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🔥𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞🔥

Youtube Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vex0J9Ps7F0

Shocked and disoriented, the young ringleader looked down at her hands to see the surreal image of her palms pulsating with a fiery glow through her veins. Before her, a tower of flames had consumed the stage she had performed upon all her life. What ungodly reason could have caused this? All she uttered was the word ignite, as she had done for all her shows. But this time, instead of lighting the few candles on her stage, all the torches let ablaze in unison in response to her word.

“Relax, little ember,” a man’s voice emerged from the wreckage. Alarice pivoted, gripping her leather whip tightly. She recognized the familiar voice belonging to that of the circus headmaster, her life-long employer.

“Karl! What is this?”

“This…is your end, I’m afraid,” he said calmly as his henchmen drew their weapons, “But, if it’s any consolation, you didn’t do this. The aetherium we’ve secretly injected into you over the years, however, did.”

Alarice gasped in horror, barely able to integrate the reality of his words before a giant boulder came tumbling towards them, sending everyone leaping from its path. With all parties dazed for a few moments, she slowly took in what had transpired with the monolithic rock, then cried out, “Demitri!”

“Her brother! Get him!’ Karl commanded.

Consumed with protective instincts, Alarice lashed out her whip, and to everyone’s shock including herself, it burst into flames as a fiery trail followed its arc. The whip’s impact caught a number of the henchmen on fire as they fled for their lives. She turned to see her brother, and immediately took him by the hand. “Run, brother! We must go now!” Demitri responded with only a wide-eyed nod before they dashed for the cover of the dense forest trees nearby.

After the smoke and dust settled, the story Karl gave to the authorities would brand the siblings as outlaws, along with an immense bounty set for their capture.

That day, Alarice and Demitri traveled in secret towards the woodlands of New Victoria, where they heard tales of a powerful earth shaman who could perhaps guide their aetheric powers, hear their side of the story, and help Alarice make peace with who she has become

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𝟏𝟕 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐌𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭

Hi everyone!

This past month, I've been hard at work producing my FIRST long-form video. Following my first successfully crowdfunded deck of custom playing card design, Aethercore, I was honestly quite shocked to see that there were virtually zero videos on the topic of playing cards as an amazing format that speaks directly to artists! As such, I really wanted to get the word out there to shed light on this wonderful format. Thank you for your consideration!

I hope you enjoy!

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𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐢, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧

Growing up in a traveling circus group with his sister Alarice, Demitri knew little of the world outside of the Candlepark Carnivale. As far as this simple, pure-hearted giant was concerned, life was about bringing smiles to the audience’s faces, & dazzling them with his incredible feats of strength. From lifting oversized rocks to hurling them at record distances with playful ease, Demitri has entertained hundreds & thousands of spectators over the years.

One day, however, Demitri began to hear the panicked screams from afar during one of his performances. Soon, the smell of smoke permeated the confused giant’s nose before he began to slowly comprehend that a terrible fire had started somewhere in the carnival. Immediately, Demitri thought of his sister’s safety, & despite all the regulatory rules he’s known, broke out of his established perimeters during a show for the first time.

The panic-stricken giant assessed his surroundings & began running to find his sister. However, as the Demitri turned a corner, a line of vehicles suddenly pulled out in front of him amidst the smoke-filled streets & screeched to a halt. A mysterious, masked gang stepped out from the vehicles, drawing their weapons to stop the giant dead in his tracks.

With adrenaline pumping through his veins & finding Alarice as the only thing he understood, Demitri saw a nearby stone wall plastered with balloons & posters. With a warcry-like roar, he punched clean through the wall, bear-hugging a pile of fallen boulders & hurled them at the armed men, leaping for their lives before the enormous tumbling rocks crushed their vehicles like tin-cans. Paying the downed men no heed, Demitri charged past them and kept on running to find his sister, the only family he’s ever known.

Finally, Demitri began to recognize familiar tents & signs that led to Alarice’s venue, the Crimson Mane. This time however, he looked up to see with horror that the entire stage was engulfed in flames. From the smoke & debris, he was relieved to see the silhouette of Alarice emerging. Little did he know, their reunion this time would alter the course of both their lives forever

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🔸 𝐀𝐦𝐮𝐧-𝐑𝐚, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐧 (𝐎𝐂) 🔸

Little is known about the mysterious champion who refers to himself as Amun-Ra, aside from his Egyptian origins, his exquisite anti-gravity technology, & that he’s won every duel at the Spire for the three years that he’s entered. Instead of engaging his rival head on, Amun-Ra would be known to slowly levitate into the air before rapidly electrifying the air around him. The aethermancer’s eyes would burn hot white & his entire body began to crackle, before suddenly blasting out an electrical shockwave, paralyzing his foe & frying their equipment in an instant.

When asked about the secrets behind his levitation & ability to manipulate electric currents, Amun-Ra only looked upon them silently with his otherworldly gaze and replied, ‘I am here to experience the thrill of mortality, not to reveal the secrets of the gods.’ Some have alleged that his technology simply comes from the wealth provided by his great Egyptian lineage, while others truly believed only metaphysical beings could have created such gear for him.

In his latest match, when dueling the underdog automaton Dagwood, Amun-Ra began his ascension into the air. This time, however, the immediacy of the chained hook suddenly launched from Dagwood, along with its violent retraction, sent the hovering champion into a disoriented spin. Attempting to regain his balance in mid-air whilst surging with electrical power, Amun-Ra began to overcharge his body to the brink, resulting in a self-paralyzing explosion that sent him plummeting onto the arena floor. Though there were still two more rounds left to go, Amun-Ra yielded and gave the championship title to Dagwood that year. When inquired as to why he surrendered so early, Amun-Ra claimed that the taste of his first true defeat was too sweet to be soured by more fighting that day.

Since then, no one has heard from Amun-Ra in the public domain. When mentioned, some scoffed at the seemingly delusional fighter, claiming that his hubris got the better of him and he would never show his face in the ring again. Others expressed their eager anticipation of the mysterious champion’s return, if even just to see the spectacle of his incredible aetheric powers once more.

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𝐀𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐥 (𝐎𝐂)

During the Victorian Era in an alternate timeline, scientists have discovered Aetherium, a mysterious substance of unprecedented power that would forever alter the course of humanity. This luminescent, water-like substance has the power to bridge the gap between mind and matter, potentially granting a human the ability to control primordial elements through mental focus and will. Through any combination of natural ability, disciplined training, and aether-enhanced gear, those who are able to master this mysterious element are known as aethermancers. The four main elemental aspects of Aethermancy, with their own sigils surrounding the luminescent Aethercore center:

𝐏𝐲𝐫𝐚 (𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞)

𝐀𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐬 (𝐀𝐢𝐫)

𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐧 (𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡)

𝐇𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐬 (𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫)

Song: Thomas Bergersen - Empire of Angels

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🔹𝐈𝐳𝐮𝐦𝐢, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐭𝐮𝐬🔹 (OC)

𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞: As Aethermancy became widespread across the world, stories & depictions of the art began to appear in the cinematic landscape in many various cultures & nations. Famous amongst them was the legend of the Ice Lotus, a warrior princess fighting for her survival in the cold of winter, with only her aetheric powers to protect her against the onslaught of a rival clan. When Izumi Sanada, a renowned martial arts actress from Ishikawa, was offered a chance to star as the Ice Lotus, she graciously accepted. Due to her dedication as a method actress, & how much she cherished this role of a lifetime, Izumi spent a great deal of her time training on location, ceaselessly perfecting her choreography and stunt-work. In fact, Izumi would commonly rehearse in full costume, claiming it helped immerse her into each scene & her character.

When the day came to shoot an iconic shot of the movie, the crew watched excitedly as the cameras began to roll. Izumi, armor-clad as the warrior princess, stood before a towering, locked gate, the last barrier in the way before her final showdown. Amidst the snowfall, Izumi slowly raised her katana sword & closed her eyes, visualizing the incredible aetheric power & energy that would engulf her character, immersing herself completely as the Ice Lotus’ in this pivotal moment. She then let out a primal warcry & swung her sword.

To the crew’s utter shock, an actual arc of ice formed from her blade and shot forth, slashing the wooden gate in half with a thunderous crack. Izumi, still in character with her eyes shut, was awaiting the usual round of cheers for a scene well shot. This time, however, she opened her eyes to see the entire film crew silently wide-eyed, the gate before her splintered into icy fragments, & all the on-set explosives still completely intact.

From that day on, having discovered the reality of her strong, aether-sensitive nature, Izumi began practicing aethermancy as the next evolution of her martial arts, training under the finest Hydrus teachers in the world. Izumi ultimately realized that, for her, the only dream greater than acting out the life of other warrior legends was to truly become one herself.

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🔸𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐲 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 🔸

𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞: A skilled sharpshooter who can hunt from the skies with her custom-made aethertech wings, Johanna serves to feed and protect the orphans living in Wren’s apothecary where she was raised.

𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: One midsummer’s eve, Wren found an infant on her porch in swaddling clothes and a small jewelry box engraved with the sigil of a silver bird. Knowing this story and how she came to live amongst them, Johanna has always felt deeply grateful for her foster family. The bright-minded young girl would find ways to contribute like crafting tools, repairing household appliances, or most commonly, feed her hungry siblings by hunting in the nearby woods. On many nights, Johanna would return home in dirty clothes with a fistful of game in one hand, her custom-made crossbow in the other, and a satisfied smirk on her face.

On Johanna’s 18th birthday, Wren showed her something that would forever change her life. Besides the jewelry that she wore, it was revealed that the jewelry box left at her doorstep had also contained a small vial of aetherium, with an attached note that read, ‘Wait until you feel she is ready. Then let her soar.’

After recovering from the shock of the revelation and gaining a deep sense of empowerment, Joanna began learning aethermancy under the grovemother’s guidance. When asked which of the elemental disciplines most intrigued her, the spirited apprentice confessed that ‘Aeros,’ the discipline of air, windforce, and electrostatic manipulation, spoke to her the most. Johanna confessed she had always dreamt of being able to fly like the birds that inhabited the woodlands. And now with aetherium, she could in theory build a contraption to make that dream a reality.

Years later, Johanna stepped onto her first aether ring, clutching her crossbow with adrenaline pumping through her. As the bell rang and her opponent began charging at her full force, the audience gasped as her wings expanded and Johanna lifted herself into the air, shocking her rival with a series of aerial maneuvers before disabling him with a skillshot from her crossbow. It was in that moment that Johanna knew her rightful place was in the ring, and that, far beyond merely a few night’s worth of dinner from hunting rodents, success as an aethermancer would bring boundless blessings to her brothers and sisters back home.

Song: 2WEI Feat. Edda Hayes - Survivor

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🔸𝐎𝐂: 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐮𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫🔸

𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞: Converted from an old deforestation machine, this hulking automaton strikes fear into its adversaries by charging them down like a bull before decimating them with its fire-based weaponry.

𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: As the urban areas of New Victoria expanded over the decades, certain regions of the surrounding wilderness needed to be deforested for housing and construction. Consequently, a line of automatons known as ‘fire reapers’ were manufactured to help expedite the process and work in conditions too dangerous for humans. Despite their slow, cumbersome movement, these machines proved to perform simple tasks like chopping lumber and setting prescribed fires with precision and efficiency.

While most operators rarely thought of their machines past their day’s labor, let alone life career, one employee by the name of Edgar Crain offered nearly half of his life savings to purchase one of the fire reaper units for himself. Subsequently, Edgar would spend the remainder of his savings on a single vial of Aetherium. Having been paraplegic and wheelchair-bound his entire life, Billy has been fascinated with Aetherium and its potential to have a human ‘live’ through an automaton. That night, when he finally began his telepathic-bonding with the machine, the thrill and surreal sensations that Edgar felt were beyond words. He could only later describe it as his body ‘melding’ into the metal, as if the robot’s gears and pistons were his very own joints and muscles.

After years of disciplined training, Edgar entered his first aether-ring tournament. Much to the audience’s surprise and his own incredible delight, Edgar's fire reaper dominated its first matches and quickly became the spectacle of the event. From then on, Edgar would only refine his skills and upgrade his fearsome automaton, climbing the ranks of the Aethosphere and eventually earning him the title ‘the Infernus.’

Song: 2WEI - War Lord (Escape Velocity)

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🟢𝐎𝐂: 𝐖𝐫𝐞𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫🟢

𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐞: A powerful shaman who is deeply in-tuned with the earthly elements, Wren uses her Aethermancy to protect and educate the students she has taken under her wing over the years.

𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: As a single child in the small, budding town of New Victoria, Wren spent most of her time playing and exploring in the neighboring woods. Home-schooled by her mother and late grandparents’ old encyclopedia collection, Wren developed a rich understanding of the botanic and wildlife around her. By her late teens, Wren was beginning to concoct medicinal tonics to treat a variety of common ailments and injuries. Not long after that, some local townsfolk began to show up at the apothecary. Most of these were youngsters who offered their day’s labor in exchange for education from her in return, while others simply stayed for the social activity. Regardless of reason, Wren and her mother were happy to serve as a local gathering spot for the small community.

After the Spire’s construction began, New Victoria’s population grew quickly, with many seeking work at the construction site or to train in Aethermancy itself. A few years later, Wren was noticed by agents admiring her work and offered her a chance to study Aetherium, which she graciously accepted. As she started molding her first Aethercore, Wren began to expand her mind in ways she could have never imagined. Wren slowly began to communicate with the organisms of the earth, from foliage to creatures of the woods. With mental focus, Wren could even shift rudimentary rocks and dirt with a wave of her hand.

As her powers grew, so did that of her passionate, bright-minded students, whom she still fosters and educates to this day. To those who sought her wisdom, and had the discipline to develop their own Aetheric abilities, Wren would quickly be recognized as one of the greatest mentors and most powerful shamans in the world.

Song: Filip Lackovic - Epic Slavic Music

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🔸 𝐎𝐂: 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜 🔸

𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗲: Built to withstand the energy currents emitted throughout an Aether Ring that would be harmful to an uninitiated human being, Solace has served as the on-site emergency medbot since the Spire’s construction.

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: In the beginning, the visionary engineers and technicians that worked at the Spire had a simple goal to create an automaton capable of responding to medical emergencies with on-site immediacy.

Thus, Solace, the first ever medic automaton was built. Solace’s only function, in the rare occasions that called for it, was to bring back a duelist from the brink of death by injecting them with a healing fluid mixed with their appropriate aetheric element. Any remaining medical procedures would occur subsequent to the Aethermancer being carried off the Ring.

Over the years, a multitude of refinements and upgrades have been implemented upon the base model, most remarkably of which was the hologlass projector. The projector allowed for a holographic display of the doctor who is currently hosting the automaton, providing a much stronger human connection to the potentially injured or traumatized patient in need.

While newer medbot models created for many the emerging Rings around the world possess varying features and presentation, they all essentially replicate the base functionality and design of Solace as the first prototype.

Song: Panik Control - Psykosonik

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🔸𝐎𝐂: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 - 𝐀𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠🔸

Lore: The oldest and tallest Aethercore Ring in the world, also known as the 'Spire,' is located at the heart of the city of New Victoria. Each year, the highest ranking champions from all over the world are granted the opportunity to enter the Grand Tournament held at the Spire.

Backstory: Given that vast quantities of non-salt water required for the production of Aetherium, the Aethercore World Ring was constructed at the center of several large lakes.

A coliseum-like structure capable of seating thousands of spectators, the Spire facilitates a large swirling Aetheric pool at the base of the tower, with four large generators rotating around the central platform where the duels take place.

The generators create strong currents that strengthen the duelists’ Aetheric abilities, including endurance, dexterity, and healing, all helping to produce the most dazzling shows and performances for the audience. Given the powerful energies emitted by the generators which can be harmful with prolonged exposure, only two sessions per duelist is allowed in the Ring every 24 hours; once during the day☀️ and once at night🌙.

Song: Vangelis - Conquest of Paradise

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🔹 𝐎𝐂: 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥🔹

Lore: Cryo is an Aether-hosted automaton that can convert ice and snow from the environment into deadly firepower in the form of icicles and frost shards.

Backstory: Having first-hand experience surviving the nightmarish winters during the Civil War and having lost many loved ones throughout the multi-year conflict, a group of brilliant scientists and engineers collaborated to design a self-automated machine that could in theory replace human soldiers in warfare, along with the ability to conserve ammo during the winter season by converting the fallen snow itself into ammunition.

However, because Cryo did not see its completion until many years after the war, the automaton was never set upon the field in actual combat, and was effectively decommissioned until recent years.

Now, the rise of Aetherium as both a science and sport have inspired a few of the scientists who created Cryo to reunite, agreeing to explore the possibility of binding a worthy host with Cryo by installing it with an Aether-core.

Whether it was at gift a birth, a natural byproduct of his years of meditative practice, or other unknown reasons, one of the scientists by the name of Dr. Jarim Slate, seemed to have a strong affinity towards telepathic control over the machine.

Over the next few years, Cryo has been refined, upgraded, and even further attuned to the specificities of Dr. Slate’s brainwaves and telepathic nuances through their Aetheric bonding. Now, many tales of Cryo’s victories and spectacular performances have begun to spread, earning it the title ‘Winter Sentinel’ across the Aether Ring community.

Song: Astronaut in the Ocean Remix - Masked Wolf

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🔸 𝐎𝐂: 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐄𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 🔸

Born into an aristocratic family, Asher Hayes spent most of his years growing up focused on intellectual development and writing. Most of the Hayes dedicated their careers at the University as researchers or scholars as a way of reinforcing their family name and legacy.

Asher, however, appeared to stick out as the black sheep of the family due to his clear preference for writing fantasy and outlandish works of fiction. He would commonly receive raised eyebrows or dismissive remarks due to his 'wayward' interests. With the dawn of Aetherium upon humanity in recent years, many have insisted that Asher ought to redirect his focus towards Aetheric research and development instead.

Asher was just on the verge of reconsidering his path when the local Battlecore arena finished its construction after his 28th birthday. Originally intended as a brief visit and only to gain first-hand experience of Aetherium use in combat, Asher found his passions ignited unlike anything he has ever known once the sparring began. Between the adrenaline of the fight, and the rush of Aetherium coursing through his body, empowering him with regenerative and telekinetic powers, Asher felt like he was able to live the fantasies of warriors he only ever wrote about.

From that point forward, Asher knew his true destiny deep down. Despite the shock and resistance met by his family for his newfound calling, claiming that he’s throwing away his high-born life to volunteer as some ‘lab rat' of a dangerous, unrefined bloodsport, Asher would return day after day to refine his skills in the arena.

While his ambidexterity served as nothing more than a neat party trick of writing a perfectly form sentence starting from both ends, Asher decided that his talent would be much better maximized to master the simultaneous dual-wielding of a blade and pistol. Now, from scientists and engineers who regard his writings as research, or to folk who simply enjoy the entertainment of the sport, many continue to watch and track Asher's rising success in the Battlecore Ring to this day.

Song: Extreme Music Feat. Dan Murphy - Inside of Me

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🟢 OC: 𝐃𝐚𝐠𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫 🟢

Dagwood is a farming mecha who has served his family for decades. Between harvesting seasonal crops and doubling as an effective scarecrow, this automaton has weathered many storms, undergone countless repairs, as well as upgrades, since his creation.

Originally built as a self-operating machine, Dagwood has since been installed with an Aetheric Core. This allows a human to potentially gain remote, telepathic control over its body, made of mostly natural elements like wood and iron, through long-term dedicated focus.

Operating mostly from her rocking chair on their front porch day in and day out, Abigail Baker, auntie of child-genius Timaeus Baker who created Dagwood, has developed an incredibly deep Aetheric-bond with the machine over the years. Anyone who’s been able to witness or experience a sparring match with the hosted automaton would claim that its movements are unbelievably cunning and precise. In fact, most note how remarkably human Dagwood's movements are, as if Abigail and Dagwood were truly one.

While many doubted the idea at first, Dagwood, given its natural durability and human-like reflexes, has actually won numerous victories as a gladiator in local tournaments and become a rising name in the Battlecore world.

Song: Saeed - Infected Mushroom

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🔹 OC: 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐤, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭 🔹

So excited to share this OC from my own world-building set in an alternate Victorian Era timeline. He is one of a multitude designed for my very exciting upcoming project!

𝙇𝙤𝙧𝙚 - Malik is highly trained in the art of Aquamancy, one of four main elemental disciplines in the Aetheric arts. From a single drop of Aetheric water, he can create anything from a swirling tide to a deadly hailstorm, and continues to rise in the ranks of the Battlecore World Arena to this day.

𝘽𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 - Since childhood, Malik Anwar always had an affinity for the ocean, feeling more at home amongst the waves than anywhere on land. His father noticed that, even as a boy, Malik’s mood seemed to affect the rolling tides. It seemed that he could summon a hurricane after a tantrum, or calm a rainstorm with his laughter.

Despite being perfectly content sailing the seas with his father & running their family business as humble fishermen, their entire life was destroyed when a band of pirates intercepted their merchant ship at sea. The merciless pirates took his father’s life & would have taken Malik’s too, if it weren’t for the crashing waves of a sudden terrifying storm that overturned the ship.

In his mid 20's, Malik entered his first Aether Ring tournament & took home the earnings to feed his family for months.

40 years later, Malik has won unnumbered tournaments and earned himself the title ‘Iron Tempest.’ He continues to fight to this day to honor his father’s death & uphold his family legacy as an Aethermancer.

Song: Skald - Seven Nation Army

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💖 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭����𝐚𝐢𝐭: 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐤𝐚 💖

The only thing rarer than a self-portrait reel of me, is one of my partner. I’m so happy and excited to share my first illustration reel of her ever☺️ A few years back, I received the miracle of this beautiful soul, inside and out, showing up to one of my Twitch streams and stayed ever since. I’ve had the wonderful pleasure of getting to know her through the years as she followed and supported me through so much of my personal journey. I now have the incredible blessing of having her live with me, where she continues to fuel me with creative fire, help manage my social media, and offer an endless wealth of love and support everyday🥰 🌼 💞🌞

We had so much fun with this ‘design,’ as she provided me with some of her most signature outfits and accessories, including my favorite jacket I got for her on Christmas, her sweet punky boots, and I’m sure what is now her favorite tumbler cup in the world xD. 🩷✨💫

Thank you, Mikka , for everything so far and so much more to come. I’m so blessed to have you as my partner, my inspiration, and my fire. I love you, hun!!!! 😘 🥰 🙏 🔥❤️ 💞 ❤️‍🔥 ♾️

[art-of-li]

🔹 𝐎𝐂: 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 & 𝐑𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐯𝐲𝐧 🔸

My very first two OC’s in reel format! My partner and I absolutely love immersing ourselves in fantasy and roleplay. Having spent hundreds of hours in games like Lost Ark, Baldur’s Gate, as well as dabbling in some D&D, we’ve developed these OC’s pretty well over time to have some rich personality & thematics😊

Liaender is a paladin who exiled himself from his Order when he realized the true nature of their philosophies and values. It became apparent that those he swore an oath to serve, eradicated their chosen enemies out of fear or greed, rather than the justice and holiness they claim to worship. He has since become a wandering nomad with nothing in his possession but his renowned swordsmanship and his own moral compass✨ In present time, Liaender works as a sellsword, but more often than not involves himself in the endeavors of those in need more due to a sense of moral duty than any institutional allegiance 🛡️

Rhaevyn is a a half-human with demon-blood coursing through her veins since birth🩸Despite the carnivorous, flesh-consuming ways of her people, Rhaevyn grew up questioning their seeming over-indulgence in the macabre & willingness to consume humans for mere sustenance. She believes that should her kind curb their tendencies & consume the flesh of the beasts instead, they could end an ongoing war with the humans that has been waging for thousands of years⚔️

& Chai 🐈‍ is their pet familiar, who has the power to tap into one of four elements & cast a simple spell of that type when shifted💫

Since their uncanny chance encounter that culminated in a gruesome, yet evenly matched fight, the two have discovered they share more principles & views in common than they ever realized🔥Now they have agreed to a pact to help fulfill each other’s life missions that would ‘rectify’ the established institutions of their own kind in hopes for a better future for both kinds❤️‍🔥⚖️🛡️⚔️💫

Song : Phil Rey Gibbons - Bastion