Every story is a voyage. Some travel over familiar ground, but others, the ones that stay with us, chart a course into the dark, unknown spaces on the map. They take us to haunted coastlines, to cities of dazzling deceit, and into the profound, psychological depths of the men and women who dare to navigate them.
My name is D.S. Black, and this is the world I have been charting. For years, I have been building the grimdark, nautical world of Nhera, the setting for my upcoming novel, The Reply.
So, What is The Deadstar Logbook?
This publication is the official companion and creative archive for that world. It is a place for the "off-the-page" content that is too intimate, too sprawling, or too theoretical for the main narrative. Think of it as a director's cut, a ship's private log, and an artist's sketchbook all rolled into one. Here, we will explore the hidden currents of the story, from the grand politics of the Orosian Sea to the quiet, desperate moments between the characters who call it home.
At the heart of this story are two men, two rival captains on a collision course.
The Captain
Captain Henry Somerset of the Arunean Navy. A celebrated war hero, a charismatic rogue, and the so-called "Witch-Captain" of the fleet's most storied frigate, the Siren's Reply. He is a man who wears his charm like a uniform, hiding a profound and dangerous connection to the sentient, malevolent sea they all call the Oraen.
The Agent
Daud van Richter, a deniable asset of the Befraren Summit & Spire Mercantile. A wounded cynic and master analyst whose entire worldview has been forged in the cold, brutal logic of his own scars. He is a hunter who believes trust is a fatal flaw, sent to retrieve a stolen prize from a man who offers it too freely.
What to Expect From This Logbook:
Lookbook Pages: Exclusive, high-resolution illustrations of characters, environments, and artifacts from the world of Nhera.
Character Dossiers: Deep dives into the psychology and backstory of the main players, exploring the forces that shaped them.
From the Drowned Logbook: Non-canonical "what-if" explorations. These are the intimate, theoretical, and sometimes erotic scenes that allow us to explore the full depth of the characters' relationships outside the constraints of the main plot.
World-Building Archives: Snippets of lore, from the tenets of the Orosian faith to the design of a Befraren blade.
Author's Notes: My own thoughts on the creative process, the challenges of writing grimdark, and the historical inspirations behind the Age of Sail aesthetic.
This is a chart to a new, dark, and beautiful world. I am thrilled to have you aboard for the voyage. To ensure you don't miss an entry, please do subscribe.
Welcome to the crew.
—D.S. Black
very very excited to see where this story goes and beta reading for every chapter has been a blast. the relationships between somerset and daud in particular have been on my mind constantly. this feels like a shining gem to this genre and i love being able to keep up publicly with ur logbook, you are a poet