“Fog Friend, Glimmerwing Foglin” is a creative project that combines 3D uncanny character modelling with a storytelling workshop designed for and with children.
This project begins with a creature called “Fog Friend, Glimmerwing Foglin,” which exists in a virtual world created through 3D modeling in Blender and implemented within a game engine (Unreal Engine 5). The creature, Foglin, is a being that changes its appearance depending on the true nature of the individual it encounters. In a Creative Storytelling workshop with elementary school children, they completed the narrative of Foglin’s story by filling in the “beginning” and “development” sections of a booklet, creating their own versions of the Foglin and imagining their unique adventures.

The author’s initial exploration of this project was rooted in reflection on individuals’ changing appearance and behavior depending on who they meet, from which the concept of “meeting” as a keyword was derived. The workshop with children expands this idea as participants together explore and reflect on what it means to “meet.” Additionally, just as the children illustrated their unique stories in the booklet, Foglin also changes its appearance, influenced by the encounters with others, adapting to new worlds and continuing its adventures.

The author’s perception of the Foglin creature, which embodies the theme of “meeting,” changed before and after the workshop. Prior to the workshop, the focus was on the technical aspects of the project, such as the creation of the booklet and the technical implementation. Foglin, at that time, was an imagined creature existing only in the author’s mind. However, after the workshop, the concept of “meeting” transformed from an abstract idea into a tangible experience. It became clear that real connections formed with children create meaningful relationships, where we influence and change one another, and through these relationships, we feel warmth and affection in our lives.

The technical process prior to the workshop can be broken down into three main stages:

• 3D Character Modelling in Blender

• Environment and Game Control Setup in Unreal Engine 5

• A3 Booklet Production for Workshop with Children

Since the character imbued with narrative was the starting point of the project, the author completed the first draft of the story and then imagined the character’s appearance before beginning 3D modeling in Blender. Various processes, such as topology, texturing, sculpting, shading, rigging, and animation, were tested as part of the 3D character creation process. The story of Foglin remains unfinished, allowing the audience to imagine and interpret its nature through short episodes and a biography.

To represent Foglin’s ability to change its appearance, a shimmering effect (skeletal mesh + Niagara) was applied in Unreal Engine 5 to evoke a sense of variable form.

The environment was set up using PCG and HDRI. Living in a foggy forest village, Foglin typically coexists with nature, occasionally interacting with people, animals, and plants to change its appearance. Readers can refer to the attached episodes to explore the moments when Foglin undergoes transformations.

Interactive Storytelling Workshop with Children

1. Objectives of the Interactive Storytelling Workshop

This workshop was designed with two primary objectives in mind.

The first goal was to shift young students’ perception of games from passive consumption to active creation. In an era where early elementary students are constantly exposed to various forms of media—games, videos, and digital content—the workshop aimed to introduce the idea that they, too, can become creators. Particularly targeting children in rural areas with limited access to media education, the program highlighted how game development is a collaborative creative process involving diverse professionals such as story writers, character designers, and programmers. Through discussions on how school subjects like Korean, Math, and English relate to game development, students were encouraged to view games as a form of integrated art and a potential future career path.

The second goal focused on expanding the narrative universe of a character called “Foglin,” a being that transforms through encounters and relationships. After reading an open-ended story featuring Foglin, students were invited to imagine and create their own versions of the character and develop original endings using both writing and illustration. Through this activity, they explored themes of change and connection in a creative and personalized way, contributing their unique voices to the ongoing worldbuilding of the Foglin narrative.

2. Interactive Storybook Workshop

In the workshop, the “Interactive Storybook Workshop” was designed to help children understand the concept of game creation in an easy and engaging way through creative storytelling. Students read the open-ended story “Fog Friend, Glimmerwing Foglin”, and were then encouraged to imagine what might happen next, completing the story with their own writing and illustrations.

As part of the workshop, a video was presented showing the Foglin character—created using Unreal Engine 5—moving within a virtual environment, accompanied by immersive background music. This experience helped students naturally grasp the connection between character and narrative, while also understanding that games are not merely forms of play but creative works that combine storytelling, design, and programming.

To support this activity, an A3-sized folding Interactive Storybook for Children was created. The booklet included only the introduction and development (“gi” and “seung”) of the story on the front pages, leaving the remaining parts (“jeon” and “gyeol”) blank for children to complete using their own drawings, writing, or comics. On the final page, five guiding questions were provided to spark ideas and assist students who may have felt unsure about how to begin creating their stories.

After the Workshop: Designing for Relational Creativity

In the post-workshop survey, the majority of children cited “meeting the teacher” as the “most memorable part” of the experience. This unexpected response highlighted that a meeting can be more than just a starting point—it can become the foundation for relationships and a catalyst for creative expression. Rather than remaining passive participants, the children were able to freely express their imagination and actively engage in creative activities through emotional connection and trust with the educator.

This insight resonated deeply with the core philosophy behind the character Foglin. Foglin is a being that continuously transforms through encounters with others—adapting, responding, and evolving within its relationships and environment. The creative energy observed in the workshop, grounded in relational interaction, mirrored Foglin’s conceptual structure as a dynamic and relational entity.

Ultimately, the workshop evolved beyond a simple creative session. It became a space for genuine relational creativity, built on interaction, connection, and trust**. This experience provided valuable insights for the future development of the Foglin character—especially the need to express not only external transformations but also emotional responsiveness and its fluid identity as shaped through connection.

It became clear that the project must go beyond technical implementation and explore how to design meaningful relational experiences between the character and the user. This reaffirmed the idea that relationship is not only the starting point of creativity—but its very core.