Long has Mika, an otherwise devout princess of the Deep, dreamed of the wonders of the surface. Of endless oceans of trees, feathered carnivores and magical lightning. But the Overworld is a dangerous place, populated by warlike peoples who dwarf her already diminutive species in both size and brutality. To cross the boundary into that world is forbidden to all but a very few…and most certainly to her, a weak Singer in possession of a vital treasure. But when the horrors of the surface find their way below, Mika must choose: embrace the brutal, or face a fate worse than death.

~First place winner of the Royal Road Community Magazine Contest, summer 2022~

*Note: The dungeon side of this story will build slowly over time and only really kick off at the beginning of the second arc*

The most honest description I can think of for this one is "if Beastars, Made in Abyss and Prehistoric Planet all somehow had a child together and then sent it to Dark Fantasy boarding school and never spoke to it again."

It features a bisexual non-human MC and includes unconventional, probably kind of weird versions of high fantasy species like elves, orcs, and goblins. It's also got elements of manapunk and flintlock fantasy, varied modes of gender expression, polyamory, multiple different sexualities but no explicit sex, grotesque lovecraftian body-horror abominations, fantastical versions of prehistoric animals and some very gratuitous hand-holding.

Also, it's partially illustrated.