Delayed Post: Black Lives matter

I live in the Twin Cities. Right now things are pretty crazy here, so I am skipping this week's post.

I always end my posts with the call to action, be excellent to everyone. Our country is not excellent to everyone. George Floyd didn't need to die. The U.S. needs to be honest about its racist inequities and provide justice for all so that there can be peace for all.

Now more than ever, be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Fan Art: Sailor Moon's Moon Stick to hop on the #redrawsailormoon bandwagon

Here is my take on Sailor Moon's Moon Stick.

Moon Stick: This wand, it doesn't look much like a regular stick, is wielded by Sailor Moon in her defense of love and justice. The moon stick assumes its final form when the Silver Crystal, a love powered superweapon, is attached to the stick.

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I drew this because I kept seeing the #redrawsailormoon posts everywhere. I didn't watch Sailor Moon as a kid, but I started watching it as a background show during grad school and found it super charming. In the past, I may have been a silly boy blinded by toxic masculinity, but not longer! Sailor Moon is a wonderful watch.

I don't own Sailor Moon so don't profit off this without its owner's permission.

Parts of the world seem to be getting less crazy than my hyper-nationalistic and shortsighted country. Covid-19 is still a danger, don't just go back to normal life because you really want to. 

Stay safe, work to keep everyone healthy, and always be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

I'm not an artist: Five rings from the Oracles games used to punish rule breakers.

Five rings from the Oracles games used to punish rule breakers.

Red Ring: This ring doubles Link’s sword damage without increasing the damage he takes when hit. Link must defeat all four of the golden beasts of Holodrum before he can earn this ring. Once he has completed the herculean task, he is rewarded with an unidentified ring by an old man living in a hidden cave in North Horon. As always, link must take every new ring to Vasu and pay to have it identified. Like every ring that can be only found in one of the two Oracles games, this ring can be transferred to Oracle of Ages by passing a ring secret between Vasu’s snakes in Holodrum and Labrynna.

In the artisan district of Layon, propriety is a necessary commodity for a person’s success. The highly proper citizens are also deeply concerned with aesthetics, so they are loath to harm a person’s innate beauty. Wrong doers are forced to wear enchanted rings that are beautiful and harmful. This ring befuddles the wearer, making their movements uncoordinated.

I'm not an artist: Six rings from the Oracles games found on the hands of influential crime families.

Six rings from the Oracles games found on the hands of influential crime families.

Power Ring 1: The first level of the power ring increases the damage of Link’s attacks but also increases the damage Link takes when hit. Link must conquer the Explorer’s Crypt in Oracle of Seasons or the Spirit’s Grave in Oracle of Ages to unlock the ability to find this ring in his adventures.

The Sarconni family officially runs a somewhat successful seafood company, but it is a well-known secret that they are also in charge of all organized crime in the wharves. Sarconni officers are given a single pearl on a band of silver and they are expected to wear it at all times. What lower level Sarconni officers may not know, is that the pearl rings subtly push wearers to meaner, harsher, and more violent behaviors.

I'm not an artist: Five rings from the Oracles games Vasu can show you, a first time customer.

Five rings from the Oracles games Vasu can show you, a first time customer.

Magic Ring: I covered this in the Oracle of Ages set, but the two Oracles games, Ages and Seasons, have a lot in common as they are sibling games meant to be played in tandem. While many things are partially shared or very similar, the list of magic rings Link can find in Labrynna and Holodrum are exactly the same. 

Link can find these rings by opening gasha nuts, bumping into Maple the witch, buying them in shops, winning them in games, or by conquering some specific challenge. Many rings have magical effects when worn, but some rings act more like achievements as they only serve to commemorate a specific accomplishment. Link never knows what the rings he has found do until he pays Vasu the jeweler to identify the rings.

While there are 64 total rings to collect, Link may only equip one at a time. He can only equip rings that are in his ring box so he doesn’t have access to his entire collection when out adventuring.

Not all magic rings are created equal. Vasu, the world’s preeminent arcane jeweler, is more than happy to introduce you to the wide variety of rings one could find while undertaking a heroic quest. These simple rings are warded against corrosion but offer no other boon to a wearer.

Cards: The Oracle of Ages items in one complete set!

To celebrate the completion of Oracle of Ages, have a version of the Harp of Ages in fabulous technicolor!

Without further ado, here is my rendition of every item from Oracle of Ages.

You can find the printable version PDF with the cards and card backs fitted for 8 in. x 11.5 in. here.

You can view all of the completed sets of item cards under the collected tag here. 

When I finish posting a set, I like to look back and pick my favorite and least favorite items now that I have had some distance from when I drew the items and have had time to grow as an artist. Which was your favorite?

My overall favorite drawing from the set is the greasy bag drawing for the stink bag. It isn’t perfect, the grease line doesn’t really look super believable, but it makes me smile.

I am disappointed at how the obsidian blade turned out. I saw Luke Ink doing this amazing obsidian dagger and I thought I should give it a try. What I failed to notice was all the intricate texture he infused into his dagger by paying attention to how obsidian actually looks. 

The grappling hook is fairly lackluster. I didn’t do a great job on the perspective and the piece overall looks silly.

I really enjoy the spiderweb staff. I spent way too much time noodling on the wood grain and spiderweb, but I can imagine so many fun ways to use a staff that can throw webs.

The next set will be a bit different. Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons share a common list of magical rings Link can find in his travels. The next set of items is a modular ring builder set I made to represent each of these magic rings in a similar manner as the games did. There are four base-bands and sets of attachments that combine to create many unique rings. There are more than 332 possible configurations. Of which, you will see 89 posted on the blog.

As always, use my work personally however you see fit, but do not profit off my efforts without my consent.

Thanks for your continued interest. Remember to always be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph