onwardnozward

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NOTICE: As more and more fanfic writers are using generative AI for their works (you uncreative dweebs), I hereby swear on everything I hold dear that I have not and will NEVER use generative AI in ANY of my written work. Everything I post will be organically and creatively my own.

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The Great and Terrible Humbug of Nebraska

Oscar Zoroaster Diggs was the son of a failed politician, growing up for the first part of his childhood in Omaha, Nebraska during the 1840s. His father was a cowardly humbug, relying upon the blinding greed of others to achieve his goals, however the one thing he was capable of teaching his son was how not to achieve success. Oscar was a dreamer, he saw the potential in his father’s lies, in the stupidity of men in power. From a young age, he knew the only thing he lacked was his own power to put his ideas into action.

The sins of his father would later catch up to the man, as he left Oscar behind without as much as a note before skipping town. The kid would roam for a while, before falling in with a traveling circus having stopped for a rest. It was here that Oscar would find his first home, finding familiarity in the carnie circuit as he got to experience adventure upon the midwestern prairies of the 1850s, and here where he earned his title and act, “the Great and Powerful O.Z., Sorcerer Extraordinaire from Faraway Lands.” Merely a con, he fabricated a story of having learned the Ancient Wisdom from the great crowned mystics and monks from Europe to Asia, using his learned talents for the manipulation of divination cards, sleight of hand, illusion, ventriloquism and mimicry in order to sell his act.

Years would pass, acts would be traded in for others and money would be lost with it, as well as general disinterest as the country closed in upon war. Oscar had grown almost disinterested in the circus, as his dreams of power had regained traction with his age. He tired of performing illusions to the everyday uneducated bumpkin in exchange for spare change. During his travels in the circus, he had overheard the older carnies and magicians talk of practices from older societies, of grimoires that held the key to power, the ability to control the very weave of reality. He had replaced his hobby of illusion and tarot divination with a true devotion to uncovering the secrets of the occult and ancient mysticism. It was during this time that he would become associated with the high ranking clerics and priests of the Theosophical Society, and the truth of the stories that had fueled his new found passion, the Lemegeton.

Many phony replicas had been produced in the centuries since its binding, however after tracing down the origins of the grimoires mythology, digging through many crypts only ‘said-to-be’ belonging to obsolete kings, Oscar would uncover the reason as to why the true Lemegeton had never been recovered; the court sorcerers of the dead king had recited a ritual to hide the book away beyond the veil of mortality, within the Other World.

Oscar Zoroaster Diggs was the son of a failed politician, desperate to prove he was better than the hand he was dealt. In the 1870s, he would research the ceremony to cross the planes of reality under the tutelage of his former associates, arrange the proper sacrifices, and hijack an old hot air balloon used for advertising the circus to sail into the arcane vortex ripped into the atmosphere by the ritual.

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Quick sketch based off of the new leaked art for the boys

I NEED FOR GOOD NOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW

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my intro project, ugh i wish i could stick to one idea and feel good about it

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MIGHTY GALINDA!!! RULER OF THE STORM AND CALM!!!! GRANT ME, THY HUMBLE SERVANT, ONE MORE BOON - SPREAD INFINITE DARKNESS OVER THE LAND SO THAT THE VICTIMS OF THIS TYRANT MAY ESCAPE BENEATH IT’S SHELTERING CLOAK

anyways obsessed with Baum’s idea of Glinda as this supreme archsorceress, patron to the other Witches almost, mistress of the spirits.

Also Baum originally came up with “Galinda”, as well as Oscar Diggs being an Irish man, I see you Gregory Maguire…

Definitely fueling some inspiration. I’ve been toying with the idea of what the witches purpose in Oz is, including Mombi as the Witch of the North, and the witch who greets Dorothy being a former student of Glinda/defeater of Mombi

Meanwhile with the entire Faerietale project, it’s so heavily connected to Oz that I feel that trying to build one as distinctly not the other is almost impossible, and ngl it’s so much more fun to just work with the characters I love but give reimagine them to my interpretation.

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The road to Western Oz, where the yellow brick road ends. Another slightly older piece, but it is just so fun to do these lighting and layout studies! So here is the Yellow Brick Road as it starts to peter out on its way to the Cloister of St Glinda and the Vinkus.

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A book inspired Fiyero for commissioner.

I thought exploring his like studious, intelligent, Chieftain of the Arjikis, capable side would be fun but it just makes the scarecrow part so much sadder I think😭😭😭

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“Only bad witches are ugly ‧₊˚ ⋅* ‧₊

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Annabelle, a girl from the Dakota Territories in search of her father and Professor Ambrose Obscura, a scholar of natural theology though disesteemed due to his ironically unnatural practices.

The supreme hoarder of magick, the Grand Magus of Elphame, and his testimonials to “New Magick”, the Automata Sentinel.

Pretty much the result of world-building and workshopping the Land of Oz and its characters/ideas so hard that they began to take on new, yet familiar, forms. I should clarify, even though there is similarity, this is NOT Oz, and ultimately the product of not only my love for it but the paths in creativity it allowed me to explore.

If my small but lovely group of followers would want me to explore their personal lore and backgrounds a bit more, let me know!! Until then…

FAERIETALE

Coming Soon

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone, hope you’re having a great day with family and loved ones yadayadayada okokok now time for the Yulefather’s lore dump

Klaus Kringle, a mortal man raised by the Spirits of Snow, or Frost Elves, after being found as a newborn wrapped in the frozen arms of his parentage, having succumb to the blizzards of the winter. Klaus, using the teachings and knowledge of the Frost Elves, made a hobby of spreading joy and cheer during the frigid winter months when his mortal brethren suffer against the elements, leaving behind essential goods to survive the seasons as well as handcrafted toys to help keep the little ones busy. The day would come, after a long life dedicated to his work, having become beloved by those having been gifted by his good will, the Council of Immortals would convene within the eldritch ceremony to elect Klaus Kringle to rise and join their ranks, to live on forever as a patron of the frozen solstice, the Yulefather.

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i found my ipad…. i’m having concepts of a plan🥸

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Sketchbook Update

Some refreshed ideas for some of the major feminine powers of Oz. I love the idea of Madame Morrible blurring the lines of “Press Secretary” and “War General”.

I’ve been thinking of ways to incorporate Cynthia’s version of Elphie into mine other than personality (which was so good in part 1) but i’ve been struggling to make the jump in facial characteristics because for some reason i’ve headcannoned my version of the Thropps to have Romani like features akin to darker skin, curly hair, etc. Thankfully the multiverse of Oz allows both to coexist.

Random sketches but I’ve been trying to think of how to make Fiyeros tattoos work but i feel they’re too modern looking ? I want them to feel more tribal almost as he is a prince of the Ajikiri nation. Also It feels strange drawing Fiyero without the locs but someone pointed out to me that Maguire had a different meaning for ochre skin color. Still not sure which version of him i like more, he is kinda more twinky with this design which is cute😌

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Keep your feet on the ground when your head's in the clouds.

happy birthday jess @cellphonehippie!!

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The Great and Terrible Humbug of Nebraska

Oscar Zoroaster Diggs was the son of a failed politician, growing up for the first part of his childhood in Omaha, Nebraska during the 1840s. His father was a cowardly humbug, relying upon the blinding greed of others to achieve his goals, however the one thing he was capable of teaching his son was how not to achieve success. Oscar was a dreamer, he saw the potential in his father’s lies, in the stupidity of men in power. From a young age, he knew the only thing he lacked was his own power to put his ideas into action.

The sins of his father would later catch up to the man, as he left Oscar behind without as much as a note before skipping town. The kid would roam for a while, before falling in with a traveling circus having stopped for a rest. It was here that Oscar would find his first home, finding familiarity in the carnie circuit as he got to experience adventure upon the midwestern prairies of the 1850s, and here where he earned his title and act, “the Great and Powerful O.Z., Sorcerer Extraordinaire from Faraway Lands.” Merely a con, he fabricated a story of having learned the Ancient Wisdom from the great crowned mystics and monks from Europe to Asia, using his learned talents for the manipulation of divination cards, sleight of hand, illusion, ventriloquism and mimicry in order to sell his act.

Years would pass, acts would be traded in for others and money would be lost with it, as well as general disinterest as the country closed in upon war. Oscar had grown almost disinterested in the circus, as his dreams of power had regained traction with his age. He tired of performing illusions to the everyday uneducated bumpkin in exchange for spare change. During his travels in the circus, he had overheard the older carnies and magicians talk of practices from older societies, of grimoires that held the key to power, the ability to control the very weave of reality. He had replaced his hobby of illusion and tarot divination with a true devotion to uncovering the secrets of the occult and ancient mysticism. It was during this time that he would become associated with the high ranking clerics and priests of the Theosophical Society, and the truth of the stories that had fueled his new found passion, the Lemegeton.

Many phony replicas had been produced in the centuries since its binding, however after tracing down the origins of the grimoires mythology, digging through many crypts only ‘said-to-be’ belonging to obsolete kings, Oscar would uncover the reason as to why the true Lemegeton had never been recovered; the court sorcerers of the dead king had recited a ritual to hide the book away beyond the veil of mortality, within the Other World.

Oscar Zoroaster Diggs was the son of a failed politician, desperate to prove he was better than the hand he was dealt. In the 1870s, he would research the ceremony to cross the planes of reality under the tutelage of his former associates, arrange the proper sacrifices, and hijack an old hot air balloon used for advertising the circus to sail into the arcane vortex ripped into the atmosphere by the ritual.

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Sketchbook update

I got tired of drawing on my ipad with my finger but I still needed to draw my favorite sapphics ever, Dorothy Gale and Princess Ozma

Definitely not working on a huge au of the Oz lore that these designs may or may not be apart of or anything…🙄

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Prince Fiyero Tigelaar, Champion of the Ajikiri, Prince of the Vinkus.

I wanted to lean more into the books description of the Winkie Prince while also merging him with the musical adaptation, and I think i got a decent attempt at what I was going for but not too sure if I’ve hit the mark just yet. Also some inspiration from the Winkie Guards of the 1939 movie.

In a good universe they would’ve been the best throuple ever… i mean come on, think of what they could do! TOGETHER!!

But alas Glinda must have her delusions of grandeur while Fiyero pretends to be loyal to the Emerald City and its affiliates only to keep them off of Elphaba’s trail, doing such a good job at it that General Omby Amby promotes him to Captain of the Gale Force.

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Dear Old Shiz

Lied on my last post about who’s next and took a detour to finish off the main Elphaba and Galinda designs, having worked backwards chronologically and concluding with their Shiz University attire. Pretty classic “Wicked” looks, at least inspired that way, with Cynthia’s influence on my Elphie design and trying to take a more floral inspiration with Glinda’s.

Sneak Peak at my Fiyero, I desperately needed the book accurate depiction merged with the musical.