FLAVIUS WRESTLES THE WYRMLING
Digital (Photoshop™) --- 2010

Whilst on his way to a rematch with the great rogue dragon Golgoleth, Flavius encounters the newly-hatched young dragons (Wyrmlings). Being every inch the carnivore, one of the little beasts gives our brave knight yet another rough ride. Flavius does manage to inflict enough pain to drive off the aggressive and hungry young reptile without killing it.
This image is featured on the back cover of Paladin.

DRAVEN AND KORVALIS
Digital (Photoshop™) --- 2020

The far-famed Dragons of Varzuun: Ridden by the Draken Knights, who, for centuries, enforced the uneasy peace between the three great races. Now all but a remnant, the Draken and their dragons once protected all Varzuun against the Abominations.

The uniform of the young Draken Knights, who are called Ascendants.

Costume studies are used in theatre and film to illustrate front and rear views of the clothing, costume or armor a character will be wearing.

All over Varzuun there exist certain bizarre, deadly, and terrifying monsters. Some are distortions of humanity, such as giants, ogres, trolls, etc. Some are human-animal hybrids. Others are multiple animal hybrids. Yet others are stranger beasts altogether. Some are found in many places. Some are unique to a specific place and time. They are collectively known as the Abominations, and they include the undead and supernatural monsters as well.

Vythunia, once inhabited by humans or Vaqlorii, and considered by most to be 'ground zero' of the second rending, catastrophically altered by that event, is now desolate, haunted and populated only by ruin-faeries and the strange monsters known as the Abominations.

Every now and then, on a storyteller's night, it is said, "A long, long time ago, when the world was young, before the race of man came upon Varzuun, before the Vaqlorii, before the Maedar, all Varzuun was a very peaceful pastoral and beautiful land, free of dangerous places, free of wars, free of the Abominations. In this old Varzuun, there was an ancient race whose name no one now remembers, whose name was washed from all living memory, a race that had long passed into the realm of myth, now known only as the Oublions, the forgotten ones." Were they just a myth? A twice-told tale of Bardic lore? Or did they really exist?

The Second Rending is believed to be an aftershock of the original rending, the much more devastating apocalypse that destroyed the prehistoric world of the Oublions, the Forgotten Ones. Legend holds that several (or maybe just one) of that ancient race attempted to flee the original event by travelling in time, but the last wave followed and caught up with them, and laid waste to most of the rich and prosperous land of Vythunia, from which it never recovered.

Beautiful and nearly omnipotent, the oracle will cast his powerful magic and prophecies upon those who ask for it -- for a price: A stiff price; not a monetary price but a quest or maybe a magic item or some sort of sacrificial offering.

This beautiful celestial entity commands great magic and has a retinue of lovely little faerie-attendants to do his bidding. These tiny faeries carry the oracle's magical power to those of whom the unicorn chooses to bless.

Smolleks, the Maedar word for goblins, are no more than waist-high to a man because of their hunched and bent-legged stance. They resemble monkeys that had survived some sort of forest fire. Their mottled leathery skin looks like a mass of scar tissue with small tufts of randomly placed fur. Their large hooked noses and beady little yellow eyes gave their long faces a vulture-like appearance. Smolleks, when alone, are nothing more than cowardly little annoyances, not much in a fight, but when in packs, they are vicious marauders that can move with surprising speed.

The smeddegs are truly nasty monsters that will kill and eat humans if they can, but if they caught maybe just one person, they would torture him in hope that others would come back to rescue him and fall into their trap. They will flee a strong show of force but are nearly fearless, otherwise. It would need to be a very strong show. Bigger and stronger than the smolleks, they are easily a match for a human, one-on-one.




The Smeddegs make only crudely crafted primitive weapons such as clubs, axes, hammers, spears, and crude bows, but tribal warlords & shamans will have swords, maces, and the best of weapons from those they have slain in raids. Among them are fine quality bows, swords, maces, & war axes, including possibly magic ones.

The Legendary Dragons of Varzuun: Ridden by the Draken Knights, who, for centuries enforced the uneasy peace between the three great races. Now all but a remnant, the Draken and their dragons once protected all Varzuun against the dreaded abominations.

KORVALIS

The legendary striped dragon foretold by the ancient prophecies of Varzuun, Korvalis is ridden by the young Draken Knight Draven Valencourt, formerly squire to the knight Flavius Franciscus. Will Draven and Korvalis restore the Draken Knights to their former glory?

Ridden by Anvilus Nöire, this menacing beast can swallow a man whole or incinerate him with it's breath of hell-fire. This black dragon's appearance was a nightmarish fulfillment of one of the ancient prophecies.

Dragons that do not commune with a Draken Knight-Ascendant become rogues. Solitary and violent, they are usually appeased only by treasure, magic items or human sacrifices. Flavius & friends must reach the hidden lair of one of these monsters and slay it before it slays them.

Alcegon, the faithful steed of Flavius, is a Caelohippus - Divine Steed - sent from heaven and granted to Flavius for his uncommon valour to aid him in battle against the powers and principalities of darkness and evil.

Hulking, fat and ugly, this nine-foot-tall fearsome brute haunts the road to Kilravock. Flavius must singlehandedly vanquish the ogre if he is to prove his mettle to the Vaqlorii grand chancellor and to the Unicorn Oracle.

A divine entity, a messenger from on high, sent to guide Flavius in his quest to vanquish the great dragon Golgoleth.

Click the Pic to visit SUTERNIA.

The Seconids (Pronounced SEE-co-Nid) are the mysterious and sinister dwellers of the deepest reaches of Suternia. They are the nemisis of the Maedar.

The Carponids (Pronounced CARP-o-Nid) are similar to the Seconids, but of much lower intellect, more primitive, and superstitious.

A one-eyed giant that stalks the sundered remnants of Vythunia seeking to devour anything and anyone who would dare to wander the ruins.

⬆ Having lost his shield arm in the first encounter with the great red dragon Golgoleth, Flavius must single-handedly (pardon the pun) take on the Ogre. Here, the ogre gives our hero a rough ride. Really rough.

Skulking beast with human face, lion's body and spike-flinging tail that haunts the desolate ruins of Vythunia. The Manticore is generally malicious to humans. Landruü must convince it to reveal the entrance to Dringhomel's tomb.

This mythical monster, half man half bull, is one of the abominations lurking in the ruins of Vythunia. It blocks Draven's search for the tomb of Dringomel.

Intelligent insectoid beings that have a mastery of science and a weird but thriving culture.

These fiends from the pit of hell may be the scariest monsters our intrepid adventurers must face. Then again...

From The Folklore of Varzuun, as told by Jodanalyn Swingsworde, Bard of Arbroath:
As punishment for his indecisiveness, the troll-king Gsreidr is split into two beings, each with one eye, one arm, one leg, one ear, etc. Gsroi, the evil half, kills his good twin, Gsroo. The evil trolls then slaughter the last of the good trolls.