#fictional ecosystem

[polyporethewicked]

ecosystem chart i came up with for webcomic + eel hound thing

any biologists feel free to make fun of how ass the chart is

[ahb-writes]

Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions (News and Media)

News and Media Worldbuilding Questions:

What spreads information – newspapers, websites, pamphlets, word-of-mouth, a technologically advanced communications system?

What is considered newsworthy in this world?

Who owns each news platform (are they public or private, impartial or propagandistic/biased)?

Who are the public figures most often scrutinized in news networks (and why)?

Where do the most significant or newsworthy events happen in this world (and to where does their news reach)?

Where does the typical person go to find out what’s happening in their immediate community, or the wider world? Can they find this out?

When have investigative reports or rumor mills changed history, public sentiments or policies?

When do major news announcements or public addresses typically take place?

Why is the media either free, silenced or captured/biased?

Why might people in this world trust or distrust news media?

❯ ❯ ❯ Read other writing masterposts in this series: Worldbuilding Questions for Deeper Settings

[footlongdingledong]

please play this game

[yellowocaballero]

i very much enjoy the extremely scientific analysis of the naruto verse in which there are three genders, aka naruto, sasuke, and Woman.

AM I WRONG? AM I WRONG? pulls down projection screen and plays powerpoint

Obviously let's give room for nuance. A ton of Naruto characters don't fall into these gender norms. This does predominantly apply to the rampant proliferation of the three-person dynamics that were assigned by the government and dictate your entire life. And, like, society. It does not end. Gender isn't a biological factor in Naruto, it's a social dynamic constructed entirely by your homoerotic tension with other men. And there are so many.

Madara (S), Hashirama (N), Mito (W). Izuna (N) and Tobirama (S) - tragically, Izuna died before women could be invented. Sarutobi (N), Danzo (S, horrifically) - see above about women not being invented yet. Jiraiya (N), Orochimaru (S), Tsunade (W). Yahiko (N), Nagato (S), Konan (W). Obito (N), Kakashi (S), Rin (W). Shisui (N), Itachi (S), that little deeply unimportant girlfriend (W). Um, fucking, Naruto (N), Sasuke (S), Sakura (W). Even - even, fuckin, Rock Lee (N), Neiji (S), Tenten (W).

And what do they all have in common????

(OT3. They're all OT3s. Is what I'm saying).

There is some room for alternative gender expressions here, like being butch or femme. Naruto gender expressions: teacher, otouto, woman who you can't even tell is woman gendered because she has no backstory but you just have to kinda assume that she has a polycule-based backstory where she was Woman Gender. I feel almost as if 2/3rds of the Rookie 9 are liberated from this. InoShikaCho just doesn't fit (their chaotic cousin energy is just too strong and Ino's too much of a lesbian). Hinata's too busy being defined entirely by a different throuple's N to have codependent dynamics with her own N and S (and I'm hesitant to even say that, since I actually don't know if Kiba and Shino have a codependent rivalry - do they?).

I get, like, the reason for all of this. Curse of Hatred. Cycles. N and S Genders being sourced from demigods or something. Narrative parallelism. Sympathy points. It's not the bad guy's fault he's evil, his N and W gendered counterparts died :(. But an extremely strange side-effect of this is that all of the male characters are, like, Just Naruto or Just Sasuke. But the vast majority of the female characters are - like, completely defined by the men in their lives - but also they are more likely to be a unique person. Mito, Sakura, and Rin have actually nothing in common. Writing so sexist it creates more interesting characters?!?!

Unironically, this is why I'm always saying that Sasunaru is the ship of all time, nothing will ever top it, you will NEVER do it like Sasunaru, etc. Every important relationship in the series is meant to evoke Sasunaru. (Notably, none of the explicitly romantic ones. But we're beyond such paltry understandings of the most iconic pairing of all time as fundamentally based in romance. We're operating on a higher level than that). This unbroken chain of toxic yaoi has culminated at the end point of Sasunaru, and it exists to parallel Sasunaru and define their relationship by the dysfunction of generations of tragedy. That's why Naruto has to consciously break the cycle and free them from the generational hate - it was the only way to save Sasuke. This is also why I'm always saying that Sasunaru is the point of Naruto, and that the entirety of Naruto is about Sasunaru. Come back to me when your work has invented new genders in the all-encompassing pursuit of toxic yaoi.

This also means that the only truly gender non-conforming individuals in Naruto are its mightiest heterosexuals: Minato (W) and Kushina (N). Truly insane. The N/S/W configuration is the societal norm, it's bonkers to make a major good-aligned male character a wifeguy. By Naruto standards Minato and Kushina are the only queer couple.

[juicyolpickle]

They generally tend to avoid mimicking animals with complex socialisation capabilities such as the zaabua, as they are mostly unsuccessful with copying their complex languages, making them easy to pick out. And instead tend to seek out animals on the lower IQ side who aren’t so dependent on communication.

In the rare chance of a Skin Keeper taking control of a Zaabuas corpse, the Zaabua will quickly identify if a Skin keeper has infiltrated their group and will quickly kill off the unwanted guest. After that they re bury the defiled body in a more secrete location to avoid another one of these unusual events.

The few rare instances of these happening to the Zaabua tribe, have been reported to become paranoid and become wary of each other and might conspire on one another, pointing suspicion on random members or even use this opportunity to get rid of someone who they might have had a confrontation with.

despite not exhibiting any of the traits of a Skin Keeper such as looking like a literal walking corpse. Often the blame being successfully pointed towards are the elderly who look more warn down and rugged.

the newest edition to the ecosystem of Land Of Borease. Wanted to wish you a merry Christmas‼️

[status-quo-book]

Status Quo Survey

[atherflame-theconcubus]

All hail the god of death (you)

For a moment, I thought you were referencing the AU I thought I wasn’t gonna build on over on the AU confession blog.

But yeah, after talking about that AU it fits

[thesorcerersapprentice]

Valeriano's Manor sits upon a floating island about 3300 meters above sea level in a páramo ecosystem. The manor itself incorporates various Gothic turrets and arches and is surrounded by 25 acres of private moorland. It is home to many owls, rabbits, white-tailed deer, coati, frailejones, mosses, shrubs, hummingbirds, and high-altitude foxes. For more on páramo ecosystems, click here.

TAG LIST: (ask to be + or - ) @the-finch-address @achilleanmafia @fearofahumanplanet @winterninja-fr  @avrablake @outpost51 @d3mon-ology @hippiewrites @threeking @lexiklecksi @ashirisu @thelaughingstag @foyle-writes-things @inkovert

*Disclaimer: none of the above images are mine.

[beelze-bruh]

The Protostags are a sophont species discovered on the moon Khlolo in the year 3939. Initial studies of these beings was clouded by the tail end of the intergalactic war effort against the Barront, which was still taking up a sizable portion of the Ecosystem's resources. Since then, many details regarding their biology and culture have come to light. Protostags are invertebrates descended from entirely boneless, tentacled marine creatures that evolved to become muscular land dwellers, still thriving in both environments due to the thick, humid atmosphere of their world. Because of the fairly low differences in morphology between them and their animal ancestors, there was a controversial theory that their species was a result of "uplifting" technology, wherein animals are given sophont level intelligence through genetic engineering. This has been thoroughly debunked through genetic studies, although a seed of doubt still remains due to how poorly the fossil record is preserved on their planet. Due to their lack of a centralized brain, they are able to survive the loss of any of their extremities, including their head, and additionally have the ability to fully regenerate any of these body parts throughout their lifespan. They are long lived, usually living within the range of 180 to 200 years. On their back is a thick, leathery mantle that they can squeeze nearly their whole body under, much like their ancestors who could fully retract into a sort of shell. Between their tentacles and each leg is a respiratory spiracle through which they can vocalize. They reproduce through a practice sometimes termed "penis fencing" where two of the hermaphroditic species ritualistically battle with their spur tipped members to determine which will penetrate the other, impregnating the "loser" in the process. Culturally, their powerful and unique musculature lends itself to similar feats of strength in their sports, most often partaking in weight pulling challenges and fighting games similar to traditional Human "Sumo Wrestling". Protostags are well known for their eidetic memories and high tolerance for alcohol, which is enjoyed by all ages on their homeworld.

[trans-yllz]

having mewtchual in laws who hate jiang cheng is so funny because I have to be like you are factually incorrect about the events of the show but I won't screenshot your post and post about it to maintain my standing on the dash. I will text my best friend about you tho

[llatimeria]

I really genuinely wrote off Scavenger's Reign as probably one of those shows that looks cool and has cool biology but is only skin-deep, kind of like Subnautica, but holy shit it is not at all like that. It's got some of the best characters in animation right now. What a time to be alive I can't believe you can watch Dungeon Meshi and Scavenger's Reign on the same service rn like this isn't fair Netflix can't have TWO landmarks of animated storytelling and worldbuilding at the same time that's UNFAIR

[thoughtportal]

All of us live embedded in webs of life known as ecosystems, and that can get pretty creepy — or astonishingly beautiful. Inspired by the mind-blowing new animated series Scavengers Reign, we’re talking about some of the best examples of alien ecosystems in science fiction. Then we dive into some real-life ecosystems on Earth, and reveal two important ways that scientists study environmental changes. Along the way, you’ll find out why algae is literally sucking the life out of coastal ecosystems. Plus, shouldn’t salt marsh grass have rights?

{listen}

Notes, citations, etc.

Scavengers Reign

Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, Dungeons & Dragons module by Gary Gygax

Dry Land, by B. Pladek

A Half-Built Garden, by Ruthanna Emrys

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, bySylvia Moreno-Garcia

Origins of the term “ecosystem”

The International Biological Program

Sippewissett Marsh

Research on the likely disappearance of Sippewissett and other saltwater marshes

Javier Lloret, who studies food webs at the Marine Biological Lab

Anne Giblin, who studies environmental chemistry at the Marine Biological Lab

Waquoit Bay

Learn more about algae blooms in Waquoit Bay leading to oxygen depletion in the water, via Christopher Flavelle’s reporting in the New York Times

[dimalink]

Igrek in void – ecosystem in space

Pixel art for today based on videogame Gaiares for game console Sega MegaDrive. So, this a MegaDrive itself with lots of such style shooter games, fly and shoot! Fly and shoot! Such games for positive. So, before, you can play all of these all the free time. And, now, only by weekends.And, mainly, nothing else changed! As said a guitar player from Cream. Everything that changed – I exchange my stylish glasses for glasses, that helps to see better. And, that’s all. Cool science fiction 16 bit shooter!

And, such games make a success for MegaDrive! Before us, of course, - a science fiction action movie! Future. Space ship. Some fantastic places. So, cool – to see all of these at your screen of tv or monitor.

And this is my drawing based on the same theme. Space fortress. It is a huge mega galactic structure. A big wall and behind it – whole closed part. It is like medieval fortress, but in space. And there - there is a water! So, lots of water! Amongst the space void! It is very useful! And, even more, -there are some mechanisms to make a water. And control for ecosystem. And this fortress is, something like, not moving.

Your Yigrek fighter fly there. And doors are closed behind you. You speed down, to see everything, and for easy turns. And radio connection is break with the base. So, here, there are radio not going walls and floor. Maybe, if to get upper, then you can to get a signal. And send data and receive some advices.

And you don’t know, how to get out of this place! One exit only – to fly across – though all of these base. And, so, already, some defense systems are working. And, circle form robots are shooting at you with laser light! Looks like, they are, also, are built in this place. In a good amount. In automatic mode.

This is station is a self stable system. Mechanical and biological. Mechanic does a rather good environment for habitat a biological lifeform. And this is fascinating!

It is interesting, is here anyone alive, except of robots. And, what is the mystery about this station! And for what purpose, station is here! Is it hiding from someone in this empty space corner. Or, is it moving someplace. Or is it in wait. And, maybe, it is a trap. Or opposite - such a lighthouse for biological lifeforms.

Dima Link is making retro videogames, apps, a little of music, write stories, and some retro more.

WEBSITE: http://www.dimalink.tv-games.ru/home_eng.html ITCHIO: https://dimalink.itch.io/

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[nighthawkes]

I can forgive Gideon for the crime of being The Chosen One for several reasons:

1. She’s an abomination by cause of conception

2. Status wasn’t revealed until book 2

3. I love her

[juicyolpickle]

Anatomy Diagram Concept Thoughts - I’m gonna be honest. When making this simplified diagram I had no idea what i was doing and what i was going for as this is my first time doing thing aaaand I didn’t get to figure out what type of atmosphere/environment they live in yet to get a good idea on what organs they might need to assist them in their daily lives. I just took inspiration from human and animal organ anatomy to build a simple idea before planning out the final result. And seeing how their design isn’t too alien and might even be considered mammal like, it isn’t too far fetched to develop organs that resemble closely to ours.

Planning - One thing I need to figure out before redesigning the anatomy entirely is what is in their environment, what their atmosphere is like, and what ancestry branch they stemmed from to have evolved their current day features.

One thing I am sure of is them having a baby pouch, which would be the uterus equivalent to the Zaabua and having the ability to change their sex depending on what role they are positioned in. I took inspiration from snails and how they are hermaphrodites and have both organs for ….. the deed‼️😨

[futurebird]

The Best of Earth (A short SF story)

In 100,000 years an alien ship enters our solar system. The Earth has no remarkable intelligent life, but it's a beautiful biodiverse planet recovering from some bad extinctions. The aliens don't notice the traces left by humanity right away, this is just a survey trip and not much monumental remains.

But, they do pick up a signal, coming not from Earth, but from Mars. "How strange?" they think. Mars is obviously the inferior planet for life. Earth is incredible. But, someone must go to investigate.

In fact, most of the aliens do not go to Mars, the least senior members of the team are sent, since tracing such signals is core to their mission…but also not much fun. Everyone else wanted to stay on Earth taking in the vast herds of wilder-beasts, the insects and plant life, the remarkable coral reefs.

The junior members of the team lament being back in space suits on a cold dead planet-- but such is the lot of a new explorer. They make their way to Olympus Mons where the signal originates.

At the summit they find a pit. A vast strip mine where robots labor to build more robots. Some of these robots maintain a building, patching and repairing it endlessly against the storms of the Martian surface. The junior research aliens enter the building. Inside they discover smaller more specialized robots and these too are set on maintaining the building in a perpetual shape of a human home, a large one, a mansion of the 21st century. 

Though there is art on the walls and books on the shelves, everything has been replaced thousands of times: All this effort, the vast strip mine, the fleets of machines have only one purpose: to prevent change.

Inside the house there is no air to breathe, the residents do not need it.

"Greetings Alien visitors! We always knew you would come to find us some day!" Say the three figures seated at the table in the dining room. "Who are you?" Ask the junior alien researchers. "We are the people of earth!" The machines proclaim. "It is sad, but we are all that survives."

The aliens share a look of skepticism between them. They saw an awful lot that survived better than this in the little time they got to spend on Earth–  (and speaking of earth they want to get back very badly. So, they try to rush through their interview with these weird machines.)

The machines tell of a civilization, an environmental crisis. How they, the very best of Earth went to Mars so all would not be lost. The alien researchers listen and nod along.

The machines of Mars tell the aliens how they "uploaded" their minds.

"Oh no." Says one alien involuntarily, but his friends nudge him to be quiet.

The machines of Mars do not notice. They have a great deal to say about themselves, and their inventions, and achievements, but the aliens are growing bored. (They just saw a video on their ship's social feed of senior officers diving & swimming in jewel blue waters with sea turtles & colorful fish. And there are the photos of the remarkable birds, and glaciers cooling at the edge of a boreal forest– The Earth is full of so much beauty… )

"Uh. We are honored to meet you and all!” Says one of the junior alien researchers doing her best to sound formal and commanding as an alien ‘ambassador’ ought to. She isn’t certain what an ‘ambassador’ is, but probably it’s some position of importance and ceremony and it's what the Mars machines keep calling them. “Yes we are honored– But- uh- now we must go." 

Somehow, they manage to extract themselves from the house Mars machine men... who happily cannot leave their compound– even though they try to follow the junior researchers, but the machine men of Mars need their maintenance machines, and they can go no further than the edge of the quarry. The alien researchers look back at the perfect incongruous house and the great mining pit beside it, and the machine men who are probably still talking of their achievements and memories.

"Do you think these count as gray goo? Do we need a quarantine?" Asks one alien as they make their way down the mountain. (And once the machine men are well out of earshot.)

"Nah! That's only if it's nanotech. I can't believe you almost told a group of immortality AIs the truth about uploading!"

"They would have never believed me!"

Having done the least desirable task in the mission, the junior alien researchers go back to Earth and they have a wonderful time. They never go back to Mars. And other than wondering how anyone could be so clueless, they never even really think about "The best of Earth" again.