HOME | DD
Kaytara — Tinged With Red
Published: 2007-03-15 01:29:10 +0000 UTC; Views: 2642; Favourites: 35; Downloads: 37
Redirect to original
Description
I'm alive!Yes, I haven't uploaded anything for a while now.
I think I've started this piece sometime in October, directly after finishing Hordes of the Underdark.... I was really, really disappointed that the game was over. Valen Shadowbreath is too great a character to only be present in one expansion pack. I really, really hope he appears in some future EP for NWN2... Hm, that would actually make sense, if the new EP is to take place on the planes, which seems likely, considering the ending of the OC... Nevermind...
Anyway, this is Valen Shadowbreath, one of the NPC from NWN1: HotU and the Fangirl Abuse Line's favourite client.
I was determined to finish this because I quite liked the way the skin had come out.... Oh yeah, and the background I so sloppily and lazily splashed on is supposed to symbolise the Hells and the Abyss, in reference to his heritage. I was anxious to finish it and finally upload something, otherwise I may have spent more time on the 'background'... Maybe not.
His nose is a bit un-Valen-like, though. ~_~
Anyway, enjoy, and here's hoping I do so more art soon. *rolls eyes*
EDIT: Five seconds after uploading I followed my home art critic's advice and made the background more muted so his hair stands out more.
Related content
Comments: 39
Sweet Jumping Chili Beans! Now I have to reinstall NWN and go through the entire thing again. Thanks for the excuse!
Love the art. So gorgeously beautimous!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
This picture of Valen is absolutely amazing!
And I was certain I had it fav'ed months ago.. 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Well, you're definitely a lass after my own heart... this is a great piece of Valen fanart! I love the way you've rendered his hair especially. And you're absolutely right - he is far to cool a character to just be in an expansion! We should have had a full OC Veln experience... 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Ditto. ^^
*sigh*
But it seems Bioware has a habit of creating cool characters for a minimal amount of playtime and then forsaking them for the rest of gaming history. T_T
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Tell me about it - just look at Solaufein... such a lost opportunity *sighs*
A friend and I were trying to bring Valen to Baldur's Gate via the magic of modding, but it's such a huge task (especially when we already have a mod of our own that still needs finishing!). When NWN2 came out, I was so looking forward to having a Valen-esque character to get 'friendly' with (especially after how popular Valen proved to be), but no... we got Anomen MKII and the interesting one turns on you.
Great...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yeah, and while Gann from MotB is as interesting as Bishop - if not more so, since there's a lot more to his history and personality as opposed to 'I was abducted and caused the death of my home village and now I'm traumatised' - the romance in MotB is still pretty much non-existant. T_T
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Have to admit - I've not played MotB yet (computer problems + NWN2's voracious appetite for specs = problem...), but I have to admit that at first, I was looking forward to the new romances - they said they'd be more BG2 like, but actually, they're just not really there at all, are they?
Bah, they need to go and hire some people who know how to write these things... get some modders involved!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
That's right. I heard the person who wrote the HotU romances and I think the Baldur's Gate romances no longer works for them. 
The MotB characters are great and well-written, even if there's hardly any party banter as opposed to the OC, but at least the female romance is, as I said, pretty much non-existent. Hardly any flirting or any clue at all that the guy has feelings for you up until the last minute love declaration. I mean, what's wrong with that? O.O
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Chris Avellone, the guy who wrote the dialogues for KotOR2 and NWN2 says he prefers the "doomed romance" or the "unrequited love"..
Here's an interesting thing he wrote: [link]
He keeps killing the romances, and a ton of drooling fangirls are left with writing fan-fictions or creating mods to vent out.. 
Atton, Bishop or Gann, all the same..
At the very least he could have given the female PC the choice of a one night stand with Bishop! 
Mods are a great way to implement these things ourselves into the story if we want, but the mods don't come with the original VO and it's also hard for a modder not to stray too far from what the developpers had in mind, from the storyline and most the time the modder has to add new things to the character's personal story, which is not always good for all the players..
Creating mods is hard indeed.. I'm struggling with mine..
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
Oh yeah, forgot to add I've already seen that text and someone on the Bioware forums did a VERY detailed and reasonable dissection of it, explaining just why those guidelines don't work. Naturally, it's a matter of opinion, but that dissection makes a lot of sense.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Part of why I hate it when in-game romances are incomplete is the voice acting. Let's face it, the creators of the game are making money off it, they tend to have better resources at their disposal and can actually afford to hire good voice actors. So even if someone makes romance mods, like that recent one with Bishop, if you've come to absolutely adore the original voice-acting then the 'alternative' one just doesn't sound right no matter how awesome it is. >_<
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I absolutely agree. I wouldn't want anyone else to voice Valen (gosh his voice was the best!) or Atton, or Bishop.. (I dunno about Gann yet..)
When I download a romance mod, I actually prefer it to be silent and use the power of my imagination to imagine the original voice saying the lines (I removed all the sound files from the Bishop romance.. heh)
In that mod in particular you can see why adding lines to a character can be dangerous. After the one night stand with Bishop, the thing he says is something like "the things we've done this night will keep me awake at the wee hours of the morning" or some such, it's very cute, but NOT Bishop-ish! Keeping the character from drifting, in a mod, is actually a tough job.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Hey wow. This is great! Jeez, I had such a crush on Valen while playing HotU. That husky voice! lol
Keep it up! It's looking good!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
The detail in the hair is brilliant! and the colouring is amazing! and the background works very well with him!!!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Phew, this hair send my mind flying. Just got it back Xd
How in the hells did you do that hair?? Awesome it is!! 
It's also great how the light plays with his face. Gives him the dark and mysterious touch he just has.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Now, now, you don't need to be complimenting the hair for an excuse to touch Valen... ^^
Seriously, though, thanks. ^^
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yeah, I DO need to! I'm a guy 
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I really love how this is done! Valen has to be my all time favorite sexy red-head tiefling.
Just intrigued, is this before or after he escapes Grimash't? I see it as more you just fell on your rear in front of the Seer, and he's not too impressed. 
`~ Cat
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Probably after, as Grimash't could have hardly allowed him to keep such a pretty suit of armour, right?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
You know, you're right! (He probably likes him as nekkid as we do. 
~ Cat
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Even before I read description, first name that jumped in my mind was Valen Shadowbreath. Nice, nice... it looks really nice :]
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Lighting in this one is really really fabulous.. I love his eyes, such a piercing look in them... the hair and the horns - so lovely!
and he's adorable too
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
oh mah gawd 
weird but i really dont want him to come up in an EP for NWN2. why would be...whatthe hell happened to out PC's thathooked up with him? that. [link] .
because me, being the huge Valen fan that i am, went off and came up with a fanfic (yet to have wrtien). then... after he shows back up... its like
wtf.
blah what ever. but it would be pretty cool to see him lookin sexy and in better graphics
and yet again, love the picture, everything is perfect i think.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Valen being in an EP doesn't necessarily mean as a romance option. You could encounter him in the planes, having nearly lost his mind after losing his sweetheart (maybe he thinks her dead, but she isn't, but still).
A storyline with the HotU hero and Valen's true love dying and you taking her place would be a bit too much... That's exactly what happened to his first love, isn't it? No, the romance is in HotU and I'm good with that.
Besides, if the NWN2 romances are any indication, if they did a revised Valen romance, they'd probably just end up ruining it.
*sigh*
I really wish Deekin was given a bigger role in NWN2.
Anyway, that just a bit of my rambling.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
you have a point...hmm..
muahah, now if theydo re-enter him i hope its like you said, him thinking shes dead. but even that might be too much...guh. HotU was the best ep O_O seriously XD
and they WOULD ruin the romance
oh and yeah, the deekin thing is disapointing... *cries*
i do like casavir and bishop though, there are some good things to NWN2 atleast. *is a paladin/tiefling fancier :B *
and sorry for MY rambling, i just love yacking O_O
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
That is some cool @$$ armor. I like his hair the best! ^-^
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Must be nice to have your own home art critic.
I love the reddish glint in his eyes; as if his demonic taint is just boiling right under the surface, ready to come snarling out of those beautiful blue eyes.
LOVELY! Once again, you put me to shame. I wish I knew how you did hair
Now, if you'll excuse me....
Ahem.
*SQUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!*
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Poor tiefling. XDDDD
Thanks for the comment.... Yeah, well, about the critic... Home art critic is one way of saying it, bossy mom whose opinion I value is another.
You do have to wonder how much time he spends polishing that armour. O_O
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
If I had an armor like this, I'd also polish it whenever I could. And what's wrong with keeping your stuff clean and shiny, anyway?
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Well, at least you have one 
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Ooooh, he looks mean O__0.
I love his armour, though.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Heh, thanks.
*tosses Faetis a first-comment cookie*
👍: 0 ⏩: 1