Aurora (Initial Concept)

A character sketch of Aurora (the first sketch and design for them), a character in my spec-manga, Geijutsu gakkou (The School of the Arts). Aurora is one of the 8 Arts, specifically the Art of War. Their role as the embodiment of conflict is utilized as a writing device, in which they are the primary driver of the prevailing arc. Aurora is also a transgender male (female-to-male) who hides the torment of gender dysphoria and self-hate. They despise their very identity, which is why they come to embrace a mangled identity as a monster (coubled with a brutal past of abused prisoner of war). As the Art of War, they are a master of Wing Chun (Chinese kung fu, knod to Sun Tzu) and strategy, despite being blind (they see by feeling vibrations and sound). They are also the only Art who seems aware of their symbolism (the self-proclaimed God of War). This allows Aurora to act as a vehicle of internal conflict, external conflict, and as a supernatural challenge to the reality they exist in.