This is part two of the annual October series. Read part one if you haven't already! GHOST SHIP! By Valerie Kimpton     A long-missing vessel, THE EASTERN GLOAM , has resurfaced in Port Astor Harbor. While the city is under quarantine, few but the Coast Guard were able to try and dissuade this revenant from landing here in our plague-stricken city. Our official source, Lt. Boyle, said no one was left aboard after the boarding team explored the derelict from bow to stern. Out of abundant caution, Lt. Boyle said that the ship was to be towed out of the harbor, and eventually scuttled.     When we asked residents near the Astor Docks, however, we learned that there might be more to this story. One resident, under a condition of anonymity and speaking only through a closed window said that she spied a lone soul leaping from the drifting ship, then swimming to shore. Once upon land, our source continued, he simply vanished. Did our "valiant" serviceman lie to us when he c...

      During the lockdown, a ghost ship came into the harbor of Port Astor. With so much of the city in chaos or silence, few at the time even noticed its arrival. More did bother to pay attention, however, when word got out that an entire Coast Guard  boarding team vanished after boarding the vessel. When they sent the second team, no traces of the original crew of the ship, or the first boarding team were found.      The name of the ship was The Eastern Gloam, which was seen over a decade ago leaving for the Far East, with a crew of scholars and academics. And the only trace of anything they found aboard the ship was a carved phrase on a bulkhead: "LOAMY GLOAM".     Fearing another illness, the ship was towed out and eventually scuttled. Since then, however, a number of disappearances have been tied to the return of the ship, with the phrase "RETURN TO REST WITHIN  THE LOAMY GLOAM" showing up again and again over the years, and then us...

 Hey Everyone, Summer is dead, long live Autumn. I'm writing this the same day I am putting it up, and what a couple of weeks it has been! I spent last weekend entirely at the Lovecraft Film Fest here in Portland, and had a blast. Between all of the amazing shorts, features, panels, and readings, I always feel like I walk away understanding just a little more about the stuff I love to make just a bit more. I also did my local community organizing project last night (time of writing, last night), and as someone who has as many problems with going out and talking to people, I am always so grateful that the people who attend bring a good energy and willingness to engage.  Moving onto business... October is soon upon us! I have this year's mini-series locked-and-loaded, and I am excited to share it with y'all! The first part will drop 10/11, and the subsequent pieces with drop weekly until the finale on 10/25. I hope that the more experimental ideas do it for folks. I often fee...

      Even before the Merchant Republics, Naxos was a nation built on trade. Its prime location in the Central Ocean makes it almost necessary to stop while traveling from either east or west. Indeed, moorage from such travelers pays a handsome sum to Duchy coffers. And if those travelers buy or sell anything while in Naxian waters, the better. The Port of Naxos has the highest ship capacity in the known world.     For their part, Naxian traders are also a common sight in northern and western ports, bringing fine Naxian goods and spices. Perhaps its greatest products, though, are the experts and artists that travel; sofos, ithopoiou, palaistis, and even the Naxian Marines, who are sought out for their expertise on fighting pirates.     There is a purpose to this, beyond just profit. Like in ancient days, Naxian merchants provide crucial information on global affairs, with Naxos always read to step in and "help".

      Similarly to farming, livestock is not a common food source, with a majority of it consumed by the wealthy and nobility. Goat is the most common, as they require less care than cattle, and can tolerate the local vegetation and can be supplemented with kelp in harder times. Fowl, in the form of chicken and duck, is common among the rural poor, but not in the cities.     Foods made as by-product are also popular; cheese, eggs, and sausage can be found in nearly any market, though rural villages are said to have the best.     Since the days of the Old Empire, there has been a healthy market for imported foods as well. Horse meat in particular has captivated many. Beef is also a common import, though it is nearly exclusively consumed by the upper class.     Imported drink have a much smaller market, mostly with sailors who have had opportunities to sample them at distant ports.

      Like many other cultures, food features heavily in Naxos, and has a rich history and traditions all its own.     As an island nation, seafood forms a significant portion of the diet in most settings, and indeed is the base of their food pyramid. Oysters and shellfish in particular are some of the most common foods seen, especially with lower classes. Eels are also common, as is smaller whitefish. Larger catches such as swordfish or tuna, are typically reserved for the wealthy or special occasions due to their value. Kelp is also very commonly seen as a staple in rural Naxos, as it grows in abundance in great undersea forests.     For agricultural foods, the islands have little in the way of arable land, making things like grain and livestock expensive by comparison to things found locally. The three most common crops, though, are Naxian Rice, Naxian Grapes, and olives. The rice in particular is a revered specialty; this hardy grain can be grown w...

 Hey Everybody,     I hope that the horrors aren't being too hard on y'all today. I've been up to my ears in events and work (both for my day job, and creative pursuits). I have been plugging away with something in particular, and  I look forward to revealing that hopefully in the next couple of months. Stay tuned on that.     In a more imminent sense, I have wrapped up work on this year's mini series for October, and I think it might end up being the most experimental piece I have done yet! I like to really get weird with it for those, as I want each series to really be memorable-- no idea how it'll land, but I am looking forward to it, as it was a lot of fun to make.     If you haven't already heard, I do a podcast with one of my best friends called SCPod, that is an exploration of the SCP universe on an entry-by-entry basis, and is some of the most fun I have during a project every time we record. You can find us on YouTube and Spotify, and the...

 To the surprise of many non-Naxians, the law in Naxos is usually quite simple.     To start criminal investigations and proceedings, those wronged submit a charge to the local magistrate, who then investigates. These local officials are appointed by the local noble, who then must be confirmed to their position by the local Naxian Guard. If sufficient physical evidence or believable witnesses are found, then the case is presented to a Dikastis, or judge in service to the local Naxian Guard branch, who is more often than not the current military commander of the Naxian Guard for the area. The Dikastis can either invalidate the charge, or summon the accused and plaintiff for hearing, usually deciding their ultimate fates that very same hearing.     For matters related to theft, loss of money, or the like, the guilty are often taken as slaves to work until they have generated the amount or value lost, or after a set period of time has passed. The most common form o...

      Like every culture in the world, crime is a reality across Naxos. It is now better managed than it was during the Merchant Republics, with the advent of the Naxian Guard; it is also much more subtle.     The most common crime in Naxos is theft, and in a larger sense, smuggling and racketeering. Most of it is in the cities, controlled by the so-called "Friends of Georgios", a loose connection of gangs that agree to either loosely cooperate, or at the very least stay out of each others way. The Friends are just the modern incarnation of the long history of Naxian Organized Crime.     That said, the larger cities have plenty of individual criminals, engaging in similar crimes, or ones much more violent.     Another facet is the realm of religious crimes outside religions are not banned officially, but they are not permitted temples, and visiting clergy must register with the Synodic Church, and request permission before any service is held...

      While Naxos is famous for being a cosmopolitan center, that is only one facet of the Duchy. Many live outside of Poleon's City, living a simpler life.     Urban Naxian lives tend to revolve around commerce, with a majority of people working in the shipping industry. A smaller number, but still crucial, working in banking; converting foreign coins into Naxian currency, and managing the combined wealth of the Duchy.     In contrast, those whole live outside the cities lead much slower lives. The prevailing industries are fishing, with limited timber and agriculture settlements. People here tend to work early in the day, then spend the rest of the afternoon engaging in leisure of small crafts.     Another key difference is the religious schism between the two spheres; the Synodic Church dominates the cities, with those outside keeping to traditional animism, Naxian paganism, and the worship of Kitaigida. This, among others, has led to a de...

      While the worship of Poleon dominates the cities and politics, many rural Naxians still hold to the pagan past, particularly the veneration of Kitaigida; the storm spirit of the islands.     The Fylakes, or so-called "storm monks", are one of the oldest orders of anything in Naxos. Their ancient monastery is a practical fortress, and the Fylakes themselves are feared for their seemingly unpredictable nature, with stories of them attacking villagers they just saved, or single-handedly repelling pirates, then then delivering sermons to those very same pirates.     The main reason for their antics is that they serve a fickle god, who has no qualms acting on their displeasure; lighting, hostile seas, earthquakes, and more-- usually directed at the Fylakes themselves. For this, it is often said that worship of Kitaigida is more out of fear than love.

 " Hello caller, you're on the air... "      "Look, a lot has gone down, but I need you to focus. We came here to do a job, and we've done pretty good given the circumstances! The others, well, they weren't as lucky, but we were! What happened? Lemme thing. We came in, all five of us, or was it four? Doesn't matter. We'd all been hired separately, and told to show up at the old place to 'turn it off'. Whatever the hell that means. The place was part of the old shipyards used in World War Two, but looked like some sort of animal on life support; a body of concrete with a thousand needles and tubes of steel coming out of it.       The money was worth it, though. I just ran, and ran-- I had to. I saw a light up ahead, and just had to go for it. As soon as I cleared it, I heard it close behind me-- was there someone else there? It doesn't matter. I just got in my car, and fuckin' got the hell outta there. The money was worth it. It was....

    I went on a walk through the old woods some time ago. After returning from my time abroad, I thought it a good idea to reacquaint myself with the lands of my birth and youth. I had traveled as far as I could from home for my education, to rid myself of the simpleness of my upbringing, and to bring myself closer to an enlightened civility. But, even with that said, I could not pull myself away from the feelings of relish I knew I would surely encounter by simply... escaping into the forests of my fathers.     And surely these old trees agreed with me! I felt the warm welcome of their canopy o'er me as I cross over the threshold of the forests edge. It felt strange in a pleasantly peculiar way, but I did not reject the feeling. After years of feeling out of place as a traveler, I only then realized how much I had yearned for this.     As I moved deeper and deeper into the undergrowth, the patch I walked became narrower and narrower and the spindly green f...

 Hey Everyone, Welp, it's been three years since I started this whole mess! It's been a weird thing for me to think about-- I have been doing Roll for Writing longer than I have had any one specific job, or anything else for that matter. And I think it is telling that I... don't even feel like it has been more than a few months since I started sharing my work publicly like this. My main reason for starting this in the first place was that I really get platformed elsewhere. So, I made my own. And I consider myself fortunate that not only have I been able to keep up with it, but the good reception of it all, and it really letting me feel like I could do the next step and release an actual published book, which I did for the first time last October, and that item can be found under the Published Work tab at the top of the site. And, for this, I just want to say an honest thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read these hare-brained stories and taken the time to talk ...

  General content warning: This is a piece about the crossroads of our current socio-political landscape, through the lens of the author’s upbringing and life experience.  Mentions of emotional and physical abuse, rape, religious trauma, gun violence, school shootings, racism & hate crimes, and others. Topics and themes touched on are handled respectfully, but told unflinchingly.                                         W H e a l e r       p              o                      n It’s 2005. I am being raised to be a weapon.  I’m ten, or so. They split the boys and the girls off...