[Pitdragon]

Really gonna have to play with my scanner settings. Her skin still looks vaguely Tei'Kaliath-ish. :/ Robe is a bit too peachy as well, I need to back off a bit

[Smokehammer]

I dig the way her hair turned out regardless.

[Pitdragon]

More copic practice. I messed up some over on her right side - a slight bleed in the upper area where the cloth is secured due to getting overly-excited with blending the metal look and not watching the bleed. The lower area on one of her tracks of land was from having to clean up a mark that went over because I was not staying in the lines.

Closer to how I see her, closer.

[Sonor Val'Illhar'dro]

A gift compilation of all the OC Jaals

[Sy'rasri]

Ah, so cute Sonor!
I wish we could play Jaal's.
Oh well, all your characters look wonderful!

[Pitdragon]

Yes! Oo, is that cake? We should totally scope out a future Book Fuel before chapters that Jaal could be in. :9

[Pitdragon]

First, a bit of junk here with Tu'suust. You may remember her a long time ago as the Xuile'solen "spy's" apprentice. She might be showing up in a future chapter (37?)! Hopefully looking much better than this.


Now, onto the challenge! I've decided to motivate myself to draw much more, I would design an OC for at least each of the Major clans of Chel, with maybe some minor ones of Chel and elsewhere. Gia'trosa of course already exists as my Jaal contribution, so maybe I'll redraw her last doing her usual job, or not. We'll see. Also, I have an idea for the Nal'sarkoth, but anyone that has insight to some greater "cultural" things about them (clothing style, etc) from Daydream showing Mimeid, I would appreciate some input!

First on the agenda is Am'ozako Vloz'ress, Berserker:


Am'ozako might not even be her (yes, her!) real name. She came to the Vloz'ress already being deformed, heavily tainted, when they first came to power. Over time her Nether Summoner realized that Am'ozako was already possessed, and the Vel'akar who now lives her life came to the Vloz because its ways represent the ways the demon thinks - pure power and strength are what makes one great, what makes one dominant.

I could imagine her entering the service of one of the strongest contenders for leadership in the Vloz - such as having been one of Sene'kha's Berserkers, or something like that. While our pal Baliir would speak of positive anarchy, Am'ozako would speak in terms of survival of the fittest and having no sympathy toward the weak and unfortunate, no qualms in destroying them if they got in her way. Even if it would distress him (or possibly because it would), she'd be someone that would continue to banter with him on the subject of might makes right vs abolishment of such systems. I wouldn't call her a great intellectual, but she isn't completely stupid and doesn't simply make choices for cruelty's or "anarchy's" sake - Chaotic Evil doesn't always mean Chaotic stupid. She'd fall somewhere in the NE to CE range though if I were to have to give her that sort of "alignment," though thankfully Drowtales is devoid of that.

My DA page has more on the inspiration for her appearance.

[Pitdragon]

Next up is a Kyorl'solenurn creation, Ken'dosha Kyorl'solenurn:



Ken'dosha I sorta already created in a very crappy pic a while back, but I revamped him a bit to look more Templar-y and to improve his appearance.

In my general idea, I'd like to think that Shimi got Kami'seide the best of the best to return her to full health, and so secretly employed the Jaal (something like that Wild Speculation Reva had about Valla'drielle). Gia'trosa was assigned to it (given that her work leans more toward operations and prosthetics used to improve quality of life, and some hope that a half blood with only minor modifications might be taken easier than a Jaal with more work done on her), and at a neutral location rebuilt Kami'seide (yes, better, faster, stronger, kinda hard not to with new parts!). Ken'dosha would not leave Kami'seide's side though, feeling it was his fault for not being with her when she was captured. Gia allowed him to stay, to everyone's surprise, and expected him to fully assist her. He agreed to do as told and was taught the physical therapy Kami would need to recover.

Gia's bedside manner and amiable treatment of him made him rethink being hard-line about so many things the Kyorl encourage. He couldn't feel threatened by her as a half-blood, and convinced himself that it was her Dutan'vir side that drove her to "do good." He couldn't hate all Jaal creations anymore because of how they gave him back his Warden, including her sight (though I'm sure a friend of hers built the eyes *nods to Sonor's Gau'hara*). And though he would never condone the Tainted and would stay true to hunting them, he would not do so in hatred, and instead possibly take a stance as Chiri did back in Chapter 10 ("It was better for you to die while you were still yourself"). A process of thinking that would turn him from extremism, questioning what is right and what he was always told was "for the good of all."

He'd naturally then follow Shimi'lande to the Abyss and back if needed. As long as that was where Kami'seide was going, of course - never would he leave her side again. He originally had a single round spot on his forehead, he added the lines to show solidarity with his Warden, that they would now be inseparable. (her head marking as seen in chapter 11)

[Pitdragon]

I'll do this in a few posts to break things up.

Flen'sulii Ill'hardro:


A messenger for the Illhar'dro clan - because not every outpost has a Whispering Tower (yet), and some messages need to remain secret. Her armor is plain and average, and while her double ocarina is also plain by our standards, it is made of wood which makes this a very precious instrument to her. She has her hood back now, but while riding she wears that mask (similar to the city guard in early Chapter 33) and her hood up. Her hair is kept simple and pulled back for the sake of so much journeying. She is also not a Val, but of a subhouse.

The ocarina ended up in there because I first thought it would be neat to have her playing a "Y"-shaped flute like Jen does in the Dark Crystal. But then seeing a video of someone playing Jen's song on a double ocarina made of wood made me lean toward that instead - small, thin, easy to carry and care for.

Sahrda'krina Vel'Sharen:


While I originally wanted to stay away from the unknown Nishi'kanta line (we've only seen two daughters, and I suspect the cousin with Shodun that Chrys met with could be a son or grandson), but I couldn't help it. Sahrda's main job was dispelling - not innately as Quain seems to, but a very practiced, disciplined knowledge. He would work at undoing the "enchantments" around various parts of golems and other mana tech in order to make them easier to target, and he would drain at shields around important targets to wear out those putting up the shields. If others of Nishi's line survived the Coup, then he is one and the scar on his cheek, deep and puckering, was gained in the Nidraa'chal skirmish. I'm not sure if he's tainted or not, and since I want to wait more on info from Nishi's arena I've not worked out where he is now, beyond jokingly wondering if he's hanging with "Uncle Ashu" at Orthorbbae.

[Pitdragon]

Sepa'susi Sarghress:



Currently, Sepa is a blacksmith. Long ago, in the mercenary days and in the times the clan arose, she was also a warrior, patching up armor when there was time between skirmishes. After the arrival of the Wolf Fangs into the fold, she raised a wolf named Ranga. However, in the war after the Skyhole incident, a particular brutal fight with the Sharen killed Ranga and crippled Sepa's right leg. She left the battle field after this to become a full time blacksmith. She's been offered the pick of the litter for many of Ranga's descendants, but only in recent years did she actually agree to take one and raise it. She now uses Valtan to quickly get around, surveying the movement of damaged armors and golems so her workshop can make repairs.

Inspiration is of course our favorite Nori'fu and her daughter, as well as Aveline Vallen of Dragon Age (who was a blacksmith-turned-guardsman). I swear Handsome Squidward was not involve until it was too late to unsee him in her face, but that is my fault for trying to accent a bit more "female" by giving her lipstick - she doesn't wear makeup normally. She is tattooed along her upper arms, shoulders, back and chest though, and rips any tall collars off to keep cool (so she's Exhibitionist Handsome Squidward). That tuft of hair connected to the chain on her apron is a bit of Ranga's fur, a keepsake. She's a gruff sort, but if she finds something she likes about you, then you got a good friend for life.

Sulu'baruk Val'Beldrobbaen:


Sulu is a member of the house that no longer has females, mentioned in the Beldrobbaen podcast. He has two jobs in the clan - one is his hobby of sorts too, that is recopying old manuscripts into newer books, preserving the past. The other is his vocation and skill - he teaches youth of the clan about light and shadow manipulation, giving them pre-Orthorbbae starts and enhancing their skills during breaks. He is fairly curt, and I would liken him to a bit more relaxed version of Severus Snape, who helped inspire his costume (a mix of Drowtales usual, the wraps seen in this page, and slight nods to Snape and something in the Regency fashion era with the collar and neckcloth). His face had some referencing of Trent Reznor, but he looks nothing like Trent in the end!

As on DA, I teased maybe he had a wild streak in his youth and is Khal'harror's dad. Not likely, but amusing to see him do some Snape-like whaps upside the head to Khal, but with a small knowing smile on his face while he did it.

[Pitdragon]

Ab'ireo Val'Sullissin'rune


(got cut off, see DA version by clicking on pic)

Ab'ireo sports the 'devil eyes' of the clan (see Albireo, the double star, which inspires her eye color and name). She is an empath but also a very gifted Elendlari (she has working knowledge of Velnar, and could close a gate definitely, but she is not as skilled as those older than her and those devoted to Velnar and Tainted). I could see her being somewhere in Ash's line, having a temperament and mind very similar to the Ill'haress, possibly even of Salan'dara's line.

Kei'thonia Nal'Sarkoth:


I had an idea for her first but fashion threw me a bit. I ended up pulling heavily from Rei'lumia's clothing design to make Kei's happen. But her hair I had in my head right away.

Kei'thonia used to be involved in adapting various flora into surviving in the Nal'Sarkoth cavern under their artificial lighting, to eventually be adapted to grow in the homes of rich and noble drow. Now, after the tensions in Chel have rose, she is involved in the paperwork behind trade between Nal'Sarkoth outposts and Chel, of which there is a LOT of now. She likes to escape to the Surface when she can, but luckily she sees herself a child of both worlds - she speaks happily of the sun and moons, and fondly of the crystalline caverns and underwater lakes. She is prepared to always go back to one world after spending time in the other.

Her name is a combination of Keiko, "happy child", and Persephone's sometimes title Kthonia, "of the earth (underworld)". Those both fit her personality perfectly.

[Pitdragon]

That's it for the Val clans, since Gia was long ago designed. I tried to do a victory lap with drawing Sonor's and Leopardwerecat's OCs, Gau'hara and Amani'ta, respectively, alongside Gia but it kinda fuzzled. I'll try again later. Gia is a bit too short perhaps (though she does have a Dooter dad, so she wouldn't be super tall), but I gotta get a feel for the other two's heights.

[Pitdragon]

Got a new tablet, now practicing inking and coloring in GIMP. So I used this old pic of Gia'trosa's Personal Golem Assistant, E'met.



Now to ponder the Nuqrah clans some more. It's really hard to come up with unique things for them, maybe I should wait until the next chapter is out?

[Leopardwerecat]

I like the 'shutter-style' of E'met's eye

Also: Eee! You drew Aman'ita too! -explodes with glee-
You don't have to worry about her height, she's not particularly tall either for a Lath.

[Pitdragon]

I worry the shutter look is too "high tech", though I haven't decided how sentient E'met is (and Sata does have a normal eye).

I'm gonna try to get the three gals again using my tablet entirely, would make a good practice. Good to know Aman'ita is probably average-ish for 'lath, I imagine that Gau'hara might be a bit on the taller side of average for some reason (the arms maybe make me consider that). I suspect that Gia might be the shortest for that Dutan'vir add-in (so closer to 'lath and 'ssu male height).

*stares at Kern's racial height graph*