The Mother
Added 2021-03-04 17:01:01 +0000 UTC#3 Color vote from February, suggested by Starcat13!
Deep in the forest, Laura meets Willow's "Mother" - the source of the fay.
Willow's mother was originally a beautiful young dragon, one of the very first born. As a child, she was a rambunctious risk-taker, having been told by her own mother that dragons were immortal, and thus she had nothing to fear. But one day, she became injured, and was told to be more careful. That even though dragons were biologically immortal and would never die of old age, she could be killed like any other creature.
The thought terrified the young dragoness. Not just the thought of death, but the idea that, unlike other creatures who had finite lives, when she died, she would be missing out on a potentially infinite life she could have otherwise lived, and that no matter how long she lived, it was inevitable. Death became a specter, lurking everywhere. She needed safety.
One day, she found an enormous field of black mana crystals deep in the forest. Black crystals commonly form around battlefields where many have died. She could feel their power and was sure this was the answer to her fears. She fed off of them, believing they would last her forever. And though the crystals shrunk only imperceptive, year after year, they did eventually begin to run out. By then her natural dragon magic had been entirely replaced by the substance made from souls, and she desperately needed more.
Fearing to go out herself, she used her shapeshifting in an unnatural way and split off pieces of herself to send into the world outside her forest. First to gather black mana from other battlefields and places of death. And then, when those sources became rarer, to find any people who have died recently and bring their life force back. When even that wasn't enough, in desperation, she sent her wisps to lead wandering travelers astray to their deaths. The more she split herself, the less like a dragon she became. Travelers would come to call the strange creatures the fay.
Willow was one such creature, a wisp, but became lost and eventually developed her own personality, and a fear of ever returning to her "mother" else she might consume her once more.
But you know, other than the murdering, she's pretty nice.
Comments
poor dragon.
Netari Icefyng
2024-10-30 06:39:58 +0000 UTC"But you know, other than the murdering, she's pretty nice." Well, everyone's got at least one flaw.
Glenn Sellers
2024-10-29 21:15:09 +0000 UTCO
Naoto Kamigire-Terumi
2024-10-29 20:12:43 +0000 UTCWill
Naoto Kamigire-Terumi
2024-10-29 20:12:36 +0000 UTCYou could start a whole new comic just on this short story. Wow!
Muddypaws
2023-04-05 15:18:09 +0000 UTCHoly whoa
Burgafrickle
2022-05-08 16:13:03 +0000 UTCI loved this sketch and didn't expect it to get this dark soo fast... I hate creatures who fear death soo much that they commit atrocities in the pursuit of limitless life, life and death are completely natural and beautifully bittersweet
Kyle Cope
2021-03-06 07:51:04 +0000 UTCooOOOOoooo! I didn't know I needed a new wallpaper, but apparently I did!
donutguy
2021-03-06 00:12:05 +0000 UTCSuch an amazing job on both the painting and the lore!
Blackjack
2021-03-05 14:46:36 +0000 UTCI would love to see an entire project dedicated to willow and her story, it’s so intriguing
Mediawatcher
2021-03-05 01:03:16 +0000 UTCI was thinking of "The Pale Lady" from Skyrim with all of the wisps
Elijah Jackson
2021-03-05 00:00:59 +0000 UTCThe lore for this is incredible! Though I wonder - does she still exist by 482 CE? If so, our heroes - especially Trace - had better tread carefully while they travel on Also for some reason I'm reminded of the Zerg with the Mother and the fey swarm - and that is freaking cool!
ElderScrollsMekkan
2021-03-04 22:55:12 +0000 UTCThis is really cool and nicely done! Interesting backstory. Lots of themes there that would be fun to explore further. I really like that immortal's fear of death. Would make for a good short story... or comic! New wallpaper get.
Ordithus
2021-03-04 22:53:43 +0000 UTCAn amazingly touching story ... These colors still look so wonderful! She is gorgeous!
VitAnyaNaked
2021-03-04 21:35:26 +0000 UTCThis is even more horrifying than the sketch! The wisps behind her look like lost souls, wailing and wandering! (Also, is Laura giving her the middle finger?) The Mother is a horrific being...I would not wish to meet her at all. Once again, Tom, you've shown your strength with character building-the Mother's fear is very interesting, and to her it makes sense, but in truth, it is the start of madness...and look what's become of her! She is decayed, fallen...the forest she rules over is sick and twisted. And yet, this is horribly plausible in how it could happen...and she believes, through it all, that she is still good. What could be more horrifying than someone who truly believes that they are in the right, and commit so many atrocities?
CrimsonQuill086
2021-03-04 19:35:25 +0000 UTCIs it weird that I can see a possible sitcom in this premise? "My mom is a friendly dracolich" I can just imagine Laura being a fan of it in the modern AU.
Cliff Warden
2021-03-04 19:12:42 +0000 UTCLaura's re-life insurance is about to go up again.
Fuchsjunge42
2021-03-04 18:23:25 +0000 UTCAmazing work, this is definitely going to be my new background art!
2021-03-04 18:13:38 +0000 UTCDang it, just as I was really appreciating the sense of majestic dread too 😂 Well played! :D
Saberbeam
2021-03-04 17:41:34 +0000 UTCWatch out, Laura. Willow's Mom has hungry eyes, and something tells me those tentacles are the wrong kind of inappropriate. Awesome lore drop and super cool lighting and liquid effects! Really neat to finally see the default state of the wisps in the background, too! Thanks, Tom!
Roughlandin
2021-03-04 17:36:55 +0000 UTCMother: "Oh, my. Aren't you a lively little... soul. I do so love it when one of my children brings a... friend... for dinner." Laura: "Hee-hee! See, Willow! I told you your mom would like me!" Mother: "Like you? Why, I could practically... eat you up." Willow: *Panicked Wisp Noises.*
Roughlandin
2021-03-04 17:33:35 +0000 UTCI LOVE the backstory here. I may steal this for D&D...
Ryan W. Anderson
2021-03-04 17:33:33 +0000 UTCNext suggestion I bet will be someone asking to see Mother and Nora playing together as childhood friends. I just see head canon that those two knew each other.
ThirdKind
2021-03-04 17:13:18 +0000 UTCAn excellent piece of Lore Tom. Well done.
ThirdKind
2021-03-04 17:11:42 +0000 UTCWhat?! Something cool and interesting became terrifying and horrible with that back story. Good art, well drawn, I want no part of it.
Vatruvius
2021-03-04 17:08:51 +0000 UTCLaura (with Steve Irwin's accent): croiky! That's a DRAGON, ladies and gents! One of the most ancient and powerful creatures. One bite from that maw could end me instantly. One simple thought from that creature, and POOF, I'm a goner! ...I've got to touch it!
Brigham Garoz
2021-03-04 17:08:29 +0000 UTCThe world building to this one is too damn good. I'm having trouble describing just how cool this is.
ChampionOfBagels
2021-03-04 17:07:38 +0000 UTCBeautiful
Totaletatier
2021-03-04 17:06:13 +0000 UTCabsolutely awesome, great work Tom.
OnkelInferno
2021-03-04 17:03:35 +0000 UTCThis looks absolutely astonishing. Amazing work Tom.
DiDiDi-X
2021-03-04 17:02:17 +0000 UTCHell yeah, I was looking forward to seeing this one colored
ChampionOfBagels
2021-03-04 17:02:10 +0000 UTC
