#the.pixel.junky

[heliotrope-journey]

Good evening, vampire hunters.

It was Gelliewich’s lucky day when he stumbled across two pots of gold during a stroll through the highlands surrounding Galicia. Thinking that he hit the jackpot, he stuffs his pockets with the riches he could carry. But when there are lone pots of gold, there’s a huge chance a group of leprechauns have set up camp inches away because no one just leaves a cluster of gold coins free for the taking. Just as soon as Gelliewich filled his pockets, Pwcca stands behind him with his wand handy, threatening to take the optimist hostage. His group has cornered July and an earth mage fifteen minutes prior and though they’re putting up a good fight, a lone leprechaun has them outmatched. The mage’s novice sorcery could not topple his opponent’s aggressive slashes and wolf-like thrusts. Gelliewich smiles, arms himself with a gilded sword he brought with him, and knocks Pwcca to the ground. If there’s anything he loves more than riches beyond his wildest imagination, it’s a good fight. The earth mage, noticing that the battle gained a participant fighting for him in July, gets the confidence to launch a boulder the size of his fist at the leprechaun, bringing him to his knees. Pwcca stands up and raises his wand toward Gelliewich just as the mage ran to his side. It won’t be a short St. Patty’s Day battle, but have you ever known Gelliewich to complain? ;) Photo by Dmitrii Shirnin on Unsplash.

We’ve made some final changes to The Heliotrope Chronicles Book 1: Scars of the Past. The hub world has gotten an expansion to include interactions with Frederick’s compatriots and a new area to make room for a tribute to my late brother painted by my sister. These interactions may not spoil much of Episode 4, but it is recommended to play through the previous levels before exploring the new hub. Siegfried Croes has carved a handful of diamond-shaped gems for you to find in order to enrich your gaming experience. They’ve been previously added to Son of a Hustler Book 1 to challenge your platforming skills and we plan to add them in future updates to older installments. Photo by Jonathan Larson on Unsplash.

Hang on! We’re not finished with The Heliotrope Chronicles Book 1!

That’s correct. Frederick and co. still have much to do in Baudelaire City before they flee the country. Unfortunately, the game’s executable has become too big to fit the upcoming levels and as a result, it takes a while longer for it to run. To ensure that it won’t overload your PC’s memory, we decided to split The Heliotrope Chronicles Book 1 and larger installments currently in development into four-episode volumes. Volume I may have concluded and it ended on a good note, but there'll be plenty of time in Volume II give the Veiled Nocturne a swift kick in the rear.

Thank you for supporting the Heliotrope Journey series as always and we hope you enjoy this new hub. :)

Sincerely,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Saturday Throwback while Dodging Dryads

Good evening, vampire hunters.

The air grows cooler, strengthening monsters and evil warlocks alike. And what better way to combat them both than the durable Frederick and the blunt Michaela fighting by your side? New products with updated artwork of them are now available for purchase on Society6. Updated artwork of Eforie and new Halloween-themed characters as promised last year will follow. To arms!

https://society6.com/product/frederick-at-25-years-of-age_wall-hanging

https://society6.com/product/michaela-at-27-years-of-age_iphone-card-case

Chapter 2 in The Flower That Blooms in Red (Westley's Version) will be out in a few days. All we need to do now is make sure the dryads behave themselves, but we can't promise they'll let Eforie go without chasing her. Remember she is unarmed in this level so it'll take a bit of patience before she reaches her parasol. Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash.

Fun fact: The scene depicted above is a re-telling of a funny part in the original Autodesk Maya that was never recorded. In the original teacher, a woman based off of my English teacher in senior year reprimanded a couple of teenage troublemakers not to stress out her pregnant friend. The woman stomped on the ground so hard that the vibrations caused a nearby log to fall off and create a bridge for the female lead to cross. This, in turn, was based off a funny story this teacher told about another back when she was pregnant. I was a teen angst storyteller. 😂

Thank you for playing as always and have an amazing rest of your weekend.

Sincerely,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Righteousness, Honor, and an All-You-Can-Eat Pizza Party

Good evening, vampire hunters.

Sidiyq Qadim ordered pizza for his compatriots in the hopes that vampires will not lift a finger on them while they were spending the day on a remote island. Jay wanted time alone with Frederick to enjoy their pizza while the others in the dunes to make camp. Their brief ecstasy was sadly cut short when their presence attracted a knot of argiopoefrogs and a congregation of scythe-wielding skeletons. An outlandish chef that prepared the pizza added a touch of both fire and light magic to ensure the pies stay warmer longer than those prepared with traditional methods. They may not be made for combat, but treating them as a weapon can send any skeletal foe back into the ground their remains were buried in. To keep the argiopoefrogs away, Idyia, Sidiyq, Jay, Ioana, and Eforie are forced to feed them their pizza. These flesh-eating amphibians have enormous appetites for just about anything that breathes, but pouring a glass of milk on their skin will paralyze them in seconds. As much as Frederick and co. loves their pizza as much as five costumed teenagers living in a letter-shaped skyscraper, it is their chance to get a good night's rest on the island. Is it too late for Sidiyq Qadim to contact the chef for a replacement order? O_O

The boss enemy that Frederick will face in the first level in The Heliotrope Chronicles has been decided and is currently being designed so keep an eye out for a sneak peek next week. Have a good weekend!

Sincerely,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Scandals May Lead to Friendships

Good afternoon, vampire hunters.

We hope that Easter Sunday had treated you well last week. The odds you have leftover candies and chocolate bunnies in your basket or wherever a cottontail rabbit has hidden your prizes are almost certain. KawaiiPixelArts was searching for hers in a road covered in flowers when she befriended two changelings tending to it. With time to spare, she spoke with them about their desire to challenge adventurers in the Conifers Kingdom by hiding jewel-crested eggs in their garden. They are well aware of how hostile their fellow changelings are hostile with the human race as Frederick and Eforie are experiencing first-hand and while they understand their anger, the pair would rather play with new people in exchange for supplies and a rare polearm to aid them in their travels. KawaiiPixelArts wondered if she was their guinea pig they were plotting to use to test their idea. Even if it was, she didn’t mind. She loves games that put a smile on her face. Isn’t that wonderful? Photo by Aaron Brunhofer on Unsplash.

The fun is not over yet. KawaiiPixelArts was not the flower path’s first visitor. A local man from Snowdenburg spent his spring holiday in an estate near the path. He surprisingly passed the egg hunting challenge and he wasn’t just given the polearm (Sidiyq Qadim will be forging it if he has time.); he was also given a green rabbit suit that will allow him to hop three times his normal jumping distance. We’re keeping his identity secret for now, but here’s a sneak peek of his casual attire. ;)

Running away from danger may bring Frederick and Eforie closer to it. Chapter 3’s release draws near and if you’re been subscribed to Joy Luna’s YouTube channel, you’ll want to get comfy. Background photos by Stephanie Klepacki on Unsplash.

Thanks for playing as always and have a good weekend!

Sincerely,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Good afternoon, vampire hunters.

I'm dropping in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and we hope you're having a festive weekend. Yesterday was just what I needed to decompress and celebrate with family. How did you celebrate the holidays? ^_^

About a couple decades ago, Frederick, Eforie, Selim, and a middle-aged Elijah found themselves face-to-face with an insurgent of snow golems that have ambushed them while passing through a frozen river at sunset. A Veiled Nocturne-organized pagan celebration was unintentionally cut short when Elijah had stolen a vial of poison they planned to use on a group of brave (foolish in the eyes of the occultists) changelings that refused to join the Dark Lord's cause. The group Elijah and the children had saved are nowhere to be found, leaving them to fight off the golems. They can only hope that the battle is buying them time to escape, but for how long? Photo by kyle sanguin on Unsplash.

Speaking of changelings, the ones that Eforie has encountered in our upcoming Book 1: Scars of the Past Chapter 2 will be available as merch in my Society6 store by this coming weekend so keep an eye out for the announcement in addition to our New Year's celebration on our much-loved Rainbow Road. :)

Have a holly, jolly Christmas and we'll see you soon.

Health and happiness,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Frederick's Odyssey Begins

Good evening, vampire hunters.

The first episode of The Heliotrope Chronicles Book 1 is live. It starts off when Frederick wakes up in the middle of an enchanted swamp after a mysterious schism has separated him from his compatriots. Help him navigate his way through a world that feels like a dream to look for a sign of the first human being that popped into mind; his dear friend, Eforie. Don’t be fooled by the soothing background music. If there’s magic in the air, it’s not a good sign. 😱

https://darkinfern0crystal1.itch.io/the-heliotrope-chronicles-book-1

Would you like to find out what Eforie has been up to while Frederick is looking for? That will be covered in the next episode and let's just say that the Anura Duchy is not keen to welcome humans this time. In Eforie's shoes, you will find out up close what happens to mortal travelers apprehended by vigilante wizards in the Conifers Kingdom. On that note, if you're going to travel there as a human, you're going to want magic at your disposal. Lots of magic.

Have a good night and thank you for your support as always.

Sincerely,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Chronicling Our Progress

Good evening, vampire hunters.

We have exciting news to share with you; Anthony Cronander is back on the squad!!! He's super excited to help out once more and cannot wait to show you guys what he is stirring up in between his romantic hiking trips and busy schedule. :D

For the time being, let's take a look at a skeleton key he fashioned to help Frederick unlock a door that one might conveniently find in an enchanted swamp. It's unfortunately out of reach for an average mortal, but once he takes the form of a mimic, he'll leap to extraordinary heights. It will allow him to not only find shortcuts, but quickly escape . Be careful. Coins that bear the likeness of the Dark Lord will only reappear when you turn back on the area so once you're stuck, you might as well return to square one. *shudders.*

Sidiyq Qadim, KawaiiPixelArts, Chubbo, and The.Pixel.Junky have also been assigned their respective projects to help prepare for the holiday seasons ahead in addition to upcoming content for The Heliotrope Chronicles and Michaela's story arc; Son of a Hustler. The development process for the latter will begin as soon as the demo for our new engine is completely fleshed out. But before we go wild, I first need to flesh out this seashell. 😅

Stay tuned for next week when I showcase two shocking, out-of-this-world storyline ideas I improvised on vacation when I discovered Cronix went above and beyond by giving Michaela and Treyton monstrous forms. What can I say? After a while, I learned to expect the unexpected from this imaginative dude.

Have a good weekend,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Going Wild with Art for the Summer

Good evening, vampire hunters.

Our artists have been busy bees lately. Cronix has just been given a long-term project to keep him occupied for summer's second leg (His own endeavors also take up some of his space. Have you seen his fanart for another fantasy game? It's stunning. :D), Sidiyq Qadim is tirelessly forging new weapons for our heroes and their enemies alike, and Chubbo is currently carving two ancient statues to decorate the Leafgroove Mountains as millennial adventurers from the magical sector recognize it. Long before Treyton's untimely visit, it was once a vibrant dwarven settlement. Outsiders were mostly welcomed with open arms and help during times of need were greatly appreciated as we'll soon see when Frederick and Eforie make a detour of their own. Unfortunately, heavy fighting during Humanity’s Abnegation had ravaged the settlement and some if not most of the surviving dwarfs have moved deeper underground. Those that remained behind guard their former home with their lives to prevent their remaining relics from being looted or destroyed. What preservationist wouldn't blame them? Photo by Biel Morro on Unsplash.

An old amateurish animation I created in Autodesk Maya during my senior year in high school will soon be getting a 2D remake. Its storyline will remain the same, but it will be revised to feature Vlad Tepes's failed attempt to invade London in the 21st century and how three bystanders bravely helped Frederick, Eforie, and Abiataka thwart it. I've decided to try something by requesting KawaiiPixelArts to begin designing characters for a change and she started off with Esther, one such bystander whose best friend was abducted by the seductive Lucy Westerna. KawaiiPixelArts did such a beautiful job capturing Esther's innocence and beauty in her one-of-a-kind style that I decided to assign her with designing the remaining two bystanders next month. So brace yourselves for an imminent cuteness overload when she crosses that bridge. ^_^

As for me, I got back to work on a demo I started producing in Game Maker Studio last summer and it's looking promising. I've always wanted to develop a video game using real-world photos as backgrounds for the levels. I believe it will be an innovative way for the team to integrate fascinating world of photography into gaming and encourage our audience to educate themselves about our Spaceship Earth as well as interpret it through their own eyes. If all goes well, and that's a big "if" assuming boss battles can be implemented with this engine, I will be pleased to tell you this will be where we'll be producing future installments for Heliotrope Journey from that point forward. :)

Enjoy this preview of what we've got so far and have a good weekend.

Sincerely,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Warmth in a Cold Heart

Good evening, vampire hunters.

The fourth and final prototype episode, The Heir of Drăculești, is now available for download on itch.io for Windows users. Professor Onionhead has enlisted Treyton and co. to accompany her on a crucial trip to a region in present-day New England that had been struck by an eternal winter. She uncovered much from her research on the origins of Vlad the Impaler’s illustrious power, including the possibility that an ancient khopesh containing magic not dissimilar to the Dark Lord is being kept inside a citadel located at her destination. Regrettably, the Veiled Nocturne’s interim leader is also interested in claiming this weapon and offer it to his father on the off chance he is brought back from the dead. What’s more; if he manages to capture Treyton, he’ll kill two birds in one stone. There is no time for the boy to waste for he will need all the strength and support he can get if he hopes to survive long enough to wield the khopesh. Or just maybe listen as his friends discover the truth concerning his ailment. This installment will not be for the pusillanimous so if you can stomach reading about how Treyton and his brother ended up where they are now, this is the storyline you won’t want to miss. (As usual, viewer discretion is advised.)

https://darkinfern0crystal1.itch.io/heliotrope-journey-pilot-episode-4-the-heir-of-drculeti

The development of this installment has been a wild ride because much of my time late last year and this year was dedicated to self-care and will continue to be while I focus on alternative modes for the previous episodes and building the engine for the upcoming Heliotrope Chronicles. From the bottom of my heart, I deeply appreciate everyone on the team who pitched in to help in any way they can and bore with me on days where I was too drained to make any progress, including Cronix (who I found great comfort in confiding about our personal lives and letting me compensate him for his time when I couldn’t immediately afford it.), KawaiiPixelArts (who I found common ground with when our relatives passed away and provided emotional support when she needed it.), Chubbo (who was often more than ready to dive right in to the drawing board when I needed an asset finished at short notice and his commissions are offered at cheap prices.), The.Pixel.Junky (who shared a laugh with me over an error I made on PayPal before we turned it into an opportunity to design his take on Krasue. 😂), Sidiyq Qadim (who I check on every morning, is a soothing shoulder to cry on, and never lets me down when there’s work to be done.), Siegfried Croes (who took the time to design his take on Mihnea cel Rau before his plate piled up.), and more importantly, Jay, whose not necessarily part of the team, but I am eternally grateful for how he ran out every inner demon Allgloss has plagued me with from my psyche (He’s not called a scary boy for nothing. ;) ). The Heliotrope Journey team has become a tight-knit group over the course of the pandemic and our respective troubles brought us closer together. The development and storyline behind the fourth prototype is, in a way, a reflection of the way I see the world in its current state. Reality is inescapable for me, but my passion for video games and my desire to tell stories coupled with creating fantasy worlds gives me reason to make the best of it. Even if you haven’t contributed to the project, reading just one blog post, viewing just one video on my channel, or downloading just one stock photo from my UnSplash portfolio, is enough to get me through every day. Thank you for doing just that and pretty soon, I’ll return the favor. ^_^

With health and happiness,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Good afternoon, vampire hunters.

Happy Thanksgiving (or Harvest Day if you're not from the US but still celebrate the occasion in the magical sector) from the Heliotrope Journey team. I would like to give a huge shout-out to The.Pixel.Junky. and Lucas Godoy for preparing the food served for this year's shindig while Sidiyq Qadim's hands are currently stuffed. And that's not all; Midori has designed a lovely nostalgia-inducing, caricature of an old friend who will go by the alias, Ioana. Thanks for the help, you guys. ^_^

Today, Ioana has stepped in to assist Eforie with fending off a stroppy vampire that has crashed the party. To be frank, Frederick and co. were the ones trespassing because they had no prior knowledge that the church in the background is his hideout. Ioana and her otter pal have a knack of exploring abandoned buildings and deserted ruins so she's got to have a good reason for disturbing this vampirized whipper-snapper, right? Hopefully, no one would have to cut the harvest shindig short to find out, but there's a good chance they'll have to. Find out what happens in this story next when mid-December comes around. It’s going to pull you right in like a vacuum. ;) Photo by Muriel Gévaudan on Unsplash.

Sincerely,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Good afternoon, vampire hunters.

The Heliotrope Journey team and I wish you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day, or Happy Lucky Day if you identify as living in the magical sector of this planet. Today, Frederick and his co. have ran afoul of a quartet of leprechauns that possess two bloodstones. These specific stones have imprisoned two malicious demons that are currently manipulating the leprechauns into thinking that Frederick and the others are invading the magical sector in Ireland and to give in to their bestial urges to defend it. It’s easier said than done for our heroes to reason with them. The black magic their ancestors trifled with in the past left them too far gone to hold onto little, if any, rationale left. We’ve addressed the origins of the leprechauns’ conditions and telling white magic apart from black magic in one of our previous posts if you'd like to learn more about what happened to them.

Something seems off about the leprechauns’ motive and where the bloodstones came from. Did they collect them on their own? Had someone from the Veiled Nocturne offer them these blighted stones and for what reason? Could it be that the leprechauns are being distracted while a more sinister plot is in the works? Leave a comment about your theory when you reblog this post. ;) Kudos to KawaiiPixelArts who is a new member of our team for designing the bright oak trees that are fit for the upcoming spring equinox. Check out her Instagram if you’d like to see more of her digital artwork and/or commission her. She creates awesome cartoon/anime-style assets and is an all-around friendly and passionate individual so don’t be afraid to say hi. :D We’d also like to give a shout-out to Ansimuz for additional assets used in the ad as aesthetics. He’s not a member of the team, but he does design public domain pixel art and encourages donations for his efforts so you’re more than welcome to support him on Patreon only if you can afford it. ;) Photo by Claudio Biesele on Unsplash.

Here’s a sneak peek of the first stages of the third pilot episode’s level design. The lone white rose near the shallow pond is courtesy of The.Pixel.Junky, another artist who joined our team along with KawaiiPixelArts. :)

And we’ll conclude with an important announcement regarding recent events;

It’s been a busy past couple of weeks for us as we resume the development process of the third pilot episode and planning new content for our projects in advance. Furthermore, we are also safeguarding ourselves against the coronavirus pandemic by practicing basic hygienic habits such as washing our hands with soap regularly and applying hand sanitizer when out in public. We also caution you not to underestimate how fast the virus is spreading nor disregard recommended safety measures from the authorities and health organizations such as WHO. For example, on March 10th in the United States, there have been 299 cases and 15 deaths, however, as of this writing, there are now 4,565 cases and 87 deaths. Fast, isn’t it? :O

This is a reminder that this paragraph’s intent isn’t to induce panic. It is to make sure that you are taking care of yourselves as well and hope that you are staying informed on this health crisis. Personally, I recommend the BBC because of its reputation for publishing articles based on reliable and unbiased sources. I don’t recommend articles on social media like Facebook because I consider most of the articles posted by a variety of users to be deceptive (unless the user in question happens to read the BBC or another unbiased news outlet like the Vox). Please, please protect yourself, stay home and work remotely if your job allows you to which it must now more than ever to prevent the coronavirus from spreading any further, and once again, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Sincerely,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Good afternoon, vampire hunters.

The third pilot episode of Treyton’s adventures in the titular title is now available on itch.io for Windows users to download and play. The Veiled Nocturne have fallen back from Norsdale since Treyton had bested Baron Kramer in combat, but this dangerous cult has not abandoned their plans for Evergreen Forest, the region that houses the city alongside the reclusive humanoid species in the magical sector. They have decided to go back to basics and target the Anura Duchy before they feud with Norsdale again.

The first step that they took was introduce a yara-ma-yha-who to Evergreen Forest, allow it to adapt to its new habitat, and play the waiting game. Or is it? The question is; did it happen recently? Did the yara-ma-yha-who become an invasive species long before Norsdale was attacked? Or has it always lived in Evergreen Forest unnoticed for years and abruptly became a threat only when the frog kingdom took notice? These are good questions, but not at all relevant to the current situation. The inhabitants are forced to forgo their fear of humans and send their mages to request Professor Onionhead’s assistance. Treyton and his friends plus Clara answer their call so they have traveled to a river in the forest where the Anura Duchy reside. There, they will be guided by one cowering but intelligent frog, Briar. Her brother has gone missing while he worked with the other mages to poison the waters to contain the yara-ma-yha-who, which is why she now fears for his safety and hopes that the group will not scare her people away. Treyton believes that by going alone and feigning vulnerability, he’ll have a better chance of catching this creature before it could devour him. His compatriots, on the other hand, believe this plan is unwise, causing their attitudes to go head-to-head. No relationship be it familial or a close friendship is perfect, but demanding respect regardless of an existing complication becoming increasingly severe is an irresponsible act that may fracture a bond. With Treyton insisting on going alone despite his curse and intentionally placing himself in harm’s way, will he be able to lure the yara-ma-yha-who out of hiding and protect the Anura Duchy from endangerment? Or will his desperation to be self-sufficient prove to be the key to his undoing? The music featured in this installment is composed by Matt Waldron and three other musicians whose compositions were downloaded from https://filmmusic.io/. Check out the website and browse for royalty-free music to compliment your own projects. All they ask in return is proper attribution. ;)

I would like to give a huge shout-out to Benjamin, KawaiiPixelArts, The.Pixel.Junky, Anthony Cronander, J Noiram, Sidiyq Qadim, Siegfried Croes and last but not least, Cronix and his twin brother, M&M, for putting together the breathtaking graphics and stunning weaponry for this installment. The effort that they put into their assigned work was beyond my wildest expectations and I couldn’t be more grateful for working with them. Advarsky also fleshed out two of the monsters that Treyton will encounter during his trek in the woods, including the boss fight, causing this installment to be the first time that an artist other than myself designed and animated the bestiary. Furthermore, BlueSwan and Strandsart97 did an amazing job with the traditional paintings that we used for the backgrounds, allowing the depths of Evergreen Forest to truly be worthy of sightseeing even in a video game. When social distancing guidelines have forced you to stay home and unable to go for an actual hike, why not take up this activity? ;) Don’t get too captivated because remember, there’s still the beastly yara-ma-yha-who waiting to unsuspecting tourists to swallow whole. This is one installment in the Heliotrope Journey prototype saga where the worldbuilding involved might leave you with more questions than answers, but don’t worry if you’re chronologically confused now. The timeline will become clearer as more story arcs are released down the road. It was my first time since my enrollment at Eastern Connecticut State University that I worked on a group project that’s this ambitious so we hope you have fun playing this installment as we did developing it. :D Viewer discretion is advised just like the previous episode due to the explicit language in the dialogue.

https://darkinfern0crystal1.itch.io/heliotrope-journey-pilot-episode-3-the-red-skinned-stalker-in-the-anura-duchy

Sincerely,

WN

P.S.: One of my sisters, Gabby henceforth known as Gardenelson, has written a couple lines for a tourist that I snuck into the third prototype episode during the development process. If you can find her in the frog peoples’ territory, don’t forget to say hi. She might ask Treyton for a favor that may or may not be related to why he and his friends are here. 🙄

[heliotrope-journey]

Good morning, vampire hunters.

I want to start off today by wishing you all a Happy Easter Sunday! Although social distancing practices are still heavily encouraged so you and your loved ones don’t fall ill to the coronavirus, you still mustn’t forget to call or text them to let them know that you are keeping them in your thoughts and are wishing them well. Or if you and your families are able to, organize a video chat with them on instant messaging services like Discord or Skype. Close friends that you hold dear also count as loved ones so checking up on them as well is also a must. Chances are some may have lost relatives to the virus or the social distancing measures have left them deprived of most, if not all, human interaction. A small, kind gesture can go a long way during these times of darkness. :)

Speaking of friends, KawaiiPixelArts was hospitable to lend us her avatar in addition to assisting us with decorating the grounds of a lovely estate where Sava Savanovic (courtesy of The.Pixel.Junky) has temporarily taken up residence. Sidiyq Qadim and his loved one have joined her on top of this structure in the garden to take in the view and celebrate the occasion their own way. Unfortunately, beneath the blissful trio, Frederick and Eforie have encountered the troublesome resident who has not taken kindly to the five adventurers that are trespassers in his eyes. Frederick seems to have been taken by surprised and is paralyzed by shock, however, Eforie hastily unsheathes her lightstone-crested pope’s scepter. She is more than ready to use the power of the sun against Sava Savanovic and given that it’s broad daylight in this scene, it should be a piece of cake... or is it? D: Things are not always what they seem so if Frederick and Eforie are to vanquish this bloodsucker from the Serbian forests, they need to pay attention to their environment. Here’s to hoping this duo will come out victorious so the Easter celebration can continue peacefully.

In case anyone new that Sava might take interest in shows up in this scene, M&M and Sidiyq Qadim have crafted five more breathtaking weapons to sneak onto the castle grounds so they won’t go unarmed. These amazing artists have done a great job with getting into the holiday spirit. ^_^  Photo by Dorian Mongel on Unsplash.

What are your plans for the future?

The third pilot episode of the titular game has reached its final stages of its development phase. I spent the rest of last week sketching out and designing a wooden wishing well to place in the swamp where Treyton will certainly encounter the yara-ma-yha-who that’s terrorizing the Anura Duchy. Furthermore, I have begun planning ahead for the fourth pilot episode by providing Light R with his second art assignment and requesting an old friend to arm Eforie with a light-based sword so she would no longer have to rely solely on the morning sun to vanquish the horrible nights that will soon lie ahead for Frederick and the rest of her allies.

Have a good Easter,

WN

[heliotrope-journey]

Good evening, vampire hunters.

I have been feeling under the weather since I had an epilepsy episode yesterday morning, which is why I want to take the time today to introduce you to some of the new talent we have recently brought on board the Heliotrope Journey team. I would like to give a warm and humble welcome to M&M, Light R. and The.Pixel.Junky.

To express my thanks for their contributions to the Heliotrope Journey series so far, I’d like to tease two captions to depict what is to come since 2020 had begun. The first caption is a sneak peek of the third pilot episode’s seemingly peaceful setting. The tourists from Norsdale (designed by Anthony Cronander) that are visiting the area may be in a tranquil at this moment, but the frogs hiding behind the flora are feeling quite the opposite. They know that a dwarf-life bloodthirsty creature is lurking in the area looking for unsuspecting victims. If you can guess the identity of this invasive species based on the episode’s title, you should understand that the frogs and their anthropomorphic counterparts have every right to be afraid. The flora these amphibians cower behind can only cover them for so long before they are eventually spotted by this creature, which begs the question. Will Treyton be able to save them before nightfall? Or will this habitat and eventually Norsdale have a new quandary in their hands? This delightful canvas-painted background featured in this teaser and the third pilot episode courtesy of our traditional artist from the Netherlands, BlueSwan. ^_^

The second caption, which showcases Light R.’s and M&M’s stunning battleaxes, depicts a jaded young woman named Michaela who “tells it like it is” as my former creative writing professor sometimes described her. As a tomboy, she frequently partook in dangerous activities associated with men while growing up in present-day Massachusetts. She had a promising future ahead of her, but a dire predicament that occurred while she was a teacher’s aide forced her to take a drastic measure that sadly removed any hope for her to have children in the future. Michaela’s entire life went downhill since then, but it ultimately failed to permanently destroy her because she had hope that she could live her life to the fullest and accomplish an incredible feat in the process. One day, when she encountered an orphaned boy for the first time, she unintentionally found her opportunity to do just that and how her path to redemption played out remains to be seen. Michaela is recognized in the magical sector for her herculean triumph over Vlad the Impaler in the year 2023 as well for a key role that she played in establishing Norsdale's militia back when it was a refugee camp during the global anarchy. Up to fifteen years before Treyton’s eventual arrival to the city, Michaela embarked on an odyssey to seek out her spiritual awakening. There have been no sightings of her since then.

Additional assets for both captions courtesy of our lead artist, Sidiyq Qadim. We cannot thank him enough for his continuous assistance. :D

Wait, before you go, whatever happened to Ahmed Hospital for the Morally Insane’s logo?

I have exciting news to share with you regarding this missing asset from the second pilot episode. Janessa has finally freed some time in her busy schedule to get started on it sometime next week. We’ll notify you as soon as the asylum’s exterior has finally been given the paint job it needs. ;)

Sincerely,

WN