I've decided to do some research on the Oulipo method and see what I can come up with. I don't think I'm interested in art so much as I am in profit. Give me a moment I'm still waking up. I'm not interested in stuff that won't get me to move forward when it's this early in the morning. The problem is that the creativity doesn't flow out of me. Instead I have to squeeze it out. Reading more of "The Artist's Way" has confirmed my fears that I'm to forceful. Instead of enjoying the work I've been looking at it like a duty. When it's a duty, it becomes emotionless and dull. And I like writing down data and researching but is that really what makes a good story? I could end up like George R.R. Martin and write for days without really creating a story. But, the good news is that Julia Cameron assures me that it's not too late, which is good because I worry about my age all the time. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to study more and play less games.
I tried my first Oulipo ladder poem. Here it goes.
Foot
Feel
Fear
Heal
Heed
Head
It goes from bottom to top. Not a bad first try. Maybe I can do more later. It's certainly stretches the brain. I also like how it goes back a step with Heal which could be written as "Heel" the back of the foot.
For the rest of the pages, since my head just isn't working today, I'll do some more Koudelka.
The final boss. Elaine is the former love of one the protagonists, James. The pair fell in love in college but James backed off when he realized that he couldn't provide for her. Her death by a pair of thieves was the catalyst for the events in the game. Her husband, Patrick, was devistated by her loss and tried to resurrect her with a forbidden method mentioned in the Emigre Document, the same document James is hunting. Elaine was brought back to life but not her soul, leaving her body as a shell. James is devistated to learn that she's dead and all of his flaws come to life. The mutlitude of reasons why he is the way he is. He's judgemental, arrogant, and unyielding. Xenophobia and accusations spill out of his mouth. He's the last person you'd want to be stuck in inside a haunted mansion. It is with Elaine that we see why, he hates himself for being unable to love or support Elaine.
Elaine is also the voice that calls out to Koudelka and causes her to enter the mansion. At one point, Koudelka channels her spirit and begs the others to destroy her body.
To add to the sorrow, the cannon ending is the bad ending where James and Elaine ascend to heaven after the party fails to defeat her. It is difficult but possible to defeat Elaine but the game doesn't consider this cannon.
This is an interesting twist to the game. Most games encourage the good ending. The "good" ending has her soul reunite with her body and the bonded pair fall into the burning mansion.
As a side note, I heard that the prints on her body represent the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
Elaine's final form is more frightening.
Here she looks more Eldritch. A mix of a lobster, winged insect, and octopus. The strategy behind this boss fight is ridiculous. She can devistate the team in a few moves and heal herself.
Listed as "Explode Corpse," shouldn't it be Exploding Corpse? The bestarity says that it only feels pain. Without a mouth it can't even scream. A neat idea but not really Lovecraftian. I think I'm focusing too much on Lovecraft. I know this game was inspired by his works but not the entire thing. It reminds me of the Bomb monsters from Final Fantasy.
The Eyeball is a mass of flesh and tentacles with a few eyes poking out. The bestarity says that it's a sentient tumor. How disgusting.
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