James Neely - VIRIDIOS, the New Graphic Novel

DEO VRIDI SANCTO
"To the holy god Viridios ..."
VIRIDIOS~ is a Celtic-Latin name for The Green Man. An upcoming online Graphic Novel by James Neely (Ddraig Graphics)

COMING SOON!

I am the Keeper, the one who holds the Sacred Truths and have been whispering them all along throughout the ages to those who have ears to listen.
My voice is in the wind in the boughs, in the rushing of waters and the rains, in birdsong, in the echoing crack of the rutting buck's antlers, and in the laughter of revelry, music and rythm.
I dance a spiral path to show the way for those who will to follow, toward Death and Rebirth.

For this is Her Will and Way.
Without such, you and I cease to exist and all is darkness and void!
She is Youth, laughing carefree in the hills, bare foot on the grass.
She is Mother and bringer of Life.
And She is our end, leading us to the Underworld back to the womb.

I am Her consort.

Know me through Her, and She through me. Together we are One in an eternal dance manifesting itself as Love under Will.

© 2006 Written by James Neely (December 28, 2006 as part of the introduction.)

"VIRIDIOS" is a tale with a very dark beginning, filled with death, terror and nightmares set in today's world. Gradually as the Olde Ways are rekindled in the main characters, a healing process begins. It is a love story mixed with magick and lore, where Soulmates find eachother again and balance is restored.

As newlyweds, Enid and Branden Hawthorn never expected tragedy to strike as suddenly as it did when they began thier lives together. But it did, leaving Enid a widow and completely without a clue to what Life intended for her. The fire was horrible and now her nightmares replay that honeymoon night over and over again, ripping her from sleep screaming in terror as the image of Branden's immolation lingers in her mind along with the acrid scent of burnt flesh that she will never forget. Therapy and medication does nothing to lessen her dispair and Enid is inconsolable at the loss of her love.
It wasn't until her sister Eva suggests that they take a trip together that things begin to improve for Enid as she percieves a glimmer of hope toward a new life, and somehow is quite positive her dead husband is trying to communicate something to her from beyond the grave...

Within the ruins of an old church, Enid uncovers part of a stone fascade bearing a carved likeness of VIRIDIOS, and memories of past lives suddenly begin to emerge, changing her dreams to numerous conversations with him and she is shown time and again the shadowy figure of a man she is destined to meet when the time comes...

Enid is given no other clues as to who the man is, no name, no likeness, where he is, nothing to go by whatsoever, save for a clear image of his peircing, yet familiar eyes. All the while she continues to see VIRIDIOS everywhere, in gardens and parks, in hedges and tree boughs, in water, shop windows, architecture, and hears him whispering in her dreams as he guides her toward her true destiny in service to The Goddess for the welfare of Nature, and finding her soulmate from an era in the distant past.

Below are 3D characters developed for the concepts which will be drawn over for the actual work. They are invaluable as far as attaining a feel and look from any angle.