King Rortide & Sonum Ssael
Added 2025-12-01 07:16:08 +0000 UTCLittle is known about Rortide, the leader of the thousand tribes and first king of Alderode. He's generally understood to have been a Copper, a fierce warrior, and a close friend to the ancient lions. Just as close was his friendship with Sonum Ssael, a man of Tain who had shunned the Tainish gods and joined with his people's conquerors. Later, of course, he would repent of his ways, abandon Rortide and the Gefendur Twins, and flee to the west to start a new religion. Before then, however, for many years he was to be found at Rortide's side, his trusted counselor and a powerful spellwright.
Thanks to Stretch for the awesome commission! This is actually the last of the KS commissions that I can do at the moment. There are two more, but they've yet to contact me, and I can't get their info until the surveys go out next year. If you happen to know them, or ARE them, drop me a line!
We're closing in on only one month until the sequel kicks off! If you were planning on entering the fanart contest, get crackin'! In a few days, I'll drop a link here to a character Q&A on Tumblr, if you want to chat up Duane or any of his associates :) I'll give more details then.
Comments
Re shoes & toes - they got pymary remember? Heated sandals!
Luuuuuuu
2025-12-02 22:07:15 +0000 UTCAt first I thought the lion was holding a bow, which I found to be a fascinating application of them as ambush predators, then I realized that their tails are just *that* long. It makes more sense for them not to use tools; I don’t think a bow would handle being walked on very well. I am now reminded of how I was convinced Sette's tail getting progressively longer was an aspect of her maturing (plus that loooong tail allows for Jacaranda to pretend he has one of his own) (I know that, in truth, it's a stylistic thing). The armor is pretty neat, are the breast plates from those giant turtles or the air-worm guys? I'm just imagining the struggle of putting them all on. I… am fairly certain that both of the skulls being worn are from the snakes, which is pretty badass. (Vision's a smidge blurry right now as it's first thing in the morning but I am near certain, apologies if I'm wrong). Given how important the crow was to ancient cultures as a god of wisdom, I think it entirely possible that Ssael is dressed with crow iconography as a matter of him being an advisor or strategist for the king. Maybe he's already fancied by Lady I., maybe he's just one of millions who pray to her to seek out her wisdom, who knows. Pre-post edit: Wait- he has a crow crown built into his face, maybe he already was special to the lady. (Also, I know that those cloaks are mostly a form of soft armor with important iconographies to who the warriors were, who they had overcome, and who their allies are, but I would absolutely get snatched up in battle if I was wearing a big ol' lion cloak. Also, shoes, my heart goes out to these people who came before cobblers. Looking at the symbols worn by the king on his slash… at a glance they appear as similar to the celtic cross which, like nearly all ‘cross’ iconography from ancient times, was originally intended to be the sun (the crucifix thing was a retroactive, externally enforced rebrand). That said, they also have four dots in the center. Four dots for four gods, or is there someone out there shaped like a clover with four breasts? That sounds like a joke- I meant it sincerely; we have tree people here. I'm not sure what the ruffly armor the king's wearing is supposed to be or is made from…. Those turtles have fluff along their undersides? Could be possible? Or stylized chainmeal? Or stylized chainmeal that's supposed to be reminiscent of turtle fluff? The weapon cocked over the king's right shoulder has a counterweight built in. I apreciate his pragmatism. I don’t think any of them share any iconography… that clover-cross is all the kind, crow is all Ssael, Ssael is dressed in a way that's arguably lion-like but sir lion is nude. Pretty sure the lions are just like that, who knows, but it is curious that they signify their allegiance only through actions. Pre-post edit: I'm wrong, they also share the breast plates of bones. Assuming those weren’t common and that their usage was unique to these two, then that's probably an identifier enough. Anything else…? I don’t think so right now… They most get frostbite on their feet like crazy if Alderode has the same climate here as it does in the modern day. They seem to be in a desert (I'll pull up the map later) but deserts can be cold? I am suddenly curious wheee they are and which kind of weather they're dealing with. Frostbite or heatstroke, which one shall it be?? /joke (Joke explanation: My thermoregulation is extremely finicky).
Alight
2025-12-02 17:27:49 +0000 UTCAlso, since no one else is saying it... Murkoph used to look so different :o
PotentPinion
2025-12-02 07:45:56 +0000 UTCGreat observations! The age depictions here are a little wonky, but Rortide should be fairly old - fifty-something - with Ssael in his early twenties. He would have been mostly in control of Tain proper for decades, and have access not only to their wrights but to their advanced metallurgy and fiber production. His wandering people had utilized animal products - skin, fur, bone, plate - and didn't farm or keep many animals, so Tain's bounty was extremely attractive to them. Rortide here is rocking a fine Tainsh blade and woven sash in addition to his skins and efheby plate. Ssael is a mix of his Tainish heritage and tribal assimilation, with his furs and his plate. The iron raven medallions, circlet, and soud vaghal dyed textiles are pure Tain though.
Ashley
2025-12-02 07:23:47 +0000 UTCThe ancient lions did not use names and would not tolerate being named by humans :) They felt hella vindicated by this when pymary was discovered, with its power to control anything a spiderpaw knew the name of.
Ashley
2025-12-02 07:15:46 +0000 UTCVery cool! Ssael looks like a proper evil wizard. Does the lion have a name, I wonder? Or feature much in the myths told about this time?
Rainwalker
2025-12-02 04:36:07 +0000 UTCThe lion, right? ;)
Rainwalker
2025-12-02 04:34:15 +0000 UTCYou've fed us all so well, thank you ❤️
CelebrenIthil
2025-12-02 03:53:24 +0000 UTC*shakes Duane* SAEL'S PYMARY WAS YELLOW M'BOY (I do like the green better though so he can keep coloring it) I want to geek out so much about the material details of this. There's the First Carbon plates of course, you've talked about those a bunch, but it looks like there are sharpened bones too in those weapons (Efheby's maybe, if I extrapolate from your response to someone else down here?). They had some metallurgy going too, looks like, if maybe for the smaller blades and the jewelry? I wonder if Ssael has plain regular crow skulls and feathers on that regalia or if it's from those Agib-adjacent ones. And Rortide! I was thinking his headdress is tanned Efheby, since there's an intact nose and tentacles, but IDK, the First Gods' designs are weird enough that it could be solid bone or at least cartilage? The one on his shoulder – also an Efheby, maybe down to the bone without residual tissue and missing front teeth? Or some other beastie? And scales or fabric, that cape and that skirt? Looks like he's got stylized Softi flowers patterned on that sash-thingy... very cool. Once again, there's a tiny bit of Tirna/Yerta duality between those two also, which is very neat.
CelebrenIthil
2025-12-02 03:52:06 +0000 UTCAmazing work Ashley! Better than I could dream of!
Stretch Andrews
2025-12-02 01:15:19 +0000 UTCImagine him coming at you on a battlefield at a dead run. Imagine he's got a dozen friends. You'd be efffffed.
Ashley
2025-12-01 22:52:29 +0000 UTCLook how far staggered back they are in space just to barely line up the tops - look how far back Rortide is from Ssael, and how far back again *** ******* is from Rortide, that lion could pick both those men up in his hands and smush them together if he wanted to.
Luuuuuuu
2025-12-01 22:40:17 +0000 UTCIncredible illustration; so glad to finally see them for real. Many kudos to the commissioner as well!! Money well spent.
Khyrberos
2025-12-01 20:09:03 +0000 UTCHe fhikemun on my rish until I vaosa
Khyrberos
2025-12-01 20:02:24 +0000 UTCOh he is SO hot. What the hell. And look at all that crow imagery. He's the whole package. Ssael fhikemun rish, for sure.
Cassie
2025-12-01 18:33:09 +0000 UTCOh, snap, you're right. Argenti would be so pleased by that.
Ashley
2025-12-01 16:46:16 +0000 UTCOh shit, he's hot. Not saying which.
Luuuuuuu
2025-12-01 15:00:44 +0000 UTCAshley this is great. Ssael is soooooo hot and his pose is giving me Agrneti vibes, reminds me of the panel where he’s palming that guy’s head….
Madison
2025-12-01 13:08:56 +0000 UTC
