The Blackguard (visual story)

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The Blackguard
Ballad and dark fantasy visual story, by Gordon Napier.
(some nudity in scenes later on)
(Comments and critiques welcome and appreciated)


Maulric the ghastly Blackguard
a man of bitter sin
allied with ranks of demons
and victory did win
And of the knight Sikandor
a captive did he make
and now with that poor youth in chains
he rode, his lands to take.

Through wooded Lower Aratan
Maulric the Black did ride
to the castle he would conquer
and the maid he'd make his bride.
And his bound and beaten hostage
was stricken with despair,
for naught could he do to keep Maulric
from Belarith, his sister fair.

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2.

A couple walked along the way
close by, and arm in arm;
They had weathered many dangers
but emerged safe from harm.
It was Odo, Knight of Esa,
the gallant and the bold;
And Asterith of Aratan
she with the hair of gold.

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3.

They walked along the hollow,
duly Odo did suggest
That, as night was nigh upon them,
they should find a place to rest.
But Asterith urged that they go on,
for three miles off at most
was Nazmart the hall of Kaidard,
a good Earl and gracious host;
A friend of her master Arrizard
sadly lost now from her sight.
Said Odo 'call no man master
for you are here queen by right!
And Earl Kaidard owes you homage
and should swear a vassal's oath.'
'With a dukedom I'd reward him
for a bed!' the damsel quoth.

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4.

Asterith fell quiet and listened
for she thought she'd heard a sound;
'Cometh riders!', then she uttered,
with her ear now to the ground.

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5.

Fair Belarith of Nazmart
stood on the parapet
of her father's rugged fortress
for her brother did she fret.
The brave sons of the county
he had led away to war
to do battle with invaders
and the outcome wasn't sure.

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6.

In a reverie of worry
she gazed into the night;
When a hand from behind touched her
and about she turned in fright...

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7.
It was the Countess Charana
wife of Kaidard, the good Earl.
Of the lateness of the hour
the lady informed the girl:
'Now cease thy futile vigil
and good-night go bid thy sire
remind him of your affection
then to bed let ye retire.'

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8.

In the hall of his ancestors,
with their armour hung around,
sat and brooded the earl Kaidard,
and with him his faithful hound.
His daughter came and touched his hand,
both felt the same concern
about her brother- and his son-
and if he ever would return.

Kaidard beheld his daughter
with a look loving and fond;
But even she could not lift him
from his slough of despond.

[Icedearth15876]

Very cool stuff I like the story behind all of it

[bish0p2004]

Very nice art you have here. Your values are really good and I like the story you are portraying through your drawings.

The only thing I would suggest is to work on your anatomy as your characters are quite stiff and the proportions seem a bit off.

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9.

Maulric met a Knight of Esa
stood barring his way;
'twixt feuding foes so bitter
there was no need words to say.
Aikon, the blackguard's squire
now had a crossbow at the ready;
Asterith likewise drew an arrow
and her aim was sure and steady.

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10.
The dark horse charged forward,
its great hooves they did pound,
raising clouds of dirt and grit
that swirled across the ground.
Maulric bore down on Odo
with a deadly, lowered lance;
But Odo's sword parried as he
withstood the brute's advance...

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11.

Sikandor, bound across his steed
in sore humiliation
could only lift his head to watch
the fierce new confrontation.

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12.

Now in her chamber Belarith
sat upright in her bed
Her nurse Chutterbuck softly cooed
to soothe her worried head.
The Countess took her leave of them,
bidding the girl 'sweet dreams',
Belarith had a nagging sense
that all was not as it seems.

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13.
To the Castle's oldest parts
the Countess then traversed the floors,
Pausing but to glance behind her
she unlocked one of the doors...

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Charana crossed the chamber
in the bowells of Nazmart,
where in secrecy she practiced
her outlawed and occult art.
A scrying bowl she had there
held on silver serpents' wings
her own blood she dropped in offering
that she might see unknown things.
'Deus ditis, sanguis
vitaque me daris;
Filii mihi ostenditio!'
This enchantment she did hiss.

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15
The countess raised her arms aloft
the life-essence she called
forth from every baser creature
that within the building crawled-
Every bat within the attic,
every rat between the floors,
every moth and every spider
had to yield up its life-force.
She congealed them with her magic
as she held her arms up high;
and two shadows took on shapes
as the rose up towards the sky.

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16.

A wild wind round' the towers wailed
and then came two fell things
with serpent necks and reptile tails
and leather, flapping wings.
Prykons- beasts born of witchcraft
and they rose to the dark sky,
bound to carry out the wishes
of the witch who bade them fly.

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17.


Odo had hold of Maulric's lance,
the grip he would not yield;
though his foe tried to shake him of
and beat down with his shield...

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18.

Adjacent on the trackway,
as the two knights came to blows,
Asterith and Aikon
eyed each other o'er their bows.

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19.

The lady Asterith held her fire,
she sensed in him some virtue:
'Kindly drop your bow, Good Squire,
I do not want to hurt you!'

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The squire paid no heed
and so Asterith's arrow flew
It pierced the squire's hand
it was the least harm she could do.
Asterith ran forward, then
to liberate Sikanor,
not seeing the winged shaped
descending from the sky behind her.

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21.

Odo managed to bat away
the shield from Maulric's hand
A prykon banked upon the wing
then swooped towards the land...

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22.
The fell beast's head struck Odo's chest
the wind went from his lungs
he let go of the Blackguard's lance
and backwards he was flung...

[k_z]

Really nice drawings. Anatomy, as bish0p2004 mentioned, takes a long time to absorb (I have problems with anatomy all the time) so keep drawing .o) And don't forget about animal anatomy, even the fantasy ones.

The style of this sketchbook (illustrated story) is quite unique and I really like it..

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23.

Fiercely the beast assailed him
having knocked him off his balance;
It was all that he could do
to fend away its flailing talons.

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24.

Asterith reached Sikandor,
her sword she swiftly drew
to cut the rope that bound his wrists-
But down the Prykon flew...

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25.

Sikandor and the wounded squire
could only watch in awe
as the second Prykon swooped down
and snatched up Asterith in its jaw.

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26

Meanwhile the other monster
was now floundering in its fight,
and finding what it means
to battle with an Esan Knight.
Odo had it in his grasp
his flashing sword at it he swung
blood gushed from the gash he carved
and back the beast was flung.

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27 (Prykon Strikes)

The prykon fell on Maulric
horse and rider bit the dust
pinned below a writhing wing-wyrm
with a weight that could have crushed.
Odo sprang up and drove his sword
into the creature's chest
Then he heard the cry of Asterith
her voice beyond distressed.
Dreading what sight he would see
the hero turned his head
as his lady-love was snatched up,
and as Maulric's henchman fled.