spikulec

[spikulec]

Yeah I play

D&D

D-Coming to terms with a part of yourself and exploring weird parts of your personality while your friend pretends to be a goblin

&

D-Dice hoarding

[spikulec]

Banshees, known as graveyard or autumn ylfe, roam the world with their faces covered, so that other creatures cannot see their true, terrifying visage. Despite belonging to the banished kind of the dark ylfe, they sometimes still get invited to the Luminous Courts, though their somber appearance does not win them many companions. Banshees' behavior resembles that of mourners. It is not known what exactly (if anything) the fallen ladies and lords grieve for. Old legends say that they yearn for the Light and Feywild, that once were home to their kind. According to local beliefs in Gaol, Banshees appear where a mortal will soon die, mourning their loss to the world.

Most Banshees maintain a cool composure regardless of the situation. They usually speak in a hushed voice, or in a whisper that seems to chill listeners to the bone. They weave autumn leaves, raven feathers, or the torn wings of small fey into their hair, creating incredibly beautiful decorations that help keep their veils in place. Their kind often helps mortals, instead of harming them, unlike most other Unseelie. Banshees are not prone to violence, but when threatened, they are not afraid to reveal their faces. In an instant, they release all their pain and melancholy, destroying anyone who dares to come too close. Brutality brings them no joy - deep within their souls, Banshees have retained a small sliver of Light, and they cling to it desperately with all their might. Despite their fall, the hope for a better tomorrow is stronger than the deepest melancholy.

Creature Type: Humanoid, Unseelie Ylfe Size: Medium (~250 cm | ~8.2 feet) Age: Once they reach adulthood, Banshees cease to age. Like all the Ylfe, their species can live forever if no major harm befalls them. Diet: Everything Characteristics: Six eyes, pointy ears, their wings grow from hips and form a natural dress. Banshees are visually based on mantises

Ability Score Increase: +2/+1 Any (by Tasha’s Rules) or +2 Wis/+1 Int (By Classic Rules). Ignore this point for ‘24 Rules.

Whisper of Magic: Banshees understand the arcane nature of magic better than any other creatures, and can shape the world around them with its help. You may choose two 1st-level Conjuration spells (suggested: Unseen Servant/Entangle). Your casting stat is (your choice) Wisdom, Charisma, or Intelligence. You can cast your chosen spells once per Long Rest without using up spell slots or material components. Slow Fall: Banshees have a limited ability to fly, aided by their wings, which normally fold in like an ornate gown at their waist. As a reaction to falling down, you can unfold the wings to slow your descent. Your falling down rate of descent slows to 60 feet per round. You take no fall damage upon landing, touching the ground with unearthly grace.

True Face: Banshees conceal their faces with their hands, veils, fans, or other means. Revealing their True Face to the world unleashes their power and floods enemies with an aura of overwhelming sorrow and melancholy. As a bonus action, you can transition from the Form of Tranquility (your base state) to the Form of Despair. Each state grants different abilities and benefits

Form of Tranquility. This is the base state of every Banshee, during which they gain the following abilities:

Phasing. You can phase through reality like a ghost, passing through any creature or object as if they were difficult terrain. If you end your turn inside another creature or object, you take 1d10 Force damage and are knocked to the nearest empty space. Detect the Dying. By spending 1 minute (10 full turns), you can detect the presence of any dying creature within range (proficiency score x 50 feet). If you successfully detect a dying creature, you learn the cause of the impending death (e.g. disease, poison, curse).

Form of Despair. This form can be activated using a Bonus Action. Immediately upon taking it, you gain Temporary HP equal to your character level. When you lose all Temporary HP, Despair Form ends and you return to the Form of Tranquility. Additionally, during the Form of Despair,  you gain the following abilities:

Creepy Flight: You have a flying speed equal to your walking speed. You can’t use flying speed if you’re wearing medium or heavy armor. Wail: While in Form of Despair, at the end of each of your turns, you lose 1 Temporary HP and let out a sob, dealing Thunder or Psychic damage (your choice) to each creature within 5 feet of you. The amount of damage is [half your character's Proficiency Bonus rounded down x d4 + Proficiency Bonus]

You can activate the Form of Despair willingly  a number of times equal to half your Proficiency Bonus (rounded down). All expanded uses are regained after a long rest. 

Vengeance: If anyone attempts to reveal your face by force, for example by physically tearing off your veil, the Form of Despair is automatically activated and a nightmarish howl is directed at the attacker, draining all Temporary HP at once and dealing [Character Level x d4] Thunder or Psychic damage (your choice). You can use this ability once per Long Rest.  --

On the top of their species’ traits, each creature with the Unseelie type, also receives all of the following abilities and irremovable curses: Dark Materials: Ylfe are not native to our world and have a natural aversion to metal. Under no circumstances can they willingly come into physical contact with any object made of this material. If a metallic object touches flesh of the Ylfe, they immediately become Frightened of it and remain so, until the physical contact with metal stops Shade Dependency: The Unseelie have been cursed and cannot tolerate prolonged contact with light. For each 12 hours spent in direct bright light or in the Feywild, you gain 1 Exhaustion Point. Yet, you cannot get lost in Shadowfel without a direct magical influence. You do not suffer any negative consequences from Dark Materials or Shade Dependency while in this plane. Evil Eye. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Shadow Realm: You can expand your mind to connect with your home realm, the Shadowfel. By spending one 1 minute concentrating, you can sense other Unseelies, and all the creatures/objects from the Shadowfel within a 100ft (~30 meters) radius.  You can use this ability the number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.

[spikulec]

A second Spriggan with the species abilities:

Creature Type: Humanoid, Seelie Ylfe Size: Medium (~260 cm | ~8.5 feet) Age: Once they reach adulthood, Spriggan cease to age. Like all the Ylfe, their species can live forever if no major harm befalls them. Diet: Plant-based. Common Appearance: Heavy chitinous carapace shell (with wings hidden inside). Many Spriggan have horns and/or antennae. Spriggan are visually based on beetles

Ability Score Increase: +2/+1 Any (by Tasha’s Rules) or +2 Wis/+1 Con (By Classic Rules). Ignore this point for ‘24 Rules.

Heavy Flight: Short, insectile wings allow you to perform heavy flight over short distances. You gain a flight speed equal to your walking speed. However, your flight produces a low, vibrating sound that can be heard clearly within 100 feet from you, and faintly heard out from another 100 feet. The flight speed has no effect if you are wearing heavy armor. They may, however, wear medium armour. Chitinous Armor: You have +1 to AC regardless of the armor type you are wearing Carved Sigils: You choose a hard flat surface no larger than 1x1 feet, for example a rock, a wall, your shell. Spending 1 minute/10 full turns, you can carve a sign that is readable only by the creature type of your choice (ylfe, humans, townsfolk). The sign can contain a message of up to 10 words and contains emotional charge of your choice. Regardless of where you are, you know your approximate location relative to the sign. The marking is visible to all the creatures with eyes and/or sensitive to magic. It can easily be removed or destroyed. If it gets destroyed, the message can no longer be read and you can’t navigate towards it. Green Warden: As an action, you can detect the presence of any plant or fungus within range (proficiency score x 10 squares). The plant has to be alive and healthy. Upon casting the ability, you learn the location and the approximate amount of plants within range. When you consume a fragment of such a plant, you can see what has been happening in its vicinity for the past hour, as if you were standing in its place. Faerie’s Circle: By spending 10 minutes, you carve a magic circle into the ground. The area can’t be larger than 10 feet radius, but no smaller than 5x5 feet. As soon as you finish, the edges of the carving immediately overgrow with mushrooms, flowers, or any other type of plant of your choice. Regardless of the form, the circle visually stands out from its surroundings, emanating a magical aura and lasting for the next 7 days. If any creature (except for Beasts, who are immune) enters the circle, it must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spellcasting DC, or (8 + Proficiency + Cha/Int/Wis) if you wield no magic. On a failed save, the unfortunate being immediately gets lost for 24 hours. Your target:

Cannot point out directions, even with a map or compass 

Makes all Survival checks with disadvantage 

Cannot memorize new landmarks. 

If they try to recognize a road, place, or landmark they have seen before, they have to make a History check with disadvantage 

If they start a journey while affected by the power of your circle, they move in a random direction, mistakenly convinced that they know the right way

Every Spriggan also gains following traits from Seelie creature type:

Dark Materials: Ylfe are not native to our world and have a natural aversion to metal. Under no circumstances can they willingly come into physical contact with any object made of this material. If a metallic object touches flesh of the Ylfe, they immediately become Frightened of it and remain so, until the physical contact with metal stops Creeping Shadow: The Seelie fear the shadows, and if they are in absolute darkness for too long, their body and mind begin to suffer. For each six hours spent in total darkness or in the Shadowfell, you gain 1 Exhaustion Point. Yet, you cannot get lost in Feywild without a direct magical influence. You do not suffer any negative consequences from Dark Materials or Creeping Shadow while in this plane. Light of the Paths: Every Seelie learns the Light cantrip and can cast it without material components, summoning a light that lasts for 24 hours, even if the caster becomes unconscious. Luminous Court: You can expand your mind to connect with your home realm, the Feywild. By spending one 1 minute concentrating, you can sense other Seelies, and all the creatures/objects from the Feywild within a 100ft (~30 meters) radius. You can use this ability the number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. 

[spikulec]

Hello! Here's another project I've painted recently. This is a Spriggan, another one of the bugelves for my personal dnd setting Spriggan are knights of the invisible kingdom of Ylfe, with a highly hierarchical caste and titles such as masters, lords, and squires. Their hard armor is often dented from many battles they've survived. Only very young Seelie of their kind, who are very rarely encountered, do not have skin covered with scars and mysterious drawings. Immature Spriggan accompany more experienced warriors on their journeys, traveling in pairs or threes through the forest of Gaol. While they are not naturally loud or daring, it is immediately apparent that the squires yearn to impress their master at every turn. Spriggan are the heroes of many songs, hunting down those who thoughtlessly destroy the forest or act dishonorably. Sometimes they appear out of nowhere to guide the lost through treacherous swamps or mountaintops... for a disturbingly strange price, of course. Spriggan often make deals in exchange for their protection, desiring odd things, such as a rose from the garden, someone's singing voice, or even a firstborn child. The Spriggan hold to their own codes of honor, though the details are a secret to anyone but the Ylfe themselves. These are certainly not morally pure principles, as the offended Spriggan knights will not hesitate to brand an enemy with powerful curses that can cling to the foe's family for generations. It is said that the passage of the Spriggan, who march between our world and the Feywild, can be recognized by the presence of mushroom and plant circles. Woe to anyone who follows the green knights, as a person lost in the invisible world can get trapped there for eternity.

The Spriggan were heavily inspired by the legend of the green knight

[spikulec]

Ao

Hi! Today I bring you a piece of my project i SOMEHOW manage to recover after my C drive basically exploded. I didn't remember I had a copy of this concept saved in my backup drive, and when I found it yesterday I was more than happy! An hour was enough to give this guy a little polish and here they are! Look at them, such a happy face :3 They are based on locust and I really aimed to make them kind of uncanny . So, this is Ao, once a noble creature, today a shadow of its former self. Ao are technically elves, though nothing of the beauty and glory remained in their flesh. This drawing shows what happens to an elf if they walk to deep into the shadows, hungry for power and survival. . Ao form large flocks, haunting the human realm like a plague. They eat everything and I mean it, EVERYTHING. If there is no more food to be found, they begin to fight and devour each other. You rarely can find an Ao without bite marks on their wings and flesh. To the mortals, they are one of the most nightmarish things you can imagine. Even a severally wounded Ao will still try to feast, and once it bites onto something, it never lets go, even after its demise. Ao move in a shaking, unstable motion, often colliding with trees and ground. They tent to mumble and chuckle instead of speaking, and when they are agitated, they scream in an uncannily human voice. . In contrast to my other concepts for the setting, this is not a playable species, but rather a monster that players may face in the lands of Gaol. I hope you like them!

[spikulec]

Ravi - Isopod People

Today I bring you a trip down the memory lane. This is the first species I've ever designed, for completely different private fan-project that I finally abandoned as I lost my love for the source material. Now, after a few years, I decided to revisit them and redesign my favourite isopod people - the Ravi. So, have yourself another creature for my DnD 5e setting! Meet Tsaan (the smaller one) and Ari, her friend.

Ravi come from the north of Gaol, tho you can meet them living in the all northern lands of Io. Their people are extremely sturdy and prepared to fight any weather, from freezing cold to magical thunderstorms and even volcanic activity. In the worst of circumstances, they expand their exoskeleton, creating a pupa in which they can hibernate for long months without food or air. Once the conditions are clearer, Ravi can emerge out of the cocoon and begin life anew as if nothing wrong ever happened. .Ravis' bodies are naturally armed with a thick layer of segmented carapace, resembling the one found on isopods. If you were to touch their "hair" it would be like poking an earth worm. Those long "braids" are fully capable of movement and serve as temperature regulation system. They expel excess heat or isolate the head from freezing cold. In other words, Ravi have natural hats :3

Ravi rarely settle down. Their people are wanderers, always looking for a better place to live. They migrate with the weather, visiting Gaol every four years, when the north completely freezes down. They are also respected as warriors, hunting both for animals and for the Ylfe. the best of warriors wear winter coats made from Pookas, the terrifying winter spiders. Traditionally in their culture, Ravi wear belts with strings attached to them. Every knot on a string means another Great Winter survived, marking four years in the life of a Ravi.

[spikulec]

So, here's another concept for Gaol! Once a year, on warm summer nights, the Gancanagh gather at the great lakes of the Gaol to have a meeting, for a purpose known only to themselves. The crowds of people follow them carefully, watching from afar so as not to offend the Ylfe. When the dawn begins, all the Seelie return to their court one by one, leaving behind only the blooming water lilies. Gancanagh delight in carefree fun. Their passion is performance, music, costumes and lavish balls - they sometimes leave Feywild to seek entertainment among mortals. Gancanag's speech and movements are said to be hypnotizing and seductive. It is no wonder that many people from the forests of Gaol have disappeared trying to dance with faeries. Older women in the villages scare young girls that those who experience the charm of Gancanags shall never find happiness with a mortal, spending the rest of their lives in unsatisfied longing.

[spikulec]

So, today I bring you another Pooka, now called Nalka, to compliment Reid, the first Pooka I painted a few days ago. They are representing a whole Pooka species, and they are going to be used in a setting guide I'm writing for my players (and also for you as well, if you'd be interested in reading that) This setting contains several different types of bug elves, and here with Pooka I'm exploring the idea of a spider elf . Together with Nalka's character design and general concept art, I also prepared some "menacing" poses, showing all the arms extended. Pookas generally stay unseen with a help of a very nasty form of camouflage. When somebody notices them, they INSTANTLY go into a "big mean spooder" mode. They puff up, rise the legs and try to look as threatening as possible, hoping you'll get the heck away from them. Most people do (wonder why?) . That nasty form of camouflage I mentioned is called "a flesh puppet". Pookas use the remains of their devoured victims combined with web to make a creepily looking humanoid "dolls". They manipulate them using web strings, to make them walk, move and perform simple tasks. Natural magic of Pookas make people who see this grotesque performance believe that they are looking at real human beings. A group of Pookas can animate a small village, with "citizens" helping to conceal their lair. And if a curious traveller starts poking around, they may soon join the army of puppets

[spikulec]

Reid the Pooka tries to look threatening, with all his four back-arms up in the air This is a defensive pose, Pookas are usually pretty chill and don't do THAT

[spikulec]

I may be changing this design a little, but here's the first anatomical practice of Pooka. I added a second one, to show some variety in the design I will work on these two some more, to maybe show "angry" versions as well

[spikulec]

First of two reffsheets for a Pooka, a spider-themed bug elf for my setting (with a WIP name of Io). In universe they are so rare they are basically considered a cryptid. I wanted to give them a slightly undead look, and two modes, "calm" and "angry" with more prominent spider features People in Gaol associate spiders with winter, as they believe invisible Pookas paint the windows and lakes with their frosty web

Pookas are heralds of upcoming cold, traveling to Gaol from far north every twelve months. They are lone and mysterious, hiding their faces from the common folk, often using illusions and dark magic to twist the senses of those who dare to approach them

[spikulec]

First VERY rough sketch of a Pooka, the second most creepy of my bug elves. This buddy is based on a spider. In this setting spiders are heavily associated with winter, as their web makes the frost and snow

Pookas' abilities concentrate on hiding their creepy looks behind a human puppet they manipulate, in order to convince bystanders that everything is all right. They can also climb walls, because why not :3

[spikulec]

This is a concept art of Lin'aia'en'da, (Enda for most people). He's a rich trader coming from Gaol, the free forests of the north. He's one an important member of the Magpies, a group of smugglers who specialize in stealing weapons, medications and technology directly from the Empire. The Magpies are despised by almost everyone - their prices are high, and they prefer to hoard goods instead of helping the people of Gaol or the resistance against the Empire. Yet, in times of need, there's no one else to go to but the Magpies, and if you have coin, you will get what you want. It's just a matter of price. . Magpies (and other smugglers) are one of the character backgrounds I'm preparing for my players :3

[spikulec]

Character design showing the Ylfe species from my dnd setting. This particular character is Arlen, who acts as an advisor to the leader of the rebellion. Arlen is a powerful mage and an NPC my players may meet on their way :3

About the Ylfe Ylfe are near immortal beings and can live for centuries if undisturbed. Legends say they do not come from this world, but from one really close to our own. Once their kingdom spanned half the Io and even beyond it, but then a tragedy struck and Ylfe became tragically sick. Till this day a chance of a new Ylfe being born is close to zero. Only about 300 Ylfe survived to this day. Their presence is so rare, that the commonfolk may become frightened at the sight of old lord and ladies.

Some trivia

- Ylfe come with three variations: male, female and yes

- "Yes" is the most attractive and common option

- They can fly - To create your own ylfe, simply pick your fav moth or butterfly and then make them loooong

- Ylfe have eyes - they are on the forehead and the antennae. The spots on wings are fake

[spikulec]

This is Ario, a member of a species called Verdin. Verdin are human-sized species, tho they tend to be slimmer and less muscular than men. Their skin is green, gray or yellow-ish, sometimes covered in stripes. The most characteristic things about Verdin are their leaf-shaped ears and VERY pointy teeth. Verdins' preferable food is bugs, and they use those to bite through the rough shells. . Verdin are one of the two most normal-looking original species in the whole setting, crafted for those of my players, who do not want to play anything too outlandish. At first I based them on the wood elves, hence the color, but then (as with everything in this project) I moved away from the idea and ended up with Verdin . Ario is a cynical, dry man, who spends his time patrolling the borders between Gaol and the Empire. He collects bounties in the Gaol villages, living from job to job. Once he sets his mind on a task, he cannot be turned away from his target. People say that even death can't stop the lone rider from pursuing his hunt. Ario bears many scars from his previous encounters, and each one tells a story of a opponent who tried taking him down.

[spikulec]

Today I started working on the abilities of the karkana, who basically are milipide elves. In contrast to most of the other elves, karkana are short living, like humans. True elves in the setting can live for centuries

The main idea for the abilities of the karkana is SPEED. I want them to be FAST. And I have no excuse.

[spikulec]

I may try and use this place as a sole space to babble about the lore for my dnd project. Who knows. I like babbling, so it may work :V