Paternum

Start reading here! Or check the Table of Contents.

Start reading here! Or check the Table of Contents.

When Quinn finds an experimental superpower-granting costume in their parents’ attic, they didn’t expect to be drawn into a web of superhuman intrigue, but their discovery serves as the catalyst for that conspiracy to slowly unravel.

“… this is the standout hero story that reminds one of lighthearted marvel and dc comics … always an addicting read. This world is great and deserves a lot more attention.” –Darch

At it’s heart, Paternum is an extended coming-of-age story for the main character as they become a superhero, in a world with more reasonable stakes and less powerful heroes than many superheroic worlds. Themes include what art means to different people, and what it means to be a patron, whether as a sponsor, a parent, or a supporter.

I consider Paternum‘s primary influences to be the various versions of Spider-Man, J. C. McCrae’s own superhero story Worm, and Drew Hayes’ story SuperPowereds. I hope that fans of such stories can find something to enjoy in mine as well.

The main plot of Paternum is and will remain free, but if you’d like, you can support me through Patreon or through Paypal – additionally, as each arc is completed it will become available for purchase as an ebook or physical volume. If you donate on Patreon, you’ll get both an invite to a discussion Discord and access to up-to-date download links for the story in epub, mobi, and pdf formats, to take Paternum with you on the go! Higher levels of support on Patreon will get access to the lesser arcs, previews of the story, and included art, as well.

I track the tag #paternumbook on twitter, tumblr, and instagram. If you post about the story, please use that tag so I can see it! Alternatively, I keep #maternumbook blacklisted, so if you have commentary that you specifically don’t want me to see – or if you decide write or draw porn of the characters – please use that tag so I can’t. I encourage all forms of fan content, but… there are some forms that I don’t want to see myself.

Similar to Worm, Paternum will be divided into arcs. These arcs can be thought of as individual movies or novels – they are individual parts of the overall story. There are planned to be five major arcs (each intended to be between 75k and 100k words), but there will be five lesser arcs as well – the lesser arcs will be significantly shorter (only around 10k-15k words), come after the major arcs to help ease plot tension and explore the world, and will be exclusive to paying patrons or customers. While the major arcs are arranged mostly chronologically to tell a single story in five parts, the lesser arcs are not – they instead focus on a single theme or aspect of the world and are not connected chronologically to the main plot. They will, however, thematically connect to the previous arc, expanding on themes or bringing closure.
Each major arc will be further divided into three acts – one for setup, one for plot, and one for resolution. Like the arcs, each act will be followed by a brief tension-draining intermission which, again, is typically set aside chronologically from the previous act, and which connects to an aspect of that act which I want to show in more detail.

Start reading here! Or check the Table of Contents.

The Swift Uplifting Rush & Drawing Hands are available for purchase, both here on my site and through Amazon as either a paperback or an ebook.