Urvile!

[ur-Thor]

For a long time now I've wanted to draw up what I think some of the creatures of the land might look like, but of course life and procrastination tend to get in the way. I've finally got around to doing up a little sketch of an Ur-vile. it's just a basic drawing trying to illustrate the Ur-vile anatomy based on my interpretation of the descriptions I've read in the books. I don't expect that my illustration will match up with what most of you have imagined an Ur-vile to look like and I'd love to get some opinions and maybe ideas from others on how they might look in regards to anatomy, posture etc and I'll try to update with new drawings, also please feel free to add your own drawings and interpretations.

[Xar]

That's a rather good picture! Personally, I imagine Ur-viles with a more simian posture - probably longer arms, gangly limbs (for example, I do not imagine their biceps showing, even if they have them). Because of the simian posture (after all, they run on all fours), I also imagine them somewhat hunchbacked.

Incidentally, if you don't mind a comment, the nostrils tend to register as eyes in the picture, probably due to their shape and/or positioning (because they are in relief when compared to the upper head, they seem to have "eyebrows"...)

[I'm Murrin]

I would contradict Xar and say the Ur-viles were described as having short limbs of about the same length; in this one, I think the arms are a little too long, and it doesn't look much like it can run on all fours--the arms and shoulders are too human. Xar's suggestion of a simian structure I don't think fits the way the ur-viles move, not least because apes are not very well built for standing upright.
Other than that, it's a pretty good depiction, though I think I pictured the ears as smaller.

[Stutty]

Very nice, I wish I could draw what I see in my head.

I agree with Xar, the nostrils register as eyes. I always envisioned them more vertical and slitish. Huge wet vertical slits, I'm reluctant to use the imagery that comes to mind.

I think I also always saw them with sleeker heads, more aerodymanic I think.

But very very roynish indeed

stutt

[Relayer]

I've always seen them as more square-headed (well, rectangular), and *they have no eyes* ... yours makes it look like they do. I just picture large slits for nostrils where a nose would normally be. (I completely can't draw so I can't help you at all). And I agree, longer arms, and just flat skin... no muscles visible. But that's just my picture of them.

Regardless, I don't mean to dis your artwork, it's pretty cool! I would not want to meet that creature in a dark alley -- or on a dark night in a vale on the middle night of spring

[The na-Mhoram]

I'm pretty sure that everytime an ur-vile is described in detail the nostrils are were the eyes WOULD be, so they're in the right place, they just look too much like eyes. And the mouth is too pronounced, their mouths are always described as 'slits'.

[wayfriend]

You're a good artist, urThor! That's awesome!

You heard about the nose.

The ears... too big. They are nostril-oriented creatures, not ear-oriented, like bats. (Despite the other comments! )

Limbs. The running-on-all-fours is the key. Now, I've always imagined them with shorter arms and legs, and longer bodies. Arms and legs both about 75% the length of the torso.

Claws? They are tool-users, after all.

The cat-like ankles-off-the-ground stance is not very stable, is it? I think that they would be flat-footed, when bipedal at least.

Another clue is to remember that they are artificial beings. They are not going to look like something that descended from animals. They are going to look like something that copied some parts of human anatomy, and left other parts to obscure design.

[wayfriend]

UrThor, have you seen this? link

[ur-Thor]

Awesome, thanks for your input, I think I have a much better idea and direction to go with. don't worry about hurting my feelings with criticism, that first drawing was mainly to be used as a point of reference, suggestions on what could or should be changed are exactly what I was looking for. Wayfriend, I have seen that picture before and that is an interesting adaption. one thing I had forgotten about were the nostrils being described as vertical slits, that will definitely make a big difference. as for the rest, well I'll do another drawing, or drawings and eventually we should have something that all most can pretty much agree is what an Urvile should look like.

[iQuestor]

UrThor -- I am jealous of your talent, very well done. I think the feedback here on the specifics has been dead on, especially the shorter limbs, primate posture, nose slits, etc.

I would love to see the revisions, and the original is pretty awesome. thanks for sharing it!

[Stutty]

UrThor, have you seen this? link

It's interesting that the artist who did that just kinda glossed over their facial details. TBH, I can't imagine how to pull off that nostril thing.

And those look too much like orcs. I like Urthy's better.

stutt

[onewyteduck]

It's a darn site better than anything I could have done and I am really looking forward to seeing more of your work.

[Cameraman Jenn]

Pretty cool UrThor. I would be interested in your visual interpretation of Nom as well as the urviles.

[wayfriend]

(I thought I posted this already, but it seems to be missing ... I'll post it again.)

The ur-viles in that link could use a lot of improvement, IMO. UrThor's going in the right direction.

UrThor, since now I am into this,

[The Waynhim's] outlines were generally manlike, though the torso was inordinately long, and the limbs were short, matched in length, indicating that the creature could both stand erect and run on its hands and feet. But the face was entirely alien to Covenant. A long, flexible neck joined the hairless head to the body; two pointed ears perched near the top of the skull on either side'; the mouth was as thin as a mere slit in the flesh. And there were no eyes. Two gaping nostrils surrounded by a thick, fleshy membrane filled the center of the face. The head had no other features.

+ I was wrong, the ears do need to be up. But I still think UrThor had them too big.
+ The nostrils are "gaping", not slits. It's the mouth that's a slit. Gaping implies big and wide to me.
+ The membrane can mean anything, maybe something like this: (00)
+ confirm long torso with short limbs of equal length (I presume this means arms as long as legs)

[The ur-vile] looked like one of the Waynhim grown tall and evil - long torso, short limbs of equal length, pointed ears high on its head, eyeless face almost filled by gaping nostrils. Its slit mouth snapped like a trap whenever a Wraith came near. Mucus trailed from its nostrils back along either side of its head. When Covenant faced it, its nose twitched as if it smelled new game

+ confirms high ears, gaping nostrils, slit mouth, long torso, short limbs, same length
+ the nose/membrane emerges from the face far enough that the nose can twitch.
+ nostrils seem to be pervasively runny

When their eyeless faces felt his stricken stare, they hesitated for an instant. Their wide, drooling nostrils quivered as they tasted the air for signs of power, evidence of wild magic.

+ confirm runny nostrils and twitchable nose.

I can't wait to see the Mock II!

[hue of fuzzpaws]

Have been doodling my own Ur Vile designs since I came across this thread, however, they do look like something a 3 year old has done, so will probably turn them into models etc and then post them up.

[ur-Thor]

Ok, here's another one, it's mostly the original drawing altered with some parts completely redrawn ..kind of like a composite sketch "Is this the Ur-vile who assailed you?"

I think it's closer, I've tried to use as many of your suggestions as I could while trying to stay close to the descriptions in the quotes provided by Wayfriend. one thing that I'm a bit worried about in doing this is ruining (corrupting?) anyone's mental image of what an Ur-vile looks like, SRD often states the importance of individual interpretation and I definitely don't mean to mess with that.

again this is just something to use as reference, the pose isn't particularly interesting and it seems that no matter what, the nostrils will read as eyes. I think it has a lot to do with how the brain recognizes and processes facial data.

Hue, I'd love to see your drawings, another perspective (no pun intended) is always good.

[Cameraman Jenn]

Wow, UrThor, great drawings. I always pictured less head more nostril though, from the sentence that says eyeless head almost filled with gaping nostrils....

[ur-Thor]

Alright, now we're cookin. here's another headshot. no snout, all nostril.
I still have yet to try a more ape like posture which sounds pretty cool.
this is proving to be a bit of a challenge and I'm having fun with it. I'm making most of the alterations digitally now just to speed things up, once we get something that most agree on I'll take some time and do a nice drawing, I think we might end up with 2 or more versions that people feel are close representations, if so, all the better.

[Stutty]

I doubt it's in the text anywhere, but I always imagined ur-vile heads shape with more of a cat look, where Waynhim had more of a puppy look. I doubt that's helpful at all though, to be honest.

I really like the new sketches , but somehow the "gaping" nostrils on the most recent version look more like eye-sockets again. hmmm...

I suggest...

Go back to V2. Shrink the snout with just a little more nostril gapeness. Flatten (or even sink) the top of his head for more of a feline appearance.

Yep, that's the ur-vile that attacked me in the alley, I'd recognize him anywhere!

stutt

[ur-Thor]

Ok, here is a more catlike version, somewhere between the last two. This is kinda like "Dude! pimp my Ur-vile!" fun stuff!