HOME | DD

Description
I didn't want to upload this one yesterday in case it came off as an April Fools joke-

But no, this is actually a character in my novel. In fact, he's the most important member of the team. Because he is a good boy, and deserves head pats. Last in my roster of reapers is Maks, a German Shepherd who served as a battle hound during World War II. He was adopted by a Polish family struggling to survive against the German occupation, and like all good boys he became a beloved and inseparable member of the family. Unfortunately, the Third Reich isn't exactly famous for its respect for things like family and love. Maks's family avoided their radar for as long as they could, hiding out in the Polish wilderness, but one day they were found by a small squadron. The family fought hard, and many would've died had it not been for their brave and loyal hound rushing into the fray and mauling the invaders. At the cost of his own life. The family buried him with the full honors deserving of such a selfless and heroic individual who protected his loved ones without hesitation.

While all dogs go to a paradise, Maks had a different fate in store. The specter of a witch, Teena Longsworthe, took pity on the dog, and transformed his soul into the visage of herself and her team of reapers. Together, they wandered across wartorn Europe, battling against the diabolical occult conspiracies of the Ahnenerbe using their own magical prowess. Maks himself became a particular favorite among the younger souls that the reapers have harvested during the war years and after. Of course he was. Just look at him. I'd be happy if he escorted me to the afterlife. I'd give him head pats.

Design notes, here's a fun fact: I ran a D&D campaign a few months back. For that game, I drew every NPC myself, which was definitely a mistake, but I'm picky like that. That included all the animals that were available for encounters or polymorph purposes. It actually helped me a lot, as before I haven't been great with drawing animals. I'm just not used to it as much as I am humans. But having to go through all those critters really helped me get a feel for different species' anatomies and study how they pose. I'm still no expert, but it's enough for me to be happy with how our boy Maks here came out. Of course, I'm extra, so I couldn't just slap a ghostly vigenére over a dog skeleton and call it a day. I gave him a cute little vest, based off of those worn by the canine units of both the World Wars and those worn today. It gives him character, I think. Not to say he doesn't have plenty of that already.

Bonus fact: I named him after my parents' dog Max (short for Maximus). He's the first we had in our apartment and he's still my favorite out of the bunch to this day (don't tell the others). Max is a good boy. He's quiet and chills to himself, and we vibe like that. This has no bearing on the story, Max is alive and well. I just love talking about dogs.

Description
I didn't want to upload this one yesterday in case it came off as an April Fools joke-

But no, this is actually a character in my novel. In fact, he's the most important member of the team. Because he is a good boy, and deserves head pats. Last in my roster of reapers is Maks, a German Shepherd who served as a battle hound during World War II. He was adopted by a Polish family struggling to survive against the German occupation, and like all good boys he became a beloved and inseparable member of the family. Unfortunately, the Third Reich isn't exactly famous for its respect for things like family and love. Maks's family avoided their radar for as long as they could, hiding out in the Polish wilderness, but one day they were found by a small squadron. The family fought hard, and many would've died had it not been for their brave and loyal hound rushing into the fray and mauling the invaders. At the cost of his own life. The family buried him with the full honors deserving of such a selfless and heroic individual who protected his loved ones without hesitation.

While all dogs go to a paradise, Maks had a different fate in store. The specter of a witch, Teena Longsworthe, took pity on the dog, and transformed his soul into the visage of herself and her team of reapers. Together, they wandered across wartorn Europe, battling against the diabolical occult conspiracies of the Ahnenerbe using their own magical prowess. Maks himself became a particular favorite among the younger souls that the reapers have harvested during the war years and after. Of course he was. Just look at him. I'd be happy if he escorted me to the afterlife. I'd give him head pats.

Design notes, here's a fun fact: I ran a D&D campaign a few months back. For that game, I drew every NPC myself, which was definitely a mistake, but I'm picky like that. That included all the animals that were available for encounters or polymorph purposes. It actually helped me a lot, as before I haven't been great with drawing animals. I'm just not used to it as much as I am humans. But having to go through all those critters really helped me get a feel for different species' anatomies and study how they pose. I'm still no expert, but it's enough for me to be happy with how our boy Maks here came out. Of course, I'm extra, so I couldn't just slap a ghostly vigenére over a dog skeleton and call it a day. I gave him a cute little vest, based off of those worn by the canine units of both the World Wars and those worn today. It gives him character, I think. Not to say he doesn't have plenty of that already.

Bonus fact: I named him after my parents' dog Max (short for Maximus). He's the first we had in our apartment and he's still my favorite out of the bunch to this day (don't tell the others). Max is a good boy. He's quiet and chills to himself, and we vibe like that. This has no bearing on the story, Max is alive and well. I just love talking about dogs.