kavrillia

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Xorax in pursuit

Like the Delzeena I posted yesterday, this was drawn to be part of the new cover image.

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Delzeena running for her life

I drew this for the new cover image but it's going to be too small there to see any details so here's the full size version as a teaser. Xorax is still in progress.

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Vazali and Bronzar's first dance

Original art: 2002 Redone in paint program: 2024

This was always one of my absolute favorite pictures of these characters, and it held up pretty well after 22 years, but the image quality was poor so a digital facelift was definitely called for.

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It's been awhile since I uploaded a WIP update of my new cover image, so here's a look at the current version. I still think I'm going to put Xorax and Delzeena in the dark hallway in the very back, but I haven't drawn them yet.

I'm glad I decided on a manual background instead of just sticking it all in front of a stock photo. The rug is from a royalty-free image, but I changed the color and saturation quite a bit. The stonework around the two arches is also from a royalty-free image, but the stone floor is 100% original.

I still need to deal with the layout (i.e. where the title and author are going to be) and the white space along the left, right, and bottom edges, but it's coming along well.

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For the first time in like twenty years I actually created finished art every month of 2024, so I can actually do one of these year-end art memes! (Oh, and since the last half of the previous year was productive, too, I made one for late 2023, as well.)

It was tough to pick my favorite from some months, although April and November 2024 only had one picture to choose from. I disqualified any art that was reworked from an older piece.

Zero AI used. October and December 2024 have stock photo backgrounds, but they are royalty free and legit to use.

I don't know if there were any major changes to my style or ability, but it's fun to look back.

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Kazaneta finds her brother hiding in a corner and getting drunk on wine during a formal event

[Original art from 2002, redone in a paint program 2024]

Accompanying excerpt below.

Kazaneta [...] elbowed her way through the crowd, around the hors d’ oeuvres table, to the punch bowl. There, as she had suspected, was her brother. Xeebec was slouched on a bench in an alcove where a marble column mostly hid him from sight, drinking what was far from his first glass of wine, judging by the glaze in his eyes.

“What?” he snapped when he saw Kazaneta.

“Aren’t you going to be sociable?” she asked with a frown.

“I am,” he airily. “I’m getting very well acquainted with this bottle of Chateau Jantraliani. It’s a 4198. A very good year...” He gently swirled the wine in his crystal glass before taking a sip.

“Twitchy--”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Fine. Xeebec. If you do anything to ruin this day [...], I swear--”

“Oh, don’t worry, my dear sister. I intend nothing of the sort.” He tipped back his glass to get the last drops. “[...] I have every intention of getting as relaxed as I possibly can--”

“Drunk, you mean.”

“I’m far too rich to get drunk. I am...relaxed.”

“If you get any more relaxed you’ll fall over.”

“I plan to get as relaxed as possible, sleep for as long as possible, and then head back to Binzat as quickly as possible,” he slurred. His hands shook but somehow he managed to refill his glass from a nearby bottle without spilling any.

“That’s not healthy,” Kazaneta said with a sigh.

“What does it matter? I’m no one important, after all. If anything happened to me, would the people even care? I’m not the emperor...”

Kazaneta raised her eyes in disgust. “Are you still upset about that?”

“Upset?” He squinted at her in disbelief and raised his voice. “Of course I’m upset! Do you expect me to forget that I was passed over like a nobody, robbed of my inheritance?”

She shushed him, fearing someone would overhear, but the noise of the celebration shielded them.

“I should have that crown, and everyone knows it! It was my destiny! You expect me to just get over that? Are you out of your mind?”

“No, but I’m beginning to wonder about you.”

He stared distantly into the shining crystal goblet. After several long seconds, he said, “Did you know at the Chateau Jantraliani they age the wine in barrels made of genuine Olarian teak?”

"No. Nor do I care."

[Insert more dialogue here that was cut for spoilers.]

“Love is more important than power, Twitchy.”

He made an unimpressed, “whoop-dee-doo” gesture and took another drink. “I should start wearing a name tag,” he muttered.

“So are you going to behave?” she pressed, frowning down at him.

“Yes, yes, very well,” he said with an impatient shooing motion.

“Fine. Do try to make it back to your quarters before you pass out.”

“I should think a gentleman of my breeding would be capable of that simple task.”

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Ontaz and Xarax

Here are the founding fathers of the Vincaran Federation in 4201, ready to show the Lanarian Empire that no, actually, their people aren't over the fact that their civilization was crushed and colonized two hundred and sixty five years ago, and they'll just be breaking off into their own nation now, if you don't mind. (Spoiler: The Empire did mind. Thus the Great Civil War happened.)

Background photo from Pixabay.

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Remembering both those doting parents are dead by the time he's killed off so they won't know or care like:

tfw when you're brainstorming for a prequel and think about how much a character was wanted and loved by his parents, knowing that you kill him off horribly in the main novel

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tfw when you're brainstorming for a prequel and think about how much a character was wanted and loved by his parents, knowing that you kill him off horribly in the main novel

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Council Member Irina

She's appeared in a couple recent illustrations, but her last portrait was really old.

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I hadn't drawn Sicara in a while, so here's everyone's favorite priestess of Irokori in her fiery volcano regalia.

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After three lesbians, two bisexual women, an asexual man (plus another lesbian and an asexual woman who are very minor characters) I finally have a gay man in my universe. About time! (And another asexual woman, to boot.)

I let these things happen naturally during the writing/world building process, and, although I've left many characters' sexualities a blank slate, none of them felt right as gay men. Until now!

Ontaz, the co-founder of the Vincaran Federation and its longtime president, has a son, but that son's mother never had a name or a backstory at all.

Well, my muse informs me that Ontaz is gay and his wife, Mariza, was aro/ace. They were longtime friends who were both being pressured into heterosexual marriages by their patriarchal culture and dreading it. They ended up marrying each other, conceived their son quickly with their eyes closed while trying not to think about it, and then lived platonically ever after. They were close friends and loved co-parenting together. She wanted him to be happy and supported the relationships he secretly had through the years, even if none of them turned into true love. They had 35 pleasant years together before she passed away from natural causes in her 70s.

None of this is in the current manuscript, and probably won't be just because it's not relevant to the plot, plus only Ontaz and Mariza knew the true nature of their relationship. Still, I'm messing around with ideas for a prequel, and if I end up writing about the Great Civil War both of them would be alive and in their mid 40s/early 50s. Regardless, world building is always good.

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P.S. I just realized I never Googled her name to check for unfortunate implications. Based on Tumblr tag suggestions, there are some famous(?) people with that name, but I'm going to assume it doesn't mean something embarrassing in an obscure language or anything.

P.P.S. I have a character who's a trans man in the Super Self Indulgent Mini Sequel, and if I write that prequel I have a trans woman character planned. (She doesn't have a name or description yet, just the fact that she's the personal doctor for a member of the royal family.) I still want to add more disability representation. As I said, though, I don't shoehorn in diversity for its own sake. When it clicks, it clicks.

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Empress Variza and Emperor Trobar

Variza and her son, Trobar, were the first two monarchs of the Eleventh Dynasty. Her great-great-granddaughter, Vazali, is the current occupant of the throne of the Lanarian Empire.

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Emperor Rozandax the Terrible

The Eighth Dynasty of the Lanarian Empire ended when the volatile tyrant, Rozandax, was deposed and killed. His reign was marked with violence, paranoia, and numerous executions--including that of his own mother, which was the last straw before the Council voted to remove him from power.

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Emperors Talziro and Rinzaro

Talziro was the first emperor of the Tenth Dynasty. His descendant, Rinzaro, was on the throne when the Lanarians made first contact with the Vincarans.

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Kavrillia Secret Gift Exchange

Inspired by Secret Santa, I decided to take a bunch of my characters, assign them numbers, and then use a random number generator to see whose name they drew in a secret gift exchange. Wacky hijinks ensued.

I'm going to assume they've all been given twenty bucks fifteen kavars and told they cannot spend more than that to make it fair (since characters range from monarchs with access to the royal treasury to homeless orphans).

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(Gift Giver) to (Gift Receiver)

Falro to Xeebec: A mug that says "You Rule" that they would proceed to snicker over behind Vazali's back for the rest of the evening.

Gazeno to Bronzar: Money in a card with a note saying "I'm sorry I insulted the empress, please don't hurt me."

Delzeena to Lynzari: A Grumpy Cat book (or whatever the Kavrillian equivalent is)

Vazali to Zadie: A royal pardon for her shenanigans. Or a decorative box filled with hot chocolate mix. Or both.

Cazella to Zelda: A celebrity gossip magazine or two

Tradlak to Abarok: A novelty tie for his famous collection

Ambruk to Brialla: What in the world would the director of the Imperial Guard get for a crazy, homicidal old woman? Uh...a scented candle. I dunno. LMAO

Bronzar to Lenzi: A book on Vincaran culture as a subtle hint that she needs to question her preconceived ideas about race

Zenni to Gazeno: A Captain Comet T-shirt that Gazeno would never, ever, ever wear.

Vizada to Zola: Vizada's thought process would be, "She's a girl. Girls like pretty jewelry." Through a bizarre twist of fate, Zola drew Vizada's name. She would have no idea what to get a queen and either panic and grab the first thing she saw in the store, or shoplift something way above the price range to try to meet Vizada's high standards. Neither would go well but Vizada would be gracious about it.

Kazaneta to Sicara: She'd use the money to buy supplies to make a custom painting of a volcano. Sicara would be delighted and everyone else would feel like the gifts they gave were lackluster in comparion.

Xeebec to Nartok: Breath mints. And a certificate welcoming him to the "Sons Who Can Never Live Up to the High Standards of Their Country-Ruling Fathers Club." (They're the only two members. Since Xeebec created the club, he named himself president. Nartok is not amused.)

Lareza to Vazali: This is one of the least awkward ones. As her former sister-in-law, Lareza actually knows Vazali personally and would find something classy that the empress would like. Maybe a scarf.

Lynzari to Falro: A dirt poor emo teenager and a snooty Council Member. I can't see this ending well. She'd probably buy a greeting card saying something like, "It's a holiday. I bought you a card. Social obligation fulfilled" and put the change inside.

Zelda to Hazervia: Gaudy makeup that Hazervia would never use.

Lenzi to Xorax: A social worker would have probably been a big help to him at one point in his life, but that ship has sailed. She'd probably just buy him gloves or something practical.

Hazervia to Leva: A lesbian pride flag tote bag.

Abarok to Ambruk: A custom-made T-shirt saying "Cool people have names that start with A and end with K." And he'd pay extra to get one for himself, too.

Zadie to Kazaneta: A deliberately tacky holiday sweater. Bystanders might wince thinking it was a tasteless gift to give a princess, but Kazaneta would laugh and take it in the spirit it was intended and put it on right away.

Rimzor to Minalla: They work together every day, so it's kind of anticlimactic for him to draw her name. On the bright side, he would definitely know if she needed a new water bottle or gloves or whatever, and could get her something useful.

Minalla to Delzeena: She doesn't really know her that well, and she wouldn't want to offend a princess, so Minalla would probably get something safe and generic like candy or a necklace.

Irina to Lareza: If this was taking place before Lareza and Xeebec got divorced...poison. Because she wants to steal her husband. LMAO

Zalani to Ontaz: A book on ancient Vancorran history, because she loves books and she would want to suck up and cater to his interests.

Nartok to Zalani: She would never believe that he didn't somehow rig the drawing so he would get her name, but would never say it out loud. He'd get her jewelry. Because she's a woman so her job is to look pretty. Sigh.

Ontaz to Rimzor: A book on the greatest Vincaran military geniuses in history, hoping Rimzor would read it and feel inferior.

Brialla to Tradlak: A gift certificate offering to murder his greatest enemy. He chuckles nervously and throws it away when she's not looking.

Xorax to Cazella: A family tree kit so they could figure out what it makes them if her sister is married to his first cousin. And other, funnier, more sequel-spoilery things.

Sicara to Irina: "Oh, her favorite color is red? No problem!" She'd find something pretty to wear.

Leva to Zenni: The easy answer would always be to get him Captain Comet merch, but if she doesn't know that about him she'd probably just get candy. He's a kid. Kids like candy. Problem solved.

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New Kavrillian pixel sprites

The old sprite of Irina was wearing a ballgown, but since she only wears that in one scene it was high time I made one of her in professional attire, as she would wear to Council meetings.

Speaking of Council members, here are Falro and Gazeno.

A somewhat older Zarolyn.

Last, we have Lareza with the right skin color (I had changed it since I made the old sprite and only now realized it...oops.)