Molinnaire

@molinnaire.bsky.social

43 Followers 13 Following

Mid to Low Fantasy artist with a lot of ideas. 27 years old.

A puff of smoke follows an exhale, the measured steps of heels outside a high school. Her face changes as soon as she sees a girl: Juliet. Suddenly it's like Jillian is alive. It's like her worst fears are put to rest at the sight of those hopeful, golden eyes. And yet... She has to wrestle with living a double life - not from deception, from protectiveness. She investigates cases. It's inevitable she establishes patterns. Every note a statement, every picture evidence. Every growl a trigger. In Jillian's mind, Gremorie Heights is full of dangers and darkness. Every full moon, she shutters the windows and locks the doors. Her imposed curfew is not to infantilize her daughter. Some would call it protective. Some would call it paranoid. Some would say she's just stalling for time. For her little girl to not be taken away from her too early. Whether from maturing... ...Or crossing that threshold.
Junior Private I, self-appointed. Though Juliet has a knack for finding herself among the strange, there's nothing more mysterious than her own family. Everything is kept under wraps, even her father's name. She knows he's deceased, and it happened before she was born, but that's about it. Even so, something in her gut says she should not pry into it. But... What good is an investigator that shies away from finding answers? So, Juliet Nevermore, P.I. is on the case. ...That is, unless she gets distracted with the myriad oddities of Gremorie Heights. Or the people. The cake? Perhaps it's for the best. She has yet to cross the threshold. What will happen when she does?
Reunited by fate. Gravity. Stones. Whatever your belief, to stand in front of someone you thought gone after so long is... surreal. The probability of such an encounter is so miniscule that happenstance melts into interpretations of destiny. But destiny is no force of the universe. There is nothing governing 'luck,' or 'magic.' Or is there? Perhaps our understanding of magic is flawed. Past the dread. The anxiety. The fear of rejection. There is the reality of your necklaces - a compass to one another, bringing you together against all odds. A miracle, by all means.
Father Tomes knows the other side. He knows belief isn't tested by morality. To believe means to persevere faith through adversity. To keep walking forward even when the road is invisible. God was not there when Tomes was at his lowest. No God is. The only one there was him, and only he could pick himself back up. He had a choice - wither away to match he who wronged Graves, or recognize such a pursuit was harmful and eroding him. To let go of anger is bitter. Not all correct choices feel good - or look right. Not all bad choices feel wrong. Or look bad. And that's what it means to have free will. To Tomes, being Father is not a symbol of status, it's a showing of his commitment. Proof he made a choice that hurt deeply before he made another that hurt worse in the end. To change hurts. To erode kills. To believe rebirths.
Solvognen's history began as martial affairs from numerous military efforts, all different tribes looking for control of the land - and protection from the other scavengers and brigands. Though Bertram was a member of one of these warmongering tribes, he bent the knee to Queen Elysia for her vision of a united land. A ceasefire to the endless war. He came to criticize the way of traditional monarchies, of warfare based on petulant whims. Though Bertram's company was decimated by Elysia's, she saw a competent leader in him. And he became one of her famed Generals. He oversaw and led sieges that became instrumental to take over what would go on to become Solvognen. His winning stratagem was attrition, not of mutual destruction, but of entropy. If he could make the enemy make mistakes that compounded on themselves, they could finish off stragglers before Bertram's men bled a drop. A tortoise is not only steady and slow. He is patient, and patience is necessary. Especially when the stresses of war are outshone by young nobles and their high ambitions. Oh what a delight it is, to create rather than destroy. To see light in the eyes of the young, rather than see it snuff out of his soldiers. Or see the bodies of those who died. The crackling flame a eulogy for the fallen.
AN UNKIND MURDER "So there's this guy, I swear, he doesn't even make eye contact the entire session; he throws a fireball into a small room-" "Killed my character in one go- Poof, gone- such good stats too, hah." "-And that was the highest damage roll of the night - of course." There's something magnetic about someone earnest. Though Styx Defhluss is known as an over-the-top, edgy, dramatic - he's the result of an actor. A dungeonmaster embodying their DMPC. In contrast, Corbin is confident and charismatic. A lot of people ask why Evelyn is with someone like Styx, but she's with Corbin, not Styx. They just meld. Evelyn's "too-cool-to-be-here" demeanor just fits his vibe. The two started a tabletop group, and eventually went on to found the Poe Ravens. They shared an interest in medieval fantasy, of course. Corbin met her at the gas station she worked at - though it was a momentary visit, Evelyn's small town was never more interesting than when Corbin visited. Though a Raven and a Crow are different, blackened feathers define them - and they both soar the night sky.
On the night of a full moon is a wedding. A time of celebration. An event reserved for the law firm. A night of hypocrisies - both legal and moral. He was a man that trafficked the Weird, she was a woman who hunted them. Neither of them was honest, yet they were very much in love. Under the moonlight she saw it. How he shifted. How he snarled. Never again. She could barely feel her finger pull the trigger. Though Jillian claimed she trusted, she had her shotgun handy. Though James claimed to be a man, he was always accessorized in gold. Tonight, the moon is witness alone to Jillian's greatest sin. Not only killing her then-husband. Killing the father of her child. Killing the woman who got married that night. And a click-clack says all. The smoke wisps peacefully.
The cold winter morning was still. Sigrid's heart races, her own breathing heavy. One wrong sway and she's falling to her death. One wrong move and Caliburn is dead. No backing out. No other way. Though there were exits at every turn she wanted a door beyond her reach. A door she was told she would never open. She never listened to anyone who said she couldn't. Unfortunately, that doesn't make traversing the path any easier. When your own shadow makes you flinch, one stops looking towards it. But with the thunderstorm and her mount's spread wings - the shadow cast is not of herself. Not the failure. Not the fear. The wings of a dream. The wings of allegiance. The wings of a hero risking it all to save the day; taking up arms against her own Dragon to Slay.
There is an imperceptible, yet palpable sizzle of magic across the snows of Solvognen. An energy that Osric, ever the poet, feels drawn to. The vast, stark vistas offered by the land of the exiles. The Meteorhall's unending night had made Osric forget that the sunlight is the reason Solvognen shines. And shine it does, with its heart built to face the sun. It's such a conceit to see all the land has to offer in a mortal lifespan. Such a conceit indeed, to run away from it all in search of that which speaks to the soul. Or... perhaps the soul is deaf.
Faded old varnished portrait version.
UNLIKE FATHER, UNLIKE DAUGHTER "I will not repeat myself again. Please, remove your cloak Frigg. We are indoors." "What does it matter if I have it on...?" "How seriously other noblemen take you when it is your turn to take over my responsibilities. A time that, may I remind you, is approaching." "...I prefer to wear it. Just like your coat. I like my cloak." "I hope your time at the Academy changes your attitude. For your sake." "...Yes, father." House Plümacher was not founded on grounds of political power. The union between Elliott Porter and Freyja Plümacher was one of devotion - or so it's said. Unfortunately Freyja came to pass too early. As such, the scion of this family at the time of the painting, Frigg, was never privvy to such devotion. She was never treated badly. In fact she never had many struggles outside of herself, but she could never quite measure up to what was expected of her. Being daughter to a master strategist and advisor to the Queen was alway an impossible shadow to outshine, but Frigg always found comfort in her cloak. She liked it ever since she put it on. How it affected her silhouette. She looked mysterious. Flowing. Free. Perhaps she always wanted to feel special in her own way. Time and again, she's seen wearing that dark cloak. For a warmth she never felt at home - or perhaps a shame she wanted to hide. Far away from prying eyes. Far away from... even herself.
Sardonic, firm, and unafraid to speak his mind, the Critic dismantles - but never without reason. Soo-Hyun's aptitude in martial affairs was always a sore spot. In his family, his brother outshone him in every physical regard. However, Soo always held warfare in high regard. Admiring from afar, as both sorcerer and scholar. He'd take his interest and become a documentarian and an author for techniques and other schematics for the martial. He took what was a one-sided rivalry and turned it into collaboration. His life's work was his brother's exploits.
Seichi was always told she didn't belong - not by word. By action. How demons reacted to her. She was always her father's child. Rebellious. Free-spirited. Though she underwent the training, she was never the spy Luxumbra wanted her to be. She was more. But in some respects, those traits are exactly why her father respected her more than any one of his children. She deceived and rebelled - the first instance of a fallen demon. ...And she might've made the right call. After all, there is no fable for flying too close to the moon. Nor are her wings made of wax.
Halifax's design is somewhere between a spy and a domestic member of the manor, and it isn't until her reveal as a cleaner that her outfit gains this double side interpretation. Her gray and off-white colors are not subtle in what they mean for Halifax, but in general her darkest tones are grounding and not dominating - her bad and good accent her neutrality. For someone with her talents, one should definitely aim to not be enemies to Halifax... Or Halifax's employer.
Yoru's design is heavily based off of the armored aesthetics of kusari, or how Japan did chainmail. As with Ryuuji, Yoru's team captain, the idea is to make use of the mail to attach the plates to it, so it can allow for a wider range of motion. Of course, this armor is not stronger than a cuirass would be by itself, but in searching to make a samurai-inspired team that didn't fit the mold too neatly, this is the aesthetic that was developed. Instead of Ryuuji's dragon maw menpo, Yoru wears a regular one, helping her low-key, nonchalant type of personality. Plus, the torn scarflet helps sell the ninja look.
They are not, in fact, dating. Their relationship is more akin to a narcissist and her pet. Where Violet is the one being strung along. In some weird way, Beatrice only has Vi as a true friend, even if she doesn't act like it. Vi definitely sees Bea as her bestie. Yes, the nicknames match on purpose.
The mechanism behind her sword being used as a staff is the same for it being used as a wand normally. The energy magic operates with works like electrical energy in the sense that it flows through materials that act as conductors, in this case, Solvognish Steel is an excellent conductor. The rivets of her sheath allow for transferring energy from her conduits to the blade, and the blade up to the pommel through the tang. Realistically, a sword is just an excellent choice for a magical implement. Multiple purpose; and as shown by Frigg, multiple purpose squared. Can be used on either end.
Molinnaire's design always took after some form of dark grave warden. Gloomy. Hooded. Almost like a ghost. Originally, he held a lantern opposite to his massive Hades sword, but that lantern was dropped at the point where he became Regent of Hell and Luxumbra character-wise. His armor's inverted pentagram was a detail chosen to make his design stand out without needing bells and whistles added on to the uniform design of the Luxumbran Armor style. The point is that, as leader, Molinnaire doesn't see himself above any of those he rules. Of course, a folly given his manipulation of everything to achieve his goal. His sword is actually much more reasonably sized underneath the stone slab, and the slab was made to contain the power of the weapon underneath. The Abaddon, the sword inside Hades, can steal the soul of anyone it cuts. A deeply disturbing artifact best left for Gods, not Men.
Greht's design takes after sightings and written accounta of giants and other tall monsters. The terror behind a creature one can barely look at and understand them plus the inherent natural repulsion to things larger than oneself is powerful. His limbs are unnaturally long. His face two beady eyes glowing in the night. His slouched posture makes him look like a twisted tree... Until he starts moving. He is the wandering shadow due to his composition being similar to smoke. In the night, he is a threat because of his imposing silhouette. Much like a real killer, they hide under the cover of the unknown. And part of why Greht was so afraid of such a thing - enough to embody it. Deep down, he knew he was a monster of blackened heart. The mirror showed him just that. If light were to be shed on him, the true horror would be revealed. Yet the hidden form is equally eerie.
Finn is the one on the right, and Marina on the left. Screen-wise. I like dissecting my designs and showing how they are meant to fit together. It's quite satisfying seeing the parts fit together as planned, and comfortably too.
Hilda Kriemhild, noteworthy member of house Kriemhild. She is remembered for many things including her love of crystals. Selenite. She adorned herself as much as she could in them. She was hungry for knowledge. Some would call her hungry for power, buy the reality is quite messier than that, she was afraid. Losing control is scary when it's about one's life. But when it's about one's body... In this portrait, she's immortalized as she was: Competent. Poised. Elegant. Succesful... ...And alone.
Scott's design, and by extension Lyco as a nation, take inspiration from American Colonial and French Napoleonic aesthetics. The land of Lyco is a land of might, discipline, merit, and excellence - and as such, they represent such refinement by wearing fine tailored, tough clothes over their more practicality-oriented armor. The vibrant reds represent their passion and fighting spirit. Red, Gold, and White are the nation's colors - and they wear them with pride. However, his demon design takes more after traditional werewolf design cues, with the more hairy face instead of resembling a wolf proper.
The stress of fighting keeps her distracted. Keeps her alert. Focused. Her Affinity is perfect for it. She uses her Fire and Lightning to her advantage, she can figure out solutions in unconventional ways - her smarts are less academic and more clever. Sylvia's Pyrobolts are a cheap, efficient way of utilizing the fireworks-like quality of the Volcanic Affinity. The war for the Court of the Crimson King solidified this, as she survived purely because of her unwillingness to give into fear. It nearly cost her an eye, but she saved many lives. In her time after graduation, she's a mercenary. Does rough jobs to chase that same thrill. Conflict never ends, even in times of peace. Good on her. For as long as it works.
Albert's design here has little change from his time at the Academy as even then it was distinctive. The reason for it is his cardigan vest, a shorthand sign for both pompousness and intellect. He prides himself in his elegance and his heritage. The additions are the golden joints of the armor and the engraving along its plates, as well as the crimson side cape. This way, he completes the look of a nobleman while also remaining a sorcerer of the Academy.
Tobie's Metamorphosis is a true achievement in Solvognish medicine. What before used to be a temporary, hackneyed switch of forms can now be made permanent. No need to upkeep. Any attribute you can imagine needn't remain as is. Whatever applications for war weren't considered. This was seen as such an impressive development they knew they had to allow it. The only one to receive such an honor. Tobie's design is a mixture of things. Somewhere between a preacher, a doctor, and a princess. They are no longer hiding who they are. They live in complete pride. There's a formal extravagance to their design, very flashy but constrained. Normally a sword is seen as a good implement for sorcery and combat - but Tobie carries a staff and a swordbreaker dagger. A staff with a crystal as a focus is much more potent an implement.
Michele's post-graduation design takes an approach to capitalize on what makes her *her.* There are some aspects of fashionista and someone who takes care to present themselves in accordance to certain standards. In a way, she's preppy, but not in an obnoxious way. She just has capital and her outfit showcases it. Much like her partner Lian, she wears white and other lighter tones, contrasting their academy uniforms. She is supposed to look like a light adventurer; someone looking for adventure in the tundra while also keeping a certain decor to her. Battle-ready, and weather-protected.
Jasper's bright-eyed optimism was tested by the War for the Court of the Crimson King, but it didn't falter. Loss only bolstered it, as it was all he had left. He was never top of his class in any respect, but he didn't need to be. His Soul Buckler and Soul Greatsword are by no means completely original innovations - they are optimizations made for the battle-attuned. The way they form is made to be ready to use as soon as possible - the shield especially forms inside out rather than by piece by piece. Less structurally stable, but better as a parrying tool as a result. And in turn, the sword is made to reform from breaking. It was his time meeting his cousin, and teaching her how to improve her Soul Gauntlet that he realized: Learning is the best tool one has. The brain is a metaphorical muscle, after all.
In reconnaisance, it is an axiom that your information gathering is only as broad as your senses and tools. Information is not only about conversations or events, it's surroundings and structures too. This is one of the reasons Irma made the Chiming Eagle. Using some of the principles of an early conspiracy during the beginnings of the Academy, she can sense what the eagle senses. Almost as if she shares consciousness with it. However, the eagle can act autonomously. Each component of the eagle is individual. This creation is stunning in many regards.
He's more of a fighter than a knight, in a diplomatic sense. Though to be certain, Brynjulf was talented from the get-go. His Affinity with Fire was such that upon donning his Academy suit of armor, it heated up red-hot. Thus, he earned the nickname of the Steaming Demon during the war. He's the heat, alright.
Ramos' design is quite interesting. I was tasked with making a person who had spider-ish features, but I wanted to take on the challenge of doing this without resorting to super obvious visual tells. I thought an alternative non-binary person like Ramos would not shy away from their androgyny, they'd lean into it. Show it with pride. They're essentially a twink with a lot of mods.
Sellen's design was an exercise in modernizing a witch. I decided to play with the type of gal that would get someone like Robin to open up - the electric, charismatic alternative type that had a sense of fashion she stuck to. A banterful, yet still feminine, girl. Having those details, it was then a matter of figuring out what clothes someone like Sellen would wear. From her silhouette, I had the detail that she had a skirt and a jacket, but I wanted a spin on those. A long-sleeve crop-top underneath helps sell the alternative vibes alongside the stockings.
Eloise Lieberbaum, prodigy of the Class of 1804, and teacher's pet to High Professor Luneste. After graduation, she became Sableshroud Eloise, the name she goes by as a Nightrover. The spell she developed under Luneste's wing, named the Seven Sphere Offensive, was inspired by Luneste's own Moonlight, or Mondlicht. Seven spheres conjured from Dark & Soul, or Onyx, sorcery. They are cold. Hard. Precise. And vibrate violently when conjured. When struck, one is overcome with nostalgia. A good de-escalation tool, really. Intimidation aside.
The War for the Court of the Crimson King turned the Academy into a military academy, but not all the soldiers to emerge as graduates stuck to martial affairs. Some do more... shady work, let's say. This is where Ludwig comes in. Some would say he is being kept on a short leash, to prevent him from becoming a danger, with his Observer in tow. Others, that he is finally being let free to express his prowess in a aay appropriate of his station - a renowned sorcerer in his own right, if prickly. Perhaps it's better left in the dark.
Current and only heir to the Tomori family manor and mortician enterprise, Liliana Melody Tomori is a girl with a... dark vibe about her. She is very much a victim of a horrible condition. She can see the dead, and the dead can see her. She can never escape their judgmental eyes. And as fortune would have it, disclosing such a thing could get her very well sectioned - sectioned and sedated for the rest of her days, in the best of cases. So she carries this burden alone... Until she learns of her father's own version of this condition. Now she is not as alone, but neither have a cure. And neither can stop it, until their eyes can see no more. This is Lily, and her design is lifted wholesale from a dear friend's own mind. They drew the character initially and I've taken it and have fleshed it out even more, though to be honest, it was plenty complete already. The blues, blacks, and browns work together to give Liliana a gothic feel without turning her into a vampire-like girl.
Ren. A name spoken in fear, contempt, dread, and safety. Her enigmatic presence pairs well with her choice of being a woman of a few words - she is what some would call... a Bodyguard. A sellsword with the specific goal to protect. Though her attitude presents her as cold, a deep passion lurks beneath; she outs her entire being in keeping an employer safe. For what reason? What reason does there need to be? A life is a life, and a death does not look good on the protector.
Mathilda's past is rough - as is everyone's in the Blackscale Knights. Realistically, Viverne isn't a duchy of happy stories or even long ones; even with great dragons as their living pride. Her design takes heavily after her first incarnation as a tabletop character, where she was a fighter. Life in the region was tough to begin with, what with colder winters than in any other region of Solvognen, but the invasion of Heavenward made it somehow more dreary; tragic. The sky is always gray with the remnants of ash. The snow is always laden with scales. To fight for a cause such as Mathilda's isn't a case of charity. She's only upholding the fight which those she held dear mostly couldn't claw their ways out of. Tomorrow is the goal that today cannot reach, so let today be today, and tomorrow what it will. That's all anyone can do for the fallen: Seize the day.
The war for the Court of the Crimson King hardened her bonds and made her realize who she was and what she wanted to do - tend to unkept shrines and bless them, from here to the far reaches of Solvognen. A true paladin, fighting for a higher cause - with a humble heart. Lian's design takes after an attempt to make her in Elden Ring, where the depraved perfumer garb gave me the idea to have Lian's fire sorcery affect her clothing - and giving her a white tabard, paired with the armor, give her the appearance of a paladin. Honestly, it fits her calm demeanor. It felt so natural in fact I often forget it came from an Elden Ring cosplay attempt. Her fire is strong.
Oni's design was a very intense exercise. Originally, she was to wear only her Shinto attire. The armor was an addition I made so as to make a contrast between Hantaa's duties and her passions. As if to say that even if who she presents herself to be is a priestess, she is also a slayer of the night - and no matter how much she covers that up, its still ingrained into her. Besides, it is a very visually interesting design, as it takes the purity and cleanliness of a shinto priestess, and mixes it with the fierce and loyal nature of a samurai. The looks meld quite well.
The owner of a nova custom Arm cyberware which aims to replicate the mounting method of the Mantis Blades but utilizing a compact shotgun design instead of the usual retractable blades. Some preem mods. Not anyone can get ahold of something like this, choom. Their fashion sense is equally bold. Not especially expressive, but somewhat leaning to neo-kitsch. Loud, but fun.
In the group, he goes by "Z." No, he did not get to pick it. But he's not the complaining type. More of a laidback snarker. This iteration seeks to mark the difference between TTRPG Robin and Deathblow Robin, with the Luxumbran greaves and belt tail. Stylish in its own right.