#abyssweek

[sweetporing]

20. Baticul - Kimlasca-Lanvaldear

"Welcome to Baticul, the grand capital of the Kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, our home."

[abyssweek]

In lieu of Abyss Week this year, there will a one day Tales of the Abyss event on Lorelei Day, March 14, 2024.

Share your creations (fanart, fanfiction, cosplay, cooking, graphics, videos, whatever you do to celebrate Abyss) using the tag #loreleiday2024 to be featured on this blog.

[daily-rayless]

ABYSSWEEK: DAY ONE -- CONVICTION

A young Largo -- Badaq, the Lion of the Desert -- realizes his life is no longer just about guarding merchants and travelers for money. With the birth of his daughter, he has someone to protect for the rest of his life, from love.

He thanks the Score for this blessing.

[feluka]

I wonder what would've become of Guy had Luke not been brought in place of Asch. I wonder if Guy would've grown to love Asch the same way he loved Luke.

I think of the catharsis of bringing Duke Fabre to justice. I believe Guy is justified in his quest for revenge and I want it for him.

But I think I want it for the Guy who survived Akzeriuth, who has land and a title and connections and support of a foreign nation. Who has friends and some semblance of power and a safe place to take refuge. Who could've easily killed Duke Fabre in Yulia City, but didn't.

But I wonder about kid Guy, the servant. Who would've been executed as a traitor, and he probably wouldn't have cared.

And I know Guy's love for Luke saved Luke, and I have to wonder if it also saved Guy.

[paper-mache-stars]

Abyssweek 6: Grand Cross / redemption / "You've been given a second chance."

The Tower of Rem still messes me up to this day, a very powerful section of the game. Watching Luke rationalize his death as a chance at redemption is always painful to watch play out.

[abyssweek]

Announcing the return of Abyss Week, a fan event celebrating Tales of the Abyss!

The event will take place March 8th through March 14th, 2023.

Any and all fan creations are encouraged: fanfiction, fanart, cosplay, meta, headcanons, graphic edits, YouTube videos... whatever your love for the game inspires!

The prompt theme for this year is unlikely parallels. Feel free to use any or all (or none!) for each daily prompt. The point is to celebrate Tales of the Abyss however you choose.

Any questions? Shoot us an ask or reach out via the @talesofexchanges Discord!

[abyssweek]

Happy Lorelei Day, Tales of the Abyss fans!

The Score recommends celebrating by leaving a comment on a favorite Abyss fanwork or making a post about your favorite Abyss characters or moments.

Please enjoy all of the Abyss Week works for this year, either here on this blog, on our Twitter, or in the AO3 collection. We're going to keep the Abyss love going all year long, so if you wanted to make or post something after today, use #AbyssWeek2023 and we will still reblog it.

May Yulia bless us all.

[abyssweek]

One week until Abyss Week 2023 begins! Who's excited?

[daily-rayless]

ABYSSWEEK: DAY SIX -- SEPARATION

Tear and Asch would have had much to talk about, when it came to Van. The emotional reliance of being raised and inspired by him, of being set apart and valued by him, and then the personal coercion each must have inflicted on themselves in order to resist him. The mindsets they forced themselves into in order to become his enemies, a separation not only from him but from their past selves.

But I don’t think it’s surprising that neither ever did speak of it to the other. 

[daily-rayless]

ABYSSWEEK: DAY TWO -- KNOWLEDGE

Luke: I’m a coward.

Jade: No. That part of you is something I lack. I...still can’t really grasp what it means for people to die.

One of my favorite Jade scenes, particularly because it’s one of the few times he genuinely admits to anything, let alone that he doesn’t understand something his younger friends take for granted.

I like to think that over the course of the game, Jade does come to understand it. All of the extraneous theories and schemes and snide remarks fall away and he finally sees more clearly. Perhaps that’s why the game lingers on him in the epilogue.

I decided to leave it ambiguous whose grave it could be.

[daily-rayless]

ABYSSWEEK: DAY SEVEN -- FREE DAY

Yulia and Van, those who spoke with Lorelei.

[daily-rayless]

ABYSSWEEK: DAY FOUR -- LOYALTY

Is it love if it was destiny?

Is it loyalty if you’re loyal because the planet remembers that you were?

[daily-rayless]

ABYSSWEEK: DAY FOUR -- ADRIFT

No less than anyone else on Hod, Guy found himself cast out in the turbulent water, broken apart by destructive waves.

[daily-rayless]

ABYSSWEEK: DAY THREE -- NOSTALGIA

Natalia and Dist, preoccupied with thoughts of childhood, of a past that seems so much happier than whatever the future could hold.

[daily-rayless]

2022 art summary

Daradi from Horizon Zero Dawn / Asch and Natalia from Tales of the Abyss / Yew and Eider from The Price and Prey of Magic

2022′s been a rough year in some ways, but also one where I felt I accomplished a lot personally. And art was a big part of that. I opened the year working very hard on Found for Abyssweek, my first attempt in years at doing a semi-long fancomic. As with most people, there’s always a decent chance I’ll give up at the outset of a difficult project, but I’m so pleased I saw it through. Following that, I did my cover for The Price and Prey of Magic, which feels like the most important art project I’ve ever done. I’m still proud that I managed to draw something I felt deserved to be on the cover of a book.

my lowland nyala dragon / Red from Transistor in the style of Jules Cheret / Tear Grants from my Abyss-Horizon crossover

Another thing that sets this year apart is I started working with brown paper, giving those pictures a warmer, earthier feel. The Abyss-Horizon crossover stretched me creatively, trying to blend two very different game styles as I redesigned the characters.

Arleda from The Price and Prey of Magic / The Wind Woman and Emily Byrd Starr from Emily of New Moon / Natalia and Asch as Death and the Maiden

I also continued to play around with dense repeating shapes and, often, stippling -- an exercise that’s so annoying to do, but which I keep doing.

Pearlin Jean / green girl with cats / Red as an angel

The Pearlin Jean portrait shows the fruit of all my playing around with colored pencils on brown paper; I think it allowed me to better understand shape and structure, which made drawing on black paper (creating shape with light rather than shadow) easier. I did a lot of short projects this year, pictures done in one sitting. But I was also patient, taking several days to work on most of these pictured here. I think it paid off.

And of course thank you to all of you, people who follow me, people who just drop by briefly, people who’ve known me for years, people who’ve just found me -- your words and likes and reblogs have been hugely encouraging.

I hope 2023 is good for all of us.

[paper-mache-stars]

Abyssweek Day 5: Judgment / blame / "It's not my fault!"

Thinking about the two kids who have a lot of burden on their shoulders...