Dwarven Hold: Kegiz Gavem

[Karak Norn Clansman]

Kegiz Gavem Concept Art by Igor Levchenko: C Series (Robes)

These artworks have been created by Igor Levchenko, being a concept series of robed Gavemites, whose homeland is hot. Igor Levchenko has a deft hand at painting suggestive concept artworks full of vigour and an antique painterly impression.

Check out his Deviantart gallery and leave him a comment if you like!



C Mood Painting: Proclamation Against Infernal Dwarves



Concept C1



Concept C2



Concept C3



Concept C4

[Karak Norn Clansman]

Ethiopian Dwarf by DracarysDrekkar7

Artwork by DracarysDrekkar7, being an Ethiopian fantasy Dwarf concept for Kegiz Gavem in the Ninth Age. This artist has a deft hand at illustrating fantasy, capturing both an impression of rugged life and craft refinement in fine detail.

Check out his Deviantart gallery and leave him a comment!

[Karak Norn Clansman]

The Infernal Dwarf Captain and the Stone Ship, by Karhemaq Telltongue

There was once an Infernal Dwarf captain serving aboard an ironclad warship. He was a cruel soul hungering for the chance to domineer and crush others underhoof. He was also known for his tenacity, and many believed that he would let nothing stop him once he had put his mind to the task.

One day, the lookout of this Infernal Dwarf's ironclad caught sight of one of our stone ships, flying the banners of Kegiz Gavem in broad daylight. The captain of the steel ship was gripped by a desire to board or sink this enemy vessel, and so he roared out orders on deck and set to the task of sea warfare with vomiting smokestacks. Paddle wheels steamed him closer, swinging in for a broadside, and he ordered his crew to open up with artillery fire.

Yet the Infernal Dwarf had the worst of this duel, and our barrage worsted him. And so he roared out orders to board us. Paddle wheels steamed him closer, and grappling hooks gripped our stout railing. And he ordered his crew to assault us.

Yet the Infernal Dwarf had the worst of this combat, and our warriors worsted him. And so he roared out orders to disengage and ram us instead. Paddle wheels backed water for him, and then steamed him onward at full speed. And he ordered his crew to brace for impact.

Yet the Infernal Dwarf had the worst of this ramming action, and our rock hull worsted him so badly that his metal hull creaked and ripped open as rivets popped. And the whole ironclad sank with all hands, except for the Infernal Dwarf captain.

And so he swam toward us, and our merciful warriors produced a rope-ladder for him to climb and thus save his life if he swore to surrender to the victors of naval battle.

Yet the enraged Infernal Dwarf captain refused this offer, and instead started to crash his horned head against our carved stone hull like a mad bull, throwing himself against floating rock again and again until his horns broke and his skull cracked and his brains burst. And so we left the Infernal Dwarf's corpse dishonourably for the sharks to devour. For stubbornness is a virtue, but stupidity is a sin.

- The Infernal Dwarf Captain and the Stone Ship, by Karhemaq Telltongue, mutilated war veteran and author of fables in Kegiz Gavem

[Karak Norn Clansman]

Dwarves tinker and toil! Phaeoron has drawn a Gavemite Seeker:



While Little Joe have created a beautiful 3D-sculpted shield based on Sergio Artigas' cut-gemstone designs:

[Karak Norn Clansman]

Little Joe over on T9A is learning 3D-sculpting, and his latest creation is an axe based upon this concept artwork by DracarysDrekkar7. He might add a hand to it so as to be a better conversion bit once printed:

[Karak Norn Clansman]

Kegiz Gavem Concept Art by Igor Levchenko: D Series (Sickle swords)

These artworks have been kindly created for T9A by Igor Levchenko, being a concept series of shotelai Gavemites, most wielding their sickle swords. Igor Levchenko has a deft hand at painting suggestive concept artworks full of vigour and an antique painterly impression.

Check out his Deviantart gallery and please leave him a comment if you like!


Kegiz Gavem Concept Art by Igor Levchenko: D Series (Sickle swords)



D Mood Painting



Concept D1



Concept D2

Yes, that's a vertebra-shaped pommel, supposedly made from colorful stone.

Concept D3: Stepdance

I envisioned him as a sailor, a naval [artilleryman] dancing his victory dance after scoring a hit on an enemy vessel.

Concept D4



Concept D5



Concept D6

[Karak Norn Clansman]

Kegiz Gavem Art by Paulus Indomitus

The artist Paulus Indomitus accepted a commission from me to give us his vision of Ethiopian fantasy Dwarves. Paulus is a skilled artist with a most inspiring blog that made me put aside time to draw frequently again a few years ago. His primary fantasy outlet is a mirror world of our own history, centered around the declining Arcanea (Constantinople) during the middle ages. He has documented the process of his creations on his blog. Be welcome to leave a comment for him under the artoworks on Deviantart or his blog. He has a deft hand at historical styles, colourwork and dark shading, as can be seen in his gallery!

You can find out more in detail about his ideas and work with creating these pieces of art in two blog posts of his, for those who can read Swedish or wish to dare a translator program: Dwarves on the Warpath I & Dwarves Dwarves on the Warpath II

Note that several Nubian and Roman elements have been put to use in these designs, together with a slew of traditional Ethiopian references:















...

[Karak Norn Clansman]

Here are the pencil drawings before painting:















And finally some early sketches before Paulus decided on what to do:



Cheers

[Karak Norn Clansman]

Last Ride of False Prophet Yuzhadaraf

Following the obliteration of an outmaneouvered Infernal Dwarf host on the Sacred Coast, popular Gavemite tales tell of how its cruel leader succumbed to wroth frustration and darkest despair. Surveying the field of corpses on land around him from bull-wings on high, and seeing nought but hostile ships and sea monsters devouring his scattered men driven into the salty waters, false prophet Yuzhadaraf let out an abysmal howl, echoed by his horned mount. So fell was this bellow from deep pits, that Daemonic hellfire sprang forth from the tusked mouth of the enslaver king, and the eyes of the vanquished warlord turned to burning coals in his unhinged fury.

Driven mad by the fullness of his defeat in battle, the flayer of the innocent bewailed his bitter loss of power. In hellish wrath did the trampler of prisoners lash out at his own dark deities, blaming them for withdrawing their favour from his victorious head out of fickle ingratitude. Had not he loaded the pyres with plenty of sacrificial victims? Had not their screams risen along with smoke to the high heavens without faltering? Had not the altar fires consumed the flesh of impure foes?

A tall flame rose out of the throat of the maimer of slaves, as he tore at his beard and cursed his triumphant enemies and heathen gods alike. Lo, how the mighty shall fall! His last words amounted to a furious prophecy of damnation, so heinous that those who heard it all dreamt nightmares of distant doom that night. And so false prophet Yuzhadaraf rode out one last time, consumed by baleful anger, and flung himself and his mount into the frothing sea. And the waters extinguished his fiery breath, and the waves devoured them whole, and so all was good along the Sacred Coast.

Thus was the first war between light and darkness won by the righteous.

- - -

Art inspired by my friend Igor Levchenko, a masterful artist. The leftmost and rightmost Dwarves in this drawing are directly based on two of his paintings, namely Proclamation Against the Infernal Dwarves and Dwarven Sicarius.

This fantasy scene is based on the fate of the last Himyarite king Dhu Nuwas, who commited suicide by riding his horse into the Red Sea after an Aksumite army (transported by the Roman Red Sea fleet) had conquered his kingdom in Yemen. This led to two wars over Yemen between Aksumite Ethiopia and Sassanid Persia, which saw the Persians victorious, in no small part thanks to their mastery of horse archery and siege artillery.

The parts of the rosary border with black background were the result of a mistake. The plan was to colour the background grey, as in previous Gavemite iconography. However, the grey felt pen had too similar a tone to the purple and blue, and so I tried to work in more contrast by colouring over the grey with black. Dark green would have been better, In hindsight. At any rate, here is the empty border for anyone who wants to use it for anything of their own (open source, no need to ask), and here is the lineart for anyone who wants to recolour this particular piece.

Reference Images

[Karak Norn Clansman]

Two new artworks by the talented Igor Levchenko (check out his gallery!):



​​Kegiz Gavem Cleric

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Kegiz Gavem Warrior