Hi! I've made more of these character portrait pieces related to my fantasy world project, this time with a bit of a different technique using a Clairefontaine brown paper and some copics and inks. I think the result looks quite pleasant visually. More stuff related to this project can be found in these links:











The characters, in order from left to right, with a bit of backstory. They're more general classes of people living in the world than specific characters:









"Noble lords of Menoa are known to be the wealthiest among the high classes of the Drimani, but also the stingiest."





Here is an example of a noble lord from the ruling classes of the Drimani city of Menoa known for its banking industry prowess. Having bankrolled half the wars north of the Shallow Sea their name holds notable sway in many courts. This particular lord exhibits his wealth by donning a silk doublet with the fashionable Gervani-style slashed sleeves along with as much gold and precious gems as possible. Main adversaries of these lords are of course other lords inside the city of Menoa and as such backstabbings and rigged deals are commonplace. Only the most cunning can survive the high stakes- games these lords play.





"In this age, a new force is emerging in the battlefields; one that lets a piss-poor footman fall the greatest of knights"





Pictured here is a Gervani mercenary probably in the employ of one of the aforementioned noble lords of the Drimani, although they can be found practically anywhere where there's war. This mercenary however is no ordinary footman, but has acquired from his company's quartermaster an advanced firearm- a matchlock rifle. Such arms and training to use them is usually awarded to veteran soldiers of these companies who have fought many campaigns. The soldier carries on his chest powder flasks and lead balls and other useful tools to aid in the use of his weapon, otherwise his kit is that of an average mercenary.





"You should take that back right away, what you said... or do you really want to be visited by the Tengha-Vatash in the night?"





An elite soldier clad in the official black uniform of the Tengha-Vatash or the Emperor's Service is shown here, brandishing their signature blades and other equipment. This elite unit acts as a secret police of sorts, maintaining a watchful eye on dissenters, rebels, critiques or any other threats to the Emperor's rule across the Tengherii Empire. They do this mainly through subterfuge, informant networks, moles embedded in select places and other methods of spying. The official uniforms come on only when a show of force is needed to silence a potentially dangerous adversary. The uniforms vary in appearance across the Empire, with this particular one being from the hot and humid Great Deltas area. Their equipment ranges from a laminated harness(rust protection in hot climes) to bows and swords but they also handle specialty weapons such as black powder bombs and blinding powder(ground glass dust) to take down their targets.







"What goes in the minds of those who wander the endless Circle? Only the mystics themselves know."





Illustrated here is a wandering Mystic of the Cult of the Nashin Circle, from Nashia situated along the northern shore of the Shallow Sea. This mystic is dressed in the regular garb of the Nashin folk with their colorful sash worn around their torso- the colors are picked in a Rite of passage to adulthood and each signify different disciplines one wishes to partake in. This mystic has chosen Dark blue and Yellow which tie him to the Mystic arts and the cult of the Circle. The only other means of differentiating this man as a Mystic from a regular Nashin peasant are his amulets and ritual knife adorned with bells. The Mystics wander the Nashin plains all the way north to the Vendian territory and Igrammavia to the west only to return to the Circle for their rites each year. To outsiders, entering the Circle is forbidden on pain of death.







"In politics the only thing that matters is optics, to been seen to be wealthy is to be wealthy... and wealth is power."







A Drimani noble woman dressed in rich brocaded dress, silk undershirt and a gold hairnet and appropriate jewelry to distinguish her from the common rabble and small time nobility. She has also acquired a high tech gadget to further distinguish herself from even the other competing noblewomen- a wearable timepiece. Such item made by a master craftsman can easily cost the entire wealth of a smaller house and as such is a perfect indicator of wealth and prestige in a highly competitive upperclass.

