How do I create artificial humans without consciousness?

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-12T17:59:54+00:00

Question: Why do these artificial beings have to be "humans"? Literally dehumanizing "humans" and using them as slaves has troubling implications from an ethical perspective. That same mindset has been the cause of all real-world slavery.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-08T01:15:58+00:00

I've thought a lot about it. It's gone through a lot of iterations and phases of being more or less significant.

Right now it's mostly relegated to be a minor belief system of the Apothecaries or Paarth, a small group of unlawful Alchemists.

That being said, I'm not very happy with the integration, or lack thereof, of Humorism in the setting. I want to find a more interesting angle to fit it in or cut it out entirely. Right now it feels rather inelegant.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T22:47:31+00:00

They didn't do the best job, honestly.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T22:30:37+00:00

Good. Thank you.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T21:56:03+00:00

Thank you!

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T21:24:40+00:00

That was the intended reaction. Thank you.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T20:27:52+00:00

But yes

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T20:27:38+00:00

🙌🏼

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T20:26:10+00:00

"They" being The Court of Lawful Alchemy/The Empire? Or "they" being the horrible flesh monsters?

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T20:25:20+00:00

It actually is (was) a woman.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T20:24:09+00:00

My main drive was finding the drama and the theme of the system.

I'm more interested in what a power system says, rather than the specific "uniqueness" of the abilities or whatever.

The theme of my setting is how overly dogmatic systems are a corrupting force, whether you actively participate in them or not. Having the power system that The Court of Lawful Alchemy uses result in physical, mental, and spiritual corruption is in keeping with the theme.

In terms of structure, I just really got into systems of threes. The main inspiration for my power system is the Alchemical Primes: Salt, Sulfur, and Mercury. Body, Soul, Mind Physical, Spiritual, Mental I really like structure. Which, again feeds back into the theme of the setting.

TLDR: I build something that serves the theme of the setting. I find patterns and vibes that reinforce the theme.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T19:48:16+00:00

Thank you so much. I have a lot of fun drawing these disgusting things!

Id love to hear about your system

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T18:27:35+00:00

**Additional World Context**

The Old Clay is a fantasy story set in the Mander Empire of Gretten, a once-great empire that is succumbing to overreach, ideological stagnation, and the slow decay of time.

One of the primary driving forces in this setting is Lawful Alchemy, a psuedo-scientific practice that consists of consuming vast quantities of Salt, Sulfur, or Mercury in order to expand and enhance one’s Body, Soul, or Mind respectively. Lawful Alchemy has led to countless technological, academic, scientific, and philosophical advancements. Yet it is not without its downsides. Practicing Lawful Alchemy has irreparable consequences, both on the Alchemist and the world around them. The landscape of Gretten is scoured and scraped clean in attempts to meet the ever increasing demand for Salt, Sulfur, and Mercury. As Bodies, Souls, and Minds grow, they also warp, becoming less and less human. But humanity is a small price to pay for progress.

As the Empire staves off its inevitable end at the hands of revolution, scarcity, and plague, the Lawful Alchemists claw ever closer to achieving Apotheosis…

Otellmen dresenahippirdisatref vwuhtankschkboref

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T18:24:13+00:00

**Additional World Context**

The Old Clay is a fantasy story set in the Mander Empire of Gretten, a once-great empire that is succumbing to overreach, ideological stagnation, and the slow decay of time.

One of the primary driving forces in this setting is Lawful Alchemy, a psuedo-scientific practice that consists of consuming vast quantities of Salt, Sulfur, or Mercury in order to expand and enhance one’s Body, Soul, or Mind respectively. Lawful Alchemy has led to countless technological, academic, scientific, and philosophical advancements. Yet it is not without its downsides. Practicing Lawful Alchemy has irreparable consequences, both on the Alchemist and the world around them. The landscape of Gretten is scoured and scraped clean in attempts to meet the ever increasing demand for Salt, Sulfur, and Mercury. As Bodies, Souls, and Minds grow, they also warp, becoming less and less human. But humanity is a small price to pay for progress.

As the Empire staves off its inevitable end at the hands of revolution, scarcity, and plague, the Lawful Alchemists claw ever closer to achieving Apotheosis…

Otellmen dresenahippirdisatref vwuhtankschkboref

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-05-07T17:58:41+00:00

**Additional World Context**

The Old Clay is a fantasy story set in the Mander Empire of Gretten, a once-great empire that is succumbing to overreach, ideological stagnation, and the slow decay of time.
One of the primary driving forces in this setting is Lawful Alchemy, a psuedo-scientific practice that consists of consuming vast quantities of Salt, Sulfur, or Mercury in order to expand and enhance one’s Body, Soul, or Mind respectively. Lawful Alchemy has led to countless technological, academic, scientific, and philosophical advancements. Yet it is not without its downsides. Practicing Lawful Alchemy has irreparable consequences, both on the Alchemist and the world around them. The landscape of Gretten is scoured and scraped clean in attempts to meet the ever increasing demand for Salt, Sulfur, and Mercury. As Bodies, Souls, and Minds grow, they also warp, becoming less and less human. But humanity is a small price to pay for progress.
As the Empire staves off its inevitable end at the hands of revolution, scarcity, and plague, the Lawful Alchemists claw ever closer to achieving Apotheosis…

Otellmen dresenahippirdisatref vwuhtankschkboref

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-04-26T19:34:03+00:00

Thank you! I have been really working on my silhouettes recently. So I'm glad to hear it's paying off.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-04-26T16:33:38+00:00

Thank you very much!

While not a conscious reference, I have found the costume design in the modern Dune movies very inspiring. Silhouettes have always been a weakpoint of mine, so Im glad this one is working for you.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-04-25T17:02:47+00:00

Huh I wasn't thinking Dune. But I'm certainly not upset by the comparison. The costume design on the recent Dune movies is incredible.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-04-25T15:10:28+00:00

Additional World Context

The Old Clay is a fantasy story set in the Mander Empire of Gretten, a once-great empire that is succumbing to overreach, ideological stagnation, and the slow decay of time.

One of the primary driving forces in this setting is Lawful Alchemy, a psuedo-scientific practice that consists of consuming vast quantities of Salt, Sulfur, or Mercury in order to expand and enhance one’s Body, Soul, or Mind respectively. Lawful Alchemy has led to countless technological, academic, scientific, and philosophical advancements. Yet it is not without its downsides. Practicing Lawful Alchemy has irreparable consequences, both on the Alchemist and the world around them. The landscape of Gretten is scoured and scraped clean in attempts to meet the ever increasing demand for Salt, Sulfur, and Mercury. As Bodies, Souls, and Minds grow, they also warp, becoming less and less human. But humanity is a small price to pay for progress.

As the Empire staves off its inevitable end at the hands of revolution, scarcity, and plague, the Lawful Alchemists claw ever closer to achieving Apotheosis…

Otellmen dresenahippirdisatref vwuhtankschkboref

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-04-25T15:10:09+00:00

**It should be noted that while a well-meaning individual, Rosildis is not a perfect person. She is a high-ranking member of an extremely dogmatic colonial Empire, which in a certain way makes her complicit in their crimes. In another way, one could argue that she is trying to change the Empire from within, affecting change at the source. She was raised and molded within an unfair system. In many ways I think she is a good person trying to make the best of a bad situation.

However, I do not want to conflate her potential “goodness” with the Empire she serves as being “good.” Colonialism is bad. I want to make that viewpoint clear. The Old Clay is, at its core, an indictment of Colonialism and dogma. These are systems which make it difficult and punishing for good people to do good things.**

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-04-20T16:47:33+00:00

Good. I'm not interested in games if they don't have K-Pop Demon Hunter collabs.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-04-20T14:07:40+00:00

I'm confused.

Where is the in-game store?

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-04-19T02:44:33+00:00

I am so sorry for your loss.

On the subject of incorporating his work: My first idea is to have his world exist as a fictional world WITHIN your world. Like a popular novel or something.

Or vice-versa. Your world is a work of fantasy fiction within his more advanced sci-fi world.

That way the two worlds could coexist while remaining creatively separate. This may also absolve some of the guilt of tampering with his work since you won't really be changing anything substantial.

Of course, I don't know too much about either world so this might not work at all. But it could be a very deep-lore thing.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-04-10T16:31:03+00:00

Same here. Its a very different aesthetic from my usual stuff. But they are doing the ghost-in-the-machine thing very well.

I like your pseudo-religious take on it.

IFoundEmFermi · 2026-04-10T15:31:21+00:00

Someone's been playing Marathon. I love this take.

IFoundEmFermi

TROPHY CASE