Sauria: The Prehistoric World

Life can easily become Death

The Overview:

Sauria is an interesting combination of fantasy, sci-fi, and prehistoric horror to address real-life situations created by David Armsby, commonly known as Dead Sound. Sauria is based in the land of Sauria, surprise. The land is torn with war and grief after years of battle between the BlueSong Empire and the Kindred of the Tusk Clan. 

The BlueSong Empire is a Romanesque empire that is dedicated to taking over the known world. Yes, very Roman. They are highly intelligent, utilizing Triceratops and strict honor codes. They even have gladiator fights. What I find interesting is the people’s aesthetic versus the laws and traditions. The people are anamorphic raptors with antlers known as Avi-Saurian. They have a very whimsical, almost druid feel to them. The Chancellor (basically the Emperor) has strings of stones hanging from their antlers and wears long, flowy robes. So you would think magic is a thing in this empire. WRONG. Magic is banned. You learn more about why in the Rise of the Decayed.

The Kindred of the Tusk are portrayed as the barbarians of the wilds, challenging the BlueSong’s desire for order and domination. They strive in familial connections and deeply rooted traditions that trace back to the creation of Sauria. The Soli-Saurians are rough, rugged-looking carnivores, similar to the anamorphic Carnarourus and Tyrannosaurus rex. They utilize heavier weapons that lean on the more brutish and violent side. They were once split into many smaller clans fighting for the limited water sprinkled across the desert. After an Ancient Soli-Saurian unified them with knowledge from the outside world and water. They hold their elders in high regard due to the ancient Soli. This caused them to only pick the wisest and strongest of their clan to be the war chieftains. 

Which brings us to the current conflict. BlueSong wants the Tusks' land; the Tusks said no. Violently. This means gore is a thing, so is violence. And guess what! There’s a cult. Who would have thought. 

The Cult is known as the Fell. The swamp they inhabit was once a grand city, with many great scholars, scientists, and shamans. Yes, this is where magic started and ended. The Fell are creatures cursed with the All-Seeing Curse (zombies in essence) and Pterodactyl/humanoid creatures, bent on bringing back their master. Their master, you might ask? The Greater Elder Ones. YEP! The eldritch gods are here. And they want vengeance.

Joking aside. Dead Sound made a great world that ties in witchcraft, war, and wilderness. He pulls in different extinct creatures to build a world that teaches the importance of warnings and how things are not always as they seem.

My Thoughts:

I love Sauria. Dead Sound has a great combination of Sci-fi and Fantasy in all his videos. I started with his Autodale series and then found out he did videos about dinosaurs… And yes, I have an unhealthy obsession with dinosaurs. I do plan on going over his other short films, because they are fantastic. 

Sauria caught my special attention because of the mix of human nature and dinosaur survival. The BlueSong and the Kindred visually show a war that has been waging on for years. Nature vs man. The BlueSong relies on conquering and controlling, while the Kindred are about becoming one with the land and going with the flow. Both have their perks. Both have their place. But when they clash, blood is inevitable. And who doesn’t love a good drama? 

The art style is also one of my favorites. I love the texture and the movements. Dead Sound also does amazing work on facial expressions. The scenes with no words, only facial expressions, are amazing. Especially in Winter Weathered. PEAK!

I love the stories behind it and how Dead Sound gives behind-the-scenes of how he makes everything. I highly recommend watching the story first, then te behind the behind-the-scenes, then the story again. Let me tell you, it’s eye-opening. 

It is a little violent and terrifying, but I love how Sauris is clean. No language and no nudity; the only thing that comes close to drugs is the All-Seeing Curse. It is bloody; you have executions, war, and revenge, so… it’s not completely perfect. But a great set of short films to pass the time or watch for inspiration!

The Graph:

Blood and Gore - 25%: Bloodshed is shown, but it’s not overdramatic and only the blood is shown. 

Violence- 35%: These films rely heavily on tribal war and military expansion. So lots of violently poking and smashing. 

Terror- 30%: There’s a Cult that does creepy things. Dark Fantasy elements such as psychological torture and revenge are present. Also, there is a permanent sense of impending doom throughout the series (Minus the end of Winter Weathered). 

Non-problematic- 10%: No language, drugs, alcohol, or explicit material. And you get great shots of the dinosaurs.

Sauria Graph

Name meanings:

Taurox: Latin “Bull”

Toro: Spanish and Italian “Bull”

Helionyx: Greek “Sun Claw” or “Solar Talon”

Tuskox: Old English “Tooth” and Ox symbolizes “strength, diligence, and perseverance”

The Chancellor: An old Latin term for a doorkeeper who worked behind a screen.Captain Ornithicera: Greek "bird-hipped"

Links:

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Spoilers

The AI promise: This is in David Armby's bio, “NO AI: I have never used AI and I never will. I firmly believe that AI does not belong in art at all.” I don’t think I need to add anything else. 

This is only half the Story:

I learned this while diving into the lore behind Sauria. Yeah, apparently there are supposed to be THREE more films. THREE! With all due respect, Dead Sound…. I need to know what happens with Captain Ornithicera and the Fell. PLEASE!!

My Theory with Dead Sound: My Theory is a little out there, but I believe that all of Dead Sound’s short films are somehow connected. I don’t know how quiet yet, but I’ll update y’all when I do the Autodale review.

Thank you so much! For reading my rantings and my random links. I loved diving into Sauria more. It was a blast learning more about the Fell and the update shared in the spoilers. Definitely a four out five stars. Random question. Which side do you want to win? The Kindered of the Tusk, the BlueSong Empire, or The Fell? My vote is on the Kindred of the Tusk. Y’all have a good one. 

Keep turning pages. Bard out!