Hello everyone, welcome to the third blog post of the development of Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo. Today we’re explaining how the world of Limbo works. This will give you a different lens through which you can experience the story of the game.
If you haven’t had a chance yet, you can read our previous two blogs here and here.
What IS Limbo?
Limbo is not a physical place in the world; You can’t point to it on a map. Instead, Limbo is a spiritual realm which lies in an overlap between the living world and the great beyond.
The souls of Limbo, being trapped by their unfinished business, are mostly unaware of having passed away.
All souls in Limbo have a reason to be there. Including Kulebra.
Unfortunately, they’re unable to make any progress because of the Curse of Limbo. Every night, the world returns to how it was at the start of the day, and the souls forget all the events that transpired. Essentially, they’re stuck in a time-loop.
Not all is lost for them, powerful emotions will leave a mark in these souls, letting them bring those memories past the reset. It’ll take several cycles, but with proper help, these souls will find a resolution.
At the end of the day, everything will return to how it was.
Limbo is a malleable place which adapts and reflects those who inhabit it. Souls that arrive at Limbo will bring part of their living environment with them, so the locales you find are imitations of their living-world counterparts.
Once a soul leaves Limbo, the environment they brought with them and their traces will eventually disappear as well, though sometimes other souls (or birds) can repurpose these and make them their own.
The environments themselves tell a story.
And now’s a good time to segway into the different types of inhabitants in Limbo.
The Souls of Limbo
All the souls in Limbo have one thing in common: A reason that keeps them from moving on. We can separate them into four categories: Lost souls, Dark Souls, Blanc souls, and Bright souls.
Lost Souls
Lost souls are the spirits of people who had a significant unresolved task that is not allowing them to move on. They have a set routine because the curse of Limbo resets all their actions. Most named souls you encounter will fall here.
Rosa and Flora are the first of the many Lost Souls you’ll meet.
Dark Souls
However, what happens to a lost soul that never resolves their problems? Over time, their frustrations will taint their hearts. These dark emotions will consume them, and once they’re completely taken over, they (and those nearby) will be taken to a dark realm of their own doing to never see the light again.
While tainted souls can still be helped, they will be very averse in confronting their situation. In these cases, there’s no option but to force them to come face to face with their problems. It is a dangerous situation for everyone involved, but it’s the only hope they have to heal.
Dark souls won’t concede so easily. Will you be able to help them?
Blanc Souls
Blanc souls are ones that have a weak tie to their past lives, usually due to their unresolved issue being relatively simple (sometimes they might even solve it themselves). Since Blanc souls are a piece of a soul, their appearance only reflects small traits of them. They’re affected by the curse all the same as regular souls.
Usually it only takes a slight push to help them find their way out of Limbo, so it’s never a bad idea to check on Blanc Souls you find on your way.
This Blanc Soul REALLY likes rock-paper-scissors.
Bright Souls
Bright souls are guiding spirits that help other souls find their way out of Limbo. These souls are the product of kind beings that have a natural affinity to help others. Unlike the other souls, Bright souls keep their memories throughout the time-loop, which help in their mission to guide others towards a resolution. Kulebra is one of these souls, a snake with a heart of gold. However, while Bright souls help other souls escape Limbo, they’re not any less trapped than them.
Hey, look! That’s you!
So, this brings up characters like our dear old Krow, where does he fit?
The Birds among the Dead
Birds are special in Limbo, they are the only living beings capable of crossing to the realm of Limbo. You’ll meet many living birds that have come to Limbo for their own reasons.
Krow (left) is a hard-working member of the Wing Union. Pica (right) is a jerk.
The Wing Union is an organization of birds tasked to help souls in Limbo find a resolution to the problems. Not much is known about how the Wing Union was formed, but they have grown considerably from their humble beginnings. According to their members, the Wing Union’s salaries and benefits are pretty good; They might not offer free dental care, but their employees don’t seem to mind.
The Wing Union HQ. Looking sharp!
The Ancient Ruins
A mystery lies within the lands of Limbo. Ruins of a long lost civilization whisper tales of forgotten times. Who they were and what they represent have been lost to time, and most souls that arrive at Limbo don’t pay them any attention.
Perhaps you’ll uncover the secrets within these temples.
“Open sesame” won’t work on this door.
Until next month!
Galla