I grew up on fantasy that blurred the line between science fiction and fantasy. Dragon Ball Z, Gundam, and Transformers all blended sci-fi with fantasy, and I've always loved that kind of unique worldbuilding. At the same time, for my own world, I don't want to stray so far that something pulls you out of the more traditional fantasy setting.
This was one of those experiments.
I thought it would be really cool if a dwarf had power armor. If elves can be mutated by magical radiation and there are flying ships, why couldn't those same magical power sources be harnessed by skilled engineers to create suits of armor that are almost mech-like? To me, a dwarf was the perfect place to weave in that idea.
Being shorter in a fight is not an advantage. In fact, it's a distinct disadvantage. That's why the Colt earned the nickname the Great Equalizer. Technology has always been a way to overcome physical disparities. It's also why longswords are surprisingly light despite what pop culture often suggests. Technology is humanity's way of bridging the gap.
This concept also gave me the opportunity to lean into what I think is one of the defining motifs of dwarves: they're little squares. Solid, dependable, stubborn, and built for hard work. Almost like a Ford truck commercial. So I took that idea and pushed it in a more literal direction with the silhouette of this dwarf’s armor.
I'm excited to keep exploring these suits and the engineering behind them. Some questions that remain for me are: How do the arcane crystals slot in? How are they powered? What happens when one fails?Only time and design will tell.
For now, I'll leave you with this illustration and short story. I hope you enjoy getting to know our Stubborn little Boulder.
That's all for now. As always, keep drawing and keep creating!
After my first Blue Sky illustration I began iterating on what different versions of this arcane power armor could be. I explored several different directions for the silhouette and shape language of the armor. I wanted each variation to communicate something different about dwarven culture, engineering, and the environments they inhabit.
Ugh, dwarves...They're angular in their thoughts and approaches. Strict little right angles, and as stubborn as the stone they break, Vivian thought to herself as she circled the dwarf in the muddy town square.
His angular armor, a power suit designed to compensate for a dwarf’s shorter stature, hummed. Its joints hissed as he rolled his shoulders back. His beady, glowing eyes darted around within the darkness of his mask, scanning the environment. He huffed out a shallow breath. Steam drifted through the cold air.
"Listen, I did not mean to offend you, but I need this arcane. I did not know it was yours, and I can't give it back," Viv said, doing her best to sound as confident as possible.
The dwarf simply growled.
Vivian took a step back, mud slipping beneath her boots and building up on her heels. Her footing was less than ideal. Dwarves might be right angles, but they were about as sharp as them too, especially when encased in their armor.
The only option was to run, and even that wouldn't be easy with the dwarf in his power armor.
A crowd had gathered around them, and a group of burly-looking orcs, Tusk Carvers, wedged their way through the gathering.
"Why don't you give us arcane?" said one of the orcs, speaking in a thick accent. He continued.
"We'll handle Stout Boulder."
The group chuckled at their leader's jab.
The dwarf shot them a look.
Vivian sighed. This job had gone way off the map. She had planned to sneak in at night, grab the arcane, and be long gone by morning.
Of course, the snowstorm had seen that plan crossed out. She really hadn't wanted anything to do with the Mountain Dwarf.
Now she was stranded in a small backhill town with not one, but two parties interested in the arcane she held.
It certainly didn't help that the dwarf had barreled through the tavern's wall chasing her. That had caused quite a stir.
From a sling, a rock whistled through the air and bounced off the dwarf's helmet. Vivian blinked.
Time seemed to slow. The reverberating clang echoed through the square.
The dwarf's armor hissed as he grabbed a hand axe and hurled it at the orc. It buried itself deep in the orc's skull.
The other orcs cried out in anger at the death of their fallen comrade. Vivian decided it was time to leave.
She spun around, hoping to use the distraction to get out of town.
Quickly.
She slammed into an orc about twice her size. One of his tusks had been ground down to a nub, while the other was long, with a couple of smaller nubs growing from it.
She lost her footing as she collided with the orc and came down hard on her back. The impact was enough to knock the air from her lungs and send the arcane crystal flying from her grip.She lunged forward, slipping in the mud as she scrambled to reach for the crystal.But her leg wouldn't budge.
She looked back to see the monstrously large orc gripping her lower leg. His hand wrapped completely around it. She felt like a child as he easily tossed her aside. She tumbled through the mud and, with a grunt of effort, rolled back onto her feet. The slick ground forced her to skid another three feet before she finally came to a stop.
By the time she found her footing, the large orc had thrown the arcane crystal to one of his allies. That orc stuffed it into a small brown bag, and the group dashed away as the crowd scattered.
Vivian scanned the square, searching for the dwarf. Her eyes found him.
He too was face down in the mud, four large orcs forcing his armored head into the muck.
Vivian puffed out a breath and flung two throwing daggers.
They whirled end over end through the air...and found purchase in the gnarled, muscled meat of one of the orcs pinning the dwarf down, one dagger punching through his shoulder and the other into his chest.
The wounded orc let go. The Mountain Dwarf needed only that single heartbeat.With inhuman speed, the dwarf twisted and rolled back around on the ground, his legs whirled like twin maces. He booted one orc in the ribs and tripped the other two orcs before chopping the fourth’s leg clean off.
The pincushioned one-legged orc collapsed into the mud, screaming. The dwarf planted one hand against the ground and launched himself into the air. His suit hissed aggressively. He caught his axe with both hands mid-leap and came crashing down on another orc, whose arms were crossed in a desperate attempt to defend himself.
The defense was futile.Crunch.The axe bit through both forearms with a crack of splintering bone before burying itself deep in the orc's chest. Blood sprayed across his armor like a geyser, leaving the once-clean suit awash with mud and bloody ichor. He landed hard, armor humming. Mud splattered across the suit and specks of it clung stubbornly to the Stout Boulder.
The dwarf growled and glanced left.The last orc was crawling away in fear and still trying to catch his breath from the kick in the ribs.It was a humorous sight to Vivian, considering the orc was nearly three times the dwarf's size.
The dwarf grabbed him by the back of the neck and growled, "WHERE?!"The orc weakly pointed north, still struggling to catch his breath.
The dwarf slammed his head into the ground, knocking him unconscious.
Then he sauntered over to the one-legged orc, who was bleeding out in the muck. He pulled Viv’s blades free, looked at her, and tossed them both her way.
She caught the daggers out of the air and stowed them both in one smooth motion.
The dwarf huffed out another breath before quietly growling, "With me."Vivian nodded hesitantly, and together the unlikely allies jogged north.
What in the hells am I doing? Viv thought to herself as she hurried to match the dwarf's pace.
