#OW Terrestrial

[thicc-astronaut]

I get so giddy looking at life restorations of Tiktaalik. Look at this thing. A proper Wet Beast. God’s purest creation. A pioneer and an entrepreneur and the progenitor of all terrestrial vertebrates. Is it a fish? An amphibian? A reptile? Something else entirely? Tiktaalik isn’t going to tell you, it doesn’t owe you an explanation. Tiktaalik is just Tiktaalik. It eats bugs, it lives in the shallows, it likes long walks on the beaches and longer walks in the water. 

[apiswitchcraft]

orphic hymns to apollo and diana

i should mention that i did NOT write these!! they are from like the 1st century AD lol

APOLLO:

Blest Pæan, come, propitious to my prayer, illustrious power, whom Memphian tribes revere,

Slayer of Tityus, and the God of health, Lycorian Phœbus, fruitful source of wealth.

Spermatic, golden-lyred, the field from thee receives it's constant, rich fertility.

Titanic, Grunian, Smynthian, thee I sing, Python-destroying, hallowed, Delphian king:

Rural, light-bearer, and the Muse's head, noble and lovely, armed with arrows dread:

Far-darting, Bacchian, two-fold, and divine, power far diffused, and course oblique is thine.

O, Delian king, whose light-producing eye views all within, and all beneath the sky:

Whose locks are gold, whose oracles are sure, who, omens good reveals, and precepts pure:

Hear me entreating for the human kind, hear, and be present with benignant mind;

For thou surveys this boundless æther all, and every part of this terrestrial ball

Abundant, blessed; and thy piercing sight, extends beneath the gloomy, silent night;

Beyond the darkness, starry-eyed, profound, the stable roots, deep fixed by thee are found.

The world's wide bounds, all-flourishing are thine, thyself all the source and end divine:

'Tis thine all Nature's music to inspire, with various-sounding, harmonizing lyre;

Now the last string thou tuned to sweet accord, divinely warbling now the highest chord;

The immortal golden lyre, now touched by thee, responsive yields a Dorian melody.

All Nature's tribes to thee their difference owe, and changing seasons from thy music flow

Hence, mixed by thee in equal parts, advance Summer and Winter in alternate dance;

This claims the highest, that the lowest string, the Dorian measure tunes the lovely spring.

Hence by mankind, Pan-royal, two-horned named, emitting whistling winds through Syrinx famed;

Since to thy care, the figured seal is consigned, which stamps the world with forms of every kind.

Hear me, blessed power, and in these rites rejoice, and save thy mystics with a suppliant voice.

DIANA:

Hear me, Jove's daughter, celebrated queen, Bacchian and Titan, of a noble mien:

In darts rejoicing and on all to shine, torch-bearing Goddess, Dictynna divine;

Over births presiding, and thyself a maid, to labor-pangs imparting ready aid:

Dissolver of the zone and wrinkled care, fierce huntress, glorying in the Sylvan war:

Swift in the course, in dreadful arrows skilled, wandering by night, rejoicing in the field:

Of manly form, erect, of bounteous mind, illustrious dæmon, nurse of human kind:

Immortal, earthly, bane of monsters fell, 'tis thine; blest maid, on woody hills to dwell:

Foe of the stag, whom woods and dogs delight, in endless youth who flourish fair and bright.

O, universal queen, august, divine, a various form, Cydonian power, is thine:

Dread guardian Goddess, with benignant mind auspicious, come to mystic rites inclined

Give earth a store of beauteous fruits to bear, send gentle Peace, and Health with lovely hair,

And to the mountains drive Disease and Care.

Dividers by @vibeswithrenai

[mutant-distraction]

The ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) is a medium- to larger-sized strepsirrhine (wet-nosed) primate and the most internationally recognized lemur species, owing to its long, black-and-white, ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families, and is the only member of the Lemur genus. Like all lemurs, it is endemic to the island of Madagascar, where it is endangered. Known locally in Malagasy as maky, spelled maki in French) or hira, it ranges from gallery forests to spiny scrub in the southern regions of the island. It is omnivorous, as well as the most adapted to living terrestrially of the extant lemurs. - Wikipedia

[spacehippieface]

A monstrous tripod, higher than many houses, striding over the young pine trees, and smashing them aside in its career; a walking engine of glittering metal, striding now across the heather; articulate ropes of steel dangling from it, and the clattering tumult of its passage mingling with the riot of the thunder. A flash, and it came out vividly, heeling over one way with two feet in the air, to vanish and reappear almost instantly as it seemed, with the next flash, a hundred yards nearer. Can you imagine a milking stool tilted and bowled violently along the ground? That was the impression those instant flashes gave. But instead of a milking stool imagine it a great body of machinery on a tripod stand. [...]

Seen nearer, the Thing was incredibly strange, for it was no mere insensate machine driving on its way. Machine it was, with a ringing metallic pace, and long, flexible, glittering tentacles (one of which gripped a young pine tree) swinging and rattling about its strange body. It picked its road as it went striding along, and the brazen hood that surmounted it moved to and fro with the inevitable suggestion of a head looking about. Behind the main body was a huge mass of white metal like a gigantic fisherman’s basket, and puffs of green smoke squirted out from the joints of the limbs as the monster swept by me.

Let's talk tripods! Every artist and fiilmmaker has different interpretations of the fighting machines. It's not hard to picture a towering three-legged alien death machine, of course, Wells gives us a good picture of what they look like, but I want to go over a few depictions of them and compare them to his written description, in no particular order, because I think it's interesting, and I think WOTW might actually be a special interest:

Wells drew this one himself. It's a stick figure, of course, but this was how he pictured them. I especially like the little guy going "oo-er!" at the sight of it, almost in polite terror.

The BBC version. To me, this one owes a bit more to Transformers design-wise, and moves like the Cloverfield monster, like the MUTO, like a lot of giant monsters we've seen in recent years, terrestrial or otherwise. But they are still menacing, and they actually make a clear "aloo!" noise when calling to each other. I've got to give them that, even though the BBC screwed up the Martians, the cylinder, they kept going on about Russia, the whole "you can't marry her, you're already married to your cousin" bit. It was a mess.

The Edward Gorey illustrations. O is for Ogilvy, burned like the flag. P's for the Parson, oh, what a drag. Sorry. This is basically a flying saucer with legs. Bit silly,but the tentacles are there, and the legs aren't the stiff kind Wells hated. Which brings us to...

Warwick Goble's illustrations from the original publication of WOTW in Pearson's Magazine. Wells famously hated these so much that when WOTW was published as a book, he wrote a segment into the story ragging on these stiff-legged water tower tripods. I think Goble took the milking stool description too literally, his tripods are always drawn tilted.

The 2005 Spielberg tripod. Great. Massive. Scary. Everything is there. The tentacles, the Heat Ray arm (two even), the suggestion of a head, even the basket. Say what you want about this movie with its excessive amount of Tom Cruise and young Dakota Fanning screaming, but the tripods are fantastic. Damn near perfect even. I think Wells would be very pleased.

The 1953 design. I am very fond of these, they're a great classic sci-fi ship, but they're more akin to the flying machines than the tripods. The filmmakers try to loophole their way out by talking about invisible electrostatic legs (which you can see when the machines initially appear) but I'm pretty sure they went this route because the film was getting more and more expensive and the budget wouldn't extend to stop-motion for the legs. Still, a wonderful creation, the goose neck/cobra head design for the Heat Ray is a good touch and my god, the hissing, ticking noises these things made. Love them.

The Jeff Wayne musical design. My favourite. My beloved. My nightmare fuel. Totally iconic. I'm sure when most people think WOTW, their first thought is the legendary album cover featuring one of these monsters melting the Thunder Child's valiant heart. Doesn't make them book-accurate though. The Heat Ray is built into the chassis, it's all one unit rather than a separate head on a body, the basket was given to the handling machines, and they are stiff-legged in stills. But they're scary in motion, and their howls still give me the jibblies. OH GOD, THOSE HOWLS. Opening Horsell Common And The Heat Ray on the Highlights album with that scream isn't fair!

Henrique Alvim-Corrêa's illustrations for the Belgian publication, and Wells' favourites. The effects of the Heat Ray are chilling, and they're definitely sinister when there's a lot of them just standing there or coldly blasting humans. But I'm just not sold on those googly eyes, they make them goofier. Although when these designs were used for the War of the Worlds 1913 indie game (which I still need to play) the eyes were just blank. Redemption!

[songofapollon]

Orphic Hymn XXXIII: To Apollon

trans. Thomas Taylor

Blest Pæan, come, propitious to my pray'r, illustrious pow'r, whom Memphian tribes revere,

Slayer of Tityus, and the God of health, Lycorian Phœbus, fruitful source of wealth .

Spermatic, golden-lyr'd, the field from thee receives it's constant, rich fertility.

Titanic, Grunian, Smynthian, thee I sing, Python-destroying, hallow'd, Delphian king:

Rural, light-bearer, and the Muse's head, noble and lovely, arm'd with arrows dread:

Far-darting, Bacchian, two-fold, and divine, pow'r far diffused, and course oblique is thine.

O, Delian king, whose light-producing eye views all within, and all beneath the sky:

Whose locks are gold, whose oracles are sure, who, omens good reveal'st, and precepts pure:

Hear me entreating for the human kind, hear, and be present with benignant mind;

For thou survey'st this boundless æther all, and ev'ry part of this terrestrial ball

Abundant, blessed; and thy piercing sight, extends beneath the gloomy, silent night;

Beyond the darkness, starry-ey'd, profound, the stable roots, deep fix'd by thee are found.

The world's wide bounds, all-flourishing are thine, thyself all the source and end divine:

'Tis thine all Nature's music to inspire, with various-sounding, harmonising lyre;

Now the last string thou tun'ft to sweet accord, divinely warbling now the highest chord;

Th' immortal golden lyre, now touch'd by thee, responsive yields a Dorian melody.

All Nature's tribes to thee their diff'rence owe, and changing seasons from thy music flow

Hence, mix'd by thee in equal parts, advance Summer and Winter in alternate dance;

This claims the highest, that the lowest string, the Dorian measure tunes the lovely spring .

Hence by mankind, Pan-royal, two-horn'd nam'd, emitting whistling winds thro' Syrinx fam'd;

Since to thy care, the figur'd seal's consign'd, which stamps the world with forms of ev'ry kind.

Hear me, blest pow'r, and in these rites rejoice, and save thy mystics with a suppliant voice.

I like this recording of it by Queenie Songs on Youtube

[soylent-crocodile]

Faller (Monster)

(ISOPOD by Anastasia Berseneva)

CR9 TN Medium Monstrous Humanoid HD12

(As the name may suggest, these were built from the ground up as an terrestrial whalefall specialists, with the various giant beasties of pathfinder substituting for whales. I actually used fallers as a placeholder name but got attached to it, so here they are! They're up there in CR so that a caravan of five of them puts up a genuine threat for someone who might fight an Adult Red Dragon.

Also I don't love this art for fallers, but it was the most buggy of the bipedal isopods i could find.)

Fallers are wandering nomads who specialize in feeding on the carcasses of great beasts, such as giants, dragons, and large dinosaurs. They live in family groups of up to a dozen individuals and have no leader, employing an anarchic decision making process that may see these groups splitting and reforming as different individuals take different paths. A faller caravan’s lifestyle consists of divining the location to various monster falls and then traveling, possibly hundreds of miles, to such a banquet. Upon reaching such a corpse, they will claim it, defend it, and slowly harvest and feed off it until such a time as it grows thin and they must move on to fresher falls. It’s noteworthy that, due to their powerful innate divination magic, a group of fallers may set camp for a death before it occurs. Generally, these divinations hold true, and fallers find a warm corpse at their destination, but twists of fate are not unheard of, and fallers are generally prepared for battle if need be. Fallers are frequently seen ushering giant flies, which serve as a combination of pet and mount, enabling them to engage flying enemies and scout high-up or hard to reach places. These flys are surprisingly docile and loyal in a faller’s hands. 

Fallers are known to come into conflict with adventuring parties over the spoils of the latter’s conflicts; adventurers regularly stake claim to the loot and parts of a particularly dangerous foe, but fallers consider themselves owed the rewards of such a struggle, and practically speaking, are often unable to relocate to a new corpse before the threat of starvation looms. Unfortunately for many adventurers, fallers are trained combatants, and a particularly undiplomatic group of them may spell doom for an adventuring party soon after a proud triumph. Finally, fallers have been known to come into conflict with the cultures dragons and similar great beings surround themselves with; claiming the corpse of a lone dinosaur is one thing, but disassembling and eating a corpse may be less welcome when it’s the corpse of an important leader or respected member of a community. For this reason, cultures led by dragons frequently adopt a kill-on-sight principle for fallers, and kobolds in particular are known to litter a faller’s anticipated path with the most lethal and cruel traps they can manage. 

Despite this, faller’s oracular abilities are also known to a few peoples, and some cultures seek out such beings to ask questions, sometimes deliberately luring them by killing a large animal. Fallers are a practical and isolationist type, however, and must be provided some benefit to expend their divining abilities; especially since such abilities are necessary for their way of life.

Fallers' endonym is a series of rasps and hisses unpronounceable to the average mammal or reptile.

This hunched over biped has a hard, segmented shell on its back, a number of segmented limbs, and large black eyes.

Misc- CR9 TN Medium Monstrous Humanoid HD12 Init:+4 Senses: Perception:+22 Scent, Darkvision 60ft Stats- Str:22(+6) Dex:19(+4) Con:23(+6) Int:15(+2) Wis:24(+7) Cha:16(+3) BAB:+12/+7/+2 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:138(12d10+54) AC:24(+4 Dex, +2 Armor, +8 Natural) Fort:+12 Ref:+12 Will:+15 CMD:38 Resist: Acid 10, Cold 10 Immunity: Disease Special Defenses: DR2/Bludgeoning Offense- mwk Glaive +19/+14/+9(1d10+9/x3) or Net +18(Entangle, 10ft) or 2 Claw +16(1d6+6 plus trip) CMB:+18 (+2 Racial bonus to trip) Speed:30ft Special Attacks: Studied Target +3 (Attack, Damage, Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, Survival; Move or Swift Action) Feats- Great Fortitude, Endurance, Point-Blank Shot, Vital Strike, Power Attack (-4/+8), Quick Draw Skills- Climb +15, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +14, Knowledge (Geography) +14, Knowledge (Nature) +14, Perception +22, Ride +13, Survival +22 Spell-like Abilities- (Caster Level 11, Concentration +14) Augury, Invisibility Purge, Sanctify Corpse 3/day Dispel Magic, Find the Path 1/day Divination 1/week Special Qualities- Ferocity Ecology- Environment- Any Languages- Faller Organization- Pair (2), Caravan (4-6 Fallers, 0-3 Giant Horseflies) Treasure- Standard Special Abilities- Studied Target (Ex)- A faller may use the Studied Target ability as a 10th level Slayer.

[stardust-and-ivory]

TITANS

DESCRIPTION

Titans are magical beings that are responsible for modern life on the planet.

There are 3 types of titans.

Aerial - dragon-like titans with wings for gliding short distances and display. Their breath is molten metal.

Terrestrial - wolf-like titans with large muscle strength. They release a sonic boom from their jaws

Aquatic - mosasaur-like titans with front flippers and a powerful tail. They’ve developed a spine that mimics the appearance of coral to hide from predators and prey. They can inhale water at a speed fast enough to create massive whirlpools.

All titans share glyph magic, the ability to create life, and growth rate.

Of the three titan types, aerial and terrestrial titans share territory, while aquatic titans are more solitary and less abundant. Some titans have wings that are covered in vibrant patterns to display their importance, as these are often elders, royals, or generals. These wings cannot be used for flight and are more of a way to say ‘look at me, I’m important, respect me’.

The ‘skulls’ on their heads are not actually part of their skeleton - it is a piece of head armour that evolved from simple plates into a whole helmet

Titan societies are very open. There is a royal bloodline, but they are more laid back and less commanding. They value respect and bow before the earth. Titans follow a unique calendar and hold festivals for important events, including full moons, hatchings, marriage, and music. The most important tradition held by titans, however, comes when they reach an age of 1000.

HIBERNATION

Because titan ancestors gained magic through the earth, modern titans are forever grateful and believe that they owe their lives to nature. They spend their lives learning their own unique magic and teaching others, and then can choose to enter an eternal hibernation. This hibernation is where they rest for the rest of eternity, not dead, but not awake either. Over time, during this sleep, their bodies are reclaimed by the earth. Their hides turn to stone, trees grow on their backs, and life can flourish over their bodies. Depending on where they rest, they will form different biomes. Since the majority of the planet is ocean, most will form islands or coral reefs.

The same will occur if titans are killed. Even newborns can become small reefs or sea stacks. A titan’s bones will continue to grow even after death which leads to absolutely massive archipelagos and eco systems. Some land masses formed by titans include:

- the Boiling Isles [terrestrial titan] formed when an adult titan was struck down by immense magical force

- Jotunheim [aerial titan] the result of a titan warrior being strangled and impaled. Location of Titan Trapper Island

- Purgatory [aquatic titan] formed when an adult titan became trapped in shallow water after being injured in battle

- Archipeligo of Insanity [aerial titan] formed from the bones of a titan killed by a swarm of grimraptors, which are usually only pests

- Isle of Humiliation [terrestrial titan] the result of a young titan becoming impaled on sharp sea stacks. This is a more recent development and the individual was likely one of the few young survivors of the Titan/Archivist conflict.

GROWTH

Titans are able to create life from non-living things, most notably their own eggs. A titan will infuse their magic with a boulder which over time will form into an egg and embryo. Another examples would be the statues in Echoes of the Past.

What makes titan eggs special is that they can hold off on hatching for hundreds of thousands of years, waiting for the perfect conditions. The hatchlings are as helpless as a newborn human and need constant supervision to not get hurt. They mature rather fast, with their growth slowing down around their teenage and adult years.

Titans are considered ‘pups’ until they reach adulthood. They are born with two straight horns that will expand and bend as they get older. For royal titans, the wings will come in during their years as a young adult.

POWERS

Instead of creating things out of thin air, titans warp the elements and world around them in the form of glyphs. Modern witch magic comes from this.

Each variant of titans has their own unique power.

Terrestrial - sonic shouts that explodes outward from their jaws

Aerial - searing fire breath that can melt most materials

Aquatic - inhaling tons of water at a speed that it creates violent whirlpools

All titans have blood that has fused with magic over millions of years of evolution. This blood is so potent with magic that it creates rips in reality if mixed with water.

Titans create life with their own bodies. Upon death, not only will they form land, but new, magical life will emerge from their blood.

CULTURE

Titans value art, specifically murals and sculpture. All throughout titan dens and palaces are marble carvings displaying the many life forms they share the planet with. Murals fill their hatcheries and rooms, and they have several festivals throughout the year to celebrate their creativity.

Will add more to this post as I think of it

[animalshowdown]

Phylum Round 2

Onychophora: Velvet Worms. This is the only phylum containing exclusively terrestrial members, although their ancestors can be traced back to the Cambrian shallow oceans. Onychophorans are ambush predators, moving with slow smooth steps to creep up on their prey. They have unique mucus glands on either side of their face which can spray jets of sticky slime, which effectively immobilizes their prey. Onychophorans have relatively complex brains, and some even live in social "packs" that live and hunt together. Many species in this phylum are ecologically vulnerable, threatened, or endangered.

Loricifera: Microscopic animals with a hard shell and a head surrounded by elongated spines. All animals in this phylum are "meiofauna", meaning they live in the spaces between grains of sediment on the seafloor. They are distinguished by the "lorica", the hard casing surrounding most of their bodies, which can sometimes take on a corset-like appearance. Loriciferans were only recently discovered - they can attach themselves extremely well to grains of sand, which made them very difficult to find. Interestingly, some of these animals have a unique high tolerance for zero-oxygen conditions, which they owe to specialized organelles in their cells called "hydrogenosomes" which have replaced mitochondria.

[sealsorceress]

drawing of a dragon from a worldbuilding setting i've been working on (no name for it yet, just concepts):

excerpt i wrote + biology info below!!

"The warrior steps carefully through the beast's nest, littered with the bones, armor, and blades of old prey; but not carefully enough, and a crack resounds through the cavern as an ill-placed footfall splinters a stray bone. The dragon wakes and heaves itself up with its wings; its hide plated with armor that glints like obsidian; the kingdoms of treasure welded to its underbelly now visible. The warrior ducks behind a nearby boulder, her mind rattling off silent prayers to every god she knows. Everything is quiet save for its heaving breaths, its nose and gills fluttering in unison as it exhales a great cloud of smoke, then oncemore as it draws in the still air. Then. in an instant, it grows alert, detecting the scent of an invader in its den. A deep rumbling sounds from its chest, rising to its throat which swells and cradles the glow of flame. In an instant, it twists its head towards the boulder and with a thunderous roar, its jaws sling forth and unleash a torrent of scorching flame that brings daylight to the dim cavern, illuminating the great beast which is resplendent even in its act of destruction. Assuming the pest has been eliminated, the beast returns to its slumber with smoke pouring from its gills; and the once-proud warrior, now clinging to the hilt of her blade with all her might, questions if she can even slay such a beast, and to which god's kindness she owes her survival."

(i'm not a very skilled writer, but i'm having fun practicing it at least)

dragons are a weird group of giant, terrestrial ray-finned fish with eight limbs (2 forelimbs, 2 wings, 2 hindlegs, and 2 "rudders"), they use symbiotic microbes (which themselves channel a magical energy known as "ether") to produce fire, and weld shiny objects to their bellies to attract mates; most famously treasure. they're mostly predators, and have nasty flightless larvae that burrow around in the underworld and eat carrion before molting and rising to the surface, although many dragons plunge into caverns to hunt unseen underworld prey, like sperm whales diving into the deep sea to hunt giant squid.

[zoomzooml]

[Worldbuilding] Flora of Cybertron

With a word of introduction, it is worth mentioning what "cyberflora" is in general. Plants are primary producers in most terrestrial ecosystems and are the basic link in the food chain in that way or another. This is how things are on both Earth and Cybertron.

Transformers and mechanimals are derived from protoforms created directly by Vector Sigma, but plants are self-sustaining in this case. No life form reproduces sexually, and plants undergo a process that can be called self-fertilization. Some reproduce by pollenation. Pollen is nothing more than a naked or nearly naked, tiny protoform. Then it can rely on either pollinators or the wind. Once it lands in a suitable place, the pollen, like other organisms, will develop an armor, turning into a seed and burrow itself. Others have developed reproduction by dividing the shoot.

The environments on this globe are varied, conditioned by many types of plants, adapted to these conditions. However, there are a few that are at least recognizable almost everywhere.

One example is the Crested Sunflower. The largest and most recognizable part of it, to which it owes its name, is the solar panel which measures 4 to 8 meters in height. Thanks to a mechanized process similar in action to photosynthesis, from the light absorbed, the Sunflowers are able to produce energy that goes to Vector Sigma. The calyx contains energon - nectar - which the Sunflower shares with its pollinators, who, frequenting will spread the pollen so that it eventually lands on the right ground.

Another variety of sunflower is the Table Sunflower. The unusually large form is shaped like a tree, which measures from 30 to as much as 100 meters in height, sometimes even exceeding them. It is rarer and much more tenacious. The Table Sunflower has its solar panels always pointing parallel to the sky, and pollen develops under the plates to let the wind carry it away when its time comes. It performs a function similar to its smaller cousin, energy acquisition for Vector Sigma

According to the prevailing theory, the sunflower flora is one of Vector Sigma's main sources of the energy, which it is able to convert into energon, which then goes into the planet's circulation. For other Cybertronians, these plants are practically inedible and very unpalatable; it is possible to process them into energon essence, but this is controversial due to religious symbolism.

These are most likely the oldest plants created on Cybertron, but not the only ones.

Another example of flora, this time growing underwater, is Fuel Kelp, whose fruits - fuel bulbs - are a common energon. The plant's stem is a tangle of wires and tubes, and its fruits, stores of surplus absorbed nutrients. The fruits are soft and flexible. They reproduce by dividing the shoot, which makes them easy to reproduce artificially. This makes them a staple, fairly inexpensive food for Transformers.

Flower-like plants come in all sorts of shapes and forms, but most of them - at least terrestrial - can be structurally fitted into these types. Some trees will also fit.

The petals can be anther protection or solar panels. If they are armor solar panels usually develop as leaves. Pollen can be deposited on the anthers or directly on the edge of the pistil stigma (also called energon cup or nectar cup).

No ecosystem is free of parasites. Those affecting Cybertron's flora are usually invasive lichens that will digest host metal or virtually suck out energon. This can and will result in plants dying, crumbling and collapsing. Interestingly, some parasites haunting Cybertron will happily settle for the soil itself, which can lead to cracks in the ground, weakening the soil or chewing through root clusters, destroying entire habitats of flora or cocoons.

[tinywitchgoblin]

Oya vod! I’m brand new to this, so hoping I’m doing it the right way. :)

Could I request a ship?

I’m a 6’6”, relatively fit terrestrial ecologist (biologist) and a horseback archer. I have a passion for all wildlife, especially avian creatures. I spend a lot of time in the outdoors assessing habitats, identifying birds (sometimes at long distances) by sight and sound and just enjoying the freedom of the natural world. I should probably just go ahead and build a cabin in the forest, because that’s where I feel most at home. Owing to having to work twice as hard to gain the same amount of respect respect in the traditionally male-dominated field of biological science I’m pretty independent and self-reliant but am flexible and can work as part of a team too.

I find large social situations challenging, and am generally slow to connect with people but once I do they are part of my clan for life. ;) People tend to perceive me as confident and capable, but in truth people mostly make me anxious. I connect with animals far more easily - they’re honest!

When I’m not in the forest, I can probably be found with my horse, firing arrows at targets as we gallop across a field, shouting along to metal tunes while driving my Jeep on trails, or working on some ridiculous craft project (probably a wool bird sculpture or leather armour that no one will ever see). Come to think on that I have some rather contrasting traits, haha!

Thank you! These have been fun to read!

Of course, I'm glad you're enjoying them!

I ship you with...

Crosshair!

Our resident sentient toothp(r)ick enjoys spending time outdoors, especially alone, where no one can bother him and he can have some peace and quiet. Just like you, he doesn't like large social gatherings and is very hesitant to let people in. However, once you accepted each other and started dating, you spent a lot of time alone together.

Once he finds out that you do horseback archery, he begged asked you to teach him everything show him a couple of things, and you happily obliged. Initially, he wasn't very good at it because it was so different from his usual skills as a sniper, but eventually, he started showing some improvements. There are few people in the galaxy more stubborn than Crosshair, and he was determined to be good at horseback archery, so help him god.

Having grown up with Tech, Crosshair is very familiar with listening to ramblings about various topics (animals included) and identifying local flora and fauna. However, having it come from you instead of his brother made it very different. He asked Tech for some resources to learn about the various birds in the area (which Tech was very curious as to why Crosshair would want all of that information all of a sudden. suspicious), so when you and he went birdwatching, he had at least a basic knowledge of what you were seeing and hearing, and it made you happy that he put time and effort into such an activity- because as much as he refuses to admit it, your smile is far prettier than any bird.

-

Thanks for reading! If you want a ship request like this one, drop it in my ask box, and don't forget to reblog 💚

[iamthekaijuking]

So it's pretty much confirmed that PNF-404 from Pikmin is Earth in the distant future. Any thoughts on what the native creature enemies are descended from? I hc Bulborbs as some kind of derived gastropod that convergently evolved a pair of vertebrate-like legs (since the Bulborb Larva is legless), and the Pikmin themselves as a composite organism between a highly-specialized social insect and a Cordyceps-like plant that, rather than being parasitic is instead mutualistic.

Most of the creatures aren’t too different from their inspiration so it’s pretty easy to tell what they are. The grubs and beetles are grubs and beetles, the clamclamps are clams, the wollywogs are frogs, the mites are mites, etc.

Others are just completely out there and impossible to truly tell what they are. Like the wraiths, mamuta, honeywisps, and the Longlegs and Gatling groink. The last two honestly feel like leftover biotechnology.

Some we’re actually told what they’re descended from or related to, which is also usually believable. So like the Hermit Crawmads being hermit crabs or the skitterleaf being a water strider.

The “Scarpanid” family I’d hesitantly call beetles.

The Goolix is just a giant amoeba, which isn’t too out there considering there are plenty of giant unicellular organisms IRL (algae, seaweed, slime molds getting ready to reproduce, Xenophyophores, etc).

Snagrets are likely very strange birds. They could be descended from any number of burrowing birds or even passerines, which make up 60% of all birds and owe their success partly to a genetic code that is predisposed towards speciation.

Blowhogs I’ve always been unsure of but the tusked blowhog in 4 indicates that they’re possibly pigs. While the tusked blowhog isn’t a true blowhog it could be a primitive close relative that lies just outside of true blowhogs. I think Porquillion could also be related.

Vehemoth seems like a weird aerial salamander.

The meerslug is probably descended from a fish of some kind. One that burrows.

Dweevils I’m not entirely sure on.

There’s so many pikmin enemies that I’d be here all day covering them so I’m just skipping to the Bulborbs.

I’ve mentioned that I love @just9art’s slugborb theory even if it had to handwave that breadbugs are canonically not too closely related to grubdogs. I also just love the artwork and am so sad that their renditions of the grubdogs are not real animals I can hold. However, Bulborbs and breadbugs are so nondescript that people have purposed that they’re possibly terrestrial mud skippers or anglers (specifically ones like handfish) and they all work. Some people think they’re frogs, and @aphid-kirby covered it in a series of YouTube videos. https://m.youtube.com/@fictionalbiology1921/featured

As for pikmin, I do think a lot of the mobile plants form a family, which includes pikmin. But pikmin themselves are very weird (from here on is spoilers for PIKMIN 4).

Pikmin seem to be composite organisms, but apparently they can also force horizontal gene transfer onto other organisms as seen in the bad end for pikmin 1. This is also a main plot point for the fourth game as the main antagonist is actually Olimar being pikminized. All of this means that pikmin might not even be a species in a traditional sense.

Speaking of spoilers for 4, the final boss is a giant dog like Oatchi and is heavily implied to be a feral version of the ancestor of Oatchi’s kind. Meaning that they might actually be earth canines. However, the various spacemen of the games are also said to have had these canine companions for a long time, which could also mean that Olimar and co aren’t actually aliens, but descendants of humans who took dogs with them to space. While they evolved to be tiny (just barely big enough for their inner ears to still work), they selectively bred their dogs to be like jerboas. Humanity has been away from home for so long they don’t even remember it.

[chthonichedgewitch]

Blessed Thargelia!

🌕Happy birthday Lady Artemis & Lord Apollon☀️

Orphic hymns⬇️

Artemis:

HEAR me, Jove's daughter, celebrated queen, Bacchian and Titan, of a noble mien:

In darts rejoicing, and on all to shine, Torch-bearing Goddess, Dictynna divine.

O'er births presiding, and thyself a maid, To labour pangs imparting ready aid:

Dissolver of the zone, and wrinkled care, Fierce huntress, glorying in the silvan war:

Swift in the course, in dreadful arrows skill'd, Wand' ring by night, rejoicing in the field:

Of manly form, erect, of bounteous mind, Illustrious demon, nurse of humankind:

Immortal, earthly, bane of monsters fell,

"Tis thine, blest maid, on woody mounts to dwell:

Foe of the stag, whom woods and dogs delight, In endless youth you flourish fair and bright.

O universal queen, august, divine,

A various form, Cydonian pow'r, is thine.

Dread guardian Goddess, with benignant mind, Auspicious come, to mystic rites inclin'd;

Give earth a store of beauteous fruits to bear, Send gentle Peace, and Health with lovely hair, And to the mountains drive Disease and Care.

Apollo:

BLEST Paan, come, propitious to my pray'r, Illustrious pow'r, whom Memphian tribes revere,

Slayer of Tityus, and the God of health, Lycorian Phœbus, fruitful source of wealth:

Spermatic, golden-lyr'd, the field from thee

Receives its constant rich fertility.

Titanic, Grunian, Smynthian, thee I sing,

Python-destroying, hallow d, Delphian king:

Rural, light-bearer, and the Muses' head, Noble and lovely, arm'd with arrows dread:

Far-darting, Bacchian, twofold, and divine,

Pow'r far diffus'd, and course oblique is thine.

O Delian king, whose light-producing eye Views all within, and all beneath the sky;

Whose locks are gold, whose oracles are sure, Who omens good reveal'st, and precepts pure;

Hear me entreating for the human kind, Hear, and be present with benignant mind;

For thou survey st this boundless ether all, And ev'ry part of this terrestrial ball Abundant, blessed; and thy piercing sight Extends beneath the gloomy, silent night;

Beyond the darkness, starry-ey'd, profound,

The stable roots, deep-fix'd by thee, are found.

The world's wide bounds, all-flourishing, are thine,

Thyself of all the source and end divine.

"Tis thine all Nature's music to inspire With various-sounding, harmonizing lyre:

Now the last string thou tun'st to sweet accord, Divinely warbling, now the highest chord;

Th' immortal golden lyre, now touch'd by thee,

Responsive yields a Dorian melody. All Nature's tribes to thee their diff'rence owe, And changing seasons from thy music flow:

Hence, mix'd by thee in equal parts, advance Summer and Winter in alternate dance;

This claims the highest, that the lowest string, The Dorian measure tunes the lovely spring:

Hence by mankind Pan royal, two-horn'd nam'd, Shrill winds emitting thro' the syrinx fam'd;

Since to thy care the figur'd seal's consign'd,

Which stamps the world with forms of every kind.

Hear me, blest pow'r, and in these rites rejoice, And save thy mystics with a suppliant voice.

[bacejelerenvorthos]

MTG Art Spotlight: Jungle Shrine by Wayne Reynolds

“On Naya, ambition and treachery are scarce, hunted nearly to extinction by the awe owed to terrestrial gods.”

[potchatok-art]

The Kaikainuchwer Empire is more of a way of life, rather than any institution. Individuals on the islands and along the eastern coast happened to speak one language and engage in a similar code of ethics, but there is no one to uphold any laws or claim any dominion. Only permanent settlements by this point are coastal villages, where a reliable food source comes from the sea. These communities are ruled by the exchange of favors - for the food that fishers delivered, they are now owed the repair of their rafts by carpenters. Ancient caste of Mediators administering the transaction of favors and resolving any disputes, in exchange for their share of food and services. Mediators have to keep in mind all of the affairs and perform resource management, therefore mediators are very educated, developing an alphabet for the language and mathematics.

Their codependency makes Kaikainuchwer societies welcoming as long as nothing goes wrong, but not allowing for mistakes. If one’s duty was not performed, they get penalties, or get exiled, depending on the necessity of the failed task and severity of the failure. Sabotage of a neighbor's labor, if properly investigated, is a death sentence. Mediators, considered an unbiased part of society, also perform the role of executioners. While the villages are organized, there is never a larger force governing those. There were several pirate societies that tried to establish control over the coastal areas, but they suffered from infighting and rebellions and never lasted for a sagnificent time.

On the continent, the Kaikainuhwer spread over several climate zones. There are those who interact with jungle populations. These Kaikainuchwer must be the most inland of this culture. Savannah colonists are similar in their lives to islanders, because of the same climate, though they grow more militaristic with bigger predators and other Sutviprra tribes. When moving into temperate zones, they arrive into more forested areas and seas, abundant with big schools of fish, but temperatures become less comfortable. At first, they struggle to establish permanent settlements, but with arrival of North East Northern populations they manage to discover technology of clothes - unfortunately, the strategy used to open communication works no more - when winter closes in, resources get scarce and tribes become tense over territories they control. Kaikainuchwer, being smaller and less battleworthy get pushed into waterlogged areas of the forests, impossible to traverse if not for their rafts. Mostly subsisting on seafish in their diet, they also start to explore continental flora and fauna. Relatively late for Sutviprra, Kaikainuchwer started using throwing spears to hunt and forage for plants. In particular, they find plants, whose seeds are stored in pine-like clusters. This plant is very dependant on abundance of water and endemic to the north east swamps, and, if boiled in water, their pine becomes softer and possible to eat. They find it out because of animals, who also eat those pines, dip them in water to male it malleable, but there is also a myth.

Kaikainuchwer’s mythology/philosophy considers everything alive. They have a diverse array of rituals to worship or pacify every particular minor spirit, but main overincompasing entities are the sky and the sea. And so, once a continental Mediator was helping with a hunt, and witnessed a close lightning strike. Upon approach, she noticed that the entire batch of pine-plants shed their seeds, which were floating on the water surface. Suddenly, a lot of creatures, terrestrial, aquatic and flying started to feed on those seeds. The Mediator took this as a sign, took an uncooked pine home, boiled it and liked the resulting dish.

Later, when Kaikainuchwer started deliberately seeking and consuming it, it appeared to make them much healthier and stronger. It was attributed to special magical properties, real explanation was that their diet of mainly marine life brought dangerous levels of salt, mercury and made them develop overvitaminos.

[harmonyckrs]

Act 3, Scene 1 of Twisted Veronaville: Some New Opponents Arrive

THE LAST PAGE

Tank: Ow...huh? Where am I?...Buck? Are you okay?

Buck: Yeah, I'm fine!...did we get kidnapped?

Tank: Last thing I remember was us walking home...

???: Hello, Tank...and Buck. We are the Knights of Order, and we brought you here for a very important mission.

Tank: Huh? What-

???: We need you to find and kidnap your brother Ripp, and bring him to us...he's being used by two criminals who are trying to mess with everyone's fates...and then we're going to need you to break up a couple and set up another in order to restore normalcy to Veronaville.

Tank: Fates?...Veronaville?...huh?

???: Just do what we say! You seem to be good at that, anyway.

Buck: Tank, I don't like-

Tank: Sure. I'll do it.

Buck: What?

Tank: If it gets us both out of here, then I might as well.

Hamza: Good day, (sir/ma'am)! I was wondering if you've seen a man with dark skin about this tall? Unkempt hair that's slightly over his eyes and probably wearing a colorful shirt with a silver necklace and little silver earrings?

Bianca: Don't think so, sorry. Is there a reason you're asking?

Cyd: Nope. Why?

Kent: What's it to you?

Hamza: He's my brother. I've been looking for him for...forever. Have you seen him? I have a photo, if you'd like.

Kent: (Wait, that's Aktu! He didn't tell me that he had a brother, though!). I've never seen that man in my life.

Bianca: Still haven't, but I'll let you know if I see anything!

Cyd: Oh, he looks a lot like my ex. Haven't seen him since I moved here from Strangetown, though...

Hamza: Okay, thanks! I've got to go now, but maybe we'll talk again later!

Little did the Knights of Order know, their actions had summoned a unwanted man into the town of Veronaville - one that would be a threat to both sides of the Terrestrial family.

General Buzz: I told that man that he couldn't take my eldest son, and what does he do?...I'll make him-

Pascal: Buzz?

General Buzz: ...Vidcund? How did you escape my-oh, my bad. Pascal! You look different.

Pascal: (What did he mean by escaping?) Yes...I wanted to try a new look. What are you doing here in Veronaville, General Buzz?

General Buzz: Rescuing my son.

Pascal: (Son and not "sons," huh? Still the same as always.) Would you like my help? I've been getting familiar with the area of Veronaville, and I can help you track him down with my knowledge.

General Buzz: Well, you've always been the most respectable out of your siblings...sure. Why not?

Pascal: (I'll have to cancel that meeting with Aktu and Sita. This is far more important...) Wonderful! I'll take you back to my place.

Pascal: So yes, that's everything I know. How are you enjoying the food? I tried to follow one of the recipes Lazlo gave me.

General Buzz: It's pretty good. A bit of a sour taste, though.

Pascal: (That would be the poison.) That's a shame. I'll be sure to put in less lemon next time.

Pascal: I'm glad you're enjoying the food regardless, though. I've never seen anyone eat that quickly.

General Buzz: Haven't eaten in about eight hours.

Pascal: (The exact amount of time you have left before the poison takes your life.) I see...do you feel anything?

General Buzz: Huh?...well, I do feel a bit tired, but that's probably from the trip here. Why do you ask?

Pascal: Well...sometime before I came here, I visited Loki in jail to confront him about killing my baby. And there was something very interesting he told me...

Pascal: He said you were the one who gave Tycho to him.

General Buzz: Yeah, and?...I thought we were supposed to be allies. If this is the only reason you came to talk, I'm going to leave.

General Buzz: ...Why can't I move?

Pascal: Don't worry about that, Buzz. Remember when you paid off the police to do nothing about you speeding on the road while drunk and hitting Nervous and Ophelia?

General Buzz: Yeah, so? I'm the General! I practically run that town!

Pascal: No, you don't! Nobody in Strangetown likes you! Your own children don't even like you! You're a failure and a disgrace, on top of being a murderer and child kidnapper!

General Buzz: At least I have a child.

Pascal: ...Hmph.

General Buzz: Why are you dragging me outside now?

Pascal: It's a nice night. Thought you'd want to see the view of the stars before I bury you alive.

General Buzz: Revenge isn't going to bring back Tycho and Nervous.

Pascal: You're right. So since there's nothing that can bring them back, there's nothing that can save you.

General Buzz: They're...going to find out it's you...

Pascal: I covered all my tracks. I deliberately came here earlier than the other Knights of Order so that everyone would assume I went missing, and you came here in search for Tank. For all anyone knows, you went missing in search of him.

General Buzz: But...Vidcund...

Pascal: He has an alibi. He's in Strangetown, and don't think I didn't hear you when you asked me how I "escaped." You have him captive, don't you? If he's still there, then there's no way he could've traveled eight hours to Veronaville just to kill a man.

General Buzz: ...

Pascal: Now, before I pour dirt on your face, tell me where you're holding him.

General Buzz: ...Fuck...you.

Pascal: Fine. Then tell Olive I say hi when you see her in Hell.

While General Buzz dies a slow and painful death six feet under, the patriarchs of the Capp and Monty were about to be alerted of their grandsons' actions.

Romeo: Nonno! Nonno! I just saw something horrible!

Patrizio: Ah, lemme guess...monster under the bed.

Romeo: No! I'm not a baby anymore, Nonno! Mercutio was kissing a...a...

Romeo: (He kept my secret for me...but I can't do this! Those Capps are evil! And he's going against the very own advice he gave me! This is for his own good!)

Romeo: A Capp! And Tybalt of all of them!

Patrizio: (HE'S GAY?) WHAT? No child living under my roof will be a...a...

Patrizio: A Capp lover!

Patrizio: Consort must be up to his old tricks again...

Consort: Tybalt, may I speak to you?

Tybalt: Yes, Grandfather?

Consort: Patrizio told me that Romeo told him that you were kissing Mercutio.

Tybalt: Why does it matter to you? Hermia gets to bring her boyfriend over, but I can't?

Consort: Hermia is a GIRL. And Puck isn't a MONTY. There is a difference, Tybalt, and I thought you of all people would know that. You already saw what happened with Kent.

Tybalt: ...

Consort: It's alright. I'll let you remain in the house, on one condition.

Tybalt: Which is?

Consort: Once you are to turn eighteen, I'll be setting you up in an arranged marriage.

THE NEXT DAY