Observor In Its Den

Pen on paper, digitally colored.

Threeway Picture Pong #2

The counter salvos has been launched! From Nothic's Eye we receive thus...

BIG TAM'S CRAWLING OASIS, DOCKYARD, AND DELICATESSEN 

The finest establishment to roam the desert wastes, a place of rest and relaxation (for those with the cash to afford it) where one can kick back, refill their canteen, and sun themselves on the pool deck. All sorts from across the desert mingle here, but don't make trouble! Big Tam might thrash you herself if her cyborg-baboon goons don't finish you off first. Some current visitors to Big Tam's are.... The Illustrious Warlord Boss Bellos whose parked his seaplane and taken over the first class suite.... Mandy & Mindy the news'copter twins with their heavy camera equipment setup up on the Mezzanine, pestering Big Tam for interviews... and Petor the Demolisher, with his rather dangerous cargo of explosives, who has been regulated to the lower decks.

And from the Velvet Inks this mysterious entourage has arrived...

THE PROCESSION

They come                                            Whence they came?

        They come they come

Bearers masks fluters drummers pole holders                                            They come

                               To extract?                                To take?                                                        To kill?

                                                    Thieves                                        Liars                            Murderers

Gods?

                    Do not look them in there not-eyes                    Do not!

    Give them your honey, your grain, your bullets, your cinders                    Do not refuse!

                                                                                                            They will take! Take!        Animals

              They burn as they come                                                                              Homes      Children

The land crisps and turns to ash                ash and cinders            they love the fire and finery

                            give them what they want                Give them

                                                        And hope they don't return

And now for The Nothic's Eye's new nemesis...

And for Velvet Ink's as well...

THREEWAY PICTURE PONG BEGINS! #1

Thus begins the epic threeway picture pong between me, Nothics Eye and Velvet Inks. I shall start with the images that I must answer.

VOLONI ORGANITECH INFANTRY DRONES IN ATTACK FORMATION

Taken circa 43 EG by an anonymous SmuCorp camerabot

The still photo above depicts the opening hours of the assault on the desert moon of Cinnabar by Voloni forces. After disembarking from their dropships the infantry drones quickly overrun static turret trench forces and seized the starport bastion. Allowing for the remaining invasion force to land. In the coming campaign year the Organitech based drone forces of the Voloni would prove their durability and mettle, easily outlasting the often superior but more fragile traditional thaumo-crystal tech used by the Cinnabarian defense forces. 

THE FOUR PILLARED PALACE 

A magnificent construction built in the fifth century of the purple fruitbat, by their most Imperious & Sanctimonious Majesty Octovunis the II. During the August Years it was expanded several times with lavish art galleries and steeple chapels built onto its already precariously piled top. Later on, after a century of neglect and financial squalor under the Vessi family the newly installed Fassi family used the palace for their notorious sky executions, where dissidents, traitors, and other enemies of the state where pushed off the edge. During the Argent Revolution the palace was a bastion for the royal family and army, used to position artillery for the shelling of the rest of the capitol from its elevated position. Eventually with the threat of rebel explosives placed at the pillar bases the army surrendered. Nowadays the palace is a museum and cultural center though its cavernous halls also host dangerous pro-royalist plots.

Now comes the images the others shall answer...

To Velvet Inks I give you this emerald colored scene. Deduce what it is if ye can!

And to Nothics Eye I present this perplexing mystery. What will you make of it!

The Calythiop

Art by the wonderful Locheil 

If you've traveling upon the steppe you may have heard whispers of the Calythiop. A strange creature to be sure, camel bodied but possessing a human face and human hands. It is said to grant wishes. Shitty wishes. Really really shitty wishes. Most stories you hear of it recount how so and so's cousin was tempted by a Calythiop and then had drought for six months or so such. Still... Some people are desperate enough to strike deals with such creatures.

How does the Calythiop appear before you?

1. Whispering promises out of the darkness around your camp fire, only its face can be seen.

2. Swimming through your dreams as you sleep, showing you visages of your desires.

3. Following you, always on the edge of vision, waiting for you to confront it.

4. Sitting straight in your path, lazy moving its tail and picking its teeth.

5. Waiting for upon a mountaintop you feel inextricably drawn towards.

6. Being chased by the last person it screwed over with a wish.

What does it desire in return for your wish?

1. An incredibly rare golden furred marmot. Alive.

2. The magical amulet of a nearby wizard.

3. The flesh of your best horse.

4. The robes of a particular traveling holy man.

5. A tincture of a local noble's blood.

6. Your true name.

How does it screw you over?

1. Interprets your wish extremely literally: I wish I was rich, you become rich in the past tense.

2. Curses you with complications: a tax collector comes along and seizes all the gold you wished for.

3. Undoes your wish or takes the results back after a period of time.

4. Just straight up tries to kill you with how the wish is granted: gold brick hits you in the head.

** Authorial Note **

The legend of the Calythiop was first imparted by Ishthyromeda the steppe amazon to her friends whilst they travelled to an ancient mountain tomb. In the lands of the King Of Kings.

Godkiller - Further Recommended Reading

CRAB GOD

WARNING! WEBCOMIC CONTAINS: Gore, Mostly Non-Sexual Nudity, Swearing, Gods, Big Crabs, War, Saunas, And Talking Swords, Among Other Things

Godkiller is a fairly new webcomic made by the Finnish artist Tuomas Myllyla. The story follows the exploits of Hrotgar the titular godkiller, as he and his companions are embroiled in a war between the northern gods and the intruding Silari Empire. 

The art is top notch. The fights energetic and just the right amount of graphic. Be warned, it can get gory (seriously though, the first couple pages feature a disembowled corpse, so please do take heed). Characters get a bit raunchy, but it's never quite crass. If I had to describe the overall vibe I'd say the webcomic has HBO sensibilities if HBO had a sense of taste. The characters introduced so far are fun and compelling in charismatic sort of way.

All in all I would recommend going and giving it a read. I would love to hear other peoples thoughts on it.

Thurinn: The Troll Berserker

In addition to Godkiller I would highly recommend checking out the artists other work. Their deviantart page is just a goldmine for inspiration and good illustrations. Seriously, check it out, you won't be disappointed. 

Some other art by the author.

Drengan Hunter

Guardian Angel

Reiter And Creature From The Deep

This is but a small selection of a lot of really awesome art. Do yourself a favor and check it all out.

More Wonderful Art!

Several NPCs for Electric Bastionland written by me and generously illustrated by the talented Roque Romero!

You can find their instagram here, their website here, and the Clay Shelf, a deep country adventure locale written by Yochai Gal and illustrated by Roque Romero, here.

Use these bastiards as you will but please credit me and defiantly Roque Romero.

Art For Sky Whalers Of Jupiter!

The wonderful Bordercholly over on the Bastionland Discord made this beautiful piece of art for my Sky Whalers Of Jupiter! hack. If you haven't checked out their submission to the Bastionjam yet I'd highly recommend doing so.

The House Which Walks (an art)

An art! By me!

The House Which Walks - 6hp, Armour 2

A strange steam powered contraption that strides across the wastes.