#monster roper shell

[batneko]

I apologize for blorboposting with a prokopetz quote but it wouldn't leave my brain.

(insert obligatory "well stop sucking it like an idiot then" joke here)

#one punch man #opm #mumen/garou #mumarou #mumen rider #garou #licenseless rider #mumen x garou #my art #saigenos #saitama x genos #genos #saitama #do-s #monster roper shell

[no1monstersimp]

Imagine trying to fight monster, imagine being in an intense battle, and you look over to see this display next to you.

#one punch man #opm #monster roper shell #hes...hes... #sometimes i read opm and have to just sit there for a few minutes pondering #still funny how they think there are no fruity characters

[opmfics-hcs]

Heroes and where would they bring their S/O on a date:

A romantic candle lit dinner in a fancy restaurant

Amai Mask,Fubuki, Tatsumaki, Snek, Spring Mustachio, blue fire

A nice homemade dinner he/she made for you at home

Saitama,Genos,Mumen Rider,King, lily

Classic Diners. Milkshakes and Burgers&Fries.

Metal bat, Golden Ball, Stinger, Iaian, Tank top master, blue fire, glasses

Amusement park dates

Metal bat, Mumen Rider, Golden Ball, Stinger, Genji, Lightning Max

Shopping Spree!

Fubuki, Flashy flash, Okamaitachi, Snek, Saitama (grocery shopping date), Lightning Max (shoe shopping), Narcissistoic, lily

Spa time

Fubuki, Flashy flash, Narcissistoic, captain mizuki, lily

Will being their S/O to a bar

Golden ball, Bushidrill, Atomic Samurai, One shotter, zombieman,

Gym date

Tank top master, Tank top vegetarian, Iaian (in his case, training with S/O at the dojo), Captain Mitsuki

Arcade Date

Metal bat, King, Saitama, Mumen Rider, Superalloy Darkshine

A nice Picnic at the park

Bang, Atomic Samurai, Saitama, Genos, Spring Mustachio, Stinger, glasses

Brings their S/O to a nice cozy cafe/tea house

Bang, Atomic Samurai, Iaian, Snek, Amai Mask, Shadow ring, glasses

All you can eat buffet

Pig god

Netflix and Chill

Monster roper shell, tank top black hole,

#one punch man king #one punch man #opm saitama #mumen rider #demon cyborg #caped baldy #opm king #metal bat #opm tatsumaki #opm fubuki #opm bang #opm atomic samurai #opm Iaian #pig god #monster roper shell #sweet mask #amai mask #superalloy darkshine #opm snek #lighting max #opm genji #opm stinger #captain mizuki #opm narcissistoic #opm lily #opm zombieman #flashy flash #opm tank top master #opm Okamaitachi #Bushidrill

[strangebindingshell]

#strange binding shell #monster roper shell #opm #one punch man #strange binding shell opm #where did he even learn to do that #i bet he has one of those rope hanging beds #c-class #tbh he deserves to be in b-class atleast

[mixreality]

HIM:     HIS PET: HIS HOME:     HIS WORK:

#Monster roper shell #opm #one punch man #onepunchman #cat #rope #ropes #shibari #more memes #!

[gofancyninjaworld]

Don’t you know who I am?

Because apparently, people not knowing who you are is anathema to many a hero, a surprising number of heroes put some name on themselves.

1. The Grand Mac Daddy of ‘em All: Blast

2.  Tastefully Understated

3. Understated, but not so tasteful

4. It comes with the career track

5. I really like my hero name

6. You don’t need to be a hero to wear your name on the outside

I’d like to say that this dude is a little too full of himself

but he’s actually toned it down from what he used to wear

7.  This is just sad

Not even a name, just a position literally held by a hundred other people.

I guess you have to be a little bit mad and a little bit self-regarding to be a hero. :D  Have I missed anyone?

#OPM #meta #manga caps #Blast #Captain Mizuki #Genos #One-Shotter #monster roper shell #Poison #hero names

[jonjmurakami]

#pungeonsanddragons • Bad puns of Dungeons & Dragons monsters: 83121 • Piercer • the larval form of a Roper. It has a rock-like shell that makes it look like a stalactite. The shell protects its soft slug-like body that lets it move across cavern walls and ceilings to position itself for prey. With the eye and mouth closed, it appears like any other rock formation. • Do it, do it, do it… •i have a lot of projects, commissions, & deadlines so starting in Sept, I’m gonna post P&D 1x wk vs daily unless I manage to find time. •Keep smiling and stay safe, everyone! 🙂 •Feeling tipsy? 😊 ☕️ ko-fi/jonjmurakami ☕️ #jonjmurakami #dandd #copic @copic_official_us #copicmarkers #comic #comicstrip #cartoon #dungeonsanddragons #dungeonsanddragonsmonsters #dungeonsanddragonscreatures #dungeonsanddragonsfanart #pun #puns #piercer #peerpressure https://www.instagram.com/p/CTRSFrSHdxj/?utm_medium=tumblr

#pungeonsanddragons #jonjmurakami #dandd #copic #copicmarkers #comic #comicstrip #cartoon #dungeonsanddragons #dungeonsanddragonsmonsters #dungeonsanddragonscreatures #dungeonsanddragonsfanart #pun #puns #piercer #peerpressure

[f107group4]

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧!

Have you ever seen this epic battle between Jack Sparrow and the legendary Kraken? Let’s meet the real-life origin of the horrifying Scandinavian mythological sea monster — the Giant Squid (Architeuthis).  

CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom: Animalia  

  Subkingdom: Bilateria

     Infrakingdom: Protostomia

        Superphylum: Lophozoa

           Phylum: Mollusca  

              Class: Cephalopoda  

                 Subclass: Coleoidea

                    Superorder: Decabrachia

                       Order: Teuthida

                          Suborder: Oegopsina

                             Family: Architeuthidae  

                                Genus: Architeuthis  

                                   Species: Architeuthis dux

(ITIS, nd)

BIOLOGY 

A Global Sensation

Squids can be found in all the marine waters of the world, usually in continental and island slopes (see picture below). Some species occur in neritic and oceanic zones. However, salinity is a limiting factor for squids. In general, they prefer salinity concentrations between 27 and 37‰. They are also rare in tropical and high polar altitudes since colder temperatures are more favorable for them (Vaughan, 2000; Jereb et al., 2010). 

(Wikipedia Common, 2014)

Given these factors, many oceanic species undergo diel vertical migrations within 200 to 1000 m depth. During the daytime, their habitat range extends from 200 to 700 m with some deeper-living organisms at 600 to 1000 m depth. When nighttime comes, they ascend to the uppermost 200 m (Jereb et al., 2010). 

Insides, Out!

(Pechenik, 2015)

A squid can easily be distinguished by its external anatomy. The body is bilaterally symmetrical. It has an elongate, cylindrical, and soft body with fins on each side of the mantle (posterior end). The mantle covers the mantle cavity that houses the internal organs. Also, they have ten appendages (eight arms and two longer tentacles) stretching anteriorly from the head. These extremities have suckers or hooks, making them powerful tools in seizing prey (Jereb et al., 2010). 

(Weaver, 2012)

Squids are under Phylum Mollusca, but its ancestral mollusk shell was reduced to the gladius or pen (see picture above). A pen is a chitinous structure usually rigid but others are thin and flexible. This loss led to the development of a strong muscular mantle that is very useful for fast swimming, specifically through the help of the funnel (Jereb et al., 2010). 

The way they move is also the way they breathe! When squids respire, water goes into the dorsal mantle opening to the mantle cavity, bathes the pair of ctenidia (gills) with oxygenated water, and goes out through the funnel on its ventral side. The discharged water completes respiration, carries urine and metabolic wastes, and enables burst movement called jet propulsion. They also use their funnel for excreting ink (dark viscous fluid) and female reproductive products (eggs and egg masses) (Jereb et al., 2010). 

With an active locomotory system, their circulatory system should be efficient. Squids have a close circulatory system with a systemic heart, two branchial hearts, and developed arteries, veins and capillaries that delivers blood to and from their muscles and organs. Aside from this, short bursts and escapes became more feasible because these organisms are ammoniotelic. They excrete ammonium ions (by the gill epithelium and renal appendages) to the surrounding water; thus, making it less dense (Jereb et al., 2010). The water is basically giving them a lift! 

(Chokky, 2019)

Squids have a highly developed nervous system. In contrast with the molluscan nerve ring, they have a large brain and peripheral connections. They also have a remarkable vision. Their large eyes are comparable to a vertebrate, with a lens that focuses images on the retina. Moreover, the nervous system also has control over their ability to change colors. Chromatophores are pigment-filled sacs in the skin that can expand and contract. Controlling the size of these cells can lead to changes in color and even create patterns (Jereb et al., 2010).

Just Wanna Chill

Scientists believe that it is unlikely for a giant squid to survive in the tropics. In the warm waters, its blood cannot contain enough oxygen suffocating the squid. It will rise to the surface waters, but will not be able to dive and return to the deep. (Vaughan, 2000).

Away from Tsimosa’s

Most of the reproduction of giant squid is unclear. They are thought to replicate only once during their hypothetical life period of five years. In the posterior end of the mantle cavity, females have a single median ovary. Females develop a lot of eggs about 0.5-1.4 mm long and 0.3-0.7 mm wide weighing 5000 grams numbering millions. Then the eggs pass through paired, convoluted oviducts then exit via the oviducal glands, and large nidamental glands that produce substantial amount of gelatinous material (Vaughan, 2000).

 Unlike other squids, a male giant squid do not use the hectocotylus to transfer sperm. Instead, the spermatophore is released from the penis and sticks out through the funnel. The male directly injects sperm packets into the arms of the female (Roper, 2018).

It is not known how the eggs are fertilized. Researchers hypothesize that the sperm will pass through her arms to internally fertilize the eggs or spermatophores now in the arms of the female will cause the ovaries to release jelly-bound eggs that she carries in her arms. Then the sperm senses the eggs nearby and migrates to fertilize the eggs in that direction. 

Food Habits

While scientists did not observe a giant squid feeding, the stomachs of squids washed up on beaches were cut open to see what they had recently eaten. Giant squids often consume deep-water fish and other squids including their own kind. They will also attack schools of fish from below, rising rapidly into shallower waters to catch a meal before retreating away to safer depths (Roper, 2018).

 By using their two long feeding tentacles, they capture their prey. To grip the prey, the tentacles are shot out. The suckers take hold of the prey on the tentacle tips and the tentacles contract, taking the prey to the arms. The arms then subdue the prey further, dragging it towards the big, sharp beaks. A huge collection of muscles operates the beaks that allow them to bite through just about anything that the squid might catch. But before being digested, the giant squid's bite-sized bits of food require more shredding. The tongue is fitted with an organ known as the radula, lined with thin, file-like rows of teeth. Before the tongue forces it down the esophagus to the digestive organs, the radula further shreds the meal (Vaughan, 2000).

 A Calamari Buffet

(Rebloggy, 2014)

The adult giant squid has very few predators. The sperm whale is the strongest and perhaps the only one. They have many predators, mainly deep sea fishes, as babies and juveniles. Once giant squids get past a certain size, they have outgrown the size of most of their possible predators (Vaughan, 2000).

 In the stomachs of sperm whales, scientists have discovered beaks of giant squids. as well as other undigested bits of a giant squid . In addition, beach-stranded sperm whales were found with sucker marks on their skin, battle wounds large enough that they could only have been inflicted by a giant squid (Roper, 2018).

RELATIONSHIP WITH HUMANS 

Humans have limited information about the giant squid as this mysterious cephalopod has kept its secrets well guarded. However, since the giant squid, like any other squid species, has a sophisticated nervous system and a large brain, scientists have shown great interest in studying this gigantic cephalopod (Marinebio, 2020). 

Also, a giant squid's flesh is said to contain ammonium ions. These ions aid the animal in maintaining its buoyancy, particularly at greater depths like in the ocean’s twilight zone. Although the ammonium ions help the animal in its buoyancy, it gives its musculature a bitter taste which is inedible to humans— making this animal of no interest as a fishery commodity (Jeber & Roper, 2010).

Nevertheless, giant squids are considered keystone species in the deep-sea food web as deep-diving whales, e.g. sperm whales, prey on them.

WHAAAT THE FACTS!!

We have already been very much fascinated with this creature. But wait, there's more! We are yet to spill some teaaaaa 🍵! Here are four WHAT THE FACTS about Giant Squid that you should know!

1. It’s “SQUID”, not “squid”

Giant squids are the largest invertebrates on Earth. According to evidences, giant squids can grow up to a maximum length of about 43 feet - about the same size of a regular bus. They also have gigantic eyes, about the size of a basketball, that allows them to see on their lightless deep-sea environment.

2. Not a coffee, but 3-in-1

Giant squids have three hearts. Like any other squid, giant squids also have a median heart that pumps oxygenated blood throughout the body, which it receives from two smaller ones that pump blood through the gills.

3. The BIGGER, the BETTER

For these creatures, size does matter. Giant squids are said to have penises that are about a yard long, no wonder female giant squids are bigger compared to male - to handle BIG troubles just in case love rings the bell.

4. Do not Dunk n' the Donut

For our last tea, we are serving it with a sweet treat -a giant squid's brain! The brain of a giant squid is donut-shaped. But it's not as fancy as you think. Its esophagus passes through the hole in the middle of its brain making every meal very critical for this creature. Unbroken pieces of food can rub against its brain and cause damage.

 References

Chokky. (2019). Big Brain Markiplier [GIF]. Tenor. Available from: https://tenor.com/view/big-brain-markiplier-gif-14835823

ITIS. (n.d). Architeuthis dux  Steenstrup in Harting, 1860. Available from: https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=556512#null

Jereb, P. & Roper, C. F. E. (eds). (2010). Cephalopods of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 2. Myopsid and Oegopsid Squids. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes. No. 4, Vol. 2. Rome, FAO. 605p. 10 colour plates.

Jereb, P., Roper, C. F. E., & Vecchione, M. (2010). Introduction. In: P. Jereb & C. F. E. Roper (Eds.), Cephalopods of the World (pp. 1-33). FAO. 

Mancini, M. (2015). 20 Freaky Facts About the Giant Squid. Available from: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63719/20-freaky-facts-about-giant-squid

Marinebio. (2020). Giant Squid. https://marinebio.org/species/giant-squid/architeuthis-dux/

National Geographic Society. (n.d.). Giant squid. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/g/giant-squid/

Rebloggy. (n.d.). Squid vs Whale [GIF]. Available from: http://rebloggy.com/post/gif-black-and-white-under-the-sea-squid-squid-vs-whale/92281691430

Pechenik, J. A. (2015). Biology of Invertebrates (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. 

Weaver, T. (2012).  Pen of the extant squid Loligo by Dr. Isobell Bennett [Photograph]. NC Museum of Natural Sciences Research Blog. Available from: https://naturalsciencesresearch.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/some-cephalopods-inking-about-squid-pens/

Wikipedia Common. (2004). File:Architeuthis distribution.png. [Photograph]. Available from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Architeuthis_distribution.png

#squid #giant squid #kraken #aquatic invertebrates

[ask-de-writer]

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 19 of 83 : World of Sea

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to World of Sea

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

Part 19 of 83

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

copyright 2020

written 2007

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

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Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users   of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may   reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information   remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in   my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical   compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

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New to the story?  Read from the beginning.  PART 1 is here

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Chapter 5: Strangers at the Gathering

The night before the Gathering was due to begin officially, two strange, large ships came up and hove to, about a half mile off from the anchorage.  They had arrived during the dark of the moons, and none had noted their coming.  With the dawn, none could miss the strangers.  

One was a monster by any definition.  All visible parts of the ship were jet-black.  It was pretty long, but several ships in the Naral fleet were longer.  What made it so big was that it had two three hundred foot hulls, with rakish shearwater bows.  The hulls were spanned from bows to sterns by a large flat expanse, perhaps two or three decks thick.  It was hard to tell at this distance.  There was a raised navigation bridge about forty feet back from the bows.  For masts it had three pairs of poles that were fastened together at the tops by spacious platforms and possibly a hundred feet tall.  They formed ‘A’ frames that spanned the ship from side to side.  There were no visible spars and the rigging, though present, seemed sparse.

Its companion was about two hundred and eighty feet long, also with twin hulls, but there, any similarity stopped.  Its hulls were unequal in size, the smaller one being fully eighty feet shorter.  Both hulls were narrow, almost knife like, and it had three masts, off the center-line of the craft, closer to the larger hull.  They seemed far too short.

Small boats were sailing in from the big ships.  They were twin hulled as well.

“Those ships are weird, and those little boats are weirder, too.  Never seen anything like ‘em,” said a sailor to anybody.  

Juris, the Longin’s Master Boat-builder, replied, “Catamarans they’re called.  They’ve been played with from time to time.  Fast aren’t they?  Never heard of making one as a ship, before, let alone two.”

By this time, the two boats were tying up at the floats.  Master Juris noted, without saying anything, that they were tied up with quick release knots.  Each crew formed a shield around one person from their boat.  

From the unequal hulled ship this person was a man of medium height, apparently the Captain.  He wore his black hair complexly braided. He had a loose shirt, tied at the waist by tails made for the purpose and snug trousers tucked into wide topped soft boots.  His crew wore variations on the theme.

From the larger ship, the individual was a woman whose red-brown hair was worn tied back in a fall.  She wore a loose shirt, similar to the other man’s but with a belt of large polished black overlapping scales, each decorated with an inlaid medallion of polished shell. Supported by the belt were a  flattish kit and a large but empty knife scabbard at her left hip and a long empty scabbard of strange design at her right.  Her loose pants bloused down and tucked into the tops of snug, calf high boots made of glittering green Lesser Sea Dragon hide.  A document case of tanned Strong Skin leather under her left arm, the lady simply reached up to one of the bollards the climbing net was secured to and pulled herself up to deck level with her right arm.  None of her crew seemed to notice her feat as they swarmed up the net.

The woman spoke to the gawkers in an accent full of lilting overtones, “Where do we find the ones in authority here?  We wish to present our credentials.”  Some of the people tore their eyes away from the visitor’s outlandish garb and pointed out the Council Pavilion.

Kurin, who was among the curious watchers, turned to Master Juris and said in surprise, “She must be as strong as Cat was.  Did you see how she just reached up to the raft rim and pulled herself up one handed until she could sit on the edge?”

“Yes,” he replied.  “She had that package of documents in her left hand. It was like she never even gave it a second thought.”

Roper said, “I noticed that all of the others used both hands to get up onto the raft.”  He paused and added untactfully, “I thought that Captains were supposed to be picked for brains.”

“Maybe she was,” Kurin shot back.  “Not everyone who’s strong is stupid.”

“You’re right,” replied Roper, abashed.  “Cat was strong and smart.”

Their men standing guard outside, the two Captains, for such they were, went inside the Council Pavilion.  Captain Sarfin of the Dorton, was seated at a writing table working on the agenda of the Council.  He was the leader of the Council again this Gathering.  He looked up and smiled.

“If you come in peace, then welcome to the Spring Gathering of the Naral fleet.”

Relief flooded the features of the two.  The woman spoke first again.  “I am Captain Sula Corin Dark Dragon, Commander of the Winternight ship Dark Dragon, come from and representing the Corlis fleet.  We do seek permission to conduct some business, but mainly, we are seeking information.”  She handed her document package to Sarfin, who examined it with interest, and made notes in his ledger.  

“I Captain Huld Barsan Soaring Bird of the Barant fleet am,” said the man, speaking clearly but with odd construction.  “Also information seeking I am.  Opportunity to trade welcome is.”

Catpain Sarfin noted, “I see that your one set of documents is for both ships.  That is unusual.”

Sula smiled easily and said, “The Barant fleet is unusual, and the Honored Huld is even more so.  The Barant fleet does not set much store on written credentials.  The existence of a ship is license enough.  From the day that we met, we have been what the Barant fleet call ‘Dragon Bonded.’  Mutual obligations have made our lives inseparable, save by fate.  Because of our Dragon Bond, the Corlis fleet issued those credentials.”

“Very sensible,” laughed Sarfin.  “Sometime, when I am not so busy, I would like to hear your tale.  For now, I will have the Anchorage Master assign your ships to berths close by each other.  Permission to trade goes with that.  There is a fee of five hundred glue blocks or fifty Strong Skins, or an equal value in other trade goods.  Also, you must sign the Gathering’s Log Book.”  He proffered a book, opened to a page, and a feather pen.  Sula took the pen and examined it, then handed it back.

She produced a writing case from her sash-belt and took out a  fine tipped brush and a pen made of springy bone.  She inked  the brush first and wrote a neat vertical line of strange characters.  Then she dipped her pen into the case’s ink well and began writing, neatly, without any blot.

She filled in her ship’s, name, principal officers and nature of her business.  At the top of the next page, Huld applied two stamps from his writing kit, selected a brush and signed his ship’s name after one stamp and his own name after the other in unusual characters that Captain Sarfin recognized as written Barant.  He put back the brush and took a pen like Sula’s to fill out the rest of the information in Common.

“If there should be a problem in making payment,” said Sarfin, examining the entries with interest, “I am sure that I can get the Council to reduce or waive the fee.  After all, you have come half-way around the world to be here.”

Sula smiled, “I think that there will be no problem with payment.  The Dark Dragon is a dedicated Predator Hunter.  We take Wing Ray, Strong Skin, Moon Flats, Lesser Dragons and Hags.  We also take all of the usual fish.”

“I help may need.  Cargo luxury is, nor valued yet.”

“Honored One, I shall cover it for you, until the market values your goods,” said Sula pressing her hands together and making a small bow.

“That is settled, then,” said Sarfin.  “Now, what information is it that has brought you both so far?”

“We are trying to find the truth of rumors that there was a Great Sea Dragon — Some say Iren and some Mecat — that stayed with a ship of a fleet.  So far, all that we have found are rumors.  Truly, we are about to give up.  We have traveled half around Sea with nothing to show for the trip but some exotic trade goods.”

Grinning broadly, Sarfin said, “Oh, the Dragons are real enough.  I saw them myself.  However, your best information will come from the crew of the Longin, particularly, their Purser, Alor, their Captain Mord, and especially the young girl Kurin, who keeps a toy booth in the market portion of the rafts.”

Sula and Huld looked at each other in delight.  

“We have found them!”

“Here Dragon knowledge!” their voices crossed each other.

Huld added thoughtfully, “Meditate I must on this event when to the Soaring Bird return I.”

“Yes,” Sula added matter-of-factly. “Will you request that one of your Captains carry word to the Corlis fleet when you do?”  With a curious small bow to her, Huld replied, “Done it shall be.”

Returning her attention to Captain Sarfin, Sula asked, “Does your custom or law allow my crew to carry their personal sidearms?  We normally carry both a large combat knife and a small ax.”  She indicated her empty scabbards.  “I will guarantee that any of my crew who come the Gathering hooded will not be armed.  That will limit their response to any attempt at baring their faces to unarmed combat.”

Captain Sarfin regarded Sula carefully and said, “Why would they fight over something like that?”

As Captain Sula, showing the first trace of nervousness that Captain Sarfin had seen in her, replied, “Winternight regards such an assault as worse than rape.  If the hooded Winternighters are armed, the odds are good that they will kill the assailant before they have time to think.  To be honest, I am not fully comfortable without my hood and I adopted onto the Dark Dragon at the start of the first Boren Current War.”

Captain Sarfin thought carefully and replied, “It is legal for your people to be armed because such an issue has never come up before.  Let your crew know that our law and custom will require a non-lethal and preferably non-injurious response.”

Sula smiled again and bobbed her head.  “I can do that.  It is the same in our host, the Corlis fleet.”

The far away rattle of a tocsin drum and the exotic, never before heard in the Naral fleet, calls of a bugle or trumpet caused everyone on the rafts or on shipboard to drop what they were doing and watch. Eight large pulling boats came out from between the bows of each ship and picked up cables dropped from bollards at the prows.  The big strangers began to move slowly toward their berths on the north side of the anchorage.  The drum and horn fell silent except for occasional tiny course corrections.

A spectator on the raft, close to Master Juris said, “They’re so slow that I could have walked that distance, up and down the deck, by now.”

“I’m sure that you could have,” Master Juris smiled.  “But pulling two thousand tons might slow you down just a mite.  That’s some fine piloting that you’re seeing.  They aren’t letting the load get away from them.  The real test will come in just a bit, when they pull up to the anchorage floats.”

Kurin joined them.  “Sorry that I’m late, but I knew the ships had to be slow and I had some toy customers.”

“What did you sell?” asked the spectator idly.

“One of my loom kits and a rope winder,” said Kurin.

Master Juris turned from watching the ships at that last.  “You mean that those things that you made at the suggestion of the fleet’s Craft Council last Gathering are already selling?  They’re expensive.”

“They are,” she said, putting her head in her hands in mock frustration. “The Masters are coming to see if I’ve made what they asked me to, back last Gathering.  The way they look the toys over is driving me as crazy as a mating paddle duck.  They can’t seem to put anything back the way it was.  The only consolation is that they return with other people and get them to buy.”

Just then drum and horn sounded, and all else was put aside to see what the strangers would do next.  It was unorthodox.  The pulling boats, that could now be seen to have a dozen oars each, darted back, between the hulls of each of the two monsters, under the massive decks that bridged them.  You could see the lines draw tight as the boats applied all the power at their command to stop the ships.  They slowed gradually and stopped — — — exactly at the floats.  One boat came out from under each ship, and attached its cable to the float.  A second, light line was cast down from above and tied to the end of the cable.  Each boat disappeared back between the hulls of the mother ship and did not emerge.

“Neatly done,” said Master Juris, ruffling Kurin’s hair.  “These folk are good seamen, whatever else they may be.”

Kurin and Master Juris were not the only ones to watch the strangers come to moorage.

“Luve, Somet’ing’s bot’ering ye.  Ye keep lookin’ at t’ose twa new ships,” Tanlin said softly to Barad.  Two of the Grandalor’s deck-hands were following her attentively.

“Aye,” said Barad urgently, knowing that they would be overheard.  “You have been reading in my bookshelf to familiarize yourself with our way of writing.  Think.  What ships do they remind you of?  They always worked as a pair.”

Tanlin bit a knuckle lightly as she concentrated.  “ — But t’e Boren Current Wars were ‘alf t’e world away an Gat'erin’s agone! — Still, t’ose masts are unique.  T’ay ‘as t’ be t’e Dark Dragon an’ t’e Soaring Bird!  Yer books say t’at t’ey ‘ave sunk more t’an t’irty ships in t’ose wars.  W’at are t’ey doin’ ‘ere, Oi wonder?”

TO BE CONTINUED

<==PREVIOUS   NEXT==>

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to World of Sea

#SEA DRAGON’S GIFT #Part 19 of 83 #World of Sea #Written by De Writer

[signutai]

sniktbub replied to your post: Chapter 94 is out in English, so you know what...

monster roper shell is somehow worse

It really is.

#sniktbub

[dailycharacteroption]

Creature Corner: Aberration part 3

Foes

 Of course, Aberrations are most likely to appear as foes due to their monstrous nature. Many aberrations are predators by nature, though many do not feed upon fleshy sustenance as we know it. Others simply have sadistic or alien mindsets, and cannot understand why other beings protest and fight back against their attentions. Others still are simply that malevolent, often even manipulating mortals from the shadows, such as aboleths, neothelids, and even the mighty conquerer worms.

Others are simply bizarre beasts from the dark, either of the world beneath the surface, such as chuuls, cloakers, ropers, and the like; or beneath the sea, such as inculiti, reefclaws, iku-turso, and other beasts; and even from beyond the stars, such as the less benevolent lovecraftian horrors like flying polyps.

Of course, not every aberration merely lives in some remote place, some are created, whether manufactured (or transformed) by fleshcrafting, or perhaps mutated by magic or radiation, there are those who are just as much victim as they are threat, which is poor comfort for those they attack.

Worse still, others might be masters or parents of other monsters, such as the mythic drakainia.

 Perhaps the most dangerous aberrations of all, however, are the great old ones, the very definition of cosmic horror and an uncaring universe. Not every great old one is an aberration, but certainly the subclass is dominated by such horrors. Nothing screams mind-bending horror like a nigh-unkillable demigod that can invade your dreams and turn you into a shell of your former self, or worse, a willing puppet in their schemes.

 Of course, with such horrors running around, it is only natural that there will be heroes equipped to fight back, which we’ll cover in the next entry!

#pathfinder #Creature Corner #aberration

[pretendtobeanelf-blog]

Originally posted to Facebook 20 August 2018

When it comes to classic, original D+D monsters they aren't always a slam dunk. In fact, most of them are kind of goofy. For every Mind Flayer or Beholder that gets burned into the fantasy genre as D+Ds stamp on it, you get a dozen things like the Roper here. This thing disguises itself as a perfectly ordinary stalagmite no different than any of the others in a cave... and then when you get close tries to grab and eat you. That's it, that's all they do, they're dumb ambush predators who you can pretty easily run away from if you don't get tangled up in their ropy tentacles. Honorable mention to Piercers, molluscs who evolved to look like stalactites, and who wait for you to get below them before letting go of the ceiling and dropping on you with their spear tipped shells. They're dumber, but also really boring to draw so you get the horrible tentacle lump.

#art #doodle #drawing #rpg #dnd #roper #monster

[mixreality]

MORE GENOS

#opm #one punch man #onepunchman #Genos #Saitama #Fubuki #Sonic #Atomic Samurai #Mizuki #Captain Mizuki #Monster roper shell

[gofancyninjaworld]

Posion and Monster Roper Shell

Two Class C heroes who will almost certainly be going places!  Beautifully drawn by @bouA9696 Link

#OPM #fanart #rare art #Poison #Monster Roper Shell #yes Shell is his name roping monsters is his game

[mixreality]

Colored them

#opm #one punch man #onepunchman #Monster roper shell #Poison #one shotter #oneshotter #Needle Star #needlestar #Green #Green opm #manga #manga coloring #blonde #say something #pls

[gofancyninjaworld]

Diversifying fanart: my hit list

Thanks to @pomrania for suggesting that I list characters I'd especially love to get drawn.

It was tough whittling them down to just ten, but I'd super love any fanart of these guys, who have gotten (almost) no love.

1. Green

He looks a little bit like Jesus, but his crown of thorns is alive and will scourge you at his behest. We've heard of green fingers, but he's really more green than most. The energy drinks he favours are how he keeps up with the demands of the symbiotic plant that grows within him. He doesn't appear to have a mean bone in his body and comes across as one of the very few characters I'd care to invite for dinner.

2. Wild Horn

We see a lot of incredible heroes out there, but I have a soft spot for this guy who is just ingenious and determined enough to have made his own battle gear out of scraps he got from his construction job.

3. Twin Tail

We're always on Murata's case for forever giving women ever bigger boobs and soft, long, weaselly bodies. Here's this incredible heroine who turns any encounter into street theatre, with an androgynous physique totally lacking in exaggeration. Doesn't she deserve a sketch or two? :)

4. Sourface

Edit: Found he gets a little love: https://kyosaeko.tumblr.com/post/186175467856/from-episode-11-sour-face-it-actually-garou

Still not saying no to more fanart. Evidence? This.

5. Monster Roper Shell

Mr. I-Live-My-Kink-Tastefully himself, Shell has this ever so slightly odd appearance that makes him look like the last person you'd ever challenge to a tickling competition.

6. Narcisstoic

I cannot believe this guy has no fanart. This guy is a total dandy, a delicate, ridiculous-looking fop you'd totally believe a scion of some inbred house of demi-royals. And he fights like the dirtiest street fighter imaginable. He's a total riot!

7. Devil Long Hair

Yes, he has a face that shouldn't speak, but damn, he's hot:

8. Eyelashes

Fubuki's right hand man, he might not stand out very much in his own right, but he's a sensible sort and I really like the way he's always looking out for others.

9. Zakkos

Please! Such style calls for some artistic recognition. This guy is so punk, I can't not love him.

10. Vacuuma/Baquma

Whether as deceptively roly-poly loyal guard old self or as his ruthlessly asset-stripping newer self, I think this guy is everything a good monster should be: intelligent, disturbing, and unashamedly a creature of its appetites. Also: cool.

#OPM #characters I'd love to see fanart of #well I love fanart in general #but these guys seem unloved and they're so interesting #precious fanart