Wes Al-Dhaher

Islamicate sword & sorcery. TMNT meets The Witcher: 4 very different dudes on the 15th century Ottoman frontier. Free trailer at talesofkhayr.com

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Last Notes

2026-07-12 07:36:04 UTC

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Yeah, at least you can't hit your face with a hammer and take copious amounts of meth with fiqhmaxxing....

2026-04-05 20:45:45 UTC

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I'm with you. And for me, it's less about nostalgia farming and just more about executing the gameplay genre in a way that delivers on the core promise. Hollow Knight Silksong did a great job of it, but games like Blasphemous, which present with a very grimdark aesthetic, have some non-trivial design problems once you start looking at it from a purely gameplay perspective.

2026-04-05 19:46:37 UTC

Imagine loading into a Metroidvania and finally:
-Feeling that close to sadistic arcade style gameplay you've been craving
-Knowing the studio didn't excuse broken systems with pretty art
-Playing something built for you. Not for the casual audience or for a "safe" audience
-Moving through a world you've already lived in through our comics and novels.
Head & Blood is being built to deliver all that. We're building an (albeit ugly, for now) prototype to ensure we have the fundamentals down. https://video.nostr.build/53b06cdde786cd38abd30d4790c4aaef4c70725fda1c9898fcec30a600954230.mp4
Join our email list to stay updated: https://t.co/GjUnynuMfJ

2026-03-30 00:39:26 UTC

Metroidvania and Soulslike players feel like their backs are against the wall. They can no longer figure out if something in a game is AI. They absolutely do not trust localization experts to translate a phrase or concept from Japanese into a Western language without making it fruity. And they no longer trust developers to launch games that work without needing 5 follow-up patches.
That's the gap our game (tentatively titled Head & Blood) is built for. It's a 2D Metroidvania where Koja, a Brotherhood of the Wolf berserker, starts with his full moveset. So there's no XP gating, locked abilities, and snowballing.
I'm not going to rely on agenda-driven localization. Everything in the game is human-made. And we don't care about offending anybody (whether they have the blue hair of a Portlander or the eyebrows of Ben Shapiro).
Also, we're fanatical about prototyping and testing everything in our game before building more content within it. We're testing to see if the 3 foundational C's (camera, controls, character ) work and feel good to play before building anything else on the game.
Join our email list here: https://t.co/GjUnynuMfJ

2026-03-05 21:18:53 UTC

At Tales of Khayr, we will never insult you with coombaiting.
At least deliberately.

2026-03-05 21:18:16 UTC

In games, more does not =better. If players are being asked to do homework before they can have fun, that's no good.
You'll notice that in our Brotherhood of the Wolf series (whether in comic book or prose) the writing is very tight. That's b/c we're ruthless about what is serving the story vs. what is self-indulgent fluff
(below is the cover for BotW Issue#3)
https://image.nostr.build/257d2bb219622ff53187ffa1a19dfdb7d14dfa56b2e6031e88abbed0643d0522.jpg
learn more here: https://talesofkhayr.com

2026-03-02 17:09:39 UTC

If I were to develop a game, I'd want it to be difficult.
If I want to bake in meaningful difficulty in single-player, I'd be deliberatly "stingey"about using too many guard rails (e.g. checkpoints)
Too much checkpointing can kneecap the fun of tension, route mastery, resource discipline, etc.
https://media4.giphy.com/media/VmFZE2nG7AaLOVSlYy/giphy.gif?cid=4ea4f8d5sanp1j4bo2h09isf49sjyel984g0cv1haoj1k47i&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g

2026-03-01 06:40:22 UTC

A Sipahi does not write emails: https://talesofkhayr.com/a-sipahi-does-not-write-emails/
https://image.nostr.build/9396f12423bbfb9630be172cf54f3d42c48f73f99c7d89dbd99d8344300fd655.jpg

2026-02-24 15:35:56 UTC

We’re at a fork in the road: use zakat to fund lobbying, or build the infrastructure the right way.
When Muslims in the Yookay (yes, I know I tease them sometimes) needed halal meat, they could’ve compromised but instead did the hard work, and now halal meat is everywhere (mashaAllah).
Shortcuts feel efficient, but they can cripple you long-term.
Are we really so spiritually bankrupt that we have to bankroll politics with charity meant for the poor?

2026-01-29 01:20:09 UTC

"Since I was cut from the reedbed,
I have made this crying sound.
Anyone apart from someone he loves
understands what I say.
Anyone pulled from a source
longs to go back"
-Jalaluddin Rumi, Song of the Reed

2026-01-28 15:55:15 UTC

S&S writers keep saying "someone needs to try serialized Sword & Sorcery" while waiting for someone else to go first.
We went first.
Brotherhood of the Wolf: 1444. Ottoman Empire. Byzantine giants. Forbidden sorcery. A coward who must find courage.
"Best modern S&S since Howard Andrew Jones."
Issues #1-2 ($24.99) or + False Light novella ($28.98). Issue #3 drops Spring '26.
Get caught up: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/
#brotherhoodofthewolf #swordandsorcery #pulpfiction
https://image.nostr.build/0f3551536933c3986173f1871c3853bc2c06d50e01573d40f1f3a3f44d1140b1.jpg

2026-01-23 03:07:04 UTC

Bought another S&S comic/manga where characters just pose instead of act?
Brotherhood of the Wolf: Ottoman Empire S&S that puts you IN the scene, not watching from outside.
Unlettered (for now) page from Issue#3: Panel 1, crew notices something, looking at us. Panel 2, camera shifts behind them, suddenly you're looking WITH them at the prisoner. You just lived a POV shift without realizing it. That's what we call immersion, habibi.
Issues 1-2 bundled now, get it before Issue 3 drops :https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/
#BrotherhoodoftheWolf #swordandsorcery
https://image.nostr.build/f9138c2cf78836e5ea8d5e6660fa633a77fae431432c23e0d58489223eed6cfa.jpg

2026-01-21 17:12:29 UTC

Good fiction entertains you.
The best fiction entertains you AND makes you think something you didn't beforehand.
Brotherhood of the Wolf (crusaders, Janissaries, blood magic, "thin places") did both to me.
Might do the same for you: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/
https://image.nostr.build/df23e1c75c1759a0ab6c9ab4dc8946b5060a1e864265180ae9b7a2f471a9dc31.jpg

2026-01-21 16:53:22 UTC

Calling an influencer's followers idiots doesn’t solve any problem. You must understand the appeal.

2026-01-21 16:51:32 UTC

In the Islamic law, it is a requirement to use water to clean oneself after answering the call of nature. Using toilet paper alone is insufficient.
Fox News Boomers and ZOGbots will claim this is an example of “creeping sharia”.
But these bitches have skid marks the size of NASCAR tracks, so why would you listen to them?
#creepingsharia

2026-01-21 16:50:33 UTC

If you've ever played Age of Empires:
•Crusaders vs. Ottomans
•Constantinople's final years
•1444, Battle of Varna
You might know this era. Now imagine that world with blood magic, the Veil between worlds, and "things" slipping through.
Such is Brotherhood of the Wolf. #BrotherhoodoftheWolf #swordandsorcery
https://image.nostr.build/c8269838e0a007b0e21faa11b1a12ff88dd065cb2b7218b738eba92630446340.jpg

2026-01-20 18:21:06 UTC

Most American comics:
• 20-22 pages of story
• Rest is ads
• $4-5 per issue
• Heroes who sound/act like American millennials
• Milquetoast worlds
Brotherhood of the Wolf:
• 32-34 pages per issue
• ZERO ads
• Real history (1444 C.E)
• Morally complex sword & sorcery characters
• $12.50 per issue in the starter bundle
Simply not the same.
https://image.nostr.build/ed1bf11d76ad7500a8b10ad365313068a8438474caca09aa310aa92d739476d3.jpg https://image.nostr.build/53c3cb53538091bbf375488b057697cce4dadc034468255c7611e0d98816ae68.jpg
Get the starter bundle here: https://t.co/Ud7e7VRniS

2026-01-19 19:57:00 UTC

The battle fury of the Janissaries is terrifying to behold. Their discipline, devotion, and prowess a manifestation of unstoppable force.
#BrotherhoodoftheWolf
#swordandsorcery
https://image.nostr.build/f4bc46e8b6406c2557f900bc870f9145d6d26b1c48c4406507f85b0499396df3.jpg
Learn more here: https://t.co/Ud7e7VRniS

2026-01-13 16:39:38 UTC

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MuslimBitcoiner is a man of taste

2026-01-12 23:56:09 UTC

Soft yeses create harder noes later.

2026-01-12 17:21:06 UTC

Brotherhood of the Wolf is pulp... but more substantial pulp.
https://image.nostr.build/88ebf186e7b11e2070643f1bea47b504561b59651f7ff35200b35e10f11d3d0d.jpg
Get it here: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

2026-01-12 06:20:54 UTC

They say that you should prioritize discussing what you love over criticizing what you hate.
But what if you love to hate?🤔

2026-01-11 18:03:35 UTC

The kilij is an incarnation of destruction. It is the tool by which the sipahi bring about the death of the Sultan's foes
(this is the first panel of page 6 from Issue#3 of Brotherhood of the Wolf)
https://image.nostr.build/fec0695377f3e1e6273ce9a0c1038858696e7abbca2cbbad725edd9d9f156543.jpg
Learn more here: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

2026-01-05 04:48:11 UTC

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Hi Rush, thanks for reaching out.
I appreciate you commenting. Orders began shipping on December 29, and some readers are already receiving their copies. To help me look into yours specifically, please email me directly at wes@talesofkhayr.com with the name or email used at checkout, and I’ll assist you from there.
I’ve got this handled for you.

2025-12-30 05:48:54 UTC

Brotherhood of the Wolf is fantasy.
Let’s get that out of the way.
But it is not epic fantasy in the Lord of the Rings or A Song of Ice and Fire sense.
Our worldbuilding is very light-touch and contextual.
Brotherhood is sword & sorcery, the classic kind.
What does that mean for you?
You won’t get a slow, meditative drip of “heroin”.
You’ll get a high-octane jolt of “cocaine”: Dense plot, lots of momentum and action. We disbelieve in filler scenes.
Read accordingly.
Caveat lector.

2025-12-28 20:50:20 UTC

An update for everyone who ordered Brotherhood of the Wolf Issues #1 & #2: both books are now printed and in hand with our fulfillment partner.
Due to the holiday break, shipping will begin when they reopen on Monday, Dec 29, with orders going out in the order received.
Thanks for your patience , I'm excited to get these into your hands.

2025-12-27 02:45:37 UTC

Goblin Slayer is one of my guilty-pleasure anime. Might lack the narrative density and pathos of something like AoT, but it scratches the itch for tactical RTS autists like me.

2025-12-25 02:42:25 UTC

BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF
In October 2025, the first two issues were released as a bundle alongside the novella False Light. If you haven't come across it yet, it's been well-received.
Kate, an early reader, recalls what made False Light work (see screenshot)
Issues 1 and 2, plus False Light, are here: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax https://image.nostr.build/f7cefe1c6ef77b567743c07b4cf21550a6656f1495e12e8502b637b7a9a3310e.jpg

2025-12-12 17:50:46 UTC

My amusing sh*tposting aside, we at Tales of Khayr care about the product, experience, and story. That's why you won't get any trauma dumping here.

2025-12-10 03:21:03 UTC

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Apologies, everyone. Cem is… a bit intense. But he means well. Sort of. 😅
Thanks for indulging my fictional hothead

2025-12-10 03:20:15 UTC

Your manga villains get sympathy.
In my world, they get their throats opened.
https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/
-Cem Demirci , Brotherhood of the Wolf
https://image.nostr.build/55907eece10bc70a3a2e673818f4b0d0274994362e27eb0ddca96fbaccff3ff8.jpg

2025-12-08 17:16:30 UTC

For everyone who ordered print copies of Brotherhood of the Wolf (Issues#1 and #2): thanks so much for your patience. Books are finishing up at the press now and heading into fulfillment. Most readers can expect their copies to arrive in early January. Appreciate you all being part of this world. https://image.nostr.build/0cad07dc7616d282a8134e6b4bf462f0840de1fe1b748737bd15e9a3b7047446.jpg
https://image.nostr.build/0f3551536933c3986173f1871c3853bc2c06d50e01573d40f1f3a3f44d1140b1.jpg

2025-12-08 15:48:26 UTC

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I heard of Sohaib from Fictional Frontiers but I don't know much about them, tbh. It seems like they are more a platform/IP for this sort of thing as opposed to an actual IP, but wallahuAllam

2025-12-08 03:32:24 UTC

Muslim fiction usually collapses into two camps: preachy moralism or total nihilism.
But we deserve a third lane: stories that face the darkness honestly without surrendering to it.
This is the world I’m building, inshaAllah.

2025-12-01 00:14:09 UTC

Most Muslims struggle with their deen not because they lack knowledge (although that is certainly a big factor, if Muslim Twitter is any indication!), but because they're fighting an enemy they can't see.
It's kind of like a Japanese horror movie. But instead of ghostly women with long black hair, it's your habits.

2025-11-19 16:43:21 UTC

A thousand Muslims are arguing whether anime is haram.
Not one has asked why does a show about ninja friendships hit harder than 90% of what gets published today?

2025-11-14 03:58:47 UTC

"Did I stop liking anime or is everything trash now?"
Yes (tee hee)
The medium changed (more volume, less risk). You changed (you're not 14 anymore).
The error is thinking you have to like everything "objectively good."
Quality ≠ taste. Respect your compass & move on without guilt, habibi

2025-11-11 17:40:04 UTC

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True!
Once your graphic novels arive in the mail, I think you'll have fun with Munir....

2025-11-10 18:17:51 UTC

Liked Redwall but want something darker?
The Builders: A grizzled mouse captain rounds up his scattered crew for one last revenge job. They smoke, they kill, they've got PTSD.
I loved the character writing. I loved the banter. I loved how distinct each mercenary feels (my favorite was Bonsoir, the "French" stoat).
https://image.nostr.build/c68013bc9e2d273c2e6a305da03d2e1b74604dace61cb85290e06726252ca41e.jpg
If that's your thing, you'll also like Brotherhood of the Wolf: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

2025-11-10 18:16:39 UTC

Tahsin fled the Battle of Varna.
Koja saw him do it.
Now they're hunting child-eating Fae through Ottoman Serbia while Tahsin tries not to piss himself.
Both men are in their 30s and 40s. Neither wanted to be here.
https://image.nostr.build/f5225009fa36ff146358aef8beb702b7eb5f953200c917f8b8085500f6c79d4f.jpg

2025-11-10 18:12:21 UTC

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Salam! Good question. Brotherhood of the Wolf does have violence and scary moments. That said an 'alim (Ustadh Anwar Mangal) who read chapter 0 of our series and has had his children read it, said this about our series to a parent with an 8 year old:
"Might be a little complex for an 8 (plus a little amount of gore too, although nothing more than what they already see in video games), but then maybe your 8 is an avid reader."
So, my recommendation would be to read it yourself before handing it to kids, tbh.

2025-11-08 01:26:41 UTC

Tahsin spent the entire ambush loading his gun.
By the time he was ready to fire, Koja had split two skulls and Cem had killed the other two.
The last Wallachian threw down his sword and begged for mercy.
Cem ran him through anyway.
Tahsin finally pulled the trigger. Shot the corpse in the back.
"I told you I'd get him."
https://image.nostr.build/27c1637b5f7db7f5baf08f98de26c21e047d626ea4975ada64627c3205b5f8be.jpg
How did they end up in this mess?
Read from the beginning: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

2025-11-04 16:41:33 UTC

Tahsin's motto: Never stand out.
He doesn't say it aloud. That would make him stand out.
He survived Varna by not standing out.
Now he's been given a mission. A dangerous one.
Because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The quartermaster: "Heard you cut King Wadislav's head off."
Tahsin: "Something like that."
https://image.nostr.build/d5379fda4025453f15e861dd9e6d91c3db11ea003905de767e3d7cd845b59131.jpg

2025-11-02 22:02:49 UTC

"The bite marks were too small to be a wolf. Dozens of them. They looked like the bites of a child." (Quote from "False Light" novella)
Brotherhood of the Wolf: A Janissary sent to collect taxes in 1440s Serbia. A "wolf" that isn't a wolf. Missing children. And companions who might be more dangerous than whatever's hunting in the woods.
66 pages of full-color horror + 30k novella: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/
https://image.nostr.build/6c086cf3845d3e5c7bbd5ed4f124a758bafa433e0d3411598e90e92a79a5085e.jpg

2025-10-31 23:14:28 UTC

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Who else finds femcels opining on what a“real man” is to be exhausting ?
That’s why Brotherhood of the Wolf was created by men. Some more toxic than others…
Check it out by clicking the link https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

2025-10-31 23:13:32 UTC

Femcel posting online: A “REAL MAN does X, Y, Z”
Femcel’s nightstand reading:👇
https://image.nostr.build/844820c819fc5620436d548eef307e6923daf39b22136b9d7ed7706adf590c09.jpg

2025-10-30 20:33:35 UTC

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Thank you for mentioning this. I completely understand the challenge with shipping.
Our main graphic novels are designed as physical collector pieces, but we do offer a digital novella from the same world (False Light), an interlude story that takes place between Issues 1 and 2.
Would a short digital sampler or more prose content like that be useful while waiting for print copies?

2025-10-29 22:19:56 UTC

Most of the fashionable newcomers in fantasy storytelling chase the first spark, then move on, birds-of-passage.
It is not unusual for them to launch one dazzling volume and lose heart by book two. What a hollow, dangerous way to build worlds.
I have no stomach for working with these restless dreamers.
By contrast, the pros finish what they begin. Readers praise Divine Cities and the Green Bone Saga for holding their power from start to finish, and still argue over Malazan’s rough openers or Discworld’s final fade. That debate reminds us that lasting quality is earned. We sign for completion. We budget for endings first.
I hope that this endurance is good for the artists. I know it is good for the house.
Click here bio to see how good:https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/

2025-10-29 04:56:01 UTC

He pulled a cord (Chainsaw Man).
Another built a domain (Jujutsu Kaisen).
One just breathed (Demon Slayer)!
Each manga became a billion-dollar story.
Why? Because people don’t buy fantasy. They buy visible progress, such as a "ritual" they can see, copy, repeat.
The moral: it pays a storyteller to be practical and unorthodox.
Brotherhood of the Wolf's magic system is similar to 2 of the manga I referenced above: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/
https://image.nostr.build/8420d3a4d064637c0ffd49b10b368979b544fc980bfc1a064427304c385d7fa0.jpg

2025-10-27 22:48:17 UTC

Issue #2 has cleared the coloring stage and is now in the hands of our letterer. A letterer, by the way, is a typographic artist responsible for both the page design and the flow of every spoken line. His lettering and layout pass wraps by Halloween (not intentional!) . Once approved, it’s straight to print and shipping.
Our editorial pass taught us something essential: because our dialogue is written in a more literary, bande dessinée style, some subtle beats needed clearer framing. We’re adding a few lines of dialogue to make sure that every reader, regardless of how finely tuned their eye for nuance, can follow the emotional and thematic turns of the story. This lettering phase ensures that, inshAllah
Issue #3 is already 100 percent inked (cover included) and color work continues soon. Even though we’re ahead of schedule, we’ll hold release until readers have time to experience Issues #1 and #2 together. After that, expect a new issue every three months.
If you haven’t picked up the Issues #1 & #2 Bundle, now is the perfect time. The sales page is live, orders are open, and every Collector's Bundle includes False Light, our 30,000-word digital novella that lands instantly in your inbox upon purchase.
Beta readers keep comparing our visual tone to Berserk and Darkest Dungeon (the video game). We didn’t plan the Darkest Dungeon camparison, but we’re honored by it. The world of Brotherhood of the Wolf was built for those who love love love dark fantasy. Here's a splash page from Issue#3 to give you an idea.
You can order Issues #1 & 2 now: https://talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/
https://image.nostr.build/703e04b6f5edf94a190f6443ee036385d7942b04c86c4b7ac808fd4a67cbcb61.jpg

2025-10-27 19:18:08 UTC

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Good question. Brotherhood of the Wolf is dark fantasy so yes, there’s blood and fear, and the themes are serious.
The tone itself is pulpy and action-adventure and not grim for its own sake.
If your kids already play mainstream games, for example, they’ve likely seen more intense material, tbh.
But if you’re strict about what kind of violence or scary moments they see, read it first and decide for yourself.
One scholar who reviewed it told me:
“Your audience will inevitably become younger since your gore is more kosher than others.”
I think that sums it up pretty well.

2025-10-27 00:34:32 UTC

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JazakAllahu khayran, @nprofile…3zwv I appreciate you sharing this.
Each issue of Brotherhood of the Wolf: Blood Tax runs 32–34 full-color story pages with dialogue, lettering, and sound effects.
It’s set in the 15th-century Ottoman Balkans. Think what if the spirit of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles grew up inside the world of The Witcher.
Always glad to see readers engaging with the vision behind it. Folks can check it out here:
talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax

2025-10-27 00:29:38 UTC

What I’m building and why I’m here
I’m an independent publisher making speculative fiction with a clear aim: work that respects the reader’s time and rewards re-reading.
Current project is Brotherhood of the Wolf, dark fantasy a graphic-novel series.
A reader you may know here (nprofile1qqswpysavy8wv4fednavdjvs0d4dz8e6rh09wuqzncfgfek2url8h4g4l3zwv shared it and asked me to post on Nostr. That’s why I’m joining this network now.
If interested, read the sales page: talesofkhayr.com/blood-tax/
If you’ve read these first book in the series, tell me what worked and what didn’t. Your notes shape what I make next.