Arcanium Technology

My original vision for Arcanium technology was one that hinged on magic. Arcanium itself was to be a mysterious mineral that was mined from the earth, albeit carefully. Arcanium is extremely volatile in it's naturally recurring form. One misplaced strike from a pick ax you'd be liable to lose an arm, if you're lucky. Before the "Golden Age," the people of Giaos didn't think much of Arcanium, to most it was just some dangerous material that was better left alone. If an average person found an Arcanium vein, they were required to report it to the authorities for quarantine and extraction.

Scholars studied Arcanium and theorized upon it's potential properties. These theories allowed inventors to attempt it's use in their devices, but they were always limited by their initial understanding that it was volatile. Arcanium became a form of coal/oil; something that released energy, but never efficiently and only because that's the best people could come up with.

Then came the first discovery of what would later be regarded as Technomancy. Over two hundred years ago Archaeologists discovered a ruin unlike anything anyone had ever seen. It was ancient by all accounts, but technologically far more advanced than anything modern society could have achieved.
This archaeological site will have to be named for it's significance. Scientists, engineers, inventors and just about anyone with anything to gain from it's study would travel from all over Giaos for a chance to learn it's secrets. In the decades following this monumental discovery Technomancy was born.

The city of Ontierre was built around this ancient ruin and the Ontierre Academy was erected directly above it. For the longest time the Academy was one of the most advanced buildings in all of Giaos, benefiting directly from the study of the site and sharing this knowledge with the world through the tutelage of it's students.

Questions:
Is Technomancy Magic or Science? If it's magic, can anyone wield it's power? If it's science than technically anyone could, right? But can't the same level of "access" be argued across both magic and science? Not everyone in the real world can explain the theories surrounding the bozon particle or string theory; it can be regarded as magic to the uninitiated. For the sake of the fantasy genre, lets assume Technomancy is science so advanced that it may as well be regarded as magic to the masses. And that only a rare few of elite individuals can understand and "wield" it. These people would be feared and respected and the most powerful of them would be in a position of great power.

So the true question is what exactly is the nature of this advanced ancient technology. How does it exist? Where did it come from? And most importantly, what are the limitations? Is it everywhere? If it is then what does that mean for the society of Giaos? Does it have an environmental cost? Pollution? Does it cause damage to the user? Radiation poisoning?

Then there's the cube... It needs to be defined within the context and rules of Arcanium. All of these questions will lead to answers that will only beg more questions and so on and so forth but eventually the questions will become mere exercises in Symantec and at that point we will be prepared to invite our readers to the world we have crafted.

Viper 3

Here's a little story about a character from my book who, until a few days ago, was only a faceless figure vaguely described in the words of my  manuscript. Before I continue let's have a look at him.

This illustration makes use of advanced overlay layers for texture.

Viper 3 is his designation. He has no name and when you read the book you will understand why. Viper 3 is a soldier in the Elysian army. More specifically, he is a member of the elite division of the Elysian military called Viper squad.

Viper squad is the fictional equivalent of the British SAS, though much fewer in number. They train in all the combat skills that every other Elysian soldier does, but hold themselves to a much higher standard. That training is supplemented with advanced political and espionage training. These guys are not only dangerous on the battlefield, but also from the shadows and the crowds of any city in Giaos, even during times of peace.

They answer only to Emperor Tiberius Elystar.

The weapon that you see Viper 3 carrying is a type 1, variant 2, mass driver. This firearm delivers arcanium infused slugs at blinding speed. Before the invention of these devices the most advanced weapon was the bow and arrow. The variant 2 mass driver basically fires explosive shells, granted the explosive element is derived from the mystical element arcanium.

Now, for the development process of this illustration.

The drawing started as an doodle in Alchemy. At this point there was no goal with the design, just sketching random shapes.

Then my friend Dima, who was hanging out that night, saw what I was doing and asked to play with Alchemy. I let him, embracing the concept of not falling in love with my work. It was his idea to give the character 4 arms. At this point the figure had no place, just a continued doodle.

I imported the sketch into Photoshop. Here I threw in a photo of an overcast horizon I found via a Google image search. I then started painting in the value and refined geometry of the figure. I also removed the second set of arms. Sorry Dima. At this stage I had the idea of making this piece a supporting asset for my book. Thus the addition of the lion facade to the gun.

I added color through an overlay later, keeping the same value from before. I went with a bluish grey for most of the armor, with golden yellow accents and finally red for the fabric and top of the helmet.

Credit: The final piece has specific aesthetic elements from a steampunk rifle I found on DeviantArt. It's hands down one of the coolest guns I've ever seen. Check it out here: http://johnsonarms.deviantart.com/art/Steampunk-Rifle-Outdoors-Photo-2-284228206

Refined Art Style for Echoes

It's been quite a while since I had a chance to work on my book. Lot's of life to deal with.

I'm starting to once again schedule time to rekindle momentum on the project. And so with that I present the refined art style.

Some of you may recall this Spread. The obvious difference is the new dependence on line work for fore-mid ground elements. I'm blocking out complete shadows in pure black; a happy side-effect of which is the drastic shift in contrast. So if printed in black and white, the piece will still read very well.

See?

I've been reading a lot of Batman New 52 graphic novels and have been reminded of my love for the genre. When I was in High School I sometimes thought about becoming a comic book artist. I never looked into it, but being an author never occurred to me, and look at me now.

createspace.com

Did some light research today, regarding self publishing. I'm a realist and I know it's a difficult thing to get published in this volatile economy. I, however, am not a patient person and when I feel my book is ready to be shared with the world I don't think I'll be able to bide my time for the day that a major publisher decides to pick it up.

I will definitely send some copies of the manuscript around, but once I've exhausted my list of preferred publishers I will then pull the trigger on publishing the book myself with the help of www.createspace.com

I just found out about this company and I'm excited about the possibilities. The company is technically an Amazon company. So what better way to release my book than the worlds best online book seller?

A great feature about this website is the community. One thing I've been tossing around in my head was figuring out a safe way to share excerpts of my book and get honest feedback. I've only shared the manuscript with two people so far, but I know I will need more if I am going to create something with any chance of being commercially successful.

There is still much work to be done before I cross that bridge, but at least I know I have options.

N0R4

In the spirit of fantasy classics like the original Clash of the Titans I am going to introduce a new character to my novel during the rewrite. N0-R4 (Nory for short).

Nory is a unique automaton created by Estro Salius. His main function is to serve as a long range scanner. He is an invaluable asset in the search for ancient ruins. Unlike other automatons, which have mostly been discovered and re-purposed, Nory has been completely designed from scratch by Estro. He will go on to become a major character of the novel, albeit one without a single line of dialogue.

As of this writing I was considering giving Nory a matte black paint job with small hints of gold color, but he's a technically a robot and Estro's constructs are capable of re-configuring themselves on the fly (pun intended). So I'm giving adaptive color. This will make him almost invisible against the sky. That just makes sense to me.

Before viewing the spreads below I urge you to visit the page of Aristotle's Voice. Like his page and please like his songs, especially A Journey Home. The track was inspired by these paintings and together they will immerse you into the world of Giaos.

Learn how to place music on itunes at ReverbNation.com

Spread #1; pages 1 and 2. Nory patrols the vast wilds around Estro's research station.

Spread #2; ages 3 and 4. Nory is almost home. 

Spread #3; pages 5 and 6. Nory approaches the research station.

Spread #4; pages 7 and 8. Nory lands and we get the first clear look at him.

Onyx Ape version 2.0

In my previous blog I said that I wanted Obsydia's forces to be made of mostly stone and what not, but after strong consideration it wouldn't make a lot of sense for the enemy of the world (as Obsidia is in my novel) to have forces that would be so easily dispatched. So I have re-designed the beasts.

This design is more reminiscent of a robot, and though my novel is technically fantasy, it does have certain Aesthetic allowances more common with Science Fiction.

I will give credit to my friend Mikella Touchstone for reminding me about the Warmachine tabletop game by Privateer Press. In this game the there are various factions that make use of machines called Warjacks. Warjacks run on furnaces with exhaust pipes and that's something my automaton's have in common.

The Onyx Ape version 2.0, standing near the edge of the divide; a tumultuous region of Giaos riddled with unpredictable geothermic activity. 

The Onyx Ape

This is another character/creature concept sketch for my novel. This monster looks menacing and for all intents and purposes it is, but one thing this picture is lacking is a scale reference. So I'm going to be clear about this now. The Onyx Ape is not very big. NOT BIG. In the pose seen below the top of the smoke stacks are no taller than five feet.

The idea behind this automaton is that they are similar in gesture to a chimpanzee or young gorilla. The arms are not very thick, but they are not meant to be overly powerful. They are, however, extremely fast and that's where the true danger lies.

Obsidia, the villain of the book, has an army of these machines. They are crafted using raw materials from her base underground so they lack the durability of steel and the stone sections of their bodies can be destroyed relatively easy.

That is not to say that they don't have metal in their bodies, because they do, but the metal is mostly used for the skeleton and certain areas that require reinforcement.

This is the first sketch of the Onyx Ape that I actually like. I will be designing exploration sketches with different "builds" I'm not sure what the final look of the monster will be.

Daedalus Floor Plans

So I've spent quite a few days plotting out rough floor plans for the Daedalus Airship. I'm no architect, but I've done a lot of research and maritime vessels don't have overly complicated floor plans. Come to think of it. Floor plans in general are pretty simple. Just lines for walls and some simple door graphics, and stairs.

I didn't go into detail about the furnishings, but that's something I can work out in SketchUp.

Here's the side view of the the ship. I drew this over the top of the sketch from last week.

The Upper Deck is where the bridge(pilot room) and Estro's Room are located.

The First Deck is where Estro's personal lab and the Captain's quarters are located. Which presents a new character that I never wrote about. The Captain of the Daedalus. I'm going to have to brainstorm about this person.

The Second Deck holds the Water Filtration system, Anaya's room and some special guest rooms.

Deck Three has a upper half of the Engine Room and half of the states rooms.

Deck Four has the lower half of the Engine room and the rest of the states rooms.

Deck Five has the Armor, the upper science/research labs, two mess halls, the lounge, galley(kitchen), and pantry.

Deck Six has the briefing room, the lower science/research labs, the hospital, and six recovery rooms for injured or sick.

Deck Seven is the lowest deck and has Stern deployment(used for Men at Arms), four holds, and a large loading bay.

First Imperial Dreadnought Class Warship

A medium sized vessel with frightening firepower.

Introduced during the closing days of the war. This warship was one of many that comprised the First Imperial Fleet of Aerial Warships (First Fleet for short). Estro never intended his published discoveries to become such tools of death, but Tiberius always had a passion for ambition and conquest.

I won't spoil any of the story by elaborating how this terrifying ship ceased to exist, nor why another like it was never again built, but lets just say it went out with a bang.

You'll notice that this vessel lacks the balloon's that are a major part of the Daedalus' profile. Tiberius never cared about the environment or the damage his fleet could cause to it. The simple truth was that having the ship completely outfitted with high yield turbines granted it better mobility. Anyone who knows about war will agree that this is a key fundamental to a successful offense.

I'm surprised I was able to knock this one out in only a couple of hours. Probably because I've come to terms with the direction of the Airships in my story.

There will be more to come.

Consequences of using Arcanium

As it stands; the use of Arcanium technology in my story is relatively trivial. It needs to be more costly. On the one hand the mineral is rare enough that only the wealthy will have unhindered access to it, but there needs to be some environmental impact.

So I need to consider pollution as a viable way to increase the social impact of the use of technology. Arcanium is not a volatile mineral, but if agitated with a proper catalyst it can explode.

I need to think about gasoline or coal. Both are commodities in the real world that can serve as great parallels to what Arcanium will be.

Introducing pollution into the story can add some much needed sub-context to some of the guilt that  will inevitably weigh down on Estro's conscience, mainly because his discoveries brought about the dependencies of technology within the empire.

This new concept will affect my designs going forward. I will start by adding some exhaust ports to the recent Daedalus concept.

Here's The Daedalus with the addition of smoke stacks. The design isn't affected much, but the implication of the thickness of the exhaust works well. I can already imagine heavily populated cities, that use much Arcanium having purple smog choking the sky and casting a violet hue across the land as the sunlight intermingles with the particles in the smoke.

That's all for now.

Also, Yohann Schepacz will be a great influence to my design ideas.

I am proud to unveil "The Daedalus."

Here she is. The Daedalus.

As some of you, those who read my blog, may know. I decided to go in a different direction with the design for the airships in my novel. The new aesthetic invokes the majesty of European Galleon's of the 18th century and also showcases the influence that games like Final Fantasy 6 had on me growing up.

The book still opens with the First Imperial Fleet of Aerial Warships being advanced vessels, complete with Arcanium turbines, heavy armor, and powerful weapons (imagine a flying battleship with the look of a 19th century ironclad).

But this ship, The Daedalus, belongs to Estro Salius, the world renowned engineer. Estro is responsible for most if not all the technology found in Giaos, but he witnessed the cataclysmic destruction of the First Fleet and as such has made an active effort to balance the use of Arcanium technology with an ample dose of humility. For this reason The Daedalus makes use of wind currents and often only uses Arcanium turbines to create lift. The stern of  the ship is, however, outfitted with a pair of high yield turbines in case of an emergency.

So I am completely happy with the look of this sketch. The next step is to draw a front view so I can then start the most challenging step, modelling the ship with 3D software. This process is something I haven't done in ages and I'm unsure if I even have a program that I can use to do it. I know some people use Google Sketchup for this type of project. So that's probably going to be my best bet.

Until next time! Time for bed...

The technology of Echoes re-imagined!

I just had an epiphany. I am going to completely overhaul the concept of the technology in my book.

As it stands everything is leaning more towards Sci-Fi. And although I am a fan of the genre, I want to strike a better balance with my love of Fantasy. So... I have decided to redesign the Daedalus Air Ship.

Instead of being completely driven by turbines and Arcanium Cyrstals. It will make use of a series of high yield Arcanium Turbines that are only meant to keep the massive vessel aloft. And to inject logic into the overall design. I will set a rule that forward locomotion will be gained through the employ of traditional sails and wind.

This new direction gives me an opportunity to hinge an early plot device around the design. Estro, being mindful of his past mistakes and the catastrophic explosion that decimated the First Imperial Fleet of Aerial Warships, is an advocate for cautious use of technology. I would elaborate further, but that would risk giving away too much of the story.

In closing; This new direction will have some major repercussions to the context I've established with the first draft. It's very exciting stuff.

New direction

I've been reading Brian Selznick's new book, Wonder Struck, and am completely blown away by the shear amount of pictures he included in his creation. They outnumber pages with written words 4 to 1. That being said I have been inspired to follow in his footsteps; albeit in a different direction.

So I have scrapped the original art style I decided on. Mainly because it would require a lot more time to design and render the illustrations. The new style is more "sketchy." And not to say it's lower quality. The best description is that it will look like artwork in an earlier stage of development.

I have promised myself that if, after I finish illustrating the entire book, I feel the illustrations need more attention; I may end up giving them a second or third pass.

Below is an example of the art style.

This was a study I did based this concept. You can see how I'm taking the shaded sections and grouping them into black. I like the style I know it's extreme, but in a way it allows for more of the reader's imagination to own the experience of reading my novel.

This was a study I did based on  Burt Wesley's  early Dishonored concepts.

This drawing is actually based on my existing design for the character Keeno. You'll notice this guy has a tail and is wielding a Bo Staff.

Echoes; Eye Candy

Hello everyone! It's been a few days since my last update. Some of you have probably already seen the artwork I created for the cover of the book. FYI, that's not the finished design; it was something I threw together in a couple days to give the unpublished copies, I have floating around, some semblance of production value. I do plan on polishing up the cover art a bit more if/when the book gets picked up by a publisher.

But I digress. Below you will find some  interior illustrations for the openings of a few chapters. You will notice the style is very line dependent and invokes that of a comic book. This is something I planned on doing from the beginning.

Anyway, Enjoy!

 Prologue

 "Midnight Train."

"A Stormy Ride."

New character name

Varron Slivers.

I just got off the phone with a customer here at work and his name is Varron Slivers. I told him. "I'm putting you in my book!" He was ok with it... So yeah. I'll slap this name on a character, not sure who or how he will fit into the plot, but it's always nice to have extra names floating around.

Halfway through the first draft

So I've got about 150 pages written. Over 30,000 words clocking in at 13 chapters. I had to do a major re-write last week prior to finishing the first draft. I made the rookie mistake of reading the manuscript and I realized I was missing some major plot devices that are necessary to really hook the reader.

Then it started reading well, but of course I hit another snag. So it turns out that when writing a manuscript it's very important to have the page dimensions and margins all set up to mirror the actual book. In my case that was 5x8... I was writing at 8.5x11... Yeah. I re-sized and chapter 1 went from seventeen pages to almost thirty two. That forced me to split chapters apart and shift around the timeline so that events synced up better.

As of two days ago I was finally past all this logistical crap and writing fresh words again.

The inter relationship between Keen'O and Anaya is progressing smoothly. I'm still a little conflicted about whether or not I'm delivering convincing dialogue for a 13 year old girl. I was never a 13 year old girl and don't know any 13 year old girls. I've been watching a lot of tween Disney and Nickelodeon movies to get an idea and I think I got it, but only time will tell.

Anyway. That's the update. Still busy writing and I'm peppering in some conceptual art as I go. I'll probably start the first of 10 key paintings once the first draft is done. The paintings will be used in the submission process of the book. Not sure if it will help improve my odds of being picked up; being an illustrator and author.

Chapter 1: The Crown Arena

Chapter 1

The Crown Arena

Keen'O stepped through the massive doors into the sun light. He felt the warm sand between the toes of his bare feet. The day was brighter than usual. It took his eyes a few moments to adjust to the light. How many days have I been in that dungeon? He wondered. The noise of this place was almost unbearable. He slowly unshielded his eyes from the sun to gaze upon the source of the sound and was awestruck. An ocean of people surrounded him on three sides. The number of faces in the grandstand was a number beyond his knowing. By all accounts he should have felt nervous standing before so many, but the sensation of the fresh breeze caressing his face took his mind off of it.

“Are you seeing this Ben? They put us in the Arena! This is bad man. This is really, really bad,” Tyrik said to the round man at his right. He isn’t blind? Keen’O thought as he looked the man over. He recognized the voice and his features were consistent with the man that he had been sharing a cell with. Tyrik was tall with a gaunt face. His arms and legs had sinewy muscle that seemed to mask a hidden strength.

“Shut up you fool! It’s your fault we’re even here!” Ben was short and fat, the complete opposite of Tyrik. His hairline was receding to a smooth, shiny spot at the top of his head. Keen’O recognized him from the cell too. It was impossible for him not to. Those two never shut up. He isn’t blind either? The way those men had navigated the cell they shared; arms out, reaching for anything, moving along the walls and reacting to the slightest noise. Keen’O had decided they were a pair of blind idiots. It must have been much darker in the dungeon than he had originally thought.

“I hope she was worth it.” Ben continued. “I definitely didn’t get anything out of it!” She. . . Keen’O thought. Why is it always about girls with grownups? Almost every voice in the dungeon went on about ‘she this’ and ‘her that.’ It made Keen’O glad that he never found girls interesting in the slightest. Not that it mattered. In the end he wound up in the same dungeon as them.

Suddenly the pair looked at him, almost in unison. “And who are you supposed to be?!” Ben glared at Keen’O with a look of suspicion.

“He’s that Kayh half breed the guards were going on about. Don’t you know anything man?” Tyrik replied, never breaking his gaze. “Well? You got a name or what cat boy?”

“Keen’O.” He said. Be quick and to the point. That was a rule he always lived by; a rule that always kept him out of trouble. At least until this time.

“You’re not much for conversation, are you whiskers?” Ben started laughing. That irritating laugh was enough to cause all the fur on Keen’O’s back to stiffen. His annoying bellows were almost instantly drowned out by most elegant sound that Keen’O had ever heard. It was as if the gods themselves began to sing. The arena grew ominously silent. What is this strange place? Keen’O thought. Why am I here?

The last thing he remembered before being dragged off to the dungeon by those large, glowing, metal men was the sound of the hammer. And the tall old man with the funny hat. “GUILTY!” He had called out, just before he slammed down that fancy hammer of his. He was right. Keen’O was guilty.

He remembered hearing the word ‘justice’ being tossed around aimlessly that day. The Tribunal Hall they had brought him into was a large room with the massive granite columns reaching to the ceiling. His eyes followed them up to the evil-looking faces on the stone creatures at the top of each column. They appeared to be holding up the roof. Those gargoyles were obviously meant to intimidate. He remembered then looking down at the faces of the people in the audience. How strange that they would try to mimic the expressions of the gargoyles with such effort. Did they even know how silly they all looked?

That was a very different crowd from the one he was facing today. The mob in the arena was a writhing mass of bodies. Keen’O didn’t quite understand why they all seemed so happy. He wasn’t happy. He was hungry and tired.

“This is so wrong man! We shouldn’t be here!” Tyrik began to cry as he frantically looked around for an escape route. His eyes found the door they had come through and he ran straight for it. It was closing faster than it opened. The way back was shut before he reached it.

“Really?” Ben asked. “You’re such a coward. I can’t believe I actually looked up to you. This is The Crown Arena! They’re not going to let us just waltz back into our cell. This isn’t a vacation. It’s a death sentence”

“But it’s not fair! How was I supposed to know she was Elystar’s niece?” Tears were running down his face now. This is pathetic. Keen’O thought. Ben was clearly exaggerating to scare his friend. Whatever these two had done, Keen’O was certain his own crime didn’t warrant a death sentence. It was a simple theft. He was only thirteen years after all. He had gotten in trouble once or twice before. They always let him go after a few days. Why will this be any different? He doubted this many people would stand idly by to watch an executioner take the head of a thirteen year old boy, even if that boy was a half breed.

Just then another massive door, opposite the one they had used, began to open. Then another adjacent to that one and finally a fourth door opened. The noise of the crowd started to rise again. Tyrik and Ben were squinting, trying to make out the details of whatever was coming through. Keen’O didn’t need to. He had excellent vision. He counted an additional group of prisoners stepping through each door. Most of the men looked sickly and beaten. There were, however, two that appeared healthier than the rest. One of them was a tower of a man, massive by any scale. Is that a Giant? He thought. He was unlike anything Keen’O had ever seen.

The horns sang and the crowd quieted once more. This time the song was different. Keen’O began to feel a strange rhythm in the air. Tyrik is right to be afraid. He thought. Something bad is about to happen. He turned his gaze to a balcony positioned over the biggest door in the entire arena. Keen'O anticipated the tall man that stood and approached the edge of the balcony.

“People of Elysia! His grace, High Emperor Elystar II, bids you welcome on this day, a day of games!” He announced.

“Oh this is just perfect!” Ben said. “What did I tell you? Games! This is a death sentence. I swear if we survive this I’ll kill you!”

“What are we going do man? I can’t die like this!” Tyrik cried. “Not over some girl!”

“Calm down. That’s the first thing you’re going to do. Let's just wait and hear what this high blood’s got to to say.”

“He’s right.” Keen’O added. He knew the only way they would survive whatever was coming was if they worked together. And as much as he hated the idea, the only way to accomplish that was to talk to them. “We’re going to have to stick together. You guys just follow my lead ok?”

“The kitty cat does speak!” Tyrik said, jesting. It was a poor attempt to mask his fear with humor.

“Listen kid” Ben interrupted. “I don’t know where you’re from, but I don’t take orders from some pointy-eared half breed. Got it?”

“Suit yourself.” Keen’O replied. He was on his own. It wasn’t the first time. He thought back to his eighth birthday; when he ran away from the Orphanage in Kamillo. He didn’t know where he was going or what he would do to survive, but he vowed he would find a way. Now he just needed to find another way, soon.

“Before you we present the lowest of the low!” Chimed the announcer. “These hooligans prey on the weak and innocent. They are the scum of Giaos and a scourge on our great city. It is with great honor that they shed their life’s blood for you this fine day!”

So he was right after all. Keen’O hated it when ugly fat people were right about anything. It often meant trouble for him. He somehow knew that the ‘death sentence’ would be carried out once the announcer stopped talking. Keen’O began to look around the Arena. Be mindful of your surroundings. That was another rule that often helped him out in a tough spot. He needed to analyze his surroundings and formulate a strategy for a quick escape.

Once again his attention was drawn to the the monstrous door beneath the balcony where the announcer stood. It was easily twice the size of the other doors. He knew that meant something. His senses told him to move away from it fast. At the opposite end of the arena there was a missing section in the epic structure that gave way to a cliff overlooking the ocean. He went for it.

“What the. . .” Tyrik said when he noticed Keen’O sprint away from the two unlikely companions. “Where you goin?” He attempted to ask, but Keen’O ignored the question. He wasn’t waiting around for them. Especially not after that little speech Ben had given him. Glancing back he noticed the two attempting to give chase, but they couldn’t keep up. That brought a smile to his face. His attention moved along the rest of the prisoners. It seems they had noticed the commotion and attempted to follow as well. They’re just as desperate as those other two fools. Keen’O thought. None of them had a plan. So they all, with the exception of the Giant, were moving toward the cliff at the end of the Arena as fast as humanly possible.

“And without further Ado. . .” Said the announcer, as Keen’O reached the edge of the cliff. “I present, to you, the land sharks of Nhirm!” The crowd went mad. Keen’O slowly turned to witness the singular, monstrous door begin to open. Dust shook from it's frame as it shook violently. A muffled shriek could be heard from behind.

The large group of prisoners was heading directly at him like a confused raggedy missile of idiots. Their faces were frozen with a look of terror, Tyrik most of all. Ben, however, just looked annoyed. For a man who’s about to die, he’s taking it pretty well. Keen’O thought. He quickly stepped aside as the healthiest man of the bunch reached him. The man ran clear off the edge of the cliff to his death. So that was the blind one. He watched as the man quickly faded into the mists below.

The monster door was all but open. Then he heard the loud shriek again. Keen’O winced at the sound. It was so loud it was almost painful. He had never seen or heard of a land shark before, much less one from Nhirm. Are Nhirmese land sharks special or something? He wondered. He had no idea what to expect. Two shadows began to move slowly from beyond the threshold. He could almost make out their shapes. The bright midday sun prevented his eyes from adjusting and peering into the darkness. He heard the loud shriek again, now able to distinguish two separate voices. They don’t sound so scary. He thought.

Suddenly two hulking beasts burst forth from the shadows of the holding cell. The creatures were mostly grey in color. One of them a lighter shade with a slight hint of blue and the other was dark grey, almost black. They both had 2 arms and legs, but didn't walk in a traditional sense. They lumbered around aimlessly. Their hides appeared to be a rock crusted carapace. Are those things living rock? Keen'O wondered. For the first time since the hammer fell he was almost glad he got caught stealing that Arcanium doublet with Rex and the rest of his Kamillo street gang.

"Are you smiling!?" Ben asked. "You are! You're smiling! What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"What?" Keeno replied. "I'm not allowed to enjoy something completely new? I'm sorry, but I've never seen a land shark."

"You Kayh are all crazy. You half breeds are obviously crazy and stupid. That thing is gonna rip to you shreds. Let's see how much you're smiling then."

Keen'O had never seen a land shark. He felt no shame in the excitement he was experiencing. The land sharks moved slowly and each thundering step surged through Keen'O like a wave of energy. What is this feeling? Keen'O had felt it earlier, before the announcer started talking.

The long necks of the land sharks allowed them to rotate their heads back and forth with fluid movements. They were trying to catch a hint of where their prey could possibly be. The dark one let out a crippling shriek. Again, Keen'O winced at the sound.

Looking around at the group of frantic prisoners. He suddenly realized that they probably looked very appetizing to the land sharks. This is the last place he wanted to be. For a short moment the land sharks appeared to be unaware of the location. Another pair of blind idiots it would seem.

"We're all gonna die!" screamed Tyrik. And just like that the moment was gone. The land sharks had their position and they began closing in on them swiftly. They moved at speeds he didn't think possible for something of that size. Just then Keen'O noticed that the Giant man was standing very still, watching the madness play out. He knows something about these beasts. Maybe movement and noise draws their attention. Tyrik's constant wailing definitely helped to support that theory.

"Will you shut up?!" Yelled Ben. "You're bringing them right to us."

"I can't help it. . . I don't wanna die man. I'm too you to die." Tyrik's tears were now flowing down his face like streams of liquid shame. "What do we do kid? You brought us to the edge of the cliff. Now what?"

"Let's get one thing straight. I'm not with you guys." Keen'O replied.

"Maybe we should spread out." Contributed Ben. Sure. . . Now they wanna cooperate. "If we give em more targets they might get mixed up. Could buy us some time ya know?"

Keen'O knew that plan was doomed to fail, but he said nothing to deter the group from trying. The land sharks were less than 20 yards away now and closing fast. The group split as Ben had suggested, but the land sharks were on them before they could react. The dark one snatched up all the men that ran to the right. The blue one took notice of Tyrik's wailing and shifted it's direction to intercept him to the left. This only made Tyrik cry all the louder. Keen'O watched as Tyrik shamelessly tripped everyone around him in an attempt to give the land shark easier prey and save his own hide.

"Don't you do it!" Ben threatened when Tyrik's gaze shifted to him. "After all we've been through this is how you repay me?"

"It's nothing personal man. It's a dregg eat dregg world buddy. And I ain't about to get ate!" with that said Tyrik shoved Ben to the ground. The shark was on him before he could blink. The beast made short work of Ben. Keen'O watched as the annoying man was no more. The shark let out a loud belch and Ben's sandal fell to the ground. The crowd laughed. Sure he was annoying, but no one deserves to go out like that. Keen'O thought. He saw the huge smile on Tyrik's face. That dirt bag must have thought he succeeded.

The land shark then jumped into the air. The audience gasped in awe. The sudden impact of it's weight striking the groud caused a huge cloud of dust to form. When the dust cleared Tyrik was gone. All that was left to even suggest he had ever existed was a red mark splattered across the sand. Now it was Keen'O wearing the smile on his face.

Looking across the arena at the Giant man he noticed he was still standing in the exact same spot as before. Is he sleeping? He wondered. Keen'O slowly sat down near the edge of the cliff and waited. The crowd grew impatient and began shouting obsenities at them both.

The land sharks were now half buried in the arena sand. Keen'O had watched them as they laid down and began to shake violently. The motion kicked up a lot of dust that covered them like a blanket. They could easily be mistaken for a pile of rocks if he had not already known they were there.

The hour grew later as sun began descending over the city. The arena wall started casting a long shadow over the sands. Keen'O didn't like the idea of waiting on the edge of the cliff over-night. He was likely to roll of the edge to his doom.

Looking across the arena again he saw the Giant man still standing. He's gotta be dead. Keen'O was certain there was no way someone could stand still for that long and still be breathing. He couldn't risk trying to call to him. The sharks would be on him in a matter of seconds, but he was running out of options.

"Hey!" He shouted. "Hey Giant man!" There was a cloud of dust where the land sharks had been sleeping. Keen'O knew what that meant. "Hey man. I'm talking to you! My name is Keen'O! What's yours?!" He called out again. "C'mon man! I could really use some help here!" The land sharks let out their horrifying shriek and were moving toward Keen'O. Most of the crowd, including the nobility, had long since gone home, but what few people remained cheered the land sharks on. People can really be jerks some times. Keen'O thought about the spectators.

The sharks were on him within moments. Their jaws were gaping wide, ready to devour him. Keen'O had counted on the fact that they both wanted him equally. He was right. He performed a perfect backflip, with deft precision. Causing the land sharks to collide and lose their footing. Keen'O appeared to be throwing himself from the edge, but at the last possible second he reached out and dug his claws into the hard rock of the cliff. The sharks weren't so lucky. They fell over the side and plummeted hundreds of feet to the rocks below.

Keen'O risked it all in crazy move and, for an instant, he thought that he had won. He was wrong. He over-estimated the density of the rock. He had squeezed too hard. The rock between his fingers began to break apart. He knew then he was doomed. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate, and felt his weight begin to slip away from the cliff. Suddenly there was a constant pressure around his wrist. The falling motion had stopped. His eyes and he found a very large Giant of a man staring him directly in the face.

"Barathis," said the Giant man.

"Barathis?" Keen'O replied, confused.

"My name. . . It’s Barathis."

"Oh. That's a pretty cool name." Keen'O said with a huge smile. "Um, you mind pulling me back in please?"

Estro Salius

Estro Salius is one of the Major Protagonists in the book I'm working on. This piece was created in February 2012.

Estro is a brilliant scientist in the field of Archeo-Repurposing, the study of ancient cultures and recycling of ancient technology. He and his wife, Anaya Salius, were pioneers in this field, considered by their colleagues as grand master Archeo-Repurpose Engineers.

Estro is now a paranoid, reclusive, albeit brilliant man; he still continues his work as he values the potential it has to help the world at large, but he does so with much caution. This is largely due to the fact that his beloved Anaya vanished on a "dig," never to be seen or heard from again. This loss is also the reason he is usually never seen outdoors without donning his robotic, protective, exo-suit.

Necromantic Goddess

I can't believe I completely forgot to upload this piece. Oops. I created this one in January of 2012. The subject is a female antagonist; wholly evil and beautiful. She is a seductress who preys on the soul of men. Once she has a man in her sights, he is already dead. Her feeding process is lustful and horrifying; she consumes her prey's soul at the peak of sexual climax. Only then are the men unable to mentally defend against her attack. Her victims are condemned to serve her for all eternity, she has amassed and army of souls that she calls upon to aid her in battle. Her most powerful servants include past kings and heroes of legend, lost to the currents of time.

I haven't come up with a name for her yet. This painting is the first in a series of three. Since creating this I have become motivated to write a fictional book based in this universe. I am actively practicing world building techniques and literary exercises to try and craft a story I feel would be worthy of reading. I have high standards.