Be My Dog, Ser

While my giftee is no longer involved their prompt was illuminated manuscript with a kneeling Dunk (amazing line up with my own offer), and I knew just the Codex Manesse image.

Though the 'plot' veneer here is after Ashford, Ser Arlan's coat of arms (with the black diamond of a funerary hatchment) gets a top spot as part of Dunk's lineage.

Dunk's arms are simplified to be a little more real world heraldic.

The Targaryen arms are not the show version again for real world heraldry - where the important part is a consistent blazon (written description) rather than a absolutely consistent image. So unless the dragon was specified as in annulo (in a circle), these are can still be described as Sable, a thee-headed dragon Gules.

The little arm beasts are also Dunk & Baelor. I like to imagine them curled up together like the weirdest little cat things.

Dunk-beast is pointing specifically at the 'hold honor in their breast' line as an "I remembered my vows, did you?"

The helmet Baelor is presenting has the Targ color torse (fabric twist) as livery for a knight sworn to the house - the similar twist on Dunk's arm is absolutely his King's ✨favour✨. Winged crests in shield colors were very common in Germanic heraldry though it also double up here as a trace of Ser Arlan again.

Baelor's little cape has a pattern called vair which is supposed to look like a squirrel's winter fur. Royal mantles and all that.

Okay first I recommend checking out https://classicalcanvas.org/a-complete-analysis-of-lamia-and-the-soldier-by-john-william-waterhouse/ if you're interested in a detailed analysis of the original painting!

Dep's original request was: "If it's art, then a tourney scene or Duncan and Baelor in their tourney attire or Duncan asking for Baelor's favor, etc. Again, your pick!"

For my half I really wanted to do a study of a classic painting of a knight, so it really was a perfect match, ty mods! After lots of searching I really loved not only the intensity of the two here, but wanted to do a bit of an inversion on the original theme of the Lamia; a shapeshifting snake woman who lures humans (often children or young men) to their death (sick as hell)

So here, rather than Dunk being a secret monster, Baelor is the real threat; he is heir to the throne and (if he lived) later king, the most powerful man on the continent. While the original painting is an inversion of power, this is what it looks like; a poor knight supplicating to a more powerful man. Baelor's tourney armor is in stark contrast to the surroundings, which Dunk blends into. Dunk is of the world, while Baelor is above it.

Despite this, we know Baelor believes in Dunk; he vouched, fought and died for him. He has given him his favor, some banner or sash of dragon hide, and in this quiet place, even while injured, he does not shy from Dunk's touch or his fealty. We know Dunk is safe here.

While Lamia and the Soldier is in a shaded bit of wood, I wanted to flip that too; the dawn is coming in and the woods are opening to something clearer and brighter.

I looked at a ton of references and the one that hurt the most was looking for a shot of Dunk's sabatons only to realize he doesn't have them. He likely couldn't afford them and so even in the trial he's still in his old leather boots 🥲💔

Baelor's armor was referenced from this picture I found while looking for medieval Spanish armor. I originally was going to do a scalemail thing as a combo of both Targaryen & Dornish styles but there was something about the flow of the lines and the little elbow wings that felt very sleek and intimidating while also different enough from Maekar and Aerion's more spikey designs. I also thought about doing a human face style helmet with a crown (like a much more elegant version of Aerion's) or a closed mouth dragon faced armet helmet but a. ran out of time b. wasn't sure if it would distract from everything else. Maybe I'll go back and add it or make a separate post, it's lowkey haunting me lol

I started doing some little Easter eggs with the numbers of things like the 7 studs on Dunks armor, but I ended up forgetting to keep it going lol. Like I should've done 7 poppies instead of 8 ahhhuughh (deletes it) /j