Art: The Five Mages

On the wall of Archmage Weaseltail's office, there is a painting so lively and pure, that you can't do much else than stare at it. This live-like painting depicts the legendary "Five Mages". The painting shows them like they were when they started their travel together, towards the unknown.

The painting

Painting depicts a table in a homely tavern, with 5 figures around the table. In the short end, there is a tall figure of high elf man, with spring green eyes and golden brown hair. He is tall and handsome, wearing simple yet clean robes of a druid. On his head, he has an unusual circlet with horns of stag attached to it. He smiles in a brotherly manner to his comrades, his hand on the shoulder of drow man that sits next to him.
The Drow is a lot shorter than the high elf, his pearly, shoulder-length hair shaved away from one side. He wears a dark, skin-tight leather suit fit for an assassin. But while he dresses like a hoodlum, the way he sits is silently regal in ways that would make kings ashamed of their posture. His eyes are blood red and black scales frame his chin and edges of his face. He looks at the mountain dwarf before him with calm, almost arrogant manner, his face blank but smile in his eyes.
The dwarf lady before him has dressed in armor. Her golden braids and short beard are well maintained. She has a challenging grin like she would try to make make the drow compete her in a drinking game. One of her eyes is icy blue, the other one golden, and she looks strong enough to beat all of the rest. She looks sure of herself next to the rock gnome besides her.
The rock gnome smiles gently and tunes his violin. His hair is black and his posture surprisingly measured for a gnome. His green eyes look wise and he looks through the picture, like to acknowledge the painter. His clothes are finer than anyone else's in the group. Yet he also seems most centered and least eccentric in his mannerism. This contrast well with the last member of the group, a forest gnome sitting opposite to him, right next to the drow.
This forest gnome is clearly the youngest of them, looking like a child compared to others. His brown hair with blue stripes and his bright smile gives him out immediately: this cannot be anyone else than owner of the office the painting is now in, archmage Gnut Weaseltail. In painting, he is still young and bright-eyed. His enthusiasm can be felt through the picture, as he stands on his chair, explaining something that is left for watchers imagination.
In the corner is a small message, reading like so, with the name of the painter:

For old friends and new adventures

— Loke

The painting rests in wooden frames, as the centerpiece of the study.

Manufacturing process

Painting was finished after few days of work, and it was one of the first paintings Loke Softstrider painted after end of the war, after his accident. As such, it is one of the more clear and pristine of the paintings of his series.

Significance

This painting is an interesting piece of Silver Shore Island's history. It shows The Five Mages in their glory days. This small friend group inside rebellion group Moonstalkers would become famous in its time, but sadly, would disband before they would free Island, making their win bittersweet.
High elf druid in the painting, Ninthalor "Buck" Elawynn had escaped Empire of Islenor, and wasn't happy when Empire claimed Silver Shore to itself.
Buck jumped from rebellion group to another and through that process met Stoneskulls, offering his knowledge of Empire. There he befriended Gilbert Nightingale, black-haired gnome bard in the painting, and the painter of the art piece, Loke Softstrider.
It was Gilbert and Buck that brought the group together, Buck as the heart and Gilbert as a conscience for the crew. Buck would become one of the most influential captains in Moonstalkers, while Gilbert and Loke would keep eye on things in Stoneskull court.
Gilbert recruited to the group the dwarven lady, Myrvina Craghammer. Myrvina was like force nature, the hammer of justice that would go through stone if needed to. She brought strength and muscle to the group. She two would become important officer forMoonstalkers rebellion force.
Buck, on another hand, spotted commotion in one of the camps of rebellion: young drow of noble blood and scales of the dragon to proof his lineage had come to give his sword to the cause. Where others were intimidated by Driz'Meratar Shadowblade, Buck saw something more in the boy. He saw the troubled soul, forced to become something he was not and Driz'Mer's calculative character yet good heart. Buck decide to claim the boy under his wing. First awkward rivalry turned to friendship, then unexpected brotherhood between two very different elves. Buck found Driz'Mer like a little brother while Driz'Mer got in him the father figure he was lacking. Driz'Mer would become the spymaster of Moonstalkers and would be the groups calculative cunning and sly diplomat.
Last, there was young Gnut Weaseltail, talented young wizard, that was full of new and creative ideas. He would become best friend with Driz'Mer, and his wild ideas tempered by his friends turned to glorious plans, later making him the leader of the Moonstalkers.
The group stayed together thick and thin until a disaster happened. Buck was recognized while saving refugees looking for shelter from Empire of Islenor and wanted posters with his face were suddenly everywhere. Buck, despite all the warnings, refused to keep a low profile, and accidentally gave out one the hiding places of the rebellion, by not watching if he was seen by Empire guards. This devastated Buck, but instead of hiding and waiting dust settles, he wanted to charge and avenge fallen rebels, and others knew something had to be done but they couldn't decide on what.
So Driz'Mer, being the one who always tries to make hard decisions when others couldn't, would calculate that he should act without everyone's agreement, only telling his plan to Gnut. He used his connections to get a ship that was going to sail far from the Island, beyond the Mirror's Deep and captured his friend Buck in middle of the night. He dragged him to the ship and told sailors to cuff him, and not let him free before they were across the sea. And for Buck, he told, that he wasn't welcome back to next 20 years until Island was there or the rebellion was defeated by Empire, whichever came first. Buck was furious, but Driz'Mer stood his ground and sent his friend off, hopefully to safety, from further dangering all they were fighting for.
Gnut would stay by Driz'Mer's side, but others were horrified. Gilbert and Loke would forgive and understand but were upset that the decision had been made without anyone else's input. Myrvina was furious, would call Driz'Mer traitor and would never forgive him. Driz'Mer would take it all quietly, looking emotionless, but everyone who knew him to know, he never forgave himself and was as heartbroken than the rest.
The rebellion would get their chance to save their island when during War of Scale and Arrow, Moonstalkers would join Dragonborn in invasion in Moon Terrace. But The Five Mages were never the same.
Loke was permanently injured in the last push for freedom and would remain sick rest of his days. Those years he put in use by painting all he and his friends had experienced. This painting was his gift for Gnut Weaseltail, as they were reminiscing the past, pondering if Buck was still somewhere out there.

Item type

Art

Current Holder

Gnut Weaseltail

Subtype / Model

Painting

Rarity

Unique

Dimensions

60x42 cm

Base Price

Priceless

Raw materials & Components

Fine oil paints, canvas, wood frame

Tools

Paintbrushes of different size, love, loss and time