more ideas for the berdly/tenna dark world by @scorchrend. the 8 bit game characters from legend of tenna/mantle game became actual guys in the weird ass dark world.
doodles and lore dump under cut (shit ton of text)
this kind of only works if we go off the assumption that the mantle game exists in the lightworld somehow, but fuck it. either from a ROM of the mantle game on berdly's computer or from tenna bringing the game over from kris's house, the game versions of the prophecy heroes come to life. mostly their own thing, also kind of influenced by berdly's memories of the fun gang. they act like a sweet cap'n cake style mini boss group type deal. not much else outside of that other than maybe the group being hired by the big boss of the dark world to hunt down berdly and tenna.
SCARF: probably the least like the original heroes. since berdly doesn't really know ralsei at all, there's not a lot in his memories to project onto it, so he becomes a little fucked up creature instead. minor shape shifting powers as a result of the block/surfboard powers, he's a very stretchy fella. why is he a dog? uhhhh mainly for the funny. lore wise i guess berdly didn't know how to parse the hat ralsei sprite and thought it was like a dog like monster w a tongue. maybe there is some interpretation you can do with like ralsei's identity crisis and not seeing himself as a person but it really was just for shits n giggles. he got no prophecy to worry about he can live his best life.
AXE: despite the name, doesn't actually have an axe. like to think they speak like the boulder from atla (refers to themselves in third person). she's all brawn from all the power croissants she's eaten. attacks by throwing anything and everything they can get their hands on. but if you get on her good side, is really just a big ol teddy bear. and a hugger. watch out if you value ur ribcage in tact. influence from og susie is kind of minimal, but shares the same rough-on-the-outside-caring-on-the-inside, just a bit more blunt.
SWORD: "leader" of the group. majority of the body is mostly just made up of the armor, hands + sword can be summoned and are usually only out in combat. got that rayman style build. shadow under the eyes in the og sprite became like a mask, but there are still eyes under there. berdly wanting to have a academic rivalry w kris makes them a very gary oak type character. but this time w trama! (i guess that makes them more like silver?) they seem to be the only one to remember previously being a game character, and thus the shit the player did sword route. protective of other two and wants to make them feel like true heroes (even though they are kind of just hired to do dirty work for others)
there's actually so much going on here. I know you shouldn't take merch as canon, but I think this is confirming a lot of stuff.
1. Susie IS meant to wield the axe meant to cut down trees.
2. "An antagonist, [...] she joined the side of light" So Susie IS meant to be read as an antagonist (bad guy) from the dark side that joined the heroes of light. Not just a hero from the beginning
3. "Wood can be used to stoke the fire which melts the girl's icy heart." First, I am SO happy we're getting more official suselle in merch. But also, I am SOO happy that they're confirming the dynamic that Susie is meant to melt the ice in Noelle's heart, like ICE type enemies have predicted...
I found my old copy of the original Mantle game on the NES and decided to scan the box cover art for it! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find most of the accesories that came along with it. I haven't really seen them documented anywhere, really, but I'll let you guys know if I come across them.
