iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

#inktober2026 7:PANIC You feel it first, before you hear the song- dread, sorrow, fear, deep in your bones. Those godsdamned Shrieking Sisters, I’ve seen their songs make a whole pike-line crumble into panic, drop their weapons and flee.

An ink drawing of a woman singing a magickal song into a horn

020

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

#inktober2026 6:OGRE We used to use ogres as berserkers, get ‘em all crazy with sweetstone and let ‘em loose. Well, muskets and guns got better, so now we mostly use ogres as mules. Tried teachin’ em how to shoot, but they never could get the hang of it.

An ink drawing of an ogre pulling a large cannon

010

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

#inktober2026 5:SMACK The Lords of Gadil undergo extreme fleshcrafting as they raise in rank, often reaching almost eight feet. They treat their thrall-hounds quite poorly, with corporal punishment being the norm.

An ink drawing of a hulking, four-armed man backhanding a much smaller dog-person

030

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

#inktober2026 4:CACTUS We woke to find the valley choked with spiny plants that had seemed to sprout overnight. Their hides are tough, the smell of their sap makes men dizzy, and the spines are hellaciously sharp.

Ink drawing of a pair of men struggling with a huge patch of cactus

050

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

#inktober2026 3:MINIATURE Ever since the defeat at Cryptpins, the King has spent all hours of the day with his model battlefields. He’s commissioned a dozen new ones as well.

An ink drawing of a robed, hooded man with a few extra fingers poring over a miniature castle

031

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

#inktober2026 2:RELIC The forearm of Saint Sarun is shown during the Feat of Chains, and dense crowds of adherents fight for a glance of the sacred relic, hoping that some its grace might bless them.

An ink drawing of a priest holding a large, mutated hand

040

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

#inktober2026 1:APPLE Before the Starfall, the kingdom of Noril was a small vassal state, famous for its orchards. Empowered by new magicks, soldiers of the golden apple swept across the lands, greatly expanding the kingdom.

An ink drawing of a foot soldier, carrying a halberd

030

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

#sst26 30: HOMAGE @jpv-art.bsky.social Are you out there, little Watcher? Helium and hydrogen sweating silent in the Void, clutching nuclear lances or hardened Drop Troops. Ceaseless eyes, always watching.

an infographic of a stealth deep-recon ship

09823

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#sst26 29:LASER On paper, the Switchblade drone seems under-armed: 2MW laser with a 1.5 meter mirror is only dangerous to large ships at close range, but swarm-linking allows multiple drones to focus on the same target simultaneously.

13310

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#sst26 28:REPAIR We’ve seen huge strides in miniaturization in the last decade; shipyard-scale printing from carbonyl elements means that a ship that would have been scrapped can get back into the fight.

A large repair ship, working to fix a damaged cruiser

03910

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

NGL that took me an embarrassing amount of time to get but I did laugh

110

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

#sst26 27: GUNS The Cerberus-class is armed with six macron cannons capable of firing microscopic carbon nanotube whiskers at around 20,000 km/s. The bottleneck so far has been reliably producing ammunition of the proper dimensions.

A triangular cruiser fires its macron guns in low orbit

19616

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

#sst26 26: SCANNERS If this ship class, code name Oracle works like the eggheads say it will, we’ll finally be able to reliably target the enemies’ Void Watchers and staunch the bleeding out on the frontlines.

A ship with an enormous pair of radars flies silently in the dark

04910

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

#sst26 25:MISSILES The High-Impulse Shaped-Charge munition is sent to enemy targets in swarms with other kinetic missiles and Stiletto drones. Once within 15km of the target, the massive charge is triggered, sending a jet of plasma at the enemy ship.

triangular-shaped missiles fly in low lunar orbit

0379

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

#sst26 24 Engines kicked on and we burned hard for a higher orbital position. It was only a fifteen-second burn, but we pulled four-Gs for most of it, and it felt like it lasted hours.

A squat, solid fighter craft burns hard in low orbit

0268

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

#sst26 23:CONVOY -I definitely saw a thermal bloom a few thousand klicks back. -Orient us back towards those readings, weapons hot. Let's get some radar on whatever it is. -This was supposed to be a boring convoy gig...

A small escort ship spins around to face an unknown enemy

0226

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

#sst26 22:HUGE Welcome to U-163, the largest known nanotech anomaly. For the next three months, we will remain in orbit and on alert for any activity from the anomaly. If it gets funny, we will launch 16 antimatter-warhead torpedoes and pray it’s enough to destroy it.

A jagged, structure rises from a moon while a torpedo cruiser sits watching

0447

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

#sst26 21:ORGANIC -I have my briefing with High Command in an hour, and you're telling me we still don't know anything about this ship? -We can state with some confidence that whatever the armor is made from, it's still using a standard fusion engine and propellant.

A unknown, pale-green cruiser-sized vessel takes on fuel

05111

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

#sst26 19:ARMORED The initial burn is the scariest, you just gotta trust that the graphene and aerogel nosecone can hold up to the enemies' laser until you fire your missiles. Then the exfil burn, the rotating side armor moves around to keep the beam from drilling too deep.

A torpedo cruiser being fired on by a laser

0224

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I lifted the idea from Project Hail Mary, but it is sound from a physics and engineering standpoint

001

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#sst26 18:ANGULAR -And you're sure we're in the right place? -Checked it three times, and I even dusted off optical sextant and checked it manually; this is where Command wants us. -Guess we just sit on here on spin until we get further orders...

An angular ship with it's crew hab extended for mild spin-gravity

1264

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

#sst26 17:VARIANT The Whisper is the e-war variant of the Stiletto drone. Tracking radar, jammers, dedicated datalink and tracking radar, it allows the drones with weapons to achieve much greater accuracy and survivability

A combat drone with a bulky electronic warfare module up front

07918

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

#sst26 16:GREEN -You think it’ll go into full production? -Oh, it’s already started; the right palms have been greased, shipyards all over the Federation are already laying down keels. The new Stockholm-class cruiser will be on the front lines in less than six months.

08418

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

#sst26 15:DERELICT Not sure on the exact number, but something like 75% of the Pre-Shattering O-Neill cylinders are derelict. Either conflict broke out inside, or someone blew a hole in it, or they just started falling apart.

A small ship floats through a destroyed cylinder habitat, once home to over a quarter-million people

0396

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

#sst26 14:ASSYMETRY -Customs Enforcement, huh? They got you on what, ten-day rotations? -Fourteen. -That's rough. -Eh, once you extend the hab and get a little spin going, it's not so bad; boring mostly. Other two guys are pretty chill. -That hab must reek when you finish up.

A small, ungainly spaceship with a rocket pod and recoiless gun on one side, and a hab stretched out on wires opposite

0357

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

#sst26 13:BANDITS Comms jammed, drive-cone shot to shit, radiators shredded, we're a sitting duck out here, just waiting to be boarded. We opened the armory, handed out weapons, but there's only two guys that have prior military experience.

A pirate ship with a crudely painted red skull and crossbones moves into position to board a crippled freighter

0278

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

#sst26 12:SLENDER -Look, they've sunk how many hundreds of billions into this thing, and for what? -Recent testing has been promising, last round saw seven full-power cycles of the main weapon system before- -Before it overheated again and melted down half the coils?

digital painting of a long, slim ship firing a bright blue relativistic beam

0409

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#sst26 11:DROPSHIP -First ex-fil? -Yeah. I hope it's gentler than coming down. -Well, us grunts don't get "gentle". When those rocket boosters kick on, let out your breath and brace your core. Grip your armrests- gonna hit six G's for ten seconds until the second stage fires.

digital painting of a dropship in low-orbit firing rocket boosters to reach escape velocity

0447

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

#sst26 10 Lunar Marine Corps is the toughest, meanest, hardest-fighting branch in the whole Feddie military. Those prima donna Drop Troopers get all the fancy toys and glossy press, but Lunar Marines fight on the deadliest battlefield of all, with gear a generation out of date.

012532

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

They're called liquid droplet radiators and they are super-cool. fun to draw too

000

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

#sst26 9:SCAVENGER After C-SAR has finished their work, the scavengers move in. Galveston-class salvage tenders burn hard to chase down the dead hulks. Working parts are removed before the rest is broken down into raw materials, returned to the fleet via mass driver.

A huge salvage tender begins to break down a destroyed ship

1457

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

#sst26 8:DESTROYER The Nairobi-class destroyer is a small, nimble ship that punches well above it's weight. Usually seen in the thick of combat, it's trio of coilguns and ninety vertically-launched missiles provide a final line of defense for carriers and command ships alike.

Pencil drawing of a spaceship, built in a triangular configuration

1429

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

#sst26 7:CONVERSION Shipyards at Luna cranked out thousands of the Busan-class light freighter during the Diaspora, and two hundred years later they're mostly still running. Simple and rugged, they can be had for a song and are often converted for piracy or merc-work.

digital painting of a converted pirate freighter

04112

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

#sst26 6:CARRIER The Santos-class carrier enters combat with eighty Stiletto drones. The nets strung between the propellant tanks can catch a Stiletto traveling at hundreds of klicks-per.

a digital illustration of a space carrier

06415

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

#sst26 5: DRONES The MQ-49 Stiletto has been a mainstay for almost half a century. Launched into battle at over 30 G's, swarms of Stilettos will approach enemy flotillas at steep parabolic angles, fire off sixty 2KG slugs from close range, and burn back home to be reloaded.

small space drones flying at their target, firing

05813

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

#sst26 4:TANDEM -Got 'em on the scope? -I think so- big tandem-hulled freighter? That an old Manilla-pattern, upgraded radiator system? -That's the one. -So our target is on that ship, somewhere in the ring? -If what our informant on Deimos said is right...

digital drawing of a twin-hulled cargo ship

14711

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

#sst26 3:RED -Hey, why's that one drone red? -Oh yeah, the Red Dagger. It's survived thirty-six engagements so far, the armory techs named it and painted it red. Got the whole left side shot off by a railgun, it limped back home and they fixed it up.

A digital illustration of a twin-hulled space drone, painted a vivid red

0509

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

#sst26 2:RACING Pedal to the metal, man- plenty of delta left, just go fuckin' full throttle! Get it up to seven G's, you've trained for this! You can win this, just picture yourself on that podium!

A digital illustration of a small but powerful racing ship, burning hard

1398

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#sst26 1:LAUNCH The LOF-8 is pretty much just a caseless autocannon strapped to an engine with a crash couch for two bolted on. Those prox-fused frag rounds are good at shredding satellites and small drones, but against any real warship... let's just say those pilots are brave.

digital painting of a small space-fighter, firing it's main gun and releasing drop-tanks

04813

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

pretty cool these Tesla engineers walk around talking like adeptus mechanicus

010

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Quick little 40 minute sketch before work

Digital painting of a man wearing a large straw hat, his face obscured by advanced optics

0121

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Just picked up No Man's Land, the new novel from @quellist1.bsky.social and of course I had to try my hand at drawing the main character, Duncan Silver. Colored and rendered version coming soon

Pencil drawing of a man holding a shotgun

050

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

I legitimately just finished my yearly re-read of The Great Outdoor Fight a few hours ago

1111

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Whipped up this dude last night

A digital sketch of a sci fi soldier armed with a recoilless rifle

1191

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Got these two knives ready for handles

080

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 05/11/2024

Due to the ongoing NYT Tech Guild strike my wife and I played analog Wordle this morning

061

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 01/11/2024

#inktober2024 31 LANDMARK Once you spot the big obelisk, you’re only about a days out from Mercy. You sure about that, old man? That crossbow bolt ain’t scrambling your memory? Bolt didn’t hit me in the head, did it? I done this trip more’n dozen times!

140

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 31/10/2024

#inktober2024 30 VIOLIN What’s that sound? I think it’s a violin, dad told me about them. Someone on a caravan must have found it somewhere.

030

John @johnmustache.bsky.social · 30/10/2024

#inktober2024 29 NAVIGATOR Hell, I’d trade three or four guys with crossbows for a good navigator: he does his job right and you don’t need the crossbows.

030