Blog Post

Recently wrote a crap ton of backstory and lore for Sarfven (and also Askallen) and the world he inhabits. I'll stick a pile of notes at the bottom but I will make a proper cohesive post (or page!!) once I have enough information out of my head and into words.

For now, this is a Sarfven I drew in between writing shit down.

Sarfven is a "vessel" manufactured by humans and infected with a mould eating parasite, which was supposed to keep him subservient and in submission. But once humanity dooms itself and mould begins to infest the mining wastes of the earth, Sarfven is liberated and sets out to remake his body to his own desired image. Basically one giant metaphor for being assigned a gender and a body that isn't your own. With extra parasites and mould. He probably smells very musty.

Alternate timeline on earth, roughly based on 1700s. Mining was still a massive industry in Cornwall, and the earth was still rich in tin. The rivers flowed red with tin slurry, the sky was black with smog, and the entire land was filled with the groaning and smashing of industry. Except on Sundays when there was nothing but the sound of church bells ringing to break the eerie silence.

While mining deep in the earth, tin-eating mould/fungus and the incubated eggs of an unknown parasite were found. Some poor miners unknowingly became host to these parasites upon discovery and brought them to the surface, meanwhile unleashing the mould which began to feast on the ore deposits within the cave. Their origin is unknown.

After several years of testing, the parasites (then hatched, living in some unfortunate test subjects) were discovered to have some level of autonomy. Humans don’t use this for good and create vessels for these parasites to attach to/form a symbiotic relationship with. Almost like modern day cyborgs, though less metal and machine and more flesh and sludge. The vessels can take the form of humans, other existing animals, and objects.
In the cases of human and animal formed vessels, a brain is required for the vessel to take on consciousness. Not all vessels utilise brains in order for certain humans to keep the subservience/submission of the vessel. There was lots of medical malpractice involved in the obtaining of these brains when used, and more testing was required to see if the brain would pass on memories and knowledge to the parasite in the vessel. Humans also didn’t care much to look much further into it.

The vessels were created from pieces of lab-grown flesh and skin, donated bodies, and unwilling corpses robbed from graves.
The parasites themselves have little consciousness, besides the desire to feast from the vessel and continue reproducing their own kind.

The vessels, now hosts to the parasites, developed a craving for the mould and began to eat it. It eventually became the sole diet and form of sustenance of the vessels, and the parasites by extension. Abandoned mineshafts overgrown with mould became home to wandering starved vessels and a fertile breeding ground for parasites.

The vessels were created by humans to serve and be used.
These “uses” included:
• Manual labour – such as further mining for these underground parasites and mould, housework, factories and workhouses, etc.
• Companionship – though not consenting. Includes ownership (especially in the cases where the vessel is the form of a typical house pet) relationships, intimacy (including sexual gratification), and friendships
• Transportation – the parasites can move through the vessel, which can take the form of animals such as horses, which were then used as transport.
In some instances, bodies of those who has passed away were used as vessels, so loved ones could keep them “alive” for longer.
In short, they were abused, kept in bondage and forced to participate in the continuation of their own suffering and production via the mining of the mould and parasite eggs.

The tin deposits underground eventually run dry, eaten by the mould, which has in turn been eaten by the vessels. With no tin in the mines, there is no industry. The mould rose from the mineshafts and now feeds on the wastes, seeping into the rivers which are thick with the residue of tin, slurry and sludge. Its inhabitable to everyone except the vessels who eventually outlive their human “creators” who can no longer thrive.