Few things inspire our collective imagination more than the fragmentary artifacts of ancient
civilizations, ones that once prospered and are now lost to time.
Looking at objects like these can make you wonder what other great civilizations could
have risen and fallen without a trace long ago.
“Fragments of the Past” is a fantasy world which echoes the lost artifacts and fragmented
tales of classical history.
It’s an imaginary bronze age epic — a vast world inspired by ancient Mediterranean
myth and civilizations.
It’s a realm of sun and sea, of gods and heroes, of war and fine art.
The project is the creation of talented Italian artist and writer Massimiliano Haematinon
Nigro.
He’s released an artbook on the epic setting that much of this video is based on, and I’ve
included a link in the description — alongside other ways you can follow and support him.
In his book, he depicts imaginary artifacts from this world — pieces of ancient weapons
and pottery and fragments of poems — alongside fully realized images of what these civilizations
might have looked like at their height.
There’s a lot to cover, but I’ll give you a condensed overview of what’s been
revealed so far.
I’ve found that exploring the lore of this world can be a bit like acting as an archeologist
or historian, just of cultures which never existed — sort of like speculative archeology
if you will — where one pieces together artifacts and scattered literature.
So, for this entry into the archive, we’ll head out into this fictional world, sifting
through the fragments to see what epic civilizations might emerge.
But part of the world building here are the intentional gaps—of all that is lost to
time.
The world of “Fragments of the Past” is set on the massive continent of Askedoria.
The imagined records suggest the Iskuzai civilization was one of the most influential in this region.
According to legend, they began as a nomadic horde that raged in the steppes beyond the
mountains, but came to settle in Askedoria and built a great empire.
It seems the Iskuzai were a people of contrasts — who were revered as both fearsome warriors,
and lovers of poetry and music.
The artist imagines the Iskuzai’s worshiped a mysterious and mighty cosmic beast called
the Double-Crested Panther.
Depictions of this deity appear in many Iskuzai art fragments — and seem to symbolize a
notion that we might call ‘change.’
When the Iskuzai went to war, or when death from sickness or injury loomed over a loved
one, they prayed to the Double-Crested Panther for protection.
Only in the most desperate and life-changing occasions would they ask the help of the Panther.
And they never did so more than three times a year.
Believing themselves to be divinely protected, the Iskuzai seemed at one point to have conquered
much of Askedoria, amassing a naval fleet which gave them control over most waterways.
With sleek, eel-like boats, the Iskuzai upheld their expanding empire — which was composed
of various great cities.
In particular, Beitris was a powerful city-state during these days — serving as both a wealthy
coastal port and a stronghold of Iskuzai military influence.
Some of these images reveal the splendor of Beitris in its prime — and the unique architectural
style of the Iskuzai during this period.
Reading through these fragments, I learned the second culture that populated Askedoria
were the Etoi of the coast.
A great civilization in their own right, the Etoi were a developed and architecturally
distinct group long before the Iskuzai arrived in Askedoria.
Although the Iskuzai took over much Etoi territory in many fierce battles, in time the Iskuzai
were influenced by the very culture they were battling.
Though in many ways invaders, The Iskuzai found themselves transformed by the civilization
of the Etoi, and began to adopt their sacred practices like embalming the dead.
Most significantly, some fictional artifacts suggest that the Iskuzai adopted the Etoi
pantheon of Gods — praying to them in situations that didn’t require the aid of the cosmic
panther.
The Etoi Gods therefore became the most common on the continent.
The author has created art of weathered statues that depict some of the key deities, like
Phoeraia, the Goddess of the Wild Beasts.
Cirta, the Goddess of the underground Waters.
Auleo, God of Knowledge.
And Erigonio, the headless God of Music and Violence.
It’s unclear if any of these gods had true power outside of myth.
‘Fragments of the Past’ is a of course a fantasy story, so perhaps these Gods could
be ‘real’ within the context of the narrative.
In blurring the distinction between myths and history, the author highlights how much
of the past remains a mystery.
There are certainly other things about this fictional world that imply the existence of
the supernatural, particularly when it comes to Etoi rituals.
In some passages, there are rumors of certain Etoi who had tapped into an unknown ancestral
power, drawing strength from prophetic dreams.
These individuals were revered as oracles, and conducted processions in the honor of
a forgotten deity: the four-eyed Zagera — the cyclically-born, the eel ancestor.
Pretty cool, if you ask me.
There are legends that all Etoi people came from the sea and were exiled from the water
by Zagera for an old, unknown crime.
It’s unclear if there’s any truth to this creation story, however.
Beyond the Etoi and the Iskuzai, I’ve found whispers throughout the texts of other civilizations,
like the Agrauran.
builders of underground catacombs, and the Kokhlidoi — the worshipers of the stars.
But much of the history of Askedoria has yet to be uncovered.
So instead, the last finding I’ll touch on is this figure: Husacci.
Perhaps a spirit, perhaps a beast, or perhaps a little god?
The writings are ambiguous, but no matter what, Husacci is definitely very old — with
depictions of the creature dating back to the ancient civilizations of Askedoria.
They’re apparently quite mischievous and ill-behaved, and summoned by saying their
name three times.
Temperament aside, I’m definitely a fan of this strange little figure.
There’s plenty more to the lore of “Fragments of the Past”, and plenty more the author
Massimiliano Haematinon Nigro plans on adding in the future.
Although I don’t think everything will ever be revealed, as the imagined gaps are part
of what makes the fictional history feel ‘believable.’
If you found the world of ‘Fragments of the Past’ intriguing, you can check out
the links to the creator’s artbook and social media below.
And as always, thanks for watching.
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See you in the next video, and may the Immortal Gods shield you from misfortune.