The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia is NOW AVAILABLE!

At long last, The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia is now available for purchase! With all that is going on in the world, I am thrilled that this is happening only a month behind schedule. The book and the enamel pins are over on my store, and I have several options so that you can get the books and pins that you want. Here are all of the options available and some details on each product, and of course, welcome to the Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia!

The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia Hardcover

The Grand Bazaar hardcover is the first book set in a world I first envisioned twenty-two years ago. The book features a red faux leather cover with embossed gold printing, 245 pages of art and stories, nearly 100 pieces of art, a fold-out map, and more! Take your first step into the Grand Bazaar with this book.

The Stats Guide

(Collected Guide of Reference Statistics and Cataloged Research Calculations pertaining to the Beings and Beasts of the Grand Bazaar of Ethra)

Want to take your Dungeons & Dragons game to the Grand Bazaar or want to bring some of the denizens of the Grand Bazaar into your game? Then the Stats Guide is perfect for you. This 84-page pocket guide contains all of the 5th Edition stats needed to use the monsters and beings from the hardcover into your game. The stats guide has been created as a book set in the Grand Bazaar and continues to world build and add to the story found in the hardcover.

The Grand Coloring Book of Ethra VanDalia

Do you like to color monsters and the world they live in? Then you will want to get a copy of the Grand Coloring Book of Ethra VanDalia. The coloring book features all of the main art from the hardcover as line art ready to be colored. Each page is backed with solid black to allow markers or similar wet media to be used without the need to worry about bleeding.

There are additionally several options to mix and match these books, or you can purchase all three books in one transaction!

Deluxe Clamshell Edition

Lastly, there is the Deluxe Clamshell edition of the books. All three books come in a special clamshell case. These are limited to an edition of 100, and each comes with a signed and number bookplate that features an original drawing. Over half of these sold during the Kickstarter, and once they are gone, they are gone.

Enamel Pins

Proudly wear the crest of Ethra VanDalia or show your support for the Yote and the Construct Guild with these high-quality enamel pins. Be the envy of your friends and enemies when you wear your Grand Bazaar pins!

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

Selection From the Aberrant Stilter Entry - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Aberrant Stilter

11 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Original - Currently not available
© 2014 Christopher Burdett

Excerpt from a lecture on the importance of learning new languages

It had not yet been a year since I had become an Acolyte with the Impure Husk when I was selected for a research mission heading to the island of Druth. Or is it Druya? Or Drutha? No matter, to the island where the Stilters dwell. To be selected for this assignment at such an early age with minimal experience was a great honor, to say the least. The honor was not lost on me, for even then I had my wits about me. I may have still been wet behind the ears and ignorant to the complexities of the Bazaar, but I knew to grab the brass ring when it was in front of me. How I planned and prepared for that mission. Day and night, I would study the Stilter’s language and their ways, not that either is very complicated. I would pack and unpack my equipment, making sure I had all I needed and to make sure everything was arranged just so. You cannot imagine the mishaps that can occur if you are unable to retrieve a needed item from your rucksack in the middle of research. A spare quill, additional parchment, or even a book of translations, if they cannot be called forth in a moments notice there is the likelihood important information can be lost. So I would pack, unpack, and pack again until it was perfect.

If this mission was not exciting enough, an airship was hired to take us to the island! I had never been on an airship before, and I had many a sleepless night lying there in bed thinking about what it would be like to soar through the skies. I was a little nervous too, for airships are not without their hazards and flying is as of yet not a refined art. In the end, I think I was more excited than nervous.
I could not sleep at all the night before we departed. I laid in bed awake for what felt like an eternity. I got out of bed and paced in my room for a while. I then had a snack, I even tried to read, but nothing was working. I chose not to recheck my pack for I knew it was perfect. Finally, I decided to go for a walk, clear my head, and take in some night air. The Bazaar was quieter than usual that night. I walked a few streets out from the tower, and on my return, I came upon a Stilter on duty. What luck! Here was a perfect opportunity to try out my language skills before arriving on the island. I knew if this went well, my mind would be at ease, and I could finally sleep.

 I approached the Stilter and in a loud voice said, “Berr kreuw Iishlukmaw. Istrew verd?” There was an uncomfortable silence as it pivoted around and looked down at me. It stared at me with its dull yellow eyes just long enough that doubt entered my hearts, and I feared I had made a terrible mistake. Then in a booming voice, it replied, “Gruest verd, wuk.” Success! I had made contact and was having an exchange with an actual Stilter. All those hours of studying had paid off, and I knew I was prepared for the mission, but I was not prepared for the odor of that Stilter’s breath. It was also unsettling for the Stilter to refer to me as ‘food.’

That was when a second, larger Stilter came around a corner and joined in the conversation. This second Stilter, who had the most delicate orange spots running down its neck and arms, was a lot more talkative as well as curious as to why I could speak their language. It was touch and go for a while as we found the limits of my vocabulary and syntax. In the end, I think we had a charming and informative conversation. That was when I noticed how bright it was. The sun was well into the sky by the time I returned to the tower. Proctor Chr-po Za’que was furious and a little concerned. No one had been able to find me, and they had feared the worst. The research team had waited as long as they could while others searched, but the airship was on a strict schedule, and they had to depart. The team was gone, I had missed the airship, and I had squandered the opportunity that was given to me.
After the team failed to return a second expedition was sent out to investigate. An account of the mission was found in what was left of the airship on the Stilter’s island. There had been an issue with the balloons, and they were forced to land. The Stilters appear to have eaten all aboard as well as a good portion of the cabin. I should have been among the dead, and yet I missed that fate by getting into a lengthy conversation with a pair of Stilters. The twists and turns of life are like that sometimes.

Reginald Blatherskite - Anointed Seer of the Impure Husk
Excerpt from a lecture on the importance of learning new languages - 2038.7

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

Spot Art - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Access Medallions, Tokens, Keys, and Tickets
8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Currently not available
© 2020 Christopher Burdett

A complex system of entry gates was created at departure points in the Bazaar and arrival points on the platforms to limit access to the air platforms. If a being is to pass through these gates, they need to possess the appropriate object, be it a key, ticket, medallion, or token. These objects are little more than a secret handshake or passphrase, for they do not open any door or unlock any bolt. Merely displaying them shows you are among the privileged few that have access to the air shops.

-Ethra VanDalia

Street Food - Skewered poockele with hawcberry, Big Groow-lee’s kabob sampler, and raw netnete with grilled hooul’c slice 
8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Currently not available
© 2020 Christopher Burdett

The most desired food options can often be found in the most congested areas of the Bazaar. Many of the races of Kiervis have elaborate and ritualized cooking and consumption practices. Even so, much of the food consumed in the Bazaar is done while completing other tasks. This need for quick meals has given rise to a diverse and thriving community of street chefs. Nearly every race residing in the Bazaar can find a vendor selling traditional dishes that are ready to eat. Complicated meals have been reinvented to allow ease of consumption while moving and working, and new delicacies have been created specifically for those living in the Bazaar

-Ethra VanDalia

Lucky Mouth 
8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Currently not available
© 2020 Christopher Burdett

The Bazaar is continually in a state of construction, deterioration, and repair. Many tens of thousands of feet, paws, and hoofs upon the street stones quickly create ruts. An often touched surface will soon show the wear of the multitude of hands, claws, and tentacles upon it. The Lucky Mouth is a piece of sculpture that originally sat next to the southern gate of Hollow Alley when it was the outer wall of the Bazaar. If one were to touch it when entering the Bazaar, it was believed they would be granted good fortune. After centuries of providing luck, Lucky Mouth was removed to prevent it from being wholly destroyed. After its removal, the wall behind where the sculpture originally sat became the replacement luckstone. This practice continued until the next outer wall of the Bazaar was constructed. A hole three cubits in diameter remains to this day in the wall of Hollow Alley.

-Ethra VanDalia

Prototype Cranial Housing 
8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Currently not available
© 2020 Christopher Burdett

This housing unit contained the brain and spinal column of a spotted drant. It was the first successful attempt to place a brain in a mobile chassis. The drant died after damaging its dome falling down a flight of stairs. Domes were given additional layers after this accident and eventually were replaced with metal.

-Ethra VanDalia

Grasping Branch 
8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Currently not available
© 2020 Christopher Burdett

This branch of Dillill coral that has grown around a Hol’stidet snail shell is deemed to be a priceless object by thirteen of them kingdoms residing in the seas of Kiervis. Dillill coral has a prolonged growth rate, and the Hol’stidet snail, which is extinct, was thought to bring good luck and a bountiful tide. The combination of the two was considered a boon to whoever possessed it and would bring still waters and plentiful schools to the owner. Many destructive wars were fought to gain ownership of it. During the ninth global undersea conflict, I removed the Grasping Branch from the vaults of the Hoppi’taa Kingdom. In its place, I left crushed and broken fragments of coral. With the treasure believed destroyed, the war ended, and peace once again returned to the waters of this planet.

-Ethra VanDalia

Offerings 
8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Currently not available
© 2020 Christopher Burdett

Over time the offerings left for the dead take on a life of their own. Since space is limited, new offerings are placed atop those left before. The offerings, numbering in the thousands at any one bench, eventually form low walls. The walls shield the benches from the activity of the Bazaar and give protection to those that sit upon them.

-Ethra VanDalia

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

Gray Wanderer Doll - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Gray Wanderer Doll

8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper

Original - Currently not available

© 2020 Christopher Burdett

Dolls and similar figurines of the Gray Wanderer have been made since its first appearance. Parents fill these dolls with herbs, wards, and blessed tokens before giving them to their child. It is believed that any child who sleeps with one of these dolls will remain hidden from the Gray Wanderer's gaze, and thus be safe. There has been no evidence that these dolls have any effect on the appearances or behavior of the Gray Wanderer.

-Ethra VanDalia

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

Removed Sentry Venting Socket - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Removed Sentry Venting Socket

8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper

Original - Currently not available

© 2020 Christopher Burdett

Most, but not all, of Shaper’s creations quickly decompose when damaged beyond functionality. The same occurs with most parts removed from the whole. Even after my best efforts, this venting socket completely liquefied after a day. Without my intervention, it would have been unrecognizable within moments.

-Ethra VanDalia

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

Jwarnen Gecko - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

 Jwarnen Gecko

8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper

Original - Currently not available

© 2020 Christopher Burdett

Awkward on both land and in the water, the Jwarnen gecko is home to both and neither. Because of their docile demeanor and inability to escape even the simplest of cages, they are desirable pets. There is a belief that their pale grey bodies excrete oils that have restorative properties. It is not uncommon to find elderly Fullerines with one or more Jwarnen geckos living mostly symbiotically in their mouths in the hopes that their youth will return.

-Ethra VanDalia

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

Girasol Jewelry - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Girasol Jewelry

  8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
 Original - Currently not available 
© 2019 Christopher Burdett

They are impatient, rude, and completely unhelpful. Why in the world anyone would buy from a Girasol is beyond me. And their offerings for sale are little more than bits of trash, the kind of things that are thrown away after an estate sale.

Ellun Vaask– Shopper

(Excerpt from an Impure Husk interview)

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

Assassination Request Scroll Case - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Assassination Request Scroll Case

  8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
 Original - Currently not available 
© 2019 Christopher Burdett

I met the most delightful lady in the alley while I was emptying the bins. Not sure what came over me, but I talked her ear off about the manor, her Ladyship, and how overworked I was. Without asking, she sent around some of her sons to help out in the kitchen and to tidy things up. They did a marvelous job, and they got the manor spic and span in no time at all. Sadly that was the same day her Ladyship fell down the stairs. So tragic. She never got a chance to see how clean and tidy everything was.

Mrs. Wizzle – Housekeeper

(Excerpt from the report taken by Constable Wadley

after the unexplained death of Ylithic Drivyio)

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

Infernal Pocket Reality - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Infernal Pocket Reality
  8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
 Original - Currently not available 
© 2019 Christopher Burdett

I can't stand them Gullets. I dropped my coin purse once and all of a sudden there it was. Almost like the Gullet was waiting for me to drop it. Before I could do anything, the damnable thing ate my purse, coins and all. I had a great many coins in that purse. A great many. And who is going to reimburse me? Shaper? Ole’ high and mighty Ethra? Not likely. Gullets, can't stand’em.

Tirg L’umbina – Animal Dealer

(Drunken complaint)

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

Gray Wanderer's Talisman - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Gray Wanderer's Talisman
  8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
 Original - Currently not available 
© 2019 Christopher Burdett

My grandmother would tell me bedtime stories about the Wanderer in grey when I was a little girl. I would hide under my bed, scared that the Wanderer would come and take me away. My grandmother would try to comfort me by telling me that there was nothing to fear from the Wanderer if you were not wicked. As a little girl, my grandmother once saw the Wanderer and lived to tell the tale. Her parents said she was a blessed child while her neighbors said she was cursed. All I know is that I would rather not take the chance of meeting the Wanderer to find out which it is.

Vida Thill Saynoraq – Professor of Mathematics

(Personal journal)

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

Bowl of Teeth - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Bowl of Teeth
10 x 8 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
 Original - Currently not available 
© 2019 Christopher Burdett

Those Shaper Sentries always send a cold shiver up my back. What are they called, Footman? Not really sure what it is. All of Shaper’s tools are technically alive, right? Those sentries just sit there all day and all night, never moving. I once saw a Footman stop an intruder that had climbed over a store’s wall after it had closed. The Footman was on the intruder in moments, not sure they ever had a chance. The intruder survived, but there was an awful mess to clean up.

Handrox the IV – Owner and operator of Handrox Perfumes

(Excerpt from an Impure Husk interview)

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

Jarred Wyrshlym - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Jarred Wyrshlym

8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Currently not available
© 2019 Christopher Burdett

Take the Wyrshlym of Thrakaa, for example. Shortly after I arrived on Kiervis, it came to my attention that one of, if not the most intelligent races on this world was on the verge of extinction. The Wyrshlym were small compared to the vast majority of the sentient races of this world. For even though they were small, they possessed the keenest of intellects. Unfortunately, to most other races, they appeared little more than a pest and a threat to livestock and crops. The Wyrshlym did not build great cities, nor did they wield powerful magicks. They were simple beings living day to day, at one with the world. I tried to intervene on their behave before I had built sufficient trust with the beings of Thrakaa. They saw me as an even greater threat than the Wyrshlym, which only accelerated their extermination. It was a common belief at the time that if I was trying to save the Wyrshlym, then they must be truly horrible. My mistake led to the extinction of an entire race, and it has weighed heavily upon me since. My hand in things must go unseen if I am not to disrupt the world any further, for my presence alone is a considerable disruption.

Ethra VanDalia

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

Rebec - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Rebec

8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Currently not available
© 2019 Christopher Burdett

The flute whispers to me, in the dark, as I am falling asleep. I hear the music. It is like nothing I could ever imagine. It is sublime. It haunts me. I have tried to play what I hear, but it is beyond my skill level. I decided to return the flute to that old Eau-de-nil that sold it to me, but his shop is always closed. The flute calls to me to play it. I am scared.

Viss We-Shun Lo - Master Flutist with the Xeni Orchestra

(Personal journal)

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

Sunken Stalls - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Sunken Stalls

16 x 20 - Pencil, acrylic, and ink on paper

© 2018 Christopher Burdett

The greatest diversity on Kiervis can be seen between those that walk the land and those that swim the seas. Each can be utterly alien to the other, and yet eerily similar. The need to expand the Bazaar into the Zweoorn River and Uhtoo Bay was present from the moment the first stone of my tower was laid. The races of the rivers, lakes, and seas had a keen interest in trading with each other and those upon the land. Once the commerce began between those above and below the water their differences quickly became apparent.

Ethra VanDalia

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

Judicator - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Judicator
11 x 14 - Pencil on paper
© 2017 Christopher Burdett

What’s worst than death? Finding yourself in court!

A joke often repeated by members of the Union of Thieves and Scoundrels

(Origins unknown)

I will give it to you straight. If I were you and a constable told me I needed to pay a penalty fee, even if I didn't do anything, I would pay it. Pay it on the spot, right then and there. Yeah, sure, there might be some corruption among the constables, but you do not want to take your chances and have a Judicator give the wrong verdict. Keep your nose clean and stay as far from a Judicator and the courts as possible.

Adeline Spieler – Public Defendant

(Conversation overheard in a bar)

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

Eau-de-nil Elder - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Eau-de-nil Elder

11 x 14 - Pencil on paper

© 2016 Christopher Burdett

2570.4

            The Eau-de-nil are some of the most skilled crafters residing in the Bazaar. Adult Eau-de-nil range from five to seven standard Bazaar cubits in height with the males being larger than the females. Their skin is a mottled gray-green with the color darkening at the end of their six limbs. Most Eau-de-nil are hairless, but it is not uncommon for larger males to have tufts of hair on their backs and around their ears. Their eyes can be dark blue to black, which gives them the appearance of having no pupils.

With four deft hands and a wealth of knowledge that has been passed down over many generations, Eau-de-nil have few crafting rivals. While capable of crafting almost anything they put their hands too, the Eau-de-nil are best known for their musical instruments. Many of the most famous musicians play Eau-de-nil instruments. Not only are the instruments capable of producing the best quality sounds, but the Eau-de-nil are also known to add secrets and surprises to everything they build. It is not uncommon for an Eau-de-nil instrument to have a secret compartment for a weapon, or for that matter to have a hidden weapon built into the instrument. Not all of the secrets of the Eau-de-nil are so aggressive, but like so many, they create what the market demands. I have personally examined musical instruments that contained compartments for extra strings or reeds, a second or even a third additional instrument, and some instruments that can be transformed into different instruments altogether.

There are accounts collected in the Tabellary of Truths that suggest that Eau-de-nil crafted instruments contain magickal properties. That said, there have never been any Eau-de-nil wielders of magicks, and there are no records to indicate the Eau-de-nil have contracted the services of magickal crafters. There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence collected in Grgur’s Tome of Archaic Events from musicians claiming that their instruments can enhance their abilities, generate accompanying music, or even play themselves. Even so, there is still a lack of documented evidence that Eau-de-nil instruments are magickal or are anything more than musical instruments created by superior crafters.

Recently, some Eau-de-nil have begun to move away from focusing on musical instruments. Seeking more profitable and higher demand wares, many have started creating armor and weapons. While still sought after, there is a consensus that these other items lack something that the Eau-de-nil instruments possess. What that missing element is, I cannot say. Perhaps given enough time Eau-de-nil armor will be as widely known and praised as Eau-de-nil instruments.

Agatha Luculent Habile, Acolyte of the Impure Husk

(Research submission)

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

Belled Kreep - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Belled Kreep

11 x 14 - Pencil on paper

© 2014 Christopher Burdett

            2561.1

            The Kreep are a puzzling race. While mentioned at length in Ferieal’s Zoography, Woodbane’s Journal of Beings, and Quirmiere’s Compendium of Beasts there is still no definitive theory as to where they originate or how their society is structured. The Kreep that have been documented stand between four to five standard Bazaar cubits tall. Their bodies range from dark green to a dusky gray with their backs spotted in white and yellow. Their eyes are a brilliant gold with flecks of black. The Kreep’s quills and tentacles can appear pale pink, lavender, or even orange. 

A solitary Kreep will typically appear in a village, town, or even the Bazaar and wonder around ringing its bells while continuously vocalizing. The Kreep get their name from one of their more common vocalizations, or at least a shortened version of it. To this day no being has been able to decipher the hisses, clicks, chirps, and hums that are considered their spoken language. While Ferieal argues that these vocalizations are not a language, the fact that the Kreep appear capable of crafting bells, fabric, leatherwork, and various other handmade objects would give credence that they are intelligent enough to have a spoken language. Ferieal insists that the Kreep are mindless animals that merely collect found objects to adorn their bodies in the act of disguise, mate attraction, or similar instinctual behavior. From my research, this line of thought seems flawed. The Kreep seem drawn to locations inhabited by other beings. They call attention to themselves and attempt to interact with all they encounter. The Kreep are also meaningful with the use of their bells, and melodious patterns are present. Mindless animals are not known for any of these behaviors. 

There are numerous records of Kreep appearing in the Bazaar, stretching back many hundreds of years. Most documents mention a Kreep wondering the streets while ringing and vocalizing before disappearing into the depth of the Bazaar never to be seen again or leaving the Bazaar after a few weeks. In Grgur’s Tome of Uncelebrated Events, there is a notably different record from Izlalish the Knowing involving a Kreep from seven hundred and sixty-seven year ago.

A somewhat confrontational Kreep caught Izlalish the Knowing's attention, and she documented its time in the Bazaar. For several weeks this unusually large Kreep had been ringing its bells extremely loudly, making quite the commotion. The Kreep would step into the path of shoppers, seemingly on purpose, knocking many to the ground. Needless to say, this was causing a certain amount of concern with area shop owners. The confrontations continued until the Kreep crossed paths with a Woofettes. The Woofettes behaved as Woofettes do and after a very brief exchange, it savagely killed the Kreep. The inability of the Kreep and Woofettes to communicate with each other did little to de-escalate the situation. Due to the unusual circumstances of the interaction, the fact that the Woofettes had consumed some of the Kreep, and that the Woofettes was quick with reimbursement to a shop owner for lost sales during the attack and subsequent eating of the corpse, there was only a nominal penalty fee assigned to the Woofettes. What makes this all the stranger is that a second Kreep appeared in the Bazaar the very next day and directly sought out the same Woofettes. Again, being a Woofettes, after a brief interaction there was another dead Kreep. A second attack got the authorities more involved, and the Woofettes was jailed for a short time. Upon the release of the Woofettes, a third Kreep was already waiting for the Woofettes outside the jail. In a somewhat daring move, this third Kreep engaged the Woofettes immediately, and the Woofettes killed the Kreep in front of the constables. After this third fatality, the Woofettes was banished from the Bazaar. A fourth Kreep was approaching the Bazaar as the Woofettes was escorted out of the main gates. The Kreep followed the much faster Woofettes until they were both out of sight to Izlalish the Knowing.

This record only asks more questions than it answers. I fear that the Kreep will remain a mystery as long as their language remains undecipherable.

Agatha Luculent Habile, Acolyte of the Impure Husk

(Research submission)

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