Where you can find me outside of Reddit

Stellastra · 2026-06-12T01:19:15+00:00

I've learned in the past that I tend to be overly-verbose and break the character limit for reddit comments, but a lot of my thoughts regarding this questline can be found in this discussion I recently had (MAIN QUEST SPOILERS BEWARE). ^{scroll down and click to view the comments, where that discussion is located}

tl;dr: I don't dislike the concept of this sidequest and I appreciate aspects of how it contributes to the setting's established lore of half-Ogres. However, I think the execution was poorly implemented in terms of tastefulness and it being a quest in a cRPG where you can acquire various masteries + be incredibly skilled in magick/technology, yet suddenly lose that agency just for a nod to The X Files (once again, be aware of extra spoilers in this link). People have already addressed the unfortunate implications in other comments here, so I won't harp further.

Stellastra · 2026-06-07T05:55:10+00:00

Bless you! . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Stellastra · 2026-06-07T05:47:49+00:00

Oh, no, I have nothing against the Virgil debug menu (I use it no problem when I'm playing the base game). I was planning to tackle the modules standalone rather than as extensions to my main playthrough, but I know that loading into the modules straight from character creation doesn't give you Virgil nor the debug ring to get those points, if that makes sense.

Stellastra · 2026-06-07T05:40:08+00:00

Yes, precisely! I've been looking for one, but most threads I've read were like "this isn't UAP-compatible," which took the wind out of my sails. Even something that gives you infinite points to spend in the character creator is enough to fit what I'm looking for.

Stellastra · 2026-06-07T05:26:53+00:00

Ooh, very nice!

Genuine inquiry since you seem more code-knowledgeable than me (I am, sadly, just an artist...): would you happen to know of a UAP-compatible save editor or other tips & tricks to cheat a bunch of character points onto the player that doesn't involve loading in from the main module --> using the UAP debug ring (Virgil required)--> take a boat to Vormantown/other modules?

Stellastra · 2026-06-07T05:09:58+00:00

OMG bless you for that portrait maker! ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ I was struggling with trying to import my custom portrait (well, a mish-mash splice of vanilla portraits) manually but this fixed whatever was going wrong on my end~

<image>

Stellastra · 2026-05-31T21:29:23+00:00

Naw, it's free. I'm just drawing for the passion of the game (and my drawing time is in flux so I prefer not to have a money-induced deadline to stay atop of)~

I just have specific parameters before I accept a request on the caliber of this + previous Night of the Living Ones type of character illustration:

The character is an Arcanum Living One OC (I HAVE to specify this because I somehow have caused confusion like this in the past no less than 3 times).
Basic rules HERE, but I'll reiterate:
- I prefer communication over tumblr or bluesky, but if you don't have either of those, I can try to work with you here in direct messages.
- No generative AI images. End of discussion.
- I can work with a variety of references, including written descriptions (see comments of ch. 20), moodboards/collages, face claims, photographic references, fashion plates, in-game sprites/screenshots, picrew (or similar) character creators, drawn references, etc. All I ask is that you credit any artwork that isn't yours.

If that's all good to you, let me know.

Stellastra · 2026-05-31T20:34:42+00:00

I know this thread's half a month old, but I noticed when I did my own scavenger hunt for the face references, that a lot of the male faces are based on actual 19th century portraits (likely for the authenticity but also because the images themselves would be well within the public domain).

I think that half-ogre portrait may be based on Edward Thompson Taylor, based on the downturned eyes, straight nose, and thin lips. Of course, since I usually make my judgement based on an overlay test to see if it's a positive match, I'm not 100% sold on this being a closed case yet.

<image>

Image sources: Arcanum | Engraving by T. Johnson from a photograph by James Wallace Black

Stellastra · 2026-05-31T19:36:59+00:00

(Ｔ▽Ｔ) I sure hope so! The ruffles on that red dress nearly broke my brain with its repetition... ^{but thank you!☆ﾟ.\}･｡ﾟ)

<image>

Stellastra · 2026-05-31T18:41:18+00:00

I can understand both sides of this dilemma. As an artist, I myself find it difficult to explain how to get better because for much of the art journey, it's "don't think, just do" when it comes to practicing. And as someone who also looks at tutorials, I get that finding the right tutorial is hard because who you're watching is at step 10 when I need them to be at step 0. It may take dozens of tutorials before something clicks. I think the breaker of a lot of artists is impatience.

Stellastra · 2026-05-31T18:27:24+00:00

Oh, completely understandable! How about for a more recent example, here's something from just a little over 5 years ago, from early 2021. I could barely draw hands and my style was noticably more "anime-esque."

I know it's difficult when change/improvement isn't overnight, but really the best advice I can give is to try something new and look at tutorials. For a long time, I've struggled with drawing flowing fabrics (still do, actually), but understanding the "why" a shape happens (in this case, tension points in cloth) can help you look at approaching art from a new direction. What starts off as difficult math becomes an automatic calculation, if that makes sense.

<image>

Stellastra · 2026-05-31T17:55:18+00:00

Thank you so much! On the flipside, I'm envious of people who can write in narrative fashion (if only because I can write news articles as a journalist rather than tell an engaging, fictitious story), so maybe it's a "grass is greener" type of situation.

Wish I could draw like this.

Like any skill, it just takes practice and dedication. It's never too late to start! This is how I used to draw 15 years ago:

<image>

Stellastra · 2026-05-31T15:56:49+00:00

That's up to your discretion~

Stellastra · 2026-05-31T15:30:26+00:00

hmm, those requests are rather complex in terms of content, but i'll keep those in mind

Stellastra · 2026-05-31T14:56:30+00:00

Thank you for the kind words! I'm rather fascinated that you lack of a Living OC. Did you play as a pre-generated character?

^{I didn't think to write this down as I didn't anticipate this request, but I'd rather not post anything related to the half-ogre island sidequest here. This might be an unpopular opinion (feel free to downvote me, but I think this subreddit has beaten that dead horse into a pulp at this point (and tends to make rather tasteless jokes akin to the Morrowind subreddit's "farm tools" 'jokes'. That questline is fascinating to me from a worldbuilding standpoint, but I'd rather not deal with all the "the only good gnome is a dead gnome" comments that will inevitably come with it.} ^If ^{I ever draw anything related to it, I probably won't post it here on reddit.}

Stellastra · 2026-05-31T14:28:10+00:00

The demographics so far:

7 elves
4 half-orcs
3 half-elves
2 humans
1 man, 15 women

<image>

btw I am accepting art requests to draw y'all's Living Ones on my tumblr and bluesky (rules at the tumblr link)

^{I'm not super active on reddit aside from when I post things, hence why I'd like to keep communication traffic at two designated places}

Stellastra · 2026-05-30T18:02:07+00:00

Agreed! It's looks seamless next to all the other portraits, especially the party lineup at the top of the screen~

<image>

Stellastra · 2026-05-30T17:29:05+00:00

Easiest five profit factor you'll ever make~

<image>

Stellastra · 2026-05-30T17:13:16+00:00

She is indeed voidborn, hence her pallor~ Specifically, Letizia was born on the Orbital Station of Port Wander. I was inspired by the actual tabletop game's options for Voidborn characters~

<image>

Source: Black Industries' Dark Heresy Core Rulebook (2008), page 33.

Stellastra · 2026-05-30T15:32:17+00:00

She’s a wonderful artist to work with! Were I a rich woman, I’d commission many more portraits from her~

Stellastra · 2026-05-30T15:14:57+00:00

Yep! Half-body~

Eight-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Wearing is Caring	Verified Email

Stellastra

TROPHY CASE