#a tale of highly unusual magic

[bridenore]

HD fic recs - disability (blind, mute or deaf)

Here are a few drarry fic recs where either Harry or Draco is blind, mute or deaf, whether it is permanent or temporary. Listed in alphabetical order, as always.

Darkest Before the Dawn by @dualwieldteacup [47k]

The last thing Draco wanted was to show up at Harry Potter’s door, cursed blind and holding a boxful of his friends Transfigured into snakes, but here he was. Between breaking the curse, adjusting to life without sight, and teaching his Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, Draco’s got his hands full. Being forced to live with Harry Potter might just be the death of him. This is a story about the bonds of friendship, fairy tale endings, and learning to ask for help (even from Gryffindors).

The Lip-Lock Jinx  by cassisluna [20k]

It's a jinx that renders the victim mute, unless he/she serves the purpose of the jinx and kisses the person that they desire. It's just Harry's luck that he's in love with Draco.

Obliviation by @dysonrules [26k]

When Harry decides to quit Auror Training in order to care for young Teddy over the summer, he has quite enough to worry about without Pansy Parkinson dumping a mute Draco Malfoy on his doorstep.

The Piano by shushu_yaoi_lj / @orange-peony [37k]

He arrives on a boat during a particularly stormy day. Harry knew Astoria Greengrass had sent for a husband, someone to keep her company on the particularly dreary and dark winter days on this remote island. Harry didn’t know who it was she had arranged to be sent here. All he knew was that the weather was horrid today, and the Portkeys had never properly worked in this remote corner of the North Sea. The island was special, its magic working in odd and surprising ways. The last person Harry expects to find on the beach is Draco Malfoy.

Potential Gravity by @lol-zeitgeistic [32k]

Draco is not good at Cards Against Humanity, but Harry’s not good at being human, so it all works out. Except for the explosions. And Harry’s inability to live when Draco’s not around.

Silenced by the Night by @parkkate [55k]

After a spell goes horribly wrong, Harry has to deal with the loss of his eyesight. It’s such terrible timing, too, because how is he supposed to find out what Malfoy has been up to in the Room of Requirement? It’s not like he can ask the git, not only because it’s Malfoy, but also because the Slytherin has suddenly lost his voice. While they’re both trapped in the hospital wing, however, Harry discovers there’s so much he didn’t know about Malfoy, and it’s highly intriguing, but also a bit alarming. Where did all these confusing feelings come from all of a sudden? And what is Harry going to do about them?

Speechless by mayberry_rose [6k]

In which Draco can’t speak, and Harry learns to listen.

The Standard You Walk Past by @bafflinghaze [46k]

On returning to Hogwarts for their Eighth Year, Headmistress McGonagall decided to room Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter together. She may have hoped for a leading example of house unity; the other students fully expected insults and fights. But nothing happened. That was, until Harry sleepwalked into Draco’s bed.

Talk to Me by Saras_Girl [15k]

When the usual channels of communication are shut down, the most surprising people can find a way in. A strange little love story.

A Thousand Beautiful Things by geoviki [104k]

Draco Malfoy struggles with changed fortunes, shifted alliances, an ugly war, and an unusual spell, with the help of a concerned professor, an insightful house-elf, and an unexpected Gryffindor friend. Delicate Sound of Thunder by geoviki [61k] Draco Malfoy has always known that happily ever after is only true for fairy tales.  When someone threatens to expose his wartime past, he risks his life to protect his secrets, but learns he’s not the only one with something to hide. The sequel to A Thousand Beautiful Things.

When I Put My Eyes On You by Zzzara [31k]

When a hero defeats a villain, there’s supposed to be a happily-ever-after… but when did anything ever happen to Harry Potter the way it was supposed to? Having sacrificed himself to the greater good, Harry is left alone in the darkness, blindly groping for the shreds of the life he knew. When the enemies meet, how is the story supposed to go, once they learn there’s more to it than the eye can see? A story of pain, hope and things we discover, once we stop looking for them with our eyes.

I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I did!

#my recs #drarry #drarry recs #theme rec

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

Interview with narrator Rebecca Ferguson

Q. What made you want to be part of this series?

I was brought up having a magical connection to nature.  When later introduced to the world of BBC wildlife programmes it brought back so much nostalgia.  Being asked to be part of this series therefore was a huge honour for me.

Q. Tell us a bit about growing up in Scandinavia.

When I was growing up, I always wanted to go exploring in the woods and become one of my favourite childhoods characters Ronja from stories by Astrid Lindgren. She was a true representation of Swedish and Scandinavian nature. I also loved to do another tradition of picking wild strawberries and threading them through strains of straw.

Q. Tell us about your personal passion for Scandinavia

It’s Raw and wild. It’s Pinecones, mushroom picking, cold, mythical mysterious.  So many tales and stories come from the world of Scandinavia. 

Q. Describe any personal experiences you’ve had with wildlife in Scandinavia

It’s hard not to have connections with nature.  For me it’s about feeling connected to it and being a part of it daily.  I was brought up in Stockholm then moved to the south of Sweden to a remote fishing village, meaning I got to explore such drastic difference in environments and temperatures.

Q. Were there any standout or memorable sequences in the series for you?

Being a part of the whole story and seeing things that I would have never got the opportunity to see was such a treat. It brings me as close to it as possible.  It’s so unusual to see it all first-hand and I got to be part of it adding my narrative which was magical. As an ocean lover, I particularly enjoyed the reproductive process of the synchronised star fish and watching the sea cucumbers feed on the algae and plankton from the seabeds. 

Q. Did you learn anything new about Scandinavia that you didn’t know before narrating the series? 

Yes! I couldn’t believe that they are still preserving fish the same way we did in the Viking times! It was fascinating to see that process. 

Q. What do you believe is so captivating about this region?

The Landscape is the main characteristic, it’s sharp and harsh and the animals have had to learn to shape to their environment.  The extreme difference between the North of Sweden with its angular landscapes to the south of Sweden with its rolling hillsides, orchards and apple trees.

Q. Do you have a favourite species from the series and why?

Yes! The White-Tailed Sea Eagle is my favourite species from the series. They are so majestic flying through the air.  Their hunting skills of catching the fish is like watching a thrilling chase scene from a movie! It’s so highly skilled and chaotic at the same time.

Q. What do you hope viewers will take away from watching Wild Scandinavia?

I hope that they it will Learn about new environments and that it opens up their eyes to the beauty of this region.  How different it is. Why it’s so different. How the people have had to adapt to the environment.  The extremes of the seasonal weather and landscapes.  I hope it makes people want to visit and to nurture and to care for our world even more.

Interview with Series Producer, Tuppence Stone

Q. What do you think Rebecca Ferguson brings to the series, as the narrator?

We were very keen to have such a strong female role model to voice Wild Scandinavia. With her roles in Mission Impossible and Dune, it is great to collaborate with such an international star. Rebecca is Anglo Swedish, so was a perfect choice – with her intimate knowledge of Scandinavia and fluent Swedish the mythology and names included in the script felt so natural when she delivered them. She added an important authenticity to the series, building on our decision to work with the brilliant Icelandic composer – Biggi Hilmars, so that our views feel totally immersed in the Scandinavia wilderness.

#rebecca ferguson #wild scandinavia #tupperence stone #tv #documentary #interview

[roadandruingame]

RaR Musings #18: Constructing a Recognizable Narrative

This both being something I've been filling out recently and that I've never touched on publicly, I thought it a good opportunity to talk about how Road and Ruin handles campaign generation. ________________________________

TALES

This is probably the biggest overarching component of a game. People are generally aware already of what makes up a tale; we can call them genres if we want, but essentially, they're predictable patterns that we come to expect in storytelling.

These patterns both allow us to find satisfaction and comfort when experiencing something familiar, as well as offer a foundation for writers to introduce twists and subvert audience expectations.

If Road and Ruin is going to have the capacity to be played with no one singular dungeon master, Tales need to be able to produce both expected results, and unexpected results, simultaneously.

It's a big ask.

There's a couple different ways we can do this, but perhaps it's best represented with an example:

MYSTERY TALES: "A tale of discovery, that revolves around the Hook of The Unknown. Characters may be highly specialized toward elements of the specific mystery, or have accidentally stumbled into something unusual, and push it out of curiosity or in response to a threat, and connect the dots of collected clues and gathered evidence to unravel the mystery.

THE HOOK: Define an unknown, such as Who Dun It, What Happened, Where, How, Why, and To Who.

GATHER CLUES: Move to locations or between characters, in a bid to pursue information or insights not already held by the party. As mentioned in Musings #4, RAR's card system allows for True/False, thematic-matching discovery, where a lead could lead to nothing, or something strange be discovered when least expected. Once all available information has been gathered and arranged, it may present a narrative, most commonly defined as a Motive.

THE TWIST: Satisfied that the mystery is solved and wrongs righted, one final stumbling block appears: "Something that was assumed to be true, is discovered to be false," ideally by way of the cards system. But this falsehood is, itself, a new clue, and points to the new truth when followed.

MYSTERY SOLVED: Having pursued the twist to it's conclusion, the case is closed. Criminals are behind bars, victims are avenged, a device activated, or a puzzle solved."

While "a twist happens" is, technically expected, the exact nature of the twist changes relative to the cards and the scenario, and since the twist stage can only occur once a narrative is "complete", an actual narrative has to be produced, and not left intentionally unsolved. Some might say that it's distasteful to solve your own mystery, or to expect a twist, but this is how it goes.

In this way, there can be "formulas" for Action Tales, Intrigue Tales, Dark Lord Tales, and so on, using all the same tropes that people come to expect and enjoy from those genres.

________________________________

ROLES

Roles make up the secondary type of campaign generation, but in a way, have much larger contributions to a campaign than a Tale, which can consist of just a single chapter or quest.

Nine different Roles describe the major activities that can be done DURING play, and that can, in turn, define a character's contribution to the plot.

EXPLORER: Travel oriented, survival skills, some basic world history and geography skills, with some passing social skill and quality appraisal. Very catch-all.

DUNGEONEER: Puzzle solver and fighter when need be, benefits squad play with an assortment of specialists covering everything from traps to history.

WIZARD: A researcher, who's interests revolve around the pursuit of intellectual, scientific, or magical advancement.

WARRIOR: A combat specialist, in situations where violence IS the answer.

CRAFTER: Using the right tool for the job and getting enhancements out of higher quality materials, lots of permanence.

SNEAKRETS: Achieving goals having made as little a ripple as possible, such as theft or assassination.

SOCIALITE: A deep dive into what makes people tick, and using a vast social network to both create and solve problems.

COMMANDER: Being a leader, allocating large-scale resources, and relying on followers to successfully complete tasks.

RITUALIST: Dealings with gods, devils, spirits, and fae, to wield powers granted to you by association.

Balance and challenge is determined by counting up the Roles each character is comprised of, and to what level, and if everyone can agree on which Roles they prefer the most, it provides a framework for players to pursue specific story beats, and use the rules and mechanics that best support those. It's especially true when players don't recognize what their preferences are offhandedly, and are able to pick and choose from the list.

Let's use Dungeoneer as a framework:

The premise of a dungeon game is resource management, and reward vs risk assessment. This place is dangerous, or mysterious, or at the very least brand new; if not for these, the place would have been cleared out long ago.

While rewards can be Resource Types from Musings #15, like Coin, Food/Water/Shelter, Favor, or Materials, they can also be something like Information, Magic Items, or Glory.

Progression through the dungeon is rife with choices. Effectively mapping rooms and documenting the solutions to puzzles nets you exponentially more pay when you come back, but encountering a room or puzzle NOT documented confers a penalty. If your team dies, anything they experienced, but didn't report and get paid for, is just as hard for the next team, who weren't forewarned about such threats. Players may metagame, taking "problem solvers" right to the pain point due to their metaknowledge of it's existence, but even that comes at a choice: Do they work to solve the problems that they know, and risk falling short of problems later on? Do they spend their resources easily clearing early challenges, or do they increase the danger and threat of failure in order to push on, push further, get better rewards, and net better pay?

________________________________

PUTTING THEM TOGETHER

Let's say that we decide we're going to play a Dungeon campaign, and that it's a Tale of Mystery.

HOOK: Our cards The Dream, Freedom, and The Many. "A local shaman proclaims, that they have had a vision: Beneath the earth, through a hidden tunnel in the mountains, lies an ancient kingdom, and the desperate souls of it's residents have visited him with a plea for help. They are trapped there, unable to move on, and should anyone be able to free them from their curse, the riches of the underground nation will be theirs."

Makes you want to cook a meal, almost.

GATHER CLUES: By moving from region to region within the kingdom, each room rewards some basic items, and a Clue card. By assembling the cards (a number determined based on the preferred length of the adventure), a story unfolds:

Gold, Spirit of The Voice, The Mask. The party begins at a noble's chateau, where a ghost speaks, who will teach them about the secret of the vault if its identity in life can be uncovered. A Spirit of The Egg. The gold in the vault was to be for the god of this kingdom, a nascent godling of birth and renewal.

The Mixture, Gold, The End. The party goes to the local temple, to investigate this godling, and finds it full of alchemical designs for the creation of gold. Terrain Inverted, The Flow Inverted, says that an underground river aided the process, but the river has long since gone dry.

The Hearth, The Omen Inverted, The Many Inverted. The omen is of The Void. The party investigates the kingdom's town, and while there is evidence of civilians packing to leave, there are no bodies, or signs of struggle or violence. Altars suggest worship of the Spirit of The Egg, but such a spirit would not have people become ghosts, they would be consigned to nothingness on death.

Inverted Order, The Villain, The Lineage. Further investigation suggests that spirits related to The Egg brought about the chaos here.

Recur The Shaman, Recur The Spirit of The Egg, Recur Gold. The theory is that the shaman, who gave the quest, received the vision as a result of treasure that was taken from the kingdom. Returning the shaman, as much as he objects, should break the curse.

And that could be the end of the adventure. If only but for...

THE TWIST. Something has gone wrong. Evidence 4, result 3: The Lineage. Chaos was indeed brought about by other spirits, but they were not related to The Egg; this is no act of vengeance, or protection.

Recur Evidence 5. The Guardian. An Element, of Inverted Air. Recur the Inverted Omen of the Void. The Hunger, Inverted.

The shaman, in fact, has some connection to the Spirit of the Egg, perhaps contained within his treasure, or even is the shaman himself. Either way, bringing it back here was a grave error. The creatures who destroyed this kingdom return, and vanish the shaman into a realm of negative space. The party will have to find a way to banish the monsters and rescue the spirit, or else they shall bring about the same destruction in many more places.

And, that's the campaign. Throughout, spending time and resources to investigate ruins, decrypt language and secrets, fight creatures that occupied the ruins, and be rewarded in the form of (apparently cursed) treasure has the party guessing at where to go, but marry recurring elements together to form a narrative. And, if they fail to stop the monsters, establishing the legend for a new campaign, one that revolves around Demons of Stagnant Air that now haunt the lands around that one lonely mountain.

Is it a great story? Probably not. But is it a story that I had any clue I was going to tell, when I started drawing cards and rolling dice? Absolutely not. And because of that, I could realistically have been a player in this campaign, and not the dungeonmaster; in fact, I AM the player here.

And that's pretty neat.

________________________________

IN CONCLUSION

By being able to recognize what makes a dungeon a dungeon, and a mystery a mystery, we're able to mix and blend those elements together in a way that rewards dungeoneering skills, while satisfying the demands of a mystery story, in a way that doesn't require one player to be holding all the cards ahead of time: just multiple players to be drawing them.

#indie ttrpg #road and ruin #ttrpg #ttrpg design

[softversegateaugazette]

⋘ 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐫… ⋙ ⋘𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐀.𝟔𝟗𝟓𝟏𝟐𝟒𝟏.𝟕𝟓𝟏𝟒𝟐𝟎. ⋙ ⋘ 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧… ⋙ ⋘𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧…………. ⋙ ⋘ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐭… ⋙ ⋘ 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡… ⋙ ...

「Sefoheheg」 but isnt the chasm closed off ? no one can even go in there (¬_¬”)

「D.13110.15181」 People have entered before. But none have returned. Activity in the chasm is highly unusual.

「Sefoheheg」 - ╭( ๐ _๐)╮ykno its probably just natural activity

「D.13110.15181」 Highly doubt it.

「GAppl3」 What kind of natural activity?

「Sefoheheg」 normal natural acivities DUHHH ┐ ( - -) ┌ maybe some kind of earthquaek

「GAppl3」 An earthquake would make sense, but there is nothing that could have caused it.

「V1spers1a」 Oh great more trouble

「Sefoheheg」 (ᇂ_ᇂ |||) wdym more trouble ??

「V1spers1a」 Caught another outbreak of that plague in Aspertia Town. Can't catch a break from it.

「D.13110.15181」 Has anyone managed to find the source?

「StarBlessedOmens」 If we had found the source already, we wouldn't be discussing it, darling.

「D.13110.15181」 Don't call me that.

「V1spers1a」 "Darling"? Goodness, didn't realize you two were a thing.

「Sefoheheg」 dont think too hard about it（ ；¬＿¬) she calls everyone darling

「IcalasarI」 shE doesn'T calL mE darlinG...

「Sefoheheg」 shshshhhhhh

「Sefoheheg」 (ㆆ _ ㆆ) hey wait a min where are you rn

「IcalasarI」 thE teA housE iN chartoN. bY thE olD campgroundS.

「GAppl3」 Why are you all the way in Charton? That's all the way out by the other side of Lumrence Forest, right?

「V1spers1a」 Yeah why are you out there?

「IcalasarI」 manageR askeD mE tO gO therE. shE saiD therE arE thesE bookS baseD oN thE towN oR somethinG.

「StarBlessedOmens」 Dear, there are plenty of books based on locations. You will have to be specific.

「IcalasarI」 thE onE witH thE missinG wifE anD thE foresT. anD thE weirD teacheR.

「D.13110.15181」 I can't say I've heard of it before.

「GAppl3」 Oh! I think I know what you are talking about! But I do not remember what it is called. Stories of something...

「V1spers1a」 Tales of Aetherham? Love that book series

「GAppl3」 Yes! That is the one!

「IcalasarI」 yeS thaT onE. manageR thinkS thE authoR waS hintinG aT somethinG iN thE bookS, sO shE senT mE tO gO finD hiM.

「V1spers1a」 Didn't Quinn drop off the face of the earth or something? Bounced around popular places and then faded into obscurity.

「StarBlessedOmens」 Beldam has met him before, if I recall correctly. Perhaps the manager can ask him about it.

「GAppl3」 We can ask Beldam ourselves! LUNA ! Do you know anything about the author Quinn!

「Sefoheheg」 dont bother (ーー;) he never checks the chats

「GAppl3」 But he always knows what is said here, yes?

「D.13110.15181」 Somehow.

「V1spers1a」 Probably through some magic.

「GAppl3」 How do you use magic with technology?

「PDQDJHU」 WKHUH KDV EHHQ XQXVXDO DFWLYLWB ORFDWHG LQ WKH QHLJKERULQJ UHJLRQ. SOHDVH ORRN LQWR LW DW RQFH.

「Sefoheheg」 technological magic !! (≧∇≦)

「Sefoheheg」 wait

「Sefoheheg」 YESSIR SORRY SIR

「Sefoheheg」 MA'AM I MEAN MAAM 〣 ( ºΔº ) 〣

「D.13110.15181」 Again?

「V1spers1a」 See this is why Gateau is going to fall apart sooner or later

「GAppl3」 Do not say that!

「V1spers1a」 Okay but its true

「V1spers1a」 If those guys could handle their own problems for more than a minute, Gateau wouldnt be on the verge of total shut down

「IcalasarI」 iT can'T bE thaT baD, righT?

「D.13110.15181」 It is that bad. We're already short staffed as is. So is just about every establishment in Gateau. We're relying on the locals to run themselves.

「Sefoheheg」 if anything gets worse in gateu, ill go there and help the locals !! you can count on me !! o7

「V1spers1a」 Hey maybe don't

「StarBlessedOmens」 As much as I appreciate the enthusiasm, it's too risky to go alone. I can come with you.

「D.13110.15181」 As if. How about no one goes to Gateau unless the manager asks?

「GAppl3」 >LUNA is there right now, isn't he?

「D.13110.15181」 He's staying in a nearby town just outside of the mountain range leading into it. It's not a bad thing to be in Gateau. But I wouldn't recommend it unless it's for business only.

「StarBlessedOmens」 Beldam will be fine. It's >Sefoheheg I have my doubts about.

「Sefoheheg」 ILL BE FINE :<

「GAppl3」 I do not doubt you will be fine!

「D.13110.15181」 I do. On your own, at least. If the manager says you have to go, you'll have to take one of us with you. Otherwise, don't.

「Sefoheheg」 oh come on >:/ fiiiiiine i wont go

「V1spers1a」 Hey if you do go there maybe you could stop by that cafe :)

「Sefoheheg」 AS IF . didnt you hear about the fiasco with the sickness ????

「Sefoheheg」 besides there coffee is nasty（￢з￢）

「V1spers1a」 That was in the past come on now

「D.13110.15181」 I'm getting some kind of distre█s si▒█al█ ██ ██▒▒█▒ ▒▒█▒▒██

⋘ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭. ⋙

⋘ 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐫… ⋙ ⋘ 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐝. ⋙

⋘ 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐫… ⋘ 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐝. ⋙

➤ 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚐 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚍.

#gateau lore #chat logs

[rabbitcruiser]

Appreciate a Dragon Day

Dragons, the magical scaly creature born from fire, have existed throughout mythology since the times of the Romans and Egyptians. Dragons, with their celestial ways and otherworldly presence, make our lives a lot more interesting, and never cease to amaze people.

Appreciate a Dragon Day is a day dedicated to learning about dragons and sharing your love for these creatures!

History of Appreciate a Dragon Day

Appreciate a Dragon Day began when Donita K. Paul wanted to celebrate the publishing of her first fantasy novel “Dragonspell”, part of the five-volume series, The DragonKeeper Chronicles.

Dragons have always been popular, existing in the mythology of cultures from all over the world. Dragons inspire us and fill us with fear at the same time. Western dragons have always been depicted as fearsome creatures to either overcome or have a kinship with, while eastern dragons were typically equated with the royalty and heavenly forces, depending on the culture.

Nevertheless, dragons also tend to represent the conquering of the spiritual soul, as they are related to many of the human emotions that block the way to enlightenment. Dragons in modern culture have always been a place of fascination for them, as many authors and filmmakers have helped transform the image of a dragon to something people can admire.

Some of the most famous stories to depict dragons are seen in Tolkien, Ursula, and J.K. Rowling’s novels. In films, movies and TV shows such as How to Raise a Dragon, Game of Thrones, and Eragon have helped shape the way people see dragons and ultimately fall in love with them. Dragons have existed since the earliest parts of history and have appeared in many different forms with many different alignments of good and evil.

The depictions of dragons tend to differ by culture. In ancient times, most societies had an ambivalent view of dragons. Like any other creature, these giant flying serpents had both a good side and a bad one.

In the West, however, attitudes towards dragons changed with the advent of Christianity in the late Roman era. Suddenly, dragons became associated with evil because of their serpentine nature and needed vanquishing. Some people believed that dragons were a real phenomenon and created stories about how great warriors had to go out into the wilderness to defeat them. The tale of St. George and the dragon is likely a direct descendent of this thinking.

When you think about it in more detail, you can understand why people thought dragons were real. Remember, in ancient times, there was no explanation for giant bones. Nobody had a clue what dinosaurs were, or that fossilized bones were millions of years old. For all they knew, these creatures perished recently and could live beyond the horizon. Believing in “dragons” was logical and perhaps necessary to protect yourself.

The old ideas weren’t far off eighteenth- and nineteenth-century discoveries in paleontology. Once the dinosaur age took off, it became clear that there really were giant serpent-like creatures who roamed the Earth millions of years ago, firing the public imagination.

The diversity of dragons is considerable, and one of the main motivations for National Appreciate A Dragon Day. The fire-breathing variety is the most famous, but there are others too. Some are like gargoyles found in medieval churches. Others are many-headed hydras that pop out of the ocean. Some even depict them as wyverns, basilisks, and other mythical creatures with loose connections to the real world.

Folklore experts like Carol Rose point out that dragons are essentially “composite creatures.” We tend to think of them as highly-stylized, as depicted in films like The Hobbit. But Rose notes that they can have really unusual features, including elephant trunks.

Ultimately, the idea of dragons interacting with humans fills our mind with awe and inspires us to delight our minds with fancy. Appreciate a Dragon Day asks people to share what their favorite dragon is in popular culture and tell people why they love dragons.

How to Celebrate Appreciate a Dragon Day

When it comes to celebrating Appreciate a Dragon Day, you have a lot of options.

Draw, sketch, or color in pictures of dragons. Watch your favorite dragon-themed movie with friends. Read fantasy novels about dragons, including The DragonKeeper Series. Buy or sew a stuffed dragon for you or a friend you know – it’s all totally kosher!

If you love art, you can print out a dragon coloring page. Or you can attempt to paint a picture of one of these mythical beasts from scratch if you’re feeling brave.

Another popular idea is to use the day to cook a meal fit for a dragon. What, precisely, this entails is anyone’s guess. But heavy charring is clearly an option here. You want something that involves a little fire and passion!

Another thing you can do is learn to write in Dragonese. For those of you who don’t know, this is the language that dragons speak in the film How to Train Your Dragon. The scriptwriters created an entire universe of words, waiting for you to explore them.

You can also indulge yourself in other ways. How about collecting books and movies related to dragons and starting a dragon collection? Or what about creating a dragon mosaic, hosting a puppet show, or doing all kinds of things you can think of related to dragons?

Once you start talking about dragons, you’ll be amazed by how many people love them. Don’t keep Appreciate a Dragon Day to yourself! Share this holiday with your friends and spread your love for dragons!

Source

#Peñíscola #Solsona #Santillana del Mar #Comillas #Spain #España #travel #summer 2021 #architecture #landmark #cityscape #tourist attraction #Denmark #Copenhagen #American Radiator Building #New York City #Alwyn Court #Gateway by Millie Chen #USA #Toronto #Ontario #Canada #Appreciate a Dragon Day #NationalAppreciateADragonDay #16 January #Mediterranean Sea #original photography

[cinematicct]

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Directed by Tim Burton, this twisted retelling/continuation of Lewis Carroll’s original tale integrates live-action with extensive CGI.

The live-action cast includes: Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts, Matt Lucas as the Tweedles and Mia Wasikowska as a 19-year-old Alice.

The voice cast for the CG characters include: Alan Rickman as Absolem the Caterpillar, Michael Sheen as the White Rabbit, Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat, Timothy Spall as Bayard the Bloodhound, Barbara Windsor as the Dormouse, Paul Whitehouse as the March Hare, Michael Gough as the Dodo Bird and Christopher Lee as a vicious dragon-like creature called the Jabberwocky.

The stars are not just well-chosen, but have uncanny similarities with each respective inhabitant of Wonderland. Johnny Depp’s insane flamboyance is highly suitable to the original depiction of the Hatter. He’d even speak in a Scottish accent whenever the Hatter would remember a painful memory or completely lose his mind. Helena Bonham Carter’s eccentricity in terms of acting is absolutely perfect for the Red Queen’s temperamental behavior. Anne Hathaway puts the exact touch of tenderness and loyalty to the White Queen. Crispin Glover is more than capable of portraying an arrogant Knave since he’s got quite a knack for playing unusually bizarre characters. Remarkably, even the CG creatures are designed to resemble the voice actors (Absolem having the same features as Alan Rickman for instance). As for Mia Wasikowska, she realistically embodies a headstrong girl who goes from an emotionally conflicted child to an adventurous young woman.

The visual effects involve the creation of Wonderland, along with the oddities of its characters. Almost every background is green screen to copy the nonsensical elements of Lewis Carroll’s fantasy world. The Hatter’s electrified eyes are blown up larger than normal (in post-production) and occasionally change color to reflect his emotions. At the same time, the hair and makeup for the character is very clown-like. Helena Bonham Carter’s head is digitally enlarged to three times it’s original size to represent the growing anger of the Red Queen, theoretically in the form of a swollen tumor pressing against her brain. It is also the reason for her abusive methods and childish tantrums. Only Anne Hathaway doesn’t have digitally enhanced body parts, but she always holds up her hands gracefully at shoulder height. Crispin Glover performs in motion capture on stilts to bulk up his body (as his character is in armor) and stand at a towering height. The Knave’s body is entirely computer-generated, while the only real part of Crispin Glover merged into the final design is his head. He even wears a heart-shaped eye patch. Like Glover, Matt Lucas is in motion capture as each Tweedle is pear-shaped. However, only his face is incorporated to the character(s). He also plays both peculiar boys through split-screen photography. The illusion of Alice’s miniature/towering appearance is created through forced perspective. As every animal has a personified trait (the White Rabbit being a punctual timekeeper for example), one hybrid called the Bandersnatch is a beastly creature with “claws that catch”. It has the head of a bulldog, the fur pattern of a snow leopard and the body of a grizzly bear. All together, the artistic work of Lewis Carroll’s imagination and Tim Burton’s magical direction are the main ingredients that give the film its unique, grotesque atmosphere. The movie even won an Oscar for Best Production Design (formerly known as Best Art Direction) as a result of the visionary works of art.

The costumes (which won the film a second Oscar) add an extra splash of color and creativity to the whimsical backdrop of Wonderland. Alice is first seen in a formal version of her signature blue dress. After her clothes vary in different shapes and sizes during the shrinking and growing phases, she wears a full suit of armor during the climax. It basically demonstrates the transition from a feminine protagonist to a valiant heroine. The Hatter’s wardrobe is a storage unit for his set of hat designing tools. The Red Queen’s clothing has outlines of red and heart-shaped designs (even her hair is shaped like a heart). The White Queen’s gown is completely white (along with her skin and hair), a representation of a delicate soul helpless to fight back as she vows to never harm anyone.

What’s great about this particular version of Alice is unlike other film adaptations, this movie has an engaging narrative. The lead character pursues her own destiny instead of just wandering from place to place. All the while, as Alice comes of age in Victorian society, she’s lost sense of who she originally was after her first visit in Wonderland (although filled with many curious wonders, it also represents her muddled state of mind). However, upon her return to the strange world, she is given a chance to break free from expectation and reclaim her identity. Even the Hatter is given more depth. He’d design hats of various types, but with the side effects of mercury poisoning in the process of hat-making and while frozen in time at the same tea party prior to Alice’s return, he went mad with his own syndrome. But what Alice learned from her late father that she eventually tells the Hatter to give him a touch of empathy is that sometimes, even the best people can lose their minds.

As with every Tim Burton movie in terms of music, the soundtrack includes a particular song performed by Avril Lavigne titled “Alice”. It basically details the events of Alice’s time in Wonderland through rock music.

Lastly, the central message is the seemingly impossible can be made possible for those who believe in their own significant purpose. If you like the works of Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton, I suggest watching this visually impressive film.

#Alice in wonderland 2010 #disney #lewis carroll #tim burton #johnny depp #mad hatter #helena bonham carter #red queen #crispin glover #knave of hearts #anne hathaway #white queen #mia wasikowska #alice kingsleigh #dark fantasy #twisted retelling

[drottninghaxa]

Name: Svea Matsdotter

Species: Elf

Age: 127

Gender: Female

Orientation: Heterosexual

Height: 5'10

Talents: Protection spells, resurrection spells, spying / stealth

Witch AU | Demon AU| Human AU | Male / NB AU

Early Life: Svea's story began in the Hidden Glades of Alfheim, a realm of immense beauty and ancient magic. Born into the world as a Dökkálfar, or dark elf, her existence was marked by a blend of mysterious enchantments and a predisposition towards the arcane arts of shadow. Her parents were a rare pair – Dökkálfar, like her, but with an unusual alliance with humans from the neighboring realm.

The curse that had befallen their realm was an imminent threat to all elves, regardless of their lineage, and her parents believed that cooperation with humans was the key to salvation. They worked tirelessly to forge alliances and find a way to lift the curse. However, their efforts were met with vehement opposition from the Ljósálfar, the light elves. The Ljósálfar believed that interaction with humans was a grave betrayal of elven traditions and strictly forbidden.

Tragedy Strikes: As the tension between the Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar escalated, the situation grew dire. Svea's parents paid the ultimate price for their actions, and they were brutally hunted down by the Ljósálfar for their transgressions. Their lives were cut short, leaving Svea an orphan, forever scarred by the loss of her family.

Adoption by Ivar: It was in the aftermath of this tragic event that a village elder named Ivar took her under his wing. Ivar was a wise and reclusive Ljósálfar, living on the outskirts of their forested realm. His heart was touched by Svea's plight, and he believed that she could be raised differently. Ivar knew the importance of maintaining a delicate balance in the world, and he was determined to steer Svea away from the darkness that had claimed her parents.

Transformation and Training: Under Ivar's guidance, Svea embarked on a path of transformation and redemption. The elderly elf instilled in her the beauty and power of light magic, teaching her the ways of healing, protection, and harmony. While Svea's inherent nature was dark, she honed her abilities in the light magic that was now her only source of power. She learned to weave intricate protection spells, shielding those in need and safeguarding the natural world around her.

But her curiosity and the memories of her parents' forbidden knowledge couldn't be suppressed entirely. Svea secretly delved into the arts of resurrection magic, a practice strictly prohibited by both the Dökkálfar and the Ljósálfar. The allure of bringing back life and mending what was broken was irresistible, despite the potential consequences.

Life as an Outcast: As Svea grew, she became a skilled practitioner of light magic and was highly proficient in protection spells and, secretly, resurrection magic. She continued to live with Ivar, but her existence remained on the fringes of elven society. Her unconventional upbringing and the shadow of her parents' actions left her as an outcast among her kind. She rarely ventured into the elven communities, preferring solitude and the company of her mentor, Ivar, who accepted her for who she was.

Svea's life is a tale of contrasts - a dark elf raised in the light, living in the shadows of her past, forever seeking redemption, and carrying the burden of forbidden knowledge. She walks a fine line, using her unique abilities to protect and heal, while always mindful of the unforgiving consequences that might befall her if her secrets were ever revealed.

#discord rp #supernatural rp #indie rp #rpg #period rp #open rp #rp #original rp

[dreamstory2023]

The Science of Dream Interpretation: Decoding Dreams with DreamStory

Have you ever had a dream that left you wondering what it meant? 

Dreams are like little movies that play in your head while you're asleep, and they've been a big mystery for a really long time. 

People from way back in history, like the ancient Egyptians, thought dreams were super important and full of secrets.

Dreams, much like everything else, have been an area of intrigue for scholars and researchers. 

Scientists have been studying dreams, trying to figure out what they're all about and over the years developed multiple theories about Why we dream and what they could mean. 

They've found out that some dreams aren't just random. They actually mean something, like a message from your brain. 

In this blog, we're going to take a journey into the world of dream stories. We'll learn about dreams. How they're connected to what's happening in your head and why they matter. So, get ready to explore the magic of dreams with us, where science helps us uncover the hidden tales that our dreams are trying to tell. 

Let us explore some Scientific Theories Behind Dream Interpretation:

One of the key scientific theories supporting dream interpretation revolves around Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. 

During this phase of the sleep cycle, which occurs roughly every 90 minutes, the brain experiences increased activity, closely resembling wakefulness. It's during REM sleep that vivid dreams are most likely to occur.

Additionally, research suggests that specific brain regions responsible for memory, emotions, and perception are highly active during REM sleep. This heightened brain activity serves as the foundation for understanding why dreams are such complex and often emotionally charged experiences.

Psychological Perspectives:

Dream interpretation often involves delving into the psychological aspects of the dreamer. This approach is based on the belief that dreams can be seen as a reflection of one's inner thoughts, emotions, and unresolved conflicts. Psychologists explore the emotional content of dreams, considering how they might relate to the dreamer's waking life.

Neuroscientific Insight:

Neuroscience contributes significantly to understanding dream interpretation. It focuses on the brain's role in creating and experiencing dreams. Studies have shown that specific brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and rational thinking), are less active during REM sleep. This could explain why dreams often feature unusual or illogical scenarios.

Symbolism and Hidden Meanings:

Dreams are rich in symbolism, and interpreting these symbols can provide insights into a dream's meaning. For example, common dream symbols like falling, flying, or being chased can represent underlying fears or desires. The interpretation often depends on the dreamer's personal experiences and emotions.

Cultural and Archetypal Interpretations:

Different cultures and belief systems have their interpretations of dream symbols and scenarios. Archetypal interpretations, as proposed by Carl Jung, suggest that certain symbols are universally recognized and represent common human experiences or themes. Understanding these cultural and archetypal aspects can provide additional layers of meaning to dreams.

DreamStory: Bridging Science and Interpretation

DreamStory is a dream interpretation tool that uses AI to find the meanings of the Dreams we regularly see. It tries to find recurring patterns through regular journaling of dreams. 

Let's see how DreamStory leverages these insights to interpret common dreams:

The Falling Dream: DreamStory uses the knowledge that falling dreams often signify a fear of failure or loss of control. 

By analyzing your dream journal entries and recurring patterns, it can help you recognize when these fears are most prominent in your life and guide you in addressing them.

The Flying Dream: DreamStory considers the psychological perspective and the desire for freedom or liberation from life's challenges that flying dreams may represent. It also helps you identify recurring symbols like flying, allowing you to gain insights into your aspirations and desires.

The Chasing Dream: If you frequently dream of being chased, DreamStory can help you explore the underlying emotions and fears associated with this scenario. It may indicate unresolved issues or anxieties that need attention.

Dream interpretation is a multifaceted field supported by scientific research, psychology, neuroscience, symbolism, and cultural factors. 

DreamStory combines these elements to help you journal your dreams, identify recurring patterns, uncover hidden meanings, and ultimately gain a deeper understanding of yourself. Whether you're intrigued by dream meaning, dream interpretation, or simply want to keep a dream journal, DreamStory offers the tools and insights you need to embark on a journey of self-discovery through the fascinating realm of dreams.

#dream #dreamcore #nature #dreamstory

[trustbody]

Reddit tales from the borderlands

#Reddit tales from the borderlands android#

#Reddit tales from the borderlands software#

#Reddit tales from the borderlands series#

New Tales from Borderlands It is a highly anticipated game from a very powerful studio, which had even Borderlands 3 Mini game lead to innovation award. Gearbox decided to take the torch and make a sequel to a game whose style relates to the now-defunct studio, and hopefully they will do justice to the people who worked on the first game by creating something with an engaging, deep, and physical story. While it’s sad that Telltale Games is closing its doors, it’s very promising to see the studio’s influence in the gaming world continue, as choice-based narrative adventure games aren’t something historically associated with larger IPs. New Tales From the Borderlands, the sequel to 2014's Tales From The Borderlands, has had its release date of October 21st leaked by an early Amazon listing.The new game was revealed in April of. Gearbox did well with its other deviation from Borderlands with style Wonders of Tiny Tina A D&D-like game, so you’ll likely work here too.

#Reddit tales from the borderlands software#

“You must always lie to others if you hope to be human,” reads the homepage of the upcoming game.New Tales from Borderlands It would be a Telltale Games-style narrative without the studio’s influence, so it remains to be seen how Gearbox Software can recreate the magic that made Telltale Games such a popular studio. Gepetto” and does not want to be stopped by all kinds of opponents.

#Reddit tales from the borderlands android#

The action role-playing game tells the story of the android Pinocchio, who is on the hunt for “Mr.

#Reddit tales from the borderlands series#

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S “P of Lies”Īn unusual twist on a classic awaits fans with “Lies of Pi” in 2023. So there is no shooting like the main series shooters. Like its predecessor, in this spin-off, players make choices to advance the story. The adventure tells the story of “a trio of losers who had a bright day” with the “New Tales from the Borderlands” franchise’s distinctive charm. Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S “New Tales from the Borderlands”Īlready on the 21st of October we are going back to the Borderlands. The protagonist is played by Josh Duhamel (49) and “The Boys” also stars Karen Fukuhara (30). Gamers try to escape from a maximum security prison on the Jupiter moon Callisto. The new game from “Dead Space” creator Glenn Scofield takes place in the year 2320. Starting December 2, players of “The Callisto Protocol” will be immersed in a dark science-fiction nightmare. Read Also: Aggies Rally Against Sexual Violence During Take Back Night “The Callisto Protocol” Now, a redux is obviously not a sequel, but. There is no release date for the survival MMO yet. Over at r/GamingLeaksAndRumours, a user posted two different off-screen videos of what appeared to be a trailer for Tales From the Borderlands Redux. At the same time, they also want to break new ground. According to a press release, Denis Villeneuve’s (54) blockbuster of the same name from 2021 also provides further inspiration. As the title suggests, Dune: Awakening is inspired by the classic sci-fi bicycle Dune by Frank Herbert (1920–1986). The desert planet of Arrakis seems made for an open world survival multiplayer adventure. Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S “Doon: Awakening” There’s also another drop of bitterness: There will be no reunions with Harry, Hermione, or Ron, since the whole thing ended before the events of the JK Rowling (57) row plays. But it takes time and therefore the role-playing game “Hogwarts Legacy” will not be released until Februas of the current situation. As apprentices at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, gamers experience their story in the world of “Harry Potter” and learn powerful spells.

#Reddit tales from the borderlands

[lakecountylibrary]

Magical Reads for Middle Grade

Cathy recommends some perfect middle grade reads for our Imagine Your Story summer reading theme!

A Tale Of Magic by Chris Colfer

AR book level: 6.3, 18.0 points Lexile 890

In a time when reading is forbidden for girls, and performing magic is a crime, Brystol savors every book she can get her hands on. In an effort to read more, she takes a job cleaning the library. One night, in a secret section of the library, she discovers the book The Truth About Magic by Celeste Weatherberry. Brystol learns that she has magic within herself and her world changes forever.

Magic and adventure abound in this first book in a new series that is a prequel to Colfer's The Land of Stories series. Learn about young Xanthous, Skylene, and Tangerina and other fairies, before they were a part of the Fairy Council. This book is for everyone who fell in love with the popular The Land of Stories series. (The second book in this series is due in September.)

Emily Windsnap and The Pirate Prince by Liz Kessler

AR book level: 3.9,  7.0 points Lexile 530

Emily is traveling on a cruise ship with her mom and boyfriend, Aaron, when Aaron is taken prisoner by pirates! Emily must join forces with a scruffy pirate prince, Sam, to save Aaron. Making things more difficult, Sam finds himself in a contest with his ruthless brother, in which they must figure out difficult riddles and complete tasks to locate the Trident's Treasure. Helping Sam win the contest may be the only way Emily has to ever see Aaron again. Unfortunately for Emily, the pirates consider mermaids to be bad luck, so Emily must try to remain in her human form or risk being found out.

Full of fantasy and adventure, this eighth book in the Emily Windsnap series is winner!

A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic by Lisa Papademetriou  

AR book level: 4.9, 8.0 points Lexile: 710

Kai and Leila are on opposite sides of the world. Kai is in Texas visiting her great-aunt and Leila is visiting family in Pakistan. Each girl discovers a copy of a beautiful old book, The Exquisite Corpse. But how disappointing, beside the title page and one page of print, the books are blank.

But, someone has handwritten the name “Ralph T. Flabbergast” on the printed page. Kai takes out her pen and writes, “was a complete fool” after it. The next time she opens the book, someone has written about Ralph. In fact, every time either Kai or Leila open their books, more and more of the story of Ralph and his friend, Edwina Pickle, appears on the pages in each of their copies! Sometimes Kai or Leila add comments to the story and those appear in each of their copies as well!

Not only is A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic the tale of a magical book narrating Ralph T. Flabbergast and Edwina Pickle's turn of the century story, but it is also a tale about Kai's and Leila's summer adventures and their connections to the past.  A magical and engaging summer read indeed!

See more of Cathy’s recs...

#the land of stories #emily windsnap #middle grade fiction #fantasy #a tale of magic #chris colfer #liz kessler #a tale of highly unusual magic #lisa papademetriou #LCPL recs #cathysrecs #recommended reading #YES recs

[taking-thyme]

A Guide to Changelings

The term "Changeling" refers to two varieties of Faerie-related creatures. A Changeling can either be a Fae adopted by Humans, or a Human adopted by Fae.

If a person is adopted by Fae, this essentially means that a Fae has taken a particular liking for a Human and claimed them. It’s like the Fae is adopting the Human, but the bond doesn’t necessarily have to be a parental one (although it certainly can be). It can be a Mentor/Student bond, a Friendship bond, or even a bond between Lovers! It’s most often done at Birth, but sometimes a Fae will take a Human Lover and claim them as an adult. The claim marks them as belonging to that Fae, like a brand. It creates a magical bond and also lets other Fae know not to mess with that human. (Information sourced from the marvelous @generalwitchery who has a great comic on this subject)

If a person is a Fae adopted by Humans, this likely refers to the phenomenon of Fae swapping a child with a human, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Because this Fae is now expected to function in the Human World, they can often feel out of place among other humans, as well as exhibit other strange and unexplained behavior. It's said that some folk practices may entice the Fae into taking the child back, though these practices are often horrible abusive.

Some Tell-tale Signs of a Changeling include:

🌱 Often times, in my experience, Changelings can be categorized under names such as "Highly Sensitive Person" or Autistic. In fact, the myth of Changelings may stem from people's reactions to Disabled and Autistic children before science could explain their conditions.

🌱 Feeling unusual, out of place, or underdeveloped compared to your peers. Changelings may often be bullied for seeming "strange"

🌱 Having a deep, unexplained connection to Nature or the Supernatural. They may seek out nature-based jobs and be restless or unhappy if they're not around nature, and they may dabble in spirituality and witchcraft.

🌱 Having unusual birthmarks or disfigurements. Again, this leads back to the 'Changeling as Disabled Kid' theory.

🌱 Being Left-handed

🌱 Particularly Mischievous, Intelligent, Mature, Wise, Withdrawn, Introverted, Antisocial or Strange compared to others their age

🌱 Feeling unusually cold to the touch, or having an abnormally low body temperature

🌱 Having unusual sleep patterns, such as sleeping too much, too little, or having habits like sleep talking or walking

🌱 Children and Animals seem to like them for seemingly no reason. They seem to have "good energy"

🌱 "Hearing" white noise even when its quiet

🌱 Having a higher sensitivity to Electric, Electromagnetic or Magnetic Fields, as well as having heightened sensitivity to Sunlight

🌱 Having a high frequency of supernatural encounters and interactions with the Fair Folk

Types of Changelings

🌙 Celtic Changelings: Usually sickly and small by human standards, these changelings sometimes never speak and often have strange eating habits. Some of them are described as strikingly beautiful and immensely talented, particularly in the arts.

🌙 Germanic Changeling: These folks don’t live as long as other changelings, typically leaving around young adulthood, at which time they either die, return to their Faerie home, or even both. These changelings are insatiably hungry and notably strong, much stronger than humans could ever hope to be.

🌙 Troll Changeling: Insatiably hungry, these changelings are cheerful, noisy and disruptive. They are often very strong and tall compared to others. Troll changelings love to have fun, throw parties and steal. However, they are far from actively malicious, and are instead just a wily handful at worst. Like their name suggests, these changelings are specifically the product of trolls swapping one of their children in place for a human, or alternatively, a human adopted into a troll family.

🌙 Log Changeling: Unique from the other varieties, these changelings are the result of trolls carving a human child out of an old log and giving it life. The exact opposite of the troll changeling on paper, log changelings are sedate and quiet, preferring to be alone and laze about the woods all day.

There are many, such as Dwarf Changelings who are known for their short stature and wizened personality. These are just a few examples I could find in my books and across the internet.

🍄 Remember to respect the Fair Folk, Be Kind and Never say Thank You!! 🍄

#changeling #changelings #fairy lore #fair folk #fairy witch #sea witch

[xehanortsreport]

For @khoc-week 2021, Day 1: Reference Sheet - reintroducing Spica!

They’ve changed quite a bit since the last round! So here’s the basics.

Spica Species: Dream Eater Home World: Twilit Bayou (Original World) Age: ~Late 20s Occupation: Deposed Princex, Summoner Relationships:      - Vindemiatrix (Demia): Younger sibling, rival      - Ansem, Seeker of Darkness: Partner, rescuer      - Xigbar (Luxu): Partner, mentor in Dream Eater research      - ???: A mysterious figure often crossed in Sleeping Hearts. Kind, and gentle. A friend, or perhaps an enemy? Weapon: Slumber’s Call (staff) Gender: Unassigned by tradition, goes by any pronouns

More on their backstory and personality below!

Twilit Bayou

Spica's world is set in a permanently foggy, misty, twilit bayou (hah). Constantly lit by gas lamps and settled by a society of disciplined, spiritual people, and ruled by Spica’s equally disciplined family, the mood is somber. The people are constantly in conflict with beasts warped and turned violent by the world’s natural “wild magic” that bubbles up from faults outside of the settled landscape. As such, a militia headed by the noble family is permanently employed to manage the beasts and are held in high esteem.

Similarly, another esteemed class are the summoners that run exclusively in Spica’s bloodline. Every ruler is expected to also be a master summoner--and for good reason. Dream Eaters, pulled forth from the Sleeping Realms by the summoners, are sent to help calm the wild magic afflicted beasts and make them easier to tame, or else be dealt with by the militia.The people of Twilit Bayou see the Dream Eaters as important godlike spirits, and in particular worship a special, very powerful Dream Eater that they summon during their Winter Solstice to purge their people of nightmares and put the beasts to sleep for an entire season.

Spica, at the time 15, the next in line for the throne and accomplished summoner with many lesser Dream Eaters, is one day called to prove their worth and summon the Dream Eater deity and prove themself worthy to ascend to the throne when it is their time.

Except...they don’t succeed.

Backstory

For a reason still unknown to them or those present, they mess up the summon, unable to bring it forth at all. Instead, Nightmares are brought forth, afflicting the people with sleep issues and the beasts unsettled and allowed to charge forth. The price paid by Spica was a worldwide shunning; shooed away in shame by their strict parents and seen as a portent of disaster by the townsfolk, they were kept in shameful solitude and privacy out of the public eye. Only a few servants, one a particularly funny entertainer for tired troops who taught them how to cope with humor, and Demia, Spica’s sibling, dared treat them with dignity and kindness.

Demia, though only 11 at the time, decided to cram their summoner studies into one feverish month, and then at the apex of the Bayou’s suffering, burst forth and summoned the legendary Dream Eater at an unheard of age, settling the beasts and bringing sweet dreams back to their denizens. Demia was miraculous. A genius.

Honorable, unlike Spica.

Spica was eventually sent to a boarding school, locked away as punishment and forced to restudy every lesson on summoning they had touched. Spiteful and envious, Spica used this time to work diligently to find a way to become a better summoner than Demia. They're able to summon many Dream Eater Spirits and Nightmares, and eventually traverse the realm of sleep itself.

Eventually, years pass, and during one of the winter solstice summonings, Spica manages to muscle their way to the front and snatch the summoning from Demia by summoning the Dream Eater deirt and merging with it in a never before seen ritual. It’s glorious, miraculous. Genius.

Blasphemous.

Unlike Demia, they are not praised for their innovation. Instead, they are once again persecuted, the kingdom prepared to get rid of Spica entirely. Demia, thinking in terms of sheer practicality and a mixture of wanting to save their sibling and not wanting to be shunned like Spica, made the split decision at the time of summoning to dismiss the Dream Eater with Spica still merged with it.

Floating scared and with seemingly no exit, they spent an unknown amount of time in the repeating dreams of lost worlds. This being pre-KH1, the lost worlds are not the same as those seen in DDD, but are a different set of worlds, some belonging to the Age of Fairy Tales that had been lost when that age had come to an end. To ease their loneliness and pain, they spent a long time among these worlds, learning snippets of what they have to offer.

They were able to briefly exit the realm by diving into the dreams of others, but this only lead them to live instead inside of the sealed world of another person’s dreams until that person’s sleep ends. It was disorienting, and uncomfortably personal at times, but a welcome distraction from the otherwise neverending repetition of the Sleeping Worlds.

Their grudge against Demia deepens while trapped, their bitterness expanding with no outlet. The weight of their anger and displeasure strengthened their power as a Nightmare, and thus disturbed the dreams of the humans they visit in their sleep. (One person, however, seemed resistant to these nightmares. Blond, blue eyed...a kind soul. Spica couldn’t help but be intimidated by their purity.)

Eventually, however, a rift they do not expect to see opens. It is as though another World has slipped, however briefly, into the Sleeping Realm, and a surge pulses  through the cracks. A man within a brown cloak emerged from a whirl of Darkness, seemingly confused but enthusiastic with the discovery...and then they lock eyes...or rather Spica’s eyes locked with the endless shadows underneath the hood.

Curiosity with curiosity.

After a few words of exchange, accusatory and then slowly, surely, excited, Spica introduces themself to Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness, and their savior from the Sleeping Realm. Spica at first merely accompanies Ansem out of a feeling of obligation, exiting with him into the Hollow Bastion of KH1, and merely works as a hand to help him in his plot. During their conversations, however, unusual information reached Spica’s ears: someone searching for the very keybearer Ansem was working against. Someone seeking the legendary power of Kingdom Hearts, or perhaps the good will of a keybearer, to aid their kingdom.

A certain Vindemiatrix.

Having fallen in love with the mysterious cloaked being and swearing their life to both revenge and the pursuit of the greatest power a mage could posses, Spica formally aligned with Ansem, and then later the Organization, to keep Demia from helping the Keybearers, denying her and Twilit Bayou aid.

Instead, Spica, promised a portion of the power of Kingdom Hearts by Xigbar, another beau and co-conspirator down the line, their goal becomes the need to lock Twilit Bayou in an eternal cycle of sleep as "an apology" ...and as a sort of twisted protective measure and to prove that they have mastered their sleep magic once and for all. 

Personality Notes

     - They are highly intuitive, and quick to get defensive.

     - They speak in a Valley Girl-esque dialect.

     - Flippant and easy-going, the way a lot of “lazy geniuses” are. When they don’t know something, they immediately get defensive and swear up and down that they know. (They don’t.)

     - They get a lot of joy out of being the most knowledgeable person in a group and will often feel lost or aimless if they are unable to contribute in some way to a discussion.

    - They have a hard time accepting genuine displays of affection because of family issues. Still, they're intensely loyal to Ansem and Xigbar, particularly Ansem as he's the one who pulled them out of the sleeping realm. Ironically the “inability” of Nobodies to have “emotions” makes them trust the words that come out of Xigbar’s mouth that much more. Time will tell if that is a mistake.

     - Sometimes thinks they’re still sleeping; grounding techniques are needed.

     - Despite everything, their weakness is an honest heart. They can't help but lower their defenses when no one is interested in metaphorical dick measuring and instead just genuinely wants the best for others. They’ve wandered around the sleeping Princesses of Hearts' dreams before, as well as Sora and the Soras.

     - The self-reflection said encounters hit him with are often uncomfortable and they emotionally shut down before they can think about it too long.

#if you read all of this you are amazing and i love you (platonically) thank you #KH OC Week 2021 #doodles mark ii #Kingdom Hearts #KH OC #Spica #day 1 #reference sheet #text heavy

[nabesthetics]

Draconids: Saltwater Dwellers

Description and status in the modern era

Southern High Lindwurm

Danger level: 2.5-3 Elemental affinity: Lightning Intelligence: Sapient Status: Isolated

The only surviving subspecies of sapient water-dwelling lindwurms, Southern High lindwurms are natural inhabitants of cold seas south of the main continent. Formerly encountered in the Strait of Seals, they were pushed further south by human activity, now mainly residing in both deep and shallow waters of the Frozen sea. They build their dens in natural and dragon-made caverns, with underwater entrances in the cliffsides of islands and the continent.

Physiology: Cold-blooded, omnivorous lindwurms covered with thick non-scaled skin. Most are neutral colored in blue/green-ish range, with dark stripes and/or spots; “emerald” morphs haven’t been seen in a few centuries; “ice” morphs are exceptionally rare and appear to be sterile. An average adult reaches 13 ft. in length, with some individuals glowing up to 15 ft. Ice morphs tend to be smaller, up to 10 ft. in length. No observable sexual dimorphism. Theorized average lifespan of ~150 years.

Behavior: Southern lindwurms avoid contact with humans; it is unclear whether they cannot shapeshift at all or simply prefer to remain isolated. Not aggressive, and quite social among their own, they live in communities of 7-10 individuals; rivalries between communities are rare. During winters, entrances to the dens are sealed as lindwurms hibernate for 3-4 months.

Combat: Most possess natural affinity to lightning spells, releasing the charge when biting their prey or opponent, often wrapping their long bodies around the target in the process in attempt to immobilize and/or strangle them. Spellcasters use more powerful electric spells and telekinesis. Ice morphs appear to have stronger magical abilities, though true to their name, they tend to use water and ice magic instead. Generally, lindwurms prefer to flee rather than fight, unless the den or their kin are threatened.

Shoreline High Dragon

Danger level: 4 Elemental affinity: Water Intelligence: Sapient Status: Integrated

Originating from shallow areas of Sea of Persephia, most shoreline high dragons have abandoned their original lifestyle and spread throughout the continent, blending into human society. Now they are most commonly encountered among ship crews; there is a myth of a pirate crew consisting entirely of shoreline high dragons, but actual existence of such a ship is debated.

Physiology: Warm-blooded omnivores covered in short coarse sleek fur. Most often soft green or brown; unusual colorations like “golden” or “midnight” ones used to be rare due to being targeted by predators and humans, but are becoming more common. No distinct marks aside from a light stripe on the edge of their crests and wing membrane. Relatively small dragons, generally up to 9 ft in length, with males being slightly larger. Average lifespan: 230 years.

The distinct 10 antennae are used for detecting magical and life energy currents in both air and water. Their loss makes the dragon disoriented and susceptible to illnesses, though exceptional regeneration abilities of the species allows them fully recover the antennae in about two weeks.  

Behavior: In nature, shoreline dragons would travel along sea coasts and nest in river deltas in pairs or small groups. The nomadic habits made them feel at home aboard human ships. Highly energetic, empathic and most often extroverted, shoreline dragons are one of the few draconid species that fit into human communities without trouble. However, tight bonds with humans often end with a heartbreak due to the dragons’ longer lifespan, and older individuals tend to become more quiet and reclusive over time. For the same reason, these dragons tend to form close relationships with each other – it is uncommon for a shoreline shapeshifter to work alone among humans.

Combat: Shoreline dragons aren’t naturally aggressive, but they are quite easily provoked. If fighting side-to-side with humans, they stick to the same tactics; however, in a life-threatening situation their strategy switches to overwhelming magical force. The shoreline high dragons’ magical affinity is significantly strong and versatile: their instinctual magic revolves around water element, but most of them advance their skillset with other offensive elemental spells and magic schools.

Cloud Chaser

Danger level: 3 Elemental affinity: Air/Lightning Intelligence: Beast Status: Isolated/extinct

Formerly one of the more plentiful species of lesser dragons soaring over the seas in areas with semi-tropical and tropical climate, cloud chasers were exterminated and pushed from the continent during the Dragon Conflict. It is unknown whether they are completely extinct or still reside in territories that humans haven’t reached yet. 

Physiology: Cold-blooded obligatory carnivores covered with small matte scales, sporting a wide variety of color depending on the region, characterized by light areas on long, thin webbed wings. Males’ wings were significantly darker on the outer side. Albino specimens were surprisingly common and didn’t fare much worse than the rest of their kin. Size of an adult individual varied between 15 and 25 feet in length depending on the bloodline. Average natural lifespan is unknown due to high mortality rate, but there is a legend about a cloud chaser that breached 300 years old before being hunted down.

Behavior: Cloud chasers nested on cliffsides, residing in the same territory with a mate and offspring. During the breeding season dragons flew to islands to mate, after which the females returned to their territory with a different male every year. Cloud chasers flew far from the shores to hunt large sea birds, fish and humans, when the latter began contesting the dragons by fishing. Being highly territorial, Cloud chasers would attack boats and ships that moved towards their nesting site, and became a serious threat to vessels in the Emerald sea. Resilience to heights allowed these dragons to soar over most clouds, granting them their name.

Combat: Fast and agile flyers, cloud chasers attacked smaller opponents or prey by diving from the sky, grabbing their targets and lifting them up to drop them onto cliffs or into water from high altitude. They primarily used magic to fly rather than fight, aside from a single trait that made this species especially dangerous during and shortly after thunderstorms. Cloud chasers took to the sky, actively seeking out a lightning hit; absorbing most of the electric power, the dragons could use it over the next few days to unleash devastating elemental attacks onto larger prey — or ships.

Genus: Carved Sea Serpents

A.k.a. “Sea Harvesters”

Danger level: 4 Elemental affinity: None (?) Intelligence: Beast Status: Active, uncovered

Several species of similar physiology and behavior, carved sea serpents are rarely considered draconids outside of expert circles. It is the magical traits of their bodies that prove their belonging in the Dragon Class. Unlike with most draconids, existence of carved sea serpents is a known fact, although they are still surrounded by an array of sailor tales and legends.

Appearance of these beasts in the waters of Salty Sea is very recent; their presence beyond the Strait of Seals used to be anecdotal at best, but the sightings – and attacks – became more frequent over the past few decades, for reasons yet unknown.

Physiology: Cold-blooded obligatory carnivores covered with small scales with almost sandpaper-like surface, and mineral formations that grow and spread throughout the creature’s life, starting at the neck and tip of the tail. Shape and color of the mineral varies from species to species, ranging from rough gray to agate-like rock. Black, gray, brown and teal are the most common hide colors. Legends often mention albino Harvesters or individuals covered with precious crystals, but those claims haven’t met any proper proof so far. Species of carved sea serpents range from 30 to 50 feet as old adults; legendary 100 feet-long individuals haven’t been sighted since the Dragon Conflict. Average lifespan unknown but is theorized to be above 500 years.

Behavior: Despite their uncovered status, behavior of these beasts isn’t well-studied. Carved serpents were never seen in couples or groups, and judging by scars present on most individuals they are highly aggressive towards each other. With primal magic allowing them to breathe underwater and withstand tremendous pressure, they remain in deep waters most of the time, and it’s likely that their young never ascend to the surface until they reach specific age.

There are debates around reasons why the carved serpents come up to the surface, and attack ships when they do, considering that their usual prey consists of animals much larger than humans; some of the incidents suggest that the creatures are provoked by magic use and artifacts. Adjusting ship courses and equipping them with specifically crafted harpoons has reduced the number of attacks, but reports of serpent sightings closer to the shores are concerning.

Combat: Harvesters do not appear* to possess any elemental magic attacks, instead relying on their brute force. However, the said force is enough to grant them a high danger rating, as larger specimens are capable of sinking a large ship in minutes by ramming the hull or crushing both wood and metal with their jaws.

*The creatures are most often seen during severe storms, but it isn’t known if they are simply attracted by the unrest on the surface, or actually affect the weather in any way.

Great Sea Dragon

Danger level: 4-5 Elemental affinity: Water Intelligence: Unknown Status: Active

Common figures in myths, great sea dragons do not actually appear in the internal continent seas. Their sole existence is debated even within dragonhunting circles. Ancient records claim that they did reside in the local waters once, but left by themselves during the Dragon Conflict, and now remain in the Great ocean, acting as one of the reasons humanity hasn’t been able to cross it.

Physiology: Described as serpents visually similar to many land dragons, these creatures are claimed to never stop growing, with ancient, mythical variants reaching 150 ft. long and higher due to their unknown but immensely long lifespan. They are covered in orange, red or blue scales and sport signature fins on their heads and tails.

Behavior: Unknown; old records mention sea dragon attacks on ships and even seaside cities – a sea serpent is claimed to be responsible for one of the early disastrous cataclysms in Ancient Vesuvia – but every story is accompanied with nuances that make the attacks seem to be revenge or retaliation to endangering the serpent or its young. However, if the theory of them destroying ships in the Great ocean is true, then the dragons became much more aggressive since their leave of the continent.

Combat: Great sea dragons are described to have immense destructive magical abilities revolving around controlling the waters around them, raising massive waves and creating maelstroms. Younger individuals that haven’t reached that level of magical prowess would use scalding steam as their elemental breath. Physically, they could crush boats by wrapping their long bodies around the vessel and constricting it.

#did literally anybody ask for this? no. here it is anyway #sure I COULD make my own setting... but I don't wanna bother with making geography from scratch lmao #let's call this uhhhhh #Dragonverse!Arcana #Nabesimart #the Arcana worldbuilding #except I'm just putting dragons in it #that's worldbuilding right? #idk if anyone bothers to read it but hey I'm pretty proud of those drawings so

[feather-dancer]

Tales of Arcadia Fanfic Recommendations - Part 5

Can you believe we’re here again? I certainly can’t, five fanfic recommend lists is getting a bit on the silly side and yet here we are! This one started building within 24 hours of the last one and it seems about the right time to chuck it into the wilds for peeps to enjoy.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

If at all interested in my own writing you can find it here!

General Trollhunters

Falling in the black - Jim had accepted his fate the moment he began pouring out the elixir Merlin made into the bathtub, all that was left now was to go through with it and hope he was doing the right thing.

Night of the CreepSlayerz - Morgana was defeated and the Trollhunter left Arcadia with many of it’s former residents in search of a brand new Heartstone  thus the protection of the town fell to those left behind. It is not quiet though, far from it in fact, for in the fallen Market an evil yet stirs with a siren’s song...

and in the dark i can hear your heartbeat - It’s a long trip to New Jersey and for the only human not the easiest on her feet, still she has Jim with her. Jilaire fluff.

Champion - Angor ponders over what became of the troll he once was after he was forced into servitude by the Pale Lady.

A Mutually Beneficial Relationship - By chance, Angor Rot meets the Trollhunter Tellad-Urr.

General Wizards

A wizards associate - A lovely little tale of how Archie and Douxie possibly met for the first time. You never know what your kindness might produce.

Saudade - There was always gonna be an After when the Order had been temporarily beaten back and the successor to Merlin was forced to flee to keep Nari safe but this was never going to be an easy thing to bear. Follows multiple characters including stop offs with Jim n Co. and Zoe picking up the pieces of suddenly not being in the same town as her centuries long best friend. Does eventually go Zouxie!

Eye of the Hurricane - A lost moment after arriving at Hex tech, Douxie goes to take a breather and is given the chance to chat to Zoe, freshen up and wonder what on earth they’re gonna do now Jim has been captured. Zouxie fluff.

A Bit of Simple Magic - Technically before Wizards but since it has a couple mentions directly from Wizards I’m popping it here. This is shameless Zouxie fluff based on Teny’s artwork and I am HERE for it.

afterimage - An unusual one. A popular take is that certainly Skrael and Bellroc might have been human before becoming what we know them as now and this is a little bit of dabbling with young Bells who is figuring out they don’t appreciate gender nor long hair with the expectations it brings very much.

When You Least Expect - Panic attacks can happen to anybody and if Wizards had anything to say, Douxie has an awful lot of material should one be triggered.

Cantus In Memoriam - Some mercies are gifted like a blessing but to the hands that take it, it's a lie they need more than anything. The Arcane Order has lost, it’s true, but Douxie will take no joy in ending their long vigil.

alight - I may be a tiny bit biased here because there’s a reference to Ghost!AU but you know what screw it the author is great and deserves the love. Jim wants to go back to his second life, the one he thought would have been forever before he was revived into softer flesh but there is no guarantee he will be the same as he was then. Sometimes the possible comforts are worth the leap of faith it will take to get there.

Jim the Baby-Handed - Jim is home again, human and there is no getting around how things have shifted in his absence. Sometimes however, all you need to do is ask.

Stricklake

Strange Treasures - There is an aftermath to everything, even the Eternal Night and one that leaves Barbara wondering how she stands in it and particularly with regards to a certain changeling adrift himself who had once upon a time tried to kill her son.

The Only Constant - If Walter was offered the chance access his human appearance again after the Eternal Night, would he do it for her despite it would literally be walking into the unknown?

Tumblr Drabbles - He loves Barbara, he truly does, but after everything he had done to the final insult of Angor Rot coming for his own life and in turn threatening her in the process perhaps walking away is for the best. A broken heart in exchange for her life. The second one is an entirely different and is almost innocent Strickmar fluff, almost.

Alternate Universe

Another Dark Prince (Working Title) - Fate can be a strange thing sometimes. Gunmar could have escaped the Darklands far sooner but in lacking the army to go forth with his conquest is relegated to the shadows with his son and the changelings minding them whilst seeking the reopening on the Bridge for the third time. Following this thought further, perhaps a fatal accident could have led to the death of Barbara and a five year old Jim swept into the arms of a troll he would kill in another life on a promise to the deceased to keep him safe. Wouldn’t that have been a thing?

Arcane Blight - Another horror fic! There is something rather unsettling going on in Arcadia, one that contains no trolls in the conventional sense but doesn’t stop them being here, and the household the Lakes moved into seems to be treated with fear and distrust. That said there is the chance it’s more the location that’s the issue particularly with a school existing in fear of a certain ginger haired lad...

Mohs Scale - The fantastic Don't Listen to Kafka series got a new update! Sometimes you just want to help out your bestie who is going through very weird changes as his body is slowly becoming less and less human by giving him a pedicure.

Eternal Night - Gunmar was defeated at the Eternal Night but did not die, no he survived blinded and bound in chains by the mercy of the formerly human Trollhunter. Beware, even the presumed subdued still have their teeth.

Amnesia - Jim is in a blue body that cannot be quite right but he doesn’t know why, found half drowned by trolls and taking into their care. Cut off from those who might have known his old life and flung into a new strange one without his memories this boy is in for a ride while he tries to piece back together anything that makes sense.

Hope Dies Last - Nari said they would rip his soul to shreds if they caught him during her rescue from the Order’s stronghold, she spoke a very nearly fatal truth.

Fear of Fears - An AU of an AU in a sense, an alternate take of the fabulous Sunshine series and somewhat darker as the situation that starts far more innocently rapidly spirals out of control when Jim attempts to sneak out for Halloween but even then nobody could have expected the result. Heed the warnings in the tags they’re there for a reason.

Moirai - There is a danger when you take up the Skathe-Hrün that you may gain the attentions of eyes you would much rather did not and in Claire’s case, it is the notice of the assassin Angor Rot.

He lay dreaming - A follow up in a sense to the above, sometimes on rare occasions Angor by choice or not begins to dream.

The Pursuit of Stone; A Chance Meeting - Another part of the highly recommended The Heart of Janus series that has lore threads spread far and wide, a fine example both of why I adore Sam in his chaotic... Samness and another beat in the story of Otto Scaarbach’s rise to Grand Commandant in that even in the most unlikely places you may still find an ally, a future tool to be ultilised.

The OP in the very second of typing this had a sudden realisation that when the author sees this post will no doubt start laughing for. It’s for a good reason tho, promise.

The completely unrelated to this fandom fic

hell calls hell - This Overwatch R76 fic is an absolute bruiser of a read set in an alternate universe of royalty and political intrigue that I started reading blind and... Could not stop. The summary simply is A trained assassin sent to kill an emperor and his son encounters more than he bargained for and while true, does not do justice for the sheer amount of world building bursting from every seam being as much part of the plot as the very fabric the entire thing is soaked in.

#trollhunters #Wizards #ToAWizards #Tales of Arcadia

[rabbitcruiser]

Appreciate A Dragon Day

Dragons, the magical scaly creature born from fire, have existed throughout mythology since the times of the Romans and Egyptians. Dragons, with their celestial ways and otherworldly presence, make our lives a lot more interesting, and never cease to amaze people.

Appreciate a Dragon Day is a day dedicated to learning about dragons and sharing your love for these creatures! 

History of Appreciate a Dragon Day 

Appreciate a Dragon Day began when Donita K. Paul wanted to celebrate the publishing of her first fantasy novel “Dragonspell”, part of the five-volume series, The DragonKeeper Chronicles.

Dragons have always been popular, existing in the mythology of cultures from all over the world. Dragons inspire us and fill us with fear at the same time. Western dragons have always been depicted as fearsome creatures to either overcome or have a kinship with, while eastern dragons were typically equated with the royalty and heavenly forces, depending on the culture.

Nevertheless, dragons also tend to represent the conquering of the spiritual soul, as they are related to many of the human emotions that block the way to enlightenment. Dragons in modern culture have always been a place of fascination for them, as many authors and filmmakers have helped transform the image of a dragon to something people can admire.  

Some of the most famous stories to depict dragons are seen in Tolkien, Ursula, and J.K. Rowling’s novels. In films, movies and TV shows such as How to Raise a Dragon, Game of Thrones, and Eragon have helped shape the way people see dragons and ultimately fall in love with them. Dragons have existed since the earliest parts of history and have appeared in many different forms with many different alignments of good and evil.

The depictions of dragons tend to differ by culture. In ancient times, most societies had an ambivalent view of dragons. Like any other creature, these giant flying serpents had both a good side and a bad one. 

In the West, however, attitudes towards dragons changed with the advent of Christianity in the late Roman era. Suddenly, dragons became associated with evil because of their serpentine nature and needed vanquishing. Some people believed that dragons were a real phenomenon and created stories about how great warriors had to go out into the wilderness to defeat them. The tale of St. George and the dragon is likely a direct descendent of this thinking.

When you think about it in more detail, you can understand why people thought dragons were real. Remember, in ancient times, there was no explanation for giant bones. Nobody had a clue what dinosaurs were, or that fossilized bones were millions of years old. For all they knew, these creatures perished recently and could live beyond the horizon. Believing in “dragons” was logical and perhaps necessary to protect yourself.

The old ideas weren’t far off eighteenth- and nineteenth-century discoveries in paleontology. Once the dinosaur age took off, it became clear that there really were giant serpent-like creatures who roamed the Earth millions of years ago, firing the public imagination.

The diversity of dragons is considerable, and one of the main motivations for Appreciate A Dragon Day. The fire-breathing variety is the most famous, but there are others too. Some are like gargoyles found in medieval churches. Others are many-headed hydras that pop out of the ocean. Some even depict them as wyverns, basilisks, and other mythical creatures with loose connections to the real world. 

Folklore experts like Carol Rose point out that dragons are essentially “composite creatures.” We tend to think of them as highly-stylized, as depicted in films like The Hobbit. But Rose notes that they can have really unusual features, including elephant trunks. 

Ultimately, the idea of dragons interacting with humans fills our mind with awe and inspires us to delight our minds with fancy. Appreciate a Dragon Day asks people to share what their favorite dragon is in popular culture and tell people why they love dragons.  

How to Celebrate Appreciate a Dragon Day 

When it comes to celebrating Appreciate a Dragon Day, you have a lot of options. 

Draw, sketch, or color in pictures of dragons. Watch your favorite dragon-themed movie with friends. Read fantasy novels about dragons, including The DragonKeeper Series. Buy or sew a stuffed dragon for you or a friend you know – it’s all totally kosher!

If you love art, you can print out a dragon coloring page. Or you can attempt to paint a picture of one of these mythical beasts from scratch if you’re feeling brave. 

Another popular idea is to use the day to cook a meal fit for a dragon. What, precisely, this entails is anyone’s guess. But heavy charring is clearly an option here. You want something that involves a little fire and passion!

Another thing you can do is learn to write in Dragonese. For those of you who don’t know, this is the language that dragons speak in the film How to Train Your Dragon. The scriptwriters created an entire universe of words, waiting for you to explore them. 

You can also indulge yourself in other ways. How about collecting books and movies related to dragons and starting a dragon collection? Or what about creating a dragon mosaic, hosting a puppet show, or doing all kinds of things you can think of related to dragons?

Once you start talking about dragons, you’ll be amazed by how many people love them. Don’t keep Appreciate a Dragon Day to yourself! Share this holiday with your friends and spread your love for dragons! 

Source

#St. Michael and the Dragon #Appreciate A Dragon Day #AppreciateADragonDay #16 January #Mora #Sweden #New York City #Manhattan #USA #travel #summer 2018 #2020 #2019 #American Radiator Building #Heiliger Georg #St. George #Rostock #Germany #Empire Trust Company Building #Gateway by Millie Chen #Toronto #Canada #Alwyn Court #San Francisco #Chinatown #Los Angeles #Nordre Toldbod #Copenhagen #Denmark #Church of Old Uppsala

[my-queer-collection]

Subtext

Anime: Mysteria Friends

Welcome to Mysteria Academy, where the secrets of magic are taught to an eager student body composed of humans, gods and demons. Of course, it takes an unusual degree of tolerance for these groups to mingle freely, but thanks to this unusually diverse and inclusive educational experience, the most unlikely friendships are bound to spring up. Which is how Anne, a human honor student who happens to be a Princess, finds herself growing increasingly close to Grea, a half-human/half-dragon who also happens to be a Princess.

Sure, fairy tales would have you believe that relationships between Princesses and Dragons are bound to end up badly, but that doesn't take bonding while shopping and trips to the beach into account, let alone the fact that what they're feeling may be a little more than just friendship!

Title: Mysteria Friends

Publisher: Sentai Filmworks

Format: Blu-Ray

Voice Acting: Subtitles and Dubbed

Run Time: 150 minutes

Steam Level: Not Steamy

Link: https://www.rightstufanime.com/Mysteria-Friends-Blu-ray

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Another anime I knew nothing about but looked interesting so I picked it up on sale. I am so glad I did. It’s a short series at only 10 episodes and each episode is only 15 minutes long, it feels longer in a good way. It was only after watching it (not sure why I picked up the limited edition box for something I knew nothing about) that I read the special booklet that came with the box set and learned this was based on a game called Rage of Bahamut (this anime is a sort of prequel outside the game storyline) and the original Japanese voice actresses that voiced the game characters, Grea and Anne, did so here in the anime too. Way cool they could get them to do that. Even though it’s based on a game, I didn’t feel like I was missing something or lost as to what was happening. The characters were engaging and fun, the art was gorgeous, and the music perfect. After looking around the internet about this, I found out this project had been announced, then delayed and thought dead until Cygames picked it up. I could not find anything about a sequel series (I’m holding out hope for one.) There were also a couple of people saying that in the scene where they’re swimming, it really looks like they kiss (you see their shadows get closer) but I don’t think they actually do because the way they act around each other doesn’t change and the last episode feels more like two close friends (secretly crushing on each other) getting closer and an off screen kiss without any acknowledgement of it afterwards doesn’t feel like something this beautiful and wonderfully paced anime would do. When I watched this there were a lot of those “I have a crush on this person” clichés that makes me think if we got a sequel there would be a love confession, that’s why I put this down as “subtext.” As much as I would have loved to seen them get together here, I think with the pacing of this anime that it would’ve been too quick and not quite right to do in this set of 10 episodes. Cross your fingers for more!

#anime #physical #dvd #not steamy #fantasy #slice of life #series #complete for now #complete #violence #wlw #girl love #gl #yuri #magic #dragons #highly recommended #blu-ray #youtube