I enjoy seeing all your creations, but this Pravuil has somehow found a bit extra favor with me. :kaojoy:
Thalzon's MV Battlers
● ARCHIVED · READ-ONLY
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The glow behind Amaterasu is nice.
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Thanks for the comments, I appreciate it.
This week, we have Melek Taus, Yeongno, Marici, Ravana, Varuna, and Yawar Ziwa.
Melek Taus is the leader of the seven Divine Beings from Yazidism, appointed by God to create and maintain the world. His role in mythology is similar to that of Azazel, the angel who refused to bow to Adam, in Christian belief, which led to the persecution of Yazidi believers.
Yeongno is a serpent monster from South Korea, appearing in stage performances, particularly during the Tano holiday. It is said it must eat 100 rich people to gain entry to heaven.
Marici is a Buddhist sun goddess with many varied depictions. She may appear with one to six heads, one of them may be a boar's head, and she rides a lotus, a boar, or a chariot led by boars. In Tibet she represents the dawn and enlightenment, whereas in Japan she is more of a warrior.
Ravana is Rama's primary antagonist in the Ramayana, depicted with ten heads and a hundred arms (reduced to two for spare my poor drawing hand). He is a devotee of Shiva, and kidnapped Rama's wife Sita. He's sometimes depicted with nine heads, as he cut one off to show loyalty to Shiva.
Varuna is an especially ancient Hindu god, whose role slowly shifted over the years from ruler of the sky to ruler of the sea. In early times, he represented the divine aspects of sovereignty. The Makara is his mount in many of his depictions.
Yawar Ziwa is an uthra in Mandeism. He personifies light and decides the destinies of those born.
That's all for this week. Enjoy.
Nov 8 -
Melek Taus looks quite colourful.
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Apologies for missing the regular update day. Today we have Kunino-sagiri, Patecatl, Vritra, Ouranos, Chronos, and Indra.
Kunino-sagiri is the Japanese god of fog and the land, born from Oyamatsumi and Kaya-no-hime.
Patecatl is the Aztec god of fertility and discoverer of peyote. He and Mayahuel gave birth to the divine rabbits Centzon Totchtin.
Vritra is a dragon and asura from Hindu mythology. He is the personification of drought and opposes Indra, god of storms. He was slain by Indra with a vajra.
Ouranos, or Uranus, the the father of Cronus of the titans in Greek mythology. He helped birth the titans by mating with his mother Gaia, and was slain by Cronus, who in turn was slain by Zeus. He represents the sky and rain.
Chronos is the Greek personification of time, often conflated with Cronus due to the similarity of their names. Cronus's domain, however, was the harvest, which may have led to the idea that time (or Death) carries a scythe to reap the souls of the departed. Chronos's wife is Ananke, the goddess of inevitability.
Indra is the Hindu god of storms and weather, leader of the devas. Interestingly, it is also a title, as there are many different Indras mentioned in the lore.
That's all for this week. Enjoy.
Nov 22 -
Always awesome looking!
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This week's update is Kaguya-hime, Maalik, Phanes, Bia, Ananke, Castor, and Pollux.
Kaguya-hime is from The Tales of the Bamboo Cutter, one of the oldest surviving works of the monogatari form. She crash-lands on Earth as a baby, in a bamboo stalk. She is sought by many suitors, and in turn gives them impossible tasks to win her hand in marriage. But ultimately, she returns to the moon.
Maalik is an angel mentioned in the Qu'ran, denoting him as the head of the punishers of the damned in hell.
Phanes is an Orphic deity born from the cosmic egg at the beginning of creation. He is also known as Erikepaios and Mithras. When Orphism mixed with Greek mythology, Chronos was the one to create the egg from Chaos, and Phanes became known as Phanes-Dionysus.
Bia is one of the four children ofthe titan Pallas and the oceanid Styx, and is the deific personification of violence. She, along with her siblings Nike, Zelos, and Cratus(Kratos), serve Zeus. She is most prominent in the story of Prometheus, where she is the one to bind the titan to the rock and enact his punishment of having his liver devoured every day for eternity.
Ananke was mentioned last week. She is the wife of Chronos, primordial goddess of inevitability. She is the ultimate overseer of the fate of all living beings, and is the mother of the Moirae Sisters, otherwise known as the Fates. She alone can override their decisions.
Castor and Pollux are the twins of Gemini. Notably, despite being born at the same time, they have different fathers. Castor's is the mortal king Tyndareus, while Pollux's is Zeus. They are best known for being part of Jason's Argonauts. When they died, Pollux, being of divine birth, gave half his divinity to Castor.
And that's all for this Celestial expansion! There's more, of course, but we're breaking from it to explore other areas of mythology. Next update, we're starting in on a Castle set expansion. Enjoy!
Dec 6 -
The Maalik battlers look amazing!
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This week we begin on a new set expansion. The first post was getting awful messy, so it's been cleared off for the new content. Our first addition is a living rose, Boudica, Valravn, Galatea, Heidrek, and Berchtold.
There's no monstrous roses in mythology from what I gather, but roses are often a symbol of supreme beauty, grace through adversity, and healing. The rose is associated with Aphrodite, Isis, the Virgin Mary, and others. In one Greek myth, the hero Lucius, transformed into a donkey, must eat the petals from a crown of roses as part of the ritual to regain his humanity.
Boudica is an actual historical figure from Britain who took up arms against the invading Roman army. This depiction of her leans a little into Persona design philosophy, as she has become a symbol of of struggle and independence.
Valravn is a knight from Danish folklore who is transformed into a raven. To restore his true form, he drinks the blood of a newborn boy, who might be a werewolf? The poem isn't completely clear (to me), but it saves the mother and child, so it's a happy ending.
Galatea is from Greek mythology, and is the name of three individuals. This one is based on the statue by sculptor Pygmalion. The statue's beauty is such that it inspires Aphrodite to bring it to life.
Heidrek is a Norse king of brutish and cruel nature. He is gifted the sword Tyrfing, but due to its curse placed by the dwarves who forged it, it turns him greedy and cruel. He slays his brother, King Harald of the Goths, and is finally slain by his servants with the blade. However, this also breaks the curse.
Berchtold leads the Wild Hunt in German folklore. He dresses in white, and is either a wraith or fairy. He's one of several named "leaders" of the Wild Hunt, others being Perchta, Odin (Woden), Knecht Ruprecht (Krampus), and Holda.
That's all for this week. Enjoy, and happy holidays.
Dec 20 -
Miss the update day this week. Sorry about that. Holidays and the new year make time blend into a shapeless mass without definition or meaning.
This week we have Ostanes, Renaud, Spartoi, Marduk, and Iron Maiden.
Ostanes is the pen name of ancient Hellenistic authors and sorcerers. Pliny the Elder believes Ostanes was a Persian charlatan that got the Greeks hooked on the idea of magic, to the point that many philosophers travelled to learn the craft, and then return to Greece to teach it.
Renaud is from the medieval narrative The Four Sons of Aymon. He is a central character, and has three brothers: Richard, Alard, and Guiscard. He owns a magical horse that can grow to accommodate more riders, and wields the mighty Flamberge.
Spartoi are the soldiers grown from the teeth of the dragon that guarded the garden of Ares. Unfortunately, due to the fear of the teeth-sower, Cadmus, they fought each other until only five remained. Those five did help Cadmus found the city of Thebes though, so.... cool? They probably weren't skeletons in the original telling, but this is often how they're depicted in modern interpretations.
Marduk is an ancient Mesopotamian god, equivalent to Zeus or Ra. He slew the dragon Tiamat, mother of oceans, and used the various parts of her body to construct aspects of the heavens.
Finally, the Iron Maiden is a medieval torture device. Well, sort of. While there are accounts of a similar device's use in ancient Sparta, the iron maiden we envision is an invention of the 1800s and (probably) has never been used to kill a person. It has become a symbol of eccentric punishment and depraved cruelty, however.
That's all for this week. Enjoy, and happy new year.
Jan 4 -
This week we have some knights, Gareth, Nosferatu, Babi Ngepet, Laelaps, and Moddey Dhoo.
Gareth is a storied knight from Arthurian legend. He is the youngest of four brothers, Arthur's nephew, and a few of the tales feature him as the main character. He meets a tragic end at the hands of an enraged Lancelot.
Nosferatu is an old Romanian word for "vampire". This particular one is heavily based off Count Orlok from the film Nosferatu, a silent film from 1922. The film was, of course, based heavily off Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Babi Ngepet is a type of sorcerer from Indonesian folklore. They wear black robes and transform into boars with black magic, and while they are a boar the robes (which merge into their form) siphon away the valuables of their neighbours. A lit candle in a basin of water must be guarded by an accomplice, lest the babi ngepet becomes endangered.
Laelaps is a dog from Greek mythology who never failed to catch was he was tasked to hunt. He was tasked with hunting the fox that could never be caught, a chase that went on for so long Zeus eventually cast them both into the stars. Laelaps became Canis Major.
Moddey Dhoo ("black dog", of course) is a ghostly dog that haunts Peel Castle on the Isle of Man. He often appeared before the guards and soldiers, to the point they didn't fear his presence. But his last sighting, he apparently spooked a drunk guard something fierce, as the man died 3 days later.
That's all for this week. Enjoy.
Jan 17 -
Those knights look fantastic!
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Those vampires are good.
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This week we have Gaheris, Merlin, Alber, Lotan, and Gigelorum, along with some unnamed knights and wizards.
Gaheris is the third son of King Lot from Arthurian legend, placing him just above the boyish Gareth. He's not as prominent as his brothers and generally is just around to support Gawain, with the one time he turns against him being Gawain's slaying of his own mother. He loses his life alongside Gareth to Lancelot.
Merlin is the famous wizard of Arthurian legend who orchestrates Arthur's rise to power. As a popular character, his origins and endings are myriad. He is often born of a human woman and demon father, making him a cambion and explaining his powers. He tutored Vivian, the Lady of the Lake, and in some tellings she is the one to end his life. In others, he simply retires or dies. In all of them, he is absent for the downfall of Camelot.
Alber is a dragon from Austria, and an incarnation of the devil. It is wreathed in fire as it flies the narrow valleys and sows disease as it goes, but he has no power against the righteous and good.
Lotan is a servant of the sea god Ym, who is slain by the god Hadad. Similarly, Yahweh defeats the Leviathan, Marduk slays Tiamat, Zeus destroys Typhon, Thor bests Jormungandr, and even Indra defeating Vritra. Lotan is a symbol of the light defeating the dark, civilization righteously rising against a world of shadows and evil.
Gigelorum is the world's smallest insect. It was believed to reside within the ear of a mite, which would make it very tiny indeed! The gigelorum isn't special and has no powers or unique abilities aside from being very tiny, so it would be very, very funny to give it a powerful attack, wouldn't it?
That's all for this week. Enjoy.
Jan 31 -
Almost forgot to update this week. Today we have Spriggan, Astomi, Fir Bolg, Sigbin, Tachash, Luduan, and Nokk.
Spriggan are spirits from Cornwall, England. Thought to be the ghosts of dead giants, they have childlike faces but the physique of an old man.
Astomi are from Greek mythology. They are a race of people with no mouths who "eat" by inhaling scents. They tend to be rather hairy as well, for some reason.
Fir Bolg are from Irish mythology, a people that left behind Ireland to settle in Greece, only to return centuries later. They ruled until the Nemed tribe returned from the north, calling themselves the Tuatha De Dannan, led by King Nuada Airgetlam. Though wounded, he slays the Fir Bolg's king, and offers them a quarter of Ireland while the Tuatha De Dannan take the rest.
Sigbin are creatures from the Phillippines, who suck the blood of their victims. It is said to use its tail as a whip, and its large ears can clap to make noise. During Holy Week, it emerges to find and kill children, and fashion their hearts into amulets.
Tachash is a speculative creature from Jewish lore. Its skin was used to protect the Mishkan when Jewish ancestors wandered the desert. One interpretation posits the animal was a unicorn, as the tachash skin was described as having six colours and coming from an animal with a large single horn.
Luduan is a creature from Chinese folklore said to be a chimera of various animals. It can travel great distances in a short time and speaks all languages. It is said that one appeared before Genghis Khan and dissuaded him from conquering India.
Finally, Nokk is a water spirit, also called a variety of other names, but most common is Nixie. They are widespread throughout Europe. They can take on the form of a man, woman, horse, or what-have-you, and, like a large amount of other water spirits, try to drown you.
That's all for this week. Enjoy, and happy Valentine's Day.
Feb 14 -
New Enemy Battlers; the perfect little Valentines Day gift for us, :)
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Don't mess with any of these monsters.Almost forgot to update this week. Today we have Spriggan, Astomi, Fir Bolg, Sigbin, Tachash, Luduan, and Nokk.
Spriggan are spirits from Cornwall, England. Thought to be the ghosts of dead giants, they have childlike faces but the physique of an old man.
Astomi are from Greek mythology. They are a race of people with no mouths who "eat" by inhaling scents. They tend to be rather hairy as well, for some reason.
Fir Bolg are from Irish mythology, a people that left behind Ireland to settle in Greece, only to return centuries later. They ruled until the Nemed tribe returned from the north, calling themselves the Tuatha De Dannan, led by King Nuada Airgetlam. Though wounded, he slays the Fir Bolg's king, and offers them a quarter of Ireland while the Tuatha De Dannan take the rest.
Sigbin are creatures from the Phillippines, who suck the blood of their victims. It is said to use its tail as a whip, and its large ears can clap to make noise. During Holy Week, it emerges to find and kill children, and fashion their hearts into amulets.
Tachash is a speculative creature from Jewish lore. Its skin was used to protect the Mishkan when Jewish ancestors wandered the desert. One interpretation posits the animal was a unicorn, as the tachash skin was described as having six colours and coming from an animal with a large single horn.
Luduan is a creature from Chinese folklore said to be a chimera of various animals. It can travel great distances in a short time and speaks all languages. It is said that one appeared before Genghis Khan and dissuaded him from conquering India.
Finally, Nokk is a water spirit, also called a variety of other names, but most common is Nixie. They are widespread throughout Europe. They can take on the form of a man, woman, horse, or what-have-you, and, like a large amount of other water spirits, try to drown you.
That's all for this week. Enjoy, and happy Valentine's Day.
Feb 14View attachment 360813View attachment 360814View attachment 360815View attachment 360816View attachment 360817View attachment 360818View attachment 360819View attachment 360820View attachment 360821View attachment 360822View attachment 360823View attachment 360824View attachment 360825View attachment 360826View attachment 360827View attachment 360828View attachment 360829View attachment 360830View attachment 360831View attachment 360832 -
Thanks for the comments guys. Today we have Sea Monk, Galehaut, Clurichaun, Muirisc, and a few fantasy knights.
The Sea Monk was caught off the Danish coast in 1546. There's much debate about what kind of creature the Sea Monk REALLY was, as it is believed to have been an ordinary sea creature or a hoax.
Galehaut is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He is a half-giant and prince who rules the Distant Isles, and initially goes to war with Arthur. But after seeing Lancelot in action Galehaut surrenders, joins the knights, and forms a deep friendship with Lancelot. He dies after Lancelot goes mad and vanishes, receiving news of his apparent death rather poorly.
Clurichaun is a fairy from Irish mythology who haunts breweries and pubs. It is a solitary fairy who gives fairy society a wide berth. It has some commonality with the Leprechaun in that regard, and the two have been conflated as the same kind of fairy, just separated by choice of haunt.
Muirisc is an Irish princess, daughter to the sixty-sixth High King of Ireland, and ruled from a fortress in Clew Bay. She led a crew of sailors. Sadly, little else of her legends are known, but it is believed that she is possibly a historical figure.
That's all for this week. Enjoy.
Feb 28 -
Your work is amazing, Thalzon. God bless you for your generosity and commitment to art.
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Thank you for your battlers they're hilariously fierce (like the chickens & such) ...perfect for a When Animals Attack type scene.