From an early stage, the Vermilion Empire benefited from its access to pegasi — a rare and precious resource. The Phoenix Prince relied heavily on pegasus riders as scouts and couriers; with their help, Vermilion columns could march separately, then coordinate and converge on their startled foes. Afterward, what the Vermilion soldiers won, the imperial … Read more
The Vermilions set their mark on their new conquests, and their conquests shaped them in turn. In the wake of the Vermilion soldiers came officials; and in the wake of the officials came migrants, eager for a better life than what their remote, windblown homeland could provide. At the same time, it soon became clear, … Read more
Once, the Vermilion Lands were known for nothing save the cinnabar that gave their name. Located in the remote west, divided between a patchwork of petty princes, and in thrall to the horse nomads of the interior, only a fool could imagine them as anything but a backwater. Until, in one Vermilion city along the … Read more
Purple the hippo is demonstrating his latest invention on the treadmill. The others are impressed by how fast it can go.
I have posted a new worldbuilding piece (technically, a rewrite of a draft I originally posted three years ago; since then, there has been a lot of change). It concerns the magic system, so critical to the world of the Ascent, and you can find it here. Enjoy!
No great nation endures. In the end, wealth succumbs to famine; armies, to defeat; glory, to oblivion. For all of history, soldiers, rulers, and prophets have dreamed of breaking the cycle. For all of history, they have failed. Until now. Scholars and tinkerers are succeeding where the warlords could not; as they uncover nature’s secrets, … Read more