#shadhavar

[wwyptt]

Through the dark magic of constrained composition I've done it -- 13 Unusual Beasts and Spirits, just in time for Halloween! Basically, most cultures' mythology break down like this: you've got weird lizards, sketchy dogs, loud birds, upsetting chimeras, the occasional hazardous horse, and an endless supply of lethal hunks/babes. Perhaps a theme for next year? Looking forward to it.

[muffinlance]

i just bought fox's tongue and kirin's bone, blacked out, and before i knew it i'd read the whole thing and all the skin stealer's son chapters that you've released. i adore it so so so so so much! i was curious, how many books do you anticipate will be in this series? have you planned it out, or is that question still open-ended for you? <3

The Book Fugue State is one of the highest compliments an author can receive <3

Re series length: I'm aiming for six books, but I think we all know what happens when authors say "the series will definitely be THIS long" (...then seven books later...)

[smokinsid]

Synchroneer Enid: Tenured professor of Relative Extraplanar Access, Penetration, Egress, and Research, or REAPER Studies, for the College of Synergetics. The successful one in the family. She's seen the world turn inside out and had lunch on rocks floating in the alchemical abyssal zone between realms. Fearless, unflappable, and always prepared with a backup plan for her backup plan. Ma & Pa's favorite. Her ambition is matched only by the heights to which she piles her thick, gorgeous hair- she's the first in a generation not to start going bald right after puberty.

Troubador Rucks: Enid's daughter. Freewheeling poet and musician working hard for an easy living. Flunked out of the College of Dynamics after spending too much time doodling on her reports. Sailed away to Cantha seeking her fortune, only to fall in with the fisherfolk of a village frequently assailed by naga. Cobbled together a "motivational" combat style based on yelling and swinging a stick around. Loves with her whole heart, even if it's not a good idea.

Sidney "Smokin' Sid" Figleaf: Enid's estranged older brother. Late night host of Smoke Signals, on 103.3 KRUE, Venlin Vale Radio. Married a gorgeous Sylvari who says he "makes her laugh," he spent a good long time working on the docks beneath Rata Sum after flunking out of the College of Statics in his first year for, quote, "stickin' stuff up my nose when they didn't want me to." His career as a journalist picked up during the Pact's assault on Orr, where he found himself using radio equipment to report on the war back to the mainland. Now he's trying to live a more comfortable life, and only smokes two packs of unfiltered Shadhavar Wides a day.

The gang's all here! Coming to a Super Adventure Box near you!

[larissarivero]

The Shadhavar

A powerful instrument made from the horn of a mysterious unicorn, is now Samir's weapon of choice! The flutemaker, however, warns him of the consequences of using it, and trusts that it is in good hands now.

This took me longer than I expected, but against all odds, burnout and creative block included, I finally finished this one! I hope to make more short comics like these, even stand alone pages, to show a bit more of Samir's story without commiting to a full comic... yet.

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[nyktomorphia]

Worldbuilders and mythmakers have been mysteriously silent on the subject of camels. There is like one miraculous camel I could find in Arabian folklore, and that's it. I am irrationally annoyed by this.

Ratites are the obvious animal to fill the same ecological niche, but flightless birds are also the go-to horse-of-a-different-colour in fantasy settings of any climate, everywhere since Nausicaä and then Final Fantasy, so it feels underwhelming on its own. What if it wears a lambeosaur crest? backwards? definitely not because I forgot, and if I did it was for artistic reasons

In fact what if I put backwards lambeosaur on a horse too? Not really especially camel-like after all, but there's a legendary creature called a shadhavar that Arabian bestiaries claimed lived in Byzantium, which was a unicorn with a hollow, branching horn it could play like a flute and I like the idea of a hadrohorse

Alternatively, what if camel but just really big? Maybe Bergmann's rule makes that unlikely but consider its majestic appearance! No, not the question of how does the driver see around its neck, stop considering that

[archesa]

have 💘💞💐 for galaed, if you'd like! :D @kerra-and-company

Moar Galaëd thirst!!! Thank you 🥰 The twig and the cactus have been on my mind a lot lately! ^^

*bonus in case you didnt see my response to your last ask*

💘 : Is your OC a very good flirt? Are they charming?

He will often use friendly flirting with the people he loves – Rorschach, just Rorschach actually, but only in private / close company.

But in regards to being a good flirt ? nope, absolutely not.

He’s got charm, for sure, but he’s just too candid, too sincere in his affections to play around them with words.

He’s quite lucky that Canach picked up the clues.

💐 : What is their courting style? How would they woo someone?

Basically, by being himself and hoping his charm and character will suffice to earn him the person he fancies' attention.

No, more seriously, he will make an effort when he (at long last) realises he's falling quite hard for Canach. So he'll try to give them both some space – even if it's hard to find any intimacy during the search for Balthazar – and open up more to Canach.

💞 : Do they treat sex casually or do they view it as something with a lot of emotional weight?

He considers sex as a natural – if not mandatory ‐ exploration of intimacy. It can – and really should! – be fun but must only have as much emotional weight as the parties involved want it to have.

That's in theory, because from his own experience, sex has A LOT of emotional weight.

Galaëd and Canach's first time (and Galaëd's first time, period.) is after the defeat of Balthazar, after the victory party in Amnoon. (let's just pretend for the sake of these two that Kralk doesn’t show up straight away like the number 1 party crasher, but a few nights later! Everyone deserves a little break...)

Spirits run free, the elation of the combat in Kodash is still fresh and keeps the aching of bruised flesh and pulled muscles sufferable, and Canach is impatient to get away from the urchins pestering him and the giddy dancing humans crowding the market.

Galaëd pulls him away, and they take refuge on the heights of the city, just as the fireworks blaze the sky and one thing leading to another end up retreating to the room where Canach lodged before their arrival.

The evening and the night are lovely. But in the afterglow, when the dopamine crashes and the adrenaline fades, Galaëd totally crumbles. He's not hurt, not distressed, he assures Canach. Just overwhelmed. These last few weeks have been... complicated, and this was just the straw that broke the shadhavar's back...

Canach holds him, using his weight to ground him to reality, to keep him from spiraling.

They’re both exhausted the day after but when Galaed wakes up in his arms, and Canach kisses him to shush his rushed out apologize, they think it is worth it!

💐 : What is their courting style? How would they woo someone?

Basically, by being himself and hoping his charm and character will suffice to earn him the person he fancies' attention.

No, more seriously, he will make an effort when he (at long last) realises he's falling quite hard for Canach. So he'll try to give them both some space – even if it's hard to find any intimacy during the search for Balthazar – and open up more to Canach.

[thecreaturecrossroads]

This Yuletide, Caoimhe recieved two gifts from Valeriu: a Dokkalfar cookbook, which was less of a traditional cook book, and more of a grimoire containing all sorts of strange and wonderous concoctions - how to use every bit of the shadhavar, how to make toadstool sweet and savory pie, how to make steamed jungle isopod, how to create phantasma tree bark extract, and how to make wisteria wine without making poison and killing everyone you know (bonus: super poisonous edition for assassinations) all included! The second gift was even more special -- included in a velvet box was a crystaline tiara, with polished garnets, crystaline quartz and white pearls:

He thought such a headpiece would be fitting for a Seelie winter goddess! Hanging out of the box is a tiny note reading: "Blessed Yuletide, Caoimhe! - Love, Valeriu"

Caoimhe is absolutely thrilled when she sees the book. Eyes sparkling with excitement she immediately opens it up to thumb through the pages. Going so far as to decide on a recipe to try and conjuring up a few sprigs of lemongrass to use as a bookmark for the spot.

Then she catches the sight of the velvet box. Her head cocks to the side as she reaches for it. Opening up the box to find the tiara she stills a bit. She had recieved jewelry amongst the offerings of her people and worshippers before but this was special. This was from Vali. This would be kept in her special alcove where she kept her secret things. Her lover's gifts.

"Och... tis beautiful!" The Owl Goddess puts it on amongst the wreath of frosted holly, berries, and pine sprigs that were growing out of her head that made up her natural crown. She settled the tiara in place like it was always meant to be there and warbled happily.

Vali best believe she is going to wear that for weeks, and when she sees him next she's going to scoop him up, kiss his face all over, and slow dance with him. Which she doesn't often do.

[nykrose]

It was the night before Yuletide, and not a creature was stirring - except for a mothman. Vali didn't want Nyk to spy him slipping a wrapped box underneath his accoutrements while the bog witch was asleep (or at least, Vali figured he was asleep - it was hard to tell sometimes). He noticed Nyk shifting, and in a flash of movement and skittering limbs, Valeriu dashed off into the shadows. The next morning, Nyk would find a red box wrapped in a dark green ribbon hidden beneath his clothing. Inside was a comb, carved to look exactly like a fish with the bristles jutting down from its body. The comb was made from finely polished shadhavar ivory, and then encased in a hard resinous material. For Valeriu to gift such an exquisite item, he must have some sort of ulterior motive, or he was bitten by some sort of devilish insect of Yuletide, infecting him with the urge to be festive.

@magioffire

When Nyk deigned to wake and dress himself, he discovered...the box. Smelled like bug. He considered using a stick to lift up the lid from a safer distance. That wasn't exciting enough so he opened it like a normal person, which he was not.

Cursed Item Acquired!

He turned the fishy comb over in his hands, then brought it to his nose for a sniff. Smelled like bug and tooth material. Well, nothing for it then.

He began to comb his bedhead.

[witchyfashion]

Meet the world's most unusual monsters in this darkly funny collection of creatures and cryptids from folkloric history. Illustrator Emma SanCartier captures the bizarre and hilarious elements of 17 monsters from around the world in a light, tongue-in-cheek tone, from the Japanese dream-eater Baku and the Persian carnivorous unicorn Shadhavar to the Eastern-European Shurale, a literal tickle monster. Packaged in a textured three-piece case and illustrated in lush watercolor, Monsters You Should Know is a perfect primer for the many strange, frightening, and compelling things that go bump in the night

https://amzn.to/3JsxEbC

[koritsimou]

Found this on google and am posting it for reference and hopefully linking later.

Image is of a karkadann, a turkish unicorn, artist unknown.

[lpbestiary]

The Shadhavar is a type of unicorn from Persian mythology. It is known by many other names, including Sadhuzag, Shādawār and Âras. It is said to combine the features of a deer, a bull and a goat.

Its most notable feature is its large horn, which has forty-two hollow branches on it. When the wind blows through these branches, they play a pleasant note. Shadhavar horns were sometimes harvested and presented as gifts to kings, who would play them like flutes.

Image source.

Monster master list.

Suggest a spook.

[souliecrystalline]

Doodle

[cartazonos]

Unicorns by Birvan

[darkvolt]

Desert themed design concepts

[kalebsocs]

For today, Roman Sanders is on his path to slay the dragon witch. Which by the way, did any fellow fans see the new roleslaying episode?

[iguanodont]

Though at cursory glance this strange animal may appear similar to the unicorn, look closely; the strange, lumpy “horn” is covered in skin, and is in fact not a horn at all! Meet the shadhavar, cousin to the wildebeest and mammalia’s answer to hadrasaurine crests. While it is not literally riddled with holes through which the wind blows freely, the shadhavar’s strange crest is adorned with tubercles which are thought to be associated with sexual display. Males have significantly larger crests than females and up to 72 tubercles, though the average in breeding males is around 42. The crest itself is hollow, and in a case of remarkable convergent evolution to parasaurolophus, allows the amplification of sound to dramatic effect. Some say it’s calls are hauntingly beautiful, others might argue it sounds like a walking vuvuzela; for members of its own kind, the cries carry a variety of meanings from danger to coordination to love. The crest is said to have been gifted to kings, who would hold it at specific angles in a breeze so as to produce unique sounds.

 Shadhavar travel in small, loose herds of females and young led by a single male while non-competitive males travel in bachelor groups. A herd may be spread over great distances, as long as they can still hear their neighbors’ low frequency “safety” calls. Though they have always been uncommon, their range has shrunk since the last ice age from much of west Asia to limited ranges in the Anatolian plateau in Turkey. The shadhavar first appeared in the mid Pleistocene, sharing a common ancestor with the now extinct rusingoryx, another alcelaphine bovid with a weird hollow skull.

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Hey so, making posts like this takes a lot of time and energy, and school is time and energy consuming and expensive, so if you’ve got a few bucks to spare, I’d really appreciate it!

https://ko-fi.com/C0C67SZD