Coming Soon: The Sylvestri Family Reunion!

[DShomshak]

Greetings, one and all! Remember the Sylvestris, that mad, bad family of satanist sorcerers from Arcane Adversaries (and updated in CV2)? Remember that sidebar of additional family members who weren't written up?

 

Now they are! Coming soon as a licensed product, The Sylvestri Family Reunion provides character sheets for Matachin, Fra Diavolo, Erichtho and Velleda McFarlane, and Canidia, Georgius and Sagana Liefeld -- and they're just as evil, twisted and disturbing as their kin. Some are scaled for Champions; others are more suitable for Dark Champions.

 

As I write this, I've finished most of the character sheets and begun the illustrations. This will be a stretch for me since I'm no Storn, but I have high hopes. As a preview, here's my illo for Sagana Liefeld:

 

Welcome to the family.

 

Dean Shomshak

[aylwin13]

Re: Coming Soon: The Sylvestri Family Reunion!

 

... just as evil, twisted and disturbing as their kin.

 

Dean Shomshak

 

You're including Rob in there, as well. Right?

 

 

 

 

Run away!!!

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Coming Soon: The Sylvestri Family Reunion!

 

I will be on this like black on sabbath.

 

Sagana Liefield looks very nice -- I have no qualms about your prospective artwork.

 

If this sells adequately, would you consider also filling out the ranks of the Vandaleurs in a subsequent work? The Alcedama, Claude and Roderick Van Thayer, Patricia Torrance, Jacques Yves "Cracker Jack" Vandaleur, Julie Rainbow, Max Miracle, Prism, and Theodore and Virginia Burke would also make a fine collection IMHO.

[DShomshak]

Re: Coming Soon: The Sylvestri Family Reunion!

 

I don't think so, no. The Vandaleurs are Allen Varney's creation, as are most of the "also mentioned" family members. I wouldn't feel comfortable with it. Caretaker and developer of another person's inspiration on DOJ's behalf, yes. Selling a version of it as if it were entirely my own work, no, even if there were no legal issues of intellectual property. (And I suspect there are.)

 

I have plenty of other projects to work on, mystical and otherwise. You'll see more, no fear.

 

Dean Shomshak

[pinecone]

Re: Coming Soon: The Sylvestri Family Reunion!

 

This looks awesome...I hope to see it soon!

[Allen Varney]

Re: Coming Soon: The Sylvestri Family Reunion!

 

I don't think so' date=' no. The Vandaleurs are Allen Varney's creation, as are most of the "also mentioned" family members. I wouldn't feel comfortable with it. Caretaker and developer of another person's inspiration on DOJ's behalf, yes. Selling a version of it as if it were entirely my own work, no, even if there were no legal issues of intellectual property. (And I suspect there are.)[/quote']

Can't speak to issues of intellectual property -- I'm pretty sure Hero Games, or somebody else in the Great Chain of Legalities, owns the material from Mystic Masters -- but as a creator, I'd be happy if Dean cared to use any or all of the Vandaleurs in his work, in any level of detail from passing mention to full writeups.

 

I must give due credit to David Rogers, designer of the Champions 3e supplements Red Doom and ATLAS Unleashed, for creating and writing up the subordinate members of the Vandaleur family in Mystic Masters.

[Opale]

Re: Coming Soon: The Sylvestri Family Reunion!

 

We are actually playing a mysthic Campaign and using most of your previous creations, so, omg yes ! Looking forward to discover your formidable work

 

Occult Opale

[Epiphanis]

Re: Coming Soon: The Sylvestri Family Reunion!

 

Will Matachin wear a traditional colorful matachin costume, or does he just use the name?

[DShomshak]

Re: Coming Soon: The Sylvestri Family Reunion!

 

Just use the name. The only costumes I found when I Googled "matachin" were gaudy, fluffy things from South America, which weren't even connected to sword dancing.

 

I got the name "matachin" by way of Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, btw: The Seekers for Truth and Penitence live and work in the Matachin Tower because of their yearly festival when the journeymen dance with their beheading swords. They didn't dress like South American matachins, apparently preferring bare chests and basic black (actually fuligin, the color darker than black) so I figure it's fair that my Matachin doesn't, either.

 

The pictures of Spanish sword dancers I found did not have them wearing masks, but they did tie sashes around their waists. I'm using that detail.

 

Currently, Matachin's costume is a competition fencer's outfit but in charcoal gray instead of white, with a red sash around his waist to hold the scabbard for the Empty Blade. Instead of a fencer's mesh helmet, though, he wears one of those Phantom of the Opera-style carnival masks, which I for one find a bit creepy at the best of times. He tops it off with a Musketeer hat. Bracers on his arms hold a grapnel device for swashbuckler swinging. There's still time to change the costume, though, if anyone can find any pictures of RL matachins that have cool costume potential.

 

Dean Shomshak