#geeglers

[shinjiro-aragaki99]

I think these lizard guys called Geeglers are pretty cool because I think lizards are cool. Now I'm imagining a game where you get to play as one of them that you can customize, including custom scale color.

And now I remember when I first played the original EverQuest when I was like 14 or 15 the first character I made was an Iksar (they're kinda like Argonians in the Elder Scrolls games as far as appearance goes).

[sandara-and-coco]

Yohan’s littles friends 🦎

[cherriko-art]

Some Yu-Li doodles bc I miss his pigtails :(

[teaforce-steph]

This game is killing me

[adoribullpavus]

something that isn't talked about enough is how funny sandrock is, like why was i not told earlier that some awkward lil autistic guy is gonna invite me over to watch paint dry and ask for my opinion on how he should display his rock collection??

[fangbangerghoul]

[nagalias-mindscape]

Confession Time, Sandrock Edition.

Scrooge McMoles don't startle me when they jump out from nowhere. Thorny Jumpers do.

[lafaiette]

On the topic of songs that makes one think of Pen, I feel that "For the departed" by Shayfer James, though not a perfect fit for him, works in regard to him forcing the builder away by acting cruel, and him possibly feeling like he has to follow through with his role as a villian to sandrock because he has already done so many terrible things. (Though admittedly I'm probably in headcanon territory right now)

I don't think it's headcanon territory at all! He basically confirms that by saying this:

He knows his list of murders (and it's pretty long, according to Avery) makes it terribly complicated for him to be accepted back into society. Miguel and Larry are forgiven because they never killed anyone - they tried to, yes, but they never actually managed to. Their hands are still clean, so they are considered still "redeemable".

Meanwhile Pen is stuck in some weird limbo thanks to Pathea. I mean, they could have made him just a war criminal (but remember, he's a war criminal for the Alliance. In Duvos he's a hero, and Duvos is full of good, hopeful people, too), without any ties to Howlett's death.

In that case, since he didn't kill anyone related to the other characters, his crimes would have been less "heavy" (like with Aadit from MTAP, who is implied to be the Knight, but who can still marry you and have babies with you). It would have been like: "Yeah, he's a murderer, but he never killed anyone we know and he's ready to change for the Builder, so..." "Yeah, Miguel tried to shoot Logan, but everything worked out in the end, so..." "Yeah, Larry the Geegler tried to kill us, but he never did and now he needs our help, so..."

And Pen actually mentions this slight, but crucial nuance if you choose another dialogue option:"Ouch, though, Skinny! I mean, I thought we were at least still kinda cool. I mean… I didn't even kill anyone you know personally! Or you!"

But since he killed Logan's dad (and Logan is the poster boy of the game, the perfect man who can do no wrong and who brings Pathea so many sweet dollars), he's reduced to cartoon villain tier.

[ari-zonia]

I somehow came up with a "World of Monsters" AU thing for Sandrock, and drew Logan's gang for it

Full explanation under cut

Basically, the idea is that due to shenanigans of the Old World that I have not fully defined yet, there's more than just "mutant animals" and "humans", so there's a smidge more overlap of what's considered monster and not. So, something like the Geeglers or Bandirats are more "jerks that live outside town" kind of deal, while Penskys, Thorny Jumpers, etc are still considered "critters", so there's less fuss about Howlett and Logan's profession. (Basically it's like Irish Fairies or other such creatures, they're their own people, just doing whatever it is they do. That, and there's probably a bigger distinction between "Fae" creatures and "mutants", again giving some credence to hunting annoyances like Geeglers or Plierimps)

Most of the major settlements are populated mostly by humans, with some monsters/hybrids. Sandrock is a strange case of having a higher than usual amount of monsters/hybrids. (Conversely, in this AU, Vega 5 is almost entirely human, so Qi is just a dude). Ratios differ based on where you're looking and not just based on town, so Meidi in general might have more humans, while Seesai might have an even divide, idk.

I haven't settled out completely who is/isn't monster or what they are, but some examples:

Logan: He calls himself "dullahan", but that's because that's the closest answer that survived from the Old World. He's a "headhunter", meaning he could put on something else's head and get different abilities, but he doesn't know that. Honestly, he didn't even know he was a monster until he started hunting and found out his head isn't that well attached to his neck. (Got it from ma's side, and Howlett didn't really know either)

Haru: A bakeneko, specifically a gotoku neko. Basically, he has a liking for fire. Again, he doesn't know specifically what he is, but he has a better understanding that he's some sort of cat-spirit (since Haru seems to have some knowledge of his ancestor's language, since he knows his name means "Spring"). He has good control over his fire tails, and they only burn things he wants them to burn.

Andy: A gargoyle, but his wings aren't really strong enough to carry him yet, so the best he can really do is glide with them. Though, he does have the sharp claws, so he can at least lizard climb on the rocks a little bit.

Grace: You ask her if she's a monster and you either get a "no" or no answer. Probably a shape-shifter, but nothing's confirmed

Owen: Werewolf, but he doesn't really rampage or anything on full moons. He might lock up shop and just chill out in the desert for the night, but that's because he's managed to get ahold of himself as he got older.

Fang: Not fully set, but probably closest to the Qingniao, a messenger bird of the heavens. Usually referred to as an "azure" bird, it's also been described as green, or even black. Regardless, he's probably part-bird.

Unsuur: Been flipping between making him an Earth elemental, or if he's just human. Both are funny.

[spookemsdukems]

My time at Sandrock HCs

(Spoilers for the story just a heads up!)

I think everyone underestimates how scared the builder gets sometimes.

They're brave and jump into action without question. A helping hand is always outstretched even to folks who don’t quite want to take it, to those who slap it away with a snarl like a cornered animal, and to those who take it for granted.

Remember how the trolly line snapped and they fell, to what I’m sure they thought would be, death? Only to miraculously survive and crawl their way out of a swarmed Geegler camp with Justice and Captain.

I’m sure fighting the CEO of Geeglers (Larry) was scary, I’m sure when the battle ended they felt a sense of relief.

But can you imagine the fear they swallowed down when they charged onto the train, trying their damndest to save this town only to fall off of a high speed train.

I wonder if they felt relief seeing the bride collapse under the Geegler and train. I think maybe at night, when they climbed into that dingy and dusty bed in the workshop, they sobbed. They cried and clutched the blankets wishing it was Ma’s quilts that smelt of the breezes and Highwind. Maybe they thanked the light, perhaps they cursed it, or maybe thought nothing of the Light and only about the fact that if they didn’t fall off that train they would have fallen again, and into a chasm with no way out.

I wonder if they hate living so close to the station. Hearing the noises of a trains whistles and wheels squealing against the metal tracks, reminding them of the many train related incidents they’ve had.

Then here comes Mint almost getting ran over by a train. I bet for a second their feet froze mid step, before gritting their teeth and charging Mint off the the tracks.

I think maybe they hate heights.

I think during the night, they get that vertigo of feeling like they’re in the midst of falling and they wake up screaming and sobbing in a puddle of sweat.

I think the mornings they wake up to the trains whistles and whirls of noises result in a yelp, hands clutched over their ears as they try to forget the feelings of the rumbling train. Of falling. I dunno, I just think I suppose!

[wisteria-project-archives]

From The Tumbleweed Standard...

A Desert Ghost???

Even after bandits and Geeglers and talkin' Boxing Jacks, Sandrock's still got its fair share of weird prowlers 'round these sands. This time around, rumblings have started about a ghost! The sandstorms don't happen all too often anymore, but when they do, some say you can see a beautiful lady wandering about the outskirts of town, with the longest hair and a tattered dress and sandhat... No one knows who she is; after all, the blastin' sands make it hard to get a good look at her. Even more of a mystery is why she's wanderin' all alone out there when it's so dangerous. Now we here at the Tumbleweed Standard don't typically like to report on hearsay, but according to local teacher and kid wrangler Jane, she had a first-hand-up-close-and-personal encounter with this so-called ghost! "I made the mistake of putting off some errands for the last minute...and before I knew it, a sandstorm had kicked up! I thought I could still make it to the saloon, but I must have wandered out way too far, because I suddenly couldn't see any buildings... And then I tripped! It must have been a rock I didn't see. I was...scared... I was almost panicking a little... But then someone found me! It was a woman with these long, tattered robes...and an old sandhat! I almost screamed, but she just knelt down and asked if I was okay... And then she helped me back up and led me back to town by the arm... We reached the saloon, and I was just about to thank her, but then she just darted away! She...saved my life..." So it seems this "ghost" is a kindly one! Y'know, if they even ARE a ghost, bein' corporeal and all that. One more thing: Miss Jane also claimed that she managed to get a glimpse of the mystery woman's face! "I thought I was dreaming...and maybe it was all the sand...but she looked just like Wisteria!" It's an emerging fact that our resident builder extraordinaire Wisteria Cyprens has a couple of rather similar lookin' sisters...but at the time of writing, she couldn't be reached for comment. But kindly ghost or not, folks, please try to STAY INSIDE whenever a sandstorm kicks up! We might not get a lot of them anymore, but they're still mighty dangerous! We don't know if our mystery friend will be able to save you every time. Report written by Heidi Pictured: An artist's impression of the mystery woman from townsfolk descriptions

[mana-ven]

I'm a sucker for a cozy game and my time at sandrock is everything I could have asked for. Drew Emma, my first builder in Sandrock who loves to swing around the giant geegler hammer. Can you guess who she romanced?

November 2023

[triccina]

The Photograph Part Two

The Sunday morning was pleasant. On the street, people could be seen walking towards the Church of Light. The wind blew like any other sunny autumn morning in Highwind, and the few clouds indicated a day without climatic twists.

In the smallest workshop in the neighborhood, the girl and her mother shared a common goal: to try to finish their academic tasks. Lua's homework was so boring, and the girl had just woken up, a perfect recipe for getting distracted by any noise or smell that entered the place. The woman, on the other hand, was about to light a cigarette, even knowing that it would teach her daughter a bad habit. Aimê resisted with all her might, but felt that without the right fuel, her new article would not be completed.

The builder observed the pair and prepared a cup of black coffee for the woman and a glass of milk for the girl. He served them and received smiles from both.

"Thanks, Max!" Aimê thanked. "Before I forget, I saw the mail arrive today. Can you check if my Atara professor sent me the files I asked for?" The man made a disdainful expression. "I'm making Bamboo Papaya with Egg-on-Top for dinner," concluded the woman with a friendly smile.

The builder's and the girl's eyes sparkled, already dreaming of the day's dinner.

Max went to the mailbox and took out the letters. Bills, guild messages, and some cheerful messages from friendly neighbors. The last letter in this stack made the builder's heart race! Addressed to him from Sandrock. He turned the letter, expecting to see the sender's name. And like a wind bringing good news, the name Howlett made the man smile.

His thought was interrupted by the commotion in the workshop; Aimê was in a fit of laughter while Lua, with a pencil above her upper lip, imitated Max's rival. Not even the man could withstand the comedic scene.

When he approached the two, everyone tried to stay serious.

"Look what arrived!" The man showed. The woman smiled, and Lua, without much restraint, replied.

"Oh, your ex-boyfriend from Sandrock!" Max looked at her with a gaze.

"We never had that kind of relationship..."

“Don't bother him, dear, he was anxious waiting for this letter." Lua looked at Max as if apologizing. The builder just messed up the girl's hair. "Let's open it now! It got me curious."

Without much interest, Lua took a leaf and started playing with Deimos, who walked around the workshop looking for food until he reached the small lake. She showed the leaf to him and took it out of his reach, starting to annoy the turtle.

Max opened the letter and began to read. Aimê hoped he would read it aloud. A bit embarrassed, he began,

"My dear friend,

How have you been? Things in Sandrock have changed gradually, unfortunately not for the better. As I said in the last letter, people are increasingly leaving the city, and that hasn't changed. Some hired builders from Email still remain, but I don't know for how long. Something that has changed for the better is our relationship with the Geeglers. The new president is a friendly and sociable creature. Larry agreed to make a deal to leave the city in peace; we are getting closer and closer to living in harmony with mutants, just as you said. Logan thanked you for his sixteenth birthday present; he says it will be useful and a great help on patrols. You never disappoint when it comes to knives and daggers. Don't let Hugo know, but I still prefer to use your dagger than the one he forged for me. I have another big news! I have another boy under my protection now, Haru. He lived in a village in the mountains, but Logan found him on one of his patrols, and we ended up helping him get home. But the village is going through difficulties, so I decided to keep the boy under my care in Sandrock; the family didn't seem to care much, which saddened me. The boy is very intelligent and kind; he will be a great man in the future. I'm sending a photo we took recently.

P.S.: I think your girl's birthday is approaching, wish her my congratulations and give her this amber earring; it will bring her good health.

Sincerely, Howlett."

"He's a very kind man," said Aimê enchanted by the hunter's affection for her daughter. "You should go back and never let him escape again!

“You know, Aimê, I'm one of the best builders of my generation, but I couldn't fix a broken heart," Max replied with a certain pain in his voice.

Aimê sympathized and fell silent. Lua paid attention to the conversation without saying anything, pretending not to care, but deep down, she shared Max's sadness. In her conclusion, love wasn't worth the effort because that's how the relationships around her seemed to be. Max and his mother were an example of how happiness quickly turned into unhappiness, leaving everyone hurt, except those who didn't care. This thought bothered her because it reminded her of her grandmother's words, but perhaps that was one of the few things the two agreed on.

The builder took the photo out of the letter, and his face changed to a soft and genuinely happy expression; he couldn't hold back the sincere smile. Howlett, who had started to show signs of age but still charming since the day they met. The new family member, Haru, a boy with blue hair and gentle eyes. And Logan, who was no longer a boy but began to show signs of maturity, yet still exuded the youthfulness of a teenager. Sheathed was the blade forged by Max. The builder was radiant.

Lua got up, leaving Deimos without the leaf he had been desperately trying to eat; he was losing his reptilian patience. The girl saw the photo and was surprised, as her last memory of Logan was the same as the photograph in the workshop.

"That yellow shirt is horrible," she said with all sincerity. Aimê laughed, surprised by the girl's reaction. "So he's becoming that kind of guy," she said in a lower tone, only Max heard. "But he still looks the same as always."

"People grow, but they're still themselves. I bet he'll say the same thing about you," Max replied.

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's take a picture to send to them too, come on!"

The girl made a disapproving face, while Aimê loved the idea. Max went to get the camera while the girl tried to escape, but her mother intimidated her with just a look, making Lua stay for the photo.

After everything was arranged, they positioned themselves to take the photo. Deimos wouldn't be left out. Aimê held him, but he was restless. Before the automatic shot, Lua tried to calm him, and the photo was taken a second before disaster struck. Deimos, in his opportunity for revenge, bit the girl's finger, who screamed in pain. He let her go immediately, as if he just wanted to teach her a lesson. He even let out a grunt, and Lua seemed to understand what he said, as if it sounded like a "served you right!"

"Sorry, I won't do it again," she replied whining.

3 days later in Sandrock.

The boy entered the house reading the sender of the letter; without questioning, he handed the paper to Howlett, who was having his traditional yakmel milk sitting in the armchair, while Logan set the table for breakfast.

"It arrived from Highwind," the boy said, sitting at the table.

"Thank you, Haru," replied the man. Reading the sender's name, he smiled a little and promptly opened the letter.

"Is it Max's reply?" Logan asked eagerly. Howlett nodded. Logan waited for his father to read the letter aloud.

"My dear Howlett and Logan,

I'm glad to hear the good news. I hope the truce can lead to a good relationship with the Geeglers. I'm also glad to hear about the newest family member. This boy couldn't be in better hands; be good to him and Haru, don't let these two take advantage of your goodwill. They are clumsy with household chores, but they are the best companions you could find. Logan, I'm glad you liked the present; I hope it serves you well in your time of need. I'm also glad to see how you've grown; I'm proud of the man you're becoming every day. I'm sure Howlett shares this feeling too. Lua is also surprised to see how you've changed. Ah, and don't let your pa carry this whole town on his shoulders. I'm sure he's getting more immersed in defending Sandrock and forgetting to take care of himself, so take good care of him, please, do it for me. Lua said she loved the present and thanked. She doesn't usually wear these feminine things, but as soon as I gave it to her, she put it on. And by her expression, only confirmed her words. Aimê was also grateful for remembering Lua's birthday and sent greetings. I sent a photo with the letter.

I miss you.

Sincerely, Maxwell."

Taking the photo out of the envelope, Howlett was confronted with the image of his old companion with the girl and the woman he welcomed into his workshop. His eyes were tired, but he still maintained his youthful and confident demeanor. The girl had a joyful expression, trying to appease the visibly irritated reptile. She wore the earring she had received. The young-looking woman didn't seem her age, but she had serenity, even with the surprised expression of holding the agitated reptile.

"He's without a hat," Logan said, looking directly at the turtle.

"Why would the turtle wear a hat?" Haru asked.

"Why not?" replied the teenager. The boy decided not to question it.

"He seems happy, doesn't he?" Howlett asked himself aloud.

"Pa?"

"It's nothing."

The teenager noticed the bitter tone in his father's voice but didn't question him further because he too had his own thoughts. Logan looked at the photo again, noticing the smiling girl. "It's good that now you have someone waiting for you at home," he thought while a smile escaped onto his face.

🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻🪻

[vernahateclub]

Thinking about truly how much territory the Free Cities are incredibly vulnerable in. Like

We know Atara has a massive population, and allegedly so do Vega 5 and Walnut Groove.

From MTaP we know Portia is pretty sparse (less than 50 residents, didn't have basic infrastructure until recently). It was mostly just a stop on the way to Vega 5.

Sandrock was collapsing into nothing, be it Geeglers or toxic sludge. The Peripheries are a wasteland.

The Free Cities are so tenuously holding on, Duvos is a genuine threat.

[adoribullpavus]

larry is arguably the funniest video game villain

[sanddusted-wisteria]

12/21: Mi-an & Justice

Also on AO3 | Index

“Hey, Mi-an, got a sec? Just gotta talk to ya ‘bout somethin’ real quick…” Justice rapped his knuckles on the wall of Mi-an’s house, the sound of which caused the builder to perk up her head from where she was assembling something on her workbench. She brightened at the sight of him.

“Oh! Hi, sheriff? How’re you doing?”

“Eh…doin’ fine. But uh, really, you got a moment?”

Mi-an set the doohickey in her hands down and got up from her chair. “Sure! What’s up?”

Justice leaned up against the wall, crossing his arms as a frown crossed his face. “Well…just the other day I saw some new benches in Martle Square…and it don’ like any permit got passed in for those…”

Mi-an’s eyes widened. “Oh? That’s news to me.”

The wrinkle in Justice’s brow only grew deeper. “…Granny Vivi was jus’ tellin’ me the other day what a lovely bench you an’ Wis put up so she could rest her feet on her daily constitutional.”

Instead of any ounce of guilt or shame, Mi-an’s expression lit up once again. “She’s using them? Oh, that’s great! Hopefully she won’t be so tired anymore… Tell her I said thank you the next time you see her!”

Oh, man. Justice had to resist the urge to groan. Out of all the unruly ruffians he’s had to wrangle in his entire career, these kinds—the technically harmless but still rule-violating ones—were the hardest to deal with.

“Listen…” Justice sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “After Paradise Lost, I oughta be writin’ fines up for you for real now…”

Now that got Mi-an’s face to fall finally.  “Aw, come on, sheriff… I—”

“But!” Justice held up a finger. “If I do that, the next thing I’m gonna hear is Gran comin’ up to me goin’ ‘Maurice! Maurice! Why’d you make that Mi-an girl pay like she done somethin’ wrong?’”

“Yeah…I haven’t done anything wrong…! I just built a bench because I thought Vivi would need it…”

Justice was suddenly subjected to Mi-an’s pouty face. It was like Nemo had caught him giving some dried fish to Captain, running up to see if he could spare a poor, little doggy some jerky. He winced. What a tactic.

“So…I’ll jus’ write you out with another warning, okay? Now normally, I don’t do this. But you ain’t hurt anyone like this, so I ain’t one to punish you like you did.”

“Oh, thank you, sheriff. I just—”

“But on the other hand!” Justice butt in again. “What…what can I do to get you to jus’...fill out the forms, Mi-an?! It won’t take all day…”

“Maybe not, but you guys do…!” A spark was suddenly lit in Mi-an’s eye, and she stood up straighter. The cutesy act was entirely gone. “Last time I filled out a form to help repair the stairs around town, you guys almost took a week!”

“That’s cuz we were busy dealin’ with the Moisture Farm…”

The builder stood her ground. “All the Geeglers were gone by the end of that day! And Wis got the Hydrogel up faster than the Dance-Off could happen!”

“And we had to get the paperwork for that along first.”

“And then why’d it take 5 days to get the one for the stairs done?”

“Minister Matilda was busy—”

“Minister Matilda thanked me the other day for building those benches!”

Justice’s mouth snapped shut. He couldn’t badmouth the minister. Overly meticulous as she may be…

He sighed. “Well, if the minister ain’t gonna badmouth ya for it… Doesn’t feel like I can either. Jus’... I guess…” Light almighty, was he really gonna say this? “...Jus’ don’t do anythin’ that she won’t approve of.”

Mi-an blinked a few times blankly, but then the switch flipped, and happy Mi-an was back. “Of course! I don’t think the minister will fault me for spreading a little extra telesis around!”

“Eh-heh, yeah…” Justice chuckled sheepishly. “Jus’ make sure ya get your actual commissions done first, mmkay? Don’t think anyone wants all this extra stuff to eat up time for your regular job.”

“No problem!” Mi-an flashed him a salute. “I just make extra time for it! It’s no big deal!”

A part of him shifted. “…You sure? Don’ be runnin’ yourself ragged all day, every day…”

“Of course!” Mi-an exclaimed again. “I’m more than happy to do it!”

Justice stared at her for a moment, the lines and the slight discoloration under her eyes catching his attention. But he simply pursed his lips. “As long as make you happy, then… Be sure to take care of yourself, you hear? Can’t charge that as a crime, but that definitely ain’t good in my books either…with anyone!”

Mi-an’s head nodded up and down rapidly. “Mm-hmm! No worries!”

With one last blip of hesitation, Justice pushed himself off of Mi-an’s wall. “Alright, well…that’s all from me. You have a good day now, Mi-an.”

“You too, Justice!” Mi-an waved him goodbye as he turned around.

As he made his way down the street towards the tunnel, he let out an uneasy hum. He was already planning on making his way over to Wis’s workshop to ask about the benches, but now he had something more important to talk to her about…