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Jedakk's Masterpiece

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Yeah, I remember that series now! I found it a bit unrealistic to have her lick the sponge rather than get it in her lips and suck on it. I think a crucifixion victim would try to get as much as she could, as quickly as she could while the opportunity was there. She might never know when she'd get another chance.

But you've got to admit, licking the sponge like that creates a very sensual image!
 
Hard to believe that those are over 10 years old now. That was back before I gave up on trying to animate Sabina's ordeal and decided that illustrations would have to do.

One of the technical problems with these animations was Sabina's long hair, which was just impossible to control and would have required frame-by-frame adjustments for several thousand frames. If you watch, you'll see it swing right through her shoulder sometimes. That's the reason I finally decided to go to a bun hair style that wouldn't have that problem.

Ok it may not meet your high standards in the 'technical perfection' department, but it's still a highly emotional depiction.
The agony is apparent, the need to seek relief from the pain, to move to breathe. You convey her sense of hopelessness.
The way she keeps looking at the right-hand nail; I can well imagine the brain refusing to accept that this terrible thing is happening, hence the need to keep checking that the nail is still there, that it unfortunately is real and permanent.

As for the two short clips with sound, they cut straight through me.
 
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Ok it may not meet your high standards in the 'technical perfection' department, but it's still a highly emotional depiction.
The agony is apparent, the need to seek relief from the pain, to move to breathe. You convey her sense of hopelessness.
The way she keeps looking at the right-hand nail; I can well imagine the brain refusing to accept that this terrible thing is happening, hence the need to keep checking that the nail is still there, that it unfortunately is real and permanent.

As for the two short clips with sound, they cut straight through me.

Back when I created those animations with sounds, my first reaction was that I might have gone too far. It seemed too close to the real thing. Not so much any more, but back then it was quite a leap from what I'd done before.
 
The next scenes in the story involve Salonina, the cook who has come to see Sabina in prison, and Ajax, one of Balbus' helpers. Salonina is determined that she is going to get into Balbus' ergastulum - a private prison for slaves - and offer what comfort and advice she can to Sabina. In the first scene, Ajax has answered her knock on the door and Salonina has screwed up her courage and is demanding to get in.



In reality, the carnifex was not allowed to live within the city walls. In this case, it's not his home, it's his place of business. This is where his victims await their crucifixion and where his helpers do whatever woodworking is needed to build crosses, sediles, and cornus, and where he stores his stock of supplies in case he is called on to crucify a larger number of condemned.

The wall next to the door has the typical Roman graffiti on it. The penis and testicles symbol at the top indicates that there is a brothel up the stairs to the right. Below that is a Latin inscription that says "Myrtis bene felas" - "Myrtis gives good blow jobs." And below that is a longer inscription: "Arphocras hic cum Drauca bene futuit denario" - "Here Arphocras has had a good fuck with Drauca for a denarius." These are the texts of real ancient Roman graffiti, I didn't make this stuff up.

And for anyone who's interested in how you get graffiti onto a wall in Poser, they are on separate rectangles with a transparency map that hides everything except the letters you see. I placed the rectangles as close to the surface of the wall as they could be without disappearing into it, so they appear to be actually on the wall itself.

Once Ajax lets her inside, Salonina is surprised by what she sees. The walls are covered with pornographic frescoes, while there are woodworking tools and wood everywhere. Here's the exchange between them:

Which one are you, Ajax or Hercules? I can never keep you two straight.”

“Ajax. I’m the good-looking one. Alright, your little princess is in a cell back there. I’ll be checking on you. Don’t want anything happening to this one before her time. You got any poison or a dagger hidden under that dress? Do I need to have a look?”

“Do you want a look? Ecastor! I didn’t fall off the turnip cart yesterday, you big ox! I’ll not be the one up there feeding the crows. That’s more than I’ll do for anyone.” And then I took a good look at the big open room around me, speechless for a few heatbeats.

“Ecastor! This place looks like something between a brothel and a carpenter’s shop!”

Ajax grunted. “Used to be a whorehouse. Balbus inherited it from his mother,” he said, stifling a laugh. “She used it to sell pleasure, he uses it to sell punishment. It works well enough for what we do, it’s just that the ones who come to spend time with us don’t seem to enjoy it as much as most guests did in the past. But then when it’s time to leave, they don’t want to go, either!”

Salonina wanders around looking at the frescoes, and Ajax offers to show her how one of those can be done. She doesn't believe it's physically possible, and she's tempted to have a go with Ajax, but decides against it.


And finally, Salonina looks at the unfinished cross, the basket of cornus, and the unfinished cornu that Ajax was making for Sabina when she interrupted him.

 

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Further to my last post, the frescoes on the walls of the room are almost all taken from paintings by Edouard-Henri Avril, who was an illustrator of erotic literature under the name Paul Avril in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. I photoshopped his paintings to make them look more like frescoes , applied them as textures to 3D rectangle objects, and stuck them on the walls of the room so they appear as if they were painted on.
 
Well, no comments about those and not too many likes, either. I guess the things that went on behind the scenes to get victims onto crosses were not of much interest. So at the risk of boring folks further, I'm going to move on into the prison scenes.

Ajax takes Salonina to Sabina's cell, which is one of the rooms in the old brothel that has been converted to imprison people. There's even a fresco on the wall, which is actually an old fresco from a brothel in Pompeii that I put there. Salonina enters the cell to find Sabina huddled in a corner, filthy. Note the jug of water next to her and the chamber pot and sponge in the corner - details that a cell might have.



Salonina describes what she saw:

Sabina was a pitiful sight, sitting on the floor in a corner at the far end of the cell. Her arms were wrapped around her drawn-up knees protectively, making herself small and huddling in the shadows. She was filthy from being dragged here roughly, kicking and screaming when I saw her last. Her eyes were red; crying or lack of sleep? How do you sleep when the image of the cross blots out everything else?

She stared at me for a few heartbeats before she spoke. “Salonina?” Her voice was incredulous and hoarse at first. “Salonina? Are… are you real?”​

Sabina gets up and hugs Salonina, crying, seizing the only comforting bit of reality in what has become her surreal world.



That was technically difficult, by the way, putting two characters in an embrace with dresses that have to compress between them. Anyway, Salonina tells us about the conversation between them:

“Oh Salonina, what have I d-done? Th-they’re going to… crucify me tomorrow! How can I… oh gods, what do I do? The cross… no, I can’t, oh gods I’m so afraid!”

“Hush now, girl. Today, we’re going to get you cleaned up, get some fresh clothes on you, and you’ll feel better. Then we’ll talk about it.”​

Of course, this is a lead-in for the lengthy conversation they're going to have about Sabina's whipping and crucifixion, like a Victim 101 class. What it will be like, what she might be able to do to keep from making it worse. With great difficulty, Salonina gets Sabina out of her clothes so she can clean her up. What she sees when the clothes come off gives even her some pause.



Again, Salonina's description:
“Ecastor!” I exclaimed in awe. I knew she was a beautiful young girl, but underneath her slave’s clothes she was the image that fired a young man’s dreams. Full, rounded breasts with hard pink nipples and the “sweet round ass” that Ajax had mentioned. Her porcella was even plucked smooth, unusual for a slave girl. Put her on the slave block and the bidders would kill each other over her.​

There's a clue in the fact that Sabina's sex is bald that she may not be what she appears. After Salonina cleans her up as best she can, she puts the old gray peplos on her that she brought, knowing that she will only need it until they take her away in the morning to be whipped and crucified.

 

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"Well, no comments about those and not too many likes, either. I guess the things that went on behind the scenes to get victims onto crosses were not of much interest. So at the risk of boring folks further, I'm going to move on into the prison scenes."

Not true at all ... a good story needs to be developed from the beginning, and that includes the full-lead up ... so necessary to understand fully the background what must have been on the victim's mind as the humiliations, horrors and sufferings mount.
 
Well, no comments about those and not too many likes, either. I guess the things that went on behind the scenes to get victims onto crosses were not of much interest. So at the risk of boring folks further, I'm going to move on into the prison scenes.

Ajax takes Salonina to Sabina's cell, which is one of the rooms in the old brothel that has been converted to imprison people. There's even a fresco on the wall, which is actually an old fresco from a brothel in Pompeii that I put there. Salonina enters the cell to find Sabina huddled in a corner, filthy. Note the jug of water next to her and the chamber pot and sponge in the corner - details that a cell might have.



Salonina describes what she saw:

Sabina was a pitiful sight, sitting on the floor in a corner at the far end of the cell. Her arms were wrapped around her drawn-up knees protectively, making herself small and huddling in the shadows. She was filthy from being dragged here roughly, kicking and screaming when I saw her last. Her eyes were red; crying or lack of sleep? How do you sleep when the image of the cross blots out everything else?

She stared at me for a few heartbeats before she spoke. “Salonina?” Her voice was incredulous and hoarse at first. “Salonina? Are… are you real?”​

Sabina gets up and hugs Salonina, crying, seizing the only comforting bit of reality in what has become her surreal world.



That was technically difficult, by the way, putting two characters in an embrace with dresses that have to compress between them. Anyway, Salonina tells us about the conversation between them:

“Oh Salonina, what have I d-done? Th-they’re going to… crucify me tomorrow! How can I… oh gods, what do I do? The cross… no, I can’t, oh gods I’m so afraid!”

“Hush now, girl. Today, we’re going to get you cleaned up, get some fresh clothes on you, and you’ll feel better. Then we’ll talk about it.”​

Of course, this is a lead-in for the lengthy conversation they're going to have about Sabina's whipping and crucifixion, like a Victim 101 class. What it will be like, what she might be able to do to keep from making it worse. With great difficulty, Salonina gets Sabina out of her clothes so she can clean her up. What she sees when the clothes come off gives even her some pause.



Again, Salonina's description:
“Ecastor!” I exclaimed in awe. I knew she was a beautiful young girl, but underneath her slave’s clothes she was the image that fired a young man’s dreams. Full, rounded breasts with hard pink nipples and the “sweet round ass” that Ajax had mentioned. Her porcella was even plucked smooth, unusual for a slave girl. Put her on the slave block and the bidders would kill each other over her.​

There's a clue in the fact that Sabina's sex is bald that she may not be what she appears. After Salonina cleans her up as best she can, she puts the old gray peplos on her that she brought, knowing that she will only need it until they take her away in the morning to be whipped and crucified.

A lot of folks seem to be busy around here lately and there is only as contingency of members that give 'likes' and even fewer that regularly comment. Next time you post note how many views your thread has then check the next day. You will be amazed at the number of views.

As for me while I enjoy the crucifixion images and story I appreciate lead-up stories as much or more as the executions itself. Your lead-up is excellent, not just for the emotions but the intrigue threaded into it.

By the way, good job with the clothes!!!

T
 
A lot of folks seem to be busy around here lately and there is only as contingency of members that give 'likes' and even fewer that regularly comment. Next time you post note how many views your thread has then check the next day. You will be amazed at the number of views.

As for me while I enjoy the crucifixion images and story I appreciate lead-up stories as much or more as the executions itself. Your lead-up is excellent, not just for the emotions but the intrigue threaded into it.

By the way, good job with the clothes!!!

T

Thanks, it's just really hard to guess what this audience is interested in seeing.

Those clothes are a technological achievement for me. I have tried for years off and on to get those to work. They are dynamic cloth, which actually has to fall and settle onto the figure so that it folds naturally. There are lots of variables involved in that to get it to work and look right. You can even control whether the fabric is soft and flowing like silk, or stiffer like linen. Now I've got it, and I have a whole repertoire of figures that are dressed in Roman clothing like that. All of the characters in this scene I posted earlier about Arria's Punishment are wearing dynamic clothing as well.
Arria Scene 1-18_0001 edited.jpg
 
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Sorry, I was busy yesterday, I thought I had liked and commented!

You don't need us to tell you that these are great images. The settings, the attention to detail. The expressions.
You don't need us to tell you that the story is rich, and engaging, and wonderful.

But I'll tell you anyway :D

Anyway, it's great to reach an audience, but this stuff comes from within, doesn't it, and it is ourselves we please in the first place. Why else put so much care and attention into it?

I really liked this one, I love her pose and expression :)
Notice the shackles on the ground?

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Sorry, I was busy yesterday, I thought I had liked and commented!

You don't need us to tell you that these are great images. The settings, the attention to detail. The expressions.
You don't need us to tell you that the story is rich, and engaging, and wonderful.

But I'll tell you anyway :D

Anyway, it's great to reach an audience, but this stuff comes from within, doesn't it, and it is ourselves we please in the first place. Why else put so much care and attention into it?

I really liked this one, I love her pose and expression :)
Notice the shackles on the ground?

View attachment 303077
yes, I spent a long time looking at that one too. Maybe it's just fascinating to look at someone who is looking at something with fascination...
 
yes, I spent a long time looking at that one too. Maybe it's just fascinating to look at someone who is looking at something with fascination...

I had some fun with that scene, having Salonina cock her head to the side like she was really studying that picture incredulously. And I don't know how well the position in the picture might work, but it makes my back hurt to look at it! :) Anyway, while Salonina is looking at the picture, Ajax is trying to proposition her. Here's how Salonina describes it:

I was thunderstruck by the number of old frescoes that adorned the walls of the place! I couldn’t help myself; I wandered around the room gaping open-mouthed at them, supposing they advertised the services that must have been offered here before Balbus owned it. I was surprised that there were some I hadn’t seen before. Ajax caught me studying one in awe, trying to work out how the two of them got into that position, and said, “Want to give that a try? We have some empty cells.”

“You never did that one!” I scoffed. “I don’t believe two people would fit together like that anyway!”

“Oh yes, it can be done if you work at it together! For sure I have some tricks you never saw,” he grinned widely. “I bet I could make you scream out the praises of Venus and put a smile on your face that wouldn’t come off for a month!’”

That and then some, I thought as I looked speculatively at the size of his hands. If the tales were true then Ajax might be endowed like a stallion. I won’t lie, I considered it for a moment. Then I reminded myself why I was here.

“And I could make you howl at the moon, if I wanted, but I’m busy right now!” I laughed and he joined in.​
 
Notice the shackles on the ground?

There is a lot of clutter in this room! I was trying to make this look like it was being used as an executioner's workshop, a place where they made the things that would be used to torture and kill people. Surrounding that is all of this porn on the walls, which contrasts and gives some comic relief. A couple of these renders were zoomed back to show some of the detail in the room.

.

In this one, you can see the stack of patibuli against the wall with the shackles thrown on top. The basket on the floor next to those is filled with nails. Unfortunately, none of these renders shows those very well. On the bench in the foreground is an unfinished cornu, a small saw, and a chisel. On the table is the titulus for Sabina's cross, already lettered and ready for her execution. Surrounding that are a carpenter's square and various chisels and gouges. And then there is a jug for water and a cup, because woodworking is thirsty work.



In this render you can see where Ajax has been working on a stipes for a cross. It's sitting on sawhorses on the right side of the picture, and notice that he has wedges underneath the near end of it to keep it from rolling while he's cutting that tenon on its end.



And in this picture you can see the basket full of finished cornus and sediles between the bench and the table. A carnifex's job was a business. He had to have supplies to do what he was paid to do, although in reality they probably weren't as organized as this and probably built crosses on site rather than in a workshop.
 

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There is a lot of clutter in this room
Looks pretty tidy to me; where's all the sawdust and wood shavings? Lol, just kidding, great pictures and wonderful details. I think I spotted all of them except the wedges.
 
Looks pretty tidy to me; where's all the sawdust and wood shavings? Lol, just kidding, great pictures and wonderful details. I think I spotted all of them except the wedges.

You're right! I got lazy when it came time to add shavings and sawdust to the floor. With all of the woodworking going on, there would have to be stuff on the floor, and it's way too clean. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!
 
After Salonina got Sabina cleaned up and dressed, they sat down on the straw in the corner of the cell and Salonina brushed Sabina's hair.

“We need to brush your hair and put it up so it will be out of the way,” I said. She stared at me for a moment, the unspoken question being, out of the way of what? We both knew the answer to that. Just like we both knew why I brought the old peplos rather than a good one. They’d take that away right before they whipped her, and would be rough about doing it.

And putting her hair up would keep it from tangling in the whip when they flogged her and save her a bit of misery by keeping it out of her face when she was hanging on the cross. Balbus would never let her keep her long hair anyway, because it would hide the suffering in her face from the gaze of the onlookers. But this way maybe she wouldn’t have to endure having his helpers hack it off.​

Salonina is a mother figure; she's doing things that a mother would do to a little girl, giving Sabina what comfort she can to sooth her and help her face what she will endure at the next dawn.



While she is brushing her hair, Salonina begins talking to her about what will happen.

“They will crucify you tomorrow, girl,” I said matter-of-factly. Her shoulders tensed and she whimpered when she heard those words. I went on, still brushing her long, dark hair.​

“Nothing we can do will stop that. Carbo will not even think of showing you any mercy, and Julia Lepida can’t be seen to show weakness. The only kindness I can give you is to help you get yourself ready for it and maybe make it as… as easy as it can be.

“There are things slaves talk about sometimes, usually after one of our own or someone we know has gone to the cross. Things we saw, thoughts we had, sometimes even what a crucified slave said to us from the cross. Now the only thing those poor wretches had on their minds was helping themselves, but sometimes knowing what they thought, what they felt, can help others too. It won’t be much, but maybe it will help you face what they’re going to do to you tomorrow, when the time comes. Do you want to talk about it?”

She was hugging herself now, head bowed, and I felt her body shake as she sobbed. “Y-yes,” she said without looking up. “Yes, Salonina. I ache inside, I’m so scared! I’ve thought about those nails so many times that my wrists and feet hurt, too. Yes, I need so much to talk about what will happen to me. If there’s anything you can tell me that will help me…”​

So Salonina continues talking, telling her what will happen, step-by-step, as she continues to brush her hair then put it up in a bun.

I wound her hair up into a bun on the back of her head and tied it with a piece of cord I brought for the purpose. I pulled it as tight as I could and knotted it several times to be sure it couldn’t come loose. Ever again, I thought.​





One of the most important things she tells her is that no matter how bad things get, it won't go on forever. There will be an end.

“One thing you learn when you’ve lived as long as I have is that everything ends. Sometimes it’s sooner and sometimes later. As bad as the cross is, all that pain and suffering will end, just like anything else. The whipping, the nails, hanging there in pain, each of those things has an end. Remember that when things get bad; you take everything one bit at a time, put that part behind you and move on through whatever is next until there’s nothing more."​

Note that in the first two pictures, Sabina and Salonina are dressed a bit differently than in the second two. I haven't gotten around to re-rendering those last two using the dynamic clothing, so they're still wearing conforming clothing which doesn't fit as well.
 

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