Rigel B: 8/5 Homework

 

Project Title: Overcast

Fonts: Shuriken Boy Regular, Avenir Regular, Adobe Fonts

Overcast: Elevator Pitch

In a world of spirits and humans, everything has begun to accelerate exponentially. The story takes place in a world where humans and spirits have lived together since the dawn of time, at their equivalent of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, humanity's point of exponential technological growth. The sun spirit’s administration once stood above all others in the universe, but has fallen out of favor as times have changed, and they are no longer the most powerful beings in reality. Now out of tribute and funds in a world unrecognizable compared to anything that has come before, the solar administration scrambles to reclaim their place in reality. 

Kechi is one of the spirits tasked with revitalizing the honor of the sun spirits. He is a trusted and competent messenger, but his serious and high strung personality makes gaining favor with humanity difficult. 

    He begins his campaign by entering Brume, a mountainous city filled with humans and spirits alike, high within the clouds. Here he tries to improve people's conception of the sun spirits, while learning just how much everything has changed.

    As he does this, he meets people and spirits who help set him on a path to a solution. Two of these are a spider spirit who is possessing a gargantuan amalgamation of a spider and a bus and it’s eccentric guide, the toad statue that sits atop it. The two have integrated into humanity perfectly, even modifying their physical forms to fit their tastes, but have stayed true to their spiritual nature even as everything around them has changed. 

The city Kechi has been sent to is called Brume, the human city of the clouds. It is governed by an extremely powerful storm spirit who was once a regular nuisance to many heavenly spirits. Once temperamental and merciless, the lord of storms now seems to serve the humans it once paid no mind to, offering them power channeled from his realm in the clouds to a grand altar at the pinnacle of the city.

    Some time after Kechi begins his assignment, the sun entirely vanishes from the sky. Kechi, knowing the sun spirit best, realizes that she has given up entirely. Kechi is unable to return to the sky without help, and he visits the altar to talk to her.

Design Notes:

    Kechi is based on the Yatagarasu, Japanese paintings, and various items of importance relating to Shintoism. His body is cloudy and ephemeral, a byproduct of his spiritual nature. Spirits have trouble existing in reality without something to bind to, so Kechi uses his box. The rope that ties it to him is a classic Japanese design, though it's function is based on the massive straw ropes used in shrines to make objects more hospitable to spirits.

    Kechi's hat was given two Japanese bells to symbolize luck. Crow spirits are naturally unlucky omens for those around them, so bells were given to each messenger on their hats to help balance their karma.

    Kechi's eyes and claws are gold to show his affinity for glittering objects.

In one of his original designs, the cloud above Kechi's box hid a third claw which he uses to interact with the world.

    Kechi is tiny, the size of an actual crow.

    In Shinto Myths, Yatagarasu are servants and messengers of the Sun Goddess Ameterasu. This has been blantantly stolen for my story, though I am not sure if I want to keep her as Ameterasu herself, or make her an omage to Ameterasu.

    Kechi's personality is a mixture of Peridot and Fused Zamasu. Maybe I should have put some more green into his design..

    The Spider is a mix of a Tarantula, Double Decker Buses, an Ancient Nazca Spider design, a Volkswagen Beetle, Jukeboxes, a Hearse, Gothic Metalwork, a large engine, Pliars, Tank Parts, Mecha, SIVA tendrils from Destiny, and various forms of lighting.

    The Frog is based on stone frog statues, a mob boss, an eggshell, and a shrine with his little rug.

    The lights draped around the Spider are there to attract customers. It makes them stand out amongst the crowd easily in a way that is less intimidating, in the same way that deep sea predators use light to attract prey.

    The frog is responsible for the finances, while the spider does the menial labor. Their split is 70/30 because all the spider is interested in is eating and small baubles. Most of their money still goes into spider, as the frog believes in investment.

    The frog speaks for both of them, though it looks like it cannot move or talk.

    Though it isn't very easy to see, the spider has a balcony.

    The Spider's seats are woven of silk.

    The Spider is actually a very classy ride aside from the insane turbulence.

    In contrast to Kechi's design, the Spider was made to specifically emulate different culture's interpretations of spirits. This is meant to show the difference between the human world and the heavens. In the heavens the spirits are mostly uniform, while on Earth they are a mesh of cultures woven together out of necessity or randomness.

    The Altar of Storms is the home of a powerful storm spirit.

    He has been helping humanity out of necessity,

Story Event notes:

   Tone is light thanks to Kechi as the main character.

    The events of the story are loosely planned out, order of events as I know them are as follows

    Introduction to 'normal' operations, Kechi delivering, the sun spirit chillin, the works.

    

    The message Kechi relays is a notice of immense losses, and a call for the solar administration to seek new sources of income. 

    The sun spirit sends him out to the human world to gather more tribute. 

    Kechi falls to the city of Brume, and stumbles his way around the new environment.

    Kechi discovers he cannot fly in the human world. 

    He runs into the vehicle, and tries to use his authority to hitch a free ride. The bus declines and Kechi walks around the city for a while

    Lost and confused, Kechi does the only thing he can think of, and starts yelling the praises of the Sun for hours until he is evicted. 

    He starts to stew about the city until a human offers him residence. 

    Kechi learns about why they choose to worship the storm spirit, and that humans and spirits have become symbiotic in a sense.

    

    Even so, Kechi thinks they have become subservient, and leaves after eating his fill of the human's cooking. 

    It's only when Kechi rencounters the Spider and the Frog that he realizes how humans and spirits have coexisted by helping one another as equals, to the point that both humans and spirits are just as likely to scam one another. 

    Kechi spends a lot of time in the city offering his service as a messenger, learning how to use human technology with the person from before, and working with the Spider and Frog to get places. He collects offerings for the sun spirit while spreading word of her. 

    The Sun Spirit's palace is foreclosed since they cannot afford to keep it up, and for the first time in millennia she panics and disables the sun entirely. 

    Kechi realizes this, and embarks to help her out. 

    He ascends to the altar of storms, has a conversation with the storm spirit, then flies into the heavens to talk to the sun spirit. 

    The sun spirit is languishing alone at her throne, and the two talk to open up to one another about what has been happening. 

    Kechi finally talks to her as an equal, sharing the new wisdom he has learned about adaptation. 

    This rouses the sun spirit, and helps her remember the courage she had lost when it came to moving forward. Though the solar administration would have to change considerably, with time and effort they will eventually rise beyond what they were before, and earn their place in the world by balancing change and tradition the way they see fit.