#creature features! samples

[grindhousegourmet]

[tombstone-ghost]

OH MY GOD I LOVE SONGS THAT USE LIKE USE SAMPLES FROM MOVIES LIKE HOLYYY FUCK

LIKE AIM FOR THE HEAD AND FUCKING ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE ( actually like half of Mortician’s song ) AND LIVING DEAD GIRL AND THERMODYNAMIC LAWYER AND EVERYTHING ELSE

WE NEED MORE SONGS THAT HAVE MOVIES SAMPLES IN THEM HOLYY FUCKK

[sixosix]

a/n so i took the whole "aether is an alien" thing and ran away with it (aka aether has a strange way of expressing interest and you just think he's weird)

aether x reader, ayaka&reader&yoimiya, plus my yoimiya bffs w paimon agenda

special feature: earthtooz beta reading the fic, “aether you're so weird back tf up.”

"This is from... Miss Ying'er, you said?" Ayaka turns the bottle in her hands, her grip careful, deliberate—with the grace of a princess. Like she's trying to recreate the procedure in her head.

Yoimiya holds her perfume by the neck and inhales a lungful. "Wow, this smells amazing! Are you sure I can just have it?"

You laugh, amused as Yoimiya dabs it all over her body enthusiastically without even waiting for your reply. "Yeah, don't worry. She just offered me a bunch of samples. You like it?"

Ayaka nods approvingly, still fixated on the miniature vial. She seems endearingly fascinated. "This scent is phenomenal. I might have to ask you to deliver me a box of this next time you go."

You busy yourself with teaching them the best points to apply the perfume, the scents heightened by the dewy atmosphere of the forest. As you sit in a circle on the grass, you share laughter and stories from your extended trip to Liyue. Nothing could ruin this relaxing moment. Yet just as Ayaka offers for you to try on her perfume, Yoimiya gasps and sits upright.

"Oh, oh! I just remembered—Aether is coming over today!" Yoimiya claps eagerly, buzzing with energy. "It's been a while since he's visited Inazuma."

You frown. "Oh."

Ayaka gasps lightly. "He returns today? We should welcome him back."

"Honestly, he should be at the city right now." Yoimiya gathers herself, dusting off blades of grass as she rises to her feet. Without warning, she reaches for your wrist and begins pulling you off the ground.

"Wait, wait, wait." You pull away from Yoimiya's grasp. "I never said anything about joining you."

"Why not?" Yoimiya mirrors your insulted expression. "Hold on, do you have beef with the Traveler?"

Ayaka's fingers press to her mouth, eyes alight, like she's just heard the gossip of the century.

"No, no, it's nothing like that!" you burst out frantically. "We're just not close. Like—um, how you guys are with him, I assume."

"Did he do something?" Yoimiya asks, seriously concerned.

"He's just a bit strange."

"Hm." Ayaka taps an index finger to her chin. "I'd say he's more polite than strange."

Your nose wrinkles involuntarily, memories of your first impression of him flashing back. "Polite?"

Yoimiya exhales dramatically. "Alright. I don't know what's going on, but we're not leaving you here—not after it's been months since we last saw you! You're coming with us."

You turn to Ayaka for help, but she already has her gaze casted away as if expecting it. Accepting defeat, Yoimiya cheers, hooking an arm under yours as she hauls you off before you could sag to the ground. Ayaka follows after, smiling as Yoimiya practically drags you back to the city, her trail smelling like freshly-picked Liyue-exclusive flowers.

It doesn't take long to find the Traveler's whereabouts—practically everyone is gushing about his presence and how lucky we are to catch him before he goes! You three discover them walking around the streets of Tenryou, lugging a cart full of street food and packages of what you could only assume are gifts handed by the locals.

"Hi, Yoimiya, Ayaka!" The little floating creature next to the Traveller waves her hands around excitedly. "It's been a while!"

"Hi, Paimon!" Yoimiya exclaims, doubling the energy and stretching her arms for Paimon to barrel towards her chest with a thud.

As you and Ayaka watch the two spin around like separated sisters with fond smiles, you don't notice that Aether has pretty much snuck up behind you until you can practically feel his presence.

You damn near shriek, jumping away as he grins and crowds your space like it's not entirely improper.

"We meet again," he says cryptically.

"Archons," you mutter, terrified.

Yoimiya smacks her fist to an upright palm, as if she's just solved a year-long agonized riddle. "So you have met!"

"You didn't believe me—"

"Yeah! We met Y/N before!" Paimon whizzes over to your personal bubble as well, circling around your head a few times. "Back when we were in Liyue before we left to Sumeru, the Traveler wanted to strike up a conversation."

"Seems like it was very one-sided," Ayaka muses, unforgivably entertained by your distress.

"Yeah, Y/N was a little…" Paimon said with a grimace, missing the way you inch away as Aether eyes you, like he's fascinated by seeing you in a completely different environment.

"Anyway!" Paimon claps once. "What were you guys doing? Not to be weird, but, Yoimiya, you smell so different!"

Yoimiya waves her hand dismissively, appearing coy. "Oh, please."

"No, seriously, you smell like Liyue," Paimon says. "Like you rolled around Silk Flowers. It smells really good, though!"

Ayaka giggles. "Y/N brought home a box of perfume handmade by Miss Ying'er from Liyue, that must be why. We were trying them out."

"Really?" Aether pipes up, not even bothering to address Ayaka directly.

It feels as though your face erupts in flames as Aether angles close enough to dip his head close to the side of your neck.

Your brain seems to have melted out of your ears, warmed his proximity. "Hey—"

"Smells good to me," Aether says, the words holding the same warmth one would give to a five-star meal. Like Ying'er was awaiting his approval.

Yoimiya shares a confused glance with Ayaka. "Y/N's... not wearing any perfume."

Aether doesn't appear deterred by that, unashamed and virtually all over you the same way he was when he found you bored, eating alone at one of Liyue's outdoor stalls.

"Aether is acting weird again," Paimon sighs, like it's an everyday occurrence. "Paimon swears he acted like that last time, too—like giving a dog a bone. Can't snap him out of it."

Yoimiya and Ayaka conceal their laughter behind their palms, though fruitless by the curve of their eyes.

"Must be an alien thing," Yoimiya says, not sounding pitying in the slightest. "Poor thing."

a/n hi guys i swear i didn't get weird while i was gone this has always been my niche </3 i haven't played since natlan update but i still adore these characters, so i thought why not ease back into it with the sixosix favorite: aether

[tokay-blog]

Last check

Remember that wasper from the comic?

It had been in the mind for quite a long time, ever since coming across the theory that aliens could transfer their minds in warpers. As in those who had complete immunity to the disease. I don't subscribe to that theory, for not only do these creatures behave autonomously, performing only a couple of functions depending on what they see in front of them, but they are generally quite limited.

But the point is that this particular warper is more intelligent than the others. He is far from the same Al-An, but he has similar features of the peculiar thinking of his creators. And he has additional tasks in the form of keeping an eye on the experimental samples. The baby reaper is also the one specimen that is showing signs of life (i.e. not dead), and therefore arouses the warper's interest. The aliens held a collective mind, so why wouldn't they and the warpers create some sort of center of that very mind that could communicate with the rest?

*omnom-nom*

I thought about how to make him look different from the rest of the warpers and at the last moment it was decided to make him 4 translucent tentacles. I really don't like those “legs” that actually look like legs. So let it be 4. Especially since for some reason I really feel like their appearance is based on the Sea Emperor for the most part. Which is evident from their head-jaw shape and forelimbs x)

Maybe there's more to him 🤔

[eu0n1a]

absolutely adore yandere alien deku

just picture this, you're an astronaut that arrived with your team. the atmosphere humid, the landscape displaying the features of a rainforest.

as you collect data and samples, none of your teammates notice an alien, with a black fluid form shift and shimmer, slipping into the spaceship...

it's fluid form allows it to lurk and easily hide. it slowly feeds off of one of your teammates, attaching itself, consuming nutrients which help it access the DNA.

each day the teammate becomes weaker and weaker, while the creature becomes stronger and smarter. by sharing human DNA and accessing human memories it develops emotions. the feelings that teammate had for you now transferred into the alien.

slipping through the cracks, above the vents, watching and observing.

once on earth the alien transforms into a human. It can take on any form really, a shape shifting creature.

green eyes, green hair, freckled face, slanted eyes that had a feral look to them. even the way he moved was unnatural because of its fluidity. anyone could easily tell that there was something wrong with him. luckily his victims would never see him until it was too late.

his face splitting open into appendages.

but he would never let you see that part of him. no.

as much as he is dying for you to meet him, he needs to master his craft of becoming human.

so he watches you, the way you act, the way you speak, what you like, what you hate. nice home by the way. you're already teaching him so much.

-follow me on tiktok: @sunnytingz69 for ur fav character edits & help me hit 1K so i can livestream games, book streams, n more

[deepdreamnights]

Vidu 2.0 - First Reactions

I am in the Vidu Artist's program, so I've had a chance to play with version 2.0 before the official launch on the 15th. What I'm working with is a pre-launch build, and has improved day-to-day, so this may not reflect the final release.

I haven't yet had a chance to give it the full paces-run-through it deserves, but here's some early samples, and early thoughts. (Converted to GIF because you can only upload one video per post.)

The short version is that everything has been incrementally improved: Better coherence, better prompt responsiveness, better motion, and way, way better speed. Without doing exact time-tests it's say it's at least 25% the time to generate a video of the same dimensions.

While there's still some of the "smudge-blurring" that you got with 1-1.5, it happens less frequently, and is more mitigated with an image/animation that match.

Motion varies gen-by-gen, but impressive results seem to be the norm.

While his sticks are somewhat flexible at full framerate, the cat drummer's cymbal hit struck me as particularly nice.

Control and Coherence

While the roar may not seem particularly impressive, roars, howls, and other emotional outbursts didn't work well in previous versions. Aunt Acid's fumes and drips are are particularly fun, and while it still has problems with her tail, PteroDarla's crest and wings are actually working the way they should (after a number of attempts).

For a long time, I've wanted the last shot of the TMax opener to be Max starting with a zoom-in on the eye going out to a roar and pose. While this isn't quite where I want it, 2.0 is the first time I've gotten him to go through the whole sequence. Which is promising.

Weird Stuff Works

What remains impressive about Vidu is how well it handles concepts and characters that are off-the-beaten-path. Hailuo just released a character consistency feature that only works with humans, but here...

Here's my friend Cole's OC, the Waffler (Intergalactic Bounty-Hunter.) He's one unbalanced breakfast. He's also rather resistant gen AI replication because he's an SD space man with a waffle for head, a very specific waffle for a head turned at a 45 degree angle. Vidu 1.0 wasn't able to work with him, almost always giving him a mouth or rotating his waffle, if not completely glitching out. 2.0 is much better to handle it.

The numerous dino-anthros above are all in the "Tricky for AI" box. If I was into doing what could be gened easily, however, I'd just be pumping out an endless parade of pillowy waifus.

In my defense, I classify SexBomb as more of a 'strifu'. This particular one was an attempt to see if a toony image prompt could be rendered live-action with text prompting. Long story short it can't, but it can produce some interesting effects like the faux-posterized background.

I've had AI gen close to her costume before, but it never adds the fuse or does the boob-window right, and here we are.

One of my old bits of Transformers fanart of the Pretender Monster Icepick served as the character model for the one on the right.

Fantastical Creatures in general are a lot easier to execute in this version as well.

And... Action!

Motion is a lot more natural this time around.

Weapons fire (though sometimes a bit literal) tends to come out of the barrel semi-consistently now, characters can fight the waves without melting themselves and...

A giant rubber monster can eat your protagonist (if you're lucky.)

Quirks and Flaws

Nothing is perfect, and all AI you see is curated. So lets talk areas to be improved.

A lot of stuff presently generates with multilingual gibberish captions sometimes, which I expect is an early model bug. Versions 2-3 of Midjourney would have similar artifacts, and that sort of thing isn't hard to correct for.

There are still issues with blurring/smudging, especially with things like tail-tips, hands, and any motion the robot doesn't quite get.

Sometimes stuff shapechanges or appears that ought not to, like the knight's floppy second blade.

Or speed gets off requiring being fixed in post.

And stuff just goes dumb sometimes, which one should expect (and in my estimation, desire) from any generative system, artificial or analogue. Should the water go on the fire rather than the firemen? Yes. Do I regret this gen? No.

One quirk of the system is how it resolves incongruous multi-prompts. I've been accustomed to Midjourney, which, when generating an image must blend everything requested. You can put two completely different backgrounds in as image prompts and it will blend them into something new and wacky.

Vidu resolves problems like having two background images at once by taking advantage of the 4th dimension. Confuse the robot too much and it will just cut/fade from one idea to the next.

And then there's stuff that just happens, like, a shot being perfect except a painted (and thus ought to be static) background object animating beautifully (going retro is a path wrought with irony) and the robot deciding it'd rather do CG-style than 2d.

And while it doesn't show up great in the gif of Max at the construction site there, 2.0 is more vulnerable to interpreting bad transparency-clipping as part of the character design, so be careful if you're using transparent PNGs.

Also, if you slap a character and a background together without elaborating on the setting with the text prompt, it will often slap the background back there as a static backdrop and produce a very "greenscreen-y" effect.

Rather than laden this post down with more animated GIFs, I'll be setting up a batch of them as posts for the upcoming days. At least, that's the plan.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

do you have any tips for writing and creating creatures for a fantasy setting? (something similar to the monster hunter franchise)

Writing Notes: Fantasy Creatures

BELIEVABLE

Special character types are abundant in fantasies. Some examples are fairies, giants, ogres, dragons, witches, unicorns and centaurs. We love these characters because they are so different from what we find in our daily lives. However, a good author can shape the character in such a way that the reader has no problem believing that such a being could exist.

PURPOSE

Before creating your fantasy creature, ask yourself: What is the purpose of including this fantasy creature? The reason this is an important distinction is that it will determine how much information about your creature you’ll need. If they’re only in your story for the plot, you don’t need a lot of information on them—just what you need to move your story forward. However, if they’re in the story for a longer, more intimate reason, you’ll need to know things like how they move, what they like, etc.

SELECTING YOUR CREATURE

Selecting a creature may mean borrowing a previously-created animal from myths or stories that are familiar to your reader. Here are sample articles describing common fantasy species and mythical creatures.

Read widely: There are a lot of really interesting myths and stories out there with creatures that might fit your narrative.

Do the unexpected: If you’re going to go with a widely-recognized creature, don’t be afraid to put your own twist on it. This will help your story stand out among the crowd and put your own mark on the genre.

DEFINE THE BASICS

Name: Choose names that suit the world you are building. Consider the culture, language, and history of the fantasy realm the character is from. If you’re finding that you’re a little stuck with what to name the creature you created, it’s okay to turn to other sources. If you already have a fictional language in your story, you might want to create a new word for your creature. If not, you may use this site: www.fantasynamegenerators.com. They also have a generator specifically on Monster Hunter.

Age: Determine the age of your character and how it influences their perspective and experiences.

Race/Species: In a fantasy setting, characters can belong to various races or species. Consider the unique traits and abilities associated with each.

Here is a general checklist for character building, but it might also aid you in making your fantasy creature.

PHYSICAL TRAITS

Appearance: Describe your character's physical features, from their hair/eye colour, height, build, etc. Is it large or small? Can your protagonist ride it? Eat it? How is it killed? All of these will be useful when you describe the creature to your readers. Consider how these aspects tie into their background or culture. You do not have to completely describe your character. Allow the reader to establish a view of the character or use other characters to describe how your characters might look.

Clothing/Armour: The attire of the character can reflect their personality, status, or the realm they come from.

PERSONALITY

Personality Traits: Create a list of personality traits. Is your character brave, shy, sarcastic, optimistic, or reserved? Think about how these traits influence their actions and interactions.

Motivations and Goals: What does your character want? Their goals and motivations drive the plot and reveal deeper aspects of their personality.

BACKSTORY

Origin: Where is your character from? What is their cultural background? How do these factors shape who they are? Backstory is essential, however take note of where and what you introduce throughout the story development.

Significant Events: Highlight key events in your character's past that have shaped them. Traumas, triumphs, and experiences all contribute to their development.

INTELLIGENCE

This is important because it will define how other characters interacts with the creature.

If it’s a minor character, will your protagonist constantly need to be checking in with it and giving it direction?

Or is it able to function on its own with little maintenance?

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Magic or Special Abilities: In a fantasy setting, characters often have unique powers or skills. Is this creature tied to the magic of your world somehow? If so, what kind of magic? How can it use magic? What does this mean for the protagonist and their journey? Define the limits and rules governing these abilities. Set some limitation or something that can prevent the magic to be limitless – even superman has a limitation.

Skills and Talents: What is your character good at? Are they a skilled warrior, a talented musician, or a cunning strategist?

FLAWS & WEAKNESSES

Imperfections: No one is perfect. Give your character flaws or weaknesses that they must overcome or learn to live with. This is part of their growth and development throughout the story. The character growth need not always be positive, they can also become bitter through experiences.

Internal Conflicts: Explore the inner conflicts. These can add great depth to your character and the reader can get to experience the inner workings of the character’s thoughts. Internal conflicts can be moral dilemmas, unresolved issues, or fears.

RELATIONSHIPS

Family and Friends: Define your character's relationships. How do they interact with family and friends? Do they have allies or enemies?

Romantic Interests: If this is relevant, consider the romantic aspects of your character's life. How do they approach love and relationships?

CHARACTER ARC

Growth and Change: Plan the trajectory of your character's development throughout the story. What challenges will they face, and how will these experiences change them?

QUIRKS OR HABITS

Mannerisms: Give your character unique habits, gestures, or ways of speaking that make them memorable. This will help create differences in your characters.

Hobbies: What does your character enjoy doing in their free time? Hobbies can add depth and relatability.

TITLE

Titles or Roles: If your character holds a specific title or role in their world, define it. Perhaps it is a royal title, a knight, or a librarian. Titles can reveal a lot about a character, their traits and personality.

ENVIRONMENT

This is where your creature will be found in the wild.

An creature's environment is reflected in their bodies: moles without sight (unnecessary in the pitch-black underground) have excellent senses of smell and hearing.

Mammals that live in the ocean have blowholes and animals that live in trees have prehensile tails, long, curved claws, or sticky pads on their feet.

What your animal looks like will be informed by where they live.

Here's an article on The Psychology of World Building

AVAILABILITY

Is this creature widely found, like deer, or are they rarer?

What’s caused the abundance or scarcity in their population?

This will affect how your fantasy world sees the creature and how your reader sees the protagonist for interacting with it.

RELATIONSHIP TO HUMANS

Is your creature revered? A nuisance? An almost-forgotten legend? A vital part of the local people’s diet?

Knowing these things will help you to navigate your story.

If your protagonist wanders into a town and they’re tasked with taking care of a local pest problem, that’s one thing. But if they kill a creature in the woods and then wander into town with it, only to find out that this town worshipped the creature, that’s a whole other plotline.

Try to create characters with depth and complexity, allowing readers to connect with them emotionally. The more thought and detail you put into building your characters, the more vivid and engaging your fantasy world will become.

Sources: 1 2 3

Hope this helps! If you find it useful in your writing, do tag me or send me a link. I'd love to read your work.

[ettawritesnstudies]

So I haven't posted any updates on Kofi recently but only because I've been working on something cool!

In my YA fantasy novel, Runaways, the main character Hannah has a special interest in identifying the plants and animals she finds by their scientific names. So I designed a STEM themed study guide that educates readers about some of the creatures that are named in the book by sharing their scientific and common names, photographs, their habitat range, and fun facts!

It also includes activities you can do at home to get out in nature or get hands-on with crafts. It's somewhat aimed for younger readers (being a YA book) but it could also be used as a teaching tool if you're an educator, librarian, parent, etc. The activities include things like tapping maple trees, making spore prints, and birdwatching, with links to outside sources for instructions.

There are 21 pages and 12 different species featured!

Here's a sample page of our favorite animal companion, Kit-Kat. Hannah befriends this least weasel early in her journey and he becomes a huge helper to her!

Each page features an excerpt from the book and there's even a fun code that's featured in the story:

If you want to get a copy, it's available (at a discount) to Ko-Fi members on the $3 tier along with other exclusive Runaways content, or you can get it on my shop as a digital download for $5.

I'll be talking about this more in the coming weeks but I wanted to let people get it early if they wanted!

[nerdykeppie]

Hey. If you've been waiting to back our latest project, you've got 4 days left. And like... look at the pictures our production partner sent us of the incoming production samples.

Doesn't everybody want dino skulls wearing Pride flower crowns?

We're only $65 as of this posting to unlocking the Archaeopteryx skull. Doesn't he look like he's giving you a cheeky little grin, like he's just told you a terrible dad joke or pun that he knows is going to make you groan? Help us make him a reality!

[grindhousegourmet]

[yandere-daydreams]

Yess I knew I wasn't the only thinking of yandere liaos! I can certainly see him obsessing over a sentient humanoid monster (I imagined a nymph kinda thing) like having notebooks about their anatomy from their hair and joints to the qualities of their blood or spit and even eating the fruits and flowers that grow from their head

ohhh actually you're so right for this. i can see the party at-large picking up one of the more human-like monsters (most likely a siren or harpy-adjacent creature) and who just,,, lacks the monstrous instinct to attack on sight or bite off the hand of a man who is very much feeling them up for science. you get along well enough with the other members of his party, and you just don't know enough about human customs to be wary of the way laios runs his hands over your scales/fur/features, to think it's strange when he asks for sample of your hair or saliva, to mention just how often you find him loitering over your bed mat at night when the rest of the party is asleep. maybe, when he starts asking about the courting rituals of your species, you'll be able to tell, but for now, it's better for everyone that you stay in the dark for a little longer <3

[angel-gidget]

Gidge's Guide to Amethyst

I did one of these a while back, but with reeaallly low-quality images. These days, there’s more Amethyst stuff out there, and that’s worth an update in its own right.

Amy’s first appearance was technically in Legion of Super-Heroes #298 which featured a “pull-out preview comic” to entice people into picking up the maxi-series. I’ve yet to get my mitts on it to confirm if it’s just sample art from the maxi-series, or has dialogue/art never seen anywhere else. Regardless, your best starting point is probably gonna be…

I. 1980’s 12-issue Maxi-Series (+ follow-up Annual)

High jump-through-portal fantasy. Fantastic creatures, creepy villains, magical royalty, intricate world building that explains some things and lets your brain fill in the gaps for others, and consistently gorgeous art. Can’t recommend enough.

The annual shown takes place after the maxi-series and sets the stage for the ongoing series that follows.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page DC’s Showcase via Amazon or Abe Books (Note: no color art for showcase, only black & white)

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 💎

II. 1980’s 16-issue Ongoing Series (+ follow-up Annual)

While there is a lot of fantastic stuff going on with the ongoing series, it is more of a mixed bag.

While I am forever in love with cover of issue #11, I remember turning to page 1 and wondering what the heck happened to the inside art. It’s not bad, really. It just doesn’t meet the high bar of the covers (or earlier interiors). Looking back, I realized the art was getting less detailed well before that, but my reading was all over the place as a kid bc I’d just read whatever issues I could find.

This here, at issue #12, is actually a good place to stop. By which I mean, the next 4 issues + special reek of grimdark edge-lord bs that doesn’t even make sense without reading Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, if you wish to proceed…

The final issue of the ongoing is technically a cliffhanger, and the Special grants the writers the extra pages they need to finish wrapping up their whole Lords of Order & Chaos/Dr. Fate tie-in.

After this, someone in DC editorial raised their pencil and went “Hey! What if we made the Gemworld the origin for one of our Legion of Super-Heroes villains?” And thus…

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page DC’s Showcase via Amazon or Abe Books (Note: no color art for showcase, only black & white) (Also note: Showcase contains both Maxi and Ongoing series)

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. ⚔️

III. 1980’s 4-issue Mini-Series

This thing is all kinds of whack, but it is gorgeous. I get the impression that when Kieth Giffen and Mindy Newell were assigned this sucker, they just read a summary of the OG series and winged it.

Probably not, since they technically wrote those final issues of the ongoing, but that’s how it feels. Despite this, it’s grown on me like a fungus, and the mind-blowing art by Esteban Moroto is, like, 98% of the reason why.

Amethyst is always at her weirdest when Dc is trying to tie her in with the rest of the DCU. In this case, the mini is supposed to explain how a Legion of Super-Heroes villain has origins that go back to the Gemworld. Why? Idk. But if I remember correctly, it was even part of the advertising for this series.

Get it by Patron methods: … you can’t. There are no re-prints of any kind and it’s tough to track down. If ye crave this treasure, best ye look to piracy, matey.

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 🔮

IV. 2012’s DC Nation Amethyst Cartoon Shorts

In hindsight, these may have been made as the advent of the Sword of Sorcery series, but they really were a charming sip of water after two decades of nothin’. A cute lil’ standalone series that turns the Gemworld into a video game. Amy is then, of course, sucked into it.

Fun fact: the producer, @briannedrouhard is on tumblr, and often posts art and further ideas she had for the series.

Watch it: Full Series is officially free on Youtube. 👸���

IV. 2013’s Sword of Sorcery: Amethyst

This New 52 eight-issue (9 included the ‘0’ issue, oy) series got my hopes up after all those years, but I gotta admit I was a bit disappointed by the completely new supporting cast. Apart from Amy herself, none of the original characters made it into the series.

It feels likely a completely different fantasy series with an “Amethyst” label slapped on it. That said, Aaron Lopresti’s art is beautiful, and this version of Amy—Amaya—eventually joined the New 52’s Justice League Dark and picked up a bit of a cult appreciation over there.

That said, I’ve had some spoilers for her time on JLDark, and the storyline is just a bit… too… dark for my tastes. So I’m quite content to see her nu52 series retconed, even though I did nearly collect all 9 issues.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page TPB via Amazon or B&N

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 💜

V. 2019’s Wonder Comics - Young Justice: Gemworld

Remember how I said Amethyst always gets weird when she collides with the greater DCU? Yeah, forget I said that. Never mind. Most brilliant combo idea since peanut butter and jelly.

No, I’m not biased not at all bc I’m a big Young Justice fan. Nope. Ok. Maybe a lil’ bit. While the continuity here is it’s own thing, there are a lot of nods to the original Gemworld in the world-building.

Does this series fully explore the potential of all the ideas in it? Frankly, no. YJ fans complained a lot about the lack of breathing space in this series for a reason. But I’m still happy with it and happily re-reading it for the fun ideas it slaps together.

If you are reading this for the Amethyst, however, there isn’t much point in reading past issue 6, aka volume 1 of the trade. After that point, Amy stops getting much spotlight, though she remains on the team’s roster until the series’ end.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page TPB via Amazon or B&N

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. ✨

VI. 2020’s Wonder Comics - Amethyst Miniseries

The fact that both this series and the YJ one appear under the “Wonder Comics” label is a bit misleading. They do not share any continuity at all. However, the opening splash page of the first issue references multiple events from original Amethyst continuity!

Later world-building details make it clear that this is a different version of Amy and the Gemworld, but Amy Reeder’s affection for the original series remains apparent.

Get it by Patron methods: Dc Universe Series Page TPB via Amazon or B&N

Get it by Peasant methods: Over here. 👑

VII. 2021’s Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld by Shannon & Dean Hale

This one is actually a kid-oriented graphic novel. Again, with its own continuity and world-building. I think the thing that stands out to me the most about this take is that the Hales give Amy a kid brother and make him quite relevant to the plot.

It’s pretty stand-alone and not really marketed as a comic book per se, but it is charming and the art is quite cute.

Get it by Patron methods: Graphic novel via Amazon or B&N Get it by Peasant methods: Over here.

🏰

In Summary:

“Original” Amethyst Continuity (by Dan Mishkin & Gary Cohn and later Kieth Giffen & Mindy Newell ) is contained in Volumes 1-3. This is made of up the Maxi-series, Ongoing, and Mini-series from the 80's.

New52 Sword of Sorcery Continuity (by Christy Marx) is completely separate and self-contained.

Wonder Comics: Young Justice continuity (by Brian Michael-Bendis) is separate and self-contained, but has many nods to original continuity in it.

Wonder Comics: Amethyst mini-series continuity (by Amy Reeder) is mostly separate and self-contained, but implies that it shares events with the Volume 1 maxi-series.

Kid-friendly properties like Brianne Drouhard’s DC Nation shorts or Shannon and Dean Hale’s graphic novel make for fun additions, though they were not marketed as though they might tie in with any comics.

[littjara-mirrorlake]

D&D 5e Homebrew Lineage: Core-Born Phyrexian

This lineage is part of my in-progress homebrew supplement Plane Shift: Mirrodin/New Phyrexia for D&D 5e.

The core-born Phyrexian is the build-it-yourself choice out of the supplement's options, similarly to its fellow MtG crossover, the Simic hybrid. Included with this version are a short list of sample modifications, which will be expanded as time and playtesting go on. Many are duplicates of existing racials in 5e, but others will be original, such as PS:MNP's weirdest modification so far: Metamorph. Something to look forward to!

Though the stat block here states a set ASI (+2 Con/+1 any), I'm actually a strong proponent of rearranging ability scores as in Tasha's, and the pre-set ASI is really more flavor text than anything.

The text here alludes to the phyresis mechanic, which will be posted in the future. In short, taking necrotic damage from Phyrexians will cause a Con save with DC equal to the damage taken, and on a failed save, you will gain one phyresis level. Phyresis advances in ten stages, with compleation being the end result. The minimum DC of this save is 5. Uniquely, a natural 1 always fails, and a natural 20 always succeeds.

Text from the images under the cut. (It's quite a lot.)

Core-Born Phyrexian

Though Phyrexians’ most well-known method of reproduction is through the compleation of other creatures, fully Phyrexian offspring can also be grown in glistening oil, tended by vat-priests. Germs are most often born from the oil of a single Phyrexian parent and take after that parent’s morphological features, including the type and color of their metal plates. Such Phyrexians are known as “core-born”, even though the laboratories that create them have expanded all over the surface and interior of Mirrodin.

Type. You are a Humanoid. You are also considered a Phyrexian for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be a Phyrexian.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Age. Owing to your combined construction of flesh and metal, the Phyrexian definition of life is porous at best. Phyrexian beings have the potential to live indefinitely. You are immune to magical aging effects.

Size. As a player character, your size can be either Small or Medium. Either way, Phyrexians tend to be heavier than organic creatures of equivalent size.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Your constructed senses grant you superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Necrotic Resistance. The glistening oil flowing through your body protects you from the tainted attacks of your kind. You have resistance to necrotic damage.

Tainted Strike. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier of slashing damage, plus 1 additional necrotic damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Phyrexian Modification. You begin with one modification (presented later in this document) as a result of the Phyrexian work done on your body, and you gain an additional one at 5th level.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Phyrexian and one other language of your choice.

Phyrexian Modifications

These modifications are presented in alphabetical order along with their prerequisites and associated factions. They are intended for use both as-is and as inspiration for individually customized features. Modifications are gained at 1st and 5th level by the core-born race, but are also obtainable by any character who has Phyrexian work done on their body or gains 8 or more levels of phyresis.

Unless stated otherwise in its description, each modification can only be taken once and has no prerequisites.

At the DM’s discretion, a character may exchange one of their modifications for another by undergoing a surgical procedure. A character must still meet any prerequisites for a new modification they take this way.

Constructed Resilience Faction: Any Prerequisite: does not already have the Constructed Resilience feature

Even among Phyrexians, you are unusually mechanized, forfeiting the majority of your organic components for the resilience of a true machine. You have resistance to poison damage and immunity to disease, and you have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned. You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe. You also don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

To gain the benefits of a long rest, you must spend all 8 hours staying still or doing light activity, such as keeping watch.

Extra Arms Faction: Any Prerequisite: does not already have the Extra Arms feature

You gain an extra pair of arms that function normally, with the following exceptions:

You can use a secondary arm to wield a weapon that has the light property, but you can’t use a secondary arm to wield other kinds of weapons.

You can’t wield a shield with a secondary arm.

Incendiary Breath Faction: Quiet Furnace

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of fire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 fire damage. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).

You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Necrogen Vents Faction: Steel Thanes Prerequisite: 5th level

As an action, you can release a poisonous aura of necrogen in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on yourself. It lasts for 1 minute, moves with you, and ends early if you are incapacitated or die. Each other creature of your choice that starts its turn in the necrogen or enters it for the first time on its turn must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or be poisoned until the beginning of its next turn. Creatures that don’t need to breathe automatically succeed on this saving throw.

Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Reactive Spines Faction: Any

As a reaction when a creature you can see within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, you can make metallic spines erupt from your body in retaliation, causing the attacker to take 1d6 piercing damage. This damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Reinforced Carapace Faction: Any Prerequisite: does not already have a racial bonus to AC, such as Iron Skin or Natural Armor

The metal of your body grows tougher, deflecting mortal blows. You gain a +1 bonus to your AC when you aren’t wearing heavy armor.

Resistance Faction: Any

You gain resistance to one of the following damage types of your choice: acid, fire, poison, psychic, or radiant.

Though any Phyrexian may receive this modification, each damage resistance is most commonly associated with a specific faction (see “Phyrexian Factions” earlier in this document).

Spider Climb Faction: Any Prerequisite: does not already have the Spider Climb feature

You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and you can climb walls and other difficult surfaces without needing to make an ability check. In addition, at 3rd level, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free.

[sky-kiss]

A/N: Blatant Asmodeus propaganda. After betraying Raphael in the HoH to save Baldur's Gate, they steal his corpse back from Meph and entreat Asmodeus. Also. A Dracula gif. To push my agenda.

Raph x GN!Tav: A Pact Struck, A Contract Sealed

Ages have passed, and empires have risen and fallen since a mortal last attempted to bind his Aspect. Asmodeus feels a tickling in the back of his psyche, barely a drag at his near-infinite energy. His awareness fragments and then shifts, searching for the source of the petition. The words come second, the feelings first. 

Desperation. Pain. A soul-deep grief. Physical hurt, too, but it's a stinging afterthought. The Lord of the Nine Hells cocks his head to the side, eyes closed. They are petitioning his avatar. They whisper in the darkness. A chill winter breeze howls around them, bowing the branches of dead trees. How fitting, he thinks, that this little creature should surround itself with such things. They wear death like a shroud. 

He is not in the habit of entertaining such low-hanging fruit…but there is a touch of something in their desperation, a sweetness Asmodeus has not sampled in many years. It amuses him. And he is not above indulging his amusement—the Archdevil motions with his right hand, passing a fraction of his awareness to the Aspect. The darkness of his throne room fades in favor of a moonlit night—the sickly sweet tang of blood colors the air. 

Ah, and there is his petitioner. They sit with their back pressed to an ancient white birch, skin badly frostbitten. Cania's stink lingers across their skin, brimstone and hellfire marrying together. They curl around their prize, clutching a badly mangled figure to their chest. Asmodeus hums, kneeling. Its wings are broken. So many bones shattered. 

"Tell me, child." His voice is low and pleasant in the chill air, a warmth chasing along the baritone. "Do you know whose name you have called? The attention you would court?" 

They nod, grip tightening on their prince. Tears cut through the mess of dirt on their skin. Crying, he thinks, and what a charming little oddity. Who shed tears for a devil? How curious. How delightful. "Lord Asmodeus, Prince of the Darkness. Lord of Lies." 

"Indeed, I am. Pretty titles, aren't they?" 

"I thought…" they catch themselves. Asmodeus notes the tremor in their right hand and the way they struggle to stay upright. His presence is overpowering at the best of times; the wounded little creature is fighting valiantly not to succumb to darkness, mind breaking under the weight of his Aspect's attention.

"My apologies, little one. It has been some since I treated with your kind. Allow me." He reaches out with one clawed hand, tapping his nail to the center of their forehead. The ward will protect them from the worst of it. They blink at him. "Continue, please." 

Their right hand tightens in the corpse's dark hair. "My Lord, I had hoped to make a deal with you. I know…I am beneath your attention…"

"Most are. The benefit of being a god, I suppose. But it has never stopped me in the past." 

Despite themself, they smile. Shuffling, the adventurer turns their burden outwards. Though badly burned, cheekbones shattered, he recognizes the features—so much of the father in the son, an agony to both parties. Mephistopheles' boy stares blankly forward—a hollow shell of himself, a waste of potential.  

It pains the Prince to see so promising a resource wasted. 

"I made a mistake. I…" they swallow. "There was something that had to be done. And it came at a cost. Raphael…” 

"The boy is known to me, child. If I may?" They hesitate. Asmodeus forces his temper down, the air around them heating. He is a god and not in the habit of being denied. But the Hero of Baldur's Gate relents, shifting their burden into his arms. The Lord of the Ninth cups his hand over the pretender-king's mouth, his forehead. Asmodeus shuts his eyes. "Such a waste." 

"Can you help him?"

"Do you doubt me, little one?" They shift back, dropping their eyes at the sharpness of his tone—a warning, barely veiled. "Mephistopheles has devoured that which he gave—the infernal. The mortal soul…is uncontested. Lost somewhere in Avernus. It could be located…for a price."

"Anything." 

Asmodeus chuckles. He is not ignorant of the sudden rush of color in the little creature's cheeks or how the sound makes them avert their eyes. This guise is pleasant, after all, tall and angular and dark. The wind catches in the blackness of his hair, the long strands falling well below his shoulders. "How dearly naive. I've half a mind to take advantage of such generosity." They shiver under the force of his stare, reality undoubtedly going dark around the edges. He hums. "But…the alternative could prove a more pleasurable distraction still." 

The Lord of the Ninth stands, holding out his hand. The hero, Tav, sets their palm in his. He helps them to their feet, settling his other hand on their shoulders. So close, he can feel the weight of their exhaustion and desperation rolling off them, an ambrosia. The depth of their affection for the boy-king. Interesting and useful. Asmodeus touches their cheek. 

"I will treat with you, little one, and more fairly than I ought. Your dear one's potential: a few more centuries, a stern hand, and Raphael might have made a powerful piece on the board. His sire is…" Asmodeus tapped his chin. "Increasingly irrelevant. Immutable and tiresome." 

Tav stares up at him, such a little thing. And there is potential there, too, the ability to warp and mold this boy-king into something suitable to his grand design. He touches their cheek with a claw. "I will give the means to locate Raphael's soul. In retrieving it, you will prove your worth and dedication. I have no use for the faint of heart. Is this clear?" 

"Yes, my Lord." 

"Clever pet, very clever." He smiles, chucking them under the chin. "You bring the boy to my court in Nessus, where he shall be given the means to decide his fate. Is that clear?" 

"Yes."

What an amusing twist of fate. He bends, collecting the Prince's mangled body in his arms. Tav looks ready to protest, to fight for their dear one (and again, how delightful; Asmodeus cannot help but feel charmed), only to remember what precisely stands before them: a god in truth, the Lord of all the Nine Hells. Asmodeus smiles at them, bowing his head. "I shall keep him for you, little one. You have my oath. Collect his soul, and we will meet again." 

He leaves them without another word, a touch of the dramatic, a hint of mystery to whet their palette. Asmodeus inspects the corpse in his arm. 

Sweet Prince, broken and bloodied. 

Asmodeus will make him whole again. 

[mechanical-moron]

Creature Feature Poll:

Make your choice and feel free to elaborate in the tags! Do you want butterfly wings? A unicorn horn? Maybe goat eyes?

Reblog for a bigger sample size, or don't. I'm not your dad :P

[whereserpentswalk]

Imagine you had to send yourself to another dimension. You can't stay on your own anymore, and you know you're probably never going back.

You wake up in a giant forest, with trees the size of mountains or skyscrapers. Dragonflies the size of falcons fly overhead. And you can see grasshopper like beasts the size of deer running through the woods, pursued by wolf sized arachnids. Cenepeds slithering across you like snakes.

Eventually the sentient population finds you. They're human shaped, very skinny for the most part, and covered in glistening white exoskeletons instead of skin. They're faces lack any Immediately visible features other then two giant orange eyes, though their mouths become visible when they open them. They have hair on their heads in human like patterns, but it's silky like that of a moth. They seem to have two sets of arms, though only the upper set is able to be fully utilized for tasks.

They're confused at you at first. The only vertebrates they've ever seen resemble tiny lizards or rats. But when you try to communicate they take you to their largest city, or at least the largest in the area.

You're taken to a large stone sitadel, and begin doing tests on you, though they take care not to hurt you. After a few days you're set free in the city. You know enough of their language to get by. And one of their universities will give you a small apartment and some money every month in exchange for regular samples of blood and urine.

Their society seems mostly humane. Democratic, with a late 20th century level of technology. But for awhile it just seems to alien to you to assimilate at all. You can't make freinds at first, you can't pick up on their body language due to how diffrent they are.

Eventually you start socializing more. The idea that you'll ever see a human again seems more and more a fantasy. So you do what you have to. First with people from the university, then with just people in the community. Should you even call them people? It's like everything, hard at first, then it seems normal.

You get used to their food in time. Eating meat and drinking bodily fluids from giant insects. It's the thing you have to get used to the fastest, as you'll starve without giving up your discomfort.

The creatures here don't really wear clothing. Sometimes jewelry or capes but nothing that covers their bodies like human clothing does. You try to wear the clothes you came in, but those were out. And when they're gone there's nowhere to find replacements in this world. You don't know how you feel about being naked, but since it doesn't bother anyone else it eventually seems normal.

You live a good life for a time. You have freinds. A respectable job as a dimensional researcher. You marry someone from this realm, though it took awhile for your mind to rewire itself to be attracted to these creatures. Eventually you forget what it even felt like to be on earth, to see another human.

One day, when it's been over a decade since you left, a rescue crew from your home dimension comes, saying the danger is gone, that you can come home. But this is your home now. And other humans just look like animals now, like lizards or rats that might scurry around your home.