Back 4 Blood: Children of the Worm
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Wrote script and provided creative direction in this cinematic to kickstart the "Children of the Worm" DLC and introduce our newest character, "Prophet" Dan.
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Concepted and wrote VO barks and campaign lines for a new playable character, "Prophet" Dan (debuted in DLC 2: Children of the Worm).
Listen to “Prophet Dan” Voice lines
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Wrote campaign script, floating conversations, gameplay barks for all player characters and new enemies (cultists), item and map names for DLC 2, "Children of the Worm."
Worked with Creative Director to cast new playable character "Prophet" Dan, the new villain, and all cultist enemies.
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Wrote narrative-centric trailer script to showcase new content for Back 4 Blood's second DLC, Children of the Worm.
Watch “Children of the Worm” launch trailer -
Wrote VO barks and campaign lines for a new enemy type, Pusflinger.
Listen to Pusflinger voicelines -
Wrote VO barks and campaign lines for a new enemy type, Slasher.
Listen to Slasher voice lines -
Wrote VO barks and campaign lines for a new enemy type, Crone.
Listen to Crone voice lines -
Wrote VO barks and campaign lines for a new enemy type, Sniper.
Listen to Sniper voice lines
Back 4 Blood: Tunnels of Terror
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Concepted and wrote VO barks and campaign lines for a new playable character, Sharice.
Listen to Sharice voice over lines
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Concepted and wrote VO barks and campaign lines for a new playable character, Heng.
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Wrote a modular campaign script, floating conversations, gameplay barks for all player characters and new enemies (cultists), item and map names for DLC 2, "Children of the Worm."
Worked with Creative Director to cast new playable character "Prophet" Dan, the new villain, and all cultist enemies.
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Wrote narrative-centric trailer script to showcase new content for Back 4 Blood's first DLC, “Tunnels of Terror.”
Watch “Tunnels of Terror” launch trailer
Ardenweald and the Night Fae Covenant
Zone and character backstories for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands.
In this piece, I worked with the Narrative Director to tell the 10-hour zone story in 1200 words. I had full reign to create the bestiary section, which inspired the quest team to rewrite the faerie tricksters as a bit darker, adding nuance to the race as a whole.
Read this piece on the official World of Warcraft website.
A twilight-tinged afterlife for those closely connected to the wild, Ardenweald is a domain of restoration tended by the mystic night fae. Within this eternal forest, massive dream trees draw in precious anima—the essence of souls that flows through the Shadowlands—to feed the spirits of nature awaiting rebirth into the cycle.
WELCOME TO ARDENWEALD
The ethereal umbral forests of Ardenweald are where wild spirits return after their time on the mortal plane come to an end so that they can again be reborn. However, this lush afterlife paradise has suffered greatly from the mysterious anima drought plaguing the Shadowlands. Everything that grows here has begun to wither, and the cycle of reincarnation is in peril unless things change—and swiftly.
First things first, you must seek out the Winter Queen—ruler of Ardenweald and the Night Fae Covenant—to deliver urgent news.
Deep within Ardenweald, wildseeds nurturing slumbering nature spirits are restored until they are ready to be awakened.
ARDENWEALD’S INHABITANTS
Meet the denizens of Ardenweald.
FAERIES
Mischievous tricksters of the woods, the mercurial faeries of Ardenweald use a mix of theatrical talents and cunning to care for rejuvenating spirits. Faeries use song to soothe away the pain of the great, resting spirits and snatch up lesser creatures lured by their eerie melodies, grinding them up into poultices. Faeries are just as easy to appease as they are to offend, so be wary of your actions.
VORKAI
The fierce and daring vorkai are the protectors and guardians of Ardenweald.
Vorkai make up the bulk of the Winter Queen’s Wild Hunt, who safeguard the domain against those seeking to bring imbalance. During the anima drought, it has fallen on them to enact the Winter Queen’s decrees of which groves flourish or are left to wither.
SYLVAR
Loyal, polite, and graceful, the sylvar are crafters and enchanters who create tools, foci, and magical objects to maintain the ebb and flow of existence in Ardenweald.
Recently, some groves in Ardenweald have been decreed to let their nurtured souls perish, so that others may survive the drought.
TIRNENN
Calm, patient, and enigmatic even to others in the Shadowlands, the tirnenn are slow to action as well as anger. They are the eldest of the Fae Court—quiet and thoughtful, and generally friendly unless you threaten their groves.
While slow to enrage, they are terrible to behold in battle, capable of shaping the land and flora around their enemies with frightening speed.
WINTER QUEEN
Leader of Ardenweald, the ethereal Winter Queen is charged with the sacred task of maintaining the great cycle of rebirth: restoring perished loa, Wild Gods, Ancients, and other nature spirits and returning them to the mortal plane.
She and the land are one; as the land thrives, so does she. But recently the land has grown sick, and this has taken a bitter toll on her. The anima drought has forced her to make hard choices over which groves to save and which to let go—losing beloved nature spirits in the process.
DRUST
With the drought weakening the guardians of Ardenweald, the ancient Drust have seized the opportunity to invade from their nightmarish realm of Thros. Using their twisted form of druidism to feed upon the dying groves, the Drust grow stronger with every wildseed that perishes. Though relatively few in number, the Drust are using dark rituals to pull the native fae into their forces.
SPRIGGAN
Spriggan are small, malicious creatures native to Ardenweald who live to create chaos. Some have heard the whispers of the death loa Mueh'zala, and gleefully carry out his plans. Others follow no ruler, simply reveling in the wanton mischief and destruction they unleash upon the inhabitants of Ardenweald.
MORTAL SOULS
In addition to the native fae creatures that the forest calls forth to nurture the wildseeds, Ardenweald serves as an afterlife for mortal souls who shared a special bond with the natural cycle. Druids, hunters, and others who tended the land may be judged worthy of an eternity spent caring for the wilds. Upon arrival, these souls can choose an animal form infused with the celestial magic of Ardenweald.
NEW HERO FIRST LOOK: MOIRA
Character backstory for the Overwatch hero, Moira.
For this character profile, I worked with the Lead Writer to tell Moira’s background in a new way, along with weaving a story about how she uses her biotic energy and other abilities in combat.
Read this piece on the official Overwatch website.
Wielding both regenerative and degenerative technologies at her fingertips, Moira O’Deorain is an ambitious geneticist who seeks to rewrite the building blocks of humanity by any means necessary.
Ostracized by her peers over perceived ethical shortfalls and disavowed by Overwatch following an incident in Venice, the former Blackwatch agent has recently found a new home with the scientific collective that founded Oasis. Yet, some have whispered that her true allegiance is to the shadowy organization, Talon, who has secretly funded (and ultimately benefitted from) her controversial research for years. Unconcerned with these allegations, Moira continues to push the boundaries of science and will go to any lengths to make her next breakthrough in human evolution.
ABILITY OVERVIEW
Moira’s cutting-edge capabilities make her a mobile healer and damage dealer capable of adapting to any situation. Her main attack is Biotic Grasp, which she can use to either heal allies or sap an enemy’s life force. Biotic Grasp’s primary fire sprays a cone of energy that heals all teammates within range, draining biotic energy while active, which will replenish slowly over time. Her alternate fire is a beam that tethers to the closest enemy, dealing damage and siphoning health. Draining her foes’ health regenerates Moira’s biotic energy even faster, allowing more healing for her allies.
Her Biotic Orb ability launches a sphere of energy that bounces around the battlefield, healing nearby allies or damaging enemies until it dissipates. Fade enables Moira to disappear out of sight and into the shadows, granting her a sprint and making her invulnerable for its duration. When Moira’s ultimate is ready to be unleashed, she can cast Coalescence—a powerful, long-range beam of chaotic energy that pierces through barriers to heal allies or damage enemies in its path.
Learn more about Moira’s abilities and backstory on her official hero detail page.
UNLOCK TRUE POTENTIAL
Moira is the sixth support character to join the Overwatch lineup and her gameplay is engineered to both give and take away life as she strategically moves around the battlefield. She excels at burst healing multiple allies at once as well as disrupting enemies’ positioning—forcing them to move away from her damaging Biotic Orb and Coalescence beam. Meanwhile, Fade helps Moira escape from unfavorable situations while her healing Biotic Orb allows her to effectively duel enemies in a pinch.
Biotic Grasp is a versatile weapon, adapting to the situation to serve as a consistent heal output or an extra source of damage. While Biotic Grasp’s range is short compared to other healers’ abilities, her Biotic Orb can float far away to extend her presence on the battlefield.
Moira is available for testing right now on the Overwatch PTR!
If you’d like to help us reveal her true potential (and experience better living through science), simply log into the Public Test Region, then head to our official forums to report your findings. Click here for more info.
BON VOYAGE: PARIS TRAVEL GUIDE
Map backstory for the Overwatch map, Paris.
Using the Paris map design as inspiration, I weaved together the off-screen lore and layered in some worldbuilding to breathe life into this flavorful preview piece.
Read this piece on the official Overwatch website.
In the modern day, Paris has established itself as one of the most important art cities in the world. The most obvious impression comes from the art nouveau stylings that can be seen around the city which is flourishing after decades of rebuilding. But not all of the city's fantastic art is found in galleries and museums. Find bold street paintings by revolutionary omnic artist Liberte in the Quartier Omnic.
Expect traffic delays and increased security presence near the Maison Marat over the weekend. A grand gala is being held to celebrate the recent passage of controversial omnic rights legislation.
Don't forget to feast your ears at the Cabaret Luna. The eponymous Luna performs at the seven nights a week without fail. A place where everyone is welcome (except lousy tippers!), cozy up alongside movie stars, locals, revolutionaries, and other guests to catch the City of Light's preeminent diva.
There's a new omnic chef at Parisian institution Les Deux Escargots, but have no fear, the escargot are still on the menu (and on the signs!) and early reviews say that it now has service to match the food!
Try artisanal treats so good that even criminals want a bite. Pâtisserie Galand, known for their delicate mille-feuille and colorful macarons, has reopened after being closed for repairs following an audacious daylight robbery! The two miscreants didn't take any money: all they wanted were the delicious, sweet masterpieces that Pâtisserie Galand is famous for.
Paris is a city of hidden gems, search out the speakeasies and hidden places as you roam the city. The right word might get you into a place you never knew existed.
“Our Ticket Outta Here”
This piece was born of a personal challenge to hone my skills in creating distinct voices from characters with similar physical attributes and life experiences (male, close in age, brothers, both work on the same family farm and haven’t left it).
FADE IN:
INT. FARM SHED - DAY
CLAY KEARNEY, early 30’s clad in welding attire, crouches by a tractor-like machine, torching a plate of reinforced steel onto a time-worn tractor. ACE KEARNEY, mid 20’s, donning pilot gear strolls into the shed.
ACE
Alright, she’s all fixed up. Runs even better now, I’d say.
CLAY
We’ll see about that. Go on, fire ‘er up. Gotta wrap harvest in A3 ‘fore the frost sets in.
ACE
Yeah, about that.
Clay sets down his torch and lifts the tinted visor on his helmet.
ACE
So, the Exhibition Rumble’s next week.
CLAY
Uh-huh. You’re not talking about the Murder Ball are ya?
ACE
The one and same. Anyway, it’s a million-credit prize pool.
Clay whistles and walks over to the water spigot, canteen in hand.
CLAY
Must be nice for all those dandies to parade around their precious sport EXOs.
ACE
Could be nice for us, too, Clay.
CLAY
What’re you asking?
ACE
A thousand creds gets me a spot.
CLAY
That’s a lot of fucking money, Ace.
ACE
I scoped it out, most of ‘em are amateurs blinded by the cred prize. My only competition is Sylas, and he—
CLAY
Sylas has gone undefeated for the past five years.
ACE
Not this year if I’m in it. I’ve been training, and–
CLAY
Training ain’t gonna help your jerry-rigged farm rig against his military-grade EXO.
Clay sidesteps Ace and walks back to his welding station.
CLAY
Not gonna throw away our life on a bet.
ACE
You wouldn’t be throwing it away, this is our ticket outta here. With that kind of cred we—
CLAY
Pitting our rust bucket against elite EXOs ain’t the play! One wrong move, one accident and we lose our EXO. Our livelihood.
ACE
You’re so damn stubborn! You’d rather cling onto this bleak existence and call it stability instead of seeing that there’s a better way to live.
CLAY
You have no idea what it’s like to be me. To have others rely on you.
He tosses down the canteen.
CLAY
I got a kid to think of Ace. Can’t risk it on you.
ACE
How can you risk not doing something? Look around you. Everything we have is falling apart. We’re at a breaking point.
CLAY
We’ll get off this rock.
ACE
Mom sure as hell thought so too, Clay. But we’re both still here. You think Jay wants this life?
CLAY
Jay’s eight. He doesn’t know what he wants yet.
ACE
Right, just like how we didn’t know what we wanted when we were kids?
CLAY
He changes his mind every damn day. Talks up a storm about being an EXO pilot.
ACE
That what you want?
CLAY
I want him to have a choice.
ACE
Let me win this for you, Clay. With the money we’ll make a new life for ourselves and your kid will get to live his dreams.
Clay gives Ace a good, hard look.
CLAY
Then you gotta do something for me.
ACE
What do you need?
CLAY
Get A3 cleared. Then we’ll talk.