#woolly wyvern

[homemadehorrors]

Here’s an antique! I think we only made about 12 woolly wyverns total, but we stopped makin em about 7 years ago... until we found ONE cast set in a junk bin while doing con prep. Bones upgraded the pattern, and I... definitely paint better now than I did then, so our  patrons got a chance to take home the LAST woolly.

[thenixkat]

Mostly because there’s no way in hell that I have the energy to make up names for shit, and even less energy to try and make a language, and b/c I think its funny, there’s a lot of critters on Aran that have the same names as critters from Earth that either have a somewhat similar appearance or behaviors/niche. And then some of the critters are called the same shit as things from Earth b/c they *are* from Earth.

And readers will just have to guess/use clues to figure out just what the hell is being described or discussed. Viewpoint characters of different species will also call the same shit different things.

Like:

- Centaurs consider themselves to be people, they do not consider other sapients to be people and have little to no reason to do so. They do call themselves centaurs but only about as much as any given human would refer to humans as human instead of people. 

Halflings are more likely to call them ‘horsebutts’/ ‘horse monsters’ (due to their appearance) or ‘ogres’ (due to their behavior).

- Halflings call themselves human and consider themselves to be people, they have very little reason to consider the sapients native to Aran to be people b/c every single other sapient species on Aran likes to eat them.

Centaurs call them halflings b/c they look like half a person from their perspective.

- Halflings call horses horses while centaurs call them asses b/c to a centaur that’s what a horse looks like.

- Cattle is used for the fire breathing sauropod-like dragons kept by centaurs b/c for all intents and purposes they’re just fire breathing, flying cows. While a human would call them ‘dinos’ or ‘longnecks’.

- Owlbears are encountered rarely enough that they’re named after what they resemble: a small nocturnal wyvern called an owl and a shaggy winged critter called a bear. (Halflings would call the Aran bears, ‘winged bears’ but have never seen an Earth bear and only know about them from stories)  

- Sheep are actual Earth sheep. Though centaurs used to call them ‘baas’ and ‘dry woolies’, sheep only started catching on as a name for them when trying to trade with halflings for them. (’dry woolly’ is specified b/c centaurs keep salamanders for wool production and salamanders are slimy, thus their default of a woolly animal would be wet) 

- Ferbs are called ferbies by halflings b/c of a similar looking creature is known from the ancient mythology. 

- Spiders are very similar in appearance to Earth spiders but come in an assortment of sizes, the largest of which is house cat sized, and they have metallic exoskeletons.

- Snake is used interchangeably with wyrm. There is a slight tendency to use snake for small serpentine dragons and wyrm for large serpentine dragons.

[tomesmithpress]

MAMMOTH HORN

Howling winds and cold that bites through to your very bones. Only the mightiest of mortals can hope to survive the thunderous strike of a giant’s club or the snow storms created by fierce dragon wings.

Included

Frost Giant

Goliath Warrior

Mammoth

White Dragon Adult, Wyrmling

Ice Mephit

Wyvern

Saber Toothed Tiger

Woolly Rhinoceros

[zaph1337]

Monster Hunter Rating 47: Blango

Next on the agenda is something special. Something unprecedented. Something that Monster Hunter had before now never known. It is not enough to just introduce this monster by its name; no, it is something more than a name. IT. IS. MONKEY.

Okay but real talk it’s Blango. It-it’s Blango.

(How it appears in the Second Generation of games)

(How it appears in Monster Hunter Generations)

Appearance: Much like how Anteka seemed to be a hodge-podge of different animals, Blango are inspired by the Japanese macaque, yet have the face of a mandrill, which are the largest monkeys in the world (that has nothing to do with the review, I just thought it was neat). It’s an interesting combination, given that macaques are known to live in snowy areas like Blango are, but mandrills aren’t. It certainly makes them more intimidating, though, given how they inherited the mandrill’s giant canines. I think this actually makes them look scarier than the small raptorial Bird Wyverns; the latter would still scare the daylights out of me if I met them irl, but big teeth do a lot for fear factor.

The fact that these are the first monkeys in Monster Hunter does a lot for them, as I never had anything like them to skew my frame of reference. I won’t deny that they’re pretty plain otherwise, but they’re still a cool concept. 6/10.

Behavior/Lore: Blango live in snowy areas--chiefly mountains--in troops led by a Blangonga, which is basically the Blango equivalent of a Velocidrome. These troops are highly coordinated, and by combining that with the strength of their Blangonga leaders, Blango can successfully defend their high-tier spot on the food chain from most monsters that could compete with them, such as Khezu. They prey on monsters such as Anteka and the woolly Popo (which I’ll talk about soon), and either hunt them normally or bury themselves in the snow to ambush passing herds. Perhaps because resources in their habitats are rather scarce and their neighbors are dangerous, Blango are highly aggressive and territorial, yet different troops have been known to coalesce into single groups that can have multiple Blangonga in charge--behavior which is sometimes seen in primates in real life. There’s no info on how effective these groups are, but they’re surely forces to be reckoned with.

Because Blango aren’t stand-alone monsters, they have the same problem the raptors had, that being the bulk of the information about their behavior is reserved for their leaders and how they interact with the packs. I could talk about more here, but then what would I be able to say about the Blangonga in its review? All that said, Blango have one thing going for them: despite living in similar habitats to their real-world inspiration, the Japanese macaque, Blango are much more aggressive, which makes sense given their more hostile homes--it’s not like macaques have to deal with, say, electric nightmare chickens. This may well be a coincidence, but it’s still neat that this contrast exists, and that there’s a logical reason for it. 5/10.

Abilities: Aside from their coordination, Blango rely mainly on their physical strength and nimbleness in fights. This normally wouldn’t be very interesting on its own, but they do have one trick of note: throwing chunks of ice. Again, it sounds boring, but somehow, these bits of ice can inflict a very special status condition: Snowman. A hunter marred by this terrifying affliction will be encased in snow below their neck, greatly hindering their movement speed and preventing the poor soul from attacking or using any items--save for the ones that can end the nightmare.

Okay so obviously its a ridiculous status condition brought about by a monkey throwing ice in lieu of its excrement, but that’s what makes it great; it’s funny to imagine someone being pelted with ice and having a ball of snow spontaneously form around their torso. As a result, what was doomed to be another below-average score in the Small Monster Abilities department is instead brought up to a 5/10.

Equipment: It was difficult to find weapons using Blango materials that didn’t also use Blangonga mats, and Blango don’t have armor, so this’ll be a very short equipment review. Let’s start with an Insect Glaive called the Wardance Cudgel:

This doesn’t look bad, but I’m concerned that it’s supposed to look “tribal,” and while I’m sure there are other monsters whose equipment bears a similar motif, I can’t help but feel that it’s in bad taste to have this theming present in weapons associated with violent, territorial monkeys. Giving the MH devs the benefit of the doubt for a moment, I like how the different ends of the glaive are bird-shaped. It’s cute, though I question the effectiveness of such a design. Moving right along, here’s a Long Sword called the Blango Destroyer (which probably refers more to the Hunter wielding it, imo):

I can always appreciate different takes on the Long Sword, and this is no exception. Not only is the “sword” a different weapon than normal (I don’t think it qualifies as a cudgel, though), the “sheath” is closer to being a shield in shape, and it kinda makes me think this would be a sick Charge Blade. I also like how the sheath is modeled after a Blango’s face; it really takes advantage of the mandrill inspiration.

It’s tough to rate these without taking the Blangonga weapons into consideration since they have the same aesthetics, but honestly, while the designs are interesting, some of the weapons look a little bland to me by virtue of their white color. They’re not bad, but they don’t appeal to me as some of the other ice-based weapons in the franchise do. 5/10.

Final Thoughts and Tally: While Blango stand out due to being primates and having an interesting concept behind their design, they don’t really do a lot for me. That’s admittedly not surprising, as--and I get that I’m being a broken record here--Small Monsters aren’t made to be as interesting as the large ones are. I do have high hopes for the next monster on my docket, though; hopefully it’ll live up to them. 5/10.

[linuxgamenews]

ARK: Genesis Part II due to arrive this spring plus a new Update

ARK: Genesis Part II coming in March 2021 for Linux, Mac and Windows PC. Thanks to Studio Wildcard delivering game reveals. Due to arrive this spring on Steam in 2021. Now to mention a reveal trailer. Since we the ARK: Genesis Part II teaser trailer reveal. This introduces dramatic new biomes, story missions, and exotic creatures. All due to arrive when Part II releases in March 2021. The highly anticipated expansion pack will also introduce new voiceover talent to the ARK universe. Including David Tennant (Doctor Who, Good Omens) playing the villainous Sir Edmund Rockwell. As well as Madeleine Madden (The Wheel of Time, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Dora and the Lost City of Gold). While she takes on the in-game robotic AI companion HLN-A/Helena Walker. The final confrontation between these two antagonists takes place on a gigantic colony ship. As it travels through deep space, so that players will make use of all their ARK skills to succeed. Whether it’s taking possession of enemies via brain controlling “Noglin” creatures. Maybe zooming around doing radical tricks on the skateboard-like Hoversail. Or while managing & viewing bases remotely with security cameras. All among tons of other new items and creatures in ARK: Genesis Part II. Due to be the largest Expansion Pack yet with game changing additions for every kind of Survivor. But even with HLN-A's help, will they be able to put a stop to Rockwell's demented plans once and for all? We’re about to find out, because The End is Near!

ARK: Genesis Part II Teaser Trailer

The next trailer reveal, puts a spotlight on the TLC Pass #3 update. Which brings new abilities and visual refinements for the Stegosaurus and Woolly Mammoth. Along with the addition of insect and wyvern breeding. Including a taming HUD and more. This free update is now available to all ARK players via Steam and Epic Games Store. While the ARK: Genesis Part II will expand the game yet again.

TLC Pass 3: Mammoth, Stegosaurus, Taming HUD, Insect Breeding

Tune in at www.twitch.tv/survivetheark until 10AM PST/1PM EST Sunday, November 8 for additional content reveals for ARK: Genesis Part II and boosted rates as the community meets fundraising goals, while the game also continues its Free Weekend on the Steam Store where can hop in and play. ARK: Survival Evolved is available on Linux, Mac and Windows PC. In ARK players are stranded naked, freezing and starving on a mysterious island. Where you must hunt, harvest, craft items, and grow crops. Not to mention building shelters to survive. Use skill and cunning to kill, tame, breed, & ride the dinosaurs. As well as other primeval creatures living in ARK. Team up with hundreds of players online or try solo survival in offline play. For ARK: Genesis Part II is coming in March 2021. But the latest update is available now Free for Linux, Mac and Windows PC. If you don't own the game yet, check out it out on Steam.

[mildred-meadowlark]

Tasteful Tagging

Tagged by @sallyjavery and @olivieblake (hello and hi and I’m blushing)

Rules: tag some people with excellent taste.

Colour(s) I’m currently wearing: Mulberry plaid shirt, coral pink jumper, and black skinny cords. And pink woolly socks. Because it’s cold, dammit. And gold boots.

Last band t-shirt I bought: I’m gonna say the Kinks t-shirt I stole from Mr Meadowlark, because I don’t get out enough, like ever, nevermind going somewhere cool like seeing an actual band I like.

Last band I saw live: See above. The last time I had fun was before you were born kids. (It was actually an amazing band called Wyvern Lingo and they have an amazing, haunting sound that you simply must try if you know what’s good for you.) 

Last song I listened to: Ne Me Quitte Pas by Jacques Brel (not a song to listen to on the bus - there tends to be ugly tears)

Lipstick or Chapstick: I’m gonna go wild and say the Rose Vaseline. I’m terribly adventurous.

Last movie I watched: Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name) - which is an absolutely stunning anime and YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST WATCH because it is beyond beautiful and moving.

Last 3 TV shows I watched: Stranger Things - which is hardly surprising seeing as absolutely everyone has watched it at this point. But still. It has taken over my life. Utopia  - which is a dystopian mindfuck of a tv series, but honestly one of the most compelling, beautifully shot pieces of madness I’ve had the pleasure to set eyes on in years. Very gory. The Tudors - which I watch when I needs me some comfort, and I want to fall in love with Natalie Dormer all over again, because she is absolutely magnetic as Anne Boleyn.

Last 3 characters I identified with: Briony Tallis, from Atonement by Ian McEwan. She’s such a difficult character, but she’s, like such a writer. And there are so many great little moments in this book that illustrate how frustrated she is by the fact that she can use words to create a world and people who will behave and react in ways that she understands and can predict, and yet she cannot apply this to the real world. Real people are messy and complicated and she can’t control any of it. And that’s frustrating to her. (That’s me in a nutshell).

Anouk Rocher, from The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris. There’s a story arc where Anouk is being bullied and made to feel like an outsider in this book... and well... I’ve been there. She comes out so much stronger and vibrant at the end of her story, that her whole journey as a character really struck a chord in me.

Hermione Granger - for obvious reasons. (She’s been my hero since I was like, twelve.)

Book I’m currently reading: Speaking of Hermione, it’s time for the annual Harry Potter Marathon in the Meadowlark house and there’s an argument as to whether age four is too young to start reading the Best Series of All Time to the kid.

I’m also reading (because who reads just one book at a time?) a beautiful little book called The Housekeeper + The Professor by Yoko Ogawa and I’ve been dipping in and out of The Faber Book of Modern Fairy Tales.

I’m tagging @naarna @mrbenzedrine89 @kreeblimsabs @unknown-authoress

@lightofevolution @nicholelikewhat @inmuddywaters

[ononokinonon]

sayonaramidnight replied to your post: Remember those uncommon OC questions? Please gimme...

Precious nerds are precious. And I’m curious about the Flying Bone Monstrosity.

The Flying Bone Monstrosity is what it sounds like - an multi-headed, multi-limbed amalgamation of bones from different species, including, but not limited to: several wyverns, a woolly mammoth and some from an actual dragon, as well as the exoskeleton from a giant crab. It flies on several sets of mummified wyvern wings and came to existence when Nekrofobia decided to pimp out Victor’s flying carpet a bit and just kept going.

[tomesmithpress]

Winter Toy-Tokens

Looking for some tokens to bring your winter-themed games to life? 

Check out some of these!

Dance of the Winter Rodents

A community of sentient rodents are having a winter ball and your invited!

Included:

A band (Floot, Cello and Drum player)

Dancers (Suit and Ballgown)

King and Queen

A thief

A Soldier

The Winter Court

In the hedge, the land of the fae is vast and the Winter Queen rules over only a portion of it. A foreboding isolated kingdom where the fae of frost and fear rule.

Included:

Snowelf Blade

Snowelf Shard

Snowelf Coldkeeper

Winter Queen

Frost Fairy

Blizzard Gnome (Red, Green, Blue)

Evergreen Treent (with and without lights)

Coldsnap sabertooth

Mammoth Horn

Howling winds and cold that bites through to your very bones. Only the mightiest of mortals can hope to survive the thunderous strike of a giant’s club or the snow storms created by fierce dragon wings.

Included

Frost Giant

Goliath Warrior

Mammoth

White Dragon Adult, Wyrmling

Ice Mephit

Wyvern

Saber Toothed Tiger

Woolly Rhinoceros

[linuxgamenews]

ARK: Survival Evolved lets you play for Free all Weekend

ARK: Survival Evolved gets a Steam Free Weekend on Linux, Mac and Windows PC. Due to the work and effort of developer Studio Wildcard, Instinct Games, Efecto Studios, and Virtual Basement. Which is also available with a huge discount on Steam. This weekend is full of dino good times. Right now, ARK island is open to all Steam players. Those who would like to take on the dinosaur action adventure of ARK: Survival Evolved. The event runs until 10 am PT/1 pm ET on November 10, so you can play for Free. Just go to the Steam page and click the "play game" button. Then Saturday, the highly anticipated TLC Pass #3 drops. While bringing new visuals and abilities for the Stegosaurus and Woolly Mammoth. Along with insect and wyvern breeding! This free update will be available for all ARK players on Steam and Epic Games Store.

ARK: Survival Evolved: Genesis - Part 1 Expansion Pack

Plus, this weekend Studio Wildcard is ready for Extra Life. The Extra Life charity stream is a 24-hour stream where all proceeds directly benefit children in need. This year's Extra Life event kicks off already. Expect prizes and giveaways like Collector's Editions. While boosted Official Network rates and Genesis 2 reveals. Want even more ARK? All ARK: Survival Evolved content on Steam are deeply discounted this week. So this includes including the ARK base game (80% off). Plus all legacy DLC - Scorched Earth, Aberration and Extinction (65% off). ARK Season Pass (75% off), and Genesis Season Pass (20% off). In ARK players are stranded naked, freezing and starving on a mysterious island. So you must hunt, harvest, craft items, grow crops, and build shelters to survive. Use skill and cunning to kill, tame, breed, & ride the dinosaurs and primeval creatures living in ARK. Team up with hundreds of players online or try solo survival in offline play. ARK: Survival Evolved gets a Steam Free Weekend on Linux, Mac and Windows PC. Available with an 80% discount and priced at $9.99 USD.