So the schedule for this got a little weird as entries slowed down in the middle, but here's the next couple of roundups combined:
The Hollow Grove by ostrichmonkey
Theme: Loop
Hunters seek an astronomically valuable treasure at the centre of an ancient circular grove circled by ancient trees, that centre of valuable treasure under the stars that the hunters seek.
3 things I liked:
- "Ascendent Demiurge (skilled in subsuming)"
- "The trunks of the ancient god-trees are austere and otherworldly ... imprinted with patterns of whorls and spirals."
- "You hold the Hollow Grove in the palm of your hand, staring down at yourself staring up ..."
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Into Death by mogibear
Theme: Desire
Hunters driven by world-bending desire trace the disembodied and defiant river of death under weak and cold celestial spheres. At the end lies...
3 things I liked:
- "Mercy: Sing to the Moon and beg for Mercy."
- "... you find a Treasure in someone else's Pack ... Was it even yours Originally? It's yours Now."
- "At a Quiet Moment, the Hunters realise there are Too Many hunters in the group."
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Go Gentle by avunvain
Theme: Dignity
The town of Lockwood is dying, but never dies. Almost all the people have gone away to the sanatorium, hoping to die with dignity, together, in peace. The hunters have come to disturb that peace.
3 things I liked:
- "A gap opens in your chest. No one can be allowed to see it, you least of all."
- "A deep well, surrounded by neatly folded clothing and discarded shoes."
- "... lumpen masses of human bodies, flowing like wax into one another ... begging for a proper burial."
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LIKE MOTHS by seamsly
Theme: Light
A meteorite blasted a crater deep in the forest. At the centre lies celestial wealth and power beyond mundane imagining—for those who can find their way through the darkness.
3 things I liked:
- "Timekeeper (skilled in chronology, lore, planning)"
- "The canopy grows so dense that the barest hints of daylight that manage to peak through give off the illusion of stars in a black sky."
- "The angels shed pieces of their bodies."
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The Star-Crossed Sonata by TQLoudly
Theme: Unfortunate
A song in the forest that brings misfortune to all who hear it—a rare jewel for an aristocratic art appreciator. The hunters, on the other hand, are the unfortunate ones contracted to find it.
3 things I liked:
- "The birds chirp in time to your least favourite song"
- "As [the hunters] step in through, they notice a hill move."
- "You are sure that if you leave, now, without the song, your journey home would be safe."
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Extrasolar by maxver
Theme: LIGHT! [sic]
A research team is sent to Mercury to investigate alien structures under the merciless, titanic, ever-present sun—the sun that invades their dreams and claims their souls.
3 things I liked:
- "Ritual: Gaze: look right into the sun"
- "Your spacesuit doesn't fit you very well. Like it's not yours."
- "You are convinced that you have wings now. Is it true?"
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Plus a previously-published trifold pamphlet of a solo version of Trophy Dark, Trophy Solo by Parts Per Million!