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#There’s a giant stone crab with part of a forest on its back

sonicringbond · 2 years

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Sonic Ring Bond - Episode of Journey's Beginning 04

The following is a work of fan fiction by Joshua D. Tarwater and is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS.* *SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS retains full rights over the Sonic the Hedgehog™ intellectual property and can terminate or take control of this work at any time.

~EPISODE OF JOURNEY’S BEGINNING 04~

★Amnesia Island may not always be safe, but one of the more amazing parts of the island worth braving the danger for is the coral caves! It’s the home of the giant crabs that call the island home and is an amazing sight! Even with the Overgrowth causing the coral to be taken over by the grass and trees, the underground beaches and giant crystals are still breath taking to see! I absolutely recommend checking them out if you can~♥

~Rosy the Rascal

Winding coral passages Lined with grass carpets Rushing waterways Thunderous waterfalls Sprawling caverns Forests of trees and giant glowing crystals Home to underground beaches on saltwater lakes Infested with Stone Ghosts

“WAH~!!”

Rosy and Tempest both screamed as they were carried out of a section of coral that seemed to double as a pipe for the water that carried them from the surface and into the home of Amnesia Island’s giant crabs. The sight they were provided as they were carried along was breathtaking as above water grasslands and forest took over the coral and underground beaches, but they had no time to enjoy the view as the waterfall they were launched from took them straight into another and a series of natural water slides left them spinning and dizzy before they finally ended up on relatively dry land.

“This is far from good,” Mote warned as she joined the two hedgehogs. “You’ve come down a tremendous distance and the tide was already on its way back in.”

“It’s fine, Mote!” Rosy tried to calm the fairy as she took a moment to take in her surroundings. Just look at all the springs that are here!”

The springs in question that Rosy referred to were in fact peculiar bumper pads that if touched would launch someone in whatever direction they were facing. How or why they worked as they did, no less appeared all over, were one of many mysteries of the Rings. If asked, Mote would sum it up as being something that persisted in the Memory of the Rings and that the Rings simply put them into the world because they did not remember where they were from or why but remembered they were at least a part of the world. A long-winded explanation, but one that helps explain the result of the various and unique Stone Ghosts wandering the coral and firing at the bumper pads.

“AHH~!” Rosy shouted in shock as she reached for one such bumper pad only for it to be struck by a green beam of light and subsequently burst into a collection of Rings that bounced away. “No way! What just happened!”

“The beams of light fired by the Stone Ghosts can reduce any object rich in the influence of the Rings back into the Rings that comprise them,” Mote offered forth an explanation as Rosy and Tempest raced along the coral in an attempt to reach another set of bumper pads. “The Rings are not ready to be woken yet however so their energy is quickly expended and–”

“They fade out before you can collect them,” Tempest noted, though he said so as he grabbed one with his right hand and it stabilized as any dropped Ring would when recollected. “Talk about inconvenient. If we stay and fight, they can deplete our Rings in a hurry, but by being able to destroy the floating platforms and springs they cut off anyway back up. And with the water rising…”

“Phooey!” Rosy interrupted as she puffed up her cheeks and thrust her hands down at her sides. “We’ll just have to run faster!”

“Can you manage it though my vassal.”

“She won’t have a choice if we don’t want to drown.”

“Ooh~! Stop being worrywarts you two! We’ll be fine!”

Much as Rosy insisted on the group’s wellbeing and chances being positive, unlike them, the Stone Ghosts and giant crabs that called the coral caverns home were far better suited to the terrain. Especially the Stone Ghosts that were unique to the caverns. Appearing as fish swimming through the air and water, as eels bursting out of the coral and ground, and even discs with crab pinchers disguised on ceiling and ground alike before striking in secret, they held an uncanny advantage.

Being disadvantaged was something Rosy was used to as she was not at all skilled with the Sonic matching speed she possessed, but this gave her a unique edge that Tempest lacked. Especially anytime they had to go underwater where Tempest could not swim, unlike Rosy.

“Running along the bottom is fine Tempest, but you really should learn how to swim,” Rosy laughed as she and Tempest ran up a coral loop as a set of bumper pads, they managed to reach gave them the start they needed to ascend the wall.

“I’d love to have you teach me, under safer circumstances!” Tempest shouted as a group of Eel type Stone Ghosts peaked over the edge of the wall they were running along and reduced the next set of bumper pads to Rings.

Naturally both hedgehogs shouted as they launched into the air due to their own momentum and would agree later that the Eel type Stone Ghosts seemed to laugh at their misfortune.

Not every lost bumper pad proved disadvantageous for Rosy and Tempest as they quickly learned that not all Rings were the golden loops that they had become so familiar with. Especially so with Rings born from destroyed bumper pads, some appearing a couple of meters in diameter and orange or rainbow hued. These Rings would launch Rosy and Tempest through the air with an unexplainable boost of speed if they passed through them, keeping them one step ahead of the rising waters within the cavern. Staying ahead of the crabs and Stone Ghosts though required a bit more effort on the part of the two hedgehogs and they were exhausted as they finally reached what they were hoping was a way back to the surface.

“That was so much fun~♥” Rosy exclaimed before spinning around and falling onto her back, her chest heaving as she gasped for air.

“It was something,” Mote remarked as she looked back down an overgrown cobbled road to where the surface of the water was just behind them. “But there is no guarantee that this place will offer much sanctuary.”

As Mote turned her attention in the opposite direction of the water, Tempest followed her gaze from where he braced his hands against his legs and fought to catch his breath as well. “But… It does… at least… look like… it’ll get us back to the surface.”

“You think so,” Rosy asked as she rolled over and propped herself up on her elbows to take in where they had found themselves.

It was a far cry from the rest of the underground space they had been running through but was hardly unusual for Amnesia Island as Rosy and Tempest currently knew it. Though emerging from the roof of the cavern along with any number of roots, mushroom caps large enough to serve as the roof of small shops greeted the small group. And there were shops aplenty, their sheet glass display windows showing off their overgrown wares and well worn-out advertisements for any number of sales and products.

“Ooh~! It’s like an underground shopping mall!”

Rosy could hardly contain her excitement as the three carefully strolled into the small and unexpected mall. Tempest and Mote stayed wary however as there were still Stone Ghosts drifting about and providing the mall a sense of being active still. But even Tempest could not help but find a distraction.

“Look at that,” he smiled as he stepped up to a store window. “There really was a plane here.”

“Really!” Rosy shouted and raced over to see what Tempest was looking at.

The blue light his crystals gave off as he laughed at Rosy’s enthusiasm hid the cloudy red that marked his frustration with himself for laughing at her expense, but Tempest could not help but be amused as he pointed at the display in the window. “Unfortunately, a model biplane isn’t going to help us at all.”

“Phooey!” Rosy puffed up her cheeks and then playfully shoved Tempest. “I’ll get you back for that! Just you wait~♥”

“I’ll be waiting,” Tempest laughed as Rosy’s wagging tail gave away her own good mood despite how puffed up her cheeks were.

Mote however felt the need to remind the two that they were not there to play.

“This place is still not safe, nor have we made our way to the surface,” the fairy curtly interrupted the good cheer of the two hedgehogs.

“Come on Mote, it’s fine,” Rosy insisted. “Besides, it’s just Stone Ghosts up here, and we can always hide in a Light Bloom to get away from them.”

“To use the prison like nature of those flowers in such a way–“

“Mote, Tempest and I can get out just fine. It’s not like we haven’t plenty of times already.”

“I actually haven’t had to outside of when we do use them to sleep,” Tempest ribbed at Rosy.

“Phooey!”

“The crabs are far less likely to leave us so in peace should we allow ourselves our normal approach to resting safely,” Mote again attempted to get through to the two hedgehogs. “Now, before any make their way up here, let us continue our search for an exit.”

“Or maybe even an actual plane!” Rosy cheerfully reminded Mote of why she had led them there in the first place. Mote could only sigh in response to Rosy’s optimism and took no comfort in the smile Tempest offered her either.★

EPISODE OF JOURNEY’S BEGINNING 04 - END

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Fair Use Disclaimer

Sonic The Hedgehog and all affiliated characters and logos are the express property and Copyright© of SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS used without permission under Title 17 U.S.C Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976 in which allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. “Fair use” is use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be considered copyright infringement.

The Sonic Ring Bond alternate universe (AU) consumer written work of fiction is a non-profit transformative work primarily for personal use and IP research which can and will be taken down without warning or prior notice at the request of the copyright holder(s) should it not be recognized under “fair use”.

The Sonic Ring Bond AU and Sonic Ring Bond story are the creation of Joshua David Tarwater/ynymbus/sonicfanj/@Joshtarwater and is to be, including all contents herein, regardless of creator, context, use/ function, intent, and time of creation, considered for all legal purposes without contest, compensation, employment, or offer of employment, liability, etcetera, the property of the Sonic The Hedgehog intellectual property (IP) and copyright owners, SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS.

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#sonic the hedgehog #sonic au #sonic ring bond #sonic fan fiction #amy rose #au amy #ring bond amy #rosy the rascal #sonic ocs #tempest the black #mote the fairy

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twitchesandstitches · 3 years

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Goddess Terezi’s Avatar Day

(Commission for @alt-hammer of an AU where Terezi is a dragon goddess in a fantasy-themed setting and Karkat is her destined lover, perpetually reincarnating to be by her side; on a special day, she takes on a form able to be in the mortal world and goes on to live with him, as a 8ft tall hyper curvy MILF of a dragon-troll lady!)

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The old temple took up a good portion of the mountainside, but it did not look like a built thing, but a grown thing; stone polished and plated with a process to create something like luminous gemstones made the elegant curves dominating its design mirror the teal forest growing right around it, all the way around the fertile lower slopes of the mountain down to the ground below, over the ancient pathways and roads that now led to ruins and strongholds.

It was old. The towns and villages, in a patchwork of alliances that were slowly building into a true nation, lay in the shadow of giants and echoes of power. The means to construct something like that had been long forgotten; the towering walls were hundreds of feet high, supporting spires that rose higher than that, and the means to create such wonders were long forgotten.

The temple glistened and shone, and it was easy to see it even through the trees. And through the forests, along the old road that was still visible beneath the undergrowth and tangling tree roots that made up so much of the forest floor, a stout troll walked.

His name was Karkat Vantas; today, in deference to the warm weather, he wore a thin cloak trimmed in fur from beasts he had likely taken down himself. His walk was awkward, staggering upwards, like a crab forcing itself to walk forwards.

The cloak was gray, but the trim was a bright red. The same red as his unique mutant blood, with nary a hint of the lime-green shades the rest of his family shared. And that color was significant.

(There was a tradition, among the people who lived in the shadow of the temple and remembered who it honored, and who worshipped the teal dragon goddess.

Rarely was a child born with blood as red as a human or the clattering, playing-piece people of ivory and jet. And such children, individually only arising a few hundred years or so, were bound to this task.

Upon reaching age, they were to travel to the temple alone, and commune with the goddess. From the moment they were born, the oracles spoke and the scriptures read, they belonged to the goddess. Blood, soul and heart.

And they came back, changed, and claimed.

Karkat had been no different.)

If someone watching him had been a flying creature, able to watch him through the trees, they might have seen him walk through the forest with confidence, to the stairway leading to the temple and where the forest shied away, as if in respect to the goddess it represented.

And then, to watch him walk up those steps as though he had every right to it. He walked with the assurance and automatic knowledge of someone who had lived there for years, though his visits had been infrequent.

(Karkat Vantas had dreams.

(In some, Karkat was a woman; other times, subscribed to no binary gender identity. In some, he was a priest to the dragon goddess, or a tinkerer, or an alchemist, or every job known to trollkind. There were lifetimes beyond measure, as many as there were stars in the sky. And in the dreams, a great ocean of memory rolled onwards, gently flowing into him.

(And so intimately familiar. As though he was not learning, but remembering something he had forgotten.

Something from a lifetime ago.

And the shape of something might change, over the ages, and remain what it was; a ship could have all its parts replaced but remain the same ship. And so it was with him. He had been there, in some way, for a long, long time, across so many lifetimes.

He would keep coming back, as many times as needed, to stay with her.

His goddess.)

The hypothetical viewer would have then seen Karkat approach the doors, over a hundred feet high and elaborately engraved with ancient murals, beautiful but their meaning lost to time. There were many figures there, dragons and blindfolded figures. At the center was a vast shape, broadly troll-shaped with the wings and tail of a great dragon, of impossibly curvaceous frame that spoke of an ancient culture’s idea of fertility and motherly awe. All the mural surrounded her, and over her heart was a small figure, its horns nubby and shaped like a crab’s claws.

No tool, magic (though truly powerful magic in these days was a rare thing) or skill of troll or any of the thinking people of the world had been able to pierce that doorway, or force it open. Not even the sharpest tool, strongest siege engine or mightiest spell could so much as mar its surface. But as Karkat approached, the door silently opened.

Not very much, it must be said. The great doorway mural split apart, dividing the image of the dragon goddess into two; in a nice bit of artistic inspiration, one half held a sword, blade pointed upwards to be employed against the unjust. And in the other, she carried a pair of scales, and they were heavy with many books and scrolls: these symbolized the laws she had bequarted to mortalkind, in antiquity. The gap was just large enough to allow him in; it seemed to him that a great wall had parted, just for him. He looked up, feeling faintly dizzy at how large it was. He couldn't even see the mural past a certain point, not from this angle. It just kept rising up, into the mountainside.

For a moment, it was dark, but at his approach (and his approach in particular), teal lights shone from within, invitingly. He walked inside, once more getting into the groove of things, and the door quietly closed behind him.

And there, the hypothetical viewer from above would see no more of him, or the insides of the temple. For it was a secret place, once home to mystery cults. Perhaps it still had a single such cult; a mystery cult of just one person, bound and dedicated to the goddess across many lifetimes, needing only age to remember that this was so.

Karkat saw, now, what an outsider never would, for this temple would open to him alone now.

The inside of the temple was, largely, an enormous and open space. Oh, it wasn’t plain; many doorways, some almost as big as the big doorway outside and others small enough for him, led to side chambers, ritual places to attend to other rites or personal preparations, or dwelling places for the priesthood and acolytes in ancient times. The vast space arced slightly up in a massive dome, maintaining structural integrity with secret methods of architecture, though perhaps the massive tree-like pillars (set to look as though they were growing, and carved of solid teal crystal) helped support the weight. There were many ancient treasures spilled across the ground in great piles, like a dragon’s hoard or a troll junk-pile, and Karkat walked past them, strolling past gleaming masses of precious metals and priceless relics (swords, books, statues, anything that might be of worth, all richly decorated to shameless excess), the contents of which could have allowed him to purchase entire cities and live like an emperor for the rest of his life, with complete indifference.

The biggest treasure pile was at the end of the hallway, so massive that the hills of golden coins and other gilded relics were as individually big as buildings, massing together into riches out of a miser’s most desperate dreams. It was massive beyond measure, large enough to build a city upon, and the whole of the chamber seemed to center around it, the architecture gently fanning out to emphasize it:

And upon that pile, dwarfing it, was the goddess herself, or at least an avatar of her. Either way, she was so big that she was a landscape unto herself, a beautiful mass of teal hillsides and rising plains, impossibly gigantic, and radiating so much power that it drew the mind directly to her.

Karkat stopped a few hundred steps from her, halting in mid-step with a slow ponderousness, perhaps stunned by the sight of her. As he always was, in fact; his red eyes widened, his grim expression softened into a genuine smile, and a hand went to his chest, over his heart, his claws toying with a little necklace he’d been given on their first meeting.

(“You made this, back when we first knew each other,” she had told him then, her voice booming and soft all at once, as she slid it from a claw tip onto his body. He’d looked at it then; the double shackles of his own sign, and the Omega sign of her worship, intertwined together.)

His claws ran along it. Not furtively, like he was embarrassed or scared. His fingers moved slow, with a calm that seemed quite atypical of him. All the more surprising, with the power and intensity rising from her.

Easily hundreds of feet tall, terrifyingly enormous even though she was laying down, the goddess shifted position. In the tangled mass of wings, arms and tail, a large hand appeared, scales glistening against the gray-green of her body, and it slid against the back of her head. Horns longer than a street tilted backwards as she raised her head.

Lips thick enough for him to lay upon or even slide into parted; a vast maw opened to the world, glowing faintly from within, and a massive yawn pealed out like the ringing of a bell. The goddess blinked once, though she had no need of sight, so perhaps it was just for the look of the thing, and she adjusted herself slightly. The treasure pile was compressed beneath her massive body, and as a huge belly slid forwards, and one gargantuan breast flopped sideways, displacing thousands of tons of gold; a flood of gold came raining down, stopping a short distance from Karkat.

He barely noticed, and just kept staring adoringly up at the massive teal wall that was her body.

Again, the goddess yawned, making a show of pretending she hadn’t noticed him there. But in truth, she had known he was there ever since he’d stepped foot into the forest; since he had woken up, she had felt him, even as she had sent the call. She cracked an eye open teasingly, and her eyes were red; not like his eyes, which were simply the color of his mutant blood. Her eyes were blinded by some unknowable injury in the ancient past, or her eyesight traded in a bargain for the wisdom that had led to giving mortals the first laws.

Now, she leaned forwards, her snout sniffing in his general direction. At that moment, she looked very much like a dragon, and she grinned widely. Her jaws were very broad, and it ought to have been frightening seeing all those teeth, some longer than he was tall, but he felt a sudden thrill of heat instead.

With a grunt, she sat upwards. Her shoulders, fairly broad by troll standards and relative to her gigantic size, looked narrow compared to how massive her lower body was, entire lakes of gold moved aside as a butt large enough to be two entire hills shifted upwards, her thighs digging into the gold to prop her up. They flexed, their enormous sides touching despite being fairly far apart, and she dug her knees into the ground to prop her up, and up she went: taller and taller she seemed to become, rising to her true height.

Scales glimmered across her entire body; they sparkled, glistening in shades of green and blue and true teal, so that she shone like the stars on a clear night. Those were dragon scales, overlapping together and smooth enough that it was easy to mistake them for skin, but for some large outcroppings of barbs and spikes running along her elbows and knees,

Now she was kneeling, and her backside loomed high and far out; an enormously plush backside, projecting out perhaps nearly as much as the whole of her arm, and as high as her waist, deep as her mid-thighs. Her gigantic butt moved faintly with only the most minor movements of her legs, and then another dragonish element of her body made itself plain: a thick tail lashed out, nearly as thick as Terezi’s entire body, neatly sliding over her immense buttocks and rising up behind her, and beyond her. It went on, and on, longer than she was tall, until finally it’s tapered tip flickered down, a wall of teal tail curling around Karkat’s body, as close to him as she could presently manage. Red spikes jutted out, mirroring the shape of her horns.

Her upper body arched upwards, with her tail to counter balance her. A massive pair of wings, sprouting from her back, flared out so that a shadow fell over Karkat and the whole of the inner temple. Leathery membranes shone like polished glass, wider across than she was tall, and they flapped once, twice: it helped her straighten up, and then Karkat saw her upper body loom up high, a landscape onto itself!

Her breasts moved; faintly, softly. They bounced briefly, though nothing so brief or whimsical as that word suggested. Their movement was a ponderous thing, like the movement of world-plates in motion, rising up and then down with grand importance and a sense of impact that nearly knocked him off his feet. Oh, they were big: they dipped down to her navel (or what would have been a navel, if trolls had been born live), the bottom slopes reaching out further still.

There, they arched somewhere around her waist, so that regardless of the direction your sight approached, there was amplitude to be spared: either breast or backside, she was enormous in every conceivable way. Outwards her divine breasts swung, just as voluminous as her backside, heavy with something like godly milk: ambrosia, perhaps.

A huge belly propped them up. Not merely the plump figure the murals outside suggested, her belly dipped heavily, projecting out even farther than her breasts did, wider even than her body except for her singularly massive hips, which were simply far too big to be easily equaled. It was clearly a pregnant belly, its shape a distinctive gravid shape, and from the way Karkat’s eyes glanced at the curving walls of its shape, he was clearly the father.

Now she posed, her arms stretching up above her, spikes clicking together, her claws sliding against each other, and she yawned once more, wings flaring out again. She arched her back to him in such a way as to show her massive bustline for best effect, her whole body jiggling and wobbling faintly.

He grooved faintly in place. She was so big, and so beautiful, the reality of her so wonderful and immense that it defied conscious comprehension. She slowly turned, her eyes blind, but she grinned impishly, the frill-like structures as the side of her head flapping against her short hair. The light caught her scales: deep teal across most of her body, darkening to a much darker green along her limbs, the bottoms of her breasts (like her own glittering bra), her body below the waist, and the outermost length of her tail, and the effect the light produced as it moved down the transition from one shade to the next was a mesmerizing sight, all against her magnificent frame, and the barely concealed pleasure at seeing him.

She was, technically, clothed. In another manner of speaking, she looked naked, but covered head to toe in elaborate golden decorations; thousands of pieces of spirals and interlocking meshes of metal webs encircled her breasts and belly, around her arms and a complexity of rings, all over her entire body. Even her face was covered, with a thin veil adorned in thousands of jewels, their sparkling facets catching the light like her scales did.

Now, she grinned at him. “‘About time you got here,” she said, her voice booming in the confined space, and purring too, all at once. Then, her hand moved out, incredibly fast, and her claws closed around all he could see, around him, and then he was being lifted up. He had a sensation of movement, rising high into the air, and then-

Wetness, warmth. A gentle sucking pressure around his entire body, and then a mental pressure that was much the same, her mind pressing against his own, filling him with the same love and affection she felt, propelling it through his entire body; it meshed with the sensation of her mouth engulfing his entire body, and he was helpless before it, euphoria and peaceful submission all blending together inside him.

It felt like bliss.

She ended the kiss, holding him in her hands still. Karkat, rather soaked but content with that, looked up.

He called her Terezi. Terezi Pyrope. The name had welled up, from an old memory, and that itself was odd; it was from a lifetime so long ago that he couldn’t even recall it properly. If it was long enough ago, his past lives grew harder to hold onto and examine, or to relive.

(“It's like straining leaves for tea,” he’d told her, once. It had been a dream, but that didn’t matter; when he slept, she stepped into his mind, shaping his dreams into a space for them to be together, in lieu of this day’s possibilities for more direct physical interaction. “The memories I can get, its water flowing through. But there’s a lot that just doesn’t filter through.”

She’d made a thoughtful noise at that. “Languages change. Cultures live and die,” she’d said quietly. “It’s still you, but past you is WAY different.”

“I think I hate past me.”

“Why.”

“Whoever they were, they’re a real pain in the ass to deal with.”

She’d laughed, then. “You know something? Past you said the exact same thing, about an even older you.”

“Shit, that’s another reason to be mad. They stole my bit!” She’d laughed at that; he had no idea why. He’d been completely serious, then.)

So, he didn’t understand the context, or the person he’d been then, or even what the words meant. Terezi wasn’t even the right word; it was the closest he could get to pronouncing it, but she didn’t seem to mind.

He minded, though. That was close to her secret name, her true name, and the true name of a goddess was no small matter, especially one as important and powerful as her.

Now, Terezi leaned close. The jewelry adoring her ear-fins jangled as her ears flopped, her eyes seemed to reflect him, and her breath was strangely cool as it came whistling out, like the wind from a cave filled with secrets and treasure. Some legends said her guts were the birthplace of thought itself…

“Hold that thought, I might show you in person later,” she cooed. It wasn’t a threat; she was fully capable of ‘escorting’ him inside her without harm, if she was so inclined.

They were married. It had been a private ceremony, but as she put it, not so much making a bond as resuming one; Karkat had always given the vibe of being truly spoken for, and until she’d revealed this to him, he’d understood why people got that impression.

Now, the world began to dip low. They were getting closer to the ground, Karkat realized. Terezi’s body shuddered, and she lowered herself, the ceiling above them not simply framing Terezi’s body or making a space for her to occupy, but moving away from them. The realization struck him:

Terezi was shrinking.

“What’s this?” He asked, crowding towards her palms for safety. The ground was getting closer, and the ceiling was getting further away.

Terezi chuckled. “Trying to fit in.” She smirked. “A hundred foot dragon-troll sticks out. I don’t think I like being as teeny-tiny as you, but I can manage being a little bit close to you, so long as you can still sleep on me.”

In moments, she had dwindled below fifty feet. Now they were getting even smaller than that; Karkat thought of something to say (“How are you doing this!?” “You could do this the whole time?!” and of course “OH GOD WHY IS THE GROUND COMING SO FAST LIKE THAT.”)

But by the time he could have thought to say any of that, they were almost to ground level.

Thirty feet; she was, and then twenty five feet. Twenty feet, and Karkat realized that the ‘surface’ below him, her palms and fingers, was gone; she held him still, gently adjusting herself so that he descended into her arms, his body snugly fitting there. She continued to shrink, and held him closer still, pressing him deep into her voluminous bustline and gravid belly, holding him very tightly, and at last, she reached the height she desired.

Karkat stayed in place, feeling her coolness, his arms instinctively wrapping around her shoulders and meeting behind her, and he was barely aware of the appealing softness of her body still engulfing him. Eventually, he cracked an eye open and saw the ground below him; further below than he was used to, but not so much as when he was with Terezi.

He blinked and looked into her eyes; to her face.

He blinked. She bent forwards and kissed him on the snout, and it was one way for him to realize that she was hugging him to her body, suspending him off the ground, and he was sunk deep into her cleavage.

He was beginning to have a full body blush. Which is a funny thing considering that he had been intimate enough with her to be fully pregnant, but some people are just naturally bashful.

“You like seeing me at fun size?” She said dryly, her lips pushing into a mock kissy face.

“You’ve been this size before!” He blurted out.

“Technically speaking,” she said. “Not in the physical sense.”

“What do you call the times we’ve been together, then?”

“A complex bit of magic involving mashing up the divine realms with the physical one so we could be together.” Terezi hugged him tighter, more sincerely. “Whereas this is me going to a lot of effort to make a body that can actually live among mortals.”

Karkat blinked. A shocking possibility came to him, in a rush of wild excitement. “You mean…?!”

“Yep.” Terezi gently put him down. She was, even shrunk down, incredibly huge, bigger than any troll or human could ever be, and when he reached the ground and looked up, the outward curve of her pregnant belly was over his head; if she walked forwards, his horns could have been used as a dock for her belly. “I’m gonna get to see how you explain to everyone you’ve been married to,” and she gestured to herself, “All THIS.”

“Eh, some of my friends know. Kind of. Sort of.”

“Oh, that’ll be a FUN conversation,” she cackled. She turned, her tail lashing around him, impishly smacking him on the butt; he peered up at her grumpily, and her butt seemed to fill his whole world, diminishing his annoyance instantly. He reflected that her frame was somehow even more imposing at this size; it was one thing when she was big enough to be a landscape, and was too big to really fit into his framework in some ways, but her being just large enough that doorways would prove to be a serious problem was more… grounded. It was easier to understand, and the size of her kept drawing his attention.

She still glittered, the revealing things she wore having changed size with her. “You brought the clothes I asked, right?” she asked, grabbing one of the spiraling ornaments that ‘clothed’ her left breast, gently yanking it off. He turned around in a hurry.

“Yeah. Oh, oh. That’s why you wanted the clothes; to change into them.”

“Yeah, what did you THINK I wanted them for?”

“Honestly I don’t even ask questions anymore; I figured you just liked collecting random stuff.”

Terezi held up a finger to make a dramatic counterpoint. She paused. She thought it over. “Screw it, that does sound cool. Objection withdrawn.”

He grabbed a bag he had brought, and his eyes averted, dropped it in front of her. She took it and, removing the garb that represented sacrifices made to her, changed into the clothing.

------

Dave Strider yawned, half-sitting in a large bin filled with soft, square objects that were pretty generic looking, the results of his mother’s experiments with magic; conjuring up physical objects was a tricky matter, but at least these were soft and made for good bedding, or something to sit on.

He lay in front of an entrance to the town, wearing the uniform of the guard and a short, single-edged blade presently sheathed. He didn’t give off the look of a stern guard, and instead gave the impression of a discarded puppet, his legs hanging slackly out of the bin. He didn’t mind; if it was an opportunity to take a nap, he’d take it.

Dave’s eyes flickered, behind a mirrored visor. It was earlier than he expected, he thought, noticing the sun’s position. He followed its position to the forest, which the town had expanded out of, clearing out bits at a time as it slowly had grown over the years. In the distance, he saw the mountain, and the temple upon it.

Vaguely, he wondered when Karkat would be back.

His thoughts drifted from a friend to his fiance, Jade, and his calm expression flickered into a more genuine smile as he thought of her. Getting off work couldn’t come soon enough.

He lay back into the pile of moderately generic objects, and stayed there for a while. This part of the world was wild; few cities and towns were left, those that remained supplying their own agriculture and making everything on hand. The occasional call to adventure was the main of distant treasures and weapons, or the precious scrap of knowledge that came now and then; Dave had done it in his youth, until he’d proposed to Jade, and knew something about it, and that their town had abit of fame as the last place where the dragon goddess was actively worshiped.

Something to be proud of, he supposed.

He noticed some motion approaching their way, and soon they were two figures, coming out from the forest, from the general direction of the temple. Pilgrims, perhaps? He didn’t see the point, since the temple was sealed off to everyone…

They came closer, and soon he recognized one of them as Karkat, looking more cheerful than he’d ever seen him. It was a little unsettling, actually. Any greeting was far from his mind, because there was the other person walking with him. Dave’s mouth dropped as they approached, and he quickly closed it, trying to regain his composure.

There was a lot of wobbling involved. And… jiggling… and massive hips, barely confined by a sporty robe, swaying heavily from side to side with the kind of heavy force that you got when something was so big that just moving one way or another was like shoving your way around.

Dave’s mouth stayed open. The brain processes stopped. Big, he thought numbly. Jiggly… bouncy… oh WOW she is big…

This thought remained stubbornly present as the pair came close. Karkat stopped, with an aura of fierce pride. Beside him was a troll woman, the most outrageously curvy person Dave had ever met, and with the likes of Jade, that was some stiff competition; she was at least ten feet tall, so big that his head was forced to tilt up to meet her eyes, and there wasn’t much point. Her breasts jutted out with an intimidating heft, so far out that he could barely see her face at all.

She grinned, standing proudly, her hips almost four feet across and aggressively tilted as if to show off how massive they were. Her robes were short, cut at the knee and short pants beneath them, for maximum range of movement. She had a few other requirements, too; a massive pair of wings flapped behind her, apparently big enough to lift her off the ground, and a large tail moved behind her, its length moving around Karkat and its tip sliding into his hand for him to squeeze. Given that she was roughly twice his size, it was a convenient way for them to come close to holding hands.

Mutations like this weren’t unknown, especially in places of high magic. Still, these dragon-like traits, and such enormous size, were distinctive, and so where the glittering scales over her teal body. She stood out brilliantly against the dull red of Karkat’s visible body. Dave was strikingly reminded of the way Jade’s preference for greens contrasted against the reds he liked to wear, and perhaps also because his buxom fiance’s figure was perhaps a less extreme version of this giant woman.

The troll woman grinned, showing sharp teeth beneath thick black lips. “‘Sup,” she said. Her belly hung out, so big and heavy that she had to have been pregnant. Perhaps a few months along, from the size.

“Uh, hi.” Dave glanced at Karkat, finding some of his normal cool. “She, uh, a friend of yours? From out of town or something?” Granted, that was unusual, but maybe someone so big had the strength to just bowl over anything threatening her.

“You could say that, yes,” Karkat said.

“I’m kind of famous, actually,” the troll woman said, grinning even wider. The way she grinned was a little worrying; she half looked like she was trying to unhinge her jaws to swallow him whole, if it seemed pressing. Dave gulped. “You might not be able to place me, though.”

“Really,” he said, unable to think of anything else to say. He shook his head and tried to focus. Okay, she was big… she was fucking humongous, actually, but he knew big girls. He knew super busty girls. Okay. He was going to be mature and think smart, now. “What’s your name?”

“Terezi Pyrope.”

“Hrm. I know some Pyropes in town. You a relative?”

“I might be,” she said, with a vaguely evasive air that suggested there was a lot more to it than what she was saying. He filed that under ‘kinda suspicious’.

“Hrm.” He gave Karkat a sidelong look, as if to say ‘where’d you find THIS big lady?’. He shrugged. “Well, hope your journey down here went okay. The way here’s pretty dangerous. Karkat run into you and guide you to town or something?”

A faint suspicion struck him. His gaze drifted to Karkat’s hand, on that thick tail, squeezing so warmly, so familiarly. That did… not look platonic. Or like something with someone you’d just met.

“We, uh.” Karkat glanced at her, and said the most extreme understatement in the history of their entire world: “We kinda already know each other?”

Dave tilted his head. “Oh?”

“You know how I told you that I was, in fact, married to someone that you’d never met and couldn’t come to town for important reasons I wasn’t allowed to talk about?”

Dave snorted as Terezi raised an eyebrow. “Man, are you STILL doing that old joke? It stopped being funny years ago.”

“It’s not a joke!” Karkat snapped, bristling so much even his hair stood on end like quills.

Terezi glanced at Karkat and quietly said, “Really, you couldn’t have made it sound less like you making something up?”

“It’s not my fault they hear the literal truth and won’t take it at face value.”

Dave shrugged. “So what are you guys getting at-” He paused. “Oh. Ohhh. No way, NO WAY.”

“Karkat was telling the truth,” Terezi said.

Karkat radiated smugness.

“You two are married,” Dave said, disbelief in every word.

Karkat’s eyes narrowed. “...Why’s that so hard to believe?”

Dave was famously unflappable, even stern when he was affecting his Big Time Hero persona. He prided himself on keeping his cool. He’d faced down the legendary Rapmaster Hydra, spitting rhymes and spitting poison almost as toxic as those rhymes; he’d played a pool of dice with gangster sirens in the reality-traveling Casino of the Damned and didn’t blink when they tried to make him wager his soul; he’d even spent about five minutes in the dreaded Crypt of Terrors. The less said about that, the better.

Through all of it, he’d never so much as blinked.

Now he was genuinely lost for words.

Terezi saw a moment, and grinned while her tail curled Karkat closer to a massive thigh. The impact made her leg jiggle as he sank slightly into her with a goofy grin, and she clapped a hand against her gravid belly. “And we’re expecting, too~!”

Dave stared, desperately trying to process all this. Karkat’s married. Karkat has a girlfriend that’s a smoking hot giantess. Karkat’s MARRIED to her. She’s pregnant. Karkat married a super curvy mutant girl. Okay wow her thighs are bigger than ME, kind of called Kark’s tastes right there.

Karkat is MARRIED. And they’re expecting kids, already?

When the hell did all that happen?

“Wow,” He said eventually. “You work fast.”

Terezi laughed and Karkat scowled again.

“Try and act cool in front of her, I beg you,” Karkat hissed.

Terezi reached forward, her massive breasts swinging forward and nearly smacking right into Dave’s face. The sight of bountiful cleavage about to swallow him was a familiar one, but not scaled and blue-green, and then her knuckles found the top of his head, pushing aside his helmet, and rubbed friendly noogies onto him. “I like this guy!” Terezi said cheerfully, giving him a parting bonk on the noggin for good measure.

She heard a thump and a muddy splatter. She sniffed downwards, and sensed that he had fallen down into the mud; her breast had smacked right into him, so hard he’d been propelled right off his seat.

“Sorry?” She said, surprised to feel embarrassed. She never had to deal with THAT in the ethereal planes…

-------

About an hour later, the sun was getting slightly higher into the sky and in the market, there was a decent crowd milling around, traders and customers and both at the same time, mixing together with a potent smell. Their calls to passerbys, verbal advertisements, occasional arguments or loud haggling, it all mixed together into a loud noise, as good as a crying caw-bird to remind you that noon was nearly there.

Jade Harley’s ears, more canine than human, flickered at the noise; she ambled from the storeroom, her broad hips so wide that she had to walk very carefully through the door frame. “‘Scuze me!” She said reflexively to the doorway, even though it was inanimate, moving in the careful way she’d learned to move through a doorway with hips like hers.

She carried a box; it clattered with flasks, tubes, glasses and other containers of different sizes (some only a few ounces, others in the gallons). It was hard to make it out; Jade quite liked to experiment on herself, as indicated by the dog-like ears poking through her thick black hair and the long tail wagging behind her, and some subtle adjustments to her body, but her potions had also given her a bustline so massive that it completely covered the potions. She walked forwards and her breasts preceded her by several feet, slung out nearly to her waist, bouncing and jiggling as her powerful thighs smacked against her endowments.

It all felt very nice; her tail wagged harder, her mouth set in a faint smile, and she came to a work desk in her shop, laden with all the instruments of the alchemists art: complicated machines of glasswork, distillers, purification burners, solvents assembled by intensity, and a small pedestal for the infusion of magic and special ingredients. She put down the box of containers, instinctively taking care to avoid smashing anything with her massive breasts (it wouldn’t be the first time!) and poured some liquids at the ready into the set, readying today’s first potion. One was already ready to be tested, and Jade studied it carefully. After some thought, she poured it into a tube and stuffed that into a pouch at her side. She’d have to test that one herself later!

Eventually, she heard Dave’s voice. Her tail wagged extra hard! She swung out, passing by her assistant (a living construct named Sawtooth, one of Dirk Strider’s artificial sons and she suspected was working for his brother’s fiance to judge her for himself), and making sure not to smash anything over, came into the waiting room.

Dave was there; Karkat too, and what she initially mistook for several other people. She focused on Dave first, and he barely had time to acknowledge her presence before she swept him up into her arms, hugging the shorter man into her mountainous cleavage so deeply that his upper body vanished from sight. “Hi, Dave!” She said cheerfully.

“Hey, Jade,” He said, remaining outwardly calm, only a swooning tension in his face betraying the intense feelings within. He leaned up from her boobs and kissed the side of her face; she giggled and kissed him back, her tail wagging even harder.

She kissed him a few more times, in the manner of love grown mature and comfortable, though rather giggly. It felt familiar to the other pair present there, as yet unnoticed by Jade. She corrected that partly, then, letting Dave slide out from her bustline, and turning her attention to Karkat with a winning smile.

He studiously kept his gaze to her eyes. She smirked. “We don’t usually see you about at this time,” she said playfully, clapping him on the shoulder. “How’s it been?”

“Good enough,” Karkat said guardedly. “I, uh, have someone for you to meet-”

Dave said, “Babe, Karkat got married and never even told us.”

Jade’s eyes widened. “He WHAT!?”

“I told you all the time and you wouldn’t believe me!” Karkat snapped.

Beside Karkat, there was a giggle, rumbling and… dragon-like. Now Jade turned up and, it must be said that she was very tall (enough to tower over most people, even trolls) and so busty that they were almost their own body mass. But then and there, suddenly she felt small.

Which was rather funny, all things considered. She was actually more buxom than the giantess currently filling available space from a good portion of the wall all the way to the ceiling; more buxom in terms of proportion. Whereas Jade was now looking at a legs broader than her, a belly curving outwards above her and big enough for her to lay on, and yes, breasts that she could have fit between with ease, massive potion-enhanced bustline and all… and hardly a sight of the face at all.

The massive troll, glittered with scales and her great wings flapping (and Jade goggled at those features; how intriguing! How cool! She burned with questions; had she been born like that, did she do it to herself on purpose?), leaned over. Her cleavage descended, and Jade found it hard to resist the impulse to admire the view. Now, though, she saw the troll woman’s face; pretty and impish at the same time, though it was objectively the kind of face that got put on grand statues. Some sense of mischief pervaded it anyway. Then Jade saw her eyes; red, and blind.

The troll woman grinned, so widely Jade automatically smiled right back. “Karkat says the best translation for my name is Terezi. So you must be the super-smart alchemist he’s always talking about!”

Jade slowly turned towards Karkat. “Oh? Talking about me, huh? Hope you’re saying good things!”

“Things like you’re the smartest person there ever was and if he ever had to take transformation potions or empowerment tonics, you're the ONLY person he trusts with his body like that.”

Jade grinned, her teeth wolfish and long. It was surprisingly a match for Terezi’s huge fangs. “Ohh, I like her already!” She looked her up and down, still smiling, and brimming with curiosity. “So. You’re married, huh?” She pouted. “And I wasn’t invited?”

“We had to make special preparations for her to come visit like this; it was hard for her to come at all,” he said hurriedly. “Not exactly a traditional ceremony; we didn’t have a regular wedding, you know?”

“Hmm. Well, you get off on that one.” Jade turned around, wiggling her very big and plush butt as she walked towards the door, tail moving thoughtfully. “Sawtooth!”

The tall and thin construct made a buzzing noise in acknowledgement.

“Think you can deal with the shop for today? This is a special occasion! I think it calls for showing Karkat’s love around town!”

He nodded in confirmation. Terezi grinned and said, “Sweet!”

-----

The group of four left not long afterwards, and went to wind their way through the market, though this wasn’t without its own complications.

Karkat had grown up with Jade and Dave, and both of them were used to the problems Jade had developed when it came to confined spaces conflicting with her girthy breasts. Her spatial awareness was not exactly the best, and knocking over carts, stalls, unattended packages or bouncing especially unwary shoppers into the street was a frequent occurrence. It had its own rhythm; a bright impact noise, then something falling away or bouncing away from her bustline (wood splintering when stalls got pushed down and smashed; people falling down into the muddy streets, clattering sounds of glass or other containers going everywhere, the squawking or snorting of miniature livestock dropping) and outraged cries swiftly dying away at the reality of Jade’s breasts came to dominate their whole world, and finally Jade’s frantic apologizing and halting to help them up.

It had been a routine, for a while.

Now, the markets, living so close to her, had learned to work around her. The stalls were further apart than was custo, to allow for the passage of women that were unusually buxom or curvaceous enough for it to be a problem. People had learned to walk not clustered together or keep their things at a level where a hyper-sized breasts might knock it down, and there was a wide lane clear for Jade to walk through.

As they passed through, though, for Terezi to see the town for herself, it became clear that these measures were… Karkat sought for a word. He settled on insufficient.

Terezi trailed behind Jade and Dave, her tail and wings lifted high to show her butt off better. This was probably to show off a little to the dumbstruck townsfolk, with the sound of things crashing or breaking in her wake as people dropped what they were holding or fumbled in their shock at her, but it was probably for Karkat’s benefit as well. She’d insisted on him walking a little behind her (“So you don’t get knocked around by us big girls being all big,” she’d said, while Jade had giggled at ‘us big girls’), and most of what he could see was just Terezi, and mostly her huge butt at that.

Her walk was a massive stride that should have made the whole street shake. An enormous thigh, wider than two of any troll you might name, flexed her butt heavily, so much that it had a ponderous weight as it bounced back the other way when she walked.

Her enormous belly, stuffed with her developing offspring-to-be, jutted outwards, and gurgling faintly, so big that it's teal surface shoved its way through crowds that moved around Dave and even Jade, but didn’t process Terezi fast enough before she kept coming, and gently bowled them over. Her tail would then dip down, lift them back up and drop them to their feet, before going the other way and doing it again with perhaps four people at once, all in a smooth swishing motion.

Their procession moved by one side of the street, and Karkat couldn’t actually see her boobs moving, but he felt the impact of their bounces, not confined particularly well by her robes. He felt bad that he couldn’t find something that fitted better, or displayed less cleavage, but getting tailors to go along with it had been enough of a challenge before her boobs had ripped a plunging neckline into it. He wondered what the view was like for the traders that saw her coming.

He reflected, watching edges of her bustline wobble from behind her (such was their size , of course), that it would probably like watching the world’s most beautiful statue, made in the grand size of old sculptures and colossi meant to inspire, come to life and start advancing on you. A wall walking at you might have a similar effect, but not as inspiring.

Dave walked around others; Jade simply moved forwards, people getting out of the range of her destructive and wobbly bustline but not quite as lucky with Terezi’s belly. Even though she picked them up afterwards without breaking stride, they still looked terribly dazed, and Karkat wondered how heavy that big, maternal belly actually was. They were lucky they weren’t big enough to be in danger of her breast hitting them, he thought.

Terezi stopped, halting that line of observation, and turned aside. Her tail swished, and someone who was too close to her got hip-checked and dropped clear to the ground. Jade and Dave had the same fate, and the wobbling globes of Terezi’s backside innocently swung right into them, knocking them both over. Terezi leaned down, possibly unaware of this. Dave hit the ground backfirst, while Jade fell down upon him, her breasts smothering him completely, to a chorus of their respective cries.

“Oh, hey, this smells fancy,” Terezi said, inspecting a bit of red jewelry, sniffing at the air; she ‘saw’ not through sight, but through a more transcendent awareness of the idea of things, but she persisted in framing it as scent-based perception.

The tradestroll, a mesmerized bronzeblood clearly hoping this would end without him getting smashed about, swallowed. Terezi was bent over enough that her breasts had dipped down, her eyes still on roughly the same level as the tradestroll’s head. Her butt stuck out far and high into the air and even thicker than her thighs, tail arching up like an arc, and her breasts nearly hit the ground now.

The outer swells of Terezi’s breasts pressed against the cart, threatening to turn it over. Her cleavage was big enough, and deep enough, for a troll to slide between. It was very much an intimidating sight, and the tradestroll wavered as Terezi asked about the history of that particular piece. “Ah, well-” she started to say, and went into an explanation of it.

Jade, with some effort and help from Karkat, eventually got up. “Oh, don’t be bashful,” She muttered to Dave. “Not like it's the first time this has happened to you!”

“Gonna have to follow my heart,” Dave said, his expression completely neutral and face totally red. “Gotta follow my muse. If I’m gonna be mortified about my fiance boob-smashing me, well that’s the way it’s gotta be.”

She gave him a friendly punch to the shoulder. “You’re such a dork!”

“Yep. You got a type.”

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

Terezi left the tradestroll, who’d told her a fair bit about the town’s history. Probably not intentionally; for a short conversation, Terezi’s divine domain allowed her to pick up on associations and the ramifications of decisions, so by simply being told minor things, she would then know what led to those things happening. It gave her more of a sense of how the town had changed since she’d last incarnated.

That was a constant in her life, she supposed sadly. Karkat came back to her, and the world she had helped make constantly. Now it was changing without her.

Her belly rumbled, interrupting that kind of thinking. Jade gave her an appraising look. “You guys hungry?”

Terezi had her own particular dietary needs, and shrugged. “Mm, maybe later, when you finish showing me around.”

“Nonsense, we can pick up something quick!” Jade snapped her fingers. “Ooh, I have an idea. We have a friend on the way from a scenic route. Come this way, please!” She led the way, Dave nonchalantly following her.

Terezi shrugged, and followed them, Karkat in tow.

They progressed out of the market, by a number of homes, wherein Terezi saw other friends and families of Karkat’s circle of friends:

She saw Jade’s half-brother, John, playing with his older cousins Jude and Joey, as their mother (a towering and imposing fuchsia troll) was baking a cake, the smell of which was incredible. And Terezi normally didn’t even like sweets. A small black chess-person, apparently the mayor of the town, was having some kind of very one-sided argument with her before goggling very openly and kind of rudely at her, and Karkat and Dave were quite cross with him for it. He didn’t seem to be bothered.

Dave’s brother Dirk, a very serious man who was apparently in the process of making himself into some kind of clockwork machine-man, waved amiably to them as he did some blacksmithing work on a bar of hot metal, smashing it into shape. For some reason, he insisted on wearing an incredibly ugly hat to set the mood. (“It’s gonna be a shitty piece, so I gotta set the mood,” he said. Terezi was impressed on how he didn’t seem to react at all to her unique look. Maybe Jade’s example had desensitized him.)

They met others, as they wandered through the town, attracting fascinated stares and glances, and more than a little envy at her outrageous frame. More than a few people asked to touch her belly, and she allowed them to do it with a smug grin, relishing the awe radiating from them as they felt her huge belly, and the pressure of the life growing inside her.

Karkat was going to be a father. For some reason, this really shocked a lot of people.

“You moved fast,” Jade said, and it sounded like a joke, but it was strangely thoughtful as they walked up a hill.

Karkat frowned. “I told you guys, we’ve been meeting for years. This isn’t new.”

“Yeah, but. You’re married. You’re gonna be a dad.” Jade’s tone grew softer. “Before me and Dave, even.”

“It’s a lot to take in, is that right?” Terezi asked.

Jade nodded glumly at her. “Yeah. Exactly.”

Soon, they came to a high point within the town, walking up a hillside, where the remnants of the old forest had been entirely cleared away.

Their path was a narrow space between the pens of oink-beasts, and Terezi normally got hungry around livestock, but she was forbidden from consuming the meat of creatures like them specifically, and so she ignored them pulling away from her. She focused instead of trying to move her body through the space between the pens, her big butt and boobs and gut all pinched by the space. Jade was having just as much trouble, wiggling her hips to slide through and her breasts pushed together by the pen’s sides.

Finally, though, they made it free of that impediment and came to the top of the hill.

And there, the town spread out beneath them, towards the horizon. Disorganized neighborhoods, making homes and small businesses apparently at random, with smaller pockets of completely abandoned buildings waiting for someone to take up residence. The offices of the mayor, sawmills and foundries quietly powering away, an ancient library that had been there before the first inhabitants had arrived.

Further away, the buildings thinned out, until there were only open meadows, at the very edge of where the town ended. And past that point, up rose the forest again, encircling the whole town, an alien but somehow friendly presence.

From here, they showed Terezi the lay of the land, and pointed out parts of town to her, so that she built up a rough idea of how it was laid out, and she followed the trail of thoughts and history they didn’t realize pooled in what they said.

They also pointed out what would be her home; it was Karkat’s home, in fact. It sat just outside of town, squatting with a grouchiness apparently passed on from its owner, the teal and red colors still bright. He’d inherited the place when he’d come of age, Dave had said, apparently that every so often a troll was born with his blood color and was sent to live there. They didn’t actually know why, it was just part of an ancient tradition.

Terezi smiled. She couldn’t actually see it, but she perceived it anyway.

Jade smiled up at her. “Come on,” she said. “A friend of ours doesn’t live far from here.”

------

The smell of baking bread was a familiar scent to Jane Peixes, and she’d grown used to it, and still liked it.

She was a thick and broad woman, powerfully built, and she displayed it thoroughly as she pulled loaves of bread out of the oven; her broad arms heavy with muscle, nearly as tall as an ordinary man even bent nearly double over. She was built on lines surprisingly similar to Terezi, in fact; her hips were so big that doorways could be a serious problem, and her hefty gut pressed hard against her apron. Her breasts, though supported by her clothing, still swept out nearly to her knees now, and when she stood up, carrying the loaves with her, she had to hold the pan quite a way out to prevent burns to her chest: her breasts projected out by more than a foot, the lower slopes meet the top of her belly, and it necessitated some careful movement in her line of work.

Jane moved away from the oven, not so much walking or strutting (though she certainly had the hips for it, her butt pressing against her pants with the kind of heavy weight that forces pants to mold to their shape), as apologetically shuffling from place to place. Jane was big, Jane was strong, and Jane was a child of the Peixes matriarch who’d married into the Egbert after a wild marriage with the Harley elder, and thus had a lot to live up to. The pressure had really gotten to her, and she spent most of her life involuntarily cringing back from the world, afraid of taking too much space.

When it came to cooking (and surprisingly enough, economic acumen), though, she really blossomed. She placed the fresh loaves to cool, and felt a surge of satisfied pride at them. As she did, she heard a familiar and much loved voice call out, “Jane! I have someone to introduce to you!”

Jane smiled. “Jade! Just a moment!” She removed her oven gloves and hurried out.

Jade was waiting for her just outside her shop, and Jane faltered as she saw her; well, not just her, or Dave, or Karkat (so unusual to see him around, lately!), but the massive dragon-like troll woman, waving to her.

“Hey,” the teal troll said.

Jane smiled nervously. “Ah, hello, miss! I don’t believe we’ve met?”

She introduced herself as Terezi, and gave Karkat a significant look. Her eyes, Jane realized, were blinded. “Are you okay?!” Jane asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said quickly. “Don’t you worry about it, I can handle myself fine.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Jane’s hands wriggled. “Um… you’re a friend of Jade’s?”

“We just met!” Jade said. “She’s a… ‘friend’ of Kakrat’s, apparently.”

“We’re married,” Karkat said flatly.

Jane blinked. She looked from the grouchy troll she knew, to the towering, incredibly beautiful, and intimidating giantess in the room.

She was grinning like a drawerful of swords.

“I thought you had a type,” she said meekly. “How come I never heard you got married?”

“It was hush-hush, apparently,” Dave said. “Karkat got MEAN, you know. He didn’t invite me, his best bro, to his wedding. What a FIEND.”

“Hey…” Karkat said warningly.

“Or me!” Jade teased, putting an arm around Karkat’s shoulder and mashing him into a massive breast, to his obvious annoyance and embarrassment. “His best bro-ette! He’s so mean!”

“Dastardly,” Jane agreed.

“Hey!” Karkat said.

“An absolute cad,” Dave said, shaking his head.

“We’ll have to cast him out to keep our honor as a township,” Jade said sadly. “It’s the only reasonable thing.”

“I can’t believe you married me with such a stain on your soul,” Terezi said, grinning.

“Oh GODDAMMIT YOU’RE AS BAD AS THEM,” Karkat groused.

Jane giggled. Jade did too, and released Karkat.

The joke passed, and Jade leaned forwards. Or at least shoved her boobs onto a table to steady herself. “I think we’re all kind of hungry. Think you could help us out?”

“Sure,” Jane said, smiling timidly. “I have some loaves that just finished up. That’ll make a fine breakfast.”

“Sure, just a moment.” Jade reached for her purse, and Jane’s eyes widened, and she rushed forwards.

“No, no, I couldn’t!” She said. “Go on, this is on the house! Please!” She disappeared into the bakery.

“Hang on a minute, you can’t-” Jade gave up. “Oh, not again… this is terrible for her profit margin.”

“She does this a lot?” Terezi asked.

“When it’s us? Yeah. Jane’s sweet and she’s kind of a pushover… she’s always giving us stuff, but it's not like the dough is super easy to come by…”

Terezi felt a little bad, honestly.

Jane came back, with several loaves of bread. “On the house!”

Terezi took them. “Aw, but I can’t-”

Jane put a finger to her plump lips. “Shush! You take them!”

Terezi looked at the loaves. One of them had a smiley face on it. Now she felt incredibly bad. “I don’t know…”

“Shush, you! Eat up!” Jane brought up a table, big enough even for Terezi (provided she moved the chair away and just sat down).

All four of them assembled at the table, and took a seat. Jade with her breasts overflowing, Dave next to her, and Karkat sitting on the floor next to Terezi in a show of silent solidarity. She tried to persuade him otherwise, but he persisted; she compromised, just picking him up and plopping him into her lap, and with his back against her belly and growing family, and her breasts over his head, he accepted that.

Terezi swallowed a loave whole, her jaws widening for it as she slid the bread down her throat, its surface pushing against her skin. Jane watched, in scandalized fascination. The others began to eat, and told stories about what they’d been up to; apparently they hadn’t caught up in a while.

“So the guard thing is going pretty okay,” Dave said. “It’s regular work. It’s not FUN, or exciting, but a guy’s gotta do regular stuff, you know?”

Jane nodded at that. “Yeah; I wanted to make artisanal cakes, but there’s not exactly a lot of people wanting to buy those.”

“I would,” Terezi said, devouring another loaf.

Jane smiled. “I thought there was something I liked about you.”

Jade in turn, chewing through her bread and indifferent to the avalanche of crumbs sliding into her cleavage to be lost forevermore (or until the next shower), said “I think we’re probably gonna do a small ceremony, when WE get married. Nothing big or fancy. What’d you do, Karkat?”

From below the table, Karkat’s voice sounded. “Yeah, we went for the small and private thing, as you guys won’t STOP going on about.”

“Next time, make your life sound a little more believable,” Dave said. “Next you’ll be telling us she ascended from the heavens.”

“Yeah, that’d be SUPER weird,” Terezi said, with a teasing grin. “But then, I WAS inside the old temple, you know. Wouldn’t be too far fetched.”

Dave snorted. “Pfft. No way.”

“Temple?” Jane repeated. “Oh, that place Karkat is always traveling to! How’d you get inside that temple?!”

Jade chimed in, “I always thought it was sealed shut!”

Terezi thought very carefully for a moment. But she’d gone through this, many times, and she knew what to say to content them without telling them the quite unbelievable truth. “I guess there’s some kind of magic in me the temple responds to; supposedly, from what I’ve heard, I’m descended from the people that once worshiped there.”

Jade tilted her head. “That makes sense; don’t suppose you could show us in, sometime?”

“Sure,” Terezi said brightly, wondering vaguely if they were ready to see her in her true glory. Ah well. She’d get to that when she needed to.

They ate together, a while longer; sharing interesting stuff that had happened to them lately, or providing her with fun details about their lives. An hour or two, free to be spent like this, dawned. Terezi was still hungry, even after eating her fill; bread was not exactly what a dragon needed.

The opportunity came not long after Jade, a mischievous look in her green eyes (Glowing faintly, a consequence of magical empowerment experiments) tugged out a potion from her satchel. “Hey, guys, check this out.” She wiggled it before them, for everyone to see. “Know what this here is?”

Terezi tilted her head. “It smells good.”

“Oh, it does taste nice, but that’s not the whole thing~!”

Dave gave it a look. “Hey, isn’t that the potion that you used to…” he fumbled in front of him, in such a way as to indicate inflation from the chest.

“Oh my,” Jane said, realizing what it was. “Your… embiggening potion.”

Karkat raised an eyebrow. “Working on improving the formula?”

“Yep!” Jade said proudly. “I get a lot of requests for my kind of… uh.” She indicated her chest with an impish shrug. “‘Enhancement’. So I’ve been trying to make the potions more dependable. They’re kind of all over the place in how much you get out of them; I got this big from a single drop, but other people that volunteered only go up a few cup sizes, if that!”

“Okay that does sound like a problem,” Terezi said, swallowing another mouthful. She gesticulated vaguely, talking with her gestures. “Like… if you wanna market that, or give them out, you’d want something consistent, right?”

“Yeah! But so far, it’s completely dependent on the magic already inside people… how powerful they are, for example,” Jade said. She noticed Terezi’s interest in the potion suddenly spiking, but didn’t realize why. (Namely, Terezi being a living goddess, she was intrigued by what such a potion would do to her, with all the power she held.) “I’m hoping to find something that is a bit more controlled.”

“So, is that one dependable yet?” Terezi asked. Jane nodded hurriedly, looking longing for it. She glanced at herself, Terezi and then Jade, all with genuine longing. Perhaps it was envy, or attraction. Possibly both.

“I dunno!” Jade said, breaking the seal on it.

“Wait a second,” Dave said. “You don’t know what it’ll do!”

“And this is how I find out!” Jade said, a sudden desire to impress Karkat’s super cool wife overwhelming her, and she tipped the bottle’s contents down her mouth.

Her throat glowed green as the potion went down, and then so did her belly. Soon, the glow faded.

They waited.

Jade looked down. She frowned.

She patted her stomach thoughtfully, looking worried.

She started to say, “Something usually should happen by now-”

And Jade stopped, her voice tangling up into a startled squeak, her back arching up and her breasts glowing bright green. They wobbled while remaining completely still, wildly shifting in place and shaking, slowly swelling outwards. They did so silently, flesh not normally making much of a sound, but the same could not be said of her clothing.

The fabric began to tear. She required special clothing, and it was already stressed by the demands of her body, the local tailors not quite up to speed with making things for such extreme bodies; they didn’t know how to make support for breasts that weighed more than oink-beast livestock, or tailor fitting clothing that worked around them. The plunging necklines Jade liked was a necessity as much as a deliberate fashion trend.

They reached a limit; her breasts grew bigger, fluxing outwards by the span of a finger in every direction: outwards, below, forwards, the teardrop shape growing more extreme as the base of her breasts didn’t expand any, so it looked like they were swelling from a relatively small connection point; the contrast made them look even more ludicrously big.

At the sides, her top tore, the stitches popping loo and flapping open as her breasts swelled another handspan out with a wobbling surge of growth. Her top had to be stitched special, following the diameter of her breasts, and these popped multiple stitches, threatening to have Jade experience a very embarrassing wardrobe failure. Now her breasts piled up, over her face and blocking out her vision, bulging from her top, the fabric still struggling to contain her body.

“Okay oh WOW this is a success!” Jade tugged at her fabric, trying to keep it from coming apart. “Does anyone have a spare… anything, to borrow!? I’m gonna have a moment, here!”

Karkat, blushing red at the side of so much of Jade where the front of her top had popped open to show even more of herself, wordlessly removed her cape and tossed it at her. She caught it and covered herself from the front. “Ah, nice! Thanks, Karkat.” He grunted in response.

Dave got up awkwardly. “I’ll… uh. I’ll take you back to the shop, okay?” He checked a time piece. “And my break is almost up. I can drop in a tailor, tell them to give you a hand.”

“Sure, that’d be good!” Jade said, calming down. She squeezed herself, giggling. “Ooh. even bouncier.”

“Jade, please focus, hon.”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay.” She tightened the cloak. “I’m sorry, Jane, Karkat, Terezi! I’ll, uh, try to polish that.”

Terezi was still gaping. She remembered eras when mortalkind had reshaped their bodies with as much ease as changing their clothing but still… that was something! “That’s okay… I’d definitely like a sample of that, sometime.”

“Same here,” Jane said meekly.

“We’ll be keeping the tailors in business, that’s for sure,” karkat said dryly, and it hit them so unexpectedly, they burst into nervous laughter for a moment. “Calm down guys… it wasn’t that funny…”

Jade and Dave got up; for Jade, with a lot of outward jiggling that seriously strained the remaining fabric of her worker’s smock. She staggered out, trying to adjust to her new body, Dave at her side the whole time. She then peeked back in, people outside making murmuring comments, and waved at Karkat and Terezi, her massive body-framing hair swishing as much as Terezi’s tail. “Buh-bye, you guys!” She ducked out, back to her duties.

Jane scooted back. “Um. I gotta get back to it, too. See you guys later, maybe?” She smiled awkwardly, blushing faintly and behind her spectacles, her gaze suggested a hint of what might become infatuation for Terezi. “Feel free to come back any time, the both of you…!”

“Sure thing,” Terezi said, scooting back. Karkat stood up off her, and Terezi rose to her full towering height.

The both of them left not long after, and Terezi explained what she needed right now; he was prepared for it, but wasn’t particularly happy about that.

The two of them headed off, and she followed Karkat as he led her back up the hill they’d come from, towards the outlying regions of the town.

Where the big livestock was kept.

-----

Eventually, this led to the pair of them walking nearer to the forest than most of the town normally went.

Here, the pens rose high and thick, heavily reinforced to prevent the livestock from smashing through or jumping over, or an occasional rustler from making off with the livestock. There WAS a collection box on the paddocks, though; for an informal purchase, someone could take the livestock as long as they paid the price, without repercussions. Terezi was counting on that, too.

Karkat seemed to have something on his mind, too.

As Terezi sniffed the air, looking for the right scent of meat, Karkat frowned speculatively. Shep wicked up on that, and turned towards him. “Something on your mind?”

“Mm, I don’t know.” He mulled it over, and finally said, “Why’d you tell them that thing back in town? That you’re a descendant of priests or whatever?”

“I didn’t say that, specifically.” She raised a claw, thoughtfully. “Just that I have a magic the temple reacts to, and that I’ve HEARD that I’m a descendant of the people worshipping there. I never said anything for sure, and I didn’t lie.” Karkat frowned. “It’s true; sometimes I’ve incarnated as a member of the families that used to maintain it, so we could keep up. Wasn’t an option this time.” She frowned. For a moment, she mourned. For her cult, now seemingly lost to antiquity. For all the things lost, seemingly never to be remembered. For the way time seemed to just flow on, swallowing up even things that a goddess thought should endure indefinitely.

Karkat reached up, hesitantly, and squeezed her hand. She squeezed back, warmly.

“It’s okay,” She said quietly. “I don’t like lying, or something close to it. But I can’t just tell them the truth yet. Maybe someday.”

Karkat sighed. “Yeah. I know.”

She started to say more, and then the words caught in her mouth, her thoughts froze up, and the hunger in her gut, unsatisfied with bread (not that she could bear to tell Jane, who seemed so very vulnerable), demanded to be filled.

Meat.

Terezi followed the scent, and Karkat, blurting indignant sounds to himself, hurried after her.

The trail sooned stopped at a pen, occupied by a breed of animal carefully bred by the Nitram family over the years, and the walls of the pen were especially high, but this wasn’t necessary as the beasts in question so docile, and dense, that the thought of moving further than it took to get to the nearest bit of swill wouldn’t occur to them.

Karkat got a glimpse of one, as Terezi flapped her wings and flew right into the pen and walked through it, striding towards the very one he was looking at. The creatures in question were generally called meat-beasts; variants of cow-beasts with chimerical elements of other creatures wrapped up into a very productive, powerful and dull-witted package.

They were also, in a word, fucking huge. Almost sixteen feet long, the whole creature was, basically, round; a huge mass of succulent meat, so bulky that it curved in a rough sphere, with short but very thick legs to support its mass. It’s head was effectively a tub, with short and nubby horns mostly used as steering for anyone who had to ride and wrangle one of them. Nearly twice as high as a troll, and close to being as big as Terezi herself, it was simply too large for most local predators to be a genuine threat. The creature looked slightly up at her with a calm absence of thought, its eyes staring blankly into nothing as it chewed on a mouthful.

It had to weigh several tons, at the very least, of raw muscle and flesh. Nevertheless, Terezi easily lifted it up with a single hand, raising it high into the air, steadying it with another hand. Her mouth watered, and her belly gurgled, crying out for fresh meat.

Her mouth opened. Her jaws widened. At first, noticeably wider than a normal troll might, and then gaping out wider still.

Karkat, aware that this would be a trend and resigned to it, went off to the relevant paddock and stuffed some money into it. Terezi’s breakfast wouldn’t be free, after all.

And all the while, Terezi’s jaws kept widening, so far that it was absolutely impossible by any normal measure of biology, even glowing faintly as her divine powers allowed her to mold her shape as she pleased. Her throat glowed from within, a teal light shining like a volcano.

The meat-beast made a clucking sound (for reasons no one was especially clear on, besides one Nitram stating ‘somehow, a chicken got into the gestation mix’) as Terezi lowered its head into the impossibly distended, gaping chasm below. She judged her mouth to be big enough to capture her meal, and slowly, savoring the moment, she pulled its head into her mouth.

Now it mooed, the sound muffled and distorted by her throat. The shape of its head appeared, pressing against the skin of her throat.

More of its body slid in as she slowly pressed it down, murmuring deep and savoring noises as her tongue slid along its underside, and she experienced every aspect of its existence, lending it a unique and special flavor.

Her meal slid downwards, her throat greasing the way with copious amounts of saliva that was probably cold, and now it bleated in something approaching, if not alarm, at least awareness that this was a new experience. Down it began to slide, her throat swelling with its body mass and the muscles within her slackening and pulling in turn, its greased path aided by the power of her body. Karkat’s eyes widened, impressed and disturbed at the same time: it was so big! How was she fitting it down!?

Her throat swelled out. By about a foot, and then several feet, and then more. There was seemingly no limit to the give of her body.

The beast began to slide down its inexorable path into the certain doom of her gut. So much meat! Terezi softly cried out, against it, with how good it was tasting already!

God she’d missed real meat. Twitching and thick and solid, already good to dissolve inside her belly, it was almost as good as reverent sacrifice.

Her tongue slid out, growing impossibly long and thick. It doubled back, rolling inside her mouth and pushing it’s hindquarters deeper in, and with that, the beast was being swallowed faster, now its entire front half a big, solid lump in her throat. Her skin bulged out with his weight, by nearly six feet of roundness and tangled forelimbs, giving the strange appearance of a frog.

More and more of it slid in. The massive lump in her throat, trapped by her ravenous body, grew even bigger. Eight feet out… then ten… then twelve… and still more, sliding inwards.

And then, it was just a pair of legs sticking out of her mouth. Now she tilted her head up and, relishing every moment of the heady taste, the pulse against the inside of her mouth, the feeling of something inside her about to become part of her, she gently slurped it down.

The lump in her neck traveling downwards. The front of the beast, which gave no indication that it was bothered by its situation, and then a smaller lumb as its hind legs moved against the inside of her throat. The lump kept moving downwards, disappearing above her breasts…

Karkat thought he heard a splash as her belly surged out, doubling, no, tripling in size, and then getting even bigger as the whole creature settled into her gut. Her belly hit the ground and rolled forwards, skin tight around the image of her meal, a fleshy log extending away from her and nearly sixteen feet out,and above it (her breasts propped up by this last bit) was her pregnancy, a more defined shape compared to her digesting gut.

One to create life, one to consume it. There was poetry, in that.

Now Terezi raised her head again, and produced a small, soft sound that might have been a dignified belch, but even as loud as she could be, it was hard to hear.

Her gigantic belly squirmed, and shifted, not with struggles but her captive prey getting comfortable inside her, even as the digestion process began. The outline softened as fluids began to pour in, not yet dissolving the beast (that would take several hours, at least) but giving it more room to float inside her. Her gut seemed to get slightly bigger, too, and it was already larger than she was.

Terezi slapped her gut happily. Her eyes flickered as her food started to get… pickled, he supposed, for that very digestion to take place. “Ohhh, YEAH, that feels good…!” Her wings flapped, and she flew upwards, over the paddock. She grabbed Karkat, ignoring his angry shouts, and flew off a short distance away.

She alighted near a tree, near the forest, in a secluded place, and sat against the ground.

She held Karkat to her belly; against her pregnancy, and the gurgling lump where her food was being processed, turning it into nutritious mush over the next few hours.

“Hey!” Karkat said. “What’s with the man-handling!?”

“Shush…” she cooed. “I thought you liked being man-handled by me~”

“Okay. Well, yes. Maybe.” He didn’t fight or argue, this time, as she again pulled him close.

He could feel her heart beating.

A calm, deep thudding, and it beat in sync with his own.

Her belly was firm, and the movement of her belly muscles around the massive animal beneath him was strangely… calming. The gurgling sounds from beneath felt so loud that they might have come from all around him. Her arms pulled him closer, squishing him into the upper slope of her stomach, and his head sliding into between her breasts.

“Come on,” she said softly. “Just you and me. Just for a bit.”

He closed his eyes, and held her, letting himself be pulled against her. “Yeah, yeah. Okay.”

She held him to her body, against her stomach and what would one day be her family. The sounds of her digestion soothed them both, and her wings flared as Karkat calmed down completely, and her wings swept forward to wrap over him, embracing them.

It was like cuddling inside a blanket. But the mattress was Terezi, and so was the blanket itself; it was all her, embracing him so completely. And for her, someone who would stay with her always, loyal to the very end… and coming back from that end, no matter how long it took.

She closed her eyes, in relief. Again, to this precious moment they had returned. As they would again and again, like the turning of seasons. Winter had passed, and now the relief of spring was here. As she’d always wanted. As what she hoped it would one day stay.

She held him tighter. She didn’t want to let him go. And then, the particulars of their reunion didn’t seem to matter so much; not the time or place, not the way the world had forgotten her. He was still her Vantas, however the world changed.

And then her belly gurgled again, juices flooding in, making her gut swell a bit. It made Karkat’s body rise up, sliding even more between her breasts. He didn’t mind; the beat of her heart was even louder now.

And the both of them just held one another, peacefully in the forest.

----

Much later, night came, and with it, he brought her to what would be her home.

“Sorry,” He muttered sheepishly, holding onto the tip of her tail. “Not as good as, eh. Whatever you’re used to.”

Terezi impishly gave him a gentle smack with her tail, laughing. Her stomach was smaller now, though still rounder than it had been, padded more with fat. The beast had been digested, meat and bone and every single inch of it melted away. Terezi’s breasts looked a bit larger, as did her hips, her thighs and butt, all more padded than usual. “Well, I don’t remember what that was actually like too well, at this level of existence, so me neither! Guess I’ll have to make do.”

Karkat’s house, looming high over them, was a humble building and not at all a luxurious home; almost as old as the temple and constructed in a very similar style (though simpler, and without the opulence of the temple), and the thing that stood out about it to the both of them, to any passerby, was that the doorway was alarmingly high, well over a few feet higher than Terezi herself.

It even cleared her long horns; she could walk right through it with ease. The whole home was built to her specifications, in fact; looking from the outside, it was reasonable to think that every room would be just as grand, for such a large troll as her to have without any issues at all.

This explained the furniture, Karkat realized. The chairs, the tables; it was all strictly divided into being the right size for him and being far too large for a normal troll… or at least ones, it dawned on him, if they weren’t Terezi-sized.

He opened the door, leading her in. “Well,” he said, his grouchy exterior faltering to show a genuine smile. He extended a hand. “Welcome home. Again.”

She took his hand warmly. “Glad to be back.”

#my writing #fics #twitchy!homestuck #twitchy!terezi #twitchy!karkat #commissions #queued

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mst3kproject · 5 years

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1111: Wizards of the Lost Kingdom 2

You know how Joel said the part of the movie that was ‘spilled’, the bit with David Carradine fighting the monster called the Protector, could have saved the whole film? He lied. It’s just as dumb as the rest of the movie. In fact, this whole film is so stupid and predictable that I’m going to have a very hard time filling two pages with my thoughts on it. Apparently even Joel himself wished he’d found a different movie to use.

An age of darkness has fallen, and Caedmon of Nogg is the world’s last hope. The ghost of his father, I think, or maybe Obi-Wan Kenobi, appears in a bucket of coffee and charges him with finding the Chosen One, whose pure heart will re-unite the Three Powers. The Chosen One is a skinny, hormone-suffused teenage boy named Tyor who works on a stick farm somewhere, and Caedmon trains him in wizardry while seeking out three powerful warriors: the Dark One of Eedok, Prince Ermine of Valdar, and Amathea of Fennir. One by one, they defeat the evil wizards and gather the magical sword, chalice, and amulet that will bring peace to the world.

So, yeah, it’s less a ‘movie’ than it is a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, thrown together in five minutes after the original GM called from the side of the road with a flat tire.

It’s not at all apparent how this is a sequel to Wizards of the Lost Kingdom. Not only are the storylines unconnected, the whole aesthetic is totally different. Where the first movie was all bright colours and friendly forest creatures, this one is brown and gray, starving peasants and grubby heroes. It’s kind of the difference between Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Game of Thrones, although infinitely worse than either. Still, if there’s any sort of connection to be found, I should be able to figure it out. After all, one of my running gags on this blog is The Movies Are All Coming Together, in which I find connections between unrelated films to assemble them into a single, great, incomprehensible movie.

For starters, Wizards of the Lost Kingdom 2 is definitely a sequel to The Undead. After Pendragon skooered Lydia the Witch, her insanity curse on Smolken wore off and he remembered he was actually Caedmon the Wizard. He was forced to run off to this distant land to escape all the medieval punk kids wanting him to autograph their copies of Digger Smolken’s Rottenest Hits. As for how this relates to Wizards of the Lost Kingdom, though? I don’t think this is a sequel at all. It’s actually a prequel. See if you can follow me here:

Remember, Tyor was not supposed to kill Zarz… by running him through at the end, he gave in to evil. So after a few years of putting up with Caedmon’s incompetence as a pupil, he got sick of him, turned him into a sparkly crab hat, and embraced the dark side. Meanwhile, Amathea was getting tired of Ermine’s philandering, so she and Tyor teamed up to kill him and seize the throne. The Dark One’s restaurant went under after he was caught selling chicken that turned back into stone when you bit into it. He tried to get money to pay off his small business loans by ditching Stripper Wife and wooing a wealthy cyclops so he could take her dowry and run. To avoid his jilted bride’s vengeful brother, he went on the run and returned to using his real name, Kor. Presto, you’ve got Wizards of the Lost Kingdom!

I have to take a break now. My brain hurts.

This movie wants so badly to be epic. The narration sounds like Achronus from Cave Dwellers telling us another story about Ator: and so, Cademon of Nogg set out across the land of Syn in search of the boy Tyor. And yet, every time something happens that should be epic, it’s just people standing around. The finale is a showdown between callow young Tyor and the two dark wizards Zarz and Donar, and they all just kind of mill around and bicker. The fight between the Dark One and the Protector is much closer to being a climactic battle than this is, but it’s just more obvious fake swordplay and disappointment, and David Carradine looks downright embarrassed about it. I’m not convinced that scene was actually intended for this movie, by the way. David Carradine made another stupid fantasy movie called The Warrior and the Sorceress, which I have not seen, and it might be from that.

One thing I can say for Wizards of the Lost Kingdom 2, though, is that the middle of the story has substantially more to do with the beginning and end than in its predecessor. Caedmon is given his task, which is to find Tyor and then help him get the sword, amulet, and chalice so he can overthrow the evil wizards and unite the three kingdoms. And the middle of the movie is spent doing exactly that. This does divide the whole narrative into three separate plots that are only barely related to each other, and because of the limited running time all three of them feel truncated. Tyor confronts Loki and turns him to stone and we’re like, that’s it? He hears the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi and pulls a knife on Freyja, who agrees to take him to the sword and… that’s it? It feels like the movie ought to be twice as long as it is, except that we really wouldn’t want that.

In particular, the audience has no idea what the sword, the amulet, and the chalice really do. The fact that Tyor is able to overcome the amulet’s supposedly supreme power with some nonsense words really deflates the whole enterprise. The sword is supposed to be magical but all it gets used for is stabbing people. The chalice shows the truth except that Zarz can make it lie? And at the end Obi-Wan takes all three away instead of letting Ermine and Amathea use them to rule the three kingdoms? The three artefacts could not be more obviously plot contrivances, even if they were just boxes with the word macguffin written on them.

The Protector beast really ought to have been set up earlier, too, if it were going to deserve a setpiece fight. As it is, MST3K excised it with no plot consequences. Why didn’t we get to see Zarz feeding people to it?

Wizards of the Lost Kingdom 2 is grittier and less silly than its predecessor, which does allow the actors to escape with some tatters of their dignity, but in a way this is itself a weakness. The first movie kept me interested mostly by throwing random episodes of what the fuck at me. This one plods through its plotline without any lion-centaur beasts or random tricksy mermaids, although the impossibly bad werewolf-versus-pigwoman fight did make me look twice. At the same time, paradoxically enough, I think it’s fair to say that Wizards of the Lost Kingdom 2 also takes itself less seriously. The first movie did have a full-on wizards’ battle at the end, even if it sucked. The second one here has a whole lot of talking and Tyor turning the crystal ball into a roast chicken, which apparently incapacitates Zarz in some way but I’m damned if I know how. The roast chickens in the movie are clearly the ones you get out of the little warmer at the grocery store deli.

You know what? This movie should have ended with Tyor turning Zarz into a chicken! That would have allowed Tyor to win without killing anyone, and given a purpose to the weird ‘chicken’ motif that keeps happening. Why was I able to come up with that, and the movie wasn’t? The writers seem to think that chickens are somehow inherently funny, when really everybody knows that’s only true when they’re trying to cross the street.

These are not movies that really lend themselves to analysis but I guess there’s kind of a hint of theme, in that the Dark One would rather live quietly, running his pub with his wife, and only goes out to fight when he’s forced to do so? Although I’m not sure how we’re meant to interpret that. Is it about the benefits of a peaceful lifestyle (insofar as stabbing people when they don’t tip qualifies as ‘peaceful’)? Or are we supposed to think the Dark One should have gotten off his ass and answered the call of duty before it came to that? Maybe the chicken thing was meant to suggest that even a coward can save the world? I don’t know. I just work here.

So that’s my marathon of lame-ass wizard movies that made it to MST3K. Of the three, I think the first Wizards of the Lost Kingdom was easily my favourite. It was light and silly and it made no sense, but it kept me giggling, sometimes just out of sheer surprise. And I guess that means Quest of the Delta Knights would come in second, because Wizards of the Lost Kingdom 2 was definitely the worst. The other two movies at least looked like people were having a good time making them, while this one feels like it was probably as much a chore to be in as it is to watch. Even Sid Haig as Donar looks like he’d rather be anywhere else, and considering some of the crap Sid Haig seemed to have been enjoying himself in, that’s really saying something.

All the monster fights in the world couldn’t have saved this one. What it really needed was the Dark One fighting a giant chicken.

#mst3k #reviews #wizards of the lost kingdom 2 #80s

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hookaroo · 5 years

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Vocivore, Ltd. (35 of 42?)

Also on FFN and AO3 (ListerofTardis)

Tagging @ouatwinterwhump, @killian-whump, @sancocnutclub, @killianjonesownsmyheart1, @courtorderedcake, @facesiousbutton82 <3

***THE MOST WONDERFUL, HEARTBREAKING, and BEAUTIFULLY WHUMPY COVER ART BY @cocohook38 HERE and HERE!!!!!!!!!*************

***Chapter 12 animation and art that will absolutely astound you!!!!!!!!!**********

***LETHAL Chapter 19 art in all of its BLOODSTAINED GLORY!!!!************

**POOR STABBED KILLIAN falling into the sheriff station! Ch. 7 & 23 art!!**

****KILLIAN AND HIS MASTER IN THE GORGEOUS CATHEDRAL!!!!!!!!!!!! CHAPTER 1 ART THAT KILLS ME EVERY TIME I SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*********

*CH 34 ART! A DEFEATED KILLIAN, HEAD BOWED BEFORE HIS MASTER!!*

***AAAAHHHH!!! THANK YOU MY WONDERFUL COCONUT FRIEND!!!!!!***

Present (Friday, continued)...

Emma was mostly silent during the ride to the edges of the Master’s territory, and Jones knew she was listening. As if she could somehow keep her husband alive by monitoring his breathing. Jones saw no reason to disrupt her concentration, illogical as it was. Regardless of what she heard, and what state Killian was in when they reached him--whether it was a rescue or a recovery--Jones had resolved to go in no matter what. This monster had to be stopped.

The paved road gave way to gravel, then dirt. About a quarter of a mile farther along, they would reach the invisible border, that line where any attempts to go deeper into the forest had always been met with scores of guard slaves. Jones pulled the car over. They could drive in and see how far they got before being stopped, or if he were callous enough, faced the necessity of mowing down anyone standing in their way. But they had decided that such a move would attract too much attention and give away their intentions before they had a chance to sneak into the Master’s presence. Shutting off the engine, Jones took a deep breath.

“Ready?”

Emma’s response was to reach for the door handle. Jones snagged her elbow, saying,

“Wait.”

She turned back to him, a question in her faraway gaze. The detective leaned forward, opened the glovebox, and hauled out the length of rope he’d stashed there immediately after exiting the sheriff office.

“In case we’re being watched,” he explained, then began binding Emma’s hands together. Seconds later, intimidating knots hung from her wrists, looking very complicated and difficult to untie. But Jones lifted a trailing end of rope. “Just give this bit a sharp tug, and you’re free.”

After Emma had indicated her understanding, Jones got out of the car and went around to open her door. For the sake of any observers, he grabbed her upper arm and hauled her to her feet. She played along with a few exaggerated struggles, but eventually pretended to give in, hanging her head in mock dejection. Jones adjusted his grip on her, then pulled her forward, propelling her in the direction of the Master’s mysterious compound.

*****

Killian could not die. Not for lack of trying; he was doing everything in his power to let go. Having been through the process multiple times before, he knew that he was close. Individual points of anguish had faded to a generalized dull ache. The short, desperate gasps of breath took more strength than he had, yet kept coming despite all odds. His pulse, weak and erratic as it was, continue to throb in each gruesome wound. And every time Killian succumbed to the dark, thinking that he would at last be set free from his misery, he came back, weaker than before and cursing his continued existence.

Because there was no good reason for the prolonged suffering. Emma could not save him this time, nor would he want her to make the attempt. It would only result in her own capture, torture, and death. With no way to defeat the Master, she may not have much time herself, but perhaps someone would come up with a last-minute solution to save them all. He wanted that chance for her. And the longer he remained alive, the greater the temptation for her to cast aside reason and come after him.

He suddenly remembered the transmitter tucked beneath the bandage around his stump. Maybe that was it. Was his subconscious clinging to life in order to allow him time to hide the device within the Master’s lair? One final purpose for his time amongst the living?

Killian shifted his weight just fractionally. Even that small effort brought each of his pains roaring back to life and the church grew hazy once again. But he remained conscious. With a silent growl, he inched his forearm up his side. Pectoral muscles impaled by the dagger bulged with the work of shifting his left shoulder. He could feel a dull grinding within his chest as the blade scraped against bone. His neck, hand, and shoulder all blazed in excruciating spasms as he slowly turned his head toward his target.

The bandage was still impossibly out of reach. Tears blurred his dimming vision. He drew one more gulp of searing magma, and then, with an agonized shout, heaved his wrist up to shoulder height.

Shuddering, panting with the terrible cost of effort, Killian dug his teeth into the loose knot securing the bandage. He knew exactly where to pull, yet could hardly summon the strength to retain his hold on the linen. Once, twice it slipped free while he whined in exhausted frustration. Bloody thing, keeping him alive only to exacerbate his pain. His fingers twitched a futile attempt to help; a thousand amps of lightning leapt in crooked arcs from impaled palm to fingertips and back, down his immobile arm and out through his misshapen shoulder. A sob echoed in his ears as he tore savagely into the bandage once again, half in continued removal attempts and half as a way to contain the worsening pain.

Finally, the knot gave way. The loose end circled his arm once, unwinding of its own accord before settling gently near his elbow. Killian ignored it; his prize was nearly within reach. He could feel the small bit of metal pressing against his inner forearm, its pointed ends slightly itchy under the linen. He tugged harder with his teeth. More of the bandage came loose. His chest ached unbearably.

Despite the whistling hum in his ears, Killian heard the tiny but welcome sound of the transmitter pinging onto the cold stone at his side. Mission accomplished.

He briefly considered attempting to wrestle the dagger free of his chest. That would certainly speed up the rate at which he was losing blood and, if nothing else, might help him to slip into pain-free oblivion and not wake up this time. But even with the ring on his wrist, he would probably only end up jostling the blade, not removing it entirely. Not worth the prospect of amplified pain. Killian gritted his teeth and allowed his arm to flop back down to the ground.

Even with most head movement restricted by the screws in his neck, Killian could just make out the tiny glint of metal, the transmitter lying a few inches from where his arm had come to rest. Better hide it. Struggling to focus the double image, Killian aligned the apex of the ring with the transmitter. He managed to brush the speck of metal under the lip of the altar, wincing at the resulting flash of pain in his chest. But the technology was now less likely to be found, and Storybrooke could continue to listen in on their new nemesis in secret.

Killian thought of who was on the other end, and his throat immediately tightened in immense regret. He had the easy part, leaving. But his Swan would have to once again face life without him.

“Emma,” he breathed. He couldn't be certain if she could even hear him. “I love you.”

He tensed as an overwhelming wave of pain washed over him. After it had subsided a bit, he growled a moan, then continued.

“Should you... happen to be... victorious…”

He was finding it difficult to get more than three or four words out between breaths. The fire in his chest seemed to be shrinking his lungs, charring them into brittle, inelastic cinders.

“...and feel safe... bringing Hope home…”

He pulled several agonized, wheezing breaths and forced himself to continue.

“...make sure... she always knows... how much I love her.”

Now blinded by tears and suffocating as much by emotion as by his wounds, Killian closed his eyes and rested his head back against the gilded altar. He would never have time to express everything in his heart, anyway.

The heavy front door creaked open, its echoes ominous in the unfeeling sanctuary. Avian wings fluttered noisily in the rafters. And Killian could not contain a sob of dread.

“Swan,” he whispered, almost a whine. “Please, love…” A shudder, half terror and half anguish, wracked his broken body as the scuttle of giant crab legs grew louder.

“Please… Don’t listen to this...”

*****

Whatever Emma was hearing had her in tears.

Jones couldn’t ask her about it, of course. In fact, he tried to pretend like he knew: he was, after all, bringing a new captive into his Master’s presence. She had every reason to be crying. And now, well within the monster’s territory, they had lost the option of turning back, even if they were too late to save Killian. So they pressed forward, Jones directing Emma as she stumbled along, not really paying attention to her surroundings.

Their plot was working so far. They had encountered at least a dozen armed slaves patrolling the forest; each time, the smock-garbed men had taken one glance at Jones and his prisoner and let them pass without challenge. But he couldn’t allow the relief. Instead, he thought of Alice.

Not the exuberant, larger-than-life woman of today, but the one from… then.

Years and years spent imprisoned and alone. The last person in the world to deserve it, paying an awful price for all of his mistakes and failures.

He imagined her pacing the confines of the tower, cursing his name, desperate for love and human contact. Losing hope, sinking further into hopelessness with each passing day, week, month. Year.

All of the lost opportunities. The moments he should have had with her. The discoveries, the joys of blossoming, even the challenges of developing independent thought and rationale. Those beautiful, formative years from adolescence to young adulthood, gone forever. He’d missed them all.

Killian Jones, king of despair, walked right into the Vocivore’s presence undetected. No mental shielding necessary.

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abzilp · 5 years

Text

The Delicate is pale, limbs pipe-cleaner thin, with a head as shiny hard as beetle-back. Violent, in utero skull tectonics have led to a precipice of brow, a compression of matter past the point of truth. His eyes are crow eyes, and his ear holes winding tunnels to nowhere.

He comes in the latter days of afternoon, through blowing snow, dressed in black, while Schubert’s ‘Eighth’ plays magically in the background. He comes to suck the breath out of passing fancies and to treat the infirm of mind, the particularly annoying, to a long sleep.

‘In order to take the waters,’ as he explains it, he comes to a resort town on the edge of reason. Beyond it, the wilderness stretches north to the frozen pole. God has never drawn breath there – the domain of bat-winged demons whose skin is the ringed wood of oak trees. These creatures fly out of the forest at night to snatch up children, their little legs kicking to the moon. To live in Absentia is to live with a soul that is liquid lead.

Perhaps it is the manner in which he holds his cigarette or maybe his distinguished apparel that immediately ingratiates him to both the guests and staff of the Hotel Providence. At his request, they call him Harding Jarvis and marvel at his grace and facility with foreign language. Though his face is more a cow skull than a thing of flesh, no one seems to notice except the woman who cleans his rooms. She knows him by his aroma – roses over bad meat. When he knows she knows, he wheezes into his wine glass.

No matter who Carlotta confesses her fears to, they brush her off, saying, ‘Herr Jarvis? Not possible. My dear, you are disturbed.’ She makes it a point never to enter his rooms when they are occupied. Sleep to her is death, say the toothpicks holding open her eyes. She lasts only three days before she sits down and closes them. To sleep is warm and beautiful, but the chair she sits in is at the foot of Herr Jarvis’s bed. There is so much dirt on the floor – four ounces of fly meat on every windowsill.

He returns unexpectedly from an afternoon of playing whist with Madame Fesh of the colorful muff, Barlin the local logomancer, and Meme Haspin, taxidermist to the landed gentry, and discovers Carlotta asleep in the chair. With little pomp and less circumstance, he sucks the life out of her. The process is long and painful, and he doesn’t spare her a minute of it. After hanging her withered corpse, like a wrinkled garment bag of flesh, on a peg in the closet, he sits down to smoke his clay pipe. Before long, he moves to the writing desk, where he takes up his pen and records the essence of the maid he has just ingested. The first phrase to crawl out onto paper is, ‘Insouciance is the engine of regret,’ and from there it is a smooth plunge into lyrical facility.

At first he thought it was the crab soufflé he had had for lunch, but then realized, too late, that something in Carlotta’s blood was causing a strange transformation in him. With a popping of bone, a stretch of incisors, a whisper growth of fur and the shrinking of skin, he stoops to become a dog. His last oath is excremental before his words give way to growling.

The inhabitants of Absentia mention to each other the clever little hound that now wanders the streets looking for scraps. One boy tells how he heard it cry human, and the men who mine Mount Alfarabi are amused when the beast tries to have its way with a lady’s shinbone outside the beer hall. Meanwhile, everybody who is anybody is seeking out Harding Jarvis for a ride in the car, a game of tennis, a cocktail party.

Pharsalus, the hunter, comes in from the wilderness with furs to sell and wild turkey feathers in his hat. With the money he makes, he goes directly to the beer hall and drinks many mugs. He tells those he hasn’t seen in three seasons about the demon he shot and about the beautiful paradise surrounded by hundreds of miles of ice. For proof of the demon, he displays a pair of gnarled horns which he pulled like teeth, with a pair of pliers, from the forehead of the creature. As for paradise, he offers only a shrug.

The days of Night fall while Pharsalus is drinking. When he steps out of the beer hall, there is a brisk wind and winter chill. He stares up at the ice-bright stars and remembers tracking white apes at twilight. They moved like ghosts among the giant pines. They died with a cough of steam and a trickle of blood.

When his memory clears, Pharsalus notices a dog sitting in the street in front of him. Because the first hours of Night each year give him a desire to speak to something other than only the earth and wind, he decides to adopt the mutt as a hunting dog. Using scraps of dried caribou, he lures his new companion out of town and into the uncharted wilderness.

Night in the forest is either stone silence and falling snow or the sound of something dying. Demons fly out of the trees without warning, and Pharsalus is always ready with his gun. When they jump him from behind, he uses his long, curved knife and engages them in hand-to-hand combat. The dog helps in the kill. As the demons’ mauled bodies expire at his feet, he questions them about the path to the Earthly Paradise. Some of the dying offer clues, but most go quietly, their barbed tails thrashing the snow. Pharsalus writes whatever they tell him in a little notebook and then pulls their horns out with a pair of pliers.

In spring, the hunter and dog traverse a pass that leads over the mountains. The sudden return of the days of Morning brings light that blinds. In those mountains there exist hundreds of small caves formed long ago in the Ice Age. Each year, he hunts them for snapping yellow back and artifacts left behind by the ancients who had once inhabited them.

In one cave, the hunter discovers the frozen corpse of a man, sitting on a large stone at a table hewn from rock. Icicles hang from the man’s nose and frost glazes his eyes. From the worm-eaten journal laying open in front of the dead man, Pharsalus learns of his father’s search for him. The hunter puts his arms around the dog and cries.

In one entry in his father’s journal, the old man describes his love affair with a woman who lives at the bottom of a lake. Her skin is blue and her hair so long it turns into sea grass and trailing vines. He descends from his mountain perch every night to meet her on the shore of her lake.

They sit beneath a tall dune, the wind blowing around them. Above, stars smash into stars. He tells her how fifteen years earlier he left home to search for his son who had become a hunter in the wilderness. As he kisses her, he hears the immensity of paradise singing across the water to him.

Pharsalus dreams every night of the only beast he has any desire to hunt. It is a creature he has never actually seen, with many jumbled attributes – scales, fur, talons, fangs, feathers beneath and around the hide and hair. Every night it comes vividly to him and fills him with longing to hunt it. In the dream, he always hears it flying. There is a struggle and it bites him, like a snake, in the heel. He always awakens wondering if the bird part is rooster. But since he has gotten the dog, it has become more and more difficult to envision the dream kill.

In their wandering, the hunter and companion stumble upon a beautiful garden locked in ice. At the last second the Delicate steps out of the sloughed skin of the mutt to take the hunter by the throat. Lips meet lips and breath begins leaving, begins arriving. When the hunter is blind in one eye and his left rib cage shattered by the internal pressure, he summons those years of the kill and thrusts his hunting knife into the thorax of the Delicate. Streams of agony intermingle and separate out into fields of bright color. With a simple cracking noise the monster pushes a bony finger through the hunter’s chest and turns off his heart.

But the Delicate is dying from his wound. He stumbles through the wilderness clutching his oozing side with a slim, sharp hand. He kneels and prays to heaven but nothing happens. The memories of other lifetimes swirl in his memory with an anguished forgetting of paradise. He cries for the loss of his delicate form, his exo-skeleton now a crystal meteor. If only he could change into a dog, he thinks, as life leaves him in a cascade of steam. With little conviction, he sucks it back up as it goes. In no time, he’s good as new.

Back in the town of Absentia, in the very room of the Hotel Providence where he took Carlotta, he’s now taking them two at a time. The empty husks of life pile up like fresh-cut bales of tobacco in his closet. Men catch their wives sneaking to his door. Wives catch their husbands at some shadowy rendezvous with him, and he takes them both as quick as you please. He takes the contessa from behind as she leans over to adjust her corset. Her piles of hair almost save her, but, in the end, she is as easy to draw the life out of as is Master Cley, or the mayor, or Madam Silwort, or the Grossdig Twins.

Someone notices the population of the town dwindling at an alarming rate and wires for the government to send troops, before the Delicate can snip the telegraph line with his incisors. When the army arrives and surrounds the town, he is huffing, as if taking snuff, the last few morsels of Mrs. Fleacox. He realizes too late that she has long since gone bad as a soft melon even though she keeps right on talking till the end. Her pointless words infect him with flexis midocarsis, and he slowly begins to disintegrate. In his final hour, he stands upon the balcony of the mayor’s house, staring out over the wilderness, playing the violin until his fingers turn to salt and the instrument falls to the floor.

The soldiers break into Absentia, machine guns blurting out death, air cover dropping flames as if the clouds were on fire. They find the Delicate – a sorry, prodigious pile of cigarette ash. Mrs. Fleacox is lost between life and death, and they call for a specialist to administer the needle to the base of her spine. They collect the creature into a plastic bag and freeze-dry him. His remains are taken to Spire City in the Sunbelt where they are stored for the edification of future generations. The funding never comes through to study the crumbs of the Delicate, so he lies in a bag on a shelf and waits.

#jeffrey ford #the delicate #weird fiction

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tokensfortalkers · 5 years

Text

d100 ONLY IN THE WOOD

From pulsing spiral shells

of perfect, woven red scales

our tribe extracts rich music

to sweat the land in dance

til vice weft seed in set.

The flowers of lava trees open like shattered glass spilling liquids of molten pollen

A single bud rests in a fallow field, shimmering a sign planted next to it reads "Needs blood"

For each fallen limb stepped upon, a tree breaks into splinters; limbs crack at the slightest touch.

Swamps travel swiftly and quickly. The same swamp can be seen many days from many mountains

Rock splits in a cacophonous crack, oozing red and blue liquid, when hardened go back in time.

A craft falls from the sky, blazing with heat and, eventually, berths opportunity

As it's marked, tree hisses -- a faint whistle (Return in 2d10 days to a deflated tree -- and a sapling).

Winds braid walkable paths of leaves in the air. Only as the wind dies, do the leaves fall away

Moles' noses are carved into stones, creating a fern gully of sniffing sculptures

Floating woven metal drip beeswax around a wick of living hemp positioned below an exposed bladder.

Pits in the skin caused by biting insects deepen into darkening and widening maws until the next day.

Boats along the lake shore are all shells for crab-like crustaceans

Footsteps are Taken away -- stored in vials to be poured out for later use.

Illusion barrier of ancients' lost city is on the fritz; such sensually polluting defenses nauseate.

Writing in the fog lights up where fireflies flutter from one location to the next

Oars cause lake water to be shoveled rather than pushed. Water sticks to implements, weighing them

Spiders in the forest have been cursed with human customs. Like to picnic and play volleyball.

Water shrine of exotic wood caused a lake to explode and freeze at the same time, resulting in ice caves.

Single bed and breakfast hosted by a ghost. Good meals, fascinating guest log, excellent books.

Drunk frogs defend an artisan well of wine fed by a massive pitcher plant suffering from allergies

Lamppost mill, owners tend to the lampposts, growing them from single crystals in careful vats.

Servile-yet-serpentile signs read what actions PCs took last, in an attempt to annoy them away

Flash flood is an illusion (unfortunate actions of panicking characters are not.)

Gruesome sculptures with pivots stand before picketed signs reading Tip Me.

Piles of leaves dart about wildly, clamboring in a cacophonous emsemble, deafening all other sound

Wellsprings of gasses hiss in notes. Covering them plays a flute-like melody, enchanting victims

Chasm blows anything blown into it back out and 10x smaller; thrown in again, reverts to normal.

Snails with numbers on shells litter the forest floor and trees. Snails are purple with black spots

Wisps travel from tree to tree like high traffic. Sign posted says Experimental Area: Keep Out

All equipment hums and wilts when held by an owner who isn't at least humming if not singing

Cairns of stacked pumice float from one spot to the next, rearrange their stacks, and continue

Odorous flowers create paths. Follow the fresh bread odor? Or the smoked meat one? Or some other?

Seeds in the shape of fetuses wriggle in warm areas, like in sunlight or the palms of ungloved hands

Pool of glass hatches and walls of plasmatic liquids make a maze of this deathly-still lake

Boxes of quartz contain tiny plants growing tinier morsels. Opening a box usually kills the plant.

Sky flickers between day and night as though it can't remember what time it's supposed to be

Cat rests atop a floating, bloated carcass, pounces upon a mouse, and returns to the carcass to dine.

Fruit dries quickly when plucked, its wrinkles taking on the face of the one who plucked it

Every tree has a name carved into it. A fallen tree's root ball harbors an unearthed prisoner

Boulders crack, revealing stone chicks. it would seem this particular part of the forest is a nest.

Silent beast work tirelessly at weaving spider webs into cocoons for sick caterpillars

Driftwood in the lake each have a hand in their centers bobbing in and out of view

Field of view shifts in parallax, at 5 frames per second. Woodland beasts appear and disappear wildly.

Whispers from holes dug in the ground reveal the names and notable deeds of those buried here

Fire blooms from grasses bent too quickly, their blades passing one another produce the spark.

A thick, sweet pollen clouds vision and clog up uncovered airways, causing light asphyxia

Baubles or trinkets are grown into tree bark, assumedly pulled up by the capillaries by mistake

Breezes fill in pockets of thick air, erupting when touched, causing a furious blowback

Expansive circles or carefully cut and laid stone course a map to old civilizations

Animal path cuts through a canopy of ever-shrinking oaks. Leaves of the oaks drip a shrinking tonic.

At night, animal sounds are mistaken for mad ramblings, philosophical musings, and arguments

Tapestry of quilted hemp died with shells and treated with aromatic oils blanket the area

Cylinders of colossal, rusting, fallen chimes chamber the only accessible paths through the forest

Pustules on the hillside reveal the mad workings of a unindustrialized colony deep below

Flute sounds emanate from cracks in the stone cliff and stop when the cliff is touched.

Sticks crossing one another reveal the true forest floor -- a barren desert.

Howls and screeches leave the players mouths, their hollow words swallowed up by something high above

Animals will only eat from the hand. Beg players to feed them. Starvation abounds.

Blossoms of a tree paint pictures in the sky as they fall. If shaken, produces a vision of the future

Salt deposits litter the forest floor from red trees puking fresh water over themselves.

Tree roots reach out of the riverbed. Stepping into the river inverts the forest's orientation.

Eels swim through the air, casting crude shadows in the shape of animals once presiding here

Croaking of ghostly frogs echo through the forest. Bumping into one causes it to spew fiery vomit.

Red dust litters the forest floor. When exposed to rain, turns into rivulets of blood.

Tress drink so much light, they are too black to see. Useful light is only produce pointing downward

Bushes restructure the limbs sporadically, limbs fighting over sunlight

Herd beasts chew vegetation growing on their backs, reluctantly move only when aggressively persuaded

Ghosts of a pilgrimage performed time and time again fill the ancient steps of this mountainside

Owls with heads turned in the direction of safety become parts of trees when viewed up close

Distending mosses sprinkle spores onto coats and cloaks, turning fabric slowly to more moss.

Dollops of cream leak from fleshy termite mounds. Animals congregate around, lapping the cream

In a stony nook rests a single hut. In the hut rests a single book, in the book, a single word: Run.

Snot eventually pours from trees periodically sniffling and obviously allergic to visitors

Groups of birds vanish from the sky. Reappear again and vanish again in the same spots.

Magenta plants leave the forest floor a royal, mossy color. Sleeping here feels deep. Forever, even.

Every strike makes a weapon sharper, a bow tighter and a blade swifter until, of course, they shatter.

Trees all appear as doors and are, in fact, door trees. Should probably knock before harvesting.

Animals incessantly beg to be ridden and then race at top speeds until players fail Ride checks.

Wood is lopsided. Limbs slowly move between trees to grasp at the light, feverishly and frightened.

Fetid bog's algae moves like lips, spewing low hums, sharing secrets of the wood's history

Jewelry in scattered piles brighten vision when worn and turn to bloody briars once leaving the area

Short afternoon showers morph brambles into herds, twigs into serpents, and rocks into turtles.

Furs nailed upside down to trees speak quickly hushed warnings of what lies ahead

Single silken bamboo drips milky sap from a cut, trapping all who enter until the cut is mended

Animals stop what they are doing to stare at visitors, moving closer and drop dead when touched

Single-occupancy thatched shelters litter the wood where a single well-dressed skeleton lies face up.

Leaf-vested and well-spoken asks to join visitors. Becomes a dagger in an inventory outside the area

Abandoned wine cave leads down, into a burial tomb filled with statues in the likeness of players

Thrown rocks never hit the ground, loop back around behind players in d10 hours.

All wine taken into the wood is greedily hunted by ever-agitated vines eventually hissing, barking.

Well-kept signs argue in text about which way to go and must be separated before being of any use

Shanty ranch house bigger on the inside is home to giant talking bats drinking blood from pet rats.

Fruit launches from trees instead of falling, is picked off by swift birds with sword-like beaks.

Village performs odd festive rituals to entice visitors to move in; keeps a log of failed rituals.

Meticulously decorated massive nut shells are filled with villager bodies (filled with exotic seeds)

Farmers moving a waterwheel state their river's reversed direction just as the river reverts again.

Baby birds fall from nests left and right, crying for help, they beg, plead. Where are their mothers?

Sign reads Wondrous Shop Right At the Boulder. There is no boulder. There is no shop.

Elk sheds, disembodied, crack and strike one another. Best not get between them.

Rivers of trailers filled with kids teaching kids how to manipulate space without time.

d100 Only in the Wood by shwac

#d100 #list #forest #weird

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nobodysuspectsthebutterfly · 7 years

Note

So, Dany is 'The Stallion Who Mounts the World' and 'The Prince That Was Promised', is she also 'Azor Ahai'? Or are all three different versions of the same legend/prophecy? And since Jon is also a PTWP and most say he is 'Azor Ahai' could he be considered TSWMTW? Sorry if these questions seem sort of like 'ugh, semantics!', but I'm just trying to figure out which prophecy belongs to which character.

I think all three legendary figures are part of the same legend – or to be more accurate, there are multiple legends and prophecies all based around the same historical event. The Long Night was worldwide, and multiple cultures have legends of a great hero who ended it.

…the Long Night, when a season of winter came that lasted a generation—a generation in which children were born, grew into adulthood, and in many cases died without ever seeing the spring. Indeed, some of the old wives’ tales say that they never even beheld the light of day, so complete was the winter that fell on the world. While this last may well be no more than fancy, the fact that some cataclysm took place many thousands of years ago seems certain. Lomas Longstrider, in his Wonders Made by Man, recounts meeting descendants of the Rhoynar in the ruins of the festival city of Chroyane who have tales of a darkness that made the Rhoyne dwindle and disappear, her waters frozen as far south as the joining of the Selhoru. According to these tales, the return of the sun came only when a hero convinced Mother Rhoyne’s many children—lesser gods such as the Crab King and the Old Man of the River—to put aside their bickering and join together to sing a secret song that brought back the day.It is also written that there are annals in Asshai of such a darkness, and of a hero who fought against it with a red sword. His deeds are said to have been performed before the rise of Valyria, in the earliest age when Old Ghis was first forming its empire. This legend has spread west from Asshai, and the followers of R’hllor claim that this hero was named Azor Ahai, and prophesy his return. In the Jade Compendium, Colloquo Votar recounts a curious legend from Yi Ti, which states that the sun hid its face from the earth for a lifetime, ashamed at something none could discover, and that disaster was averted only by the deeds of a woman with a monkey’s tail.

–The World of Ice and Fire

TWOIAF also has another legend from Yi Ti:

In the annals of the Further East, it was the Blood Betrayal, as [the Bloodstone Emperor’s] usurpation is named, that ushered in the age of darkness called the Long Night. Despairing of the evil that had been unleashed on earth, the Maiden-Made-of-Light turned her back upon the world, and the Lion of Night came forth in all his wroth to punish the wickedness of men.How long the darkness endured no man can say, but all agree that it was only when a great warrior—known variously as Hyrkoon the Hero, Azor Ahai, Yin Tar, Neferion, and Eldric Shadowchaser—arose to give courage to the race of men and lead the virtuous into battle with his blazing sword Lightbringer that the darkness was put to rout, and light and love returned once more to the world.

–The World of Ice and Fire

The Last Hero of Northern Westeros legend is another one of these historical figures who stopped the Long Night.

How the Long Night came to an end is a matter of legend, as all such matters of the distant past have become. In the North, they tell of a last hero who sought out the intercession of the children of the forest, his companions abandoning him or dying one by one as they faced ravenous giants, cold servants, and the Others themselves. Alone he finally reached the children, despite the efforts of the white walkers, and all the tales agree this was a turning point. Thanks to the children, the first men of the Night’s Watch banded together and were able to fight—and win—the Battle for the Dawn: the last battle that broke the endless winter and sent the Others fleeing to the icy north.

–The World of Ice and Fire

“I found one account of the Long Night that spoke of the last hero slaying Others with a blade of dragonsteel. Supposedly they could not stand against it.”“Dragonsteel?” The term was new to Jon. “Valyrian steel?”“That was my first thought as well.”

–ADWD, Jon II

Which interestingly bears resemblance to a story of Azor Ahai:

“I looked at that book Maester Aemon left me. The Jade Compendium. The pages that told of Azor Ahai. Lightbringer was his sword. Tempered with his wife’s blood if Votar can be believed. Thereafter Lightbringer was never cold to the touch, but warm as Nissa Nissa had been warm. In battle the blade burned fiery hot. Once Azor Ahai fought a monster. When he thrust the sword through the belly of the beast, its blood began to boil. Smoke and steam poured from its mouth, its eyes melted and dribbled down its cheeks, and its body burst into flame.”

–ADWD, Jon III

Melisandre believes that the prophecy of Azor Ahai Reborn and the prophecy of the Prince that was Promised are the same thing. (Whether she’s right or not, we don’t know, but Maester Aemon doesn’t correct her when she makes that claim.) Since she uses the names interchangeably, it’s hard to tell what the differences between the prophecies are, but both seem to refer to a hero who will be born under a bleeding star, amidst salt and smoke, who will wake dragons from stone. Only TPTWP seems to be connected to the concept that “the dragon must have three heads”, however, and only TPTWP was prophesied to come from the line of Aerys and Rhaella. Also note that per TWOIAF, there's an ancient Valyrian prophecy that the “Doom of Man” would come from Westeros, which we do not know much about yet, but I would bet is connected to TPTWP.

And as for the Stallion Who Mounts the World:

“What does it mean?” she asked. “What is this stallion? Everyone was shouting it at me, but I don’t understand.”“The stallion is the khal of khals promised in ancient prophecy, child. He will unite the Dothraki into a single khalasar and ride to the ends of the earth, or so it was promised. All the people of the world will be his herd.”

–AGOT, Daenerys V

A Dothraki prince that was promised in prophecy– that’s way too similar to “the prince that was promised” for me to think that they’re not connected. Especially since “the ends of the earth” is a good definition for what lies beyond the curtain of light at the end of the world, where the Others come from. Or, in a previous iteration of history, whatever lies beyond the Five Forts.

Anyway, who’s who or who’s which? I don’t think it really matters. Jon and Dany are Azor Ahai and they’re the Prince that was Promised, because the dragon must have three heads, because they are the song of ice and fire, because the first Long Night was stopped by Hyrkoon the Hero, Azor Ahai, Yin Tar, Neferion, Eldric Shadowchaser, the Yi Tish woman with the monkey’s tail, the Rhoynar singing hero, and the Last Hero. There are multiple aspects of both prophecies, and both Jon and Dany will fulfill them. (As will a third person, perhaps, maybe with more aspects of the Last Hero.)

Regarding TSWMTW specifically – because Dany is likely to be the only one to majorly interact with the Dothraki, especially the dosh khaleen, they’re likely to only recognize her as the Stallion. But it’s possible Jon might be recognized as well if he eventually encounters any Dothraki, or if we get more details of that prophecy it’ll match things we know about him. We’ll just have to wait and see…

#redheadedwhat #asoiaf #asoiaf meta #daenerys targaryen #jon snow #asoiaf theories #the prince that was promised #azor ahai #the stallion who mounts the world #the last hero #the dragon must have three heads #the long night #the song of ice and fire #asoiaf prophecies #it's not semantics if they're *supposed* to be the same thing :)

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noblecrumpet-dorkvision · 7 years

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Druid Week: Druids in the Game

As a DM:

Versatility:

Druids already have a huge part in most roles, so they don’t need much in terms of catering. A bard might need to feel more involved in a campaign, but a support druid can also provide utility, tankiness, damage… they can Wild Shape or cast a spell whenever they need anything! They are one of the most versatile classes in the entire game. If they need encouragement, give them a variety of challenges (as you should always be doing, really) to force them to take more creative problem-solving measures.

Environment:

Make unique landscapes and environments for the druid. You don’t have to do it every time, but every once in a while feel free to go overboard. Floating midair land masses, waterfalls that flow upward, geysers of acid, an insect hive the size of a city… just describe some beauty shot that can really tug at the druid’s magic-strings. They will be interested in the unique plants and animals and magic there, which can influence how you populate such a land. Not to mention the other players will love such a wondrous place, too.

Fauna:

One thing a lot of DMs forget is to give druids a place to excel. Druids fall flat inside an enclosed dungeon. Give them space out in the open; in the wild. Give the druid some non-magical beasts to interact with. DMs always forget that regular threats like lions, tigers, and bears exist and with a druid, these often turn into roleplaying encounters rather than combat ones. Speak with Animals, Animal Friendship, Beast Bond, Beast Sense, Animal Messenger, Dominate Beast, Locate Creature, and Commune with Nature can all interact with beasts in some way. Beasts are everywhere if the druid is looking for them.

Flora:

Another thing to keep in mind is plant life. I just did a whole two-part post about Herbalism as a more fleshed-out system for 5e. Part 1 is just a pipeline of dice tables to make up new herbs. The herb could play a minor role in a story or adventure, or it could simply be a useful tool that exists in your world. For instance, I once had some herbs with yellow flowers that would act as healing potions, but you could only eat them twice within 24 hours or you would get sick. Ever since then, the players could find those herbs elsewhere and have a unique source of HP instead of a boring old potion. Plus they have the a-ha moment of realizing they found something useful on their own instead of opening a chest and finding it there. Part 2 of the Herbalism Guide was more about how to use the herbs as potion ingredients, as medicine, and as spell components. If you want to go the extra mile or want ideas for what herbs could do, use it!

Mood:

Just like clerics, druids can have supernatural senses that can add to the mood of an adventure. Imagine if you were a druid PC and the DM says “The druid senses something off about this forest. It makes you feel sick.” or “This jungle is in agony. You empathize with its pain, which feels like insects stinging you all over your body, and you can almost hear the wails of the trees.” Druids could make an Insight check to try and feel how a beast is feeling in the same way. It singles out the druid, identifies the problem as environmental corruption, and enhances the mood. What more could a DM want.

As a Player:

Get the Most Out of the Game:

Ask your DM questions about the flora and fauna and traits of the setting. When you travel to a new area in-game, be sure to cast Commune with Nature and get a lay of the land. This can add to the experience and provide vital information on targets for Locate spells, herbalism, and beast-influencing spells. Don’t be afraid to ask your DM for strange things that might not exist in the standard rules like “Can my druid think of any herbs that could cure paralysis in this environment?” The DM might find that intriguing and make it a plot point (making things a bit easier on the DM and giving you a potential solution to your problems to boot).

Don’t be afraid to request unique creatures to Wild Shape into, even if they aren’t in the book! I don’t see jellyfish in the Monster Manual but if a player asked me for it, I would just turn them into a Poisonous Snake with no land speed and 10 ft. swim speed, but maybe increase the poison damage a tad. And heck, who says there aren’t Giant Jellyfish in the realm of D&D? Use a Giant Poisonous Snake for that! You could easily reskin monsters like that, especially for cosmetic reasons. In the tropics? Turn into a Giant Parrot instead of a Giant Eagle. In the tundra? Turn into a Snow Hare instead of a Badger to better hide in the snow. In the desert? Turn into a Coyote instead of a Wolf. There are so many animals in the world, there is no excuse for creativity on your end as a druid!

Wild Shape:

Optimize the usage of your Wild Shape. Pick the right animals for the right jobs!

Mobility/Scout: Giant Elk, Deer, Hyena, Horses, Flying Snake, Giant Owl, Giant Eagle, Giant Badger, Ape, Panther, Giant Toad, and Giant Crab all have either fast movement or unique movement (fly, swim, climb, burrow).

Tackle: Lion, Panther, Allosaurus, Giant Octopus, Crocodile, Giant Constrictor, Giant Toad, and Giant Crab can all knock enemies prone or restrain them.

Poison Damage: Poisonous Snake, Giant Scorpion, Giant Spider, and Female Steeder (OotA) all have poison that can deal damage to those not resistant.

Sustained Damage: Wolf, Giant Crocodile, Tiger, Giant Boar, Ape, and Dire Wolf all deal reliable damage and have adequate tank.

Tank: Warhorse, Black Bear, Giant Constrictor, Rhino, Ankylosaurus, Whale, Elephant, Hulking Crab, Triceratops, and Mammoth all have a bunch of HP and AC.

Spy: Mule, Horses, Cat, Frog, Crab, Snakes, and Spiders are great at hiding and some have blindsight! Crag Cat (SKT) has Nondetection as well!

Thumbs: APES HAVE THUMBS. Which means that they can manipulate things other animals can’t. Also: You can wield your weapons while in Wild Shape!

Other tips: use summoned minions or your allies to help flank enemies while in Wild Shape. Cast buffs before you Wild Shape, make sue they don’t require concentration if you want them to stack, otherwise you can at least concentrate on one thing while in Wild Shape. If you are in a long dungeon with little to no rest, save Wild Shape for big fights when the tank is worn down or save it for utility when the other casters are low on spells. Also for grappler beasts knock the enemies down before you grapple. Then they can’t move and when they break grapple they can’t get back up as easily!

Spells:

Buffs: Druids are great for buff spells. Be sure to buff yourself before entering Wild Shape! ex: Enhance Ability, Faerie Fire, Longstrider, Barkskin, Stoneskin, Protection from Energy, Antilife Shell

Zoning: Druids have crowd control spells, but many of them control crowds through zoning. Take advantage of the fact that you are the largest influence on the surrounding environment. You get to change the battlefield to your advantage! These are big, flashy spells that make the druid fun. Use them to put obstacles in front of creatures to slow their advances, make it harder for creatures to dodge, provide cover for your party, or force enemies into a trap. “Oh there’s a Wall of Fire there I better go around it” [gets bottlenecked by ranged PCs instead of taking fire damage] ex: Wind Wall, Wall of Fire, Entangle, Plant Growth, Spike Growth, Flame Sphere, Sleet Storm, Insect Plague, Wall of Stone, Wall of Thorns, Bones of the Earth (such a cool spell)

Minions: In D&D 5e, most ACs are nearly the same thanks to Bounded Accuracy. So more attack rolls equals more damage. Minions help with this, and druids can get plenty using Conjure Elementals, Conjure Fey, Conjure Woodland Beings, and Conjure Animals! Not to mention spells like Awaken and Dominate Beast to get more allies.

Healing: Druids are good at healing. Note that Healing Word is a bonus action and has range, unlike Cure Wounds. Druids also get the Restoration spells and Reincarnate, which is less powerful than Resurrection and such, but hey it’s something!

Damage: Druids can output damage, mostly through their zoning spells, but also with some neat single-target spells. Note that Moonbeam and Blight are rare sources of Radiant and Necrotic damage, respectively.

Utility: Druids have utility. Various divination spells can break the game if you are clever. Several spells help you get where you want to go or get rid of enemy spells. Use them liberally unless you have a Wizard to lighten the necessity for utility spells. ex: Speak with Plants/Animals, Water Breathing, Animal Messenger, Pass Without Trace, Find Traps, Locate Object/Animals/Plants, Gust of Wind, Detect Poison/Disease, Detect Magic, Dispel Magic, Meld into Stone, Scrying, Tree Stride, Commune with Nature

#dungeons & dragons #d&d 5e #druid #druid week #strategy tips #druid guide #dm tips #dm #dmg #dungeon master #player character #dnd #dnd 5e #dungeons and dragons

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myth-lord · 7 years

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New Additions To Mythika

I’ve found a huge list of monsters, and I’m searching them all on Wikipedia, most of them were just Gnome#100 or Hag#1000 but some of them are real jewels!

Here are some of my most recent changes and new additions to the list:

Baku (Japanese) – Chimerae (Level 1) Baku, Bulgasari (Korean) – Chimerae (Level 5)

Bulgasari (not BULBASAUR!) is a nice and awesome addition to mythika! Now filth lickers/akaname can go back to their filth licking as I found a new rust/metal eating monster from Korea! (I love these, as I only had Kumiho from Korean mythology so far, now I have two new ones from Korea!)

These creatures look a bit like Baku, but they eat metal in the myth! In mythika they are Baku’s that eat rust (much like D&D’s Rust Monster) they turn steel into rust with their elephant/tapir-like snout and then snuff the rust up as food.

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Batu (Malay) – Elemental (Level 2) Batu, Anak Gua Batu (Malay) – Elemental (Level 4) Batu, Nargun (Australian) – Elemental (Level 7) Batu, Planctae (A-Greek) – Elemental (Level 9)

This is my new stone-elemental family!

Batu (A Hantu spirit from Malay myths) are disguising themselves as normal rocks, but they have many rocky-arms with which they love to throw stones at passing creatures, killing them in the progress or annoying them and evoking battle, fighting a stone could prove difficult.

Anak Gua Batu (rather long name I know) is another Hantu Malay spirit that is rock-related. They are mostly found in caves and underground and mimic being a stalagmite or stalactite. In Mythika they behave much like the Piercers and Ropers from Dungeons & Dragons. Falling down on prey and impaling them.

Nargun was first a Magnetic Golem, but I changed him around as he suits the rock-elemental-group more. They are still magnetic creatures but non-humanoid looking, more like some Water/Bog Strider insect made from stones, they can walk on water and their magnetic abilities are powerful. They live underneath waterfalls.

Planctae/Symplegades are the largest of the stone elemental group, they always come as twins and look a bit like crabs made from rocks. They love to crush other creatures between the two of them and feast on the crushed pulp that is left of the victims together.

A nice little stone family!

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Baykok (Native American) – Undead (Level 7) Baykok, Mokoi (Australian) – Undead (Level 7) Baykok, Machukuna (Incan) – Undead (Level 9)

Machukuna has left the Skeleton/Spartoi group and has joined the hunting undead group. Baykok hunt for powerful melee-based heroes with their magical bows, the Mokoi hunts for powerful spellcasters with its powerful chakram weapons and the Machukuna’s favorite targets are Gods and other insane powerful creatures with its staff of wind and bones.

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Codrille (French) – Undead (Level 8) Codrille, Sruvara (Iran) – Dragon (Level 10)

My undead plague/pestilence dragon Codrille has gained a living variant, Codrilles were raised from Sruvara corpses. Both dragons have horrid breath-weapons, while Sruvara’s breath spreads gangreen and poisons, the Codrille’s breath spreads the worst of diseases into its victims.

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Daguk (Malay) – Elemental/Spirit (Level 1) Daguk, Brollachan (Scottish) – Elemental/Spirit (Level 6) Daguk, Hongaek (Korean) – Elemental/Spirit (Level 7) Daguk, Deogen (Belgian) – Elemental/Spirit (Level 8)

Mythika’s little mist elemental-family also gained some new members! While Brollachan is fear mist which shows your worst fears within the mist the Deogen is a powerful green mist that ressurects everything killed within its mist as undead horrors.

Daguk (Hantu spirit from Malay) are common fog/mist monsters and look like thick dark colored mist, they aren’t very powerful and mostly only take away the sight of other creatures so they make horrible accidents, for this reason these monsters mostly haunt mountains and bogs. They are created from the souls of murdered fae.

Hongaek (YES, another cool Korean monster) is red mist which causes severe misfortune to anyone caught within its mist, slowly draining away the luck of a creature. It also turns poisons and diseases worse to anyone caught within its mass. They drain creatures blood after they are killed (by bad luck accidents mostly) so that’s why they are red.

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Emela Ntouka (African) – Beast (Level 8) Emela Ntouka, Bulgu (African) – Beast (Level 9) Emela Ntouka, Behemoth (Biblical) – Titan (Level 10)

Thanks to ABookOfCreatures I learned about the awesome creature called Bulgu. This ogre (well in mythika it is a rhinoceros-like beast) has four eyes and a axe-like head. Bulgu are carnivorous variants of Emela Ntouka, and just as aggressive as them. Often used as war-beasts by Berserkers they slice everything in half with their axe-like heads and feasts on the scattered parts.

This is what the Bulgu really looks like in Mythology though: https://abookofcreatures.com/2017/05/15/bulgu/

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Hagondes (Native American) – Demon (Level 3) Hagondes, Hellequin (French) – Demon (Level 5)

The demonic Jester/Clown family also got a nice update, they gained Hagondes, a Native American clown/jester horror with a hook-like nose and a nasty behavior.

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Ittan-Momen (Japanese) – Construct (Level 2) Ittan-Momen, Boroboroton (Japanese) – Construct (Level 4) Ittan-Momen, Bungkus (Malay) – Construct/Spirit (Level 5)

Another Hantu Spirit joined the fray of awesome creatures. Bungkus are looking pretty much like mummies, but in Mythika they were actually once normal Ittan-Momen, but they merged together with a human victim to become one creature, much like a mummy. The Ittan-Momen/Bungkus controlls the corpses, pretty much like the clothes wear the man/corpse.

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Jembalang (Malay) – Elemental/Spirit (Level 6) Jembalang, Land Wight (Norse) – Elemental/Spirit (Level 10)

And yes, another Hantu Malay Spirit, this time it is the earth elemental family that got updated with one. Jembalang looks pretty much like most Earth Elementals do, they are the angry collected spirits of fae that control the land and soil and which can form it into many forms to slay their enemies with. The Land Wight is much bigger, and fighting one of these is like fighting the entire environment/landscape.

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Kalanoro (Madagascar) – Fae/Gnome (Level 2) Kalanoro, Pukwudgie (Native American) – Fae/Gnome (Level 4)

These are both porcupine-like gnomes that use their own quills as weapons. Kalanoro love to live in trees and use their own poisonous quills as arrows. Pukwudgie are more into voodoo magic and when victims are killed by their poisonous quills they rise as undead slaves. Kalanoro is my first madagascar creature! Hope more will follow in the future!

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Konakadet (Native American) – Construct/Spirit (Level 6)

This new creature is an awesome magical possessed construct in the form of a Totempole, which means that my Wulgaru changed back into a Wood Golem without anyhing totem-like about him.Konakadet is A very powerful creature with powerful tribal magic, though corrupted by evil Gods and spirits. They can’t move normally and use teleporting for locomotion. They mostly place themselves near towns and then start to curse and corrupt the inhabitats from a distance until discovered. Mostly they work sly and some of them destroy entire towns before anyone noticed the cause.

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Kori (Colombia) – Beast (Level 7)

These are giant green aquatic Anteater monsters that can turn earth/rock/metal/flesh into water with their magical tongue. After a while the water will turn into mud again, and after a few hours it will be turned back into earth/soil/metal/flesh. They often turn fleshy creatures into liquid and then drink them up.

Read more about the Kori here: https://abookofcreatures.com/2016/10/17/kori/

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Leshy (Slavic) – Fae/Dwarf (Level 3) Leshy, Polevik (Slavic) – Fae/Dwarf (Level 3) Leshy, Korrigan (Breton) – Fae/Dwarf (Level 6)

Polevik was added to the Leshy/Forest/Plant Dwarf family. Polevik are the Leshies of the fields, grass and hay. They can summon Stray Sod’s into battle to serve them.

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Poltergeist (Germany) – Undead/Spirit (Level 2) Poltergeist, Hannya (Japanese) – Undead/Spirit (Level 4) Poltergeist, Inugami (Japanese) – Undead/Spirit (Level 6) Poltergeist, Wraith (Scottish) – Undead/Spirit (Level 7) Poltergeist, Dybbuk (Jewish) – Demon/Spirit (Level 9)

And also the possession-ghosts gained a new member, Hannya are possessed masks that when worn by a humanoid will transform them into an extremely nasty, evil and vain monster. Once put on a humanoids face the mask will merge with the flesh and it will be very painful to remove it, and because of the possession the host itself won’t remove it out of free will.

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Spartoi (A-Greek) – Undead (Level 1) Spartoi, Jerangkung (Malay) – Undead (Level 3) Spartoi, Bloody Bones (English) – Undead (Level 4) Spartoi, Ahkiyyini (Inuit) – Undead (Level 7)

The last of the Malay Hantu Spirits is found in the Skeleton-undead group. Jerangkung look like black-boned skeletons with wicked red burning ruby jewels for eyes. They can merge their own bones with those of other creatures, hurting and torturing the creatures from the inside out through their very own bones, by breaking them and by wrenching them. The Jerangkung must first create a wound to enter a creatures skeleton though, they need visible bones to do this trick.

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Xan (Mayan) – Vermin (Level 1) Xan, Moskitto (Fearsome Critter) – Vermin (Level 3) Xan, Alkuntane (Native American) – Vermin/Parasite (Level 4) Xan, Abuhuku (Colombia) – Aberration/Parasite (Level 5)

Where are all these awesome mosquito creatures suddenly come from? First I only had Moskitto, but now I gained two new mythology mosquito creatures in one week! Xan the Mayan mosquito’s were added earlier this week, now I found Alkuntane as well! Alkuntane are brain-sucking mosquito horrors that suck out the brains through the ears of their victims. While they are much smaller than the human-sized Moskitto, the Alkuntane is much more dangerous as they temporary gain intelligence when they sucked out brains.

EDIT: I just thought of something new: While most Alkuntane just suck out the brains of their victims, some of them can shrink in size and enter the ears of victims, there they merge with the victims brains, and eventually evolve into a new creature known as the Abuhuku, these mosquito-headed troll-sized monsters use their large proboscis to suck out brain and blood from other creatures through their skull. They are pretty much looking like mosquito-humanoids.

Read more about the Abuhuku here: https://abookofcreatures.com/2015/11/13/abuhuku/

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Yagim (Native American) – Beast (Level 2) Yagim, Akheilos (A-Greek) – Beast (Level 4) Yagim, Tiburones (Philippine) – Beast (Level 5) Yagim, Taniwha (New Zealand) – Beast (Level 6) Yagim, Kagewani (Japanese) – Undead (Level 7) Yagim, Isonade (Japanese) – Demon/Oni (Level 8)

Wow, mythika’s shark collection is growing big! Now it has a normal red-headed bully shark, a shark shapeshifter, a gravity controlling shark that levitates itself onto land, a sand/ground shark and a megalodon-sized demon shark. My newest addition is the Shadow Shark Kagewani I posted earlier today. These are undead shadow sharks which can bite and tear shadows of other creatures, they can even pull creatures into the water by grabbing their shadows on the waves. Kagewani is my favorite new addition of today!

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Yowie (Australian) – Fae (Level 3) Yowie, Yeti (Himalayan) – Fae (Level 4) Yowie, Hidebehind (Fearsome Critter) – Fae (Level 6) Yowie, Fear Liath (Scottish) – Fae/Alien (Level 7) Yowie, Genderuwo (Indonesian) – Fae (Level 8)

No new creatures joined the evil bigfoot/sasquatch family today,(though I almost added the Genoskwa to this group, which are stone-skinned Sasquatch creatures) but I added Hidebehind to the group. They are now magical black-furred Sasquatch horrors. Much like shadow sasquatch. They can hide behind the thinnest objects with their magical abilities and they can also absorb any material into their skin when they touch it, so touching a metal object turns their fur into metal, touching wood turns their fur into wood, this also helps in battle as well as in camouflage, they are the kings of hiding.

I found all the awesome Malay Hantu Spirits on this site: http://www.monsterku.com/malaysian-ghosts.html

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thatswaterdeep · 4 years

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Fish-slapped

After encountering a sick village of kuo-toa and some bizarre requests from the chief priest of the village, the party decided to investigate the rest of the cavern. Still able to water walk, they headed downriver and found their way into a large cavern with a little island in the middle. The island had an odd statue with a net over it and lots of coin and treasure at its feet. While they walked there, they began to hear voices in their head from some ancient source trying to entice them each to join it.

As they walked toward the statue they were immediately attacked from crab-like creatures in the water beneath them and a prolonged battle ensued. During this battle, they tried to make their way to the island only to have a large wave knock them off each time. While they were able to finally defeat (or drive away) the crab-like creatures, they were attacked by pale white tentacles during the fight. Frequently, getting hit by these tentacles would cause paralysis or a party member would be grappled by the creature. Multiple members of the party also reported seeing a pale white three-eyed creature in the cavern that tried to take control of them.

Very disturbingly, during the fight Tossa began to attack Pon and Q later attacked Top. Having none of it, Sychor went a little nuts and attacked Tossa and Q. In each case, it was enough to break whatever trance they were under. The fight finally ended with the voice saying that it would return. Q learned that neither Sychor or Tossa could be healed. A minute later their skin became translucent and they started to excrete slime over their skin that looked a lot like what was covering the walls around the kuo-toa.

The party decided to walk back to the alchemist to see if he could help. On the way, both Sychor and Tossa began to feel a burning feeling on their skin that was only soothed by splashing water on themselves. The alchemist could not help, but wasn't surprised to hear that something evil was happening elsewhere in the caverns.

During this time Q decided to commune with the Stone of Golorr to see if it had anything to offer and was immediately struck at the similarity in appearance of the stone and the creature they were fighting in the cavern. He learned that whatever this creature was, it was very old. He also learned that those infected with its disease would need a high-level restoration to be cured. In the meantime, those afflicted needed to be healed while completely submerged.

The party rigged up a sort of basin to allow Q to heal Sychor and Tossa while they were submerged, but they also had to keep their skin wet or the burning would start again.

Without any other options, they set out again to investigate other parts of the caverns and found a zurkhwood forest where a few of the trees had been awakened and spoke gnomish. Top was able to learn that they were defending themselves when a gray dwarf was killed, but their master had left. Top decided to leave the giant caterpillar creature alone while it digested its meal and generally leave the forest alone.

Next, the party found a cave with a chasm across it and a rickety bridge. When half of the party had crossed, they were ambushed by drow and quaggoths that proved to be difficult to subdue. When they finally did, they realized that they were near the drow outpost that they knew was here. The fight left them beat up, tired, and not sure what to do next.

The party is convinced that the troubles in these caverns are because of the creepy white aquatic creature, but they aren't sure they can defeat it. At the same time, they don't want to get involved with the drow until the other problem is solved.

Can the party find a way to win? Will the drow be too tough in their weakened state? Are Sychor and Tossa forever cursed to leave a slug trail wherever they walk?a

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visitasia-us · 5 years

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Top 10 Underrated Places in Asia You Need to Visit

looks like your bucket list just got a little bit longer welcome to mojo travels and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 underrated places in Asia you need to visit are you a fan of our videos be sure to subscribe to mojo travels and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos for this list we're taking a look at the most relatively underappreciated places throughout Asia the travelers would be wise to add to their must-visit lists in the coming years number 10 Busan South Korea located on the southern end of the Korean Peninsula this tragically underrated port city is home to picturesque mountains scenic beaches and a rich cultural history temple hoppers will love exploring Poussin's many religious sites with each one offering up something unique take a stroll through the Chuckle chief fish market the country's largest before visiting the colorful and eclectic kam Chong culture village watch the sunset on high and a beach before choosing one of Poussin's many culinary institutions if you're looking for a uniquely South Korean experience but want to avoid the dense sprawl of Seoul head to Pusan number nine by Thailand far removed from the sun-soaked beaches of Thailand south is a tiny mountain town that's well worth the winding three hour bus ride it takes to get there by is slowly becoming a tourist hotspot thanks to its fantastic night market endless rows of shops and restaurants and its proximity to some truly great sights just a quick scooter drive out of town you'll find a ton of great spots such as the pike canyon rice fields and even a giant white Buddha pie is still relatively new to the Thailand tourist trail but seems poised to make a big leap in popularity in the coming years so get there soon number 8 the Wong prabang laos Luang Prabang is louses cultural and spiritual capital home to breathtaking temples a fantastic array of food and some of the best natural wonders in the world the first thing you'll notice upon arrival is the architecture which feels less like Southeast Asia and more like Southeast France climb to the top of Luang Prabang centrally located Hill for a 360 degree view of the city's many sites take a day trip to the picturesque kuang SI waterfall and bathe in one of its many pools PS while in Laos don't forget to check out the Plain of Jars an archaeological area strewn with many centuries old stone jars with a mysterious past number seven palawan the Philippines water lovers rejoice palawan is an archipelago province unlike any in the world it's home to some of the most beautiful stretches of beach on earth making it the perfect place for a little R&R; rent a kayak and explore some of the regions water caves or if you're feeling a little more adventurous why not do a little scuba diving but la Wan is surrounded by spectacular coral reefs that are guaranteed to dazzle even the most seasoned of underwater veterans hello one is slowly becoming a favourite destination of backpackers the world over so you'd be wise to pay it a visit sooner rather than later number six began Mayan Mar due to its tragic modern history Mayan Mar formerly known as Burma as a whole is very under explored and underrated but we only have time to focus on one place and begun is an easy choice it's located smack dab in the middle of the country which only opened itself up to tourists in 1992 the town is best known for its stunning array of temples that dot the surrounding landscape one that's best seen from the basket of a hot-air balloon there are many temples to see but the two you don't want to miss out on are the dummy Yanni Pato and the ananda pahto began is still relatively untouched by tourism making it the perfect place for intrepid travelers number five koron Cambodia looking to get away from it all head to koh rong crystal clear waters that are just perfect for diving snorkeling and all other manner of fun water based activities surround this island paradise on land you'll find lush forests that are calling out to you to be explored wind down with a cold beer at any of the islands many beachside bars or enjoy a delicious plate of fried crab or red curry at one of the many restaurants quran isn't as popular as some of Thailand's islands but that just makes it even more appealing number four Gansu China if you're someone who's constantly searching for the next great photo op then Gansu Province in north central China is the place for you you it has a little something for everyone from portions of the Great Wall and colorful mountain ranges to sandy deserts and ancient temples there are so many different reasons to visit this eclectic portion of the country from the incredible Mogao caves to the historically fabled Silk Road don't let GaN suicides deter you from paying at a visit in the near future as its exclusivity makes it one of the most unique travel destinations in all of Asia number three Malacca City Malaysia a unesco world heritage site malacca city is Southeast Asia's hidden jewel steeped in history the city has changed hands five times since the 15th century a fact represented by its diverse architecture take a stroll along the banks of the malacca river and take in some of the city's impressive street art or better yet take a trip back in time and visit christchurch situated in the centre of the picturesque dutch square another must-see is the relatively new malacca straits mosque located on a man-made island that is a wonder to behold especially at night we can't imagine that malacca city will remain underrated for long number two don lat vietnam people come to vietnam for the food the history and the scenery and a lot located in the central highlands has all three while it may not be as popular as Ho Chi Minh City in the south or Hanoi in the north it is no less inviting grab a cup of traditional Vietnamese drip coffee and explore the night market or take a day trip to Danbury Falls stopping on the way back at one of the various tea plantations which are some of the most beautiful in the entire world one of the best parts about dalat is the temperature which is considerably cooler than the rest of the country number one Nusa Penida indonesia it's official no trip to Bali is complete without hopping on a 45-minute speed boat to neighboring new SAP Anita the island is home to a plethora of breathtaking sights from the endless leaf photographable Cullen King Beach to the delightfully clear waters of Angels Billabong Lagoon the terrain is rough and the roads are worse but the views are unrivaled despite its proximity to one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet this island has remained relatively untouched by tourism until very recently but with so many incredible sights it's only a matter of time before resorts start to pop up so as with any underrated place get there before it becomes overrun with tourists do you agree with our picks check out these other great clips for mojo travels and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos

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#Underrated Places in Asia #visit asia #asia

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murphydreamswarriors · 5 years

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Territories

GENERAL

The territories are shaped roughly like a rhombus and split into four pieces.

Northclan resides in the northern slice, EastClan in eastern slice, etc.

Gatherings are held in the Mooncopse on WestClan territory, though it is still close to the center.

NORTHCLAN TERRITORY

NorthClan’s territory is primarily rocky outcroppings and plains. It is colder in their territory than others, but not significantly. NorthClan’s border with EastClan is marked by an outcropping of rocks that commonly harbors snakes. NorthClan’s border with WestClan is marked by a large meadow.

Prey: Lizards, lemmings, mice, small birds, moles, voles, rabbits

Predators: Birds of prey, venomous snakes

LANDMARKS

•Basking Rocks: A collection of large rocks that sit out in the sun. In the right temperatures, warriors can lounge around on them comfortably.

•The Meadow: The meadow is a huge stretch of grass bordering the WestClan border. It is commonly trespassed on, accidentally and intentionally, and is a great spot for hunting.

•The Cliffs: The cliffs are, well, cliffs that mark the northeastern border NorthClan shares with no other clan. Below them rages a wild and unpredictable river, and apprentices are warned away from that part of the territory until they are older and calmer.

CAMP

The NorthClan camp is circled by jagged rocks that take practice and knowledge to pass by without injury. The rocks near the back of the camp are much taller and more unsurpassable than the smaller ones near the entrance. The entrance is a gap between two rocks leaning against one another, and the fresh-kill pile is to the left of the apprentices’ den. Cats usually share tongues and lounge to the right of the warriors’ and apprentices’ den.

The elder’s den is in the back of camp, and was created by a huge tree falling that has since decayed to a log. The log is propped up by one of the outer rocks and the leader’s den, making a shelter under the lifted trunk. The outer rock is taller than the leader’s den, causing the trunk to sit at a slant. Plants have been hung from the log to make a curtain protecting the entrance from the elements.

The leader’s den is in a rock hollowed out by generations of rain. The same plants shielding the elder’s den cover the open side of the rock. Announcements are spoken by the leader from the end of the trunk that is tipped upwards.

The warriors’ den is directly in front of the entrance and only a couple tail lengths back. This way, warriors can meet any intruders coming in head on. The den itself is a large bush with high branches, allowing cats room to rest and hang out underneath. The branches curve downward, so that only the paws of cats inside are visible.

The apprentice’s den is attached to the back of the warriors’ den and is also a bush, but is slightly smaller. There is a gap in the wall between the two dens that allows warriors to enter the apprentices’ den directly from the warriors’ and vice versa.

The nursery is a cave made by rocks falling into just the right places. It’s big enough to fit several cats at a time and is to the right of the leader’s den. The entrance is uncovered, but small enough to be overlooked. There’s a hole in the ceiling a tail length wide at the top to let in light.

The medicine den is technically outside of the camp. It’s an old badger set that hasn’t been touched for generations upon generations. The entrance is inside the camp next to the fresh-kill pile, but it stretches to just outside of the rock border underground. The original tunnel has been widened out so that the entire space outside of the camp is as open as a normal den.

TRADITIONS

NorthClan celebrates their resilience and pure blood more strongly than any other clan. They throw hunting and fighting competitions on the first snow, first orange, first bright, and first rain of every year.

Battle scars are badges of honor and are considered attractive in NorthClan. The most scarred and respected warriors’ nests are decorated with the bones of prey and rare stones.

It is common for prey- the bigger and more dangerous the better- and skulls to be exchanged between mates during both courtship and relationship. It is uncommon for friends to exchange such personal gifts (sharing food is different than gifting it). It is also, sadly, not rare for warriors to die attempting to bring down deadly prey to court a mate.

EASTCLAN TERRITORY

EastClan territory is half plains and meadows and half pine trees. There is a stream that marks the border between EastClan and SouthClan, and an outcropping of rocks infested with snakes marks the border between EastClan and NorthClan.

Prey: Squirrels, mice, moles, birds, water voles, rabbits

Predators: Foxes, badgers, birds of prey

LANDMARKS

•The Burrows: The burrows are a field a large rabbit warren resides in. It’s a great place to hunt for multiple predators, making it dangerous as well.

•The Eagle Tree: The eagle tree is a huge pine tree towards the northern end of the territory. A family of eagles has made their home there, making it a very dangerous area from cats.

•The Pond: The pond is a small meadow near the southern part of the territory. A pond scattered with lilypads sits in the middle, making it a popular place for dates as well as hunting.

CAMP

The EastClan camp is located in the shelves and cracks of a short, slanted cliff. The ground falls away at an angle, causing the edge of the cliff to jut out further than the base. Cracks that lead into larger caverns and protruding rocks litter the cliff face. The camp is hidden to the untrained eye due to the tall pine trees in this part of the territory shielding the dips in the cliff from view. The freshkill is stored in the highest and smallest crevice a couple tail lengths down from the top. Warriors share tongues in unclaimed spaces in the cliff. The leader makes announcements from a sharp ledge arcing just above the leader’s den.

The leader’s den is just below the freshkill pile. It also has the smallest entrance, but is still accessible to any cat. The crack widens out into a space that is four tail lengths wide and slightly longer than it is wide.

The medicine cat den is directly to the left of the leader’s den. It is around the same size and contains a small pool of water in the back corner that filled when it rained back when the clans first moved in. The leak has since been patched up, but the water has remained.

The warriors’ den is the largest and the closest to the bottom, only a tail length above the ground. It can easily fit around thirty cats, though there have never been that many cats in one single clan. The den is accessed through a ragged hole rather than a crack.

The apprentices’ den is only a kitstep above the warriors’ den. The space inside is also less than half the size of the warriors’ den, although it still provides plenty of space.

The nursery is below the leader’s den but above the apprentices’ den. It also is nearly as big as the warriors’ den to give new kits space to run around in. A clear path made by rocks jutting out provides an easier way up and down than from the other dens.

The elders’ den is directly next to the nursery, though the chambers aren’t attached. It is medium in size because, unfortunately, most cats don’t live to be elders.

TRADITIONS

EastClan cats celebrate agility and dexterity. Long legs and willowy bodies are the pinnacle of beauty, and tall, slender cats are admired. However, cats who aren’t slender and graceful looking but are agile and swift anyways are valued just as much.

EastClan cats hold climbing contests and races every half moon. It is not uncommon for apprentices to be injured trying to show off. Consisten winners and respected warriors have feathers tucked in their fur and their nests decorated with the like.

Birds and bird feathers are common gifts exchanged between mates. Bird feathers are more common during courtship and special occasions, and prey itself is more common once cats are already mates. The bigger and more vibrant the bird or feather, the better.

SOUTHCLAN TERRITORY

SouthClan territory is primarily pine forest, but a portion of a huge lake takes up 1/4 of the territory in the southernmost corner. A stream marks the border between SouthClan and EastClan, and a strange flimsy twoleg fence made from trees marks the border between SouthClan and WestClan.

Prey: Fish, frogs, toads, squirrels, moles, rats, water voles

Predators: Sharks, rats

LANDMARKS

The Beach: The beach is a stretch of sand preceding the lake. The sand is pleasantly warm in the right weather and apprentices enjoy chasing around the crabs and prancing in the shallows.

Methuselah: Methusaleh is an incredibly giant pine tree near the center of SouthClan territory. Its trunk could fit multiple warriors if it were hollowed out. Apprentices and young warriors dare each other to climb it, but rarely can any of them reach even the second branch.

The Ghostplace: The ghostplace is a mysterious, abandoned house close to the EastClan border. It’s rumored that dead cats who don’t walk with StarClan haunt the area.

CAMP

The SouthClan camp is a small island a few tail lengths from the shore of the lake. The fresh-kill pile is stored in a hollowed out tree trunk, and cats share tongues in the clearing encircled by the dens. The leader makes announcements from a straggly tree overlooking the camp.

The leader’s den is at the back of camp and is made up of large, thick ferns that create a canopy and surround the edges of the camp. It sits at the base of the tree announcements are made on.

The medicine cat den is on a peninsula to the left of the leader’s den. The den itself is at the end and is a huge hollowed out tree trunk that still stands a few tail lengths tall. Some say that it was once the ancestor of Methuselah.

The warriors’ den is under a very fluffy, high-branched bush with huge leaves that lays closest to shore. While the branches themselves don’t curve downwards, the leaves are so large that they disguise the cats inside anyway.

The apprentices sleep outside except in cases of severe weather to acclimate themselves to nature. They usually sleep in the center of camp in a tight ball- it is common for SouthClan members to be especially bonded together during training.

The nursery is to the immediate right of the leader’s den, as it is common for the leader to take a special interest in kits and spend time visiting. It is formed by a thick wall of foliage that grows in a loose circle. The ceiling is flimsy but generally waterproof.

The elders’ den is to the left of the medicine den. It is a long, hollowed out log that has ragged holes scattered about to let in light and fresh air. Despite having a den, many elders prefer to sleep outside when the weather isn’t bad.

TRADITIONS

SouthClan values closeness and independence. Personality is valued more than anything else, despite the leader and the deputy’s nasty attitudes. Kind, friendly cats who are popular with the clan often have their nests decorated with various eyes of prey, as SouthClan believes the eyes are the windows to the soul.

SouthClan cats are regularly trained and tested in swimming because they must swim to leave camp. All elders and apprentices must be helped across the water to shore if they wish to leave. Being water oriented, the first rain and snow of every season is celebrated with a feast and the chumming of water to attract sharks. While no doubt incredibly dangerous, they are a sight to see.

Common gifts between friends are crab claws, and competitions are held occasionally to see who can find the biggest one. Gifts exchanged between mates and during courtship are seashells and teeth- specifically shark teeth.

WESTCLAN TERRITORY

WestClan territory is filled with skinny birch trees and thick, towering oaks. There are a few clearings scattered about, but it is primarily thick woodland. A u-shaped stream trickles through the middle and meets the lake outside of the territories. A flimsy twoleg fence marks the SouthClan border, and a meadow that is admittedly often crossed is the NorthClan border.

Prey: Squirrels, water voles, mice, small birds, moles

Predators: Badgers, foxes

LANDMARKS

The Mooncopse: The Mooncopse is a pond surrounded by birch trees that are always orange and yellow. When the moon hits just right, the leaves and water turn silver. This is where cats exchange dreams with StarClan.

The Stream: The stream serves little to no purpose, since WestClan cats are not too great at fishing. However, it still serves as a pretty and scenic spot for dates.

Whistling: Whistling is an eery cave on the border WestClan shares with no other clan. When the wind hits just right, the cave is filled with strange sounds.

CAMP

The WestClan camp sits just inside the bend of the stream. It’s in a strange twoleg house built into a huge tree. NorthClan especially believes they are strange for living in a twoleg structure and compares them to kittypets, though WestClan pay no mind. The leader makes announcements from the roof and the freshkill is kept in the corner of the largest room in the house, which is where cats share tongues as well.

The leader’s den is the smallest chamber out of the five in the delapidated structure. It is the first to the left from the entrance. Long vines and plants have been hung from all of the walls to create curtains to provide more privacy than the open gaps previously offered.

The medicine den is at the base of the tree itself. The thick, long roots make for great shelter and strong walls.

The warriors enjoy sleeping in the sprawling branches of the great tree. In events of extreme weather, they will shelter in the sharing tongues chamber.

The apprentices’ den is next to the warriors’ den and is significantly smaller, though it still provides plenty of space. The walls are more splintered than any other chamber, but it is still generally secure.

The nursery is all the way in the back and is the second largest den. It is also thoroughly patched with foliage and brambles to insulate it and protect it from rain and snow.

The elders’ den is the third largest chamber. It is directly to the right of the nursery. The roof has been patched with moss to prevent leaks, but the chips in the walls let in too much windchill at times, which the elders have no qualms with complaining about.

TRADITIONS

WestClan is stereotyped as shallow and superstitious. Odd numbered litters are watched with a close eye, and shifts in the clouds set the clan at unease. However, unlike the other clans, they have no unfair beauty standards. Cats are decorated both for being good cats and fine warriors. No body type is preferred over another. Nests of respected cats are usually decorated with leaves from the mooncopse, fish scales, and feathers.

WestClan celebrates new life fervently, and the birth of kits is always celebrated with a feast. WestClan also pride themselves on being a well rounded clan. They teach aporentices climbing, swimming, hunting and fighting. They may not be as good at any one skill as the other clans, but their knowledge and ability to do everything gives them an advantage.

WestClan celebrates love more than any other clan, and the first sunshine day of every year is essentially Valentine’s day for them. Gifts exchanged between mates aren’t set in stone and are often creative, as are public proposals. It is rare for couples in WestClan to separate.

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tripstations · 5 years

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Japan: the Ultimate Travel Guide

So you’re going to Japan. Cool… take us with you?

At STA Travel, our motto is ‘we know because we go’. Or in my case, we lived there. I’m Jo, and I lived in Japan for just over one year working as an English teacher in a small, mountaintop middle school in Hyogo prefecture. My students and fellow teachers not only taught me how to survive, but also where the best little-known adventure spots were hidden. Now it’s my pleasure to pass on the wisdom so you can be the savviest gaikokujin (foreigner) walking out of the airport.

Besides unwaveringly excellent food, epic history, and colourful traditions, the whole country is practically one giant UNESCO World Heritage Site. As much as we’d love to show you the ropes ourselves, this ultimate travel guide will probably say it better than we can—it’s hard to talk while shovelling tempura into our faces.

Japan’s highlights

We’d usually give you five here, but we’ve split it out into 25. That’s five for each of the five major tourist spots you can’t miss.

Tokyo top 5

From forest-enclosed shrines to blaring neon streets, Tokyo has everything. EVERYTHING. Like…

Akihabara – If you’re a total otaku (nerd), the Akihabara district is the biggest anime hub in the world and sells every piece of merch you can dream of. Prepare to be converted into a full-on foodie as restaurants and cafes are elaborately themed into whatever you can, or can’t, imagine. The Mori Art Gallery – Still not funky enough? The Mori Art Gallery has enormous, interactive exhibits and, with a ticket, you get to squeak into one of the city’s best viewpoints and score a selfie with the top of Tokyo tower. Harajuku – The epicentre of teen culture, Takeshita street is an explosion of colourful wigs, J-pop merch and syrupy crepes. Walk 15 minutes into the woods across the street and find the Meiji Jingu Shrine. If the Harajuku Girl look isn’t quite you, go shopping on nearby Cat Street for sleek, luxury brands and killer vintage finds. Shibuya – After joining thousands in crossing the world’s most famous (and busiest) intersection, watch the chaos from above in the Starbucks above Tsutaya or head to one of the thousands of nearby bars or izakayas (snack bars) for a night out. If you love dogs, don’t forget pass the Hachiko Memorial Statue and give that pupper a good pat. Ueno Park – As a traveler, the museums in Ueno Park have the finest artifacts and art works to aid in your understanding of the history of Japan. If you’re more into the pop culture side of things, this landmark is heavily featured in books and movies as a place where love and heartbreak happens. Come spring, the rows of cherry blossom trees are good for the ‘gram.

Also don’t miss: Senso-ji temple, wandering down the endless yokochos (narrow alleys) around the city and Tsukiji Fish Market, for all the noms.

Mount Fuji top 5

Don your goggles and facemask, and venture up Japan’s iconic summit… or just chill at the bottom of it, gazing in awe.

Climbing up – It’s best to kick off your pilgrimage in the early afternoon, bundle up in a hut overnight, and see why Japan is called The Land of the Rising Sun the next morning. Sure, Fuji sounds daunting, but getting up is the easy part—getting down after your adventure and an intoxicating sunrise is where the challenge lies. Lake Kawaguchi – If the two-day journey doesn’t quite peak your interest, view it from one of five lakes surrounding the mountain. Lake Kawaguchi is the most accessible and popular, flaunting onsens, hotels, and the temple-framed views of Fuji pictured above. Lake Motosuko – If you have an appetite for something a little more remote though, Lake Motosuko’s vistas are clear of buildings save a couple of stand-up paddle board rental shops and campsites. Assuming you’re driving from east to west, the drive past the four other lakes is an additional treat as well, and a strong contender for our favourite of the five lakes. Water sports and rollercoasters – If you like queuing up for ages to see great heights, hop on to one of the rollercoasters at Fuji-Q. This popular theme park is home to the Takabisha, which has the steepest drop in the world at 121°. It’s just like climbing Fuji again, but much, much faster on the trip down. Exploring caves – If rock compositions excite you like this geography nerd, you’re in for an education about volcanic magma, limestone caves, and how three of the Fuji five lakes are actually connected by underwater tunnels. Give Bat Cave, Ice Caves and Wind Cave a go.

Kyoto top 5

Nearly every Instagram you’ve seen of Japan was probably taken here. Does bamboo forests and rows of bright orange torii gates ring a bell?

Gion – Consider Kyoto the cultural capital, sprawling with kimono-clad visitors scuttling past in the historic alleys of Gion. Your only indication that you weren’t transported to the Edo period will be the dozens of other camera-wielding travelers, all hoping for a glimpse of a real-life geisha. Fushimi Inari Shrine – You can pose with your back to the camera as you walk through the hundreds of torii gates near the bottom of the mountain, but a complete pilgrimage means slowly winding all the way up the mountain to the final shrine and a wide vista over the whole city. You can even see Osaka from up there on a clear day. Arashiyama – This corner of Kyoto is home to the famous bamboo grove, a monkey park, and pretty incredible gardens. The best teahouses are found at the temples here, though be sure to ask for a chair if sitting on your knees is a challenge. Golden Temple – There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of temples. If you stop to visit every single one you pass, you seriously won’t get very far! Even if it means tying horse blinders to your face, you need to make it to Kinkaku-ji, aka the Golden Temple, at the northern end of Kyoto. It’s the birthplace of so much art and cultural history, and it sparkles brilliantly in the sun. Ryoan-ji’s rock garden – The Ryoan-ji temple neighbours the Golden Temple, but is much more niche. The dry landscape garden here is thought to been built in the late 15th century and no one knows its original creator. Fifteen rocks sit in a position that makes it impossible to view them all from any perspective. Contemplate the implied existential meaning of your existence as you sit quietly on the viewing platform.

Osaka top 5

There’s no better medicine for getting a little templed out in Kyoto than diving head-first into the neon sprawl of Osaka.

America Mura – This village is a divine mix of chic and bizarre. A rooftop Statue of Liberty will watch over you as you wander from sleek cocktail bars to funky restaurants. The most wholesome delight is hearing people sing their hearts out to karaoke at 7am as you walk back to your hotel after a long night out. Dotonburi – Speaking of a night out, one is incomplete without posing with the Glico man in Dōtonburi—just don’t get too excited and fall into the river. Feel free to pose with the massive dragon, crab, and fish robots that sit above shop doors. To burn off some extra energy, check out Round1/Spocha in the Namba area. This 24-hour sports centre has hundreds of arcade and sports games including a mechanical bull, a roller rink, and those inflatable bubble things you can play human football in. Spa World – Foreigners who live Japan share whispers among themselves of this fantasy waterpark for adults. It’s a hotel with its most attractive features being multiple onsens, waterslides, stone spa and restaurants. You don’t have to stay overnight to bask in Spa World’s relaxing waters. Did we mention it’s open 24-hours? Baseball Game – Here, the locals are known for being a bit more boisterous than their Tokyo counterparts. The best way to witness this is at a Hanshin Tigers baseball game. The team is doing better these days, but there was once believed to be a curse on the team due to a lost statue of the KFC mascot, Colonel Sanders, that was throw into a river. It’s pretty hilarious and you won’t regret looking it up. Stay in a Love Hotel — Japanese people usually live with their family until marriage. So love hotels make big business on couples who are still in the dating stage of things. Even though they charge by the hour, they are still often cheaper than an ordinary hotel. They’re SUPER clean, give you free condoms, have karaoke and video games, and are a general great place to catch an afternoon nap when it’s a long walk back to your hostel.

Hiroshima

This is a place of peace and mournful tranquility. It’s well worth paying your respects and educating yourself about Japan’s devastating war history.

Peace Memorial Park – This curved monument is engraved with all the names of the known victims of the 1945 atomic bomb. Burning in the pond is the Flame of Peace, which will only be extinguished once all of the nuclear weapons on earth have been destroyed. Atomic Bomb Dome – This building used to be the Industrial Promotion Hall until the bomb exploded directly above it. It was one of very few buildings left standing in the epicentre, and serves as a reminder of the damage that was caused. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum – Learn about Hiroshima’s ongoing legacy for peace in this expansive museum. Inside features items found in the aftermath of the bomb, first-person accounts shown on video and a range of photographs. It’s upsetting, but an absolute must-see in Hiroshima. All sites are translated into English and other languages for maximum accessibility. Shukkei-en – This garden was created in 1620, and the buildings were largely destroyed when the bomb fell. However, many trees survived and bloomed the next season. The rest of the garden has long since been restored and is calming to stroll through. Orizuru Tower – This is boasted as the best viewpoint in Hiroshima. It oversees the Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome as well as the rest of the city and the mountains beyond. It’s a great place to take a break and contemplate everything you’ve learned about Hiroshima.

Getting around Japan

The JR pass is perhaps the second most important thing you’ll want to bring when going to Japan (your passport obviously being the first). There are some exceptions when it comes to unlimited rail travel, but unless you’re headed to very niche areas of Japan, you should be able to get to every adventure on your list. You can choose to live life on the tracks with one-, two-, or three-week pass options at prices that would drive locals to jealousy:

7 days — ¥29,110/ £212 14 days — ¥46,390/ £338 21 days — ¥59,350/ £433

Fikri Rasyid, Unsplash

You’ll need to buy your pass online BEFORE arriving in Japan. When you purchase your pass online, you may to arrange your exchange order to be delivered to either your home or your hotel in Japan. An exchange order is not your JR pass though! You must then go to any JR Exchange Office in Japan with your exchange order to finally possess your coveted pass.

Guard you JR pass with your life — it’s irreplaceable, so you’re out of luck if you lose it. To arrange your actual train journeys, visit the JR offices at each major station as you go along your trip. You should generally be fine to simply show up to the station on the day you want to travel, but you should probably book at least a few days ahead if you’re traveling during hanami (cherry blossom season) or Golden Week. Seriously, Japanese people book their travel about six months in advance for these times.

An IC card (also known as the Suica card inside Tokyo) is going to be your best friend when gallivanting within the cities. You simply tap on and off the metro and busses like you would an Oyster card. Each region has its own adorable IC card name and mascot. Can you catch them all?

Move over CityMapper, and hello HyperDia. This goddess of an app comes in English and has the latest train times, prices, connections, and platform numbers of each journey. You’ll never be late or get lost if you pledge your undying love for HyperDia. Seriously though, Google Maps is drunk in Japan. Don’t trust it.

Accommodation in Japan and how to book

Hotels and hostels can be perused and booked online as you would in any other country – start searching now. Whether you’re up for flopping on a futon or crave the comforts of home with a western-style bed, you’ll find a huge variety of rooms that will match your style and budget. Such as…

Capsule hotels – These efficient little pods are made for you to rock up and flop inside, and are a classic ‘Japan’ experience for a lot of travelers. Often the most budget friendly, they offer shared showering facilities and individual phone chargers, radios and mini TVs in each capsule. Every place you’ll stay is almost guaranteed to be extremely clean, even if it’s not rated 10/10.

Ryokan are traditional Japanese inns that are usually run by families. Lounge in a yukata robe and, soak each evening in a traditional onsen (hot tub), and be sure to opt for a traditional evening meal or breakfast cooked by the ryokan’s chef. After your knees are sore from kneeling on the tatami floor, slip under the warm sheets of a futon. These indie spots used to be tricky to find if you didn’t speak Japanese, but fear not! We’ve got you covered with our booking page right here.

Love hotels, most commonly found in the Roppongi and Shinjuku areas of Tokyo, are… well, exactly what they say on the tin, so you might want to approach with care. Japanese couples can pay by the hour to use their facilities, making for their seedy reputation. But if you do your research, you can find thoroughly clean and amazing-value rooms, filled with everything from revolving beds, to karaoke machines and futuristic-themed hot tubs. F-U-N.

We hate to break it to you, but Airbnb is unfortunately not your friend in Japan. Due to new regulations being enforced in the last few years, the number of Airbnbs listings have dramatically dropped. Some can still be booked, but your host will likely give you instructions to not tell their neighbours you are guests from the site. It’s okay though—our lips are sealed.

How much should I budget?

Depending on how much yen you have in your coin purse, your typical night in Japan will probably look like one of these.

On the cheap: Start the night by bagging a selection of ready-to-eat yakitori, croquettes, or sushi from a convenience store such as Lawson, FamilyMart or 7-Eleven (¥600/$5.50). While at said store, stock up on the miracle elixir known as Strong Zero (¥160/$1.25!) — careful though… don’t take that 9% alcohol lightly. Finish up the evening in a hostel (¥3,000/$26) that looks just like a European hostel, only it’s ridiculously tidy.

Like a local: Pop into the local izakaya (a Japanese pub) and order a pint of Asahi beer (¥300/$2.50) and munch on an insane variety of vegetables and fried meats also known as kushi katsu. (¥1,500/ £11). You can opt for an ordinary hotel, (¥5,000/$46) or you can discover first-hand that love hotels are surprisingly cheaper and much more entertaining (¥3,500/$30).

Luxury: Indulge on the finer things in life and incite wild envy in your Instagram followers. Take more time photographing your multi-course artisanal dinner than actually eating it (¥4,000/$37), and ask the server what sake pairs best (¥900/$8). Prance off to your ryokan to retire, and make sure you pick one with an onsen (¥8,000/$75).

Top 10 Japanese phrases you need to learn

Do you speak English?: Eigo ga wakarimasu ka?

Sorry, I don’t understand: Gomenasai! Wakarimasen.

Good morning — Good day: Ohayo Gozaimasu — Konnichi wa.

Excuse me/Sorry: Sumimasen.

Where is the washroom?: Toire wa doko desu ka?

I would like that one please: Kore wa kudasai. (Be sure to point to something when you say this!)

Is this/are you okay?: Daijoubu desu ka?

It’s okay (useful when declining things/No thank you): Daijoubu desu.

Is there a bin I can use?: Gomi ga arimasu ka?

Thank you!: Arigato gozaimasu.

Food

You’ll never have a bad meal in Japan. People here never half-ass anything, and it shows in their painstakingly perfected food creations.

In big cities, you’ll be able to find an array of international cuisine that has affectionately been transformed with a Japanese twist (for example, pizza with corn as a topping). Western-style vegetarian and vegan eateries can also be found if you know where to go. Outside of big cities, you’ll find six Japanese staples reign supreme: Sushi, Japanese Italian, Japanese curry, okonomiyaki, yakitori (grilled chicken), and ramen.

Be sure to also check out a convenience store and suss out the seasonal flavours of KitKats and other sweets. While your friends and fam are pretty much expecting you to bring them back a handful of matcha-flavoured Kit Kats, also try out the crème brulee, chocobanana, blueberry cheese cake and… baked potato(??!) flavoured ones.

Can you taste Tokyo in your mouth yet?! Check out our Japan destination hub, where you can find flights and heaps of adventure tours.

The post Japan: the Ultimate Travel Guide appeared first on Tripstations.

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afrikanza · 5 years

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10 Must Visit Beautiful African Islands

One thing’s for sure, Africa has plenty of islands!

Some of these islands are just paradise on their own.

Characterized by spectacular flora and fauna with magnificent beaches that welcome you to their graceful waters and ecosystems.

We put together this collection of our ten most beautiful islands, to make it easy for you to organize your best trip; as well as daydream about sand (or rocks) at your feet.

10. Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe is a two-island nation off the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. It is one of the few island nations in West Africa that attracts huge tourist flow. There are many nearly exclusive beautiful beaches.

Once the world’s leading cocoa producer and still one the best producers of high-quality coffee, this is a place for lovers of these two beverages to enjoy the natural taste from its source.

Due to the small population on these two islands, beaches are less populated and thus provide a high level of exclusivity of any given public beach in the world. Yet, there are still many exclusively private beaches that dot the two islands.

There is a smooth blend between the coastal environment and the interiors making it easy for one to seamlessly transition between the two environments. The two islands, especially Principe, are a paradise for bird watchers.

9. Lamu Archipelago

Lamu archipelago is found on the north coast of Kenya. It is famously known as ‘secluded beauty’ due to its highly secluded environment and hidden beaches. Peace, quietude, and tranquility are its famous hallmarks. There are several eyelet islands on Lamu archipelago.

Lamu is characterized by white sand beaches and clear blue waters of the Indian ocean. Shela village is one of the most famous villages in Lamu. The 700-year-old town of Lamu is characteristically famed for its narrow streets which are impassable for cars. Donkey rides are common as they are the best means of navigating these narrow streets. Apart from donkeys, canoes and dhows are the other means of transport.

Lamu town is home to some of the most ancient historic buildings dating back to almost half a millennia. It is a mixture of culture involving the Arabs, Africans (Swahili people), and Portuguese. It is also a leading UNESCO World Heritage Site along the east coast of Africa.1

Elaborately carved wooden doors, inner courtyards, mangrove timber, verandas, etc are the hallmarks of Lamu town. Snorkeling and diving are popular activities along the shores.

8. Nosy Be, Madagascar

Nosy Be is the smallest island of Madagascar archipelago.

It is very popular with tourists around the world. It receives visitors all-season, and is not reputed for great beaches, but rather an environment with a high tranquility that allows re-connection with calming nature.

Crystal clear turquoise waters and the scenic smooth sculptured stones, plus surrounding green vegetation, makes it a great place to unwind. The mouthwatering sea dishes makes it a good place to sample out a unique taste of culinary art.

7. Moheli Island, Comoros

Moheli Island is the smallest of the three major islands that make up Comoros.

Comoros is a small island archipelago in the Indian Ocean, East Coast of Africa. What attracts tourists most to Moheli is its marine life comprising of rare sea turtles, whales, and dolphins which inhabit the protected zone.

The colorful coral reefs help to accentuate the stunning natural beauty of the Moheli beaches. Due to its relatively calm waters, it attracts snorkeling parties from around the globe!

6. Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique

Bazaruto archipelago has maintained its stunning natural beauty due to it being a national park. It remains a great blend of land and sea ecosystems in their natural habitat.

The beaches remain clean and pristine with minimal offshore activities. Whales, sharks, dolphins, and rare colorful marine fish species grace the offshore waters. It is a great place to explore the underworld of marine life.

As such, it remains one of the best entry or exit points for those who want to experience both safari tourism and beach tourism. Pertaining to safari tourism, Mozambique, especially its northern part, is home to some of the most spectacular grassland wildlife – the big cats and the big herbivores call it their home.

5. Djerba, Tunisia

Djerba is the largest island and most visited beach for tourist attraction in North Africa.

You can find it north of Tunisia, along the Mediterranean Ocean.

Djerba blends ecotourism with cultural tourism. Visitors can enjoy the authentic traditions that are greatly expressed in the architecture, culinary art, and virtually the way of life for the locals.

Despite highly modern beach resorts, this largely remains undiluted. The sandy beaches are extremely beautiful, and the options available for sports are plenty both onshore and offshore.

4. Sal, Cape Verde

Cape Verde is an archipelago comprising of 10 islands in total. All are great islands for beach life.

However, Sal comes out top as the most loved tourist destination.

This is due to its great nightlife, scenic marine beauty, warm shallow waters that make it fun to do snorkeling and overall nerve-calming atmosphere.

3. Zanzibar, Tanzania

Zanzibar is a palm-fringed archipelago on the east coast of Africa.

It is an autonomous island that is part of Tanzania Republic. In Zanzibar rests the Nungwi village, from which you can witness dhows which are characteristics of the ancient Arab tradition along the coast of East Africa.

Mnemba Island on this archipelago is famed for scuba diving, snorkeling, whale watching, and swimming with the dolphins. There are several cottages known as ‘bandas’ along the beach each with its own veranda and etched within the lush tropical forest shade.

Zanzibar is popularly known as ‘spicy island’ due to the plenty of spices and is also famed for its exceptionally polite inhabitants. It is also home to Stone Town, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Stone Town comprises of ancient buildings of early Arabic architecture.2

2. Mauritius

Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa.

It is an archipelago comprising of smaller islets whose citizens are highly hospitable people; a true melting pot of culture, flavors, and sunshine. Trou-aux-Biches is a popular town where the best beaches are located.

The town itself boasts of a mile-long stretch of fine white sand with a calm pristine environment suitable for a family relaxation. After your trip, you’ll be able to take with you the exotic spices and memorable unique crafts.

1. Seychelles

Seychelles is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa and north of Madagascar.

What can you expect to find here? Giant tortoises, black parrots, and coconut crabs are just some of the unique fauna of this exceptional island nation.

Seychelles is a birds paradise. Here you can watch different types of birds as they sing for you unique happy melodies.

Anse Source d’Argent is a famous location with plenty of beaches. It is located on the island of La Digue and is loved by the public. In case you desire private party space, then you can find exclusive beaches in Fregate, Desroches, or Denis islands which are quite remote and detached.

Praslin is the most well-known island in terms of tourist attractions. Seychelles is considered one of the world’s most romantic destinations. Gently curving palms, shallow turquoise waters, smooth curvy boulders, and a pure white sand floor makes this a paradise archetype.

Pack your bags!

The sunbathing in the warmth of African beaches is incomparable to any other place in the world.

We hope these beautiful African islands have ignited the travel bug within you and we assure you they are some of the most unique paradises in the world. Bon voyage!

Resources:

Magical Kenya (.com)

Stone Town

Wikimedia.org

The post 10 Must Visit Beautiful African Islands appeared first on Afrikanza.

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eddygould · 5 years

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Damned Lands (Dark Souls in Oceania)

Damned Lands is a fictional Action/RPG/Brawler (Souls-like) videogame, partially based on island cultures of Oceania.

The Plot:

From the far west, a group of colonizers sails to the Tikitari archipelago. As they swim to the islands, they watch the sky turn blood-red and the clouds thicken: the storm begins. During this catastrophe, the entire crew dies, and the wreckage of the ship is cast ashore. The protagonist, a nameless young man or a woman, having swallowed water, survived and found themselves on the beach. The player wakes up from the fact that a seagull is trying to pick out their eye. Realizing that there is nowhere to go, they go into the forest shrouded in mist, where the game begins.

During the game, the protagonist will meet the alien culture of the archipelago, trying to survive and discover all the secrets of these lands. There are three major islands in the game, partially embodying the cultures of Oceania (Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia). Each island has its own original theme, one of the elements of the so-called "great stone", as well as special mechanics, defining the gameplay, checkpoint system, unique enemies, bosses, and artifacts. Also, on all the islands, the player will have to decipher a single ancient language and rise their level through the system of tattoos. After passing through the first island of Tunito Tingi, the protagonist can travel seamlessly between the remaining two islands and kill the bosses in any order. It should be noted that some rituals or mechanics may act worse on a "foreign" island, or not work at all, or vice versa, harm the player.

Islands:

The mythology and philosophy of the local peoples implies the concept of a "great stone", a lonely rock in the middle of the boundless sea. The environment of this stone is the fundamental virtues of the inhabitants of the archipelago, as well as the representation of the family: the sky-father is wisdom, intelligence, and reasonableness. Sea-mother is love, care, and loyalty. Stone-son is strength, steadfastness, and heroism. According to the legend, the island used to be the same lonely rock in the sea, but after the appearance of the gods, it was divided into three parts. Inhabitants continued to use a single language and contact with each other, but their traditions began to differ slightly.

Tunito Tingi (Stone) — a foggy island with rare forests, inhabited with ghosts and evil spirits. The role of main mechanics here is played by ritual masks, with the help of which the player can camouflage, summon, and control spirits. Each mask is divided into three classes: "transformation", "summons", and "power". The masks of transformation allow the player to temporarily become a ghostly entity in order to fool enemies or go unnoticed into closed areas of the island. Summoning masks provide the player with help of spirits. Power masks endow with a certain ability like super speed, breathing under water, or a temporary increase in all characteristics. The player will have to constantly switch between masks and choose the right one depending on the situation. Checkpoints here are the wooden totems scattered around the island. The function of dungeons with bosses here is performed by underground crypts of heroes of past years.

Galusobu (Sea) — an island shattered into many smaller islets, often flooded. The main mechanics is a ritual alchemy and potions that gain certain bonuses. For example, food which is needed to be crafted or beat out of enemies. In this case, the wrongly consumed food can send a powerful curse in the form of a debuff, and not all the food is useful on other islands. Besides that, the player needs to swim a lot and "survive" in order to become a hunter. Bosses dwell in underwater caves and temples. Checkpoints here are sole huts standing on islets.

Fataranga (Sky) — a mountainous island with the volcano in the center. The main mechanics of Fataranga is magical weapons that can be enchanted with ash idols, as well as a plenty of ritual weapons like staffs, spears, and bows with ornaments. Ash idols are trophies dropped from the powerful enemies and bosses. The powers of ash idols can be crossed, combining and strengthening their useful properties. An extensive network of underground temples and caves keeps many secrets and bosses of the island. Checkpoints here are the statues carved from volcanic rocks.

In the center of Kaporu Bay there is a lonely rock with an underwater structure beneath. This structure is opened with three key artifacts, dropped by the bosses. The final boss resides in the deep caves under the temple.

Bosses:

Tunito Tingi: 1) Maktoroo — a legendary hero of the past, the first and easiest boss. Overall, he is a tall but skinny aborigine in traditional clothes. Armed with a blade and bow, he summons dead warriors. After winning the player gets his power mask. 2) Somplea — an insidious witch, crossed with a predatory plant. She uses the environment to defeat the player. After death, the strongest transformation mask drops. 3) Langarigi — a shaman demon, a levitating mask without a physical shell. Using the power of all three classes of masks, Langarigi camouflages, summons minions, and becomes temporarily invulnerable. After death, he leaves a mask of summons, an artifact key, and a bow. 4) Beniaki — the first optional boss. A static idol, located in one of the crypts. When the player approaches, Beniaki activates and launches the battle, so the player needs to be prepared. Drops a special transformation mask that allows the player to become an idol for a limited time.

Galusobu: 1) Nakeran — the sea devil, a merman. He dwells in the heart of a half-flooded temple. He is a drowned man with scabs, luminous eyes, and a fin on his back. Nakeran is incredibly fast, and able to capture the player and push them out of the water onto sharp stones, which means inevitable death. After his defeat, magical fins drop, allowing the player to swim quickly. 2) Falivagu — the trickster, a half-crab mutant living in a cave. He is able to throw his claws, growing new ones. After death Falivagu leaves a magic claw-crossbow. 3) Groa Roa — the sea queen, a woman with a mollusk body. She resides in a deep cave under the island. In order to confuse the player, Groa Roa periodically releases ink flow. The most dangerous attack is when she grasps the protagonist with her tenacious tentacles. Groa Roa drops an artifact key and a harpoon-like spear. 4) Makane — the second optional boss. The guardian of outer waters, a giant bunch of seaweed. It might be hard to find at first, since it is located outside the island, in the open ocean, and the battle with it takes place at the very borders of the game map. After death it leaves an artifact that removes almost any curses of monsters and incorrectly performed rituals.

Fataranga: 1) Korkoroko — the bird king living on a high rock. Looks like a man with a bird head and feathers. He summons flocks of birds and tries to throw the player into the sea. The protagonist needs to dodge Korkoroko's attacks and keep the balance in order not to fall from the cliff. After death the ash idol of the wind and wings drop, allowing the player to float in the air. 2) Gwatuma — the stone mother, a naked and mutilated woman, chained to a boulder. In the first phase she sends a swarm of insects, in the second gives birth to rock babies on the go. After the victory Gwatuma leaves a special weapon that uses the power of ash idols as ammunition. 3) Bowabi — the volcano god, a golem-like ash colossus. During the battle, he brings down streams of magma and tries to crush the player with his weight. He drops the ash idol of fire, an artifact key, and the most powerful magical staff in the game. 4) Troktoa — an evil spirit residing in a secret cave. The feature of the battle with him is that Troktoa constantly seizes the weapons in the cave, and even from the player's inventory, forcing them to leave the cave. In the final stage, the boss breaks out to the surface and takes the form of a near checkpoint statue. After winning, the player opens all the checkpoints on the island of Fataranga, even if they has not advanced on the plot.

Final boss: Kahungaddarligvkdemnl'a — the ancient god of chaos, a chthonic shapeless mass of blisters, gills and tentacles. After the encounter he tells about his alien origin (the real name is Kahungaddarligvkdemnlplthamiufsfmmlfamofgsppgpohskdidohkpdlthofhapulaioadnfmtifstugnhdddnontfmgipambstpidnhpsldntmthtbskhloukoinnflgiukakddmtpduhgaffhtohfkndnbmsssktillpmhoktoosodshobmtgtifdpbbuinmipmdstfh'a).

The real story is revealed only after the victory over the monster: many years ago a meteorite fell on a single island, which brought a chthonic creature. The meteorite split the island into three parts, and the future settlers began to observe the phenomena of God. He opened them to magic and taught culture, but in return, residents had to sacrifice a new soul to him, in order to maintain his strength. The stronger the soul was, the more power Kahunga'a received. Dark magic was the most powerful kind of magic, but it was a thing that played a cruel joke with God: once a lonely witch reached such heights that she absorbed the powers of the whole archipelago. Having incredible beauty, she seduced Kahunga'a, thereby giving him all her energy. God took pity on the witch and gave her a month of life, knowing that she would not have time to give birth to a child during this time. However, the day before her death, the child was artificially removed from the womb by the members of the secret cult, which taught this woman magic. The demigod child was transferred into a female cultist with the help of an ancient ritual and immediately left the archipelago with the “guardians”, whose plan was to return and defeat Kahunga'a. Eventually, the child has returned, passed all the tests and came face to face with his father. After defeating him, the child became the new Kahunga'a. The mind of the First Child became the part of his own father, who decided to use it. Despite its godly essence, Kahunga'a was a mortal and was afraid of oblivion more than anything else. He realized that he had made a mistake when he allowed the witch to live. Observing the growth of his son, he mentally supported him, and since the very childhood he mentally attributed a hatred towards the cultists and programmed him to create a large family tree. To maintain his existence, Kahunga'a only had to hibernate for one generation, inspiring visions of the island to one of the descendants of the First Child. The new “hero”, according to his idea, should harden, go through all the tests, and become a source of magical power, in order to defeat Kahunga'a, merging with him and filling him with this very force, thus “reloading” the archipelago and mutating the former inhabitants, which had been already turned into monsters, even harder. The protagonist sailed to the island and survived only by the will of their alien ancestor, whose physical incarnation was a seagull on the beach. They learn all these details from the souls of their ancestors who have been languishing inside the monster for fifteen hundred years. Thus, all the heroes are descendants of the First Child, and the numerous letters in the name of Kahunga'a are the first letters of the names of the heroes who "defeated” him. In the final scene, it is shown that the hero merges with Kahunga'a, and another cycle begins: the first letter of the character's name is added to the name of the monster. In the post-credits scene we can see a new ship When the player manages to start a new game (NG+), the name at the time of the last completed game is saved.

#fictional games #game ideas

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