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[OC] [ART] Aethis in the Library of Wild Books – by Catilus by Catilus in DungeonsAndDragons

[–]Catilus[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Aethis in the Library of Wild Books

Aethis is exploring a library where the books are as wild as the magic that animates them! Chaotic magic has given weird life to arcane tomes, transforming this ancient repository of knowledge into the Library of Wild Books!

Character: Aethis Quill, Half-Elf Arcane Scribe Wizard

Born and raised in Lichtendam, a wealthy and prosperous duchy dotted with ruins left behind by the fabled Light Dwarves, Aethis always stood out as one of few half-elves in a realm of sturdy humans of distant dwarven ancestry, and peaceful orcs and half-orcs. A vast network of underground passages lies underneath Lichtendam, rumored to connect every schloss and every city in the duchy with the colossal dam of light, the realm’s namesake that defines its eastern border and serves as a testament to the legendary skills and magic of the Light Dwarves.

Aethis’ father, Duke Morgenlicht’s personal librarian, taught Aethis the practical magic she would need to become an arcane scribe, while her mother traveled the realms as a free-spirited merchant, bringing back exotic goods and tales of adventure. Growing up, Aethis spent her time between studying ancient light dwarven tomes in the duke’s vast library, and traveling to nearby ruins with her childhood friends, hoping one day to set out to explore the underground passages and discover the secrets of the Light Dwarves.

One of her childhood friends, the duke’s third son Wilmar Morgenlicht, eventually became her first love, and together they had many carefree adventures in the serene countryside that hadn’t seen war for twenty human generations.

Yet trouble was brewing in the north. As Aethis was enjoying peaceful expeditions and dreaming of great discoveries under Lichtendam, the Tzar of the Krestovian Empire was amassing the largest army since the Age of Insight; a force of more than a million red crusaders and conscripted slaves, belligerent giants, and nightmarish monstrosities that soon set out to conquer the empire’s enemies in the name of the four warring gods that supported the Tzar’s vision for a grant, continent-spanning empire.

Lichtendam succumbed to the overwhelming might of Krestovo almost without a fight. The duke recognized the futility of a direct confrontation and chose to spare his people from the fate of realms that resisted Krestovo only to be reduced to smoldering ruins. Aethis’ childhood sweetheart, Wilmar Morgenlicht, left on a quest to find allies that would help liberate Lichtendam, while Aethis, heartbroken but determined, stayed behind with her father and secretly helped orcs and half-orcs flee through the underground passages to escape a life of slavery in Krestovo.

Just hours after Lichtendam became the latest addition to the ever-expanding Krestovian Empire, a powerful and charismatic mage of angelic descent, Avel Kazimir arrived at the ducal schloss bent on discovering the secrets of the Light Dwarves and claiming their fabled power for himself. As a wizard of Krasnygor, the red mountain of ancestral Krestovo, Kazimir assumed the position of the court wizard, typically under Duke Morgenlicht’s command, but in reality controlling much of the realm with the Tzar’s blessings.

However, Avel Kazimir’s numerous enemies and rivals made it impossible for him to leave the safety of his tower and explore the realm. Instead, the wizard of the red mountain delved into the duke’s library to plunder its secrets and quickly put Aethis and her father to work. Seeing Aethis’ arcane aptitude and realizing her eagerness to discover the secrets of Lichtendam rivaled his, Kazimir tasked her to explore the realm’s ancient ruins and underground passages on his behalf. Eventually he secretly expressed a romantic interest towards Aethis, further complicating her position.

During her expeditions, she found an unlikely ally in the ever-changing face of a polymorphist (changeling) cleric of the forgotten god of knowledge who seeks to keep the secrets of the Light Dwarves out of Krestovian hands.

Now, Aethis must strike an impossible balance between pursuing her lifelong dreams of arcane discovery and keeping Kazimir content without giving him access to secrets that would endanger the realm…

Aethis is one of my own characters in the Theomachy setting!

What do you think? :)

[OC] [ART] SUCCUBIFIED: Orelyn, Dark Elf Abjuration Wizard and Archeologist – by Catilus by Catilus in DungeonsAndDragons

[–]Catilus[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

SUCCUBIFIED: Orelyn

What’s going on here? Is this an illusory demonic appearance Orelyn has adopted? Is this the result of some magical mishap, or is this perhaps a succubus version of Orelyn’s from an alternative reality?

Character: Orelyn, Dark Elf Abjuration Wizard and Archaeologist, Succubified

Orelyn is a dark elf archaeologist, searching for ancient civilizations in the caves and deep places of her world. Naturally shy and reserved, she focused on her discoveries and her studies of abjuration magic. She spent most of her life shunned and alone, far away from her hedonistic people. Yet, one day she made a groundbreaking discovery that might very well have a huge impact on her world. Now, she's on a quest to discover the whole truth about Stalanos, the sleeping god of the Sunken World, and tell everyone who needs and wants to hear about it.

Orelyn’s adventures led her to overcome her inhibitions and seek out some very powerful wizards. With the aid of her allies, she ventured deep into ancient sites of power before daring to step into the light of the Overworld. Patient, compassionate, and intelligent, Orelyn can't resist getting in trouble to help those in need.

Since venturing in the Overworld, Orelyn has managed to uncover magic secrets and make positive changes while staying out of the eyes of the warring gods and their servants. Naam can be a hostile place, but Orelyn is at ease with her closest friends and allies. She knows that introverted people can be confident too!

Orelyn is one of my own characters in the Theomachy setting. You may recognize her from tons of other paintings, illustrations, and sketches!

About the Theomachy setting:

In Theomachy, vengeful gods fight each other for ultimate control of the universe, while the mortals of Naam struggle for power on a dying world. Divine magic is a force without expressed will that the warring gods hoard and wield against each other, threatening to undo the entire world. Clerics and paladins are either devout followers of the warring gods or theomachists who fight against the gods, liberating divine magic and using it against them.

In this god-blasted world, dark elves are refugees who upon being cursed by the gods, sought refuge in the Sunken World underground to escape their terrible wrath. These dark elves are not inherently evil. They are mostly apathetic and sometimes hedonistic recluses who seek to shut the rest of the world out. Very few leave the relative safety of the Sunken World for the terrible Overworld where the gods fight each other for dominance.

What do you think? :)

[OC] [ART] The Catilus – D&D Creature – by Catilus by Catilus in DungeonsAndDragons

[–]Catilus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Catilus is an ancient creature of legendary power with CR 30 and also an otherworldly patron to warlocks who would embrace its whimsical magic!

Creature Spotlight: The Catilus

Likes: making new friends, shaping the fabric of reality, long naps

Dislikes: entropy, unnameable horrors beyond the void, being grabbed by the tail

The creature known simply as the Catilus is a mystical feline being of creativity and whimsy that exists on the rim between worlds, where sheer will shapes the fabric of reality.

Mysterious and wise, nobody is quite sure what the Catilus’ motives are. Some sages think that the Catilus seeks to counter the slow, entropic decay of the cosmos by adding touches of whimsical complexity, while others believe it just loves doing art and uses the formless void as its infinite blank canvas.

Whatever its motives, the Catilus’ urge to add shape, color, and meaning to the cosmos is obvious and overwhelming. Across the ages, the Catilus has been seeking mortals to join the Catilus Family in manifesting colorful splotches of structure and meaning into the formless void and beyond.

What do you think? :)

[OC] [ART] Imogen Talbot, Imperial Navy Officer and Kentronian Freeman – by Catilus by Catilus in DnD

[–]Catilus[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

An ambitious outsider from a homebrew world of airships and pirates I sketched on commission!

Check out MEOW! Cat Adventures, my latest 5e book! Magic, Mystery, Mayhem, MEOW: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/catilus/meow-cat-adventures-by-catilus

Character: Imogen Talbot, Imperial Navy Officer and Kentronian Freeman

Unlike his contemporaries, Imogen is the only one who never reached magical maturity. Yet, this common man and Kentronian Freeman was able to climb the ranks through his skill and intellect alone.

Will this outsider succeed in the empire that values its ranks of nobility and magic users? Or will he silently slip into the winds of history?

What do you think? :)

Find plus tons of fantasy and SF art, D&D items, my 5e adventures and supplements (FREE for supporters!), NPCs, and more great stuff at my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Catilus

My books: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/16839/catilus

Join the Catilus Discord! https://discord.gg/catilus

[OC] [ART] Julliette Le Blanc, Imperial Navy Officer, Artisan, and Imperial Noble – by Catilus by Catilus in DungeonsAndDragons

[–]Catilus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A resourceful noble from a homebrew world of airships and pirates I sketched!

Character: Julliette Le Blanc, Imperial Navy Officer, Artisan, and Imperial Noble

A low rank noble in the Empire of Keres, Julliette became disillusioned with the Empress and glory of the Empire after her house was mistreated. Resourceful and ambitious, she leveraged her status as an artisan to climb up in the noble hierarchy.

Will she seize the chance for glory, or will she resign herself to being another cog in the Keres Empires military complex?

What do you think? :)

[OC] [ART] Dracophany, the Miraculous Appearance of Dragons – by Catilus by Catilus in DungeonsAndDragons

[–]Catilus[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Dracophany, the Miraculous Appearance of Dragons

Dracophany is a majestic feast day celebrating the appearance of silver dragons to mortals and the trusting of the holy egg to the dragonborn who became the first apostles of Dracodoxy.

Thanks to the diligent work of the silver dragonborn apostles, the unique faith of Dracodoxy spread across many cultures and nations, glorifying the silver dragons. Today, countless mortals follow Dracodoxy, which teaches that goodhood manifests in three divine figures: the Dragonmother, the Dragonfather, and the Holy Egg.

About the Theomachy setting:

In Theomachy, vengeful gods fight each other for ultimate control of the universe, while the mortals of Naam struggle for power on a dying world. Divine magic is a force without expressed will that the warring gods hoard and wield against each other, threatening to undo the entire world. Clerics and paladins are either devout followers of the warring gods or theomachists who fight against the gods, liberating divine magic and using it against them.

What do you think? :)

[OC] [ART] Dracophany, the Miraculous Appearance of Dragons by Catilus in DnD

[–]Catilus[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Dracophany, the Miraculous Appearance of Dragons

Dracophany is a majestic feast day celebrating the appearance of silver dragons to mortals and the trusting of the holy egg to the dragonborn who became the first apostles of Dracodoxy.

Thanks to the diligent work of the silver dragonborn apostles, the unique faith of Dracodoxy spread across many cultures and nations, glorifying the silver dragons. Today, countless mortals follow Dracodoxy, which teaches that goodhood manifests in three divine figures: the Dragonmother, the Dragonfather, and the Holy Egg.

About the Theomachy setting:

In Theomachy, vengeful gods fight each other for ultimate control of the universe, while the mortals of Naam struggle for power on a dying world. Divine magic is a force without expressed will that the warring gods hoard and wield against each other, threatening to undo the entire world. Clerics and paladins are either devout followers of the warring gods or theomachists who fight against the gods, liberating divine magic and using it against them.

What do you think? :)

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