I know I haven't been updating my DeviantArt a lot, but I will soon. For my art class, I am collaborating and creating a sort of graphic novel all on my own. I have to start from scratch, hand-design, and use different mediums. Also, which is a bit tricky, I have to use the faces of people I know on the main characters. I have 18 pictures of four people who volunteered to be facial models for me, and each one has a character. Aside from the huge amount of references I have for each character now, I have utiziled a setting I've been fiddling with for quite some time. If any of you know how I think, then you may realize that "fiddle" means create people, places, creatures, a system of magic (what fantasy world would be awesome without it? Don't answer that), characters, crazy ideas, history, folklore, and so forth. And I have, since I've had this setting for three years or so. I love the idea, and I can not wait to use it. I was first thinking of writing a book with my horrid writing skills with this setting, but the graphic novel fits so much better. Ladies and gentlemen, I present Quintessence.

This world, simply known as the world to the inhabitants (giving it a formal name indicates that there are more than one. We wouldn't want that, would we?). Underneath the three moons, known as the Moons (giving each a name means they are all separate when they are always together), is a complex world of five civilizations coexisting. They are all living in general peace, with the occasional outburst of violence or battle. However, with only five civilizations in existence, the political structure is quite fragile. Our heroes hail from Irita, a large and 'educated' civilization that focused on diplomatic relations instead of military. All four hail from the Academy, where they have all learned their specified field of Quintessence, save mysticism. In the Academy, the students are collected into groups at their first year. Some join the scribes, where they train in the quintessential arts to contribute to the civilization. Others join the theoticians, who speculate in the nature of the world, politics, and quintessence. A small faction, hand-chosen for their skill, join the parties, where they train to use their art to forge diplomatic relations, adventure in the uncontrolled portions of the world, and lead communities. Our four heroes were clumped together with a fifth in the 237TH party, where they trained in enherald, woven, mystic, battle, and war arts. Five people per party with one leader, one captain, and three underlings. Trained for seven years to fight and learn together, the parties were elite groups of adventurers, especially when they all survived. Alas, the 237TH party lost their mystic early in their career, leaving them the underdog of the three academic parties. Biara, Kryia, Lare, and Marx have had to endure the harshest challenges of the Academy without their fifth member, leaving each stronger and more versatile than before. The leader and sigil blade, Biara, guided her captain and enherald Marx, as well as the woven Kryia and warmage Lare, to the final challenge between the 237TH party and graduation.

Let us hope they make it out alive.

I hope I get some readers out there, since I will be posting the finished product, as well as WIP shots, on DeviantArt. Wish me luck!

Sincerely,
Roka Shotar