So I started working on my bone horrors last night, and noticed there is something that looks like a tree or set of thick vines flowing through the middle of the model. I haven't seen anything like it on the reference art or on any painted model I have found online (although that isn't surprising, the reference art is very different from the model).

I will post pics once I finish my set, but the easiest way to find it is to look for the spine along the back that isn't a straight spike, it has a little wave or bend to it, then follow that back down to the model and you will see veins like a climbing vine or tree running under the bones.... and of course once you see it, its everywhere.

Does anyone know what this is supposed to be? or have a reference picture or painted model showing it?

I'm imagine it's the foggy magical misty stuff. Either that, or it's just filler because printing/sculpting loosely attached bones wouldn't be easy/would lead to a very unstable mini.

Ahh, could be...

I kinda felt like it was a tree since it had very smooth but consistent curves to it, rather than waves or smoke, but now that you mention it, that makes the most sense.

Having looked at one magnified I see what looks like a spinal cord underneath the wavy spike and elsewhere there seem to be others, there's also some tree-root-ish bits like you mention but I think these are probably sinewy flesh, connective bone-related tissue such as tendons. There also seem to be bindings holding some bones together such as at the base, maybe a contradiction re are they conjured up on the spot or lab-made? The logic from the artwork and sculpt suggests either for the campaign designers among us!

There's possibly a hand (eww!) by the wavy spike too!

It would be good to get the mint-greenish mist in the painting which I see as the magical force binding the creature together and to its master's will although the sculpt doesn't have much where you could do so (perhaps the basecoat so the bones have 'gaps' and a few features such as the wavy spike?)

The bindings work in a leathery brown having seen other painted ones, if you want to enhance the 'lab made' look, or again eww, you could make them pink-fleshy.

Plus if anyone's lost some false teeth check its tail club he he.

Hah yeah this was one of those models where as soon as you start working on it all kinds of things start coming out that you didn't notice at first. The shear number of leather straps and little funny bits... uggh.

Senew is an interesting take, there are definitely some spots on the upper part of them model that look like ribs UNDER skin, rather than being on their own, and some parts that look like stringy muscle.

Here is sort of what I imagined (not my painting, obviously):

https://boardgamegeek.com/image/2888443/descent-journeys-dark-second-edition-mists-bilehal

Thanks @Zaltyre

These are mine, I opted to keep the 'tree' as I just couldn't see enough exposed space between the bone to try to put a 'glow' that would look nice throughout the model (I didn't want to do a full wash like the one you linked).

Anyway, here you can see the treeroots/vines I mentioned;

Those look beastly! Good job!

Agreed, a real one of them and you'd be just very slightly nervous. Great choice of tile for the pic too. Was looking at Mists/Chains for RWM info- the green-blue magical mist is described in that as the same corrupting mists of Waiqar that taints The Mistlands, and it seems there are different ways to make a bone horror other than conjuring one up which is just one method (I'll skip any icky spoilers). Have you painted any shambling colossusses as they are a similar creation?

They've included the magical mist on the one Ankaur Maro in RWM seems to be riding but it loses some of the detail, I'm assuming it is a bone horror: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/3/3/grow-your-forces/

@Martinslair

Thanks 8}.

Nice picture reference. It looks like they did the bone horror the same way, then washed the back with a light blue, and highlighted with the white. I was thinking about doing something similar with this one, except I just couldn't 'un-see' the vines and thorn wrapping around the middle. Maybe if it had more waves to it rather than looking like rope I would have taken the plunge (or if I was just braver).

I haven't done the Shambling Colossusses yet, these only ended up on my list because I needed them for my open group this past weekend.

Your take on them fits the fact there is a hint they might sometimes be 'made', your tree aspects could be bits of nature thrown into the mix or could also be leather, hide or similar so your take gives them a great 'constructed' look like someone's made themselves a beastie!