Inktober 2019

What do you MEAN it's already October?!

— Isaac, freaking out

'Tis the season to make art and article, as time permits! This is my second year taking part in Inktober (you can see the results of last year here!), and I'm very excited to give it a second crack! Especially since I love art, and haven't been able to do it in a little while due to uni. This page will serve as a hub for all of the pieces I draw this month, as well as an articles I happen to write as companions. No guarantees on the latter! :D

Day 1 - Ring

Támjol Eliodan, with his rings on his fingers and his rings of fire. How fancy!

Day 2 - Mindless

Rien Ayulidan casually knitting on a lazy afternoon, oblivious to Dalen's mindless anger.

Day 3 - Bait

Teyavion and her husband congratulate themselves on a trap well set.

Day 4 - Freeze

Mild gore, as in a bunch of red copic :P Yengchu Nuulje-Favel freezes in place after Koshi Varmand collapses. See The Koshi Incident for context :)

Day 5 - Build

Crown Larusion and their partner, Noukei Zaimje Koihaje, with their young twins! Building a family, you see.

Day 6 - Husky

A drawing of two members of the Hounds of Fovenis doing something illegal, no doubt, as well as an article about their group!

Day 7 - Enchanted

Hard prompt, settled for drawing a very important woman, Lady Muna Shonyul, with her large, shiny, and probably enchanted necklace! Also wrote a brief article about her - will need to come back for it later :>

Day 8 - Frail

Duke Hintero is a very powerful man, but his twilight years are upon him. Who knows what he'll do with the time he has left? It's me, I know what he'll do :D

Day 9 - Swing

I don't know either. Saval perched on a wall, eyeing her next target. Target for what? Not sure!

Day 10 - Pattern

Paiyatl and his husband, the vosti nobleman Marquis Gloreon of Skardel! All dressed up and fancy, ready to rock the socks off the nobility. I really like this one ;v; I'm a sap

Day 11 - Snow

Snow! This is a bit of a cheeky one, because it's about content y'all haven't seen anything of yet ;) It's a location I'm temporarily calling 'The Chunk', which is in a northerly place and regularly covered in snow. It was interesting to try and draw this from this angle, sort of regret not picking something that showed off the Chunk a little better :P

Day 12 - Dragon

While dragons are considered mythical throughout Abravost, this could not be farther from the truth. A colossal dragon encircles the continent, keeping everything out, and everything in.

Day 13 - Ashes

King Dravulean II seeks guidance in the crypt of many of his ancestors and family members. While they probably aren't cremated remains, it's still tangentially related!

Day 14 - Overgrown

A very similar drawing, weirdly enough! Emperor Brimeon IV, seen here many years prior to his ascension to the throne, visits the grave of his grandfather. Which, as it happens, is located at Shalse Koshol, as his grandfather was a Vosti Mage during the civil war and set the tower on fire and caused it to collapse to avoid capture. Fun dude, huh.

Day 15 - Legend

The story of The Dragon Krenar is famous in Vosti culture, and this shows arguably the most important part of it - the rebirth of one of the human warriors in the blood of the slain dragon. It is said that the vosti people, and especially their emperors, descend from this warriors. They don't exist, but it never hurts to have a tale to tell around the fire.

Day 16 - Wild

Kafan Outpost is located on the southernmost island in the shattered strait, and is the closest Abravost has to a new frontier. The island is a semi-active volcano, the sea is rough... But there is much to learn!

Day 17 - Ornament

Queen Shalion was the beloved wife of Dravulean II, endearing herself to the public with her wit and grace. Alas, she passed away in 391 after the birth of her only child. As a result, the coronation portrait painted of her is given a unique prominence within the Telziado royal palace, in honour of her.

Day 18 - Misfit

The Skardel trio! Bunch of cuties. Being half elves in the Vosti Empire is already difficult. Being half elf nobles is nightmarish. Being a half elf noble who doesn't even want to be involved in the system? Ouch. These are the three children of Gloreon and Paiyatl from day 10, and while Paiyatl and Astarion manage to find their niches within the society, Zoyaseon cannot.

Day 19 - Sling

Dalen slings insults at his beleaguered wife, Amali Tuana. What a jerk.

Day 20 - Tread

Erameon Fovenis may or may not be teetering on the edge of treason wherever he goes, owing to his position as 3rd in line to the Telziado throne and the way he seems to insert himself into royal events, and also the fact he tooootally isn't affiliated with multiple groups who want him installed as King. Totally not!

Day 21 - Treasure!

Not an in-universe response this time. This is a drawing of my Pa, or maternal grandfather, who passed away in 2012. I miss him dearly, and treasure the short amount of time I got to spend with him. Fun fact - Thompson is his surname, which I take online and plan to take at some point IRL, and while my choice to use it isn't solely because I love him lots, it was a factor! <3

Day 22 - Ghost

Poor lady. You wake up in the middle of a street under the blinding sun, you get up and find out that actually you're dead and are now a ghost. What a day.

Day 23 - Ancient

Lani Koshidan was the Telziado Royal Historian for most of her life, and would've stayed in the job into her 70s had she not been exiled by Dravulean II. Who is also her son-in-law. Hard times.

Day 24 - Dizzy

A mermaid tries to save a shipwrecked traveller, which would be easier if the traveller would stop screaming. Don't they understand that's bad for their health? In the travellers defence, they are very disoriented from the crash, the drowning, and the fact there's a GOD DAMN FISH PERSON. Good times!

Day 25 - Tasty

The Church of Seven Tomed Ibraos in Sinofis cooks lovely meals most nights, offering them to the public in exchange for small offerings to their patron deity, Ibraos! One of their cooks shows off her Liadom berry pie, her speciality!

Day 26 - Dark

Yengchu (from day 4) is often so busy with her work as a member of the city guard that she is unable to come home many nights. And while her wife Larnani knows and understands this, she can't help but lie awake in the dark and hope that tonight, she will.

Day 27 - Coat

Prince Zaloren is the eldest child of Emperor Brimeon IV. He has a pretty sweet coat. There's not a whole lot to this one!

Day 28 - Ride

Duke Heren of Fovenis is the younger brother of Dravulean II. When they were both younger, Heren was the spitting image of Dravulean, and they played many pranks to take advantage of this. Sadly, looking identical to a soon-to-be despised King has its drawbacks, namely when Heren was nearly killed in an attempted assassination in 396. He survived, obviously, and retains his cheery attitude! After all, on the bright side, no-one will confuse him for Dravulean anymore!

Day 29 - Injured

Poor Baron Brasteon of Dovaldun :( This inktober piece is arguably a companion to my entry for the Cold Case Challenge - The Dovaldun Disappearance. So now you know, a "little" more about what might have happened in that case. But who are these mysterious cloaked beings? What do they want? Who were they sent by? It's a cold case, so no-one knows!

Day 30 - Catch

Lady Elion Shonyul is the middle child of Muna Shonyul (day 7). Due to this position, she's considered quite the romantic catch by those who want to gain access to such a powerful family. Alas for these lost-lorn hunters of hearts, because Elion has quite more literal hunting on her mind. She has turned down ever romantic advance, and would rather pursue her military career and hunt deer than be married so young.

Day 31 - Ripe

\ And the last day! I consider the drawing to have the direct ripe meaning with the ripe apple Queen Priani is eating, and the more tenuous link to the fact Priani was presented with a ripe opportunity with Dravulean II proposed to her! What a time. But yes, she's Dravulean II's second wife, and it's an... interesting match, and a complicated relationship. I'll definitely be coming back to her!
And!
Lest I forget!
Welcome to secret prompt town, baby :D

Final Thoughts

This years inktober was very... interesting! I'm really proud of a few pieces and not as proud of others, and my hand absolutely aches. The choice to shade with hatching was fun, but by god, I regret that. Didn't want to kill my copics again though, so that's a toss up.
My favourite pieces are probably days 10, 12, 17, and 28! With all but 12 I think they turned out extremely cute and full of character and charm, and 12 is just a cool mfing dragon! Dragons are cool as hell. Boats, not as cool, but dragons are cool. I'm also fond of 21, but only for sentimental reasons. Maybe in the future I'll draw another portrait of my Pa, and it will be better!
The choice to not double up on characters or locales was a hastily made one, but I'm extremely glad I did. If I hadn't, I would have missed so many interesting things. Heren (day 28) was completely unfleshed out until a few days prior to drawing him, and he would have probably remained that way if I hadn't needed to find a character for the ride prompt! It's something I think I will do again next year, though perhaps with a touch more planning so I don't "waste" my established characters so early, haha!
All in all, this year was fun, and I look forward to next year! <3