Happy holidays, I drew a boy in a kilt. It’s labelled Solstice because in our DnD world, ancient non-monotheistic belief systems are alive and well; it might be discouraged in our fantasy-Scotland, but underground those stubborn islanders hold on to their traditions, and few more stubbornly than our anarchic anti-establishment rebel here. The Theotic Church may say it’s witchcraft and superstition, but the locals know that faeries are real and fay monsters will eat you if you don’t do the proper rituals. The aristocracy suppresses it so they maintain good trade relations to their larger neighbours to the south in the Mercantile Principalities, though.

Unfortunately, irl there is not much for me to find on the internet regarding Celtic pre-Christian practices, as apparently Christianity came in with the Romans and people didn’t write down what they were doing before that. So all that people seem to know is that there’s the Oak King, figure of warmth and light, and the Holly King, figure of cold and dark, and they war through the seasons. On the summer solstice, the Holly King wins and that’s why the days get shorter and colder, and on the winter solstice, the Oak King wins and so then they get longer again. That’s why the event is celebrated with holly and mistletoe (mistletoe grows on oak trees).

Reid is wearing a kilt with a custom tartan. Kilts are hard to draw! They’re sexy, though. While researching Scottish clothing, I learned that they didn’t necessarily go commando, they would have shirts with long tails that they would tie underneath (like a onesie, I guess?). Also they either didn’t wear shoes, or they wore shoes of rawhide that were disposable after they wore out – also stinky, though.

I have been informed by at least one recipient of the digital card that the kilt is too short, and ought not to show his knees like that. I was too focused on making sure he had nice legs to double-check the proper kilt length, so that’s my bad, haha.