#Kathalia Bisclavret

[kroashent]

The Important questions

Kroashent cast's favourite pastries:

Kathalia - Kouign Amann Gwae - Chasson aux Pommes Marie - Madeleines Morgiana - Baklava Enora - Mille Feuille Antoinette - Pastries?! 🥹

That is all

[kroashent]

what are each characters thoughts on Kat and Gwae's relationship or lack there of and where do the stand on the betting pool (can be kept between their close friends and Kat and Gwae themselves)

Kathalia: Relationship with Gwae? (awkward laugh) I don't know what you're talking about. First of all, I'm not into girls. I've had plenty of boyfriends like... erm... well there... umm... (unconvincing mumbling) Point is, there is nothing between Gwae and I. Its not like I lay awake at night thinking about the cute way she bites her lip, or her ice-blue eyes or her laugh...

Gwae: (Blushes deeply). A relationship? With... umm... with Kathalia? Oh no, she's just me bodyguard. Strictly professional. (Bites lip). She's probably not interested anyway. Sure, she's a proper redser beour, and brave, and clever and kind, but her bein' me mot? That's just ... Ye know what they say about us Fair Folk, we're so prone to frivolous fantasies (Bites lip) … No, I dinnae think she'd be interested in that sort of ting... Why? Did... um... did she happen t'say sometin'?

Marie: Kathalia and Gwae? Oh they're very good friends and they'd make a very cute couple for sure, (if either of them made a move!) Can you imagine the songs? (Writes furiously)... The Knight and the Ice Maiden? Fire and snow? The Lai of Bisclavret? hmm... I can workshop it.

Morgiana: Oh those two? They can't keep their eyes off each other, but I think they're both too oblivious to notice the other one has it just as bad. Its so much fun to mess with them though. Despite what she thinks, Kathalia is about as straight as a wet noodle and even slight overt flirting will send her into a babbling panic and Gwae into a fit of pouting jealousy. Of course, if either actually does anything, I'm more than happy to share.

Enora: Bisclavret and Guildmistress Dethemir? Hmm. Interesting. That would explain a few things.

Antoinette: The aloof Ice Maiden and her shadowy lover, the Queen of the Outlaws? I ship them. Its not explicitly in the songs, but you can tell there's a subtext there. I hope they expand upon it in the next song. Really an untapped narrative. I've actually written one myself if you want to hear it. I mean, its not a real song, of course. Its fiction. What can I say, I'm a fan.

[kroashent]

Novashent - Firemane in Flight

Kathalia Firemane, dragon freeblade, takes to the skies over Nova!

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Another "Year of the Dragon" entry, and an excuse to try my hand at drawing Kathalia Firemane, an alternate version of Kroashent's heroine, Kathalia Bisclavret, from Ivanks's excellent fantasy setting "World of Nova.  I've tried my hand at Novan Kath before (Links below), but I wanted to try and get the Novan proportions and design a little closer to the original.  I think she came out looking quite cute and badass!

Other drawings of Novan Kath:

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If you want to support my artwork, help with the creation of Kroashent, or get some cool rewards, feel free to check out my Patreon here! - www.patreon.com/Kroashent

Commissions are open: https://www.deviantart.com/kathalia/art/Commission-Sheet-2024-1014668898

Kroashent and Kathalia Bisclavret belong to me.

World of Nova belongs to https://www.deviantart.com/ivanksmw

[kroashent]

Redraw Challenge: Kroashent - The Rescue

April's Redraw Challenge, selected by my wonderful patrons, is one that I have a special connection to, a redraw a drawing from May 2019, my 1000th drawing posted to this website! Its especially fitting that this one is ready just in time for Lesbian Visibility Week, celebrating women loving women in Alvez and our own world.

[b]Original Text: [i]An early encounter between Kathalia and Gwae from Kroashent.

When Gwae falls into a trap and is captured by an evil nobleman, Kathalia rushes in to save her with crossbow, sword and unnecessary action stunts, happy to play the swashbuckling hero. As Kathalia holds Gwae close for a daring escape, the silver-haired mage has a startling realization that she may have feelings for her rescuer. But the moment is quickly overshadowed when the pair suddenly swings off the balcony, Gwae screaming and hanging on for dear life as they sail over an army of very angry guards.

Val's Notes: I really love how this one came out, and the original is one I have a lot of love for. I wanted to keep the concept and general vibe of this piece, but upgrade it both artistically and in terms of Kroashent's ongoing lore as the story gets written (Check out Kroashent: Bal des Loups for the first ongoing published Kroashent story!

This scene is envisioned to take place in the Kroashent story that precedes Bal Des Loups. I changed Kathalia's outfit to that of her highwaywoman persona, La Louve de Frehel, and changed the scene to be more mid-swing, rather than before it, as the pair make a daring escape via a passing windship.

If you want to support Kathalia, Gwae and Kroashent, helping bring more scenes like this to life, consider supporting me on Patreon for exclusives, voting privileges and drawing rewards! Every bit of support helps: www.patreon.com/Kroashent Alvez and the World of Kroashent is owned by me.

Interested in getting your own idea drawn by me? Commissions are open: https://www.deviantart.com/kathalia/art/Commission-Sheet-2024-1014668898

[kroashent]

@askmitchelltf asked: To [Gwae], what is the weirdest hobby of your companions?

Gwae: Humans can have very strange habits. Kathalia, for instance, keeps hiding a Telenn Harp in places around the Apartments… but I always find it and put it in the library rotunda! It is a strange game, but Kathalia keeps playing, so so will I! Kathalia: Wait, is someone there? I thought it was just me today… better wrap this up. If anyone knew I was trying to learn how to play this thing, I’d never hear the end of it. I’d better hide it again, just to be safe… The magic Gwae has on this place like moving it to the library. I barely was able to get to it before Gwae got back.

[kroashent]

To all the cast? What would be your ideal plan for a con, and how would it backfire immensely?

Kathalia: If I knew the answer to that. I wouldn't be mucking about with raw lice chewers like Gerard de Bries, would I? Someday though, I'll find the perfect way to take down the whole of House Frihep, starting with that rotter Gidas. Still working out the specifics. I don't make plans that backfire. (This last is a lie)

Gwae: I'm not really in it for "one big score." Back when I was living in La Manche, someone tried to have me killed. A ... erm... certain individual... saved me life. It would be master to find out who was behind it though...

Marie: Oh, I haven't put much thought into it. I am more interested in the collection of stories! That's my job as a bard you know. Of course, if there were, purely hypothetically, an old Gargan library being hoarded by a Similherez named Rogear in Kastell-Kerglas, I am sure that would be quite the endeavour. Now, to get into the castle, you need to follow the black horse with the white colt...

Morgiana: The Royal Treasury of Ocina. It involves a tortoise, a candle and a cartload of paper lanterns. Only part I need to figure out is how I can be there to see Lord Godfrey Mortain's face when he finds every last dinar is missing.

Enora: A "con"? Such things are beneath a Knight of Anjev and a scion of the honourable House de Chinon... Wait... Do you think I am a part of that ruffian's gang?! I'm not! I'll have you know, I am a paladin of the enlightened Kingdom of Gallia and a loyal servant of the crown, not some common criminal. Who told you that I was!? Was it Bisclavret? Oh, when I get my hands on her...

[kroashent]

Suggestion Box 3/24 - Second Story Squirrel

After a Kornikaned spell transforms Kathalia Bisclavret into a squirrel, she discovers that the form is actually well suited to her activities as a thief. La Louve de Frehel climbs to new heights!

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March's suggestion, created and voted upon by the supporters of the Kroashent Patreon page:

Kathalia being transformed into a squirrel by some mischievous fae

After last month, I had high hopes for the next suggestion box and it did not disappoint. I've never really considered a squirrel for Kathalia and having drawn it, it fits so well, and lets her really show off her roguish side over her swordfighter side. It really clicked for me and was a lot of fun to draw. I've long been a fan of Brian Jacques's Redwall series, and this one let me draw on that love.

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Did you know that you can put in suggestions every month as a patron of Kroashent?! Well you can, and get exclusive access to sketches, alternate designs, nude versions and WiPs! In the case of squirrel Kathalia here, you can see a whopping 8 additional versions of this drawing! All your support means a lot to me and helps bring the world of Kroashent to life! Check it out here: www.patreon.com/Kroashent

Interested in getting your own idea drawn by me? Commissions are open: https://www.deviantart.com/kathalia/art/Commission-Sheet-2024-1014668898

[kroashent]

Fulenn a Loarwenn - The Lost Village

Happy "Howlween" from Alvez, the world of Kroashent, where some lycanthropic mischief is underway! After their Windship is forced down in the mysterious forests of the interior, the Forthaves and their ally Haizea are forced to take shelter in a crumbling abandoned village, long reclaimed by the forest.  When a pair of rivals track them down, a tense standoff takes an unexpected turn, as the magical energies of the cursed place transform all within into a garwaf fangpack.  Rivalries and agendas tossed aside when tail and fur sprouts, and howls fill the cold autumn night!

From Left to Right: Enora de Chinon, Marie deCygne (In Tree), Kathalia Bisclavret, Gwaeron Sulime Dethemir, Morgiana (in Tree), Antoinette Beaumoulin and Haizea Gacería!

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A while back, I received permission from the wonderful https://www.furaffinity.net/user/abluedeer/ to adapt one of their old YCHs to a Kroashent scene, in what may be my largest single picture I've ever drawn!!!  ABlueDeer did an amazing job with the poses and composition, and I wanted to try my hand at replicating it to improve my own skill at those aspects of art.  Patrons will recognize this piece, as I did a long series of step-by-step process pictures as each character, their clothing and the background got added in, bit-by-bit.  It was certainly a great challenge, taking me an entire month of work, and now, I am happy to finally share the results!  Seemed like a great one to close out October.  Happy Halloween and Kalan-Goanv Laouen!

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Special thanks again to ABlueDeer and to all my patrons!  I put a lot of work into this one, so I'd love to hear what people think! 

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You can check out a ton of in-process pictures, individual character sketches and an exclusive patreon-only nude version, available to all tiers!

[kroashent]

Kroashent Commission - A Visit to the Shop

A Kroashent-themed commission for www.deviantart.com/vaatis500, showing a visit of Kathalia and Gwae to the shop of the Gwiader seamstress, Cael Mac Lochlainn.  I've drawn Cael a few times before, so it was nice to finally put her in a scene with some other characters (https://www.deviantart.com/kathalia/gallery?q=cael).  Designing new outfits for Kathalia and Gwae was a real challenge, but I am pretty happy with the results.  I also took the time to try and work on my backgrounds a little more to give the characters a sense of place withing the space.

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The boards creaked as Kathalia ducked beneath the horizontal pole blocking the path, the spar of a long abandoned rivercraft, overtaken by The Forest.  It was impossible to tell how long anything had been caught in the tangled mass of ship decks, rigging and ramshackle bridges that made up Naoned's strangest neighborhood, a collection of muddy islands, pontoons and grounded boats crammed so tightly together that one could imagine walking down a street in one of the drier districts.  Of course, with one's senses active, there was no mistaking the winding pathways of The Forest with the wide streets of cobblestone or even the tight alleyways of packed earth that cut through the town within the thick stone walls.  Unlike terrestrial paths, here, all one had to do was look down and see the muddy waters of the Erzh River centimeters below the crooked planks, or, if one was feeling adventurous during the heavy rains of Winterrule, several centimeters above them.

Nor was there truly a path.  It was more a collection of bridges, catwalks and decks, sometimes cutting through a hollowed out hull down a ship's hallway, or climbing a rickety spiral staircase around a thick mainmast to ascend to the upper levels built in the rigging itself.  Kathalia imagined, that the strange organic growth of the region had pulled it, ever so slightly, into Faerie, time and space stretching and bending beyond possibility.  It certainly seemed that way, with far more and far larger spaces within the jumble that should have fit into the small collection of detritus moored next to the Mask District.

Blackwind Spinners was one such locale, built inside a badly slanted aftercastle of an old hulk, the bow completely missing, reclaimed for some other ship.  The large ship, grounded on one of the larger muddy islands, and the pontoons and overturned hulls around it, was colloquially known as Brigantina's Lifeboat, made up mostly of smaller weavers and clothiers who all hung the sing of the drop spindle, the icon of la Ligue Briganita, Naoned's largest and most influential textiles guild, outside of their shops.  A set of planks led up to the door, hammered together at an angle to the slanted deck to provide a flat platform to enter the structure.  The door was not original, a circular oak disc much larger than the ship would have supported, the opening cut wide to compensate for the steep angle.  The door was covered in the intricate knotwork of raised, reddish wood, all entwined around a two-coloured acorn, polished to an almost mirror sheen.  Gwae ascended the stairs, shifting gracefully between the angle of the deck and stairs without any slowing of her graceful movement.  Kathalia followed her inside.

The interior of the Clothier's shop was far wider and taller than it should have been, the deck and walls conspicuously missing the slightest hint of a slope or slant.  An impressive carpentry undertaking, combined with the telltale energy of glamour, went far to dispel the uncanniness of the shift between the deck and the interior.  One wall was full of different bolts of shimmering cloth, stacked high in individual cubbies, providing the space a splash of rainbow colours.  A skittering of noise above was followed by the sudden appearance of a blue-skinned woman, tall and thin, wearing the yellow livery of la Ligue Briganita.  She approached, with a pair of her hand on her hips, another raised to her chin in contemplating appraisal as three pairs of eyes looked them up and down. 

"Cael.  How's the craic?" Gwae wasted no time in addressing the Gwiader tailor, breaking her out of her design calculations.

"Splendidly, Mlle Dethemir!" Cael brightened as she was brought back into the moment from her designer's daydream.  "The new crystalsilk spiders just arrived from Montbazon and already they are proving worth the investment.  I thought that when the Rivers flooded and swept the old ones away, I would be ruined, but thanks to your aid, Blackwind Spinners is back up to our full potential.  Of course, one good turn deserves another.  I think you'll enjoy the new items I've made for you."

"That was fast." Kathalia interjected from the side of the room as she looked over the impressive wall of vibrant crystalsilk bolts, shimmering with magical glamour in dozens of shades and hues.  "We only placed the order a few days ago."

"The benefits of knowing how my spiders weave.  A Bediz couldn't work nearly this fast or well, without the assistance of the Hud, of course." Cael said, using her free pair of hands for effect as she produced two sets of clothing from a tall cabinet.  "You said you needed them for the Fest-Foll, so I put a rush on them."

Gwae inspected her dress, a dark blue gown with silver thread woven throughout "Its stunning.  You've outdone yourself Cael."

The seamstress made a graceful curtsy on the points of her long legs.  "Why don't you try them on, see if we need to make any adjustments.

----------------- Learn more about Alvez on the official Kroashent Wiki!: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/alvez-kroashent Read the ongoing full-length story in Kroashent - Bal Des Loups: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42059403?view_full_work=true

[kroashent]

Kroashent Colour Wheel Challenge

I saw this challenge/meme making its rounds through several of the artists I follow and thought it would be fun to give the Colour Wheel Challenge a Kroashent spin.

Green: Kathalia Bisclavret, cursed sellsword.

Light Blue: Gwaeron "Gwae" Sulime Dethemir, magical merchant

Dark Blue: Muldumarec Artegall, legendary hero

Purple: Morgiana the Clever, intrepid illusionist

Pink: Marie deCygne, wandering bard

Red: Enora de Chinon, the Golden Tower of Anjev

Orange: Aisha min Iram, mermaid defender

Yellow: Rozera Gwelevus, Dragon of Dreger

[kroashent]

A companion story...is Azelma as BAD a fighter as she says?

Antoinette: Azelma is the biggest, strongest and bravest warrior in all of Anjev! She can easily hold off an army of brigands without even needing a sword!

Albert: I saw her punch out a horse once. True story.

Kathalia: De Chinon's giant is a real powerhouse. I heard she is the daughter of Hastings Fireforged himself, and the Kont de Chinon personally recruited her from the fighting pits of Tevenn Du. If I ever go up against Captain Princess again, the Fomorian will be a big problem.

Enora: All of House de Chinon's honor guard are combat trained, and should be more than an adequate deterrent for any foolish enough to challenge us. Of course, I doubt any threat will require the personal involvement of Lady Hastings.

Azelma: F-fight? Me? Oh no, I am a healer. I don't think I would do very well in a fight. There's all those sharp swords and shouting. Fighting is very scary, I think.

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Val's notes: Azelma is a Fomorian, one of the sea giants of the North reknowned for their skill in battle and appetite for bloodshed. Being twice as big as any Bediz and towering over the largest of the Korrigan, Azelma is physically imposing enough to be a serious obstacle by mass and muscle alone. But, despite this, she is actually quite gentle, preferring to spend her time in her kitchen and lab. Rumours persist that she is Enora's last line of defense, a secret weapon that has rarely been unleashed, a story that Enora herself is happy to encourage. This is further expounded upon by Antoinette, whose tendency to inflate any story involving her friends into increasingly epic confrontations that would put any Trouvere's tale to shame.

A companion piece: https://www.tumblr.com/kroashent/711700088128454656/is-antoinette-actually-a-decent-fighter?source=share

[kroashent]

Pride of Alvez '23 - Gwaethalia

Kroashent is intended to explore the themes of acceptance, identity and love that Pride represents, and I hope that you come to love these characters as much as I do. I plan on doing a few for this set over the next month, sharing the different identities of Alvez, and of course, our own world. 

Happy Pride from Gwae, Kathalia and the rest of the Kroashent cast (and of course from Val as well!)  Stay proud, stay strong and stay seen!

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More Kroashent Pride:

Alptraum: https://www.deviantart.com/kathalia/art/Pride-of-Alvez-23-Ace-Inventor-966074746

Marie deCygne and Morgiana: https://www.deviantart.com/kathalia/art/Pride-of-Alvez-23-Song-and-Dance-966406480

Support Kroashent on Patreon: www.patreon.com/Kroashent

[kroashent]

Mermay 2023 - 11 - Aisha the Paladin - 1

The Armorican Peninsula is a strange and wondrous place, a mist-shrouded land full of magic and mystery, where the mortal realm of Bedouar and the timeless vastness of Faerie coexist side by side, the great veil ripped apart by uncontrollable magic, causing time and space to collapse into disarray.  Unearthly fog rolls in, cutting off travelers from where they came and pure magical chaos rolls across the region in great storms.  Fortune can be found in the borders of Faerie to the brave and the lucky, death for the foolish. 

The treacherous coast of the region, the Ar Mor Bras, is no stranger to these twists of fate, home to the lost city of Ys-Beneath-the-Waves and its accursed princess, Ahes Dahut.  Throughout the ages, some individuals find themselves caught in the whirlpool of magic surrounding this mystical site, and are drawn in by the phantom bells of the sunken city and the enchanting, enticing song of those trapped by its curse....

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Back in 2019, I launched a special series for Mermay, an art project to develop a small, but important part of the lore of Alvez, the world of Kroashent.  The Marie-Morgane of Ys-Beneath-the-Waves are one of several merfolk races of the world.  For this project, I decided to "adapt" each of the Dungeons and Dragons Character Classes into a character as they may appear in Alvez, then transform these characters into mermaids with art and short stories!  Since then, I've been working hard on developing the world and the characters who live, there, even writing an ongoing novella, Kroashent: Bal des Loups, which you can read the first 3 chapters right now, for free!  A lot has changed as I worked and some of the art and stories seemed like they could use an update!

-------------- Those who have followed Kroashent and specifically the Mermay series will recognize the Paladin Aisha min Iram, a former member of the military order, the Urzh Kroashent (Knights of the Crossroads).  Of the Marie-Morgane, Aisha is the most directly tied to the main story of Kroashent, serving as a friend, companion and comrade to Kathalia Bisclavret when both were operating with the Order, until a series of shocking betrayals destroyed the knights.  I recently updated Aisha's design for a separate project and decided to do something different for her, a little vignette of Aisha and Kathalia in earlier, happier times on the fortress island of Maleth. 

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See Aisha's first appearance here: https://www.deviantart.com/kathalia/art/Mermay-2019-The-Paladin-Ai-sha-Min-Iram-1-797502988

See Aisha's updated look here: https://www.deviantart.com/kathalia/art/Kroashent-Aisha-min-Iram-932186919

[kroashent]

To the cast, what is the weirdest hobby of your companions?

Kathalia: It’s sometimes easy to forget that Gwae isn’t Bediz…. Then she goes and does something very… Gwae…

Gwae: Kathalia, Kathalia, Kathalia… the new fishmonger in the Forest?! I bought some mussels from him and guess what?! All the coins he gave back? Counterfeit! Fake as a finfolk’s smile! Isn’t that class?! If we hurry, we can get some more before the Watch throws him in the gaol! C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!!!

[kroashent]

To the cast, Do you often stay as guests to nobles, and if so, what are the weirdest OTHER guests.

Kathalia: This one is the heir to the noble house of House Bisclavret, Barons of Ar Mor Emrodez and Lords of Kastell Roc’h Goueon. As a noble, it is expected that other nobles grant me hospitality in accordance with the laws of the Duchy, as I would be expected to at Roc’h Goueon… being considered dead does complicate that though. Supporters of those raw lice chewers of House Frihep take the stance that the House of Bisclavret has been extinguished, and this one should receive no quarter. It does make travel a bit of a gamble, since the Friheps will pay a chest of golden livre to make House Bisclavret truly extinct. Weirdest other guest? Assassin who tried to collect on that offer. This one was under hospitality of a noble who was secretly sworn to Paol Frihep, despite being a Bisclavret man years before. He attacked at night, got tangled up in the curtains and took a dive into the dry moat 5 stories down. the place burned down when the war started. Don’t break an oath of Hospitality is the lesson here.

[kroashent]

Fulenn a Loarwenn - Marie DeCygne

As the Silver Wheel rises over the mist-shrouded lands of Letha, a new song joins the chorus of howls as Marie responds to the call of the pack!

A little while ago, I made a couple of Kroashent werewolf pictures in an attempt to try and update my style a little bit with some new designs and drawing technniques.  I had a lot of fun on the first two and decided it was time for Marie to get a bit wolfy, and give her a chance to unleash her inner bard onto the world. 

Kathalia: https://www.deviantart.com/kathalia/art/Fulenn-a-Loarwenn-Kathalia-Bisclavret-948458164

Gwae: https://www.deviantart.com/kathalia/art/Fulenn-a-Loarwenn-Gwaeron-Sulime-Dethemir-952628994

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If you like seeing art and stories featuring Marie and the others, please consider supporting me on Patreon!: www.patreon.com/Kroashent

Check out the new full-length Kroashent story, Kroashent: Bal des Loups, on Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/series/3141606 Learn more about Marie and the world of Kroashent on our official Wiki: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/alvez-kroashent