[ART] Xe-Vekh Xo-Qooj the Photon Lifeform

Okay, so these images are a mixture of "original art" and "fan art", since the primary character-concept started before any Phantasy Star influence, but I decided to do these drawings as a complement to the other thread I made about "imaginining a 2D Online&Offline Co-Op Turn-based JRPG sequel to PSIV".

First:

https://i.imgur.com/YUTsDZJ.jpg
https://imgur.com/YUTsDZJ

This is Xe-Vekh Xo-Qooj in the "Completely Pure" mode.

As a "Constellation Creature", this energy-body entity is entirely composed of living-stars.

With zero physical hindrances or obscurations, Xe-Vekh can freely engage in "Star-Heart Soul-Sex", with an unlimited amount of participants. This technique unites & vibrates the luminous nucleus within any entity.

Not only does this transcend any normal physical pleasure, but the infinitely intimate communion has the power to benevolize & metamorphosize even the most nefarious and catalyze a paradigm shift of both heart & mind.


Second:

https://i.imgur.com/ONOoPOL.jpg
https://imgur.com/ONOoPOL

This is Xe-Vekh Xo-Qooj as a "Skyly-Rati Ryukrucian".

As a guardian-spirit from Rykros who embarked outward into space after the defeat of Profound Darkness, this particular version of Xe-Vekh is the only true piece of "fan art".

As mentioned up at the top of this post, the idea to draw this came in the conceptualizing of that imaginary 2D C-Op RPG thread.

Essentially, this picture serves two purposes: It demonstrates what a Ryukrucian character might look like in a theoretical Phantasy Star gane that offered more alien species to play as.

And it more specifically exhibits what my own primary-character would look like in such a setting, if given perfect freedom within the Character Creator.

From there, I would just point out that the main inspirations for this Ryukrucian design are the Skyly Rati which once accompanied me in PSO, as well as certain abstract characters like Sa-Lews & De-Vars from Phantasy Star IV, who were not merely corporeal.

On that wavelength, it should be noted that Xe-Vekh's "star-heart" is still exposed in this mode, even though the energy-entity has assumed a more "solid" form to fit in with the Phantasy Star universe.


Third:

https://i.imgur.com/WWqKYOY.jpg
https://imgur.com/WWqKYOY

This is the primary "insectoid" mode of Xe-Vekh Xo-Qooj.

Conceived in the late 1990s, this character began as part of a series of drawings that focused on my very own hive of imaginary insectoids.

Back then, Xe-Vekh was known as Xirak.

Xirak's first picture was still influenced by stuff, but it was an honest attempt at originality.

So my fondness for bugs & dinosaurs provided the main drive, but subtle aspects from the art-design of the game Body Harvest, in addition to certain influences from both the newly-released PokeMon series & the veteran Godzilla films were also present.

Even this modern version still depicts traces of influence. For example, when gazing at this particular picture, I note a contour similarity between Xe-Vekh's silhouette and the overall shape of Sestren's Spirit in Panzer Dragoon Orta.

So whether it is playing with Mother Nature's designs, or unconscious inspiration from past experiences of enjoyment, there seems to be no escape from influences.

Thus, I opt to acknowledge and appreciate the beauty which left such an impression on me.

((( For example:
Looking back at the other pictures again, I also now see that "Photon Lifeform" mode has commonalities with Vectorman in terms of floating orbs for a body.

"Skyly-Rati Ryukrucian" mode starts to remind me of Magnamon from Digimon, with a faint hint of The Arbiter from Halo 2. Both due to the choice to mix the "earthen elemental" aspects of the Rykros Guardians with the sleek & angular style of the futuristic Mag, which results in an armour-appearance that evokes those other characters.

And the "insectoid" mode has a trace of Wizeman from NiGHTS into Dreams, in the manner that both have hands (+ head, in Xe-Vekh's case) which float separately from their main bodies

All unintentional. Yet: it's all there. Visible to be perceived by anyone with similar familiarities as me. )))

In any case, this is especially the character I would have liked to recreate in a game like PSO, but obviously there were no choices that resulted in anything similar-looking.

Which meant that all I could do was explain my humanoid character as a reincarnation or emanation, or even a psychic disguise projected upon other player's minds.

The real Xirak / Xe-Vekh would have been too "overpowered" for the Phantasy Star setting anyway, which means it's probably for the best.
((( Because Xe-Vekh has the invincible strategy of striking like lightning to deliver a single sting of "wisdom venom" that triggers instant enlightenment in any opponent.Which obviously quashes & quells all conflicts! )))


Fourth:

https://i.imgur.com/KFRbAP3.jpg
https://imgur.com/KFRbAP3

These symbols include the "Mark Of Xirak", as well as Xe-Vekh Xo-Qooj as a "Glyphic Lifeform".

As a symbol, the "Mark Of Xe-Vekh" is quite representative of the character's basic "letter X" and "letter K" design elements.

(I'm also noticing some little resemblances with the "Brand Of Sacrifice" from the manga BERSERK, which ironically enough was recommended to me by my online-comrade 'Fate from PSO Ep.1&2 !)

But in my most experimental period of drawings, the concept of "living letters" and "organic glyphs" was conceived during cognitive-copulation with the muses of the mind.

That resulted in such imagery as the one seen on the far-right, where it not only displays another symbol, but actually shows the character Xe-Vekh AS a word that can crawl / fly right off the page!


Fifth:

https://i.imgur.com/hhrG1XQ.jpg
https://imgur.com/hhrG1XQ

Last-but-not-least, we arrive at Xe-Vekh engaged in "Heart-Cup Cascades & Infinite-Fountains" mode.

You see: while "star-heart soul-sex" does reach through the physical level of incarnated entities, there is still the problem of embodied-beings needing nourishment for their material vessels.

So, as a fictional solution to the "predator VS prey" food-chain which causes so much suffering, Xe-Vekh devised this technique to dispense sustenance in overflowing geysers holy water.

Acting as a perfect panacea ambrosia, Xe-Vekh transubstantiates "metta loving-kindness" directly into an all-encompassing blessing that spills from one being to the next without any drop ever going to waste, since when a singular being's "heart-cup" fills up, the sacred liquid simply spills forth into the heart-cups of other entities all around, no matter which physical/mental/spiritual realm they reside within.

Hence, "world-hunger" is solved on the omniversal level !

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Hopefully sharing these very-personal visuals provides some optical enjoyment for whomever is reading this!

^_^


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And as a final thought: Probably the only thing I wish about sharing these drawings would have been if the people who played PSO Ep.1&2 with me could have seen them.

Alas!

After making two or three addendums in the above post, I decided to share a bonus picture while I'm here as well:

Sixth:

https://i.imgur.com/fS6lATC.jpg
https://imgur.com/fS6lATC

So, here we have the rough-references for Sa-Lews, De-Vars, Re-Faze and a Rati Mag, which I drew to better envision what the custom "Ryukrucian" mode of Xe-Vekh would look like.

Examining the Mag Gallery here at PSO-W and the enemy sprites over at PS Cave allowed me to refresh myself on little details which wouldn't have made it into the design if I had stayed with the version I made going solely by memory.

So thanks must be extended for those involved in providing such resources, since the final art is certainly enhanced in overall quality / Phantasy Star-authenticity due to it!

Discovered that image-attachments cannot be seen when logged-out, so I decided to make an IMGUR account to provide alternative links for people who aren't logged-into PSO-world.

Editing my other [ART] post, too.

Alrighty! Thanks to Ryna, I was able to use the [img] tag on "direct links" to these pictures,
so now they appear as intended, whether logged-in or not!

So for anyone without an account, give props to Ryna for making this last edit possible!


Again:Modifying my other [art] post, too. Before adding a new post of gift art~

https://i.imgur.com/d19Xq2v.jpg
https://imgur.com/d19Xq2v


This drawing depicts the main “Mantis-Scorpion” mode of Xe-Vekh, which has been meticulously refined over time. (All the way back to about 1999, with the original version of Xirak.)

Now, to swiftly summarize the story of this insectoid:

…after Xe-Vekh leaves the Origin-Geode Hive for the very first time, the long-cloistered creature encounters unexpected aggression from & starvation among inhabitants of other world-systems.

Xe-Vekh’s eventual solution to the problems caused by the “predator VS prey” food-chain is to generate infinite-fountains of heavenly-honey from the innermost-depths of one’s inherent “star-heart”. Cascading between all beings without waste or limits.

Thus, all savagery is pacified and all scarcity is nullified.

Finally: everyone everywhere was able to thrive without fighting to survive in perpetual strife, as a Neon Aeon of happy harmony arrived!

…but…

…during earlier misadventures in trying to deal with newfound aggression by other aliens, Xe-Vekh invented a variety of techniques to defeat hostile lifeforms, which include such combat-abilities as:

---“The PSY-Lectric Orb-Bomb”

Forehead feelers are wielded with prehensility to sculpt neural-voltage into a sphere of concentrated volatility, that is then hurled at a target to detonate on impact.

---“The Whirl-Wing Petal-Propeller Comet-Tackle Crash-Dash”

The wings behind Xe-Vekh’s back start to spin faster & faster, in order to launch forth at a “foe” with meteoric force.

---“The Crescenner-Jyzer”

The mantis-scorpion energizes the edges of exoskeleton’s built-in weapons into extendable crescent-talons of pure power that can slash from long distance.

---“The Reaper Roundhouse”
a.k.a.
“The Cyclone Scythe-Spin”

Tail twirls like a tornado as whole body enters a hurricane frenzy of spinning around-&-around over-&-over to defend all sides at once with the cutting chaos of that triple-tipped scythe-like stinger.

---“The Venus-FlyTrap Vacuum-Vortex”

Opening the thorn-lipped central-seam that runs down the front of thorax, Xe-Vekh unveils a ravenous void within the exoskeletal vessel that can suck adversaries in & outright absorb them!

(As a result, Xe-Vekh becomes a living-prison of some particularly infamous & ferocious aliens, during the period before inventing the technique to benevolize even the most malevolent.)

---"Firefly Firepower”

Bioluminescence is charged-up to an extreme concentration, before being unleashed all at once as multiple photon-beams.

* * *

Last-but-not-least of Xe-Vekh’s named combat-techniques is the legendary one invented after finally switching from fighting foes to instead begin enlightening enemies:

“The Vyro-Volver”

This is the “sting of instant enlightenment”.

With a virus-like over-ride of their insides, “wisdom venom” is pumped into opponents to catalyze the opening & awakening of the divine mind’s eye, so that the recipient can perceive the profound error of earlier-behavior by directly beholding the totality of the awe-inspiring interconnectedness of ALL beings in a paradigm-shifting epiphany!

* * *
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https://i.imgur.com/BUFIwVd.jpg
https://imgur.com/BUFIwVd


This next depiction showcases Xo-Qooj in a further stage of evolution after jettisoning physical limitation within that confining mantis-scorpion exoskeleton.

Not only is the nature of this picture highly symbiotic, but it is ALSO highly symbolic.

Basically, the concept of this illustration operates on several levels:

At the surface level, here is an image of Xo-Qooj as a flora-fauna symbiont-amalgamant.

Both insectoid & botanoid features blend together in a perfect fusion.

Like a closed-circuit of self-sufficient coexistants, one aspect completes the other and leaves nothing lacking.

For example:

They are hermaphroditic & self-pollinating.

They are a nectar-generator & self-nourishing.

They are bioluminescent, so simultaneously self-warming, self-illuminating and even self-photosynthesizing.

They combine leaf & wing in a manner where the normally immobile plant-aspect becomes self-transporting.

And they recycle one another’s gaseous emissions so that the animal-aspect’s exhalations become the vegetable-aspect’s inhalations (& vice-versa), which permits them to be self-breathing.

Thus, with no external needs distracting their intentions or actions, these self-sufficient symbiotes can fully focus on benefiting all other beings.

Which, of course, includes sharing & showering everyone/everywhere/everwhen with the boundless abundance of all those naturally built-in blessings!

* * *

Looking further beyond the surface-level details, we can unveil subtler qualities to this illustration’s conceptualizations.

Essentially: this version of Xo-Qooj is a symbolic representation of how we ALL are composed of myriad sub-components to the point that our “individual identity” obscures the truth of our collective omni-existence by all those seemingly-separate embodiments.

“One person” is actually a multi-cellular organism encapsulating a whole host of cooperating micro-creatures.

And each of those microscopic parts is then further sub-divided into many molecular structures.

And all those molecules are themselves a well-synchronized swarm of atomic particles!

AND every atom is itself an entire solar-system of orbiting protons, neutrons, and electrons!

This inward unfurling of many-within-one just keeps going!

There are some profound implications in this which are worth pondering!

* * *

Xo-Qooj as a “symbiosectoid” is also the unification of a variety of dualities.

Plant & Animal.

Feminine & Masculine.

Yin & Yang.

Son on and so forth.

* * *

Finally, we arrive at the level of this drawing which works as artistic acknowledgement of the “Muses of the Mind”.

For whom the imagination of a singular human is a playground from which they are the well-spring.

The hand of an artist then becomes their conduit to transmit & bring forth the “Fruit of our Thoughts”.

And those fruits could only emerge from well-pollinated & playfully-fertilized flowers, whose intrinsic beauty inspires!

(In other words:

Every drawing, or piece of writing, is the collective culmination of multitudes of influences over the course of a lifetime, which come together through our “individual” filter.

Without that specific lens, the result would not be the same.

So it is quite important to be aware of how we got here.

Because fully comprehending the truth of this present-moment allows us to better conduct our thoughts/speech/actions, which in turn then influence the life-experiences of all other entities. Whether directly or indirectly.

And knowing the immense impact & lasting effects we have on them is what provokes compassion.

Compassion lets us care enough about each other to cooperate & coexist when things in this world get complicated.)


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https://i.imgur.com/jr8Mzbg.jpg
https://imgur.com/jr8Mzbg


https://i.imgur.com/ixD5Odh.jpg
https://imgur.com/ixD5Odh


Elaborating on similar ideas in this pair of pictures, the flowers have been given faces & stamen-feelers to better depict that they all have “individual” identities within the overall symbiont-amalgamant.

Their names are even palindromes to convey how inherently well-balanced these symbio-buddies all are!

Formerly imbalanced as the original mantis-scorpion once known as Xe-Vekh, who has now transitioned to this Lotus-Seahorse Luna-Moth form, each freshly-bloomed (and perennially renewed) flower-partner could be considered an “anima” aspect of the newly stabilized mind.

Riemmier. (pink petals)
Fiellief. (purple petals)
Thiebbieth. (orange petals)
Viekkiev. (blue petals)

The name similarity between Xe-Vekh and Viekkiev is to show how the previously-andrine dominant personality has matured to encompasss more dynamics, which themselves extend beyond the male, into the female, and then back again, in perfect complement & communion.

And it has never been a coincidence that Xo-Qooj’s wings resembled either leaves or petals, even as an insectoid.

One of the best points to note is how the “luna-moth wing-flaps” double as “pollinating stamen” in symbolic representation of how Xo-Qooj has moved-on from earlier misguided mindsets to now function as a source of fertile inspiration for assisting other entities in their own struggles to become liberated from the samsara that ensnares us all!!