Lore

Mysterious Mechanical Creatures Destiny 2‘s mysterious creature, the Pouka, has been subject to much speculation ever since one was first seen back in early 2020. They’ve not been sighted much since then, but Bungie has released a Pouka figurine with the Collector’s Edition version of Lightfall. As shown off in pre-release trailers, lore books, and Lightfall marketing materials, Poukas will be much more prominent throughout this campaign. Still, there remains limited information about them. We’ve explored the lore books…

As publishers and other creators seek payments for the value chatbots extract from them, one Los Angeles startup points the way for artists getting paidThe issue of AI scraping copyrighted works to train language models is heating up, with Dow Jones and CNN starting to talk about charging companies like OpenAI when their chatbots lap up their work. Is this infringement, with the resulting AI a derivative work that requires licensing? Or is it instead a fair use that requires no payment, because arguably the copying is “de…

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures In the hands of creative geniuses, fantasy worlds can be built to be as sophisticated as the real ones on which they’re based, and at times can be so much better. However, the Harry Potter series missed the mark when it comes to worldbuilding as fans are pointing out on Twitter. David is constantly astonished by how bad the Harry Potter worldbuilding is so please drop your favorite nugget of completely nonsensical potter lore here because I’ve forgotten as much as I’ve…

Vampires have been around for centuries, with myth and folklore using the image of a bloodsucking creature in many a tale. These supernatural beings are a fixture in horror, ranging from romantic, gothic, ethereal beauties to feral monsters with several rows of teeth and bumpy foreheads (I’m not going to mention the glittery ones). In The Last Bloodline, the world of vampires is brought together when the prophecy of a new Queen comes to fruition.  With art by Weyow Ang, the Webtoons series features letters by Ganna…

Image: WebtoonThe romantic dramedy between the gods will be heating up in season three of Lore Olympus. io9 chatted with creator and Eisner winner Rachel Smythe about what’s next for the popular Webtoon weekly appointment release that leads the charts in digital reading content and book lists.As we head into 2023 after Lore Olympus’ epic season two conclusion back in August, and are still in the early months of season three, Smythe shared what she could—and teased some good stuff up ahead.Image: WebtoonSabina Graves, io9:…

A story is one caveat that everything we consume should have. A well-defined, eye-catching, clear, and concise story is essential for users to immerse in an experience. Whether it is companies selling their products through storytelling or games alluring players with lore, a story is vital for every case. While a story is crucial to every product, ‘story-telling’ is more important. A good story may have all the elements to capture users’ interest; however, it may not have the dynamics to keep users wanting more. Moreover,…

Westminster Abbey has served as a coronation, wedding, and burial site for the royalty of England and Britain for nearly a millennium.Consecrated in 1065 CE, the magnificent structure is one of the world's most famous buildings – but it hasn't always existed in its current form. It's been subject to the whims and fashions of the nobility, changing like a haunted house whose halls can never be relied upon.And new research suggests that one such vanishing section was a grisly chapel, a sacred space dedicated to the royal…

Harry Potter seems to be in for an inevitable comeback if Warner Bros. has anything to say on the matter, but its creator J.K. Rowling might not have as strong a creative grip on the franchise as she once did. The best-selling novelist is infamous these days for a very different reason, but even before setting her career prospects on fire with insensitive comments toward the LGBTQ+ community, Rowling would provoke the ire of Potterheads by constantly changing established Harry Potter lore on social media, of all places.…

When a single character has existed for so long that they’ve challenged the gods of not one but two mythologies, you just know they’ve had a lot of adventures. Kratos, star of every God of War game since the series’ debut in 2005, has hacked, slashed, and bludgeoned his way through seven core games, with his eighth launching soon in November. Each and every game has been a steady improvement, but it wasn’t until 2018’s semi-reboot simply called God of War that the series received near universal acclaim and monumental…

Superheroes are famous for having convoluted backstories, but even for the costumed set, some stand out as absolute clusterfucks. Cable of the X-Men. Donna Troy of the Amazons. Ben Reilly, Spider-Man. But only one of them stars in Black Adam: Hawkman, the costumed adventurer who is best known for being a modern archeologist, a reincarnating adventurer, or a space alien, depending on who you ask. Actor Aldis Hodge, who plays the character in Black Adam, is very aware that his character is kind of a mess. “It was sort…