The Giggler
The Giggler is a foul pig. He uses his staff, "The Gigglestick", to inflict fits of laughter on anyone foolish enough to not laugh at one of his terrible jokes. Though he may seem harmless, he is a ruthless fiend whose ire can range from belligerent to violent.
This character design is a fun take on a goblin, I wanted him to appear regal, as a leader, but shoddy and put together. The crown is reminiscent of a jester's hat, and his minions climbing on him show the relationship they share, with the laughing goblin showing a clue as to what his staff may do.
Krell
Who do the Vampires call when another of their ranks falls out of line? Krell, a Justiciar of epic proportions. Towering above most in Deveros, he strikes fear into the hearts of humans, monsters, and beasts alike. The trophy dragon skull on his shoulder serves as a reminder to all of his power and prowess in battle.
Krell required a significant amount of workshopping to get right, he has a lot going on in his design and we wanted to ensure it was still readable, while still telling numerous stories of his character. With the game designer I managed to strike a balance between imposing and storied, without becoming too noisy.
Chitina Mother
The Chitina Mother is a grotesque amalgam of insect and human. Chosen for her ability to bear the weight of the larva, the subject is granted greater commune with her goddess in exchange for her flesh.
This design was developed with the idea of a fur scarf in mind, her status in the faction is high and I wanted to ensure she felt like a horror-themed lady of status. While the gore and body horror are shocking, the silhouette is still clean and supports a good gesture. This would model well, and rigging would be feasible if taken to 3D, I would like to see this modelled in future with all those legs twitching....
Dusk Crystals
The Dusk Shroud was a cataclysmic event caused by the collapse of the fire deity, Meveril. His closest followers were phoenixes, who also fell when he did, turning to mental decay (phoenixes in this universe are terrifying and evil aligned). Many died and the combination of his excess fire energy and their souls slowly crystalised over millena forming into dusk crystals. These have been known as volatile things for centuries and have only recently turned into a form of powerful fuel for various things such as airships, arcane trains, and ballistae.
Umbra Decoder Disk
These are decoder discs used to decode messages within the Umbra Syndicate. They feature two spinning plates, a base plate and a compass plate.
The compass plate sits on top and is smaller, with the numbers 1-26 on the outside of the disc. In the middle of this disc is a compass showing all 8 directions. This can be patterned and is generally differently designed for each disc.
To encode a message you’d spin the compass disc so that a direction on the compass faces one of the birds. You’d then write the direction, followed by the bird’s initial, followed by the number of the letter you want to encode.
For example, I want to encode the letter “A”. I choose a random bird and direction, such as NW and Falcon. I turn the compass’ NW direction to face the falcon and read what number the A falls under. In this example, let’s say it’s 17. The letter A is encoded to NWF17. It’s pretty great since each letter has a vast number of combinations, so unless you know the trick, it’s hard to crack.
Chitina
The Chitina serve the mothers in their brainwashed state. The beetles in their skin act as antennae for the words of the goddess, but these drones still have some level of humanity and autonomy left. That won't last for long....
This design was created as the first monster for the project. I aimed to create something that makes your skin crawl in just the right way. The half-moon sickle evokes his goddess, whose symbol is the moon. The oil lamp was referenced from real oil lanterns that were found in roman archaeological sites, filled with oil they would produce a flame, particularly useful for sewer-dwellers that need to navigate the tunnels to their hive.
UMBRA CROW
The Crows stalk the streets, hidden by shadow, cloak, and disguise. Members of a faction known for their political influence the Umbra Crows are the elite movers and shakers, when people need removing or shaking. The Shadow Elf and her crow-feather daggers glides through the night, her bloody work ahead of her.
This design took a little development, to create a character that had an interesting and sharp silhouette, while still feeling like a functional fighter. I wanted to ensure that her cloak would still maintain a distinctive shape in any situation, both hiding her in the street, and creating interesting movement when in combat/parkour. Her beaked mask and crow-feather lined hood are key features that should immediately scream "Crow" at the viewer, and her matching daggers reinforce this point.
Ya'Taal Thug
The Ya'Taal are a clan of rough and ready mercenaries from the East. These fine upstanding citizens are focused only on two things, power and gold. As the merchants of the academic quarter pack up for the day and walk home, a shady figure stands leaning against a pillar. He seems to be waiting for someone in particular but he eyes them all as they pass. Tired merchants make for easy prey, and his dagger was feeling awfully clean, it would be a shame to waste such an instrument on cleaning fingernails...
This design was described as a thug who came from money. The expensive fabrics, patterns, and variants of clothing were chosen to help create a character that feels as though you could barter with them. A little above your standard street corner thugs, this gentleman may exert some influence locally in the underworld.
Location Highlights
Sel'Kildar
Civaci Wall
Alvia
Zygarde
Sunset Rock
Lildor
Hel
