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asherbakugou · 4 months

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Dragon Dictionary

Ra's Al Ghul - Lung | Asiatic Jade Dragon

- Known for diamond hard scales that come in all shades of green

- Sharp teeth curved inwards for catching fish; Hooked talons for catching fish

- Breath poisonous gas

- Fly through the sky in a serpentine fashion

Talia Al Ghul - Lung | Asiatic Jade Dragon/Black Mamba

- Known for diamond hard scales that come in all shades of green

- Sharp teeth curved inwards for catching fish; Hooked talons for catching fish; Fangs filled with venom positioned at the front of the mouth in place of canines

- Black mouth

- Breathe poisonous gas

- Fly through the sky in a serpentine fashion

Bruce Wayne - Wyvern | Black Nightwing

- Wyvern with large black wings and three claws at the end of its wrist to walk on; Diamond hard scales that blend in with the night sky

- Breath black plasma

- Long, straight horns pointed back

- Crocodile like tail for balnce when on hind legs

Slade Wilson - Drake | Sand Drake

- Sand colored scales with darker plates along their back like armor; Impenetrable scales with thick skin

- Wide paws for balance on sand with straight claws; Slender body for moving across sand and hiding in the desert

- Barbed tail like a scorpion

- Breath fire

Chato Santana - Lindwurm/Zilant/Quetzecoatl | Born a Sand Lindwurm - Everburning Feathered Zilant

- Sand colored scales with darker skales specked in, uniquily suited tofold front limbs back and move like a snake through the sand

- Fangs situated at the front of the mouth filled with highly corrosive venom

- Long red, yellow, and orange colored feathers along the top of the skull, down the neck and along large wings, tipped with hooked foreclaws

- Real embers along the spine; Runs naturally hotter than almost any other dragon species

- Feathered tail that leaves behind trails of deadly smoke

- Breathes golden flames

Damian Al Ghul - Wayne - Yinglong | Asiatic Jade Nightwing

- Diamond hard scales with mottled black and green scales that allow them to blend in with the night sky and shadows

- Black mouth with inward curved teeth to catch fish; Hooked talons for catching fish

- Large black wings with single foreclaw and moveable wrist that he can walk on

- Black plasma

- Thin whip like tail

- Long horns curving slightly backwards

Respawn (Achilles Al Ghul - Wilson) - Lung | Jade Sand Dragon

- Impenetrable sand colored scales with green armor like plates down the spine

- Venoumous barb on his tail; Fangs positioned at the front of his mouth are filled with deadly venom

- Wide paws with hooked talons for fish; Black mouth with inward curved teeth for eating fish

- Fly tgrough the sky in a serpentine fashion

- Camouflaged in desert areas

Matteo Al Ghul - Santana - Feathered Yinglong | Everburning Jade Dragon

- Dimaond hard scales in shades of dark green with golden/sandy colored speckled in

- Black mouth; Fangs situated at the front of the mouth filled with corrosive venom; Straight teeth, like a wolves or coyotes

- Large paws with hooked talons for catchin fish

- Green and white feathers around his slender face, down the neck, over the wings, and down the spine

- Embers glow along his back, hidden with the feathers; Runs hotter than nearly all other species of dragon

- Breathes golden-green flames

- Feathered tail leaves smoke trails when he flies

Dick Grayson - Feathered Dragon | Thermotect

- Ice cold, diamond hard scales in all shades from black to white, blue to pink, and more; Specialized feathers along the face, neck and top half of the wings

- Large teeth, like a polar bears; Hooked talon for gripping ice and catching fish

- Blue-black tongue

- Breathe ice

- Wide paws with thick pads to walk across snow and ice

Jason Todd - Feathered Wyvern |Phoenix Drake

- Covered in thick red-orange feathers with darker red ones around the neck, wings, and tail; Fluff covered hind legs with long wicked sharp talons like a Harpy Eagles

- Sharp foreclaws on the tops of the wings 'wrist' to walk on though Phoenix Drakes are capable of walking upright on their hind legs alone

- Thin faces with angular snout; Razor sharp serated teeth, like an anacondas, to grab hold of prey

- Long tail feathers with two extra long white feathers that stretch several feet past the rest of the tail

- Run hotter than almost every species, but are vulnerable because they lack the thick scales of most species; Compensate by being reborn

Timothy Drake - Dragon | Goldenfang

- Beautiful golden scales with short wings and long frills along its spine with a long tail with thin delicate looking veils connected by thin spines on the tail; Darker golden-brown scales on the head like a fer-de-lances

- Jungle dwelling dragons best at gliding through trees and weaving around obstacles

- Sharp needle like claws for clinging to trees; Delicate fangs positioned at the front of the mouth filled with potent golden venom

- Sharp teeth and molars like a monkeys; Short muzzle than most dragons

- Flexible bodies with a specialized flexible spine

- Incredibly delicate as their scales aren't diamond hard of inpenetrable

Cassandra Cain - Drake | Scorpion Drake

- Thick, impenetrable scales that comes in pale shades od brown or shades of black or in between; Long tail that curves upwards slightly tipped with a sharp stinger and poison glands

- Specialized scales along the wrists and ankles that let them feel vibrations in the air; Naturally thinner scales, a weak spot

- Large paws with flat claws to balance on sand

- Able to go long periods without water; Can hold still for hours

- Extremely fast and agile for a drake who are normally bulky because of their thick, armor like scales

- Fast runners because of their longs legs

Rare - Common

Successful Hybrids (that survive) - Extremely Rare

Everburning Dragon - Rare

Phoenix Drake - Rare

Goldenfang - Rare

Asiatic Jade Dragon - Uncommon

Sand Drakes - Uncommon

Thermotect - Uncommon

Scorpion Drake - Uncommon

Black Nightwings - Uncommon

(Inspired by @salparadiselost Dragon Au; The Thermotect, Phoenix Drake, and Goldenfang all belong to her)

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moths-wc-aus · 11 months

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HF - Writing System

The Sects have a rudimentary writing system made up of symbols. It's used primarily to warn each other of dangers and to mark their territory. The River Sect has a larger system, which they use to carve stories into their clay pots.

Symbols can be combined to create more meaning. For example, "Moon" and "Bird" placed next to each other means "Owl". "Death" and "Holy Place" next to each other signifies a burial ground. Symbols for predators are often found next to "Danger" or "Caution", to really drive the point home.

Numbers 1 through 9

Nine, five, and four are deeply important numbers in Sect culture. There are four Sects, a cat has five claws on their front paws, and a leader gets nine lives. Since nine is the highest of these numbers, that's the highest the Sects' numerical system goes.

When a number goes past nine, you will find another number added to it (Ex; "Nine" and "Four", meaning thirteen).

"Many"

Used when the number of something is too high to count.

"Sun / Day" and "Moon / Night"

Not found often on its own, these symbols are typically paired with another one to alter its meaning (Ex; "Moon" and "Bird" mean owl, "Sun" and "Wolf" mean dog).

Sect Symbols

Used to mark territory. It's not uncommon to see different Sect symbols in the same place; it means that the area has traded paws throughout history.

The "River Sect" symbol is occasionally used in Thunder Sect to mark the existence of water!

The "Sky Sect" symbol, however, is only found in one place- the Deadpines- and only if you go deep enough. Modern cats are unaware of its existence- and if they've somehow happened to see it, they won't know what it means.

"Danger"

Not usually found on its own, this symbol is typically paired with a predator symbol, "Poison", or "Sick". In Wind Sect, you may also find it alongside "Tunnel", to mark that a tunnel is dangerous and may collapse.

"Snake"

Marks that a snake (or several, when paired with a number) has made a home there. Snakestones on Thunder Sect territory has this symbol carved into the trees surrounding it, alongside "Many", "Poison", and "Danger".

"Wolf / Hound"

When alone, it marks that a single wolf has made a home nearby. Alongside the symbol "Many", it means that a pack of wolves live nearby.

As stated under "Sun / Day" and "Moon / Night", adding the sun symbol changes wolf to dog.

"Bird"

On its own, this symbol most often means hawk or eagle. When paired with "Moon", the meaning changes to owl. Adding "Prey" to "Bird" means that this is a place where smaller birds (thrushes, sparrows, etc) like to hang out.

"Alligator / Crocodile"

This is a symbol found only on Shadow Sect territory, but it's an important one. It warns that an alligator or crocodile lives nearby.

"Moose / Elk"

A pissed off moose is no way to lose your life. This symbol warns that moose or elk like to stop by the area, so be alert!

"Fish"

Surprisingly, this symbol is uncommon even in River Sect. It's really only used when paired with "Danger", warning that there's a pike or other such fish in the area.

"Fox", "Bear", "Badger", "Bobcat", "Cougar", and "Coyote"

Used to mark the fact that a den or hunting ground of one of these predators is nearby.

"Turtle"

Most often found in River Sect and Shadow Sect, this symbol doesn't represent your nice cute box turtle. Instead, this means a snapping turtle lives nearby.

"Stoat / Weasel"

Often paired with "Tunnel", this is a symbol seen almost solely in Wind Sect.

"Prey"

Used to mark that an area is rich with prey and has good hunting.

"Poison"

Most often found by plants like yew and hemlock. These are typically left by healers, warning those who aren't as knowledgeable of plants that these aren't something to mess with.

May also be found near the "Snake" symbol!

"Safe"

Often found near the "Holy Place" symbol, this marks the fact that an area is meant to be safe. There's no fighting here.

"Caution"

A less severe version of "Danger". Often found alongside predator signs, "Poison", or "Sick".

"Dead / Death"

Never found on its own, this symbol is seen alongside signs like "Sick" and "Holy Place". "Dead" and "Sick" paired together warns that whatever sickness is nearby is deadly, while "Death" and "Holy Place" means that a burial ground is nearby.

"Sick"

Warns that there's sickness nearby. Often paired with "Death", "Caution", or "Danger".

"Tunnel"

Marks that a tunnel opening is nearby. Most often seen on Wind Sect territory.

"Garden / Farm"

Marks that an area is farmland or a garden, so please do not rip things up or kill the prey here!

"Holy Place"

Found on its own at places like the Fourtrees and Mothermouth, and paired with another symbol for places like burial grounds.

#warrior cats #warriors #wc worldbuilding & headcanons #hf lore & worldbuilding #worldbuilding #healing fire #hf au

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dieletztepanzerhexe · 1 year

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A feature of many groups like the San that include shamans is the wearing of the heads and skins of animals with which these people have a ritual relationship and on whose powers they draw. Animal or bird caps and/or masks and/or costumes are, or were, worn in a range of societies by ritual functionaries whose role is, or was, to mediate between the living and the spirit world, including the realm of the dead. Animal masks and costumes covering the head and/or body of the wearer include masks made from the entire heads of donkeys (Fig. 7). Other costumes were made from the skin and head of a jaguar, with gloves made from their paws, so that the costumed person assumes the form of the animal (Saunders 1989) (Fig. 8). The ritual dress of Siberian shamans included masks with horns (Hoppall 1992), masks made of bears' heads with skin attached (Eliade 1964), wings hung from the shaman's shoulders (Eliade 1964; Waite 1966; Hoppall 1992), and a bird, such as a raven or eagle, on the head (Waite 1966; Hoppal 1992).

Bogoras (1909) relates a Koryak myth in which a woman transforms herself into a bear by putting on a bear-skin and describes the metamorphosis of trancing Chukchee shamans into animals, aided, in some cases, by their wearing the skin (including head and claws) of the animal concerned. The wild and uncontrolled behaviour of the shamans described by Bogoras (1909) is similar in many respects to that exhibited by San trancers, which suggests that the Chukchee described here went into trance with the aid of animal masks and dress:

“The shamans also imitate the voices of animals and birds, stamp ground with their feet, and jump about violently, foaming at the mouth, and even breaking such things as may come within reach of their hands. A shaman whose body is entered by a (spirit) loses the faculty of human speech, and may express his wishes either by gestures or by gibbering, unintelligible noises. He crawls on all fours, grunting and gnashing his teeth. I was told several times that some of the shamans even put on a bear or a wolf skin, taken off with the claws and the skull.” (Bogoras1909:442)

Therianthropes in San Rock Art by Pieter Jolly

#shamanism #shaman #anthropology #archaeology #petroglyphs #san people #rock art #masks #ritual #transformation #therianthropes #therianthrope #zoomorphism #trance #animals #south africa #hunter gatherers #animal costumes

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deeptrashwitch · 10 hours

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Another snippet! This time is (more or less) a shifter AU that my friend told me about today, and well, we ended up plotting this :D

Noah was inside the rest room in his animal form near the window, with Elijah (also shifted) sleeping on the sofa arm. The salamander shifter just looked how everyone else walked around doing their things, and that routined relaxed him enough to start dozing off. At least until a cat hiss and screech filled of fury woke them up, going back to their human form.

"What on earth was that?!" Elijah asked, changing from an eagle to a human

"I...don't know" Noah murmured also going back to be a human

Soon a crow flew inside, holding a squirrel on its claws. And suddenly it became Nicholas and Edward, the first one fixing his hair with a mutter.

"That was Jackson, he's fighting with Luke, again" Edward said while he hid his tail

"Again? Those two fight all the time! Even Alexander has to shift to stop them!" the recon expert exclaimed, frustrated "I mean, Jackson doesn't fight Marcus as much as he does with Luke. And Marcus is a dog!"

"First, leave the bear boy alone. And second, maybe he just likes to fight with Lieutenant?" Nicholas murmured, just thinking out loud

"Whatever it is, we need to talk with the Captain"

"No need, I'm here" she said, walking inside from the second door hanging up a call

"You mind, ma'am?" Edward asked with a sigh

Alicia nodded, then shifted to her animal form, a black jaguar. Soon walked to look for the cat shifter and the wolf shifter, whom she find after some few minutes, hissing and growling to each other. When she stopped beside them, she put a paw over the wolf's snout and the cat's head, then growled as a warning.

Although, Jackson also started to hiss at her while Luke just stared at the cat. The jaguar let go a deep sigh, which sounded weird, before grabbing the cat with her teeth by the neck. It make the cat to hiss and screech even more, until he calmed down before starting purring.

"How? Just how?" Luke asked, going back to his human form "is something of all felines?"

Then he looked at Alicia, thinking of a bad idea...just to discard it when she glared at him. Luke stepped back with a nervous smile when he noticed how she tensed and showed her fangs, while her pupils contracted and her fur stood on end. A deep growl was the only thing he needed, raising his hands as a peace offering.

"I won't do it, calm down" he muttered with a nervous laugh "stop looking at me like that"

And like that the jaguar left with her Sergeant (cub), leaving the Lieutenant behind.

#ocs #oc #call of duty #cod oc #team charlie #cod mw2 #call of duty modern warfare #cod mwii #snippets

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shadowcetra · 2 months

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Who is Eden?

This page is under construction, the story needs revamping. Forgive me for such a long wait for the change. I hope to get the backstory and information rewritten soon.

Triggar warning: The backstory contains parental death.

Name: Eden Inbar

Many of the characters in the Final Fantasy Universe have unique names (such as Yazoo, Rude, and Cloud); I wanted to try to stick to that. Her father gave her the name Eden, in hopes she would be as beautiful and bountiful in blessings, but he had no intentions in her falling into sin like those within the Garden. Eden is to represent the Garden of Eden in that sense. As the story progresses, Eden gradually becomes corrupted with the jealousy and the frustration in her struggle with her heritage and identity, she betrays the Planet and what she holds dear, thus resulting in her losing that spiritual light.

Not only she represents the fall of Eden, but her story is to illustrate Judas Iscariot, the disciple who committed betrayal out of greed. Ultimately, her story is to reveal that even the most faithful can fall. However, her story is to also show the radical power of forgiveness, how it can revive the dead spirit.

The last name, Inbar, means “Amber” in Hebrew. The amber eyes are a major characteristic of Eden. They are supposed to be inherited from her Cetran roots. From what I gathered, Ancients are known to have earthy traits; an example being Aerith’s green eyes and brown hair. Eden is given amber eyes not only because it is an earthy color, but it also represents her darker motivations. Amber is the color of sap that bleeds from wounded trees; when Eden betrays the Planet, she hurts all that is connected with it such as the people, animals, plants, and trees.Their blood stains her conscience.

Race: Cetra/Cosmo Canyon Native

Appearance: Eden stands about 5’ 3’’, and has medium tan skin from her mother and father. She is also considered underweight due to her subpar hunting skills. She is not always successful in catching food; and with the gritty, bleak world Final Fantasy VII is set in, many of the population were poor and couldn’t always afford necessities. Eden is one of those who struggle greatly.

She also has various scars from her hunts and battles. Three claw marks are seen on her left collarbone; three huge, jagged scars rip over her left rib cage and reach down her side. She also has scars from a bite wound on her right arm.

I based her appearance loosely on the Egyptian and Middle Eastern backgrounds. She bears the tattoos around her eyes and on her cheeks that are iconic of Egyptian relics, and wears three piercings on both ears (a golden ring, silver stud, and silver ring), the ivory fang gauge is seen only on her left ear. Two thin, silver lip rings are on her bottom lip.

There is also a tattoo on her left wrist, hidden beneath her arm covering. It is a small sun symbol with two eagle feathers. It’s to honor her late mother.

Each of the eight thin braids, each braid held together by a gold band. Her bangs are long, angled, messy, and jagged.

The choker she wears around her neck is hemp braided with a gun-metal, swirled tribal pendant that loosely resembles a beast’s paw. The dark satchel strapped to her hip often carries sleep materia and other small items she can manage to stuff in. She also has hazel eyes, to give an indication of her connection to the Planet. She also wears baggy, acid-stained jeans and furry boots.

From what I gathered from Cetra (Ancients) depicted from the Temple, they resonate with an appearance of those from Egypt and the surrounding area. I am aware that Aerith does not look as exotic (light skin tone, no eye markings) but I wanted to try to reflect what the Cetra ancestors may have looked, or intended to look.

Personality: Eden can be cunning, and she relies on this trait when facing a troubling situation; often choosing to stick to the shadows and tricks rather than facing someone head-on. Eden can’t stand the thought of losing control and is known to fight viciously and dirty when cornered. Preferring to be quiet and simply observe, she struggles with social interactions, especially first time meetings. She is paranoid towards others, thus she doesn’t trust easily. The woman is also victim to envy, as she can become very jealous towards those who are more skilled or more blessed than she is. She broods quietly instead of talking about her problems; and can seem dishonest, selfish, and stubborn.

However, towards those who grow close to her heart, she becomes protective and does her best to be dependable. The Ancient becomes more playful to those she loves and often becomes touchy-feely with them. She is rather insecure, due to her fear of the LifeStream and belief that she is cursed, and often looks towards intimacy as a means to help combat with her insecurities.

Parents:

Her father’s name is Cassiel, which is the name of the archangel of tears and solitude in the Kabbalah. He is an Ancient, and because of his heritage, he questions and fears of what the voices will do to him. Because of his fear, He tries not to get involved with the Planet’s troubles, despite the Planet’s urgings for him to act.

Her mother’s name is Nizhoni, which I found means “Beautiful” in Navajo. She is a Cosmo Canyon native, and a passionate supporter of AVALANCHE and the Planet. She tries to give as much as she can to support their cause.

Past: A dull thud struck the floor, followed by a tired breath as the disturbed red dust hung around the large, burlap sack. The older man stopped from stocking one of the shelves and turned his head, dark eyes gleaming to see the young woman standing before him. “Nizhoni,” he greeted, taking his small glasses off and wiping the lenses with a worn cloth hanging from his pocket. “It’s good to see you. I hope you’re well.” The woman nodded, “it’s good to see you too. I brought some dried meat and furs for the courier to take to Midgar, hopefully they’ll find some use for them.” The woman was about to reach down for the sack as she continued. “Maybe they can sell the furs for some gil. Cassiel managed to take down some really—“ “Nizhoni,” the man interjected, stepping towards her and taking a gentle hold on her should to stop her from leaning over. “You know you shouldn’t be travelling so far and wearing yourself out like this. Not in your condition.”

Nizhoni let out a sigh, placing her hand on her full abdomen. “Cassiel already gets onto me about this. I’m a grown woman,” she replied, trying to not let her annoyance show. “I’m fine, the baby’s fine.” The shopkeeper gave an apologetic smile. “I understand, but you look like you hadn’t slept in a while.” His smile faded slightly as he caught sight of the dark circles under her eyes. “These trips are hard on you as it is, and with the baby on the way…” Nizhoni shook her dark messy bangs from her face; an intense light gleamed in her eyes. “This is something I want to do, feel called to do. AVALANCHE is struggling as it is, the least I can do is offer supplies. Besides, this may be my last trip, until the baby is born.”

The man nodded, bending down to pull the bag up. “I understand,” he repeated; Nizhoni was a headstrong woman, and from he learned in times before, there was no winning an argument with her. “I will make sure these will get to them.” He shuffled towards the counter, pausing to turn back towards her. “Please Nizhoni, just…just take care of yourself, all right?” She gave a slight nod, “I will. I haven’t died yet, have I?” The woman gave him a forced smile before turning towards the door. “Thank you, I really hope that will help them.” With that, she stepped out into the sun-soaked village.

For another hour, she rode across the crimson earth, dark eyes focused on the familiar path before her. The chocobo that carried her over the sloping rock, her hands tugged at the reins to halt the bird. The chocobo let out a complaint, shaking its pale yellow head. Her eyes fell on the small adobe house nestled behind the ridge. She sighed, thankful to finally be home. She pulled on the reins slightly once more, signaling for the bird to step down the rocky path towards the house. As she approached the house, a young man stepped out. His large, calloused hand slipped underneath his long chestnut brown hair, rubbing the back of his neck. His honey-hued eyes glanced up to see the smoky black-haired woman riding towards him. He sighed, a weary worrisome look upon his face. He should have known she would go off, he had known since he first opened his eyes to see her side of the bed empty.

Nizhoni smiled towards him, but it soon faded as she looked into his face. She turned the chocobo towards the hitching post beside the front window, slipping off the bird. “Was wondering why the bed was so cold.” The male Cetra started, stepping closer. “Oh, you just got up?” Nizhoni teased back, tying the lead on the hitch post onto the chocobo’s halter, letting it eat the freshly picked vegetables from its trough.

“Didn’t get to come back until really late at night, tracking griffins is near to impossible.” He reached over to slip off the bags off the chocobo’s back. “Which brings me to the question…” Nizhoni sighed, here it comes… “Why were you running around in the canyon so early in the morning? You know how dangerous it is before sunrise.” The woman looked towards him, putting her hands on her hips. “You don’t think I can take care of myself,” she asked, already feeling weary with her husband worrying over her. “Of course I do,” Cassiel smiled weakly. “It’s just with a baby on the way, I don’t want you to put yourself under so much stress.” He closed his eyes for a moment, almost afraid to know the answer to his next question. “You’ve gone back to give supplies to AVALANCHE again, haven’t you?”

Nizhoni’s eyes never left his face. “And what if I have?” A heavy breath escaped from Cassiel’s broad chest, his hand rubbing his face. “Nizhoni, you know the trip over puts a lot of stress on you. The doctor warned you about this. Besides,” he opened his eyes, but kept his focus on the earth. “AVALANCHE is not our concern.” The woman narrowed her eyes to hear such words. “Not a concern? Cassiel, it has everything to do with us! With the Planet! They’re our only hope of saving it from ShinRa’s destruction and—“ “It’s not our fight,” Cassiel spoke, his tone cold. She stared at him, her hands clenched into fists. “Listen to yourself,” she snapped, “If anyone’s, it’s your fight Cassiel! You hear them, those voices! You keep saying they cry out to you. The Planet needs you to—“

“Enough,” the Ancient roared, his eyes glaring at his wife. She didn’t take a step back, her eyes remained locked defiantly on his. Cassiel hung his head, turning from her to look up at the horizon. “Those voices have also been the ones that killed my people. I can’t trust them.” His eyes grew vacant, “you know I can’t.” “You don’t know that,” Nizhoni urged. “If you just have faith and listen.” “No,” Cassiel grunted, “I won’t stand here and listen to my loved one speak for those demons.” The Ancient turned his head back towards Nizhoni who bore a glimmer of sorrow in her eyes. “Come on, you need to kick back and rest,” he said, turning back towards the house. Nizhoni watched as he stepped into the house, before looking towards the painted canyon. “Gaia, help us.” The words slipped beneath her breath as she pressed her hand onto her stomach. She stared for a moment longer before following after Cassiel. Rest sounded wonderful to her at that point.

The several months passed like grains of sand; on a cool, still night, the young couple rushed into Cosmo Canyon’s Inn. The tense air broke with the quaking sobs and pained cries of the woman as she writhed in her bed, her husband and a midwife at her side. Cassiel’s calloused fingers gently caressed the stray strands of her hair that stuck upon her sweat drenched face. Nizhoni let out another cry, tears squeezing free from her tightly shut eyes. “Just relax,” the male Ancient murmured, pressing his head against hers, mind frantically searching for a better way to console her as her quivering hand tightly gripped his. “You’re doing well, Mrs. Inbar,” encouraged the midwife as she made preparations for the birth. “I just need you to keep taking deep breaths and push for me.” The struggle felt like ages for the three in the room; finally, Nizhoni’s cries suddenly fell into a ragged breath, and the feeble cries rose. Cassiel’s lifted his head slowly, eyes gleaming bright with tears. Never did he believe such a thing could ever happen to them… “It’s a girl!” The midwife announced, excitement brimming in her voice as she took the baby into clean thick cloths. “A girl…” the man repeated, tears streaming down his weary face. “A beautiful girl.”

He turned his eyes towards Nizhoni, who lay still on the bed, eyes closed. “Did you hear that, love? We brought new life to this world. A girl.” He gently shook her, but the exhausted woman never opened her eyes. “Nizhoni, did you hear me? Our new daughter, Eden, open your eyes and see her.” His eyes widened slightly, worry soon began to thread into his confusion. “Nizhoni?” Glowing orbs formed over her body, sending him into a wild panic. “No! Nizhoni, no! Darling, please!” He shot to his feet, gripping onto her. The midwife held the baby in her arms, horror and tears apparent on her visage. “Oh Gaia…” She turned and threw the door open, crying in vain for help. “No, Nizhoni. Open your eyes… Open your eyes!” His voice rang out in desperation, his large frame trembling like a child. “You can’t let them take you! Nizhoni!” No matter how much he roared, the ghostly orbs continued to float away from the woman. He frantically tried to hold onto her body but within seconds, his panicked hands only gripped onto the sheets. He stared down at the empty bed, and then slowly sank to his knees. He buried his face into the side of the bed, the sheets twisted into his grip as his tears of joy became sobs of heartbreak.

Two days went by after her passing, the Ancient stood by the window, his hazel eyes glazed as he stared out into the village. The midwife sat in the chair still at the bedside, examining the tiny infant in the bundled carrier “She seems to be getting stronger.” She commented, cradling the drowsy child. “Why did I let her keep giving supplies to this damned place? I should have known this would do something to her.” The older woman looked up as Cassiel’s voice growled, unable to catch all he said. “What?” The man narrowed his eyes, glaring towards the blazing sky. “Taking these trips to help those idiots fighting in Midgar, they wore her down, killed her!” The midwife looked up at him, before gently placing the baby back into the woven, basket-like cradle. “You don’t know that, Mr. Inbar,” she tried to gently reassure him. “These tragedies can happen without cause. I understand you’re in pain, but you have a young one to think about.” He looked back at the corner of his eye, allowing the silence sink in between them. “A young one…” He turned around; his eyes fell upon his sleeping child. “If she were to stay here, she’ll follow her mother’s dangerous path. She’s cursed already, with these damned voices.”

The old woman stared at him, concern bright in her grayed eyes. “What do you mean?” He glanced towards her, but only for a moment, his wounded heart messily gathering his decision. “No, I won’t let her. Those demons killed my ancestors, took my wife away, they won’t have my child!” The midwife stumbled before him, placing herself between him and Eden. “I’m sorry, Mr. Inbar, but I can’t allow you to take her in the state you’re—“ The Ancient shoved her aside, causing the woman to stagger back towards the bed. Cassiel stepped towards the baby, gently sliding the carrier over him so the baby rested snug against his chest. He carefully supported her head and hurried off from the room. “Stop!” The midwife cried out, but he continued on, determined to save his daughter from the voices of the LifeStream and their manipulations. Surprised squawks rang out from the nearby stable before a chocobo burst from its stall, carrying the wayward Ancient and his child into the wilds.

-To be Continued-

#museinfo

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pleistocene-pride · 1 year

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The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a marine mammal native to the North Pacific where they can be found in coastal waters along Russia, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Here they tend to prefer habitats such as sheltered rocky lagoons, kelp forests, and cold barrier reefs. Although each adult and independent juvenile forages alone, sea otters tend to rest together in single-sex groups called rafts which may be upwards of a thousand strong. There diet is comprised of sea urchins, worms, starfish, crabs, lobsters, scallops, clams, mussels, limpets, chitons, abalones, snails, and bottom dwelling fish. Sea otters are themselves preyed upon by orcas, sea lions, sharks, bald eagles, bears, and coyotes. Female sea otters are smaller reaching around 3.3 -4.7ft (1 -1.4m) in length and 30 -75lbs (14- 33kg) in weight compared to males at 4-5ft (1.2 – 1.5m) long and 50 -100lbs (22 -45kg) in weight. Making them the heaviest members of the mustelid family, but among the smallest marine mammals. Unlike most other marine mammals, the sea otter has no blubber and relies on its exceptionally thick fur to keep warm. With up to 150,000 strands of hair per square centimetre (970,000/in2), its fur is some of the densest of any animal, consisting of long, waterproof guard hairs and short underfur. They have long broad webbed hind feet, a short flattened muscular tail, a very flexible skeleton, and front paws that sport retractable claws and tough pads on the palms to help the otter grip onto slippery prey. They are a polygnous species which breeds year round, after a 4 month pregnancy mothers give birth to 1-2 pups which remain with there mother for 6 to upwards of 8 months. Female sea otters reach sexual maturity at 3 -4 years of age and males at around 5. Under ideal conditions a sea otter may live upwards of 20 years.

#sea otter #otter #pacific #sea life #pleistocene #pleistocene pride

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squirrelflight67 · 8 months

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The Five Kingdoms of The Dale: A deep dive into their abilities, cultures, values, and religion.

The Whistling Skies: Proud & United

The Whistling Skies are a tight-knit community of winged felines who reside in the rocky, dangerous mountains of the Vale. They are adept hunters, using their sharpened claws and back talons to grip on unsuspecting prey. Whistling Skies felines are often very proud of their tail and neck feathers, flaunting them with pride. They have a tradition of painting them and blending with their surroundings. They have a strong maternal instinct, caring for and protecting each other like a family, but are quite unwelcoming to outsiders: Bloodlines are considered vital. In addition to their hunter and gatherer roles, they are skilled jewelers, gathering all types of minerals from around the mountain. Also renown as clever crafters, they create nests needed for their every day life. As with their wingless cousins, their diet consists primarily of small prey such as mice, squirrels, and occasionally larger prey such as mountains goats or bears. Eagles are considered sacred and an insult to their ancestors if they are hunted. The Whistling Skies are the only group to adopt the chirping of birds as a second language to communicate between each other.

The Storm Seekers: Powerful & Brave

The Storm Seekers are the medieval community of The Dale. Resembling sabers, they are characterized by long, curved canine teeth protruding out of their mouth, massive paws, shorter tails and lion-like manes. Often honed with unnatural battle skills and crafting of armour & traps, they honor any type of individual poweress that helps them survive in their dangerous territory. Frequently courageous and reckless, with a tendency to throw themselves at danger without a second thought, the Storm Seekers are kind at heart, often feeling responsable to intervene in any conflict, and working with an air of leadership towards the other groups. With unlimited abilities and resources, the Storm Seekers achieved something which seemed impossible before to the feline creature: the crafting of weaponry. The Storm Seekers reside in a similar forest to their winged counterparts, but less dense and with frequency of shorter trees. The Storm Seekers are a group who hold strong beliefs and rituals in reverence towards storms, thunder, and lightning, believing they are powerful forces that deserve respect, awe, and even fear.

The River Dancers: Beautiful & Spiritual

The River Dancers are a vibrant and artistic group who value beauty, creativity, and passion in life. "The Dancers", as they are nicknamed, are aquatic-based felines who make their home deep underwater in the sea and shores of the Deep Home. Gifted to spend most of their lives underwater, they have spinal fins and fish tails to help them swim, with back legs shorter than the front to accommodate the tail. In addition, webbed paws and gills, allowing them to breathe underwater. The River Dancers are the only Felis to come with all fantastic colors available. The River Dancers believe in the importance of expression and appreciation of the world around them. They are known for their artistic abilities, creating beautiful murals, paintings, and sculptures that showcase their love for the elements. In addition, collecting and displaying beautiful trinkets, such as gemstones, pebbles, shells and weaved flower crowns, to remind themselves and others of the beauty that surrounds them. Known as the only group to take up gardening, the small spots that are not water are extremely lush and grow multiple tipes of flora. They also possess a carefree and lighthearted attitude, taking joy in the simple pleasures of life and seeking to make the most of every moment. They have a deep connection to the elements of water, rain and rivers, and their prayers and rituals are centered around gratitude and connectedness with the environment and its creatures. The River Dancers consider burial, or getting trapped under the earth, as the worst punishment a creature can endure.

The Whispering Moon: Religious & Traditional

Based on the Snapping Turtles and Scorpions, they have large shells on their back, scaled skin, strong, snapping jaws and massive, venomous tails who prove a danger to any creature they come across with. Unique to them, they also have antennae which they can choose to light up. The "Moon Whisperers" place a heavy emphasis on religion and spirituality in their culture. Their land is plagued with extreme weather and dangerous wildlife, causing their felines to cling to their faith as a way of seeking protection, comfort, and guidance. The Whisperers are especially adept to survive in the darkness, being gifted with unique night vision and powered hearing ability. Often looked down upon by the other, more refined groups as "disgusting", the Whisperers are not afraid of adding insects into their diet, being thankful for every single morsel. The Whispering Moon were the group that revolutionized the idea of cooking; adding spices, starting up fire to heat the prey, cutting meat, adding eggs, etc. Proud, loyal, and hopeful, with a reputation as fierce and determined defenders of their territory, believing to be patrolling the night sky so the Gods don't have to do it themselves. The Whispering Moon is a very superstitious group, revering the moon as a massive eye who looks down upon all his creations, and refusing to drink from any pond who doesn't reflect it.

The Racing Winds: Free & Intellectual

The Racing Winds are a free, serious and nomadic group who makes their home in the rolling, seemingly endless Barren Moors. Heavily resembling a serval, they are the tallest and thinnest of the five with massive ears to help them catch sounds further than the average cat and unusually long tufted tails. They are also quite dangerous, as most possess antlers and back hooves, only making them faster. The Racing Winds are the only Kingdom to not have a permanent home. They often change camps depending on the weather and may even create new ones if they wish. "The Racers" are constantly moving from one place to another in their Green Moor, as they have to keep up with wildly different jobs and trade with outsiders. Due to the amount of resources and different places they move to, The Racers greatly value searching for knowledge and opening their arms to anybody willing to integrate in their culture, valuing individual spirituality. Their curiosity has led them to discover a new method of growing food and herbs, without the need of close water: Agriculture. They are avid farmers who have kept up with their crops for moons, and began animal husbandry many years ago. They are the only Kingdom with access to goods such as Rye, wheat, barley, and may occasionally even trade leather with other Kingdoms. Racing Winds consider themselves as religious as their Whispering Moon counterparts, but believe the wind that sprints across the moor are their ancestors running beside them.

#squirrel!worldbuilding #riverdancers #whistlingskies #stormseekers #racingwinds #whisperingmoon #culturecard #thedeephome #xenomoggy #warrior cats rewrite #warriors rewrite

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sunsetofdoom · 2 years

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(art by the glorious @jengabones who decided she loved Ed's skrungly cat daemon so much she had to draw him)

(a continuation of the daemon AU I started here and here, but if you just want to read this, all you need to know is that Ed's daemon is a black cat and Stede's is a golden retriever)

Ed thunked his knife over and over into the wood, scoring even lines down the railing like he was reminding himself how to hold a blade. This shouldn’t be so hard.

At his feet, Asher raked his claws down the end of the balustrade, the same motion in miniature. The ragged black tomcat had broken the wings of eagle daemons, sent wolves and cougars limping away on three paws; in battle, he was a flurry of teeth and claws, injuries forgotten in vicious bloodlust because he knew nothing short of insanity would win them another day of living.

The deck was empty. It was just Ed and Ash, standing under a close grey sky, trying to summon up the will to do what they both knew needed doing.

Stretching, his claws catching on the wood and forcing his back into a long black arch, Ash dislodged himself with self-conscious grace and groomed his paw.

“I hate this,” he announced, spreading the little pink pads of his toes apart like the most delicate of manicurists, despite the excessive blood and grime he worked to remove.

“Doesn’t matter,” Ed muttered, working his knife as deep into the solid wood as it would go. Ruining something perfect, something expensive and pretty and ultimately useless. Something that had no place in his world.

He’d sunk his knife into a lot of people. He knew the swell of blood, the pressure of muscle, the shock up his arm that meant he’d hit bone. What Edward didn’t know was how he could bear to raise the familiar metal against Stede, pale and soft and looking at Ed like he mattered. Making Polly, pleased and golden Polly with her enormous doggy grin, disappear into thin air.

Ash leapt onto the railing, settling his black-furred belly unhelpfully around the knife with his cat’s confidence. “Why should we have to do something we don’t want to?” He asked, his low voice seductive and inviting. “We’re fucking Blackbeard, for God’s sake. What, we’re just going to let Izzy order us to give this up?”

Edward swallowed. Many people said that a daemon was supposed to be one’s conscience, the voice of God within all souls to tell them the most moral course of action. He’d never once believed it, not knowing his own cat-shaped heart. Ash inevitably pointed him to whatever path was most pleasurable.

Then again, Ed himself couldn’t tell, a lot of the time; he tended to gravitate towards feelings that were intense, rather than good. Having Asher, solid and strong and hedonistic, there to indicate to him what would feel the best rather than what would feel the most had guided him pretty reliably for forty-mumble years.

But he couldn’t- they couldn’t keep doing this. This, whatever he had with Stede, it crossed a line. And usually Ash knew that, he could sense when they needed to growl and flash their claws to keep the scavengers at bay. Usually, Ash was with him.

“We knew this was gonna happen,” he growled, gritting his teeth and trying to summon up some kind of fury as he tugged at the knife. “This was the plan.”

“It was Blackbeard’s plan,” Ash argued, lolling onto his back on the slim railing, kept from falling by his own confidence and the grace of God. “We told Iz already- we’re sick to death of the plans. Since when would he be surprised if we changed it? We do it all the time.”

“He’s gonna hold us to this one,” Ed yanked at the knife’s blade, stuck in almost an inch of thick, fine wood. It didn’t come loose, and Ash batted absently at the buckle of his glove.

That was how it’d gone, admittedly. For a lot of years. He just told Izzy whatever plan came into his head at the moment, let him roll with it, and changed whatever he wanted, when he wanted. Izzy knew how to ride a changeable current, which was why he was First Mate.

Ed wouldn’t have lived as long as he has, though, if he couldn’t smell a storm in the air. Blackbeard’s crew was hitting some kind of precipice over this, and he knew, he knew the solution; frighten the pants off them and put them in line. String Stede’s lifeless body up in the rigging, have Ash snap Izzy’s kestrel daemon’s wing, and push somebody overboard for good measure.

But he was so tired.

This thing, this gutless mercy-kill, would keep the vultures at bay for a little longer. It wouldn’t keep Ed and Ash safe, by any means.

“We’ve gotta fucking do this,” Ed snarled, wrenching at the knife in one quick movement that, miraculously, tugged it free. Startled and deprived of a point of balance, Ash jumped, flailed, slid from the railing and landed on the deck with an audible thump. “You’re gonna nut up and get your fucking claws out, Ash.”

Somehow, he couldn’t imagine Asher pouncing on Polly- her thick golden fur, her guileless goodwill- any more than he could imagine shoving his knife through Stede’s perfect clothes.

Turning his back, Ash groomed his paw with theatrical woundedness, tail sweeping the deck in long, swishing arcs. “Dunno what I’m meant to do,” he sulked. “What with Polly being three times my fucking size.”

Ed tilted his head back to the grey sky, dark and crowded, low enough to be a roof over his head. The kind of sky that made him feel claustrophobic, closed-in even with the endless expanse of the sea on all sides. He shook his hair out of his face and stared up and away.

You held Dad’s daemon down while I throttled him, he didn’t say, because he didn’t have to. Ash knew, and Ed could see the memory in the shamed curl of his black shoulders. Ever since telling that fucking ghost story, they’ve been remembering. The raccoon that used to pick you up and hold you when we were still young enough for you to change, as a bird or a stoat or a rabbit, stroke your stupid little head, and we can still remember her touch as clear as day.

“Figure it out,” he said instead. Slipping the knife into its sheath at his side, he walked away from his daemon and decided not to care about the pain tugging at his heart when Asher dug his claws into the wood to hold himself fast.

Settling his hand on the doorframe, almost halfway across the deck, Edward clenched his teeth and refused to let his heart win this battle. His chest hurt, squeezed tight by guilt and grief, and it wasn’t as bad as it had ever been but it was hard to go back to. He was going soft after weeks of not doing this. Black spots danced in his vision and even at a distance, he could hear Ash growling the low, eerie trill of a cat in deep distress.

Just as the nausea began to rise up, a familiar seasickness of the soul, Ash bolted across the deck with a yowl.

Edward pushed off of the doorframe, panting, the sudden relief from pain making him dizzier than the agony itself. Asher nearly tripped him, sprinting under his feet, and Ed caught himself with a sailor’s balance and a jolt from his bad knee.

In some kind of spite, Asher trotted ahead of him down the hall, frayed black tail wagging high over his head as he kept moving away until the pain began to lick at the edges of Ed’s ribs again.

“Fuck you,” Ed gasped, hating his stupid daemon and his stupid heart and his stupid self as he stumbled along, pulled forward whether he wanted it or not.

#our flag means death #ofmd #blackbonnet #daemon au #my writing #still a bit stuck on this au lads #ofmd doesn't really match up with a lot of hdm's themes #of religion and personhood #so it's become a lot more about #what IS a daemon #a conscience or a soul or the voice of your survival instinct #and polly and ash have very different concepts of what they're FOR #i just love them

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aussiewarriorcats · 1 year

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The second clowder in my Australian warrior cats story! (designs and names subject to change)

Mountain Clowder cats are strong: dense fur, long, strong legs, and clear minds. They have a reputation for being self-absorbed and bossy, but good-hearted. Their members are usually greys or browns and have low amounts of white, if any.

They have large paws and long legs, which allows them to easily scale the steep sides of their mountain homesite. They live at the top of the mountain the Clowders call home and consider themselves closer to the Cloud Steppers. They sleep outside, in warm piles of cats. Friends and family often sleep in the same pile.

They despise Stone Clowder, they used to be a part of Mountain Clowder, before splitting off, renaming themselves Cloud Clowder, and then fleeing and renaming themselves (again) Stone Clowder.

Their fighting style involves speed. They dart in, land a few blows, and then dart out. They are trained in where to hit an opponent in order to hurt them the most. They maintain a few hunting trails they walk along and try to avoid overhunting one area.

They use hunting trails to trap game. They are the only Clowder to hunt kangaroos and succeed, giving them a grudging respect by other Clowders.

Allegiances:

Commander: Bluebird (Bird) – Blue-grey molly (She/He) with green eyes.

Lieutenant: Willowsong (Willow) – Ticked grey tabby molly (They/She) with a bob tail and blue eyes.

Healer: Badgernose (Badger) – Black and white molly (She/Her) with amber eyes.

Trainee: Maple – Brown tabby molly (She/They) with black patches and amber eyes.

Councillors:

Brackenshade (Bracken) – Brown tom (He/Him) with a deep brown tail and green eyes.

Roseshine (Rose) – Pale molly (She/Her) with dark stripes.

Trainee: Shade – White tom (He/Him) with brown slash across his face.

Sandfeather (Feather) – Pale molly (She/Her) with sandy markings and amber eyes.

Beartooth (Bear) – Brown tabby tom (He/Him) with lighter stripes.

Fernfrond (Frond) – White molly (She/Flutter/Leaf) with small black spots.

Trainee: Blaze – Ginger tom (He/Him) with a white slash across his face.

Combatants:

Hawk – Cream tom (He/Him) with brown tail.

Eagle – Black tom (He/Claw) with white head.

Nestmaker/s:

Fieldleap (Field) – Cream molly (She/Her) with golden tail, front legs, and muzzle.

Fungustail (Fungus) – Black and white molly (She/Her) with grey tail.

Nesters:

Whirlwind – Ginger tabby molly (She/Her) with green eyes. Caring for two kits: Cockatoo, Galah.

Daisypetal (Petal) – Dark grey with black stripes molly (She/They), and yellow eyes.

Amberheart (Amber) – Pale ginger molly (She/Her) with white patches. Nursing two kits: Gecko, Perentie.

Retirees:

Morningsun (Sun) – Pale brown tabby molly (She/Her) with big white patches.

Jay – Black tom (He/Him) with blue eyes.

#mountain clowder #australian warrior cats #wc #warrior cats #warriors #waca #warrior cats ocs #ocs #warrior cat au #warriors oc #warriors cats #warriors original character

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catkin-morgs-kookaburralover · 1 year

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[in response to my tags, @etlu-yume said: Hey, if you wanna write a short fic for cosmic bunny go for it <3 I'm glad it could inspire something! :D]

Cosmic bunny can be found at the above link. :) And the short fic can be found here!

***

Night falls.

The rabbits stir, as usual. The little ones sneak behind their mother, confused and watchful. There's too much around them, too much they don't know. What's that? - Oh, what's that? Friend or foe? Threat or harmless? Living or dead? Or did it ever live?

One of the litter looks upwards at last, at just the right moment. A great pale beauty soars high above it, and the rabbit stares and stares and stares until its gaze is filled with the thing above. Its mother tells it that's the moon.

And the tiny rabbit, for the first and last time in its life, falls in love.

*************

They tell it that it can't possibly get there. It's a waste of time. As it grows up and learns which grasses are good to eat, which are worth braving men to steal, and which are a waste of time (not to forget the ones that would leave a rabbit very ill or worse), the rabbit watches the sky. Every full moon it rejoices in its lady's light. It's determined to get there, somehow.

They keep telling it that there's no way it can get to the moon. It would need wings, to start with.

So it befriends an eagle.

*************

Turns out the eagle has connections. The rabbit's dizzy with new knowledge and information it didn't know was possible. It clings on very tight as the eagle flies, with it on the eagle's back, a little way above the ground, then above the trees. Then the rabbit's claws give way and it falls.

Turns out one of the eagle's friends is the dryad of the pine tree, who catches the rabbit and sets it on the ground, telling it not to reach for the moon with wings anymore. That's not an option. But the dryad just might have another solution.

*************

It requires persistence. The rabbit used to be purest black, when it was born way back when. Now it's a sort of sandy colour, much more like its fellows than it used to be, and the only thing that hasn't faltered or changed in all that time is its determination to get closer to the moon.

All of its friends, even the dryad, have either died or stopped speaking to it. Never mind. The rabbit's sure the moon whispers sometimes, when it's terribly quiet, and the rabbit is alone with the moon.

Does it need a chaperone?

*************

At last it's a magician that comes up with the solution. A magical purple gem. The rabbit always liked purple. It takes it eagerly. There's something about a payment, but it doesn't care. If it can have a moment, even a moment, closer to the moon, that'll be enough.

It clings to the gem, and then - it happens.

The cosmic bunny is on the moon. It clutches the gem tightly in both paws, and stands up and looks in wonder. Its paws are on moon dust. It could have a dust bath on the moon if it liked.

It can do anything. After all, it's the cosmic bunny.

#writing #etlu #etlu art #this was fun! thanks etlu!#i love the pose tbh #like the wonder in the lil bunny's face #anyway yea thank!#personal #my writing #misc excerpts

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odysseywritings · 1 year

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Fox and the Golden Egg

The crow laid three eggs without her mate around

She flew away from the curious fox on the ground

She snatched some food from the hunter and was shot

Bleeding and dying, she cawed for any help being sought

The fox followed and she pecked him away and asked the bear

She agreed but she was huge and didn't see the egg anywhere

She heard a crunch and saw yolk on her massive paw

The crow cried for help again and an eagle lent a claw

He swiftly clutched the egg then dropped it on some rocks

The crow cried for help again but there was only the fox

Tired and fierce she guarded the last part of her nest

The fox understood as a hunter put his litter to rest

The crow didn't have time to spare and saw no one near

She gave the fox her egg as she departed with her dear

The fox gently put his tail and fur around the egg's shell

With the crow's time near, she learned to trust him well

#slovak folklore #slovak #fox and the golden egg #tw animal death #rhyme poetry #mypoetry #njm

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officialhexrpg · 2 years

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Magical Arts: March's Writing Challenge Winner!

For March, we want you to write a report about a real life keystone species. You must include details such as the name of the species, location information, characteristics of the species, food chain information, and why it's considered a keystone species. This is not a creative writing based task, but rather a communication and information based task.

3rd Place: jfs12

The Sea Otter

Characteristics

Sea otters are efficiently aerodynamic marine mammals, with dense, soft, brown fur that protects and insulates them against the icy waters of the Pacific Ocean. Their fur pelts make them extremely valued in the fur trade, and almost forced them to extinction in the 18th and 19th centuries. Their high metabolism and their warm coats help keep the species warm. They have a body weight of 46-62 pounds, a length between 21.5 - 51 inches, and a tail that measures between 5 - 13 inches. With four legs to move easily on land and a long tail to swim through the water, they are able to swim, walk, and manipulate prey. Sea otters are social animals, and sleep in groups, holding hands to keep from drifting apart.

Location

In North America, the northern sea otters can be found in the shallow coastal waters of the Aleutian Islands, South Central and Southeast Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington. The southern sea otter or California sea otter can be found in waters along the California coastline, from San Mateo County in the north to Santa Barbara County in the south. All otters prefer clean waterways, abundant stocks of prey, and banks with lush vegetation. Dawn is the best time to see otters, but patience will be needed. Look for signs that an otter is in the area- webbed footprints and small bones from their feeding.

Food Chain

Sea otters play an important role as a secondary consumer and keystone species. The northern and southern otters have a different diet because of their location. The northern sea otter preys upon sea urchins, crabs, clams, mussels, octopus, fish, and other marine invertebrates. The teeth of otters are structured to crush these hard-shelled invertebrates. Southern sea otters consume many types of prey as its northern cousin. These include sea urchins, snails, clams, abalone, mussels, crabs, scallops, fish, barnacles, octopus, worms, and squid. Both species capture their prey with their clawed paws and not their jaws. As predators, they help control the populations of food species, which affect the ecosystem as a whole. Their presence is a sign that the ecosystem is healthy.

Great white sharks are the primary predator of sea otters in California. Alaskan studies show that killer whales or orcas and sharks are eating more and more sea otters in that area, since their usual prey is seals and sea lions that are in decline. The Alaskan species have predators on land as well as the sea. Coyotes and brown bears prey on otters, and bald eagles have been seen swooping down and catching sea otter pups.

Keystone Information

Sea otters are a keystone species. As top predators, their role in their environment has a greater effect than many other species. Otters help maintain the balance of near-to-shore ecosystems, such as kelp forests, recesses in coastlines, and estuaries. They help control the sea urchin population that can devour the kelp forests that provide protection and food for other marine animals. By keeping healthy kelp forests, sea otters also help lessen levels of atmospheric greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, as kelp absorbs and separate carbon.

#hexrpg.com #hexrpg #d: March 2022 #sea otters #harry potter forum #w: writing challenge #kestone species #d: August 2022

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michaelgbrown · 2 years

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Mount Capilano, Friday August 5

Today began with Bernie reaching a birthday milestone. We headed out to find breakfast at a cafe called Caffe Artigiano on West Howe Street. There-in we had coffee and croissants, with me having ham and cheese and Bernie a chocolate one in celebration. It was during breakfast that a text from Rose arrived wishing her mother a happy birthday, and then that I passed on my congratulations, but was then accused of forgetting, whereas I was simply waiting for the right moment.

After breakfast we loaded onto a luxury 20 seat coach for a luxury ride to Capilano River. First, at the river we visited a salmon hatchery. When the Canuck’s built a dam the Pacific salmons could no longer get up the river to spawn so they built a buy pass system that allows these fishes to get up stream and spawn in a hatchery where most of the little fishes survive before release to the river for a life swimming about the northern Pacific before returning to the river years later to spawn and die. We saw the salmons jumping up stream and the little hatchlings getting breakfast, all fascinating and Norah seem especially fond of the little fishes.

After this we boarded our luxury coach for a short trip to the Capilano suspension bridge. This bridge crosses the steep cliffs that wall the river at a height of 90m. The bridge itself is about 90m long. Those who cross the bridge get a certificate so we took our lives in our hands and made the crossing, being awarded the certificate when we got back to our luxury bus.

The bus then took us to the gondola that would take us up Grouse Mountain, about 1100m (Mount Coot-tha is 280m). After a short wait it was an exciting ride up what is a very steep mountain. On top we all headed to the habitat built for two grizzly bears. These bears were adopted 21 years ago when their mother was killed. Apparently bears die without their mother so these two are very lucky. 21 years later they are no longer cubs being 750 lbs (340kgs) and standing over 2m tall if they stand. Huge paws and sharp claws, they are spectacular.

After the bears we had lunch at a mountain top cafe, me trying Canadian poutine, basically french fries, cheese curd and gravy, while Bernie and Rose had a burger and fries. Then we were off to see the bird show. Unfortunately the eagles and hawks wouldn’t play today but we did see a very large owl.

After these we needed another snack so got an ice cream at a store that overlooked the bear habitat and which must have been smelt by the bears who came out of the trees to look at us. They are huge.

We then went to watch a lumberjack demonstration showing tree climbing, chain saw skills and log cutting with axes. It also highlighted Canadian humour, which is interesting. Bernie and Rose like the lumberjack in the blue check shirt!

By this time our day was almost up so it was back to the gondola for our ride down the mountain and back to our luxury bus. The driver then delivered us back to our hotel and we were first delivered. Another most interesting and busy day in Canada.

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zapolinien · 1 year

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Symbolism in Kingdom's music videos. Issue #5

This time we will talk about the symbol of Chiwoo - the dragon.

DRAGON (Greek drakon) — "winged serpent", but only with paws like an eagle, combines a snake and a bird, spirit and matter, sometimes fire-breathing.

Initially, the symbolism of the dragon was entirely favorable and meant the waters bearing life (snake) and the breath of the earth (bird). He identified with the heavenly gods and their earthly representatives — emperors and kings. Subsequently, its symbolism became ambivalent, denoting the blessed rains following thunderstorms, and, at the same time, the destructive forces of lightning and floods.

The dragon can be solar and lunar, male and female, good and evil.

The dragon and the serpent are usually interchangeable in symbolism, representing the implicit, the indistinguishable, chaos, latent, unbridled nature, as well as the life-giving power of water. When he spews thunder and lightning, there is a transition from the unmanifested world to the created world of form and matter. And here the dragon has a dual symbolism: he can act both as the rain god and as his opponent, who does not let the rain fall. It is associated, on the one hand, with the sea and the depths of the sea, on the other — with the peaks of mountains, clouds and solar eastern regions.

Acting as monsters, dragons are the "lords of the earth", with whom heroes, conquerors and creators have to fight in order to capture or liberate the earth. They are also the keepers of treasures and access to secret knowledge. The dragon is also a symbol of longevity.

In the East, the dragon is usually a Heavenly Force that brings good, whereas in the West it is considered as a destructive and evil force.

In the Far East, it symbolizes cosmic and supernatural power, wisdom, hidden knowledge, the power of the waters that carry life. Dragons guard treasures, they serve as symbols of fertility and strength. This is the emblem of the Emperor as the Son of Heaven and a wise and noble man. The humming of the dragon testifies to the fullness of vitality (qi) and generative power (jing).

In Christian culture, the dragon is a mythical monster with foul breath and scaly body, lion claws, bat—like wings, and forked tongue and tail; the dragon is a symbol of death, darkness and the devil as a serpent who led a person into sin.

A dragon on a chain means defeated evil, often his tail is tied in a knot, since there is a belief that a dragon, like a scorpion, has power in the tail.

Despite this characteristic, kings and emperors chose the dragon as their symbol (Dann is no exception). The ancient Britons made the dragon their symbol of the struggle against the Saxon invaders.

Among the Celts, the dragon symbolizes the ability to inspire terror, as well as invincibility, and hence independence.

The battle with the dragon symbolizes the difficulties that must be overcome in order to master the treasures of inner knowledge. The victory over the dragon represents the resolution of the conflict between light and darkness, the destruction of destructive forces of evil or the victory over man's own dark nature and the achievement of self-control.

In China, this being with the greatest spiritual power is a symbol of life and light; the emblem of the Chinese imperial family is a golden dragon. According to the eastern horoscope, the dragon is the happiest sign.

As a sacred celestial Dragon, the patron saint of the Chinese people, the red star Antares (alpha of the constellation Scorpio) is revered in the Celestial Empire.

The hieroglyph of the dragon — Ryu — means mind, strength, energy of ability, whole nature. This sign can also be used as a dragon's own name.

In Russia, the dragon was completely identified with the serpent — the sign of Satan, the devil. It was considered an emblem of the forces opposing Holy Russia. The images of fabulous monsters in the works of Russian folklore (Serpent Gorynych) have a well-known similarity with the dragon.

In alchemical symbolism, the dragon represented the nature of Mercury.

#chiwoo #mythical creatures #symbolism #dragon #kingdom kpop #kingdom

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