TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS OF FISTBUMP THE SKY
ARTBOOK 4: INTRO
Great news, guys!
The fourth artbook in “The Fantastical Encyclopedia of the Imagined World of Fistbump” series is in it’s final preparation step– AKA the binding. Making these books have been a fun learning experience, and I’m proud to say that it’s been getting easier (and SO much faster) each time. The fourth one has definitely been my favourite so far, if you’ll excuse the bias. I’m not sure when it will be available on the online store, but for now, let’s enjoy the Substack version of “Technological Innovations of Fistbump the Sky” :)
The intergalactic Research Team, consisting of the planet’s best scientists and archaeologists, has been given the absurd task of cataloguing the many inventions of Fistbump the Sky in a manner understandable to those from other planets. Such a request is, of course, absurd due to the planet’s interference with available resources, having created multiple timelines.
In response to this daunting task, the intergalactic Research Team, led by The Historian, had little choice but to focus on the inventions that have left the greatest impact across all territories, with the Great Migration as an anchor to the multiple timelines.
INTRODUCTION
TERMINOLOGY
GODS
Beings who are powerful enough to create life, such as planets and species. These are beings such as the Great Frog, who made Fistbump the Sky, and his enemy, the evil fox.
DEMIGODS
Creatures accidentally made by the Great Frog from the seeds embedded in the cake, Fistbump the Sky. The inhabitants sometimes refer to them as the “Seed-Borns” and “gods,” as it was the demigods who, in turn, created them. Yet, make no mistake, compared to the Great Frog, they are very much demigods.
INGREDIENT-BORNS
The inhabitants of Fistbump the Sky who were made by the demigods when they combined parts of themselves with the baking ingredients that make up the cake-planet known as Fistbump the Sky.
THE CREATION OF FISTBUMP THE SKY
Long before our galaxy was even a thought, beings of unfathomable power were tasked with creating life. Two of these were Life and Energy. They loved each other and took great pride in their creations. However, not even gods are immune to the effects of boredom.
Energy had become tired of their repetitive tasks. To cheer them up, Life created four animals to take Energy gifts and ordered them to arrive in a designated order according to Energy’s interests. The elephant took the lead, carrying perfume and incense, followed by the deer with gold and jewels and the frog carrying every seed that would ever exist. The fox came last, carrying fresh ingredients for baking.
The prideful fox did not know that baking was Energy’s favourite hobby, and thought its gifts far too mundane for one of his importance. Thus, the fox decided to sabotage the other animals to prove their carelessness. With great strength and determination, the fox shoved the frog before him, causing all the animals in the procession to fall and their gifts to scatter. However, the fox did not expect his own gifts would fall amongst them, nor that the frog’s seeds would merge with the ingredients he carried.
The distraught frog scraped the mess together, trying to save whatever he could. Sadly, he was unable to separate the botanical seeds from the cracked eggs and flour, resulting in a strange dough instead, which hardened into a deformed cake. The imprints of his hands created mountains and rivers, reshaping the cake’s surface into a habitable world. The frog’s blood ran cold. Not only had he accidentally created a world, but also creatures that sprouted from the embedded seeds. Each was a confirmation that his carefree life was about to change.
Having heard the commotion, Life and Energy rushed over to see what had happened. Upon seeing the destruction caused by the fox, they wasted no time in banishing the fox to the outer reaches of space. On the other hand, the frog was promoted to nearly the same level of importance as Life and Energy, having proven himself capable of creating life. But the frog was not interested in forming galaxies. He was determined to maintain his freedom despite his accidental creation.
Thus, the frog tied the cake to his back and named it “Fistbump The Sky” as a sign of victory before hopping away. Steadily, as the Great Frog’s new world grew, so too did the fox’s hatred for his former friend. He vowed to destroy Life and Energy’s universe, starting with the planet Fistbump the Sky.
The Interterritory Research Team, myself included, have been tasked with cataloguing and describing the many fascinating inventions of Fistbump the Sky in such a manner that beings from other planets could understand how they work. Such a request is, of course, absurd. While inhabitants of planets such as Venus, Spot, and Pluto have the luxury of creating inventions through trial and error, our planet, on the other hand, has gone out of its way to interfere with our progress. It is also nearly impossible to list every invention in a single chapter or to create a list based on any specific time period, as each territory naturally possesses its own timeline.
In response to this daunting task, we have decided instead to focus on the inventions that have left the greatest impact across all territories, excluding those that are territory-bound or used exclusively by one species. This, unfortunately, means that we will not be discussing any inventions used by the nomads or those living in particularly harsh territories, such as Limbo or the former Phrenezia. We have also decided to approach the issue of multiple timelines by jumping through the most relevant ones, using The Great Migration as an anchor.
The Great Migration refers to a long period during which the first generation left Gods Grounds in pursuit of a new home. Although the planet had been around long before The Great Migration, it marks the cycles during which the territories were founded, marking the beginning of the time of the inhabitants. Those who have read the previous chapter might recall that Gods Grounds is the plateau situated in the centre of Fistbump the Sky. It is where the seeds that birthed our demigods sprouted and where the demigods made their own forms of life, known as the first generation.
As expected, the large number of mouths to feed had drained the already barren plateau until there was hardly anything left. With no other alternative, the demigods decided that the first generation needed to find a new home. Unfortunately, due to their botanical nature, the gods were rooted to God’s Grounds and could not accompany their creations on their journey.
There was, however, one god who was the exception to the rule. Kala, god of the three suns, often took their nomadic creations with them on sun journeys to the Great Desert. The other gods, fearing for their creations’ safety, begged Kala to allow the first generation to follow them on their journey to the deserts. Though aloof, god Kala was not heartless and agreed to their request. Before their departure, the gods gifted each of their creations with a small part of themselves and instructed them to plant the body parts in their new homes, for only then could the gods leave Gods Grounds. With one last farewell, the first generation followed god Kala to the Great Desert.
This marked the first phase of the Great Migration.
Unfortunately, unlike god Kala’s creations, the rest of the first generation could not survive the nomadic lifestyle for very long. By the time they had reached the An-Jing desert, twenty of them had lost their lives. Those who survived decided to abandon god Kala’s journey.
This signalled the second phase of The Great Migration.
Some of the earliest memories revealed that the first generation had divided itself into groups of equal strength before leaving the An-Jing desert, vowing to share resources and information among each other. With each new territory that was founded, these groups naturally grew smaller in numbers until the Great Migration finally came to an end with the founding of the Grassland, Hai-Kyun.
Time was, unfortunately, not recorded until the invention of the Self-Sufficient Calendars. As a result, the split among the first generation created multiple timelines. Moreover, each time cycle was, and still is, at the mercy of the Great Frog’s fancy. We at the Interterritory Research Team have thus decided to organise the inventions in this chapter into three categories, based on those that share a similar origin or material, namely: Equal Exchange, Remains, and Spirit.
