Crimson CHOW #66 The Symbiote of Whisperers

[Lege1]

-=THE SYMBIOTE OF WHISPERERS=-

This wizard's power comes not from a book, but from a pact with a parasitic entity. The "symbiote" is a creature of shadow and whispers that latches onto the wizard's mind, granting them immense magical power in exchange for slowly consuming their memories, emotions, and sanity. The wizard is in a constant battle with the entity for control, and their spells often have a dark, unpredictable edge to them. They might be a powerful mage one moment and a babbling madman the next, their body a living battleground between their own will and the will of the parasite.

Design a mad wizard who is battling with this dark parasitic creature of shadow; both wizard and at least a brief visual mention of the creature should be included in this topic. The creature and wizard character can be equally fleshed out but the creature part of the art should not over power the wizard part. 

Character Design References Challenge Rules

• No photograph paint overs, must be 100% original work. (See next rule for exception)
  
• 3D is permitted and renders MAY be used as whole or in part of a painting, as long as YOU created the work. Pre-made and/or purchased, online, assets are forbidden.
  
• AI may be used in the ideation process, but the final image must be 100% hand-drawn.
  
• Studies are recommended, but not required.
  
• There is no restriction on image formats (horizontal, vertical, square).
  
• Environment backgrounds are optional.
  
• Keep in mind you are not required to stick to what is in the passage. It is more of a guide in terms of mood.
  

Rules:

• You must post at least one WIP in the WIP thread to be accepted into the final poll.
  
• Finals must be posted in the finals thread before the deadline.
  
• At least 3/4 of the character must be visible (minimum from the knees up).
  
• Only ONE submission per person in the finals thread.
  
• No fanart. We want to see your original, unique interpretations!
  
• Voting will be held for 5 days after the deadline.
  
• In an event of a tiebreaker, a winner will be chosen through a randomized name picker.
  

-=WIP THREAD=-

Deadline is Wednesday, September 10th, 2025 @ UTC: 23:59

[Lege1]

I'm hoping we can keep this thing going here and that this topic is found interesting. It's been great participating here over the past couple of years and I would hate to see it fully die out. I'll keep trying my best to keep things going with whoever is on board to try and do the same. Remember this is for the sake of creative community, critique, and growing with one another as better visual artists; each one of these topics are also all awesome to focus on taking to final to create a portfolio piece. Looking forward to continued participation in these forums.

[Lege1]

Also, feel free to make your wizard male of female.