Tower Ghost | .SEEKER author

@towerghost.bsky.social

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.SEEKER is an illustrated sci-fantasy novel that is inspired by Dune, Book of the New Sun, and Redwall. Most pages follow a PROSE|VIGNETTE style, but I like to experiment with the format a bit. I do this in my free time, please be patient!

Trainer Claire stares defiantly
Rosie comforts Claire. She is upset because she knows that Zed will die in the wastes after leaving Buried Tower. The Sister's Cross burns fiercely for them, as it often does for moments of vulnerability and kindness.
Rosie stands, and so takes Zed into the fold, making him a part of her crew and her responsibility. She rudely uses the head of a disgruntled Seeker as a means to aid her standing. Another Seeker stares back at her incredulously. This is one of the few times Ulrich has been surprised.
The Spectre pounces, its metal appendages searching. Zed flinches behind his shield. He is shocked at the speed at which the machine moves and sweat beads on his brow. His mouth hangs agape. His hammer sits uselessly out of position behind him and to his right. The shield pulses with a strange blue light as Zed brings it to bear.
Rosie marvels at Claire's engineering. Her trusty metal arm (shown in an exploded view on the left) has only increased her fighting prowess, as it allows her to swing her massive Gunhammer with ease. Drivers within the shoulder interface interact with muscle-movements to give her a wide range of motion, and excellent fine-motor skills. I do not speak Folktung so we can only guess as to what the notations say.
Claire stands before a ruined city aflame. Smoke pours out of the building nearest and to the left of her. Buildings to the right burn. Towering in the background floats the Archangel. Lit about the hulking machine are twinkling stars, as bright as The Sisters. The eye of the Archangel focuses elsewhere.
A Seeker of little renown. They wear a bandana. There is a scar on their cheek. They wear a cryptic smile and have bags under their eyes. They sport a puffy jacket and a tunic with three fasteners. The tunic exposes belly in a rackish kind of way. They wear tattered pants with something lacy beneath, and dark shoes. Their sword looks worn and tired. The wind blows against them, toward the right.
Ulrich sits and observes a rather embarrassing fight between Zed and a Spectre. There is little chance that the young Seeker will be picked to join any crew, even if he somehow survives the fight. Ulrich wears a look of disgust. He has goggles and a headset. His trenchcoat has many secret pockets to hide various weapons and ammunition. His kneepads betray his abundantly cautious nature. The wooden bench he sits on is is hard and uncomfortable.
Zed smiles triumphantly as he catches his hammer surely, which is a crucial part of the Trial of Combat. The crowd gives a hearty cheer for the lad. Too often a catch is missed, leaving the Petitioner scrambling and on the back paw, which makes them easy prey for the Spectre. Zed's scarf billows, and the audience must admit the small would-be Seeker cuts quite a striking figure. Appearances, however, mean nothing against the cruelty of the Spectre, so judgement must be reserved.
Katt practices her high-kicks obsessively. She balances on her right leg, as the left leg shoots out at an upward angle behind her. Her arms both hang outward so as to keep her balance. She glances behind her to where she kicks, taking mental note of any small mistakes in the kick's form. Her arms, chest, and legs are wrapped in freshly blessed fighting cloth. She has a belt with her initial on it. Her hair tied back in a ponytail. The Sister's Cross burns brightly above. She lifts up some sand with the power and speed of the kick.
A black and white line cartoon. Zed (a fuzzy lil guy) writes out "THIS MACHINE IS CRUSHING ME" while a mech is squishing him. He has an vaguely annoyed expression as he reaches from beneath the large machine to write the message.
A pixel art animation of Rosie, a Seeker from the story I’m writing. It is a simple idle animation showing Rosie bobbing up and down a bit. Rosie wears a sly grin. Her quills are a reddish purple hue. She bears many battle scars, her fur is dark brown and she has searing pink eyes. Her mechanical arm is blue with orange accents. She wears a simple shear shirt with a skull affixed at the bottom of the neck.
Claire views an old photo of herself, posing cooly with Finn and Rosie. Rosie has them both in a tight embrace, Finn was surprised by this as the photo was snapped. They all look pleased and comfortable with each other. The Sisters shine above. Nearby on a wooden shelf there is an imprint in the dust where the frame lays face down. Also on the shelf (upright) are some portraits of Claire's parents, both Storied Seekers in their own right. They both wear solemn expressions. Claire's hands shake as she views the picture, because it makes her think of poor Finn and how brave she used to be.
Rosie sits with Ulrich, a rookie Seeker that she took under her wing last cycle. The crowd before them is drunk and restless, as they await the Trial of Combat. A flyer hangs on the dark, cracked wall, which features a stoic looking Seeker. It makes several appeals to duty and strength.
A meme of Gordan Ramsey saying “delicious Finally some good fucking food”
Katt aims a powerful downward kick at a flabbergasted bot, whose arms flail about. She laughs in delight at the thrill of the fight. Her legs and arms are wrapped to soften these kinds of blows.
Zed looks for rocks in an overgrown patch of sage that belongs to Elder Rolynd. Some of the most treasured pieces in his collection have come from here. He espies a particularly beautiful specimen, with the imprint of a leaf relieved into the surface. Gnarled roots are visible, and the leaves cast their patchwork shadows about him. Zed's eyes bulge in surprise and delight, as he carefully begins to reach for the rock, as if it might grow legs and scurry away if he moves too aggressively.
A sketch of Rosie from above, her arms are at her side and she stares defiantly at the viewer.
a sketch of a Seeker. They are short in stature, with large front teeth that stick out a bit. They are wearing a vest and dark pants tied at the waist. They have a large, curly tail, and wield a katana. Their quills are long, some would call them overgrown even, but it is fashionable to do so in some of the more remote Towers.
Zed poses with his paw resting on his hammer (the head of which is ornately decorated), and the other resting on his shield. The shield has been scarred by many battles, none of which Zed had participated in, for the shield and hammer belonged to his mother before passing to him. He wears an easy smile. The ground is roughly textured, and curled zephyrs wind and twist about in the background, causing his scarf to billow behind him. Despite being indoors, the Sister's Cross shines upon him. All in all, he looks quite striking.
Zed disrupts class because he was not paying attention to Trainer Claire's lesson. The other students look at him with expressions of annoyance, condescension, and confusion. Claire suppresses a chuckle because Zed had said he had been contemplating how old Elder Rolynd was, which tickled her (though she's trying to hide the fact that she's laughing). On the blackboard are various diagrams and schematics regarding a clockwork called Spectre. Taped to the board is a poster for an encouraging acronym: S.W.O.O.P., that one should remember if they are feeling scared. It was handwritten by Trainer Claire.
Zed dozes off atop the Book of Sands - a ponderous tome. The pages of the Holy Book are embellished with the Sister's Cross and Viridian filigree along the borders. A candle burns, casting a dull glow on the study nook, which serves as an overlook on the twisting Den H'watha. A great staircase can be seen in the immediate foreground, populated by Seekers going about their business. A hole in the ceiling is accessible via a simple rope and pulley mechanism. This is a common mode of reaching some of the more difficult-to-reach areas of the Den.
The main drag of Den H'watha, the most populous city in the world. Zed hurries to class, darting between meandering Seekers. The streets are even more packed than normal, because of the holiday (Feast of Daemnon). A vendor chats with some customers, his stall is simply labeled "Yum!", with an engraving of a cup of something hot and steaming. The stall is made of wood, and it is common practice for folk to scrawl messages on the wood, below the good vendor's eyeline. A writing implement hangs from a string for this very purpose. No one would dare make a mark on the top surface of the counter, not if they wanted to keep their fingers. The dark stone walls of the great thoroughfare can be seen, and some pipes are visible above.
Zed awakens in his burrow, which has stone walls. Inside the room is a lamp, which has been groggily turned on. It illuminates Zed's possessions: (1) box of good rocks, (2) box of great rocks, (3) aforementioned lamp, (4) a poster of Seeker Rosie who is Zed's favorite (5) various scrawlings, of which a few are crossed out, (6) his brother's scarf, (7) his mother's shield and hammer, (8) the bed (on which he lays). Shadows cross the room from hole in the wall which serves as the door to the burrow.
A silly image of a lizard depicted from an unflattering angle, captioned as saying "hhhehehe".
A zoom in on Seeker Mote, who is quite small but full of cunning. She scratches her chin and looks up at Harthox, her dear friend and crewmate. She owes him her life, and the broken blade she carries reminds her of that day. Her outfit is unrestrictive in order to facilitate better movement. She bears the Sister's Cross tattoo on her right arm, which is given after 3 successful Tower-climbs. The Tower Paw tattoo on her left bicep denotes 50 successful climbs, which earns the title of "Storied Seeker". Her tail is long and thin, and has a ribbon tied to it because she likes how it looks. Her cheekfur is angled downward. She has large eyes and very stubborn, curly eyebrows. Her ears are round.
A closer look at the crowd from the image above. It includes several storied Seekers, and many others who have no more than ten Tower-climbs to their name. There is Kit the Drunk, Talyn Woodrose, Trumpeter Gordie, famous duo: Harax & Mote, Glenn the Mystick, a handful of members from the Bloodquill Gang, Spoolmonger Caedrick, a Seeker who has lost their spear, several Seekers who are quietly reflecting on their own Trials ages ago, and a shell-shocked warrior who would rather be somewhere else.
Elder Rolynd sighs heavily. The plan had been to cause Zed to stumble by asking difficult questions in the Trial of Wisdom, but the lad had come well prepared and answered them flawlessly. Zed is triumphant, but he does not know how taxing the Trial of Combat will be, especially for one who is not particularly skilled in fighting. Hera's son will likely die today, and Rolynd can no longer stop it. The crowd is made up of an unruly gathering of Seekers, who have returned to the Buried Tower for the Feast of Daemnon. They are drunk as Sin and not particularly bothered whether or not Zed succeeds, they are simply looking for entertainment.
A ZOOM OF AFOREMENTIONED NUGGET
The seats of the Trial Room are packed full of Seekers, who were pleasantly surprised at young Zed's acumen during the Trial of Wisdom. The crowd is made up of seasoned warriors, and at the conclusion of the Trial, they will decide whether or not the young Petitioner will be welcomed into the Fold. The Trial of Combat remains, however, and many are still dubious about the youngster's chances of survival.
Elder Rolynd gives the preamble for the Trial of Wisdom. His voice is a low drone, and the crowd listens intently. The smoke from the Plumleaf cigarette he waves about has an acrid, metallic smell that makes Zed feel a bit nauseous. Elder pats him fondly on the head (which he hates). Rolynd calls out the Words, and the crowd roars in reply. The Trial has begun.
The unruly crowd roars their approval. Claire despairs, as she knows the Combat portion of the Trial awaits, and Zed is rather hopeless at fighting. He will likely die.
Trainer Claire jumps on a large metal crate, causing the front face to fall forward, revealing the Spectre. This particular Spectre is maintained by Claire, and is used to test new Seekers in trial combat. It is important to see whether Petitioners have the skill to survive outside the Tower.