#oldest male human on record

[webcrawler3000]

[bestanimal]

Round 2 - Chordata - Myxini

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

The Myxini, commonly called “hagfish”, “slime eels”, or even “snot snakes”, is the most simple class of vertebrates. They have one order, the Myxiniformes, and 3 families.

Hagfish have a cartilaginous skull but no vertebral column, though they do have rudimentary vertebrae. They also have tooth-like structures composed of keratin. Species range from 4 cm (1.6 in) to 127 cm (4 ft 2 in) long. They have elongated, worm-like bodies, and paddle-like tails. The skin is naked and loose, attached only along the center ridge of the back and at the slime glands. They have simple eyespots which only detect light, six or eight barbels around the mouth, and a single nostril. Their jaws move horizontally rather than vertically like other vertebrates, projecting two pairs of horny, comb-shaped tooth plates that grasp food and pull it into the mouth. They are marine predators and/or scavengers.

Hagfish are most well-known for their defense mechanism: releasing copious amounts of slime from specialized mucous glands in their skin. The slime reacts to seawater, expanding to 10,000 times its original size in 0.4 seconds. This slime is flexible, more durable and retentive than the slime excreted by any other animals. If a predator is not deterred by the sudden mouthful of slime, hagfish can also tie themselves into a knot to scrape more slime off of their bodies, wiggling free from their captor while its gills are clogged. Hagfish will also use this traveling knot behavior to clean themselves of any excess mucous.

Very little is known about hagfish reproduction. They are split into males and females, with females usually outnumbering males. Depending on species, females lay from 1 to 30 tough, yolky eggs. The eggs stick together with velcro-like tufts at either end. They do not have a larval stage and hatch as miniature adults.

The oldest-known stem group hagfish are known from the Late Carboniferous, with modern forms first being recorded from the mid-Cretaceous.

Propaganda under the cut:

Hagfish thread keratin, the protein that make up their slime filaments, is under investigation as an alternative to spider silk for use in applications such as body armor.

Hagfish slime threads can also be used as ultra-strong fiber for clothing.

Hagfish skin, used in a variety of clothing accessories, is usually referred to as "eel skin". It produces a particularly durable leather used for wallets and belts.

Remember this?

In 2017, a truck carrying 7,500 pounds of live hagfish got into a road accident on U.S. Highway 101. The aggravated hagfish then released enough slime to cover the road and nearby cars. Horror movie situation tbh.

But why were several tons of hagfish being shipped in a truck? Well, they were on their way to Korea for seafood purposes. Yeah. They are eaten in Korea and Japan.

Hagfish have a sluggish metabolism and can survive months between feedings; this is likely due to the scarcity of food on the seafloor. When food is present, such as a dead whale, they can go into a feeding frenzy.

Here I am listing all these ways that humans use them, but hagfish are also an important part of the deep sea ecosystem. Plus… I think they’re cute and I too wish I could produce a bunch of slime when I don’t want people to touch me. I mean, Howl in “Howl’s Moving Castle” does it and people love him, so���

[owl-falls-au-gravity-falls]

Stanley Pines | Owl Falls AU

IN ENGLISH

Stanley Pines is The protagonist of Owl Falls AU

Stanley "the werewolf knight" Pines, his current age is 57 years old, was born on June 15, 1967, he was relatively young, unlike what many believed at first glance, he studies hard about the boiling islands, as well as a way to find a portal back home, although he also helped Eda sell her potions and elixirs

Stanley's nickname, "the werewolf knight", comes from being the male version of Eda and her type of curse, which was cast on him by someone who is currently unknown

Stanley Pines has two brothers, both older, Stanford Pines, his twin brother, and Sherman "Shermie" Pines, the oldest of the three brothers, his mother is Caryn Romanoff Pines, his father is Filbrick Pines, he has Jacob Pines as a nephew and Dipper and Mabel as great-nephews, both twins

His fraternal relationships outside of blood ties are Eda Clawthorne, ex-wife and now his best friend, King, whom he considered his nephew, although he does not say it explicitly, Luz Noceda, a human girl who gave him back his hopes of returning home, became a kind of apprentice for Stan, over time he met Willow, Gus, Amity and Hunter and simply became the father of the group

His appearance is quite similar to what he had thirty years ago, thanks to the elixir that Eda gave him to stay active and energetic to make his deliveries and escape, the differences are that Stan's hair has been dyed a silver gray, the coat he wore was worn out over time, so Eda gave him a cape similar to his old coat, with a hat to keep him warm, internal pockets to easily steal and a resistant material to prevent wear

Some personal items that Stan keeps from his world are the following:

Stanford's diary number 2, in which Stanley had recorded his discoveries and notes on the boiling islands

His cape, a gift from Eda, which keeps him warm and protects him from any threat

His palisman, Dominique, created with the help of Eda, with whom he has a special connection, and of course the palisman can become a baseball bat with which he can fight, since Dominique was very resistant

His metal gauntlets, golden color, which he uses to fight hand to hand, only in emergencies

EN ESPAÑOL

Stanley Pines es el protagonista de Owl Falls AU

Stanley "el caballero lobo" Pines, su edad actual es de 57 años, nació el 15 de junio de 1967, era relativamente joven, a diferencia de lo que muchos creían al verlo a simple vista, estudia arduamente sobre las islas hirvientes, así como una forma de encontrar un portal de vuelta a casa, aunque también ayudaba a Eda a vender sus pociones y elixires

El apodo de Stanley, "el caballero lobo", viene de ser la versión masculina de Eda y su tipo de maldición, la cual le fue lanzada por alguien que por ahora es desconocido

Stanley Pines tiene dos hermanos, ambos mayores, Stanford Pines, su hermano gemelo, y Sherman "Shermie" Pines, el mayor de los tres hermanos, su madre es Caryn Romanoff Pines, su padre es Filbrick Pines, tiene como sobrino a Jacob Pines y a Dipper y Mabel como sobrino-nietos, ambos gemelos

Sus relaciones fraternales lejos de los lazos sanguíneos son Eda Clawthorne, exesposa y ahora su mejor amiga, King, al que consideraba su sobrino, aunque no lo dice de forma explícita, Luz Noceda, una niña humana que le regreso las esperanzas de volver a casa, se convirtió en una especie de aprendiz para Stan, con el tiempo conoció a Willow, Gus, Amity y Hunter y simplemente se volvió el papá del grupo

su aspecto es bastante similar a la que tenía hace treinta años, gracias al elixir que Eda le entrego para mantenerse activo y enérgico para hacer sus entregas y escapar, las diferencias son que el cabello de Stan se ha teñido de un gris plateado, el abrigo que usaba se fue desgastando con el tiempo, así que Eda le entrego una capa similar a su antiguo abrigo, con un gorro para abrigarlo, bolsillos internos para robar fácilmente y un material resistente para evitar el desgaste

Algunos objetos personales que Stan conserva de su mundo son las siguientes:

El diario número 2 de Stanford, en el cual Stanley había registrado sus descubrimientos y anotaciones sobre las islas hirvientes

Su capa, regalo de Eda, que lo abriga y protege de cualquier amenaza

Su palisman, Dominique, creado con la ayuda de Eda, con quien tiene una conexión especial, además claro de que el palisman puede convertirse en un bate de beisbol con el que puede pelear, ya que Dominique era muy resistente 

Sus manoplas de metal, de color dorado, los cuales usa para pelear cuerpo a cuerpo, solo en emergencias...

[concerningwolves]

I've seen a few different threads around over the last few days debating whether people are 'allowed'/whether they should keep reimagining the myth of Persephone's abduction, and it feels to me like these discussions are actually two different conversations that have been flattened into one. I am staunchly in favour of retellings and reimaginings. I may not always agree with what an adaptation etc. does, but ultimately I'm always enthusiastic about people engaging creatively with myths, legends and folklore. Not everyone feels this way, and a lot of people are fiercely protective over what they consider the "correct" version of a myth. Hence the common resurgence of debates like the one about reimagining the Persephone myth.

Thing is, you can be both enthusiastic and critical about retellings – indeed, sometimes you need to be critical of them. The Rape of Persephone is a really good example of this, actually. The version most children learn goes like this: Persephone is abducted because Hades has fallen in love with her; Demeter holds the fate of the human race hostage against Zeus until he agrees to send Hermes down to save Persephone from Hades; Persephone eats six pomegranate seeds, so she has to remain in the underworld for six months of the year. What's crucial here is that this popular, sanitised version reframes Persephone's plight as her fault. She is so beautiful that Hades can't resist her. She eats the seeds willingly. It's an ancient myth given a new facet, but it's a facet cut by modern misogyny* – and that's definitely something to criticise. In the Homeric hymn to Demeter, the oldest extant written record of the tale, Hades feeds Persephone the seed by force and deliberately conceals this act from Zeus. He knows it's wrong, and the audience knew it was wrong, and there isn't a reason why making the myth child-friendly had to involve cutting this part out.

Does that mean nobody should ever retell the myth? No! But we should definitely ask why this version has become so popular, and consider what it says about our contemporary society.

*Ancient Greek society was highly misogynistic too, make no mistake. Yet (male!) classical writers didn't pull their punches when it came to showing Persephone's distress and the horror of her situation.

[inspofromancientworld]

Legendary creatures: Kitsune, Kumiho, hồ ly tinh, and huli jing

Fox spirits such as kitsune (狐, きつね) of Japan, kumiho (Hangul 구미호 or Hanja 九尾狐) of Korea, hồ ly tinh (狐狸精) of Vietnam, or huli jing (狐狸精) of China are shape-shifting fox spirits, usually having nine tails. They are typically tricksters that can be either benevolent or malevolent.

By Unknown painter from late 4th to mid 5th century A.D., unknown photographer - http://www.sohu.com/a/193975015_556515, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73024755

The oldest version of the nine-tailed fox spirits was from China. The first story that has the juli jing was the Shanhaijin (山海经 Classic of Mountains and Seas) which was compiled sometime in the fourth century BCE, but the currently known form wasn't completed until the early Han dynasty (202 BCE - 9 CE). It contained stories fables of the pre-Qin dynasty (prior to about 700 BCE). It says '靑丘國在其北其人食五穀衣絲帛其狐四足九尾。 The Land of Blue Hills lies to the north where the inhabitants consume the Five Grains, wear silk and worship foxes that have four legs and nine tails.' The nine-tailed fox was seen as a good omen, only appearing in times of peace. However, it also says 'Three hundred li [150km/93.2 miles]farther east is Qingqiu Mountain, where much jade can be found on its south slope and green cinnabar on its north. There is a beast here whose form resembles a fox with nine tails. It makes a sound like a baby and is a man-eater. Whoever eats it will be protected against insect-poison (gu).' During the Han dynasty, the mythology added the ability to shape-shift into humans as they became older, one description of which was by Guo Pu (郭璞, 276-326 CE) 'When a fox is fifty years old, it can transform itself into a woman; when a hundred years old, it becomes a beautiful female, or a spirit medium, or an adult male who has sexual intercourse with women. Such beings are able to know things at more than a thousand miles' distance; they can poison men by sorcery, or possess and bewilder them, so that they lose their memory and knowledge; and when a fox is thousand years old, it ascends to heaven and becomes a celestial fox.'

By Chris Gladis (MShades) from Kyoto, Japan - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=748434

Fox worship arrived in Japan sometime during the Jomon period (14,000-300 BCE) as evidenced by necklaces including canine teeth and jawbones of foxes. Stories from China were brought to Japan by merchants who traded and brought in as kyuubi no kitsune (九尾の狐, nine-tailed fox). In the Nihon Shoki (日本書紀, the Chronicles of Japan), which is the second-oldest book of Japanese history, mentions foxes twice, both times as omens. It records that in 657 a byakko (white fox) in Iwami Province was a good omen. In 659, a fox bit a vine a construction worker and it was seen as an ill omen. There were tales of kitsune turning into kitsune nyoubo (狐女房 fox wife) that are revealed as foxes after pet dogs that were recorded in the Nihon Ryouki (日本霊異記) book of fables during the Heian period (recorded between 787-824).

By Hùng Phong Lê - Hùng Phong Lê, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=134883158

The Hồ ly tinh have specific ages that they have to reach to gain their tails. They must practice for a hundred years to have three tails and be considered a 'demon fox', for a thousand years to become a 'ghost fox' with six tails. When it gains nine tails, it's considered a 'celestial fox' and can turn its tails into humans. If the fox loses its tail, it dies. In the Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư (chữ Hán: 大越史記全書, Complete annals of Đại Việt), compiled in 1697, states that Emperor Lê Thái Tổ was saved by a hồ ly tinh when he was hiding in Lam Sơn from the Ming army. He took the time during his hiding to bury a girl in a white dress and that a white fox distracted the army when he was almost caught.

source: https://www.deviantart.com/auroreblackcat/art/Gumiho-283762936

The kumiho are able to become beautiful women who seduce men to eat their liver or heart. The Chinese story entered into Korea during the Three Kingdoms period (삼국시대, from about 494-562) and state that foxes become kumiho with great age and become stronger with that age, too. The kumiho were largely viewed neutrally, though self-centered in their need for human organs and souls. It wasn't until later that they were viewed as evil, bloodthirsty fox-human hybrids that might turn into humans if they can avoid eating human flesh for a thousand years. Something unique to the kumiho is that they develop and pass along 'yeowoo geseul' (여우구슬, 'fox marbles' that they give to and then take back from humans by an action that looks like kissing. It can only remain in the human part of the chain for a year before it can kill them completely. When it's returned to the fox part of the chain, the human has no memory of the yeowoo guseul or the kumino.

[clockys-soul]

Just wanna make sure sorry for the second ask, but I've saw people have ocs for your story and I'm wondering if I can make a character or two?

If so do you have anymore info on Bloodreapers, Light reapers and Snow reapers.

And any information on the things like Thunderborns, Frostborns, ect. Like is there bloodborns 🤔

I will also take as much info about the story as you will give me

No need to apologize! Im always open for questions!

And yes you may absolutely make some characters! I’m always happy to see that.

One thing is very important to know about the world I’ve created:

"There’s a legend that says that if one is meant to ride a dragon, rider and dragon will always find each other."

This applies to all creatures that can be tamed too.

A good way to figure out if you are meant to bond with a certain creature is to check if the creature shares your eye color, if you share your eyecolor it means you share your soul color so a soul bond is possible! Not everyone gets to ride dragons though, even if they wish to.

Here’s the Bestiary page on Bloodreaper Wyverns! Im gonna change the design a bit (just the head and not much so no worries, it’s still accurate). There’s all kinds of info in that text! None on taming one though and just like all other Wyvern breeds you cannot simply tame an adult, taming adult Wyverns is impossible as you’d be killed before even getting a chance to get close. So what to do? You need to acquire an egg! Some buy them off the market (which isn’t good as that usually means dragon hunter killed the parents and took their eggs (dragon hunting is illegal). Maybe you happen to stumble upon an abandoned hatchling, but hatchlings are fierce even if they are young. Bloodreapers do not have a breath attack and Bloodborns are in in fact not a thing! Lesser Wyverns such as Bloodreapers do not posses a connection to an Elemental (Fire, ice, Lightning, Sun, moon).

Now the second rarest Wyvern species! Lightreapers are very rare and also very strong, they are cousins of the Fire elemental Wyverns (Flame/Fire/Ember/Ash and Magmareapers) and so are Nightreapers!

Lightreapers are Greater Wyverns! Their usual coloration consists of a mainly white body with yellow to gold wings and gold accents! Males will usually have markings on their crests (like a triceratops for example) and have a brightly colored throat (this is a trait all male Wyverns share) males like most other Wyverns are also bigger but less aggressive than females.

Lightreapers are only found in the desert areas of a continent! They are considered holy steeds to the Temple of Solis' Members! Some members ride Lightreaper Wyverns or Lightstalker Drakes.

Some Known Lightreapers and their riders:

Aurum (first recorded Sunborn Lightreaper)—Imera (first recorded Sunborn human)

Whiteray—Liora Solar (mother to Aelius Solar)

Daylight—Albus Luminos (Arch Priest of the Temple)

Zenith—Aelius Solar (father to Elaine Solar)

Meridian(oldest current living Lightreaper)— Soleil aka the blind Sunwalker (mother to Elaine Solar)

Solis (this century’s Sunborn Lightreaper) — Elaine Solar (this century’s Sunborn human)

Snowreapers are relatively docile compared to other Wyverns but still aggressive enough that going near one will end in death.

Some known Snowreapers and riders:

The white Warden of the North (a Wild, elder female Snowreaper living in the mountain ranges in the north of Achaios.) —riderless

Northwind (half Hailreaper; oldest living dragon on Archaios)— Hebe Duratus (deceased)

Snowwing — Cailleach Duratus

Rimewing — Meili Duratus

Blizzard (this century’s Frostborn; half Frostreaper)— Boreas Duratus (this century’s frostbornn father of Skadi and Aquilo)

Frostbite (night/blood/snow/Frostreaper hybrid) — Skadi Duratus

Snowfall (night/blood/snow/frost) — Aquilo Duratus

Hope any of this made sense and I’ll post some more on my story!

[finchly-tintinnabulation]

- Bridge Over Troubled Water -

Roboute Guilliman x M!OC (Finch)

Tags: Emetophobia, canon typical treatment of xenos, Nurgle mention, that flavor of large scale existential dread that only the Imperium provides BONUS DISCLAIMER: Finch has medical conditions that I don't (narcolepsy/cataplexy, seizures, mobility issues) but am writing to the best of my ability

This started out as pure Guilliman thirst but as soon as I started thinking about Finch (beloved oldest OC whom this blog is named after) it spiraled into being a very plot heavy slowburn. Apologies in advance for the extensive preamble to OLD MAN YAOI and big thanks to @cardinalcanis and Ovid for giving me the strength to write OC x canon, @cosmic-cryptid-from-beyond for even more Guilliman brainrot, and @daily-shenanigans784 for the beta read.

The Chorus: @thisuserislilsilly

- - -

If there was one thing to be grateful for it was that the marine had given up on attempting to frog march him, whether it had been his lapsing consciousness or the limp in the absence of his cane, by the time he was aware of the thrumming of engines he was slung over a ceramite plated shoulder like a sack of grain. With the throbbing of his head and the wad of gritty fabric jammed in his mouth making his jaw ache, all he could focus on was breathing steadily through his nose. 

It wouldn’t do to dwell on what was in store for him, any other outbursts would only worsen his situation. So he listened and breathed and tried to remain conscious, noted the buzzing and thrumming and creaking of metal, the heavy clanking footsteps and the jostling of the marine carrying him. There was little use trying to keep track of the turns and lifts and steps, whatever vessel he had been taken upon was a maze his addled mind didn’t have the capacity to navigate behind the blindfold until they eventually came to a stop. 

“Yes! That’s the witch, my lord.” The pariah twitched, roused by a voice he couldn’t quite place. A reedy sounding male human, faintly wheezing from agitation. “As you can see, this is the xenos who has been impeding our Tithe, it has cursed our world for generations since its arrival.”

“You must understand, even without… there was simply no way to maintain the production expected of our workers, with the conditions as they… as they are.” The cautious murmur of a more feminine voice clicked the pieces into place. She had once orbited his presence like many a curious child, but she had grown to know better. The planetary governor and his daughter, likely called to an audience with their Imperial masters. 

Even the humans feared their avenging angels, and it was with bitter resignation that the Aeldari realized why he was brought here, why a small crowd of festival-goers had descended upon him alongside the marine now toting him. They needed their scapegoat. 

“Sergeant, report your findings.” A modulated voice sounded from somewhere near the humans, and on his other side a pair of ceramite boots stepped forwards to reply. 

“We have confirmed this xenos to be the source of the confiscated artifact, the same Eldar material were found throughout the items we searched.” Ah. How lovely, he’d already been ransacked. “According to our records, these denote an Eldar psyker who creates such materials with its voice.” His blood ran cold as he heard the empty clank of something being set on a metal surface. Undoubtedly it was his armor. 

“That bewitching voice has been whispering to our children. The daemons it has brought have been sung from the Warp itself.” The governor interjected shrilly, seemingly too eager for proper formalities when an escape was in sight. Suddenly jostled again, the pariah remained limp in the marine’s grasp before his feet touched solid ground, realizing he was being stood to face what was now his jury. 

“The Eldar appeared to be familiar with a few…“ His captor began, though oddly trailed off his explanation. In fact, a hush fell all around him, accompanied by a rustle of silent commotion.

“Please, do continue.” A new voice. Deep like a marine, whose large vocal chords resonated differently than a baseline human’s, but unmodulated and melodic, somewhere behind him and accompanied by more ceramite footfalls and a strange sort of presence. Not a psyker, but a being of immense impact on the Warp, one felt despite his self-imposed restrictions.

“…Yes, my Lord. This Eldar appeared to be familiar with a handful of adolescents, we tailed the target before apprehension and one such child was that which we had confiscated an artifact from.” 

So he had been trying to warn me. He tried to ignore the pang in his chest at his prized apprentice’s inadvisable loyalty, and if he had the chance he would have scolded him. Dedication to a comfortable distance between himself and his much more short-lived pupils had once again proven little use; Rami’s headstrong intelligence and talent had instilled a sense of pride in him.

“Would this be the artifact in question?” The sonorous voice asked, and the pariah strained his ears for the clink of Wraithbone against armored gauntlets. “If so, I would like to be permitted to participate in this… interrogation. Unbind him so he may speak as well.”

“With all due respect my Lord, the xenos has been gagged to nullify the previously mentioned abilities.” The touch of cold ceramite briefly tightened on his arms as if in warning. 

“If it is a concern for safety, then have faith in me.” Something heavy settled upon his shoulder and after a moment the vise of gauntlets around his arms retreated, sluggishly realizing he was changing hands just as he began to wobble and quickly trying to steady his weight back into his good leg. There was another touch at the back of his neck as the fabric binding his eyes and mouth was untied, the gag tugged out from between his teeth. 

Swallowing thickly as he let the strain in his jaw fade, the Aeldari waited a moment before opening his eyes, and almost immediately regretted doing so. The relatively dim light sent a jolt of pain through his pounding head, swimming blobs of color tilting sideways as his vision spun. 

He sucked in a rattling breath, gagged, and proceeded to vomit all over the blue wall in front of him. 

The silence following was almost more suffocating than the restraints, and as his sight cleared he glanced around to try and orient himself through his nausea and downright murderous headache. As he had guessed, he appeared to be on the bridge of a space vessel, the dark metal interior bathed in the green light of command displays framed by a vista of stars and the view of Valian, frost dusting the rocky red sediment of the ice planet. 

The governor and his daughter appeared to be frozen beside the console, with the Aeldari’s belongings laid out on a tarp at their feet with the exception of his helmet and his student’s Wraithbone dagger set upon a control panel, sporting matching faces of blanched horror. The blue clad space marines scattered about were unreadable behind their helmets, but they were likewise unmoving. 

Turning his head, the pariah cleared his throat and attempted to wipe the dribble of bile on his chin on his shoulder, before turning his attention to the only other face he could see. The Aeldari towered almost a head above the human colonists, so tilting his head up slightly to stare into the shiny red lenses of a space marine’s helmet was new to him. The wall of a man now holding him upright put that neck ache to shame, seemingly double his own size and clad in towering ceramite regalia whose gold embossed greaves were now dripping with the contents of his stomach. However, the man’s visage was what took his breath away, pushing everything else from the pariah’s thoughts. 

The restless silence made sense now, as the sheer presence of his inscrutable blue gaze held the gravity of a white hot star, pinning the prisoner with its weight. His hair was gold like the glistening trim of his power armor, framing a face that seemed carved from stone in its statuesque idealism. And yet the image of a demigod was chipped as the Aeldari noted the lines of his face, a well worn furrow in his brow and a sunkenness around his eyes; he knew well the look of a tired man. 

“…Apologies, I think I’ve been concussed.” The pariah warbled hoarsely, clearing his throat and grimacing at the mess he’d made. Suddenly the stony visage before him cracked into a look of… amusement?

“No harm done. It can be cleaned.” No sooner had he finished speaking than a hunched and waxy skinned human appeared accompanied by the squeal of machinery, and the Aeldari flinched at the grotesque sight. He’d heard tell of servitors, but he was thoroughly caught off guard, even as it knelt unperturbed to scoop chunks of sick into a biohazard container. The pariah’s lip curled and he rebalanced himself to be out of the servitor’s way, pushing aside his disgust in favor of the matter at hand. 

“You. Baron of House Delta.” Tilting his head, he gave a sidelong look to the trembling human leader of the colony below. “When I told your predecessor I would take responsibility for the reduction of productivity in the absence of your Imperium, my word was bond. I imagine this exchange would have been far more helpful had you considered that rather than leveling such accusations. While I never expected gratitude, I find this an utterly incomprehensible thing to stoop to, you absurd little man.” 

The Aeldari derisively bared his teeth at the man, watching his reddened face morph from fear to outrage. He briefly considered spitting at the governor’s feet in contempt, but dirtying the floor further seemed counterintuitive to an attempt at diplomacy. “Since you have taken the liberty of going through my things, did you think to pick up my cane? I doubt the angels would enjoy holding me up for however long this takes.”

The governor sputtered but couldn’t produce anything coherent in response, which the pariah attributed to his gaze continuously flicking above his head to the extremely large marine holding him. 

“Are you injured?” The demigod intoned, effectively snatching the Aeldari’s attention as well, grasping his other shoulder to look him up and down. Despite himself, his face felt oddly warm at being studied so intensely. 

“Just a bolter to the side of the head.” That heavy blue gaze wandered pointedly down to his leg, however the expression on the marine’s face showed only interest, and he said nothing of it. His earnestness was almost disturbing.

“It appears my men aren’t in possession of your cane, nor would the present company be comfortable with your hands freed.” The marine raised his eyebrows, glancing around the bridge. 

“Oh, naturally.” He replied drily, to which the enormous shining wall of a man laughed. Laughed?

“I’m sure seating can be arranged. In the meantime, I would like for you to introduce yourself.” That strange warmth spread through his chest, disarming whatever retorts he had been trying to muster seemingly surrounded by hostiles. What reason had this enormous glistening marine to offer him a forum to speak?

“...As in, what am I called?” Was this still an interrogation? What information did he hope to glean?

“That would certainly be a good start. Give me your name.” The behemoth replied with a bemused smile. Still, the Aeldari paused. There were many things he had been called. Xenos. Witch. Teacher. Asuryani. Bonesinger. The name of his birth that he had long since abandoned. Perhaps those were more appropriate, to denote his place in the whirl of lives around him. But there was another answer that felt right. “Finch. It was… a name gifted to me by late autocrat Tamsyn Delta. If I’m not mistaken, it’s what you called a creature of Old Terra.” Despite his reservations, Finch couldn’t keep the softness from his voice.

“Clever choice, the name of a songbird.” The marine said, his expression warming with mirth, forcing the pariah to avert his eyes. What matter of human was this to know the path of a Bonesinger? 

Of all the time spent organizing and shelving emotions, doing his best to keep them labeled and controlled, Finch found his thoughts swirling as he tried to grasp the names for them. Affection and grief for his friend, trepidation, perhaps an uneasy sense of relief. And the unbearable warm thing he had suddenly been shouldered with, something between discomfort and… want. He wanted to keep talking to this man, whose words were given so easily, and yet there was something Finch felt he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Those tired eyes he knew so well.

“...Thank you, they were.” He sucked a breath through his teeth, again looking up to meet that azure stare. “However, if you don’t mind, continuing in this manner will only waste your time. I was under the impression I was here to be interrogated. Who are you to be playing at pleasantries with the likes of me?”

“How dare you!” The governor squawked, shaken from his silence as his face flushed so red it was nearly purple.

“...Pardon?” Finch asked flatly as he turned to squint at the agitated official, quickly becoming alarmed when a few of the space marines around him began to shift from their positions standing at attention; they had remained orderly as he had conversed with their commanding officer, but perhaps their patience had similarly worn thin. Looking back to the marine before him, the warmth had vanished, leaving only a stony visage. Though he fought to suppress it, a dim but dizzying panic began to rise within him.

“Lord Primarch Roboute Guilliman, Imperial Regent, Avenging Son and Master of Ultramar.” A marine’s voice spoke up, prideful and reverent. 

“Enough. Continue talks with the delegation, I will perform this interrogation myself.” 

The Primarch’s word was final, unceremoniously scooping up the Aeldari in his grip and striding in the direction of his office. Stunned, Finch could only sit in the arms of the man he had spent the last few centuries telling mythologized stories of, helplessly toted away from the bridge like a misbehaving pet. Silence laid heavily upon the ship’s corridors other than the sound of Guilliman’s stride and the constant ambient machinery, allowing Finch to ponder the horrendous mess he had gotten himself into. 

Eventually they came to a stop in a room bedecked in golden trim similar to the Primarch’s armor, walls lined with shelves of data slates and books and a gargantuan desk at the far end. That was where Finch was deposited, seated awkwardly on its surface like a child perched on the kitchen counter as Guilliman stepped back to stand where he could scrutinize the Aeldari before him. 

“Be truthful with me and answer what I ask. I’m sure you’re well aware that it is not only your head on the line. You said you had promised to take responsibility for this world, do you stand by that statement?” He crossed his arms with a clank.

“Yes.” Anxiety settled like a leaden core in Finch’s chest, not quite expecting how quickly he replied. But it was the truth. “I told them their options; turn to subsistence or die. I taught them where to start.”

“Farming rather than goods manufacturing?” Finch nodded in response. “Yet you aren’t their savior.” There was that intrigue in his tone again. He felt as though he was being toyed with.

“No. I anticipated the return of the Imperium.”

“What of the children, then.”

The Aeldari took a steadying breath. Now this felt more like an interrogation. “The soul of an Asuryani is a beacon to the Ruinous Powers, even while properly shielded, and that attention could have been turned upon untrained humans touched by the Warp. That became my responsibility, as those who could not learn would have to be…culled. Again, I taught them where to start.” 

Unbidden, those first few years on Valian returned to him. The frozen ground couldn’t cover the smell of disease permeating the air, stagnant and festering. Famine, terror, the bitter taste of desperation assaulting his senses. He hadn’t known of humans and their disease processes, what he would come to know as scurvy and prion disease indistinguishable from the madness wrought from the fervent and hopeless worship of the Plague Lord.

“Guilt for the fate of what others of your kind consider to be lesser beings?” Guilliman stepped closer, sharp azure peering into dark viridian, making his prisoner balk but no longer look away. 

“A daemon world would surely do me in as well.” Finch replied defensively. “What my kin would think has crossed my mind, but it holds little sway now. I have… spent far more time with your people, anyway.” Ignoring his headache was futile as he felt his sinuses sting, recognizing the emotion but trying to push past it. I want to live. I want them to live.

“Listen very closely.” Guilliman’s voice was so low it rumbled, thrumming through Finch’s lungs in accompaniment with the arrestingly serious look on his face. “It will not matter to the Inquisition what your intentions may have been, all they will see is your presence as evidence of a taint in the populace. The Administratum will not consider the explanations if the Tithe is not paid.” 

Finch stopped breathing. He knew what Guilliman meant, it is not only your head on the line. Staring into space past the Primarch’s ear, the acrid prickling of tears burned, struggling to shore up his emotions as he felt a telltale weakness creep over him. It really had been doomed from the start, no matter how much he tried to maintain an arms length, how much he tried to disappear from the population’s consciousness. His presence was a dark stain, first to his Craftworld, and now to another world he could almost call home. With every passing moment his survival felt like a mistake. 

“Finch.” He was dragged back to the present, the frowning face of Macragge now inches from him, voice barely more than a murmur in volume but still carrying through his core.

“Help me.” The words punched their way out of Finch’s gravelly throat, a surprise to even himself. The dams he had built were not meant to withstand this turmoil, as the fate of millions pressed down upon him.

There was no way to wall off his mind completely, though long had he tried. With enough practice he felt only the faint brush of presence around him and the rumbling of conflict like distant thunder across the galaxy. He could not waver. I will endure, I must endure, I will endure. 

Practice couldn’t prevent the grief rushing through him. Feeling his heartbeat slamming in his throat, muscles slackening under the sudden emotional strain.

“Slow down.” Ceramite gauntlets once again found the Aeldari’s cloaked shoulders, firmly attempting to ground him as Finch’s thoughts threatened to burst from their confines and drag him under. “It is far too early for you to lose hope. I will help, with your full cooperation. I will not allow a settlement to be lost. There is time, and I have patience.”

Guilliman’s earnestness was dizzying, like a rock in a hurricane, making Finch wish his hands were unbound if only to grasp onto him. Wearily he closed his eyes, unable to hold up the weight of his eyelids, trying to justify the Primarch’s willingness to accept a task that would be so infinitesimal within the scale of his empire. A colony world, with lives that others would consider of no consequence. There was so much in the way of deserving to feel relief, and yet Finch felt his shoulders sag, his head hanging limply on his neck.

“I’m beginning to like you far more than your myth, Roboute...” The Aeldari slurred out with a breathless chuckle. 

“…Oh?”

“Such irony…”

Finch couldn’t finish his thought. The wave of fear and pain that had crashed against his mental walls ebbed, pulled into blackness.

[dearspiritss]

“I’d Die for You.”

Mountain x Male Reader

Notes: You’d do anything for him, even if it meant leaving your whole life behind just to be with him. (3270 wc)

Warnings: Mentions of death, some vague gore if you could call it that?, blood mentions, nothing too saucy :)

read below the cut ml <3

The ministry was always a nice place to be in. Yeah, it was sometimes chaotic with all the ghouls running around, but it had its peaceful places. Like the library, your favorite place. It smelled of old books and pinewood, so comforting to your constantly racing mind. You’d grown up there, being a son of sin, but not just any son of sin. You were the priest's oldest son, meaning you had the most responsibility out of all. You were put in charge of almost everything -scheduling tours, guiding new siblings of sin, and shit ton of paperwork- your father pushing you as far as he could to make sure you’d be a good fit for the next priest. If you were being honest, you didn’t want the role at all. 

You found the job to be extremely boring. You despised the thought of sitting around in a cold office, doing nothing all day. You admired the ghoul’s lifestyle, you wished you could do what they did. They were free and got to have fun, while you were stuck in your boring and stressful lifestyle. The ghouls made sure you felt appreciated through it all though, you being the main reason they got to do what they did best. Sneaking you out of your room at night, being extremely careful not to be caught. They’d drag you to the ghouls wing, sitting you down on one of the many couches in the common room. They’d do whatever you wanted to. Want to watch a movie and relax? They’d have a list of movies and plenty of blankets ready. They adored you, but one particular ghoul always stuck out to you.

Mountain. He’d sneak into the library, going to your normal spot to check in on you. He knew that you were constantly stressed out, so he’d always find a way to make you feel better. Offering to help with the workload everyone dropped onto you, or to get you something to snack on while you worked. He took care of you. If you denied everything he offered, he’d sit with you until you were done. It didn’t matter if it was in the middle of the night, he would be right by your side. If he sensed you getting worked up or frustrated, he’d reassure you while rubbing your shoulders. Whispering sweet nothings into your ear, voice like honey soothing you almost instantly. 

You found yourself with a crush on the towering ghoul, getting goosebumps from everything he did. His low silvery voice bounced around in your head like a record on repeat. The gentle touch of his calloused palms sending shivers down your spine. The way he slowly blinked while watching you work, putting you in a trance. His beautiful long brown hair, loosely pulled into a knot made you stare. The ghoul had you wrapped around his finger without even trying, and he loved it. He loved the way you’d react when he lightly teased you. He found humans very interesting, and you were his test subject. 

“You’re still working, Love?” The sudden voice pulled you out of the book you had your nose stuck in. You looked up, spotting Mountain holding what you assumed to be a cup of tea. You nodded, rubbing your tired eyes. “I have to finish this stupid book before sunrise. My father is supposed to be testing me on it tomorrow and I can’t fail.” He hummed, making his way to sit in the chair beside you. “Why do you put up with all of this,” he spoke, a hand gesturing to the open book in front of you. You scoffed and leaned back into your chair. “It’s the only way I stay sheltered. If my father gets mad.. Well you know what’ll happen.” He gave a quiet “yep” before bringing his mug up to his lips.

“Did you need anything? I mean it’s like, three in the morning Mount.” His lips curled up into a small smile. “I came to check on you, and hopefully spend some time with you. You’ve been cooped up in here for a week now, we haven’t been able to get to you at all.” The small smile he wore slowly turned into a frown. You sighed, closing the book and pushing it aside. “I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been so caught up with everything for you guy’s next tour, it’s just taken up the little free time I've had.” He placed a hand on the side of your face, making you look at him. “There’s no need to apologize, we know you’re busy. We just wish we could help you out..”

You nodded, somewhat understanding what he said. “As soon as I’m done with this, I’ll find a way to spend time with you all..” You trailed off, a wave of exhaustion flooding over you resulting in a yawn. “How long has it been since the last time you slept, Love?” His voice was coated with worry. You thought to yourself for a moment. “I’ve been here since nine, but I woke up around five yesterday.” His eyes widened. “This won’t do, you need to sleep.” You shook your head, worried thoughts flooding your mind. “No, no. I need to finish this. I have a few pages left of this book and then I have to find the booth for the upcoming tour- I can’t Mountain.” He frowned, sitting down his tea. “Well then, I’ll help you. I can find the booth while you finish your book.”

He pulled away, taking out his phone. “Mountain- no- I won’t let you do my work. It’s not your job. I can’t, you can’t.” He shushed you. “And why not? You deserve to rest. Just tell me what to do.” You groaned, unable to deny his convincing tone. “Fine. You know the website, just tell me if you find a nice one in the price range.” You picked up your book as he flashed a fang filled smile in your direction. 

A few minutes passed and you finally finished, closing the book and putting it aside. You looked over to the ghoul beside you, his eyes fixated on his phone screen. You smiled slightly and leaned into his side. “Any luck so far?” He looked down at you and nodded. “Yeah! I found a really nice booth that would be perfect. I’m talking to the owner right now to see if it's open.” He tucked his phone away into his pocket, wrapping an arm around you. “You’ve done a lot for us, and we're so lucky to have you, but if you don’t get enough sleep we won’t have an amazing manager anymore.” Your face flushed from the sudden praise. You quickly pushed that aside and sighed. “You’re right. I guess I could rest while we’re waiting for an answer..”

You stood, grabbing the book to put it away. You felt a hand around your wrist, almost making you fall backwards. You regained your ground and turned to Mountain who was now standing. “If you thought you were gonna sleep by yourself, you’re sadly mistaken.” You tilted your head in confusion. Before you could speak, he picked you up and threw you over his shoulder. “W-Wait, Mountain!” You tried to intervene, but he wasn’t having any of it. He ignored your pleads and quickly made his way out of the library.

When he opened the door, you realized where he was taking you. “Mount, I’m not allowed in here!” He continued walking without saying a word. When you reached the ghouls wing common room, you spotted a familiar fire ghoul. “Mountain? What are you doing?” Dew’s voice came from one of the couches. “Bed time.” Was the only thing he said, not stopping his long strides down the hall. Before you knew it, you were already in his room. He gently sat you down on his bed before crawling in to lay next to you. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer to him. He pulled up the thick blanket that sat on his bed, making sure the two of you were covered. You felt his tail slither around your ankle, securing you in his tight hold.

You relaxed in his arms, realizing you weren’t getting out of the situation no matter what. He nuzzled his nose into your hair, deeply inhaling your scent. You sighed in relief, your mind finally clear after hours of constant worries. That's when you heard it. Those three little words that made you weak slipped out from between his lips. You sat up, looking him in the eyes. “What did you say?” He smiled and placed his hands on the sides of your face, cupping your cheeks gently. “I love you.” Your breath hitched, becoming shaky. “Don’t joke around, Mountain.” His eyes softened. “I’m not joking. I would never joke about something like that, Love.” You shook your head, pulling away.

“You can’t, we can’t. It’s strictly forbidden.” He pulled you back towards him, his hands firm on your waist. “We can figure it out, my love. I’ll figure it out, you don’t need to worry about anything. For now, you just need to sleep.” He pulled you back down, your head resting on his chest. A soft purr rose from his chest, luring you into a deep sleep.

The feeling of fingers threading through your hair woke you from your sleep. You slowly opened your eyes to see Mountain looking at his phone, a smile etched onto his lips. He looked down at you, eyes lighting up. “Good morning, my love. Did you sleep well?” You nodded sitting up, rubbing your eyes. “The booth owner replied-” He was cut off by a gasp escaping your lips. “Shit- I still have to get the fee’s together and call the buses-” He shushed you, shaking his head. “Relax, I took care of it. I submitted the total fees and called the tour buses. The date is set a week from now.” 

You just stared at him in disbelief. He laughed, putting his phone aside. Your face flushed a deep red as he opened up his arms. You accepted his embrace, wrapping your arms around his torso. “I wish I could come with you guys, but with the rules of the ministry it’s impossible.” He nodded, placing his hand on your head. “I know, but you’re the next priest. They need you here.” You scoffed, arms tightening around him. “The only thing they need me for is to do their work. Hell, I don’t even want to be a priest. I’ve always wanted to be in a band, kind’ve like you guys.” 

“I wish you could join us as well, I wish there was a way around this.” An idea popped into your head, not a good one, but it could work. “I have an idea that you, or really anyone, won’t like.” His head tilted to the side, obviously curious. “The only way I could escape the grip of the ministry, and my father, would be to die and be summoned back as a ghoul. It’s horrible, I know, but it would work. Just think about it.” His eyes widened in shock. “My love, dying and becoming a ghoul is a very painful process. Trust me, it's something you don’t want to ever experience.” 

He stopped, taking in a deep breath. “If you went through with this, you’d be giving up everything you know as a human. Everything will be different. The way you see and feel the world will change. Are you sure this is something you’d leave everything behind for?” You nodded, looking him in the eyes. “There’s nothing left for me as a human except stress and work. As a ghoul, I’d have everything. Freedom, the band, and you. I’d have you, Mountain. I’d die for you.” His face flushed as he nodded, giving you a small smile. “If that is what you wish, then I will help you as much as I possibly can.”

He leaned back into the pillows on his bed, gently stroking your head. “So how are you planning on doing this, dear?” You gave him a not so innocent smile. “I have to talk to Papa before anything is set in place. If he agrees, then we’ll be set. You’ll have to do some pretty convincing acting though.” He hummed, fully interested now. “Just know, I should be gone the night before you guys return from tour so that gives me about two weeks to do it. The clergy will send a message about what happened to me, but for now I’m going to keep that to myself. I don’t need you worrying about me while you’re on tour.” You reached a hand up to cup his cheek. He leaned into your touch, closing his eyes. 

“I’m always worried about you. There’s never a second when I’m not, love.” Blood rushed to your face, your cheeks turning bright red. You removed your hand from his face and covered your own. He opened his eyes and noticed this. He ran a teasing hand up your back, making you shiver. “I’ve got to say, you’re very easy to fluster. It’s quite cute.” You dug your head into his side, hiding the embarrassing look plastered across your face. He laughed and pulled you closer, placing a gentle kiss on your forehead. “You need to get going, don’t you have a test?” You quickly sat up, nodding. He escorted you out of the ghouls wing, stopping at the door.

“I’ll meet you in the library later, until then love.” He leaned down, placing a kiss on your cheek. He gave you a small smile before shutting the door. When he turned around he found all of the ghouls staring at him. “When were you gonna tell us the two of you were dating?” He shook his head, dismissing the multi ghouls' words. “Swiss- were not dating.. Yet.” A collection of laughs rose from a few ghouls, making Mountain's cheeks flush a bit. “Come on, tell us everything.” Cirrus invited him over, which he gladly accepted.

Over the next week the two of you met in the library, discussing the plan further every day. A day before they left for the week-long tour, you discussed everything with Copia. He was very against it at first, but after hearing the full plan he eventually agreed. He always knew about your dreams and was happy to help. It was the fifth day of their tour, the day you’d see your demise. You sent one final text as a human to Mountain, a simple “I love you.” You put your valuable belongings in his dresser drawer, ready for when you returned. You smiled to yourself as you walked to your fathers office, prepared on what you were about to do.

You knocked twice, hearing a stern and toneless voice inviting you in. You smiled, seeing your father staring daggers into you from his desk. “What do you need, child.” You were grinning from ear to ear. “I’m not a child. Dear Lucifer, I bet you don't even know my age.” His brows snapped together. “What did you just say to me?” You took a few steps forward, now standing in front of his desk. “You heard me.” He stood up, his chair flying backwards. He swiftly made his way in front of you, towering over you. “How dare you come in here and disrespect me, your father and priest.” You laughed in his face, pissing him off more.

“You're not my father, far from it actually. You’re just a filthy old man who knows nothing about me.” You stepped forward. “I bet you didn’t know that I wanted to be in a band. I bet you don’t know that I can play guitar perfectly. I bet you didn’t know that I don’t want to be a fucking priest like you.” He slammed a fist down onto his desk. “You’ve been around those nasty ghouls! No wonder you’ve been slacking! They’re making you filthy. You stay away from those dirty little-” Before he could say another word, your body moved on its own. A red hand mark formed on his face from the harsh slap you planted on it.

He grabbed the dagger he kept on his desk, and in one quick movement you’d done it. It pierced straight through your heart, making you fall to the ground. You sharply inhaled, the pain was overwhelming your senses. You looked up at him, a smile still on your face. The doors of the office swung open, two siblings of sin barging in. They gasped at the sight before them. Your father towering over your limp body, blood spilling across the floor. You looked at the ground, saying your final words. “See you in hell, father.” You took one last breath, death washing over you.

Mountain looked back at Copia, unsure. “I know you’re scared to see it, but we have to do this to make it look real.” He nodded, bracing himself. He swung open the doors to the office and saw two siblings of sin leaned over your lifeless body. He ran up to you, falling to his knees. His stomach dropped seeing the blood that was spilled everywhere. Tears formed in his eyes as he placed a hand over your cold face. “Dear Satanas..” He looked up the sister of sin who stood in front of him. “Who did this?” Anger and grief flowed through his breaking voice. The Sister backed away, scared. Copia rushed in, grabbing onto the ghouls arms. 

“I apologize dear sister for my ghouls behavior, I will be taking him back to the ghouls wing.” She nodded, shooing him away. Copia dragged the ghoul out of the room, closing the door behind them. He released Mountain, huffing. “That was a good performance, now we need to-” He turned back to see the ghoul wiping his eyes. “Oh dear.. Mountain, you must remember this. We’re bringing him back, you’re going to see him very soon.” The tall ghoul nodded, standing up. “We must go now, your ghoul is waiting for us.” Copia gave him a reassuring pat on the back and led him down to the summoning chamber.

The pentacle was already drawn on the cold ground of the chamber with candles surrounding it. Copia quickly lit the candles and started the ritual. Mountain anxiously waited, watching the ground as if his life depended on it. The pentacle lit up, fire shooting up from the circle. A hole opened up from the ground, a hand reaching out grabbing the edge. Mountain sped to the opening and locked onto the hand. He pulled the ghoul up and out of the portal. “Papa! He’s out!” He stopped chanting, the portal quickly closing. The fire from the ghouls' bubbling skin burned him, but he didn’t care. He held the trembling ghoul in his arms, running his hand gently through his hair. “You’re home, my love.” 

You opened your eyes, gasping. Your whole body felt as though it was on fire, and it was. The feeling of familiar arms around you and that soothing honey like voice brought you back fully. “Mountain?..” You looked up to see him with glossy eyes. “You’re back, you’re safe.” You quickly wrapped your arms around him, smiling weakly into his shoulder. “I told you I’d die for you, didn’t I?”

[dailycharacteroption]

Roleplaying Races 16: Finale

So… that’s it. No more officially published ancestries for First Edition Pathfinder for me to examine. It’s kinda weird seeing it come to an end, we’ve been doing this so long that the title of the special even uses the older term that was replaced by “Ancestry” when Second Edition rolled around. I figured I shouldn’t change it for recognizability sake, but tried to use the modern terminology as much as possible in the body of these entries and others (or species in the Starfinder equivalent).

The term “ancestry” feels a little… inadequate to describe what they entail, but I understand that it’s a loaded word that not everyone is cool with, so it was a good change.

Moving past that little tangent though, the idea of playing various non-human ancestries goes all the way back to the First Edition of the World’s Oldest Roleplaying game, which isn’t surprising. D&D was, after all, heavily influenced by the works of Tolkien and other fantasy authors, so having non-human beings be a major part of the plot and bringing their differences in both biology and culture to the adventure only made sense.

However, D&D 1E also brought with it a lot of Gygax’s other inspirations and beliefs into it, particularly his bioessentialism, with such things as limiting certain classes to certain ancestries, as well many “enemy” ancestries like orcs and goblins being “inherently evil”.

Now, obviously things loosened up over the years and changing of editions, with classes opening up to any with the aptitude, but the damage had been done with the culture those early years had created. Newer players have no idea of the backlash that allowing half-orcs to be playable characters had in certain areas of the hobby, and even with classes open to everyone, the ancestral ability bonuses and many of the traits of each species continued to feed into the mindset that certain ancestries were only good for certain jobs, and that those that defied that expectation either straight up didn’t exist or were strange deviants. A real planet of the hats situation where almost every half-orc was a barbarian, elves were either wizards or rangers, dwarves were either fighters of clerics, and so on.

But… Times change, franchises change hands and new people whose voices were overshadowed before get creative control. D&D wasn’t just a game for white male nerds who wielded memorized Star Wars trivia the way stereotypical jocks do their win/loss record. No, It was a game for all sorts of people who wanted a form of escapism. Women, PoC, Queer folks too, even if they had to put up with some real shit from the rest of the fandom sometimes. And slowly as society and the game changed, they brought their perspectives. It’s been slow-going, but progress has been good, not just in D&D, but other RPGs and Pathfinder as well.

So we don’t call them races anymore, and both editions of Pathfinder, but especially 2E do their best to make ancestral traits and feats a celebration of their physiology and culture rather than a way to pigeonhole them into certain roles. Orcs and goblins have gone from being inherently evil monsters to cultures very different from the human… well I hesitate to say standard… which sometimes brings them into conflict with other cultures, with specific individuals and gods being the cause of evil antagonistic groups first and foremost.

Culture is constantly evolving, and with it, the fiction and games that hold a mirror to it, and despite many oppositional forces, right now it’s on track to keep changing for the better. We’ve come a long way from a thousand and one Frodo, Gimli, and Legolas clones, and while terms may change, I’m still so very delighted to be able to play a game where playing a non-human entity is a possibility and a chance to explore what that means rather than stick to a stereotype. But then maybe that’s just the therian in me.

In any case, I’ve paraphrased a lot of TTRPG history and how it relates to ancestries and similar playable options across systems and the people who play the games, and I hope it made even a little sense. More than that, I hope you’ll continue to join me in the stories that we craft together with these characters.

[defaultsalsamusic]

i'm in the process of preparing and starting a new neighborhood based on the sims 1's old town and wanted to share and record my progress! i need to give a shoutout to @tvickiesims' old town sims recreated which i am using as the basis of this file! in addition, the neighborhood itself was created by @kalisasims and cleaned by sunraidersims.

anyways! i first started with the hick family which i actually did a lot of major changes to. the main thing is that i've started to merge the lore with the broke family of sims 3 in hopes to eventually be a part of the pleasantview broke family.

i've never played the sims 3, but i was slightly inspired by the sims 3 broke family's home with the multiple buildings. i also put each building on a foundation (a pain in the ass, i had to shift the main building one tile because it just wouldn't let me put a foundation there) since there is no way a house like this should be at ground-level. the new shack is not very substantial but i figure i'll add to it as the family gets more money. i also replaced the interior bathroom with an outhouse (a sims 1 recreation by @crispsandkerosene) and a dorm shower which makes a huge mess so idk if i'll keep it that way. but! makes more room in the house.

(also ngl i moved to another lot a little further from the main strip of old town because it didn't fit the business district aesthetic i want for that area...... i'm sorryyyyy)

ANYWAYS to now introduce the cast:

first we have elden hick from the original family. i changed his look a bit and aged him down to a teen but he is still CC-free. i made him a pleasure sim and changed his personality and interests to match his sims 1 (usa) version. he is 0 neat/5 outgoing/7 active/8 playful/5 nice.

elden is a bit of a rebellious teen who is head over heels with his girlfriend, flo. he is not very ambitious, which is a pain point between him and his mother.

also seen here is leroy the rottweiler. i'm not a fan with the default sims 2 dog breeds so i replaced the original leroy with a male rottweiler designed by PharoahHound. leroy's personality is between doofus and genius/hyper/independent/aggressive/pigpen and is the youngest of the family's three dogs.

back to the human sims, next we have mama hick and (a character who was not in the sims 1) baby named skip broke. :) mama is a elden's mother is an adult popularity sim in about the middle of her life stage. mama used to be a celebrity in sim city, but has since fallen from fame after losing her fortune (and having her son ngl). mama's interests and personality are based on her north american sims 1 personality which is neat 2/outgoing 4/active 2/playful 7/nice 7.

the mother of skip and elden's girlfriend is none other than flo broke! flo is basically a female dustin broke with dyed red hair (genetically blonde). like elden, she prefers a bit of a punk style. she is a family sim and has a personality of 5 nice/6 outgoing/4 active/3 playful/6 nice. she loves both elden and skip, but her relationship with mama is difficult. mama blames flo for being a bad influence on her son. still, mama let flo live on her property once she got kicked out.

another of the three dogs is bobo the male australian shepherd, who is the oldest of the three dogs. like all the dogs here, the previous bobo was replaced with a new one (this one was made by DemittiNix with minor color edits). bobo's personality is doofus/lazy/independent/aggressive/in between pigpen and finicky.

finally, the last and middle dog is duke, the male german shepherd! duke is edited from Fifar and probably the most edits i've done on any sim in this family. tbh i am pretty proud of it, though fifar did do most of the work! duke's personality is doofus/lazy/in between independent and friendly/aggressive/finicky. pretty much all the dogs here are aggressive and independent so they are definitely a challenge!

the house i feel has a lot to be desired but in general i'm really looking forward to actually playing this family!

[zizz-asdf-re-r-o-u]

Garu/Karu's Age

Their age is often widely debated and one of the reasons some people don't like them, so I'm trying to figure out how old they might be, before Ch 13 gets released (assuming Ch 13 includes some wolfboy loooore???)

NOTE: the official artbook has an age chart, however that age chart for the nonhuman characters was "visual appearance". (Aster was listed as 16-18 but we know he's 100 years old. kuya was listed as 25 but like he's probably 400-1000 years old).

So i went back to look at Misty Vale and found recordings of Rainy Season & Mystical Banquet stories:

If an animal used the virtualias method to turn into a yokai, then it looks like they can only do it every 18 years.

Obviously we don't know if Garu/Karu took this method to transform. He was kidnapped when he was still a cub, and he already had his human form when Gramps found him. (Assuming that Gramps is not one of the humans that kidnapped cub Garu.)

IRL wolf pups turn into juveniles around 3 months and take 2 years to reach sexual maturity. According to the google, a 1.5 year old wolf is a teenager and a 3 year old wolf is an adult. Male wolves have a lifespan of 11-15 years. Of course, this is Klein and we have no idea what animal lifespans are, but in Rainy Season, Mr Frog was 23 years old and would die soon, and IRL frogs can live 10-30 years depending on the species, so I feel comfortable thinking it might be close to our reality?

Lets say Garu was kidnapped when he was less than 2 years old and it was also a year that the virtualias were blooming. It has been at least 1 more cycle of virtualias bloomed during the rainy season, so that would mean at youngest Garu/Karu is 19-20.

However, in Mystical Banquet, although we know he's not over 100 years old, he did still "spend a great deal of time transforming" + the wolves said the cub was kidnapped "many years ago". Let's give him the maximum and say he was kidnapped as a cub but did not transform into a yokai until near the end of his adult wolf lifespan. So if he was 15, then transformed, then Gramps found him, then the 18 years passed, Garu/Karu at oldest minimum would be 33.

Tada! However, I have not watched all events nor all intimacy cards, so if anyone has more details, please lemme know!

[bestanimal]

Round 2 - Arthropoda - Copepoda

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Copepoda is a class of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater biome, including the arctic. Some are planktonic, some live in sediment (benthic), some live underground in sinkholes or caves, some are parasitic, and some even live in wet terrestrial places such as bogs and the water-filled cups of bromeliads. They are small, usually 1 to 2��mm long, with a teardrop-shaped body and two pairs of antennae. Some polar copepods can reach up to 1 cm long. Most copepods have a single compound eye, usually bright red and in the centre of their transparent head. Subterranean species may be eyeless, and a couple genera have two eyes. Free-living copepods have a head fused with the first one or two thoracic segments, with the remainder of the thorax being comprised of three to five limbed segments. The first pair of appendages are maxillipeds, limbs used for feeding. The second pair beat like oars, aiding in swimming. They have a narrow abdomen with five leg-less segments, with tail-like rami at the tip. Meanwhile, the anatomy of parasitic copepods are so widely diverse that I simply do not have space to talk about it here. Copepods have incredibly fast reflexes, due to well-developed myelin sheaths, allowing them to escape predators at high speeds, often porpoising out of the water. Like ostracods, many species also use bioluminescence as a defense mechanism, using it to distract predators (see gif below).

When they are ready to mate, some copepod females leave a trail of pheromones for males to follow. When mating, the male will grip the female with his antennae and produce an adhesive spermatophore, then transfer it to the female’s genital opening. After fertilization, the eggs will sometimes be laid directly into the water column, or, in some species, the female will carry them in a sac until they hatch. In some pond-dwelling species, the eggs can remain dormant in the case of the pond drying up, waiting to hatch until more favorable conditions are present. The larvae hatch with a head and a tail but no true thorax or abdomen. In fact, the larvae look so different from their adult forms that many of them were once thought to be different species! They will moult 5-6 times before becoming a copepodid larva which resembles the adult, sans some limbs and segments. After 5 more moults they will reach adulthood.

The oldest known fossils of copepods are from the Late Carboniferous, but due to their small size and fragility, they are rare in the fossil record. However, these fossilized copepods seemed to belong to an extant (still living) family, meaning that copepods may have already reached the forms they are in now by the Carboniferous.

Propaganda under the cut:

Copepods are dominant members of zooplankton and are food for many species of fish. Some scientists say they form the largest animal biomass on earth, matched only by Antarctic Krill.

The surface layers of the ocean are the world’s largest carbon sink, absorbing harmful greenhouse gasses: about 2 billion tons of carbon a year, the equivalent of a third of human carbon emissions. Copepods contribute to a large part of this, feeding near the surface at night, and then carrying these gasses to deeper water with them. Their moulted exoskeletons, feces, and respiration all transfer carbon to the deep sea.

Live copepods are a popular addition to saltwater fish tanks, both as a food source for hard-to-feed fish, and as a clean-up crew.

Copepods are sometimes added to water-storage containers to control mosquitos, as some species will eat mosquito larvae. Copepods have been used successfully in Vietnam to control mosquitoes carrying dengue fever, and trials to employ this method are also underway in Thailand and the southern United States.

Sheldon J. Plankton, of “Spongebob Squarepants” fame, is a copepod!

[byou-shin]

tag game : bold the facts ! (no. 2)

i got tagged again hehe, by @neriney ^.^

i tag : @the-daydream-archives @minaevesmoths @void-imp @ominisslytherin if you want.. :D

rules: tag people and name a character you want to know more about! If you want to let the person you tagged decide who to showcase, then don’t name a character and they can pick somebody. easy! the person who is tagged will then bold the remarks below which apply to their character &, if they want to, include a picture with their reply!

ADAM ; my little vampire

[ PERSONAL ]

$ Financial: wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty ✚ Medical: fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged / non applicable  ✪ Class or Caste: upper / middle / working / unsure / other ✔ Education: qualified (private teacher, for a big reason) / unqualified / studying / other )  ✖ Criminal Records: yes, for major crimes (he has sl4ughtered many people...) / yes, for minor crimes / no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet / yes, but charges were dismissed

[ TRAITS + TENDENCIES ]

♦ extroverted / introverted / in between ♦ disorganized / organized / in between ♦ close minded / open-minded / in between ♦ calm / anxious / in between ♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in between / (optional: don't care) ♦ cautious / reckless / in between ♦ patient (human mode) / impatient (attack~vampire~mode) / in between ♦ outspoken / reserved / in between ♦ leader / follower / in between ♦ empathetic (moreover to animals) / vicious bastard (to human, except to his oldest brother) / in between ♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in between ♦ traditional / modern / in between ♦ hard-working / lazy / in between ♦ cultured / uncultured / in between / unknown ♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown ♦ faithful / unfaithful / unknown

[ ABILITIES ]

☠ Combat Skills: excellent / good (attack~vampire~ mode) / moderate / poor (human mode) / none  ≡ Literacy Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✍ Artistic Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none  ✂ Technical Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

[ HABITS ]

☕ Drinking Alcohol: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / Alcoholic ☁ Smoking: tried it / trying to quit / quit / never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / chain-smoker ✿ Recreational Drugs: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / addict ✌ Medicinal Drugs: never / no longer needs medication / some medication needed / frequently / to excess ☻ Unhealthy Food: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently (is human blood included..?) / binge eater $ Splurge Spending: never / sometimes / frequently / shopaholic  ♣ Gambling: never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / compulsive gambler

[ BELIEFS ]

★ Faith: monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic ☆ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care ✮ Belief in an Afterlife: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care ✯ Belief in Reincarnation: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care ❃ Belief in Aliens: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care ✧ Religious: orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious ❀ Philosophical: yes / no

[ FAMILY ]

◒ Children: had a child or children / has no children / wants children / (optional: he is THE children :") he's 12 year old) ◑ Relationship with Family: close with sibling(s) (with his oldest brother, the other two.. he's not that close) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased ◔ Affiliation: orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parents / not applicable

[ SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ]

❤ Sexuality: heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual ❥ Sex: sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable / naive and clueless ♥ Romance: romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable /naive and clueless / romance suspicious ❣ Sexually: adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious ⚧ Potential Sexual Partners: male / female / agender / other / none / all ⚧ Potential Romantic Partners: male / female / agender / other / none / all

----------

So @neriney done this to their vampire so I was moved to do this to my vampire too :D

[shoque]

The Inaugural Merlympics

By rising of the heralding sun, The trials have begun, Mourn not the weak, Celebrate the heir we seek. By fin and tail, Toil, wit, and fervor, The next heir will prevail.

Heralding Call of the Merlympics

In the 8th cycle of the sea, Kai L'Aqua announced the Merlympics- a weeklong competition to determine her heir amongst her daughters.

The contestants would spend 7 days locked in the Temple of the Sun and compete in various challenges to test their strength, endurance, and wit.

From left to right: Keola - the oldest and temple favorite Aimata - historians debate the gender of Aimata. Many believe Aimata was born male but learned quickly to portray as female to not be exiled. Nuboo - the youngest and twin of Nuboy, an exiled merman. It was noted at the time that she had not yet grown fins or a tail Kerry - the middle child, and confident of all her sister's but Aimata. Staci - daughter of Lois DaSilva before the brothers time traveled to escape the Siren's Wraith. Texts indicate she also was not considered a true Mer, do to lack of fin and tail.

Day 1 The festivities started out with a competition of patience and beauty, for a ruler must remain calm and have a clear vision. They were tasked to paint the most expensive painting. Kerry won this task.

Day 2 All Mer must know their way around water, and so on Day Two, the daughters were tasked with swimming to the other side of the island. Nuboo knew she could not make it, so she hid from the challenge. Meanwhile, Aimata proved the fittest of them all, and Staci was the first causality of the week. Being human, she made the return swim but died upon reaching the golden sands of home.

Day 3 On the third day, the daughters were asked to pit their wits against each other in a tournament of Chess. Nuboo prevailed.

Day 4 A storm drenched the island on Day Four, but a game called Hoops was created to test the daughter's strength. Aimata won this day, but later in the evening Keola mysteriously drowned in the pool

Day 5 The rain continued, but that did not stop a game of darts to test the daughter's precision. Kerry defeated the others with ease.

Day 6 With the storm still raging, and only three daughters left, they were asked to display their self-reflection and mediation by sitting in the rain. Aimata was the last to leave.

Day 7 The ancient texts are not clear what the event for the final day was. Historians speculate it was a planned fight between the two frontrunners. However, Nuboo was found dead early in the morning and there is no record of an event this day besides the crowning of Kerry as the new Siren Queen of Sulani and the exile of Aimata, further backing historian theories that she was born male.

[basicsofislam]

BASICS OF ISLAM: Fasting :What is the scientific validity of fasting?

The Effect of Fasting upon Human Health

Introduction

Muslims all over the world observe fasting in the ninth month of the lunar calendar. It is forbidden for Muslims to eat and drink from dawn (that is, approximately one and a half hours before sun-rise) until sunset. But from sunset (iftar) until dawn (sahur), they can eat and drink whatever they want.

Fasting becomes obligatory for every healthy male who has reached the age of 15 or who has reached puberty and for every healthy female who has reached the age of 12 or who has reached puberty. As is stated in the following verse of the Qur’an, fasting is not mandatory for those who are ill or traveling:

“…But if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number should be made up from days later…” [al-Baqarah 2:184].

Because the lunar calendar is eleven days shorter than the solar calendar year, fasting in the month of Ramadan is observed during different months of the Gregorian year. Therefore, Ramadan begins eleven days earlier each year according to the Gregorian calendar.

The fasting hours in the day change in different regions around the world and during different seasons of the year, and therefore the hardship or ease of the fast constantly changes. Sometimes the fast can last for 12 hours and sometimes for 19 hours. Thus, the number of meals may vary from sunset till dawn during different seasons in different countries.

The effects of fasting upon the human body have long been subjected to scientific research. While some studies argue that fasting has certain negative effects, many others have stated that it does not have any detrimental effects upon the organism, as long as it consists only of a change in the eating hours and the daily intake of calories does not change.

•The Study

In the research conducted at the Dakar Medical School thirteen volunteers, two of whom were pregnant women, were taken as the experimental group. The main objective was to analyze the effect of fasting upon the human organism. Another object of the same experiment was a 27-year-old woman who was not fasting. Through these studies the effects of fasting upon weight, temperature, pulse, blood pressure of the body, the absorption activities of the cells, and the liquid equilibrium of the organism were analyzed. Blood and urine analyses of the participants were also carried out.

•Method

Three of the thirteen participants were women. One of them was 17, another was 27, and the other was 40. The youngest of the male participants was 22 and the oldest was 33. All participants were chosen from middle class and had an intake of 2,500 to 3,000 calories per day. What is more, all of them were healthy people with no known organic or infectious disease.

During the week before Ramadan, the normal values of the participants were recorded in order to compare them later with the values of the observers of fasting during Ramadan. Pre-Ramadan analyses were done before breakfast and during-Ramadan analyses were done after drinking some water, that is, just after breaking the fast with some water (iftar). The analyses were carried out on the first, the tenth, and the last day of Ramadan and once again 30 days after Ramadan.

• Results

1.

Weight Loss or Gain: 

No significant change in the weight of those who were fasting was observed. Except for two volunteers, the decrease in the weight of those fasting was 2.8 kg at most.

The increase in the weight of the pregnant woman was 1.6 kg. Post- Ramadan data show that half of the volunteers regained the weight lost during the month of fasting.

2. Circulatory system: No significant effect of fasting upon pulse or temperature was observed. The hemoglobin rate of the blood was normal. This finding means that the one-month fasting was not a long enough period to cause any degradation in the hemoglobin. In general, no significant change in the blood pressure of the volunteers was evident.

3. Cellular respiration: No significant change in the cellular respiration rate was recorded during Ramadan.

4. The blood sugar balance: The blood sugar rate of the fasters significantly decreased. The decrease rate was 70 mg, which is the lowest rate for the human organism. The rates observed were no higher than 104 mg for any participants.

5. Sugar consumption in the blood: Four of the people fasting, one of whom was a woman, took part in the experiments carried out first before Ramadan and once again on the last day of Ramadan to find out the effect of fasting upon the sugar consumption rate. Analyses demonstrated that there was no significant difference between the glucose rates of fasters and non-fasters. Blood compounds were observed to be stable between the upper and lower normal levels. Moreover, the liver was found to be functioning well.

6. Fluid balance of the body: Most of the people fasting were observed to have a normal fluid balance in their body. Interestingly, some of the people fasting were able to achieve an intake of 2.4 lt. of fluid in twenty-four hours, which is slightly more than what the body requires. Urine discharge (micturation) was normal during the 24-hour period.

General Conclusion: 

The medical experiments summarized above show clearly that fasting has no negative effects upon the body. Although some changes in the blood sugar values were observed, these were not above physiologically normal levels. However, it should be made clear that the abovementioned experiments were carried out on healthy participants. Therefore, the results cannot be extended to those who are sick or handicapped.

•Some Comments

This scientific study conducted at Dakar Medical School has established that fasting is not harmful to the human body. There are many other scientific studies verifying the fact that fasting is even beneficial to the body. Some of its benefits are as follows:

a) The digestive system of the person fasting is able to take a complete rest. The digestive system is an organic mechanism that begins to function with the intake of the first substance that a newborn takes and it continues until the time of death. Therefore, abstaining from food for a few hours is a widely used natural method of providing relief for this system. This method is used before serious operations, as it is recommended for the patient to have an empty stomach before undergoing anesthesia.

b) It is a well-known scientific fact that eating little is more beneficial than eating a lot. That is, so long as the organism attains enough nutrients it is better to eat only at definite hours of the day and to avoid filling the stomach with non-nutritious junk food throughout the day. Actually, fasting brings about this important benefit to the body. The person fasting is advised to eat little, even when breaking the fast.

This is a sunnah, or general practice, of the Prophet, and Allah the Almighty says in the Qur’an:

“Whatever the Messenger gives you accept it willingly and whatever he brings you fulfill it, and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it” [al- Hashr 59:7].

c) It is a well-known fact that over-eating is harmful to the body. Over-eating is among the causes of some common ailments such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Therefore, it is an important curative method to relieve the stomach of one with unhealthy eating habits for one-twelfth of his life. Scientific studies have verified that the ailments mentioned above tend to be less common in regions where fasting is observed as an obligatory practice than in other regions in the world.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

How to Identify American Holly

Click here to learn more about the How to Identify article series.

Name: American Holly (Ilex opaca)

Range and typical habitat(s): Typically southeastern United States, from eastern Texas to the Atlantic coast, southern Missouri, and central Florida to scattered portions of New England. iNaturalist observations also place it in portions of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Oklahoma, showing some expansion compared to the 2014 BONAP map, so its range may be expanding in response to climate change. In most of its range it is an understory tree growing in the shade of larger species. However, in Florida’s scrub habitat it grows as a shrub.

Photo by Derek Ramsay, GNU FDL 1.2

Distinguishing physical characteristics (size, colors, overall shapes, detail shapes): At first glance American holly looks quite similar to the European holly (Ilex aquifolium) so commonly used got holiday decorations (more about the differences between the two below.) It has medium to dark green oval-shaped leaves, sometimes with a yellowish tint, whose margins (edges) have concave curves between sharp points that are regularly spaced; large leaves may reach three inches long.

Photo by Famartin, CCA-SA-4.0-INTL

The American holly’s leaves have a leathery, stiff texture, and may appear waxy, and the underside is paler, often yellow in color. Each leaf has a central vein (midrib) that is depressed, appearing almost like a deep crease. Thinner veins branch off of both sides of the midrib. Some leaves may display smooth margins instead of the more typically spiky ones, especially when they are high enough to be out of the reach of browsing herbivores like deer.

The foliage stays green throughout the year rather than being shed in fall; a given leaf may stay on the tree for up to three years before being displaced by a new replacement leaf. The leaves grow in an alternate pattern along a twig, with each leaf growing a little further along the twig than the last. The tree’s branches and trunk are covered in pale gray bark that is relatively smooth, but may have horizontal and vertical striations, along with various nodes and bumps, and might also play host to white patches of microlichen colonies. Other lichens, as well as mosses, also may add color to the American holly’s bark.

Photo by Krzysztof Ziarnek, CCA-SA-4.0-INTL

An exceptional specimen of American holly can reach almost 100 feet tall when mature, though it grows slowly. Such large trees are generally a century or more old, and the oldest on record was just a few years shy of 150.

The flowers of American holly are small (1/2″ or less across) with green centers and four (sometimes six) white petals that are broad with a rounded end, and whose tips curve back toward the plant. They grow in clusters of several flowers sprouting from one spot. American holly is dioecious, meaning that there are female and male plants; the males tend to reach sexual maturity a few years earlier than the females, but they all are generally reproducing by the age of ten.

When fertilized by insects the female flowers then turn into the well-known red berries. Technically these are drupes rather than true berries, with four seeds apiece, and while they start out green they ripen to a bright red. The berries are popular with birds like cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum), but are toxic to humans and our pets.

Photo by Douglas Goldman, CCA-SA-4.0

Other organisms it could be confused with and how to tell the difference: Due to their similarity, American holly and European holly may easily be confused at first glance, and both prefer the understory of a forest. However, the European species does not grow as large. The leaves of European holly are darker and have a glossier appearance; the edges may also be more warped where those of American holly lie comparatively flat. Moreover, European holly grows more commonly along the west coast of North America, and is more sparse throughout American holly’s native range, especially outside of cultivated spaces.

European holly (Ilex aquifolium)

Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) is another species native to the southeastern North America, particularly the Gulf Coast states and the southern third of the Atlantic coast. It is a much smaller shrub that rarely exceeds thirty feet tall, and its leaves are round with serrated or scalloped edges rather than the pointed margins of American holly. The petals of the flowers may not curve as much as on American holly.

Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria)

Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine) also grows in the extreme southeastern United States, from Louisiana to the southern tip of North Carolina, and primarily along the coastline except in Florida where it can be found across much of the peninsula. Its leaves are longer and more slender than those of American holly, and the margins are almost entirely smooth except for a series of very small spikes.

Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine). Photo by Douglas Goldman, CCA-SA-4.0

Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) has long, slender leaves with a gently pointed tip and serrated edges. This deciduous plant drops its leaves in fall, unlike the evergreen American holly.

Possumhaw (Ilex decidua)

There are other plants that have similar leaves to American holly but that grow out of its range, such as the various species of Oregon grape (Mahonia spp.) in the Pacific Northwest, and holm oak (Quercus ilex), for which the genus Ilex was originally named.

Further reading:

USDA: American Holly

North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Ilex opaca

Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder: Ilex opaca

Native Plant Trust: Ilex opaca – American holly

University of Connecticut Plant Database: Ilex opaca

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes or hiring me for a guided nature tour, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!