The Grace of St. Valkyria
Entry for the CharacterDesignChallenge September 2023
The monthly Character Design Challenge hosted by Character Design Quarterly is a great opportunity for Character Designers, Concept Artists and Illustrators to share their vision of a specific theme with as well with a supportive online community of likeminded artists as well as a broader audience. With September's theme being "Killer Nuns", I played with the classic fantasy trope of the Battle Priest and elements of Norse mythology to create the Faithful Sisters of St. Valkyria:
"The Benevolent Order of Our Martyr's Grace or the Sisters of the Travelling Abbey of St. Valkyria, colloquially also refered to as the Carrion Convent is an order of travelling battle nuns often found in the baggage trains of armies on the march. Despite being trained warriors themselves, military leaders value them for their tendency to rouse rabble that is usually exempted from muster. According to their doctrine, even those who are deemed unsuited for war are worthy of an honorable warrior's death and ascension to the halls of the Raven God as long as their will and heart are strong enough. Fighting with more fervor, yet less discipline, than regular troops, is is not uncommon that those militias led by winged nuns crying benedictions into the heat of battle are the straw that tips the scales in many a battle.
Even for those not lucky enough to die with a sword in their hands, the Sisters of St. Valkyria are happy to help along as it is considered to be the thought that counts.
More puritan members of the Cult condemn the Sister's Acts as heresy, accusing them of sabotaging the armies of the Raven Lord by filling their ranks with the weak and the sick, thus weakening the forces of the Gods when the final battle of the End Times starts."
"The Benevolent Order of Our Martyr's Grace or the Sisters of the Travelling Abbey of St. Valkyria, colloquially also refered to as the Carrion Convent is an order of travelling battle nuns often found in the baggage trains of armies on the march. Despite being trained warriors themselves, military leaders value them for their tendency to rouse rabble that is usually exempted from muster. According to their doctrine, even those who are deemed unsuited for war are worthy of an honorable warrior's death and ascension to the halls of the Raven God as long as their will and heart are strong enough. Fighting with more fervor, yet less discipline, than regular troops, is is not uncommon that those militias led by winged nuns crying benedictions into the heat of battle are the straw that tips the scales in many a battle.
Even for those not lucky enough to die with a sword in their hands, the Sisters of St. Valkyria are happy to help along as it is considered to be the thought that counts.
More puritan members of the Cult condemn the Sister's Acts as heresy, accusing them of sabotaging the armies of the Raven Lord by filling their ranks with the weak and the sick, thus weakening the forces of the Gods when the final battle of the End Times starts."