Rise of Riese

As regular readers will note, I love a woman who can kick ass and still maintain her feminine charm. And now, a new Canadian series will provide viewers with both of these noble traits AND add a wolf companion to boot.

This is Riese, The Series.

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Eleysia, the once prosperous Kingdom of the Wolf, now exists as a shattered, decimated vision of its former glory. The Golden Age defined by the Empress Kara and the Emperor Ulric is erased following a violent coup d'etat orchestrated by a secretive religious cult known as The Sect. Amara, a gorgeous and vicious tyrant, assumes the throne and redirects the wealth and power of the nation to a colonization campaign victimizing the nations that surround the once peaceful Eleysia. In turn, The Sect asserts their religious dominance over the weakened state, claiming their position as the 'official' religion of the expanding nation.

The land is dying and the people are slipping into the darkness with it -- until one woman summons the strength to alter the fate of her world forever.

She is Riese. With her trusted wolf companion, Fenrir, Riese will become the heroine Eleysia needs to survive. Her fugitive flight across the kingdom will lead Riese to important revelations regarding her past that will reveal her integral role in overthrowing The Sect once and for all.

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Please tell me you are as excited about this series as I am. 

I was first introduced to Riese via a Globe and Mail article providing a rough sketch of the series and a brief rundown about their impressive viral marketing campaign. Riese is a Vancouver-based online series that more or less made its official debut this Nov. 2, 2009. It's fresh, it's dark, and it boasts a heroine with a tough as nails demeanor and a wicked costume to boot.

Not to mention, the series combines two genres I am absolutely in love with. On one hand, Riese operates within the generic conventions of fantasy. It's a narrative the revolves around a mythical world overrun by the darkness of a corrupt government/religious cult and only one heroine can stand against it. And heck, just read over the characters' names again and you can sense that fantasy vibe. On the other hand, the series borrows heavily from the steampunk aesthetic, one that combines Victorian-esque tastes and style with futuristic technologies.

Oh, I am simply frothing at the mouth with excitement.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, I give you the official trailer for Riese.

DISCLAIMER: I would suggest keeping a napkin/handkerchief/bucket close by while watching this -- wouldn't want you to drool all over your keyboards, now.

The Hunt Is On.