Worth Their Salt [Inhuman Cozy Romantasy]

Most summonings of heroes result in errors -- the casting circle written incorrectly, a mage stumbling over an incantation. It usually works out fine in the end; the books balance one way or another. A hundred years ago, three heroes were summoned to defend the Kingdom of Kovatelli. Two normal, one.... simply vanished. No one noticed the metal Jack O' Lantern on the ground, except the blacksmith who was forcibly occupying it. Stuck as a [soulbound artifact] instead of a human hero with human problems, our blacksmith must fight for the right to bear -- and have -- arms. And legs. After a century of moldering in the woods, maybe they can forge companionship and smelt a few hearts along the way. - slow burn, cozy romantasy - future polyamory & spice (monster romance / intimacy) - queer & lgbt themes - litRPG / gamelit with rule of cool - low stakes city building - lovechild of Calcifer / the Scarecrow (Howl's Moving Castle) and those Elden Ring Too-Many-Arms enemies - charming horror like Over the Garden Wall Content Warnings are current expectations, not guarantees. Sibling fiction to The 5th Hero is a Beast