Author Archive: Amanda Ohsiek
Hi there! I'm a sophomore in college, and though I've only taken the occasional art class back in high school, I like to think of myself as a decent self-taught visual artist with some writing skill as well. I love fantasy, particularly when it comes to the fun creatures, so my characters may very well be something other than human. Nice meeting you, and thanks for stopping by!
Amanda Ohsiek – 30 Characters in 30 Days
I…I did it! 30 characters completed in one way or another within the official time constraints, and on my first year! It was definitely worth it. Here’s my collection of shameless furries aliens and fantasy beings and the occasional human! ^^ Enjoy.
I hope you all had as much fun with this as I did. Not only did I love the excuse to draw more often, but I also loved seeing the nice entries all you folk were coming up with as well. I look forward to seeing many of you next year! ~Amanda
#30 Reiko oro-Banaru
Name: Reiko oro-Baranu
World: Race
Species: Onka
Gender: Female
Age: 49
Bio: Reiko is co-chair of the Mathematics Department at NDU. Though she does her best to be friendly and approachable by the students (she asks that they call her by her first name), she has been known to get brusque with people occasionally, most likely from the pressure that comes with her position. She and the other co-chair, Professor Kanari, don’t exactly get along well. Some students are fond of her while others are wary around her, which in itself isn’t all that unusual. She’s taken an almost motherly liking to Professor Everett; despite working in different departments, the two of them often have lunch together. The student tutors and graders of the department answer to her, and she’s the one who ultimately selected Nyarokhu and Fyorra, plus a few others, from the small pool of tutoring applicants. She’s a bit on the short side, and she speaks with a slight accent.
[The following journal entry is translated from the original, which was written in Azenai-ro.]
There was another dinner with the school president tonight. He’s a nice fellow, don’t get me wrong, but the dinners are always the same. I feel justified in politely declining his invitation in favor of tackling this queue of student proofs. Fear not, I’m in no rush.
Seems like at least once a week, I’m hearing from either Fyorra or Nyarokhu about the other. Fyorra moreso. I swear, you’d think they were at each others’ throats day and night, the way they complain about each other. I’m half tempted to fire them both if they don’t knock it off soon, but being down two tutors is certainly not the wisest course of action at this time of year. I would’ve thought it an aggressive trait of Dubina as a whole if Kristen hadn’t lauded that one student of hers so. Nanneyo, I believe her name was. According to Kristen she’s the sweetest thing since French Vanilla. I certainly wouldn’t mind meeting her. Aira’s mane, I’d welcome it after all the animosity from those other two.
Yesterday I finally had the fortune to meet Nakoa, the young lad Nalirún kept talking about. I must say, it’s no wonder he likes that boy so much. I could see the eager sparkle in his eyes. From what Nalirún’s told me, he’s quiet but always alert in class, as if he can’t get enough of the knowledge he’s receiving. I would’ve liked to have him in my own department, I admit, but a passion is a passion. I could never keep a person from his or her dreams.
It probably isn’t the best idea to let this drag on for too long. I’ve still got quite a few proofs to look over. A shame that starting to work is the hardest part. Believe me when I say I’m looking forward to winter break this year.
Race info can be found here.
#29 Noah Kiemann
Name: Noah Kiemann
World: Race
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Bio: Noah used to be more arrogant than he is today. In high school, he tried several times to start a relationship, but could never hold one down because of his tendency to womanize. Upon arriving at NDU, however, things began to change. Perhaps it was seeing so many different races together that opened his eyes to diversity, or maybe it was just a change of scenery that helped him relax. In any case, he thinks a lot more highly of others now. He made many good acquaintances during freshman orientation, and it was such a good experience for him that he was compelled to volunteer to be a student host for the next year’s orientation. It was at that time that he met Nakoa and Karalún, who had both been assigned to his group. He and Nakoa hit it off almost immediately as buddies, and he greatly admired Karalún for her conviction, courage, and sense of justice. He’s currently a sophomore pursuing a major in Chemistry.
“What the heck is that?â€
Noah looked up from his console. “What’s what?â€
“What you’re holding,†Blake clarified as he let his backpack hit the ground and pulled out a chair next to his friend.
“Oh, this. It’s a DS.â€
“Which would be…?â€
Noah leaned over so Blake could see his screen. “Sorry, it’s an old gaming console. See, it’s a little computer made specifically for playing various games on it.â€
Blake eyed the screens skeptically. Noah seemed to be steering a small, pixelly kid along a wooded path, closely tailed by some sort of green critter. “Hunh. How old is it?â€
“About two hundred years, according to Nakoa,†Noah answered.
“Jeez, and it still works?â€
“Sure it does. Nakoa’s got this whole huge collection of consoles that he’s repaired and rewired for power. The battery life’s atrocious, but manageable. I’m sure he could loan you one if you’re curious.â€Â Noah closed the device, leaned to his side, and dropped it into his own backpack. “Probably not the best thing to have on in class, though.â€
Blake laughed at that. “Yeah.â€
They stared off into space for a while, vaguely listening as the rest of the class filtered into the room. It was a Friday, and people were getting chatty and excited for the weekend. The thoughts of the two of them, however, lay elsewhere. It was a few minutes before the silence between them was broken.
“Dude,†Noah started, “is it…weird to have the hots for someone who’s not Human?â€
“Hm?â€Â Blake shook himself from his thoughts and looked at Noah. “Ah, heh, you’ve got your eyes on someone?â€
“Uh, well, you could say that,†the latter faltered nervously. “I don’t know. Is that even, like, okay?â€
Blake stretched in his seat. “I don’t see why it wouldn’t be. Did I not introduce you to Tansei?â€
Noah looked at him in confusion. “Who?â€
“Tansei. Junior, Onka, dancer. We’ve been seeing each other since April. I guess I didn’t tell you, sorry.â€
“Oh, hm. Onka, though…they’re way more like us. That’s, like, natural.â€
Blake peered at Noah curiously. “What species is she, then?â€
“Jorgoan.â€
“Well, hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. You should ask her out next time you see her.â€
Noah pulled back a little. “You’re not serious, dude.â€
“Sure I am,†Blake persisted. “You won’t get anywhere if you don’t start moving.â€
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,†Noah sighed. “I just hope we don’t lose the friendship we already have.â€
“You’ll be okay, buddy.â€Â Blake placed his hand on Noah’s shoulder encouragingly.
Noah smiled a little. “Thanks,†he replied as the bell rang.
Click here for Race info!
#28 Anora Yurudón
Well, looks like I left my tablet’s stylus at my aunt’s house after Thanksgiving. She said she’d mail it but I probably won’t get it back until Tuesday. So to keep on schedule, I figured I’d try a few written entries instead. The image is a five-minute pencil sketch I did and took a picture of with my phone, touched up a bit in Photoshop.
Name: Anora Yurudón
World: Race
Species: Jorgoan
Gender: Male
Age: 53
Bio: Sir Yurudón is the unofficial leader of the Jorgoan Upper Council, the single highest-ranked man in the entire empire. Most call him the Protector. Some have called him the Dictator, though those who do usually end up banished. The mind-numbing injection now unknowingly given to and received by all Jorgoans upon turning eighteen, when they go in for their required medical checkups? That was his idea. He’s been infected with the desire to have as much power as possible, and seeing the entire population brainwashed in front of him is one way of doing so. It’s oddly satisfying, in a way, seeing an entire race at your mercy. His corruption also came with paranoia, though, and he desperately fears losing his position. Any dissenters, nearly always youth who have not yet received their injections, are punished ruthlessly. He even gets defensive around the other Upper Council members. He’s gone so far as approaching the Innovation Team about extending his life indefinitely…perhaps transplanting his brain into a young clone of himself would work?
They’re after me.
I know they are. I see the way Kalana eyes me during meetings, I see the way Noraji flirts with my daughter, the way Runi and Hinál always leave together, conversing in hushed tones with their shoulders hunched.
I see the number of dissenters rising. Twenty-two this past year here on Jorgoa, eighteen on Eléz, twenty-nine on Atareo! And all of them these teenagers. I fear we may have to move the injection down to fifteen instead of eighteen, maybe even lower. This can’t go on. We can’t risk being overthrown, not now. Not after all this time, all this effort. I can’t let it happen.
The Innovation Team contacted me today and said their experiments were underway, but so far they haven’t been able to do a transplant without permanent damage to the brain stem. I do hope they get their act together soon. This body of mine’s only got forty more years to live, if it’s lucky. And I refuse to let this empire go without me watching it. I refuse to let it fall apart. I’ve held this nation together for more than twenty years now, and Dani-Shugál smite me if I’m letting it go anytime soon.
There have been enough failures. Our armies failed to subdue Anaziim and its people, those hideous slug-rodents. Zanduul, they called themselves. I already got on the Resource Team’s case for that one. Water shortage, my ass. You can’t have a water shortage if you’ve got a planet 85% covered in it under your belt! Blame the Transport Team if you must for not expanding its NSoD facilities, but come on! You’re higher than them! Kick their sorry tails!
But no matter. We’ve already scouted out another life-supporting planet, Narinno Gamma.  Less populated than its neighbor, Narinno Delta. If we can seize the former and stock it with troops, the latter will fall all the easier. Pray the locals aren’t as resilient as those damn Zanduul. If they fail again, I swear, I swear by the Dani-Hajoro itself, that their grandkids are going to be feeling my wrath. That system’s going to be ours if it’s the last thing I do.
General Race info, as usual, can be found here.
#27 Omirando
OMG A UNICOOOOORN
Now, your average white-horse-with-a-horn-glued-on unicorns have their charms. I still think they can look nice when drawn well. But I figured the earth Elementals should feel more organic and real, so I came up with a more deer-like base. Whee.
Click the following links to read about Kamano or Teyra in general.
#26 Malinase
I’ll go ahead and say it up front: it’s “mah-lee-NAH-say.” The Teyran language is very phonetic, much like Spanish, Japanese, or Swahili.
Click here for more info about Teyra.
#25 Nyarokhu ra’Sennari
I ran out of room to write it on the image, but he’s a junior at NDU with a major in Mathematics.
I do hope I haven’t gotten in over my head here. There shouldn’t be any problem writing Fyorra’s reactions to Nyarokhu, since she and I have similar prudish personalities. Writing for Nyarokhu and his group, though, is going to be hard to do realistically and without offending anyone. Maybe I should start hanging out with more people at my own school…
Fellow math tutor Fyorra’s page is here, and general Race info is here.
#24 CL-C 01 “C-One” Vargas
A question I’ve long wondered about: if animals were more sentient like us, how would they feel about being bred? It’s a concept I’ve explored a bit in (unpublished) writing before.
His friend is A-Two. To compare to an immature male Biot, you may want to look at Ash. And as usual, basic Race info is here.
#23 Nehiku
I figured I should have at least one of each Teyran elemental before the month’s up, so here’s a Patlani! Whee. (Aaaand I forgot to color the claws.)
Teyra info can be found here, as usual.
#22 Shulaya
Another fighter in Neklara‘s group! I’ve been wanting to try something with dual blades. I was originally going to do this with Akarnu, but I kept having issues coming up with a good fighting stance. Hopefully this one looks decent.
General Teyra info can be found here.
#21 CL-A 02 “A-Two” Vargas
For those of you confused/creeped out by all this, perhaps I should try to explain the Biots’ backstory. The company that created them markets them as, essentially, robots made of organic material. They’re meant to serve as part toy, part assistant, part livestock. The ultimate pet. Different people treat them differently, but most overall think of them as just what they’re thought to be: very sophisticated robots. However, in actuality, the company did not “put them together” as one might expect, synthesizing tissue and wiring commands into their brains. Rather, the Biots were built from the ground up through DNA tweaking and splicing. In other words, they’re actual live animals with minds and souls just as complex as our own. But since they were “coded” with very strong submissive instincts, they can’t help but follow orders, and this preconception that the company leaked into the public, few people think of them as anything but automatons.
I’m still unsure of how A-Two’s story will factor into the Race story, since all of my characters so far are connected to Narinno Delta University in some way. I’m thinking that maybe the Vargas family has become wealthy enough to own something relevant to the college plot. I’d like to design her friend soon.
More general Race info can be found here.
#20 Kamano
Several reasons this character came to me. 1) I’ve been ignoring my Teyra people, 2) I don’t draw enough dudes, and 3) the majority of my characters have been really peppy and I wanted to try something a bit more serious. Also, in case you click the link below and wonder why he and his sister don’t live in the same place, Runyori moved as soon as she was able. Always wanting to be independent, that girl.
My entry for Runyori is here, and general Teyra info is here.
#19 Chara
Screw the eerily gorgeous songs that most sirens are known to sing. Chara here would much rather belt out retro pop tunes than lure guys to her rock any day! It still winds up snagging her the occasional sailor, funnily enough; she usually ignores him until she’s done singing, says hi in a friendly way, and nudges him back in the direction he came. Maybe she gives him a kiss if he manages to slip in a compliment. But in the end, for this girl, the music is all that matters.
Fun Fact: I had “Only Yesterday” by the Carpenters stuck in my head when I started sketching. Looks like there’s a correlation here…
#18 Kristen Everett
Trying to get ahead a little, since I’ll be busy this weekend. This character is perhaps a bit uninteresting, but I’ve been wanting to add a few professors to the cast of Race so I don’t feel guilty about making every single character a student my age. Maybe when I start writing this she’ll have a DARK SECRET.
Race info can be found here.
#17 Sudarshan
I’m caught up! Yay!
A few zoologists were exploring the depths of an Indian jungle, searching for…I dunno, tigers? Sure, tigers. One of them was walking far ahead of the others, and this naga watching from the trees thought he’d be easy prey, thinking he was alone. But as he attacked the others emerged, and since he certainly wasn’t prepared to face multiple humans, let alone humans with tranquilizers, he was subdued quickly. Soon the world was buzzing with news of how a live specimen of a creature once thought legendary had been captured, and he began to be toured through several zoos around the world. But as luck would have it, our friend Amelia saw him with a few of her friends at their own local zoo. She was suddenly hit with empathy when she saw him in his enclosure, perhaps because they were two of a kind: wild, mystical, not quite human. She broke into the zoo that night in her werewolf form and busted him out. The grateful naga made clear that he owed her his life and asked if he could somehow help her on her superhero-ish escapades. She happily accepted. He seemed to not have any concept of a “name,” so she gave him one: Sudarshan.
I honestly don’t know what kind of snake he’s supposed to look like. I just liked that pattern. I later researched the actual nagas of Hindu mythology and found that they’re usually king cobras. But I didn’t feel like recoloring him by then. 😛
#16 Nakoa olu-Hani
Our random futuristic shirt of the day is a sweatshirt from a Polares concert. Polares is a band Nakoa likes. The name is the literal plural of Polaris, the name of Earth’s pole star, so perhaps their name best translates to “North Stars.” Each planet has to have one, after all!
As usual, more info about Race and its species can be found here. My entry for Tansei is here. (And that’s not a typo, the masculine prefix for Onka last names is “olu” and the feminine is “oro.”)
#15 Karalún Sanjori
The plot thickens!
This character had a predecessor I drew a few times back in high school, but since I figured I would never get around to finishing the story she was in at the time, I incorporated some of its background ideas into Race and edited her history and personality accordingly. I also wound up giving her a shirt that looks eerily similar to one of my own, for some weird reason. I kept imagining her in it.
Race info can be found here.
#14 Sorashi
Trying to make up my lost day! Hopefully I’ll be back in the swing of things within another day or two.
I actually got a feeling of warm, fuzzy nostalgia drawing this character. Three or four years ago, I was downright obsessed with drawing big cats, particularly lions. My intense study of The Lion King during that time, I believe, played a big factor in the improvement of my art. It’s been a while since I drew a non-anthro (other than that dragon from the other day), and let me say, it feels good to get back to my roots.
Teyra info can be found here.
#13 Rohal Ayuun
Looks like I’ve finally started running a day late. I suppose I should have expected it. Also, the Zanduul’s eight-fingered hands looked a lot better in my head.
Our futuristic shirt of the day is from the 0130 Summer Olympics, held in the city of Ranhaal on the Zanduul homeworld. After learning of this Human tradition, most other races embraced it, and now the Olympics cycle through several planets besides Earth.
As usual, more info about Race can be found here. You may also be interested in my entries for Tansei and Luziim.
#12 Fyorra ra’Nensulo
Hey, look! I came up with the entire Dubina alphabet so I could write Fyorra’s name in it on the collar, then shrunk it down so you can’t see it anyway!
I first sketched a character like this back when I first conceived of Race. She was to be a computer science tutor like myself. In this refinement, I was worried she’d look like self-insertion so I changed her major, but I wound up imagining her with my personality instead, so…yeah. Still self-insertion. I apologize.
Info on Race can be found here.
#11 The Risen
Another miscellaneous character. The inspiration to draw this girl came seemingly out of nowhere this morning, but I ran with it. I’ve never seen a female werewolf design that I really liked, so I did my best here to show what I’d have liked to see. I tried to keep a sense of feral, muscular power while still keeping her clearly feminine.
Amelia Clarks was a relatively ordinary high school senior until the time she and her parents went on a hike in the woods near her home. Her water bottle was running low so she stopped to fill it in a small stream they crossed. Things went uneventfully until the following night, when the full moon was rising, because she suddenly began to painfully transform, soon realizing the stream had been tainted. But as luck would have it, she was able to calm herself down and keep herself from leaving her room that night… She was wearing the bracelets her boyfriend had given to her a few months prior, and her recognition and emotional attachment to the jewelry was just enough to keep her from losing herself. She resolved that she would make the most of her curse from then on out. After learning that the full moon transformation was unavoidable but she could change at will on any other night, she began to train herself to direct her hunger towards only those who deserved it. Nowadays she spends her nights prowling the city in search of crimes to halt, acting as a rather unconventional superhero.
#10 Ariadne
I realized this morning that I wasn’t feeling very inspired. Then I remembered I’d come up with this dragon girl off the top of my head last Friday, and I liked her. So I’ll put her up for today and hope my muse returns tomorrow.
Perhaps she lives in a secluded forest in or near Macedonia. I imagine she’d like to fly around purely for the joy of it, taking in the wondrous feelings that nature invokes. Perhaps there is one special village that she knows she can trust, and the villagers know they can visit her in the woods safely. Maybe she fell for a strapping young lad who lived in the town many years ago, and she never had the heart to leave. It could be that the villagers allow her one pick from their flocks each month in exchange for her protecting the flocks from other predators. But whatever the case, she is a carefree and benevolent soul.
#9 Tansei oro-Hani
Seems like half the fun of designing Race characters is making up fictional future organizations and crafting logos for them! This tank top is from a dance convention called LifeBeat, which Tansei attended in 0132 CEU when it was held in Kunsai (a city on her planet).
More about the Onka and other species of Race can be found here.
#7 Luziim Oshan
She was quick to buy that top, eh? (The small text reads “Since 0104 CEU”.)
For more about the Zanduul and the other species in Race, click here!
#6 Neklara
I received a nice critique on my previous entry and took it to heart. From now on I’m going to try my best to correct one of my bad drawing habits and not make every single character you see from me absurdly tall and lanky. I may or may not succeed. Wish me luck.
For more about Teyra, click here!
#5 Blake Lianson
Vox Aeterna is a fictional music group that Blake’s a fan of. He got the hoodie at one of their concerts. Props if you can guess what kind of group it is!
More info about the world of Race can be found here.
#4 King Chayoro
That’s his wife’s scarf/bandanna that he’s holding, if you’re confused. She was originally from a farm and always tied it around her neck, even after she had to start wearing royal dresses.
For more info about the Elvari and the other races of Teyra, click here!
#3 CL-B “Ash” ra’Shuli
“Your jacket, ma’am!”
I should clarify a few things here. Nanneyo is the Dubina girl I made yesterday. Khashirri is a traditional Dubina holiday that serves much the same function as Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa. CL-B means Class B, which is a Biot of the “slender” model. Look here for more information about the Biots, Dubina, and other species in the Race canon.
#2 Nanneyo ra’Shuli
You’ll often find her frolicking in the campus arboretum Tuesday and Thursday mornings. She doesn’t have class until 1030 hours those days.
For more information about the alien species in Race, like the Dubina, click here!
#1 Runyori
You know you wanna be a client. YOU KNOW YOU DO.
For more info about the world of Teyra, click here.
#30Characters Chatter…