I'm excited to share my dragon project, which I began a year ago. Originally intended as part of a larger palace scene, I decided to present it as a standalone composition to refine my compositing, storytelling, lighting, and presentation skills. This dragon is my second sculpting project, created entirely with a mouse. I performed manual retopology for educational purposes, completing both the sculpting and retopology processes within 11 days. Please note that the varying texel density was intentional, designed to meet the requirements of my original palace scene. 36.5k - Tris Textures - 1x2k, 1X4k The main reference I used to create the dragon. I adapted it, changing some details. Here is the dragon's ref link: https://ru.freepik.com/premium-ai-image/dragon-statue-with-black-dragon-its-head_46542641.htm Additional models: https://www.cgtrader.com/ Additional textures: https://freepbr.com/ Spiderweb: https://depositphotos.com/ Cloak: https://www.freepik.com/premium-psd/halloween-ghost-transparent-background-ai-generated_211543201.htm I also created a short story with AI, which tells the story of this composition, and you can read it below. Thank you for your attention! In the dawn of Dragon's Kingdom, humans and dragons walked as kin. Dragons, with their fire and wisdom, shared the skies, while humans, with their ingenuity and earthbound resilience, built thriving cities. For generations, they lived in harmony, bound by a pact of mutual respect. But whispers began to slither through the courts of men, whispers of fear and envy. The dragons' power, once admired, became a source of dread. Driven by this fear, the human king, under the counsel of treacherous sorcerers, forged chains of enchanted steel. They lured the dragons with promises of grand feasts, then imprisoned them, their roars echoing through the once-shared lands. The dragons, betrayed, endured years of captivity, their spirits slowly dimming. Then, one stormy night, a young dragon, imbued with the ancient magic of their ancestors, unleashed a surge of power, shattering the chains. With a collective roar that shook the very foundations of the kingdom, the dragons took flight, leaving the land forever. In their wake, the humans, consumed by guilt and a desperate attempt at atonement, erected a colossal dragon sculpture from the very stones where the chains had held their former allies. They named it 'The Stone of Lost Accord,' a monument to their betrayal and a plea for forgiveness that would never be answered. But The Stone of Lost Accord, infused with the lingering pain of the dragons, became a conduit for their sorrow and anger. It began to radiate a dark energy, twisting the land around it. Whispers spoke of the stone's power to corrupt minds, to summon phantom dragons, and to unleash the very storms that had heralded the dragons' escape. The once-proud monument became a place of dread, a testament to the enduring consequences of broken trust.