Call for Illustrators

[Zooggy]

Hello, fellow THNers,

I would like to know if any of you would be interested in submitting pro-bono artwork for a space opera RPG supplement I'm building. I intend to sell it, but we're dumping 100% of the proceeds into charity.

The whys and the wherefores are here: Agora – Solar System goes Space Opera

Whoever submits artwork for this will retain any and all copyrights to the art. In doesn't even have to be new stuff. If you've used it before in other projects, as long as it's still yours, we welcome it. All we require is the license to use it in this particular work, in whatever page and layout we choose, though recommendations are naturally welcome.

Also, anyone who submits credible* artwork immediately gets a full copy of the text as is (i.e. sans art), and if the artwork is actually used**, they get a free copy of the final PDF. It's only fair.

Let me know either here or via PM if you'd like to participate.

Cheers,
J.

(*) "Credible" doesn't mean it's your bestest work ever. It just means it wasn't drawn by your eight-year-old niece and it wasn't drawn on a paper napkin while you were waiting for the subway, and stuff like that. It's seriously not going to be a problem, as long as people are reasonable, and in a place like this, I have full faith and confidence in that.

(**) Chances are it will get used, but whether it actually is depends on how much artwork we end up getting. Right now, the document stands at just over 30 A4 pages in Times New Roman 11. (That's somewhat similar to 8.5x11, for you yankees out there that are unaware of proper European paper sizes... ) We're aiming to produce a 48-page booklet, or maybe a 64-pager in A5 with a slightly smaller typeface. (That's very close to the page size used in the Apocalypse World book.) I have no idea whether we'll be able to pull that off within a reasonable time frame.

 

[Silk]

I'm teaching myself Adobe Illustrator right now as it happens, so if you have any specifics in mind, let me know and I'll kill two birds with one stone (practise and produce usable art).

 

[Zooggy]

Hoy,

if you have any specifics in mind, let me know and I'll kill two birds with one stone

I don't. I'm sure you've watched enough space opera, though , so just draw something that strikes your fancy.

Have you read through the samples on the blog post? Did any of them create a visual image for you? Go with it.

Cheers,
J.

 

[Silk]

Hoy,



I don't. I'm sure you've watched enough space opera, though , so just draw something that strikes your fancy.

Have you read through the samples on the blog post? Did any of them create a visual image for you? Go with it.

Cheers,
J.

I'm confused by what "it" actually is - sounds like a tabletop RPG you are making or some such?

Anyways I can have a crack at the Agora space station, though I'd rather draw a race (but didn't see any descriptive text on a race anywhere so unless you want me to totally make it up..)

 

[Zooggy]

Hey,

Yeah, tabletop RPG. Specifically, it's a space opera "world" for Solar System, which is an agnostic system distilled from The Shadow of Yesterday, a rather innovative and awesome fun sword and sorcery game.

As for the races, there are Humans, Geckos, Skarts and Hoya:

• Humans are, well, humans.
• Geckos are fully sentient, upright cold-blooded reptilians. They are lithe and athletic, and some, but not all, have vicious claws and teeth. They're also the only species that is non-human in origin.
• Skarts are descended from humans, having undergone long isolation and accelerated, yet natural, mutation. They have paler and bluer skin and hair tones, and their eye lids are vertical. They see into the infrared and have natural psionic abilities.
• The Hoya are also descended from humans, but they are essentially cibernetic beings. Some of them can shut themselves down. A dead or shut down Hoya is essentially indistinguishable from a dead human, but their eyes are always artificial, so you can go with that, if you want. Their story is very space-opera-y. I'm just going to copy-paste from the document and you can judge for yourself...

Alatar was a common and unremarkable planet, and would have remained so for the whole of history, if not for three particular details, the convergence of which was to have a profound impact on the galaxy. The first was the establishment of the Estebán T. Hoya Center for Bionic and Cybernetic Research, named in homage to the then long deceased politician. The second was the longest and most violent sub-space storm in galactic history, which kept the planet completely isolated for well over a hundred years. The third was a plague that hit the planet about five years after the start of the storm, so virulent and deadly that it almost wiped out the planet’s entire population.

The Alataran Plague had a ninety percent mortality rate, and it caused incurable neurological blindness and loss of both long and short term memory forming capacity in ninety percent of the survivors. The plague virus also affected both male and female reproductive cells, effectively turning those neurological symptoms into irreversible hereditary conditions.

Any other colony would have been destroyed by these events. On Alatar, however, the scientists and technicians of the Hoya Research Center turned their highly experimental technology into the answer that would save the planet. This answer did not come without a price, however. Today, the Hoya, as they came to call themselves, is a species apart. Like their Skart cousins, they are separated from their human ancestry by genetic accident and a desperate drive to survive. Totally adapted to and dependent on their bionic and cybernetic implants to even function normally, they do reproduce, but only by acquiring parts and components for their offspring, which are installed in a series of high risk surgical procedures, which is why there are so few of them throughout the galaxy.

Might as well list out the cultures too. All of the following "nations" encompass several hundred planets and star systems. Also note that there is no correlation between race and culture. One can play anything and be from anywhere.

• The Terran Federation is your standard Star Trek type civ. They are masters of diplomacy and etiquette. Some Terran characters can be Diplomatic Envoys as a special background.
• The Tholian Empire is a militaristic and oppressive dictatorship. They are masters of combat. Some Tholian characters can be high-ranking Naval Officers.
• The Kingdom of Gemmel is a feudal kingdom with lots of dukes and counts and whatnots. They are masters of intrigue and espionage. Some Gemmelian characters can be "blue-blooded" nobles. (They don't actually have blue blood, it's just an expression.)
• The Sartorian Expanse is a fundamentalist theocracy ruled by a closed caste of holy inquisitors. Their faith moves mountains, some times literally... Some Sartorian characters can be inquisitors.
• The Aryes Trade Union is a corporate-owned interstellar plutocracy where all that matters is profit. They are masters of trade and networking. There is no special optional background for Aryes characters.
• Finally, Spacers are characters without a home planet, who have developed their own galactic culture based on subterfuge and roguishness.

That should be plenty to get you on your way.

Cheers,
J.

 

[Silk]

Sounds awesome

I'll have a crack at a spacer Gecko first then.

 

[Zooggy]

Hoy,

I'll have a crack at a spacer Gecko first then.

Sweet!

Cheers,
J.

 

[Zooggy]

Ahey,

Sounds awesome

I'll have a crack at a spacer Gecko first then.

So... any news on this front?

Cheers,
J.

 

[Silk]

Hah! Good point

Alright consider me duly poked

 

[Silk]

OK zoogs, hope this is what ya wanted.

I can do one HD in any res you want, as it's vector art.

 

[Zooggy]

Hey,

Heh, that looks nice and roguish!

I shall send you the full text of the game manual, maybe you'll glean further inspiration for more stuffs from it!

Cheers,
J.