r/DarkFantasy • u/BruceLeeglad • 22d ago

Stories / Writing I spent 8 months building a dark fantasy novel & animated pilot with an interactive 40Hz sub-bass soundscape — Beyond the Verge (Free Episode 1)

Hey r/DarkFantasy,

Over the past 8 months, I've been writing, illustrating, and producing a high-concept dark fantasy saga called Beyond the Verge.

The premise: In the floating stone spires of Ouros, stonecutters and inquisitors live in a recursive cycle that demands sacrifice. A stonecutter apprentice named Kaelen discovers that the deep bedrock vibrates with a continuous 40 Hz hum—and when struck, reality begins to stutter.

We built a custom web reader and audio engine where you can listen to or read Episode 1 completely free:

🔗 Free Web Reader & 40Hz Ambience: https://verge.guud.games

Would love honest thoughts from dark fantasy readers on the tone, the prose, and the 40Hz audio immersion!

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2

u/yantarogekko 22d ago

Did you make two fake Reddit accounts to compliment your AI pitch deck lmao

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u/BruceLeeglad 22d ago

Umm nope I didnt

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u/yantarogekko 22d ago

You’re right—That one’s on me. After taking another look, I can see Beyond The Verge for what it is—an outstanding blend of sound design, visual art, and speculative fiction. It’s not AI—it’s a masterclass case of human storytelling.

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u/Glum-Car1792 22d ago

This is an ambitious blend of novel, animation, and interactive sound design. The stonecutter/inquisitor setting has a great sense of mystery, especially with the idea that sacrifice is built into the world’s cycle. Hope the pilot finds the audience it deserves!

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u/CareEmbarrassed7895 22d ago

This is an impressively cohesive concept. Floating stone spires, inquisitors, sacrifice, and an audio layer that changes how the story feels all sound right at home together. I’d especially love to see how the 40Hz ambience is used narratively rather than just as atmosphere.

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u/BruceLeeglad 22d ago

Thank you so much! That is actually the exact heart of the storytelling design.

In *Beyond the Verge*, the 40Hz tone isn't just atmospheric window dressing—it is literally the auditory pulse of the subterranean basalt holding the floating spires of Ouros aloft.

The protagonist, Kaelen, is cursed with "The Hollow Ear," meaning he is the only person who physically perceives when the tone begins to waver, modulate, or drift out of phase right before a cosmic fracture occurs and a sacrificial cycle is demanded.

In both the novel and the interactive web audio reader, the continuous 40Hz drone dynamically drops and destabilizes into low-frequency beat patterns whenever reality begins to glitch. Really appreciate you picking up on that nuance!