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Building the City of Aphes
Asterigos: Curse of The Stars takes place in and around the majestic city of Aphes. During your journey, you will have to face the myriad of dangers that lurk in the streets and alleys of this legendary ancient city and unravel its mysteries.
Today we would like to tell you more about how we created this majestic architectural marvel.
The city's history
The City of Aphes is the ancient fabled city of stars. Favoured with divine grace of the gods, it sat at the financial and political apex of the entire world… only to crumble in one night due to a single curse.
For more than a thousand years, many intrepid adventurers and thieves tried their way into Aphes, but none had returned. There were rumours of gigantic man-eaters, terrifying evils, abandoned fortunes, and great, forgotten powers which had yet to be claimed.
Designing the City of Aphes
Since Hilda, the protagonist, comes from a medieval-fantasy world, we wanted to create the best ancient city that matched the spirit of adventure and at the same time had great potential in terms of history, culture and story.
We believe that Ancient Rome and classical Greece are fascinating sources in which we can find both influence and inspiration. Myths, philosophy, systems and history are so rich that the more we delve into them, the more our imagination runs wild with images and ideas.
It has taken some time to put it all together into a coherent image. However, we also wanted to bring something of our own into the mix, so we created magical minerals for the city - Starite.
The Aphesians are adepts of magic using starite. They use it to enhance their lives and create many wonders, including arming their mighty legion.
To ensure that the visuals matched our imagination, it was important for us to use buildings made of marble, traditional columns, carvings and statues. But on top of that, we wanted to make the world a bit different from what players would expect from a setting like this. That's why colours play another important role and they have to match the aesthetic of the game we wanted to create - a more lively, colourful and an animated look.
In the example below you can see how we created the scene step by step.
And so the mysterious and powerful city of Aphes was born, with its architecture and culture inspired by two legendary ancient civilisations and a pinch of magic and wonder.
The surroundings and streets of The City of Aphes
The story begins on the outskirts of the city, in Outerrim. It is a magical forest inhabited by dangerous beasts and monsters.
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Once you enter the town through the aqueduct, which is next to the sealed city gates, you enter Arges Bazaar and the streets where most of the cursed citizens live. But Arges Bazaar has been occupied by a cult that claims to be able to free people from the curse, using even more evil and twisted magic.
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Next to Arges Bazaar is the Phalan Academy, the military base of the Aphes Legion, and Arges Plaza, an area of nobility in Aphes. These places still retain their former glory and grandeur.
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Of course, in addition to the central squares and royal districts, you'll also find slum areas where the poor live, or mines where most of Aphes' magical mineral starites are mined. These areas are controlled by bandits. In addition to that, the city has the Acropolis area, a holy place where temples and shrines are located.
The Shelter
The place Hilda gets to after the first introductory zone is The Shelter. It is the main quest hub of the entire game, and this is where the real adventure begins.
The Shelter is the base of the Adherents, a group of noble Aphesians who have sworn to save the city from the Curse of the Stars. They have been dedicating themselves to this ideal for many hundred years. But never before have they been so close to their goal, as Hilda will play an important role in their campaign, while also carrying out her mission to find her lost father.
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Shelter offers Hilda a place where she can return and feel completely safe. Here you can take new quests from the Adherents, make use of the document archives, the vaults, talk to the blacksmiths, visit the shops and even find a sparring partner if you need training! There's plenty to do in the Shelter, and as you progress through the game you'll discover more opportunities.
The Shelter is also a central hub that connects to several major areas of the city. We want players to have a sense of 'universal connection' as they explore it. So it's not a place where you teleport or load in and out, but a place where the real exploration of the city begins.
Dangers around every corner
We think it's important that the enemies match the terrain and the areas they inhabit. We want players to have an immersive experience as they go through their adventure in Aphes.
For example, the cultists of Ethrus and their sublimated followers can only be seen in the streets of Arges Bazaar, as the story has the area abandoned by the Aphes Legion and occupied by cultists. The cultists' minds are perverted by the teachings of their priests, and they prefer to ambush any intruder, hiding in corners when the streets are shrouded in thick fog.
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The Phalan Academy, on the other hand, is a stronghold of the mighty Aphes Legion, so the military town is guarded by brave soldiers, decurions and trained beasts such as battle lions, led by a centurion. They are well trained, disciplined, loyal, and willing to give their lives to protect the last intact civilians not only from cultists, but also from bandits, monsters, and any strangers.
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The city of Aphes has many enemies and factions, each with unique abilities and behaviours. Get ready for a wild ride!
When we built the city of Aphes, we wanted it to look like a "real city" that players could immerse themselves in. Therefore, to prevent further spoilers for the game, we just want to remind you to pay more attention to details and explore every corner of Aphes, as you may discover wonders and surprises all around!
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We hope you've enjoyed this little dip into the history of Aphes' creation and we can't wait for you to enter the city!
