Jeremy Herz
Artist | Hobbyist | Varied

United States

i am an expert in the fields of science and fantasy. though i am an expert in dinosaurs, i also specialize in dragons and monsters real and imaginary. For me, drawing is a natural talent; something i inherited from my family rather than learned. i have always been a fan of predatory animals, especially sharks, theropod dinosaurs, snakes, and dragons, and i saw JAWS when i was 3, so the love of these animals is lifelong. i am also a staunch supporter of conservation, and though i genuinely fear many venomous or otherwise dangerous creatures, i am willing to help or handle any animal except hornets and wasps and other bugs (not counting spiders). i have a deep phobia of them. i also take great pride in saying i am in the autism spectrum, something i was initially reluctant to share here, but i realize that it is part of the reason behind my talents. i admit i have my flaws, and i work hard to improve them, but overall, i am rather content with myself. now, here i am, writing 2 or 3 books, making artwork, and enjoying myself.

Books i am currently working on:

Dinosaurs of the present: written and illustrated by myself and one of my two greatest creations, this book was inspired by Dougal Dixon's alternative evolutions and Osmatar's creature from The Speculative Dinosaur Project. i myself thought Dixon had not elaborated enough for a full view, so i took his work a step further in a notebook. then i realized; these were my ideas, so why shouldn't i make my own book instead? so, here i am, 100 dinosaurs later, finally working out final concept designs and artwork. i look forward to bringing my beasts, from the 200 foot Mongo Grongo and 75 foot Vastatotyrannus to the tiny Nanoceratops no more than a foot long to the public eye.

Day of the Dragon Riders: my most complete and other greatest creation, this was the brainchild of years of imagination run rampant and final realization in 10th grade. the summary gives you a hint of what's in store for the characters, and unlike many stories, i like to tell this one from the point of view from both good and evil, so you can really see the thoughts and actions of heroes and villains on both sides.
For those who want a synopsis for Day of the Dragon Riders; I would like to tell you a story.

"In the beginning, it was the dragons who ruled the land of Kairegorn, hunting its high peaks, lush forests, fertile valleys and scorching deserts, and making their grandiose palace in the mountain range we call the Dragon's Back in the middle of the the Harthavir Desert (meaning in draconic "the desert of the dragon". Then some 2500 years ago, humans elves and dwarves, friends then as they are today, settled in Kairegorn, the humans taking the plains, the elves settling the forests, and the dwarves burrowing into the mountains.
The dragons took no notice at first, and were content to ignore their minuscule neighbors. However that would not last, as one day, a dwarf and a human went hunting and thinking it was but a mere animal, slaughtered a juvenile male dragon. Outraged, the dragon's family hunted down and slaughtered the hunters, butchering them in an act of revenge. The humans and dwarves tried to settle the madness, but being unable to understand the guttural language of the dragons, they were unable to bring about a peaceful solution. Very soon, war erupted between the three factions, and soon, the elves too became involved as they could not stand by and watch as the dragons killed innocents and allies.
The war raged for nearly 400 years (with the humanoids coming to realize they were living much longer and longer thanks to the magic of the land), until a human prince and sorcerer named Thurian came upon a dragon egg in the forest where he was hunting. Taking pity on the shimmering egg, Thurian took it back to his home, where in time the egg hatched for him. upon her hatching, Thurian named the infant dragoness Luminos, after her brilliant rainbow scales. Seeing the advantages of raising a dragon, he kept her, teaching her the values of truth, honor, justice and equality. As she matured, he took her to the front of the war, and in their union as partners revealed that dragons and humanoids could live in peace together. after several months of hard negotiation, the war finally ended atop a great mountain overlooking the Belemnite Sea. Here the kings of the four respected races signed in blood a contract of stone. from then on, their races would be forever bonded, with dragon mothers volunteering their eggs to be chosen by a rider, elf, dwarf or human. And thus the Order of the Dragon Riders was born.
For the next 1000 years, Luminos and Thurian taught and trained hundreds of students, all made immortal like herself and her partner due to the magic that permeated the land. They became the veritable police force of Kairegorn, as well as miners, craftsmen, and scholars. the contact had given them power to rival a king, and they used it well in settling disputes the kings and queens could not. Then from across the sea the Orcs came, and from then on, the dragon riders became warriors too, acting as an air support and heavy unit to counteract the orcs' violent tactics and raids. After the initial shock, the four races drove the orcs into fleeing to the east, though they would ever continue to trouble the peoples from then on.
Eventually, by the end of the first war with the orcs, some 80,000 dragon riders and their mounts combined lived in Kairegorn and the stronghold of the dragon riders; Castle Draco, the fortress and headquarters of the order where the contract was signed in blood more than a millennium ago. by then Kairegorn was thriving, even with numerous problems that were commonplace in a land of magic and strange beasts. More and more dragon riders, humanoid youths gifted with magic, were chosen to become equals with a hatchling that would share their heart with their partner for the rest of their endless lives. one of these was a 14 year old boy named Deltthion, an elf from the city of Lumonia.
Upon his initiation, he and his orange dragoness Nadira revealed themselves to be gifted students, and for two hundred years they diligently followed the commands of their superiors. But during a siege on the human city of Kairodion by the orcs, Deltthion and Nadira were separated and Nadira was impaled by an iilbrithin lance. Though Deltthion fought hard to save her, she died with her head on his lap. Enraged, Deltthion killed nearly 1000 foes before being knocked unconscious. Upon his awakening, Luminos granted him a chance to bond with another dragon, hoping it would mend the hole in his heart, and Deltthion indeed did bond with a new partner, a silver dragon hatchling named Sauros. For another 100 years, Deltthion and Sauros continued to serve Luminos and Thurian with honor, but all the while, the darkness in Deltthion's heart poisoned the heart of his dragon. Together they sought a way to defeat death and slowly the idea of domination came to the dark pair's minds. Then, upon influencing twenty other riders and their mounts including Galadren and Shrike, Golara and Thayira, and Rothikus and Kraken, the silently abandoned the order.
For another hundred years Luminos and Thurian heard nothing from Deltthion until that fateful day. an army of Orcs and Orku-ta appeared outside the gates of Castle Draco itself, and more than 100,000 dragon riders under Deltthion's command flew in to attack, laying siege to the great city. the battle was fierce, long and bloody and thousands fell on both sides. it was also the sight of the dragon riders' greatest loss as Deltthion himself slew Thurian. Only Luminos was able to finally drive Deltthion and Sauros off. The losses were terrible and the dragon riders had lost their founder. but Luminos managed to rally her followers and the kings of the four races, and for the next thousand years, Luminos and all of kairegorn would fight against Deltthion and his dark riders.
500 years into the war, Luminos would utter a prophecy of two who would face Deltthion and Sauros and end their reign of terror.

Up in the skies when need is dire,
This way come the wings of fire.
The great protectors of the land,
Closing in, close at hand.
This way come the great fighters,
For peace and hope, The Dragon Riders.
Led by Luminos, kind and pure,
By their hand the land endures.
Stoppers of war, keepers of lore,
For this land is the home they adore.
When evil comes and corruption conspires,
Battles come roused with dragon ire.
Warriors fall, battle mounts flee,
For the sight of dragons is terrifying to see.
Their riders fight to the very end,
To save their people, to save their friends.
But then great evil came from within,
With silver dragon and great sin.
With many others he started war,
And for a millennium, grim tales it has bore.
Of monsters and darkness, pain unrelenting,
Teeth crash on scale, and claws do their rending.
All seems lost, but hope prevails,
Within a young man and dragon with green scales.
Riding fast upon the wind,
With great swords of Iilbrithin.
A beacon of light within the dark,
Come green dragon and boy of dragon heart.

And today, the prophecy has come true; for the boy Kaine Dragonheart and his great and noble mount Thorinen, the dragon prince are all that stand the way of salvation and destruction as Deltthion moves to conquer Kairegorn once and for all.

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