Honestly, this was just going to be a picture of Idunn and Freya. And then I noticed Freya looked kind of annoyed, so I thought I'd give her something to be annoyed about. Idunn is kind of the Luna Lovegood of Asgard, takes everything in stride and likes everybody, even Loki.

"Hey, Loki, remember that tree in Midgard you were going to show me, when I got kidnapped by that giant? Are we ever going to go look for that again?"

WOW have I really been absent since October? Well, here, have a friendly dwarven fellow to make up for it. This is Brusi. I think he shops at the same store as the dwarves from The Hobbit.

Thanks!

Oh, and I totally forgot to share this guy, too: Back in December, we were listening to The Hobbit soundtrack while my husband was wrapping gifts in Rudolph-themed paper. This combination of factors led to a conversation in which we agreed there should have been a wizard called Rudolph the Red. So I made him.

Oh, yes. Rudolph would fit in nicely. Looks good.

Beautiful couple.

A family from the story I'm working on. I may go back and mix up some custom shades of blue to give their clothes some variety.

Now I'm off to go work on said story, since that was my plan for this weekend.

Dionne Jinn said

That group shot is great! I'm sold! The guy in the middle got my attention from the first moment. He kind of reminds me of Thorin from the Hobbit movie. They are not the same, but there is something that made me to fall for this guy. I wish I could read the story you are writing for them as I would love to know more!

Thanks! Too funny, I was just telling my husband that Richard Armitage could totally play Ulfvar -- as Thorin he sounds totally like I hear the character in my head.

If I ever get this book finished and published, I will certainly spread the word here!

This is Hel, daughter of Loki and administrator of the less-exciting Norse afterlife for people who don't get picked for Valhalla. She didn't volunteer for the position. Like her brothers Fenris-ulf and Jormangand, she had a monstrous bearing that frightened the residents of Asgard. So the gods cast Jormagand (also known as Midgardsormr, the Midgard Serpent) into the sea, chained up Fenris-ulf, and, as mentioned, sent Hel to the outskirts of Niflheim (the really cold place) to look after the dead.

This picture is meant to suggest the moment she realized she wasn't coming back from this place she's been taken to. It's a detail of a picture too large for the forum. You can see the full version here: https://sites.google.com/site/asplashoflime/ It includes the Gjoll bridge and also Modgud, its skeletal guardian.

You may know the story of how Loki tricked Hodur into killing Baldur with mistletoe, the one thing to which that god was vulnerable. Hel agreed to allow Baldur to return to the living, if his mother Frigga could convince every single thing in the world to weep for him. Loki, disguised as an old woman, was the sole holdout. I do have to wonder if Loki's doings in this story wasn't revenge for the fate of his own children. I don't suppose there were too many who wept for them.

Nice work with the witch and Chinese dragon.

Inspired by the low visibility outside my windows brought on by winter's unasked-for encore:

I decided I rather liked the way this guy's face came out, so I thought I'd share a close-up of him, too: