#sonic ecology

[histaminetapes]

Antihistamine 2023

What is the sound of two rocks hitting? That more or less sums up the prompt for this years Antihistamine No Synth compilation. Make sounds with rocks, stones, pebbles, gravel, sand, pretty much any earth based hardscape. Oh and no synthesizer. People had a lot of fun with this one. There was a variety of interpretations of the theme that both met and exceeded my expectations. Hail, crystals,…

[un-pearable]

well at least someone's having fun with it

[hassle2tassel]

Today in Mammalogy...

Knock knock, it's Knuckles.

Sonic, noooooooooo!!!

[borrelia]

contexts:

issues 90, 94: knuckles gets a pterodactyl from some ranchers, stops by tekno's lab in emerald hill

issue 179: tikal transports sonic back 8000 years and accidentally plops him in the middle of knuckles' hunting expedition (thats knuckles on the top right; his paint is miscolored in this panel)

issues 68-72: knuckles is confronted by the vengeful spirit of the kohenyu herd that was wiped out by the echidnas

knuckles and his dinosaur friends :)

[butterflyscribbles]

What do the boys do when it's just them and their mama, maddie?

Sonic:

Spa day no doubt. One Sunday a month they both drop everything and spend the day on self care. She brushes his quills in all the hard to reach spots (lowkey takes him back to when Longclaw used to preen him and he melts) and he practices braiding her hair (Jojo has been teaching him).

They paint nails/claws respectively (Sonic would be lowkey embarrassed and say his claws are naturally that bright green under his gloves if anyone found out but shh their secret). Bundled up in fleece robes and surrounded in warm, sweet smelling soaps n such. Maddie is the only one he actively seeks out to just…..chill with. He will with Tom too but he has more fun out romping and getting into trouble with him. Maddie specializes in helping him slow down and relax because sometimes he forgets to. He’s getting better at yoga too thanks to her help.

Knuckles:

Oh baby he is her shadow…

Once he settles into their home (and finally understands he doesn’t need to protect it from everyday construction workers and door to door salesmen) he is insistent on helping pull his own weight around the house, literally in most cases. He’ll accompany her to the grocery store and help around her office at work. He likes horses a lot. What proud and majestic creatures they are!!

Loves watching her cook and is adamant about helping do so himself, with varying degrees of success. He’s even more into yoga than Sonic too. She also used to read to Sonic when he was first brought in. He kind of outgrew it and Tails tears through their collection on his own. Knuckles however…he cherishes the nights where she doesn’t work late and they can continue their book of the month together. His tribe would tell stories around a fire during colder months and it’s a comfort and ritual he didn’t realize he missed so much.

Tails

Where Knuckles is her shadow trailing behind her, Tails is attached at the hip. When they are alone together it’s infodump time, Maddie with biology/ecology and Tails engineering/aerodynamics. The nerding out overlaps when they talk astronomy. Maddie dabbles in it as a hobby and they study the stars together under her telescope.

Tails loves cleaning if you can believe it. Brings him a sense of peace and meditation which Maddie totally gets. They’ll often tackle a part of the house together, find some random junk in the garage or basement and then spend the next few hours talking about where it came from. Sometimes they take a night to do coloring books, just for funsies. She finds Tails is a quiet artist type on the side.

If she’s got all three for the day, she’ll take em to the skate park to blow off steam. Believe it or not she strikes me as someone who roller skated everywhere in college and still has some moves left, leaving her boys slack jawed in awe.

[bumblehoneybee]

Post-Nuclear - Chapter One

Inspired by Counting Stars Amongst Weeds by @/wearywheats

Contains Sonic 3 spoilers, so read with caution

Next

"S’just a woodpecker." You motion to the trunk above, not that Kermit really hears you. He braces on the tree, barking at the bird and jumping like he'll be able to reach it up on the tall pine branches. It hammers on, though, unfazed by the threats on its life. Seems it's used to dumb dogs with big ideas.

With a roll of your eyes, you raise the camera back up. The woodpecker pauses in its search for food to spit out the bits of wood collected in its beak. You take the chance to snap a few shots of it, hoping the sight of its tongue sticking out is caught on film. The papers and ecological sites tend to like the funnier images.

Kermit, seeing as his enemy is too far out of reach, scampers to your side instead. He braces on your leg as you fiddle with the aperture settings on your camera, whining for you to help him. However, you are not as young as he would prefer, and think better of throwing him into the tree like one would a football.

Seeing your cousin do that and then having to drive them both to get medical attention killed any sliver of consideration you could have towards the idea.

Instead, you grab a stick, slap it around at his feet, and once the dog is too overwhelmed by what's happening, throw it off into the trees. Kermit sprints after it, the sound of his feet in the brush all you need to be assured he's still nearby.

You gaze up at the trees again, finding the woodpecker turned around now, staring down at you. It's head cocks this way and that, trying to get a good look at what's causing a ruckus down below. You raise your camera again, smiling when the bird jumps at the sound of the shutter.

With a squawk of a noise, it takes flight, noisily flapping its wings so it can rise above the treeline. Before you can attempt to follow, however, something. . . happens.

You notice the light first, the sudden brightness to the sky when it should be darker. Late afternoon during this time of year means a steady setting of the sun, yet suddenly the world brightens around you, like an overexposed photo.

It's hard to see through the brambles and leaves, but high above there's a golden light burning through the canopy. You rush forward, towards your home where there's a clearing of trees, whistling for Kermit to follow. The little greyhound nips at your toes, shining bright as a star in the strange lighting, and seems unafraid of whatever phenomenon has plagued the forest.

When the trees part for clear skies, you spot it. A ball of flames scorches through the sea of blue, spiraling downwards. It cuts away at the tips of the trees, but you can tell when it hits Earth by the trembling of the ground. You stumble, knees scraping the dirt, while Kermit clumsily rolls past you.

Wow. A meteor. A falling star landed in the forest, near your home, and now you can see the smoke billowing up into the air. It's not that far away, not really, and whatever landed. . .

You bite your lip.

A meteor crater can't be safe, but then again, who wouldn't love a photo of burning meteorite still hot from its descent? You could make a decent income on some photos of that.

Without any more thought, you toss Kermit back into the house and sprint towards the smoke column, eager to make it there before anyone else can ruin the natural state of the impact zone.

A breathless laugh escapes you as you hurdle fallen stumps and small streams. Fallen leaves slick with mud send you windmilling over inclines, but you keep pace, too excited to care about mud-stained jeans and scratched up palms. You've never seen a meteorite period, much less one in its natural state. This will be thrilling, and maybe if you're very, very lucky, it'll change your life for the better.

After all, while being freelance is fun, being signed on to a nature magazine or a newspaper would make your salary not only steadier but higher too! You and Kermit could maybe even move somewhere closer to town, where the people are! Make friends and not feel like the weirdo living out on the town limits who people only see once a week, if even.

Well, maybe that's an exaggeration. After all, most folks who want wedding or birthday photoshoots call you. Still, a steady job would be a dream come true, and this meteorite could be your ticket to it.

Your shoes scuff tracks into the dirt. You wobble, nearly falling into the pit of seared earth. The grass is still smoldering, trees fluttering with burning leaves. Luckily, none of it seems like it’ll spread far, what with the wet week you’ve been having. So with that assured, you turn back to the crater, wafting away smoke.

There’s something black in the center. You catch glimpses of red too. Your heart flutters with excitement that the meteorite might still be rife with molten lava, so you quickly pull out your camera, fiddling with the exposure and such before you start snapping as fast as you can.

You take photos of the crater still filled with smoke, the burning trees, the smoky trail still burned into the sky. And finally, with your heart in your throat and enough of the smoke cleared, you approach the center of the crater.

It’s a long drop, the impact hard enough to reach a rocky layer of the Earth’s crust. You ease yourself down into the pit, wafting away the wisps of smoke that curl around your face. When the ground levels out, you ease yourself forward, a hand held out to detect anything that might be still too-hot to get close to.

You don't feel anything, even as you make it to the center of the crater. There's still a small column of smoke clinging to the meteorite. You try to waft it away too, but don't manage much. So instead, you kneel down, surprised to find that the cause of all this damage is something so small.

Your hands land on your camera, ready to get some lovely close-ups of molten space rock. You blow into the smoke, watching it curl and disperse enough to show you your prize.

Except. . . instead of rock. . . there's a hand.

You stare at it, and yeah. . . it's a hand, clasped in a white glove singed black, missing sections to reveal blistered skin. It's connected to a similarly burned arm, black fur and red stripping and even more patchy spots with burns.

Something constricts around your chest, making it hard to breathe. Your head spins, but you don't think too hard about crawling closer and grabbing the arm, fingers curling over the wrist.

It's there, a faint pulse. The soft thumps under your fingers makes everything sharpen. You stare into the clumped fur, too afraid to look farther than the elbow.

But your eyes betray you, flickering upwards to a face, slacken and covered in blood.

A fear unlike you've ever known ices your veins. You're panicking, hands fluttering now, parting fur to find more cuts, more bruises, and more burns, some worse than others. You want to turn his head, try and find where all the blood is coming from, but the quills that spike out from the back of his head make you nervous.

You're nervous. You're scared. But there's a guy-animal-thing here lying in a crater and bleeding out onto the earth, so you gotta do. . . something! And that something can be figured out when you're closer to home.

At least he's unconscious, because you certainly have no grace hauling him into your arms. He's warm to the touch, but not so hot as to hurt you. No doubt his burns are more serious than something your aloe plant can help, so there's research to be done there.

You stumble, struggling to claw your way up the crater's incline with a body half-strewn over your shoulder. There's puffs of air against your neck, hitching with each wobble of your footing. Your fingers are going to be raw from digging into the dirt and rocks, but god is your head too buzzed to care.

Kermit is understandably in a frenzy when you return with a guy in your arms. He does spins and circles around you, eager to play with the new person or new toy, whichever you chose to bring him. You stomp your feet and shuffle them at the hound so he runs away, though, expecting a game of chase. Instead of chase, however, you escape to the bathroom, shutting the door behind you.

He can cry about it for now. You can soothe his hurt feelings when there's not a guy dying on you.

The tub fills with water, and you set your new guest down on the toilet for the time being. Your camera sits on the sink, and your phone sits in your hand, pages of how to identify and care for burns trying to teach you how to save something you never knew existed.

You make sure the tub isn't too warm per the instructions of a hospital, then lower the guy down into it. You keep his head propped on the tub's edge, dunking one of your wash cloths into the water to use on his face.

Dried blood and ash clears with each pass, showing you the wound that's causing most of the mess. The gash cuts through his temple, curling up around the pointed ear on his head. You clean the debris from it best you can, and wonder if any of your first aid supplies will help bandage such a wound.

Before that, however, you pull your guest from his bath. The water is a dark grey from the ash and dirt, so you drain it quick, using the shower head to do a clean of the tub before refilling it.

You focus on the quills next, carefully pouring water over his head with the cup you usually keep your toothbrush in. You watch the debris wash out into the tub with disdain. Gross. You'll need to drain it again when you start focusing on his burns.

The article on your phone mentions cold water, bandages, and pain meds (the latter of which you have no expectations for). You have that stuff on you, but the cream they recommend, silver sulfadiazine, you don't have. Looks like he's going to have to put up with your aloe plant for now.

Satisfied that he's clean enough, you pull him from the tub and pat dry his fur and quills until he's dry enough for the couch. With Kermit screaming in your bedroom, demanding to play with the new guest, you drag over your big aloe plant, walking the heavy pot to the side of the couch before you grab your first aid kit from the kitchen.

You sit on the floor before the couch, staring at the hands and legs sporting the most serious burns, blistered and shiny. You don't know what you're doing. Your worst burn has been sunburn, and anything else is lost to the panic haze and childhood daze that covers those older memories. But you know aloe helps, and bandages are needed, so you can go from there.

"Aha," you laugh, sticky hands smacking for the remote, "I'm gonna have a dead body in my house, ha."

The TV blares to life, thankfully distracting you from your lack of confidence in your medical experience. A newscaster drones on about the upcoming weather, expecting rainy days and pollen counts, while you're smearing blisters in aloe and wrapping them in gauze, near tears with each twitch of foot and hiss of air.

"In other news, more information regarding the Eclipse Canon and the state of the moon has been released by officials, showing insight to the future that awaits us."

You pause, an arm held up by the glove you have half off. The TV shows a space station, like something from a movie, alongside a picture of a half-destroyed moon. A nausea grips at your stomach.

When did the moon explode? How did it explode?

You really need to start watching the news more often.

"Sources say that the explosion of the Eclipse Canon has caused a nebula to form within the Milky Way, close enough to Earth for us to see with the naked eye." You balk, but the stern-faced newscaster continues without fail, uncaring of your misery. "Monitoring of the nebula has shown its in a stable state, with no supernovas to occur for hundreds of years. As for the moon, it's new state thanks to the Eclipse Canon, activated by one Dr. Eggman-"

"He shot the fucking moon!?" You exclaim, only to jump with the arm drops to the couch, glove fully removed. "Ah! Shit!"

"-expected for tides to shift, due to the change in the satellite's new mass. Small pieces of debris from the moon are expected to fall to Earth as well, so if you are a part of these areas, be sure to fortify and ready for cover in case of your home is in the collision course."

You groan, flopping onto your back. You could've had a piece of the moon hit nearby, but no. You got a guy, probably an alien guy, instead.

Looks like you're going to be doing some internet searching tonight. Time to catch up with the current events, since apparently missing a few days of the news to watch game shows instead means missing the fact the moon got blown up while you weren't looking.

Rubbing your hands over your face, you sigh heavily. The past hour or so plays over in your head, settling into your bones like a heavy weight. There's an alien in your home now, more or less. An alien, hurt and alone, now residing on your couch.

You hit the floor with your fist. What are you going to do? Calling the police would end up with your alien being taken away, and you're scared of that. But you're not sure this guy isn't. . . bad either. He could attack once he wakes up.

God. . . where did you put your laptop? You need to look this shit up.

[dorothylarouge]

Dorothy's Top Five Games of 2024

Honorable Mentions:

Suzerain: A gripping and fully-developed world of politics and international relations, Suzerain released its Rizia DLC this year, and I played through both it and the main campaign. Its realistic portrayal of political and economic processes, in the backdrop of a world almost our own, proved extremely addictive.

Goodbye Volcano High: A heartfelt and moving interactive animated miniseries about coming of age in apocalyptic times, with some great indie rock-flavored music.

We Love Katamari Reroll: A delightful followup to the original Katamari Damacy, We Love Katamari is more of the same - and what more could you ask?

Sea of Stars: A beautiful love letter to classic JRPGs, with gorgeous environments, delightful timing-based combat, endearing characters, and wonderful music, including guest tracks composed by legend Yasunori Mitsuda.

Dragon Age: the Veilguard: Now the story of a studio who lost everything, and the one game that had no choice but to get them back on track. It’s Arrested Development.

And now, the list proper.

Fifth Place: Penny's Big Breakaway (Evening Star)

I have a tremendous soft spot for 3D platformers. Some of my earliest memories of video games involve playing Super Mario Sunshine, Sonic Adventure 2, and Spyro (the bad one) on GameCube.

Penny's Big Breakaway feels like a refugee from that era of platformer, one which would have felt at home on the Dreamcast, GameCube, or even the original Xbox or PlayStation 2. It combines energetic, almost frantic platforming with a high skill ceiling and combo system with a turn-of-the-century graphical aesthetic and fantastic music by Tee Lopes to provide a return to form for a genre which has for too long been permitted to languish.

As with most 3D platformers, story is not a major focus. You play as Penny, a yo-yo-toting busker who ends up running afoul of an emperor and must escape imprisonment by his army of colorful penguins. That's it. That's all you need. This simple premise provides ample excuse for Penny to run, jump, and roll her way through a host of themed worlds. Sometimes, less is more.

With that said, this is not a perfect game. The controls take a lot of time and effort to master, and even after a good amount of play time one is liable to fling oneself off of the map. Health powerups are not as plentiful as they should be, especially in boss encounters, and a lack of camera control can be downright painful at times. Still, these complaints do not ruin the game, and hopefully they can be addressed in a sequel.

The developers of Sonic Mania have created a true gem with this, the debut game from new studio Evening Star, and I look forward to seeing what the studio comes out next - like the best platformer mascots, Penny has the charisma and style to inspire adventures for years to come.

Fourth Place: Neva (Nomada Studio)

Neva is the latest release from Nomada Studio, creators of the brilliant game Gris, and where Gris was a parable of grief and loss, Neva is an ecological fable in which a girl and her dog must make their way through an increasingly-ravaged natural world beset by decay and corruption.

The core gameplay of Neva builds and iterates upon what was seen in Gris, with a dash, double jump, and ground pound, but added in are a sword, which main character Alba uses to fight enemies as well as unlock obstacles, and abilities involving the titular dog which are unlocked over the course of the game. The combat is fun but fairly rudimentary, and I saw it as a garnish on the real focus of the game, which is robust and engaging puzzle platforming of the kind that made Gris such a delight.

The game, as expected of Nomada Studio, is gorgeous, with a beautiful art style, impeccable sound design, brilliant use of color, and haunting, atmospheric music. The level design is also excellent, spanning a number of natural environments which are slowly but surely overtaken by the creeping decay, as well as man-made structures resembling those in Gris, which are also crumbling and in a state of decay. The degradation of nature and collapse of the structures of man are linked in Neva, giving rise to uncomfortable thoughts about the state of the world today.

Neva is defined by cycles, cycles of life, death, decomposition, and the cycle of the seasons, which give each of the game's four chapters their names. The game ends in an echo of its beginning, a beautiful and bittersweet ending I will not spoil here.

Neva is a hauntingly beautiful, if frustratingly short, gaming experience which I think will stay with me for a long time. I felt compelled to hug my dog after it was done.

Third Place: Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero)

When Metaphor was first announced, the impression that everyone got was that it was fantasy Persona, with a large amount of development staff carried over from the Hashino Persona games, a lot of mechanics and systems carried over from those games, and even some summonable demons from the mainline Persona and Shin Megami Tensei games. Commentators made note that this was fantasy Persona. Journalists endlessly referred to it as fantasy Persona. Reviewers regarded it as fantasy Persona. It was such a cliche, so aggravating to fans, that it became verboten in the fanbase to refer to the game as fantasy Persona.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is fantasy Persona. This is in no way a bad thing. As in the Hashino Persona games, there is an emphasis on social simulation, with the main character forging bonds with his party members and honing his social skills - not to self-actualize as a social being, as in Persona, but to prove his mettle and worthiness as a king to a kingdom cast into chaos after the last king's murder.

It is this emphasis on fantasy that sets Metaphor apart. The game is constantly musing on fantasy tropes and the transformative nature of the genre, and it has a surprising amount to say about the appeal of fantasy narratives, to say nothing of its overarching themes of prejudice and self-determination.

In terms of gameplay, Metaphor actually takes a lot more from the Press Turn system of Shin Megami Tensei than the One More system of Persona, and it took me a while to get into the groove of it. Once I did, though, I had a great time chaining attacks to strike at opponents' weaknesses and finishing my turns with devastating damage via the game's Synthesis mechanic. The game's central gameplay feature, the Archetype system - a sort of job system like those in Sqaure Enix RPGs - was also something I took to readily after some initial fiddling. The game lets you mix and match abilities from different archetypes via the skill inheritance system, and I had a lot of fun creating an ideal build for each playable character.

And then, of course, there's the characters. Metaphor features a large cast of characters, and I was happy to see that all of the social link equivalents featured strong and compelling narratives that made the time needed to invest in each rank of their story a worthy commitment. In particular, I found the narratives of Eupha, Heismay, and Maria especially compelling, and the bonuses provided through spending time with them to be particularly valuable.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is fantasy Persona. And that's a good thing! It's a great game, and I hope it's one that gets revisited sooner rather than later. Studio Zero have produced a real gem for their debut title, and I really hope they keep the momentum going.

Second Place: Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut (Sucker Punch Productions)

I am a huge fan of the works of director Akira Kurosawa - Throne of Blood is my favorite film of all time - and the jidaigeki genre of samurai films in general, so when I learned that Sucker Punch was making a game inspired by the genre I was filled with excitement which turned to dismay when I learned that the game would be PlayStation exclusive. Thankfully, though, little stays PlayStation exclusive for long, and I was happy to finally play Ghost of Tsushima when its Director's Cut released on PC this year.

The setup of Ghost of Tsushima is pretty simple, and slots in nicely with its genre - you play as Jin Sakai, the sole survivor of a massacre of samurai at the hands of invading Mongols, and must use all the tools at your disposal to free the jito, your uncle, and liberate your island home of Tsushima. Along the way, you begin to chafe at the code of honor you are expected to uphold as a samurai and as your uncle's heir apparent. While Ghost does have a simple premise, it is its characters, and their struggles and dreams, which kept me invested throughout the experience.

The game's combat is consistently satisfying, with the player rotating through various swordfighting stances to counter specific enemy types, while also having access to a bow, bombs, poison darts, and various quickfire items which can disrupt enemies and allow you to control the flow of combat. It's a fun system to master and learn how to get through any encounter without taking any damage. Occasionally the game also puts you in one on one duels with certain enemies, which are always fantastic - the one at the end of the game especially.

Where Ghost really shines, though, is in its exploration. I wouldn't call Ghost of Tsushima a true open world game - the player's access to the island's various regions is gated by story progression, and you unlock more of Tsushima as you progress, while having free reign of any area you have access to at any given time. The game heavily rewards exploration with a variety of activities and collectibles, which differentiate themselves from the typical Ubisoft-style open world icons by being fun, useful, and engaging. You'll scale mountains to reach a shrine to a kami, or rest for a while in a hot spring to increase your health, or (anachronistically as the art form did not exist in the 13th century) compose a haiku to earn a new piece of cosmetic gear. You'll also follow a number of character-based side stories, one-off side quests, and mythic tales which unlock powerful abilities and armor, all of which are extremely engaging and memorable. I would liken Ghost of Tsushima to last year's Tears of the Kingdom in terms of just how good it feels to explore and discover the island of Tsushima's beautiful environments, and uncover all of its secrets.

As a lover of the genre, I could barely put Ghost of Tsushima down in my initial playthrough of over 70 hours. It more than earns its spot on the list, but there's just one game I think left even more of a mark on me this year.

First Place: Persona 3 Reload (P-Studio)

I am a recent convert to the Persona series, having first played Persona 5 Royal in 2022 and playing Persona 4 Golden when it released on Xbox in 2023. However, I have fallen deeply in love with the series, and when Persona 3 Reload was announced I made the decision that I had to play it on release day. I called out of work and preordered the game - something I never do - and through a combination of being trapped in my home by a massive storm and losing my job the next week, I ended up plowing through Persona 3 Reload in about a week. I simply couldn't put the game down.

I had very little knowledge of the story or characters of Persona 3, having never played my copy of Persona 3 Portable since this game was announced so soon after that released, and so experiencing this narrative for the first time was an experience I'll never forget. Persona 3 is a game about death which is simultaneously extremely life-affirming, celebrating the relationships, connections, and simple joys that make life worth living, while embracing the fact that everyone must someday die and using that fact as motivation to live every day to the fullest. It is a moving, emotional story anchored by rich, engaging characters. I cried several times throughout.

The gameplay of Persona 3 Reload, a refinement on the turn-based systems of previous entries, is polished to a shine, and I found myself blowing through whole blocks of Tartarus, the game's only dungeon, in a single in-game night due to how engaging and addictive the combat felt. It felt extremely rewarding to find effective combos and a synergistic team that could raise each character's Theurgy gauge as quickly as possible, and the structure of Tartarus hooked me in surprisingly effectively, given that I wasn't a big fan of Persona 4's TV Wortld dungeons, or Persona 5's Mementos, dungeons with a similar structure to Tartarus. It helps that there's a surprising amount to do in Tartarus, from rescuing lost civilians to fulfilling requests for the Velvet Room attendant Elizabeth to exploring the various Monad Doors and plundering their rare items.

Persona 3 Reload is a very special game, one that I think will stick with me for a very long time. I can easily see why fans had been clamoring for a remake for so long, and I am extremely grateful that we finally got this game as a result. It is a genuine masterpiece, and easily takes the title of my game of the year.

[fromthegoop]

"Before the end of spring, Mariupol will be left without water.

This is what remains of the Staryy Krym water reservoir, from which the inhabitants of the occupied and destroyed city draw water. Advisor of the city mayor Petro Andryuschenko says that before the difficulties in supplying water were predicted to worsen at the start of summer, but currently water is likely to run out even before summer. "

🌊 Вже до кінця весни Маріуполь залишиться без води.

Так виглядають рештки Старокримського водосховища, з якого мешканці захопленого і поруйнованого міста отримують воду. Радник мера міста Петро Андрющенко каже, що раніше був прогноз про проблеми з водопостачанням із початку літа, але зараз мова про те, що води не стане ще до літа

📹: Андрющенко Timе

[supercritters]

Stephanie Brown - Spoiler

She's kind of doing a Sonic pose here but that was unintentional. Or maybe she's giving you a really big high-five.

Steph is very playful and mischeivous but in a kind of destructive way, proud and outspoken, and a force of chaos, which reminded me of big cats

Lionesses are viewed, both symbolically and ecologically, as bearing the brunt of work that their male counterparts don't do - I liked how that reflected Steph's cultural role as the "disregarded Robin", and the conflict she has with Bruce and Cluemaster taking advantage of her

It gave her a nice gold/yellow color scheme which I like with her purple outfit

To quote from my notes: "big slappy paws"

[thankskenpenders]

What do you think about the Sonic franchise consistently downplaying the ecological aspect since the beginning? Despite the entire deal with Eggman polluting and industrializing the world, I believe the only times we approached a serious exploitation of these themes was Sonic SatAM's depressing metal landscapes and some pretty sad/powerful moments in Fleetway Sonic. Otherwise it's seen as a complete detail, IDW despite all of its quality barely grazes it with the ongoing "duplicitous recycling company" arc and ecology is not a thing in Paramount Sonic at all. Do you have good examples of official (or fan, for that matter) Sonic works approaching ecology? Do you think we have a chance of the franchise EVER exploring such themes more strongly than "evil factories everywhere"? How would you do it personally?

I'd always like to see Sonic stuff lean into the environmental themes more, yeah. I guess the issue is just that, like. I'm not sure it was ever supposed to be that huge of an element in Sonic Team's vision for the series in the first place? I'm not sure it was ever any deeper than "it's bad when Eggman takes over an area and destroys the beautiful scenery to build evil robot factories." It feels like it's mainly the Western adaptations that took those elements and pushed them more into overt environmentalist territory, with kid-friendly political commentary a la FernGully or Captain Planet.

Like, I'm not sure you'd ever see Sega of Japan do a Sonic comic strip like this:

Again, I'd like to see the series embrace environmentalist themes more. We have gotten a bit of it in Evan's writing for the Restoration in the IDW comics, like the story about Silver's garden or the Diamond Cutters having a mission to restore the greenery in Green Hill. I like that stuff. There's definitely an effort being made there. But I expect it to remain a comparatively minor element, given the trajectory of the games. Something that's there, but it's no longer the main focus.

[percycolondee]

Been doodling Sonic characters in mundane life scenarios to wind down for the day and created a university au lmao

I definitely have other character doodles but here's Sonic for now :P

Rough ideas--

Sonic still has his speed and is the king of side hustles-- makes a steady-ish living doing things like doordash and Uber eats, vehemently avoiding a real job until he gets his degree (this will bite him in the ass later)

He gave the vibe that if he went to school willingly he'd be an ecology major and take his studies seriously, he just struggles to stay focused and his grades suffer because of it TvT

Dresses like Adam Sandler 90% of the time and needs glasses because he's hella near sided. He just prefers not to wear them unless absolutely needed, which usually boils down to only during lectures so he can see the board. P

[earth2068]

What would everyone's favorite Sonic characters be?

flynn: knuckles

leon: amy

vermillion: shadow

phil: i feel like its vector and i have no idea why

winona: robotnik (unironically)

lucille: tails

violet: blaze

viridian: big (unironically)

the eidolon: finds the question stupid and meaningless. upon further investigation decides they hate sonic due to seeing his fun and chill attitude as equivalent to criminal neglect of the dire ecological devastation most of the plots revolve around. upon further further investigation sees sonic's personality as a bulwark of life and culture, the one thing the forces of evil cannot take from him. secretly wishes they were like that. the answer is sonic

jordan: in 1999 there was a sonic cartoon called sonic underground that was disconnected entirely from the sonic canon focusing on sonic and his two siblings (who he has) searching for their long lost mother. also theyre in a band and their instruments are weapons. jordans favorite would be sonics sister in this show, sonia, who plays keyboard and has cool spiky pink hair

[thecreaturecodex]

Nyktera

Image © Paizo Publishing, accessed at Archives of Nethys here

[The Pathfinder 2e Bestiary 3 introduces three new sprite lineages, all of which are some manner of anthro. I love all three of them and will be retro-converting them all to 1e. I like how the bat sprites are neutral good by nature, reflecting how the image of bats has changed from their universally monstrous nature in the days of 1e D&D. Also, it's scientifically accurate! Vampire bats practice altruistic bloodfeeding, and sometimes even adopt orphaned kits]

Nyktera CR 1/3 NG Fey This tiny humanoid has a wrinkly face with large ears and little fangs. Bat wings grow from their back, and they have furry arms and legs.

Nykteras are sometimes referred to as “bat sprites” by lay people. Despite their sometimes frightening appearance, they are kindly creatures who value hospitality among all other things. They nest in caves or trees with mundane bats, especially those with similar physical features and ecologies. Different colonies of nyktera feed on different foods, usually fruit or insects, but occasionally fish, frogs, nectar or even blood.

Nyktera colonies are seen as oases of calm, and even evil creatures will often behave themselves in a nyktera colony for the promise of a safe place to sleep, fresh water and even minor healing services. That being said, if a nyktera’s hospitality is abused, the creatures will fly into a rage and fight. Their physical attacks are fairly weak, but nyktera are capable of firing sonic bolts from their mouths at range. Nyktera families are large and often extend over whole continents, and those who have abused the hospitality of one nyktera will usually find themselves spurned by all bat sprites in turn until they make amends.

Nyktera CR 1/3 XP 133 NG Tiny fey Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.,low light vision, Perception +7 (+11 when hearing)

Defense AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+2 size, +3 Dex) hp 7 (2d6) Fort +0, Ref +6, Will +5 DR 2/cold iron Weakness wrath of spurned hospitality

Offense Speed 10 ft.; fly 40 ft. (good) Melee slam +0 (1d6-3) Ranged sonic pulse +4 touch (1d4 sonic) Space 2 ½ ft.; Reach 0 ft. Spell Like Abilities CL 1st, concentration +4 Constant—speak with animals (bats only) At will—dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 13) 1/day—create water, cure light wounds (DC 14)

Statistics Str 4, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 17 Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 9 Feats Skill Focus (heal) Skills Acrobatics +8, Diplomacy +8,Fly +16, Heal +7, Perception +7 (+11 when hearing), Stealth +12; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception when hearing Languages Common, Sylvan, speak with animals (bats only)

Ecology Environment any land andunderground Organization solitary, pair, flight (3-12) or colony (13-48) Treasure incidental

Special Abilities Sonic Pulse (Su) As a standard action, a nyktera can fire a pulse of sonic energy. Treat this as a ranged touch attack with a range of 20 feet and no range increment. A creature struck takes 1d4 points of sonic damage. Wrath of Spurned Hospitality (Ex) If a nyktera is betrayed, it must succeed a DC 20 Will save. If it fails, it flies into a rage, as per the spell, attacking its betrayer each round until it succeeds a DC 20 Will save, the nyktera or the target of its ire is slain, or if the traitor flees.

[samaelzdraws]

Transmechanicus Biologis Study Log #726//Expunged

Magos Xanthor Vell, Formerly of Ryza Forge - Log Date: 943.M41

Location: Designation Nullius-57, Segmentum Obscurus

“Knowledge, even forbidden, cannot be unwitnessed.”

Subject: Xenobiological Study of Orkoid Symbiosis with Alien Fungal Organism: Golden Cordycep and Host Species “Gargantuan Hammerfist Champignat”

Status Note: This record is no longer recognized by the Mechanicus due to the heretical nature of my affection for the greenskin xenos. I continue my studies in exile, sustained by the machine-logic of truth and the song of biological revelation. Praise the Omnissiah, even if He no longer hears me.

INITIAL DISCOVERY

Upon my fifth solar cycle surveying Nullius-57—a geothermically volatile world rife with fungal ecologies and Orkoid spore-nodes—I came across a remarkable insectoid entity. The local feral Ork population (primitive even by greenskin standards) referred to this beast as “Hammer-Hands-Big-Bug.” My own designation, however, is the Gargantuan Hammerfist Champignat.

Vital statistics:

• Height: Approximately 6 meters at rest (measured dorsally)

• Length: ~25 meters from anterior claw-socket to abdominal tip

• Locomotion: Octopedal with significant muscle mass in posterior three pairs of legs—capable of near-sonic percussion via specialized forelimb mandibles

• Diet: Primarily fungivorous; secondary carnivorous behavior observed against smaller insectoid competition

The Hammerfist’s mandibles exhibit convergent morphology with Terran Odontodactylus scyllarus (mantis shrimp), able to deliver percussive strikes potent enough to shatter basalt. On three occasions I recorded the creatures engaging in territorial duels—sonic vibrations from the impact alone rendered smaller fauna comatose. A marvel of biomechanical design.

THE GOLDEN CORDYCEP

During a dissection of a deceased specimen (likely deceased due to fungal overgrowth from local sporepits), I noticed a peculiar golden-hued fungal growth adorning the abdominal chitin, clustered near soft tissue seams and around neural ganglia.

At first I assumed Cordycep sp. parasitica, given the obvious fungal infiltration. However, tissue scans revealed a non-destructive relationship: mycoproteins were reinforcing torn muscle fiber and emitting localized biochemical signals promoting regeneration.

Subsequent histological assays and auspex-readings confirmed: this is no parasitism. It is symbiosis. The fungus integrates with the host’s immune response, stimulating cell mitosis and supplying metabolic resources drawn from its own photosynthetic conversion and fungal substrate digestion.

I designate this species: Mycocladium aureum symbiotica.

FERALS AND FUNGUS

The true revelation came when I observed the feral Orks interacting with the Hammerfist carcass. A group of five, evidently local hunters, approached the deceased creature. One of them—massive even by Ork standards—was grievously wounded. The entire right hemisphere of his face had been sheared away, likely by a hammerfist blow.

Without ceremony, the Ork scooped the golden mold with his crude bone-dagger and slathered it directly into the wound. I recorded every detail:

• Within eight hours, the bleeding had ceased.

• By thirty-six hours, rudimentary tissue regrowth was visible—ruddy green with streaks of golden fungal weave.

• In three days, the Ork had returned to hunting, now sporting a partial fungal exo-plate over the affected region.

The Orks believe the fungus is a form of divine ichor, a gift from Gork (or possibly Mork). Some wear its dried form as ritual armor or chew it during rites of battle-healing. Crude. Inefficient. And yet… functional.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I remain in exile. But I am not alone. The Orks tolerate me—barely. Some call me “Squig-brain-with-light(glowing)-eyes.” I take it as a term of endearment.

My laboratory is mobile. My data is redundant across twelve cortical backups. One day, perhaps, the Imperium will learn to see past its fear. Until then, I watch. I record. I learn.

And when the Hammer-Hands-Big-Bugs thunder through the canyons, I listen. For in the rhythm of their strike lies a pattern.

I am getting more and more accustomed to this new lifestyle

[fifthintheforbidden]

Ecology Entry - Windward Plains - Chatacabra and Bulaqchi

One of the first large monsters many will encounter in the Windward Plains is the amphibian, Chatacabra.

These curious animals can be found roaming through most of the Windward plains, but prefer the wet rivers and oases as well as the shaded fulgurite caves of the plains. Both locations are favored by Chatacabra due to their unique behaviors that make them well adapted to the Windward Plains. Being amphibians, they are anamniotes, meaning their eggs lack the barrier that protects the embryo during development (amnion). This means they must spawn in bodies of water to provide the correct conditions for development. Though breeding behaviors haven't been observed yet, the presence of multiple Chatacabra around these bodies of water during the season of plenty suggests this is when mating, spawning, and hatching occur. Chatacabra clutches are likely large and hatch soon after being laid to avoid desiccation once the season of plenty is over and the fallow makes the plains hot and dry again. Larval Chatacabra possibly mature quickly but would serve as ample prey for many of the predators of the plains including Windrustlers when they're eggs or tadpoles and Talioths when they're just finding their way onto land. Individuals who do survive grow to an average of five meters and likely reach sexual maturity as quickly as they grew.

As for the fulgurite caves, the Chatacabra come here for three reason: shade, food, and fulgurite crystals. As amphibians, being out in the hot sun for too long is a bad idea, even for well adapted species like the Chatacabra. Often, they can be found scouring the caves for their preferred prey: Bulaqchi.

Bulaqchi are neopterons that hang on cave walls and ceilings, striking in swarms against any unlucky animal that wander deep into these caves. They use their long proboscis to pierce their prey and inject digestive fluids to dissolve the insides of whatever they're hunting. This allows them to consume their food very efficiently, often before their prey can react. It's also been noted these insects do the same with carrion, making them very opportunistic animals. Bulaqchi are very sensitive too, their forelegs and feathered antennae making them incredibly adept at detecting vibrations and smells. Sensitive enough that even sonic bombs will disorientate them. Despite the effectiveness of these hunters, to the Chatacabra, they're nothing more than a tasty snack.

For the fulgurite crystals themselves, Chatacabra exhibit a fascinating behavior of using the surrounding rocks and minerals as armor. Chatacabra have very long tongues that they use for both hunting and covering there highly developed forelimbs in a sticky mucus produced in their saliva. They then stick strong materials on there forelimbs when threated, making even strong hunter weapons bounce off. Chatacabra aren't afraid to explore even riskier areas for prime crystal locations as many have been seen scaling the fulgurite caves to where large mounds of crystals have formed on the top from repeated lightning strikes.

These armored amphibians may be low on the food chain in the Windward Plains, however they play a vital role in pest control as their insectivorous diet helps prevent excessively high populations of creatures such the aforementioned Bulaqchi. Similarly to the Ceratonoths, the Chatacabra likely evolved into it's specific niche due to the Eastland's unusual climatic pressures but it makes me wonder why we don't see a similar amphibian, or the Chatacabra itself, in more productive and wet regions like the Scarlet Forest. Perhaps it's that exact reason why Chatacabra are so widespread in the Windward Plains instead of the Scarlet Forest. The Scarlet Forest is home to many species of monster, both large and small, that Chatacabra at many of its life stages would have a hard time competing with. But in the plains, Chatacabra is in a niche no other monster finds itself in and uses the available resources quite differently from other large monsters. Even when it comes to predation of young, there would be too many Chatacabra spawn for any of the predatory species to make a massive impact on the populations that reach adulthood. There is much to theorize about this monster, perhaps we'll learn more with further investigations.

Per Audacia Ad Ferae

[soylent-crocodile]

Chiropterex (Monster)

(artist unknown)

(Back in the distant era of the early 10s, my family got Netflix as a novelty. Nowadays streaming has consumed film and television like a rabid beast, but back then, my brother and I found a little British show called Primeval. Weaned on BBC nature documentaries from a young age, this was an exciting new spin on Walking with Dinosaurs, and we loved it.

The future predator is no question the most iconic creature of the series, a future bat that is both inspired by earlier spec evo and has gone on to inspire many other monster designs, including the earlier moorkutlot. It seems only fitting it be translated to Pathfinder.

By the way, I'm abandoning the proposed evolutionary history the later seasons provide- that these actually evolved to eat humans in a post-apocalyptic cityscape- and make them what I think is most obvious to me.)

CR3 TN Medium Animal HD5

Chiropterex are an aberrant species of roughly wolf-sized terrestrial bat, an arboreal, nocturnal apex predator of the islands it calls home, where no other land mammals have reached. They live in small family groups of about four to six members, typically consisting of a mated pair, a nest of about six children, a few children of previous years who stay around to help, and maybe one or two aunts or uncles. Typically, however, they hunt alone, feeding on seabirds and large moa-like ratites who evolved alongside them. These family groups keep in contact with each other using echolocation, and if a lone hunter runs into a struggle, it will call on the dissembled family to help.

Chiropterex are notorious man-eaters, and many a shipwrecked crew has met its end at a family of ravenous land bats. Many peoples of island cultures consider chiropterex to be evil spirits, and indeed there is at least one island where the magic of The Abyss has infected the local population of these predatory beasts.

Some outsiders have tried to domesticate chiropterex, or at the very least use them as weapons. They are a tempting subject of domestication; they are mobile, intelligent, fast-growing and have large clutch sizes, but all attempts so far have ended disastrously.

Chiropterex Companions

Starting Statistics: AC: +4 Size: Small Speed: 30ft, Climb 30ft Attacks: Bite (1d3), 2 Claw (1d4) Ability Scores: Str:10 Dex:22 Con:8 Int:2 Wis:12 Cha:7 Special Qualities: Blind, Blindsight 90ft, Scent Lv 4 Advancement: Size: Medium Attacks: Bite (1d4), 2 Claw (1d6) Ability Scores: Str +4 Dex -2 Con +2 Special Qualities: Flurry of Strikes

This hunched over creature has long, clawed arms and a bulbous head that ends in a short, needle-toothed mouth.

Misc- CR3 TN Medium Animal HD5 Init:+5 Senses: Perception:+6 Blind, Blindsight 90ft, Scent Stats- Str:14(+2) Dex:20(+5) Con:10(+0) Int:2(-4) Wis:12(+2) Cha:7(-2) BAB:+3 Space:5ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:25(5d8) AC:19(+5 Dex, +4 Natural) Fort:+4 Ref:+9 Will:+3 CMD:21 Immunity: Gaze and other visual effects Weakness: Vulnerability to Sonic  Offense- Bite +5(1d4+2, 18-20/x2), 2 Claw +5(1d6+2) CMB:+6 Speed:30ft, Climb 30ft Special Attacks: Pounce, Flurry of Strikes +3/+3/+3/+3(1d6+2) Feats- Dodge, Mobility Skills- +11 Climb, +10 Stealth, +6 Perception(+8 Racial to Climb) Special Qualities- Flurry of Strikes Ecology- Environment- Forest, Urban (Warm) Languages- None Organization- Solitary, Family (2-4 Chiropterex, 6-8 Young Chiropterex) Treasure- None Special Abilities- Blindsight (Ex)- A chiropterex’s blindsight is echolocation-based; it cannot sense within areas of Silence or similar spells. Flurry of Strikes (Ex)- A chiropterex may, as a full-round action, give a flurry of stabbing strikes from its claws. It makes four Claw attacks at a -2 penalty each.