Not an artist: Five things from Oracle of Seasons you can hide the evidence.

Five things from Oracle of Seasons you can hide the evidence.

Ring box L-1: Holding with the elements theme of this item set, the brief I arrived at for the green ring box was an earth themed container.

As a sign of friendship, and a sound business strategy, Vasu the Jeweler gives Link this small ring box upon their first meeting in his Horon Village shop. The box only holds one ring, limiting Link’s options while out adventuring and forcing Link to stop by the store if he wants to swap the ring he is carrying.

For a thief on the go, a fallen log can be an excellent place to stash your questionably obtained goods. Be wary that others don’t see your hiding spot and always know that a badger may just take up residence atop your payday, forcing you to risk limb if not life to recover the package. 

Pop Culture: Chaos Axe for chaotic times

 I’ve been watching too much Goobertown so have a Chaos Axe.

Chaos Axe: This axe has been etched with the rune of chaos to empower the chosen champion of chaos to work the will of the Ruinous Powers in the mortal world. Pushing the wielder to ever bolder feats, the axe always leads champions of chaos past their limits. Chaos cares not for its singular champions, where one falls another will rise.

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I don’t watch too many youtube videos directly related to drawing or tabletop roleplaying games, but I do watch a lot of hobby videos related to tabletop wargaming. I don’t plan on pursuing them as new hobby’s, but I love the crossover of art theory and fantasy concepts that is the core of mini-painting.

While Age of Sigmar or Warhammer Fantasy is not my thing, I cannot deny that GamesWorkshop has been making the absolute best skeleton miniatures I’ve ever seen lately. With that in mind, if anyone ever wants to send me a painted copy of the Sepulchral Guard or the new Ulfenguard from The Cursed City, I would not be opposed.

Those boney undead troopers just do almost everything I want in my skeleton hordes. They are missing skeleton archers, mages, and non-human skeletons, but so is everyone else.  ALMOST makes a person wanna pick up another skill-based time sink of a hobby.

Friendly reminder that we are all responsible for improving the lives of everyone. Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Not an artist: Six items from Oracle of Seasons found in the vault of an old mansion.

Six items from Oracle of Seasons found in the vault of an old mansion.

Blue Ore: Buried in a patch of conspicuous soil in the southwestern wilds of Subrosia, Link must use his magnetic glove to navigate the many otherwise impassible pits that block the way to the blue ore. After digging up this ore and finding the red ore we discussed previously, Link can have the two ores smelted together into the hard ore by the Subrosian Smelter.

Children have dared each other to explore the decaying mansion on the hill for generations. Having had so many visitors, It is a wonder that no one ever found this vault before you did tonight. If those ingots are real gold you are rich.

Lucky Charms: Its either a horseshoe or a hand grenade

A lucky horseshoe to ward away some misfortune.

Lucky Horseshoe: Different communities have different traditions on how best to use a lucky horseshoe. Some say it must be pointed open up to catch the luck, while others claim that it ought to be hung pointed down to let the luck fall onto those passing beneath the horseshoe.

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In researching lucky charms from around the world I found two explanations as to why horseshoes are lucky. One relies on the iron in the horseshoe to keep the tricksy fey at bay. The other tells a tale of how a blacksmith shoed Satan's hooved feet with such violence that Satan swore to avoid horseshoes ever after.

The US is still punching above its weight class in proving that things are not equitable and just for all people in the country. Fight for racial justice, be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Not an artist: Four crystals from Oracle of Seasons that have a secret.

Four crystals from Oracle of Seasons that have a secret. 

Ore Chunks: Ore chunks are the mineral based currency of Subrosia. Just like rupees, Link can find ore chunks just about anywhere, but only in Subrosia. Silver ore chunks are worth one, red chunks are worth five and gold chunks are worth fifty. Link can spend these chunks in the Subrosian Market, but they are hidden someplace inaccessible when Link leaves Subrosia for the sights and sounds of sun kissed Holodrum.

Bismuth crystals are pretty crazy looking but they are a hard mode exercise in perspective when drawing. It is no wonder their oddly artificial looking crystals were used as some of the visual language for Magic the Gathering’s Eldrazi.

This ore was collected from a strange mineral growth that is slowly appearing all over the continent. Scholars are dumbfounded by the fact that the mineral behaves more like a fungus than a stone without any discernible signs of life. Whatever is causing these deposits to form must be getting closer since they are growing faster and faster every day.

Star Trek first contact day was yesterday

April 5th 2063 is when humans made first contact with aliens in Star Trek.

Comm Badge: Tap to talk, hands free positioning on and off planets, and ID badge all in one. 

Humans didn’t do a great job when they made first contact in 2063. We’ve got 42 years to get to a place where we can do a whole lot better. Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Holiday: Wishing you better luck this Easter.

 Wishing you better luck this Easter.

Rabbit's foot charm: To create the most powerful lucky charm, one must ensure that the worst and unluckiest alignment of omens proceeds the charm's creation. The strongest charms are created from a wild hare’s back left foot, caught atop the unmarked grave of a murderer, in an unhallowed cemetery, beneath a new moon, on a jinx day, by a gambler on a losing streak. Some superstitious cultures say that catching a witch’s familiar is even luckier, but only fools think inviting a witch’s wrath is lucky.

I barely invented or tweaked any of the lore around the rabbit’s foot charm. I’m still not 100% sure where it came from originally as there are some conflicting sources, but the practice may have been independently created across the globe. 

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I am not a religious person but I grew up in a home that wanted me to be Christian so I am aware of a lot of those holidays and observances from the point of view of having learned about them only as a child. I have always wondered how we bunnies got wrapped up in the festival celebrating the story of a resurrection.

Bunnies, especially white ones, were seen as symbols of purity and fertility by the early Christian church because rabbits can get pregnant while pregnant with another litter which gives the impression that they conceived spontaneously. A feat that Christians claim also happened to Mary. This immaculate conception connection, in addition to the spring/rebirth/bunnies through-line, explains much of the connection.

Practice your personal beliefs as long as they don’t harm others, but don’t force others to align to your personal beliefs. Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Holiday: Have a lucky coin that is entirely fungible.

Have a lucky coin that is entirely fungible.

Lucky coin: Finding a coin heads up on the ground is an auspicious sign. The free clink in your pocket is a sure sign that you have someone or something’s favor. Remember to use that coin and its luck fast so that it doesn’t have the chance to sour.

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NFT’s are for fools. As today is a day for fools, I will waste a bit of my time on them. NFT’s, or non-fungible tokens, are a hot topic right now. I primarily think they are bad because they create a sense of value by creating false scarcity. Digital assets are infinitely reproducible and NFT’s just want to use art as a way to add legitimacy to the token collection craze. This also entirely ignores the real environmental cost of running supercomputers just to maintain a decentralized currency so that people can say they own a URL.

Crypto may be here to stay but I for one am not impressed by its impact on art.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph