Secret Characters #2 - THE FIRST CREATURE

Welcome to the second post of Secret Character Month, an ongoing project to develop art for upcoming arcs in Cryopod Refresh. Please be aware that this post and the others after it are going to contain spoilers.

You've been warned.

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The Volgrim.

A name that channels fear throughout demonkind. The so-called protectors of the galaxy. A Type-3 civilization that has expanded their territory to encompass the entirety of the Milky Way. They have harnessed the energy of thousands of stars. They stand atop a pyramid of life where no other subjugated species may touch them.

In Cryopod Classic, the Volgrim were a humanlike species. They resembled Lucifer, in that they had humanoid bodies and possessed a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth.

But, that is no longer the case.

The Volgrim in Refresh are a completely different species compared to the ones that appeared in Cryopod Classic.

While the Volgrim in Cryopod Classic were something of a hivemind, with five 'Founders' at the top of their hierarchy, the Volgrim in Refresh are anything but. They include five visually distinct sub-species, each one with its own goals and intentions. Some are warlike. Others, peaceful. What they all share in common is their desire to explore the known universe and to improve their species to its highest limits.

Of course, where their views differ... that is what makes them far more interesting than their incarnation in Classic.

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Today's post is all about the first of the five Volgrim subspecies: The Ascended.

Among the five factions, The Ascended are by far the largest. Seventy percent of all Volgrim count themselves among them. Their leader, Unarin, wields tremendous political power among the Council of Five. (Placeholder name.)

The Ascended are considered a peaceful species. Despite possessing more than enough votes to control the levers of society, most of them prefer to reap the fruits of their labor. Ninety-five percent of all Ascended live inside virtual worlds. They live their lives addicted to pure, unending joy. They care little for politics, or diplomacy, or anything else.

Given the way they choose to live their lives, it is no surprise that Unarin echoes their sentiments. Slow to action, Unarin is a deliberate, calculating individual. Volgrim do not possess 'gender' in the way that lower species do, so calling Unarin a 'male' may not be accurate, but to keep things simple, I will refer to him as such.

Unarin considers every option on the table ten times before making a decision. He knows better than most what the whims are of the Ascended's majority, and he always takes deliberate steps to ensure the smooth proceedings of Volgrim society.

Despite their peaceful, VR-addicted nature, The Ascended are not simple herbivores. During the Great Wars of the ancient times, the Ascended unleashed their raw military might upon the other factions, crushing them with ease. Their population, numbering in the tens of trillions, are a constant threat upon the other four subspecies. None dare to anger Unarin, for if he chooses to awaken the sleeping giant, a great calamity will befall those he directs his rage toward.

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Below are a bunch of cool WIP artworks Raul whipped up while he was drawing the base design for the Ascended. Keep in mind that any Volgrim designs might be subjected to changes in the future, and as such they are not to be considered finalized.

During this semi-final one, we decided to change the colors drastically, to make them appear more threatening. The soft, yellow skin didn't look as cool as something with red, black, and gold. We had to make Unarin a lot edgier.

The next character I post will be Dosena. What subspecies will 'she' be? We shall see.

 Thanks for reading!