#glowing internal

These are the other two pics I got from RH6 (@Rottenheart66 on Ex-Twitter), as a reward for participating in his writing contest last year. These are a couple of new ref images for my OC, Grit Gravelle (based on the Nome King from the movie “Return to Oz)! These definitely show more of RH6’s usual style, from what little I know of his work. Again, the linework was all his doing; the artist behind the coloring would prefer to remain anonymous…although I WILL say that the “belly glow” visible on the topless image is the work of my pal @belliesandburps, who was kind enough to make that edit unprompted. (The artist WAS informed of this, and gave his blessing for the edited version to be posted.) My thanks to all who brought the big beefy buff boi to life!

The Nome King was one of the first Disney-born “vore crushes” I can remember growing an attachment to as a kid, so I knew very early on I wanted to make a character based on him. (The character in the original books is rather different, for the record…but that’s another story.) Grit is largely inspired by him, but also slightly influenced by the character of Yo Shindo from “My Hero Academia.” I decided to make him buff and muscular because…well…I didn’t HAVE any other big, buff guys in my roster! I had a couple of really big and heavyset guys with Billy and Maelstrom, a pair of chubby but not especially rotund cases with Reno and Smitty, and some slimmer fellows with James, Elias, Nakoda, and Theodore. But I didn’t have anyone who was really muscular…and I felt the pun about “rock hard pecs/abs” was way too good to pass up. ‘XD

On that note…again, if you’ve been around a while, you know the basics of Grit, but for those who are new: Grit is a descendant of the original Nome King (much in the way Billy is a descendant of the original Willie the Giant). His true form is a fifty-foot-tall giant, who is part human and part Nome. In this universe, “Nomes” are gigantic rock monsters who live in caves and passages within the bowels of the Earth, and are naturally carnivorous: just like with the giants of the Kingdom Above the Clouds, those in the Nome Kingdom typically see human beings as natural prey options.

Ironically, Grit’s part-human, part-Nome appearance is indicative of his heritage: his father (who he rarely sees) is a full-blooded Nome aristocrat…whose wife is a human woman named Emily. Grit cares deeply and devotedly for his mother, who was blinded many years ago; she is the only human being, in fact, he sees as truly valuable to him…at least so far.

Grit is dangerous because he is duplicitous: typically speaking, he puts on a facade of amiable friendliness. He can be a little mischievous and a little cocky, to be sure, but he generally seems warm, respectful, helpful, cheerful, and all around pleasant. With that said, all this affability IS a facade: beneath it all, Grit is a cold-blooded carnivore, who sees himself as superior not just to human beings, but to all “overlanders.” If he had his way, his people would be running the world, and those he does not consider “his people” would be in his belly. This makes it very hard to trust Grit and know how honest he is: you can never be sure if his gentle-hearted persona is him genuinely caring about someone, or if it’s just another trap.

Grit’s Unique Magic is called “Knick-Knack.” He is able to transform people and other organic beings into small sculptures and other decorative ornaments made from gemstones and rock. In this state, they essentially exist in a place of suspended animation, and can only be released from that state if someone places a hand on them and says their name. If he uses this power too often within a given frame of time, he risks Overblotting, especially if he’s using other forms of magic on the side, so to speak.

Grit is able to change from his true form to a more human one at will, due to his half-and-half nature. Even in human form, though, he still has sharp teeth, uncommon strength (only enhanced by his powerful musculature), and the ability to manipulate the earth around him, although this ability is somewhat limited since he isn’t a “purebreed” Nome. As a result, he’s WAY more powerful than he often seems at first, which only makes him more of a menace. Another oddity of his biology is that Grit’s innards actually have a strange bioluminescence: his insides shift from a fleshy pink to a coal-like black in many places, and his blood starts off looking more like glowing, fiery lava, before “cooling” to a natural red as it flows to his extremities. Both his heart and his stomach, as well as other parts of his internals, as a result, have an almost volcanic appearance: black as pitch with glowing rivulets of fiery, magma-like orange. This glow is mostly hidden by his skin and his clothes, but if you get close enough this bare abdomen, you can actually distinguish the flaming hue of his belly within.