astyr

Art

[astirastyr]

It’s been quite some time since I last posted portraits I made for our D&D characters from our Eldraine Wilds–inspired campaign — a setting based on Magic: The Gathering’s Eldraine, but developed with our own twists and original lore. It feels like the right moment to return to it. I’m still a bit immersed in thesis work and taking care of my mental health, but today I want to talk about my character.

Here is a small lore recap for context:

Think of a high-fantasy world deeply rooted in Arthurian legends and Grimms' Fairy Tales. The world is split into two distinct realms: The Kingdoms (five courts representing civilization, chivalry, and order) and The Wilds (an untamed, magical forest where logic bends and fae rule).

It has been 400 years since a bloody war between humans and the Fae put an end to Fae dominance in the world. Back then, humans cut down and burned half of the magical forests that covered the entire globe. This divided the world into two parts: the untamed Wilds, where space, time, and magic work completely differently, and the human world we are more used to.

Sir Cassian Arkenwyld — though, in truth, that is not his real name. In the Wilds, letting others know your true name can invite misfortune, and from the very beginning he took great care to protect himself from that — or perhaps from something else entirely.

Unfortunately, I can’t say too much about him or his deeper motivations just yet, at least not until certain things are revealed in-game, as some of my friends follow this page. The essentials, however:

He hails from Locthwain, a kingdom whose fae relic is the floating Castle Locthwain, where Queen Ayara has ruled for four hundred years since the end of the war, without aging a single day. Knights there are chosen by the queen herself, for deeds performed in the realm of perseverance. Because of this, there are many different paths to becoming a Knight of Locthwain — unlike in Garenbrig or Embereth.

There are three branches of knighthood:

the Knights of Lightning, Locthwain’s primary striking force,

the Knights of the Veil, scouts and, at times, spies,

and the Knights of the Word, whose deeds fall outside the previous two categories — too singular to be neatly classified.

Clad in blackened armor and a copper mask he has never once removed, Cassian is a complex and deeply impulsive individual, a bundle of contradictions. He is rash, yet intelligent. Cunning and slippery, yet utterly incapable of hiding his emotions. A humanist who believes in civilization and collective effort — and at the same time firmly convinced of his own uniqueness. From a very young age, he perceived the world in a peculiar way, drawing a sharp line between himself and others.

Some of this has already been revealed to the party: he is capable of glimpsing fragments of the immediate future without the use of any specific spells. Though a divination wizard by class, training, and skill set, he often comes across more like a sorcerer. As an arcane focus, he uses eight sets of steel needles with copper cores, each topped with a different finial — the eight designs corresponding to the known schools of arcane magic.

Loyal only to himself and to what he perceives as the interests of Locthwain — embodied, in his eyes, by its queen — he sets out for the North to uncover the origins of the Sleeping Curse.

And to find something.

[astirastyr]

Sigrid, Ranger from our Wilds of Eldraine campaign

Not too long ago, I posted the first illustration featuring a portrait of one of the characters from our party, based on the MTG "Wilds of Eldraine" setting—Somna. Now, the time has come for Sigrid.

Somna is the only representative of the Borderlands in our game. The other characters belong to the Kingdoms (or Courts, for those who know the lore): Ardenvale, Garenbrig, Embereth, Vantress, and Locthwain. Here is a small lore recap for context:

Think of a high-fantasy world deeply rooted in Arthurian legends and Grimms' Fairy Tales. The world is split into two distinct realms: The Kingdoms (five courts representing civilization, chivalry, and order) and The Wilds (an untamed, magical forest where logic bends and fae rule).

It has been 400 years since a bloody war between humans and the Fae put an end to Fae dominance in the world. Back then, humans cut down and burned half of the magical forests that covered the entire globe. This divided the world into two parts: the untamed Wilds, where space, time, and magic work completely differently, and the human world we are more used to.

So, back to Sigrid. Even though she mostly looks like an elf, the blood of the Yotuns (as the Giant folk are called here) flows within her. Giants are magical creatures. What’s the difference? Magical creatures obey their own laws, distinct from the ones we are used to. For instance, the Fae are associated with certain conceptual aspects; they cast magic as naturally as breathing and are incapable of lying. Giants, on the other hand, possess an innate reverence for Strength in its purest and most direct form. They are also capable of passing down something akin to "ancestral experience"—collectively accumulated knowledge about dangers and how to overcome them. This instinct awakens in them during critical situations, allowing them to survive where even a miracle wouldn't save someone else.

During the Fae War, some of the giants defected to the side of the Kingdoms. Only the Storm and Cloud giants remained with the Fae, while the Hill, Stone, and Fire giants, together with a faction of elves, founded the Kingdom of Garenbrig. There, Strength is cultivated as the very thing that finally allowed the Giants to gain freedom from Fae dominance.

So what about Sigrid?

Eldraine is a magical world, and fairy tale laws apply here. The third son or daughter will always be incredibly talented, smart, or lucky. The seventh son is an exceptional person with no equal. The seventh son of a seventh son... That was Parsif, the first King of Garenbrig, who challenged the Giant leaders during the war and managed to unite a faction of giants on the side of humanity.

Sigrid's family was obsessed with the idea of birthing a great warrior. Her ancestors — elves who admired strength — intermingled with Giants, trying to harness these fairy tale laws to raise someone who could bring glory to their lineage and perhaps even eclipse Parsif himself.

Unfortunately, playing with magic is just like making a deal with the Fae — even though they cannot lie, they will always find a way to deceive you.

The seventh son managed to conceive six sons, and when the whole family was in anticipation, instead of the seventh son of a seventh son, they got... a daughter.

Thus, Sigrid became her family's greatest disappointment.

She lived under this stigma until she moved to Embereth — far away from her relatives, who always looked down on her with pity, disappointment, or confusion. After all, by a mockery of fate, she didn't shine with raw physical strength either.

However, she made up for it with sheer persistence and skill. She managed to master 12 types of bladed weapons, honing her craft for years in the Embereth lists, becoming a dangerous and capable warrior, and making a foreign kingdom her home.

And then, war began again.

The Sleeping Curse is spreading across the Kingdoms, and everyone capable of holding a weapon is heading to the Borderlands, and from there, some find their way North. However, the further North she goes, the stronger the wild magic running in her blood becomes. The part tied to her Yotun heritage begins to awaken, revealing traits she didn't even suspect she had.

Will she be able to remain herself? Was she ever truly herself while her ancestors' legacy slumbered peacefully within her?

That remains to be seen.

[astirastyr]

[astirastyr]

Close up

[astirastyr]

It seems nature has cleansed itself so thoroughly that I’ve started drawing Romans again…

This piece had actually been sitting unfinished for a long time, and today something suddenly pushed me to finally complete it. I haven’t been reading much new material about them lately, but apparently there’s still a strong reluctance inside me to fully let this subject go.

Well — we’ll push through. I still don’t entirely like my own drawing style, but I suppose that’s part of the process.

…Sulla and Lucullus in Asia!!! :)

My heart always warms up when I read about this particular period of their lives. It’s far from heroic chronicles, but it feels so much more alive because of that. I wanted to draw something with exactly this kind of spirit :>

[astirastyr]

Hello!

So… I haven’t posted anything for a while, and honestly, I probably don’t want to get into deep explanations as to why. I guess there just wasn’t the desire or the impulse to do it, even though this blog and the audience it has gathered mean a very, very great deal to me.

So, what’s next?

I am still very interested in Ancient Rome, and stories still live in my head that I would love to capture in pictures and comics.

I still have thoughts about my game, and there was a period where I was actively writing for it. I want to get back into that mood, and I hope I can. Just like getting back to active blogging.

My main problem right now is my style. I like it, but the issue is that bringing an illustration to a level where I’m satisfied takes a huge amount of time, which clashes badly with how I want to work. When I work on one image for too long, I burn out quickly, and I lose the feeling that it brings me pleasure or that it’s worth all the time spent. How to deal with this? Hell if I know…

But I don't want to abandon my plans. I hope to return to them.

Also, besides Rome, lately I’ve immersed myself deeper into D&D. I had already been playing in a campaign run by a very close friend of mine for—what, 5 years? God, has it really been that long? Hahaha! And that is all one long-running story. Not long ago, I convinced her to start a second one—she had ideas, she just needed a push, a spark. And god! I’m so glad she did.

It’s an incredibly different mood from the other game, and I am insanely in love with my character. Basically, the stars have aligned for this to become my new fixation, so a certain amount of art on this topic will appear soon, too.

Honestly, I don’t know what’s best. Maybe start a second blog? Although I don’t really want to split things up, to be honest; I like having all my work in one place.

Next, a little bit about the game, since it’s important for the context of the picture.

There are 4 players, and we are playing an original plot set in a pre-made (or rather, very abstractly "pre-made," more inspired by) MTG world called Eldraine.

For those not familiar with the setting, think of a high-fantasy world deeply rooted in Arthurian legends and Grimms' Fairy Tales. The world is split into two distinct realms: The Kingdoms (five courts representing civilization, chivalry, and order) and The Wilds (an untamed, magical forest where logic bends and fae rule).

It has been 400 years since a bloody war between humans and the Fae put an end to Fae dominance in the world. Back then, humans cut down and burned half of the magical forests that covered the entire globe. This divided the world into two parts: the untamed Wilds, where space, time, and magic work completely differently, and the human world we are more used to.

Now, a sleeping curse is spreading. The Kingdoms are uniting in the face of this calamity, strengthening their borders with the Wilds and launching a massive offensive into the heart of the Fae forests to find the source of the curse.

So, that’s the setup!

Our group consists of very different representatives of this world, which creates a whole spectrum of dynamics.

This is Somna, a Circle of Dreams druid (faun) from the Borderlands.

Not everyone was able to pick a side after the war ended. Far from all magical creatures—a separate category in this world, mostly fairytale beings like fauns, gnomes, and giants—can live in the heart of the Wilds where the Fae rule. However, life in the Kingdoms doesn't suit them well either. They inhabit the Borderlands, a special area where the magic of the Wilds hasn't run dry yet, forming a boundary between savagery and the Kingdom, trying to find their path in this complex, dual world.

Somna is an unusual druid because she wears metal on her body. Why? We are still in the process of revealing that, but the foundation of this philosophy lies in the views of her father.

He believed that there is life in stone, too, and that things cultivated and processed by humans do not lose their life and do not exit the general natural cycle.

Somna's entire clan fell asleep from the curse. Her father went deep into the Wilds, as did her grandmother who went to search for him—the most important figures in her life.

Forced to make an alliance with the Kingdoms in exchange for help with those asleep from the curse and care for them, Somna becomes the squad's guide on this journey to the North. Sensitively attuned to the wild magic that permeates the forests, she is one of the few capable of navigating there, because the Wilds never remain constant—they are always changing.

In this difficult situation, she hopes to find balance, fearing the consequences of a new war, as it promises to be destructive, and the very essence of magic is in danger. After all, if the last tree is burned, it will run dry forever.

I am not the one playing this wonderful character. The girl playing her is doing an amazing job, and I am so interested to see how her story turns out...

[astirastyr]

An commission for @pink-noah that I've been working on for a very long time. Sorry for all the delays and thank you for your patience :( I've been having trouble drawing lately, with too many things and thoughts on my mind. Maybe it will get easier once I graduate from university

[astirastyr]

Sertorius! Young and older.

I find myself feeling empathy for pretty much every persona of the Late Republic — but some of them evoke it especially strongly. Sertorius is definitely one of them. I don’t even know exactly what it is about him that draws me in, but reading his story brings up a lot of emotions. I often catch myself wondering how his fate might have turned out if the civil war hadn’t happened.

A talented commander, he was clearly a clever and capable politician too — you don’t keep all those Iberian tribes united for that long without serious skill

As for the drawings themselves, I’m a bit unhappy with the result — but I just don’t have the energy to rework them before the final deadline. I’ve already spent so much time on this.

By the way, I’m not even sure he ever actually wore this kind of armor, despite the fact that he didn’t come from the nobility and started his career in the lower ranks of the army.

Honestly, I was just too lazy to Google it, so… maybe next time. 😅

[astyrastir]

Sharpening my lineart skills

[astyrastir]

Study

[astirastyr]

Well, that’s it — I’ve finally finished these three pieces.

Honestly, I often scold myself for not making more “complete” illustrations. Most of my work ends up being headshots, studies, visual explorations, and so on. Even this isn’t exactly a finished piece — it’s a series of studies for a future project.

And if you’re thinking they look like visual novel sprites — you’re absolutely right. That’s exactly what they are. And there’s going to be a lot more of them in the future.

Not sure why Lucullus always looks so grumpy in my art pffhahah. It just happened that way, I swear...

Anyway.

I do get frustrated sometimes, because I still can’t fully realize the things that live in my head. Most of the time, it’s little story moments, scenes that lean more toward comics than standalone illustrations. But a part of me is honestly terrified of starting anything like that. I’m not entirely sure why.

Maybe it’s because even in projects like this — where the whole point is speed and seriality — I end up spending an absurd amount of time on details… only to erase most of them in the end.

I worry way too much about my visual style, about keeping the lines thin and alive, about making every line feel intentional.

But I know it’s something I need to work on — shifting the focus away from graphic cleanliness and toward what truly matters: whether the image serves its purpose, whether it tells a story.

It’s still hard.

On top of that, I have a ton of university work right now. But I’m really hoping I can finally get through most of the annoying, uninspiring assignments this week — and, with less anxiety and guilt, finally focus on the things that actually excite me.

[astirastyr]

A couple of design studies I may use later

[astirastyr]

I actually spend quite a lot of time thinking about the historical figures I draw (and even the ones I haven’t drawn yet). Over time, they tend to accumulate so many headcanons that it feels more accurate to treat them as characters in their own right.

One of those cases is Sulla — and more specifically, his infamous skin condition.

I don’t really trust Plutarch’s vivid tales involving worms crawling in open ulcers (a bit much, even by ancient biographer standards), but I do believe he suffered from some kind of chronic skin issue. Especially considering that redheads are often more prone to skin sensitivity in general.

At some point, without realizing it, I ended up headcanoning him with atopic dermatitis — a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes red, itchy, and dry patches, often flaring up in response to stress, weather, or irritants. It’s not dangerous, but it’s persistent and uncomfortable — and would’ve been especially miserable in the conditions of ancient warfare and Roman hygiene.

[astirastyr]

:]

[astirastyr]

[astirastyr]

[astirastyr]

Serious and full of dignity, Alexandros is sometimes seen as cold, remote and haughty. He has unusual charisma for a boy his age, especially since he looks younger than he is because he isn’t tall and has soft features. His mismatched eyes make it hard for a lot of people to hold his gaze and once his voice changes, it’s surprisingly deep coming from such a short person.

Alexandros is actually shyer and more sensitive than he looks. A life at court taught him to wear his “prince face” all the time and, because he sees himself as a leader of men and wants to be admired, he would shoulder every burden until he breaks. One has to gain his trust to see the more vulnerable, attention seeking side of him, and to see how much he craves affection from the people around him. 

When he is in command, Alexandros looks full of life, sure of himself, his bravery and his own smartness. He laughs and fight at the front, can easily win debates and never shows fear. When alone with true friends, he appears softer and his doubts can show. Nevertheless, his godling blood usually make him quite remarkable. 

All characters and text belong to @charlenefrl