January 2011 Challenge: To Ravenkhor

[Ascension]

Dude, I like that. Seems a shame that you have to stick words all over it now.

[moutarde]

You got a pretty nice style coming along there Jax I really liked your Experimiante, and this is shaping up very nicely also.

[jtougas]

Another great start my friend.

[Jaxilon]

Thanks guys, I needed a little boost to carry on. You guys will probably see when I have a style long before I will. I'll consider myself as having a style when I can repeat it consistently. The way I keep experimenting with things I feel like I never know what's going to come out on the other end. I have maybe a half dozen tricks that I use in various orders to accomplish some of the heavy lifting and then I go to the hand work. At least now I am getting better at making the entire piece look like it goes together. I remember when I first started with you guys and my hand stuff was way off from the generated portions. It was eye-jarring. Anyway, last night I was feeling like I pushed this thing to the edge and wasn't sure I was up for the walk home. Which reminds me of one of my favorite movie scenes ever:

You want to know how I did it? This is how I did it, Anton: I never saved anything for the swim back.

Anyone know what movie that came from? No cheating either It was my favorite line from movie.

Sometimes my take on art is like that. Push as far as I can and then force myself to wrap it all up into a nice bundle. It's a one way trip but I know my personality usually will force me to see it through. The danger is burn out. I have an awesome looking rattlesnake I started on years ago that is sitting partially complete in an artpad because drawing individual scales ran out of interest for me.

So, in this case I was on the fence of whether or not it was worth it to try and bring this home. So thanks, and sorry for the diary entry

[Immolate]

I haven't found a style after two years, unless brute force is a style.

[Gidde]

Gattica was indeed a good movie, although I'm not quite sure I spelled it right. Gattaca? Loved the premise. My favorite line was always "keep your eyelashes where they belong." And as a years-long wearer of contacts, taking two out with one hand and one motion was epic.

[jtougas]

Style? hmm maybe the undo button is a style.. (no thats a habit..) I know where your coming from Jax I "burn out" at lest once a week and need a little help to get me back. You have a gift my friend thanks for sharing it with us

[Jaxilon]

Well I haven't done much with my map. Been trying to figure out how to do the presentation. I did finish up drawing of a Way station or "Bearing" station which is what I call them. So I guess it's time to tell more of the story:

[If you hate reading just read the bold type as that should explain the building's purpose. If you want some history, read on.]

Ravenkhor was once a grand city of immense power that now lies in near ruins. Inhabited only by the enigmatic Ankhai it is possibly the most isolated place in all the world. Based upon partial sculptures and faded frescoes the race who vanished long ago were bloodthirsty warmongers who ruled ruthlessly for centuries. Whatever role the peaceful Ankhai played in their downfall is unknown to all but perhaps the Ankhai themselves. The quiet Ankhai are often sought for their wisdom and knowledge and have been known to grant great boons to those who brave the wilds leading to their domain. It is my opinion that the Ankhai had been enslaved somehow by the military power of Ravenkhor and chaffing under what was undoubtedly a brutal regime found a way to strike back. Seeking out an Ankhai boon is not something to be taken lightly however. The path one must traverse in order to arrive at Ravenkhor is of the deadliest nature.

Sickly swamps filled with poisonous creatures, rocky volcanic canyons filled with criss crossing trails and perpetual darkness overshadowing all make this area extremely dangerous. Sudden storms that ravage the landscape are filled with ghastly creatures of nightmare that consume flesh like thousands of screaming piranha. Anything that dies in these hills is bone within days. The sun has never shone upon these lands and the moon slides an elliptical route kissing each horizon before repeating. A compass is worthless and will only lead one in circles. Getting lost is an ever present reality.

It is worth noting that just as in our part of the world we have day and night, so to these creatures operate on a cycle. The moon's location in the sky relative to the horizon indicates a 'Night cycle' and a 'day cycle'. This is important because while it is always extremely dangerous to travel it is especially so during a night cycle. It is at this time the most powerful creatures hunt one another and any living thing that dares to enter their domain. Being caught outside during the Night cycle is most likely a death sentence. Even an army would be hard pressed for the smell of warm flesh triggers what amounts to a feeding frenzy. It is partially for this reason that the "Bearing Stations" were built.

For an unknown reason the population of Ravenkhor had begun to dwindle. There were fewer hunting parties scouring the countryside slaying the fell beasts therein and travelers were perishing more and more often. For this reason three sons of the king, were tasked with finding a solution. The first son was an astronomer. The second an engineer. The third and youngest, was a Gem cutter. They designed and began building the Stations that to this day make it possible, albeit just, to navigate the land. Although the two older brother's names have been lost to history, the youngest evidently left his homeland in it's dying days and roamed the world as a scholar. His name was Dyressian. He was a master Gem-cutter and as of this writing, Dyressian gems are among the most valuable to be had.

The Bearing station is a solid fortification spaced throughout the land at distances reachable within a day cycle by a healthy traveler on foot. The only way to enter one of these safe havens is with a Gem-key. The Gem-key is then used upon the pedestal in the compass room atop the structure to locate the next station. When moon and stars align with the apertures cut into the dome of the Compass room the light from these is reflected through the facets of the Gem into a single beam that points directly in the direction of the next station. By advancing from station to station it is possible to reach Ravenkhor alive.

Whew, that's a lot of writing. Now, I don't claim to be a writer although i wish I was. Maybe someday....anyway here is the sketch I made with Google Sketchup and then tweaked in Gimp adding the beams of light and so on. Now I just have to determine how to share this on the map. I guess a border with insets or something.

Oh and obviously it's going to be way smaller than this on the map.

[Jaxilon]

Holy cow, this entry is going to push me in all sorts of directions. I am wanting to make some art for all the creatures and experiences that would be seen on this journey. So, I picked up my sketch pad and went to work, once again complaining to my wife about my not having a tablet, hehe.

Anyhow, inspired by the setting I wound up taking one of my sketches and going to town (I dunno, maybe I just needed a change of pace). This is my first real painting on computer (I don't really count maps) and I don't know much about painting but so be it. If I keep doing this I'm going to need a book for this one. Not sure how it's going to scale down for my map either. Hopefully I can use it. Oh, and the writing is me being very sloppy, practically holding the pencil sideways.

Our story picks up with the party coming across a small stream and therein lies the skeletal remains of a fallen hero still clutching the standard of his homeland.

[Gidde]

Looks good, but the standard is very sharp. You might want to fade it just a bit so it matches the rest.