I finished the second portrait from the planned series of dragon priests and hope to maintain the momentum.

This is Krosis, and I’m in love with his braid…

Well, I guess I could call this a redraw of my old art??

My favourite Rahhot

I’m experimenting with style, trying to somehow simplify and speed up the process.

Old art!! I want to show it because I still like it.

I decided to show the process of working on the art with Hevnoraak here, because I don’t know when I’ll be able to finish it. But I’m already proud of the sketch!

And while I was working on the art, it occurred to me how deeply the Dragon Cult has left its mark on nordic culture. Like… the nords make dragon-head-style skates for the roofs of their houses, and similar elements can be found on the bows of ships, braziers, torches, and other utensils. And while this isn’t particularly impressive or surprising in the context of the ESO, where the timeline isn’t that far removed, the remnants of dragon culture at the time of the Skyrim storyline are just… Wow. Four thousand years have passed, and the nords still decorate random household items with dragons for fun, even though many of them don’t even believe in the existence of dragons. Fucking cultural wonders.

This leads to the following thought. Or even two.

1. Why are the staffs of dragon priests and ordinary staffs of destruction (and not only that, I clearly remember other magic schools with the same models) identical? The obvious answer is: because Todd Howard’s team was too lazy to make unique staff models for the priests. But no!!! ISN’T IT BECAUSE ALL MAGIC SINCE ANCIENT TIMES HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH RULER-PRIESTS, WHO HAD COMPLETELY SUBDUED THE ABILITY TO TEACH MAGIC? Perhaps in 201 of 4E, no one remembers for sure why the staffs look the way they do (except that they are really damn beautiful), but…

2. …but at the turn of the Merethic Era (which, of course, the nords did not call that in ancient times!) and the First Era, only dragon priests had such staffs. First of all, the staff — similar to the real European sceptre and orb — was one of the three symbols of power (mask, staff, crown). Just as a king does not appear before his subjects without a crown, so a priest does not appear in public without a staff. Well, of course, neither the crown nor the staff are nailed to the ruler, but I think the analogy is clear! It is a kind of uniform that makes power visible and tangible. I think the materials from which the staff is made directly indicate the status and specialisation of the priest, and knowledgeable people can draw certain conclusions about the owner of such a staff based on this. Well, you know, bronze and ebonite so… different… Especially in terms of cost… Well. Thus, despite the fact that not all priests used staffs in direct combat, each of them was carefully placed in their coffin. Although, perhaps, they could be passed on to students if they showed some truly grand promise to their mentors.

Yeah, get it, symbolism and all that, but what about practical application? Let’s figure it out! It is unlikely that priestly staffs worked on the same principle as game mechanics. Come on, guys, these guys split tectonic plates with the power of the Voice 🙄 You didn’t think they really needed a fireball spawner that had to be endlessly recharged with soul gems, did you? I would rather consider their staffs as complex magical instruments, like regulators. What functions did I come up with for them? Well…

- Focusing magical energies (when working with high matters, it’s great to have a tool for subtle manipulations at hand).

- Stabilising and grounding excess power.

And maybe something else. In general, the idea is this: the staff serves not to amplify, but rather to modify, to give magic a specific form and direction. Virtuosos in open combat do not need it, but even masters resort to their magic wands for the most complex rituals.Thus, we can conclude that the dragon priest’s staff is both a multifunctional tool and an indispensable sign of rank. Its practical necessity is inversely proportional to the priest’s personal power and skill, but its symbolic and ritual significance only increases with status. Perhaps it was possible to write something on the staff in Dovahzul and thus upgrade it. It is 1001% certain that the magic of runes is also available to priests, otherwise why would dragons need writing at all? To teach Dovahkiin? Fuck Dovahkiin.

So, what do you think?

Another dragonpriest sketch!

I’m exploring what Rahgot looks like in my style, so this is more of a practice piece than something independent. But anyway I want to finish the picture properly

✨ Commission ✨

Portrait of Dark Urge

Quick sketch Rahgot

A brief reflection on what would happen if Alduin resurrected the dragon priests in the same way he resurrected the dragons

InkOfBaldursGate 24 — Passion

Yes, I know, I know, it sounds crazy… But you’re all invited to my minthagzlin party…

This pairing is my true passion, and I want more people to know about it 🥀 Their scene together on the balcony and the notes around the goblin camp were enough for me to realise that Minthara and Dror Ragzlin are married. She is a dominant and powerful military leader, he is the chief of his tribe, and this dynamic of sensuality and power is simply amazing 🥹

And that’s not even mentioning the fact that she is also pregnant. Who could she possibly be pregnant by in a goblin camp? Judge for yourselves

Morokei against the backdrop of the Bromjunaar temple arches

Every time I have to draw dragon priest armour for some reason, I can’t help thinking that it would be completely impossible to wear… I mean, you could squeeze into this complex plate construction, of course, but it would clearly come at the expense of comfort and freedom of movement. It seems to me that this is something more ceremonial and festive than everyday wear in a dragon priest’s wardrobe. In addition, the material of the plates that make up the armour is very reminiscent of dragon scales. So, was this garment meant to visually bring the priest-rulers closer to the image of the dragon gods? Or was dragon scale a kind of gift from the gods, which each priest collected during the moulting season of his dragon? Do dragons moult? So many questions and so few answers…

InkOfBaldursGate 7 — Rest

A balance between work and rest is the best prevention against personal burnout. Don’t forget to take breaks for tea, even if you are busy doing what you love!

InkOfBaldursGate 3 — Blood

I don’t have time to draw every day after finishing meaningful work, and my sketches look too awful to seriously take on the whole challenge, so I participate as much as I can. I don’t like the taste of personal burnout on my tongue. But I like Felly!!