Hello, everyone! It’s been quite a while since our last update, but we are thrilled to say that we’ve been making serious strides and have been hard at work preparing Faerie Afterlight for release later this year! As we approach the end of our development journey, we wish to share a few "Dev Blogs" with you. These blog posts will provide you with a glimpse behind the scenes of Clay Game Studios and greater insight into the world of Faerie Afterlight. We have much to discuss and aspire to create more Dev Blogs leading up to the game's release. To kick things off, we will start with the plot and story of Faerie Afterlight, and then we’ll dive into the media that inspired its creation. So, without further ado… [h2][b]Plot Summary[/b][/h2] A long time ago, when peace governed the land of Lumina, two thrones sat in the sky. In one sat Lucentia, the ruler of all things basking in the light, and in the other Kradyrev, the ruler of all that crawled in the darkness. Light and Dark had worked together in the prosperous land of Lumina for as long as either existed. Both rulers created many creatures in their own images, shaping Lumina into a beautiful and prosperous world. Alas, their harmonious bond would eventually reach its end. Lucentia found Kradyrev's creations, the enormous Titans, utterly distasteful and hideous. Too big and without her creation’s elegance or beauty, Lucentia began to despise them. But, just as every person cannot escape their shadow, one cannot live in the light alone. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38721603/f1c648ba92c96cae3023c14b7739a657332478ba.png[/img] Kradyrev, confident in his own wisdom, knew that Lucentia’s hatred could only bring disunion to the land. He attempted to compromise with Lucentia, discussing and debating his perspective for many days. Unfortunately, as they continued to fail to find a resolution, the rift widened between the rulers. Lucentia banished Kradyrev, locking him within the darkest part of the Abyss, a place where not even a single shed of light could penetrate. Feeling betrayed by his treatment as nothing more than a prisoner, thoughts of usurpation began clawing at Kradyrev’s mind. His patience waivered, and his hatred and desire for revenge blossomed into a plan. Kradyrev waited and waited, nurturing his energy and accumulating power. After many years, he broke his bonds and rushed into Lucentia’s palace. He attacked the Ruler of Light, breaking them into pieces and taking their place as ruler. No one was prepared for Kradyrev’s coming, and his ascension caused untold destruction to the land of Lumina. The citizens, hopeless against such anger, filled the world with agonized and sorrowful screams. However, amidst the seemingly endless darkness, one faerie refuses to give up their fight for the light… [b][h2]Inspirations[/h2][/b] The interplay of light and darkness within the narrative of Faerie Afterlight brings to mind the traditional Indonesian art form of “Wayang,” which is more commonly known as “shadow puppetry.” Wayang uses both light and darkness to depict the dualism of the human mind. Many of the concepts in life we experience are contradictory to each other (good-bad, rough-soft, kind-evil, etc.), and their seeming contrasts need to be balanced within us. Wayang struggles with these themes, inserting social phenomena and contrasts into a shadow play performance that allows us to digest it in an entertaining way. We see all these aspects in the story we created for Faerie Afterlight. At the beginning of the game, Kimo finds itself puzzled by its own existence. All alone and with nothing to identify themselves, their existence itself seems to be a contradiction. Kimo will then meet Wispy, a faerie with a clear goal and purpose. Despite their contrast, they will collect the Shards of Light together and save the land of Lumina. From the lowest, darkest parts of Lumina, they will travel all the way up to the unending light of Polar Solium. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/38721603/f48bd405ac350acdda9d4a8ffecfcca5b196003b.png[/img] The struggles of the boss “Titans”’ are a great example of these themes at work. Once good and kind beings, Kradyrev's power controls their minds, causing them to lash out in destructive and aggressive acts of rage. But once they are cleared of the darkness in their mind, Kimo and Wispy might find them to be incredibly helpful to their cause. Once you get your hands on the game, you will be able to learn even more about the story and themes by finding the game’s hidden collectibles. Collect them all, and you may even discover the world’s ultimate secrets! We hope you found this blog post informative and enjoyed learning about the plot and story of Faerie Afterlight. Please keep an eye out for [b]future Dev Blogs[/b] leading up to the game’s launch later this year. And if you haven't already, please download the [b]free demo[/b], [b]Follow[/b], and add Faerie Afterlight to your Steam [b]Wishlist[/b]. Talk to you all very soon. Your friends at Clay Games