#original stuff has a whole layer of nerves for me since at least with fanfic people already love the setting/characters

[ghostinthegallery]

For the WIP ask game, could you tell us about that "chapter 1:"? The lack of information in the title is intriguing me

I am glad my vagueness lured you in! This is my one WIP that isn't fanfic. It's my first attempt at original serial fiction, and something I actually intend to publish/try to monetize via patreon etc. It's exciting and nerve wracking (i love you fanfic but you do not pay the bills)! But at least the story is fun (to me). Very adventure focused, D&D-esque, magitek and also there's a big train. And dragons. (Movie trailer voice) IN A WORLD where magic is performed by artisans and craftspeople working spells and creating powerful artifacts, five Sorcerer Kings rule five cities, but beyond lie ruins hiding secrets and treasures of a bygone age. Pyrrha, an engineer, illegally enters these ruins in order to find the tools that will let her enter the mythical Tower in the center of the world, which has been calling to her in her dreams since childhood. She's looking for secrets and boy howdy, does she find some secrets. Excerpt:

“Ha!” she exclaimed. “Thought you could trap us, bastard.” “What’s going on?” Tim asked. Pyrrha beckoned them over and showed Tim and Remi the inside of the hollowed-out rock. It looked nearly identical to the box locking the door to the ruin, though this device contained several more interlocking gears and what appeared to be a blinking alarm signal.  “It’s a circuit alarm,” she said. “If I’d broken the connection by removing the core in the box, this alarm would have tripped. Odds are something else nasty would have happened too. I’d have to examine the lock more closely, but an incendiary rune or stunning spell might have been smithed into the metal if—” “Just get it done.” Remi folded his arms. “We don’t have all season.” “Fine.” Pyrrha grumbled, fighting down a bit of embarrassment at her over-explaining. It was so easy to do with work this intricate. But now that she understood the mechanism it was simple to dislodge and remove the true core. She took out the now harmless alarm for good measure, slipping it into her pocket. “What do you think you’re doing with that thing?” Remi loomed over her, hand drifting closer to the mace on his hip. Pyrrha swallowed. “Just in case we get over our heads. We can break this, which will imitate breaking the circuit and call for help. I’d rather be arrested than dead.” Remi stared down at her, eyes hard. His hand darted out, quick as a viper, and grabbed her jerkin. She yelped as he dragged her up, bringing her face close to his. The bracers on his wrists hummed with their own potent energies, making her skin tingle. “You betray us,” he hissed. “You’re dead. You hear me, Red?” “Remi!” Tim shouted. Pyrrha heard the rasp of steel being drawn from its sheath. “Put her down.” “I want to hear your answer,” he said, still locking Pyrrha’s eyes with his own. “Did. You. Hear. Me?” Pyrhha nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I heard you.” “Good.” He released her so suddenly she felt off balance. Only the steady strength of her prosthetic leg kept her from falling over.