Yoretide // by Joseph Gibson

Yoretide // Glamora

Above the vast cosmos lies a realm unrestricted by space or time, a mythical landscape long since left alone to prosper for all eternity while the universe ages into oblivion. The lonesome spirit who dwells there seeks a life beyond the rote mantra of tending the realm’s nature, weary of sowing its gardens and cutting down its weeds, wanting more out of her ageless existence. But when her wish comes true, when the chance arrives to go beyond her intended purpose, the unexpected changes throw her into a conflict spanning across the stars. To find one’s potential can be hard in an unforgiving universe. In the void of space, anything goes.This piece was published by Muselab under the title "Foundation Hymns".[ Short Story \ Complete ]

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Yoretide // The Gambler's Eye

Elliot and his motley crew of pirates embark on the greatest quest of their lives. After surviving an encounter with a mountain-sized leviathan, a once hidden treasure guides them across the ocean as they search for lands previously unheard of, places where myths and legends thrive across the islands of Strevenfall, regions of strange oases and haunted shipwrecks. Danger looms past the horizon, meanwhile, and the crew knows how treacherous such paths can be when magic is involved, powers beyond their control.The journey across Strevenfall will test the pirates' trust in each other while unraveling the secrets Elliot has tried so desperately to keep away from everyone but himself. Secrets cannot be hidden forever. There's always a secondary motive to a captain's plan.[ Novella \ Complete ]

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Yoretide // Sempiternal Solo

Perfectionism had been drilled into Lola Pern years before she left home, trained in the art of music by those who wanted nothing more than perfection itself, scolded and abused. The wounds from her past have given her an obscure view of the world, but she nevertheless goes through life despite her mental isolation.Now, with the past seemingly behind her and the future looking bright for the violinist’s career, a cursed song from her childhood has returned to haunt her mind, the likes of which delve into whimsical nightmares and visions. This magical song holds the power to send her back through the worst parts of her life, a curse that resurfaces the trauma she had thought to be buried with time. With only one way out, Lola will face her past in hopes of bringing closure, but with a mind as mistreated as hers, the risks may cost dearly.The first edition of Sempiternal Solo was traditionally published by Liminal Books on October 29th, 2024. The standard paperback is also available.[ Novel \ Complete ]

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• Liminal Books

Yoretide // The Eldritch Oath

The macabre world of Droodpike is the home of everyone’s nightmares and the place where violence is celebrated. Bloodshed is art. Death is just the beginning. Jard’s occupation is just an extension of the chaos that’s so renowned throughout the land, himself an apathetic machine manifested by the whims of his haunted world.Jard is a scarecrow, a name given to those who take the dead bodies of criminals and reassemble them into grotesque monsters, and many scarecrows like him will do anything to gain the recognition of those who can make their zeal for creation respected by anyone worth their salt. So, when a mysterious soldier approaches Jard with the promise of making his art famous to the world, the scarecrow is more than willing to travel throughout the cold and desolate terrain of Droodpike to make that dream happen, no matter the cost. But scarecrows who have been made apathetic by the world’s chaos are also vulnerable to those who would use them for deeds far beyond just simple endeavors. Recognition can come at a price. Backstabbers are not hard to find, and for Jard, separating the kind from the treasonous is a game where people cheat, a battlefield only the strong can navigate.What becomes of hope and change in a world so desensitized to violence? Glimpse the lives of the needy and powerless as Jard ushers on to fulfill the scarecrow’s dream of remembrance. Just because the world is a meat grinder doesn’t mean you have to be a marionette to the chaos.[ Novel \ Complete ]

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Yoretide // Heart of Spoils

Five exiles live in a lonely castle on the abandoned world of Clodwoo. With nothing but time on their hands, this small band of misfits have long since forgotten the sane attributes of normal society and have endeavored to make all of life a game where nothing is forbidden and fun reigns as top priority. The castle is a playground for their endless creative deeds no matter how cruel or devious. Of the five, Zafer likes playing with fire, Creen enjoys the comfort of ghosts, Sigit makes brass from body parts, Vixie collects bones, and Barben sculpts living gargoyles. Their different talents have made them an odd yet semi-functional family driven together for the sake of wild ingenuity.But when ghostly entities begin to threaten the solace of their castle, the band of exiles slowly discover that what they thought was their home is actually a breeding ground for chaos and forbidden history. Their once hidden secrets slowly filter out in a sequence of events told in twisted narratives and haunted revelations. Zafer in particular has many secrets to hide, and the consequences of his actions could have devastating effects on the ones he cherishes the most. His own past, his own creative pursuits, are the result so such much death and destruction.[ Novel \ Complete ]

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Yoretide // Runic Overture

An odyssey of two paths, two narratives on a collision course to war...Glave's bloodline has vanished while his future grows all the more uncertain. He searches the metropolis of Hobe for the truth about his family, orphaned early on in life following the death of his sister and the disappearance of his mother, his found father giving him solace in the great mystical city where industry thrives. The previous war had spanned across the cosmos with Hobe caught in the middle, leaving many to fend for themselves in a world where the law is seldom generous to those on the wrong side of it. Glave has grown skilled at skirting authority, however. He knows that city well. He knows how to navigate its countless networks and secret passageways.This knack for adventuring is what draws him to one of Hobe's greatest mysteries. The city's dungeon, a seemingly bottomless subterranean world that Glave has set his sights on as the key to unlocking his past. It is there wherein he shall not only find unlikely companionship, but learn that his quest will require him to face the most bloodthirsty and ruthless bounty hunters known throughout the realm. The forces against him will test both his own magic prowess and his willingness to sacrifice all that is necessary.Uriel strives to be the perfect warrior in a world of hidden fates. She spends her time on a remote island honing her magecraft and fighting prowess, pushing her limits while under the watchful mentorship of Hobe's forgotten overlord. As her knowledge grows, so does she continue to gain respect from lord Heron and his infamous company of bounty hunters. She knows her uncanny origins well, and knows that the future laid before her will someday change the fabric of reality itself. Her perception of the world beyond the coast is limited, however. The palace where she lives may be fit for demigods, but she wants more, and she is beginning to feel the limits of her boundaries.There are plenty of secrets to uncover within the palace walls, meanwhile, because she is coming to realize that Heron's plans for her are not entirely benevolent. The quest to obtain forbidden power can make anyone an object for another's success. Uriel may be loyal, but she has no intentions of playing games designed to make her the pawn.While seemingly separate, Glave and Uriel’s paths in life shall converge in a way that will change everything they thought was true.[ Novel \ Complete ]

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Yoretide // A Deity's Dream

The cosmos have faded and the universe is soon to expire. Nev is the soul remaining life form in existence, an android deity with the power to manipulate the cosmos and shape the very fabric of reality, having lived all throughout time since the beginning of time itself, born alongside the very first stars and planets. As the pontifex, the most powerful being in creation's history, it is her responsibility to retire what is left of the old universe so that a new one can take its place, a sacred task passed down to those of her kind. It is the pontifex's only true purpose. Failure is not an option lest reality end with her.Nev lives on a world called Jiken, a self-sustaining body of nanites that take the form of a vast desert landscape, a barren vista littered with relics and memories of the past. It is here where Nev undergoes preparations to fulfill her all-important task. The universe has aged just shy of death. The time has arrived.Reality isn't always as it seems, however. Nev is aware of her own hidden fate, aware of the reader's presence as well as the author who wrote her into being. With that kind of knowledge comes secrecy. With that kind of power comes mischief, and she knows very well that altering her own destiny is bound to cause unexpected change in the largest ways possible. She will need to change the metatextual nature of her existence in order to escape the purpose given to her at birth, change the author's plan while carving a new path for her own narrative on the page.[ Novel \ Editing ]

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