Hortalya, Forest Scourge Free Genie | Splinterlands Art Contest - Week 303 (New Character)

Hortalya Forest Scourge Genie (New Character)

Hortalya heralded her childhood friend, Nydderia. Like Nydderia, she was beautiful with long flowing strands and delicate facial features. Both daughters of important figures from the deep waters. However, Nydderia's father was the all powerful Water Elementals, the ΛZMΛRÉ summoners. Nydderia befriended Hortalya as children.

However as they grew, Hortalya came to realize that they were not equals as she once believed. Hortalya's father was the great and powerful Sea Genie. Captured by the ΛZMΛRÉ, he was exiled to the Maka Peak deep within the Cave of Mysteries. Although he possesses great powers and magical forces, he's merely a prisoner in his own realm. He has no power to summon other than what the ΛZMΛRÉ allow.

Hortalya distanced herself from Nydderia and the deep waters. She wanted no part of it to live as a prisoner in her own world. She wanted freedom.

She was weary of waiting. Many years she grew weary of being a slave while other deep water creatures were allowed to live prosperously. *I would rather my appearance change to darkness and be free above ground than be a prisoner the rest of my life in the deep," she'd often lament when alone.

The only way to freedom was above ground; out of the treacherous waters.

Rumors that her mother originated from the nearby forest intrigued her.

Of particular interest were the animals and landscape she'd read about in her mother's diary. Unlike Hortalya, her mother was of dark skin, a mixture between plum and purple.

Soon, she would grow to womanhood. Believing she could make her own choices, she relished the day she could venture above ground.

"You will need to learn the ways of the forest world, my love." Her mother's words jumped from the pages of the book.

Hortalya quickly scanned the pages until she came to the image of round orb that swirled crimson. Strange writings appeared before her. She shrank back as her name came into view.

She continued reading until she discovered the orb was actually a crystal ball. The tool of her ancestors, the Water Genies. A light glowing as bright as a candle poked up from the depths endless depth of the water in the crystal ball.

The words she read next almost caused her to drop the orb.

"From this sacred chest, you will not only transform yourself to blend in with the inhabitants above ground, but will become one with nature and know all its secrets."

Hortalya couldn't stop reading. She must locate this crystal ball.

I'll come of age in a few months, she mused. Father will know where my own crystal ball is located.

I know the consequences. I will be an outcast. I won't be able to return to the rich and magical Cave of Mysteries at the foot of Maka Peak.

But I don't care. I won't cease fighting for my right to be free.

In creating Hortalya, I decided her character would be the only daughter of the Sea Genie. I wanted a unique image that would entail different art elements. I did just that utilizing the following:

• Stable Diffusion. I used the popular program StarryAI to render the female image.

• Canva. This design program was used to blend the art elements.

• The entire process for all programs took me one hour to create the female I felt would be appropriate for a magical entity and daughter of the powerful Sea Genie.

• Documenting (including screen captured) my processes in each program and in the publication of my post which consisted of a short story for my entry took approximately one hour.

• Total time it took to complete my project was two hours.

STABLE DIFFUSION

Designing Hortalya. I designed Hortalya, the Sea Genie's daughter, in StarryAI. Working with stable diffusion can be a starting option. I see it as a base image with which to begin remodeling and shaping the design. Here are the steps to creating the genie. This was the first time I used the Style: MAGICK. I was pleased with the results.

Text Prompt:
"Creature rising out of an evil magic lamp. Creature has two sets of hands; long nails; contorted body; red eyes.."

Style: Magick
Quality: Fast
Seed: 9125156556

Results:

Out of the four images that were produced, I chose Image No. 4 to work with the forest genie theme. I liked how the flames from the crystal ball flowed outward.

The final step was was locate a magical forest night landscape setting. The image I chose was a free sourced one. The amber background peeking through the forest was ideal to add light to the otherwise dark features of the night forest.

^Source

I then blended it with the stable diffusion one. I uploaded both images into my design program, Canva, to layer it. I wanted to retain the coloring of the original stable diffusion genie image, so I decided to place the female into a frame, then layer it in front of the forest landscape. I feel the combination worked well together, and the project turned out nicely.