Another piece I'm working on for one of my pathfinder players. I realized during my exercises that my understanding of light has seriously suffered as well as my ability to hatch. Gonna use this piece as a learning experience and dissect what I did wrong and right after.
Something I took note of during my exercises was that I picked up a strange habit in my hatching. I'd cross-hatch right at the edge of the shadow, expressing a core shadow without paying any mind to the terminator. It's something I'm trying to be mindful off for this piece, though I caught myself doing it again on the folds in his shirt.
Entirely off-topic from the piece, when I was having a particularly bad day I took some time on the train home to retreat into my mind palace and came up with an idea that I'm really into and would like to get more into.
Basically, in a fantastical world, swords and sorcery and all that, there's a party of adventurers who became known as The Blades of No Name; a legendary band of mercenaries responsible for laying to rest the dragon that destroyed much of the world and population. That quest coming to a close, they all decide to settle down in a quiet little village, build themselves a home, and carry on with simpler living after a long journey.
It's not uncommon for adventuring parties like that to become something of a family unit, but they take it a step further and become a polycule. Nothing's in stone, but I been having ideas about the group.
I wanted to write down some of what I've been thinking up before I inevitably forget.
Rama
The core of the group and unofficial leader, Rama is a Lupin; a faerie creature many would call a werewolf. Rama is a shining example of Lupin as intended by their Makers. An unerringly loyal and ruthless defender of his kin(Lupin were created to guard holy places and important figures in Eldrn, the faerie home plane). Rama and Adalyn quickly became a tactical pair when their little band formed and romance bloomed between them early in their journey together. As with any Lupin, though, he's got plenty of love to share.
Adalyn Blakely
Magick is still a relatively new concept for the non-faerie folk of the world. Witches practice softer magicks through ritual and natural potion making while Arcanists seek to master harder magicks through study and objects of power. There are those, through faulty magical experiment, magical disaster, or other means who innately can bend the magicks to their will in one form or another. Then there are those whose magical connection can't be traced or identified; thaumaturges. Adalyn is one such thaumaturge, with the ability to flash freeze large areas at once. Adalyn has always been the most pampered in the group. Before this was due to her inexperience as a combatant, volunteering her abilities towards a dire cause. Nowadays, she's the only one in the group capable of bearing children, so when time came to expand their little family the whole of the group would dote on her during her pregnancy.
Ophil Denge
A massive "mountain woman", rivaling Rama's 7'8" stature and far-exceeding his fury in combat. Ophil comes from a long line of demon slayers who have tasked themselves with sealing a demon away within their blood. This demon was slain long ago and their titan ancestors each ate pieces of the creature, sharing the burden of its dark influence and spreading thin it's power. Locked within her is a portion of this great evil, constantly urging her to give into his influence. In battle she channels this demon's strength, tearing through her opposition with unmatched fury. These days, though, having lost her right arm in their final quest, she's settled into manual labor for the townsfolk and amazing the local children with feats of strength. Even after many years having settled down as a family, she struggles to express herself romantically. Edmond and Kayd do the best job of getting her to let this side out. She's not accustomed to domestic life and still struggles with paranoia and an itch for combat now and then. Having had time to observe Adalyn and her experience as a mother, she can't help but feel a tinge of envy since the ritual to seal her demon piece within her blood rendered her sterile. She's happy to do her part in raising the children, but can't help but regret that she'll never be able to bear children herself.
Edmond Wynter
One of the many to enter the world of mercenary work with the goal of making a name for himself and one of the few to survive such an endeavor successfully. He was once a hardened killer forged in the fires stoked by the small-time slum lords of his area, but has since been softened by the warmth shown to him by his compatriots within the Blades. Kayd helped a great deal as well, showing him kindness and acceptance and encouraging him to be himself regardless of how others may perceive him. These days, he's more than content to live a simple little life of fishing and gardening. He became infatuated with Kayd early in their relationship, and now that he feels safe enough to express his desires openly they spend much of their time together. Ophil is second on that list since the two easily carry and struggle to handle the most baggage and take solace in each other's company.
Kayd
The second faerie of the Blades, Kayd has changed the least between their time as an adventuring party and now. He's always been tranquil, tender, and understanding satyr, though, like any faerie, that's no reason to underestimate him. He's got impressive stature and mystically beautiful features, as faerie tend to, and he's got a strong connection with the old Elden magicks. Just as easily as he could save a life he could take one and he always showed concerningly little hesitation in doing just that when it came down to it. For this reason he's equally respected and feared, though townsfolk just know him for the delicious fruits he produces in his gardens and shares. He and Kayd have been romancing for quite a time, but he also finds himself consistently tending to Adalyn and Rama. With Adalyn's pregnancy, Kayd has gone through a hormonal shift (something quite unique to satyrs) and, among other physical changes, grown breasts to aid in the child-rearing. A fortuitous endeavor since Adalyn's first pregnancy was her hardest; Lupin triplets. Lord knows she couldn't breast feed the lot of them herself.
