Parousia - A Participatory World in the Metaverse
Parousia is a story-driven participatory world in the metaverse facilitating live immersive experiences that teach psycho-social skills for relating to self, others, and nature.
From an earthy journey going through a portal, participants land on a mythical and magical planet in a different solar system. While they explore their surroundings, they discover new ways of being through story, dance, and music after meeting and interacting with the mystical beings that inhabit this world. These newly discovered ways of being, empower attendees to practice better social skills in their real life, therefore cultivating more meaningful connections with themselves, others, and the living world.
Parousia is a world designed by artists, storytellers, musicians, producers, researchers, psychologists, and experiential designers to respond to an increasingly disconnected world, that's causing higher percentages of loneliness, anxiety, and stress.
In this project, I led the artistic direction, shaping the style of environments and characters, leading the worldbuilding efforts, designing environments, flora and fauna for the imagined realm, and crafting the characters' appearances.
Environments & Spaces.
Parousia is a realm of many spaces, each one a unique dojo for the Manidoos, the spirit guides who call it home. The environment and spaces were meticulously crafted to captivate the user's senses and imagination and each experience on Parousia is designed to accomodate a group of five people. These spaces are imbued with different energies, each designed to facilitate the exploration of a distinct psycho-social skill.
As you journey through this mystical world, you'll discover each space on your own and be guided into practicing the skills of presence, play, compassion, vulnerability, and gratitude by interacting with the beings that inhabit them. Every space is immersive and complex, filled with intricate details that entice the user to explore and discover. We understand that curiosity and wonder are essential components of the human experience, and each space was designed with this in mind.
From the vibrant flora and fauna to the unique architecture and layout of each space, everything is meant to engage the user's senses and leave them in a state of awe and amazement. As users navigate through this world, they will find themselves drawn into a continuous journey of discovery, where every step reveals something new and wondrous to behold.
Flora.
The flora of Parousia is a tapestry woven of magic and wonder. Among its lush landscapes, one can find ancient trees with intricately carved trunks, bearing sweet fruit that is coveted by all who roam the world. Verdant leafy plants sway in the gentle breeze, their rustling whispers like a secret song. Delicate flowers bloom in brilliant hues, and mysterious mushrooms, glow their beauty in the night sky.
Manîdobima.
These trees possess a warm gentle glow that lits up the inside, and when approached, their light has calming and soothing properties that can warm up your body and invite you to sleep. In exchange, they collect and feed on the energy that animals or people bring with them and create while they sleep.
Tcatcabonû.
These mushroom have a strange, flowing electrical currents. The “hairs” on top of their heads have a strong current due to high energy in the area, their hairs are on edge, separated and in the form of “spikes”. When they have less electricity, however, they tend to stick together more, like locks or tufts of hair. When they have no energy at all, they intertwine together, forming a braid.
Nookaa-Mawinzwaan.
These trees are the homes of Wabanong, who feed on their fruits and drop the seeds nearby. This is a symbiotic relationship, as it helps the tree reproduce and receive a constant flow of energy. The healthier they are and the more live in it, the healthier the tree will be.
Wesa' wûs.
These plants can store an amazing amount of water on their leaves. These can swell dramatically without bending or breaking, and if given enough time, they can become bigger than a person. The bigger they are, the thinner the leaf part is, and eventually it can burst from a slight touch, releasing all of the liquid stored in them. This is actually beneficial for them, as their seeds are stored along the leaf and cannot grow without it breaking.
Nuru.
Behold the magnificent mushrooms with a dense, ethereal "crown" that contains minuscule seeds of various hues. These seeds weave together to form a mesmerizing tapestry of color that can transform at will, revealing a wondrous vision of the beholder's deepest desire. For those who gaze upon these enchanting fungi, the image is said to reveal the very place they yearn to be in that fleeting moment.
The flora of Parousia can channel energy between each other and communicate through an electrostatic forcefield in the air, with each color of the spectrum representing a unique essence.
These plants can also bioluminesce to transfer essences to those in need, and at night, they engage in geosynthesis, converting geothermal energy from Parousia's core into electrostatic energy. An omnipresent organism creates an underground energy transfer network, known as a mycelium network, which advanced life forms can use to communicate over long distances.
Fauna.
Parousia's fauna is a diverse mix of creatures, from small and shy to towering and majestic. Many have unique abilities for communication and navigation. Insects buzz with bioluminescent wings, pollinating colorful flowers. Mollusks in streams gleam like pearls. Avian life fills the sky with graceful flight and intricate melodies. Majestic mammals roam the jungle, their glowing essences illuminating the landscape, creating a breathtaking sight.
Gitigayminon.
The Gitigayminons are small, gross flying insects whose head is replaced by several hooks it uses to burrow into prey. Once they’ve found a host, their legs and wings burrow into their bodies, leaving only a single smooth, hard shell.
Keewatinong.
These big mammals possess incredibly big horns, sometimes as big as themselves. Their horns can break, but they never really stop growing to offset this. They are hollow and light, and flexible enough to let them twist and move. Their legs are thin and end in sharp, blade-like hooves. Their horns can create light while twisting and moving, which can hypnotize other animals, especially predators.
Deeden.
Deedens are particularly small and light during their first months of life. Once they are about to reach maturity, however, they grow to a much bigger size in the span of weeks. Once they reach maturity, they collect flowers and put them on their antennae, letting them live with them in a symbiotic relationship: the bird flies to places with enough light and energy for the flowers, while they sustain the Deedeen with their pollen.
Naabibi.
These caterpillars are powerful mimics. They can easily change their coloration for camouflage as long as they’ve recently been under the sun or other sources or light. Besides this, they can change the appearance of their face, giving it traits of any other species they feel like – even those that are not insects.
Nagamoon.
The Nagamoons are large, impressive mammals who feed on plants and leaves that eventually start slowly growing on their bodies, serving as future sustenance. The more plants they eat, the bigger the resulting ones on their bodies will get. They can even have fruit trees and bushes hanging on them. The Nagamoon uses their calling to detect animals around, creating high pitch sounds that can resonate through everything and even with synesthesia see colors in sound when something is moving around.
Beings.
The Beings from Parousia, called Manidoos, are ethereal entities that exist to guide visitors through the various spaces of the world, in order for the visitors to explore and develop a series of psycho-social skills, such as: vulnerability, compassion, play, presence, gratitude. Each of the spaces from the world holds a unique area for the Manidoo, usually right in front of the designated five places for the visitors. Through a series of explorations and experiences designed specifically for each space and skill, the Manidoos are crafting and immersive experience that not only entertains, but also educates, drawing upon a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to help you expand your mind and transform your perspective on life.
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