Wow, I really couldn't come up with a better title for this. It started as a warm-up sketch to loosen my hand before attempting progress on commissions, but it transformed into a full-fledged reference for one of my older characters from Ahnurth, Worldwanderer! Her real name isn't actually Worldwanderer; it's just what she's decided to call herself.

I've had a great deal of difficulty drawing and finalizing the race she belongs to, but something decided to click the other day and allow me to design something that finally feels perfect. I took a great deal of inspiration from an adorable New Zealand parrot called the kakapo, mostly in redesigning the face.

Worldwanderer belongs to an Ahnurthian race called the Illusuro. Supposedly descended from a now-extinct species of Spirelander, the cloud-dwelling Humasuro, the Illusuro have all the necessary physical parts in order to use magic like dragons, but lack the actual "pearl" to do so, and the ability to create one powerful enough to use. They're also the smallest race out of the main four, only reaching about four feet tall in adulthood. Their most distinct features are their mask-like bird faces, long fluff-tipped tails, and the stretchy membranes connecting their sides and arms.

It is said that long ago, the Humasuro detached themselves from all creatures below the clouds, ignoring pleas for help from even fellow Spirelanders. Angered with their selfishness, the dragon god Una robbed the Humasuro of their scales, pearls, and wings, and cast the Humasuro out of the sky. He then supposedly stowed these missing pieces in the floating city of Haist-Kai, for those worthy Illusuro to eventually find and gain back, once they learned to coexist with the rest of the world. Many Illusuro resent Una for this punishment, while many more seek his forgiveness and guidance in order to find the ancient city and become true dragons once again.

Worldwanderer, unlike a great deal of her kind who spend their entire lives looking for a way to access Haist-Kai, found her peace with never finding the legendary city. She instead travels the world to enjoy the beauty of a life bound to the land. Led by her immense curiousity and wanderlust, she's determined to see everything that Ahnurth has to offer her, no matter how distant or how terrifying. She'll give guidance and comfort to the younger Illusuro she happens across on her journeys, directing them to where she's found streams of zephmenta to help ease their ache for the sky, but she'll also try and encourage them to not dwell on their misery, in pursuit of something that very few manage to actually reach. She's a very optimistic soul to be around, and has many stories to share, so consider yourself fortunate if she decides to wander with you for a while on your own travels.

Programs used: PaintTool SAI and Photoshop CS4.

Watercolour Texture by AuroraWienhold on DeviantART: CLICK for source!