The Haunting of Brightwood Asylum Part 1 - From the World of House of Seasons

As Alice continued to dig into the secret history of the House of Seasons, and the coming of the Blight, she started to become aware of something missing, edited out of history.  It started to take shape from the places something should have been but wasn't, edges of narratives that didn't line up.  There appeared to be an entire ancient kingdom that had been struck from history, edited out, slowly becoming apparent in the shape of its absence.

And to make matters stranger, she didn't appear to be the first to be making these connections.  Over and over, on every book, every document she checked out, she kept seeing the same name, signed out before her.  Lorelei Catesby.  She recognized it immediately.  Everyone at Balefire knew it, and its every implication filled her with dread.  Just days earlier, they had all heard the news.  A student researching into forbidden texts was driven mad by something she had found.  She was committed to Brightwood Asylum where on her first night there, she had taken her own life.

Delia reached out her connections, and found someone who worked at the asylum with a bit of information.  Rumor was, Lorelei still haunted her cell.  The administration there had called in an exorcist, arriving in a few days, to deal with the issue.  Would they be able to contact Lorelei, to see what she had learned?  Time was short.  For the right price, Delia's asylum contact would leave a back door open for them, but once inside, the rest would be up to them.  Throughout its long history, many dangerous witches had been committed to Brightwood, and it was heavily warded.  But Delia and Thornapple had quite a bit of experience getting into places they weren't supposed to be.





















































































































After convincing Lorelei that they were there to help, it all came pouring out.  She wasn't sure how, but someone had done this to her.  The madness, the suicide, these were powerful curses at work.  She would tell them everything she knew, but she needed their help first.  As a vengeful spirit, she was bound to the place of her death.  She wanted out, a chance to find who had done this to her, before the exorcist severed her connection to this world forever.

Bonus Photos:

Very cool work on the gritty backgrounds and original figures -- though we've met most of these characters before, it cannot be said enough. Did you knit Lorelei's outfit yourself?

Ah, omg, this is a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y * B R I L L I A N T * !!!!! 

I am loving this storyline. Seeing all the girls in action together is so much fun. Your House of Seasons world has always been very intriguing, and it's super exciting to finally get to see a bit of where it's all going. 

There's so much here to love, so I'll just make a list: 

- LOVE the entire set-up of this dio. That glass window to Lorelei's cell is just so well done. And the weathering on the whole thing is superb -- especially on on the doors, the window ledge, and the old stained walls of the cell. The whole thing really! 

-  is that a Hand of Glory? 

- I jumped when I saw Lorelei under the bed! :'D 

- so creative how you had her strangling them with the sleeves of her straightjacket thingie -- i'd never have thought of that, lol 

- go Thornapple!!! 

- love the fact that she calms down and helps them -- that little wave goodbye between her and Thornapple at the end is really sweet and heartwrenching. Now you have me in suspense, hoping poor Lorelei's ghost can be freed! 

Overall this is such a cool entry -- the mystery of the ancient kingdom that's been 'erased' and the fact that someone or something is trying to keep that way is a creepy-cool element I very much enjoyed.  Gave me a similar vibe to some of Patricia McKillip's fantasy novels, especially Alphabet of Thorn, in which there is a mysterious library book that tells of the exploits of an ancient conqueror and his mage, and Ombria in Shadow, about a kingdom that has a 'shadow city' of itself.... a concept that gave me serious shivers the first time I read it.

Anyhoo, thanks for gracing us with this awesomeness. Can tell this must have taken quite some time to put together. And the photos and text all work so well -- I'm eager to continue reading/viewing this story! 

It took me awhile to get through this all, and absorb all the great imagery. Really awesome stuff, Rev. It started out creepy as f@$&, like a Japanese horror movie, and turned into elements of Beetlejuice. Not the ending I was expecting, but I’m glad to see the girls are going to help her. Should be an exciting adventure — and this is a great start. Such an impressive environment, and really effective lighting.

Man, I have to look through this on a big screen. Superb job sir.

It's so beautifully moody.

It's fun how they all appear on the screen one after another. If someone doesn't know about Isblomma, they might think a demon appeared behind our heroes, haha.

I felt very edgy when I spotted Lorelei under the bed!
My favourite part is when sh"t hits the fan up to eleven and those arm's reach out, that's incredibly well photographed/composed/thought out.
She has the vibes of one of your Japanese ghost ladies. I really only ever read Uzumaki, but it somehow reminded me of that.

Contrasts between hair colors and bleak environment looks great too.

Cool how Thornapple crawls for initiative while everything is exploding around her.

I also love that forgotten kingdom stuff. There also was something about a forgotten God somewhere else, a god who was rather important and influential, but somehow no one could ever remember he was there, which annoyed him a lot.

Did the zombie hand know the code? I felt like I should have known what they said and did there.

I will give it another look tomorrow, great job.

Ovy — your guess about the hand knowing the code makes sense — I just had presumed it was some kind of magic talisman. ;p

P.S. I adore Thornapple’s shoes. :’)

A ga-gaa-ga-gaa-gghost!

Very creepy pictures at first. The sets are awesome as well. Great work!

Indeed Very Cool and great job.

I agree with the others the story started out very spooky and ended very nice.

Ah ! A story in 1:6 ! Love to see this. The figures are great actors and the Scenes and Backgrounds are fantastic. Great Job by show emotions with posing. Can´t wait to see part 2. The little witchboard and the smoke effect of the little incense ? Tank are really good.

This is fun to look over again and again (just like all of your diorama setups). I like the magical hand details and how they are able to use it to unlock the door. Really great work, Rev.

GubernatorFan wrote:Very cool work on the gritty backgrounds and original figures -- though we've met most of these characters before, it cannot be said enough. Did you knit Lorelei's outfit yourself?

Thank you!  Yeah, with the major characters, I like to kinda introduce them first so you know them a bit before getting into the group scenes and the action.   But once there's that foundation, it's fun to start introducing others in actual scenes.  At least that's kinda how it works in my head.

And Lorelei's straight jacket actually came from a Living Dead Doll Fashion Victim, and I realized forever ago that it was a perfect fit for a 1/6 figure, and have just been looking for the the right project to use it.  I did make a few modifications too.  I couldn't decide if her design was "enough" but eventually just ran with it.

skywalkersaga wrote:Ah, omg, this is a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y * B R I L L I A N T * !!!!! 

I am loving this storyline. Seeing all the girls in action together is so much fun. Your House of Seasons world has always been very intriguing, and it's super exciting to finally get to see a bit of where it's all going. 

Thank you so much!!  I was so psyched to get into this one, and dive a bit deeper into the story.  

skywalkersaga wrote:There's so much here to love, so I'll just make a list: 

Yes please!!!!

skywalkersaga wrote:- LOVE the entire set-up of this dio. That glass window to Lorelei's cell is just so well done. And the weathering on the whole thing is superb -- especially on on the doors, the window ledge, and the old stained walls of the cell. The whole thing really! 

Thank you!!  I couldn't wait to share it.  I actually made it for Radio Kings, but it's a part of something so much bigger, I kinda stalled after making it, until the opportunity popped up for HoS.  

skywalkersaga wrote:-  is that a Hand of Glory? 

It is!!!  You have no idea how happy it made me that you recognized it. It was a lot of fun to make.  It's made with real candles too, so technically you could even light it, although probably wouldn't survive more than a use or 2.  Here's a close-up:

skywalkersaga wrote:- I jumped when I saw Lorelei under the bed! :'D 

That's so awesome! I had that sequence in my head for weeks before I shot it, and I was really hoping it would come across genuinely creepy.  

skywalkersaga wrote:- so creative how you had her strangling them with the sleeves of her straightjacket thingie -- i'd never have thought of that, lol 

Yeah, it seemed like an apt ghost thing to do.  I was trying to think of how to convey a ghost-like menace, and that seemed the way to go.

skywalkersaga wrote:- go Thornapple!!! 

Right!? And of course she did her research and came prepared with something to help calm an angry spirit.  Isblomma was just ready to try to blast her through the wall.  We're not sure if either Isblomma or Thornapple's spells would have worked against Lorelei, or just fizzled when they cast, because of Brightwood's warding.  Thankfully, Thornapple's incense concoction helped calm her down, and they managed to convince her of their intentions before it all got worse.  

skywalkersaga wrote:- love the fact that she calms down and helps them -- that little wave goodbye between her and Thornapple at the end is really sweet and heartwrenching. Now you have me in suspense, hoping poor Lorelei's ghost can be freed! 

Yeah, Lorelei is such a tragic character, and I love how those shots came out (although the focus is a bit off in that 2nd to last pic of Thornapple waving and it's making me a little crazy).  As her character started to come together, I started to think "There really aren't a lot of ghost characters in anything."  I thought the idea would be really fun to kinda work out in the world of HoS.  She was actually a pretty weak witch, who mostly excelled as a researcher, and is probably far more powerful as a ghost than when she was alive.  

skywalkersaga wrote:Overall this is such a cool entry -- the mystery of the ancient kingdom that's been 'erased' and the fact that someone or something is trying to keep that way is a creepy-cool element I very much enjoyed.  Gave me a similar vibe to some of Patricia McKillip's fantasy novels, especially Alphabet of Thorn, in which there is a mysterious library book that tells of the exploits of an ancient conqueror and his mage, and Ombria in Shadow, about a kingdom that has a 'shadow city' of itself.... a concept that gave me serious shivers the first time I read it.

Anyhoo, thanks for gracing us with this awesomeness. Can tell this must have taken quite some time to put together. And the photos and text all work so well -- I'm eager to continue reading/viewing this story! 

Oh man, I kinda want to check out both of those book recommendations.  And I'm so happy you enjoyed!  Yeah, those kind of creepy ancient mysterious elements just crawl under my skin, and I'm always trying to work some of that feeling into the HoS world.  Should be WAY shorter wait between updates on this one.  I pretty much hit post on this and headed back to start shooting part 2.  Hoping to finish shooting the rest today.  And it is coming out AWESOME, if I do say so myself.

Stryker2011 wrote:It took me awhile to get through this all, and absorb all the great imagery. Really awesome stuff, Rev. It started out creepy as f@$&, like a Japanese horror movie, and turned into elements of Beetlejuice. Not the ending I was expecting, but I’m glad to see the girls are going to help her. Should be an exciting adventure — and this is a great start. Such an impressive environment, and really effective lighting.

Yes!!!  Thank you so much man.  Take your time taking it all in!  Japanese horror is such a HUGE influence, and I'm thrilled that, and the actually creepiness came through!  So glad you enjoyed.  I had a lot of fun trying to get a cool vibe lighting the hall way, and all the light inside the cell actually just came from the built in overhead light for the dio.  I couldn't believe how well it worked without any additional light sources.  I had all extra lights ready, but it was just working so well on it's own I ran with it.  

Ovy wrote:Man, I have to look through this on a big screen. Superb job sir.

It's so beautifully moody.

It's fun how they all appear on the screen one after another. If someone doesn't know about Isblomma, they might think a demon appeared behind our heroes, haha.

Thank you Ovy!  Yeah, definitely check it out on a bigger screen.  I tried to pack in a lot of details in the build.  And I was definitely trying out something a bit cinematic.  There's even a pair of similar shots early on where I just changed the depth of focus to try to move the focus from the fore to the back ground.

I also love how Isblomma is always kinda looming and misunderstood.  It totally fits her.

Ovy wrote:I felt very edgy when I spotted Lorelei under the bed!

I'm so happy that unease came across!  I wanted to do that shot, and I was so hoping it would come across as creepy as it seemed in my head.

Ovy wrote:My favourite part is when sh"t hits the fan up to eleven and those arm's reach out, that's incredibly well photographed/composed/thought out.
She has the vibes of one of your Japanese ghost ladies. I really only ever read Uzumaki, but it somehow reminded me of that.

I freaking LOVE Uzumaki (There is a great film adaptation too, if you haven't seen it), and that's totally the vibe I was going for!

Ovy wrote:Contrasts between hair colors and bleak environment looks great too.

I hadn't even thought of that!  Now I'm really digging that too.

Ovy wrote:Cool how Thornapple crawls for initiative while everything is exploding around her.

Right!?  That may have been my favorite shot of the bunch!  I was so happy how that came out.

Ovy wrote:I also love that forgotten kingdom stuff. There also was something about a forgotten God somewhere else, a god who was rather important and influential, but somehow no one could ever remember he was there, which annoyed him a lot.

Me too! Yeah, I want House of Seasons to just be full of these kinda Lovecraftian occult mysteries, and this one is gonna be a cool one (some fun plans for THAT photoshoot too).  And I think you're remembering The Blight, this ancient primordial force, sealed away and forgotten, and unleashed by Barlow the Worm.  Kinda THE big bad of HoS.    

Ovy wrote:Did the zombie hand know the code? I felt like I should have known what they said and did there.

That, as Skywalkersaga recognized, is a hand of glory.  It's a dried and pickled hand of a hanged man, combined with a candle made from the rendered fat of the same man's corpse, and the wick made from his hair.  According to some legends, it's said to be able to open any door.  Delia made a deal with an unscrupulous mortician for the ingredients for hers, as well as other parts from time to time.  As well warded as Brightwood is, it's mostly against straight spellcasting within it's walls, and a powerful pre-made charm like a hand of glory kinda works around it.  

Ovy wrote:I will give it another look tomorrow, great job.

Thanks again, and please do!  

skywalkersaga wrote:Ovy — your guess about the hand knowing the code makes sense — I just had presumed it was some kind of magic talisman. ;p

You know, I really like the idea of a hand that retained the memory of a code it punched in!  In this case, that would mean cutting off some poor doctor or orderly's hand, which thankfully the girls didn't do.  But I'm keeping that idea in the back of my mind for later...

skywalkersaga wrote:P.S. I adore Thornapple’s shoes. :’)

Aren't the great!?  The're from Original Effect, and I gutted out all the plastic inner so now they slip on an actual foot.  They're actually the same ones from her individual thread, but without the spats.

MerylAkiba wrote:A ga-gaa-ga-gaa-gghost!

No rubber masks here!  It's so funny you say that, there were a few shots that totally had this Scooby-Doo vibe, but creepier vibe to me as well.

ZombieKev wrote:Very creepy pictures at first.   The sets are awesome as well.  Great work!

Thank you so much!

BAD WOLF-787 wrote:Indeed Very Cool and great job.

I agree with the others the story started out very spooky and ended very nice.

Thank you!  Really happy I pulled off the switch in mood.  

Ephiane wrote:Ah ! A story in 1:6 ! Love to see this. The figures are great actors and the Scenes and Backgrounds are fantastic. Great Job by show emotions with posing. Can´t wait to see part 2. The little witchboard and the smoke effect of the little incense ? Tank are really good.

Thank you!!!  Trying to get a sense of character and emotion just through body language is always tricky, and I'm thrilled when it comes across.  I've been looking for the right opportunity to bust out the spirit board, and this seemed like it's moment.  And the incense smoke looks good, right?  I found this little smoke app that is AWFUL to use, but the results are really good.  So glad you're enjoying!

Stryker2011 wrote:This is fun to look over again and again (just like all of your diorama setups). I like the magical hand details and how they are able to use it to unlock the door. Really great work, Rev.

Oh man, than you for coming back for another look! Than means a ton to me man. Check out the above description of the hand of glory and the close-up pics. I just realized I actually made it in 2016 and FINALLY actually used it in a photoshoot. I have this weird habit of making stuff constantly, and then never getting around to showing. There's always some element or context I'm waiting to finish 1st, and then it just gets lost in the shuffle. So I'm so happy this finally made a proper appearance, and it was worth the wait!

Well, I think a major part of the art is spotting the pieces in the first place and finding a good use for them, modified or not -- and you excel in each aspect of that.

I like the detailed shots of the hand. I had no idea it was made out of actual candles — I thought it was made from a pre-existing hand that you modified. Really great stuff.

GubernatorFan wrote:Well, I think a major part of the art is spotting the pieces in the first place and finding a good use for them, modified or not -- and you excel in each aspect of that.

Ah, thanks man. And I totally agree. I think half this hobby is exactly that, and I love this community for always sharing all the little tricks they find for thing that work in scale. It's easy when everything you look at, you ask yourself "can I use that for something 1/6?" I think it's a mental disorder we all share around here.

Stryker2011 wrote:I like the detailed shots of the hand. I had no idea it was made out of actual candles — I thought it was made from a pre-existing hand that you modified. Really great stuff.

Thank you! I started with a 1/6 hand, and now it's hard to figure out where the hand stops and the candles start. The wax blends into everything nicely. All I can say for sure is that a generous amount of fire was used on both.

Jinkies! This is a stupendous debut for the House of Seasons characters teaming up, they look great together! This asylum, man...per usual you knocked it out of the park in all aspects of construction and weathering. Such an eerily effective diorama, and the overhead strip lights work SO frickin' well for the horror vibe here. Very excited to see Part 2, and after this I can only imagine how awesome the first fight scene for Radio Kings will be!

I have also been revisiting this, because there is just so much to see! I can definitely see what you mean about using this dio for Radio Kings as well -- it certainly has the level of realism for it, as well as the dilapidated post-apocalyptic feel! Really looking forward to seeing them in action there, too.  


Re: the Hand of Glory --  Ah, awesome! I'm glad that my first instinct was correct in this instance. :') I think what tipped me off with this one was the fact that the fingernails looked like wicks, and that, yes, it seemed like the whole thing had indeed been burned/melted/etc. I can't recall how or when I first became aware of a Hand of Glory, but definitely remember one a making an appearance in a scene from the iconic The Wicker Man.

I was very much hoping that's what it was supposed to be, cause it's just such a wonderfully creepy thing and perfect horror element! And not just because of what it was (the hand of a hanged criminal/murderer), nor even what it was supposed to do (the specifics of which varies depending on sources, but usually amounts to allowing the holder access into places),, but also how it was made ....again, depend on the source, but usually the hand itself was 'pickled' and then some methods called for making a candle out of the fat of the dead criminal and using this to light the hand. Just so horribly delightfully macabre! And even moreso since it's not just fantasy, but is based on folkloric beliefs and is something believed to have been made in RL -- there is an example of one at a museum in Whitby here in Yorkshire.  

And thanks for the pics of the actual prop on its own -- it looks awesome!!! I love that you have it in a 'glass case' and the fact that you used a coin as the base.... just perfect!!! 

Re: Lorelei -- I'm glad you included her as she is an effective character. Love her design too. Ghost characters can be anything from humorous to deeply tragic, and I think you hit just the right note with this one. For an example of an entire story featuring ghost characters, see: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. A 'childrens' book, yes, but it's really lovely. :') 

Curious how you got her to hang from the ceiling -- I'm presuming her foot is tied with string/thread/wire and then she is sort of balanced against the side of the wall? You've done other impressive stunts with Marrow as well, but this was an especially cool effect!

Re: Thornapple's shoes -- Ah, yes, I recall them with the spats in the original images. How amazing that you hollowed them out! How in the world do you do something like that, with a dremel?? Regardless, the results are great and I love how those look on their own as well. 

And oh! Patricia McKillip's fantasy works are very unique-- she's probably best known for her 'Riddlemaster of Hed' Trilogy, but other than that, most of her other work, ranging from short stories to novels, is 'stand alone'. Which is very rare for fantasy authors, since many if not most tend to write multiple novels or huge, never-ending series set in the same world, whereas she tends to create a new kingdom or setting for each story. It's crazy, I can't even comprehend the level of imagination. I think it's because she likes to explore many different facets of magic, and each world/story provides a slightly different context for said explorations (for instance, music can even be a form of magic in some of her stories). Ultimately though it's her prose style that really gets to me... so rich and heady, and so detailed, like woven tapestry of words. Her stories aren't always 'easy' in that there isn't always a simple resolution or straightforward trajectory, but if you enjoy unique and atmospheric fantasy laden with atypical depictions of magic, there might be something of interest there. :') In addition to the ones mentioned above, I also rec the novels The Book of Atrix Wolfe and Song for the Basilisk, along with her short story collection, Harrowing the Dragon. 

But yeah, that's just the fantasy/magical side of things... I can tell that your influences for the House of Seasons are very wide-ranging! To the point I cannot even begin to guess them all. While I don't really have much knowledge or experience with Japanese horror, I do love everything from folk horror, occult horror, gothic horror, fantasy horror, eldritch horror and so on.  When you had mentioned the 'Blight' in previous entries, I initially thought of the Wheel of Time series [lol!], but now that you mention it, I can also see the Lovecraftian vibe as well. 

Something I've been meaning to ask you about the figures themselves -- regarding the ones with the more 'anime' hair that stick up and which change shape in different scenes, do you use tibetan lamb hair, or is that some other kind of wool or viscose? I ask because I've never seen lamb hair hold shape like that without some heavy product in it, and I'm curious!

Really cool photos and diorama. The girls are spectacular too.

It always amazes me when someone talented and passionate puts so much will and effort in a project. And the result is a masterpiece, a journey in which you can easily dive into and simply get lost within it for who knows how long. What kind of sorcery is this that allows you to create such striking, beautiful and intricate characters and capture so perfectly their emotions, their body language, in each and every frame? I just gazed upon each photo for quite some time, just trying to absorb and admire all you've done.

I can't thank you enough for sharing this... experience. Mind-blowing and addictive.

AlKelAstra91 wrote:Jinkies! This is a stupendous debut for the House of Seasons characters teaming up, they look great together! This asylum, man...per usual you knocked it out of the park in all aspects of construction and weathering. Such an eerily effective diorama, and the overhead strip lights work SO frickin' well for the horror vibe here. Very excited to see Part 2, and after this I can only imagine how awesome the first fight scene for Radio Kings will be!

Thank you AlKelAstra!!!  About damn time, right?!  I couldn't believe how well those Ikea strip lights would work either.  I actually just had them in the basement too.  Pure luck.  I'm keeping this momentum going, and just finished shooting part 2 tonight, and it's just some narrowing down, post processing, and writing, and you should be seeing it soon.  And I think I figured out some narrative logistics for part 3, so feeling pretty damn good tonight.  I can't wait to get to the 1st fight in the Radio Kings either.  I have a bunch of REALLY fun ideas lined up, but all have some pretty extensive building in the way.  Which is fine, because I'm fired up as hell and charging forward!

skywalkersaga wrote:I have also been revisiting this, because there is just so much to see! I can definitely see what you mean about using this dio for Radio Kings as well -- it certainly has the level of realism for it, as well as the dilapidated post-apocalyptic feel! Really looking forward to seeing them in action there, too.  


Re: the Hand of Glory --  Ah, awesome! I'm glad that my first instinct was correct in this instance. :') I think what tipped me off with this one was the fact that the fingernails looked like wicks, and that, yes, it seemed like the whole thing had indeed been burned/melted/etc. I can't recall how or when I first became aware of a Hand of Glory, but definitely remember one a making an appearance in a scene from the iconic The Wicker Man.

I was very much hoping that's what it was supposed to be, cause it's just such a wonderfully creepy thing and perfect horror element! And not just because of what it was (the hand of a hanged criminal/murderer), nor even what it was supposed to do (the specifics of which varies depending on sources, but usually amounts to allowing the holder access into places),, but also how it was made ....again, depend on the source, but usually the hand itself was 'pickled' and then some methods called for making a candle out of the fat of the dead criminal and using this to light the hand. Just so horribly delightfully macabre! And even moreso since it's not just fantasy, but is based on folkloric beliefs and is something believed to have been made in RL -- there is an example of one at a museum in Whitby here in Yorkshire.  

And thanks for the pics of the actual prop on its own -- it looks awesome!!! I love that you have it in a 'glass case' and the fact that you used a coin as the base.... just perfect!!! 

Re: Lorelei -- I'm glad you included her as she is an effective character. Love her design too. Ghost characters can be anything from humorous to deeply tragic, and I think you hit just the right note with this one. For an example of an entire story featuring ghost characters, see: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. A 'childrens' book, yes, but it's really lovely. :') 

Curious how you got her to hang from the ceiling -- I'm presuming her foot is tied with string/thread/wire and then she is sort of balanced against the side of the wall? You've done other impressive stunts with Marrow as well, but this was an especially cool effect!

Re: Thornapple's shoes -- Ah, yes, I recall them with the spats in the original images. How amazing that you hollowed them out! How in the world do you do something like that, with a dremel?? Regardless, the results are great and I love how those look on their own as well. 

And oh! Patricia McKillip's fantasy works are very unique-- she's probably best known for her 'Riddlemaster of Hed' Trilogy, but other than that, most of her other work, ranging from short stories to novels, is 'stand alone'. Which is very rare for fantasy authors, since many if not most tend to write multiple novels or huge, never-ending series set in the same world, whereas she tends to create a new kingdom or setting for each story. It's crazy, I can't even comprehend the level of imagination. I think it's because she likes to explore many different facets of magic, and each world/story provides a slightly different context for said explorations (for instance, music can even be a form of magic in some of her stories). Ultimately though it's her prose style that really gets to me... so rich and heady, and so detailed, like woven tapestry of words. Her stories aren't always 'easy' in that there isn't always a simple resolution or straightforward trajectory, but if you enjoy unique and atmospheric fantasy laden with atypical depictions of magic, there might be something of interest there. :') In addition to the ones mentioned above, I also rec the novels The Book of Atrix Wolfe and Song for the Basilisk, along with her short story collection, Harrowing the Dragon. 

But yeah, that's just the fantasy/magical side of things... I can tell that your influences for the House of Seasons are very wide-ranging! To the point I cannot even begin to guess them all. While I don't really have much knowledge or experience with Japanese horror, I do love everything from folk horror, occult horror, gothic horror, fantasy horror, eldritch horror and so on.  When you had mentioned the 'Blight' in previous entries, I initially thought of the Wheel of Time series [lol!], but now that you mention it, I can also see the Lovecraftian vibe as well. 

Something I've been meaning to ask you about the figures themselves -- regarding the ones with the more 'anime' hair that stick up and which change shape in different scenes, do you use tibetan lamb hair, or is that some other kind of wool or viscose? I ask because I've never seen lamb hair hold shape like that without some heavy product in it, and I'm curious!

So glad you came back for another look!  I had so much fun with this one and love getting to share that excitement.  And I think almost all of my dios will have to do double duty between my 2 world.  Really cash in on my build time  

And you know what, I can't remember either where I first heard of a Hand of Glory either!  Which in itself is kinda eerie, like it just slowly slides into your conscious awareness.  And I had heard there was one at the Whitby Museum when I was researching, which is so cool!  Have you ever been over to see it?  And I so agree, there's something so neat about the historic/folklore part of it, and everything about it so quintessentially macabre, I just love it.  I wish I could member what made me decide I NEEDED to make one (It's probably in a few HoS backgrounds, but it's been waiting to make a proper appearance since I made in 2016!).  I know it pops up in Charles Stross's Laundry novels, which I HIGHLY recommend.  The main character works IT for a secret branch of the British government that deals with incursions from extra-dimensional horrors.  It's got a dark humor throughout, but at it's core, is about how what they're dealing with is so huge and existentially horrific, and will almost inevitably wipe out all life, all they're doing is buying time for humanity, and keeping the world ignorant.  It's a weird blend of cosmic horror and gallows humor, and the approach to magic as very grounded and mathematical has a big influence on how I approached Magic in HoS.

And I will admit, the 2 pound coin for the base didn't stay much past the photos.  I had just gotten back from London, and it was the perfect size in a pinch, but I figured sooner or later some one would call me on the mundanity of it.  

And I freakin LOVE the Graveyard Book!!! (And most things Gaiman).  I saw you mention American Gods recently in another thread too, which is one of my all time favorite books.  I always love his take on...  Well, everything, but he always has such a fresh and interesting approach to any subject he takes on.  Totally a side note, but did you hear there is going to be a Sandman audio drama, with Kat Dennings playing the voice of Death?  I am insanely excited.

And you are dead on about Lorelei's floating effect.  There's a small fishing line loop around the light cord, and her ankle slips through, and she balances on the back wall.  It was fun trying to get the right eerie contorted poses for her too.

I do have a weird obsession with needing all shoes and boots to be for actual feet.  I don't do a lot of sculpted shoes if I can help it, but when I do, I will often dremel them out.  but if they have a fabric coating (like these) you can pull off the sole, peel the fabric off the plastic inner "foot", and then re-glue the edges back to the sole.  It works really well, and I don't think I've actually ruined a pair yet (Not counting the one pair where the fabric was just absolute garbage).  

You have definitely piqued my interest on the book recommendations.  I am always especially interested in people's approach to world building, especially magic systems, as it's something I'm constantly turning over in my head.  (HoS's magic is a bit like theoretical physics, in that there are direct applications, but a lot is still very contested, and it's based on phenomenon that we can't directly observe, but still theoretically know enough about to apply, if that makes sense.  I know I probably just way oversimplified quantum physics, but that's the rough parallel).  And Patricia McKillip's prose and narrative style totally sound like my jam.  Blood Meridian is one of my other favorite books, so I can definitely go in for that kind of rich prose.

And I don't think I could name all the influences on HoS either!  And I haven't ready any of the Wheel of Time (I had a friend straight-faced describing the "oily taint" and I just may not be mature enough to read that without laughing).  But Lovecraft is undeniably a big part of the DNA, and that sense of vast overwhelming awe in the horror is definitely something I'm reaching for.  If only he didn't beat me to the name "The Crawling Chaos"...  But as a Horror fan, it is WELL worth at least watching the original Ringu films.  1, 2, and 0 are all brilliant, and were such a cerebral approach to terror that I had never seen at the time.  There are big ideas in those films that are were so fresh, and dark.  Like, as they research the girl that's at the center of the haunting, there's never any mention of who her actual father was.  But they find out that her mother used to stand at the edge of the sea, and speak in a language no one had ever heard.  Then one day she disappeared, and eventually came back pregnant.  And that's all they give you!  But the unanswered implications were so much darker and eerier than any answer they could have given. Not to mention, the 1st two are so gorgeously shot, even if some of the effects are a bit dated.  I freakin love that kinda thing.

As for material, I think it's a faux Mongolian lamb I use for the hair (I want to say I've heard it described as an acrylic?  Does that sound right?), and I buy in any color I run across it.  I've also seen it described as faux shag.  It's great, right?!  I started using mostly because it's so posable.  I WISH my hair had that kinda volume.  But you really can actually manipulate and pose it without any product.  It comes in more natural colors too, and I completely recommend picking some up to play with.  

Thanks so much for the questions and the chance to chat about so much fun stuff!

Theboo-bomb wrote:Really cool photos and diorama. The girls are spectacular too.

Thank you Boo-Bomb!  So glad you're enjoying!

FreakinLobster wrote:It always amazes me when someone talented and passionate puts so much will and effort in a project. And the result is a masterpiece, a journey in which you can easily dive into and simply get lost within it for who knows how long. What kind of sorcery is this that allows you to create such striking, beautiful and intricate characters and capture so perfectly their emotions, their body language, in each and every frame? I just gazed upon each photo for quite some time, just trying to absorb and admire all you've done.

I can't thank you enough for sharing this... experience. Mind-blowing and addictive.

Dude, FreakinLobster, your kindness on this is just incredible, like fireworks in my heart.  Thank you so much everything you said.  I love doing this.  It's so much fun for me when it all comes together, and everything just looks right, and I see something that looks like it did in my head, and I think I got all those ideas and feelings to show up in the picture.  It's what I'm always chasing.  But man, when it connects with someone else, and I know someone gets the same charge I do out of this, it's just the absolute best.  Unbeatable.  So seriously, thank you for taking this ride with me.  Good company always makes the trip 10 times better.

ReverendSpooky wrote:

So glad you came back for another look!  I had so much fun with this one and love getting to share that excitement.  And I think almost all of my dios will have to do double duty between my 2 world.  Really cash in on my build time   

And you know what, I can't remember either where I first heard of a Hand of Glory either!  Which in itself is kinda eerie, like it just slowly slides into your conscious awareness.  And I had heard there was one at the Whitby Museum when I was researching, which is so cool!  Have you ever been over to see it?  And I so agree, there's something so neat about the historic/folklore part of it, and everything about it so quintessentially macabre, I just love it.  I wish I could member what made me decide I NEEDED to make one (It's probably in a few HoS backgrounds, but it's been waiting to make a proper appearance since I made in 2016!).  I know it pops up in Charles Stross's Laundry novels, which I HIGHLY recommend.  The main character works IT for a secret branch of the British government that deals with incursions from extra-dimensional horrors.  It's got a dark humor throughout, but at it's core, is about how what they're dealing with is so huge and existentially horrific, and will almost inevitably wipe out all life, all they're doing is buying time for humanity, and keeping the world ignorant.  It's a weird blend of cosmic horror and gallows humor, and the approach to magic as very grounded and mathematical has a big influence on how I approached Magic in HoS.

Of course! Your work demands multiple viewings! Only sorry it took me so long to reply... been another long week. 

And ah, much to my dismay I have not seen the one in Whitby yet. Almost every time I've been up to Whitby in the last several years has been either for a gig, or at a time when we've had our two dogs in tow, so not much chance for museum-ing, sadly. I'd love to remedy that, if/when such things reopen here. They even were supposed to have a new revamped exhibition featuring the Hand of Glory happening right now, but obviously hardly anyone's had a chance to go see it in person. :'

ReverendSpooky wrote: magic is very unique and interesting, and that book series you recommend sounds super fascinating. Will definitely put it on my list!! 

[quote="ReverendSpooky"]
And I will admit, the 2 pound coin for the base didn't stay much past the photos.  I had just gotten back from London, and it was the perfect size in a pinch, but I figured sooner or later some one would call me on the mundanity of it.

Aww, well I think it's brilliant! But there's always *that* person I suppose.... ;p 

ReverendSpooky wrote:
And I freakin LOVE the Graveyard Book!!! (And most things Gaiman).  I saw you mention American Gods recently in another thread too, which is one of my all time favorite books.  I always love his take on...  Well, everything, but he always has such a fresh and interesting approach to any subject he takes on.  Totally a side note, but did you hear there is going to be a Sandman audio drama, with Kat Dennings playing the voice of Death?  I am insanely excited.

Ahh, excellent, I guess I should have known you'd be familiar with Gaiman's work. And yes, I absolutely love American Gods [the novel] -- it is probably one of my top faves as well! I could go on about for ages, and how influential and formative it has been for so many of my tastes and interests in so many ways, but for once I will try to reign in my tendency to veer off topic on threads! :3 

I had not heard about that Sandman audio drama, but it sounds absolutely fabulous! Thanks for the heads-up!  

ReverendSpooky wrote:I do have a weird obsession with needing all shoes and boots to be for actual feet.  I don't do a lot of sculpted shoes if I can help it, but when I do, I will often dremel them out.  but if they have a fabric coating (like these) you can pull off the sole, peel the fabric off the plastic inner "foot", and then re-glue the edges back to the sole.  It works really well, and I don't think I've actually ruined a pair yet (Not counting the one pair where the fabric was just absolute garbage).

Ah, that's a great method, to remove the soles! Of course, why didn't I think of that. You give me hope that I might be able to use some Hot Toys boots on a tbleague body at some point.... ;D 

ReverendSpooky wrote:You have definitely piqued my interest on the book recommendations.  I am always especially interested in people's approach to world building, especially magic systems, as it's something I'm constantly turning over in my head.  (HoS's magic is a bit like theoretical physics, in that there are direct applications, but a lot is still very contested, and it's based on phenomenon that we can't directly observe, but still theoretically know enough about to apply, if that makes sense.  I know I probably just way oversimplified quantum physics, but that's the rough parallel).  And Patricia McKillip's prose and narrative style totally sound like my jam.  Blood Meridian is one of my other favorite books, so I can definitely go in for that kind of rich prose.

Aw, well, please never feel obligated to check out things I mention or recommend -- I just have a tendency to make connections between things without even consciously meaning to -- academic brain, I guess?? ;p And certain magical elements of  your story brought some aspects of her stories to mind. I thought I'd mention them since it's always neat to see works that incorporate 'magical academies' or 'magical universities' but which are unique and don't fall into the Harry Potter-style stereotypes [nothing against HP, but I'm sure you know what I mean]. 

ReverendSpooky wrote:And I don't think I could name all the influences on HoS either!   And I haven't ready any of the Wheel of Time (I had a friend straight-faced describing the "oily taint" and I just may not be mature enough to read that without laughing).  But Lovecraft is undeniably a big part of the DNA, and that sense of vast overwhelming awe in the horror is definitely something I'm reaching for.  If only he didn't beat me to the name "The Crawling Chaos"...  But as a Horror fan, it is WELL worth at least watching the original Ringu films.  1, 2, and 0 are all brilliant, and were such a cerebral approach to terror that I had never seen at the time.  There are big ideas in those films that are were so fresh, and dark.  Like, as they research the girl that's at the center of the haunting, there's never any mention of who her actual father was.  But they find out that her mother used to stand at the edge of the sea, and speak in a language no one had ever heard.  Then one day she disappeared, and eventually came back pregnant.  And that's all they give you!  But the unanswered implications were so much darker and eerier than any answer they could have given. Not to mention, the 1st two are so gorgeously shot, even if some of the effects are a bit dated.  I freakin love that kinda thing.

Re: Wheel of Time and 'the oily taint'....omfg....    At the risk of possibly offending anyone out there who might happen to be a big fan of that series, I would say..... don't bother. It's one of those series I started reading a million years ago back when I first got into fantasy, and I stuck with it for oh.... about 10 books??? But I just could not continue. This is not to say there is no merit to Robert Jordan's works -- his world-building can be quite interesting at times. BUT, oh my lord... his characters???? They just kept becoming more and more unbelievable and unlikeable to me. Both the male and female characters, but the way he writes female characters is especially atrocious. They are all just stereotypes  -- of either 'positive' male-fantasy [like hot willing warrior women, or submissive princesses], or 'negative' male fantasy [like overly-powerful sorceresses who are just big 'ol meanies and want to keep all teh MEnZ down, wah wah!]. I could go on..... but I'll spare you! For me, unfortunately, whatever merits to his world-building were not enough to keep me interested since I started to find almost all the enormous cast of characters insufferable, and the few I did still like kept disappearing out of the story for like five books at a time!   

Re: Lovecraft  -- love the way you describe it with that 'vast and overwhelming sense of awe', yes! Of course! 'Cosmic horror'... that's another one, how I could I forget. 

Re: Japanese horror -- Those Ringu films do sound intriguing! I think the main reason I never really got into it was simply that I was still rather a bit too young when it started to become popular/more well-known in the US. I was a pretty sheltered teenager back in the late 90s and early 2000s, and since it was still pre- 'easy access to online media' days, I wouldn't have had a chance to see stuff like that. I didn't really start developing my own taste in horror until much later on. Will certainly try to remedy my lack of knowledge/exposure to that side of things at some point! : ) 

ReverendSpooky wrote:As for material, I think it's a faux Mongolian lamb I use for the hair (I want to say I've heard it described as an acrylic?  Does that sound right?), and I buy in any color I run across it.  I've also seen it described as faux shag.  It's great, right?!  I started using mostly because it's so posable.  I WISH my hair had that kinda volume.  But you really can actually manipulate and pose it without any product.  It comes in more natural colors too, and I completely recommend picking some up to play with.  

Thanks for explaining! I've been insanely curious about how you get the hair to do that. It kinda reminds me of my cherished stuffed toy unicorn --- he has this silky acrylic hair that stands up on end and can be shaped in different ways. Must be something similar! :'D 

ReverendSpooky wrote:
Thanks so much for the questions and the chance to chat about so much fun stuff!

My pleasure! 

Ah, now things are starting to make sense to me (Having looked at part three first! lol). I love the look of the team who are trying to track down clues on the missing history. Excellent photography and positioning, but it's the individuality of your characters that really brings this to life! I loved the scene with the ghost on the ceiling, that really was excellent!

BAMComix wrote:Ah, now things are starting to make sense to me (Having looked at part three first! lol). I love the look of the team who are trying to track down clues on the missing history. Excellent photography and positioning, but it's the individuality of your characters that really brings this to life! I loved the scene with the ghost on the ceiling, that really was excellent!

BAMComix, thanks so much for taking the deep dive into my worlds!!! Seriously man, you resurrecting my threads might be the best birthday present I could get today.

And I am so thrilled you're enjoying! I love this cast of characters, and hearing them and the story resonate with you is beyond awesome. I'll be going through all comments, but I just wanted to say here how much I appreciate all you've said.

ReverendSpooky wrote:

BAMComix wrote:Ah, now things are starting to make sense to me (Having looked at part three first! lol). I love the look of the team who are trying to track down clues on the missing history. Excellent photography and positioning, but it's the individuality of your characters that really brings this to life! I loved the scene with the ghost on the ceiling, that really was excellent!

BAMComix, thanks so much for taking the deep dive into my worlds!!!  Seriously man, you resurrecting my threads might be the best birthday present I could get today.  

And I am so thrilled you're enjoying! I love this cast of characters, and hearing them and the story resonate with you is beyond awesome. I'll be going through all comments, but I just wanted to say here how much I appreciate all you've said.  

Hey, I have read and looked at all the links you showed me, I love it all! from the apocalyptic world to your magic users! each character is beautifully crafted and its clear too see that a lot has gone into creating not only them, but the worlds they inhabit! It really is outstanding stuff and you have me hooked! Feel free to pm me more links

Happy birthday! enjoy your day

Happy (ten days late) Birthday!

I think FreakinLobster summed up my initial reaction with the comment, "It always amazes me when someone talented and passionate puts so much will and effort in a project. And the result is a masterpiece, a journey in which you can easily dive into and simply get lost...."

Lorelei was genuinely frightening when she appeared, yet, without the use of text, you turned her in to a sympathetic character. And that last scene, with the little wave through the window... (where's the little heart-eyes icon?)

I'll keep my questions to a minimum for now. The bed. Looks like iron pipe. Very authentically old-school hospital or sanatorium. Did you make it? If so, how?