Race The Leeven - Pride&Prey

Discussion in 'NPCs and Creatures' started by Beatrice, May 23, 2014.

  1. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    The Monkey and the Lioness IV

    Do-Remy and I worked together for ten years. It changed my whole life – and the way I used to look at the world. The life of a Leeven is quite the opposite of the Apex one. They hate collectivism, but love their family; they don’t go to war, because they search for more intelligent ways to injure their enemies; they never heard of an institution like police or military, and the concept of state is underdeveloped. I think there is no race in the universe which is as anarchic and free as the Leeven, without falling to the primitive chaos of the Floran.

    I don’t know what it is, but deep in their soul, they despise everything which could lead to a ‘monarchy’ and as such, the Leeven are very sceptical when it comes to authority. Even their Manes and Consuls rule through their prestige, money and deeds, not through violence. Maybe we misjudged this race entirely, because we only saw the surface: the greedy face of the pixel-grabbing Leeven.

    You may not trust my words; you may say that the influence of a Leeven may have changed me too much. But the day, that one day when Remy and I were travelling on a Jungle planet to sell some Erchius to a factory, made it clear to me. A group of bandits lied in wait for us, and attacked the caravan before we could react. It was Remy who fought like a true Lioness to protect me and the other merchants.

    She died there, deep in the forests, in the rain and mud of that cursed day. Because I was part of the pride; and prey isn’t worth anyhing without the pride. A Leeven can be your worst enemy, but he may be also your most loyal friend.

    I’m going to return to my people. The Leeven have learned what Individualism, Freedom and Sacrifice means. And I hope that the Resistance may benefit from my experiences. When I returned to the trade post to contact a Leeven to tell Remy’s family what happened, he told me, that it wasn’t the first time that Lonesome Leeven and Apex rebels teamed up.

    I, for one, hope that it wasn’t the last time.
     
  2. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    Unwanted help?

    by Hewlett Deckard
    Glitch bounty hunter

    Rumours. Only Rumours. When I entered that village of Outcasts, I could hear it everywhere. Seems like some merchants from Lyon opened their business in the town. Some Glitch Outcasts are fascinated by their ‘free ’society. The Mane of a pride has announced to support the village with everything it needs. That includes weapons.

    The Leeven can’t be trusted. I’m sure they have their own interests. Glitch are mostly reserved, especially those who are part of the hivemind. It’s hard for the lions of free trade to enter mercantilist societies.

    The Outcasts are a possibility to open these markets. It’s obvious. The Leeven help them, because every self-conscious Glitch is a customer. And these new ‘friends’ want to expand. I hope not everyone falls for them.
     
    DragonsForce likes this.
  3. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    For unknown reasons, I completly forgot to link to this thread. Even if I didn't find a pixel artist yet, who may bring the Leeven as a race to life, I can atleast help to add the dungeons/villages (and more) including some of the codex entries shown here.

    [​IMG]

    A special thank goes to @Kayuko, who helps a lot at the moment :)
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2015
  4. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    malwasiaseed.png

    As the Leeven have three special plants, I tried to paint at least one.
    This is Mal-Wasia, also known as the Leeven grape, from which the Leeven collect their special wine. It's good as as a snack, but especially better for a drink. It would be cool to make a red-purple liquid from it, like water, acid or coconut-milk.

    Description:

    Mal-Wasia
    A sun-loving, juicy fruit.

    Races:

    "apexDescription" : "Big Ape has a distinct love for Mal-Wasia. It is said that he owns a cellar full with this wine.",
    "avianDescription" : "Mal-Wasia. If the Leeven met my people earlier, I'm sure that the priests would sacrifice a calice with this drink to Kluex.",
    "floranDescription" : "Floran getsss drunk from thisss.",
    "glitchDescription" : "Interested. The drink made from this plant has a red-rusty colour.",
    "humanDescription" : "Seems like a good wine.",
    "hylotlDescription" : "Even if I prefer Hylotl drinks, having a glass of Mal-Wasia in the evening has some undenieable style.",


    The other two plants are Ulif and La-Kanea. Ulif is similar to a olive-tree bonsai with little black fruits. La-Kanea has similarities with a brown bamboo cane, from which golden-brown resin drips drown, like sirup.
     
    Seajun_, DragonsForce and SivCorp like this.
  5. DragonsForce

    DragonsForce Weight of the Sky

    I like the floran description :D
     
    Beatrice likes this.
  6. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    [​IMG]

    (This is only a placeholder; like stated above, I would prefer to make it more similar to an olive tree).

    This would be a rough idea when it comes to Ulif, the second Leeven plant. I've written something about this plant in an earlier post:

    Description:

    Ulif
    Ulif: used as medicine and food

    "apexDescription" : "The fruits of this plant can be pressed to a healthy oil.",
    "avianDescription" : "I've heard that Ulif oil is used in Leeven medicine and cuisine.",
    "floranDescription" : "Floran feelsss uncomfortable when licking ssslimy oil from plantsss.",
    "glitchDescription" : "Curious. I ask myself if the oil from the Ulif could be used for my mechanical parts, too?",
    "humanDescription" : "I'm sure this would be perfect for a Martini.",
    "hylotlDescription" : "Ulif is one of the rare Leeven tradegoods the Hylotl are interested in. It's delicious and healthy.",
     

    Attached Files:

    DragonsForce likes this.
  7. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    It’s obvious that a Leeven house tells a lot about the owner. Especially the minor prides have specialized in some special trades, like cloth, armour, vegetables, wine and so on. The ground floor, where we find the store of a Leeven, will exactly tell us to which business our merchant belongs. Normally, goods are shown and sold in this area. This leads to a wide range of different types of Leeven houses, even if the concept of the different rooms and levels is the same as told in chapter I.

    [​IMG]

    However, the Room of Prey will tell more than someone may guess. A sharp eye is needed to take all the details in account. We can see the contacts and the life of the inhabitant. Old and noble prides have family chambers in which the most precious things are shown, gained by ancestors, distant cousins or famous Manes from that pride. But even lonesome Leeven can look on a rich and interesting life. Glitch weapons, Floran warrior statues or an Avian Gong may suggest a partnership with other merchants from distant systems; maybe our Leeven visited some place like that and returned with a thing which he thought to be an extraordinary good prey.

    [​IMG]

    For Humans, it may be confusing to see an Apex radio between golden jars. But a radio can be regarded as a good prey if the Leeven lives in a region in which radios aren’t common. Also, things which are rare on Lyon are regarded as more valuable than others. There is the famous example of Fa-Solasi who brought a Hula-Hula-girl puppet to Lyon. For a human, it may be rather worthless, but it was the only Hula-Hula-girl puppet on Lyon, and as such, a very expansive prey – at least until other prides tried to get one.

    Some examples for different shops and stores:

    [​IMG]

    This is obviously a tailor. Unfortunately, we don't see the Room of prey, because it takes place on the other side of the house. Instead, we see the working area.

    [​IMG]

    A nice little house of a weapon seller. Having a close look at the Room of Prey, we may discover a Glitch hourglass and an empty Floran weapon rack. It seems like our Leeven sold mostly to these two races.

    [​IMG]

    A merchant who focused on exotic flowers. Like the tailor's house, we see the working area on the upper floor.

    [​IMG]

    This is an interesting case. Obviously, this Leeven sells food: mostly fruits and vegetables. But the Room of Prey is rather small, and we don't see much prey. Doesn't the business go well? Is this trader in crisis? Well, the overall size of the building - much bigger than the shops shown before - suggests that this is not the case. We also see a beautiful dining terrace on the top. So, how does this come? Possibly, this is a house of a lonesome Leeven, or the house of a young pride. A succesfull, evolving one, but which has yet to gain enough prey. When time goes by, the owner may enlarge his Room of Prey for more precious artefacts.

    [​IMG]

    This seems to be the toy shop of a Leeven who interracially has many contacts to other traders, buying toys from everywhere and later selling them here. Once again, the Room of Prey is not shown, but the working area.

    [​IMG]

    This is the prestigious palace of a rich Merchant Lord who didn't concentrate on one sector, but on several products. Look at the depot, full with crates and different goods. Have also a look at this wonderful Room of Prey with valuable things from the galaxy!
     
    DragonsForce likes this.
  8. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    I added the last lore posts from May and June to the first post; I also removed the QUOTE in the "XI. Additional Codex", because it broke the visibility of the full post.

    Also a picture of another Leeven building; a wine-merchant on the left, a pottery on the right.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Heriol

    Heriol Void-Bound Voyager

    Hey, Beatrice , I'm in love with the Leeveen, and took the libery to edit more sprites for your lovely project.
    Here are some, if you like them I'll sure make more!
    leveen clothes.png
    Hope you don't mind and enjoy them as much as I do! :)
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2015
    DragonsForce and Beatrice like this.
  10. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    Wuhhuuu! You are great! Wonderful! I add them to the first post :)

    Every help is welcome, thank you. "I don't mind" - I gladly thank you, again :D

    Be free to create more, if you want!
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2015
  11. Heriol

    Heriol Void-Bound Voyager

    Yey!!! I'm happy to see you liked it!

    I made some more, just finished some sketches for Mane/Beard styles:
    leveen beards.png

    I specially like the grizzly one! :D
     
  12. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    I like them all... and I also like the fact that the first one is similar to a mustache like mediterranean traders may have :D. Great! That's quite the idea I head for the manes/beards. You're awesome :)
     
    Heriol likes this.
  13. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    I think this is my favorite Leeven building. Therefore, a screenshot at night and one by day.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Heriol likes this.
  14. Khuur

    Khuur Pangalactic Porcupine

    That new building looks really nice with the pink background. I'm really happy there is helping coming in for sprite-work. Is there some sort of roadmap that you keep updated for the development of the Leeven as a race and toward a mod release?
     
    Heriol and Beatrice like this.
  15. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    Let's say... I know what I had to do and which things should be done first, but until I find someone who can do the artist part and dedicates himself to it - sprites, clothes and so on - I'm not going to theorize too much. However, I've always tried to "fill the gaps"; for example, with these last pictures, I designed a Leeven dungeon (village), and also some Mini-Dungeons (small houses), which can be integrated later. Also, Codices are done. One of the gaps, however, remains a better idea for armour, armour ranks and the outfit itself. I try to do as much as I can that everything could be ready in the case of a mod - but as you know, motivation can also be an important issue, when you think that nothing changes/moves on.
     
  16. scaper12123

    scaper12123 Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    By god you've put a lot of work into this! Good job! I like what you have; it's a clever idea for a race, making them centered around money and trickery. Kind of reminds me of the bank, heh heh heh...
     
    Heriol and Beatrice like this.
  17. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    Thanks! Yes, the "concept" was the most important thing, whereas other tend to concentrate on aesthetics (more or less: how does my race look and what does it wear?). And one of my main questions was also: what would fit in Starbound? Sure, now they added more prominent frog merchants and so on, but having a view at the different Starbound societies, it becomes clear that the Avian are theocratic, the Apex socialist/authoritarian, and the Florans are tribal. It's an interesting fact that societies based on trade or money do not exist; they mostly rely on the concepts of religion, war or science. It's also interesting to note that the Leeven are one race, but they are not united, living in seperated prides across the universe; interestingly (or ironically?), in that case they are similar to the Florans, who also expand and have some philosophy of meritocracy. However, the Lions don't want to "stab", because a living person can accumulute more goods to pride, whereas a dead person won't. Also, their strong distaste for monarchies/dictatures puts them in contrast to the authoritarian regimes - and also because the latter won't open the market for the Leeven banks... er.. prides!
     
  18. scaper12123

    scaper12123 Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    That actually makes me think about my own race idea (Staterans) and what theme they fit into within Starbound. I've mostly tried to go for the "magic using" theme in terms of general description, but going deeper into the concept it makes me wonder how I will write them to relate to societies that we know. I've thought of them as religious since their culture is based around a god-like entity, but they're opposite to the Avians in that they are opposed to rather than are in support of their mythological entity. Writing that in a believable way will be challenging.
     
  19. Beatrice

    Beatrice Spaceman Spiff

    As the plot of your race is still evolving, there are certainly plenty possibilities! Having a clear and good structure from the beginning helps a lot. I wish you good luck, I'm having a look at your project. :)


    Also, here a video from Baz-Ar, a Leeven Village in the desert:

     
  20. scaper12123

    scaper12123 Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    That's a very nice designed village. That's another thing I've been thinking about is how to design my race's architecture. My problem is that sometimes I don't give enough style or variance to my buildings so that's gonna be tricky for me. Another problem I have is that, while I'd love to install a creative mode mod to do this with, i'm very worried that it might mess up the vanilla worlds I already have. :c
     
    Heriol and Beatrice like this.

Share This Page