#kurava

"Hey, thanks for taking the time to do this for me, Kurava."

"No problem, Rowan; always happy to help!"

"... By the way, you're done with your drawing, right? I think I have a cramp in my arm from holding this prop for so long."

Thormundar - Kurava, Scion of Sorun

“A Steppe Goblin servant to a wealthy Dokkr family, Kurava was released from service when his masters realized that he had been worshipping the Five and studying in secret, sending the young goblin to the Church of the Five in Kosova to allow him to properly worship the Gods of the Five, as well as formalizing his education. Now a mendicant priest of Sorun, the God of the Sun, Kurava travels with Rowan and his adventuring group as their healer and (usually) moral centre. In battle, Kurava wields staves to channel healing and lightning magic, although he is also well-versed in the use of Sorun’s Judgement, fiery bolts of lightning that when thrown from the hand, smite all those on its receiving end.”

It’s been a while since I posted some fully rendered personal work from my fantasy world of Thormundar, and another one of a character that I’ve not recently painted! I decided on painting Kurava since the last time I did it was 6 years ago in 2016, and as a mirror to the other major goblin character in Thormundar, Zokeri (who I painted about the same time last year, in 2021). His look hasn’t changed at all in the 6 years, and this was pretty much a transliteration of his design for my current style.

Oh boy, I have a few that I know the top of my head from my OC world Thormundar, so buckle up, this is gonna be a long one.

Born a twin to royalty, Annikka was destined to spend her childhood in the courts of Kaleva, learning of statecraft from jarls and thanes.

Thormundar - King Otso

Her father, King Otso, decided however that his children should be tempered by the ways of the commonfolk so they would make more effective leaders. As a result, Annikka was sent away as a baby to live with one of King Otso's retainers, who never revealed her royal heritage. Annikka had a normal childhood as far as she's concerned, helping on the homestead and eventually learning the ways of a warrior, unaware of her nobility.

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Kurava, like the majority of Plains Goblins, spent his childhood a handservant of a Dokkr family, this particular one an elderly couple. He was dutiful and jovial, and would have spent the rest of his days serving the couple, though the matriarch took notice that he had been secretly observing and practicing the Religion of the Five.

Races of Thormundar - The Dokkr

Sensing the goblin's zeal, the couple freed Kurava from their service and sent him as a ward to the main Temple of the Five in Kosova, where he became a cleric of the Five, in particular Sorun, the God of Honour.

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Brigid Korvan, by contrast, did not have a good childhood. Sveren society is brutal, and for those of the vaunted House Korvan, doubly so. While Brigid's sister was taught the winding politics of high society, Brigid herself was left under the auspices of her father, one of the greatest hunters and warriors of the Sveren.

Races of Thormundar - The Sveren

In a way, her father loved her, but he did not show it openly. Brigid endured days and months of brutal training in combat and survival, in pursuit of her father's ideas of excellence. The scar on her right cheek is perhaps the largest reminder of the lengths her father would go to instill the idea of an unforgiving world into the then-youthful Brigid.

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(And as a bonus, a summary of Rowan's origin story, since his childhood figures into it.)

Rowan, being the scion of a minor House of Kaleva, led a pretty sheltered life. His parents were rarely around, and so he spent much of his time alone. His magical talent for summoning spirits appeared in his childhood days, and so he had, at least, several companions to spend time with while his parents were busy in the meeting rooms of Kormun. It was just as well, as Rowan's habit of talking to the animal spirits he summoned unnerved many people, and ensured that he had few friends during his youth. His skills in summoning spirits only increased as he grew older, where he could now command groups of specters when he previously could summon only one, which became a problem...

Thormundar - Lisandra

... When he was kidnapped by the faerie Lisandra, who sought to use individuals with formidable magical talent to curb the excesses of the secretive yet decadent Fae Empire. Her talent lay in dollmaking and so she turned him into one, augmenting his magical abilities and making him near-indestructible, as her ace in the hole in dealing with her fellow Fae. When the time came for the Fae to showcase their creations to the nobles of the Fae Empire, Lisandra brought him as her showcase, whereupon she made Rowan summon the vengeful spirits of the victims of the Fae to attack those present.

Thormundar - Summoner Rowan

It, however, worked too well. In their blind hatred, the spirits tore apart the Faerie nobles... along with their slaves and captives. The monsters and the mistreated slaughtered by those thrown into the hungering maw of the Fae Empire to feed their desires. The only ones who survived that day were Rowan and the one who held him in her sway, Lisandra. Lisandra, horrified at what she brought about, took Rowan away from the carnage and freed him from her control, leaving him with a friend as she devoted herself to atoning for her mistake in killing the victims of the Fae.

Thormundar - Respite

gling dang gling phran - continents and eight subcontinents. 1) {shar gyi lus 'phags lus dang lus 'phags} [Purvavideha Deha Videha] eastern continent of great mass, body of a land and great body of land. 2) {lho yi 'dzam bu'i gling rnga yab dang rnga yab gzhan} [Jambu Dvipa Caimara Apara-camara] southern continent of the rose-apple, tail of the continent and minor tail. 3) {nub kyi ba lang spyod g.yo ldan dang lam mchog 'gro ba} [Aparagodaniya Shatha Uttaramantrina] western land of cattle, land of deceit and land of great passage. 4) {byang gi sgra mi snyan sgra mi snyan dang sgra mi snyan gyi zla} [Uttarakuru Kurava Kaurava] northern continent of harsh sound, land of harsh sound and adherents of harsh sound [RY]

gling phran brgyad - Eight subcontinents. Smaller continents surrounding Mount Sumeru in pairs flanking each of the four continents: Deha and Videha, Chamara and Upachamara, Shatha and Uttara mantrina, Kurava and Kaurava [RY]

gling bzhi pa'i 'jig rten gyi khams - world system/ universe of four continents (and 8 subcontinents: 1) {shar gyi lus 'phags lus dang lus 'phags}. [puurvavideha Deha videha] = eastern conintent of great mass, body of a land and great body of land. 2) {lho yi 'dzam bu'i gling rnga yab dang rnga yab gzhan}. [jambudviipa caimara Apara-caamara] = southern continent of the rose-apple, tail of the continent and minor tail. 3) {nub kyi ba lang sbyod ga-yo ldan dang lam mchog 'gro ba}. [aparagodaaniiya shaaThaa uttaramantrina] = western land of cattle, land of deceit and land of great passage. 4) {byang gi sgra mi snyan sgra mi snyan dang sgra mi snyan gyi zla}. [uttarakuru kurava kaurava] = northern continent of harsh cound, land of harsh sound and adherents of harsh sound] [IW]

sgra mi snyan - Kurava. continent of Unpleasant Sound. 'Unpleasant Sound' [the northern continent]; Unpleasant Sound Uttarakuru (northern continent); Unpleasant Sound, the continent of Ominous Sound [RY]

sgra mi snyan - 1) Kurava N continent of Unpleasant sound; 2) Kurba: E subcontinent of N continent [IW]

byang gi sgra mi snyan sgra mi snyan dang sgra mi snyan gyi zla - Northern continent of Harsh Sounds [Uttarakuru] and adherents of Harsh Sounds [Kuravakaurava] [RY]