Developer Diaries – The Count


Count Chekte

Character created for the Other Worlds Tour.

Count Chekte as he is now known is actually the brother of Mesco the obnoxious android bartender, and yes still also runs the same old obselete AI system that gives them both such peculiar characteristics not currently witnessed in modern androids.

Chekte in the old language actually means ‘tea kettle’ and pretty much sums up his original programming and current quirks. He was designed by early colonists as a tea sommelier, to create the perfect blend of tea to drink and like his brother has become legendary in his creations.

The Count’s tearooms are a destination place of high renown, the decor alone combining antique furniture reproductions, large oil paintings and dazzling crystal chandeliers create a magical ambience. Customers gaze at the wonder of The Count working behind a clear glass screen, mixing and matching from the contents of thousands of draws filled with floral ingredients gathered mesticulously across galaxies to create the perfect cuppa.

His appearance is not actually a fashion statement as most presume, Chekte was created with a highly attuned sense of smell and taste. The scent of humans makes him gag constantly, Mesco was so fed up of his constant moaning on their weekly video calls that he said “Oh for goodness sake why don’t you just vape and cover up the odour when you’re near them?” and sent one of his Whiskane server tanks for him to adapt as a gift.

The rest is history, his outfit and nose breather launched him as a style icon with aliens far and wide requesting the perfect tea scent to vape and drink, whilst wearing hats lined with teapots. The colonists thought he looked like a Count from historical times, he quite liked it although he grumbled but admitted he did look rather dapper.

Developer Diaries – The Transformation

 

Figure ascending

Concept art from our Other Worlds Tour, characters modelled in Blender rendered in Eevee.

Back story – All knew that the symbiotic bond between the Giarty and Tellette species was a revered and important union for peace. No one could have anticipated the outcome for a life long bonding, as the symbiosis was only ever meant to be a temporary status for each volunteer to aide negotiations.

For many of the volunteers, the propect of separating the Union was too much to bear as their bond had become so close. So many, by mutual consent started to bond for a lifetime, but what happened on the death of the Giarty has sent shock waves across the galaxy. At the time of death a metamorphosis occurs, the bodies of the Tellette and Giarty seem to intertwine even more, fusing, becoming one entity, a new species has been created. Only the first moments are ever witnessed, often families have reported bright lights flocking to the transformed one that begin to ascend into the air as their bodies start to change, before disappearing in the blink of an eye.