PIECE PROFILES
SECRETS
(Occultus)

(Kept or intended to be kept from the knowledge or view of others)

Not all surprises are pleasant ones.  Do not expect all freed spirits to be grateful.  Not every sealed vessel contains the answer to your dreams.  Some conceal your worst nightmare.

The legend of the genie in the bottle is as old as time, and usually tells of a beneficent spirit, released from its ancient bonds, bestowing magical wishes upon its beloved liberator.  However, this is not always the case.  Inside the great dust encrusted tome entitled Eastern Adventures we discover that it was the wizard Inspertatus who created the dazzling collection of bottles, flasks, jars and amphorae housed within the infamous Chamber of the Unexpected.  Each vessel contains an imprisoned magical spirit, some benign, some decidedly malignant.

Whereas dragons are usually predisposed towards guarding or stealing treasure, so, many wizards tend to share a proclivity for setting tests. Magical talismans secreted within vast danger-ridden labyrinths. Fabulous jewels guarded by monstrous beasts. Fountains of eternal youth situated at the end of a gauntlet of homicidal obstacles. Whichever way you look at it wizards have a somewhat twisted frame of mind. Insperatus was no exception. He had created a place that depending on your luck or skill in deciphering deeply cryptic cabalistic inscriptions could be a chamber of delight or chamber of horrors.

Gobi, a roguish adventurer from the city of Azbal was said to have dared the wizard's test and chosen what he thought was a handsome looking flask. With hopes of riches beyond his dreams, he eased out the golden stopper, and behold, liberated from its cramped confinement issued forth Idolon; a genie carrying a large, menacing scimitar, grinning down from the back of a shimmering dragon of violet and bronze.

Was this a good choice? Did Gobi get his heart's desire? Or was the glint in the genie's eye the cool glare of evil? The verbuMMagus knows of course. He knows what happens in all of the stories in the great library, but as usual his teasing smile is our only clue.

The above text is taken from the certificate that comes with the piece and was written by Andrew Bill

Below shows the only place that the Dragon is fixed to the main base - the tail is attached the the wall the rest is free - (other than the part that goes into the bottle but this does not support the piece)

Below shows the Topaz gem stone that depicts the year the piece was sculpted which in this case was 2001

Below is what is printed on the base of the piece

Below is the front and back view of the certificate that comes supplied with 'Secrets' it comes personally signed by Andrew Bill and Phillip Holland (not the usual printed signature) and is hand numbered

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 The photos below show three paint trials.

The piece shown below is the first ever paint trail for Secrets and was Painted by Steve Vyse, The colour way was rejected straight away by Andrew Bill who to this day still doesn't like it!

For more photos and information about this piece, click the picture above

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The second paint trial below is similar to the production version with just a few differences, the main one being the base in shades of browns unlike the production pieces greys and the different colour bottles.

The dragons eye is blank on this paint trial and the Genies body isn't quite the right colour yet but this is virtually how the production piece turned out

You can clearly see the brown base which was replaced with grey on the production piece

The photo below shows that one of the bottles was going to be clear but on the production piece this was changed to purple.

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The third paint trial below is again similar to the production version with just a few differences, the main one being that the bright metalic scales were toned down to see if it looked better but it was decided to have the bright scales instead.

The base is now grey like the production piece and both bottles are now purple but they still aren't quite the right shades that were used for the production piece

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A forth paint trial shown below is again similar to the production version with just a few differences, it was painted by Caroline Briggs and Steve Vyse. this piece was sold in the 2002 Dragonsite show auction
 

The fin on the back of the neck is gold and blue instead of purple, gold and blue
 

The Genie's Turban is red instead of purple and there is blood on the edge of his blade

The dreaded glitter attack on the end of the wings!

The inside of the wall is painted silver and the base is shades of brown unlike the greys of the production piece

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