#Ascension Island

[tenth-sentence]

In several places I noticed volcanic bombs, that is, masses of lava which have been shot through the air whilst fluid, and have consequently assumed a spherical or pear-shape.

"Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visited During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle Round the World, 1832-36" - Charles Darwin

[whats-in-a-sentence]

The internal structure of one of these bombs, when broken, is represented very accurately in the woodcut on the previous page.

"Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visited During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle Round the World, 1832-36" - Charles Darwin

[artstamps]

World Cup England 1966. Printed in Ascension Island in 1966.

[soath]

Of Contracts Between Gods and Men

On the Aeorian Kinsey-Deicide scale I’m a solid 5 (near exclusively god-preserving) which may seem surprising to my many dear associates who want those fundamental truths of existence wrecked. Without digging in any further, let’s do some quick religious history review on the question: Do you owe anything to the gods and do they owe anything to you?

The answer is not as universal as many raised in the nigh inescapable miasma of Christian theology may think! Reciprocal (or even unilateral) responsibility in religion comes and goes across history and geography. The Norse Aesir, for example, created humans but don’t owe them nada and only rarely bothered messing with them. The Greek pantheon are significantly more touchy on the subject of their pride but a person could manage offering no prayers or sacrifices as long as they didn’t promise any prayers or sacrifices. Probably. Compare this to Mayan theology, wherein both gods and humans have significant co-responsibility in maintaining balance; with ritual and sacrifice key to the continued safety of the polity. Divine-mortal relationships can be classified as nondirectional, unidirectional, or bidirectional with various advantages and disadvantages to each model. Gods come in lots of shapes and the demands they make aren’t universal!

A phrase that will often come up in any divinity studies is “covenant”. Originally a translation of the Hebrew berith or Greek diatheke, and also present in Islam, the Bahai’i faith, and possibly historical Phoenician religious practices, covenant theology has metastasized in Christian scholarship to the point it was genuinely hard to research this piece while dodging blogs by guys named Richard. But, broadly, it’s the idea of making an explicit deal with power(s) greater than yourself where you both have sides of the bargain to uphold.

Contract law is not the solution to every problem on earth or in fiction, but when the issue is a large disparity in power and mutual fears of future adverse behavior…. to quote Kate Bush “I’d make a deal with (the) god(s).”

Vitally, compared to other bidirectional pacts in world religion, Exandria has some advantages. For one thing, they have a godeater they’re right now helping to suppress. As long as the gods remain behind the divine gate they need mortal champions to effect their will—but that only holds true as long as the Divine Gate stays up. And unfortunately the problem with a fence someone else has erected is that you don’t know if they’ve kept a key.

If I was mortality’s lawyer? I’d ask for a second layer to that divine hamsterball I’d ask for anything left of the godkilling spark to be kept by the temples of Vasselheim—if they can’t be trusted with it no one can. And I’d promise cooperation from people of a certain degree of civic responsibility, not coerced or threatened out, whole hearted. But terms and conditions may vary.

Anyway, I guess the thesis is that it’s a terrible sin to destroy something you can’t comprehend with no idea of what the outcome will be (and a lot of you don’t seem to get the inconceivable joy of having/knowing/being a god, even just in fiction) but you can bring any monstrosity to the negotiating table. Don’t kill your gods, unionize against them.

[starsilversword-art]

Post 4 lol. Some landscapes at work.

[beeapocalypse]

torn between making ve-corpsis an isolated island (potential fun to be had with island syndrome and the way that would effect the wildlife in terms of less biodiversity+island gigantism/dwarfism) or making it a massive rainforest (humidity would better suit the drakes and theres a lot to be done with the Massive amounts of biodiversity+the idea of drakes having to compete w that). coughs

[heyagoatlover]

THE CELESTIALS GREW UP BASICALLY YESSS

Spoilers below

Also title name!

[plantmomindenial]

got the skin on day 1 let's goooooo

[nationsoftheworldtournament]

First Set of Matches coming soon, listed below so you can begin working on your propaganda

1. England vs Peru

2. Conch Republic vs Botswana

3. Liberia vs Guinea-Bissau

4. Kingdom of Talossa vs Johnston Atoll

5. Principality of Seborga vs Northern Cyprus

6. Montenegro vs Sao Tome and Principe 7. East Timor vs Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

8. Croatia vs United States Virgin Islands

9. Hajduk Republic of Mijat Tomic vs French Southern and Antarctic Lands

10. Kingdom of Wallachia vs Gabon

[bread-knife]

I thought exploring Sumeru would be toilsome. but as i've already done every quest i could get my hands on i can go everywhere so it's not that bad. & the whole place is neato.

INAZUMA, on the other hand... ruu was RIGHT when he said that it's Purple. why is EVERYTHUNG so purple. and why is so much exploration barred behind sakura tree levels. my apologies ei but makoto must die a second time for her transgressions. FUCK inazuma ALL MY HOMIES hate inazuma. enkanomiya is pretty cool tho so good on kokomi for having the plot to Flushed Away just sitting right next to her people

[tenth-sentence]

Of native animals, land-crabs and rats swarm in numbers.

"Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visited During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle Round the World, 1832-36" - Charles Darwin

[whats-in-a-sentence]

I may here mention, that on a part of the coast of Ascension, where there is a vast accumulation of shelly sand, an incrustation is deposited on the tidal rocks, by the water of the sea, resembling, as represented in the woodcut, certain cryptogamic plants (Marchantiæ) often seen on damp walls.

"Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visited During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle Round the World, 1832-36" - Charles Darwin

[highshelfcollective]

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#AscensionInParadise, our new #CyberpunkRED series that will continue our mega-building anthology will be here faster than a jet ski on rockets! 

While we wait, let's meet another cast member - @kitrole playing Cascade, a Netrunner/Tech, ready to get their hands dirty and fix any problem this floating oasis sends their way!

#AscensioninParadise starts April 5th on #Twitch. Follow us for more: https://www.twitch.tv/highshelfcollective

[calochortus]

Iglesia de la Asunción / Église de l’Ascension / Church of the Assumption (La Gomera) by Adrien Bitzenhoffer Via Flickr: EN: Let me introduce you the church of the Assumption in the city of San Sebastián de La Gomera (Canary Islands). It’s the main church of this city, which is the capital of the island. ******************************************************************* FR: Voici l’église de l’ascension, dans la ville de San Sebastián de La Gomera (îles Canaries). C’est l’église principale de cette ville, qui est la capitale de l’île. ******************************************************************* ES: Os presento la iglesia de la Asunción en la ciudad de San Sebastián de La Gomera (Islas Canarias). Es la iglesia principal de esta ciudad, que es la capital de la isla.

[horngryeyes]

6hrs until yoimiya and i used my months normal wishes just to get c2 thoma. my luck seems splendid

[starsilversword-art]

Another work sketch dump. Little annoyed how the lighting made the characters lighter looking than I actually coloured them.