LieOath of a Jester (2025 - 2026)

Educational Role Playing game - Dystopian Fantasy

With the objective to introducing students on the Animation Cinema course at the École de Condé Rennes to the widest possible spectrum of the creative entertainment industry, second-year students take part in a role-play exercise that I organise as part of their screenwriting and character design modules. (For reference, third-year students are creating a board game and a promotional trailer.)

By rolling dice to determine their characters’ stats – thereby encouraging them to move away from the trope of the character who has to be ‘cool’ – the students then take part in three three-hour sessions, after which they produce an illustrated book in which they recount their characters’ adventures through both text and visuals.

The themes vary each year, drawing on the cultural hits of the current year and combining them with one or more ‘classics’. In addition to the three sessions, I also produce an illustration to accompany the final one. Once the project is complete, a lesson is held explaining the narrative structure of role-playing games and the process of creating the illustration.

Year four of the role-playing projects at the École de Condé: following a survey of the students, the theme for the Animation Cinema section this time will be Dystopia. Éric Le Berre will be taking charge of half the class, whilst the other half will be working with me. Given that the recent popular success has, of course, been Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – where the world is certainly not what it seems, but where the question of who truly belongs here is far more complex – I decided to go with a dual dystopia.

Unlike Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the world presented to the students would appear radiant on the surface. A sort of compromise between the biblical paradise and a 5th-century BC Athens embellished to perfection – in this respect, Elpis from Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker quickly became one of my key points of reference – where magitech would, however, have advanced sufficiently to allow everyone to realise their wildest dreams. Thus was born Anemapolis, the city where everyone can fully embrace their own happiness—whether or not it aligns with that of others.

Clair Obscur by Sandfall Interactive meets Paprika by Satoshi Kon – it was with this idea in mind that I set out this year. And very quickly, as I explored the themes of puppets, marionettes and pretences that spiral out of control, Lies of P soon emerged as the final piece of the jigsaw that had been missing.

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Summary

"Welcome to Anemapolis, the city where your deepest desires can become reality. Where your sorrows will give way to your happiness, where whatever displeases you will crumble at the snap of a finger. Where no one will need to hope for tomorrow to experience a radiant day. Of course, this will come at a price... But what is a year or two of one’s life, or a misused finger or sense, compared to eternal bliss? La Felix Anema beckons you, and I, Puppet, offer you my hand.”

Anemapolis welcomes you along a vast marble avenue cutting through the clouds. In the distance, you catch sight of the horizon of a triptych-like city, but before you can set out to meet it, a black wooden puppet wearing a white mask approaches you. Cryptic yet smiling, polite yet relentless, the one known as Puppet guides you towards your new ‘today’.

Three leaders for three districts, all in the service of an anonymous entity. An imperial palace where life is but a stage built for dreams to dance upon. Islands floating in the heavens, spread across a hundred levels, where a plump lady and her little puppet offer you a home by the waterfalls. A City of marble and technology where everything can be bought, traded and spent, your gaze lost in the reflection of the coin-operated machine. Whom will you follow in your quest for love, wealth, glory or power? Eunequia of the Palatium, Lyssa of the Cascadeum, Icélos of the Emporium. Dame Beauvoir the Interior Designer, Marco Pelady the Dream-Tuner, Gidéo the Commissioner-Offerer… All aspire to the same goal: to shower you with the happiness that haunts your fantasies.

Unless, of course, you’d rather go it alone?

Whatever you choose, as you find your feet in this city of compulsory euphoria, don’t forget to keep your eyes wide open. For in this world, it may well be that behind these human faces lie wooden puppets held by strings. And as you draw closer to the truth, let me give you a word of advice.

Whatever you do, don’t look above your own head.

Even puppets have the right to feel like real children.

Concepts description

Anemapolis

‘Where the happiness lies’

Onomastics : Anima (soul) + Manea (madness) + Polis (city)

A city of white marble floating amidst a sea of clouds. A vast circular platform welcomes new arrivals to Anemapolis, offering a glimpse, at the end of a long avenue, of the city’s three iconic districts: the Cascadeum, the Palatium and the Emporium. Street lamps line this alabaster marble path, adorned with bluish patterns on the ground.

At the heart of Anemapolis, where the three districts meet, lies a square adorned with a gigantic fountain. A statue of a man draped in an opaque veil stands atop it, half-concealed behind the myriad jets of water. Benches set against a few flowerbeds complete this square, whose aesthetic lies halfway between Art Deco and Ancient Greek art.

Via a mysterious mechanism, a staircase opens up from the south side of the fountain, leading to a modification centre. Semi-circular counters flank strange capsules that facilitate these so-called modifications.

Puppet, ‘The Sincere Puppeteer’

A two-metre-tall puppet. With a black wooden body and a white mask, he is dressed in the regalia of a butler, in keeping with the same values. A smile is painted in red on the porcelain that serves as his face, whilst no pupils are needed for him to have a gaze. Exquisitely cordial, he seems to be the finest servant of a happy humanity.

Although the campaign quickly encourages players to be wary of Puppet, capitalising on their mistrust of this character who promises them happiness with such exaggerated fervour, Puppet’s aim is, on the contrary, never to lie to the players for a single moment. Whilst some are mere puppets beneath a flesh-and-blood façade, and others are prepared to flout their morals to satisfy their desires, Puppet remains, and will always remain, a true wooden marionette who, set free by his creator, continues to play his part: to entertain and bring joy to his audience.

Quickly revealed as the successor to the late Master of Anemapolis, the pupils—who were initially all opposed to the ‘dystopia’ of this society of enforced happiness—mostly ended up siding with him. Thus, four fought alongside him against the students N. and Lyssa, whilst the students É. and M. died during the final session.

And there they hang, the three chosen ones amongst the chosen. Suspended ten metres above the ground, their arms bound by strings that have turned them into mere puppets. “Those who, in exchange for a promise of eternity, agreed to seal their souls in a stasis of a single state. In the grip of a desperate, writhing and savage rage, Lyssa thrashes about and howls at a moon that refuses to appear. Eunequia, for his part, remains trapped in his moribund and infamous youth, magnificent in both beauty and powerlessness. Meanwhile, Icélos, terrified of change and discord, has lost both his right and his voice. In silence, he observes and suffers. He looks at you and you look at him. Icélos is you, that mirror which will soon shatter.” Puppet's Last Battle Overture Words

Cascadeum

"Where we live"

Onomastics : Coliseum + Waterfalls in French

A myriad of floating islands scattered across the sky over 100 storeys. Varying in size, these platforms are lush with plants, flowers, trees and… animals roaming freely around the homes of Anemapolis’s residents. Lakes and streams complete this idyllic landscape; the water, as it flows through the void, forms the multitude of waterfalls that give the place its name.

Every ten 'floors', there is a large park, allowing residents to gather and stroll together. And whilst legend has it that a resident’s social status depends on the storey on which they live, in reality no storey is off-limits to anyone… except the very first one. It is said to be reserved for the true master of the city.

The Secret Arena

A secret arena is situated on floor 0 of the Cascadeum, concealed behind a perfect circle of waterfalls. It is an imposing and majestic Colosseum, where battles, bets, deaths and cheers are in full swing. Lyssa reigns there as absolute mistress, fighting anyone who dares to seek out those final, thrilling moments.

Should you ever find yourself pushed into the void by Lyssa, you would discover what lies beneath the arena platform: the Mass Grave. It is there that the defeated puppets fall and remain, shattered for eternity.

Lyssa, "The Raging One"

Inspired by Lyssa/Lytta, the goddess of raging madness and animalistic fury from the pantheon of archaic Greece, this woman, who appears to be in her late twenties, runs the Cascadeum behind the scenes, leaving most of the responsibilities to Dame Beauvoir. Preferring to focus on the underground fights in the Arena, and as guardian of the Charnier—the place where all opponents of Puppet’s regime end up—‘She Who Dares What You Do Not’ is a fierce warrior whose self-assurance sometimes borders on arrogance.

Having opposed Puppet in the past, she has been searching for centuries now for someone with whom to plot a final rebellion. During the 2025/2026 campaign, student N. will manage to confront her and then convince her to join forces. The two of them, accompanied by Dame Beauvoir and her followers, will eventually slay Puppet, albeit at the cost of many sacrifices.

‘Fuck, that hurts. You really gave me a proper beating, haha. I suppose my story ends here, in this sand where far too much blood has been spilled. Ah… Don’t give up like I did, don’t give up on yourselves… the way I did. Hm… I’d forgotten just how empty I felt without all that rage. I miss it already…” Lyssa Last Words

Dame Beauvoir's Manor

A neo-Gothic manor house, comprising two wings and a sumptuous garden. An annex to the east of the main building is provided to accommodate guests.

Dame Beauvoir Beauty Designer

Inspired by Simone in NieR Automata – who in turn is a reference to the real Simone de Beauvoir – this lady, with her wide-brimmed hat and puffed-sleeve dress, is not unlike Yu Baba in Spirited Away. She is as generous as she is cantankerous; a contrast that often leads to numerous misunderstandings about her. Lyssa’s confidante and Irco’s adoptive mother, Dame Beauvoir is the undisputed matriarch of the Cascadeum.

A character who promises happiness to the student É.

Irco, Handyboy

A play on words combining ‘Ira’/‘Ire’ (Latin for ‘anger’) with a reference to the names of the Gestrals, Irco is a small wooden puppet who is always under Dame Beauvoir’s feet; he nicknames her ‘Madame Bavure’ (meaning 'blunder' in French). Determined, brave but clumsy, he is a helpful boy, albeit not very efficient. A word of warning, however: anyone who lays a finger on the woman he has chosen as his Mum will soon realise why his name is inspired by anger.

Gib & Dew, Guards of the Beauvoir Manor

Simple wooden guards, as likeable as they are daft. They pay homage to Biggs & Wedge, the legendary guards from the Final Fantasy franchise.

Palatium

"Where we dream"

Much like an Imperial Palace of ancient China, the Palatium stands at the centre of a perfectly flat promontory. Consisting of three buildings – the Harem, the Throne and the Archive – it is Eunequia’s residence. The red-tiled roofs and the deep anthracite-grey stone are embellished with gold grooves, and the pillars leading to the Throne Room are set with emeralds.

But the Throne does not actually refer to the seat on which Eunequia sits. No, it refers first and foremost to the colossal tree that stands at the heart of the building. A thousand-year-old tree over a hundred metres tall, with silver leaves and iridescent sap. Eunequia’s true throne is situated at the very top of the palace, resting directly against the bark of the sacred tree.

Eunequia, "'Belle' God"

A play on words combining “Nekuia” (meaning “corpse” in Ancient Greek and also the name of a necromantic ritual) and “Eunuch”. Eunequia is therefore a character clearly inspired by Kefka from Final Fantasy VI or by the character who inspired him, The Mule from Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series. To this I wanted to add a geisha-style aesthetic reminiscent of the Yoshiwara era: a bun that falls below her hips, a chiselled, almost emaciated face, red lipstick set off by the extreme pallor typical of a geisha, with a touch of rouge on her lower left eyelid and upper right eyelid… An aesthetic largely inspired by Sirène in Expedition 33.

The one who was once a Goddess reigns over the Palatium in a state of immortality that borders on mummification. Indifferent and detached from human customs, Eunequia is interested only in that which is beautiful and that which seeks to become even more so. An ally of the destitute, whom she deems magnificent, she is a queen as magnanimous as she is ruthless.

A character who promises happiness to student P.

Eunequia had never been one who spoke much. So Eunequia simply reached out a hand and stroked your cheek. They smiled tenderly, then mischievously. “You are… beautiful.” Then Eunequia faded away. Eunequia Last Words

The Archive

This is where Marco Pelady works and creates tailor-made dreams for his clients. Much like a catacomb or a mausoleum, the building is underground, and the sleeping quarters are somewhat reminiscent of crypts. Comfortable, but crypts nonetheless. It is hot and humid down there, and it is not uncommon to find oneself mesmerised by the fiery dance of the torches that light up the place.

Marco Pelady, The Dream Weaver.

A play on the names of two of the most famous mimes: the mime Marceau and Pylades, an Anatolian mime from the 1st century BC under Roman rule.

Artistic director of the Palatium, he leads the Harem troupe so that its members ‘dance’ out the dreams that those who come to the Archive wish to experience.

A character who promises happiness to the student K.

The Harem

A place where those filled with desires come and leave with those desires satisfied...

Otobuki Ono, The Silent Dancer. 

This is a play on the name of Kazuo Ōno, the dancer who founded Butoh, a genre of dance-theatre that bridges the gap between Kabuki, Noh and contemporary dance. A portmanteau name, therefore, signifying a character of exceptional longevity but marked by ageing, since Otobuki Ono is the one who recovers the years sacrificed by the inhabitants of Anemapolis to offer them to Eunequia.

Pascaline (Blaise Pascal’s calculating machine), a street urchin in Ono’s service.

As the bearer of quests from the Palatium, she is in fact Eunequia’s secondary ‘Face’, which he uses to roam Anemapolis in search of beauty.

Emporium

"Where we spend"

Onomastics : Centre of Power + Trading Post in Antiquity

A city within a city. Surprisingly ‘high-tech’ with its marble and glass skyscrapers, it is a veritable maze of shops of all kinds that teem through its streets. If there’s anything for sale in this world, you can be sure to buy it here. In the Emporium, there’s no question of legal or illegal; as long as there’s a seller and a buyer, the deal will go through.

Rumour has it that the neighbourhood’s tallest tower is home, at night, to a casino reserved for the most daring…

Icélos, "The Fellow".

Phobetor’s other name, an Oneiroi (a deity embodying dreams in Greek mythology), also known as “The Frightening One”. The idea was to draw inspiration from an Oneiroi with two names, in order to embody the other side of a mirror. In fact, Icélos has no fixed appearance. He simply looks like you.

The one who is/has what you want ultimately had little impact during the campaign, as the pupils explored and made far greater use of the Cascadeum and the Palatium.

A character who promises happiness to student M.

"This world was going so well. Who are you to come along and ruin it all like this? You are the dystopia – the self-righteous, armed with an illusory sense of justice that looks only to yourselves..." Icélos Last Words

Idyll

The Casino where everything is just a game and an auction. Stake whatever you wish, bet according to the rules you lay down, and play!

Gidéo, Idyll's Auction-Gifter

A reference to Gideon in Pinocchio, the Disney adaptation. Wearing an enormous cat’s head as a mask, he loves it when you win, but loves it even more when it’s the Casino’s turn to take the pot.

Gius(eppe), the Emporium's Craftsman.

This time, it’s Gepetto’s turn from The Adventures of Pinocchio, which is more closely based on Carlo Collodi’s original version. As Gepetto is a diminutive of the first name Giuseppe, I simply opted for Gius to throw the pupils off the scent, but the archetype is strictly that of the Gepetto from the original.

 A venerable carpenter toiling at the very end of a cul-de-sac in the Emporium, he is the creator of all the wooden puppets in Anemapolis. Does he have any connection with Puppet?

???

"???"

The fourth district of Anemapolis, created by the new Tentacled God following his ascension to the throne of Eunequia. A thick, viscous miasma permeates the area, giving the sensation of moving underwater. Sunlight never really filters through, lending the black stone of the district’s buildings an almost malevolent aura.

Created in the image of the student K.