The client wanted me to depict a dramatic moment in their custom Dungeons & Dragons campaign where their character (a half-snake, half-human knight) faced his nemesis in pitched battle. I wanted to get as many details from the client as possible, to see what sparked my imagination and what could add drama to the scene. The client provided me with many details that were essential to depict, involving the characters, setting, equipment, and tone.

The setting:

• The scene takes place on a high desert mesa

• On this mesa is a crumbling castle with blast marks of dragonfire from an ancient siege

• The desert floor around the mesa has crystalline outcroppings where the dragonfire transformed the sand into massive glass shards

The characters:

• The focal characters are the client’s snake-kith hero and his NPC nemesis

• Also in the scene is an army led by the enemy knight, engaging our heroes in battle

• Below the main battle, the other characters in the party are escaping by climbing down the face of the mesa. One is preparing a healing spell in the event our hero is wounded

• Four ravens are escaping the castle, having been freed by our heroes. One raven has a white tail feather.

The equipment:

• The hero wear light armor in red, yellow, and white that he acquired traveling in this desert land. His sword is an elven rapier and his shield is large and gold, with a knight sculpted onto the front. This shield is enchanted with the ability to fix the wielder to the ground so that they cannot be moved even by extreme force

• Our nemesis wears heavy royal guard armor, in white, blue, and gold, with evidence of battle-damage. The golden laurels of the royal crest are visible in various locations on the armor. He wields a two-handed battleaxe in one hand. Finally, his left arm is missing from a previous encounter with our hero.

The story:

• This moment is the climax of a very long campaign, so should look suitably epic

• In this battle, our hero fatally stabs and bites his nemesis, giving in to his more feral side, which is a tragic turn for the character

• After killing his nemesis, our hero is also struck by an enemy arrow. He plummets, unconscious, off the cliffside

• He is saved by his friends hanging below, who catch him at the last minute

In planning this painting, I knew I had to do justice to all the character and environment details that my client had meticulously crafted with their D&D group. I also wanted to convey the high stakes and intense tone, while adding some levity and hope with the birds flying high.