#this is my own dumb alternate universe called arcania

[el1-z4]

Lewis and Louise, last names to be determined later

Two sides of a war yet they have an obvious crush on one another. Lewis works for the union and Louise works for the coalition - but is usually on campaign with Kel-Ex as a heavy weapons operator.

Im gonna draw non-combat stuff on these two eventually they're opposites but have so much in common

[el1-z4]

Gotta love the murder twins.

Ickett Cassian Faugel and Mint Faugel, left to right. These two are the main 'antagonists by-default' as i like to call them. They're the founders and leaders of the 4th largest faction in the Arcanian Cluster, Kel-Ex (abbreviated from a name in Seraxis-Sylon).

They're a bit fucked in the head, with a concerning disregard for human life and outright bloodthirst for the destruction of the Union...

...but I love them.

[el1-z4]

To balance out the universe I finally got round to drawing these steampunk lesbians.

Specifically, Edith and Amelia - who've been dating for about 5 years now.

Edith is a locksmith by trade, but has a knack for making things that hopefully dont explode. She comes from a loooong heritage of victorian* inventors and scientists, meaning she grew up with huge expectations from her family. However as she got older, she began slowly distancing herself from her family due to these expectations, finding work and accommodation on the outskirts of West Hameshire.

*Victorian refers to the planet of Victoric, an incredibly old and highly culturally conservative system. This is still Arcania lol

Amelia, however, has a much, much more interesting history. The Faxiath Coalition, in recent years, has been experimenting with dimensional rift technology in order to probe the physics and workings of alternate realities. In one incident, they opened a small gateway between the lab on Ilquar and an alternate version of Earth - year 2034. This earth saw many major 20th century powers have their ideologies swapped; the EU leading the modern world in alliance with the United States of Ataria - up against the formerly communist American Federation.

Amelia, born in 2005 was born in Lyon, France, to her Scottish/French parents. She spent a good amount of her life in both countries, but eventually moved permanently to Berlin when she was 23. However, when she was 28, one morning she walked putside to find the fabric of reality around her collapsing.

In an instant, it felt like every part of her was on fire as she was flashbanged by a bright white/violet light. Just as suddenly she found herself on a precariously balanced platform at the center of what looked like a giant particle collider; scientists racing behind windows around her. Before she knew it, someone over the PA, speaking what she could only decipher as German dialect with a strange accent, asked her who she was and if she was alright. She could sort of understand it, but she could only nod or shake her head to whatever questions they asked her.

Finally, someone walked over a catwalk and outstretched an arm to her. She was pulled over by the wrist and shuffled into one of the side offices. The scientists knew they fucked up - and it was no better that the gateway was basically permanently shut.

She was given a warm drink by one of the lead scientists, and they started asking her questions once again. Her first words were, in German, "My german isnt very good... do you speak french or english..?" thinking full well she was just inside some lab still in europe, except with weird symbols on the walls and dials. Alas, she wasnt. The scientist, asked her if she spoke Atlantean or Basic - and she returned a confused look. She guessed basic and the scientist started speaking in what she knew as english. The scientist, realizing whats gone on, broke the unfortunate news to her.

Everything and everyone she knew was gone. She was in an entirely different universe with no statistically possible way home. Amelia was incredibly distraught - feeling like she was just in some kind of bad dream or that it was all an elaborate prank. But, that came crashing down the longer the scientist kept talking. Strangely enough she didnt cry at all; I don't think she knew how to interpret anything at the moment.

She spent the next few days at the lab, slowly trying to come to terms with her new situation. After a while, she was approached by another scientist who told her she couldnt stay for much longer, but they could relocate her to another planet. She was both nervous and excited at the possibility of being in space, let alone travelling to another planet - though I guess she's already on one of those.

She was relocated to victoric, as the scientists felt it best for her to go somewhere that would guarantee her safety from the news and, more importantly, somewhere they felt would feel a little more homely - technology wise. Amelia felt, admittedly, a little insulted that they thought the closest match to her time was electricity-less steampunkery, but she felt like it'd do.

Fast forward a few months, and shes living/working in a bed and breakfast outside of West Hameshire. She's getting on rather nicely, even if the trauma of reality occasionally creeps back up on her in horrific panic attacks. Except one day, this locksmith came over, whos apparently quite a regular -fixing the doors on the rooms, and goddamn she was pretty.

Anyways yeah its pretty easy to say where they went from there. They started going out about two weeks after first meeting - and they've been inseparable ever since.

As of present day, Amelia moved out of the Bed and Breakfast and moved in with Edith - though she still works there. They're really quite comfortable with where they are in life, with aspirations to see the galaxies and everything in it (Amelia's really interested in visiting the Lordean system, as well as Atlatic). Edith on the other hand, is much more interested in finally asking Amelia to marry her... if she could ever work up the impossible levels of confidence needed for it.

[el1-z4]

Reminder that not all of the Arcania Cluster is engaged in horrid war (most of it isnt lol)

These two are Harry and Clyde (left to right). Two university students studying music theory while trying to form their own group with two other friends of theirs.

Harry's a hyperactive literal embodiment of ADHD trans guy with a passion for soft rock and lofi

Clyde's a quiet, relatively reserved but charming music producer with perfect pitch and the ability to play any instrument you toss at him.

They both met on their home planet of Aeonoth, where, due to an increidbly strong magnetic field generated by the gas giant it orbits, a lot of their technology has to be simplified and relegated to a 80/90s aesthetic in order to operate normally.

Harry was originally part of a band called the South Side Project, which he was the lead guitarist for. The drummer of this band, Wess, introduced him to Emily and Clyde, who were starting their own smaller project while at university. Harry found himself falling for Clyde almost instantly - with no real understanding of why he had such a sudden crush for someone who speaks no more than a couple paragraphs every day.

Over the next few months, he was always NOTICABLY forward with his feelings, but Clyde never seemed to catch on. Or so most people thought, as he picked up on it sooner than pretty much anyone else. As time passed, he found himself growing conflicted with himself. He began warming up to Harry, eventually on and off daydreaming about what a relationship with him would be like. Yet... he's only ever been in one prior relationship, way back in high school, with a girl he never really liked beyond a good friend. Clyde has functionally no experience in relationships, and even less so with another guy - leaving him both anxious yet excited for whatevers so come.

TL;DR these two aren't dating but they're like fractions of an inch away from actually being together. Literally they've cuddled and even came close to kissing once, as well as doing this (the art above) stuff a lot.

[el1-z4]

A Coalition Fighter Craft

Known as the Arrowhead, its a pain to fight against unless you're shooting it from above or below. It seats two, and shoots like absolute hell. Its plasma bolts eaaily rip through metal plating like it's absolutely nothing, and its the fastest fighter craft in operation in my AU, with a top speed of 44.8c thanks to its 2 Lideran Variable Newtonic Scramjets.

Its also one of the only fighters able to fly in atmosphere without the needs for ocuanum engines, as the majority of its fuselage and outer wing area are aerofoils with flaps and slats fitted. Its a multi-use fighter, so whatever the imperial navy needs, usually this can suffice.

Any sensible Union pilot would rather fly away than fight one of these things.

[el1-z4]

did actually forget to mention but Ickett Faugel, and by extension his sister Mint Faugel, is mostly an Anti-Villain.

They want to destroy the Union (good. deserved. fuck the Union nobody likes em. Atlas can eat shit)

but also they kinda blew up a star this one time and they have a horrible reputation for just leveling cities and having an utter disregard for human life. Kinda genocidal if you get what I'm saying (by that I mean they sorta just want everyone Union-affiliated to be dead).

[el1-z4]

Gosh its been a minute since I last posted something here but trust me I've been working on a lot of stuff in the background for this AU.

Anyways this is Felix Elian Lautenbeck. An imperial Lieutenant Sector Field Marshal for the Coalition. If you wanted a main character, this is him (not really I don't actually have a main character per say).

He's Northern Cinnoen, so he has plant magic, but grew up with his two mums on Kallor, which is where he eventually went on to study wartime strategy, defense, and intelligence gathering. Not only that, he'a fluent in 3 languages including an almost extinct native dialect unique to Cinnamomum. On top of that, he has an interest in advanced 4D Geometry and Mathematics.

Basically, he's wildly smart, and that intelligence coupled with the fact he can shoot real good allowed him to climb the imperial ranks exceedingly fast. Basically, he's 30 years old in a rank occupied usually by people in their late 40s/50s.

While his past is nothing to scoff at, what matters most is his future. He is pretty much the main figure in kickstarting the 3rd Cluster War - Alongside Ickett Faugel but I'll get to that in a sec ;) - having been one of the main players in the Lazulite Trade Blockade, basically the forerunner of the Cinnoen Revolution, a co-organizer of Kel-Ex's Derrinian Assault, and the main delegate between the Coalition and Kel-Ex for the entire existence of the Green and White Treaty. While all of these aspects aren't necessarily his doing, as they involved thousands of people across multiple levels of government and military command structure, it'd be hard to deny how important Lautenbeck was for the complex chain of events leading up to the 3rd Cluster War.

Anyways, now on to something a little more lighthearted:

As for his personal life, Felix is very outgoing. He enjoys spending nights out with his friends and co-workers - usually getting absolutely shitfaced. He has a fond enjoyment for Zero-Grav Batter Ball, which is an upcoming sport based out of the Miranian System (its like baseball but in zero-g and with obstacles in a huge arena). Also, he really enjoys studying the local cultures and dialects of the many places he gets to visit for his work. And he also really enjoys listening to, and poorly attempting to play, music.

Also him and Ickett Faugel - yes, the commanding general of Kel-Ex - kinda have a thing for one another. They've gotten to spend a lot of time hanging about during the process of organizing the Green and White Treaty, meaning they slowly started developing a bond with one another. They do eventually end up dating - and it sure as hell lasts given Ickett's previous relationship track record (absolutely 0 people) - but its kept in near absolute secrecy as to not conflict with either of their images and political importance. They're a physical representation of the Green and White Treaty to be specific.

Anyways yeah thats him I've got more stuff coming up soon bleh

[el1-z4]

Minorly gorey and way too fuckin edgy.

This is the moment Ickett (also known as the guy who leads Kel-Ex) snapped. Basically, his parents were murdered by Union Peacekeepers who were occupying his planet - and had been doing so for hindering of years at this point. Him and his sister were very attached to their parents, so for both of them it was quite a shock.

The blood covering him comes almost entirely from the Union Peacekeepers which both him and his sister killed in retaliation. The peacekeepers broke into their apartment and separated them from their parents in their bedroom. Fortunately the kids (they were both 17 at the time) kept a combat knife under Ickett's bedframe, so when the peacekeepers came to capture them they fought back, eventually killing them. It was brutal and messy, but they didn't exactly know what they were doing.

Neither of the kids knew their parents were murdered until Ickett ran out into the living room.

It broke him in more ways than one.

While Mint started crying and pleading for her parents to wake up, Ickett just stood there watching every possible timeline ahead of him where he outright shatters the Union into a billion pieces. Mint wanted her parents back, he wanted revenge.

Don't get me wrong he absolutely cried an ocean's worth of tears once reality hit him. Even 15 years later he still gets a bit teary now and then - Mint too.

Nontheless, this moment in the comic is the moment Ickett went from a relatively innocent kid trying to help his parents put food on the table, to a traumatized young adult who wants nothing but the union's blood painted across the stars.

Anyways enough edgyness for a while dont expect this again byeeee

[el1-z4]

Told ya I'd draw these two outside of combat :)

Once more, this is Lewis and Louise (Right to Left). Now canonically a couple as opposed to just liking one another. Still without last names, though. I have settled on their ages though, being 26 for Lewis and 28 for Louise.

Lewis spends a lot of time at Louise's place on Ilqar, given that his home planet, Techkar, is a cyberpunk late-stage-capitalist hellhole. She lives on the edge of a forest about 10 kms outside of the small city of Helioburg. In the weeks approaching winter, the trees outside her small townhouse turn glorious shades of red and orange before the inevitable frigid winter storms.

If he could, Lewis would definitely live with Louise on Ilquar, but due to his... current occupation... and the fact he has no coalition-recognized citizen documentation, it'll be a few years before he can move in.

Unfortunately their places on either side of an ongoing war make it hard for these two to really be public with their relationship, meaning to most people they're just good friends.

Regardless, they've been officially together for about 7 months now, with much of that time spent actually being together instead of on opposite sides of the cluster. Admittedly, they do share quite horrid experiences from the wars they've been in - meaning trauma bonding is very much a thing for these two and it blankets every corner of their relationship (even in areas you think it wouldn't)

As an authors note, I wanted to make their first "relationship drawing" have a stark contrast to their first appearance in uniform. I went for a very cozy almost cabin-core vibe and I honestly think it suits them very well, what with their matching eye and hair colours.

I'll draw these two again soon, but for now I've got a lot more stuff to get through!

[el1-z4]

Trying to build an AU with strong character concepts, relationships, lore, technology and politics based on an alternate future of human progression is extremely difficult when you consistently keep throwing in references to modern pop culture

I'm sorry Oliver but your time magic makes things cold because the Delorean did it in Back To The Future.