Tags for stories by Dusk Peterson

Sections below:

Important: The tags for the stories may reveal spoilers about the plotlines. The tags may refer to main plotlines with volumes, main plotlines in single stories within collections, or subplots within stories.

Updated August 2019.
 

Story genres and settings: Genres | Time periods | Locations.

Diversities of character: Ages | Disabilities | Genders | Occupations | Race and ethnicity | Service and allegiance | Social classes | Spiritual beliefs and skepticisms.

Stories of crime, captivity, and warfare: Captives | Criminals | Soldiers and justice system workers.

Stories of home life and community life: Home life | Community life | Special domestic settings.

Stories of love: Characters' romantic orientations and sexual orientations | Family affection | Female/female love (friendship) |Male/female love (friendship, romantic friendship, or romance) | Male/male love (friendship, romantic friendship, or romance).

Stories of seasons and holidays: Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter | Birthdays and anniversaries.

Updated August 2019 (final update).
 

• adventure, suspense, and thrillers: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.
• Age of Sail fiction, maritime fiction, and naval fiction: Waterman.
• alternate history: The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.
• crime fiction: The Three Lands, Princeling,The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman. See Crime, captivity, and warfare for specifics.
• domestic fiction: The Eternal Dungeon, Waterman. See Stories of home life and community life for specifics.
• romantic friendship (queerplatonic) fiction: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.
• fantasy: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling,Darkling Plain.
• friendship fiction: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.
• historical fantasy: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations.
• lgbtq fiction: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman. See Stories of love for specifics.
• military fiction and war fiction: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Spy Hill (Life Prison), Waterman, Princeling,Darkling Plain. See Crime, captivity, and warfare for specifics.
• new adult fiction: See Dusk Peterson YA & NA.
• romantic friendship (queerplatonic) fiction: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Michael's House.
• romance: The Eternal Dungeon (gay), Dungeon Guards (gay and asexual), Waterman (gay). See Stories of love for more romance stories that appear within other series.
• school stories: Waterman.
• science fiction: Waterman (retrofuture SF).
• young adult fiction: See Dusk Peterson YA & NA.

TIME PERIODS

Time periods listed below consist of imaginary or alternative settings inspired by historical time periods.

• Late Antiquity / The Dark Ages: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations.
• Middle Ages: Princeling, Darkling Plain.
• 1870s: The Eternal Dungeon.
• 1880s: The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards.
• 1890s: Life Prison.
• 1910s: Michael's House, Waterman.
• 1960s: Waterman.
• The Future: Waterman.

LOCATIONS

United States locations listed below consist of alternative-universe settings based upon locations in our world.

• afterlife: Bard of Pain (The Three Lands), Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon).
• Maryland: Life Prison [Frederick County and Washington County], Waterman [Calvert County, Dorchester County, and Prince George's County].
• Pennsylvania: Rebirth (The Eternal Dungeon), The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon), Michael's House [Pittsburgh].
• Virginia: The Eternal Dungeon [Luray], Dungeon Guards.
• West Virginia: Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon), Mercy's Prisoner (Life Prison).
• wholly imaginary location: The Three Lands and The Thousand Nations [located on terrain similar to Northern Europe and Mediterranean Europe], Princeling, Darkling Plain.
• See also Race and ethnicity.

• children (under age 13): Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon),  On Guard (The Eternal Dungeon), Waterman, Darkling Plain. See also Dusk Peterson YA & NA.
• younger adolescent characters (13-17): The Three Lands, Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Michael's House, Waterman, Princeling,Darkling Plain. See alsoDusk Peterson YA & NA.
• new adult characters (18-25): The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman, Princeling, Darkling Plain. See also Dusk Peterson YA & NA.
• middle-aged characters (26-55): The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman, Princeling, Darkling Plain.
• senior-aged characters (56 and up): Law of Vengeance (The Three Lands), The Thousand Nations, Mystery (The Three Lands), Waterman, Princeling, Darkling Plain.

DISABILITIES

• cognitively disabled characters: Darkling Plain, Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Dungeon Guards.
• emotionally disabled characters: Bard of Pain (The Three Lands), The Thousand Nations, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House.
• mentally disabled characters: Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands), The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.
• physically disabled characters: Princeling, Darkling Plain.

GENDERS

These categories may overlap because of multiple gender identities held by the characters.

• female: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Hell's Messenger (Life Prison), Waterman.
• genderqueer, nonbinary, or third gender: The Three Lands, The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon). See also Women's rights advocates for women who defy expected societal standards for womanly behavior.
• male: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.
• female protagonist: Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands), Darkling Plain, Never (The Eternal Dungeon), Prison Food and Fondness (The Eternal Dungeon), Ma'am (The Eternal Dungeon), Waterman.
• genderqueer, nonbinary, or third gender protagonist: Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands), The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon).
• male protagonist: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.

OCCUPATIONS

• actors: The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon), Michael's House.
• archivists: The Eternal Dungeon.
• business people: Rebirth (The Eternal Dungeon), On Guard (The Eternal Dungeon), Hell's Messenger (Life Prison), Michael's House, Master and Servant (Waterman).
• charity organizers: Darkling Plain.
• computers: Waterman.
• craftsfolk: Princeling.
• diplomats and peacemakers: Law of Vengeance (The Three Lands), Darkling Plain, Rebirth (The Eternal Dungeon), Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon), Mercy's Prisoner (Life Prison).
• doctors: The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison.
• farmers and estate owners: Law Links (The Three Lands), Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Law of Vengeance (The Three Lands), Princeling.
• homemakers and household managers: Darkling Plain, Rebirth (The Eternal Dungeon), The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Hell's Messenger (Life Prison), Master and Servant (Waterman).
• hunters: Mystery (The Three Lands).
• innkeepers: Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands).
• journalists: Mercy's Prisoner (Life Prison; character's former occupation revealed in Cell-mates).
• labor union members: The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon).
• lighthouse keepers: Master and Servant (Waterman).
• prefects: Master and Servant (Waterman).
• psychiatrists: The Eternal Dungeon, Whipster (Michael's House).
• researchers and historians: The Eternal Dungeon, Waterman.
• sailors, fishermen, and seafood sellers: Master and Servant (Waterman).
• scientists and science students: Waterman.
• secretaries: The Eternal Dungeon.
• shop owners: Law Links (The Three Lands), Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Darkling Plain.
• sports players: Master and Servant (Waterman).
• stokers: The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon).
• taxi drivers: Master and Servant (Waterman).
• teachers and students: Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Waterman.
• traders: Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Law of Vengeance (The Three Lands), Princeling.
• train workers: Mercy's Prisoner (Life Prison).
• tramps: Mercy's Prisoner (Life Prison).
• translators: Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon).
• women's rights advocates: Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Master and Servant (Waterman).
• writers and singer-songwriters: Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands), Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon), The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon), Master and Servant (Waterman).
• See also Service and allegiance, Spiritual beliefs and skepticisms, and Stories of crime, captivity, and warfare for occupations connected with those topics.

RACE AND ETHNICITY

Racial and ethnic identities in the Three Lands and Toughs universes do not correspond exactly to identities in our world. In the list that follows, I've done my best to provide the closest equivalents in our world. All of the Toughs characters live in their equivalent of the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.

• African ancestry: Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.
• Asian ancestry: Hell's Messenger (Life Prison).
• English ancestry: The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.
• Hispanic/Latino ancestry: Hell's Messenger (Life Prison).
• Italian ancestry: The Eternal Dungeon, Michael's House, Life Prison.
• Middle Eastern ancestry: The Three Lands and The Thousand Nations (Koretians, Daxions, and eastern mainland inhabitants).
• Native American: Life Prison.
• Northern European ancestry (region unspecified): The Three Lands and The Thousand Nations (Emorians and northern mainland inhabitants), Princeling, Darkling Plain.
• mixed race/ethnicity: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.
• mixed national identity: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, The Eternal Dungeon, Michael's House, Waterman.
• immigrants and foreigners: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.

SERVICE AND ALLEGIANCE

• masters, mistresses, and servants: The Three Lands, The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Waterman. See also Slaves.
• mentors and protegés: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Waterman.
• rulers, consorts, lords/ladies, liegemen/liegewomen, and subjects: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon), Michael's House, Waterman.
• See also Spiritual beliefs and skepticisms, Stories of crime, Captivity, and Warfare, and Service love for service connected with those topics.

SOCIAL CLASSES

• homeless and formerly homeless characters: The Thousand Nations, The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House.
• lower-class and commoner characters: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.
• middle-class characters: The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison.
• upper-class and nobility characters: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.

SPIRITUAL BELIEFS AND SKEPTICISMS

• agnosticism: The Three Lands (Emor). See also Reincarnation for agnostics who hold a belief in reincarnation.
• atheism: The Three Lands (Emor).
• incarnation: The Three Lands.
• monolatrism (see definition): The Three Lands (Daxis).
• pluriform monotheism (see definition): The Three Lands (later stories, after the fall of the Three Lands).
• polytheism: The Three Lands  and The Thousand Nations (Koretia), The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House.
• reincarnation: Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Waterman.
• veneration of ancestors: Life Prison.
• veneration of emperor: The Three Lands and The Thousand Nations (Emor).
• veneration of nature: Life Prison.
• See also Locations for stories set in the afterlife.

Includes former captives.

• prisoners: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Waterman.
• slaves: The Three Lands, Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Hell's Messenger (Life Prison), Waterman. See also Masters, mistresses, and servants.

CRIMINALS

Includes former criminals.

• arsonists: Survival School (Waterman).
• assailants: Survival School (Waterman).
• assassins, murderers, and terrorists: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison.
• deserters: The Thousand Nations,
• drug dealers: Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon).
• pranksters (criminal): The Three Lands.
• prostitutes, pimps, and clients: Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Michael's House.
• rapists: The Three Lands, Princeling, The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Waterman. See also Prostitutes, pimps, and clients.
• rebels and reformers (including rebels and reformers who break the law): The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, On Guard (The Eternal Dungeon), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Dungeon Guards, Michael's House, Life Prison, Waterman.
• spies: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Mercy's Prisoner (Life Prison), Hell's Messenger (Life Prison).
• thieves: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Mercy's Prisoner (Life Prison), Hell's Messenger (Life Prison), Survival School (Waterman).
• traitors: The Three Lands.
• war criminals and aggressive seizers of foreign lands: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Darkling Plain, The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon).
• See also Prisoners.

SOLDIERS AND JUSTICE SYSTEM WORKERS

Includes former members of these professions.

• judges and magistrates: The Three Lands, Rebirth (The Eternal Dungeon), Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon).
• police and patrol soldiers: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Rebirth (The Eternal Dungeon), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon).
• prison guards, wardens, and torturers: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Waterman.
• soldiers: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon), On Guard (The Eternal Dungeon), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Dungeon Guards, Spy Hill (Life Prison). See also War criminals.
• See also Rebels and reformers.

• cooking, dining, and drinking: Prison Food and Fondness (The Eternal Dungeon), Commoners' Festival (The Eternal Dungeon), Green Ruin (The Eternal Dungeon).
• dishwashing: In Hot Water (The Eternal Dungeon).
• financial planning and banking: Tax the Dungeon (The Eternal Dungeon), Queue (Waterman).
• interior design: Shifts (The Eternal Dungeon).
• sweeping and dusting: Sweeping Day (Waterman).

COMMUNITY LIFE

• school dances: AI (Waterman).
• touristing: New Day (Waterman).
• volunteer work: Never (The Eternal Dungeon).

SPECIAL DOMESTIC SETTINGS

These stories are not specifically about domestic life, but domestic activities play an important role in them.

• boarding school: Unmarked (Waterman).
• island: Unmarked (Waterman), The Lure (Waterman), Journey to Manhood (Waterman).
• prison: Tour (Life Prison), Survival School (Waterman). See also the Eternal Dungeon stories listed above for another prison setting.
• mansion: The Abolitionist (Waterman).

In both the Great Peninsula universe and the Toughs universe, the concepts of romantic orientation and sexual orientation do not exist. Instead, those societies hold to the classical belief that (as The Art of Manliness puts it) men's "attraction to, and sexual activity with other men was thought of as something you did, not something you were." (Women's attractions tended not to be thought about at all.) At most, the decision by a man whether to have sex with a man or a woman – or nobody – might be regarded as a strong preference. I've translated these "preferences" into the modern equivalents of orientation.

• asexual or permanently celibate male: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, AI (Waterman).
• bisexual male: In the Toughs universe, society assumes that male characters are attracted to both sexes and that most males will act on their attraction to others males at some point in their lives. The Eternal Dungeon, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.
• gay male: Life Prison, Waterman.
• heterosexual female: The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations, Princeling, Darkling Plain, The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Waterman.
• heteroromantic male: The Eternal Dungeon.
• heterosexual male: The Three Lands, Princeling, Darkling Plain, Michael's House, Waterman.
• homoromantic male: Dungeon Guards, Mercy's Prisoner (Life Prison), AI (Waterman).
• See also Genders.

FAMILY AFFECTION

These may include family conflict.

• blood brothers (or "wine friends"): The Three Lands, The Thousand Nations.
• brother & brother: Princeling, Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon), The Balance (The Eternal Dungeon).
• brother & sister: Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Law of Vengeance (The Three Lands), Rebirth (The Eternal Dungeon).
• cousins: Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands).
• father & daughter: Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands).
• father & son: Law Links (The Three Lands), Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Law of Vengeance (The Three Lands), Re-creation (The Three Lands), Bard of Pain (The Three Lands), Princeling, Rebirth (The Eternal Dungeon), Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Michael's House, Master and Servant (Waterman).
• guardian & ward or foster parent & foster child: Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Law of Vengeance (The Three Lands), Princeling, Darkling Plain, Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon).
• mother & son: Law Links (The Three Lands), Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Master and Servant (Waterman).
• uncle & nephew: Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands), Michael's House.

Note concerning the categories below: In a lot of the stories, platonic relationships and relationships based on sexual attraction play an equally important role – so if you see a story in both categories, it's not a mistake.

FEMALE/FEMALE LOVE

• female/female friendship: Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands).

MALE/FEMALE LOVE

• male/female friendship: Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon), Waterman.
• heteroromantic love, male/female romantic friendship, and male/female classical friendship: Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon), Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon).
• heterosexual love: Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Law of Vengeance (The Three Lands), Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands), Princeling, Right or Right (Darkling Plain), Waterman.

MALE/MALE LOVE

• male friendship: The Three Lands, Princeling, The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Waterman.
• male homoromantic love, male romantic friendship, and male classical friendship (see definition): The Three Lands, Princeling, Darkling Plain, Dungeon Guards, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman, AI (Waterman).
• gay love: The Eternal Dungeon, Life Prison, Michael's House, Waterman.

Masters' Spring Festival (Dozen Landsteads holiday) and Lords' Festival (Yclau holiday): A scene within The Abolitionist (Waterman).

Tax Day: Tax the Dungeon (The Eternal Dungeon).

Other stories in which spring plays an important role: Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands).
 

SUMMER

Stories in which summer plays an important role: Law Links (The Three Lands), Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Law of Vengeance (The Three Lands), Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands), The Thousand Nations, Spy Hill (Life Prison).
 

AUTUMN

Slaves' Autumn Festival (Dozen Landsteads holiday) and Commoners' Festival (Yclau holiday): Commoners' Festival (The Eternal Dungeon). Scenes within The Unanswered Question (The Eternal Dungeon), Transformation (The Eternal Dungeon), Unmarked (Waterman).

Emancipation Day (Mippite holiday): A scene within Emancipation (Life Prison).

Other stories in which autumn plays an important role: Law Links (The Three Lands), Law of Vengeance (The Three Lands), Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands), Mercy's Prisoner (Life Prison).
 

WINTER

Hell's Fast (Vovimian holiday): Shifts (The Eternal Dungeon).

New Year (Three Lands holiday): Season of Dangerous Peace (The Three Lands), Re-creation: gift for a slave (The Three Lands).

Other stories in which winter plays an important role: Law Links (The Three Lands), Blood Vow (The Three Lands), Law of Vengeance (The Three Lands), Breached Boundaries (The Three Lands), Famine or Feast (The Three Lands), Bard of Pain (The Three Lands), Princeling, Unmarked (Waterman).
 

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES

Coming of age birthdays (Midcoast nations and the Three Lands): Scenes within Law Links (The Three Lands), Whipster (Michael's House).

New Day (birthday holiday in the Dozen Landsteads and Yclau that celebrates the arrival of a child's apprenticeship): New Day (Waterman).

Wedding/mateship anniversaries (Midcoast nations and the Three Lands): Scenes within Sweet Blood (The Eternal Dungeon).
 

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This text, or a variation on it, was originally published at duskpeterson.com. Copyright © 2007-2019 Dusk Peterson. Some rights reserved. The text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0). You may freely print, post, e-mail, share, or otherwise distribute the text for noncommercial purposes, provided that you include this paragraph. The author's policies on derivative works and fan works are available online (duskpeterson.com/copyright.htm).