Female Imagery in Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror (Post 3): Larry Elmore Kitiara and the Death of Sturm

I begin by admitting my ignorance: I had never heard of Larry Elmore. But it appears that he has been very influential in the shaping the look of many fantasy texts, especially early editions Dungeons and Dragons handbooks and the Dragonlace series. Again, my ignorance betrays me; I've had limited experience with these texts, just some fleeting perusals through my husband's extensive collection of them.

Further ignorance: I know nothing of the Dragonlace series. I only know what I gleaned from the Wikipedia entry about the novels and the characters, though I understand that these are important books within the realm of popular fantasy. I also love the idea of a collaboratively-created story world, not just by Hickman and Weis, but all the other authors who wrote stories taking place in Krynn. But collaborative story telling is for another post.

Focusing now on the image of Kitiara and Sturm, I admit it draws me in immediately.

Kitiara's powerful stare burns off the surface of the image. Her gaze doesn't seem to falter, and this creates a sharp juxtaposition between the motion of her long red hair and tattered red cloak. Her gaze is very much like her spear -- straight and sharp and sure.

Yet the motion she makes with her right hand slightly softens her look. Though she has killed him, it appears as though Sturm's death weighs on her. I don't know this story; I don't know these characters. But her stern gaze paired with her hand gesture make it seem like she may be at least a little remorseful of her actions.

Her armor and battle-scarred clothing suggest she's a warrior. She's familiar with death. But that look and that hand gesture tell me that this death means something more, if not for the character Kitiara then for the larger series.

What leads me to question any possible remorse, though, is the icy, snowy background. IT suggests an internal coldness on the part of Kitiara. Like other women characters in the fantasy genre, Kitiara embodies strength and beauty. But she also seems to contain little emotion; she may be just as barren as the world that surrounds her.

All these combinations -- the stare, the hand gesture, the cold background -- lead to the creation of an interesting character type. Who is Kitiara as she appears in this image? And is her image an appropriate rendering for the type of character she is in the books? Or are we seeing a polished interpretation of this woman here?