A blog dedicated to my creative projects! Including the upcoming Nýúlfur: The New Wolf Serial Novel! Alongside this, enjoy snippets from the Arcbots Project, the Ship of Aurora, Artwork, and more!
So, for my first major update and blog post, I want to confirm the release date for my first major serial novel! It is one that I've been spending a very long time to write, edit and work on, and now I feel like the time is right for me to get it out.
Nýúlfur: The New Wolf is currently slated for publishing as a serial novel on the 30th of October 2025! There is alot of work to do before I can put the story out on that date, but I hope to be able to meet it! It's taken me long enough. It's a post-apocalyptic werewolf novel with plenty of action and combat thrown in, but it is also a serious story with themes related to identity, race and attempting to understand different people and the world as a whole.
This first volume of the serial novel takes place in an alternate 2020, just over eight years after the human society is brought to its knees by a devastating disease known only as the Retrovirus. This virus either kills the infected, or more often, transforms its victims into twisted monsters called Ferals. Another group of 'werewolves', known as the Nýúlfur (icelandic for 'new wolf') have also been running amok, causing issues for humanity's survivors. Our protagonist finds himself changed and altered under horrific circumstances and ends up in the post-apocalyptic nation of Cascadia. There, he is thrown into the very centre of the conflict between the different species and the factions they are composed of. Not just the humans, Nýúlfur and Ferals, but also a mysterious Organisation. One that had a hand in destroying his life... and perhaps with the current state of the Retrovirus itself...
This is a story I've been sitting on for years, and I looking forward to sharing it with everyone! Whilst I am still determining which websites to post on and the like, Nýúlfur will be free to read on websites like Royal Road and forums on a chapter-by-chapter basis, gradually following into a weekly/biweekly cycle after the launch week. Depending on how things go, a Patreon will likely be set up a later date, with access to bonus chapters, lore snippets and early access to new chapters. After each volume is complete, they will eventually be self-published as full volumes.
Either way, I'm looking forward to showing the world of Cascadia to you and see how it can be enjoyed!
"We really didn't have any idea of what would happen if they caught us. This was day six I think, there were already conflicted news stories and the internet wasn't much better. There were eight of us. We had a few shotguns and pistols we had picked up on the way, but I wish we managed to find some more guns as we got out of the city. There was a pack of those Ferals, Formers I think, about fourteen of them. We're confident at first, we had those guns and the most they could do was run at us... god I didn't realise they could move that fast and take bullets like they did, and those were just the ones who had got infected. We took down four before they were on us, tore Carly and Trevor apart in a few seconds. Some of us got jumped, forced to the ground too. I got lucky, I managed to get into a wrecked car and just started shooting. Only four of us were kicking and free after that when the other Ferals scarpered off, leaving corpses behind or dragging people away kicking and screaming. Managed to sink their teeth into some of us before they did too. Someone was in a pretty bad way, can't remember his name. But we brought him along as we left the city, tried to patch him up as best we could. We didn't want to take chances following the captured... we thought they were already dead. And to be fair, they were."
"I only wish I had seen the emergency broadcasts. It started slow. Two of us were having all sorts of symptoms, unrelated. The most injured guy was spasming, crying out in pain and wouldn't stop coughing. The other couldn't stop hearing voices, started getting snappy and just... wouldn't stop sweating and feeling weak. I thought it was a regular infection from what injuries they already had, or just exhaustion. But when the moment came... I can still remember that screaming, the snapping bones and those... those growths erupting from their skin along with the fur. It only took a few seconds, but I knew then why everyone was so terrified of those things... they weren't human anymore. They were Ferals too. Snarling at us, not even remembering us for who we were. Just more prey. And the crackling... god the crackling - it sounded like a fire burning anything it touched as their injuries just stitched themselves together before our eyes. And then they attacked. I managed to blow one's brains out with my shotgun and drove the other one off. But the last person I was with... Isebelle, she realised that she got bitten."
"I had tried to stop her from putting the gun to her head that day... but thinking back... after seeing what I have since then... I know there wasn't anything we could have done. Once bitten, that's it. You're either dead... or you turn into a monster. I just hope that the day I'm bitten, someone can put a bullet in my head... I wouldn't wish that transformation on my worst enemy..."
Sgt. Frederic Roberts, Cascadian Guardsman.
Note: Eighteen hours after interview, Sgt. Roberts was captured after being infected by a pack of Ferals led by two Purebreeds. Most of his squad were killed or infected in the attack. Status unknown. Suspected KIA or Turned Feral.
Although it has received many classifications and names from different governmental, scientific and medical bodies during the Outbreak, to most, the plague that wiped out much of human civilisation is known simply as The Retrovirus. Its origins remain unknown, as during the earliest days of the Outbreak, cases had emerged all across the world at mostly the same time. From North America to South East Asia, the Retrovirus had managed to spread across the planet far before humanity was ready. All that is known for certain regarding its early recorded history is that the first infected were victims of brief, but brutal attacks in major population centres, leaving hundreds to thousands injured. Reports have been scattered and conflicted, but many implied the attackers were large, monstrous beings that just as quickly disappeared before a major response could arrive. Unfortunately for most of those victims, within a few days, they would be transformed and altered in a gruesome fashion, becoming the first Ferals in official records. What started off as isolated outbreaks evolved into a global pandemic, and then into an actual war for survival, as many nations suddenly had to fight thousands to millions of Ferals, gathered in powerful hordes as they assaulted cities. Their numbers fuelled by their own rapid breeding and by infecting humans in almost every encounter, they soon started overthrowing entire countries with their sheer numbers, strength and a surprising amount of cunning on the part of Feral pack leaders and the Alphas.
Despite considerable resources being applied to every medical and scientific research division that could be assembled in some form or another, attempts to stop the Retrovirus through such means have failed. Whilst there is much about the Retrovirus that still isn't understood, what is known is that the virus almost constantly mutates and evolves, and furthermore, is capable of self-repair down to DNA and RNA strands. Coupled with the fact that the Retrovirus directly attacks and alters host DNA directly, the few remaining medical experts surviving have stressed that the Retrovirus is practically uncurable, as even if a treatment was provided, it would rapidly mutate and render the treatment useless.
There are mixed reports on infection and symptoms. Whilst there have been unconfirmed anecdotes of waterborne and sample contamination, it is universally known that the primary vector of infection is through a direct bite from a Feral or infected human (although claw infections have been noted, they have not been confirmed outright). Infection from such a bite is guaranteed, regardless of the victim or Feral in question. Symptoms are likewise difficult to pinpoint, as they vary from infected to infected, but there are many reports of sharp pains throughout the body, lesions, vomiting, hallucinations and sudden bouts of hostility. Within a few days, there are two outcomes. Roughly 2-5% of victims rapidly determinate and die from extensive blood loss and organ failure. But the vast majority are suddenly and rapidly transformed into new Ferals. Even critically injured and seemingly dead individuals have suddenly become Ferals at the worst possible moment.
Standard procedure in the case of known infection is for the execution of any surviving infected immediately, followed by the burning of the bodies down to the bone, to prevent the risk of transformation and further infection. Whilst most Ferals would happily kill the infected just as quickly as anyone else, some have been reported to drag survivors away, likely to add to their own numbers.
Eight years on, the Retrovirus is still considered the greatest threat to human civilisation, even compared to the threat of the Ferals still operating throughout the world, especially within the Badland Regions.
Despite investigations and rampant suspicions, attempts to find a link between the Retrovirus and the Nýúlfur have proven unsuccessful, and likely will not be achieved despite no reports of Nýúlfur infecting humans having ever been recorded. In addition, as per general convention, the Kill on Sight Order remains in effect, and Nýúlfur must be eliminated whenever found due to their actions.
Howdy folks, hope you are well. Or at least, doing better than you were five minutes ago. If not, I do hope you are feeling better soon.
I wanted to focus this particular post on a bit of a glimpse on some of the creative projects I'm working on, not just Nýúlfur but a few other bits and pieces I've got on hand. I've got a lot of hopes and dreams on projects, but there are currently three different stories/settings that I'm working on directly. I've posted this on Twitter/Bluesky before, but I figured I'd do something a little bit more in depth here!
Those three projects are Nýúlfur itself, the novella The Ship of Aurora and the larger Arcbots Project. These are my current Phase I, II and III respectively. And for good measure, here is some of my own art on those projects!
So, Nýúlfur is my main project, and is slated to come out on the 30th of October 2025 with it's first volume, The New Wolf. It is a story focusing on an alternate version of 2020, taking place after a deadly disease known as the Retrovirus spreads across the world. As discussed before, this leads to the emergence of wolven monsters called Ferals. But there are also the titular Nýúlfur who are working on the sidelines and the mysterious Organisation behind. It's a story I've worked on in some form or another for over ten years, but for a wide range of reasons I've never got it out of the door, ranging from going through the publishing minefield, constant self-doubt and a desire to do this story as best I could. In the end, I've decided that I didn't want to sit on it anymore, and now I want to get the story out to the wider world.
Nýúlfur might seem like a post-apocalyptic story with a focus on werewolves (and it is), but it's a little deeper than that. It focuses alot on themes that feel especially important to bring up today, including standing up to hatred, learning to trust others and seeing the great histories and picture behind current events. Given what the state of the world is like now, it feels more fitting than ever to get Nýúlfur out.
Okay, this is very much a placeholder title from an old bit of artwork, but this will almost certainly get replaced in time. The Ship of Aurora is a much smaller, but still pretty important project of mine as part of Phase II.
The central theme of The Ship of Aurora is the Ship of Theseus paradox. The basic idea is this, you replace a ship's rotting planks for new ones. Once you replace all the planks, is it still the same ship? The Ship of Aurora is that but in space, and further still, there are AI thrown into the mix. Identity serves as major part of the story, with how different characters can and don't support said identities throughout. All whilst there is an egotistical plot running in the background.
Aurora is a story more built around its character interactions compared to the more epic scale of Nýúlfur (even though there are very important character interactions in that story whilst Aurora has some pretty big set pieces itself), and there is a little bit of overlap with LGBTQ+ content. So if you happen to lean that way, you should find this story to resonate pretty well! Furthermore, whilst Aurora is a shorter story that I hope to publish traditionally, I am leaving elements in place to leave it connected to a wider setting.
And now for Phase III. Arcbots takes another contemporary issue: Namely the emergence of 'AI' (or what they really called, LLMs). But Arcbots is a bit more than that.
Set in the world of Arkaris in the year 1990 AC, the story takes place several decades after the Great Revolutions, a major series of political crisises, revolts, rebellions, revolutions and wars that were triggered by the rise of automation, advanced 3D-fabricators and critically, the emergence of the Adaptive and Regenative Combat Systems or ARCS, better known as Arcbots. Sapient combat machines that are able to reconfigure themselves on the fly, rendering most forms of warfare obsolete overnight. In this world, humans and Arcbots are paired into cooperative dyads, Arcbots protect the humans and the humans grant the Arcbots their weaponry.
This is not a world like ours though, many different governments and societies have formed in the wake of the revolutions from socialist nations to mega corporations, to authoritarian capitalist states to anarchist communes and finally, the wild mix of different hybrid states. This story focuses on a human and a recently reawakened Arcbot as they work as mercenaries in the shadow of a Cold War between an alliance of hybrid states and a global superpower...
Arcbots is a bit different from Nýúlfur and Aurora. Like the former, it will have a serial novel release, something that I am currently planning out with some detail. However, this will not be the only component of Arcbots. I am also working on a tabletop wargame set in Arkaris! It focuses on controlling a single bot with alot of customisation options, fighting battles against other Arcbots and their human partners. Fabricate your Arcbot, choose a faction and fight in quick battles with alot of tactical depth! I'm aiming to get both the serial and the game out at the same time, so keep an eye on this space!
So, that is a bit of a glimpse of my current projects. I do have some other stuff in the back of the den when it comes to settings. Such as Kili Kingsley, Constellation, Everborn and Space Carrier Audacity... but, well, depending on what happens in the future, you may see those in time.
Either way, I hope to show you those three settings soon!
"The nations of the world were in ruins. They were either infested by the hordes of Ferals, or contaminated from nuclear, biological or chemical warfare in an attempt to stop them. But some people were not content to sit in a town or city. Some wanted to rebuild what they lost. But many, from humans to the wolves, wanted something more... something new. And so the factions all claimed one land with an old name: Cascadia."
Howdy folks, I just wanted to do something a little bit different for a blog post. This is Scratchings from the Den, a sort of small microblog within a blog offering some lore snippets and some details about the creative stuff I'm working on, both in and out of the setting.
For the first topic, I wanted to give a small glimpse of Nýúlfur before the release, specifically, it's primary setting. The post-outbreak nation of Cascadia.
Cue a very simple map of mine, credits to Wikicommons in the image.
In the real world, Cascadia is a bioregion that straddles much of the Pacific Northwest, in western Canada and the northwestern United States. A bioregion that ignores administrative and political boundaries. Instead, it focuses on natural elements, such as native fauna and flora, the position of watersheds and mountain ranges and overall climate. These bioregions can be diverse but are often very closely interconnected. Cascadia is one of these regions and stretches from the bottom of Alaska all the way down to Northern California, but is mostly composed of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.
Cascadia stands out, namely because unlike most other bioregions not because of its natural environment, but because of the political movement that is active throughout the region, calling for greater recognition of the region at least to outright independence at most. It is such a big movement, Cascadia even has it's very own flag! The Doug Flag!
In the world of Nýúlfur, Cascadia did indeed become a nation its own right... although probably in one of the worst ways imaginable. It was born during the Retrovirus Outbreak, where like most of the world, the USA and Canada were quickly overrun by the Feral Hordes. Many survivors fled into old British Columbia and were forced to flee further to Vancouver Island during the Fall of Vancouver. However, it was there that a significant portion of humanity began to rebuild in the wake of Outbreak. Victoria, once an important but otherwise standard provincial capital, quickly emerged as the defacto most powerful surviving human city on Earth. And as it developed and fortified itself at shocking speed, much of the leadership and the survivors began to look back towards the mainland, intending to reclaim territory. Not formerly Canadian or American land, but a new nation to stand stronger on the bones of the old. This would be Cascadia.
Unfortunately for those humans attempting to resettle the mainland, they not only had to deal with the scattered but still very numerous Ferals, they also had to contend with the emerging Nýúlfur. These were werewolves who likewise claimed Cascadia as their own.
Because of this, Cascadia, despite being declared a nation, is actually still mostly wilderness with several scattered settlements. Different factions trade and compete with each other for influence and control of the territory, all whilst dealing with the ever-present threat of Ferals, whilst some dare to travel across the border into the Badlands.
This version of Cascadia follows the general border of the real-life bioregion, but many of the borders have expanded out as per the claim of the Cascadian Council in Victoria in the quest to build a new nation known around what is left of the world. A flag descended from the Doug Flag serves as the symbol of the region.
Cascadia serves as the primary setting for Nýúlfur. Want to learn more? Well, check out Nýúlfur: The New Wolf when it releases on the 30th of October 2025!
Howdy folks, so I just wanted to leave a small update. I'm not just posting stuff on Tumblr. I am also active on a few other websites as well. I have both a Bluesky and Twitter account where I do short and sweet posts regarding Nýúlfur content as well as other creative projects of mine! Feel free to have a look!
I would like to add as well that I am also active on DeviantArt, which is where I keep the art that I've completed myself or commissioned over the years. It sometimes comes with additional lore drippings! Please feel free to check it out!
Check out StolenMadWolf's art on DeviantArt. Browse the user profile and get inspired.
Thank you! I'll be setting up some additional accounts soon, so please keep an eye on this space! Hope to see you on these pages as well!
Hey there! My name is StolenMadWolf! Feel free to call me whatever you like, Wolf, Stolen, MadWolf, Maddy, Wolfie, whatever, anything is welcome! I've been on tumblr for a few years, but I haven't really been using it as there wasn't really much I could talk about or do with Tumblr at the time. That being said, things have changed since then.
The main reason why is because of what I'm doing now. I'm a creative content creator, specifically working on writing novels. I have dabbled in fanfiction for a few years, but my primary passion project for around ten years has been a much bigger original novel. And after so many years of talking about it and annoying more than a few people because I've always found some reason to hold back on it... well, I figured now is the time I stopped hesitating and finally get it out. It is not the only creative project I'm working on, but I want to be able to get the ball rolling.
I have three major creative projects in the works, including the post-apocalyptic werewolf serial Nýúlfur and its first volume: The New Wolf. There is also The Ship of Aurora novella and the larger Arcbots Project, which not only includes a serial novel of its own, but a tabletop wargame that I'm developing! I also dabble with art, some of which I'll link and post about here.
As for the purpose of this blog? Well, it's a way of me being able to share details about my creative work and go into additional detail where I might not be able to do so on the likes of Twitter and Bluesky, even when I eventually get a website up and running. I'll also be writing on some additional content as well here. So keep an eye on this space! I'll see you around!
