More-than-human Forms
SKOURA - (Berber: ⵙⴽⵓⵔⴰ, Arabic: سكورة) - Morocco by EBENZ AUGUSTAVE
"Fantasy Anthropology": An aesthetic that mines the visual vocabulary of the tribal Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region without being locked into the authenticity constraints of any single village or tribe. The art direction is pure "Cinematic Ethnography"—we're elevating and dramatizing the anthropological truth of matriarchal wealth signaling (silver jewelry as currency) and ritual performance across nomadic cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. The visual narrative repositions these women from "primitive" exotica into commanding figures of an ancient, silver-clad empire.
The narrative is anchored by Finn.Machina, RAIDER whose very name suggests a blend of organic "Finn" (evoking wildness, intuition, perhaps a link to Celtic warrior mythos) and the cold, logical ".Machina" (integrated technology, enhanced processing). Finn is a preeminent warrior and strategist, whose abilities make them invaluable but whose unique perspective. Story written by Ebenz Augustave
Kerosene - winter of 99 - y2k demon
It was the end of the 90s, and Detroit was pummeled by a snow storm as panic ensued over Y2K.
Were the heat and lights ever gonna come back on? Refuge under a cozy blanket with a mug in hand.
Perfumer
John Pegg
Notes
Smoldering vanilla, woods, molasses, nutmeg.Concept by Ebenz Augstave (2025)
Cultural Context: 1999 marked the peak of pre-millennium tension
the era of The Matrix and Fight Club. Culturally, it captured a moment when techno-optimism collided with dystopian fear, epitomized by the looming Y2K bug.
The "Joker" Archetype: The grin evokes the Trickster or the Joker figure. Within the context of a perfume ad, it suggests the scent transforms you into an agent of chaos. You don't wear this to blend in you wear it to disrupt.
Deeply influenced by their respective belief systems. Each faction has unique rituals, hierarchies, interpretations of their powers, and approaches to "normals." This allows for rich cultural exploration and internal conflict.
Book 2: Explores the deepening conflict, the "normals'" attempts to understand and fight back, growing rifts within the Raider factions, and Finn.Machina’s evolving understanding of their role.
Book 3: Sees the ultimate confrontation, the potential for transformation or annihilation of one or both societies, and the resolution of Finn.Machina's internal and external conflicts.
THE RUNE: MANNAR / MANNAZ / MADR
Maðr er manns gaman ok moldar auki ok skipa skreytir.homo mildingr.
"Man delight of man and augmentation of the earth and adorner of ships. human. generous one."
CONCEPT by Ebenz Augustave
They were the Masked, the neurodivergent forced to hide their extraordinary abilities from a world that feared them. Now, they are the RAIDERS – a formidable force of superpowered conquistadors, their diverse factions united by a chilling belief system and a plan to reclaim and reshape the "normal" Earth. At the vanguard is Finn.Machina, a being of terrifying power and fractured identity, whose actions will determine the fate of two humanities.
RAIDER - Story written by Ebenz Augustave
“I am breaking my own rule not to make this about science fiction, but I’ve found it hard not to refer to it at least a bit. The truth is that science fiction is one of our only sources of expansive thought experiments about the future; I think it says something bad that it’s entangled so heavily with a particular narrow subculture.”
Dario Amodei
ART DIRECTION by Ebenz Augustave
PRAYER
Prostration includes both the bowing of the head and the humbling of the heart, allowing the heart to reach its highest point in submission.除墓地和盥洗室外,整个地球都已成为祈祷的地方。- “The entire earth has been made a place of prayer, except for graveyards and washrooms.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī 317)
I burn, consumed; and resurrect, half-slain - Vita Sackville-West