May I formally introduce The Crucified Dreamer. This alternate universe Abyssal form of my character, Kalara, enjoys seducing revolutionaries to the cause of her Deathlord, the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears.
She fiercely loves her Deathlord, who saved her from the days of torment she had endured after being crucified by the Guild for a murder she didn’t commit in an effort to silence her calls for reform.
The Lover gave the Dreamer the chance she craved to ‘equalize’ all in the embrace of death. The Dreamer enjoys finding revolutionaries much like herself, encouraging them to fight wars they cannot win so she can watch them die 'beautiful’ deaths.
Her skin is meant to be a corpselike blue with her crucifixion wounds still present and unhealed.
Then I remembered to come back and share Kalara’s completed Shirt Cut Meme here! Her wardrobe and hair got an update and her Koh persona (Free Space) got a redesign to be way more sexy-badass instead of kinda nerdy, which just wouldn’t do for the Silver-Tongued Devil famed for many misadventures.
I also experimented with a new style in Procreate, which I’m digging. I’m slowly, but surely morphing The Uncrucified towards a more painterly, less line heavy style.
You can also watch a narrated timelapse of this piece here.
Kalara’s Shirt Cut Meme continues! It’s a dangerous move to wear your Anathema caste mark in your jewelry, but it’s a perfect way to keep your enemies guessing & distracted. Is it an ornate circle or a sign this lady’s Trouble?
Kalara Vadras, the main character of my story, The Uncrucified, inspired by the Exalted TTRPG. She’s a high level businesswoman, Guild Master, and lady with a score to settle.
Fashion inspiration Mollyca, Stephane Rolland, and Eli Saab.
Made with perfect pose reference from AdorkaStock.
So I’ve been art blocked for a long while. Life’s been busy and I needed a break! Who knew the silly shirt cut meme would be the thing to break me out of my block? It’s a fun excuse to put Kalara in pretty dresses! Powerful god-tier businesswomen need to have fun too, right? I’m going to share my topics one at a time till I reveal the final collection and stash these individual entries.
Fashion inspiration from Eli Saab and Sherri Hill.
For those who don’t know this character, Kalara is from The Uncrucified, my fan project inspired by the Exalted TTRPG setting.
Exalted Art Challenge Concept Sketches - Favorite Charm
The concepts for Favorite Charm (or magical ability) gave me a chance to explore the many glorious flame FX of the Celestial firepower of a Righteous Devil like Kalara. It also granted a bit of wish fulfillment since she never learned Garda Flies on Gilded Wing Attack. These FX are just SCREAMING to be animated and are giving me more incentive to learn animation in Procreate!
I’m saving the top right thumbnail of Cloud of Ebon Devils for a cover piece because it just has presence! Future cover of a sequel story to The Uncrucified, perhaps? Or at least some cool promo art!
One of my favorite sketch compilations from my recent Art Challenge I’m sharing over at my Exalted fic’s account. Be sure to check out that account from the rest of the sketches from my prompt list!
May I formally introduce The Crucified Dreamer. This alternate universe Abyssal form of my character, Kalara, enjoys seducing revolutionaries to the cause of her Deathlord, the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears.
She fiercely loves her Deathlord, who saved her from the days of torment she had endured after being crucified by the Guild for a murder she didn’t commit in an effort to silence her calls for reform.
The Lover gave the Dreamer the chance she craved to ‘equalize’ all in the embrace of death. The Dreamer enjoys finding revolutionaries much like herself, encouraging them to fight wars they cannot win so she can watch them die 'beautiful’ deaths.
Her skin is meant to be a corpselike blue with her crucifixion wounds still present and unhealed.
Then I remembered to come back and share Kalara’s completed Shirt Cut Meme here! Her wardrobe and hair got an update and her Koh persona (Free Space) got a redesign to be way more sexy-badass instead of kinda nerdy, which just wouldn’t do for the Silver-Tongued Devil famed for many misadventures.
I also experimented with a new style in Procreate, which I’m digging. I’m slowly, but surely morphing The Uncrucified towards a more painterly, less line heavy style.
You can also watch a narrated timelapse of this piece here.
It’s that magical time of year again for the Exalted Secret Santa! It’s also time for a new reference collection now that I have some new art to share this year. My Secret Santa has 3 options behind the cut. Choose your poison!
Kalara Vadras, The Uncrucified
A passionate Eclipse Caste, Kalara can often be found traveling Creation using her charm and wit towards the cause of achieving a more equitable economy and the abolishment of slave labor throughout the threshold. While she has a friendly public face, her enemies whisper of her spy network, Kalara’s “Tongues”, which work quietly throughout Creation eliminating her enemies.
She has a scar from a failed crucifixion on her left hand only,not both hands
Feel free to play with her hair and clothing style without sticking too close to the ref. Kalara mixes things up a lot to either blend in on her travels OR to make a big impression, depending on the occasion. She’s quite the fashionista!
Her totemic anima involves chains of sunlight wrapping around her arms and ankles as the links fall off one by one. Spikes of sunlight, which do not harm her, appear in her hands and melt away. Behind her, a phoenix with a long, trailing tail rises up behind her
NSFW ok!
When she can’t talk her way out of combat, Kalara uses a set of ‘plainer’ artifact firewands (pictured on the right below), though she prefers to leave the gunslinging to her alter-ego, Koh.
————
Koh, the Silver-Tongued Devil
Sometimes when Kalara requires more “discretion” on the road, she travels in the guise of her male persona, Koh, the Silver-Tongued Devil. Rumors swirl around about how this infamous gunslinger and Righteous Devil led a rebellion and rules a network of rebels, escaped slaves, and bandits in the forests between Nexus and Dinas Ryhdd.
Much to Kalara’s amusement, there’s even a rumor that the two are lovers after her Night Caste companion shapeshifted into Koh so they could pose together at a party to throw off suspicion.
Art Notes
Koh appears male with dyed brown hair, though the disguise in my ref image is slipping a bit with Kalara’s red roots showing and her shirt open.
The round-rimmed glasses are Koh’s signature, feel free to take liberties with everything else, though Koh’s appearance tends to channel Kalara’s Southern heritage
Koh uses a set of dual Prayer Pieces
NSFW ok
—-
Night Locust, the Kindly Reaper
Kalara’s right-hand ninja, head of security, and leader of her black ops, “The Embers”. The two formed a strong familial bond as fledgling Solars, as the young Solar took his second breath at the age of 19 when he refused to murder his assassin partner, instead taking the life of their assassin clan’s leader in a blaze of sunlit fury. Night Locust met Kalara in the wandering time after, Kalara giving him a purpose and compassion he did not have in life.
Night Locust may project an aura of calm sagely wisdom, but he is a prankster at heart and a keen edge on the battlefield. He uses a pair of short diaklaves and a dual-bladed scythe. He is not a fan of pointless murder, however, and also does his best to avoid violence.
Art Notes
Kalara and Night Locust are not lovers, but rather have a found-family relationship. Please do not draw them in a romantic situation.
Night’s totemic anima is a cloud of blackness that breaks off into countless locusts
Kalara’s Shirt Cut Meme continues! It’s a dangerous move to wear your Anathema caste mark in your jewelry, but it’s a perfect way to keep your enemies guessing & distracted. Is it an ornate circle or a sign this lady’s Trouble?
Kalara Vadras, the main character of my story, The Uncrucified, inspired by the Exalted TTRPG. She’s a high level businesswoman, Guild Master, and lady with a score to settle.
Fashion inspiration Mollyca, Stephane Rolland, and Eli Saab.
Made with perfect pose reference from AdorkaStock.
So I’ve been art blocked for a long while. Life’s been busy and I needed a break! Who knew the silly shirt cut meme would be the thing to break me out of my block? It’s a fun excuse to put Kalara in pretty dresses! Powerful god-tier businesswomen need to have fun too, right? I’m going to share my topics one at a time till I reveal the final collection and stash these individual entries.
For those who don’t know this character, Kalara is from The Uncrucified, my fan project inspired by the Exalted TTRPG setting.
Finally drawing Kalara again and wouldn’t you know it’s a boob meme? lol!
Finally calling my try at the Exalted Art Challenge inspired by @theonyxpath ‘s Exalted setting is complete! You can see the entire set of images with links to each collection’s lore and concept notes at the post. Lemme know what your fave topics were!
Exalted Secret Santa 2020 for @theuncrucified of their gorgeous Kalara! I hope I got all the details in <3
OHHH! Look what was posted while I was sleeping! She’s absolutely stunning @fishcapades. Thank you for this lovely gift! This color scheme is gorgeous for her!
Exalted Art Challenge Concept Sketches - Incarnations Back to Back - Kalara and Calym
While Calym’s time is over, he and Kalara remain inextricably bound, with his Shard passing on some of his memories and knowledge. Kalara strives to learn from the mistakes Calym made and the emotionless spirit construct of himself he has left behind to tutor her in bureaucracy.
Should she ever prove unworthy, however, Calym has made his intentions known that he will destroy her so that a more worthy successor might come along more quickly, a threat Kalara never takes seriously.
The left thumbnail is another one I hope to bring to final! It has a badass epic mood to it that really inspires me.
Exalted Art Challenge Concept Sketches - Age of Sorrows Incarnation - Kalara Vadras
When the Exalted of the First Age fell, the Age of Sorrows began, but a glimmer of hope stands on the horizon. The Shards of the Exalted have begun to appear again, imbuing heroes like Kalara with the power to change the face of Creation.
Like Calym, I’ve depicted her in a mural style with some key differences. While Calym’s focuses on veneration from his worshippers, Kalara stands among people who rise up in revolution carrying tools of their trade, as she spends much of her power in Creation empowering escaped slaves like herself with trade skills and fostering fair economy through her organization, the Pristine Guild.
She struggles between the Gun and the Quill, violence and diplomacy. By the end of her time in Creation, she will have learned to balance both.
She and Calym share the phoenix as a personal symbol, though they oppose each other in gold and silver.
I wasn’t aiming for the fire feeling (I drew feathers in her hair and on her shoes, I was kinda aiming for air, but I guess we now have a phoenix aesthetic!
I love being able to just play, and let something fall out a design organically as I go. It’s fun to plan too, but also fun to just play.
Something I can see Kalara rocking for a masquerade ball in a Phoenix themed costume, fire and Phoenixes being personal symbols of hers. I must make this kind of scene happen in-story now so I have an excuse to draw her in something like this!
Exalted Art Challenge Concepts - Regional Fashion of Gem
Exploring the fashion of Gem, the underground mining metropolis in a volcano and Kalara’s hometown. I went through different ideas for this one, from Kalara eating lunch in a hidden niche by a crystal (top right thumbnail) to a fancy version of her where she’s returned to Gem as a wealthy Eclipse Caste and dresses in full finery for a party (top left thumbnail).
I opted for the simple glimpse of her in the market almost purely so I could draw that fun purse and explore fashion textures, as well as show a peek of her early life. I really like that lunch concept though, so might have to work that up sometime!
The first batch of my Exalted Art Challenge concept sketches are out of Patreon Early Access, so I can finally share them here!
These concepts for the topic Favorite Caste explore customizing a caste mark for my Eclipse, Kalara, who hails from Gem. As such, I wanted her sigil to have a desert flair to it and took much inspiration from Moroccan motifs.
In the end, the final design combines abstracted fire elements with the tails of the phoenix, a personal symbol of Kalara’s.
The Righteous Devil form isn’t merely a martial art, but a spiritual reckoning. When you draw on this art, you’re pulling from that turmoil deep down, from all the sins you’ve ever committed, and all the sinners you’ve ever reckoned with. All that roiling guilt and anger and painful understanding refined and channeled into the flame of your soul, of your weapons.
It took me years to even begin to master it…and it almost destroyed me. Only one who can understand their own sins can channel what it means to be not only a Devil, but a Righteous one.
- Memoirs of Kalara Vadras, The Uncrucified, RY 800.
I wonder sometimes if I would even recognize myself back then. I still remember the soft light of Gem’s crystals and the teeming underground marketplace that never slept. As a slave of Iblan, I was dressed in attire to represent the household of my master, an aging master goldsmith.
I owned no finery of my own, not even the bangles I wore which served as an example of Iblan craftmanship for all to see and admire, for even their slaves must convey everything about their stature as Gem’s famed goldsmiths. Instead of gems sewn into my shawl as any fine lady of Gem might own, mine was painted and embroidered to mimic gems. I was a pale imitation of what a noble Iblan lady might be.
- Memoirs of Kalara Vadras, The Uncrucified, RY 800.
