If you were around on Monday, you might have seen our gag about Bewere Bears: The Guardians of the Lumibug Forest.  Now, a lot of people who knew about little goof have been clamoring to make that real.  A parody of the Care Bears where the characters are tough as nails and ready to throw down?  I can see the appeal!

But, it’s important to know where we started from before we get out of control here.  We were lucky enough to have a chance to collaborate with Luigiix, who gave us some beautiful concepts that I then went and defaced all in the name of humor.  The original characters are so much cooler than my little edits.  Let’s take a look…

Luigi started us off with a sketch of the male werebear.  Even at the onset, we knew this guy was gonna be a big tough guy.  Look at the size of that axe!

The lineart showed some more detail, including a few of the scratches this guy has had to endure in his time out in the wilderness.

By the time the piece was completed, I was pretty sure this guy could hold up against any of the other characters Luigi had done for us.  I feel like he could give the rhinotaur a run for his money!

Shifting over to the female werebear, I felt like they almost had a nordic vibe.  They seem sort of like vikings, don’t they?

I’m not sure why, but I think it’s the ponytail that helps me have that norse feel to them.  That or the two big axes she’s wielding!

Here we can see she’s fully colored.  I love the smirk and the war paint.  This piece just really pops, doesn’t it?

Finally, you have both of our formidable werebear emissaries.  I’m so impressed by Luigi’s work, and I’m excited for an opportunity to work with him again.

And hey, maybe with enough attention, we can make Bewere Bears a real thing.  Stay tuned for more info on that little parody project!

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Kaiyonani is arguably one of our more popular characters.  People love cats, people love dragons, and people love powerful females. There’s a lot of boxes that get checked by Dragonspeaker.  But to make sure she looks as awesome as possible, that’s why we go to people like Hozure.

Kaiyonani has a very particular flavor to her.  Most of our characters have a very feudal Europe feel to them, but Kai comes from almost the Sahara equivalent of Tellest.  It wouldn’t make much sense to see her in heavy armor or anything like that.  Hozure captured her essence here perfectly.

With his next change to the character, Hozure added some awesome details to her.  The staff, her spots, the fabric… Everything just pops here.  I like the attention to her fur as well.  You’ll see a lot of smooth areas, but you’ll also see sproingy little tufts as well.

And there you have it.  Our Dragonspeaker from the Kehara in all her glory, captured by a very, very talented artist.  Thanks so much to Hozure for lending us his gifts!

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Introducing the Bewere Bears!

These werebears are the guardians of the Lumibug Forest, and they give it their all whenever they can.  Their story is pretty robust, but we’ll save most of the bigger details for another time.  In the meantime, why don’t you spend a few moments getting to know the individual Bewere Bears?

Bramble Bear is the de facto leader of the Bewere Bears.  She can summon the power of the Lumibug Forest to her beck and call, using the mighty vines of the synoak trees to entrap any who would endanger the forest.  She’s cocky for sure, but it’s an attitude that’s certainly been earned!

Next up we have Flutterbear.  This guy might seem big and scary, but he’s actually the tamest and nicest of the bunch.  The Lumibug Forest is kind of a misnomer, because there are a bunch of awesome wildlife that live in the woods, and Flutterbear has an affinity for one species in particular: Rainbow Flutters.  When he activates his power, he can coerce a swarm of the magical butterflies to do his bidding.  On their own, the little bugs don’t realize they have magical power, but with his instructions, they become a force to be reckoned with!

Embear is a bit of a fire keg.  She’s not the calmest of the group, and she’s really easy to set off.  Still, she’s very loving and loyal, and her attitude is more often seen as funny than worrisome.  When the Bewere Bears first discovered her power, there was a lot of worry that she might burn down the whole Lumibug Forest!  As it turns out, though, Embear’s magical fire doesn’t do any damage to the trees or the animals in the woods.  That’s a relief!  Fun fact: He thinks she doesn’t know, but Embear has noticed that Flutterbear has some affection toward her…

Last up we have Void Bear.  With his mighty power, he can pull those who would harm the forest into a frightening black hole.  It doesn’t hold people permanently, but it does take them out of commission.  The only problem is, it drains poor Void Bear and he gets so sleepy!  Hibernation much?

Those are just the main four Bewere Bears.  Over the course of their story, they’re joined by a handful of other guardians.  Who are you expecting to see?

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