May 2025 Talent Showcase
A Voyage To New Destinations
by .real_moonmoon
The El Lobo is a futuristic space Ro-Ro ferry that is a part of my sci-fi series which set in an unknown and ambiguous year, there's things from years ago, but also space tech. When is it set? We will never know for sure.
For more of Moon-Moon, check out their workshop room in the Infinite Imaginations Discord server!
https://discord.gg/wordigirl
"Loading is Nearing Completion"
"Lobo 3-3-5. Cleared for takeoff. Climb and maintain Flight Level 2-4-0"
"Nearly There"
"I miss home..."
"A Rain Soaked Morning"
"Security Checks"
"Unseen and Underappreciated Men"
"Ready For Another Voyage. Destination? Lars 4"
How The Fey Acquired Magic
by ajkarian
I decided to write the background story of the original fey. I was going to initially focus on a particular fey and write this story from their point of view. But then I came up with the first line and I knew I had to keep it in that distant narrator kind of voice.
For more A.J. Karian, check out their blog!
http://cosistories.wordpress.com
You can also explore the world and stories the featured characters come from at this website:
ambroseandelsie.wordpress.com
No one really knows when the first fey was created. Over three thousand years at the very least. At the most.....Anyone's guess.
They had been created to live amidst the highest tree tops, for they had no magic to protect themselves from the creatures that lived on the ground. None of the fey questioned it. They all accepted it as simple hierarchy: They were above. Others were below. They would never go below.
And so they lived.
For several generations, the fey all lived above.
But then....
Curiosity bloomed like a cactus rose inside the hearts of individual fey. What exactly was below? Was it really so dangerous as it sounded? Oh, yes. It sounded dangerous with things that stalked below at night. Strange noises came from those creatures. Growls and snaps. Howls and yelps.
It didn't sound safe down there at all.
Yet, that fey curiosity would not and could not die. It lived on and burned for understanding. It demanded satisfaction.
So, one night, a single fey flew down to the ground. He was all alone.
He did not survive.
Yet, the curiosity lived on. It not only lived on, but it also spread throughout the fey colonies. More and more fey made the journey to the ground.
To see.
To explore.
To know.
To satisfy their curiosity.
Many died, but a few scrappy ones managed to survive for a couple of nights before the creatures of darkness and shadows killed them too.
Mal auf Shae, the fey's creator, could foresee the fey's utter annihilation as a species before the next generation could mature. It saddened him that such fine creatures should be made extinct. He considered taking away their curiosity, but he could not bear to do so.
Instead, he chose to give them a fighting chance. He gave them a touch of his own magic to protect themselves and their loved ones.
That touch of magic was enough to save them.
Many of the fey chose to live on the ground and create towns and cities and lives for themselves.
But there were quite a few that, even with the blessing of Mal auf Shae's magic, did not want to leave the safe familiarity of the treetops. So, they remained up there even to this day.
/////////////////////////////////
"But that was all in a time long ago and far away." Ilstheena said.
Isellta fluttered his soft, downy wings. "They still in treetops? Even still?"
"Maybe. No one knows for certain." Ilstheena's own wings flapped involuntarily. "But I've heard people say that if you go into the deepest heart of the forest, you can hear the whispered sounds of their voices."
"Ohhhhh! Da? Take me there?"
Ilstheena chuckled. "When you're older."
"Promise?"
"Promise." Ilstheena kissed his son's forehead. "Go to sleep now, my Isellta."
"Okay, Da!"
They had been created to live amidst the highest tree tops, for they had no magic to protect themselves from the creatures that lived on the ground. None of the fey questioned it. They all accepted it as simple hierarchy: They were above. Others were below. They would never go below.
And so they lived.
For several generations, the fey all lived above.
But then....
Curiosity bloomed like a cactus rose inside the hearts of individual fey. What exactly was below? Was it really so dangerous as it sounded? Oh, yes. It sounded dangerous with things that stalked below at night. Strange noises came from those creatures. Growls and snaps. Howls and yelps.
It didn't sound safe down there at all.
Yet, that fey curiosity would not and could not die. It lived on and burned for understanding. It demanded satisfaction.
So, one night, a single fey flew down to the ground. He was all alone.
He did not survive.
Yet, the curiosity lived on. It not only lived on, but it also spread throughout the fey colonies. More and more fey made the journey to the ground.
To see.
To explore.
To know.
To satisfy their curiosity.
Many died, but a few scrappy ones managed to survive for a couple of nights before the creatures of darkness and shadows killed them too.
Mal auf Shae, the fey's creator, could foresee the fey's utter annihilation as a species before the next generation could mature. It saddened him that such fine creatures should be made extinct. He considered taking away their curiosity, but he could not bear to do so.
Instead, he chose to give them a fighting chance. He gave them a touch of his own magic to protect themselves and their loved ones.
That touch of magic was enough to save them.
Many of the fey chose to live on the ground and create towns and cities and lives for themselves.
But there were quite a few that, even with the blessing of Mal auf Shae's magic, did not want to leave the safe familiarity of the treetops. So, they remained up there even to this day.
/////////////////////////////////
"But that was all in a time long ago and far away." Ilstheena said.
Isellta fluttered his soft, downy wings. "They still in treetops? Even still?"
"Maybe. No one knows for certain." Ilstheena's own wings flapped involuntarily. "But I've heard people say that if you go into the deepest heart of the forest, you can hear the whispered sounds of their voices."
"Ohhhhh! Da? Take me there?"
Ilstheena chuckled. "When you're older."
"Promise?"
"Promise." Ilstheena kissed his son's forehead. "Go to sleep now, my Isellta."
"Okay, Da!"
Beneath the Trees
by Tesariel
I decided to go down the more mythological/fairy tale route for this one. Fiáina is a character of mine who I had not previously drawn in a long time (since 2023 that is). She is from the same world as another character of mine (Arisias) who appeared in the March showcase.
Fiáina is a goddess from that world, and representative of nature (hence her antlers), she lost her right arm in battle (shown in the drawing). I had not thought about Fiáina for a very long time, and the showcase itself reminded me of her.
At first I wanted to draw her in an intimidating pose with her appearing out of the forest, but after thinking about it for a while, I decided to draw her relaxing after she had run through the forest all day. She is rarely in this type of mindset in-universe, but it was fun to capture that none the less.
For more of Tesariel, check out their blog!
http://adventure1359.blogspot.com
The pictured character is from World of Shapeshifters. You can find it at the link below:
World of Shapeshifters
Then and Now
by metisrose
A small glimpse into the life of Valerie Goldenstar. Forced to flee the Yrian Empire for her life after years spent at sea hoping for shelter she would found the Goldenstar Dynasty of South Avarna, ruling as its first Queen. In this she reflects on how different her life is.
For more of metisrose, you can find them hanging out around the Infinite Imaginations Discord server!
https://discord.gg/wordigirl
The damp wind did nothing to cool the sweat dripping along Valerie’s neck and down her back. Days like this even the light grey dress she wore felt like too much. She no longer wondered that some people went without any clothes at all this time of year. Once such a sight had certainly shocked her…but that was some time ago now.
Construction had been put on hold, owing to the intense heat. She stood in what would be the throne room but now was more of a courtyard. No walls and no ceiling had been added yet. Only a carved stone seat sat here at the far end of the room. Despite the day the stone remained a bit cool to the touch. Her hands upon the stone were calloused and scarred. Her skin tanned and weathered from years at sea. Her face lined and hair turning grey. She picked her way carefully down the rocky path down towards the beach with only the sounds of the crashing waves to accompany her.
Once a long time ago, far away across the sea the throne was gold and always warmed by the ever-blazing fires. A fortune of copper, silver, and gold adorned the walls complimenting beautiful mosaics. Then Valerie wore layers of silk and fur. All in the purest of whites, the brightest pinks, and deepest purples. Even her shoes hand crafted for weeks. Then she had been carried on litter through meticulously planned gardens and well-maintained paths. Her face had been pale, always kept out of direct sunlight with only a touch of pink paint over her cheeks and mouth. Hair done up every morning in elaborate arrays which took as long to take down each night as they did to do up. The jewels she wore on any given day were worth more than enough to buy a fleet.
But none of it had been hers. All belonged to the Emperor, even her. Now she was her own. Her legacy would last even longer. Once a long time ago, far across the sea Valerie boarded a boat as a city burned and never looked back.
Once a long time ago, far away across the sea the throne was gold and always warmed by the ever-blazing fires. A fortune of copper, silver, and gold adorned the walls complimenting beautiful mosaics. Then Valerie wore layers of silk and fur. All in the purest of whites, the brightest pinks, and deepest purples. Even her shoes hand crafted for weeks. Then she had been carried on litter through meticulously planned gardens and well-maintained paths. Her face had been pale, always kept out of direct sunlight with only a touch of pink paint over her cheeks and mouth. Hair done up every morning in elaborate arrays which took as long to take down each night as they did to do up. The jewels she wore on any given day were worth more than enough to buy a fleet.
But none of it had been hers. All belonged to the Emperor, even her. Now she was her own. Her legacy would last even longer. Once a long time ago, far across the sea Valerie boarded a boat as a city burned and never looked back.
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