dwollsadventures - Tumblr blog

[dwollsadventures]

details about ocs!

send an emoji/description of emoji to learn more about a writer's oc! many of these are taken from my munday asks meme, because i thought it would be fun to make a version for characters too! the prompts are categorized by emoji type and given descriptions in case anyone can't see the symbols. can be used for roleplayers and any general writers alike! for roleplayers, these can also be used for your interpretations of canon characters if you so desire as well!

𝐎𝐁𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒. 💭 THOUGHT BALLOON — what is your oc's MBTI, enneagram, and/or other personality aspects (if known/interested in)? 🚗 CAR — does your oc have a driver's license? can they drive/operate any automobiles/machinery besides cars? ✈️ AIRPLANE — does your oc like traveling, or do they consider themselves a more homey person? 🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies? 💍 RING — does your oc have any piercings? do they want any (more) piercings? 🖊️ BALLPOINT PEN — does your oc have any tattoos? do they want any (more) tattoos? 📚 BOOKS — what level of education has your oc most recently completed/is currently in (GED, undergraduate, grad school, phd, etc)? 🎻 VIOLIN — does your oc play any instruments? what is their skill level (beginner/intermediate/advanced/virtuoso/etc)? 🩹 ADHESIVE BANDAGE — does your oc have any physical and/or mental disabilities? 🩸 DROP OF BLOOD — what is your oc's blood type?

𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐒. 🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what type of music does your oc like? do they listen to music very often? 💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know. 💤 SLEEPING SIGN — is your oc a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper? how are their sleeping habits? 🔱 TRIDENT EMBLEM — can your oc swim? do they enjoy swimming? 🔺 RED TRIANGLE POINTED UP — does your oc know how to use any weapons? 🔶 LARGE ORANGE DIAMOND — does your oc know cpr? do they have any other medical expertise? 🚫 PROHIBITED — does your oc drink/smoke? do they do it regularly, or is it more on occasion or for special events?

𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄. 🌈 RAINBOW — what is your oc's sexual orientation/gender identity? what pronouns do they use? 🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your oc's favorite holiday? 🐶 DOG FACE — does your oc have any pets? 🐈 CAT — does your oc prefer a wide circle of friends or a few close friends? 🐷 PIG FACE — what is your oc's favorite animal? 🐉 DRAGON — what is your oc's favorite mythical creature? 🍃 LEAVES FLUTTERING IN WIND — what is/was your oc's favorite subject in school? 🌴 PALM TREE — does your oc have a green thumb? do they enjoy gardening? 🍎 RED APPLE — where was your oc born? do they still live in/around their place of birth or do they live somewhere else? how do they feel about their birthplace?

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒. ❤️ RED HEART — what are three of your oc's positive traits? 🤍 WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc's neutral/questionable traits? 💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc's negative traits? 💘 HEART WITH ARROW — what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them? 🧡 ORANGE HEART — does your oc tend to prioritize family or friends? 💛 YELLOW HEART — how many languages does your oc speak? what language(s) are they learning, if any? 💚 GREEN HEART — does your oc prefer being inside or outside? 💙 BLUE HEART — does your oc have any cool/special powers and/or abilities? how are they with magic, if it exists in their world? 💜 PURPLE HEART — what is your oc's ancestry/genetic background? 🖤 BLACK HEART — has your oc killed or seriously wounded anyone before? have they broken someone's heart and/or broken someone's trust?

𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐒. 🎂 BIRTHDAY CAKE — when is your oc's birthday? how old are they? what are their sun, moon, & rising signs (if known)? what about their tarot card, ruling planet, & ruling number (if known)? do they fit the typical traits of these sun, moon, & rising signs? 🍝 SPAGHETTI — what is/are your oc's favorite food(s)? 🍰 SHORTCAKE — what is/are your oc's favorite sweet(s)/dessert(s)? 🍦 SOFT ICE CREAM — what is/are your oc's favorite ice cream flavor(s)? 🍔 HAMBURGER — is your oc good at cooking? are they good at baking? which one do they prefer? 🥯 BAGEL — what does your oc's typical breakfast look like? do they usually eat breakfast? 🥪 SANDWICH — what does your oc's typical lunch look like? do they usually eat lunch? 🍛 CURRY AND RICE — what does your oc's typical dinner look like? do they usually eat dinner? 🍸 COCKTAIL GLASS — what is your oc's favorite alcoholic drink, if they can drink? ☕️ HOT BEVERAGE — does your oc prefer coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, water, or some other drink? how do they like to take this drink (ex. coffee with milk, hot chocolate with whipped cream, a specific kind of tea, etc)?

𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄. 😊 SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES — what are your oc's career/general life desires? what do they want to get the most out of life? 😖 CONFOUNDED FACE — is your oc an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert? do they let people in easily, or are they more reserved? 🤔 THINKING FACE — what are some of your oc's quirks/mannerisms? 🧐 FACE WITH MONOCLE — is your oc more logical or emotional? 🤓 SMILING FACE WITH GLASSES — is your oc chatty or quiet? are they at ease in social situations, or are they more shy? 🤩 FACE WITH STARRY EYES — is your oc a planner, or are they more spontaneous in their actions? 😥 SAD BUT RELIEVED FACE — is your oc prone to getting stressed out, or is it easy for them to keep their cool? 😓 DOWNCAST FACE WITH SWEAT — is your oc open-minded or stubborn? are they inquisitive or do they prefer to keep to their bubble of knowledge? 😞 DISAPPOINTED FACE — does your oc attract others, or do they tend to be left alone? 🤒 FACE WITH THERMOMETER — does your oc get sick easily? 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 FAMILY WITH MOTHER, FATHER, SON AND DAUGHTER — how many people are in your oc's immediate family? how many people are in your oc's extended family? do they have aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc? who in their family are they closest with? are they close with their birth family, or do they have a found family?

[dwollsadventures]

I was very bored once and decided to doodle (almost) every creature from the Spiderwick Field Guide on a single page.

[dwollsadventures]

In an ideal world, Laios and Dwoll would be good friends

[dwollsadventures]

Monster Manual - Bear, Black

Black bears are the most common and least aggressive variety of bear… but one should still exercise caution. This species is the most likely to enter inhabited areas looking for food. Some people make the mistake of assuming their non-aggressive nature makes them harmless. Don’t be fooled: black bears are still bears. In fact, they kill more people than any other bear due to the higher likelihood of encounters. When you see a black bear, make yourself large and loud, try to scare them away. And, please, remember to secure your rations before camping.

[dwollsadventures]

Updates Around TDG and Something New

pivot - a change in the way someone does something synonyms: reversal, about-face, flip-flop, etc.

Maybe starting my first webcomic with my ~baby~ was a bad idea. Who could have guessed. I'm going back to the written version for the TDG (Acronym Pending) and will be releasing part 1 of the first chapter immediately after this. I do still want to illustrate the stories! But it will have to be as an adaptation of them rather than their original form. The three pages will still stay up for posterity and as a monument to my blunder. The previews will be deleted, as they're now redundant with the final publishing. And I'll try to stick to "final".

This leaves the question of how I'm going to practice making webcomics. I still need practice for drawing them, but more so I need practice developing a sustainable workflow. My idea for the moment will please the D&D fans. For the past 6-months I've been DM-ing a game of 5e through the Tomb of Annihilation module. Me and my players have loved it so far. What we're going to do is set our baby adventurer Lias through the module with viewers determining what paths he takes by polling.

Now, it won't be a "Twitch Plays D&D", as I have no intention of simulating the game for real. There won't be dice rolls or combat mechanics (though Lias won't have an easy go at it either). There will also be changes to the module, including the story, designs, and encounters. I'll make a pdf full of all the pertinent changes between the comic and module for those familiar with the game who might be confused about the changes.

For now, enjoy what would have been the first panel of the TDG's fourth page:

EDIT:

Me and my big mouth. My eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach, I should finish projects before starting new ones.

[dwollsadventures]

TDG (Acronym Pending) 1 - Let's Make an Impression 1/2

The first part of the first chapter. Read under the cut:

Dwoll was uncomfortable. If one happened to know Dwoll, they would know this was almost his default state of being. Today was especially bad, however. 

His knees were aching. A man as tall as he was should probably not sit on his knees like he was doing now. But the mosque didn’t have chairs to sit on. At least, not in the main room. If Dwoll had his way they would have sat around a table at one of the countless little cafes they had passed on their way from the train station. 

Truth be told, the mosque was not the worst place to be trapped. The white walls inlaid with smooth wood made it shine golden in the noon’s light. The rich green carpets were clean and vivid, despite the constant presence of people upon them. Dwoll shifted uncomfortably. But if they were to make any money today, he had to set aside his personal feelings. 

His neck started feeling just as stiff as his legs. Can sitting down hurt your neck? It must, they’re all connected to the spine, he thought. At this moment Dwoll’s spine was in such a shape that if a chiropractor looked in from the street, they would burst into the mosque and kill him on the spot. 

For the last fifteen minutes he had been half-paying attention to the testimony of one of the mosque’s caretakers, an Arabic man a little older than he was. Fortunately, Dwoll had perfected the art of note-taking while in the field. His hands and ears could operate in unison without the need of the brain. It was in his best interest not to disturb their rhythm. From the sound of it the demon in this mosque sounded like a tough nut to crack. 

Squirming in his seat, Dwoll managed to sit straight up and knock his head from side to side, making cracking sounds like shaking a bag of dominos. It didn’t exactly feel pleasant, just satisfying for its movement. Limbering, that was it. 

As Dwoll stretched out his neck, his gaze met with that of the old man sitting across from him. He saw the disapproving stare for a moment before his shoulders hunched and once again bent over his notebook. 

It was amazing how, despite being in an enormous airy room with windows open, that stare could make Dwoll feel like they were trapped together in a closet. 

From the start it would have helped his nerves if the patrons had liked them at all. The son, Khalil, was polite enough. It was his politeness that had gotten them the job. His father, Mazin, had to be convinced to let them in. 

Ever since their little slip-up, Dwoll and Ariel’s stay was tainted by grumbles under the breath and sidelong glances of aversion. First impressions were never his strong suit… 

From where he sat (a spot which he desperately wished he was not in), Dwoll felt the walls weigh down on him. It was squeezing him, pushing him out.  

How did I get here?

Not by choice, certainly. Dwoll had possessed all the liberty any man could ask for once. An entire life spent abroad, conducting his life’s research, with nothing but his own will-power to see him through. Eventually he had to concede that will-power was no suitable replacement for money, which he lacked when he began and was totally deprived of when he returned to society. 

At home he’d been pronounced dead and the first draft of his research published posthumously. The courts were recalcitrant to admit he was alive. The publishers of his stolen work even more so to give him his dues. In the end Dwoll couldn’t link the works to himself, as they were published without an author and he no longer had the original copies. He was left with no other option than to publish his own, current work. 

Dwoll was side-tracked when he met Ariel, who saved his life. Half a year of wandering around the United States allowed him to pay the angel back under circumstances he still didn’t quite understand. 

The two then met a fellow named Quatroctus. He was a businessman, or so he said, and gave the two an offer they couldn’t refuse: employment in a company where both could help people, earn money, and use their respective experience with the supernatural all the while. In hindsight, Dwoll knew he’d been too easily influenced by Quatroctus’ praise. Pride was a terrible thing to have coupled with desperation. 

Now he and Ariel were stuck in this dead-end job. Never mind dead-end, that implied you were driving and stuck in the same place. The job never even found the keys to start. The mosque was their third job ever. Quatrocuts had woken them up at six a.m. to put them on the bus to Portland. Dwoll tried to argue that the job wasn’t suitable for him. But there was no arguing with Quatroctus. He was busy getting the headquarters looking good for a potential buyer later in the week, and Pan didn’t want to go. But, if Dwoll could give him a good reason, Quatroctus would be happy to oblige him. 

By the time Dwoll assembled his argument, he was passing through Salem on the bus. 

Portland was like most big cities he had encountered: enormous, full of people, loud. Bridges passed over each other like branches in a tree, creating a simultaneous strain on the ears from the sheer amount of motors running and a claustrophobia entirely unique to the city. Portland was frustrating in that it was so damn wide. From the station they walked straight from a large downtown area to an almost rural backroad, then found themselves at the door of the zoo. 

It was eleven a.m. by the time Dwoll admitted he was lost. They tried asking for directions, and the locals were polite enough to oblige them. Many were dumbfounded by Dwoll’s inability to see the directions on their phones. To him, it was just so much light and static. Several gave up at that point, but one pointed them to a butcher’s in Mill Park, whose owner knew the city better than any app. 

The butcher’s looked more like a restaurant than a meat-packing establishment. A line was out the door, which Dwoll and Ariel took a place in. 

Throughout all the troubles, Ariel had borne the situation with an inhuman patience. Dwoll knew he tended to look uninterested and bored, but it was merely how he carried himself. Taking him to the butcher’s was a bad way to repay him for his kindness. Ariel liked sheep, but not on the plate. 

As they inched closer to their guide, Dwoll could feel the glowering look Ariel was giving the products. On display was a veritable flock of sheep and lamb. Heads, bodies, and legs intact, watching the two march in line with glassy eyes. 

It meant Dwoll was on his own with the butcher. When he explained that they were merely asking for directions, he grew irritable with them for taking up space during the brunch rush. He then proceeded to explain the route to Dwoll as if he were a child, speaking in simple, deliberate English, fully aware Dwoll had spoken to him first in the same language. 

Which brought them another half an hour later to the mosque. Without the sign, Dwoll wouldn’t have known it was one. The building clearly wasn’t built by Muslims originally; it had the high roof of a church meant to evoke the power and inaccessibility of the divine, a remodeled steeple, and a graveyard tucked away like a concealed knife. A pair of nutrias disappeared into the graveyard’s overgrown greenery as they approached. 

Hanging on the door was a sign in English, Arabic, and Farsi telling visitors that it was closed for urgent repairs and gave the addresses of the next closest mosques. 

Ariel, perhaps bashful for his attitude at the butcher’s, offered to make introductions. He knocked and was immediately greeted by the door cracking open, revealing the critical eye of an old man on crutches. He regarded the two for a moment, looking them up and down, before shutting the door again. Muffled shouting was heard in Arabic and then a younger man opened the door and welcomed them in.

The younger man was Khalil, the current caretaker of the mosque. His father, Mazin, limping behind him with irate fervor, was an imam, and had attempted to get rid of their unwanted visitor beforehand. His injury by the demon was the final straw for Khalil, who called Quatroctus the day before. Khalil was kind, apologetic for his father’s behavior, and confident of the two visitors. Mazin was plainly rude to the both of them, resentful that his own son trusted the two more than him, and still in pain from his injury. 

Crossing the threshold presented Dwoll with his problem. Dwoll was not a Muslim. This, otherwise, wouldn’t be a problem. He wasn’t a Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, or any other sort of religious convert, and yet had stepped into countless churches and temples without issue. But, for him, the Islam faith was another story. 

Dwoll never met his father. His mother, a German, only said he was a “Persian”, preferring the grandeur the name of those ancient empires conjured rather than the plain truth that she had gotten pregnant by a foreign stranger in a drunken night of regret. If she could not abandon her son due to the risk of her secret getting out, she at least managed to instill within him a pandemonium of emotions regarding his origin. 

Even as a man Dwoll had never grown out of it. Standing on the edge of the mosque and street, he knew either would be as welcoming. In his memory he went forward, and was drawn to the horrible, ever-beckoning present. 

“That is the last I can recall, before we brought my father to the hospital.” 

Dwoll sat up, seeing Khalil’s expectant look. 

“Ah, yes, well. It certainly seems like you’ve had your share of trouble.”

Mazin scoffed at him. “Do you not see they know nothing? I-”

“You got yourself nearly crippled. I would rather be tricked than risk your life again. Please, continue.” There was force in the younger man’s voice that brokered no argument. 

Dwoll tried not to feel like he was intruding. This felt like a private, repeated conversation between them. 

“Yes… Well, after what you’ve said, I do not believe there is a demon in the mosque.”

The two looked at them incredulously. 

Mazin was the one to speak up, “Have you been living under a rock or something? I’m older than you are, and all this supernatural-”

“No, no. I mean, there is something within the mosque, but it is not a demon. If it were a demon, your exorcism would have worked.” 

The old man looked taken aback, at a loss of words for a moment. Dwoll pressed on, “The behavior you described did not sound like a demon. Missing food, missing money, pieces of carpet and finery cut up. This is more like a domestic being than a demon.”

“At first I thought it a jinn, due to the, er, setting. But this area is too cold and wet for a jinn.”

Mazin muttered under his breath, “You’ve got that right.”

“And while a jinn would be capable of breaking your leg, you said the contact happened at the ankle, right?”

Khalil said, “Yes. With the force of a car accident, the doctor said.”

“Which brought me to this: why would something that strong aim so low? Unless it was too short to reach any higher. The sort of house spirits I’m thinking of are typically no larger than a child in height, yet supernaturally strong.”

“The mosque, however, has been throwing me off.” Dwoll turned to Khalil, gesturing to the high ceiling, “Was this a church, previously?”

Khalil nodded, “An Evangelical church. They saw so few people coming in, however, and with the neighborhood being… what it is, sold it to my father.”

“Just as I thought. I believe there is a church nisse here.”

As soon as he said it, the atmosphere in the room changed. Like someone holding their breath behind their backs had just exhaled and made their presence known. 

Mazin was puzzled at this. “A what?”

“A nisse, a type of vaette from Denmark. They typically live in farmhouses, but some have been known to inhabit churches. Yours probably came with the church and only now noticed the changes.”

It took them a moment to wrap their heads around this. Neither had heard of such a thing before and to admit unfamiliarity in one's own sanctum is a hard thing. 

Mazin recovered first, "But the spirit should have responded to my words. Why did it lash out like a beast?"

Dwoll had been afraid of this part, "Well, not all, er, creatures are as susceptible to the influence of the divine as demons."

If he wasn't sitting down and hobbled by the crutches, Mazin might have stood up in indignation. "Excuse me? Are you doubting-"

"No, we are not doubting the sanctity of this mosque, your own faith, or the omnipotence of God." Ariel's words cut through the anger with a cool intensity. 

Evidently Mazin and Khalil had forgotten he was there. He had been sitting like a statue through most of the interview. 

"The creature here has its own will and body. Your exorcism did not work because it is a creature of earth, and it has chosen to ignore the words of the Quran."

"Well, yes, but what do you intend to do?" 

"Ah," Dwoll interjected, "though it was not responsive to your words, it is still a creature of reason. I have great experience dealing with such beings and can assure you that I shall be able to speak to it."

Ariel added to him, "We will help your mosque however we can."

Mazin, surrounded by Dwoll's experience, Ariel's earnestness, and Khalil’s concern for him, relented. 

"Fine! You'll have the night." 

Dwoll beamed with pride. He was no salesman, but he was sure Quatroctus would think securing Mazin's approval a great victory. 

Another thought occurred to him, "Does the mosque have a kitchen?"

[dwollsadventures]

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but the reason for posting all of these sketchbook pages and nothing else is that I'm working full-time now. This means a) not much time to work on stuff and b) bad art days stretch longer and longer. Anyways, Zeus

A very common claim is that Zeus is the god of lighting and the sky. But, in ancient Greek religion, gods were worshiped under multiple aspects for different reasons. It's more like there are dozens of different gods with unique functions clustered under the name of Zeus. Here are a few of these:

Zeus Ktesios and Herkeios are house-gods. Ketsios is of the property and controls the prosperity of the home. Herkeios is of the courtyard. I imagine him as a sort of divine guard-dog, though I don't have any literature readings to back me up on that. (A similar house deity, Apollo Agyieus, of the streets, stands guard next to him)

Zeus Lykaios is a shadowy, enigmatic figure. Plato said that Arcadians would venerate him with human sacrifice. No shadow falls on his sacred mountain.

Zeus Olympios is the patron god of Olympia, and is represented in the shape of his legendary statue.

Zeus Astrapios is the lightning bringer. His lightning bolts are depicted as axes, as the modern Greek word for thunder bolt, astrapeleki, translates to star-axe.

Zeus Tallaios has an interesting history. Hesychius of Alexandria claims that Talos, the bronze giant, was the sun itself. Cretan art shows him with wings and a diadem. Some believe that Talos was an old solar diety absorbed into the Zeus identity and eventually repurposed as an automaton in myth.

Finally, Zeus Chthonios is the Zeus of the underworld. Hades was often referred to as the "Zeus of the Underworld", and Orphism portrayed the two as two sides of the same coin.

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Even more evidence of how far back I was planning the second gig of D&D monsters. These two pages are my design process for the locathah, sahuagin, and kua-toa (even though the last ones aren't present in the '77 monster manual). The locathah are based off of different reef fish, but I like the long face of the surgeon-fish ones the most. Although the gills in the first ones kinda look like a bunch of breasts...

Kuo-toa are based off of hatchetfish. Namely because they're small and pathetic looking, and because they're incredibly numerous. I imagine kua-toa living in very large colonies in deep, low-light areas.

The sahuagin were first drawn as stomaiidae (dragonfish), then I switched to lionfish because I like the mustache-like barbels. In the end I think I'll make them more like a traditional gill-man, but the design could be utilized for something else. Maybe a more martial variety of locathah, or something unrelated to D&D entirely.

The three fish people are all pictured in the lower right on a dock. A kua-toa trader argues with a locathah merchant while a sahuagin whaler walks past. Some sneaky mermaids attempt to pilfer their hard-gotten gains below.

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A wide variety here.

First is the witch Sycorax drawn from the Donut Witch of Adventure Time. idk why

Next is a pig-like orc that I've yet to replicate. I tried to introduce some more reptilian elements in the left one, but it just doesn't do it for me.

Below them are various doodles of a snake-like monster, ice toads (one of them probably has the face of something more popular), a Xorn, and some explorations with fish heads on humanoid bodies, which we'll see more of next time.

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I didn't spend my childhood re-drawing Dragon Ball Z. Given recent events, I thought it was time to rectify that. Dwoll and Quatroctus are in Toriyama's squat chibi style, which I find my favorite of his.

RIP to a legend

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listening to phil collins

[dwollsadventures]

The dwarfs and Sergeant Stick were from a story idea I had based in Eberron. It had themes about disability and expectations. The dwarfs Uropod and Telson were crab farmers, because you don't normally see dwarfs on the sea. Uropod had his nose broken by a fish, giving him breathing problems and nasal issues. Sergeant Stick was a human with achondroplasia in a world with fantasy dwarfs. Unfortunately I didn't quite nail down the look.

Below them are some kappas not directly based on illustrations like before.

The grendling (a plurification of Grendel) was partly based on the dragon transformation from Dark Souls. Then there's some snake and a blink dog, one bad and one good. I decided the blink dog would be more vision-oriented than audio or scent, as they need to immediately take in their surroundings when teleporting.

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Tumblr can we please find a new bit, this is getting ridiculous

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Loki! That dastardly devil. His legs are a little too short, but I like this design. Also, I firmly believe the flying shoes Loki is mentioned possessing one (1) time are a result of Snorri or some other guy's "all mythology is Greek mythology" idea. See also: the Norse gods are actually Trojans.

The rest of the page is dedicated to the various designs of kappas. Most of them come from Suiko juni-hin no zu, or, and Illustrated Guide to 12 Types of Kappa. The bottom three are variously from other depictions of kappa, or just a rude girl. The Greek fellow at the right is simply scandalized at this daimon's rude behavior!

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This page was drawn after I read A Study of Dragons of Eastern Europe by Ronesa Aveela. Here are some notes for context on the designs:

Lamya - Body is reptilian and huge with scarlet or yellow scales. Possesses webbed wings and dog-like heads (3/7/9) with horns and jaws wide enough to swallow a buffalo whole

Smok - Derived from ordinary snakes that, after incredibly long lives, grow to enormous sizes

Zmey - As they fly, sparks form from their scales

Balaur [which is Romanian, not Slavic] - Comes from a snake that fulfills a certain task (not being seen, not biting a human, not letting sun fall on it, etc.), Three types, living in the skies (come down to drink water, which is stored in the tail), land, or water

I really liked the design for the sky balaur, which stands out compared to the more generic land and water varieties. The water-filled tail acting as a pressure sprayer is also a super cool idea. The lamya design was refined into this drawing with Drake.

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In the upper left we have the TDG Junior's first appearance all together. From last page we have Angel and Drake, and joining them are Pascal and Mary. And it seems their chaperone might be snoozing on the job.

The rest of the page (stitched together out of two) is a design process for Nessie. The main aspects across all of them are the fire breath from Saint Columba's monster and external nares. I have no idea where I first saw these but I was apparently obsessed with them, because Nessie and some older designs for fire giants also have them. The wide one in the right corner is my favorite.

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Hey, here's where Dirtifer came from. I was actually really surprised to see a dockalfer show up in Wizard School Mysteries Book 1, I think I designed him before the book was released? Related was my attempt to draw a Beelzebub to varying results.

Most of this page is dedicated to the knucker and Lambton worm. The knucker was designed after seeing the kettles and pot-hole lakes named after knuckers. It made me think of them as a type of pest which lodges themselves into these holes, with spikes to prevent people from removing them. Their ears also have long scales or hairs to mimic reeds. The Lambton worm was drawn to make it look a little more like an eft, or juvenile newt, which the worm was supposed to resemble.

Finally at the bottom, Drake lets his hair down, to the admiration of his friend. We'll see more of her on the next sketch page, but she's part of an extended friend group, a "TDG Junior" if you will. Fun facts: her name is Angel and she predates both Ariel and Drake!