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peach

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maybe something to do with coral reefs? Coral ecosystems irl are already pretty interesting, and maybe you could turn the co-dependence thing between anemones and fish into a literal parasitic relationship (maybe the fish could attach to the coral to feed on things passing by, and after they leave the coral leaves some polyps on the fish to further spread itself?)

Make a world with me part 7

Previous parts 1, 2, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 6

Fauna

Because I need a break from people (both real and imaginary).

I'm going to consider any work I write from this as 'translated' into English but there is a little more to it than that. The languages spoken here are English, or French, or Greek or some version of some language spoken here because their ancestors escaped from here - but the language changed and evolved as time went on.

This will inform how they name animals.

For example : The ancestors said that horses were four-legged herbivores that they can ride, so this four-legged herbivore we ride must be a horse. This animal also has a spikes on it's tail and brown and yellow stripes along it, but that's besides the point.

Cows were horned animals bred for meet and milk, meet the cow - it's basically a small, furry rhino they use to pull carts and plough.

I can use this to bring both a sense of familiar and fantastical to any reader. By saying this boy loves his dog, everyone can relate. By then describing what is very much not a dog, I can emphasis how strange this world actually is.

A similar thing will happen with the plants and crops. Root vegetables can be called carrots or potatoes or turnips.

Anyway, list time. I'll start with semi-domesticated animals (they haven't had the time to actual domesticate anything). Time to look at some prehistoric ancestors to get some ideas.

Animals of the islands

*Some of these are unique to a single island

Horses - striped animals with strong legs, short bodies and heads with a puff of porcupine-like spikes on it's tail. Live wild in small herds of ten or less. Handle with care.

Cows - small, woolly, single-horned rhino like creatures. Produce milk, meat, parchment and leather. Their horns are used to make weapons (but only after the creature dies so that it does not curse the creation). There are varying ideas about what traits they should be bred for, which is beginning to show up as regional breeds.

Goats - inexplicably close to actual goats, horizonal eyes and all, only with an extra set of horns.

Sheep - mini, woolly camel-like creatures with short trunks attached to long faces. Very friendly and very slobbery.

Chickens - short faces and beaks on a body that about 3ft tall with long, black, brown and blue tail feathers, short wings and long legs with powerful claws. Currently farmers are trying to breed them to be fatter and less aggressive.

Geese. Slightly bigger than men, with short wings on thick, fat bodies and very bulbous, big beaks. Attempts to domestic these are not going well.

Ducks were an invasive species, brought from Earth with the colonists who have somehow managed to survive and stick with people down to a ridiculous amount of luck and the affection of three small girls. They have started to interbred with some other water fowl, making them larger (but not much) and giving them the ability to camouflage- much to the dismay of their keepers. Ducks are contained to a few islands, although they are being brought elsewhere, and are considered to be sacred on a few of them.

Quail - fat hummingbird-like creatures that can hover about a foot off the ground for up to a minute.

Rabbits - shaped like tiny bears with long, fanned ears, these animals are an easy meat source but considered by many to be a pest due to their burrowing nature.

Hamsters -basically capybaras with bigger teeth.

Dogs. They were many dogs who arrived with the original colonists, however they died or were lost during the journey while trying to protect their humans. A single puppy survived the journey and was pampered and spoiled until they died of old age. There are wild dog-like creatures with purples steaks who people are trying to domesticate. They are on one the peninsula and are seen as a gift and a good omen by all people. (Unknown to all of them, a few dogs who were lost managed to find and join a pack of these so they are the descendants of the original dogs).

Cats. Like dogs and ducks, many dogs were brought along on the original journey. Unlike dogs, most cats had no interest in sticking with the people they came with when their were so many new types of rodents and mice to chase. They are thriving on the mainland despite it's many dangers. A few remained with people, and there are discussions about which native species they might attempt to breed them with to prevent their extinction (If any are compatible). Other arguments are that they should allow the few remaining cats to retire and die out and be replaced with 'ferrets'.

Ferrets. Hairy snakes with two short front legs with claws for burrowing, and two shorter back legs. Likes to climb trees, buildings, people. Notorious food thieves.

Any other suggestions are more than welcome!

I think I am almost ready to start writing some short stories set in one or two of the islands. Almost. (Novel WIP is staring silently at me.)

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just imagine tiny little angels in your body helping you keep your gut healthy

biblical angels but their true form looks like the patterns in 90s arcade carpets

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more cool star creature inspos!!!

Kiki Smith: ‘Constellation’ at Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (1996)

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Monster Hunter Location Icons

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The towns of Anthousai

Less involved than the other island because I think to chill out and cut it back a bit. These are the towns for Anthousai.

Aquilegia

These people are poorer than most in Anthousai but that doesn't seem to bother them. They have a 'family dinner' every week where they all share food and eat together.

People from the town often come to Gladiol to trade but they are seen as a little bit backwards and untrustworthy even as they bring in valuable goods. People from Aquilegia also get married in Gladiol as they can't really walk together in the marshland. However, they also have their own ceremony of presenting a new couple with a boat.

Some of the families here started as outcasts from other areas, where some previously lived in Lilium. Outsiders are welcome in Aquil so long as they keep their noses clean and out of other people's business, and don't boast or try to make themselves out to be better than anyone else.

Gladiol

Anthousai's main military barracks sits just outside this town. There are still flowers grown here, but less so than in other places. Some plants are grown in walled gardens and rumoured to be used for poisons.

The military is highly thought of by all of the populace and since the fall of Lilium there has been a rise in 'military families'. Most of them live here. These are usually big families as, while their eldest son and daughter cannot join up, they want to bolster the ranks as much as they can.

So having lots of children (and being able to afford to feed them) is seen as a noble thing to do and as a status symbol in Gladiol.

Due to this, there is a large contingent of midwives within Gladiol and it has what is considered to be the one of the best teaching hospital in all of the civilized world. Being a midwife is considered a very prestigious job for young women and only the best from all over the island are allowed to study here. Some students even come as part of diplomatic relations to study here, although these are rare.

Gladiol isn't incredibly welcome to these outsiders, although they are treated with respect because of their position.

Gladiol is on a river close to the edge of the island, but the delta that leads to the sea made it more sensible to found the town further inland. The delta itself acts as good protection from invaders as it floods and changes near constantly and it hides many tricky shallows and root systems that can trap a boat. None but the most experienced or riverboat captains can navigate it safely.

The culture in Gladiol is quite jovial but proper. Everyone seems to enjoys good dance and a drink, but at events that at structured and have been organised weeks in advance. Some of these events are made for young adults looking to mingle and perhaps be courted, but the majority is for children and families.

Training is strict, and there is a huge military presence even in the schools in the area, but Gladiol is in all ways that count, a matriarchy.

There is a 'town' in the delta itself, an outcropping of people who live on boats and floating homes. This is called [[Aquilegia]] (Aguil by those who live there).

People from the town often come to Gladiol to trade but they are seen as a little bit backwards and untrustworthy even as they bring in valuable goods. People from Aquilegia also get married in Gladiol as they can't really walk together in the marshland.

Hyacin

Despite Lilium falling 50 years ago, Hyacin is still referred to as the 'new' capital.

A city with something to prove, something new is always happening in Hyacin. New buildings, new projects, new initiatives, new fashions. It is a city obsessed with process.

Hyacin is a city for the ambitious of anywhere, and Hyacin people treat everyone who wasn't born in the city as an outsider, whether they are from two miles away or two days travel by sea. They do see value in new people and new ideas, but anyone new has a lot to prove by how well they do in their chosen field.

Hyacin doesn't hold with many traditions, except for the wedding walk, but personal celebrations are always happening and there is always some dinner or some party happening somewhere to celebrate a child 'earning their name' (living until 101 days) or a promotion or a new job or a successful business venture or an engagement.

The government seat is in Hyacin, and officials meet once every two months to get things done.

The enlistment and registry office (for clerks, lawyers, doctors, midwives, trade licenses and property receipts) are in Hyacin so there is always an influx from people coming to and from the countryside.

The 'old town' of Hyacin is a bit neglected as all of the attention is on the newer, more impressive newer sections of the city.

Lilium

Once a jewel in the flower isle's crown, Lilium is now a scar on it's landscape.

The ruins of the city mainly remained untouched due to superstitions and rumours of hauntings.

Sometimes people who were born here ask for their locks of their hair to be returned and buried in the ground here in hopes that they will be reunited with their family in the afterlife and that the flowers that grow there will chase away any evil spirits so that people may some day return to Lilium and restore it to glory.

There is talk of repopulated it with immigrants from other isles, allies where space and resources are a struggle. However, this is seen as disrespectful by many Anthousaian people. Others see it as a chance to increase relations, bring in fresh blood in to the nation and restore Lilium in a way that doesn't risk any of there own people.

Rosa

Rosa lies further from the sea than any other settlement on Anthousai.

It was founded 45 years ago after the fall of Lilium as a new home for anyone who survived that day. However, there was another reason for the founding of the town which is secret to most people, including those who live there.

Rosa is the poisoned flower of the isle. It was founded for the creation of poisons from the nearby flowers that grow wild there, for the development of new poisons and for the secret running and training of poisoners for the council.

Officially the town's main export is livestock (which are used for experiments), particularly horse-like creatures. The whole village is very strict about where they are allowed to roam and graze.

The wild and cultivated flowers of Rosa are some of the most beautiful in all of the islands but can cause…problems if touched without protective gloves. So many of these flowers are pressed and dried to make them safe before use or gifting. Fragrant dried petals are often kept in homes and embroidery arts are highly valued.

The people here do the walk and feast like all the others, but embroidery is a lot more important that the living flowers the brides hold (although they still hold them). Most brides carry daisies or roses or a mix of both. A piece of cloth from their father's grooms wear is incorporated into the groom's cloth as a tradition.

Another feast day in Rosa remembers the fall of Lilium. Every adult wears a veil made of extremely thin, dried flower petals, as they gather to sing together in the morning. After this, the children of the day are celebrated and given sweets and treats as they are proof of Anthousains' resolve and future.

Tulipa

Tulipa claims to be the oldest town in Anthousai, but very few believe this claim. They lie on the river Alpheus.

The town has a myth of being founded by a lovelorn man after his lover drowned in the river.

Because of this myth, Tulipa is known as a bit of a lover's safe-haven and many couples elope here where they can be married without their families permission.

Tulipa is near the coast and has been raided on occasion, but mainly it has known peace. Part of this is because Tulipa is awkwardly placed for raiders, with other villages closer to the coast being easily targets. Only on the very rare occasion when a raiding party is very succession and do not get challenged on their way, and no one manages to run ahead with warning, does an attack happen. It has been many years since this happened.

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if anyone needs me i'll be frothing at the mouth thinking about the origin of language and interspecies communication. happy wednesday.

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Double Raven

Eugene Isaac

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almost done with the main parts of the geography and also some bits of the local industries, so i might start posting some refined area maps and also a few explainations for the important islands!!!

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this is really intresting! the art is so so so good btw

As if "swallowed by the earth" is a way to describe someone who's gone missing without a trace, particularly in the woods, but in Ditovo it may be more than just a saying. At least if you believe the many legends and folktales about giant plumsaina, or as they're more commonly known "earth belly". The plant does exist but usually it is only big enough to catch small vertebrates, which it does when prey step onto its camouflaged trap door and fall into the pit of the plant filled with digestive liquid and downward pointing spikes preventing escape. The roots of the plant are for storing nutrients and other substances, as well as firmly anchoring the plant in the ground when prey is thrashing about inside it. In order to reproduce the earth belly sprouts a red flower above the surface, a red flag that may perhaps save the life of one who recognizes it.

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Some of the art I've done for folklore from my homeland of Asturias:

El Pesadiellu haunts people in their sleep. It will stand atop you, pressing down on your chest to cause suffocation and nightmares. As soon as you wake, it will vanish.

It takes many forms, from a huge hairy hand (la Manona), to a male goat, to a purely invisible being. All across Asturias, it is believed to be the cause of many of the horrors that affect us in our slumber.

In the forests of Asturias, people know to beware of the scraping sound of washboards near streams. It means the Llavanderes are working.

One of the washerwomen will ask for help drying her blood-soaked shroud. Never twist it in the same direction as her, or she will drown you.

El Sumiciu is an entity that embodies the void. When someone loses an object that seemed to be in front of them moments ago, they will usually accuse the greedy Sumiciu of swallowing it. Oft misconceived as a house elf, its true shape is shrouded in mystery.

When travelling the craggy mountains of Asturias, beware the hiss of the Cuélebre, a winged serpent which grows over the aeons until the earth trembles under its weight.

If you are foolish enough to seek its treasure, find its cave on the Summer Solstice, when it is weakest. You must bring an offering it may feed on, and hide inside it knives and needles that will slay it from within.

This picture was taken the night when two kids passed away from tuberculosis in a small Asturian village, 1892.

In these remote areas people still tell the tales of La Güestia, a ghostly procession that will march towards a dying person's house and carry them off to join them.

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As if "swallowed by the earth" is a way to describe someone who's gone missing without a trace, particularly in the woods, but in Ditovo it may be more than just a saying. At least if you believe the many legends and folktales about giant plumsaina, or as they're more commonly known "earth belly". The plant does exist but usually it is only big enough to catch small vertebrates, which it does when prey step onto its camouflaged trap door and fall into the pit of the plant filled with digestive liquid and downward pointing spikes preventing escape. The roots of the plant are for storing nutrients and other substances, as well as firmly anchoring the plant in the ground when prey is thrashing about inside it. In order to reproduce the earth belly sprouts a red flower above the surface, a red flag that may perhaps save the life of one who recognizes it.

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bird!!!!!!

Spooky Scary Skeletons 💀

(Side note but thank you all so much for all the love on this series! I love rambling about these little guys I’m so happy to be able to share them with all of you! You guys rock!!!! ❤️)

Transcript and Closeups below!

SKELETON CROWS

A guide by: Philza Minecraft

Physical Adaptations:

Undead crows brought to life!

Don’t need to eat, sleep or breathe

Weak to health potions (need harming/instant damage)

Allergic to sunlight

Behavioral Adaptations:

Often flock in large groups

Found everywhere!

“Nocturnal” (only come out at night)

Love collecting bones & other shinies

(Like to “accessorize”)

Friendly! Like to vibe and hang out!

Other Notes:

Tiny tails!

Skele Bois!

Friends!

WITHER CROWS

General Notes:

Same As Skeleton crows but more aggressive.

NOT FRIENDLY!!!

Neat in Nether Fortresses

Not allergic to sunlight

Withering (approach with EXTREME caution!!!)

Smell like coal and charred bones

Found only in the Nether

Other Notes:

NOT Friends!

Mean

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Starting to think more about the creation myth and mythology in general, especially because the gods exist in the Acting Snail world.

My current idea is that the gods do their own thing (maintaining the world, fiddling with random things when theyre bored, and granting magic to the people when they feel like it) and sometimes, the people down below see things being manipulated by them. They report this to their community and these stories are passed down the generations, which then turn more fictionalized and dramatic.

There is of course a grain of truth in the stories, with them being truer the more recent they are.

Make a World with me

Part 2: The Discovery Myth

Making a new world in public!

Read the first post to find out what we have so far: https://www.tumblr.com/alwayslosingtheplot-blog/749995149029933056/build-a-world-with-me?source=share

I'm going to have to name this thing eventually, but I don't think we know enough about it yet.

In the last post I mentioned that I didn't want to do a creation myth for this world. I wanted a discovery myth instead.

(I have made a few creation myths in my other things. I have a goddess singing herself to nothing to create everything else. I have a little golem guy making everything else from mud and sending them on their way, quite happy to be forgotten once he keeps getting to make his little things.) I want this world to be something found instead of something made for people. Because obviously, it wasn't. It is so hostile to the tiny people hanging out in one tiny area trying to cling to life. So why are they there?

The myth I think is going to be along the lines of:

Our ancestors fled their lands, fled from the great fires in the sky and the death it rained. They fled through the wizard's gate, while he would would save them stayed behind to face the dragon's flame. Once here they had to flee again, from the land of beasts and teeth until they found us a home here on this Elysium of islands.

So what's the origin of this myth?

You know that quote:

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

-Arthur C. Clarke.

That.

A meteor's flight plan means it will hit a planet (Earth), but humanity has 50-100 years of warning beforehand. So plans are put in play, one of which is a warp gate. A portal to another world that should place people in a world not unlike our own at a good point in time. Only there is a miscalculation means that people arrive way too early or way too late and the world is close to uninhabitable. The running on arrival, the destruction of most of their equipment and the danger and deaths until they reach the safe haven of the islands means that most of their knowledge is lost. The higher levels of oxygen needed to sustain the larger life forms might also have negative outcomes for the first few generations of people such as shorter life-spans (even if they had their genes somewhat altered in advance of travelling).

One of the people happened to be a Classical student and referred to their travels being like the Odyssey, which gives me an idea for naming conventions for the islands.

(This also means that I can divorce the names a bit more from their actual origins and have a bit more creative freedom with that stuff)

What we have so far, the short version:

Everybody lives on a series of islands off the coast of a Pangea-like, monster-filled continent and have a myth about their ancestors running from fires in the skies and monsters before settling there.

And that's it for this post! I think this gives it a bit of Pern or Shannara feeling so far. After this post I think I will start on the islands themselves, the cultures there and all that. If anyone wants to join in and make their own world, I'm made a tag you can use for it:

#MakeAWorldInPublic

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ik ive alr reblogged this but can you eat this?? because it looks and grows a lot like a tuber

maybe i can add edible carnivourous plants into the worldbuilding project

As if "swallowed by the earth" is a way to describe someone who's gone missing without a trace, particularly in the woods, but in Ditovo it may be more than just a saying. At least if you believe the many legends and folktales about giant plumsaina, or as they're more commonly known "earth belly". The plant does exist but usually it is only big enough to catch small vertebrates, which it does when prey step onto its camouflaged trap door and fall into the pit of the plant filled with digestive liquid and downward pointing spikes preventing escape. The roots of the plant are for storing nutrients and other substances, as well as firmly anchoring the plant in the ground when prey is thrashing about inside it. In order to reproduce the earth belly sprouts a red flower above the surface, a red flag that may perhaps save the life of one who recognizes it.

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All the symbols I've made for a little Monster Hunter Conlang I'm working on for a map I'm gonna draw later.

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The biggest languages of the world, and they come in a trio.