Originally created for an assignment, this NieR fanwork is a continuation of the Automata and [Re]incarnation storylines. Here, 9S and 10H join together in the as-yet unseen Nightlands locale (the post-apocalyptic Americas, in NieR canon) and wander the frozen wasteland. During their travels, they meet the Devola and Popola units abandoned there, as well as a machine resembling the first game’s protagonist.
I wanted 9S's fragile mental state to be expressed in his design. He's unkempt, his body is deteriorating, and his attire is thrown-together and strictly utilitarian. Machine part trophies decorate his gear. I also gave him a machine arm, implying he has nothing else to fix himself with, as well as being an obvious nod to the 2B arm replacement in Automata.
10H's outfit borrows elements of early 2000s fashion to reference her interest in the long-extinct human race. I wanted to imply she absorbed a lot of data on the fashion leading up to when humanity fell and deliberately emulated it. It also looks very much like a YorHa uniform to suggest she still feels loyalty to that organization. This is also why she maintains her blindfold.
Devola's attire is a reinterpretation of her original Replicant/Gestalt design. I turned it into a leather catsuit-esque outfit to make it feel more futuristic and edgy. She is also missing an eye: this of course implies some sort of past incident or foul play, but also alludes to the three-eyed twins iconography when she is paired with Popola.
The notes for Devola also apply here. Popola's main outfit deviation is that her cloak is tied; when her arm is down, her body would be totally covered, visibly closing her off. Her stern expression sets her apart from prior polite iterations, suggesting a history that has already pushed her past her breaking point.
I had to stay relatively on-model for Nier, so his body's silhouette had to be maintained. The ball joints and metallic rendering are the primary ways to sell the idea this is a machine. The moth-like attire is inspired by the Shadowlord and his NieR:[Re]incarnation outfit concepts. The smaller design elements reference both the brother and father Nier designs. I also added shackles to suggest he was sealed away.
Setting exploration. These are various North American landscapes altered to be frozen over, the idea being eternal night would have brought about another ice age. The last scene is a battlefield with a machine dragon sealed in ice, which is a nod to a niche bit of lore pertaining to the Nightlands.
Prop exploration. The primary focus was on remnants of human civilization and repurposed machine parts.
Rendered props. 9S's sword (with a machine blade bolted to the hilt), 9S's broken pod, a broken flip phone with trash "charms", a flashlight, and bioluminescent mushrooms.