I haven't drawn her in years, so I was amazed at how easily she popped out into the sketchbook. This is Esma, a unicorn from the Blood from a Stone comic project with Kryst and company. She's one of the Mythicals, who are the mythical pantheon of creatures made in the age of high magic. They comprise about 10% of the world's population (Humans are about 20%, familiars are about 70%). The thing that sets mythicals apart is that they are not uplifted animals like the familiars were, but instead were beings born of creation magic, despite many of them resembling existing animals. They were the property of royalty and the very rich and affluent way back in the early days. The only thing that sets them apart now is that they have a higher magical aptitude than any other creature. Although since magic was weakened a couple thousand years ago, that aptitude only counts for so much.

Esma is, on the outside, your typical spoiled little rich girl. She's pretty, rich, and gets whatever she wants. But she is also intelligent, cunning, manipulative, and has some very lofty plans. I wouldn't brand her as evil, but she's very much a narcissist.

Ironically when I first created her and before I ever had more than a rough plot for the original Blood from a Stone story (which was just going to be a short comic story, now it's been expanded into a continuing world) I had a friend who was so upset that I had an 'evil' unicorn in the story that he began composing fanfiction and art of Esma getting redeemed and saved and becoming good.

Tsk, where's the fun in that though?