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Description
This is my entry for DeviantArt's "Arcane Idol" contest!

Basic elements:
Equipment: The staff, which symbolizes his position. It uses the magic of the talisman to project shadows that show the story he is retelling.
Logo: A phorminx with a broken string.
Talisman: A metal of a phorminx's strings, which channels the spirit of the bards and allows him to "show" the stories his telling, through dancing shadows.
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Aegeus is a Rhapsode.

He would make a living out of travelling the land, spreading the tales of champions. As the custom has it, he carries a staff, to symbolize his position. But people had grown disinterested, the stories no longer moved them. He himself dreamt of times times long before him, where the crowds were flocking to hear the intriguing stories, out of the mouths of bards.

The bards would use enchanted phorminxs (string instrument, which preceded guitars) to sing the tales of old, improvise and tailor them according to the crowd. The sound, sweet and clear, would enthrall the audiences, making them "see" the stories it carried. As the years went by, their numbers dwindled and magic became rare to see in their line of work. They were slowly replaced by the Rhapsodes, who would travel the land, reciting the tales with absolute dedication and precision, missing the bards' entertaining improvisations.

Everything changed when Aegeus came upon an ancient talisman! It was a medallion in the shape of an eye, made out of a true phorminx's strings, one that once belonged to a powerful bard. The talisman gave him the ability to manipulate the shadows of his staff, into projecting the tales he is sharing! People can't turn away the magic of capturing storytelling, especially not it truly is magic! The talisman gave him the twist he needed to bring back the interest of the people!

Wherever he went the crowds would now flock to him as well, his name spread further than the tales he sung! People would await him to join their town's festivities and enthrall them, they would raise banners with his symbol; the phorminx with the broken string. He had carved the symbol on his staff, lamenting the loss of the magic art that came before him.

It is now the symbol of a magic just as great, entrusted with the mission of preserving and passing down the great tales! His fans would often paint images of their favourite tales, or Aegeus himself on their bodies, using watered down black pigments, trying to emanate the shape of the shadows!

Aegeus though would also be a witness to the intoxicating nature of the talisman. He would find himself bringing up the shadows at all times of the day, chasing memories that he tried to weave into stories, chasing 'what ifs' and alternative endings to his own relations and doings. The shadows were, ultimately, his closest companions, blurring the line between reality and fiction.
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Now, if you made it past the wall of text! This was an idea that came to me at once! The moment I saw the contest I knew I wanted to work around the rhapsodes theme and draw from Greek history and imaginary. This is why I worked with browns and blues, and chose to incorporate designs like vine leaves and meanders. I was torn about the shadows' design, I contemplated doing more realistic figures, but I decided to go with more caricature silhouettes. I hope you like this! I loved working on it!

Description
This is my entry for DeviantArt's "Arcane Idol" contest!

Basic elements:
Equipment: The staff, which symbolizes his position. It uses the magic of the talisman to project shadows that show the story he is retelling.
Logo: A phorminx with a broken string.
Talisman: A metal of a phorminx's strings, which channels the spirit of the bards and allows him to "show" the stories his telling, through dancing shadows.
-------
Aegeus is a Rhapsode.

He would make a living out of travelling the land, spreading the tales of champions. As the custom has it, he carries a staff, to symbolize his position. But people had grown disinterested, the stories no longer moved them. He himself dreamt of times times long before him, where the crowds were flocking to hear the intriguing stories, out of the mouths of bards.

The bards would use enchanted phorminxs (string instrument, which preceded guitars) to sing the tales of old, improvise and tailor them according to the crowd. The sound, sweet and clear, would enthrall the audiences, making them "see" the stories it carried. As the years went by, their numbers dwindled and magic became rare to see in their line of work. They were slowly replaced by the Rhapsodes, who would travel the land, reciting the tales with absolute dedication and precision, missing the bards' entertaining improvisations.

Everything changed when Aegeus came upon an ancient talisman! It was a medallion in the shape of an eye, made out of a true phorminx's strings, one that once belonged to a powerful bard. The talisman gave him the ability to manipulate the shadows of his staff, into projecting the tales he is sharing! People can't turn away the magic of capturing storytelling, especially not it truly is magic! The talisman gave him the twist he needed to bring back the interest of the people!

Wherever he went the crowds would now flock to him as well, his name spread further than the tales he sung! People would await him to join their town's festivities and enthrall them, they would raise banners with his symbol; the phorminx with the broken string. He had carved the symbol on his staff, lamenting the loss of the magic art that came before him.

It is now the symbol of a magic just as great, entrusted with the mission of preserving and passing down the great tales! His fans would often paint images of their favourite tales, or Aegeus himself on their bodies, using watered down black pigments, trying to emanate the shape of the shadows!

Aegeus though would also be a witness to the intoxicating nature of the talisman. He would find himself bringing up the shadows at all times of the day, chasing memories that he tried to weave into stories, chasing 'what ifs' and alternative endings to his own relations and doings. The shadows were, ultimately, his closest companions, blurring the line between reality and fiction.
----------------
Now, if you made it past the wall of text! This was an idea that came to me at once! The moment I saw the contest I knew I wanted to work around the rhapsodes theme and draw from Greek history and imaginary. This is why I worked with browns and blues, and chose to incorporate designs like vine leaves and meanders. I was torn about the shadows' design, I contemplated doing more realistic figures, but I decided to go with more caricature silhouettes. I hope you like this! I loved working on it!