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Author Topic: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)  (Read 10529 times)

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #25 on: October 06, 2019, 08:44:26 PM »
Cheers, folks! He appreciate your comments, and read them all. Druid fightclub perhaps?  :smile2:


Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Original fan content

"It's a shame you can't just pick up the Ogham Stones and take them with you, they're so helpful casting spells, but never in exactly the right place when you need them" - Boio Windspeaker, Truthsayer of The Circle. Unwitting inventor of the Henge Chariot.

The Ogham Stones augment the winds of magic, improving the quality of spell, and ease of casting. Other Truthsayers scoffed and even laughed at Boio's idea, but when he took it into battle there was no laughing, only the screams of his enemies.

Offline Warlord

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #26 on: October 06, 2019, 08:57:55 PM »
Thats kinda ridiculous... I would think more like a chariot pulling only one on its side with wheels would be actually practical - that looks WAY too heavy to actually work.
Quote from: Gneisenau
I hate people who don't paint their armies, hate them with all my guts. Beats me how they value other things over painting, like eating or brushing teeth.

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #27 on: October 18, 2019, 03:41:48 AM »
Haha, then it's magical!  :-P

Master de Witte has started to pick up on concept ideas from over on Chaos Dwarfs Online:


Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Unofficial fan content

Bowlers are large (even for a warrior of Albion) slingers who hurl large stones. You may think you need to get close to not have to confront getting your helm caved-in by massive stones. But upon inspecting their size, you may think out-ranging them with your own missiles would be a smarter approach. At higher levels, these men wear better armour and hurl magical carved shots imbued by Truthsayers. While they can't throw as far as a normal slinger, they hit extremely hard.

Thanks for the inspiration from a user from a message board by the name of Uther the Unhinged. Who suggested magical sling stones. I think it's a great way to add to their uniqueness!

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #28 on: October 20, 2019, 06:47:56 AM »
Chief Begorix and Hoggarix



Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Begoix is chief of the Boreni. The tribe is located nearby the main herding grounds of great hogs which it uses as mounts. These animals have potential to grow greater in size than the other boars of Albion and the Old World, and Begorix rides Hoggarix, who comes from a bloodline cultivated by the chieftains of old to be the largest and most spirited of all great hogs. He and his tribe take the mantle of protecting the Great Ogham, The most important and largest stone circle in Albion, it channels much of the power that is used by Truthsayers. Knowledge and wisdom old and new is recorded upon its many stone edifices by the Truthsayers. He is immensely proud to a fault, he does not allow for anyone of other tribes to trespass without the blessings of the native Thruthsayers.

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #29 on: October 22, 2019, 06:59:49 AM »

Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Unofficial fan content

Though fierce warriors all, the natives of Albion do enjoy sporting. Even so, it is a violent game, with many finding their mouths on the receiving end of a hurley. Those competent enough at the sport may decide to convert it into warfare, striking stone balls at their enemies, then switching to bladed sticks, with a metal pommel so it can be used for smashing heads after ammunition is gone. These warriors can strike their shots while moving and hit them further than the "bowlers" can throw.   

I was watching an Irish film and had this idea strike me. While I'm not sure how far one can hit a stone with a hurley, and then there being enough force behind it to kill, let's just conveniently suspend that part of reality shall we? :D

Armor was inspired by the Glauberg Prince, combined with Halstatt studs.

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #30 on: October 29, 2019, 07:30:04 AM »

Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Unofficial fan content

The Truthsayers know a myriad of secrets, not all of them are good. The ability to animate the Manhirs and Manoliths into machinations of war are one thing, the Wicker Men are more curious still. Even rarer, and of dubious origins, they instill fear in their allies and enemies. A chieftain will not turn away the help but it will give him unease. What powers them? What causes the being to burn without being consumed? Ask not, only see the path to victory before you, whose blazing trail has been bought with the screams of the burning soul trapped within.

Offline Warlord

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #31 on: October 29, 2019, 09:34:24 AM »
Interesting!
Quote from: Gneisenau
I hate people who don't paint their armies, hate them with all my guts. Beats me how they value other things over painting, like eating or brushing teeth.

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #32 on: October 30, 2019, 09:17:04 AM »
For sure!



Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Unofficial fan content

These great warriors are tasked with protecting the most sacred stone circles that populate Albion. While a standard standing-stone channels and amplifies the Winds of Magic, the stone circles don't just amplify them greatly, but contain wisdom and knowledge from the aeons inscribed in ogham upon them. They are of utmost importance to the peoples of Albion, and must have their chosen protectors.

I wanted to show the ways I could make La Tene inspired plate armour. And design a non-charcter hero-style unit

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #33 on: November 04, 2019, 01:47:41 PM »

Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
The Cornu is a magical war trumpet that inspires its army to feats of glory, each style has its own sound and affects the listener differently. The immense amount of work and care that goes into each one belies its importance to the people of Albion. These are not common instruments, neither is it a common man who plays them!

--------------------

I wanted to combine the different styles of La Tene trumpets. But I'm not sure where I got the idea for a wrap-around. I most definitely saw it somewhere.

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #34 on: November 05, 2019, 02:02:24 PM »

Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Unofficial fan content

The hold is constructed upon the ruins of an ancient structure built by Old Ones. The demon Be'lakor, and the labour of slaves assembled the Citadel, most of which died, upon his leaving the island it came under the control of the wizard Ternoash, who visits on occasion but leaves in the hands of his many puppets.  It is hidden deep in the Chaos tainted North, nigh impossible to find in the heavy mists and treacherous bogs that surround it, and even when you do find it, what will you do but despair? The walls are woven with lead, and the central tower is completely metal while twisted abominations created by the Deceiver lurch and flap between the ramparts. While the demon Be'lakor was able to garrison and arm the citadel to the brim, it is still powerful without him.

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #35 on: November 08, 2019, 01:19:23 PM »

Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Unofficial fan content

Buddug is the great eagle riding archer, Chief of the Toulenii.

I wanted to redesign her helmet as it is the personality of the character and I felt that the original was too generic. and I wanted to draw her for fun.

Offline Zygmund

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #36 on: November 09, 2019, 07:50:43 AM »
Really nice illustrations of people and their gear!

The citadel, ahem....

-Z
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Offline Gankom

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #37 on: November 09, 2019, 04:16:02 PM »
Art is fantastic as always, and I like the fluff blurbs. Really doing a good job filling out the island.

Offline Cèsar de Quart

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #38 on: November 10, 2019, 11:08:21 AM »
Veeery nice work on Budugg. I love the helmet and the feathers on the hair.

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #39 on: November 16, 2019, 11:59:54 PM »
Cheers folks! de Witte is heading in the right direction, then. :)


Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
All chaos followers actively seek the favour of the Dark Gods, and yet they are fickle with their "blessings" coming in many awful forms, most of the time the negative outweighing the positive. Within the North of Albion the mist-laiden bogs contain secrets that should not be found and many who seek its power return forever translated into mindless mutants of a myriad of shapes.

Ternoash is a wizard of exceptional power, and such Tzeentch has granted him the gift to bestow mutations upon subjects. This is done within his massive cauldron in the central tower of the Citadel of Lead, and is one of the only "sure" ways of gaining powers via mutations. That said, perhaps asking "The Deceiver" for power by hopping into a mutagenic cauldron inside a dread citadel is not the most intelligent course of action. Very few if any return with cognitive ability above that of a simple beast, thus they become enslaved to Ternoash.

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #40 on: November 23, 2019, 06:52:36 PM »

Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Unofficial fan content

The Carnyx has immense magical properties, it is as rare as it is powerful and so is the magic woven into the earth that suspends it across the field of battle. The massive instrument must be held up by arms of arcbronze laden with gold, and played by three individuals. It confers immense strength unto its allies, the mere sight of it rallies men to the most lost of causes.

I wanted to bring in a carnyx, but I didn't want it to be the same as the cornu I already depicted. So I made it really really big. But how would it be held? It would need something to hold it up. After I figured out the type of stand for it, it took me many drawings to figure out how it would be brought to the battlefield. Originally on a chariot, but I had enough of drawing them for now, and I felt that it was getting repetitive. I remembered that Karl Kopinski painting of Karl Franz fighting a giant, with the floating towers in the background and it gave me an idea to make a floating henge-hillock of sorts suspended by magic. This took about a week to properly flesh out the idea working between that and other art and fighting a cold.

Offline Zak

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #41 on: November 27, 2019, 03:11:08 AM »
wow
Yes I'm dyslexic so what

Offline Georg Hegel

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #42 on: December 07, 2019, 08:01:07 PM »
Phenomenal work! Is this pure for art's sake or commisioned?

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #43 on: July 23, 2020, 09:32:12 PM »
This is personal art, not commissioned, by de Witte. :)

This map has been shared by Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl over on Lustria Online:



Quote from: Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl
As Matt hasn’t created any Albion artwork of late due to other projects, to keep this thread going I’ve been working on a map of Albion and the various factions on it, based upon one that @Warden made for his Dragon Isles Samurai Clans in one of his lore threads (here). I’ve included all three of the major tribes that Matt has devised, plus territory that belongs to the Truthsayers as I thought they would have the same level of power the Druids had over the actual Celtic tribes (I would say akin to that which the Pope possessed over the various countries of Medieval Europe), surviving enclaves of Fimir (as I found that some of them still live on the island), the armies of corrupted tribesmen that follow Be’lakor (which I’ve called the Hordes of Shadow or Shadow Clans) and the Norse, as they’re portrayed as controlling much of Albion in Warhammer: Total War and I thought it would provide continuity to replicate some of that.

The emblems were all borrowed from Rome: Total War, Rome II: Total War (in the case of the Truthsayers emblem) and Warhammer: Total War (the emblems for all three of the evil factions here are Norse faction emblems in the game, but I thought the green one would be good for Fimir because of the central ‘eye’ in the middle of the four Chaos spikes, and the Chaos star would be appropriate for Be’lakor’s corrupted clansmen)

...

I’ve decided to revise my map to acknowledge this segment of Matt’s feedback:

I’ve incorporated the Great Ogham into Boreni territory and swapped the positions of the Belenii and Toulenii around to give the Belenii access to the Tower of Llenog (which actually isn’t on this map but on a similar more detailed version is present in the region I’ve given to the Belenii, between the two lots of marshes).

Offline Gankom

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #44 on: July 24, 2020, 09:32:31 PM »
I always love the art in these. A little surprised by the amount of territory taken by chaos on Albion but it makes more sense after rereading some of the fluff blurbs.

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #45 on: September 10, 2020, 09:53:31 AM »
Cheers, Gankom! Surprising to me as, but it makes sense.

From E-mail conversation with Matt de Witte:

Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Truthsayers

The moral, legal, spiritual, and cultural guides of the people of Albion are also powerful mages. But only those that hold any sway on these aforementioned institutions on the isle are a part of the mysterious Circle of Truthsayers, a hierarchy of individuals headed by The Seven, The Three, then The One, in that order. The Seven are not of little note, they hold great sway on the island and are active in its politics. The Three are the heads of each sanctioned discipline of magic Light, Life, and the Hunt, with the foremost being Life, seen as the most benevolent. The One is Draoiorix, the most powerful being on Albion, The Formless One. 
Though they practice the same disciplines as other races only 3 are sanctioned by Circle Truthsayers. It is possible to practice others but they are only discovered on your own and not taught by The Circle. The only possibility to gain proficiency is to seek outside assistance. If one does go on the path of another discipline of magic, you will be exiled from The Circle, you may still fight for Albionic tribes, a chieftain will likely not refuse such help, but it comes at the cost of losing this grand connection to the most powerful group in Albion.

Spells used on here are not like any other because the island is isolated, thus, it did not develop along the same path as the outside world. Though some may closely resemble those invoked by other races it is purely a coincidence.

You may practice other forms of magic openly, though it is frowned upon by the Truthsayer aristocracy. You may not practice these forms if you want to hold any position of power or be included in the Order of the Truthsayers. It will cause you to be immediately expelled if you are caught, and even if it happened in the past. This is a large reason for some to leave the order to become mercenaries, heretics, and outcasts. Though it must be added that there have been good and noteworthy men and women who have used magics of other forms to benefit Albion and its tribes. But those who dabble in these magics, combined with their spurned nature oft turn to Chaos, becoming Dark Emissaries.

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #46 on: May 27, 2022, 01:34:43 PM »
Wicker Man



Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Some souls never rest, and those whose fury rages from the beyond continues to do so in the mortal plane. Only the highest Truthsayer can beckon the bravest souls from their interdimensional home of the Isle of Wights to return. But they must have a vessel to return to: their old armour, standing stones,  or in this case a woooden idol. But souls are not always the purest, those who lived their lives on the field of battle can not be expected to set aside these traumatic experiences so easily even after death of their human vessel. These are the Wicker Men. Powerful warriors in life whose anger burns with ethereal energy, whose flames repeatedly consume the idol constructed for them to return to.

-   -   -

From e-mail conversation:

[quote="Matthew Klaas de Witte]Isle of Wights

Albion tribes believe that the souls of brave souls both men and animals go to rest on the Isle of Wights. The island itself is physical, but upon it is an interdimensional portal between realms. The body does not travel to the island. The island is one of the greatest prizes to Necromancers, though none have set foot there of course, it is defended by the God of the Dead, and the dead spirits that inhabit it.

Some souls that go are not finished with their work in the realm of mortals, though they are not allowed leave the island, they can be beckoned by Circle Truthsayers and infused into things like Manhirs, or Wicker Men depending on their personality in life. Even a suit of armour, so long as it is physical. These souls still have thoughts and memories of their lives and may even visit loved ones or descendants. The Circle Truthsayer does not have the final say on if the soul can return, but is a request to the God of the Dead who has the final say in the matter.

Only the bravest men can be beckoned to return as Spirit Warriors, they inhabit their arms and armour they used in life so long as it is not utterly destroyed. They are among the most powerful units available to Albion, because they difficult to banish back to the Isle of Wights, and they were mighty warriors in life.

Examples of Spiritual units: Manhirs, Wicker Man, Manolith, Spirit Warriors, Stone horses (boars and stags as well).[/quote]

Offline Rowsdower

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #47 on: May 27, 2022, 02:08:46 PM »
I NEVER get tired of seeing 'Lost' Eriksons landings

Offline Karak Norn Clansman

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #48 on: June 04, 2022, 10:01:19 AM »
@Rowsdower: Hahaha, neither do I!  :::cheers:::

Amber Truthsayers



Quote from: Matthew Klaas de Witte
Original fan content

As the people of Albion have little inhibitions about the human form, Amber wizards wear little to no clothing, a cloak of fur, and of course as their status of Truthsayer demands, much jewellery of magical or purely aesthetic qualities. They are muscular and lean like the animals they can shapeshift into. They pale in comparison to other human wizards that study this lore this way, as a nature worshiping culture would: wild things are honoured and therefore are a trait worthy of seeking as it is one of the three lores approved of by Draoiorix and the Circle of Truthsayers.
Truthsayers that study the Hunt can call real or summon more powerful ethereal beasts to do their bidding. They also give strength to animals that follow them into battle antlers, teeth, hide, and talons become like steel. The most talented can use these enchantments on men or themselves. They can shapeshift into mighty beasts as well and is perhaps their most beloved quality among their kin.

Trying out many combinations of media

Offline Rowsdower

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Re: WHFB Albion Concept Artwork by Matthew Klaas de Witte (Deviantart)
« Reply #49 on: June 12, 2022, 07:54:36 AM »
^ Armour tips from Lana Clarkson in Deathstalker 1