Change hurts. Hurt changes. Seven years ago, magic crashed down to Earth, imbuing a fraction of a fraction of the world's population with incredible power. Dalton “Ezzen” Colliot was a near-miss, scarred but left powerless by the Frozen Flame. Today, he is a reclusive genius of glyphcraft, recognized for his deep expertise in magical theory. He longs for a Flame of his own, for the right to don the carapace of the Vaetna, the foremost wielders of magic and bloody paragons of this new age. Maybe then the gnawing jealousy would go away. Then he gets lucky, touched by the Flame in a twist of fate so unlikely that it may not have been luck at all. It certainly doesn’t feel lucky, because nowhere is safe for freshly minted flamebearers, the most valuable resource in the world. Worse, his attempts to evade capture reveal the cruelty at the center of the Flame, one which casts doubt on the Vaetna and the pure, mathematical beauty of glyphcraft. Through desperate self-mutilation and a counter-kidnapping, he finds himself on the other side of the world, amidst an eccentric group of flamebearers: the Radiances, self-made magical girls who see opportunity in his arrival. Never again can Ezzen sit on the sidelines and study theory in lonely anonymity. Instead, he is thrust into drama, politics, and danger beyond imagining from cults and militaries, all while vastly out of his depth and doubting everything he thought of himself. The Radiances’ ability to protect him only goes so far; to survive, he must weave a stronger self from his Flame and struggle toward his ideal of the Vaetna, even as every new insight about magic and himself makes their image crumble a little more. Sunspot is a webserial about transformation, identity, and pain. It features a mix of slice-of-life drama with lifelike characters, political maneuvering in a rich alt-Earth setting, and covert magical warfare using a complex magic system. It is inspired by Katalepsis, The Wandering Inn, and sadly Worm. It also has Bioshifter vibes, allegedly, but I haven't read it. Other things you can expect:- Alt-earth setting with thought-out geopolitics- Slice-of-life pacing with a focus on character relationships- Glyph-based magic- Blood magic- Trauma!- Spear combat- Girlcreatures, including but not limited to: hyenagirls, androidgirls, dragongirls, mechgirls, buggirls?- Close and complex emotional relationships (not a harem!)- Some racy content- Fat, juicy tails- Lots of food (for the tails) General content warnings (these go untagged per-chapter):- Dysphoria- Gore (violent & medical)- Body horror- KidnappingAdditional CWs will be listed at the top of chapters when relevant. Sunspot also has its own website with:- Everything up to RR current chapter- Patreon early access chapters and bonus content- Glossary- FAQ- Fanworks- More to come! Also on Scribblehub!