Way back home

I'm flattered you liked my art direction in Astrea! It was my first experience doing something like this, so I'm glad I did a good job!

Hmm, an interesting fact: I wanted to include more elements that explored the game's story. There would have been a short cutscene explaining the motivations of each oracle and how they arrived on the sixth planet, Aquarius, where the game takes place. I thought that each run would give a chance to collect story fragments to complete, ancient accounts that would be called "Almagests." But all of this was considered "inappropriate" for the roguelike genre, and I was discouraged from doing so.

These are some experimental story entries I made that would likely be found in the game, but now serve no purpose:

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✦ Almagest: These are works by the ancient Star Heralds that served as a compendium of the Stellar Wills sealed by them. They also served as personal journals that tell fragments of the lost history of The Starlit Age. ── ✶⋅✶⋅✶ ──

✦ Two Forces, Two Paths Deep within the stellar core exists two forces which flow in balance: the Currents of Corruption and the Emanations of Purification. However, with the deterioration of the star's power, the two forces have begun to clash in an endless struggle over which will hold predominance in its final moments. As a result, the fate of the star fluctuates between two possible destinies: perishing as a lone scarlet singularity, or ascending in a pale blue glow. Of course, the ideal destiny for every star would be to continue to shine even after its apotheosis… but it is said that the ultimate path will be determined by the nature of the souls of those who exist in its orbit.

Almagest of Betelgeuse – 5620 A.A.

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✦ The Moon Covenant A dogma inspired by the songs of Plathenon, an ancestor of the Star Heralds. Known for their benevolence to Astrea, the adherents of this faith are deeply entrenched in the metaphysical and spiritual realms. They believe that the fading of the star is an integral part of her natural cycle attempting to resist this fate could result in untold consequences. The followers of The Moon Covenant are responsible for the creation of Sigils of Power adorning the Stellar Vessels, in addition to being responsible for the orbital displacement of the moon Selena, on whose gray surface they founded the main university.

Almagest of Bellatrix – 4205 A.A.

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✦ The Philosophy of Light A paradigm inspired by the thoughts of Aristella, an ancestor of the Star Heralds. Known for their deep studies into the mother star, they excel primarily in the physical and rational realm. It is the belief of these adherents that the fading of Astrea is an avoidable casualty if the right countermeasures are taken. As such, they have enacted a plan to rejuvenate the star in order to preserve its gifts for the following generations. The followers of The Philosophy of Light are responsible for the creation of Stellar Vessels capable of sealing the Celestial Gifts. They also sought to extract the stellar core of Astrea through the construction of the great Tower of Extraction, located in the center of the capital city of Astropolis in Aquarius the same place their university was founded.

Almagest of Aldebaran – 4230 A.A.

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✦ The Dark Eye Cult A sect inspired by the tomes of an unknown author of Behenia. Known for their adoration of the dark and powerful forces which supposedly slumber in the heart of Astrea, they are adepts in the realm of chaos and discord. Shrouded behind golden masks, they operate on the belief that the star is merely a cocoon whose light blinds the eye of the true god inhabiting its core. They believe that the imminent fading of Astrea would be the harbinger of its awakening. The leaders of the cult influence their followers to allow corruption to dominate over their souls, ultimately creating more servants who will greet the awakening of the Dark Eye God. Not only were they responsible for the existence of Sigils impregnated with corruption, they also enacted the creation of dangerous Stellar Vessels with the intention of maximizing the spread of their corrupt influence.

Almagest of Sirius – 5978 A.A.

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✦ The Moonlight Unity At the dawn of civilization on Aquarius, a single moon orbited this world. With the arrival of the Starlit Age thanks to Astrea's Celestial Gifts the presence of the other five peoples was soon noted. They were blessed by her light, but equally separated by their distant orbits. Selena, a Star Herald of Aquarius benevolent toward lunar studies, envisioned a solution: a displacement in the orbit of the moon such that it waltzed between the six worlds, connecting to portals that would effortlessly transfer its inhabitants across the planets. In six full moons, the work was completed and the moon was christened "Selena" in honor of the architect of the project. The people thus rejoiced in the union of the worlds under the moonlight of Selena.

Almagest of Selena – 3268 A.A.

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19 Days (Chapter 409-410 Spoilers)

I had a short animation assignment for a class, so I animated part of the first Luna-Terra/Saturn fight! It's a little rough around the edges because I only had so much time but I'm happy with how it came out. I mean they let me draw gaywomen for class, of course I'm happy

just somethin quick n cozy