Some surprise art today, but not by me - this phenomenal painting is by my good good friend Wolf-Rayet, who posts all kinds of other amazing space art on her tumblr! Go check out her stuff!
She's captured all of these worlds very well - I'm absolutely in love with the texturing here, especially the oft-neglected deserts of pr'Sefone. Perhaps a future story scene must be set here...
Noira followed the others up the path. Each step seemed heavier than it should have been, as though the biting wind had liquified, a frigid molasses swirling around her legs and under her petra coat. The ancient stone of the mountainside broke and crumbled underfoot, worn by months of movement from workers like herself. Her own crewmates trudged just a few yards ahead of her, yet their passage felt wrong, transgressive. Some deep-rooted fragment of her mind recoiled as the overlook drew nearer, as she trailed the others across what felt like forsaken ground.
She risked a glance over her shoulder. Far below, beyond the treacherous cliffs of the shore, Ark Royal loitered upon the restless tide. Its hold yawned open, a great dark maw, force-fed a choking landslide of misshapen slag from the chute above. Noira’s eyes moved upstream along the creaking trough, winding as it bent and warped up the side of the mountain. Ahead of her, just beside the overlook, the chute disappeared over the rim of the pit.
Her heart throbbed in her chest, pounding from exertion in the freezing air, the rhythm quickening as anxiety seeped into her veins. The edge of the mine drew ever nearer, the mechanical din of the pit emerging through the howling wind. Columns of dense black smoke towered over the platform, whipped into unnatural apparitions by the tempest. Her colleagues marched on with renewed fervor. Piercing white floodlights on iron towers cast their omniscient gaze past the dark procession. Inexplicably, Noira felt herself drawn, an icy metal chain gripping her stomach, tugging her towards the looming edge. Her breath came quickly, her footfalls erratic as she willed herself up the short staircase to the overlook.
The clang of her boots resonated through the metal platform. The others had lined up along the railing, overlooking the mine below. Among the faceless bundles of clothing she saw Kori, beaming her warm smile, beckoning Noira excitedly towards the edge. The grip on her core tightened, each footfall a knell ringing out above the cacophony below. She gripped herself tightly, as though to keep her body whole, and at last stepped up to the railing beside her recent friend.
Noira gasped, a choked sound that crystallized in a flurry about her face.
She was staring into the underworld.
Marion Montaigne, he/him, late 40s?
[In which Beverly attempts to draw someone who isn't a young adult femme]
Marion's life story is largely that of his career. Born to a well-off family, Marion has enjoyed some of the highest quality education to be found in the developing society of the Rosa system. Throughout his studies and eventual employment, he's been a part of the sweeping industrial revolution that's catalyzed the recent population boom. Marion's exceptional talent gave him a ringside seat for some of the most influential technological rediscoveries in recent memory.
Somewhere along the way, perhaps at one of the foremost academies of his time, Marion met his (now estranged) husband Elias. A soft-spoken, sage, and artistic type, Elias' personality was a stark foil to Marion's rather more detached nature. Despite several happy years, their union would not last, grounded more in prospects and practicality than in mutual support. Marion still grapples with this failure, finding it difficult to understand exactly what went wrong.
While working part-time aboard Ark Royal as a senior technician, Marion began to mentor Noira. After its destruction cost her a job, and nearly her life, Marion created a position for Noira at the mining company which governs Orus, where she continued to learn under him as an apprentice engineer. However, when she discovers the true nature of their work, their subsequent schism - and her dramatic departure - leaves him questioning his place in the world.
Marion is stoic, reserved, and more than a bit broody. Though his steadfast commitment to his work as an engineer has carried him to success, it has also driven away those who might otherwise have been closer to him. Marion tends to lose himself in his work, finding it an effective distraction from the doubts that often plague him. Though he has trouble showing it, he does form deep attachments to people in his life, making it all the more difficult for him to come to terms with his own antisocial tendencies. The growing revolutionary crisis on Orus will drive him to places he could not have expected in his search for a truer purpose.
Clare Prescot, they/them, ~23
Clare has spent their entire life on Orus, living in the shadows of the bustling interworld spaceport in its capital city. Their family is small but tightly-knit; during times of hardship, Clare has been particularly close with their younger brother Jaqui, looking after him while their parents work long hours in industrial processing.
They've frequently lived in poverty and on the knife edge of survival. Recently their family has finally begun to thrive, and Clare's taken up a job working at a local café, while Jaqui is even able to attend a small trade school. Clare feels a strong pressure to make the most of their newfound opportunities in life, and this comes with its own anxieties.
Clare is friendly, outgoing, and adventurous. They love to try new things, but they rarely stick to a particular habit or interest for very long. They've accumulated a lot of small skills - some mechanical tinkering, artistic abilities, acting, identifying vehicles, picking locks, reading people scarily well - but have never found anything they feel comfortable pursuing as a career. In truth, they avoid settling out of a fear of choosing wrong, thereby locking themselves into a particular pathway forever.
Clare's life experience has shaped them into an emotional rock for the people in their life, particularly Maliyah. Their calm and levelheaded perspective makes an invaluable reference point, when others need grounding or a second opinion. However, this role quietly weighs on Clare, as much as people like Maliyah do their best to return the favor. When tangled in rebellion, Clare seeks comfort from more experienced mentor figures, learning to better balance their own needs with the support they provide to their friends.