#Benthic Realm

[facts-i-just-made-up]

what's ocean gate

An ocean gate is a constricting bladed aperture that determines the flow of water to and from the ocean. Ocean water is secreted as the tears of the ancient goddess Ogdog-gaglogbog in her benthic abyssal cavern. When the tides flow in from the Moon God Vooglathoog, Ogdog opens her orifices in the rocky ocean floor to send her tears forth to join the gravity swell that represents the love of the Moon God. Then, as the lunar mass withdraws, Ogdog seals her caverns and the waters recede. This is the cycle of their love that has blessed tidal pools with life, and mankind with death. Some say that Ogdog and Vooglathoog were once parts of the same truly dual god-form, but when asteroids of a jealous sky beast smashed into the Terran realm, they were split and Vooglathoog was banished to the deep sky, while Ogdog-gaglogbog remained here, crying for her lover's absence. Their love remains still and manifests not only as the tide but gravity itself, the great irony that had the jealous sky beast never attacked, humankind might never have grown in the atmosphere now trapped with the sea goddess on this world. So it was that as we, the species that remains, sent flights to the moon and shall soon uncover his secrets and lay bare his soul before her, that Ogdog's womb will accept the light reflected from their father, the sun, and the gods shall reunite, ending the reign of men and calling the moon to crash down upon the Earth, that the true gods might love again and produce the spawn of destiny that were truly intended, bringing our dreadful epoch to an end and ushering in a new age of love and prosperity for the Trilobite People to be born, and venerate their dual god formed of the corpses of the ancient ones, behold Luzezublebul, the one made one, the force that was and shall be forever.

[enddaysengine]

Zephyr Hawk (Paths Beyond)

One of 2e’s many small adjustments that I love is no longer categorizing elementals by size. Instead, this edition gives us a variety of elementals of each type based on their niche. None of them get a lot of word count individually, but we can extrapolate from what we know.

Ptolemaic wind deities. We'll come back to them. Image is from THE ICONOGRAPHY AND FUNCTION OF WINGED GODS IN EGYPT DURING THE GRAECO-ROMAN PERIOD by Sara El-Sayed Kitat, which you should absolutely read.

Zephyr hawks are low-level elementals that travel the Plane of Air in large flocks. While they have “hawk” in their name, don’t get fooled - they could represent any small flying animal, as long as it has wings. Owls, vultures, bats, pterodactyls, and stranger beasts out of your imagination are all fair game. While elemental animals don’t need to feed and mate the same way as their mortal counterparts, they can still mimic some of their archetypal behaviour, giving you ways to get some personality.

This one on the other hand, is mine. And a fair shake better than the last time my art featured on the blog.

The other thing to remember is that these elementals don’t necessarily have to come from the Inner Planes. They could also arise from deities or realms tied to air or flight, so don’t limit yourself.  They could be spirits of the wind, like the Ptolemaic deities above, especially on the Golden Road. The four-headed goat would be a better fit for a different elemental species, but the winged goat-headed scarab could work well. Its an excellent way to both play up the weirdness while sneaking in some bonafide mythology as well.

While Gozreh doesn’t have many elemental servitors, the Wind and the Waves is fond of zephyr hawks. These elemental birds serve as their eyes and ears on the Plane of Air, keeping the God apprised of plots from the Elemental Lords and djinn that threaten to spill into the mortal realm. Others arise from the Goddess directly as she travels the material world. Such seabirds are blessings when sighted by Gozreh’s clergy.

In the depths of the Abyss, Isph-Aun-Vuln commands flocks of bizarre zephyr hawks. These fiendish elementals are little more than two wings that unite in a singularity of tentacles and teeth. Many spawn directly from the Feaster Within’s domain, but others result from her poison winds possessing and corrupting elementals or even mortal’s breath. 

Natul is a ghoul sorcerer within the Cenotaph Society who seeks to turn Nex’s use of planar allies against them. He has perfected summoning zephyr owls from the Plane of Air’s Sea of Night’s Embrace and now seeks more information on the darkened expanse. While his society creates planar havens where undead are accepted by the living, Natul is under no illusions that the plane’s benthic undead will embrace him with open arms. He will need adventures unafraid of death and the endless expanse to accompany him or act as his proxies. 

[poem-today]

A poem by Mary Szybist

The Lushness of It 

It’s not that the octopus wouldn’t love you— not that it wouldn’t reach for you  with each of its tapering arms:

you’d be as good as anyone, I think, to an octopus.  But the creatures of the sea, like the sea, don’t think 

about themselves, or you.  Keep on floating there, cradled, unable to burn.  Abandon  yourself to the sway, the ruffled eddies, abandon 

your heavy legs to the floating meadows              of seaweed and feel                          the bloom of phytoplankton, spindrift, sea- spray, barnacles.  In the dark benthic realm, the slippery neckton glide over the abyssal plains: as you float, feel                                      that upwelling of cold, deep water touch the skin stretched over                           your spine.  Feel  fished for and slapped.  No, it’s not that the octopus  wouldn’t love you.  If it touched,

if it tasted you, each of its three  hearts would turn red.

Will theologians of any confession refute me? Not the bluecap salmon.  Not its dotted head.

Mary Szybist

Listen to Mary Szybist read her poem (46:20).

More poems by Mary Szybist are available through her website.

[fabledivine]

for no reason at all... 4, 9... also, 7, 12, 18, 27 :3

4. any aquariums on your bucket list you’d like to visit? ohhhhhh my goodness. quite literally any aquarium i haven't seen already!! but as far as the US goes i would die to see the monterey bay and georgia aquariums! georgia has whale sharks!!!!!!!!!

9. if you could keep any aquatic animal as a pet, with all the space they need and perfect care, what would it be? first of all i'd genuinely do anything to own a benthic fish. a tripod fish or a chimaera... a tonguefish... also, squat lobsters!! comb jellies!!! but in the realm of actual possibility? any of the fish from the parosphromenus genus; i absolutely adore them and i think everyone should read up on them. OR, a mudskipper :3 they're so charming and goofy 7. what aquatic animal do you relate to most? why? this is an incredibly hard question. it's hard to describe myself this way without feeling like i'm full of myself, but maybe a wrasse? like paracheilinus mccoskeri? they're colorful and sunshiney. it's comforting to look at them and know something so pretty can exist <:) they're a kindness of nature. and i think i'm pretty kind and sunshiney .... my other answer is epaulette sharks!! they've got some really really cool adaptations and i like to think i'm pretty flexible myself <3 also i also walk on land HEHEES 12. you are now a werebeast! what aquatic animal shall you choose to be your wereform? hmmmmm yes helloes.

18. share your most prized marine-themed possession! well, i had these sweatpants from the shedd that i absolutely adored and all of a sudden i completely lost them <:'( and they've been gone ever since <:'( i'm genuinely so sad about it, i really want a replacement pair <:'( other than them? the octopus slap bracelet You bought me<3 27. you can only invite three deep sea scavengers to your whalefall feast. who? mr. sleeper shark, grenadiers (or rattails), and the BONE WORMS!!!!!!

[aquariuminfobureau]

A new crayfish has been described from the tributaries of the Warsamson River, in the Vogelkop Peninsula, of western Papua New Guinea. The 'new' crayfish species has received the name of Cherax warsamsonicus, the Warsamson River crayfish, although it was already known to aquarists and traded, as Cherax 'Irian Jaya', 'Hoa Creek', or 'Pink Coral'. Thus C. warsamsonicus is a good example of how discovery is not the same thing as formal, scientific description. The wild animals can have a total length of up to 11 centimeters, or a little above 4 inches.

Cherax are a genus of crayfishes or freshwater lobsters, that is endemic to the Australasian realm. The closest living relatives of the Australasian crayfishes are inhabitants of Madagascar and South America. Which is to say, a former distribution associated with Gondwana, whereas the other crayfishes are assumed to be a related, Laurasian group. The relationships between crayfish has often been used as evidence for continental drift, and the related biogeographic phenomenon, known as vicariance.

As a genus, Cherax is one of the most speciose genera of crayfishes, and is naturally present on both Australia and New Guinea. On Australia they are most commonly known as the yabbies, although the species called the marron, also belongs to this genus. However is is the New Guinea morphs of Cherax sp. that have more recently captivated the imaginations of aquarists, these morphs appearing in the trade before their formal descriptions.

C. warsamsonicus is described from a shallow, moderately flowing tributary of the Warsamson, though it is reportedly also found in the river itself. The water pH was around 6.5, the temperature was about 25 or 26 degrees centigrade. Reportedly they are also fairly omnivorous foragers, as you might expect of a Cherax species, although I do not have dietary information for this new species in the wild, beyond anecdotes that they are as easy to feed as are the other Cherax species.

Cherax sp. are omnivorous with a largely vegetarian bent, but they obtain animal protein through foraging activities, and not by active predation. Animals such as snails are consumed, and potentially sleeping fishes, but not vigorously motile animals. Other factors can lead to confrontations, when crayfish are housed with benthic fishes or crustaceans that use the living spaces within the aquarium. However in contrast with certain other crayfishes, Cherax sp. are less antisocial with their own kind, assuming that their environment allows each animal sufficient space and retreats.

Plants however, are very likely to be eaten by these herbivores, or if not, they could be uprooted by their ambulatory or burrowing activities. C. warsamsonicus excavate short burrows, but alternatively they hide themselves among rocks and pieces of detritus in the stream. Presumably they feed on vegetable detritus more than living plants in the wild, because there are few of the latter in the tributaries inhabited by C. warsamsonicus.

[sikariatech]

boar fish

boar fish https://fishingproo.com/boar-fish/

The boar fish, scientifically known as Capros aper, is a fascinating marine species that inhabits the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Recognized for its unique appearance and distinctive features, the boar fish has garnered attention from both marine biologists and enthusiasts alike.

The boar fish belongs to the family Caproidae and is characterized by its elongated body, compressed laterally. It features a high dorsal fin and a deeply forked tail, giving it an appearance that stands out even in the diverse underwater world. The fish's most striking feature is its long, pig-like snout, which has earned it the common name "boar fish." This distinctive snout is equipped with small, sharp teeth, indicating its carnivorous feeding habits.

Typically found at depths ranging from 200 to 1,000 meters, boar fish are adapted to the low light conditions prevalent in the deep ocean. Their silvery coloration and reflective scales help them blend into the dimly lit environment, offering a form of camouflage against potential predators and enhancing their chances of capturing prey.

Boar fish primarily feed on small crustaceans, zooplankton, and other small marine organisms. Their elongated snout aids in efficiently capturing prey in the vastness of the deep-sea environment. As opportunistic predators, they use their keen senses to detect movements and locate prey, relying on their sharp teeth for efficient predation.

The reproductive behavior of boar fish is still relatively understudied due to the challenges associated with observing deep-sea species in their natural habitat. However, it is known that boar fish exhibit external fertilization, where females release eggs into the water column, and males release sperm to fertilize them. The fertilized eggs then develop into larvae, which undergo a pelagic phase before settling into the benthic environment.

While boar fish are not typically targeted in commercial fisheries, they do hold some significance in certain regions. In areas like the Mediterranean, they are occasionally caught as bycatch in deep-sea trawl fisheries targeting other species. Despite their unique features, boar fish are not a major focus for fisheries due to their deep-sea habitat and the challenges associated with harvesting at such depths.

Research on the ecological role and population dynamics of boar fish is ongoing, as scientists seek to better understand their behavior, distribution, and importance within the marine ecosystem. Deep-sea environments remain one of the least-explored realms on Earth, and studying species like the boar fish contributes to expanding our knowledge of the biodiversity that exists in these remote habitats.

[bongwateronthevancarpet]

Benthic Realm - “Untethered” 2018

[bitchofsteel]

The creature slipped into her blood like a disease, worming its way into every vein and nerve ending. The feeling was sublime, like diving into a frozen pond with nothing but the skin on your bones. There was shock, the ice of pure emotion crystallizing within, the nausea setting into like a rock in her gut. There was clarity, cold and slick like a knife's edge, a glimpse beyond the infinite. For a moment she lost herself, all perceptions, all sense, all feeling and was thrown to the wolf that waited in the dark beyond the cosmos themselves. She could see into eternity, into a many-eyed abyss. Eternity stared back, its gaze piercing her spirit. For a moment she knew all there was to know, every secret, every lie, every word of every curse in every tome ever written. And when she breathed again, it was all gone. She could no longer hear him, the one called Krazzsh.

She could feel him.

She could feel him as keenly as she could feel her own arms and legs. And she could still feel herself. Thank the Four, she could still feel herself! He was a daemon of his word, a rarity for a son of the Changer. More importantly, she could feel its power in her veins like fresh lava pouring from a wound in the earth. With little more than a thought, she could unleash this fire upon anyone who'd dare stand in her way. Was this what it was like? Was this what it was like to hold the gifts of the Gods in her hands? Was this what she'd valued, what she'd envied of those who shared a closer connection to the Spirit Realm than she? And was it really this easy? Just make a mutually beneficial pact with a daemon and that was it, the power was hers? "We leave!" Said Freyja in a voice that was hers but not quite hers. Something else had layered itself into the intonations, something deeper and darker like the benthic depths.

Was she really still Freyja?

She felt like Freyja.

She looked like Freyja.

But there was something else there now, another intelligence behind those emerald eyes.

"Your people ruined me!" Freyja accused, pointing to incision scars along her right arm that could have only been the handiwork of a third legion Apothecary.

"Your underlings gave me this affliction and you will undo it!"

Her flesh was marred by hundreds of self afflicted scars, memories of lacerations and puncture wounds she'd wrought in an attempt to relieve her thirst for pain. Thousands of years ago, she'd been spared the shame of a dishonorable death.

This was the cost.

@bitchofsteel

It is rare to get an emotional response from the Chief Apothecary. He tends to be almost notoriously secretive and his will to deny Slaanesh even the slightest sacrifice in the form of feelings is ironclad. But this time he seems to allow himself an exception. A smile as if cut into his face with a scalpel shows amusement. He puts his fingertips together and rests his chin on them. "Do you know the old Terran tale of the people who wanted to eradicate a nick by cutting it away? That's the perfect analogy for your situation. Of course I can cut off your arm and replace it with a weapon of your - or better: my - choice. This is no more than a finger exercise. But what exactly is the point?"

[m3t4ln3rd]

The Maryland Doom Fest lineups available for next year

The daily lineups for next year’s installment of The Maryland Doom Fest were recently announced and can be found below. The festival is scheduled to begin with a pre-party on Thursday, June 20th and concludes on Sunday, June 23rd at Guido’s Speakeasy and Cafe 611. Early bird tickets go on sale today, while general sale begins on New Year’s Day.

Thursday, June 20th MD Doom Fest Pre-Party @ Cafe…

[doomedandstoned]

Enter the Doomed Abyss of BENTHIC REALM!

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

The doom metal scene is fond of its cosmonauts venturing into the farther reaches of outer space and it's psychonauts tripping the still uncharted realm of inner space, but outside of a few well-known examples (Ahab) we've still not spent enough time in the great below.

Two years ago, the New England trio BENTHIC REALM was formed for deep sea exploration. With former members of Second Grave members Krista Van Guilder (WarHorse, Lucubro) on vocals/guitar and Maureen Murphy on bass, along with Dan Blomquist from the crushing band Conclave on drums, you know this is going to be one hell of a ride. The band's first EP, 'Benthic Realm' (2017) gave us a taste of their potential, with three powerful tracks that showed a penchant for effective, memorable riffcraft. Now, Benthic Realm are returning for a second chapter: 'We Will Not Bow' (2018).

We Will Not Bow features four songs, "Save Us All," "Thousand Day Rain," "I Will Not Bow," and "Untethered."   "A lot of the lyrics," the band says, "are slightly political in nature, a bit about our society and the world we live in –- the negatives, but sometimes about fictitious stories." Krista's singing is commanding throughout, her guitar play riveting. Maureen and Dan's rhythm section is tight and always on point. The mood throughout is dark, brooding, melancholy -- just my cup of tea!

The EP was recorded at Mad Oak Studios in Boston with Benny Grotto, where so many great doom-stoner projects have emerged over the years. We Will Not Bow releases October 31st in compact disc and digital formats and can be preordered here.

Today, Doomed & Stoned is pleased to be premiering the gargantuan opening salvo, "Save Us All." This up-tempo number opens urgently, as if on a mission to deliver a message of the utmost importance. "Save Us All," Krista notes, "shines a light on how destructive we are as humans and how we are destined to ruin everything including ourselves." Her vocals are commanding and can soar beautifully with the best of her class, while just as quickly unleashing with hellish intensity.

What's really feeding at the beneath the waters? Only Benthic Realm can say. They bid you to now join them for the journey. Give ear...

We Will Not Bow by Benthic Realm

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[riffrelevant]

Premiere: CONCLAVE Shares Title Track Video Off 'Dawn Of Days'

Premiere: CONCLAVE Shares Title Track Video Off ‘Dawn Of Days’

Article by: Leanne Ridgeway A while back we shared news of the Western Massachusetts massive doom CONCLAVE partnering with Argonauta Records to release (more…)

[sinkingtime]

I have ideas for the main idea, but first let me join in on your detour. I only really play commander by now, so my decks all have an obvious main character, but still.

The very first one I tried to build was Bant clones. Copy good creatures with blue spells, re-copy the copies with populate effects, value! Commander was to be Roon of the Hidden Realm, mostly for giving me the colours I'd need, but it does synergize with Clone creatures, and in particular Progenitor Mimic.

Also because of this, I became very well versed in the rules intricacies of copy effects.

Anyways, I didn't have the lands to support 3 colour. After running it very ineffectively, I decided to cut the blue and promote Rhys, the Redeemed to the helm. That makes it arguably my oldest or second oldest deck. I still sometimes think of him as "Rhys, heir to Roon".

The other candidate for my oldest deck is Tatyova, Benthic Druid. I opened her in either prerelease or draft the week after, but probably pre because I distinctly remember opening 3 Adeliz, the Cinder Wind for draft, and it's unlikely I would have taken Tatyova for that.

Anyways, Tatyova I played in brawl until she rotated, then added 40 more cards to make it commander. That's why she messes the timing, whether she or Rhys is first depends on if you count when his deck had a different commander and one more colour.

One of those Adelices inspired me to build Izzet Wizard/spellslingers. Over time I've phased out the Wizard tribal, leaving just the spellslingers, and have had various different commanders for it. Most notable, by length, were her, Jori En, Ruin Diver and Melek, Izzet Paragon. Currently under The Locust God. I'm mostly satisfied with that, but also more often than not don't even cast it.

Remember oathbreaker? Probably not. It was to be a commander-like format, 60 card singleton, one planeswalker as commander plus an instant or sorcery as "signature", re-castable as a commander, but only if you control your planeswalker commander.

I built two. Saheeli, Sublime Artificer+Saheeli's Artistry, and Tamiyo, Collector of Tales+Rite of Replication. Tamiyo was clones, again; she inherited the blue and Simic pieces of the old Roon deck. Saheeli is artificer, naturally. I liked those decks, and those two are my favourite planeswalkers. I also got one of those double deckboxes, where one of them folds with the lid so one opens vertically and the other horizontally, to carry them together.

The format folded, of course. That box currently holds my tokens.

I've already dissasembled Tamiyo. I bought Moritte of the Frost with the intention of building clones, again. But then I got my hands on an Alela, Artful Provocateur, and finally gave up on clones.

Saheeli got upgraded to full commander, except she's not a valid one so I had to get Saheeli, the Gifted. Also Saheeli Rai and Saheeli, Filigree Master. Actually, roll back.

The very first time I played was Kaladesh prerelease. I opened Nissa, Nature's Artisan and her emblem in the same pack, proceeded to build a deck around her and win 3rd or 4th place. Then on one of my prize packs I opened Chandra, Torch of Defiance, plus her emblem; which I traded to the store for one more pack, on which I opened Saheeli Rai.

For that reason I used to think planeswalkers who can make emblems would always come with their emblems. I was pretty dissapointed a couple months later, at Aether Revolt prerelease, when I opened Dovin Baan's emblem but not him.

Anyways, that particular Saheeli Rai I sold at some point, but then I made a point of getting another when I decided to upgrade her deck to commander. I enjoy the fact that it contains all versions of her, though obviously I can't commit to that if we keep getting new ones. It also has that Saheeli's Artistry, which is the fancier foil. So yeah, I'm pretty pro-Saheeli here.

Finally, that deck also has Chandra, Fire Artisan, with a ridiculously convoluted combo that would let her activate her -7 arbitrarily many times in a row. I've never actually pulled that off, but maybe someday.

As for that Tamiyo, she's currently in an Estrid, the Gifted deck. Somebody had apparently dissasembled her and was selling the pieces, so I got a bunch. I also like that character, and it makes me sad that she's basically screwed out of future appearances because of how hard her power is to illustrate and animate.

And yes, for the record, I'm officially cool with 3 colour now. It's been years since I decided I couldn't do it, and I've spent considerably more money in this game since.

Estrid also has Calix, Destiny's Hand, Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter and Narset, Parter of Veils, plus a Spark Double for good measure. I didn't intend to make her Superfriends, but apparently it's inevitable.

I'm also pretty commited to getting an Ichormoon Gauntlet, even though I haven't decided which of them should get it. Both have 5 planeswalkers, Estrid has more proliferate and better defenses, but Saheeli obviously has artifact synergies. I may just try and buy two.

My actual favourite character is Teysa Karlov. I actually decided I would have that commander during spoiler season, and bought the Guild Kit, for the fancy art Teysa, Orzhov Scion, then didn't read the rest of the card list. At prerelease I hunted down someone who opened Teysa Karlov and bought it, not knowing it was also in the Kit, so I just had two of them. So for that season I was playing her both in standard and commander. I think I still have the four extra Cruel Celebrants, 3 or 4 Priest of Forgotten Gods, stuff like that.

I also briefly had an Adriana, Captain of the Guard deck, which I actually only used once. That one time was a 12 or 13 player game, though; in no small part thanks to my insistence that we should give that a try. I didn't win, but I did kill like 6 or 7 players in a single attack.

I wanted a Knight tribal deck, originally built it under Aryel, Knight of Windgrace. It wasn't performing, so I figured I'd pull a reverse Roon and add red, bought a Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale precon. Not sure why, she's Equipment tribal, with a dash of Knight; I never had the intention of giving her the helm. Later I regretted not buying Alela's precon instead, which seemed more fun to use.

Anyways, my Knights commander is Morophon, the Boundless. That one is in chinese, so I end up having to explain the abilities more often than usual. The deck also has both Aryel and Adriana, though not Gwyn, she really was not worth it. It also has Crib Swap, which always requires me to read carefully. It triggers Door of Destinies but not Vanquisher's Banner, stuff like that. And yeah, I had to check right now for which was which.

Lastly, as mentioned, Alela, Artful Provocateur, who I haven't actually built. Officially the reason is that I don't have sleeves. Or more precisely, I want her to get the bluish-green sleeves Saheeli is using, after giving her the solid blue ones the Locust has, after getting solid red for him. But solid red sleeves are surprisingly difficult to find.

I also almost didn't buy her. Mostly I wanted her for the nostalgia of that time I could have bought her precon but didn't. But I also already have both artificer and enchantress, so no. In the end I decided she'd be flying tribal and did get her. Since I have yet to play her, I guess it's still possible I will regret that. Time will tell.

Bonus round! I once built Wolf tribal for my brother, under Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves. He'd never played commander, and ultimately decided not to. That game ended with me saying "ok, who should I kill?" and him saying "me!", so I just said "Aetherflux" and handed him the card to read. Everyone else nodded and the guy keeping life started ticking us both down, so obviously that got his interest, then the actual card surprised him. It was a funny moment.

That ends my commanders. I haven't played standard since Eldraine in paper and Kaldheim in Arena, but still.

I opened two Approach of the Second Sun at prerelease, and instantly decided I would play those in standard. That deck had Baral, Chief of Compliance, who could be considered the "face". It does vaguely colour how I felt about the strategy, or maybe that strategy affects how I feel about his character. He's currently in the 99 of the Locust.

I also opened two Lochmere Serpent at prerelease, and built a deck around it. That one performed terribly. It was a mistake, no other word for it.

I also had something with In Bolas' Clutches, but don't remember exactly what. I only remember because of a particular match, where we both were dropping land and passing, for like 7 turns. But I only had Clutches, the other guy had 4 or 5 cards in hand. Then I realized he had one plains and a lot of forests, meaning he was waiting for more white; I used it to take his only plains, he read it to make sure it can do that, then immediately conceded.

Very Bolas-like, I think. Except maybe for the part where it took me too long to figure it out.

Over on Arena, I had yet another instance of Teysa Karlov. Most memorable thing there was when I used Final Payment on my own creature, to get the last two deaths I'd need to drain the opponent. Opponent was blue and countered me. In response, Swift End, then counter, then Mortify. The idea of the opponent desperately trying to save my servant from me is a beautiful illustration of why we call that archetype "aristocrats", no?

I also had a dumb combo with Gaea's Blessing, Desecrated Tomb and Path of Discovery, for arbitrarily many fliers. That one apparently would have gotten decent results, except for that I kept timing out. I still like the idea of it. It's kinda weird I've never had an actual reanimator deck, with how much I like recovering my graveyard.

And finally, I played Bant Superfriends a lot. I suffered the bans of both Teferi, Time Raveler and Oko, Thief of Crowns.

It also had Karn, the Great Creator, and therefore 15 artifacts in the sideboard. Most often I would pull Parhelion II or God-Pharaoh's Statue, though I do remember there was one game where I had to pull all four Sorcerous Spyglass, because the oponent kept drawing scary things.

Also, that one depended heavily on Flux Channeler. Because the lore behind loyalty costs is (was?) that positive costs are things they enjoy doing, to the point that you requesting them makes them want to hang out more, I like to imagine she's popular, or entertaining, something like that. So that was basically her deck, and the others were there for her.

Tell me about your mtg characters!

Let’s reverse the usual, either reblog this post with basic information about your own Magic: the Gathering characters, or send me an ask with it. One at a time, and give me that information even if I already know them, others might not. I’ll ask around questions about them that pop into my head.

[hermaeusmorasuggestion]

does mora take refugees and those seeking asylum from tamriel or anywhere else

He called for It, you know.

It’s not like the Golden Eye just snatched him up out of nowhere. To intervene so directly in Events of such magnitude was an aberration against Its nature the likes of which have rarely since been seen. No, no. It came when It was called to see if he would do the same. Of course. He's always been the exception.

Sometimes he goes willingly. Not often—he is, after all, invariably proud, and being on the brink of death probably didn’t do his decision-making skills any favours—but always, always, always, he cries out for It. In fury? Desperation? Some form of affection? Hope? I couldn’t say, since I’m never there for it, and by the time we meet there's always been too many embittered years to get an accurate retelling out of him. For example, he describes it as a corruption of the Voice. An unwelcome influence on the one part of himself he felt entirely his. As if we don’t all give parts of ourselves, meaningful parts, to those we hold dear to us? As if it wasn’t wholly his choice? As if I don't know, and It doesn't know, and he doesn't know that he called for It?

A shame the Last Dragonborn isn't primed to learn how to do so the same way. It's a special gift: the knowledge of what it feels like to be touched somewhere for the very first time. A token of Its regard. Given how uncomfortable the Benthic Scream feels on the way up, though, it's very convenient that there are many other ways to get Its attention. To say nothing of the mess!

Anyway, fleeing to a plane of Oblivion is a well-documented thing. All the well-known realms have their own upsides and downsides as safe (or safe-ish) havens, and the Abyssal Archives is no different. In such cases, it is prudent to remember that shelter does not mean protection, that you can be followed, that you might not be able to open certain doors again once they close behind you, and—very importantly—that Daedric Princes can like, dislike, and hold grudges (good fucking god, can et’Ada hold grudges). That's at least one way he wasn't an exception, heh.

[mbari-blog]

In the deep sea, every Friday is Black Friday. #literally

The particles of organic material known as marine snow are constantly streaming from the surface of the ocean down to the deep sea. This mixture is made up of dead bodies, poop, and snot. As the marine snow sinks, it is consumed by deep-sea life in the midwater and some of it makes its way down to the deep seafloor, becoming food for benthic animals. Deep-sea animals in the abyssal realm rely upon marine snow as their primary source of food. MBARI researchers are studying how pulses of this sinking carbon are reaching the deep sea in ways not captured by global climate models.

[earthstory]

Marine Environment and Ocean Zones

The world’s oceans are an infinitely complex assemblage of structures and processes. In order to try to make sense of them, some simple divisions are needed. Oceans occupy depressions, or basins, in Earth’s surface. The margins of these basins are an extension of the adjacent landmasses. As a result, there is a continental shelf at the margins of ocean basins and this is covered by relatively shallow seas. Most ocean life is formed in this zone.

The outer most edge of the continental shelf slopes down steeply to the much deeper ocean floor and the oceanic crustal plate. In this deep part of the oceanic basin, tectonic-plate processes have shaped the topography of the sediment-covered sea floor. This ranges from long, rugged ridges to enormous expanses of flat abyssal plains with even deeper trenches and arcs of volcanic islands at geologically active margins (check out the amazing Nat Geo documentary link at the bottom). Huge current systems, driven by solar heating, transport heat and chemicals around Earth’s oceans, and affect the weather over the oceans and on land (check out the link ‘perpetual Ocean”).

Oceans are a three-dimensional environment and the specific terminology used to describe the different parts of the oceans reflects this. The most basic distinction is between seafloor features and processes that are described as benthic, and those in the water itself, or water column, which are called pelagic features or processes. Moving horizontally out from the shore, the only boundary is at the top of the continental slope. The shallower inshore portion is known as the neritic zone, while the zone beyond this point is known as the oceanic realm. Within the neritic zone, the littoral zone occupies the shore between the tides. This is bordered by the supralittoral above high water and sublittoral below low tide. The zone from high water to the shelf break is the subneritic.

Within the water column, the pelagic zone has several layers. In the surface epipelagic (sunlight) zone there is sufficient light for photosynthesis. In the mesopelagic (twilight) zone surface light starts to disappear. In the dysphotic zone, animals can see in available light, but plants cannot photosynthesize. No surface light reaches the dark bathyal (midnight) and abyssal zones, or the hadal zone in the deepest trenches. Check out the links for more specific information on zones and awesome documentaries.

~ JM

Photo Credit: www.seasky.org

More Info:

Layers of the Ocean: http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/ocean-layers.html Ocean Education: http://education.nationalgeographic.com.au/education/encyclopedia/ocean/?ar_a=1 NOAA Ocean Zones, pdf: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/curriculum/section5.pdf Drain the Ocean, National Geographic documentary:http://www.natgeotv.com/int/drain-the-oceans/videos Perpetual Ocean. NASA Visualization of Ocean Currents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNJxBLFcFXk&index=110&list=FLL7ZjR8vIF6lmF7a20iuEqA James Cameron’s DEEPSEA CHALLENGE – Nat Geo Explorer Expedition: http://www.deepseachallenge.com/; YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE2D663ECCE7D60B6&feature=plcp

[humnal]

The Lushness of It by Mary Szybist

It’s not that the octopus wouldn’t love you — not that it wouldn’t reach for you with each of its tapering arms. You’d be as good as anyone, I think, to an octopus. And the creatures of the sea, unlike the sea, might think about themselves, or you. Keep on floating there, cradled, unable to burn. Abandon yourself to the sway, the ruffled eddies, abandon your heavy legs to the floating meadows of seaweed and feel the bloom of phytoplankton, spindrift, sea spray, barnacles. In the dark benthic realm, the slippery nekton glide over the abyssal plains and as you float you can feel that upwelling of cold, deep water touch the skin stretched over your spine. No, it’s not that the octopus wouldn’t love you. If it touched, if it tasted you, each of its three hearts would turn red. Will theologians of any confession refute me? Not the bluecap salmon. Not its dotted head.