Tithe

When I was little, all I knew was fear. Fear of the gnawing hunger that consumed us from the inside. Fear of the biting cold that seeped through walls and wools and nipped at our toes and fingers. And fear of the ruthless lords who partied in the castle, up on the mountain, living off our work, our tears, our blood. We thought fear would keep us safe, make us cautious and wise. We prayed to our gods for protection, and paid our tithe to the vampire lords, and hoped for peace. Fear kept us in our place, my family and I. And it is in fear that they died. When I found them, mangled and covered in blood, l swore I would never live in fear again. If I were to die like them, l would at least die a brave death. I didn’t think that I might die a stupid death. All it takes is one wrong step. Tread on a twig, and they will hear you coming. Step on a viper and you will never have a chance to take on the vampire. There are so many things that can go wrong in the mountains. One moment, one tiny slip, and your life flashes before your eyes, every memory vivid and painful like a knife through the heart. And when you breathe your last, labored breath, the last thing you see is the vampire, leaning over you in the dark, moonless night, savoring his victory. My last thought, as I lay dying, was that, at least, there would be no vampires in the afterlife. Whether I was going to heaven or hell, I knew I had escaped him and his kind. There is no eternal rest for the undead, no passage into the world beyond. We would never meet again. Or so I thought. For the briefest moment, when I woke up in the tight coffin, I thought that I’d survived. But only for a moment. Then the painful realization hit me: my heart wasn’t beating. And, instead of the hunger that had ruled my entire life, I felt a dire thirst.

The empire encompassed endless twinkling stars, but in this dark and terrifying distant future, there were only endless wars. ...... Gu Hang became the governor of a wasteland planet, where previous governors had all been executed for failing to deliver the tithe on time. Monsters and Low Energy Storms rampaged, survivor factions schemed against each other, technological regression, low productivity, the resurgence of Evil Gods, Green Skin Orcs taking root and sprouting... "Don't panic just yet, let me check the panel below." [Military Tokens], [Heroes], [Technology], [Events]... Starting as the planetary governor, he would build fleets that traversed the Star Sea, suppressing all alien forms, heretics, traitors, and demons of chaos! Although I formed battle groups on my own, funded Battle Nuns, diverted the imperial tax, and disregarded deployment orders... I knew I was fiercely loyal! Traitors? This is clearly the Third Empire!

In a world seeped in magic, where humans live behind a curtain of mountains and hope to avoid the prowling beasts, a ritual is taking place. The tithe, in which the fortress of Blightstone offers a selection of their own people to the visiting orcs in order to bind their people closer together. But this tithe is special. This time Nickolas, a War Mage of rare talent, and the son of the Warden of Blightstone herself is taking part. As is Necun, the orc Hunter who fell for the Mage at first sight. And in the darkness, the two shall share their vows. Join the pair as they venture into the unknown dangers of the world, relying on each other as they face beast and politics, horror and adventure. And see if their vows are strong enough to survive in this harsh world. Greetings, I am Alexander, your Cyborg Storyteller. This is my first full length writing project, so feel free to be critical, and have a lovely day.

The Federation of United Words has been in an idle state for three generations. The once-proud empire has been driven back to its original systems. Discord from within has caused a collapse of an empire. A new Tsar-Emperor has ascended to power with his eye on rebuilding the glory from the past. The discovery of a rare ore could be the key to the stabilization of the abandoned star gates, which proved to be too much of a risk to use other than sending communications faster than the speed of light. Unfortunately, the solution is just out of the frustrated emperor’s reach. The precious ore that was discovered deep within a reparation world. Thagua six is such a world. A world for beings that were mistreated and abused by the Empire for centuries. A planet that the colonies have built to call their own, outside the shadow of the F.U.W. According to the treaty of separation. The Federation can not retake the world by force and is furthermore required, by galactic law, to support the citizens through tithes and military assistance for three hundred years. The federation found a loophole woven within the tapestry of the ancient treaty. A trap set centuries ago, if sprung, could lead to the deaths of an unsuspecting population, and open the door for the federation’s plans to reestablish its dominance amongst the stars. Enter the Drop Teams. Drop teams are the police force, rescue, or executioners of the galaxy that work for the highest bidder. Because of the vastness of space, they can reach targets quicker than most homeworlds. One such drop team is the 13th Company. Led by its mysterious leader Asukari, which has become the most successful drop team in history. Having never failed an assignment in its long-distinguished existence. When the noose tightens around Thagua six, the entire galaxy will turn a blind eye to the cataclysmic event. All that is, but the 13th Company. Will they be able to do the impossible and save a world that is being devoured from within?