Father Roderick
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick
@fatherroderick.bsky.social
400 followers 330 following 430 posts
I’m a priest and I’m a geek. Read my stories via the link below 👇 🔗 linkin.bio/fatherroderick
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 5h
Inktober Day 30 – “Vacant.”

A couple seeks shelter in a remote Highland manor where one room is always vacant… and breakfast is always served. But some guests check in and never leave.

🎃 One of the spookiest stories I’ve written so far:
fatherroderick.substack.com/p/one-vacant...
One Vacant Room
Inktober Day 30 – “Vacant.” A couple seeks shelter in a remote Highland manor where one room is always vacant… and breakfast is always served. But some guests check in and never leave...
fatherroderick.substack.com
fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 6h
Still deep in my writing-and-drawing sprint to finish the #Inktober challenge. I loved creating this one, about a chronically ill young woman who writes to her favorite fantasy author, hoping to learn the language of his imagined world…

fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-lesson
The Lesson
For Inktober Day 29, "Lesson": A sick young woman writes to her favorite fantasy author, hoping to learn his invented language—and finds herself drawn into a lesson no book could ever teach.
fatherroderick.substack.com
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 10h
#Inktober Day 28: “Skeletal.”

A tyrant builds a city of bones to rule even in death—until a child leads him to the shore, where the tide teaches him what must be buried… and what can be rebuilt.

🎃 A short story for Halloween: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-king-o...
The King of Skeletal City
Inktober Day 28: “Skeletal.” A tyrant builds a city of bones to rule even in death—until a child leads him to the shore, where the tide teaches him what must be buried… and what can be rebuilt.
fatherroderick.substack.com
fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 12h
#Inktober Day 27 – “Onion” 🧅
An actor’s tears made him a legend... until they stopped.
To get them back, he had to peel back the layers of his own life.
fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-onion
The Onion
His tears made the play a legend—until the tears stopped flowing, and he was forced to peel back the layers of his own life to find what he’d lost. (Inktober Day 27, "Onion")
fatherroderick.substack.com
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 1d
#Inktober Day 26: "Puzzling"
The drawing was easy. The story? Not so much. Probably because it required inventing an entirely new magic system from scratch:

👉 fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-puzzle...
The Puzzle Magic of Sister Ludica
When a clever nun enters a magical baking contest to save her crumbling classroom, she discovers that true magic isn’t about winning—it’s about seeing wonder where others see failure.
fatherroderick.substack.com
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Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 2d
#Inktober Day 25, "Inferno", inspired a drawing and a short story: Catabasis

After a sudden death, a mischievous cat finds himself descending through the nine circles of Hell, where he has to relive his nine lives:

fatherroderick.substack.com/p/catabasis-...
Catabasis: Firetail's Inferno
After a sudden death, a mischievous cat finds himself descending through the nine circles of Hell, where he has to relive his nine lives. But even in the coldest place, grace can still purr.
fatherroderick.substack.com
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 3d
“Why fantasy?” they ask. “Why wizards and dragons when you could write about saints?”

Because sometimes truth hides in unlikely places. In a Hobbit’s courage, an Elf’s sorrow, or even a fallen wizard’s pride. Fantasy can preach the Gospel without ever quoting it.
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 3d
Day 22 of #Inktober began with a missing button. I didn’t know where it was going—just followed the thread. It led somewhere I didn’t expect: a quiet love story stitched with memory and loss.

Read it here: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-missin...
The Missing Button
Day 22 of Inktober began with a missing button. I didn’t know where it was going—just followed the thread. It led somewhere I didn’t expect: a quiet love story stitched with memory and loss.
fatherroderick.substack.com
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 4d
Day 21 of #Inktober2025: “Blast.”

I set myself a challenge — write a story set in a galaxy far, far away… without using any names, trademarks, or crossing into fan fiction.

Did it work? You tell me: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-blast-...
The Blast at the Edge of the Galaxy
On a forgotten outpost at the edge of the galaxy, one trooper stands between order and chaos. But when fantasy and reality collide, a single blast changes everything.
fatherroderick.substack.com
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Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 5d
#Inktober Day 20, “Rivals.”
Two gifted students. Three trials. One throne. In the dungeon’s heart, they face the cost of power—and the true purpose behind their school’s deadly game.

👉 Read the short story this prompt inspired: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/rivals-of-...
Rivals of Wand and Will
Inktober Day 20, “Rivals.” Two gifted students. Three trials. One throne. In the dungeon’s heart, they face the cost of power—and the true purpose behind their school’s deadly game.
fatherroderick.substack.com
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 7d
#Inktober, Day 24 – "Rowdy".

He was bred for hellfire. Raised on biscuits. His name was Rowdy—and he was. But sometimes, the loudest bark hides the bravest heart.

👉 Read the story of Rowdy the Hellhound here: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/rowdy-the-...
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 8d
#Inktober Day 23’s prompt “Firefly” lit up memories of the beloved sci-fi series.

I wrote a short story as an homage to its spirit, cast, and crew.
A loving tribute for all the Browncoats still flying.

👉 Read the story here: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-firefl...
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Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 8d
Here is my drawing for Day 19 of #Inktober: “Arctic”.

A man chases a myth through ice and grief, searching for what was lost. But in the shimmer of the polar lights, he finds a truth deeper than reason...

👉 Read my short story: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-guardi...
The Guardian of the Arctic Veil
Day 19 of Inktober: Arctic. A man chases a myth through ice and grief, searching for what was lost. But in the shimmer of the polar lights, he finds a truth deeper than reason...
fatherroderick.substack.com
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 9d
#Inktober Day 18: “Deal”: Three children walk into a tavern. They are hungry. The innkeeper feeds them. In return, they offer him a deal he can't refuse... Read the story here: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-better...
The Better Deal
Inktober Day 18: “Deal”: Three children walked into a tavern. They were hungry. The innkeeper fed them. In return, they offer him a deal he can't refuse...
fatherroderick.substack.com
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 13d
I'm so excited to launch 'Dragon Patrol', my first serialized fantasy novel today at the LegendHaven Con! You can still get weekend tickets, they're only $10 (legendhaven.com)
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Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 14d
My weekly newsletter is out! Read about a cathedral full of dragons and discover what I will be announcing at #LegendHaven this weekend. Read it here: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/why-this-c...
Why This Cathedral Is Full of Dragons
How saints and dragons inspired me to write two fantasy books
fatherroderick.substack.com
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 14d
#Inktober Day 16’s prompt was “Blunder.” So I drew… a blender. A playful twist on misheard words. Today, it spiraled into an unusual love story about saying the wrong thing and being understood anyway. Enjoy: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-girl-w...
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Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 15d
#Inktober Day 16: "Blunder" 🤪
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Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 15d
Yesterday, for #Inktober Day 15, "Ragged", I drew a ghost trying to scare a homeless man. Both were dressed in rags.

No story. Just a funny little sketch.

But this morning, the story found me. Half fairy tale, half parable:

fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-thread...
The Thread Between Worlds
For day 15 of Inktober, “ragged,” I drew a homeless man and a ghost in rags trying to scare him. The irony? They’re both in rags—the man’s unimpressed. I followed that thread, and it spun this story.
fatherroderick.substack.com
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Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 16d
Caption this 👻

#Inktober day 15: "Ragged"
#inktoberchallenge #inktober2025
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 17d
Here is the story inspired by #inktober day 13, "drink":

🍺 A monk trades a sacred chalice for a secret beer recipe. But some brews carry a cost beyond coin, and one sip may be enough to damn him...

👉 Read the full story here: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/the-brewer...
The Brewer’s Debt
A monk trades a sacred chalice for a secret beer recipe. But some brews carry a cost beyond coin—and one sip may be enough to damn him. A dark monastic tale of thirst and consequence.
fatherroderick.substack.com
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fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 17d
On Day 13 of the #InktoberChallenge, I experimented with a new drawing style inspired by medieval illuminated manuscripts. The prompt was “drink,” so naturally, I had to sketch a monk about to indulge in a beverage he might regret later…
fatherroderick.bsky.social
Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 18d
I didn’t plan to write a story for my #Inktober Day 10 drawing (“Shredded”)—It was just an image of lyrics being shredded, turning to rain.

But then my imagination added a cat—
and everything changed.

👉 Read the full story here: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/meowing-in...
Meowing in the Rain
Inktober Day 10: Shredded. A simple drawing of torn lyrics in the rain became a deeper tale of grief, silence—and a faint meow that changed everything.
fatherroderick.substack.com
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Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 18d
🍄 I wrote a cozy fairy tale to go with this picture I made for #inktober, inspired by the prompt “sweep.”

About a mushroom-capped gnome who meets a hungry dragon.

👉 Read it here: fatherroderick.substack.com/p/spora-and-...
Spora and the Sweep of Seasons
An autumn breeze, a flurry of leaves, and a dragon in need of dinner.
fatherroderick.substack.com
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Father Roderick @fatherroderick.bsky.social · 19d
#Inktober2025 Day 12, "Shredded". Experimenting with a couple of new techniques in Procreate. It's an amazing app, and I learn something new every day. #inktober #inktoberchallenge
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