Phaethon
March 21st, 2006, 03:48 PM
So as you probably haven't noticed, I haven't popped up on conceptart.org for a while. Here's what I've been doing! For my studio class, I wanted to combine my usual scifi/fantasy stuff with some life drawing. So I cooked up a fantasy/scifi world with six different civilizations and I'm now sketching each of my classmates as a character from one of the civilizations, half from life and half from imagination. Here's the backstory on the world and its civilizations:
The eastern continent of the world of Kai is home to six civilizations locked in a struggle between technology and magic. On one side are the robotic Tobai, the steam-and-clockwork Baro, and the agrarian Trittins. On the other side are the flashy elementalist Chosen, the druidic Kaian, and the necromantic Undead.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Tobai2.jpg
The Tobai (High-Technology) are a race of androids; highly developed but incredibly reclusive. Their origins are unknown, but it is believed that they replaced a human “creator race” whose robotic creations lived on after the race’s own extinction. The Tobai’s mastery of electronics is unparalleled, but they are far more interested in using it for self-improvement rather than any sort of exploration or conquest. Thus, an individual Tobai’s life goal is to develop a better version of itself. Each will create anywhere from one to ten “next generation” models before it considers itself obsolete and shuts down. Two holdovers from their mysterious progenitors remain: gender (purely aesthetic) and the city-states into which they are divided (16 in all). Tobai stand about 6 and ½ feet tall, and are notable for the individualized pattern of seams running down and across their cyan faces.
“Item 1A: I am artificial. Item 1B: I can think. Item 1C: I can create.”
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Baro2.jpg
The Baro (Mid-Technology) of the Kingdom of Baros are a fairly young nation of technological innovators. Believing strongly in quality of design (sometimes to the exception of practicality of design), Baro scientists and inventors construct all manner of elaborate steam and clockwork-powered machines to improve the lives of their people. A bit fearful of Tobai-style electronics, the Baro maintain a distinctly mechanical, yet decorative, design sensibility. Under the current monarch, King Harold Philippe II, there has been some rudimentary experimentation with electricity. The Baro do not exactly consider the light bulb threatening to their way of life, for example. The Baro have the distinction of being one of two human races, along with The Chosen. The two nations, however, are historically bitter enemies.
“Invention is the mother of necessity!”
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Trittin2.jpg
Trittins (Low-Technology)are a race of short, fur-covered people. They are primarily hydroponic farmers, though they sometimes dabble in bio-engineering and genetics. While they make use of technology to a great degree, Trittins try not to let it overcomplicate their lives. They are not pretentious, but have a very strict sense of social formality. Even the most common farmer will want his place set properly for dinner. This has led to something of a jittery racial disposition. However, a Trittin enjoys nothing more than a relaxing stroll or reading a good book, even if he has to carefully budget his time. Trittins live in an autonomous collective of small parishes. They stand about four feet tall and can have fur in colors ranging from brown to yellow to purple.
“Maybe we should just take a step back and think about this over tea?”
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Chosen2.jpg
Kai’s other human race, The Chosen (High-Magic), fancy themselves the world’s elite magic-users. Almost religious in their arts of flashy water, fire, earth, and air magic, they have a marked disdain for anything not elementally powered. This puts them at odds with the electricity-driven Tobai and the coal-based Baro. On several occasions in the past, under more radical Mage Councils (The Chosen’s ruling assembly), they have launched anti-technology Crusades against Kai’s technological nations. Their sense of superiority is not entirely unfounded, as Chosen magic can usually stand toe-to-toe with advanced Tobai technology. However, their attitude wears a little thin with their magical allies, the Kaian and the Undead.
“We are The Chosen, our magic is might, our might is right.”
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Kaian2.jpg
The Kaian (Mid-Magic)are a race of demi-human tree people, living in harmony with nature. They don’t build any buildings, make any tools, or weave any clothing, but instead practice a form of druidism in which they can “ask” the natural world to aid them by changing shape. For example, if a Kaian needs a shelter, he may “ask” a tree to shape-shift into a structure. If he needs a weapon he may “ask” a branch to become a spear. And if he needs clothing he may “ask” an animal to give up its spirit for a time and become clothing. When the Kaian no longer needs the object, it returns to its original form. The Kaian have no government – each individual takes full responsibility for his own actions, guided by the precept that he must protect the natural world. They stand about seven feet tall, and are covered not in skin, but bark.
“For a thousand generations we have protected these forests…”
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Undead2.jpg
Not a race of their own choosing, the Undead (Low-Magic)have accepted their lot as reanimated corpses and banded together to form a sort of civilization. The bulk of the Undead were once human, either Baro or Chosen, raised to walk again by rogue Chosen necromancers. Necromancy is mostly forbidden amongst The Chosen, and is thus an underdeveloped art. Corpses reanimated by a necromancer only remain bound to his will for a short time before reverting to free will. Because they have died, an undead person can never recover the personality he had in life. This has led to a blank slate philosophy; the Undead are well aware that they have been given a second chance in the world and mean to use it to its full potential. They do, however, retain a healthy irreverence for the works of the living.
“To hell with the living.”
The eastern continent of the world of Kai is home to six civilizations locked in a struggle between technology and magic. On one side are the robotic Tobai, the steam-and-clockwork Baro, and the agrarian Trittins. On the other side are the flashy elementalist Chosen, the druidic Kaian, and the necromantic Undead.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Tobai2.jpg
The Tobai (High-Technology) are a race of androids; highly developed but incredibly reclusive. Their origins are unknown, but it is believed that they replaced a human “creator race” whose robotic creations lived on after the race’s own extinction. The Tobai’s mastery of electronics is unparalleled, but they are far more interested in using it for self-improvement rather than any sort of exploration or conquest. Thus, an individual Tobai’s life goal is to develop a better version of itself. Each will create anywhere from one to ten “next generation” models before it considers itself obsolete and shuts down. Two holdovers from their mysterious progenitors remain: gender (purely aesthetic) and the city-states into which they are divided (16 in all). Tobai stand about 6 and ½ feet tall, and are notable for the individualized pattern of seams running down and across their cyan faces.
“Item 1A: I am artificial. Item 1B: I can think. Item 1C: I can create.”
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Baro2.jpg
The Baro (Mid-Technology) of the Kingdom of Baros are a fairly young nation of technological innovators. Believing strongly in quality of design (sometimes to the exception of practicality of design), Baro scientists and inventors construct all manner of elaborate steam and clockwork-powered machines to improve the lives of their people. A bit fearful of Tobai-style electronics, the Baro maintain a distinctly mechanical, yet decorative, design sensibility. Under the current monarch, King Harold Philippe II, there has been some rudimentary experimentation with electricity. The Baro do not exactly consider the light bulb threatening to their way of life, for example. The Baro have the distinction of being one of two human races, along with The Chosen. The two nations, however, are historically bitter enemies.
“Invention is the mother of necessity!”
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Trittin2.jpg
Trittins (Low-Technology)are a race of short, fur-covered people. They are primarily hydroponic farmers, though they sometimes dabble in bio-engineering and genetics. While they make use of technology to a great degree, Trittins try not to let it overcomplicate their lives. They are not pretentious, but have a very strict sense of social formality. Even the most common farmer will want his place set properly for dinner. This has led to something of a jittery racial disposition. However, a Trittin enjoys nothing more than a relaxing stroll or reading a good book, even if he has to carefully budget his time. Trittins live in an autonomous collective of small parishes. They stand about four feet tall and can have fur in colors ranging from brown to yellow to purple.
“Maybe we should just take a step back and think about this over tea?”
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Chosen2.jpg
Kai’s other human race, The Chosen (High-Magic), fancy themselves the world’s elite magic-users. Almost religious in their arts of flashy water, fire, earth, and air magic, they have a marked disdain for anything not elementally powered. This puts them at odds with the electricity-driven Tobai and the coal-based Baro. On several occasions in the past, under more radical Mage Councils (The Chosen’s ruling assembly), they have launched anti-technology Crusades against Kai’s technological nations. Their sense of superiority is not entirely unfounded, as Chosen magic can usually stand toe-to-toe with advanced Tobai technology. However, their attitude wears a little thin with their magical allies, the Kaian and the Undead.
“We are The Chosen, our magic is might, our might is right.”
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Kaian2.jpg
The Kaian (Mid-Magic)are a race of demi-human tree people, living in harmony with nature. They don’t build any buildings, make any tools, or weave any clothing, but instead practice a form of druidism in which they can “ask” the natural world to aid them by changing shape. For example, if a Kaian needs a shelter, he may “ask” a tree to shape-shift into a structure. If he needs a weapon he may “ask” a branch to become a spear. And if he needs clothing he may “ask” an animal to give up its spirit for a time and become clothing. When the Kaian no longer needs the object, it returns to its original form. The Kaian have no government – each individual takes full responsibility for his own actions, guided by the precept that he must protect the natural world. They stand about seven feet tall, and are covered not in skin, but bark.
“For a thousand generations we have protected these forests…”
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Phaethon/Undead2.jpg
Not a race of their own choosing, the Undead (Low-Magic)have accepted their lot as reanimated corpses and banded together to form a sort of civilization. The bulk of the Undead were once human, either Baro or Chosen, raised to walk again by rogue Chosen necromancers. Necromancy is mostly forbidden amongst The Chosen, and is thus an underdeveloped art. Corpses reanimated by a necromancer only remain bound to his will for a short time before reverting to free will. Because they have died, an undead person can never recover the personality he had in life. This has led to a blank slate philosophy; the Undead are well aware that they have been given a second chance in the world and mean to use it to its full potential. They do, however, retain a healthy irreverence for the works of the living.
“To hell with the living.”