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Aias: Update 11

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atcDave

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Ila

The shaman used some sort of shadow-walk magic to transport us to the remote town of Lonelywood. As I understand, this is one of the “Ten Towns” in Icewind Dale. But it is the smallest and most remote of those small and remote towns. I was expecting we’d be nearer the Barbarian camp? Our mission is to see if we can keep peace among these groups that often don’t like each other much.

First thing I see, is a little girl standing alone near the town well. No one is paying her any attention!

I introduced myself to the girl. Haley Dunn, she says her brother has fallen into the well!

We needed rope and got to her family home, only to be told Haley doesn’t have a brother. Apparently causing strangers a bit of panic passes for entertainment in these parts.
Thus begins our mission to Lonelywood. Checking around town, there was a lot of concern about the nearby Barbarian encampment. The highlight, apart from some Dunn family drama and barbarian worries, would seem to be some recent wolf attacks. Not quite a hot spot. The village headman did provide good directions to the camp, so off we went.

The barbarian chieftain, Wylfdene, was huge, arrogant and unpleasant. He was threatening, without actually threatening anything.

The shaman, Hjollder, who brought us here was banished when it came out he had brought us here. It looked like our mission was over before it began. As we left the camp, we were surrounded by warriors who in formed us they had orders to kill us. Hoping to avoid hurting them I challenged their honor on attacking guests who came only to parlay. They agreed to let us pass, and further offered that Hjollder would be sent to a place called Burial Island.
Cheery. We’ll need to find him to see where to go from here. Burial Island is back closer to Lonelywood.

The dead on Burial Island were not resting in peace.
Of all the dead and spirits we encountered, it was a polar bear who gave us the best information. Someone had recently desecrated the island. But we could get no answer on how to help.
A particularly rich tomb looked to have been recently vandalized. Some tribal symbols had been destroyed.

We found Hjollder eventually and told him what had happened, and what we’d found. He was intrigued by the vandalized tomb, this was Wylfdene’s tomb. But he would not have vandalized his own tomb?
He sent us to a greater seer, known as the Gloomfrost Seer. She could only be found far to the frozen north. More frozen than here?
We took our boat back to Lonelywood, planning on heading north the next day.

We met our bad wolf in the streets. It was a werewolf that had been killing.

We talked with villagers and came to the conclusion Emmerich, the local Ranger had contracted lycanthropy. We already knew the innkeeper was a former adventuring mage, so consulting with him we found a suppressant, not a cure, we could give to Emmerich.

A long, cold day. We’ll be warm here, but the serious cold starts tomorrow.

5 responses to “Aias: Update 11”

  1. Zeno Avatar
    Zeno

    There’s some good ones in this set, and the style is pretty nicely consistent throughout. My favorite is probably Aias and Wolfdyne – just because it captures the way the scene looks in my head so well. But Ila at the well is good look as well. And Ila and Aias at the fire together warming up at the end came out very nicely. And the Pikwell scene – both Pikwell himself and the setup around the sarcophagus – looks quite good. Still “Larry Elmore style”, I presume? I’ve been pulling him out more lately, as when the filter is giving me grief because the AI is pushing it in directions I don’t want Larry is good at pushing it back the other way.

    I’ve been fighting some surprising frustrating battles with the AI lately. After all the off-the-wall things I’ve gotten to work, to be having a hard time with things like “woman sits up in bed and looks over at another woman sleeping in a chair” just beggars belief. It so *desperately* wants one of them to be male and both of them sitting on the bed that it contorts itself into pretzels to make that happen. This is supposed to be a “wakes up in the hospital” scene and not a “morning after in a romance novel”. Bah.

    I’ve recently discovered the simple “d&d painting” as a style. Its surprisingly good when I want words like “rogue” or “bard” to strongly push d&d style tropes. Not as much flexibility as opening the floodgates with “fantasy painting”, but a little more predictable in some ways.

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    1. atcDave Avatar
      atcDave

      yes, still Elmore style. I like the consistency, and I think it’s working well here. I’ve learned a few things for getting these odd characters the way I want. And given up on a few things (all three of the women with different skin colors will often get pointed ears, I decided early to live with for Ila. Now I don’t fight it on any of them)

      The filter has mostly been less concerning to me on this run, that may be because “Psyche and Diomedes” was consistently more painful in that regard. Then I was actually trying to push some limits, like get past the ‘Hays Code’ into a ‘1970s made for TV’ look (I would have been fine with a big smooch). It is a funny thing.

      I’ve mostly moved away from D&D as a style cue, it so often responds by putting dice and dice shapes everywhere! Interesting thought though, it may have some uses.

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      1. Zeno Avatar
        Zeno

        I tend to end up with each character having a style or two that works best for them, and then winging it when I combine them. Jeff Easley works well for Roland. Wayne Reynolds for Tess. Actually use “Lankhmar style” for Falcon often – evoking a particular set of book art. Kat works well in many styles – typically just use “fantasy art” for her.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Zeno Avatar
        Zeno

        Actually, Larry Elmore comes in a lot for Kat. That style does a good job with her smirk when I want to focus on it.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. atcDave Avatar
        atcDave

        I think you know a range of artists better than I do! I actually recognize most of the names, but Elmore and Caldwell are the two that stand out to me. They struck me for a colorful and fun style.

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