I suppose I could list a dozen excuses for my tardiness, but everyone's got real-life stress, so I won't bore you with mine. Many clumps of torn-out hair later, I've decided to follow an alternate path instead of wading slowly through the deep mud pit that I've thrown myself into. Simply put, poor Veleera needs quite an overhaul in her various layers. It's like a double-edged sword when it comes to drawing parts of the body that are obscured by others; the waist and torso being mostly hidden by the belly and breasts for example. In simple animation where the model doesn't move around much, one can skip the anatomical correctness of the hidden parts. After all, no one will ever see it. This no longer becomes the case as the model's movement increases. Continuing further into Veleera's secondary animation, one of my main flaws repeatedly showed itself again and again as these 'hidden parts' are revealed with more dynamic movement. My drawing skills are not up to par with the next level in animation that I wish to proceed in. I found with this recent endeavor of Veleera that the skills in static drawing and animation need to be at a similar level in order for the entire model to function well. That being said, I believe the best course of action for me is to put my current RoD project on hold, and hone my drawings skills in accordance to this level of animation until they blend together a bit more nicely. Perhaps fooling around with body animation before tacking on the belly will help me grasp the concept a bit more. I'll post what I throw together as they come. Also, I shamefully admit of becoming bored of working with the same model. ... And not distributing time evenly between gaming and arts. ... And being lazy. So instead of frustrating myself further (and therefore whittle down my motivation to continue), I will post what I have thrown together for now. ***************** "This is STILL an outrage!" Veleera fumed to herself. She was a priestess of no meager standing, and well known to her brethen of Exodar and through her diplomatic efforts with the Blood Elves. Even despite this, they would still make her undergo such a demeaning task!? Even now, she could remember her shock at the council's statement to her so many months ago. "Please Veleera, you must understand that such a notion would mean well for our alliance with the Blood Elves." her council explained, "After all, they have agreed that one of their own women will also carry through with this as well." "But--" Veleera blurted out before she was cut short. "It has already been decreed by the council. You have been chosen Veleera. You will be our Repopulating Representative with our Blood Elf associates." Her recollection was cut short by a flurry of concentration breaking kicks jostling the massive globe of her womb. “I give up…” Veleera sighed as she began to rub her belly in an attempt to calm the occupants within. *********************** It was shortly after the council’s decree that she was forced to undergo a strange fertility ritual: eating and drinking strange concoctions (only The Light knew what they were, and perhaps Veleera didn't want to know after all), having foreign transmutations placed upon her, and then finally concluded with a strange device being inserted into... Veleera forced that recollection out of her head. For one grueling month Veleera felt as sick as she ever did, or at least as she could recall in the past thousands of years. At the most inconvenient times her stomach would without warning churn and heave violently, giving her barely enough time to excuse herself to the nearest latrine... if she were so lucky to be close to one. She grimaced as she recalled her 'strong vote of disapproval' when she vomited upon a colleague after hearing his idea of a new trade proposition with the Blood Elves. She barely had any energy, her aching body often curled up in bed all night, and for a vast majority of the day. A great many council meeting and debates were missed, but all of her absences were not-so-mysteriously overlooked by the council. At least they showed some shred of compassion to her plight; after all, she was the first to undergo this task. It was also practically impossible for her get any rest, as a multitude of fellow priests and priestesses visited her quarters day and night, inquiring on how she felt. Their efforts were genuinely appreciated by Veleera, but unneeded as she herself was versed in the healing arts. Veleera managed to grind through the first month, but was only greeted shortly thereafter by another symptom of her condition: the growth. ******************* It must of started gradually and was barely noticeable day by day, until one morning while getting dressed Veleera noticed all her original garments felt unusually snug all over, especially in the waist area. A quick physical inspection revealed that she gained some girth in her lower body and well as her bust. Her hips appeared to be spread further apart by a small margin as well, explaining the occasional ache that sprung up in that area. A frown crossed her face; she knew from what she was told that she would gain weigh in these places, but now that it was actually happening to her, the fact sunk in with a bit of chagrin to it now. Luckily she was being supplied with larger garments (she couldn't bear to look at the larger sized ones), so it was fairly easy to hide her changes from the rest of her kin. However, this tactic didn't last very long by the third month. The growth slightly hastened its pace, and before long, Veleera's slight stomach bulge had ballooned further out into an official small bump. It looked as though she swallowed a small watermelon whole, and the small semi-sphere proudly made its presence known through the front of her long robes, or through any other garments she tried to cover it with. Her breasts must of wanted some attention themselves, as they also began a slower rate of expansion, coming just short of her belly from her once slim front. For the first week or two Veleera struggled to grow accustomed to the odd sensation of her breasts rubbing against the upper curve of her newly acquired bump, and at times painfully slapping against it if she moved or jumped too quickly. She adapted fairly quickly to this turn of events and procured an extra-padded brassier. The one change that embarrassed her the most, however, was not associated with her body. It was the stares she was beginning to receive from the travelers to Exodus, and even her own brethren. She didn’t have to know how to read minds to know what others were thinking when their greeting expressions changed to either surprise or slightly freaked-out when their eyes fell across her front. Of course, no one had actually asked her about her now apparent condition, but in her mind’s eye she could imagine the conversations taking place behind her back. “She’s getting fat!… I didn’t think Draenai could get fat.” “Time to lay off the dwarven brew Veleera – no wonder she’s always late to council meetings.” “A pregnant Draenai? Heh – that’s a first.” The last imagined comment brought a bit of annoyance to Veleera. Surely the Draenai were practically immortal, given their long life spans, but all of these Draenai didn’t just pop up from the ground. After all, there is a reason why there are male and female Draenai. Given their culture, unions between a Draenai man and woman are usually rare, and in the absence of war, there wasn’t much reason for the Draenai to grow their numbers, as the previous number never dwindled. But now they were dwindling. Immortality didn’t mean the Draenai were un-killable. In the face of war, her fellow brethren were dying. Not only her own but the other races who had a similar plight to her own such as the Night Elves and Blood Elves. It was this realization that gave a Veleera a sense of pride in what she was undergoing, and made the process just a bit more bearable. It was at times the only thing that stopped Veleera from bringing holy fire down upon the council in the later months. ****************** Her belly was impossible to completely conceal, but it was still manageable to go about her priestly duties. The next month changed all that. TBC!