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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year ago

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It all started with a mouse

For the public domain, time stopped in 1998, when the Sonny Bono Copyright Act froze copyright expirations for 20 years. In 2019, time started again, with a massive crop of works from 1923 returning to the public domain, free for all to use and adapt:

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2019/

No one is better at conveying the power of the public domain than Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle, who run the Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain. For years leading up to 2019, the pair published an annual roundup of what we would have gotten from the public domain in a universe where the 1998 Act never passed. Since 2019, they've switched to celebrating what we're actually getting each year. Last year's was a banger:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/20/free-for-2023/#oy-canada

But while there's been moderate excitement at the publicdomainification of "Yes, We Have No Bananas," AA Milne's "Now We Are Six," and Sherlock Holmes, the main event that everyone's anticipated arrives on January 1, 2024, when Mickey Mouse enters the public domain.

The first appearance of Mickey Mouse was in 1928's Steamboat Willie. Disney was critical to the lobbying efforts that extended copyright in 1976 and again in 1998, so much so that the 1998 Act is sometimes called the Mickey Mouse Protection Act. Disney and its allies were so effective at securing these regulatory gifts that many people doubted that this day would ever come. Surely Disney would secure another retrospective copyright term extension before Jan 1, 2024. I had long arguments with comrades about this – people like Project Gutenberg founder Michael S Hart (RIP) were fatalistically certain the public domain would never come back.

But they were wrong. The public outrage over copyright term extensions came too late to stave off the slow-motion arson of the 1976 and 1998 Acts, but it was sufficient to keep a third extension away from the USA. Canada wasn't so lucky: Justin Trudeau let Trump bully him into taking 20 years' worth of works out of Canada's public domain in the revised NAFTA agreement, making swathes of works by living Canadian authors illegal at the stroke of a pen, in a gift to the distant descendants of long-dead foreign authors.

Now, with Mickey's liberation bare days away, there's a mounting sense of excitement and unease. Will Mickey actually be free? The answer is a resounding YES! (albeit with a few caveats). In a prelude to this year's public domain roundup, Jennifer Jenkins has published a full and delightful guide to The Mouse and IP from Jan 1 on:

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/mickey/

Disney loves the public domain. Its best-loved works, from The Sorcerer's Apprentice to Sleeping Beauty, Pinnocchio to The Little Mermaid, are gorgeous, thoughtful, and lively reworkings of material from the public domain. Disney loves the public domain – we just wish it would share.

Disney loves copyright's other flexibilities, too, like fair use. Walt told the papers that he took his inspiration for Steamboat Willie from Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, making fair use of their performances to imbue Mickey with his mischief and derring do. Disney loves fair use – we just wish it would share.

Disney loves copyright's limitations. Steamboat Willie was inspired by Buster Keaton's silent film Steamboat Bill (titles aren't copyrightable). Disney loves copyright's limitations – we just wish it would share.

As Jenkins writes, Disney's relationship to copyright is wildly contradictory. It's the poster child for the public domain's power as a source of inspiration for worthy (and profitable) new works. It's also the chief villain in the impoverishment and near-extinction of the public domain. Truly, every pirate wants to be an admiral.

Disney's reliance on – and sabotage of – the public domain is ironic. Jenkins compares it to "an oil company relying on solar power to run its rigs." Come January 1, Disney will have to share.

Now, if you've heard anything about this, you've probably been told that Mickey isn't really entering the public domain. Between trademark claims and later copyrightable elements of Mickey's design, Mickey's status will be too complex to understand. That's totally wrong.

Jenkins illustrates the relationship between these three elements in (what else) a Mickey-shaped Venn diagram. Topline: you can use all the elements of Mickey that are present in Steamboat Willie, along with some elements that were added later, provided that you make it clear that your work isn't affiliated with Disney.

Let's unpack that. The copyrightable status of a character used to be vague and complex, but several high-profile cases have brought clarity to the question. The big one is Les Klinger's case against the Arthur Conan Doyle estate over Sherlock Holmes. That case established that when a character appears in both public domain and copyrighted works, the character is in the public domain, and you are "free to copy story elements from the public domain works":

https://freesherlock.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/klinger-order-on-motion-for-summary-judgment-c.pdf

This case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, who declined to hear it. It's settled law.

So, which parts of Mickey aren't going into the public domain? Elements that came later: white gloves, color. But that doesn't mean you can't add different gloves, or different colorways. The idea of a eyes with pupils is not copyrightable – only the specific eyes that Disney added.

Other later elements that don't qualify for copyright: a squeaky mouse voice, being adorable, doing jaunty dances, etc. These are all generic characteristics of cartoon mice, and they're free for you to use. Jenkins is more cautious on whether you can give your Mickey red shorts. She judges that "a single, bright, primary color for an article of clothing does not meet the copyrightability threshold" but without settled law, you might wanna change the colors.

But what about trademark? For years, Disney has included a clip from Steamboat Willie at the start of each of its films. Many observers characterized this as a bid to create a de facto perpetual copyright, by making Steamboat Willie inescapably associated with products from Disney, weaving an impassable web of trademark tripwires around it.

But trademark doesn't prevent you from using Steamboat Willie. It only prevents you from misleading consumers "into thinking your work is produced or sponsored by Disney." Trademarks don't expire so long as they're in use, but uses that don't create confusion are fair game under trademark.

Copyrights and trademarks can overlap. Mickey Mouse is a copyrighted character, but he's also an indicator that a product or service is associated with Disney. While Mickey's copyright expires in a couple weeks, his trademark doesn't. What happens to an out-of-copyright work that is still a trademark?

Luckily for us, this is also a thoroughly settled case. As in, this question was resolved in a unanimous 2000 Supreme Court ruling, Dastar v. Twentieth Century Fox. A live trademark does not extend an expired copyright. As the Supremes said:

[This would] create a species of mutant copyright law that limits the public’s federal right to copy and to use expired copyrights.

This elaborates on the Ninth Circuit's 1996 Maljack Prods v Goodtimes Home Video Corp:

[Trademark][ cannot be used to circumvent copyright law. If material covered by copyright law has passed into the public domain, it cannot then be protected by the Lanham Act without rendering the Copyright Act a nullity.

Despite what you might have heard, there is no ambiguity here. Copyrights can't be extended through trademark. Period. Unanimous Supreme Court Decision. Boom. End of story. Done.

But even so, there are trademark considerations in how you use Steamboat Willie after Jan 1, but these considerations are about protecting the public, not Disney shareholders. Your uses can't be misleading. People who buy or view your Steamboat Willie media or products have to be totally clear that your work comes from you, not Disney.

Avoiding confusion will be very hard for some uses, like plush toys, or short idents at the beginning of feature films. For most uses, though, a prominent disclaimer will suffice. The copyright page for my 2003 debut novel Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom contains this disclaimer:

This novel is a work of fiction, set in an imagined future. All the characters and events portrayed in this book, including the imagined future of the Magic Kingdom, are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. The Walt Disney Company has not authorized or endorsed this novel.

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250196385/downandoutinthemagickingdom

Here's the Ninth Circuit again:

When a public domain work is copied, along with its title, there is little likelihood of confusion when even the most minimal steps are taken to distinguish the publisher of the original from that of the copy. The public is receiving just what it believes it is receiving—the work with which the title has become associated. The public is not only unharmed, it is unconfused.

Trademark has many exceptions. The First Amendment protects your right to use trademarks in expressive ways, for example, to recreate famous paintings with Barbie dolls:

https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/summaries/mattel-walkingmountain-9thcir2003.pdf

And then there's "nominative use": it's not a trademark violation to use a trademark to accurately describe a trademarked thing. "We fix iPhones" is not a trademark violation. Neither is 'Works with HP printers.' This goes double for "expressive" uses of trademarks in new works of art:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_v._Grimaldi

What about "dilution"? Trademark protects a small number of superbrands from uses that "impair the distinctiveness or harm the reputation of the famous mark, even when there is no consumer confusion." Jenkins says that the Mickey silhouette and the current Mickey character designs might be entitled to protection from dilution, but Steamboat Willie doesn't make the cut.

Jenkins closes with a celebration of the public domain's ability to inspire new works, like Disney's Three Musketeers, Disney's Christmas Carol, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Disney's Around the World in 80 Days, Disney's Alice in Wonderland, Disney's Snow White, Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney's Sleeping Beauty, Disney's Cinderella, Disney's Little Mermaid, Disney's Pinocchio, Disney's Huck Finn, Disney's Robin Hood, and Disney's Aladdin. These are some of the best-loved films of the past century, and made Disney a leading example of what talented, creative people can do with the public domain.

As of January 1, Disney will start to be an example of what talented, creative people give back to the public domain, joining Dickens, Dumas, Carroll, Verne, de Villeneuve, the Brothers Grimm, Twain, Hugo, Perrault and Collodi.

Public domain day is 17 days away. Creators of all kinds: start your engines!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/15/mouse-liberation-front/#free-mickey

Image: Doo Lee (modified) https://web.law.duke.edu/sites/default/files/images/centers/cspd/pdd2024/mickey/Steamboat-WIllie-Enters-Public-Domain.jpeg

CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #copyfight #scotus #mickey mouse #public domain #ip #contract #trademark #tm #jennifer jenkins #copyright #disney #nominative use

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sundays-sims · 4 months ago

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H A V E N . (early access, patreon)

Hey guys!

I am finally posting this month' set, sorry again about the delay, life is super hectic right now and I am doing my best to create beautiful content for you! ♥

Haven is a bedroom set & includes 16 new meshes. I created the headboards & bedding (pillows, cushions & throw) separately for more flexibility in terms of patterns, aesthetic and variety. The palette includes solid neutrals, along with tones of blue, green and orange. You will also find loads of patterns for the pillows, dark luxurious swatches & warm wood tones. This whole set is super cozy, yet can fit more a traditional interiors as well. I hope you enjoy it!

�� details & download link under the cut ↓

D O W N L O A D L I N K : [X] (patreon, early access)

SET DETAILS:

bed – 5 swatches

bench – 16 swatches

chandelier (3 heights) – 6 swatches

deco pillows – 17 swatches

headboard I – 16 swatches

headboard II – 16 swatches

large throw pillow (patterns) – 46 swatches

large throw pillow (plaids) – 12 swatches

large throw pillow (solids) – 15 swatches

nightstand – 5 swatches

pillows – 16 swatches

small throw pillow (patterns) – 46 swatches

small throw pillow (plaids & solids) – 27 swatches

throw blanket – 21 swatches

** haven will be released (free) on September 19th**

↓ WCIF: all the content is by me, except the wallpaper. ↓

** wallpaper: domaine du clos set by Pierisim / curtains: POP! set / ottoman: spruce set / baskets: winter set / table lamp: sumba set / rug: lombok set / slippers: ungasan set / herringbone floor: kediri set / floor mirror: sumba set **

→ terms of use / TOU ← / / → instagram ←

#ts4 #simblr #ts4cc #sims 4 cc #sims 4 interior #sims 4 #sims 4 inspo #sims 4 cc finds #sims4 #sims 4 cc download

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queerliblib · 13 days ago

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Do you know of any other free online libraries like yours? I love QLL So Much and I would love to be able to expand my book possibilities even more :) They don’t have to be queer focused - anything is good! (Of course i’m also signed up w my local library which is great and has a good-size selection, but sometimes holds are very long)

one of the reasons we exist is because there isn’t anyone else doing exactly what we do!

there are quite a few other brick & mortar queer libraries scattered across the continent but most don’t have that digital presence (unless you’re in Minnesota! if so, check out Quatrefoil). there are also a LOT of regular libraries with digital collections on Libby or Hoopla - some public libraries have really specific residency requirements to be a member, others have some flexibility (reddit is actually a font of knowledge if you’re exploring this - r/audiobooks or r/libby to start). If you already have a public library card, there are also a lot of resource-sharing initiatives out there between libraries that you may be eligible for - for example MeL in michigan, or the Brooklyn Public Library’s Books UnBanned initiative if you meet their age window, or if you have any connections to an academic library InterLibraryLoan (ILL) - even if you’re not a student/faculty/staff some colleges/universities have ��community user’ policies you could explore. you can always walk into your library and ask a library worker if your local system is connected to anything like this (they will be THRILLED to answer that question, let me tell you).

I’d also strongly encourage you to go absolutely hog wild on Open Access resources like Project Gutenberg, which has a ton of amazing things in the public domain. also the directory of open access books or world digital library for the more academically inclined.

#queer liberation library #qll #asks #queer books #<3 #thanks for asking!#resource sharing #open access #public domain #interlibrary loan #libby #hoopla

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coquexari · 3 months ago

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I'm sorry, I just realized something while I was reading your post about Banthena (I hope that's okay? If not, I'll stop using it) trying to fight the suitors & not having an easy time of it.

How she was upset over it due to her being the goddess of war, but then I remembered that she's not simply the goddess of war. She's the goddess of war strategy & wisdom.

It's possible that she may have somewhat forgotten that due to her previously natural goddess endowed strength & may need to be reminded.

(And as I was typing that, I imagined Ody or Mac or both possibly, singing a reprise of "Warrior of the Mind" to do so, which could be so flippin' cool!!)

Actually... this could be an opportunity for her to actually refine this aspect of herself because she can't rely on her deity strength anymore... In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she was used to fighting like a man. I wonder, would she need to learn how to do physical things as a woman? Like, by focusing more on the strength in her lower body; legs, hips, core. So, things like dodging, flexibility, kicking, quick reaction. It's like how guys can muscle through climbing, but women climb best by using their legs & core strength.

So, if one were to put that together with her having to work on her mind, including on-the-fly strategizing... if she were to turn back into a goddess... Man, wouldn't it be ironic is becoming a mortal ended up making her a better at her roles as a goddess, in the end? Like, actually being a goddess her whole life had actually been holding her back from her full potential?

Can you imagine that it eventually led to her overthrowing Zeus like he'd been afraid of happening with Metis? "One often meets their destiny on the road to avoid it," right?

(Some other things I also remembered reading about her lore is that she's also the goddess of justice & suffers of a chronic headache so long as injustice exists. But, as a mortal, that is no longer her domain, so imagine that she gets to a point in her recovery where she realizes that she'd been in so much pain all over before, that she hadn't realized that she suddenly didn't have a headache anymore &... she just can't... How do you even describe not being in pain after only ever knowing pain? But I imagine that it must be odd. Another thing I remember of her is that she's also the goddess of handicrafts, things like weaving, pottery, I imagine painting & sculpting are on that list too. So, if she insists on paying her way, then perhaps she could do so that way? Whether it be by selling them or just helping Penelope around the house.)

Sorry for chattering so much. I tend to do that when I find a REALLY good thing with a lot of potential. ^^;

HI I TOOK EONS TO ANSWER THIS BECAUSE YOU MAKE SUCH A GOOD POINT AND MY BRAIN CANT MAKE ANY POINTS TO ADD ONTO THIS, so I'm eating your thoughts now, please continue to ramble in my asks anon <3

Also, teehee banthena is allowed indeed, and it's now the tag for if you want to make fan posts of the au :3!

#coque!asks #banished!athena au

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utilitycaster · 10 months ago

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Daggerheart Character Build thoughts!

I am actually out at work and haven't checked the version that's since come out, but I did participate in the character build beta, and the NDA is officially lifted, so here's my thoughts from that! It's definitely limited since I just made a L1 character and didn't go through gameplay, though I surmise about some aspects of gameplay.

Overall, it clearly seems to be made by people who love a lot of things about D&D 5e but wanted both more flexibility and more simplicity, which is difficult. I think they succeed.

To that end, it takes away some of the crunchier aspects (precise positioning, exact amounts of gold) and I think for some people that will be a problem, and that's valid, but ultimately this game wants to both allow for interesting mechanics in and out of combat while also not being terribly math/map/resource management heavy. It is a hard line to walk; most systems either go hard crunch or go entirely gooey.

The dice mechanic (2d12, Hope and Fear system) is fantastic; look it up but I think it handles mixed successes more gracefully and interestingly than a lot of games.

The playtest was not super clear on armor and evasion choices (or indeed what evasion means; it seems to be sort of initiative but sort of dex save, or maybe more like the Pathfinder/old school D&D varying ACs by scenario?). It was much, MUCH clearer than D&D on weapon choices (part of why I play casters? Weapon rules in D&D are annoying and poorly explained and many people rightfully ignore them) so I'm hoping this becomes clear when there's a full guide rather than just the character creation info.

The character creation questions by class were fantastic and in general, and this is a theme, this feels like it guides people towards collaboration. FWIW I feel like D&D has that information, but the way it's presented is very much as flavor text rather than a thing you should be doing. Daggerheart makes this a much more core part of creation. The Experience mechanic is particularly clear: you better be working with your GM and really thinking about background, rather than slapping it on as a mechanic.

The other side of character creation questions is that it really encourages engagement with the class, which is something I've talked about. I think either subversion for the sake of subversion, or picking a class for the mechanics and aesthetic but not the fundamental concept, will be much harder to justify in Daggerheart, and I think that's a good thing because when people do that, their characters tend to be weaker.

The downtime is designed for you to write hurt/comfort fanfic about and this is a compliment. There are a number of mechanics that reward RP, particularly one of the healing mechanics under the Splendor track. I feel like a weakness of D&D is that when you try to reward RP it's really nebulous because there's not actually a ton of space to put that - you can give inspiration, but, for example, the empathy domain Matt homebrewed actually feels kind of off because it's based on such fuzzy concepts amid mechanics that are usually more rigid. Daggerheart comes off as much cleaner yet still RP-focused, and I'm excited to see it in action.

A judgement of Candela and I suppose Daggerheart might be that it's designed for actual play. I've mentioned before that I know people who are super into the crunch and combat and numbers of TTRPGs and are less story-oriented, and again, that's valid, but actual play is just storytelling using a ttrpg and so yes, a game that encourages RP while also having mechanics to support that and influence it is an extremely good goal. I am not an actual player, but I do like D&D games with a good plot and not just Go Kill Monsters, and I want to play this. (I also have some real salty thoughts about how if you modify an existing game for AP purposes that's staggering genius apparently, but if you make your own game how dare you but that's another post).

And now, the classes/subclasses. I am going to sort of use D&D language to describe them because that's a point of reference most people reading this will understand, but they are not one-to-one. A couple notes: everyone can use weapons and armor. HP is not totally clear to me but it seems to be threshold based - everyone has the same HP to start but people have different thresholds and armor, so the tank classes have the same amount of HP but are much harder to actually do damage to.

All classes are built on a combination of a subclass and two domains. There are 9 classes and 9 domains. This technically means that if you wanted to fuck around and homebrew you could make up to 36 classes (27 additional) by just grabbing two domains that weren't otherwise combined, which is fun to consider for the potential. Anyway I cover the classes and briefly describe domains within them. You can take any domain card within your domain, regardless of subclass.

There are six stats. Presence, Instinct, Knowledge, and Strength map roughly to Charisma, Wisdom, Intelligence, and Strength. Dex is split into Agility and Finesse; Agility covers gross motor skills (jumping, most ranged weapons, "maneuvering") and Finesse finer ones (lockpicking and tinkering, though also it does cover hiding). The really big wins are first, no CON score, so you don't need to sink stat points into something that grants no skills but keeps you alive. The second one is that the "hybrid" classes spellcast from their physical stat. This is fucking fantastic. The thing about ranger or paladin or the spellcasting subclasses of rogue and fighter in D&D is that if you don't roll pretty well you're locked into the core stats and CON and nothing else. (This also doesn't have rolling for stats: you assign +2 to one stat, presumably your main, and then distribute two +1s, two 0s, and one -1.)

Your HP, Evasion, and Thresholds are set by class, and there's a core ability; the rest is all from the cards you take for subclass and domain.

Leveling up is very much based on taking more domain cards (abilities) but has a certain degree of flexibility. It's by chunks: in leveling up anywhere levels 2-4, you can, for example, increase your proficiency by +1 once, so if you wanted to do that at level 2 but your fellow player wanted to wait until level 4 and take something else at level 2 instead, they could. It allows for more min-maxing, but also everyone has the same level up rules and differs only in the abilities on the cards, which is very cool.

Bard: Grace (enchantment spells) and Codex (learned spellcaster stuff; the spells available are definitely arcane in vibes) based, Presence is your main stat. The two subclasses map roughly to lore-style stuff and eloquence. Core class ability is sort of like inspiration but not entirely. It's a bard; I like bards a lot, and this is very similar vibes-wise to your D&D bards. If you like D&D bards you will like this.

Druid: Sage (nature spells) and Arcana (raw magical power spellcaster stuff), Instinct is your spellcasting/main stat. The two subclasses are elemental but frankly cooler than circle of the moon, and a more healing/tranquility of nature focused one. I really think Marisha probably gave feedback on this one, because the elemental version is really strong. You do get beastform; it is quite similar to a D&D druid under a different system, as the bard, but the beastform options are, frankly, better and easier to understand.

Guardian: Valor (melee tank/damager) and Blade (damage). Strength based for the most part (Valor mechanics assume strength) though you could go for like, +2 Agility +1 Strength to start. This is barbarian but like. 20 times better. It is, fundamentally, a tank class, and it is very good at it, with one even more tank-focused subclass and one that is more about retaliatory damage. You do have a damage-halving ability once per day, but really guardian's questions are incredible. I think Travis and Ashley likely gave feedback. Also rage doesn't render you incapable of concentration as that doesn't seem to be a thing, so multiclassing seems way more possible (you are, I think, only allowed to do one multiclass, and not until you reach level 5 minimum, which I am in favor of). Yes, you can be a Bardian.

Ranger: This is what I built! It is based on Sage and Bone (movement around the field/dodging stuff) and it is Agility-based, including for spellcasting, which is a MASSIVE help (as is, again, the fact that CON isn't a thing.) The subclasses are basically being really good at navigation, or animal companion. Most importantly to me you can be a ranger with a longsword and you are not penalized; Bone works with either ranged weapons or melee.

Rogue: Midnight (stealth/disguise/assassination spells and skills) and Grace-based. Yes, rogue is by default a spellcaster, which does help a LOT with the vibes for me. One subclass is basically about having lots of connections (as a spy or criminal might) and the other is about magical slinking about. Hiding/sneak attack are also streamlined. I will admit I'm still more interested in…almost everything else, but I think it evened out a lot of rogue weaknesses.

Seraph: Splendor (healing/divine magic) and Valor. This is your Paladin equivalent. It is strength-based for casting, again making hybrid classes way less stressful. Questions for this area also incredible; you do have something not unlike a lay on hands pool as well. Your subclasses are being able to fly and do extra damage; or being able to make your melee weapon do ranged attacks and also some extra healing stuff, the latter of which is my favorite. Yasha vibes from this, honestly. Single downside is this is the only class where they recommend you dump Knowledge. I will not, and I never will. Now that I don't have to make sure CON is high? I am for REAL never giving myself less than a +1 Knowledge in this game.

Sorcerer: Arcana (raw nature of magic/elemental vibes) and Midnight based. Yes, sorcerers and rogues now share a vibe, for your convenient….less enthused feelings. Instinct-based, which intrigues me, and the core features are in fact really good. The two subclasses are either one that focuses on metamagic abilities, or one that is elemental based. I would play this for a long-running game, though it's not my favorite, and I can't say that for D&D sorcerer (except divine soul).

Warrior: Blade and Bone, and the recommended build is Agility but you could do a strength build. Fighter! One subclass is about doing damage and one is about the hope/fear mechanics core to the game that I have NOT talked much about. I will admit, the hybrid martials and Guardian are more interesting to me but you do have good battle knowledge.

Wizard: Codex and Splendor. Wizards can heal in this system; farewell, I will be doing nothing else (jk). Knowledge-based, and you can either go hardcore expertise in knowledge, or be a battle wizard.

Other scattered thoughts: healing is not as big a deal here; there is no pure cleric class! There is also no monk, warlock, or artificer. There is not a way to do monk as a weaponless class really though you might be able to flavor the glowing rings as a monk weapon and play a warrior. Wizard, meanwhile, with the right experiences and high finesse, would allow for some artificer flavor. Cleric and Warlock are the two tough ones and I will admit those are tricky; I feel like you'd have to multiclass (which you cannot do until level 5) between perhaps seraph and a caster class and you're still going to come off very paladin.

#critical role #daggerheart #ttrpg mechanics #long post

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mleprae · 2 months ago

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Finished this guy's lil redesign!

My ocs aren't quite spec bio, I don't consider myself smart enough to write the same level everyone in the spec bio community does but alot of people tag my ocs as such, so I decided to entertain a bit and write abit about Q'wilqilth's biology :3

They are basically an overgrown giant bacteria, often referred as "plague angels", the angel part comes from the fact these critters live in a colossal interplanetary organism that many human cultures refer it as the one and true God.

read-

Q'wilqilth-óó is a Neobacteria, often referred generally as 'angels' (though angels include many other non-Neobacteria), Neobacteria are a domain of organisms whose bodies are made up of bacterial colonies acting in tandem as organs, like organs and cells - each colony houses a bacteria with different physiologies to fit a certain role.

And for the same reason, Neobacteria may be composed of species that are pathogenic to humans (hence the 'plague' angel name), they also take on similar mechanisms and ecological roles to their single celled/simple counterparts.

Q'wilqilth in this case (often just shortened to Q'wi) is a Neomyco leprae, derived from the bacteria that causes leprosy in humans, this species is sophont and is often wearing clothing but I decided to add it in there just to see their markings better, they don't have common names and are mostly just referred to as leprosy plague angels, but some species of Neobacteria refer to them as 'Jade emperors' or simply 'Leviathans'

Like many plague angels, this species is a parasitoid/facultative parasite and relies on deploying their genetic material on a host to reproduce, N. leprae prefers doing this to Neural coils, a species derived from Schawnn cells who produce a mucus that stimulates the production of electricity from Neuron trees.

When bursting out of a Neural coil, most will spend years attached to the Neuron trees their former host was attached to, this phase is important to the development of the 'Ouabain whip', a small organ in their tail that helps them regulate their electronegativity and is later used as a weapon, disrupting Na+/K+ ATP-ase in any predators towards them.

They are mostly nomadic, save for a few small tribes/clans, they can travel long distances thanks to their lipid-rich diet, this species has taken lipid/fat as their primary energy source and carbohydrate last, it may not look like but they have extremely mobile/flexible lips and strong toungues/jaws to suck vegetable oil and starch off Neuron trees, unlike their pulmonary counterparts (Tuberculosis), they are facultative aerobics and can use electricity/eletrons provided by the Neuron trees as a substitute for oxygen in ATP production. When migrating out of the Neural forest, they are equipped with mostly molars, strong jaws, and specific digestory enzymes in their mouths to digest tough animal (?) fat. This gives them a much slower metabolism, allowing them to travel without eating for large amounts of time.

Last but not least, though they are gliders, they have evolved their mycolic acid to be hydrophobic in nature, keeping their skin from getting wet/humid, they are great swimmers and their facultative aerobic nature allows them to survive underwater without oxygen, they can live in a variety of biomes within the Super-organism; squashed between arteries close to the red rivers, in the high lands, golden hills or even the filter. They will however, avoid warmer temperatures and prefer sticking to the poles.

lil sketch of their clothing, representing a epitheloid cell, the body is usually covered in bone sculptures of phagossomes and liver-otters

#[geiger counter noises]#[art tag]#spec bio #speculative biology #i guess #?#[Q'wilqilth-óó]

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profitpulse36 · 10 months ago

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hireanydomain · 12 days ago

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whatlurksbean · 2 months ago

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any advice for someone starting comics who feel like the storytelling side is their weak point? i started a couple comics but always loose steam on them because i feel like the storytelling/plot/writing is my weak point, and ive found the plots and characters i come up with so uncompelling that it feels embarrassing to even use them, its never been something ive been interested in ive always just been passionate about the art side and never been awfully good at writing as a whole, but i could spend hours diving into stylizing artwork to look like various types of comics and ive had that itch to just make something. am i just built to work freelance being paid to draw someone else's story or do most comic makers feel like that and what ways do people improve?

Writing is also an art! It is something that takes years of practice and learning and it's absolutely fine to aim to improve with it. It is a skill to refine!

I would say, that if it is not something you are passionate about though, you could try looking at other options.

Collaborative stories with friends are an option! Rabbit on The Moon comes to mind, it's a collaborative comic that my friends did. Songdog wrote the script, and Nitteh illustrated and designed the characters. It's a lovely story, and beautifully drawn, I can't recommend it enough.

You could also consider public domain stories! Adaptations are done for a reason! You could make a comic of a an old folktale, or adapt a fable or greek myth, while having the flexibility to do whatever changed you want! There are quite a few webcomics I love that are based on public domain/myths, it can take some of the pressure off of you as a writer.

There is also the freelance option you mentioned. If you're not too passionate about the writing aspect, and are mostly invested in the art, getting paid to do it seems like a pretty winning option!

To be honest, the writing has always been the part I am passionate about. I am constantly writing and rewriting stories in my notes, I have dozens upon dozens of comic concepts written up and even scripted that I can only hope to get to. I like doing lineart and expression work, but the rest of the art process is only the means to an end for me. It's not my focus and would happily hire artists if i had any sort of budget lol

I do not think it is uncommon for creators to be into one aspect more than another, I think it's about just figuring out what works best for you.

#answers #i do not have the best advice on this and this might not be any help to you i apologize #i am very into what I do #problematically so!#I would just say to try things out and see what sticks for you

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metamatar · 3 months ago

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The women in science discourse has been haunted by a path of “relentless linear progressivism” as the result of particular discursive formations (Garforth and Kerr 2009). [...] The shift from exclusion to inclusion is marked by a shift from exclusion based on claims of the innate biological inferiority of women’s scientific abilities to a politics of inclusion dominated by policies that address women’s biological bodies and gendered roles as wives, daughters, and mothers. Consistent with other segments of the labor market, in considering the various barriers facing women, women scientists most often cite the need to balance career and family (Rosser 2004b). Interviews, case studies, and statistical research consistently find that individuals report that family/work balance discriminates against women scientists at structural, institutional, and individual levels (Rosser 2004b, Rosser and Taylor 2009). The personal choices, relationships, and responsibilities of women outside the halls of science (especially as wives, mothers, and daughters) have nurtured and supported women’s scientific work but also stymied and curtailed careers (Kohlstedt 2004, Zuckerman and Cole 1991, Laslett and Thorne 1997). Pregnancies, childcare, and housework have always largely fallen within the domain of women’s work and women’s roles as wives and mothers, and so have been consistently highlighted as a reason for women’s lack of equal participation (Long 2001, Mason and Goulden 2004, Xie and Shauman 2003).

These concerns have led to a push in “female-friendly” policies. Despite their progressive ambitions, emphasizing issues of reproduction and family, advocates of “family-friendly” policies reassert women’s reproductive potential as a central concern, marking “female difference” as hypervisible while leaving the worlds of masculine epistemic cultures untouched. To be sure, it is neither desirable nor persuasive to articulate an “anti-family-friendly” perspective at this moment in time, but as a strategy for inclusion, the consistent emphasis on family and women reinforces essentialist ideas about women. What has remained unchallenged is the normative model of the male as the ideal scientist, which insists on a productivity that can only be achieved by very long hours, a singular dedication to work, and an exclusive focus on one’s profession. Solutions have included mentoring women to negotiate the normative model, promoting those who accept the normative model, retaining women through “special accommodations” that increase their workplace flexibility (part-time appointments with administrative or teaching responsibilities), automatic pregnancy leave, and family leave. The original standards for excellence are never challenged; the solution is about helping women conform to them.

Banu Subramaniam, Women In Science

#science

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isa-ghost · 3 months ago

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Hardcore Deities: Worship Style

ENDER KING

Represents darkness, infinity, the cold, greed, overidulgence, power, tenacity, ego, stubbornness, abandonment, hubris, & catastrophe, among other things.

Offerings are pretty easy to guess. Obsidian (both kinds), amethyst, End crystals, shulker boxes, chorus fruit, endstone, anything & everything End basically. Also takes offerings in the form of riches like diamonds, emeralds, gold, etc. Honestly hoarding anything, especially of value, works for him. Just collect something obsessively.

He's a wrathful and selfish god, always hungry for more, infinitely insatiable. He cares little to none about his followers, their lives and limbs mean nothing to him compared to his desires and materialistic goods.

Examples of devotional acts to him mostly boil down to hoarding and self-centered acts. Always put yourself first, always value what you can gain over anything else, money is power, everything has a price.

He has no servants, he has no people. The Endermen forsake him after the Endlantis calamity. Ender King can control them, but they do not voluntarily bow to him.

He's disgraced by the other gods for his attempted (or successful) thieving of their domains. Worshiping him is considered by most to be taboo.

BLAZE EMPRESS

Represents fire, heat, intellect, wisdom, loyalty, strength, honor, righteousness, ferocity, protection, & courage, among other things.

Offerings are also pretty easy to guess. Blaze rods, gold, flint & steel, lava buckets, torchflowers, orange tulips, anything from any of the Nether biomes & mobs, candles, stews, & honey.

She's a bold and stern, but still very loving goddess. She's a no-bullshit kinda gal. She cares deeply for her people and the ones she loves, ready at all times to do anything for them. She is strict but endlessly proud of her followers.

Examples of devotional acts for her include fighting for what you believe in, activism, acquiring knowledge & new skills, learning anything PVP, soaking in hot water (lava if you're a species that can handle that), brewing potions, repairing broken Nether portals, riding Striders, protecting your loved ones & what you care about, cooking on a campfire, and meditating.

Unlike most of the deities, Blaze Empress has two demigod servants, He & She! They have a fraction of her power and an unbreakable degree of her trust.

ROSE

Represents nature, prosperity, love, generosity, beauty, fertility, rebirth, creativity, discovery, balance, the seasons (especially Spring) & animal husbandry, among other things. Like Blaze Empress, she also represents protection.

Offerings include anything & everything natural! Plants, mob drops (wool, beeswax, etc), candles, food (LOVES crops & berries!), paintings. Honestly, if it comes from nature or you made it with love, she'll take it! Her favorites are flowers and berries though.

She's absolutely overflowing with love for most things (really what little ire she has is reserved for Ender King). She's bubbly, kind, patient, and very forgiving. But like the nature she commands, she has a terrifying and cruel streak for those that earn or deserve it. You do NOT want to be on the receiving end of it.

Examples of devotional acts include walking in nature, planting flowers or crops, farming, animal husbandry, research, creating art/music, writing, exploring, and self-care.

She's frequently one of the first deities to reach out to mortals. If it weren't for Goddess of Death, she'd be considered the most social deity in the Hardcore World.

OCEAN OVERLORD

Represents the ocean & all it's life, leisure, fun, easy-goingness, patience, abundance, and flexibility, among other things.

Offerings include anything from the ocean (he LOVES nautilus shells!), beach-going items, prismarine, seafood, snack foods, and whatever nonsense you can get from fishing. There's also a running joke among his followers that he likes offerings of edibles & weed.

As chill as chill can be, Ocean Overlord can be so laid back that it may cause trouble for himself, his followers, or others. But he means well! Due to this, he's considered air-headed by many (ironic for a man made of water), but make no mistake: he can be as sharp as a sword. When he wants to be!

Examples of devotional acts include swimming, surfing, sunbathing, fishing, sailing, scuba diving, lounging on the beach, taking naps, taking time for yourself, playing pranks, doing water bucket clutches, collecting every type of tropical fish or axolotl, & cleaning the ocean.

You may think he's easy to take advantage of, given that he can be so absent-minded and easy-going. You'd be wrong. Do not take his lazy himbo nature for granted. The Ender King and his monument-stealing feat are an outlier.

GODDESS OF DEATH (KRISTIN)

Obviously represents death and mortality. Also represents grief, sorrow, but also love and memory, among other things. She herself is also symbolized by crows.

Offerings include anything & everything purple, alcohol, candles, yummy food, wither skulls & roses, alliums, gravel (get it? (grave)l. She thinks it's funny!)

She's a surprisingly bubbly goddess, sociable and loving. She loves being silly, often focuses on the positives of things, and thrives on just enjoying life for what it is. Honestly a really compatible lifestyle when your husband slash devotee is a survivalist.

Examples of devotional acts include drinking alcohol, playing pranks, resting, visiting gravesites, and remembering those who have passed. She's a pretty typical death deity, but with a silly side! Get creative, she likes that!

Given that in Hardcore, death (for humans) isn't so serious, she's considered a minor deity! Her focus is mainly on mobs and plants, working in tandem with Rose.

GOD OF CHAOS (IAN)

Represents, well, chaos. As well as spontaneity, whimsy, humor, change, unpredictability, and fun, among other things.

Offerings include anything and everything orange. Why? Fuck you. He likes orange. As God of Chaos he doesn't have to explain why he prefers the offerings he does. He also enjoys offerings of obnoxious shit (so long as it's not him it bothers). LOVES note blocks, redstone noise machines, and horns.

In the Hardcore World, there's not a lot for a minor god like Ian to do, and not a lot of reasons for people to follow him in a way as formal as worship. And frankly, he kinda prefers it that way, it means he can do whatever the fuck he wants. No obligations means all the more time to do whatever his whims desire. He spends his time playfully harassing Phil, egging on the Murder to do the same, and being a loveable menace with Kristin.

Examples of devotional acts include quite literally just about anything and everything. Be funny, be loud, be goofy, bother Phil, commit to the bit, enjoy yourself, wear orange. He doesn't give a shit, chaos is such a broad concept, it's not hard to commit devotional acts in his name!

Don't forget that Chaos can be dangerous. :)

SCULK SCOURGE (FAN DEITY)