#IT'S FINALLY DONE YAAYYY THIS TOOK 3 WEEKS

[arvale-artist]

DeMenchev discovers an ancient stone tablet with peculiar illustrations carved into it...

(explanations under the readmore)

Phew! It's finally done... Arright, I put a lot of thought into this animated short and I'm going to explain every detail now, which contain spoilers for Arvale 2 : Ocean of Time. You can play the game for free here!

This animated short takes place roughly 1 year before the events of the game.

The font is orange because the title screen for Arvale 2 is bathed in an orange sunset =]

In the storyboard DeMenchev actually had a torch instead of a lantern, but I changed it to make a refrence to Melonchi Minecarts, where he is depicted with a lantern!

This shot is ominous on purpose. The tree growing over the stone tablet, which later turns out to be an entling, one of the commen monsters in Arvale, is symbolic for The Great Cedar: The main villain of Arvale 2 (next to a certain megalomaniac emperor...) A looming threat, a self proclaimed god watching from above.

The Great Cedar, along with a powerful artifact associated with him, The Cedar Root, is represented again on the stone tablet. Roots growing, covered in moss, taking on the shape of an upside down cedar. He is positioned above the other two Time Gods, as he is above them. More powerful, and responsible for creating them.

The Panther, god of The Past, and The Lunar, god of The Present, are depicted on the stone tablet. There's refrences to powerful artifacts associated with them as well: The Panther Eye and The Lunar Tear, highlighted with a starshape surrounding them. The starshape is not really random as well, in the good ending an image is displayed giving the panther's eye a star shaped glow, and I just... implemented that too =]

A slow and ominous version of the game's boss battle theme is playing in the background, forshadowing them being a major threat and, well, bosses you fight in the game.

DeMenchev not only pulls out his Trusty Sword (an actual item in the game, unbreakable starter weapon) beause it's cool as hell, but also because it's an effective weapon against the entling, which is weak to slashing damage. I even refrence this in the credits! The + signifies an effective weapon.

Speaking of the credits, a slow version of the battle theme is playing, a subtle nod to what happens right after the animated short.