_{"Spy. Soldier. Traitor. Hero. Nephket is all of these—and none of them."}

Hey Splinterlands fans! Today I bring you one of my most challenging and intriguing artworks yet: Nephket Sutebi, a legionary who defected after uncovering the truth behind the Chaos Empire. I rarely draw anthropomorphic characters, so... maybe my era of sexy furries has arrived?

When I read her lore, I was fascinated. She's not your typical warrior wielding a sword for glory or revenge. Nephket is a strategist, someone who infiltrated the enemy's ranks, risking everything to restore freedom to her people. I loved that contrast between military discipline and personal conviction, so my goal was to capture that duality in her posture and expression.

🔍 SPIRIT OF REBELLION

Born in Canicush, Nephket was raised under a democracy that was crushed by the forces of Chaos. At first, she believed in their promises of order. But after witnessing the repression, the abandonment of traditions, and the brutality of the regime... she changed. As a spy for the Riftwatchers, her role was crucial in the capture of the Golden Arena's arsenal. Without her, the resistance in Mox City would never have survived.

🧠 TOOLS USED:

Photoshop (as always, my digital salvation).
Brushes: my trusty brush pack, with a few new ones featuring glitter effects
Soundtrack: The Resistance by Skillet (yes, it's very fitting)
Resolution: 3000 x 3000 px

_{(Thanx to @splinterlands for such intense stories to illustrate! Read Nephket's lore here)}

⏰ CREATIVE PROCESS

✏️ Phase 1: Sketch & Lineart

From the sketch, I knew I wanted to work the silhouette as something strong yet elegant. I gave her a firm stance, but with a touch of dynamism—that’s why I spent the whole sketch phase curving her back into an arch that harmonized with her tail. That way, the composition would connect with her spear and allow most of the canvas to be filled by the character.

🎨 Phase 2: Base Colors

As usual, I separated the character into layers—weapon, armor, and fur—to stay organized. I also placed her against a gray background, imagining Nephket in the middle of a battlefield. The gray ashes helped her fur color stand out as the focal point of the composition.

🌗 Phase 3: Fur & Metal

I started by working on the face. I used Soft Light blending mode to create subtle shadows and define the fur patterns on her face. Given that Nephket's armor has an Egyptian style, I assume she's a jackal – after researching, I learned these animals have single-colored heads. But since Splinterlands' Nephket design features multi-toned fur on her face, I took creative liberty to make her ears dark, creating strong contrast against the white background. With the golden armor elements already on a separate layer, I began refining those details next.

🌟 Phase 4: Particles everywhere and small details over and over again

This time I truly wanted to create a full background, aiming to simulate a battlefield with the fewest elements possible. I didn't want to clutter the background with irrelevant details, and honestly, I felt too lazy to paint that much.

Since the spear had a white tip, I seized the opportunity to add magic effects. I'm not actually sure if she has magical attacks or is purely a melee card, but whatever – Splinterlands is overflowing with magic, and any excuse to paint magic works for me!

And as always, I dedicated myself to painting every detail meticulously. In fact, I focused intensely on the armor and achieved an awesome texture; you can almost feel the scratched metal from all the attacks she's endured. But the crown jewel of this painting is undoubtedly the green reflections on her armor and those intense blue eyes of hers 💎

And that’s it… another fallen soul joins my growing collection of Splinterlands fanart.
Enjoy the GIF (Fair warning: the file's a bit heavy, so patience appreciated! 😉