#arctic charr

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #847

Arctic char!

It is the northernmost occurring species of freshwater fish! Different populations of arctic char can vary drastically in their appearance and genetics, which raises the question if there could be more species than thought.

[sibirsibir]

Inuk word: Dried Fish - Pitsik (Pit - sick). The Arctic char or Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) is a cold-water fish in the family Salmonidae, native to alpine lakes, as well as Arctic and subarctic coastal waters in the Holarctic.

[meirimerens]

for the oc asks: 19 zoichik and 15 for all of em creachers upon them

(19) Has your OC ever had an out of body experience or astral projected?

Well poor thang drowned (not spoilers it's the first thing i ever mentioned of her) and she had a short NDE which included the whole "detached" feeling (among other things) but nothing like actual astral projection. she does do a whole lot of out-of-bodying in and that's mostly Her Psychiatric Problems.

(15) What form does/would your OC’s familiar take?

yessss haha YESSS okay

zoichik: i hesitate between some kind of arctic sea creature, such as this male arctic charr, due to Ginger

Or a tundra hare (Lepus timidus) because i've been told her name sounds a lot like "зайчик" (zaichik) which means bnuuy/hare/rabbit which. fitting because she's kinda skitterish and endangered.

mimik: spotted ivory gull

gladys: androctonus (means man-killer. lol) fat fucking tailed scorpio babyyyyy

ekaterina: cerastes cerasted horned viper. because she's blonde

THANK YOU..... 🫶 [ask me some?]

[c-kiddo]

Ùna have you ever gone/would you ever go fishing? If so, favorite catch?

[ID. a greyscale drawing of Ùna, who has medium brown skin, a birthmark on her face and short dark hair. she's smiling, looking to the left and wearing a wool jumper. there's a screen-tone image of an arctic charr, labelled røye, besides the speech bubbles that read: "i had a few times before meeting ava, but i was mostly too busy with art college and didn't have any gear for it either anyway so... not much. but here it's easier, with the little rowboat to go out on. or we stand in the rivers and wait for the fish and end up just watching.. last time we went out on the boat we managed to catch two røye*. it took the whole day, though." End ID.]

[wall-legion]

Winter's End

Garrus had been waiting for a moment like this to come up. It had been too long since he had last been up here, taking in the arctic air. The Eye of the North was well built, but the Shiverpeaks made their presence known by sending gusts of wind and snow against its walls hard enough to keep everyone close to the bonfires that burned day and night. Now two years later he had finally returned, striding past the various merchants and soldiers, nodding in response to the voices calling out "Commander" to him to acknowledge that he'd heard them all.

Another time he would stop and catch up and see how they were all faring. Today he had business.

He continued down the hallway to the antechamber where Aurene had held her court, so to speak. Nowadays it was mostly empty, save for him.

Bangar had been returned to the cell since he was released from Jormag's magic and fully healed. The legions had wanted nothing to do with him, for the moment at least, but Garrus was sure that they would be dragging his sorry ass to the Citadel soon to jail him there instead for the rest of his natural days. Not if I have anything to say about that, Garrus thought with a grim smile as he entered the chamber.

"Well, well." Bangar lifted his head, but didn't stand up. "The wonderful Commander Firstblood takes time from his busy schedule to grace me with his presence. What did I do to deserve a visit?"

"Wrapping something up." Garrus rolled his shoulders back, fighting the urge to wince as a joint popped in one of them. "Get up."

"Is that an order?"

Burn me, how did anyone ever take him seriously as an imperator when all he ever did was talk down to everyone he ever interacted with? Garrus bared his teeth. "I said, get up!"

Bangar staggered to his feet, but managed to regain his smug expression after a moment. "Yes sir," he rasped.

Garrus started circling the cage. "Sounds like the throat is still damaged."

"Yes, well, your precious dragon couldn't be bothered to heal me. Only the special few get her magic touch apparent-LECH-!"

Bangar's taunting was cut off by Garrus's hand shooting out between the bars to wrap around his throat, thumb pressed tight against the former leader of the Blood Legion's windpipe. The older charr desperately tried to dig his claws into Garrus's arm, but couldn't pierce through the leather and metal of his glove. "What a coincidence," Garrus growled, staring into Bangar's eyes as he spoke, "that you bring up Aurene's healing magic right now."

"Are you really... going to beat me... for shooting you?" Bangar wheezed.

"No, because that would be foolish." He watched as Bangar relaxed ever so slightly. "I'm going to beat you for what you did to Qirri. Then I'll shoot you for shooting me."

"This is about that rat?!" Bangar somehow managed to raise his voice.

"This is about my guildmate-" Garrus paused to drag Bangar forward, off-balance, to slam his head into the bars of the cage- "and about a member of my warband." He slammed him into the bars again, harder. "This is about a challenge to me as Aurene's champion." A third slam, resulting in blood starting to dribble from Bangar's nose. "This is about you being a coward, and a failure as a leader!" A fourth and final slam that rattled the cage, and split the browridge above Bangar's left eye, dropped the older charr to the floor of the cage when Garrus let go of his throat and stepped back.

"You didn't do half of what I did to that weakling..." Bangar froze when he looked at Garrus- or more at the bow he was drawing back.

"Look familiar?" Garrus asked. "The boy's got more draw strength than I thought he did. You were right to be afraid of him." Deep breath. Find your stance. Find your target. You'll only get one shot. "I hope you find something like peace in the Mists, Ruinbringer."

The bowstring sang out as he released the arrow, and a soft wet sound followed as it buried itself in Bangar's throat. Garrus walked back over to yank it free, staring back down at the former imperator until the light left his eyes.

He teleported himself home.

[liziniceland]

Reykjavik Food Walk with Jenny

The Mountain Lady

Pulled duck on traditional Icelandic flatbread from the Westfjords, with carrot purée, pickled red onions, and  horseradish sauce.

Lightly cured arctic charr on chickpea blini (a.k.a. the tiny pancake), with horseradish sauce, roe, crispy lentils, and yuzu elderflower dressing.

The Messhall

Arctic char baked in honey, butter and lemon with cherry tomatoes and almonds.

Icelandic “Plokkfiskur” with Bernaise Sauce: Boiled cod mashed with potatoes, onion, garlic, celery, lime, white wine, cream, and butter.

Icelandic rye bread, “rúgbrauð” with butter.

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur

The Town’s Best Hot Dogs

Traditional Icelandic hot dog with Icelandic ketchup, Icelandic mustard, remoulade sauce (remúlaði), deep fried onions and raw onions.

Íslenski Barinn

The Icelandic Bar - Home of the all the Icelandic Beer and unique cuisine

Traditional Icelandic lamb soup with root vegetables - “Kjötsúpa”

Fermented shark - “Hákarl” with a shot of Brennivín

Einstök Lite White Ale // Appelsín orange soda

Café Loki

Rye bread ice cream with whipped cream and caramelised rhubarb syrup

The Icelandic Twisted Donut = “Kleina”

Some of the best coffee in town!

Everything was so good. The fermented shark smelled worse than it tasted (salty ammonia flavor) which Jenny instructed us to chew 10 times and shout "Viking!" My group liked the hot dogs best. Two of the stops included Arctic char (milder than salmon), something I want to start making at home.

[scotszoologist]

These caves by Myvatn house some small ponds, which are occupied by Arctic Charr. These populations have had to adapt to a habitat with little and infrequent food availability.

[the-proofreader]

He hated being away from Qirri during combat.

It had become a deep-seated fear since Claw Island, and had only intensified during the fight against Mordremoth where she had gotten so sick as a result. But necessity called, therefore she was on the platform with Yao while he fought alongside Rama against the huge demon that had manifested before them. A shot from the detective ripped just past his shoulder as he slammed his hammer into the demon, snarling up at it as he did. Focus, he growled internally. A clean fight means everyone goes home. You pay attention to what’s in front of you-

He didn’t get to finish his lecture to himself, as the beast swung a massive fist into his jaw and sent him spinning into the rocky ground, rolling until he almost came to the edge of the platform. Rama’s voice, calling his name, echoed distantly as he pushed himself up with one hand while the other rubbed his jaw. He shook his head to try and chase the feeling of fog away, then froze as a new voice spoke.

“Apples… Apples…” It was barely a whisper, but Garrus’s fur rose upward like there’d been a blast of arctic air across him. He scrambled to his feet, awkwardly bringing his hammer up, as he looked in the direction where the demon had been.

“No. You can’t… You’re- you- I watched you go down,” he stammered. He turned his head at an all too familiar noise nearby: the death rattle of a Risen. “Qirri- QIRRI! Look out for the Risen!”

“Death hardens us as water does a fired weapon, Firstblood. You out of all Tyrians should know that better than anyone.”

“She can’t hear you, Firstblood.” Tybalt chuckled lowly, while clutching at his abdomen. “She’s too busy for you, after all. Her little krewe, got herself a boyfriend now… No need for your little warband of two anymore, it seems.”

“Shut up,” Garrus hissed as he directed his phoenix Cailin at an abomination, while he struck the killing blow on the Risen in front of him. “Shut up! Tybalt, you were never like this! Why-?”

“I wasn’t hardened! I dragged myself out of there because I knew it wasn’t my time!” His hammer connected with the last of the Risen and he turned to try and find Tybalt on the ground so he could give him a piece of his mind. “More importantly, I had to get Vezz out of there! He was going to stay!”

“So noble and self-sacrificing,” Tybalt replied with a mocking laugh, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, Garrus found himself face to face with Rama, who looked confusedly up at the charr.

“You good, Commander?”

“I- yes. Fine.”

“It’s just that you were saying some stuff about someone named Tybalt..?”

“Worry about yourself, and I’ll worry about me.” Garrus shifted how he was gripping his hammer, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling growing in his stomach. The demon reappeared between them, and seemed to anticipate his next action as it slammed its fist into his stomach before he could swing upwards. He flew backwards and landed on his back, gasping. Before he could start to get himself up, there was a weight on his chest. He looked up and groaned. “No, no, not you…”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine.” He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. “It’s coming back.”

“Yeah, sure, but if something weird is going on-”

“Yes, me.” Ryland leaned into the paw he had planted on his chest, even digging his talons in. The wound from where his father had stabbed him still looked fresh. “Tell me Firstblood, you should-be gladium, were you having fun playing the hero? Fraternizing with that little rat you call a warband?”

Garrus bristled as best he could at that last accusation. “Ryland, I fought for all of Tyria! I still fight for all of Tyria, and all its people! We can’t keep seeing it as us versus them! Bangar-”

“Ryland, stop-” If there were any creatures on the platform with him and Rama, Garrus couldn’t get a clear sight on them to direct Cailin to attack. He couldn’t seem to hear any.

“I’ll stop when I’m good and ready. You want to know why? I did what I did for our people. I died for our people. Do you even remember the faces of your fahrar?”

“Don’t you dare speak of Bangar,” the other charr replied. “He thought of all of us. He was doing his duty to all of us. You are completely, utterly alone, Firstblood. If you really wanted to take responsibility for a dragon, you would have taken Braham’s place or mine as the champion of Jormag or Primordius. But you didn’t.”

“I couldn’t stop either of you from the choices you made-!”

“Because you didn’t care enough to,” Ryland spat back. “Because you care more about being the hero of your story than actually taking care of others. That’s why. You’re not a hero, Firstblood. You’re a coward who uses others for glory like a staircase.” He had to be drawing blood now with how heavily he was weighing down on his chest now-

A shot rang out from Rama’s saber, and Garrus blinked. Ryland was gone, but the pain remained. “Commander! Are you all right?”

“I- I think so. Got the wind knocked out of me.” 

He started to get back to his feet. Whatever was going on, he hoped Qirri wasn’t having nearly as bad a time he was up here. He rolled his shoulders, trying to work out the pain of having the weight of a full-grown charr male all but standing on his sternum.

“Commander, look out-!” Rama shouted. Garrus turned his head just in time to see the demon swinging at his head. Once again he hit the ground, this time his head bouncing off so hard that the breather with its special Jade Brotherhood filters was knocked away from his muzzle. He shoved himself up, reaching for his breather, but froze as familiar voices filled the air.

“You replaced us with an asura of all things?”

“You couldn’t be bothered to come back to even check if we were still alive? I was down there holding the rubble up with my magic for four hours, yelling for help, but no one came!”

“A skritt would be a better legionnaire than you, for all you cared after Barradin’s tomb!”

He shut his eyes as tightly as he could, abruptly reminded of when he was small - too small to even be in his fahrar yet - and a fearsome thunderstorm had rolled through. He could just barely recall the feeling of his dam’s arms enclosing him, keeping him safe from the roaring sky that seemed to be tearing itself in half every few minutes. The voices continued, escalating in volume, as he was peppered from all sides with a variety of threats: why hadn’t he stayed in the tomb if he wasn’t going to be a good charr; why couldn’t he have stayed dead in Elona if he was going to just ruin the world like this; what was the point of killing all the dragons if he was going to screw up and not kill the little rat that attacked the last dragon who wanted to actually cooperate. “ENOUGH-!” he roared after another attack on Qirri’s character: why would he want to travel with a “sickly little thing who should have been put down at birth by her dam”. He opened his eyes and started swinging, wildly, catching sight of the demon and snarling a command for Cailin to attack without a second thought. For a while, it seemed like their combined attacks, along with what Rama was doing, was finally working…

And then it abruptly disappeared.

“What happened?” Garrus tried to shout, but it didn’t come out. Instead it suddenly felt like every ounce of his strength was suddenly gone, as if something was dragging it out of him, and he dropped to his knees.

“Something’s wrong with Qirri-!” he heard from Gorrik in the distance, and everything disappeared in a blanket of gray.

Dark Visions

The haze hides darker thoughts. (AKA I am so sorry this is living rent free in my head now.)

Spoilers for EoD: What Lies Beneath

“I should have known I couldn’t rely on a child.”

If the tightness in her chest wasn’t bad enough, the sound of that sweet, familiar voice felt like a punch in her gut. The darkness clouding her vision was intense, but Qirri could just make her out: Sieran, glaring at her from where she lay on the ground. Glaring like the bubbly, kind sylvari had never glared at her in life.

“Sieran?” Qirri’s voice was muffled behind the breather mask, cracked from a blow from that awful ley line creature before. The air felt like oil. “Sieran, no, I- you said I did everything I could-!”

“You were too little, ruby eyes,” the apparition was rasping out. “Too small, too young. I should have known you could never handle this weight. You could never be strong enough.”

Qirri’s breath hitched in a sob, taking a few steps back, only being startled out of her shock when JUICE slammed a massive jade arm into the apparition of a Risen brute coming up on her left. Shaking her head hard, the little asura swung around her rifle, taking a few shots as she backed up, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

“No! No, Sieran, I did everything like you taught me! I messed up but I got better I know you know I did-!”

“Poor, weak little ruby eyes…”

“Sieran please!”

She had to focus. Clear out these Risen so she could think. Sieran… Sieran had always believed in her, hadn’t she? Had always known how capable she was! That’s why she’d pleaded with Gixx to let her take her on as an apprentice, in spite of her young age. She’d known what Qirri was capable of!

But the anguished rasping of the dying apparition continued in its damnable mutter, the words curling into an icy ball in her gut, so loud in her ears that she almost didn’t feel the hand that gripped her arm, yanking her out of the way of an explosion of dark energy right where she’d been standing.

Startled, she blinked, whipping her head around to find Gorrik, his mouth moving on words she at first couldn’t quite make out. She just caught the last of what he was saying as most of the darkness cleared from her vision. “...-gotten killed, chief! Are you okay- oh by the pinion gears, your mask is cracked! Quick, we can have JUICE carry you out of here into fresh air and-”

“I’m fine, Gorrik!” she bit out, jerking her arm away. Every breath felt heavy and thick, and she could feel her lungs laboring, too weak to process the strange mixture of haze and oxygen she was taking in. They didn’t have the luxury of backing down right now. “Where’s Garrus?”

The look Gorrik gave her was genuinely hurt, but he didn’t press, instead gesturing towards the platform lower down. “He’s down there with Rama. Yao and I are handling this one. You’re sure you’re okay? You were calling Yao Sieran-”

Immediately, almost as a reflex, Qirri tensed up. “It’s fine, Gorrik, don’t worry about it. Let’s just kill this thing and get out of here!”

She didn’t wait for him to reply, charging forward and giving a verbal command to JUICE to attack the demonic apparition. Not that it was easy- with her ventilator cracked, the medicated mist it pumped directly to her, was no longer doing much to help, slipping out into the viscous haze instead, and the filtration system she’d added before heading down was no longer functional.

There was no time to think about that right now, however. There was too much at stake, too much to do. They had to stop these things feeding on the ley magic, had to find out more about what was affecting it like this.

Yao was calling something out to Gorrik as they directed Finn to fire along with JUICE, but their words felt strangely muddled. Distant, like she was hearing them speak from underwater. That strange darkness was creeping into the edges of her vision again, and her breathing quickened, grip tightening on her rifle. “Gorrik! Gorrik it’s happening again-”

“I can’t believe I ever thought I could rely on you.”

She didn’t want to look. How could she look?

But she didn’t have much of a choice. If she didn’t, there was no way she was going to banish the strange nightmare, shaking as she shifted to glance in the direction of the all too familiar voice.

Sieran may have been her mentor in the Durmand Priory, but Zojja had always been there first.

And there she lay, that intense gaze focused on the small asura, a sneer curling up her lip. Qirri swallowed, shaking her head. “No. No, Zojja, not you.”

The apparition’s gaze didn’t falter, voice rasping as it had after Zojja’s injury in Maguuma. The last time Qirri had seen or spoken to her. What sort of pupil was she? “My mentor learned quickly that the first pupil is always the failure. I see now that was all too true.”

A hiccup of a sob escaped Qirri as she shook her head hard, JUICE moving into action on autopilot to take down a few Mordrem apparitions that threatened at the edges of her vision. “You don’t mean that!”

“You’re weak. Sickly and frail. You were never good enough to be my student. You were a failure as a student, and you were a failure in Maguuma.”

It was all she could do to keep firing on the Mordrem that clawed their way towards them. Keep knocking them back as her one time mentor continued to berate her, plucking at insecurities and whispering things she’d only ever secretly thought of herself.

“You don’t think that. You never thought that!” She hiccupped again, the awful tightness in her chest increasing. It was so hard to breathe. Her hands felt weak. “I was a good student! I learned so much, you taught me so much, I know I was good!”

“You were never. Never worthy.”

“Stop it!”

The darkness cleared as a final shot sliced through the apparition of a Mordrem, and this time it was Yao near her, their hands reaching out to right her as she staggered. “Qirri-! You don’t look good…”

Qirri sniffled and hiccupped again, coughing roughly as her lungs struggled against the thick haze. “I’m okay, Yao. It just… I just got distracted. Where is everyone?”

“Gorrik’s still up here. Detective Rama’s still with Commander Firstblood on the next platform. I think we’ve got this one on the ropes, but after that, we’re getting you out of here.”

“But-”

“No buts. I’m not losing any more friends down here today.”

Yao gave the top of her head a fond rub after that before they darted off, calling out to Finn to support her and JUICE as they engaged their prosthesis to start firing on the haze demon.

It was even harder to breathe now, but she did her best to keep her feet under her, checking her rifle before beginning to fire again. It was all she could do to stay focused on the fight again as her vision blurred in and out, even with her glasses somehow still in tact on her face. Strands of hair hung loose around her face, pulled free from where it had been clipped beneath her braids, and she could hear herself wheeze with every breath.

The platform where Garrus must’ve been was as loud as this one, and she could hear the charr even if she couldn’t make out what he was saying. It was, if nothing else, proof that he was still alive. Proof she could hang onto.

This had to be over soon, didn’t it? Surely the fight couldn’t drag on much longer. She wanted out of here, away from the terrible visions and the apparitions berating her, dragging up insecurities from the darkest parts of her mind.

She wanted her lungs to feel less like they ached and burned.

Focus was what she needed, but even as she tried, she could feel the darkness creeping in at the edges of her vision again. Like it had before, it made her stomach churn, and the knowledge that she would again be reached by these awful visions…

It couldn’t, she thought, be worse. Nothing could be worse than her two mentors acting like she was their worst decision.

But turning her head to see an all too familiar figure, just her side with her dark hair hanging around her face, sitting on her knees and huddled over as if to protect herself from the darkness that surrounded them both… it was almost too much to bear.

She would know Taimi anywhere. Even in a horrible vision.

“You were supposed to be there for me.” The accusatory voice from her dear friend, her krewemate, cut deeper than either of the previous hallucinations combined. “You weren’t there when I needed you.”

Qirri swallowed hard, taking a step towards the apparition. “Taimi… I’m sorry, I- I was sick, I couldn’t-”

The apparition curled tighter, and Qirri was forced to recoil and react as more aggressive haze beasts, resembling Awakened this time, began to claw their way towards them both. “You’re supposed to be my friend! Why haven’t you helped me?!”

“I’m trying, Taimi, I… you know I’m trying…”

This time, she couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks, shoulders shaking as she struggled to keep her feet underneath her. Taimi’s voice was too real, too close. They had been one another’s first asuran friend, they had formed the Dragonwatch Krewe, they worked so hard together and Qirri had made no secret of her work to try to find something to help.

“You never try hard enough!”

“I’m trying as hard as I can! I can’t lose you, Taimi!”

Those words seemed to finally break the apparition’s hold on her, and she staggered back as the darkness cleared, just in time to watch the demonic creature crash to the ground. Gorrik was yelling something, but it cut short when he saw Qirri standing with her rifle dangling in her hands, eyes wide as she stared at the spot the vision of her friend had been just moments before.

“Qirri?” He called, turning to head back over after seeing Yao down the zipline to the platform where Garrus continued his own fight. “Chief, Taimi isn’t here- are you okay?”

She tried to answer, but her throat felt tight. Every breath felt desperate, barely bringing any air into her aching lungs past the tightening in her chest, and Gorrik hurrying forward to get his arm around her was the last thing she saw before her eyes rolled back and she collapsed, everything going dark around her as her krewemate called her name.

[downthetubes]

Bowness-on-Windermere gears up for Lakes International Comic Art Festival with some stand out street art

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has unveiled its first comic art mural, by Mehdi Annassi, aka Machima, from Morocco

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has unveiled its first comic art mural at LICAF 2022 by the extraordinary multi-media artist Mehdi Annassi, aka Machima, from Morocco. Mehdi Annassi aka Machima, alongside his Windermere Arctic Charr mural at the Lake District Boat Club for LICAF 2022 Mehdi’s work is world-renowned and he is at the cutting edge of bringing comics outdoors and to a…

[cumbriacrack]

Iconic Ice Age species found in Ennerdale Water no longer on the brink of extinction A recent survey of the Arctic Charr has found an increase in the population in Ennerdale Water in Cumbria. The Ennerdale Arctic Charr Restoration project, led by the Environment Agency with money from fishing licenses and delivered in partnership with the Forestry Commission and Wild Ennerdale Full story: https://www.cumbriacrack.com/2020/11/27/iconic-ice-age-species-found-in-ennerdale-water-no-longer-on-the-brink-of-extinction/

[milkratz]

Physical differences in the other races, like Humans.

Norn who are further North are actually darker skinned, and tend to grow taller and more slender. They're more akin to pine trees. While Norn further South, while still tall, are built stockier and have a wider range of skin tones. Similarities between them include the length of their legs and arms; the main difference is in the torsos. Contrary to canon, because fuck canon, Norn can interbreed with humans, and because Norn are adventurers who are not trapped in the Shiverpeaks, there are Elonian Norn! There are Canthan Norn! Anyways, Norn are also prone to bone disorders and arthritis.

Charr, depending on their family line, may take on a variety of different appearances based largely on big cats; leopards, cheetah, etc. Horn shapes are hereditary. This ties into a head cannon that Charr started as clans or tribes and gradually grew into Legions and warbands. There are some Charr who's features are much more delicate and like that of a domestic cat; they're smaller, and their horns and teeth are sharper but also shorter. The larger the charr the better sprinter but they're poor at long distance. They are prone to Charr-exclusive diseases, like Feline diseases irl.

Asuras take on a variety of appearances, but those who are closer related to Rata Novus have more bat like features while Rata Sum have far more variety. I actually really like the way Asura look so I don't have many head cannons on them. Asura have poor eyesight and make up for it with their large ears and good sense of smell, but there is a section that has amazing eyesight but their ears are very large and droopy and have poor hearing and prone to infection.

Now Ive rambled about Sylvari already a lot and have another post dedicated to the possibilities of Sylvari, but I'll summarize it real quick.

Desert Sylvari. Arctic Sylvari. Cave Sylvari. Mermaid/Underwater Sylvari. Jungle Sylvari. All of whom are based off of varying plants and greenery and what not.

There are so many possibilities.

[littlefoxgw2]

I have a 4th birthday booster coming to me soon, so which of these babes should I use it on?

Reya Silvershot, Charr, female, likes guns a little too much but is a sweetie at heart. friend of Xyxxy. Wants to be either a Scrapper or a Mechanist.

Zephyr Through Pine, Elder Dragon of Nature, in training to be a Druid. friend of all creatures. has a pet Stag.

Sága Foxheart, Shaman of Fox, the mischievous “lesser” Spirit of the Wild. Has a pet Arctic fox kit who follows her around.

Kyra Duskstalker. They said she died at the Svanir raid on Jora’s Keep, but what actually happened to her is far worse. She won’t talk about it. She rarely talks at all these days. But if possible she’s become even more handy with a sword and shield and won’t hesitate to use them against anyone who looks at her the wrong way.

[aerisdraws]

Under the snow moon

Big thank you to my guild Mistspread [FOOLS] for hosting a wonderful full moon tarot night guild event. Special thank you to @lesbiancharr​ for being an excellent photographer and the card reader! Thanks to all those who read this story and provided feedback. 

The wind howled outside the mouth of the cave, occasionally triggering an eerie hum that echoed through the tunnel. Snowflakes swirled at a breakneck pace — the blizzard was picking up, and it was going to be a long night.

Solvi prowled along the cold rocky walls, her footsteps soundlessly landing in Sahar’s, the snow leopard that preceded her. Sahar’s spotted silver coat blended almost seamlessly with the surroundings as the feline cautiously stepped forward. There were ice imps in this cave, and while they were only a minor threat, they remained a nuisance. Best to avoid them, particularly as they attacked in swarms. Together they quietly traced the outline of the underground system.

The pair had initially entered the cave seeking shelter, but as they wandered deeper, the soft sound of voices bounced off the walls. Solvi could make out both male and female voices, so it couldn’t be Svanir, and they lacked the rich timbre of Kodan. As they snuck closer to the source, it sounded like... a party?

Solvi rounded the corner, bow in hand with a notched arrow, ready to get the drop on hostiles. Sahar crouched low, bracing to pounce. A large room came into view, carved into the belly of the mountain, and the occupants were revealed. 

To say it was a party was an overstatement, but it was a merry band of... she couldn’t quite tell. There were many sylvari — surely they’d freeze in this arctic weather? — and a handful of humans, as well as a number of charr. The last were not a big surprise, considering the proximity of the charr tribelands to norn territory, but these didn’t look like legion soldiers. 

“Relax,” she whispered to Sahar. Solvi stowed her bow. These people were unlikely to pick a fight, and they’d likely be more inclined to share the warmth of their fire with her if she approached them in a friendly manner. She considered removing her mask, but decided that she’d rather not run the risk of being recognised. Not everyone was a friend.

Now that she was out of the blizzard and had a chance to warm up, the snow that peppered her hair and clothing started to melt. Her skin seemed to steam in the glowing light of the fire — a sight not uncommon with norn, nature’s most efficient furnaces. She waved at the group as she approached them. Most were in animated, enthusiastic conversation. Another, more broody type, sat in the corner of the room. Solvi caught a few words. Something about murder, killing and the Pit... None of my business. Perhaps she’d approach the cheerier group first. 

As soon as she made it within the circle of strangers, a peculiar-looking pink-clad charr padded her way towards the red haired huntress. The chard’s soft white muzzle filled Solvi’s field of vision, sniffing the giantess’s person. 

“You have a strange energy! Would you like me to do a reading for you?” the white charr asked. 

Solvi looked at them with a quizzical expression. “A... reading?” Strange gathering indeed. 

The stranger nodded. “With my cards. You’re norn, aren’t you? Do you follow a Spirit?”

“I do,” the huntress replied. She glanced at Sahar, who had begun to pace around the charr, picking up her scent. Solvi’s green eyes darted back to the stranger. “My chosen totem is Wolf. He guides me when I need it most.” The crackling fire flickered for an instant, the silhouettes of the cave’s occupants dancing against the rock face.

The charr nodded knowingly, their friendly demeanour slowly putting Solvi at ease. “My cards offer guidance too – except that instead of calling to a Spirit, they use magic. Sit down, make yourself comfortable,” said the feline, waving to the warmth of the fire. “Do you have a question you would like answered?”

Solvi stepped forward and settled herself down beside the kind stranger. Sahar did not need to be told to relax, as soon as her companion had sat down the snow leopard curled up beside her, muzzle towards the flames. Solvi knew that Sahar was keeping a keen eye and ear on the crowd, despite her restful appearance. Comfortable and steadily warming up, Solvi took a moment to ponder. She had many questions, though most, she knew, could not be answered – yet. Her duties as commander had led her to making many grey decisions, of which their integrity was ambiguous. What did the ranger want to know? What could these cards answer? Could Trahearne have survived? What would he have done? No, there’s no use in torturing yourself over that again… and there’s no point in wondering if this struggle against the dragons will ever end. Surely there was something she could think of that didn’t awaken feelings of frustration. She wanted to know about something close to her heart, something almost forgotten. Solvi’s eyes twinkled as the question surfaced from the depths of her memory, a wisp of hope, loss, and love. She looked to the charr.

“There is something that weighs on my mind. A long time ago, I… I lost my pack.” Solvi furrowed her brow, trying to remember. She was so young when her parents had left her and her brother in Hoelbrak. The details were lost, like the horizon in a snowstorm. “I would like to know… if it is still worth looking for them, and if your cards can show me where to go.” She suppressed the urge to shift uncomfortably. It’s only memories. They won’t hurt you.

The question was asked. The charr revealed a deck of cards in their paw, padded digits gently grasping it. “I’ll shuffle the cards now. While I do it, focus on sending your energy towards me. When the cards are ready, I will draw them for you.” Solvi nodded, locks of red hair falling from her braid and sticking to her face as the snow melted. She closed her eyes, bringing her mind to stillness. Soon she felt the soft hum of energy that connected her to her snow leopard, but rather than following that thread, she searched for another. On her journey to become a soulbeast she’d learned that all things were connected, living and dead. Solvi found another hum, a different frequency that felt like the charr beside her. The norn focused on that lead, and tried to convey her emotions across the energy. Feelings of confusion, grief, and unshaken but dwindling hope. In her mind’s eye she saw herself, young and small and vulnerable, clawing in rage at the Wolf shaman that delivered her the news. The body of a child was too small to contain such enormous emotions, and even now as a fully grown norn, Solvi could barely fit the grief back into the small box she’d hidden away deep in her soul.

Inhale, exhale. The cards were drawn, sharp claws handling them with the delicacy of a feather. Ace of cups, seven of cups reversed, knight of cups. What they showed meant nothing to Solvi, but it only took the space of two breaths for the charr to understand.

Solvi’s interrogator cocked her head to the side curiously. Solvi noticed her four ears pricking as the charr interpreted the cards. “Could you tell me some more about your pack?” she asked, whiskers twitching. “How many were there, why did they go?”

“There were three in my pack, but only two were lost.” Solvi thought of her brother, with whom she had not spoken in… Spirits, it’s been many winters. Though Wolf taught her pack was her brothers and sisters, she could not help but feel guilt for the way she’d left things with her true brother. “I was only a pup when they left. It was for…” How do I explain that they left to forge their legend? “… work. They sailed south, and vanished. The trip was meant take only a few months, but when a year passed I was told the ship on which they sailed was… lost at sea.” Solvi was thankful for the mask that covered her face from the nose down. Though it could not hide the storm in her eyes, it did hide her clenched jaw. She swallowed the waves of emotion that threatened to burst her cool façade. It felt odd, talking to a stranger about something so personal. Perhaps that’s what made it easier: there was no judgement. The thoughts of an unknown person weighed less than the thoughts of people she cared about. The edge in her voice softened. “Over the years they’ve found some signs of it. Bits and pieces washing up on the shore, but no crew made it back.”

“Oh! The cups is a more clarified suit with that in mind…” pink eyes peered over each picture, seemingly unfazed by the tragic nature of the story. “The ace of cups, a crow looks into a cup overflowing with water – in the background, a crow holding a sun falls down. The aces are usually almost divine gifts: great potentials and opportunities.” The charr pondered, claw gently tapping the second card. “The seven of cups reversed. Upside down it’s the image of a crow surrounded by cups of different things, some good, some bad. She’s lost – shrouded and stuck in opportunity.” The claw traced the outline of the final card. “And then the knight of cups. He has mastered flying alongside a white horse as they journey along.”

The pair exchanged a glance. “So I think, overall what these cards are saying is… the seven of cups is clearly your crew, right? They must be adrift somewhere – trapped or lost or maybe even scattered.” The charr hummed. “It’s reversed, so they are kind of trapped by a ring of possibilities… mist world waters. It’s not an issue of having a way out, it’s… finding the right one for them.” Solvi saw the picture drawn by the reader in her mind: her parents, caught somewhere in-between worlds, the ship surrounded by fog. The reading continued. “You also have the ace of cups, which is overflowing with potential. I think this is you and your goals. The crow falling with the sun in the background symbolises the falling of your pack. You’re looking into the cup back on them and trying to find them in the waters.”

Obscure inner truths were revealed, knowledge untapped now bathed in light. While the answer remained elusive, Solvi saw new ideas in the charr’s words. What stood out to her the most was the presence of this black bird in each card. She reached a gloved finger and pointed at the corvid. “This looks like Raven. He encourages thinking out of the box, and this is certainly an unusual method. Maybe Raven has some guidance for me, and I’ve simply been asking the wrong questions.”

A smile drew its way along the stranger’s muzzle. “Maybe you should go as the crow flies,” they said with humour.

Solvi laughed, enchanted by these cards and their reader. “You’re clever and wise. Thank you for this reading. May the Spirits guide your hand when you next seek the counsel of the cards. What is your name?”

The charr seemed surprised. “Vetrius, uh…” they paused for a moment and glanced at the cards. “Pathreader.” Vetrius smiled. “I am sure our paths will cross again.”

Solvi returned the smile, though it was hidden under the mask. “I have no doubt it will, Vetrius Pathreader. Come, Sahar” she said, and the snow leopard came to its feet, stretching its spine. Solvi rose, her own legs feeling stiff from sitting on the cold floor for what felt like hours. Most of the eclectic group of people had left. The blizzard must have blown itself out. The norn brought two fingertips to her left cheekbone, touching the green tattoo just under her eye, and then turned her hand for her palm to face Vet. Her own way of saying ‘I see you’. “Thank you, again. Take care in this snow.”

With that, Sahar took the lead once more, guiding the pair out of the depths of the mountain. The wind had settled, and the night had cleared to reveal the full moon casting her silver light across the snowy ranges.

[axe-trio-commanders]

So, you know how the legions heard the term ‘pick your battles’ and chose all of them?

Zori did the same thing but with pets.

Some names, backstories, and ranger headcannons all under the cut! and. By nature of backstories, a few spoilers for... everything in guild wars up to icebrood, really.

So, vaguely from left to right, and in the order Zori met them, there’s

“Sun”, an old and grumpy cat Zori met and befriended as a cub. No longer living, but Zori’s first animal friend. Or... friend, at all. Guess who her warband’s named after?

“Kiori”, a stalker that became Zori’s first official ranger pet. The first thing she taught Kiori was how to steal snacks from her primus, and they’ve been inseperable ever since. She was picked up as a kitten, close to the brand, and essentially left on the fahrar’s doorstep.

“Soria”, a snow owl Zori met near the owl lodge, very shortly before first meeting Sieran. Zori had gotten lost, and felt bad for making Kiori come with in the cold. She didn’t question the good fortune of a new owl friend.

“Essia”, an arctic wolf Zori found near the priory itself, making a nuisance of herself as a small pup. She initially tamed her as a favor to an archivist, but quickly realized the pup wouldn’t leave. She did not see this as a problem.

“Chilli”, an ice drake that Zori accidentally came across in an altercation with some pirates in Lornar’s pass involving a certain sword hilt. They may have released an ice drake as an attack dog, and she may have simply charmed it and decided they needed to die for the attempt. Thankfully, Chilli was only with the pirates for a short time, and was not incredibly injured or traumatized in her stay, but Zori’s spoiled her regardless.

“Kecki”, a hyena ‘found’ after the ‘Untamed Wilds’ storyline. Zori decided that no one would miss a single pup, and may have smuggled one for herself in the process of finding more for the Kraal. They were cute and alone.

“Torch”, a thorn hound Zori met soon after the conclusion of the personal story, while exploring. The still-young, not quite entirely converted pup followed her after she fought her way through a nightmare court base, and Zori spent plenty of her free time caring for the pup as best she could. As of later, she often leaves the pup in the care of a mender and a much older fern hound named Terran, under the confident knowledge that Torch was already fond of and comfortable with both.

“Hendess”, a fire wyvern Zori only barely noticed was stuck in newly-grown thorn vines in Maguuma. By then desperate to save anything she possibly could, Zori nursed her back to health, entirely unconscious of the forming bond. This most certainly ended up paying dividends further into the jungle, though- as well as in her first confrontation with Balthazar- where Zori’s newly discovered Soulbeast tendencies, along with the wyvern’s bond, allowed her significantly more immunity to fire, even after the druids’ blessings had worn off.

“Claw”, a tiger found on fire island as a small cub. Zori, though she bonded with it, intended to leave it behind to protect Taimi, expecting the upcoming confrontation to go poorly. Thus, she let Taimi name him.

“Bucc”, a cheetah that was first bonded to a skimmer- not depicted here, but soon named “Sursk”- that became Zori’s mount very soon after the events of Path of Fire. Bucc hand found her way into the ranch as a kitten, and refused to leave the skimmer’s side. The bond she formed with Zori was slow as a result, but Zori took care of her in the meantime as best she could regardless.

---------------------

And now for some ranger headcannons!

-When a ranger has more than one pet, they may only have one available at a time. Due to this, the other pets have a choice of either simply returning home, or existing in a nebulous, non-physical state of lucid dreaming, which is generally a rather pleasant experience. When a ranger changes active pets, it generally looks rather similar to a necromancer summoning undead, and both processes are very much magical.

-It’s generally considered unnecessary for a ranger to have more than one pet, which is why the profession isn’t generally considered very magic-based, beyond a nebulous bond to the forest and animals that could easily be attributed to general skill.

-Despite this assumption, the bond between a ranger and pet is very much magic, and generally changes the pet in question. They, on average, become more powerful, and become connected to their ranger in such a way that if one were to study the magical make up, or sense the life force, of a ranger and their pet, they could very easily be mistaken for one another.

-When a ranger dies, their pets, however many they have, will immediately manifest and distribute themselves to those the ranger cared for most, and protect them until their deaths. They will retain whatever power they gained while in the ranger’s care, and tend to be extremely protective- which, at times, can be problematic.

And a soulbeast profession specific headcannon-

-For aesthetic and I-feel-like-it reasons, though a soulbeast will mostly retain their own forms, they’ll often gain characteristics and markings depending on which pet they channel- a charr’s fur will become more course and darker when channeling a fire wyvern, and they’ll gain resistance to heat- or, while channeling a snow owl, their fur might become soft and brighter, and there might be hints of feathers in it.

-Specifically for Zori, she likes channeling Kiori because cat-like features aren’t much of a change, and she can easily hide spots in her fur.

[frigorificocarnesmagallanes-blog]

Frozen Trout

Trout is the common name for a number of species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus, all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word trout is also used as part of the name of some non-salmonid fish such as Cynoscion nebulosus, the spotted seatrout or speckled trout.

Trout are closely related to salmon and char (or charr): species termed salmon and char occur in the same genera as do fish called trout (Oncorhynchus – Pacific salmon and trout, Salmo – Atlantic salmon and various trout, Salvelinus – char and trout).

Lake trout and most other trout live in freshwater lakes and rivers exclusively, while there are others, such as the steelhead, a form of the coastal rainbow trout, that can spend two or three years at sea before returning to fresh water to spawn (a habit more typical of salmon). Arctic char and brook trout are part of the char family. Trout are an important food source for humans and wildlife, including brown bears, birds of prey such as eagles, and other animals. They are classified as oily fish 

[caim-the-godstomper]

All the red for Gwallam and all the blues for Caiméilia

So the red for the blue child and the blue for the red child? Ourf, got dark on some points but hey, coming up!

Gwällam

Red - What makes you angry?

   I am very chill. You’d have to be such a selfish ass to get me angry that I haven’t met anyone who managed that! But I guess some…..high rankig arse from the Black Citadel or maybe human nobles….Oh and some asuras. You know, those always sucking their own dick about how much they are genius?

Crimson - Have you ever been in war? If so, describe how it impacted you

   Do you mean stuff like the charr-humans ones or the one against the dragons? I mean bot are stupids. Anyway, no I haven’t and I’ll keep it that way. Some people say it our duty to fight against the elder dragons. I say you don’t wage a war against a thorn-blessed hurricane 

Maroon - What are you most passionate about?

Exploring! By the sea, mostly but she can walks for day if it means discovering some secret places. Also the stars. Pretty stories and guide you at night? what’s not to like!

Imperial - Are you in any position of power or authority? 

Oh no, by the Mother no. I’ll leave that to another poor soul. Too much shit to deal with, not enough fun

Ruby - Would you consider yourself impulsive or reckless?

Yep, totally

Chili - Do you like spicy foods?

Also a strong yes. Spicy sea-food especially

Brick - What are some things you dislike?

Anything that restrains my freedom. Inquest…..Probably receiving orders too in some ways? I mean if I can negociate the orders then it’s fine…

Rose - Would you consider yourself a romantic person?

Oh sure, nice romantics gesture are nice. But you know what’s better? When you find an underwater ruin

Redwood - How tall are you?

A toll-average for a sylvari 

Wine - What is your opinion on alcohol? (and does it exist in your world?) 

Rhum all the ways!

Caiméilia (set pre All or Nothing final):

Blue - Are you a creative person? How do you like to be creative? 

I guess I can get creative with my battle plans? I don’t really have time for hobbies as the Commander

Peacock - Are you a more flashy person, or do you like to blend in?

Back when I was a Warmaster, I used to be quite the flashy kind. It felt good to be noticied for my good work when I got rejected for being “foolish and too young” the first time around. Nowadays, though….I never starve for attention, let’s say.

Sky - What is your favorite time of the day?

Well I like it when everything is golden thanks to the early/late sun. Also I like to rise “way too early” according to some to enjoy both the night sky and a good piece of quiet and beautiful light in the early morning.

Arctic - Do you prefer warm or cool weather? 

I can handle both just fine so long as I got plenty of water. But I’ll admit I like snow.

Cerulean- What is your favorite way to cool down in hot weather?

Bathing in a river or other watery places. And playing with my pets, though they don’t all enjoy water as much as I do

Baby (blue) - Would you consider having children? If so, how many?

I….can’t say I never thought of it. And I’d like to adopt many childrens but… Still. My job is far too time consuming and I’m always on the move. Aurene will be the only exception for some longs year I suppose.

Periwinkle -  Would you consider yourself to be a good parent? what do you think a good parent should be? 

I do my best for Aurene but I feel like it’s not enough. SHe’s too much in danger, always being so close to the fighting. But I can’t help it when Kralkatorik is tracking her down either….As a parent, I try not to lie and to spend plenty of time with Aurene. In a way my idea is “don’t do what the Pale Tree and Eir did.” I want her to know for sure that she is loved and that I will always be by her side.

Denim - What is your fashion style?

I’d say “sylvari” but my last leaves fell after Maguuma and refuse to regrow ever since. So, mostly weather adapted clothing that hide that fact.

Navy - have you ever been on a boat/sailing? does it exist in your world? did you enjoy it? 

Sailling is actually the only experience related to Claw Island I wouldn’t mind having again. But it’s a slow way to travel so I never got the occasion since then.

Ultramarine - What is your favorite aquatic creature? (if they exist) 

I got plenty. As with all animals, it’s more a matter of finding ones I don’t like than ones I do.

Cobalt - Do you live in a world with freedom? Describe your opinion on the subject

Sometimes I wonder if freedom really does exist. I certainly haven’t felt free in a long while. There’s always, always some roles I have to play or consequences I have to consider….

Teal - What makes you feel most at peace?

High places. Early hours when no one is up yet. Taking care of my pets. The best being the combination of the three! Taking a walk with Trahearne used to be the est and I’ m not sure even the combination compares but, gotta make your own peace of mind!

Turquoise - Are you good at communicating your feelings?   

I’d say so, yes. Erhm….Maybe so long it concerns my role and not me? Ok I am actually pretty bad at this all thing considered

Lapis - What is your opinion on religion and the afterlife? 

Look. I died before. It’s overrated. As for religions, well, the only religion that resonates with me would be the norn’s spirits. Also please, stop asking for Balthazar or another one of the six to bless me. The more time pass, the more I want to scream when people do that…..

Aegean - Would you consider yourself a wise person? who do you look to for wisdom? 

Have you seen the situaton we’re in? Clearly I’m not wise. I guess I look up at the stars for their wisdom. I got all my mentors killed after all