Tempera is a land of creation, constantly evolving as creativity ebbs and flows throughout the realm. It is said the Muses created this realm to preserve the imagination of all worlds. Splatterkins are the physical manifestation of artistic creation. However, by seeking to preserve the imagination of all, both joyous and malignant Splatterkins were created. Malignant Splatterkins are known as Inkkins. They are corrupted Splatterkin that taint and consume whatever they touch. Centuries ago, the Muses cast the Inkkins to their own island, called Stained Ilse, where they may tarnish and corrupt without interference. The Muses had feared the corruption the Inkkins bring was growing too strong and Tempera would be nothing but ruin if left unchecked. The Inkkins were not pleased with being banished from the rest of Tempera and revolted against the Muses. In order to prevent the Inkkins from tarnishing Tempera forever, the Muses split their souls into two. One half of the soul searched far and wide across many worlds to find beings they would knight as Visionaries. Visionaries are artistic individuals that are blessed with the ability to summon Splatterkins and command them in battles against other Visionaries and ultimately the Inkkins. The other half of the Muses’ souls were locked away deep within the continents of Tempera as a ward against the Inkkins. Inkkins were unable to step foot onto any continent that contained the resting soul of a Muse, that is until recently… 

A realm known as Tempera became the heart and soul of humanity’s creativity. Tempera was protected and governed by 7 Muses: Kalenah, Amari, Tegan, Morado, Sonnet, Cadenza, and Lucille. Each Muse watched over different types of artistic expression and creation, answering the prayers and calls of many. As humanity created stories, paintings, dances and songs, their creations came to life and populated Tempera. The Grand Muse, Kalenah, decided it was best to sort the creations based upon the colorways they possessed and assigned the Muse best suited to guide and watch over them. Centuries went by and the Muses effortlessly watched over humanity’s creations and answered their prayers. Day in and day out the hard work of millions came to fruition and the Muses delighted in seeing what new creature would appear in Tempera. They affectionately called them Splatterkins due to the way they appeared from splatters of paint-like materials.

Deep within Tempera there was an Isle tucked away in the shadows. From there, the Muses began to feel an unrest amongst the creations and murmurs of unsettling, twisted, ink-like blobs were circulating. While the Isle was difficult to access, the concern amongst the Muses remained and a young Muse named Lucille volunteered to search out these ink-like beings. The mission was to research and learn more about them, to see if their worry was warranted or not. As time passed, Lucille’s research went from curiosity to morbid fascination. Their reports back to the other Muse’s became less frequent, their behavior more erratic and their appearance more twisted and unrecognizable. Eventually, reports came to a stop and Grand Muse Kalenah formed a search party and set out to find Lucille. Days and weeks passed yet there was no sign of Lucille. The Grand Muse became increasingly fretful over the situation and while Tempera was a place of creation and all were loved, these beings were twisted, unlike the others, and their intentions believed to be malicious. The presence of these creatures sent chills down the spine and voices whispered in the mind. Eventually, the search party was called off and Grand Muse Kalenah returned to the other Muses with sadness in their heart. They believed the worst for Lucille’s fate and warned all in Tempera to refrain from going to the Isle. For centuries prior the Isle went unnamed and due to the taint that existed there in addition to the loss of Lucille, it was dubbed Stained Isle.

The Grand Muse discussed with the others in great detail what horrors they saw, the eerie feelings of always being watched and the thoughts that crept into their mind. It was an unsavory place and the Grand Muse called the beings that existed there Inkkins. It was believed that if a creation stayed there for too long or came in contact with the ink-like substance, it would be tainted forever, becoming an Inkkin themself. Before any speculation could occur from the other Muses as to what happened to Lucille, Grand Muse Kalenah informed them that their beloved friend had passed from this realm. While the Grand Muse knew it wasn’t the truth, it was the only way they could think of to prevent the other Muses from searching themselves for the friend they lost. Grand Muse Kalenah did not wish to lose any of the remaining Muses to the darkness that festered. The Inkkins were malicious creations and fears eventually were realized as Splatterkins began to go missing or worse.

As years passed, the Inkkins did not stop in their corruption of Tempera and Lucille would resurface to pay an unexpected visit to the 6 Muses. The Muses were horrified at seeing their beloved friend in such a twisted and tainted condition. Some questioned how and why Lucille was there, believing their friend lost to the realm. The creatures that followed Lucille did not add reassurance and many quickly understood the truth. Grand Muse Kalenah ordered Lucille to leave at once. Lucille refused to leave and the Muses were forced to battle against their former friend. Some of the Muses begged Lucille to stop under the belief that there must be another way. Others fought with vigor, understanding that Lucille was too far gone to be helped. The Grand Muse attempted to retain order amongst the chaos and eventually cast Lucille and the Inkkins out of the temple. Lucille’s last words were a warning before they returned to the Isle, “Your time is almost at an end. Tempera will be ruled by a new wave of creativity.” As the dust settled, the Muses swiftly got to work discussing the turn of events. Some cried, others were furious and most of all the Grand Muse blamed themself for letting Lucille go to Stained Isle in the first place. They knew something had to be done otherwise Tempera would not be the place of creation it was for much longer. If Lucille’s idea of creativity included the darkness from the Isle, humanity’s inspiration was at jeopardy. A difficult decision was made to seal Lucille’s soul and the Inkkins to Stained Isle.

In order to protect Tempera and all of creation, each Muse selected a handful of trusted Splatterkins to become guardians of Tempera. These guardians were to look after the other Splatterkins and assist in answering the prayers of millions. The selected Splatterkins were unique from the others, blessed with the ability to take the form of any Splatterkin created, and recognizable by their shimmering glow. These special creations were called Shimmerkins. It was believed by the Muses that the Shimmerkins would be immune to the corruption of the Inkkins and should the worst happen, creation would still be preserved.

Months passed and the conditions in Tempera quickly deteriorated in the areas surrounding the Isle. The Muses knew they had to act quickly and finished creating the ritual that would seal Lucille and the Inkkins away. In order to perform the ritual, each Muse would split their soul into two parts. One part stayed in Tempera, nestled deep within the realm to act as a piece of the barrier, preventing the Inkkins from escaping out of Stained Isle. The other half of their soul would seek out chosen individuals that would eventually be known as Visionaries. A Visionary’s fate would become to befriend, train and assist Splatterkins in hopes of one day overcoming the taint of the Inkkins and stop Lucille from overtaking the realm. While the Muses wished there was another way, they knew deep in their hearts it was their best attempt at gaining the time needed to prepare the Visionaries for the battles ahead. Lucille’s strength had grown beyond what they could overcome in battle. One the fated day, the 6 Muses lured all wandering Inkkins they could find back towards the Isle. When all Muses were accounted for and the Inkkins were back in their place of origin, the Muses performed the ritual, splitting their souls. The barrier rose up, sealing Lucille and their soul to Stained Isle and prevented Splatterkins from entering and Inkkins from leaving.

The realm of Tempera mourned on that fateful day as many Splatterkins were devastated at the sacrifice the Muses made to ensure their safety. Humanity’s prayers went unanswered and frustration mounted. Artists far and wide suffered an unshakeable block. As days passed, the Shimmerkins took up the mantle of answering prayers, slowly restoring order to humanity’s creative process and lifting the block from the minds of creatives. Years came and went and the corruption of Tempera slowed without the interference of the Inkkin and Lucille. The Shimmerkins continued to answer prayers in the Muses' absence, protected shrines that the Splatterkins erected in memory of their beloved Muses and sought out the wish left by the Grand Muse: “Find the Visionaries… They will guide Tempera in its time of need.”