![Joy Pursuit: Threnody of the END [Sci-Fi Fantasy | Horror | Action]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.royalroadcdn.com%2Fpublic%2Fcovers-large%2F92649-joy-pursuit-threnody-of-the-end-sci-fi-fantasy.jpg%3Ftime%3D1769977120&w=640&q=75)
by Lunden.Osric
Who are you without your memories? A young man awakens beneath crimson-shattered skies with no memory, no name, and blood that shouldn’t exist. The world of Esthes-3 is quiet, broken, and steeped in a rotting complacency. But the eerie silence is beginning to rupture, as echoes of Calamity clash with the shuddering reaches of the Abyss. As he searches for answers, his flesh begins to stir. Limbs twitch with memories not his own. Blood pulses with voices. Something is trying to hatch under his skin. In a world that forgot how to live, he must choose to become the monster he was meant to be—or pursue the joy he was never meant to find. What to expect? -Body horror & visceral transformations-Dynamic/ Unstable protagonist/s/ -Not a power fantasy, but the MC is no pushover-An esoteric world fusing sci-fi, fantasy, and cosmic decay -Experimental Ass Story-telling, you'll have a hard time figuring out when/where the hell we'll end up. -Unique monsters, mechanoids, and strange abilities-Multiple POVs woven through a nonlinear narrative -Weekly updates -Arc Synopsis: Shattered Alive Arc A young man with no memory of who he is or what he is forced to face the unknown as he's thrust into the sleepy world of Esthes-3. Under crimson-shattered skies. What will he uncover under his writhing flesh as he faces a leaking abyss? Nascent Reverberations Arc Under the shifting skies, a group of rookie rangers encounter something twisted and wrong. Trepidatio Artificialis Arc Lost in a desolate maze of gushing water, something writhes in agony. Pale Marrowbrand Arc As the annual Penthestat begins, a surplus of listless souls gathers to party themselves to the literal bone. Threnody of the Depths Arc The deepest sorrow thrums a song of obsession and betrayal. Threnody of the END Arc (We are here) A desperate clatter of ice and fire at Calamity's End—a crescendo leading to her darkest days. Steel Dragon Arc The Steel Dragon looms over the weary port city of Krreat. With people going missing each day, the city's faith in the rangers erodes, leaving fear to fester. What secrets lie under the forlorn vessel’s steel hull, and who—or what—lurks in the shadows it casts? Wintry Howl Mini Arc Under the giants shadow, a rookie ranger embarks on his first mission as a ranger of Heilagjǫtunn. Black Box Arc Impossible deaths aboard a Starglider force a group of rookie rangers to solve a murky mystery. Hoarfrost Crown Arc The final communication with a remote ranger facility leaves High Command unsettled. With little choice, a team is sent to uncover fathomless horrors. Final Note: I'm learning to write, and it shows. I get experimental. Side note: the first arc psychologically haunts me. I will (someday) fix the pacing/re-write it, I swear by all that's good and green on this earth. The cover is drawn by yours truly.
| # | Title | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Chapter 1: Under I̶T̶S̶ Shattered Skies | 0 |
| 1 | Chapter 2: Under /His/ Shattered Skies | 0 |
| 2 | Chapter 3: Innocence Under Watch// | 0 |
| 3 | Chapter 4: Friendship—? | 0 |
| 4 | Chapter 5: Old Port City of Krreat | 0 |
| 5 | Chapter 6: Dr. Xizu— | 0 |
| 6 | Chapter 7: Kyyr? | 0 |
| 7 | Chapter 8: Lucas's no good very bad day. | 0 |
| 8 | Chapter 9: Mementos of the ENN.KORR | 0 |
| 9 | Chapter 10: Interlude before— | 0 |
| 10 | The Cause | 0 |
| 11 | Chapter 12: Race to Unkn0wn/ᵾnꝁnøwn/̶U̶̶n̶̶k̶̶n̶̶o̶̶w̶̶n̶ | 0 |
| 12 | Chapter 13: Operation: NightReach | 0 |
| 13 | Chapter 14: ̶N̶̶e̶̶w̶ ̶s̶̶e̶̶l̶̶f̶/Incarnate | 0 |
| 14 | Chapter 15: Self-Cannibalize . Me | 0 |
| 15 | Chapter 16: Things in the Mirror | 0 |
| 16 | Chapter 17: G̶r̶o̶t̶e̶s̶q̶u̶e̶ Hunt(𝘦𝘥) | 0 |
| 17 | Chapter 18: The Feast Begins | 0 |
| 18 | Chapter 19: Fulgurjaw/C̶h̶a̶o̶s̶/Pelamüs | 0 |
| 19 | Chapter 20: My Childhood is eating me Alive <3 | 0 |
| 20 | Chapter 21: \Coarse\Blood\ | 0 |
| 21 | Chapter 22: To Gore a Wingless Dragon | 0 |
| 22 | Chapter 23: Scarlet Feast | 0 |
| 23 | Chapter 24: AfterGlow | 0 |
| 24 | Chapter 25: Shattered Alive/End | 0 |
| 25 | The Day Before/Nascent Reverberations | 0 |
| 26 | Chapter 27: The Liminal Canopy | 0 |
| 27 | Chapter 28: I Shudder in E̶x̶p̶e̶c̶t̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ | 0 |
| 28 | Chapter 29: I take. You take. I take. You— | 0 |
| 29 | Chapter 30: Nowhere but /There/ or Here | 0 |
| 30 | Chapter 31: Frenzied Him | 0 |
| 31 | Chapter 32: Enshrouded | 0 |
| 32 | Chapter 33: Incipient Deviation | 0 |
| 33 | Chapter 34: Blurred Threshold | 0 |
| 34 | Chapter 35: It's there—/ | 0 |
| 35 | Chapter 36: The Day After/Nascent Reverberations/End | 0 |
| 36 | R̶e̶s̶i̶d̶u̶a̶l̶. I AM/Trepidatio Artificialis | 0 |
| 37 | Chapter 38: K-11 | 0 |
| 38 | Chapter 39: To befriend an /Iron Dragon/ | 0 |
| 39 | Chapter 40: I'm not— | 0 |
| 40 | Chapter 41: I̶n̶n̶o̶c̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶? until? | 0 |
| 41 | Chapter 42: Bitter Recall | 0 |
| 42 | Chapter 43: Innocence Under [I̶T̶S̶] Watch// | 0 |
| 43 | Chapter 44: Haze—of us | 0 |
| 44 | Chapter 45: Serene—Red | 0 |
| 45 | Chapter 46: Trepidatio Artificialis | 0 |
| 46 | Chapter 47: Ripples of Dread | 0 |
| 47 | Chapter 48: No one to take your hand | 0 |
| 48 | Chapter 49: Hunting the /LEAD/ | 0 |
| 49 | Chapter 50: Crimson Clash Beyond /His/ Reverie | 0 |
| 50 | Chapter 51: Me. Myself, and /Gira?/ | 0 |
| 51 | Chapter 52: Shattered. I AM | 0 |
| 52 | Chapter 53: Dissonant/They Watch/ | 0 |
| 53 | Chapter 54: Echoes of the Night /FAREWELL/ | 0 |
| 54 | Levity amidst /his/ Journey/ Pale Marrowbrand | 0 |
| 55 | Chapter 56: St. Able's Station—/E̶u̶p̶h̶o̶r̶i̶a̶/ | 0 |
| 56 | Chapter 57: Delusory Honey | 0 |
| 57 | Chapter 58: The Living Graveyard | 0 |
| 58 | Chapter 59: Dreadful/ Promises/ B̶e̶l̶o̶w̶ | 0 |
| 59 | Chapter 60: Within/ Beyond/ Around | 0 |
| 60 | Chapter 61: Shards /Crack/ Together | 0 |
| 61 | Chapter 62: A Life. Uncertain | 0 |
| 62 | Chapter 63: Thalassorhax Vai'tolant | 0 |
| 63 | Chapter 64: Here [All Along] | 0 |
| 64 | Chapter 65: Rot Below/K-11/ | 0 |
| 65 | Chapter 66: Gira/S/VS/ Dull Dust | 0 |
| 66 | Chapter 67: Dull Dust /Bites Twice/ | 0 |
| 67 | Chapter 68: OUR/ Defined Dread/ | 0 |
| 68 | Chapter 69: Parabellum Onryō? | 0 |
| 69 | Chapter 70: We are /COARSEBLOOD/ | 0 |
| 70 | Chapter 71: / IT/ Watches—the Maiden and the Beast | 0 |
| 71 | Chapter 72: Encroaching Motions | 0 |
| 72 | Chapter 73: Confluence of Eyes | 0 |
| 73 | Chapter 74: Parabellum Onryō—! | 0 |
| 74 | Chapter 75: Spiraling /IT SAVORS/ | 0 |
| 75 | Chapter 76: /I/We/IT/—Remembers | 0 |
| 76 | Chapter 77: When there are no Heroes | 0 |
| 77 | Chapter 78: Caustic Displacement | 0 |
| 78 | Chapter 79: Indulge in the Blacklight | 0 |
| 79 | Chapter 80: /Ghosts/ In the Rain | 0 |
| 80 | Chapter 81: Rising /Motions/Emotions/ | 0 |
| 81 | Chapter 82: Faux-Dragon | 0 |
| 82 | Chapter 83: Cerberus | 0 |
| 83 | Chapter 84: Above the Rising Rain/ Berserkrios!/ | 0 |
| 84 | Chapter 85: /NOT HERE/ | 0 |
| 85 | Chapter 86: Rising through the Gore\BERSERKRIOS\ | 0 |
| 86 | Chapter 87: A Phantom's Plight/ AGAINST/ The Schrade | 0 |
| 87 | Chapter 88: Shattered Throne | 0 |
| 88 | Chapter 89: THRUMMING/ A Ghost with a Heart/BEAT | 0 |
| 89 | Chapter 90: Shuddering Chains/ Enter the Dragon? EZZEKS! | 0 |
| 90 | Chapter 91: /HEAR ME/ | 0 |
| 91 | Chapter 92: In his Memory/ It didn't glow RED/ | 0 |
| 92 | Chapter 93: He who h̶a̶s̶ /No Quarrels with /Heaven or Hell/ | 0 |
| 93 | Chapter 94: Rising Rain Must Fall—Consummate Coarseblood | 0 |
| 94 | Chapter 95: Forsaken/ The Leviathan Rages/ | 0 |
| 95 | Chapter 96: Unsettling Hush— | 0 |
| 96 | Chapter 97: Angels in the Hive | 0 |
| 97 | Chapter 98: Inevitable Dawn | 0 |
| 98 | Chapter 99: /MONSTER/ | 0 |
| 99 | Chapter 100: /H̶i̶s̶/ Façade and Her/ Pale Marrowbrand—END | 0 |
| 100 | Sweet Embrace under the/ Steel Dragon | 0 |
| 101 | Chapter 102: Veritable Violation | 0 |
| 102 | Chapter 103: Circling the Carrion | 0 |
| 103 | Chapter 104: MOTION AHEAD /The Vulture and the Eel/ | 0 |
| 104 | Chapter 105: ONWARD. FORWARD./ The Vulture and the Eel II/ | 0 |
| 105 | Chapter 106: /How could we forget?/ RED REGRET | 0 |
| 106 | Chapter 107: Red Reverie / Immutable Metal | 0 |
| 107 | Chapter 108: Trepid /SELF-/Anagnorisis | 0 |
| 108 | Chapter 109: Crossroads/ B̶E̶L̶O̶W̶/ and Beyond | 0 |
| 109 | Threnody of the Abnegated Mermaid | 0 |
| 110 | Chapter 111: Threnody of the Unknowing Father | 0 |
| 111 | Chapter 112: Threnody of Dubious Inchoation | 0 |
| 112 | Chapter 113: Threnody of the Witless Leviathan | 0 |
| 113 | Chapter 114: Threnody of the Everyman | 0 |
| 114 | Chapter 115: Threnody of an Apex Predator | 0 |
| 115 | Chapter 116: Threnody of the Reluctant Weapons | 0 |
| 116 | Chapter 117: Threnody of Rekindling Calamity | 0 |
| 117 | Chapter 118: Melody of a Decent Human Being | 0 |
| 118 | Chapter 119: Threnody of Origin | 0 |
| 119 | Chapter 120: Melody of Connection | 0 |
| 120 | Chapter 121: Melody for the Hopeless Mermaid | 0 |
| 121 | Chapter 122: Threnody of Restraint and Limerence | 0 |
| 122 | Chapter 123: Threnody of Becoming | 0 |
| 123 | Chapter 124: Threnody of the Entrenched | 0 |
| 124 | Chapter 125: Melody of Hearth | 0 |
| 125 | Chapter 126: Threnody of Presumption | 0 |
| 126 | Chapter 127: Threnody of the END | 0 |
| 127 | Chapter 128: The Errant Star—Bayren Emperar | 0 |
| 128 | Chapter 129: Atavism—PAX | 0 |
| 129 | 130: Cinderborn/ It hid in his Shadows | 0 |
| 130 | Chapter 131: Nostalgia for the Monstrom | 0 |
| 131 | Chapter 132: Remembrance of Faux Calamities | 0 |