#Death Knights

[skymagpieart]

Drew my friend's Nightborne death knight Almarielle and Darion Mograine, because he is a funny little man so he was perfect for the meme redraw

[oldschoolfrp]

"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" -- Rather than the traditional 4, these are "the lords of the undead vassals of Orcus, Prince of the Undead" as designed for D&D by Ian Cooper and illustrated by Alan Hunter (from the "Fiend Factory" column in White Dwarf 22, GW, Dec/Jan 1980) It seems logical to give Orcus some powerful undead commanders for his legions. Today I might reskin most of them as variant death knights:

Each rides a nightmare, can control, animate, and summon undead, and wears a unique helm that grants additional abilities.

Lom, First Lord of the Undead, is a skeleton granted a psionic strength of 100, carrying a large +2 magic sword. Samazan, Second Lord of the Undead, wields the Axe of the Golden Minotaur, a +3 weapon that can summon 1-10 minotaurs all armed with +3 battle axes. Ky, Third Lord of the Undead, is a "supra-lich" granted demonship, a 23rd level magic user wearing the Skull Crown bestowing numerous mental powers. Ogaa, Fourth Lord of the Undead, wields a +5 trident and a Net of Entrapment.

[esperanta-dragon]

I think they are neat! Will do better photos once I am back from USA.

EsperantaDragon.etsy.com

[vivsemporium]

Here we have three Death Knight minis printed from a high-quality resin, so they are more flexible and sturdy than your average mini fig! This means that there are intricate details that have stayed during the printing process and will withstand constant handling while moving around on the battle maps.

Sculpted by Epic Miniatures Printed by Pluto Minis Hand painted by me

The mounted mini stands on a 50mm base, whilst the other two stand on a 25mm base.

[ghostofashina]

they're twins. i just know it.

[onewomancitadel]

Apropos of nothing only thing I kind of like about the Halo series now is that Master Chief and Cortana had a baby and the baby is named the Weapon. Couldn't be more appropriate one supposes.

[mousterian-writes]

Adventures in 3D Printing

Blizzard has released the STL files for their models in the Arclight Rumble game. They're sort of big and chunky and have a fun cartoony look. AND they released one for Baron Rivendare. Naturally I have to give my boy some love.

I think I'm on one of my last bottles of resin. I ordered grey but they send you a tester of a different color when you order a certain amount. Suffice it to say I was surprised to get clear green!

When I saw that the supported file was to be printed in one step I was a little worried, because it was so large and it can lead to more avenues for misprint. But the model came out well with only one error on Deathcharger's face.

But nothing a crack job application of greenstuff can't fix. Otherwise the piece is good. The sword is the correct thickness and there are no strange 'splices.'

For the painting I applied a simple zenithal highlight of a black base with a Wraithbone highlight. I went with the GW rattlecan because I had it on hand. Plus it has really good coverage. I did a little more shading with the transparent gray before laying out the colors I planned on using.

I started with Rivendare's armor using a combination of the Rumble and in game models as a reference. I ended up using a cooler purple for the plates. The skirt and Deathcharger's mane and skin followed as they are the biggest parts of the model. It is also easier to touch up darker areas than lighter ones, which is why the skulls were one of the last bits to be painted. For the horse's flesh I went with a warmer scale black tone to bring in some contrast. Finally I knew I wanted a strong contrast between the Rivendare's armor and Deathcharger's skull, so I made the horse's head much more yellow than I normally would.

The main portion of the piece is complete. I printed out a few gubbins this afternoon and I plan on shifting the rider to a larger base to accommodate. I would say that it DOES look like a toy and that the paint and technical choices to reinforce that. But I think I like it? At least, I think that is how the designers intend it to look.

[signalfirefly]

[heroineimages]

I ship it.

Duality by Indigo Jenar

A Paladin and Death Knight working together is unheard of, as their hatred towards each other goes back centuries. Yet, the winds of change are on the horizon.

[crumbpigeon]

what else ought there be?

[knightedpuppy]

big strong knights covered in blood looking at you like a feral animal. that’s the post

[esperanta-dragon]

Going to tumblr is hard for me these days because I didn't write anything WoW related for ages and I miss it. I did not draw anything in ages too and I miss it, but I can't get to it mentally. I used to create content, engage with community, replying to questions, advising about death knights and so on.

Then sometimes death knight or Mograine art pops on my dashboard and it's like slap in my face: "weren't you supposed to draw/write something as well?"

The feeling of dropping out of fandom is hard for me and I can't imagine it will change. Fanfics I wanted to write but I don't have time/mood/insp anymore to just sit and write for hours. Same with my art.

I want to start The Ebon Blade comic during WotLK era which should be also analogy to trauma recovery, but I missed the best time to release it during WotLK Classic.

I decided to start it in few months this year but the constant feeling that people will no longer care is just crippling even though I want to draw it and finally go for it.

[lynxgriffin]

Mightier Than The Sword

Gerson had one regret, but now Alvin has many. A fancomic about my thoughts and theories and who -and what- the Knight is!

While not directly connected, I'd say this one is in the same vein as the Deal With The Devil series! Hope you enjoy!

Alt text for this comic under the read more:

Page 1

Panel 1 - Wide shot of the interior of the Boom household. Several monsters are gathered in a clean-looking hall, dressed in somber clothing and talking quietly in small groups. The monsters include QC, Cat Mom, Toriel, Asgore and Mayor Holiday. Father Alvin stands waiting at a door in the hall as his sister, a red-headed turtle monster in a pink dress, exits through the door and speaks to him. “Alvin…he’s ready for you.”

Panel 2 - Mid shot as Alvin prepares to enter the room. Ms. Boom steps out of the way, and puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Both of them look somber. 

Panel 3 - Alvin enters the room, mostly dark and lit by a few candles on a nearby desk. Gerson Boom is lying on a bed ahead of him, watching him enter. Alvin closes the door behind him and says, “Father, I’m here.”

Panel 4 - Alvin approaches his father, lying in bed. The bedroom has a few amenities, including a footstool set off to the side, a large rug bearing the delta rune, and a massive bookcase filling the entire back wall. A few books and papers litter the ground. Alvin bows his head, and says, “The hammer is ready for…for afterwards.”

Gerson just smiles, and responds, “Wa ha, is it? Well, it’ll do fine, I suppose.”

Panel 5 - Closer shot of Gerson extending his right hand towards Alvin. He’s smiling still, content with where he is. “Come here, son.”

Page 2

Panel 1 - Closeup as Alvin takes his father’s hand in his own, and clasps it tight. “Whatever you need…I’m here,” he says from offscreen.

Panel 2 - Alvin kneels by his father’s bedside, still clasping his hands. Gerson says, “Of course you are. Wa ha…you’re such a good and kind man, Alvin.”

Panel 3 - Closeup on Alvin as he just holds on to his father’s hand. Tears prick at the corners of his eyes. 

Panel 4 - Focus on Gerson as he holds up a hand to conspiratorially whisper to Alvin. “And I know I can trust you with a secret, right?”

Panel 5 - Closeup on Alvin as he looks back up, face earnest. “...Of course.”

Panel 6 - Gerson holds up one finger as he speaks to Alvin. “I told your sister I had no regrets, but that was a BIT of a fib! I’m afraid I have one regret…”

Panel 7 - Side view of Alvin as he learns closer, his face now worried. “Father?...”

Page 3

Panel 1 - Focus on Gerson as he leans back on his pillow, looking up at the ceiling. “I wish I had started earlier. Writing stories, I mean. Seein’ you an’ your sister’s eyes light up whenever I read you a new chapter…and then seeing all that joy from so many young folks after those stories were published!” he says, looking wistful.

Panel 2 - Alvin watches on sadly as Gerson continues, “It was the greatest feeling in the world, Alvin. It’s what life’s all about, y’know. Helping the young folks grow.”

Panel 3 - Gerson closes his eyes and looks back towards the ceiling again, still wistful. “So, I wish I’d started writing stories sooner.”

Panel 4 - Closeup on Alvin as he bows his head, still holding Gerson’s hand. “I truly do cherish those times you read to us, father…” he says.

Panel 5 - Closeup on Gerson as he closes his mind with happy memories. “Me too, Alvin. It’s a shame…I’ve still got so many tales to tell! But–”

Panel 6 - Gerson is interrupted by a round of hacking coughs. His time is fast approaching.

Panel 7 - Gerson settles back in to his bed and says, “The Angel’s given me SO many good, happy years. Doesn’t seem fair to ask for more.”

Panel 8 - Closeup on Alvin as he continues to hold his father’s hand tight. “This doesn’t seem fair, either…” he says, tears still pricking at his eyes.

Page 4

Panel 1 -  Insert closeup of Gerson as he smiles at his son. “That’s life, Alvin!” He doesn’t seem bothered by his imminent passing.

Panel 2 - Side view as Gerson leans in closer to Alvin again, hand raised, back to sharing his secrets. “But, knowin’ my secret…there’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

Alvin faces his father with seriousness. “Anything,” he replies.

Panel 3 - Closeup on Gerson, as he looks hopefully at Alvin. “You have a good heart, Alvin. I want you to know this joy, too.”

Panel 4 - Gerson continues in the next panel: “Please try writin’ stories of your own, alright?” Closeup on Alvin as he looks shocked and a bit worried by the request.

Panel 5 - Mid shot as Alvin holds up a hand to Gerson in protest. He says, “Father, I…I have no talent for writing fiction. Not like YOU.”

Panel 6 - Closeup on Gerson as he refutes his son: “Hogwash! I know you can.”

Panel 7 - Wide shot as Alvin stands up, and looks around the room. “No, I…”

In the foreground, there’s Gerson’s desk, currently showing some lit candles, some paper, an inkwell, a notebook, and his favorite fountain pen.

Page 5

Panel 1 - Closeup as Alvin grabs two objects off of the desk: the small notebook and the fountain pen. Offscreen, he says, “If you just…”

Panel 2 - Back at Gerson’s bedside, Alvin pulls up the footstool and puts the pen and notebook in front of him, intending to use it. He faces his father, and says, “Tell me your ideas, I could write them down, and–”

Gerson interrupts him: “‘Fraid it doesn’t work that way, Alvin!”

Panel 3 - Gerson holds up both of his hands and smiles as he explains: “My tales are between my soul and the pen. You’ll need to make your own.”

Panel 4 - Gerson watches as Alvin, tears in his eyes, looks down at the notebook and pen in hand. “I–I cannot…” Alvin starts, looking despondent.

Panel 5 - Side view of Alvin as tears continue to stream from his eyes. He says, “Not without you!” In the background, in grayscale, there is a scene from Alvin’s memory: Gerson reading a book to his two children by the fire. Gerson looks happy, and both kids are enraptured, with Alvin clinging to a cat doll that looks like Seam.

Panel 6 - Closeup on Gerson, his face now more worried and pleading towards Alvin. Gerson says, “Y-you can… It’s all I ask…”

Panel 7 - Gerson turns away as he’s again interrupted by a round of terrible sounding coughs. Alvin stands holding the notebook and pen in the foreground.

Page 6

Panel 1 - Horror comes over Alvin’s face as his father continues to cough loudly, clutching his chest. He realizes that his father might be close to death now.

Panel 2 - Wider overhead shot as Alvin turns away from Gerson, looking frantically around the room. “No! Not yet!--” he says desperately. Gerson is still racked with coughs.

Panel 3 - Closeup as Alvin grabs the candles from the desk–

Panel 4 - And then pulls a book from the bookshelf, with the delta rune on the front –

Panel 5 - And then finally pulls out what appears to be a beaded rosary, with the delta rune made of beads at the end of it.

Panel 6 - Wider shot as Alvin places the objects in front of him, candles to the side, holy book in front of him. Gerson can only lay there as he does so, trying to catch his breath.

Panel 7 - Front view of Alvin as he clasps his hands together in front of his face, the rosary threaded between his fingers. He closes his eyes and bows his head in prayer. “Angel…Angel above! Please, heed your servant’s prayer!”

Page 7

Panel 1 - Closeup on Alvin as he continues to pray, the candles glowing around him. He keeps his eyes shut even as tears well in them. “I know you call back my father’s soul, but please! Please refrain!”

Panel 2 - Gerson desperately reaches a hand out towards his son, shaking, but unable to reach him. In the foreground, the fountain pen sits on the footstool between them. “A-Alvin…” Gerson’s voice is shaky now.

Panel 3 - Aerial shot as Alvin prays over the book, and Gerson is still confined to the bed, only able to watch. “This world still NEEDS his gifts!” Alvin says. “I pray to you, don’t take them from us now!” The shadows around Alvin start to grow strange, not matching the candlelight.

Panel 4 - Gerson continues to hold out a hand, now not looking well. “No…”

Panel 5 - Closeup on the candles as they spark to life, now glowing stronger.

Panel 6 - A strange bright glow begins to emanate from Gerson. Behind him, the books in the bookcase all rattle and shift as if in a localized earthquake. The colors of the room grow brighter and stranger.

Panel 7 - Still reaching out a desperate hand, Gerson lets out a soft breath. His soul, an upside-down white heart, comes up from his body. On the footstool in the foreground, the fountain pen also begins to levitate, as if by magic.

Page 8

Panel 1 - Front shot of Alvin as he continues to pray desperately, his head bowed and hands together. “Grant us the love shown between his soul and the pen!” Behind him, the colors have grown stark and bright, and a shadow resembling the angel looms behind Alvin.

Panel 2 - Alvin looks up to discover something amazing and terrible: Gerson’s soul has been drawn to the fountain pen, and begins to flow down into it.

Panel 3 - Closeup as Gerson’s soul is completely absorbed into the pen, hovering high over the bed.

Panel 4 - The candles turn strange blue and pink colors, and the books in the bookcase shake and rattle relentlessly.

Panel 5 - Extreme closeup on Alvin’s eyes as he sees this miracle; the light of his father’s soul reflected in his eyes.

Panel 6 - Closeup as the pen suddenly drops, and clatters back on to the footstool.

Panel 7 - Wide aerial shot as the room very suddenly goes completely dark and silent, the bright colors and lights now gone. Alvin stands up and backs away from the bed, still clutching the rosary, his face filled with horror. Gerson now lies unmoving in his bed, having passed away.

Page 9

Panel 1 - The same shot as the first panel of the first page, with the other monsters waiting in the hallway. No one says anything as Alvin emerges from the bedroom, leaning on the door for support, his head bowed. Everyone in the room knows that Gerson has just passed, although they don’t know the rest.

Panel 2 - An establishing shot of the forest and mountains surrounding Hometown…the skies are a dark, gloomy gray.

Panel 3 - Above shot of Gerson’s newly dug grave. At the bottom of a small pit lies Gerson’s hammer, covered in his dust. Politics Bear stands over the grave, holding a shovel. 

Panel 4 - Closeup as the shovel begins to dump dirt over the fresh grave.

Panel 5 - Another closeup of Gerson’s headstone, with bundles of fresh funerary flowers laid in front of it.

Panel 6 - Wide shot of Gerson’s funeral. Alvin stands over his father’s grave, reading last rites from one of his books. Lots of monsters are in attendance, including Alphys and Undyne, Napstablook, the Holiday and Dreemurr families, and more. A very young Kris, Noelle and Asriel are present, but Dess is not. Everyone is dressed in dark mourning attire.

Panel 7 - After the funeral, Toriel approaches Alvin and puts a hand on his shoulder. She says, “Beautifully said, Alvin. I know your father is watching proudly by the side of the Angel.” Alvin looks distant and mournful.

Panel 8 - A closeup of the fountain pen laying forgotten on the desk in Gerson’s room. Gerson is, perhaps, not actually with the Angel right now.

Panel 9 - Back at the funeral, Alvin bows his head, eyes closed. “You are too kind, Toriel,” he says.

Page 10

Panels 1-3 - We see the seasons pass through the changing of the trees…from the barren white trees of winter, to colorful pink blooms for spring, to the bright oranges and reds of fall.

Panel 4 - Sometime much later, Alvin again enters his father’s old room, alone.

Panel 5 - Much of Gerson’s room has remained untouched. The fountain pen still sits on his old writing desk in the foreground. Alvin steps inside, and carefully turns on the overhead light. “It’s been years,” he says.

Panel 6 - Alvin cautiously approaches the pen, which seems to loom large ahead of him. He hesitantly picks it up.

Panel 7 - Alvin places some blank pages on the writing desk. “Surely…”

Panel 8 - Alvin sits in front of the blank pages, still holding the pen cautiously. “Surely by now, I can do it.” He’s going to try writing.

Panel 9 - Closeup as Alvin dips the pen in the inkwell, and it comes away full of ink.

Panel 10 - Closeup as Alvin holds the pen over the blank page. The pen trembles slightly in his grip.

Panel 11 - Alvin tries to put pen to paper, but he’s still trembling. He looks down with great anxiety. “I…I…”

Panel 12 - Closeup on Alvin’s face as he looks more panicked, shaking and sweating. In the background, his memory of his father’s soul being absorbed into the pen plays back at him. This is still his fault.

Panel 13 - Closeup again as Alvin’s hand shakes uncontrollably, and the pen with it. Ink spots begin to dapple the blank page–

Page 11

Panel 1 - Alvin’s shaking hand accidentally knocks over the inkwell, and it spills black ink all over the blank page.

Panel 2 - Alvin picks up the ruined paper and folds it in half to try and stem the ink spillage. He quietly curses to himself. 

Panel 3 - Closeup as Alvin holds his head in his hand. It’s clear that this isn’t going to work. “I can’t…” 

Panel 4 - Closeup as Alvin puts the ink-stained paper back on the desk, and quickly grabs up the pen and inkwell.

Panel 5 - Taking the pen and inkwell, Alvin exits his father’s room again, head bowed and expression sad.

Panel 6 - Left behind, the folded paper slowly peels apart and unfolds…

Panel 7 - To reveal that the spilled ink has created a rorschach ink blot image of a titan. 

Page 12

Panel 1 - Wide shot as Alvin trudges down the streets of Hometown, alone. His head his bowed, and he’s still clutching the articles he took with him. It’s almost nighttime, and the sky is dark. “I cannot bear this kind of burden,” he says to himself.

Panel 2 - Shot from behind Alvin as he approaches the school building. It’s dark, and no students or teachers should be there. “Maybe you belong where you always have…”

Panel 3 - Now indoors, Alvin continues down the empty hallway towards a particular destination. “With the youth.”

Panel 4 - Alvin opens the door to the storage closet at the end of the hall. It opens with a soft creak. “Teaching. Telling stories,” Alvin continues to say to himself.

Panel 5 - Alvin places the fountain pen and inkwell on a small shelf in the storage closet. The closet is almost completely black. 

Panel 6 - The inkwell and pen are left on the shelf as Alvin closes the door behind him. His expression is mournful as he locks these reminders of his father away. “Inspiring someone better suited,” he says, hoping this is a suitable escape of his responsibility.

Page 13

Panel 1 - But in the storage closet, the objects are subject to something else already there: the grand Dark Fountain. The pen, ink and papers all fall into the darkness of the fountain–

Panel 2 - And start to change, the pen seemingly turning into liquid itself–

Panel 3 - As the pen falls deeper and deeper into the dark, the liquid begins to reshape into something new, something resembling a person–

Panel 4 - Until it lands on empty ground, now a person in knight’s armor, knelt over and holding his head in his hands.

Panel 5 - The Knight comes to, and starts to become more aware. He’s dressed in armor resembling the dark metallic sheen of the fountain pen, his mask resembling the pen tip. A bright deep red cape flows from his shoulders, and a single red-orange feather tops the helmet. “Where…am I?”

Panel 6 - The Knight again touches his helmet with both hands, as if not sure exactly what he is.

Panel 7 - Interior shot of the helmet, which reveals a figure much like Gerson…but much younger, more idealized-looking, with colors not matching his actual self. A Dark World interpretation. “WHY am I…?”

Panel 8 - A closeup of the Knight’s hand, slightly trembling.

Panel 9 - The Knight stares down at his own hands as realization begins to flood him, or at least something that looks like realization. “Wait. I see why. I KNOW.” he says.

 Page 14

Panel 1 - The Knight holds up his hand, and a sword appears in it in a flash of lights. The sword resembles the tip of a fountain pen, almost split neatly in two. “I serve the Lightners! That is my purpose!” Says the Knight. 

Panel 2 - The Knight draws the sword back with great fervor and determination. His thoughts echo around him in strong letters: “A purpose so bright, so clear…”

Panel 3 - In the final panel, the Knight drives the sword into the ground, causing an eruption of black ink-like material to spew from the ground…the creation of a new Dark Fountain. In the fountain itself, words reflect his purpose: “I EXIST TO GIVE THEM STORIES FOREVER.”

[nomad1707]

Death Knight

[dewardin]

[onewomancitadel]

Also, small addendum to the Death Knight posts... mentally I separate the Death and the Maiden mytheme from Beauty and the Beast, despite the fact that they tend to crossover in ships, because I would categorise Death and the Maiden under the genre in which women take supernatural lovers, whereas Beauty and the Beast's resolution involves the embrace of the Beast's humanity. Obviously there are iterations of BatB which lean into his supernatural nature, so it's definitely fluid, but all of these would go under a broader mythemic umbrella of mortals with immortal or supernatural lovers.

Death and the Maiden isn't strictly a storytelling mytheme either; it's a thematic idea especially explored in the Renaissance, about the intermingling nature of life and death, and features strongly in Renaissance paintings and subsequently poetry and art interacting with it. Folklorists would be much more strict about the fairytale typology, but I'm from a background where we don't do that, and I'm averse to how systematic their methods are. I'm more interested in how people interact with and reproduce archetypes as opposed to how strictly those archetypes are themselves realised within their functions... if that makes sense.

Death and the Maiden, as an academic idea, looking at the relationship of life and death, doesn't necessarily have to be romantic either. It doesn't always have to necessarily look familiar: Red Riding Hood and the Wolf is a brush with death and awakening to maturity, but wolves are not an explicit representation of Death, in how explicit it can really get. But it's the consciousness of mortality and time and danger. When it does crop up in romantic pairings, it's obviously a lot of fun; its resolution just doesn't always look as strictly neat as BatB, because once it serves its purpose - awareness of mortality, adulthood - it doesn't necessarily have to offer anything else. But of course you have Hades and Persephone who are the king and queen of the Death and the Maiden motif - except even then it's not necessarily romantic either, if anything it represents a complicated set of gender politics, the death cult of patriarchy. But in the Greek context, I struggle to lean into one specific moralising direction or the other, because I think it's a little more complicated than that - including the fact that the way it's told evolves, our chief source being Demeter's perspective in the Homeric hymn, which is significant in the corpus because it's told from a goddess' perspective and is related to the Eleusinian Mysteries. Anyway, moving away from that... I think the reason modern readers find it sexy is because the Death and the Maiden is an exciting mytheme, irrespective of Greek context (or indeed because of).

Then there are examples like Eros and Psyche, where Eros is not explicitly chthonic, but he is a supernatural lover who must conceal his identity - and he's an accidental lover as a consequence of misdirected vengeance. But I would group Eros and Psyche closer to Death and the Maiden. On the other hand, Eros concealing himself with a mask is significant, because he's concealing his identity; the concealment of identity is important in Beauty and the Beast, and for Death Knights especially, because identity is humanity. So, Eros and Psyche crossover with Death Knights in an interesting way here too.

The point being, the reason I didn't invoke Death and the Maiden with the Death Knight is because I was focussing on one angle of Beauty and the Beast, but equally I think the Death and the Maiden can figure into the Death Knight for the same reason the Death Knight isn't always romantic, if not is rarely romantic. It can do thematic things that Death and the Maiden can do - the reminder of mortality, the death of chivalry.

And I think it's good to keep a focus on specific idea just for the sake of brevity. But here are my thoughts laid out. Now I want everybody to sit and meditate on the fact that the romantic ship featuring Jaune/Cinder of R/WBY fame features every single fucking one of these motifs.