Shay - Kigume

Well, another TG sequence. I hope its as well received as my first one, but I sort of doubt it Zelda's outfit was designed from the get-go as derivative from Shay's, so the sequence was smoother. This one is more abrupt, but I still like it. After all, clothing from character to character can't transition smoothly ALL the time. I just hope I'm forgiven for that. Even then, maybe this one is too abrupt anyway...? Well, at least its better than a simple after-the-fact pin-up.

Oh, for anyone interested, yup, not tagged IGTA, since Kigume doesn't appear, or at least isn't planned to, in IGTA. Obligatory link. Kigume is a spiritual successor to Kigme, a Maritek that appeared in a manga I wrote but never finished drawing.

Maritek? Not Myrtek? Sorry, about that: When mana mages were the target of genocide alongside dark mages, surviving mana mages formed 2 tribes: Myrtek, who seeked to re-enter society, and the Maritek who isolated themselves from the hateful ignorant masses. Myrteks developed the ability to "borrow" magic from others, where Maritek perfected puppet magic to create various golems to assist in hard labor in their villiages. In IGTA, the story takes place after the genocide, so Myrteks and Mariteks are quite rare. However, down the road people discover the benefits of permanent golems, not just magically animated ones other magics can conjure.

Puppet magic is, like Myrtek powers, exclusive to mana mages, though dark mages have sinister talents to replicate the end result... By imbuing puppets or anything with articulation with their own mana, the object becomes an extension of the Maritek. The imbued magic remains until recalled, thus causing the puppet to be nearly permanently animated.

If you've read any of my other little entries, you'd probably wonder what effect the included imprint has on the puppet? Good question that I coaxed out of you! Indeed the puppet, even while under the complete control of the Maritek, displays character traits of the owner. In Shay's case above, the puppet shows it finding humor in the misfortune of others.

While the puppet can't really talk, they can be enchanted with air magic to produce sound waves to communicate. Otherwise, only the master can understand the puppet, and the communication is purely empathetic. Thanks to the imprint providing a pseudo-personality, a puppet enchanted to speak can be as good company as any flesh and blood person. The downside though is that they lack minds and souls. They have strictly logic-based reasoning and don't feel emotion, but the personality in the imprint may interfere, giving an illusion of emotion. Without minds, they have limited memory and problem-solving skills, and can generally recall events within 30 or so days. Generally, a puppets ability to think and problem solve is limited to what is common sense to the master. Again, magic enchantments can be used to replicated mind, but most don't as this gives the puppet free will, and even tethered to their puppetmaster, puppets can be unruly when they realize they're meant as slaves, more or less. Replicating a soul is taboo, however, there are those who worry not about sealing souls inside dolls...

Puppets animated can be dispelled, and the powering mana is released if the owner strays too far from the puppet (varies from master to master) or dies. There are stories though of puppetmasters who've passed that possess their beloved puppets.

As always, thanks for checking out the pic, and if you've read all that, extra special thanks!