Why do you feel the need to trademark your assets at this point?

I mean, it sounds like your blocker to making them worth something is that they're possibly not worth anything...

...so why not make it, and then if it starts making money, pop the trademarks? People aren't likely to notice (and steal) unless it's successful enough anyway.

...plus, AFAIK, you can't protect game mechanics; it's something like they're considered the same as math: can't copyright, can't patent.