Since scientific research has swallowed me whole and I have no time to draw or something—but sometimes…
Something wicked this way comes~
I hope I'll finish this piece soon.
I just want to say that I just adore Julian's eyes. This is what I meant by "martyr's eyes." I've achieved it. I conveyed the necessary expression, but I am completely exhausted.
Fun fact: the reference for Valdemar was taken from my own photo. Since it became easier for me to draw them after that, I think this information is… worth using for my own selfish purposes.~
I may not be able to draw at the moment due to my busy schedule, but once or twice a month I like to stay active and not let the blog get bogged down.
Long story short, a friend of mine is currently studying in Venice. Since we've both been actively rotting our brains on the Arcana for a several years now, sometimes he lets me know how he's doing, when we meet. We both know that the game developers used Venice as one of the references for Vesuvia. And since one of my hobbies within the fandom is to "expand the universe" by finding landscapes that would fit nicely into the game as backgrounds/locations, and since many of these views will be vaguely familiar to you, I present another picspam with views that could be in the game's universe. So, let's consider this post a tribute of love and appreciation to my "brother in arms".
I present to you... Vesuvia, ladies, gentlemen, and others.
Credits with links will appear below the photos.
As always, none of the images are being used for any commercial purposes, only for illustrative purposes and entertainment.
(A view like this, corrected for the XVI_th century, just had to be at Vesuvia, and I have a painful lack of boats and stories of movement by water in the game, I swear to you)
I can't post anything because I didn't draw in September and had an operation on my jaw. I'm fine, if someone want to know, but I don't know when I'll draw again, October is a month full of worries.
At the beginning of this year I had planned to draw 1 or 2 artworks per a month, but life has made its own adjustments. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ahem. How can I start the conversation? OK, I'll try. How do you do, fellow humans?
Tonight I would like to talk about the setting of the Arcana game. Or, more specifically, its atmosphere, about background illustrations that people usually don't notice and/or don't usually talk about.
I love the Arcana background CGs so much. To be honest, those CGs are what got me into the game.
A little story: 4 or 5 years ago I saw an advertisement of the Arcana for the first time. And when I saw those ads on Instagram, it was so horrible and tasteless, imho. These cringe ads rather repelled me instead of attracting me. I saw it and forgot about it, but then…
Some time later, I started looking for background references for my text-based roleplay and found some beautiful illustrations. I didn't use these illustrations for my text roleplay. Besides, I soon forgot about my roleplay. :D and, in Google, I looked at the descriptions under the illustrations I found: "the Arcana game". I was intrigued. Then I downloaded the game. A few moments later I remembered those stupid ads, but I decided to take a chance.
And then, after the Prologue, I was absolutely fascinated. It had nothing in common with those commercials. The game itself was more beautiful than I'd ever imagined. And here I am :D and here we are.
Back to the background graphics. I am personally humbled and grateful to the original artists for these backgrounds. We love the characters – there's no doubt about that. But this setting and atmosphere wouldn’t be what it is without these illustrations.
I usually refer to photos that I think have "the same vibe" or "this place fits the world of Arcana" when I want to expand the world of the game on my own. Like headcanons, fanfiction, et cetera, you know.
Next I would like to show my selection of such photos. All photos from Instagram, not the Pinterest, as this is the most convenient method of attribution.
And all of these images, you know, I am NOT using for any commercial purposes. Crediting is in the order of the images.
⏬
Okay, let's go. It's not that I'm HCing any specific locations. I can only give a very rough idea of the "location area". You'll see the notes, I hope. Credits and links below. Credits are clickable.
graciousopulence (the main source)
1. clivenichols
2. nationaltrust*
3. bonvoyagecleo
4. gamma_f
5. rcmccloskey
6. designboom*
7. amarosanchezdemoya
8. curly.beard
There are some images that conjure up more specific associations for me.
To be honest, this photo became the indirect reason for this post.
I saw this today and the theme song from the game immediately started playing in my head (can you guess which one?). At the same time, I remembered some of the scenes that take place in our storyline. A lot of the action takes place in the Temple District. Just because… why not? especially when you and your co-author are historians obsessed with religion, lol.
I imagined this picture very vividly:
One of the churches in the Temple District. Silence. Julian sitting in an empty church, deep in thought. Watching how the strip of light from the stained glass window slowly creeping across the floor and the benches, then how the flames of the candles flickering.
He reflects and looks away, shyly, from the instruments of passions and the images of martyrs.
No, he is not religious at all. Just... impressionable. He is only impressionable in that he probably thinks most of the time that he has not yet been struck by lightning because of his impure intentions. Poor boy… 🫀
Ahem. Sorry. I think I got carried away. :D Just look at this last item.
"I think I figured it out," grumbled Doctor №069 as he scrubbed another dissection table.
"This superstition that if you scatter poppy seeds in front of the undead, they will start counting them. Because of you, Quaestor!"
"You are extremely clever for your vapid head, Doctor №069," Valdemar grinned, carefully placed their polished scalpels.
(Based on a true story. Thanks to ApostleJay for such fun)
Here is some information to consider... ⏬
Note: this belief is more common in Eastern Europe, and no, I absolutely don't like headcanons about "Russian Ilya". Also, I remember the Devs' speech: Jeff Goldblum is a reference for Julian. Who is Jeff Goldblum? A Jew. But his family was from Eastern Europe and there were so many Jewish towns. Nevivon looks like one of those towns. For example, the kitchen in Nevivon (*"the Warm Welcome") is divided into two areas: meat and dairy. What is this? The basic principle of kashrut. "But Julian was born near Nevivon"? Yes. But Tasya said (to Lishka; again, definitely not "a common Russian name", "Lishka" sounds much more like something Czech) about the treasure that is only passed on through the female line. An elegant homage to a specifically Jewish cultural thing, iykwim.
Also, the whole image of Julian is a stereotypical Jewish image in European culture: he's redheaded, a doctor, a violinist*, etc. Sorry not sorry.
(*Technically he is a vielle player, but the vielle is a precursor of the violin. And: no, there have never been any vielle players in Russia, except the modern times, represented by rare baroque ensembles.)
Definitely not Russian, diminutives like "Ilyushka" are not specific to Russian language, Portia is not a common Russian name (neither are Pasha and Ilona, her mother). And... have you ever heard of, say, Antonín Dvořák, the famous Czech composer of the 19th century?
BTW, ApostleJay and I have a theory about Portia Devorak. Nothing special, we're just guessing about the reference: Portia, the female protagonist in "The Merchant of Venice". Why not, since the game itself has enough references to classical literature.
At last: I once saw a Julian-kinny boy here. And he said he wanted to learn Russian to be more like a Julian. Poor boy, if you ever see my speech, here is my unsolicited advice.
Please don't learn Russian to be more like Julian. Learn Yiddish. It will be much more in character.
(Czechia? Maybe Bohemia? I need Julian singing "Bohemian rhapsody", IMMEDIATELY!)
Because of their antiquity, I came up a headcanon about their origin. So, what about a country near the great river and with the great pyramids? Many lands of the Arcana world have references from India, Arabic region or Mongolia – so, Ancient Egypt? Why not? I can't decide, maybe this is ancient Zadith? There is nothing about Zadith in the canon, just a note in the ArcanaWiki:
"The homeland of Asra's parents, Zadith lies across the Malvent Strait from Vesuvia. This is a country where both science and magic are highly respected. Those who combine both disciplines are known as alchemists."
I think this short description is suitable for the heritage of such civilization as Egyptian.
I’m sad that the history of the world is so poorly developed, but I still love the lore so much. And I’d be happy to read (only from the original writers), say, a brief history of the world. But since there's no any history, I'm taking the liberty (and, a bit, my history degree) to assume: Zadith is the inheritor of some ancient civilization like the Ancient Egypt.
I'm not good at naming, so I will provisionally call it "Deshret" – Egyptian word for "red land, desert". Valdemar spoke about "millennia of existence", describing their antiquity, so I'm pretty sure: they have been born as a human in the ancient kingdom, like the Ancient Egypt. Also, note that red beetle brooch at the neck: similar motives were common in the Ancient Egypt. And, I think, Valdemar had this beetle brooch long before the Plague.
Okay, maybe developers in Portia's route (flashback scene with Prospero and foundation of Vesuvia) just showed Valdemar to us as we know them, because of developing another (kinda "more ancient") sprite and costume for the short scene is not viable. But anyway: we have what we have. What if we imagine that "red beetle brooch" of the Courtiers is rooted not only in the Red Plague? What about a, merely my headcanon, the Egyptian "scarab" motif?
So, there's the old traditional sketch I have. When I drew this pic, I imagined Valdemar just after their first deals with the Devil. Just look at their eyes.🫀
And – of course, they are in the tomb. Maybe as a priest? Who knows, fellow humans.
Since I don't like making headcanons about MCs, and the whole concept is not for me, I'm doing... a side character based on my favorite musicians instead. Who, in my opinion, fit into the Arcana world.
And I'm sure: "Blackmore's Night" is one of them (my beg pardon, I'm an old fan). Since I feel the same aesthetic and the same atmosphere, let's go.
1. This is where I feel the STRONGEST "Girl Power" vibes. What about, say, the "Nadia/MC" route? Portia can be here too (I mean, girl party in a storm on a cliff overlooking the ocean? YEAAH!).
2. I don't know why, but here I feel "Asra/MC" (suddenly!) vibes more than anything else. So, why not?
2.1. "Asra/MC" (or just Azra themselve), so-why-not-2:
So: "The Rowdy Raven". It's easy to imagine R. Blackmore and K. Night as musicians playing in the tavern. Maybe their patron arcana in the Arcana world are also "The Lovers", like Aisha and Salim. I don't think the patron arcana can choose the only person (or couple like "the Lovers" do). I guess "being chosen by the Arcana personification" is not an exclusive offer. It's rare? Well, yes. But I think it's much rarer to be exclusive. It depends, I guess.
Anyway, this is my own headcanon about side characters, which is just giving me a special ambiance as I see it. I like such non-binding vignettes, say:
1. Dancing in the "Rowdy Raven" to this song. Maybe this is a bit of an anachronism ("Lorelei" is a poem by Heinrich Heine, 1824 or even Clemens Brentano's poem "Lore Lay" on 1801) for the "Renaissance" setting of the game, but as long as there is tango (as the most obvious anachronism) in the game itself, this is allowed too.
(Imagine all those old sailors dancing under Mazelinka's leadership. She's sure to have many stories to tell about beautiful sea maidens: she was married to one of them. But with a happy ending. 🖤)
2. Oh, well, it's pretty simple. I think it was one of Julian's favorite songs. Especially for the "sentimental mood" ('cause he is a sweet sentimental boy, you know).
3. This is so obvious that I won't say any more.
I've been listening to them for over 15 years. It's kind of a "band of my youth" and maybe someone will discover "Blackmore's Night" for themselves, idk. Just say something if you want. I always appreciate little vignettes about the whole world (not the "MC with /put your LI here/…" type), but such content is rarely seen here.
I got into WIPs, but there are finished drawings, so in this case my conscience is clear. :D
So, how it started:
How it's going:
(The "Sketch>Finished Art" team, I'm with you guys. Seriously, I really think that coloring is not my strong suit. However, I myself love the dark palette more than the bright one, but I just appreciate the contrasts that WasteOfPlace usually adds.
Like here.
Or here.
However, this is no reason to stop drawing on my own. I don't like to bother my team with my own petty whims. :D /L. S./)
And I hope Anon with the "Valdemar x Julian playlist" request is still here. Someday I will drop the whole playlist, I promise.🫀
(I am synaesthete and I love the dark-blue palette of early Apocalyptica so much. "Not strong enough" is not "the early Apocalyptica™ era", but indeed the Julian POV.)
