5.5 Founder Portrait Art - Ex Miscellanea

Please post your portrait art ideas for Ex Miscellanea here!

Click here to visit our announcement page for more details on what we are looking for

What do you want this Founder's portrait art to look like? Please list the physical description, Action & Magic, Clothing, Accessories, and Background that you would like to see for Ex Miscellanea's portrait.

We can't wait to see what you come up with!

We can’t wait to see what you dream up!

Here are the links to the founder art threads:

Bjornaer, Bonisagus, Criamon, Ex Miscellanea, Flambeau, Guernicus, Jerbiton, Mercere, Merinita, Tremere, Tytalus, Verditius

1 Like

I am not sure about exactly how she would look, but I know exactly the scene with Pralix (founder of Ex Miscellanea) that I would like depicted.
From the Battle of the False Sun - the last battle of the Spider War where Pralix led her forces against Damhan-Allaidh and his followers as described in Thrice-Told Tales

Pralix herself was in the midst of
battle, sword in one hand and spear in the
other, as she fought her way through to
Damhan-Allaidh’s redoubt. She had pre-
pared for the moment that she would face
him. The mage-smiths amongst her peo-
ple had made her an unbreakable magic
chain, forged from obscure ingredients
and strange magics collected over several
years. Upon facing Damhan-Allaidh at
last, she shackled herself to her opponent
with the chain, ensuring that the conflict
could only end with one of their deaths

2 Likes

I'm a fan of Pralix as envisioned by PabloMoreno.

Apparently, it is based on the descriptions of items attributed to her in 3E.

Though I do agree with Erik, I think the scene conveys the sort of person Pralix has shown herself to be; not a politician or a lab-rat, but a soldier. At home on the battlefield, ready & willing to use any tool at hand and bend the rules to achieve victory. The Spider War is central to her story and that of the House she created. Feels right her artwork would depict a battle in that struggle.

2 Likes

Actually, Pablo Moreno is one of the artists whose art has been included in several books of the Spanish/French editions, and has (amazing) versions of each Founder that have not been published anywhere, as far as I know. Maybe those would be a good starting point.

5 Likes

My proposal would be to highlight the diversity of Ex Miscellanea, so it won't be only a portrait of Pralix, but her discussing with two others mystical characters, clearly from other traditions:

Setting:
In a stone circle (part of the circle is only visible in the background), three characters are sitting around a round boulder, possibly looking like a very eroded stone head (dead giant or troll?), covered with moss. Those three characters are peacefully meeting and discussing. On the stone head-table, three wooden bowls, some steam coming out of them: it is a social, peaceful discussion, each party brought gifts as sign of peace and respect (pink, glowing crystal, a short staff adorned with strange carving, a crow skull with one shining stone embedded in one eye-socket).

Characters, from left to right:
Side views: an old crone, although bend in two she is still taller than the two other, obviously with giant blood in her veins (think Baba Yaga), representing a witch coven, with all the archetypal items and decoration: hands ending with long, stony finger nails, a owl on her shoulder, a small cauldron used like a satchel at her feet, with various herbs, twigs, possibly bones poking out of it, one hand pointing at the crow skull.

Front view (center): Pralix, middle age women, athletic build, straight posture, a war scythe behind her, laying on one of the standing stone (war scythe is a pole arm, with a semi curved blade at the top, Pralix's is made with a handle of black wood, etched with golden symbols, the blade is an-half a jaw, with teeth, of a forgotten monster). Her outfit is simple leather, worn, embedded with a few shining stones. She is talking, her hands are open in a gesture of welcoming, her palms are tattooed (no hermetic symbols).

Side view (right): a short, dwarvish looking, stocky, young female (Rusticani type tradition). She is wearing an leather apron, at her belt, various wood worker tools (knife, chisel), small axe at her feet.
While listening, she is carving a small bird with a knife, as to keep her hands busy.

The idea is to also have a representation of the Crone, the Mother and the Maid, triple deity presents in many mythology.

1 Like

Physical Description:

Pralix - a 30's woman, blue eyes, unkempt short light brown hair, a hard, bitter edge to her expression.

Action & Magic:

A showdown with the Spider, Davnallous.

Clothing:

Period appropriate armor transformed into a talisman.

Accessories:

A spear or polearm of some kind.

Background: Many other wizards whom Pralix brought with her to fight the Spider.

Pralix stands flanked by her allies on the hillside above a lake watching Davnalleus' approaching army at the start of the Battle of the False Sun. It is approaching sunset.The lake has an island in it on which can be seen signs of a military camp (Pralix's army).

Pralix is wearing the Robes of Dusty Dawn - lavendar-rose coloured woolen robes with the skirts covered in line upon line of arcane symbols written in white chalk (see pg 111 of HoH:S). She holds a spear in one hand and a sword in the other; at her waist is coiled a strange chain with links that seem to consist of several strange materials entwined together.

Pralix's lieutenants include:

  • A Beast Master. He is dressed only roughly, and behind him stand a phalanx of 5 great red stags.
  • One of the Columbae: They hold a gnarled staff, wear light coloured robes and have a bag of chalk at their belt. Their clothing has a number of chalk markings upon it (although not to anything like the extent of the Robes of Dusty Dawn).
  • An Elementalist summoning a ball of fire.

The army of Damhan-Allaidh includes:

  • A ram-headed serpent dragon
  • Giants
  • A group of Gruagachan starting to summon sluagh (hungry ghosts)
  • Rune wizards
  • Damhan-Allaidh - a hunchbacked form, so thin as to be nearly skeletal (but with a bloated abdomen) and completely hairless. His clothing bears a spider motif, and he is attended by a body guard of Inspiderwiht (pg 130 of Thrice Told Tales - basically a mixture of a giant and a spider - size +5, glossy black skin, 8 legs with claws, but able to walk upright like a man and wield three sets of weapons simultaneously).

Should probably include the very Pictish yet evil looking Damhadh Duidsan.

Damhadh Duidsan wasn't actually at the final battle - there's slightly different versions of why not (he split with Pralix after she blamed him for Damhan-Allaidh's escape following the previous battle according to Thrice Told Tales, whilst RoP:tI suggests Pralix held him in reserve because she didn't trust him).

Missed the part where this was a scene for the Battle of the False Sun.