A Black Scales Artifact: The Mask
For this illustration, I wanted to create a mask that felt fantastical and catlike, and that carried the symbolism of three eyes, inspired by the iconic visual language of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell games, but reimagined through a fantasy lens.
I love the idea of a thieves' guild wielding tools that feel closer to modern espionage or even science fiction technology, just translated into myth and fantasy. Genre blending like that is always exciting to me because of the strange and unexpected directions it can lead.
In addition, a third eye has historically represented an otherworldly sight or premonition; this mask allows the user to see in near-pitch-black conditions, but also protects the mind of the user from a telepathic barrage. Playing on both of those motifs helps sell the idea and function of the mask.
These kinds of designs also tend to send me down a rabbit hole of worldbuilding and raise new questions. Which will then be answered or explored further with the next illustration or concept art I make. I use these illustrations as a way to continue developing the world I'm building without turning every idea into a complete design exercise. They are opportunities for blue-sky exploration: a way to get an idea down quickly, see where it leads, and revisit it later if it deserves deeper exploration.
From an artistic standpoint with this piece, I also wanted to push toward a more painterly look by blending ink work, black-and-white rendering, and looser painted textures. It was a really fun experiment and a process I’m excited to explore further. The nice aspect of working digital is that you don’t have the conflicts that can come from certain applications of mixed media.
Vivian moved quickly through the crowded streets of the Undercity. She was used to the weaving tunnels and crisscrossing alleys that made up the second layer of Wellstôn. She had grown up here. Viv had been surviving these streets since she was three years old.
Back then, her sister had taken care of her, and the two of them had excelled at stealing or liberating. They had to. If they wanted to eat, they needed to refine that craft quickly.
Together, they would tag-team street carts and market stalls, snatching whatever they could before disappearing into the crowds.
And when they got caught—which happened more often than either of them liked—they would vanish into the abandoned dwarven tunnels that still wound beneath the city. Short, stout passageways left behind from ages past.
Tonight, Vivian moved through thick mist toward one of the lifts leading to the Sky City. She was on her way to meet a Court Mage.
Vivian hated Court Mages.
Truthfully, she hated anyone tied to the Court and their holier-than-thou attitudes while living comfortably on the layers above. But tonight she had a task. Something she and Šaedric needed: an artifact mentioned only in old texts. A mask, supposedly capable of allowing its wearer to see through darkness, turning the night emerald green.
Emerald had always been Viv’s favorite color.
As she approached the lift, she noticed a young boy standing near the platform, no older than four by her estimation. His clothes were ragged, his hair greasy, and his smell even worse.
Vivian crouched to his level and offered him an apple she had tucked away in her coat. The boy looked up at her, eyes growing wide and his stomach growling.
Then, with a quick sleight of hand, she spun the apple aside, revealing a scale marked coin hidden beneath it.
Not money.
An invitation—
to the Black Scales.
Vivian knew that if he had managed to survive even this long on the streets, he could one day become an asset to the guild.
Besides…she had always had a soft spot for Undercity urchins.