BLACK CLOAK: Behind The Scenes Part 5

We’re far enough along with BLACK CLOAK that this is probably our last big “character drop” for the book. Although with a detective story, you always need lots of characters — detectives, and victims and witnesses and suspects — so many characters! So don’t count it out completely. AND I’m preparing a special weird surprise that I think will be fun — and which WILL require a “final” design from Meredith. So stay tuned for THAT mystery shortly!

This is a guy we referred to in Chapter 1, but we’re meeting him for the first time in our next chapter!

Design by Meredith McClaren

SASHENKA

Sashenka is BUKAVAC Class. Bukavac are sort of distant descendants of Dragons (like Dracona) and they prefer to live at least part of their lives in water, lakes when possible. Sash is an activist, primarily working with Mermaid Rights and Conservation. He and Essex are friends going back to her early days of exile and Sash has become friendly with Pax as well through the years.

Designs by Meredith McClaren

KEI and JOYA PAX

Kei and Joya are FAIRY class. Kei is a jewelry designer married to Detective Pax, and Joya is their daughter (Fairies usually produce only one offspring, despite long lives). They live (and work) in The Trees, though Kei is currently on sabbatical as she is Joya’s primary caregiver. Joya is just beginning to speak.

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I hope Meredith won’t mind me posting this next one as it’s more of a sketch than a “fully realized design” but I love it so much — and think it actually IS the fully realized design — she nailed it!

Design by Meredith McClaren

JONO.

Jono is RAIJU class. Though he doesn’t look like a flyer, he is! And as such chooses to make his home in The Trees. Raiju live very long lives but are rare these days. Pax knows Jono well as they’re neighbors and Jono makes the best ramen in The Trees. Essex knows him from her young days when she and Freyal used to spend a lot of time in The Trees.

The Three/The Kiros Three - designs by Meredith McClaren

THE THREE. Human Class. We never actually teased these guys before they showed up, but I thought I should put them up here anyway. These are the three most powerful humans in all of Kiros — referred to frequently as The Three or The Kiros Three. They are ALDRIC II of SOLAS, GALAL III of VERIS, and ELEA VERIS. Elea is Galal’s older sister, and Aldric is their childhood friend. The three are largely inseparable, and their seemingly unbreakable trust in one another is often credited for how well they have acquired and held onto power.

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Unrelated to BLACK CLOAK character design, but very relevant to things going on in the world, I wanted to re-share for our newer subscribers that might not be aware, the gun violence short comic 5-4-3-2-1 David LaFuente and I posted here a couple months ago. Stay safe out there everyone. <3

5-4-3-2-1

Okay. I gotta get back to the writing grind. I hope you enjoyed these little design peeks — and I’ll see you soon for something else fun/interactive — and maybe next week a tiny peek at what Mattia has been doing on THE CULL!

Be good to yourself and others when possible. <3

~Kelly