We read all your suggestions and comments about the IE mascot, and one thing clearly stood out: you did not want a cute animal, but something darker and a bit disturbing that would reflect the Iron Empire vibe. Three types of animals were clearly your favorites: the mascot could have been a hyena, a bird of prey, or some sort of feline.

As some of you noted, the hyena might have been confused with a dog, and in the end, we also felt that it lacked the dark panache of the Iron Empire. The bird of prey, whether eagle or vulture, could have been interesting, but it is much harder to create a characterful bird since its facial features are so small and with little expressiveness. So we went back to the feline option which, it must be said, was our very first choice.

Since the Iron Empire background is redolent of many egyptian themes and references, their mascot could only be a variation on the famous hairless egyptian Sphinx cat that looks so mean and evil. We just decided to make it much bigger than a regular cat, since, after all, this particular ‘cat’ is obviously an alien life form and not something you’d find on Earth.

And this is how Jinx came to life. He may look like some kind of mean giant pet, but don’t be fooled, he’s much more than that… He was left behind by the Aegyptian civilization to be a guardian of their tombs and their secrets. And while his actions appear benign, he’s actually manipulating the Iron Empire to fulfill the interest of his alien masters…

You may wonder: “How big of a cat are we talking about? Waist height to the heroines? If it’s sitting upright?” – Our answer: “Yes, that’s just about right”.

THE IRON EMPIRE (IE)

The Iron Empire is made up of exiled people that have somehow stumbled upon necromantic knowledge from alien pharaonic gods. They combine Prussian and Germanic influences with some kind of Aegyptian cyber necromancy that allow them to raise the dead and create bio-mechanical aberrations.