Edrea, the Grand Sorceress of Matrél

I have been infatuated with Fantasy and Science-fiction stories for as long as I can remember, consuming them in the form of books, movies and shows. One of the biggest elements that separates fantasy and sci-fi from more mundane fiction is their unique world-building. As a part of my thesis, I conducted in-depth research on the importance of world-building in Fantasy and Sci-fi media. Specifically, how geography and landscapes impact a world and narratives set in that world. For example, landmarks and geographical features can be used to create narrative interests or generate entire plotlines. An example of this can be found in The Wheel of Time where Dragonmount and the island of Tar Valon is a central part of the story. Another use of geography is how a change in the landscape can be used to symbolize a change in the tone of a story, the most famous example is perhaps Sam and Frodo entering Mordor in The Lord of The Rings.

As a part of my thesis, I created a fantasy world as well as a 3D model of a character living in a prominent city in this world. Edrea, the Grand Sorceress of Matrel, is a prominent member of the ruling council of Matrel, a Venice-like city built on floating islands. The character is designed to express elegance, power, and a sense of mysticism. This is expressed through how the character’s shape language is composed of flowing lines and sharp angles. Edrea is predominantly composed of red and gold colours, expressing a sense of nobility and power. The purple and green lighting a sense of magic. The shattered rocks that serve as the base of the model link the character to the location she rules over.

I used the knowledge I gained through my research and applied it to the world I created for my thesis. It is called Taverion, a moon that is secretly a superstructure built by a race of ancient aliens. Upon the activation of the structure, a third of the planet is shattered into a series of floating islands and debris which is dragged behind the moon’s orbit by a metaphysical force emanating from the planet. Humanity was seeded upon the planet thousands of years later, which eventually developed into various civilizations that relied on the naturally magical properties of materials found on Taverion.