by Michael Bielaczyc, 24×36″, oil on panel.
The Story of the Art
One night, a great horde of goblins came forth from the woods, riding atop giant spiders and worse. Buildings were looted and burned, and people were slaughtered. As the night became filled with smoke and the suffering of the innocent became unbearable, another host emerged from the forest, wrapped in shadow. These tall beings filled the sky with arrows, and the goblins fell by the score. The tall warriors then glided through the smoke, swift and silent, their blades slicing down any goblins fool enough to remain. Then, as quickly as they arrived, they disappeared back into the forest. Since then, the villagers have held an annual celebration honoring their saviors. They leave jugs of milk and honey along the borders of the forest, and the following morning those gifts are gone and replaced by the jars from the year before.
– From the journal of Jarin the Druid, Octro 1st 5707
Elves claim to have come to Atheles from other worlds thousands of years ago. Their lore does not elaborate, but somehow they became either lost or trapped here. They learned to thrive, but they are alien, and most perceive them with an alien aura when they first encounter an elf. Elves are slender, averaging 6’5” in height. They have many different skin and hair colors, with pointed ears, with features far more angular and lithe than humans and dwarves. They live an average of 250 years. The various subraces of elves vary greatly in culture, but they share some similarities.
Used as the Cover of the Elves of Uteria Pathfinder Sourcebook
More about the Dark Return at https://www.darkreturn.com/
About the Artist:
Michael Bielaczyc has been working professionally in the art field since 2001 when he founded Aradani Studios with his brother Paul. Together they have exhibited across America selling both their artwork and costuming. He works in many mediums from oil paint to latex prosthetics, video to graphite.
In 2012, Michael started Lone Wanderer Entertainment with his long time friend Dane Clark Collins to publish books based in their dark fantasy world – the Dark Return. Since then he has authored 4 books and created the SagaBorn RPG system.
You can see his complete work at www.michaelbielaczyc.com .