#galder

The Cryomancer

I had the pleasure to work on this piece for the winner of the 14k Giveaway, Selanna. Congratulations! The character was quite exciting to depict - having a draenei battlemage cryomancer to work with was something new and enjoyable. I hope you like the final result!

Here is a background story for Cyana, provided by Selanna. 

Cyana was born on Draenor, in a village called Embaari. Her mother is a tailor and her father a Talbuk rancher. She was a very shy a quiet child, having trouble to go to others, she started to think she was worthless. She sacrificed her happiness so other would be happy. It made her cry but that's how she grew up.

Some day she started to get interested in magic and more specifically the school of ice. Despite Draenei having a culture tied the arcane for millennials, they lost a bit of their trust in this magic after her people felt for power on Argus 25000 years ago.

Years of  being introverted made Cyana think she wasn't welcome amongst her people.

When the burning legion struck Draenor, she hid in Zangar with her parents and other refugees until they flew from that world with the Exodar.

Due to a sabotage, the ship crashed on Azure mist. Luckily, she and her family survived, but being completely disoriented by everything that happen, she ran away from her people, finding solace with the alliance and more specifically the Kirin'tor who helped her to pursue her learning.

A couple years later, the scourge awakened. Being now an accomplished  Cryomancer of the Kirin'tor, she was detached in battles against the undead. She fought well during many battles, but she met a young mage that would change her life.

This was the first battle of that mage. Being worried, Cyana tried to comfort her and stand by her side to watch over her for the upcoming battle. At first it was going well but it was before a Death knight managed to cross the front line and reached the back line. Cyana tried to protect the young mage, but her power sealed away by the death knight, she was powerless. A paladin killed the abomination but it was too late, he had time to stab the young mage, bleeding on the freezing snow.

Cyana crawled to her, cursing herself for all of this. She felt so weak at this moment and kept saying she was sorry. She received a smile and a few  last words : "I'll be watching over you. Always".

This is Cyana's biggest failure in her mind. She realized that her power alone wouldn't be able to protect others. What if she can't use them. She decided this had to change. She would pick a weapon and wear an armor, combining it to her spells. She would get in the front line, risking her life so others wouldn't have to do it.

For years after that, she fought fearlessly of death, being convinced she had nothing to lose.

She stand against threats that appeared on Azeroth but without denying principles. She would not take part in the conflict between the horde and the alliance.

When Garrosh opened the timegate to Draenor, Cyana had the chance to see a homeworld once again.

This was as beautiful as it was painful. She swore to not let this Draenor fall like the Outland.

She fought again and again, until she had the lead of a small unit to attack the hellfire citadel in  Tanaan Jungle. A big assault went on the citadel. Breaking the gates, they were here to take out the frontline.

The joint effort of every soldier managed to make an opening but the canon were still active, shooting infernal at them. Cyana protected her unit, with all her power and was badly wounded.

She survived and after months to recover, she went back to Dalaran. The burning legion soon came back as well, infiltrating the flying city. Cyana took place as a guard of Dalaran.  Her only implication on the field was to infiltrate a camp, turning herself into an Eredar thanks to illusions and artefacts to disguised her aura.

She was proud of what she accomplished and yet she was feeling empty. All those years of casting away her emotions, she was slowly losing her light and her will.

The new conflict between the alliance and the horde didn't help and little by little she got weaker. It's only after she met a lightforged that she found some solace.

She felt in love with her, and after some time, a bound was born between the two Draenei. The lightforged reconciled Cyana with her people and her parents that she didn't see for 12 years.

She almost retired from fight only taking her armor back when the scourge and the creatures of the shadowlands attacked Azeroth. She was affected at the silver tournament in Northrend.

The scenario of her old fight  almost repeated itself, a young mage being powerless against an enemy who could resist to her powers. Cyana took the hit, stabbed by a long spear.

This wasn't the end for her though. She had something to live for. She wanted to live. She was saved at the last second and healed in Dalaran.

Since the remaining of the war was taking place in the veil and most of people ignoring what was happening there, Cyana was just wandering on Azure Mist, trying to find a new goal in her life.

Being in love and in a serious relation for years helped her to become more mature. She decided she would help her people now. She started to teach magic to young Draenei and joined as an assistant in the townhall of Azure watch. The city has expended well with time and is now bigger than her home town Embaari.

Instead of protecting people, she now wants to bring light and happiness in their heart without sacrificing her happiness this time. She would still take her weapon if the situation ask for it like when the primalist were rampaging some region.

The Pagan Prosperity degli Old Man’s Child, pur rientrando in un periodo storico nel quale raramente le band black metal norvegesi componevano male, rappresenta questa piccolissima percentuale. Riascoltato anche più volte a distanza di anni, sperando nell’effetto dell’invecchiamento e della ri-contestualizzazione, non cambia il risultato di una volta. Pagan Prosperity è un mix di thrash-black metal con pochi riff ispirati e votato ad una certa violenza regalata dalla batteria, sempre in primo piano. C’è spesso spazio per un dinamismo da parte del basso per nulla scontato da parte di un genere di metal estremo come questo. I synth compaiono e scompaiono più che altro per enfatizzare gli accenti e ogni tanto emergono questi assoli quasi da power-metal band.

In Born of the Flickering la componente chitarristica era molto meglio amalgamata (ricordo con piacere le chitarre acustiche quasi flamenco) mentre qui a volte pare di sentire gli scarti dei Children of Bodom (”My Demonic Figures”). Che poi, non ci sarebbe niente di male: i Cradle of Filth, gli stessi Bodom o i Catamenia ci hanno fatto conoscere un black metal melodico e dipendente dagli Iron Maiden ma qui l’impressione è che Galder tiri fuori in maniera quasi casuale le combinazioni della composizione. Mi interesserebbe capire quanto Jardar abbia partecipato alla composizione visto che rimarrà negli Old Man’s Child per altri tre album ma, allo stesso tempo, l’idea di un Galder deus ex-machina si staglierà sempre più forte di album in album. Negli anni successivi sono sempre stati identificati con la brutta copia dei Dimmu Borgir a causa di alcuni membri in comune, di alcuni studi di registrazione, di scelta di produzione e di produttore e di sonorità… tutto in comune ma con la piccola differenza che Galder e soci sono sempre arrivati dopo Shagrath. L’unico modo per giustificare questa dipendenza è stato, da parte di Galder, quello di entrare come membro fisso nei Dimmu Borgir nel 2001 quasi per giustificare la scarsa dedizione nel songwriting nel suo progetto originario.