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tribbetherium · 4 months ago

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The Late Rodentocene: 20 million years post-establishment

Wild, Wild Westerna: The Alpine Meadows of the Westernan Plateau

The continent of Westerna is predominently characterized by its high-altitude landscapes, with elevated plateaus and mountain ranges making up most of the continent's area. Here, flat plains filled with lush vegetation grow at great elevations, where they have adapted to a wide range of challenges such as increased ultraviolet light, extremes of temperature, and relatively poor soil. In these regions, tall trees and dense bushes are few in number or absent entirely, with the ground cover growing in soil-covered valleys with ample sources of water such as mountain lakes and streams, being dominated by grasses, clovers, and wild brassica which decorate the alpine tundra in colorful blossoms whenever they bloom.

These alpine grasslands are home to a wide variety of herbivores: and thus, the local flora have developed tougher, woodier stems to deter the voracious plant-eaters and their gnawing teeth. But their defenses have been overcome by a keystone species: the Westernian giant cavybara (Protobuffalomys megalopus), now the biggest of all land animals weighing over a ton. Their powerful grinding molars have gained the ability to grow continuously like their incisors, helping them cope with constant dental wear and tear in their abrasive diet.

By keeping the growth of tough plants in check, the giant cavybara clears the path for softer vegetation to grow, in turn feeding a wide variety of other herbivores. Smaller cavybaras, like the pig-sized northern mountain cavybara (Neocricetochoerus alpinus) also dine on grasses and tubers, while hamtelopes like the striped rabbster (Alpinomyolagus lepus) feast on the clovers and cabbages, and omnivorous jerryboas such as the black-footed tuftle (Montosaltocricetus melanopes) feed on both the fruits and seeds as well as the insects that live among the plants. They depend on the giants to survive, as, without them and their constant grazing, the tougher plants which they struggle to consume and digest would outgrow their preferred forage and lead them to starve.

In turn, these abundance of herbivores attract the attention of predators native to the alpine mountains. Small weasel-like alpine fearrets (Alpinomustelomys minimus) chase down hamtelopes and jerryboas, while highland leophounds (Cynofelicricetus caninailurus) hunt the cavybaras, both the smaller species as well as the young of the giants. These unusual early carnohams are pursuit predators rather than grappling ambushers: causing them to converge more on a canine rather than feline form.

To escape the hunters of the alpine grasslands, most small, basal species like furbils and duskmice either became nocturnal, took cover under the bushy plants where they dug their burrows hidden from prying eyes, or evolved swift and evasive maneuvers to escape when pursued. The most unusual of these, the plated tailring (Armocaudacricetus dispensens) is a furbil with a remarkable adaptation: a layer of keratinized interlocking armored rings enclosing its tail in segments. When the tail is grabbed by a predator, the rings, merely modified hair, easily fall off, allowing the tail to slide free and the tailring to escape. Unlike earlier furbils which sacrificed their actual tails, this trick can be repeated as the ringed segments grow continuously and are regularly replaced.

The large animals of the continent would continue to grow in size as they fill the vacant ecological niches available. Eventually, from the giant cavybaras would arise the mison: spreading out across the continents during a period of lower sea levels that allowed them to take over the majority of grassland biome where tough, woody low-growing plants were widespread. Among all Westerna's fauna, they were the most successful in colonizing new habitat, and in time becoming the dominant megaherbivores of the Therocene.

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#speculative evolution #speculative biology #speculative zoology #spec evo #hamster's paradise

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whispering-clan · 2 years ago

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The Costal Valley Territories

I made a map of the Whisper-verse clan's territories!

These clans live alongside the sea in a small valley split by a river!

Note: this map is more representative than entirely accurate, I just tried to show the basic idea of what the territories look like.

Descriptions of the Clan Territories below!

Moon Island:

Moon Island is both the gathering place for the clans on the full moon, and the place where the majority of the clans (excluding Whisperingclan) go to speak to Starclan. In the middle of the island where the trees form a circle around a large stone, the leaders will perch for meetings. This is also where cats wishing to speak to Starclan sit- under the light of the moon and stars.

...

Age/origin: Youngest clan; formed after the founders were banished from Roaringclan for a coup against the new leader.

Whisperingclan:

Mood Board

Territory: the tallest mountains, rocky, though with some trees, grass and bushes interspersed with the stone. There are a few small creeks and pools running through the mountains due to rain and snow run off, there are also several caves within the mountain. The winter is the worst here with the high altitude and high snowfall.

Camp: the Whispering Cave, a large cave filed with mystical glowing crystals which seem to whisper with the words of the Starclan ancestors. There are several pools above the cave, from which small streams of water fall through cracks in the stone into the cave.

Borders: the River marks the border with Roaringclan and SIngingclan; the border with Growlingclan is only marked with scent markers, though the change in territories can also be seen in the mountain peaks becoming lower and sharper in Growling territory.

...

Roaringclan:

Age/Origin: One of the oldest clans, formed at the same time as Singingclan and Echoingclan; territory was once larger, but was taken over by humans.

Territory: grassy, hilly, plains. Notable features are small patches of trees and bushes, a lake, a muddy/ soil patch by the river, and many little burrows to be found amongst the hills.

Camp: the Abandoned Burrows, a circle of empty fox burrows surrounded by trees and bushes.

Borders: the River marks the border with Whisperingclan; the creek marks the borders of Singingclan and Weepingclan; and on all other sides a human fence marks where their territory ends and the Human Farms begin.

...

Weepingclan:

Age/Origin: Second youngest, though still far older than Whisperingclan; formed from Singingclan separating into two clans, not from any all out fighting, but the realization that there were two obvious separate groups (in skill and personality) in the clan that could survive better in the separate territories.

Territory: marsh lands and dark forests made up of willows and oaks. The forests have soft thick wet peat, though there are some rocky places. Tall grasses and reeds grow around the marsh giving good cover.

Camp: The Weeping Grotto, a large cave opening within a rocky area of the forest of which is surrounded by the largest and oldest weeping willows of the territory.

Borders: the border with Roaringclan is marked by the creek; the border with Singingclan is marked by scent markers, though the change in territories can also be seen in the change in types of trees; the small piece of border with Echoingclan is separated by the river at it's widest, though both clans lay claim to half of the row of stepping stones which could connect the territories; the border which is not shared with any clan stops where human trails (hiking trails) begin, farther from there are human dens and farms.

...

Singingclan:

Age/Origin: One of the oldest clans, formed at the same time as Roaringclan and Echoingclan; originally encompassed Weepingclan as well, but they amicably separated into two clans for better survival.

Territory: forests made of oak and birch along with meadows filled with wildflowers and grasses. Through the center of the territory runs the River and a small creek shoots off through the territory as well. the river is banked by reeds and other water plants.

Camp: the River Hollow, a space surrounded by trees in the center of the island in the middle of the River within their territory.

Borders: the border with Roaringclan is marked by the creek; the border with Whispering and Growlingclan is marked by the River; the border with Weepingclan is marked by scent markers, though the change in territories can also be seen in the change of types of trees; and the border with Echoingclan is marked with scent markers, though it is easy to tell where it is, it is where the sand begins.

...

Echoingclan:

Age/Origin: One of the oldest clans, formed at the same time as Roaringclan and Singingclan; originally encompassed Growlingclan as well, though unlike Weeping and Singing, the separation was born from civil war, the losing side being Growlingclan.

Territory: a beach, almost entirely sand with only costal plants growing in the territory. There is a cliff line which is made up of rock, at the higher end of which the beach is mostly rock with tide pools, weathered stone arches, and the opening to a system of sea caves. This territory seems small, but the sea caves stretch out underneath for large expanses, and even under Growlingclan's territory, Echoingclan lays claim to all of the cave system even under other clan's terriotories.

Camp: the Sea Caves, mostly the large cavern formed at the front opening of the Sea Caves but some cats may even make their own dens in smaller off shoots of the caves as well.

Borders: most of their borders are at the sea's edge, though their borders with the other clans are marked with scent markers; it is easy to tell where territories end however. the border with Singingclan is where Singing's grass begins, and the border with Growlingclan is where the mountain's stone begins.

...

Growlingclan:

Age/Origin: Third youngest, though still far older than Whisperingclan; formed from Echoingclan separating into two clans, two factions in the clan had formed and went into a civil war, Echoing won and banished the losing side to the far less hospitable side of the territory.

Territory: Truly one of the harshest territories, the lower levels of the mountains, rocky sharp lands that end with cliffs along the sea shore that are too high to dare try to reach the sea. There are small groups of shrubs and small trees, but little else in the form of plant life. there are some small pools which are cherished as they are the only certain sources of water.

Camp: the Broken Crag, a cliff face which is broken in places revealing small caves where cats can make dens.

Borders: the border with Whisperingclan is marked with scent markers though the change in territories can also be seen through the mountain peaks becoming higher in Whispering territory; the small border with Singingclan is marked with the river; the border with Echoingclan is marked with scent markers though it is easy to tell where the border is, it is where the sand begins.

#this was fun to make #I love world building :3 #whisperingclan #cryptid plays clangen #clangen #warrior cats #my ocs #warriors #ocs #singingclan #roaringclan #echoingclan #weepingclan #growlingclan #the other clans

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nerdyenby · 6 months ago

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Life series winners as minecraft biomes

I’m listing two per because I can and also some of the answers were too easy imo (also I’m only doing overworld biomes)

Grian: desert (easy mode) and sparse jungle (vibes)

Scott: forest and taiga (both lovely, underrated biomes that tend to get little to no appreciation or attention despite their frequency)

Pearl: plains (rarely acknowledged but incredibly useful as a foundation) and old growth birch forest (vibes)

Martyn: beach (easy mode, also beaches override other biomes which I feel like is very in character) and warm ocean (also easy mode given that’s where coral reefs spawn)

Scar: sunflower field (easy mode, as well as often being dismissed or unnoticed despite their simple beauty) and flower forest (vibes: he’s just a flowery and very colorful guy, also flowers are a pretty significant motif for his character)

Cleo: dark forest (enchanting but dangerous, one of the most beautiful yet deadly biomes in the overworld) and wooded badlands (vibes)

Joel: meadow (high altitude, lots of open space; flowers, llamas, and bees are common, it’s just overall a lovely place if you slow down enough to notice) and river (often viewed as troublesome or intrusive, but vital to the ecosystem; both fluid and unyielding)

#trafficblr #life series #grian #scott smajor #pearlescentmoon #martyn inthelittlewood #goodtimeswithscar #zombiecleo #joel smallishbeans

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jadeseadragon · 1 month ago

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"The Himalayan blue poppy almost seems too otherworldly to be real. Their saturated, electric blue color feels like it belongs more to a dreamscape than to a mountain meadow. They’re high-altitude perennials native to the eastern Himalayas, flourishing in the cool, damp, fog-bound mountains. This plant is known for its difficulty in cultivation, but can be successfully grown in gardens with the right climate and conditions."

#himalayan blue poppy #blue poppies #poppy #poppies

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danika-redgrave124 · 9 months ago

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Astralis Geography and Environment

Fauna

Starflame Phoenix

A majestic bird with feathers that shimmer like a night sky filled with stars. The Starflame Phoenix can emit bursts of cosmic fire that glows with a blue and violet hue. Its song is said to be soothing, capable of calming even the most turbulent emotions. These phoenixes are known to regenerate from their ashes, making them symbols of rebirth and immortality.

Habitat: Found in the Astral Mountains and floating islands of Astralis, they nest in high, secluded areas close to the stars.

Luminal Deer

Elegant, graceful deer with antlers that glow faintly, like the light of the moon. Their fur is silvery-white, and they move silently, blending seamlessly with the light and shadows of their surroundings. The Luminal Deer are gentle creatures, often associated with serenity and peace.

Habitat: These deer inhabit the Moonlit Meadows and Starfall Forests, where they graze on glowing grass and stardust-infused plants.

Nebula Wolves

Large, powerful wolves with fur that resembles swirling nebulae, shifting in color and pattern as they move. Their eyes are bright and piercing, glowing with the intensity of stars. Nebula Wolves are known for their intelligence and strong pack bonds. They are also capable of short bursts of teleportation, leaving trails of stardust in their wake.

Habitat: They roam the Ethereal Plains and Stardust Canyons, hunting in packs and often guiding travelers who are lost.

Astral Jellyfish

Ethereal, transparent jellyfish that float through the air as if swimming in water. Their tendrils are long and delicate, glowing with a soft light that pulses in rhythm with their movements. These jellyfish are harmless and often travel in large groups, creating mesmerizing displays of light in the skies of Astralis.

Habitat: They drift above the Starfall Seas and the floating islands, sometimes seen near the Dreamgate where they are believed to feed on residual dream energy.

Stardust Butterflies

Small, delicate butterflies with wings that sparkle like glittering stardust. Each butterfly's wings display a unique pattern resembling constellations. These creatures are symbols of transformation and are often seen fluttering around during celestial events, drawn to the energy of the stars.

Habitat: They are commonly found in the Celestial Gardens and Starlight Groves, where they help pollinate the cosmic flowers that bloom there.

Comet Foxes

Agile and cunning foxes with fur that shimmers in shades of orange, red, and gold, like the tail of a comet. These creatures are known for their speed and stealth, often moving so quickly they appear as streaks of light. Comet Foxes are playful and curious, but also fiercely protective of their territory.

Habitat: They dwell in the Firefly Fields and the rocky outcrops of the Astral Mountains, where they build dens illuminated by bioluminescent moss.

Cosmic Whales

Enormous, gentle creatures that glide through the skies of Astralis, resembling whales in appearance. Their bodies are covered in star-like markings that pulse with a calming blue light. Cosmic Whales are peaceful, often traveling in pods and singing hauntingly beautiful songs that can be heard across great distances.

Habitat: These magnificent beings traverse the skies over the Astral Seas and the higher altitudes of the floating islands, often associated with deep wisdom and the mysteries of the cosmos.

Celestial Serpents

Long, sinuous serpents with scales that glimmer like polished gemstones. Their eyes are luminous, and they can blend into their surroundings with ease, making them nearly invisible. Celestial Serpents are revered as guardians of ancient knowledge and are often found in the temples and sacred sites of Astralis.

Habitat: They are usually found coiled around the pillars of the Temple of the Eternal Night or within the Crystal Caverns, where they guard hidden treasures and ancient texts.

Radiant Fireflies

Tiny insects that emit a soft, warm light. Unlike ordinary fireflies, Radiant Fireflies can change the color of their glow, creating a dazzling display of lights that can be seen from miles away. They are often used by the Starborn as natural lanterns and are considered a symbol of hope and guidance.

Habitat: These fireflies are abundant in the Starfall Forests and Luminous Marshlands, where they create mesmerizing light shows at night.

Dreamweaver Moths

Large, ethereal moths with wings that appear to be woven from dreams themselves, shifting and changing colors based on the dreams of nearby beings. These moths are believed to influence the dreams of those they touch, often leaving behind trails of dream dust that can induce visions or lucid dreaming.

Habitat: They are most commonly found near the Dreamgate and in the Veilwood, a mystical forest where the boundary between reality and dreams is thin.

Flora

Starblossom Trees

Towering trees with silver bark that sparkles faintly in the light. Their leaves are shaped like stars and emit a soft, ethereal glow, especially during the night. The flowers of the Starblossom Tree are luminescent, opening only under the light of the stars and releasing a sweet, calming fragrance.

Habitat: These trees are commonly found in the Starfall Forests and around the Temple of the Eternal Night. They are revered as sacred trees, often used in rituals and ceremonies.

Moonvine

A delicate, climbing vine with silver leaves and flowers that resemble small, crescent moons. Moonvine blooms only at night, and its flowers reflect the light of the moon, creating a shimmering effect. The plant is known for its healing properties, particularly in calming and soothing spells.

Habitat: Moonvine thrives in shaded areas like the Luminous Marshlands and along the walls of ancient ruins. It is often cultivated in the gardens of healers and within the Temple of the Eternal Night.

Aurora Blossoms

These flowers bloom in clusters and display a mesmerizing array of colors that shift and change, much like the auroras in the skies of Astralis. The petals are soft to the touch and are known to emit a gentle warmth. Aurora Blossoms are often used in crafting potions and elixirs that grant temporary enhancements to magical abilities.

Habitat: Aurora Blossoms are found in the Celestial Gardens and the Ethereal Plains, where they add bursts of color to the landscape. They are prized for their beauty and magical properties.

Stardew Lilies

Elegant, water-loving lilies that bloom on the surface of Astralis' many lakes and ponds. Their petals are a deep indigo, speckled with tiny, silver spots that resemble a starry night sky. Stardew Lilies are known to absorb starlight, and their nectar is used in various potions and spells related to dreams and visions.

Habitat: These lilies are abundant in the Starfall Seas and the serene waters of the Veilwood, where they create a peaceful, reflective atmosphere.

Comet Ferns

Ferns with fronds that glow softly in the dark, each leaf tipped with a small, comet-like flare. These ferns are resilient and can grow in both light and dark environments, often seen in areas where other plants struggle to survive. The fronds of Comet Ferns are often used in protective charms and spells.

Habitat: Comet Ferns thrive in the Stardust Canyons and the rocky outcrops of the Astral Mountains, often found near the dens of Comet Foxes.

Lumina Orchids

Rare, bioluminescent orchids with petals that emit a soft, cool light. The flowers of the Lumina Orchid are highly sought after for their beauty and the calming energy they radiate. The orchids have a delicate, sweet scent that is often used in perfumes and potions for relaxation and mental clarity.

Habitat: Lumina Orchids grow in the Moonlit Meadows and the hidden corners of the Crystal Caverns, where they are carefully protected by the Starborn who cultivate them.

Celestial Clover

A type of clover with leaves that shimmer with a faint silver hue. Each leaf has a unique pattern that resembles a constellation, and the plant is considered a symbol of good luck and fortune. Celestial Clover is often used in crafting talismans and good luck charms.

Habitat: This clover is commonly found in the Firefly Fields and the open plains of Astralis, where it is often gathered by those seeking to bring good fortune into their lives.

Nebula Moss

A soft, velvety moss that glows with a gentle, multicolored light, resembling a nebula in miniature. The moss is often found covering rocks and tree trunks, creating a mystical ambiance wherever it grows. Nebula Moss is used in various magical practices, particularly those involving protection and concealment.

Habitat: Nebula Moss thrives in the Veilwood and the Crystal Caverns, where it creates an otherworldly glow in the dim light.

Dreamweaver Vines

Enchanted vines that seem to pulse with a gentle, dreamlike energy. The vines have leaves that are deep blue with silver veining, and they are known to influence dreams and visions of those who come into contact with them. Dreamweaver Vines are used in the creation of dreamcatchers and other items meant to protect and enhance dreams.

Habitat: These vines are commonly found near the Dreamgate and in the Veilwood, where they drape over ancient structures and trees, creating a sense of mystery and magic.

Starfruit Trees

These trees bear fruits shaped like stars, which are highly nutritious and have a sweet, slightly tart flavor. The fruits are often used in various dishes and potions, known for their energizing properties. Starfruit Trees have glossy, dark green leaves that glisten under the light of the stars.

Habitat: Starfruit Trees are found in the Starfall Forests and are a key part of the diet in Astralis, often used in the popular Starfruit Salad.

Radiant Roses

Roses that bloom in the dark, their petals glowing with a soft, radiant light. The Radiant Rose is a symbol of love and beauty in Astralis, often given as a gift to express deep emotions. The petals of these roses are used in love potions and spells, believed to enhance feelings of affection and connection.

Habitat: Radiant Roses are cultivated in the Celestial Gardens and are also found in wild groves scattered across the Moonlit Meadows.

Cosmic Cacti

Cacti with spines that sparkle like tiny stars. These plants store cosmic energy within their thick, fleshy stems, and their flowers bloom only once a year, releasing a burst of stardust when they open. Cosmic Cacti are known for their resilience and are often used in spells of endurance and strength.

Habitat: These cacti grow in the arid regions of the Stardust Canyons and on the floating islands of Astralis, where they withstand the harshest conditions.

@cosmichoney22 The Nebula Mist Blue Rose

A beautiful flower with the colorful array of the most vibrant nebula. They’re also the rarest and most sought after rose because they bloom every 500 years, and is incredibly volatile for many things ranging from food, to drinks, even medicine.

Habitat: The hidden corners of Crystal Caverns since the flower is sio rare, the likelihood of it popping up anywhere else in Astralis is very slim.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst #twisted wonderland yuu #twst yuu #disney twisted wonderland #winx yuu #winx club x twst #winx club x twisted wonderland #winx club

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fatehbaz · 2 years ago

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In the district of Garhwal in the Indian Himalayas, at 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) above sea level, forests of sycamore, chestnut, and rhododendron gradually give way to gently sloping grasslands.

Known locally as bugyals (from the Garhwali word bug for soft grasses), these meadows were the favored grazing grounds of communities of trans-Himalayan traders [...]. High-altitude meadows are home to musk deer, moonal pheasants, and a variety of flowers, grasses (such as the scented jambu), medicinal herbs, and roots (jadi butiyan). Garhwali villagers had long used the jadi butiyan of bugyals for household consumption and trade. Customary restrictions [...] made this usage sustainable.

The advent of [...] [colonial and institutional] forestry in the princely state of Tehri-Garhwal (the Tehri Durbar), together with the growth of an urban elite Hindu market for Ayurvedic potions, arguably transformed the social lives of Himalayan herbs. [...]

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Works by upper-caste elites, such as the Maharaja of Gondal’s Aryan Medical Science (1895), claimed an exclusively “Hindu” provenance for the medicinal practices of Ayurveda. The nationalist reinvention of modern Ayurveda generated a market for medicinal herbs dominated by over a dozen firms by 1910. This emergent urban [...] bourgeois market for herbal medicines provides the context for the Tehri Durbar’s arguably unique project to commodify Himalayan herbs. Whereas the British government was reluctant to expand the plantation and manufacture of indigenous drugs, the Durbar established a separate department for the purpose, called the Vanaspati Karyalaya, that worked closely with the Forest Department.

Subordinated to the British government, the Tehri Durbar had begun contracting out vast swathes of pine and deodar forests to timber traders from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. In 1879 the Durbar’s Forest Department [...] restricted peasant access to common resources. Restrictions on the sale and collection of forest produce were put in place between 1878 and 1885, [...] precipitating numerous forest dhandaks (uprisings) as a consequence. Rules governing forest access changed in response to such protests and by 1930 prohibitions on the collection of and trade in medicinal herbs were lifted in certain areas.

The foundation of the Vanaspati Karyalaya prompted the systematization of the Forest Department’s initial efforts to monetize the collection of herbs through taxes, contracts, and tenders. By 1927 the department was working with the Karyalaya to carry out the sale of medicinal herbs, such as Gugal, Mashi, Atis, and Kawri, yielding an income of 18,294 rupees. [...] From the Durbar’s Annual Reports, [...] the Karyalaya’s preparation of Ayurvedic medicines seemed to have commanded “ready sale” primarily in the domestic market. Subsequently, therefore, the Forest Department focused on the overall sale and plantation of herbs while the Karyalaya specialized in the processing of herbs.

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Anticipating an extension of markets “as demand for Himalayan medicines grows,” the Durbar charted a project of mass plantation to overcome the “expense and difficulty of searching for herbs of indigenous growth” that were “scattered among other herb plants and weeds.”

The bugyals of Garhwal were thus classified as “wastelands” from which “practically no income at present can be derived.”

This justified plans for the cultivation of aconites such as kut and atis on a projected area of 2,000 square miles (517,997 hectares) of alpine grassland. In the 1930s, the Durbar initiated the plantation of kut in the Ganga Bhillangana Forest Division, employing trained gardeners as well as “coolie” labor to transplant herbs from nurseries to enclosed meadows. Thus, bugyals hitherto controlled by villagers [...] were gradually being enclosed for herb plantations. The Karyalaya also opened a pharmaceutical works just outside the town of Rishikesh at Muni ki Reti [...]. Graduates of [...] colleges in Delhi and Calcutta [...] were hired for these operations. [...] [T]he Tehri Durbar’s move towards the mass plantation and processing of herbs risked dispossessi[on] [...] as well as eliding local knowledges related to jadi butiyan.

The story of the Vanaspati Karyalaya arguably suggests how complex cultural associations between the Himalayas and healing were becoming commodified.

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Image, caption, and all text above by: Nivedita Nath. "Histories of Central Himalayan Herbs: Vanaspati Karyalaya in Tehri Princely State c. 1879-1950". Environment & Society Portal, Arcadia (Spring 2020), no. 13. Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society. doi dot org/10.52982/rcc/9018 [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

#ecology #forests #colonial #imperial #plantation #abolition

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happyk44 · 2 years ago

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The air was quiet for once. No monsters, no boulders hurtling their way. No vicious winds. Nothing. Smooth sailing.

Frank knew it wouldn't last but he drank it in as much as he could. The temperature this high was was low, not yet freezing, but like the fresh burst of cold signalling the end of fall and the onslaught of winter. Everyone had taken to wearing jackets when they were on deck, especially at night, when the sun wasn't there to give them some faint reprieve of warmth.

Well, everyone except Frank. And Jason.

Nobody bothered them about it. But sometimes, when they moved higher up, where the air waa too thin and freezing, they would side-eye him. Hazel's look was always curious behind her scarf. The others though... they looked confused, concerned. Staring like something was wrong with him.

He tried to shrug it off the way Jason did. But Jason didn't get that look as much as Frank did. Jason was a child for the sky. Of course, thin breathless air wouldn't bother him as much. Of course, freezing winds did nothing to him. He could probably survive at the edge of the atmosphere, where sky and space meet. Floating there like an untethered astronaut, yet happy nonetheless. Perfectly fine.

It didn't work on Frank the same way. Mars was orderly bloodlust and head-on battles. Sturdy feet pounding sturdier ground.

What wars were fought in the air back in the ancient days? Even now, fighter pilots wore oxygen masks to beat the thinness, had shielding to keep them safe from the enemy and the cold. Nico even wore an old leather jacket - the same one they wore in their jets back in the day. Because who wanted to emergency eject into the frozen clouds without one?

Frank was still made of war. But he also had the lungs of a bird, and the heated blood of grizzly. He didn't freeze. And he breathed easy.

It was a bittersweet thing. He hadn't even considered it until Hazel came out on deck one night with a jacket for him to wear and he had realized he wasn't cold. When her voice had gone heavy with the effort to speak and he realized he wasn't struggling with the altitude the way he was supposed to.

His abilities just kicked in naturally. The same way they did when he went to sleep and woke up curled into a wolfish ball.

Some days he dreamed about walking with Hazel in a meadow of flowers and horses and he'd look up at her, paws muddy, drool escaping down his teeth and she'd teasingly chastise him for wanting to chase the horses around. Some days he dreamed about blood dripping from his maw and down his claws. And he'd wake up, animal in form, and worry about why he was losing his humanity in his dreams.

Because you're losing it in reality, he thought.

He tightens his fists and hopes for a fight to come soon. He couldn't be here alone in silence with his thoughts, with the knowledge that he was becoming something other. He wasn't unfamiliar with being othered by the world - Chinese to the white kids in school, Canadian to the Americans at Camp Jupiter. Fatherless. Raised by his grandmother. Fat, awkward, shy. He didn't have ADHD or dyslexia - not like every other demigod. He was othered a lot through pure existence.

That didn't mean he wanted to add inhuman to the list.

"Don't let it get to you."

Frank startled.

Jason sat on the railing, staring up at the stars. His legs swung off into the dark. He was wearing a black tank top, and cargo shorts, without socks or shoes. He relaxed, soaking in the frozen air. It puffed white with every exhale.

"What are you talking about?" Frank asked with an instinctual cock of his head. Like a dog. He righted his head up and straight, gritting his teeth. His nails cut into his palm.

Jason snorted and swung around. There was a strange delicacy in Jason when he was in the air. Leo called him Superman, but that wasn't it. Yeah, he was bulky like the hero, and flew like the hero. But any delicacy in Superman came from Clark Kent. Not from his powers.

Jason was like a dancer. Weightless, and gentle. Even harsh and forceful movements looked graceful on him. It was when he was on the ground he became a pounding unnatural force. Like a tank.

In the air, he was a ballerina, swift and full of motion, captivating. On the ground, he was a war machine, destructive and explosive.

It made sense in a way. Lightning cut the air with nothing more than a burning sizzle. But it exploded the earth when it hits. Shattered trees and destroyed houses. A storm was nothing when it bustled around in the empty air. Speeding wind and flooding rains. They meant nothing to the sky. But when it hit the ocean, hit the earth - everything broke.

Jason hopped off the railing. He landed without sound. "I see you, Frank. Sometimes you look at yourself in the mirror or the glass of a window, and you look confused. Like you don't know what you're looking at."

He approached, slow. Like a human nearing a stray cat. Frank felt almost feral. It was under his skin, prickling. Raw. He didn't like that Jason could see him.

But he didn't like that he thought human and not person. That he was comparing himself to the feral cats he used to help capture with the SPCA for the volunteer hours.

That Jason was right.

It scared him. He couldn't see his face. He knew it was his. Nothing had changed. But when he looked in the mirror, he felt like he was looking at a stranger.

He knew what it is. Once, when his mother came home from deployment, he caught her staring empty at her reflection. When she spotted him, she'd asked him, offhand but knowing, what he saw when he looked at her.

My mom, he said.

She'd grinned, just a bit too small. So I still look like myself then?

Of course, he'd said with a frown. Why wouldn't you?

She explained it to him later, gently, over cookies and tea. Depersonalization. A subsect of dissociation. She had explained it away, like it was just the result of seeing herself covered in mud so much she couldn't remember what she looked like clean. Acting like it wasn't the result of trauma, depression, PTSD.

It doesn't hurt, she'd assured him. And I know it's still me. I just can't tell.

You should go to a doctor, Frank has said, tucked under her arm even though he was too big for that anymore.

She had laughed and kissed the top of his head. I will, she promised. When I'm finished with this one.

And then she left, again, and then she died.

It wasn't until now that he wondered if it was really the trauma of war that made her unable to see herself in the mirror. Or if it was a combination of that and her own shapeshifting ability. Did she turn a lot? To save her fellow soldiers? To protect herself?

He knew she did it in her final moments. That she was brave. But did she do it a lot before then? Did she lose herself the way he was?

He didn't look in the mirror and wonder why his eyes were brown or his teeth were flat. Didn't look at his hands and wonder why his nails weren't claws or why his skin was so hairless. Didn't think he needed to be on all fours, or find speech difficult. But he did feel that otherness in his reflection. A sense of that isn't me when he stared back at himself.

He knew it was. That his brain was lying to him.

But he still couldn't see himself.

Sometimes his skin felt wrong. The world seemed a little warped. Like he was looking at it from the wrong angle. But no matter how much he moved around, it wouldn't go back to normal.

He felt satiated by Hazel's presence. The sensation of "everything is wrong" fell mostly to the background with her.

But he couldn't cling to her like a koala with separation anxiety. That wasn't fair to her. She wasn't required to fix his problems. And she was already holding onto his lifeline, keeping it safe, just for him.

He couldn't ask more of her. To help him reangle a world that had never changed.

Jason crossed his arms. His smile looked like Frank's mom's that night - just a bit too small. Then he glanced away. "I can't see myself either."

Breath caught in Frank's throat.

"I don't think it's a fixable thing for me," Jason went on. "And it might not be for you either. I was raised by wolves. I don't..." He laughed quietly and ducked his head. "I don't think of myself as human. Not consciously anyway. My mother was a wolf, my siblings were wolves. I feel more like a puppy plucked out of the bin and handed off than a human person."

Frank exhaled shakily. "So what do you do about it?"

Jason was quiet. His eyes were focused on the ground, brows furrowed. Then, "Nothing." He looked up to Frank. Blue eyes bore back at him. "There's nothing I can do. I am a wild child." He shrugged. "You can't scrub it out of me."

"So... I'm just gonna be stuck like this?" His nails bore deeper into his skin. Conscious effort rang out to keep them from becoming claws. "Feeling like the world is wrong because my brain can't decide if I'm a human or an animal?"

"I don't know what I am either," Jason said. "Even with the wolves, I knew I wasn't one of them. Not really. I didn't have fur. I didn't have claws or full rows of fangs. I knew how to be a wolf, but no one is ever going to look and think I'm one." His arms dropped to sides. He drew in closer. "But I just don't let it get to me."

He leaned against one of the mast poles and tilted his head up to the stars.

"That's kind of the nice thing about being part-animal." He grinned ruefully. "Well, animal animal, anyway."

"What do you mean?"

Jason looked back at Frank, for just a second before his eyes scanted away. He'd never noticed it before. He didn't get to Camp Jupiter until after Jason disappeared and they hadn't hung out enough once he camp back until just now. But Jason never really met someone's eyes. Only in battle, when the goal was dominance.

He looked all over, but eyes were a fraction of a second. Never landing purposely.

"Animals don't really care what you are. Wolves will adopt a human child and raise him. Ducks adopt chicks. Cats will take in kittens from another litter." He closed his eyes. "Because it doesn't matter in the end. We live, we hunt, we eat, we die. Who cares if your child is hairless and stands on two legs? Do they follow you? Do they represent what it means to be a wolf? To be a duck, or a cat, or a monkey? Do they accept your nature as much as their own?" He gestured upwards to the sky. "Do they understand nature as it is?"

Frank tilted his head back to stare up at the stars. They glistened and glittered in the black. It was a cloudless night. Everything was so clear. He felt almost as though he could reach out and touch one.

"People say there's no evolutionary benefit to animal adoption. Adopting a newborn, especially when you haven't lost any of your own, expends more energy." Jason sank down to a sit. His eyes were still closed. "Adopting a newborn outside your species doesn't carry on your genes. Doesn't keep your species running."

Frank thought of his bird lungs and grizzly blood. Sitting down next to Jason, he said, "It's symbiotic."

"Sometimes," Jason agreed. "Sometimes it's beneficial on both ends. Sometimes mothers are just nurturing. And sometimes it's just help." He spread his legs. "I brought the elder wolves their food when they could no longer hunt. My sister nursed our nieces because her mother died. Lupa brought me and they cared because I needed it. Can you help? Would it hurt you or the pack to help? Sometimes those are the only questions that matter."

He gestured loosely. "Animals aren't perfect. Brood parasitism for one thing. Fish and insects and rabbits eat their young. Some animals attack others for fun. But humans aren't perfect either, so what does it matter why animals adopt?"

A gentle breeze slid through their hair. Jason looked utterly at ease. Frank felt... Not serene. No. But. Calmer, almost. It sank inside him like a heavy fog. Foreign and strange, but ultimately fine. The fog wasn't too dense. Visibility was decent. Right now, it was okay.

He looked down to his hairless clawless hands. "No one ever asks why humans adopt."

Jason grinned, flashed all his teeth. "No. They don't." He looked away. "No one ever says so, but when I came to camp..." He shook his head. "People think the wolves took care of me because of Juno and my father. But they took care of me because I was their pup. If I wasn't, I would've been trained like everyone else. Not immersed in what it means to be a wolf." He gave a soft smile. "I used to call Lupa 'Mom'. She made me stop a couple months before I had to leave, but.."

His smile dipped and he looked up to the stars. His bright blue eyes seemed to glow.

"The wolves were my family. I didn't know anything else."

Frank pressed a hand to his chest. "I'm not like you. You're... mixed." He snorted. "Human-passing, but raised in an all wolf household. That's your... culture. Your world. Even if people don't believe it when you say so. But I'm..."

"The opposite." He nodded. Jason nudged him with his shoulder. "That doesn't mean you can't learn. Wolf. Bird. Bear. You can find what it means to be them."

The wind whistled. Far below the deck, he could hear the faint sounds of snoring. He rubbed at his ear, wishing away whatever animal hearing chose to ignite itself. "What if I forget how to be human?"

Jason sighed. "Frank. The only way you could stay fully human is to give up being an animal. You'd have to stop shapeshifting."

Stop being himself.

Frank never considered himself a mixed child. He didn't even know what his father looked like until recently. And that was ambiguous at best. Gods could look however they chose. Who was to say he didn't look Chinese when he met his mom?

But the parallels remained. He knew other kids who were mixed. Kids who were out of touch with their Chinese side. Kids who were jealous he could speak Cantonese, even if limited, because their family wouldn't teach them. Or their Chinese parent didn't know it at all.

His grandmother was strict about maintaining their culture even so far away from where they came from. But he knew other immigrants weren't the same way. That they did away with it all to assimilate. Not just Chinese families, but all kinds of ethnicities and cultures. Even some white families. Dropping away their heritage so they could mask in with the Canadians. So they could pick up the new customs and social order faster. So their kids wouldn't get bullied. So life could be easier.

And now, in the modern hustle and bustle of cultural appreciation, there were people who knew nothing about the place their families came from. They could walk into those countries and blend in physically, but never verbally, never emotionally, never culturally.

Did Frank want that for himself? To match with the other birds on the branch but never have a clue about how to act other than to fly and tweet? To blend in with the wolves, but know that Jason, with his furless skin and flat teeth, was more wolf than him?

Did it matter? He wasn't really part-animal. Not like Jason. Shapeshifting was a power. But it wasn't separate from him. When he held too long in a form, he could feel himself start to sink in. He was still Frank, but more Frank the bear, angered that someone threatened his cub, than Frank the human, angered that someone threatened Hazel.

And shapeshifting...

It was culture, wasn't it? His mom used it. His grandmother used it. All the great, great, greats used it if they had it. It was part of his family. Like a tradition passed down.

So if he stopped, wouldn't he be abandoning part of his culture?

Animals believed in survival - for their species or one they plucked from the whorls of loneliness. They nurtured the young, cared for the old, visited graves. Died and let their descendants consume the grass they grew. They fought to protect, to live.

His grizzly blood quickened in veins. Hotter. Warmer, against the cold. Shapeshifting was Frank's survival, as bitter lightning was Jason's, as deadly gold was Hazel's, and a sudden hurricane was Percy's.

He couldn't throw it away.

"I'm never going to recognize myself in the mirror, am I?"

Jason sighed. It was a quiet sad thing and it made Frank's bird lungs stutter.

"No," Jason said. "You won't. You won't feel wholly human either. Or wholly like an animal. Whichever one you choose. Bear, bird, wolf. Or everything, all of them." He turned and caught Frank's eyes. "But you'll know who you are." He looked away. "I've found that's the thing that really matters."

They weren't mixed kids. Finding solace in both worlds - human and animal - was never going to put the world right again. And Frank doubted that every child of an immigrant and every mixed kid who discovered and immersed themselves in forgotten traditions and customs would suddenly feel 100% in place either.

But they would know who they were. Who all the people who came before them were. How life was lived before migration.

Maybe he wasn't part animal, the way Jason was, or the way other feral children were, raised by wolves and monkeys and bears. Any animal that came across a miserable child and decided to help.

But grizzly bear warmth coursed through his skin and kept him hot despite the cold. Bird lungs kept him breathing easy in the thin air. Wolf teeth protected his friends. Ram horns shoved back monsters. Goldfish gills and scales kept him alive in the water. Dragonfly wings let him buzz quickly through the air.

His mother fed stray cats and dogs. She encouraged Frank to be kind to animals that passed by. His grandmother put out bird feed and spoke loudly to them when they came to eat. Cats brought birds to their owners. Crows came back with shiny things for people who helped them.

No, he wasn't part-animal. But animals kept him alive. Who was he to not show respect to the ones that helped him? Even if it made him unrecognizable to himself.

Was that why his grandmother was so strict about their culture? Did she lose her humanity too? Unable to see herself in the mirror and deciding she wasn't going to lose her ancestry along with it?

"Nice teeth," Jason murmured.

Frank ran his tongue along sharp fangs. Even his tongue felt different - wider, longer. His mouth hadn't changed, not externally anyway. But he could feel his tongue start farther in his throat to accommodate the new length. His uvula wasn't where it should've been. Of course it wasn't. It was probably further down, somewhere in throat. Or just gone. If it stayed where it was in a normal human, the thickness of his tongue and its new starting place would've immediately gagged him.

"It just happens sometimes," Frank said, focusing mentally on flat teeth, a human tongue, his uvula at the top of his mouth. "I don't know why."

"Let it." Jason stretched his arms up over his head. "Animals don't deny their instincts, why should you? We have them for a reason."

Frank considered that. Thought of his grandmother, sick, frail, and a bird flying out of the house before it came crumbling down. Thought of her speaking loudly to the birds that came to eat. How similar the two looked.

He let his wolven fangs rest where they formed, but kept his human tongue. The other felt too strange to have in a human head.

Jason reached out and traced his nail over one. Then pulled back and turned back to the stars. "I can teach you what it means to be a wolf, if you want," he said.

Frank traced his fangs once more. Then smiled. "I'd like that."

#this was supposed to be about depersonalization and i accidentally turned it into a mixed kid metaphor 😑#am i mad about it? no. but am i kinda annoyed it deviated from the intended plan? yeah #frank zhang #wolf!jason #jason grace #my writing #my fanfic #happy talks pjo #anyway idc if this doesn't make sense i havent eaten all day so im gonna go do that now okay bye 👍

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evilasiangenius · 11 months ago

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Aziraphale had never started the glass shutter. He had only started threading the loom. The spindle lay upon the floor by the bed, unfinished yarn half-twisted in a state of imperfect incompleteness. The spotty stands of wheat and barley would never be harvested. The autumn apples and pears would never be picked. The damsons would never be turned into wine.

There was a growing list of chores to do before leaving; he should sweep the floors, refill the lamps, find a way to barricade the door so Crawley would not be disturbed. He would have to do something about the cow and her growing calf.

And while the lists grew and grew in his mind, he found himself unable to move. Not because he couldn’t – it would have been easy to shrug off the sleeping demon and roll out of bed, to shake off the soft linen blanket that had somehow found its way around him as well – and how was it big enough for both of them together, did Crawley always sleep like this?

To crawl out of the warmth of the bed into the heady warmth of summer, the night aglow with stars and flowers and smelling sweetly of roses and resinous pine.

To wander into the forests and flowery meadows alone, surrounded by galaxies of bioluminescent insects calling to each other in their bright silent language of love. To hear the bats chirp and flit through the darkness, to be piled upon by curious hedgehogs that would gently rest their soft cheeks against his boots, his ankles, curling up in their prickly palliums in the warm hollows between his knees.

To stand on the crest of the mountain, feeling the icy wind slice stiff through curly hair.

To wheel free upon the frozen oxygen-poor air at high altitude, powerful wings sent aloft like dandelion fluff.

But he couldn’t move. Somehow this was better than all of that, and he could not give up this time with an awkward and uncomfortably-created demon who seemed to be all pointy elbows and knees, tangled together with him like strands of a golden necklace twisted together.

#aziraphale #crowley #crawley #good omens #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #aziraphale x crowley #good omens fanfiction #gomens #crowley is the sleeping beauty #and aziraphale has memory loss #dark ages cottagecore #mistakes were made

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objection-dot-lol · 11 months ago

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Ok so I’m playing AAI and I’m on the last case of game 1 and I just noticed the meanings of the ambassadors’ names and I think they’re cool so I’m going to talk about them :)

Colias Palaeno:

Colias Palaeno is the ambassador of Babahl, which has a butterfly as its national symbol.

Colias palaeno is also the scientific name for a butterfly called the Moorland Clouded Yellow (also known as the Palaeno Sulphur or the Pale Arctic Clouded Yellow). These little guys are usually light greenish yellow, and there are several subspecies across Europe, Asia, and North America! They like to live in moorlands, meadows, and sometimes forests containing scrub. They also enjoy high altitudes, living around 4900 feet above sea level in some places. Below is a photo of a Colias palaeno butterfly, because I think they’re neat :)

Quercus Alba:

Quercus Alba is the ambassador of Allebahst, which has a flower as its national symbol.

Quercus alba is also the scientific name for the White Oak tree, which is native to North America, specifically southeastern Canada and the eastern and central regions of the US. They were named for their leaves, which have a dull, whitish underside. They’re usually 60-80 feet tall, although the tallest White Oak ever reported (nicknamed “the Mingo Oak”) grew to a staggering 145 feet. Below is a photo of a White Oak because tree :)

I didn’t mean for this post to be so long, but I thought it was cool how Capcom made the plant country have an ambassador named after a plant and the butterfly country have an ambassador named after a butterfly

Also I love Latin so I was really excited when I realized they were scientific names and not just typical Ace Attorney puns :))

#ace attorney #aai1 #miles edgeworth investigations #quercus alba #colias palaeno #ruby plays various games

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promptsforpoemproseandplay · 8 months ago

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Grounds

Part four to my ‘places we don’t know the name of’, the descendant of Paths, Bodies of Water, and Holes; in this one, I will cover different words for wet land and synonyms for plains.

So, here's a totally not comprehensive guide to

✨Grounds✨!

Wet and Messy

bog: wet, spongy ground with soil composed mainly of decayed vegetable matter

everglade: a tract of low, swampy land characterized by clumps of tall grass and numerous branching waterways

fen: low land covered wholly or partially with water

heath: a tract of open, uncultivated land; wasteland overgrown with shrubs

marshland: a region or district characterized by marshes, swamps, bogs, or the like

mire: ground with wet, slimy soil of some depth, or deep mud

morass: a tract of low, soft, wet ground

moor: a tract of open wasteland, overgrown with heath, common in high altitudes where drainage is poor

quagmire: an area of miry or boggy ground whose surface yields under the tread

quicksand: a bed of soft or loose sand saturated with water and having considerable depth, yielding under weight and tending to suck down any object resting on its surface

shoal: a sandbank or sand bar in the bed of a body of water, especially one that is exposed above the surface of the water at low tide

slough: an area of soft, muddy ground

swale: a low place in a tract of land, usually moister and often having more vegetation than the adjacent higher land

swamp: a tract of wet, spongy land, often having a growth of certain types of trees and other vegetation, but unfit for cultivation

wetland: land that has a wet and spongy soil, as a marsh, swamp, or bog.

Plains

field: an expanse of open or cleared ground suitable or used for pasture or tillage

glade: an open space in a forest

grassland: a prairie in which the natural vegetation consists of perennial grass, characteristic of subhumid climates

meadow: a tract of grassland in an upland area near the timberline

pasture: an area covered with grass or other plants used or suitable for the grazing of livestock

plains: an area of land not significantly higher than adjacent areas and with relatively minor differences in elevation

plateau: a land area having a pretty level surface considerably raised above adjoining land on at least one side, and often cut by deep canyons

prairie: an extensive, level, mostly treeless tract of land characterized by highly fertile soil. Originally covered with coarse grasses and merging into drier plateaus

timberline: the altitude above sea level at which timber ceases to grow

tract: large area of land

tundra: one of the vast, level, treeless plains of the arctic regions

savanna: a plain characterized by coarse grasses and scattered tree growth, especially on the margins of the tropics where the rainfall is seasonal

steppe: an extensive plain without any trees

veldt: the open country, bearing grass, bushes, or shrubs, or thinly forested

In this, I went and found some words that are rarely ever used at all, so I’m fairly sure I missed almost nothing. But, I’ll give English the benefit of the doubt and assume it’s already made up words between the time it took for me to write and post this. Until the next one.

~Nyx

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turtlefirefly · 2 months ago

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I’m bored

so, I was thinking, like a normal human being, and I remembered this cool species I made up called the Dragonites. They’re basically these dragon things that represent different elements. example: Fresh-waters, the tribe that lives in bodies of water (lakes, streams, rivers, etc) but they aren’t fully aquatic. They can also live in fields and meadows. Fire-cougars, the tribe that can breathe fire✨✨✨. They live underground and in caves or dens. Next are the Air-waves. They live in the mountains and any place with a high elevation. They can survive better than any other Dragonite can in high altitude. Finally, the Wood-dwellers. They live in, you guessed it, the woods. They blend in with the trees and plants very well. so yea, that’s the whole idea of it. Make an oc if you want. I’ll post the anatomy and what each tribe looks like when I find my stylist.

Sorry this is really random. I just feel bad for not posting. Btw, IM ALMOST AT 20 FOLLOWERS!!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!

#idk random thoughts #i love u guys!!!#Dragonites #Thingys #Idk man #yaaayyyyy

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usafphantom2 · 11 months ago

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The A-12 pilot who while looking for a crashed F-105 in Utah came across a brothel with a runway (A C-7A Caribou was the largest aircraft to ever land there)

The Oxcart

In 1959, Lockheed began work on the design of a long-range, high-altitude plane, then known as the A-11. It was a Cold War project. Heading the project team was Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, Lockheed’s Vice President for Advanced Development Projects. Johnson had previously led the development of the U-2 spy plane. Five years after work began on the A-11, on Feb. 29, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson told reporters that the aircraft (by that time modified to the A-12 Oxcart production version with a reduced radar cross section) had attained speeds of over 2,000 mph and altitudes of more than 70,000 feet in tests at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB).

CLICK HERE to see The Aviation Geek Club contributor Linda Sheffield’s T-shirt designs! Linda has a personal relationship with the SR-71 because her father Butch Sheffield flew the Blackbird from test flight in 1965 until 1973. Butch’s Granddaughter’s Lisa Burroughs and Susan Miller are graphic designers. They designed most of the merchandise that is for sale on Threadless. A percentage of the profits go to Flight Test Museum at Edwards Air Force Base. This nonprofit charity is personal to the Sheffield family because they are raising money to house SR-71, #955. This was the first Blackbird that Butch Sheffield flew on Oct. 4, 1965.

Noteworthy, according to Col. Richard H. Graham’s book The Complete Book of the SR-71 Blackbird: The Illustrated Profile of Every Aircraft, Crew, and Breakthrough of the World’s Fastest Stealth Jet, during the first three years of pre-operational testing, three A-12s crashed – two from mechanical malfunctions and one because of ground crew error. All pilots ejected safely.

The A-12 crash in Utah and the F-105 crash cover story

On May 24, 1963, A-12 number 926 involved in a subsonic engine test flight and piloted by Ken Collins, crashed fourteen miles south of Wendover, Utah. While testing an inertial navigation system, Collins flew into heavy clouds above thirty thousand feet and began noticing erroneous and confusing airspeed and altitude readings just before the A-12 pitched up, stalled, and went into an inverted spin. Unable to regain control, he ejected at around twenty-five thousand feet and was unhurt. A press cover story referred to the crashed aircraft as being a Republic F-105.

It was first thought that it was a pilot error but later confirmed that it was an inadequate pitot tube design that had caused the air data computer to fail.

Because his sortie was low altitude, Collins was not in his pressure suit, so it added to the credence that the crash was an F-105.

This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. SR-71A Blackbird 61-7972 “Skunkworks”

‘With an ironic twist of faith sometime after the loss of Article 123, an F-105 from Nellis was lost and members of the Oxcart (code word of A-12) program were involved in the search for the crash site,’ A-12 pilot Frank Murray recalls in Paul Crickmore‘s latest book “Lockheed Blackbird Beyond the Secret Missions.

A-12 pilot searching for crashed F-105

Frank Murray and Dr. Roger Anderson were airborne in a Cessna searching for the crashed F-105 when they located the crash near a small lake with the adjoining property of one of the brothels in the area known as Ash Meadow Ranch. The brothel provided a small dirt runway graded out to allow its customers the option of air travel into the facility.

‘We taxied into Ash Meadow Ranch and we explained that we were here looking for the crash site and we had located it,’ Murray explains.

‘By then it was lunchtime and the Madame got the cook to rustle up some lunch. There was some polite conversation with the Madame and my aviation curiosity got the better of me.

Brothel with landing strip

The A-12 pilot who while looking for a crashed F-105 in Utah came across a brothel with a runway (A C-7A Caribou was the largest aircraft to ever land there)

C-7A Caribou

‘I asked her what was the largest aircraft ever to use the landing strip.

‘She replied the largest was an Army C- 7A Caribou full of GIs from an army base in California! ‘Mind you” she added mischievously they weren’t looking for any downed airplanes!’

Murray concludes;

‘After lunch, the three of us said our goodbyes and departed for our lives back at our Ranch [“Groom Lake,” “The Ranch,” “Area 51,” and “Dreamland” are all names that have been associated with the Groom Lake facility in the Nevada desert]. ‘

I had heard when I was a girl growing up in California that brothels were legal in Nevada. These kinds of rumors were hard for me to believe, but I believe them now!

Be sure to check out Linda Sheffield Miller (Col Richard (Butch) Sheffield’s daughter, Col. Sheffield was an SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer) Twitter X Page Habubrats SR-71, Instagram Page SR71Habubrats and Facebook Page Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Habubrats for awesome Blackbird’s photos and stories.

@Habubrats71 via X

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