This one is a little late for May, but time has been short lately. Here is yet another illustration by Liz Danforth from the T&T 5th edition rulebook which features a heavily armored female delver. This is another scene that is open to interpretation. From my view she appears to be in a rather tight spot. The open chest may hold great riches, but she seems to be succumbing to whatever strange gases are coming from the two burning braziers and filling the air around her. She may have stooped down to open the chest only to have been overpowered by the gas. Are the skulls those of previous delvers that have fallen victim to this trap? The eye socket of the skull on the right has a jewel inside. Perhaps the chest is full of similar jewels? Whoever owns the treasure may place them in the cleaned out skulls of those who would try to steal it and places them around the chest like a trophy or a warning. This lone delver seems to have ignored the warning.
To me, the gas clouds look like faces. Perhaps they are the spirits of the departed whispering warnings or enticements to the delver...
ReplyDeleteThe gas clouds are what captured my imagination the most too. I find them most disconcerting. Perhaps they are guardians doing more than simply whispering.
ReplyDeleteCarver's beautiful delver illo with the skulls also possess jewelled eye-sockets. I'll have to ask Liz and Ken if they were frequently used in the Cosmic Circle games.
ReplyDeleteJim, I cannot believe that I missed the faces in the smoke. Now that you have pointed it out I cannot help but see them. Yes, perhaps they are the spirits of those departed delvers whose skulls now decorate the floor.
ReplyDeleteNote also the flashing of her pendant. Perhaps it offers some protection from the ghastly spectres?
ReplyDeleteI always thought she was crawling because it was a low-ceilinged area and that the smoke obscured our view.