#astrarium: the adventures between realms

[astrariumofficial]

So with the introduction of tumblr blaze, we wanted to give it a go on another promotion for Astrarium!

So welcome to our blog dedicated to our story, Astrarium: The Adventures Between Realms! It's going to be a written story all posted online. Our new release date is still TBD but launch date will see the launch of our website, the first seven chapters and more, with a new chapter to follow every week to every other week. This is being written by myself (Kenzie) and my boyfriend Jonathan, and we also run our own small production team that this will be published under known as BADG3R Productions!

Astrarium is set in a universe that is home to seven Realms -- Hydra, Auriga, Ursa, Cygnus, Orion, Lepus and Lyra -- that are ruled over by the Dragons, who are near immortal masters of time and magic. Created by the Original Dragon and left to watch over the rest of his creations, there are those of the Dragons who are granted the role of Watcher, to act as a god of their chosen universe.

The story will follow Artemis (nicknamed Ari), a human girl that was adopted by the Watcher Arabella, and has wanted her entire life to prove that she is worthy to be among the Dragons and how much she loves her people. Passing the Trials to become a Watcher and spending the next four years of her life training and traveling the Realms is her big break. We'll join her in on those four years as she meets friends and foes alike, gets to experience everything each Realm has to offer and watch as she learns more about herself and what kind of Watcher she both wants and needs to be.

The Realms are all unique to each other and there's something for everyone in each one! We also have a huge cast of characters we've lovingly put care into and are so proud of. On this blog, we also post different worldbuilding facts, character facts, aesthetics, incorrect quotes and more!

Want a sneak peak at the story? We have the first 3 chapters available over on my personal writing blog!

We hope that you'll come check us out and give us a follow and feel free to ask any questions, we love getting to answer them! We still have plenty more to share as well!

[erunerwynter]

get ready for another rambling

so okay get comfortable bc im gonna talk abt the Gods of Gaia™

okay, in reality im not going to write down all of the gods, simply because there are just too many and i haven’t figured them all out right now

so here ill talk about the six gods of a very common religion in Steingatte, one of the four continents of Gaia (that are actually six if you count the Crowns of the World, that are basically north and south pole)

- Egatro is the god of the sky, basically. he moves the stars, the sun and the moon. He made the constellations and crafted the sun and the moon out of his own eyes, so now he’s blind; he’s also the god of darkness and the roads, protector of the Wanderers, the members of an international organization that are mostly adventurers. He’s completely neutral, but protects Gaia from the horrors that lie in the void between the stars so maybe that counts as Neutral Good? Anyway, he has an Outer Plane (even tho on Gaia the Outer Planes don’t have that much of influence – conjurers and the like are extremely uncommon, bc Gaia is cosmologically very far away from the Outer Planes) that is called “The Astrarium”, from where he can look at every point in the universe.

- Agasta is the goddess of war, of battle, of life and death and of the burning passion of two lovers. She’s the one who gives life to newborn children and the one who picks the souls of the dead in battle. She’s just, but fierce and merciless, and doesn’t have any pity for cowards. She’s Chaotic Neutral, because she doesn’t care about good and bad; she only cares about your bravery on the battlefield (she values in particular the ones who sacrifice themselves for the sake of other’s lives tho, even if they’re generally bad guys). Her Plane is called Ekraste, the Eternal Battlefield, that’s basically Valhalla.

- Ise is my favorite. They’re genderless, and they’re the god of secrets, magic, art, darkness and knowledge. Their Plane is known as The Library Of Many Things, and it’s one of the few Planes that mortals ever set foot on. The Library has many Librarians that come from all the Multiverse, may they be contract devils, azatas, demons with a knack for knowing secrets, Things From Beyond, elementals, and even mortals like human and elves. The Librarians set apart their differences and work together (mostly) without fights, bc the Library of Many Things is strongly Neutral, as her master is. All of the Librarians must reject their ties with their original plane of existence, putting them under the direct control of Ise, but that’s no big deal, bc the ones who want to become Librarians often feel like outcasts in their plane of origin in the first place, and Ise almost never asks anything from their servants. Mortals that become Librarians become basically outsiders, and as such they cannot die of old age anymore.

- Reno is the god of mercy, love, compassion, earth and harvest. Called the Father of the Rejected, or simply Father, his priests don’t build churches. Instead, they go in the houses of the poorest, assisting them as much as they can. Often they’re travelling clerics, aiding adventurers and healing them for free. While they can earn money and ask for payment for their services, they can only do that to people that are clearly wealthy. Reno believes that no creature is beyond redemption, and his church accepts everyone; that’s why there are many believers between tieflings and half-orcs. Even some drows that live near the surface and have heard of him worship him, obviously in total secret. His Plane is called The Glades, and he’s Lawful Good.

- Elandra is the goddess of nature. She is called the Huntress, and she’s the one who, with Agasta, decides who must live and who must die, but her influence goes beyond the battlefield. Some of her servants, the Crows, pick the souls of the dead to bring them to the afterlife. She’s often respected by druids, and most elves of the woods worship her. She’s Chaotic Good, and her Plane is called The Wilds.

- Nestre is the blacksmith of the gods. He’s  the god of craft and wit, of order and prophecy and Time itself. He’s the god of metal, of ice and fire. He crafted the Wheel, that is in constant motion and keeps the Time flowing. Sometimes his clerics have glimpses of future and past things, but if that is indeed Nestre’s influence is still a controversial argument. He’s Lawful Neutral, preoccupied only by the order of things, and his Plane is the Forge of Fire and Ice.

- my second favorite, Ifaseo, the god of chaos, trickery, wind and sea, of songs and of tempests, the god of dance. He’s also the god of chance, and his priests often leave particular difficult decision to fate, with actions such as flipping a coin or rolling a dice (wink wink). So it’s not unusual to see a cleric of Ifaseo flipping a coin with their eyes closed to decide whether they should kill or not the creature that stands before them. Some of them take this to an extreme, leaving to chance alone almost every choice they make. Ifaseo hates law and order, that bind someone in doing something that they may not want to do. That’s why even his Chaotic Evil clerics fight against slavery and are willing to form an alliance with anyone to stop it, even the most lawful of paladins. He’s Chaotic Neutral, and his plane is called the Archipelago.

- Azra is the goddess of the sea and of the deep abysses, of darkness, water, silence, magic, sleep and dreams and oaths. She is the one who lies beneath the surface of the waves, under the realm of Ifaseo, her brother, whom she hates fiercely. She, it is believed, is the Mother of Aberrations, and that the Things From Beyond, such as shoggots, are her children. She’s Lawful Evil, and her Plane, cosmologically right under the Archipelago, is the Endless Abyss.

 Then there is this goddess in particular, the First One, o “La Prima”, worshipped in Corveria, a nation where arcane magic is basically outlawed. La Prima is, her clerics declare, the one and only divinity that exist; they deny the existence of the Outer Planes, classifying the Library Of Many Things as a demiplane (one day ill talk about the cosmology of the planes beyond Gaia i stg). Funnily enough, no gods have ever spoken directly to their worshippers: some declare that gods don’t exist at all because of that.

In reality, all gods coexist in the Multiverse, but exist only because people who believe in them exist. If one were to kill all the worshippers of one particular divinity and destroy the very memory of their existence then that divinity would absolutely die. But if someone finds a mention of that divinity, such as a painting or a fragment of their sacred book, they may come back to life.

Still, it is quite the quest to destroy every mentioning of one divinity, given the fact that everything the Librarians know is immediately stored in the extradimensional shelves of the Library Of Many Things

[hopefulstarfire]

Astrarium: The Adventures Between Realms: An In-Depth Look

What is Astrarium: The Adventures Between Realms?

Astrarium is a massive, written work of online fiction created by myself and my boyfriend Jonathan, with the art department fully manned by our best friend Tai (@cowboytai) and edited/possibly narrated by our other best friend Watta (found here at his YouTube channel).

The story follows the adventures of Artemis, or Ari as she's better known, a human girl raised by Dragons. The Dragons of are the deities of the universe, with a select group delegated to the task of Watchers, whom take the role of nurturing, shaping and recording the histories of the Seven Realms found in their universe. Ari, at age 16, is able to begin her training to become a Watcher (and the first ever human Watcher), and takes the four years of her training to explore each and every Realm, making friends and enemies along the way, and discovering more of who she is and who she wants to become.

We're currently looking at publishing it on its own website sometime in 2022. What we're looking at having done before then is the prologue, first five chapters, and the first trips to every Realm. Currently, we have the prologue and chapters 1-3 finished, with chapter 4 in progress along with the first round of trips. The prologue and chapters 1-5 will be posted together on the launch of the website. We will also have a Patreon set up for it, with some varying reward tiers!

What are the Realms?

There are Seven Realms featured in Astrarium, all named after constellations. They are Hydra (The Water Serpent), Auriga (The Charioteer), Ursa (Greater Bear), Cygnus (The Swan), Orion (The Hunter), Lepus (The Hare) and Lyra (The Lyre). Each one also features its own aesthetics, cultures, and even specialized races/species of civilized life.

Hydra takes place in a very water and island based world, with an aesthetic setting of the Age of Exploration/Golden Age of Piracy. There are seven major oceans on this world, and hundreds of islands, both inhabited and uninhabited and many filled to the brims with treasures. There are also large underwater cities that are elegantly built and homes to all sorts of academic pursuits.

Auriga is a world inspired by both the Old West and the Steampunk fashion and aesthetic. They have new inventions coming out every day, fueled not just by steam power but also by magical crystals. And they thrive off of having big communities that all rely on each other.

Ursa is a very natural world filled with gorgeous forests and lovely springs. It's world is heavily inspired by high fantasy, dungeons and dragons, and a certain other old tale that'll be evident in its cast of characters. It is filled with magics of all kinds and magical creatures left and right.

The citizens of Cygnus live on floating islands, all connected to each other by tethers, and the inhabitants fly anywhere they please. The aesthetic is based in 1920s/1930s fashion and glitz and glam, with a little bit of a seedy underbelly lurking in the city...as well as interesting horrors down in the jungles below them.

The Giantesses of Orion have kept to the simpler life, with a definite cottage core aesthetic throughout. They are an agricultural society with many settlements and even still wandering nomadic tribes that all unite for the big Games every year.

Lepus' people have been facing an endless winter for over a thousand years. The people have long forsaken and forgotten about their magic, and have relied heavily on science and technology to help rebuild their lives and try to find a way to combat the winter. It's a very sci-fi setting with some style influence from all over.

Lyra is the land of the dead and the home of an eternal party. With plenty of Halloween based influences, there is never a dull moment for those who find themselves in the built towns, and those who are stuck in the fog wander and sing their songs until they find their way to a new home.

Outside of the Realms, there is Dragons Keep, a large mountain in space that acts as the home to all Dragons. It's caves are vast and plentiful, winding all the way through from the head of the mountain, where the High Council meets, to the very bottom. And even with many areas claimed and made use of in this large mountain, there are always mysteries to be found.

Who are the characters?

Astrarium has one of the largest casts of characters we've worked with, with tons of new friends, rivals, and enemies for Ari to meet. Along with Ari, there is a main character for each Realm, with a cast of supporting characters.

Ari (she/her) acts as the main protagonist, helping guide some of the plot and seeing everything through her eyes. On Hydra, our protagonist is Gibbson "Gibbs" Cayde (he/him); on Auriga, Huxley "Huck" Holiday (he/him); on Ursa, Ronan Löx (he/him); on Cygnus, Clyde (he/him); on Orion, Fauna (she/her); on Lepus, Henrietta "Henri" Franklin (possibly she/they, still figuring it out!) ; and on Lyra, Alexei (he/him). Also on Dragons Keep, we have Aris' family, with her adopted mother/Mama, Arabella, her Uncle Killick, and her cousin, Libelle, who is a main character for Dragons Keep.

I hope to get to share more about our supporting cast with you all soon, as they all have some very interesting stories to get to share!

We also are working on art for the main characters as we speak, but we do have Ari's done and that can be found here!

More About The Team?

We're a group of friends who have all known each other since, for the most part, high school! While I'm someone that kind of wants to keep private lives private, I can say that these are the best group of friends to have and we're honestly like our own little family. We've workshopped other projects with each other since, God, like, my senior year of high school? Just about? It's been an insane ride together. We're also just a big bunch of nerds who are all really chill and fun to be around.

How Long is The Story Going To Be?

Astrarium is looking to be the longest project we'll ever do in terms of story timeline, and page count. As the Dragons are masters of time, Ari has the ability to actually mess with it slightly and create what is essentially a "Save point" for herself to go back to after she leaves a Realm. So say she leaves Hydra on a certain day. She can make that save point, go hang out in the other Realms, and come back and it'll be either that exact save point she left at or a few hours later, give or take (though, there are chances of "hiccups" in this, usually occurring when she leaves from Dragons Keep specifically, as it is considered to be outside of the normal flow of time!).

My goal is kind of a fun one of I want it to be one of the longest word count stories out there. I don't really know why I want it to be, other than I think it'd be really cool if I could beat out that Loud House fanfiction in terms of longest works in literature. That's just a nice little goal.

How Can Readers Support the Series?

Honestly, the best thing I can ask for is just getting this around! If anyone takes an interest in this series, reblogs and likes go a long way and are greatly appreciated. We also love, love, love questions!! It's a great feeling to see people want to know more and some questions can really get our thinking caps on to develop more and more! When the site launches, we will again launch the Patreon right alongside it, so if you want to financially support, there'll be reward tiers ranging from $1 a month and upwards! We may look at a Ko-Fi as well and if it looks like people are really interested in it, we may open a merch store and I do want to start releasing some of it as actual books you can have for your shelves!

Financial support is 100000% optional, though, for when that does happen, and like, everyone's situation is different, we just want to make it an option for our audience. But the best feeling in the world to us is seeing people's interest and them sharing it with their friends!

And if anyone has anymore questions, please please please feel free to ask! We're gonna be working on getting to share more updates here soon!! And thank you all for your time!!

[hopefulstarfire]

Mini Character Profile; Ari

So as every one of the main characters get their art pieces done, I'm gonna be posting some mini profiles to kind of give a proper introduction to everyone! So, we're going to start off with our main protagonist, Ari.

art credit: @cowboytai.

Name: Artemis. Alias(es)/Nicknames: Ari, Ari Drake, Starlight (by Arabella), Lassie (by Pete). Species: Human. Gender: Cis female (she/her). Sexuality: Pansexual. Age: 16 (beginning of the series). Birthday: July 23rd. Realm: Unknown, raised on Dragons Keep.

Personality: Artemis has always tried to be a person that focuses on the present and the future. She wants to have a life full of adventure and new experiences, and pushes hard to focus on those. But she also has a hard time letting go of past pain, no matter how hard she tries to bury it down. This can also lead her to having a hard time forgiving people who have wronged her, and she can hold a grudge for a long time. She does, however, also get attached very easily and forms very deep attachments to the people in her life and loves with every part of her heart.

This also is partially why she wants to prove herself so much in the eyes of the Dragons. She has always struggled with fitting in amongst them and feels like she is still looked down on by them for being human, or that they judge her for her strange magic. The hurt of her childhood still lingers with her and acts as a major motivator in wanting to succeed and be the best Watcher to ever have taken that role.

Ari, through her experiences and through being raised by her mother, has also gained a very big heart and has a lot of compassion towards others. The fact that she has made friends in the other Realms, true friends, makes her overjoyed and she would do anything for those she cares about.

She also has a strong sense of wanting to do whatever she believes is right and takes that as a big responsibility for herself. This can, however, begin to challenge her perspective on many things as she starts to navigate things that don't align in a black and white mentality.

Ari is typically also just a goofy, fun loving and adventurous individual. She has an appetite as big as her heart and a willingness to try everything. MBTI Type: ESFP. Alignment: Chaotic Good. Goal(s): To become the Best Watcher; experience as many new and exciting things as she can throughout the seven Realms; prove herself in the eyes of the High Council; make lasting, meaningful friendships on every Realm; try every dish she can find on every Realm.

Family: Arabella (adopted mother), Killick (adopted uncle), Libelle (adopted cousin).

Abilities and Equipment: Star Magic: With this magic she is able to create and manipulate stars and stellar energy. Her abilities manifest mainly in what looks like bright lights and star dusts or giving her a glowing aura. Attacks come in forms of star bolts/blasts, beam emissions, slashes of light, and more. She can manipulate their shape and size depending on what she can think of. She can also use it to make constructs such as barriers and she can also use it to propel herself in speed, and eventually learn to use it to give off the appearance of flying. Weapon Training: Ari is trained in sword fighting (specialty being a falchion), guns, and other multitudes of weapons during her time amongst the 7 other Realms. Bracelets: Ari was given a set of thick bracelet cuffs to go around her wrist to navigate the Realms. She's able to make a portal to and from every Realm for herself, or back to Dragons Keep. These bracelets also give her access to an array of basic wardrobes and glamours to help her better blend in with the Realms she visits. It also has a function that allows her to contact those back on Dragons Keep, and, most importantly, it has a function to make "save points" for herself on every Realm, so she can go back to roughly right where she was when she last left.

Trivia:

Ari's favorite food is beef stew, though it's closely tied with chocolate chips

She's a character I made back either junior or senior year of high school, and she's gone through quite a bit of development. It's been really refreshing writing her for her own story!

She's got a deep fascination with crystals.

She's easily motivated with food. Like just promise her food and she'll do anything you ask essentially.

If you want to see the textbook definition of a herbo, it's Ari.

If I could pick a voice actor for her, currently the main pick is Erica Lindbeck.

[astrariumofficial]

Wanted to make a pinned post for ease of access to different links, especially for mobile users so here we go! (We will be adding things as we go)

Welcome to the official Astrarium blog! It's going to be a written story that will be posted on its own website in the near future, with 7 chapters available on launch date and a new chapter every week to every other week. It's a high fantasy story about a human girl named Ari, that is adopted and raised by the Dragons, the masters of the universe, and her 4 year journey to train to be a Watcher, or a god of a Realm of her choosing. It's being written by myself (Kenzie, she/they) and my boyfriend Jonathan (he/him), under the label of our small production team, BADG3R Productions!

Want a more in depth idea of the story? We've got that post right here!

Want to get an idea of the characters appearances? Check out the hero forge models Jonathan made over here!

We also have a character facts tag, and an aesthetic tag, and if you're looking for things related to specific characters, they each have a tag (their first name)!

Interested in the creation myth? Check out the history of the Dragons!

Have a peaked interest in the Realms? We have a page for it! And we also post various worldbuilding facts in this tag!

Do you like incorrect quotes? We've got plenty over in this tag!

Want some admittedly shoddily made tiktoks? Come check them out in this tag!

Wanna know more about BADG3R? Check out our about page or the behind the scenes tag!

How about a sneak peak? The first 3 chapters are available over here!

Got some questions? We got answers for you.

[astrariumofficial]

The History of the Dragons

Creation of the Universe

Before the beginning, the Great Crystal cracked apart, ushering forth light and darkness, space and time, life from within itself. And from within it came the Original Dragon. Birthed from the Great Crystal, he spent his early years shaping forth the universe, bringing about the Seven Realms, and named them Hydra, Auriga, Ursa, Cygnus, Orion, Lepus and Lyra. His emboldened creativity led him to make them all unique masterpieces, allowing them to both stand out in their originality and be of service to their fellow worlds, a chance to trade with each other for different resources. He then created his own home, a towering mountain in space that would float above the Realms, so that he may watch over them. He named the mountain Dragons Keep.

He then created the first life forms; the Dragons, whom he modeled and sculpted in his image, bringing them to existence with fragments of the Great Crystal, along with one of his own scales. He then went onto create the many different life forms inhabiting all of the Realms, using fragments once more, but found himself using only the crystal shards, keeping his scales for himself.

His final act of creation was magic. He shaped the magical energy using starlight, fragments of the Great Crystal, a rare type of crystal from each and every Realm, and nine of his own scales. It would be this energy that would flow through the expanses of the universe, empowering the life of every being to ever walk through his creations.

With all of reality created, with time ever flowing in a beautiful balance, the Original Dragon took to resting upon the Head of Dragons Keep, becoming the First Watcher over all of his incredible work.

The Introduction of Magic

The Dragons were the first students.

Under the tutelage of their creator, they learned how to channel the magical energy he created into their own bodies, making a unique magic of their own to wield and pass down through the generations to come -- with more beginning to appear as time progressed.

Once their newfound powers were mastered, they became the teachers, bestowing their knowledge and aid to the Realms. On each and every Realm, new magics, unique to their world, began to take shape and flourish.

The Great War

The Realms had experienced a great age of peace for centuries. They were a loving community of neighbors, who stood united.

Until, that is, a seed of pride began to sprout.

One of the Realms claimed that their magic was the best, better than any that were given to the others by the Dragons. They claimed theirs rivaled the power of the Original Dragon himself.

Then, the other Realms soon fell into this pattern, one by one, claiming their own magic, their own resources, their own people, were superior to all of them, even surpassing that of the Original Dragon.

War came quickly, with the Realms clashing with both the power of their own technologies and their magics. Longtime friends turned into bitter foes, and blood seeped the ground in every Realm. The Dragons went to try and prevent the fighting, many losing their lives in their valiant efforts.

The turmoil finally made the Original Dragon act, going to quell the fighting himself, only to become a martyr, his death ringing out throughout the entire universe. It was only this act that made the war come to a halting close, the Realms now left without their god.

The Creation of the Watchers & The High Council

A void was left in the aftermath of losing the Original Dragon. The Dragons, his Chosen creation, now searching to try and find their purpose in the universe without him, turned to their studies and lessons from him. They studied the lessons he left behind for them, predicting that they may one day need to keep time and the universe in balance without him.

They closed the gates between the Realms, deeming it for the best that they operate on their own; they could not risk another war of that scale. Never again.

The only gates they allowed to remain open where those that led from Dragons Keep to each individual Realm, allowing them the chance to portal in between places to come to the inhabitants aids, should they ever need it.

In place of the Original One, the High Council was formed, to consist of eight Dragons and a ninth to lead them. They would be put in charge of the daily on goings of Dragons Keep, guiding the coming generations and keeping a sense of community and stability alive amongst them.

They were the ones that created the position of Watcher, to become the overseeing god of a chosen Realm to help shape, guide, and protect it, in order to further honor the Original Dragon and his work in the universe. It is the High Council who oversees the Trials for a Dragon to become one upon their 16th birthday. It is them who leads every Dragon, whether they choose and can accomplish the job of watcher or go a different path, on their Ascension Day, on their 20th birthday, to see them reach an age of adulthood and celebrate the gifts they will bring to the universe in their lifetime.

It is the Watchers and the High Council who will keep everything in perfect harmony.

[astrariumofficial]

The Cast of Orion

Fauna, the Sunblessed || Violet || Opal || Robin || Calla

[astrariumofficial]

The Cast of Ursa

Ronan Lox || Mariah Maythorne || Braum Valenport || Midge Silverbirch || Willow Scarlett-Lox || Brother Jacob Wash || Emyr Lox || Rowen Ivanbell

[astrariumofficial]

The Cast of Dragons Keep (Part 2)

Typhra || Scylla || Kayda

[astrariumofficial]

The Cast of Hydra

Gibbson "Gibbs" Cayde || Captain Morgan Cayde || Jinn || Dr. Isabella Damaris || Zephyr Borealis || Aalto || Pete (ft. Biscuit).

[astrariumofficial]

The Cast of Dragons Keep (part 1)

Artemis "Ari" Drake || Libelle || Arabella || Killick

[astrariumofficial]

Hey! So for a little more ease of access; we wanted to post the prologue for Astrarium here as well! We may also be posting the other two preview chapters (chapters 1 & 2) as well. They can also be found over here! We hope you get to enjoy it, and please feel free to share it as well if you did!

---

He should have been able to recall every last detail of what had been the worst day of his life. It should have been clear -- every corridor, every street, every step, every face -- and yet his memories remained clouded.

He can remember running out of the...library? The kitchen? No, no it was the watch tower. That was where he had rushed off to when the call rang out. When the great explosion happened in the distance and the nightmare had started. He had bolted down its winding stairs, darting for the north wing corridor, the blue walls -- or were they purple? Silver? -- a blur in the corner of his eyes. He can visualize the large doors leading out into the...courtyard? No, that was through the east wing -- from the north wing was the front steps, leading out into the main city street.

It’s when he gets to the street that everything, at least somewhat, becomes more concrete. But perhaps that’s for the worse. Because it’s in the streets that his senses overwhelm him, as the heat from the inferno trying to engulf the city intensifies, as it tries to melt him where he stands. He moved further into the scene, the heat growing stronger and stronger. The ground shakes below his feet. Once magnificent buildings crumbled to the ground with resounding booms echoing through the air. The market stalls had been reduced to ash, the large shops whose walls had once gleamed like crystals were nothing more than wreckage and soot. The greenery was all but consumed by the fire, leaving not even the grass untouched. Their once great city, their once great Realm, would be nothing more than a ruined hellscape.

Then came the screams. At first, they were distant, but as a blurred figure ran past him, pushing against his shoulder, they all chorus in at full volume. Piercing, deafening wails of fear, of facing their inevitable doom. Some are quickly stomped out as more debris comes down, others develop into pleas of help, for someone to save them.

For him to save them.

It broke his heart, guilt dragging its claws deep into his chest. This wasn’t supposed to be their fate. It never should have come to this. His people were innocents in this, they all were. For them to have to suffer…

Rage washed over the guilt, his hands curling into fists. It was never supposed to be this way. There was a rule amongst them, there were morals they were supposed to uphold. Yet, everything fell to the wayside, all driven by a petty grudge and misplaced anger, and now every Realm in the galaxy was forced to be punished for crimes they did not commit.

His chest burned. From the fire, to the rage, and then -- damn it! Blinding pain snaked its way across his limbs, his torso, his face, everywhere. His hand went to his chest, blood pooling against his armor as he fell to his knees and --

White. Everything faded away in a blinding light, silence filling what became an empty void. That was the part that always came after the pain. He knew deep down what happened after he left the street, the dread settling into his bones. But try as he might to summon forth his strength to bring it out, to witness it again, it remained in the long forgotten recesses of his own memory. And that very strength was fading, and fading fast. The pain that the memory wrought back to him was overwhelming, on top of the burden of bringing these memories forth to begin with. He was not the man he once was, that glorious might he held in his golden days died that tragic night.

He could no longer be their hero. His story was ending.

A single breeze threads through his hair, and his eyes lift up to gaze out into the white void, landing on a lone figure that appeared. A girl in her teens, her hair like fire and body frantically turning as she looked for answers, looked for anyone around her, her mouth opening to try and call out for anyone but her voice failed her. It did that with every attempt he made to communicate like this. Over and over, he kept going back to her when the memory failed.

She needed to know. She needed to know the truth, of what was to come and what had been. Every recollection, every single time, it had been for her.

She was their last hope. Her story was just beginning.

With the last of his strength, as he sat there folding to his knees and his vision growing darker, he made one more attempt, and cried out her name.

[astrariumofficial]

Character Aesthetics

Libelle

[astrariumofficial]

Character Aesthetics

Artemis "Ari" Drake

[astrariumofficial]

The Cast of Lyra

Alexei || Jack || Kori