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Potionomics - Guess Who's Back (Back Again)

Miracles do exist, people!

So let me take you back to 2023 when a new indie game came out called Potionomics. One of the few actually good games coming out these past two years, to be frank. (But the Purging Fire is finally burning across the industry. Good.)

Either way, that game has quite the great cast of characters, written by people who actually know what they are doing. While I do dislike or am indifferent to some of them, that comes from simply their actual personalities, not because they are badly written characters. I would feel the same about such people in real life.

But by far the very best bloke had to be one of the bosses (and the first one in the line who actually whooped my ass the first time around) - and that was Boss Finn, the literal business shark, here to kick your ass with unbelievable swagger and an unmatchable theme song.

He was also the first boss who did NOT became part of your friend's group after beating him. Which was heartbreaking, and just plain... weird. Like, why not? We've got all the weirdos in the cast and you leave the uber confident business guy out? Blasphemy, I tell you!

Well. Fast forward to 2024 October 20th and the developers had finally seen the error of their ways. They put out a DLC that actually makes Boss Finn a part of your crew once you get past him! I discovered this roughly after two weeks of its release and let me tell you, I have never EVER bought a DLC faster in my life.

So now I am replaying Potionomics and while I'm still some time away from Boss Finn, I already have some high hopes for him.

Please don't screw him up, devs! He is genuinely amazing!

(Genuinely the only thing I don't like about his design - and you can already see the change in this pic - is that unlike other fish men designs, his shark tail actually grows out of the middle of his back, not his hip. And he can move that bastard separately, meaning he has a branching spinal cord. I don't know, that just freaks me out XD)

2024.11.23.

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LoL - Brackern BroTP

More League of Legends stuff (and brackern headcanons)

Fear not, young hopefuls! At worst you'll need to wait 800 years for another chance at earning the lady's heart. Until then, enjoy the blooming BroTP! That's what makes a clan strong. <3

The first two panel's dialogue is based on a comment I got on DeviantArt under the "two genders" entry, which was so damn cute I couldn't help but actually draw it. Thanks for the inspiration, my guy!

Other headcanon sketchdumps:

Broodmother Nixale’s design 1

Broodmother Nixale’s design 2

Ra-xul and Ra-tehn brackern

The Two Genders

2024.11.09

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LoL Brackern headcanons #2 - The two genders

More League of Legends stuff (and brackern headcanons)

Brackern form clans called “kraa” in the Underwell, which are made up from children of the clan’s broodmother(s) and formerly wandering strangers who join their ranks. Sizes can range from a dozen to over fifty, although large clans eventually fracture into smaller ones for one reason or another.  Clan color and patterns are based on the environment and the food sources (springs and rivers of raw magic) the clan has under its rule. Territories are massive, so even neighboring clans usually look vastly different to each other. Should a clan migrate to a different territory, their markings would change over time as well.

Due to the high mortality rate of bracklings, the survival of the species is ensured by both genders being capable of reproducing their entire adult lives. While broodmothers bring up a single clutch at a time until their second molt (around 800 surface-world years), normal females simply give birth to their brood, abandon them in the wilds and are ready to conceive again within six months (finding the next mate may take longer, however). Brackern are not monogamous, but a broodmother may choose to have multiple clutches from a single male. Since their offsprings have the highest chances of survival, adult males in the clan sometimes get caught in stubborn contests of strength to earn the broodmother's good graces. But because bonds within a clan are strong, these competitions only result in hurt pride but never in physical injury. Outsider wandering males and those would-be-members still under the process of being tested by the clan cannot mate with the broodmother.

Other headcanon sketchdumps:

Broodmother Nixale's design 1

Broodmother Nixale's design 2

Ra-xul and Ra-tehn brackern

2024.10.27.

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LoL - Qiyana is actually really fun to draw

More League of Legends stuff (and brackern headcanons)

It's Qiyana time, babyyyyy!

The self-proclaimed Empress of Elements is quite interesting to me. On one hand, her VA, Montse Hernandez does an excellent job at selling just how whiny, entitled and insufferable she is, and even though she is incredibly skilled and dangerous, she absolutely fails to make a strong impression worthy of an empress. On the other hand, her "color story", Fit to Rule shows rather disturbing sociopathic decision making from her. But putting the two together, I have this headcanon that she isn't nearly as cruel and tough as she no doubt believes herself to be, and the moment crap goes really down, she might just crumble completely. "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face", that kind of deal. Yes, I know she crippled her eldest sister for life, that's disturbing but that maybe she simply doesn't have what it takes to actually finish the job.

Entirely my headcanon, though. She might be an absolutely irredeemable little monster in the official lore.

But...this is one headcanon I'm putting to the test in the WIP LoL fanfic.

(Man, I would pay to see her have an epic shouting match at Skarner... although if Skarner returns fire, she is absolutely dead, just from the volume. But just her screaming at the kaiju scorpion who is just annoyed by her would be so incredibly funny.)

Next time maybe I will come out with a sketchdump showing some of those plans.

2024.10.19.

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LoL - Skarner kinda breaks my wrist but I love him

I'm steadily putting together a multi-chapter fanfiction featuring Skarner and Qiyana as the leads, and on the side, I'm trying to actually learn to draw Skarner. With the help of the wonderful 3D in-game model viewer called Khada, my third eye has opened!

So I challenged myself with some poses, as you can see. Skarner's animations were definitely NOT what I have originally imagined, he is surprisingly "nimble" seeing what he actually is. Hell, I wasn't even aware that he lifted his body up so high from the ground, I thought he was a pancake, genuinely. After that revelation, I had an easier time picturing him temporarily rear up on his hind legs. Jesus, can you imagine the shockwave him slamming down would cause?

I have tried to make the poses readable with shadows, I really sure hope I succeeded ^^; He's not the easiest form to draw or decode, certainly. I'm not sure when the fanfic itself will come out, but I would like to finish the whole thing's first draft by 20th of October! Root for me, guys!

2024.10.05.

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LoL Fanfic - Sandstorms and Clear Skies Ch2 is live!

Ch1 upload sites

"The Sun Disk was off the ground. The Sun Disk was off the gods-forsaken ground! Nasus dropped his bundled war axe and stared. He rubbed his eyes and stared again. He muttered a quick incantation that helped chase away illusions and mirages. He shook his head madly. The Sun Disk and the city stubbornly stayed put on the horizon."

Chapter 2 of the two-shot about the rocky start of Shurima's return. Enjoy! :D

Fanfic.net:

Ao3:

DeviantArt:

2024.09.07.

[kenyizsuartblog]

New LoL fanfic! "Sandstorms and Clear Skies"

Read the rocky start of Shurima's return, through the eyes of everyone's favorite depressed curator, Nasus! <3

This fanfic is a two-shot, the second chapter will be up next Saturday :)

Read it on three sites!

2024.08.31

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Doc Ock - The New Sunbearer -page 5-

Solar Demigod Doc Ock gallery

Yup, that looks the like the face of someone who's really cut out for this "supernatural hero" stuff...

Good luck, Doc!

Prev. page <--> First page

Thank you for reading!

2024.08.17.

[kenyizsuartblog]

Doc Ock - The New Sunbearer -page 4-

Solar Demigod Doc Ock gallery

Oh god, it speaks...

Next page <--> Prev. page <--> First page

2024.08.10

[kenyizsuartblog]

Doc Ock - The New Sunbearer -page 3-

Solar Demigod Doc Ock gallery

Goddamnit, Dr. Strange!!!! Your spell is messing things up again!

Next page <--> Prev. page <--> First page

2024.08.03.

[kenyizsuartblog]

Doc Ock - The New Sunbearer -page 2-

Solar Demigod Doc Ock gallery

Yeeeeee, let's run at the newborn sun headfirst, bois!!

Real talk, still a better plan than his original fate: collapsing the whole thing on top of himself and into the river, and boiling himself alive in the meantime. (Goddamn, that was a hardcore way to go out...)

Next page <--> Prev. page

2024.07.27

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Doc Ock - The New Sunbearer -page 1-

Solar Demigod Doc Ock gallery

If this isn't a quintessential "Aw bloody hell" moment right there...

Next page

SOLAR DEMIGOD DOC OCK ORIGIN STORY LET'SGOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Welcome to a five pages long sketchy comic, telling the story of how Doc Ock earned his solar magic powers after the interdimensional fiasco of "No Way Home". I hope you guys all enjoy it!

While I'll be the first to admit that I did not spend that much time on the panel compositions (considering this was a pretty fast project inspired by my trip through Manhattan in a roundabout way), I would still very much like to listen to your feedback!

Pages go up every Saturday. The resulting free time will be used to progress with the Diablo fancomic!

2024.07.20.

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LoL fan design - Brackern headcanons #1

Ra-xul ("orphan born") are brackern born not to broodmothers, but to ordinary females who abandon them right after giving birth to them. In the cruel world of the Underwell, most ra-xul do not get to live to adolescence, let alone to adulthood. Those that do, are the toughest, most vicious brackern out there who often become the leader of one clan or another as a result. They know how to survive and how to find resources and they aren’t afraid to trample anyone standing in their way to those goals. While adult ra-xul are powerhouses on their own, they usually develop a close bond with whichever clan they become a member or a leader of, and will fight to the bitter end for said clan’s survival. Everything and everyone else outside of the clan is beneath their concern, so much so that leaders are hostile even towards other ra-xul younglings who would be seeking shelter among their ranks. Broodmothers try to adopt those bracklings in secret and integrate them into the clan before the leader could catch on and chase the intruder away.

Ra-tehn ("brood born") are the offsprings of broodmothers who grow up under the protection of their mother and of the clan. They are definitely not as tough and vicious as ra-xul, they are more accepting of outsider brackern, especially if one seeks to join their ranks. But they too are capable of fighting terribly for the survival of their clan and especially of their broodmother. While the ra-xul leader forges the path forward, the ra-tehn ensure all members (ideally) can follow said path.

Not all ra-tehn reach adulthood, of course. Armordillos and other predators, sicknesses, starvation and hostile clans are an ever-present threat in their lives. They also sometimes strike out into the Underwell on their own or in small groups after their second molt to seek a new home, especially if the clan as a whole has fallen on hard times. This almost instinctive migration ensures the creation of new clans, and the refreshing of gene pools. Wandering ra-tehn tend to seek out a new home as far away from the original as possible, to hopefully avoid future conflict with their former family… and Tremors forbid, to avoid harming their beloved mother.

Broodmothers are often strong and well-versed in the natural earth magic all brackern are born with. Despite their relatively lighter weight due to their hollowed-out shells, broodmothers rarely move much, opting to keep vigilance over their scuttling children. This slow life enables them to develop a kind of connection with the earth around them, using it to detect even small dangers such or sounds and movements hundreds of kilometers away. Unfortunately, armordillos have their own brand of earth magic which the more intelligent ones can use to mask their presence from the broodmother just long enough to snatch a brackling away.

---

And I'm off to the US, by the time this sketchdump goes up. This is going to be an interesting two weeks, for sure!

Either way, I have managed to squeeze in some more brackern headcanons, and I hope you guys enjoy them! Who knows, by the time I get back, I might have even more ideas!

... I might have to tackle the fearsome brackern clan wars eventually, once I get back and recover from the trip and the insane flight times.

(Also, not entirely sure about the non-broodmother female's head, I might change the design down the road.)

More League of Legends stuff (and brackern headcanons)

2024.06.22.

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LoL fan design - Broodmother Nixale #2

It is a misconception to believe broodmothers are the largest brackern out there. Although their size can very easily eclipse mid-sized towns on Runeterra, it happens often that even their own children outgrow them. Broodmothers only have to be big enough to effectively provide shelter for an entire brood of bracklings at a time. They are similar to scorpions, as they too carry their young on their back, but unlike scorpions, a broodmother would rather starve herself to death than to cannibalize her own. Despite their dedication, not all of their children get to live to adulthood, although the survival rate is of course far larger than that of the orphan born. Their offsprings are called “ra-tehn”, brood born.

---

Plot twist: Big Mama Nixale is not that big, actually.

I just like the trope of the big burly hero and his tiny loving mother. It is entirely irrelevant if a broodmother's child will eventually grow to four times her size and at least six times her weight... he will forever be her little pebble.

I have a whoooole bunch of brackern headcanons scribbled down by this point, I hope I can sketch them out eventually ^^

2024.06.08

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LoL fan design - Broodmother Nixale #1

"I am Skarner of Clan Ọ̀pal-hin, progeny of Broodmother Nixalẹ, and I will be your undoing!"

Not all female brackerns are broodmothers. Most may give birth to one to four clutches of bracklings in their lifetime and leave them to fend for themselves ("ra-xul" [ra-SHUL], orphan born). These females spend the rest of their lives wandering the vast Underwell of Runeterra and taking part in vicious territorial disputes among clans.

Broodmothers ("raanda hin", great mother) take the task of raising the next generation(s) very seriously and make great sacrifices to achieve that goal. Almost all clans have at least one broodmother and while they are never the leaders, they are cherished and well-respected members whom every other brackern guards from hostile clans. This protection isn't just out of respect for the great mothers - they are actually far more vulnerable than regular brackern.

To become a broodmother is to sacrifice their titanic might for the good of their broods, and transform their thick nigh-unbreakable armor into a hollowed-out shell which forms caves and nooks, and provides shelter for the numerous offsprings of their own, and sometimes even a few lucky ra-xul. These holes make the broodmother exceptionally weak to crushing forces, which just happens to be the favorite mode of attack of brackern in general.

Taking out an opposing clan's broodmother(s) means a terrible blow to both morale and to their next generation, making them a prime target during clan wars, unfortunately.

[TBC]

---

So, Big Mama Nixale [nee-SHA-laeh] is on the way, along with some complete speculations about the newly reworked brackern species as a whole! Time for some fan worldbuilding, boys and girls. None of this is official, make no mistake, nor do I make claims it is!

Not gonna lie, I really loved the very first sketch of Nixale, but eventually I have found it better to make her appear more like Skarner, to make sure it is clear they are of the same species, and even the same blood. I ended up really liking the waving shell on her back, they remind me of skirt folds almost, which would fit a motherly figure well, I believe.

2024.06.01.

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Skarner's full regalia (+chibi)

Despite being the very first Yun Tal and father of the Ground Axioms, ironically Skarner could never don the magical garments all other Yun Tal could - the brackern's mind seemed incompatible with the Vidalion and the artifact could not weave anything out of his magic.

So the people took it upon themselves to weave a headdress worthy of their eternal protector, featuring colors that mimicked the Yun Tal garments as close as possible, and lines of precious gold that resembled the Axiom patterns of Ixtali magic.

Creating this giant gift and then putting it on the equally massive head of the brackern was no easy task... but the Yun Tal aren't called elemental masters for nothing. Their protector's gratitude was well worth it.

----

LoL Train ain't stopping yet, boys!!

Although I will absolutely throw every ounce of my energy into finally finishing the Diablo fancomic in time, and will probably only upload small sketches on the side until it is done, Skarner and Runeterra in general continues to dominate my interest without fail. I have a lot of ideas for this amazing bastard, and I hope I can put as many as I can into drawn (and maybe written?) form.

We might just have another Solar Demigod Doc Ock situation on our hands here, cupcakes.

I must confess I'm so damn sad that I can't share my obsession and headcanon ideas with others about this scorpion. Man, I see so much potential in his story, his past, his justifiable fears and paranoia, and how he could become a more positive character... and immediately he gets labelled "evil boomer" by almost everyone else and that's the end of the discussion. :( I can understand OG Skarner mains, they have the right to mourn the loss of their purple crystal scorpion. But even those who had no emotional connection to his original design just brush him off.

I feel like people don't really put effort into putting themselves into characters' shoes anymore. I sure damn hope I am wrong about that, tho, because if I am not.... oh man, that is some sad state of the world.

I know right now Riot is going through yet another "lore allergy" phase in their existence, but come on guys. Can we give Skarner a chance?

No?

"Evil boomer" it is?

... Yeah, f that, not in this house! The Primordial Sovereign may rise yet!

2024.05.25.

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LoL - Skarner Is Right

"Oh man, I wonder if I'll draw other champions from this game later down the line"

<proceeds to have an idea that requires half the goddamn roster>

Famous last words, huh?

Real talk, delete that last sentence from the final paragraph of Skarner's bio:

"The only one Skarner can trust is himself, and he'll do anything it takes to protect Ixtal and its people. Even if that means becoming the root of their destruction, himself."

And his "destructive paranoia" immediately gets downgraded to "fully reasonable and healthy paranoia". I bet I haven't even pictured a fifth of all the insane bull-- going on outside of Ixtal, and half of the things on the pic would be enough for me to vote for eternal isolation, thanks.

This was a lot of fun to put together, even if it took a bit longer than I would have hoped. I ended up reading and/or listening to quite a few lore bits, all of which I really enjoyed... and my god, the story of Nasus and Renekton just nuked my heart. I want the god-warrior bros to make up and live happily ever after! I don't even care what happens to Azir and Shurima in the background, I want the brothers to get a happy ending, pls, Riot!!

So what's the lesson to learn from all this? #SkarnerIsRight

Other LoL-related works

Skarner sketchdump 24-04-03-06

2024.04.13