings, I think a lot of y'all could have good insight on this story (feedback/commentary would definitely be appreciated). I also think a lot of y'all might like it.
At the time of this posting, 14 chapters have been written. New chapters go up weekly.
Thanks in advance to any fine folks who give this a look.