Over the years I've noticed that when I create, my ever-active mind tends to follow a lot of specific trends that are sometimes difficult to stray from, particularly when world-building. The fantastical world of Auran Legend hosts a number of those trends, such as vast open environments where one is just as likely to find an isolated ruin from a mysterious ancient civilization (that's still somehow awake in its very structure) as one would a sprawling city filled with a menagerie of species decked out in ornate, yet revealing outfits. Beyond those, there is only raw, untamed nature in all its haunting, majestic beauty. However, another trend I've often gravitated toward is the fusion of nature with futuristic technology. While Legend does have evidence of that sort of schizo-tech (you'll see later on), I sometimes strive for something a bit more... modern. This led me to the discovery of Solarpunk, a conceptual genre where sustainable technology melds with nature across the ruins of the past; it’s a brighter future that’s no less dangerous than the wilderness, albeit one with more hope for civilization.

Y'all know where I'm going with this ;)

That was where this piece came from, and over the past year I’ve steadily been developing it into something a little more workable. Inspirations have come from all over the place, primarily warm memories of my childhood spent in the woodlands of the south and the beaches of the east and gulf coasts. The result is an environment that grew out of a civilization-ending cataclysm. A New World where the past’s memories struggled to survive by inspiring the civilization that came after, utilizing a miraculous mystical power that even centuries later is still a mystery to even the most dedicated of researchers. New species, anthropomorphized animals of a prior age, gathered and united under a single race, called Inheritor. Here, Nature and Technology have fused in a fragile balance. There is no war, no disease, and no hunger, yet that fragile balance remains ever threatened as civilization takes root and continues to expand into the still-untamed wilds. It presents an interesting dichotomy where, although nature and technology coexist peacefully, there are still the dangers of both still present. Nature remains untamable as wild magic flows through every living cell, while Technology requires a leash in order to keep from getting out of control and warping the very magic powering its circuits. All the while, new discoveries are made regarding spirit magic, which many now consider a new form of hyper-science. At the center of it all, bordered by a vast spirit forest and an expansive ocean, is a wondrous city called New Atlantis. It’s where inheritors have gathered, sharing their knowledge and making a living among towering spires, thriving arcologies, and wondrous technologies forged from the same magic that flows through the wilderness all around. Even so, there’s still so much more society has to learn about this ethereal force, and leading this research is a corps of para-scientists. Equal parts archaeologists, scientists, historians, cartographers, mystics, and adventurers, these individuals mark themselves with magic-infused runes and seek out new knowledge as they explore the wilds, learning more of the ever-changing world and the unique creatures inhabiting it, hidden away from known society.

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So.... I say all this to give context on the commissions I got at MFF this year. While I’m still working on some stories for this world (right now they’re more a series of vignettes and short stories than a single overarching tale), getting art from a multitude of different artists works wonders for my creativity. It allows me to see how others interpret the characters and the world they inhabit, granting me more ideas I might employ as I continue to develop it.

As the original Forest’s Magic piece featured Ael and Melon, the characters inhabiting New Atlantis will basically be the same, albeit with some compatible alterations, such as different names, but with the same personalities and designs. Here, Melon is known as Orchid (named for her eyes), Remy the stallion is Halcyon (owing to his peaceful personality), and Ael is known as Neon (after the glowing runes on his body – yeah, that’s a side effect of spirit magic usage).

There’s still more to come as I work on the setting, but I’ve come a long way since the initial concept in that artwork. This is basically the naked, furry, magical solarpunk future I’ve been dreaming of, and I can’t wait to explore it further!