Early Life

Zachariah Caista is known for being the captain of Atalatha’s guard.  His parents died when he was very young, leaving his brother, Stephen, as his guardian.  Unfortunately, neither brother was left well off.  Zachariah spent much of his youth in subpar housing, while his brother pursued techniques of the sword.

The brothers’ luck changed when Stephen began training Atalatha’s guards in combat.  Though Zachariah was still left to his own devices for most of the day, he was afforded some time to pursue an education.

Country Life

When Zachariah was slightly older, his brother took on a personal task.  Years earlier, he had seen a young child named Michael Kreegan in an obstacle course during a city-wide celebration.  Stephen uprooted his small family, and moved to the Kreegan farm, in an effort to train Michael to be a master swordsman.  While doing so, he began training Zachariah how to be Michael’s squire.

During the war with Blacklehn, the Kreegans took Zachariah in, treating him like a second son.  All of the children enjoyed the addition, leading to more fun in the countryside.

Return to Atalatha

When Stephen returned from the war, he brought Zachariah back to Atalatha with him.  Stephen was renowned for his prowess in battle, and for his many feats in the north part of the country.

With the Caista name in good standing, Zachariah set out to make his own name stand out.  He applied for the Atalathian guard regiment, and began working his way up to the top, becoming the captain of the guards in a short amount of time.

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The funny thing is that he was originally going to be our go-to hero for the Tellest games.  I really want to make a slot-machine game with a story, and he’d be the perfect character to help me tell it.

In the meantime, we see some truly great work once again from RedPear, who puts her own personal spin on the hero.  As is normally the case for us, we began with possible poses.

While I always love the various sketches we get for our characters, I knew right away that this one wasn’t for Christopher.  If you know his history, you know how tragic it is.  And while he gets some jabs in on Steel Tip, it’d be very rare to see him crack a smile.

Now this, on the other hand… this is the face of someone who has had to deal with some pretty tremendous tragedy in his life.  You also get to see the scars he bears on his arms, a constant reminder of the failures he’s made, and the man that was left behind.

As always, after we knew what we wanted, we bumped up the level of awesome…

…And then we added a splash of color that gave Christopher even more personality.  RedPear did an awesome job as always, and brought one more character from Tellest to life.

We recently began working with RedPear again this month, so we’ll have plenty more of her talent to showcase in the weeks and months to come!

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First Appearances to Kaos

When Kaos Kreegan and his sister were young, their mother brought them to the city of Viscosa to prepare for a celebration at Atalatha.  On the way there, the children noticed the presence of a wolf at their heels.  Still, the wolf shadowed the Kreegan family for the duration of their travel to the capital.  At some points, they even thought that he was playing with them.

Reconciliation with Kaos

Following his time in Fostervilla, Kaos returned to his childhood home, rebuilding it for the second time.  After some time spent there, he noticed that a wolf frequently spent time nearby.  Initially, he had planned on trapping and killing the animal, wary of the wolf’s fearlessness.  However, after some time reflecting on its behavior, Kaos determined that it was a simple curiousness.

Dirk was named as such because of the lighter patch of grey that appears on his forehead.  After that meeting with Kaos, the two were nearly inseparable.  Whenever Kaos needed to gather supplies, Dirk wouldn’t be far behind.

Eventually, when Kaos determined that dangers were still encroaching on his home and his country, he traveled north to meet with his old family friend, Stephen Caista.  Once there, he joined the Raleighn military.  However, with his personal knowledge and skills, Kaos worked better as an individual, and was permitted to serve with Dirk beside him.

After the War and Capture

After the fall of Ippius and Blacklehn, Kaos and his allies spent time rebuilding various hamlets and towns along Raleigh’s northern borders.  Dirk remained by his side during this time.

When Kaos returned home, Dirk traveled beside Steel Tip for a brief while.  However, during those travels, Dirk was captured by Atalathian poachers due to his size.  From there, he was brought into Atalatha, where he was intended to fight the reigning champion of the coliseum, Geylard the Great.

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Family and Early Life

Alicia Mane was born on Nehr 8^th, 959.  Her father was a heroic adventurer named Eltan Mane, who was best known for his role in the fall of Roark, the tyrannical undead king of Blacklehn.  Later, Eltan was given permission to begin construction on the city of Atalatha, which evolved to be even bigger than Viscosa, Raleigh’s capitol city.  He took on the title of Duke, governing over the city.

Miss Mane was unfortunately unable to know her mother, Kyra, very well.  During her fifth birthday celebration, Alicia’s mother passed away to illness.  It was during that tragedy that she first met the Kreegans.  The Eltans and the Kreegans developed a brief friendship, despite the difference of their class.

Manifestation of Powers

Nearly ten years after the tragedy of her mother’s death, Alicia heard rumors of Michael Kreegan returning to the city.  She attempted to reconcile with him, during an event at the fledgling coliseum, but was unable to find him.  Instead, she intended on meeting him at the inn where she knew he was staying.

When she arrived at the Centurion, Michael had already left for his home.  Instead, she was approached by a band of thugs, who were searching for the winner of the coliseum event.  Finding her instead, they attempted to sexually assault her, and kidnap her for ransom, before they learned of her high stature.  She didn’t let them ruminate on her position for long, however.

Desperately trying to escape, a fire shot forth from her hand.  The Centurion burned to the ground, along with the thugs that attacked her, and the owner of the inn.  She never spoke of her involvement to anyone.

Atalatha’s Youngest Diplomat

Following the tragedy at the Centurion, Alicia spent a long while trying to forget about the cruel images that plagued her memories.  Much time was spent grooming her to be an aid for her father.  She became a diplomat, traveling to other Raleighn towns when he could not.

She also spent some time within the capitol of Viscosa.  There, she pursued a brief education, specifically trying to figure out more about what had caused the fire to leap from her hands all those years before.

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Early Life

Michael Kreegan was born to country folk in the plains west of Atalatha, on Flamedays 12^th, 957.  His parents, Tessik and Elly, had a small farm, and were pleased to have a child around who could help them tend their home.

Two years later, Adelia Kreegan was born.  The two children were inseparable.  They would often play among the countryside, investigating caves for treasure and imagining that they were great heroes.

Before either of the children was very old, Michael was afflicted with a terrible illness.  Neither of the parents thought that he would survive.  Adelia watched over him though, and was present when Michael developed his uncontrollable precognition.  The children kept his power a secret from their parents, worried that danger might befall them if the truth was known.

Growing Up

When Michael was very young, Tessik would often talk about the city to the east.  Atalatha was a city of gold, a city of wonders, according to the patriarch.  In Nehr of 964, an invitation to the city was received by the Kreegans.  Knowing that they would only have one opportunity to live like royalty, the family made plans to attend an event in Atalatha.

Elly took the children south, to Viscosa, the capitol of Raleigh.  There, they briefly met with Cedric Renzeya, the captain of Viscosa’s guard.  It was his influence that convinced Michael that he wanted to be a soldier.

When they arrived home, the Kreegans had a carriage waiting for them.  They traveled to Atalatha, where Michael formed fast friendships with David Garus and Alicia Mane.  He also fell under the attention of Stephen Caista, a trained swordsman that served with the city’s guard regiment.

Unable to stave off the urge to swing a sword, Tessik began training his son in combat, as best he could.  He was a farmer, however, and didn’t have much experience to offer.  Instead, he hired the swordmaster from Atalatha.  Stephen and his younger brother, Zachariah, came to live with the Kreegans.  Michael began his training under Stephen’s watchful eye.

When war broke out between Raleigh and Blacklehn, Tessik was drafted to the front lines.  Stephen remained behind, continuing his training with Michael.

In 972, Stephen convinced Michael to return to Atalatha to prepare and train for a gladiatorial contest later that year.

Tessik arrived home from the war shortly after, but not without injury.  The elder Kreegan’s arm had been amputated.  He returned with more grim news as well.  Stephen had to take his place at Sentinel Pass.  Both of the Caistas left the Kreegan home, leaving Tessik to take over his patriarchal duties.

Together, father and son returned to Atalatha to enlist Michael in the gladiatorial combat that Stephen had prepared him for.  Much to his regret, Michael lost the contest to his childhood friend, David Garus.  Disappointed, the Kreegans returned to their farm.

Becoming a Warrior

Becoming a Man

On Flamedays 12^th, 974, Michael and his father set out to the west.  Tessik told his son of a place called the Valley of Mists, where he would learn what it took to become a man.  While there, he met with Cedric Renzeya once more, learning more facets of combat from him and his soldiers.

The Family Falls

After the time spent in the Valley of Mists, Michael returned home, eager to tell his family of his experiences.  When he arrived, however, he found his house burned to the ground.  Try as he might, he could find no survivors.

Fostervilla and the events thereafter

In his moments of weakness, Michael decided to travel to Fostervilla, to see if his family had somehow ended up escaping there.  When he arrived, penniless and broken-spirited, his life fell into even more disarray.  Too poor to commit himself to decent lodging, he slept on the streets, avoiding the discerning eyes of the guards as best he could.  He began stealing from people with the intention of giving them back their goods later.

Unfortunately for Michael, he was discovered by members of a group called the Syndicate.  Apprehended, he was given an ultimatum: Join their ranks or die.  Opting to join the syndicate, Michael took on a new name, Kaos.  Little did he realize at first, but the Syndicate was actually a guild of protectors of the city of Fostervilla.

During his time among the guild, Kaos began finding himself on a balancing act within the city.  A rebellion broke out, and he found himself caught on both sides.

New Recruit

Joining the Raleighn Army

Following the massacre at Fostervilla, Kaos left the city.  While some of his earlier whereabouts are unknown, he joined the Raleighn army with a wolf named Dirk at his side.  He reconvened with Stephen Caista, who had been promoted to a general of Raleigh’s army.

The Hunters

Stephen recognized Kaos’ skills as an individual, rather than a simple soldier, thanks to his training in the Syndicate.  The general sent him on reconnaissance missions, and the two briefly planned on a foray into Blacklehn.

Before the sojourn to Blacklehn, however, Kaos met Steel Tip, the ranger from the south, and the two quickly formed a friendship.

The Alliance

The war against Blacklehn quickly deteriorated when the country of Ippius joined the fray.   The island nation assisted Blacklehn with an addition of soldiers, as well as a fleet of airships.  The war continued for three long years.

After the War

When the last airship fell, Ippius withdrew from the war.  Without its ally, Blacklehn was forced to retreat.  Kaos and Steel Tip took measures to repair some of the damages that had been done to the northern villages of Raleigh.  Stephen’s unit was decimated.  Only his horse was found.

Finally, Kaos returned home, ready to avenge the deaths of his family.

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To that extent, one of the things that I was happy to offer through the Kickstarter campaign was the opportunity to have a hero created for Tellest.  Joman Mercado worked at a price point that could not be beat, so when my brother asked if we could make a character for his girlfriend, I knew we were onto something.

Enter Tatiana.  She’s interesting in that I had very little to do with her conception, and she had no prior engagement in the Tellest world. Still, we wanted to give her an awesome introduction, and that included making a character like no other.  Here was our process:

As always, we had to select our pose. We knew that she was going to be part of a larger, ensemble piece as well, and that helped us to narrow down our choice. We eventually settled on #3.

Tatiana has the ability to communicate with a fierce canine companion, Otto. Here she is giving him commands.

It is impressive how much work goes into creating these awesome characters.

Of course, these pictures barely scratch the surface for how awesome the final piece looked.  I hope you come back next week to see how Tatiana turned out.  You won’t be disappointed!

The post Art: Tatiana Concepts appeared first on Tellest.

Early Life

Romus Youngblood was born to a gypsy woman who was traveling from Cracius to Daltain.  He was born within the borders of Raleigh, and was considered Raleighn since birth.  His father was never identified.

His mother, Jessa Youngblood, refused to continue on with the other gypsies, deciding that she did not want her son to be raised a nomad.  Jessa became a fortuneteller, the rest of the gypsies leaving her one covered wagon to serve as her home.  She set up her home and business near the southeastern border Raleigh, just across from the country of Warus.  The town she had situated herself nearby was called Greenwood.

Jessa became accustomed to the town almost immediately, the folk welcoming her warmly.  She began earning money to support Romus and herself.

Growing Up

Romus went to school with other children from Greenwood, but always felt that he was different.  He was often scolded for daydreaming, but it never deterred him from doing so.  Eventually, he was dismissed from school altogether.  His mother began schooling him from home whenever she was not working.

At a very young age, Romus began apprenticing for various workers within Greenwood.  He held many jobs, but, for much the same reason he was expelled from school, he was removed from his work.

Finally, he was appointed to watch the border of Warus from one of the GreenwoodTowers.  It was a job that no one else wanted, but it also allowed him to daydream without consequence.

Tragedy

When Romus had just entered his teenage years, his mother was accosted by a visitor to Greenwood.  He beat and raped her, on multiple occasions, until she felt she needed to leave the town to escape him.  On the night she left Greenwood, he followed her, and killed her.

She was on her way to gather up Romus from the watch tower when she was struck down.

Romus saw his mother’s approach, but when she never arrived he began to worry.  He left the tower and approached her wagon, finding her dead inside.  The man who killed her was still nearby, however.  He attacked Romus, who was overpowered immediately.

Had Romus stayed in the watch tower, he would have noticed a small contingent of gnolls crossing the Raleigh-Warus border.  Instead, beaten to near death by the strange man who had slain his mother, he was unaware when the pack of gnolls swelled over the carriage.  Romus did the only thing he was capable of, crawling under the wagon for safety.

The gnolls would have surely killed him had they not focused on the stranger first.  While they were attacking the human, a group of kobold hunters entered the fray.  They had been stalking the gnolls from afar, watching their movements to make sure they would not attack the neighboring town of Greenwood.  When the gnolls made their cursory attack on the two humans by the tower, the kobolds burst into action, and disposed of the gnolls.

Romus survived, and was assisted by one of the kobolds, a shaman named Mo’Rama.  The kobolds delivered Romus and his deceased mother to Greenwood, leaving him with the other villagers.

Training

After his mother’s death, Romus saw life with a new clarity.  He wanted to make sure that what happened to his mother would never happen to anyone else.  He sold the wagon, and all of his worldly possessions to purchase training in a variety of combat styles.  When his master in Greenwood was done providing him with all the knowledge he could, he sent Romus north to an urban city called Seramore.

With Romus’ training continuing in Seramore, he became a well respected and talented fighter, eventually joining up with a small mercenary unit based out of the city.  He performed odd tasks for a while, spreading his name and earning a reputation before, finally, obtaining a summons from the capital of Raleigh, Viscosa.

Officer of Raleigh

Romus traveled to Viscosa, and immediately upon his arrival, he was appointed an officer to a small diplomacy unit.  Specifically, he was an escort to a Raleighn ambassador.

His first excursion took him back towards home.  He passed through Greenwood, into Warus, finally reaching the kobold capital of Eugitrin.  There he reconciled with Mo’Rama, the kobold who had rescued him when he was younger.  Romus’ first quest while serving for Raleigh was to assist the kobolds of Eugitrin with the encroaching gnoll forces.

Life of Tolerance

Romus served beside Mo’Rama for a great while, eventually dispersing the gnolls altogether.  But the two groups did not do it alone.  Romus and Mo’Rama met up with other members of what would be an ongoing companionship.  It was those companions that followed Romus into what would arguably be his most remarkable feat.

The War of the Fallen Angel

Where the Angel Falls

When Samielle, the fallen angel, was banished to the plane of Tellest, he was first encountered near Seramore, the city Romus eventually considered his home.  His hatred towards humanity burned the city in his mind, and as such, when he finally dipped his white wings into the fire of the volcanic MountRuben, Seramore was his first target for destruction.

Exodus

When Samielle, then Semia’Laz, began his mass genocide within Draconis, Romus and his friends were the group foremost at hand leading the evacuation to safety.  The demons flooded all of Draconis, but the efforts of Romus and his companions saved many lives.

Obtaining Archangel

After the evacuation of the people of Draconis had been effective, Romus decided he could not be made to live underground any longer.  Humans had been banished once before, and he refused to suffer that same fate to humanity again.  Rather, he went, along with his companions, to fight the demon armies.  They were successful for a long time, but one by one, the companions fell.  Romus decided he needed something to even the odds.  It is said that one of the gods came to him in a dream and told him of a great sword called Archangel, which was supposedly blessed by every one of the gods.  Romus made it his personal quest to find the sword.

Historical evidence has never proven where the sword was found, but it is said to have been returned to its resting place after Romus’ death.

Battle with Semia’Laz

While Romus’ companions held off the demon army, he went straight to the head of the opposition, seeking out Semia’Laz.  His encounter with the fallen angel was bloody and deadly, hurting both greatly.  But it was the final stab from Archangel that laid the killing blow on Semia’Laz, allowing Romus to aid his allies in pressing the demons back to Evarice.

Death

Circumstances of Death

Romus Youngblood was the last of his companions to die.  He was cursed with seeing all of his friends fall to the demon armies.  He lived out the rest of his life naturally, the guilt of being the lone survivor driving him to solitude.  No one knows where he died or if he had taken any other companions by his side.

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