Mountainspire

During the1980s I hung out with a group of Philadelphia science fiction fans, even though I lived in the Boston area at that time. I would commute to their events, stay over after partying, and go back up to Boston the next day. We would also get together at science fiction conventions. They often bought my art, especially my Darkover-themed pieces. And sometimes they commissioned work from me directly, often from gaming scenarios they were playing.

This is one of those game illustrations. It shows two gameplayers in a romantic moment under a great sacred oak tree. The gentleman lover has put aside his armor, weapons, and helmet which can be seen at the tree trunk. They are in an underground world in a hollow Earth, so the light comes from a magical sun that moves about inside the vast cavernous space. The interior world is so big that the inhabitants can build sparkling cities like the one behind the meadows. This city is called "Mountainspire." The peaceful city, inhabited by elves, is surrounded by fertile farmland and forests which grow happily even under an artificial sun. This game is now gone and forgotten.

"Mountainspire" is ink and watercolor on illustration board, 22" x 15", June 1987. You'll want to click on this image for a larger view.