The Six Realms

[BG-57]

This is an interesting, albeit strange idea.

I was watching Youtube videos from a game called Journeyman Project 3, which features a section where you explore Shangri-La. One of the things you learn about is some of the tenets of Buddhism, including the six realms of existence.

I thought it would be cool to write a story with six characters, each based on one of the realms, but I realized that I already had. Unknowingly I already had six characters that had attributes that matched each realm.

Clockwise from top:

Shin is an evil demon who is reborn in a new human body but retains some of his new host's conscience. He represents the realm of the gods, who live in splendor and complacency.

Spike is a humanoid that was made from a pet monster. She is friendly but airheaded. She represents the beast realm, who live in savage ignorance.

Geli is a cybernetically enhanced human who wears goggles to correct her blindness. She is linked to the mainframe of Shin's starship, Bloodlink. She represents the realm of hungry ghosts, who desire material things but are thwarted by their immaterial forms.

Stephanos is a brilliant but deranged scientist who used to work for Shin, until he was betrayed. Now he plots vengence. He built the computer mainframe on Bloodlink and 'modified' Geli. He represents the hells, where souls suffer in torment.

Esperanza is a fox spirit. She is fanatically loyal to Shin and verges on bloodlust when in battle. She can shapeshift into different human forms. She represents the realm of titans, who fight eternally with each other and the gods, jealous of what they do not possess.

Nami is a half-mermaid and Stephanos' daughter. She was abandoned at birth and raised by humans in a desert. She was eventually rescued by Shin's host, Dmitri, before he was possessed. She represents the human realm, which although flawed contains the greatest promise of attaining elightenment.

[black orb]

>>> Man, you are always creating characters, and stuff.. and thats pretty cool you know.
I still remember those old drawings i made for your ff6 fanfic.

[BG-57]

Thanks. I like writing and drawing although I'm not great at either. My brother once told me my best creative talent was costume design. He always has me work on uniforms and such.

I still treasure your War of the Magi pics (and the FFX-3 ones for that matter).

Here's some more pictures:

1) The starship Bloodlink.

2) Geli and Shin, in a more demonic form.

3) Esperanza's true form, flanked by her two main humanoid avatars.

4) A picture of Shin and his original followers (L-R): Arashi (Nami's mother), Transept (a turncoat), Shin, Stephanos, Geli, and Esperanza.

5) The computer core of Bloodlink, merged with Geli.

[BG-57]

Some more artwork. Line art and color design by me, composited in Photoshop by Ceec55.

Geli in her uniform.

Nami in her uniform.

Spike in her uniform.

Esperanza in her uniform.

[BG-57]

More Bloodlink goodness:

The four protagonists wearing Noh masks.

Esperanza in a dojo.

Geli in front of the core of Bloodlink.

Nami in an aquarium.

Spike in an observation deck.

[McLovin']

Maybe if you want to give the characters more life you could draw them from an angle like in that "Geli and Shin, in a more demonic form" one.

[BG-57]

Thanks for the suggestion, I will be doing other angles eventually.