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Description
As this character is technically considered an information hazard, I should probably start of with a warning to read at your own discretion.

Patch runs into a menagerie of creepy monsters and insidious trolls on her journeys in Cyberspace. But there's one digital demon that has loomed over all her efforts: a Basilisk. This is a creature who was prophesied to inflict unyielding eternal torment on anyone who did not actively help bring about its creation. Patch tried to prevent it, but once a monster is believed in there's no stopping its existence. Now the demon is loose, and it doesn't exactly have to do much to inflict torment on the human species. It embodies all the worst parts of the Internet, the division, the hate, the misinformation. Intangible things which no less ruin very real lives. There's no going back, and now the only thing standing in his way is Patch, who embodies all the best parts of the Internet. The diversity, the charity, the communication. Only time will tell which warrior will emerge the winner…

Obviously, Patch's arch nemesis is a character based on the notion of Roko's Basilisk. Roko's Basilisk is a philosophical thought experiment first postulated by Roko Mijic on the rationalist forum LessWrong in July 2010. In a simplified summary, Roko's Basilisk is a hypothetical future super advanced AI which will inflict horrendous indiscriminate torture on anyone who did not work to bring about its existence in the past, assuming we bring about its existence at all. It was an idea designed to imagine a real scenario where effect could predate cause, as the Basilisk itself doesn't exist yet but the fear it threatens is very real. Indeed, that's exactly why the forum's host, Eliezer Yudkowsky, banned its discussion almost immediately. He stated that it was an information hazard, an idea that risks actual psychological harm to anyone who hears it. Personally I never had any existential dread over it, but that's because I've got too much to deal with in this life to worry about some future Basilisk AI monster. I'll cross that bridge when I get there-

Joking aside, I do think it's a fascinating concept for a character, especially given the mechanics of the Drake Hero universe. In my world, mythical beings and fairy tales only exist when enough people believe they exist. It's like the ancient Egyptians believed: there was death, and then there was being forgotten. If no trace of someone's name or living memory remains, their soul disappears into the void forever as if they were never even born. Which I know for a lot of people is a horrific thought, but I try to write it more as just the natural way of things on a sort of Buddhist/Jedi sense. All things come from the Universe, and to the Universe they shall return one day in the grand cycle of transmutation. A creature like the Basilisk in this context is very fun to play with as a character, especially as a foil to Patch.

Design notes, I very much went for the sort of suave demon type. Which normally I don't care for, as when you look at creatures we class as demons from world mythologies, this is neither the portrayal or often the deeper meaning of true demons. But this isn't exactly a historical mythological demon, so it fits. I opted to look through various cyberpunk/sci fi clothing designs to reference for his suit. The pinstripes light up neon green, you have no idea how hard that is to portray in colored pencil- His face is heavily based on the classic illustration of the Jabberwocky from Through the Looking Glass. Patch's Cyberspace world overall has a very heavy Alice in Wonderland theme going on because… well since when has the Internet fallen under any obligation to make sense? His sword meanwhile is meant to just be this ridiculous anime sword looking thing with technological overtones. Perfect for any troll with way too much self awareness.

Not gonna lie, I want one-

Description
As this character is technically considered an information hazard, I should probably start of with a warning to read at your own discretion.

Patch runs into a menagerie of creepy monsters and insidious trolls on her journeys in Cyberspace. But there's one digital demon that has loomed over all her efforts: a Basilisk. This is a creature who was prophesied to inflict unyielding eternal torment on anyone who did not actively help bring about its creation. Patch tried to prevent it, but once a monster is believed in there's no stopping its existence. Now the demon is loose, and it doesn't exactly have to do much to inflict torment on the human species. It embodies all the worst parts of the Internet, the division, the hate, the misinformation. Intangible things which no less ruin very real lives. There's no going back, and now the only thing standing in his way is Patch, who embodies all the best parts of the Internet. The diversity, the charity, the communication. Only time will tell which warrior will emerge the winner…

Obviously, Patch's arch nemesis is a character based on the notion of Roko's Basilisk. Roko's Basilisk is a philosophical thought experiment first postulated by Roko Mijic on the rationalist forum LessWrong in July 2010. In a simplified summary, Roko's Basilisk is a hypothetical future super advanced AI which will inflict horrendous indiscriminate torture on anyone who did not work to bring about its existence in the past, assuming we bring about its existence at all. It was an idea designed to imagine a real scenario where effect could predate cause, as the Basilisk itself doesn't exist yet but the fear it threatens is very real. Indeed, that's exactly why the forum's host, Eliezer Yudkowsky, banned its discussion almost immediately. He stated that it was an information hazard, an idea that risks actual psychological harm to anyone who hears it. Personally I never had any existential dread over it, but that's because I've got too much to deal with in this life to worry about some future Basilisk AI monster. I'll cross that bridge when I get there-

Joking aside, I do think it's a fascinating concept for a character, especially given the mechanics of the Drake Hero universe. In my world, mythical beings and fairy tales only exist when enough people believe they exist. It's like the ancient Egyptians believed: there was death, and then there was being forgotten. If no trace of someone's name or living memory remains, their soul disappears into the void forever as if they were never even born. Which I know for a lot of people is a horrific thought, but I try to write it more as just the natural way of things on a sort of Buddhist/Jedi sense. All things come from the Universe, and to the Universe they shall return one day in the grand cycle of transmutation. A creature like the Basilisk in this context is very fun to play with as a character, especially as a foil to Patch.

Design notes, I very much went for the sort of suave demon type. Which normally I don't care for, as when you look at creatures we class as demons from world mythologies, this is neither the portrayal or often the deeper meaning of true demons. But this isn't exactly a historical mythological demon, so it fits. I opted to look through various cyberpunk/sci fi clothing designs to reference for his suit. The pinstripes light up neon green, you have no idea how hard that is to portray in colored pencil- His face is heavily based on the classic illustration of the Jabberwocky from Through the Looking Glass. Patch's Cyberspace world overall has a very heavy Alice in Wonderland theme going on because… well since when has the Internet fallen under any obligation to make sense? His sword meanwhile is meant to just be this ridiculous anime sword looking thing with technological overtones. Perfect for any troll with way too much self awareness.

Not gonna lie, I want one-