Schemes From The Dark Corner of The World

You’re probably wondering why we disappeared, right? You’re most likely bemoaning our return, too.

Lots has changed. We’ve got new members, new old members, and old new members. We’ve got a completely different project direction, and we even have a time table. r6 is back, Atothex is still here, and we are now working with one Kristin Houser (www.kristinhouser.com). We’re not making a text rpg,  CCHBSTBRPDG, or top-down adventure game. We’re making a mod. A Half-Life 2 mod.

More specifically, we’re going to stick our noses to the grind stone, and churn out a specific scene using the Source engine, so we can show off our project. You’ll get to see Jhinn, Chaun, and a bit of Pyathus in 3d; for a short time, at least. But what are we going to do after that? We’re going to start recruiting even harder, working, even harder, until we can build something larger yet, and possibly find the time to make a large-scale mod in the process. Will we be able to do it? We’re going to try. Are we going to try and recruit more people to help us? Damn straight. Can I be reached at scribe.nevermore@gmail.com ? Always.

Walk Your Skin

I don’t know about you, but I like Skinwalkers.

What’s not to like? Their non-collective Jhinn, who use a mixture of unknown magic and a straight razor to remove – and then don – the skin of a Chaun for roughly two weeks. Then, once they burst out of it in a gory explosion, they are left in a berzerk/feral state which, in combination with their increased strength, reflexes, and pure rage, allows them to slaughter just about anything. Did I mention that its addicting for them, too? Not to mention the fact that the more they do it, the more feral and powerful they become.

Now, with all these wonderful abilities, you’re porbably wondering how to recognize these amazing beings, aren’t you? For that, it gets a bit complicated.  Before a Skinwalker realizes that he or she is one, there’s no way to tell them apart from any of the other Jhinn. But once a Skinwalker exercises his or her power for the first time, and takes their first ‘Walk,  their something else altogether. Four-inch spines, slightly barbed and razor sharp,  spread symmetrically. Flesh as hard as a normal Jhinn’s changed limb, with all the dexterity. Perception strong enough to sense living things within miles, and all bottled up with a mountain of rage.

Most Skinwalkers are unable to stop, once they start. After their first skin the rage and addiction seeps in too deep, piling up after each time. Some of the strong-willed are able to keep themselves from going feral, for a time; the smart ones force themselves into exile, when they care about spilling blood. Only the most grounded, the ones tinged with the right Dye and empowered with enough Blood, are able to keep themselves completely whole. Some of those are even strong-willed enough to stay ‘undercover’ among the Chaun, waiting. Some people have wondered whether or not a Scribe, skilled with Ink, is helping them stay alive.

Chuthul Who?

This time, we’re talking about Chuthul.

What are they? Where do they come from? What is their purpose? Who came up with the wonky name? These are the questions that we shall be answering.

The Chuthul are non-organic beings of indeterminate life span, who derive their functional abilities from an overt presence of Blood. They are, in fact, the sentient representation of Blood upon the surface of the planet, fulfilling in their nature all of the archetypal aspects of the substance of Blood, and the personality of the Brother of Blood. Meaning, they are Blood. As befitting of this, their physical appearance is indistinct; memories of them are oddly skewed,  having only the sensation of something big, violent, humanoid(ish) and scary. When Chuthul want to be remembered, they usually take a form similar to the one doing the remembering, albeit with the previously mentioned features. Depending on their taste (or sense of humor) they may have such features as wings, horns, extra limbs, protrusions, or other odd features. The one aspect that always stays the same, is their Ink.

Ink (with capitals) is a substance that derives its power from Dye, and acts as a representation of the aspects of an individuals mind, body, and capabilities. Because Chuthul are corporeal representations of Blood, they use Ink to ‘ground’ themselves among the living. As is befitting of the Brother of Blood, Chuthul usually use Ink to define themselves in violent and crafty ways. Among the Chuthul, they refer to their personal Ink as their Dearth, or Lack, showing what human elements they don’t have.

The Chuthul’s origin is unknown. The only detail on that front which is known, is that they like to stay near the crystal impact sites. Some people theorize that they derive their physical form from pure crystal. In the same vein, the Chuthul’s goal is unknown. They commit seemingly random acts – picking flowers, digging tunnels, forging swords, genetically altering Chaun minorities – for no apparent reason. It could be said, however, that those exposed to Chuthul, whatever the Chuthul in question may be doing, generally leave the area changed, in both body and soul.

Elhrrah came up with the name. His is also late in posting this, because he was busy celebrating the birthday of TeH ElhrraH.

Arts of Nidus

This time, we’re talking about magic.

Not the fluffy ’sprites and butterflies’ sort of magic, but rather the ‘raw focusing of Blood through a specific medium of Dye, such as to take an elemental or ethereal form’ sort of magic. As you have probably guessed by now, the magic system is tied into the preexisting concepts of Blood and Dye; no wonder it is the name of the game…

The magic system is referred to as the ‘Arts of Nidus,’ and whose meaning I shall not translate for you. The Arts are of Jhinn origin, and before I explain what they are and how they work, I shall explain how the Jhinn acquire the ability to use them.

As you all know, the Jhinn form collectives of four to six individuals who are telepathically bound to one another. This bond exists even through death. This bond is, in fact, so strong that when an individual dies in a normal fashion ( stabbed, thrown off a cliff, excessive vomiting, etc) the remnants of his soul are bound to the rest of his Frythyn. Which means that when a member of a collective dies, he or she ‘remains’ in the subconscious of those who have survived. If they die normally.

If their death isn’t normal, torture or self-sacrifice comes to mind, and it is all but one of them who dies, things happen differently. The severed souls are pushed beyond whatever veil that exists, but the strength of their bond causes them to try and push back. This everlasting effort, combined with the nature of the emotions present at their death, creates the first part of the link, for the Arts of Nidus.

The second part, must come from the other side. For this effort, this striving alone cannot cause The Arts to manifest. For sure, the sole surviving Frythyn will feel the effects, the brush of the lost minds, and some small nature of their form to be. It is enough for the Jhinn to know what to do. For if he wishes it, he can find a scribe willing to create the second half of the link – through wicked looking Dye-tattoos – such that he can feel the presence of his Frythyn again. But the price is steep. For while the Jhinn can experience the presence of his Frythyn once again, he must deal with the fact that they have been changed by their journey through the veil. Remnants of them remain, of course, but in the whole his mind has been filled with the presence of damaged, alien beings. Who have brought with them something no mind can comprehend.

Nidus. Focal point of infection. The Arts of Nidus come about when a Jhinn is placed in the mental presence of souls who have been through the veil in a violent way, bringing with them the energy and power which once animated their bodies. The different forms that the power can take are called Nidi, and they vary depending on the manner of death. It may be an everburning fire, grasping frost, strangling smog, or one of many manifestations. The more it is used, the more powerful it becomes, and the damage it does to its practitioner increases.

The Arts are powerful, have no doubt, and one with the ability to use them is both dangerous and damaged. Most of the time, the simple use of the energy is enough, but not always. For once a practitioner of The Arts has become close enough to the souls who inhabit him, he gains the ability to become empowered by The Will of Nidi. The Will of Nidi is when the practitioner becomes possessed by the souls who inhabit him for a period of time, increasing both his power, and the damage done to him body and soul, many fold. Each time The Will is used, the mind of the practitioner is changed into something closer to the souls who inhabit him. In the end, through overuse, there is nothing to distinguish them.

HBT does not stand for Huge Bloated Turtles

Instead, it stands for Human Blank Theory, and it is the subject of this week’s post.

The Human Blank Theory (HBT) is pivotal for the entirety of Project:Evermore, and allows us to get away with all sorts of stuff. Why? Because HBT operates on the concept that the human race,  is actually a biological template, engineered to be completely open to modification. At this point, I could go on and talk about how it could apply in the real world by citing cancer rates, chin beards, and crayfish as prime examples. Instead, I’ll tell you about how it applies in Blood & Dye.

For those who have read my narrative on The Brothers (just scroll down), you’ll know that humans are not native to the realm in which Blood & Dye takes place. You will also know that humanity was introduced by The Stranger in its normal -corrupt- unaltered form. This means that every humanoid-like being (other than the Chuthul & Raharah, of course) has a human root. Jhinn included. This also means that cultures such as the Chaun are completely open to interference by beings with the capability to do so.

But that is not all. For unlike the real world, the world of Blood & Dye is home to a plethora of DNA-altering creatures and beings, enough that even the Chaun have changed ‘naturally’ over time, to mirror their electro-centric world and form a sub-species of ‘blue bloods.’ They have also accumulated over time select genetic strings from other creatures, lying dormant as of yet.

As for the Jhinn, in this matter, the effects are quite evident. Their asymmetric spines and tissue loss all point towards altered embryos. Differences can be seen even between different factions and sub groups, in such things as the micro-spines of the Guides, or the scale of them on Skinwalkers. Whether or not they are still open to manipulation is hard to tell, due to the things that have been done to them already.

Can you say factions?

If you can’t, there is an issue. The same issue that wordpress had with crashing lately. This is a lot later than planned upon

We are going to ease into the factions, starting with just two of the Jhinn ones. These two factions are known as the Guides and the Scribes, and they play a pretty central role in events. These two factions are aligned with the Brother of Blood, and the Brother of Dye, respectively.

I’ll give you three guesses as to what the Guides do.  They act as specialized ‘handler’ teams who – through the use of a drug called Ilbis – develop an extremely strong collective-bond not only among their own collective, but among others who share this drug with them. Their general mentality is that of condescending, flippant, bastards who are quite well aware of just how much power they have over you. They also happen to be the go-to killers among the Jhinn, acting as their fighting elite. One of the main groups that they hold contracts with, is the Scribes, because the ‘active’ Scribes always go out alone, so that their Frythyn can hold a constant record in safety.

The Scribes are – if you haven’t guessed – the record keeper’s of the Jhinn. Because all [normal] Jhinn are blind, the Scribes are a key factor of their society. They possess the ability to use a resonating ‘ink’ to record events in such a way that the Jhinn can understand them, without having to go Egyptian with a hammer and chisle.   They record everything from food production to wars, always. One unique aspect of their ability, is the fact that it hinges upon the ‘innosence’ of the Scribe; sullied Scribes create sullied records, tainted with their emotions and their bias. As stated above, the ‘active’ Scribes always travel with Guides.

More on this topic later.

New blood: $1 per jug

I’d like to introduce our new donor:Atothex He has kindly allowed us to use not only his brain, but his artistic skills as well, to replace our sorely missed r6. Check out his gallery, and don’t be afraid to comment, we need your opinions.

For a small stop-gap until I actually drag myself around to writing something, ingest this very rough document on the religion of The Brothers:

In the eons before eons, within the chain of creation, it begun. Out of the remnants of past worlds, arose the beginning of the new. Minds had finallly begun to comprehend the world, and in this comprehension arose the understanding needed to create anew. Flesh sloughed, and minds expanded, each in turn becoming once again versions of the world they once dwelt within.

And yet, not all bowed before this tide. For among the understanding and enlightenment, there were those who sought more. And among those who sought, were the Brothers. Five men, with the utmost understanding of the things that no mind could truly grasp. Five men, who made a covenant which broke all vows made before. Creation. Shared. Breaking the single rule, the single limitation, set upon all beings: Life is meant for the individual alone. A rule which had went throughout all time before, without even the contemplation of it being broken, without the understanding of what could result.

But with the Brothers, the understanding was known. With the brothers, the taboo was broken. With the brothers, creation was set free. Each Brother – there were five – took it upon himself to sacrifice himself to the nature of their shared realm.
The first brother to sacrifice, gave himself to Silence, taking it into his name and giving his brothers a palette upon which to work.
The second brother to sacrifice, gave himself to the devastation of Pain, taking it into his name and giving his brothers a tool with which to carve.
The third brother to sacrifice, gave himself to the totality of Matter, taking it into his name and giving his brothers the material with which to form.
The fourth brother to sacrifice, gave himself to the rage of Blood, taking it into his name and giving his brothers the ability to endow will.
The fifth brother to sacrifice, gave himself to the starkness of Dye, taking it into his name and giving his brothers the power to instill themselves in the world around them.

Thus the brothers, the brothers of silence, pain, matter, blood, and dye, gave themselves to their realm. The first becoming the palette, the second and third the tools to paint it, and the fourth and fifth becoming the hands to guide it. That is how they began, but not how they would end. For once a door is opened, it cannot be closed, and those who schemed harm had entrance.

After the brothers had made their sacrifice, and were weak in flesh and spirit as a result, a stranger came to them, a fellow creator they had had not laid eyes upon before. To them this stranger said “Come now my brothers, for your sacrifice was great, and I have come to help you. Long have I waited until a collective such as yours has come about, let me teach you the ways of the gods.”
And here, the brothers were in no position to deny him. Even the strongest brothers, Blood and Dye, were strong enough to argue, so drained were they by their endeavors. So this strange fellow with the power of creation came to them, gave to them, and filled their realm with what he called ‘the creation shared by all gods.’

Thus it went. As the brothers regained strength, their world was made for them. The Brothers of silence, pain, and matter were the most weakened, while the brothers of Blood and Dye were the strongest. And when they did regain their strength, and look down upon the world they had sold, they were wroth. The lands that lay before them were green, swollen, and corpulent. Creatures contested in malice, gluttony, and greed. Even in the very beginning things were becoming sullied and impure; the world of ages past, the world which caused the brothers to act as they did to escape it, was being recreated within their own. Precious power was lost, the world was already starting to lock itself into its path. But still they had to act.

The brother of Blood assaulted the stranger, the brother of Dye hid himself among the stranger’s creation in order to turn their minds. The three weakened brothers, silence, pain, and matter, cast their final act; a rain of crystal imbued with the power of pain and the resonance of silence, tools for the brothers to use, before the three faded into the realm around them.

The strength of the brother of Blood proved too much for the stranger, and he was cast into the ether. When the brother of Blood saw the fate of Silence, Pain, and Matter, he committed to an act unparalleled. In salute to the brother of Silence, he filled the hollows with his nature. In salute to the brother of Pain, he made his nature into the burning blood of the earth. In salute to the brother of Matter, he gave his gift the power to recreate evermore. And then, the Brother of Blood joined his final sibling, putting end to the Stranger’s creations, allowing them peace Nevermore.

If not alive, then reanimated quite nicely.

We’re still kicking over here at Razed Entertainment, and we have a bit of news to share. Our project has had a slight shift in direction, from a text based rpg, to a digital, strategic, CCG. Or as I like to call it, a CCHBSTBRPDG (Card Collecting Hex Based Strategic Turn Based Role Playing Digital Game). This shift has given us a level of clarity that we were lacking before, and it has destroyed none of our plot-driven aspirations.

From this point, I shall be attempting a pseudo-weekly update schedule, covering such topics as religions, appearances, and other artsy-fartsy writer stuff.

On the recruitment side of things, there is a bit of bad news. R6 is no longer able to lend a hand, due to what appears to be a tyrannical boss; it is partial supposition though, as we have not been able to contact him for a few weeks now.  This means that we are looking for artistic help even harder now, in addition to some extra brains to have on hand.

If you are interested, either in helping or emailing me obscene amounts of spam, you can send me an email at scribe.nevermore@gmail.com

Cheers,

Elhrrah

r6artist’s corner 12.11.08

Good afternoon, oh vast sums of curious onlookers – or at least that guy in the corner. He looks almost sober. Anyway, I’m r6artist, concept artist and defacto Art Director and sounding board for Razed Entertainment.

As we move on through the development of our current title, Blood & Dye, I’ll be using this little corner of the blog to discuss some of the process from the visual side of things. We’ll talk about the look and mood of the game, character and environment design, and all the other fun things that crop up to keep the player from staring at a blank screen.

One thing you’ll see here that you won’t likely spot on some high falutin’ blog over at Square is the mistakes. That’s right, mistakes. There’s a lot of the game-making process that we’re (is winging too strong a word? Making up as we go along?) ad-libbing, and we’ve made some blunders along the way. We flatter ourselves that we recognize them when we see them, but that’s not always the case. We’re going to make more, too. The difference here is we’re going to tell you about ‘em.

You can cry if you want to.

Who aren’t we?

We are not Epic Games. We aren’t rich. We aren’t under worked by our day jobs. We aren’t brilliant. We are not sane. We are not (currently) programmers.

But these are the things that we are: Razed Entertainment. A group of hobbyists who some how had a game lobbed into their lap, who enjoy the creative aspects of designing a fictional reality. Wacko word-users sitting atop a boat load of content that is just begging to be used. Diverse. Bad at spelling. Relaxed. Creative. Accepting new members. Waiting for a chance to truly show someone else what we have created.