I am very close to complete the sculpting on the Aurok and the Wanderer King!
This project seems to be infinite but I think it's turning out pretty nice... The hoofs were sculpted to resemble the ones of the Ogre Stonehorn (which will be another addition to the warband as soon as I get some tribesmen done) as I am trying to tie it to the rest of the beasts of the planes, like if they had a similar evolution or something.
Now it's just a matter of finishing the rear of the beast and adding some details, like the reins (I might go with a more savage approach and have the knight grabbing the Aurok's crest because I'm not very comfortable with the idea of reins on what is essentially a prehistoric bull... Suggestions?
I think no reins for the model seems to fit the background you have given to your wandering king. To me the mount also looks more like the wandering king's companion that he walks alongside mot of the time with and only ride the bull when having to fight. Whatever you choose to do, really inspirational modelling and world building!
ReplyDeleteYES! You perfectly understood the character I was trying to give to the model! I have been trying to give the Aurok an almost human expression (somehow similar to the one of a beastman) to underline that, although he is a savage beast, he is majestic and intelligent. As you said it is the Wanderer King companion, so the idea of reins and saddle is not really great. Unfortunately the model of the lord celestant has the legs fused to the body of his mount and on a saddle and would have been really complicated to remove it. Coming back I would have tried it anyway but now I can't do much I'm afraid, the saddle will remain and the point is... If he built a saddle why would he not use reins??
ReplyDeleteThere is some similarities of your Wandering King+Bull with Wood Elves aesthetics to me and, if I remember correctly, the Glade Riders, Wild Riders. and hero on Great Stag all have saddles of some sort but with no reins. I assume a touch with the hand or talking to their mounts on how/where to move without the need of reins to control. So for my imagination, it won't look that strange to have saddle without reins. It might look strange without reins if the saddle is very elaborate/ornate though. I can't really see the saddle in your pictures. If you decide to go with reins I think something simple and not too ornate should work just fine.
DeleteTo second what Akai said, Wood Elf glade riders have such a strong connection with their mounts that they communicate almost instinctively with them, to the point where they only need to think of the command. Following the lore you're trying to establish between the Wanderer King and the Aurok I think reins would be counter-productive since they convey the sense that the Wanderer King must command and control the Aurok. It might be splitting hairs a bit but either way looks great so far!
ReplyDeleteyou guys convinced me! No reins then, so be it!
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