VOYAGE - A History of the Selenites archived preview

The moon of Kheops Studio's upcoming adventure, VOYAGE, is much different than the moon you think you know. For one thing, it's inhabited. That's kind of a biggie right there. Or at least, it was inhabited by an advanced race called the Selenites. When Michel Ardan crash lands in the dense flora(!) of the lunar surface in this re-imagined story inspired by Jules Verne, he discovers evidence of this ancient civilization, but not the existence of it. Stranded and alone, Ardan soon realizes that the fate of this mysterious race is integrally linked to his own.

On the eve of VOYAGE's release, The Adventure Company has provided an exclusive historical account of the Selenites, and a glimpse of the outcast remnants left behind. Click the images for larger versions.

 

A LOST CIVILIZATION?

Michel Ardan arrives at the foot of a set of stairs that lead to the fault. At the top he is confronted by a majestic building that appears to be long abandoned. The building does not have a roof but it contains a series of open-air rooms with low relief sculptures and ideograms adorning the surrounding walls.

Statues represent creatures with a fairly close resemblance to those encountered at the crater, but covered in adornments or wearing strange equipment. Was there a powerful lunar race that existed who has since degenerated?

 

THE SELENITE AGES

The lunar civilization is much older than that on Earth and is marked by three ages:

The Age of Worship: Long ago time, the Selenites worshipped the Earth and dreamed of one day traveling to the magnificent blue planet. The majestic building Michel Arden discovers was built during this age. It is a temple dedicated to Earth.

The Age of Travel: Lunar science was sufficiently advanced to enable the Selenites to make their dreams come true. They sent manned capsules to Earth, which were similar to the one used by Michel Ardan to get to the Moon. The Selenite astronauts settled on Earth. Surprised by the barbaric Earthlings, they endeavored to educate some of them. During this time, regular exchanges were established between the two planets. The temple was at its glory during this age. The Selenites set up equipment in the lunar temple to communicate with the Selenite colony on Earth.

The Age of Withdrawal: The Selenites grew tired of the Earthlings' brutality – the devastating use of gunpowder is one good example! Travel stopped and the Selenite population withdrew into itself. That is how things remained until Michel Ardan's journey.

On Earth, only an Earthling sect, the Lunatics, remember the "Age of Travel" and they maintain the Selenite teachings. The sect contacted Michel Ardan before his departure and gave him a small lunar ideogram dictionary to help him decipher the lunar inscriptions.

On the Moon, the Selenites have long abandoned the temple dedicated to Earth. Furthermore, their trips to the Moon's surface became increasingly rare as this is where they banish the dregs of their society: the criminals and psychotics.

 

 

 

But the question still remains… What became of the Selenites?