Axes for Orctober!

 Axes for Orctober!

Rexxar’s Axe: Rexxar is a hero of the Horde and was instrumental in the founding of Orgrimmar on Kalimdor. As he is Mok’Nathal, he has Ogre and Orc heritage, meaning he can wield two of these heavy-looking axes with ease.

Horde Grunt’s Axe: The footsoldiers of the Horde are outfitted with this simple, large axe that can be used one-handed with a shield or two-handed to take advantage of the incredible strength of even the lowliest Orc warrior.

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Rexxar is a direct rip-off of Darkwolf from Fire and Ice. Watching Fire and Ice long after playing the Orc single-player campaign in Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne was my personal moment of finding out Blizzard just remixes existing properties without really changing them all that much. Most people probably realized that when they noticed a lot of items in WarCraft 3 were just direct superhero references from comics. That realization really helped me with my imposter syndrome as a GM when I couldn’t come up with a perfectly unique story and instead wanted to copy or remix.

Orctober is mostly a miniatures wargaming meme or challenge, but here is my contribution to the month of the Orc.

How to support me:

Ko-fi: Donations and Digital shop

Patreon: Sustaining support and Digital shop 

Red Bubble: Buy a sticker or magnet

See my newest releases on Linktree

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Drewly: Dwemer Battle Axe

 Dwemer Battle Axe

Dwemer Battle Axe: Morrowind had a wonderfully unique artistic style. Each type and material of equipment felt distinct and recognizable. The circular silhouette of the dwemer battle axe has been stuck in my mind for the last 20 years.

I will always remember spending way too long looking for the Dwemer Puzzle box in Arkngthand. I searched high and low through that dwarven ruin only to find the box on a shelf in a room near the entrance. I also found a bunch of dwarven arms and armor, including this amazing battle axe.

Four days into drewly. Tomorrow is an iconic item from Tamriel, and after that, we will explore other drawing projects I have running.

What is Drewly?

#Drewly is the month-long art challenge for July, where you don’t have to make any new art. Just post art you’ve already made and celebrate all you’ve accomplished.

Rules:

Share art you have already made.

Share as often as you want.

When you share, tag your art with #Drewly and #Drewly2025

I will be posting art every day of Drewly, so check back in tomorrow for something new.

Check out everything I’ve shared for past Drewly’s here: #Drewly #Drewly2022 #Drewly2023 #Drewly2024

Since you’re here, please consider supporting:

Make a one-time donation with Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/theeasyspeaker

Become a sustaining supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ItemCardswithTheSpeakingSquid 

Buy a sticker: SpeakingSquid.redbubble.com

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

The Minish Cap: An ice pick

An ice pick

Grip Ring: Link must get this ring to reach the top of Mount Crenel. Luckily, there is a business scrub who just so happens to sell this ring about halfway up the mountain. Conveniently, just about where Link’s natural climbing abilities reach their limit. Once Link has purchased the ring, he can climb rocky walls, allowing him to reach the top of the mountain and continue his quest.

This is the ice pick that started it all for the world’s newest summiter of the great peak. The first time they hung from an ice pick stuck in a frozen waterfall, they knew they would be climbing mountains until the day they died. Unfortunately, their jealous climbing partner wanted to be the first person to summit the great peak with only simple tools, and this ice pick in their hands seems like they intend for the world to believe you died in a terrible accident before you could make it to the top.

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The grip ring is all about climbing previously impassible mountains, and I didn’t feel like drawing another ring, so that is how you get an icepick for a simple ring.

Since you’re here, please consider supporting:

Make a one-time donation with Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/theeasyspeaker

Become a sustaining supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ItemCardswithTheSpeakingSquid 

Buy a sticker: https://www.redbubble.com/people/SpeakingSquid/

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Holiday: Trans rights are human rights

Trans rights are human rights 

Trans Pride Axe: Double-bit felling axe with the trans pride flag on the head.

The current American political climate is deeply problematic, so it is important that we stand up for the rights of people who are under attack.

Trans rights are human rights.

Protect trans kids.

Gender isn’t a binary.

If you have an issue with any of that, find a different place to be.

Since you’re here, please consider supporting trans people:

Trans Life Line, a support hotline run by and for trans people:  https://translifeline.org/donate/ 

The Trevor Project, suicide prevention and crisis support for LGBTQ+ people: https://give.thetrevorproject.org/campaign/692681/donate

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords Adventures: Throwing axes with bloody pasts.

 Throwing axes with bloody pasts.

Boomerang: Like other pedestal items, the boomerang can be used by any Link that picks one up, but only until they pick up a new item or finish the stage. Boomerangs can be used to pick up far-away objects and stun enemies, and in Four Swords Adventures Link can cause the boomerang to hover in midair before calling it back.

The tomahawk belonged to a freedom fighter who waged a guerilla war against an oppressive colonial empire. The hatchet belonged to a crime lord whose blood reign of terror was ended with their own axe. Together they represent some of the finest examples of tools becoming weapons in the hands of the powerless and are a highlight of the Collector's most recent acquisition.

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The connection might be a bit weak here. Boomerangs and throwing axes are both thrown weapons. That’s it.

My first exposure to the concept of the Axe Gang was through Kung Fu Hustle. If you haven’t watched it, you should.

 If you enjoy my work, please consider donating:

Make a one-time donation with Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/theeasyspeaker

Become a sustaining supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ItemCardswithTheSpeakingSquid 

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Wind Waker: A boarding axe

A boarding axe

Master Sword - Restored: Last week we discussed how Link finds the Master Sword hidden in a stasis locked Hyrule Castle. The blade has lost its keen edge and its ability to repel evil by the time Link finds it. To restore the fine edge of the blade, Link must help a new sage of the earth fulfill their destiny and reconnect a thread of divine power severed by Ganon’s vile deeds. When the new Earth Sage assumes their role, they are able to restore the master sword’s edge with the favor of the goddesses.

Many retired sailors hang a commemorative sword or hard won banner above their mantle as a commemoration of the fortune they enjoyed to live long enough to retire. One retired mercenary has a single well used boarding axe hanging above their mantle as a trophy of their time spent as the commander of the boarding party. They made enough money in the more than fifty sorties they led into enemy ships to buy a small Oceanside cottage to live out the rest of their retirement.

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Fall is back which means my lovely open summer schedule has been dashed to pieces and I’m busy with a million different things and I’m very out of practice juggling tasks.

I’m so spread out that I forgot today was 9/11. The terror attacks on 9/11 changed my life forever in ways my young mind couldn’t have expected. The racist and hyper nationalist knee jerk reactions the U.S.A. engaged in after 9/11 made the world worse for most everyone.

Be excellent to everyone. 

-Ceph

Axe Week: Air Axe for the last axe of Axe Week

 Air Axe of Lewa Mata

Air Axe: Wielded by Lewa the Toa Mata, or elemental guardian, of Air that inhabited the southern jungles on the island of Mata Nui. The Toa could not have known that the island they called home was actually a slumbering titanic spirit machine created to explore and observe the universe. In trying to discover the secrets of their powers and their home, the Toa unintentionally revives Mata Nui and sets off a chain ration that would reshape their world and others.

Axe Week: Black Axe's Black Axe

The Black Axe

The Black Axe: This fearsome axe was forged two hundred years ago by a grieving smith that wanted to protect his fellow mice from the many predators that stalk the lands. The great axe has been passed from one wielder to the next as chosen by the descendents of the smith that originally forged the axe. To wield the axe is to become a tireless defender of all mouse kind from the innumerable dangers of the wilds.

Axe Week: Bruenor Battlehammer's Dwarven War Axe

Bruenor Battlehammer's Dwarven War Axe

Flaming Silver Dwarven War Axe: Growing up in the frozen lands of Icewind Dale Bruenor always dreamed of reclaiming his clan’s ancestral home, Mithril Hall, from a great Shadow Dragon and its horde of minions. Eventually, Bruenor and his companions rediscovered and liberated Mithral Hall from its shadowy occupiers.  Reconquering one long lost dwarven city wasn’t enough to sate Bruenor’s lust for adventure, so he set off to find Gauntlgrym where his axe was silvered and enhanced with flame by the gods.

Axe Week: AND MY AXE!

Gimli's axe joins the Fellowship of Axe Week.

Gimli’s Axe: Gimili, son of Gloin, fought with the Fellowship of the Ring during the War of the Ring. His axe felled many of Sauron’s forces, especially during the bloody siege of Helm’s deep. In the peace that followed the War of the Ring, Gimli led many of his folk to establish a new home in the Glittering Caves beneath Helm’s Deep.

Axe Week: A day-three triple-axe FIRE SALE!!!

Three useful axes.

Fire Axe: Need to get through an obstacle in an emergency? That obstacle might be a door in a burning building or an unexpected assailant in an urban fight scene. No matter the obstacle, a conveniently paced fire axe is your answer. Found behind glass in a hallway near you.

While not explicitly referencing one specific axe, using the emergency fire axe in an action or horror movie is a time-tested trope. It is a reasonably accessible object that is an effective enough semi-improvised weapon.

Axe Week: The Bloodhoof Runespear

The Bloodhoof Runespear

Bloodhoof Runespear: This titanic pole-axe is the ancestral weapon of the Bloodhoof tribe's leaders. The spear has been passed from one chieftain to the next for twenty generations. Each bearer of the spear carves their story into the haft of the spear so that the weapon itself is a chronicle of its people’s history.

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Axe Week: The Green Knight's axe to inaugurate Axe Week

The Green Knight's axe to inaugurate Axe Week

Axe of the Green Knight: This mighty axe was left for Sir Gawain by the Mysterious Green Knight to remind Gawain of the oath he swore. In one year’s time the young knight must present himself to be struck in the same way he struck the Green Knight. Unfortunately, Sir Gawain cut the Green Knight’s head clean off in a single swing.

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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

Fan Art: The Leviathan Axe to ride the viking vibes from all the Kaldheim spoilers.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Ragnarok, everywhere you look.

Leviathan Axe: Kratos traveled into the far north to escape the shadow of the Olympian Gods. Not wanting to bring the corrupting influence of Olympus to his new home he gives up the Blades of Chaos and uses a hefty axe to defend his family from bandits, predators, and monsters.

Two notes. I. took artistic liberties with some aspects of the design and stuck very close to the original design in other places. This may be jarring for some die hard God of War 4 fans, but I still hope it follows the rule of cool. I have never actually finished any God of War game and I haven’t even played God of War 4. The PS4/Xbox One generation of consoles missed me. I’m still trying to find the time to finish the Witcher 2 on my Xbox 360. I did watch all of God of War 4 get played, and it was one of the first times I have ever enjoyed watching someone else play a video game.

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Magic the Gathering’s new setting is a viking inspired mini-multiverse called Kaldheim, which effectively just means the land of cold. Seeing a major fantasy property with that direct of a naming structure reminds me to spend less time being super precious about what I name things while world-building and GMing.

All the amazing art coming out of the Kaldheim set along with all the amazing screen shots from Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla have really put me in a viking mood. Makes me want to read Beowulf or run a one shot of ICRPG in Alfheim. It also makes me want to rewatch the 13th Warrior, a film that I whole heartedly recommend to anyone.

It also makes me want to talk about the fact that white supremacists are eager to co-opt the norse/Scandinavian iconography and how hate groups shouldn’t be allowed to ruin more things. I like norse mythology and I loathe white supremacy. People who think they are better than others simply because of the color of their skin totally miss the nuance of the norse myths. The gods are interesting and also flawed. Their problems are often of their own making since they are too proud to deal fairly with the Jotun or  Vanir. Their arrogance is a fundamental flaw. Their us vs them mentality literally leads to the end of the world. Their world, the world of hard and fast divisions between groups, needs to be burned away to reveal a better world, a world where we all come together and lift each other up.

Don’t stand by and allow hate to thrive. Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Fan Art: Gorehowl, The Hellscream family axe from Warcraft near the release of World of WarCraft: Shadowlands

Have a Gorehowl to celebrate the release of Shadowlands.

Gorehowl: The legendary axe of the Hellscream clan, weilded by the multifaceted, but ultimately honorable, Grom Hellscream to defeat Mannoroth the Destructor, and by Garrosh Hellscream to dishonorably slay Cairne Bloodhoof tarnishing the honor of the Horde. 

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I completely forgot I drew this a while back. I think my plan was to draw an iconic item from each of the Warcraft Orc Clans, but that plan sort of feel apart. I may eventually get back to it, but I can at least set Gorehowl free from the endless purgatory of my archives.

Wear a mask, get tested, keep distant, be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Six days of apocalypses: A army of demons pours from a hell-mouth beneath Everytown, CA.

A weapon of mass slaying found by the slayer when she needed it most.

The Scythe: This is an axe, a mace, and a spear/stake all rolled into one super convenient package. This was technically made in prehistoric times, but not one thing makes it look at all ancient. 

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There is the second day of apocalypse. Stay tuned for more red weapons.

I do not own the intellectual rights for this, so don't profit it off this without the express consent of its owners.

Just because we are celebrating apocalypses doesn't mean you should forget to be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph