The Axis Mundi: When Skyships Fall @theaxismundi - Tumblr Blog

Sitana’s Description

There isn’t any! Lauren worked from no physical description at all to create the character designs of Sitana, using just the concept that she was a tinkerer in a steampunk-styled city.

#the axis mundi #skystory #Sitana #Sita #character design

Aria’s Description

Lauren works with only a few details from Emily to come up with lovely and detailed character designs. From the manuscript, when Aria is first made fully visible:

She does have legs, but she has webbed feet and hands, fins, and other touches of fishiness on her otherwise humanoid figure. Yet she should look the most young and innocent and lovable. Walking upright on her webbed feet is what hurts her the most, and she winces with every step as she slowly makes her way through the oily sand.

#the axis mundi #skyships #Aria #the little mermaid #artists

Ode’s Sonnet

As mentioned previously, Ode may try his hand at poetry when working on captain’s logs. In the beginning, these will be formal poems like this Italian Sonnet in progress (Emily does not consider herself a poet...good thing Ode is an amateur poet himself!):

The cracks along the runes made clear the fate

Of captain, crew, and journey too. I knew--

With broken magic, fear, and mages few--

Our ship could not escape its own great weight.

I never knew the sound ships could create,

Until we felt the deck below heave to

While darkened cloudsea, gaping, beckoned through

A snapping, splitting spine of marble slate.

Then dark, then light. Wild shapes to left and right.

Alone, I sank into a lost someplace.

Before, I knew my way by stars and night.

But… sound? A song, a call? Beyond my sight.

This wet and heavy world could hold a trace

Of sweetness yet, if dim and laced with fright.

#axis mundi #skyships #Ode #poet #Italian sonnet

Poet?

Emily is trying out the idea of Ode being a poet on the side (get it...now his name is a pun as well as being derived from Odysseus). Part of his character is built around these captain’s logs that he keeps formally, but what if, in the margins, he toyed with language? In the beginning, this might be very formal poetic forms to reflect his formal upbringing.

#axis mundi #skyships #captain's log #Odysseus #poet

Echoes of Orpheus

“Do not touch,” Fei warned through the murk. “My systems are malfunctioning. I could give you a rather unpleasant jolt.” She paused. “You can... listen for me. I know these tunnels well enough without seeing. I came here as a child, before I received my modifications. I will lead us out.” So Fei began to sing.

#axis mundi #skyships #Fei #cyborg #orpheus

A Lesson with the Gáe Bulg

Fei stepped into the shallow pool and motioned for Ode to follow.

“Water is your weakness. You have told us you are unused to it in large amounts. You will become used to it, and learn to use this water weapon. It utilizes the conductive properties of water, but contained in a field of…”

Fei looked at her audience, who was practically flailing despite the mild current, trying to keep his balance. She sighed. “Nevermind. In your terms, it casts barbed lightning at your opponents, but underwater and in a way that will not hurt anyone but your target. It shocks your opponents, but will not kill them unless you strike three times. You are also far too accustomed to only using your hands for tools, so you will use your feet. We will meet here, at this time, each day, to practice.”

Ode looked flabbergasted. “My feet?”

#the axis mundi #the Tain #Gae bolg #Ode #scuthach

Entering Magmell

Underground, their blindfolds were removed. They found themselves being corralled through an amazing, technologically advanced city built into the rocky walls of old mine shafts. Despite its humble beginnings, the city was pristine and full of sweeping, elegant shapes and carved Celtic-style knotwork. There were more women than men among the people seen, and they were clearly the ones in charge. A mechanical raven joined them as they walked, swooping around their heads alongside the swan.

#the axis mundi #Fei #fairy mound #Celtic #Celtic knot #matriarchy #robots

Climbing

As they walked farther from the city’s light and into the steep shadows, Ode was clearly losing his way. As though from a classical fairy tale book, they found themselves facing a hunched, cloaked figure with a lantern. The silent stranger gestured for them to both be silent and to follow. With a look at Aria over his shoulder, Ode chose to obey. The figure led them through the oily, decaying shrubs and brush. For one clear moment on a small cliffside, they could see down over the valley and toward the city. They were on the mountain.

#the axis mundi #skyships #Ode #the little mermaid #fairy tale

labillustration

Sitana outfit concepts!

Ode’s Journal

Ode is writing a mock captain’s log at the start of the story, practicing. Note the parallels to the Odyssey.

Day 87: Traveled 700 degrees from our last stop at the final island. Island was large enough to house several herds of wild pigs but not sufficient for new city. All operations ran as normal today, with the exception of Euryloc collapsing from sunstroke. Has served as a good example to the rest of the crew to follow their sun protection routines even as we head home. Deck crew have been following their shade rotations today with greater efficiency. Still far behind schedule, following from the problem with the flowers on the second island. Have been sailing blind for 8 days now. Stars are persistently blocked by the light of excessive electric storms. I do not like not being able to tell which way is home. Will be home in Ithcan within a day, if navigation estimates are accurate.

SHIP’S WORK: Levitation mates renewed rune slates on port side. Two cracked--replaced, one chip—no replacement needed yet.

FROM: Unnamed Island TOWARDS: Ithcan NOON POSITION: Unknown DAYS RUN: 700 DISTANCE REMAINING: Unknown COURSE AND SPEED: Unknown WIND: Force 2, East x South WEATHER: Unusually frequent electrical storms. 2 today.

SWELL HEIGHT & DIRECTION: approximately 3 feet, East by South

Signed, Odestus

#axismundi #sky story #the odys #odysseus #captain's log

Note from the Author: “consider: Sitana's a mix of steampunk and Hindu mythology. What if her mask tubing looked like not only steampunk breathers but also a bit like those earring chains that go nose to ear? Not sure if it'll work. Just had it as a random thought”

Well, I was compelled to illustrate this random thought, as I always love the challenge of incorporating two distinctly different aethestics and blending them together while keeping both readable. I don’t think I was quite successful yet, but I now have a point where I can play and tweak the design. Sitana’s Hindu/steampunk elements are always an interesting challenge, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of blending the two throughout her world.

#Sitana #the axis mundi #steampunk #hindu #art

Aria’s Landfall

When Aria chooses to leave the sea, the process of walking on dry land with webbed feet hurts her. In the original story of “The Little Mermaid,” the sea witch explains that one cost of being given human form is that each step will feel like walking on knives.

#theaxismundi #skystory #Aria #the little mermaid #mermaid

Ode Grows Impatient

After some time in the surface city, Ode becomes annoyed at the differences between their treatment of children and writes about it formally in his logbook.

Day 89?-

No change. The government of this place is inefficient. There is a whole group of nine people in charge, so they all argue. While they seem old and wise, they treat me like I am an infant, not a full crewmember. They seem to think the older crew were “nursing” me, and so they refuse to make any decisions about me until one of them wakes up. When I try to argue, they pat me on the head and tell me I am “an independent young lad.” I am tired of this child’s treatment. As for now, all I can do is wait for Sitana to finish working. Or learning. Whatever she is doing. They don’t all go to school, so I believe this is how older children learn. So I will wait, just like I did yesterday, but I am preparing to take care of this situation myself.

#theaxismundi #skystory #Ode #captain's log #victorian values

Ode and Sitana Meet

After Sitana finds Ode gasping on the shore, takes him home, and builds him a custom mask to help him cope with the thicker air, they can finally talk.

It is only at this point that Sitana removes her mask and Ode can see her. Visually, this moment should really echo who she is to Ode, which is his Athena. When she first appears to him here, her grey eyes should be very prominent in the frame. She should hold her mask like Athena traditionally holds her helmet, and we may plant other symbols of the goddess and Greek poses into her or this moment (the owl, the olive, etc)

“Where am I?” Ode said, slowly.

“My ‘ouse?”

“No, no, what place? Outside. We fell… into all that water.” The boy looked up, pained, “Did you see anyone else where you found me?”

“No, only you looking ‘alf drowned. What were you doing to make you fall, climbing one of the cliffs? You daft?”

“No… we live on top. We sank through the cloudsea and fell.”

She paused. “You hit your head too? Let me see.”

“No!” Ode pushed away her concerned hands. “No. I mean I was in a ship. The crew should wash up too, if we were so close. Although, no… there was a girl who swam with me. That was you, right? You helped me?”

Sitana looked clearly concerned and disbelieving now. “I ‘elped you, but I sure wasn’t swimmin’. I think you need to sleep some, and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

#theaxismundi #skystory #odysseus #sita #athena #greek gods

Ode’s First Narration

I was always writing, practicing for when I might be writing captain’s logs like my father. I recorded everything, but didn’t think about everything. I didn’t wonder why there were so many more electrical storms. It took me a long time to get home again, and I had a lot of time to learn to ask “why.”

#axis mundi #sky story #Ode #odysseus #captain's log #writing #the odyssey

Fin

Endings are the worst. Many hugely popular series are poorly remembered because they failed to land the ending!

So how should we end this epic adventure for our young protagonists? Happy ending?

#the axis mundi #storytelling #the end #el fin

Sources

Reading leads to writing! Here are some influential titles that directly led to this story. Have you read them all?

The Odyssey

The Ramayana

The Tain

“The Little Mermaid”

“The Raven”

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Hero With a Thousand Faces

#axis mundi #skystory #the odyssey #the ramayana #the tain #the little mermaid #the raven #the invention of hugo cabret #hero with a thousand faces

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