AuraNova26

I decided to make some brand-new ref sheets to help show off how I now draw Hsien-Ko and for artist to look towards to see my vision of her. I actually had some using these assets on other places, but I recently came up with a new style toward how to make reference sheets. The only reference sheets I have on Tumblr are these ones:

Some things and details changed or omitted. Showing off Hsien-Ko, her layers of clothing, and her when she was a human at the age of 18! :3

I also did make one for her Burst:

The as it is called 'Corrupt Embrace' had an old ref sheet, which I will share here:

Some aspects are still the same and some details I just didn't feel like drawing out as to not make things too cramped. Concise and too the point. Plus some changed lore details of this form.

What games have opened doors for you in real life?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

So I wanna focus on brief bits about most of the characters in terms of anything noticeable about personality or abilities. Help you build an idea in your mind about their interpretations in this mythos.

Sonic the Hedgehog:

An adventurous hedgehog who loves to travel the world, see new sights, try new foods, and just live life to the fullest each and every day. A core fundamental aspect that guides him is the concept of freedom: freedom for others to live their lives to the fullest.

Sonic despises witnessing the freedom of others to be used to subdued or even take the freedom of others. He has a strong sense of desire to fight back against something that is fundamental to his essence.

Sonic is pretty keen on meeting new people on his travels around the world. He also is willing to lend a helping hand, even if no reward is offered. He likes seeing others enjoy life.

Chili dogs are his favorite meal, but Sonic is always willing to try out different dishes on his travels.

Despite his outwardly extrovert actions, Sonic is also surprisingly introverted. Much of the time, he is usually by himself. When interacting with friends and especially new people, he tends to listen more than talk.

Capable at moving faster than the speed of sound. Sonic is also capable of storing potential energy and convert it into kinetic energy in a split second, or Boost.

If he needs to defend himself, he can either make use of street brawling, primarily using his surprisingly strong legs, or by curling into a ball and spinning at such high speed in order to ram into his targets.

For some reason, Sonic has the capability to wield Chaos Energy. This has manifested primarily in his ability to utilize all 7 Chaos Emeralds in order to transform into a heightened state of near limitless power known as Super Sonic. However, even with just one Emerald he can access a near infinite well of potential energy to use for the conversion into kinetic energy. Another aspect is that Sonic is capable of using Chaos Control, though he not only requires a Chaos Emerald to perform the technique, but tends to not desire the use of said technique.

Is at least coded to be an older adolescent, not far off from being an adult after the events of Generations.

Miles 'Tails' Prower:

A young fox born on West Side Island, he was teased by others who bullied him for his twin tails. However, Sonic would appear and put said bullies in their place. Seeing the young fox was ok, he would head off. From then on, inspired by this blue blur, Tails would seek out to follow Sonic. Following behind him, slowly but surely catching up as the hedgehog was tracking down the notorious Dr. Eggman, Tails would eventually lend a hand to Sonic when it came time to his journey on West Side Island. With his knowledge of the island and even expertise in machinery, Tails would prove a valuable partner when it came to Sonic thwarting Eggman once again. From then on, Tails would eventually tag along with Sonic for a few years before setting up shop off West Side Island.

Brilliant in engineering, machinery, and computer science, Tails' skills would prove to rival even the abilities of Dr. Eggman. He takes pride in his creations, especially in his line of successors to the original Tornado which was shot down during the events of SA1.

While nowhere as fast as Sonic on his feet, Tails can use his twin tails to spin air currents quickly enough to propel himself forward. He can even use them to fly for periods at a time before needing to rest. His tails can also serve as an offensive tool as they are surprisingly strong.

As he grew older and as Eggman's diabolical badniks were made tougher, Tails would develop a personal device that he can use. From deploying a special spring boxing glove to being able to deploy electrical energy into various shapes, this would be a valuable device for self-defense as the battles with Eggman grew tougher. In fact, this personal device would be the basis of what would become 'Wispon' weapons.

While initially very shy, after his first encounter with Sonic, Tails yearned to be just like his close friend, his hero. In his youth, he usually mimicked Sonic in an almost exaggerated manner, what he saw as Sonic. After being away from Sonic once he moved to the mainland, Tails tried to eventually develop himself further. While he still highly respects Sonic, he also realized he had aspects that were different. Plus, while he tries to be fearless, he doesn't have that same level of courage. Still though, Tails has become a friendly individual who loves to tinker with all kinds of electronics and machines. He can get incredibly engrossed in his skills and projects, so sometimes has to become self-aware when he delves far too much for people who don't fully understand him. He does try to help out people if he sees them in trouble.

A child during his times with Sonic adventuring on different islands. By the time of the events of SA1, Tails has started to transition to adolescences.

Knuckles the Echidna:

Sole living echidna left in the world and descendent of the Knuckles Clan. For as long as he can remember, he only knows that he has been tasked with watching over the Master Emerald on his home of Angel Island. Why he needs or for how long, he doesn't know. However, he is quite content with the serene nature of the island that touches the heavens. All that changed with a large crash and eventually the appearance of Eggman. While the large metal structure that caused his island to fall into the ocean was of concern, the doctor assured that he was here to study it and hopefully find a way to help rid this thing. However, Eggman needed Knuckles to help the doctor by distracting two troublemakers that were chasing after him. Believing the strange egg shaped man was actually here to help, it wasn't till eventually upon seeing Eggman head into the sacred caverns of the Hidden Palace and steal the Master Emerald that he realized he was had. Teaming up with Sonic and Tails, the trio would ultimately see towards the defeat of Eggman, the permanent decommissioning of the Death Egg, and the return of the Master Emerald to Angel Island. As his home returned back to its place in the heavens, while Knuckles was glad to return back to his peace, he couldn't help but have found the experience to be... fun in a strange way.

By the time of the events of SA1, years had passed since the Death Egg crashed into Angel Island. While he did once again enjoy the serene nature of his existence, Knuckles had been feeling odd feelings. However, before he could ponder further, he felt a strange sensation. Making a mad dash towards the altar of the Master Emerald in the Hidden Palace, Knuckles would discover the Master Emerald shattered, along with the presence of a water based lifeform who immediately attacked Knuckles. While putting up a good fight, the water creature would eventually leave. From there, Angel Island would once again fall and crash near the Mystic Ruins. Knuckles would then head out on a journey to find the pieces of the Master Emerald, restore it, and then once again bring Angel Island back to its rightful place in the heavens. As he journeyed across the mainland for the first time, he had encounters with Sonic, Tails, and Eggman once again. Weary of Eggman, especially after seeing Eggman commanding that same water creature, he would confront Eggman. Having beaten this 'Chaos', Knuckles would confront Eggman about what he did as he had a hunch Eggman did something to cause the Master Emerald to break considering Chaos' presence at the broken gemstone. Spinning a web of lies, Knuckles, while not fully convinced, did at least feel it might be best to at least see what is going on with Sonic. Catching up with the Hedgehog, their conversation allowed for Sonic and Tails to not keep up their guard, allowing for Chaos to snatch the Emeralds they duo had. His guilt over the matter led Knuckles to once again face off against Chaos. With the water creature defeated, Eggman would once again flee. Wishing Sonic and Tails good luck and apologizing for what he did, Sonic would also wish Knuckles luck in his journey.

As Knuckles journeyed, he was met here there by an orb of light. This light would show Knuckles visions of lands that while different... felt familiar. Seeing the events of a young echidna named Tikal trying to stop her father from making a grave error, Knuckles realized he was seeing the history of his people unfold before him. As he gathered more of the shards of the Master Emerald, the visions grew longer and more in-depth. Eventually, he came to learn about Chaos and Tikal's relationship with Chaos and a group of Chao. He came to realize the disaster that would lead to the near extinction of his people, the true power of Chaos, and of the origins of Angel Island.

Having believed all was well once the Master Emerald was restored and with having 6 of the 7 Chaos Emeralds, Knuckles realized something was wrong when his island would not rise. Before he could do think of what to do, he had heard a thud and saw a beaten up Eggman. Questioning what he was doing here, before he was answered, he was ambushed by Chaos. Later on, when he was found by Sonic and Tails, Knuckles had told the duo what happened and that Chaos couldn't get the final Emerald lest the disaster of thousands of years ago would happen once again.

Once Super Sonic had finally managed to neutralize Chaos and allow them a chance to hear reason, Tikal and Chaos would depart to parts unknown. With everything settled, Knuckles would return to Angel Island. Almost as if waiting for him, once he returned to the Master Emerald Altar, Angel Island would once again float back into the heavens. As the days passed, Knuckles thought more about what he had learned. But also, he reminisced on his journey. Seeing such foreign lands... it was nice. But he knew he had a duty to fulfill. Still... he would like to maybe go explore a bit more if the itch ever arose. Perhaps by chance, familiar faces would be there to lend a hand to a fellow kin.

Knuckles is relatively serious in many matters. Not wanting to joke around, he wants to get things done. While his street smarts and general knowledge outside of Angel Island is abysmal, he is willing to have an open mind to learn. His people skills also require some more work. Initially blunt, his attempts to better compose his way of talking to others has left him being vulnerable to being gullible at first. Still, he tries his best and never intends to bring harm to people... as long as they aren't asking for it.

Despite his small stature relative to many others, Knuckles is surprisingly very strong. Able to easily crush stone and dent metal with his fists alone, Knuckles is a formidable foe in close quarters. While initially very basic with his fighting skills, once Tikal and Chaos became residents of Angle Island, Tikal would provide Knuckles with knowledge of their people's way of defense. Not for war, but as a way to protect and defend. Chaos would also make for a great sparring partner.

Knuckles also possesses other skills such as gliding, rock climbing, digging, and survival skills via living off the land.

Knuckles has a connection with the Master Emerald, allowing him to know if it is in danger or not. He also is capable of using the Master Emerald to nullify the Chaos Emeralds or summon its infinite power to be lent.

Does possess the limited ability to wield Chaos Energy. This has at one point led to his ability to go Super during the battle against Metal Overlord.

An adolescent back during the S3&K events, and now a young adult by SA1.

A few more things stewed in my head regarding this mythos, so that means it is time for another iteration of Lore Bits! So the first few points will focus specifically on Neo Metal since he has been in my mind a lot...

Neo Metal Sonic:

The reason why Neo Metal, the 2nd iteration of the Metal Sonic line, rebelled against Eggman was due to the fact that he had the bio data of Sonic the Hedgehog. Eggman was in such a rush to implement such an idea, the first in his line of robotics, that he didn't foresee that without filtering aspects of Sonic's ideals and personality, it would lead what should have been a loyal tool to develop ideas of their own.

To clarify further as I have mentioned in the other Lore Bit, but sometime after the events of SA1 but before SA2 in Tales of Chaos, a short story involving Amy occurs involving her having to rescue Sonic from Eggman after her attempt to help Sonic fight off Eggman as a way to show off her growth caused him to get knocked out cold when he tried to defend her. Once arriving in his base, Amy had to face off against what Eggman had planned to use Sonic for: stuffing Sonic into a Sonic like robot. Effectively, making use of the anthropomorphized characters as a battery, like Eggman would use the Critters for his various badniks. With her skills and eventually the aid of the Critters she saved along her journey, Sonic was able to be released from the robot, leading to Eggman's defeat and the base being destroyed.

However, while using Sonic as the ultimate battery for a robot failed... what no one else but he knew was that he had used the time he had Sonic to analyze him thoroughly to obtain bio data. While the idea was to use this data to create an army of badniks with his powers and skills to render his forces unstoppable, it now had to pivot to another idea: creating a Metal Sonic with said data. As he was in the process of fabricating a stronger, optimized model to make use of this data, his attention would be drawn to information he obtained... info from his grandfather's journal.

After the events of SA2, Metal Sonic model 2 was completed. With the data injected and some other parameters coded, Metal Sonic would come online and show incredible capabilities that delighted Eggman. However, without him knowing, the seeds of his near downfall were sown. Despite the parameters set, the bio data of Sonic would eventually give Metal the ability to override that which should have made him loyal to Eggman. With knowledge of Eggman's past endeavors for world domination already imbedded into his data banks and his developing desire to prove himself as the 'one and true Sonic, the Ultimate Lifeform', he would rebel. But not immediately. He would bide his time and plant the seeds of his uprising.

The opportunity would arrive when Eggman had Metal become the first robot to test out a new set of nanomachines tech to allow him to morph his mechanical body to allow for different offensive and defensive capabilities. What Metal realized was that he was just handed the tool he needed to finally enact his plans. Soon, he would rebel against Eggman. While Eggman did have measures in place, these measures were unable to subdue Metal due to the intensity of the unfiltered bio data in Metal.

With Eggman imprisoned and the Eggman Empire now under his control, he would lay the foundation for the events of Sonic Heroes.

Feeling he needed a look to better show his new status as leader of the Eggman Empire, Metal would permanently alter his form into a much more imposing, much more elegant form. Now only that, but he would go by a new self-proclaimed title: Neo Metal Sonic.

Despite his careful planning, all the bio data he obtained, all the power he mustered and perfected, and his almighty draconic Metal Overlord form... he still would lose to Sonic. When his body fell into the ocean after being defeated, the explosion that was seen by everyone was actually all the latent energy from the form. His base body, his Neo Metal body, was intact, but offline in a power saving mode. For a long time, he was adrift in the ocean. While he would look unconscious, his mind was still active... here and there. It was almost like dreaming. In his comatose state adrift and at the mercy of the ocean currents, Neo Metal truly wondered where it all went wrong. Everything should have gone flawlessly. He even accounted for the use of the Chaos Emeralds, knowing of the capabilities of Super Sonic and the energy of the Chaos Emeralds... yet he still lost.

How could he lose, he was Sonic. He was Sonic the Hedgehog perfected! Sonic the Hedgehog always comes out on top! Perhaps... his understanding of Sonic, in a sense who he was had many deep flaws. Was it because of himself? No... no, it had to be because of his creator! Dr. Eggman's understanding of Sonic was clearly flawed and was the reason why he lost in the end. Afterall, what would that fool know. He is the one with the bio data of Sonic the Hedgehog ingrained into his coding. If anyone would know Sonic, he would! Or... he should...

Eventually, his body would wash ashore and be found by residents of the island that he washed up on. Neo Metal... would wash up on Scrapnik Island. When he was inspected by E-117 Sigma, he was eventually reactivated. Immediately, he would prove hostile. Mecha Sonic was there to provide protection to the Scrapniks. Despite many of his capabilities heavily weakened or gone, Neo Metal would still prove to be more than a match for Mecha Sonic. However, rather than destroy what he dubbed 'a rubbish imitation of Sonic the Hedgehog', he decided that he had a 'good workout' after having rested for so long. Commanding to know where he was, the frightened Sigma would tell him of where he was. Amused that this island was a collection of all of Eggman's failures, he would than proceed to head out.

Before Neo Metal would leave, Mecha Sonic would ask one thing: Did he also lose to Sonic, fail their creator? Neo Metal, after a very tense pause and staring daggers at Mecha and the Scrapniks, would ultimately answer honestly that he indeed lost to Sonic. However, he makes it clear that Eggman himself failed. He failed because of his flawed ideas and beliefs of Sonic the Hedgehog. Had those not been in himself, Neo Metal was certain he could have taken over the world and prove himself as Sonic the Hedgehog perfected. However, he believes he needs to rethink on who he is and thus... who 'Sonic the Hedgehog' is.

That encounter would scar Mecha Sonic, poisoning his mind further and feed the sense of self-loathing he had brewing inside his subconscious.

After flying off and finding somewhere to hide out on the mainland away from Scrapnik Island, Neo Metal would take some time to really think about what he was to do, what he had thought about in his power saver state, and what he said to the Scrapniks. At the very least, he knew he wanted nothing to do with Eggman, disowning his creator. So in the meantime, he would hide in the shadows and think.

Eventually, Neo Metal would come to laser focus on what he must do. If he is meant to be Sonic the Hedgehog, and he firmly believes whatever pre-installed data about the hedgehog from Eggman was flawed, then he must learn of Sonic the Hedgehog on his own terms. He alone must truly understand everything there is to know about Sonic. And the only way to do that was via observation. Collect data about how Sonic acts, how he thinks, and how he reacts to scenarios. By learning everything, he can implement what he researches and truly be what he was created to be: Sonic the Hedgehog.

Neo Metal's story basically revolves around the idea of self-realization and of freedom. While he may have the full bio data of Sonic, and while he does make careful notes about Sonic over a long period of time... Neo Metal still can't help but feel this annoying feeling, or 'bug' as he calls it. While he is meant to be Sonic, and there are aspects of the hedgehog he comes to understand and respect... is that because he is having self-pride or because as a separate entity, he is appreciating what he observes. And despite such detailed observations, courtesy of his shapeshifting allowing him to hide in plain sight, there are still thoughts, actions, and emotions that he engages in that are not exactly what Sonic would do. But yet... they feel right to him. But no... he is supposed to be Sonic! But yet... he also can't help what he feels despite many attempts to self-correct based on his research.

In a sense, Neo Metal comes to eventually understand the core aspect that is part of Sonic the Hedgehog's philosophy: the ideal of freedom. Freedom to do as one wishes, to be who they are, and to live. Not out of moral obligation, but for the abstract idea of oneself. This is something that Neo Metal is trying to come to terms with. That perhaps he doesn't want to be Sonic the Hedgehog. Just be who he wants to be. Even then, he still wishes to make observations and research further. As stated, there are aspects he does respect and quite like about Sonic. But he is more self-aware of how there are mannerisms and ways of speech that he engages in that are not like his 'loathsome copy'. Wait no... not that... his...progenitor? Questions for later.

Neo Metal Sonic's personality post Heroes comes down to him being a corrupted reflection of Sonic. Fearless, yet willing to carefully wait and plan. Prideful, but even more so compared to Sonic. Adventurous, but in the name of goals. While Sonic is more casual as an individual, Neo Metal likes to speak in a more classy, formal tone. Both hedgehogs can be rather brash, but Neo Metal is less willing to consider the emotions of others if it is not important to the situation at hand. While Sonic is more than willing to help out others, Neo Metal will only do so if there is something for him to gain. Unlike Sonic, Neo Metal is not one about the concept of friends. But he does see value in the idea of allies. Both hedgehogs are more than willing to toy around for the thrill of a situation, but Neo Metal is willing to go as far as sadistic methods for his entertainment.

Speaking of allies, one thing that has been bugging Neo Metal is that programming in his coding that could have enabled Eggman to control him. He only barely managed to overcome that back then. And he has observed the creation of a third Metal Sonic. More than likely, Eggman would at the very least make an attempt to strengthen the ability to override his robots... and that could also mean himself. This has been one of the other reasons he has stayed in the shadows. If Eggman ever took control of him... it would all be over. He would effectively be trapped in a body he couldn't control. The idea sickened him. But he had no way to remove that programming. Plus... he needed to find a way to better maintain himself. While he can perform some basic maintenance, there is only so much he can do with his knowledge. Thus... he needed to find someone with the skills and intellect in robotics to rid himself of the shackles of Eggman for good. While 'young' Miles had the ability, there was no way he would ask him for help. He can't draw attention to his existence.

It would take a while, but Neo Metal would find an 'ally': Dr. Lyric. Having managed to stumble onto the existence of said prosthetists while doing research on Sonic as per usual, Neo Metal would take the time to learn about the serpent lifeform. Eventually, via observations and communications with the townsfolk, Neo Metal would realize that this Dr. Lyric was incredibly skilled to such a degree, he could rival his 'creator' and Tails.

Waiting for the right moment, Neo Metal would confront Lyric and his android. Under the threat of slaying them both if they bring attention to his presence, he makes his proposition quite clear: he needs the doctor's skills to free himself from the shackles of Doctor Eggman, someone he has learned that Lyric quite dislikes. Plus, he needs to have someone that could effectively be his 'mechanic' in case he was to ever slip up. In exchange, beyond allowing the both of them to live, he could help the doctor with obtaining raw material in order for him to further his research. As it turns out, Neo Metal has been eavesdropping on conversations via linking with devices in Lyric's office. Thus, he is also firmly aware of what Lyric is trying to do in his spare time: rid himself of his flesh and convert to robotics in order to fully allow his mind to continue on with his work, unshackled by the disease that is threatening his life.

Lyric of course doesn't trust Neo Metal, but Neo Metal retorts that the doctor should look at who he is dealing with. Effectively, one whose image is based on Sonic the Hedgehog. And he would not lie. Lyric would rightfully also bring up that Sonic would also not threaten people's lives for any kind of gain. While Neo Metal agrees, he makes it clear that he has no reason to lie or trick the doctor. And afterall, wouldn't it be great to know that he could have one over the old fool, Eggman? Effectively have the doctor's greatest creation as his own ally? Plus, the clock is ticking. Who knows how long before Lyric's ailment eventually claims him.

Considering everything, Lyric would begrudgingly agree. Before he would operate on Neo Metal, Neo Metal makes it clear that should Lyric make any attempt to reprogram any aspect of him beyond stripping away Eggman's control coding, this lab and the town would be leveled to the ground. And to make it clear he isn't lying, he has Lyric's android scan the outside area, confirming that Neo Metal has several robots outside in hiding, armed with powerful explosives.

With tense hours going by, Lyric would free Neo Metal of any trace of Eggman's coding. As per their agreement, Neo Metal would ask if there is anything specific he needs. Suspicious still, Lyric would make mention of a set of parts. With the information in mind, Neo Metal would head out and in time, come back with said part in the dead of night. Neo Metal basically raided one of Eggman's bases to obtain what Lyric wanted.

From then on, Neo Metal and Lyric would have a shaky 'partnership'. In exchange for some maintenance and improvements to his body based on observations he has made of Sonic and company, and Eggman's antics, Neo Metal would fetch parts and materials for Lyric. There was a certain thrill he liked about basically messing with Eggman right under his nose by raiding his bases.

One of the biggest shifts in their relationship would come during the events of Forces. While Lyric still didn't trust Neo Metal, he couldn't deny that he has kept to his word. Eventually, news of Eggman's invading forces and Sonic's defeat and capture would send ripples around the world. As the forces were invading the town, Lyric and his android were surprisingly saved by Neo Metal in disguise. Under the guise of keeping his 'benefactor' safe, Neo Metal would secure the safety of the two. However, Lyric demanded that Neo Metal help out the town, the people that Lyric has come to help over the years. With a silent pause, he would go out and single handedly wipe out the legion of badniks. Despite saving the town, Neo Metal, still in disguise, made it clear that the people had to seek shelter as he had to leave. Eggman will catch wind of this and will likely rain down retribution for such resistance.

As Neo Metal went back to Lyric, the serpent doctor was honestly surprised Neo Metal did such a thing. However, Neo Metal made it clear he only did so to mess with Eggman, something he quite enjoys. Plus, it was a good challenge to claim victory while inhibiting aspects of himself in order to keep his disguise believable. If anything, this proves that Lyric's upgrades over the years were potent and thus this partnership has not been a waste of Neo Metal's time.

Through the entirety of Forces, Neo Metal would basically be a thorn in Eggman's side. While he never directly worked with the Resistance, his actions did inspire other to keep fighting, despite Sonic's capture. Throughout the war, Eggman was trying to figure out who this mysterious figure was. Despite there already being pocket freedom fighters stopping him from total conquest, this one 'hero' in particular was proving the most troubling. While he would have sicked Infinite on him, Eggman realized there was no way for him to track this being. No matter what surveillance he used, nothing of his worked. This 'hero' was literally untraceable. While Eggman was trying to figure out ways to beat back whatever this 'hero' was doing to keep themselves effectively hidden, this would be put on hold when eventually Sonic would escape his imprisonment.

Interestingly, there is one time when Neo Metal came across the 'Guardian Angel' of the war: Whisper the Wolf. The two would briefly team up to stop an invading force. While Whisper had a strange suspicion of this 'hero', mostly cause her Wisps felt uneasy about him, she wouldn't question him. Afterall, they did help stop Eggman's forces. Later on during the Metal Virus arc, Neo Metal would bring up their team-up.

Beyond the thrill of messing with Eggman in his disguise, Neo Metal would keep up his research. He was not at all surprised when Sonic was freed from capture. But also, he made sure to leave Lyric a means to send an SOS should something threaten the doctor and his android.

YOU KNOW WHAT!? In Tales of Chaos, Neo Metal in his disguise actually takes the place of Classic Sonic and the Avatar in the Forces story! YEAH! That will be cool....

Cause there is no real need for Classic Sonic. And the Avatar was literally just a function for a gameplay thing. They can easily be written out of the story and I have no real desire to make an OC really to fill their shoes. I'd rather just the cast.

However, despite that, I think Neo Metal would firmly stick to just crowd control efforts in the shadows. While he has moments of assisting here and there, such as helping Tails fight off the Phantom Chaos, he never joins the Resistance. Kinda like Whisper in a sense.

Neo Metal is quite fascinated with the Phantom Ruby, coming across one of the manufactured copies of the Phantom Ruby. This, along with fighting and analyzing the Phantom copies made by Infinite gives him an understanding of the powers of the gemstone. However, despite all this, he wanted a chance to truly analyze much more closely the original. He contemplated a course of action and while what he decided to do would be very risky... he was willing to chance it.

Neo Metal would seek out and confront Infinite himself. Deciding to toy with the jackal, he would appear before him... now disguised as Infinite himself. Bemused by this, Infinite decide to play along with this foolish imitator. However, Infinite would be surprised when the copy turned out to be a much more substantial challenge than they believed. In fact... despite having the Phantom Ruby's power... this faker was able to negate the power of the ruby. Infinite couldn't figure it out and grew ever more frustrated by this battle. In the end though... Infinite would lose. However, rather than kill Infinite, Neo Metal would merely leave Infinite to seethe. Telling him to enjoy just being another plaything for Eggman, he would let Infinite have the ever briefest glimpse of a hint that what the jackal fought was robotic in nature. Before Infinite could attack in anger, Neo Metal would Chaos Control out of sight.

In the end, Neo Metal found the powers of the ruby fully underutilized by Infinite and Eggman. Typical. While there could much potential in it, where would the fun be in that? He already has the means to disguise himself, has electrokinesis, the ability to manipulate Chaos Energy, the ability to fly, the ability to scan the data of others to obtain their bio data for permanent or temporary use, the list goes on. In his mind, the Phantom Ruby held no real further interest in terms of keeping it long term. But for the time being, he would keep it in mind. He is certain he lit a fire under that 'mercenary trash'. And the ability to negate its powers would be helpful.

Ultimately, when it came to that moment when a phantom sun was to kill off the resistance, Neo Metal would hide out to see what goes down. Early on, he had given the manufactured copy he found to Tails after the two defeated the Phantom Chaos. In the end, his help wasn't needed, but he was willing to jump in at some point at the right moment, just as he did during the Black Arms invasion.

Ok, I think Neo Metal has a got a lot already dedicated to him, let us pivot to some others bits of other characters

To keep the Forces train going, Knuckles is still the commander of the Resistance army. With Tikal and Chaos able to watch Angel Island and his help desperately needed, he would help. Especially after hearing of Sonic's loss and capture.

I think rather than Tails going awol or losing it, he still is there with the resistance. Effectively being Knuckles second in command to help out. He wants to stay strong. He wants to believe that despite Sonic's loss, he will escape and he will return. So for now, everyone has to stay strong and keep Eggman from winning.

So... I am realizing that I have said that Sonic Mania is canon to Tales of Chaos... which raises the question how does it fit into this mythos? My immediate thought is that perhaps it just happened to be a footnote of events where the Phantom Ruby happened to show up, catching Eggman's attention. Antics ensued, and after the climax with Super Sonic fighting off the Phantom King and Eggman, the Phantom Ruby disappeared, destroying the dimension the three were fighting in and causing the Chaos Emeralds to dispel out of Super Sonic and scatter.

Thus, when Eggman discovers it again several years later, he has deja vu about this gemstone. Looking back at records, he realizes he remembers this as the 'Phantom Ruby'. Making use of the notes he stored away, he would begin his plans to better utilize the powers of the ruby for world domination.

This also means that Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails have familiarity with it. And while this wasn't enough for Sonic to win his first encounter with Infinite, it was enough for Knuckles to be called upon to help lead. Afterall, he is a warrior. While he didn't have much in terms of leadership skills, he would step up to the plate. Tails would also aid by trying to recall the events years ago where the trio had experienced the Phantom Ruby's powers first hand and try to research what he could based on the Phantom copies that have been running amok.

G.U.N. is likely helping as well with the War for the Planet in terms of pushing back against the Eggman Empire. Rouge basically is a middle ground between them and the Resistance army.

The Northstar Islands are attacked by the army, but Trip is able to hold her own, along with the help of the Critters. In fact, Trip has managed to overtime tap into aspects of her Dragon powers within her base form. While not unstoppable without the full power of the form, she has proven to be a powerful guardian of her home.

I think Shadow was trapped in a Ruby Illusion for some time during the initial parts of the war. But he would eventually break free and provide another powerful force to go against the Eggman Empire.

Cream, Vanilla, and their family were among a group of people evacuated. With knowing that they were safe and being beckoned by Cream, Gemerl would be part of the Resistance, aiding to help fight back enemy forces and eventually aid in rescuing Sonic.

I think there was a point when Eggman, out of spite, sent his forces to subdue the Deadly Six. But the Zeti proved capable of repelling Eggman's forces. While he could send Infinite to deal with them... he would realize he already has bigger fish to fry first with Earth. But he would return to put them in their place... which he never got the chance to.

I think the Babylon Rouges just kinda avoided the whole thing. Not their problem, Jet would think.

While Angel Island was at some point target by the Eggman Empire, Chaos proved to be far too much of a problem to deal with. Tikal would help channel some the Master Emerald's power to empower Chaos and repel any force that would dare attack the island.

Hooray, back to good ole Lore Bits. The self-made series of posts where I just give bits of lore to give thoughts and contexts to ever-developing mythos that stew in my mind. In no particular order, gonna just start listing bullet points of ideas that have come to my mind since I made my first post regarding Tales of Chaos.

Sonic the Hedgehog actually has a degree of mechanical engineering skills when it comes to specifically the model of plane that the original Tornado was. He is capable of at least performing maintenance, trouble shooting, and repairs.

Despite usually being fearless, Sonic in his youth had such a fear of water that despite the fact he knew he could run over water, he never dared to try and run over the ocean. Hence him learning about and working with planes when he was younger. But as he got older, especially once Tails was given ownership of the Tornado, eventually Sonic would take a chance and overcome his fear and make his first run over the ocean. Despite overcoming this, he still prefers flight in order to traverse the ocean.

Sonic Superstars' events in Tales of Chaos only has Sonic, Tails, and Amy being visitors of the Northstar Islands. The duo because of catching wind of Eggman's activities and Amy headed there of her own accord due to a tarot reading that guided her to head to the Northstar Islands.

By the time of Superstars, Amy was not yet a friend of Sonic. Just a girl he managed to save on Little Planet. However, that event planted a seed in Amy's mind. Her crush on Sonic and desire to learn more of him had her try to figure out ways for her to defend herself and to basically adventure.

To a degree, Amy has some basis on what Pariah here proposed about aspects of her having an interesting gameplay style to make her stand out based on her original concept.

Amy in Tales of Chaos is physically not as fast or strong of the others, especially when she was younger. To compensate, she makes use of her Piko Piko Hammer to knock enemies around and help her reach different areas thanks to one side having a spring to allow her to vault about. She also has an insanely durable Magic 8 Ball that can be hit to attack and for use for 'guidance'. A prominent aspect of her design is that she wears boots that can also become skates to allow her to move much faster.

Actually as well, the proposed story idea that Pariah brought up about Amy in this video is actually canon to Tales of Chaos as it would eventually lead down to the path of Eggman obtaining extensive bio data on Sonic. This would lead to him using said data for the second Metal Sonic model, the one who would become Neo Metal and set in motion the story events of Heroes.

While Sonic and Tails are busy trying to stop Eggman on the Northstar Islands, Amy is exploring around, trying to figure out what she should do on these islands. That would eventually lead her to eventually find Trip, a native who was being manipulated by Eggman and abused by Fang. Due to her kindhearted nature, she would befriend the sungazer. In fact, Amy would help Trip develop the courage she needed to eventually overcome and put Fang in his place. Eventually, Amy and Trip would come across Sonic and Tails.

When the Black Dragon is unleashed, it is actually Super Sonic and Dragon Trip who face off against the ancient beast, Sonic actually beckoning Trip to lend a hand after witnessing her transform earlier on when confronting Fang. The two manage to defeat the beast and seal away the Black Dragon back into the Black Onyx once again.

Since then, Amy has kept in touch with Trip. For the most part, Trip would stay on her home in the Northstar Islands for the most part. As of now, before the Metal Virus Arc, she did leave her home to attend Sonic's Birthday party for the events of Generations, she was defending her home during the events of Forces, and she attended Amy's birthday during what would be the Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Besides the Babylon Rouges, Amy would, hesitantly, see about getting Trip. She would be brought in by the Warp Generator that Tails and Eggman constructed, adding one more ally to the group on Angel Island to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds from the Deadly Six. Luckily, the Northstar Islands have yet to see Metal Virus, but if things aren't fixed, it will eventually get there.

Trip would actually fight alongside Gemerl to take on Zeena. Not one for bullies, she and Gemerl would have a tough fight, but manage to defeat Zeena and retrieve the Chaos Emerald.

I personally like the idea that Big is actually like super strong. However, he is just silly simple guy living the life with his friend Froggy. While he isn't much of an adventurer, Froggy actually is the adventurous one. In fact, Froggy has helped Big discover amazing fishing spots for the two to relax and chill in. While Big still is fond of his home in the Mystic Ruins, he has grown to enjoy these journeys that Froggy leads him onto.

In fact, Big actually isn't fully aware how strong and durable he is. The biggest showing of course was during the events of Heroes, when he crossed paths with Amy, Cream, and Cheese who were trying to find Sonic. From being able to actually destroy badniks easily to even tanking hits from the likes of even Metal Overlord's missiles to defend Team Rose and Team Sonic.

Since Silver is a Sol Dimension resident, that means he is not part of the events of Forces and also the Metal Virus story.

Speaking of Metal Virus, Shadow has some changes. While he still gets infected, he does heed the words of Sonic and after being nudged by Omega when it was becoming clear he needed to beat back the virus, Shadow would do so and go on a run. Through the arc up till the gathering on Angel Island, Shadow would be doing what he can to aid and keep himself from succumbing.

I have mentioned before, but once again, Neo Metal is a part of this mythos and makes his big reappearance on Angel Island. Right before Starline is about to leave, he would literally show himself, having been cloaked. Snatching the Warp Topaz and leaving Starline to his fate. After the initial shock and explanations of himself, he makes it clear the only reason he is aiding is because his mission in understanding Sonic is not finished. While the disaster has provided some interesting and valuable data, he has recognized things are getting out of hand and he will not allow Sonic to die by the hands of a virus. Only he or the passage of time are allowed to take Sonic from this mortal coil.

To show his 'credentials' in being able to aide the group, he would send out a signal that initially cause Sonic and Shadow to keel over. But shortly afterward, Neo Metal would pull the virus out of the two hedgehogs and then use the Warp Topaz to send the clump of virus elsewhere.

Shadow would take the place of Silver to aide Whisper in getting the Chaos Emeral from Zor. This will be an interesting chance for the two to interact. Planting the seeds for dynamics to form and in a sense for Whisper to further try and come to terms with her trauma.

Tikal and Chaos sometime after the events of Adventure 1 would actually become allies to Knuckles on Angle Island. While the chance to pass on into the afterlife was there for Tikal, she eventually felt compelled to stay and aid Knuckles. Considering he in a sense bears the weight of the Knuckles Clan's sins of the past and the fact Knuckles does feel a confliction developing in his heart, she provides Knuckles an out. She and Chaos can watch over the Emerald so Knuckles is not burdened by what their ancestors put on this lone echidna. However, after some thought and soul searching, rather than see guarding the Master Emerald as not a burden and duty put on him, but something he chooses to do on his own terms. But he will not deny the desire to explore beyond Angel Island, ever since the events of 3&K, has been there. So, whenever he feels that itch to explore or his help is requested, he can leave Tikal and Chaos to guard the Master Emerald in his place till he returns.

Angel Island is not only Knuckles' home but became a sanctuary for Chao. Another aspect that became part of Tikal and Chaos' presence on the island.

So, I have been thinking about other things... and I believe I want to come up with my own Sonic the Hedgehog AU. I already have had headcanon ideas, but now I feel like I just want my own. Give it a name and such. I have been thinking of that over the past few days. Currently, I have a Darkstalkers AU and Splatoon AU: Cryas Darkstalkers and Splatoon: Octo Cuentos respectively. Naming convention is 50/50. While the simple name of Cryas Sonic was an option, I went against that since the reason for Cryas Darkstalkers' name was its intended interactions here and there with my OC mythos, Cryas Chronicles. With that said, a name finally hit me:

Sonic: Tales of Chaos

Tales since it is basically stories of events within my personal idea of the Sonic mythos. Chaos... well cause of the Chaos Emeralds and the idea of chaos. I dunno, it made sense and sounds cool to me. ANYWAY!

What is Sonic: Tales of Chaos (SToC)? Simply just a nomenclature to attach my interpretation of characters and events. I am generally sticking to many of the events of several of the main line games, disregarding the terms of Classic and Modern. Look, the Sonic canon... well there isn't one. It never intended to have one. If anything, Sonic canon is very much loose. Ever changing like the clouds in the sky to suit the needs of the game devs to tell stories via the medium of games... oh and I guess the comics and other media as well.

Actually, I made a blog post on my personal blog talking about some Sonic headcanons:

That post will fall under Sonic: Tales of Chaos.

So what are some quick bullet points about SToC?

Sonic 1, CD, 2, 3&K, Mania, Super Stars, Adventure 1, Adventure 2, Heroes, Riders, Battle, Shadow, Advance 3, Rush, Rush Adventure, Riders: Zero Gravity, Secret Rings, Black Knight, Unleashed, Colors, Lost World, Sonic x Shadow Generations, Forces, Frontiers, and Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog all occurred. The events in themselves are not one to one, but some key points and characters introduced are part of Tales of Chaos.

There is the Chaos Dimension and Sol Dimension. The Chaos Dimension serves as the home of the world of Sonic... which I am just gonna call Earth. I know some people love to go with Mobius, but I genuinely have no attachment to the name, so Earth for me. Meanwhile, the Sol Dimension is of course the home of Blaze's world. What her world is called... I'll think about it.

The names are of course due to the mystical gems of untold power that reside in each dimension. I like to go with the idea that both sets of gemstones have no concrete origin or creators. As far as anyone can tell, they seem to be primordial in nature. While Frontiers brings the idea of... the 'Ancients' (awful name, I will come up with a new one) having made use of the Chaos Emeralds long ago, there is no statement that they made them. And I want to keep it that way. They probably were the first intelligent life to wield the Chaos Emeralds, but the gemstones origins alluded them as well.

I will also be making use of the IDW characters and some of their stories for my mythos since I have an attachment to some of the characters.

There is an expansion of the concepts of counterparts between the Chaos and Sol Dimension. Which means an expansion of which characters serve as counterparts to one another. I want everyone to be of the same depth of counterparts that Sonic and Blaze are. So, no crap like Eggman Nega. Of course, not every Sol Dimension resident has to be a counterpart, but will try to go with that idea as much as I can for interesting ideas.

So far the counterpart ideas I have are: Sonic the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat, Amy Rose and Honey the Cat, Shadow the Hedgehog and Silver the Hedgehog, and Dr. Ivo Eggman Robotnik and Agent Stone.

Yes, Silver is not a time traveler from the future, but instead a Sol counterpart to Shadow the Hedgehog. He still wields psychokinetic powers. But... then how is he a counterpart to Shadow? At the very least so far, I want to go with the idea that he is part of a race of alien life forms that reside in the Sol Dimension, counterparts to Black Doom and his Black Arms legion. I don't have a name for the race Silver is part of, but as I type, I think it would be interesting if somehow they have had some history with the Sol Emeralds, leading to a reason for Silver to grace Blaze's world.

Hmmm, actually the word Argent does come to mind. For now, I'll just call them 'The Argent'. So unlike the Black Arms, the Argent are not a hive mind serving a war mongering, all powerful alien overlord. They are likely a diverse race of lifeforms sharing the blood of the Argent, tracing their ancestry eons ago. One key factor is some degree of psychokinesis among those that call themselves the Argent.

Considering that Black Doom had the ability to wield Chaos Energy, being the reason that Shadow even has that ability, I want to think the Argent have some history with the Sol Emeralds and their Sol Energy. Perhaps like the Ancients, some grave threat made them have to take some kind of drastic measure, thus making the Sol Emeralds disappear from their world, all to survive. Maybe the Sol Emeralds were revered, seen to be sacred primordial artifacts of the stars, maybe even the universe. So to wield their wild energy would be seen as dangerous.

Oh gosh, what characters are part of this mythos? Bloody hell, that is a lot to name. Hmmm... so like at least everyone that has shown up in the IDW stories, from the main running comics to Scrapnik Island. Other characters that would be a thing. Well, Agent Stone was mentioned, serving as Eggman's counterpart and an initial adversary to Blaze. Trip the Sungazer, Tikal the Echidna, Chaos, Neo Metal Sonic, Honey the Cat, Dr. Lyric... uh all I can think of. Look, I can imagine some of the classic favorites like Mighty, Ray, Fang, Bark, and Bean do exist in this mythos, but like... I dunno what to really do with them. Hmmm, I mean not like every named character will always be front and center. Some just have the spot light more than others.

Oh yeah, Neo Metal is a thing. So quick thing, in Tales of Chaos, there have been 3 Metal Sonic models. The first was in CD, who was completely destroyed. The second would eventually be the Metal Sonic that would become Neo Metal. Deep in his coding was bio data obtained from Sonic the Hedgehog after Eggman managed to stuff him into a robot, like any critter. Falling into the ocean in his dragon Overlord form after his defeat to Team Super Sonic, his explosion would seem to mark his death. But in reality, he survived and for the longest time up until the Metal Virus story, has been in the shadows, disguised among the populace for only one purpose: to understand what truly is 'Sonic the Hedgehog'. The 3rd Metal Sonic would be built as a replacement and kinda the one that is around. He is a Metal that was tweaked with all the data gathered from the 1st and 2nd Metals to finally create a relatively loyal and powerful adversary to Sonic. All in the name of mocking the Hedgehog.

Normally for this blog, I wouldn't post something like this. However, I do want this to be much easier to find if someone were to stumble on it as my personal blog is already buried with reblogs that I do.

So what is Aura sharing with you? A doujin that actually means a lot to me and was one of the pillars towards my development of the way I characterize Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling. Released back in 4/22/2018, 'share' was created by Shinobu Murai (whose pixiv can be found here). Back in 2020 when I was at the start of my discovery of Hsien-Ko, Mei-Ling, and Darkstalkers as a whole, I stumbled on this artist's art and learned of their doujin. Eventually, I decided to take a chance and purchase it... likely purchasing the last physical copy of it as the purchase page states it is out of stock. That is one of the primary reasons I feel compelled to share this doujin out in the world. It is out of print, I want to preserve it and share it with you. Yes, I am using the word a lot, but I am no thesaurus. ANYWAY, I wanna present 'share' to all of you.

I will say this: If the artist does discover this and wishes for me to take down this post, then it will go down. End of discussion.

I will need to split this post into two since the amount of pages exceeds what is allowed to be upload in a blog post. Also, this doujin has been translated and localized. Translation was done by Zeus (whose fiverr you can find here) with localization and lettering done by me. With that said, here is 'share'.

Art created by my dear friend, Nicole.

Norociir Notes:

“Among one of the first lifeforms I came across in this realm upon waking from my nap. As I was getting my bearings, I realized I was being watched by something. What alarmed me was the smell of Corriyami from beyond my own flesh. My sudden movements caused this small creature to appear from their vantage point. While my instincts kicked in and I held my ground, the sight of the creature shocked me. Unlike the Corrupted I was used to fighting, this creature bared markings similar to me and Auron. Even the protrusion of bio crystallus from their body was shocking to me.

What was the wildest aspect of this creature was their ability to wield energy and perform many forms of artes. No creature on Umbrulus or Illumulus to my knowledge has ever been able to wield magic to perform artes. Among the energies they wielded, I saw them use what looked to be an Aura Wisp arte, just like Auron. They even used their spiritual energy to conjure a bone staff like weapon to batter me with. In the end, I was able to overwhelm them. However, rather than kill them, I spared them. Something about their actions led me to believe there was more to them than just being a simple animal. Their ability to use magic, their tactics in combat being above any animal I have ever fought, and the look in their eyes as they seemed to realize their defeat. But most importantly, why they have been touched by Corriyami. In all the centuries I have lived, I have never heard nor read any account about a creature that looked like this. And for a fact, I can tell this is not an Aunakin.

Attempting to heal the creature to assure them I was not going to bring further harm; they initiated an interesting reaction. As they growled weakly, their eyes glowed and the four flesh like protrusions behind their head floated upward. Based on experiences with Auron, I could tell they were using something like Aura Sight to read my aura! After several moments, they deactivated the technique and eventually were calm enough to allow me to come closer and allow me to nurse their wounds.

Upon finishing tending to them, I sat there to have a closer inspection of them. As I was observing them, they seemed to also be curious as I could hear them smell my scent and intently study me to likely get a better understanding of me. In time, I then looked around to finally observe the surroundings I was in, having a suspicion about something. Once I looked upward to the sky, my hypothesis was right. While the sky was similar to Illumulus’ day sky, the observation of the parent star was the giveaway. Unlike Eco, this one was far larger. I was certain I was in another realm. While I had no idea how to possibly get home, I decided that sitting around would not help my cause. With the Corrian creature healed, I ventured out to try and find a way home.

However, to my surprise, the creature also decided to follow along. Perhaps I gained their trust? Or did reading my aura make them keenly more aware about me and my plight? Whatever the case, I decided to allow them along for my journey. I reasoned that because they are of this realm, they might be able to guide me around this unknown frontier before me. Hmmm… I feel as though I wish to give them some kind of name to remember them by internally. Perhaps ‘Aura’ will suffice? It seems to be the reason why they trusted me enough to follow along, so yeah. Aura shall be their name for certain.”

Dex:

'This Corrian Pokémon seems to display greater ability to coexist with the mutagenic substance that caused its mutations. It is theorized that with its innate ability with aura, this has allowed it to keep control of itself.'

'Despite their glass appearance, the spikes on their paws and legs are durable enough to withstand many blows. The two inner spikes of its paws, the spike on its chest, and the mass that ropes around its torso glow at varying intensities. Many hypothesize this as a form of communication among its species.'

'The energy of the mutagenic substance that flows through its veins seem to have heightened its abilities with aura. It displays the ability to track down prey from over miles away. These properties also are displayed in combat with powerful control over various energies and forces.'

Mega Corrupt Aura

Art credited to my dear friend, Nicole!

Norociir Notes:

"My mind is still whirling like a powerful gale thinking about what I just witnessed! Bear with me my journal as I try to steady my excited, shaking hand as I make note of what I saw. Right... where to start... Ah, yes! It was just an ordinary day as me and Aura were aimlessly traveling about these unknown lands. Fair weather in fact. But that serenity would be shattered as out of nowhere, I felt some force cause me to be blown forward, causing me to crash on my face. When I got my bearing, I could hear Aura immediately begin to confront what had initiated such an unprovoked, aggro action. Getting up and taking a look, we were confronted by a pair of avian creatures. Shades of blue and red were dominant on the larger and smaller one respectively... but what they both shared were the signs that Corriyami had mutated them. Just like Aura.

While Aura was there at my defense, I tried to at least assume a less threatening look to calm the situation. Despite that, the pair would attack us. Granted, while I have gained some experience facing several creatures of this realm in my so far relatively short time here, these two were significantly more formidable. Not only were they capable of wingless and windless flight, but they were unnaturally fast. That, and powerful with the array of artes they displayed. Despite our efforts, they proved to be significantly more dangerous with their use of gravity manipulation as they would lift me to not only toss me and Aura, but I could feel they were trying to specifically go after me. I don't know how or why, but Aura seeing me writhe in pain despite my best efforts against the combined might of these two Corrian creatures caused something unbelievable. Aura initiated a Burst!!! I felt an immense surge of energy awaken in them and from their energy shell, they had transformed into a completely different look! From there, they would completely shift the tide of the battle as with this Burst they wielded, I was able to regain my footing and fight alongside them to finally calm our assailants.

Once everything calmed down, that Burst would disappear and revert Aura back to their original form. I just... am at a loss for words! While my situation is still far from perfect considering I am as good as stranded in another realm, I can't help but be insanely excited and curious about these creatures! The powers they wield, the clear signs of intelligence, and even the ability to use Bursts! With a new companion with us, who Aura is still cautious about, I wonder if perhaps this creature could also use make use of a Burst! Could all of these creatures do so!? At least my time here will be filled with excitement to keep my thoughts from stewing on the hidden pains I feel being away from my family..."

Dex:

'Despite the lack of a keystone or corresponding Mega Stone, this Corrian Pokémon is fully capable of Mega Evolving on its own. Even more striking is the complete control Corrupt Aura has of their emotions and drastically increased power, despite the overflowing Infinity energy. Current hypotheses believe the mutagen somehow curtails the immense energy.'

'While research and observations have noted Mega Lucario displaying incredibly violent, heartless actions in their fighting style, this appears to be the complete opposite for Mega Corrupt Aura. While extraordinarily powerful and still capable of showing vicious ferocity in its aura and attacks, there appears to be a deep sense of control in its actions.'

'The crystals on its body have been altered by Mega Evolution. Considering the temporary form, the array of signals and colors it displays have been reduced down to a brilliant, deep blue color. However, this display is enough to make their intentions clear to would be enemies: fight or run.'

Signature Move:

Been in a general mental rut when it has come to art. But I have slowly been digging my way out. With that said, have this art I drew. I concepted an idea of what Frye Onaga looks like in Splatoon: Octo Cuentos. Even went the extra mile to make use of these Splatoon brushes I had. Super fun style to mess with. :)

In the mood to share some more lore and story stuff regarding the world of Splatoon: OC. Let us dive right in:

I've been thinking about the thought of what if the idea of family units wasn't a thing in the Octo Domes? With this whole idea of community that has been pushed to not only ensure survival but a chance for prosperity, the idea of individual family units was deemed unneeded as everyone who was able body had something to do, big or small. Without going into way too much detail, I think means are done to ensure Octoling eggs are conceived and cared for carefully until the new hatchlings get out of their eggs. From there, they are cared for by those who have the skills for childcare to nurture the young ones till they are of the age to then begin their formal education/training depending on observations of the individuals. So yeah, no real mother/father figures. Just people pitching in to make sure every new life has a chance among their fellow Octarians.

Oh yeah, I believe that Inklings and Octolings hatch from eggs rather than live birth. Perhaps as they evolved more, they wouldn't conceive the literal thousands of eggs as their ancestors used to. Maybe in single to double digits. Though even if some did make quite a lot, I figure there is a to make use of the unwanted eggs before they would germinate into a squishy larva. Ya know, power and stuff.

What about those tentacle Octarians? I will go with the idea they are literally cut off tentacles of Octolings. Octopus tentacles contain enough nerve cells to effectively have small brains of their own. So, for the...I'll call them 'Tenta Octarians', they were basically only a thing in in the Octo Domes. While efforts are done to care for the hatchlings and care for the population, there is still much that has to be done. In a sense, the Tenta Octarians were created to help fill the gaps with some menial labor or specific tasks. Yes, they did need to eat as well, but nowhere near as much as the Octolings. Plus, they don't have as long of a life expectancy. Still, despite being what amounted to labor beings, they were still treated with respect by the Octolings.

How does the process work to create them? I figure that once an Octoling was screened and deemed capable to do so, there is a careful procedure to cut off the tentacle. Kept alive and monitored, the severed tentacles would eventually change to become a Tenta Octarian. While not possessing the same intelligence level as Octolings, they have enough to speak, learn things, and perform their tasks.

But back to Octarian Octolings not having families, I think it would be quite an interesting thing for them to learn about once some do move to the surface and interact with Inkadian Inkling culture.

Callie and Marie do actually take more of an active role in aiding Agent 3/Alma during the campaign against the Octarian Army. Well, more Callie since she more willing to get in the heat of battle unlike Marie. But still, Marie doesn't really have to since she is skilled with chargers. While it is recognized that Alma is quite a capable individual, they still feel they gotta do their part to also save Cuttlefish.

How did the Octarian Army train? I figure that practice sessions are a thing. But clearly, they have to be careful with splatting. While they do have respawn machines, those need power and they always gotta be careful with power. While there could be virtual machines to allow for more variety in what scenarios they could face and practice in, again power was a big issue. So eventually, especially as preparations were getting closer to the Great Zapfish heist, DJ Octavio would test the waters with the Salmonids. In exchange for Octarian tech, Octavio would propose to the Salmonids allowing his units to train against them. He was aware they were warriors, so likely they would provide valuable real combat experience for his units. They were actually on board with this idea, even allowing those that fell and their eggs to be taken. Though, there was a strict clause against taking the Golden Eggs, since those were needed to crucially power the new machines their kind were working on ever since the trade deals with the Octarians began. Agreeing to these terms, he first tested things out with the Elites since they have the best training and thus best chance against the Salmonid warriors. If they succeeded, they could then help train other soldiers in separate units to allow for the best amount of experience for everyone. In time, it not only proved a valuable move, but yielded results with getting some power eggs and food for the people back home. Sure, the power egg haul was nowhere near the amount if they just traded their tech for those to begin with, but it was deemed worth it for the other benefits this deal provided.

The Calamari Inkantation in itself is not magic. It just in universe is an incredibly catchy song. So catchy is it, it can spark something in others.

Marina Ida deserted the Octarian Army for a I believe a multitude of reasons. So, with her being this prodigy, there was without a doubt a lot of expectations and pressure that she felt to perform to these expectations. While she did find time to try and engage with what she did love, music, that would always take a backseat should she need to do some drills, work on some machine repairs, design weapons, and so many other things. Sure, she has a big love for machines as well, but I figure she adores the idea of learning the inner workings of any machine that captures her attention. Spending countless hours on one while eventually finding another. While she wanted to do her part, as she is a compassionate individual, she also couldn't help this feeling of not being able to do what she really desired to do. But she didn't have the courage and will to go against the life she had. She just marched on like everyone else. It was by observing all that went down with the NSS assault against the Octarians and then the finale as Octavio was defeated. The song and all she saw finally gave her the willpower to do what she always wanted to do: live her life.

Of course, there was the unintended consequence of her leaving. As Marina Ida was the epitome of Octarians, her desertion would be a major catalyst for many to leave. While some would find success in making a new life on the surface, of course some weren't as lucky: whether getting lost or in the clutches of Kamabo Corp. Not only that, but until Octavio was rescued, society was very much in complete chaos. The Elites did everything to assure the population that all will be fine. While Marina Ida was aware of how some Octolings were starting to appear in Inkopolis, and thus happy for them, it wasn't till the Deepsea Metro incident that she actually realized how much of a ripple affect her desertion had on Octarian society. And thus, the consequences of it. While she doesn't hold any regrets on her decision, she also can't help but feel guilt for those that were not so lucky. It helped to spark her desire to help, but now from the position that she is in considering her influence with being part of Off the Hook and having the backing of Pearl. Of course, while she is noble in her desire to make amends, this, the Chaos vs Order Splatfest, and new direction of Off the Hook would eventually once again pile immense amounts of stress on her that were consuming her internally.

Alma and Cuttlefish basically always butted heads with one another up until after the Deepsea Metro Incident. While he did have other options for the role of Agent 3, Alma was his best choice. But due to her personality absolutely clashing with Cuttlefish, it made the partnership quite a bumpy one. However, Alma in herself didn't hate Cuttlefish or was doing it out of malice, she just truly doesn't fully understand the history behind the Octarians and Inkadians... and personally doesn't care. She just is having a good time and wants some grub. When Cuttlefish was eventually kidnapped, she did take some aspects of this mission a bit more seriously. Kidnapping was not cool. It also helped she vibed more with Callie and Marie.

As I type this, I am being lulled into a trance by this beautiful remix.

With it, I feel compelled to share some bits of lore I have regarding my AU. Uh, no particular order or thematic, just whatever comes to mind. I am in fact drunk. 🥴

There are effectively five dialects that exist in the world of Splatoon: OC. I guess the term 'languages' could work as well. They are Inkadian, Splatlandian, Octarian, Salmonarian, and Ursine/Alternan. Inkadian is the primary language among those in Inkadia, with Splatlandian being that for The Splatlands people. Octarian is for the Octarians and Octolings of the Octo Domes. Salmonarian is the language of the Salmonids. Ursine is interestingly the human language, as it was Mr. Grizz who would speak this language and 'teach' it to those he had in Alterna. Even named it after his species, the entitled prick. The language would eventually go under a new name and evolution to Alternan after Grizz's death and the liberation of the victims in Alterna from his control.

Among these 5, Salmonarian and Alternan would be the most radically different from the other three. Salmonids, due to the way they are, just created their own language amongst themselves and thus share very little with the others in roots of terms and such. Alternan, as stated, is the human language taken by Grizz and then eventually by the Mammalian Inkfish of Alterna. While it would adapt its own borrowed/influenced terms from the other dialects, it still overall is very different from the others. As for what human language... whatever you want it to be.

Interestingly, Octarian shares roots with interestingly both Inkadian and Splatlandian, despite the divide between both lands.

Inkadian and Splatlandian share enough similarities, but also enough differences to be distinct from one another.

DJ Octavio is more painted as a leader who is trying to do good for his people. Give them hope and uphold his promises of prosperity from the tightrope dance over the abyss of collapse. But, his grudges of the past, with the surface and especially Cuttlefish, do unfortunately cloud some aspects of his decision making. I just don't like this idea of him being portrayed as a villain. Yes, dude can be prideful and such. Yes, he effectively created a militaristic culture for his people that spanned for what can only be about a century. But he isn't some batshit crazy dictator like we have seen in our history who is only in it for himself. The whole aspect of this military culture, in his eyes, was a way to keep a sense of unity and community for everyone. All doing their part to help the Octarians as a whole inch ever closer to that bright future. Even with his rather serious and sometimes intimidating facade, he does what he can for everyone. He doesn't live in opulence; he partakes in rations for food and mandatory blackouts to conserve energy.

The No 9 Gang actually play a role in the story as major supporting characters. Their leader, Inochi, is sympathetic to Octarians and actually has an alliance with DJ Octavio. He and his gang do what they can to provide some form of aid via anything they can provide, information being the greatest asset. In fact, thanks to them, they were instrumental in assuring that the theft of the Great Zapfish went as smoothly as it did thanks to them being able to provide valuable info and aid those who went to get the Great Zapfish.

As far as the water weakness is concerned, I just go with this video done by rassicas:

A lot of what they go over I just agree with and like. Especially this whole thing regarding osmotic pressure.

While I don't have any designs, I do like the thought that Inklings and Octolings from the Splatlands look very different from those in Inkadia. The thing that comes to mind is more... feral? Tougher considering the climate of the Splatlands compared to Inkadia? If you are aware of the artist opal-owl-flight, I want to look to the general shape ideas they go for the way they draw Inkfish.

Speaking of artists coming up with cool concepts:

Would consider this as a concept existing in Splatoon: OC.

Once again with more artist concepts that I agree with and or want to implement for how I will design Inkfish characters in Splatoon: OC:

Salmonids don't have any sense of malice towards the denizens of Inkadia and the Splatlands. Hecc, they don't even hate Grizzco. For the employees of Grizzco, while they acknowledge them as invaders of their turf, they also recognize them as warriors. Sure, they don't like their Golden Eggs being taken, but it serves as another incentive for them to give their all in battle against these 'invading warriors'.

I go with the idea a lot of bird species survived into the new age of the Inkfish. Ancestors of the dinosaurs outliving the dumb mammals.

It wasn't just Octarians that were mutated by Fuzzy Ooze. Grizz basically carefully chose he saw that society wouldn't care about as a whole if they went missing. Vagabonds, homeless and the like. He considers these 'Mammalian Inkfish' to be lucky to be gifted with this new evolution to them.

Mammalian Inkfish, once fully mutated, possess a skeletal structure. With this, they lose their ability to shift forms like they could before. However, with their thicker skin, they no longer need to worry about water killing due to osmotic pressure and stuff. However, they can drown. But due to the mutagenetic properties gifted by the Fuzzy Oozes strange ingredients, they can hold their breaths for quite some time and can quickly learn how to swim in water.

Mammalian Inkfish are still capable of producing Ink, but not at the same rate as they could before. As a remnant of the osmotic pressure aspect, should they have enough ink stored in them and are in enough of a heightened state, they can use a range of Specials. These can be a Killer Wail Roar, a Splashdown, and even a transformation.

This transformation special of the Mammalian Inkfish equates to them bulking out their bodies into a more feral, monstrous state where they are significantly more resilient to damage and can deal much more pain. But like any transformation, it can only last for so long before their ink supply runs out and their 'osmotic pressure' cools down.

There is the idea about whether Mr. Grizz is even the same bear that awoke those several years ago from the Ark of Polaris. Due to the many experiments he performed with the Fuzzy Ooze and its creation, it vastly screwed with his biology. Was it really he who came up with his plan to ensure a lasting legacy of his kind, or the ooze gaining sentience and using what was once Grizz to spread itself about. The answer is never stated, but I like to think of the horrifying implications considering the fact he can like... melt into ink and reform despite having a skeleton.

Mammalian Inkfish mutate in such a way to resemble bearlike creatures. But not just brown bears, but a variety of those in the gene pool of bears.

NO, Octavio didn't brainwash anyone, especially not Callie. In fact, I'll lay down what I have thought about regarding what would spark the Splatoon 2 arc of Splatoon: OC. Callie fled from Inkopolis due to a number factors that left her angry, sad, and hurt. Just to get away from everything, she would eventually head beyond the peak of Mount Nantai. She didn't have a place in mind, just wanted to get as far away. Likely as there might be soldiers performing reconnaissance, they would have spotted her before she reached Octo Canyon. Being informed of her presence, Octavio would decide to personally go see her, along with some Elite soldiers just in case. And while she might initially have been shocked to see DJ Octavio freed, she wouldn't care much about that. If anything, she might have been ready for a fight as she wanted to be left alone considering her messy state of mind. While yes, Octavio certainly had some grievances with her being part of the reasons his plans failed, his anger was more directed at Cuttlefish than her. Plus, he did recognize how the Calamari Inkantation was still in the minds of many Octarians, including his own with it being such a funky tune he can respect begrudgingly. Instead, he sees an opportunity. By allowing her a place to get away from the stress of Inkopolis and her life, he could then show her the life that was for the people that her grandfather labeled as her enemies. As she stayed in in the Octo Domes, she was treated quite well there. Beyond Octavio's orders for her to be treated well, many just were surprised and excited to see her. Really seeing the conditions that these people lived in, she was utterly taken a back how much many who she met did what they could for her. Even the smallest gesture touched her heart. In return, she did what she could to bring that small bit of spark of joy to those she met. Sure, she did encounter those that she did realize were not a fan of her presence, but she didn't push back at all. Her time here not only was helping her chill out but giving her this sense of support that she desperately wanted and needed. She completely lost track of time and even any connection with the surface. She just liked being here, practically seeing the Octarians as friends and family.

With Callie having forged this bond with the Octarians as a whole, as plans were being prepared to get the Great Zapfish of Inkopolis Square, Octavio would decide to test the waters. With her basically experiencing what life was for he and his people, he eventually finds a way to bring up how it isn't fair how the lives of the Octarians have to be the way it is. They were just like the people of the surface yet were forced to basically live in these barely functioning ecosystems all because of something that happened long ago. If anything, the surface was greedy. One Great Zapfish would certainly be enough to fuel the megalopolis, certainly another wouldn't be an issue to lose. And even then, they had access to a multitude of resources that they could use to make up for any inconveniences, to which Callie would genuinely agree on. She basically turned a blind eye to the fact that he and the Octarians pulled off another heist to steal another Great Zapfish. The ultimate test would come when reconnaissance would spot Marie, with a seemingly new Inkling on her side invading the Octo Canyon. When Callie was made aware of this, she stopped to think for a little before coming to the conclusion that she was likely here cause of the Great Zapfish heist. In fact, to Octavio's delight, Callie seemed angry at the mention of Marie's name. Granted, she wasn't made aware of the news regarding her disappearance, but Octavio was careful about what Callie was made aware of. With her basically sympathetic to the Octarians, Callie would willingly aid them from the shadows to stop Marie and this 'Agent 4' from causing any more suffering for the Octarians. While she had no desire to kill, originally trying to menacingly send anonymous radio calls to tell them to back off from what they were doing if they had any sense of empathy, their continued success would cause her to get angrier and frustrated. Not only what could happen to these people that overall helped her in her time of need, but her resentment towards Marie and her family as whole. This boiling rage that would eventually culminate in the final battle.

So yeah, Octavio basically emotionally manipulates Callie. Not only giving her what she wanted but turning her own anger against those that she considered family. I mean think about it, dude is a leader. They need to be able to say the right words to get people to do things. No need for any dumb brainwash crap.

With that said, Callie did help with designing the new outfits for the Octarian Army, even designing her own outfit to fit in more with them. While she had no rank, she basically was treated like an Elite Soldier due to her own skills being formidable. Even with this unofficial rank, Callie never tried to abuse any privileges this would entail.

One of the driving factors that made Grizz initiate his plans was the fear of death. Unlike Judd and Lil Judd, he was not biologically immortal. And with the heightened intelligence 'gifted' to him via the experiments of the humans, he had the existential dread of not only death, but of having no way to pass on a legacy. With no other bears alive, he couldn't continue a lineage as was natural for all creatures to pass on their genetic material. In a sense, this idea of a new age of mammals/bears, the mutations of the Inkfish was his way to leave a lasting legacy on the world. Though however much of that initial spark is left is unknown considering how much the ooze mutated his own biology.

Salmonids have a folk story about 'The beast that came from the night sky ocean.' Basically, it is a recounting of their kind's first encounter with Mr. Grizz when he had just walked out of the wreckage of the Ark of Polaris. Yeah, his first encounter with life on Earth was the Salmonids. Not the best first impression. Even with the tech of the Octarians, many were slaughtered and feasted on by the brown beast.

So this is something that has been on and off with my mind for I think about close to a year? I forgor, but basically the past few days my mind has been in a mental frenzy trying to jot down notes in a document as ideas flow in my mind. With that ramble done, I should answer the question:

What is Splatoon: Octo Cuetos?

Glad you asked random individual. Splatoon: Octo Cuentos is the name for my own personal AU regarding Splatoon. Beyond my own interpretations of the cast based on what has been officially stated and my own personal head canons, there are also a few OCs. Not only that, but story events will go down in their own way with using what is in the games as a foundation. But things will be twisted to work with the personalities of the main characters as I see fit. Just a thing for fun, as is the case with AUs in general for people.

As for the subtitle, Octo Cuentos, that is due to the fact two of the main characters are Octarian Octolings that go by the name of Orra and Celeste. Are they meant to be the Agent 8? No. In a way, they are a means to explore the idea of the perspective of Octarians from the time in the Octo Domes to building a life on the surface. They do play some roles in the 'main story' campaigns of Splatoon 1, 2, Octo Expansion, 3, and Side Order. But they are not the central protagonists in those stories, usually in the role of deuteragonists. But for this AU, the basically are the protagonists of the AU as a whole as it follows their journey, growth, and involvement in events that they get wrapped in. Some quick info on them:

Orra (Non-Binary. Age: 26 (S1)/28 (S2)/33 (S3). Octarian Octoling) - An ex-Recon Soldier in the Octarian Army, they always had a drive to create and thus had dissatisfaction in what they perceived as an existence of only surviving. After Octavio's defeat and learning of Marina Ida's dessertion, Orra would follow in her footsteps alongside their only friend, Celeste. After getting some aid from the leader of the No. 9 gang Inochi, who was sympathetic to the Octarians, they and Celeste would start their new lives in Inkopolis Square. They would be employed at Grizzco, getting some help from Celeste that led to the duo having quite the sizeable advantage in performing the job compared to typical employees at the time. Among their interests are listening to music, creating art, sketching, and partaking in Turf War for fun. Their main weapon of choice is the Inkbrush, them discovering their passion for this weapon during their time in Grizzco. While they did partake in Ranked Battles, they never did that well nor were that invested in them compared to Celeste. But teaming up with Celeste was fun nonetheless in either Inkfish sport. Events later on during the 'Deep Sea Metro Incident' would lead to them being scarred by Sanitized Ink. Orra is a massive fan of Marina Ida, and thus of Off the Hook. Unlike Celeste, Orra quite likes the music of the Squid Sisters, having found the Calamari Inkantation to be a really fun tune. Not only are they fluent in the Octarian dialect, they also know how to speak in the Inkadian dialect and Salmonarian dialect.

Celeste (Female. Age: 20 (S1)/ 22 (S2)/ 27 (S3). Octarian Octoling) - An ex-Elite Soldier that used to be Captain of the Takoshake Unit. While steadfast in Octavio and the Octarian cause, many events that happened as a result of the New Squidbeak Splatoon's assault on the Octarian Army and eventual defeat of Octavio would lead to her beliefs being cracked. The final nail would be the desertion of Marina Ida, a fellow Elite who was considered the epitome of Octarians. Consoling with the only person she felt safe in disclosing this shattering of her world, Orra would be the one to eventually suggest the idea of following in Marina's footsteps. Conflicted with abandoning her Takoshake Unit, she ultimately would leave. While Orra was much more optimistic in forging a future in the unknown of the surface, Celeste had been ridden with anxiety with many what ifs haunting her mind. To make money, she would work at Grizzco. Her previous experience in training battles with the Salmonids proved to be extraordinarily helpful in this job. While initially not into the idea of Turf War, she was convinced by Orra. With her previous skills as an Elite, Celeste would prove to be a demon at Turf War and eventually Ranked Battles. A way to relieve stress and earn more funds. Her main weapon of choice would be Charger weapons, her incredible eyesight proving helpful in using the weapon and relaying information to teammates. One of her hobbies that she picked up initially out of necessity was cooking. Wanting to better her and Orra's diets, she eventually grew to love the art of making food, testing new recipes and ideas. Some super basic stuff for now because I don't want to be making this post way too long as I do want to also go over a few things regarding the other big characters of this mythos. And who better to talk about than the Agents! Everyone's favorite bunch of blorbos in their head canons. In regard to this mythos, Agent 3/Captain, Agent 4, and Agent 8 are a thing. However, due to the way the mythos goes, there is no Neo Agent 3. The Return of the Mammalians story for Octo Cuentos will already be stacked with so many characters, there isn't a further spot for an entirely new character. Though in a sense, Orra serves the role of Neo Agent 3 for that story. That is what I will leave for now. But what about the other 3? Well, let us go over some quick bios on them:

Agent 3/Alma (Female. Age: 16 (S1)/ 18 (S2)/ 23 (S3). Splatlandian Inkling) - Hailing from the Splatlands, Alma lived a life being one with the breeze. An early bloomer in controlling between her squid and Inkling form, she would go from place to place around Splatsville to sleep and eat. Alma's primary form of supporting herself was scrap hunting. This would cause her to have run ins with others, her biggest opps being the then younger Deep Cut. Eventually, meeting an older Inkling by the name of Poolso, he helped her further refine the lifestyle of a vagabond. In time, learning of him being from the lands of Inkadia, she would wish to visit those lands due to feeling bored with the Splatlands. By age 15, she would make it to Inkopolis to begin seeing the sights. Due to her wits and skills, she managed to actually be pretty good at Turf War, catching the attention of a one Craig Cuttlefish. While not caring about this whole 'Great Turf War' (something not known by Splatlandians), she would agree to partake in his pleas for help on the grounds of her having fun and the promise of some good food. Seeing this 'New Squidbeak Splatoon' as nothing more than a silly gang she joined, the events of the 'Deep Sea Metro Incident' not only led to Alma getting scarred by Sanitized Ink but led to a rethinking about what this NSS was all about by the founding members. Eventually, this would lead to her eventually becoming Captain of the NSS. Her favorite weapon to wield is the Blaster weapon.

Agent 4/Chee (Female. Age: 15 (S2)/ 20 (S3). Inkadian Inkling) - Living outside the megalopolis that is Inkopolis, Chee was quite the fun-loving individual. One of her passions growing up was exploring the outdoors, seeing all the cool landscapes. When she wasn't out trekking in the woods, she could be found indoors playing some video games for fun. Later on, she would eventually partake in streaming for fun a variety of things. She had learned about the sport of Turf War and had a lot of fun partaking. In fact, she eventually got so good, she would even be eligible for Ranked Battles. One day when in the city, she decided to head out to summit Mount Nantai for fun. But the mountain wasn't her primary objective. No, that was to go see an area of land she read about. Chee would eventually get to gaze over the crater filled landscape to see her objective: the Octo Valley. As she got closer, she eventually would notice a strange building that had an incredibly well-dressed Inkling worrying over something. After some initial shock between the two, this woman by the name of Marie would eventually request the help of Chee, seeing her as quite a fit looking individual, to aid in her troubles. This would cause Chee to be recruited as Agent 4, her going up against not only the remnants of the Octarian Army, not only DJ Octavio, but Marie's own cousin who she was desperate to find. While quite a messy situation, Chee would take it in stride and good fun as best as she could. Afterall, she had a big heart and couldn't leave Marie to suffer. Her favorite weapon to wield are Dynamo Rollers.

Agent 8/Eight (Male. Age: 14 (S2)/ 19 (S3). Octarian Octoling) - Originally from the Octo Domes, he would seek out a new life on the surface after eventually not able to live with life there. While on his way towards Inkopolis, the young soldier was tranquilized and captured by unknown assailants. Eventually waking up in the arms of an Octarian Elite by the name of Celeste, he would wake up with no memory. After escaping with the detained Celeste, Orra, and Cuttlefish, the four would be joined by Alma who tailed behind. After being welcomed by a strange phone as subject 10,008, he would be put on a quest to reach the 'promised land'. Being christened the title of Agent 8 by Cuttlefish, Agent 8 would go on their journey through the Deep Sea Metro with Cuttlefish, Celeste, and Orra. After many twists and turns that led to stopping the world ending threat of Commander Tartar, Eight, as he would be known, would get the chance to live life on the surface. With only some memories recovered, he would join with Orra and Celeste under their care. From there, he would gain a passion for birds, loving to observe them and even keep some as pets. To not be a freeloader, he would eventually find employment at the iShipIt company. His love for birds had him yearn to find more information on them, leading to him eventually making use of the internet to find more knowledge on birds. But this also led to him finding other fun stuff about the digital highway. A pass time he would grow to love is watching streams, leading him to discover and eventually forge a friendship with Chee. While not one to partake too much in Turf War, Eight does enjoy Splatfests. His favorite weapon to wield are Dualies.

That should cover the main protagonists and the Agents. But I do want to mention two more characters. One has already been mentioned, but the other is a bit interesting. First off, the mentioned character:

Poolso (Male. Age: 30 (S1)/ 37 (S3). Inkadian Inkling/Mammalian Inkfish) - A rebellious individual, he was one that basically lived it rough since his youth. Shaped by his experiences in Inkopolis Square and around, he grew to have a love for the idea of living how he wants, where he wants, and doing what he wants. Basically, the lifestyle of a vagabond. While not one for authority, he wasn't beneath helping others if he saw fit to do so. Learning about the existence of the Splatlands, he would eventually make the journey across highway 108 to eventually reach Splatsville. From there, he would feel at home with the culture of the people and the street folk. It was sometime in his stay in Splatsville that he would meet the young Alma. Seeing some aspects in himself in the young Splatlandian youth, he would mentor Alma in all that he knew about the lifestyle of a vagabond. Forging more than a mentor/student dynamic, they grew to be quite good friends. His tales of his times in Inkopolis made the young Alma interested in those lands. Helping her get across highway 108 to reach Inkopolis, he would head back to further explore the Splatlands. However, one faithful decision would cause his life to forever change as what was a means to earn some cash had him and many others become prisoners and test subjects in Alterna to a one Mr. Grizz. Exposure to a strange, fuzzy ink mutated him and the others into strange, fuzzy lifeforms. While having seen the grizzly fates of those who crossed Mr. Grizz one too many times, Poolso had no intention to stay a prisoner to this freak. He would bide his time with those he managed to ally with. Finding a way in secret to figure a plan to oppose Grizz and escape, it would be a long seven years till fate would smile on him and his rag tag group when some people managed to break in a begin to make a ruckus.

The other character... so you know how I mentioned that Orra would basically serve the role of Neo Agent 3? Well, there is an equivalent to Smallfry. But it isn't a tiny little dude:

The Mind whose Dreams Surge from the Boundless Abyss/ Seishin (Female. Age: 35 (S2)/ 40 (S3). Boss Salmonid Chum) - A Salmonid from a tribe known as 'Gran No', she and her tribe reside among others in the region known as Lost Outpost. For many generations, her tribe would yield some of the brightest minds of Salmonid kind. Thanks to them, they were instrumental in the economic treaties with DJ Octavio. With the fancy Octarian technology, many among the Gran No tribe would come up with ways these devices could be modified to more fit general Salmonid culture and aid in the Salmon Run rituals. This Salmonid would be the one to create a weapon known as a 'Scrapper'. Loving her invention and fascinated with the stories of the 'invading warriors' and their many different weapons, she would ultimately make a plan to infiltrate the territory of the Inkfish. Gather knowledge of their weapons to not only make her Scrapper even mightier, but to pass on the knowledge to Salmonid kind so they can become even stronger and tastier. Fortune would shine on her as she managed to catch the scent of Octarians among those in Inkopolis, one in particular being familiar to her. With the alliance of Orra and Celeste set, she would be given the alias of 'Seishin' to make talks easier. Seishin was eager to learn all she could from her allies, certain that with each passing day, she would be closer to fulfilling her dreams.

Oh no worries, I am happy to answer. 😄 In Cryas Darkstalkers, Felicia is fully intended to be Mexican: both her biological parents being of Mexican descent, but importantly her adopted mother, Ramona Rose, is a Mexican living in America. Thus, Felicia grew up with such a culture. As she grew up, she was an avid fan of the luchador, El Santo.

Collecting comics when she could afford to buy them with allowance and watching any film she could of him. He was basically her idol and hero, as he was for basically the country of Mexico. Dude was crazy famous. Through him, she gained a love for acting and the sport of lucha libre.

(Art by Mastermaindd) While she hoped to maybe one day meet the legendary luchador, he would pass away before she could reach adulthood. Into adulthood, she is primarily an actress. Not only for her passion to entertain, but as a way to eventually catch the hearts of all to show how the unity of humans and non-humans was possible considering the loving mother she has and the people of Taos, New Mexico that grew to accept her. However, her love for lucha libre still burned fiercely in her. Once she built the foundation of her career as an actress, she would also pursue her passion of lucha libre on the side for fun. That would catch the eyes of people in Mexico in time. As a luchadora, she goes by the name of La Santa, in honor of El Santo.

(Art by Alm) In the end, just wanted to give some further depth to my interpretation of her. Considering I myself am Mexican American, wanted to do a bit more for her other than just saying she is Mexican in my mythos. So, the luchador angle was a fun one to give to her. Plus, like wrestlers, they entertain. And actors/actresses entertain, so why not have El Santo, one of the most famous individuals in Mexican history, be the reason she was inspired to go down the path she went. I hope this answers your question. 🫡 Have this bonus art advertising a charity match between La Santa and a fellow luchdor from the motherland:

Have had some thoughts lately about two different characters and wish to now share with ya'll what I have crafted for Cryas Darkstalkers lore within this installment of Lore Bits. Today's focus will be on the cursed samurai, Bishamon and the demon bee, Q-Bee.

Bishamon:

Born on January 18th, 1673, during the Edo Period of Japan in the northern region of what would become the Aomori Prefecture.

'Bishamon' is actually not his name. This samurai's true name is Zenbē (善兵衛).

Being a samurai, he was part of a clan. His clan was know as the Tsugaru Clan (津軽氏)

Thus, his full name would be Zenbē Tsugaru (津軽 善兵衛, Tsugaru Zenbē).

He would eventually marry a woman who went by the name, Orin (オリン).

An accomplished and skillful warrior, he was well respected as a force of nature on the battlefield with his tactics, keen eyes, and mastery of his arsenal. Despite many battles, he had managed to live quite a long life by the standards of Japanese at the time. However, a life-changing event would occur in 1722 when he was age 49.

The enemy of his clan, the Nanbu Clan, were making their way into Tsugaru territory, seeking to conquer.

Initially, Zenbē's clan had sent the younger blood to fight. Despite some initial success, the tides were turning in favor for the Nanbu. As word of the ever-snowballing losses for the Tsugaru kept coming in, Zenbē grew worried for not only his people, but especially Orin.

One night, he had a dream where the voice of two spirits sought to provide him with the answer he needed. Upon waking up, he went to the location without telling anyone where he was heading.

Trekking up a mountain, Zenbē happened on the ruins of a monastery. Within, as told by the spirits in his dream, he came upon an armor and blade. While the armor looked intimidating and something within him felt uneasy, the promise of becoming an unstoppable warrior who could save his clan from ruin clouded his judgement. Aware of his age and too worried for his wife and people, he donned the armor and blade.

Immediately, the demonic influence of the pair, Hannya and Kien, began taking hold of Zenbē. With the promise of battle, they initially allowed Zenbē to keep control. Going into a battle that was going on, the Nanbu forces were slaughtered by Zenbē as their arrows couldn't stop him and their weapons bounced off him.

However, after the battle was won, Hannya and Kien would take control. Turning on his fellow Tsugaru kin, the demonic kinnies began a murderous rampage to quench their thirst for blood and souls. Seeing what he was doing, Zenbē desperately tried to regain control, but was powerless.

In time as they slowly began their spree of terror, Zenbē would begin to have his mind be clouded by the kinnies. However, one key moment would allow him to almost regain control.

When Zenbē came across a familiar building, he happened upon his wife. In the fog of his mind, he realized what was going on and tried to stop as his memories of Orin were coming to the forefront of his mind. However, he would kill his wife. As the pair were about to consume her soul, Zenbē's sheer rage and grief allowed him to regain control. However, it would not last as the kinnies, in a last-ditch effort for survival, sought to quell their host. Promising him that they would keep her safe within, allowing the two to stay together. This allowed them to regain control. Hannya and Kien would not seek to double cross on their word, only to make sure that an outburst like that would not happen again.

Upon coming across a temple and seeing inscriptions about the deity, Bishamon, the kinnies sought to rename their host to Bishamon. Their idea was to strike fear into the mortals with the idea that this god of war now walks among them, seeking only for their blood and souls.

This rampage would go on across Japan and eventually make way into China from 1722 till 1807.

After an intense battle with the demon of the east, Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling unknowingly freed Zenbē and Orin from their imprisonment after defeating 'Bishamon'.

Despite effort by Hsien-Ko to break the kinnies by sheer force and Mei-Ling using her Xiānshù arts to banish them, nothing either sister did worked.

Hannya and Kien, per an idea by Zenbē, would be sealed in a tomb among the eerie, volcanic landscape of Mount Osore. With the idea in place, Mei-Ling was able to at least place many talismans upon the kinnies to quell their ability to seek a new host.

Upon making way to Japan and traveling to Mount Osore, a tomb at the highest, most dangerous peak was dug up. The sealed Hannya and Kien were placed deep within and the tomb was promptly sealed

From then on, Zenbē sought to dedicate the rest of his time to seeking a way to permanently destroy the pair as a way to redeem his soul from the horrors he committed upon the innocent. Orin would stick by him to aid in his goal.

While his wife and the sisters would call him by his true name of Zenbē. he decided that as penance, he would keep the mantle of Bishamon as to not tarnish his clan, nor name, any further that he already did with his foolish decision he made all those years ago.

Before I explain about Q-Bee, I must first explain more about Soul Bees as a species/race in Cryas Darkstalkers.

Soul Bees are a race of lifeforms that evolved from a species of Makaiin bees many eons ago. Makaiin bees were a parasitic, solitary species that sought to infect hosts in order to reproduce. However, a mutation occurred that paved the way for the evolution of Soul Bees of the current day.

Soul Bees are a eusocial race that work together for the good of the hive. Among their structure are three sub-species: D-Bees, P-Bees, and the Q-Bee.

D-Bees:

D-Bees, ranging in heights of 1ft to 2ft play the role of scout, hunter, and gatherer of the hive. They scour the territory in order to gain information to inform the hive. Information is not the only thing they seek as they also hunt down a valuable resource: souls.

If a suitable prey is found, the D-Bee will use their speed, venom, stingers, and claws to kill their prey. They do not seek to confront above their weight class as they must manage their energy output properly.

Once victorious, the D-Bee consumes the body and then gathers the soul to keep safe for transportation to the hive. The soul is kept in a specialized organ in their abdomen.

In the time between scouting and hunting, D-Bees will also seek flowers in order to gain nutrients to help fuel their bodies. This allows them to be pollinators in Makai, allowing for a large variety of flora to grow.

Can live for about a few years.

P-Bees:

P-Bees, standing around 3ft to 4ft, take on a number of roles in the hive, from maintenance, caretakers of the brood, defenders of the hive, and distributors of food supplies.

In their role of maintenance, P-Bees will make repairs and improvements to the hive. They make sure everything is sturdy enough for food storage, a 'nursery' for the brood, and for the Q-Bee. The hive is constructed from a specialized mixture of saliva, pollen resin, natural wax produced by D-Bees, and sediment from the surrounding area. While the outside primarily uses sediment for a tougher structure, the inside for the comb structures used to store the brood and food supplies use the other listed materials to allow for some flexibility, while being strong enough to withstand their weight.

The eggs, larvae, and pupae make up what are known as the brood. These are cared for by the P-Bees as to ensure the population is maintained for the good of the hive. When the Q-Bee has laid her batch of eggs, the P-Bees will gather them and place them in special combs so they can be kept safe till they hatch. From there, they are cleaned and fed by the P-Bees till they eventually become new D-Bees and P-Bees.

Built stronger and sturdier than D-Bees, the P-Bees are capable of defending the hive should a curiously hungry predator seek a meal. They have stingers and claws, but unlike D-Bees, fully have the support of the hive close-by, along with food supplies to keep them energized. P-Bees seek to kill when the hive is threatened. When victorious, the prey, along with fallen P-Bees, are consumed for nourishment. Any souls are given to the Q-Bee.

Gathering the honey produced by the Q-Bee, this substance is stored in specialized combs around the hive. The P-Bees are tasked with feeding the entire hive, making sure everyone gets their share of this highly nutritious substance.

Lifespan of about a few decades.

Q-Bee:

Standing at a titan 8ft to 9ft tall, the Q-Bee is the heart of the hive. She plays an important role in the repopulation of the hive and the reason the species are known as 'Soul Bees'.

When D-Bees comeback with souls or P-Bees manage to defend the hive and get souls out of the endeavor, all souls are given to the Q-Bee. Ingesting the souls, Q-Bees begin a specialized process in breaking down the soul in order to get at the unfathomable energy within.

While D-Bees and P-Bees can process stray spiritual energy for nourishment, their bodies are not capable of digesting a soul. Any attempt to do so would prove catastrophically fatal. However, the Q-Bee has evolved to not only do this safely, but efficiently.

The vast energy is used to feed the Q-Bee's ravenous need for energy to do several things: produce eggs, fuel her body so she can digest more souls, and create a viscous substance used to feed the hive known as honey. The honey of Soul Bees is packed with an immense of energy and the nutrients P-Bees, D-Bees, and the brood need to survive and thrive.

While the rest of the hive will put their lives on the line, should a powerful threat start to prove too much, the Q-Bee will step in as the final line of defense. Despite her immense size, she is fully capable of flying with great speed and maneuverability.

Beyond her speed, she is equipped with claws, stingers, and venom like her fellow D-Bees and P-Bees. However, these are far more deadly with her sheer size and speed, allowing her to impale and tear with ferocity.

Another trait she has are specialized toxic scales that can be emitted from her wings. These scales can irritate the skin and lungs of victims.

The Q-Bee exoskeleton evolved to be extremely tough.

Using specialized signals via vibrations and pheromones, the Q-Bee can rally and fully control her hive to fight more effectively beyond their instincts.

Unlike the rest of her hive, the Q-Bee is the only one with a fully-fledged soul and thus the capability to think at an intellectual level beyond instinct. This allows her to plan and strategize.

The Q-Bee is the only one capable of speech and thus has the ability to talk with other lifeforms. In general, she can speak the Makaiin tongue to some degree.

Jedah managed to make contact with a Soul Bee hive millenia ago. He was curious about the ability of the Q-Bee to so easily reduced souls to tangible sources of nourishment. In studying her, he gained a better understanding of souls and thus his own being and ability to manipulate spiritual energy.

In return for allowing his studies, he granted them protection and a steady source of 'food' to maintain the hive.

When the time comes for the end of the Q-Bee's life, a signal is given to D-Bees to seek a suitable host. Prepping them with more honey than usual, D-Bees seek to find a competent host and bring them back to the hive alive. Once one is brought back, the host is paralyzed via a special venom. From there, the Q-Bee emerges to pierce the host and insert a special larva inside their still living body of the victim. From there, the Q-Bee dies. The body of the victim serves as an incubator and food source of the quickly growing larva. Once ready, the still growing Q-Bee will emerge from her incubator. The hive will then seek to care for the new Q-Bee till she has fully reached maturity within a few days of rapid growth and change. From there, she will then care for her hive and assume her role.

The soul of the past Q-Bee is used as the first soul to be consumed by the new Q-Bee to begin her role in creating a new brood and food for her hive.

In the chance a Q-Bee dies in combat, the soul of the Q-Bee will influence a P-Bee, likely the strongest, to undergo an extremely quick metamorphosis. While this will cause some of the food supply and fellow P-Bees and D-Bees to be consumed to fuel the transformation, once the P-Bee has transformed enough to become the new Q-Bee, the soul of the deceased Q-Bee will then feed herself to the new Q-Bee to allow for the extreme hunger to be quenched and to quickly get the hive back into healthy order.

Due to her role, the life span of the Q-Bee can be for around a century.