House of Arcane Treasures

The game is live! Ari and I finished it and installed it in the gallery almost two weeks ago, and while there are always tweaks to be made, we are very happy with the finished product.

 

You play as Severine Walker, a girl whose parents went missing when you were less than a year old. On your fifteenth birthday, you inherit the key to their abandoned HOUSE. In exploring the mysterious artifacts scattered throughout the empty rooms, you hope to find some clue as to where your parents might have gone, and why they would have left behind the daughter they loved so much.

It take between 45 minutes and an hour to play, and can also be accessed from my artist website here, where you can also find updated commission info.

We've been getting very positive feedback so far, so thanks everyone for that!

- KP


Quote of the Day: "I abandoned my boy... I ABANDONED MY BOY!"

I was Jack for Halloween! This costume was kind of a pain because it was not only held together by duct tape and prayers, but also because that body paint rubbed off on absolutely every single thing and I was tripping over my boot covers all day, but I think I at least looked awesome so I'm gonna say it was worth it.

We went to Cloor's and watched the first two episodes of Stranger Things, which were super good and I can't wait to see more of it. Good Halloween fare, too.

- KP


Quote of the Day: "Hey, DM, are there traps?"

Red cosplay

Happy Halloween, poor neglected blog! Man, the last month has been absolutely nuts. This is by far the toughest semester I've had so far in terms of time commitments, but I did make the time this weekend to throw together a quick costume. (Me as Red, Matt as the boxer.)

Transistor is a fantastic game. The art is beautiful, the story is super sad, the combat is unique and cool, and the soundtrack is A+. There's nothing not to like. Go play it!

- KP


Quote of the Day: "Oh yeah, witches!" "Stop sounding so excited about the witches!"

so, real life for a sec

Check it out, I'm putting more crap on the walls in my room. Because I can. Also, I hung that star lantern from Italy myself with an electric drill and everything and did not injure myself or set anything on fire.

And it looks great. So there.

I think this wall is going to be my travel wall, where I put up stuff from my globetrotting adventures during college. And dude, video games totally count as travel. Especially games that take you to other galaxies thanks very much.

Also, and completely unrelated, I'm still figuring out new ways to wear my hair when it's this short. My hair doesn't like to slick back from my forehead on its own, so today I coerced it.

So there's a small slice of life for you. In other news, my mom and I got ourselves seriously hooked on The 100 and we're almost through the second season. It's so intense man. And I'm still waiting for gays. I was told there would be gays.

- KP


Quote of the Day: "You may be the Chancellor, but I'm in charge."

Thing of the Day: Floridaaa

Yes, a vacation can totally be the Thing of the Day. Especially a good one like the one I just had.

And an excellent time was had by all.

I friggen love that place.

Commander Kip
*plaintively* "I woke up sweating and I said, 'why?'"
Normal is overrated!

back when we were babbies

Anna made the mistake of logging me into her Facebook account yesterday. I discovered last year's pictures. 

Once upon a time, we were freshmans in Kildahl. We had a lot more Nerf wars back then. Boy, we were badasses. (The shirt I am wearing belongs to Matt; that is why it is a massive sky-blue tent.)

I'm trying to find a nice patch of sunshine so I can take crappy phone pix of some of the drawings I've been working on of late, but this is Minnesnowta and we don't have sun here. Only clouds and rain and slush and hail and sadness. Though it is a bit warmer today.

And now, Great Con paper.

Commander Kip
"Does world peace come with fries?" "If freaking better. Or I will send it freaking back."
Normal is overrated!

THIS IS ART

Today my Expanded Media class is spending six hours (9am to 3pm) on four-foot-by-four-foot pallets. We're allowed to do whatever we want, but it has to be the SAME activity for all six of the hours. I'm working on Birthright, which feels good. I furnished my pallet for long-term comfort:

 

Some of the other crazy activities going on. My professor is cutting a pair of coveralls off of himself and stapling them down to his pallet.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=295791717212688&set=vb.270541553071038&type=2&theater

This is such the best. I'm so glad I'm in this class.

Loving my life right now.

Commander Kip
"A... meat... dagger."
Normal is overrated!

little things/big things

I have some doodlies for you, as well as an announcement.

First up: Kunan from the Avatar D&D campaign, the ultimate grouchy old lady! We had such a great Halloween sesh this year. I chose the costume Mikasa from Attack on Titan, so I got 3D Maneuver Gear and swords and +10 to Teenage Angst and +15 to Dead Parents. Andrew made us crawl through a horrible Temple of Vaatu. Matt and I got trapped in this puzzle room yoinked straight out of Amnesia (the one with the fountain full of blood with the legs coming out of it) and I thought it was a good idea to climb into the fountain, which then swallowed me in the manner of a GIANT SQUISHY ESOPHAGUS. It was friggen awful. At least Andrew let me fire my maneuver gear at the ceiling and pull myself out before I actually drowned in blood. I still win, because I'm the only one who didn't get horribly cursed! (Matt's character is now a vampire for the rest of the campaign.)

And now, Birthright things. I feel bad abandoning these guys. It's Fidelio doing what he does best: reading.

And Andra looking vaguely pissed, as per usual. I think I'm getting closer and closer to a practical outfit for her. Also, I find it interesting that I tend to gravitate towards characters who have so many character flaws that they're almost unlikeable. Using Andra as an example: she's angry, bitter, sarcastic, violent, lazy, and slow to trust. (Of course, all of this is largely situational; her father tried to kill her and then her mother abandoned her. Her adopted parents just sort of ignore her. She has this physical disability to contend with, as well as emotional trauma stemming from past sex abuse, not to mention that almost everyone in the city hates her.) God, I love this girl.

Now some random doodles. Because this is what happens when I get bored in class.

Oh look, it's Clary! (Pre-City of Bones Clary, apparently. She looks about fourteen here.)

Teensy Mako doodle. Good god, his eyebrows. They are actually dragons.

Teensy Beast Boy. What a cutie.

And some not-fanart. This is Severine's mother Oriana from House of Arcane Treasures. I dunno what happened to her and the daddy, but neither of them are in the story anymore, so probably something bad. I peeked into Severine's nightstand drawer a few days ago and discovered a portable casette player with an old tape inside. The tape contained a recording of Oriana begging an infant Severine to "protect the House" while windows shatter in the background, telling her how much they loved her and that Hawksmith would keep her safe. It was all very exciting. I considered doing this story for NaNo, but then quickly realized that I'm in college and have papers and just nope.

Also from House of Arcane Treasures, it's Abigail the trigger-happy American! She looks so deceptively sweet and even-tempered, doesn't she? Well, it's a trap. She will mess you up. With her machine pistols.

Drew this chick with dreads in my Great Con notes, and now I want to make a character out of her. She looks like she's got personality. Dunno where to put her though.

Liked her so much I even turned her into a real drawing. I think dreadlocks are fascinating, but I don't think I ever want them on my own head.

You knew this post would devolve into Magical Steampunk Gypsies if we waited long enough, didn't you? Well, you were right. Have some sultry Suvoi. (E'rebody wanna piece o' dat. Unfortunately for her.)

Everybody except Marcus, that is, despite all her efforts to the contrary. As it turns out, he did like her originally, but then he remembered that everyone he's ever loved has died, so he pushed her away. Being her stubborn self, however, she decided to stay with him anyway.

This is what happens whenever she tries to seduce him. OHGODOHGODOHGODHOWDOIGIRLS. (Ian really appreciated this picture.)

D'aaw, look, it's Gideon the gypsy sky pirate! My god, he's adorable. And apparently he's also the incarnation of one of the mythological heroes of the Surlinds, known as Constellations. So this should be good. (He is also hopelessly in love with Suvoi, as is EVERY MALE, along with some of the females, in the story. Except Marcus.)

Speaking of Constellations, a few weeks ago, we sat down and hammered out a new (very ancient) species called the Progeniteans. It would seem that Gideon's Constellation was a Caelian man who fell in love with a Progenitean woman and then went off to fight the Vile and got himself martyred. More on that later. Meanwhile, have a generic Progenitean lady.

And while all of the shenanigans in Guaren are going on and everybody's biting off way more than they could ever hope to chew by invading the Asylum with a bunch of loony professors (oh god Anna), our Meran characters have massive catfights and the plot goes nowhere. Have some gloomy Verdigris, reflecting upon her past sins. (After all, she did participate in the conversion of Ashes' sister Chiara, who then proceeded to go feral at four years old. God forbid we ever put Ashes and Verdigris in the same room.)

So that's all the billions of doodles. On another subject entirely, this is mah boyfriend. I am showing you his picture because he is a sexy, sexy Vulcan and because today is our one-year anniversary.

Thanks for being so awesome, love.

Whoof, now I must go put on a dress and go to dinner. Bye dudes.

Commander Kip
You are a terrible. But you're my terrible.
Normal is overrated!