James_D_Fawkes

[Hereafter] Chapter CIV: Covenant

The planning commences.

This went on for longer than I expected it to, to the point where I had to cut the second half off because it was going to double the size of this chapter and make it balloon — past 10K, based upon the individual word counts of each one.

You may recognize shades of the canon dialogue in this part. It couldn't be helped. I really wanted it to come down to everyone teaming up and bringing down Herk by working together to each take at least one life, but Tay...

[Hereafter] Chapter CIII: Enemy of My Enemy

One last surprise addition to give you all! Who was expecting that to be our mystery Servant? Man, so many missed opportunities, Type Moon! Although maybe they were worried about trademarks and how that could lead to a legal headache, since, you know, a certain company kinda owns his name. Kinda.

Incidentally, despite the way he's depicted in a lot of different places, I actually had it in my head that the Captain there was ace. Just because the real life man had no kids at all...

Reason for the Delay

As many of you might have noticed, the chapter this week is a little behind, and if you've been reading the previews for the CiP posts (for those of you who don't have access to them via the appropriate tier), then you might also have noticed that Chapter CIII has actually been done since, like, last Tuesday.

However! There is a reason why I haven't released it yet, and that's because this week's chapter isn't going to be one chapter, it isn't even going to be two chapters, it'...

(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter CV: Parting Glass

Since CIV was going to be too big and probably wind up close to 10K, I decided to split it in half and move the portion with Medea to here.

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(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter CIV: Covenant

Trying to finish two chapters this week. That's why I'm holding off on posting CIII. I wanna make sure I can make it first.

EDIT: Chapter got too big, splitting it.

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Jalter Omake by Gifted-Monster

Chancing a look first left then right up the corridor where she was waiting, Jeanne Alter cast her senses out further into the calm, placid ether where Servants dwelled when not physically incarnated.

Nobody around to stop me. Good.

The same tactical mind that had made her the bane of the perfidous English still dwelt within her, though quicker to suggest violent actions and atrocities to make the Heavenly Host weep. Taking a moment to track the arc of the security camera at the...

(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter CIII: Enemy of My Enemy

Well, let's see if I can soothe some ruffled feathers now.

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[Hereafter] Chapter CII: Strongest in the World

Wound up changing the title for this one midway through.

I worried a little bit about the pacing nearer to the end, but the editing team signed off on it, so I let it go. It just felt too short if I cut it off where I thought I might, and I guess I've gotten too used to having these 6k+ chapters.

Coming someday (never) to a story near you: weekly 10K chapters. Am I right? No, of course not, that's too much.

There're a lot of moving parts here near the end. We're not there ye...

(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter CII: Strongest in the World

Who guessed our mystery Servant correctly? Well, give yourself an imaginary cookie if you did.

EDIT: Previous title was me being too clever. Changed it to something a little more fitting.

Link here.

[Hereafter] Chapter CI: Mad God

A little early this week. What can I say? I was particularly productive these last few days.

We are not done with the surprises yet. Still more to come. Fun fact: the editors and I were looking at it, and we went, "Yeah, no, the instant Herk is out of play, Jason loses," and so it became necessary for Jason to have more than one ace up his sleeve if we didn't want things to end prematurely. Place your bets on who this particular ace is.

As for Calliope... Well, I'm sure a lot of p...

(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter CI: Mad God

I think we all know what's coming, but I still have a few surprises, too.

Link here.

[Hereafter] Chapter C: Blackguard

By the numbers, it's not the 100th chapter. But in terms of numbered chapters, it's Chapter 100. And we're also coming up on this story's 2 year anniversary soon. Just... Wow. Milestones, yeah?

Anyway. The fighting on the Revenge is surprisingly tight quarters. I mean, it's a bigger ship than the Hind, but Asterios is a big boy and there just isn't as much room as certain movies makes it seem like there is.

Next up... Well, that would be spoiling things, wouldn't...

(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter C: Blackguard

Chapter 100! Well. According to the "official" numbers, anyway. We passed 100 actual chapters a while back.

Name feels a little simple, so I might workshop it a little more.

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[Hereafter] Chapter XCIX: High Seas Chase

I've partly done it to myself, but there's a huge cast in Okeanos. So many moving parts. Keeping track of them all is a chore and a half, and I have no idea how GRRM manages it with his own cast of characters.

Things are moving forward now, and we're about to hit the final third or so of Okeanos. I think this is a pretty happy middle ground between Septem's huge size and Orleans's somewhat shorter size. It feels incredible to say so, but it's only been about four months since Okeanos st...

(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter XCIX: High Seas Chase

Geddit? Because it's a... Yeah...

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[Hereafter] Chapter XCVIII: High Seas Ambush

I was a little iffy about using a certain song in this chapter, but it's been teased so much by Rika over the course of this Singularity that it was almost inevitable that it would show up in some form or fashion. Rika is just too plugged into pop culture.

This one wound up pretty big again. Didn't break any records, but it came a lot closer than I thought it was going to, and the final word count was 7840. Geez. If I'd given the team more interactions throughout it to break up the narr...

(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter XCVIII: High Seas Ambush

Not married to this title, so let's see how far we go and if I wind up changing it.

Link here.

Chapter XCIV and XCV

Sorry about the confusion, everyone. I moved XCV down a tier too far when I moved it down yesterday, so some of you might have read things out of order. That was still supposed to be 2 weeks out for the bottommost tier.

So, if you did get the chance to read it, you're a little bit ahead of where you're supposed to be.

[Hereafter] Chapter XCVII: Twice the Trouble

I guess this is the sort of thing having such a large cast does: when you think a chapter is going to be shorter, they all chime in and make it balloon. Not by overmuch, in this case, just about 600 words or so, but 6K is very rapidly becoming the standard for this story. Geez.

I actually had to go back to my character spreadsheet at a couple of points to make sure I wasn't forgetting anyone. Turns out, I'd actually forgotten Siegfried. Sumanai, my poor friend. It wasn't intentional. 2023-04-16 03:19:32 +0000 UTC View Post

(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter XCVII: Two Goddesses, Twice the Trouble

Not married to this title, but it'll do for now.

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[Hereafter] Chapter XCVI: Exaggerated Reports

There it is. That's the payoff for this little sideplot. Man, I've been planning that for a while, and I'm glad I get to finally put it to paper.

As incredible as it is, I think... We're pretty far into Okeanos already. Not done, not anywhere near it, but at least halfway, I'm decently sure. Some things are just getting cut down by virtue of snipping some of the fluff and cutting the Gordian knot.

Of course, there are still a number of things that need to get res...

(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter XCVI: Exaggerated Reports

Was a little unsure how I wanted to start this one.

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[Hereafter Material] Whydah Gally [Noble Phantasm]

Whydah Gally [Noble Phantasm]
The Prince’s Fortune

The ship of the pirate, Samuel Bellamy. A cargo ship originally used as part of the Atlantic slave trade, it was returning from the sale of its cargo, laden with many treasures, when it was captured by Bellamy after only a single warning shot was fired.

The treasures contained within are the main source of Bellamy’s famed wealth. It is these treasures which have earned him the distinguished position of th...

[Hereafter Material] Samuel Bellamy [Heroic Spirit]

Samuel Bellamy [Heroic Spirit]
Prince of Pirates

The Robin Hood of the Seas.

The generous, gentlemanly Prince of Pirates, famed for his tendency to eschew violence whenever possible. The richest, most successful pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy, whose career as captain lasted only a single year. He was well-known to capture ships without damaging them or injuring the crew.

He began as a sailor of the Royal Navy, and eventually, he wound up serving...

[Hereafter] Chapter XCV: Prince of Pirates

Who's that handsome devil? Why, it's none other than... Well, that would be telling.

This wound up longer than I was expecting it to be, by almost a thousand words. That's fine. I covered everything I wanted to cover and got the people through that I needed to have go through — and I even had enough time for the visual humor I wanted to insert, plus a callback joke.

This is, I think, the last OC Servant for this Singularity, although not the last new face to show up. The rest ar...

(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter XCV: Prince of Pirates

Some more surprises. Come on, you didn't think I was going to kill Taylor that easily, did you?

Find it here.

[Hereafter Material] Adventure Galley [Noble Phantasm]

Adventure Galley [Noble Phantasm]
The Ballad of Captain Kidd

The original ship sailed by Captain William Kidd. The ship with which he began his career, provided to him by his patrons in England, intended for use in hunting pirates and acquiring their treasures. In truth, she was poorly built and made with substandard materials, and as a result, her performance suffered during his voyages.

However, despite her flaws, the Adventure Galley survived almost the en...

[Hereafter Material] Quedagh Merchant [Noble Phantasm]

Quedagh Merchant [Noble Phantasm]
Sunken Adventure Prize

The vast treasure belonging to Captain Kidd, originally stored on a ship by the same name. Containing a variety of valuables, from silks to silver, there is more than enough to make the man who possesses it fabulously wealthy.

The origins of this Noble Phantasm come from Captain Kidd’s single greatest act of piracy, that is, the seizing of the eponymous Quedagh Merchant, an Indian merchant vessel, and...

[Hereafter] Chapter XCIV: Lost at Sea

This is now, officially, the longest chapter in Hereafter. It clocks in at over 8000 words and steals the title from "Engine of Destruction." It's big enough that I actually would have split it in two if I had managed to reach 9K or higher.

Geez, a lot happens this chapter.

There were some parts I worried a little about, and the fight doesn't feel particularly punchy (ha), but I think it accomplishes what I wanted it to accomplish. Above everything else, I wanted the chapter to en...

(CiP)[Hereafter] Chapter XCIV: Lost at Sea

That title isn't ominous at all.

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