#yevaud

[soranatus]

A Wizard of Earthsea — A visual development portfolio project by Nicole Janér (x).

[metacarpus]

later Earthsea dragons as angelic figures: 'I do not care what comes after; I have seen the dragons on the wind of morning.'

sexless, terribly beautiful beings of fire heralding a new world.

but angels without a God: indifferent, wholly other, serving none and being served by none. unchristian angels?

[the-emerald-wyrm]

Meet Yevaud- my newest dragon figurine. Found at Michael’s, named after the dragon from A Wizard of Earthsea.

[2rat2touille]

and Stephen McKinley Henderson as Yevaud

[wordchanter]

4 Random Deities

Yevaud the draconic demigod of sunrises, harvesting, fire and pottery. They are associated with jaspers. Followers of Yevaud are burdened by the ability to understand any language.

Bryagol the draconic lesser deity of hunting, theives and monarchs. They are associated with leopards and opals, obsidians, and beryls.

Monomono the turtlekin goddess of monarchs, the ground, pottery and hunting. They are associated with the color citrine; onyxs; and wolves and dogs. They require that followers are servants or weaponsmithes and expect to receive worship several times throughout the day. Followers of Monomono are granted the ability to levitate.

Razzikla the goblin lesser deity of beggars, spring and sunrises. They are associated with lemmings and the color taupe. They require that followers keep a beaver as a pet and expect their followers to be weaponsmithes or fishers. Followers of Razzikla are burdened by the ability to turn into mist.

[benrische]

Yevaud, the dragon of Pendor

Happy Thursday everyone! So I have been working Yevaud for a bit and I am pretty happy with how he turned out. I am preparing to animate some scenes from the Dragon of Pendor chapter in Earthsea and am super excited to start moving this guy. I am going to try and finish up my other character designs first before then so stay tuned! 

[jiubilant]

want you all to read earthsea and not just so you recognize all the little nods to it i've been sneaking into my writing

[nedesem]

[kampfkewob]

My finished painting of Yevaud, the dragon of Pendor from the Earthsea saga. I actually think, he wasn’t golden, but I like golden stuff and it fits the picture :> It was great fun drawing a dragon again, which isn’t as anthropomorphic as the usual stuff I get commissioned for.

I put the steps up here aswell (will delete the original posts tho).

Earthsea was and still is one of my favourite book series, because it has no epic fantasy war going on (this gets old tbh), I like the overall travelling theme - especially travelling the sea - the ‘magic system’ and the dragons (willing to do Kalessin aswell, the scene of him sitting in the mist after they had beaten Cob).

[petermorwood]

I’ve just finished giving the “Song of Ice and Fire” books another chance, and I think I’ve finally got a handle on the main reason why I can’t get into them the way millions of others have done.

To me, they’re monotonous - mono-tone.

That’s not a comment on being long-winded - after all, they’re a big, sprawling epic fantasy. It’s because it seems to this reader that everything and everyone are variations of a tune played on one string: the world and everyone in it are grim, or ugly, or cruel, or devious, or just doom-laden and depressing.

These are five thick volumes which carefully describe, from different points of view, manure heaps big and small, ancient and modern, foreign and domestic. Yet - unless I blinked and missed it - they don’t spare a single chapter that breaks away from grimdark gloom to take non-cynical pleasure in anything, even the crops and flowers those manure-heaps should help to grow.

Well before I reached the end, it had started to feel as if heaping manure was an end in itself.

And then there’s Tyrion saying this:

“Most of the stories you hear about dragons are fodder for fools. Talking dragons, dragons hoarding gold and gems, dragons with four legs and bellies big as elephants, dragons riddling with sphinxes … nonsense, all of it.”

It’s always worth remembering that The Character’s Opinions Are Not (usually) The Author’s Opinions, but this raised my hackles.

It seems deliberately aimed at Smaug and Glaurung and Chrysophylax, Yevaud and Kalessin and Orm Embar, Hasai, Morkeleb, the witty “real dragon biology” of Peter Dickinson’s “The Flight of Dragons”, a long list of other fictional dragons and every writer who created one.

Cheap shot. Bad show, I think.

*****

ASOIAF is supposedly based on the Wars of the Roses (York / Lancaster = Stark / Lannister) but I’m familiar enough with them to regard the unremitting Westeros brutality as far closer to the Thirty Years War (1618-48) which ravaged central Europe and left the German states in such disrepair that several still hadn’t fully recovered when the country unified in 1870.

ETA: @tartapplesauce points out the 12th-century civil war so savage it’s still called “The Anarchy” (I did some work on a TV show about it called “Pillars of the Earth”). Its principals are Stephen, Henry I’s nephew vs Matilda, Henry I’s daughter.  Renly / Robb vs Cersei? Close enough.

Certainly it’s the basis for “The Dance of Dragons” sequence in “Fire & Blood”, yet another GRRM fantasy where grimdark crapsack situations take precedence over everything else. That’s now being produced for TV as “The House of Dragons”, and with luck the original material might get lightened up a bit.

Contemporary chronicles called The Anarchy “a time when Christ and His saints slept.” Check out “Knight in Anarchy” © 1969 by George Shipway, a novel of non-fantasy historical grimdark, highly recommended because of good storytelling and because its brevity (just 250 pages in my paperback version) means it’s less unremittingly, depressingly bleak than Ice and Fire.

*****

By contrast, the period correspondence known as the Paston Letters show that right through the Wars of the Roses, at least one wellborn Lancaster-backing family was more concerned with land sales, wool shipments, litigation and the doings of sons at university than any fear of being Rains-of-Castamered for being Lancaster supporters if York seized the throne.

Instead, though Yorkist monarchs including even (gasp, tremble) Richard III DID seize the throne, and ruled England from 1461 to 1485 with just a brief Lancaster blip from October 1470 to April 1471, nothing Westeros-like ever happened to the Pastons. Instead they went on to flourish under the Tudors.

*****

There was a steady increase in treachery, turncoating, backstabbing and tit-for-tat take-no-prisoners action as the Rose Wars progressed (no war is more uncivil than a civil war) but IMO just one man really mirrored what seems to be standard behaviour in ASOIAF.

John Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester and High Constable of England, was a highly educated, deeply ruthless man who became infamous for “cruelly” impaling the corpses of beheaded traitors.

His enemies nicknamed him “The Butcher”, which is a bit unfair since the standard (non-cruel?) practice with traitors was to hang their quartered bodies up on hooks at places associated with them, and display their heads on pikes, usually above London Bridge - very few period illustrations of that structure lack a cluster of lines-and-dots silhouetted against the sky at one end.

That’s just as butcher-like, but since it was the “proper” way of doing things, it was acceptable. A charge of cruelty would have been far more justified if he’d followed Vlad III Drakulya’s practice of impaling people while still alive. But he didn’t.

Tiptoft was eventually executed himself, and paid his headsman to do the job in three chops to honour the Holy Trinity.

He was a strange, strange man.

*****

GRRM’s oft-quoted comment about “The Lord of the Rings” includes:

“What was Aragorn’s tax policy? Did he pursue a policy of systematic genocide against the orcs and kill them, even the little baby orcs in their little orc cradles?”

That’s something very few of GRRM’s own characters would have any hesitation about doing, and far too many of them would secretly - or openly - enjoy it.

Aragorn’s tax policy is irrelevant to the story.

Aragorn’s orc policy is irrelevant to the story.

As summarised by its full title from the Red Book of Westmarch - “The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings and the Return of the King” - when Sam returns from the Grey Havens to Bag End and says “Well, I’m back”, the story is complete.

Unlike ASOIAF, which isn’t.

*****

In any case, Tolkien’s own writing indicates that orcs were unlikely to be a long-term problem. When Sauron is destroyed his human supporters throw down their weapons, but orcs and trolls kill themselves or flee into hiding with no suggestion that they’ll ever come out again. 

There’s an implication that without a superior will to control them, and a higher purpose or common enemy as a focus, their innate aggression will ultimately lead to them wiping themselves out - or declining into scattered gangs of brigands whose mutual hatred will prevent them from ever organising again, while the gangs whittle themselves into oblivion through internal strife.

Tolkien gives examples of how orcs interact even before Sauron’s defeat.

 Despite their shared higher purpose of capturing halflings and the imminent threat of a common enemy (the Rohirrim) Uglúk and Grishnákh and their supporters are constantly exchanging threats and insults and occasionally killing each other.

Despite their shared higher purpose of guarding Minas Morgul and Cirith Ungol against the common enemy of suspected enemy spies (Frodo and Sam), and even though they speculate about running away from the Big Bosses and turning brigand, Shagrat and Gorbag and their supporters are soon slaughtering each other over Frodo’s mithril shirt.

Despite their shared higher purpose of hunting down a common enemy - the intruders they’re trailing, Frodo and Sam again - the tracker orc in Mordor shoots his companion Uruk after a threat to report him to one of the Nazgûl for desertion.

“Orcs have always behaved like that, or so all tales say, when they are on their own.”

So says Frodo.

If that’s the case - or if orcs, as corrupted elves, will fade away as the uncorrupted ones have done - then all Aragorn needs to do is wait...

*****

Whatever his other policies might have been, from absolute autocracy to benign feudal neglect, they have to be better than the standard Westeros policy shared by nearly everyone in power, which is to rapeslaughter everyone and burnpillage their goods without pausing to wonder who’ll be left alive to bring in this harvest (or any unburnt, unpillaged bits, anyway) never mind plant the next one.

Because where Westeros is concerned they’d better do that quickly, because Winter Is Coming.

Or worse.

[soranatus]

The Earthsea Cycle by Goran Gligović

[gedthegeek]

Earthsea Deserves Better

WARNING: A RANT

The new trailer for The Rings of Power has recently been released. As awestruck as I was watching the trailer, I can’t help but be reminded of my frustration on just how underappreciated Earthsea is and the kind of "justice" it has received throughout the years.

The rich and magnificent world-building of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea certainly deserves a grandiose depiction in mainstream media as that of JRR Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and CS Lewis’ 'The Chronicles of Narnia’ (no, I won't count the Sci-FI miniseries and Studio Ghibli adaptation of 'Tales from Earthsea' as canon; nor did Ursula). And not only did its stupenduously written plot make it deserving of a big break, but also because the saga has been a pioneer in a lot of controversial aspects of our society and continues to slay in its own way to date.

Introduced in 1968, the Earthsea saga has since been breaking stereotypes and deviating norms by having women and characters of color become the blood, heart, and soul of the story–a notorious trademark of Le Guin. Ursula even had to fight publishers to make sure Ged was depicted as copper-brown skinned in the covers as he was described in the books.

Not to mention the only pale skinned people in the whole archipelago were the Kargs and their far descendants that migrated west 2,000 years ago during the dark times, the Osskilians. And they were decribed in the first book as "savage people, white-skinned, yellow-haired, and fierce, liking the sight of blood and the smell of burning towns"--in short, barbarians. If this is not Ursula-level savagery, I don't know what is.

Another thing is that the Great House of Roke from A Wizard of Earthsea, if not one of, certainly is the original, the finest, and the best of the wizarding schools that has ever been introduced in all of history. It has undeniably become a beacon of inspiration for contemporary wizarding schools such as JK Rowling's Hogwarts.

I could go on and name a thousand other reasons for people to read and love Earthsea, but that is all–I can't do anything else but hopelessly rant about a book series that is severely underappreciated and plead of how deserving it is for a shot at redemption. I could only ramble about my desperation to see the epicness of this saga come to life.

Oh, how I long of the chance to gaze upon Erreth-Akbe’s sword atop the highest tower of Havnor!

I would die just to have a glimpse of the golden roofs of Berila, the orchards of Enlad in spring, and the towering height and ice caps of Mount Gont.

I am forever tormented by the fact that I’ll never get to see Ged confront his shadow, defeat the Old Powers that plagued the Tombs of Atuan, and his epic standoff with the old Dragon of Pendor, Yevaud.

My soul would forever lament and bear the agony of never witnessing King Lebannen’s journey with Ged to Selidor, their return from the death’s realm, and his coronation as the first king of Earthsea in 800 years after the reign of and as prophesied by his predecessor, King Maharion.

I'd want to explore and see other stories and events that shaped the archipelago, like the tragic fate of Morred and Elfarran and how the island of Soléa sank; the founding of the Great House and how Roke was tauted the 'Isle of the Wise'. I wanna see how prosperous Earthsea was during the rule of the 14 Kings of Havnor. I'm desperate to hear how the rendition of the Creation of Éa would sound and how epic it would look as it's played in the Long Dance, and sooo much more!

Earthsea deserves better.

Ursula K. Le-Guin deserved better.

[ravenkroftwizard]

Ged defeating the dragon Yevaud by revealing his name

(I rarely draw buildings and backgrounds and the more I look at that castle the more I hate it gah)

support my work on ko-fi!

[sanzuqu]

high hopes

( 乌鸫 ) — The final deliberations come sooner than he expects. Though, he expects it is because of no shortage of folly as the last days of their assignment creep upon them. Dead end leads to another dead end. False leads, temporary hopes that the situation may change. There was more time wasted in trying to appease the mages of this desert land and only briefly do his thoughts flicker to the dark mage that follows, followed behind the old tactician like a shadow. Appeasing the mages, trying to capture the damned beast. None of those responsibilities were his.

The lot of them had tried to play nice. Now, the others tired of waiting. They would take the battle to Leto, whether she perished or was captured by their hand would be left to the fates. He couldn't care less either way. Still, their plan is flawed. There's too many variables, too much left to chance. All of it hinges on the implication that he could get her to give the chase without the beast fleeing outright.

The entire plan is flimsy. Contrived at best, but he can offer no other suggestion. They had little to work with. Precious less to confirm what was true and what was false and the overgrown lizard that calls itself Yevaud provided less help. ( He was not interested in this hunt. Happy to answer questions, but never to provide straightforward answers. ) But, Morfis grew impatient with them. As did the church as they return queries with no more answers than they had before. No more solutions than they had before.

In the end, all that he was tasked with was making sure that the beast came, followed, died in the catacombs. Exactly, in that order. He is not asked to think.

The wind picks up and the sand swirls beneath his feet, dyed red with the blood, with the strains of a hunted quarry strewn about their feet. ( What a waste, he thinks, to be using what they had so dutifully hunted as precious little more than a lure for the serpent. ) It's luck. Sheer, unbridled luck that he spies the serpent coiling, unfurling in the skies at the edge of the island where they had seen it last. Wounded from her previous altercation with Yevaud, but a stubborn enough of a creature that it has not yet fallen.

His hand is already at his sword but does not draw it. It would serve them no purpose yet. Instead, he turns toward the archer that accompanies him against his better wishes — "Mozu." He murmurs in a soft voice, hesitant to speak any louder at the risk of drawing any more of its attention than they need. "Send the signal."

No sooner does the flare go up that there is a wail, a scream and it is neither of their own.

@ team leto!

[theofficersacademy]

Continental winds from the north take up their arms as the long daylight hours wane, and drive out the last of summer’s oppressive heat. As cooler air follows behind, signs of the vibrant harvest season bloom across Fodlan. Hunting dogs pull eagerly at their leashes, scythes are taken down to reap golden fields, and celebration rises in feasting to give thanks for another bountiful year.

At Garreg Mach monastery, reports have come in about a discovery made by the Knights of Seiros: a strange sanctum concealed beneath the ground, kept secret by the Western Church. It’s a troubling find in the wake of the Cardinal Beasts’ inexplicable appearance, and a call goes out to the Blue Lions House:

Blue Lions Mission: Investigate the Secrets of the Western Church!

We are back on our regular season rotation, and this one belongs to the Blue Lions! As before, threads using tasks from the Blue Lions board must contain a Blue Lions character as a participant, but there are also non-mission tasks available to everyone without restrictions.

The sanctum is located at the far end of Western Church territory, beneath the temperate plains of the Brionac Plateau where it curves into Faerghus lands. Never-before-seen objects of all kinds are contained inside the secret space. You’re under strict orders not to tamper with anything, and to report everything you see to the authorities. It’s suspicious, for sure, but the place seems a bit small to have housed four monsters of such size...

BL Mission Task Board

Traveling to Western Faerghus means crossing through Magdred Way, a densely forested area known for thick and sudden onset of heavy fog and, as a result, being a favorite highway for marauders. Travel carefully and strategically.

Among the myriad of strange findings in the sanctum is the discovery of a false wall. Concealed behind it is a small room lined with nothing but... books? They’re written in a glyph that’s impossible to read, but the illustrations and arrays suggest that they’re spell books, and probably not your usual kind. Can you decipher anything? [Grants Reason +1]

A few people have reported seeing a suspicious figure lurking around the sanctum at night, when no one else is around. Even odder, the one night watchman who had gotten more than a glimpse of the stranger reports that he bore the insignia of House Arundel. What will you do?

Lake Teutates isn’t far from the site of the investigation, and you recall stories about a great treasure being contained there — The Inexhaustible, unrivaled bow of Saint Indech. Even if the stories aren’t true, it’s not often that an opportunity to see the Lake Teutates temple comes around. It’s a peaceful getaway, if nothing else. [Grants Faith +1]

Notably, the clergy of the Western Church are not happy about this intrusion, but remain stubbornly silent in the face of inquisition, refusing to give ground. The Knights accompanying you are keeping them in custody, but one morning a commotion breaks out: some of the clergy have broken free, and are making a run for the border into Adrestia!

NEW! The renowned Grey Lion, Lord Gwendal of House Rowe, has arrived with a unit of his forces to help with the investigation into the Western Church. Overseer of the impregnable fortress of Arianrhod, he and his legion of Great Knights are said to be equally as indomitable. In return, he asks that you help train his men in a mock battle. They must learn to be soldiers in their own right, and not just hide behind the Silver Maiden’s skirts. [Grants Axe or Heavy Armor +1]

NEW! One of the foremost documents unearthed from the sanctum has been sent back from Garreg Mach’s higher ups, granting the first half-decoded glimpse into the documents hidden here. Immediately, a few names stand out: Seagod, Thurii, Yevaud, Lamasar. These are clearly linked to the four countries the cardinal beasts had pillaged. But why these names in particular? Maybe your peers who went there will have more insight.

Non-Mission Task Board

With prey abound in the hills and forests around Garreg Mach, the kitchen staff could use anyone and everyone willing to help prepare for the Hunting Festival on the 7th. Everyone has their hands full, so if you’re handy with a bow or any traps to catch game, get out there and help pitch in! [Grants Bow, Lance, or Riding +1]

Leicester Alliance Founding Day is on the 8th, but the students this year have decided to make it more than just a dining hall dish. The monastery awakens to a field day set up in the academy’s myriad courtyards and gazebos. Classes are cancelled, so go enjoy the fair booths, small attractions, and traditional Alliance foods!

With the grapes harvested around Garreg Mach and from Adrestia around this time of year, the administration is hosting their annual wine-tasting event in the entrance hall. Students and faculty alike are able to use ingredients there to make their own wines and partake in some too, under the supervision of the monastery staff. Technically, you’re not allowed to take any out of the hall.

Horsebow Moon sees a spike in visitors: farmers and tradesmen alike coming to offer their prayers for the most industrious time of the year. There’s no shortage of merchants who set up shop in town to take advantage of this surge, but something doesn’t seem quite right about that one vendor advertising everything from blades crafted by Zoltan to mythical swords from faraway lands in hopes of reaping riches from the gullible. [Grants Sword +1]

NEW! It’s said that the Golden Fish in the monastery pond appear around this time of year. No one really knows what causes the mutation to happen, but supposedly being able to catch one brings you good luck. And if you cook it and share it with others, everyone who takes a bite gets a bit of good fortune too.

NEW! As the weather turns colder, Fodlan wyverns begin their migration south to warmer climates. The monastery wyverns aren’t able to leave, of course, but it does mean they get rather restless. Taking them out on a structured flight or two should help get it out of their systems. Just be careful. They are a bit more aggressive compared to pegasi. [Grants Flying +1]

NEW! Not even all the chaos that’s happened lately is going to stop Garreg Mach from hosting its annual biggest event to showcase student and faculty prowess alike: The Battle of the Eagle and Lion. The monastery is abuzz with anticipation and competition is high. Which house will win the battle this year and take home the glory? Well, the battle won’t win itself. It’s best to start preparing.

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