INITIAL THREE IDEAS

PLANETARY CIVILIZATIONS

This is going to be a world where Earth is now uninhabitable and other planets have grown into stable civilizations, with various different laws, cultures, and architecture surrounding each planet from our solar system.

I'd like to follow Greek and Roman mythology where each planet is represented by a deity and the leader for every civilization is inspired by these gods. My concept will reflect the characteristics and myths associated with them.

Hermes, depicting Mercury, is the messenger of the gods. It would be a planet that stores the universe's largest database within an expansive, opulent library, littered with scholars and communicative devices. Outsiders must be well-informed and hold a degree equal to or higher than a master's if they want to visit. Despite their strict approach when it comes to the intelligence of an individual, they do not care what topic the degree contains, as long as it is a valid certificate.

Aphrodite, depicting Venus, is the goddess of beauty, love, and fertility. It is a female-lead society that prioritizes aesthetics, cleanliness, beauty, affection, and optimism. Outsiders are welcome, unless they do not take the beauty  or cleanliness of their planet seriously, in which case they should expect a venomous community. Other than that, Venus is incredibly friendly and prohibits judgement, as long as it does not hurt oneself or others.

Ares, depicting Mars, is the god of war. There is a constant civil conflict occurring on the planet, surrounded by the blood shed by soldiers and citizens. There's a red mist that shrouds the globe, and even Mercury struggles to gather information from this civilization. Outsiders are not allowed inside due to the raging war, and even if the General is less than pleased with the idea, Jupiter's nobles are the only ones that are able to come into Mars without permission.

Zeus, depicting Jupiter, is the king of the gods. With the sun, Jupiter is a superior civilization to the rest and is in charge of keeping things in check. The planet is glorified, although there is shady selfishness behind the scenes when it comes to their nobles. Despite this, justice is a very prominent subject in this planet, with some living by it sincerely and others using it as an advantage to take for themselves. Jupiter is treated as a tourists' resort, and oftentimes it is those from Mercury or Venus that come visit.

Cronus, depicting Saturn, is the god of time and harvests. This is where the freshest crops and harvests originate, and Saturn is well-known for their cuisine and ability to shape together unique and inspiring dishes that travel across the solar system. Outsiders will not have an issue entering Saturn as the planet is known for their food and unique vegetation. 

Uranus, which has the planet named after himself, was the primordial god of the sky, which I will keep instead of his association as the father of the Titans. Airborne sports, creatures, and architecture is prevalent here. Tall towers, tangible clouds to live on top of, and daily life is catered to those that fly. It would be difficult for an outsider to travel in Uranus if they do not own an aircraft or have the funds to buy one when visiting.

Poseidon, depicting Neptune, is the god of the sea and earthquakes. Water being a holy concept, the planet is almost entirely submerged with an underwater population thriving underneath the sparkling surface. Provided a shell-shaped vial, those who drink it may breathe underwater and survive the high pressure if they were to dive deeper. Outsiders are cautious of visiting Neptune as they are not well-versed in swimming entirely underwater or simply fear the idea.

Hades, depicting Pluto, is the god of the underworld. As a dwarf planet, it's mysterious and distant, with a small civilization that prefers to keep to themselves rather than communicate with the other planets. Pluto does not allow any outsiders and has even barricaded Jupiter's ability to visit with an incredibly powerful force-field encapsulating the globe.

For this, I'd like to present an environmental piece of at least three planets' that depicts the globe's architecture, cultural monuments, and the designs of people and their clothing. I would also like to provide a design of the leaders themselves who represent the gods their planet signifies.

COASTAL LIFE

An oceanic realm surrounded by islands, docks, ships, and tropical characteristics. I'd like it to be summer all year and design several sea critters. 

Merfolk and sirens are commonly found, poached by sailors and pirates. Sirens are far more rare to catch and sell for extreme prices at the fish market as those who try to catch them are dragged to their death by the siren's call. Despite the notoriety of most pirates, there are few ships that pity the sea creatures and may offer them solace.

There are civilizations above and below ground, with examples of octopi, tropical fish, sharks, and whale people that have a similar anatomy to merfolk (human body above the waist, the defining part of the sea creature as the rest). Those above ground usually get their money from fishing, harvests, collecting shells, fossils, materials along the beach to sell, and hunting.

They are welcome to outsiders and will offer shelter and sustenance to refugees or harmed individuals. Pirates, however, are not so kind, and are more than willing to capture someone and put them under deck for further questioning (which is usually to just poke fun and scare them).

My inspiration for the architecture and houses is Avatar: The Way of Water, with Awa'atlu's gorgeous shores and tropical coral reefs, made up of the village's marui, homes carved into the large mangrove trees that encapsulate the clan's space.

The work I'll produce for this are several environment shots and designs of merfolk, pirates, and miscellaneous creatures, as well as short descriptions of what they do and what inspired me throughout the process.

INSECT HIERARCHY

This one will be heavily based off of the kingdom we created for the Miro board. It is populated by the many races of Chitimines (bug people) and the origin of their races predate their roles in society.

Previously, I had the praying mantis, iridescent beetles, and other insects that are aposematic are upper-class, fulfilling roles such as royalty and politicians. The city, Sanguine, operates under a similar hierarchy to feudalism.

Beetles with a heavy exoskeleton and thick outer skin such as stags are given defensive roles such as royal guards, police, and even bouncers depending on their level of aposematism.

Ladybirds are medics, doctors, and nurses, whilst scarab beetles are scholars and scribes. Bees are factory workers that, after generations of staying indoors to work, have wings that barely work and can only slightly levitate them above the ground. The Queen Bee is the owner of the factory with a female empowered workplace. 

Wasps are airborne military due to their aggressive nature and ability to sting multiple times. Termites are lumberjacks and are usually operated by stick bugs, and scorpions brew unique liquor from their venom that results in a safe to drink beverage when sold.

Spiders are clothiers and produce things that usually would need cotton with their webbing, such as blankets, clothing, and banners.

I'd like to go into depth about the enemy colony, Volutiola, a kingdom that opposes Sanguine and houses the scarier insects and creatures, such as centipedes, tarantula hawks, certain spiders, scorpions, mosquitos, and hornets. 

Sanguine itself is highly guarded as they are very cautious of Volutiola and try to prevent any of its citizens, soldiers, and noble executives from entering. 

For this, I believe character and fashion designs will be most important, as all of Sanguine's society comes down to their capability as a citizen as well as their insect qualities. I'd want to redesign the queen, the overarching lord of Volutiola, and perhaps the royal family and those who cater to them.