New Story Poll (Patreon)

I've mentioned it before, but Never Fade Away will be wrapping up soonish and while I do have a sequel planned, I want to take a break before jumping straight into the sequel. Which means it's time to decide what story will take over the Monday slot in my rotation, and I have to say, I'm a bit spoiled for options. The Idea-Pile got pretty big over the past year. I've been kicking around a few ideas on how to best do this, especially since there have been another four snippets since the last poll.

So, I ultimately decided that it came down to me. Below are six stories that I'm ready to pull the trigger on. I have a backlog, I have all the plot elements hammered out, and I have a working outline. These are the stories I feel like I can hit the ground running with.

Consume and Level Up (Danmachi/That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime): Waking up in the Dungeon as a slime was hardly the ideal start in a world whose economy was built upon killing monsters, but it undeniably came with some perks. A nearly impervious body, the ability to take the shape of anything he ate. It was just bad luck that the first person he ate turned out to be a massive asshole and our hero ended up inheriting all of his drama along with his face and name.

This story would likely be in the ballpark of 40-60 chapters and a good long stay in Danmachi. The MC would be more of a steamroll than I usually write because of the nature of slime powers, so I'll probably lean into that a fair bit. I don't have any solid plans for the OEBD, so I'd focus on Orario and the familia's within it.

Best of Intentions (Resident Evil/DnD): Rudeus Rain was probably the last person who should be in charge of saving the world. A world that was doing its absolute damndest to shovel pills down its throat, along with a few bullets, while diving head-first into a noose off a cliff. Making Redeus Rain not the hero that the world wanted, but the hero that it needs to stop Umbrella from selling the T-virus in every back alley.

This story would be in the ballpark of 40-80 chapters. It mostly depends on how far I want to go in on the madness that is the Umbrella Corporation and Tri-Cell. The opening arc would handle Raccoon City and the incoming zombie apocalypse, and I honestly could wrap the entire thing up in about 30 chapters. So, this one's length depends on what people want to see because Resident Evil is a massive sandbox.

The Cost of a Wish (Fate: Oath Under Snow/DnD): Shirou Emiya died before the holy grail after emerging as the victor of the Grail War. As he bled out in the cavern, he made a silent wish that he had no expectation of being granted -- that he might one day see his little sister Miyu again. Yet, after closing his eyes for what he thought was the final time, he opens them again in the magical lands of Faerun. On a quest to find his sister in the chaotic lands, Shirou finds himself dragged into adventures, chaos, and politics as he carves out a new home for his growing family.

This story could go the distance. DnD has a lot to work with. The basic plan is to start off with some of the early modules -- Lost Mines of Phandelver, some adventures in Ghost of Saltmarsh. Which could build up towards the larger modules like Curse of Strahd. We would be seeing a lot of characters from Baldur's Gate 3 along with some fan favorites from the books like Drizzt. It'd also be fun exploring Shirou's character in a rather different world than what he's used to.

Path of Creation (Naruto): Out of all the hidden villages to be reincarnated into, there was none better than Konoha. Reborn with the ability to paint chakra on the air as if it were a canvas, Sukuna finds himself catapulted into the limelight because of a name -- Creation of All Things. Navigating shinobi politics was dangerous at the best of times, but with war on the horizon, the list of people who wanted him dead was long indeed.

This story would probably cap out at 80 chapters. I don't intend to touch the moon people part of canon instead focusing on the ninja clans, the politics between ninja villages, and the daimyo that supposedly rules over Konoha. I'll also be pulling a bit from Jujutsu Kaisen in terms of techniques to steal, but I don't think it would be enough to label it a crossover.

Da Ork Life (Warhammer Ork SI/Witcher/Multicross): Krod isn't too sure if he was a humie that became an ork or if he's an ork infected with the memories of a humie, but it don't matter none. He's the overlord of a ork warband and he's itching for a good fight and a better fuck. The Witcher world, one that is already filled to the brim with monsters and magics, is utterly unprepared for the madness and the insatiable hunger for war that the orks will bring upon their world. And possibly beyond.

This story has a lot of potential as a multicross story. The witcher world would likely become the hubworld, but the bulk of it could be wrapped up in around 20-30 chapters. I'm leaning all the way into the madness that is ork logic, so expect that. With Krod's POV, he's just having a grand ol' time, but to the natives POV, they're staring down a green apocalypse. After the Witcher world falls to the WAAAGH, I'll look to unleash it upon the multiverse. Given the nature of the interactions, I'd probably do something like put it to a vote on what settings Krod conquers.

A Golden Path (Asoiaf/Dune): Paul Atreides was reborn beyond the Wall, near the lands of Always Winter. It couldn't be more different than the harsh deserts of Arrakis, but enough is the same that it feels like home. He harnesses the winter power of the free folk, uniting them and remaking them as cold winds stir from the north while Paul's gaze turns south.

This story has the potential to be a long one. It's going to be mostly told from other POVs that are trying to make sense of what Paul is doing, and for the most part, they only realize the game when it's over. It's going to be part tech uplift -- nothing crazy like shields, but Paul will no how to make some things that are fairly advanced for a medieval world, but he won't be able to make anything super advanced due to an inability to make superconductors, for example. Another part is exploring the politics and the characters of the setting and explore the ripples that Paul makes because he doesn't have it in him to be anything less than a wolf trying to get into the chicken coop.