Character Concept Art from Tabula Rasa
(Destination Games/NCsoft)
by Jeannie Novak
Founder & Lead Writer

A meticulous attention to detail marked the development process for the avatar models and creature concepts for Tabula Rasa. With a design maxim that required a strong fictional basis for every aspect of the fictional environment, the concept art team found themselves exploring character creation at a fundamental level. In a universe where a
mere thought could manifest physical matter, what would that matter look like?

The result of this exploration provides an insight into ergonomic fashion, alien physiology, and the aesthetics of an alternate reality. The clothes worn by the human inhabitants of Sanctuary (shown above) reflect their vocational path of being a warrior of mind, body, or spirit. Where the body-oriented warriors tended to heavy, serviceable garments, the mind-oriented warriors expressed themselves in lighter, softer styles. This intuitive evolution of physical manifestation can also be found in the creatures known as the "Thrax." Their forms are a corruption of what was once a beautiful and angelic race. They evoke an almost demonic presence that is
tied to a descent into chaos and destruction. Even the animations of the final models reflect a menacing, disjointed feel. This is consistent with the idea of what would happen to a creature if it gave up its individuality and succumbed to the taint of evil and covetous self-interest.