#temperate flora

[davidtngbotany]

Discovering the links between the temperate and tropical flora

Botany both hot and cold. Join me on my 20+ year and ongoing journey looking for links between the tropical and temperate flora

How are the tropical and temperate floras linked? I spent a good part of my time as a botanist thinking about this. I was born in the tropics, and weaned on a tropical flora. There in the tropics, there is so much variety – enough for lifetimes of study. I thought I would stay there forever, exploring the great southeast Asian tropical flora. Yet, life brought me to the south temperate lands of…

[vandaliatraveler]

Part 2: After the Rain - Life in an Appalachian Temperate Forest.

From top: Wild ginger (Asarum canadense), also known as Canadian snakeroot; Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus), a lovely spring aster deserving of a more dignified name; white wood violet (Viola sororia albiflora), a white variation of the common blue violet; woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata), also called wild blue phlox; creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera), a mountain native and the most delicate and beautiful of Appalachia’s many wonderful phlox species; and Allegheny blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis).

[wikipediapictures]

Vancouver Island

“Forest on Vancouver Island BC Canada in winter near the ocean.” - via Wikimedia Commons

[alux-ulkan]

X'áal' -

Swamp Lantern/Skunk Cabbage -

Lysichiton americanum -

July 2023

[rabbitcruiser]

World Rainforest Day 

Donate or volunteer your time to helping or raising awareness about how we can save the rainforests, and keep these crucial ecosystems alive.

The rainforests are keeping our planet alive. They’re home to half the world’s animal species, they provide us with freshwater, and are essential for keeping our climate stable. Yet every second, one and a half hectares is lost, while each year, 78 million hectares of precious rainforest are destroyed. That’s why World Rainforest Day has been created to take decisive action to combat deforestation, reduce the effects of climate change, and protect our rainforests for future generations.

Learn about World Rainforest Day

World Rainforest Day was first created in 2017 by the Rainforest Partnership. They work with Indigenous Peoples living in rainforest environments and launch projects to help restore and regenerate healthy rainforests with local communities. The day is about raising awareness of the importance of the rainforest and what it does for us. By coming together on the day, we can all take positive and hopeful action to protect the rainforest and preserve its lifespan as it has maintained our own lives for thousands of years.

There are hundreds of events, from within local communities to virtual events, education initiatives in schools, charity projects, and the hundreds of small actions we can take each day ourselves to protect the rainforest. Whether you’re going solo in your rainforest approach or part of a group of friends, family members, or colleagues, you’ll be forming part of a community spanning the entire globe. The website has award-winning videos, educational material, and advice for people looking to protect the environment.

The Rainforest Partnership itself has many community-based projects in the Amazon, but the day itself is backed up by the involvement of over 70 global partners, from environmental advocates to media outlets, all striving for positive and affirmative action that preserves the rainforest. The tagline for the event is “Because the World Can’t Wait”, a powerful statement and call to action for people worldwide.

History of World Rainforest Day

The key focus of the day is about remaining positive and focusing on what we can do to save the rainforest. Our rainforests have sustained us for thousands of years, circulating oxygen, keeping local communities alive, absorbing carbon dioxide, and keeping our water fresh and clean. The Rainforest Partnership has been spreading this optimistic message since 2007 when it launched to help protect biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples, and combat the effects of climate change.

The core focus of the Rainforest Partnership is to save the rainforest by working on rainforest-based community projects that create a positive impact on the local peoples and wildlife that rely on the rainforest each day. Although their headquarters are based in Texas, they are primarily in the rainforest with their Latin American based team. Why has the Rainforest Partnership been so successful? Because it’s partnered with organizations worldwide to create a unified response to deforestation. As an affiliated member of the UN Economic and Social Council, they can consult and advise organizations and businesses across the world on sustainable and ecologically led practices.

But just how long has the rainforest been helping us out for? The Amazon rainforest has existed for around 60 million years, forming when the Atlantic Ocean had expanded enough to create a tropical climate in the Amazon basin. Following the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, it is believed that a moister climate developed, leading to the expansion of the rainforest. Over millions of years, it is theorized that the rainforest might have suffered many reductions and expansions, caused by factors like expanding and contracting glaciers.

So why is the disappearance of the rainforest so dangerous this time around? The leading causes of deforestation include logging, mining, and industrial development, as well as the clearance of land for agriculture. As more extensive areas are cleared for logging and pasture, more infrastructure is needed, leading to increased clearance to accommodate roads and large machinery. As more and more rainforest is removed, the surrounding wildlife habitats and homes of Indigenous Peoples are also more significantly disrupted. The scale of deforestation can cause climate change, flooding, desertification, and soil erosion—all things which threaten our planet and our way of life.

World Rainforest Day Timeline

56-33 million years ago

It is estimated that the rainforest likely forms during the Eocene era, following a reduction of tropical temperatures when the Amazon basin is formed.

40000 BC Humans begin modifying rainforests

Humans are influencing the rainforests by living in them and modifying them throughout history.

1986 World Rainforest Movement begins

This international initiative was started to strengthen the movement of people all over the world in defense and protection of the rainforests.

1994 Rainforest Cafe opens

This jungle-themed restaurant opens its first location in Bloomington, Minnesota in the Mall of America.

2017 First World Rainforest Day

Launched to create awareness about the plight of the rainforest and people who inhabit it, World Rainforest Day was created by the Rainforest Partnership.

How to Celebrate World Rainforest Day

This is the perfect opportunity to take the burden off the branches of the rainforest and find ways to help protect the homes of its local wildlife and peoples. Find an optimistic outlook on preserving the planet by sharing on your social media and blogging about how you can save the rainforest. You might get involved by donating or raising awareness of charities like the Rainforest Partnership, or participating in virtual events and networks.

You can even host a rainforest awareness day yourself by arranging an event that highlights the cause or contributes towards a rainforest protection charity. If you’re not a fan of organizing events, why not participate in a sponsored run, climb, trek, or even walk to raise funds? You can also search for registered tree planting charities, where you can sponsor the planting of a tree to give back to the rainforest. If you’re trying to engage the kids, why not take advantage of the activity packs on the day’s website and distribute these to your friends and families for a day of fun-fuelled activities.

If you’re looking for the opportunity to make a lifestyle change, this day is also the chance to make eco-friendly choices to help save the future of our rainforest. For instance, deforestation due to agriculture is a big part of the rainforest reduction. Why not work to reduce your food waste by making sure you’re only purchasing and using what you need? Buying goods from ethical companies that donate to the environment is also a sure-fire way to ensure its protection.

Helping your local wildlife is also an excellent way to sustain global biodiversity, and even help some migrating birds on their way home. Plant insect-attracting flowers in your garden or balcony to share some love with our feathered friends as they fly back to their tropical climate. This day is the perfect opportunity to take many small steps or host one big event to show our appreciation for our rainforest.

World Rainforest Day FAQs

What is the theme of World Rainforest Day?

The theme for each World Rainforest Day changes each year, with past themes including “Protected together. Now. Forever.” and “Protected Together”.

Why do we celebrate World Rainforest Day?

Celebrating the natural resources of the rainforests of the world, World Rainforest Day encourages humans to protect and preserve them.

When is World Rainforest Day Celebrated?

World Rainforest Day is celebrated each year on June 22.

What is the most interesting fact about the rainforest?

Rainforests take up only 3% of the area of the planet, but are home to more than half of the planet’s species.

Who started World Rainforest Day?

World Rainforest Day was started in 2017 by the Rainforest Partnership, which is an organization that creates people-powered solutions to protect the deforestation problems in the rainforest.

Source

[steal-this-idea]

I love how I created a world whose arrangement of continents could have totally allowed for a Centauri-Xon situation but opted to only give the world a single sentient (suspiciously human-looking) species

My loss, I suppose

Though I doubt that continent's animal and plant inhabitants managed to escape tragedy...

[druidgroves]

goldenrod + lotus + poppy for beloved temperance 💕💕

botanical headcanons

>:) thank u jasmine !!! love 2 talk about my my gorl

goldenrod :   does your muse believe in luck or fortune ?  why or why not ?   where do they believe these things come from ?

em is very aware that luck seems to put itself in her corner more often than not (just ask the tables on the strip). she doesn't know why or how or what she did to deserve such favorable odds, but in such a dedicated scientific manner that arcade should be proud of her for it, em is hellbent on testing and experimenting with her luck just to see how far it will go. she's not sure if she's always been lucky—probably not since, y'know, she got shot in the head and that's not very lucky—so maybe it was a gift of fate. who knows !

lotus :   has your muse ever felt as though they’ve been reborn ? have they ever desired the feeling of a fresh start ,   or a better understanding of themself and/or the world around them ?

idk if i'm gonna follow through on this train of thought, but i've toyed with the idea that before em was shot, she was just your average wastelander. she hit some rough times after an unspecified event (i'm thinking maybe she lost someone close to her?). she eventually picked up a job as a courier as a way to keep her mind off things, wishing that she could start over, do something different, and then, well. luck may have been on her side before it all, it seems.

poppy :   what comforts your muse ?

post head trauma, em is very much like a cat. she loves finding a sunny area and taking a nap. she has issues with time thanks to benny's cranium reboot, so sleeping is generally hard. but if it's sunny she's able to fall asleep faster and know generally about what time of day it is, so win-win !

[faunandfl0ra]

Are you saying my garden and yours are not nice? I haven't seen yours, but mine is not not nice.

It starts being my business when they are deliberately ruining the environment for the aesthetic. Biodiversity has been declining dramatically since the mid 19th century and we're not helping it at all with this sort of behavior. Last time I checked, I live on the same planet. I'm not judgemental, I'm factual. People who do this are hurting the planet. Those are facts. But if you want my personal opinion : I think they're a bunch of dickheads.

Flowers are more my thing I'm afraid. I'll have to argue that spring and summer are so much superior here.

Maybe you could find some in caves? There's a lot around here.

Ah. Oh. Sorry. Yeah, I suppose you could say that. I appreciate the compliment. Do you too have one?

Oh I just moved here this spring. I have been planting a lot of seasonal ones. My hydrangeas are thriving particularly, but huh. Wait. I'll just send pictures. Here and here . It's a work in progress...

No, I'm not. My lawn is about as unmown and untidy as a lawn can be. But I can also see the thought process behind wanting things to be nice sometimes. Putting an effort into things isn't bad. And it's none of your business what people do with their lawns on their own property, right? You're acting like they do, with all your judgement.

Yeah, mushrooms are pretty cool. I can't wait for the summer to be over so they really start to grow. This heat is making everything wilt.

There's this saying that having green thumbs means you're good at gardening. I was trying to compliment you. What kind of flowers do you grow?

[jsooly]

death in the family (3) / sully family x human!daughter/sister!reader

synopsis, your family leaves to seek uturu with the ocean clans.

(1) / . . . / (6*) / (7) / (8* - ur here! ☆)

+ chapters with an * beside it means that it’s following atwow plot line as opposed to disconnected scenarios

norm found you passed out at your usual spot by grace's old computer, with the site 26 log archives pulled up.

jake informed him of his plan. norm was never much of a leader when it came to war, but he knew how to manage people. taking over grace's position as research head and avatar leader required a large amount of intuition. having to know what was going on in a person's head was important in this period of turmoil.

it didn't take much to read you. your eyes were puffy, cheeks streaked with tears, and the frown on your face was undeniable, even as you slept.

norm watched you grow up—watched you attach yourself to jake, as he watched the marine attach himself to you. this decision was equivalent to separating something inextricable. like attempting to pull the moon away from the tide—the water will always stretch towards it.

norm gently shook you awake.

"hey." he whispered. "don't wanna be late for dinner."

you groaned at the thought, your eyebrows downturned with just the thought of what awaited you back home. your heart squeezed thinking of your sisters and brothers waiting expectantly for your return even though your mind replayed jake's words over and over and over again.

you got up, stretching. "thanks." you mumbled as you headed out.

"wait! y/n, it's pretty dark out." he gently warned you, though you weren't in the mood to be reminded of all of pandora's dangers. "do you want to call someone to help you back?"

you shook your head. "i'll be fine. see you in the morning."

"hey." norm caught up to you, putting his hand on your shoulder. "we'll get through this, okay? like old times."

you paused, your eyes fixed on the ground. every comfort offered to you irritated you beyond belief. you found yourself grappling with a compulsive anger. you wanted to scream, what about this is 'like old times?'

you settled for a nod. because the sanest part of you counseled your temper with the fact that norm was just trying to help.

he pat you in farewell, walking you to the door. you accepted a cloak from him, as it was wet and chilly tonight. you tugged the hood over your head as you vanished into the darkness.

as you made your way through the flora, your stomach grew heavy with unease the closer you got to home. it certainly didn't help when you had to scale the gargantuan vines to high camp.

your feet touched down on the omaticaya base, and you have never been happier to feel the cold hard rocks under your feet. you decided to never climb those vines late at night ever again.

"y/n!" lo'ak appeared in front of you, his bioluminescent spots framing his feline eyes in the darkness.

you jumped, your fist flying out instinctively.

lo'ak groaned, clutching his arm in pain. "what the hell?"

"lo'ak!" you gasped, before smacking him again, hard, in annoyance. "don't scare me like that!"

"ow, why again?!" lo'ak grunted, stepping back from you with a pout. "where have you been?"

"i fell asleep at norm's." you explained, briefly glancing over his arm for any real damage. when you found none, you walked past him.

he followed you like a puppy, his eyes darting to your face every now and then to assess your mood.

"uh... mom made teylu for dinner." lo'ak perked up, hoping the familiar dish would earn some excitement from you.

"that's nice." you say plainly, too much on your mind to match his energy.

he sighed, agitated, pulling you to a stop. "i'm sorry if—" his frown deepened, his eyes avoiding yours.

your gaze focused on him, a note of concern swirling in your eyes.

"i'm sorry i didn't listen to you. i didn't mean to make things worse." he admitted. "you know, back at the shack..."

you blinked in realization, smiling to ease his apprehension. "was it a stupid decision? kinda. but you did what you felt was right. you’re good at looking out for me, but i’m even better at looking out for you. i’ve been doing it for fifteen years, you know. you need to trust me more.”

“you’re just so…” fragile. human. “small.”

“that was the one you decided on?” you smiled genuinely, your face muscles aching from ugly crying a few hours prior.

you knew what he was getting at when he trailed off. he had self-appointed himself as your bodyguard for as long as you remember, even though he was the one in need of rescuing most times.

lo’ak’s smile was sheepish. “that was the first time i saw you fight. like, really fight. scary. why doesn’t dad let you in the militia, again?”

“take a wild guess.” you prompt him as you both resume your slow pace back to the marui.

“but you could fly a scorpion!” lo’ak protested. you didn’t have an ikran. being on the ground during the raids on the RDA would be more trouble than help.

“those helicopters are for research purposes so there’s no guns on them or anything.”

before lo’ak could speak up again, tuk came racing up to you. she grabbed your hand, pulling.

“you’re back!” she exclaimed. you smiled and rubbed her head. footsteps padded closer to reveal neteyam and kiri, frowns set on their faces.

the five of you remained in a circle for a length of time, the truth hanging in the back of your heads: not for long.

the beads of the marui knocked together as neytiri emerged. “come.” she ordered. “eat.”

—

dinner was unnaturally quiet. as if everyone was afraid to chew.

you barely met jake’s eyes as he sat across from you and he barely met yours.

after a while of awkward silence, neytiri frustratedly nudged her husband. “say something.” she hissed in a whisper.

her stern expression never wavered, not even with jake’s pleading look. he sighed, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. he needed to address this with care and caution if he didn’t want it to get worse.

“baby,” he started, setting down his teylu. “i want you to know that i was upset, so i didn’t come off the way i wanted to.”

you stared him dead in the eyes, reluctantly hearing him out. you had nowhere to run.

the kids’ eyes nervously darted back and forth between their father and oldest sister, anticipating another explosive argument.

“it wasn’t easy raising you here, but i don’t regret a second of it. i’d do it the exact same way again and again. what i want to avoid is animosity towards you.” he circled the table, sitting next to you. not too close, but not far away either. “you bear so much on your shoulders, and you’ve come so far with the clan. i don’t want to see you start over with a people who are even more hostile.”

you remained silent, unable to sneak a glance at jake’s face. you feared the need to be comforted by him would be too great to stand your ground.

“i am always gonna come back for you.” he scooted closer still, desperate to catch your eyes. he couldn’t bear you being mad at him, not for one second. the way you refused to look at him wounded him greatly. “when we establish ourselves.”

the worst part about it all was you understood. you weren’t blind to reality—it would be harder to connect with other clans with a sky person in tow. the omaticaya were harsh, and you practically grew up with them. it wasn't hard to extrapolate the response from a foreign clan.

you just hoped being a family meant they’d take you with them regardless. that it wouldn’t have mattered that other peoples would reject them because that would be better than rejecting you. what was the acceptance of a clan compared to you? what happened to sullys stick together?

“y/n?” jake called softly, gentle as if not to spark your anger.

sometimes he felt he was going crazy when he recognized glimpses of neytiri in your face. nothing linked you two biologically, yet the same pensive intensity was written across your features. an unforgiving presence that’s ready to tell him off at any given moment.

it's part of the reason he chose lightning bug as your call sign. you could take and take and take all the garbage people dumped on you, but one drop too far and you lashed out. swift and precise, like lightning.

it was rare to see it once you finally learned to spare yourself the headache and handle all the backhanded comments, the outrage at your mere presence, the alienation… the more as you matured, the more garbage you were able to carry.

jake was afraid he would be the one drop to set it all up in flames. yet he almost hoped you would—he knew he deserved it.

“y/n?” he asked, even softer.

“i heard you.” was all you said, grabbing some more food.

neytiri frowned, her eyes darting to jake helplessly. jake’s shoulders slumped but he accepted that was all he was going to get.

the dinner continued relatively peacefully. jake didn’t return to his original spot, getting as close to you as you’d allow him.

—

somehow, tuk wormed her way into your sleeping pod. and then kiri moved hers closer, then lo’ak, and finally neteyam. all the kids piled onto one side, making the marui seem empty.

jake stood over his five kids, hands on his hips as he observed them fondly. neytiri came up behind him, running her hand down his back.

“there is not much you can do now. what’s done is done.”

“i don’t want her to be mad at me.” jake whispered. “i don’t want to leave like this.”

neytiri softened, resting her head against his shoulder. “her anger will leave. her hurt will remain. and it will stay this way until we come back for her.”

jake sighed, running his hand over his face roughly. “i just—i don’t know what to do. i don’t want to be in a situation out there where i have to choose them over her or her over them.”

what do you think you’re doing now? a voice in his head nagged.

his heart sunk further. he was scared, scared of what that madman would do to his family. scared that he wouldn't be around to protect you all when you needed him the most. he hoped that by moving away, quaritch would stay on his tail and lose interest in you.

neytiri raised her eyebrow, giving her husband an empathetic look. “i trust you with many things, jake. if you think it’s best to leave, i will follow. the kids will… come to understand.”

“do you think…” jake trailed off. “do you think we’ll ever be the same?”

neytiri didn’t respond. the answer was clear.

jake inhaled deeply. it was too late to turn back now.

—

toruk makto will disappear. that was jake’s promise.

tarsem was jake’s choice for olo’eyktan. unable to go through with the traditional ritual of killing the previous clan leader, he sliced jake’s chest with a heavy heart.

the leader must die. so the leader can be born.

you weren’t present at the ceremony, instead watching from afar. you watched the farewell with a growing bitterness, but you knew the biggest underlying feeling was the hurt. you didn’t want to see them go.

the clan shared your sentiment. wailing and cries filled the air.

mo’at wove mourning garments for herself and you. the two of you weren’t particularly close but you were respectful of each other’s role in the family. you often hung around her tsahik marui where soldiers come for healing.

she appreciated your extensive knowledge on the flora and fauna of pandora, often quizzing you on what she was using in her salves and ointments.

you waited with her for the sullys, tending to the ikran.

you smoothed your hand down the crest of jake’s ikran, bob. he chirred happily, flexing his wings slightly.

behind him, a woodsprite wafted along the breeze. you frowned in confusion. eywa’s seeds, all the way up here?

you watched it closely while it moved through the space as it pleased. it hovered around you, landing on your shoulder. you stood completely still, it’s delicate tendrils brushing your skin. it ballooned when it took flight once again, gaining height and finding respite atop your head.

mo’at’s sideways glance pulled you out of your wonder.

“probably got lost.” you chucked nervously, feeing scrutinized under mo’at’s steady stare. you knew where neytiri’s fiery eyes came from.

“eywa does not make mistakes, child.” she said slowly, expertly concealing her curiosity.

the sullys approached their ikran, ready to go. the woodsprite fluttered away from you.

tuk whined as she rushed up, clinging to mo’at. the grandmother soothed her.

lo’ak frowned as he approached you, unable to hide the emotion on his face. you opened your arms and he ran into them, hugging your tightly.

“come with us,” he whispered. “i’ll hide you on my ikran.”

you laughed. “we caused enough trouble this week.”

he clutched you tighter. “shut up. i’m being serious.”

“me too.” you mumbled, rubbing his back in comfort.

he pulled back, helplessness weighing down his youthful features. you offered him a sad smile before he stormed off to his ikran, wiping his face roughly.

kiri fell into your arms next. “who will help me handle with those two skxawngs?”

you snickered. “i think you’re an expert now. it’s time you take on your own apprentice.” you winked, nodding to tuk.

kiri rolled her eyes. “tuk will tell on all of us. don’t think that’s much of an alliance.” she laughed softly before her aura grew depressive.

you cocked your head. “what’s wrong?”

“it’s just—“ she sighed. “i’m worried about spider.”

spider. taken by the RDA. your jaw set with determination. you squeezed her hands. “i’ll look out for him, okay?”

her posture raised as a grateful smile replaced her frown, and she squeezed your hand in farewell. tuk jumped on you, refusing to let you go until neytiri pried her off.

"y/n," neytiri hummed, her voice soft and smooth like nectar. her head fell to her shoulder as she blinked back tears, grabbing your shoulders and pulling you into her side. she held you tightly, afraid to let go. "i will not say goodbye, because i promise you this is not the end."

"i know," you fought the ball of emotion in your chest, trying your best to remain strong for their sakes. but as soon as neytiri reluctantly released you, her hand cupping your face gently before mounting her ikran, you felt the gaping absence in your soul.

your eyes scanned the area, missing one very important person. you passed all the others preparing their ikran, rounding neteyam's steed and finding him quietly adjusting the saddle.

you crossed your arms as he ignored you. "no goodbye?"

he didn't spare you a glance, his eyebrows knitting as the frown in his face deepened.

"seriously?" you walked up closer to him, a mix of confusion and offense in your tone.

he glimpsed at you and you immediately understood. in most things, neteyam was the big one. the big guy on the field, on lookout, cleaning up after lo'ak. at home was the only place he didn't have to shoulder it all.

he had to say goodbye to his big sister, his first best friend and protector. how would he bear the weight of being jake sully's first son without jake sully's first daughter? the kids would look to him now. he would have to be the mediator, give the advice, fight the fights. neteyam was able to be brave out there because he knew you were standing behind him.

you gave him a dispirited smile as you opened your arms in invitation. once you made the gesture, he wasted no time embracing you. no words were exchanged, but the two of you shared an understanding.

"saddle up!" jake called to the family.

neteyam smiled at you, his eyes clouded. he ruffled your head before jumping on his banshee.

you stepped away from them, watching as their ikrans chirped lively. jake approached you.

"i meant what i said." jake grasped your shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly.

you were not soothed by his gesture at all. you merely nodded out of respect.

"hey," he caught your gaze, his face open and vulnerable.

you watched as neytiri led the children out. their banshees were hesitant to leave the cliff, picking up their own unwillingness to take flight in the forest for the last time.

jake held you tightly, as if letting go would make the distance between you real. he never thought he’d be apart from you—much less that it would be by his own doing.

“i'm your father, y/n. no matter what. that must mean something.” he whispered.

you begged yourself not to give in to your impulse. but regret wasn’t a enough to satiate your anger.

“my father is dead.” you bit out.

jake paused.

swift and precise, like lightning.

he exhaled softly, shakily. his face barely shifted, but something in his eyes flickered—pain, maybe understanding. he swallowed, then simply squeezed you tighter, kissing your forehead.

—

the leader must die, so the new leader can be born.

jake left tarsem in charge of the omaticaya. he was unaware he was set the stage for a different kind of leader to emerge. eywa already began to show her hand this day—you just had to realize it.

. . .

thanks for reading! <3

taglist (lmk if you want to be added/removed): @dae-dreamer @delirious-dolce @strawbaerriesvt @avatar-lover @ryiana @lxon-kxnnedy @zukki33 @chalahyung01 @ssc7514 @shmaptainbonky

© jsooly ‘25

[stellasolaris]

I don't get why Rainbow made Chatta resemble Stella. A lot of fans are also noticing this and are wondering why Chatta isn't Stella's pixie partner...

The point of the bonded pixies is to complement their fairy partner or help them overcome a challenge or weakness they have—not necessarily to be similar.

Chatta, for example, encourages Flora to be outspoken and assertive in situations in which Flora feels shy. Piff, being the youngest and needing constant monitoring, contrasts sharply with Layla, who is highly independent and self-reliant. Piff's quiet and comforting presence allows Layla to slow down, bringing forth her more tender side. It’s also worth noting that Piff can use her powers to reduce the anxiety and stress that Layla often experiences.

Similarly, Lockette helps guide Bloom on her journey to discover her purpose and understand her past. Lockette's cautious and worrisome nature also provides a grounding counterbalance to Bloom's impulsive and reckless tendencies.

Amore is gentle and soft-spoken, qualities that Stella lacks. Amore could be instrumental in helping Stella address her deep-seated abandonment issues, especially her struggle to believe that people genuinely love and care for her, but sadly, this potential storyline has not been explored in the show. In contrast, Tune is well-mannered and conservative, while Musa dances to the beat of her own drum, unafraid to challenge social norms and speak her mind. Stella gets a lot of flack for being rude and insensitive, but my unpopular opinion is that Musa can be just as brazen if not more. Tune helps temper that abrasiveness.

Finally, we arrive at Digit and Tecna who share more similarities than the other pairs. I think the only aspect that showcases their complementarity is that Tecna sometimes suffers from "black-and-white" thinking to an extreme degree, which Digit counters by disagreeing with her or prompting her to explore other available possibilities.

[earlgreylatte]

ℭ𝔩𝔬𝔞𝔨 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔦𝔱𝔰 𝔇𝔞𝔤𝔤𝔢𝔯

(Yandere GL x Blue Lantern Reader) You two needed each other, that was an indisputable fact. And even if they went too far, you would be there to hold them back, running your fingers through their hair while gently soothing them. After all, it’s the least you can do as their Blue Lantern.

Hal Jordan:

Surprisingly romantic about the whole thing. While he was never a big believer of fate, there was something about the fact that you two humans were picked out by such complimentary rings to answer a higher calling. There was something that tied you two together.

Insists on sticking together, it’s just rational considering how your ring only runs on full power when in the presence of his, and that only means you do more good. He’s able to use his feats to convince the Guardians and Saint Walker to okay a more long term partnership between the two of you.

And you don’t protest. Your efficiency and chance of survival more than doubles with a Green Lantern with you, and Hal always makes sure you have the time to fulfill both your duties. And it’s nice being around him. It’s reassuring having someone always at your side. He makes you laugh, he always want to try new food with you while introducing you to some of his favourites, he loves to take you to fly after sneaking you into the airfield, he adores you.

And you find yourself returning his feelings. He convinces you to move in quickly after that, citing it makes more sense to split rent if you two are going to constantly be off world. Things are good with Hal. Sure he can get jealous, but as a Blue Lantern you do a good job at calming him down and tempering his anger. Even if he’s the stubborn type to never take ‘no’ as an answer, you at least have the ability to soften him to see reason.

When the rest of the Blue Lantern corps are slaughtered, he becomes increasingly overprotective. He urges you to keep your ring, that you two will be able to handle any enemy as long as you stick together. You only need to boost his ring and he’ll take care of the rest while you sit there and look pretty.

Refuses to leave your side, your ring only works defensively without him, it would be a death sentence if you two were to part. Wherever you go, he follows. And if you’re worried about your ring diminishing too much of the emotional spectrum, then he’ll just take care of some other ring wielders to even it out.

So you two continue as lanterns, his anger bubbling until you wash it away with kisses that trail down until he’s groaning and sighing, as is clockwork. You admittedly have a symbiotic relationship, but you’ve always been a pragmatist. You two belong together, just like your rings do.

“So good for me,” Hal breathes out looking down at you, before throwing his head back with a breathy moan when you hum against him, licking up his length. “You take such good care of me…because that’s, ah, what we do for each other. And I’d, fuck, I’d kill anyone that even looks at you.”

Kyle Rayner

Even if he spent a short time as a Blue Lantern, sometimes he struggles with mustering up the faith to enact his will. It’s why he liked being around you. You, more than him, embodied hope, in every word and action. He honestly puts you on a pedestal. You’re just so…good. You could do no wrong in his eyes. And he feels even more protective if you’re the only current Blue Lantern around after the corps was massacred.

He lets you choose where you two go outside of missions. He could care less about ever setting foot on Earth again if you’re not there. Visiting planets overgrown by nature, covered with flora so unlike the ones you’re familiar with, or planets so developed and metropolitan they put Metropolis to shame, he wants to see everything there is, as long as you’re by his side.

And if you ever choose to take off on your own, don’t be surprised to run into him, feigning surprise and suggesting you two stick together if you’re going to be in the same place anyway. Kyle may come off as agreeable to your whims, but he is more than willing to push at your boundaries if you intend to leave his sight or endanger yourself.

And can you blame him? He’s already lost so much and he’s so alone, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself if something happened to you, especially with all the enemies with a vendetta against him for being a Green Lantern. Ones that would kill you to just to get to him. Ones you couldn’t hope to win against without him at your side.

He’s always starting at you, sometimes with a dopey, love sick grin, other times he’s just silently observing you, noting every detail, whether it’s a beauty mark or a scratch, he’ll always notice. Eventually, you’re all he’s drawing, until he’s losing sleep because he wants to make sure even a quick sketch really captures you.

While he isn’t the violent type, preferring to whisk you away from smaller annoyances and conflicts, he is more than willing to fight for your sake against any threat, becoming increasingly erratic at the thought of you being harmed. Might even dissociate, only snapping back to reality when you’re pulling him away from a mess of red.

Might create constructs of you in the rare event you two are apart, most likely because of Oa business or if he’s watching you far afar, tracing his fingers over the green countenance that mimics yours. Hopefully, you don’t leave him too pent up because things might get laughably pathetic for him otherwise.

“You feel so…good,” Kyle nearly whimpers the first time he enters you, entranced in the way you clench around him as you stare up at him dazed, only thinking about him as he fills you so well. “So beautiful, so pretty, fuck, you’re so, so perfect.”

Jessica Cruz:

She spent years as a shut in after her friends were murdered in front of her, do not underestimate how much that still affects her even with the ring. Is hit with bouts of paranoia and overthinking if you mention going off on your own, even if you’re together she doubts her ability to keep you safe.

But at the same time, with you at her side, she feels more assured than ever. Doubts and anxiety seem to leave her when you’re near, your mere presence enough to reassure and motivate her to keep going. She only hopes she can do the same for you, even if it’s just because her ring is able to aid yours.

Very clingy, always holding hands with you or pressing her shoulders and hips against yours. Befriends your friends very quickly, not that you mind considering how isolated she once was. If you ever insist on some alone time or going out without her, she guilts you pretty easily. And against her survivors guilt and trauma, it will be hard to say no to her in general.

Mostly convinces you to stay home with her or go camping when you’re not working or in space. She prefers the quiet and having you to herself. She teaches you a lot about the wilderness and basic survival techniques. Definitely loves quality time.

Might become the most noticeably codependent, and if other concerned Lanterns or heroes brought it up to her, encouraging her to branch out more, she would become defensive. After all, the purpose of your ring is to assist hers. And she needs you, more than Hal, John, or anyone else from the corps. Hasn’t she been alone enough already?

Becomes terrified if you’re the last Blue Lantern around, and might even encourage you to give up the ring if it puts a target on your back. Might regress to her shut in tendencies if you don’t put your foot down.

Refuses to let you out of her sight if you’re able to convince her that you’ll be fine, becoming your personal guard dog, even when you’re using the washroom.

Sometimes you feel like Jessica wants to drown you, pressing all her weight against yours, until the only thing that that you can see and smell is her, her mouth hot against your skin as she follows a path from your chest to your tummy, “I always worry about you, whether you’re okay or some psycho got their hands on you, I know people think I’m too much, but I’d be nothing without you.” She admits, tone somber as if her fingers weren’t tracing over your sex.

Yes, Blue Lanterns just scream enabler to me LMAO wdym you’re so broken with a green lantern but virtually useless without one, like yeah I’d be clinging to Hal, I don’t want to die😭

The title font is killing me, like the only thing I see is ‘⛓️⛓️🥀🥀’, I should not be trusted with font generators lol! And yes, I’m a Cloak and Dagger main in Marvel Rivals

Masterlist

[vandaliatraveler]

Part 1: After the Rain - Life in an Appalachian Temperate Forest.

From top: Dryad’s saddle (Cerioporus squamosus), a magnificent and edible shelf fungus of Appalachia’s spring forests; wild comfrey (Cynoglossum virginianum), a native borage sometimes also referred to as blue hounds tongue; violet wood sorrel (Oxalis violacea); American cancer-root (Conopholis americana), a parasitic plant that attaches to oak tree roots; northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum); and wild stonecrop (Sedum ternatum), also known as three-leaved stonecrop.

[topazadine]

How to Kick Ass at Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding. You either love it and spend all your time dreaming up rules rather than writing, or you hate it and try your best to avoid it despite writing fantasy or scifi.

Or you are in the middle, which is where you should be. You have a healthy appreciation for what makes worldbuilding so special, but you also don't obsess over it.

Worldbuilding does not need to be complicated to be effective, as I've harped on a few different times now. So how do you strike the right balance? Let's take a look.

As always, this is just my opinion based on my own efforts creating The Eirenic Verses. You can disagree and that is fine. However, I hope you'll consider thinking about what I offer here as you craft your own world.

A lot of what people focus on when worldbuilding is not what the audience cares about.

Very few people like to read a book littered with random terms they have to keep track of. We want to build a unique world, but we also don't want to throw such an extreme amount of lore at our readers that they tune out.

When worldbuilding, we want to consider the cognitive load on our audience. This is how much information the reader needs to remember throughout your story so that they can follow along.

Cognitive load includes things like:

Character names and appearances

Relationships between characters

Place names, such as cities and countries

Unique mythological creature or fauna

Backstory, including mythology and folklore

Language names

The general plot (who is the protag, who is the enemy, etc)

Magic usage (who has the power, how they acquire it, any conditions it comes with, etc)

Power dynamics between characters, countries, and so on

Political systems, if included

Even in the most barebones fantasy story, this is a lot to remember. As such, we need to consider what is most important for our readers to generally understand the plot and emphasize this, letting the rest serve as background information that is not quite as essential. The more emphasis we put on something, the more we direct a reader's attention.

At the same time, we want to create a world that feels lived-in and interesting so that readers want to know more. How do we do this?

Consider what you think about foreign countries in our world.

Most of us will have a general concept of a country but only will think about the specifics if it is currently relevant.

Let's take Japan for an example. (I'm a bit of a weeabo, okay?) Here is what I personally think about when I imagine Japan, in order of what I consider important.

Japanese cuisine (sushi, ramen, ochazuke, sake, lots of rice dishes, seafood)

What the people are like according to my own stereotypes/cultural perceptions (polite, quiet, respectful, hardworking, punctual)

Climate and geography (temperate, island country, volcanos, mountains, beaches)

Unique flora and fauna (cherry blossoms, flowers, Nara deer, giant salamanders, pretty birds)

General landmarks, but not necessarily specifics (castles, temples, busy cities, red bridges, torii gates)

Clothing styles (kimonos, school uniforms, business suits, kawaii fashion)

Cultural icons (samurai swords, samurai armor, Shinto shrines)

General overview of the history (samurai, daimyo, feudal system, bushido, Meiji restoration)

Language, but not necessarily specifics of the language (Japanese, kanji, hiragana)

Religion (Buddhism and Shintoism)

Folklore (ghosts, kami, tsukumogami, evil spirits)

Any festivals I might know of (cherry blossom festivals, moon viewings, Obon)

Your own list may have these in a slightly different order, but it's probably what you most think about.

Notice that you will likely not think about these things:

Political system

Specifics of the language

Interpersonal hierarchies

International relations

Specific landmarks

Specific historical events

Famous figures

So why do we think like this? Because in real life, we also have a cognitive load that we must balance with things that are more relevant to our everyday lives.

If I tried to memorize specific details of every country in the world, I would go insane. I have better things to do, so I create a general image of a country based on pictures I've seen, people I've met, food I've eaten, and so on. You do the same thing.

To be realistic, you do not need to be specific. You need to approach worldbuilding the same way people generate their world knowledge: basic concepts and visual imagery.

What to emphasize in worldbuilding

So let's break this down on what you want to think about when creating a world.

Food is one of the most accessible elements of a culture.

Food is how many people learn about different cultures for a simple reason: if you have the ingredients, you can cook food from anywhere. You don't need to be introduced to it by a native of that culture.

Plus, humans tend to like food. We kind of need it to exist.

Think about these things when considering national cuisines and eating habits of your fantasy world:

Do they have spicy food? Bland food? Heavy hearty dishes?

Is most food served hot or cold?

What kind of spices and vegetables do they use? Root vegetables, beans, cinnamon? Salt?

What type of meat do people eat (if any)? Seafood, poultry, beef, pork?

How is bread prepared? What is it made of? (Look, nearly every culture has some sort of bread, we love carbs)

What about pasta? Does that exist here?

Are desserts important? What are they made of?

What kinds of drinks do they have? Coffee, tea, milk, lemon water?

Is alcohol a thing? What kind of alcohol? How often do people drink? Are there bars?

How often do people eat, and when? Do they have the typical three square meals, or do people eat kinda whenever they feel like it?

Do people prepare food at home or are there restaurants?

Are communal dinners common?

Cultural stereotypes provide tension and can help craft your characters.

Are people in your culture known for their boldness? Their cunning? Their resilience? Their standoffishness? Their fiery tongues, or their passive-aggressive jabs?

You can play with a lot of this, either confirming or denying the assumptions through your characters.

Landscape gives us an idea of where we are and what to expect.

Landscapes are some of my favorite aspects of worldbuilding rather than intricate magic systems and political concepts. Readers get a good sense of environment when you focus in on landscape and how it impacts the characters. You can also build a culture off your landscape, such as how certain geographic features may influence peoples' attitudes and lifestyles.

For example, a coastal landscape will have beautiful views of the ocean, sparkling beaches, and maybe tall cliffs. Being a fisherman may be seen as an honorable but dangerous profession. People might cliff dive for fun.

Mountainous areas may produce cultural enclaves, especially in a fantasy setting where everyone is more isolated. One mountain town may have a completely different vibe than the town over.

Flat, wide-open plains mean people can spread out, but since moving from one place to another is easier, there may be a more cohesive culture.

An area with caves will have a sense of mystery and fear; there may be a lot of superstitions about the caves.

A swampy area can also be very mysterious as there are so many places to hide out and a lot of dangerous animals.

Climate influences how people behave.

Hot climates make people need to conserve energy, so they may take afternoon naps in the worst of the heat. They might value relaxation and calm over industry and productivity because bro, have you ever tried to even walk outside in the Florida heat? Shut up and get me air conditioning.

Cold climates make people need to stay active to stay warm, but they can also produce a sense of isolation. Think about how outdoorsy the Finnish are but how they looove their personal space.

Temperate climates are probably a bit more even-tempered, but as weather changes get more extreme, people will vary their behaviors based on the seasons: spending more time outdoors during summer but holing up during winter. The culture may emphasize hospitality because people need to rely on one another to survive, and they have time to meet their neighbors during the summer.

I am very partial to temperate climates, being from the American Midwest. We're known for being nice and hardy people. You should come visit.

Flora and fauna help the world feel real.

When I worldbuild, I often base my cultures on a real place and what kinds of animals or plants are there. For example, Breme is based on Mongolia so I have herbivores, big raptors, and a lot of grasses.

A warm climate will have lots of reptiles. Sea life will be important in a coastal area. Swamps might have big predators. Mountains will have hardy creatures that can climb. A savannah area will have huge herbivores and fast, hungry predators.

General cityscapes or villages are great for providing a sense of place.

Do people build low spread-out cities or tall rickety homes? What kinds of building materials do they use? Are there lots of markets, bars, apocetharies, temples or churches? What do homes look like here? What are any unique architectural features?

This gives a sense that we are in a different but specific world that has a rich culture.

Clothing tells us what people prioritize.

Cold places will have lots of layers. Hot places will have soft draping outfits or very skimpy outfits. Natural materials that are easily available will make up the majority of the clothing in a fantasy setting. You wouldn't have people wearing cotton in a place that doesn't grow cotton. If there are lots of sheep, people will wear wool. If there's lots of cattle, people will wear leather.

You can also think about adornment. Is jewelry common? What type? Why is it important? Is it a status symbol, a way to keep wealth, or perhaps ways to honor ancestors?

Cultural icons demonstrate what the society values.

A warlike culture will prioritize weaponry. A pacifist culture will think about art and music. A nomadic culture may have a rich oral tradition. An agrarian society will emphasize farming rituals.

Think of a few things that symbolize your society, whether that's musical instruments, weaponry, textiles, statues, or jewelry. Consider how those traditions could have come about and why.

Folklore and mythology offer an offbeat but important sense of history.

Folklore is often tied up with many other factors of a society, such as their religion, landscape, history, and overall values.

For example, the Japanese believe items survive for over a century gain a kami, or spiritual essence. This shows that the Japanese cherish their long history and their material culture, and it also infuses their Shinto belief into folklore.

You can also think about cryptids or ghost stories. Isolated and difficult terrain often makes people think of monsters lurking in the woods. Areas with lots of caves will have myths about what is down there. Coastal areas develop myths about ghost ships.

Idioms, turns of phrase, and gestural quirks tell us more about the culture without overwhelming readers.

This one can be more challenging (I haven't done much with it) but if you can manage it, you'll have a very rewarding story.

I'm not talking about making a whole new language here, but rather about idioms and turns of phrase. Think about all the fun idioms that English has, like "beating around the bush" or "break a leg." Without cultural context, you can't understand them, so you'll have to incorporate an explanation without actually stating it.

For example, you can have a character say "the horses are running fast" as they look out the window to see a sheet of rain. We can guess from this that the idiom is rain = horses, so lots of rain = fast horses. We'll understand from this that this culture probably loves horses; maybe they're a formerly nomadic race.

Gestures, like whether people give thumbs-up, point with their index, or bow with their hands to their chest all give us a feeling of the culture without being overwhelming.

What not to emphasize

Now that we've gone through some things to focus on, let's talk about what you don't need to make up for your world.

A whole-cloth language

Please, you don't need to create brand new words for things that exist in our world. You can reference a language, but do not make people memorize nouns they don't need.

Don't even make up the language at all. Say there's a language and then write the rest of it in English.

Made-up languages are irritating for readers because they want to focus on the characters and plot, not mysterious words they need to translate.

It's possible to make languages interesting without going into specifics. For example, the Bas-Lag trilogy by China Mieville has a species that communicates in clicks but the species can also learn human languages if necessary. There's a language called Salt that's basically the common tongue blended from everything else.

Do we need to know how Salt works? No. Doesn't matter. We're told someone is talking in Salt, or they're learning it, or they switch to it when meeting someone from a different culture. That's plenty.

Specifics of a magic system

You're not going to instantly summon up all the rules of magical realms when you visit a new country; you might not even know them. And your readers won't be too interested in them either.

For example, in The Eirenic Verses, I have High Poetry. Readers will come to know that this was a magical system where certain people given the power can recite a poem and whatever they speak comes true. Every poem can only be used once.

It was given by the goddess Poesy to a specific woman, Saint Luridalr. It was so successful that the goddess started giving it to more women and a whole religious system arose.

I don't need to explain exactly how it works because no one cares. Someone makes things happen by coming up with a poem: that's about it. We don't need to question whether certain rhyme schemes or meter or punctuation impacts anything. That's too technical.

If you've got pages and pages of notes on all the intricacies of the magical system, you have too much. Pare it down.

Political systems

Unless you're writing a fantasy where politics are absolutely critical to the plot, you can just reference the political system in passing and maybe elucidate a few key elements, like who the leader is, how power is transferred, etc. You don't need to go into all the specifics because most people are not going to care.

Hierarchies

Please don't lay out the entirety of an army's ranking system or how someone is promoted. Make up something consistent and stick with it, but don't go into exhaustive detail. People aren't going to sit and question whether a captain is above a lieutenant or how long it takes to become a general.

We'll know that a general is a big deal if the characters make it a big deal. We'll know who the head of the army is but we don't need to know how they got to that position.

Exact city layouts

You do not need to tell us where everything is in relation to one another. Tell us characters are moving from one landmark to another. You could say "this is across a bridge, this is up in the mountains, these buildings are right next to one another, these two buildings are in opposite ends of the city." That's plenty.

If somewhere is very far away, just show them travelling there and how long it takes. You don't need to measure it in miles or leagues or whatever. We will guess that if it takes them a week to walk there, it's pretty distant.

Economic systems

We just need the basics here: mercantile, capitalist, bartering, etc. We don't need to know if the coinage is pegged to a certain precious metal or if people invest their money or how people are paid. That's boring.

In my world, I have two currencies: quillim for Breme and barnals for Sina. What's the exchange rate? I don't know and don't care. How much is one quillim worth? One quillim is not a lot but 2,500 quillim is. How much is the average person paid? Doesn't matter. Do people keep lots of coins on them? No one is asking that. It's not important.

Transit systems

Tells us if the roads are cramped, spread out, nonexistent, poorly maintained. Tell us if there are road blocks or toll booths. Tell us if there are roving bandits. The more physical and sensory you can get, the more real it feels.

Few people care about the specifics of even their own transportation system. I know highways are fast, I know tollroads are expensive, I know parkways are pretty, I know some cities have weird turnabouts and dead ends. That's exactly what I need and what I care about.

That's what I've got for you today. If you liked this, maybe you'll consider checking out The Eirenic Verses series, which follows most of these principles.

I've been told that my fantasy writing is very approachable, even for those who don't usually like fantasy, specifically because I don't get too insane with my worldbuilding. So maybe you'll enjoy it too!

[vanyatas]

Could you write some headcanons for eyeless jack? I love your headcanons so far for Jeff, Toby, and Liu :D

OMG YES teehee… 😍

EYELESS JACK HCS:

GENERAL HCS:

6’10

IMO he is a demon..

Very tall lanky build.

Sharp teeth, dull pre-sacrifice, now that he’s basically a cannibal they have gotten sharp over time.

Nu metal fan oh my god.

Shaggy layered dark brown hair, keeps it medium length. Definitely peeks out of his hoodie and over top his mask.

Hygienic, The cleanest and most nice smelling creep. Loves to take care of himself.

He definitely takes care of the other creeps when they get injured, Doesn’t mind until it’s a heavy frequent thing.

Short tempered.

Now this might be a little self indulgent but to keep up with his demonic appearance, his skin is a medium grey/blue, has 3 tongues to enhance the scary appearance.

Korn, Slipknot, Evanescence, Linkin park, Kittie, SOAD, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, Godsmack, Disturbed, Flyleaf, Three Days Grace, TRUSTcompany, Paparoach, Seether lover.

Very well spoken and more polite

Really good friends with Toby.

Friends with Jeff, Ann, Masky, Jane, Seedeater.

Yes he does eat kidneys ‼️‼️ I feel like he also eats a lot of other parts of humans just because he is a cannibal

Or whatever you would call a demon that eats humans.

ROMANTIC HCS:

Oh. This guy is the BEST boyfriend.

Will lean down just to kiss you.

Does absolutely whatever you want him to.

A gentleman if you will.

After he gets done with his missions from the Operator, he will go into any flora and grab you the prettiest flowers.

Will make you feel loved deep down to your core.

Stays up just to make sure you’re not interrupted during your sleep.

Meaningful gifts.

Mentioned once you had an obsession with anything? Boom. He’s wrapping items from it up.

So much physical affection.

Kisses, hugs and words of affirmation.

Probably licks you a little.

He cares so deeply for your safety it’s genuinely insane.

[parasolladyansy]

An arid bouquet for my Sandstorm fans! 🪨 (I’m glad someone said something to make me want to make this after all; desert flowers are cool!)

The desert is as foreign a place I’ve ever been, having lived along temperate / subtropical coastlines my whole life. I always thought it beautiful though, a cool place to visit (with some intense sun protection XD)

Speaking of, Sora doesn’t transform into a Rock-type in Sandstorm, but her Weather Ball does! So on go the Safety Goggles to keep her safe from the grit in the air. >u<

Just as the desert is strange to me, so too is Sandstorm - when I was thinking of whether or not to draw this, I sketched out a possible Sand team full of my favorite Rock, Ground, & Steel types. It was interesting! Meanwhile, I had fun learning about the desert flora in US arid regions (we can imagine these grow in Unova’s dusty Route 4 & Desert Resort). 🌵🌺

Sand Verbena - a flower endangered in some places, growing happily in dry, sandy soil.

Fairy Duster - a whimsical beauty that blooms around this time of year (definitely Lacey’s favorite flower, hehe)

Desert Chicory - also known as “plumeseed”, it’s as low maintenance a flower as you can get.

Hedgehog Cactus - one of many flowering cacti, one variety makes fruit that tastes like strawberries.

Brittlebush - a common sign of spring, its leaves start out greener, then progressively fades to white the hotter & drier it gets.

[elbiotipo]

your post about potatoes in fantasy worlds made me base my primary fantasy continent off sudamérica so i could use fantasy versions of andean and amazonian fauna/flora. I'm still trying to figure out how to change the geography enough to have the big desert i want in the right area(andes get an offshoot that encircles a rain shadow desert in the central north is the best idea i have) but actually being forced to consider how native wildlife works and needing to create trade routes if i wanted imported crops was fun. i was also trying to figure out why the southern hemisphere has more hot climates than the north and something said it's because the south on earth has less landmass so i think having the northern hemisphere above it be mostly tropical works if I have mostly archipelagos? also every time i see a european based fantasy have potatoes or tomatoes i shake my head and scowl.

The reason why the Southern Hemisphere seems to have more hot climates is indeed simply because the continental parts don't spread that far South to actually cold southern latitudes. The only place that really sticks that far south to have a truly cold climate is the Patagonia. And of course, Antarctica, which by coinicidence, basically surrounds the South Pole.

Here is a map of "temperate" latitudes, or rather, latitudes between the tropics and the polar circles (as someone who lives here, or indeed an Australian can tell you, many places there are not "temperate" at all but more on that below). What is important here is that the southern hemisphere has less places closer to the pole, except, again, Antarctica, while the northern hemisphere has lots of land near the poles. This is why we don't have our equivalents of say, Siberia, for example. The closest thing is again, Patagonia. Honestly an underused place for worldbuilding, with the steppe, the glaciers, the temperate rainforests, and the recently extinct megafauna, but I digress.

You could in fact have a tropical "north" if you keep most of the northern hemisphere's landmasses near the equator (here I'm picturing some kind of big Indonesia or Caribbean, an area where tectonic plates collide and there's lots of volcanic islands and lands), and you could place a big continent in the South to make it a cold South. Interesting reversal on the cold North/warm South of most settings.

This would bring some interesting effects, though. Placing a big landmass on any pole (not a small one like Antarctica) would lead to glaciation, as land is "colder" or rather less moderated by ocean (more on that later) and glaciers grow, and glaciers and arid land have greater albedo, reflectivity, that is, and so they reflect more sunlight, thus those place become colder, and the glaciers keep growing, and so on, until there is an ice-age. I don't have the link where I read it with me, but I recall that continents shifting to polar latitudes might have triggered ice-ages in Earth's past.

Deserts are very tricky to place. The standard worldbuilding recommendation is that the interior of the continents are drier as you get away from the sea, and that mountain chains and high terrain serves as rainshadows that stop rain from the sea. However, there is a lot more to it. A LOT more.

You can find deserts even next to oceans, in the so-called "horse latitudes", the meeting points of the Hadley Cells that circulate air from the Equator to the subtropics and beyond. The details are a bit technical, but what this means basically is that they create jet streams of circulating air at 30° South and North, keeping the climate sunny, warm and dry. This is indeed where many of the world's coastal deserts are: Atacama, Kalahari, and of course, Australia.

Meanwhile, in the equatorial zone, the "trade winds" (because they have regular wind patterns that have historical formed major sea trade routes, worldbuilding hint!) converge in the Equator, forming rainy areas... but not quite that simple.

The Intertropical Convergence Zone, where these winds meet, ocsilates during the year, creating monsoons, but as always, there are lots of factors involved. In particular, given our real life scenario of rapid climate change and global warming, a warmer temperature means more intense ocsilations. This makes monsoon events sharper (more droughts and floods in those regions) and more strong La Niña/El Niño events, which are their own thing, influenced by the Pacific which is a huge factor in global climate.

And this brings me to ocean currents. Usually, being close to the ocean moderates the climate, making it more rainy and warm, or at least stable. However, if the surrounding sea is cool, it means less evaporation and less rainfall, especially if it's influenced by cool polar currents (this is the case of eastern Patagonia, for example, with the cold Malvinas Current). The opposite is the case in, for example, Europe, where the warm gulf stream moderates climate, making it warmer and rainer compared to the same latitudes in the US and Canada. I'll admit I'm not very well informed on how ocean currents work, but the depth and salinity of the ocean have much to do with it. What basically happens is that dense salty water sinks and and this works as a "conveyor belt" for warm less dense surface water to flow over it and over great distances. These currents are slow, but since the ocean is so massive, they move extensive amounts of heat across the world. I will admit defeat here and just say I don't wholly understand how it works, but I can tell you this; if your world has a less salty ocean, your currents will be less strong, which means that the differences of temperature between the poles and the tropics will be sharper as there are no strong currents to overall moderate temperature. If this is all too complex for you as it is to me, the quick cheat is just looking at this map: warm water flows from the equator, and cold water flows from the poles, and they create "gyres" around the oceans and the Equator, and cold currents contribute to colder and drier climates (note the Canary, Benguela and Peru currents, the Malvinas current is not shown for some reason...)

Did I forget something? Oh, yes. A colder climate of course, means less rainfall, because there is less evaporation and there is much water "trapped" in glaciers and snow. Which seems to be the case during the last ice ages. Rainforests and forests in general retreated as deserts expanded. In fact, the few forests that remained served as refugiums for species that only expanded again once the ice age was over. Some especulate that this might meant a 'weakening' of megafauna, as they were trapped in those refuges with lots of interbreeding and weakened populations when humans arrived on the scene. Here is a very interesting map:

Now, there are some contradictions here and there, some researchers have said that the climate wasn't that dry and while I'm not an expert I tend to agree, many parts that are "extreme desert" there might be scrubland instead. But overall, it seems that colder times bring drier times too.

I'm still not done, but I'm almost done! According to the Biotic Pump theory, forests might also influence the climate and rainfall in a big way, basically, evapotranspiration (plants sweat, a lot, 90% of water through a plant evaporates to the atmosphere) in forests might actually create by itself the rainy environment where forests thrive, so for example, the Amazon is a rainforest BECAUSE of the forest there. I think with the increasing droughts here in South America we're seeing that theory proven in practice, as deforestation of the Mata Atlantica, the Chaco and the Amazon is causing less rainfall in the centre of the continent. Forests and plants also have a cooling effect, since they fix carbon dioxide, and also a bit of a warming effect, since they have darker albedo and so absorb more sunlight. I'm going to be very lazy and instead of reading a thousand papers say that they overall have a "moderating" effect.

Well, I could go on and on but I think I've already written way too much, so I'll leave you this to munch on a bit. It might seem like a lot, but when in doubt, you can always "eyeball" it by comparing real regions of Earth, and it will help you to create more interesting world than the omnipresent "spring-summer-fall-winter" temperate standard in so many settings.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Oh, and also, if you found this helpful or interesting, I would appreciate a tip to my ko-fi!