Eternal Dungeon Series by Dusk Peterson

Elsdon Taylor, a prisoner accused of committing a terrible murder. Layle Smith, a torturer with a terrible past. Their meeting in the Eternal Dungeon appears certain to bring out the worst in both men. Yet neither man is quite what he appears. As the prisoner and his torturer begin to be drawn toward each other, the ripple effects of their meeting will have a powerful impact on other inhabitants of the Eternal Dungeon: Layle's faithful guard, struggling to contain his doubts... moreElsdon Taylor, a prisoner accused of committing a terrible murder. Layle Smith, a torturer with a terrible past. Their meeting in the Eternal Dungeon appears certain to bring out the worst in both men. Yet neither man is quite what he appears. As the prisoner and his torturer begin to be drawn toward each other, the ripple effects of their meeting will have a powerful impact on other inhabitants of the Eternal Dungeon: Layle's faithful guard, struggling to contain his doubts. A younger guard determined to take any shortcuts necessary to ensure that his life follows the path he has already chosen. An old love from Layle's past, still sorrowing. And most of all, a prisoner who has not yet arrived at the Eternal Dungeon, but whose fate will depend on how Layle handles Elsdon Taylor . . . and on how Elsdon handles Layle Smith. 130,000 words Volume contains Eternal Dungeon #1.1 - 1.6) less

Elsdon Taylor, a prisoner accused of committing a terrible murder. Layle Smith, a torturer with a terrible past. Their meeting in the Eternal Dungeon appears certain to bring out the worst in both men. The prisoner knew that the Eternal Dungeon was a place where suspected criminals were broken by torture, and he was prepared to hold out against any methods used against him - except the method he could not anticipate... moreElsdon Taylor, a prisoner accused of committing a terrible murder. Layle Smith, a torturer with a terrible past. Their meeting in the Eternal Dungeon appears certain to bring out the worst in both men. The prisoner knew that the Eternal Dungeon was a place where suspected criminals were broken by torture, and he was prepared to hold out against any methods used against him - except the method he could not anticipate. "The Breaking" is a sample novella from The Eternal Dungeon, a historical fantasy series set in a land where the psychologists wield whips. less

"'I agreed to become a Seeker because I believe you're right that if I find an acceptable outlet for my violent desires – ordering punishments only when it would be in the best interests of the prisoner to receive pain – that will stop me from losing control of myself again. But I'll never enjoy other people's sufferings. You mustn't think I'm a monster like that... more"'I agreed to become a Seeker because I believe you're right that if I find an acceptable outlet for my violent desires – ordering punishments only when it would be in the best interests of the prisoner to receive pain – that will stop me from losing control of myself again. But I'll never enjoy other people's sufferings. You mustn't think I'm a monster like that.'" As a torturer learns the art of questioning prisoners, he discovers that the word "love" can have a darker meaning than he had supposed. Idolizing a mentor who teaches him to place first the best interests of his prisoners, young Elsdon Taylor gradually realizes that the High Seeker of the Eternal Dungeon is hiding a secret. Now Elsdon must confront the man whose work determines the future of the dungeon's prisoners. In doing so, Elsdon must also confront a demon from his past. This suspenseful novella (short novel) can be read on its own or as the second story in the "Rebirth" volume of The Eternal Dungeon, an award-winning speculative fiction series set in a nineteenth-century prison where the psychologists wield whips. Friendship, family, gay love, and rebellion are intertwining plotlines in the series. less

"Layle was the High Seeker. He ought to be able to penetrate behind this wall of love to find the fear that must still lie behind it. The fear remained within Elsdon; there could be no doubt of that, given his background and the mind-sick manner in which Layle had initially handled Elsdon's declarations of love. Yet Elsdon seemed to have succeeded, by sheer force of his will, in driving back that fear and imprisoning it so that it could not be of harm. . . more"Layle was the High Seeker. He ought to be able to penetrate behind this wall of love to find the fear that must still lie behind it. The fear remained within Elsdon; there could be no doubt of that, given his background and the mind-sick manner in which Layle had initially handled Elsdon's declarations of love. Yet Elsdon seemed to have succeeded, by sheer force of his will, in driving back that fear and imprisoning it so that it could not be of harm. . . . Just as Layle had imprisoned his own dark desire seventeen years before. And now Elsdon had opened the cell where that desire lay bound. " One man seeks to heal from abuse. The other man dreams of abusing. Now they're in love. As the Eternal Dungeon's chief torturer and the dungeon's newest member strive to find a middle ground on which they can meet, their lovemaking forces Layle Smith to return in his mind to an older dungeon he had long abandoned. In that dungeon lies a helpless prisoner . . . yet perhaps the prisoner is not quite so helpless as he appears. This suspenseful novelette (miniature novel) can be read on its own or as the third story in the "Rebirth" volume of The Eternal Dungeon, an award-winning speculative fiction series set in a nineteenth-century prison where the psychologists wield whips. Friendship, family, gay love, and rebellion are intertwining plotlines in the series. less

"Such was Layle's dark reputation that the other prison workers no doubt imagined that their High Seeker was relishing visions of unimaginable horrors, dwelling with delight upon thoughts of prisoners screaming hopelessly for mercy. . . . Elsdon only wished this weren't the case." Unexpected danger reveals to a young torturer the dark mystery of his mentor's past . . . as well as unpleasant revelations about himself... more"Such was Layle's dark reputation that the other prison workers no doubt imagined that their High Seeker was relishing visions of unimaginable horrors, dwelling with delight upon thoughts of prisoners screaming hopelessly for mercy. . . . Elsdon only wished this weren't the case." Unexpected danger reveals to a young torturer the dark mystery of his mentor's past . . . as well as unpleasant revelations about himself. Assigned by his Queen with the task of bringing peace, Elsdon Taylor has witnessed his mission go terribly wrong. Now he is left in a desperate position. His only hope lies with the man he loves most, but Elsdon is beginning to realize that he knows much less about his love-mate than he had assumed. Confronted with clear evidence of his love-mate's dark past, can Elsdon find the strength to hold out for as long as it takes for rescue to arrive? Will Elsdon even want rescue by the time his ordeal is over? This suspenseful novella (short novel) can be read on its own or as the fourth story in the "Rebirth" volume of The Eternal Dungeon, an award-winning speculative fiction series set in a nineteenth-century prison where the psychologists wield whips. Friendship, family, gay love, and rebellion are intertwining plotlines in the series. less

"'You thought I had gone mad. Well, I haven't. Not yet.'" If the High Seeker wants something, no power in life or death will hold him from taking it. What he wants now has brought danger to the Eternal Dungeon. As Layle Smith slowly spirals into the darkness within his mind, two men strive to bring him back. One is the High Seeker's love-mate, using all his gifts of gentle stubbornness to keep Layle alive... more"'You thought I had gone mad. Well, I haven't. Not yet.'" If the High Seeker wants something, no power in life or death will hold him from taking it. What he wants now has brought danger to the Eternal Dungeon. As Layle Smith slowly spirals into the darkness within his mind, two men strive to bring him back. One is the High Seeker's love-mate, using all his gifts of gentle stubbornness to keep Layle alive. The other is Layle Smith's second-in-command, Weldon Chapman, who must find a way to breach the wall between himself and the High Seeker. He must also find a way to end his resentment against the love-mate who took the place of Weldon at Layle's side. This novelette can be read on its own or as the fifth story in the "Rebirth" volume of The Eternal Dungeon, an award-winning historical fantasy series set in a land where the psychologists wield whips. 12,000 words less

"Tops are worse, there's no doubt of that. While the sops are singing on about joy and love, the top is screaming in your ear that you'd better move your bloody bum faster or he'll smash your face in. He means it too. I think I was about eight when I realized that the world is one giant prison with us bottoms as the prisoners, and the tops as our guards and torturers... more"Tops are worse, there's no doubt of that. While the sops are singing on about joy and love, the top is screaming in your ear that you'd better move your bloody bum faster or he'll smash your face in. He means it too. I think I was about eight when I realized that the world is one giant prison with us bottoms as the prisoners, and the tops as our guards and torturers. Seemed obvious to me that the only thing to do was for the bottoms to make a well-planned attack on the tops and tumble their bodies into the midden where they deserve to lie." The torturer was young, inexperienced, and lacking in knowledge of the world. The prisoner was tough, worldlywise, and had an infallible plan that would give him escape from this place. So why did the prisoner feel as though the torturer had the edge? Imprisoned for attempting to protect a fellow laborer against the cruelty of their supervisor, Little thinks he is ready to confront the cruelty of the torturers in the Eternal Dungeon. But life in the dungeon is about to take a strange turn. With one torturer beginning to lose control of himself, and another torturer trying desperately to balance conflicting duties . . . well, what is Little to do when he finds that he has been assigned a torturer who gives him presents? This darkly humorous novelette can be read on its own or as the sixth and final story in the "Rebirth" volume of The Eternal Dungeon, an award-winning historical fantasy series set in a land where the psychologists wield whips. less