The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia at Illuxcon

This coming weekend, October 20-21, the inhabitants of The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia will be invading the Illuxcon 2017 Showcase! For the first time all of the original illustrations will be in one place and available for viewing. To mark this occasion my table in the showcase will be decked out with brand a new table runner and related signage. This will be the first time Ethra VanDalia will be stepping out into the world and it needs to be done right. Here is a look at the table runner...

Table runner emblazoned with the symbol of Ethra VanDalia.

Those in attendance will have the chance to sign up for the mailing list at the table and will get their hands on the new announcement postcard. Featuring the symbol of Ethra VanDalia it has all the relevant links to stay up to date on what is happening at the Grand Bazaar. If you are reading this, then you already know where you need to be to get the latest news on the Grand Bazaar. If you can't make it here is a look at the postcard...

Announcement postcard with all the relevant websites and links.

As mentioned above all of the original illustrations from The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia (minus the 3 that have already sold) will all be together for public viewing. The portfolio has been customized to feature the monster's name and there might be a clue or two about the monster for those that look close enough. I have also built a custom display stand to elevate (both figuratively and literally) the portfolio so that it will be easier to be viewed and I think it looks a lot more classy. Here is a look at one of the spreads of the portfolio on the stand, and it just so happens to be Ethra VanDalia...

Portfolio featuring all of the current original drawings on a custom built stand.

Last, but certainly not least, here is an exclusive preview of the portfolio! Have a little look as I flip through some of the pages. After Illuxcon I will share a look at every page! If you are attending Illuxcon the monster are eager to meet you, if can't attend, I will leave you with the preview...

Teaser flip through of the portfolio that will be debuted at Illuxcon.
(This video is acting a little weird over on Blogger, head on over to YouTube to watch it clearly!)

For more samples of my work head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Gray Wanderer - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

 

Gray Wanderer

9 x 12 - Pencil on paper 

© 2014 Christopher Burdett

2563.4

            The Gray Wanderer remains one of the biggest mysteries of the Bazaar. There are many theories as to what the Gray Wander is and to why it only appears at night in the oldest parts of the Bazaar. There has yet to be any substantial evidence to prove these theories, let alone give any definitive insight into its origins. Confirmed sightings of the Gray Wanderer date back at least fifteen hundred years. There is anecdotal evidence contained in the Books of Jungli that would suggest that the Gray Wanderer might be as old as the Bazaar itself.

The Vault of Credulity and Vault of Advertence state that the Gray Wanderer is a ghost or similar malevolent spirit, but this does not explain many of the eyewitness accounts regarding its actions and behaviors. There are a great many records in Grgur’s Tome of Peculiar Events and Grgur’s Tome of Fugacious Events of the Gray Wanderer simply wandering along streets seeming to browse the storefronts. The Gray Wanderer is said to inspect the various goods for sale, almost as if it is trying to understand the items or ascertain their purposes. This is not the general behavior of the ghost population of the Bazaar. The physical appearance described in the witness statements also does not align with any ghost or specter on record.

Comparing the descriptions from Quirmiere’s Compendium of Beasts, the Ouroboros Chronicles, and numerous eyewitness accounts from the past several hundred years, the Gray Wanderer is described as being in the range of eight to ten standard Bazaar cubits in height. It has pale tentacles upon its in face, hands, and feet which lead some to believe that its entire body is covered in tentacles. Its eyes have been described as being a brilliant white, a dull red-orange of a dying fire, and even a swallowing black that is darker than the deepest cave. The Gray Wanderer is cloaked and shrouded in many layers of well-worn gray fabric and leather, which is generally believed where the Wanderer obtained its name. It carries a lamp of magickal or animal in nature and consorts with a bird, or similar creature, that never leaves the Gray Wanderer’s shoulder. All about its body are many talismans, bobbles, and chains made of pewter or similar metal, and when combined with its awkward gait gives it a singular sound as it walks.

The Malison Achieves described the approach of the Gray Wanderer as being heralded with the chimes of your own coffin nails. I find this description overly dramatic and plays into the fears of the Gray Wanderer. While it is true the Gray Wanderer has killed, I have found in all but one or two instances that those killed were the first to strike. Stranger still, in most situations when the Gray Wanderer has slain an attacker it has returned life to the dead attacker. If restoring life to the deceased was not enough, the Gray Wander often cures any disease and illness that the individual had in life. These actions and abilities go well beyond that of any ghost or specter cataloged. There are reports in the Ouroboros Chronicles of the Gray Wanderer appearing and vanishing into thin air, but this alone should not be used to conclude that the Gray Wander is merely a ghost.

My findings rule out the Gray Wanderer being a ghost and suggest that we are dealing with something that is unique, extremely powerful, and vastly older than previously imagined.

Agatha Luculent Habile, Acolyte of the Impure Husk

(Research submission)

For more samples of my work head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia!

Welcome to The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia! If you are familiar with my work or if you follow my main blog, then you might be familiar with The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia. If not, let me introduce you to the world I am creating.

The Grand Bazaar is just that, a massive city sized marketplace created by the being known as Ethra VanDalia. The Grand Bazaar has existed for thousands of years and is inhabited by monsters and creatures who sell their wares, do business, and otherwise live their lives in the ever expanding warren of shops, towers, and dungeons. Every monster has a story and I plan to use The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia to tell them all.

This is an ongoing project and is very much in production. When I have created all of the art, written all of the stories, and have it all completed I will be bringing it to Kickstarter to help fund the project as a book. I have a lot planned and I hope that you will join me in this endeavor to see it a reality.

While I will be able to find updates of my progress on my main blog, this blog will be used exclusively to share the monsters already created, the monsters I am currently working on, and updates on the entire project as things advance. I plan to also share exclusives and sneak peeks of things in production that you will not be able to find anywhere else. In addition, the content on this blog will be presented in a similar fashion to what you will eventually see the final book, so you will be introduced to characters, places, and aspects of the Grand Bazaar. You won't learn all the secrets, but you definitely get a glimpse of what awaits for you at the Grand Bazaar.

Simply put, this will be the place to get all the details and information on The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia!

For more samples of my work head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com