A family struggles to navigate the unraveling of their once peaceful world. Self-interest, mutual suspicion, competition over resources, and environmental degradation threaten to destroy a fragile harmony between neighbouring villages. As these villages navigate their challenges and venture outside of their homes, they will discover the true cause of their homes’ plight, driven by rampant industrialisation and imperial ambitions. NB. Kia ora! This is my first OC story. I’ve been sitting on the world building for a few years now, and the first chapters were drafted in October 2024. But a bout of Christmas time COVID and two weeks off work under the summer sun in Whakatu, Aotearoa (Nelson, New Zealand) has given me a good excuse to see it through. While set in a fictional, magical world, this story is rooted in reality. All characters act, think and feel in ways that reflect their cultures, beliefs, and personalities, and the story is driven by their reactions and responses to the lived experiences this story takes them through. They are all truly human. There are no good or evil people here - our protagonists are simply navigating the challenges facing their dying world, and our antagonists are driven by their own backgrounds, cultures, and trauma. Nature is an active character in this story too, with many difference voices, perspectives and agendas. I’ll be honest with you - this story is steeped in my own personal background and political beliefs. A lot of the conversations that characters have are conversations I’ve had with others in my life, or have monologued to myself in times of pain, and happiness. This story is also explicitly anti-capitalist, socialist, environmentalist, and grounded in my own hybrid indigenous-European worldview. This story is a critique of capitalism, colonisation and militarism, and how they have cause tremendous, unnecessary pain to both humanity and the planet. If you’re a progressive, I hope this sparks a call to action within you, whether through political activism or revolution. If you’re a conservative, I hope this helps you see the world as I see it, and hopefully we can work together to make it better for all. All conflict in this story is real, not supernatural. The inhabitants of this world are thrown into conflict because they’ve chosen to prioritise the exploitation of nature and their neighbours for their own short-term gain, while neglecting the wider global and natural consequences of their actions. Or they chose to exacerbate conflict out of their own fears and trauma. Mistrust, misunderstanding, economic competition and conflicting worldviews and agendas drive conflict and the story forward - just like in the real world. Phenotypes and physiologies are deliberate creative choices. Racial diversity is common across the world, and is rooted in the varied geography and military histories of the regions. Women are powerful, caring, dynamic, traumatised, driven and autonomous characters in this story, just like they are in my life. Queer love and identities are common, because it is natural, just like how it is common in my life. People with disabilities are held in reverence here, with different cultures adapting and accommodation them in new ways, a reflection and homage to the people with disabilities who’ve helped and inspired me. This world and its characters are rooted in indigenous worldviews and cultures. I’ve already woven my own Te Ao Māori perspectives and customs throughout the story, and I intend to weave in the lives of other cultures that I’ve met in my short life, including Aboriginal Australians, the many cultures of the Pacific, indigenous Brazilians (particularly the Guarani and Guajajara), Native Americans, and ancient indigenous European and Asian cultures. The events in this story are also heavily inspired by real world historical events, particularly those related to European conquest and colonisation of indigenous lands, modern day corporate greed, and the growing environmental resistance and socialist revolution movements. I’ll admit I write and game more than I read. This story is heavily inspired by cartoons that I watched growing up, including Avatar: The Last Airbender, Steven Universe, She-Ra: Princesses of Power, Sailor Moon, and Bakugan. The Dark Chronicle game also heavily inspired me, particularly my world’s geography and elemental layout, and the idea that you can be an active participant in creating the future, and that the future isn’t pre-determined.I hope you see yourself, your ancestors, your mokopuna (descendants), and your tūrangawaewae (homeland) in this story. And I hope it inspires you to take action to make your world a better place. As this is my first original story and it’s in active development (at time of writing this), I’m very grateful for feedback and ideas. Please leave comments and ratings that reflect how you truly feel, and please share this story with your friends and whānau (family) if you think they would like them. Every comment and share helps the algorithm! I look forward to inspiring you~