MotY post #1: Judgement, Murai Knight news

Today's post is all about one of our three release characters, Judgement of the Black Rose. Loads of screenshots for you to feast your eyes on! You can click them for bigger versions.

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This week's wallpaper - Judgement practising his forms.

When we designed Blade Symphony we knew we wanted visually distinct factions, each representing a genre inspired from film and animation. The first of these to get showcased this month is called the Black Rose - heavily armoured knights in full battle regalia. There'll be more info on the faction itself when we talk about Monastery some time next week.

David Boyle, our talented character concept artist (who now works for Antic Entertainment!) and one of the original designers, created this concept with which many of us really connected:

I mean, he’s this heavy looking, well-armoured hybrid between a knight and a samurai; how can that not be cool? In actual fact, the Black Rose is intended as a synthesis of many ancient warrior clans, as if in some long-lost history, the samurai and crusader knights’ armour design had somehow converged.

Audrius Caplikas, our amazing character modeler, then somehow breathed life into the drawing and turned it into a 3D model. We were quite frankly blown away, as this raised the bar so much higher in terms of character art than we had expected.

Judgement render.

Samuel Rice (aka Spire, also an amazing artist and one who's worked on Dystopia since before v1), did some additional material work with phong shaders and gave Judgement’s mail and armor some additional detail.

Before and after phong/detailing.

An excerpt from our setting document:

One of the oldest amongst his rank, his authority superseded only by his commander, a rank which he himself was called on to assume but refused in order to stay in the field, Judgement is who the Black Rose dispatch to send a loud and clear message to the enemy. The missing heads of soldiers taken by this Murai Knight serve as a reminder to the Hokuten of the old and ruthless battlefields from before their time.

Judgement's sword technique is broad yet calculated - powerful swings executed with precise control and restraint. Though heavily armoured, Judgement knows that life in battle hangs by a thread, and would rather avoid being hit altogether and parry his enemies’ attacks than rely on his plate and mail to stop their blows.

When not killing things, Judgement drinks whiskey.

Judgement's powerful attacks deliver sure death to his enemies.

Judgement delivering the killing blow to a Hokuten assassin in Monastery.

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