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RanmaCMH — Attack on Castle Cousland part 1
Published: 2013-10-26 10:30:24 +0000 UTC; Views: 34841; Favourites: 553; Downloads: 127
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This took way too long to draw. I need to practice doing action sequences. And dogs. Do you know how hard it is to find angry growling dog references? Much harder than I imagined.
We're finally getting to the meat of the Cousland origin, the attack on the castle from within! One thing I really wanted to illustrate was how I felt being woken up in the middle of a night by a coup should have really been. Not instantly armed to the teeth and ready to fight, that's for sure. I have no reason to believe that our future warden, even if they were a warrior or a rogue, would be ready to fight in their own bedroom of their family's castle. Between the outer walls, patrolling guards, and mabari war dog sleeping beside them (not to mention this kind of attack would be unprecedented during their life time) I don't believe they sleep with a knife or sword under their pillow. Or a suit of armor for that matter. Maybe your warden would? But Arlana certainly wouldn't. I wanted to illustrate the surprise and the scramble that follows. Part 2 should be up shortly.
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Comments: 79
This is great! 
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Those expressions! This is incredible, I will definitely check out the others in this series (it seemed implied that there were others, anyway). I've played several different Warden origins, but Cousland was my first and I'm still very attached to it. I agree about the weirdness of Cousland apparently having been sleeping with their armor and weapons, but hey. Video games.
And Dog is very fierce here, I love his snarl and body language.
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Let's be honest, Cousland origin is pure suffering and agony
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Oh thank you! I'm worried I'm never going to top it!! (But I'm going to try
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The fear in the bottom illustration hits the core. It is so one could feel a twinge of it by merely looking. Speak of immersive art.
/Yevaun
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Thank you! I'm glad that came across well, I really struggled with that particular expression.
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I don't know why, but your Cousland girl looks like Taissa Farmiga. This is complement, of course
By the way... your works is amazing and very beautiful. Few times i was thinking: wow, she should draw for disney
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That's actualy the second time someone has mentioned her! So funny! I think there are similarities, but Taissa is a little too small and doe eyed for the way I see Arlana in my head. I keep looking for the perfect face to "play" her but I haven't found her yet. Probably the closest in terms of facial expressions and voice would be Linda Cardellini in Freaks and Geeks.
Thank you for the compliments! I look up to Disney animators so much!!
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The Howes send their regards.
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You watch or read Game of thrones
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I watch it, I've really enjoyed being surprised by the show so I purposely avoid reading ahead (Though I read the first and second book after catching up on the show.)
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I see so which house you rooted for
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I don't know if I can root for a whole house, but I love the characters. Arya is starting to get a little scary though. I don't want to go into too much detail, I would hate to spoil it for anyone.
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Wow... I really like your drawing style here. Very impressive.
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You know, your Warden reminds me of Violet from American Horror Story! God, if someone made a mouvie based on your game, they should take her for your Cousland xD
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That's an interesting casting! I think Violet is a little young for how I picture Arlana, but I think I might reference her for drawing her sometimes. Especially her hair! Haha, now I'm picturing Arlana being super cross with everyone and secretly smoking in the courtyard.
Every once in a while I try to fancast my DA
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wow.. very well done. U are a very skilled at drawing. I like the sketched look
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Thank you! I love sketchy art.
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U are very welcome
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Dragon Age, human noble origin! Have you played it?
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Nope! What is it? Is it like Skyrim?
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It's a Bioware RPG (like Mass Effect or Knights of the Old Republic) and the Origins from the title refers to the fact that there are six completely different openings to play through depending on which origin you pick (human, elf, dwarf, commoner, noble, etc…) It's not quite as open world as Skyrim and the fighting is more tactical/party based.
But the characters are SO SO well written. Oh my word. That is what Skyrim is missing, to be honest. You will literally fall in love. The acting is superb, so much of the dialogue between the characters that are in your party is laugh out loud funny, and the entire game just really takes you for a ride. The graphics are a little old now, video games age so quickly you know, but storytelling wise it is still one of the best. Definitely give it a try.
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The fact that you said 'like Mass Effect' officially sold me on this game!
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Hahaha, like Mass Effect, less aliens, more dwarves. To sum up.
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Oh my goodness, I adore all of your Cousland family/origin drawings (as you may notice from the rush of favourites 
(Oh, also, I don't know how much you're into modding your game - and I saw in one of your artist's comments that you hadn't played Arlana's game for a few years? - but there's a mod which does some of the things you've pointed out in your comments. Your Cousland is dressed in noble clothes rather than armour, and you wake up without your weapons/armour/etc and have to pick it up as you fight your way around. There are also a couple of other tweaks, like the family sword is actually pretty awesome as opposed to very basic, and just, I dunno, for the Cousland I was playing when I found it, it fit her perfectly and it made the origin just that much more convincing and amazing? If you ever want to play it through again and don't mind modding your game, I'd thoroughly recommend trying it out just to see whether it makes the origin a bit more convincing for you
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First of all, thank you for the glowing praise! I love that the emotions are coming through the work, because that's the most important thing to me. Every time someone mentions that it makes me so happy.
I sometimes wish I could mod but unfortunately it's on my ps3, so it's totally vanilla for life. Haha. Can't even fix that damn bug where you start making out with air-Alistair that totally ruins that moment by the fire. But that's okay, I love seeing the story in my head more than modding onto my game. I can see the moments like animation in my head and that's what I end up drawing. Such a great game, I love it to pieces. And I can't wait to share more art with you guys. I have so many things already drawn… but I really want to go through the origin before I upload the rest of them!!!
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Ha! I thought that a cousland suddenly being in armor and prepared for fight was rather odd myself.
Btw, your style is fantastic. Very jealous of how fluid and realistic it is.
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Omg thank you for that compliment. I'm always frustrated because I don't feel like I'm getting it fluid and realistic enough, but I think I'm comparing myself to my favorite animators too much. This is great practice and really fun. I'm glad you're enjoying it!
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I really love your style! I find drawing mabari is such a pain, even for a calming gesture, let alone the angry growling one lol And you're doing great! <3
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I never realized how hard it would be to find references for this kind of drawing! Understandably, nobody wants to put pictures of dogs being bad or angry or scary up. Pit bull PR and all that. Maybe I should watch Cujo or the Omen if I want snarling dogs. But I really need that squashy pit bull face!!
Anyway, rant aside, thank you so much!!
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You're most welcome!
If you chose to continue the story (and please do! I'd love to see more of this) maybe you'd better start watching those films lol
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Love your artwork! Your Cousland is very pretty and young. I've seen too many Cousland pics where they look too old and their not meant to be old, I believe Cousland Warden is only suppose to be 18/19 years old.
By the way your hound is amazing! Love the detail of your work.
I have to ask do you do commissions or requests? I would love it if you could draw a little doodle of an OC of mine. I haven't been able to find anyone who can draw her youthful face.
Keep up the great work!
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Thank you so much! I do picture her being around 19/20 myself. Though living in your family castle it's not like you have to move out when you turn 18 right? So I can understand other interpretations. But 20ish feels right to me. Anyway I really appreciate the compliment. I'm honestly trying to work on consistency with her face. My style can change from page to page and it makes me a little nuts. lol. And Mabari's are a challenge and a half with those crazy barrel chests and little squashy muzzles!
Currently I cannot take commissions or requests, though perhaps in the future I might open commissions? I am one month away from the due date of my first child and things are crazy! Haha. A good crazy, but extremely busy nonetheless. Sometimes I get a couple minutes to work on my own sketches, but I can't really fit anything else in. But if you are watching my DA page, keep an eye on the journal. If I open commissions I will post it there. Thank you for the interest!
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Good luck with your first child and I will keep an eye on your profile for commission or request stats. Keep up the great work!
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I love how you did the faces, both for Arlana and your Mabari. They're both so expressive. Of course, that's a complement that I can give to all of your art.
I've always felt that the Cousland origin has the most impact of all the origins. Its not just that you leave your home behind (like with the elves and the Dwarves), your home is gone. Everyone was murdered... your family, your tutor, your old nanny... there's nothing to go back to.
My Cousland wouldn't sleep with a knife under his pillow or anything like that. I always make a point of going to the chest in the room before equipping weapons, for roleplay purposes.
Also, I may be square, but I think its cool that your Cousland didn't sleep with Darrien or Iona. I've never felt that that option was appropriate, at least not for my own warden.
One last thing... what did you name your Mabari?
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I didn't even know that the sleeping with Dairren/Iona was a thing until today! Hahaha, that's how square *I* am, never even entered my mind! But I don't think I would have anyway, that wouldn't have been in her character. She would have seen Dairren as… well pretty boring I think. It works well story-wise since Howe is also insinuating right before that, that his son is interested in you too. Ah the life of a nobleman's daughter. Constantly being set up with noble sons you don't know or care for. Good times.
And I totally agree with you on how much impact the origin has and why. It's one where I selfishly wish they had incorporated more of it's effect into the body of the game. But they did well with what they had.
Also I'm really embarrassed that I can't remember what I named Arlana's mabari. I need to load her game back up so I can check. Haha. The only Mabari name I remember is the last character I created, and haven't finished, a Dwarf commoner named Flint who I was going to play as a total jerk, and he named his dog Stinky. Arlana's dog has a much nobler name of course. lol.
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Haha well I guess we can be square together! xD
Its funny, every time I play the Cousland Origin I discover something new, and now I make a little ritual of snooping around the castle to check for anything I missed. I just found out that you can talk to the the Mother in the Chantry and say a prayer with her! And then of course there's the bit where you grab the family blade during your escape. I always make a point of using the family sword to slay the archdemon.
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I really need to snoop more. I get so focused on the tasks they give you I forget that the game isn't going to punish you if you don't go right to it sometimes. I must have gotten that from some old game. Probably Sierra games. They kill you all kinds of ways if you don't do things just so.
Though I always forge that meteor-metal star sword in my games and give it to my wardens, in this version of the story she will always keep the family sword and the family shield. I really think that's important.
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I LOVE HOW YOU DREW THE MABARI
Caps abuse doesn't exist in such a post
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Drawing Mabari's is kind of difficult!! Haha. They are this kind of extreme pit bull type of dog and they are so wrinkly in the face and chest heavy! But I am pleased with the way he came out here. One of these days I'm going to load up my old game and see what I named him. lol. It's been so long I totally forgot.
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In the first panel he/she almost looks Cat like
Pitbull you say? I can see that. As for me I kind of always saw them as bald Tibetan Mastiffs. (Which is known for being the fiercest dog yet. So strangely fitting.)
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A Mastiff definitely has the massive size, but the pit bull has the crazy huge barrel chest and squashy face. They seemed to design them with an extra wrinkly muzzle too. Maybe if you crossbreed a Mastiff and a pitt bull you get a Mabari.
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