© 2016-2019 Nix Hydra Games Inc.

All rights reserved.

MI NOR
ARCANA

2 3
 INTRODUCTION
NIK | The first character we came
up with for the game was Asra, your
friendly neighborhood fortune tell-
er and the player’s teacher in the art
of magic. Looking back at my notes, I
wrote this about what he wanted him
to be:
ӹӹ your mentor and/or mysterious
benefactor
ӹӹ fills you with confidence in your
abilities and dreams
ӹӹ but might be tricking you about
your potential
This is actually a good summary of
how I felt most of the time towards
the project. There wasn’t much else I’d
rather be spending my time on, partly
because it was a lot of fun to work on,
and mostly because I work slow. But
there is also a great part of my inspi-
ration that came from interacting with
players who were enjoying the game.
To see it resonate with so many people
was a joy. Reading positive reviews was
an unguilty pleasure, and as I learned
new ways to work faster I gained con-
fidence in my ability to deliver content
that the players will enjoy.
But.
Dana and I planned on completing
the game in six weeks. It was such a
fun concept and so on brand for both
Dana and I, making it would be a piece
of cake. One of the most challenging
parts of designing a game is actually
making it fun, and that part would al-
ready be done for us, since we were
essentially designing it with ourselves
in mind. But like the sparkling illusion
of Asra, the confidence that we were
feeling in the project may have been
4 5
tricking us about our potential. Though
it pains me to say it, we completely un-
derestimated how much work it would
actually be.
To start off with, Dana had to design
all six characters and make all of their
portrait art. She would also be painting
a to-be-decided (countless?) number of
illustrations, as well as the 78 cards of
the Tarot deck. All the backgrounds for
a story we imagined taking place in
about a dozen locations including not
one but two palaces, which Dana paint-
ed in a fully-rendered and polished
style. On top of all that, she would have
to be designing and implementing the
user interface, and would have to do
a tremendous amount of work on the
Kickstarter project which was a whole
other story that we weren’t anticipat-
ing in the exciting first weeks.
I spent most of this time trying to de-
vise an interesting cast of characters,
keeping in mind that ideally the play-
ers would find at least one if not all of
them, as my Grandma Lily said, “seduc-
tive.” Dana’s beautiful art would have a
lot to do with that, but the characters
and to some extent the setting would
play its part. Though this is somewhat
of a spoiler, we decided at the start
that each character would be based on
one of the 22 Major Arcana of the Tar-
ot deck. I was already somewhat famil-
iar with the Major Arcana thanks to my
Miss Cleo’s Tarot Power Deck (As Seen
On TV), but my knowledge was basic.
Nonetheless, we knew within a few
hours of starting the project that our
cast would be the Fool, the Magician,
the High Priestess, the Hanged Man,
the Hermit, the Devil, and the Star.
Don’t ask why we didn’t include Death,

ӹӹ Some of the earliest concept
sketches for the characters
inspired by the Hanged Man
(top), the Devil (left), and the
High Priestess (right) depict-
ed them with pointed ears. At
this point, it was uncertain if
the characters representing
each Arcana would be god-
like beings, magical mani-
festations of their respective
cards, or just regular humans
with a special connection to
an esoteric power.
Elements of this initial Hanged
Man concept, such as the col-
lar, were later developed into
the Hermit (Muriel).
6 7
I’m not sure why either.
Reading up on each of these Major Ar-
cana was done in the overindulgent
way that I usually read up on things
when researching for a story. I’d say
about 22 hours of the first week were
spent reading about Tarot, taking notes
on how aspects of the cards should
manifest in the character’s personali-
ty, backstory, and role in the plot. The
plot, I originally thought, would write
itself as it was to in some way follow
the narrative arc of the Major Arcana:
the Fool’s journey. A path from first ad-
venture to enlightenment of the Great
Mystery. While each card has general
meanings associated with it, the beau-
ty of Tarot cards—the Major Arcana
especially—is that their imagery is
supposed to represent something that
doesn’t require explanation, arche-
types whose meaning is whatever it
evokes in the reader, if they listen to
their heart of hearts. But there is also
plenty to be read about what each one
canonically represents, and if there
was anything to read about them, I ӹӹ Above, a very early character concept that
gobbled it down… the information su- can now only be described as an unholy Asra/
Julian fusion.
perhighway had a lot to say about the
Major Arcana, all the way back to the
earliest museum-quality Geocities
sites. Since I don’t understand or as-
cribe to the idea of budgeting time, I
read it all, and slowly a story surround-
ing them began to form.
But first came the characters. ö
This page: Nikolai Ladizinsky
Opposite: Dana Rune
 CHARACTERS

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 ASRA
H E/ H I M , T H EY / T HEM
BI R TH DAY JUNE 13
H E I GH T 5’8” (173 CM)
FAVOR I TE FOOD BLUE-TONGUED SKINK
FAVO R I TE DR I N K LAPSANG SOUCHONG
FAVO R I T E FL OWE R BELLADONNA
FAVO R I TE SE ASON SPRING

Both pages: Dana Rune

10 11
 or the end of the story, or having no
concrete position but rather traveling
through the other Major arcana. But
the Magician is number one, the cat-
alyst. He would be the first character
that the player meets, and the one who
brings them into the world: Asra.
who paradoxically provides your main
source of guidance and support in the
Arcana world. He would need to look
like someone who had been on many
adventures, experienced enough with
the world to serve as a guide… who
would listen to him otherwise?

Obviously, he needed a snake compan- In one of Dana’s earlier designs, Asra

ion, and a magical familiar has more
character than a belt. According to du-
bious new age online forums, the Ma-
gician card is associated with Mercury
and the Air signs, so it was decided that
Asra would be a Gemini, the mutable
Air sign. The picture that was forming
was an ever-changing character that
you could never quite pin down, but
had a more rugged, mountaineering
look. The fur was nixed since it made it
hard to distinguish his silhouette from
Julian’s, which was developing around
a massive cape/coat. His necklace of
teeth evoked strength and capability. A
tough, reliable character.
The problem here was that Asra is not

THE MAGICIAN
NIK | The Magician represents the
ability to manifest your desires, to chan-
nel them from the ethereal realm onto
the earthly plane. He is surrounded by
flowers, and on his table are the four
suits of the Tarot: a cup, a pentacle, and
a sword, and a wand. He also wears a
snake for a belt. As the Fool card is the
number zero in the 22 Major Arcana,
it can be seen as either the beginning

Top row: Dana Rune

Middle & bottom: Nikolai Ladizinsky
Opposite: Nikolai Ladizinsky

12 13
 a reliable character, he would have no
interest in pulling teeth from a fallen
foe to put on display, and his power is
not rooted in the physical realm. His
final design reflects more of his true
personality; less grounded, less stur-
dy, and decidedly less dependable, his
energy is swift and flowing. You want
to tell him to put his scarf on proper-
ly, or at the very least to button his
bag. His jewelry is more decorative (or
sentimental?), and his face is soft and
thoughtful, a little distant. This design
felt more like a teacher (or a teenage
camp counselor who has been trusted
with precious, impressionable young
minds when no one has ever trusted
him to operate a lawnmower without
getting injured, and is spending as
much time wandering off to the bath-
room as he can get away with to es-
cape the responsibility).
The hat is also worth mentioning. My
first doodles of Asra are topped by
your classic, conical wizard hat, but
his wizard hat was going to be more
dramatic than that… after all, like ev-
ery other character in the game (and
the game itself), Asra has a flair for
drama. Though relatively understated
in shape, the colors and patterns of his
design still show a sense of aesthetic
indulgence that is one of Asra’s core
motivations.
SOMEDAY YOU’LL FIND A
REAL TEACHER . . .
14
The spirit of the Magician is woven
into all aspects of his design. And in a
world where magic is viewed as neither
good nor evil, but must prove itself at
every turn, he hardly wants to broad-
cast his talents. Instead, they are kept
exclusive to hidden places to those in
the know, who can appreciate it only
in the shadows. Like a hole in the wall
bar with the cheapest, deepest bottles
in town, many people know of him, but
only a lucky few will be trusted with
the knowledge of where to find him.
On the subject of gender: Asra is re-
ferred to with masculine pronouns, but
he does not ascribe to a gender binary.
Having experienced beings of all iden- ӹӹ Above are variations that were explored for an outfit Na-
dia gives Asra at the Palace. The variant on the far right
tities, he neither sees the purpose of became the final design.
such a binary, or any meaning behind
sorting. On a shifting, highly contextu-
al spectrum of gender, there’s no one
place that he occupies. As a writer, I
understand that the idea of communi-
cating gender in this way can be jarring
for readers, particularly those that are
reading as non-native English speak-
ers. But on a personal level, I share
this trait with Asra, so it comes natu-
rally to describe secondary characters
in a gender-neutral manner unless the
player character is familiar with them
and knows otherwise. ö
Top and left: Dana Rune
Right: Nikolai Ladizinsky
15
 ӹӹ Asra’s most potent magical power is perhaps the
ability to fall asleep anytime, anywhere.

This page: Dana Rune

Opposite: Nikolai Ladizinsky

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 Sprites: Dana Rune,
Gabriella Rossetti,
and Veronica Liwski

18 19
 NADIA
S H E/ H ER
BI R TH DAY JULY 8
H E I GH T 5’10” (178 CM)
FAVOR I TE FOOD SPICED SWORDFISH
FAVO R I TE DR I N K WHITE WINE
FAVO R I T E FL OWE R LAVENDER
FAVO R I TE SE ASON SUMMER

Both pages: Dana Rune

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 HIGH PRIESTESS
NIK | The High Priestess, number two
of the Major Arcana, represents intu-
ition, an understanding of the uncon-
scious wisdom that we each possess.
Her throne stands before the gate to
the Temple of Solomon, with its black
and white pillars at either side. The
curtain behind her, embroidered with
pomegranates and vines, veils the
entrance of the temple; beyond lies
awareness of the inner self, and under-
standing of the Universe. In a reading,
she may be telling you to pay attention
to your subconscious, to dreams and
gut feelings, or she may signify the un-
known. For the apprentice in our game,
Countess Nadia embodies the High
Priestess. She will never fault you for
trusting your intuition, and at the same
time, must relearn to trust in hers.
Nadia’s design went through a few it-
erations, but has always maintained
mystery, grace, and subtle power. From
Dana’s early sketches to the final art,
the Countess looks as though she just
stepped out of the ethereal mist and
into the mundane world. This trait is
central to her character, who navi-
gates her underwhelming underlings
and petty courtiers with all the pa-
tience she can muster before she must
disappear to the inner sanctum of her
chambers and recuperate. Her flowing
hair and radiant complexion reflect
the care that her servants (namely
Portia) take in her grooming and ab-
lutions. The jeweled tiara at the crown
of her head evokes the horned crown
of the High Priestess.The shapes of her
silhouette have a fluid elegance that
suggests she might have risen out of
some metaphysical sea. Her headdress
and rings bear brilliant emeralds, the
source of her native country’s un-
22
matched wealth.
According to the internet, the High
Priestess is associated with the Moon…
no surprise, since she is depicted
with the moon in crescent form at her
feet. The shape of her horned crown
may also look familiar: a triple moon,
a magical symbol combining the full
moon and the waxing and waning cres-
cent moons on either side. For those
in the astrological know, the Moon
rules the sign of Cancer. Easy for me
to write, being a Cancer myself, I found
that Nadia’s character started to come
together for me at about the time we
gave her this sign. Sensitive, mysteri-
ous and imaginative, she spends much
of her time in an inner world, even
when she appears to be present in
company. Nonetheless, at the heart of
her personality is a need for control,
so that she can make her imagined,
ideal worlds manifest in reality. And
while it may not always be easy to con-
trol the world around her, she is at a
point in her life where she has full do-
minion over herself. Her prim, elevated
posture reflects this unshakeable con-
fidence, and her different expressions
show the wide range of emotion which
she has no qualms about expressing.
The player may not know this when
the unflappable Countess blusters into
their magic shop in the wee hours of
the morning. But the apprentice char-
acter certainly does, and after this in-
cident, they know that the powers at
work are more than they would have
bargained for, especially with their
wayward teacher on the road. But just
as Nadia didn’t invite the nightmares
into her mind, the player doesn’t need
to invite trouble: trouble is brewing all
on its own, and whether they find it or
it finds them, the Countess’ visit is only
Top & middle left: Dana Rune
the first sign. ö Bottom right: Nikolai Ladizinsky
23
 I AM NO STRANGER
TO THE RUMORS
ABOUT ME.

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Opposite: Nikolai Ladizinsky

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 This page: Nikolai Ladizinsky
Opposite: Dana Rune
26
ӹӹ An earlier version of Nadia’s sprite art depicted
her with a transparent veil and downward-tilt-
ed head. As her characterization solidified, this
version began to feel a touch too demure, and
the final sprite was revised based on the sketch
below.
27
 Sprites: Dana Rune,
Gabriella Rossetti, and
Veronica Liwski

28 29
 JULIAN
H E/ H I M
BI R TH DAY MARCH 12
H E I GH T 6’4” (188 CM)
FAVOR I TE FOOD LOBSTER CLAWS
FAVO R I TE DR I N K BLACK COFFEE
FAVO R I T E FL OWE R WOLFSBANE
FAVO R I TE SE ASON AUTUMN

ӹӹ The murderer’s mark, a tattoo on Ju-

lian’s left hand, brands him as a con-
victed killer. It was given to him after
he was first arrested for the Count’s
murder and confessed his guilt—just
before mysteriously losing his memo-
ries of the events and then escaping
in a confused haze with Mazelinka’s
Both pages: Dana Rune assistance.

30 31
 THE HANGED MAN
NIK | In the early phase of his design,
my Julian was more of a standard mad-
but-not-evil doctor, with big cartoon
gloves and a shock of frazzled hair.
Dana’s early Julian was posh, moody
and wore a cravat. Somehow neither
of them were quite different enough
from Asra or Nadia until I asked myself
who I would like to romance in a game
where you could romance people. The
answer was, of course, Seth Brundle
from Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986)—
perfect inspiration for the role of the
self-sacrificing doctor turned shadowy
fugitive. His sense of humor and ram-
bling wit would pull Julian back from
the realm of too serious, and a dash
of magnetic charisma would make his
status as a fugitive more interesting:
what could this charming doctor have
done to make himself a pariah among
his multitude of friends? After a rework
of his design with this in mind, Julian
started to take on the personality that
he was missing. The most indulgent
character I could fathom, crafted in
Dana’s eye-tantalizing style . . . our
players took to him right away. Some
may have assumed he represented the
Death card, but this was not the case.
Number 12 of the Major Arcana, the
Hanged Man represents surrender. He
is suspended from a living tree, and ap-
pears to be in no distress, despite be-
ing bound and hanging upside-down.
His bent leg suggests that he might
even be getting comfortable, and this
is another facet of the card: suspend-
ing action, choosing not to act, or even
accepting a small defeat can some-
times be the path to victory. To what-
ever ends he seeks, the Hanged Man
has made himself a willing sacrifice,
and in doing so has submitted himself
32
ӹӹ Julian 1.0 (left) was more straight-laced and serious
than his final form.
to a period of reflection and self-ex-
ploration, trusting that this is the right
move to inform his eventual decision.
Though no such images remain, it is
thought that the Hanged Man is mod-
eled after a pittura infamante, a sort of
Renaissance wanted poster that was
meant more to publicly humiliate than
to inspire action. These images target-
ed traitors, thieves and frauds, using
shame when there was no other course
of punishment.
In Julian’s design, his formidable out-
fit is clearly meant for stealth in form,
but not really in practice, a kind of “all
dressed up to skulk” ensemble. While
he may be planning to lie low, he is also
expecting to be seen. He’s able to hide in
the shadows, but the brilliant red of his
open cloak is almost like the mantle of
a cobra, a sharp warning to those who
venture too close. In the game’s world,
this shade of red would only be associ-
ated with the plague—reason enough
for anyone to stay away. His mask, too,
reflects this relationship to the plague,
modeled after the iconic, herb-stuffed
beak masks worn by doctors during
the Black Plague. The whole ensemble
would certainly frighten anyone who
knows him as the murderous, fugitive
doctor. But to those who know that he
may not be as murderous as everyone
has been led to believe, he has no need
for the mask. ö
Top right: Dana Rune
Bottom: Nikolai Ladizinsky
33
 Top: Dana Rune
Middle & bottom: Nikolai Ladizinsky This page: Dana Rune

34 35
 Both pages: Nikolai Ladizinsky

ӹӹ Julian once had a loyal old

hound dog named Brundle.

DEATH CAST HER

GAZE ON THIS
WRETCH AND
TURNED
AWAY.

36 37
 Sprites: Dana
Rune, Gabriella
Rossetti, and
Veronica Liwski

38 39
 P ORT IA
S H E/ H ER
BI R TH DAY FEBRUARY 7
H E I GH T 5’1” (155 CM)
FAVOR I TE FOOD BREAD PUDDING
FAVO R I TE DR I N K BEER
FAVO R I T E FL OWE R SWEET PEA
FAVO R I TE SE ASON SPRING

Both pages: Dana Rune

40 41
 THE STAR
NIK | The Star is the beacon of hope,
inspiration and renewal, entering a
phase of life where one has tapped
the power of one’s spirit, a vast inner
resource that lies within. The card de-
picts a bare figure pouring water into
the ground, plant life sprouting from
the grass by her feet. In the game,
this card is personified by Portia, the
42
friendly palace servant who is always
in the know. Her bright, energetic pres-
ence is meant to inspire confidence.
Though her characteristic optimism
will face great challenges, even the
heaviest storm can only disturb the
surface of her pool of inner power, the
hope that she steadfastly refuses to
give up. ö
This page: Dana Rune
Opposite: Nikolai Ladizinsky
43
 MURIEL
H E/ H I M
BI R TH DAY SEPTEMBER 10
H E I GH T 6’10” (203 CM)
FAVOR I TE FOOD SMOKED EEL
FAVO R I TE DR I N K BLACK MEAD
FAVO R I T E FL OWE R FORGET-ME-NOT
FAVO R I TE SE ASON WINTER

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44 45
 Top: Dana Rune
Middle & bottom: Nikolai
Ladizinsky

THE HERMIT
NIK | Representing the search for the
truth within, the Hermit is particularly
associated with the wisdom that can
be found through introspection in iso-
lation. He stands alone on the moun-
taintops, in a grey cloak of invisibility.
Our Hermit is also cloaked in grey, but
Muriel’s invisibility is a bit less straight-
forward. When he gives his warning to
the apprentice, his startling appear-
ance is meant to produce a strong im-
pression; all the more perplexing when
the apprentice doesn’t seem to remem-
ber meeting him the first time, or the
second, or the third . . . ö

This page: Dana Rune

46 47
 LUCIO
H E/ H I M
BI R TH DAY JANUARY 13
H E I GH T 5’10” (177 CM)
FAVOR I TE FOOD OX TARTARE
FAVO R I TE DR I N K RED WINE
FAVO R I T E FL OWE R WHITE ROSE
FAVO R I TE SE ASON SUMMER

Both pages: Dana Rune

48 49
 Top & opposite: Dana Rune
Bottom: Nikolai Ladizinsky

ӹӹ Lucio hired a pair of highly skilled al-

chemists to create his magic-powered
prosthetic arm—a luxury few can afford.

THE DEVIL
NIK | Few of the Major Arcana hold
such sway over the imagination as the
Devil. Representing the toxic thoughts
and behaviors that trick us into be-
lieving we are trapped, the Devil sits
perched on a pedestal, and from the
pedestal are two chains which coil
loosely around the necks of the two
naked humans on either side. The Dev-
il is the scapegoat for our self-inflict-
ed suffering, but is also a force within
us which should not be ignored. In a
very literal interpretation, the Dev-
il card manifests in the game as Lu-
cio, the murdered Count whose greed
wrought havoc on others to the benefit
of himself and his city, though it was
ultimately his misdeeds that nearly
brought about its destruction. All of his
wealth was devoted to the practice of
indulgence, a discipline which Lucio
sought to master. ö

50 51
 ӹӹ Before he became Count of Vesuvia, Lucio was the
ruthless leader of a band of mercenaries. These
sketches explore his condottiero days.

ӹӹ Of the various exotic

pets and strange crea-
tures Lucio has amassed
into his vast collection,
one of his favorites is
a high-strung crested
cockatoo named Camio.

Top right: Dana Rune

This page: Dana Rune Top left & bottom: Nikolai Ladizinsky

52 53
 NIK | Companion of Asra, guardian
of the apprentice, lover of life. Faust
is a creature of few words, but her
fond feelings for both her partner and
the player are no mystery. Always ex-
ploring, she slithers through wrinkles
in the fabric of the physical plane to
be wherever she needs to be, to go
wherever she wants to go. Her design
most closely resembles a ball python.
To those who have never spent much
time with snakes, Faust’s inquisitive
and comfort-seeking nature is inspired
by many snake companions of our
own (both Dana’s and mine). Like most
snakes, her needs are easy to meet,
few and far between . . . the perfect
partner for a wandering magician. ö

FAUS T
S H E/ H ER
H ATCH DAY JUNE 13
FAVOR I TE FOOD FUZZY RATS
FAVO R I TE DR I N K FRESH WATER
FAVO R I T E FL OWE R ALL THE FLOWERS
FAVO R I TE SE ASON SUMMER

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54 55
 FAMILIARS
NIK | Each member of the main cast
has an animal companion, but a famil-
iar is something more. In the Arcana
universe, a familiar represents the
characters’ connection to the world
outside of themselves, the web of
magic and mysteries. How close each
Both pages: Dana Rune
56
of the characters is to their animal
companion varies based on this con-
nection. So Asra is very in tune with
Faust, can speak with her from long
distances, and is rarely without her
on journeys. Meanwhile, Julian is not
in tune with Malak, so while his fran-
tic warnings don’t fall on deaf ears,
Julian does not understand them, and
both wear on each others’ last frazzled
nerve. Nadia has a deep understanding
with Chandra, but has forgotten how to
communicate with her the way she has
in the past. Muriel is protective of Inan-
na, and Inanna of him, but both are too
elusive to see each other often. Portia
talks openly to Pepi, though she is too
preoccupied with how delightful she
finds her to see her as anything other
than a pet. And Lucio, lacking the nec-
essary intuition for magical skill, accu-
mulated a bizarre menagerie of albino
animals searching for his own familiar.
He never quite noticed how Mercedes
and Melchior behaved differently from
all the rest . . . ö
57
58 59
 CHARACTER DY-
NAMICS
NIK | Every character has their
ways of acting around the Ap-
prentice, but there is a lot more
to learn from the way they act
around others. Take Muriel, for
example; the player might think
that he is exactly as stone-faced
and ominous as he makes himself
out to be...until they see how he
acts around Asra. Likewise, Nadia
is virtually unshakeable until the
player sees her interact with Nas-
mira, and Julian is allowed to be
perceived as suave and debonair
until his charms are tested on Ma-
zelinka. Because the romanceable
ӹӹ Asra and Muriel, an odd couple of gutter orphans.
characters can only harbor a cer- A gang of rougher kids once tried to bully Asra into
tain handful of feelings towards joining them, and not only did they fail, they lost
the Apprentice—enchanted, in- their biggest, baddest member to the young magi-
trigued, delighted, all the fuzzy cian’s charms.
ones—the dynamics they share
with other NPCs help expose their
other moods. Top: Nikolai Ladizinsky
This page: Nikolai Ladizinsky Bottom: Dana Rune

60 61
 This page: Nikolai Ladizinsky
Opposite: Dana Rune

ӹӹ Things Julian excels at holding: liquor, grudges, and his worst enemy closer than necessary.

62 63
 In each character’s route, the rest of
the cast become peripheral charac-
ters who serve to further the plot of
the core love interest. Many hold a
specific connection to the unspoken,
secret past: Muriel is Asra’s dearest
friend and a constant reminder of the
enabling choices he has made. Lucio is
Nadia’s foil as a ruler, and a seemingly
64
nonsensical mystery for her to unrav- Both pages: Nikolai Ladizinsky
el about herself in the past. And Por-
tia is evidence of Julian’s attachments
and tender feelings, which he seeks
to smother in the face of a seemingly
hopeless future. ö
65
 STORY

66 67

NIK | Inspiration for the story of the
Arcana came from many different plac-
es. At its beginning stages, the most in-
tegral influence was undoubtedly the
Major Arcana, as together in sequence
they tell the story of the Fool’s journey
to enlightenment, the realization of
another round through the cycle of ca-
tastrophe and growth.
Other story elements came from liter-
ary works, notably Alexandre Dumas’
The Count of Monte Cristo (although
68
Both pages: Nikolai
Ladizinsky
the entire revenge subplot became
much less important than originally
planned), Gaston Leroux’s The Phan-
tom of the Opera, and most closely Ed-
gar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House
of Usher and The Masque of the Red
Death.
As for the process, a typical book un-
folds in about a half dozen steps. First,
we spend a a few days brainstorming
the major events of the each charac-
ters’ chapters to ensure that they all
fit together. Each book corresponds
with a card of the Major Arcana, so the
meanings of that card, both upright
and reverse, comprise the overarching
themes for that book. Once we have
the events mapped out, we enter the
outline phase, blocking in the events
in the simplest playable sequence in
Unity. This is typically when we real-
ize that a) there is way too much hap-
pening in a chapter, b) there is far too
little and/or c) the pacing or mood is
not what we want it to be. The edited
outlines are then the basis for first
and second drafts, which are each re-
viewed en masse until we reach a fi-
nal draft that everyone is pleased with.
Testing is often equal parts tedious
and embarrassing, but what comes out
of it is a polished script and well-tuned
gameplay. Before we have submitted
the new book, we have already entered
the brainstorm for the next. ö
69
 THE DISEASE . . . THE
RED PLAGUE.
I CAN’T REMEMBER THE
LAST TIME I SAW THE
TELLTALE RED
IN THE WHITES OF
SOMEONE’S EYES.

Opposite: Dana Rune

70 71
 Both pages: Dana Rune

72 73
 MAJOR ARCANA

74 75
 This section: Dana Rune,
Veronica Liwski, & Gabriella
Rossetti

76 77
78 79
80 81
82 83
 I MAY NOT
HAVE ALL THE
ANSWERS YOU
SEEK. BUT . . .
THE CARDS DO.
IF YOU KNOW
HOW TO USE
THEM.

84 85
86 87
88 89
 FRIENDS & FOES

90 91
 This section: Dana Rune,
Veronica Liwski, & Gabriella
Rossetti

NASRIN
ӹӹ Queen of Prakra. Has a com-
manding, ethereal presence.
NAMAR
ӹӹ Royal Consort of Prakra. Has
a great sense of fashion and
a terrible sense of humor (to
his partner’s long-suffering but
very loving dismay).

92 93
 NAHARA
NAZALI ӹӹ Disciplined, meditative
master of martial arts.
ӹӹ Renowned doctor Warm under her stern
and battlefield medic.
Got their sense of
exterior. Navra’s twin.
NATIQA
humor from Namar. ӹӹ Cunning diplomat and
skilled orator. Like
Nadia, she has often felt
upstaged by her sisters.

NASMIRA
NAVRA
ӹӹ Kind, empathetic mediator
who hears out the concerns of
Prakra’s people. Also does vari-
ӹӹ Patron of arts & culture,
ous charity and volunteer work.
expert dancer, and hobbyist
sculptor. Has a pottery stu-
dio in Nopal. Nahara’s twin.

NAFIZAH
ӹӹ Crown Princess of
Prakra (with her turtle
familiar, Daarude). Often
seems lost in thought.

94 95
 MAZELINKA
ӹӹ A former pirate who’s fearsome
with a wooden spoon. Honorary
grandma to Julian and Portia;
she had a tempestuous on-
again, off-again romance with
Lilinka, the village elder who
raised the Devorak siblings in

MORGA
Nevivon.

ӹӹ Lucio’s mother, a formidable warrior

chief from the south. Often accompa-
nied by her hunting eagle, Jaeger.

96 97
 AISHA CHIMES & FLAMEL
ӹӹ Asra’s mother.
Sees the forest. DANA | Aisha’s familiar Chimes and ferent kind of real-world snake. Faust,
Salim’s familiar Flamel are, as one might with her rounded head and adorable
guess, Faust’s snarents (snake parents). catlike mouth, most closely resembles
a ball python. Chimes’s smooth head
SALIM
Though they are all the same species
of Magical Fantasy Snake, each mem- resembles a corn snake or king snake.
ӹӹ Asra’s father. ber of the snamily (snake family) has Finally, Flamel’s unique upturned snoot
Gets lost in the was inspired by hognose snakes. ö
trees.
a distinct head shape based on a dif-

98 99
 THE COURTIERS
DANA | Vesuvia’s foremost courtiers
traded their souls to the Devil in ex-
change for prolonged life and demonic
boons. While their reasons differ, the
end result was the same: a lifetime of
bondage in the Devil’s service.
Each of the courtiers was inspired by
one of the Four Horsemen of the Apoc-
alypse—Pestilence, War, Famine, and
Death. Their combined might would
make even the strongest tremble . . . if
only they could put aside their differ-
ences and work together.
of their humanity. They lose the Upright
traits of the Arcana they are closest to,
and are reduced to hollowed-out shells
representing only the Reversed traits.
Perhaps some, like Volta, can still be
freed from the Devil’s chains and be-
come human again... but others, like
Valdemar, are simply too far gone;
nothing remains of the human they
once were. ö

In a way, they serve as cautionary

tales, showing what happens when
one’s dealings with the Devil grow too
weighty to bear. While magical con-
nections to beings of realms outside
his own allow the Devil’s power to grow,
the beings themselves become drained
Top opposite: Nikolai Ladizinsky

100 101
 VALDEMAR
ӹӹ The Hippocratic Oath doesn’t
exist in Vesuvia. Death.

VOLTA
ӹӹ The always-hungry Volta is
in charge of Vesuvia’s food
supply . . . much to everyone’s
chagrin. Famine.

VULGORA
ӹӹ A rowdy warmonger and Lucio’s
best frenemy. They love nothing
more than a good fight. War.
VLASTOMIL
ӹӹ Once a renowned wormologist,
Vlastomil traded his soul in ex-
change for eternal life to study his
most beloved children. Pestilence.

102 103
 ӹӹ The courtiers in
bondage to the Devil
are able to maintain
the illusion of looking
just human enough to
pass as eccentric Ve-
suvian aristocrats . . .
except in the realms
of the Arcana, where
their fully demonic
forms shine through.

VALERIUS & THE

HIEROPHANT
ӹӹ These two share a love of drinking wine and
judging others. Unlike the other courtiers, Valerius’
bondage to the Devil is recent. Even in the realms
of the Arcana, he retains a human form . . . for the
most part.

104 105
 ILLUSTRATIONS

106 107
 This section:
Dana Rune, Veronica Liwski,
& Gabriella Rossetti

108 109
110 111
112 113
 MY DREAMS
DID NOT LEAD ME

ASTRAY.

114 115
116 117
118 119
120 121
122 123
124 125
 NOTHING LIKE
THE REAL THING . . .
SEEING, UNABLE
TO FEEL.

126 127
 LO CATIONS

128 129
 THE WORLD
ö Prakra’s capital city is located at
the center of the Star Lakes.
ö Nadia’s Sea Palace on the breezy
coast of the Sea of Persephia serves as
her escape from the sweltering sum-
mers of both Prakra and Vesuvia.
ö Asra’s parents came to Vesuvia
from Zadith, a country where both sci-
ence and magic are highly respected.
Those who combine both disciplines
are known as alchemists.
These high plains are home to a num-
ber of nomadic tribes, most of which
consist of peaceful herders. They rely
heavily on their short, sturdy horses.
ö Several of the tribes of the Scourge-
lands consist of hardworking forest-
ers and hunters. Life this far south is
harsh, however, and some tribes have
come to rely on raiding other clans to
survive. Lucio’s people, once known as
the Scourge of the South, were one of
the most notorious of such tribes.

ö Bordered by the Salty Sea on one
side and the mountains of the Nimbus
Fork on the other, Firent is a relatively
insular nation ruled by an ancient the-
ocracy. The Papess of Firent is seated
on the island of Sirenia; her distrust
of outsiders makes trade with Firent
difficult, but is said to have saved her
country during the years of the Red
Plague.
ö The people of the Crab Isles are
known as the Crabmen. Though this
name comes from the fact that their
livelihood is based primarily on catch-
ing the enormous frost crabs of the
Frozen Sea, further north the name
has borne rumors that the Crabmen
are half-crab, half-human.

ö The pastoral country of Venterre is

known for its fine wines and vast, pic-
turesque farmlands.

ö Julian and Portia’s parents were

traveling merchants from lands east
of the Strait of Seals. When the family
was shipwrecked by a storm near Ne-
vivon, the orphaned children were ini-
tially found and protected by a group
of salt seals that had hauled out to rest
on the beach. The people of Nevivon
discovered the two siblings soon after
and took them in.

ö The Shining Steppe, Muriel’s birth-

place, is named for the shimmering mi-
rages often seen on its horizons. When
sunlight hits the cold air, the ground
appears to shiver in scintillating waves.

130 131
 VESUVIA
DANA | The precursor to Tarot
decks are thought to be playing cards
developed in medieval Persia, Arabia,
and Egypt. The oldest surviving deck,
from 15th century Mamluk Egypt, con-
tained four suits that are almost ex-
actly the same as the standard Minor
Arcana today: cups, coins, swords,
and . . . polo-sticks, which would later
become batons, and then wands.
In Renaissance Italy, similar decks
were expanded to include trionfi, alle-
gorical trump cards that we now know
as the Major Arcana. And thus the Tar-
ot was born.
We wanted to reflect the history of
Tarot in the setting of the game. Like
anyone who’s suffered through any
amount of art school, I already felt
pretty familiar with the Italian Renais-
sance, so that felt like a solid starting
point. Of course, one of the biggest
catalysts of the Renaissance was an
influx of knowledge from outside of
Europe. So rather than a strictly Eu-
ropean-inspired setting (usually pretty
stale in the fantasy genre), we want-
ed to include a multitude of influenc-
es, just as Middle Eastern and North
African cultures crossed the Medi-
terranean to impact southern Europe
and beyond. Situated on the edge of
a Mediterranean-like sea, our fiction-
al city-state of Vesuvia is a center for
trade, travel, and cultural exchange.
HEART DISTRICT
Vesuvia’s wealthy elite make their home
here (or second home, in the case of
landholding nobility). Gleaming white
architecture is offset by the glittering
array of jewels and finery available in
This section: Dana Rune & the upscale Floating Market. During
Killian Ng
132
Lucio’s reign, Red Street was an even
more popular shopping destination, of-
fering the most luxurious and fashion-
able garments dyed in the Count’s sig-
nature Vesuvian Red . . . ever since the
plague, however, Red Street has been
almost entirely abandoned. Residents
of the Heart District mourn the loss of
their beloved late Count—and particu-
larly mourn the magnificent festivities
he so often hosted.
CENTER CITY
The Apprentice’s neighborhood is not
too quiet, not too loud. The streets by
the Shop are calm and peaceful, while
the Marketplace is lively and bustling.
People from all parts of the city cross
through here, and the Palace often
makes its news and proclamations
heard in Center City’s Town Square.
With the Palace’s eyes and ears so
often close by, residents tend to keep
controversial opinions to themselves
and mind their own business (except
when it comes to harmless neighbor-
hood gossip, of course).
GOLDGRAVE
Whether it involves glitter or gore, the
city’s arts district is known for drama.
While a touch more bourgeois than
the neighboring South End, the peo-
ple of Goldgrave don’t shy away from
making bold statements of dissent; the
Community Theater’s Lucio-lampoon-
ing productions are always a hit. The
Coliseum, once teeming with blood
and bone, now secretly hosts the un-
derground Red Market—your one-stop
shop for contraband curios, many
of which likely slipped into the city
through the unscrupulous East Docks.
SOUTH END
133
 tically deterioriate, transforming this
neighborhood into a much less de-
sirable place for commerce. Without
proper maintenance or preventative
measures, the encroaching tides have
overflowed canals and crumbled aging
foundations, leaving sea-level streets
to slowly sink and drown.
ASH BEACH
The beaches of Vesuvia have always
been dark and drab. But during the
years of the Plague, the smoke and
waste from bodies burned on the Laz-
aret drifted to Ash Beach’s shores on
steady winds and currents, and since
then the deathly gray sands have tru-
ly lived up to their name. Ash Beach is
home to orphans and sailors, the tran-
sient and dispossessed. People wash up
here when they don’t belong anywhere
else. As merchants began to abandon
the Flooded District, the influx of trad-
ing vessels into Ash Beach slowed, and
now strays and runaways far outnum-
ber the ships at the Ash Docks.
THE L AZARET
What began as a place to quarantine
victims of the Red Plague quickly be-
came little more than a crematorium.
Everyone knew the Lazaret was a
death sentence; the island’s austere
hospital was a coffin. Those who risked
their lives to work there had little hope
for finding a cure, and mostly sought
to make plague victims’ last days as
comfortable as possible—but even
that became a daunting challenge as
the dying rapidly outnumbered beds
to comfortably die in. Now, with the
plague gone, the island is abandoned.
Its structures have been left to crum-
ble, and ghost stories are whispered
from the safety of the city’s shores. ö

Many might argue that South End, not
the Heart District, is the true heart of
Vesuvia. Whether you’re hiding out at
Mazelinka’s house, drowning your sor-
rows at the Rowdy Raven, or meeting
an old friend at the South End Mar-
ket, you can trust South Enders not
to snitch. Most of them, anyway. The
residents of South End have general-
ly been dealt a poor hand in life, but
in every nook and cranny is someone
determined to make the most of it in
one way or another. The people of this
neighborhood look out for each other,
and they’re not afraid to speak their
minds.
TEMPLE DISTRICT
Great beauty and terrible poverty can
be seen side-by-side in the Temple Dis-
trict. As a seaside port, in Vesuvia it is
difficult to pin down specifically “Ve-
suvian” culture or beliefs; instead, the
city is host to many cultures and be-
liefs brought there over the ages. The
Temple District reflects this in its vari-
ety of stunning monuments, monaster-
ies, shrines, and all manner of places
of prayer to whatever one might pray
to. Meanwhile, the wealth that poured
into Vesuvia from Lucio’s conquests
of neighboring city-states was never
quite evenly distributed, and here the
city’s poorest line the streets outside
magnificent hallowed buildings, seek-
ing alms from harried acolytes.
FLOODED DISTRICT
This area was once known as the
Shopping District, a hub for merchants
hawking wares freshly brought in
from the docks. Over the past several
years, Vesuvia’s precarious sprawl on
the edge of the sea—combined with
a distinct lack of competent leader-
ship—has caused conditions to dras-

134 135
136 137
138 139
 ӹӹ Photos of Moroccan markets were used as reference for the marketplace near the Apprentice’s shop.
Arching bridges and a makeshift walkway over a narrow canal form the more uniquely Vesuvian elements
of this environment.

140 141
 ӹӹ The panoramic background for Town Square provided an opportunity to show some of Vesuvia’s grandest
characteristics—ornate statues, elegant domes, and towering bridges, with intricate waterways woven
throughout it all.

142 143
144 145
146 147
148 149
150 151
152 153
154 155
156 157
158 159
160 161
162 163
164 165
166 167
168 169
170 171
 PRO CESS

172 173
 Top & left: Nikolai Ladizinsky
Bottom right: Dana Rune

ӹӹ To the left, a vitally important reference: the subtle but

crucial differences between Portia’s cat face and As-
ra’s cat face. Below are more Portia expressions, some
Nadia faces, and features that are recognizably Julian’s
despite floating in a void.

ROUGH DRAFTS
DANA | On a team project, it’s rare
that only one person will have their
hands on something from start to finish.
When you have art and story going
hand-in-hand, it’s especially important
to make sure everyone is on the same
page and has the opportunity to give
feedback.

Even though my position is as an artist,

not a writer, I stay as involved as pos-
sible with the development of the story

ӹӹ After brainstorming a (now-defunct) illustrated scene together,

Nik drew a loose idea for Asra’s pose, and Dana turned it into a
Top: Nikolai Ladizinsky color rough and then ultimately the final piece.
Middle & bottom: Dana Rune

174 175
 and characters. From the brainstorm
sessions for each chapter to our
editorial meetings as each piece of
writing takes shape, I’m there to offer
my ideas and perspective. (Often, my
perspective entails: will what we’re
planning for this story update add
more new art than is physically possi-
ble to complete by our deadline?)
how to show an intimate moment with
a love interest without showing the
player character they’re supposed to
be getting intimate with, since the de-
sign of the player character is entirely
left up to the player’s imagination. I’m
always trying to explore new ways to
approach that. ö

Likewise, I try to keep the writers in

the loop when it comes to art. Often
the writers will have some specific
visuals in mind already, and they’ll
sketch out a super rough draft or con-
cept for me. Other times, we’ll work
together to find reference images that
we agree work as inspiration for what
we’re trying to communicate. From
there, the art can start getting refined
towards a final draft.

It’s not uncommon to iterate several

different rough drafts before settling
on one to take to finish. Designing an
outfit or a composition is all about
problem-solving, and there’s usually
more than one way to solve a given
problem. A recurring problem for our
cutscene illustrations, for example, is

ӹӹ On the opposite page are unused compositions explored for cutscene illustrations. Above are the thumb-
nail sketches that were ultimately chosen for those scenes, and the resulting final pieces.

Top row, bottom right, & opposite: Dana Rune

Bottom left: Dana Rune & Veronica Liwski

176 177
 MAKING THE
CHARACTER
SPRITES
DANA | This is less a step-by-step
and more a breakdown of the layers
that make up each piece of charac-
ter sprite art. Any of the characters
can be broken down the same way,
since the goal is for them to look as
stylistically consistent as possible.
After several design iterations are
roughed out and put together into
one final-ish sketch, the drawing is
traced over with clean lines. This
is often the longest part of the pro-
cess—it’s challenging to get that neat,
polished look without losing the life
or personality of the rough sketch.
Flat colors are blocked in, and darker
color is added to the lineart. Some ar-
eas of color are given slight gradations
or color variation, like the more reddish
areas of the skin, to help things feel
more lifelike when it’s all put together.
178
Form is rendered with light and shad-
ow. Most of the shadows are paint-
ed on a layer set to “Multiply” blend-
ing mode in a cool color to contrast
with a warm primary light source.
The secondary light source, a subtle
blue edge light from the left, is add-
ed on a “Hard Light” layer. Some ar-
eas—metallics, hair, the highlights on
the skin—are painted in with a normal
layer. Light/shadow will behave dif-
ferently on different materials, hence
the special attention given to some.
Additional patterns and textures are
added on “Overlay” layers. Some of
these help differentiate various items
of clothing and add a bit of texture
to the fabrics. A warm, subtle paper
texture unites the whole character.
Another Overlay layer adds soft air-
brushing of warm light in the top right
and a bit of cool light near the bot-
tom right, making the overall atmo-
sphere richer and more cohesive. ö
179
 CREATING ENVI-
RONMENTS
DANA | Many artists will readily ad-
mit that characters come more easily
to them—or at least are more fun—
than backgrounds. I’m definitely no ex-
ception.
It’s not that backgrounds are inher-
ently more complicated or difficult
than character art. It’s just that most
of us are naturally drawn to charac-
ters because we tend to have stronger
emotional connections with them than
with environments. So from the time
we pick up a pencil, most of us get
way, way more practice drawing peo-
ple than drawing places, just because
that’s what we want to draw. By the
time we decide to start branching out,
our character skills are at level 50 and
our background skills are at level 5—
not because the latter is harder to level
up, but because we never bothered to.
Perspective is usually one of the big-
gest roadblocks. But in some ways,
perspective is actually a lot simpler
than character anatomy. Anatomy is
organic. It’s messy. It varies. There are
guidelines, sure, but bodies come in all
shapes and sizes. Sometimes there’s no
hard answer on whether something is
“correct” or not. Meanwhile, the rules
of perspective are constant. Learn
them once, and you’re set. A lot of us
just balk at the mere thought of those
rules because the freedom of drawing
more organically is just more fun.
As the sole artist on the team when
we started out, I knew this would be
a huge part of my role on the project,
and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t ap-
proach it with a heavy dose of utter
180
dread. I still feel I have a long way to
go with my environment skills, but my
most important takeaway has been: it
really isn’t all that bad.
The things I try to keep in mind when
designing and drawing environments
are essentially the same things I keep
in mind when designing and drawing
characters. The main difference is hav-
ing to do a lot of the decision making
and problem solving more consciously
and deliberately with environments,
while I’m able to do those things more
automatically and subconsciously with
characters. So, with backgrounds, I
usually keep the following categories
in mind, and treat each as a different
problem to solve:
ӹӹ Story - What is this environment’s
role in the story? Should it have
a mood that fits a specific scene?
Should it be more flexible so it can
be re-used in many scenes? How
can the background reinforce or
add depth and complexity to what
will be communicated in the text?
ӹӹ Structure - Perspective. Architec-
ture. Composition. “Boring” stuff.
ӹӹ Light & color - What are the local
colors in this environment? What
time of day is it? How does the
lighting affect the atmosphere,
mood, and composition?
Of course, these things all need to
work together—for example, light &
color are strong visual storytelling
tools. But breaking up a daunting piece
into smaller problems can be a great
way to tackle something that’s pushing
the limits of your skills. ö
181
 AFTERWORD
DANA | Maybe it would be a bit who grew up creating and consuming
too cheesy to say the making of this fanart and fanfiction in order to get
game has been our own Fool’s journey what we wanted out of media, and now
through the Arcana. But honestly, it we have the opportunity to make me-
has been quite a journey. dia that reflects what we want in the
first place. If we can also make a few
I’ve grown more on this project than I others feel happy or fulfilled or under-
ever expected—as a person, a story- stood in the process, that’s all we can
teller, a collaborator, an artist, and as really ask for. ö
a first-time art director. Like Nik said in
the introduction, we had no idea how
big this project would actually be when
we began. But if it weren’t for our hilar-
iously inaccurate judgment (six weeks
for the whole game! HA!), we might
never have started such an ambitious
project at all . . . and would never have
discovered how much we were actually
capable of.

Of course, two people are only capa-

ble of so much, and we wouldn’t have
gotten very far without expanding our
team: programmers Glenn and Sulaim-
an; writers Elle, Lynne, and Grace; art-
ists Veronica, Killian, and Gabby; and
everyone else at Nix Hydra, from pro-
duction to editorial to our other teams
cooking up new ideas and keeping us
inspired.

Before Asra, Nadia, and Julian’s routes

were completed, Nik made the deci-
sion to move on to other projects, but
he was able to do so knowing he was
leaving our story in capable hands.
Those who joined the team along the
way are now just as integral and at-
tached to these characters and their
journeys.

What’s key to that is that we’re all

working on The Arcana because it’s
something we ourselves would want to
play. We’re a generation of creatives

182 183