‘Anneke is the first red-eye I’ve drawn from AiA – one of the two kinds of vampires in the setting. Archer is a yellow-eye, who are far more common in Sacaan than the red-eyes. The distinction between yellow and red eyes is one you’ll have to read the story to find out more about, but it plays an interesting role in the politics of life in the city-state.

All priests of Ashkenta are considered to have taken on a non binary role in society upon joining the order, due to Ashkenta’s role as goddess of liminal spaces, and transitions, including birth, death and gender transitions. Transition across the binary genders is possible through old magic in the world of AiA, and Ashkenta’s priests are the ones who oversee that ritual. Just as in our world, though, not all trans folks are binary, and plenty of folks identify as non-binary, including Anneke. Being non-binary in one’s personal gender is viewed in a different way from priests who have taken on a non-binary role, but plenty of Ashkenta’s priests are both’ – artist’s comment

Jai continues to be wonderful, even in the face of poses which throw up significantly more challenges than expected and my continued issues with describing facial features other than ‘well I know what they look like, but I don’t know how to explain’. Find their work on Facebook here and dA here.

(Previous pictures in the series: Archer, Sabbat, Amelia, Viola)