World building: Humans and their past

The Beginning

Now that you've all been introduced to a handful of my main characters, I'd like to take my next few blogs to try and cover some lore and details about the world that these characters will be set in. 

 

Present Day:

  Before I get into the past, I'd like to set up what the present will look and feel like, since that's when the story will primarily take place. Everything else is to build up to the present day and make it feel real and interesting and unique. 

 Firstly, present day will be much like our own modern world, but more fantastical. Imagine something akin to "Steven Universe", or "Adventure Time". It would be like a mix of the two, taking inspiration from Adventure Time's many different creatures and characters of different species and 'elements,' but being set in a more realistic world such as Steven Universe. Modern technology and modern problems but with a dash of magic if you will.  

 Without going too much into detail quite yet, this is the basic premise of the present day. Nothing too crazy! 

 Not yet at least. 

The Past:

 Now, talking about the past is where things get just a little bit complicated, so I hope you'll bear with me as I try to explain!

 In the past, before they could become so advanced as they are now, humans were the main form of truly sentient life. They grew, adapted, and evolved to become better and stronger, until they became the dominating force. At one point, however, something... changed. Humans, as they continued to grow as a species, started coming across strange happenings. 

 

 Phenomenon that they couldn't understand. A man with the strength of a hundred men, a woman who seemed to conjure items at random around her, children who wielded flames... 

 It was horrifying, to say the least. In the early years of these phenomenon, people who showed signs of any kind of strangeness was out-casted at best, and trialed at worst. 

 Trial's almost always ended in death. 

 These trials and fear lasted hundreds of years, until humanity became advanced enough to think to research these phenomena. Finally, people's fear's were put to rest. 

They deemed it Magic

 There was now a name put to the happenings, and slowly, people's fear begun to come to a slow. Trial's gradually stopped, and then were banned all together for cruelty and murder without cause. After all, it's not like even the people back then knew what they possessed, nor anything harmful they could even attempt with it. That's just how fear works. 

 And with that, research skyrocketed, along with the acceptance of this strange new 'magic' people were being born with. To this day, no one knows where or how it came to be. Scientists believe that it has something to do with the brain they just can't possibly understand, while other's think it to be from a divine being, a higher power bestowing them with a gift, but no one can be sure. 

Magic became commonplace. Within each household typically there was at least one magic user, and as the years went by, the number of magic users in the world increased, as well as their ability to hone their magic. Schools integrated it into the curriculum, as did jobs, entertainment, everything.

Truly, it was a widespread phenomenon, and it was rapidly transforming into a positive one at that. So much so, that...

It started to change them.

For better, and for worse.

World building p.2: What became of them

To continue on from my last blog I want to jump right away into the concepts that I've drawn up and developed for the aftermath of humans and their pursuits in magic. 

Due to time restraints I'll just cover what I've created so far, but believe you me, there will be more to come!

 Elementals: 

 So far, these are the four main pages of concepts that I've come up for each subset of 'elemental' that I've created. Starting with some basics: earth, water, wind and fire. I'll do my best to give you all a little information on each of them, starting with:

Sketch page of water elemental concepts

Water- 

 First I'll say that every elemental can vary in a spectrum from "mostly humanoid" to "100% elemental," that meaning that depending on their connection to their element, they will either look more or less like said element. Each can also vary depending on how many states of being that element has, for example, water comes in three main forms we're all familiar with. Solid, liquid, gas. So you could come across an elemental who has a form made of mostly water, or ice, or even clouds! They also have the most unique anatomy as they lean closer to the "100% elemental" side of the scale. (This, however, is something I plan to develop a bit more...) 
Water elementals tend to be the most  down to earth of the four main groups, right behind the wind elementals. Earth would come in third, while fire would be last (this does not make them bad though! No Fire Nation stereotypes here). 

Sketch page of wind elemental concepts

Wind- 

Now, wind is definitely the elemental that I had the hardest time developing. My small sketch page here shows just that, but I did my best to jot down concepts that I thought could be fun to develop. They are the most in tune and connected with nature, and tend to be very free spirits. I also enjoyed the idea that they would be able to affect other elementals, basing some wind elementals on being either High pressure or Low pressure.. this is something I'm definitely going to be giving more thought as I continue forward. 
Since wind doesn't really have a shape to it, I figured these folks would wind up being the most human like, though.. perhaps 100% wind elementals could exist, but just be much much rarer than other full elementals.  

Sketch page of fire elemental concepts

Fire- 

Fire elementals were actually the first one's I started to design, and they were the ones I had the most fun with. They honestly have a bit of overlap with the earth elementals in that while I was sketching, if only because I found myself drawn a lot to the idea of characters with hair made of magma.. this also led me to the train of thought that there are so many sub-elementals as a result of inter-elemental relations. (Such as a fire and earth elemental getting together, and having the change to create a sort of hybrid. Don't think too hard about it, its fantasy haha) 

Sketch page of earth elemental concepts

Earth- 

These were definitely some of my favorite concepts to come up with, if only because I came out of this sketch page with a character that I can't wait to draw and develop more (he's the one in the middle-ish part of the page). I also loved the idea of creating characters based off of gem's as well, and working more on how their anatomy works exactly.. for the more human-like earth elementals, I like to think that their rock like appearance is mostly skin/surface deep, while their anatomy would stay much like that of a human on the inside. Perhaps somewhat different, since they Literally have incredibly tough skin.


 I hope you found those little tidbits interesting! Now here at the end I'll post more drawings that I've done, specifically character drawings that I've been working towards. 

Fire elemental potential character- based off a candle wick

Another fire elemental character- based on a fire

Magma fire elemental character concept

Water elemental character concept, icy photographer

Earth elemental concept character, metal man (loves cats)

World building p. 3: Moving forward

For this blog I'll focus primarily on writing instead of illustration, cause at this point in the story, I haven't quite gotten to the drawing it out part. 

I covered one of the forms humans took on after they let magic change them, elementals, but I do have two more species that I'd like to talk about in future blogs (which, for the time being, I will omit for now). For right now, I'd like to focus on the story as to what happens shortly after this evolution of the human race. 

So... for a time, all was well. Humans grew and changed and it was a breakthrough to the creation of new cultures, new traditions, new ways of prosperity..  
As well as new ways of thinking. 
 Sadly, peace was not to last. Conflict will always start over the smallest things, turned into the biggest of wars.  


Humans and their former selves distanced themselves, created their own communities and flourishing  lives, only to find themselves clashing hundreds of years later. By then, magic was everywhere, and it was powerful. It was easy for the fighting to begin. People were trained in the art of dangerous magic. Water elementals honed the fluids within their enemies to bring them down. Fire elementals burned others alive, and in turn found themselves smothered and drenched. Earth elementals wreaked havoc until their bodies crumbled apart. Humans exploited their enemies weaknesses. 

It was a terrible, terrible time. War raged on and off for what felt like an eternity. 

 Until centuries later, gradually, each race started to restrict the use of magic. Humans banned it all together, while elementals had to make due with strict limitations, being made of magic themselves.
Treaties were formed, fighting gradually stopped... things became peaceful again, for a time. 
But it was a strained peace. 

With magic being banned, traditions and cultures were broken and torn apart. Witch hunting was brought back in full force, hundreds of people who wished to continue using magic, for personal reasons not pertaining to fighting, were found and punished. For a time, punishments were light, however... taking a page out of their long ago ancestors book, those deemed 'witches' were killed. Hung, beat, stoned, burned. Until people were too afraid to keep trying. 

Powerful lineages of magic users were wiped out. Magic became pitifully scarce. 

And now, in present times, it'd be a miracle to find anybody naturally gifted in magic. Everybody has a tiny bit of magic within them, especially elementals, but it is seldom used. Witch hunts are being brought to a stop, being deemed too cruel and twisted, but there are still those out there who advocate it. Punishments for light magic use have been toned down, but the study of actual magic has been banned and will be more severely punished. 

This is the world that I will be delving into with my art and stories.

Character introductions P.3!

The Found Family: 

From left to right: Spade (tomcat), Nexus (red fox)

Spade and Nexus were the last 'family' that I had started developing. I had the two characters already created after Ace and Club, though it was only till recently that I decided to make them a family. And now they're one of my favorite family dynamics that I've created thus far.

Spade, the strong younger brother:

 Growing up, Spade lived in an orphanage. It was small, in a tiny town, but was well taken care of by a couple of sweet ladies. Since he hadn't grown up in the orphanage since birth, he held feelings of resentment from a very young age about his situation. This led Spade to act out, become mean and aggressive, and ultimately left him un-adopted well into his early teens. All he could do was stay though, this orphanage being all he knew for such a long time.. that is, until he really met Nexus. 

Nexus, the meek older brother:

Nexus, unlike Spade, was left to be practically born and raised at the same orphanage. They knew nothing else but the home they were raised in, so they didn't grow resentful like Spade. However, they did grow up to be very different from even the rest of the kid's. Nexus hardly ever speaks, and even as a kit, they barely cried. This isn't to say they can't talk, they do! Just not very often. In actuality this led them to learning sign language as a young age, and finding more comfort in talking to others like that, though it's hard to talk to people who don't also know sign language. They also learned to read and write at a young age too, talking through notes and often burying their nose in a book or two. Their day's were routine and boring, and like Spade, with their unusual behavior, they weren't adopted well into their teens either. One day, this changed as Spade and Nexus became more aware of each other.

The Found Family's Journey:  

 Unlike the other two families, these two have no previous history, rather they've been growing their history since the moment they met one another. Both were unwanted by the parents who came in, wanting to adopt, both were outcasts, different. So as they grew to know one another.. they decided to run away. Spade had thought of it previously, but being one teenager, he wouldn't have been able to pull it off. With a second person though, someone else who understood what it was like, he thought they could pull it off. 

 And so, they did. Despite being the more troubled kid's, it was relatively easy to get a couple of backpacks with food, water and clothes and simply sneak out of one of the windows. With that, Spade and Nexus hit the road, never looking back (though, Nexus did write a farewell note, to be polite).  

  After they hit the road on their independent journey, they became incredibly close. Closer than the two even realized would've been possible. They went through many trials, from trying to find places to sleep, get money, get food, etc. It was hard, but they always had each other. When they eventually found a place to stay, Spade would work hard to get money for them, while Nexus would do research on the local area, from anything from quick cash grabs, extra part time work, garage sales to find cheap things like blankets or clothes. This became their normal, and after some time saving money up in one area, they'd sell whatever wasn't essential to carry and move on to another town to do it all over again, in the hopes they'd find the perfect area to settle down. Currently they reside in Ace and Club's hometown (name TBD).

Character introductions P.2!

The Rabbit Family:

From left to right: Club (child), Drake (father)

Don't let it fool you, this family and the hare family are two totally different sides of the spectrum. Although they may seem similar on the outside, both their species and their family dynamics are very different. I started working on Club sometime after Ace, and so their development went hand in hand, thus why they're characters which are very close to one another.

Club, the strange rabbit:

 Club was, without a doubt, a very strange child growing up, and arguably still is well into adulthood. Growing up, they spent a lot of their time home alone, having two busy parents who didn't have much time or energy for them. This led Club to have a lot of social skills when they went through school, not knowing how to really interact with others or what was deemed 'socially acceptable' by the general public. This was an easy excuse to ostracize Club and for many years left them without a healthy group of peers.
 Though this definitely had an affect on Club as they grew up, they weren't entirely bothered by the fact that they didn't have friends. They were left alone most of the time, no one talked bad or picked on them... so it wasn't a problem. Though, the moment Club found and became friends with Ace, the two practically became siblings. The two found each other in their freshman year of high school and have been glued at the hip ever since. The two helped each other through a lot of hard times, one of such being their identities. Ace talked to Club a lot about his gender identity throughout high school and Club shared their thoughts and experiences as well, eventually coming out as Non-Binary to Ace, while Ace came out as trans to them, and then to the rest of his family come senior year. Club is technically still in the closet to most people except for Ace.
 Nowadays Club finds them self playing up their strangeness and have little to no care about what other people say. They've become fascinated with fashion so much so that they post online almost every day sporting a brand-new outfit, and have gained quite a following doing so.

Drake, the deadbeat dad:

 Drake, Club's father, has never been a very honest or open man even before his child was born. And on top of that, he's known to have an above-average temper as well. Needless to say this caused him more than a little grief in life. 
 When Club was born Drake had been in a relationship with a businesswoman. Their personalities meshed well enough, however, once a child entered the picture things started to go downhill fast. There were petty arguments over nothing, fights over work, time spend with one another and the kid, money, etc. It proved too much so, having never been married to Drake, Club's mother parted ways with him only a few years after her child's birth. Drake was a mess afterwards, angry and resentful, so much so that he lost his current job. Despite it all, he tired to be a good father. 
 Drake moved a handful of times with his child before settling in a small apartment, hiring baby sitters to watch his kid while he was at work, but ultimately leaving Club to look after them self once they were old enough. His relationship with Club has always been strained, but he truly thinks he did the best he could with the little he had.

The rabbit family as a whole:

 Suffice to say the rabbit family is more than a little dysfunctional, especially compared to the Hare family. Club never really got to know their mom, and even when she was around for those first few years, she kept herself busy with work, as did Drake. Though they were young the fights between his parents did definitely leave a toll on his psyche, and so did their mom leaving and having to move around so much. That reason being because Drake was in such internal turmoil that he kept losing the jobs he was getting hired at, not making enough money, and was forced to sell his things and move to cheaper and smaller homes to try and keep himself and his child afloat. This also means that Club didn't grow up in the best living conditions most of his life, and while they eventually did get settled in an apartment, Club also never got a lot of little luxuries other kids did. This has likely resulted in Club's fascination with very nice clothes that they've gained over the years.

Character introductions P.1!

For the first couple of blogs, I've chosen to talk about some of my main characters and their respective families. First off, I'd like to start with my oldest character, Ace, and his family.

 

The Hare Family:

From left to right: Steven (dad), Wade (brother), Ace (main character), Debby (mom), and Max (brother) [normal coats]

From left to right: Steven (dad), Wade (brother), Ace (main character), Debby (mom), and Max (brother) [winter coats]

Ace was one of the first characters I started developing years ago and so he was the first whose family I sketched up and will be talking about! Ace has the most 'complete' family you could say (though they're not without their faults as I will get into).

First, I'll talk about each character individually. 

Steven, the hardworking dad: 

 Steven is what you may or may not consider a stereotypical father. He's hardworking, cares deeply about his family, is moderately religious and can be headstrong and stubborn from time to time. That being said, he still does his best to grow as a person. Although he's in his 40s he understands that he's not always right, and with the help of his wife he reflects on his thoughts, actions and beliefs quite a lot.
 He makes it a point to be the one who supports his family the most. While Ace has a part time job and helps from time to time, he took on a second job so that his wife could spend time at home taking care of their two children.

Ace, the optimistic son: 

 Ace, one of the main characters of my world, is definitely the most fleshed out of his family and perhaps of all the 'main' character's I've come up with so far. He is without a doubt somewhat based off myself and my own life experiences, but we are not one in the same.
 Ace is transgender and out to his family and most of his friends, having come out of the closet to them his senior year of high school. As it stands, Ace has only begun his social transition, but over the course of his story he will physically transition as well. That being said, when he was younger his body dysphoria made a lasting mark on his mental health, leaving him with aggressive depression and anxiety. This left his older self with not the best social life or coping mechanisms, but with the help of his childhood friend Club, he's been doing better bit by bit. As the title I've given him says, he's probably one of the most optimistic characters of his life. He does his best to look on the bright side of things and not let himself get wrapped up in pessimism. 
 Having graduated high school, Ace went straight into a full-time job at a local grocery shop to help provide for himself and his parents. He never had enough money to move out on his own or pursue a higher education, but he's content helping his supportive parents and siblings till he has enough saved up to spread his wings.

Debby, the kind mother: 

 Debby is, without a doubt, an incredibly patient and sweet mother. Even as a younger woman she was always very motherly to her own family and her soon to be husband Steven, so when she had her first child, needless to say she was ecstatic. Of course, even she can't have an endless amount of patience, so from time to time she finds herself incredibly agitated and easily angered. In times like this her husband will step in to watch the kids while she gets a day to herself to relax. To her, this normally means a warm bath and a good book to read with a warm cup of tea. Or alternatively, you can find her binging one of her favorite series, namely those of the horror genre. When she's not swamped trying to wrangle her two twins into behaving, she deeply enjoys cooking and baking while listening to her shows or whatever may have piqued her interest at the time. She enjoys learning about new things, specifically superstitions, horror stories, folktales and the like.  

Wade, the shy brother: 

 Wade, although young, is a very shy and timid child. He's almost always found clinging to the side of his older brother or one of his parents, but when he's not, he's getting into trouble with his fraternal twin brother Max. Though young Wade is a very kind little kid and he often tries to take the blame when his brother gets himself into trouble, though the family has come to know this behavior all too well and tend to scold both brothers when they do something they shouldn't be.

Max, the little rascal:

 Max, unlike Wade, is incredibly rambunctious and wild and more often than not tends to get himself into trouble, while dragging Wade along with him. Though he's not a bad kid, he has a tendency to not think things through and will jump at the chance to do anything he deems 'exciting, cool or fun.' This can range from anything from climbing onto the roof via. a nearby tree, sneaking into their older brother's room while he's at work and getting into his stuff to play with, getting into their mother's makeup, or even trying to use the oven on their own to make cookies. Normally Max does these things himself, but can and will drag his brother into his shenanigans if he thinks it'd be more fun.

The Hare Family as a whole:  

 Overall, Ace has a relatively normal and incredibly supportive family. Though they are not without their faults. Steven works two jobs and even though his love for his family is strong, he finds himself exhausted most days and has a hard time when it comes to giving his wife a break from the kids and in turn giving his kids the time and attention they need. Debby too will become stressed because of this and tends to not handle her stress well, so she's the one most likely to snap the children, only to immediately apologize. Ace does his best as well to watch and take care of his siblings when his parents are tired, despite being tired along with them, but due to the fact that they're continuing to let him live with them he feels an obligation to give them a break every now and then, which they appreciate. 
 They always make it work, however. Despite it all they are an incredibly close family and no amount of fighting or arguments would be able to tear them apart, that's just how they are.