The Heart of San Lobato

A blog dedicated to Urban Fantasy series The Heart of San Lobato. HSL is 18+, queer, contempoary supernatural fantasy

[theheartofsanlobato]

Largely forgotten in the rolling hills of southern California, where the Joshua trees littered the horizon, and the dead lurked in the abandoned storefronts, San Lobato lay rotting. It was the king of the "abandoned by God" towns of the desert, the last one to have a mall and a population over twenty-five thousand. Perhaps that was what had drawn in the priest Charlemagne Kriska all those years ago. He always had a soft spot for broken things.

And San Lobato was the last broken thing that had any hope left.

Welcome to San Lobato, a desert town in the middle of "why am I here" California, right smack in the middle between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The Heart of San Lobato is a Contemporary Supernatural Urban Fantasy with queer romance, themes of disability justice, and a whole lot of talk about what it's like to hate the town that keeps you. From those who move away, always moving back, to the dead who just can't stay dead. No one seems to ever leave San Lobato, so we all rot with it.

Join us, friend. Stay awhile.

This blog is accepting asks about the world and characters, tag games, and poking.

Current Word Count: 7,736 words.

Main Character Intros

[theheartofsanlobato]

Friend Group Dynamic

Thank you @sodaliteskull for the tag! Tagging @isabellebissonrouthier, @gothic--vampyre, and anyone else who wants to join in!! Open tag. if you want to be added to our tag list, say so in the comments.

The rules are simple. Imagine your OCs in a friend group and assign them to the roles below! You can put characters in multiple roles and multiple characters in each role.

The Leader - Charlemagne Kriska. He is the wrangler.

The Parent - Charlemagne, Kai Evans, and Sasha Mikhialov. Charlemagne is the traditional loving dad, Kai is either the fun dad or the helicopter mom, and Sasha is the parent trying to keep the house from burning down.

The Tired Peacemaker - Sasha. Charlemagne might be the leader, but Sasha is the rock of this dysfunctional family.

The Troublemaker - Cash Arizona. Do not ask what he does most of the day. Or where he got that gun.

The Cinnamon Roll - Josiah Materson. Shaking fawn of a man with the biggest eyes.

The Comic Relief Who’s Secretly Depressed - Kai. Don't worry about the second part, he's so perfectly fine :)

The Quiet Observer Who Knows Everyone’s Secrets - Nekane Kar. Everyone thinks she's just a space cadet, but she's Collecting Information.

The Charming Trickster - Kai and Cash. Kai is the British flirt and Cash has that Southern charm.

The Strong Protector - Really, everyone at some point, but in book one, mostly Charlemagne and Lorelai Materson.

The Creator/Artist - Nekane and Sasha. Nekane used to make her own clothes, and Sasha is a painter

The Smart One Who Has Answers For Everything Except Social Situations - Lorelai and Josiah. They're both uber autistic, but Lorelai can name every bone in the human body, every possible way you could die, exactly how to prevent it, and is a child prodigy in necromancy, and Josiah knows lots of animal facts and magic tips

The Disaster - Everyone at some point in this series, we promise. But mostly Charlemagne and Lorelai in Book One. Please give them lots of hugs and hot chocolate.

The Unpaid Therapist - Sasha. Someone give this man a break and a pack of menthols. He's gonna need them.

And that's all of them! Blank template for those joining in below.

The Leader -

The Parent -

The Tired Peacemaker -

The Troublemaker -

The Cinnamon Roll -

The Comic Relief Who’s Secretly Depressed -

The Quiet Observer Who Knows Everyone’s Secrets -

The Charming Trickster -

The Strong Protector -

The Creator/Artist -

The Smart One Who Has Answers For Everything Except Social Situations -

The Disaster -

The Unpaid Therapist -

[theheartofsanlobato]

Your mystery question is here :)

☂️Umbrella: What is one thing that protects your character and keeps them safe?

🌧Rain: What is one thing that can immediately ruin your character's mood?

⚡️Lightning: What surprises your character? What is the most sudden, surprising thing that has happened to them?

☂️Umbrella

Charlemagne: His faith and his buckler.

Lorelai: Joisah. At least, he's supposed to.

🌧Rain

Charlemagne: Frat boy alphas guys, or remembering his past sins.

Lorelai: The slightest change to a plan or her routine

⚡️Lightning

Charlemagne: Generally? How resilient his flock is. The most surprising? He found a reason to keep living.

Lorelai: Human behavior always seems to surprise her. People seem to change so quickly...

[writeblr-live-again]

April Live -- Q5

Remember this is a live ask event!

What that means is I will be active for the hour, hopping into ask boxes with followup questions as I am able, while encouraging you to do the same.

Answering the questions tells me you are cool with this.

You may answer all questions via reblog, reply, hopping in my askbox or even reposting. Just remember the #writeblr and #writeblr live tags if reblogging/reposting so we can find ya.

We’re here to help rebuild interaction in the community, so get in there and have fun with it!

--

That's it for this month!

If you have anything to share/promote, show us.

(remember to share others’ links!)

This is the promo post.

PROMOTE YOURSELF.

DO EET.

SHOW ME THOSE LINKS.

[theheartofsanlobato]

The Arcane spins its thread slowly, assuredly, all at once in every direction all the world is one thread, child, and The Arcane does not know beginning or end you are woven into its palm, in its heart, and it watches you grow, child, all at once. you are already fully formed and you have yet to emerge from the spool. you have never done wrong as much as the world burns at your feet. you are already a full thread, child, The Arcane sees no difference in your beginning and end. and in every iteration of you The Arcane smiles and chooses to weave you into the loom.

Our blog needs to be updated so new links yet! Be sure to follow us for when we have updated character intros!!!

[writeblr-live-again]

April Live -- Q4

Remember this is a live ask event!

What that means is I will be active for the hour, hopping into ask boxes with followup questions as I am able, while encouraging you to do the same.

Answering the questions tells me you are cool with this.

You may answer all questions via reblog, reply, hopping in my askbox or even reposting. Just remember the #writeblr and #writeblr live tags if reblogging/reposting so we can find ya.

We’re here to help rebuild interaction in the community, so get in there and have fun with it!

[theheartofsanlobato]

So far our world has a bunch of creepy crawleies around most every corner. Outside of towns and cities your running the risk of running into all manner of things, roaming ghouls, apparitions called fear eaters that stalk highways, and of course wild draconids or elementals. With Arc condensing in certain areas you can find anomalies forming where no one has set foot making the rules of reality take a rain check. Though if you wanna know our favorite it would have to be the Lizard dogos we named Andakwe-ets. They roam the Mojave hunting down small game and enjoying the hot desert sun. They are friendly to people and wont harm them as long as they don't go near their nests. But be warned these hybrid critters are prone to accidental bites when their excited. They feel very bad about it though.

[writeblr-live-again]

April Live -- Q3

Remember this is a live ask event!

What that means is I will be active for the hour, hopping into ask boxes with followup questions as I am able, while encouraging you to do the same.

Answering the questions tells me you are cool with this.

You may answer all questions via reblog, reply, hopping in my askbox or even reposting. Just remember the #writeblr and #writeblr live tags if reblogging/reposting so we can find ya.

We’re here to help rebuild interaction in the community, so get in there and have fun with it!

[theheartofsanlobato]

We have actually changed a lot of details for The Heart of San Lobato to clean up the themes of the story. We changed Charlemagne's backstory to make him a closeted gay man and a very stealth trans man. Nekane's sister is no longer dead. Lev's name is now Aleksander, Sasha for short. Lorelai and Josiah are more mutually co-dependent. Charlemagne is twice as pathetic and sad. Nekane is set up to be an anti-psych story. Our story goes through a lot of changes constantly but this round of edits and re thinking is the biggest we've done. It's an apt punishment for making a story without doing any of the foundation work first but if it get's a better story out there the pain is worth it!

[writeblr-live-again]

April Live -- Q1

Remember this is a live ask event!

What that means is I will be active for the hour, hopping into ask boxes with followup questions as I am able, while encouraging you to do the same.

Answering the questions tells me you are cool with this.

You may answer all questions via reblog, reply, hopping in my askbox or even reposting. Just remember the #writeblr and #writeblr live tags if reblogging/reposting so we can find ya.

We’re here to help rebuild interaction in the community, so get in there and have fun with it!

—

*Taglist for Writeblr Live Reminders, yell at me if you want on/off*

@starwright @darkluminosity

@write-with-will @pluppsauthor

@transman-badass @an-indecisive-nerd @aalinaaaaaa

@imsoveryveryconfusedatlife @leahnardo-da-veggie

@bellascarousel @kitcatling @of-potions-and-blades-official

@beloveddawn-blog @sodaliteskull @enbeemagical

@firesidefantasy @andrewbelindo @kitty-is-writing

@athenajbrooks @traderotales @nightmaricwriter

@kingragnarok-writes @overwhelmedfernfrond

@whenthestarsspeak @nykenima @soulsartuniverse

@the-ellia-west @sunflowerrosy

@callsigndreadfrost @writeintrees @sapphire-writes-stuff

@world-of-iridensia @usuallydecentwriter

@seaglasswrites

@pb-dot @cheshire-castle-library @thebookishkiwi

@ark-inkweaving @inks-books @sakugraphia @purple-dinosaur27

@autism-purgatory @theheartofsanlobato

@askyaphelion @thewritingautisticat

@elronthemage @youngshaowei1991 @rayne143 @tendrilsubversion

[cheshire-castle-library]

Greetings from Dissertation Hell! /half joke

I'm Nagi, I'm a SciFi and Fantasy genre writer, currently bouncing between a self indulgent ghost story set in a fictional rural town in my childhood home state, and a scifi set in a gravity well plagued by an overgrown medical device.

Honestly its been a rough couple months for writing, because all my creative energy has been going into my dissertation python program, so I'm hoping this event will help stir the brainworms again.

[theheartofsanlobato]

Hey home town rural bros! We also flit from work to work and have tried our best to keep it contained with AU's of our own work. Though we have to say the premise "Overgrown medical device" Is horrifying in a way that begs for more detail. Hopefully that will help you through dissertation hell.

[writeblr-live-again]

April Live -- Q2

Remember this is a live ask event!

What that means is I will be active for the hour, hopping into ask boxes with followup questions as I am able, while encouraging you to do the same.

Answering the questions tells me you are cool with this.

You may answer all questions via reblog, reply, hopping in my askbox or even reposting. Just remember the #writeblr and #writeblr live tags if reblogging/reposting so we can find ya.

We’re here to help rebuild interaction in the community, so get in there and have fun with it!

[theheartofsanlobato]

Ooooo, this is perfect for the Heart of San Lobato!

The universe of San Lobato is widely regarded as a tapestry. All matter, magic (called arc), and energy were made by a being known as The Arcane. The Arcane can be considered both the loom of the tapestry and the weaver, existing in a plane just outside of the universe but always watching it.

Other planes exist in between the threads, where the celestial and infernal reside. These realms are either cold and dead or so hot and full of energy that you would instantly be vaporized.

Then there's the realm of the Interlopers, who live on the underside of the tapestry. Their realm is the opposite of our own, in a constant state of flux where time isn't linear but rather in concentric circles that dip in and out of the multiverse.

[writeblr-live-again]

April Live -- Q1

Remember this is a live ask event!

What that means is I will be active for the hour, hopping into ask boxes with followup questions as I am able, while encouraging you to do the same.

Answering the questions tells me you are cool with this.

You may answer all questions via reblog, reply, hopping in my askbox or even reposting. Just remember the #writeblr and #writeblr live tags if reblogging/reposting so we can find ya.

We’re here to help rebuild interaction in the community, so get in there and have fun with it!

—

*Taglist for Writeblr Live Reminders, yell at me if you want on/off*

@starwright @darkluminosity

@write-with-will @pluppsauthor

@transman-badass @an-indecisive-nerd @aalinaaaaaa

@imsoveryveryconfusedatlife @leahnardo-da-veggie

@bellascarousel @kitcatling @of-potions-and-blades-official

@beloveddawn-blog @sodaliteskull @enbeemagical

@firesidefantasy @andrewbelindo @kitty-is-writing

@athenajbrooks @traderotales @nightmaricwriter

@kingragnarok-writes @overwhelmedfernfrond

@whenthestarsspeak @nykenima @soulsartuniverse

@the-ellia-west @sunflowerrosy

@callsigndreadfrost @writeintrees @sapphire-writes-stuff

@world-of-iridensia @usuallydecentwriter

@seaglasswrites

@pb-dot @cheshire-castle-library @thebookishkiwi

@ark-inkweaving @inks-books @sakugraphia @purple-dinosaur27

@autism-purgatory @theheartofsanlobato

@askyaphelion @thewritingautisticat

@elronthemage @youngshaowei1991 @rayne143 @tendrilsubversion

[theheartofsanlobato]

Hello again!! We are The Heart of San Lobato, also known as Hearts. We are run by @wisteria-unknown and @alutiskyran. The Heart of San Lobato is a contemporary supernatural urban fantasy series. We are currently working on book one: The Werewolf’s Steeple.

Book one is dual-pov between Father Charlemagne Kriska, a fresh-out-of-retirement monster hunter and Byzantine Catholic priest, stuck investigating a string of murders with the ghost of his dead daughter-figure, and Lorelai Materson, a childhood prodigy necromancer who has three months to do the impossible to save both her own life and her twin brother’s.

[theheartofsanlobato]

Happy Writeblr Live! If Charlemagne couldn't have been coaxed out of retirement for whatever reason, how do you think Book One would have panned out?

TW for self harm and suicide so don't read any further than this if you aren't comfortable with that subject.

So the answer to that question is very interesting because in the very first chapter he was planning to kill himself. The chapter shows him keeping a bottle of brandy and a loaded gun in his desk with a single silver bullet The only thing that stops him is being asked to do one last exorcism. If he doesn't get coaxed out to do that he dies. If he dies there is no one to start getting the fam together. If that doesn't happen every threat in San Lobato goes unanswered. Hell if Nekane fails to convince Charlemagne to take up his robes once more he chooses to stand on the sidelines while people get hurt and Nekane leaves him again. Having been let down by Charlemagne for the second time.

[theheartofsanlobato]

Your mystery question is here :)

🐉Dragon: What is one thing your character would protect at all costs?

Charlemagne: Nekane. I have hurt her and abandoned her when I was supposed to be there for her. She came to me when I was at my lowest. If that is not God's way of giving me a new purpose, I don't know what is. I'll never let anything hurt her again.

Lorelai: My brother, of course. Josiah. It's always been the two of us, and it'll always be the two of us. Him and I, I and him. I would die for him, and I trust him to die for me. But it won't come to that. It can't. We have to survive this. We have to make it out. No matter what.

[theheartofsanlobato]

If you had to swap lives with any character, who would you choose?

Ughhh, this is so hard. We made almost every single backstory awful.

Wist would pick Josiah. Josiah's home life is terrible, but too dissimilar to his own. The need to take insulin injections would suck since they have a terrible phobia of needles. But having healing magic and being able to help his friends would be nice. :)

Alutis would pick Nekane. She's fem, has cool ghost powers, and is immune to most forms of damage. The main downside is that she's dead, so that would suck. But the cool fashion sense could make up for that.

[theheartofsanlobato]

Happy Storyteller Saturday! If you had to fight the main character(s) of your current WIP, who would win and why?

Our story has two main characters but if I'm being honest either one of our authors would loose at a glance. Grandpa Charlemagne can still fight supernatural beings while blind we stand no chance. As for Lorelai we are fairly certain she can bench both of our weight as a warm up before a medical exam. We as the authors made this nerd a beefcake and would much rather fight a concrete wall than her.

[theheartofsanlobato]

TELL ME ABOUT WHICH OC IS THE MOST LIKE YOU AND WHICH OC IS THE MOST LIKE YOU

(Based on a conversation, it has been determined that Izzy meant the most like you and the least like you, so I will be answering with that in mind.)

For Wist, the OC most like him aesthetically is Kai. Short curly hair, trans man. They just wish they had the top surgery to match. Personality-wise, it's Lorelai. They have very similar autism traits (ARFID, sensory issues, desperate need for routine), freaky little interests, and concerning desperation for maternal approval. The least aesthetically similar would be Lorelai, who is about a foot taller than him, muscular, Black, with locs. They do dress similarly sometimes, though. Personality-wise, it would probably be Cash. That man is active, unafraid of death, and cheats at Poker.

For Alutis, the OC most like her aesthetically is Beatrice. They're both white trans women on estrogen. Though that's really where the similarities end. Not really any OC looks like her. (Wist: which is a shame because she's gorgeous). The most like her personality-wise is Charlemagne. They both value community and found family, and they're both very protective. Least like her appearance-wise would be Charlemagne. Charlemagne is an 80-year-old man with a beard and muscles. Ironically, though, they are the exact same height at 6'4. The least like her personality-wise would be Beatrice. Alutis would not like being undead and also would not flirt with a random woman while naked and still thawing from the morgue freezer. Alutis is also not as talented in the kitchen as Beatrice.

[did-i-do-this-write]

Want an ask about your writing and characters? No problem! Reblog this post with an emoji for a corresponding mystery question in your inbox! 

☂️Umbrella 

🌧Rain 

⚡️Lightning 

(accepting requests until April 30th, 2026) 

[thedaygoesupinflames]

i bring a sort of "this character is canonically malnourished and would gain at least a couple pounds during their hypothetical healing arc wherein they get better" vibe to the function that people dont really like

[squeakitties]

idk which OC owner needs to hear this but it's time to retcon/retool/overhaul that OC's trait without explanation or justification that you've been wanting to. you're allowed to and you can do it

[theheartofsanlobato]

This is the only warning all of you are getting /silly A lot of characters have been revamped for The Heart of San Lobato, so expect some changes to the blog soon!!