Kroashent

Welcome to Kroashent

What is Kroashent?

Kroashent is a clockpunk fantasy series written and drawn by myself, Valentine. It brings together high fantasy swashbucklers, high octane heists and sapphic romance to tell the story of four women of the Fourthaves Vinegar Company, a small gang of thieves drawn together against the backdrop of a looming war and courtly intrigue.

Alvez, the World of Kroashent

Primarily inspired by the folklore and history of Celtic Brittany, a coastal region in Northwestern France, Alvez draws from a wide variety of local folklores and cultures to create a living, breathing world. It is a world of Faerie magic, swashbuckling sky pirates, fearsome werewolves and mysterious dragons, as mundane and the magical creatures of Faerie coexist openly. Most action in the main series takes place in Letha, a remote Duchy on the edge of the world, the most recent focal point in a larger struggle between major powers.

The Tuath of Alvez

Alvez is home to a wide variety of intelligent peoples, commonly referred to as "Tuath" (Tribes). These range from the Bediz (humans) to Fae like the islander Sidhe, the Viking Fomorians and the continental Korrigan.

Meet the Cast

Kathalia Bislclavret - A disgraced paladin turned highwaywoman, Kathalia seeks revenge on those who betrayed her and killed her father.

Gwaeron "Gwae" Sulime Dethemir - An adventurous Eladan mage and merchant from the Fortunate Islands, Gwae seeks to find her place in a changing world.

Marie deCygne - A cheerful bard with a mysterious past, Marie seeks to recover and share lost stories.

Morgiana - A clever illusionist and former slave from a far off country, Morgiana seeks to pit her wits against more powerful foes.

Enora de Chinon - A noblewoman and knight of the highest caliber, Enora seeks to become a champion of truth, justice and the Gallian way.

Alvez-ized - Mahalina

A few months ago, I had a discussion with another artist about character design, and took up the challenge to draw one of their original characters, Mahalina, as they might appear in Alvez, the world of Kroashent.

Val's Notes: Mahalina, in her "original" form, is a clownfish turned mermaid, a shy and naive character, but with a lot of joy and a sense of adventure.

Adapting Mahalina to Alvez was an interesting challenge. Her original design is inspired by Filipino aesthetics, and for the most part, Kroashent draws from the Celtic world, Western Europe and North Africa for its inspirations. I also decided that, rather than making her a Marie-Morgane right from the start, it would be more interesting to take a look at her terrestrial form first.

I decided that Asturias, a location in Alvez inspired by the Iberian Peninsula, would be a fitting start, and drew on Spanish and Portuguese designs for her dress and crown, and using her clownfish palette for her dress colours.

This version of Mahalina is a princesa of Asturias, a coastal region on the Northern edge of the Shatterlands, an archipelago at the center of a cataclysmic seismic event early in Alvez's history. A seafaring people, Asturias is the lynchpin of trade between the Northern Mor Kantabria and the inland Mor Kreizhdouar. These trade routes give our adventurous princess plenty of opportunity to meet people and to travel far, eventually taking her to the sunken city of Ys-Beneath-the-Waves, home of the Marie-Morgane.

Mermay 26 - 2 - The Little Hurricane

Yannic Corentin, also known to her sisters as "the little tempest" is a reknowned warrior in the Beg-Sabrenn, the warriors of Ys-Beneath-the-Waves. Once a brave Viking chieftain, Yannic has earned a reputation for unparalleled, selfless bravery, throwing herself into hordes of cannibalistic finfolk with a vengeance when her companions are in danger. Armed with two axes, she has perfected close quarters combat in the dangerous and dark Lower Wards, and has earned the admiration of the many Marie-Morgane she has saved in her ranging.

----------------------------------------- Val's Notes: I actually did manage to get a few drawings done for mermay, but not as many as I had hoped, nor was I able to upload them during the eponymous month. But, I still know that the Daughters of the Beacon City have their fans, so I am hoping to draw and share some of the characters I didn't get a chance to revisit yet. If anyone has a particular Marie-Morgane, they'd like to see this year, just share her below and I'll do my best!

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Gift art for @IvanksMW, featuring the Freeblade Dragon adventurer, Kathalia Firemane, the Novan counterpart of Kroashent's Kathalia Bisclavret. Always fun to try my hand at the designs from Ivank's World of Nova!

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Kroashent Commission: Tourney Frog

A commission for @SrgntDrew.

Checking in with Dame Michelle, the perpetually cursed knight going through a cycle of transformations, this time as a frog. This time, the goal was to design some elaborate tournament armor for her. Particularly well-off knights would often possess multiple sets of armor, some for battle, others for parades or tournaments, with different styles and levels of ornamentation. I made a bunch of variants here (8 in all)

Val's Notes: For this piece, I designed several different variants. The first pair are Dame Michelle, a knight of Aulnay, a sovereignty existing in the world of Kroashent. Michelle is a regular visitor to Alvez, and I wanted to give this version a bit of a distinctive Here, Michelle's emblem is an Alder Tree, seen on her chestplate and on a special piece of armor unique to Kroashent, the Bouclier d'armes, a small shield worn at the side. Her tabard is the green and yellow of her homeland.

I also included an alternate version of Sir Mike, the non-Alvez version of this character, featuring a dragon emblem and a darker palette. The Bouclier d'armes is missing from this version.

Kroashent Commission: The Outlaw Quinn Mercier

Quinn Mercier goes native, joining the bandits on their raids across the Liger Valley.

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Commission for https://www.furaffinity.net/user/albionwalker/

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Kroashent: Where Did You Come from…

Despite having no magical ability herself, Antoinette has an uncanny ability to find herself near the castle kitchens anytime something sweet is being prepared, much to Azelma's confusion…