#evansen stark

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Introducing Evansen Stark, unfortunate puppet ruler of Aetheria maxima, aka Emperor Razienne I - better known as my favorite.

(I say Ev is my favorite then put them through insurmountable levels of trauma, as you do)

Ev's story is the one I've arguably spent the most time developing, next to Fin Heran's and Nathan Shasear's. They're one of my oldest characters and have survived multiple reboots and rewrites of every story they've been a part of. They're also, consequently, the most traumatized. I've mostly worked on designing their armor, though I have worked on Fin's and several others in bits and pieces. But this armor reference is something I'm still fairly proud of design-wise and in general. I felt it was a fitting "official intro" piece (even tho Ev has already appeared in several art posts thus far).

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I'd rather let Ev's story speak for itself than explain it all here (from Averon Cyresiam to dying to ruling Aetheria, etc), though it may be a while until "CC: Blackout Imperials" goes live either here or on Inkitt. In the mean time, feel free to read "Take Me Out of My Head" on Inkitt and get a triple whammy of mind control-induced trauma!

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Redraw of a messy sketch I adored back in 2020 (or thereabouts).

Place in the timeline for added context: Ev has just been kicked out of Heran Manor on NYE 2042 E-10, effectively the end of "Coalition Collection."

"Take Me Anywhere" is a song by Nathan Sharp/Natewantstobattle and remains one of my favorite angst songs to date. Spotify link.

Original:

( circa. late 2019-mid 2020, "sketchernextup" is an old IG handle of mine )

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"Khoshi Minor: 2037," summer 2022.

If you didn't guess or know that Fin and Ev are A Thing, now you do <3

The title of this piece is shared with a short story that goes near the end of "Coalition Collection," and it is the last time Fin or Ev know peace until after the Aetherian Rebellion in 2049. Sorry not sorry <3 <3

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Here's some more Ev art, featuring the darkest era of their life: the years 2043-2047, in which they are entirely beholden to the Aetherian Council - specifically the Trifecta. They're a blackout soldier in the Imperial Vanguard, meaning they spend most of their waking life under the psychic control of the Aetherian Council - specifically the Trifecta, the top 3 highest ranking Councilmen.

Ev spends most of those four and a half years trying to feel anything other than numbness, getting their ass handed to them by other controlled Vanguard members or by the Trifecta - most often Deis, the Second Councilman. They throw his own malice right back at him, because they've spent 140 years dealing with his shit, why should he get the last word in if these are the last few years of their life? When you're stuck with three murderous, sadistic fascists for what you think might be the rest of your miserable life, why not push back? Why not take the risk? Nothing else matters after all, nothing but surviving. And Evansen Stark is very, very good at surviving.

Inspired by: "where are they now???" by emily jeffri

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"Excised," 7 of 7.

( Link to reel, animation + music )

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Three more years passed in a blur. The war with Red ended and while the all worlds turned the blame for how it ended on Ev, they were too busy dealing with another problem to notice. Aetheria was a mess, their reputation was in tatters, so they hid in Tartarus, where everything was falling apart.    A Heran with a selective amnesia curse is deadly when coupled with the induced, blind rage of a Tritaran amplifier staff.    Shire’s staff. The falsely prophetic spear he made with Tyrannis. And cursed flowers from Amperoney who studied under— 

Ev always knew it was Shas. They’d known since Pycithea Cole Hackerie’s execution, really. And they’d known for half as long that Tyrannis wasn’t who he said he was, that his helping Shire hadn’t been a coincidence. That one of Shire’s last acts had been a curse two-fold, and Tyrannis had helped him. That he and Shas were connected.   In the end, Shire working with Amperoney was a surprise, but certainly not a coincidence. Shas and Tyrannis were married—they’d sure had been careless enough about hiding that.    And now, Ev knew who Shas was. So of course now, after manipulating Red failed along with everything else, was when their only remaining outside confidant went mad, cursed by two people who hated the Empire and it’s puppet leader most.    All things come to an end. Unfortunately, it seemed that everything good was ending all at once.    - - -   You’ll thank me later. 

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"Rapture," 6 of 7.

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In the remains of a destroyed clocktower, an emblem of Aetherian “civility,” time metaphorically stood still.    Three years. Three years of war, needless death, and cruel brutality. Three years, and somehow only a fifth of Aetheria centra had fallen and Ev was, surprisingly, still standing. Loresia was not. Chaos squad was not. Cam was not. Loresia was on a hospital ship, the others were dead, sent on a suicide mission to Skypoint, the occupied base Red claimed for himself. Three years and Ev was done with it all.    They saw blue, and the Red Fleet fell. 

- - -    It’s easy, isn’t it? Once you know the strings are there, and that everything in known reality is connected by just energy and magic, it makes taking control so… simple.    Sometimes I wish you’d figured it out sooner. Maybe Deis wouldn’t have survived past 1910—I could’ve killed him before he became a problem, and you and I could have been allies. You could see the strings then, even though you denied it even to yourself. You saw them after Pycithea, and after Hackerie’s execution. Why is it only now that you can put that sight to use? Why against Red Death—Blaire Clayton, a failed student of Corsak Therion's—and not Phantasma? Or me, for that matter?    Do you know, already?  Even now, do you know who I am? What I've been doing to you, your worlds, and your friends?   What did Red tell you before you— 

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"Rebellion (Reprieve)," 5 of 7.

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Ev chased constants. People, feelings, truths, certain objects. Anything that stuck around long enough to give the sense of home, of familiarity. It was why they were so involved in designing and redesigning the Vanguard’s armor (and maybe why the Council let them). It was why, when an upstart in the Iron Archipelagos named Wilson Alder brought back plasma revolvers, they bought or traded for every new model. It was why, after so many years and despite all their options, they kept coming back to Heran Manor. 

Heran Manor, like their armor and their weapons and (before it’s obliteration) Star-Delta, was a constant. The Herans themselves were two, though one in particular stood out. Fin had been the first person they met in Tartarus, and over the years he’d become their best friend. The only person they trusted with the full truth after Star-Delta’s decommissioning and execution—he saw the strings too, sometimes, and he knew about Deis and Shas and what happened to the previous Third Councilman before Garris. He knew about Cole. He knew everything that Ev knew.    And unlike Ev, he was in a place to do something about it. And as much as that scared them… they let him. And they let him drag them into a quiet rebellion. For hellfire or starlight, they were in this together, now.    They wished it lasted longer.

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"Solace," 4 of 7.

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Ev seemed to have been cursed to lose their family one person at a time for the duration of their now-immortal life. It started with the members of their tribe—clan, mystery cult, whichever—when the Confederation won out. Then Kalei. Then pieces of their squad—the closest thing they had left to a family—and Talis. Then it became other people they knew—Karian Chirrell, Shire Paloran. One by one people would die or go missing. One by one, Ev would fail to save them.    Each and every moment left, once they realized it was happening, became a gift. Each and every person.    And to be honest, they were getting real tired of losing people. 

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"Breaking Point," 3 of 7.

( Link to reel )

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They figured it out. They figured out what was wrong with Aetheria: it was Shas. Whoever he was, whatever he was, he was controlling it all, somehow. The strings they could only see part of the time, the blackouts, the fact that no one in the Vanguard could remember how long they’d been serving, the corruption of the Council system and Ev’s own status as a political pawn—it was all him.   

They figured it out and now they were paying for it, along with everyone close to them.        Talis, Star squad (Max Seiren, Merias Garren, Cole Hackerie, Axel Varriett, Marian Ka’Mero, Corrin Merinak—), Delta squad, Loresia, Councilman 37, Chaos squad, Thelia Sparkes, Hectis Eagriss, Fin Heran—        It never stopped. The nightmares, the blood on their hands, the things they covered up… it was endless.      And Shas was at the top of it all.  

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"Paranoia," 2 of 7.

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Something was wrong in the New Aetherian Empire, and it had everything to do with Shas and Deis—newly minted First and Second Councilmen, following the “mysterious and unnatural death” of former First Councilman Heiro.    Something was wrong in—    Something was w ron g—    Wron g—    Som e thi n g…   

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"Exposure," 1 of 7.

POV: you and your fiancé got into a fight about leadership responsibilities and his incompetency in the field again, and this time it resulted in a duel that ended with an arrow in your throat… and now you’re in another dimension, somehow not dead.  

And there are portals in the sky with giant truck-sized cosmic hell beasts pouring out of them. And your head hurts. And that rune on your chest burns like—  

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Oh. People don't normally notice when I'm in their head.

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One minute, Ev was dead—dying—on a beach he’d spent his whole life living on. One minute, Cosanna’s rune burned like hellfire. The next… where was he now, exactly? He’d never believed in a specific afterlife, but this didn’t look like any of the ones he thought he’d end up in. The strings controlling nearly everything (except for the portals in the sky, or the things climbing out of them) seemed particularly unrepresentative of the world of the dead...

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WIP pic of a triptych I'm doing for an advanced imaging class! It's technically due monday, but I'm going to use it for my final (I think) so it might not end up being entirely done by then and that's okay in this instance.

This has been really fun to do, I've gotten to experiment with some really neat stuff already and probably more to come! Mashing a whole bunch of Ev's trauma, nightmares, and false memories together is fun.

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“Letting Go,” October 2022.

Introducing the Hackerie twins, and the utter tragedy that is their lives! They are, in fact, identical twins, which makes ID'ing them difficult (except for their horns - Cole's right one is broken - and their weapons of choice - Reina prefers long-range rifles, Cole is notorious for favoring blades and pistols). But they're cool anyway.

Only comments for this comic: Cole is assassination for Learning Too Many Things about the wrong people in 1941 E-10. Also, Ev is the narrator here. (This was one of my earlier comics for a graphic novel basics class.)

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Star squad: Character intros (part 2)

Continued from part 1, here!

Color coding continues. Picks up with Generation 4! ( Keep reading below the cut )

Character Descriptions

Generation 4

Luz Whittacker — hand-picked to be Alyah Feht’s replacement as Star 8. Expert swordsman, but prefers staff weapons and has an MCW with a halberd, Pythiis, and spear programmed in. Trained in black ops, served in the ASMC, and joins Star squad with a checker past and a chip on her shoulder that presents itself as cold comments spoken with sarcasm and a smile. Learns not to belittle her teammates with a little time, does a lot of work with Finnegan regarding her mental health and ultimately leaves the AAF when her service time with SS is up.

tall, brown-skinned with golden markings that shimmer (Herrenic-Tritaran remnant) and golden eyes against black sclera to match. Keeps her dark red-blue hair in corn rows, and experiments more the lighter she lets herself become and the more she learns to relax

stays in touch, really does become friends with the squad as abrasive as she starts out with them.

RAGES when Cole is executed, then again after Axel is assassinated, but is the only one to hold back Finnegan Gareway both times because she refuses to let him become like her—cold.

Is the first person outside of his immediate contacts to know when Axel resurrects because otherwise, she would’ve tried to kill him again. Susses out Cole Hackerie after she resurrects, and that convinces her to get the VDR.

picks her own replacement

Halle Archa — takes over Star 6 after Cole Hackerie is executed. Knows exactly whose shoes she has to fill, and doesn’t try to be someone she’s not. Cole Hackerie was loud, explosive, determined—Halle Archa is every bit determined as her, but she’s calmer, calculated, dark. She mirrors Reina Hackerie after her twin’s death, and refuses to let her predecessor’s death be in vain. Blue-black skin, electric blue hair that fades to burnt orange, dark green-blue eyes. Has two tall but broken horns.

effectively, the shadow of Cole Hackerie. Fitting, because she is part Shade and is an excellent Shadow-walker, but also because she’s what Cole could’ve been if she let herself fester after her and Reina nearly dying a world apart.

gets the VDR and is the first to ever tell Ev outright, and declares for all the multiverse to know that unless she dies of old age, she will be coming back to invoke her wrath on whoever kills her

the universe doesn’t dare try

dual wields blades, feels extremely at home in Tartarus, would likely have been friends with Zorri Mannos, should they have been allowed to meet (they deliberately are not)

“Smokes” Tareh — takes over Star 5 after Morgan Tersa. Gets his name because he’s half Tartarun and his hair catches fire when he’s mad or really focused, not because he smokes (he does). Has two curling, ribbed horns on either side of his head, the grooves of which glow red (Tritaran-Herrenic). Gray-brown skin, steel gray eyes, dark red-black hair, black tattoos rimmed with gold. Has a temper, but channels it—helps Fin Heran with this, actually. Prefers blasters, specifically revolvers and HMGs, and gets the Axel Varriett seal of approval.

relatively normal, actually. Sticks with Star squad because he has a clarity not many Aetherians are gifted with, and it leads him to the rebellion

Jesse Feht — takes over as Star 4/Medic from Finnegan Gareway, was recommended for the squad by his older sister and Axel Varriett, and had experience harassing Ev and Talis for years before hand (ANIC medic). Personality inspired by Bones the ARC/Alpha/Medic clone from SW:TCW fanon as well as CT-6116 aka “Kix” from canon—dry humor, sarcasm, emphatic and caring when it comes to his soldiers but is not afraid to drag them kicking and screaming to a medical tent, stage an intervention, or sedate them while they aren’t looking. Immediately befriends Asmarin Flynt and Kira Shen, both of whom start on the squad with little to no information on the inner workings of it, walks them through the ropes before they join, and the two of them still get knocked off their feet (Jesse blends in and starts harping on Ev for their health immediately)

tan skin, thick/curly dark purple hair that he keeps buzzed short on the sides and a little longer on the top. Dangerous maroon-purple eyes, best death glare.

Tartarun heritage shows in the way he always knows when someone on his team is injured and when something catastrophic is about to happen.

has a few tattoos, namely one on the side of his head with a quote in his home dialect that he usually keeps covered

Tori Varril — takes over for Axel Varriett as Star 3 at the same time Jesse, Asmarin, and Kira join the squad. Ev and Talis physically cannot call her Varril after Cassius, so they call her Tori and never Varril and she lets them. Spitting image of her older brother, with more experience than he had when he joined the squad, but is much more chipper than he ever was. Still has her moments, and isn’t slightly scared to yell at Ev or Talis for being stupid, but also gets into her fair share of trouble and is a pain in Jesse’s ass as a result (but they grew up together, so it’s fine).

munitions specialist who fights with a hammer or axe

greatest mechanic the squad has ever seen

Generation 5

Perah Shendoah — hand picked to replace Luz Whittacker as Star 8 because xe was in a very similar situation and has a very similar story. After xe opens up and goes through a little therapy, xe’s the most perceptive planner and strategist they’ve had since Cassius Varril and Max Seiren. It’s what gets xem killed (assassinated), ultimately, but it’s also a boon to the squad while xe’s alive.

retraces xer missions and it leads xer first to Garris, then to Deis, then to Shas—then xe finds what Cole Hackerie died for, and faces the same (quieter) fate. Her death is likely a tipping point for Ev and Talis, and it nearly radicalizes Luz, who disappears to the rebellion for a while in the 50s as a result

Kira Shen — an excellent fighter in multiple fields, and a good pilot, ultimately gets drafted from the AHDC because the squad needs her and Ev and Talis trust her. Had no idea what she was getting into, is utterly baffled by the insanity that is Delta and Star. Starts at the same time as Jesse Feht though, who has personal and familial (Alyah) history with the squad and educates/helps her through it (ace solidarity). Recommends Vex Hardeen to fill her position once she leaves to retire.

average height, brown-blonde hair with streaks of blue, green-gold eyes, and permanent scales + a crown of small horns (Ialuan ancestry)

Chloe Sparkes — takes over as Star 5 after Smokes, is woefully unprepared for the chaos, but breaks out of her shell after the first mission and exposes herself as the chaotic terror she is and switches from she/her to they/them and gets an undercut as soon as they realizes they have freedom. Warm-pale skin, markings in orange just a shade lighter than their hair—dark blue-green hair that fades and streaks orange. Has a smile that could like up Darekaeii, and the firebombs to actually attempt it.

Munitions specialist, adores Tori Varril.

nearly gets adopted by Perah Shendoh before they retire

can also wield a HMG, which is why Smokes put their name in the ring

Tyre Maxwell — takes on the Star 3 mantle after Tori Varril, and is the last to do so was recommended to them by Kira Shen. Ballistics and strategy god, but a little bit insane. Known for taking explosives and Viers Garren and three pistols once and blowing up an entire stronghold under the cover of night. Fights like a whirlwind to the point no one knows how he manages to survive until, well, he doesn’t (1962, Garris is his match).

fucking adores Loresia Gareway, thinks of her as family. Knew her family well and was equally enraged about Axel’s death, but doesn’t blame Ev for it like she does for years.

probably starts the Roger Roger joke if Talis hasn’t by now

Maddux velHara — last to use the callsign Star 9 after Corrin Merinak. Sniper and munitions expert, but built like a tank and fully capable of breaking bones with his bare hands. Definitely beds Fin Heran at least once. Smart but blunt, quiet but well-spoken. Average height, thick build, dark brown skin and coal black hair with dark blue mixed in, Italian heritage that shows in scales and minor prophetic dreams that he always understands too late. First person Hann shares the chip details with, gets really protective of Ev and Talis now that he knows the reasons behind the black ops missions over the years (served with them for years in other battalions).

Khloe Sarrdah — the last Star 4/Star Medic. Trained by Jesse Feht to be his replacement, worked with the battalion already. Nearly got adopted by Maddux, Jesse,  and the Tar(r)ens respectively. A young but broody medic, reminiscent of Cassius Varril by nature. Can and will stun you to put you in a medical tent, and can and will sedate you—also trained under various Chaser medics from Talki. Silver-blue hair, pale skin, green-grey eyes, blue tattoos and markings.

if she’s smiling, like BAD smiling, run. Fucking run. She’ll catch you anyway because she isn’t the Chaser of Star squad for nothing and she was trained by Talkians and Jesse Feht

genuine smiles are hard won and really sweet actually, so is her laugh (Tyre Maxwell is smitten)

Generation 6

Jones Kreel — takes up Star 8 after Perah Shendoah, but is a rookie pilot instead of a broken black ops specialist. Warm brown skin, Shade heritage that meant he had to overcome an instinctive anxious habit of Shadow-walking out of his ship, purple-brown hair and warm brown eyes. Fits into the crew really nice, goes on to join the Palace guard after an injury and gets to keep flying for diplomatic ventures. While he’s in a combative position though, he favors the HMG and psychic warfare, which throws some people.

Vex Hardeen — takes on Star 6 after Kira Shen. A veteran who has served in the AIV for decades, gets pulled into Star only because Delta didn’t get him first and he was up for retirement but didn’t want to go. Almost a carbon copy of Talis, except his hair and eyes are yellow-orange and his skin and vitiligo are lighter. Prefers recon and range weapons, used to bicker and duel Corrin a lot.

sarcastic, smart, frequent user of banter in combat. Nearly a fusion of Ev and Talis’s personalities

everyone suspected he got the VDR but the don’t know for years to come whether or not it was really true

Hann Farlow — takes over as Star 5 after Chloe Sparkes and also the last. Insane pilot, even crazier fighter in close quarters—ensure that he has access to a pistol, a wrench, a screwdriver, and some scrap metal and he can and will get himself out of anything. Otherwise, pretty chill. Gets along with the Tartaruns well, for all he perplexes them. Much more perceptive than he lets on, which is partly what condemns him.

purple-brown hair, pale skin with silver markings and black tattoos, yellow-orange eyes, taller than Ev

figures out how Ev and Talis’s HOLOchips are being used against them to control their minds easier

Generation 7

Viers Garren — starts off as the next Star 9, replacing Corrin, but he kicks her up to Star 8 after he returns and Jones Kreel leaves. Purple and dark red hair, light brown skin and lighter vitiligo, and a Tartarun heritage than manifests in her scales, fire manipulation abilities, and acute skill for Herrenic charmspeak. Snarky, bright, and fierce, she’s everything that Luka Mackee was and everything that reminds people of the best of Cole and Reina Hackerie. Is fast friends with Asmarin Flynt and Chloe Sparkes.

idolized Ev when she was younger, so she fits much like they do—masterful teleportation, dual swords and pistols, pragmatic shielding, acrobatics. It endears her to them, and adds to the fact that they see their sister whenever she’s around.

throws a solid punch that she learned from Merias.

everyone who knew Merias Garren nearly calls Viers by her name at least once, and she aches every time she hears them catch themselves. Talis and Ev talk to her a lot about the sister she didn’t get to know as well as they did, and it hurts all the more when she dies too.

Xi’ra Ka’mero — takes up the mantle of Star 6 after Vex Hardeen and is also the last. Short, like her sister, olive-toned skin with light yellow freckles like stars, and dark purple-blue hair. Has sharper features and bright gold eyes instead of Marian’s maroon-purple ones. Reminiscent of what Marian may have been when she was younger—powerful, stubborn, pragmatic, and quick-witted, compliments Viers Garren well.

prefers rifles and throwing knives, but trained in many of the skills her sister did—she never had to use them the way Marian did though, jumping straight from the ASMC to SS

Generation 8

Taren Vex-Har — the last Star 8. Tall, red-brown skinned, red-black haired, known for being a bat out of hell that any SW ARC trooper would be proud to have trained—idolized the Hackeries, reveres Ev and Talis, and respects them all and is honored to be a part of the squad. Also the latest reincarnation of Max Seirin and Cassius Varril combined—cool and judgmental one moment, berating you for jumping headlong into battle the next, and a terrible patient for poor Jesse and Khloe Sarrdah

dual wielded revolvers, which was surprisingly efficient

two tall, ribbed horns

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Did I just rewrite all of Blackout Imperial - Part 1? Yes, yes I did. I'll be posting it here over the weekend once I do some editing.

It's 4.2k of Ev being confused and Talis trying to figure them out

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Ev upon meeting his to-be best friend, Talis Errison, for the first time.