CryptoBang

A blog to document my creative process as I work to complete both works of fiction and art based on the stories of Hollo and Ziggy and their life as Crypto-Hunters in the world of Touhdee. All art and writing contained within this blog is copyright to me. If you would like to use any part of it please contact me first through my ask.

[cryptobang]

Hollo's been chasing cryptids again... and this time he called up something from the ocean depths! How will he get out of this one?

Hopefully Ziggy is somewhere nearby with a harpoon... or sea monster repellent...

I've decided at this point that I will do my best at anatomy and whatever, and just keep forging ahead in pictures until they are actually done, rather than giving up just because I don't think some element is coming out right.

In the end, I really like this right now. 

Hollo is mine

[cryptobang]

Legion is a Blood Deity from Touhdee, the world where Hollo and Ziggy (and friends) live in. Blood Deities, unlike Deities of the recent era, require blood and/or death sacrifices from their followers. Some are extremely temperamental, requiring frequent scheduled sacrifices, while others only require sacrifices during certain ceremonies or when called upon for certain rituals. Legion is a top Blood Deity, and she is demanding and temperamental. Those who worship her are called to slaughter for her mercilessly, and often. Her followers often turn to consuming the flesh of the sacrifices, often engaging in cannibalism when sacrifices of their brethren and people are required.  Her requirements are highly demanding and destructive, but her rewards are seen to be worth it - she bestows upon her favorites magical abilities, good fortune, strength of body, and for the very best limited foresight and telepathic abilities.  Legion is rarely worshipped in the recent era of Touhdee, however her powers remain strong as she has many followers across many different dimensions and worlds (though they know her by different names and in different forms). Hollo and Ziggy will eventually come face to face with Legion after moving to a house, and meeting Sirruh and Dolorous, as Sirruh is one of her very devoted followers (and because of it, one of her favorites). Legion's symbol is a golden cup overflowing with blood, and she is often depicted with skulls (either standing on them, holding them, crushing them, etc). Her colors are deep purple and blood red. Legion is mind art by hollo

[cryptobang]

Kohnigkon is a Blood Deity from Touhdee, the world where Hollo and Ziggy (and friends) live. 

Blood Deities, unlike Deities of the recent era, require blood and/or death sacrifices from their followers. Some are extremely temperamental, requiring frequent scheduled sacrifices, while others only require sacrifices during certain ceremonies or when called upon for certain rituals.

Kohnigkon is a strengthening deity - he requires the death of at least one person, whose heart and liver is sacrificed. Kohnigkon's left-face eats the heart, the right-face eats the liver, and the front face breathes blessing upon the person calling upon him. 

His symbol is a stylized heart with black thorns thrust through it. His colors are green and red, and he was a favored deity of warriors and kings.

He is much less worshipped in the recent era, and as such little is known about the rituals surrounding his worship.

Hollo and Ziggy will meet him, and other Blood Deities, eventually. 

[cryptobang]

Lake Oahi M'no

by Severyn Hallow

----

The first short story. You can read a pdf version of it by clicking here

I hope you enjoy. Please let me know what you think.

[cryptobang]

Flufferness Sketch

[cryptobang]

I just finished writing the short story this picture goes along with. You'll all have to wait a bit before you read it, however...

Art by Hollo

[cryptobang]

So just so you all know

I'm working on CryptoBang stories for NaNoWriMo this year, which means I'm writing a lot, just not editing anything yet.

I've finished one story (~14k words, yeowch) and I've just started on the next one.

What does this mean? Well, the first story I've finished I'll be doing my best to edit ASAP and get put up on the Amazon Kindle store once I finish up. I will have it up for sale for kind of cheap, but I'll also have a free download put up because I like giving people choices and not everyone has money for frivolous things.

I'll be writing some shorter stories as well (almost done with one of those too, actually) that won't be up for sale, but will be posted as either a free download on PDF and for e-readers, or if it's short enough, as a large image file. 

I won't be posting these things up as plain text - I'm going to want to publish these stories in an anthology one day (and actual book with illustrations and cool stuff like that) and I really would rather not run the chance that someone is going to run off with them as their own for some weird reason. (Why would you do that, I don't know.) 

All of the stories I publish (either through Amazon Kindle or put out for free download) will be under the pen name "Severyn Hallow". If you've read the boys' bios, you'll know that's the name Hollo publishes his blog under. Yes. Indeed.

SO I just wanted to let you all know what was up with CryptoBang. I am still working on it, and I hope you will find the things I end up producing entertaining and enjoyable.

Thanks much!

[itsdetachable]

Winged lion from the CryptoBang universe. Whoohoo

[cryptobang]

Winged Lions become pretty important as the story progresses...

[cryptobang]

I truly honestly cannot draw at all seriously wtf Anyways the grinning winged lion features in my short stories, as a certain part of a certain something thing...

[cryptobang]

Short Comic/Graphic Art Story at 50 Followers

Hey guys, uh, I'm just setting a goal for myself. See, CryptoBang is at 8 followers, which is absolutely awesome and amazing because that is 8 more followers than I thought I would have when I started this thing! And it's only been about two weeks. That's pretty cool, and I'm so happy to have you all here. Thanks so much!

I hope you guys are enjoying the trickling of things that I post, and I hope you continue to enjoy the stuff I will eventually be posting.

I also hope that more people will start following and CryptoBang will be less a personal project blog and become something like a 'a lot of people like it so this project is growing' blog.

To that end, I'm setting a goal for myself: 50 Followers. However long it takes. When 50 followers happens, I will release a short comic/graphic art story (I can't call it a graphic novel, it'll be too short, haha) that I will print myself, laminate the cover to, and put together myself. It'll probably be really cheap and I'd have a contest to give away a few copies and then sell the rest. 

I just want to get this out there so when the day of 50 followers comes you guys can start pestering me for it.

Yes.

Thanks for following. I appreciate it.

[cryptobang]

Spirit possession is a dangerous thing - it's easy getting them in, it's a bit more difficult getting them out. The process usually leaves the host body with massive damage; demonic possession is even worse, leaving the body near death with pieces missing.

It's a good thing that Hollo doesn't experience his first possession until after he gets his zombie 'curse'.

Hollo is mine

[cryptobang]

The Be'Ha are a sentient species of rock-creatures living in the wastes of The Range of Isolde. Legend has it that they came from a world of stone and sulfur and fire. Stories tell that the Be'Ha are an ambivalent species, not aggressive, and this is a good thing as full grown Be'Ha are large enough to be mistaken for mountain ranges.

The Be'Ha of Touhdee are extremely rare, and extremely young for a species that can live up to a millenia. Stories of them are very old, and most of the population agrees that they are no more than old fables and fantasy.

Hollo, however, believes otherwise...

Be'Ha and Touhdee are mine

[cryptobang]

Simple Werran sketch

Werran on Touhdee are descendants of wolf-people who have imbued themselves with magical powers and have become deformed due to the amount of power within them. Not many Werran survive to adulthood, and their numbers of few, because of the hazards of becoming living capsules of pure magic. Due to this, however, the ones who do survive are extremely powerful and resilient, and are able to wield the magic within them, although in limited ways. The Werran are unable of using the magic to its full purpose, as their reason for existing is not to propogate magic but to trap it and contain it, for a future time when the original patriarch of their clan is reborn and will once again lead them. 

Some sources believe that the absence of magic on Touhdee in modern times is due to the Werran siphoning it out of the very atmosphere and planet; records indicate that magic was once an everyday thing in the world, but that over time it had disappeared.

Anyways, Werran are nasty beasties that care little for others and will maul anyone who comes near them. They can only be harmed by weapons or items made of pure silver and can only be killed if those weapons pierce the sack of magic within them, causing the Werran to self-destruct. 

Werran are mine.

[cryptobang]

Profiles are up!

If you look at the top of the page, you'll see the links to the about pages! 

They're kind of broad now, I didn't want to give too much away but at the same time I wanted everyone to have a feel for the guys. :3 

Let me know what you think, if you want! 

If you have any questions for Hollo or Ziggy you can ask them too. ;D

[cryptobang]

Ziggy's Profile Pic. Not as dynamic as Hollo's but then again he isn't that dynamic himself. I feel this fits him pretty good, but I might still work on the lighting later when I don't feel so crappy.

Ziggy is mine, thanks.

[cryptobang]

Gonna make About Pages for Hollo and Ziggy, here's Hollo's pic for the page! Whoop!

[cryptobang]

There's danger lurking in the woods

and it doesn't like taking glamour shots