Story Development

Khentopia has been a long time coming. An initial short film called Khenton's Curse was completed in 2015 as entry for a game character animation contest organized by Reallusion. I did not win, but Khentopia was born, and it inspired me to expand the ideas into a longer movie.

In early 2017, I got the idea for the current storyline, triggered by the outcome of the 2016 elections. I felt that we had somehow entered a parallel universe. These circumstances affect Khentopia in the future, as there are now two parallel timelines, one desirable, the other one not so much.

The story takes place in 2502, so about 500 years later. Khentopia is a peaceful society on the planet Zeeray. There is a protective force field that envelops the planet as a defense against outside threats. This forcefield is powered by ethereal energy, generated through chanting. The Crystalloy, a crystal-like substance with exceptional characteristics, is used to convert the chanting into energy.

The ethereal power generation occurs at Harmony Center, which includes four so-called Harmony Halls. In each Hall, there are thirty chanters, positioned around a circular disk that collects the ethereal energy emanating from the chanters. The output of the four Harmony Halls is combined and then focused into a powerful beam that feeds the protective force field.

On the morning of June 6, raider ship Space Wolf approaches planet Zeeray. Learning from his science officer about the protective forcefield, the captain becomes intent on breaking through the field by disturbing the chanting. The science officer has an idea, and they send their main operative to the planet to carry out the plan.

The inciting incident is when the plan succeeds, and the ethereal power generation is obliterated. The protective shield is no more, but as a side effect the Space Wolf ends up in a parallel universe with an alternate Khentopia. One that detects the Space Wolf and forces it to leave, or else...

Through a fluke, some characters that we encounter in the original, “real” Khentopia show up in alternate Khentopia. They have to deal with this grim and hositile new reality. Fortunately, two former guards of Harmony Center now have high positions in the intelligence community and are able to help the one surviving chanter and his girlfriend. Eventually, their primary goal is to get back, as we will find out.

Character Development

We can distinguish three groups of characters. The first is the crew of the Space Wolf. The second is a group of inhabitants from real Khentopia that end up in alternate Khentopia. The third is a group of inhabitants from alternate Khentopia. The Space Wolf itself plays a role too. First it brings destruction and then later it serves as a vehicle to escape alternate Khentopia.

The Crew of the Space Wolf