Black Fire Ascent

A psychedelic display of magical disturbance in a cerulean sky lies behind a towering ring of stone. Within the ring, there is an equally gigantic statue of a nude androgynous figure, their one hand crossed over their chest and their other raised in a fist toward the sky. A mist-adorned mountain covers the bottom of the monument, which is looked on by a figure kayaking through the vibrant waters of a river, surrounded by lush plants.

Lore

At the base of the massive peak of Dreamweaver’s Night is the Black Fire Ascent, one of the grandest monuments to the god Auhel in Fao, and the largest in Central Fao.

Situated just behind a large prominence, the monument is a statuesque depiction of the god in what is nearly their standard form—one arm raised high toward the stars, the other across their chest, both with closed fists. Longer strands of hair, giving the god a more feminine appearance than is the norm, billow upward and mix with the intense magical energies that shield the structure from outside intervention. Rather than their eyes being closed, they are rendered fully black, and seem to be scarred by black tracts running vertically downward, clinging to their stone skin as if they were tears.

Atlas of Central Fao, Palm Corridor: Silent Moor

Techniques

This one honestly took forever! Lots of photographs collaged, lots of hand-painting for the foreground and the shadows, and lots of hand-painting and design work for the ring and Auhel themself. Nailing the lighting was very fraught, as was getting the clouds organized in configurations that I wanted to see.

There were so many drafts of this piece that, in my head, I can see it at least five different ways, but I think I chose the best one to put out.