Shining Force II Gizmo & Executioner

Gizmo & Executioner ("Gizmocute")



A pair of villainous creatures that can be found in 1994's Shining Force II Sega Genesis tactical roleplaying video game.

Gizmos are demons whose bodies are composed of shifting, noxious vapors that resemble an abstract face. While they may appear insubstantial, they can inflict harm, and be injured themselves, just like any other living creature. A Gizmo can temporarily reshape its amorphous form when it attacks, more for psychological effect than necessity (they seem to favor changing into giant, grasping hands in particular). Even more disturbing, a Gizmo can invade the body of any sentient organism and take absolute control over it. There is no limit to the scope of the destruction one of these demons can create while pulling the puppet strings of its unfortunate victim; more than one kingdom has fallen due to the subtle manipulations of a Gizmo.

Executioners are skeletal humanoids devoted to the worship, and practice, of death. Both robe and scythe blade are stained crimson with the gallons of blood that the creature has spilled in the pursuit of its grisly profession. Even a grazing blow from the tainted weapon that this fiend wields can temporarily disrupt the soul as it passes through the owner's flesh, potentially causing the target to become confused and disorientated as a result (which only makes it easier for the Executioner to finish the job with the next blow).

This duo was created as an entry for a challenge at Brandon and Jarrod Shiflett's online sculpting forum. The object of said contest was to sculpt/model a 'Monster Rider'. The figure is not painted (other than a light grey base coat) because that's what the rules called for in terms of presentation for judging.


Materials:
Newsprint, notebook paper, tissue paper, white glue, super glue, plastic (transparent base only), and acrylic paint.

Dimensions:
(Excluding the base)
4.8 cm/1.9 in. x 8.0 cm/3.1 in. (widest point x highest point)

Oh! Oh! Shining Force 2, love that game! Diggin' that awesome Gizmo. Executioner looks cool, too.

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Thanks for the feedback!

[EDIT: Removed Ruler Sword info/images from this post as they're duplicated/replaced in my next one.]

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How, how do you make sculptures at such a high level of detail yet at such a marginal scale? Completely mindblowing!

Ruler Sword



An ornate sword, almost twice the height of a man in length, pulses with blue and purple light as it floats lazily through the air towards you. The unblinking, azure eye in the center of its' hilt follows your every movement with great interest. Suddenly, a battle axe, sickle, katar, morning star, handaxe, warhammer, scimitar, and shield rise soundlessly from the floor, and begin to whirl madly around the unearthly sword, creating a storm of deadly steel.



Ruler Swords are sentient blades that can be encountered within the Sky Walkway/Corridor in The Air area (Castle A) in Konami's 2002 Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance [Original Japanese title: Castlevania: Byakuya no Concerto (Castlevania: White Night Concerto or Concerto of The Midnight Sun)] Gameboy Advance video game. There are actually three variations of the Ruler Sword enemy in the game, the one depicted here is the weakest variety (the others are designated Ruler Sword Level 2 and Level 3, respectively).

A Ruler Sword can levitate up to eight objects at once, via telekinesis. While it could theoretically manipulate any inanimate item, it prefers giant-sized instruments of war to the exclusion of everything else. The creature's mind and sensory perceptions are complex enough that it can effortlessly direct and coordinate these implements, as well as its own movements, simultaneously. During battle, a Ruler Sword generally avoids direct combat by keeping its' floating arsenal between itself and the enemy. This is not cowardice on the Ruler Sword's part, as its' steel hide is quite damage resistant and it is more than capable of slicing flesh to ribbons if necessary--the crafty creature simply sees little strategic value in endangering itself unnecessarily. The individual weapons that a Ruler Sword animates can be "slain" if they suffer enough damage that they lose their structural integrity, but this has no effect whatsoever on the demonic blade, other than depriving it of some of its offensive options. On the other hand, killing the Ruler Sword itself will result in the instant destruction of all of the objects under its' control as well.

Materials:
Newsprint, notebook paper, tissue paper, white glue, super glue, plastic (transparent bases only), nail polish, and acrylic paint.

Dimensions:
(Excluding the bases)
Ruler Sword: 3.0 cm/1.2 in. x 6.4 cm/2.5 in. (width x length)
Battle Axe: 2.4 cm/0.9 in. x 3.0 cm/1.2 in.
Handaxe: 1.6 cm/0.6 in. x 2.9 cm/1.1 in.
Katar: 1.3 cm/0.5 in. x 2.9 cm/1.1 in.
Morning Star: 1.4 cm/0.6 in. x 2.9 cm/1.1 in.
Scimitar: 1.0 cm/0.4 in. x 3.0 cm/1.2 in.
Shield: 1.9 cm/0.7 in. x 2.4 cm/0.9 in.
Sickle: 2.1 cm/0.8 in. x 2.8 cm/1.1 in.
Warhammer: 1.8 cm/0.7 in. x 3.0 cm/1.2 in.

Time:
Five days: November 10, 11, 14, 18, and 19, 2010.