Campaign art - Descent into Darkness

[LordBob]

I've been preparing my future projects (that is to say, after I'm done with tRoW) for some time now and it turns out they involve more campaign art. DiD will come next, then Sceptre of Fire.

This thread is meant as both a placeholder and a sketchbook for the DiD characters. For the time being I'll focus on character design as tRoW remains my top priority, but in the coming months...

Tonight I'm posting sketches for two existing characters and an extra, whom zookeeper proposed we add to the roster.

Darken Volk : the manipulative necromancer who will drag Malin towrds the dark arts
Malin_young : the naive, unsecure youth that just left the academy of magic
Malin_old : though unusual for mage or necromancer types, I included the sword in order to match the campaign specific "dark mage" sprite line.
Malin_lich : note that this portrait is meant to show him right after his transformation, which is described as a moment of vulnerability for him.
Drogan : the sargeant of the militia in Malin's home town.

[Lord-Knightmare]

Nice sketches.
I just know that when they are finished, they will go mainline.

[zookeeper]

Looking good. His wand-holding wrist in the older portrait is really crooked though.

The only thing I'd be careful about is not making Malin physically age a lot between his two portraits. There's less than a year between them, so mostly only his equipment, attitude and possibly hair (including beard) should change.

The lich portrait looks really fitting too. If you want to, he could be holding the book against his body with his our right arm.

[kitty]

It is just so great seeing all the mainline campaigns getting all original in-style art!

I agree with zookeeper about the age gap being too big between the two humanoid Malin variants - generally the first one looks like a kid. The older human Malin has a nice attitude! But his left hand should be repositioned and probably shrunk down a tad. And is there a story reason why he doesn't get a bigger staff with getting more experience?
Drogan's proportions feel somehow off to me, he seems very dwarvish with the pointy helmet and no neck... And is his rear hand missing some part of the palm?

[johndh]

I got the impression that not that much time had passed, like maybe a single winter, but I could be wrong. Either way, I think Malin is supposed to be in his late teens in the beginning, and this Malin looks like he's about twelve to me.

[thespaceinvader]

According to the wiki story outline, he was 18 when he was expelled from Alduin, then spent a year with Darken before Return to Parthyn. After that, it's unclear how long it is before A Small Favour, probably a while, but who knows. Thereafter, it's probably a couple of years before Descent Into Darkness, after which he's all lichey.

[zookeeper]

And is there a story reason why he doesn't get a bigger staff with getting more experience?

As far as I'm concerned that's fine: his sprites don't actually even have a staff. His only melee weapon in his human form is his sword, so a smallish wand seems ok in the portraits.

[Spi]

While there is no doubt that a Darken Volk portrait that finally fits mainline style will be a huge improvement to the campaign, I feel the current sketch could stand to be even more menacing;

While I'm certainly no contributing artist, here are perhaps a few reasons to justify:

- It would be original to have a character that truly looks like a malicious villain be your ally during most of the campaign. Here appart from the subtle expression on his face and (if I'm reading correctly) the scar that follows the lines of his lips, Darken Volk still looks like an otherwise "normal" mage (please forgive the lack of explanation here ).

- Perhaps some would say that it would be displaced to have such an ostentatiously evil character, but indeed WINR and I believe this campaign would really benefit from a certain creepy atmosphere, more to the point, coming from the main character's master.

Of course, what I say here is only my humble opinion: it is as always just a suggestion that I hope you will find in accord with the spirit of both mainline and the campaign itself.

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

Creepy? Yes. Overtly evil? No.

Remember, this is the story about an innocent who thinks he is doing good but gradually is pulled down a darker path. He would never have joined a obviously evil master. He is lured into this in the first place in order to protect others, so Volk should have a creepy quality, while still being someone Malin could conceivably come to trust as a good guy, at least at first.

[johndh]

Creepy? Yes. Overtly evil? No.

Remember, this is the story about an innocent who thinks he is doing good but gradually is pulled down a darker path. He would never have joined a obviously evil master. He is lured into this in the first place in order to protect others, so Volk should have a creepy quality, while still being someone Malin could conceivably come to trust as a good guy, at least at first.

Agreed. I think Volk is more of a silver-tongued devil/manipulative [censored] than obviously evil. Malin is lost and alone, so he seeks out Volk because he's got nowhere else to turn. Come to think of it, giving him a creepy pervert vibe might be interesting. He has been alone for an awfully long time without the warmth of a living companion, and then Malin comes along with his soft, nubile flesh... okay, I'll stop now.

[Jetrel]

I think the malin portrait would be salvable with just a rework of the facial construction. I would think that facial lines and such tend to be one of the big give-aways for where you are in your teens.

[LordBob]

As tRoW is coming to a close, DiD bids its time, slowly yet surely preparing its first step in the person of Darken Volk. The lineart will pretty certainly change (nothing majour, though) before the end, because he's little more than a black-clad mage for now.

[A-Red]

If you're aiming for not-obviously-evil, you might steer away from the gray-blacks. Something browner, perhaps?

[catwhowalksbyhimself]

I wear gray and black. Nobody thinks I'm obviously evil. That's only true in television.

Besides, it's okay for him to be obviously evil to the audience. That adds to the dramatic tension. The important thing is that he not be obviously so to Malin. Some of the greatest suspense moments, in fact, are when the audience know that character is in danger while the character himself is clueless.

[LordBob]

Thanks for both comments. Still in his current shape I'd rather avoid brown tones, as they'd make him an outright mage.

Considering he really, really looks like a mage with a taste for dark clothing, I checked the existing necromancer portrait and picked worn-out clothes as a distinctive feature, added a creepy tatoo that covers his entire arm and human teeth on his necklace for a more discrete touch. The final result might look too much like a real necromancer, though.

Zookeeper, this is up to you. Just tell me which (or any rearranging of the two) would work best with Darken Volk's lifestyle / character / his relation to Malin.

Edit : also posting a revised face for young Malin