Darkness…
a flash of light….
cowled monks climb gantry ladders through beads of light. Clambering with urgency through the flickering innards of a cathedral they come out onto the shadowy shore lake of a satellite space station. Here they join their brethren brother – an old sage keeping vigil.
Artist: Traditional, Photoshop: Mosqueda, Concept: Ward,
A star approaches from the east
We follow a monk, who emerges through a trap door and looks out across the encrusted surface of this environment: a little plain that curves, with a lagoon and a shallow atmosphere.
The monk watches a star in the east. The very longing in his face suggests, perhaps it brings salvation?
Artist: Ellis, Photoshop: Mortimer, Concept: Ward
The star gets closer and closer.
Maybe it is sign of the long lost supply ship, ten years gone… no sight of it.
Other monks come up the ladders and more people join them over a period of days and weeks as the star draws near.
Artist: Traditional, Photoshop: Mosqueda
The old monk believes it to be some sort of omen; that’s going to bring redemption in some form. Of course, we know it is something else quite different…
Artist: Traditional, Photoshop: Mosqueda, Concept: Ward
History of these Luddite-like monks
The monks are a brethren that hark back to their 2nd century ‘desert fathers.’ They have had little play with the modern world, nor many of its technologies. They won’t participate in the wars, or the ways, of men. But in so doing they have been persecuted.
Artist: Traditional, Photoshop: Fencker, Concept: Ward
The ruling forces in that country at the time said to the sect, ‘Okay, you wanna live this way? We have a sort of old space station — huge thing — you can clad it however you like.’
Artist: Ritchie, Concept: Ward
We’ll tow it into outer space for you and you can just live there on your own.’ You just give them a place to live where you know inevitably they’re gonna die and you don’t have to deal with them.
Artist: Worrall, Concept: Ward
The sect agrees on it, but of course they believe in having an environment that looks sort of archaic.
Artist: Worrall, Concept: Ward
They name this space vessel Arceon. Over time few repair and supply ships visit them and by now their metal shielded wooden world has begun to crumble.
Artist: Worrall, Concept: Ward
…but at its centre is a small engineering core which runs this world. This is maintained by a trained few, and remains sound.
Artist: Ellis, Concept: Ward
For repairs to the decaying shell they work painstakingly, doggedly holding to tradition and using only primitive tool.
Artist: Ellis, Concept: Ward
They cling to this harsh existence in the hope that through toil lies redemption.
Artist: Worrall, Concept: Ward
Click button for Part II
