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Description
Here's a little set of mundane sketches I've been struggling with for the past couple weeks. I'm trying not to get bogged down illustrating every single scene from the origin, but I do feel like it's important to the Cousland story and very under represented.

Meeting Arl Howe is a really interesting interaction, if you didn't already know he was going to be a traitor (because he's voiced by the fabulous Tim Curry) you really have to ferret out his darker side through dialogue choices. He initially does sound like just an old war buddy turned politician when he is talking to Bryce; reliving old battles and joking about their age. He dialogue with the your Cousland is still fairly innocuous, while he compliments you and makes some suggestion that his son (or daughter if you are a male) may be interested in spending more time with you, hinting at future alliances. He plays his role very well. But if you press him in certain ways he does give a little more than he should. In my play through Arlana was very polite, a little embarrassed about her fathers flattery and Howe's bringing up Thomas. But there was one particular dialogue choice, something about thanking him for fighting with their family or being a friend to her father or some thing… he just starts to squirm uncomfortably. I thought that was well done.

To me Arl Howe is envy personified. He wants everything that isn't his, and he wants the best of all of it. Power, respect, every kind of success in public and private. He attaches himself to influential friends to help climb the ladder, and makes his decisions based solely on his own self interest. He's also a bit of a sadist, as you find out later. I can only imagine how he seethes while he watches Bryce's success as a popular Teyrn, and has his "perfect" family paraded in front of him. As soon as he has decided the Couslands are a liability he has done his best to attach himself to the Mac Tir family. I imagine he would have eventually found a way to betray them as well, after all, for all their faults they are much nobler than he is.

He's a really fascinating and terrible character. This set of drawings started out with me just wanting to practice that ratty angular face they gave him, and evolved into the whole scene here. I imagine that Eleanor would at least insist, while they had old friends in the castle, that Arlana change into something more fitting for company. I find it hard to believe that my noble character would literally walk into every place in her armor. I tried to incorporate some of the design of the other noble dresses into what she is wearing.

Also I need to work on my 3 1/4 view faces. So frustrating. I think I redrew some of these poses twenty times. >_<

Description
Here's a little set of mundane sketches I've been struggling with for the past couple weeks. I'm trying not to get bogged down illustrating every single scene from the origin, but I do feel like it's important to the Cousland story and very under represented.

Meeting Arl Howe is a really interesting interaction, if you didn't already know he was going to be a traitor (because he's voiced by the fabulous Tim Curry) you really have to ferret out his darker side through dialogue choices. He initially does sound like just an old war buddy turned politician when he is talking to Bryce; reliving old battles and joking about their age. He dialogue with the your Cousland is still fairly innocuous, while he compliments you and makes some suggestion that his son (or daughter if you are a male) may be interested in spending more time with you, hinting at future alliances. He plays his role very well. But if you press him in certain ways he does give a little more than he should. In my play through Arlana was very polite, a little embarrassed about her fathers flattery and Howe's bringing up Thomas. But there was one particular dialogue choice, something about thanking him for fighting with their family or being a friend to her father or some thing… he just starts to squirm uncomfortably. I thought that was well done.

To me Arl Howe is envy personified. He wants everything that isn't his, and he wants the best of all of it. Power, respect, every kind of success in public and private. He attaches himself to influential friends to help climb the ladder, and makes his decisions based solely on his own self interest. He's also a bit of a sadist, as you find out later. I can only imagine how he seethes while he watches Bryce's success as a popular Teyrn, and has his "perfect" family paraded in front of him. As soon as he has decided the Couslands are a liability he has done his best to attach himself to the Mac Tir family. I imagine he would have eventually found a way to betray them as well, after all, for all their faults they are much nobler than he is.

He's a really fascinating and terrible character. This set of drawings started out with me just wanting to practice that ratty angular face they gave him, and evolved into the whole scene here. I imagine that Eleanor would at least insist, while they had old friends in the castle, that Arlana change into something more fitting for company. I find it hard to believe that my noble character would literally walk into every place in her armor. I tried to incorporate some of the design of the other noble dresses into what she is wearing.

Also I need to work on my 3 1/4 view faces. So frustrating. I think I redrew some of these poses twenty times. >_<