Durgin Paint Forge: Olga and Gollis

Für den Mai Patreon von Durgin Paint Forge gibt es eine junge Zwergin mit ihrem Golem Begeleiter.

Kit Focus: Olga and Gollis

Olga Thugnisdottir, as her patronymic suggests, is Thugni’s daughter—the youngest of five siblings. Although she has always shown a strong natural talent for the magical arts—so much so that she became an apprentice of the Cult of Tallya despite her young age—Olga also inherited her father’s stubbornness and love for adventure.

Raised on stories of her father’s exploits, Olga began getting into trouble from the moment she could walk, often drawing a smile (a truly rare event!) from Ori, who sees in her a form of divine punishment aimed at his friend Thugni—finally repaid in kind.

When Olga discovered her father was organising a secret expedition, she didn’t hesitate: she gathered anything that might be useful and secretly stowed away on Thugni’s ship, ready for her very first adventure!

Whatever Olga does, she’s never alone—for by her side is Gollis. The origins of Gollis (literally “Golem Pup”) are mysterious and trace back to Olga’s fifth birthday, when the little girl wandered alone into the forest to look for mushrooms and disappeared for three days, prompting the entire clan to search for her. When they finally found her, Olga was happily playing with this strange sentient rock.

Gollis is a young Golem, one of the rare creatures said to grow up to ten meters tall in adulthood! Golems are revered by the Dwarves, as they are believed to protect travelers from the dangers of the mountains. Though a peaceful people, it’s said that nothing enrages a Golem more than someone who disrespects—or worse, damages—a mountain!

Surprisingly, a strong bond seems to have formed between Olga and this little Golem, so much so that it’s practically impossible to see one without the other! Some say the Golem was drawn to the little Dwarf’s magic; others believe he saw in her a potential that could bring great fortune to the clan. Whatever the truth, Gollis may prove to be a precious asset to Thugni and his company!

While we await the last (and most important!) member of Thugni’s company—Thugni himself—I must admit that these two little adventurers are my favourites from this new range. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know how much I love working on characters like these. I believe they allow us to explore a softer side of fantasy—less focused on constant epicness and more on pastel-toned atmospheres.

Now that my daughter is older and more involved in what I do, I’ve found in these characters a beautiful way to share my work with her (she’s been asking me for weeks now when I’ll finally print one!).

Olga and Gollis are part of a kit that emphasizes emotion more than technical detail. Carlos and I spent several days shaping these characters to find the right expression and the best „vibe“ to convey the feelings we had in mind—specifically, Olga’s wonder in the face of adventure.

The character design is very minimal, partly due to the small scale of the piece. We decided to split the „details“ between the two: Olga is more essential and expressive, while Gollis is loaded with items but extremely simple in form. This contrast helped us highlight their differences while still making them feel like part of the same story.

There are a few details that emphasise Olga’s love of adventure and her spunky nature—like the helmet she wears (a relic from her father’s past adventures, which she took with her), and her practical outfit. But her status as an apprentice of the Cult of Tallya is also clear—a magical discipline that blends botany and medicine (in-game, Olga is the group’s healer!).

Olga (or rather, Gollis!!) carries all the tools she needs for her craft: rare ingredients, arcane grimoires, and even the mushrooms growing on the Golem’s body are useful to her work!

Finding the right balance wasn’t easy, and Carlos went through several iterations to ensure she looked not just like a little girl, but a little Dwarf girl (for example, her hands are relatively large compared to a human child’s). I truly believe the final result is close to perfection—and I can’t wait to paint at least a couple of them!

Olga and Gollis are already available and ready to be printed—what better duo to add to your party of adventurers than these two? Join the patrons and help Olga on her journey!

Quelle: Durgin Paint Forge bei Patreon