Cinnabar Saga

I’m Joe, and I’m working on a book series. This is the place for my notes, ramblings, world building, art, and writing scraps for this project. Expect queer romance, bad sketches, bad writing, and a bunch of random ideas.

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Cover mockups. Not fully satisfied with marooned or black rainbow. Need to put a little more effort into the underlying concept. And need to hunt for a typeface that is suitable for those two.

I’m mostly happy with the foreign bodies mockup, though that title is subject to change.

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Monobike!

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A second sketch of these two (Percy & Ka’sin). Spending quality time in central park during the nicer weather of mid summer.

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Percy hanging out of his apartment one summer’s day, taking potshots with his camera, catching fleeting glimpses into people’s lives.

First pass at a design for Percy. Not 100% in love with fashion choice here, still kinda refining his character concept.

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First visual study that captures something of the spirit of republic city on Cerak. (As it exists in my mind’s eye anyway)

Rigid airships have become a fact of life for most living on Cerak. While trains and steamers are the most economical, airships are one of the fastest means of transit. Most cities have aerodromes or maritime aviation ports. Here we see an airship approach the elevated platform of the republic city south shore aerodrome.

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Another study. The buildings are better but it doesn’t quite match my vision for republic city yet.

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Rough first attempt at rendering Republic City, the main cultural and industrial capital of the third continent, and the largest metropolis of the Central Republic. It is here, where most of our protagonists call home or reside.

I don’t quite feel this captures the nature of the city or its skyline well. So this will likely be revisited again pretty soon.

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Discussion today spurned some sketches as relate to uniforms, and clothing items, as they relate to tails. So I explored some of that graphically.

The sera have a few anatomical distinctions that set them apart, horns, long ears, long tongue, and tails to name the obvious. Tails in particular are fairly important to the Sera, as they are fairly dexterous. Serving often as third hands, in addition to serving in nonverbal communication, and aiding in balance; their tails are fairly important. Historically numerous forms of adornment and jewellery might have been fashioned for it, by nations across the continents. They however, were unencumbered by complex garments, and the tail draped naturally through tunic, toga, or cloak. However, as fashion evolved in complexity and comfort, so too did the need to accommodate their tail.

Modern garments for the Sera follow construction trends similar to trends in western fashion on earth with some unique developments to account for their anatomy. Lacking stretch fit fabrics, most breeches and trousers sit at the natural waist, as the base of the tail more or less springs from around the hip bone, and parts a little lower. As a result, the top of the pants requires an additional flap in order to stay tight around the natural waist. Belts, or suspenders are often used; but like traditional high wasted breeches, when well fitted, will stay in place on the hips.

The flap on most trousers is an M shaped panel made from one or two pieces with one fixed and the other open, with a button flap, snap, or zipper up the rear. However, often they have a second set of buttons for symmetry, or for an additional accessory.

In summer, most sera allow their tails to hang free and unhindered. In winter, however, weather conditions can get cold enough to cause discomfort or injury. So, many suit separates, come with an optional tail “sock” or sleeve. Some may also knit a tubular scarf to serve the same function. Generally constructed of a tube of fabric, sometimes with pleats or folds which allow the spade to pass, they can range from simple cuts, to complex multi part garments. Most snap or button into the existing fasteners, some use the suspender rear buttons, but a universal version exists which clips into the inseam of the pants or belt. Often lined, or with seams fringed or flocked in yarn, to keep out the cold. Some offer a button flap or zipper to allow the sleep to be temporarily slid back, to give better grip when holding items. However, sometimes a glove may be used in sustained cold weather use.

Generally, working or combat uniforms on Cerak, call for tail sleeves or “socks,” for protection or camouflage. In the case of military uniforms of the Central Republic, sleeves are the default for most uniforms after the world war. The bright skin color of the average seraf is often a dead give away which makes them a target. Loosing one’s tail is almost as embarrassing as loosing one’s horns. So the sleeve is used to supplement uniform’s camouflage. However, the uniform has an optional tip. Many rangers and sappers preferred carrying an offhand weapon, such as a tail knife or throwing knives, which the fabric interfered with a strong grip. As a result they tool to cutting off the bag end of their uniform. Noticing this, changes were made to the uniforms in accommodation. Likewise an official service issue tail glove was considered but never officially adopted.

(Also pictured, is a uniform cap, which converts to winter use by means of flaps stowed atop the cap when unused. Not unlike a budenovka, or ushanka, they fold down and cover the cheeks, chin, and ears, with pockets to cover their long conical lobes).

Many sera who find themselves on Earth, with or without disguise, find the garments fitted to human fashions, ill suited. Beyond the difference in average stature, (with sera on average being taller); the issue of tail placement and waist proves problematic. The lower waist of modern pants tends to sit either not low enough, or too low to allow the tail to comfortably sit. When concealing their tail, it often is tucked into the pantleg, which for long durations leads to muscle cranps and lower back pain. As alternative, some have taken to wrapping their tail around their waist like a belt or cummerbund, to the same effect. When not concealed, the tail often sits atop the inseam and beltloop, which for some may look akin to the “sagging” fashion choice, albeit unintentionally. For these reasons, Sera with some experience in Earth fashion have resorted to buying vintage high waisted pants, or women’s pants with a high waist, in order to have a more comfortable fit.

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Some conceptual development on FERA.

The Federal Esoteric Research (and formerly Defence) Agency, are one of two antagonists in the Cinnabar Saga.

The Agency has its origins as a charter organisation during Lincoln’s presidency, tasked with researching the paranormal, and countering the confederacy’s efforts to wage unconventional warfare. After the war, the institute would loose prestige and power in obscurity. By the 1920’s, it had become a skeleton organisation, and failed to prevent a major accident from occurring in the midwest.

As a result of a congressional investigation, the Prohibition on magic was passed in a closed door session. Along with it’s passage was the authorisation act, establishing the Bureau of Cryptonomy. The BOC, alongside the Bureau of investigation, sought to stem the rising tide of organised crime. However, like the BOI, agents required local jurisdictions to carry out an arrest. Unarmed agents were dying at the hands of the mob, forcing congress to act, in 1933, granting both agencies greater police power.

During WWII, it was tasked with establishing a military command to counter the Nazi Occult movement. Many agents were conscripted into the US army Esoteric command, and fought against the forces of darkness on the ground. Far greater catastrophes were averted by their actions.

With the end of the war, and the rising threat posed by the new cold war against communism, the Kennedy administration, under secretary of Defense McNamara, reorganised the BOC, into the Defense Esoteric Research Agency, which alongside other defense reorganisation projects which created the Defense Intelligence Agency, and Defense Logistics Agency.

DERA would be tasked with countering the nth domain war-fighting capacity of the Soviet Union, as well as maintaining the veil of secrecy around magic, thaumaturgy, and esoterica; in addition to exploring cryptozoology, crypto-archeology, and it’s continuing mission of storing artefacts of power. Throughout the later half of the 20th century, it would expand in budget and capability as the lesser known intelligence & law enforcement community in America.

With the end of the cold war, its primary mission changed, and it dropped defense, becoming the “Federal Esoteric Research Agency” or FERA. While not explicitly a defense agency, it retained its law enforcement role, expanding after it’s departmental reshuffling into the Department of Homeland Security, in the wake of the 9-11 terror attacks.

In its current role, it has an expanded mission of antiterrorism, in addition to its original task of research, and enforcement of the expanded secrets act.

In order to maintain its secrecy, the agency is rarely addressed by its full name. Instead, it is often masquerading as the “Federal Emergency Response Agency,” “Federal Enviromental Remediation Agency,” or some variation of its acronym.

The agency itself recruits from a wide range of sources, from the FBI, CIA, Marines, NASA, NOAA, ivy league, and more. Internally the agency is divided between office, field, and archives. Field agents typically are law enforcement, or soldiers. Office is usually scientists, engineers, scholars, analysts. Archivist typically are scholars, and researchers.

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Gave up on this study about halfway through. It’s one potential for how a region on Cerat, will look.

Early in my development, it had the name of Volcanesia (I know, very imaginiative.) Due to the highly volcanic nature of the central continent, it has belts and bands of active volcanoes. (Not unlike earth’s ring of fire.)

In its early history, its independent mountain cantons formed a loose federation of enclaves. Already challenging to traverse mountains were made impassable by occasioned volcanic flows, and fumes. In time they grew wealthy, with some of the greatest craftspeople and artisans. However, the volcanoes were lingering threat. During the bloody century, the lords and gentry would find themselves deposed, by hungry peasants. Trading wealth for food the survived, but the monarchy did not.

During the reform era, the new state would reclaim the old estates of the nobility, and engage in a broad campaign of public works.

It was decided that the old castle would become a boarding school for the most brilliant and able youth across Cerak. As a result, the aut’et villiage would host the aut’et academy. Often mistranslated in english as the August Academy, a name which lends well to its aspiration as the best.

Our Protagonist, K’asin, and twin K’alin spent most of their childhood in its hallowed halls, gazing at this familiar vista.

(However, same degree of change in this story is in the works.)

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Slow progress today. Rewrites progressing on black rainbow. Perhaps a snippet will be put up here soon.

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Poor progress today, lost progress due to synchronisation errors on scrivener. Backtracking on work I was proud of is devastating.

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Mission patch for the Earth Mission to Cerak, in Foreign Bodies.

A rough mockup, which probably needs some refinement once I actually settle on the continent design for cerak, and a few other things that need refinement.

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Visual study of Cerak.

Cerak’s while having an atmosphere similar to earth, rarely has days of blue skies. The constant volcanic activity, is cause for fine airborne particulates. The sky is often tinged a pale straw yellow, to peach, to a deep oxide orange or red, depending on the density of airborne pollutants. Only on rare days, can a blue sky be seen. For most sera living in the modern period, yellow skies are the norm.

Cerak’s unique environmental conditions drive a wide range of biological adaptations.

In the temperate zone of the continents, foliage ranges from red to yellow-orange to absorb a greater spectrum of light. The yellow, red, and orange pigmentation absorbs blue & green light, passes infrared, but blocks ultraviolet light.

With most plant life being in the red range, as an arboreal species, the proto-sera precursors had strong selective pressure towards red skin pigmentation, as passive camouflage. A trait that persists into the modern race. And one that makes them stand apart from their environment on worlds like earth.

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Sketch of Kas backlit one late summer evening in his apartment. His horns and ears are catching specular highlights through his glamour, which Percy catches for a brief moment.

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Sketch of the twins, K’asin & K’alin D’orin, after their fencing championships. This is from their time at the August Academy, in Volcanesia. About a decade before Kas finds himself on Earth.

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Hello all, I’m Joe, the artist & writer behind the Cinnabar Saga.

I’m starting this blog to document my artistic process while I slowly chip away at this ambitious project. So this’ll be the place to put everything I’m currently working. Sketches, drawings, writing scraps, world building, lore documents, maps, and basically everything relent. It’s going to be a bit messy & disorganised, and probably won’t have a lot of reposted media.

So what is the “Cinnabar Saga” (working title) anyways?

At the root of it is a pretty basic premise: what if humanity’s collective mythology, was inspired by contact with other intelligent life? And what would be the consequences of discovering that life hiding in plain sight?

To go one step further; the cinnabar saga follows the story of another race of humanoid life, the Se’ra. In humanity’s bronze age, they found themselves able to traverse the stars and found us. The fallout of that interaction created humanity’s idea of devils & demons, and the expulsion of the Se’ra from Earth. It’s from here most of my stories pick up.

Currently, there are three main titles in the works, with two sequels to those main works. In the following paragraphs, I’ll discuss those titles & give a brief synopsis, and also a commentary of that work. Almost everything on this blog will be tagged with one of these titles, or refer to the abbreviation of the first two letters.

Black Rainbow (Working title)

Jack is a private detective in Oregon in nineteen ninety two. Dissatisfied with his job & his relationship; he decides to take a job far away from Portland, in the hinterlands of upstate Oregon. With the timbre industry on the rocks, and the town finances nearly bankrupt, the town of Belmont has become a ghost town. With several cold cases and too few sheriffs, Jack finds himself unravelling a deeper mystery; and learning uncomfortable truths about his own past.

Black rainbow was the first entry in the series and started off initially as an erotic literature short, before expanding into something plot driven. This is the closest to being complete, and will likely be a novella once done. It plays with body horror, transformation, unrequited love, cults, big-pharma, and the satanic panic of the eighties and nineties. It will likely retain a lot of erotic content so be forewarned.

Marooned in Manhattan (final title)

K’asin’s life was forever changed when he fell through a portal to another world. Finding himself stranded in Midtown Manhattan, he’s forced to pass as a human for his own survival. All the while finding other stranded Se’ra, looking for a way home. Along the way, he finds himself falling in love, and getting dragged into a deepening conspiracy, that threatens not only Earth, but his own world too.

Marooned is basically a slice of life, urban fantasy, reverse isekai, romance thriller. (Yeah I know, kinda a mouthful.) Working with themes of queer identity, autistic masking, religious zealotry, prejudice, urban isolation & community, found family, the post nine-eleven enviroment of fear, the immigrant experience, and split identity. This will be the first official book in the series published, and it the farthest along.

Washington Rouge (working title)

This will be the direct sequel to Marooned picking up in the fallout of its conclusion. Currently still in the concept phase, there’s a lot of unknown’s about its general direction until the first title is definitively complete. Some of the themes this work will be driven by contemporary American politics, such as immigration, legislating one’s human rights, the dobbs decision, poltical polarisation, queer identity & relationships.

Foreign Bodies (working title)

Finn Grey, grad student in Anthropology, won big. Chosen as one of a thousand students and researchers, given the chance to go to Cerak. For the first time, humanity get’s the opportunity to study a whole new world, a new culture, new species of intelligent life up close. In Exchange, a thousand Sera will make the trek to Earth at the same time. Life on this new world is a little more bewildering than he expected. What he never expected, was to fall in love with his Seraf guide.

The premise of this novel takes place a little later than Marooned, and is basically a more upbeat piece. It riffs off the space age & space exploration, and the highest aims of humanity. And how sometimes those lofty visions get polluted by more pedestrian issues, like business & commerce. Other themes i’m toying with are the idea of the challenge of long distance relationships, the feeling of never having enough time, the feeling of familiarity & alienation when traveling, and a bunch of other stuff. A lot of the visual development of this story has begun, however, the plot & story remain fragmentary. A fair bit of it is contingent on marooned getting finished.

And that’s it for today.