#vishap

[draconesmundi]

Happy Dracones Monday! The Vishap

Found in the Armenian highlands, in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey. Here we see one perched on a vishapakar stone ('dragon stone') in Armenia - these stones are often in the shape of fish or have a carving of some sort of animal sacrifice on them (often a bull), and sometimes they have a mix of fish and bull carvings.

This is just my interpretation of a vishap for Dracones Mundi - I chose to go a little more flamboyant with the design rather than make something that looked like a bull or a fish - especially as it's uncertain whether the carvings on the vishapakar are supposed to represent the dragons physically, or if they are more symbolic of summoning good luck for livestock, fishing or fertility.

I post new dragons for my project every Monday on this blog: @draconesmundi

[affableramen]

[babylon-crashing]

These are actually two different versions of the same song. I couldn't decide which one I liked better.

In the Armenian language, "good," (լավ) is pronounced "lav," which sounds a lot like the English "love." The refrain comes from an old spiritual that my father use to sing when I was small (though the translation changed it into something else):

Well, Well, Well, Lord told Noah, build me an ark. Well, Well, Well, Build it out of wood and bark. Well, Well, Well, Old ark start a-movin', the water start to climb. God send a fire, not a flood next time.

Aralezian, Vishap, Shahabet and Al Basti are all mythological figures from ancient Armenia, before it renounced its roots and became Christian. Their descriptions are in the lyrics.

---------------------------------------------

ARMENIAN

Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel

Լավ, լավ, լավ— ո՞վ է կանչում։

Լավ, լավ, լավ— լավ, բռնիր ձեռքս։

Լավ, լավ, լավ— գիշերը իջնում է,

հոգին թափառում է ամբողջ երկրով մեկ։

Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel

Ամենուրեք՝ Աստվածներին ծաղրողներ և աստվածուհիներ։ Կրակ և ջրհեղեղ։

Մի աշխարհ է ծնվում, մյուսը պետք է մահանա։

Օրորոցայիններ մեծահասակների համար։

Աշխարհ ստեղծողներ։ Աշխարհը ցնցողներ։ Աշխարհը կոտրողներ։

Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel

Լավ, լավ, լավ—Աստված ասաց, որ կրակը կգա Դատաստանի օրը։

Լավ, լավ, լավ—Նա ասաց, որ ամբողջ մարդկությունը կայրվի։

Լավ, լավ, լավ—Եղբայրներ և քույրեր, չգիտե՞ք։

Ինչ որ ցանեք, այն էլ կհնձեք:

Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel

Աշխարհը կոտրողներ։ Աշխարհը ցնցողներ։ Աշխարհը ստեղծողներ։

Տիեզերքին կամ սպանություններին վերջ չկա։

Սպանություն տեսիլքների անունով։

Հարբած մարդիկ և նրանց տեսիլքները...

Սա է, ինչ ես տեսնում եմ։ Բայց տանը…

Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel

Շներ, որոնք մեռածներին վերակենդանացնում են՝ լիզելով նրանց վերքերը, Արալեզիները։

Օձեր՝ վիշապի թևերով, որոնք քնում են Մասիս լեռան վրա։

Շահաբեթը՝ փոքրիկ տնային օձը, որը թաքնվել է ձեր խոհանոցի պատերում։

Նա ձեր հացի խմորիչն է։

Եվ Ալ Բաստին՝ Կարմիր մայրը, որը մեղավորներին այցելում է երազներում,

Որտեղ արյունալի հանցագործությունները անպատիժ են մնում։

Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel

Լավ, լավ, լավ—Աշխարհը հրամանի չի սպասում։

Լավ, լավ, լավ—Մարդիկ կվառեն կրակը, որը կլանում է երկիրը։

Լավ, լավ, լավ—Երկնքից որոտ, լեռները կփշրվեն։

Ծովը կեռա, երկինքը կայրվի։

Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel

Լավ, լավ, լավ—Այս բոլոր օրորոցայինները մեծահասակների համար են, ովքեր հարբած են տեսիլքներով։

ENGLISH

Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel Lav, lav, lav— who's that calling? Lav, lav, lav— good, now take my hand. Lav, lav, lav— night is falling, spirit is wandering all over the land. Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel Everywhere, tricksters and goddesses. Fire and flood. One world is born, another must die. Lullabies for grown-ups. World makers. World shakers. World breakers. Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel Lav, lav, lav—God said fire would come on Judgment Day. Lav, lav, lav—He said all mankind would burn away. Lav, lav, lav—Brothers and sisters, don't you know? You're gonna reap just what you sow. Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel Worldbreakers. Worldshakers. Worldmakers. There is no end to the universe or to killing. Murder in the name of visions. Drunk people and their hallucinations ... This is what I see. But at home... Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel -- deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel -- Love Dogs that revive the dead by licking their wounds, the Aralezians. Love, deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel Vishap, snakes with dragon wings that sleep on Mount Masis. Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel Shahabet, the little house snake that has hidden in your kitchen walls. She is the yeast in your bread. Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel And Al Basti, the Red Mother, who visits the guilty in their dreams, whose bloody crimes have gone unpunished. Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel -- deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel -- Lav, lav, lav—World's not waiting for anyone's command. Lav, lav, lav—People will light the fire that will consume the land. Lav, lav, lav—Thunder will churn, the mountains will fall. The sea will boil, the sky will burn. Love, deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel -- deel - ya deel - ya dee dot dot dee ya – deel ya – deel -- Lav, lav, lav— All these lullabies are for grown-ups, drunk on their visions and hallucinations.

[tenicola]

Another fresh new OC, in the form of a lovekid lol -- This is Khalid, my shark-like leviathan deity / merman character who I jointed created with Jinkz.

In simplest terms, Khalid is the future son of our characters Dakarai & Marielle. By virtue, he'd technically be a Genshin OC (vishap-oceanid hybrid -- think bathysmal vishaps). But we adapt all our OCs and OTP into AUs -- including DEITIES Project, where he's a leviathan like his mom.

He also has a not-so-secret childhood crush on Amari, IndraNakia's [future] daughter. Understandably, Indra is a protective father... but it works out and Khalid and Amari eventually form a cute couple -- and a cute ship name, "Khalamari." More details can be found on Bluesky!

Indra and Amari (and Marielle) >> LittleScorpio @ Bluesky

Bluesky / Artfol / Carrd / Ko-Fi

[saccharinerose]

God King and Vishap Prince

[gryphmakes]

So you know those vishaps on errinyes that don't aggro unless you attack them first?

[chaoticclownage]

Pahsiv by far is my favorite melusine in terms of design. The likeness to the Vishaps (pictured above), the way her eyes look, the colors, the intricate markings, the fact that her hair actually matches the rest of her (a lot of melusines have this problem where their hair just looks super out of place almost like a wig because the color doesn't match the rest of them at all and the karen bob cut doesn't help). Even her dress, despite being simple, works really well and is actually quite pretty on her.

[fic-prompts-feel-free-to-use]

I had a dream last night about chongyun having a yang overload and just taking a big ol BITE outta All for One. I don't remember the context at *all* but the visuals were really something.

Bros eyes were bugged tf out. He had fangs, pointed ears and horns... blood dripping down his chin. He had ice gauntlets that extended past his elbows a bit so if he bent his arm you'd get an icicle to your gut... ice claws... a tail that was thudding around like an angry cat... just very wild and in-human looking...

Anyways, idk how to turn this into a prompt but I had to record it *somewhere* cuz it looked cool af.

[rayno-vishap]

what is his problem. GET OUT OF MY AREA.

[insufficiently-advanced]

concept: deep-sea vishaps but they're frilled sharks

[drachenwiki]

What a diverse collection

Dragons

[draconesmundi]

The coloring/markings on your vishap look a lot like this guy from a 16th century illuminated manuscript of the Persian text Wonders of Creation! Was that on purpose? Either way I was delighted to see it because that particular manuscript has some of my all-time favorite dragon illustrations.

VERY INTENTIONAL! This was 1 of the art inspirations I used for the dragon (yellow around the face and sky blue wings came from this, red-and-spotty was found in a few different images so I collected them for inspo - the dragons wattles and horns and tail were inspired by different artworks) - most of my dragon designs are heavily influenced by dragon art history; the aim of the project is a guide to Dragons of the World inspired by folklore so making dragons which actually look like dragons from folklore is my goal!

[affableramen]

[idkfitememate]

Kinda random but I just remembered that the Animal!Creators SAGAU is yandere - I know you don’t see it a lot but that’s genuinely just because the Creator’s stay in their Nation’s ToT

If they were to travel, oohhhh the Nation’s would genuinely fall into war. Everyone’s creator is better fuck the other guys.

Boar is Mondstadt’s best thing since sliced bread. There’s a new protective order prohibiting the hunting of boars. Their home - if you remember Boar’s home from the first ttttwo chapters - is protected by the Knights of Favonious and wind spirits. A statue is being erected by Barbatos’s own in the center of the city.

Liyue would in fact kill for PGVishap no questions asked. They hold secret meetings to make sure there are jobs for Vishap to do all of the time because once there wasn’t and they got sad, and then the economy just actually collapsed - no Morax wasn’t involved hes dead what’re you talking about. They don’t have to worry about paying for anything ever, new businesses have literally been shunned into bankruptcy for even joking about such a thing. And thieves? Nonexistent now because one took a single mora from them. Never again.

As much shit as Fox causes, they are a staple for Inazuma. They’ve practically been turned into the nationally elected face of the Nation. Their face is on stamps and vendors make treats that look like them. Yokai have become more rampant but live in harmony because of that fox. There are books - YA novels and children’s books - written with them as inspiration and it’s even mused that nowadays one of the only ways to calm the Shogun is to allow her to pet their soft pelt for just a few moments.

The Tiger for Sumeru is like that of the most motherly librarian that can calm even the greatest of storms. A simple murr or soft yowl is all it takes to stop arguments between even the greatest of academics. They guide people through the desert for no thanks - as though the entire nation doesn’t throw a festival for each safe passage - and ensure shady salesmen have no place on the bazaar. Aranara are constantly stalking their trail and the Irminsul itself seems to glow brighter at their presence.

Fontaine would quite literally die without their Sea Star Otter. Plays, operas, and musicals have been written in their name - dedicated, for or about the Otter. There have been fashion lines and entire buildings named after them. You won’t be seen as chic without the newest Otter handbag or seashell heels or sea foam dress or deep blue top hat. Everyone wants an otter now - but all otters are to be taken to the large otter sanctuary made in their honor, so they may live out their best lives. The Melusine are the highest members in the exclusive Otter fan club, but unfortunately the president is constantly missing… he’s probably off somewhere conducting so super serious business and not cuddling with a huge Otter plush…

Natlan has actually almost gone to war over Deer. A huge chunk of land has been officially delegated as their territory - Deer’s own little clan space. Pretty much all the Saurians have moved and migrated into the space, forming possibly the biggest nest - though some would argue it was a castle - in their name. There is a new sport named after them. There is a new fighting style made after them. The deer is damn near worshiped - not damn near they just say that so the Deer won’t feel a bit bad about being worshiped. (Can you tell my knowledge on Natlan is lacking)

All this to say that when the Archons meet for their monthly tea session they absolutely argue who is better while The Creators just catch up.

(Also a casual reminder that there is kinda a cannon with which specific Creators are “cannon” and which aren’t)

“I’ll have YOU know that Boar is the best-“

“Oh yes when they constantly set off your allergies?”

“ILL HAVE YOU KNOW THEY DO A BUNCH FOR THE NATION SO YOU SHUT UP-“

“I much prefer the nice quietness of Fox.”

“Like when they destroy your nation every other week?”

“Okay, what is going on with you Morax?”

“Just simply pointing out the flaws of everyone else’s ’creator’ compared to our dearest and kindest Primo Geo Vishap.”

“The stock market collapse of XXX - aka last week.”

“That was the fault of the PGV not leaving them any work on accident-“

“I think Tiger deserves some credit-“

“NONE OF YOU ARE ANYTHING COMPARED TO OTTER!!! THEY ARE A STAR!!!-“

“What is 2x3-7(42)^9 + 17(55x71)-23?”

“Uh-“

“Exactly so as I was saying about Tiger-“

“Deer’s just the sweetest little thing!~~”

“… I hate all of you.”

“I STILL THINK BOARS THE GREATEST-“

*sounds of extreme arguing that devolves into actual fighting*

“… Why is it always my bar. Why does he always volunteer my bar. I hate this. I hate him. I hate it here.”

I’m sorry I had too-

[tenicola]

First of a few Genshin fan characters I worked on in 2024 -- although Dakarai existed the year before these concepts, and is a revamp of an even older character of mine.

I has redesigned Dakarai to be a Natlanese vision-wielder (or at least, Natlan resident with a Natlan-shaped vision case) before the region launched, and was banking on there being some substance to the whole��“vishap-people” lore that was teased in that limited Enkanomiya event. But so much basic information about the nation was kept underwraps by HYV, so some of his backstory will be a challenge to match the canon lore. Oh well, that’s what fan-designs are for -- I can work out the details another day.

Featuring Genshin OCs Nolan and Marielle (the Oceanid), who both belong to LittleScorpio @ Bluesky

Dakarai -- https://colacanvas.com/dakarai/

Bluesky / Artfol / Carrd / Ko-Fi

[starcurtain]

I don't post about it often, but my favorite brand of Wriolette is definitely:

Despite being however many centuries old, Neuvillette still has significant dysphoria about being in a human body and doesn't think himself even capable of physically doing things the way humans do, so when he starts experiencing attraction to Wriothesley for the first time he's just like

"Oh dear."

But maybe Traveler is right? Maybe Sigewinne is right? Maybe it's time to truly start living the life he's been born into? This is his body, racing heart and trembling, drippy palms and all, and maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing to just... give it a go?

His mind is made up. Neuvillette is going to express his interest to Wriothesley in a mature, respectable, and perfectly normal manner!

But, ah... how?

Meanwhile, Wriothesley is growing ever more confused at Neuvillette's odd behavior by the day, but like... it's an endeared sort of confusion. Dragons are just kinda weird like this; it's all perfectly logical. Neuvillette has Wriothesley's unwavering support even if he does keep swimming down to the Fortress of Meropide in his full suit and cravat at 5am in the mornings and scaring the shit out of the morning shift gardes.

Wait. Wait. Run it by Wriothesley again--Neuvillette wants to what--?! The consent can only be described as enthusiastic.

Still, the ultimate takeaway is that Neuvillette doesn't just learn how to love a human, but also learns how to love himself, the strange vishap in smooth human skin that he's become.