Teddy bears and dreams/imagination go hand-in-hand. There was no other more fitting concept to use as the basis for the first Conjure in the game. Even though I am only in the concepting phase with this idea, I am 100% going to utilise it, as it fits too strongly to omit.
I remember when I was a child, I had a single teddy that stayed in my bed from my first at-home sleep till I was about nine. It was in complete tatters after that time, beaten up and damaged, it had truly been with me through thick and thin. I held a firm belief that, if it were next to me, no monsters or evil could infiltrate my sleep or hurt me in any way - it brought comfort that not much else could. We all know that sleeping with something like a teddy bear can bring us comfort, but why? Therapist Margaret Van Ackeren, LMFT, says 'in most instances, adults sleep with childhood stuffed animals because it brings them a sense of security and reduces negative feelings, such as lonliness and anxiety'. Teddy bears serve as a silent friend who simply takes all of the stress and negativity of our lives onto itself, soaking it up like a sponge, never showing any signs of struggle in that task - no one quite seems to understand us like our teddy bear. The round appearance, happy expression and soft texture welcomes us and makes us feel at ease knowing it is not dangerous or hurtful.
We may also sleep with teddy bears as a form of 'transition' from sleeping with our parents as very young children, to developing our independence as we grow. Sleeping with a teddy bear may help to fill the gap that our parents can no longer fill. Donald Winnicott coined the term 'transitional object ' to ' describe any non-imaginary object that a child chooses on their own, attributes special value to, and over which the child has absolute control'. They don't just help during sleep either, they provide security and comfort whenever the parents cannot be there. In fact, studies suggest that children with parents who are consistently present within their lives do not feel as much need to cling to a teddy bear for comfort. This sense of comfort and security is something I want to convey much more literally within the design and artwork of The Hero. The Hero needs to showcase its unwavering loyalty and its bravery - it needs to be a literal security measure for the player. When I think of blind loyalty and security, I immediately think of a soldier, a knight. A stalwart and brave individual ready to face any opposition with nothing short of pure courage.
This Conjure would be a direct translation of a knight/teddy bear. I didn’t have many ideas about this Conjure, as I am pretty much already set on the knight idea, as I simply don’t see this Conjure looking any other way.
In terms of gameplay, this Conjure will adopt similar combat mechanics to that of a real knight:
