Summary: In the ancient world of gods and mortals, the afterlife is governed by a clandestine pact. Meet Alika Eros, a valiant Athenian soldier whose fate takes a gripping turn in the wake of the Battle of Marathon. After death claims him, he finds himself on the shores of the river Styx in the shadowy realm of the underworld.
Waiting in the darkness, Alika learns of the Toll of the Ferryman. The enigmatic price required to cross the treacherous waters into Elysium. Without payment for passage to the afterlife, his soul is dammed to eternal wandering.
Yet, fate has other plans for Alika. Confronting Kharon, the stoic and enigmatic Ferryman of the Dead, he strikes an audacious bargain. Bound to Kharon as an indentured servant, Alika embarks on a thrilling journey, becoming the Ferryman's instrument of justice.
As the stakes escalate, Alika realizes that his actions will tip the balance between the worlds of both gods and men. Every choice he makes echoes through eternity, with the future of the living and the dead hanging in the balance.
Join Alika Eros in The Ferryman, an epic odyssey that intertwines mythology, fantasy, and destiny. Unravel the mysteries of the afterlife, battle malevolent forces, and walk the precarious path between life and death. The fate of the cosmos awaits, and the journey will leave yearning for more.
From the Writer: What happens after death? Is there a heaven? A hell? A purgatory? These are the questions I wanted to explore through The Ferryman. I wanted to explore the many plains of existence by following a character who could traverse the many frontiers of the afterlife.
From the Artist: I have always been interested in Greek mythology, so I was intrigued when Brock approached me about the story. What excited me most was the opportunity to explore the character of Kharon. A major figure in Greek mythology, but with very little was actually written about him.
When creating the visual style for The Ferryman, I was heavily influenced by SuperGiants’s game Hades. It’s a game about escaping the underworld, so that was my start. Combined with some dreary music, I was able to follow Alika through this new realm. I was also inspired by the game Hyper Light Drifter. While the game is not specifically based on classical mythology, the tone and color pallet used inspired my version of the Underworld. I was specifically interested in using color to trigger emotion in this color. Specific colors evoke emotional responses. I painted the Underworld in shades of green to create a sense of uneasiness and insecurity. I tried to use red tones to alter the audience to imminent danger. I want the reader to feel Alika’s feelings as he traverses the unknown.
