#character: tenmaar

[shuruzy]

there's something about Siegril & Tenmaar reversing battle roles as OCs compared to their EO selves that's kinda funny but also I think its cool. Because this absolutely wasn't intentional but it's basically how things ended up.

OC Tenmaar is a deity who uses magic or a thin sword to fight, and usually enchants his (or his allies) weapon with effects. His EO version mainly uses Drive Blades (they're basically big POWERFUL mechanical swords, I know not everyone here knows what EO is. probably.) in the plot of Overcome the Labyrinth. Though EO Tenmaar's actually a jack of all trades who can use many types of weapons.

Meanwhile OC Sieg becomes the wildly powerful heavy-hitter who can dual wield swords that are meant to be two-handed (and he can even quad wield with his hand-like tails), where his EO counterpart uses anything from a selection of knives and smaller swords while enchanting his weapons with magical effects.

They both act a bit differently too thanks to their different lives compared to the EO selves. Not enough to be like "oh shit these are entirely different people", just that OC Siegril has been alive a lot longer than 20 years and is more candid with letting people know his negative emotions. Tenmaar has ALSO been alive a lot longer than his 24(?) years and is more candid with letting people know his positive emotions.

...They really do have some subtle similarities as characters, both as EO characters and OCs. The role switchup is interesting and actually fitting for both of them. Like if they swapped bodies in OtL, they'd adapt to the other's body limits and fighting style quicker than you'd expect

[guildofempyreans]

tho i should say despite introducing them after Primitive Jungle/Misty Ravine, Blot & the Seafarers ((& lejre)) wont actually BE in lemuria until they canonically are in EOX, so we’ve still got...

well, actually just one more labyrinth to go before Blot. I started writing this post thinking it would take longer.

Anyway, for reference, most of the places between Primitive Jungle & Petal Bridge are skipped in the main story of OtL, so it goes Primitive Jungle/Misty Ravine -> Untrodden Basin -> Southern Shrine -> Petal Bridge. Story-wise, it actually won’t be long til they all show up (untrodden basin would ideally be 1 chapter. maybe 2 if i wanna make a ‘cooldown’ chapter before southern shrine)! But you know that’ll probably be like half a year in our time.

Anyway despite them taking a bit to really show up, I did want to put a chapter like this somewhere to show how Blot gets to work with the Seafarers in the first place, because I don’t think that’s explained in-game, & this was the perfect time considering how ch39 starts and what’ll happen in ch40. So i’m glad I actually realized “hey i can change POVs in my fics like that’s not a problem. I really should be doing that.” before now ghkng. Look this is technically my first fic I wasn’t thinkiiing when first startiiing.

[chromaji]

tsundere with wagging tails/ears that very clearly say what they mean for them. gotta be one of my favorite character archetypes. unfortunately i think I've only got around 5 ocs like that so far. Tenmaar is the poster child though.

[shuruzy]

tenmaar (oc version) sketch

[shuruzy]

Both Tenmaars love to be complimented but neither will admit it. At least their tails will.

[shuruzy]

I think of characters OTHER than zandiel & siegril for their "OC oc" counterparts a lot tbh... but there's so much shit i can do with the ocverse(?) versions of the OtL cast that I haven't drawn or talked about like anyone else.

At least I've already had an outfit cooked up for Tenmaar. Though i experimented with it a bit compared to the actual version of this outfit

[shuruzy]

Dragon Zandiel & the men he pulled by being falsely accused of murder

[shuruzy]

thinking more abt Dragon Sieg & Deity Ten's outfits

[shuruzy]

Four bnuuy for bunny day

[shuruzy]

they shoulda never went into that geomagnetic pole.

Now their asses are stuck in new amsterdam.

[shuruzy]

its been too long since i've drawn elk... 🧎

[shuruzy]

after i finish this eo1 drawing, I feel like I should draw more group shots of my EO guilds with all their members.

...I would say "starting with the Empyreans", but I'd rather wait til every official guild member has actually become members of the guild in Overcome the Labyrinth. & idk how long that'd take.

[chromaji]

other EO OC character name notes:

Siegril’s name came from Zigurrat

Tenmaar’s name came from Tengaar

Biscotti’s name came from Biscotti😊👍

[chromaji]

its very nice to know that OtL is liked, bc as an EO story, I know I don’t really hit on the natural dangers of EO yet. Which was yet another thing I was worried about going into it in 2019.

Sometimes I worried that when i had characters spend too many chapters outside of a labyrinth, or more specifically outside of any dangerous labyrinth situations (literally chapters 19-31), that it would be seen as boring… Especially in a time where “filler arcs” seem to be hated on more and more. Though i’m pretty sure that’s more in animation than written stories or even games.

And yanno maybe these moments of OtL have been seen as boring, I wouldn’t really know. Fortunately i’ve harnessed the power of “its MY EO STORY and I GET TO CHOOSE THE SCENARIOS” since then🗣️🗣️☝️

Like we haven’t reached the part where some of the guild starts learning sign language basics for Ruki. We haven’t reached “Tenmaar and 30 Wraiths Fashion Show”. We haven’t even reached the Shellbeast afterparty where Zandiel tries alcohol for the first time and it goes as well as you’d expect.

[chromaji]

honestly there's so many ways the Havoc Guild could meet the OtL Cast. Though more meetings would likely take place in HotH, because OtL has a lot of characters for readers to keep up with already & I don't want people thinking the Havoc Guild is some underutilized new guild in OtL.

Technically Shara's already met Siegril, somewhere between OtL Book 1's Chapter 1-2. I plan to make a HotH chapter about that one day, though they don't actually talk to each other much.

And Chapter 3 of HotH takes place at the same time as Chapter 27 of OtL Book 1... so Machias has SEEN Zandiel & Tenmaar before.

The Havoc Guild should definitely have some opportunities to meet the Alliance guild too...

tenmaar would get eaten alive by nearly half the guild though.

[chromaji]

Ask game: 🦋 💌 🎨

🦋 (Which character is your favorite to write?)

💌 (Is there a favorite trope you like to write?)

🎨 (If someone were to make fanart of your work what fic or scene what you hope to see?)

This got long as fuck so i’ll be putting it under a readmore! Thank you for the ask!

🦋 (Which character is your favorite to write?)

WELL HMM… Okay i’ll split by stories. For any sonic stuff, it’s Shadow. Though it’d be cool to try and write all of team dark one day.

For HotH, I want to say I haven’t gotten far enough into any character to pick favorites yet… But if I had to choose, probably Klaus? I have a soft spot towards gap moe characters. Klaus being the “seems intimidating and prepared to kill, but is actually very quiet and caring” brand of gap moe… Also both versions of Nightseeker 1 pretty.

For OtL… ohhh thats tough. If I had to choose, I’ll say the ol’ classic Zandiel Nameir. But ones I notably like to write are Zandiel, Siegril, Ruki, Kor, and Tenmaar.

Zandiel & Siegril, being protagonists who get their own POV chapters, lets me do this thing where the narration style itself is affected by them. Zandiel PoV? More flowery narration and formal narration language. Siegril PoV? More to-the-point narration, but a lot more thinking and observing, because as much as Zandiel may seem like an over thinker, Siegril fucking runs circles around him. And of course they’re both fun characters to write, especially when interacting with each other.

They’re both on the impulsive side in different ways, yet think they aren’t. Zandiel know’s he makes impulsive actions, but doesn’t realize he also has a habit of speaking impulsively. Siegril is the opposite. He knows for a fact that he speaks bluntly and without care, but doesn’t believe that he commits brash actions. …Its why I like their Chapter 23 conversation 🫡.

…I mentioned 3 other characters. Well uhh Ruki, she’s fun because I know it’s kinda common for mute characters (whether selective or not) to be shy and reserved. I wanted Ruki to be a bold and self-confident character, though she does get flustered if others compliment her.

Kor channels that “cringe ass nae nae little brother that you can’t help but love & would defend with your life” energy that I have fun writing! Especially when I myself look at some dialogue & cringe in a loving way. Like, never change, you little goober.

Tenmaar is tsundere gap moe who everyone can see right through, which is a big wombo combo. He tries to act aloof to Zandiel. Zandiel knows for a fact that Tenmaar cares about him (though I will say he doesnt know how much). Same goes for how he acts towards the rest of the Empyreans. They all know he cares. It helps that his ears and tail do a lot of emoting along with him.

Special shoutout to Enigma, who hasn’t had any spoken dialogue yet. She will be fun.

…

ALRIGHT NEXT QUESTION

💌 (Is there a favorite trope you like to write?)

There’s tropes I like, but don’t think I knowingly write enough tropes to have a favorite that I put into my stuff. I seem to like including former assassins in my stuff though (Siegril, Adhara, Klein, Elke), if that’s a trope.

…If you or anyone reading this notices any tropes I use in my own stuff, I’d love to know. It’d be interesting to learn that.

🎨 (If someone were to make fanart of your work what fic or sceen what you hope to see?)

OH BOY OH BOY🏃‍♂️

Well definitely Overcome the Labyrinth fanart would be my biggest hope. As for particular scenes… I dont know. Though to be fair I’ve actually gotten fanart that was inspired by of one of my favorite moments in OtL so far (Zandiel saving Siegril in Chapter 8) and I still pull it up from time to time like “OUUGHHGHH!!!!”

But really! I’d greatly love and appreciate fanart of any scene, or just the characters! I always like to look back at any fanart or gift art I’ve received… warms my heart…