Cryas Darkstalkers And Cryas Chronicles Notes

Cryas Darkstalkers and Cryas Chronicles Notes

As I slowly roll things out and get my creative juices flowing, I am fully embracing hearing and answering any questions you may have about my Cryas Darkstsalker mythos or the mythos of Cryas Chronicles. Granted, CC will take some time since I don't have much in the way of art, but I got some ideas and lore to share. CDS will be more readily having lore dumps and stuff as we march on. Hopefully and honestly, I hope this will be a great outlet for me to just share things and get my brain going. I may have a private Discord server where I try to organize this stuff, but that is a bit more exclusive as I am nervous about letting randos in. However, this blog is more in the open for people to engage with and is in a format that is friendlier to the idea of sharing such lore. I am very excited for the future. :3

Felicia Rose

I want to go over some lore and facts regarding Felicia in Cryas Darkstalkers.😺 First things first, you might have noticed the last name of 'Rose' for her. Well, one thing I am changing regarding this mythos is Sister Rose. In Cryas Darkstalkers, she is now known as Ramona Rose. While she does run a small orphanage, it is not one in connection with Christianity. Simply put, I am removing any hint of Christianity/Catholicism in Felicia's backstory for quite honestly personal reasons. The orphanage is located in a rural town in New Mexico, one that will likely take inspiration from Taos, NM. Ramona Rose in this mythos is in fact a kind, hardy Mexican woman who made a life for herself in the states.

Speaking of ethnicity, one big thing for Felicia in Cryas Darkstalkers is that she is Hispanic, with part of her heritage being Mexican. This is in part that her biological parents are both of Hispanic origins, with her mother being a Mexican Catfolk and her father being from a country in Central America. I have yet to actually decide which one, but just know her biological father is from somewhere there.

'Catfolk' you say? Yeah, in this mythos the whole 'Catwoman' thing is just being changed to where this race of cat like humanoids are just known as Catfolk. There are female and male ones because quite frankly the lore of the Catwomen in the OG lore was really fucking stupid. Another thing that is being changed that can be seen with Felicia's design her is the change of the fur to make them feel more cat like rather than naked women with some bits of fur here and there. In the case of Felicia, her fur even grows in a way where it looks like she has a skirt and a crop top. Her hair is changed in a style to more express her Hispanic/Mexican heritage. Another neat detail is how her eye isn't white, but a color similar to her iris. Was a neat detail an artist did with a commission they did of Felicia.

(Credit: Beck (Slots Open) (@ViewtifulBeck) / Twitter)

Do her parents have names? No, cause quite honestly, they are not too important to her backstory beyond her being born and the circumstances of how she ended up in the US, in New Mexico, and eventually at the doorsteps of Rose's orphanage. Basically, her parents sought to move the US for a better chance at life, as many from Central America are one to do. However, before they could cross the border, they were spotted by guards. While her mother could outrun the guards, her father couldn't. Despite not wanting to leave him, he begged her to go as who knows what they would do to her or the baby since they were non-human. Having crossed in the state of New Mexico, Felicia's mother contemplated on things such how she is gonna support the child, the loss of her husband, and these new circumstances in a new country with no support. Eventually, passing through a town, she decided the best thing was to leave her daughter in the hands of an orphanage as she believed she couldn't provide well for the baby. That was the last her mother ever saw the child.

When the baby was found, it was taken in. The orphanage was small, only being aided by her friends who volunteered time, but Ramona did her best to make sure the children were cared for and found good homes. When the wrappings were unfurled, all were surprised by the appearance of the baby: it was a Darkstalker! There was an argument that unfolded as Ramona and her friends disagreed about what to do for the child. Ramona refused to abandon the baby because despite it being non-human, she saw it as a poor, lost child that needed guidance. She was adamantly against putting it back on the streets for the elements to take care of. While her friends couldn't convince her on that, they did bring up a good point: who is gonna adopt a monster? Maybe some rich folk if they want an exotic pet or those freak show organizers. Ramona was revolted by those thoughts, but that was a good point. After thinking about it, she decided she would raise the little baby as her own daughter. Deciding on the name Felicia, little Felicia Rose would grow up in a modest, but loving home. Always aiding her mother around with chores and the orphanage, she got to make a lot of friends with the kids that came in. Overtime, Ramona's friends, neighbors, and eventually the community grew to accept the Catfolk as part of the community, to varying degrees.

As she grew up, she would be introduced to all sorts of forms entertainment, like television shows, cinemas, comics, festivals, and plays. Felicia loved seeing all these as she got to see all kinds of people and characters not only put on an entertaining show, but also see how she, her mother, and others connected with these performers. While Felicia's home life was generally a loving household, she was made aware of the general bias people have against those who aren't human. In a way, she was lucky. Even with her luck, she felt her life still shows that connection with humans and Darkstalkers was possible. 'We might be outwardly different, but we all have dreams, emotions, aspirations, and a desire to connect with others', Felicia would think. As this dream kept burning in the adolescent to adulthood, she eventually decided that she would become a star. Inspired by her hero 'El Santo', she was aware how the famous luchador was loved by the entirety of Mexico. With such status, she could hold influence to show the world that Darkstalkers are not just monsters but living beings with hearts and souls who also want to live. So, she set out to make her dream a reality. It was going to be tough, but she was willing to put her all into achieving this dream!

Some other notes about Felicia:

Felicia is bilingual in Spanish and English. With Spanish as her first language, she has an accent.

As mentioned, she is a mega fan of the luchador El Santo. So strong is her admiration, she went out of her way to watch his films, collect comics, and any memorabilia she could with her allowance.

Felicia in Cryas Darkstalkers is quite tall at 5'11'. Not only tall, but very fit and strong considering her catfolk genes.

Felicia's Birthday is held at around the month of February as that was when she was found at the orphanage. As for the date, it is held on the 5th. She was born in the year 1967.

Her tongue is like that of a cat, so thus is covered with papillae.

When thrown into pure rage, Felicia can go into a feral state like a big cat.

She is incredibly fast on her feet, with her kicks hitting incredibly hard.

(Credit: MasterMaind Designs-Open Commissions (season 5)👀 (@MastermaindD) / Twitter) A girl can dream.

I made mention of this in my introduction and in my description so I should tell you a bit about one of my life-long passion projects. So, what is Cryas Darkstalkers? Cryas Darkstalkers is an elseworld of my creation. The story follows the journey of Hsien-Ko Shao and Mei-Ling Shao from the fateful night when they became jiangshi to the countless adventures they face through the centuries. While they are the main protagonists, other characters also have big roles as the two sisters make friends, allies, and enemies along the way. But the sights and people they meet don't stop with Earth. The strings of fate see the two crossing the boundaries of space time to another reality, interacting with new races, face tough dangers, see incredible landscapes, and come across powers they had never seen in their world. Basically, I plan to use the foundation provided by the official lore, non-canon material, and my own interpretations to craft an AU of Darkstalkers. I love Darkstalkers, but talks with friends who are also fans have made me really question aspects of the lore from its inconsistency, dumb ideas, and questionable lore. So, I just want to make one of my own for fun. Not only that, but I want to give some personal justice to the characters Hsien-Ko Shao and Mei-Ling Shao. Those two characters mean pretty much everything to me. No other fictional characters have I latched onto more than Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling. Their designs, their lore and ideas really resonate with me; they clicked in my head, and I just fell in love with them! They have some really cool stuff going for them but got screwed over in Vampire Savior due to Hsien-Ko's popularity. I remember a developer said that Darkstalkers is in a way where the character you pick is the main character for you. Well, Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling are the main characters for me, so Cryas Darkstalkers follows them.

In time, I hope to share more lore and information regarding the characters, their lore, the world building, and story ideas I have and such. I hope you will have fun with me on this journey. :)

Dark Embrace Powers and Abilities

In this entry, I'd like to go over the powers, abilities, and aspects of the Dark Embrace for Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling as they are quite a big part of Cryas Darkstalkers lore. To start out with, official ref sheets of their designs to help visualize some things that will be discussed:

To start things off, 'Dark Embrace' (Xié è De Yōngbào) is a technique known as a 'Burst'. Burst is the term used by beings in the Cryas Chronicles reality in regard to the ability of using stored potential energy in the individual to invoke a power-up in the individual. This power-up can simply be a boost to aspects of the individual's capabilities or manifest in a transformation in the user. For Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling, the Dark Embrace manifests as a transformation invoked by their Qi, mutated Corriyami, and the 'shadow selves' that were created in them thanks to the mutated Corriyami within. The appearances they take on invoke the looks of beings that would later come to be known as Corrians.

Once both sisters have enough potential energy to initiate the Burst, one sister can trigger the transformation and cause both to transform. Later on, through training they find a way to where only one sister can transform and the other can hold on to their stored energy to tag in later better utilize their stored energy in a strategic manner.

When Hsien-Ko uses the Dark Embrace, her physical strength is bolstered to further heights, allowing her to overpower quite a number of physically powerful individuals in close quarters combat. Not only that, her stamina and endurance are increased to allow her to tank her way through hits with greater ease, allowing her to get into the thick of battle and power on through with great fervor. Another benefit is her healing factor is hastened, allowing her to recover from horrible wounds quicker to allow her to get back into the battle. While it is unknown if Hsien-Ko can regrow body parts while in the Dark Embrace should they be severed, it is theorized that should the limb still be in one piece, she could attach it back and her body could re-attach to the limb. However, neither sister is in a position nor desires to test this theory.

(credit: @o-corvo-art)

An interesting quirk of the Burst is how Hsien-Ko's sleeves can move and function. While Hsien-Ko has always been able to move her sleeves with manipulating her Qi, in the Dark Embrace they move in ways as if they have a mind of their own. The sisters theorize it is Hsien-Ko's 'shadow self' that takes control of the sleeves during the Burst, allowing Hsien-Ko to more focus on what her body is doing. Because the shadow self is a part of her psyche, it synchronizes better with her movements and makes her quite a dangerous foe to face. Speaking of shadows, if Mei-Ling attaches to Hsien-Ko while in the Dark Embrace, she can call forth the Qi and Corriyami in Hsien-Ko's body in the form of an energy mass that is referred to as a 'shadow'. This mass of energy is able to be manipulated to take on the form of fully functioning limbs, weapons of varying kinds only limited by the imagination, or they can attach to the inner lining of Hsien-Ko's sleeves and drape out to give her 'wings' of sorts. These wings allow for Hsien-Ko to fully be able to fly.

(Credit: @itsununnusart) Initially, this shadow mass was only able to be called forth by Mei-Ling, but overtime as Hsien-Ko improved her capabilities with the Dark Embrace she eventually found a way to do it herself. This effectively gives her six functioning limbs to work with, making her incredibly dangerous if she is fresh and ready for battle. Another noteworthy aspect of the Dark Embrace, and the mutated Corriyami in general, for Hsien-Ko is how the influence and voice of her inner jiangshi, Xienian, are effectively nullified. However, cautions are still taken to assure she doesn't taste blood in case that still triggers this inner darkness to come forth.

(credit: @masterartlocked)

Mei-Ling, like Hsien-Ko gets a notable increase to her physical capabilities and stamina, able to match up more to her younger sister's base form. However, that pales in comparison to the other profound changes to her. The immediately noticeable feature of Mei-Ling's Dark Embrace is the shadow mass on her. When she initiates the Burst, her arms melt away as the Qi and Corriyami in her body sprout from where her arms used to be. During this Burst, her shadow becomes her arms. These shadow limbs make Mei-Ling an incredible dangerous foe to face down. These limbs are quite powerful as they are able to pulverize bodies, shatter rocks, and even pierce metal. Not only is it strong, but it is very resilient. While it can be cut off, the shadow will grow back fairly quickly from the stub left on Mei-Ling’s body, without causing pain to the jiangshi spirit. Due to their amorphous nature, they can change shape per Mei-Ling's will. Beyond simply taking on the shape of normal arms and hands, they can change size and length per her will. Should she need to, she can change the shadow to take on the form of varying weapons, of which are many thanks to her knowledge as an enthusiastic weapon master. However, one of the most prominently used forms of her shadow is that of a dragon. This 'shadow dragon' is basically a corrupted mirror image of the memory of seeing her mother's dragon form the day she sacrificed herself. It is a cathartic way for not only her mother to still be aiding her in a way, but for this corrupted image to pulverize her foes with great ferocity.

(credit: @o-corvo-art)

Beyond the shadow, another notable trait of Mei-Ling in the Dark Embrace is the astronomical increase in her magical powers. Not only are her Xianshu arts increased in their potency but so are the many magi artes she learned from her friends and allies in the other reality. So great are her magical capabilities in the Dark Embrace, she is capable of even using the powerful Jrukoshn Aarts with relative ease.

(Credit: Bunny_Bones BunnyBones ✨COMMISSIONS CLOSED✨ (@Bunny_Bones_) / Twitter)

A shared aspects with Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling in the Dark Embrace is the fact that due to the nature of how they obtained this Burst, both sisters are immune to the Corruption inflicted by Corriyami.

Powerful as the Dark Embrace is, it is not without limitations. Like all Bursts, it requires a certain amount of stored potential energy in the user in order to even make use of the Burst, of which the amount varies between each individual, each Burst, and their skill with the Burst. Once the Burst is active, the user only can only keep the Burst active for as long as there is enough stored energy to fuel the Burst. With practice, the energy consumption can be made more efficient to keep the Burst going longer, but eventually the reserves will run dry. Normally once the pool of energy is gone, the Burst will force the user to deactivate the Burst. However, individuals can force the Burst to break past this limitation and keep it going once the potential energy is gone. However, this is incredibly dangerous as the Burst is then relying on the user's own life forces as a means to fuel the Burst. Should the user recklessly keep this up, it can kill the individual. Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling nearly had this happen to them in the Void Labyrinth, the Burst only shutting off once they fell unconscious after a great ordeal. Should this happen, individuals can be left in a comatose like state as their bodies try to recover and stabilize their energy.

Mandarin names in Cryas Darkstalkers

In the backstory for Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling, I brought up several names that were of Mandarin Chinese origin. I want to take the time to not only explain those, but some other small details relating to Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling. The backstory blog for reference:

Let us start with the names of Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling's parents. First off, yes, they have names in this mythos, unlike in the main timeline. Mingxia, 明霞 (Míngxiá), translates to roughly 'bright halo'. 明 (míng) translates to 'bright, shining, clear' while 霞 (xiá) translates to basically 'halo'. Why this name was chosen was because I like the idea of how the translation of her name basically could be the way her form looked when she transformed into that dragon. A bright body of light in a way. Plus, some positive ways of how the sisters saw her in their lives. Despite being their only parental figure growing up, she was literally their world. Xiangzi was chosen to play off how Hsien-Ko got her name. Hsien-Ko getting her name from the Xian, 何仙姑 (Hé Xiāngū), Xiangzi gets his name from the Xian, 韓湘子 (Hán Xiāngzǐ). So why this Xian specifically? Well according to a bit of digging, there exists a love story between the Xian Xiangzi and a dragon girl known as Longnu. Considering dragon's play a big symbolic importance to the Shao family later on, specifically in the case of Mingxia transforming into a dragon via the Art of Unusual Transformation, I thought it was a cool nod to the legend.

Now for the name of their village: 仙门村 (Xiān Mén Cūn) So, the first part, Xiān Mén, translates to 'Immortal Gate'. The reason behind this relates to the next translation I got. In the main timeline, their martial arts were known as Senjutsu. However, that had more Japanese origins in naming, so I wanted something more in relation to their cultural background. The name for their martial arts in Cryas Darkstalkers is the following: 仙術 (Xiānshù) Xiānshù translates to 'Immortal Arts'. The idea of the village is that it is the birthplace of Xiānshù, first developed by the Shao family line many generations ago. It is said the skills and sorcery of these arts were passed down by the Xiān to the people in order for them to have a means to fight off the Darkstalkers. Overtime, people would believe the land the village sits on is the gateway to the Xian. Or so the stories say. 仙树师 (Xiān shù shī) is the name bestowed upon practitioners of Xianshu. Cūn is basically 'village'. So, their birthplace is basically 'Immortal Gate Village'. Now, these were not mentioned in the backstory, but I wanted to go over these since we are talking about Mandarin. Hsien-Ko's special attacks. In the original game, they clearly were name with the convention of Japanese, which will not fly in CDS. With help from a buddy, I got them translated into Mandarin! They are as followed:

Henkyouki (返響器) is now 返響器 (Fǎn Xiǎng Qì) Reverberate Senpuubu (旋風舞) is now 旋風舞 (Xuànfēng Wǔ) Whirlwind Dance Houtengeki (放天撃) is now 放天撃 (Fàng Tiān Jī) Sky Punch Ankihou (暗器砲) is now 暗器砲 (Ànqì Pào) Concealed Weapon Cannon Chireitou (地霊刀) is now 地靈刀 (Dì Líng Dāo) Earth Spirit Blade Tenraiha (天雷破) is now 天雷破 (Tiān Léi Pò) Thunderbolt Chuukadan (中華弾) is now 中國彈 (Zhōngguó Dàn) Chinese Artillery Those these are likely not necessary, it brought me a lot of joy to do some research and really show some care and love to Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling's Chinese origins. :)

Corriyami

Since I am in a mood, I do want to explain about a very important thing to the Cryas Chronicles mythos:

Corriyami.

''For as long as the people of Umbralus and Illumalus have called those two realms their home, there has always been the constant fear of a substance that exists in both realms. Some saw it as a sick creation of a deity, others saw it as just a natural plague of the world. Whatever they believed of its origin, one thing was clear throughout history: its horrific effects on animals and their fellow kin.''

Corriyami as it is more understood in the modern times is an extremely dangerous mutagenetic organic substance. It has been recorded in coming in two states of matter: an extremely dense fog and as a semi-fluid liquid state. The fog form of Corriyami is significantly denser than air, so tends to be found relatively close to the ground. The fog state tends to be most commonly observed in caverns, low level areas on the surface, or leaking out of victims. If enough of the fog state is present, it will condense down to the liquid state. The liquid state can range in size from puddles to massive lakes, generally the most common form of the substance. Typically, researchers and inhabitants have noted its tendency to exist in areas where rainfall cause the substance to move down, eventually collecting into many areas such as valleys, caverns, or below sea-level lake beds. Corriyami in of itself is denser than water, so will fall to the lower level of bodies of water as the water pushes it down. The color of the substance tends to be that of a primarily violet-blue hue. Many have noted a very pungent, musky, rotten like scent in areas where Corriyami has been noted to be present.

What makes Corriyami so dangerous and feared by all is what it does to its victims. As mentioned, Corriyami specifically targets lifeforms that have blood in their systems, so the likes of plant life and insects are immune to the substance. Thus, all manner of animal and intelligent life-forms that require blood, like Umbrians, Illumins, and Aunakins are susceptible to Corriyami. For it to infect a victim, the fog or liquid state must be absorbed into the body via contact with the skin. When it enters the victim's body, the substance will travel through the victim's body, seeking a pathway to the individual's brain via the victim's nervous system and bloodstream. As soon as Corriyami makes contact with the skin, the body does two things. The first is to alert the victim via pain receptors firing off to alert the individual. Once the alerts are sent, the body then creates adrenaline in order to give the individual a fighting chance to escape from the source of the Corriyami and fuel the immune system in order to seek and destroy the substance. Due to the co-existence of Corriyami and life-forms on Umbralus and Illumalus for hundreds of millions of years, the immune system of the lifeforms there are quite capable of combating and destroying the substance. But in return, the Corriyami has grown resilient and persistent, more or less brute forcing its way through the body.

When enough can make it to the brain, the Corriyami will infect the victim's brain, sending signals to the body to cease the immune system's attempts to further combat the invasive substance. This begins what many know as 'Corruption'. The first step of Corruption is the shutdown of the pain receptors, carefully manipulating the victim's nervous system in order to do so. The individual for the time being will still have control of their body as the Corriyami allows the body time to heal from the initial assault. As the body heals, the Corriyami will slowly set the foundation for the next big step by eating at non-vital fluids and organs of the body. This allows more Corriyami to form and spread throughout the body as it is being carried through the blood stream. As it does this, it begins to supplant the immune system, consuming and converting white blood cells. Should any diseases begin to enter the body, the Corriyami will merely consume them. A cruel form of protection for the victim. Once the immune system is fully taken and enough of the substance has moved throughout the body, inserting into areas where the muscles of the body are, the terminal stages of Corruption can commence.

Full Corruption, as it is diagnosed as, begins with Corriyami hijacking the motor controls of the victim via their muscles. As it does this, it will then begin the process of supplanting the blood cells in the individual. Despite the destruction of blood cells, the Corriyami will take on the role of the blood cells via carrying vital air molecules and nourishment thought-out the body where it is needed. The substance still needs the victim alive for as long as possible. Once all the blood in the victim has been converted, the victim is no longer in control of their actions. Unable to talk, unable to move of their own accord, they merely exist now as a living incubator for Corriyami. At this point, the Corriyami will start to move the victim around. While it does need to infect other organisms in order to continue the cycle, it is careful at how it interacts with other lifeforms. While pain receptors have been completely destroyed at this point, the Corriyami is careful with how it engages.

As the victim, dubbed 'The Corrupted', are moved around, their body will begin to secrete out bits of excess Corriyami that is made in the body. Should the Corriyami determine that a lifeform poses a threat to the victim, it will do what it can to keep the victim from being killed via mutating parts of the body to defend itself. Aggressive tactics are implemented to either scare off would be attackers or to attempt to harm and spread the substance. However, should this not work, the body will begin to create liquid blisters of Corriyami laced fluids upon the skin, where they will eventually burst and spread some of the substance onto attackers. If all else fails, the Corrupted will retreat. In circumstances where the Corriyami can happen upon a harmless lifeform, it will secrete Corriyami from the body to then spread to another victim. This process of multiplying in the victim's body and spreading the substance to others while also keeping the Corrupted alive goes on for days. During this time, the Corriyami begins to eat at more and more fluids and organs in the body. Once it is nearing the end of running out of parts of the body to consume, the Corriyami will seek to find an area close to populated areas or an area with high concentrations of Corriyami. Once there, the victim remains motionless as the Corriyami finally kills the victim. From there, the rest of the organic matter is consumed from within at a rapid pace. With this rapid consumption of the body, gaseous Corriyami is expelled from the with much force, spreading as much around. Once it is done, all that remains is the skeleton of the victim. The cycle has been complete and the Corriyami can begin anew.

The highly volatile and high energy nature of Corriyami makes it relatively difficult to destroy. While the immune systems of life forms on Umbralus and Illumalus have evolved overtime to create special antibodies that exist solely to destroy Corriyami, they are not full proof and can be completely overwhelmed if too much of the substance enters into the body. Even if an individual can escape and not suffer Corruption, the individual is left in a sickened state for quite some time as the body gets weak from expending so much energy to have the immune system fight in overdrive to destroy any trace of the substance. Corriyami has been found to be immune from any sanctioned, conventional means to fight bacterial and viral infections. However, it does not mean it is fully immune from being destroyed. From what few tests have been allowed under the strictest guidelines, some chemicals have been found to be able to destroy Corriyami. However, those tended to be chemicals of extreme danger in themselves to lifeforms and even then, required a high amount as the substance will still prove resilient from chemical attacks as the Corriyami would merely try to convert whatever chemical particles tried to breach its structures. Effectively, the substance has to be overwhelmed. Radiation is the most effective means of destroying the substance, but once again, still requires a high amount as the substance's structure is resilient enough to stand strong.