Character design

Pheerai are named after any kind of naturally occuring element. Various artists were able to choose appropriate names and create characters based on them. I chose Hanami and Momiji: Hanami is, in Japan, the time of year when trees blossom at the very beginning of spring, while Momiji is the Japanese maple and also refers to the time of year, in the fall, when these trees turn stunning shades of deep red.

Hanami and Momiji background story:

Momiji is a former Sokinai who retired to convert to Swordmaking. While his very real passion and talent for the craft were his official reason for becoming an Artisan, his true motivation was his utter devotion to his younger sister Hanami. A Maju of rare talent, her condition is rather unusual: a near-lethal fall as a child halted the growth of her mind, so that she is intelligent but very innocent, and not world-wise. As long as she was safely cloistered for her long Maju training, Momiji embraced the warrior path of the Sokinai, but gave it up to watch over her when she received her insignia. Where Hanami is sent, Momiji follows like a guarding shadow, along with a power-charged sword he and she made together, and his pet and helper Tsaki.

Momiji found Tsaki in a distant jungle through which he was escorting traders. The curious little creature became attached to him, and the young Sokunai brought it back. Momiji soon discovered that unlike other Shaenalonn beasts, Tsaki's sort were quite capable of understanding Pheerai language and of making themselves understood to them – a fact they both decided to conceal in case it came in handy as a secret advantage.

Malaak 2006 onwards	Character sheets for my comic, Malaak, Angel of Peace. More information about the story on its homepage. (Click for larger images)
The Shalintî Cycle 2005-2006	This playful project consisted in fictionalizing some people around me.
Pheerai project March 2005	The Pheerai are a race created by Michelle Hoefener. They are a humanoid people with a long tail, large round ears, no facial hair for men, and any imaginable colour of skin and hair. They live in a world called Shaenalonn and exercise a number of professions. Those relevant to my designs are: Artisan: Can wear any type of clothing. They can be both plain and modest, or edgy and different looking. Sokinai (warrior): Typically dress in sturdy armor and fight with any type of long curved (Asian inspired) sword. Maju (mage): They usually wear very ornate clothing that sets them apart from the commoner. Can be any style or color. Pheerai are named after any kind of naturally occuring element. Various artists were able to choose appropriate names and create characters based on them. I chose Hanami and Momiji: Hanami is, in Japan, the time of year when trees blossom at the very beginning of spring, while Momiji is the Japanese maple and also refers to the time of year, in the fall, when these trees turn stunning shades of deep red. Hanami and Momiji background story: Momiji is a former Sokinai who retired to convert to Swordmaking. While his very real passion and talent for the craft were his official reason for becoming an Artisan, his true motivation was his utter devotion to his younger sister Hanami. A Maju of rare talent, her condition is rather unusual: a near-lethal fall as a child halted the growth of her mind, so that she is intelligent but very innocent, and not world-wise. As long as she was safely cloistered for her long Maju training, Momiji embraced the warrior path of the Sokinai, but gave it up to watch over her when she received her insignia. Where Hanami is sent, Momiji follows like a guarding shadow, along with a power-charged sword he and she made together, and his pet and helper Tsaki. Momiji found Tsaki in a distant jungle through which he was escorting traders. The curious little creature became attached to him, and the young Sokunai brought it back. Momiji soon discovered that unlike other Shaenalonn beasts, Tsaki's sort were quite capable of understanding Pheerai language and of making themselves understood to them – a fact they both decided to conceal in case it came in handy as a secret advantage.
Gymarrianite project February 2005	The Gymarrianites are a race created by Emily Warren. They are human beings from a future, post-apocalyptic world (known to them as Gymarrah) that has lost all memory of our history. Gymarrianites have their power stones attached to their bodies and are named after them. Various artists were able to choose gem names and create characters based on them. I chose Wei, the Chinese name for red jade. (Click on the image for full size) Wei's story: The daughter of a merchant and a dancer, Wei displayed unusual healing gifts at an early age – along with a troublesome temperament. In the hopes that worldly experience would help their daughter grow out of her peculiar mood swings, her parents brought her to the attention of the authorities and after due training she was assigned to a crew. Though she did gain maturity in the process, she is still seen as something of an eccentric living in a world of her own. What no one, not even her parents, know is that since childhood Wei has had dreams of a lost empire – a place she is sure really existed in Gymarrah's distant past. In those dreams she learned ancient healing arts utilizing the power of the body and the cosmos, thus gaining an edge over other Magilores. However, partly out of fear of not being believed, and partly because she's afraid to lose her dream-connection if she speaks of it, she keeps them carefully to herself. Much of her difficult temper is due to her struggle to understand her place in her world in light of those dreams. Her eagerness to travel stems from the hope of finding a scientist who can shed more light upon what she sees – but deep in her heart she has already resolved to find and question the Morian Quartz if that's what it takes...