On the Matter of the Red Hand: A Dark Fantasy Steampunk Mystery Noir (Judicar's Oath Book 1)

Year 607 of the Forsaken Aetas, Month of Nighharvest
Shrouded Week, Sundering
Second Bell, Dusking

In the distant world of Cæstre, a city teeters on the edge of tainted oblivion.

Thom never quite got accustomed to the visions that came like molten gold in his blood- but then the visions were just part of the job. As a Judicar, his oaths to the city bring him nothing but problems, but this time it's a problem that may get him killed.

Or worse.

Thom's alchemical visions lead him to the door of a madman- Santiago Il Ladren. Santiago is a monster, rumored to have his enemies creatively tortured to death- that is, the ones that don't simply vanish.

It is possible that Santiago will have Thom skinned alive, just for asking the wrong questions.

Soon, the mystery takes a sharp turn. Thom is lost in a labyrinth of misty streets and knife wielding thugs, looking to leave him all too dead. There is a missing girl- and it happens that Santiago is her brother. Thom stumbles through dark alleyways and only finds more mysteries, and beatings from unknown men.

Then things take a darker turn.

Soon it becomes obvious that someone is dealing with secrets that are forbidden and depraved. Every step Thom takes is another down a twisted road that leads to forgotten alchemies and experiments in horror, hidden in plain sight. Finally, lost within strange shadows, Thom is confronted with stark, horrifying truths that he never wanted to face.

Unfortunately, Thom may have learned these truths a touch too late.

Fantasy Noir. Steampunk Mystery. Horror in a City by the Sea.

This story is the first listing in a series called "Judicar's Oath." It is one of the cornerstones to the Irrational Worlds, with over a dozen planned titles. This series is itself the fifth strand in The Paean of Sundered Dreams, a multi-genre, universe-spanning array of tales with Lovecraftian themes.

These stories may be enjoyed as individual series, or as part of the Paean, in its proper order. If you are a reader who is reading this as part of our collected works, our recommended order is here:

Rationality Zero

The Herald of Autumn

Collateral Damage

Handmaiden's Fury

On the Matter of the Red Hand

The Primary Protocol

Regarding Oaths and the Whispering Flame

Slave of the Sky-Captain

The Wormwood Event

Coming in 2015! "On the Dark and Desolate Sea."