Warlords of Mars

Mars was not always red, but was once a garden planet—as blue and green as Earth, with peaceful Martians living in towering cities and enjoying the luxuries of their high science.

At least, that’s what the scholars tell us. Today Mars is a planet of war, intrigue, and romance. Where there was once planetary goodwill, now there’s competing city-states, shifting their alliances and jealous of each other’s prosperity. Once they were ruled by wise leaders, but now decadent Red Martian princes and princesses play with the lives of the common-folk. War flares across Mars, with armies of airships and flyers taking to the skies, and assassinations in the alleys. While there were once green and pleasant lands outside the cities, now the red sand wastes are populated by the savage tribes of the Green Martians, who raise their young with cruelty. Ruthless silt pirates skim the great silt sea, while heretic priests gather willing victims to feed to ancient plants that live on the blood of others. While there were once towering cities, now the planet is dotted with ruins swallowed by the desert, and most have forgotten how the long-lost technology works.

And where once Mars was doomed and hopeless, now perhaps a new hope arises—a human transported to Mars by ancient science but with red blood still pumping in his veins, or a passionate Red Martian princess determined to start the oxygen factories again so that Mars may yet survive, or a scientist with a crazy plan to save the world by taking control.

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Written by Ben Blattberg and the Chimera Podcast Crew

Editing and Cover Art by Marc Majcher