IRON SULTANATE: FATIH THE CONQUEROR - Tuğrul Pekgenç & Valeria Gypsette | TRÆVOL™ Gallery

IRON SULTANATE: FATIH THE CONQUEROR “In the name of Allah, the Compassionating, the Compassionate! Praise be to Allah, The Beneficent King, The Creator of the Universe, Lord of the Three Worlds, Who set up The Firmament without Pillars in its Stead and Who stretched out the Earth even as a Bed; and Grace, and Prayer-Blessing be upon Our Lord Mohammed, Lord of Apostolic Men, and upon His Family and Companion-Train; Prayer and Blessings Enduring and Grace Which unto The Day of Doom shall Remain!" A war drum echoes over the city. At the top of the marble steps, amid the din, Fatih waits in silence. We brought Fatih Sultan Mehmed, who conquered Constantinople in 1453, into the Iron Sultanate of Trench Crusade. We placed a historical ruler before a question from a darker world. Where does a sultan draw the line on the power he commands? Behind him, two sets of wings unfurl. Black-winged Havl bears the Shield of Justice. The Spear of Judgment burns in the hand of white-winged Kuvve. The Janissaries stand in formation while Hasashi, the fedai of Alamut, waits in the shadows. The Jabirian Witch holds fire in her palm, and the Jabirian Alchemist carries ancient knowledge. The Jabirian Lion waits on the marble as the giant beats its war drum high above the city. We drew inspiration for our Jabirian Lion from the Lions of Jabir in Trench Crusade, creatures brought to life by alchemists through takwin. In our scene, we gave the lion a place of its own beside Fatih. For TRÆVOL, the tension in this piece lies between Fatih’s sword and the shield behind him. One holds the power to open a gate. The other asks what he will protect once it stands open.