#web serial

[qrowscant]

LINK ROT / TRANSMISSION 001 / APRIL 3rd, 2024

Link Rot is a multimedia webserial following those within a research station. Once dedicated to the study and containment of a newly discovered life form, complications arise following its unexpected merge with the station's AI. TRANSMISSION 001 - In which you survive the unthinkable, and the world is worse for it.

General warnings can be found in the 'About' section. Any videos will have flashing warnings if applicable.

additional rambling under the cut

wow!!! it's been (checks archive) almost exactly a year since i originally conceptualized Link Rot, and since then it's grown into a beast of a story i cannot wait to tackle.

currently i'm aiming for updates once every month/month and a half (with occasional vacations to work on bite-sized projects). i'd like to do more, but i have a job and don't want to burn myself out. for now, i will take things slow B) maybe this will change in the future!

i hope you all enjoy reading my story as much as i enjoy creating it. there's a couple of hidden things on the website, so if you find anything fun let me know

and lastly,

take this

[reachartwork]

Samantha "Sam" Small is a 14 year old high school freshman and superhero-in-training, recruited by the Delaware Valley Defenders to protect Philadelphia. Her powers let her bite through metal and smell when people bleed. Her interests include soccer, women, putting herself in danger, and Shabbat dinner with her Pop-Pop Moe.

Chum is a slice-of-life/action web serial, currently around 1,100,000 words. It has been described as "good enough to spend hours organizing info on it", a "beautiful coming of age story", and "a superhero story to rival worm". It's got dinosaurs in it. It's got heartbreak in it. It's got really good fight scenes in it.

Go read it on Royal Road or Wordpress and consider joining the Chumcord!

[gengarguy27]

Evil Wildbow be like "Taylor fucks girls"

[tagamantra]

SLIT THE THROAT OF SELF RESTRAINT.

The world ended after the Second World Revolution failed. The Utter Islands is nothing but a divine corpse; humanity its festering maggots. But in an ancient temple guarded by demon bodhisattvas, the murdered martial artist Raxri Uttara awakens from a pool of azure healing waters.

Without memory, without power, but with rage: Raxri scours the archipelago to re-attain their lost martial arts and magicks, which once shattered godly spines. If they don't? The full force of Heaven will crash down upon them.

GOD OBLITERATING VAJRA is a Sword, Gun & Magick Wuxia webnovel set in the Utter Islands, an archipelago inspired by Revolutionary Asia and Esoteric Buddhism. A thundering archipelago where gun mystics duel with charnel saints. Dead gods power karmic skyships. The Latter Day of the Law: Revolution billows through streets and rivers lit by fulgent karma.

In a realm this belligerent, the chance of an amnesiac surviving is near 0.

But what can you do to someone that has nothing left to lose and everything to gain?

WHAT TO EXPECT

[✓] Disco Elysium X The Raid X Ip Man X Ruroni Kenshin X Tsongkhapa's Philosophy

[✓] Slow Burn Wuxia in an immersive Post-Apocalyptic Sword, Gun, & Magick world.

[✓] Multiple POVs

[✓] Brutal and kinetic martial art action. 

[✓] Fucked up relationships and coping mechanisms.

[✓] Some Horror. Some Opt-In Sexual Content. 

ABOUT HINGSAJAGRA

Hingsajagra is the Fantastic Realist world of God Obliterating Vajra. Inspired by Esoteric Buddhism and Revolutionary Asia. Giant cats turned into apartment complexes, ghost horse steeds that tire not, walking giant mechanical armors turned into public transportation, charnel wizards summoning the long-dead, witches wielding the Pureflame of Creation, the Machine God beginning its slick advance into forever progress... the Age of Furor is upon us. The Latter Day of the Law. The Termagant Buddha watches closely.

Art above by @gnarlyghost! Logo by me.

[maxwell-grant]

So is Worm good from what you have read

"Yes" doesn't begin to cover it but yes. Worm is a brain-rewiring mobius strip disguised as a bible disguised as a superhero web serial that either cured your cancer or shot your dog or both depending on who you ask, and it has many extremely dedicated, brilliant scholar priest surgeons publicly dissecting it on this platform on the regular to the point I don't think I have much to add to the conversations surrounding it, even if I do have some The Thoughts about it. I had never even really seriously thought about superhero prose before and Worm isn't a thing I go back and reread frequently but it did a complete and total 180 on the way I think about superheroes and even fiction, and I've never stopped thinking about it since I've read it.

It is a monumentally impressive story with completely absolutely incredible characters that I cannot stop thinking about. No matter where it was going, even past stretches that were less interesting or more of a slog to read or worse, I could not put the story of Taylor Hebert down for one minute. Tattletale fascinated me every step of the way, I had to keep up with her. Rachel Lindt was a character I feel like I'd been waiting my whole life for. What was I gonna do, not see them through? I feel like Worm easily loses you if you don't particularly connect with the characters enough to justify to yourself the amount of time you'll spend with them, but man, I could not unglue my eyeballs from these people enough (I love all the core Undersiders, to be clear, I'd say it's Rachel > Taylor > Tattletale > Aisha and Alec and Brian, there are very small gaps between these, I just don't go berserk for the last three like I do for the first three, I'm taking Bitch and Skitter to the grave I'm dead serious)

Everybody who read it has one or several gripes with it with some major dealbreakers in the mix. Tumblr's kinda the only place online where you can really talk about them at length without the spectre of John Wildbow hanging over the discussion, which enables discussion to the point where yes, maybe it does look like to outsiders that nobody can agree on whether Worm is good or what is it even about or whether it even has worms in it (it has at least one, although it's a very big one).

And it is good, it has the Undersiders in it and the Undersiders are one of the greatest groups of characters ever put together, but everyone has at least one major point of contention with Worm whether it's the timeskip or the length or the racism or the gross fatphobia or aspects surrounding the Dallon-Pelham Torment Nexus and etc. I'd say it has maybe the most racist vision of Latin America I've ever seen in a superhero text a hair short of pro-colonial tracts in Golden Age comics and that is a tall fucking order by any metric. It is Complicated, and that winds up making it so fascinating to talk about.

Worm has self-sustaining ecological systems of posts up here, far away from the Spacebattles and Reddit battlegrounds where it has different ones and that's not getting into Weaverdice or the sequel or Wildbow's larger body of work, which I haven't gotten to and probably will not any time soon because Worm was enough of a commitment as is. Do I recommend Worm to everyone? It is certainly not to everyone's tastes and I personally find it difficult to describe it simply enough to make it sound appealing or not like a pyramid scheme. But yes I do think it's good, in fact great, in fact, amazing, except when it isn't, and except it Plainly Sucks, but then something like Taylor vs Mannequin or Kevin Norton's interlude or "You needed worthy opponents" happens and it fucks harder than anything has ever fucked before and you don't walk away from it the same, so yes I guess "good" will have to do now.

It's certainly a lot but I definitely found it worth my time to read and then read the texts written about it here. You'll have to take my endorsement of Worm as proof of it's quality and proof of how deranged it makes it's readerbase, they're not mutually exclusive. If you can make it, Worm and the wormosphere has layers and layers to wade through and talk about and enjoy, despite how we're all so very small in the end *gunshot*.

[elcuervoborracho]

you could grind meat on those

[eddathegreat]

Oh this is gonna get fucky

[st-just]

"Make your entire main cast walk into a magic thing that plunges them into a nightmare of their deepest darkest fears realized' really is an absolutely amazing character exploration cheat.

[fireandslate]

Blank Slate is a dark fantasy web serial about fire, lesbians, religious oppression, and cultural exchange. If any of the following pique your interest, you might want to check it out!

Pseudo-medieval post-apocalyptic kingdom

evil church that is just catholic enough to be cool

malevolent sellsword haunted by a benevolent demon

uncertain-hero minstrel who is smarter than she lets on

cold-eyed and conflicted traitor knight

deranged and ironhearted nun awaiting her own execution

evil knights

mysterious druids

the occasional outburst of spectacular violence,

and, most important of all,

an indestructible thread of hope--

--hope that eventually winter will end, and a new spring will bring new beginnings to the kingdom of Frydain.

Sometimes dark, sometimes sapphic, sometimes mystical, and always updated on Sundays, this character-driven fantasy web serial is available to read at fireandslate.com!

[could-they-be-a-pro-wrestler]

How successful would Taylor Hebert…

Would you like to submit a character? Click this link if you do!

[distortedsense]

Art for The Day My Dream Died

[qrowscant]

things feel out of order

[reachartwork]

"The Goon Economy: Why People Choose to Work for Supervillains"

Leslie Lester, for Psychology Today, October 2022

When asked why anyone would choose to work for supervillains, most people imagine costumed henchmen cackling maniacally while fighting Spider-Man. The reality is far more mundane - and more economically fascinating.

"It's just a job," says Former Employee X under the condition of anonymity, who worked security for a major East Coast villain organization. "Better benefits than Netsphere, better pay than private security, and yeah, higher risk, but you've got clear procedures for hero encounters. Most guys never even see a cape."

The numbers support this pragmatic view. While exact figures are difficult to obtain, conservative estimates suggest supervillain organizations employ hundreds of thousands of workers across the U.S., from direct muscle to legitimate business employees. The total economic impact likely rivals major corporations.

But why choose such high-risk employment? Dr. Sarah Chen, economist at MIT, suggests three key factors:

Economic Pressure: "In cities with active supervillain presence, these organizations often control major employment sectors - construction, shipping, waste management. Sometimes working for them isn't really a choice."

Risk vs. Reward: The average "muscle" for a villain organization makes 1.5-2 times standard security work, with comprehensive health coverage and legal protection. "When you're living paycheck to paycheck," Chen notes, "guaranteed medical care becomes very attractive."

Systemic Integration: Many workers start through legitimate businesses, becoming gradually involved in illegal activities. "It's rarely a conscious choice to 'become a minion,'" Chen explains. "It's more like finding out your company has mob ties - but you've got a mortgage and kids in school."

The psychology is equally complex. Dr. James Morrison of Harvard explains: "These organizations offer what many legitimate employers don't: clear advancement paths, protection from both heroes and rivals, and often a sense of belonging. They're filling gaps in our social safety net."

The rise of powers-based crime has only increased this trend. "Supervillain organizations have better protocols for superhuman encounters than most legitimate businesses," Morrison notes. "If you're working in a city where hero-villain battles are common, that matters."

[gengarguy27]

A series of offensive in universe Worm memes (not for snowflakes)

[tagamantra]

After being murdered, Raxri Uttara awoke in a healing pool at the end of the world.

In the depths of their Second Death, Raxri heard the Holy Madman speak: Walk. Uncover the truth of your death. Reattain your Enlightenment. There is no one to save you but you. Master yourself. Let the world sing through you. You are not alone. You are the world and the world is you.

A WORLD SHORN OF LIGHT. A SWORD DANCER TORN FROM THE HEAVENS. 

GOD OBLITERATING VAJRA is a new weird progression xianxia webnovel set in the sword & gun Maritime Buddhist inspired Utter Islands. Follow RAXRI who wakes up at the end of the world without their memory. Join them as the world is revealed to them, make bonds, and cultivate their love once again against a world that has ended after a failed Revolution.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Slow Burn in an Immersive Fantastical Antirealist Universe.Esoteric Buddhist Disco Elysium Xianxia. Sword and Gun Xianxia setting. Multiple POVs with a few Major POVs. Nonbinary Sword Wizards, Goth Devilwitch Gunners, Giant Dragon Blademaster. Ruthless, Brutal Martial Arts. Death is common. The world is dark and the end has come. Fucked up romance. Cultivation Systems inspired by IRL Eastern Esoterica. Ghosts and Demons. Horror. Warfare. Bigotry. Class Struggle. Optional Sexual Content. Strong Language. Revolution.

ABOUT HINGSAJAGRA

Hingsajagra is the Fantastic Realist world of God Obliterating Vajra. Inspired by Esoteric Buddhism and Revolutionary Asia. Giant cats turned into apartment complexes, ghost horse steeds that tire not, walking giant mechanical armors turned into public transportation, charnel wizards summoning the long-dead, witches wielding the Pureflame of Creation, the Machine God beginning its slick advance into forever progress... the Age of Furor is upon us. The Latter Day of the Law. The Termagant Buddha watches closely.

logo by me, art by @gnarlyghost!