A man telescopes his hand towards you. Whether or not you accept, he sweeps into introductions.
"Howdy, partner!
"I'm your DR-- HAHA, notta
It takes Key a prolonged moment to extend her hand, eventually responding with a confused tinted greeting.
āNice to meet you.ā
A pause, followed by a sudden shift in her demeanor. Uh, wait, she really wasnāt expecting this level of icebreaker.
āFavorite song? Uhm⦠thatās a tough one.ā Or perhaps sheās incredibly embarrassed. āThereās just a lot to choose from, but put on⦠any kind of rock, and Iāll listen to that.ā
Clearing her throat, she tries to control the heat of her face by straightening her shoulders and returning to a professional stance⦠Unfortunately brief. Her gaze flattens once again, shoulders rounding out to that of exhaustion.
āIām fine with my height.ā
Blunt. Okay girl. Next question!
āAs for accommodations... Just my tools. Canāt do what Iām here to do without them.ā Uhm, Key, that's not what he was asking... Another pause as she puts finger to chin. āOr, I guess a good coffee machine. But I assume thatās a given around here, soā¦ā
I've seen a few other people do this and I wanted to join in very late to the party because I wanted to draw them all oops. Brief info on all of them under the cut, so this also serves as a proper introduction for all of them heehee.
Who?
Darius Konrul š
Egon de Riva šŗ
Raden Tambunan š“
Venla Kovalainen šØ
All of the above (greed from the bible)
Voting ended onApr 16
Darius Konrul
24-25 | Cis male | Gay/polyam | Human | Mage (Death Caller) | Shadow Dragon
CW: ableism, child abuse
A lone dragon nestled within the pit of vipers that is the Magisterium, Darius has been working tirelessly as the Shadow Dragons' man on the inside, using his job as a quaestor to dutifully note down and pass on any useful information he may come across-- all at a great personal risk.
Born to a Marcher father and a Tevinter mother, Darius spent much of his early life locked away in the Circle Tower of Tantervale, where he was heavily ostracized and used as a scapegoat due to his heritage and for missing certain social cues. He would find himself being put into solitary confinement more often than not, usually because he would "speak out of turn", among other seemingly inane reasons. When he was discovered to be a Dreamer, he was put into solitary once more, as the Templars and the Enchanters debated over what to do with him-- the ethics of subjecting a young child to the Rite of Tranquility proved to be a rather delicate topic, after all. They would never come to a conclusion, however, as the Tantervale Circle would fall not long after as the Mage Rebellion spread throughout Southern Thedas. Fortunately for Darius, he was broken out by his mother and was brought to Tevinter, where he would continue his magical education unimpeded by the restraints of the Southern Chantry.
The many hardships that he had endured in his life has led to Darius becoming cold and walled off, preferring to keep to himself and glaring at anyone who dares approach. He tends to speak in a dry tone, as if he is uninterested in you and what you have to say and would rather be anywhere but here. Even so, his upbringing and having witnessed inequality on both sides of Thedas has pushed him to have a strong sense of justice, and he now seeks to upend the very establishments that prop up the nation that he now calls home: the Tevinter Imperium.
CW: cannibalism
As a master assassin, Egon has more flexible work hours than most, choosing to be the in-universe equivalent of immediately clocking out once the clock strikes 5, eager to pursue more... hedonistic ventures. If given the choice, Egon would much prefer sampling fine wines and attending lavish parties than filing paperwork and training Fledglings.
This is not to say that they are bad at their job, of course. On the contrary, one could say that Egon is very good at their job, while others would call them unscrupulous, even brutal. Where most other Crows would prefer quick and efficient kills, Egon enjoys the thrill of the chase, relishing in the fear of their targets as they quite literally hunt them for sport. They do not give them a quick end either, as they rip and tear through them, leaving a gory mess of limbs and other body parts as something of a morbid calling card.
Among the Crows, they have developed a well-earned reputation for their brutality, but the Crows are unaware of what happens to the bodies of the targets after death. For over a decade now, Egon has played host to a Hunger demon, one that they were possessed by during a contract gone horribly wrong. Over the years, they have developed a symbiotic relationship of sorts with the demon: they feed their targets to it (with Egon being made to eat them) and in exchange, they acquired the power to take down and destroy the nobles that they so thoroughly despise, a desire that they have been kindling since the purging of the Seleny Alienage, where they had witnessed the murder of their entire family.
Raden Tambunan
27-28 | Trans man | Pansexual | Elf | Rogue (Saboteur) | Lords of Fortune
A guy who's here for a good time but not a long time, or so he says. Nobody in the Lords really knows where Raden came from, though he claims to be from Llomerryn. Still, he has proven himself to be extremely useful, being a capable fighter well-versed in hand-to-hand combat and easily slipping in and out of high security areas undetected. It also helps that he's generally very easygoing, very personable, and always down to hang out whenever and wherever. And above all, he is loud: loud in the way he dresses and even louder when he speaks-- he fits right in with the rest of them. A chatty fellow, he can sometimes overwhelm the others with just how much he can talk; it doesn't really take much for him to get going.
Despite this, he remains very tight-lipped about his past. From what little can be gleaned from him, it would seem that he is, as he had mentioned, from Llomerryn, he was once a performer in a dance troupe, and he parted ways with them due to "creative differences". When pressed on it further, his smile becomes visibly strained and he quickly steers the conversation to another topic or just outright ignores any pointed questions. He has also proven to be quiet the religious man, but it's clear that he is no Andrastian, nor does he follow the ways of the Qun. It's likely to be one of the more fringe beliefs that still exist in Rivain, untouched by outside interference. But who is to say, really?
To the more observant of the Lords, a lot of his behaviors align with that of a former slave, one who had escaped not too long ago, and one that had certainly gone through horrific things under the thumb of cruel masters. If he doesn't want to speak of it, then there is no need to push further on the matter... Which is just the way Raden wants it to be.
A self-styled inventor and tinkerer, Venla doesn't particularly care to adhere to the rules and the ideals of the Grey Wardens. More often than not, she can be found working the forge, creating what appears to be peculiar portable cannons.
Having lived in the Anderfels all her life, Venla has always been aware of the Grey Wardens, but it never actually occurred to her that she would become one. She was from a family of artisans, and having secured an apprenticeship with a renowned jeweler in Orlais, was set to continue on with the family tradition. Unfortunately, being mauled by a darkspawn on the way to Val Royeaux proved to throw a wrench into her plans. Surviving with barely an inch of her life, she was put through the Joining against her wishes and now serves as a Grey Warden, much to her disdain. The stresses brought about by her near-death experienced, coupled with the effects of her Joining would trigger the manifestation of latent magical abilities-- at the age of twenty, it would have made her a considerable late bloomer, and to this day, she still finds her magic to be lacking in comparison to her fellow mage Wardens.
These days, she dedicates herself to being a mild nuisance to the Warden chain of command, taking her sweet time doing her hair and makeup in the morning and causing (contained and controlled) explosions on groups of unsuspecting darkspawn. It would seem she's channeling all of her frustrations in a very healthy and productive manner.
some sketchdumps of The Magnus Archives from twitter. iāve been listening to it a bunch while traveling / working, and itās my new favorite thing + super fun to explore the characters when i take breaks.
theyāre still evolving in my mind as i go thru it but i think iām getting there. spooky stuff next time i have ..time!
(PS please no spoilers, im only in s2!)
Thank you to @shadow-dragon-week and @sketchytea for the template!
This is one of my Shadow Dragons: Cain.
He's a scion of one of the most influencial families in the Magisterium; the Basileios. Lilin, his mother, holds a seat in the Magisterium as a Grand Cleric, while his father, Gever, holds a seat as patriarch of the family. Both are deeply imbroiled in the Imperiums corruption, bringing their eldest (and prodigal son) Hevel under their wing.
Cain is therefore the black sheep of the family: born with no magical ability, he is ultimately too weak to hold status yet also too important to disinherent.
He spends his time indulging in the luxury his family name affords him while dodging assasination attempts paid for by his own family. For political gain or for sport? He's unsure.
Behind the scenes, Cain finds his own power in kleptomania: stealing from those who would look down on him. This led him to creating the persona: CANDY, a proud and garish thief who performs heists leaving a proud calling card in his wake.
The Shadow Dragons scout him after gaining enough notoriety, his hauls being used to fund their efforts (and recuperation after the dragon attacks) while Cain, the pitiful scion, swans around High Town feeding information to the Dragons on the floorplans and goings-on in the homes of the politically corrupt.
A la Bruce Wayne, he wears the mask of rich playboy, but beneath he is deeply aware of the injustice of his situation, and has fallen deeply for the propaganda his family and social circles have perpetuated surrounding his place in the world.
RRAU: Cain is heavily involved in RP spaces. As such I'm more invested in his non-canon relatiionships (they're canon in my heart):
Thank you to @shadow-dragon-week and @sketchytea for the template!
My other Shadow Dragon has no name.
They have no past. No presence. No future.
Call me as you like is typically how they introduce themself. From 'Falon' to 'Hollix', this Rook has accrued various names over the years, yet few know much of anything else, and with good reason.
R̵ĢĶĶĢĢĶ̰̦ĶĶĢ Ģ«E̶ĶĶĶĶĶĢĢĢDĢ“ĶĶĢĢ Ķ̼̮̾AĢøĶĢĢ̦̻ĶĢ»CĢøĶĶTĢ“Ķ̽ĢĢĶĢĶĢŖĢĢ®E̶ĶĶĢĶĶ ĢĢĢ̰ĢDĢ“ĢĶĶĢĢĶĶĶĶ̼ĶĶ has been training in magical art and theory for as long as they can remember. Under the tutelage of one of the Circle's most up-and-coming scholars, Laetan Averius, and his vast network of academic connections, magic became their whole world. Literally.
Kept under lock and key, R̵ĢĶĶĢĢĶ̰̦ĶĶĢ Ģ«E̶ĶĶĶĶĶĢĢĢDĢ“ĶĶĢĢ Ķ̼̮̾AĢøĶĢĢ̦̻ĶĢ»CĢøĶĶTĢ“Ķ̽ĢĢĶĢĶĢŖĢĢ®E̶ĶĶĢĶĶ ĢĢĢ̰ĢDĢ“ĢĶĶĢĢĶĶĶĶ̼ĶĶ was one of countless elves under Averius' rule. Yet they remained oblivious to the circumstances of their upbringing for many, many years due to extreme isolation and the focused attention of their captor.
One breakout attempt, one casualty, and one world-shattering realization later, Nameless found themself taken in by the Shadow Dragons. Their sadness and anger moulded into a weapon and pointed back at men like the one who raised them.
Fighting fire with fire had never been part of Nameless' philosophy - in fact they hadn't used fire magic since their liberation - but, despite Averius' fondness for pyromancy, his collaboration with the Venatori revealled his vested interest in the study of blood magic. When given the oppotunity to confront him during a failing mission, Nameless faltered. Despite their lifelong studies, the Laetan overwhelmed them with ease.
And with blood spilled and their world fading to black, Nameless was left with a choice: to give in, or resist by any means necessary.
In the aftermath, they were let go from the Shadow Dragons quietly and without fuss, many assuming they had died with the rest of their team. Some years later they returned to Minrathous, working mostly independantly but on occassion collaborately with the Threads or doing personal favours for Ashur and Dorian (to Tarquin's chargrin).
RRAU: Nameless is heavily involved in RP spaces. As such I'm more invested in their non-canon relatiionships (they're canon in my heart):
Ruskin Ingellvar by @starlightarchery
Darius Konrul by @ennayeliah
I'm keen to enter an art space that's firm in it's boundaries regarding AI and being pro-human, not pro-profit-by-any-means.
I've been drawing for almost 20 years, studied animation, and work/engage in that industry regularly. Engagement with this post will grant my entry into this new space, so every like, reblog, and reply is tremendously appreciated.
Now for the tasty bit: art!
āļø Collab piece. Responsible ONLY for background, colouring and rendering.
Sketch credit to @/btbty24, and lineart credit to @/ennanas.
Non-DATV related, but I drew Arjun as a Splatoon 3 Octoling because Iāve been playing the game a lot lately! š¤š
Heād be a sniper Octoling that loves Turf Wars but sucks ass when it comes to clocking in at Grizzco Industries. I loved drawing this & it was so fun to make :-)
Locker credits to: @/ Ninnkukirinuki on Twitter and @/Ninkspl on YT.
The unfortunate result of using OCs with already established designs in games with CCs is the likelihood of some aspect of their design not translating properly in-game. For Darius, that would be his Artfully Tousled Medium Length Layered Cutā¢. And his glasses. Two very important things (yes I know about the glasses mods). Otherwise, his face is pretty accurate to how I want him to look, minus the perpetual sneering and grimacing ehe..
Egon
Taking the opportunity to slowly start properly introducing my Rooks that aren't Darius, we've got Egon! They're quite the ominous fellow, and I'd like to share more about them soon <3 Again, like Darius, they're an OC with an already established design, and I had to compromise with their haircut in-game (just like Darius). Very happy with their face otherwise, the common thread with these two is really just that their hair is wildly different from how it's shown in-game.
I sort of dropped off the face of the Earth six months ago largely due to starting a new job on top of juggling grad school, but here's to hoping I have more opportunities (and inspiration) to draw this year!
Tagged by @vishantikaffar / Tagging @tiravi @linposter @evans-endeavors @starlightarchery
Link to quiz here
Ambrose
Dragon
This is the tryhard type, I'm sorry.
But you're a gym leader, and no one's getting your badge unless they earn it. Most dragon-type specialists have a shared memory of getting crushed by a strong dragon type as a young trainer. In that moment, you were drawn to the raw power of dragons, and you've loved your scaly sidekicks ever since. You might have a soft spot off the battlefield - perhaps for a Goomy or Appletun somewhere in the PC - but only your closest friends know that about you. Most trainers will only ever see you as a dominant force on the battlefield, and you like it that way.
Mori
Ghost
There's so much to love about ghost-types: they've got a cool spooky aesthetic with a lovely color scheme, they can be super strong in battle, and they often have plenty of fun tricks up their sleeve. You're usually relaxed and enjoyable to be around, but you know how to get serious when you need to. Other trainers respect you, even if they're easily spooked.
Birthday gift for my beloved friend @knowlsey ! Potrait of their oc Mori who is my beloved nephew š¤ Happy birthday Han and happy belated birthday to my nephew, too. Really enjoyed drawing him!