Innominati
Scope
The motivation behind building Innominati
The initial inspiration came from a dream I had, where there was a person trapped within a statue. They could only interact with people that would pay them attention, and yet had no way to draw attention to themselves.
Upon waking, I ruminated on why someone would betrapped like this, how it would impact them psychologically, and what avenues could exist for them to regain control of the world around them.
The goal of the project
I wanted something quite different to my main worldbuilding efforts with Shadowfire. The concept leant itself to some sort of gothic horror, but I also wanted the setting to be something ar more familiar, and where I didn't need to recreate the history and everything from scratch.
The other thing i wanted different was to remove myself from the mindset of a 'game world', which Shadowfire does very well, but it can tend to lack a bit of focus in terms of story telling. The epic fantasy of Shadowfire tends to overshadow the smaller, more personal stories that might be toild within it.
With this project i want to experiment with something mopre grounded, with a tighter and more personal scope.
Innominati's Unique Selling point
The Witch in Stone is a victim of a war for truth that has waged down the ages. She is a remnant of old magic that was actively being stamped out by the forces of progress during the middle ages. Clever woman. Healer. Wise. She was of the people, helping them make sense of their world, guiding hem through changes and telling the stories that would grow and change as the people needed.
Until she was cursed by her enemies to a life trapped in stone. Unmoving, Unblinking. Silent.
Now she haunts the internet. seeking revenge on those who wronged her. Her spirit has splintered across the web in the modern age. Has she gone insane with rage and isolation over the centuries? Or can she salvage her self and bring ancient wisdom to tis strange new universe? Can she find allies to help her?
Why 1497?
The late 15th Century in Europe is a fascinating moment. The end of the Middle Ages, the beginning of the Rannaissance and the Age of Discovery. Europe was still recovering from the worst of the plagues, and the Roman Catholic Church's power was fragmenting after the Fall of Constantinople, and through scandals, corruption and schisms that would eventually lead to the Reformation. The invention of the Gutenburg Printing Press was revolutionising communication and access to knowledge, and it was also the time where inquisitions and witch trials would spread throughout the sub-continent.Why 2004?
Similarly, the turn of the 21st Century has seen some of the most disruptive changes in history. Like the Gutenberg Press before it, the internet was transforming the way people communicate, work and learn. Social media and smart phones hadn't quite begun, but the cold war was over and punk had gone mainstream. It was a melting pot of entrepreneurs,, evangilists, socialists, charlatans and nihilists all enamoured with a future where free expression and creativity were in the hands of the people. But the old guard were busy working out how to gather the power back. the Witch in Stone connects it all. These two great times of social and political upheaval. Times where forces older than humanity wage a war for the future. This is the fiction at the heart of this idea.There are the Witnesses
Those who recognise truth as an ever changing flow of creativity and inspiration. Truth is in the telling and the listening. Truth is within every moment of change, growth and renewal. Chaos and anarchy. Death and rebirth. To stand still is to invite disaster.There are the Custodians
Who see truth as something to build, care for, guide and protect. To preserve and conserve, so that lessons are not forgotten and greater things can be built for the betterment of all. Truth is what is written, agreed and protected at all costs. To invite change is to risk everything.Custodian vs Witness
Awar for truth, where truth is the first to die.Theme
Genre
I'm aiming for a fairly gothic tone. I think the magic will be fairly soft. The mystery of it is important.
Reader Experience
Gritty, down to earth. A certain amount of mysticism involved.
Reader Tone
I think in both timeslines the tone will be a fairlt grim, but not without bevity. I have yet to decide how strait up horror this will be, that's open.
Recurring Themes
I think the main thematic idea I'm exploring through this is:
Technology's impact on expression and understanding of truth
- How much does technology impact expression and experience of truth?
- Is reproduction an act of weakening or undermineing of truth, or is the democritisation of expression worth the dilution?
- Does preservation stifle creativity and progress or empower it?
- How does the tension between fear of change and fear of stagnation resolve?
- How much of our fears are justified? What is lost? What is gained? eg: Photographs steal souls. Writing stifles intelligence. Printing spreads ignorance. AI steals jobs. Each in part true, in part false.
Focus
All content copyright Tim Day (Ononomad) unless otherwise attributed