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hockeyspiral23 · 5 days ago

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2024 fic writer end of year round up!

I was in theory tagged by both @siobhanbooks and @softodettes so let's go.

(if you see this and want to participate ... this is your tag)

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?

... a whole lot. 179,849.

2. How many fics did you complete this year?

Officially it's 9, although ttios is like 98% done (despite being only about a quarter published).

3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?

Two. the truth in our scars and agony brings no reward ... the first which will finish up in ... March, I believe? And the second which is essentially finished but am leaving open-ended just in case inspiration strikes for more.

4. What was your favourite thing you wrote?

Oh, this is a good question. Knee jerk reaction is to say victory is all you need because it is my BABY and the first long-form piece I've ever finished, but in terms of a piece that I still reread often, it might have to be The Backup Plan.

5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?

... I actually enjoy playing around with different styles, but I have to mention three in particular:

The Backup Backup Plan because it is solely dialogue

karma is a cat (purring in my lap 'cause it loves me) because it has NO dialogue

unrequited which is probably the truest answer to this because it is angsty and I do not consider myself a Writer of Angst.

6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?

The Backup Plan blew up more than I ever expected it to. And learning that I wrote a fictional proposal that people are hoping their real life significant others live up to? I'm still not sure how I feel about that ...

I'm also a touch surprised to the reception to the truth in our scars even though I shouldn't be - I've noticed that people in the Empyrean fandom tend to prefer in-canon works as opposed to (more modern) AUs, but it's still a little jarring experiencing it.

7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)

... I don't know if it's one that I *love* per se, but I really feel like In the Cordyn Aerie is extremely underrated ... probably because it deals with a very underrepresented/underexplained aspect of the series (the gryphons).

8. Who is an artist that inspired you?

@essjaywrites and her cat!Xaden drawing prompted me to finally finish karma is a cat.

In general, I adore @jmoonjones's sassy Andarna.

9. Who is an author that inspired you?

So many, but I still have to do my OG shoutouts to @skyfallscotland and @justallihere for inspiring me to start writing in the first place. And Amy's The State of Rider-Flier Relations is how ttios even came about because I couldn't get the idea of scar mates out of my damn head.

10. Who is a new author you discovered?

... I don't even know. Most of the fandom, probably. So many other wonderful Empyrean authors have been mentioned, but I'm going to tag a couple of the more underrated ones in @lizardsrunfast, @lovemedarkly29, and @thoughtsaboutshows.

11. Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?

I did not. I ... don't know if I could let myself collab due to my own particular writing neuroses, tbh ...

12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?

That I even started writing and posting to begin with. That I not only was able to write a whole bunch of fun little drabbles, but that I wrote not one, but TWO full-length fics (because ttios is like 99% done). That I put myself out there.

13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?

That shitty first drafts are actually helpful. That there's no one way to write. That it's really good to stick to your instincts, and it's okay to sit on something for a few days. That cooking is surprisingly great for coming up with ideas.

14. Any advice you’d like to share with new or aspiring writers?

... first and foremost, write for you. It's something that I still need to yell at myself for. Kudos and comments are wonderful (and I live for them), but ultimately, they don't define worth.

To just start writing. That it doesn't have to be anything good - just write. That there's no one way to write. That we all have our own wonderful writing voices and you just have to find yours. Also, that you don't have to just stick to one voice. I have so much fun playing in different styles. It's also a great way to grow.

15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

... somehow manage to adapt IF for the second soul-scarred work. It's currently a terrifying proposition (even though I do have a few scribbled thoughts). Get way out of my comfort zone by working on the These Cursed Ships project. Finally wring out the song parody idea I have out of my brain.

If we're not talking writing ... paint something. Seriously get back into drawing. Finish a few of my never-ending sewing projects.

#fanfic author #end of year round up

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fevotinggauntletreal · 2 years ago

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Clash of FE Classes Opening Round - Match 6

(pictured: a Falcoknight icon from Shadow Dragon, a Dracoknight icon from Shadow Dragon, and a Manakete icon from Shadow Dragon, on a GBAFE arena background)

introductions to the classes, other closely associated classes, and explanations under the cut

Pegasus Knights are units who fly on a pegasus's back, typically wielding lances and promoting into sword- and lance-wielding Falcoknights (who still ride pegasi, not... falcons). a number of classes in the family have also dabbled in magic along the way, whether it be healing staves or tomes (the latter being typical of Dark Fliers). fast and extremely mobile, but low on durability and vulnerable to bows, Pegasus Knights can be challenging to utilize properly, but also highly rewarding. they also typically have the highest Resistance out of any physical melee class around, making them worth fielding against strong magic users. Pegasus Knights and their ilk are almost always exclusively female characters, with the series's lore conteding that pegasi take poorly to male riders. (there seems to be no particular indication of how well they take to nonbinary people, but Nergal's genderless morphs from Blazing Blade can appear as Pegasus Knights, so make of that what you will). the rare exception to this is the Sky Knight from Fates, although their mount is -- varying, best as I recall, on which side of Treehouse's handiwork you're on -- described as either a rare breed of pegasus, or a creature related to but distinct from the pegasus. closely associated classes include the Harrier from Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, who also goes on pegasusback; and the Kinshi Knight from Fates, as well as the Griffin Knight from Engage, who splurge on new mounts. Elincia and Hortensia each have their own unique pegasus-riding classes.

are they Wyvern Riders and Wyvern Lords, or Dracoknights and Dragon Masters? the answer is not consistent across the series, as aren't the translations. and as aren't, for that matter, their typical weapon types; historically, they've wielded lances primarily and sometimes swords, as Pegasus Knights do, but Path of Radiance gave them axes as a new secondary weapon, which then became their primary weapon in Radiant Dawn, and this has since remained that way. whatever it is exactly that these people are riding, though, they're as mobile as Pegasus Knights and a lot more durable to boot, which consistently makes them powerful and versatile units -- although their Speed isn't always up to snuff, their Resistance can let them down, and they usually still take heavy damage from bows. closely associated classes include the Wyvern Knight from Sacred Stones (who is on a different mount than that of the Wyvern Riders and Wyvern Lords of the same game, thanks treehouse); the Dragonlord from Radiant Dawn; the Griffon Rider from Awakening; and the Malig Knight from Fates. Ashnard from Path of Radiance, as well as Ivy, Zephia and Zelestia from Engage, all have unique wyvern-riding classes (although it's, uh, definitely not a wyvern that Ashnard rides...).

Maneketes are mostly human-looking, but look out -- they can shapeshift into mighty dragons! and they fight in this altered state, eschewing weapons of metal, wood, string and whatnot -- who needs those when you're a fire-breathing, mother-fucking dragon? in any case, we're also including here other natural-born draconic fighters, such as regular wild dragons, the Dragon Tribe Laguz, and the likes of the monstrous Necrodragon. although, funny enough, Engage in particular has a fair number of characters with draconic ancestry, and unique classes to match them, but only two of them actually ever exhibit the ability to transform in battle. (although, technially, any playable character in the game can transform by Engaging with Emblem Tiki, I guess)

(NOTE: Refer to Match 8 for non-draconic transforming races, such as Taguel and beast or bird Laguz)

#poll: Clash of FE Classes #Clash of FE Classes: Opening round

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pathetic-gamer · 2 years ago

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And with that, the Three Houses era comes to a close <3

WOOOOOO WE DID IT! this means I have officially done every route on maddening mode

That hour count is all the runs (including the five previous runs) stacked except for Verdant Wind, which was my gold screen run. That's a combined 817:21, plus the ~20 hours from two CS runs, meaning I have around 830 saved hours.

"But pg," you may be thinking, "I saw on ur switch profile that you've played the game for +1050 hours!"

read my URL back slowly and then let me know if you're still confused by 220 hours of lost battles

But anyway,

Overall MVP: Lysithea, with a whopping 17 mvp cards! Next runner-up was Edelgard, with 5 lmao

Surprisingly good underdog: Jeritza as a bow knight!

Final classes:

I forgot to actually screenshot the roster during the final battle, so here's the team breakdown:

Byleth - falcon knight, but brawling so never actually on wings, that was just for mobility on the last map; chalice

Edelgard - wyvern lord; evasion ring

Hubert - dark knight; caduceus staff

Lysithea - dark flier, but swords (usually would have been a mortal savant, this change was for mobility reasons as well); fetters of dromi; wyvern rider!Hanneman adjutant

Jeritza - bow knight; evasion ring

Hapi - gremory (also sometimes dark flier or valkyrie, depending on the map); thyrsus; bishop!Linhardt adjutant

Final pairs:

Byleth/Edelgard

Hapi/Linhardt

Lysithea & Hanneman

Hubert single

Jeritza/the thrill of battle

my babies were big ol' overachievers this run, and I love them for it. Only Lys managed to actually max out a stat (HP), but it's still very funny to me to see her master 16 different classes (i think Hapi mastered 11?). I mean, look at this and tell me it's not kinda funny.

I only *nearly* succeeded in my goal of killing every named enemy, because I ultimately spared Seteth and Flayn. I had every intention of killing them, but Flayn's voice line when I killed Seteth fully broke my heart so I went back and ended up divine pulsing like four turns back so I could set it up to spare him instead lmao

That was also related to the fact that I'm deeply unsatisfied with how the game addressed the fundamental cognitive dissonance of the reincarnation of the goddess siding with the same people who desecrated her grave, stole her bones, and slaughtered her entire family.

So anyway, spare as many nabateans as possible, etc., you know the drill.

I gotta say, though, those last two battles were DEVASTATING.

Arianrhod was hard enough, but I actually sobbed when Dimitri died. I managed to get the special scene where he dies in Dedue's arms and like. FUCK. I can't handle it, it's so heartbreaking!!!!! And then we get to Fhirdiad and God just look at the state of things! Ashe crying out that we've already taken everything from them, all they have left is their lives and we're about to take those, too. "I tried to do the right thing, Lonato-" GOD MAKE IT STOP. and then THIS:

My precious, sweetest, babiest girl. I'm so sorry for killing your boyfriend, making your best friend's little brother kill her, and then forcing you to watch your father and your other best friend die while the last vestiges of your homeland burned before your very eyes.

I don't know. I know I did this on purpose trying to make it an emotionally impactful experience or whatever but I didn't expect to be ugly crying at 2am about it. It worked too well. I won, but at what cost?????

(Worth noting I had no qualms about hunting Claude for sport, so this is purely my love for the lions coming to the surface yet again.)

okay moving on

Overall, it was a fun little challenge! The anti-magic armor was indeed a nightmare to deal with, but we figured out a system and it went fine :) *5 hours of war flashbacks play behind my haunted eyes*

Generally speaking, it was mostly just about finding the right combination of skills and classes for each battle. That was one really nice thing about having a limited team - I could give them time and attention and resources to get them to learn a wider array of things so most had multiple build options! Outliers were Hubert and Hapi who really only excelled as player-phase magic nukes.

not sure what else to say about it, really! I still think Byleth should have died at the end.

now that I've played them all on maddening, here are the routes ranked by difficulty:

Silver Snow

Crimson Flower

Verdant Wind

Azure Moon

and the routes ranked on how much I like them:

Silver Snow

Azure Moon

Crimson Flower

Verdant Wind

final parting words:

fire emblem: engage, watch your back. I'm coming for you next, baby

(looks like I won't get around to that RSoS run, after all, but who knows! maybe I'll hate engage and come right back to fe3h lol)

as one final parting gift, here's a picture of Hapi on a horse with a magic axe

oops doing another fe3h run :)

Crimson Flower, Maddening/Classic, TWSITD Victims Only

That's right, only using victims of TWSITD's twisted machinations 😈

Eligible units:

Edelgard

Hubert

Lysithea

Hapi

Jeritza(???) This one isn't set in stone yet, but I figure being able to use dark magic is unique to people affiliated w TWSITD and therefore that makes him eligible

Haven't thought much about classes yet, so we'll see where we go with that. Might do falcon knight Edelgard, just to spice things up a little! Lysithea gets to be a dark flier this time, and Hapi might as well bc I think it would be fun to have the girlies on pegasi and the boys on horses lol

Anyway, the biggest issue with this plan is all the anti-magic armor golems in part two. Gotta make sure Edelgard isn't the only one capable to crushing things

This will be my first time doing CF on maddening! I've only played it on hard before, so I'm hoping for a real challenge here. (After this I'll do the RSoS run I've been talking about.)

#fe3h #pg plays fe3h #twsitd victims run #run recap #pg plays fire emblem

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yel-halansu · 4 years ago

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Hiya! Perhaps do you have any in-depth information on Vulcan fauna? I have read the page on Memory Beta but there aren't many info on various species, so I was wondering if there was some more material I was unaware of. Thank you!

Na'Shaya! There isn't much additional information on the animals that do appear on Memory Beta, however it seems to be missing some creatures that are mentioned in the VLI and other sources. I've compiled all the info I could find here for reference. I apologise because this is not really what you were hoping for, but perhaps it will be useful to the fanfic writers (and xenobiologists! 😛) out there:

A'lazb: a kind of very small, transparent spiders who, like their Terran counterparts, have the ability to weave near-invisible webs.

Askor: an animal with the ability to change color, much like Earth chameleons do.

Aylak: small scavenger animals that are palm-sized, dark brown in color, and have six clawed legs and two whiplike tails. They tend to live in the driest parts of Vulcan, and often perish for lack of water. Dead aylakim serve as a primary part of the diet of the le-matya. Though not domesticated, they seem to enjoy the attention of observers when in captivity.

Ch'kariya: a small mammal resembling a Terran weasel, with pale skin, sparse hair, and two large forepaws with six razor-sharp claws which it used to climb and dig. These burrowing animals are active during the day, often foraging for food to maintain a high metabolic rate. Chkariya relied largely on plant roots for nourishment, but also ate fruit, carrion, and the occasional small animal. They are extremely friendly and bold enough to be fed by hand, and to venture into the cities and destroy carefully-tended gardens, much to the dismay of the Vulcan population.

Dokai: a large domesticated fowl that is used for keeping weeds and insects out of the crop fields in the circumpolar region of Vulcan.

D'rachanya: an extinct breed of flying reptile, similar to the dragons from Terran legends.

Dzharel: also spelled jarel, this creature is a pony-like horned animal with clawed feet and a distant relative of the kenel.

Fnell: an extinct wildebeest-like animal which used to be raised for meat and milk.

Haurok: a kind of bird.

Hayalit: a small burrowing animal, their flesh is edible and said to taste like chicken.

Huum: an extinct bison-like animal, with clawed feet instead of hooves, which once roamed the desert in vast herds.

Kaashk: an extinct bobcat-like animal; widely domesticated as a pet in pre-Surak times.

Kenel: an extinct animal, somewhat like a cross between a horse, camel and gazelle, with rhino-like skin. It used to be widely domesticated for riding.

K'karee: a species of poisonous snake with mottled blue-gray skin. When the k'karee coils to strike, two sacs located below its throat expand outward, creating the appearance of a small pair of silvery fins and giving it the ability to project its venom in a concentrated spray with an effective range of up to 5 meters. The k'karee poison is not in itself fatal to humanoids, but it can temporarily paralyze a limb (for 24-48 hours) or cause blindness if it hits its target in the eyes. Either can leave a victim an inviting target to further attacks by the snake or by other predators in the area, unless proper antitoxins can be promptly applied.

K'nurt: a rabbit-like rodent.

Kriil: an alligator-like reptile of northern waterholes and lakes; it is very ancient and used to be a lot more common before Vulcan underwent desertification.

Krin-tu: also known as krinti, an extinct wolf-like animal.

Krovill: an animal that despite not having any teeth, can eat anything from an artichoke to a xylophone.

Lanka-gar: a predatory night flier, known for their wheeling shape and the downward swoop it used to catch prey.

Lara: the lara bird is bright blue in color, and resides in desert areas such as Vulcan's Forge.

Le-matya: a predator, similar in size and shape to a Terran mountain lion, equipped with poisonous claws and fangs. Their fur is green, grey, yellow or orange and sometimes has diamond patterns. Their hide is almost impenetrable. Known for its lightning-fast reflexes, they attack anything they saw or smelled, and drinking the blood of their victims even if they have recently fed. They will also feed on carrion, such as dead aylakim. The deadly nerve toxins in their claws were capable of killing a small animal within minutes, or paralyzing and even killing a humanoid. There is no known cure for le-matya poison. Due to their aggressive nature, no le-matya are allowed on any of Vulcan's nature preserves: if one enters a preserve it is removed as quickly as possible. Le-matya live in the deserts near ShiKahr, the Valley of the Seven Winds, and the volcanic plains; and tend to stay as close as possible to the desert waterholes. Specimens as large as 90 kilograms had been reported in the vicinity of the Cheleb-khor desert. Le-matya typically live in the hills but do emerge in times of drought when native prey was sparse, and have even been known to wander into the cities and attack pets.

Mah-tor-pahlah: a type of bird that mates for life.

Masu-sark: also known as the Vulcan water-beetle. A type of insect native to the coastal regions of Vulcan.

Mazhiv-oluhk: also known as sand viper. A common blue-green serpent-like animal native to Vulcan.

Mazhiv-ukram: also known as sand worm. This large, mysterious animal is so rare that many believe it to be merely a legend. It is said to have large eyes, fleshy-looking mandibles, a mouth with no visible teeth, two long antenna-like or tentacle-like projections above its eyes, and a tough segmented body. It burrows underground but emerges to the surface to hunt for prey.

Melshk: a very rare, snake-like reptile that lives deep underground.

Mor-gril: a wolverine-like animal.

Muuk: a skunk-like animal. Extremely rare, and not related to any other living species.

Mu-yor-spahk: called Nightclaw in Federation Standard, a mysterious animal on the prohibited list within the United Federation of Planets and thus protected from hunters.

Myrmidex: a type of multilegged animal that roams Vulcan's desert wastes.

Pandree: a python-like animal, noted for the ability to lure prey into traps dug into the desert sands.

Plakrala: also called Bloodwing, a majestic, heavy carrion-eater known to require a long takeoff distance. They were also introduced to Romulus by the migrants from Vulcan during the Sundering.

Quattil: leaping herbivorous creatures that travel in herds. In the distant past, these animals were often preyed upon by flying predators. In spite of their main predators going extinct, the quattil retained an ancient deeply driven instrinct to flee whenever they saw a shadow over them.

Ran-tu: also called a "ranti". An extinct dog-like animal; widely domesticated as a pet in pre-Surak times.

Rikrusal-fo-aushfa: molusks that live in the modest seas of Vulcan. They are edible, but most Vulcans do not eat them due to their strictly vegan diet.

Salan-faufa: also known as wind-rider, these are flying creatures with delicate, translucent bodies that live in the highest areas of the deserts of Vulcan, such as the L-langon Mountains. They are too frail to ever touch the ground, and have hollow bones, tissue-thin skin and transparent fur, and glow faintly in the night like fireflies. They spend their entire lives in the air, hunting, mating, giving birth and dying without ever touching the ground. No one understands how wind-riders are able to survive Vulcan's harsh environment. They are very rare, so seeing one is considered very fortunate for those interested in the fauna of Vulcan.

Sa-te kru: a type of large, cat-like creature. Like the le-matya, the sa-te kru is a formidable and dangerous predator.

Sehlat: Probably the most beloved Vulcan animal, the sehlat is a large bear-like creature with six-inch fangs and fur that covers their bodies completely. In spite of their fierce appearance, they have a friendly temperament and some breeds of sehlat have been domesticated in Vulcan since the Time of Antiquity, being used as transportation, beasts of burden and household pets. These domesticated breeds are far smaller than the wild sehlats that prowl the harsh deserts of their homeworld, and they are thought to be excellent pets for Vulcan children to learn discipline and responsibility (though domesticated, nobody wants to get in the way of a hungry sehlat!). Sehlats are thought to have originated in the temperate forest areas of the southern hemisphere of Vulcan, but they spread and adapted well across the entire planet. Their fur protects them from desert heat and they have excellent hearing. They did not like to climb and prefer to remain close to the ground, which provides a way for travelers to escape any potential attacks if they encounter a sehlat in the wild. They are omnivorous, and wild sehlats feed on grubs, roots, and small burrowing animals. Some of the many breeds of sehlat include the nesh-sehlat, the khav-sehlat, the vai-sehlat (used by the ancient warriors to travel across the desert, and said to slumber in large groups in their lairs) and the wild norsehlat. An Vulcan proverb states that the norsehlat has no conception of right or wrong, yet the Vulcans do not allow them to eat their citizens.

Sha'amii: also spelled sha'mi and sham'amii, this animal is halfway between a Terran sheep and a goat. They are domesticated and live in the Sas-a-shar desert surviving on the native browse. They yield edible milk, and their long, silken wool is a staple of the Vulcan fashion industry.

Shatarr: a poisonous breed of lizards that live under rocks or in small caves and burrows. They are known for striking out at prey or intruders who pass near the entrance to their homes. Specimens can grow as large as two meters, and the larger ones have been known to attack human-sized prey. Shatarr poison is a neurotoxin that quickly attacks the victim's nervous system, causing massive muscle spasms. For the small animals that are usually its prey, death occurs within minutes. If a larger animal or humanoid is bitten, the poison requires more time to take effect, which gives the victim an hour at most to seek treatment.

Shavokh: a graceful hunting bird with gold and brown feathers, a 2.5 meter wingspan, and a powerful musculature that allows it to propel itself along the mild wind currents of Vulcan's atmosphere. This carnivorous bird possessed two pairs of sharp golden talons, and its prey consisted of small rodents and reptiles. The legends say that encountering a shavokh when travelling through the desert brings good luck, for where it descended to ground, one would find ground water or a soak not too deeply buried nearby. The shavokh does, however, also eat carrion, occassionally making them an unwelcome sight to desert travellers.

Shkral: a rat-like rodent, very common.

Starok: a nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate, much like a Terran bat.

Tcha'besheh: also known as a'kweth or Underlier, it is a large silicon-based lifeform that live on Vulcan, similar to the Hortas of Janus VI. They are large beasts that were the size of a great house and possessed several tentacles. Very little is known about the Tcha'besheh's biology or their evolution. They do not apparently need to respire, require oxygen or feed and were one of the first recorded species that lived on a planet alongside carbon-based lifeforms. As a series of intense solar flares started to shape Vulcan into the desert world it would become, in order to avoid extinction, the Tcha'besheh moved underground and continued a secluded life far beneath Vulcan's surface, being extremely difficult to detect by scans. They are highly intelligent and are considered to be the Vulcan equivalent of whales, however they are not aquatic, but travel beneath the sands of their homeworld. Legends say that in the ancient days, before the proto-Vulcans developed language, one such Vulcan known as The Wanderer learnt his first word through an encounter with a Tcha'beseh.

Tchakarya: also called "chkariya", it is a small, ferret-like predator.

Tchorka: also called "chorka", it is an extinct camel-like animal that was occasionally domesticated as a beast of burden.

Teresh-kah: also known as silver birds, they have chromium-coloured feathers. They are falcon-sized and have an eerie cry; they are said to sing only at dawn in order to greet the sun. They nest furtner north in the L-langon mountain range and usually come over the Sas-a-shar desert at dawn.

Tugno't: a sheep-like animal native to Vulcan. Its soft, curly woool is used for making heavy robes.

Valit: a small rust-colored burrowing rodent with powerful claws capable of digging through the hardest soils or even volcanic rock. It lives in large family units in vast underground complexes and emerges onto the surface world only at night. The creatures are highly intelligent, and xenobiologists at the Vulcan Science Academy have recently begun experimenting with domesticating the creatures.

Vralt: an animal similar to a wild mountain goat.

Vulcan ant fish: foraging aquatic creatures that live in colonies and work for the benefit of their community, in the same way that the honeybees of Earth do.

Wihlb: an extinct peccary-like animal that was occasionally kept in captivity as a pet.

Wuhrf: a mildly venomous, chameleon-like reptile.

Yel-hafa: also known as the Sundweller. These large flying peaceful beasts spent their entire lives gliding through the desert winds of the Vulcan homeworld. It is said that they mated in the skies and never touched the ground. Not even the predatory Shavokh were known to hunt them. Despite this, they were known to be fragile animals and were believed extinct by the age of Surak. It was believed that the wars that were destroying the planet, as well as the pollution released into the atmosphere, had killed the Sundweller populations, however, a few were still known to be seen at the time. Due to the rarity in seeing these animals, it was believed that should one be seen then it should be considered an omen of bad things to come.

Yon-kushel: also known as the Firebird. A very rare species of bird, said to live for only a few moments after hatching. However, the Firebird's short life is filled with more joy than what a hundred beings could experience in their lifetimes added together. Beings from the farthest reaches of space have fought and killed for the chance to see a Vulcan Firebird. Typically, it took anywhere between three hundred to a thousand Earth years for Firebird eggs to hatch. The reason for the difference in hatching times was due to a need for another being to nurture the Firebirds to life, resulting from an inability to exit their eggs independently.

Zhekenel: an extinct zebra-like animal with clawed feet; a distant relative of the kenel.

Sources: Memory Alpha, Memory Beta, Hidden Universe Travel Guide: Star Trek: Vulcan, The Way of Kolinahr: The Vulcans, VLI glossaries, VLD.

#long post #text post #vulcan fauna #vulcan animals #fauna #animals #le-matya #sehlat #teresh-kah #vulcan planet #reference #vulcan fauna reference #ask box #my asks #askbox #star trek #star trek animals

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automotia · 7 years ago

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The Shamrock: The Irish car that didn’t have the Luck of the Irish

IRL/GB

The Shamrock Irish car that didn’t have the Luck of the Irish

One critic called it, ‘A small car wearing a big American car costume,’. Could this be one of the world’s most collectable motor cars, albeit for all the wrong reasons?

This is the Shamrock, a little known and probably the rarest Irish car which began production in Castleblaney, Co Monaghan 55 years ago. According to The Complete Catalogue of British Cars published in the early 1960s:

“The Shamrock car was a Spike Rhiando design based on the Austin A55 engine and other components. A factory in Tralee had been acquired for the production of this glass-fibre bodied car in 1959 but only a handful were produced.”

Alvin ‘Spike’ Rhiando first made his name in the 1930s as a star of the speedway track and was initially billed on posters and fliers as an Italian but mysteriously and probably more comically, he later added American and Canadian to his list of nationalities. Some of his enemies at the time put about the story that he was actually a Deptford lad from south London, a real cockney chancer, “a Londoner with a touch of showmanship”.

Rhiando was a bit of an International Man of Mystery in his day, a lot of his reputation resulting from a series of ripping yarns he wrote in 1939 for the sporty Topical Times magazine. In these articles, Spike gave gripping accounts of his multi-crash escapades racing cars in the United States.

He related one hair-raising incident when he claimed of being hurled from the cockpit of his sports car. Of course, he just picked himself up, made some quick repairs to the badly damaged car and got back in the race, to finish third-place in an 80-lap race.

Other tall tales appeared around his life and persona such as him being a daring motorbike rider on the wall of death and also as a fearless wing-walker with Red Herman’s flying circus, and stories of how he had become pally with superstars such as Jimmy Cagney and Mae West during his time as a top Hollywood stuntman.

Like a real-life Walter Mitty, he would tell of his adventures in the Saharan desert, during the 1930’s running guns until he was captured by nomadic tribesmen and his subsequent rescue by the French Foreign Legion.

Spike Rhiando in the Flather Special 1951

Suspiciously, a variation of the same French Foreign Legion story appeared two decades later, in 1953 when Spike told Motor Cycling magazine that he’d recently been road-testing a new design of glass-fibre motorbike sidecar which broke down in the Sahara desert. This breakdown in the middle of one of the most inhospitable places on earth again necessitated the assistance of the French Foreign Legion in his rescue. The French Foreign Legion later became a team of French geologists?

Spike Rhiando showing off his pride and joy

Whatever one may believe about all his escapades, there is no doubt at all that he was an accomplished and celebrated race car driver and before the outbreak of World War II Rhiando was one of the stars of the short-lived fad of midget car racing when it was in its heyday.

After the war, he failed to revive interest in midget car racing and so he turned his hand to speeding 500cc cars around the circuits at Goodwood and Silverstone where he pitted his skills against the legendary Stirling Moss.

As you can just imagine, a midget car revival did take place here in Ireland in the post-war years, with one meeting at Santry Speedway attracting 6,000 people in 1948. Midget cars were hand-built using motorbike engines.

By the late 1950s, with his racing days all but behind him, Spike was brought on board an enterprise to build a big, luxury car in Ireland for the American market known as the Shamrock. The idea was the brainchild of US businessmen William K Curtis and James Conway. Curtis and Conway established a company, Shamrock Motors Ltd and looked at building a factory in Tralee, Co Kerry, as the production centre.

This plan did not transpire because of some teething problems so the whole project was transferred to Castleblayney in Monaghan. It became obvious early on that despite Spike Rhiando’s prowess on the track and with his bravado, he actually hadn’t got a breeze about how to design a proper car. The proportions were all wrong, leading one commentator to describe the Shamrock as looking more “like a parade float than a car”.

The fibre-glass body had colossal overhangs on the front, rear and sides. To make matters worse, if you were unfortunate enough to get a puncture the rear wheels couldn’t be changed without the messy business of dislocating the rear axle.

The Irish Shamrock was designed to take on the big American gas guzzlers but the Austin A55 engine was far too puny to carry its heavy frame at any respectable speed. In the words of one US critic, the Shamrock looked “like a small English car wearing a big American car costume”.

As production pressed ahead in Castleblaney, the owners talked about rolling out 3,000 Shamrocks in the first year on their way to a total run of 10,000. In the end, only about eight or ten came off the production line before cash-flow problems and negative publicity slammed the brakes on the project.

Some reports allege that after the factory shut its doors the unused parts were transported the short distance to Lake Muckno where to this day they sleep with the fishes. Alvin ‘Spike’ Rhiando reportedly died in Ireland in 1975. His granddaughter Romayne spoke for more than herself when she said:

“Spike died leaving behind many unsolved mysteries which I would love to piece together.”

IRL/GB

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cleopatrarps · 7 years ago

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North Korea, Gaza, Gina Haspel: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. In a sudden move, North Korea pulled out of high-level talks with South Korea — and warned that Kim Jong-un’s meeting with President Trump next month could be in jeopardy.

The North was protesting a joint South Korean-U.S. Air Force drill, and informed the South of the decision in a phone call shortly after midnight local time. The news injected sudden tension and uncertainty into what had been months of warming relations on the Korean Peninsula. Above, Mr. Kim, left, with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea last month.

The State Department said the U.S. had no information about the postponement and would move forward with its planning for the historic meeting. Check back for updates on this developing story.

____

In a letter to Mr. Warner, Ms. Haspel wrote that the agency should not have undertaken its “enhanced interrogation” program, widely considered torture, after the Sept. 11 attacks. (She avoided making such a statement at her confirmation hearing.) Ms. Haspel is likely to be confirmed by the full Senate this week.

Separately, we learned the identity of the suspect in the biggest data breach in the C.I.A.’s history. A trove of documents about the agency’s hacking tools was given to WikiLeaks, which released them last year. The suspect is Joshua Schulte, a 29-year-old former C.I.A. software engineer. But he hasn’t been charged in the hacking; instead, he’s being held on child pornography charges.

____

3. Gazans faced a grim agenda on Tuesday: funerals for protesters killed along the fence bordering Israel, and frenzied work treating the thousands of wounded. The protests resumed, but on a smaller scale, and were met with tear gas, above.

Our video journalists rode with paramedics rescuing protesters shot by Israeli troops. They saw “a constant stream of stretchers.”

A Hamas commander, Muhammad Haniya, said the protests would continue. And he warned that the group could return to violence if Israel did not ease its 11-year blockade of the territory.

5. For the first time, Facebook has disclosed data on what type of content it removes and why. Above, its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg.

The company said that it had increased its efforts to flag inappropriate posts, and that it deleted more than 800 million posts in the first quarter of 2018. The vast majority were spam, and others were related to nudity, graphic violence, hate speech and terrorism, it said.

Elsewhere in the tech world, Uber said it was eliminating forced arbitration agreements for employees, riders and drivers who make sexual misconduct claims against the ride-hailing company. Customers can take those claims to court.

____

6. The Cannes Film Festival — the world’s most prestigious — is reckoning with the fallout from the #MeToo movement.

This year there is a sexual harassment hotline, fliers warning against misconduct, and a predominantly female jury. On Saturday, top actresses and directors rallied on the red carpet, above.

But not everything can change overnight. The festival is still a sexually charged atmosphere. And of the 21 films vying for the top prize, the Palme d’Or, programmers picked only three directed by women.

____

7. So-called biohackers across the country are taking gene editing into their own hands.

As the equipment becomes cheaper and the expertise more widely shared, citizen-scientists are trying to re-engineer DNA in surprising ways. Until now, the work has amounted to little more than D.I.Y. misfires. But that could change all too quickly.

After a virus was created from mail-order DNA, scientists are sounding the alarm about the genetic tinkering in garages and living rooms. The most pressing worry is that someone might use the spreading technology to create a biological weapon.

____

8. For months, the British tabloids have been treating the family of Meghan Markle, the American actress who is to marry Prince Harry on Saturday, like the stars of a reality show: The Real Dysfunctional Families of America.

This week, the focus is on her 73-year-old father, a retiree who lives by himself in Mexico. There are many reports, at times conflicting and generally unverified: He staged photos of himself that circulated online this week. He is too embarrassed to attend the ceremony. He wants to go, but is having chest pain.

If he does not attend, Ms. Markle’s mother, who has studiously avoided the media, may end up walking her down the aisle. (Here’s our guide to the royal wedding.)

____

9. Tom Wolfe, the innovative journalist and author of “The Right Stuff” and “Bonfire of the Vanities,” has died at 88.

He had a pitiless eye and a penchant for spotting trends and then giving them names, some of which — like “Radical Chic” and “the Me Decade” — became American idioms. And he was a pioneer of an influential hybrid of novelistic technique with nonfiction reporting that became known as the New Journalism.

He was known for his attire, too: bright suits, silk shirts and a handkerchief peeking from his pocket. Once asked to describe his get-up, Mr. Wolfe replied brightly, “Neo-pretentious.”

10. Finally, Stephen Colbert found himself stunned by a tweet from President Trump over the weekend.

Mr. Trump had announced that he would help get the Chinese tech company ZTE back in business. He said that too many jobs had been lost in China, which was striking since he had previously accused China of “jobs theft.” (Above, the company’s logo on a building in Shanghai.)

“I can’t wait for his next tweet,” Mr. Colbert said. “‘Have you heard about all the problems in Mexico? We’ve got to let these good people into our country. Build the ramp!’”

Have a great night.

____

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing. Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning.

Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at [email protected].

The post North Korea, Gaza, Gina Haspel: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing appeared first on World The News.

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dragnews · 7 years ago

Text

North Korea, Gaza, Gina Haspel: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. In a sudden move, North Korea pulled out of high-level talks with South Korea — and warned that Kim Jong-un’s meeting with President Trump next month could be in jeopardy.

The State Department said the U.S. had no information about the postponement and would move forward with its planning for the historic meeting. Check back for updates on this developing story.

____

Our video journalists rode with paramedics rescuing protesters shot by Israeli troops. They saw “a constant stream of stretchers.”

A Hamas commander, Muhammad Haniya, said the protests would continue. And he warned that the group could return to violence if Israel did not ease its 11-year blockade of the territory.

5. For the first time, Facebook has disclosed data on what type of content it removes and why. Above, its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg.

____

6. The Cannes Film Festival — the world’s most prestigious — is reckoning with the fallout from the #MeToo movement.

This year there is a sexual harassment hotline, fliers warning against misconduct, and a predominantly female jury. On Saturday, top actresses and directors rallied on the red carpet, above.

____

7. So-called biohackers across the country are taking gene editing into their own hands.

____

If he does not attend, Ms. Markle’s mother, who has studiously avoided the media, may end up walking her down the aisle. (Here’s our guide to the royal wedding.)

____

9. Tom Wolfe, the innovative journalist and author of “The Right Stuff” and “Bonfire of the Vanities,” has died at 88.

He was known for his attire, too: bright suits, silk shirts and a handkerchief peeking from his pocket. Once asked to describe his get-up, Mr. Wolfe replied brightly, “Neo-pretentious.”

10. Finally, Stephen Colbert found himself stunned by a tweet from President Trump over the weekend.

“I can’t wait for his next tweet,” Mr. Colbert said. “‘Have you heard about all the problems in Mexico? We’ve got to let these good people into our country. Build the ramp!’”

Have a great night.

____

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing. Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning.

Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at [email protected].

The post North Korea, Gaza, Gina Haspel: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing appeared first on World The News.

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skyfallscotland · 7 months ago

Note

Is that Mira's POV when they are in Cordyn?

It's Mira's POV in Cordyn, in a slightly alternate universe (soulmate identifying marks) 😌

#hurricane’s wips #the state of rider-flier relations

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party-hard-or-die · 7 years ago

Text

North Korea, Gaza, Gina Haspel: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. In a sudden move, North Korea pulled out of high-level talks with South Korea — and warned that Kim Jong-un’s meeting with President Trump next month could be in jeopardy.

The State Department said the U.S. had no information about the postponement and would move forward with its planning for the historic meeting. Check back for updates on this developing story.

____

Our video journalists rode with paramedics rescuing protesters shot by Israeli troops. They saw “a constant stream of stretchers.”

A Hamas commander, Muhammad Haniya, said the protests would continue. And he warned that the group could return to violence if Israel did not ease its 11-year blockade of the territory.

5. For the first time, Facebook has disclosed data on what type of content it removes and why. Above, its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg.

____

6. The Cannes Film Festival — the world’s most prestigious — is reckoning with the fallout from the #MeToo movement.

This year there is a sexual harassment hotline, fliers warning against misconduct, and a predominantly female jury. On Saturday, top actresses and directors rallied on the red carpet, above.

____

7. So-called biohackers across the country are taking gene editing into their own hands.

____

If he does not attend, Ms. Markle’s mother, who has studiously avoided the media, may end up walking her down the aisle. (Here’s our guide to the royal wedding.)

____

9. Tom Wolfe, the innovative journalist and author of “The Right Stuff” and “Bonfire of the Vanities,” has died at 88.

He was known for his attire, too: bright suits, silk shirts and a handkerchief peeking from his pocket. Once asked to describe his get-up, Mr. Wolfe replied brightly, “Neo-pretentious.”

10. Finally, Stephen Colbert found himself stunned by a tweet from President Trump over the weekend.

“I can’t wait for his next tweet,” Mr. Colbert said. “‘Have you heard about all the problems in Mexico? We’ve got to let these good people into our country. Build the ramp!’”

Have a great night.

____

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing. Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning.

Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at [email protected].

The post North Korea, Gaza, Gina Haspel: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing appeared first on World The News.

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dani-qrt · 7 years ago

Text

North Korea, Gaza, Gina Haspel: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. In a sudden move, North Korea pulled out of high-level talks with South Korea — and warned that Kim Jong-un’s meeting with President Trump next month could be in jeopardy.

The State Department said the U.S. had no information about the postponement and would move forward with its planning for the historic meeting. Check back for updates on this developing story.

____

Our video journalists rode with paramedics rescuing protesters shot by Israeli troops. They saw “a constant stream of stretchers.”

A Hamas commander, Muhammad Haniya, said the protests would continue. And he warned that the group could return to violence if Israel did not ease its 11-year blockade of the territory.

5. For the first time, Facebook has disclosed data on what type of content it removes and why. Above, its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg.

____

6. The Cannes Film Festival — the world’s most prestigious — is reckoning with the fallout from the #MeToo movement.

This year there is a sexual harassment hotline, fliers warning against misconduct, and a predominantly female jury. On Saturday, top actresses and directors rallied on the red carpet, above.

____

7. So-called biohackers across the country are taking gene editing into their own hands.

____

If he does not attend, Ms. Markle’s mother, who has studiously avoided the media, may end up walking her down the aisle. (Here’s our guide to the royal wedding.)

____

9. Tom Wolfe, the innovative journalist and author of “The Right Stuff” and “Bonfire of the Vanities,” has died at 88.

He was known for his attire, too: bright suits, silk shirts and a handkerchief peeking from his pocket. Once asked to describe his get-up, Mr. Wolfe replied brightly, “Neo-pretentious.”

10. Finally, Stephen Colbert found himself stunned by a tweet from President Trump over the weekend.

“I can’t wait for his next tweet,” Mr. Colbert said. “‘Have you heard about all the problems in Mexico? We’ve got to let these good people into our country. Build the ramp!’”

Have a great night.

____

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing. Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning.

Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at [email protected].

The post North Korea, Gaza, Gina Haspel: Your Tuesday Evening Briefing appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2GomP9E via Online News

#World News #Today News #Daily News #Breaking News #News Headline #Entertainment News #Sports news #Sci-Tech

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crimson-moonlight-blog1 · 8 years ago

Text

Thestral (Magical Creature)

[IMG=E47] Thestral Species information Sentience Sentient Eye colour White Skin colour Black Hair colour Black Related to Abraxan Aethonan Granian Horse Height of average adult Larger than a wingless horse Length of average adult Larger than a wingless horse Distinction Only visible to those who have witnessed a death and accepted its reality Affiliation Hogwarts Castle Rubeus Hagrid Ministry of Magic Classification Beast XXXX [Source] Luna Lovegood: "They're called Thestrals. They're quite gentle, really... But people avoid them because they're a bit..." Harry Potter: "Different. But why can't the others see them?" Luna Lovegood: "They can only be seen by people who've seen death." — Harry and Luna discussing Thestrals[src] A Thestral is a breed of winged horses with a skeletal body, face with reptilian features, and wide, leathery wings that resemble a bat's. They are very rare, and are considered dangerous by the Ministry of Magic. Thestrals are, undeservedly, known as omens of misfortune and aggression by many wizards because they are visible only to those who have witnessed death at least once or due to their somewhat grim, gaunt and ghostly appearance. Due to Thestrals' classification as XXXX, only experienced wizards (or Hagrid) should try to handle Thestrals. Breeding as well as owning these beasts may be discouraged or even illegal without Ministry consent; in fact, wizards that live in areas not protected against Muggles are forced by law to perform Disillusionment Charms on their Thestrals regularly. [IMG=J6M] If he had had to give them a name, he supposed he would have called them horses, though there was something reptilian about them, too. They were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Wings sprouted from each wither — vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats. Standing still and quiet in the gathering gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister." —Description[src] A Thestral up close Thestrals have quite a disturbing appearance and the wizards who are capable of seeing them often only describe these creatures as being sinister and spooky. This is because they are seen as having big, bony figures and their dragon-like faces which bear white, glittering eyes that lack both expression and pupils. Additionally, they are lured by the scent of blood. Being a type of winged horse, most of their anatomy is identical to a horse, excluding their large wings that sprout from their back. Unlike the Abraxan, another breed of winged horses, Thestral's wings do not possess any feathers at all; they have vast, black and leathery wings that are more similar to those of bats. A Thestral spreading its wings Their fleshless, lustrous bodies are covered with a translucent and glossy coat. This smooth and dark skin is a bit slippery and so thin that Thestral's bones are clearly defined through the entire extension of their sleek bodies. These eerie horses have long black manes, as well as a large tail, either with flowing black hair, like horses or ending in a tuft, like zebras.Another distinction is their sharp fangs used to seize and slash their prey. Behaviour "...they're dead clever an' useful!" —Hagrid during a fifth year Care of Magical Creatures lesson[src] Thestrals are social creatures who live in herds. Professor Rubeus Hagrid states that they are "dead clever", and, in fact, trained Thestrals are smart enough to understand their rider's words when they ask to travel to a specific location. These magical creatures can be found in dark environments, and the forest is their natural habitat. They communicate with each other through a shrill and strange shriek that resembles some sort of monstrous bird. They appear to be loyal creatures, able to discern a friend from an enemy and offering help to humans in need of transportation. Thestrals would forcefully attack anyone or anything they see as a threat and, in the unusual case of domesticated Thestrals, any enemy of its owners. In the Battle of Hogwarts, Hogwarts' trained flock of Thestrals cooperated with Buckbeak, the Hippogriff, to attack the Giants fighting for Voldemort. It's unclear whether or not wild herds can similarly cooperate with other species. Diet Thestral foal eating a piece of raw meat Thestrals are carnivorous animals and are attracted to the smell of blood. Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank mentions that they often attack birds. This indicates that, naturally, they hunt not only for food in the ground, but also pursue flying prey. The Thestrals that live within the Hogwarts grounds, in the Forbidden Forest, are properly fed and well trained. They don't attack other creatures or students unless seriously disturbed. Abilities "The horse crouched slowly, then rocketed upwards so fast and so steeply that Harry had to clench his arms and legs tightly around the horse to avoid sliding backwards over its bony rump. He closed his eyes and pressed his face down into the horses silky mane as they burst through the topmost branches of the trees and soared out into a blood-red sunset. Harry did not think he had ever moved so fast: the Thestral streaked over the castle, its wide wings hardly beating...." —A Thestral taking off and in mid flight[src] The Thestral tail hair is a powerful and tricky substance that can be mastered only by a witch or wizard capable of facing death. It should be noted that this substance can be used as a core in a wand's conception and it was used to create the most powerful wand known by wizards, the Elder Wand. The most well known ability of these beasts is their invisibility to those who haven’t seen death. In other words, they are only visible to people who have seen someone dying and fully accepted, understood and internalised the concept. Thestrals have an extraordinary sense of smell and will easily recognise the smell of blood and fresh flesh, even if the source of the scent is rather distanced. They also have quite a useful sense of direction. The Thestral can understand exactly where their riders need to go. If their riders have a certain destination in mind, they only need to say the destination and the creature will diligently carry them to the intended location — much like owls do with letters. These gentle, winged beasts are very capable and fast fliers and can travel long distances hardly beating their large wings. For example, in 1996, six members of the Hogwarts herd (ridden by Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood) were capable of flying from Hogwarts (Scotland) to the Ministry of Magic (London) in a brief amount of time. It is possible that they were faster than even the fastest broomstick, as when Harry rode his, he did not think he had ever moved so fast, and he was the owner of a top-of-the-line broomstick, the Firebolt. Their powerful wings are capable of lifting, at least, the burden of two humans plus their own weight. [IMG=TTS] "'But they're really, really unlucky! They're supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them. Professor Trelawney told me once —" —Wizarding superstition regarding Thestrals[src] Interaction with humans Thestrals can be domesticated and mounted, so they are used as an alternative to brooms, Apparition, and other methods of transportation. Once trained, they are very diligent and will quickly carry their owners wherever they wish to go. However, travel by Thestral is technically illegal, as it is a breach of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. Thestrals transporting wizards Even with all their useful abilities, Thestrals are rarely used as methods of transportation due to their reputation as omens of evil and their somewhat dreadful and even distasteful appearance. When riding a Thestral, the traveller usually holds the creature's mane to ensure balance. To aid the mounting, the wizards also place their legs behind the wing joints to provide safety. Flying on the back of a Thestral during a long journey is frequently an unpleasant experience, particularly to those who dare riding them without seeing the creature. The high speed flight on an invisible steed can be terrifying. The wind will, eventually, cause a temporary deafness and will force the riders to close their eyes. It is often difficult to keep balance on their slick backs. The Hogwarts herd is gentle towards humans, they react satisfactorily to caresses and avoid attacking owls. However, taking into consideration the Ministry of Magic classification as "dangerous", this behaviour may be exclusive to well-trained Thestrals, or just mere prejudice from the Ministry. Hogwarts herd "Hogwarts has got a whole herd of 'em in here." —Hagrid referring to the Thestral herd at Hogwarts[src] Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood visiting the Hogwarts Thestral heard Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has a very loyal flock of Thestrals used mainly to pull the carriages that lead elder students from Hogsmeade Station to the gates of the Castle. To people who cannot see Thestrals, it appears that the carriages are autonomous. The herd at Hogwarts started with a male and five females. A number of them have been born since, beginning with one named Tenebrus, which is a special favourite of Hagrid's, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. Harry and a group of students flew Thestrals from Hogwarts to the Ministry of Magic in an attempt to rescue Sirius Black. They were also used by Albus Dumbledore, when he needed to travel but didn't care to Apparate. Rubeus Hagrid, the trainer and breeder of this specific herd, strongly suspects that this is the only trained large group of Thestrals in the whole of Great Britain. Harry Potter's encounters with Thestrals Harry Potter's first encounter with a Thestral that was pulling a Hogwarts carriage Harry Potter first saw the Thestrals at Hogwarts in September of 1995, after having witnessed the murder of Cedric Diggory in June. Harry could not see them that June because he had not yet dealt with what he had witnessed. At first, he wonders why the supposedly horseless carriages are suddenly pulled by such sinister creatures when they are able to move on their own. He points the Thestrals out to Ron Weasley , and realises that Ron cannot see them. Sensing his desperation, Luna Lovegood assures him

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