On the wings of a dragon - Dekafox's excuse to post art

[Dekafox]

Couldn't think of anything clever for a name so that'll have to do.

Artist: https://twitter.com/nasuno_Posi

 

[MadameVixen]

Can anyone post dragons or just you?

 

[Dekafox]

Well there'll be more than just dragons... I've got a commission I got for the spooky season that I'm waiting for October to post, for one. Just didn't feel like reposting a bunch of the art I've gotten before, given how much of it there is. I just usually don't have much to post in a me thread besides art(and that's what the last thread before the boom turned into), so figured I'd be honest about it!

Though any time's a good time to post dragons.

 

[Dekafox]

For spoopyween... meant to post it on my galleries today but my vacation day turned into a work day, so that didn't happen yet. Posting it here anyways.

"Hmmph."
Speaks-With-Bones narrowed her eyes as she examined the skull and its aura further, the eerie green light reflecting off her black scales. This was turning out to be a very unpleasant turn of events for this death-speaker.
Among her tribe, once the spirit returned to the Hist(or whatever the dryskin equivalent was) their bones would often be fashioned into weapons and tools, to allow them to continue to help the tribe long after the death, until they could be reborn anew. The spirit, however, was sacrosanct. To interrupt its journey to the Hist was sacrilege, and many a time she had been called upon as death-speaker to help a spirit move on. Sometimes this simply involved speaking to the spirit within the remains; other times, she spoke for the deceased, to pass on messages so important to the fallen that they would linger until it was done.
Now it seems some dryskin mage(please let it be a dryskin) was forcing the souls of dead Argonians to their service. She could feel the trapped spirit within this skull writhing as it tried to pull free against the magics holding it there.
Speaks was no stranger to animating bones - but this was not how you do it. An animal's soul, or even a willing daedra were enough for her purposes, and seldom were they needed for long. In the event an actual spirit was needed for some magical purpose, she even had a few 'friends' among those who refused to move on who would answer her call. But this? This was the same kind of slavery she had heard of among the dark elves. This was a travesty, and once this poor soul was free, whomever did this was going to get to meet Sithis. Personally.

A portrait of my Argonain necromancer from the 2nd Era(ESO), Speaks-With-Bones, as she contemplates a possessed Argonian skull. Perfect for that spooky Halloween feel.

Art is by Virensere!

 

[Dekafox]

New image of my werewolf paladin! Especially since it's still #WerewolfWednesday

Artist: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/sadnicole

 

[Dekafox]

The deck spoke to me one final time: The Moon. Fear. Anxiety. Illusion. Yet, the shimmering glyph tells me to trust myself and my instincts. As if I had any choice at this point.

If I only look with my mortal eyes, all I see is darkness. His doing. Some part of me always knew that it was going to be him; the one who set me on this path, so many years ago. He took much from me, but I did not give in to the despair. Forbidden knowledge and Things That Should Not Be assaulted my mind, but now I am the one in control. I am becoming one with the Other, but it is a price I will gladly pay.

There was no one for me, but I will be there for them. I will be their final hope.

Another new piece, of an older Pathfinder character named Sharilar. An Oracle of the Dark tapestry(in D&D terms, think Favoured Soul of Lovecraft's Elder Gods) who eventually becomes an Elder God herself. This one's by https://twitter.com/Kirena_kaya

Her story in the actual campaign went a bit differently than the above image and snippit suggests, but we were working from a pre-published module, and the above is along the lines of what I picture as her "canon" version. Overall, the general concept was the same though:

And her previous art, though a little out of order and unintentional at the time, does a good job of showing the progression I think:

(Artist: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/shariea )

(Artist: https://www.furaffinity.net/user/sabretoothedermine )

Also noticed I forgot to link the artist of the piece in the previous post! I'll edit that in now.

 

[Dekafox]

Planned to commission this as a Birthday thing, but no appropriate artist opened up in time. Then it was going to be a late B-day thing, and finally it turned into a new year's thing by the time it was finished... though it still sort of applies to both.

A symbolic piece about looking back to see how far you've come in the long journey called life, while still continuing forward.

 

[Dekafox]

And for once posting werewolves on a Werewolf Wednesday! This one is from FellFallow

"You have undoubtedly felt the rage in the Change, have you not? The urge to throw everything away and hunt until blood drips form your maw, and your claws tear the flesh open for your meal. Some fight it. Some succumb to it, and become another horror, no different that the others we have fought. I too, once felt these things, but rather than fight it or give in, I accepted it as a part of myself, and -used- it. Rather than speak of human and beast, of We, there is only I, and I am in charge of myself. As proof of this, I have not been able to Change, to return to my birth form since before your father was born. I find myself forever bound to the form you see before you. Yet it is still Me and in that I am satisfied.

Now don't misunderstand me, cub. We are indeed monsters, but that doesn't mean we have to be Monsters. There are far more of those among the humans that they will ever know. And that is why the highest calling is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Both from the horrors outside, as well as the darkness within. The Light is purity of purpose, of emotion. The Light did not forsake me then, and it does not do so now, as long as I remain true to myself and our cause. The urge to hunt is part and parcel of who we are, but rather than mindless slaughter, we can turn this to the betterment of all. Hunt the Monsters, and bring them to justice. Good is not all roses and wine, and sometimes the best choice to fight a Monster, is with a monster.

Now, our kind's bond with the Green Man does have its price. I've guided your pack for a long time, but I am still His creature and one day He will claim me for his Hunting Grounds. I feel that time drawing closer, even now. But I still remember my promise to your grandfather's grandfathers, and if you or your kin need me, simply return here, to our enclave on the borders of his Realm. I will be here, if any of you need me.

Now, let us speak of better things! I have not been into town for some time. Does old Cranjo still make those delicious cookies? And what about that silver-furred grandaughter of his? Don't think I didn't see the glances you two were giving each other at the last Hunter's Feast... I'm old, not blind!"

My werewolf paladin, Lunaria Valeris, at the ripe old age of 156. Her kind tend to live long lives due to their enhanced self-healing - particularly when you're permanently in full werewolf form. Imperial Werewolves don't live forever though, and even now she can hear the distant call of the Hunting Grounds. Someday soon, she will pass on as well, but promises she has made, and promises she will keep.

Even now, she acts as advisor to a small werewolf community. While childless, she looks after their cubs as her own, and discreetly assists the town council in matters where her abilities yet prove useful. The pack's dual nature and her own presence is an open secret among the town's residents, and any who would not accept such creatures as neighbors are quietly encouraged to move along. Likewise, any werewolves who succumb to the bloodlust are dealt with as well. Though aged, Lunaria's body remains as strong as it was in her youth, and the Holy Light continues to answer her needs, so she often takes this sad duty upon herself. After all, what is one more burden among several lifetimes worth of burdens?

 

[Dekafox]

Happy year of the dragon tiger!

Since I can't post the actual picture I just got of her here, have a couple older images of Jasmine, my half-dragon rakshasa rogue.

From SabertoothedErmine

From Caribou

 

[MEDdMI]

There's always censor bars.

 

[Dekafox]

Nah, I feel like that'd be pushing things too much for here, even though that would probably work fine, considering the cheesecake thread. Though now that I think about it, is that thread even still around?

If people want to seek it out though and haven't already seen it elsewhere, I really like how it came out - it really feels like old Fantasy art, from the AD&D era.

 

[MEDdMI]

Yeah, the cheesecake thread is still around.

 

[Spin-Out]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!! HER HANDS AREN'T EVEN BACKWARDS!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dekafox]

You can either:
a) Blame the dragonblood or
b) assume she shapeshifted them that way cause she was taught to fight by a drow with normal hands or
c) she shapeshifted them that way cause she likes them like that, and it stayed that way so long it "stuck."
Base Rakshasa typically don't have hair either, after all!

Shapeshifting: the answer to all design inconsistencies.

Spoiler

Realistically, it's a huge helping of a, with a dash of the other two. The dragonblood screwed up her innate magic, so she's got none of the normal sorcerous abilities outside shapeshifting and the resistance against magic, but she found a way to tap into shadow magic instead. And given that she's basically bailed on rakshasa society, leaving behind some of the more monstrous traits of her demon blood makes sense.

At least if we're talking Planescape, which is the setting I base her out of. If I ever get to actually play her in a campaign again, it all depends on the DM.

 

[Dekafox]

Got another commission of my werewolf gal, and despite having posted the others on a Werewolf Wednesday also, somehow THIS is the one that takes off...

Another snapshot from the life of Lunaria Valeris, werewolf paladin, shortly after she gave up her ability to return to her former human body...

While in harmony with her bestial aspects and already having come to terms with losing her human form, the early years of Lunaria's adjustments to her new status quo were still quite troublesome. Though she usually had little need for clothes, her handpaws were initially quite clumsier than her human hands had been, and it took some time for her to adjust to the size and strength difference in her daily life.
Hearkening back to her youth, Lunaria found herself turning her crafting hobbies into a way to adjust to her new reality and regain that lost dexterity.

While not requiring a large amount of finesse, blacksmithing quickly became one of her favorite past-times, as simply beating the metal into shape gave her a outlet for her anger and frustration when things went poorly. Additionally, the rhythmic clanging reminded her of her days as a young girl, helping her papa at the forge.

While she lacked protective equipment properly sized for her lupine form, she managed to improvise a solution with the same stubbornness that got her this far. Her old blacksmithing apron barely fit, thankfully, but lacking a large enough glove, she found simply wrapping her hand with leather strips would allow her to hold the metal in place. While she could easily heal from any burns with her own supernatural recovery, hot metal still hurt, after all!

 

[MEDdMI]

I was thinking maybe it's b/c blacksmithing werewolves might be unusual, but one quick Google search proved me wrong, lol

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

 

[Dekafox]

Consider this:

 

[Dekafox]

Another reference sheet for another OC done. Still on the lookout to find someone to do one for my Argonian. The one artist I really wanted doesn't want to touch anything associated with any company-owned IP(and fair enough there) but it's been a pain to try to find anyone else who'll do it in a style I want, and is open, and is within the range I'm willing to fork over for that gal.

 

[Dekafox]

Well I have my Argonian's sheet queued up now, and unrelatedly my Halloween piece of her is about done - just waiting on some final tweaks. Also got back another picture of my werewolf gal last week, so since it's Werewolf Wednesday...

In a peaceful moment between adventures, Lunaria takes some time to carve a gift for a young couple of the community she watches over. The bride is from a far-off land to the west, home to a pantheon of dragon gods, and so to bless their union the gift is taking the form of a small statue of that land's harvest goddess. From their mantle, she shall ensure their new lives be fruitful. It seems Lunaria's caught the attention of the forest's spirit however...

(As to why she is doing this in this form, this is after she was forced to sacrifice her human form - think Kamen Rider final episode sacrifices, but without any takebacks. I hope to get a short 2-page comic of that someday, considering how important it is, but we'll see if or when that happens.)