Ganko, the Emperor of Lightning

Among the events that led to the War of Chaos, the rise, in each elemental land, of an Emperor with questionable ambitions and desires was certainly one of the most significant.

The land of Lightning was no exception and witnessed Ganko’s meteoric rise to its throne.

Lightning magic possessed the extraordinary ability to power machines far stronger than the Espers themselves.

These machines became popular even beyond the borders, and a vast global electrical network quickly spread across the entire planet.

More lightning magic made it possible to power more machines, and more machines made it possible to produce even more magic.

Ganko was the heir to this economic empire, and it did not take long before he also took power as the ruler of the country.

During his reign, however, voices had already begun to rise among those who understood that the use of magic also had a hidden cost: Aether, the life source of Esperia, was consumed a little more with every use of magic.

But it was already too late. The vast majority of the Espers across the planet had been blinded by the immense possibilities these machines had brought. They no longer saw the damage that had already been done, nor were they able to understand the catastrophes yet to come.

Like the Emperor of Lightning himself, they were stubborn, trapped within their own vision, convinced that it was the only right and possible one: to keep expanding the global economy without end.


Our latest tales

  • Incoherent System

    Incoherent System

    It is now widely accepted that climate change is happening—and that its consequences are rather bleak. On top of that, we also understand that the fuels causing this crisis are limited, as are all resources on our shared planet, Earth. Meanwhile, the entire system remains rooted in a growth-oriented economy that fails to take into…

    Read more

  • A Trap Named Passivity

    A Trap Named Passivity

    Isn’t it easy to simply watch what’s in front of our eyes and go on with our own lives? Yet what we can see now extends far beyond our neighborhood — the entire world is at our doorstep. Of course, no one can carry all the world’s problems on their own shoulders. But that doesn’t…

    Read more

  • The Basic Needs

    The Basic Needs

    Kenko, the Shape of Health, was certain of one thing: unless the basic needs of the Espers were made a priority, Esperia would never know true peace. The right to proper sleep, and access to healthy food and clean water for all, were the very first steps toward creating a harmonious society. These fundamentals were…

    Read more

  • Calming Down

    Calming Down

    The Shape of Awareness and Element of Lightning, Eklea, had quite an electric temperament. She loved to bounce from place to place, and as swiftly as roaring thunder, she would try to teach consciousness to anyone willing to listen. But when someone was truly all ears, she could also calm down, creating a gentle electrical…

    Read more

  • Finding Yourself Through Love

    Finding Yourself Through Love

    Does this title sound cliché? I guess so. But is it true? Absolutely. Of course, the word love carries as many meanings as there are human beings on our shared planet. For most of us, the first love we experience is that of our mother, who carries us for months and cares for us by…

    Read more

  • The “Modern World”

    The “Modern World”

    Cha Cha, our platypus friend, was thinking about what the “Modern World” had become—and how paradoxical it was. Thanks to new technologies that turned machines into the world’s new servants, life had become easier for some of the richest countries. But this comfort came at the cost of irreversible damage to the environment—damage that was…

    Read more

  • Moderation

    Moderation

    Before the end of the Chaos War, the concept of moderation scarcely existed among the Espers. They preferred to spend their time wielding magic and battling one another, unaware of the consequences. The birth of Atma, the Shape of Balance, transformed life in Esperia. The Seven Shapes placed moderation as a core principle in the…

    Read more

  • Slowing Down

    Slowing Down

    Esperia was built and envisioned so that harmony and peace would be its foundations. Nature and all the creatures living within it created a virtuous circle, and the Espers — the magical beings — finally understood that the restriction on their use of magic served a greater purpose on their interconnected and limited planet. This…

    Read more