#queen achren

[knightofthenewrepublic]

Achren & Gwydion

[highqueenofprydain]

[theimpossiblescheme]

Doing my yearly Prydain Chronicles reread (I could use the destressor right now) and consumed by the potential of the greatest off-page scene in Taran Wanderer.  Namely Fflewddur coming back to Caer Dallben with the news of Taran and Craddoc and finding Achren just... chilling there.

Like... I’m sorry, walk me through this--the murderous sorceress who admitted to being the lord of evil’s consort at one point, threw me in prison and tried to drown me on two separate occasions, and kidnapped and brainwashed one of my dearest friends... she just lives with you now?  And everyone’s fine with it?

[undertakers-convention]

Queen Achren from Chronicles of Prydain

This is a design sheet I did (and posted) in November of 2021. I’m reposting it here now because all trace of it on Tumblr seems to have vanished, and I have no clue why, but oh fucking well, tumblr has never functioned properly and I don’t expect a change now. 

This design was primarily based on medieval heraldic gowns (which I believe were primarily English and Celtic). They have a really iconic look to them, split down the center with odd clashing patterns and bright colors, and often emblams of the person wearing them (I think, I dunno, I’m not a real dress historian). I also put Janet from Tam Lin in one, if you saw that post, although hers is a bit more accurate to actual imagery of these dresses from real medieval art I’ve seen. Achren’s look is a little more clean and sinister, I wanted it to be less clashing and garish, more elegant. I also wanted to dedicate extra love to designing her hands, which I actually based on my own. Her whole look is meant to be high fantasy fiction, not as based in real garments from the period as I’d initially planned, as there aren’t many references or extant pieces. As far as I’ve come to understand, as a fashion history novice, it seems to be debatable if these split heraldic dresses even existed, or if they were just from paintings, or what their deal is. I’m no expert, so I can’t say, but something about that draws me to them for Achren. It feels somehow appropriate. Regardless, her design and Eilonwy’s design are meant to be at complete odds, with Achren looking refined, clean, and elegent, whereas Eilonwy opts for a more peasant-inspired simple white robe and really messy vibes.

[prydainian]

Queen Achren

[prydainian]

Costume design for Achren

[prydainian]

Achren, Queen of Spiral Castle, always after the iron crown of Annuvin...

[art-ofprydain]

fan art by me

I watched the trailer for George Lucas and Ron Howard’s Willow(1988) I used design reference of the villain Queen Bavmorda for the design of Queen Achren.  Also I used a bit of the wicked Queen from Snow White and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty