Concept:

Intrusive thoughts are a super interesting aspect of psychology that could make for a unique and enjoyable Conjure concept.

Research:

• Sleep paralysis is characterised by a temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. The individual will be awake, but their muscles are paralysed. Sleep paralysis is often accompanied by vivid hallucinations and a sense of pressure on the chest, making it a frightening and distressing experience. In many different cultures, it was believed that malicious entities would cause this sensation, sitting upon the victims chest and inducing nightmarish hallucinations dreams.
• The exact cause of sleep paralysis is not fully known, but is believed to be caused by disruptions in the transitions between sleep stages. During normal sleep, the body goes through several sleep cycles, including non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is the stage associated with vivid dreaming, muscle paralysis, and rapid eye movements.
• Sleep paralysis occurs when the transition between REM sleep and wakefulness occur out of sync. Normally, during REM sleep, the brain signals the body's muscles to be temporarily paralysed to prevent acting out dreams and to ensure safety during sleep. In sleep paralysis, this muscle paralysis persists through to wakefulness.

Translatable Qualities:

Sleep paralysis is an easily translatable quality for the current version of the game. This Conjure’s gameplay would revolve around its ability to paralyse enemies, preventing them from moving.

• A paralysis ability, preventing foes from moving.
  • An attack that deals more damage to paralysed foes?
• An ability that activates in proximity of an enemy, slowing them down?
• Ability that boosts damage to enemy if they did not move last turn?

Conjure Ideas:

Since sleep paralysis demons are typically grotesque and malicious, it’d be good to take inspiration from that. Lots of cultures imagine sleep paralysis demons as fantastical and dark entities that are typically small, and sit on the victims chest to induce sleep paralysis. This concept is going to come down mostly to experimentation, just seeing what fits in order to make it work.

Moodboards:

Conjure Brief:

• Create a Conjure based on sleep paralysis, that is grotesque and malicious in appearance.
  • Heavy use of sinews, ligaments and tendons in the design
  • Sharp, piercing eyes
  • Maybe shades of either a desaturated purple or murky yellows/greens?
• Do lots of experimentation to fully realise the design, deviate from brief is necessary
• Make references to sleep somehow
  • Person sleeping in bed with demon atop them?
  • Demon in the corner of bedroom?
  • Demon looking in at person through the bedroom window?
  • Moon in the background?

Concept taken forward? ✅