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The Ardbeg Wizard
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 6:57 am
Posts: 1114
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 1:40 pm 
 

Ok, this seemed like a fun thing to do and indirectly a nice way to bump into great albums.

Rule: 1 album artwork per post, and please elaborate on what you love about the artwork and what kind of feeling it brings up for you!

My first submission:

Wędrujący Wiatr's - 'Tam, gdzie miesiąc opłakuje świt'

Image

What I love about this artwork is not only the nature feel, like you're wandering in the woods late at night, which completents the music perfectly, but I also think that the colour scheme is amazing.

REMINDER: Spoiler huge images.
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Diamhea
Eats and Spits Corpses

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 1:51 pm 
 

Not my favourite album but... love this one painted by Morfeus:

Spoiler: show
Image


He's a really good artist and his style fits the albums really well, including this one, although the font and logo are a bit garish:

Spoiler: show
Image
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~Guest 361478
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 3:01 pm 
 

For me, this version of the Ultima Thulee cover;

Spoiler: show
Image


To me, that LOOKS like the music - cold, unforgiving, but nevertheless you get drawn into it.

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The Ardbeg Wizard
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 6:57 am
Posts: 1114
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 3:02 pm 
 

Methuen wrote:
For me, this version of the Ultima Thulee cover;

Spoiler: show
Image


To me, that LOOKS like the music - cold, unforgiving, but nevertheless you get drawn into it.

I hear you, man.
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hots_towel
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 2:19 am
Posts: 426
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 3:07 pm 
 

I have a soft spot for slapping band logos/album titles over classical paintings.

Spoiler: show
Image


I'm not sure what it is about grainy photos from last century or paintings from even longer ago, but they really seem to evoke the "peril" I guess you could say that a lot of black metal aims to convey through music. I guess maybe the contrast works pretty well with it all too. Beautiful painting, ugly music.

EDIT: :durr: didn't read the one rule and I managed to break both of them. I guess I'll just throw an honorable mention to Spectral lore - gnosis, Emperor-Anthems to the Welkin as dusk, Burzum-fallen, Urðarmáni - Njorun


Last edited by hots_towel on Tue Aug 09, 2016 4:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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The Red Tower
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2014 8:06 am
Posts: 291
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 3:10 pm 
 

I'm sorry to break the only rule you've set up but I have to split this between artwork that was done for the album and artwork that was used by the band and not actually created for the album.

Artwork created for the album:

Spoiler: show
Image

Immortal - Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism

Abbath breathes fire and the art breathes old school kvlt. It's the atmosphere that makes that one so great, I feel like the fire is the only thing that heats up the place for a mere second while the air around feels just as cold as in deepest Siberian (or Norwegian in that case) winter. Love the colouring, the way the guys are positioned and the ancient walls around.


Artwork only used by the band:

Spoiler: show
Image

Blood of Kingu - Sun in the House of the Scorpion

It's amazing because it's from Beksinski! It's fear-inducing, highly atmospheric, gnarly. And somehow it's got a similar affect as the one above but the other way around: The world gets completely burned by the apocalyptic star in the sky and as that... demon (?) approaches with his wolf he irradiates bleak coldness.

Runner-up in the second category perhaps would be the artwork for Hvis lyset tar oss...
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The Ardbeg Wizard
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 6:57 am
Posts: 1114
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 3:24 pm 
 

Great replies so far, folks! Please try to refrain from posting more than one or two, in order to give it the attention it deserves as written in the "rules", also, it'd be nice if this thread will live on long.
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Opus
Metal freak

Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2002 11:06 am
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Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 4:36 pm 
 

So how many forests and full moons will be posted?

I like Shining's VII: Född förlorare. These guys ain't happy!

Image
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The Ardbeg Wizard
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 6:57 am
Posts: 1114
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 4:47 pm 
 

Opus wrote:
So how many forests and full moons will be posted?


Does it matter? It is a matter of taste and a sharing of experiences and feeling one gets with it. Just like yours.
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Von Cichlid
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:01 am
Posts: 289
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 5:15 pm 
 

Damn there really are too many for me to choose from but in keeping with the rule I'll only post one and I'll be making sure to comment if someone later chooses one of my honorable mentions.

Mine has to be this one:

Image

This is a masterpiece of simplicity and composition, ready made for back patches, tatoos, you name it. Furthermore, this cover is so wicked that it even overshadows the music inside, IMO. As ahead of the time and influential as this band was, would this album be as esteemed as it is without this cover? Not for me. Don't get me wrong- I like the music also, but this cover is absolutely what seals the deal it making it one of the prizes in my collection. It was definitely the deciding factor in spending the money for a copy of the album.

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Von Cichlid
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:01 am
Posts: 289
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 6:03 pm 
 

OK just one more...

Image

My favorite BM album of all time has always been Under a Funeral Moon. I got this one predominantly because the cover has the same aesthetic as the previously mentioned Darkthrone album.

The music inside evokes the same feelings from me as well. You have very unique and tribal drumming and necro production, albeit more epic than UaFM. Perhaps most important is the sinister and evil atmosphere that both releases have, and the covers of each do much to help and add to that. One look at that Infernum cover and you know there is some legit soul damaging material inside. Indeed, the real life history behind the members adds to the mystique.

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doomicus
Metalhead

Joined: Wed May 14, 2008 5:58 am
Posts: 1261
Location: United States
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 8:05 pm 
 

After thinking on this for a while, I think that I've come to the conclusion that All the Witches Dance has my favorite cover art of any black metal release:

Spoiler: show
Image


I love that they simply used a photograph and it's rather ambiguous as to how real the corpse may be. The perspective and setting feels as if the viewer may have just walked in on an abandoned sacrilegious ritual site and the smell of rot and recent candle smoke oozes from the cover. The band's sonic atmosphere compliments the imagery perfectly, as it also is very decayed, dark, and crypt like in its mid paced ritualism.
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Norrmania
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2006 12:42 am
Posts: 1056
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 8:42 pm 
 

I'll skip over my actual favourite album cover since its one of the most obvious ones (Hvis lyset tar oss), but there's quite a few I like a lot.

One of them is Azaghal's Helvetin Yhdeksan Piiria. What I really love about the album cover is that blue colour (which doesn't seem to come out as much on internet versions of the album cover, too bad, but has a cooler blueish colour in the physical version) and I also really like how detailed the drawing is in every respect (not just the demons, but the sky, rock cliff etc.)

Spoiler: show
Image


Also I'm including a second picture from the same album. The second pic is from the back side of the booklet and think I like it actually even more than the front, again for cool style, detail and colour.

Spoiler: show
Image

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theposega
Mezla

Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:42 pm
Posts: 5263
Location: Neo-Allegheny City
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 8:54 pm 
 

Methuen wrote:
For me, this version of the Ultima Thulee cover;

Spoiler: show
Image


To me, that LOOKS like the music - cold, unforgiving, but nevertheless you get drawn into it.


Honestly, I much prefer the original. It's an amateurish display of winter which is exactly what the music is. The rerelease isn't bad either, mind you, but it just doesn't match up with the music as well for me.


Spoiler: show
Image

Deathspell Omega - Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum

Since the album's more or less a concept album about the descent into hell, there really couldn't be a more fitting cover. It's just so striking and evokes a great sense of dread.

I seem to be drawing a blank right now, but I'm sure I'll think of some others later tonight.
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Sepulchrave
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 7:29 pm
Posts: 1994
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 9:22 pm 
 

I find Profanatica to have really classy and "tidy" album covers (except the one from the most recent full-length, it sux). Which make the utterly disgusting music beneath it all the more surprising and evil.

Spoiler: show
Image

Image

Image
I love the pseudo-medieval aesthetic on this one in particular.
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Last edited by Sepulchrave on Wed Aug 10, 2016 11:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
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PvtNinjer
Metal freak

Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:45 am
Posts: 4008
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 12:41 am 
 

Gotta give a thumbs up to Fallen Angel of Doom cover. It's just so perfect for the sound of the music and is totally iconic. Really dig that last Profanatica art up there.

Love this one, it's nice and occult, but also hits on my fondness of fantasy artwork
Spoiler: show
Image


Nightbringer also has some of my favourite artwork. Apocalypse Sun, while being far from an amazing album, has probably my favourite art of theirs. Nice ritual atmosphere to it. Heirophany of the Open Grave has a cool medieval look to it, again very cult and ancient looking. And of course, Ego Dominus Tuus is just a superbly well done painting.

Spoiler: show
Image
Image
Image

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RichardDeBenthall
Metal newbie

Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2016 2:46 am
Posts: 354
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 4:42 am 
 

Gonna break one of the rules (sorry!) and do two.

First is a classic. It just perfectly captures the aesthetic of the second wave. It's a genuinely frightening picture to my mind and makes me think of a demon or a real life Vampire. Love it.

http://assets.noisey.com/content-images/contentimage/26271/Darkthrone.jpg

Second is another classic and my favourite Immortal album. There's something about this cover that once again, perfectly captures the aesthetic and the vibe of the second wave. All these disenfranchised young lads creating something powerful together. It's awesome and the image here feels like a snapshot into their mindset. As someone above has already commented, the lighting and setting make it quite an atmospheric shot and when the imagery is mixed in with the sound of this album it makes for a spectacularly mystical vibe.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2eYOGkw2yio/VVfL1683bZI/AAAAAAAAAis/eXwRlTBhSYM/s1600/Diabolical%2BFullmoon%2BMysticism.jpg

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The Ardbeg Wizard
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 6:57 am
Posts: 1114
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 7:45 am 
 

Great input! I've got one more myself I want to share:

Image

Besides this being one of the greatest black metal records of all time, imo. The foggy, purple farm/cabin radiates so much atmosphere.
The slight folky/nature vibe of this excellent record is complemented so well by this art.
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MDL
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2014 2:12 pm
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Location: Unknown
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 7:53 am 
 

This is the first that came into my mind right now:
Image

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Metal81
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:33 pm
Posts: 251
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 10:18 am 
 

While admittedly very atypical for black metal, I've always loved this Mortualia cover. Something about the use of negative space and the half-hidden logo just speaks to me

Image

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metalistkrieg
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2003 5:02 pm
Posts: 488
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 1:38 pm 
 

DIE BITCH!!!!! :grr:

Spoiler: show
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Master_Of_Thrash
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2015 1:57 pm
Posts: 2020
Location: Ceh, neh, deh
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 3:12 pm 
 

Methuen wrote:
For me, this version of the Ultima Thulee cover;

Spoiler: show
Image


To me, that LOOKS like the music - cold, unforgiving, but nevertheless you get drawn into it.

I was going to post this one. It does indeed sound like the music. A masterpiece of an album.

Another one that sounds just like the music is this one:
Spoiler: show
Image


This one is a generic choice, but it is so detailed and timeless:
Spoiler: show
Image
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~Guest 293033
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 3:48 pm 
 

My personal favorite is this:

Album art:
Spoiler: show
Image


Original illustration:
Spoiler: show
Image


I prefer simpler artwork, with a particular point of focus cast against a background that serves to paint the atmosphere for that point of focus. The change in shading really works, adding a sense of intrinsic bleakness, where the original seemed more circumstantial... the point of utter hopelessness from what struck me as a scenery of illness.

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Odovacar
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 4:31 am
Posts: 187
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 4:18 pm 
 

Against Such Things wrote:
My personal favorite is this:

Album art:
Spoiler: show
Image


Original illustration:
Spoiler: show
Image


I prefer simpler artwork, with a particular point of focus cast against a background that serves to paint the atmosphere for that point of focus. The change in shading really works, adding a sense of intrinsic bleakness, where the original seemed more circumstantial... the point of utter hopelessness from what struck me as a scenery of illness.


I was going to post that but yeah it's a great cover and great album too.

This is my pick. Lychgate - An Antidote for the Glass Pill

Spoiler: show
Image

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droneriot
cisgender

Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 1:17 pm
Posts: 10812
Location: Spahn Ranch
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 4:21 pm 
 

MDL666 wrote:
This is the first that came into my mind right now:
[img]

Man that ADHD in painting form almost gives me a seizure sometimes.
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Sepulchrave
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 4:27 pm 
 

That's what I thought too. It's detailed, sure but the depth is that of a medieval manuscript illumination, and not in an interesting way either. I guess it's atmospheric though...
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I drank a lot of cheap beer and ate three Nacho BellGrandes. A short time later I took a massive messy shit and I swear it sounded just like the drums on Dirty Window from Metallica's St Anger album.

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DecemberSoul
Mirties Metafora

Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:46 am
Posts: 1399
Location: Switzerland
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 5:21 pm 
 

MDL666 wrote:
This is the first that came into my mind right now:
Image


This is always one of the very first examples that come to my mind when I ponder the nature of so-called iconic artwork. It was love at first sight for me, I could do without the man-made structures and anthropomorphous creatures though.

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Norrmania
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2006 12:42 am
Posts: 1056
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 5:43 pm 
 

Skipping again some of the more obvious ones.

This one I always liked too (Noenum - Black Esoteric Evangelium), for the eerieness and sketched style. I always like that sort of sketched, black and white style. Face, eyes, and clothing really well done and detailed.

Spoiler: show
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ViF
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat May 21, 2005 1:22 pm
Posts: 95
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 6:39 pm 
 

Spoiler: show
Image


i can stare at it for hours while my ears bleed
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Alsandair
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:00 pm
Posts: 668
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 7:35 pm 
 

Norrmania wrote:
This one I always liked too (Noenum - Black Esoteric Evangelium), for the eerieness and sketched style. I always like that sort of sketched, black and white style. Face, eyes, and clothing really well done and detailed.


Seconded! Not to mention that the music is just as good/probably better.

Obviously Beksiński rules, in this case more so than the music:
Image

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omnishadow
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 12:19 am
Posts: 240
Location: Brazil
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:12 pm 
 

One of my favs:
Spoiler: show
Image

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theposega
Mezla

Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:42 pm
Posts: 5263
Location: Neo-Allegheny City
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:18 pm 
 

Yeah that Leviathan one is fucking amazing. Beksinski was that dude.
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Sepulchrave
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 7:29 pm
Posts: 1994
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:31 pm 
 

I kinda don't get why Beksiński is so popular for metal artists. I mean yeah he was an fantastic artist, and I like him, but there are number of other similar artists like Toyen, the Symbolist Odilon Redon, István Orosz, Alfred Kubin, etc. who are just as dark yet not a sight of any of their works on black metal album covers. Weird.
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wizard_of_bore wrote:
I drank a lot of cheap beer and ate three Nacho BellGrandes. A short time later I took a massive messy shit and I swear it sounded just like the drums on Dirty Window from Metallica's St Anger album.

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Alsandair
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:00 pm
Posts: 668
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:35 pm 
 

Mgla uses Kubin!

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Sepulchrave
Metalhead

Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 7:29 pm
Posts: 1994
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:42 pm 
 

Oh shit you're right! My point still kinda stands though. Motion to use Kubin in black metal!
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wizard_of_bore wrote:
I drank a lot of cheap beer and ate three Nacho BellGrandes. A short time later I took a massive messy shit and I swear it sounded just like the drums on Dirty Window from Metallica's St Anger album.

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TrooperEd
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2004 6:18 pm
Posts: 2115
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:05 pm 
 

Spoiler: show
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Wilytank
Not a Flying Toy

Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:21 am
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 12:59 am 
 

Here's Elysian Blaze with Blood Geometry.

Image

Excellent visual compliment to the music. It's apocalyptic yet strangely majestic in a mournful way. The massive temple on top of the mountains I feel represents the Earth and it's slowly getting torn apart by the abyss and reclaimed by some primordial force.
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~Guest 361478
Metalhead

Joined: Tue May 19, 2015 4:55 pm
Posts: 1930
PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 7:01 am 
 

DecemberSoul wrote:
MDL666 wrote:
This is the first that came into my mind right now:
Image


This is always one of the very first examples that come to my mind when I ponder the nature of so-called iconic artwork. It was love at first sight for me, I could do without the man-made structures and anthropomorphous creatures though.


It's the Lord of the Rings again, isn't it ? Like (I think) at least one of the Burzum covers ?

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Norrmania
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2006 12:42 am
Posts: 1056
PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 8:00 am 
 

Methuen wrote:
DecemberSoul wrote:
This is always one of the very first examples that come to my mind when I ponder the nature of so-called iconic artwork. It was love at first sight for me, I could do without the man-made structures and anthropomorphous creatures though.


It's the Lord of the Rings again, isn't it ? Like (I think) at least one of the Burzum covers ?


Yep ItNsE cover is LotR inspired (Burzum not though, if you're thinking of Det som engang var then its D&D)

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droneriot
cisgender

Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 1:17 pm
Posts: 10812
Location: Spahn Ranch
PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 8:09 am 
 

The original it was inspired by:

Image
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