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maniculum · 2 months

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Bestiaryposting Results: Taerfleg

Another obvious one this week, but it seems people are having fun with it. Nothing else for me to add right here, I think, so I'll get right into it. If you're confused by what this is, go check out https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting.

And if you want to see the entry people are working from this week, it's here:

Art below in rough chronological order:

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) started with the concept of a sea urchin, but decided a face might make it more charismatic. It is a very cute face; I like its vibes a lot. Turning a sea urchin into what appears to be at least a semi-terrestrial creature brings up some interesting etymological stuff also, but we'll get into that at the end of the post. Those tube-like appendages there are an interpretation of the business about "ventilation ducts" in the post -- Silverhart acknowledges that it probably refers to the Taerfleg's nest/burrow/whatever, but that they decided to go this direction instead. The linked post explains that these are breathing tubes the Taerfleg can use when it's submerged in mud, which makes me think of this beast as a frog that's also kind of a stealth caltrop of sorts. Watch your step on those muddy banks.

@sweetlyfez (link to post here) expresses that she doesn't have enough time this week to do something elaborate, but has sketched out this very good spiky bug. I like it a lot, actually -- it kind of looks like what you'd get if the Koopas from the Mario games were based on pill bugs instead of turtles. This one's got spines, so you can't jump on it. Probably rolls up into a very dangerous ball. Also, you know, everyone appreciates a good isopod. The design of the head is nice also -- there's something to the widely-spaced eyes and those two long appendages. (Feelers? Mandibles? Either way it's got a good outline I think.)

@cheapsweets (link to post here) has given us an interior view of the Taerfleg's burrow -- over on the right we can see a ventilation duct that's been blocked with some kind of plant matter. Their Taerfleg is a spiny lizard, with long limbs to help them remove the grapes from their spines after collecting them. Notable is the attention to detail -- the grape currently on the Taerfleg's back is a bit squashed from being rolled on. I think the lizard looks really cool -- that tail in particular is very well shaped -- and as often happens, I'm blown away by the amount of detailing CheapSweets is doing with a fountain pen. Also please note the babies over there on the left. For a detailed description of the design process, I highly recommend clicking the linked post.

(Also thank you for providing alt text.)

@coolest-capybara (link to post here) has again come through with a beautiful medievally-styled piece. These Taerfleg are spiders -- Coolest-capybara notes that "spiders with plant-based diets" and "spiders with spiny carapaces" are both real things, so a type of spider that fits both of those categories isn't out of the realm of possibility. When they're collecting grapes, they wrap them in little spider-silk harnesses, which is neat. I really like the web shown here: we've got a funnel structure, which is what the "ventilation" bit is talking about, and I think the decision to draw it with that kind of knotwork motif is really cool.

(Also thank you for providing alt text.)

@pomrania (link to post here) has taken this in what I can only describe as a delightfully whimsical direction: the spiky armor is artificial. Does the little rodent build these things itself? One must assume. This also explains the ventilation ducts -- they're openings in the little armored vehicle it rolls around in. We can see one covered by a curtain on the left there. It... doesn't look pleased that its armor has been opened. Poor little critter.

@strixcattus (link to post here) has decided to maintain the balance of their bestiaryposting here: last week it was obviously an ant, so they drew a mammal; this week it's obviously a [redacted], so they drew an insect. I think what I like most about this design (besides the fact that it's cute) is that the Taerfleg appears to be doing the dung-beetle rolling thing with that grape. From past experience reading Strixcattus's worldbuilding, I'm guessing that the "attach grapes to its spines" thing is a myth in-universe, and this is its more normal way of gathering grapes. Speaking of which, as usual, it's worth clicking that linked post and seeing the full, more naturalistic interpretation of the Taerfleg that Strixcattus has written.

All right, to the Aberdeen Bestiary:

Yes, so we all know these are hedgehogs, but were you expecting to get this whole scene? I bet not. Check out that very good Stylized Plant. If I were to get a Stylized Plant tattooed on myself (which I'm starting to consider, as this whole thing we're doing has shown me how much I'm delighted by them), this one would be high on my list.

The tiny hedgehogs are very cute, though I think the illustrator didn't keep track of how much space they had in the image, because the scale seems off -- the... grapes? on the hedgehogs' backs are maybe half the size of the ones on the plant. It's like the bottom of the image was compressed.

The thing with the hedgehog using its spines to carry food is all over medieval texts and marginalia, by the way. This was apparently widely believed; I'm pretty sure it is not in fact the case, but Pliny the Elder was certain it was, so you know. Who's to say.

Now, let's talk ✨etymology✨.

So the entry lists the beast as having two names: ericius and echinus. (From my cursory look into it, this is a case of Latin borrowing from Greek: ericius is the Latin for "hedgehog", whereas echinus is the Latinization of the Greek word.) The translation dutifully translates them both, into two different English terms.

The first is of course "hedgehog" -- but that's a fairly recent word, actually. The earliest attestation is at the tail end of the medieval period.

The second is the actual etymological descendant of ericius. Latin ericius became Old French herichon, and after the Normans conquered England that made its way into the English language as hurcheon, which then over the centuries became... urchin.

This is what I meant about Silverhart taking a sea urchin and making it terrestrial being an interesting etymological move. The reason they're called "sea urchins" is because there was already a "land urchin": the hedgehog. They're one of those critters that was named after looking kind of like something on land, and it stuck. Most aquatic organisms whose names start with "sea" are a case of this. (Why do people sometimes say "sea anemone" instead of just "anemone"? Because "anemone" is also a type of flower; the creatures are named after the resemblance.)

It's one of those weird flukes that happens sometimes -- English decided to call the land animal something completely different (I think some dialects still use "urchin", but it isn't common) and the connection became less obvious. In a number of other languages, it's preserved; e.g. in Spanish, "hedgehog" is erizo -- also from ericius -- and "sea urchin" is erizo de mar. Boom, done, the etymology couldn't be more clear.

Incidentally, a weird side note: the Aberdeen Bestiary predates the first attestation of either hedgehog (1450) or urchin (1290). So the creators of this manuscript wouldn't have called them by either of the names we've just discussed, but a secret third option. Before the French loanword became standard, hedgehogs were called ile or igil in English -- cognate with German Igel. (Incidentally, in German a sea urchin is apparently Seeigel, so they also know what it's named after.)

Anyway, it's getting late. Enjoy the lovely art and the unnecessary infodump.

#maniculum bestiaryposting #taerfleg

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n7punk · 7 months

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All Fics Extra: Marriage Bonds

Marriage bonds/ropes are a thing that has been brought up in a few of my AUs now (SLAS, Roses and Thorns.... others definitely but that's all I can remember rn...) so I wanted to have one post on it to refer back to.

The origins of the idea come from the Crimson Waste in canon and me worldbuilding a way marriage "works" there when there's no government or anything, and then it spun off to being a part of hybrid culture in my AUs since it seems like half of them couldn't wear rings (or many forms of jewelry) comfortably.

Marriage bonds are a set of ropes you present to the person you want to propose to, alongside the usual proposal speech about loving them, etc. Said speech usually includes why you selected the specific ropes you did. Most people don't have rope meanings memorized and unless your partner is also planning to propose and has been looking into them, they probably need to be told what exactly you've selected.

There's a large catalogue of rope meanings, with certain colors having broader themes, and then specific knots having their own meanings, which can change depending on the rope color they are tied in. So the same knot tied in red will have a different meaning then when it's tied in yellow.

If the other person accepts, the couple is officially engaged and they will work together to create a tapestry of knots that they feel are representative of them and their lives together. These tapestries resemble macramé and can take many forms. Usually they're a few inches across but can easily range to two feet in size with a variety of dimensions, rarely ending up much larger. Most often they're hung between two rods, but sometimes a circle frame or some complex shape is used.

The engagement period starts from the presenting of the ropes and lasts until the "finishing" of the piece (more on this later). Typically pieces will use a few different ropes, with the fianceé also picking their own ropes that hold meaning to them (unless there's somehow a total overlap between what each partner wants) and both of them work together on design. And yes, asethetic does often play a part in the rope selection. There are a lot of slightly different shades of yellow with varying undertones to better compliment other rope colors that they might be paired with, for instance.

There are some marriage bond designers who design meaningful pieces for couples, but in most hybrid communities it is generally viewed as better to have a single stick with a trail of meaningful knots hanging from it than to have something beautiful and manufactured. The commercialization of the designing and need for something pretty to put online or whatever is a source of great complaint among the older crowd. Even when someone is hired to help with the design, unless neither the couple nor anyone in their lives is capable of physically tying the knots, the couple is supposed to do it themselves and just use designs as a guide to try to recreate.

There are couples "bonding" knot tying classes that it's almost always too early in a relationship to take someone to unless you're already engaged (not that it stops people from making that awkward mistake), and yes, there can be drama over "stealing" someone else's tapestry design, at least in the age of the internet where it's easy to find Pinterest boards full of knotwork inspo pictures for references.

In the Crimson Waste version of this headcanon, you are considered married upon tying the final knot and that's that. In modern AUs, this was once the hybrid tradition, but a shift to a more homogeneous culture, dominated by humans, elves, and the various species most closely aligned with them in physiology and culture, means that the originally elven tradition of proposing with a ring (which is a newer tradition as a whole than the marriage bonds are) has become the "default" when it comes to proposal in many ways, to the point where even hybrid couples from one or more cultures that originally used the ropes might now opt for rings instead. However, others are very strident in their favor for the bonds.

Now the tying of the final knot is symbolic and often done as part of the wedding ceremony. Traditionally, there would a be a knot tying ceremony where the couple, surrounded by a group of their family and friends, would tie the final knot together and then share a night of food and revelry in their own home (occasionally the home of a family member with more room/amenities) and then that's it, you just say you're married from then on and you are. In the time of modern governments, you're officially married when you submit a marriage license, so those events (whether a knot-tying ceremony or a more stereotypical wedding with the tying of the final knot replacing the exchange of rings) are held to celebrate the marriage and the license is sent off for separately around the same time

Usually once the final knot is tied, that's it and the design is done, but sometimes couples come back and add to their design (though never undo past work) if they feel they want to add some significant event, such as if having children has changed them, or as a rededication after breaking up and getting back together. This is rare though, and usually it "runs in families" where people do it because their parents did and it feels more normal to them.

When adding the marriage bonds to a fic would contribute nothing meaningful to the plot and take too long to explain - or actively hinder the plot, such as in TTFT - then I just go with rings, similarly to how many people do even when marriage bonds exist in the fic, but sometimes they just fit better and I resurrect the idea again.

#all fics #ficmeta #fic extra

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but-first--tea · 3 months

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I'm actually starting to legitimately consider learning how to make and sell things like custom hand-drawn tattoo mods, considering linework, design, and knotwork are my JAM and I could do it without physically exhausting myself.

I haven't been able to go to work for a month now due to health issues.

Also I want to make one for my own character because I've been looking for something for nearly a year now and can't find anything I like. I feel like the aesthetic of most of the creators out there is drastically different than mine. I can't be the only person who strays from the current norm, right?

Worst case scenario, even if no one else is interested in what I make, I'll have at least learned to make stuff I like for my own character. No harm in learning.

#ooc

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xshatteredreflectionsx · 1 year

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" Captain ? " From behind Morgan, Atlas quietly cleared his throat, both to notify the captain of his presence and in vain effort to toss aside any of the nerves that may have irrationally seized hold of him.

" I know I haven't been the best at keeping track of time, but I did manage to mark off some important dates, and, well, it seemed odd to bypass this one without doing anything ... " Drawing a small box from his pocket, he held it out to Morgan. " It's small, but ... Happy Valentine's Day, Captain. "

Said box, as small and unassuming as it was, contained some glass that Atlas had managed to warp into the shape of a crescent moon. Left clear at one end and tainted yellow at the other, the colours ( or lack thereof ) faded together, creating a shining shadow if the trinket were to be hung near a light source ... the perfect decoration for a window once the colony was soundly set up.

Being stuck in an infinite loop of the same twelve to twenty-four hours -to the surprise of absolutely no one- fucked up with a person's perception of time. January had barely felt like it happened, and now it was February? What the shit? Time chugging along as it was supposed to granted progress, which granted peace. Finally, finally Morgan could breathe, confident in the fact that, somehow, they had managed to fix everything.

Hot chocolate infused with strawberry flavoring was the drink of choice as they lounged in their cabin, skimming over progress and botanical reports from down on the planet's surface. Atlas' almost meek greeting shook them out of their reverie. In a way, it was a relief that Atlas was having the same problems with time keeping as they were (was it selfish to think that way?). Unlike Morgan, however, he seemed to actually pay attention to holidays. Shit, they had barely even registered it when Mack wished them a Very Happy Birthday Slash Valentine's Day with enough saccharine sweetness to make anyone else's teeth ache. In stark contrast, the gift Atlas had presented was... stunning. Morgan's mouth fell open in a silent gasp as they held it up to the florescent lighting. The artificial light of the ship absolutely did not do it justice. Morgan's heart leapt into their throat. Since when did Atlas know how to blow, stain and shape glass? Had they even bothered to ask what his hobbies were? Surely, their eccentric-but-still brilliant Head Engineer had passions outside of designing and building starships. "I love it," Morgan signed, barely not to let the trinket slip out of their hands. They held up a finger and ducked back into their office, digging through drawers until they found what they had been looking for: a simple macrame dreamcatcher done in stark white thread. The tree of life pattern wasn't anything particularly elaborate, nor was the twisting, lace-like knotwork dangling from the bottom curve of the hoop. They had started it after hearing Atlas wake up screaming from a nightmare one night, and had been planning on giving it to him. A way to tell him that Morgan was thinking about him.

(And maybe it was too intimate a gesture, but their dynamic had irreversibly shifted. How did you go back to being just crewmates after embracing each other through the end of the known universe?) "I don't know if you believe in dreamcatchers, and whatnot," They began uncertainly. "It will look cool on your wall at least? I don't know."

#ship-status #(My heart is full rn)#(;u;)

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cicelythereaper · 2 years

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Sing to me, o muse, of the impossible hard in wrath of the druids

THIS

FUCKING

"HARP"

[taking a deep breath]

so i am not an expert on period instruments. i am but a simple modern harpist (lapsed) who has also seen illustrations of early medieval harps

SPOILERS: THIS SHIT AIN'T EITHER OF THOSE.

when you first look at this it looks as like it's meant to be concert-harp-shaped but tiny, which is [pause to break into hysterical laughter] FUCKING WILD, if those strings are meant to meet the soundboard (the big chonky bit they're going down towards) then she's gonna have trouble actually getting her fingers in to pluck some of them. harps do not scale down like that. SIR.

anyway, that was originally what i thought and was furious about, and then i was googling images for this post and realised i had been wrong!

as we can see here (ignore the face paint, do not think about the face paint, do not think about the cross brooches on an anachronistically-non-christian character), the strings actually come down PAST the soundboard. in fact the harp looks like this:

BRO WHAT THE FUCK.

now the thing is, the strings coming down over the soundboard to the bottom of the frame is actually pretty accurate to at least some medieval harps! here is a 1774 illustration i nicked off wikipedia of some medieval harps:

you can see that in addition to the triangle-shaped harp where the strings come down THROUGH the gap to MEET the soundboard, there is also a more lyre-like harp where the strings come down OVER the gap and are drawn together ACROSS the soundboard. and yes, this illustration is from 1774, but we do see these two varieties of harp reflected in medieval art:

that first image is from an 11th-century irish reliquary and (i believe) is thought to be the earliest extant depiction of an irish harp; the second one is from the vespasian psalter, an 8th-century english manuscript.

also both are being played by religious figures, the first by a cleric and the second by king david, no i'm not bitter about how extremely invested ac:valhalla is in depicting ahistorical levels of popular paganism in the 9th century why do you ask

so based off these images it looks like the wrath of the druids designers wanted to make a classic triangle-shaped harp (with as much curviness and celtic-looking knotwork as possible), but they also wanted to have the strings come down past the soundboard like they do on the NON-triangle-shaped harps, because..... ""historical accuracy""? I GUESS?????

and then, crucially, they forgot to ask how this harp would actually make a noise.

THE GAP IS NECESSARY YOU FUCKING FOOLS. THE GAP. IS NEEDED. FOR THE STRINGS. TO RESONATE IN. THE GAP IS WHAT SEPARATES THE PLUCKED STRINGS OF THE HARP FROM THE VIOLIN PIZZICATO SOUND. AND SOME OF YOUR STRINGS DON'T EVEN CROSS THE GAP MY GUY YOU HAVE NOT DESIGNED A MEDIEVAL HARP YOU HAVE INVENTED A SHITTY GUITAR AT BEST*

*IF the harp's frame is hollow, which i can't tell: the metalwork on the frame suggests it might... be...? if the harp's frame ISN'T hollow then the player is absolutely shit out of luck but if it is hollow then it will at least make some sort of noise. so i am told by my friend who knows more about instrument construction than i do.

also those strings look so tightly fitted to the body of the harp you're gonna bash your fuckin fingernail on the wood of the frame when you try to pluck them. IF you can even pluck them at all. YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET YOUR FINGER UNDER THE STRING. YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO GET YOUR HAND INTO THE GAP HOW IS THIS DIFFICULT

the shape just doesn't make any sense!!! it doesn't make any sense at all!!! the triangle-shaped harp is shaped that way because the pitch of the strings is determined by their length (and also how tightly they're wound around their pegs). on a triangle-shaped harp the soundboard is at an ANGLE so each string coming down from the top of the frame will hit it at a DIFFERENT POINT and thus be a DIFFERENT LENGTH. but that's not how they've attached the strings to this harp so why the fuck would you make it that shape!!! now you have an ASYMMETRICAL GAP with STRAIGHT STRINGS and you're going to hell!!!

actually now that i'm looking closer at the strings it REALLY looks like they have tried to make them the same shape as they would be on a concert harp, wavy at the top and diagonal at the bottom, but that doesn't actually match the shape of the harp they've made and IS ALSO NOT HOW STRINGS THAT GO OVER THE SOUNDBOARD WORK, HOW ARE YOU TUNING THIS, HOW ARE YOU CREATING PITCH WITH THIS, AMERICA CANADA EXPLAIN -

(while i was making this post i went to go look up what instrument they actually used for the song she's performing and i assume it's this one - einar selvik calls it a lyre:

- which as you can see looks NOTHING LIKE the mess we got in the game on account of it has to actually work and make sounds.)

anyway. this harp is stupid and would make a stupid noise and as a harpist (lapsed) i am embarrassed on behalf of this game that they thought this was a believable instrument. thank you for inviting me to yell about it.

#betweencrossedblades #ac: valhalla #wrath of the druids #cicely speaks #a rare appearance from harpist!cicely #a much less rare appearance from medievalist!cicely #YOUR INSTRUMENT CONSTRUCTION SUCKS AND YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD #long post

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the-insomniac-cat2 · 3 years

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[Asgardian] Game Of Thrones

1- beginning of Thor

2- Loki in Thor

3 - Beginning of Thor: The Dark World

4 - Best ending of a film ever

5, 6, 7- Ragnarok *This is the first throne Loki designed*

The seat looks the same as in the end of the Dark World, but he has added to it. I love how those animals either side have claws dipping over the edge, btw. He has added swirls to the arms. And then of course he’s addeddragons. Look at the detail! All that knotwork covering them entirely. This is amazing. The glass at the back and the pillars are the same as at the end of Thor The Dark World.

8 - The most we have seen of the Asgardian throne room in the Loki Series so far (28.6.21). Seems to have mythical beasts on this as well, but lighter, dare I say ‘understated’? -At least compared to the others. Seems to reference the shape of his helm too.

I love the other details. Odin’s throne, dais and platform were all gold, like, “Here is the Grand-daddy of gold and I stole it and umma gonna layer it down with the thickness of 4 goats standing on top of one another [they love goats. It is written.]

But Loki is *style*. He includes flowers. Flowers! Colour and beauty and scent. look at vases. I mean, look at the size of those fekers. Then the flames. Then finally, the flags- realms he has conquered? Flags of his defences? Different royal families? I hope we are there long enough to get a hint, even if it’s just a better look!

EDIT: closer look, they seem to be of one design, so Loki has his own flag!

#Thrones of Asgard #Loki #Thor #Hela #throne room #ragnarok throne #thor 1 throne #Thor the Dark World #thor the dark world throne #Loki series #Loki series asgard #Yay! Please Marvel please could you make merch of this like a scarf?

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tabletoptrinketsbyjj · 2 years

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Unique Weapons, 15: Blades, bludgeons and bows of all shapes, sizes and mysterious backgrounds. Heroes and villains across fiction can often be immediately recognized by their signature weapon, causing the weapon itself to be an iconic part of the character. From Perrin’s spiked half moon axe to Roland’s enormous sandalwood revolvers, the jedi’s lightsabers, Arya’s needle, Legolas’s bow, Wolfwood’s Punisher, Detritus’s Piecemaker, the bride’s katana, Bond’s Walther PPK, Robin Hood’s longbow, Jason’s machete or Indiana Jones’s whip, a weapon can even function as a physical manifestation of the character’s personality. None of these weapons are intensely magical in their own right but can serve as the physical basis for family heirlooms, legendary artifacts and magical or masterwork weapons. Alternatively they can be found as loot and become part of a PC’s distinctive appearance, allowing the player to become fully immersed in their character’s look and feel. —Note: Some entries call for the DM to “Roll a Random Weapon” which simply means that the DM can roll from the pregenerated lists on this blog or choose whatever weapon they feel would be appropriate for the situation.

An eight-foot long pike with a broad “ox tongue” blade engraved with knotwork patterns.

A Random Weapon with the symbol of a brain etched on the grip. The weapon seems to possess the faintest trace of self-awareness and the wielder can occasionally feel a subtle touch of another mind drift across his own. Knowledgeable PC’s might conclude that the object was once a sentient weapon possessing true intelligence that it somehow lost, was seriously injured in some way or has gone into a state of hibernation.

A single crossbow bolt with a single name roughly carved into it. Knowledgeable PC’s will recognize it as the name of a wanted criminal charged with heinous crimes.

A sturdy iron-shod quarterstaff meant for use as a walking stick, tentpole and weapon of a travelling adventurer. While holding the staff, rain cannot fall upon the bearer, it diverts around the edges of an ethereal bubble of energy instead.

A black leather sap (Club statistics) with the words “Sweet Dreams!” stitched along its length in silver thread.

A repeating heavy crossbow made from mulberry and fine steel, with ivory plating on the stock scrimshawed with tranquil lake and temple scenes.

A heavy steel shield with a single huge nail protruding from its center. The durable spiked shield is excellently suited for bashing in combat.

A heavy mace fashioned of cold iron with the inscription “Bringer of Blessings” written on the head in Celestial.

A light pick of gnomish design with a large pink garnet in the pommel.

A wicker quiver containing 5d6 arrows crafted entirely of hollowed bamboo, each with an extremely narrow point designed to slip between the ribs. Any archer can tell that these arrows are short-ranged, prone to breakage and that few warriors would choose to use them. These arrows have half the range of a typical arrow and can never be re-used after being shot. In the hands of a skilled bowman however, they are quite deadly and capable of penetrating straight through armor and into the lungs and creating sucking chest wound. The air quite literally escapes from the organ out through the hollow weapon. Whenever the wielder attacks a living, breathing creature with advantage and both rolls would hit, the target begins to feel their breath literally slip away and begins suffocating or drowning (As normal per your games rules). The target continues to not be able to breathe until a creature removes the arrow (Using an action equivalent to drawing a weapon) and a successful Medicine skill check is performed on the target (Equivalent to stabilizing a dying creature) or the target regains at least one hit point from any source.

—Click Here for homebrew Masterwork Weapon Bonuses or Here for homebrew Minor Weapon Enchantments to give these objects even more personality and mechanical benefits.

-Click Here to be directed to the Hotlinks To All Tables post, which provides (As you might have guessed) convenient links to all of the loot and resource tables this blog has.

—Or keep reading for 90 more weapons.

—Note: The previous 10 weapons are repeated for easier rolling on a d100.

An eight-foot long pike with a broad “ox tongue” blade engraved with knotwork patterns.

A single crossbow bolt with a single name roughly carved into it. Knowledgeable PC’s will recognize it as the name of a wanted criminal charged with heinous crimes.

A black leather sap (Club statistics) with the words “Sweet Dreams!” stitched along its length in silver thread.

A repeating heavy crossbow made from mulberry and fine steel, with ivory plating on the stock scrimshawed with tranquil lake and temple scenes.

A heavy steel shield with a single huge nail protruding from its center. The durable spiked shield is excellently suited for bashing in combat.

A heavy mace fashioned of cold iron with the inscription “Bringer of Blessings” written on the head in Celestial.

A light pick of gnomish design with a large pink garnet in the pommel.

A bullet pouch containing 5d6 cold iron, sling bullets. Each one rattles like a bell and is painted with a prayer (Written in Halfling) in minuscule letters.

A foot-long dagger with a jeweled hilt. The blade is of shining silver, and the symbol of a bear's claw is engraved on the guard.

A longsword whose hilt is carved in a stylized stag's head shape with spreading antlers forming the crosspiece and guard.

A Random Sword with a wavy, blade shaped like a golden flame. Its guard and hilt has several rays emanating out from semi-regular bases. The guard houses a large bright yellow-orange gem and the sword is always pleasantly warm to the touch.

A strange sword bearing two blades one silver, the other iron, emerging from a single hilt wrapped in crimson-stained leather. Along the silver blade, in lavish flowing text, “I dethrone tyrants” has been etched. In rougher letters, “I hold the destroyers at bay” has been chiseled into the iron blade.

A large leather quiver containing 5d6 javelins with birch shafts and striking serpent designs etched into the head.

A huge bastard sword, the pommel of which is stylized to resemble a dragon’s eye. The crossguard is styled to make it seem that the blade extends out of a dragon’s maw.

An exotic weapon known as a chained axe (Flail statistics but deals slashing damage) which is a double-bladed axe-head attached to a haft by a length of chain. Similar to the flail, this weapon requires more precision to strike with the edges of the axe.

A long Randomly Brightly Colored silk scarf with a thin weighted chain sewn into the lining. The easily concealable weapon can be used a whip or garrote while also serving as an inconspicuous article clothing.

A heavy broadsword (Longsword statistics) with a curved, tapered, single-edged blade with saw teeth on its back edge. It can be wielded with one or two hands and is used to deal powerful, gaping wounds to its targets.

A spiked club crafted from the skull and claws of a bear.

A murky gray dagger with an uneasy presence about it. The tormented faces of the dead seem to be etched onto the blade itself.

A beaten wooden case containing 5d6 silver-tipped wardarts. Their shafts are branded with eagle symbols and fletched with giant eagle feathers.

A greataxe whose red split-leather grip has ten uneven dents along its length as if a previous owner held it in a two handed grip with incredible strength.

A crude mace constructed of a femur with a skull lashed to the top with sinew, all of it originating from a single Random Humanoid.

A rod made of a delicate shaft consisting of a thin, unbreakable crystal tube filled with shimmering mercury. The end is pointed, and the rod is sharpened along one side, allowing it to be used as a rapier.

A Random Weapon whose grip is marked with a symbol of a human skull surrounded by a double ring of fire.

An unusually large rod crafted from hundreds of individually woven strands of sinew. It functions quite effectively as a greatclub.

A light crossbow with the image of an auroch bull carved into the stock. The moving parts are oiled and cared for but the wood is rough, stained and heavily scratched.

A club made from a sturdy, knotty stick of polished black oak, with a large knob on the end.

A shortspear with a vicious-looking serrated head and a shaft painted with geometric designs.

A finely crafted recurved composite longbow with floral patterns and animal designs highlighted in gold paint on the grip and limbs.

A greatsword with an undulating blade and four silver spikes fixed just above the gold crossguard.

A Random Weapon marked with the clenched fist and sword icon of the Ever-Resilient Blades mercenary band.

A repeating light crossbow made from yew. Metal plates on the stock are damascened in copper with images of stags, boars and hounds.

A boar-spear with a leaf-shaped iron blade. Its shaft is inlaid with miniature hunting scenes in silver.

A heavy mace of Khemeti origin. Its round stone head is attached to a wooden handle and decorated with bulls and scorpions.

A silvered dagger with an eagle shaped, golden pommel.

A five-foot long birch quarterstaff. Its shaft is carved with delicate leaf patterns.

A wooden case containing 5d6 crossbow bolts with blue fletching, and three blue rings painted around each shaft.

A gnarled-looking wizard’s staff cut from oak, surmounted with a fist sized, carved stone, gargoyle head with two peridots for eyes.

A yew longbow carved with delicate leaf patterns, and copper caps on the end of each limb.

A silvered battle aspergillium (Mace statistics) engraved with the holy symbol of Conn the Lawgiver.

A darkwood quarterstaff carved with images of ravenous wolves.

A sling made from strong woollen cord, dyed purple, with a cradle fashioned from elephant hide.

A heavy crossbow made from ash with a stock inlaid with mother-of pearl.

A ten-foot length of hemp rope enwrapping 5d6 javelins barbed iron heads, mounted on elm shafts carved with angular patterns.

A heavy belt with five light throwing hammers of dwarven workmanship with a gold bands around the hafts.

A weighty iron handaxe with a wooden handle carved with drinking and feasting scenes.

A curved kukri (Shortsword Statistics) with several holes drilled through the back of the blade to reduce its weight. One hole has a large gold ring through it.

An ebony club carved with battle scenes featuring gnoll warriors fighting striped centaurs.

A shortsword of excellent hobgoblin workmanship. Its hilt is topped with a silver, skull-shaped pommel.

A light hammer with a grip of manticore fur bound in copper thread.

A bronze gladius (Shortsword statistics) with a black leather scabbard decorated in garishly bright dyes with gladiatorial scenes.

A heavy crossbow built from wood and horn with a rack-and-pinion mechanism to crank the bow. The bow and stock are decorated with gold tooling.

A throwing handaxe with a darkwood handle inscribed in iron with dwarven battle cries.

A silvered shortsword, its blade engraved with a halfling warrior battling a werewolf.

A brightsteel shortsword with a wolf’s head-shaped pommel set with two pale green tourmaline eyes.

A flail with a heavy, spiked, iron ball attached to a thick hickory haft branded with the sign of the Brutal Scourge gnoll tribe.

A foul-smelling cloth bundle enwrapping 5d6 javelins whose shafts are carved with depictions of stags running through a forest.

A warhammer with a leering demonic face carved into the business end of its head.

A cross-hilted longsword, the image of a snake inlaid in silver, coils around the grip.

An iron trident attached to a wooden haft painted with lines of poetry in the exotic script of the kingdom of Gopura.

A scimitar with a hilt damascened with mithral patterns and set with two pale blue moonstones.

A longsword with a serrated blade and bronze hilt topped with a dragon’s skull shaped pommel.

A warhammer with the holy symbols of the modern dwarven pantheon inlaid in gold on both ends of its head.

An ostentatious longsword, its blade inlaid with ornate gold scrollwork bearing the words “For Kjarran and her Queen!”

A scimitar with a green leather grip, gold pommel and an emerald in the crossguard. Its blade is engraved with vine leaf patterns.

A Random Weapon whose grip is stamped with a maker’s mark relating to a specific philosophical concept of Random Domain, which most commonly associated with the learned sages of the Random Humanoid race.

A fourteen-foot-long wooden lance, painted with blue and white bands, tipped with a leaf-shaped spear point.

A three-chained heavy flail. Each chain has a ball with nine spikes and the handle is adorned with three electrum bands.

A naginata (Glaive statistics) with a haft of black lacquered wood decorated with a gold leaf phoenix and scorpion.

A greatsword with the top part of its burnished copper hilt shaped like a man with outstretched arms.

A recurved composite shortbow made from birch, horn and sinew, decorated with fine ivory inlay.

A pair of sai (Dagger statistics) with bronze hilts, their pommels set with polished sardonyx.

A siangham (shortspear statistics) with a shaft decorated with patterns in gold leaf and a grooved wooden handle.

A black iron greatsword with a pommel shaped like a hydra skull. The eye sockets are filled with red spinels the size of thumbnails.

A studded heavy flail of Khemeti origin, its handle is inlaid with lapis lazuli.

A mithral greatsword with a pommel shaped like a crescent moon. The sword’s blade is incised with arcane symbols.

A leather quiver containing 5d6 arrows with black and white fletching made from the feathers of the steppe roc and painted in red with a charging horse symbol.

A darkwood longbow adorned with ornate silver demonic skulls on either side of the grip.

A bastard sword with a red leather grip and a golden, rose-shaped pommel.

An elven curve blade (Longsword statistics) etched with leaf like patterns. The sword has an ornate hand guard covered with multiple layers of colored lacquer.

A Khemeti khopesh sword (Scimitar statistics) with a bronze blade bearing decorative an electrum inlay and a gold hilt with a snakeskin grip.

A whip made from an ixitxachitl tail studded with barbed sea urchin spikes, attached to a white coral handle carved with undersea scenes.

A finely crafted wakizashi with an ivory hilt inlaid with gold and topped with a gold foo dog.

A cold iron bastard sword with the holy symbol of Darlen the sun god engraved into the blade. The hilt is platinum, surmounted with a single deep blue spinel.

A bamboo case containing 5d6 shuriken, made with four curved dagger-like blades, stamped with the Keiwanese character for “Blood.”

A triple-weighted bola loaded down with three leather balls filled with stones and painted with scenes of striped centaurs hunting antelope, all attached to strong, braided sinew cords.

A weighted net fashioned from giant spider silk with a trailing silk rope and dozens of tiny ivory barbed hooks in its weave.

A Random Weapon stamped with a single eye in the Khemeti style.

A battleaxe with three animal symbols incorporated into its design (A bear, a wolf and a stag) one above the other. These provide the correct sequence for the puzzle lock on the sealed doors into the crypt of Erik Kragsgeld an infamous costal warlord.

A Random Weapon that the iconography of the Old Gods hidden among the multitude of designs and patterns decorating the weapon.

A military officer's saber (Rapier statistics) with an eagle-shaped gold hilt.

A long, slender quarterstaff, which bends around in a curving hook at the top. The staff is rather nondescript, crafted from the wood of an ash tree, sanded to a silk-smooth finish but otherwise unadorned in any way.

A skirmishing sword which knowledgeable PC’s will recognize as the trademark weapon of elite elven foot-warriors. The longsword consists of a long handle topped on one end by a curved blade the size of a short sword with a single edge and by a sharp spear point on the other.

A mighty warpick fashioned with a dragon tooth as the piercing end, locked to the handle with metal chains. The wooden shaft is engraved with draconic symbols that briefly glow Random Bright Color whenever the weapon kills a creature.

A military style halberd that feels sharp to touch, even from several feet away.

A katana with a black blade with a green cutting edge. Gold accents run up and down the handle and guard.

A warhammer that bears the hammer and anvil maker’s mark of the legendary dwarven weaponsmith, Yorrim Flintheart, potentially increasing its value to dwarven patriots or collectors of antiquities.

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exn0bisstudios · 3 years

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ROs physical descriptions please? Also already simping for Nova, the beautiful nightmare/tulpa(??)

Sure thing! And I'm glad, considering Nova could be viewed as a Nightmare both literally and figuratively, depending on who you ask. :’)

Note: Stella & Mira's appearances genuinely don't change much between genders, so what you see below is valid for any iteration of them.

Mira Twilight

Broad and tall, standing at 6'5" (196cm) with a chiseled, muscular frame. They have deep umber skin with earthy undertones, bright brown eyes, and raven hair worn in a protective style (locs for m!Mira, twists for f!Mira) reaching to about their waist. Typically, they will wear their hair in a 'half up (bun), half down' style or secured in a single large braid for travel. They are peppered with scars acquired during their work as a Hunter and view them as badges of pride. They have dimples that show up even with the weakest smile. Fairly typical body hair for their respective sex, and m!Mira is known to occasionally rock some stubble during long journeys. They prefer simple, practical fashion when not in their armor - which is rarely. They are always seen with at least one weapon at hand at any given time (including the garrote wire sewn into the seam of their undies).

Stella, aka "Echo"

Lithe and agile, standing at 5'8" (173cm) with a strong frame of compact muscle. They have rich golden beige skin with earthy undertones, piercing azure eyes, and loosely wavy blue-black hair worn in an asymmetrical bob. They have their fair share of scars, though none of any real note. They are liberally dotted with beauty spots all over their body, though notably two beneath their left eye and one on the right side of their chin. They have a weak dimple in their left cheek, usually only noticeable when they smirk. Fairly typical body hair for their respective sex, and they make an effort to remain well-groomed at all times; m!Stella, in particular, dislikes his facial hair and goes out of his way to be clean-shaven. They prefer practical fashion that allows for freedom of movement, almost exclusively in dark colors.

Désiré Desrosiers

Wirey and tall, standing at 6'2" (188cm) with a surprisingly elegant frame of compact muscle. He has pale white skin with jewel undertones, icy blue eyes with a dark blue outer rim, and warm black hair of uneven, unruly curls. Typically wears his hair loose but will occasionally try to tame it back into a small, messy tail. An appropriate amount of scars for his profession, though none of particular note. Has the short, pointed ears typical of a half-elf, though they are often hidden by his curls. He has the rough hands of a sailor but usually keeps his callouses hidden beneath gloves. Has very light body hair by human standards, but particularly heavy for a half-elf. He maintains full facial hair that seems permanently hovering between stubble and full-blown beard status. Refuses to shave, as he claims it'll make him look like a teenager again (and it absolutely does). He prefers fashion that is durable and utilitarian, with an aesthetic ranging from 'successful rogue' to 'grungy stealth hobo' depending on how long he's been at sea.

Nova Dreamreaver

Elegant and spry, standing at 6' (183cm) with a frame of smooth, shapely muscle. They have cool gray skin with purplish undertones, gray sclera with pearlescent irises and slit pupils, and matching straight, waist-length hair that they wear in various complex styles. They have six piercings (2 lobe, 1 upper cartilage x2) in their long, pointed ears and often switch out their jewelry daily. They seem to be perpetually smirking, often showing their fangs that are longer than the elven standard. No scars or blemishes of any kind to speak of. Only vellus body hair, as is typical for an elf. They have an excellent eye for fashion and prefer colorful and expensive clothing, high heels, and plenty of accessories.

Vittore Simone Armati

Solid and robust, standing at 6'2" (188cm) with a sculpted frame of lean muscle. He has warm tawny skin with earthy undertones that easily tans into rich gold, striking amber eyes, and jet black corkscrew curls that cascade to mid-back. Has dubbed his hair untameable and therefore rarely styles it beyond appropriate cleansing and upkeep. He will attempt to tie it back in something resembling a bun if the need is dire. His face (especially across his cheeks and nose), arms, chest, upper back, and tops of his thighs are all covered in freckles. His pointed ears are a little longer than the typical half-elf, the lobes of each bearing marks from healed piercings. He has an abnormally massive amount of scarring, especially given his noble upbringing. You can find a scar of some description on nearly every part of his body; the most notable are the long, thin lines on his back, the backs of his arms/shoulders, and the backs of his thighs. The concentration in these areas is so high they have become scars on top of scars, and he takes special care to keep these areas covered. Only vellus body hair, which is below average for a half-elf, something he regularly laments as he really wishes he could grow facial hair. Prefers fashion of fine make, usually sporting something colorful and appropriately noble, but is actually pretty laid back about what he wears when alone.

Andrai Freetrider

Sturdy and athletic, standing at 5'11" (180cm) with a limber frame of corded muscle. He has deep golden brown skin with earthy undertones, bright gold eyes, and golden blond hair in voluminous, kinky corkscrews. Wears his hair natural and at shoulder length, typically swept to the right to reveal the designs shaved into his undercut. Will do protective styling for long treks or when traveling in unfamiliar areas, either didi braids or skinny box braids. He has a smattering of beauty spots, notably two beneath his right eye, one to the upper left of his lips, and one on the left of his chin. Has 12 piercings in his long, pointed ears (1 lower cartilage, 2 upper cartilage, 3 lobe x2) and exclusively wears simple small silver rings in all of them. Has the type of scars you'd expect from a ranger. Only vellus body hair, as is typical for an elf. His attire is appropriate for his lifestyle, typically consisting of earth tones and utilitarian leathers. However, there's notable artistry to much of it and often features delicate engravings, embroidery, and knotwork. By far the best-dressed ranger you'll ever meet.

#Anonymous #answered #Mira Twilight #Nova Dreamreaver #Stella #Désiré Desrosiers #Vittore Simone Armati #Andrai Freestrider #TTO: Main Tag #TTO: Answers #TTO: RO Asks

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umbralstars · 2 years

Text

I posted 1,179 times in 2021

336 posts created (28%)

843 posts reblogged (72%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 2.5 posts.

I added 808 tags in 2021

#reblog - 239 posts

#fe3h - 121 posts

#fire emblem - 85 posts

#feh - 84 posts

#stars' ramblings - 69 posts

#important - 48 posts

#fire emblem three houses - 46 posts

#m!byleth - 41 posts

#byleth eisner - 39 posts

#emyr artemi blaiddyd - 36 posts

Longest Tag: 130 characters

#also i'm not drawing the mountains or most deatails or maybe even really labeling the thing so y'all're gonna have to bear wigh me

My Top Posts in 2021

Capital city aesthetic boards. I tried my best but it's art to capture what they look like in my head

142 notes • Posted 2021-11-22 23:59:29 GMT

Headcanon time!

So Byleth and Jeralt share this knotwork design on their clothing, so I decided it was time to make that significant.

While knotwork commonly appears cross Fódlan, the intricacies of the tradition vary across the continent (and to a certain extent Adrestia has abandoned knotwork design over the years, but that's not of import).

This particular type of knotwork is Faerghal in origin and was popular around a century ago mostly in northern Faerghus. It is called "Familial knotwork" and named as such because it was knotwork designed to identify members of families. The theory was that even simple designs would vary enough that families could put them on gravestones or put them on clothes to identify who was who at a glance. They weren't always non-objective as some chose to have their knots within the outline of an animal or making the shape of one. The practice is not dead in Fearghus but it certainly is less popular than it used to be, and mostly that can be chalked up to Faerghal knotwork drifting towards a more free-flowing, complex style.

What Jeralt and Byleth wear is the knotwork style of the Eisner family who were once very minor lords in Charon who had ties to the knights of the Kingdom and the Church. Pretty much the whole family was somewhere in the military, maybe the clergy, or the current head of the house. Jeralt was an only child when Rhea saved him so needless to say the House is either defunct or has passed to extended family.

Jeralt kept the knotwork though and has worn it on his person for his entire life, and sewed it into Byleth's coat himself. Jeralt's Mercenary company is identified by that knotwork. All members have the knotwork somewhere on their person, and people in the know recognize that symbol pretty easily if they spot it. Try to copy it at your own peril because the company treats the knotwork with great respect. They stuck to the old tradition that one has to be gifted the honor of wearing the knotwork by the head of the family. All of the Mercenaries can tell you that they had to earn their right to be fully recognized members, and many didn't have the mark for months if not over a year into joining with the group. It's one of the reasons Jeralt's Company is regarded as a very small but exceptionally skilled group of mercs because the Company truly is a family, and they're very careful with who the accept into that family.

174 notes • Posted 2021-11-05 02:37:36 GMT

One of the most interesting aspects of long lived mortal races in fiction I think is overlooked a bit is the sheer different understanding of time itself between them and let's say Humans.

If you have a race that lives to even 200 years old that's still a century more than humans are able to live with modern medicine and life expectancies. To put dates on it a character could be born in 1821 and die around 2021, and if they reach maturity at a similar age to humans (around 20 years let's say) they will have experienced everything that has happened between those two dates as ADULTS for the majority of it. This races' cultural perception of time would be completely different to that of Humans. Even different cultures here on Earth have different perceptions of "a long time ago" but living an extra century, at least, would bump that up by 100%.

What would be "a long time ago" to them? What would be "rapid change" to them? What would be their understanding of "generations?" What would be "wasted time?" What would be "experienced" to them? etc etc.

Their perception of time in the eyes of Humans would be incrediblely wonky to say the least. To them someone dying at 70 would be too young and a tragedy, but to Humans it would be around a normal age to die. Someone being in a position for a decade or two would be surprising to Humans, but might be really normal for a long lived race. Things that take multiple years to do may be daunting to Humans, but be understandable to a long lived race and not that long at all to them. Cultural change in these societies may seem to be really really slow from the outside, but to them a cultural shift being done in 50 years would be extremely fast.

Like, if a race can live for thousands of years is it really ok to say that if something happened to that race 1,000 years it doesn't matter even though those affected are still very much alive (and may have not recovered) because Humans find that to be an absurdly long time ago? What if they only live for around 300 years, but things that happened 1000 years ago directly affected their parents or grandparents?

If these long lived people lived and integrated themselves into societies where the majority lives far shorter lives than they do, and a few found their way into positions of power, staying in those positions for a longer time than Humans normally do, would that be wrong? Would Humans misunderstand their intentions? What if that long lived person just wanted to help the place they call home and the people they call friends and family, so stayed in that position for as long as they could?

How long would a long lived person or family live somewhere where the vast society around them changes and does far quicker than they do? How would their friends and family living shorter lives honestly affect them? Would they choose to return to the society of their race and to a time scale that makes sense to them, or stay? What if they can't return for some reason even if they wanted to?

What of those born into a society that lives shorter lives? Would they adapt the cultural perception of time of the society around them regardless of how long they live?

What if this race is disparate? Would they form a society with shorter lives races around them? Would they instead form pockets where they are the majority because of the sheer difference in time lived?

I could go on and on because this is just fascinating to me, and unfortunately I don't see many people really engaging with that aspect of worldbuilding a lot. Especially in fandom discussions about things I think we default to our own understanding of time and forget that long lived races would experience it differently than us. Idk maybe I think about this a lot because Manaketes, the Nabataeans, Altmer, etc are often my favorite races, and that aspect of their worldbuilding gets ignored when we talk about characters belonging to those races and their reactions to things that happened "a long time ago" to us. Not saying everyone does but it's easy to not consider because "how does this race even perceive time" is probably not on peoples minds when discussing things.

187 notes • Posted 2021-08-21 19:03:38 GMT

Me, watching the new Hetalia episode loving every millisecond of the chaos:

224 notes • Posted 2021-03-31 19:37:31 GMT

Kiran really went:

406 notes • Posted 2021-02-02 05:21:15 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #long post #Trying not to break Tumblr here

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whatevercomestomymind · 4 years

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Hi, sorry to bother you, but I saw your post about learning calligraphy to better your handwriting? I was wondering if you remember any practice materials or methods you might have used? I have horrible handwriting and am trying to better it, but keep hitting walls on finding any practice materials that aren’t kindergarten level. Again, sorry to bother you on an old post but I thought you might be able to help another in their pursuit for better penmanship.

Not a problem! And I just posted that yesterday, so you're good!

There's an absolute TON of instructional work on calligraphy, and I agree, most start off way too basic, and then just skip through the "practice practice practice" portion, and end up not really teaching the evolution of the letter forms, which is stupidly helpful, especially once you already know the basics of handwriting.

I'll post a list of books I 1000% recommend at the bottom, but there's a few things to know about calligraphy when you start.

Calligraphy and handwriting are seen as 2 different art forms now. They didn't use to be.

There is a HUGE difference between your "daily hand" and "calligraphy."

Learning calligraphy will have a relatively small impact on your daily hand unless you practice a style that is foundationally similar to what you already know.

So, you have 2 goals: learning "fancy" lettering, and improving your handwriting.

If you want to improve your handwriting, you have to go in reverse historical chronological order, so that your hands and eye adapts most naturally, which will give you the fastest results.

So where to start?

First, if you're American, you were probably taught the D'Nealian script (block and cursive) when you learned how to write (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Nealian)

This was derived from the Palmer Script (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmer_Method)

Which is in turn derived from Spencerian script (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencerian_script), and in turn before that, Copperplate (which is more of a font family rather than a specific style, it's most famous offspring being English Roundhand).

If your goal is to improve your daily writing style, practice those hands in that order. DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO START WITH COPPERPLATE, IT WILL MELT YOUR BRAIN. TRUST ME.

I'd start with Palmer tbh. That's probably what your grandparents learned, and have you seen letters from the 1940s? Fuckin beautiful.

The key points are the angle of your paper, the angle of your pen, and your letter spacing. The styles all the way back to Spencerian tend to still allow for you to manipulate the pen with your fingers (like you're used to) rather than your whole wrist or arm (like older scripts like classic italics, copperplate and Gothic styles).

Here's a really old and really fabulous guide to the entire Palmer method: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/gdc/scd0001/2006/20060809007pa/20060809007pa.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjwtLfquYvsAhXydM0KHUpDBCMQFjAbegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw3cruMOFNqF4iK6as-toBJN

It's a free PDF. Pay particular attention to the section of scribbles and circles! THESE ARE NOT OPTIONAL IF YOU WANT TO RE-TRAIN YOUR HAND. You have to use muscles in ways they're not used to moving, so get a pad of paper, and in idle down-time (watching TV, riding the bus, on that stupid Zoom meeting that could have been an email), SIT THERE AND SCRIBBLE OVALS LIKE A LUNATIC.

Seriously, this is the single best thing you can do to improve your handwriting. And artwork for that matter. You have to train your hand. You have to start being conscious of how the pen feels, how it scratches the paper depending on how hard you press, how thick lines feel vs thin ones, how a miniscule change in pressure changes the whole line and shape you're doodling.

AUTISM/ADHD NOTE: doing this may make you feel weird, or overstimulated! If it's not something you can keep doing, then DONT. If like me though, you find the repetitive movement and scratchy feel of the pen on paper soothing, you're gonna freaking love this part.

So that covers scripts for the most part (well at least for the past couple of centuries).

ON TO BLOCK LETTERING!

In my research, I found that those annoying bubble letters with the I hearts I despised in middle school actually had a historical precedent: Uncial lettering.

Uncial (and half-uncials) lettering was the signature font of the Kells Monastery, and what we all think of when we thing "celtic/Irish lettering". Famous examples are the way Bilbo Baggins writes in the Hobbit and LOTR films, more pub signs than you can shake a stick at, etc.

Remember what I said about how older scripts require less finger movement and more wrist/whole arm movement? Half-uncial is one of those odd intersectional fonts. Below a 5/8" line height, you'll probably get good results moving mostly your fingers, but as you scale up, you'll get smoother lines by moving larger joints (wrist, keeping fingers in place, and then whole arm for 3"+ line heights).

The foundation of half uncial font is the circle. But it's more of a horizontal oval. Once you can draw a slightly elongated circle, and a straight line, you're ready for half uncials because every other letter is based on the "O". A's? A circle with a stick. D's? 3/4 of a circle with a horizontal ascender.

Now this us where the books I recommend come in.

You're going to want to start with the Celtic Design series by Aidan Meehan. Start with "A Beginner's Manual". It lays out the mathematical and geometric construction behind every major facet of celtic illumination. I particularly like the bit on the geometry of Insular letters at the end.

Then go through "Celtic Alphabets", followed by "Illuminated Lettes" if you're interested in the embellishments and decorated letters, though it does talk about how letter forms are constructed geometrically, which i found super useful.

But the font i use the most on a regular basis is Architects Hand. It's an all caps highly angular and tight, but easy to read and execute hand. Here's an example:

Since its mostly straight lines designed for optimal readability even at the smallest font point sizes, it's a super useful and easy way to write fairly quickly and legibly.

I hope this helps to answer your question and points you in the right direction! Since I moved on to specializing in knotwork and illumination fairly quickly after discovering calligraphy, I have a lot more information about those subjects than handwriting, but if you want more info, by all means, ask away!

#calligraphy #handwriting #letters #celtic #ask

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weemsbotts · 4 years

Text

“Like the Gaudy Butterfly…”: A Discussion on Lace Tatting

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

The Weems-Botts Museum will be opening their doors soon to safely welcome visitors as we enter Phase 3. One of our treasures, our framed and donated lace tatting, is ready to take the spotlight again! But what is tatting? Why do we sell a Lace Tatting Kit in our Gift Shop? And why are doilies so ubiquitous?

Like crochet and knitting, tatting is a type of needlework that uses thread and tools (shuttle, needle, crochet hook) to create intricate and decorative knotwork. While this type of work could have evolved from netting and ropework, we find tatting popular throughout Europe and Great Britain in the 19th century with different names: frivolite in France, knotting in England, Schiffchenarbeit in Germany, and tatting in America. People used tatting to either accent an item (such as our 19th century petticoat with lace tatting on bottom – not on display!) or create delicate pieces, such as doilies.

Many reading this article may already know or could easily recognize tatting thanks to the surge of popularity it experienced in the 1930s-1950s and then again in the 1970s. It was popular throughout the Victorian era with Eleonore Riego de la Branchardiere publishing numerous needlework manuals/guides, such as Golden Stars in Tatting and Crochet, 1861, currently available via Project Gutenberg. Mlle Riego de la Branchardiere started with some reassurances, “The following Designs are formed by a very simple combination of Tatting and Crochet, the more elaborate style of both Works being avoided, so that any Lady with a knowledge of the first rules of each Art will be able to accomplish the patterns without the least difficulty, the Stars and Diamonds being made in Tatting and afterwards worked round with loops of chain Crochet.” Thank goodness! Let us check in with an anonymous author who included a chapter on tatting in the 1844 publication, The Ladies’ Work-Table Book; Containing Clear and Practical Instructions in Plain and Fancy Needlework, Embroidery, Knitting, Netting, and Crocheting. This author boldly declared the purpose and high importance of needlework specifically aimed at the female population, “If it be true that “home scenes are rendered happy or miserable in proportion to the good or evil influence exercised over them by woman—as sister, wife, or mother”—it will be admitted as a fact of the utmost importance, that every thing should be done to improve the taste, cultivate the understanding, and elevate the character of those “high priestesses” of our domestic sanctuaries. The page of history informs us, that the progress of any nation in morals, civilization, and refinement, is in proportion to the elevated or degraded position in which woman is placed in society; and the same instructive volume will enable us to perceive, that the fanciful creations of the needle, have [iv]exerted a marked influence over the pursuits and destinies of man.” The instructions for tatting included open stitches, stars (a popular theme), and common tatting edges. This author concluded by reinforcing their opinion that needlework contained a Christian imperative and service, a way for women to “endeavor” and develop their “moral goodness”, “We were not sent into this world to flutter through life, like the gaudy butterfly, only to be seen and admired.”

(Source: Project Gutenberg Ebook of Golden Stars in Tatting and Crochet by Eleonore Riego de la Branchardiere)

However, needlework and crafted items, such as doilies, should not be viewed as crafted (and useful!) curiosities only. While women’s magazines published many ideas, guides, patterns, etc. in the early 20th century, artists also used these same objects in more meaningful expressions. Horace Pippin survived but sustained an injury during WWI that limited the mobility of his arm. Using small canvasses and drawing upon his experiences, knowledge, and imagination, his work gained national attention and the Museum of Modern Art in New York exhibited his items in their “Masters of Popular Painting: Exhibitions of Modern Primitives of Europe and America”. Supporters such as Robert Carlen and Albert Barnes helped boost his popularity through solo exhibitions and purchases. According to scholar Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, “Equally crucial is valuing these diverse subjects for their autobiographical, regional, and cultural under- pinnings—underpinnings that link them irrevocably to Pippin’s more celebrated paintings of war, spiritual harmony and African-American life”. Notably, Pippin painted numerous doilies in his artwork, whether draped across seating furniture or tables. His paintings featured an impressive depth and scope – whether a reflection/recollection on the war, social injustices, slavery, or famous events such as the execution of John Brown. He remarked, “The pictures . . . come to me in my mind and if to me it is a worthwhile picture I paint it . . . I do over the picture several times in my mind and when I am ready to paint it I have all the details I need." Just studying the doilies alone show his attention and mastery to still life and detail.

So why are doilies ubiquitous? We could discuss reasons ranging from potential cost to efficiency and décor, but doilies are definitely still a “thing”. While we could joke about its function as a glorified coaster, it is hard not to be excited when opening a family chest and discovering these delightful items crafted by our families and friends.

(Sources: Project Gutenberg Ebook of Golden Stars in Tatting and Crochet by Eleonore Riego de la Branchardiere; Project Gutenberg Ebook of The Ladies Work-Table Book, by Anonymous; The Spruce Crafts: What is Tatting?; Jonathan Boos: Specializing in 20th Century American Art: The Floral Still Lifes of Horace Pippin”; National Gallery of Art: Pippin’s Story)

#museumfromhome #destinationdumfries #lace #doilies #collection #community #crafts #needlework #horace pippin

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halfpennythoughts · 4 years

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15 Quarantine Crafts to Keep You From Going Stir-Crazy

Stuck at home with too much time on your hands? Sounds like a perfect recipe for crafting! And maybe you can’t go out to buy some new supplies, but remember, working around limitations often push you towards the most creative results.So let’s get cracking!

1) Mandala and Adult Coloring Books - If you have a printer and Internet, google "mandala coloring pages.” Lots of options for you to print out! No colored pencils? No problem! Using just a pen/sharpie and pencil you have at least two shades (black and grey, plus white) which is all you need.

2) Origami - Dig out a piece of scrap paper. Old mail is fine too! One Youtube tutorial later and you’ve got your very first swan.

3) Papercrafting - Got lots of extra paper? Make a fancy thank-you card, or if you’ve got glue and newspapers, why not explore a paper-mache project?

4) Zentangling - Exactly the meditative break you need right now, and all you need is pen and paper.

5) Miniatures - Got glue and knickknacks around the house? Great! People are making amazing mini houses out of pringle cans and Popsicle sticks, or go small by making tiny colored pencils with toothpicks and paint. A few mismatched mechanical pencil parts can make tiny cups or a lamp.

6) Office Supply Weapons - Speaking of pencil parts, if you’ve got office supplies handy, chances are you can make a PENCIL CROSSBOW. Google it and you’ll be ready to defend your desk space when you get back to work.

7) iPhone photography - If you have a smart phone, take this time to explore you living space from a photographer’s eye. Try to capture the wall texture, the way the light hits the floor, etc. Or maybe take a few photos to sell as stock images.

8) Art Makeup - If you have makeup supplies, why not take this time to try a wild avant-garde makeup look? If it doesn’t turn out great, no one has to see it, and if it does, Instagram gold right here! BUT only use your own makeup supplies, don’t share makeup or brushes with others.

9) Plan out your next Halloween costume or birthday party. Anything you can start designing or making now? Any accessories? Do some idea sketches.

10) Calligraphy - A pen plus Youtube will get everyone swooning over your signature on your next potluck sign-up sheet.

11) Old T-Shirt crafts - If you’ve got scissors and a Marie Kondo impulse, you can find an old blah shirt and reinvent it. There are PAGES of google results for upcycled tees, including tote bags, grocery bags, braided headbands, floor mats, scarves, pillows, and more!

12) Hairdressing techniques - If you have hair long enough to style (even if it’s just spiking it up) why not look up a new style, everyday or fancy, and try it out?

13) Braiding and knotwork - From Boy Scout essentials to beautiful Celtic braiding and Chinese knots, you can learn impressive and stunning techniques to serve you well in all future crafting. No cords at home? You can use shoelaces, hoodie strings, or strips of fabric.

14) Decorate a rock - Do you have some scattered rocks nearby, in a yard perhaps? Pick one up and go at it with a sharpie or colored pencils, or paints if you have them.

15) Container upcycling - If your recycle bin is overflowing with empty orange juice or vitamin containers, grab one and decorate it. Do you have twine to wrap around a box for a wicker basket look? Some glitter to glue to a jar? Maybe you could use a new container to hold some pens, can you decorate some paper and glue it around an empty soup can?

And finally, obviously raid your existing house stores of crafts. Maybe you have thread and fabric for embroidery or sewing, maybe some yarn for knitting. I have lots of wood for wood-burning. But the point is, whatever you have in your home can be a jumping-off point for all sorts of ideas.

#quarantine #bored #crafting ideas #coronavirus #whattodo #stuckathome

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cuttoothed · 5 years

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A self-indulgent spin off from @peachblossom-odyssey 's delightful AU, because we have been discussing the roles of some of the other characters in this world. Featuring tsundere dragon Elias, and world's greatest pirate Peter Lukas.

Elias stretched languorously as he woke, spreading out across the width of the bed. He would admit that his stretching was not quite as impressively lithe as it used to be, but it was difficult to recreate the powerful grace of a dragon in a human form. It was just one of those things he’d got used to, over the years.

He never would have slept on a feather mattress as a dragon, either, but the human body was soft, and sleeping on a hoard of magical artifacts and rare books was definitely hard on the human spine. One of many areas where his current shape was deficient, which also included the lack of wings, and the horrible inability to breathe fire at anyone who annoyed him. The opposable thumbs were nice, but they didn’t entirely compensate.

At least, he considered as he got up and began dressing, I still have my lair. A dragon’s lair was its entire sense of self, its history and dignity and pride, and in Elias’ current state, defending it against bandits, or so-called heroes, or even other dragons, would have been impossible. He kept a hefty length of metal piping at hand for emergencies, but he was realistic about its potential effectiveness.

Fortunately he hadn’t lost his capacity for illusion with his shape, and the mouth of the cave was utterly impossible to detect from outside. He was always careful when exiting and entering, so as not to give away the secret, and this morning was no exception. He looked cautiously around before walking through the curtain of glamor and out onto the beach. It was a beautiful summer’s morning, with the waves lapping gently on the golden sands, and the smell of salt lingering -

“There you are!” said a pleasant voice from behind him, and something came down over his head. Rough sackcloth, smelling of something chemical, something - something -

Elias’ last thought before losing consciousness was about the absolute indignity of having a bag put over his head.

He returned to the world slowly, groggy and with a pounding headache. Blinked his eyes open and stiffened as he took in his situation. He was tied to a chair, in a small, neat room. Judging from the porthole and the charts on the desk, a shipboard cabin. Abducted, then. And all his treasures looted, no doubt. He gave a low snarl under his breath, struggling against the ropes binding him (which, he noted, were oddly soft. And crimson red. Not the sort of rope you’d expect to find on a ship). If he only had his flames, or even his pipe -

“No point struggling,” came that same mellow voice from behind him. Elias craned to look over his shoulder (human necks were so short) and the man chuckled, walking around into view.

He was handsome, by human standards. Piercing blue eyes and graying hair, a short beard. Rugged features. Dressed in well made sailor’s garb, completed by a long, dark blue coat trimmed in silver. Elias smirked to himself. Just a human. He could talk his way out of this.

“There seems to have been some misunderstanding, Captain - ?”

“Lukas,” the man said. “Peter Lukas. And there’s no mistake, I’m afraid. So how about you stop playing games and show me that pretty tail, mermaid?”

Elias could think of at least two things wrong with that designation, right off the bat. He laughed.

“You’ve got the wrong man, Captain Lukas. One of the merfolk does frequent this bay, but I’m not him. The lack of gills probably should have tipped you off. And these.” He bared his teeth, human as the rest of him, square and white and utterly nonlethal.

Lukas looked at him with amused skepticism. Leaned in close and pulled open the collar of Elias’ shirt, which, really! Stroked his fingers roughly across the sheen of gold in the hollow of his throat.

“I know the merfolk can change their tails for legs when they choose,” he said. “These lovely scales tell the tale.”

Elias could hear the pun in his voice, and shuddered. He loathed this man, instantly and entirely.

“Well it’s hardly my problem if you can’t tell dragon scales from fish scales, is it?” he snapped.

Lukas’ eyes widened a little, and he whistled softly. Elias suddenly realized he’d made a rather obvious mistake. Damn this man for being so irritating.

“A dragon?” he murmured. “Is that so? I’ve never met a dragon before. I’d always heard they were bigger. And more intimidating than enthralling,’ he finished with a grin that was probably supposed to be seductive. Elias snorted.

“I should warn you,” he said, “If you’re planning to loot my lair, many of the pieces in my hoard are cursed. Be it on your head if you take them.”

It was true, and part of Elias hoped Lukas would take some of them. Particularly some of the more esoteric books in his collection. There was one from the Archwarlock Leitner titled On Vivisection that, well... Elias could certainly wish it upon this man.

To his surprise (and some offense) Peter Lukas laughed, his broad shoulders shaking and his blue eyes shining with mirth.

“I’m not interested in your hoard,” he said. “I’m the greatest pirate in the seven seas - I have enough wealth for a dozen lifetimes. But I am interested in how a dragon came to take human form. Chasing after a forbidden love, maybe?”

“Nothing so sentimental,” Elias told him, trying not to think about wealth for a dozen lifetimes. As a dragon, it was difficult not to fixate. “It’s a curse, and one I cannot wait to be rid of.”

That damn Gertrude Robinson, he’d thought her a mere librarian. How could he have known she was an immensely powerful mage beneath her drab, harmless exterior? Yes, he’d threatened to burn her library to the ground if she didn’t surrender its rarest books, but there had been no call to curse him this way. Until you appreciate the human experience, she'd said, and what a joke. Elias would never appreciate the human experience.

“I understand,” Lukas said, placing a hand to his heart. “I am under a curse of my own. Doomed to sail the seas eternally until I can find my one true love. That’s why they call me Lonely Captain Lukas, because from all the handsome lasses and comely lads who’ve tried to gain my favor, not one has captured my heart.”

Now it was Elias’ turn to laugh, and he did so heartily. The melodrama was almost ridiculous enough to be endearing, if he didn’t so thoroughly despise this man.

“So that’s why you’re seeking the merfolk, then?” he said at last. “You’ve heard that eating the tail from one of their kind can break any curse?”

“As have you, I’m sure, my fair dragon,” Peter said, inclining his head. Elias glowered at him.

“Indeed,” he said. “ Also, I have a name.”

“But you haven’t shared it with me,” Peter said with a smile. “And I know it’s impolite to ask a dragon their name. No matter how desperately you’d love to know it.”

“Perhaps you're not entirely uncouth,” Elias conceded grudgingly. “Untie me and I’ll tell you.”

“Of course!” Peter made quick work of the ropes with nimble, gentle fingers that told Elias he was accustomed to knotwork. Between that, and the velvety red texture, Elias wondered just precisely what Captain Lukas used the ropes in his cabin for.

Well, a promise was a promise.

“Elias,” he said shortly. He shrugged off the ropes and stood up, chafing his arms with a pretense of annoyance. Really, the ropes had been remarkably comfortable, and he hadn’t lost a modicum of circulation.

“Shame,” Peter said, “Those looked very nice on you, Elias.” He drew the word out like nectar on his tongue, his eyes traveling over Elias’ body with unabashed scrutiny. Elias tried to ignore the heat rising in his face. Dragons did not blush, just another indignity of this human form.

“If our business here is quite complete, I'll be going,” he said, slicking his hair back into order. The hair was one thing he did like about this form. It was soft and thick and enjoyable to run fingers through.

“I won't stop you,” Peter said, still looking over him with open admiration. “But I do wish you'd stay for dinner. My cook makes an exceptional Lobster Thermidor.”

Elias hesitated for an instant, because he really did love lobster. But draconic honor compelled him to be true to his intentions.

“Unfortunately, Captain - ”

“Peter, please.”

“Captain. As we're both hunting the singular merfolk who lives in this bay, it seems we're rivals. It wouldn't be appropriate to share a meal.”

Peter smiled at him, heated and hungry, and leaned across to open the cabin door. Waved Elias through with a chivalrous sweep.

“My men will take you back to shore of course,” he said. “But I think you're wrong about us being rivals. Now I've met you, my fair dragon, I feel I may not need a mermaid’s tail to break my curse.”

Elias stalked past him, head held high, refusing to give Peter the satisfaction of a reaction. How dare a mere human presume so with a dragon! When he got his flame back, he would burn Peter Lukas and his ship to ashes.

Until then, though, well...it was always pleasant to be admired. And only a dragon's due.

#the magnus archives #tma #peterelias #fantasy au #ficbits #my fic

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clarcius-blackbirch · 4 years

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Shattered and Broken

[TW implied self-harm] [Three Men Hangin']

The scuttle of the food tray, sliding across the stonework floor at feeding time.

The moans of pain echoing from distant corridors and cells.

The constant rattling of chains, prisoners being shuffled around like the playing cards they were.

These were the symphonies that carried Clarcius through the days. The months. The years. What bits and pieces of conversation he could wrest out of Matthias, he would, but the battle was always uphill. He was suspecting moss was starting to grow over the Kul Tiran, given how little he moved.

Clarcius did not dream.

He had broken a clay cup once by sheer accident. The guards were quick to collect the pieces, but he managed to squirrel away a shard in the confusion of it all. He started to question why he kept it, and why he made sure it held a sharp edge. He did his best to put those intrusive thoughts from his mind.

Matthias had kept a shard himself, but the purpose was far more utilitarian. By the light of the moon, he would ink Clarcius' back, when enough soot had formed on the windowsill of their shared cell, and the guard were decidedly more lax in their duties. These were the moments Matthias was the most talkative, bordering in jovial. Clarcius chalked it up to him being happy to work.

They talked about the Light, how they had found it and how it kept finding them, even in the darkest corners. Matthias spoke at length about the cyclical nature of the Light. How he had heard some Elves, even Tauren charted the course of the sun as their connection to it, the Light made manifest. He spoke on the duality of the Light, how it cast long shadows and the stronger it got, so too, did the darkness. Matthias touched on Elune, too. Though he was first to admit he was no authority on the subject.

The tattoo itself was done in something akin to the Vrykul knotwork. Matthias had played his part in helping to smuggle the Gilnean Brigade to Northrend, so he too carried stories of the giant northmen. The crest of the Church done in an ancient style, weaving in and out of itself. Sometimes Clarcius wondered if the design was indeed that, or rather he would become the victim of a long con, a sick sort of joke or phallic symbol being scrawled across his back. Despite his misgivings and paranoia, he could not help but trust Matthias.

But all the while, his mind kept coming back to the shard. To his exit. What future was there? Would he just sit and wait to die? He had never considered something like it before, but this was the only thing in his control, his ability to choose the time. He feared it was fast approaching.

Amongst the cacophany of it all, hyper aware of the comings and goings in the prison, Clarcius heard steps out of place. His stomach dropped and he couldn't place exactly why. Matthias felt the tension underneath him, and sat back onto his haunches, bloodied shard in hand.

"Ets time." Matthias grumbled, following up with something about thinking he had more to spare on the piece.

"Righ' Clarcius. This is et. Dun let 'em see ya flinch, aye?" He clapped the man over the area he'd just tattooed. Clarcius howled in pain.

"Shat up. Ya'll thank me fer it." Clarcius had turned to respond in anger, but held his tongue at the jingle of keys. He glared up at Balair, who himself had two guards in tow.

They led him out into the courtyard, which sat eerily quiet, but Clarcius shut his eyes, far too distracted. He hadn't felt the wind in years. Fresh air, or at least as fresh as it can be in the city. The wind was cool on his face, the sun having just set, the skies a stark burst of purple and red rippling across the clouds. He took in a deep breath, then reopened his eyes, looking at the gallows. The adrenalin from the slap was coursing through him, he knew what was coming.

"Go on, Lil Loa-" Clarcius turned and spat in Balair's face, a half step towards cracking the man across the jaw before the guards restrained him. Balair cracked a sinister smile, laughing deeply before the butt of his rifle connected with Clarcius' ribs.

"Get 'im on a feckin' rope." Barked Balair, wiping his face on his sleeve. Wolves howled in the distance, Clarcius liked to imagine they were laughing at Balair, too.

"Bu' 'is 'ands ain' boun-" Balair stared daggers into the man who spoke up. Without another word they led Clarcius up to the scaffold. He didn't resist, his eyes watched the loop of the noose as he ascended the steps.

"Balair we gotta ge' back ta tha-" Balair was up the scaffold in a blink, knocking the more talkative of the guards right off the platform. Blood started to pool behind the man's head, twitching erratically.

"Do it me FECKIN' self." Balair roared over cannon fire. The other guard ran off the scaffold and right out of the courtyard. Balair paid him no mind, roughly pulling the noose tight. Clarcius stood tall, hands at his sides. He lifted his head to take in another breath of the crisp dusk air. He wept freely, thinking of Atherton one last time. Balair stormed over to the lever and gave Clarcius one final sinister smile.

"Anotha' dead end alley, Clarcius. Say 'ey ta yer Athy, aye?" He snorted and threw the lever, Clarcius roared in a primal anger, managing a step to Balair before his feet gave way as the platform fell below him. His hand came up just quick enough to come between his neck and the noose. He swung from the rope, having saved his neck from snapping on impact, but his hand was surely broken. He kept gagging and swinging, trying to find purchase with his foot to relieve the pressure.

Balair had fully intended to watch the show, taking pleasure in watching Clarcius struggle from the rope. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the guard running back up from where he had so recently escaped, yelling the same name over and over in abject horror.

"WORGEN!"

~~~

#warcraft rp #wyrmrest rp #wyrmrest alliance #fanfic #world of warcraft #roleplay

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