In the Cradle of the Sun, civilization reaches its zenith, but every dawn demands a blood-price, and the world itself hungers for the fall.
A world inspired by the height of Maya, Aztec, and Olmec eras, representing the peak of human civilization. It is characterized by massive, white-limestone city-states, advanced astronomical precision, and a pervasive 'Cosmic Debt' system where all power demands a blood-price. The world itself acts as an antagonist, teeming with ancient, terrifying entities from the underworld and demanding constant vigilance against cosmic collapse.
Early belief and capital: fund Ink for the world, land on the roster, and show the market this story deserves to exist.
View backing optionsBring your craft: see the slate, who is already here, and open roles you can apply for on a team building something you believe in.
View the posting boardThis is an early-stage franchise pitch. If the world, the vision, and the upside resonate, you can put meaningful capital behind it: Ink lands in the world balance for production, and your name appears on the roster alongside other believers. Favoriting the world and wishlisting individual productions below are lightweight signals that help the team prove demand before the heavy lift.
We are building toward ten founding backers for this pitch. Each Producer or Executive Producer subscription counts toward that goal.
Adds 100,000 Ink to this world’s balance each billing year, official Producer billing, your name under Producers on this pitch, and VIP read-only access to the production binder.
Back as ProducerAdds 200,000 Ink per billing year, premium Executive Producer billing at the top of the roster, your name under Executive Producers, priority support, and a direct line to the team.
Back as EPWishlist the pieces you want made. It is the same validation loop as favoriting the world and backing: you are telling creators and other backers where audience heat already lives.
Graphic Novel
A visually stunning graphic novel delving into the brutal rituals and cosmic horrors that bind the advanced city-states of the Cradle of the Sun, seen through the eyes of a young Jaguar Warrior struggling with the escalating blood-price.
Tabletop RPG
A tactical tabletop role-playing game where players navigate the treacherous politics and cosmic horrors of the Cradle of the Sun, making grim choices and paying literal blood-prices to wield powerful magic and stave off the world's insatiable hunger.
Premium Animated Series
A grimdark animated series where Akul, a Nahual, races against cosmic collapse in a visually stunning, Mesoamerican-inspired world, battling terrifying entities and making profound sacrifices to redefine the blood-price demanded by a hungry world.
To experience 'Dread-Drenched Wonder' through a constant sense of vertigo ('Awe of the Vertical'), navigating a world that feels like a living, breathing machine. To fulfill an intellectual need for a 'Fish-out-of-Water' story where the 'barbarian' protagonist is intellectually inferior, providing 'Cognitive Dissonance'. To feel the 'Weight of the Debt' and the true 'Price of Power' in a grimdark magic system with real consequences. To experience 'Ancestral Catharsis' by seeing an indigenous-inspired world portrayed with majesty, high science, and grand philosophy. To satisfy a 'Kinetic Pulse' with pure, unadulterated adrenaline and visceral, tactical combat.
Readers and viewers who are exhausted by traditional 'feudal Europe with magic' fantasy, seeking grimdark and sword & sorcery with a new aesthetic (e.g., Post-Tolkien Grimdark & Sword & Sorcery Crowd). Those who appreciate deep, meticulously researched world-building and cultural immersion (e.g., World-Building Tourists). Fans of raw, cinematic brutality and high-stakes action (e.g., Visual & Kinetic Action Fans). A growing demographic seeking 'de-colonized fantasy,' 'Silk-punk,' 'Bronze-Age Fantasy,' and 'Indigenous Futurism,' who want to see indigenous-inspired civilizations portrayed as the peak of human achievement (e.g., De-colonized Fantasy Readers). This explicitly excludes 'cozy' fantasy readers and 'Euro-purists'.
Primary revenue streams will include book sales (trilogy and anthology series), licensing for visual media (e.g., animated series with major streamers), licensing for gaming (e.g., tactical RPGs, tabletop systems based on the 'Cosmic Debt' mechanic), and sales of high-end collectibles and merchandise.
To establish 'Indigenous Sword & Sorcery' as a dominant sub-genre, aiming for the series to be the 'Conan of the 21st century' and the gold standard for non-European high-fantasy world-building. To achieve 'Visual Iconography Sovereignty,' making elements like the macahuitl, quetzal-feathered headdress, and blood-red step-pyramid instantly recognizable in pop culture. To maintain 'Structural Rigor' with a 'High-Density Plot' in every installment, ensuring each story beat serves the 'Cosmic Debt' theme or the protagonist Akul's thematic evolution without filler.
To achieve 'Multi-Platform Saturation' and 'IP Leverage'. This includes launching with a 'Trilogy + 1' model (core trilogy followed by 'Tales from the Cradle' anthology) for long-tail revenue. Securing Graphic Novel/Visual Media Licensing for a high-budget animated series with a major streamer, respecting a 'Grimdark' rating. Licensing 'The Cosmic Debt' gaming system for a tactical RPG or tabletop system. Producing High-End Collectibles (e.g., Weta Workshop level replicas) targeting the 'Collector' demographic. To achieve 'Market Penetration' by capturing 15-20% of the audience currently buying grimdark fantasy from authors like Joe Abercrombie, George R.R. Martin, and Ed McDonald.
This is the posting board for collaborators: where each production sits in its lifecycle, who is already in the room, and which roles still need a human. If you believe in the IP and have the skills, apply—no wishlisting required here; that signal lives with backers above.
Graphic Novel
A visually stunning graphic novel delving into the brutal rituals and cosmic horrors that bind the advanced city-states of the Cradle of the Sun, seen through the eyes of a young Jaguar Warrior struggling with the escalating blood-price.
Tabletop RPG
A tactical tabletop role-playing game where players navigate the treacherous politics and cosmic horrors of the Cradle of the Sun, making grim choices and paying literal blood-prices to wield powerful magic and stave off the world's insatiable hunger.
Premium Animated Series
A grimdark animated series where Akul, a Nahual, races against cosmic collapse in a visually stunning, Mesoamerican-inspired world, battling terrifying entities and making profound sacrifices to redefine the blood-price demanded by a hungry world.
Aaron Pennington
Franchise Runner
Aaron Pennington
Transmedia Producer
Save this world to your favorites and show creators you want to see it made.
0 people have favorited
View your saved franchises (requires sign-in)