#burning core

- Omnibeasts 2.0 -

The Omnibeasts make a return to form with some revisions. [The Omnibeasts: REVIVED] It's just one colour for now just to be safe. I didn't really like the yellow version.

A little update to their lore is their pseudo-scarf-like arms of varying patterns being used to differentiate between them. Omnibeasts also have the sensitive nose of a bear, Hooved front legs and spider back legs and finally, the ears of cats.

They travel mainly in herds and squads to hunt for food or scout ahead. Omnibeasts eat almost anything and everything they can get their hands on. They are as the name suggests, Omnivores. They eat grass, meat, fish, insects and even human food.

The lore is the same as previously mentioned. They are the oldest native beings in Kingshaven, they hold shards of Purple Burning Cores. These Cores allow them to use all of the STAB. Aside from that, yeah. That's it.

- Queen of The Hoodlites -

The Hoodlites are going through a hierarchy change and we're starting out with a new character that will change the landscape of the Hoodlites.

"They worship HER" so they said. The Hoodlite who did the Impossible. Fuzed with the blessing of the Core onto a willing Havenite soul. Yazamanyhands; The Queen Mother of The Core.

It's said that in the darkest depths of the underground. The elusive species; The Hoodlites worship and tell stories of a beloved queen. They gave her many titles: the many-handed one, the Queen Mother, and The Omnibeast Hybrid but she is most popularly known as; Yazamanyhands or Yazmin.

- Meet Yazmin (with a Z) -

The origins of Yazmin are murky since everything we know about the Hoodlites is hazy. It's passed down from Hoodlite to Hoodlite; that Yazmin was once a human. More specifically, a Grimmjaw Havenite. When her village was facing a deadly force of invaders at their door. The Havenite made a deal with a powerful Hoodlite for help.

In return, the Hoodlite bargained for the desperate Havenite to fuze her body with its Core. Since then, Yazmin has become the first-ever Hybrid. Followed by other examples; Anis Rusli and Timothy Brian Anderson.

As a Hybrid between a Havenite and a once powerful Hoodlite with Omnibeast Compound. Yazmanyhands or Yazmin shares several unique abilities.

Just by her appearance, Yazmin has four arms. She is coated with grey durable skin that can withstand physical harm. Both of these are an after-effect of the fuze that changed her physical appearance. She can also use all of the STAB.

As a side effect, her eyes are replaced by a pair of lavender sclera with no irises. She has silver-white hair which was caused by the physical stress of the fuze. Yazmin has Amnesia. As a person, she has little to no recollection of her former life before the fuze.

In her new life, Yazmin is revered as a queen who protects her Hoodlites from harm. She is also closely connected to the Professor for they are supposedly adopted siblings of the Burning Core.

- The Last Creature: The Brawnkle -

Wow, first week of the year and I am on fire with an idea.

So, this long necked being is known as a; Brawnkle (Bra-wn-k-le) They are an advanced species of creatures that mixes between cybernetics and the Burning Core.

Once a group of Hoodlites with a bucket/ barrel for a limb. These beings took to making advancements to improve their way of life and gain the upperhand against other Hoodlites. The hubris of meddling with their biology resulted in them becoming the way they are today.

Brawnkles share a consistent platform object that covers half of their bodies. Their bodies are elongated, making them taller. The platform has four chambers that holds the Brawnkle's main arsenal.

- The Power Gauntlets -

Each Brawnkle shares three wireless gauntlets. The Crab Pincer, The Mantis Claw and The Kong Glove. Each of these gauntlets will circle and distract its opponent. Baiting the victim to the right location. Thus, unleashing the Bolt Canon.

Often nicknamed as "The Lone Army" we're lucky that most of them prefer to be studious scholars instead of being dictatorial. Having said that, The Brawnkle are quite smug about their intelligence and innovation which can be interpreted by some as very obnoxious.

In actual life, the Brawnkles are mainly inspired by Doctor Who's; [The Daleks] and Lovecraft's [Great Race of Yith]

More to come for this creature and yes, I will officially post more details up on the official page. That is all for now~

- Kingshaven Logo: REBIRTH -

"Behold! The Mark of the King; The Crowned Fish of Wings."

I've been teasing this for a while now and I believe it is time I explain in full detail what this symbol is. This is the Kingshaven Symbol and it's meant to be a symbol for Kingshaven Academy. The School my characters; Jamie, Sadie, and Hector hail from.

Over time, I just decided to leave it up in the air and just have it as a symbol for the universe in general as the intention is still not clear. In terms of its color, design, and choice of clothing. I've decided to put the uniform on-hold and settle with a much simpler look.

A Sublimation color shoulder shirt in either Green or Blue with embroidery of the symbol at the center of the chest area. The Green/Blue symbolizes the national animal; The Kingfisher Also, because I personally like both of these colors.

For a real-life example, here are both of the mentioned shirts with the said symbol.

- Mark of the King -

The actual life inspiration of the symbol comes from the symbol known within the Christian communities as [The Ichthys] A symbol representing the "sign of the fish" or the "Jesus fish" famously taken from the miracle at < The Feeding of The Five Thousand > and the call of Jesus to his disciples "I will make you fishers of men". (Mark 1: 16-18)

Although drawn horizontally, this fictional version is drawn vertically with the added closed loop of the fish's wings taken from [The Trinity Knot - Triquetra] For an added measure, I decided to keep to the earthly land and sea theme with a wide [Trident] design which is really just my way of honoring the roots of how I got this world started. < Percy Jackson >

Please note, the Red is NOT official.

As for its color, the orange represents The Heart of the Haven; The Burning Core. The color blue honors The Kingfisher's signature color and the white really is just an afterthought. This may feel like another sudden addition but, this is not the first time I've drawn this symbol. [Kingshaven Symbol Ver 1] Consider this as Version 2

That being said, although the symbol featured some very heavy mythological and religious symbols. It's really nothing serious because it's all just fiction for this fictional world.

Thanks for reading

-  Hoodlites & Salkites: REBIRTH -

This post will be the official wiki for all things Hoodlites and Salkites related. A complete retcon of all the information shared or mentioned in the past.

The Hoodlites (Hoo-d-lite) and the Salkites (Sal-ki-te) are a race of little critters that plays an integral role within the < Murder The Crow > series. They are beings brought to life by a mysterious obelisk crystal. Referenced in ancient texts and records as The Burning Core.

As the Core’s creations. The Hoodlites and Salkites lurk about in deep forests, near locations of water and even alleyways. Acting as fearsome guardians against dark forces that seek to disturb the peace of the surface world by any means necessary. They are generally identified as Non-binary under the pronoun of [They/Them] However, there has been records that domesticated Hoodlites and Salkites can eventually develop as She/Her’s or He/Him’s

- Anatomy Breakdown -

Their main structures are, a rounded square head, a teardrop body and a piece of the Burning Core on their chest. 

The key feature that separates the Hoodlites from the Salkites are the eyes. Hoodlites have two eyes while the Salkites have only one eye on their faces. Another universal difference will be the interchangeable parts on every Hoodlite/Salkite; one on the head and the other on the body. The features are animalistic in nature but sometimes features items found in pop culture, such as capes, blasters, or hooks.

In terms of size, they are about the same as an adult cat. With skins that felt like soft velvet upon touch and the sensation of a squishy wet clay. Universally, their biology and body chemistry is solely reliant on the piece of the Burning Core on their chest. Providing them life and also power to manipulate the world around them. 

Hoodlites and Salkites are also nocturnal. Preferring to venture out at night or in shaded places at dusk or dawn. Upon deeper inspection, Hoodlites and Salkites function just as well in daylight. The theory is that they are highly light sensitive. When affected by direct sunlight, their bodies burn. Prolonged effect will melt their skins open which can be permanent. Which is why they venture at the appointed hours/conditions.

- STAB System and Skills -

In part of their connection to the Burning Core, Hoodlites and Salkites share the same ability system based on the scientific states of matter which is lovingly renamed as The STAB System and is labeled as the following with symbols to support and differentiate.

Stan (Solid) - Cubes that is similar to crystals. They are a lot tougher to break and they act as buildable bricks the user can use to build and forge new constructs.

Tide (Liquid) - Blast of water that is similar to goo or polyester. The material can also change in terms of its thickness with different effects. Often used in weapons since its the easiest one to find.

Ange (Gas) - Blades of pocket air that functions under its own laws. Its able to cause irritations, helpful for getaways. Its also able to increase and decrease the speed of objects it comes in contact with.

Bolt (Plasma) - Beam of charged energy that can break anything. Known simply as the strongest material, its also considered one of the most difficult element to capture.

Hoodlites and Salkites are also highly intelligent. Capable of working as a team or as a duo to combat their fair share of daily dangers that threatens the Core. Hoodlites and Salkites can technically communicate verbally among themselves and to others. They are incredibly expressive with their emotions. Making them easy to read.

They are also insanely agile. Making them hard to capture and while their status is labeled as critters. They are essential to the unique ecosystem of Kingshaven.

- History and Developments -

Though they function very much like a community, unified to protect the Core. Hoodlites and Salkites can also be rather territorial which can result in a bloody battle between them. According to The Oum Codex, there was a bloody war for dominance which resulted in the thinning of numbers of the one eyed equivalent. The remaining ten of the Salkites are all that’s left.

Not all hope is lost as it is foretold that the one eyes will rise again. With new warriors in the works. On the subject of relationships, the occurrence of a Hoodlite or Salkite being adopted by a human is rare as they are often not trustworthy towards humans with the exception of their princess; Sadie mac Lir and several others.

That said, the era that the Hoodlites and Salkites live in for now is peace with the exceptions of several looming threats or rouges among their own. With their surface neighbors, the Hoodlites and Salkites share a trade. Providing shards of their abilities to worthy humans. Forging weapons to defend themselves known as The Switch Blade (Explored in another time) 

For now, its peace in their time until the great evil rises.

Thanks for reading

Since late 2018 up until 2022, I have been wrestling with writing, constructing and shaping the world of < Murder The Crow > more specifically, the place known as Kingshaven through the eyes of my main character; Sadie mac Lir.

In this post, I’m going to provide an update on what is this series all about as well as breakdown the overall development so far. If you are new to my blog and you don’t know what is going on. This post will be a good guide.

Title logo may change, this is just a placeholder

- Kingshaven: EXPLORED -

I’ve thought about this a lot recently. In all of my posts about < Murder The Crow > I’ve included the name Kingshaven and Kingshaven Academy. 

“But where/ what is Kingshaven?” I hear you ask.

Well, its just a name I decided to adopt and use to explain away where my characters and creatures live. The name for Kingshaven is mostly inspired by the Blue-eared kingfisher. 

Named as Haven based on a real life location in my country; [Peacehaven in Genting Highlands] and loosely laid out in terms of environment from; [Mount Singai, Bau]

I was always inspired by fiction where the main characters go to a camp or school to learn and train in magic or combat. Preparing to defend themselves against other monsters who seeks to do them harm. Camp Half-Blood is a very good example in the fictional world. As a youth, I used to go to an annual year end Youth camp under different locations. 

That sense of exploration, the atmosphere of being among youths. The mass gathering, the cliques, the participation of activities has always been my joy and my aim to recapture that magic once more in the Haven. Overtime, I decided to create an entire country/ island instead. Inspired by the playground world of To Aru; [Academy City]

I envisioned it to be an island that is wildly populated and untamed by ancient forests, mountains, rivers and caves and the city being a walled up place as protection from calamities and other horrible monsters adorned with artistic outdoor furniture. Standing on the edge of an unreachable cliff is the legendary tip of the buried giant obelisk that glows from day and night. Whose origin is still unknown but is the sole reason for the very existence of the Hoodlites and Salkites; The Mysterious Burning Core.

As a civilization, Kingshaven is considered as an advanced civilization but slightly out of time. Having most of their machines and devices being older than other parts of the world. While the world functions by science, Kingshaven thrives under the trade system of shards between the humans and the Hoodlites/ Salkites. Living under the influence of the STAB system as their version of science and source of power.

- Meet the Characters -

What started as just my former HPHM OC; Sadie mac Lir living in her own world. Specifically an ancient school known as; Kingshaven Academy eventually evolved into questions filled with more characters. Such is the case for Hector James Dagger. 

As a way to make Hector stand out more against the other male characters. I decided to give him blacken out eyes. Despite him intended to look scary turned out to be well received by some of my audience. Calling him cute or handsome. Unintentionally ended up as the edgy cool guy character. 

This gave me the confidence to come up with a new character to fulfill the ole saying “See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil” This eventually gave me an excuse to revive an old mate, [Jamie Ann Robyn] back from the void but still with no clear reason and story to her return. 

Allowing me to shape the different types of people one will meet when visiting the Haven. The people at Kingshaven are slightly peculiar. While they are mostly human. They each have unique features on their faces.

Elvenlead - Elf ears with the perk of heightened hearing but with the drawback of temperature sensitivity.

Hollowaye - Darken out eyes with the perk of night vision or being able to see some unseen things but with the drawback of light sensitivity.

Grimmjaw - Sew mouths with the perk of needles containing venom but with the drawback of a tasteless tongue. 

With these three conditions/ features. I was able to make a unique mark on the various designs found in my characters. It is a way for me to make my designs outstanding with the different features as well as the difference in head types. 

As a personal note, the head shapes don’t define the boys from the girls. They are universally used by all. The noses are triangular facing up or down and they have mostly wide eyes. With that said, I have been testing out a more Chibi version of my characters which suggested [the Lite-noids] which I am hoping to bring back in some way or form.

- The Haven’s Creatures -

Aside from just [Hoodlites and Salkites: REBORN] There are also additional beings who shares the same form and loyalty to the Core in different ways. 

The creatures found in Kingshaven are all creations of the Burning Core. Their powers are universally based on the STAB System and for some, they share more than one ability. To easily break this down, here are all the explored beings so far.

Hoodlites - group based beings, individualistic but united for the same duty and goal. The name means; hooded, little beings. Inspired by the Teru Teru Bōzu. The Japanese rain ghost talisman of blessings and from the Aos sí in Irish mythology. The fairy folks who acts as helpers and fierce guardians to kind humans that offers food.

Salkites - duo based beings, preferring to work with partners to achieve their goals with less. The name means; single focused and superior beings. Inspired by the Fomorians in Irish mythology.

[Cycatopus] - much less of a race rather, an individual clone race under Vox of The Red. They act as the physical embodiment of the white blood cell to the Lite-noids. Inspired by the Instagram logo but just for shits and giggles cause normal eyes is too normal.

Insight; As much as I wanted to stick the design to the name established for the Hoodlites and Salkites. I felt too restricted in terms of the variations I want to make which changed several times from fully limbed to just tails. These scrapped ideas will eventually lead to the new redesign of the Hoodlites being in a metaphorical hood/ persona. Changing the lore completely which I am very happy with. 

The Salkites on the other hand is a later addition. They started out as fast slithering beings, similar to eels. More akin to the name itself which also suffered the same issues of being too restricted. In my desperation, I toyed around with the new Hoodlite design which prompted a new additional change of one eye to represent the new Salkites. A Yin to the Yang so to speak.

Next, we have the most recent addition; The Broncopod or Rudy. I loved the idea of a kaiju or monster that is very dinosaur based and so, by using an old idea that used to be for the Salkites. It developed to become an idea for the Broncopod.

I consider Sadie, Hector, the Hoodlites and the Salkites as the first phase to the development of the < Murder The Crow > Mythos. While the Cycatopus and Broncopod as the second phase. That said, My rule of thumb is, if it hasn’t reached digital stage. Its not considered as canonical and even if it has. There is a high possibility that I will change it for the better. 

- Power Systems and Weapons -

The world of Kingshaven is solely powered by the STAB System which is short for; Stan, Tide, Ange and Bolt. Which is inspired and slightly altered by the real life scientific theory; The States of Matter.

This theory is the physical embodiment of material that can cause an effect to the world at large and is harnessed by the Hoodlites and Salkites With each being having one Burning Core and one ability. Their abilities each have a certain color and their effects are as addressed;

Stan (Solid) - Cubes that is similar to crystals. They are a lot tougher to break and they act as buildable bricks the user can use to build and forge new constructs.

Tide (Liquid) - Blast of water that is similar to goo or polyester. The material can also change in terms of its thickness with different effects. Often used in weapons since its the easiest one to find.

Ange (Gas) - Blades of pocket air that functions under its own laws. Its able to cause irritations, helpful for getaways. Its also able to increase and decrease the speed of objects it comes in contact with.

Bolt (Plasma) - Beam of charged energy that can break anything. Known simply as the strongest material, its also considered one of the most difficult element to capture.

These powers also leave behind shards. Small bits that the humans picked up to forge their own weapons and tools. Each customized and personified to the wielder's personality.

As for other skills and powers, there is also the various features found in the humans as well as their ingenuity to build more advanced weapons to defend themselves. Interestingly, I had this concept for making a popular weapon to be around the size of the sonic screwdriver like in Doctor Who but with the transformable option; Melee/ Range as seen in RWBY.

- Caw’s mythology: UNBOUND -

The intent of this post is to for me to give in to my demons for worldbuilding and allowing my ideas to take form in some existing record. All that you have read is a collection of my unbound creativity existing in a sandbox. Waiting to be used as props for storytelling reasons.

Taking inspiration from HP Lovecraft’s willingness to allow his correspondence to precure his props and world for their own interpretation. It is still an infant but its steadily growing and this is just the beginning.

At its core, < Murder The Crow > is as the title suggested. The mission to kill a certain creature/ person known to be as the Crow. Who is the Crow? I have no idea yet but I ask for attention cause when you least expect it. The Crow will appear and calamity will fall.

For now though, this is all that I have. If you wish to know more and join the Hood. Adopt a Hoodlite/Salkite now and hunt for the Crow together with Sadie and Hector. Let the hunt begin!

Thanks for reading

- 26 October 2021 | Connect -

Hoodlites have two devotions. The Burning Core; their source of existence and their Human Partners. However, there are tales of one Hoodlite who lives centuries with not a single human partner. They call this Hoodlite; Vox of the Red. The one who may be the first of all who came after.

Legend says that Vox was once a human who offers to Connect (Prompt) their soul to the Core. Vox became the Core’s best solider and was crowned as the Prince of The Core. Vox is less of a protector and more of a traveler. They act as watchful eyes for their brethren against beings far ancient and far darker in this world. No one has seen Vox for centuries but every once in a while. They claim to have seen a red hooded being who stands by the Core. Gazing deeply, whispering. 

The Core has changed its shape a little bit, also please welcome back. Vox of the Red. An old character I made since the early conception. You may have noticed that I would address a Hoodlite as They/Them. I’m happy to inform you that Hoodlites are Non-binary beings. Meaning, they don’t identify as male nor female. Think of every Hoodlite as an MC in a “Choose your own adventure” game. You never know what they’ll pick.