#sphinx big naturals
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lumieresdanslacave · 2 months ago
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Some kind of Sphinx I made this winter. It's a throw-pillow case!
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miyrumiyru · 1 month ago
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Huge striped hawkmoth migrated to safe place from streetlight ♥️
등줄박각시 (Marumba sperchius)
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doe-prince · 7 months ago
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Do you have any lore about the things with faces stuff you've been putting out? I adore all their designs (especially the siblings you posted most recently) and would love to know if you have anything going on w them
The things with faces is something I like to play with in-between all the comic making, something just for me. Of course I'm itching to make it into a comic but with the workload I have now, I don't think it's something I can do.
I've been drawing exclusively animal comics for years now, and sometimes I really would want to work with something that doesn't need to be so wholesome all the time. I wanna draw people.. . . holding hands... kissing.... I miss expressing the wonders of humanity in the way animals can't, but one BIG problem! Drawing humans! It takes so long, oftentimes I get no joy from it. Even putting faces on these things has me weeping three tears at minimum, but at least they can kiss now, and it makes sense for them to have fully human minds. I feel this is the furthest I can go before the joy sours.
I've been building a little world where the denizens are all sphinx-like things who are more animal-bodied humans than human-faced animals. Animal-faced creatures are feral, used as livestock and game. This universe has likely been formed by scraps from other universes merging, bringing weird magic, involved gods and humble humans together and molding them into something new. Humanity is sought after feature. Maybe they have a statue of it somewhere.
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There's different kinds of sphinxes. Some can grow and morph their horns, some are born with hands (respected crafters and medics), wings (harpies, traditional sphinxes), third eyes (the most in tune with magic, can switch eyeballs with others), and more. These two are the horned kind, heirs to a throne. The horned kind is believed to be the best and most just leaders, were it just for their natural crown or some event proving it in the past.
I have a little story in mind for them, but like I said, I likely won't have the time and energy to juggle a third project by myself. And I don't wanna draw castles or play with 3D, human faces are hard too. 💔
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cinnamxnangel · 15 days ago
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showstopper ! (mlist)
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meet the cast ! (pt.2)
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y/n l/n
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an internationally known famous actress ! she's starred in movies and dramas, genres ranging from romance to horror. y/n's big break is when she starred in a musical titled "maria." the new york times wrote, "y/n is extraordinary throughout, embodying the musical icon’s delicious imperiousness, dry humor and sphinx-like charm, as well as her quiet shame and fragility." she’s won the best lead actress oscar’s and several emmy nominees !
megumi fushiguro
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a heart throb among the population! he is guaranteed the lead role in any movies he plays. his first big break was when he started in a j drama “roses remind me of you” ever since he has stolen the hearts of millions of fans everywhere. his mysterious nature is what draws most people in, for he rarely talked about his private life. though his life remains a secret, his talent and looks do not! megumi fushiguro is certainly the actor of the century!
itadori yuji
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yuji is known for his debut as a soloist in japan. quickly rising to the charts, he began one of the most streamed artist of the year. people from all around love his music, especially japan, who consider his music to me the heart of the country. he is known to be close friends with esteemed actor megumi fushiguro.
nobara kugisaki
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nobara kugisaki is the founder and ceo of Saki, a luxury designer brand that sells everything fashion, from handbags to dresses! she is icon in the fashion industry for her elegant yet unique designs. her work has been modeled in paris fashion week and milan! she is also close friends with actress y/n, designing a lot of her looks, such y/n’s iconic met gala outfit!
inumaki toge
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inumaki toge, a world famous model, who’s worked for countless luxury and high end brands. toge says that he was scouted out by his agency when he was at the mall with his friends. his first modeling job was with Saki, and the company loved his look and charm so much he became the face of the brand. known for his quick wittiness and charm, he is seen by many as a bit of a fuckboy. he’s been several dating scandals with countless celebrities, but he denies all of the rumors. he has the won the hearts of many people through his looks and charisma, but be careful, unless you wanna get your heart broken.
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hazshit-hotel-hater · 7 months ago
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Vaggie Redesign! (1/7)
Welcome to my new quest of redesigning the entire main 7 Hazbin cast! First on the chopping block is Vaggie who I will be addressing as Evangeline/Van for the rest of this post.
I’ve designed a good 100+ characters in my lifetime so I think I can manage a decent moth lady.
First thing, she was supposed to be a moth. Why not keep her as a moth. Vivziepop is a coward. Second but much more important, she is not grey anymore!!!!! All colours I used were picked from this wonderful little Gaudy Sphinx moth so everyone thank you Gaudy Sphinx moth!
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For her scars, she didn’t have nearly enough to begin with. What even is this.
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She deserves som recognition for yknow. Killing people. And yes I know she has that whole thing where she thought Angel’s couldn’t be injured but these are from Lute when her eye got ripped out so! Checkmate. The X is supposed to resemble Lute marking her for death so sinners could notice it and then probably torture Van because betrayal yknow. The scar colours and placement on her neck are supposed to resemble angel blood and also the swoopy things exorcists have on their necks but imagine they got more like. Burnt into her skin. Also it’s not immediately recognizable as angel marks cause theyre moth colours anyway!
Her hair looking like wings was a cool idea though I’ll give them that. Obviously she can’t fly with her hair but it’s the silhouette that counts. Oh and her short hair was cuter so I just mixed them
Also her colours were ugly!! I love myself a good black and red—i mean who doesn’t—but we know of hazbins little addiction to that colour palette and why would I use just black and red when I can divulge into insanity and refrence @bluehazardanonymous’s colour wheel again!!!!!!!!
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YAAAAAYYY!!!!!! I think the greenish red suits her a lot with her protective nature and honestly probably a little bit of envy from heaven stuff. Justified of course because genuine why is heaven like that. Also the reds are definitely red but theyre a little subdued so she doesn’t come off as incredibly angry and all that. Plus red can look very elegant and I think she deserves that. As for her dress I tried to keep it inspired based off the traditional dress of El Salvador while still using colours picked from the moth.
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I also really wanted to include the lace from these dresses because it is genuinely beautiful but unfortunately my lace pattern was too big and got smushed when I tried to use it so the most I can do is show it of separately😞
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The blue also is a much cooler colour of course so it gives that little bit of approachability to her character. I am latino and I think I can safely say for every other latino/latina person the spicy latino character archetype is stupid and she needs more depth than that. Give us more Charlie and Van being sweet and having Charlie pull her weight instead of just standing off to the side crying all the time.
Hopefully you all enjoy the new design, I am working on a certain ssomebody next 🐍 and I intend to get it out soon (hopefully)
I am not Salvadoran and I am not super familiar with the culture there so if I messed up anything with her dress and whatnot please don’t be afraid to call me out on it so I can improve in the future. Thank you!
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thicctails · 28 days ago
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I absolutely LOVE your Mythology Falls AU designs, but I’m curious on why you chose the ones that you did.
I'm so happy you like it! Let's go down the list, shall we?
Dipper: I love the Sphinx!Dipper from Nightrizer's take on Monster Falls, but I didn't want to go that route since these are supposed to be an original take on idea of everyone becoming creatures of myth and legend. The first reason I chose a Gryphon for our beloved Pine Tree because they represent traits like bravery, wisdom, and power. Obviously, Dipper isn't the strongest character in Gravity Falls, but when the chips are down, he isn't afraid to start beating the hell out of whatever is terrorizing him, no matter how much stronger they may be.
The second reason is because I wanted to do something with owls and cheetahs for Dipper. I chose the barn owl because their feathers actually do kinda resemble the colours I chose for Dipper's feathers, and also because they're my favourite species of owl. Both owls and cheetahs are nervous creatures with high pitched calls, which I think fits Dipper very well haha.
Mabel: While I like the idea of Mabel being some kind of water creature, I think her being a mermaid would cause quite a few issues with mobility. I went with a selkie because not only are baby seals fricken adorable (especially harp seals, which is what her coat is based on), but it also allows her to keep her iconic sweater look! Now she can be fashionable on land, and utterly adorable in the water. There's also the added risk of someone trying to take her coat, but when one of your Grunkle's is a dragon, and the other is a kelpie, most people get the hint not to try anything.
Grunkle Stan:
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Haha, come on, you see it, right?
Really, though, while Stan may love money, and everyone assumes that he would be hoarding crisp dollar bills, his real horde is actually his house and all those within it. He loves his family more than life itself, and anyone who brings them harm is going to be getting a face full of flames. He's big, grumpy, and looks like he'd be nothing more than a dumb brute, but in reality he's a big softie who could outsmart most anyone who crossed him.
Ford: Kelpies look beautiful, friendly, and enticing, promising fun and adventure, if you only would come closer and climb atop their back. However, this is only a farce, and now you're being dragged down into the dark depths of a lake or river. While Ford wasn't drowning anyone as a human, he certainly dragged McGucket down a dark path, often bringing him into dangerous situations, and he almost did the same to Dipper, although not intentionally. However, they are not always bad, and if you can slip a bridle over a Kelpie's head and tame it for a time, they'll tirelessly help you with whatever you need.
They were also said to be shapeshifters, often taking the form of a man. Whether or not Ford will figure this out remains to be seen (hopefully no one sticks him in a cage and threatens to freeze him!)
Soos: The world's most perfect man deserves a nobel and revered creature. Qilins are gentle, benevolent protectors, and unlike unicorns, they really can see into someone's heart! I wanted Soos to have an overwhelmingly friendly and loved mythological form, so a Qilin seemed like a natural fit.
Wendy & McGucket: two North American cryptids, neither one having much to go on. I chose a Splintercat for Wendy, both because its a lumberjack legend, and because this lynx-like beast topples whole trees with ease by smashing into them which reminded me of Manly Dan, who is also a Splinter Cat.
As for poor old Fiddleford, I made him into a Glawackus because 1. tell me that name isn't something he'd say.
and 2. Glawackuses are said to have the ability to erase the memories of anyone who looks into their eyes. I made it so that the eye that is covered by his green eyeglass is safe to look into, while the other will cause memory loss.
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ranticore · 8 months ago
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ahh me bugs... back into it
I wanted to get a proper handle on the legs (which is why the first pic is just Legs) and in particular the third leg, which very importantly can rotate to point in different directions, which is what allows our guys to stand upright or in a quadrupedal stance based on need. The first pair of legs don't really bear weight, they're mainly used for manipulating objects and as a built-in comb to keep all those scales in order. The head attaches right at the back and there's actually a lot of clearance between head and body (a relatively long neck) that is hidden by the contour scales.
Mouthparts are very reduced in size and strength and don't really do much because they primarily drink liquids through the proboscis. This includes blood and haemolymph, yes they are vampires.
Having embraced the coward's cop-out of a human-like face on an insect that has absolutely no business evolving to look that way, I decided to go in on it and make it kinda cute, because i've always loved the contrast of a cutesy face on an insectile or strongly inhuman body, and I wanted to explore how relations between these guys and humankind might be altered by a sort of false friend effect; similar to a human misreading a chimp smile as happiness and not aggression, they would easily be lulled into a false sense of security by a big bug with a permanent :3 face.
In actual fact, Megasphinx bilineatus (the main character species) tend to live violently solitary lives to a degree which is unimaginable for a human or any communal species. Mankind had already built a tentative working relationship with large colony insects (Hymenopterans mainly) and could understand, to a certain extent, their lives. When the first big sphinx moth crossed the dimensional barrier, that understanding swiftly crumbled and the moths almost caused an interdimensional breakdown of relations because they were so fucking rude, making the poor ambassador's job MUCH harder than before (and she already knew she was balancing her world's survival on her shoulders, and had struggled so hard to gain human trust in the face of their natural disgust responses to Big Bug)
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kommbee · 2 months ago
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Lol writing down my arcane ideas here even though Im not the best writer
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Arcane au where everything is mostly the same except some of the main cast are monsters!
Vi and Powder are two werewolves who are taken up by Vander who is another werewolf. Mylo is an imp and Claggor is a minator. They all live as one big found family pack that do what they can to survive together. Usually wolf pups are able to fully transform by their double digit years but Vi did so earlier than average surprising even Vander. Unfortunately for Powder, she still hasn’t transformed and Vander told her it’s natural to be a late bloomer. Mylo would always tease her about it and call her a runt.
I think Ekko being a sphinx like creature would be interesting. It was between that or a merman so if anyone that sees this would like to advocate for either one try commenting or idk lol! Sphinx ekko would be sorta like a were-creature where he’d turn INTO one. I think it would be cute if ekko was also a late bloomer so Powder wouldn’t feel so alone until one day he was able to transform before her. Orrrr Merman ekko that lives on land with Benzo (the ogre), he always has some form of water on him to keep him hydrated and moisturized so his gills dont dry out. Imagine him and powder playing in the rain and then Ekko tripping and falling because his legs morphed into a tail because he got carried away lol.
Caitlyn being a vampire is my everything. She comes from a long line of prestigious pureblood vamps and she has to live up to their expectations but she just wants to help people and become an enforcer. Jayce being human still fits but I think viktor should be a creature too I was also thinking merman for him but Idk :p
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punkeropercyjackson · 6 months ago
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"You're delusional for thinking Percy is trans,there's no evidence in the books!"The books:
'You spoke the truth,Percy Jackson.You are nothing like...like Hercules.I am honored that you carried this sword'
'Piper hadn't studied him up close before.After hearing so much at Camp Half-Blood about Percy Jackson this and Percy Jackson that,she thought he looked...well,unimpressive,especially next to Jason.Percy was more slender,about an inch shorter,with slightly longer,much darker hair'
'He'd been the first demigod Nico had ever seen in action.Later,at Camp Half-Blood,Percy took Nico by the arm,promising to keep Bianca safe.Nico believed him.Nico looked into his sea green eyes and thought,how can he possibly fail?This is a real hero.He was Nico's favorite game,Mythomagic,brought to life/"Wait,"Percy said,'So you mean-" "Right,"Nico said again."But it's cool.We're cool.I mean,i see now...you're cute but you're not my type." "I'm not your type...Wait.So-'
'He had the most cruelest,brutal face i'd ever seen-Handsome,i guess,but wicked/I was used to hearing from the girls how good-looking Luke was,but at the moment,he looked angry and weary and not all that handsome/Handsome,i guess,for an older guy'
'I can't pretend i hadn't thought about Rachel.She was so much easier to be around than...well,than some other girls i knew.I didn't have to work hard,or watch what i said,or rack my brain trying to figure out what she was thinking.Rachel didn't hide much.She let you know how she felt'
'A pretty blonde girl,her hair curled like a princess/"And your hair?It's too unkempt,and i don't mean intentionally so.(Princess hair too and then her dad is the King of Atlantis)'
'Part of me was impressed with her for standing up like that.But part of me thought her pride was gonna get us all killed/She looked just the way she had when she faced the Sphinx-Like she wasn't going to accept an easy awnser,even if got her in trouble.I realized that was one of the the things i liked best about Annabeth'
'Afterward,Thalia did something that surprised me almost as much as the pledge.She came over to me,smiled at me,and in front of the whole assembly,she gave me a big hug.I blushed.When she pulled away and gripped my shoulders,i said,"Um...Aren't you supposed to not do that anymore?Hug boys,i mean?" "I'm honoring a friend."She corrected[...]"I'm proud to be your friend"(A running theme in their dynamic is also Percy being jealous of Thalia because wants to be treated by everybody like she is)'
'"Never seen Jason fly before."Percy grumbled,"He looks like a blonde Superman."/"No.I think i get it."'
'"I'm gonna be Percy Jackson when i grow up."She told Hazel solemnly.Hazel smiled and ruffled her hair."That's a good thing to be Julia."'
'The sea does not like to be restrained."
'"You're sweet,"Aphrodite said."But beauty is about finding the right fit,the most natural fit.To be perfect,you have to feel perfect about yourself-avoid trying to be something you're not."
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basedkikuenjoyer · 5 months ago
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No Conflict On My End
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Catch the classic Wano trick? Scattershot chapter but the title gives you the clue; conflict. It was smoother but we've stepped away from the Straw Hats, they aren't in this one. I said this when we finished Bonney's cutaway. If you look at what's left it's Stussy as a springboard to Bakkin/Marco which we haven't checked in on since their first appearance parallel to Egghead. SWORD also has an unfired Chekov's Gun with Drake. Either of those can pull a Kuma and rewrite Wano. Only one person there can do that and it was the girl playing coy in the end.
Last week, it was "If he's gone, who am I to live for?" This week it's this titular line about inner conflict, how it's proof of your humanity. Especially with the Seraphim and building off of CP9 being these vicious government dogs who just need the order to indulge bloodlust right by it. That role doesn't have to be who you are, and if circumstance deals you a bad hand that forces you to go against your nature those conflicted feelings are proof you're not losing yourself to it. The difference to me though is like we said with Stussy maybe needing her own "Okobore" era. I don't think this is really Kiku's story replacing humanity with gender identity...I see it more as a parallel to the implied backstory and growth that allowed you to give it your all freely on one final show with the old gang. Also, don't forget Bakkin was last seen with Marco and that's all tied up in Sphinx Island as one of these wayward villages in need of a humble guardian.
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Oh yeah, and doing this while York introduces a truckload of ambiguity. This is a cool scene. Because we really have to stop and think about what York knows, what Stella knew, and of course these weird gaps when we also now know Vegapunk Prime was with Bonney during the Void Night. As above, so below and all that right? A story about the Void Century on the surface when the micro clash on this island has that big blank night before raising so many questions.
Specifically highlighting the idea VP is a horrible liar and a bad actor. Is there like, anything specific we could pair this with in York's conclusion that would enhance the aroma?
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Hey look! We got Robonosuke and Momonosuke in the same chapter! If you count the cover page we also got both Tsurus which is nice. York's theory is that Robonosuke is set to guard the broadcast. My point is that, alongside Stella telling us his limited version of the Void Century after a string of unreliable narrators we have York offering us this theory in frustration. Specifically highlighting solid reasons to be flummoxed. Vegapunk may have pulled a big brained plan all along, he was dicking around with Robonosuke when we met him. But he also like, weirdly disappeared from that scene too which is one of those little things I try to remember about Egghead. Vegapunk also wasn't really far along at getting Robonosuke online.
This becomes some really good shit though if there is a mystery interloper. Because really it could go both ways. If York's right, they could already be there and ready to make use of it. A trap. If York's wrong, the chaos just gave you a perfect distraction and it's a perfect sign of beating the genius by getting in her head. I still think there's something to the idea that Vegapunk didn't have time overnight to fix this dude. Luffy's G5 heartbeat being a signal or that backhanded way of someone making good on his assumption you just need to know Robonosuke's real name? That works in a night we still haven't filled in. And no matter what this big, bad mofo is about to start wrecking shit. Which is pretty cool.
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Last but not least we have our reactions to the message. One big thing I thought was cool was seeing a lot of Alabasta stuff but not Vivi directly. V cool. Not like these breakout stories anchored around the three ladies are exclusive; Stussy had that great beat introducing her inner conflict during Bonney's and Bonney was incidentally involved in the stuff @ Mariejois. Before we get to our main man here too I'd highlight Shakky potentially carrying over that idea from Nojiko & Miss Goldenweek last week. Practical, grounded women aren't paying much attention and going about their day-to-day.
But then you got Rayleigh. Love this little line of conflict between Vegapunk and Ray. Because like we hinted at last week on a meta level this is kinda fucked up for VP to be just dumping all the Void Century stuff. Or it would be if he wasn't walking that fine line of not really revealing too much. Notice how he's kinda back to talking about his own stuff over the past few months as York puzzles it out. We can forgive Ray for not catching the subtleties though because he's drunk. I like this balance honestly, especially when you have Crocus kinda straddling the two.
One last thought too that just can kinda go anywhere with this message...Robin still has like, four regular Poneglyphs we've seen but not really fleshed out. The other two in Big Mom's stash, the one above the secret passage in the Flower Capitol, and the one Law found on Onigashima. She might already know something important Vega doesn't and her being mysteriously injured last night is a great excuse for not giving them time to touch on it.
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soylent-crocodile · 1 year ago
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Chiosite (Race)
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(Caracal Sphinx by tashcrow on deviantart)
(As may become apparent later, I love big cats and I love cat monsters, especially sphinxes and manticores. Chiosites, pronounced key-os-ites, are an attempt to make a playable race of such creatures. Obviously, they do not have the humanoid body plan of most species, but I think that's fine to play with, and gave them dexterous hands to cast spells and carry weapons with.
The term bi-quad, by the way, is stolen from Jay Eaton, aka @jayrockin)
Chiosites are a strange folk who have the head and chest of a humanoid, but the body of a large cat. They are posited to be related to lamia or sphinxes, maftets or manticores, though these more powerful beasts all deny relation to the chiosites, who they see as “lesser”. Traditionally, chiosites walk quadrupedally, but are capable of walking bipedally and using their hands to manipulate and hold items; chiosites who live among humanoids and use their armor and weaponry typically prefer to do so.
Chiosite culture is isolationist and scholarly, preferring to live in prides in the wilderness or in ruins, with a rich oral tradition. In particular, chiosites often live alongside a sphinx, who is revered and trusted. Sphinxes are typically fond of their pride, but keep them at an arm’s length. Other prides may similarly worship a manticore, or fall in line with lamia. Chiosites have a concept of the Wanderer, a member of their culture who chooses to leave their community to gather knowledge and refine the pride’s philosophy; most chiosite adventurers belong to this role.
Stats: Chiosites are knowledgeable and powerful, but their paws are clumsy. They get a +2 racial bonus to Strength and Intelligence, but a -2 racial penalty to Dexterity. Medium: Chiosites are medium creatures that gain no size-based bonuses. Type: Chiosites are magical beasts. Languages: Chiosites begin play knowing Sphinx. Chiosites with high intelligence scores may select any language as a bonus language. Speed: Chiosites have a move speed of 30. When standing quadrupedally and not holding any items in either forepaw, this speed becomes 40. Senses: Chiosites have Darkvision 60ft, low-light vision, and scent. Natural Attacks: Chiosites gain two claw attacks that deal 1d4 base damage. When not using a weapon, these claws count as primary natural attacks. Knowledgeable: Chiosites grow up learning stories passed down for thousands of years, about all manner of things. They may make any knowledge check untrained, and treat all knowledge skills as class skills. Bi-Quad: A chiosite may stand either bipedally or quadrupedally. While standing quadrupedally, a chiosite may be ridden by a small creature and gains a +4 bonus to CMD vs trip checks, but must always have at least one forepaw on the ground and thus count as only having one hand. (They cannot wield two weapons or a two-handed weapon, for example.) Shifting between these stances is a move action.
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miyrumiyru · 2 months ago
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I was searching under the streetlight and found this huge hawkmoth!
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I moved them to no-artificial light place ★
점박각시 (Kentrochrysalis sieversi)
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onenicebugperday · 1 year ago
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@fishermod submitted: I was catching a train in Coquitlam, BC, Canada when I found a big moth freaking out on the platform floor. I figured it'd get stepped on if I left it there, so I picked it up and brought it on a 6-station 1-transfer journey to my destination in Surrey, where I found a little park to let it go in. It seemed unable to fly, and in hindsight I think it only had one working wing so it might have gotten hit by a train before I found it. Hopefully it was just stunned and able to hide somewhere and recover, though. What kind of moth was the little buddy? I haven't seen one this big around here before.
Oh no! Sad it was disabled. It may have been at the end of its natural life, though, and already successfully mated. Anyhoo it's an eyed sphinx in the genus Smerinthus!
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lhs3020b · 2 months ago
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Morlock Revisionism - The Time Machine, HG Wells
Yes, it's a books post. Haven't had one of these for a while, have we?
By random chance, I happened to find myself re-reading Wells's "The Time Machine" last night. I enjoyed re-visiting it. It's a story that's stood up surprisingly well, considering a) its age and b) its de facto (if not quite de jure) status as the trope-creator for the time travel story.
First off, one interesting aspect is that it does not bother with the modern trope of the time paradox, really, at all. The Time Traveller never considers whether his own actions may affect the future that he discovers in the year 802, 701 (or, indeed, the later ones that he encounters further into the narrative).
As a scientific note, it's worth commenting that the astronomy in the story is deeply dated - the story was written before the discovery of nuclear fusion, so the implicit framework is that the Sun is powered through Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction. It's not. The Sun of 30 million years hence would not display the dramatic changes that the Time Traveller observes. (Also the "large and red" Sun of 30 Million AD should have roasted the Time Traveller to death, as luminosity increases with the surface area of a star. That future shouldn't be frozen, it should be burning!)
One aspect of the narrative that stands out is that the Time Traveller - actually by his own admission! - may be an unreliable narrator. He specifically-notes that his initial theory about the world of 802,701 AD was disproven by events there, and there may be an implication that he's wrong about other conclusions too.
Could he be wrong … about the Morlocks? Are they actually the monsters the narrative paints them as? Let's have a look at what evidence we possess.
First off, most of what we know about the world of 802,701 AD is canonically-speculative in nature. Weena and the Eloi seem to know little-to-nothing about their history and origins. In his time in the deep future, the Traveller finds no interpretable written records. Even his sojourn at the museum offers only a few clues - and as we'll discuss later, some of them may actually conflict with his interpretations. (The presence of the matches and the camphor, in particular, is a bit suspect.)
The Time Traveller is a human being like the rest of us, and he comes from a particular cultural context, namely late-Victorian England. It would be naive to assume that none of this had had an effect on his world-view or how he interprets what he sees. And some of his conclusions … well, they did read to me a bit like what a very stereotypical moustache-twirling Nineteenth Century imperialist might settle on, you know?
Notably, the Traveller severely under-estimates the intelligence of the Morlocks. See the events near the end of the story, where they leave the doors to the sphinx-structure open and the Time Machine itself on display, clearly intending to bait him in. They're able to determine what he's looking for, where he will go to look for it and are able to impute his likely actions. And they're right about all of it. The only reason their plan failed was that they apparently didn't understand the Time Machine's user interface (if they'd noticed the slots for the missing levers…) The Morlocks apparently also have at least some control over the world's remaining machinery, they're presumably the source of what manufactured goods the Eloi have and it's also implied that whatever maintenance occurs aboveground is done by them.
Whatever else they may be, the Morlocks aren't idiots.
Contrast this to the Eloi, who bathe in a dangerous body of water, post no watches at night and make no effort to save one of their own (Weena) when she gets swept away by a stray current! The Eloi also apparently make no effort to maintain the "big houses" in which they reside. They seem to have no writing or material culture, and not even that much in the way of speech; the Traveller specifically-notes the limited character of their language. Their faculties clearly are the more restricted. (It's worth noting that even the Time Traveller himself concedes this point.)
Are the Morlocks the monsters that the Time Traveller sees them as? The narrative clearly wants you to follow his conclusions … but, I do find myself wondering about that. I mean, by his own admission, some of his deductions were false. Could other conclusions be false too, or incomplete?
Let's consider the evidence, or at least the evidence that we have.
First off, the proposed Eloi-phagy. Do we really see an unambiguous depiction of this in the narrative? The closest we get to it is what the Traveller thinks he sees in the Morlock tunnels … except it's only a brief glimpse, while a single match flares, seen from a distance, and even he doesn't sound absolutely-sure of what he thought he saw. He's also in a distressed, confused and distracted state of mind at the time, will not have helped with making clear and factual observations. Did he actually see a butchered Eloi, or could it have been some other animal? For all we know, he just blundered into a Morlock operating theatre while in the middle of surgery! Everything about that would be consistent with the evidence in the text!
It's also worth noting that the Traveller is openly-biased against the Morlocks. He describes them in language which, let's be blunt about it, would be considered unambiguously-racist if applied to a modern human population. He takes one look at the Morlocks and decides they just must be bad 'uns, and everything else seems to flow from that assertion.
(Also, well, "Victorians making wild accusations of cannibalism" is a thing with an extensive and dark history, you know?)
Lastly, the "Eloi as lunch, dinner and elevenses" hypothesis has a bit of an ecological issue. There are far too many Morlocks and not remotely enough Eloi. Eloi are slow to mature, small in stature and lacking in substantial muscle mass. They're just not good cattle. If Weena's accident in the stream is any guide, they're also prone to randomly-dying in very stupid accidents, which could only make farming them even harder. It just doesn't make sense for the Morlocks to be eating them, unless Eloi steak is perhaps a rare delicacy that they consume in small amounts every other year, or something.
As to the Morlock's supposed hostility, well, did they ever actually do anything that bad? They steal the Time Machine, though you could argue that perhaps its owner shouldn't have simply left it lying around. (What a litter bug!) Then the Traveller himself climbs down into their territory without seeking invitation - by our standards, he's literally a tresspasser, so it's probably no wonder the Morlocks were alarmed! And honestly, a lot of their behaviour toward him could be interpreted as more "curious" than "hostile".
Next there's his use of the matches. The Morlocks are clearly harmed by it - the light hurts their eyes, and the fire apparently scares them. (As well it should - if you live in an enclosed underground tunnel, fire is bad news!) From their point of view, he's a weird, gangling, threatening invader from the surface world who suddenly appeared one day, and whose intent is entirely unknown. He shows no concern for their territory and is cavalier in his use of fire. Viewed in that light it's unsurprising that the Morlocks would be uneasy around him!
(On a small side-note, one thing I've wondered about is whether Morlock vision is actually now in the infrared. Their tunnels appear a little too dark even for very sensitive eyes - they're not dim, they're pitch-black! - and the effects of the matches and the later wildfires seem a bit too much even for sensitive eyes. On the other hand, if the Morlocks had evolved to see heat, they wouldn't need artificial lighting - your body would be self-luminous! you are your own reading lamp! -, and it would explain why the matches were so debillitating.)
The Time Traveller also makes no attempt to communicate with the Morlocks, despite their canonically-clear higher level of intelligence. He views them as nothing except a monstrous enemy. It's a very, well, Victorian sort of attitude, isn't it? Of course there's nothing that the moustache-twirling imperialist could ever learn from the lowly and degenerate natives!
There are two further pieces of evidence for the "Morlocks are evil" hypothesis. One is the lack of sick or elderly Eloi. But here the narrative contradicts itself somewhat, as the Traveller also believes that the future world is largely free of pestilence. If dangerous microorganisms had been eradicated, then of course there are not many sick Eloi! As to the lack of elderly ones, well, Weena's river misadventure may offer some clues. The Eloi apparently have little in the way of self-preservation instincts, so one does wonder what the accidental death-rate for them is. It could be high. Perhaps he doesn't see any elderly Eloi because they don't usually make it to a recognisable senescent state, but through accident and misadventure rather than via Morlock celebrity chefs.
The other item of evidence is the Eloi's collective fear of night, and moonless nights in particular. The narrative suggests - though, never actually clearly shows us - that these are the times when Morlocks go small-game hunting. They're apparently able to get in and out of the "big houses" without ever waking up the Eloi and apparently reliably know where to find the Eloi. (Not wanting to victim-blame here, obviously, but the Eloi could consider maybe posting some sentries, and perhaps varying where they sleep … I mean, they're not short of half-abandoned buildings, right?)
But are the Morlocks necessarily the source of the Eloi's fear of the dark? Could it be something else, like perhaps their tendency to have dumb accidents, or randomly getting lost? (Case-in-point re: the latter, on the final night Weena apparently ran off on her own at some point, which is less-than-clever.) As for Weena's unease around the wells, you do have to wonder how many Eloi have managed to have a a "tripped and fell" moment while playing a bit too close to the lip of the well. Weena is actually implied to be one of the smarter Eloi - she shows some curiosity toward the Traveller, and is seemingly willing to consider visiting parts of the outside world - and even she does questionably-smart things like leaning right over the lip of the well while the Traveller climbs down. I mean, this is sounding like the opening-lines of an official report into a bad accident, isn't it?
I will allow that the Morlocks certainly should have paid more attention to health-and-safety in the design of their access-wells, which honestly do seem to basically be death-traps. However, some of this can be ascribed to negligence and laziness rather than actual malice-aforethoughht-level capital-E evil.
The Time Traveller posits that the Eloi and Morlocks emerged from a socio-economic divergence within the original human population, one that eventually became so extreme that it resulted in an actual speciation event. Essentially, the upper and lower classes ended up not merely socially-isolated from each other, but genetically-isolated too. I believe this conclusion more than I believe the Morlock cannibalism allegations, but I still have some problems with it.
1) To produce an actual speciation event, the separation of the social classes would have to persist for an enormous length of time - presumably, at least a few thousand years - and would also have to have been enforced more rigorously than even the most extreme real-world caste system. Is it really plausible that a system like this could have remained stable for the required timescales? That there were no cross-caste romances or "accidental" pregnancies, ever? That all genetic mixing across social boundaries came to a hard, permanent stop? (Contrast this with the real-world behaviour of some Victorian "gentlemen" toward their servants, and, well … yeaaaaah. Eeeek.)
2) Would the economic system implied by all of the above even have been stable in the first place? Can you really erect a non-prous, binary wall between "producers" and "consumers"? In the real world, the two groups are also made up of exactly the same people. (Consider - you have a job, but you also buy stuff. Both are you.) Were there really never any movements for social reform, no civil rights legislation, no uprisings, civil wars, general strikes or any of the other social chaos that usually overwhelm any proposed social planning? The proposed binary divergence of society implies deliberate central organisation dwarfing anything even the Soviet Union attempted, and it's notable that Soviet central planning was ultimately a failure.
The proposed social divide would have been so extreme that I can't see how it could be maintained without a deliberate and organised program of violent enforcement by a strong State, rather than the kind of emergent phenomenon that the Time Traveller seems to think it was. (The only thing the Traveller sees that might - might! - be evidence for this would be the extensive displays of weapons he found while at the ruined museum.)
3) Also, where does agriculture fit into this schema? Agricultural labour is usually considered low social status, but as plants need sunlight, by definition it has to occur aboveground. Is there an aboveground population of farmer-descended Morlocks out there somewhere? In fairness I suppose there could be - the Time Traveller only visits a small area based around what's no longer outer London, after all. (The "modern" Eloi population appears to subsist on edible plants, which are apparently abundant and near-universal in their surroundings. It's suggested that the origins of these plants were artificial, at some point in the past. While these have presumably supplanted agriculture by the year 802,701, nonetheless there must have been a time when they didn't exist, so they don't get us away from the "Morlock workers in the fields" problem.)
4) There is some implication in the text, actually, that the speciation event may have been more recent than the Time Traveller thinks. Consider all the fossil buildings he finds in the area surrounding his arrival-point. The Eloi clearly didn't build them, and given the Morlocks' troubles with daylight, it seems doubtful that they did either. However, someone must have erected these structures, and it can't have been that long ago - most of them still have their roofs! Even allowing for possible super-advanced future construction techniques, I can't see them as being more than a few thousand years old at absolute most, not hundreds of thousands of years. Honestly, they're probably even younger than that. (Significantly, when the Traveller visits the ruined museum, there seems to be an implication that it was restocked not too long ago. When he finds the camphor and the matches, even he notes the oddity that they are still usable!)
So in summary, while the Time Traveller's account of the year 802,701 is entertaining, I don't think I believe his social biology. And actually, this is one of the strengths of this novel - while it suggests a surface-level narrative, it actually is surprisingly open to alternate readings. Who knows, perhaps this was even what Wells intended (he does, after all, take some pains to remind us that the Time Traveller was not right about everything).
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hazzybat · 9 months ago
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Can you explain why you chose each monster/power to go with each band member? For example why Kris is a vampire etc?
Yeah sure!
Bojan- the other option for him was a siren (cause duh singing voice being enchanting) with a full mermaid tail but I just didn't want to deal with those logistics and it felt like it restricted him.
I went with incubus cause it gave a good reason for lots of smut and cause of the Demoni scream which i adore. Also let's be real Bojan is just kinda slutty and seductive on stage so cranking that up all the way made sense.
Having bojan be the frontman who obviously likes attention to then expand on that to have him literally feed on and need attention and love to live is just icing on top.
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Kris- the man looks like a vampire. His cheekbones can cut glass. Legit that was the main reason. He just photographs very elegantly and seems older than he actually is which I feel fits with a vampire. I imagine a quite old school, charming vampire with a hint of marceline from adventure time. He has a variety of powers partially to make up for him physically only having pointy teeth and a bite mark on his neck.
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Nace- his stompy dance he does one stage and the fact he wears blazers a lot with very big/thick boots. I also liked the idea of him being really strong but in a human way, and being literally made to be helpful (oooh backstory) Also if I was a monster I would be a Frankenstein monster so I had to make one of them that. Soft spot in my heart.
The idea of Nace wanting to fit in to the band and do it so well it was like he was made to fit the role to go alongside him literally being a made man rather than born is also a fun parallel.
(Tell me you don't see it)
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Jan - he's a really hairy guy and his big fur coats look amazing on him so naturally he had to have the hairiest monster. Along with that I feel he's kinda monotone but once you understand him he's actually really expressive which I then used by having his tail express his emotions. And the angst of a wolf transformation was just too good to not play with.
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Jure- i had the most trouble with Jure. I tried to think of maybe a sphinx to play into the whole cat thing. There's also some fanart out there which depicts him as a mummy which I also really liked but then didn't want to deal with the whole ancient Egypt mummy in Slovenia kinda deal because as you might have guessed I like everyone to have logical backstories.
A show i really like is BBC's Ghosts so I thought about how a poltergeist actually works well. They can be cheeky and chaotic and it just ended up suiting him really, really well. Along with that the idea of him being seen less (him being stuck abd the back of the stage and being translucent) was a fun theme i could explore. Maybe he wants to be seen more than he is.
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Bonus two i haven't introduced yet!
Martin: he's a vampire. Yes it's also cause he's tall and elegant with good bone structure and wanted there to be at least one double up to make the world feel more real.
Jere: he's a pixie! Cause he's very cheeky and mischievous and cause of that one show somone gave him fairy wings.
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goodpossums · 1 year ago
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Meatcat, 2022.
the majestic sphinx is known for her riddles and oracles. please ask her about whatever's on your mind.
materials, processes, measurements:
organic cotton naturally dyed with madder and alum+ferrous sulfate mordant. I didn't mordant the base cloth so the madder would come out as this dusty pink instead of a bright red. I drew out my pattern pieces on the fabric and then spent a full week drawing on the mordant pattern with a little squeeze bottle applicator. Then I cut, sewed, and garment-dyed her. She's stuffed mostly with scrap foam and yarn from my school. She is Heavy and big, maybe 3.5 ft / 1 m long.
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