#caspian sea map

[beta-lactam-allergic]

This would look frightening at first. Crimea becomes an actual island, much of Southern Ukraine, Southern Russia, & parts of Kazakhstan & Romania are all underwater at 60 metres sea level rise.

But we aren't looking at 60 metres sea level rise. We are looking at 0.8-2m sea level rise by 2100 & maybe 9-15m sea level rise by 2300. We need a map of 9-15m, as 60m is just dishonest, that's not what's being predicted.

If the Black Sea area doesn't look bad enough use an area that would. At the levels actually predicted, Bangladesh is underwater, as are most Pacific Island nations.

In Australia, Eastern Seaboard cities like Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne & Sydney lose their lower lying parts at 2-4m sea level, though none of them are completely flooded. I haven't seen the 9m maps.

For people in the USA, most of Florida is underwater, as is New York & New Orleans. Same with most of the Chesapeake Bay region.

Using 60m sea rise maps doesn't help when in most parts of the world, 9m is still bad. Even 2m is bad to many places & even 0.8m (an optimistic scenario) leads to some places going below sea level.

If sea levels rose by 60 meters.

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Gold Turtle Necklace from Ancient Colchis (modern-day Georgia/South Caucasus) c. 450 BCE: this necklace was crafted from 31 turtle-shaped pendants, each one made of g0ld

The necklace was discovered during excavations at a site known as Vani, in Georgia (the country, not the state). Ancient Vani once served as the religious and administrative center for the Kingdom of Colchis; as I've previously discussed, Colchis was also known as the homeland of the fabled Golden Fleece, and to much of the ancient world, the Colchians themselves were renowned for their skills in goldsmithing.

The turtle pendants on this necklace are all decorated with ornate filigree and granulation patterns. The eyes of the 30 smaller turtles were originally made with glass inlay, while the eyes of the largest turtle (seen in the center) were made from drops of gold.

As this article also notes (translated from Georgian):

[This necklace] is unique because of the zoomorphic depiction that it presents. Among the known examples of goldsmithing from antiquity, the depiction of a turtle is not attested anywhere other than the Vani necklace. 

The local origin of the necklace is primarily indicated by the stylistic unity of the pendants with other examples of Colchian goldsmithing. It should be noted that the land turtle depicted on the pendants was widespread in Colchis.

The excavations at Vani have uncovered lots of other artifacts made by Colchian goldsmiths. These artifacts include temple ornaments, zoomorphic figures, pieces of jewelry, diadems, headdresses, hairpins, drinking vessels, and appliqués, among other things, and they've provided some really valuable insights into the unique goldsmithing traditions that existed among the peoples of Colchis -- and the myths that evolved as a result.

A few of the other golden artifacts from Vani:

Top: headdress ornament featuring an openwork design, c. 350-300 BCE; the central panel of this piece depicts a stag and three other deer, while the frame is topped by two lions and several rows of birds; Bottom: a diadem with a set of temple ornaments, c. 400-350 BCE; all of the panels along the front of the diadem depict scenes of prey animals being hunted by lions

Top: necklace with a series of ram-shaped pendants, c. 400-350 BCE; each pendant was forged from two separate castings that were sealed together to form a complete shape, and the ears/horns were then soldered onto each piece; Bottom: set of bracelets with boar finials, c. 460-440 BCE

Set of temple ornaments that depict two pairs of riders on horseback, c. 400-350 BCE

And a map showing the location of modern-day Georgia (just for reference):

As this map illustrates, Georgia is nestled right at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, with the Black Sea located on one side and the Caspian not far from the other; it is bordered by Russia to the North and by Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to the South

Sources & More Info:

National Geographic (Georgian): Golden Kolkheti

Atinati: The Golden Kingdom of Colchis

Smithsonian: Summary of "Wine, Worship, and Sacrifice: the Golden Graves of Ancient Vani" Exhibition

Burusi (Georgian): The Archaeological Discoveries at Vani

Quaternary International: A Modern Field Investigation of the Mythical “Gold Sands” of Ancient Colchis and the “Golden Fleece” Phenomena

[mcondance]

i love you caspian 😞

caspian would be so gentle with his girlfriend…… you insist on going on his travels with him because you don’t want to leave him alone, as you know how in his head he gets at times……… so you set sail with him……… and he’s so sweet to you on board…….. i would say you don’t lift a finger while you’re there, but caspian knows you’re not the type to just sit still while everyone else is bustling around you. and, you like sailing. so he lets you help with whatever you want to help with. he’s still worried for you though, especially when he can’t see you, so he pulls drinian and reepicheep to the side on your first day at sea and tells them “look out for your lady.” drinian and reepicheep oblige. especially reepicheep, as he splits his time between helping with the ship and perching on your shoulder as you pick up whatever task you see left undone.

at times, caspian’s so overwhelmed by your beauty that he stops what he’s doing and just stares. “look at our king,” the crewmates whisper when they catch him watching you again, “he’s in love.”

and at night, when reep’s on watch, and drinian’s looking over the map, at night when things are quiet and calm, you find yourself in caspian’s lap in his quarters, your pink, flowy nightdress bunched in his lap with his hands seemingly all over you. caspian’s level-headed, and he’s a man of control and wisdom, but watching you enjoy yourself doing something he loves endlessly tightens his chest and causes him to turn over and pepper kisses and praises along your jaw until you end up here, rocking back and forth with the motion of the ship.

“you’re so beautiful, do you know that?” he’s speaking, but it’s like he’s inside your mind, because it’s so much and you couldn’t respond even if you tried your hardest. all he gets back is a whine and another sway of your hips, but it’s enough for him. hearing his princess feel good because of him is more than enough. in a while, a long while because you two could kiss and touch for hours, he’ll finally slip your underwear off with his lips still pressed to yours, and slip in like that.

“oh, caspian,” you gasp when the head of him notches against your entrance, and caspian swears he feels you trying to suck him in.

“yes, my love?” he asks as he slips in just a bit, his arm braced around your back, his devoted eyes fixed directly on your divine face. at your whine, he feels his heart melt even further in his beating chest. further down you slide, whimpering all the while, until you’re flush against him.

like this, you and caspian stay, for a while. it’s always been like this, there’s never been a rush to move to the next stage, and you and caspian quite like this one. slowly, you find that the slow rocking of the ship provides soft, muted stimulation, and caspian’s heart swells as he realizes that two of his greatest loves are working in tandem now.

“my love, my right hand, my companion,” he all but moans into the soft fabric of your nightdress. when he thinks about how much he loves you his mind bends. you nod at every declaration, gazing into his eyes and finding love reflected back at you. when he’s like this, he can’t stop himself from waxing soliloquies to you. “i’ve travelled so many seas, seen lands so beautiful, but none have been as beautiful as you. aslan has blessed me so.”

in the midst of his admissions, you both begin to move slowly, and still his mouth drips milk and honey.

“i love you,” you confess, and a groan rips out of his chest, “i love this, i love sailing with you, i love watching you lead, i love you.”

“we can do this until aslan calls us home. i’ll take you as far as you want. i promise- i swear i’ll show you beauty you’ve never seen before. but none will hold a candle to you. nothing will ever be as beautiful as you.”

at times you wonder what you did to deserve a love like this. caspian wonders the same. his thanks to aslan are ever-flowing.

in the morning, he’ll wake before you and take pleasure in watching you rest. the soft roll of the ship calms you, and keeps you suspended in sleep. when you wake, with sleep still in your eyes, and climb to the top deck, caspian’s eyes melt when he spots you.

“good morning, high princess!” reepicheep greets you, and caspian thinks he could lose his breath watching you play with reep, your dress flowing in the wind, so graceful and so very beautiful.

sometimes, you help him keep watch. perched up on the upper deck, you rest your head on his shoulder and he intertwines his fingers with yours, and you both watch the sea roll. caspian loves you, narnia, and the sea, and traveling. and here, with you by his side, the sea billowing under him on a voyage to unknown lands, and the title of king, he has all his loves with him.

[whencyclopedia]

A map illustrating the far-reaching voyages and settlements of the Vikings during the 8th to 11th centuries, spanning much of Europe, the North Atlantic, and parts of North America. Viking explorers and traders traveled as far west as Newfoundland in modern-day Canada, establishing temporary settlements like Vinland and as far east as Constantinople and the Caspian Sea, engaging in trade, raiding...

[lokotrona11]

COMPETITION AREA. 

The gif is not mine!

Pairing : Caspian X x Reader!

Summary : You used to date Peter and now you're with Caspian, but your past complicates your current relationship.

Gender : sad, cute, silly??.

word count: 1k

AN : This is stupid but I wanted to post it. Also say that I took it out Almost angels! (Argentine program)

----

''Seriously Lucy, we're fine with Casipan''  

Lucy returned to Narnia with Edmund in the middle of the sea, and that made you happy because they were your friends but now you had a situation: Lucy did not believe in your love for Caspian. 

''We're really good, seriously'' You repeat again. 

''Yes, darling, but being well doesn't mean being in love'' 

You stop seeing the map that rests on the table. ''Listen, you miss Peter, right?''

You sigh, letting your shoulders slump. They dated Peter before he grew old enough to no longer be accepted in Narnia, so you were left alone, desperate and without your loved one, but then within your desolation, with patience, Caspian won your heart.

''Obviously I miss Peter, how I miss Susan, how I miss you guys'' You explain. ''But what does that have to do with Caspian?''

''Don't play dumb'' Lucy's voice is a perfect mix of sweetness and firmness.

''The question is if you miss Peter as a boyfriend... as a man''

''Ehm..'' You start stammering, searching for your words. ''Lu, Peter was very important to me and I will love him all my life but now I'm with Caspian and I'm fine''

 ''Well, but if you have to choose, have to compare between one and the other, who...?''

You interrupt her. ''Stop, I'm not going to compare because comparisons are hateful'' You reason. 

''I am hateful, compare'' Resolve. 

''Well, they're different.'' You try to eliminate the topic but Lucy raises an eyebrow, waiting for the answer she wants. You gasp and give up. ''Caspian is sweet and I had a great time with him''

''Bored.''

''It's not boring... but if I have to compare Peter was more romantic, he prepared surprises for me'' Lucy smiles.

''I still have a good time with Caspian, he's just less expressive'' You try to defend him. 

You raise your arm, not knowing that Caspian was hearing from the other side of the room. ''No?''.

—

''Where are you taking me?'' You smile with Caspian's hands covering your eyes. 

''You trust me'' He answers, also smiling. 

Caspian counts to 3 and removes his hands showing a lake. 

''How cute..'' He says cloyingly.

His hands travel around you, hugging you, and he kisses your temple. 

You shake your head, looking at him. ''And why did you bring me here?'' 

''It's a surprise''

''No, no, no, what a surprise? I have to organize the next event and you must...'' You ramble until Caspian interrupts you. 

''Wait love, the world is not going to fall if we take a day off.'' He holds your body in his hands. Then your face changes, you just smile and kiss him. 

—

Caspian leaves the rod stuck in the ground, with the hook in the water, and runs to you, who are resting on the blanket on the ground. 

You bite your lips when he comes to you with a dreamy smile. 

The rod falls and a noise leaves your lips wanting to run to nail it again.

''No! ''Seeing your intentions, Caspian stops you and runs to do it himself. ''Stay there, you are my guest of honor'' 

You laugh and return to your place.

When Caspian returns to your side you look at his face, kissing him.

''I love you'' You say, falling onto the blanket with his body floating above you. 

—

''Do you hear?''

''What?''

''Nothing, silence. You hear it?'' Caspian nods and your eyes shine, caressing his cheek.

'''How many people are there that you can stay like this with? In silence?'' Lectures.

''Only one, and you?''

You don't answer, you just take his lips with a goofy smile. 

After several kisses you separate.

''Loosen up, there are underage birds'' 

Caspian laughs softly, ''How I would stay in this moment forever...''

''Well, let's stay, here and now. Although we are going to miss the boys a little''

''If I'm with you, I don't miss anyone.'' He joins his lips.

''Not even a bit of noise, of swords...?''

 ''No, nothing'' He says quickly and with some desperation he kisses you. 

You separate again. ''Look, with so much silence we can get bored as a log''

Caspian sighs and lets his face fall to rest on his fist.

''That's right, I'm going to miss the horses'' You comment looking at the lake.

''horse riding ..''

Your comment only frustrated the boy more, because there was no one who didn't know that it was Peter who taught you to ride, and gave you that fanaticism.

''But who says, maybe one will come here'' You smile and Caspias can't stand it. 

''Why don't you say it once and for all?'' He Accuses. 

''What?''

''You've got me fed up, you miss Peter all day, all the time.''

Your tongue is spoiled and your nerves make you babble. ''Caspian, what are you talking about?'' 

Caspian stands up and feels like he explodes. ''About what happens to you, what happens to you when you see the photos and you regret not being there with him'' 

''That's different from me, more sensitive, more romantic. Did you know? Why don't you cross that world of his and go with him? '' His words come out alone and he is not able to think about what he says. 

Your eyes lower as your boyfriend walks away.

''My love, come here'' You say running towards him. ''Stop. What's wrong with you?'' You reach for him.

His eyes seem to darken and he scratches the back of his neck. ''I'm jealous, I'm jealous of Peter's ghost,'' she admits.

''I heard you talking to Lucy and I started competing with him''

''What? I don't know what you heard"

''I wanted to be as romantic as him but it all turned out wrong. I can't compete with the memory you have of him.'' 

''Alright..''

 ''If he were here it would be very different, but he is not here and it is very difficult.. '' He rambles and you have to interrupt him

''Well'' You sigh. ''I miss Peter as much as the other boys.''Caspian shakes his head, not believing your words.

''But because they are my friends and I want them back.'' You explain. 

Your hands touch his face. ''That has nothing to do with us, my love."

"I want to be with you and that won't change even if Peter comes back."

He removes your hands from his face. ''No, you don't know what's going to happen to you''

''Yes, yes, I know"

''no, you don't know and that's fine'' It is pointed out. ''On the other hand, I do know what's happening to me.''

He eyes stab you. ''I do know that I love you'' He snorts and touches his head.

''Forgive me, but I can't be a mature guy, sometimes the child inside comes out''

You just smile and your eyes narrow.

Caspian gives a half smile. ''You love me the same, don't you?''

You don't nod, you don't speak, you just take his walk and your mouths meet. 

They both return to the blanket and enjoy their evening, until nightfall, but more in love than before. 

[ya-boi-haru]

Part 3 of Coffee Shop AU (until I can get enough to make a story lmao)

Part 1

Part 2

Practice sample

---

• Quixis has a variety of sun/glasses, some normal, some funky. (They mainly wear the funky ones at the club)

• Kai challenged Centross to make a drink, improvise the recipe. He made a blue/green drink. He refuses to tell Kai what inspired him to make it, but he did say he called it Sea Breeze

• Icarus developed a very special, extra strong coffee for hangovers (kind of had to, since they're the closest shop to The World Port)

• Caspian was interested in Rae and Aax, but he learned that they were dating before learning they were poly, so he tried - and failed - to keep some distance and move on, thus Rae and Aax have to be the ones to make the first move

• Ulysses likes non sweetened coffee

• vs Athena and Jamie who prefer them really sweet

• Rae always gives Athena an extra marshmallow in her hot chocolate and Jamie extra honey in their tea

• Quixis has actually stepped into The Alchemists Brew and ordered, but how damn convenient that Icarus wasn't on at that point and it was during the hour their cameras were out for an update

• Quixis has piercings! 2 lobes, 1 and 2 on helix and lip (im debating adding the earring to lip chain pricing, but is that making them serve too much?/hj)

• Yes, the Sea Dragon plays sea shanties in amongst their playlist of songs. On a good night, the whole place is singing it

• Quixis and Centross can do those fancy moves/motions and tricks when making/pouring drinks. Centross is trying to teach Kai how to do them

• Rae can do some latte art. However if it's a special one (Birthday drawing, a new art, a flirty heart for a certain writer-) he gets a little shakey

• (we don't tip here so I'm not sure how to give tipping headcannons lol)

• Will has little jars of sand, dirt from places he's actually been. Some he keep at his place others are decor for the shop.

• In The Traveller, there's a large map with little notes of where certain tea and coffees are from

• Quixis calls Icarus "Sherbert" cause their mix match/split colour aesthetic reminds them of sherbert. It's started because they didn't know their name, but then it just stuck for them

• Athena, Rae and Jamie have matching little embroidered flowers on their aprons

• All of them managed to get custom pronoun pins ordered, so they all wear one

• Rae hums when lost in his work and Aax tries - and fails - to not stare

--

Open to adds on/suggestions

What would be a good name for the au?

[casp1an-sea]

One of the places I have to know for my map quiz in my geography class is the Caspian Sea. I laugh every time it’s mentioned.

[padfootagain]

Pirates (VI)

Chap 6: The Predictions of the Witch

Hello, lovelies! Here we go with a new chapter for this Caspian fic!

I hope you like this new chapter! Tell me what you think!

****

Pairing: Caspian x Pirate!Reader

Warnings: depictions of violence in later chapters (fight scenes… nothing too terrible), slow burn, fluff!

Summary: As ships disappear across the sea, Caspian is forced to go investigate himself. But to win against the wild uncharted waters he must cross to reach his people, he needs to bargain with pirates. And then, he finds you…

Word Count: 2540

Masterlist for the series – Caspian’s Masterlist – Main Masterlist

Journeying eastward was dangerous.

You were well aware of that fact. Travelling so far from the main land was a risky business, especially in these waters that were filled with treacherous currents, sea creatures that would eat you at the first chance they got, reefs sharper than knives, hostile islands and, of course, pirate ships roaming these waters in search for an easy prey.

But now more than ever, the trip was to be cautiously planned. There were rumours of ships disappearing for no apparent reason. And if there was one thing that you hated as a captain, it was to take a step into the unknown.

You had discussed the first steps of your journey with Sylvia, Caspian and Drinian and had agreed to head to the Red Island. It was but a small piece of rock and sand, a small forest sheltered at its centre. It was home to a small community that was friendly to pirates, and travellers in general. You counted on their help to get some information about the lost Narnian ships. But the journey would take two full weeks, at the very least, and in the meantime you had plenty of things to do and figure out.

Peter was a fraud, and you knew it. You had guessed that he had hidden his true identity, but he also seemed to heavily downplay the power he had over his men. He had claimed to be a rather unimportant Narnian Lord, volunteering for this mission in order to gain glory and attention from the King. You knew he was lying.

Who by Aslan’s tail was he?

You were torn from your thoughts when the bell rang. You got up from your desk, filled with maps and papers covered with calculations, crossed your quarters and walked onto the bridge.

You were not surprised to find Peter perplexed as everyone gathered around and then waited.

“What is happening?” Caspian asked his neighbour, a wolf called Maria.

“To reach Red Island, there are two different paths possible. One is longer, one is shorter.”

“And the safest?”

But Maria laughed in a barking noise, low and almost threatening, like all wolves do when they are in a good mood.

“Nothing is safe in these waters! It will depend on the weather and the current state of the currents. That’s why we need Bethy’s advise.”

“Bethy?”

But the wolf merely nodded towards the old blind woman Caspian had spotted as they departed that morning. Mere hours had passed since they had left Saint Iron, but they had crossed its perilous reefs safely already. They were travelling on an open sea once again, with a horizon that could barely be spotted between the blue of the sky and the blue of the sea.

Caspian frowned hard as two women were helping Bethy walk to the centre of the bridge.

She breathed deeply in the salted air, a smile spreading on her lips, and when she opened her unseeing eyes and turned her face to the heavens, Caspian thought that she could see, for a moment.

She walked towards the banister, turning her empty gaze towards the sea. All were silent on the bridge, and Caspian didn’t dare to speak either.

But Bethy shook her head.

“I cannot hear the sea,” she said.

Caspian was surprised when you crossed the deck and hurried towards the Dawn Treader, that was peacefully cruising next to the Bleeding Twilight.

You easily caught Sylvia’s attention, and placed your finger on your lips.

It took a few minutes for all on the Dawn Treader to grow quiet, but a nod from Caspian quickened the pace of Sylvia’s argument with Drinian and Lacusa. Meanwhile, Reepicheep was staring curiously at the old woman on your bridge.

“Try again, Bethy,” you encouraged her, and she moved closer to the edge a second time.

She took another deep breath, as if tasting the air itself. She raised a palm, listened closely to the waves, to the water hitting the hull of the ships, the wind blowing in the sails. She stood straighter, as if reaching for the sun she had turned her face towards.

It lasted a couple of minutes during which no one dared to move on either ship. And then, Bethy was turning back into the hunched old woman she was, reaching out a hand to silently ask for support; one that you quickly offered. As she took your arm, she smiled, recognizing you in an instant.

“The sea speaks quiet voices towards the south. We should take the short road. Clouds will be heavy on the other path. The currents will be against us if we follow the stronger wind.”

You nodded, turning to Charlotte.

“We head south. We’ll cross the Hundred Banks and change our course after we’ve left the sand behind.”

Charlotte nodded, shouted a few orders, and you guided Beth to sit down on the steps leading to the helm.

“It will be a difficult journey,” she warned you, her voice deepened by age and the salty air of the ocean. “Mind your heart as much as your reason. Great enemies are ahead, and they follow as well. Your sharpest wound will be caused by the dearest voice.”

She took a deep breath, hunched over a little more. But then, her usual, gentle smile was back on her lips, and she closed her blind eyes again.

“Oh, reaching for things to come is a tiring business,” she chuckled.

“Do you want something to eat or drink, Bethy?” you offered, voice gentle.

“No, no… I am fine. Bring me the boy though.”

“The boy? You mean… Peter?”

“Yes, bring him to me.”

You obeyed without a second thought, calling for Caspian. His expression was expectant as he approached.

“Yes, Captain?”

But Bethy held out her hand towards him, and you nodded, silently inviting him to hold her fingers in his.

She took a deep breath, while Caspian turned to you.

“What is this all about?” he asked, confused.

But Bethy spoke to you first.

“He lies. He lies but he doesn’t regret it yet. He will though. Soon, he will long for the truth.”

Caspian frowned hard, tried to let go of Bethy’s hold, but she clenched her fingers tighter, keeping him imprisoned in her hold. Her fingers were deformed by age, covered with wrinkles. Still, her strength was surprising enough for Caspian to be unable to free himself.

“His heart beats to the rhythm of the ocean. Seafarer he is called, or will be soon. He has seen light and darkness alike.”

And then, just like that, the crushing hold was gone, Bethy lowering her hand leaving Caspian more puzzled than ever.

Bethy turned fully to you.

“We can trust the boy. His heart is sad, it longs for something he will find during this journey, although it is not what he set out to find. He thinks he has lost something, but it was merely missing.”

“Can we trust him?”

“His heart is on Aslan’s side. He can be trusted.”

Caspian was even more puzzled to hear Aslan’s name spoken by a pirate, but you turned to him then, and he could only focus on you.

“Bethy is our matriarch, if you will. She keeps us safe,” you explained. “She sees things we do not. Call her what you wish, I don’t know the name you would give her in your land. In Saint Iron, she’s a witch.”

Bethy chuckled.

“And a good one too,” she laughed.

“Excellent, even,” you added.

“A witch? Do you know ancient magic?” Caspian asked, aghast now.

“Everything is ancient, boy,” she answered. “Everything is the same, but different. All that matters lingers through the centuries, no matter who is alive to see them. The rocks, the trees, the sky, the ocean, love, and hatred, and fear… everything is ancient, boy. Even our hearts.”

She chuckled as she rose in a slow, painful movement.

“I will go to the prow for a while. The wind is in a better mood there.”

You helped her through the stairs, but then she was able to hold onto the banister on her own and moved to her favourite spot by the prow.

Caspian remained standing behind you.

“I did not understand the words she spoke,” he admitted, and you let out a laugh.

“No one does. But sooner or later, everything she says turns out to be true.”

“So… you trust her to choose our itinerary?”

Your smile was mischievous when you answered.

“And blindly so. Now, be a good lad, and go help with the sails. These muscles have to be of some use.”

Before Caspian could reply, you had stepped away, and he was left with the ghost of an amused smile on his lips and a thousand questions.

There was a street in Saint Iron that was known for its nightly life. Or, to be more precise, for its brothels and taverns where one could get as drunk as they wished and fully succumb to their darkest desires. Most were too wise to venture there, but some were eager to forget the life they led, so much so that debauchery seemed a pleasant escape.

The fox was not walking through this street looking for a night of pleasure though. Instead, he was there on business. After all, who was easier to rob than a drunkard?

His expert paws were working magic, and he had already seized enough gold to get by for a couple of weeks, when he got himself into trouble. Or rather, when trouble found him.

Trouble that night was wearing a blue and white cloak, a white panache on his pirate hat. And despite handsome features, there was something so cruel in his gaze that all walked away before him.

And the fox was no exception. But then again, Devos was looking for him tonight. And one can never escape Devos’s hold…

“Foxie! How are you?” Devos had a grin on his face, that sent the fox trembling in a corner of the alley.

It was dark already, almost midnight. Besides rare torches, there was but the light of the moon and stars to light up the alley. It was a dead-end, and both Devos and the fox knew it. It smelled of urine and rhum, the cobblestone mixed with mud and dirt that stuck to paws and the soles of shoes.

“Captain Devos! To what do I owe the pleasure?” the animal asked, training a wary eye on the pirate.

“Can’t I bid a good night to an old friend? Must I have a reason to see you?”

“Well, I wouldn’t have called us friends…”

Devos laughed, too loud, the sound becoming threatening as it rang through the deserted street.

“You hurt my feelings here, foxie!”

“My name’s Salomon.”

“I know, foxie. But who calls you that?”

“My friends?”

But Devos was growing tired of the slow conversation. After all, he was looking for information. And he was definitely not friends with Salomon. He reckoned he was not friends with anyone at all, as a matter of fact…

“Actually, you are right, of course. I’m here with a purpose.”

“What do you want?”

Devos noticed the way the fox seemed to curl around the small purse by his side, but the pirate merely chuckled.

“I doubt that a pickpocket of your kind could earn enough gold in one evening for me to bother stealing it from you. No, what I am looking for, my dear foxie, is information.”

“Information?”

“About Blue Feather and her newfound friends.”

Salomon swallowed with difficulty. He was too afraid of Devos not to tell him everything he knew, but if you learnt that he had been revealing information about your crew… he didn’t want to imagine what you would do to him.

“What do you want to know? I’m not part of her crew, I don’t know anything…”

“Come on, don’t play humble with me. I know you like learning an awful lot of useful details about everyone here. After all, you do resort to blackmail every once in a while.”

“Only to make ends meet, it is hardly my main occupation.”

“Still, I know you have information on Blue Feather. So, tell me. What’s going on with her? Who are the men who were with her and when will she leave?”

Devos rested a hand on the hilt of his sword, but he didn’t draw it, and he didn’t need to. Both of them knew that his reputation was threatening enough.

“If I tell you, will you let me go unharmed?”

“Of course. I might need you again, in the future.”

Salomon slowly nodded.

“The Bleeding Twilight was moved during the night, but the tide wasn’t right. Rumour has it that she simply moved her ship to another part of the island, and waited there for the tide to allow her safe passage through the reefs. Some say that she’s still on the island, some say she’s gone with the morning tide.”

“Where did she go?”

“No one knows. I swear, I don’t know.”

“And the men with her?”

“Some claim they are Narnian. Some say they are even Lords! Blue Feather would have been hired as a guide. One of the men was spotted for a while on the island, he was stranded with some of his men on Saint Iron. Narnians. They were heading East looking for something.”

“Something?”

But Salomon shrugged.

“Some talk about ancient Narnian relics, pre-dating the Kings and Queens of old, some kind of old magic. Some say they are looking for disappearing boats. Some say they are looking for Aslan’s land.”

Devos rolled his eyes. Aslan… Ancient kings and queens… tales for children, bedtime stories, all of it.

“So, she’s gone East?”

“There is no reliable information. I’m just talking about rumours. I’m not certain.”

“Careful, as always.”

“Best way to stay alive in this economy…”

“Of course.”

Devos nodded, let Salomon go. After all, perhaps he would truly need him again one day.

The pirate was thinking as he walked back towards his own ship. There was money to be made in the company of Narnians – or rather, in the parting from them and the sinking of their ship. And you were involved, which only made Devos more interesting in the whole ordeal. After all, you were his rival. He both hated and loved you. He wanted to spend a night with you but also cut your throat. Who knew… he hoped he could do both, one day. If he had to settle for only one, then he guessed he’s choose to kill you with his bare hands, though...

A smile formed on his lips as his decision was taken. He shouted his orders to the man on sentry on the dock, right by his ship. He would not wait for dawn, not wait for the fading of starlight.

You had turned into a prey, and Devos was very, very hungry, indeed…

***************************

Taglist : @reg-arcturus-black

[sovietpostcards]

What part of Russia that you've been to would you say is the most beautiful? I imagine there are many nice places to see

Ooh my favourite area that I've been too is the South—Sochi and the Caucasus. I love mountains! And the sea! All of the things we don't have here. I want to explore more of the area, I want to visit Dagestan and see the Caspian Sea. Unfortunately it doesn't have the reputation of a very safe place, esp. for women.

In the North the farthest I've been is Karelia, which a beautiful, eery place with its rocks and pine trees and moss.

But there are so many places I've never been! I hate that I will never be able to visit them all. For reference, here's a little map of the country's area I've covered during my travels.

[stargender-lilandil]

thinking about how in voyage of the Dawn Treader, Rhince is first mate on the ship and stranded from his wife with his daughter (the latter in the movie)

maybe Rhince starts to realize he is bisexual after being estranged from a traditional marriage and Caspian is also exploring that in the freedom of being at sea (not in the palace) in order to marry for love

they have an affair, laying down faith and sword when needed to bring each other through the storms during the voyage. and seeing the young king help teach his little girl to fence and read maps and constellations sets his eyes aglow

in other words ✨BIRATES✨

[amadholes-lostre]

Orginal-Verse: Erden

I like speculative evolution, I like science fiction, I like alternative history, and I also like fantasy, so i have an idea to blend these genres together, which appealed to me greatly. I have had an idea about my OV for a few years now, however, it is unlike my other OV, which I have it since my high school years in 2012. All these ideas form into a world called Erden, meaning 'Earth' in Anglisc.

Erden is similar in many ways to Earth, either geographically or astronomically, though there are changes in space. For one, Saturn orbits where Mars does now, and not only Venus is closer to Erden now (20 mi kilometers at their closest), but Venus is now trimming with life. Erden is also 15mil kilometers closer to Mars/Saturn too, which means Erden also has a longer year (likely 50 days).

Magic exists, too, influencing both geologically and biologically. The magic system is the one I talked about before on my BNHA-au posts, where Wednesday Netflix is in the BNHA-verse, too. And there are more sapient races that aren't just humans too.

I incorporated many ideas that could be divided into three categories:

1). Geography. There are many locations that don't exist at Earth, which does at Erden, and there are some that don't exist at Erden. I, again, will divide it into three categories when creating these locations.

On mythical lands and errors on mapping. There are lands that exist on Erden that are usually viewed as myth to Earth. For instance, Altantis exist, both the city and the island. It is situated on the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Other mythology islands and lands exist, too, like Fusang/Fuso, Avalon, and others . Phantom islands also existed like Thule, Frisland, Brasil, and California.

It is based on either geological events from the past or future and on hypothetical or submerged lands. Atlantis is situated on the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, while Fusang/Fuso is situated on the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc, southeast of Japan. Doggerland, a land bridge that connected Britain to mainland Europe, is still surface, making Britain a peninsula rather than an island (also having so many goddamn bloody wars). New Zealandia, the submerged continent, is also surface, while the East African Rift had already broken off from Mainland Africa. The subcontinent of India hasn't crashed into Asia yet, and so, it's too is still remain island. The Isthmus of Panama also doesn't exist, too, now being a strait, with a large island off the coast of western Columbia.

Here is just what I wanted to make. I didn't based this off on either mythical lands or geological events but just what I wanted. So, first of all, there is a strait from Gaza (now an island) to Taba, making a journey between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean straightforward. This has many consequences, one of which is that Roman never managed to conquer Judea, meaning not only Christianity (other than a weird, small Jewish cult) doesn't exist, but the genocide and expulsion of Jews from Judea also didn't happen. The Black Sea is also connected to the Caspian Sea through Russian territory (lol, lmao even), connecting the region around it to the wider world. This means the region also has a higher population. The Ryukyu Islands also have a massive island, connecting Okinawa with Amami (also, Ryukyu 🤝 Fuso= hating Japan together). There's also massive islands off southwest of Britain and northeast of Spain.

2) I like speculative evolution on the possibilities of an animal existing, especially if they are fantasy animals. Here, a lot of fantasy animals exist too through evolution like unicorns, dragons, gryphons, etc. There are new species that do exist on Earth, and trying to think of a way why some mammal species could grow enormously, like an elephant-like species reaching 12 meters by the shoulders.

I like realistic fantasy animal design not because any snotty or accurate reasons, but it creates unique and plausible designs. For instance, how dragons, either lesser or greater, were evolved from the Scansoriopterygids family. The Scansoriopterygids were similar to flying dinosaur like birds, but instead of having primary feather for flight, they had leather wings to do so. This give Scansoriopterygids a dragon-like appearance, hence why dragons will evolve from them. The dragons lead into multiple families, including Western dragons, Eastern dragons (sea serpent), cockatrice, Dragon-kins, and the like. Gryphons, meanwhile, will evolve from hadrosaurs (the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event didn't kill the majority of dinosaurs. There even a small continent east of South America full of them). Due to a lack of vegetation, gryphons' predecessors turned into carnivores. They were branched into two families: one evolved to gain the ability of flight, and the other are still flightless. Some flightless gryphons were managed to be domesticize, some being the size of German Shepherds (mostly in Mesoamerica like the Mayas). Unicorns (and frankly, kirin and qilin too) are a bit difficult thinking how they will evolve from, but mainly that they are a suborder of Ceratomoporpha, being related to rhino with having three spread toes. Both unicorn and kirin have thicker and longer tails compared to many mammals, similar to anteaters and their cousins. This also branched out into two families: Unicorn having their horns near the snorts (usually one horn, but some genus have two horns from the same spout). Qilin/kirin have their own family, existing only in East and Southeast Asia, having scale-like skin (like pangolin), either having antler-like horns on their head or horns on their snort, and they're also omnivores. Some unicorns and kirin were managed to be domesticized.

Source

There are many mammal species that reach heights taller than Paraceratherium, the tallest land mammal. The restriction of why mammals can't reach the height of dinosaurs, other than being viviparity, is not having an efficient respiratory system nor hollow bones like avians. Some solutions I figured out to handle this by having mammals having a pseudo-air sac between their lungs, which should be allowed to pump in more air. Another is having anotherelement in their bone tissue, some form of carbon formula to make it lighter but stronger. Another is that food energy, like carbohydrates and proteins, is just far more potent than Earth's is.

There are more sapients on Erden, just like other fantasy settings. However, I don't want to use the same old race trope. I found it boring and predictable, so I want to create original races, similar to how League of Legends does so. There will be two primary categories when it comes to race: magical and non-magical races. Kind of self-explanatory, non-magical race evolved by the old fashioned way, while magical races were evolved (called aetheo-evolution) either form humans somehow gaining animal traits, shifting into one, or a whole other genus (like Dragon-kins) speedrun through evolution. I don't know how many non-magical races there are on Erden, maybe like between 7-9 races. Some races I think are a deer/ ruminant-like race (with a shorter snort) and a dromaeosaurid-like race (shorter and thicker tail, posture in a diagonal like shoebills, crane, and heron, and their brains are more elongated and thick). It's a bit difficult trying to create magical races that aren't stereotypical fantasy races. Humans are the most common species on Erden, like around 70% of the population (thanks to being more adaptable to environments and genocide).

3) All species on Erden are mono-sex, meaning they have to have gay sex in order to reproduce (lol, lmao even).

I was always intrigued by this concept, that the idea of there is a species that dont have a male/female, but that they all considered a same-sex, and they reproduce like this. I was inspired by this concept first by a Harry Potter fanfic I read in late December 2011. I don't remember the reason why, but Lily needs help from a lamia colony. The lamia were a mono-sex, or an all-female race with how the fic described it. I was amazed by this, but I didn't think it couldn't happen outside of fantasy. But I discovered Mass Effect, and by proxy, the Asari that same month and I was astonished by them. Though they referred to a monogender race, which I found confusing at the time, but oh well. However, when i started playing the game (I discovered ME through femshaina sex scene at YouTube and fanfic, lol), I disliked how the Asari were portrayed, and thought I created my own race out fo spite. Admittedly, my reason itself was misogynistic and biphobic (oops). Ironically, the races on Erden are not the same race I created when I was 18 (they're called Idren). The idea of Erden was in 2019, and I it expanded from last year. I did think of writing my oc race, Idren through a Harry Potter fanfic, where an Idrin teen is an exchange student at Hogwarts (Idren are an alien race which are already space faring by the 1990s). The only reason why I haven't really written this down before is because I am very picky; they are supposed to have many languages, but I not considered good at that, so I haven't managed to even properly give them names and such lol.

Even though the races on Erden are mono-sex, they still have genders and gender roles, though they are more malleable and not as strict compared to humans. One of the reasons is that humans, and many other races, are considered semi mono-sex, which are different than true mono-sex. Gonna need to elaborate on this minutely on a different post. Though they shouldn't really consider females (or having males for that matter), I am still using the term matriarchy and patriarchy (feminine and masculine too, for that matter) because it can still be implemented on them (they're mono-sex, not mono-gender).

I have a bit of an issue of actually naming the humans on Erden. Humans viewed man/male as the default when it comes to genderization (I think that is the term). Like a stickfigure will always be considered a man unless drawing it with a shirt or long hair. A monster (or any animal for that matter) pronoun will always be he/him unless state otherwise. Even the story of Garden of Eden, it considered man came first, and Eve came from him. The word, human, was derived from the French word for man. The words female and woman indicated that man is first and default while woman came second. (ironically, man was a gender-neutral word in Old and Middle English). Humans in Erden are, what I considered, a majority matriarchal society (just that people giving birth have more political, economical, and maybe military power), and so, will likely have have wo/fe- prefix in their species name. It also helps how mono-sex actually works, too. However, because Modern English doesn't actually exist, it is a bit difficult naming them. I do have an idea of a conlang, a Gallo-Romance language sproken by people off the coast of France, Spain, and Brython (the name of Peninsula Britain as the Anglo-Saxon could never invaded pass Dover). I was thinking of basing it off Old Norman, but I can't find a proper dictionary for it, so I likely based it off Old Occitan instead.

Just because humans, and frankly all the races on Erden, are mono-sex, or "all female," if you wanna call it that way, doesn't mean they're less violent than Earth humans. There are more conflicts on Erden due to having more countries and non-human sapients. Conflicts are also more bloody due to a lot more destructive tools at their disposal. A 1940s Englishman is not more violent than a 1420s Englishman, it just that the latter has far more powerful weapons. This is the case for Erden Humans as magic is far more integrated in their society. Because of this, conflict will be a lot more violent due to some people having the ability to blow up buildings with a stick.

Being an alternative universe of Earth, Erden also has an alternative history due to so many geographic differences, non-humans race,s and magic. Like I said, there is a strait between Gaza and Taba, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. Because Judea is adjacent to the strait, along with having magic, Jews were never expelled from Judea. Another thing is that Atlantis existing on Erden means that the majority of the world already knows about the Americas before the 1490s and that, by proxy, horses were introduced to the Americas millennia before the 16th century.

Like I said last paragraph and before, magic plays major roles in Erden. One primary reason why Judea could hold off conquests like the Roman is, other than having more economic and military power, due to golems protecting the nation. This is also expanded to other ethnicities who manage to hold off from being conquered. The Assyrians held off the Rashidun Caliphate (though they were conquered by the Golden Horde), Maya managed to held off the Spaniards, and the US (this version is a bit different than Earth) could never expand west of the Mississippi River due to the many indigenous tribes like the Sioux (these conflicts were a series of wars called the Great Plain Wars). Half of Africa also manages to hold off Europe during the Raping of Africa Era thanks to magic (this is mainly in Northern Africa due the Sahara being much greener than ours, Central Africa still got fucked).

However, in contemporary times, there is far more tension between countries, ethnicities, and species comparative from ours. One of the reasons that many states, even though managed to fend off Western conquest or rebel against their conquerer, did lead to other conflicts. For instance, many indigenous groups, especially Mexica, manage to overthrow the Criollo and Mestizos government (they fled to the island of California). However, Mexica were not popular with other tribes that also formed their nations, especially the neighboring Maya. Black Nationalists formed a black majority nation (thanks to the US for reasons), forming from Louisiana, half of inland south, and Georgia (looks like a horse-shoe). However, they conflict with neighboring indigenous tribes and the Confederate. The majority west of Mississippi River are Native American states with some exceptions.

Keep disgressing, lol. So like, because the US never expanded west (due to the Great Plain Wars and other reasons), they focused their power on the Atlantic Coasts. This means Hawaii and Alaska were never conquered/claimed by them. Great, but also still bad because Japan doesn't have an isolation policy here (Fuso does, though), and still have their conquering policy (like trying to conquer Korea before). Because of this, they conquered multiple islands and Lands including the Philippines (only half, and making an enmity with Spain too), half of New Guinea and any other islands there, quarter of Australia and half of New Zealand. They also conquered Hawaii too, and because of this, half of the regions hates them.

There are also more religions, many of which are fictional, like a monotheism in which the Assyrians worship Ishtar. Like I said before, because Rome never conquered Judea, Christianity doesn't exist. The majority of Europe, however, follows a belief, an universal bitheism religion of a light deity and a dark deity (I was thinking of calling it Lumity, but I remember that name is already taken, lol). Universal religions aren't that common, like the majority of Europe and 1/3 of the Americas do follow the light-dark religion, but that's about it. Islam also spread just like on Earth, however, it ranges were limited. The Caliphates only managed to conquer North Africa. They never could push beyond the boundary of Judea, Jordan, and Iraq. There are Muslims in those regions, but only a minority and they are treated like shit (half of Insular Southeast Asia are still majority Muslims, though).

I gonna draw a proper map of Erden, however I going to do so by regions first and then commission a person for a proper global version. I also tried to figure out how to draw the fauna and flora. For ethnicities and countries, it will be a bit difficult to write since I need to properly research languages and cultures like Assyrians and Mayan to create proper names and such. Atlantis languages, however, will be a new language family (going just use a conlang websit generator for that). For antisemitism, I don't know how insidious it will be. Antisemitism, in its essence, are cause by religious reasons; Christians blame Jews for killing Christ while Muslims hate Jews for betraying the Prophet. However, because Christianity doesn't exist, antisemitism shouldn't be as rampage there compared to here. (I think, Europeans hate Romani as much as Jews, though. So perhaps European will still hate Jews, though it shouldn't be as insidious. Also, will there even be a reason for Jews migrating in Europe?).

I am also planning to write some fics on Erden; creating a storyline does help me force to think creatively. One idea is a teenage Victorian girl being isekai'ed to Erden, mainly on the western island off France and Spain coast. It's mainly a romance story between her and a teenage noble... girl? Person? Boy? (Ugh, need to think of a proper term, Erden humans are still mono-sex beings.) It is also an adventure story with her and her now lover traveling the world.

Erden Humans are also stronger and taller than Earth humans, like the ability to lift 3.5-4.5 times their weight and are, at average, 6'1 feet tall. Their lifespan, non-mage I mean, is average around 135 years.

Nothing else to talk about, unless it's how the fuck do mono-sex reproduce. In that case, I likely have to write another psot because there are different methods, and the explanation between semi mono-sex and true mono-sex. Asari may be the inspiration, but Erden races don't do mind-mend and shit for reproduction, they fuck nasty in a faggot way in order to have kids.

[ibboard]

"Shared jointly"? With Russia? 😆

Caspian dilemma: Who controls the Caspian sea?

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Gold Lion Figurine from Georgia (South Caucasus), c. 2300-2000 BCE: Georgia contains one of the oldest prehistoric gold mines in the world, dating back to about 3400 BCE; researchers also believe that the Greek legend of the "Golden Fleece" was inspired by the goldsmithing traditions found in Georgia

The peoples of Georgia (the country, not the state) have been extracting and processing gold for many thousands of years. Georgia is even home to the oldest known gold mine in the world -- a site known as Sakdrisi, where there is evidence of gold mining operations dating back to about 3400 BCE (roughly 5400 years ago).

Sadly, the prehistoric gold mine at Sakdrisi was damaged (and largely destroyed) in 2014, after a Russian mining company (RMG Gold) was given permission to resume its own mining venture on the site. The full extent of that damage has yet to be determined.

The Tsnori Lion: this figurine dates back to the Bronze Age in Eastern Georgia; it is one of the many artifacts that have come to represent the history of goldsmithing in this part of the Caucasus

The goldsmithing traditions of Georgia also continued to flourish during antiquity, and the ancient Kingdom of Colchis (in what is now Western Georgia) was renowned for both its wealth of gold and its skilled goldsmiths. To the Greeks, Colchis was also known as the homeland of the fabled Golden Fleece -- the treasure sought by Jason and the Argonauts during their mythical voyage into the Caucasus, as described in the Greek Argonautica.

It's believed that the legend of the Golden Fleece may have had at least some basis in reality. Ethnological and historical accounts indicate that the peoples of Colchis/Georgia traditionally used sheepskins to sift for gold in the rivers of the Caucasus; during that process, the fleece would slowly become encrusted with tiny particles of "gold sand," until it eventually took on the appearance of a "golden fleece." Additional research has confirmed that the rich alluvial deposits found within the region certainly would have been sufficient to have produced this "golden fleece" effect.

Researchers believe that those customs may have given rise to the Greek legends about the Colchians and their Golden Fleece -- legends that ultimately evolved into the story of the Argonautica.

The unique goldsmithing traditions of Georgia played an important role in the cultural/political development of the South Caucasus, and those traditions are reflected in the wealth of golden artifacts that have been found throughout Georgia (and elsewhere).

The Location of Modern-Day Georgia: as this map illustrates, Georgia is nestled right at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, with the Black Sea located on one side and the Caspian not far from the other; it is bordered by Russia to the North and Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan to the South

Sources & More Info:

Quaternary International: A modern field investigation of the mythical “gold sands” of the ancient Colchis Kingdom and “Golden Fleece” phenomena

Archaeo Sciences: Bronze Age Gold in Southern Georgia

Britannica: Archaeologists uncover traces of Bronze Age gold workshops in a cemetery near Tbilisi, Georgia

BBC: Artefacts from the world's oldest gold mine

UW Jackson School of International Studies: Georgian environment, heritage at risk as RMG Gold exploits Sakdrisi

UTA Department of Slavic & Eurasian Studies: Ancient Georgia - crossroads of Europe and Asia

Atinati: The Golden Kingdom of Colchis

The Past: Georgia's Treasures: from the Land of the Golden Fleece

National Geographic (Georgian): Golden Lion from Kakheti

Smithsonian: Why this Ancient Civilization Fell Out of Love with Gold for 700 Years

National Geographic's "Out of Eden Walk:" Treasures of the Caucasus

Democracy & Freedom Watch: What was lost when a mining company destroyed the ancient Sakdrisi site?

[zahri-melitor]

I had to stop and cheer this in Prez #5 (love analysing a world map!) but it got funnier and funnier every time I looked.

Canada, Australia and New Zealand are unsafe for USA travel. Based.

On the other hand, most of Europe, Russia and China are apparently safe.

Then you look closer at Europe.

Russia is fine for travel - except for Sakhalin Island and Kaliningrad. (I mean who wants to go to Kaliningrad anyway?)

Someone coloured the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in as places unsafe to travel.

The European countries unsafe are: Ukraine, Moldova and Albania. Which, okay, but why those three particularly?

Iceland also off limits. Go Iceland.

Hainan in China is off limits. Taiwan is fine to travel to.

Both Koreas still exist and are both too dangerous.

[antonia-gergely]

COSMISM!

Anton Vidolke and the Institute of the Cosmos. Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh. 1st July - 28th October.

Anton Vidolke is a founder of e-flux journal.

Some time around 1882, God was pronounced dead. For certain Russian thinkers of the era, this loss provided an opportunity: where the place of one god closes, space for another one opens. Unlike most established schools of thought, Russian cosmism does not present a consistent epistemology, or a unified theory. On the contrary: the ideas of its nineteenth- to early-twentieth-century protagonists are often so divergent and contradictory that they appear paradoxical, or delirious.

Russian cosmism’s known scientists, philosophers, and writers include figures ranging from Nikolai Fedorov (known as a founding thinker) the nineteenth-century librarian who aimed to resurrect all living and dead ancestors into an eternal church-museum focused on the revolutionary tenet of brotherhood; Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Fedorov’s library pupil who went on to formulate mathematical equations used for spaceflight; Alexander Bogdanov, who cofounded the Bolshevik party with Lenin and experimented with blood transfusions to rejuvenate one and all; and Alexander Chizhevsky, the “heliobiologist” who discovered and mapped connections between sunspots and human political behavior, and then created lamps to harness solar energy to restore fellow prisoners in labor camps. (He concluded that a liberal change in the english government correlated directly to the sun having more than 93 sunspots at the time. Very goofy and fun, but it's the kind of 'science' that makes me laugh and then makes me serious. The entire foundation of cosmism is corollary and sometimes seems far fetched, but any corollary is based in a previous truth, so it's fun to entertain as possible.)

Similarly to Marxism, which sees labor as the engine of the emancipation of the proletariat, cosmism sees laboring towards resurrection by means of science, art, technology, and social organization as a way of collaborating with God, a collaboration that will result in the active evolution of humanity and the universe towards becoming a single interconnected, sapient organism, immortal and infinite like God. So it's like space-communism.

Biela's Comet and its incorrectly calculated trajectory into earth led to a lot of publications centred on the concept of cosmism, and these really exemplify the hopes of the cosmists.

Originally published in fragments between 1835 and 1840, The Year 4338 describes a futuristic society in the year before a comet emerges from the depths of cosmic space to destroy earth. The protagonist of the novel, a young man from Beijing, travels to St. Petersburg to meet with scientists who he thinks can prevent this impending cataclysm before doomsday in 4339. He travels on a high-speed electrical train under the Caspian Sea, through a futuristic Russia where all households are connected by telegraphs, and where people read newspapers made of liquid-crystal screens, have personal flying devices in the form of hot air balloons, eat synthetic foods, inhale special gas for recreation, and wear electric clothes that change colors and patterns. A moneyless economy has also been achieved. The few published fragments as well as the ideas behind this unfinished novel were almost certainly familiar to Nikolai Fedorov, who most experts credit with being the founder of cosmism. Fedorov worked at the very same library in Moscow as Prince Odoevsky.

While a prolific writer, Fedorov did not publish during his lifetime, partly due to his modest character but also possibly because he suspected his radical ideas could lead to excommunication from the Orthodox Church, of which he was a devout follower. After his death, a volume of Fedorov’s writings was published in Almaty, Kazakhstan, under the title The Philosophy of the Common Task. This first publication did not circulate commercially. In brief, the common task is no less than a project of human immortality achieved by technological means. It involves materially resurrecting all human ancestors (starting with Adam and Eve), controlling all the destructive forces of nature (including death), and exploring and colonizing all the stars and planets in the cosmos. An intergalactic educational project whose aim is to turn the universe into a unified feeling and thinking organism, immortal, infinite, and selfsame with God, its creator. In other words, the horizon of the common task is the construction of God by scientific, technological, and artistic means.

Despite rarely seeing publication, these revolutionary ideas influenced numerous key figures in the Russian intelligentsia, including such writers as Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, religious philosophers such as Solovyev and Florensky, among many others. These ideas also influenced many in the Russian visual arts, and are partially responsible for the fascination with zero gravity, flight, and the cosmos that we can clearly observe in numerous artworks, from Malevich’s Black Square to Tatlin’s Letatlin. In a more subtle way, the influence of cosmism can be felt in the sensibility behind constructivism and productivism, which treat a work of art not as a mere fetish of sublimated sexuality in a consumer economy, but as a microcosm of world-building and God-building. Faced today with ambivalent liberal platitudes of resistance or the disposable instrumentality of “disruptive tech,” we might wonder more generally how artistic and creative thought could have been so heretical to Marxist-materialist and religious orthodoxies alike, while simultaneously believing so completely in their unified capacity for advancing human civilization.

While it never became a part of official Soviet doctrine, much of cosmism dovetails with the ethos of early postrevolutionary utopian socialism in its drive towards a classless, egalitarian society completely dedicated to the emancipation and self-transformation of humanity, and to the construction of a man-made paradise on earth. The first postrevolutionary decade saw an explosion of cosmist ideas and their application in very diverse areas of life, from art and science to the practical organization of labor, time management, and the health system.

- e-flux journal no. 88

Speaking to my friend during the three films (we were the only ones there so it was non-disruptive), we got talking about immortality through technicalities. Our energy might not travel into space as particles, but it does, say, enter the soil when we die, and nourish a plant, potentially one that bears fruit. I'm not a holistic or deeply spiritual person, but from a logical standpoint, that makes sense. I know my soul doesn't go into the fruit.. but I say that without knowing if or what the soul even is. So I don't really know.

What I do know is that the energy, the chemicals, the carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen that makes me up can enrich soil, and that very same atoms that lived in me can become building blocks in a hypothetical fruit that grows out of my grave. Maybe the DNA of the fruit contains me, in some shape or form.

My friend also mentioned Ted Lasso and the desire of a character to have a fruit tree planted on their grave when they died, to be nourished by their body and fed to their loved ones. It was funny, sure, but it got me thinking. It's another element of the consumption and interrelationships I am currently focused on researching. If I am a fruit borne from my own grave and you eat me, I then become part of you forever. My chemicals build your cells. I can become engrained into the very fibres of your being. And it cycles.

Everything eats and is eaten, as Adrianne Lenker says.

[samueldays]

Dark Ages Vampire RPG session: our party was setting out on a journey, and the GM had the wonderful idea of copying the period-appropriate Tabula Rogeriana world map to give us as a prop.

There was some funny confusion from players less than familiar with the state of medieval cartography.

"the fuck is that body of water in the middle of the map?" "Which one? middle right?" "No, BAHR AL HOZAR" "The Caspian Sea." "Trying to read this map gives me a migraine" "What countries are where?" "Countries are a modern invention." "I recognize the word alamanin, that's Germany. Probably." "Do not try to read the map. That is impossible, instead only realize the truth. There is no map."

Half an hour later, after some highlighted segments had been posted in an attempt to locate our party, one of the players asked "so it's upside down?" and was gently ribbed for not having noticed yet. It's that unreadable. :^D Being upside down is a social construct, et cetera, the mapmaker was an Arab and put Arabia at the top middle. Here is Europe, cropped, rotated, annotated:

Awful, innit? Cutting edge at the time. The NPC who lent it to us was insistent that he wanted it back in good condition afterwards.

And why is Sicily so big? Because this map was commissioned by the King of Sicily.