#projectlumenlore

[project-lumen]

it's speculative lore questions time ... no need to answer, since these sort of questions can get spoiler-y, i'm just very much kicking my feet anf giggling about this game

1. Is Watcher!Grian a thing? Or does he have any other watcher-related history? Does WC know? Does anybody know? Would this have any effect on his, say, moveset or knowledge of things?

2. Either way, is Grian still the creator of the games? Have the Watchers hijacked it or was it all the Watchers in the first place? (Dude loses his game and goes whoops. Fuck me I guess. I suppose it's a torture maze now)

3. What about Martyn's Eyes and Ears AU? Will aspects be pulled from that? Say, for example, the falling scene - is that something we see, is that a relevant character who speaks to him? Or is EnE mostly ignored (bc. yk. it's technically an AU anyways)?

4. How do the Watchers operate? Are they like a big pantheon that works together or are they more individualistic? Or would you compare them more with a cult? Are the members often seen as Gods or are they just god-like entities functioning as a group? What about senior figures vs the WC - how do they treat each other?

5. crumbs for me ..? what does the watcher child look like ..? appearance description for a poor boy ..? sir, could i please have some more ..? my name is oliver twist and i like silly fictional character appearance descriptions ..?

Hi-hey-hello! Arto and group here to answer!!

Watcher!Grian isn't as much of a thing, but he is very much more aware about the Watchers and who they are compared to everyone else. There is a hint of Watcher relation at the end. Grian used to be a Watcher, but was more of an apprentice than a fully fledged watcher; in-between the stages of Watcher Child and an actual Watcher. He was rid of his powers as soon as he entered 3rd Life. But as the series goes on, he gets slightly more and more Watcher possessed---to become a window for them to watch and keep an eye on everyone. The only time he breaks away from it is Wild Life! Wow that was a lot of watcher in this paragraph,,

Grian was the suggester of the games, but did not run them. The Watchers took his idea and claimed credit, turning it into a torture game for entertainment. Of course, it wasn't originally meant to be, which is why Grian knows the rules but wouldn't expect the horrors to come like the rest of the group.

Martyn's EnE AU will have slight involvement, fragment-wise. Three hearts symbolizing their lives will be placed on different parts of their body (for example, for Third Life, Martyn's hearts would be placed onto his cheek, which is also where his fragment goes (I think? I don't watch Martyn as often)).

How the watchers function as a society is more so unrevealed. All you really figure out is about TOPTS, The One Pulling The Strings. TOPTS is essentially a Watcher hivemind, connecting everyone. Though it lives and breathes, it's not necessarily alive, but is the only thing above the Watchers. Inside of TOPTS belongs the Source Code, aka the Heart. Now I thought of the name Source Code, it felt really familiar to smth else so that name might change lol idk where I got it from. Anyways, the Source Code is the very thing that channels all life---the reason of the Watchers, Lifers, and other creatures' existences. But it can get corrupted, and everything can go awry, so it'd not invincible.

Well, it's more of a beta design (have to confirm with others), but this is how I draw them!

I forgot their little halo on the second one, whoops!

They are feminine, but not a girl whatsoever. Watchers don't really have a concept of gender because yk theyre kind of deities, but Watcher Children can have human ish traits as they're not fully fledged Watchers and can only take their Creature Form.

Another thing is that the Watcher Realm is so incredibly random, they try to create it off of Earth. So there will be fake, purple plants, and giant, "bustling" cities (that are completely empty) with "greenery" right next to a literal wasteland o a desert. And then right next to that, is a beautiful, even MORE fake ocean that doesn't even continue. It just stops really abruptly. Not really a lake, completely like an ocean, except at some point it just cuts off and theres just a wall of water. Its a bit hard to explain LOL but I hope your questions were answered!!

- Arto, Kori and Pinkish

[project-lumen]

So our beloved mc, Watcher Child, can interact with the environment in various ways, thereby leading to different outcomes in the games, if I'm reading the explanations right (hopefully).

I've had many ideas about this since I heard about it, and I wanted to ask, how much can WC interact?

Can we prevent Scar from getting blown up by a creeper, either by driving it away or maybe just smiting it (I don't think we'll be able to do that, but it's a funny idea nonetheless)? Can we stop Jimmy from springing Grian's trapped enchantment table? Can we successfully bring about Red Spring (please please please that'd be so cool, Martyn initially planning to betray Ren was such a cool idea that no one utilizes it'd be so interesting trust me-) through a tiny change in the story or Scar dieing earlier than he was supposed to? Can we protect our beloved Canary? Can we prevent Pearl from her isolation and insanity by postponing her trip to the Nether? Can we have Rancher content (please they're such a fun duo)? Can we prevent (or keep) the DNA abomination that is Martren (I love him he's so underappreciated)? Will Joel actually be able to drive his *stupid fricking car* (it would be really funny, if nonsensical)? How good can we make everything? How much worse can we make it?

The opportunities are there and I am very very happy about it (I really hope we get to see everybody else in the different seasons at least a little bit because I feel like we're not going to get a whole lot of the incredibly stupid drama from certain perspectives (ex: Grian cheating on Scar /w BigB, which to my knowledge, Pearl doesn't really find out about (?)). It's fine if that does happen, it's just like, " Man these guys are being idiots. I really want this memorized forever so I can put it on my wall and look at these forever ".

thank you guys so much for making this, as I'm currently walking back to my house and it's cold and there is snow :-(

bye, drink water :-)

Hi-hey-hello, Arto and Kori here, and thanks for the question!!!

So the Watcher Child will be able to interact an average amount, but also not as much, since they are still just an apprentice. During the actual Life Series games, you will be playing as the winner---aka, whoever the Watcher Child is watching. Hopefully I'll be posting a little blurb of all sorts of notes for the game to hopefully give a little more context!

For example, in Third Life, at the beginning of the game, the Watcher Child is kind of just 'only meant to watch'. This is because our WC is still curious and doesn't really know what will happen---because at the start they were excited about the game and wanted to make it as chaotic as possible. But, upon following Grian for a while and looking at how the game works, they come to a realization "these games aren't happy and fun like I thought they were...".

Fast forward to when Grian was setting up the enchanter trap. At this rate, Watcher Child had not only made their presence known but also started to disapprove of the games. So, while on screen you see Grian setting the trap up, the game will highlight the enchanter in the trap in a bright purple color, indicating you to click it. The idea is that the enchanter trap was meant to work, but WC messed with it so nobody else would die. Of course that is the "good route" to put it in some way, you can also choose to ignore it and let it kill more players. Things like these are how we're going to have Watcher Child interact during the Life Series :D But while they're in the Watcher Realm, you play as WC.

I totally get your concerns lol, but don't worry! While you're doing a (most likely side) quest of some sort that requires you to go somewhere, the map will be free roam. You can always go around the map and talk to other characters a little and see what they're up to! and there might be easter eggs youll never know

We totally want for the player to have different options, like being able to prevent Scar's creeper death in Third Life or the (very lovable) abomination that is Martren, but the issue is that one small change in plot can change the ENTIRE outcome of the season, getting us trapped in loopholes and paradoxes galore. Would Grian have won Third Life if he hadn't teamed with Scar? No desert duo? Who would he team with then? So we've talked and decided that yes, as per Watcher influence, you can change the stories of the characters but the final outcome will always be the same, everyone dies and the Winner stands until the end, it was always meant to be that way, that is The Will of the Watchers. For example, in Double Life, maybe Watcher Child causes Scar to realize that he's literally being cheated on and he goes to join the Broken Hearts Club! (thats the name right?) (Oh boy am i mentioning scar a lot. I wonder who my favorite hermit/lifer is. oh golly gee i wonder wh)

But having an easter egg of joel breaking through stuff with his car is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Running Scott Smajor over with a Dodge Charger 1970 Simulator innit-) (LOL)

Sorry, Arto yapped a LOT lol, (And Kori cut it down and edited it everyone say thank you Kori - Arto) I really hope this answers your question! Let us know if you still have queries or are confused :D

- Arto and Kori

PS: Also! Snow! That's cool! I love snow! I wish I could see snow. Probably a bit late but good luck on your way back home, anon! Take care too! And thank youuuuuu for question, really appreciate it!

[project-lumen]

Stray Concepts By Us Crazies LOL

Hi-hey-hello, my Lumenfolk! (thats what im calling you sillies now) (PLEASE DONT JUDGE ME FOR THAT,,)

So just for any missing context of any sort, I copy pasted some scraps of notes about LUMEN :D idk I just felt like it. Warning it might be a lot of scrolling so umm beware!!

If I remember to do so, this MIGHT be updated!!!!!

CHAPTER NAMES:

CH 0: The Watchers' Apprentice

CH I: Curse Of The Desert

CH II: A Tale Of The Honorable

CH III: Wicked Witch Of The Moon

CH IV: Ticking Whispers

CH V: A Rather Lonely Sunflower

THE LOST PAGES: April Is For Apocalypse

CH VII: Of Cards and Cars

CHAPTER ∞: Our Will Be Done

Chapter 0 is an introduction to the main plot, as WC is really excited to see how the Life Series goes. Chapter ∞ is the very end.

Both take place in the Watcher Realm

Throughout all of Chapter 1 (AKA Third Life), the player solely plays as Grian. At the rare times in which he sleeps/is alone, the Watcher Child visits Grian, only confusing him further ("Get out of my head, please!")

After Grian jumps from the cliffside at the end of Third Life, the WC joins the Watchers again. At first, it seems like they're cheering that Grian won and that the Life Series were a success. But at the end of Chapter 1, after the celebrations, it is revealed that the WC doesn't approve of the Life Series as much as before Third Life.

The WC vowed to make sure the player they chose from their tarot cards would win. They plucked another card from the pile… "THE STAR".

Chapter 5, Secret Life, has the most Watchers moderating and controlling it because of what happened in April (The Lost Pages---Real Life's Malfunction)

Chapter 6, Wild Life, will be the LEAST controlled by the Watchers. This will be because of one of the two undecided reasons:

Option A: The Lifers (aka mainly Grian) broke the system and caused the Watcher Realm to malfunction

Option B: Same as Option A, but it was the Watcher Child who did it.

You can change the background plot as Watcher Child; for example, in Double Life, maybe Watcher Child causes Scar to realize that he's literally being cheated on and he goes to join the Broken Hearts Club!

The Watchers have many forms, but two that stand out are specifically:

Creature Form:

The Watcher takes up the form of a humanish creature, but it still looks alien. It has no face. The watchers' talking sprites will be represented via Eyes.

They will be differentiated by the shape/form of those eyes.

Pure Form:

Lovecraftian Cryptid. Never goes well for mortal eyes.

If you see it, you will probably go blind.

REAL LIFE'S PROMINENCE EXPLAINED:

Real Life would be a "failed experiment" of the watchers, hidden to the world and erased from all the memories of the lifers---all except Cleo.

See, while you're playing through the game, it'll be a free roam world whenever you're in the middle of a quest which requires you to go somewhere. Hidden (but also more out in the open) around the Secret Life map will be these torn out papers from an unnamed Watcher's journal, who was documenting how Real Life went. So the player is aware that these papers exist, the first one will be given to you, and you'll have a side quest to find the rest.

Once you collect all the papers, you go on to complete Secret Life (as Scar, since the Watcher Child is watching from his perspective, like how they do with all the other winners). When Secret Life is over, you'll be notified of an option in the MENU to play Real Life, aka The Lost Chapter. Real Life will have an old timey, brown worn down filter to it, as you will be playing through Cleo's Memory---the only other live proof that Real Life exists.

The reason that A. these papers are torn out from a journal and B. only Cleo remembers Real Life is because remember, Real Life was a failed experiment. (Remember how Real Life really only lasted one episode? That's why it was failed---it wasn't prolonged, and to the Watchers, it wasn't very entertaining, either)

The Watchers thought that the failure of Real Life was a clear weakness to their everlasting power, so they simply got all of the Lifers and removed their memories... but before they could end the series, Cleo had already won. The main and number one rule in The Life Series of Experiments (I literally just made that name up on the spot) is that all winners, no matter what, will remember the series they won. So they forgot that they couldn't erase Cleo's memory.

So, Cleo is not bound to the Watchers like the other Lifers are. And thus, she remembers.