Characters Design #2 🌙

Today, we're diving back into EONA's early development one last time to talk about the creation of Mélusine and some of the ideas that never made it into the final game.

From the very beginning, we had a clear vision for Mélusine: she would be the game's main antagonist. To create her, we drew inspiration from a legend associated with the Château de Chambord in the Loir-et-Cher region of France.

Her first design looked very different from the one you know today. Back then, the project revolved around two separate worlds, and Mélusine was envisioned as an evil fairy, serving as the counterpart to the friendly fairy who accompanied the player.

As development progressed, we wanted her to feel closer to the original legend of Mélusine. We redesigned her as a gorgon-like creature wearing a simple toga, giving her a more mystical and unsettling appearance.

Eventually, Mélusine evolved into the version you know today. Once we decided to set EONA during the French Renaissance, her design received a complete makeover. Her serpent tail disappeared, replaced by more subtle signs of her curse, such as scales spreading across parts of her body and her stitched mouth. Her elegant noble dress reflects her status, while still giving her a mysterious and unsettling presence.

Now, let's talk about a few ideas that were ultimately left behind.

You may have noticed the many knight statues scattered throughout the castle. Originally, that knight was meant to become the game's second major antagonist.

Known as the Baron of Steel, he was once the lord of the castle. Having died centuries earlier, he would have been resurrected by Mélusine as a spectral warrior, clad only in his massive suit of armor. His title was inspired by a real historical figure who carried the same nickname.

The Baron's purpose was to compensate for Mélusine's greatest weakness: her vision. While Mélusine relied on precision, manipulation, and careful hunting, the Baron represented raw strength. He would relentlessly charge the player, smash through parts of the environment, and create encounters with a completely different gameplay style. Together, the two villains complemented each other perfectly.

Unfortunately, due to time constraints and our desire to focus on polishing the core experience, we had to cut the Baron from the project. That's also why you'll still find so many statues of him throughout the castle—they're a small tribute to a character who never got his chance to shine.

We won't forget you, Baron. 🙏

Finally, just as Mélusine commands her puppets, we had planned a unique enemy type for the Baron: the Poltergeists. They would have shared similar gameplay mechanics with the puppets, but instead represented the souls of children that had never been trapped inside wooden bodies. When the Baron was removed from the project, the Poltergeists disappeared alongside him.

That's it for this final look behind the scenes of EONA's development! We hope you enjoyed discovering a few of the ideas that shaped the game, including those that never made it into the final version.

Thank you all once again for your incredible support, and we'll see you soon!

— The EONA Team 🌙