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Episode 59 – Apsu Tonals

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Welcome to The Incarnate Process Episode 59 – Apsu Tonals

Project: Ascended Kings

Character Tonals: High King Apsu

This is a continuation from Episode 9. Discussion below:


Dylan Pierpont
Dylan Pierpont

Here we are. I don’t believe we ever got a final confirmation on the crown or staff design. But feel free to select whichever suits your fancy and I’ll be sure to include them in the final piece.

Let me know what your thoughts are on posing for Apsu. I know he too holds a staff (which we changed from the scepter) much like Zhoth. But as far as personality we’ll need to differentiate his posing from the rest.

Cheers!

Posted


Jason Allen
Jason Allen
So I’ll just jump right into this. I’m sorry that this post is extremely long, but this King is it, the main dude. Attached you will find a zip file. Please download this and look at the provided images. You will notice a theme with the stance of the Babylonian kings.First I’ll go through the stance and how he will be significantly different from the other kings, and then I will go through the points based on the images, then finally I will go point by point with a final bullet list.We will be using the stance from tonal #2 with a few adjustments. Right away this sets Apsu apart because he’s facing the other way unlike the other kings who are tending to face looking to our right (or straight forward). I gave this left facing stance a look in illustrator on my player mats, I think it looks good, and this will have him doing something that is immediately noticeable and unlike the other kings. (Now I know I mentioned he is left handed, but that isn’t going to matter for this character as we will have him doing something with both hands, lets say he’s ambidextrous lol)

Before I mention the adjustments please bear in mind that I am not saying that Apsu should be turned to be profile like the kings in these images, I am only talking about adopting their gestures to be posed within the orientation of the stance you already have created in tonal #2.

So for the adjustments to the pose we look at the depictions of Babylonian kings in the file. You’ll notice nearly every image has the kings right arm raised up at a 45ish degree angle. I would like to extend the length of the Ylem Staff so that he is still grasping it just below the bend; but his arm will be raised at a 45 degree angle so it will look natural. The staff will now be roughly just as tall as he is while the staff is still tilted at that 25ish degree angle.

Now his left arm. Again we see that several of the images show the kings left forearm approximately parallel with the ground, holding or resting his hand on a scepter/unknown rod looking thing. I would like Apsu to have this mysterious prop. What is it? I DON’T CARE, IT’S AWESOME! I’ll just call it his pimp cane. HA! But seriously, I really like how in some of the images it appears that this prop is actually sheathed somehow through the draped cloth fringe of the garments. So I would like those features, and his hand gently resting on it with his fingers outstretched slightly… (like in some of the images) Lets also make most of his arm showing skin (sleeveless) by adjusting the garments as in some of the images. Oh, and you can go ahead and design the pimp cane however you envision is best.

Next is the bracelets. They all have two matching bracelets. I like the ornate kind of style from the image with the three bracelets in the zip file. Something like those I think would look good and we just socket Ylem gems in there.

The kings in the images also share the spiraling sort of arm band things. I would like for him to have these spiraling type armbands as well, although lets not incorporate whatever animal head that is on the armbands. Just gold.

Another similarity I found is that most of them also have a secret set of scrolls, or some such thing, tucked away in their garment. There is a blown up image of this on an Assyrian statue, the file is called “scroll type things”. Lets give him those too, and lets go with a double concavity design for the gold knobs on the end.

Instead of having tassels or fringe/flanging edges though, lets try making something unique out of that concept. I was thinking we could have the “fringe” instead be gold cords that run down the garment and connect with the edge with a piece of trim. I’m not sure if I’m describing that very well but it kinda already looks like that on tonal #2. Those lines just made me think of gold cords.

The sandals of the kings are super unique. They only have the back sole wrapping around the heal of the foot and the rest of it is like a sandal. I like this idea and would like to have Apsu wearing a fancy pair of those.

Apsu will NOT have that massive beard though. He is clean shaven, and has the short to medium length bushy hair. I found what I think to be a good example actor that I’d like for him to be based on that also has a similar hair style.

That’s it for the zip file images. Which brings me to the final bulleted list, as per usual.

  • I would like <removed> to be the basis for Apsu’s look. Let’s age him just a bit, Apsu is appears almost 40 at the time this is taking place:
  • But lets give him the complexion of this guy: <link removed>
  • Let’s go with the garments from #2, but add the loincloth flap from #3 and the circle design thats on the lower right side of the skirt from #1
  • If you think he would look better with earrings we can do that but it’s totally up to you
  • Last, but definitely not least, he needs a modest but noticeable necklace (not too big not too small). This necklace has a single Magatama bead on it made out of Jade. <spoilers removed>

That pretty much wraps it up. I apologize this is not as organized as I would like. I will post a summary of all of the points I posted today in a concise list that will serve as easy reference. Let me know if there is anything I left out, or if you have any questions. Thanks so much!

Posted

Dylan Pierpont
Dylan Pierpont
Hey Jason! No worries on the organization. I understood everything you brought up.Just a few points to consider:

  • Would you like the twisted gold armband to be on the upper bicep area or the lower forearm section near the elbow? (The answer to this will help determine how high up we need to cut the fabric to expose that portion of the skin) And I think the opposite arm can remain covered in fabric.
  • We can rest his hand on the hilt of the pimp cane, but to make it feel natural, the elbow is going to be slunk back a bit and the back of the cane pointed more towards the ground. So the idea will remain the same but the position will be a bit more relaxed.
  • Just to clarify you’d like the Ylem stone in the crown to have the acuteness of the philosopher’s stone triangle? (tall and peaked rather than shorter and equilateral)
  • Braided chords can work for the torso wrap. I just need to be sure to group clumps of chords so that area won’t draw a lot of unwanted, noisy attention with hundreds of individual strands.
  • A lot of the fabrics have a decorative trim. With the exception of the circular design on the lower wrap, I assume the rest of the cloth will remain relatively plain and un-patterned. I only ask because the loin cloth also has symbolism on the front and I don’t want the two pieces of fabric to feel overly busy when layered on top of one another. I think a plain loin cloth on top of the patterned leg wrap would overlap really nicely.

I think everything else is good. I’ll let you know if I run into any issues.

Cheers!

Posted


Jason Allen
Jason Allen

Dylan,

I’ll comment to each of your points in the same order you have them posted.

  • I’d like the armband to be on the lower bicep area just before the elbow. The file named “BabylonianClothes” I think expresses the position I was thinking best; that same image also shows the way I thought the sleeveless side would look. As far as the actual appearance of the armband, I’ll leave that to you, but in all the examples I like the style from the image called “assyrian_ mythologic_100bc” (I really should have renamed these lol). Having the staff arm remain in fabric is also fine.
  • Sounds good to me, I’m sure it will turn out great. PIMP CANE!
  • Correct. I’d like for that triangle window in the crown and the Ylem Stone that is socketed in it to conform exactly to the tall and peaked triangle from the classical philosophers stone symbol (like in the “Apsu Crown Choice” image). Not equilateral.
  • Sounds good, I’ll leave the choice of spacing and frequency up to you for the gold cords.
  • I think that having the plain loin cloth on top of the circle design leg wrap would work well, at most very lightly patterned, but again your call. If you decide to have decorative trim like the other Babylonian kings I think that would be cool too. The overall theme in my mind of Apsu is “white, blue, gold, elegant and geometric”.

OH I forgot to mention that his eyes are a brilliant blue (I guess this would go without saying).

Also keep in mind that Apsu is the highest level, Master Alchemist who has ever lived (as a human, ascended or otherwise), not to mention High King. I only say this as a fallback for anything that you might think of adding or adapting etc. He doesn’t flaunt or show this fact, and I think the subtle symbolism about this in his character should be enough. We don’t have to go out of our way to accommodate the idea that he is an alchemist, just thought it might be worth mentioning. The source of his power is very mysterious, people should wonder about his power.

If you’d like to put the tonals and the first half of Apsu on the same invoice that will work for me.

Would you still like for me to make a summary list of all these points? Let me know.

Talk with you soon!

Posted 2015


Dylan Pierpont
Dylan Pierpont
Great. This all sounds good. No worries on the summary list. I’ve already written the notes directly on the tonal sheet so I have one image to reference from. I’ll send off the invoice for the initial Apsu and his tonals tomorrow!Cheers!
Posted 2015 

END EPISODE # 059


Stay tuned for EPISODE # 060 – Apsu Rough 1 which will be posted soon!

Thank you for stopping by!

Artwork © 2015, Dylan Pierpont.

Incarnate Games Inc, Ascended Kings, Omega Mundus series, the Incarnate Games logo, the Ascended Kings logo and all associated marks, names, foci, characters, models, environments, illustrations and images from the Ascended Kings and/or Omega Mundus series are either ®,™, and/or © Incarnate Games, Inc 2013-2016. All Rights Reserved. Used under exclusive copyright rights by Incarnate Games Inc.

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