Aliisha:
The Oblivion Of Twin Goddesses (2022)
Role
lead art director
THE GATE OF TWINKOKKA
The golden grassland marks the ancient entrance to the ruins situated among the groves and bushes, where visitors receive the blessing of God. The priests perform a variety of rituals every year to appease God and prevent natural disasters, as well as ensure peace and abundance for all mankind. The people, in turn, built a great and majestic temple, for the priests to better serve their God, and perform these sacred rituals and traditions. The core design of the scene in this level is based on the idea of 'piety', conceptualizing the reverence mortals have for these ruins.
THE ROOM OF VENERATION
Among the legendary ruins lies the greatness of Twinkokka, the ancient ceremonial amphitheater, where offerings were made to Twinkokka every year by the priests and the villagers. The air smells of sweet grains. After Aliisha passes through the Gate of Twinkokka ', they enter the vast hall of the impressive ruins. The abandoned sacred grounds welcome the two sisters, as they find a giant musical instrument resting in the middle of the wooden floor that covers the circular chamber, and the impressive domed roof above. Here, the important theme of crops and harvests, representing the cyclical nature of life is woven into the design for this level.
THE ROOM OF BALANCE
As the twins climb the winding stairs, they come to the fourth floor of the ancient temple, covered in fresh snow. The whipping wind blows harshly upon Lisha and Aisha as they come face to face with a massive wall of ice, dividing the floor down the middle. This is the inner sanctum of the long-since deceased priests - two women who both fell in love with the same man. This intimidating ice wall symbolizes division and conflict, their relationship having undergone an intense separation. Another of the temple’s great mechanisms can be found here: The chain and the scale symbols of the emotional entanglement that existed between the two priests as depicted on the murals which completely cover the inner walls of the temple.
THE STALAGMITE CLUSTER VALLEY
The valley named "The Thousand-Eyed Gates of Hell, is a deep and menacing valley of massive stalagmite spikes, protruding from the ground. The atmosphere is shrouded in a thick green fog- the reflections from the crystals embedded in the rock below, like ravenous eyes, hungrily waiting for their victim. There are great stones floating throughout the level, which Aisha and her sister will use to face the mighty Nolyaw, the cursed beast whose body is surrounded in black flames. Nolyaw, forever burdened by remorse dwells for the death of his lover, dwells on a great boulder, cursed by the magic of the earth; his soul forever oscillating between his human and evil nature.
THE SACRED COFFIN
The final level, a forbidden place full of mystery and magic, guards the sacred artifact in the canopy above. The branches stretch forth and wrap around the sacred tomb, resembling a human brain, and giving off an eerie and psychedelic glow. Within the tomb lies the ancient coffin, carved in an almost symmetrical-like fashion, representing the dualistic nature of the ancient priests.
It is this coffin dedicated to Twinkokka that is said to fuse the souls of twins into one, thus repairing the mortal deficiencies of each twin, combining their strengths into a new person. On either side of this final level, are two gigantic effigies of the twin priests, Aqura and Landia.