#cornfox&bros

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

As long as they don't have to fight over the SAME REALM, I think these two could be buddies! At least, I'd like them to be... hahahaha! xD

I liked Miraak back then, too. But not as much as Mesmeroth. The golden antlers sold me, they just have a bit more class than ... tentacles.

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

Inter-dimensional crossover buddies! xD LOL

I apologise for the dragon flight image for it's shouting bromance all over! It's kinda cute, though. xDDD

Give them knowledge. No gods may interrupt in the pursuit of (forbidden) knowledge!

Mesmeroth is somehow a very chill enemy in this zelda-like world of magic but with a good junk of modern technology. His mask shows him the structure of the world, and guess what, it's the matrix! LOL Thus I ask YOU, is he really bad for seeing the truth and trying to free himself from being an AI in this fantasy world, take over and construct a matrix to his liking?

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

Judgement

A mood piece, really. Imagine you aim for a sort of immortality and taking over the job of the local gods in controlling the powers to maintain nature and the balance of the world.

This plan kinda fails, you have done a lot of damage, were stuck inside a machine for a thousand years and in your final moments you lose the fight to a little boy.

And you die, because you have, after all, a mortal body and soul. And then you stand in front of the true god and you realise how dang little you and all your ambitions were. xD The sheer audacity to ever have thought you could defy this all-mighty god in front of you.

I don't think Mesmeroth could utter even a single word. What's the point? Justifications are useless. His plan failed, his sacrifices were for nothing, and his life meant nothing but the destruction of the world. What would await him now in death?

And in dead silence, he'd await Chronos's judgement upon his soul.

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

Oceanhorn Chronos Dungeon features special items that allow the heroes to transform into either Mesmeroth, Gen or OH2's protagonist. The pixel sprites are damn adorable! 😍 And drawing them out like this, just makes them even more so! 🤣💕 JUST LOOK AT GEN!!! Cutest robot ever.

The above image is a redraw of the pixel-art that appears when you choose the Mesmeroth-Totem. His special attack is totally a spoiler for his abilities in OH2 and I absolutely LOVE the reference/connection made. xD

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

You get a whole game of "Mesmeroth is the bad guy - even though he wasn't always a bad guy" and he's causing trouble and destruction here and there, shuts down an accusation of murder and then goes ahead to tell the wonderful story of a child's birth... while being shown to tranquilly stride through the lush scenery of Gaia...

I mean, deadly enemy and all that, but with such depictions I feel inclined to actually take Mesmeroth by his word when he said: You don't need to be afraid of me or the might that is at my command.

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

Dinner for Two

After the recent loss of his family, Pierre Corbin sits alone at home, the dinner table set for two. He doesn't want to be disturbed but when he receives an unexpected visit from a certain young boy, he cannot bring himself to send him away.

Even though the table was set for two people, Pierre sat on his side alone, staring blankly over the cold and untouched food. He might have felt hungry earlier when he was cooking, but now it seemed as if there was no point to eating. He wondered why he had gone through the trouble to cook dinner again in the first place. It was the third day now and he should know better, knowing that she won’t come to join him.

It is a scary thing to love what you can lose to death. The family they always wanted – it was about to be reality, but unexpected difficulties turned this dream into a nightmare. He was thrown into this loss so harshly. While everyone and everything else kept turning with the world, he felt stuck and afraid of being left behind.

Pierre listened to his thoughts in the silence of his home. He was off duty this week to get some space. Other members of the Corbin family dealt with the funeral arrangements and for that he was very thankful. At the moment, he was glad he still knew how to dress properly. Or cook, even if he hardly ate.

Suddenly, the short sharp sound of something heavy hitting the wooden panels of the floor startled him. No mere second later, Pierre heard a faint “Oh no”, followed by some footsteps.

Surprised he turned his head towards the open door to the hallway. There shouldn’t be anyone else in the house, but since he hadn’t locked either door, anyone could enter.

Pierre braced himself against the unwanted attention and prepared to send whoever there was away as quickly as possible… but then he saw a very young man peeking into the room. He knew that face and never expected to see HIM here, of all people.

“Mesmeroth. What are you doing here, and so late?”, he asked surprised.

The boy tread in place for a moment, hesitating to approach. “Err… Mister Corbin, sir, I just came to give you this.”

Mesmeroth then quickly stepped across the room towards Pierre and placed a metal box on the table. It was an older radio model, one of Archimedes’s inventions that had found its way into all households across Arcadia.

Pierre carefully observed the radio and knowing the boy’s passion for malfunctioning robots, he expected it to start moving any second now. He wasn’t sure if he could deal with the boy’s reckless inventions right now.

Mesmeroth seemed to have noticed his suspicious stare and quickly reassured the knight. “It’s not going to do anything, because it’s not a ‘real’ robot but… it’s still my favourite… thing.” He gazed at the radio with a sad smile.

Pierre looked from radio to boy and back in confusion. Why on earth was that kid here? They knew each other to some extent, after all he had to deal with Mesmeroth’s rogue robots on occasion and he also had to drag the kid to school from time to time, as his father left the boy to his own devices most of the time. Yet, despite all of Pierre’s reprimanding and scolding, the boy was here now, standing at his dinner table, as if they were… friends.

“What is it then?”, asked Pierre carefully.

“A radio! But it’s a special one. It was broken and when I repaired it, I made it so that when you hold THIS button it can record a message and then, when you press THIS button, you can listen to it again.”

Mesmeroth became excited telling Pierre about his favourite object but when he was done he became his more timid self again.

“And … what shall I do with it?”, the knight inquired.

“Listen to it, when you’re all alone.”

Pierre moved to ask what’s on there but Mesmeroth continued to talk, gently holding the radio between his two hands.

“I know you cried, I can see it. I cried a lot, too. I missed her a lot, that’s why. Listening to this always made me feel a little better, though. I am a little too old now to still cry, I think, and … I don’t want you to be sad so that’s why I decided that you should have it.”

Pierre leaned heavily on his arm observing the boy as he realised that Mesmeroth, a kid 10 years of age, came to express his sincere condolences. He knew that the boy had lost his mother 3 years ago. Unfortunately, it was the talk of the village back then. The way the boy looked at the radio now, nearly tenderly and longingly told Pierre that he must have loved his mother very much. The fact that this neglected boy from the streets felt inclined to share a means of comfort with him, touched him deeply. A very unexpected gesture, Pierre was stunned that Mesmeroth cared about him.

He felt his throat clench and he swallowed a couple of times to reduce the tension. He didn’t know what to say.

Luck was on his side, as the change of subject came in form of an aggressive growling. Hastily Mesmeroth turned away to hide his hunger but it was too late.

Pierre raised his eye-brows and smiled gently. “Are you hungry?”

“Hmmm.” Mesmeroth didn’t seem to want to admit it. Again he moved about a bit.

“Have you not yet eaten at home?”

The boy’s gaze fell onto the food laid out on the table. “Err… well, there wasn’t anything left for me today”, he admitted embarrassed. Then he hastily continued. “Why haven’t you eaten yet? Don’t you like it?”, he asked.

Pierre’s question was stifled in his throat as he rushed to answer Mesmeroth’s questions. But his mind wondered, why was there no dinner left for the boy?

“Oh, I- haven’t felt like eating, I’m afraid.”

“And will you feel like eating it soon? Who will eat this if not?” With open, curious eyes Mesmeroth had turned back towards the knight.

“Maybe you would be interested in having a bite?” Pierre offered warmly as he gestured towards the chair on the other side.

“Oh yes, I do! I can tell you if it’s any good, too!”

“Yes, please do.”

Without another second lost, Mesmeroth took a seat and watched intently as Pierre took the serving spoon in his hand to give the boy a small serving.

“I’m afraid it’s cold already, but it should still taste just as good.”

Eagerly Mesmeroth put a full spoon into his mouth. He had not yet swallowed when he exclaimed “Shit, that’s really tasty!”

“No swear words at this table”, Pierre responded sternly. Mesmeroth quickly looked over and then, without stopping to munch simply replied “Okay, sorry, sir”.

“Why haven’t you eaten this, it’s so good!”, he continued.

“Is it really, eh? I guess I should try myself then.”

Pierre was still not exactly hungry but at least he wasn’t alone. He finally helped himself to a small portion and hesitantly took a spoonful himself. He had lost his thoughts, his feelings and his taste in the last couple of days. Yet, somehow in this strange boys presence, who was rather excited to have such a basic meal, taking in nourishment became actually bearable.

Until now Pierre hadn’t thought much of this peculiar young man. But now that Mesmeroth had… approached him on such personal level, he felt curious about him. Pierre pondered for a bit. Mesmeroth came from a poor family and his living conditions weren’t exactly the best. Unfortunately, the boy’s interest in magic and machines rubbed the villagers the wrong way and it caused minor annoyances at best but had also incited a tragic incident in which even the valuable life of a human was lost. Pierre was certain the boy didn’t act out of malice… but without guidance, he feared for the boys future. Why couldn’t his father care for him properly? Where there no friends Mesmeroth could connect and play with? Why do even children have to suffer already from the world’s trials and tribulations?

Pierre’s somewhat miserable thoughts were interrupted and uplifted by more of Mesmeroth’s fantastical praises for the food. Amidst this sorrowful time they managed to amuse Pierre and he felt glad that he had cooked after all. Mesmeroth had a big appetite and Pierre’s efforts were handsomely rewarded.

They were nearly done when Pierre decided to ask. “What do you mean, there was no food left for you today? How so?”

Mesmeroth looked up at first, then evaded Pierre’s gaze.

“I don’t really have dinners at home. Sometimes I get to have dad’s leftovers, though!”

Pierre was a little stunned by that answer, but couldn’t say he was actually surprised. It’s just not what he would have liked to hear.

“Your father is not cooking for you?”

Mesmeroth thought for a bit. “I think he did but… not anymore. I am not really allowed inside the house either. Not that I want to go there anyway, it smells.”

The boy proceeded to lick the final remnants of the dish from the cutlery. Pierre shook his head in disbelief. “Goodness Gracious. But you do get lunch at school, right?”

“Yeah. It’s not as awesome as THIS, though. Other kids often leave like half their meal so I wait till they’re gone and eat that, too! Then I am late for class but that’s okay, it’s mostly boring stuff anyway. Oh, and I do get snacks for sharing my homework!”

Pierre had never chatted to Mesmeroth so casually and he was very pleasantly surprised, despite the heavy topic, that the boy answered so frankly. “I am glad to hear that. It may not be an ideal situation but you sure know how to help yourself.”

“Hm, yeah, I suppose…” Mesmeroth sighed a little. “I’ll be fine and… I am sorry for… for making you work so hard.”

Pierre sighed as well and nodded in gratitude. “I know that you are. I know.”

Then, Mesmeroth picked up his plate and stood up. He questioningly stared at the plate and gazed over at the door to the kitchen. Pierre extended a hand and gestured him to place the plate back down.

“You don’t have to worry about that for today. I will clean it all”, responded Pierre warmly. The boy had enough to sort out and Pierre had to clean the rest anyway. Albeit he’d probably do it tomorrow.

“Oh, really? But what if I would like to have food again?”

Pierre understood the boy’s desire to eat again but what did that have to do with the dishes?

“How do you mean?”, he asked.

“I mean, what if come ever again and then, at that time you happen to have made food that you don’t feel like eating, then I would like to be allowed to eat it for you.”

Pierre looked at the boy in amused astonishment. “How nicely put. Well, let me reassure you, that if you ever came by again and I happen to have just made dinner then you are very certainly allowed to have a share.”

Mesmeroth grinned widely at him and put the plate back down. “Oh, okay. Thanks, Mr. Corbin.”

“Hmhm”. Pierre sighed and smiled at his guest, who now walked back around the table to look at the radio again. He even reached out to turn it around a little and brush over the corner with which it hit the floor earlier. Mesmeroth murmured something Pierre didn’t understand and just as he began to ask about it the young man turned to him abruptly.

“Be good, okay?”

“O-Of course, Knight’s honour!”, Pierre replied surprised, once again. Wasn’t that something he should have requested of Mesmeroth instead?

Mesmeroth showed his teeth in a large grin. “And you should eat your food, it’s super great! See you, Mr. Corbin!”

Then he sprang around and dashed towards the hallway. Pierre half-way rose from his seat as he shouted after the boy, but he was already out of sight.

“Be careful on your way home!”

“Ye-hes! Bye!”, came the answer from somewhere around the front door. And then, there was silence again.

What was going on in the boy’s head, thought Pierre. He was perplexed, but very pleasantly so. Children could be so demanding it distracts from anything else and they also manage to bring down any possible defence in seconds.

He had wanted to be alone but still, he was glad the boy had come. He had finally eaten and maybe, it dawned on him, he had allowed this boy in difficult circumstances to have a proper meal, also.

Pierre’s eyes now fixated on the radio. He was curious to find out what was recorded on there and he extended his arm to reach the button. His finger rested on there for a moment. He leaned forward and rested his chin on the other arm, then pressed the button down.

The radio first emitted a few cracks and noises of it being moved around. Two voices were audible, that of Mesmeroth and that of a woman. “Okay, I am holding it down, see? Now you can sing. Closer, right there…”

Mesmeroth gave instructions, presumably to his mother, who then sang a common but beautiful lullaby for her son. The recording ended with another short conversation between the two.

Pierre hid his face in the fabric of his sleeve and pressed the button again. He was listening to his own, lost dream: a mother singing a lullaby to her beloved child. His eyes teared up and his throat clenched. In his thoughts, his wife was walking up and down the bedroom, rocking their baby, singing this lullaby. Then the same kid came climbing into their bed at night and again, his wife sang a lullaby. More and more scenarios flooded his mind and Pierre cried for all the lost moments he had hoped to experience in the future.

When the worst was over, and his body had calmed down a bit, Pierre allowed Mesmeroth to enter his mind again. The radio was a precious item to the boy. For an instance Pierre wanted to return it but then he reminded himself of something he had learned becoming a knight: Presents are not to be made OR accepted lightly. The boy didn’t bring this important keepsake lightly. And so, Pierre would honour the gift and keep it.

In fact, there was something else he wanted to do. Tomorrow evening, he would cook again, and even though he was alone, he would cook for two. Yes, his wife wasn’t there anymore to dine with him but… a certain troubled boy might just be hungry enough.

THE END.

(or is it a beginning?)

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

Again, something out of my comfort zone but you'll never learn if you don't try out new things! I am usually drawing characters just for reference purposes, less for artistic reasons, so this is a strange piece for me.

I really liked the last-minute idea of the glowing hoodie lining on my modern (young) Mesmeroth version and somehow wanted to draw that again. Ideally with some weird artistic foreshadowing of what he's to become, with the hovering golden triangles and antlers.

[windmaedchen-oceanhorn]

In response to them doing this 10 years earlier.

Of course, Gen has limits, and maybe trying to swing two nearly adult young men around is a little too much! xD

Gen Headcanon Time

I think Gen was built from very well-preserved ancient robot parts, similar to the Bot Warriors. Mesmeroth found him and was at best able to exchange or upgrade some parts. It might have even been parts raided from a spare parts stash for the previous "steel servants".

He coloured him red himself.

Gen doesn't feel any pain, other than what his soul might suffer from.

He can feel warm and cold and touch. Touch is a bit tricky, since his metal isn't technically equipped to do so, BUT his soul notices. He can perfectly handle a baby or hug someone, but he wouldn't feel if someone just lightly stroked his metal surfaces.

He enjoys being tampered with, as in receiving his annual check-up or when some repairs are needed (which is rare). On the other hand, he doesn't like it when any joint isn't well-oiled.

With the lack of a human body, many human desires have vanished. He never feels hungry or thirsty.

He does feel desires for the soul, though, like having friends, talking, receiving and showing signs of affection, regardless of what that may look like...

I seriously have no idea what his joints are meant to be canonically BUT ... to me, there must be some sort of socket for the limbs to attach to, quite like shoulder and hip naturally do. Hence the weird little stubs on his arms.

Unlike other robots, Gen doesn't feature any obvious battery or engine for his motor-functions to run. He either has some small one hidden within his chest (he never takes off the vest in the game so we can't see what's there on his back)... OR...

Gen moves through the power of his will and soul alone. It is a magical bind, after all, and his body isn't particularly intricate. His hands are super simple, it's just two fingers on a hinge.

All robots do this to some extent since they are all infused with an AI soul. The Bot Warriors may carry battery/engine packs for their weapons or communications...

So Gen can lose a limb on occasion if the pull is too strong on the socket. It doesn't hurt him. He cannot control the limb he lost afterwards. His soul retreats back into the main part, so to speak.

No, my version of Gen cannot swim. xD He is solid metal. He CAN, however, technically remain underwater forever, as he doesn't need any air.

Then again, he has places that begin to rust and which need regular checking and maybe replacements.

More on being in water... there is a lack of pressure-related issues for Hero in OH2, which I, as a scuba diver, will only reluctantly ignore. xD Meaning, that for example, Gen's visual lenses would crack only in depths beyond 100m, but they WILL fail sooner or later.

And that's it for now. :D See ya with my next image!