Intro
Welcome to my contest! I have been doing a lot of work on my characters lately, completely redoing a lot of their designs. What better way to start off this new world than with wonderful art by you! This is my second art contest, so please let me know if you have any questions/concerns! Don't be afraid to chat with me. I would love it, actually. I might even draw freebies for those who stay the longest!
Table of Contents
Intro | Rules | Prizes | Entries | The World | Characters | Characters | Extras
Follow Gaia's TOS and general manners At least ten entries needed for awards to be given Multiple entries from a entrant are welcome, it is possible to win more than one category but not with the same artwork. No late entries will be accepted unless pre-approved. Donations are welcome and will be added to the prize totals. Entries PM'd to me will be accepted as long as they are sent with the title “Entry for Animalimbo Contest”, any entries with mature content should be sent here. You may of course sign your art, and I encourage it, but please no watermarks. Anything goes /except/ no tracing, avi edits, dolls, photo-manipulations, 3d renders, copying or stealing. Feel free to ask me questions on this thread or through PMs. Upon entering this contest you are allowing me to use and keep the artwork you submitted. I will of course never sell your artwork or remove your signature.
Concerning the Characters You may change their clothes to fit your needs or give them all new threads but my characters still need to be recognizable so try to keep it in their style range, feel free to ask questions about this. I love, love to see them drawn in different styles so please, experiment or go outside the box. I am a big fan of more cartoony styles.
***I am lazy so I stole my fiancee's ruleset, hahaha.
Notes: My overall story is still in the WIP stages so sorry if things are a little rough. I have included a sort of overview in this post in case you are going "huhh??" Stuff you will probably be questioning have been underlined within the character profiles, and questionable stuff that I have not quite worked out yet and that I am not sure is sticking around is marked with a strikethrough..
The World Overview:
Here is an overview of the world and how things work so you won't be completely lost. As I said a lot of this is still pretty shaky but it should offer some clues. It probably won't sound too interesting but I don't want to give too much away - I am wary of thieves.
Magic exists in this world to an extent but is not heavily relied upon and so is mostly practiced by a specialized class of people and not the general public.
Ridgians are a race of people who have animal companions and are able to share bodies with them (so a Ridgian may inhabit the body of say, a bird, and the bird's consciousness would be carried along safe with them).
Shards are basically magical artifacts that can take any form and influence whoever they touch.
Name: Gavril Kade
Age: 18
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Height: 5'7
Build: Thin
Hair: Reddish Brown
Eyes: Light Green
Other key features: peachy skin tone, boyishly handsome face.
Brief overview:
Gavril is an apprentice mage (he is best at light/heat/fire magic & often needs to reference tomes). He has a very unintentionally charming & attractive personality, so that others are drawn to him & are easily influenced by him. He prefers to be alone with nature (or with Jae) but he would never been rude or hateful to a 'fan.' Some character traits: Attractive, friendly, loving, closed-off, accepting. Friendly and closed-off may seem counterproductive but he tends to hide most of himself away and has gotten rather good at it.
Song: "Parachute" by Ingrid Michaelson [Gavril to Jae and perhaps viceversa]
Need a song just for him! lol
History:
Gavril lives mostly alone on the outskirts of the city, enjoying the remoteness and wildness of the place. He grew up mostly fending for himself with occasional contact with his father. He is currently apprenticing/going to an academy to become a mage. He is good friends with a guard also apprenticing there named Jae. There is an unnatural brightness about Gavril and an attractiveness that causes others to be drawn to him and to admire him. He brings out the goodness in people and also strengthens their passions and inner abilities (unknowingly/unconsciously).
He finds an injured cat and nurses it back to health to practice his magic. The cat (Niya) is drawn to him and he gets caught up in everything. (Commence story!)
[Reference Gallery]
Little tiny griffin moths called "Groths" tend to gather around Gavril and he can control them somewhat. For some more info on what they look like, click here.
Niyakure
Name: Niyakure
Age: 22
Race: Human to Demon (Corrupted Humanoid)
Gender: Male
Height: 6'2
Build: Scrawny
Hair: Blue
Eyes: Blue
Fur: Black
Other key features: A wispy, blue 'soul' can be seen leaking from near his rib cage in both forms. He is malnourished-looking, with dark skin. His teeth are sharp and don't quite fit right in his mouth, the corners of his lips have been stretched and scarred. His nose is a little cat-like. His hair is messy and a thin ponytail is tied in the back. His eye sockets are prominent in both forms giving them an almost caved-in look. In 'human' form his cat ears curl back to give them the look of horns. The top edges extend down onto his forehead above his eyebrows. Blue tufts of hair are visible in his ears. He has sharp nails on both hands and feet. Cat form has a split tail, and boney ridges are prominent along the spine. Front claws are not retractable. Cat form is fairly large. See references for cat form. The more Gavril heals him and the more his character develops, the more human he is in appearance. It also changes slightly with his emotions. Please get his ears right! Best ref for them is here: [x] He does not have human ears in this version and that is the one I would like you to draw because I have not developed the others yet.
Song: (A lot of his songs are a gradient of his character development...)
"42" by Coldplay
"Monster" by Imagine Dragons
"I Feel Loved" by Depeche Mode
"Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri [Niya to Runayos] (after a lot of character development; minus the kissing! lol)
"Demons" by Imagine Dragons [Niya to Gavril]
History:
Born in the city as a human. Becomes friends with the Ridgian Jyuki, wants to be like him. A demon (Runayos) takes advantage of this and posing as a familiar, appears and says he can make him like Jyuki. The demon possesses him and causes him to act differently. He is forbidden to get near the Ridgians. As he grows up with this demon inside of him he begins to acquire/show more demon-like features. The demon 'heals' inside of him, completely manipulating Niyakure to do things he does not remember. He has been forever changed by his possession, as has the demon. Their souls are now entwined.
In his 22nd year of life the demon leaves his body, taking much of Niya's physical form with him, his own body long destroyed by his curse/disease. Niya's "body" has been changed by the possession and his soul is looser. It is harder for him to maintain a solid, physical self and he is forced to stay in cat form because it takes less energy. He wants to be a normal human again, and believes that by finding Runayos he can get his 'body' and therefore his humanity back.
Niya is drawn to Gavril who uses his magic to heal the injured kitty Niya after R leaves his body. Niya is transfixed/infatuated with Gavril, whose soul is so pure and bright. As he is very weak he is stuck in a cat form for a lot of the time he is with Gavril. Consequently, Gavril and Jae become caught up in the 'battle' with Runayos. (Commence story!)
Name: Jacynt Imaltar (previously known as Jyuki FYI)
Age: 23
Race: Ridgian
Gender: Male/Female (Animal form is female, human is male)
Height: 5'5
Build: Thin
Hair: Ochre
Eyes: Brown
Other key features: His animal form is female, and is a mix between a golden jackal, fox, and dog with features of all. Her fur is different shades of brown and red (see reference). Jacy tends to dress in more effeminate but loose clothing as he dwells in a rocky plains area. See other references for his hair (sorry it is covered up here). He has somewhat tanned skin and a girlish face.
Character traits:
Flirty, upbeat, empathetic, loyal, self-conscious, vain.
Song:
"She Wolf" by Shakira
"Proof" by Paramore [Jacy to Niya]
"How Come You're Not Here" by P!nk [Jacy to Niya]
History:
A Ridgian boy who was drawn to a female familiar (a golden jackal/fox/dog mix). Always more comfortable in female clothing. Became friends with a human, Niya. While Niya was fascinated with Jacy's way of life, Niya also influenced Jacy. He grew out of his shell a lot and became more of his own person. Once Niya disappears Jacy misses him very much and resolves himself to follow after him. This is how he gets caught up in the events with Niya, Gavril, and Jae. (Commence story!)
Name: Jae Aldergate
Age: 20
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Height: 5'9
Build: Muscular Chubby
Hair: Black
Eyes: Grey
Other key features: Pale skin, round but handsome features.
Brief Overview:
Jae is an apprentice guard/knight and is extremely loyal and protective. He has a bit of a sweet tooth. He is very kind but does get jealous fairly easily, since he can never quite tell if the affection he gets from Gavril is any better than what Gavril gives everyone else. At the same time, he rarely acts on his jealousy.
Some character traits: Loyal, protective, has a sweet tooth, kind.
Song: N/A
History:
He attends a forum/apprentices to become a castle guard. As part of his apprenticeship he must act as a guard at the forum and that is how he met Gavril. He is very protective of Gavril and often is around him, "practicing" being a guard. He is caught up in current events through Gavril. (Commence story!)
Name: Fondue Liffin
Age: 25
Race: Griffin
Gender: Male
Height: 5'8
Build: Thin
Hair: Lime Green
Eyes: Yellow
Other key features: Very tanned skin. Diamond-shaped birthmark on the ridge of his nose. See reference for Griffin form. Often adorned with various gold jewelry. Has feather tattoos on his biceps in white and green (see reference). A white jolly roger is on the flag tied around his neck (similar style to the one on Ness's coat below). If you want a point of reference for his griffin form anatomy (very basically, since colors and some things are different), think harpy eagle & clouded leopard.
Brief overview:
He's a bit of a kleptomaniac. He's also very brash and outgoing. He gets bored rather easily. He's very much an animal, in how he eats, talks, acts; everything. But although he acts on instinct, he's not beyond a sense of morality, though it doesn't show through often.
Some character traits:
Sneaky, brash, rough, odd.
Song:
"Up with the birds" by Coldplay
"Alcohol" by The Barenaked Ladies (Surface level)
History:
A griffin, lived on an island in the remote ocean for most of his life, flying above the water and skimming for fish, gathering shiny objects he found on his flights or that washed up on the shore, enjoying life with his fellows and keeping away from humans as much as he could.
By chance a pirate ship docked at his island one day, led by a woman named Ness. She convinced him to join her with her talk of treasures (and by talking to him only while in her animal form). He began his journey with her, alongside a crew of Ridgians. Unluckily, their treasure haul happened to bring them a couple of Shards in disguise. So on their ship was a tracking device for Runayos, basically. He soon caught them, took the Shards, devastated the crew, and kept Ness and Fondue for himself.
Fondue, who he had discovered had a unique ability to sense the Eyes, was given the task of finding new 'bodies' for Runayos. He is separated from his body and forced into a human body by Runayos, who keeps his body hostage for his own uses and to keep Fondue working for him. He is satiated a bit by all the treasure he also finds and also by the alcohol he numbs himself with, but he really cannot stand working for Runayos and being unable to fly free in the skies.
[Reference Gallery] He does not typically have wings, was just having fun with that one! Also, the mask is not necessary. If you want to include it, just make it some sort of bird design. He also uses a grappling hook, rope, ship nails, etc.
Height: 5'8
Build: Curvy
Hair: Red
Eyes: Indigo
Other key features: Very tanned skin, has little blue birthmarks/freckles/scales in places on her skin. Long, blue-painted nails. Coat is lined with feathers (not fur). Will wear feathers in her hair or on earrings like in the ref. See other references for clothing. Her animal form is very light and quick-footed and about the size of a large ferret, has red eyes (see reference). She has an elongated body and snake-liked facial features with little ferret ears. She is covered in feathers and scales. Her front feet are lizard-like while her back feet are like a ferret's.
Brief overview:
I am still trying to figure out a lot of her personality but as I understand it, she is a very independent and self-reliant person, very charming and strong. She has a fun-loving and addictive personality (she loves the chase of looking for treasure). She can turn into that animal there and breathe fire.
Some character traits:
Strong-willed, playful, curious, reckless.
Song: N/A
History:
Left her home as a young girl saying she was going to see the world, driven by a need to find Shards (she is an Eye). As a very enchanting and manipulative person, she easily gathered admirers and followers who became her underlings. The easiest way to travel, she became a seafarer and with her ship of loyal Ridgians and others, sailed wherever her need compelled her to. As a result she collected many pieces of the Thread, though she did not really comprehend the purpose of her collection.
The power of the pieces made her stronger, and she often stayed in her animal form when collecting items. Her companion's soul became melded with hers more than a normal Ridgian. As a result her likeness changed a little to match the features of her partner. Therefore her animal acts completely in sync with her and they are a strong duo. In her animal form she can use magic to breathe fire. Her powers only grow as she collects more pieces, as does her need to find more. She can use her magic to allow her ship to float and avoid obstacles.
Because of her sizable collection, she attracted the attention of Runayos and is being targeted by him for her Shards. She was drawn to Fondue's island after hearing of a great griffin that guards a massive hoard of treasure. She meets him and they both become caught up in Runayos' schemes. He captures Fondue and forces him to take on a human form and become a sort of Ridgian, so that he may find other Eyes for him. He captures Ness and makes her use her magic to travel the seas and find more pieces. (Commence story!)
Pairing Notes:
Some of these pairings aren't "canon," per say, and my story doesn't really revolve around romance, but they are fun. ; P
❈ As couples go, pairings can be:
Jae/Gavril
Niya/Gavril
Niya/Jacy
Ness/Fondue
GAVRIL Relationships:
Gavril and Jae: With Jae it is a sweet and understanding relationship, with much support from Jae who absolutely adores him. Gavril relies on Jae and is closer to him than anyone else (and he has a lot of admirers).
Gavril and Niya: With Niya, it is a somewhat one-sided (from Niya) thing with a hint of Niya's want to corrupt Gavril but also his admiration for him. Gavril's soul has started to influence Niya in a good way, pushing back some of the dark as he heals him. The more Niya heals the less 'animal' or 'demonic' he looks.
JAE Relationships:
Jae and Gavril: (See Gav's notes above.) He and Gavril have a very close and understanding relationship and could easily be paired up. He is very supportive of Gavril and loves him with his whole heart. He can be jealous of Niya's perceived closeness to Gavril as a cat but would never be outright vindictive.
NIYA Relationships:
Niya and Gavril: (See Gavril's notes above). Confused by his own fascination for Gavril and want to protect him.
Niya and Jacy: Has always admired Jyuki and leftovers of those feelings still exist.
JACY Relationships:
Jacy and Niya: Jacy is childhood friends with Niya and is very supportive of him, and would never doubt his love for Jacy, even if he was being a grouchy b*****d.
FONDUE Relationships:
Fondue is not really compatible with anyone because of his nature, but here's info for fun.
Fondue and Nesselia: Ness gets on Fon's nerves, but she is the closest person to him, and is very charming. (Plus: Feathers!)
Intro | Rules | Prizes | Entries | The World | Characters | Characters | Extras 
