Rafael-Domination on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/rafael-domination/art/GRIM-RENAISSANCE-EPSILON-STAR-317454334Rafael-Domination

Deviation Actions

Rafael-Domination's avatar

[GRIM RENAISSANCE] 'EPSILON STAR'

Published:
6K Views

Description

Titles and Additional Names:
- Her real name is unknown. Is referred to solely as ‘Epsilon Star’.
 
 
Age:
- 20.
 
 
Nationality:
- European.
 
 
Appearance:
- A short, athletic, and cheerful young woman with long brunette hair. Has blue eyes, slightly obscured by a pair of oval glasses. Sticks to a simple wardrobe, preferring clothes that are practical rather than fashionable.
 
 
Background:
- Epsilon is a private person, much like most of the other members on Vidan’s team, and thus the details of her background are scarce. When asked, she usually rambles about her life in a 'frozen tundra' and ‘having to punch polar bears every time she needed to go outside’. Has quite the penchant for telling outlandish tales in order to avoid truly talking about herself.
- With a little bit of digging, on would discover that Epsilon’s life has generally been free from great hardship, unlike the backgrounds she creates for her own Characters. Still, her life of relative peace doesn’t stop her from regaling new acquaintances with a story or two of some crazy antics she’s pulled off, and those tale tales always cast Tina Strelka her partner in crime.
 
 
Personality:
- Epsilon portrays herself as a confident and independent person, which isn’t exactly a far from the truth. Having been forced to step out of her comfort zone several times in the past few years, she’s grown and strengthened a proverbial backbone. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t become extremely nervous in new and/or awkward situations, or if stuck in large crowds, or when initiating a conversation.
- Around good friends, Epsilon takes easily to the role of comic relief, becoming loud, silly, and light-hearted. She loves making people laugh, although her terrible puns tend to make most groan rather than giggle.
- Is an optimist most of the time, though there are occasions where Epsilon will stew in her own thoughts, over-thinking things to the point of driving herself a bit crazy. She usually attempts to alleviate the symptoms via busying herself with her Artwork.
- Epsilon is always searching for new ways to intelligently engage with the world around her, and she is really passionate about the things that interest her. When someone chides her for this energy, she often quips, “Sheesh, I’m sorry for being enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.”
- Epsilon is a mix of practical and lofty — while many would be correct in saying that she is rational and down-to-earth when dealing with real world situations, she also possesses a wild imagination, one that’s completely comfortable with worldbuilding for her Canon.
- Epsilon is extremely loyal to and protective of her friends, and she would do almost anything to defend and comfort them. However, she’s initially distrustful of anyone new, and might seem too snippy and too curt with those she’s not completely familiar with. But, once she’s spent enough time with them, she’ll open up and show her more amicable side.
 
 
Grim Artist Class:
- Savant; much more powerful than a Dilettante. Can exhibit highly advanced Grim Techniques and has refined the basic and intermediate ones to the point where they can be used for more complex and potent moves, some of them experimental. Is outclassed by a Virtuoso Class Grim Artist and definitely no match for a Connoisseur Class Grim Artist.
 
 
Grim Art Type:
- Epsilon is a Soul Artist. Her Grim Art will inflict its toll on her psyche.
 
 
Grim Aesthetics:
- Drawing, Writing, Painting, Renaissance, and Prerogative.
 
 
Grim Devices:
- Epsilon usually equips herself with her as of yet unnamed Drawing Tablet, having immersed herself in the Digital side of Graphic Arts, but still she carries around an assortment of pencils and ink pens to wield whenever she fancies.
 
 
As an Artist:
- Much of Epsilon’s Art Style focuses on telling a story, whether it be a structured narrative or a simple illustration that the viewer can extrapolate from for themselves.
- She’s always trying to get what she’s formed in her head on paper; her Art is simply window into the epics that she has amassed in her Canon. She enjoys running her ideas by other people and working collaboratively with her friends, like Tina.
- Outside of her visual creations, she dabbles in writing from time to time, and is an avid bookworm. Having been exposed to the fantastical worlds nestled within the pages of books early in her lifetime, many of her works distance themselves from the mundane and the current. Instead, they are enveloped in magic, or steeped in futuristic science-fiction.
 
 
As a Grim Artist:
- Epsilon, despite talking big, will usually never throw the first punch a fight. She prides herself on opting for rational thoughts and actions that will lead to the least amount of pain for both parties involved.
- However, if forced to do battle, Epsilon will often fight defensively, Summoning Characters to create a frontline for her, and then supporting her troops from behind, all too aware of her own lack of physical strength. She’ll often attempt to end fights as quickly as possible, focussing more on the agility and intelligence of her Summons rather than their brute strength. If she’s fighting without the aid of allied Grim Artists, she’ll strategize with her Summoned Characters in order to figure out and exploit her opponent’s weaknesses.
 
 
Art Costs:
- Epsilon’s cost is her confidence. The more powers she uses, the less she’ll be able to maintain her composure, and with prolonged use even her rationale and motivation will be chipped away. If her Art Expenses accumulate enough, she’ll break down emotionally and be unable to move.
 
 
Favored Moves:
- Epsilon is primarily a Character Summoner and long-ranged attacker. Some of her moves more suited for one-on-one duels have been documented, but she truly shines when making up part of a group. It is as part of a team that her repertoire can unleash both her potential and her allies’. Epsilon’s presence is best suited for when her team wishes to pool their skills and powers into performing ‘Super Techniques’ called Grand Arrays, the likes which are normally beyond the scope of single Artists to accomplish.
 
Quick Sketch
- [Drawing Aesthetics]
- A common Technique specific to this Aesthetic. It allows a Grim Artist to rapidly churn out a set amount of Sketching Lines. Speed can range from seconds to near-instantly.
- This is Epsilon’s primary Summoning method, and she has honed it to the point where she can perform it almost on reflex alone. She is more than capable of choosing to Draw her Characters normally; doing so minimized the amount of potency loss by allowing them to Manifest more accurately to how they’re portrayed in her Canon, albeit with the usual Prerogative variables still in consideration. However, Epsilon has refined her prowess with this Technique so well that she can Summon at an ‘actuality’ level far beyond most other Characters called forth via Quick Sketch. As such, her Character Summons often use ‘Quick Sketch’ as a Technique prefix.
 
Quick Sketch, Elane Ibiid
- [Drawing, plus possible Grim Device Aesthetic-Item Collaboration]
- Summons Epsilon’s anthropomorphic, dragon-like Character, Elane Ibiid.
- Elane has a long history of heroics in her world, and thus is a versatile comrade. Elane relies on long-ranged ‘magical abilities’, supporting more frontline Characters and allies from behind the fray.
 
Quick Sketch, Dieter
- [Drawing, plus possible Grim Device Aesthetic-Item Collaboration]
- Summons Dieter, a construct that’s part-stuffed bunny and part-robot, powered by both ‘technology’ and ‘magic’ from Epsilon’s Canon. He hails from the same universe as Elane and works well together with her.
- Dieter is a heavy-hitter, and his bottom torso and legs are comprised of metal. He is a conservative fighter, unless those he cares about (Elane or Epsilon) are in grave danger. In that event, he becomes a juggernaut, putting himself in harm’s way to protect them without a second thought. He only speaks German, but he can also understand simple English.
 
Quick Sketch, Lina Wilder
- [Drawing, plus possible Grim Device Aesthetic-Item Collaboration]
- Epsilon Summons the demon, Lina Wilder. A happy-go-lucky Character, Lina is adept at hand-to-hand combat, but is extremely wild and unorganized, even under Epsilon’s direct command.
- Lina can pull off some impressive tactical or attack combinations with Apaco, who is another one of Tina’s Characters.
 
Quick Sketch, Essences of Arrkan
- [Drawing, plus possible Inspiration-Prerogative, plus possible Grim Device Multi-Aesthetic or Aesthetics-Item Collaboration]
- An extremely costly Technique. Epsilon summons the essences of the gods and goddesses of Arrkan, the planet from which Elane hails. Together, they can coordinate together to fire off a devastating blast against a target. If Elane herself is present on the battlefield, she can ‘enchant’ the blast radius to increase without threat of damage to Epsilon or her allies. Unlike the previous Summons, the Essences of Arrkan vanish immediately after their attack. If Elane is used to increase the blast radius, she will follow suit.
- These Characters become exponentially more powerful when summoned via Grand Array. Because ‘Celestial’ or ‘Cosmic’ entities require gargantuan amounts of Prerogative to actualize them as they are in their Artists’ Canon, many gods and goddesses have to make do with being Summoned as lesser Manifestations of their Canonical selves. However, within the confines of a Grand Array, with multiple Grim Artists compiling their Essences, Prerogatives, and Techniques, such Characters can be called forth in a manner that’s more accurate to their creator’s Imagination.
 
Quick Sketch, Ravagers
- [Drawing, plus possible Inspiration-Prerogative, plus possible Grim Device Multi-Aesthetic or Aesthetics-Item Collaboration]
- A Technique Epsilon will only invoke in the direst of situations. Epsilon Summons a horde of shadow creatures known only as Ravagers, which are extremely fast and violent monsters that can obliterate their prey on both a physically and mental basis. These creatures, however, require an agonizing level concentration to control, and the lack thereof carries the risk of them turning on Epsilon and her allies.
 
Sketcher's Charge
- [Drawing, plus possible Quick Sketch, plus appropriate Grim Device and Grim Artist user’s ‘Physical Body‘ Aesthetic-Technique-Items Collaboration]
- An Uncommon Technique. Temporarily fuses the performing Grim Artist with an owned Grim Device. Both are dissolved into a bolt of light wreathed by dark smoke, which then rockets across a predetermined trajectory. Upon reaching the target destination, both Artist and Device are reformed, and the route they took will spawn Aesthetics-related Artwork. In the case of Grim Sketchers, the pathway traveled through will form pictures and/or Characters.
- Each Aesthetic can have its own Variant of ‘productive’ Superspeed Movement Techniques, that is, Techniques that allow Artists to maneuver at a breakneck pace while still outputting Artwork. The Painting Aesthetics, for example, have the Elementalist’s Charge.

Elemental Camaraderie
- [Painting, plus multiple Paints Products Aesthetic-Items Collaboration]
- A Technique that’s almost mandatory for Grim Painters. The performing Artist brings together two or more Paint Products, causing the colors and Elemental Essences represented to harmonize and cooperate. The Paint-invoked combinations of an Elemental Camaraderie can be referred to as Multi-Elemental Techniques or Multi-Essence Techniques.
- An Elemental Camaraderie is different from an Elemental Matrimony in that a perfect ‘fusion’ isn't achieved, least not one that results in a new Element of the Artist's design and/or interpretation. Instead, the Elements involved will ‘join forces’ to unleash whatever the Painter desires. Sometimes Elements will share or overlap attributes, properties, or functions, but they still won't truly merge into a definite, unified whole.
- The possibilities, options, and Variants of what a Painter can do with Elemental Camaraderies are endless. Anything they derive from this Technique is easily subject to refinements, reworks, and reinventions. From Magma Tsunamis (usually a mix of Fire and Earth) to swarms of Spirit Phantoms (usually a mix of Life and Death) the Grim Painter's Imagination is free to do as it pleases.
- Since Painters can have diverse Color-Element pairings and preferences, it is rare for any two Grim Painters to have perfectly identical Elemental repertoires. Granted, they could always share or copy, as Multi-Elemental Techniques have no natural Copyright to them. But, that in itself could be counter-productive. Painters must explore their own Chroma Gamuts and figure out which Elemental Colors, Essences, and Fusions suit them best. To recklessly borrow and utilize Fusion Elements could be risky if the Painter is unfamiliar, unsuited, or unwilling to wield them.
- In the same vein, it’s just as unlikely for the Elemental repertoires and Chroma Gamuts of Painters for bear zero resemblance to someone else’s. Like Fusion Elements, the themes and ideas of Multi-Elemental Techniques can’t be hoarded. Trying to stake sole ownership to an Order-Chaos-Progress Camaraderie is foolhardy at best.
- Elemental Camaraderies are almost completely dependent on their Painters' views on what counts as an Element, as well what relationships and interactions Elements Essences have amongst themselves. Two like-minded Painters can harmonize Pink and Black to come up with completely different results, perhaps due to slight variances in their interpretations and/or mix ratios.
- There are a few fundamental factors Artists must consider concerning Elemental Camaraderies. Now, since there is no Elemental Fusion occurring, the method by which the Elemental Colors and their respective Essences are mixed is not an issue. There are still three major mechanics of Elemental Camaraderies that will be mentioned:
- Elemental Hierarchy denotes which Essence or Essences in a Camaraderie will be dominant and/or supportive, or whether there will equal balance instead of a ‘ranking system’.
- Elemental Roles denotes what each Essence will be contributing, as well as how they will contribute.
- Elemental Schedules the order or timing of each Essence’s role and rank, and whether those will change according to what the Painter has in mind.
- While it is possible to Summon Characters using nothing but Elemental Essences, the Art Costs for doing so can be much higher for Painters. This why most of the Painting Aesthetics' Summoned entities only seem like Characters. The Life, Flora, Fauna, Emotion, and/or Mind Elements will bestow a form of sentience, but it will be more conceptual and less controllable than Drawing-Writing's Summoned Character. There are exceptions, but those do not invalidate the rules.
- Non-Painter Grim Artists might not see anything as being made up Elemental Essences. A lightning bolt is simply a Non-Elemental flow of electrons, for example. To science-minded Artists, the only valid Elements are those found in the Periodic Table, albeit there are Artists who use both Essence-based Elements and Atom-Based Elements as part of their repertoires. The extent to how much Painters and Non-Painters can claim an lightning bolt as something that’s Elemental or Non-Elemental depends entirely upon Prerogative. If both a Painter and a Non-Painter’s Prerogatives are equal, the same lightning bolt might rightfully be an Element to the former and a Non-Element to the latter.
- The collection of Elemental Colors that Epsilon can work with, also known as a Chroma Gamut, has unknown parameters. So far, Epsilon has demonstrated aptitude with over a dozen Elemental Essences.
 
Incendiary Vines
- [Elemental Camaraderie, plus Epsilon Chroma Gamut Technique-Item Concurrence]
- Creates rapidly-growing vines that travel quickly across the ground to chase down a target. Upon reaching their quarry and wrapping around it, flowers containing small bursts of flame will bloom all over the vines, their sheer number consuming whatever or whoever has been entangled in a fiery blaze.
- Epsilon prefers to use Dark Red for Fire and Forest Green for Earth with this Technique.
- This ability only works if there is a soil-like surface for the vines to take root in.
 
Sandstorm Furnace
- [Elemental Camaraderie, plus Epsilon Chroma Gamut Technique-Item Concurrence]
- Fires a blast of many tiny globules of molten rock that explode upon impact, creating blooms of intense heat that quickly sow destruction across wide areas.
- Epsilon uses Pastel Green for Earth, Cadmium Red for Fire, and Pale Blue for Wind with this Technique.
 
Weather Spear
- [Elemental Camaraderie, plus Epsilon Chroma Gamut Technique-Item Concurrence]
- Creates crystalline formations of a solidified element which can then be propelled at high speeds toward a target. Size and speed depend on the energy used to create the ‘crystal’.
- Epsilon uses Cool Gray for Wind with this Technique, and the ‘crystalized’ Element being propelled can come from any other hue Epsilon wishes to employ.
 
Renaissance Tokens, Graphic Variant
- [Drawing-Painting Multi-Aesthetic Collaboration]
- The Renaissance Token is classified as a Very Common Technique, and it basically invokes a complex result through a simple means. This is isn’t the same as storing prepaid, fully-formed Techniques into less cumbersome vessels via Renaissance Capsules. The Renaissance Token is achieved by a Grim Artist synchronizing a fully-formed Technique with a representative symbol. That symbol then becomes the focal point for the ‘re-actualization’ of the Technique ‘attached’ to it, once enough Prerogative and Art Costs have been supplied by the user.
- The Graphic Variant of the Renaissance Token is a cross between the non-Elemental Logos most Sketchers would use and the purely-Elemental Marks most Painters wield, and such Tokens are activated by simply bringing them into view. In practice, instead of having to draw a tornado in rich detail, one can use the symbol of a tornado to unleash a real one.
- Not everyone is suited to use Renaissance Tokens. One's Grim Art may or may not be compatible for squeezing a 'larger effect' into a 'smaller cause'. On the other side of the spectrum, there are those who find the creation and usage of Renaissance Tokens as their only viable option.
- Because Renaissance Tokens are 'quick and easy' shortcuts, they lack the impact and might of a ‘true and proper’ Technique. Depending on the Grim Artist, there are always exceptions, but for the most part Renaissance Tokens don't usually form the backbone of one's fighting style.

CARDIS:
- [Renaissance Token Technique]
- This Token bears the Symbol of an unimpressive suburban vehicle, and it Summons the legendary (or so Epsilon lauds it) CARDIS, short for ‘Car and Relative Dimension in Space’. In Epsilon’s Canon, it can travel through the Space-Time Continuum, but only at 88 miles per hour, and it Lina’s favorite ‘weaponized transport’. Thus, Epsilon only uses this Token when she has Summoned Lina, it being a powerful up tool for her Character.
 
Sandstorm
- [Renaissance Token Technique]
- This Token bears the Symbol of a speckled whirlwind, and it stirs up a sandstorm that engulfs the entire battlefield, impeding everyone caught within it. This Token is why Epsilon keeps a pair of goggles stored in her bag at all times.
 
MultiTool
- [Renaissance Token Technique]
- This Token bears the Symbol of an ordinary pocket knife. Upon use, it creates a tool that can reconfigure itself into virtually anything that its user requires. The tool vanishes after a set duration determined by the amount of energy expended into creating its Token.
- Joshua Dsiorpov is currently trying to introduce Epsilon to a Crafting Guild that will concoct a Grim Device like this for her.
 
Third-Person View, Writing Variant:
- [Writing Aesthetics]
- A Common Technique. Allows a Grim Writer to assume a ‘Mode’ that decided the focus of his or her Writing’s ability to manipulate Reality.
- Third-Person View, Writing Variant is the default Writing Mode of countless Artists, and it grants a generalized control over ‘others’, whereas the First-Person View localizes that control to act solely upon oneself, and Second-Person View directs that control at an ‘addressee’.
 
Grand Summoning Array, Character Profile Variant
-[Drawing-Painting-Writing Aesthetics Collaboration, plus various situational Techniques, multiple contributing Grim Artists, and multiple relevant Grim Devices Techniques-Items Concurrence]
- An Uncommon Technique, due to the amount of coordination it takes to pull off. Manufactures a zone that becomes a ‘gateway-like factory’ instrumental in the calling forth of an extremely powerful Summoned Character.
- The Character Profile Variant of the Grand Summoning Array is always a magnificent spectacle. It is a radiant, choreographed network of glowing lines, words, and colors. In this specific Grand Array’s case, Drawing is used to design the form of the Character being Summoned, Painting is used to flesh it out with ‘Substance’ and ‘Essence’, and Writing actualizes and/or enhances its Canonical Details. Once the Grand Array is completed and activated, the Summoned Character usually makes short work of any enemy without an appropriate response.
- A Grand Summoning Array is best suited to call forth Characters that normally have downgraded Manifestations. Certain Characters, like multiverse-devouring Titans, are impossible to Summon as they are in their Artist's Canon, because of the Prerogative mechanics of the Grim Renaissance. It’s only within the bounds of one’s Canon that anything goes, albeit such a notion is slightly applicable to a Grim Renaissance that has an extremely diluted environmental or ambient Prerogative.
- For example, a Thunder God unleashed by a Virtuoso might only manage to hurl several volleys of lightning bolts before vanishing, but the same Character Summoned by a team of Virtuosos via Grand Summoning Array might blanket an entire country with a tempest.
- Theoretically, given the perfect conditions, an Apprentice Class Artist could Summon an omnipotent, absolute, invincible Character if an infinite amount of allies were gathered into an infinitely-massive Grand Summoning Array.
- Some Summoned Characters need a constantly-activated Grand Array to remain Summoned. Others can stay existing even when their Summoning Grand Array is gone. The Presiding Artist or Artists won’t necessarily have direct control over their Character.
- The Summoned Character might be specifically designed for the purpose of being a trump card, or it might just be a ‘regular’ Character that has been upgraded to the point where its power, grandeur, and/or scale far outstrips that of its Canonical version.
- Grand Arrays come in a myriad of types, setups, and functions. Some Grand Arrays boost all partaking Artists equally and cumulatively. Sometimes, only one Artist oversees the Grand Array, with the others’ tasks being the augmentation of what that Presiding Artist has Imagined.
- Grand Arrays often need protection, support, and/or tending from outside its established parameters. Musicians, Landscapers, Dancers, Construction Workers, and Theater Stage Artists are especially handy for such a job.
- It is possible to pull off normal Grim Arrays by oneself, but those are usually not as potent as the Grand Arrays run by a well-oiled team. Solo-Artist Grand Arrays are also possible, but they are an extreme rarity.
 
 
Trivia:
- Epsilon keeps a variety of seemingly random objects in her bag including, but not limited to, boardgame dice, USB Flash Drives, a previously-mentioned steampunk goggles, a deck of playing cards, and a video camera.
- Epsilon is close friends with Tina; the latter can usually be found the company of the former.
- Can be considered a walking encyclopedia on a limited number of subjects.
- To Joshua Dsiorpov’s delight, Epsilon also has ridiculous substitutes for swear words, many of them involving cake in someone way: ‘Crumb Cake’, ‘Crab Cake’, and so on.
- Huge literature fan.
- Enjoys gaming, when she can find the time.
- Can be quite a klutz. Epsilon will often run into things, or trip over her own feet.
- Attempts to tolerate and respect everyone, but she has a short fuse for extremely antagonistic people.
- Loves chocolate.
- Prefers mechanical pencils over wooden ones.
- Is always aiming to experiment with her Art and develop her skills.

 
 
 
 
GRIM RENAISSANCE ARCHIVE:

(List of links to be rebuilt)

THE DEVIANT FEATURED IN THIS ROSTER IS: :iconstar-sapphire-light:
- Edits have been made to the original draft in order to fit into the setting, and/or for reading purposes.
- A reference may be found here: [LINK]
Image size
1350x720px 853.82 KB
© 2012 - 2024 Rafael-Domination
Comments73
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Varagka's avatar
Wonderful work!