Fanatical Dec 2022
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Hello travellers and welcome to the debut issue of Fanatical.
So what exactly is this little curio? Well Fanatical is a collection of short stories-fantasy¸ sci-fi and horror-inspired by the tabletop games we play and the worlds that they leave in our heads.
We have stories of noirish horror and fantasy fun¸ of thrilling adventure and eerie curiosity.
Within these pages you'll find tales spun out from the worlds of roleplaying games¸ miniature wargames and even board games. Because I knew there were too many people out there who went home after a game and wrote these sort of stories down¸ ere they be lost¸ so I created a home for them.
Fanatical... as in fan fic. Geddit?
And if¸ dear reader¸ you feel heartened to learn that there is such a place¸ please consider getting in touch.
Check us out at FanaticalMag.com
Featuring the following tales from the tabletop...
Sleep of the Just by Marcus Wight - A wandering knight takes on a job and gets more than he bargained for.
'Nothing at first. At first. But then he began to just about make out the sound of branches moving and something that sounded like footfalls. And breathing. Deep breathing. Coming from behind him. This was no bear.'
The Most Dangerous (Board) Game by Carolyn Stein and Stephen Stein - A board game demo at a convention is more than it seems.
'Seating himself¸ Nick gulped down several cheese-covered nachos¸ licked his fingers¸ and reached across the board. He hesitated for a moment¸ considering his move¸ and then picked up one of his wolves¸ only to suddenly drop it. "Hey! It bit me.”'
The Wave Nature of Matter by Vincent deDiego Metzo - A young woman trying to navigate adoloscence¸ finds herself contending with a strange phenomena¸ in her apartment building.
'He threw the chair into the static. They ducked expecting it to bounce back or crash through to the other side. The static buzz went up in pitch. "Wasn't this in a movie?”'
Marget and the Mimic by Rhiannon Lotze - A retired resident of begins to wonder if the disappearences in her neighbourhood have something to do with that package left across the street.
'Margaret turned in for the night¸ but one thought stuck in her mind¸ making it hard to fall asleep; the Amazon package on the porch across the way was definitely bigger.'
Crittenton by Victory Witherkeigh - Hired to look into an obfuscated part of America's past¸ a private detecive discovers something even more horrifying.
'Why he hadn't checked for an escape route was beyond stupid¸ in his opinion¸ but Detective Vadon Moss didn't have time to dwell on it now. Something was coming for him¸ and it was angry¸ hungry for vengeance. '
Down into the Depths by Roland Bridge - Venturing into the depths of the world on a quest¸ an adventuring party wonders if every member can pull their weight.
'I'm the guy that gets things done. I bring skill and finesse to the group. Skill is my spear and Finesse is my hammer. If there is a door that is heavily locked? Finesse. Someone won't tell us where the treasure room is? Finesse.'