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Torn World Fiction

Torn World fiction is available here, most recent publications first. Some selections are available only to supporters of Torn World! Poetry is available on our Poetry Page. We also have a timeline on which stories and other events are listed by date.

Tobern Climbs   1496.02.11  
Written By: Valerie Higgins (Writer)
Spring meltwater turns a path into a raging torrent.
Posted: 07/28/10      [No comments yet]
 
Spilled   1515.06.08  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Areluu's age-set faces their last test...
Posted: 07/23/10      [2 Comments]
 
Dying to Do   1520.05.14  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Laisesu is bothered by Marival's death.
Posted: 07/21/10      [1 Comment]
 
Breeding   1505.06.29  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Malaamig chooses a new working companion.
Posted: 07/15/10      [No comments yet]
 
Paper Butterflies: Proof   1520.07.15  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
All is not settled yet with unlicensed Amaroin...
Posted: 07/14/10      [No comments yet]
 
The Bird Festival   myth  
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
In this Southern myth Rockhopper, Furbird, and Scythebeak go to the Bird Festival.
Posted: 07/12/10      [2 Comments]
 
Monster Teeth and Art Glass   1520.04.23  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer)
A peek into the life of a "rustic" Duurludirj artist, and her efforts to keep her family together and profitably employed.
Posted: 06/16/10      [No comments yet]
 
An Irresistible Attraction   1520.03.29  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer)
The proprietor of The Smiling Serpent, Dorersh Duurl Atya's premier tourist restaurant, has a new competitor, and needs a way to attract the customers back to her tables.
Posted: 06/14/10      [No comments yet]
 
The Gaudy Eye   1468.03.22  
Supporters Only!
Spicy Content is for registered readers only!
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
A beautiful blinkbird pin takes a tour through history.
Posted: 06/07/10      [No comments yet]
 
Story Rites   1520.02.03  
Spicy Content is for registered readers only!
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer), Melissa Nelson (Patron), Ellen M. Million (Illustration)
A body - and many memories - break free in melting spring ice.
Posted: 06/04/10      [No comments yet]
 
Tainted Words Part 3: The Reward   1520.06.16  
Supporters Only!
Adult Content is for registered readers over 18 only!
Written By: Lorna Cowie (Writer), Ellen M. Million (Editor)
Olarali shares the information she's found out about Bai.
Posted: 06/03/10      [No comments yet]
 
A Girls’ Day Shopping (Part 1)   1520.04.13  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer)
Dini's sister wants to plan the wedding, and points out that a wedding dress is a first requirement, since they must sit for portraits. But first she takes Lalya to a women's clothing store.
Posted: 06/02/10      [1 Comment]
 
The Acorn Coat   myth  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
In this Southern fable, Father Bear finds food for his family.
Posted: 06/01/10      [No comments yet]
 
Owlheart   1520.04.15  
Supporters Only!
Spicy Content is for registered readers only!
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
Tekura shares a bead with Osro at the summer gather.
Posted: 05/21/10      [No comments yet]
 
The First Flakes   1519.05.23  
Written By: Toni Sturtevant (Writer)
Taiv spends a relaxing late-summer afternoon with a group of snowies.
Posted: 05/20/10      [1 Comment]
 
Spunkey Shines   1271.03.05  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
A strange animal follows Gliver home.
Posted: 05/19/10      [No comments yet]
 
The Reluctant Rescue   1520.06.21  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Despite personal dislike, Noithil goes out of his way to rescue a skycat.
Posted: 05/17/10      [1 Comment]
 
The Empire Trusts You   1520.06.20  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
Jelnora and Abom take a course in parenting.
Posted: 05/14/10      [No comments yet]
 
We Shape Our Lives Like Clay   1520.06.19  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer)
Fleitamelo grounded her daughter for playing on the wharves, then decided it's time for a private conversation with her.
Posted: 05/11/10      [No comments yet]
 
Railcrazy   1520.06.19  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
A citizen of the Empire dreams of a better job.
Posted: 05/10/10      [No comments yet]
 
The Rats   1503.06.02  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
Karavai, Tekura, Ularki, and their age-mates face the final phase of their adulthood tests.
Posted: 05/07/10      [No comments yet]
 
Kasiikar’s New Hunting Ground   myth  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer), Michelle Goldberg (Patron)
The dog-loving Yasiluu have their own mythology describing why the two smaller moons precede and follow the large moon in Torn World's sky.
Posted: 05/06/10      [1 Comment]
 
Cause and Defect   1515.06.12  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer), Michelle Goldberg (Patron), Melissa Nelson (Patron)
Emeroma accepts a dinner engagement with Draiden.
Posted: 05/05/10      [1 Comment]
 
A Northern Puppet Story   myth  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Valerie Higgins (Writer), Valerie Higgins (Illustration)
A cautionary tale about good (and bad!) behavior in the North.
Posted: 04/30/10      [No comments yet]
 
Building Cities   1517.09.02  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Jerumal helps his little boys build a city out of blocks.
Posted: 04/29/10      [No comments yet]
 
The Hammer That Remembered Hands   myth  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
A talking hammer teaches manners.
Posted: 04/29/10      [No comments yet]
 
Tainted Words Part 2: The Solution   1520.06.08  
Supporters Only!
Adult Content is for registered readers over 18 only!
Written By: Lorna Cowie (Writer), Ellen M. Million (Editor)
Olarali pries into Baison's work... and finds a crack in his armor.
Posted: 04/22/10      [No comments yet]
 
Wild Snowy Chase, part one   1520.04.23  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer)
Jrilii and three of her age-mates remained in Itadesh after becoming adults to care for two young snowies; when they finally leave for the summer gather, a side-trip leads them into a remote valley.
Posted: 04/21/10      [No comments yet]
 
A New Role   1520.04.13  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer)
Dini tells Lalya his sister wants to take his bride shopping and plan wedding festivities. Lalya had never imagined himself a bride. Oh--and there's to be a big party! And...
Posted: 04/16/10      [No comments yet]
 
It's Not Magic, It's Science!   1515.09.02  
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer), Melissa Nelson (Patron)
Oranaan makes another attempt to study the after-effects of anomalies.
Posted: 04/15/10      [2 Comments]
 
Dress Code   1520.06.18  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer), Michelle Goldberg (Patron)
Lassati's employees try to change her style...
Posted: 04/14/10      [1 Comment]
 
A Monster Project   1514.07.03  
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
Dlujan and his classmates dissect a deathfin carcass for a school project.
Posted: 04/14/10      [No comments yet]
 
My First Dance   1477  
Written By: Valerie Higgins (Writer)
Ivara is an elder of the Snow Unicorn Riders. Ashegoi is a retired female actor of male roles in The Empire. They have never met, but each has vivid memories of the first dance they attended as an adult!
Posted: 04/13/10      [No comments yet]
 
The Shades of Yesterday   1520.04.02  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
Unafari, a record clerk, notices something odd about a museum display.
Posted: 04/12/10      [1 Comment]
 
Not the End of the World   1520.06.02  
Written By: Amy Waller (Writer)
Dlashi has something important to tell Lei...
Posted: 04/12/10      [No comments yet]
 
Wide Sky With Small Critters   1520.02.23  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer)
Alainya is knitting something prettier than diapers, when Bayarl, as usual, interrupts her peace--but not in the usual way.
Posted: 04/09/10      [2 Comments]
 
How Hare-thorn Catkins Became the First Sign of Spring   myth  
Written By: Valerie Higgins (Writer)
A Northern myth about silk-hares and hare-thorn
Posted: 04/09/10      [No comments yet]
 
Tainted Words Part 1: The Challenge   1520.06.01  
Supporters Only!
Adult Content is for registered readers over 18 only!
Written By: Lorna Cowie (Writer), Ellen M. Million (Editor)
Baison seeks to soothe his mind and body with Olarali.
Posted: 04/08/10      [No comments yet]
 
Paper Butterflies: Paper Trail   1520.06.01  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer), Lorna Cowie (Patron)
Bai struggles with the idea of unlicensed Amaroin.
Posted: 04/07/10      [1 Comment]
 
Becoming Art   1520.06.18  
Written By: Amy Waller (Writer)
It isn't the dance itself that is art.
Posted: 04/05/10      [2 Comments]
 
These Teeth, Like Stars   1520.04.15  
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
Marai and Valoi go to the Raiser Day celebration in summer.
Posted: 04/01/10      [1 Comment]
 
Say No To The Empire   1520.06.17  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
An employee of the Empire goes to work.
Posted: 03/29/10     Updated: 03/30/10 [3 Comments]
 
Harp of Feathers   1520.04.13  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer), Michelle Goldberg (Patron), Melissa Nelson (Patron)
Slunai tradition tells that angry ghosts caused the upheaval. In this story, an old Slunai shaman blesses her scientist granddaughter for a trip and, perhaps, plays matchmaker a little.
Posted: 03/27/10      [2 Comments]
 
Only A Yiirk Bite   1520.04.09  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer), Toni Sturtevant (Patron)
An infection in a snow-unicorn's tail leads to drastic measures.
Posted: 03/23/10      [1 Comment]
 
A Lot Like Breathing   1515.03.23  
Spicy Content is for registered readers only!
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Lenarai is just getting used to the idea of being an adult.
Posted: 03/19/10      [1 Comment]
 
The Repairman   1520.05.24  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
A repairman comes to service a time crystal storage unit.
Posted: 03/18/10      [2 Comments]
 
Licensing Interview   1520.04.11  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer)
Lalya, having agreed to get relicensed as a woman so he and his boyfriend, Dini, can get married, submitted all the proper forms. Then he returned to his job, processing license requests regarding zoning and building. When License Master Baison called him to his office, his first thought was that they were going to discuss someone else's application forms.
Posted: 03/11/10      [4 Comments]
 
An Afternoon Made of Stories   1485.09.17  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer), Jessica Douglas (Illustration)
The winter afternoon started out dull, with lessons in repairing tack. That changes when Ivara suggests that they find something fresh to add to the cook-pot.
Posted: 03/09/10      [2 Comments]
 
City of Lights; Ithai   1515.08.03  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
An incident at a celebration dinner for the City of Lights raises many questions.
Posted: 03/08/10      [1 Comment]
 
Not Fair   1513.02.26  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Kether's age-set gets ready to take their graduation tests.
Posted: 03/05/10      [1 Comment]
 
Birash and Darash   myth  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer)
In the Breida mountains, there is a series of tales about of two siblings, twins, Birash and Darash, who came out of the womb pulling each other’s hair. There's more to the tale, of course.
Posted: 03/04/10      [1 Comment]
 
It's Grey!   1516.09.07  
Written By: Lorna Cowie (Writer), Ellen M. Million (Patron)
Lenarai decides to try her hand at food for babies.
Posted: 03/03/10      [3 Comments]
 
A Day of Silence   1516.07.03  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer), Lorna Cowie (Patron)
A typical day for Marai in the infant house.
Posted: 02/25/10      [1 Comment]
 
The Brightest Star in the Sky   myth  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
This is a Northern myth about how the stars were placed in the sky, why Mouse has a white belly, and why there is no magic in the world.
Posted: 02/24/10      [1 Comment]
 
Rules are Rules   1515.09.28  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer), Elizabeth Barrette (Editor)
Bai struggles with a license he can't approve... but wants to.
Posted: 02/24/10      [2 Comments]
 
It's Not Just About Firolk   1516.04.16  
Written By: Amy Waller (Writer)
Ashegoi is teaching Lei about more than just firolk...
Posted: 02/23/10      [3 Comments]
 
Odds and Ends   1503.03.30  
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer), Toni Sturtevant (Patron), Ellen M. Million (Illustration)
Karavai prepares a knitting project with help from his age-mate Ularki.
Posted: 02/22/10      [2 Comments]
 
Small Changes   historical  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
An Ibabesh matriarch contemplates the changes in her times.
Posted: 02/22/10      [1 Comment]
 
Building a Home   1520.04.08  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer), Ally Loughrin (Patron)
The Empire's licensing system can lead to some interesting domestic choices.
Posted: 02/19/10      [1 Comment]
 
The Song of the Wind, the Sigh of the Willows   1520.02.08  
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer)
Fala performs a ranger's duties in caring for the dead.
Posted: 02/18/10      [No comments yet]
 
Cure or Cause?   1515.05.24  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer), Michelle Goldberg (Patron), Melissa Nelson (Patron)
Draiden's attempt to gamble with Oranaan is interrupted.
Posted: 02/18/10      [4 Comments]
 
A License to Gamble Pt. 1: The Bet   1520.06.15  
Spicy Content is for registered readers only!
Written By: Melissa Nelson (Writer)
Draiden engages in a friendly bet.
Posted: 02/17/10      [2 Comments]
 
Pickled   1520.03.15  
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer), Ellen M. Million (Patron)
Sromaffo introduces a new recipe to spice up his eatery.
Posted: 02/16/10      [2 Comments]
 
Band of Ivory   1516.10.23  
Written By: Lorna Cowie (Writer)
Lenarai gets something more than she bargained for when making a deal with Tekoth!
Posted: 02/15/10      [1 Comment]
 
Alligator’s First Midsummer Dance   myth  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer), Michelle Goldberg (Patron)
It is the custom in the Riilass Swamps to dance on the Summer Solstice. But for some reason, no one wants to dance with Alligator.
Posted: 02/10/10      [1 Comment]
 
To Name a Reason   1520.02.08  
Written By: Lorna Cowie (Writer), Deirdre M. Murphy (Editor)
Lenaroth and Lenarai discuss the nature of their names.
Posted: 02/03/10      [1 Comment]
 
Beads and Memories   1520.02.08  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer)
Facing death is just a part of growing up in the North.
Posted: 01/24/10      [5 Comments]
 
A Simple Order   -30.05.04  
Supporters Only!
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
The origins of Torn World.
Posted: 01/22/10      [No comments yet]
 
Paper Butterflies: Only Paper   1520.06.01  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Bai meets someone new while out 'wearing the white hat.'
Posted: 01/17/10      [2 Comments]
 
Skycat and Woodpecker Make A Bet   0.0.0  
Written By: Deirdre M. Murphy (Writer)
In the south, in and around the Riilass swamps, there are a species of cats who have gliding "wings" much like flying squirrels, referred to locally as skycats. This is one of the stories of the mythical Skycat's adventures.
Posted: 01/14/10      [1 Comment]
 
Genius   1514.04.25  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer), Elizabeth Barrette (Editor), Michelle Goldberg (Editor), Nicole Robertson (Editor)
Emeroma has a frank talk with Oranaan.
Posted: 01/06/10      [2 Comments]
 
Fala the Leader   1500.06.08  
Written By: Elizabeth Barrette (Writer), Ellen M. Million (Editor)
Fala and her young agemates have an adventure while picking blackberries.
Posted: 01/03/10      [2 Comments]
 
City of Lights Pt 1: Ithei   1512.09.17  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Jerumal has a surprise for Denel.
Posted: 01/01/10      [1 Comment]
 
Mushrooms   future  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Kether comes clean with Kativa.
Posted: 11/14/08      [4 Comments]
 
The Right Man   1520.02.03  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Explorers go North on a survey mission
Posted: 10/29/08      [No comments yet]
 
Pure   future  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Birka discovers more differences between the Empire and the Snow-Unicorn riders.
Posted: 06/13/08      [2 Comments]
 
The Wrong Kind of Snow   future  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Explorers find something unexpected in the snow.
Posted: 06/13/08      [1 Comment]
 
Tame   future  
Written By: Ellen M. Million (Writer)
Birka ponders gardens.
Posted: 02/12/08      [1 Comment]
 

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