#overdark

Quick comparison sketch for worldbuilding reference on the differences between dark elves and genuine Overdark drow. Dark elf design stems from a small note in the PHB about ancient elves - dark skin with light hair, but still colored, highly magical, and almost exclusively limited to the Feywild. Drow are much darker to defend against the heavy radiation that results from such a scant atmosphere on the outer shell - this is also the cause of difference to the eyes. Most stature differences result from severe lifelong malnourishment due to the limited available diet there; this also results in a degree of neoteny. The rest is due to decreased levels of gravity. Invisible differences include slowed heartbeat and bodily functions, decreased need for oxygen, and general weakness not limited to skeletal muscles.

Another messy sketch, shell-dwelling dwarves vs. overdark dvergar. Limited genepool has led to enough cross-breeding to affect primary phenotypes of all three transplant species, but it’s most obvious on dwarves (the only non-fey to make it through). Weird arm thing is a bit of a workshop, not sure how I want this to work yet, but I think any skin abrasion/scar, due to lack of pigment, has the potential to become just an awful cancerous growth with exposure to the outdoors and this is a very common cause of death among non-native overdwellers. The larger surface area affected, the more likely this is to happen. Also there’s just so many standing-still-facing-the-camera poses you can do and I wasn’t sure what to do with that arm but shhh.

Last of the Overdark vs Shelldweller comparisons that I never posted, whoops. Gnomes vs their counterparts the svartálfur. Unlike most other transplant species, the svartálfur actually got larger in the overdark, though this is more due to crossbreeding than anything else.

#incredibile #imperdibile #miroslawbalka #looking over the #threshold #overdark #lovehangar #milano2017 (presso Pirelli HangarBicocca)