Deathblade+Lich portrait sketches

[Sangel]

I like the new axes. While in reality they might not be swift or well-balanced, they have a leanness to them that suggests speed over power. Plus, they fit the sprite and weapon pic, so what's not to like? The stance is also good - it looks like the Deathblade is throwing back its shoulders and roaring/screaming, insofar as a skeleton could roar or scream.

[Girgistian]

Added the torn-up scarf thing in a form of a torn-up cloak. Not sure if it's better this way though.

Also added the lich sketch on the first post

[mameluke]

No idea about the cloak.

But the lich is ways to much rotten to me.
Here is the sprite, just to help the discussion.

IMHO: Since there should be no gore in wesnoth, I also think rotten organs are not matching the style.
Maybe we could need some help here from art-contributors, where the boarder ist?

I think it's no good that the staff is going out of the pic on top.
I'm also not sure if the items he have fit his character.

Quite a hard thing to define the look of a character

[Girgistian]

It doesn't have to match the sprite completely. I was wondering as well, though, if it's too grotesque.

[AI]

I'd say roughly the same as a necromancer, just without organs, muscles and most of his skin, wearing rags that were originally necromancer's robes.

I doubt that helps you very much though.

[kitty]

i have no final say in questions like this but i think this lich is *way* too gory for wesnoth.
i believe the official policy is something like "no blood" and children shouldn't get nightmares (whatever PG that may be...).
a example of a tastefull yet creepy lich can be seen in Descent into Darkness (I forgot the actual name).


i really love his staff, though!

[torangan]

I guess for the lich we need some kind of hood, magical glow or whatever to be able to omit details. If it's not scary it doesn't fit but if it is we get problems with showing it to children. Therefore the best thing IMHO would be to have a picture which shows little but has hints which allow adults to guess the rest to be something fitting without frightening children.

[Girgistian]

The hood will of course give it a certain grim reaper look, but I'll try it.

[mameluke]

I was imagine the lich to have completely blank bone with noble clothes.
I thought, the skeleton-warriors e.g. come out of earth and have dirty bones and rotten clothes.
But the lich was a high-level mage. He sold his "flesh" to the black magic. So for me there is no must for rotten dirty skin or something like this.
I imagined him not like a mummy, more like a very nicely cleaned skeleton with an elegant robe.

This is just how I thought it is. Doesn't have to fit the way it is in wesnoth

[Girgistian]

Here's the remake.
@mameluke: if the process was like that, then why would the necromancers look corrupted at all? Why wouldn't they just suddenly become skeletons? If we are to follow the line that dark magic corrupts, then it's only reasonable that the process of becoming a lich is slow and involves rotting.

I have my own doubts about the "grin", but I'll let you say what you think first.

[megane]

IIRC from Descent into Darkness, one doesn't slowly decay into Lichdom, but rather changes into a Lich via a ritual (which involves dying, of course). Of course, that doesn't really advocate a fleshy or a boney Lich specifically. Just FYI.

Personally, I prefer the boney one. Just looks more Lichy to me; they're haughty, egotistical, and aristocratic, so they seem like they'd... keep themselves... clean...

[mameluke]

but I'll let you saw what you think first.

I think this is better then the first one.

they're haughty, egotistical, and aristocratic

I think now it's time to decide if he should look "aristocratic" or "shaman-like". imho, he now looks a little like a shaman, voodoo or something similar.
Are there some elder wesnoth-freaks that can give their opinion here?
Or can the artist define this on his own?
Its just not nice if it would be rejected because of that in the end.

[Girgistian]

It's not much trouble doing a sketch for both of them, this was relatively easy to draw. I too would like to hear the opinion of someone with more influence.

[AI]

A lich is someone who gave up his life to ensure he wouldn't die. I don't think that someone like that would particularly care about appearances.

[ael193]

The new sketch is better, but the lich appears too hunched, a if liches are supposed to be dark lords they should have a slightly more upright and commanding stature. perhaps the skull could be lightly stylized to make the skull look as if its scowling. overall its much better.