Welcome to Excadia
Henry Xu
See it On Campus: Level 1
Visitor InfoBy the 1st floor east entrance
Welcome to Excadia
Artist’s Statement
“Welcome to Excadia” is worldbuilding project, and an exploration of an imagined setting.
Set in the dystopian, post-apocalyptic world of Excadia, the setting blends the genres of high fantasy with science fiction to create a world with magic and machines, swords and lasers. The setting is fleshed out through concept art and splash art, as I aim to create a vivid, lived-in world that captures the imagination, is visually interesting to behold, and, ultimately, allows me the opportunity to partake in similar work down the line.
Originally born from a document written up for a tabletop roleplaying setting, Excadia is a world that imagines the development of a fantasy world that evolved to a state similar to our modern world, before suffering the magical equivalent of nuclear warfare. The setting itself situates itself around various themes, including that of hypercapitalism, societal and ecosystem collapse, the scarcity of resources, the depletion of finite resources, and the end of the world.
The lore of this world is expressed through game-like concept art and illustrated explorations of its people, environments, props, and scenes. Written segments of lore additionally provide further context behind the various pieces
Welcome to Excadia, and I hope you enjoy your visit.
The Calamity
Welcome to Excadia, the dying world. Once a fantastical world of sword and sorcery, it evolved to become that of a modern world, similar to what we know on earth. Rather than electricity and machinery, the development of magic has produced sophisticated magic-powered technology.
But not all good things could last, and the calamity came. Large-scale strife and magical warfare decimated its civilizations, and drained the world of what power it has left.
Abandoned Cities
The metropolises that once littered the world are left crumbled and abandoned.
They have now become a hotbed for monsters, raiders, and naive treasure-seekers, unable to be settled again under the constant threat of random disasters.
Last Bastion
The dying planet and its survivors now exist in stagnation, counting down the days until all life goes extinct.
Centuries after the calamity, one settlement remains. Known as “Last Bastion”, this gargantuan walled state hosts various developed settlements of varying levels of inequality–becoming more prosperous as one travels towards its centre.
Map of Last Bastion
The Last Basion’s colossal walls encircle its preserved settlements and wilderness–left untouched by the calamity that befell the world.
It is divided into three rings of settlements, along with those stuck outside the walls. Its outer ring is home to heavy industry, agriculture, and other resource extraction. The inner ring consists of urban settlements which benefit from the labour of the second ring.
The Utopia’s existence lies at the center of Last Bastion, though its existence remains mythological to those living outside.
The Queue
Outside the gargantuan megacity walls lies a gigantic shanty town of makeshift homes where people line up every day, waiting to be processed into the city.
The colossal queue and processing time to gain entry is absurdly long–so much so that many have given up and made the shanty their permanent homes, at least thankful to have shelter from the elements and protection by the city’s border guards.
Eventually, this place has become known as “the Queue.”
Streets of The Queue
The buildings of the queue are shoddily crafted from the scrap of inner-city junk, discarded to waste away outside the walls. Additional materials are obtained from whatever can be scavenged from the wasteland beyond.
Salvaged corrugated metal is typically preferred for its durability and low maintenance. Haphazard electrical lines run alongside the buildings and streets to provide basic lighting and utilities for residents with more privilege, powered by facilities full of salvaged and makeshift engines.
Armed Guards
Only one entrance leads into the walls of the Technocracy–A heavily armed tunnel, swarming with people. Beyond the colossal walls, the outside world is a lawless wasteland. Armed guards of the Technocracy patrol the area around the entrance, preventing the passage of any who dares to sneak inside. They act as enforcement, judge, jury, and executioner. Without much oversight, it’s no secret that many of these guards are extremely corrupt–taking bribes for hit jobs, smuggling people into the walls, or otherwise “looking the other way” in response to immoral or unlawful acts.
The Salvage Market
The salvage market of the Queue is where many goods and services are traded. Originally springing up as a stall to trade slightly useful junk, it’s formed into the largest center of trade outside of the Technocracy.
Here, the residents regularly do trade with scavengers and wandering outsiders, selling crafts and services for salvaged junk and raw materials.Often, smuggled goods originating from inside the Technocracy are mysteriously found on sale.
People of the Queue
Character concept development for the type of people that would live in the queue.
Makeshift fabrics and scrap metal are common occurrences in their design, from wardrobes to weapons.
Excadia is not only populated by humans–but also by devils and angels as well–fallen to the mortal plane after the collapse of the outer planes after the calamity.
The Scrap Samurai
Splash Art
A mysterious drifter of the wastelands, making his home in the queue.
An exceptional warrior and combatant in many regards, the Scrap Samurai fights for whoever has the coin to hire him at the time. Though many have attempted to challenge him, none have been successful.
The Dark City
Within the outer ring of the Last Bastion lies The Dark City–the largest city in all of last Bastion.
After the calamity, when millions of refugees flooded into the gargantuan megacity walls, they formed around the resource-rich Dark City, which gave rise to hastily-built shoddy residences, industry, and business.
The thick, suffocating smog steeps the city in perpetual darkness, giving rise to its name.
Shoddy Construction
Within the outer ring of the Last Bastion lies The Dark City–the largest city in all of last Bastion.
After the calamity, when millions of refugees flooded into the gargantuan megacity walls, they formed around the resource-rich Dark City, which gave rise to hastily-built shoddy residences, industry, and business.
The thick, suffocating smog steeps the city in perpetual darkness, giving rise to its name.
Industry
Within the outer ring of the Last Bastion lies The Dark City–the largest city in all of last Bastion.
After the calamity, when millions of refugees flooded into the gargantuan megacity walls, they formed around the resource-rich Dark City, which gave rise to hastily-built shoddy residences, industry, and business.
The thick, suffocating smog steeps the city in perpetual darkness, giving rise to its name.
Alleyways of the Dark City
The winding, mazelike alleyways are a powerful tool for those who live their lives in the dark city.
They are perfect for quickly navigating the city, remaining undetected from law enforcement, and secret exchanges. One must remain cautious, however, as dangers lurk within the darkness of the alleyways.
COOLCORE Industries is a mega-corporation dealing in nearly every product and service imaginable within the Last Bastion.
Its CEO comes from a long dynasty of corporate heirs, with roots from before the calamity as nothing but a humble refrigerator manufacturer.
Uncontrolled and unregulated capitalism has allowed the company to take over and monopolize a majority of the Last Bastion’s industries–from weapons manufacturing to medicine, food to entertainment, insurance to transportation, etc. It even has a significant hand in government and enforcement–providing its arms, munitions, armor, etc.
The freedom and chaos of the wastelands does not die silent, nor do its people forgive the survivor which so unfairly “cheated death” while all other nations fell.
Anarchists, rebels, apocalypse heralds, and those simply disappointed in the Corporatocracy gather within the Megacity walls, prepared to topple the last great power of Excadia.
While some simply wish for an end to the uneven power divide, others champion the world-ending despair of the apocalypse, wishing to force the calamity that afflicted Excadia upon the fading lights of its Last Bastion.
Many have independantly gathered around the shared symbol of the “flame of rebellion.”
Weapon Design – Concept Art
People of the Dark City
Character concept development for the type of people that would live in the Dark City, corresponding to the two factions.
The Dark City, being a hotbed of commerce and poverty, requires strict surveillance and militarized enforcement by the Last Bastion’s government and outsourced private military companies and contractors.
Meanwhile, some have risen up agains their oppression, using whatever weapons can be scrounged up from factory scrap.
Faction Warfare
Splash Art
Insurgents and private security forces funded by COOLCORE industries skirmish in the streets of the Dark City.
Whereas the properly funded COOLCORE forces overpower with superior equipment, the Insurgents compensate for with asymetrical warfare–making use of the winding urban sprawl and surprise ambushes.
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