#in an uncharted mountain lake

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

And what a morning bracer this is!

SOMEWHERE IN THE COLORADO ROCKIES NEAR ESTES PARK: Picture, if you will, just around sunrise ... Huckleberry Hound and yours truly, just getting acclimated to waking up at well above a mile above sea level. And just getting up out of our hammocks, even, getting fitted into our wetsuits for a morning's dive into a rather esoteric mountain lake, likely filled with glacial meltwater even ... the mask/snorkel combi gets fitted, as well as the fins ... and even Wally Gator, otherwise acclimated for more humid climes, can't help but put in the proverbial last word:

"THIS alligator wouldn't go diving in waters like these, even if he were offered a million bucks, don't you know?! I'm more the sort fond of the Everglades, the Florida Keys, even the springs country, if you ask me!"

You just could not believe the view inherent from the shore of the lake we were about to dive into, discover even ... witness the distant foothills of the Rockies proper some 30 miles off to the west, not to mention the High Plains heading somewhat southerly. Heavens to John Denver!!!

One deep breath as we step out of the shallows ... and thanks to the wetsuit, the coolish waters manage to feel rather interesting as we get into the deep-breathing exercise for the descent.

And into a somewhat murky-looking lake doth we descend.

Credit the sensation of Neoprene foam rubber and Lycra for keeping the two of us warm in waters which were probably closer to 40 degrees when we came in ... and something of a sheer sort of weirdness inherent in such a lake as here. A weirdness which can easily turn fascinated--or is it fascinating?

But at least you've got something new and interesting coming from underwater in these parts. Such which the forehead-mounted GoPro cameras manage to capture in their--how shall I best parse it--barrenness? "Which," as Huckleberry Hound managed to explain over some instant oatmeal we had after the dive, "may be, in and of itself, interesting considering its nature."

"So I imagine ... so I imagine!" responded I. "And yet, imagine how Peter Potamus would respond! But then again, not even WiFi Internet is to be had in such remoteness, and cell phone reception likewise!"

"Thankfully," Huck explained, "I was able to rent us some satellite phones to keep in touch during our campout."

"Which reminds me," saith I, as I decided to get in some time with one Peter Potamus, probably somewhere up in Wisconsin with a couple of his diving buddies, to explain our experience.

"One thing I find worth mentioning to you at this time," he explained. "If you all could find your way to Spring Lake out by Stillwater, Minnesota sometime towards the end of July--"

"Which would probably be just ahead of our next Convocation over Pie Day in Braham, Minnesota in August," remarked I.

"Thanks for the reminder," Peter remarked. "Anyway, the reason we'd like you up at Spring Lake is for a rather interesting underwater ceremony involving my Magic Divers, which will have you and Huckleberry Hound duly recognised!"

"Now that will be one for the flicktoons, even!"

Peter Potamus couldn't help but chuckle over that last remark of yours truly.

@warnerbrosentertainment @joey-gatorman @theweekenddigest @iheartgod175 @archive-archives @thylordshipofbutts @themineralyoucrave @princessgalaxy505 @screamingtoosoftly @thebigdingle @warnerbros-blog1 @restroom @jellystone-enjoyer @haiyis-dark-void @warnerbrosent-blog

[theplotmage]

50 Worldbuilding Setting ideas for your fantasy book

Cities and Settlements

1. Capital City - The central hub of political power and culture in the realm.

2. Harbor Town - A bustling port city crucial for trade and naval activities.

3. Elf Village - A serene settlement hidden within a forest, home to elven inhabitants.

4. Dwarven Mines - An underground city where dwarves mine precious metals and gems.

5. Nomad Camp - A temporary settlement for wandering tribes and traders.

6. Market Square - The commercial heart of any major city, filled with vendors and artisans.

7. Sky City - A floating metropolis held aloft by magic or advanced technology.

Natural and Enchanted Locations

8. Mystic Forest - A dense, magical woodland filled with ancient trees and mythical creatures.

9. Enchanted Lake - A serene body of water with mystical properties.

10. Secret Cave - A hidden cavern that might contain treasure or danger.

11. Dark Swamp - A treacherous wetland often home to dark magic and creatures.

12. Forbidden Desert - A vast, arid expanse known for its harsh conditions and ancient secrets.

13. Floating Island - A landmass suspended in the sky, often home to unique flora and fauna.

14. Hidden Valley - A secluded, fertile valley protected from the outside world.

15. Charmed Meadows - Peaceful fields imbued with protective enchantments.

Magical and Supernatural Places

16. Wizard’s Tower - The abode of powerful sorcerers, filled with arcane knowledge.

17. Sacred Temple - A place of worship and spiritual significance, often protected by divine magic.

18. Haunted Castle - An ancient fortress inhabited by ghosts or malevolent spirits.

19. Necromancer’s Crypt - The lair of a dark sorcerer who practices necromancy.

20. Oracle’s Sanctuary - A holy site where oracles deliver prophecies and visions.

21. Magical Academy - An institution where young sorcerers learn the art of magic.

22. Alchemist’s Workshop - A place where alchemists experiment and create potions and elixirs.

23. Time Portal - A gateway to different eras, allowing travel through time.

Dangerous and Uncharted Areas

24. Ancient Ruins - The remnants of a once-great civilization, often hiding secrets or dangers.

25. Dragon’s Lair - The home of a fearsome dragon, filled with treasure and peril.

26. Cursed Forest - A dark, haunted woodland where malevolent forces dwell.

27. Battlefield - The site of a significant past conflict, often haunted by the spirits of the fallen.

28. Volcanic Wasteland - A desolate, fiery landscape wrought with volcanic activity.

29. Giant’s Keep - A massive fortress built and inhabited by giants.

30. Pirate Cove - A hidden inlet where pirates gather to plan their exploits.

31. Shadow Realm - A dark, parallel dimension filled with malevolent entities.

32. Frosty Tundra - A vast, icy wasteland where few dare to venture.

Cultural and Social Hubs

33. Royal Palace - The lavish residence of the ruling monarch and their court.

34. Thieves’ Guild - A secretive organization of thieves and rogues.

35. Warrior’s Training Grounds - A facility where soldiers and heroes train for battle.

36. Arena of Champions - A grand coliseum where warriors compete in combat.

37. Goblin Market - A chaotic and colorful marketplace run by goblins, offering exotic goods.

38. Hermit’s Hut - The secluded home of a wise hermit, often sought for advice.

39. Secret Hideout - A concealed refuge used by rebels or outlaws.

Mystical and Legendary Sites

40. Ethereal Gardens - Magical gardens with rare plants and enchanting beauty.

41. Celestial Observatory - A tower dedicated to studying the stars and celestial events.

42. Sanctuary of Lost Knowledge - A hidden library containing ancient and forbidden texts.

43. Sunken Ruins - The underwater remnants of a lost civilization.

44. Gryphon Nesting Grounds - A mountainous area where gryphons make their nests.

45. Spiral Staircase - An enigmatic, seemingly endless staircase leading to unknown depths.

46. Giant’s Keep - A colossal fortress built and inhabited by giants.

47. Protean Plains - A region where the landscape constantly changes, reshaped by powerful magic or ancient curses.

Adventurous and Explorative Spots

48. Treasure Hunter’s Camp - A gathering spot for explorers seeking lost relics.

49. Relic Seeker’s Cave - A cave rumored to contain powerful artifacts.

50. Explorer’s Outpost - A base for adventurers preparing for expeditions into unknown territories.

***

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[gffa]

PLANET: ILUM Astronavigation Data: Ilum system, 7G sector, Unkonwn Regions Orbital Metrics: 1,078 days per year/66 hours per day Goverment: None Population: 5,200 (support crew 45%, temporary researchers 30%, military 20%, other 5%) Languages: None Terrain: Frozen lakes, mountains, ice steppes Major Cities: None Areas of Interest: Holenesh Canyon, Jedi Temple, excavation sites, various ruins Major Exports: Ilum crystals [Source: Star Wars - Force and Destiny - Nexus of Power - Force Worlds] BACKGROUND: Ilum is a small, obscure world located far out in the Unknown Regions. The fifth planet of the Ilum system, it orbits an exceedingly bright blue dwarf star called “Asar.” Surveys of the system by ancient Jedi scouts show a handful of uninhabited, inhospitable worlds that are either heavily ir­radiated, completely covered in ice, or both. The rest of the system is largely empty, with no asteroid belt and few navigation hazards. Due to its location in the Unknown Regions and its isolation from charted hyperspace lanes, nothing was known of the Ilum system until a wandering Jedi discovered it in the earliest days of the Republic.

Roughly equidistant from Asar and the system’s com­etary cloud, Ilum is the only world in the system that can support life. “Support” may be too strong a word for the relationship between Ilum and its flora and fauna, however. It is a large, terrestrial world orbited by two small moons and encircled by a wide set of rings made mostly of ice crystals. It is a land of broad continents, towering mountain ranges, and shallow seas locked in a perpetual ice age. Huge glaciers scour the planet’s face, slowly grind­ing the land flat. Where the glaciers have passed, deep snows or sheets of ice dozens of meters thick entomb the surface, making agriculture impossible. Ilum's few seas are shallow and broad, their waters choked with great floating ice mountains and thick sheets of drift ice. In addition to its frozen, snowbound landscape, Ilum has an atmosphere that is a near-constantly churning vortex of storms. High winds, sleet, thick snow, and freezing rain are to Ilum what gentle winds and soft rains are to Naboo.

Life, where it can survive, does so primarily along Ilum's equatorial region. Here, at least, the temperatures are only in the double digits below freezing, which has allowed a small number of native plants and animals to evolve. A few eke out an existence on the planet’s frozen surface, but most live either in the icy seas or deep beneath the ground in the uncounted thousands of kilometers of caverns and tunnels that worm through the planet’s crust. Savage gorgodons, cunning asharl panthers, and the terrifying razhak call Ilum home, along with hardy species of small rodents, birds, and worms. Alongside these are tough plants and fungi adapted to sub-zero temperatures, many of them completely undocumented.

LIFE ON ILUM: To date, no evidence has been found to suggest that sentient life ever evolved on Ilum. There are no ruins, nothing in the fossil record, and nothing recorded in the galaxy’s various ancient data­bases to suggest that Ilum was ever anything more than an obscure, uninhabited frozen rock. Indeed, the planet would have stayed that way until Asar burned itself out if the Jedi hadn’t come along and stumbled onto a discovery that would make it one of the most important places in the galaxy to that ancient order.

ILUM'S HISTORY: Ilum's recorded history begins tens of thousands of years ago with its discovery by a Jedi scout whose name is lost to history, performing Force-assisted hyperspace navigation. As the scout moved through the hyperspace lanes, she was drawn to the Unknown Regions by a particularly powerful resonance in the Force. Following the siren call of the Force resonance, the scout eventually discovered a lonely, hith­erto uncharted system in the far reaches of the Unknown Regions, centered around a bright, blue-white star. The Force was strong throughout the system, but there was something powerful, something special, on the fifth planet, and that's where the Jedi scout focused her attentions.

The first scout's initial reports, as well as those from sub sequent survey teams, reported a barren, windswept world of tall, jagged mountains and shallow, frozen seas locked away beneath dozens of meters of ice. No settlements or ancient ruins were discovered, and all evidence pointed to the world being devoid of sentient life. What the teams did find was a world that, despite its inhospitable environment, managed to support some plant and animal life. Packs of large felinoids stalked the planet's steppelands; huge, slow moving aquatic mammals thrived in the icy seas; powerful and aggressive humanoid reptiles haunted the many mountain chains; and plants and fungi clung to life in shel­tered spots away from the constant wind. These animals and plants didn't explain the planet's strong Force shadow, however. Its presence in the Force was enormous, a fact that the surveyors could not explain until one team was chased into a mountain cavern by dangerous creatures and discovered Ilum's real wealth.

Beneath Ilum's ice sheets and permafrost, the planet's crust is honeycombed by countless kilometers of interlock­ing cave systems. Within these caves, the escaping survey team discovered a motherlode of pontite, mephite, and other kyber crystals—the heart of a Jedi's lightsaber. The discovery of Ilum's mineral wealth quickly changed the char acter of Ilum's exploration from one of curiosity to one of grave importance to the Jedi Council. Upon receipt of the news that Ilum possessed an incredible wealth of kyber crys­tals, the Council immediately dispatched teams of scholars, artisans, and warriors to secure the world and to further study its natural wealth and importance to the Force. To pro tect the crystals, the Council made a decision to keep Ilum's existence a secret from the galaxy at large, and a number of steps were taken to ensure that it stayed that way. Hyperspace surveyors mapped out an uninterrupted, dedicated hyperspace lane from Metellos, a world in the Core region, straight to Ilum's orbit. The navigation of this route was so complex that a ship’s pilot needed to be at least sensitive to the Force, if not a fully trained Jedi Master, to even attempt it. In addition, all references to Ilum in official reports were quashed, and the world was even kept from local, sector­ wide, and galaxy star charts.

DARK LEGENDS: For thousands of years, the Jedi Order kept Ilum and its bounty secret and safe from harm. Generations of Jedi, from the greenest Padawans to the most ancient masters, traveled from all across the galaxy to search for crystals, study the planet and its connection to the Force, and enjoy the mental quiet of the uninhabited world. There is a nearly forgotten legend that speaks of a dark and violent time in the planet’s past, however. Ancient sources suggest that the Sith may have laid siege to the world, eventually taking possession of it for a time.

ENTWINED WITH THE JEDI: With Ilum secure, the exploration of the world and its con­nection to the Force was begun in earnest. Numerous settle ments were founded over the subsequent decades, typically near the sites of important scientific or Force-related dis­coveries. At places with a particularly powerful connection to the Force, the Jedi erected temples that served as train­ing centers or pilgrimage sites where members of the order could go to meditate and heal. In addition, thanks to the abundance of kyber crystals on the planet, the Jedi Council established a massive, baroque temple over the entrance to the largest and richest cavern complex the survey teams had discovered. Once it was completed, the council began sending Padawans to Ilum to harvest the crystal for their lightsaber and to undergo the important training rituals associated with lightsaber construction.

Countless Jedi over the millennia traveled there to build their first lightsaber or to find crystals to build new ones. Eventually, as other sources of kyber crystals were exhaust ed or became otherwise unavailable, Ilum became the Jedi’s sole source of these precious crystals. While the planet remained a place of great importance, the Jedi Council recalled those members who were living on Ilum and shuttered all their settlements and temples save for the main temple used for lightsaber construction. With the world’s inhabit­ants gone, its glaciers and ice sheets quickly consumed the Jedi settlements and research sites, burying them beneath dozens or hundreds of meters of ice. By the beginning of the Clone Wars, there were no permanent residents on Ilum, nor any real evidence that there ever had been, and the main temple stood empty, save for the occasional Jedi pilgrim there to find a new kyber crystal.

CRYSTAL CAVES: Home to perhaps the largest deposit of kyber crystals any­ where in the galaxy, Ilum’s crystal caves were said to be the Jedi’s most sacred place by none other than Jedi Master Yoda himself. Winding for countless kilometers through and beneath Ilum’s largest mountain range, the crystal caves were first explored in the ancient past. Within the labyrinth of corridors, shafts, tunnels, and chambers is a staggering wealth of the kyber crystals—mainly mephite and pontite— that make up the searing heart of every Jedi’s lightsaber. Within a few short years of the crystal caves’ discovery, the Jedi Order erected a temple over the entrance to protect the caverns from trespass and to provide shelter and train­ing facilities for visiting Jedi. The caves eventually became a pilgrimage destination for Jedi seeking crystals for new lightsabers and were incorporated into a Padawan coming-of-age ceremony called “the Gathering.”

The stone from which the crystal caves are carved is a smooth, black, basalt-like volcanic rock that absorbs light and is surprisingly easy to work with. The crystals themselves grow unimpeded from the walls and ceilings of the caverns and can occasionally be found littering the floors of corridors and chambers. In many places, the crystals can be removed from the surrounding stone by hand, and even the most stubborn, inaccessible crystal veins require only basic hand tools to excavate. It was this ease of excavation as much as the sheer quantity of crystal deposits that made the crystal caves so valuable to the Jedi.

Despite the millennia in which the Jedi lived and worked on Ilum and the planet’s importance to the order, surprisingly little of the crystal caves’ total area has been explored. Most of the known caverns lie within the boundaries of the temple’s training area, and those few charted areas outside of the temple’s footprint are a warren of dead-end caves, tunnels that turn in on themselves and either come to abrupt ends or plunge thousands of meters into dark cracks, and a confusion of chambers, side caves, and strange rock forma­tions. The sheer size of the cave complex is staggering, with some ancient survey records suggesting thousands or even tens of thousands of kilometers of tunnels and caves stretching deep into the bowels of the planet. In addition, the Force tends to have a distressingly disorienting effect on visitors to the caverns. So powerful is the presence of the Force in the crystal caves that it causes vivid hallucinations in even the most guarded mind. This has led many an explorer astray; countless Jedi have wandered into the uncharted portions of the crystal caves in pursuit of some phantom, never to be heard from again.

JEDI RUINS: The Jedi worked and lived on Ilum for almost as long as they existed as an order. While they never established cit­ies there—it was too remote, too hard to reach, and too sacred to the Jedi for that—they did build scattered small settlements, research stations, temples, observation posts, and other structures on and beneath the planet’s surface. These abandoned sites lie scattered all across Ilum in various states of ruin.

Some are still intact, seemingly awaiting the return of their inhabitants; others are little more than rubble. Most, however, have been buried deep beneath the shifting gla­ciers and massive, slow-moving ice sheets that cover most of Ilum’s surface. Nevertheless, a number of interesting sites can still be found here and there in sheltered mountain passes, at the bottoms of valleys, or within Ilum’s labyrinthine cave systems. One such ruin is the settlement at Holenesh Canyon.

HOLENESH CANYON: Located some five hundred kilometers from the main Jedi Temple at the mouth of the crystal caves, Holenesh Canyon is a deep, sheer-sided cleft in the planet’s surface over a ki­lometer deep that runs for roughly ten kilometers through one of Ilum's vast mountain ranges. The settlement, once home to around one hundred sentients, was built near the canyon’s end in the shadow of the mountain range’s highest peaks. It was established millennia ago to study a strange fluctuation in the Force that seemed to occur only once every few hundred years. Named for the Jedi who first record­ed the anomaly, this small, isolated outpost stood for cen­turies before being destroyed in an avalanche triggered by a massive groundquake coinciding with the reappearance of the Force anomaly. Many of the settlement’s inhabitants were killed as they slept, but some managed to escape with little more than the clothes on their backs or what they could grab in their flight. Further seismic disturbances, combined with freak storms, prevented the mounting of a proper rescue mission, and by the time the Jedi were able to return to the canyon, the settlement was completely covered in snow and countless tons of fallen stone.

In the millennia since the destruction of the settlement, parts of it have been exposed through erosion and seismic activity. While the buildings are barely recognizable as such, their contents were surprisingly well preserved. Thanks to the remoteness of the ruined settlement and the difficulty of reaching it, precious little has been removed from the site. Anyone possessing the skills and courage to excavate the site might unearth any number of ancient Jedi relics.

CREATURES AND CHALLENGES: Ilum's climate is exceptionally harsh. Its land and most of its surface water are locked away beneath glaciers and permanent sheets of ice. Temperatures, even in what are usually considered temperate or tropical zones on other worlds, can sink to dozens of degrees below freezing. These temperatures are typically accompanied by howling gales and blizzards full of driving snow and ice shards. Few creatures, and even fewer plants, live on Ilum. To survive in these brutal conditions, Ilum's creatures and plants are both extremely hardy and extremely dangerous.

ASHARL PANTHER [RIVAL]: Asharl panthers are one of the more common predators on Ilum. They are large, aggressive, territorial felines that make their homes in Ilum's high northern and southern latitudes. Adult asharl panthers average between two and three meters long and stand roughly one meter high at the shoulder. Their four powerful legs end in two-toed feet equipped with nonretractable claws. The creatures’ bodies are covered in dense, smooth fur in shades of white, gray, and blue that holds their body heat in to protect them from the cold and driving wind. They have broad, earless heads with pronounced brow ridges, and their faces are remark­ ably expressive, with short, blunt snouts and golden eyes. The most noticeable feature is a pair of long, tentacle-like sensory organs that grow from their shoulders. Asharl panthers live in small family groups and typically hunt in pairs or in groups of four.

BLISMAL [MINION]: Blismal are small, furry, inoffensive rodents who live in the tunnels and caverns deep beneath Ilum's surface. About the size of a grown human’s hand, blismal have four legs; sharp featured faces with small black eyes, round ears, and long snouts; and short, hairless tails. Their bodies are covered in thick, luxurious, silvery fur that keeps them warm and sheds water and dirt. They feed mostly on cave fungus and insects, and they are happy to be left alone in the dark to live out their lives.

Like the harmless snowfeathers, which live on the surface, blismal have few natural predators. This is largely due to their speed and cautious natures, although they do have a frighteningly effective defense mechanism. When frightened, blismal make a shrill, painful, and sustained shrieking noise to ward off attackers and call for assistance from other blis­mal. When three or more blismal join in, they create a howl loud enough to shatter crystals and cause cave-ins, an ability that Jedi experienced firsthand long ago. The Jedi attributed this ability to the blismal’s close connection to the Force, and were able to counter the effects of the shrieking by manipulating the Force around the creatures. In doing so, Jedi exploring Ilum's cavern system were able to capture blismal, which turned out to be relatively easy to domesticate.

GORGODON [RIVAL]: Gorgodons are, perhaps, the most famous creatures to live on frozen Ilum. They are massive, non-sentient, thick-skinned reptilian creatures with long, powerful arms, short legs, and an axe-shaped head. A thick, shaggy coat of dark gray fur covers them from their shoulders to their feet, leaving only their head, which is a sickly orange color, bare to the elements. Gorgodons are incredibly strong and can with­ stand almost any punishment. It is said that they can even shrug off blaster bolts. They are a dangerous combination of dumb, aggressive, and brutal, and are one of the few animals that attack for no good reason. When the Jedi first arrived on Ilum, the gorgodons were the creatures that gave them the most trouble. Throughout the Jedi Order, the name of this creature was used in threats and curses, such as “thick as a gorgodon” or “as angry as a gorgodon’s mother.”

RAZHAK [NEMESIS]: Among the most fearsome predators on Ilum, these massive creatures are as agile as they are deadly. Averaging around eight meters in length, razhak-are armored, segmented, wormlike creatures that propel themselves using rippling muscle ridges. Their bodies are broad and flat, covered with thick, chitinous plates in shades of white and blue. While they have no apparent eyes, their heads are topped with long, segmented antennae that serve as sensory organs. Their huge mouths feature multiple rows of serrated teeth.

Aggressive and solitary, razhak live in the endless tunnel systems beneath Ilum's surface. They are deceptively fast and, when they attack, they rear up like a serpent and at­ tempt to swallow prey whole. Anything they can’t eat in one bite they tear into pieces by grasping it in their mouth and shaking it violently. In addition to possessing great speed and a savage de­meanor, razhak also can generate intense heat strong enough to rapidly melt solid ice and cause serious burns to exposed flesh. This ability allows them to tunnel through ice as though it were soft sand. Razhak usually build their nests inside of ice walls or densely packed snow, typically leaving the nest only to eat or mate.

Thankfully, while they are terrifying to behold and extremely dangerous, razhak are also easily distracted and creatures of minimal intelligence. Keeping this in mind, a clever opponent can easily outflank them, lead them into traps, or make them lose interest in attacking altogether.

SNOWFEATHER [MINION]: Snowfeathers are small, clever, flightless birds native to Ilum. Their bodies are covered in a dense layer of oily, white feathers that protects them from Ilum's bone-chilling cold and vicious weather. Relatively harmless creatures, they live in nesting colonies built into ice shelves or cliff faces.

Despite their inoffensive nature and inability to fly, snowfeathers have few natural predators, for two reasons. First, their meat tastes terrible and is mildly poisonous, causing painful cramps, bloating, and loosening of the bowels in those unfortunate enough to eat them. Second, they have a connection to the Force that gives them the ability to project an illusion that makes them seem larger and more formidable than they really are. These characteristics have allowed them to survive and even thrive on an inhospitable planet full of savage creatures like gorgodons and asharl panthers.

[whereserpentswalk]

Your mind has been taken somewhere very dangerous and very far from earth while you were sleeping. Select a guide to take place you in a body on their home plane, so you can try to get back to earth and your original form.

Which guide/plane will you choose?

The plane of Dredd: A Semi apocalyptic world where the sky shifts between yellow, red and black, yet no sun nore stars ever show. Nobody knows what ended the world, but the ruins of an old one can be seen among the wasteland, even if those with warm bodies can't remember it. Undead are more common here, from animalistic ghouls, to powerful vampyrs and liches. Your guide is a revenant gunslinger whose used to putting souls from other planes in still living bodies.

The plane of Outlend: a world of deep forests, shining deserts, and high mountains. No humans exist here, with the dominant races being the orcs, the goblins and hobgoblins, the lizard folk, and the dark elves. Sentient beings here seem to be born from strange mystical pits, with no child or female members existing in any known race (though some dark elf gods are portrayed as feminine). Your guide is a young hobgoblin whose been studying magic in college, and has become enamored with the possibility of other planes.

The plane of Computera: A plane that exists entirely digitally, with no actual physical space existing here. Some places here are vast virtual spaces, though others resemble a static screen more so. Though some places here are ruled by strange factions, or by eldritch beings that have mutated into corporations, there are still safe zones. You won't need as much of a guide as bodies don't really exist here, but there's an old helper program who can help you get through this place.

The plane of Abiss: a dark and firey place where demons of all sorts, fallen angels, and humans who have lost their humanity dwell. This place can be quite fun if you're in the right part, and find the right kind of hedonist, but there are certainly some places you don't want to end up here. Your guide is a faerie who ended up their due to a contract between Abiss and Archadiya, she doesn't want to be here either but she's learned to adjust.

The plane of Nemon: a massive plane of mostly empty space. Planets exist here but humans have no way of settling them, and live entirely on massive space stations and space ships. Humans here are born artificially, and lack biological sex. It's also really common for humans here to combine themselves with technology, becoming strange cyborgs. It's said there are ships and stations controlled by things much stranger then humans, and much more ancient, in uncharted space. Your guide will be an artist whose been studying the occult recently, and is as caught off guard by this as you.

The plane of Archadiya: an endless forest, larger than all of your earth, inhabited by a strange all female race of semi immortal beings known as faeries. Some faeries are quite humanoid, even beautiful in an otherworldly way, though some take on much more alien appearances, resembling fungi or insects. Regardless of appearance though, all faeries have minds alien to us. In the outer edge of this plane there are things older than even faeries here, though those things are too mysterious and deadly to speak of now. Your guide is a moth like faerie whose been waiting at a silver lake for something like this to happen.

Like to prevent the Aeaoiioauei from taking notice of you while in transit. Reblog to get to your new body safely.

[theravequeen]

Ranted about this guy to my discord server but they got distracted---so Tumblr gets to hear about it instead.

Yeah he's my Dr. Strange dragon.

'Short' rundown on his lore: (A TW FOR DEATH!)

When he was little, his father left and his mother died. (Sounds like the beginning of hamilton----) leaving him with just his older brother and little sister. (Older brother currently unnamed, little sister is named Mirrordawn.)

Soon enough, his older brother dissapeared, presumed to be dead, so Strangesight was left to take care of Mirrordawn.

Eventually, he was found by a night/silkwing by the name of Runeweaver (image below)

She takes him and his sister to a large palace carved into the uncharted mountains past the sky kingdom.

There he meets a dragon known only as The Ancient One. The Ancient One (just TAO from here on out) tells Strangesight that this is a school of magic, for gifted animus dragons to learn how to control and maintain their magic.

Runeweaver and TAO quickly take Strangesight under their wings as an apprentice, Mirrordawn being watched over by some of the caretakers of the school.

One day, Strangesight, Mirrordawn, and a few other dragonets were playing outside on a frozen lake, when suddenly the ice breaks and Mirrordawn falls through. After a sickening few seconds, a young icewing dives in after her and pulls her out, but she already looks worse for wear. The other dragonets sort of leave one by one, leaving Strangesight with Mirrordawn.

Someone must've told TAO, because he shows up. Strangesight begs for TAO to heal Mirrordawn, but TAO refuses, telling Strangesight that if he uses his animus magic to heal Mirrordawn, she will become corrupted and evil, and eventually the magic will rot her away.

To Strangesight's horror and despair, he is forced to let Mirrordawn die.

After the funeral, Strangesight spends a lot of time in the healer's cave, learning all he ever can to save any other dragon before the only options are animus magic or death.

I haven't decided if this happens before or after Mirrordawn's death yet, but at some point, TAO and Runeweaver get in a huge fight, both accusing each other of being a traitor to the school. It ends with TAO killing Runeweaver right in front of Strangesight.

He assures Strangesight that Runeweaver was trying to steal magic for herself, a sure sign of a dark and evil dragon.

Still young, still naive, Strangesight believes TAO, and leaves runeweaver's body, a sickening feeling settling in his heart and stomach.

Years later, Strangesight perfects his magic and becomes TAO's top student and a great doctor.

Eventually he does find out about all of TAO's lies and deceptions, but I think that's best saved for a different post, if this one gets attention :3c

[ambiguouspuzuma]

Riders

She'd found him hiding in a cave, on one of her many adventures. Pyra loved exploring the lesser-known places, the interior chambers of the mountains where they'd made their nests: internal organs which glistened with milky limestone teeth, a darkness that ran slick with secret crystal streams. Searching for this. Looking for him.

He was a rider. She knew that much from the paintings she'd found, in one of the earliest caverns, closest to the surface - tan likenesses of her and their kind, hunting mastodons and elk together - and from the stories that her mother had passed down, just as her grandmother had first recited them to her.

Once upon a time, the drakefolk tales began, there had been riders: two-legged creatures who would clamber up onto their backs, perched like a raven in between their wings, and cling on as they flew to hunt their mutual prey, explore uncharted lands across the lakes, and even to wage war against the others of their kind.

It had been a prosperous relationship. In exchange for the drakefolk's flight and breath-fire, which more than outclassed the riders' own crude spears and slings, they had provided healing balms and tonics, woven blankets for the winter chill, and even care for fresh hatchlings - which, thanks to their tiny, delicate limbs, had been known to surpass even a mother's own.

But then, one day, they had vanished. It may have happened gradually, over time, or perhaps all at once - the stories were unclear, but all agreed that riders, like other creatures from the myths, were now gone from this world. All that remained were a few relics that the elders had preserved: a tattered blanket one more tear away from rags, a broken spear without a hand to hold it tight, and a tiny skull the size of Pyra's eye.

At least, that was the way the stories all ended. Pyra didn't accept it, couldn't accept that such magical creatures were gone from the world for good. They had to be hiding, she decided. For some reason, they had come to fear the drakefolk after centuries of peace, and thus had fled into the hard-to-reach places, the secret passageways and bolt-holes hidden underneath their claws.

She resolved to find them, to make her belated peace, and bring them back again into the light. So it was that she'd begun her long campaign, out of her mother's worrying sight - she'd found another spear, which she'd kept hidden in a grotto of her own, and then the paintings, which had emboldened her resolve. Riders had lived here, within the caves, and that had bolstered her conviction they might also live here still.

Today was the vindication of that lifelong search, the conclusion of a journey that had begun in the dreams of her infancy, from her mother's first once upon a time. A rider, just ten talons ahead of her. A rider, sat in one of her caves. He would know that drakefolk existed, of course - they did not hide, could not hide, and their silhouettes were ever-present in the skies. But he had her at a disadvantage. Pyra could barely bring herself to breathe.

The man was leant comfortably against a wall, as if resting, but with his eyes fixed firmly on the entrance: warily watching for intruders, and now perfectly placed to track her own approach. Pyra wanted to speak to him, to say she meant no harm, but realised that he probably couldn't understand her language. A series of growls would likely only make him more afraid. So she waited, meeting his firm, unyielding gaze, until it seemed to soften in the light.

She padded closer, her claws clicking softly in the echo of the cave. He was not exactly as she had imagined him: not as beautiful as in the stories, or the wall-art, or the murals that the drakefolk had burnt into the sides of their mountains, talon-etched into the earth, or even blown as grey-smoke figures in the sky, for those that had that skill. But that was artistic licence.

Those who told tales were wont to exaggerate. The rider before her was not as wonderfully garbed as his fairy-tale peers, but that was only to be expected, and some would have worn rags instead. Not all of the riders could have been muscle-bound warriors, and many would be thus emaciated. Of course their hides had not all been stone-smooth, and no doubt many of their faces would be as mottled and colourful as his.

But he was hers, and he was here - and that made him the most beautiful thing that Pyra had ever seen.

She nuzzled him, by way of greeting, and encouraged him onto her back, where he fit that space between her wings - just as the stories said. As if they were made for each other: rider and drake, eternal allies who had written so many history together, their bond now revived for a bold and brilliant future. It was almost too exciting to bear.

With her rider - her rider! - in position, Pyra felt that there was only one thing for it - she had to teach him how to fly. That was the great gift of the drakefolk, after all: the sealing of their covenant, the wonder of the air exchanged for all the wonders of the earth. She took careful paces at first, making her way out of the caves, but once she was satisfied he could hold on she increased her speed, hardly able to hold herself back.

Pyra had been almost expecting a hero's welcome as she emerged from the cave, vindicated against all of those who hadn't believed, but of course the others were far away, back at the nesting grounds, as she had foraged far from home. That was no matter. Perhaps it was better, to steal a short while away from all of those staring eyes, who might wish to whisk him away for interrogation. She had him all to herself for a few hours more.

They spent that time airborne, swooping high above the mountaintops and low into the valleys, circling misty peaks and racing through sudden ravines, Pyra always careful to protect her rider's grip, feeling his touch upon her flanks, steering her to clear even the sharpest corners, impressed by his courage as they dropped and rose again. Then, finally, after one last lap of victory, they headed back to the nesting grounds. To the place Pyra called home.

"I found a rider," she called out, all breathless excitement as they landed at her family's perch. Her mother looked up at her approach, but there was no reflection of that enthusiasm in her emerald eyes.

"Oh, honey, that man's been dead for years," she told her, a broken note of pity in her voice. "They all have."

[thesoulspulse]

Don't let his simple attire or young appearance fool you, for Albion is a powerful spirit who controls fog and mist to protect the sacred land of Avalon. He also assists King Oberon, ruler of the Fair Folk, and the Lady of the Lake, Nimue, as well by preventing unworthy/evil mortals from finding their domains...

Anyone caught in his mists can either suffer a number of terrible fates or find themselves exactly where they need to be through Albion's gentle guidance. Some are lost in it forever, tormented by visions of the things or people they desire always out of reach. Others find themselves in uncharted lands where there's no hope of returning to their homes ever again or in worse cases in the middle of enemy territory. And finally, if all else fails, they are trapped in an eternal slumber as their mortal bodies grow weaker and weaker until all their strength is gone.

As for those with good hearts and a noble spirit, Albion will help them find their way to the other side of the mist through visions/dreams/illusions, taking great care to make sure they don't get lost like so many others. Sometimes he'll even appear before them directly which is a great honor. Albion is a calm and serene being who does not harbor any resentment towards humans. In many cases, he pities them and tries to end things quickly if they are deemed a threat. Otherwise Ablion prefers to confuse any intruders and misdirect them so they end up right back where they started, eventually giving up on whatever venture led them to try to cross the barrier of fog and mist meant to keep such mortals away.

Albion was even there when Morgaine brought the dying King Arthur to Avalon where his body was laid to rest. And whenever he's not fulfilling his duties to uphold the barrier between the mortal realm and theirs, Albion enjoys traveling all over the world, observing its natural beauty. Sometimes, when he's feeling a bit playful he'll use his power to mess with wayward travelers in forests, near lakes, across open fields, or high up in the mountains but it's usually all in good faith so no one gets hurt. Not unless said traveler turns out to have some nefarious purpose for being there because then all bets are off.

Song Inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NcgP7b-EAk

[potchatok-art]

During the active development of societies and languages, Sutviprra on the western side of the continent are only getting their bearings. Most of the Sutviprra activity happens on Koujsōer. On the bigger, western continent mountain range, known as the Sun Gatsakun and Götstchumsumzan has served as a barrier for their further proliferation. Mostly, only Unzu had moved both northward and southward, having the ability to safely and sustainably walk on rocky terrain. They are able to occupy highlands and can be found both to the north and  the south. Without contact, they start to drift apart in language and culture expression. Southern Unzu are on the verge of crossing another mountain range and discovering uncharted lands, never before visited by any other Sutviprra. Northern Unzu enters temperate lands, interacting with lowland unconnected tribes and are on the verge of entering the steppes beyond the mountains.

Meanwhile, from those, who established their lives on the shores of giant lakes, another connected culture arises. They refer to themselves as Rraferuk. Their identities and lives are intertwined with the lakes, which serve as the main catalyst of life in this region. The proximity to water allows them to cool off, catch fish, gather edible plants and ambush animals, who arrive to drink themselves. With that, Sutviprra came both as a prey and as competition with a big crocodilian creature, whose name in this region is Thazeruk. Fallstalkers, capable of both tree climbing and long-term chasing are the biggest threat any Sutviprra can encounter, and they are dubbed Kythoro. Spearwolfs - Thatoze, who do not dare directly hunt Sutviprra parties, happen to compete over the game and scavenge opportunities.

Outside observers will notice differences in behavior - Rraferuk are less stressed and anxious, at times to the scary degree. This is because sentinel duties are offloaded to a symbiont species - crow-like creature, already discussed in an entry from a while ago. Kutharruzezha were not adopted by Sutviprra as pets. Other way around - perceptive Tetracornas had over several generations inserted themself into the Sutviprra way of life. While lacking capability for complex tool use, Kutharruzezhas use their smarts to observe other creatures and even shift it for their own benefit. As they look out for potential prey or enemy for the Sutviprra, they ensure that Sutviprra continue provide them food and shelter.

[gravityfallsrewritten]

Chapter 5: Curse this World

author's note: TW blood, vomit, hallucinations. take care!

***

Fiddleford McGucket was distinct from Ford, as Y/n discovered once the three began working together. She remained on the sidelines, only waiting for orders because she couldn't contribute anything useful to their conversation. She chose to be a simple assistant, which she has always been good at.

"The plans in these blueprints are unbelievably complex," F said after the three of them had moved on from the subject of the "leg warmers" fashion trend. "Did Y/n also help you come up with the idea, or did you consult with anyone else?"

Ford paused for a moment, as if he was debating something. He looked at the girl next to him, who was trying not to look like she was judging him despite the fact that she was speculating on his expressions. F's question made her think, too; she knew damn well that Ford didn't have anyone else to consult about his plans because it was just the two of them.

The man in question then averted his gaze from F, then from her, before dismissively stating, "With hard work, anything is possible. Anyway, I want you to double-check these," he said before moving to the other side of the table and handing F a stack of calculations. "Y/n, follow me."

She did, trailing behind Ford as he scribbled in his journal. Before she could take a peek at it, he shut it close, earning a loud poof. He turned around and handed her a copy of the blueprint, as well as a demonstration of the portal's structural form, and suddenly everything made sense. She was a quick learner, which was one of the many benefits of eating that mushroom.

It was the following day when F suddenly went into a panic and began rambling about how the portal would require a Temporal Displacement Hyperdrive before spouting about his worries about humanity and its limited knowledge. At that moment, Y/n remembered something, and it appeared that Ford did as well. They exchanged glances before Ford exclaimed, "We know exactly where to get that kind of device!"

F was stunned, pulling some of his hair out, and their grins grew even wider at his reaction. The destination was Crash Site Omega, which had the coolest name ever, and Y/n and Ford had already begun packing for the two-day trip.

Ford had reminded Y/n to bring curses and spells for when they ventured into some of the dangerous areas of the Uncharted Forest, and they were on their way.

***

***

On the first day of the journey, Ford, F, and Y/n hiked up the granite pass to the lake, where their secret mountain shortcut is located. For years, Y/n and Ford had been walking and climbing up mountains, but that wasn't the case for Fiddleford. Around midday, he took a break and could be heard grumbling about wanting to invent a pair of robot legs while eating a sandwich. With a stick, he even drew a diagram in the dirt.

"Would you like one?" " F offered the girl, but she politely declined. She ate a light breakfast, but it was sufficient.

A low-pitched growling was heard, and an odd red-and-black-checkered beast unexpectedly waddled out of the brush for a bite of F's sandwich.

Standing up from the small boulder, Y/n exclaimed. She looked at the creature with awe. She didn't believe they were real! "Oh my gosh," she mumbled, hiding her mouth behind her hands.

"Don't go near it, Y/n," Ford cautioned, but Y/n paid no attention. Many of Ford's commands were always ignored. "Y/n, it could be venomous."

"It could not," she countered. One of her hobbies appeared to be defying his orders.

The creature stared up at Y/n, motionless, but when she took a step forward, it growled, causing her to come to a halt. "Actually, I would like a sandwich," she said to Fiddleford, who gave her one shakily. Y/n unwrapped it from its plastic wrapping and waved it in the air, as if producing an aroma. The creature perked up in interest and approached her innocently.

Her face lit up as the creature bit off a piece of the sandwich and munched on it quietly. It bit again, and this time a larger piece was ripped off. "You're so adorable," Y/n said. She looked up to see Ford scribbling in his journal with a small smile on his face. F was also taken aback.

"It looks like a platypus-" F began.

"But its skin has a plaid pattern," Ford added. Y/n stood there, a teasing smile on her face, waiting for her friend to make yet another witty pun. "I'm guessing it's called a plaidypus?"

Her lips trembled with laughter. The sandwich in her hand was gone, and it appeared to want more. Y/n took an item from her bag. It was a biscuit box. The plaidypus seemed to enjoy salted crackers as well. She deliberately picked it up and gladly obliged, as long as it was accompanied by food. The plaidypus made a sound, but she couldn't tell if it was happy or disgruntled due to a lack of crackers.

"Don't feed it too much or we might just run out of food."

"Yeah," she said. "Or I could've been destroying this cutie's dietary habits or nutritional intakes, or something..." She petted its bald head, and her heart skipped a beat as she listened to its purr.

"Is it a female?" Fiddleford questioned, repacking his backpack.

"I think so," Y/n concluded after peering into its underbelly. The plaidypus wriggled its way out of her arms, and she let it go, carefully placing it on the ground. It waddled back to where it came from, and Y/n dutifully followed. Silently, the two men followed as well, intrigued by this creature's movements. They didn't want to split up so might as well follow the girl's trail.

What welcomed them was the plaidypus' nest where its egg had the same plaid pattern as its skin. "Good thing none of us are hungry, because I would advise not to eat those eggs."

The sun had finally set, and the three of them had unanimously decided to take a break. Ford proposed going to the top of Gravity Peak and setting up camp for the night. Y/n huddled inside her sleeping bag, gazing up at the vast expanse of night sky made up of various constellations. She mentally named a few constellations that she recognized right away. Her favorite was the Big Dipper. It appeared to be so simple, and it is literally a big dipper.

Ford had situated meters away, and Fiddleford had followed. For a brief moment, there was only the sound of the flickering fire, which provided them with some light and warmth against the cold midnight air.

F began to open up and talk about his plans after the project was finished. Ford and Y/n listened intently. The former was lost in thought, relating to his friend's ambition. Y/n wondered about her future as well, knowing that this project would end sooner rather than later. She can't keep relying on Ford indefinitely. He'd have to leave Gravity Falls once his research was finished, leaving her all alone.

But she'd considered this possibility before. She considered her own future plans and what she might do. She needed to prepare. She wasn't stupid, after all.

"And how about you, Y/n?" " Ford inquired, clearing his throat.

"Well, I know you won't be here forever, Ford, so... once you leave, I'm thinking of opening some sort of treatment facility for the creatures that live here," she explained, leaving out the fact that she is vulnerable to physical pain. She and Ford had already discussed not telling Fiddleford because he would freak out even more. She didn't like lying to the guy, but she reasoned that it was for his own good. "I sincerely want to assist everyone."

"Such an admiring dream for a little girl. We have the same goal; helping people," F remarked, giving her a smile.

Ford followed and shared his own thoughts, expressing his desire to prove his theory and getting excited about the future, already seeing himself as a prizewinner and genius and rubbing shoulders with other notable prizewinners and geniuses. Y/n admired his determination despite the fact that his dream seemed to be more for his own benefit.

The scope of Ford's plans perplexed F. He's caught a glimpse of the journals, which are thick with pages of amazement that he never imagined could be true. He explained that his former classmate should publish his findings and then enjoy life. But Ford was adamant, acting as if he was in a race with other scientists who also wanted to get their hands on this discovery.

Ford ended the conversation with a sweet reminder that he was glad to be accompanied by his two friends.

The two-day trip was clearly well planned, because they arrived at their destination after an encounter with cows. Y/n noticed that nothing had changed since she and Ford left this two years ago. Ford's excitement returned as he gleefully broke open the hatch and climbed down. They soon discovered what they were looking for: the Hyperdrive. Fortunately, with F's mechanical knowledge, Ford's keen intuition, and Y/n's clairvoyance, they were able to locate and extract it, which is now safely stored inside F's backpack. It was quite bulky, and Y/n agreed that it would be too heavy for her sadly short stature.

Mission accomplished..

It was about to be a terrific day for the three of them, until that turned terrible. Y/n was so used to Ford's life-threatening curiosity. She was confident that she wouldn't get hurt, yet sometimes she feared his complacency when nearing a beast like this one. He doesn't have the same invulnerability as her.

The Gremloblin was a legend, that was what she heard from Ford, and now he got the chance to draw its figure up close because they knew that creatures like it are heavy sleepers. Normally, when it's the two of them, Y/n can sit beside Ford and watch him draw, all the while admiring his line work, but it was different this time now that they have a new addition. Fiddleford was shaking up in his boots as he cowered behind Ford.

"C-can we please, just, move along? I don't like them large chompers."

"You don't have to worry," Y/n reassured F, but just as she finished, the Hyperdrive emitted an ear-piercing alarm from F's backpack. "What! I thought it was inactive!" She exclaimed, slightly alarmed.

The Gremloblin awoke with a start, seized Fiddleford with its gigantic claws, and peered deeply into his eyes, as expected. Ford flung his canteen at the beast, hoping to shock it, but it had little effect. The water simply made the monster scarier!

The creature has just mutated, and its wings have grown to be twice their original size! It flew down the mountain with F still in its grasp, with a powerful heave of its wings. "Come on, Y/n!" She sprinted alongside him, her gaze fixed on the Hyperdrive in F's arms. The gleaming metal glistened in the harsh sunlight, and she had an idea.

"Ford! "Give me your bag," she demanded. Ford handed it to her, unsure why, preferring to trust her rather than question her. The two ran down the cliff-side, tearing their clothes. Ford had a bloody scrape, but Y/n was unharmed. He looked up helplessly as the girl rummaged through the bag, eventually finding what she was looking for. It was...

"The magnet gun! Y/n, what a brilliant idea!" She handed him the gun, and as the Gremloblin slowed down, Ford took advantage of the opportunity and aimed at the Hyperdrive, holding Y/n close to him. With a magnetic rush, the two were lifted fifty feet into the air and landed on the monster's back. Ford drew his gun and delivered a hard blow to the back of the head, knocking it out cold. The four had landed in a soft, cushioned hayloft after crashing through the barn roof.

F's condition caused Y/n to frown deeply. His entire body was trembling, his eye twitching uncontrollably, and his knee bouncing faster than usual. He was in such a state of terror that he didn't seem to notice that his arm was broken and pierced in several places with the venomous quills of the Gremloblin.

Immediately, Ford and Y/n took F home for treatment.

Y/n took the liberty of tending to her friend's physical wounds, having learned to do that because she had practice. The practice being Ford, that is. She successfully wrapped bandages around his arms and forehead, but he was still left shaken. He was still mumbling something about his family. He tends to mention that word a lot.

With a worried gaze, she turned to Ford who was deep in thought. He also appeared to be very concerned about his friend. Finally, he stood up. "Thank you, Y/n, but I fear there are mental wounds not as easily remedied." He grabbed her shoulders and gently drew her away from F. He knelt down to her level once more. "We've survived many monster attacks without trauma, but perhaps he is more sensitive than we realized..." Ford mumbled to the girl, who nodded understandably.

"Maybe you should spend the rest of the afternoon with him. He needs to face his fears with his closest friend."

Ford agreed with her suggestion and nodded. He stood up and affectionately brushed her hair. "You should get some rest. Your dream of opening a clinic will come true thanks to your expertise in wound care."

With a spring in her step, she left the two friends to their own devices. Ford appeared to know what to do, deciding to teach Fiddleford some of his meditation techniques as well as a heart rate slowing exercise he learned to help him control his fear. She was curious where he had learned it because the information came out of nowhere, but she decided to assume he had known it since high school.

A few more weeks had passed and the three were still working on the project until Ford decided it was time to take a break. Fortunately, Y/n read in a newspaper, after beating the daily crossword puzzle, that "Mama Misfortune's Traveling Carnival and Freak Show" was in town for the day. She told Ford that this could be good to get F's mind off his recent trauma.

Ford agreed to go albeit she knew his distaste towards nickel-grubbing circuses and sideshows. She reassured him, telling him that this could be a day of relaxation for poor F and also an opportunity for new discoveries.

Surprisingly, at the mention of a carnival, Fiddleford was excited and was already looking alright, going back to his usual mannerisms.

People swarming in left and right. Looked like it was jam-packed even with the town's low population. And looking at the lively decorations, Ford and Y/n exchanged excited glances and the three entered the carnival.

Unfortunately, Ford and Y/n's excitement turned out to be short-lived. The first "beast" they had encountered at the fair was literally a chicken duck-taped to a silver-back gorilla wearing a wizard hat.

She knew those creatures were fraudulent, but Y/n couldn't help but stifle laughter at the mere stupidity. Ford grumbled lowly as he scribbled on his journal. If Ford hated them so much, then why go through the effort of sketching them. And they looked so detailed!

Even though Ford's mood was sour, he was still happy for his friend who was clearly having the time of his life. He had just won first prize on a pig race by using advanced probability calculations.

A stand of jewelries caught Y/n's eye. She approached the man and inquire about the necklaces hanging from the metal bar. The man with a mustache and kind eyes happily told her about the low price.

"What d'you got there?" Someone stood beside her. It was Ford, and suddenly Y/n wanted to walk away. But a certain necklace attracted her. Ford saw her eyes focused on the jewelry. "Would you like one, Y/n?"

The girl looked up at Ford, a blush on her cheeks. She averted her gaze from him and began thinking of ways how to tell him that she wanted this. Ford took one of the necklaces from the stand and inspected it real close. The pendant was awfully familiar to him. He's seen it before.

"It's a real, tough metal, sir. No need to doubt my handicraft," The man remarked, not liking the way Ford handled the jewelry.

"I can see that," he replied, flipping the pendant back and forth. Y/n smiled, knowing that he was probably looking for parts that might be mystical. The two had a fair share of experiences with cursed objects and magical items after all. "Alright, we'll get this. How much?"

Ford's wallet felt a little lighter after that purchase, but every penny was worth it if he gets to see Y/n's wide smile as she admired the necklace around her neck.

The pendant was a flower with a yellow bud and white petals, resembling a daisy.

Fiddleford brought something troubling over breakfast a few weeks after the carnival. He proposed that the three construct an additional underground laboratory, one designed with the utmost paranormal security precautions. Its purpose is to store and study more dangerous specimens that are on the verge of leaking into their dimension. Fortunately, the three had discovered a location for their hidden storage bunker and began excavating.

Y/n mostly assisted with the layout of each room, deciding which one to put where, while Ford considered the pros and cons of living underground. They would need cooling systems, the ability to provide oxygen, and strong walls to protect themselves from underground creatures.

Meanwhile, FIddleford was the genius behind the horrifyingly complex security room. While assisting F with carrying equipment for their cooling chamber, F revealed the security code, which included multiple variables and equations, but Y/n easily remembered it.

The plans were completed, and the cooling system was completed and ready. They only needed to clear the dirt to find space for each of the rooms. Ford had discovered a large blue egg containing a strange creature during the dig. Y/n approached it with caution, having never seen anything like it before. The first thing it did after hatching was transform its body to Ford's coffee cup, leading them to believe it is a shapeshifter.

F suggested freezing it right away to test their cryonics, but Ford had grown attached to the creature. He even dubbed it "Shifty." Ford enlisted the help of Y/n in caring for this creature. She was assigned to bean duty and reluctantly agreed. Shifty grew so big every day that they had to upgrade from a small kennel box to a full-sized steel cage.

One night, while working late in the bunker and Y/n was about to step in for feeding time, they heard a high, otherworldly, parrot-like voice call out, "Beans!" They knew Shifty had learned to speak at that moment! Ford was the most ecstatic about the news, while F has grown increasingly skeptical of the creature.

Several days later, around midnight, Fiddleford approached Y/n, who was cleaning the surveillance room. He appeared panicked once more, so she was concerned and ready to assist. He was coughing a lot, claiming to have a sore throat, and asking for her assistance in retrieving the journal. "I-I -" he coughed again, "I think I- I saw a remedy in the journal for... these-" cough cough. "-coughs!"

F's unusual behavior piqued Y/n's interest, "I think cough drops are the best sore throat treatment. If you want, I can get you one from the first-aid cabinet-"

"NO!" He screamed. "I- I mean. Little girl, the journal has the answer and I need it."

She became uneasy under F's incessant gaze, and the way he addressed her as "little girl" just doesn't feel right. "Ford?" She called out, her gaze fixed on F's agitated expression. "I'll get you the journal... just stay right here."

Y/n visited Ford's bunker. Maybe he was there, but when she arrived, Fiddleford was leaning against Ford, shaking uncontrollably. His anxiety had rendered him nearly speechless. Strings of rope were on the ground, and the steel cage had been busted open, proving to Y/n that the Fiddleford she spoke with earlier who claimed to have a "sore throat" wasn't the real Fiddleford, but rather the shapeshifter.

"He said he wanted the journal," she said as her voice dropped to a low whisper.

Ford carefully placed F on the mattress and quickly devised a strategy. He drew a crude six-fingered hand on a plumbing manual found by Y/n with gold spray paint. He tossed it into one of their three cryogenic tubes before strolling back to the surveillance room, where the imposter F had been waiting impatiently, his chair shaking involuntarily. "There you are, Fiddleford. You said you needed the journal for your coughing problem, right?" F almost immediately nodded. "I've looked everywhere in my bunker for it, but to no avail. I believe I had inadvertently left it in the cryonics room. Could you please get it for me?"

The imposter didn't even wait for Ford to finish his sentence before fleeing for the journal. If Ford wasn't interested in the unknown, he'd be scamming people left and right with his acting abilities.

The instant he stepped inside the tube, Ford slammed the red button, trapping him in.

Following this incident, the three agreed to put it behind them. Before Ford apologized profusely for yet another traumatic experience, Y/n made sure Fiddleford had no wounds.

Several nights have passed, and the three have spent their time working on the portal, which is nearly finished and will soon be ready for the first major test. Ford had grown extremely frustrated by the necessity of sleep as Y/n dozed off for a bit of rest. He didn't like how fatigue loomed over him, taunting him with the relaxing prospect of sleep. Why sleep when he could've been working on his most important project yet? He's squandering valuable time!

F's mechanical knowledge is impressive, but he occasionally frustrated Ford. He could consider Y/n because she is less knowledgeable in engineering, but F is just stubborn. Ford realized that if they were to stay on schedule, he would have to work at least another three hours. He envied Y/n's peaceful slumber as the minutes passed, and he, too, began to feel fatigue's wretched powers pull on his eyelids.

Y/n blinked a few times before hearing a low hum, which was how a headache felt to her. She was still awake when she noticed movement and realized she was surrounded by stacks of paper. Her arms didn't hurt from sleeping on the table in an idle position. She eventually found Ford, who was concentrating on writing multiple equations. Ford had just finished a calculation when he noticed Y/n and turned to look at her.

Is it just her eyes playing tricks on her because she just woke up, or does Ford have different shaped pupils? It was a thin slit, similar to a cat's eyes. His eyeballs glowed a faint yellow before he cracked a wide grin. "You should go to sleep, Daisy," he urged, scratching her hair. "I'll take care of this."

It was a nice offer, and she was really tired, so she accepted and sat on the couch instead. She had some difficulty getting comfortable in her bed because of the items placed at her feet due to the lack of free space in the house. "Good night, Ford."

"Sleep tight, Daisy."

She fell asleep completely, and the confusion of Ford calling her "Daisy" didn't even enter her mind.

It was the night before the test. Fiddleford, Y/n, and Ford all went out to eat at a local diner to toast their future success. Ford was the most ecstatic, F was uptight and concerned, and Y/n simply wanted food. If nothing seemed to be wrong with the portal, she figured it was safe to proceed.

Ford raised his glass, and Y/n followed, attempting to match his zeal, but F couldn't meet their gazes. "I'm having second thoughts about this," he said nervously as he slid a napkin across the table. It had a diagram with the words "Probability of Failure" on it. "My final calculations revealed significant flaws in your design, flaws that could have disastrous consequences."

The man across from him remained silent.

"I feel like we're being reckless. Reconsider the whole plan for the safety of the town."

Y/n looked at the paper, shaken by F's words. The graph's arrow just kept going up, and she had no idea what would happen if they continued. Fiddleford is the more cautious of the two inventors. He quadruples checks each calculation, so if he knew the portal could fail horribly, she trusted him.

She looked at Ford, who seemed to be contemplating something.

"Where do you get these ideas for the portal, Ford?" Fiddleford asked the same question as that morning from months back. His tone was so careful, as if he was willing to listen and Ford almost considered telling him the truth, the both of them the truth, until F showed him something that shocked Ford. In his trembling hands was a thesis paper: "The Astonishing Anomalies of Gravity Falls" with Ford's name credited underneath. "I have spent the last three days working without breaks and have written a paper exhaustively chronicling all of your greatest discoveries. Publish this," he said, placing it on the table. "This is your research, I merely went through the trouble of cataloging it for you. There are enough discoveries here to make you a multimillionaire. With this, you will have everything you ever wanted, and you won't need to go through with this risky test. Forget about the portal and the Grand Unified Theory of Weirdness! Publish this, get your life back, and move on!"

Y/n sank deeper into her seat. She had never heard Fiddleford yell before. He has always been timid, so careful with his words. She looked at F before turning to Ford and saw that something changed in his eyes. Could it be regret? Restraint? Contempt?

Instead of replying to F's proposal, he asked for the check and refused to even give the paper a glance.

"We will do the test tomorrow night at eight o'clock sharp," he told him. "Be there or get left behind. The choice is yours. Come on, Y/n."

She swallowed nervously and followed without saying anything else. Ford felt something in his pocket as the two walked home in the murky twilight. It was the ring given to him by the Palm Reader at the carnival. Y/n stared at the gleaming black ring, but before she could ask him about it, Ford had already tossed it into the lake before storming off.

Ford opened the door to the house, and Y/n preceded. He threw away his coat, took off his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was clearly tense from the previous situation. Fiddleford's "thesis" paper was a slap in the face, and he couldn't believe he'd done it to him. He couldn't believe it when his friend betrayed him.

"Ford?" Y/n's voice cut through his thoughts. The man turned and faced her. "I can trust you, right?"

'What a random question', Ford had thought at that moment. But he gave her a reassuring smile. In some ways, he felt guilty for dragging her along, and seeing Fiddleford's outburst might have rattled her nerves. But she shouldn't be concerned about a scribbled graph on a napkin. The three of them had been working extremely hard for several months. They couldn't go back now!

"Of course, Y/n," Ford began, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. "You can trust me. And I trust you."

With a smile on her face, she drew him into an embrace. Ford reluctantly returned the hug, but his gaze was distant. He just wanted to skip ahead to the first portal test and succeed. He is excited about tomorrow. Tomorrow, everything could change, and they'll laud him as a hero.

He could feel Y/n's hug tightening, but he couldn't see her frown deepening and her gaze glowering on the ground. She was afraid that this was the last hug she'd ever get from him because his promise could be empty words. Everything could change in an instant, so she's seizing every opportunity. If the portal test is successful, he'll take the first bus out of town the next day to publish his theory and never return. If it didn't work out... that was a thought Y/n didn't want to entertain.

"Good night," Y/n said, pulling away and immediately turning to her couch. She didn't look back or he'd just see her tears.

"Good night, Y/n."

If monsters and other hideous creatures don't scare her, the unknown future might. But Ford had taught her that if she trusts her instincts, there is no need to worry about tomorrow. Her instinct is to trust Ford, so she tried to reassure herself. They had worked so hard on this, so she had to wait for their inevitable success.

And her birthday is the week after that.

***

The big night had finally arrived. This could be a major breakthrough, or it could all go horribly wrong. Fiddleford returned the next day and can be seen working on the finishing touches, but he didn't say anything to Ford. The two exchanged no words. Y/n wasn't sure where to stand. F had also become her friend. She would not dismiss their year-long journey. They were both stubborn scientists who preferred to work in their separate areas rather than work through their differences. She knew from some of Ford's stories that forgiveness wasn't his strong suit.

She sighed helplessly and resolved that if these two boneheads don't get along, she'll just mind her own business.

"Thank you all for coming," Ford said, standing in front of the portal. It was a meaningless speech. He rubbed his right eye vigorously, and Y/n noticed that it was different from his other eye. It appeared irritated, bloodshot, and sluggish. He said a few more words before the three of them went to carry the test subject, a mannequin. A rope hangs from its feet. Ford had the right limb, F had the left, and Y/n had the back.

The portal was so bright that it looked like a sea of diamonds swirling around it. Something is waiting on the other side. They may be testing the safety of this portal, but Y/n should have suggested attaching a camera for photographic evidence.

Standing in front of this portal with the other two is actually making her giddy. This is it. This is it.

"Ready... steady... and-" They all released the test dummy and it got pulled into the portal. So far, so good.

Her joy quickly turned to dread as the rope wrapped around her ankle. Y/n's heart leapt to her throat as she was abruptly lifted from the ground, and gravity was not on her side. She tried to grasp something, but all she found was air. "Help! "She gasped. "Help me!" "

"Y/n!" Ford screamed.

The gravitational magnet was too powerful, sucking half of her body inside before being pulled by the other end of the rope. The two men yanked and yanked on the string until the portal consumed so much energy that it malfunctioned. Static electricity erupted until everything went dark. They were able to pull her out because the portal was no longer active.

She crashed on the ground, hard. Fiddleford's brow furrowed, but Ford was only concerned with what she saw on the other side. "Did it work?" He inquired. Y/n was breathing heavily before twitching uncontrollably. F buried his hands in his hair and tugged hard. "What exactly is it, Y/n? What did you see?"

She sat upwards and the two watched as she slumped exhaustively. The girl was muttering the words, "ꟻɘɒɿ ɟ⑁ɘ dɘɒƨɟ wiɟ⑁ ᒑuƨɟ onɘ ɘγɘ" repeatedly before suddenly retching significant amount of dark brown blood in her vomit before passing out. F grimaced deeply, while Ford was greatly shocked at this revelation.

"We have to shut this portal down," F spoke. "It's clearly highly dangerous! See how this affected a little girl!"

"I can't stop this; it's my life's work!" " Ford drew his brows together.

"This is your life's work?" F angrily motioned to Y/n who was still lying on the ground.He knelt down and drew Y/n to him. "She was almost dead, Stanford!" Ford was surprised by his use of his real name. "Can't you peer inside your heartless soul that we just put a child in danger?" Destroy this portal before it annihilates us all! "

Ford remained deafeningly silent. He wanted to yell at him that Y/n would be fine and that they should try again. Although he couldn't help but feel a pang of panic in his stomach when Y/n didn't move. F lowered his gaze to the girl in his arms. He paused, a deep frown on his face. He was disgusted by this man's complete lack of understanding of the situation. He wanted to take her in his care if he walked away, but... he'd rather forget about it all.

Quickly but carefully, he handed the girl to Ford. Instantly, he pulled her close to him. "I quit," F declared.

"What?"

"I said I quit!" He stormed off without another word.

Anger filled Ford's veins. He clutched Y/n's frail body. "FIne!" He screamed. "We'll do it without you! We didn't need you!"

Those were their last words to one another.

He looked down at Y/n, searching for her pulse. He felt a faint beat on her wrist and felt relieved for a moment. "Y/n? " He said quietly. "Talk to me, Y/n."

She only let out a few groans before collapsing again.

He frowned. He didn't like that response, prompting a sigh from him. He's been working so hard, and sleep is finally catching up with him. However, he became aware of whispers. Ford looked up, alarmed. Did Fiddleford decide to return and apologize for his insulting remarks?

However, there were whispers coming from the left, right, and back. "Is anyone there?" " Ford yelled into the night. "Show yourself! " The whispers continued. It was getting louder, and Ford couldn't stand it any longer, so he stood up, bringing Y/n with him. He needed to get out of this room.

Ford cradled her against his chest and moved her to the upper floor of the elevator. Because he couldn't see well due to the blackout, he walked cautiously between the scattered items left on the ground until he arrived at his room. He carefully placed her on the cushiony mattress and covered her with a thin blanket, but before he could pull away, Y/n reached for his sleeve.

Ford looked at her, but her eyes were closed and she was silent. He tugged on his sleeve, but she wouldn't let go. He decided to comply with her wishes and sat beside her. He placed her head on his chest, and Y/n immediately became calm as she breathed slowly.

As he looked down on Y/n, he felt another pang in his heart. Was it remorse? Guilt? Pain from his anger?

He is indeed guilty for stringing her with this. He went down a dangerous path that he ventures alone, yet somehow she's still here. She has been a part of his journey in Gravity Falls ever since the beginning. He can say that they have been through thick and thin, and these last 6 years have been an adventure.

Ford's thoughts returned to Fiddleford, and his rage resurfaced. He took his journal and pen from his coat pocket without disturbing Y/n's sleep. He had a lot to say to F, words that would look better on paper rather than spoken aloud. He'd rather save his time than spend it yelling at him.

GOOD RIDDANCE!He wrote in bold letters. It felt final and liberating. He shouldn't have contacted Fiddleford in the first place. This project could have been completed with just Y/n and his muse. He'd introduce Y/n to his muse, and the three of them could collaborate. F and his weak, cowardly demeanor were utterly pointless.

His right eye felt like it was burning again. It was stinging and it was much more painful than the last. Is this a symptom that his muse is contacting him?

"wfs yic fswty?"

"jvy xijily cgcujk"

"vevibgsrmt droo xszmtv"

"!eye eno tsuj htiw tsaeb eht raef ,yks emoceb htrae dna sllaf ytivarg nehw"

"Stop!" Ford screamed, standing up. "Stop it!"

He dashed out of the room, but the whispers remained. He clutched his journal close to his chest. It felt like he was drowning for hours, but it had only been a minute. Slowly, his muse's voice became clearer.

"THE DOOR IS OPEN..."

What had he done?

***

Y/n opened her eyes to find herself in a void. She looked around but saw nothing but darkness. Is she able to walk? She took a step forward, luckily not falling. She walked and walked until she felt she had no choice but to run. Y/n was getting short of breath. She didn't have to look behind her back to realize that she was being pursued.

Her foot suddenly lost contact with the ground, and she began to fall. She could see the ground from below and instinctively put her hands in front of her to brace for impact, but she was floating before she could land.

First and foremost, she was perplexed. "Huh..."

Maniacal laughter erupted from above, and she was left puzzled by what was going on. From above, a yellow glowing triangle floated down. He had thick lines for limbs, a top hat, and a bowtie to complete his one-eyed body. She was still processing her situation. Where the heck is she?

"You're inside your mind, short stuff."

Internally, she screamed. Can this slick-looking fella hear her thoughts?

"Oh, why thank you for the compliment. I tend to dress up for a special occasion!" He even stretched his bowtie for effect. "Anyway, how'd you like that glimpse, Daisy?" He placed both his hands on the side of his head/body.

Y/n suddenly remembered everything. She remembered the first test, how she accidentally got caught on the rope, how half of her body got sucked in, how she got a glimpse of what was really on the other side, how she puked blood. If she's in this void of nothingness, is she still unconscious?

"Boy, your thoughts are loud. Ever taught them to shut up?"

She huffed, "Stop reading my mind! And who are you?" she suddenly felt chills as she realized that he had that similar black slits for pupils, similar to a cat's eyes. It dawned on her like a meteor shower. "You were the one helping Ford, aren't you."

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Here's your prize; a handful of fish guts!" he snapped his fingers and it magically made her hand catch, you guessed it, guts from a fish.

"Agh!" Y/n screamed in utter disgust as she threw it away from her. Bill's obnoxious laugh just echoed. With another snap of his fingers, the fish guts disappeared and her hands were clean of the blood.

"Haha! I knew I liked you better than that weak, obstinate Glasses! He was too cowardly to carry out the plan. Meanwhile, you blindly obey every command from Six Fingers. That's exactly what we want to see! Let's give Daisy a standing ovation!"

Y/n stood there, unimpressed as Bill summoned multiple pairs of hands surrounding her, giving their rounds of applause. Some even hollered and cheered even though they didn't have any mouths. He's starting to annoy her second by second. His taunts, his maniacal laugh, and what's with the "Daisy" calling? When had she heard it before?

"Sleep tight, Daisy."

At the chilly realization, she felt like she was showered with a bucket of ice cold water - because she was literally showered with a bucket of ice cold water by Bill. Y/n sputtered and spat out the water as Bill's maniacal laughter resounded. "Stop it and stop mind-controlling Ford!" She pointed an accusatory finger at him.

"HAH! But why should I do that? He's just completed an interdimensional bridge connecting our worlds! We owe him a heartfelt thanks. This dimension will soon learn how to party. Are you ready?" he leaned down and produced a party pipe out of thin air before blowing it in her face. She slapped it away angrily, making Bill laugh again.

"Party? What the-" Y/n shook her head. She didn't know what he meant, but it sounded dangerous. She shouldn't have to think too much anymore or he'll just hear her thoughts! She was already well aware that Bill is a dangerously powerful being. "I'll stop you! I-I'll force Ford to close the portal!"

"And what makes you think I can't take over his body just like last time?" he replied without missing a beat. If he had lips, he would be smirking.

"You aren't welcome here, you psycho! You- you pyramid jerk!"

"Heh, your childish insults tickle my funny bone, and I don't even have one! I don't think you have a choice here once the portal finishes, Daisy." he taunted, pointing finger guns at her. Suddenly, his eyes changed and Y/n didn't like how it meant that an idea had entered his mind. What could the idea be? "And if we're going to have a party..." Bill paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes and before she knew it, it glowed to yellow and emitted a laser. He zapped her, enveloping her entire body in a yellow glow. He cackled so carelessly. "Woo!"

Her body was no longer glowing, and she scanned herself for any changes. Her physical form was unchanged, and she didn't feel any different, but Bill had clearly done something to her. "What have you done to me!"

"Even if Six Fingers stops the portal, he's just delaying the inevitable!" Bill chuckled. Even if it takes a thousand years, I'm sure you'll be present to see it! "

"What the- Bill!"

He began to float away. "Have fun with your birthday present, (nickname)-y! You'll thank me later!" his voice faded and the world around her began to flicker in black and white. "OH! Hey Daisy!" Bill exclaimed one last time. When she looked up, his eyes widened into saucers.

"WANNA HEAR AN IMPRESSION OF FIDDLEFORD?"

She awoke with a start, having no memory of what had happened in her dream or her harrowing encounter with the portal.

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 6!

MASTERLIST

9-0-11-14-15-23-0-23-5'-12-12-0-13-5-5-20-0-1-7-1-9-14-0-19-15-13-5-0-19-21-14-14-25-0-4-1-25-!

[rionas-path]

Chapter 12

Such Solitude

CXVIII. A soothing wind of silence surrounded her as she wakened. Curled up in the corner of a hallway wrapped up in hides, She blew a breath into the wind, sending fire through flow’s guides Towards the firepit; igniting it with embers hastened. The vivid scenes of last night’s altercation were cleared skies In her mind’s eye, and so much work did her stay now comprise. Howbeit; firstly, she would cleanse the corporeal, sacred Remnants of holy blood on her bare body emblazoned.

CVIX. She stretched out her arms and gathered her bloodied attire Which was haphazardly thrown about. Soon after she washed Them with a rush of rainy wind, wholly with water bedashed While they levitated in midair. Lazily, she’d hire The flow for most of her work, since there was so much about; It’d be a shame if she were to toil hard and work without Relying on the magick’s abundance. She’d only require A lesser amount; this once succumb to her itching desire.

CXX. Donning her uniform and cloak of fur, which was adorned In dazzling tribal marks of her kin; she went undismayed Into the perilous room where the Tsar’s remains still laid Unmoving, empty. Thinking of fighting the tears, to have mourned The passing of her kin-in-kind, yet finding her solitude Too comforting. This ‘loneness granted her with such certitude. She moved him outside and neatly lowered his body malformed Onto the soil; enclosing him in the snowy and icy ground.

CXXI. Tradition dictated a quarter’s moon of wait before The ritual of last rites. Thus, the first stage was put to sleep. Now she would go onward with the cleansing of the tower’s keep. Rushing the lake’s water in a current from the very shore Towards and through the gate, splashing and cleaning off the remnants Of blood which were splattered on the floor, and walls, while wary droplets Bounced off in midair, preventing them from harming the scribe’s lore Or putting out the fire, as it blazed in great, dancing ardour.

CXXII. Alas, this place was still no safe haven or sanctuary; Therefore, she chose an elevated spot as her stronghold. However, the rotting wooden stairs would easily infold She reckoned, and thus, chose to make a decision voluptuary. Taming the flow yet again and forming steps of windy force, Which would act as skipping stones upon a river’s winding course. Leaping between the gusts of wind, she soared up to her new eyrie, Giving full trust into the magick’s muse without need for worry.

CXXIII. A darkened, unilluminated hallway awaited her, With sunlight pouring in flat streams through the leaky rundown walls. With a twirl of her digits, she brightened the abandoned halls, And found a pair of doors on each side of the interior. Without much thought, she chose one as her impromptu bedroom; To boot, she found a ladder stretching upwards in the gloom. In curiosity’s grip, she wandered up. No reason to defer Her exploration of the keep, her indulgence to pamper.

CXXIV. Mountains parted the valley in splendour before her eyes, As the lake below slumbered on, by the Guardians warded. Wind whirled about with the poignant essence of the flow uncharted, Which glanced along one’s senses, even seen make dancing strides In the rising light of the morning sun. The trees that dotted The slopes gently waltzed about, as their pearly gowns fluttered In the breeze. Every so often, she spotted a rustling guise Of lone deer which dug beneath the snow in search of a prize.

CXXV. In a moment of foolish wonder among this reserve Of flow abundant, she pressed her fingers upon her temple And gazed at the lake’s winding tale. Magick gathered with a gentle Sweep about her, instilling a vision into her nerve, Into her mind. Flow whirled in a pulsing, jerking motion On one beat and soothing on the next. She gazed at the formation, The glacier’s recede and advance in the same pulsing swerve Which enraptured the flow and beauty of the peaks did preserve.

CXXVI. Breathing in and out. The blooming of flowers, the falling of leaves, The nature’s cycle. Tears welled up in her astonished eyes As she was faced with the land’s radiance in all its dyes. Alas, the sad melody which all of Outerworld bereaves, Did mark the descent into a darker time. The ice and snow Came down one day and left nevermore, shrouding the world in woe. Still, she remained a maiden fair in her white-blazoned weaves, Though elegant, her solemn and sombre state worn on her sleeves.

[nageltrailerrepair]

🚐🌈 Exploring the Road with Ease: 10 Travel Trailers under 6000 lbs 🌟🗺️

Hey wanderlust fam! ✨🌍 It's time to hit the road and embrace the spirit of adventure! 🚐✈️ Whether you're a seasoned traveler or a newbie explorer, we've got something exciting for you! Today, we're thrilled to present our top picks of lightweight travel trailers that are under 6000 lbs, making your journey a breeze! 🎉🛣️ #TravelTrailers #AdventureAwaits #RoadTrippin #Wanderlust

1️⃣ The Wanderer's Haven 🏕️🌌 Weight: 5400 lbs Your perfect home on wheels for those unforgettable escapades into the wilderness. Get lost in the beauty of nature without leaving behind the comforts of home! 🌲🏞️ #NatureLovers #IntoTheWild

2️⃣ Nomad's Nest 🌅🌊 Weight: 5700 lbs Experience the freedom of the open road as you chase sunsets by the beach and sunrise in the mountains! 🌄🏖️ #SunsetSeeker #BeachVibes #MountainMagic

3️⃣ Roaming Retreat 🌌✨ Weight: 5200 lbs Unplug from the hustle and bustle and reconnect with yourself. This cozy retreat will be your sanctuary amid the vastness of the great outdoors! 🏕️🔌 #DigitalDetox #DisconnectToReconnect

4️⃣ Adventure Abode 🗺️🏔️ Weight: 5900 lbs Explore the uncharted terrains and conquer new heights with this rugged beauty! Let the mountains become your second home. 🏔️🏕️ #MountainAdventures #PeakExplorers

5️⃣ Serene Sojourner 🌳🍃 Weight: 5300 lbs Surround yourself with the serenity of lush green forests and gentle babbling brooks. Find peace and tranquility on every journey! 🌲🏞️ #ForestRetreat #NatureEscape

6️⃣ Aqua Voyager 🌊🚣 Weight: 5900 lbs For the water babies out there! This trailer lets you navigate crystal-clear lakes and meandering rivers, offering aquatic adventures like never before! 🛶🏕️ #WaterWanderer #LakeLife

7️⃣ Skyline Escape ☁️🌈 Weight: 5500 lbs Get lost in a sea of clouds as you chase rainbows and dance in the rain. Let the ever-changing sky be your guide! 🌦️🌈 #CloudChaser #RainyDayVibes

8️⃣ Urban Nomad 🏙️🚐 Weight: 5900 lbs Explore cityscapes and urban jungles, immersing yourself in diverse cultures and modern wonders! 🌆🏙️ #CityExplorer #UrbanAdventures

9️⃣ Rustic Rambler 🍂🍁 Weight: 5400 lbs Fall in love with the golden hues of autumn as you journey through picturesque landscapes and quaint towns. Embrace the coziness of the season! 🍂🏕️ #AutumnVibes #FallInLove

🔟 Sunshine Seeker ☀️🌻 Weight: 5700 lbs Bask in the warm embrace of the sun as you discover hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path destinations. Let the sunshine guide your way! 🌞🛣️ #SunChaser #ExploreMore

Remember to follow your heart and let the road take you to places you've never been! 🗺️🌍 Which travel trailer calls out to your adventurous spirit? Let us know in the comments! 👇✨

Safe travels! 🚀💫

[delivish]

hearthfire snippet

updated tags on this! if you like south park, fantasy, love triangles or (my personal fav) tweek being a secret badass, check out hearthfire >:] will update fairly frequently since it's my current brainrot fic while i work on getting ypiac done.

snippet of ch. 4 under cut. what pride do you have tweek, huh?

McCormick Keep was a limestone fortress on a hill. 

Tweek stuck his head out the stagecoach window, breathed in the cool early evening air, and watched as the castle drew closer and closer, his heart pounding out a steady rhythm of nervousness in his chest. The sun was a ball of fire on the horizon, and the castle blazed in its light. Its smooth, white limestone walls defiantly reflected the colors of the sunset right back at it, oranges and yellows and pinks, reds like fresh blood. 

The McCormicks had made their home in a rugged land of steep foothills, and their castle sat on one of the highest, overlooking a stream running through a green valley. The craggy landscape formed a natural barrier and had made the keep nearly impossible to approach, save for one narrow, winding road that dipped first into the valley before cutting a zigzagging path through the hills. White fir, oak, and pines clung to the foothills like stubborn whiskers on an old man’s face. 

Tweek’s dark green eyes drank it all in, too fascinated to be afraid for once. The stagecoach bounced wildly over the uneven road as the driver urged their horses forward, cracking his whip. Tweek was no stranger to nature — he had been raised in the wilds, after all — but this place was very different from the harsh mountains and dry, wind-swept plateaus he was used to. It was cold here. The air was crisp and chilly, and Tweek shivered as he craned his head to admire the scenery as they made the final dizzying ascent to McCormick Keep. The land unfurled maplike before them, green and rolling, and Tweek could see for miles in every direction — the stream that had looked so small from the ground cut like a long, blue ribbon through the valley and into an ancient coniferous forest until it finally emptied into a massive lake far off in the distance. If he squinted, he could just make out the high stone walls of Cailean sitting beside the lake, the one and only major city here in the McCormick-controlled territories. The rest were all towns and villages too small to name, fierce warlord clans, and leagues and leagues of uncharted and untamed wilderness where foul beasts were rumored to make their lairs. 

There was an oft-repeated joke in Zaron: McCormick lands were the only place where a person could legally show their backside because once you were here, the only thing left to do was turn your ass back around. 

But...it was beautiful here. Tweek hadn’t been expecting that — the McCormicks had such a dreadful reputation; somehow, he’d thought this would all be a barren wasteland. 

Tweek leaned back in his seat, shivering again as the stagecoach bounced along the road up to the castle gates. It hadn’t been so bad during the day, but the temperature had dropped with the setting sun, and with winter several weeks away, the fact that he was already shaking like a leaf in the wind did not bode well. Tweek already had enough trouble controlling his tics without the added help; thank you very much.

Tweek stole a glance at his traveling companion. Bebe had fallen asleep on the seat across from him. Her head was tilted back, her lips were slightly parted, and she snored like a congested goose, rocking with the motions of the stagecoach without stirring once. A thin line of drool seeped from one corner of her mouth. Other men probably would have found her unflattering (Bebe herself would have been horrified to learn that she snored so loudly), but all Tweek could think of was how cute she looked. Bebe was so vivacious she seemed almost ethereal, but she was very human, a beautiful young woman with big dreams who just so happened to drool in her sleep. It was really fucking adorable, man. 

Tweek tore his eyes away from her. He’d been stealing glances at her face all day, but now that he had the opportunity to stare without her knowing, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Watching someone while they slept straddled a fine line between protective and downright creepy, and that wasn’t a line Tweek was willing to cross. Tweek definitely had some creeper tendencies, but he also had some pride, damn it. 

Not much, but some. 

[tripmazaindia]

"Discover the Beauty of India's Northeast: The Seven Sisters of India"

Nestled in the far-eastern corner of India, the Northeast region is a mesmerizing and culturally diverse paradise waiting to be discovered. Comprising eight states—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura—Northeast India offers a unique blend of breathtaking landscapes, rich biodiversity, vibrant festivals, and warm hospitality. In this blog post, we will embark on a journey to explore the uncharted beauty and charm of Northeast India.

1. Assam:

Known as the gateway to Northeast India, Assam is famous for its tea gardens, wildlife sanctuaries, and the mighty Brahmaputra River. Visit the Kaziranga National Park, home to the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, and take a boat ride on the Brahmaputra to witness its grandeur. Don't miss the vibrant Bihu festivals and savor the world-renowned Assam tea.

2. Meghalaya:

Meghalaya, meaning "the abode of clouds," lives up to its name with its lush green landscapes and abundant rainfall. Explore the living root bridges in Cherrapunji and Mawlynnong, the cleanest village in Asia. Discover the enchanting Mawsmai Caves and enjoy the stunning views of waterfalls like Nohkalikai and Seven Sisters. Shillong, the capital city, offers a blend of colonial charm and a thriving music scene.

3. Arunachal Pradesh:

Arunachal Pradesh, the "Land of the Rising Sun," boasts of breathtaking Himalayan landscapes, ancient monasteries, and rich tribal culture. Visit Tawang, home to the famous Tawang Monastery and the beautiful Peng Teng Tso Lake. Explore the Ziro Valley, known for its scenic beauty and the Apatani tribe's unique culture. Don't miss the Namdapha National Park, a biodiversity hotspot.

4. Nagaland:

Nagaland, known for its vibrant tribes and unique festivals, offers a glimpse into the rich Naga heritage. Witness the Hornbill Festival, a grand celebration of Naga culture, in Kohima. Explore the picturesque village of Khonoma, known for its conservation efforts and indigenous traditions. Trek to Dzükou Valley for stunning views and immerse yourself in the warmth of Naga hospitality.

5. Manipur:

Immerse yourself in the natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of Manipur. Visit Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, and explore the unique floating phumdis (islands). Witness the awe-inspiring Ras Lila dance performances at the Govindaji Temple and discover the ancient Kangla Fort in Imphal. Don't miss the Sangai Festival, showcasing Manipuri art, dance, and music.

6. Mizoram:

Mizoram, known as the "Land of the Highlanders," captivates visitors with its rolling hills, cascading waterfalls, and vibrant tribal culture. Explore Aizawl, the capital city, and visit the revered Mizoram State Museum. Trek to the breathtaking Phawngpui Blue Mountain, the highest peak in Mizoram, and witness the grandeur of the Palak Wildlife Sanctuary.

7. Tripura:

Discover the hidden treasures of Tripura, the land of legendary palaces and captivating landscapes. Visit the magnificent Ujjayanta Palace in Agartala and the ancient Neermahal Palace, located amidst the tranquil Rudrasagar Lake. Explore the rich archaeological sites of Unakoti and witness the vibrant Tripuri dance forms during the Kharchi Festival.

8. Sikkim:

Though a part of Northeast India, Sikkim deserves special mention for its pristine beauty and spiritual significance. Explore the capital city of Gangtok, visit the Rumtek Monastery, and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Himalayas. Discover the magical Yumthang Valley, Tsomgo Lake, and the ancient Pemayangtse Monastery.

9. Tripura Sundari Temple, Tripura:

Located in the ancient city of Udaipur in Tripura, the Tripura Sundari Temple is a significant pilgrimage site and architectural marvel. Dedicated to the goddess Tripura Sundari (a form of Goddess Durga), this temple showcases exquisite craftsmanship and intricate carvings. The temple's unique architectural style and the serene surroundings add to its spiritual aura. Visitors can participate in religious rituals, witness colorful festivals, and soak in the divine atmosphere of this revered temple.

10. Dzukou Valley, Nagaland-Manipur Border:

Nestled on the border of Nagaland and Manipur, Dzukou Valley is a hidden gem known for its untouched natural beauty. Often referred to as the "Valley of Flowers of the Northeast," Dzukou Valley is a paradise for trekkers and nature enthusiasts. The valley comes alive with a vibrant carpet of wildflowers, including lilies, rhododendrons, and orchids, during the spring season. The picturesque trek to Dzukou Valley offers breathtaking views of rolling hills, cascading streams, and lush green landscapes. Camping in the valley and witnessing the awe-inspiring sunrise and sunset vistas is a truly enchanting experience.

Conclusion:

Northeast India, with its untouched beauty, rich cultural heritage, and warm hospitality, offers a unique travel experience. From the misty hills of Meghalaya to the mystical land of Arunachal Pradesh, each state in the region has its own distinct charm. Embark on a journey to Northeast India, and you'll find yourself immersed in a world of breathtaking landscapes, diverse cultures, and unforgettable memories. Prepare to be enchanted by the unexplored paradise of Northeast India.

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Kareri: Ignite Your Passion for Trekking!

Himachal’s Hidden Gem

Kareri Himachal Pradesh, is a stunning destination that has been gaining popularity among trekking enthusiasts. Known for its serene landscapes, crystal-clear lake, and challenging trails, Kareri is a hidden gem waiting to be explored. 

The trek to Kareri Lake, with an altitude of 2950 metres, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and adventure, making it a perfect escape for those seeking a refreshing and offbeat experience.

The Kareri Lake Trek: A High-Altitude Adventure

The trek to Kareri Lake Himachal Pradesh starts from the quaint village of Kareri, this trek takes you through lush pine forests, alpine meadows, and picturesque valleys. As you ascend, the landscape transitions from dense woods to rocky terrains, offering a constantly changing and breathtaking backdrop.

The highlight of the trek is reaching Kareri Lake, a stunning high-altitude freshwater lake fed by melting snow from the Dhauladhar range.

Kareri Lake, Himachal Pradesh: A Glacial Marvel

Kareri Lake height of 2950 metres, is known for its crystal-clear water, which reflects the surrounding snow-capped peaks. The lake remains frozen in winter, transforming the area into a snowy wonderland. 

In warmer months, the turquoise waters and the lush green surroundings create a tranquil setting, perfect for camping by the lake. The serene environment makes it an ideal spot for meditation and soaking in the beauty of the Himalayas.

Dharamshala to Kareri Lake: A Scenic Journey

The Dharamshala Kareri Lake trek is a scenic adventure in itself. The trek usually starts at Ghera village, a short drive from Dharamshala, and leads to Kareri village, the starting point of the trek. The route offers glimpses of traditional Himachali villages, terraced fields, and the vibrant culture of the local Gaddi community.

As you trek higher, the cool mountain breeze, the sound of flowing streams, and the panoramic views of the Dhauladhar range make the journey as memorable as the destination.

Best Time to Visit Kareri Lake

The best time to visit Kareri Lake is from April to June and September to November when the weather is pleasant, and the trails are accessible. During these months, the temperature is mild, making it perfect for trekking and camping. 

The winter months (December to March) bring heavy snowfall, which can make the trek challenging but offers a unique snow-covered landscape for those willing to brave the cold.

Universal Adventures: Kareri Trek with Camping

1 Night & 2 Days

Price: ₹1349 per person  

Embark on an exciting trekking and camping experience with Universal Adventures at Kareri Lake. This 1-night, 2-day package offers a guided trek through scenic landscapes, camping under the stars, and a chance to explore the serene beauty of Kareri at an unbeatable price. 

Join Universal Adventures for an unforgettable journey in the heart of Himachal Pradesh!

Discover the Magic of Kareri Lake in Himachal Pradesh

Kareri Lake in Himachal Pradesh is more than just a trekking destination; it’s an experience that combines adventure, natural beauty, and cultural immersion. From the scenic trek to the mesmerising views of the lake, every step of the journey ignites a passion for exploring the unspoiled beauty of the Himalayas. Whether you’re an avid trekker or someone looking to disconnect from the hustle of daily life, Kareri offers an unforgettable adventure that will leave you inspired and rejuvenated.

Explore the uncharted trails of Kareri and let the pristine landscapes of Himachal Pradesh capture your heart. Your next adventure awaits!

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Powder Paradise: Discovering the Thrills of Powder Skiing in BC

If you're an adventure enthusiast, British Columbia (BC) should be at the top of your bucket list. Known for its stunning landscapes and incredible snow conditions, BC is a haven for powder skiing lovers. Let’s dive into what makes this experience so special!

Why Choose Powder Skiing BC?

World-Class Terrain: BC boasts some of the best ski resorts in the world, like Whistler Blackcomb, Revelstoke, and Fernie. Each offers unique runs that cater to all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned pros.

Unmatched Powder Snow: The snow in BC is legendary. With its dry, fluffy powder, skiing here feels like floating on clouds. This type of snow is perfect for carving turns and exploring off-piste trails.

Stunning Scenery: Skiing in BC is not just about the slopes. The breathtaking views of mountains, forests, and lakes create a picturesque backdrop. Every run feels like an adventure through a winter wonderland.

The Adventure Experience

When you go powder skiing in BC, you're not just hitting the slopes; you're embarking on an adventure. Here’s what you can expect:

Fresh Tracks: There’s nothing like the feeling of making the first tracks in untouched snow. Early mornings can lead to thrilling runs down pristine slopes, giving you a sense of freedom like no other.

Guided Tours: For those new to powder skiing, guided tours are a great way to explore. Experienced guides will take you to the best spots, ensuring you enjoy the most exciting terrain safely.

Backcountry Adventures: If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, consider backcountry skiing. This involves venturing off the marked trails into uncharted territory. It’s essential to have the right gear and knowledge, as safety is paramount in these areas.

Tips for Powder Skiing

Gear Up: Ensure you have the right gear for powder skiing. Wider skis are ideal for floating on the snow, and avalanche safety gear is crucial for backcountry adventures.

Know the Conditions: Always check the weather and avalanche reports before heading out. Conditions can change quickly in the mountains.

Take Lessons: If you’re new to powder skiing, consider taking a lesson. Professional instructors can help you master techniques to navigate the soft snow and improve your skills.

Conclusion

Powder skiing in BC is more than just a sport; it’s an adventure that immerses you in nature’s beauty. Whether you’re carving down groomed trails or exploring backcountry runs, the thrill of gliding through fresh powder is unforgettable. So grab your gear, gather your friends, and experience the excitement of powder skiing in British Columbia—you won’t regret it.

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Embark on an unforgettable journey with our Turtuk with Tso Moriri Tour Package, an 8-day, 7-night Ladakh expedition that takes you through the region’s most breathtaking landscapes. Discover the remote village of Turtuk, rich in culture and history, nestled near the Pakistan border. Then, explore the serene beauty of Tso Moriri, a high-altitude lake surrounded by stunning mountains. This package offers a perfect blend of adventure, culture, and natural splendor. Book now to experience the uncharted beauty of Ladakh, from its vibrant villages to its pristine lakes.