#Maw has such a great design

[draw-ren-draw]

Really been enjoying the Risky Heist Villainous comic! had to give Mawracite some love

#villainous #villanos #Mawracite #Maw's a awkward behavior gives her charm but I bet like all characters in villainous she can be scary when she wants to be #wonder if at any point by the end of this comic her parasite will have a craving for pork? ;> #Maw has such a great design #this was fun #Ren Draws #rendraws

[professorcalculusstanaccount]

tintin is incredible at timing

(possibly) the final snippet I'll post from my story The Gypsum Maw, the previous part which follows directly before is here - I've been seeing comments asking about where to read the full thing, I'm afraid what I post is basically it - I have more pages in my sketchbook but I suspect they are only legible to me!

this post is already long so more notes and credits under the cut!

I asked for some help for coming up with friends for Chang! The gentle giant Masek was created by InkyTrink on Twitter and the super excitable Libby was created by dreamyopal, a discord mutual:

They came up with some great character notes and were super helpful providing feedback on my designs!

Writing this felt pretty odd in ways. I graduated in 2020 during the Plague Year so my class didnt get a public art showcase. I attended one last year and it was a bittersweet experience.

Reunions feel a bit like time travel, you see people after a few years and things change quite a lot. I wanted to explore this in my post canon series, Chang has grown up, found himself and has been able to live a fairly normal life with family and friends. Tintin in a way reflects that young adult insecurity about being stagnant, like you haven't been able to fully reach adulthood properly. His fame and status as a Young Boy Reporter is holding him captive, he longs for connection but is held back by expectations from both himself and the outside world.

I've also been inspired by the concept of 'queer time,' the concept that the lives of queer people progress differently to the lives of non queer people. It takes time to come to terms with yourself and to come out. Queer people are often excluded from milestones like marriage or having children. Tintin being confronted with his peers at a university highlights his insecurity about being left behind, but he's slowly making the journey to self acceptance by talking to others, and recognising common ground he has with others.

Chang's university isn't a one to one reference to a specific institution but in Belgium there was a secular movement in reaction to the dominance of the Catholic church, in which universities played a key role. There's references to art movements that were deemed "degenerate" by the Nazis here, such as Fauvism and Surrealism.

#tintin #fanart #adventures of tintin #comic #snowy #milou #captain haddock #archibald haddock #ramo nash #chang #the gypsum maw #long post #nazi mention #< in read more #claustrophobia #internalised homophobia

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Fish Bone

Debut: Super Mario World

Fish Bones are—hey! We’ve already talked about you, and very recently at that! We love you, Fish Bone, but it’s time to stop hogging the spotlight!

Name: Fishbone

Debut: Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

There we go!

It’s that funky fresh time of year where all the strange Mario creatures retract into their holes to make way for other, stranger beasts, and boy is Fishbone strange!

Fishbones are the reanimated skeletons of dead fish, and golly, what a great skeleton to have! Just three boomerang-shaped bones and two hollow eye sockets. No spine, no discernable jaws of any kind, just pure, abject salminimalism! I bet you wouldn’t even know these were bones if I didn’t tell you, and yet they still manage to evoke a fish skeleton so well!

But whose skeletons ARE they? While we don’t have any direct confirmation, it feels pretty likely to me that we have the skeletons of dear old Floppers on our hands! There’s a common fish enemy in most Kirby games called Blippers, but Blippers are entirely absent from Kirby 64, and Floppers are a lot thinner and pointier than them anyhow!

But even with that in mind…wow! This still only barely looks like it could be in a Flopper. Just a wonderfully abstract skeletal structure all around. And it only gets weirder from here!

There’s a reason for the peculiar shape of Fishbone’s head! Rather than hop or jump around like most water-based enemies, they shoot their skulls at Kirby for damage! (Don’t worry, it grows back!) Why, you may ask? Well, they provide the Cutter ability, which in Kirby 64 looks like this!:

Most underwater enemies in Kirby don’t give abilities, since Kirby typically can’t inhale while in water (understandable!). He can do this in Kirby 64, though! With them shooting their heads to attack and being fairly common, this makes Fishbones the most Cutterest enemy in the whole game, even more Cuttery than Sir Kibble himself!

They are, in fact, SO Cuttery that Miracle Matter’s embodiment of said ability looks a lot like Fishbones!

They STILL couldn’t get enough of Fishbone, though! If you inhale and carry it over your head, you can shoot its skulls yourself! Due to the way Cutter works, this is actually MORE ideal to use when you’re underwater, since using the ability makes Kirby sink!

Sadly, they reverted how Cutter works after this, and with Kirby going right back to spitting bubbles underwater, Fishbones didn’t stand a chance ): Despite its awesome design, it just joined the foray of thousands of other Kirby 64 enemies to never see the light of day again.

But who knows? Maybe it will appear in a future game, just like beloved Plugg, and grant the Cutter ability once more! After all, the Kirby franchise has finally started begrudgingly acknowledging that Kirby 64 did, in fact, exist.

And I think that any enemy that can say they could be combined with Ghost Knight to inexplicably let Kirby create a giant toothy maw out of his arms, deserves a second chance. :)

Before you ask, no, there’s no way Fishbones could come from the only OTHER bony fish in Kirby 64, Blowfish, either. As for why, let’s take a gander at the scrapped enemy Blowfishbone herself!

“Oouuughh…I am–I’m so, so many bones…ooohgghhgh…”

Thank you, Blowfishbone.

(All gifs taken from the Strategy Wiki!)

#fishbone #kirby 64 the crystal shards #kirby 64 #kirby #not mario #funky friday #kirby enemies #mod tweeter #funky friday? on a thursday?

[theresattrpgforthat]

i want to destroy the god king and begin an anarchist uprising. culminating in participating in the aftermath building a new world

You and me both buddy. Let’s get started.

THEME: Destroy God

Dethrone Skeleton God, by emmy verse.

DETHRONE SKELETON GOD. THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE TO DO.

In this gmless role playing game you will set out on a journey to find and dethrone the aforementioned god. You will need some d6s, a d12, and some writing materials.

This game pulls a lot of inspiration from some pretty stellar games, including No Stone Unturned, EXTRACAUSAL, Trophy, and Blades in the Dark. You will play racing against three Fallout Tracks, which track the collapse of the material world, the immaterial world, and the Skeleton God’s Power. When all tracks are full, the game is over, and you narrate how the world ends.

If nobody in your group wants the burden/responsibility of running a game, this game is an excellent option as it is both GM-less and lightweight. It’s only 16 pages long and covers creating location elements and exploring them as a group. Everything is collaborative, so if you’re interested in games that let you come up with a story together as you go, you might want to check out this game.

Dead Gods, by Trollish Delver Games.

After the Cataclysm of Heaven it all changed. Murdered gods fell from the sky, sundering the land and casting their sacred relics about the world. From the woodwork crawl Warcults, scavengers of god-relics to further their own twisted gains. The Eternal seek power over death itself. The Order of the Stars seek relics to unlock god-like omniscience. The Pale Druids imbibe relics to acquire power over nature itself. The Black Maw will create a new, hungrier god under their control. 

Pick up a lovingly-designed weird cult and pit them against your friend in a desperate effort to grab a sacred god-relic in this miniatures skirmish game. Each player will control a number of different kinds of war cult members, and there are 4 war cults to embody in the upcoming skirmish. Great for PvP and lovers of combat, but if you want narrative you’ll want to pick up something else or mostly RP it out. You can also check out Unholy Scavengers, for more relics, more scenarios, more models - more more more!

Karanduun - Make God Bleed, by makapatag.(@makapatag)

Karanduun is a modern Filipino Epic RPG about worthless heroes dismantling God, whatever cycle of oppression that must be.  Inspired by modern Filipino folklore and culture. You play as young heroes who must make their legend known and become a legendary Karanduun by making God (whichever oppressive system and tyrant that is) bleed.

Lovers of Kill Six Billion Demons will probably get a big kick out of this game. The god Batala is already dead, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for some rebellion of your own. There are demons, corrupt angels, and other Kings of the Earth to defeat, in a post-American world inspired by the Philippines. If you’re looking for some narrative play, this game has got you covered, with rules inspired by Exalted 1e and PbtA. You can check out the physical version of this game on SoulMuppet’s website!

Skorne, by Dreaming Dragonslayer.

You are renegades, part of mankind’s insurrection against SKORNE who is devil prince, commander of demon rulers and their armies, and the darkness that reigns. Overthrow the evil Tyrants. Free chained captives. Fight to the last man.

Part of the NSR movement, Skorne is inspired by media such as Berserk, MORK BORG, and games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring. The game itself is only 4 pages long, with a really interesting system for character creation. You roll for your abilities and then use their values to determine your starting kit. The language in the game is also great for putting you into the fiction, such as the instructions found for character name choice:

“In the beginning, give thy renegade a name, though it will not save them.”

You want gritty and dire circumstances? You want to kill demon princes? You wanna play a game with random tyrant generation? This is for you.

Extreme Meatpunks Forever, by Sinister Beard Games.

"In the beginning, there was meat. A decaying chunk of flesh from a dying god, hurtling through the void of space, thousands of miles wide. A million eyes, a billion hands grasping for purchase against nothingness itself.  This is where we live.”

EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER is a tabletop roleplaying game where you’ll play as a gang of queer antifascists in a strange place called Meatworld. Spinning through space on the screaming corpse of a dead god under the glow of an absent sun, the people of Meatworld harvest its flesh to make their technology.

Embody your queer rage and kill fascists in meat-mechs in Extreme Meatpunks Forever. A PbtA game, this option is narrative-heavy and allows you to pick from some pretty metal weapons, including (but not limited to) Excellent Seasoning, A Bit Stick What Has Shrapnel In It, and Deathfucker Cannon. In your downtime, you can kiss your friends and work to heal and deal with your trauma. If you want a game that feels metal and also presents you with extremely punchable enemies, this is your game!

Other Recommendations

If you want some more recommendations you can also check out the Attack and Dethrone God Jam on itch.io, or my Revolution recommendation post.

If you’re interested in what happens after you end the world, then I recommend my Post-Apocalyptic Community Building recommendations!

#tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #dnd #game recommendations #asks #revolution #rebellion #kill six billion demons

[thecreaturecodex]

Zap Kraken

Image © Turtle Rock Studios

[Sponsored by Soluman Blevins. The second of the Evolve monsters I've done, other than the warpwraith. Mechanically, the Kraken is interesting, but design wise, it's a little drab. Because it's just a Cthulhu. The lightning bolt wings are a cool touch, but otherwise, it's very much a Cthulhu. And in a game that already has Cthulhu and his star-spawn, I wanted to differentiate it a bit. So I tied it to one of my favorite one-shot weirdo monsters from the 3e era.]

Zap Kraken CR 16 CE Aberration This immense creature has a roughly dinosaur-like body and the head of a colossal cephalopod. A vertical maw stretches between its beard of tentacles, and two large jointed appendages grow from its back and crackle with electricity. Its long tail is segmented like the vertebral column of a great beast.

Zap krakens are rare aberrant creatures that use electrical energy for both offense and mobility. Although they are enormous, they fly with surprising grace by manipulating electricity, essentially creating wings of lightning that hold them aloft. They are remarkably stealthy for their size, and can sneak up on prey from above before dropping to melee or merely blasting away with channeled lightning bolts.

Zap krakens are territorial, and maintain their territory by creating banshee mines, so called for the shriek of their explosions. These mines home in on creatures that get too close, and the zap kraken can also visit them to see what it has seen, similar to a prying eyes spell. Although zap krakens typically view other creatures as prey first and foremost, they have a mutual fondness for zeugalaks. Both species have tentacled maws and an affinity for electricity, and sages speculate that they are related to each other. A zap kraken often views zeugalaks the way a nobleman views their prized hunting hounds, using them to flush out prey or occupy melee combatants. 

Zap Kraken CR 16 XP 76,800 CE Gargantuan aberration Init +7; Senses blindsense 120 ft., darkvision 60 ft., Perception +17

Defense AC 30, touch 14, flat-footed 22 (-4 size, +7 Dex, +1 dodge, +16 natural) hp 225 (18d8+144) Fort +14, Ref +13, Will +15 DR 10/magic; Immune cold, electricity; SR 26

Offense Speed 50 ft., fly 100 ft. (good) Melee 2 claws +18 (2d6+8), tentacles +17 (4d4+8), 2 wings +16 (2d6+4 plus 1d6 electricity) Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft. (30 ft. with tentacles) Special Attacks banshee mines, lightning strike, shock pulse

Statistics Str 26, Dex 24, Con 28, Int 11, Wis 19, Cha 19 Base Atk +16; CMB +28; CMD 46 Feats Blind-fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Hover (B), Mobility, Multiattack, Stand Still, Weapon Focus (claw) Skills Acrobatics +20 (+28 when jumping), Fly +21, Intimidate +17, Perception +17, Stealth +16, Survival +17; Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth Languages Aklo

Ecology Environment warm hills Organization solitary or band (1 plus 1-4 zeugalaks) Treasure standard

Special Abilities Banshee Mines (Su) As a standard action, a zap kraken can create up to three animated mines. Treat these as the eyes generated by the prying eyes spell, only when a creature approaches within 30 feet of them (all creatures or of a type set by the zap kraken on creation), they fly towards that creature and explode. Treat this as a ranged touch attack using the zap kraken’s modifiers (+19 for a typical specimen). If it hits, the creature struck takes 4d6 points of electricity damage and 4d6 points of sonic damage. Whether the mine hits or not, it explodes, dealing this damage in a 5 foot radius (Reflex DC 23 halves). A zap kraken knows when one of its mines has detonated as long as it is within 1 mile of the mine. A zap kraken can create up to nine mines a day, but can have a maximum of three in existence at a time. The save DC is Charisma based. Lightning Strike (Su) As a standard action, a zap kraken can call down a bolt of lightning within 160 feet. It fills a column 60 feet high with a 20 foot radius, dealing 16d8 points of electricity damage to all creatures in the area (Reflex DC 23 halves). A zap kraken can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma based. Shock Wave (Su) As a standard action, a zap kraken can release an electrical pulse in a 60 foot radius centered on its body. All creatures in the area take 16d4 points of electricity damage and are pushed back 10 feet. A successful DC 27 Reflex save halves the damage and resists the knockback effect. A zap kraken can use this ability every other round. The save DC is Constitution based.  Tentacles (Ex) The tentacles of a zap kraken are treated as a single primary natural weapon

#pathfinder 1e #pathfinder rpg #zap kraken #evolve #evolve kraken #cthulhu #tentacles #aberration #zeugalak #sponsored post

[jack-off-valentine]

Guilty Gear Design Revisions

Guilty Gear is a great series, with some great characters. However, the designs can be rather hit or miss; with some of the women taking the most hits. So I have decided to toss my hat into the ring and suggest some changes for the designs.

But first, rules.

There will be two types of revisions made here; Some I think would better fit their stories and characters, and some are just personal taste. I will label them as such.

Some characters will have both types of suggestions, some will only have one, and some won't be featured at all. This does not mean there are no changes that could be made, or even should be made, it just means I haven't given enough thought to them to come up with any.

I will be focusing entirely on characters who are currently in Strive as of today, October 2nd 2023.

With all that wrote, let's begin.

Baiken

For Improvements; My girl needs some beef on her bones. And I don't just mean a little bit of tone on the belly, I mean tree trunk limbs and shoulder so wide she has to turn around just to get through most doors. Scars too. Seeing her model having essentially a completely clear face will never not feel off to me. Rough skin, chapped lips, maybe some scarred titties if we're feeling particularly uncowardly. Also, some signs of aging would provide a nice flavour to the design, like gray hairs and wrinkles.

For Personal Taste; Some baggy army pants alongside the dyke boots Daisuke used in this image would look pretty nice.

Sin

For Improvement; Make him look like an acrobat, not a body builder. I know it's funny seeing this canonical five-year-old be swole beyond belief, but it just doesn't fit the character. He isn't swinging around a giant sword and overpowering his opponent with sheer brute force, he isn't Sol. Instead, he's flying around the battlefield with polejumps and cartwheels and backflips and frontflips, confusing then striking with a quick physical blow or some potent magic. He's an excited doing acrobatics, and he should look like it.

Ramlethal

For Improvement; First off, give her a new outfit. The Xrd tube top and short shorts, while nice for horniness, is terrible for her character. Strive kind of fixed this, but they didn't commit as much as they should have. I'm thinking an outfit like this by @matcchio.

Secondly, she must become more creature-esque. She was given a maw full of shark teeth and they didn't do anything with it. It doesn't even show up in Strive. Some thicker, curlier hair would also be appreciated.

For personal taste; Take all the muscle you took off Sin and give it to her. This would probably have to coincide with making her a bit more of a bruiser, gaining some health and losing some speed. I think it would be cool, though.

Johnny

For personal taste; make him not white, dear lord. He would be so much cooler if he weren't a Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Happy Chaos

For improvement; Use the X's he has on his body to give him top surgery scars connected to the heart symbol on his chest.

For Personal Taste; Put some goddamn shoes on. This is gonna be a big showing of my taste in character design, but I just am incapable of fully enjoying a character's looks if they've got the dogs out. I put this here because it at least supports his character, unlike Ram, so I can tolarate it, but I have a Happy Chaos Shoes mod for a reason. It may show weakness, but I'm fine with that.

Giovanna

For improvement; Make her eyes not blue. Why are they blue. At least on Nago you can argue it's a contrast to his red and black eyes when he's in hangry mode, but if you wanted an eye colour related to her powers you could just make them green.

In Conclusion

I may have acted like a bit of a hater near the end, but I do genuinely love this series; and, like with many things, my love makes me privy to all manner of less than great things in it. Anyway, if you've got any additions to this list, feel free to tell me all about it.

#guilty gear #character design #baiken #sin kiske #ramlethal valentine #johnny guilty gear #happy chaos #giovanna guilty gear

[predakings-den]

Chapter 1: The Lab-grown Experiments

Word count: [1426]

Content Warning: [None]

He had revealed his form, a choice he believed wise in order to be taken seriously by these Decepticons. No longer is he stuck as a draconic being of metal and circuits, shrieking with his mandibles outstretched and large wings reeled back as a means to threaten. His new form is just as formidable, with a crown of horns protruding from his helm and a sharp, weary faceplate that made him come across as older than he felt. Predaking was met with surprised expressions from his superiors, crippling trepidation and dread from that pathetic Air Commander, and a sudden new sense of commitment as he realized the intention of this specific site.

Shockwave’s secondary laboratory, nestled in the caverns, now harbors the latest “pet project” as the others had liked to call it behind his back, or even in front of him, believing his intelligence to be that of a primitive creature. Predaking gazes upon the rows of test tubes decorating the underground lab in a hue of green lighting, with large cables connecting the tanks to a generator and a control panel where data is monitored, collected, and stored for Shockwave’s use.

Inside each containment chamber is a curled-up Predacon, growing and alive in their slumber. There’s a variety of what humans may recognize as mythical creatures thought to be in myths and legends. A plethora of beaks, wings, claws, and maws can be seen.

His large claws press gently against the warm glass. There was no outward response, but he could feel it, a pull on his EM field, albeit faint. The thought has crossed his processor every now and then when he was but a warhorse with no real designation. A question lingered: where were the rest of his people? And that knowledge has had the time to settle in his tanks like an endless pit. They were offline, decimated by either the radiation that had plagued Cybertron’s surface long ago in the Great Cataclysm where they starved underneath the shelter of dirt and rock, or driven mad stellar cycles ago.

Even now, these caverns strike a quiet unease with the Predacon, a fear of some sort or… Perhaps a memory from long ago, etched deep into the bones that Shockwave had cloned him from.

He could hardly believe such little beings, so vulnerable and exposed, can evolve to one of Cybertron’s greatest beasts of the past. How? They’re practically tiny bits of soft metal and exposed biolights, still developing their tough exterior.

He could be always be patient, until Shockwave's process is complete. He doesn't understand the exact science behind it, the cloning and accelerated growth procedure, but he trusted the Decepticon scientist to continue his work with the same chilling dedication.

"Would you like to feed them?"

Predaking perks up as he hears Shockwave's monotone vocalizer ending the silence between him and the Predacon pups. He takes a lingering glance at the science officer. "How so? Are they not sleeping?" It sure seems to be the case, as they have been quite unresponsive to the vast world around them. In Shockwave’s optic, Predaking taps the glass as if he were a youngling curious, although much larger in stature.

Shockwave walks over to a large crate of yellow vials. He hands him a few and Predaking cautiously sniffs. There appears to be no scent to this so-called meal that Shockwave is implying them to be. Regardless, the scientist continues droning on. "They absorb nutrients through the liquid they lie in, and every spark needs a certain amount to maintain a healthy core. It didn't take too long to develop a concoction similarly to the nutrients sparklings are provided naturally. All I needed were the correct ingredients, procured by those willing to aid in my research."

“I only considered the next logical step was to add… supplements of a sort. After all, I strive to improve in reference to previous works.”

Predaking chuffs and avoids his blaring optic. As if the ultimate being had imperfections. He is powerful in strength, his size indomitable, a Predacon in his prime and yet Shockwave finds flaws in his making?

He almost thinks to ask for the specifics, but Shockwave ignores his questions and leads him to the control panel, finding his personal inquiries asked to be of unimportance in the current moment or at any time really. "Now, insert five vials into these slots.”

The Predacon stares at the yellow vials, small in their little glass containers, so he feels fit to comment. “Five hardly seems enough for ten little ones.” And he nearly shrinks at the scientist’s stare. There is no emotion that can be read, but the feeling of… inadequacy stings at his spark for asking what the officer appears to see as menial queries.

Again, the scientist pays no mind to his observation and gestures to the control panel. “Each individual button is a labeled tank. The gray button is for fueling, the red is the release.”

Predaking follows along, inserting the vials, and then slowly presses the gray buttons with one large claw. In a few seconds, the green containment chambers turn a more vibrant yellow as nutrients start filtering inside.

The inhabitants do not move, but he understood that somehow, they are being properly cared and fed, even if it didn't seem as traditional as simply hunting and providing the meals for them.

And with feeding time underway, Predaking notices that many of the tanks do not have… names. Instead, there are numbers. It’s not entirely surprising when even Predaking had nothing, and sought to find him his own name. “Do they carry any designation? Like this one?” He gestures to a Predacon pup who is a mixture of yellow, teal, and purple, with two draconic helms and tails to match.

“#SW81617 is quite sufficient for the level of organization I require to properly assess Project Predacon. I do not plan on developing such a … familial connection with my experiments, that which I am starting to notice that you are starting to seek out. You yearn for something more than what I choose to provide.”

It renders the large Predacon quiet. Before anything more could be spoken between the two, the science officer gets a ping in his system. His red optic dims as he reads the short notification, Soundwave calling for his presence onboard the Nemesis warship. “It appears I have a meeting that I must tend to. I will reconvene with you later, but for now, you are granted a privilege of staying. Only, do not touch any of the mechanics until I arrive back onto the site.”

Shockwave could logically assume what this particular meeting could consist of. He wasn’t the only one who noticed how… fearful Megatron almost seemed, a mixture of that and shock, is not an acceptable state that their leader would approve being rendered to. Megatron has already shown his bouts of irrational, impulsive, and paranoid tendencies when confronted with something much grander than him… and the dangerous, chaotic beauty of Predacons is grand indeed.

Shockwave did not exhibit any signs of nervousness. His EM field of wall of cold indifference as usual. And Predaking didn’t question the sudden call away from the lab. Perhaps he should have at the time. Maybe it could have prevented… well, everything, but the Predacon who had only recently gained sentience did not yet know how to become a bit more astute in his observations.

Instead, he allows the officer to call for a ground bridge and thinks nothing of it. The large beast curls up next to the tanks, with a soft rumble sounding close to a yawn exiting his maw as he hunkers down for the evening.

He’s not that attached... he was simply curious at the prospect of new life, of not being alone anymore, of reviving his species once more. Everything… that was now his duty to protect and see through.

His moments spent in the lab were coming to an end though, and soon he’d be unable to look upon the tanks of Predacon pups as if he were stargazing at the brightest of constellations with such… completion in his spark. He would never have thought that displaying sentient thought and behavior would write their end, that despite any signs of loyalty towards the Decepticon cause, that Megatron was never going to allow them to simply exist.

It happened then, and it will once again.

Predacons cannot just exist…

A Cybertronian will not allow that to be the case, Decepticon or Autobot otherwise.

#tf #transformers #tfp #transformers prime #predaking #shockwave #megatron #starscream #predacons #predacon rising #writing #fanfic #ask blog #writing blog #tfp au #decepticons #maccadam #maccadams

[striker-scribbling-silliness]

My take on what Krypto would look like and what his role would be in My Adventures with Superman! Clark has gone through so much already, I think he should have a fluffy little dog friend who can offer him extra emotional support! (And also help him out with his hero duties!)

My take on MAWS Krypto is that he’s a dog(?) of an unknown breed, although he seems to bear similarities to Samoyeds! Since MAWS is a more animesque incarnation of Superman, I decided to base Krypto’s design off like chibifur mascot animal/creature characters you see in lots of anime, as well as just cute sidekick mascot characters in general that are similar to those types of characters! (Although I mostly took inspiration from characters who resemble dogs) Honestly those types of characters are one of my big fav character archetypes, so this was super fun to draw!!!

I imagine if Krypto was inserted into the show, Clark would adopt him and Krypto would be a super awesome fluffy little friend of Clark’s! Helping him out, giving him emotional support, and just being a sweet and happy little boi as a whole! Of course he’d also get along great with Lois and Jimmy and vice versa!

I haven’t figured out what his backstory is since I want to do more research first before I figure out his exact origins and lore, but once I do look into him more, I’m sure I’ll figure something out eventually!

#my adventures with superman #krypto the superdog #clark kent #lois lane #jimmy olsen #silly doodles

[jesncin]

You mentioned before that you were more excited for MAWS than the Spiderverse, but did you eventually get to watching Spiderverse? It’s great! There’s an entire allegory about systemic racism against the black community, and the animation, and the diversity, and it’s humor. Plenty have praised it for good reasons. I hope you’re not missing out on it.

Oh of course I watched it, haha! It released before MAWS. When I said I was more excited for MAWS than Spiderverse it was because while Spiderman has so many animated media adaptations, Superman hasn't had an animated tv show in almost three decades! The Spiderverse movies are great so far and I wish the animators a Very Good Strike and Humane Work Conditions.

Spiderverse had a far more empathetic approach to the closeted Superhero allegory (that obviously hit home for queer people way more than whatever MAWS was trying to do), the character designs are stunning (Hobie and Pavtir especially), and the fact that they bothered acknowledging racism and colonialism (not even allegorically just the real thing) makes the world feel rich and lived in. Not perfect, but very excellent still.

#askjesncin #jesncin talks maws #pavtir is a huge improvement from the infantilized and racist depiction of peni #my dc bias isn't so intense that I wouldn't watch spiderverse haha. two cakes

[activate-shadow-of-the-window]

Okay so this is a little project I started just a few days ago and I’m not done yet, but I’m so pleased with the results so far that I just had to share them! These are five of the fifteen banners of the hermit civilizations of my Horizon to Horizon au, fully designed and colored by yours truly! It’s been way too long since I attempted colored digital art, and since the fantasy bug has me properly infected, I thought that this would be a great opportunity to change that. From right to left, we have the banners of:

Climbing Spires, Cub’s sleek redstone-powered nation of horse-riders and former nomads in a badlands biome built on the sandstone ruins of ages long past

The Maw, Doc’s subterranean industrial powerhouse of miners and machines beneath a rare and treacherous ice spikes biome

Umbra, False’s wooden cyberpunk country of reclusive faeries and outcasts under the shade of a roofed forest

The Watering Hole, Jevin’s neoclassical trading hub of refugee fish-folk and artisans who can’t stand the cold of the north around a freshwater lake

Elsewhere, Joe’s confusing mishmash of anyone and everything seemingly held together by sheer force of will and charisma in the middle of a prairie

Part 1 (this one) | Part 2 | Part 3 | More to come? I will be doing my empires designs eventually, but when is the more important question…

In game banner patterns below the cut

#horizon to horizon au #hermitcraft au #art for my fic #worldbuilding #banner design #fantasy banner designs #is that a tag? #i mean its accurate #vexillography #does that one apply? #i mean theyre flags #technically #minecraft banner designs #minecraft banners

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

My DCCU: Character Essay - Mr. Mxyzptlk

So...did you see the last episode of MAWS?

I just wrote an essay discussing this series, and without making you read that (although here it is if you wanna), let's just say I love almost everything about it, but the villains have me...nervous. Which, yeah, not exactly a unique take on the series, critically speaking. It is, in fact, the most common refrain about the series amongst Superman fans.

Now, since then, to be fair, we've gotten some very promising characters make their debut, or becoming more prominent. Task Force X - which includes Amanda Waller, the General (who's gotta be Sam Lane, but may also take some inspiration from Wade Eiling; time'll tell on that one, though), and a very cool super-armored version of Deathstroke - are our main antagonists, and I'm excited to see what comes out of them. Their former associates, power couple Brain and Monseiur Mallah (who are also gay in the comics, if you didn't know) are a more sympathetic turn on the characters, but quite satisfying in this form.

But no, there's only one real reason I'm making this post. And that is of course, the villain featured in the most recent episode, as of me writing this post. He's already up above, so let's just get into it.

Fun fact about me: I love a lot of Superman villains, but of all of them, my absolute favorite is Mr. Mxyzptlk. He's a mischief-making, chaos-loving, harmless and harmful menace from the 5th dimension, who obeys no laws of the dimensions below. The origin of legends, past and present, of genies, leprechauns, fey, and imps that tease men with ill-fated wishes. An all-powerful being disguised as a man dressed in a funny little hat.

Mr. Mxyzptlk is the Robin Goodfellow of Superman's world. He appears to amuse himself, no matter the cost to the Man of Steel's day. Usually, you can send him back via making him say his own name backwards, but that's just one of the rules to Mxy's games. And make no mistake, that's what they are: games. Mr. Mxyzptlk has played on the side of angels and devils, and he really only cares about his own amusement. And his relationship with Superman, varied as it can be, helps to fuel his morality.

I could bring up the character's live-action appearances (which are notable in their own right), but those are mostly afraid to really go for it. The closest to the original character would be Michael J. Pollard's version in Superboy, a mostly forgotten series from the late'80s, and a version that actually wears the comic book outfit. There's also the Supergirl version, which was notable, and played by Peter Gadiot and Thomas Lemmon; and there's the version played by Howie Mandel (yes, really) in Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman in the '90s, which is a more evil but passable version of the character. Oh, and the Smallville version? Yeah, absolutely doesn't count. If you want a true adaptation for Mxy, you gotta go animated.

The most iconic adaptation of this character was portrayed by the late, great Gilbert Gottfried in Superman: The Animated Series. Now, I say the most iconic, but that's probably a bit biased on my part. In my opinion, this is the most fun and accurate version we've seen of the character, taking from his original design for inspiration. An annoying imp that appears every three months, his debut episode in the series, Mxyzpixillated, is one of my favorite episodes of the series, and goes balls-to-the-wall wacky, as you should with Mxyzptlk.

The character had only a few more appearances in the series after his first, but Gottfried's performance was so memorable, he was brought back for multiple incarnations, including the video game DC Universe Online, and the more recent animated series Justice League Action, which would be one of Gottfried's last performances, and therefore his last appearance as the character. He'll be sorely missed for a number of reasons, but the voice he gave to the imp is never going to leave me.

Which brings me to the version of the character we see in MAWS. And yeah, this is obviously a VERY different version of the character, appearance-wise. Outside of the orange and purple color scheme and one other exception, this version has no design similarities with any version of Mxyzptlk, and is obviously very anime-inspired, as is the entire series. I mean, for Chrissakes, the title of the episode is a reference to Ouran High School Host Club. They knew what they were doing.

We meet Mxyzptlk in the middle of a heist, and he already shows his power and prowess by tricking Clark immediately. Amongst a bunch of fantastic DCU references, and a lot of multiverse talk, we eventually stumble upon his actual goal: the reclamation of an ancient artifact stolen from him by the League of Lois Lanes. And that artifact is...his hat. THE hat. And lemme tell ya, I was overjoyed to see that stupid little bowler.

Once he gets it, we get a glimpse of true Mxyzptlk power, as he goes full chaos lord on us. He's eventually defeated through trickery with portals, and NOT through the backwards name gambit. And even then, he's not actually defeated, and returns in the end to annoy his new target: Lois Lane. Yeah. He's haunting LOIS, not Clark. And honestly, I'm...very intrigued.

This Mxyzptlk is, honestly, a faithful version of the character, straight-up. Sure, there are elements missing, and the outfit is completely different, but he also sort of looks like you'd expect an imp or genie to look. Like Alan Moore said in Whatever Happened to the Man of Steel?, why should an extradimensional imp look like a little man in a suit and funny little bowler? I think this works, honestly.

I'm also excited to see him in the future of the series, and see what they do with the character as a result. Mxyzptlk is, as I said earlier, one of my favorites, whether he helps or hurts the Man of Tomorrow. And if I had one complaint, it's that I want him to go wackier. Like, CRAZY. Watch his appearances in Superman: The Animated Series if you haven't, and you'll see what I mean. The potential is quite literally unlimited when it comes to the fifth dimension imp.

But if that's the case...what would I do with Mxyzptlk in my DCCU?

Mr. Mxyzptlk in My DCCU

I would do...not much more than Easter eggs at first. Look, I love Mxyzptlk, but having him as a character in a film or film series is extremely tricky. But instead, Mxyzptlk is both a seen and unseen force in my DCCU, hovering around Superman's world without actually interfering in it directly. Not exactly his bag, I know, but it's a good way to get him to work in a film series. Essentially, I'm turning him into a background character in the first and second films, to be noticed by only the most observant. Disguised as other characters, maybe making odd gestures every now and then as if to manipulate things around him. The ultimate Easter egg character, basically. Until, possibly the very end of the second, or even the third film in the franchise.

Fast forward to the second film's post-credit scene.

A poker game is being played, but we're table level. All we see are the hands and the cards, which get increasingly stranger as the game goes on. Three voices are speaking, and we get the immediate idea that these people are watching our heroes. Eventually, a fourth voice juts in, and we also find out that a fifth one of them has been invited, but chose not to attend. Finally, we pan up, and we see...some dude.

This guy, whoever they are, should've been a face we've seen in the first and second films, usually hanging around the Daily Planet, but also around Metropolis. In fact, they should be visible in every conflict or battle seen in the films thus far. As we look at the others, we should see similar figures that've appeared in Batman, Wonder Woman, and Flash films that've come put by this point. All extras, and all watching our heroes. In fact, it'd be great if the Flash-focused person hasn't appeared yet, because the Flash's film releases after this one.

Finally, as we pan back around to the Superman-focused character, who is smoking a cigar, the conversation turns to what's coming. Mxyzptlk is aware of what's coming for Superman, but the rest refer to "the first Crisis". Mxyzptlk sort of brushes it off, even as they're saying things that hint at the first big even film to come in the DCCU. And these should be vague yet intriguing clues to this event. But Mxyzptlk insists that his guy'll be prepared, and that he has a lot of money riding on that outcome. With that, the mysterious figure looks directly at the camera.

Yeah, realizing that we're peering in on the game, he probably berates the nerds in the audience for knowing who he is without it being said (possibly by turning into a more comic-accurate version of himself) , then confirms that he'll be back in the next one, but not as the big threat. Maybe he'll be there to help, maybe not; depends on his mood that day. After a few more snarky remarks, he gives us a look and tells us to buzz off. We may even get a glimpse at the other imps in the room, those being Bat-Mite, Wondermite, and Mopee. And with that, he snaps his fingers, and the film ends officially.

Yeah, I basically pulled an Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to bring in Mxyzptlk. And, since that scene is one of the best of the film, I don't think that's a problem! In the next film, we know what Mxyzptlk's identity looks like, and he may even give us a wave from the background in his first appearance in the next film. He won't interfere directly, but in the last post-credits scene of this trilogy, he'll finally get caught by Superman. Over time, Superman's had some experience with magic users, probably via Wonder Woman. And magic, in my universe, has a distinctive smell of some kind.

Knowing that Mxyzptlk's been watching him throughout the films, Clark finally confronts him on it, and asks what he wants. And Mxyzptlk actually replies and shows himself, explaining that the battles to come are pretty intense. He won't help or harm, but he just wanted to give a heads-up, mostly because it's fun. With that and a bit more conversation, Mxyzptlk leaves having given this ominous warning.

Does he return? Maybe during a Crisis on Infinite Earths movie, maybe in the Darkseid-based Justice League film to come, who knows? This version of the character is basically a Watcher, maybe throwing in some fun chaos here and there. It's sort of hard to add Mxyzptlk into a film series, because he's not a plotter. He's an all-powerful one-off character who, were he to be introduced as a genuine threat to the films, could just kill Superman immediately. It wouldn't make sense. So, make him neutrally bent, and keep him as a fun Easter egg character.

That take may be disappointing to some, but...like, c'mon, guys, he's a pretty big gun. Having him as the ultimate threat of a film also wouldn't make it very fun, because we don't want to see him get killed, but he also can't really win. It'd just be unsatisfying. I like the idea of making him this greater, scarier presence, while also making all of the imps these all-powerful observant beings that watch over our plane with fascination and/or reverence. And maybe, just maybe, we can squeeze some mischief in there somewhere.

Any other ideas on how you would introduce Mr. Mxyzptlk to a cinematic universe (if you should at all)? Reblog! Comment! I'm extremely curious, frankly. This was one of, like, three ideas I had, but the one I thought worked best.

And if you liked this, check out my other Superman essays here!

#dc #dc comics #dccu #my dccu #my dcu #dc cinematic universe #dc universe #maws #my adventures with superman #mr. mxyzptlk #mxyzptlk #mr mxyzptlk #maws tv #maws spoilers #maws mr. mxyzptlk #film essay #character essay #character discussion #kiss kiss fall in portal #maws episode 7

[adobe-outdesign]

Randomly generated Pokemon: Onix

(I don't have any review requests right now, so I'm just going to use a generator to pick a random line I haven't done yet until more come in.)

Onix has a nice presence to it, mostly on account of being Freaking Huge (ironically, it's not even that strong of a 'mon). The idea of a big rock snake that tunnels through the the earth is solid and works well enough for what it is, though granted, the design always felt slightly lacking to me.

My favorite part of Onix is the head. I really like that it has a "muzzle" of sorts, and the horn helps separate the head segment from the rest of the body. However, the body itself is pretty plain, just a bunch of boulders in a line (how are those things connected, anyway)? I kind of wish there was more viration—some could be significantly bigger or smaller, they could be alternating lighter and darker colors, etc. Just something subtle to break things up a bit.

Onix evolves into Steelix here, and the idea of regular rock becoming metal as it evolves is a solid concept. There are a few changes to the design here that I like as well—the red eye adds a minor touch of color and pops nicely, the oversized head is pretty neat, and I really find myself liking those spikes stiking out of the body. They help break things up a bit, and feel like a natural extension of Onix's head spike. The pointed tail is also a nice touch.

If I have one problem with it (outside of the somewhat odd inclusion of teeth—I liked Onix's toothless maw better), it's that it never really looked much like steel. I get that they were going for an iron ore kind of thing, but it doesn't come across well, not helped by the lack of metallic textures in the games. It's still just as jagged and rugged as Onix is, and while I really like that aesthetic, it does make it harder to tell that it's metal now. Otherwise, it's a solid evolution and probably my favorite out of the line.

And mega Steelix is... a bit of a hot mess, unfortunately.

I say unfortunately because I really, really like the basic concept here. Steelix becomes harder and adds a bunch of spikes when it evolves, so this mega reveals that the spikes are actually crystals, which break out of the metal ore when it evolves. That's actually REALLY cool. It's also very nice because it adds some lovely pastel rainbow colors to the plain grey palette, breaking it up a bit without being overbearing. I also like that the segments go from small to large now, creating a pattern and adding some additional variation to the body.

The problem comes in with everything else. Those blue rings are downright garish, clashing with and taking away from the pastel colors added by the crystals. I don't even get what they're supposed to be anyway, and they don't seem to tie back into the crystal idea. They could've easily made those segments crystalline as well, or even just made them plain gray.

While less of a problem, I also think that those floating shards of metal are overkill. It's weird that they're floating (I've heard people argue magnetism, but that would make the shards stick to it rather than float around it), and I don't think you need them to convey the idea of the crystals breaking out of the metal shell. They're not terrible, but they're just cluttering an already cluttered design. (The excavator jaw is also a bit odd and doesn't quite fit with the crystal thing, but it's not that big of a deal in and of itself.)

Anyway, overall: Onix is fine, but the body's a bit plain. Steelix is a pretty solid evolution in both concept and design. Mega Steelix is way too cluttered for its own good, with a great concept buried under weird jarring visuals. Still, some pretty decent rock snakes all around.

#onix #steelix #mega steelix #pokemon #pokemon reviews

[citadelredlightdistrict]

Luz the Goblin Cumdump

Luz groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, she could taste something meaty in her mouth, something long and thick, and salty. She blinked in confusion, feeling a strange breeze and dampness on her developing breasts, as though someone had spilled some kind of viscous fluid on them and left them exposed to the air after. As her eyes fully open, adjusting to the dim light around her, her groans of discomfort soon turn to screams of confusion and horror as she finds herself staring at a dark green pair of balls slapping into her face over and over again, scraggly unkempt hairs brushing her face and nose with every thrust. She tries to reach up to push the thing ontop of her off, but discovers that she instead has to fight against the grip and weight of presumably the very thing thrusting into mouth.

Luckily, or perhaps not so luckily, she didn't have to wait for long to not just have it finish but to get a good look at whatever was raping her mouth. Within a minute of her regaining consciousness, her rapist came in her mouth, filling her throat and stomach with a strong thick liquid that added to a previously unnoticed heat building in her body, sending her hips quivering and her pussy spasming in desperation. The creature then pulled out of her mouth, giving her the first gasp of mostly clean air since she'd woken up. It was then that she saw the little green creature, fully naked except for a few mismatched fur pelts covering its scrawny chest and arms, leaving its distended belly exposed along with its disproportionately large cock and balls. It had long pointed ears similar to a regular witch, massive nearly bulbous eyes that almost seemed to glow, and two rows of jagged chipped teeth in its maw. She was facing a goblin, a goblin had just gotten done fucking her throat and cumming down it.

It was only with the sight of the goblin that everything suddenly started connecting for her, she remembers the strange portal opening by the Owl House, remembers exploring the strange new world with Willow and Amity, and then she remembers what happened. The ambush, each of them fighting with all their strength and being overrun by the small green monsters. They'd been overpowered and knocked unconcsious, and looking around, she supposed that they had then been brought back to the goblins' cave or something. Around her she could see what could only be described as a nightmare. Scattered pieces of armor littered the floor from presumably former victims, some of them were strange almost futuristic like one particular rounded red helmet with a green visor next to what looked like a strange green cannon that would fit over an arm, other pieces though were clearly from medieval designs like the godlen and red breast plate with what looked like a two 'W's stacked on top of one another beside a beautiful golden crown, armor that she could only imagine belonging to a great hero. The last relic that caught her attention before the goblins seized it once more was a beautiful faintly glowing sword stuck atop a pile of bones and scraps of leather and metal, the hilt looked to be in the shape of two wings with a set of three triangles forming a larger triangle, she wondered if it had belonged to the same hero who'd worn the golden breast plate she'd seen.

Before she could ponder any further on that though she felt a hand strike her across the face, bringing her focus back to the goblin before her, the one that had pumped her stomach full of hot, thick, manly cum~. No! She couldn't let herself think like that, she didn't even know where that had come from.

Luz: "W-what do you want!? I don't understand you!"

Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the beast as it chattered nonsensically at her, finally though it seemed to grow tired of her lack of cooperation and threw her to the ground on her front, her small perky breasts pressing firmly to the cold stone floor, she immediately tried to rise, to get to her feet so she might escape and find Amity or Willow, before she could though it had already mounted her. The goblin's weight fell on her ass and lower back, it's massive cock flopping down on top of her firm ass as it began to grind against her.

Luz: "Ahh! N-no! Stop please, w-where are my friends!? Where's Amity and Willow!? What have you done with them!?"

Obviously the goblin didn't answer, simply gripping her chin and forcing her into a filthy kiss, its tongue slathering across her lips, flopping against her teeth and then plundering her mouth while its cock finally found the mark, forcefully plowing into her virgin pussy. As she felt his cock force its way into her she suddenly heard a familiar voice, Willow, she could hear Willow! Despite the comfort of a famliar voice though, what she heard did not offer her any hope, in fact it was quite the oppossite, what she heard was Willow's voice calling out in terror and confusion much like hers had.

Willow: "Ahhh! cough cough Agh! Gross wh-what is that stuff? Oh Titan, it's your, your cum! Ah! NO! Get off of me, no stop! Ahh~! O-ohhh~! Fuck, t-that shouldn't, ahh~! W-what? A plant lady bu-but I mmm~!"

Luz didn't need to wonder about the strange change in tone before Willow had seemingly been silenced by a plant woman of some kind, she knew what had caused it. The amazing nearly godlike cock of a goblin. The moment its cock had entered her pussy she had felt something break in her, something fundamental, and she knew that if it came in her pussy she'd never be fixed. What scared her more than anything though, was that she didn't want to be fixed. The pleasure of this monster, its cock buried in her cunt, pounding against her cervix as its tongue raped her mouth was too good, she needed this, she couldn't think of how she'd ever lived without it, how she'd thought she could ever be satisfied with another girl like Amity.

As his hot hard cock stretched her pussy, molded her into his breeding bitch, she barely noticed as the sound of fighting could be heard. The hard cock inside of her pounded her, made her pussy clench around it as she was driven from climax to climax, cumming harder than she'd thought possible. She didn't notice as an abomination ridden by Amity plowed into the room, a naked and disheveled Amity panting on top as she looked around, a cluster of unconscious or dead goblins behind her.

Amity: "Luz!"

She didn't notice or even see her girlfriend's look of horror, anger, and then defeat flash over her face, all Luz could see was the goblin god fucking her, all she could hear was its cock plapping into her pussy, all she could taste was its euphoric tongue in her mouth, and all she could smell was its erotic musk filling her nostrils. So she didn't react when a heartbroken and hopeless Amity fell to the floor, desperately calling out to her as goblins piled into the room behind her, pinning her down as they started to fuck her, to break her. All she knew when Amity was being raped was that her new master, her new god was cumming inside of her.

------------- Time Skip: 1 year ---------------

Luz moaned loudly, wordlessly into the air as her son fucked her, his powerful cock scraping the walls of her pussy, pounding against the very womb he had come from as his little brother sucked on her tits for the nourishing milk she produced. Next to her was a woman with golden hair and ears like a witch's though from what she could gather this one had been a princess of some sort at one point. It didn't matter now, all they were was a group of holes for the goblins, their masters to fuck and breed. Across from her Amity screamed in pleasure, cumming around one of their master's cock as they came inside of her, while Amity was already pregnant the cum was still an intense euphoric experience even if she couldn't get impregnated again right now.

If Luz had been capable of thinking about anything other than cocks in the time since she'd been captured, then she'd have noticed the one still concsious woman unbred by the goblins that had been there the day she'd been broken. A woman in a Vegas showgirl's outfit, dressed like a stage magician and spoke in backwards speech as she opened portal after portal for the goblins. She'd managed to stay largely untouched as more and more women were plundered from different worlds until the witch's children were born. After the goblins gained magic of their own, they forced the secrets of portal magic from her and soon she was made to join the ranks of breeding whores.

Luz never learned just how widespread the goblin threat was, just how many worlds had been plundered, all she knew was that she was happy, and how good it felt to be filled with her master's cum.

[evolutionsvoid]

Imagine you are a bird, fluttering through the forest. You soar amongst the trees, untied to earth and soil. However, your aerial prowess has its price, as using these magnificent wings costs a whole lot of energy. Your stomach rumbles, signalling a need to feed. You dare not venture on the ground, but rather search the branches for a meal. And amongst the green and browns you see it! The brilliant color of fruit, ripe and waiting! You land upon this branch and- hold up didn't I write something like this before? This seems oddly familiar. Bird is hungry, bird sees fruit, bird tries to eat fruit but instead gets eaten. I swear I have been down this road before. Am I crazy? Maybe I am, but I can't exactly keep the bit going since I kind of already spoiled the ending. I will have to check over my previous entries to see if I am accidentally copying myself. Anyways, what I was trying to hint at was an arboreal predator that hides amongst the branches and eats critters that show up in search of fruit. This creature I am referring to is the Gharboreal.

The Gharboreal is a reptile that enjoys a life in the trees, typically in deciduous forests. Though some may think it a lizard, it is actually related to crocodiles and the likes. This cousin has ditched the water and turned to the branches, using hooked claws to scale the trunks and crawl onto large branches. To help with this, their tail is more flexible to support itself as it clambers across the gnarled limbs. While they may have left the lakes and swamps, they have kept some traits to adapt to this new lifestyle. Their scaly hide is still tuned to blending in, but this time it is more hardcore camouflage to help it look like a part of the tree. Brown coloration, knobby growths, and a bark-like texture helps them melt into the trees they hide in, which is important for avoiding predators and hunting. It should be no surprise that this species still prefers the ambush style of hunting!

With their scales designed to hide them in plain sight, the Gharboreal will climb up a particular tree and find a good sturdy branch to lay on. Claws and tail help anchor them, as they stick their long thin snouts out, posing them as if they were another stick of this great limb. They want a bird to land on their snout, or a squirrel to climb up nearby, but that part is just dumb luck, right? Well, not for the Gharboreal, as they have a way to entice their prey! On the tip of their snout is bulbous growth, which is called a "ghara." This hollow structure may seem awkward on their long thin jaws, but once you see it in action you will understand! The ghara is capable of changing color, and often chooses brighter ones to attract attention. With a vivid color and peculiar shape, the ghara brings to mind fruit growing on a branch, which is what the Gharboreal is trying to mimic! When hunting, it sits perfectly still with this fake branch of a maw outstretched, the fruit-like ghara tempting targets. When a bird lands to eat, or another arboreal critter comes close to inspect, the Gharboreal whips its head and gnashes its jaws! Long teeth sink into flesh and hold the prey fast, as the creature shakes its head about to finish off its meal. Once dead or stunned, the jaws will open and close to slowly move the food down the snout and to the throat, where they are swallowed whole. Due to their jaw size and thinness, Gharboreal target smaller prey. Don't expect one of these to try and eat a human, as they would never fit! Squirrels, birds, monkeys and other reptiles are their typical menu options. Anything bigger gets a warning bite to try and scare them off. 

Since they don't target anything larger than squirrels, they don't come off as a threat to people, more like annoyances. Gharboreals like to climb into fruit trees so that their disguise works even better, their ghara changing color to better fit the surrounding fruits. So when one doesn't pay attention and starts picking through a fruit tree, they may disturb a hiding Gharboreal and receive a nasty bite for their offense. And since orchards present plenty of trees to pick from for hunting, they tend to infest these places. Though it isn't all that bad, as some folk like the taste of Gharboreal and hunt them for their meat! So if an orchard has a problem with them snapping at workers, they reach out to townsfolk to come in and hunt a free meal. So they aren't the worst threat, just pests to some folk. In truth, they bring about the same issues that people have with a ladon. OH THAT IS WHERE THE BIRD THING IS FROM! 

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

---------------------------------------------------

"Gharboreal"

So a long time ago, I saw a post on here talking about how gators can actually climb things, like fences and trees. This prompted someone to point out that tree gators should be a species in a fantasy world, as it would be neat. And I too thought it would be neat. I wonder if someone is going to do that?.........WELL BEHOLD, FOR YEARS LATER I ARISE TO GRANT THEE THIS WONDROUS GIFT OF-where is everyone?.....Hello?......Guys?.......I, uh....I did the thing!.....Hello?.....Anyone?......Hey, why is this door locked?

#gharial #reptile #monster #creature #crocodile #art #drawing #whatever that tree gator post was

[theresattrpgforthat]

THEME: System-Neutral Settings (Fantasy Edition)

Sometimes what you need, rather than a new ruleset, is a setting that makes your system sing. These are a series of system-neutral settings that you can pick up, borrow from, or use wholesale in a game of your choice! 

All of these settings would work very well in fantasy or fantasy-like games.

Into the Riverlands, by Ostrichmonkey Games.

The Riverlands rests at the heart of the world. A great current of life and movement that winds and weaves its way through the mountains and valleys of the central continent. The Riverlands stretch from the south to the far north, acting as the lifeblood of continental travel and trade.

The Riverlands are a region of vibrancy and mystery. A colorful mosaic of peoples that call it home, and the strange twilight forest that surrounds it. Explore the bustling and vibrant City of Bridges, the mysterious and primeval Forest, the distant and crumbling Empire, and even further afield.

The backgrounds of The Riverlands have interesting themes, from the mercurial Trickster-Poet to the strange Forest Dweller, to the patient Marsh Apiarist. Picking up a game that is very light on rules, such as Tunnel Goons or Into the Odd, would allow you to slot in a character that fits inside the Riverlands without having to carry as much of the dungeon-delving as traditional OSR games. 

Ultraviolet Grasslands and the Black City, by WTF Studio.

The Ultraviolet Grasslands and the Black City is a tabletop role-playing game book, half setting, half adventure, and half epic trip; inspired by psychedelic heavy metal, the Dying Earth genre, and classic Oregon Trail games. It leads a group of ‘heroes’ into the depths of a vast and mythic steppe filled with the detritus of time and space and fuzzy riffs.

This game is designed with a d20 game in mind but much of the setting feels very fitting for an OSR-style regardless of the dice you use. There are 200 pages of interesting locations with encounter tables and plot seeds. Some of the locations in this city include The Porcelain Citadel, The Steppe of the Lime Nomads, The Glass Bridge and The Forest of Meat. The world is weird and resists the tones of high fantasy by populating the world with insectoids, fungal colonies, strange drugs and ancient machines. If you want acid fantasy that mixes the in a bit of weird science or post-apocalypse, this is the setting for you. The designer of this setting also has a free player guide, as well as a creature generator supplement. 

Into the Wyrd and Wild, by Feral Indie Studio.

Beyond the reach of roads, past the scope of mortals there is a darkened place. A shadowed tree-line where no-one dares cross and whose boundaries go undisturbed.

This is not the woods of peaceful fey and beast, but the dark and twisted children’s tale that kept you full of terror. It is a world of fear, madness, and bloodshed; ruled over by the uncaring watch of ancient trees. There is no bargaining with the primal forces that rule the uncivilized world, as you have nothing they could ever want.

The woods do not care for you. Never forget that.

Another dark fantasy setting, Into the Wyrd and Wild includes more than a list of beasts and NPCs for the characters to encounter. It includes a way to think about money in the setting, how to emphasize exhaustion, and various other rules that demonstrate the danger and violence to be found inside the Wilds. One of my favourite sections of the book is about the Court of Broken Branches, a faction built out of abandoned children, stitched up with silver stitches and led by a magical Queen. An incredibly evocative setting and a top-tier piece of work in terms of design.

Guidebook to the Viridian Maw, by Orbis Tertius Press.

This 24-page PDF of the digest-sized zine contains fodder for a wilderness sandbox campaign in the Viridian Maw: an overgrown meteor crater, mutated and reshaped by fungal influence. To get a sense of it, check out the free download for the one-page version of the setting.

Everything is system neutral & stats agnostic, though the material is written with genre assumptions leaning toward D&D/OSR games (but usable for games like Apocalypse World or Dungeon World, too).

If you want a game that sinks your players deep into a thick, dangerous forest, this is a great option for you. There are tons of great descriptions of beasts and plants that your characters can encounter, including Driftnettle, a floating kelp-like creature that prey on the unaware and asleep, and the Sporehorn elk, a symbiotic partnership between an elk and a colony of fungi. Much of the encounters you’ll find in this zine will prompt changes to characters that make them weirder, so it might be a good idea to let your players know about that before playing in this setting.

This game works for dark fantasy, but I’ve also used it as inspiration for a Changeling: the Lost game as well!

Into the Sea Woods, by Diwata Ng Manila. 

The Sea-Woods is the way it has always been: just beyond the village, across a wall that bars the rest of the roots from coming forward. No one ever knew why that wall was built. Was it meant to keep the Woods out or keep the Village in? One thing's for sure, things changed when a tree stood up from its spot and punched a part of the wall until it collapsed. It then promptly walked deeper into the woods, clearing through a small path.

Never heard of a tree walking before? Ah, then you really must be new here, aren't you?

This is a small collection of micro-settings that are whimsical and evocative. This is more of a friendly forest than a scary one - great for setting a Studio-Ghibli kind of tone. There’s a bit of a formatting issue with the current version, but the ideas present in each setting give a great amount of inspiration for making locations that feel safe and yet unique for your play group. My favourite is the Cabin, a house that always has a warm cup of tea and a freshly made bed, despite having no visible caretaker. Rumour has it the Keeper only appears at night, and if she does, she’ll bet her heart on a game of poker. I've also used inspiration from this setting in a Changeling game before, to great success!

The Gardens of Ynn, by Dying Stylishly Games.

The Gardens of Ynn is a point-crawl adventure set in an ever-shifting extradimensional garden. Each expodition generates its route as it explores, resulting in new vistas being unlocked with every visit. It's a big garden full of whimsy and delight and surreal perils. 

The Gardens of Ynn are a constantly re-arranging set of gardens that act as a magical maze. As a point-crawl adventure, this is a great option for a point-crawl game, but it might also be an interesting piece of inspiration for a horror game of some kind. This book begins with some basic lore about the Gardens themselves, followed by a d20 table that adds how deep you are in the Gardens to determine which area you happen upon next. Each area has a description, and many areas have additional roll tables to determine what can be found, or what kinds of encounters you might find within.

#tabletop games #game recommendations #indie ttrpgs #system-neutral #dnd

[theluckywizard]

WIP Whenever

Thank you for the tag @greypetrel

Well I just finished up my spicy art of Hawke and Rose for an upcoming chapter so I suppose that doesn't count! But here's a bit of Rose Trevelyan being nosy around the Hawke Estate while the man she's just been introduced to, Garrett Hawke is out having a street fight (LOL! Weird!) with some dwarf associate!? I love working on this scene because it's a great opportunity for easter eggs and just generally a great character reveal for both Rose and Hawke in my Kiss Me Moonstruck AU (matchmakingmoms!au).

Snippet below the cut 👇

In a closet beyond is an extra set of mail and an assortment of gambesons and maintenance tools and equipment. Awls and oil. Garrett’s finery from earlier hangs on a hook. Feeling venturesome and more than a little nosy, Rose leans in to get a whiff of this man she’s meant to like enough to marry.

Peppermint, obviously. Camphor. And buried underneath are hints of herbs she can’t quite distinguish. Elfroot probably. Rashvine and spindleweed perhaps. She startles at a sudden contact between her thighs, stumbling back from her insolent task to discover Garrett Hawke’s mabari has an equally insolent interest in her.

She shoves him back gingerly and with placating tones, unsure if a war dog would be friendly toward an interloper like herself. He’s three times the size and heft of any of her hunting hounds, and his undocked tail lashes and whips with enthusiasm when she scratches tentatively behind his ears.

“Well aren’t you persistent,” she mutters, attending to the short fur of his broad white chest. She carefully avoids the precarious string of slobber that dangles from his maw and returns to the foyer hoping the creature will settle down by the fire again. He doesn’t. Enthralled by the attention, he stays at her heels, following her over to an apparent writing desk.

It’s been recently tidied she notes, a pile of mail sits to one side with all the edges lined up, and there's a cup of distinctive looking quills, pencils and a rustic looking pen knife and a fresh supply of fine paper. In spite of the paper there’s a stack of half crumpled notes in another corner that someone did their best to organize.

Rose picks up a rumpled note written in a lively hand over the top of a torn out piece of broadsheet.

Emeric. Thursday, 8 o’clock. Follow up with Aveline. 

The wall above it is unceremoniously papered over with various letters, missives and documents and a sloppily carved slab of wood reads Wall of Fame.

Rose first reads a desperate sounding letter written in a primitive but decidedly feminine hand to Carver— his younger brother, she presumes— by an individual named Peaches. There’s a printed document with a flaming fist stamped in the corner about mage rights and the Maker. A badly drawn caricature of a man armored in absurdly pointy plate asking what she presumes to be a darkspawn for directions. And a well designed advert clipped from the news:

BARNABUS BIRD Purveyor of Fine Blades ══════════════════ Kitchen Knives ✧ Utility Knives ✧ Murder Knives ══════════════════  Slice Fereldan cheese paper thin! ✦ Cut unexpected bindings on your hands and feet! ✦ Clean the blood from your fingernails!

The address listed belongs to this very home.

LOL this last thing is one of Varric's many pranks on Hawke (they are trapped in a forever prank war). It's also an easter egg for my long fic.

Tagging @crackinglamb, @bluewren, @samseabxrn, @nirikeehan, @leggywillow, @exalted-dawn-drabbles, @ammoniteflesh, @skyeventide and YOU. Whatcha working on?

#WIP Wednesday #WIP Whenever #Kiss Me Moonstruck #Hawke x Trevelyan #Hawke's Mabari #Peaches LOLOL #Barnabus Bird #Nosy Rose