nephyartis

[nephyartis]

User Stories

This is the interaction flow redesign for the project: Righteous Brand. Understanding the user stories for different interaction routes is critical.

User-Centered Design: For one, it helps designers and developers create a more user-centric experience by understanding the needs, goals, and pain points of users. This ensures the app meets user expectations and provides value.

Improved User Engagement: By mapping out different interaction routes, it's easier to identify key touchpoints and optimize them for better engagement. This can lead to increased user satisfaction and retention.

Enhanced Usability: Understanding user stories allows for the identification of potential usability issues and their resolution before the app is developed. This can lead to a smoother, more intuitive user experience.

Efficient Development: Clear user stories and interaction routes provide a roadmap for development, ensuring all necessary features are included and reducing the likelihood of scope creep.

Business Goals Alignment: User stories can help align the app’s features with business goals by ensuring that each interaction route supports the overall objectives of the business, such as increasing user engagement, driving sales, or promoting brand loyalty.

Understanding and leveraging user stories for different interaction routes ultimately leads to a more successful, user-friendly, and effective application.

[nephyartis]

Project Overview: Redesign of "Righteous Brand"

Objective:

The primary goal of the Righteous Brand Website Redesign project was to enhance the overall user experience, increase the site's conversion rate, and modernize the brand's digital presence. The project aimed to create a more intuitive, visually appealing, and mobile-responsive website that could better serve the needs of Righteous Brand's diverse customer base.

Background:

Righteous Brand is an indie retailer in the lifestyle and health industry, specializing in stylish accessories and healthcare essentials. Due to its small market presence, the company's existing website needed to reach a larger audience and become optimized for mobile devices. This issue was leading to high bounce rates and lower-than-expected sales figures, primarily from mobile users.

Target Audience:

Primary Audience: Lifestyle-invested individuals aged 18-35 who are tech-savvy and frequently shop online.

Secondary Audience: Older demographics (35-50) who prefer a seamless online shopping experience and value quality and convenience.

Key Requirements:

Modern Design: The website needed a fresh, contemporary look that reflected the brand's stylish and trendy identity.

Mobile Optimization: With a significant portion of traffic coming from mobile devices, a responsive design was crucial.

Enhanced User Experience: Simplifying the navigation and improving the overall user journey to reduce bounce rates and increase conversion.

SEO and Performance: Improving the site's SEO to boost organic search traffic and enhancing load times for better performance.

Integration with CRM and Analytics Tools: Ensuring seamless integration with existing customer relationship management and analytics tools for better data-driven decisions.

Scalability: The new design needed to be scalable to accommodate future growth and additional features.

Project Scope:

The project included a complete overhaul of the website's design, structure, and functionality. Key deliverables included:

Research and Discovery: Conducting user research, competitive analysis, and stakeholder interviews to inform the redesign strategy.

Wireframing and Prototyping: Creating wireframes and interactive prototypes to visualize the new design and user flows.

UI/UX Design: Developing a new visual style, including typography, color schemes, and imagery that align with the brand's identity.

Development: Building the new website using modern technologies and ensuring compatibility across all devices and browsers.

Content Strategy: Revising and optimizing content to improve engagement and SEO performance.

Testing and Quality Assurance: Rigorous testing to ensure a bug-free, high-performing website.

Launch and Post-Launch Support: Coordinating the launch and providing ongoing support to address any issues and make necessary adjustments.

[nephyartis]

This is perhaps my favorite piece of work to date. It's for an upcoming project steeped in a world of occult adventure and epic fairytales.

[nephyartis]

The easy to use scripting language of Inky, with old narrative nodes imported from another system.

Check it out!

[nephyartis]

EvE: Marriage of Earth & Ether

Descending from above below, Is that engrossing providence, Of wholly unseen world aglow, That lurks within the elements.

And for the soul of one I know, That since finding proper balance, They've realized great subtle joy, And are bewitched by its silence.

Then by this mystic union bears, Song of poets and wisdom shared; Fluent thought; virtuosity; And consummate child, fair Beauty.

Henceforth divine above divines, Does grant to all in the dowry, Hidden world of hidden glory. Oh, but only for those who see.

So seek the unseen world's descent. Yes, listen for its symphony. It leaves its mark without consent. Keep watch now for its company.

High it strides a steed to purpose; To make confusion of constraint. Yet wielding swords of eloquence, Cuts not but for a truth's own sake.

See now how all before it bow; Saintly king and warrior's crown. All enraptured so acutely, By flawless child of fair Beauty.

What allure remains in body, That temptation may be measured? Such appeal is not the only, That great divine grants us pleasure.

We see shapes, as in a mirror, A faint reflect of Beauty's force. Thus such feelings heart aquiver, Must surely hail by Beauty's source.

Know then divine has no equal, For its not only greed and youth, That which tempts a heart to evil, For like evil, within is Truth.

[nephyartis]

"Spiritual Orientation & Conflation"

"The purpose of this writing is to highlight the blind-spots and contradictions in popular belief regarding the nature of one’s ephemeral being. Good & Bad. These are largely subjective words. These terms compare and contrast something, to something else. Often, it’s an idealized standard. This means that something can be measured by that paradigm, loosely or explicitly, and therefore found either satisfactory (Good) or lacking (Bad). In the end, it depends on the frame of reference. Good & Evil. These are objective terms. They compare and contrast something, to a specific standard. The word for this is ‘normative’. Which means that things can theoretically be measured by this (as of yet undefined) paradigm. In other words, it’s standardized. Because of what that standard is, a thing will always perpetuate qualities which are Good, Evil, or neither/both. Good, in this sense, has two very common meanings that should not be mistaken as the same thing. Good is not always the best outcome. Likewise, Evil should not be conflated as always being 'Bad’. What is fun for an Orca, is torture for a Seal. What is a way to secure more food for the Cheetah, is taking hostages of Antelope young. What is survival for the hookworm, is burrowing into your flesh. One cannot accurately judge without knowing the standard. Despite what some clerics might claim, however, the gods do not readily share what that standard is, if the gods even fully grasp it themselves. But abstractions can be made, of course. History, portent, and exploration, all provide clues toward this ultimate standard. But the question remains, what is the standard? What objective does Good fulfill, versus the objective that Evil fulfills? Especially such that they occupy the same metaphysical space as competitors. But there’s another twist. One can be Chaotically Good, or Lawfully Good. Both would satisfy that same objective, but use identifiably different methods and conduct. Here, once again, we find some conflation. The most prevalent orientations across culture are the dichotomy of Lawful Good, and Chaotic Evil. The devil might be considered despicable, but leastwise adheres to a code of conduct. So while viewed as a potential threat, they are at least somewhat predictable. Contrast that with Demons, which can be both despicable, and unpredictable. It is a potential threat less easily managed, because it is more difficult to predict. The opposite end of the spectrum is therefore often conflated with its subjective opposite. Meaning that, Lawful Good is viewed both as more predictable, and aligned with the subjective 'Good’. This creates the false perception that, not only must 'Good’ things surely conform to your personal well-being, but they’re also predictable in a way that makes them safer. A look at history, even recent history, shows why many of us are already aware of this false perception. Paladins parade heads through the street. Egos swell with notions of moral superiority. Punishment comes before the crime. Ideological wars are waged, radicalizing the minds of our countrymen. Change is shunned. Innovation dies. Stagnation ensues. The lawful aspect that seeks to define and order, becomes complacent with the notion that it is already 'Good’ therefore it need not alter. These are all things most people would subjectively value as 'Bad’. Nothing is so good that it could not be better. But as already stated (and as anyone can see for themselves) we barely grasp what the ultimate standard is, in the first place. So it’s folly to act as if we need not continue exploring. It’s stupid to act as if we already have all the answers. We have rough ideas, yes. They are abstractions of the truth, which to a degree makes them truthful as well. Truthful enough that we can model behavior after them. But they are not the whole truth. We cannot say we know the standard. Which means even popular ideas of what constitutes Good & Evil are likely to have at least one error. The solution to this problem is, obviously, to discern what the objective function is of Good & Evil. So ask yourself, what is it that Good will ultimately accomplish? What is it that Evil will ultimately accomplish? How does this make them competitors? The answers are out there."

[nephyartis]

For this project, the Omuni team needed a codified system of magic. It needed wide marketability, and a sensible immersive design. So what I came up with was a modular system meant to fulfill all archetypes. Taking some historical cues, and matching them to the desired specifications, we came up the perfect system.

[nephyartis]

“Simple Wisdom”

Liandra sat in silence. It was a surreal comparison, looking back at her life and then at that of the giants. There should have been some shared sense of vulnerability in the lives they had led up to this point, but they seemed no worse for wear. Living up here on the mountain surely couldn’t be easy, afterall. So what was their secret?

She sighed, brow knit with frustration at herself. She was thinking too much. That never leads to anything good. So she forced herself to look outwards. Looming above were the Sundered Spires, and highest among them, The Great Spire. They looked like massive white tipped torches, from this distance. Their misty peaks spread like a smoke that threatened to blot out the rising sun.

It wasn’t enough to keep her from those thoughts. Thoughts of how far they still had left to go, in order to reach that Great Spire. It reminded her of the sacrifices it took to even get this far. And all this way for what? The leylines could merge. Regardless of their efforts. This wasn’t the only option. What hope did they even have to make it in time? How many would survive the journey? Images flashed through her mind of Thomas’s fall. The blood trailing from his nose, ears, and mouth. His broken limbs. Bones extruding from the flesh. The pale horror on his face as he passed, knowing he would die, and that nothing could stop it. They could do nothing but watch.

It was with those thoughts that Liandra finally snapped back to reality. White plumes of warm breath were rolling over her from someone very nearby. A gargantuan face peaked its eyes over the lip of the plateau, watching from a short distance. Its skin was weathered, worn, and grey. Its beard a tangled forest of white. This was the one that the tribe had called Grandfather. He seemed harmless enough. In fact he had barely said a thing to them since they had entered the village. One couldn’t fault the giants for being cautious, though. Not here. Not so close to the Spire.

So Liandra turned fully, making direct eye-contact. If there were to be conversation, it may as well be on her terms. “May I help you?”

“Yes, well… I couldn’t help but notice your… isolation from the others, and your… mannerisms. Many hardships found you before you found us?” The words echoed from beneath the cliff-face, raspy like grinding stones, or hot coals. It was strange, to say the least. It felt like an ember burned within his ashen soul, and the words he shared imparted its warmth.

The giant pulled himself up onto the plateau, and sat beside Liandra, towering in comparison. “Does something bother you, little one?” A necklace of bone chimed across his chest as he moved closer. Otherwise, there was silence.

Liandra lingered in that silence, as she prepared to conduct herself with all the courtly reservation and poise expected of her. But the moment never came. She couldn’t find it within herself. Simple pleasantries would have to do. “The journey here has not been easy, Grandfather. Your hospitality is most gracious.” She offered the words with a listless bow of her head.

Grandfather hummed in thoughtful consideration, smacking his lips and stroking his beard, as he too lingered in silence before speaking. “The birds tell me there is conflict in the hearts of you and your compatriots. Uncertainty? Disagreement? Your goal is noble, if I am to believe it. So it would be a shame to see you falter at our door.” The muted appraisal that followed matched the calculated nature of his reveal.

Liandra blinked, numbing herself. “As I said, the journey has been difficult. It wears on us all. I have no doubt that the time we spend here will be precisely what we require to see this through to the end.” That’s what she said, but it isn’t what she believed.

What followed was another long silence between them.

Finally, Grandfather began bobbing his head, swaying agreeably with his own inner dialogue. “Well... may I offer you some old words of wisdom?”

“Of course. You are a truly gracious host.” It was a well rehearsed reply on Liandra’s part.

He smiled--distant--almost as if he weren’t even talking to her anymore. Instead just looking out at the fargone peaks. “Do you know the word for mountain in our tongue?”

Liandra shook her head.

“Sliauloch,” He let it linger, as if tasting the sound. “It has two parts. Sliau, meaning obstacle. Then Loch, meaning constant. You see…”

The Giant chewed his lip and searched for the words. “Some obstacles… are constant. We will always fight them. Instead of trying to… to knock down a mountain? Instead of running away? One can make their home upon it, as we have. Let it become a part of who you are, and in that way? You never stop fighting. You master the mountain.” He finally turned to look at Liandra, his smile only growing. He would soon nudge her with one massive finger, prodding for some sort of reaction. It was a test of her resolve and he was aiming for the heart.

But she was steely statuesque, trying her damndest not to show any emotion. Not to show any weakness. Not like before. So she cleared her throat, swallowing it all down. Her words that followed were half-whisper, as it was all she could muster. “Doesn’t that get exhausting?”

Grandfather turned around, glancing back at the village as he considered his response. From their vista one could see his people going about their daily routines; teasing, chastising, and performing chores. And all of this despite the prior night’s bloodshed. Instead they sheared goats and sharpened spears. They churned cheese and stacked stones. All this considered, he could only sigh a long contented breath.

“Yes. It does. Sometimes it is so exhausting that one wishes nothing more than to shout thunder and shatter the peaks. A curse upon this place and all who come after.” He pauses, still gazing out at his kin. “But knowing the lives that are enriched… the lives that are nurtured… to watch them grow and join in the marvel of being. To watch that cycle prosper with each turn of the sun… ” Grandfather smiled once more, now glancing back at Liandra. “This is why you fight, yes?”

Liandra nearly choked. For the first time in weeks she found it within herself to smile. Images flash through her mind. This time of Khaeril sitting around the fire telling his tall-tales. Of Haestor and Nimrodel wrestling for the last bit of roast. Of Arnd and Sophie’s never-ending prank feud. Of Lyle constantly trying to impress everyone with a new trick. Of just how much inane trivia Gillil always seemed to know. Then finally, of the kind notes Limhelse would hide in people’s packs.

When at last she stood, Liandra took a deep breath. “Thank you. ”

[nephyartis]

Observations on Divinity

I’ve been busy lately contributing to the creation of pantheons for various IP’s. Long story short, I’ve compiled the master list! After spending far too long a time to be considered healthy, I boiled down their various timai, themes, and domains. It may get updated in the future, but I feel pretty happy with its current iteration. It’s a nice snapshot of the human psyche.

[nephyartis]

The backdrop for an upcoming mobile puzzle game, as of yet, still unannounced. The client wanted something a little zany and cartoonish, while centered around a hospital. Here was the result!

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A sample loop from my work on the upcoming title, Kingdom Fall.

[nephyartis]

From game render, to concept art! The top was an in-engine rendering of an area currently under construction. The bottom was my efforts to bring the location to life, as per desired features.

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Some UI elements created for the upcoming title, Omuni Reborn.

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Some stills from a branching dialogue, currently in development on project Aeternum!

[nephyartis]

Some concept-art for a hero line-up of sci-fi ne'er-do-wells.

[nephyartis]

“The Right Frequency”

Our Archaic Age

I see lots of conflation and ignorance surrounding the topics of Power Words, Runes, Glyphs, Sigils, Wands, and Wyrdstones. I hope this text will help clarify some of it.

First, some terms. Rune. Glyph. Sigil. Runic Languages, which to say, languages associated with a script (often in addition to a non-runic script), are also often called Languages of Power. A rune in-and-of-itself is a sort of pictogram, representing related physical and meta-physical ideals. It’s a building block. Glyphs, on the other hand, are like compound words, or more nuanced building blocks. A glyph referencing the Tiger animal would be derivative of the basic rune for Beast, as an example. So for what runes are the basic words, and glyphs are the compound words, Sigils are the slang. A sigil will contain elements of runes or glyphs, but expressed in a personalized manner, often for the sake of identification. Different runic systems (languages) do exist, though, which presents some important distinctions.

Primordial, Supernal, The Elder Language, the Language of Creation. Call it what you will, they are all the same. There are vibrational patterns that comprise the nature of existence. They bear personality--mental traits. By mimicking these vibrations, and mental states, we may illicit changes in the world, all working through The Medium--the field of interaction between physical and meta-matter, that so many call the Weave. All languages of power are derivative of this original system. To glimpse it is a task of great difficulty, which is why divination is often used to expand one’s mental faculties, just to grasp the concepts wholly. On the conceptual, abstract, and divine, there is the Dethek Language Branch. On the mechanical, definitive, and arcane, there is the Iokharic Language Branch. Of special note, there have been systems that attempted to mix the two, such as the Seldruin, an arcane system composed with respect for the divine, but that is not the topic I hope to address.

The cultures and creatures that popularized these languages lend credence to the ideals they represent. The origin of species: warring elementals of crude matter, before the specialization of complex life--these creatures, such as Djinn with their reality warping wishes--they warred across the cosmos seeking places of higher potential, creating form from chaos. Crude, raw, powerful. Then in time complex life formed. The creator races were born. They grasped The Language, and further complexity, but they did not create worlds, like the elementals did. Great empires forming afterward, ever more derivative of the last. More complex, but in complexity, one sacrifices potential. Giants, Dragons, then Elves. Each came and created their own derivative systems, yet only two flourish to this day. The Giants and the Dragons. Of those two, it seems to me global culture has strayed, perhaps too far, into the arcane--the material--the Dragon--and in its cry for more--subconsciously aware of its own shortcomings--it has accepted falsehoods and niceties in place of reality and hard truth.

While scholars have debated whether Iokharic was influenced by Dethek, or if it were the other way around, I will posit that this is the wrong question. They share commonalities because they are inspired by--derivative of--the same root system. The universal language. As language has progressed, however, ever more nuanced, it has gained the ability to express more-and-more complex ideas, at the cost of its potency, much like the races that practice it. Each one branches out of those that came before, in a great tree of life. This is not to say that I believe movement along the branches is impossible, but that’s a topic for another time.

Compare both Iokharic and Dethek runes. Knowing their script will greatly assist. For that matter, compare the runic forms of any language. Those two are simply the most widespread. While there are differences, their similarities are key to understanding the pervasive narrative of our universe. Lake, Water, Ocean, Tide, Mutability, Longing, Gulf. A nuanced rune (also called a Glyph, or Hanzi) will appear visually similar to other like-minded runes, because their meanings are related. Shark will resemble Fish, which resembles Water. This holds true with all runes. They represent things, which in and of themselves, contain mental traits. These mental traits correspond to a certain vibrational frequency. Now compare the vibrations. The sound. The practice. Follow it up the linguistic tree, and watch it evolve. You will start hearing very familiar phonemes while on the same branch. It’s not until one reaches the Big Three, that language diverges greatly. Dethek, Draconic, and Elvish, respectively. Despite these apparent differences, though, their runes address and link the same ideals and frequencies.

Still, their differences are not unimportant. Dethek runes, like the cultures that popularized them, are grounded in the divine. They focus more on the intent, meaning, or associated mental traits, rather than physical measurements. The giants’ Ordning, dwarven paragons, human belief. There is a narrative beneath it all. Old churches of yore were cautious of science (read, arcane), and the pride of intellect. It was for good reason, even if it became misguided. One need not look far to see its dangers displayed in Dragons. Even the most noble among them face temptation in the face of ignorance or wealth. Primates in particular have evolved with a phrenology primed to notice serpentine figures, for the danger they pose is legendary. It is a story that our very blood cries out.

One can look at the spread of human language to see its influences, and trace its lineage along these branches. Often, mixing the two properties. Chessan, Raumtheran, Thorass, and Waelan, all take influence from dwarves (who took influence from Jotun), from the gods, or directly from Jotun. For some it’s harder to follow, such as the Untheric, Han, or Rauric languages (for that matter, any influenced by Netheril or Imaskar). The Netherese, first introduced to the Art by elves, then later for themselves with the great golden scales, became increasingly Iokharic. Likewise, their people, arcane. Independently, the same can be seen with Kara-Tur, and the Rauric (Imaskar, Thay) languages. Their cultures, while divine at first, made course along the arcane, increasingly adopting Iokharic methods.

Time for a closer look at Iokharic. The methodical. The measured. The arcane. These are focussed on what physical phenomena are represented, by the universe’s pervasive narrative. Iokharic is to Dethek, what Alchemy is to Herbalism, and what Intelligence is to Wisdom (Seldruin is the Charisma of the group, which muddies the picture a bit). Yet look at the great empires that rose in its wake, each pragmatic and worldly. The Dragons. The Elves. Netheril. Thay. Each has contributed greatly to the advancement of the sciences, and revolutionized the way we live. But left unchecked, history shows that innovation will be its own undoing. I do not intend to say arcane magic is wrong, or that it should not be practiced. Merely, that there is a balance in all things. Even the divine, and the arcane. Their balance--their synthesis--is godhood. It’s otherworldly. It is true divinity. It is that which lay closest to understanding the universal system. Magic Circles are often a good example of this, combining both practices.

At this point, let’s point out various ways these concepts can be utilized. Take Wyrdstones, for example. Primordial and awesome in power, they are still crude. While it cannot be said precisely, I would place their original creation prior to the divergence of language. One need only channel their intent to realize the potential held within Wyrdstones. Any symbols they hold are lost on the limited perspective of our minds. So following the route previously stated, this would suggest Wyrdstones to be very near the universal language, as one does not need to infer a narrative, nor discern a practice. Wyrdstones are more whole. Intrinsic. Dwarven runestones, on the other hand, tell stories, and those stories often possess a weaker, but more nuanced power. The corresponding flow of mental traits are their key importance. While on the other hand, Iokharic runes are measured and precise, constructed meticulously, and often with more material affect. They pay less heed to the overarching story, and more to its physical events. The reliable power achieved in this way is often very attractive to aspiring mages, which likely goes without saying. To which I point out again, and caution against, the Pride of Intellect.

The differences between these systems also aids in understanding how to use more complex magical items. Arcane wands, for example, require practical understanding. How to stand, what frequency to embody, and how. Whereas with divine wands, empathetic understanding is necessary. You must respect, emulate, and believe, the energies being channeled. Posture and tone become much less important. Of course, one could also just practice through intuition how to use magical devices, but such a skill only gets you so far.

Last but not least, bringing this to an end, I’m sure some will have thought by now, “What about the planar languages?” It becomes very difficult to say. We could speculate, for example, that Infernal aligns more arcane than divine. The ideas they espouse, and association with Tiamat, along with present day cultures (such as Thay) align enough to suggest it is true. However, there are two important dynamics to note. The gods are shaped by our cultivated belief. I have little doubt that their language could be as well, and that their language might evolve over time. Moreover, as previously described, godhood is a state of existence both arcane and divine, so at the very least it cannot be said that planar runes are wholly one or the other. They surely emphasize both practices, which is what makes them deific in the first place. It’s with these things in mind that it becomes very hard to pin-down planar languages. Combine that with the fact that they are obviously very far away from us, studying them becomes difficult. This is why I have focussed on a more grounded history of language. The planar systems are undoubtedly very close to the universal system, as far as origins go, but to what degree they still resemble it, may be impossible to say.

What I can say is that it’s time we stopped living in an age of ignorance.

[nephyartis]

"It’s a journey through the underworld. It’s a place of hardship that reveals harsher truths. It’s where stories are made."