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The Pumpkin King of All Saint’s Wake

In recent times, All Saint’s Wake has shifted to from a holiday where voidsent terrorize the populace to one where they walk among us innocently, drinking in the aether derived from delighted shrieks of a harmlessly spooked citizenry. Adventurers from across the land take part in the celebration, and Rabrandt is no different in that respect.

As a Reaper, a scythe-wielding warrior who formed a pact with a voidsent of his own, and hero to the realm both, he is well-positioned for the festivities. His chosen profession, combined with his status as Garlean war veteran, can be leveraged to produce a sense of unease and danger. At yet, everyone knows that if something truly scary were to happen on this night, he would be the first leap to their defense.

After all, like many Reapers, he fights like a man possessed.

This is one of my favorite commissions featuring my Final Fantasy XIV characters. As you might expect of a season event in an online game around the month of October, “All Saint’s Wake” is the Eorzean version of Halloween, explaining with in-universe lore.

And while I certainly wished to celebrate that, there was a second reason for this commission. The dyeable version of coat that Rabrandt is wearing comes from doing the current Savage raids in Dawntrail. When I finally earned it, I was eager to make it my current glamour. I chose to join my raid group solely to acquire this coat.

Combining that aesthetic with the Halloween-esque themes created this stunning composition. In this shot, Rabrandt exudes this “cool middle-aged biker uncle” energy that I personally can’t get enough of. I made have been a bit late for the occasion, only getting the commission from LittleBadWolf in November of 2024, but I’m happy with how it turned out.