The Infernal Champion: Brainstorming & Moodboard

[Zhu Bajie]

The design brief for the first forum mini is pretty much agreed, a semi-chaotic warrior armed with a hammer.

But what does that mean? I thought it might be nice for the community to collaborate on a "moodboard" - a tool we use in the creative industries. It's a collection of visual ideas that may inform the design of our character, express the mood we want him to convey it could be pictures, poetry, snatches of prose, whatever helps convey the feeling of the piece. It's a good opportunity to for everyone to get involved on the creative side of the project before handing it over to the "pros", and help us refine the brief without stifling creativity.

Here are the ground rules:

Be positive. If you don't like something someone has posted, shrug and post something better. Negativity blocks creativity.
Accept different ideas. If you don't understand why something is posted, don't ask, shrug and post something you do understand.
Conceptual. No images of "Warriors" or arms and armour - we're not looking for a ready-made answer, no matter how cool it might be.
Bring fresh ideas to stay on topic and find images that reflect the core concept - there is no wrong answer.
Be inspired - bounce off other peoples ideas.
Have fun be playful.

Another way of thinking about it might be "how do I express an idea of how the Infernal Champion may look without literally showing a picture of it".

 

[Zhu Bajie]

And to kick off...

 

[dieselmonkey]

I'd suggest the figure that has the humorous character of some of the older citadel chaos ranges, as we don't really take ourselves seriously, and Oldhammer for me is about having fun whilst gaming.

I was also having a think the other day, and thought that a figure depicting an actually physically *old* warrior might be fun. Face it, if he's been around since 2nd Ed, he's going to be getting on a bit now. Think Cohen The Barbarian from the Discworld books, for a literary reference.

 

[Zhu Bajie]

I'd suggest the figure that has the humorous character of some of the older citadel chaos ranges, as we don't really take ourselves seriously, and Oldhammer for me is about having fun whilst gaming.

I was also having a think the other day, and thought that a figure depicting an actually physically *old* warrior might be fun. Face it, if he's been around since 2nd Ed, he's going to be getting on a bit now. Think Cohen The Barbarian from the Discworld books, for a literary reference.

I love the idea of an "old" guy. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough in the OP. Can you express your idea as a picture, or maybe a paragraph of story from Discworld, rather than as a written brief. Please avoid using imagery of what the character might look like, but rather how you might express the idea. Cheers!

 

[Asslessman]

I Agree with Diesel.

As I wrote in the little story in the sketch, I like the idea of him having a old hammer being cast from molten lead sculptures and put in the shape of a hammer by countless fights.
I like the idea of the mistery behind him so no clear allegiance sign or unknown symbols which relate to unknown gods or cults for instance.
A hair cut in the shape of a brush could be both a reference to painting and to Slaine for example.

EDIT : I didn't get the rule correctly, sorry

 

[dieselmonkey]

I love the idea of an "old" guy. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough in the OP. Can you express your idea as a picture, or maybe a paragraph of story from Discworld, rather than as a written brief. Please avoid using imagery of what the character might look like, but rather how you might express the idea. Cheers!

Ah right, in which case have a paragraph that hopefully gets across my thoughts (from the description of 'The Last Hero'):

Cohen the Barbarian. He’s been a legend in his own lifetime.
He can remember the good old days of high adventure, when being a Hero meant one didn’t have to worry about aching backs and lawyers and civilization. But these days, he can’t always remember just where he put his teeth…So now, with his ancient (yet still trusty) sword and new walking stick in hand, Cohen gathers a group of his old — very old — friends to embark on one final quest. He’s going to climb the highest mountain of Discworld and meet the gods

Replace 'sword' with 'Hammer', and hopefully you get my drift!

 

[Zhu Bajie]

@dieselmonkey - yeah! that's great.

Asslessman - Can you find imagery that evokes the idea - for example what might "hair like a brush" actually look like?

 

[theottovonbismark]

I admit it, I just love Vincent Price:

 

[Erny]

This idea that he is an old warrior and Vincent price hmm.. Some how perhaps the warrior reflects our nerdy old collector souls.

Cool as we all are somehow I get the image of:

or even:

Somehow the eternal corduroy warrior rings my bell...

 

[Naagruz]

Corduroy is good; every warrior needs pants.

 

[Erny]

Is it just me or is there actually a bit of synergy going on here already?

Stag beetles
elemental power
old geezer
Corduroy and Jethro Tull
Ian Miller surreality

 

[theottovonbismark]

Interesting...

 

[Aiteal]

Cartoony I know but I've always loved

and he should be all like......

edit
doh, posting before reading the OP fully
I still love Labyrinth goblins though

 

[axiom]

“I may not be as stong as I think, but I know many tricks and I have resolution.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

 

[Fimm McCool]

Labyrinth reference seconded!

 

[Magos Explorator]

Totally agree with all the above imagery posted. Old and 'weird/elemental'.

 

[Asslessman]

 

[Zhu Bajie]

Some really cool stuff. Really excited about how this is coming out.

Section 3. Sharp Weapons tabooed.

THERE is a priestly king to the north of Zengwih in Burma, revered by the Sotih as the highest spiritual and temporal authority, into whose house no weapon or cutting instrument may be brought. This rule may perhaps be explained by a custom observed by various peoples after a death; they refrain from the use of sharp instruments so long as the ghost of the deceased is supposed to be near, lest they should wound it. Thus among the Esquimaux of Bering Strait “during the day on which a person dies in the village no one is permitted to work, and the relatives must perform no labour during the three following days. It is especially forbidden during this period to cut with any edged instrument, such as a knife or an axe; and the use of pointed instruments, like needles or bodkins, is also forbidden. This is said to be done to avoid cutting or injuring the shade, which may be present at any time during this period, and, if accidentally injured by any of these things, it would become very angry and bring sickness or death to the people. The relatives must also be very careful at this time not to make any loud or harsh noises that may startle or anger the shade.” We have seen that in like manner after killing a white whale these Esquimaux abstain from the use of cutting or pointed instruments for four days, lest they should unwittingly cut or stab the whale’s ghost. The same taboo is sometimes observed by them when there is a sick person in the village, probably from a fear of injuring his shade which may be hovering outside of his body. After a death the Roumanians of Transylvania are careful not to leave a knife lying with the sharp edge uppermost so long as the corpse remains in the house, “or else the soul will be forced to ride on the blade.” For seven days after a death, the corpse being still in the house, the Chinese abstain from the use of knives and needles, and even of chopsticks, eating their food with their fingers. On the third, sixth, ninth, and fortieth days after the funeral the old Prussians and Lithuanians used to prepare a meal, to which, standing at the door, they invited the soul of the deceased. At these meals they sat silent round the table and used no knives and the women who served up the food were also without knives. If any morsels fell from the table they were left lying there for the lonely souls that had no living relations or friends to feed them. When the meal was over the priest took a broom and swept the souls out of the house, saying, “Dear souls, ye have eaten and drunk. Go forth, go forth.” We can now understand why no cutting instrument may be taken into the house of the Burmese pontiff. Like so many priestly kings, he is probably regarded as divine, and it is therefore right that his sacred spirit should not be exposed to the risk of being cut or wounded whenever it quits his body to hover invisible in the air or to fly on some distant mission.

- James Frazer The Golden Bough (1890)

 

[Asslessman]

the whole album

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgQuVeMOyAk

 

[Aiteal]

the whole album

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgQuVeMOyAk

Apart from my schizophrenic uncle who did too many drugs in the 60s could it be there's someone else who appreciates the hangman's beautiful daughter?
i'd fly away and be a baaaattttt

and don't forget
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tHEZu0FOtQ