#sandalpunk

[gessshoku]

Character Punk designs I’ve been doing with @shawncoper1

I’m honestly soso proud of them and I honestly didn’t expect so much creativity from myself. (Thank you Shawny for pushing me forward and being understanding, love you <3)

Please do give me more punk aesthetics cause I don’t know many and would like to push myself to make even MOOORRREE !!!!

#do tell me which one is y’all’s favorite #mines ocean punk gihehehe <3 #steampunk oc #cyberpunk oc #atompunk #solarpunk #biopunk #dieselpunk #magicpunk #desertpunk #oceanpunk #sandalpunk #gothic punk #cattlepunk #stonepunk #middlepunk #character design #gess box of arts

[madelinemadelinemadeline]

Magic System Pt. I - Necromacy & Incantation

Magic is a word that can encompass many disciplines, from a variety of origins and natures, operating by the will of the gods, or in their spite. In this case, of these closely related ancient practices, it's the latter.

Necromancy is the temporary reintegration of a person's spirit to speak with them, with the purpose of divination. It is also connected to the practice of reanimation, which has the goal of bringing back the dead, whilst Incantation is the process of imbuing the Form or essence of an abstract concept into an object to grant it a magical effect or property, called an enchantment.

While these disciplines seem very distinct from one another, they're connected by method and nature, as is to be seen.

Introduction

Cosmology, the makeup and structure of the universe, is an important factor in how these arts work.

An illustration of the celestial spheres, showing the Earth (🜨), the Moon (☾), the Sun (🜚︎), the Planets, the Zodiac, as well as the star Nebyrum (✶) and the Monad (☉︎)

Existence is divided between the World of Ideas (also known as the Hyperuranion or the Pleroma) and the physical universe (also known as the phenomenal world or the Kenoma). The World of Ideas is the heavenly abode of Forms, emanating from the One, divided into the lower Forms of physical objects and the higher, abstract Forms, that represent concepts, whilst the world of matter is divided between the earth and the heavens, a nested set of spheres moved by aether. The Pleroma and Kenoma are kept separate by the great barrier of the Horus, whose only gate is the star Nebyrum, in the constellation of Libra.

This is innately connected with the human essence, which carries in itself three "ambassadors" of each realm, which produce consciousness when joined as one:

the Spirit (represented by Mercury, which represents the Mind and the Ego, and inhabits the World of Ideas)

the Soul (represented by Sulfur, which represents the Heart and the Superego, and inhabits the Celestial Spheres)

the Pneuma (represented by Salt, which represents the Body and the Id, and inhabits the Underworld)

Death occurs when these thirds separate, the essence decomposes, and these portions sink and dissolve in the rivers of Hades, rise and settle among the stars, or begin their long and arduous journey through transcendence. The human essence, thus, becomes spread between worlds, and it's this setup that allows necromancy to be possible.

The main exploit through which necromancy and its related disciplines function is the alignment of these components, which makes them appear as joined to a distant observer looking down from the heavens (such as a god), leading to that person becoming whole again, coming back to life, albeit temporarily, in the form of a shade (due to the "body" being nothing but its pneuma, a living wind). It's worth mentioning that these alignments aren't always manmade; it can happen by chance, especially over bodies of water rich in pneumata, which is why areas like the Acheron will appear haunted with the shades of the dead.

Reanimation works similarly, but with a vessel that can be animated, instead of the bare pneuma. Though of course, it has its caveats: it can only last for as long as the alignment persists, in less than a day this vessel will die again. Moreover, either the original likely decomposed body must be used, or a whole other new one, either of which can be far too unsettling to be useful, though to some necromancers this isn't particularly a problem.

Incantation

Incantation, on the other hand, utilizes another exploit on top of that above. Usually, in the other forms of necromancy, a call is used, often the name of the deceased person, which can attract the soul and facilitate the alignment, but in the case of incantation, this is used with another intent: by writing a word the spirit can understand into an object and pouring the Acheron's waters into it, the spirit, within the World of Ideas, can "recall" its correspondent form.

Now, the World of Ideas is akin to the "backstage" of the universe. It contains every concept and all the lightwork that "projects" them into our world. The incantation process can be described as "throwing a wrench" into that mechanism. With enough luck, that spirit can "trip" in the right enough way that the "recalled" form will be "projected" into the vessel used, infusing that form into it. It's because of this that incantation is referred to as "heavenly vandalism" by those against it.

Procedure

The materials necessary for any kind of necromancy or its related practices is waters containing the pneumata of the dead. There a lot of sources for this across the world, though it's recommendable to source it from the area that the language used was spoken in, if applicable. The water should be transported by a hydria, or, if transported en masse, on many amphorae by ship or horse.

For simple necromancy, those waters are to be left to sit exposed to the sky and, specifically, the star Nebyrum, in Libra, which shows up in late spring and early summer. in case a specific person is being looked for, a common technique is to call their name, loud and repeatedly. The soul will seek the source of the sound and will make the chance of alignment easier.

The process is the same for any reanimation, but a vessel is needed, any dead body works, though the shade would probably prefer to be its own body, and bystanders would probably prefer a body that isn't rotting, but sometimes that can be unnecessary to consider. The water should be absorbed by the body in some capacity. Either fed or poured on. For more combat-specific applications, just spraying water on soil where the dead have been buried has proven to work.

And for enchanting, it gets different. It still uses a vessel, but this vessel should preferably be inert. A sword, armor, a gemstone, a piece of metal, anything could theoretically work. For most efficiency, it should be engraved -- first engraved with geometric patterns, those that would attract aether (the soul is made out of aether, it thus facilitates alignment), and then engraved with a word.

Spirits come in all kinds and origins, but most are from ancient times; after the Late Bronze Age collapse, the knowledge needed for transcendence into the Pleroma has been lost, so when enchanting that's a factor to be mindful of. Therefore, the word that is engraved on an object, that being the form that the spirit will recall, it needs to be understandable by them, so an ancient language from the region the pneuma was harvested from should be used. Since the most popular source for pneumata is the Acheron, Mycenean Greek is the most widely used language for enchantment. But ancient languages all across the Eastern Mediterranean are widely used.

An alternative method, long theorized to exist until confirmed by the discovery of the Proto-Indo-European magician groups in Pallas, is by repeatedly chanting that word in that language, which functions similarly to the call in other necromancy methods. In this case, the object just needs to be in contact with the water.

Success is a question of chance, as many random factors need to be right for the alignment to be possible, but in such a case the item will receive the properties of its assigned form. A sword enchanted with eternity may be impervious to wear, one with sharp be able to cut effortlessly through most materials, or one with burning could set its targets alight.

Alternative theories

While the mainstream theory is that the star Nebyrum is the gateway between the phenomenal and intelligible worlds, there are other schools of thought that differ from this cosmological standard.

Most popular in Nicomedian Greece and Palmyrene Egypt, is the interpretation that due to the non-spatiality of Forms, there is no single "gate" to their world, as it's not a "place" as we understand it. Therefore, the alignment of the omnipresent spirit -- and by extension the time of year for magical practice -- is irrelevant, only the soul and pneuma.

This school of thought, eventually, got extrapolated into its own form of religious cosmology, splitting off into its own sect. It posits that instead of a pneuma-soul-spirit trinity, there is only an earthly soul and a heavenly soul, who separate in death. The heavenly soul, in turn, is "conjoined" with the rational spirit, or is a vehicle (okhêma tês psukhês) that "bears" its seed, metaphorically compared with an expecting mother.

In this religious cosmology, influenced by Egyptian and Christian afterlife beliefs, Paradise is located in the Sphere of the Fixed Stars, and to reach it the soul must embark in a long and perilous journey across the Heavenly Spheres following death. In this view, the stars of the night sky are actually the distant lights of heavenly cities, which form kingdoms centered around one of fifteen stars, ruled by spirits, angels, or gods embodying some kind of quality that every human soul is aligned to in some capacity, and only upon reaching this paradise can the soul and spirit separate and the latter be integrated back into the One.

In practice, this sect assigns people their "root star" (radix sideris) and requires that star to be overhead in order to contact them after death, while in the areas of enchantment, it's also believed that the root star of the soul used for the process will influence how a form will "manifest" on an object. For instance, Algol, the star of bloodshed and violence, might benefit enchantments of war or twist other ones into lethality.

History

The origins of necromancy, incantation, and all other magia contra deos, is said to be during the Titanomachy, at the end of the Golden Age. When his usurpation became a certainty, Cronus taught the Pelasgians, inhabitants of Greece at the time, the ways of necromancy and enchantment, to sow the seeds of rebellion and impiety among the peoples that the next king and demiurge, Zeus, would rule.

During this time, the practice spread amongst Eastern Europe through trade, reaching the Cucuteni-Tripolye culture and the Proto-Indo-Europeans, until the Late Bronze Age collapse, where the Tyrsenians, or Teresh, one of the Sea Peoples, would spread enchanted weaponry across the Mediterranean through invasion before settling, along with Cronus the Veiled God, on Italy.

This is one of the founding myths of the Rasennan Mysteries, an underground cult in the former Etruria, led by an Etruscan-speaking society of magicians, that keep the old tongue alive as a liturgical language. The evidence does attest this, as copper axes with anomalous properties have been found across Eastern Europe, and from the existence of the Palladian cults, inside the petrified body of Pallas in the Carpathians, that are effectively a preserved society of Proto-Indo-European magicians.

Classical Age

Following the Late Bronze Age Collapse, the art of incantation and was eventually forgotten save for cults that kept the tradition going, but enchanted weapons and artifacts continued to propagate through the remaining trade routes, especially in Archaic Greece. Necromancy remained alive, especially in the Near East, most likely due to its simplicity.

It wouldn't be, however, until the development and spread of Platonism, and later Neoplatonism, through the Mediterranean that Incantation would be later rediscovered. It, with all other types of magic, remained a forbidden art, hidden in mystery cults until its first major application in 260 by the Palmyrene Kingdom, and later Empire, in its pushback against the Sassanids by troops clad in enchanted bronze armor and weapons.

Magic remained forbidden in the rest of the Roman world for decades. A legion remained stationed at Epirus on June to persecute any goetes travelling to the Acheron. However, this came at the cost of fewer winter to repel barbarian invasions, which contributed to the worsening Crisis of the Third Century. The practice was discontinued under Diocletian's dominion of the East. Enchanted weapons were imported from Palmyra at times, but enchanting on Greek soil remained shunned. It wasn't until the series of defeats in Thrace that the value of magical prohibition was put into question.

The Treaty of Salona, signed in 312, mandated that the magical arts are to be consulted in the face of absolute necessity for the survival of the state, and that enchanted equipment is to be provided by the Palmyrene Empire if existing legions can't handle barbarian incursions. Otherwise, incantations performed on Roman, Gallic, or Illyrian soil must be counteracted with equivalent sacrifice, and that it may not be performed by a citizen, but rather a prisoner or gladiator.

**************************************************** Alright, this is going to be one post of many where I try to go get around to explaining my magic system. I'm gonna be posting a lot of these little infodumps about my fantasy conworld, so if you want to have them all in one place rather than endlessly scrolling through the slop in my profile, just check the tag "\madeline\apotheosis.txt", that being the codename this project gets until I can think of something good. Also, these little Courier New sections are commentary. That's just how I format things. ****************************************************

#fantasy #worldbuilding #sandalpunk #mythology #roman mythology #greek mythology #text #fantasy worldbuilding #fantasy world #magic system #platonism #\madeline\apotheosis.txt

[alpaca-clouds]

The possibilities of Sandalpunk

It's punk-o-clock again and today I wanna speak about that punkpunk genre, that might well be one of the most loosely defined: Sandalpunk. Really, trying to find something about this genre, I found that people do not agree about...

... if the genre at all is scifi, retrofuturist and/or fantasy and in how far

... what consistent themes of it should be

... what even the aesthetic is past "Ancient Rome/Greece"

... what kind of stories should be told in this genre

To put it differently: Sandalpunk right now is very much a title, but not a genre. Because there is absolutely no consistent anything within this "genre". But... I am gonna argue now, that it is kinda a waste, because there is a lot of potential there.

For those dipping into this blog for the fist time, let me quick go into the definition from Wikipedia on punk ideology, that I am going to use to assume that at least some of this should be present within a genre for it to be worthy of the punk-moniker:

[Punk Ideology] is primarily concerned with concepts such as mutual aid, against selling out, hierarchy, white supremacy, authoritarianism, anti-consumerism, anti-corporatism, anti-war, imperialism, conservatism, anti-globalization, gentrification, anti-racism, anti-sexism, class and classism, gender equality, racial equality, eugenics, animal rights, free-thought and non-conformity.

So, if I was trying to define Sandalpunk somehow, I would want to somehow bring that into it.

The other aspect the -punk genre have is, that they are somehow going into the scifi or fantasy genre, often doing a somewhat retrofuturist spin on things.

So, based on that we now have the three following ideas:

Based on the cultures of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece

Anti-Hierarchical and Anti-Imperialist ideas

Retrofuturism, possibly with some fantasy elements

And I think we can actually get a working concept from this.

Because of course especially ancient Rome and to a lesser degree Ancient Greece were expansionist empires. Both cultures (though this is your scheduled reminder that due to the length of time these empires lasted the culture shifted) were very hierarchical, very classist and were very much about conformaty.

We still very much live in a Roman world, even though we usually do not think about it that way. But because of how Rome had colonized most of Europe before the Empire fell - and because of how it was Rome who went out and propagized Christianity, with the religion now inextricably linked with Roman culture to this day, being used to propagate Roman ideals to this day.

So, imagining a retrofuturist setting with Roman influence could actually mirror some real developments we see these days - just with less Christianity. And an added bonus is: The Romans already knew about steam power - they only in the real world had never figured out how to productively use it. (Mostly because slave labour was cheaper.)

And this could actually make for a super interesting set up for a genre.

Let me paint that picture for you:

It is 1300 AD, the Roman Empire has never fallen and has by now colonized all of Europe, with the exceptions of some parts in the far north, as well as most of North Africa and West Asia. The Roman Empire has since advanced their technology considerably, outmatching most of the rest of the world in technology. They have stern rules about the way people can and cannot live, their world being divided between the classes. However... There are some that do not want to accept the Roman rule, being willing to fight against it. Groups of people trying to keep alive their indigenous cultures, offering each other mutual aid, trying to survive under the thumb of the Empire.

I think there is a lot of potential there. Playing around with how the Roman Empire had influenced our world, making it more visible than it usually is. With a world that is familiar and yet isn't. The possibilities are endless. And of course we can have people rebelling against it.

And hey, maybe the Roman gods play a role in this world as well?

Right now Sandalpunk is not much more than a word. But that could be done with it. So... Maybe someone just gotta start writing this genre? For real, I mean. Rather than people just looking random things featuring mildly anarchronistic Roman things and go: "Oh! Sandalpunk!"

#cyberpunk #steampunk #sandalpunk #ancient rome #ancient greece #retrofuturism #science fiction #scifi #fantasy #alternate history

[phobos-vii]

Diet

It takes a great deal of land to supply the food needs for the city’s millions of inhabitants. Nearly the entirety of the provinces are farmland and pastureland, vast fields of wheat, rye, and maize owned by the Dominus, all for the purpose of supplying the grain dole and to supply the city markets for those with better means. These grains, along with cheeses made from sheep and cow milk, make their way to the plates of the citizens. But not all food comes from the breadbasket of the nation.

Just outside the city itself, in the ring of fertility that surrounds the high walls of the city, are the privately owned fields of the Patricians. Here private citizens grow orchards, vegetable plots, vineyards, and herb gardens, or whatever else they may desire to bring to market. Cereal grains, further subsidized by the city for the dole, also makes up a large portion of the land usage. Though the destitute will persist on the grains and cheeses of the dole, for the better off, there exists an affordable array of variety in the markets. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, pickles, jams, squashes… all may find themselves on even plebeian plates.

Meat is another matter. Owing to the great land requirements, rearing large herds is generally too expensive near the city (though a handful Senators maintain herds of cattle and droves of swine within their own personal estates). Most meat is reared in the provinces, and reserved for the plates of the well-off. The offal is generally discarded without consumption. In comparison, a healthy industry of aquaculture within the city limits has led to the easy acquisition of fish. A properly employed individual can expect to afford fish for themselves and their family at least once a week with no issue. Even the destitute might be able to purchase the bones, from which they may make stews and stocks. Entire neighborhoods are known to get together to make large meals from their dole allotments and bits of flavoring they might acquire.

Poultry does not take well to the city airs, nor to the surrounding countryside. Attempts at rearing chicken generally result in unpleasant results. In the provinces one might find eggs and birds cheaply, but in the city they are reserved for the wealthy. Eggs are especially considered to be a fancy dish, considering the great difficulty of transporting them through the Gate without breaking.

#phobos vii #books #booklr #writeblr #worldbuilding #sandalpunk #farms #food #dystopia #historical fantasy

[duckprintspress]

BONUS: Tell us your favorite -punk media in the tags or comments!

(ours is probably obvious to anyone familiar with us...it's aetherpunk, we love it so much we're working on an entire anthology about it!)

#polls #fandom poll

[heliomie]

u guys might think im a tumblr artist online but i actually live in a sandalpunk city and produce radipunk newspapers and drive a mech actually........... just so you know.

#mie txt #i want to live in the world i created.........

[punk-of-troy]

⚠️Under construction⚠️

Hello! This is my attempt, for self-indulgent reasons, to compile information on the current interpretation of sandalpunk as both a genre and an ideology, and make it my own as I see fit.

Sandal: swords-and-sandals as a genre, see Clash of the Titans and The 300.

-punk: the given aesthetic/theme put through the lens of punk ideology and inspired by speculative fiction.

Enjoy the ride!

#pinned post

[midjourney-v5-2-styles]

Style: Sandalpunk

Illustration

Painting

Digital/Photorealistic

#midjourney #midjourney style references #midjourney styles

[kedavamrouge]

Happy Wednesday everyone hope everyone is feeling well. I call it The Pen of Destruction and Creation. Because whatever can be created can be destroyed, and once something is destroyed it can always come as something new.

#artpage #newart #artist #comics #deviantart #digitalillustration #doodle #blackart #blackgirlart #illustration #supportsmallbusiness #digitalart #artistsoninstagram #art #practice #webtoon #webcomic #lineart #photoshop #medibangpaint #sandal #sandalpunk #mage #instagood #reelsinstagram #random #kamvas #huion #blade #cyberpunk

#art #digital illustration #digital art #sketchbook #fantasy #photoshop

[tenderlysharpmidain]

argo_flin_rodi

A young beautiful woman wearing a traditional romanian mask in the forest, in the style of postapocalyptic, multiple expressions and poses, character sheet, detailed character design,sandalpunk, top shirt, skateboard, adidas clothing, baseball bat, backpack, gucci 2018/ 2019 clothing

midjourney

#midjourney

[froshele]

you know ive been wondering about a certain cultural difference. i genuinely love that all good dnd players, unlike necessarily all good pbp roleplayers, understand that the trappings of the setting are there to tell a modern story and not provide space to be a jerk because it's "accurate" for the period it's inspired by

i could never go into a rome inspired but ahistorical sandalpunk pbp and have a well to do rabbi (well, exist there to begin with,, but) say some shit about how roman art is decadent and encourages evil behaviour and all sure but he went and saw Narutus: Chroniculum Tempestatis, yes every part of the serial play, over summer in the provincial capital with his son and he kind of gets it now

but if hes a tiefling wizard and the setting is the beautiful empire Valentia it suddenly becomes both applicable and funny and the table laughs, because although both of these settings are fantasy only the dungeons and dragons queers seem to understand the romeo and juliet rule of 'all stories played out on the tabletop by nonspecialists in whatever it is are about our time, especially if set elsewhere'

i wonder whats up with the resistance to any character from a More Rugged tm Time having fandoms too, like, we dont know most of what people used to enjoy but that doesnt mean they didnt enjoy /something/

And we all get that, right, except in specific circles where the draw to a setting seems to be proportionate to how little the victorians thought they were allowed to enjoy anything

does anybody notice that sort of a difference too? the way the scene seems to be split demographically and opinionwise in this very predictable way?

#internet anthropology #play by post #dungeons and dragons #thinking

[madelinemadelinemadeline]

Magic System Pt. II - Astrology

About a week ago, we looked at Necromancy, one of the magiae contra deos that originates from the very cosmology of the world itself. This is about a very similar type of magic, though perhaps one that doesn't require as much an introduction.

Astrology -- that is to say, divinatory practices derived from the apparent positions of celestial objects -- has existed for millennia, across most (if not all) cultures. The contemporary* form of astrology, Hellenistic astrology, began at around the 2nd century BC, but saw a major renaissance during the Palmyrene Golden Era (4th-9th century AD), where it expanded into radical new doctrines like Sonivian astrology and became more advanced and precise with the discovery and manipulation of aether.

*To this world's ancientesque alternate-historical setting.

Astrological doctrines

Divination

All celestial bodies are made of a material known as aether, a plasma-like fluid, made up of dodecahedral atoms, that has the special property of being able to move without a mover, and will always flow in the vicinity of a geometrically "perfect" or "divine" pattern. The celestial spheres are themselves made of thousands of invisible patterns that periodically shift according to the will of the Fates. By itself, aether will naturally flow according to these existing celestial patterns.

it was thought that aether didn't occur naturally on the earth until it was actually discovered that there are actually incredibly small concentrations of aether on the earth, and especially in human beings.*

The present aether, thus, creates subtle "tugs" within the human body and mind, that can lead to taking decisions and choosing paths that are, in a way, determined by the stars. By analyzing the behavior of the planets, as well as the movements of earthborne aether, somebody trained in the astrological arts can make guesses on future events, and thus, divine. This is one of the few branches of astrology that is deemed accepted by the gods, i.e. a magia ex deis.

*Note: While presence of aether in the bloodstream can lead to the formation of ichor, a poisonous humor that can cause seizures and death, the aether that is naturally present in the body exists by itself and safeguarded in the pineal gland.

Catasterism

As established in the previous post, death is the separation of the essential components of human consciousness. One of these, the soul, also known as the astral body, is entirely made out of aether, and when released will float back up into the heavens, albeit with a different behavior from most inert aether, i.e. having freedom of movement.

Through carefully controlled near-death or death and reanimation, a person's soul can exit their body, freely explore the heavens and the earth, and promptly return to the body, with memories of the experience. This can also happen naturally on very rare occasions. This practice is what's known as catasterism, or more casually, astral projection.

Historically, it has been a very feared and frowned upon practice, due to its deadly stakes, and it took centuries before medicine advanced enough to make it safe to properly use, but even then it never lost its taboo.

However, it has seen its applications. Most notably, warfare. It's said that the first astral projection performed was on empress Zenobia herself, through which she learned of Aurelian's plans and tactics to reconquer the rebel empire. This is most likely an exaggerated and mythologized account, however it is well documented that the Palmyrene Empire used astral espionage extensively across its military history. The rest of the empires bound by the Peace of Spalatum still reject this practice, but do reserve the divine right to use it to ensure the survival of the state.

Sonivianism

Most controversial of all, sonivian astrology (from Latin sonivius, meaning "noisy" in a strictly augural sense) refers to a special form of divination where instead of the positions of the planets, the musica universalis produced by them is used to divine with, by noticing the subtle changes in the amplitudes and the frequencies in the sounds of the planets, as well as the more erratic noises of the aether that inhabits human beings.

The musica universalis is usually deemed imperceptible to mortal ears, however, it was found that with great meditation and silence, it can be very subtly heard. The difficulties present themselves in the fact that the earthly senses "cloud" the higher ones such as this heavenly harmony, and from this principle is where most of the characteristic features of sonivians arise.

In the search to understand the musica universalis better, those who practiced this doctrine of astrology sought a path of complete sensory deprivation, which with the advances in medicine became eventually absolute. By completely cutting themselves off from their earthly senses, these mages learned to completely rely on the musica universalis to sense the world, and are able to divine with vastly greater precision.

Eventually, these mages coalesced into their own isolated societies, with hierarchies and tiers based around how disconnected from their material senses they are. It begins with removal of the eyes, followed by intentional damage of the eardrum, followed by amputation of the tongue, followed by either intentional blockage of the nose or outright removal, and finally at the highest stage, most difficult to obtain, a complicated brain surgery that removes the sense of touch.

Due to their gruesome practices and ghoulish appearance, sonivian astrologers are seen in folklore as malicious forces of evil, even demons, and the astrologer in turn looks down upon the commoner, creating a cycle that leads to their characteristic isolation. One of the most well known sonivian astrologers is the Epiglottal Judge, or "the madman of Pallas" who holds the gate to the giant's digestive and respiratory systems.

Mythological origin

Humans have been trying to find meaning in the skies for as long as they have existed. Even during the Golden Age (spanning from the beginning of time to the Titanomachy), when there was no need for timekeeping, the Moon's cycles were still recorded.

Moreover, the beats of history have been innately influenced by the stars. The Thema Mundi, that being the initial position of the planets at the beginning of time, has historically been a symbol of great change. The Titanomachy, great war that ended the Golden Age, and with it the reign of Cronus, happened on August 21st, 4835 BC; the Gigantomachy, which ended the Silver Age, happened on the same date, 2030 BC; the Trojan War also happened on the same date in 1275 BC, and the Peace of Spalatum, which ended the Iron Age and brought great advancement to the magical arts, also happened that same date, 312 AD.

During the latter years of the Bronze Age, when the Thema Mundi seemed to approach, the gods realized that their place in the heavens was endangered. They already survived an usurpation attempt by the Giants, but they were in fear of just what might come next. They workshopped the idea of cutting themselves off from the world they created, to forsake humanity, retreating into their heavenly forts, and thus began to use the stars to communicate instead. This plan came to fruition with the Trojan War, an event which rekindled the flame of the Titanomachy and showed the gods the true extent of man's potential for bloodshed. And from then on, in the Iron Age, there was only silence. Hermes came down a last time to teach the remaining kingdoms of the earth the astrological arts, with which the gods would communicate, and then they never returned.

#fantasy #worldbuilding #sandalpunk #text #mythology #greek mythology #roman empire #fantasy worldbuilding #magic system #fantasy world #\madeline\apotheosis.txt

[lamarroe]

An empusa from my worldbuilding project

#art #digital art #fantasy #character design #scifi #creature #monster #sandalpunk #machine totem #demon #greek mythology #greek myth art

[blues-sevenfold]

Blood Substitutes and Supplements (No Meats)

Eggs

Red Beans

Coconut Liquids

Blood Oranges

Concord Grapes

Tomatoes

Red Chili Peppers

Red Wine (especially Vampire Vineyards)

Dark Chocolate

Cranberry Juice

Beet Juice

Pomegranate Juice

Apples

Other Red Fruits

Mineral Water

Honey

This list applies to pretty much all my universes where vampires exist.

#world building #Cooking with blood #vampire recipes #vampire #lunarpunk #Gothic Fantasy #sandalpunk #mosaic #xg

[phobos-vii]

Phobos VII

Phobos VII is officially out now on Amazon, as an ebook and paperback.

If a tragic tale of a naïve gladiator in a magical Diocletian-era pseudo-Rome getting ensnared in a revolutionary movement appeals to you at all, and if you are in the position to do so, please consider supporting the release.

And please, leave a review if you do so.

#phobos vii #books #booklr #writeblr #book release #historical fantasy #sandalpunk #dystopia #tragedy #gladiator #french revolution #existentialism #low fantasy #self publishing

[duckprintspress]

Aetherpunk

By a member of the Duck Prints Press staff who has chosen to be anonymous.

Note: Punk genres are diverse and always changing. Duck Prints Press is not trying to give a complete explanation of aetherpunk here but rather a bit of inspiration. Take what you want from it to create your own aetherpunk worlds!

On January 5th, Duck Prints Press will be launching recruitment for our next anthology: Aether Beyond the Binary, a collection of stories featuring main characters outside the gender binary living in modern or near-future aetherpunk Earth! This begs the question: what IS Aetherpunk? Well, read on and learn all about it…

Prologue: From the Aether

Scenes from the Aether #1: Bloomington, Indiana, 2013:

Lin steps into the café down the street from their apartment. The lights of the shop glow a pleasant green, reminiscent of the owner’s own magical aura. Soon, when Del opens the shop for customers, they’ll turn a more standard blue, but for now Del’s shop is cozy and quiet. Lin smiles, looking forward to seeing their friend. 

A shower of blue sparks flies from the kitchen’s open door, and Del scrambles out, cursing. When he sees Lin, he breaks into a wry smile. 

“Breakfast on the house?” he offers, his shorthand for pleading. 

“That’s the third time this week,” Lin chides, barely holding back their smile. They roll up their sleeves to go tinker with Del’s new, “improved” baking oven. “Why not use your old one?”

“The aether this model uses is supposed to be more efficient!” Del exclaims. Then, with a sad smile: “Plus no one trusts my powers. They still think the color’s associated with… you know.”

“Yeah.” Lin knows. They think of Del’s infamous brother, the deadly alchemist. “I’ll help you, but this is the last time.”

“Mhm,” Del says, nudging Lin’s shoulder, and adds telepathically, You say that every time.

You could try not being so smug about it, Lin half scolds, half laughs. 

“Why wouldn’t I be smug? My handsome, brilliant friend, the undisputed genius of the IU School of Aetheric Engineering, is fixing my pipes for free.”

Lin blushes but maintains their chiding tone as they say, their warm face hidden behind the stove where the power supply has once again leaked from its pipes, “Not for free. For breakfast.” 

Part One: What’s in a Punk (genre)? 

There’s been an explosion of punk genres since Bruce Bethke’s 1983 story Cyberpunk launched the genre. Though Bethke’s story may have given a name to this phenomenon, in his Etymology of “Cyberpunk” Bethke credits William Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984) for really defining the core tenets of the genre (Bethke, 2000). He also marvels at how the cyberpunk character trope (“a young, technologically facile, ethically vacuous, computer-adept vandal or criminal”) has stayed remarkably stable over the years since his story was published. In 2022, when I’m writing this, it’s still very similar. The cyberpunks in the cyberpunk genre are the sorts of lone heroes who often arise in the isolating environments fostered by advanced computer technologies.

Why am I rambling on about cyberpunk? Because, dear readers, cyberpunk is the progenitor of all genrepunks. As the most widely explored and utilized punk setting, it has provided the blueprint on which other punk genres are built. In essence, every punk after cyberpunk is a reaction to cyberpunk, either embracing or pushing back against its ethos. After cyberpunk came steampunk: a retro, adventurous answer to cyberpunk’s gritty and dystopian futurism. Then came others: dieselpunk, sandalpunk, biopunk—even the very meta “mythpunk” to which Neil Gaiman’s work is often attributed. These days, even non-punk fantasy is often punk-adjacent. 

So what makes punk stories… punk? For a story to be classified in a punk genre, it typically requires two key elements: a distinctive type of technology (whether social technology like myths and lore or physical technology like steam engines, diesel-powered airships, or nanobots) and a point of view about that technology. 

The technological distinctions can seem fairly obvious: atompunk features tech powered by nuclear energy; nanopunk, tiny robot technology; biopunk, genetic engineering and biotech; dieselpunk, diesel-powered machines. But focusing on only the tech aspects can make people miss the point of having multiple different punk subgenres. 

Take this paraphrased version of a forum conversation, circa 2015: 

[User 1]: Hey, I’ve been hearing more and more about this genre called ‘aetherpunk,’ but I can’t figure out what it is. How is it different from just steampunk but with magic? 

[User 2]: Sorry to tell you, friend, but it’s basically just “steampunk with magic.”

[User 1]: Ah. So, completely useless, then.

This view is common but misses the point. The tech alone does not make punk punk. The second necessary element is the cultural context of the technology: how does it affect the people who use it every day? How dissociated do those people feel from their environment? From their government? From the inevitable march of society, driven at least partially by technological advances using the genre-specific tech? Punk genres live and breathe for their exploration of the intersection between technology and culture. 

Genreunk is a response to the world we live in. Cultural evolution happens when technologies—lore, steam engines, printing presses, atomic bombs—intersect with cultural habits and traditions and shake them loose. We don’t live in the only, or the best, possible world. When we write punk, in some ways, we’re rewriting cultural evolution. We’re asking for a new way of thinking about the past and how that carries forward into the future. How we would be different. How we would be the same.

Punk isn’t just a genre. It’s a tool for understanding humanity. 

Part Two: Clear Air, a History of Aether

In the beginning, gods breathed their essence into the emptiness of space, and aether entered the universe as the material through which the stars and planets moved. Humans in ancient Greece, attuned to this invisible presence, named it “clear air” and declared it the fifth element, along with earth, water, air, and fire. Other cultures gave this energy different names or didn’t name it at all but nonetheless knew it was there. Over a thousand years later, medieval Europeans called it “quintessence” and hypothesized that this element, rare on Earth, could be distilled in order to cure mortal ailments. Aether was a substance that could make rocks burn and lights glow. It became a key ingredient in classic alchemical experiments in the West.

Aether has always been the bringer of light, the unchanging medium through which energy travels in waves from its source to the lenses of our eyes, to the leaves of hungry plants, to everywhere on the planet and throughout the universe. Indeed, it was so recently believed in and well-known that late 19th-century spiritualists took photos of ectoplasm and declared that ghosts could send messages through the aether. 

Then, a mere hundred-odd years ago, we lost faith. 

The idea of aether seems preposterous now, when we know about electron fields and the theory of relativity which states that nothing in the universe is stable or unchanging (and we certainly don’t need a special medium that exists to move light around)—but is it really so much harder to believe in aether than in electron fields? Or in dark matter?

Why shouldn’t we be swimming through aether like a fish swims through water?

Part Three: What is Aether/Punk?

Aetherpunk, the genre, explores what the world would be like if, rather than finding out aether was simply a confused explanation for how energy moves through space, we discovered that it was a real element, something we could both detect and harness. The nature of the aether isn’t what makes aetherpunk what it is. Rather, it’s the exploration of the development of society from the turning point when we discover that the aether is real—how that changes the world, the people, the past, and the future. 

Aether, the invisible force, can be everything and nothing. It can be magic, or it can be material. In some disciplines, like alchemy, it’s both. Aether is made of faith. It’s ephemeral, often immaterial, and only visible once the viewer knows what they’re looking for. It can cause disaster or provide beautiful, clean energy for wondrous technologies. It can be a source of progress or of fear. But in the end, it’s still a thing that must be discovered and cultivated. It can’t be forced into existence.

Aetherpunk as a genre is more naturistic than earlier punk genres like steampunk or cyberpunk. Natural materials find their way into clothing and buildings and weapons and tools, and the shapes of these man-made elements are designed in ways that enhance their ability to harness aetheric power. There might be constructs of stone or finely-honed metal held together by aetheric energy, beautiful steel weapons that cut through stone using atom-thick edges of pure aether, skyships and buildings of gold, or of clear stone, or of glass and crystal. And the technology bathes its surroundings in a luminous glow of aetheric light. 

Like solarpunk and lunarpunk, aetherpunk is a hopeful punk genre. When aether is discovered and harnessed, it brings about flourishing communities and can help to heal the world. Of course there are dark sides—the dangers of a volatile power source that not everyone can control, the frustrations of the people who are unable to use that power for themselves—and anyone is welcome to write a dark aetherpunk story. But aetherpunk doesn’t come with the same inherent baggage as steampunk or cyberpunk. Likewise, people can write utopian steampunk and cyberpunk, but that’s the opposite of the “standard” core of the genre. Aetherpunk wants to explore humanity in a universe where we don’t struggle simply to light our homes. Where the power that runs everything suffuses the universe, and therefore everyone can reap the benefits. A world where our source of power doesn’t send millions of people to an early grave. What sorts of stories would emerge in this sort of world?

Part Four: Steampunk but with Aether?

Now that we’ve described what aetherpunk is, let’s return to that dreadful forum post, and ask for ourselves: what makes aetherpunk more than just “steampunk but with aether”? 

In short, everything.

First is the nature of the energy that powers the technology. Steampunk is a retrofuturistic genre that centers on the era when steam, fueled by wood and coal, was the main power source, around the turn of the 1800s during the Industrial Revolution. It harkens back to the aesthetics of the era, with wood and steel and glass materials, wooden ships that ply the air, clockworks and rivets and tangible, heavy things that work through sheer force. Steam is a thing with weight. It will melt your flesh from your bones, and it’s born not of faith, nor internal strength, nor the careful distillation of spirits down to their quintessence, but instead through fire. Another resource needs to burn to make it. Entire lives are spent feeding coal into the voracious maws of steam engines. 

Aetherpunk, as we’ve described, is born of magic, and thus the technology to use it focuses on cultivation and focusing energy rather than on producing something by force. Even the most cursory look at the nature of the energy source shows us how every aspect of society linked with producing that energy is different between steampunk stories and aetherpunk stories.

There’s also a very important cultural distinction between aetheric stories and steam-powered stories. In steampunk, the adventures of sky pirates and nobility are built on the efforts of a vast lower class who are systematically shut out from steam’s benefits. It may not matter to the story at hand, but the underlying class tension is always there. Like cyberpunk, steampunk takes inequality as a given, and places singular heroes into that world.

Aetherpunk is more utopian and egalitarian. There’s no assumption built in that in order for a person to use their magical flying ship, someone else must suffer to create the energy needed to fuel it. This distinction makes all the difference in how aetherpunk and steampunk stories are told. 

In either case, the power source can be wonderful or terrible, can fuel dystopian nightmares or hopeful solutions to the troubles that ail the world. But the fundamental nature of these technologies affects the way characters think and speak about the world they inhabit. Is it a place of smog or of shimmering lights? Is it a place where magic competes with technology, or is it a place where magic is the technology? The answers to these questions are different in every punk genre, and those differences should have a profound impact on the story’s narrative.

Where will your aetherpunk story take you?

Epilogue: From the Aether

Scenes from the Aether #2: San Francisco, 2043

Shining, multicolored bridges bend but do not break in the powerful earthquake that, in previous eras, would have shaken buildings from their foundations and dropped bridges into the bay. Drivers and pedestrians cling to whatever safety they can as the structures sag and sway and finally, after all is done, snap back to form as though the past minute was only a bad dream. 

Trill breathes a ragged sigh before stepping back onto zir motorcycle and kicking the starter. A blue glow and a warm hum are the only signs that the bike is powering up before Trill finishes crossing the bridge, a little jumpy from the unexpected shaking but no worse for wear. Ze has a long way still to go before ze arrive at Heloise’s house. Ze can’t wait to see zir friend, who is finally home after her long trip to Lima where she was training magicians to harness their power. 

Trill rides north into the mountains while the sun sets to zir west, out above the ocean, and the world glows orange and pink. By the time ze powers down zir bike, the sky is silky black and filled with stars. Trill climbs toward Heloise’s small house, which is built into the slope; the soft blue glow of natural aether in the rocks lights the way. Ze knocks on Heloise’s wooden door;  Heloise answers with a hug around Trill’s waist, her face pressed into Trill’s chest. Trill laughs, something in zir heart finally relaxing.

It’s been a long eight months. 

She pulls Trill inside, into this warm place she’s made in the lonely hills above the bay, and even though ze doesn’t deserve it, Trill revels in her welcome. It feels like coming home.

Examples of Aetherpunk

As aetherpunk is a young genre, examples are sparse, and there are many opinions on what “counts” and what doesn’t. For example, some people consider Lord of the Rings to be aetherpunk, due to the way it brings magic and technology together (especially in Mordor and in Sarumon’s plot line) and the way the magic interacts with society. The below list should not be considered exhaustive, just as this post shouldn’t be treated as The Last Word on the nature of aetherpunk.

Books:

The Aether Chronicles by Abi Barden

Aether Frontier by Scott McCoskey

Chasing the Lantern by Jonathon Burgess

Strange Skies by Loud Silence

Games:

Eberron

Final Fantasy

Genshin Impact

League of Legends

Magic the Gathering (specifically the Kaladesh Plane)

Xenoblade Chronicles

About Duck Prints Press

Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. Our founding vision is to help fanfiction authors navigate the complex process of bringing their original works from first draft to print, culminating in publishing their work under our imprint. We are particularly dedicated to working with queer authors and publishing stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

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Sources

r/aetherpunk on reddit

“Different Punk: A to Z of Punk Genres,” April 30 2019, by Isaac

“The Etymology of ‘Cyberpunk’ ” by Bruce Bethke

“Please Define ‘Aetherpunk,’ ” November 15 2015, by Union Jacknnife and Nostil.

“Something is Broken in Our Science Fiction,” January 15 2019, by Lee Konstantinou

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