Hey guys! Yes, it's me... I'm not dead (though the post-HTTYD3 feels have scared me away from blogging for far too long)! I wanted to share an art piece I commissioned from Jennifer Tamochunas (nahamut on Teepublic, where I first encountered her art). I had bought a few of her designs (Solaire for my younger brother, Gael and Artorias for two friends of mine), but I really wanted the Nameless King to be part of her lineup. After all, out of the many interesting characters in the Dark Souls trilogy, none have ever struck me quite as hard as the Nameless King.
His story is a somber one. The Nameless King's father, Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight, led a war to exterminate the ancient dragons. His firstborn son was raised to be the true heir of his power, and for years the Nameless King led an elite band of knights into combat against the terrifying, powerful creatures. However, at some point during the war, the Nameless King had a change of heart. He turned against everything he had known and sided with the remaining dragons. Because of this, his deific status was stripped from him, his monuments torn down, and his name completely removed from history. You can find him in a haven for dragons with a mighty Storm Drake in Dark Souls III. If you kill his dragon, he will claim the dragon's soul in order to grant him the power to slay you, but before doing so... his hand trembles. His lore is super intricate, and I adore how many small details you can pick up about him, even though he is shrouded in so much mystery.
In many ways, his story strikes me as being similar to a "what could have been" for Hiccup and Toothless. After all, the dragons were feared and hated in Berk, and at one point Hiccup considered running away. The Nameless King is like a sad ending to Hiccup's story. What if the world hadn't changed, what if Stoick had cast him out... for good? It's easy to imagine Hiccup growing old over years and years, alone in the stormy sky alongside his dragon. And that's why I like the Nameless King so much... he's like a dark mirror of the HTTYD story!
As for the art itself, I can't begin to say how pleased I am with it! I've never commissioned a piece before, but I got a lot of feedback from the artist and even got to see a kind of half-way-done sketch! I was really happy with the entire experience, and I do want to thank Jennifer sincerely for all the effort she put into making this such a stunning image.
If you are interested, this shirt is available on Teepublic. I am also going to include a link to Jennifer Tamochunas' personal art site.
Thanks for reading. I plan to review my Night Light Funkos soon as well.
Long live the age of Dragons!
