Achinssha, Shisk Summoner - Client Commission

As an avid Pathfinder 2e player, I have found myself in a variety of TTRPG spaces online. Breaking out of "artist twitter," I've realized there's a huge group of players who want art of their characters, but feel they lack the skill to do so. One such player commissioned me to draw their newest character, a Shisk Summoner. I took a lot of inspiration from flipping through Paizo's The Mwangi Expanse, as well as the real life locations and cultures that influenced it. In particular, the client wanted to draw on the cultures of East Africa. Narrowing down, I chose to look to Kenyan/Massai traditional dress for fashion inspiration. The bright reds and bold patterns felt perfect for this particular character.

The summoner's choice of eidolon was a psychopomp, a spirit who guides the newly disceased to the afterlife. Given the setting and themes, Hyena was a natural choice for the pychopomp's appearance. I had originally chosen to do a flat, wooden mask with symbols evoking the hyena skull. However, when shown to the client, they preferred a more contoured design, emphasizing the animalistic features. You can see my design sketches in the last image: A contoured mask covering the majority of the face, while still evoking the skull as a symbol of death.