Traction AU

The Traction AU is an alternative universe by L1quid.
It is split into two timelines - Mortal Engines and The Darkling Plain.
==Overview==
The Traction AU occurs soon after L1quid's version of Wings of Fire's Lost Continent Arc, as they (and other fans) are dissatisfied with the final product.
----In the overall plotline, the story diverges from The Hive Queen onward (The Lost Continent is canon in this storyline).
In The Hive Queen, Blue, Cricket, Swordtail, and Sundew head across Pantala’s eastern sea towards Pyrrhia (“the Distant Kingdoms”) to find Luna, after Blue goes through Metamorphosis and grows his wings. The four use the opportunity to find help and defeat Wasp, bringing the Hives to Pyrrhia. It is also revealed that Wasp’s ability is mind control, which is genetic and a symbol of HiveWing royalty on Pantala and is similar to how Bewilderbeast's control dragons in How to Train Your Dragon. After finding some allies, Sundew and Luna fly back to Pantala to find their allies.
In The Poison Jungle, Sundew reveals to Luna that the LeafWings are not extinct and have slowly rebooting the Tree Wars to wipe out the HiveWings. At the LeafWing village (which is like the RainWing arboretum), Sundew tells her tribe about Pyrrhia, which prompts a handful of them to go with her to Pyrrhia while the rest execute their plan to exterminate the Hives. Back on Pyrrhia, Cricket reports to Sundew that several Hive Mind-controlled dragons have seen on Pyrrhia; these dragons have been arrested and killed by the Pyrrhians. She also mentions that animus magic, a trait notable among the Pyrrhians, has suddenly been “deleted”.
In The Dangerous Gift, Wasp begins taking over Pyrrhia, starting with the Ice Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sand. Snowfall orders Ivory, her esteemed general, to defend the Kingdom as she learns about the existence of Pantala in Sanctuary. Blue, Luna, Cricket, and Swordtail find the ancient ruins of the old LeafWing kingdom within the heart of the Sky Kingdom. While the LeafWings rejoice at the ruins, the SkyWings oppose the discovery. The Pyrrhian queens learn about Pantala and the Hive Queen from the Pantalan Dragonets. Following this revelation, the monarchs decide to send their soldiers into battle to defend Pyrrhia from Wasp. The “dangerous gift”, as the title’s reference, are the Pantalan Dragonets.
In The Flames of Hope (or “The Land Across”), Pyrrhia and Pantala become embroiled in a global conflict, much more intense than the SandWing Succession War. Many lives are lost, including monarchs and heirs, until Wasp is defeated. The LeafWings return to Pantala, giving the ruins of their old kingdom back to the SkyWings. The Pyrrhian queens who died in the war are Moorhen, Coral, Thorn, and Snowfall; this forces one of Moorhen’s relatives to become the new MudWing queen, Tsunami to become the new SeaWing queen, Sunny to become the new SandWing queen, and one of Snowfall’s relatives to become the new IceWing queen. Pantala begins rebuilding, albeit into something seen at the end of dystopian science-fiction stories. The existing animus dragons find out that animus magic is not completely “deleted”, but that elemental magic can be performed (think the bending arts from Avatar Legends). As the dragon world rebuilds, a strange dragon washes up onto the shores of Pyrrhia - someone from a third continent - restarting The Lost Continent Prophecy all over again.
----After these events unfold, the AU is splits into two timelines - Mortal Engines and The Darkling Plain.
==Technology==
The Victorian England-esque technology seen in steampunk is the defining feature of this world. It can be found all over the Dragon Planet.
===Traction Cities===
Traction cities are moving settlements that roam the Dragon Planet.
<tabber>
|-|=
Click each tab to view the types of traction cities.
|-|Aerial Cities=
Aerial cities are traction cities that roam the skies. They should not be confused for airships.L1quid's notes and outlines for The Darkling Plain
|-|Aquatic Cities=
Aquatic cities are traction cities that roam the seas. They can either be underwater or abovewater, although underwater cities are more common.
|-|Harvester Cities=
Harvester cities are cities that harvest various resources to sell.
|-|Neutral Cities=
Neutral cities are cities of different sizes that are not allied with any faction. They are also legally “inedible”.If one comes under attack, it is declared an act of war.
|-|Overview=
Traction cities were originally conceived as a plot device in modern literature, like dragonriders or an underground resistance. Soon, dragons and humans, captivated by them, began building small towns as passion projects and hid them in case of an emergency.
When the Dragon Planet emerged out of an apocalyptic conflict, the traction city pet projects were unearthed and used as the first means of survival post-war. Over time, they diverged into the different types of cities seen throughout the planet.
|-|Parasite Cities=
Parasite cities are small cities who secretly attach themselves to a much larger city. Its inhabitants then destroy the “host” from the inside through various means (murder, heists, etc.) until it becomes a “husk”. Afterwards, they detach themselves before moving on for fresh blood.
|-|Predator Cities=
Predator cities are usually large cities that hunt down smaller towns for food and fuel.
|-|Scavenger Cities=
Scavenger cities are small cities who rip apart the carcasses of dead cities, similar to how vultures and lammergeiers feast on the carcasses of dead animals.
|-|Terrestrial Cities=
Terrestrial cities are traction cities that roam the land on caterpillar tracks or individual wheels.
</tabber>
==Characters==
All characters in the AU can be seen here.
==Trivia==
*L1quid created this AU while formulating the Wings of Fire adaptation of the Darkling Plain trilogy. At the same time, they were reading older science-fiction works as plot/character/aesthetic inspiration for their books.L1quid's notes and outlines for the Traction AU
*The traction cities in the AU are the traction cities seen in The Darkling Plain. (The origin of the traction cities is also from The Darkling Plain.)
==References==
Category:Content (L1quidMarbl3)
Category:Alternate Universes
Category:Inspired by Fiction
Category:Work in Progress