buoyant fjord
以下是来自Arlyeon进行的脑缸组专访文字版，我们取得Arlyeon授权后，将会把文本版分成四部分持续发布在《忘却前夜》Discord频道内，完整视频版请点击下方链接前往收看~
The following is the text version of the Brain Vat Group interview conducted by Arlyeon. With Arlyeon's authorization, we will be releasing the text version in four parts on the "Morimens" Discord channel. For the full video version, please click the link below to watch~
PartⅡ 关于忘却前夜的叙事
Q7
《忘却前夜》最初的创作契机是什么？考虑到它是恐怖题材，且内容基调偏灰暗，它从一开始就被定位为抽卡游戏吗？
A7
2019 年，创始成员出于对“克苏鲁调查员”题材的热爱，想做一款风格强烈、挑战性高的游戏。为了呈现宇宙恐怖的压迫感，他们选择了《杀戮尖塔》式的肉鸽卡牌玩法；美术上逐步形成了怪诞典雅笔绘风格，去表达既亲和又带着不可名状的宇宙恐怖；叙事上则更偏向循环式的碎片体验。商业模式方面，因为项目最初是面向移动端开发的，采用了类似《明日方舟》的模式——也就是移动端至今最常见、也相对成熟的抽卡方案。
2021 年末，受困于开发受阻、成本压力剧增与核心玩法不清晰等多重内部问题，再加上《原神》这类超规格抽卡大作的问世拔高了市场和玩家的预期，引发了外部环境的强烈连锁反应，致使项目一度濒临解散。我接手后重构了核心玩法，放弃了开发成本过高的探索内容与过度复杂的碎片叙事，把体验重心从“调查”拉回“战斗”，并与美术、文案们一起明确了叙事主旨。正是在这次项目的全面重启过程里，游戏才正式确立了《忘却前夜》这个名字。
2023 年下半年，我们赶在项目可能关闭前将游戏移植到 PC 并上架 Steam，让更多人能体验到这款作品。尽管大家都很清楚抽卡机制会引发 Steam 玩家的抵触与质疑，但最终凭借在玩法、故事、美术与音乐上的表现，游戏还是在 Steam 上收获了“特别好评”。正是这些 Steam 玩家的支持，以及移动端玩家的坚守，共同帮助《忘却前夜》度过了停服危机。
对《忘却前夜》来说，抽卡从来不是游戏的灵魂，只是让作品更有机会活下去、并持续更新的务实选择。
Q8
是什么让你们团队最终选择了克苏鲁恐怖这一题材？你们是否计划探索更多身体恐怖内容？有没有哪些恐怖类型对叙事至关重要、你们希望进一步探索？又有哪些是你们团队比较排斥的？
A8
Light： 我的职责主要是进行整体游戏的设计与统筹工作，在叙事方面多数时候我负责整合不同职能的工作内容，尤其是从游戏机制的角度去支持叙事的表达。因此，我邀请主文案霁月来回答大部分叙事方面的问题。
霁月： 克苏鲁恐怖是创立初期核心团队基于爱好和审美的共同选择。我沉迷于克苏鲁神话中所描绘的那种浩瀚无垠的未知，以及人类在其中所显得的极致渺小；更着迷于在这种强烈的对比下，人类所闪烁出的些许人性微光。
我们对于各种恐怖类型持相对开放的态度，不会对成员的创作施加太多框架限制。文案成员中确实有身体恐怖（Body Horror）的狂热爱好者，大家可以期待他们未来进一步的发挥。
但那种单纯追求直白与血腥，却缺乏可供探索的内核或象征意义的廉价恐怖内容则比较排斥；即使必须刻画这类元素，我们也会确保它在游戏的世界观底层，有一套能够自圆其说的逻辑与因果。
Q9
洛夫克拉夫特的作品显然是角色与剧情最直观的灵感来源，但游戏中也有许多神秘学冷门典故，例如克劳利、克利波特等。你们还从哪些其他作品或资料中汲取灵感？
A9
霁月： 除了洛夫克拉夫特本人的作品外，克苏鲁神话体系中的其他重要作者——比如克拉克·艾什顿·史密斯（Clark Ashton Smith）、林·卡特（Lin Carter）等——也是项目的重要灵感来源。除此之外文案们也会阅读各类暗黑或怪奇文学，参考怪物图鉴与设定资料，并从《怪物之书》、《血源诅咒》等作品，以及各类神秘学文献中汲取灵感，再把这些养分转化到团队的创作里。
甚至你也能从一些角色命名上直接找到出处：例如奥尔拉的原型，就来自莫泊桑短篇小说《奥尔拉》中的不明存在。
Q10
顺带一个小问题——历史上克劳利口中的“天使”艾华斯，会在游戏中登场吗？即便登场，也会以更贴合《忘却前夜》设定的形象出现吧？
A10
霁月：关于后续是否会登场某些角色，还请容我先保持一点神秘；他们会在合适的时机、依据项目与剧本的需要登场。
但可以肯定的是：所有登场角色都会在致敬原典的基础上，以更贴合《忘却前夜》世界观的形象与设定呈现。
Q11
你们是否计划加入更多诡秘神话体系中的“诡奇科幻”元素？例如《活跳尸》《寒气》《金字塔下》这类作品的内容？
A11
霁月：克苏鲁神话体系本身就包含一定的科幻要素。比如艾瑞卡的意识潜游，以及原本计划但未能与大家见面的熔毁·朵尔意识潜游，都带有一定的“诡奇科幻”色彩。后续当具备相应设定的角色推出时，剧情也会自然加入对应的要素。
Q12
你们是否计划从托马斯·里戈蒂的短篇小说中汲取灵感？还有没有其他当代创作给你们带来启发，或是你们想要致敬的作品？
A12
霁月：我们在创作中不会要求作者必须以某一部特定作品为源头进行设计，更多是由作者基于各自的阅读与观影经历融会贯通，再提出创意。不过说到托马斯·里戈蒂，我们确实曾在某个关卡标题上，向《被毁损和被染病的》做过一个小小的致敬。
至于更当代的灵感来源，文案成员的兴趣面非常广：有人是《教父》与《EVA》系列的忠实粉丝，有人是马丁·麦克唐纳作品的铁杆观众，也有作者非常偏好《钢之炼金术师》和伊藤润二的恐怖漫画，《真探》也是组内成员的必读作品之一。我们会把这些不同来源的养分，转化成更贴合《忘却前夜》世界观与叙事主题的表达。
Q13
你有没有推荐玩家阅读的书籍或短篇，以便更好地体验《忘却前夜》的故事？顺带一问，你最喜欢的洛夫克拉夫特或诡奇恐怖短篇是哪一篇？有没有哪些作品是你们构建故事核心的基石？
A13
霁月：毫无疑问，如果想更充分地体会《忘却前夜》里埋下的诸多彩蛋，我会推荐大家阅读《梦寻秘境卡达斯》《穿越银钥之门》以及其他描绘伦道夫·卡特冒险的相关作品；你会发现其中有不少能让人会心一笑的呼应。
我个人最喜欢的洛夫克拉夫特作品是《疯狂山脉》——《忘却前夜》早期的第一个故事灵感就来自它。直到现在，大家依然能在许多篇章里隐隐约约看见“南极冰原”的影子。
最值得一提的是，《来自遗忘》（Ex Oblivione）是这个项目的灵魂之一。它未必是构建主线结构的“基石”，却在每个创作者心里埋下了一颗灵感的种子。
Q14
插个小问题，你之前提到徐的部分灵感来自一次《克苏鲁的呼唤》跑团。那么《忘却前夜》的创作有多少来自你作为跑团玩家的体验？团队里有多少成员参与过这些团？你最喜欢的模组是哪个？
A14
霁月：《忘却前夜》中“守密人”和“调查员”的身份设定，以及主角整体的冒险框架，毫无疑问都受到了 COC 跑团体验的影响：玩家扮演守密人与弥萨格大学的调查员们，前往事件发生地点，在那里遭遇并处理与神话生物相关的神秘。
许多内容创作成员都参与过《克苏鲁的呼唤》跑团，也会在 Bilibili 观看跑团replay，例如歌味觉死的路易斯安纳系列。跑团已经是我们一种经典的团队建设形式。
我个人最喜欢的模组包括《行走在黑暗中的人们的宴会》、《活神之手》等，它们也是我最早接触克苏鲁神话时的重要启蒙。
Q15
说到角色，你提到徐的构思已经存在很久了。那么《忘却前夜》最早创作的角色有哪些？这些早期角色从最初概念到最终实装，变化有多大？
A15
霁月：《忘却前夜》在立项初期最早创作的角色包括塔薇和朵尔。她们整体上都比较接近最初的概念设定；其中朵尔的立绘为了风格统一做过一次调整与优化。
Q16
有没有哪些早期角色，你们仍然希望通过创生叙事去深挖他们的故事与不同解读？
A16
霁月：当然。我们会持续推进本源角色的设计。除了目前已公开但尚未实装的本源角色神王·图鲁之外，还有一位已完成美术设定的超维界域角色，以及几位陪伴在主角身边的早期角色的本源版本，也都在推进中。
Q17
在写作上，哪个角色是你们打磨最困难的？无论是丰满人设，还是在主线叙事中找到合适的定位？
A17
霁月：在漫长的开发周期中，很多角色的设定与故事都经历过反复打磨与调整。近期写作上最棘手的角色之一是诞妄·墨菲：墨菲原本的故事与人物塑造已经相对完整，因此可拓展空间反而比较有限。
我们需要让墨菲在“本源化”之后仍然具备强烈的识别特征，并尽量不损伤她原本的魅力与成立性。
最终，我选择把诞妄·墨菲写成一个性格层次更复杂的人——她以神母自居，高傲而冷漠；但那层冰封的外表更像是一种自我保护的伪装，而她的内心仍如最初一般澄澈。
Q18
在早期角色阵容里，还有哪些角色是你们希望继续创作更多内容的？
A18
霁月：在项目早期规划中，每名角色都能在主线或个人支线中占有一席之地。由于第一部主线在当时需要更快地收束推进，汀克特、菲茵特等角色原定的部分主线内容因此被迫暂缓或调整。
我非常希望继续完善所有角色的故事。目前，塔薇、艾尔瓦、潘狄娅、诺缔拉的个人剧情都已完成初稿；不过出于品质把控与排期考量，短期内还无法与各位见面。希望未来产能缓解后，我们能进一步打磨完善，并将这些内容正式呈现给大家。
Q19
接下来是很多玩家关心的核心叙事问题。由于工作室曾经历运营困境，有一段时间团队不确定游戏的未来，这一变动影响了第一部的最终高潮。具体影响有多大？
A19
霁月：影响非常显著。项目原本规划为三部，每部约十章主线内容。为了在第一部内尽可能完整地交代“终局”，原定在第九章的信息需要提前在第七章揭示，并将原定在第三部第十章左右的信息，提前在第八章揭示。
要在有限篇幅里尽量把创作者们的设定与心血交代清楚，我们确实掉了不少头发（笑）。不过也委屈了于丽埃特女士——她的故事尚未完全展开，就不得不先把阶段性的结局呈现出来。希望未来的主线仍有机会把她的故事补完整。
Light： 如果按原计划结束第一部，它很可能还称不上一个“完整的结局”。一方面，故事里仍有太多疑团没有交代清楚；另一方面，这样的推进方式也与团队当时的现实状态高度契合。
对原叙事规划造成巨大影响的责任确实得算在我头上——要怪就怪我好了（笑）。因为在当时的处境下，我认为必须破釜沉舟、不留退路，才能让结局真正承载我们想表达的主题。
Q20
换句话说，你们最初构想的第一部原本有多长？在高潮到来前，你们原本想讲述哪些故事？把原定故事进行压缩，对你们来说有多困难？
A20
霁月：最初构想的第一部篇幅大约为十章。
按原计划，第七、八章的剧情会围绕守密人在歌剧院与汀克特、菲茵特的相遇展开；第九章对应的是目前第七章泰旖丝的故事；而第十章的部分内容，则能在卡斯托尔与波吕克斯的故事中窥见一二。除此之外，原定在后续篇章中关于提灯教会和雕塑家协会的内容，也未能完全展开。
受限于前面所说的情况，原本计划在第二部甚至第三部大结局阶段才揭示的内容，需要被强行压缩到一章之内呈现。由于需要梳理的逻辑链极为复杂、承载的内容量又过于庞大，我们不得不暂时抛弃很多细节内容。这也导致第七章的收尾相对仓促，第八章的叙事节奏更为紧凑、信息密度更高。实际上，目前的第八章主要只承担了“交代核心设定、组织脉络与角色阶段性结局”的功能，因此在阅读体验上可能会更偏重信息，情绪与事件的铺陈也相对受限。
也希望大家能多包容第八章的执笔者：这位作者所面临的挑战与难度，确实是前所未有的。
Q21&Q22
这些被搁置的叙事线索，有机会在第二部中呈现吗？
或者说，这些故事有没有可能通过特遣纪录，或是无需消耗现实起点即可体验的支线章节（如7.5章、7.2章）补充进时间线？
A21&A22
霁月：第二部承担着“星辰篇”的整体叙事使命，因此不会大规模直接呈现第一部中未能展开的内容。不过，剧本作家们一直在通过其他方式补全相关信息与设定，大家也可能在不同章节里零星发现与第一部呼应的线索——例如第二部第一章中熔毁·朵尔目标的呈现，以及卡斯托尔与波吕克斯的故事对泰旖丝篇章的承接。
此外可以透露的是，第三部会补完许多过往未能释出的设定与内容，并回收此前遗留的伏笔。
Q23
我之所以问补充剧情，很大原因是熔毁·朵尔在第一部高潮的登场非常突兀。她在此前几乎完全未知，却起到关键作用。她原本是否有专属章节或特遣纪录？围绕她被捕与弥萨格的事件深入展开
A23
霁月：原本确实有为熔毁·朵尔规划过一段独立的个人故事，相关初稿也已经完成。由于第一部主线在当时被迫加速收束，我们对部分设定与呈现方式做了调整。于是大家需要根据闪回和碎片叙事来拼凑这期间发生了什么
希望未来能对这段内容进行进一步完善，并以合适的形式与大家见面，但目前还没有具体的计划
Q24
考虑到她在高潮与第二部的重要性，这个角色是如何创作出来的？她与环行·拉蒙娜同期构思，还是更早？血链·希洛在第七章高潮登场，她原本在第一部中承担更重要的角色吗？诞妄·墨菲这样的角色是一开始就规划好，还是为第二部创作的
A24
霁月：熔毁·朵尔最初是作为第三部的核心角色来规划的。按原设想，在第一部中血链·希洛和赫伯特也都会承担更重要的戏份
至于角色的构思时间线，环行·拉蒙娜、熔毁·朵尔、血链·希洛和诞妄·墨菲基本都是同期规划完成的；此外，当时还有一位神秘的超维界域本源角色也已完成规划，但暂时还不能与各位见面，请在后续旅程中期待她的亮相吧
Q25
说回特遣纪录，玩家很难理清剧情内容与特遣纪录的正确体验顺序。你们是否计划在游戏内加入推荐顺序功能，按照制作组原本希望的体验顺序排序，而非时间线？另外，是否计划让部分内容更容易解锁，帮助玩家理解第二部的全部叙事
A25
Light：这个我来回答吧。随着支线内容不断扩充，大家确实很容易弄不清楚哪些内容应该先看、哪些应该后看。对应的提示功能正在开发中，会按文案更推荐的叙事体验顺序来整理支线内容，帮助大家更顺畅地理解整体叙事脉络，还请再稍等一段时间
至于解锁门槛与节奏，我们暂时没有计划大幅加快。从长期体验来看，适度的解锁节奏更合适：既能保留逐步解锁剧情时的奖励感，也能让日常玩法的目标更清晰；如果推进过快，反而可能削弱叙事沉浸感与长线游玩体验
Q26
第二部的头脑风暴与分镜创作过程是怎样的
A26
霁月：第二部的核心设定主要由我个人独立快速完成头脑风暴，因此能分享的过程不算太多(笑
尽管通常来说创作最好能有多人深入讨论，但当时第二部进入规划阶段时团队正经历较大的人员变动，正值脆弱时刻，在这个情况下我选择了特事特办
在“主角需要继续这段冒险”的前提下，也结合当时项目可复用的美术资产与制作节奏，我较快确定了第二部的核心设定、主要角色、故事舞台以及主角的阶段性历程
至于分章节的详细脚本，则由 2–3 位核心剧本作者在整体规划的基础上分别展开：他们会补充各自独特的故事线与舞台设定，最终汇总成完整章节
涉及更具体的设定细节，由于第二部主线目前仍在推进中，还请大家在后续的主线内容中继续阅读与体验
Q27
说到第二部，平行时间线里存在其他永世吗？或者说，是否有尚未被发现、与永世同等级的存在?例如图鲁可能作为代行者所侍奉的存在
A27
霁月：就世界观的底层设定来说，“三大质体”以及其他“高维意志”都处在更高维度的空间之中。
既然第二部名为“星辰正位之刻”，图鲁所侍奉的存在将会是第二部收尾阶段的关键角色之一，更多情报将会在后续的更新中逐步揭晓。
Light：谢谢霁月!这还是她首次直接对外分享剧情创作细节!后面的问题就由我来继续回答吧
Q28
与第一部相比，第二部计划有多少章？如果游戏运营状况良好,你们已经有第三部的规划了吗
A28
按 2.0 PV 目前展示的信息来看，第二部计划为七章主线。相比第一部，第二部会有更多支线与联动内容，一起构成更完整的叙事体验。
至于第三部，在游戏保持健康运营的前提下，我们已经在进行剧情大纲与角色方向的早期讨论；但相关内容后续仍可能调整，也涉及剧透，所以目前暂时不便分享更多细节。我们会继续努力，希望第三部能为大家带来令人激动的体验
Q29
最后两个叙事问题：你们是否计划让玩家能进一步深挖特定角色（如希洛、卡茜亚）的叙事内容
A29
从创作角度来说，我们当然非常希望能让玩家进一步深挖特定角色的叙事内容。比如图鲁的个人支线章节，就是在第二部开始后新增并推进的。
不过，这类内容会进一步消耗非常宝贵的产能。团队当下的首要目标，是优先确保未来版本的新内容交付，尽量减少延期，并争取稳定以每 28 天推出一个新唤醒体；同时也需要兼顾第三部的设计与制作推进
因此对于已推出角色的延展叙事内容，会优先通过新角色的故事、以及主线与支线的交叉承接来实现；只有在出现合适的契机时，才会考虑单独补充个人支线章节，去更深入地挖掘既有角色的故事
Q30
你们是否计划扩充或优化游戏现有的叙事/视觉小说相关内容？
A30
第一部的序章和终章最后一节已经追加了配音——这是一个起点，也确立了一个方向：对于叙事上真正关键的节点，我们愿意回头投入，而不是把旧内容永久冻结。
除此之外，游戏也在持续迭代演出质量——不只是修复错字和表现错误，也在研究如何让一些演出动画的呈现更有张力，让不同语言的文本阅读更舒适。
视觉小说体验的元素扩充、表演张力强化、便利性优化会一直持续进行。
Part II Questions about Morimens Narratively
Q7
So, first off — what led to the inception of Morimens as a game? Was it always meant to be a Gacha, given it's nature as a horror title, and some of its rather bleak content?
A7
In 2019, our founding members were driven by a deep passion for the theme of "Cthulhu investigators." Their goal was to create a game with a strong, distinctive identity and a high degree of challenge. To capture the oppressive atmosphere of cosmic horror, we landed on a roguelike deckbuilding loop inspired by titles like Slay the Spire. Visually, we developed an Eldritch Elegant, Painterly Style—designed to feel approachable while carrying an indescribable sense of cosmic horror beneath the surface. Narratively, we leaned into a fragmented, cyclical storytelling experience. Regarding our business model, since the project was initially developed for mobile, we adopted a gacha system similar to Arknights—the most common and relatively well-established approach for mobile titles, and one that remains so to this day.
By the end of 2021, the project was on the verge of collapsing. We were facing severe development bottlenecks, rapidly escalating cost pressures, and a core gameplay direction that had yet to be clearly defined. On top of these internal struggles, the launch of mega-scale gacha titles like Genshin Impact dramatically raised market and player expectations, triggering a powerful chain reaction in the external landscape. When I took over as producer, I led a major restructuring—moving away from high-cost exploration mechanics and overly convoluted narrative structures, and shifting the focus of the experience from investigation back to core combat. Working closely with our art and narrative teams, we established a clear and unified narrative theme. It was during this full-scale restart that the title Morimens was officially born.
In the second half of 2023, we managed to port the game to PC and launch on Steam just as the project was facing a potential shutdown. We were well aware that gacha mechanics often meet resistance and skepticism within the Steam community. However, players ultimately connected with our gameplay, story, art, and music, and the game earned a Very Positive rating on the platform. It was the support of those Steam players, alongside the steadfast loyalty of our mobile players who had stayed with us through everything, that together carried Morimens through its service-suspension crisis.
To us, the gacha elements have never been the soul of the game. They were simply a practical choice—a means to give the work a better chance of surviving and continuing to receive updates.
Q8
What drew your team to Lovecraftian horror specifically? Do you have plans on exploring more body horror, and is there specific forms of horror that you find pivotal for storytelling, that you want to explore, as well as any that you and your team might have an aversion to?
A8
Light: My role is primarily to oversee the overall game design and coordinate across the team. On the narrative side, I am mostly responsible for integrating the work of different departments—particularly using game mechanics as a means to actively support and give expression to the story. For that reason, I've invited our chief scriptwriter, Jiyue, to speak to the narrative-focused questions directly.
Jiyue: Embracing Lovecraftian horror was a natural, collective decision made by the founding team based on our shared interests and aesthetic sensibilities. I am captivated by the vast, boundless unknown depicted in the Cthulhu Mythos, and by the absolute smallness of humanity within it. What draws me in even more deeply, however, is the faint glimmer of the human spirit that manages to shine through in such stark contrast to that overwhelming darkness.
We maintain a relatively open-minded approach toward different horror subgenres and try not to impose too many creative framework constraints on our team members. Some of our writers are genuine enthusiasts of body horror, so players can certainly look forward to seeing those elements explored more in the future.
That said, we do tend to move away from cheap horror that pursues nothing but shock value and gore—content that lacks any meaningful core to explore or symbolic depth. We aren't interested in visceral imagery for its own sake; if we choose to depict such elements, they must be grounded in a self-consistent logic and internal causality that holds up within the foundations of our world.
Q9
Now, while Lovecraft is a very obvious source material for its characters and arcs — there's also a number of esoteric references to mysticism — such as Crowley, and the qlipoth. How many other resources are you drawing from as inspiration?
A9
Jiyue: Beyond the works of H.P. Lovecraft himself, other key authors within the Cthulhu Mythos—such as Clark Ashton Smith and Lin Carter—are also significant sources of inspiration for the project. Our narrative team also immerses itself in a wide array of dark and weird fiction, referencing monster compendiums and lore sourcebooks, and drawing creative nourishment from works like Book of Monsters and Bloodborne, as well as various texts on esotericism and occultism. All of these influences are then transformed and woven into the team's own original creations.
You can even trace some of our characters' origins directly through their names: for example, the prototype for Horla comes from the unknowable entity at the heart of Guy de Maupassant's short story, Le Horla.
Q10
As a small side tangent — (Is Aiwass — The historical Crowley's 'angel' going to make an appearance — albeit in a guise no doubt more fitting to Morimens?)
A10
Jiyue: As for whether certain characters will make an appearance in the future, I hope you'll allow me to keep a little mystery for now. They will emerge at the right moment, guided by the needs of both the project and the story.
What we can say with confidence is that any character who joins the world of Morimens will be reimagined through the lens of our universe—always rooted in the spirit of their original source material, yet presented in a visual form and lore setting tailored to fit the world of Morimens.
Q11
Are you intending on implementing more 'Weird Science' elements of eldritch mythos, such as Reanimator, Cool Air, or Under The Pyramids?
A11
The Cthulhu Mythos itself has always contained certain science fiction elements. For example, Erica's Psyche Deepdive, as well as the Psyche Deepdive story of Doll: Inferno—which was originally planned but unfortunately never made it to our players—both carry a distinct "Weird Science" flavor. As we introduce future characters whose lore lends itself to these themes, those elements will find their way into the narrative organically.
Q12
Do you intend on drawing any inspiration from Thomas Ligotti and his short stories? And, is there any more contemporary sources you find inspiring, or would like to pay homage to?
A12
Jiyue: Our creative process isn't about requiring our writers to design from any one specific source. Instead, we encourage them to draw from their own broad reading and viewing experiences, absorbing and synthesizing those influences into something new. That said, speaking of Thomas Ligotti specifically—we did pay a quiet homage to The Frolic in the title of one of our game's stages.
As for more contemporary sources, our narrative team's interests are wide-ranging: some are lifelong fans of The Godfather and the Evangelion series, others are devoted followers of Martin McDonagh's work. We also have writers with a particular love for Fullmetal Alchemist and Junji Ito's horror manga, and True Detective is something of a must-read for members of the team. Our goal is always to take the nourishment from all these different sources and transform it into something that feels native to the world and narrative themes of Morimens.
Q13
Do you have any books or short stories you'd suggest players read to get more enjoyment out of Morimens? (And, on that note, do you have a favorite Lovecraft, and/or weird horror story? And were there any that were especially fundamental for your team, as far as forming a core for Morimens story?)
maiden void
這是指阿拉克涅還是N👁️👁️👁️
buoyant fjord
A13
Jiyue: Without a doubt, if you want to fully appreciate the many Easter eggs hidden in Morimens, I would recommend reading The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, Through the Gates of the Silver Key, and other works featuring the adventures of Randolph Carter. You'll find no shortage of moments that will bring a knowing smile to your face.
My personal favorite work by Lovecraft is At the Mountains of Madness—it was the very first source of inspiration for Morimens in its early days. Even now, the shadow of those Antarctic ice fields can still be faintly glimpsed across many chapters of the game.
And perhaps most worth mentioning of all: Ex Oblivione is one of the true souls of this project. It may not be the "cornerstone" upon which the main narrative structure was built, but it has planted a seed of inspiration in the heart of every one of our creators.
Q14
Small aside, you mentioned, when talking about Xu — that part of her inspiration came from a Call Of Cthulhu game — how much of Morimens came from your experience as a player, and, how many members of the Brain In A Vat team were part of those campaigns? (Also, what's your favourite Call Of Cthulhu Campaign).
A14
Jiyue: The roles of Keepers and Investigators in Morimens, along with the protagonist's overarching journey, are heavily influenced by our experiences with Call of Cthulhu tabletop RPGs. In our game, players step into these roles as members of Mythag University, traveling to the scenes of strange incidents to confront and resolve mysteries involving eldritch creatures.
Many members of our creative team have participated in CoC campaigns, and we also enjoy watching campaign replays on Bilibili — for example, the Louisiana series by Gewejuesi. Running tabletop sessions together has become a staple of our team building.
Personally, my favorite modules include The Banquet of Those Who Walk in Darkness and Hand of the Living God. These were pivotal inspirations for me when I first began exploring the Cthulhu Mythos.
Q15
And as far as characters go, what were the first characters you ever created for Morimens, given you mentioned Xu existed as an idea for a significant amount of time. And for those older characters, how different are they from their concept, and their implemented version?
A15
Jiyue: Tawil and Doll were among the very first characters we designed during the initial planning stages of Morimens. Both have remained broadly in line with their original concept designs. Doll's character art was adjusted and refined once to ensure it stayed consistent with the visual style of the overall roster.
Q16
Are there any earlier characters whose stories and alternate interpretations you'd still like to explore through the aforementioned Genesis stories?
A16
Jiyue: Of course. We are continuing to develop our Genesis characters. In addition to Tulu: Godking — who has been announced but not yet added to the game — we have a character from the Ultra Realm with a completed Genesis design. We are also currently working on Genesis versions for several of the early characters who have accompanied the Keeper.
Q17
Which characters did you struggle with the most as far as writing goes — whether it was a matter of fleshing out their character or finding them a proper place within the overarching narrative?
A17
Jiyue: Throughout our long development cycle, many characters have undergone repeated refinements and revisions to their lore and stories. One of the most challenging characters to write recently was Murphy: Fauxborn. Since her original story and character arc were already quite well-defined, we found there was paradoxically limited room for further expansion.
Our goal was to ensure that Murphy's Genesis form remained instantly recognizable while preserving the charm and coherence of her original version. Ultimately, we chose to portray Murphy: Fauxborn as a character with deeper, more complex layers. She fancies herself a Divine Mother — proud and aloof — but that icy exterior feels more like a protective facade. Beneath it all, her inner self remains as pure and unclouded as it was at the very start.
Q18
Are there characters you still want to do more with, out of the earlier cast?
A18
Jiyue: In the early planning stages of the project, we hoped that each character could have a meaningful presence in the main storyline or their own personal side stories. However, due to the need to accelerate and wrap up the first arc at the time, some of the originally planned main storyline content for characters like Tinct and Faint had to be postponed or adjusted.
I genuinely hope to continue developing the stories of all the characters. Currently, the first drafts of Tawil, Alva, Pandia, and Nautila's personal storylines have been completed; however, due to our commitment to quality and scheduling considerations, we won't be able to present them to everyone in the short term. We hope that once production capacity eases, we can further polish and refine these stories and formally present them to everyone.
Q19
And now we're reaching the big narrative question that I'm sure a lot of people have been hoping for. Due to the struggles that Brain In A Vat went through — there was a period of time where your team was unsure of Morimens future — a turn of events that impacted the overall climax of Arc 1. To what extent did it do so?
A19
Jiyue: The impact was significant. The project was originally planned as three arcs, each with around ten chapters of main storyline content. In order to deliver as complete a conclusion as possible within the first arc, information originally intended for Chapter 9 had to be moved forward to Chapter 7, and content originally planned for around Chapter 10 of the third arc had to be brought forward to Chapter 8.
Trying to do justice to everything our writers had built within such a compressed space — we definitely lost some sleep over that (laughs). It also meant we had to shortchange Juliette somewhat — her story hadn't fully unfolded yet, but we were forced to present a provisional ending for her arc ahead of schedule. I genuinely hope the future main storyline will have the opportunity to tell her story in full.
Light: If we had ended the first arc according to the original plan, it likely wouldn't have qualified as a "complete ending." On one hand, too many mysteries would have remained unresolved; on the other, the way we pushed through was also deeply in sync with the reality our team was facing at the time.
The responsibility for the enormous disruption to our original narrative roadmap falls squarely on me — you can put the blame on me for that (laughs). In that situation, I believed we had to go all in and leave ourselves no way back, in order for the ending to truly carry the themes we wanted to express.
Q20
Which is to say, how long did you originally envision Arc 1 being, and what stories did you want to tell before the climax actually hit home, and how hard was it to condense the story you wanted to tell?
A20
Jiyue: The first arc was originally conceived to span approximately ten chapters.
Under the original roadmap, Chapters 7 and 8 were meant to center on the Keeper's encounter with Tinct and Faint at the opera house. What is now Chapter 7 contains the story originally intended for Chapter 9 — Thais's arc — while traces of what was planned for Chapter 10 can be glimpsed in the stories of Castor and Pollux. Beyond that, content originally intended for later chapters — covering the Church of the Lightbearers and the Sculptors' Association — was never fully developed.
Due to the circumstances described earlier, material originally planned to be revealed in the second arc, or even during the climax of the third, had to be forcibly compressed into a single chapter. Given the extraordinary complexity of the narrative threads that needed to be untangled and the sheer volume of content that had to be conveyed, we were forced to temporarily set aside a great deal of detail. This is why Chapter 7 ends somewhat abruptly, and why Chapter 8 feels more tightly paced and information-dense. In its current form, Chapter 8 primarily functions to establish core lore, organize the narrative threads, and deliver provisional resolutions for the characters — which means the reading experience leans heavily toward exposition, with limited room for emotional buildup and event development.
I also hope everyone will show some extra patience and understanding toward the writer of Chapter 8. The narrative challenges they faced were truly unprecedented.
Q21&Q22
Will any of these unused narrative threads find their way into the second Arc?
Alternatively, Is there any chance that those stories might find themselves retroactively inserted into the timeline through Spec Ops or perhaps side chapters that might be readily accessible without dimensional verges? (Like a Chapter 7.5, or 7.2)
A21&A22
Jiyue: The second arc carries the narrative weight of Astral Reign, so it won’t focus on re-explaining details left out of the first arc on a large scale. Instead, we are supplementing that information through other channels. Players will find scattered clues across various chapters that echo events from the first part—for instance, the appearance of Doll: Inferno in Chapter 1 of the second arc, or the way the story of Castor and Pollux is a continuation of Thais’s chapter.
We can also share that the Third Arc of the story will finally flesh out many of the world-building details and settings that haven't been fully disclosed yet, resolving the various narrative threads we have left hanging.
Q23
Admittedly, a big part of why I ask about the retroactive insertion of story elements is because of Doll: Inferno's involvement in the climax of Arc 1 is fairly jarring — given she's more or less an unknown until that point, but is extremely pivotal. Was she originally intended to have a full blown chapter dedicated to her or a spec ops — and will the events surrounding her capture and Mythag ever be explored?
A23
Jiyue: We did originally have a standalone personal storyline planned for Doll: Inferno, and the initial draft was already complete. However, due to the need to accelerate and wrap up the first arc at the time, we made adjustments to certain settings and the manner in which the story was presented. As a result, players currently have to piece together the events of that period through flashbacks and fragmented narratives.
We hope to further refine this content and present it in an appropriate form in the future, though no concrete plans have been made yet.
Q24
Also, given her importance, both for the climax, and the ensuing arc 2 — how did she come about as a character? Was she envisioned around the time G Ramona was, or did she come prior? Was Helot: Catena meant to play a greater role in Arc 1 — given her involvement in the climax of Chapter 7? Also, Were characters Like Faux Murphy always planned, or did she come into being as a direct result of the second Arc?
A24
Jiyue: Doll: Inferno was originally envisioned as a central figure for the third arc of our story. In our initial concept, Helot: Catena and Herbert were also meant to play much more prominent roles in the first arc.
As for the timeline of character conception, Ramona: Timeworn, Doll: Inferno, Helot: Catena, and Murphy: Fauxborn were all roughly conceived around the same period. There is also a mysterious Genesis character from the Ultra Realm whose concept was finalized back then — but we aren't quite ready to introduce her yet. Please look forward to her reveal in the journeys to come!
Q25
Looping back to the subject of Spec ops — It can be confusing to figure out what's the proper order in which I should be engaging with the deep dives, and spec ops. Are there any plans of adding an in-game feature that provides players a suggested/ intended order of playing them, relative to the main story. Less chronologically, and more what the developments team intended vision was, for players to engage with those narrative elements? Also, are there any plans to make some of them easier to access/unlock, so that players might be better equipped to fully engage with everything arc 2 has to offer on a narrative front?
A25
Light: I'll take this one. As our side story content continues to grow, it's easy for players to find it difficult to know what to read first and what to save for later. To help with this, we are developing an in-game feature that will organize side stories according to the sequence recommended by our writing team, helping everyone follow the overall narrative more smoothly. Please bear with us just a little longer.
As for the pace and thresholds for unlocking this content, we don't have plans to significantly accelerate them for now. From a long-term perspective, we believe a moderate pace is more appropriate: it preserves a sense of reward as you gradually unlock the story, and keeps daily gameplay goals clear and meaningful. If the pace moves too fast, it risks weakening narrative immersion and long-term engagement..
Q26
How did the brainstorming for Arc 2 go, as well as the story boarding?
A26
Jiyue: The core setting for the second arc was largely the product of my own independent and rapid brainstorming, so there isn't much of a process to share this time (laughs). Ideally, our creative development involves extensive group discussions, but the studio was facing major personnel shifts during that planning phase — it was a vulnerable period for the team, and I chose to handle things differently this time. Keeping in mind the need for the protagonist's adventure to continue — and accounting for our reusable art assets and production rhythm at the time — I moved quickly to establish the core setting, the main cast, and the protagonist's journey for this arc.
As for the individual chapters, they are being developed by two or three of our core writers based on that overall plan, each taking responsibility for their own chapters. Each writer contributes their own unique storylines and narrative settings, which are then brought together into complete chapters.
As for the more specific lore details — since the second arc's main story is still in progress, we invite you to discover them as you continue through the upcoming chapters.
Q27
Speaking of Arc 2, are there different Aeon's in parallel branches — or, alternatively, are there entities which have yet to be discovered, which might be relatively on par with them? Such as the one Tulu might be the Proxy of.
A27
Jiyue: In terms of the underlying world-building, the "Three Aeons" and other "higher-dimensional wills" exist within a higher-dimensional space. Since the second arc is titled When the Stars Are Right, the entity that Tulu serves will be one of the key figures in the concluding stages of that arc. Further details will be gradually revealed in future updates.
Light: Thank you, Jiyue! This is actually her first time sharing such specific narrative details directly with everyone. I'll take it from here!
Q28
How long is Arc 2 meant to be as far as chapters, as compared to Arc 1 — and are there already plans for a third arc, provided the game remains in a healthy state?
A28
Based on what has been shown in the Version 2.0 PV so far, the second arc is planned to consist of seven main chapters. Compared to the first arc, the second will feature more side stories and collaboration content, together forming a more complete narrative experience.
As for the third arc, provided the game continues to operate in good health, we are already in early discussions regarding the plot outline and character directions. However, since these plans are subject to change and involve spoilers, we aren't able to share further details just yet. We will continue to work hard, and hope that the third arc will deliver a truly thrilling experience for everyone.
Q29
Final two narrative questions — is there any intentions on giving players the means of further exploring narrative elements with specific members of the cast (such as Helot or Casiah)
A29
From a creative standpoint, we would love to let players dive even deeper into specific character narratives. Tulu's personal side chapters, for instance, were newly added and developed after the second arc began. However, this type of content places further strain on our already precious production capacity.
Right now, our primary goal is to ensure the delivery of new content for upcoming versions, minimize delays as much as possible, and aim to release a new Awakener every 28 days on a stable schedule — while also balancing the ongoing design and production of the third arc.
Because of these constraints, we will primarily expand the stories of existing characters by weaving them into the narratives of new characters, or through narrative connections between main and side stories. We will only consider dedicated individual side chapters to explore existing characters more deeply when the right opportunity arises.
Q30
And, are there any plans on expanding/improving upon the existing narrative/visual novel elements of the game?
A30
The closing section of the prologue and epilogue of the first arc have had voiceovers added — this is a starting point, and it establishes a clear direction for us: for truly critical narrative beats, we are willing to go back and invest in them, rather than leaving old content permanently frozen.
Beyond that, we are continuously iterating on the quality of our in-game presentation — not just fixing typos or presentation errors, but actively researching how to make certain story animations more dramatically compelling, and how to make the reading experience more comfortable across different languages.
The expansion of visual novel elements, the strengthening of dramatic tension, and convenience optimizations will all continue to be ongoing priorities.
blissful bloom
Although I already watched the interview video but the confirmation of what the cut contents are still hurt my soul
And mandatory: release GDoll story! 
weak ginkgo
def should get that one day, and slip it where it was supposed to be
carmine shadow
BIAV claiming they built character based on lore but doesn't explain why in the bloody hell did Vortice has Divine Aequor 
raw osprey
Спасибо огромное @buoyant fjord за предоставленные данные в текстовом формате. Так хотябы можно это донести до Русскоязычных читателей вашего творчества.
Ну и огромное спасибо Light и Jiyue за предоставленные ответы
raw osprey
Remember that Karen cleaning event?
This mystical silhouette propably Genesis Tinct?
blissful bloom
Remember that Karen cleaning event?
This mystical silhouette propably Genesis T...
oh my
why do I still have to see this
this is Bokrug
a water lizard that is Karen people goddess
it’s almost a year since they showed this and people still think it’s GTinct 💔
acoustic laurel
ty
molten garden
it’s almost a year since they showed this and people still think it’s GTinct 💔
I won't give up coping
blissful bloom
I won't give up coping
let’s get you to bed old Spooky
buoyant fjord
🎥（2/4）对抗遗忘——脑缸组专访 Light & 霁月 ┊Surviving Oblivion - Talking Morimens W/ Light & Jiyue. by Arlyeon
slow oak
Is there any plans to release the Tinct/Faint part in the future? or something related?
half pumice