Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School Art Reference: Thacea (Patreon)

Hey everyone! The wait is finally over! The first batch of references for our main cast are now arriving fresh off of the drawing tablet!

First on the list, is none other than our bird friend, Princess Thacea Dilani! Dressed in her titular Transgracian Academy uniform!

Consisting of a simple yet finely tailored tunic and pants colored in the Academy’s more subdued whites, grays, and blacks, the Academy uniform is nothing if not tame in the eyes of the esteemed ranks of the nobility which grace its storied halls.

As expected of the Nexus’ underlying intent of enforcing fealty and conformity on the part of its adjacent realm students, many elements of the uniform play a greater role in subtly enforcing social expectations under the guise of benign and virtuous intentions. The subdued color palette is intentionally designed to provide a canvas with which to contrast with the few elements of the uniform that do possess some color. Namely, the belt and waistline trimmings. As a result it is these aspects of the uniform that immediately stands out.

Nominally starting at a vibrant shade of brown, colors available to the student body range wildly from primary palettes to dizzying displays of exceedingly rare colors. This variety and variation in color and design are earned through what the Academy claims to be a complex system of merit-based awards. Designed to honor those who demonstrate outstanding feats of personal achievement, or acts of chivalrous honor, the Academy primarily awards exemplary displays of academic, intellectual, magical, chivalrous or martial accomplishments.

Though, as always, the truth as with most things in the Academy can be much more complicated than what is known in writing.

Beyond that, the next item of note is the Year-Group pendant, which is designed with both practical and social intent in mind. Practically speaking, it helps to secure the Academy cloak to the uniform. Socially speaking, it acts as a means of distinguishing between each year-group, as every year is designated a different colored stone for their pendant. These pendants are usually exempt from the awards the Academy generally hands out to the student body, though certain exceptions do exist. In addition, the design of the cape is likewise subject to markers of social ranking within the Academy, as year-group leaders are assigned a special variant on the student cape.

The most notable changes in pendant and cape design are found within the faculty, as each member is designated with a different color and design in accordance to their rank and station within the Academy. White robes reserved for the Dean, Blue reserved for the Assistant Dean and similarly ranked executive positions, Red for department heads, and of course Black reserved for the titular professor assigned by the Nexian royal court.

With that ramble aside, let’s get back to the design of Thacea herself! She has a special variant of the uniform that accommodates her wing feathers.

However, her feathers in particular are very much indicative of her rank and station, as well as her royal status and heritage. Most of the Aetheronrealm commoners are dominated by a single color and its associated shades. Nobility are usually seen with two or three dominant colors, with various shades perhaps blending into one another. The royal family however, are noteworthy in that their feathers contain four dominant colors, with its associated shades of course.

Thacea seems to have five.

Make of that what you will. :D

Without further ado, however, let’s get to the art!

The artist has done a spectacular job, and I’m honestly blown away by what they’ve accomplished. It always amazes me how artists can just turn something confined to text, into something so vivid and tangible. This artist in particular has been one that I’ve worked with multiple times and has always managed to capture my characters and stories so incredibly well.

So do check them out! :D

Artist Reference: re11arts on instagram