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WORLDBUILDING OF ESOTERA

The inspiration for Esotera's worldbuilding is derived from a variety of sources, such as dystopian, post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk, and other science fiction works. Some of the specific inspirations are Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, Blade Runner, Mad Max, Dune, and Fallout. Nick is also an avid fan of Isaac Asimov's fiction.

Esotera attempts to approach the serious ethical questions that are more easily addressed in a world where civilization has fallen apart, yet complex technology still plays an important part in everyday life. In this way, the societal implications of law and order, compassion versus pragmatism, and other deep topics can be explored in a fictional setting. This has always been one of the strongest and most attractive qualities of science-fiction, and Esotera is not different in this respect.

Additionally, Esotera takes inspiration from real-world technology and projected future technologies to create a future where Humanity must deal with complicated ethical questions surrounding the use of technology. Esotera attempts to keep the technology of the world grounded in reality, where the tech has limitations that characters in the world must work around in order to succeed.

 

TIMELINE OF THE WORLD

  • 2022 - 1st AI Developed

    • The first fully-functional AI, including limited self-awareness and ability to solve complex problems, is developed.

  • 2037 - Nauticus, Inc. Founded

    • 'Providing Life-Giving Water Since 2037'. The iconic water auto-pump company puts the competition out of business with its innovative solutions.

  • 2043 - Solar Flare Destroys Infrastructure

    • A mega-flare hits the Earth; technology and infrastructure are devastated. Chaos ensues for several years.

  • 2044 - US Federal Government Collapses

    • Unable to communicate & too cumbersome to combat massive disruption, the fed all but dissipates.

  • 2063 - Frontier Generation Reaches Adulthood

    • The propaganda-titled generation 'Frontier' is the first set of children to be born and raised entirely post-flare.

  • 2087 - Present Day

    • Humanity claims planet Esotera, reclaims the wastes of Earth, and works to re-establish order & civilization.

ORIGINAL CONCEPT ART

All concept art created by Travis J. Wright

Concept art of nine futuristic mercenaries in combat gear, with detailed armor and weapons, displayed in two rows against a gray background.

Concept art of nine futuristic mercenaries in combat gear, with detailed armor and weapons, displayed in two rows against a gray background.

Concept art of a futuristic mercenary with detailed armor and equipment, showing side, front, and helmet designs. The helmet features hard-surface metal and rubber materials with a removable filter and water tube. The full character is dressed in a l

Concept art of a futuristic mercenary with detailed armor and equipment, showing side, front, and helmet designs. The helmet features hard-surface metal and rubber materials with a removable filter and water tube. The full character is dressed in a long coat, armor, and carries a gun.

Digital illustration of eight characters in heavy guard or tactical costumes, each holding a rifle, arranged in two rows of four, numbered 1 to 8. The characters wear various tactical gear and masks, with some in dark clothing and others in lighter c

Digital illustration of eight characters in heavy guard or tactical costumes, each holding a rifle, arranged in two rows of four, numbered 1 to 8. The characters wear various tactical gear and masks, with some in dark clothing and others in lighter costumes, set against a cloudy, desolate background. Caption indicates this is a heavy guard costume design by Travis Wright, dated March 31, 2019.

Concept art of five different futuristic guard costume designs, numbered 1 to 5, featuring tactical gear and armor, with variations in capes, helmets, and masks, on a textured background, labeled as Back-up Guard Costume Design by Travis Wright, date

Concept art of five different futuristic guard costume designs, numbered 1 to 5, featuring tactical gear and armor, with variations in capes, helmets, and masks, on a textured background, labeled as Back-up Guard Costume Design by Travis Wright, dated June 14, 2018.

Concept art of a miner costume called 'Broken' featuring a man in a rugged, futuristic mining suit. The design includes a lighted chest piece, gloves, boots, and a headlamp. The image shows both a front and back view, with indications of a handheld m

Concept art of a miner costume called 'Broken' featuring a man in a rugged, futuristic mining suit. The design includes a lighted chest piece, gloves, boots, and a headlamp. The image shows both a front and back view, with indications of a handheld mining drill as part of the equipment.

Concept art of post-apocalyptic warrior characters, five in the top row and four in the bottom, wearing rugged, makeshift armor and masks, some with weapons. Monochrome color scheme with a barren landscape background.

Concept art of post-apocalyptic warrior characters, five in the top row and four in the bottom, wearing rugged, makeshift armor and masks, some with weapons. Monochrome color scheme with a barren landscape background.

Black and white concept art of ten diverse fantasy characters, including warriors, mages, and rogues, each with unique clothing, armor, and weapons.

Black and white concept art of ten diverse fantasy characters, including warriors, mages, and rogues, each with unique clothing, armor, and weapons.

Six grayscale digital illustrations of soldiers in tactical gear, each holding a rifle, with varied helmets and cloaks, standing in a row against a plain background.

Six grayscale digital illustrations of soldiers in tactical gear, each holding a rifle, with varied helmets and cloaks, standing in a row against a plain background.

Concept art of six female characters in tactical military outfits, posing outdoors in a desolate landscape with cloudy sky. Each character showcases different armor and weapon configurations, with numbered annotations above each. The bottom left corn

Concept art of six female characters in tactical military outfits, posing outdoors in a desolate landscape with cloudy sky. Each character showcases different armor and weapon configurations, with numbered annotations above each. The bottom left corner credits Jake for costume design and Travis Wright, dated September 7, 2019.

A collection of nine futuristic, robotic devices with various shapes and features, including helmets, monitors, and handheld gadgets, all in black and gray tone.

A collection of nine futuristic, robotic devices with various shapes and features, including helmets, monitors, and handheld gadgets, all in black and gray tone.

Concept art of nine male characters in three rows, featuring futuristic, tactical, and traditional outfits, some carrying weapons or gear, created by Merchant Designs James Wright on June 3, 2021.

Concept art of nine male characters in three rows, featuring futuristic, tactical, and traditional outfits, some carrying weapons or gear, created by Merchant Designs James Wright on June 3, 2021.

Five futuristic devices with orange numbers above each, from 1 to 5, arranged in a row on a gray background, featuring various bold black designs with glowing lightning effects in some.

Five futuristic devices with orange numbers above each, from 1 to 5, arranged in a row on a gray background, featuring various bold black designs with glowing lightning effects in some.

Illustration of three weighted cubes with attached voice modulators, labeled 1, 2, and 3. Cube 1 and Cube 3 each have a voice modulator with a face on it, connected by wires.

Illustration of three weighted cubes with attached voice modulators, labeled 1, 2, and 3. Cube 1 and Cube 3 each have a voice modulator with a face on it, connected by wires.

Concept art of five soldier or special operative costumes, all in black tactical gear with masks, guns, and various accessories, labeled with numbers from 1 to 5.

Concept art of five soldier or special operative costumes, all in black tactical gear with masks, guns, and various accessories, labeled with numbers from 1 to 5.

Sketches of eight tactical soldiers in various combat uniforms and gear, each numbered from 1 to 8, standing against a beige background.

Sketches of eight tactical soldiers in various combat uniforms and gear, each numbered from 1 to 8, standing against a beige background.

Array of futuristic weapon and technology designs, including guns, devices, and machinery, arranged in a grid pattern.

Array of futuristic weapon and technology designs, including guns, devices, and machinery, arranged in a grid pattern.

Concept art of diverse male and female characters in futuristic and dystopian clothing, with some wearing masks and tactical gear.

Concept art of diverse male and female characters in futuristic and dystopian clothing, with some wearing masks and tactical gear.

Black and white digital sketches of nine different characters in a post-apocalyptic or dystopian setting. Each character has distinct clothing and accessories, with some holding weapons, and others wearing masks or goggles. The background features a

Black and white digital sketches of nine different characters in a post-apocalyptic or dystopian setting. Each character has distinct clothing and accessories, with some holding weapons, and others wearing masks or goggles. The background features a desolate landscape with mountains and cloudy skies. The image is labeled 'Zipp's Gang - Costume Design Sketches' with the date 09.16.2019 and the name Travis Wright.

INSPIRATIONS & VISUALIZING THE WORLD

 

The process of visualizing the world of Esotera is incredibly important, since the world exists primarily in a visual medium. Because of that, it's something we dedicate a large amount of effort toward perfecting.

However, it's also very important that the world is built out organically, with people's lives and behaviors stemming realistically from the environment around them.

This necessitates fleshing out and understanding many interconnecting relationships between commerce, daily life, religion, factions, and many other aspects of the world in order to tell stories within it that are believable.

 
Screenshot of a Google Drive folder named 'WORLDBUILDING' inside 'Esotera' on 'My Drive' with subfolders related to different themes such as Armor and Defense, City Life, Commerce, Fashion, Frontier Life, General Inspiration, Industrial Architecture,
A digital collage showcasing a variety of military-inspired themes. Top left features moody, dystopian cityscape artwork. Top right displays different types of military vehicles, including an armored vehicle, a jeep, and a motorcycle with armed soldi
A collage of four categories: Citifolk Garb with various traditional and modern clothing; Wasteland Garb featuring post-apocalyptic outfits; Cybernetics & Prosthetics showing robotic limbs and heads; Environments & Cities with images of indoor and ou
Image of a weapon and armor collection on the left, and four pieces of portable AI technology on the right.
A person in a blue jumpsuit with the number 111 on their back, holding a weapon, standing in a ruined post-apocalyptic landscape with destroyed cars and a dog nearby.
A person with a backpack standing in a barren desert next to a rusty, damaged car with a rooftop cargo carrier. The landscape features rocky hills and a hazy sky.
A man in a suit sitting at a table holding a smoking gun, with a smirk on his face, in a dimly lit room.
A futuristic scene with a robot walking a dog near an abandoned gas station at sunset, with a city skyline and industrial structures in the background.
Anime scene with three characters outside at night, one pointing a gun at another, and a large spaceship nearby, with snow falling.
Anime-style illustration of a person with black hair, wearing dark clothing, crouching inside a futuristic aircraft, aiming a large gun towards the cityscape outside through an open door, with numerous tall buildings visible in the background.
Animated scene of a young person wearing a visor and tactical gear, reaching out with a gloved hand, with a large mechanical robot in a damaged environment with debris and machinery.
A red spaceship with a long tail and a spherical front is orbiting Earth, which is visible in the background with landmasses and cloud cover, surrounded by debris and smaller spacecraft.
Two men are seated at a large conference table in a dimly lit room with a ceiling fan overhead. One is on the left, looking away, and the other on the right, looking down at their phone. There is a computer monitor and some equipment on a side table
Two figures wearing dark robes and masks with glowing blue eyes walk through a desolate, sandy landscape. In the background, there are rocky formations and a crashed spaceship or structure. The scene has an ominous, sci-fi atmosphere with muted color
A group of armored and cloaked figures with blue hoods and weapons, standing on rocky terrain in a desert landscape under a stormy sky, facing enormous mountain-like creatures with lightning striking around them.
A woman with short dark hair standing in a desert, facing away, wearing a sleeveless top and tactical gear. In the background, several characters ride motorcycles through the sand dunes, some with masks and scarves. An electric transmission tower is

ORIGINAL IN-WORLD LOGOS AND GRAPHICS

Logos and graphics created by John Domrzalski

A black and white graphic with the word 'ESOTERA' inside a circle, which is divided into sections with different textures, and includes various smaller circles around it.
Lascom logo with a stylized red laser beam and burst above the text.
Four different logo designs for ERF1 Tidecall with variations in colors and graphic elements.
Series of four different logo designs for 'LC1 LUNA', each incorporating orange and black geometric elements and text in various arrangements.
A promotional poster for an alien colonization event called Esotera, featuring a starry sky background, a spaceship on a rocky landscape, and text urging viewers to get their ticket to the colony. The poster includes a large orange Pac-Man-like logo
Poster advertising a bounty hunt game titled Calling for Able Bodied Bold Men for Respite, featuring black silhouettes of armed men against an olive green background, with a red box highlighting a bonus payout of 500 per head.
Silhouettes of a person pointing at the sky and another holding a telescope against a large orange planet in the background. Text reads, 'SPACE WAS OUR FUTURE AND IT STILL IS! RECOVER DOWNED SATELLITES'. Contact information for the Bureau of Technolo