Storn's Art & Characters thread.

[Richard Logue]

Ironclad and Black Widow

 

Hey Storn! Thanks again for these two great pics. And for everyone else, below is the information about the two characters that I sent to Storn for the commissions.

 

They are both villains and belong to a team I will not reveal quite yet. There are six others in the team and I plan to have Storn art them up as well!

 

 

Black Widow

Mirabella Lorenzo was the descendant in a family whose roots went back to 14th century Italy. Her family had long been expert sword makers and fencing masters. Their skills and weapons were highly valued and sought throughout Europe, and they grew very wealthy over the generations. Unfortunately, with the advent of more modern times, the family businesses began to wane and their vast wealth slowly dwindled over the next several generations.

 

She grew up in a sheltered life, protected from the realities of her family’s problems. She loved to dance, and her parents did what they could to get her the finest instruction in it. When she turned 16, she began to explore her family’s history and became fascinated with the aspect of fencing. Her parents indulged her in this new hobby as well. But her parents died in a tragic automobile accident when she was barely 20. Mirabella became the last individual in her line and inherited the family fortune. She discovered it held much more debt than wealth, and she quickly found herself having to sell what property the family name had left in order to make ends meet.

 

Embittered by her legacy and begrudging her parents for hiding the truth from her, she turned her back on her family name. She fashioned a costume for herself, and taking the most intricately fashioned and exquisitely created rapier left to her inheritance, she turned to a life of crime. She found she was good at it. And she found that she could kill when it was necessary. Her reputation grew in the underworld as her skills improved.

 

Becoming a highly paid assassin was an easy step for Mirabella to take. However, she quickly grew bored with the game and would only accept the most dangerous contracts. Eventually she came into contact with another assassin who was forming a team of killers that would accept challenges to kill meta-humans and she was a natural fit.

 

Black Widow is highly skilled in fencing and dancing. She has combined the two arts into a devastating style unmatched in grace and deadliness. She has a large mechanical “spider†that wraps around her torso and appears to be part of her outfit. It is a device that can leap off and latch onto an opponent standing in front of her. Once it lands, its legs wrap around the victim and entangle him. It then injects the unfortunate person with strength-sapping venom.

 

She dresses in a costume suggestive of 17th century Italian style and flash. It is mostly a black outfit with red trim, cut to be tight fitting but flexible. Though she wears a mask, her long, dark hair flows wildly about her to accent her dancing movements. Widow uses an ornate Italian rapier in her left hand as her primary weapon, and she sometimes wields a dagger in her right hand. She has a device wrapped around her torso. It is styled to look like a large metallic spider and is fashioned to appear as part of her outfit. Its eight legs wrap around her sides to the rear.

 

Ironclad

The Ironclad power armor is the product of World War 2-era Nazi super-science. Its original design was that of the ultimate deep-sea diving suit. Once the War started, Hitler had the SS investigate and confiscate any science projects deemed of worth to the Third Reich. The designer refused to convert the diving suit for war purposes and the SS had him replaced on the project. Work began on the design changes and the result was a prototype deep-sea battle suit. While the prototype unit was being tested, Allied forces bombed the munitions factory that had served as its design and research facility. With the schematics and spare parts destroyed and the chief designers all deceased, the prototype would be the only one of its kind. After inspecting the armor, Hitler commissioned it, and the SS officer inside of it, as the Third Reich hero Sea Wolf and assigned him to the superman group Valhalla.

 

The armor and pilot disappeared in the days following Germany’s surrender. Its disposition was unknown until it resurfaced again almost twenty years later in the hands of the Cuban government. Castro used it as a threat during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Recently, under dubious means, it has come into the possession of a minor thug named Joaquin Santos. Santos, piloting the armor himself, has joined a team of assassins who specialize in targeting meta-humans. There, he is known as Ironclad.

 

The suit provides its pilot with a breathing apparatus for underwater use and solid, if bulky, defenses. It uses a powerful, but small, steam engine with an unknown power source to drive its components. The steam powers swift, propeller-driven propulsion in aquatic environments. A system of revolutionary pistons and gears amplifies the user’s strength greatly. In normal use, the suit continually draws in water from the surrounding sea to convert to steam. However, the suit may still function outside of water for a time by use of a reservoir.

 

The suit is bulky and vaguely resembles an old-fashioned diving suit. It’s made of steel with thick canvas joints and mesh-covered hoses protruding in and out of the helmet and back. It is 60 years old and has not been cared for very well in that time. There are rust stains surrounding the rivets and joints. An extremely faded swastika can still barely be seen on the chest. Originally, there was a naked propeller assembly on the calf of each leg, however one of them was damaged and broken off in a battle long ago. The limbs, especially the arms, have a system of pistons and gears providing movement and strength, and trace amounts of viscous oil leak from them. Despite its age and apparent dilapidation, it still confers a sense and appearance of strength and power.

 

 

Richard

[Storn]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Richard, nice of you to share the write ups. Thanks.

[RDU Neil]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Love Ironclad. That is a really new style/look for one of your pieces, Storn. Really captures a sense of texture and great design work on the suit. Too cool!

[death tribble]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

There now follows a LOT of information on the Demoness. So if you don't want to read it go the next post. She was one of my signature characters of the Protectors (GB) campaign which began in 1984. This is highly detailed and mayhaps boring to some but is the character history.

 

The Demoness

 

Aka Cosmic Girl, Hospitalier.

 

Real Name. Caroline Turner. Carol for short.

 

Age. 36

 

Nationality: British

 

Height 5' 7½" Weight (You never ask a woman her weight)

 

Hair: Light brown with red tints or all red (scarlet)

 

Eyes: Brown with red tinge or completely red w/no pupil

 

Appearance: The Demoness is an attractive woman of medium height with brown hair and eyes flecked with scarlet. She can however appear with scarlet red hair and red eyes with no visible pupil. She tends toward simple dresses and now favours dark colours particularly with the Hospitalier cross an organisation of which she is now a member. Her smile is often wintery towards the criminal element and those she dislikes.

 

Personality: Calm and controlled except when she flies off into a rage or is being dominated by the demonic portion of her soul. She despises people who kill and uses her soul touch to make them suffer. Her true hatred is for those who use the dark arts like the Pentacle (homebrew organisation), Demon and Nightmare (homebrew villain who sold her soul and is thus immune to the Demoness's soul touch). She is devoted to her friends and her children.

 

Background: Carol was never going to have an easy life. Her grandfather schemed to create a vessel capable of handling powerful magics and thus enchanted his own son and his daughter in law prior to Carol's birth. After Carol's birth her grandfather finished the final enchantment so the infant child would grow into a power to be reckoned with in the mystical world. All that was needed now was a lifetime of indoctrination into the occult and service to the powers of evil.

Unfortunately her parents were not happy with this design for their daughter's life and so took her and fled. They spent the next decade and a bit on the run from the various Covens who wanted their child as a pawn in their power games. Finally their luck ran out and they were recaptured. Carol saw both her mother and father killed during a satanic orgy. She escaped as those who should have been guarding her were caught up in the ceremony. Drawn to the Lake District she came to the attention of the Magician's mentor and thus sanctuary. The Magician had returned to the world of Superheroing with the advent of the formation of the Protectors (GB) in late 1984.

The Magician took her on as a disciple teaching her the principles and practices of magic whilst also drawing her out of her shell. Her fugitive lifestyle had left her no time to make friends although her mother and father had schooled her as best they could in educational subjects and the school of life.

Carol became enamoured of the Avenger who was just a normal man and Crimebuster who she could tell was dieing. She assisted on some cases acquiring the name Cosmic Girl when she asked team mates for a suitable name.

The settled lifestyle could not last long as the Protectors headed into space on a quest to stop the Destroyer from returning and taking all life with him. Carol was abducted whilst trying to get to the Lake District and held captive by the newly formed Pentacle headed by the Warlock one of the Protectors' archfoes. They were assisted by Kordos a powerful wizard and foe of the Magician. She was tortured physically and mentally and her soul was bonded with that of a demon. This left a demon with a partly human soul in its body and Carol with a partly demonic soul in hers.

Two major events also happened that would shape her future. The Magician had to give his life in order to stop a mystical menace breaking into the earth dimension using the Destroyer as cover, and the Avenger murdered the Cobra who had in turn previously been responsible for the deaths of his parents. The Pentacle tortured her with these snippets of information but she steadfastly refused to believe both.

When the Protectors returned they managed an attack on the Pentacle's base. In the chaos they recovered the demon with Carol's soul whilst Carol herself managed to slip away in the confusion. She was unaware of the Protectors attempted rescue. And so tried returning to London. Despite their efforts the Demon with the part human soul died. The Magician was also able to return to life as well. However there was little he could do to restore the Demon to life or return Carol's soul to normal. Reaching London Carol was reunited with The Magician but found to her dismay that the reports of the Avenger were true. She was heart broken. The team was hunting him down but had little success, which was due in part to some of the team covertly aiding him.

Carol felt that she could no longer use the team Cosmic Girl. She now projected an aura of evil so she chose the name The Demoness after reading some of Batman's origin and methods. This did not sit well with some of the others and her relationships with some of them went into free fall. Principally these included Wolfclaw (Wolverine clone) whose 'kill first if they hate mutants' attitude angered her and Crimebuster whose laissez faire attitude and support of the Avenger soured their relationship. Some of her senses had been heightened by her ordeal so that she could now see clearly a person's soul. In turn this made her judgemental of certain people Wolfclaw especially.

She would also become enraged and armour piercing bolts of energy would come from her eyes.

 

While recovering she also met a new recruit to the Protectors, The Great Alfonso whose mentor was the Magnetic Mistress, a reformed criminal. She fell in love and they became intimate. Neither knew at the time that Kordos had implanted a subliminal suggestion in both. However she did become pregnant. Tragically Alfonso was killed by Master Spite a member of the Pentacle and formally Arsenic of the Chemical Compound. As Arsenic he had once wounded the Magnetic Mistress and so had been obliterated by Alfonso who flew into an enraged state as a result. Carol was able to hide her condition but did confide in the Magnetic Mistress that she was carrying Alfonso's child.

 

This became public when the Voidwalker pushed through a 'No Secrecy' rule to the Protector's charter. The Magnetic Mistress felt she had to divulge the truth but the Demoness reserved her anger for the Voidwalker. The amendment had been specifically targeted at the Magician and this was enough to set her against the alien Protector. Especially later when the Voidwalker kept secret from his team mates the induction of planet Earth into the Galactic Council.

 

Carol gave birth to a baby boy who she named Alfonso after his father. He showed no signs of superpowers or any defects and has done to this day. However his mother had to put up with continued speculation that The Magician was the father.

 

Carol knuckled down to becoming a full time Protector whilst rearing her son. The Magician was dismissed from the Protectors after killing Dr Magic in a duel after the latter murdered The Magician's assistants. As one of the ones who sat in judgement of the case was the Voidwalker it did harden her attitude towards him.

 

Tragedy still dogged her as the Magnetic Mistress was later killed by a villain called Kaotik. Carol had lost the one person who could tell her son what his father was really like. And then Morgan Le Fey caught her.

 

Le Fey crafted a soul construct which set the Demoness into a pure demon from with wings and claws but governed by a servant of hers whose soul provided the glue that held it together. Le Fey had her new servant kill people until the Protectors were able to free Carol with an unexpected ally. Her mother.

 

Her mother had been expelled from Hell as a consequence of the use of a wish device. It had caused other problems as well but this one benefited the Protectors. She first came to the attention of the team after Nightraven stopped a mugger from assaulting her. Having neither memory nor grasp of what had happened to her child since her death she attempted to enlist his aid in tracking Carol down. This was helped by the fact that she was dead and had the lack of pulse and stab wound to prove it and little Alfonso's resemblance to her. The Protectors were thus able to go on the offensive for a change although they were kept at bay by Le Fey and her minions. The shock of seeing her mother broke Le Fey's control and the construct was destroyed. Le Fey got away. Carol spent some considerable time recuperating partly due to the psychic shocks of being reunited with her mother and of killing people.

 

Returning to service the Demoness balanced bringing up her child, performing her duty as a Protector and educating herself. She had healing abilities and so tried to amalgamate this with medicinal knowledge in order to help people without resort to magic.

 

Controversy still dogged her. Particularly when she became pregnant again this time with quads at the hands of Foil, the greatest swordsman in the world. Foil was not actually the father but neither Carol nor the real father could come clean about it due the dangers it would pose to them. The real father was Dr Density the leader of the North East Protectors based in Newcastle. After the Fearmaster broke him, the Demoness went into his mind and brought him back. The two had a tentative tryst which resulted in Carol's second pregnancy. Despite Dr Density's wish 'to do the right thing' which required no prompting at all, Carol felt she had to turn him down as the kids would be used as a weapon against him. He was (and still is) viewed as one of the best of the Protectors and indeed superheroes all over the world. Step forward Foil. Although an 'enemy' of the team he claimed to be the father which explained why Carol could not say anything. The fact that he was more adventurer than the usual gallery of homicidal maniacs the team usually fought was the reason Carol's sight had not clued her in. This glib explanation has stood the test of time although it has made visiting rights for both fathers interesting. Two of the children have highly visible powers. One is a water breather who looks more lizard than human and another is a pyrokinetic.

 

Carol also became deputy team leader of the main London team and then leader after Crimebuster had to step down. Finally she was able to implement some plans of her own. She had become sick and tired of an attitude that prevailed which said that 'only those being hunted could go after their hunters'. Thus for example the Mutants could go after Genocide and X-Terminate but no-one else could. She felt this was rubbish. The team had banded together to get her free why not really go after those that were hunting them ? Although unpopular as an ideal to some of the team she got her way and it was successful winning grudging support from the naysayers.

 

Cobra had reconstituted at this time and the Protectors had particular reason to go after them. Boa, one of the second wave of members to the team, had been brainwashed and had gone off with them. Her husband, Moonlight Shadow, searched all over the world for her in a solo quest. Carol and the other members of the team were able to help by staging attacks on Cobra outposts worldwide whilst he and the Demoness broke into one of the main bases in Canada and abducted Boa. They were then able to restore her to normal.

 

The Magician was able to return to the Protectors and was also to marry but was assassinated (with his wife) in 1997 just after the election. The Demoness was distraught. Within a week the Unicorn was also dead after unbelieveably falling off a tower block. A friend of the Magician and close to many of the Protectors it proved a final breaking point. Particularly when the Avenger returned as well.

 

At The Magician's funeral Carol refused point blank to allow the Voidwalker to be present. She also sided with the Flame when Crimebuster insisted that he and he alone avenge the Unicorn and when the Flame insisted that the only way that the Avenger would return was over his 'dead body'. The Flame maintained that the Avenger had betrayed the team and his own code by murdering the Cobra who had been defeated and rendered into a vegetive state. Reading his soul and remembering her own bitterness the Demoness backed the Flame. Despite the fact the Avenger had served time in prison for the crime he had not faced discipline from his team mates (some of whom like Crimebuster and Moonlight Shadow kept his whereabouts secret). It resulted in a fight between the two during which the Flame burned the Avenger. Carol chose not to aid him as he felt no guilt at the murder of the Cobra.

 

The team split with some of the martial artists and others leaving. These also included people who Carol did not get on with so she happily stayed.

 

As the Millennium approached attempts were made by some of the occult organisations and by demons to kill the Pope. Carol was involved in thwarting a few of these but it culminated in a battle in Vatican City which almost killed her. The end result of these exertions saw her given special Papal status and an invite to join the Hospitalier organisation.

 

These days she still fights crime and lives off base in a Gothic mansion in London with her mother and her brood.

 

Due to her partly demonic nature Carol is unsuitable as Earth's archmage. She prefers to go after anyone who is a threat from people like Dr Destroyer to the Monster. No crime is too small, no threat to large to escape her notice.

Most of the magic community steer clear of her. She despises most of the Vandaleur clan including Adrian who tried to seduce Energiser (another Protector and friend of The Magican), and also tried to hit on her.

[Lightray]

And yet another game that I'm in, but fairly rarely, is a Legends of the 5 Rings game. Another excellent site.

 

http://webpages.charter.net/houseoffun/l5r/index.htm

Ahem. It is traditional to Tell Us About Your Character. That way, we may mock you for being an effete Crane or smelly Unicorn or somesuch.

 

I quite like how you've rendered Tanaka's jade tetsubo. I'll have to show my group that one -- even though I just know it'll give someone ideas...

[red_eagle123]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Ahem. It is traditional to Tell Us About Your Character. That way, we may mock you for being an effete Crane or smelly Unicorn or somesuch.

 

I quite like how you've rendered Tanaka's jade tetsubo. I'll have to show my group that one -- even though I just know it'll give someone ideas...

 

Bah hoo-mahn. You all gather in your clans and fight and argue. It is the Akasha that gives wisdom and guidance.

 

Sadly it is because the Akasha is so knowledgable that the hoo-mahns got nervous, and gathered to conspire against my brethren. Realizing it was not our time, we retreated to our trees and woods, to return to the great sleep.

 

But I say, like no other... Sleep is for the Weak!

 

 

Whoa, where did that come from. It's been years since I played any AEG games...

[Speedball]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Storn,

 

I *love* both Ironclad and Nightraven. This is top-shelf stuff.

[Starcorp Man]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

It's actually interesting just how far some of Storn's art goes back into the Champions line. I find myself looking through older 4E stuff and going, "hay Storn did this."

 

I find that Storn's, Zircher and Mark Williams really defined the Champions line. Truly wish they were more involved then the new line of artists (would maybe get me to buy some of the newer books again.)

[Storn]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Ahem. It is traditional to Tell Us About Your Character. That way, we may mock you for being an effete Crane or smelly Unicorn or somesuch.

 

 

Wow. Never expected anyone to care. My character is Mirumoto Tsunatake. He is 1/2 Dragon, 1/2 Unicorn and is very young bushi who has been put into Unicorn service to repay the debt that my father owes my mother's family (she died coming to his rescue and saved Dragon face immensely).

 

Tsunatake has the obsession of "finding truth behind history and legend", sorta proto-Nelly Bly wannabe. He is friendly, charming, operates a bit outside of the box by being raised in rural mountains (not schooled in the subtlities of court life, but is smart enough to pick it up, and very comfortable with Shugenja as most Dragon are). But he is ambitious, since he is surrounded by the incredible wealth of the Unicorn and really has been surprised by their open arms.... but that makes him feel all the more "country bumbkin". He doesn't want to let his new clan down.

 

Too much info?

 

If you want more, check out :

 

http://webpages.charter.net/houseoffun/

 

Look under the L5R campaign Heaven and Earth, and under cast. I think there might be a pic of Tsunatake.

[Storn]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

It's actually interesting just how far some of Storn's art goes back into the Champions line. I find myself looking through older 4E stuff and going, "hay Storn did this."

 

I find that Storn's, Zircher and Mark Williams really defined the Champions line. Truly wish they were more involved then the new line of artists (would maybe get me to buy some of the newer books again.)

 

Uh... I don't like looking at 4th ed stuff. My inking was so crude and it was so difficult mastering the brush to the point I wanted.

 

But thank you.

[aylwin13]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Uh... I don't like looking at 4th ed stuff. My inking was so crude and it was so difficult mastering the brush to the point I wanted.

 

But thank you.

 

Hey Storn. Everybody feels that way about their early stuff, no matter what it is they're doing. It's still your work, though. That means it's all good.

 

Thanks, again, for sharing with us.

[Bill_CCHKK]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

I find that Storn's' date=' Zircher and Mark Williams really defined the Champions line. Truly wish they were more involved then the new line of artists (would maybe get me to buy some of the newer books again.)[/quote']

I'm not sure about Zircher (Phil?), but Mark Williams passed away in 1998. I found a web page with details written by a friend of his a while back, but can't find it now. He also worked on some movies (notable, Aliens), so he has an IMDB entry here .

 

Edit: Found the bio webpage .

 

- Bill

[RDU Neil]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Zircher has been doing some work for DC for a number of years. I think I saw him lately on Nightwing, but that is only IIRC. His style changed a great deal from those old, clean, black and white images... (a'la Classic Enemies.)

[aylwin13]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

I'm not sure about Zircher (Phil?)' date=' but Mark Williams passed away in 1998. I found a web page with details written by a friend of his a while back, but can't find it now. He also worked on some movies (notable, Aliens), so he has an IMDB entry here .

 

Edit: Found the bio webpage .

 

- Bill

 

Bill, I think that this might be the page that you mentioned.

 

I miss Mark's work. I think it's what really got me into Champs all those millions of years ago.

 

 

EDIT: I guess you already found the page.

[death tribble]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

That is sad. I did not know that Mark had died. I prefer some of his renditions to other people's.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Pat also worked on Marvel's THUNDERBOLTS for a while.

It was nice to see an "old guard" game artist (Hero, V&V, etc.) get into the big time.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Nice to see you around again Storn. We've missed you!

 

 

 

 

waiting...patiently...

[MitchellS]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Zircher has been doing some work for DC for a number of years. I think I saw him lately on Nightwing' date=' but that is only IIRC. His style changed a great deal from those old, clean, black and white images... (a'la Classic Enemies.)[/quote']

Lest we forget he also did the cover for Champions Universe.

[Magmarock]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Uh... I don't like looking at 4th ed stuff. My inking was so crude and it was so difficult mastering the brush to the point I wanted.

 

But thank you.

 

I get that way, too, with my own art. I hate most of the stuff I did long ago. Heck, I hate some of the stuff I did last week! (Ok, hate is a strong word, I really mean that I don't think it's very good.)

 

 

Most artists try to improve their trade and so end up not liking the older projects.

 

Mags

[Enforcer84]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

I'll put her up for a day, but here's my latest Storn purchase:

 

Freya!

[aylwin13]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Another excellent Storn pic. I really like it.

 

By the way, Chad, is this Freya as in Freya from the Lords of Justice?

[Lightray]

If you want more, check out :

 

http://webpages.charter.net/houseoffun/

 

Look under the L5R campaign Heaven and Earth, and under cast. I think there might be a pic of Tsunatake.

psst. "Emerald and Jade".

 

... You all owe fealty to different daimyo. Gives me a GM-sympathy headache just reading it.

 

I quite like Shinjo Hokido's picture

 

Off to research dog archery.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Another excellent Storn pic. I really like it.

 

By the way, Chad, is this Freya as in Freya from the Lords of Justice?

Indeed.

[Storn]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

psst. "Emerald and Jade".

 

... You all owe fealty to different daimyo. Gives me a GM-sympathy headache just reading it.

 

I quite like Shinjo Hokido's picture

 

Off to research dog archery.

 

Oops. That's what I get for recently seeing Jet Li's Hero... and all under Heaven and Earth. Yup, Emerald and Jade. Yeah, I like Shinjo too.

[death tribble]

Re: Storn's Art & Characters thread.

 

Just working out things and figuring out what the next two will be for orders.

One will be my sig character the Flame. The other I may get another hero or get a villain done.

But then working out that I will still have at least another year of work at one per month of ideas. Ho hum.

And I will do another vote for character next year.