Interactive Fiction. A funny, cozy fantasy following a magnificent gentlecat protagonist as he spies on the humans to save Nol’ireh’s Tower and protect the universe’s balance. Published in Unearthed Stories.
The inhabitants of Nol’ireh live at peace, ignoring that the undeads, unrelenting academics with an unlife of education, are plotting something that could threaten the world’s stability. Or worse, the universe’s! Also unbeknownst to these feeble-minded citizens appears an uncharacteristic saviour—a flawless, purrfect grey-furred feline working as a Herald for Nol’ireh’s Council, whose single mission is to stay undercover and inform the Council of the undeads’ ploys. The universe depends on him, but will he be up to the task?
This is a funny, humoresque cozy fantasy, inspired by the deviant adventures of my cat overlord.
Are you wondering about the reading experience? In the below video, you can hear my fellow BookTuber/Podcaster Jarrod (from The Fantasy Thinker) narrate the first half of the first chapter. He was honestly epic!
It’s been three laborious days of setting up, investigating and planting my scent in every room. However, that key-locked room concerns me; dimensional magic oozed from it…
About the world… The world of Dely’rae certainly has famous cities, but Nol’ireh is the most vibrant one. Located at the edge of the Shin’tha forests and powered by magical artefacts that feed from the sunlight and the wind, Nol’ireh is famous for its exquisitely designed architecture, the spectacular landmarks, the thriving artisan markets, the variety of magical creatures, and its renown cuisine. Our Council of Shadows is unique; it is led by elves of shadow and mist, elegant and refined, sage and just… but never seen. Shadows cannot be caught, and they won’t either. Regardless of Nol’ireh’s uniqueness, there is always work to be done, especially for us, Heralds. Messages come and go, gossip needs encouragement or deterrence, and some beings must be spied on… all to ensure that the Council’s secrets remain as such. To do so, they entrust this work only to its most dedicated, sophisticated, rigorous, and vigilant operatives—cats.
Only simpletons like humans and elves have a single bed—complex, advanced beings like ourselves, felines, need multiple royal beds! Not every bed is equal; they must match my mood! And sometimes, like today, I need to be above all else to think clearly and relax!
When I wrote Herald and its gentlecat protogonist, Meowise, I always imagined him with a very specific voice… which, to no one’s suprise, is the voice I imagine my own cat has. That ended up biasing how I wrote the protagonist and how I …
Dely’rae is the world where (so far) three of my interactive stories are set—Drifting Tavern (which follows an apprentice trying to avoid cleaning duty), Potions Shoppe (where you play as a centuries-old Potionmaker), and Herald (in which you …
One of the things that I enjoy about fancy editions of books is the artwork—and when I was bouncing ideas for Unearthed Stories with the dev, we decided that artwork was a great idea. It contributes to that feel of special editions, letting readers …
