#Thriving in Various Climates

[cselandscapearchitect]

Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope': A Dazzling Garden Marvel

Abelia x grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’ is a captivating ornamental shrub known for its breathtaking foliage and eye-catching colors. This hybrid plant is a result of careful crossbreeding and selection, bringing together the best traits from different Abelia species. ‘Kaleidoscope’ has become a beloved addition to gardens, landscapes, and even container gardens, thanks to its striking appearance and…

[mbari-blog]

Deep-sea stars

The deep seafloor is home to a dazzling diversity of star-shaped invertebrates. From expansive abyssal plains to rocky canyons, these stars—in the subphylum Asterozoa—have adapted in various ways to thrive in the deep.

Some of these underwater stars scuttle across the mud on an army of tiny tube feet. Others perch on rocky outcrops, waving a twisted tangle of arms in the current.

Their diets range from tiny drifting plankton to scavenged scraps, or crustaceans, worms, and even the occasional fish! Several of these sensational stars have armored plates for protection, while others spew nasty slime when a predator tries to grab a bite!

Understanding and documenting the amazing biodiversity of animals in the deep sea is increasingly critical. Fishing pressure, pollution, and climate change all threaten ocean health. Help us spread the word about protecting the important but rarely-seen habitats deep below the ocean’s surface.

[mutant-distraction]

White-tailed Deer. . .

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are remarkable creatures with an extensive range. They occur in most of southern Canada and all of the United States mainland, except for a few western states. Their range extends throughout Mexico, Central America, and even reaches South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia.

White-tailed deer thrive in diverse habitats, from forests to grasslands. Their ability to adapt has allowed them to spread widely. Due to their adaptability, they’ve been introduced to New Zealand, parts of Europe, and even the Caribbean. These deer are true survivors, adapting to various climates and environments.

Image credit: Dave Sandford

Text credit: Earth of Wonders (fb)

[nutnoce]

“These Were Salt Marshes Before” (2024)

11in x 14in acrylic on recycled canvas

“These Were Salt Marshes Before” was submitted and accepted by the SAA for the 18th Inspired by the PEM show! The reception went really well. I gained a lot of insight speaking with various artists about their pieces and how 'Our Time on Earth' inspired them.

In the case of this piece, it is inspired by the instant sense of calm 'Our Time on Earth' presents as one enters the exhibit. It’s The first instruction for the exhbit is to stop and breath. As I did so, I imagined a time when the place I stood was a coastal wetland. An type of ecosystem which once thrived along the East Coast of North America, rich in biodiversity and crucial for the region's ecological balance. However, centuries of urbanization and industrialization have devastated these wetlands, with many drained, filled, or paved over for development. Pollution from urban runoff and industry has further harmed remaining habitats. Only fragments of wetlands remain, threatened by sea-level rise, erosion, and ongoing development. Despite these challenges, recognizing the importance of wetlands as barriers against extreme weather and climate change, as well as their role in carbon storage, offers hope for their preservation. Protecting and restoring coastal wetlands not only safeguards biodiversity but also aids in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide, contributing to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this train of thought I was not plunged into the usual dread over the future of our planet. It speaks to to power of these exhibits (and to media as well) that can address the biggest issue on the planet but still have radical, thoughtful, careful hope.

[nikethestatue]

True story:

So in May/early June, I decided that I am gonna grow some herbs and veggies. Nothing fancy, but I bought a tomato plant, then basil, dill, mint and rosemary, and a zucchini plant.

Mind you, I don't have a yard/garden, but a large patio. It's nicely shaded, and yet gets enough sunlight, and it's protected from the elements.

Fast forward almost 3 months.

We have two survivors! The basil is lush and growing wonderfully. The tomato plant is thriving. Only, no tomatoes. Not even a whiff of tomatoes. Just the plant.

The rest of the herbs died.

And then I started thinking about Eain 'She Didn't Grow Vegetables' Archeron.

Say she only had space to grow a few bushes of something. Firstly, it cost money to buy, but let's say Feyre bought either seeds or plants for Elain to plant. And let's say Elain plants them. Months pass, and she still doesn't have a tomato to show for her efforts. Half of what she planted died, for various reasons, and she's got a bunch of basil.

So, are they all sitting around munching on basil for month? Some dill? Something like potatoes requires a decent amount of land and suitable land too. Forget wheat or anything of the sort. Beans? Maybe beans, if she could manage to grow them. But realistically, the reason there was starvation in Europe, for example, is because a regular person couldn't just 'grow vegetables' to sustain their lives. It's not that easy and it's hard to sustain, especially in an imperfect climate. Maybe it was possible to have a small garden in Italy or France, but in colder climates? Not so much. ons of people died throughout history of starvation--think about the potato famine in Ireland, for example--couldn't they have all planted some vegetables and survived? Apparently not.

And even considering that SJM herself knows nothing about any of this, and just wanted to be dramatic about Feyre hunting, in reality, there is something to be said in ACOTAR about starvation and lack of money and lack of opportunities. To feed a family of 4 just from the garden is much harder than what girls on Tumblr and Reddit think. They think that if you stick a zucchini in the ground, you'll have 200 zucchini in 2 weeks. Not so. Chances are, you'll probably get no zucchini at all.

And I didn't even mention water and how much water just ONE tomato plant needs. It wilts every 48 hrs, and I have to water it all the time. But I can turn on the faucet and get some water. The Archeron sisters needed to go to the well and get water in the buckets and carry it back. And if you've never gotten water from a well--believe me, I've done it, and it's a lot of freaking work! You have to have it for drinking, washing, cooking, and laundry. When water isn't readily available, believe me, you start to conserve it like it's a precious commodity. Which it is.

I've yet again recognized how silly the 'grow vegetables'!' argument is, as I watch my tomato-less plant bloom and grow.

No tomato in sight

[illuminatedquill]

Ghost Stories 06

Feat. Ursa Wren + The Ghost crew

Story Summary: The Ghost lands on Krownest for a brief resupply and also to visit Sabine, who chose to remain with her family to help marshal the Mandalorian forces against Imperial rule on Mandalore. Ursa Wren, Sabine's mother, comes onboard the Ghost to formally introduce herself to her daughter's friends.

The bitter chill of Krownest's morning air greeted Ursa Wren as she stepped outside the fortress walls of her home. Even with a heating unit installed into her custom-made beskar armor, the cold still found a way to seep through. Despite having spent a lifetime living on the frigid planet that her ancestral clan called home, she never could get used to the freezing temperatures.

In the legends of Clan Wren, the world had once been a beautiful, thriving green planet, filled with lush forests and bountiful lakes. But then a great battle had taken place, between her ancestor, Princess Lenora, and a great witch that had come to steal something precious from her. The fight had scarred the planet's ecosystem, somehow plunging Krownest into an endless winter.

Krownest's unhospitable climate made it good for a few things, she admitted. It made Clan Wren a particularly formidable force, even among the fabled Mandalorian warrior caste. Surviving out here, in the frozen tundra was a rite of passage for any warrior on Krownest: you had to be resourceful, quick to adapt, and possess sheer force of will to battle against the elements.

There was also the added benefit of making any potential ground invasion a suicidal venture. Whoever was foolish enough to attempt found themselves wishing for the swift death by a Wren, instead of the slow freezing hell they would find themselves resigned to from the planet's unforgiving nature. Flying was also hazardous, since the erratic changes in weather could freeze fuel lines in vulnerable space craft or decrease visibility so drastically that all a pilot could see was a wall of white ice and sleet before slamming into a mountain side.

Finally, because of the constant blizzards and storms, it rendered most scanners commonly in use by the galaxy useless - which meant that Krownest was an excellent place to hide contraband, ranging from different types of medicines to various weapons of war, from prying eyes.

It was for this last reason that they had received visitors on this day. Sipping at a mug of freshly brewed caf, with a splash of honey added, Ursa stared at the old freighter docked in their landing bay below.

The Ghost. Its crew made of an eclectic team of rebels, comprised of a Twi'lek, two Jedi, a Lasat, a homicidal astromech unit and, formerly, her daughter, Sabine.

Her mouth twitched. These were the people who had housed her daughter - her heir - for the past several years. She had spent time with the two Jedi and, from what she could tell, they had earned her daughter's trust and loyalty.

Enough to defy me and the Empire, she thought with no small amount of bitterness.

She knew how suspicious Sabine could be towards people, which said volumes about how deeply she cared for the people on that ship if she would defend them against her own flesh and blood.

But, then again, she was the reason why Sabine was so slow to trust others in the first place.

Tristan, her youngest, appeared by her side. "Good morning, Mother," he murmured.

Ursa nodded at him. "Same to you. I take it Sabine is already onboard with her friends?" she asked.

The ghost of a smile played on his lips. "Never seen her move so fast. They hadn't even landed yet when she bolted from the war room."

Ursa felt her mouth twitch again. Is this jealousy? she wondered.

Tristan glanced at her. "Do you wish to meet them?"

Ursa sipped again at her caf, contemplating. "I'm not sure if that's wise. Sabine would most likely disapprove."

Her son turned to her fully, his expression intensely curious.

Ursa eyed him, feeling unnerved by his stare. "What?" she demanded.

"You're scared," he observed. "That's a first."

She almost spat out her caf. "Scared? Of what?"

Tristan pointed at the freighter. "Scared of them. Sabine's friends. You're afraid that they're really better than us."

She glared at him. "That is nonsense. Strike the thought from your mind, young man. We are Sabine's true family."

He shook his head sadly. "It's not like that, Mother. Not for Sabine. It's not 'us versus them' to her."

Ursa arched an imperious eyebrow at her son. "Oh? And what is the truth of it, then?"

Tristan gave her a pointed look. "You'd know that if you actually talked to her."

She glowered at him. "I am losing my patience," she growled.

He held up his hands in a placating gesture. "We're all family to Sabine," he said quietly. "All of us - and them, too. She wouldn't replace us anymore than she would with them."

Ursa fell quiet, his words twisting their way through her gut.

"There was no trade, Mother. Her family just got bigger, that's all," he pointed out.

She studied her youngest for a long moment - and then smiled. Reaching out with a hand, she fondly ruffled his hair. "When did you grow up to be so wise, my beautiful boy?" she asked.

He grinned at her in a disarmingly boyish manner, breaking through the normally serious outlook that was the default expression for Tristan. "Are you going to meet them?" he asked.

Ursa sighed. "I suppose so," she said reluctantly. "If anything, just to be a good host."

"You'll turn on that famous Clan Wren charm, I hope," he teased.

She swatted a hand at him in annoyance.

The hatch was closed when she arrived a few minutes later. Steeling herself to whatever encounters she was about to experience inside the ship, she knocked loudly on the steel frame.

For a few tense seconds, nothing mattered. Then a speaker blared with an unfamiliar voice: "Who's there?"

Ursa replied, "This is Ursa Wren, Sabine's mother. I wish to come inside, if that's alright."

Another pause. Then: "Uh, hang on just a second. I'll open the hatch."

She stepped back a few paces. The hatch opened with a pneumatic wheeze, lowering into a ramp for her to step into the freighter. Standing in the entrance was a large Lasat, dressed in a modified combat suit for his stature, staring at her with a curious expression.

Fo a few moments they just exchanged a look; two warriors, both from dying cultures, sizing each other up.

Ursa broke the silence first. "A pleasure to meet you, Garazeb Orrelios."

The Lasat blinked at her and then did something surprising - he bowed, if somewhat clumsily. It was a formal gesture of respect; one he clearly hadn't done in quite some time, she observed.

"I extend the same greeting to you, Lady Wren," Orrelios replied.

She studied him some more. "Sabine told me you were once a captain for your people's Royal Guard."

"That is correct, Countess," confirmed Orrelios. "I am familiar with royalty."

Ursa smiled. "I am not royalty. My title is simply an inheritance. I am no Queen."

"But you bear yourself with as much regality and grace as any royal subject," Orrelios observed. "And you have done much to earn the title several times over, despite the title being inherited."

She blinked. "Did Sabine talk about me?"

The Lasat shook his head. "No. But I see it in the way she conducts herself. Your daughter wears her surname with pride and steel, just like her mother."

She was touched. The Lasat had a rough appearance, but he spoke with no small amount of heart and authenticity. It wasn't hard to see why Sabine regarded him so highly.

Ursa bowed to him in return. "May I come aboard, Captain?"

"You may," he replied. "And please - call me Zeb."

Zeb, as Ursa now called him, gave her a brief tour of the freighter. She was surprised at how roomy it was, despite the sheer number of supplies crammed inside. The Lasat rarely had to duck down to enter a hallway or room, and walked with the ease of someone who was comfortable with their accommodations. Ursa rarely travelled on ships, preferring the commonly used Fang fighters that were synonymous with Mandalorian culture as a vehicle of transport.

When she first saw the ship at a distance some time ago, her first reaction was to be appalled that her daughter called such a place home for some time. Now, looking around at all the different customizations and obvious care taken into the ship's interior, she began to realize that Sabine might have felt more at home here than back at the fortress of Clan Wren.

How many hallways had she walked down only to spot a doodle on a wall? Sabine's artwork popped up everywhere she looked. On Krownest, her daughter had kept her art kept within the pages of a sketchbook only.

These friends, Ursa began to realize, have not only physically returned my daughter to me. They have also brought her back to herself.

Finally, they came to the communal room. Stepping inside, she saw two figures sitting at a table: one was the familiar face of Kanan Jarrus, one of the Jedi that had accompanied Sabine when she first returned home. The other was a green-skinned Twi'lek woman, similar in age to Jarrus, wearing an orange flight uniform that had seen its fair share of usage.

Jarrus had his arm draped around the Twi'lek's shoulders, his head reclined as though dozing. The Twi'lek - Hera Syndulla, Ursa now recalled - was concentrating on a data-pad, reading intently what was on the screen.

As they entered the room, the Jedi sat up - his partially masked face turned in their direction. "Zeb," he said cautiously. "You've brought a guest."

Hera looked up. Ursa was taken aback at how blue those eyes of hers were - it felt like they were piercing right through her.

"Hello," replied Ursa. "We've met before, Master Jedi."

Jarrus nodded respectfully towards her. "I remember, Countess. This is the captain of our modest little crew - Hera Syndulla."

She extended her hand, which Syndulla grasped firmly. Ursa felt her respect towards the Twi'lek rise several more notches at the strength in her grip. There's steel in her, she remarked.

"Pleasure to meet you at last," Syndulla said politely. "I see where Sabine gets . . . well, everything."

Ursa snorted. "Is that a good or bad thing?"

The Twi'lek's face split into a warm smile. "A little bit of both. Are you here for her? I can call her up, if you like."

She paused for a moment, thinking about what she should say.

Finally, she simply said, "I just wanted to say thank you. For Sabine."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Jarrus smile a little. Syndulla looked surprised and asked, "For Sabine? Why?"

"Everyone here on this ship . . . you restored her to herself. I thought I had lost my daughter forever," Ursa replied, fighting to keep the quiver from her voice. "Not just in a physical sense, but in who she was before everything went wrong."

Syndulla shared a look with Jarrus. Next to her, Zeb scratched idly at his head. Ursa heard a loud sniff from his direction.

"Sabine has inherited much from you, Ursa," Jarrus said firmly. "We may have helped Sabine find her way back to you, but it's only because she had the strength to persevere through whatever challenges the galaxy threw at her. And that incredible strength comes from you."

"And there were quite a lot of challenges," Zeb agreed. "Feels like it was practically every week, in fact."

"Families are complicated," Syndulla added. "Believe me. I know."

Ursa said wryly, "Our family is certainly no exception to that. I just wanted you to know how grateful I am to you all for giving Sabine a home. A place where she can be herself."

"You all talk with her so easily," she said. "I wish I knew how to do that."

Jarrus shared a look with Syndulla, a faint smile playing on both their faces. "Well," Jarrus said, "it helps if you talk to her."

Ursa frowned. "I do talk with her," she replied.

"Not the way Sabine tells it," Zeb pointed out. "You talk at her. That's different."

She thought about it. "Oh," was all she said.

Syndulla interjected, "Although, with Sabine, it is difficult to hold a conversation with her at times. Especially when she's upset."

"That happens a lot when we talk," Ursa replied dryly.

Jarrus chuckled. "We've had our fair share of that, too."

"How do you get her to speak openly then?"

"How do we get her to lower her guard, you mean?" asked Syndulla.

Ursa nodded.

Syndulla smiled. "Lower your own, first."

Ursa paused outside the door of her daughter's room; inside she could hear a pair of voices, loud enough to be heard through the metal.

One of them was certainly Sabine - and the other one was . . .

She leaned in close, straining to listen.

" . . . long have you had these bandaged like this, goober?" That was Sabine.

"Uh. A few days, I think." This voice belonged to Ezra Bridger - the young Jedi who was close to her daughter.

"You're supposed to change out the bandages," said her daughter, sounding annoyed. Annoyed . . . and worried.

Ursa narrowed her eyes, thinking.

"Oh. Right," came the hesitant reply. "Anyway, how are things with your family?"

"They're fine, Ezra," said Sabine impatiently. "And don't change the subject. How did you get hurt? Those Jedi senses of yours getting rusty?"

"Stormtrooper snuck up behind me during a firefight. I'm . . . I'm still getting used to you not being there to have my back anymore," Bridger replied quietly.

"Oh," was all her daughter said.

There was an uncomfortable pause. "I didn't mean it like that, Sabine," Bridger said hastily. "I meant - "

"I know what you meant," replied her daughter quietly. "It's okay."

Ursa, entranced by what she was hearing from her daughter's voice, leaned in closer to better hear the conversation -

The door slid open.

She almost fell straight onto her face, catching her balance at the last second.

Ursa looked up to see the two of them look horror-struck at her sudden presence, sitting close together on the bottom bunk of a two-bed configuration. Sabine, staring at her with wide eyes, exclaimed, "Mother!"

Bridger, on the other hand, abruptly stood up, banging his head on the top bed's underside. He yelped with pain, clutching at the top of his head.

It was then that Ursa immediately noticed that the young man was shirtless. A medical bandage, presumably applied recently by her daughter, was visible on his upper arm.

A-ha, she thought.

Straightening up quickly, Ursa said, "Hello, Sabine."

"W - what are you doing here?" Sabine sputtered. Her eyes were flitting nervously between her and Bridger.

"Just came to formally introduce myself to your friends," Ursa replied.

Bridger, to his credit, recovered with haste. Standing ramrod straight, a lump on his head, he stuck out his hand. "Hello, Mrs. Wren!" he said in a squeaky voice. "It's a privilege to meet you again."

Ursa stared at the young man, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "Why are you shirtless in my daughter's room?"

She glanced at Sabine. "This is your room, correct? That is what the others told me."

Bridger took a small side-step to position himself between Ursa and her daughter. Despite the situation, a smile threatened to crack through her stern facade. The boy was brave, she had to give him that.

"It is, Mrs. Wren - "

"Countess Wren," she corrected.

"Countess Wren," continued Bridger, his face coloring to an alarming shade of red. "Yes, this is Sabine's room. I was just - uh - we were just - you have to understand, I'm not usually shirtless when I'm alone with Sabine in her - her room."

It was like watching a train wreck. Bridger stumbled through the final words of his statement, his eyes widening with embarrassment as he realized in real time how what was spilling out of his mouth did not help clarify the situation at all.

Amused, Ursa let the silence hang thickly after his words. "Why are you not shirtless in your own room, then?" she asked, her voice whisper soft.

The young Jedi turned to look at Sabine, who had buried her face into her hands. He would not find help there, it was clear.

With a loud gulp, he looked back at Ursa. "This isn't what it, uh, looks like," he said lamely. "I mean, your daughter and I - we're just friends."

"Indeed," observed Ursa. She glanced at Sabine, who still was hiding her face. "Friends who seem comfortable enough to be semi-naked with one another."

"Yes," said Bridger, not picking up on the sarcasm. He looked relieved. "And this isn't even the worst Sabine has seen because one time I fell into a thorn bush and it was all over my legs, so she's seen way more - "

Sabine's face finally snapped up. "Ezra! Please, stop making it worse for yourself and just get out."

The young man froze at her daughter's voice, blinked several times in quick succession, and then quickly acquiesced to her command. Grabbing his shirt, he scampered out.

Leaving Ursa alone with her daughter. Sabine let out an exasperated sigh and laid back onto the bed.

Ursa took in the sight of her daughter's bedroom, drinking in the colorful art displayed all over the walls. "He's certainly a handful," she commented, finally allowing a smile.

Sabine snorted. "I take it that he won't be strangled then?" she asked.

"Not today, no. I was listening outside. I know you were tending to his wounds."

Her daughter peered up at her. "You're not upset? Really?"

Ursa shrugged and sat down next to her. "He's your friend. You care about him. And I'm grateful to him for bringing you back to me."

Sabine sat up and looked at her thoughtfully. "So am I," she said.

"Do you miss him?" Ursa asked suddenly.

Sabine looked away. "Yeah," she admitted. "I miss him. I miss everybody on the Ghost."

Ursa studied her. "You could go back to them," she said quietly. "If you wanted to."

Her daughter's face snapped back to hers, eyes wide. She could see the gears turning behind those eyes, considering. Ursa saw a conflicting array of emotions warring for control in Sabine's expression.

Finally, Sabine shook her head. "Someday, I'll go back," she answered. "But my place is with you. I've been running away for too long."

Ursa reached out and enveloped her daughter into a hug. Sabine froze and then melted into her embrace. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity.

"I should have said this before," whispered Ursa, "but thank you for coming back, cyare. Despite all that has happened between us."

Sabine squeezed her tightly. "We are family, Mother. I will always come when you call."

Ursa smiled and then released Sabine from her grasp to look at her.

My how she's grown into a beautiful young woman, she thought. How much have I missed with my stubborn pride.

Blinking away the tears, Ursa sought to change the subject. "So, you and Bridger. You're really just friends?"

Sabine's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink, but her expression remained neutral. "Yeah. Been that way for a while now."

"I noticed the wound was located on the upper part of his arm."

Her daughter frowned. " Yes. Why?"

Ursa gave Sabine a sly look. "Doesn't seem necessary to remove his whole shirt for that, I would think."

Now her daughter's cheeks were definitely a rosier shade of pink. She cast her eyes down and shrugged. "I was just, uh, being thorough. Ezra's clumsy with medical stuff. I wanted to ensure he didn't miss any other wounds."

"Uh-huh," said Ursa. "Sure."

Sabine looked at her, expression defiant. "What?" she demanded.

Ursa just grinned and ruffled her daughter's hair fondly.

[cognitivejustice]

With solar power, urban farms, and radical grassroots democracy, eKhenana provides an impressive model for a sustainable low-carbon future community

At eKhenana, there are 109 families on two hectares of land, one of which is dedicated to farming. Each family has a small plot on which a shack is built with recycled materials, with emphasis on open spaces, walkways and even parking spaces. Credit: Nomfundo Xolo.

In recent years, the question of what this sustainable low-emissions future could look like has animated both climate scientists and creatives. They have imagined a myriad of possibilities, some more fantastical than others.

For the residents of eKhenana commune, however, the future is already here. In this settlement in Durban, South Africa, low-consumption lifestyles, shared living in urban villages, and self-sufficient small-scale agriculture are not utopian visions but daily reality.

Former chairperson of eKhenana commune, Lindokuhle Mnguni, was dedicated to creating a “land of milk and honey” and a socialist way of life where everyone is given an equal opportunity. He, and his partner Sindisiwe Ngcobo, were attacked on 20 August 2022 in the early hours by unknown gunmen. Mnguni was killed instantly from multiple wounds to the head. Credit: Nomfundo Xolo.

eKhenana was first established in 2018 when a group of people decided to occupy some neglected municipal land in Durban. They began by building their homes, shacks, before adding schools, shops, and community spaces. The commune are members of Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM), the South African social movement of the poor that fights for land, housing, and human dignity.

Today, eKhenana is made of up 109 families and the community is a model of democratic, ground-up, climate-friendly self-sufficiency. As South Africa faces rolling blackouts, the commune enjoys reliable solar power that it uses to boil water, charge phones, and keep the lights on. Through its food sovereignty garden and cooperative farming projects, it feeds itself with nutritious and cheap locally grown produce.

The watchword in building locally self-sustaining communes is sovereignty. Communities, they agree, need to be able to take control of their food and ownership of their needs without relying on the government.

To say eKhenana has managed to thrive in the absence of the state wouldn’t be quite right. The commune’s self-sufficiency has, in fact, been hard-won against a backdrop of state-sanctioned violence. Like most land occupations in South Africa, the community in eKhenana have had to repeatedly rebuild their homes after countless eviction attempts. These often-violent operations, enforced by the government and private militias, have led to the deaths of at least eight residents.

This harassment has continued even since the community at eKhenana won the right to legally occupy the land in 2019. The government and police, says AbM’s General Secretary Thapelo Mohapi, “treat Abahlali like a criminal organisation”.

The politics conducted within eKhenana couldn’t look more different to the formal state’s elite and exclusionary approach. In the commune, all decisions are reached by consensus at community meetings through radical democratic participation. Residents regularly gather at Thuli Ndlovu Hall – named after one of their assassinated comrades – where everyone is given a chance to discuss all communal decisions, from where spinach is planted to how resources like the community-owned sewing machine are shared. This agency is coupled with responsibility; all members are expected to be active in, and aware of, eKhenana’s various projects and challenges.

“Our discussion must have one answer, reached communally,” explains Mazwi. “No one can tell us what to do, not even our [former] chairperson, comrade Mnguni, may he rest in peace, because we make our decisions for ourselves.”

Like all AbM branches, eKhenana practices Ubuhlalism, their interpretation of the philosophy of Ubuntu. In stark contrast to neoliberal individualism, a driving force behind the climate crisis, this way of thinking advocates for a communal worldview that prioritises wellbeing over profit.

“Ubuhlalism teaches us how to share with other people, how to treat each other, how to build yourself,” says Mazwi. “Ubuhlalism is something you can’t touch, you can’t see, but something that you practice. It’s something inside you.”

Source

[willtheweaver]

A writer’s guide to forests: from the poles to the tropics, part 7

Is it no.7 already? Wow. A big shout out to everyone who has had the patients to stick with this. Now onto this week’s forest…

Dry forest

Water is life. That’s a fact. And especially where it doesn’t rain for more than half the year.

Location: Dry forests are scattered throughout the Yucatán peninsula ,South America, various Pacific islands,Australia, Madagascar, and India. Areas have been cleared by human activity, and the SA dry forests are classified as the most threatened tropical forests.

Climate: Temperate to tropical, with just enough rain to sustain trees. Many are monsoonal, with rain coming in one or two brief periods separated by a long dry season.

Plant life- Hardy trees, such as Baobab and Eucalyptus are able to last with little rain by tapping into groundwater with extensive root systems. Many trees are evergreen, but in India, many species are deciduous. Trees are often more spaced out, and shrubs and grasses grow extensively. Cacti are common plants in the Americas, with some growing tall enough to be considered trees. In order to survive the heat and lack of water, many small plants are annuals, or store water in tubers. Palms can make up a large percentage of the trees, as was the case in the now vanished forests of Easter Island.

Animal life- As they can come and go when they please, birds are common species. Larger animals are active year round, with smaller species of mammals, amphibians, and certain insects only coming out during the rainy season. Isolation means that islands become home to many endemic species; think about Madagascar and the lemurs, or Darwin’s finches, iguanas, and tortoises in the Galapagos. Isolation has also led to the marsupials of Australia developing to fill the niches that would normally be occupied by placental mammals .The introduction of invasive species has brought about the extinction of island fauna.

How the forest affects the story- Water, or the lack of will be the biggest challenge your characters will face. Rivers and lakes may be seasonal, so other sources will have to be utilized. Drinkable fluids can be obtained from various plants and animals, or maybe the bedrock is porous and water accumulates in cenotes. Your characters could come from a culture that builds artificial reservoirs to collect the rain and store it for the dry season. With careful water management, cities can thrive in dry areas. But your characters will have to be careful. Prolonged drought will see societies go the way of the Maya. Deforestation leaves the topsoil vulnerable to the wind, and forests, farms, and grassland will inevitably turn to desert. Whether nomadic or sedentary, your characters and their society will have to find a way to interact with the forest without destroying it or themselves. Can they do it? Can a damaged biosphere be restored before it’s too late? The success or failure of your characters and/or their predecessors can be a driving focus of the plot. Of course ,when the rains do come, it could be in the form of a cyclone. Dry ground does not readily absorb water, and flash floods are a danger. Water can grant life, but it can take it as well.

[vee-creatation]

CREATATION – a Sandbox Survival Mon-Catcher Project

Hello, I’m Vee (she/they/it) and this is my lifelong passion project, Creatation, where an open-world sandbox building game meets the fun of catching and battling with powerful monsters.

What is Creatation?

Creatation is a video game idea I've been ideating and developing since I was 9 years old, slowly morphing into the fully-fledged plan I have now.

This game would be an open-world sandbox survival game, combined with a creature-collecting/creature-battling game (think like a combination of Minecraft and Pokemon, but with a stronger focus on exploration and more action-oriented gameplay)

Explore a procedurally generated open world with climates both real and fantastical, that can be mined and shaped to the player’s whim, full of hundreds of creatatures to catch, collect, train, and use to help survive and thrive in this strange world.

Real-time strategy combat mechanics where you fight alongside your creatatures to hunt for materials, train your creatatures to become ever stronger, scour for rare creatatures only fabled to exist, and defeat the giant, powerful bosses that lurk in the dark corners of the world.

Enjoy the various areas to explore, items to collect, bosses to fight, and creatures to find, catch, train, and use to help you stay alive and claim mastery over Creatation’s threats.

Further mechanics will be explored in later posts, but I would love to hear about what you want to know more about!

I’m not currently planning to code or develop it (although am not opposed to doing that in the far future when I have more time, money and manpower to run such an operation as I do NOT know how to code) but this blog will be primarily where I post the art and design notes I have. With every creatature and biome being drawn, there'll be plenty to look at alongside more things to check out!

Be sure to follow for more art, design info, and more! I’ll hopefully have a Patreon and/or Ko-fi set up soon where y’all can kick some money my way, but for now please be sure to follow, like, and reblog for more cool stuff!!

[batterymaster01]

Life-bearing planets are a rarity in the vast universe, and sapient lifeforms are even more scarce. Although the abundance of sophonts in the Fraternity, including ourselves (humanity), may indicate a vast quantity of sapient life in the galaxy, and the possession of warp technology does make the discovery of new life significantly easier, it has been estimated that the sophonts of the Fraternity may constitute a staggering 43% of all the sapient species that can hypothetically exist the Milky Way. Furthermore, according to the metrics of Fraternity historians, it can take anywhere from half a century to nearly a millennium for new sophont species to be discovered. Typically, a sophont-bearing planet harbored a single fully sapient species, with some extinct relatives and a few intellectually advanced animals.

Athyrmagaia stands out as an exception to this otherwise fairly consistent statistic—a pre-industrial "medieval" world hosting nearly a dozen closely related sapient species. Among these, the Fauns (Astutocentaurus cosmopolitans) stand out as the most prevalent. While not the largest or strongest of their kind, the Fauns hold a unique position as one of the most geographically dispersed peoples on Athyrmagaia, populating all known landmasses and thriving in various climates. Their regular encounters with human researchers also makes them the most extensively studied of the planet's diverse inhabitants. Over time, some Fauns have even ventured beyond their homeworld, becoming themselves members of the very Fraternity that discovered them. Their widespread presence makes it challenging to characterize them uniformly, given the diversity in their lifestyles, cultures, and appearances mirroring the lands they inhabit. Their vast distribution does little to inhibit their less populous cousins, however, as they are known to actively cooperate and even form joint societies with them. Anatomy & Physiology

The Fauns trace their lineage back to a more recent, anatomically modern offshoot of Astutocentaurus that emerged approximately 400,000 years ago in the Borean Central Savannah. They share a more recent common ancestor with the Satyrs (Astutocentaurus gnathocornis) and Uerco (Astutocentaurus capiodon). Despite being a relatively young species, the Fauns are considered to be very good model organisms of the genus as a whole, showcasing traits present in most, if not all, other Astutocentaurus species. Therefore, we will delve into fairly detailed descriptions of their anatomy and physiology.

In general, Fauns typically boast tall statures, averaging between five to six feet in height when upright, exhibiting slender yet robust physiques. Their faces are rounded with a hint of leonine features, characterized by reduced brow ridges, prominent foreheads, and expressive eyes. Their auripods (equivalent to ears in Athyrmatherian anatomy) are large and highly emotive. Notably, they sport bone-cored keratinous horns or tusks protruding from their chins, serving as defensive weaponry. Their bodies are covered in a striped pelt of short, close-fitting fur, with sparsely furred patches on their faces, undersides, and extremities designed for efficient heat dissipation. Most Fauns exhibit longer hair or hackles on their heads, which they can style akin to human hair. An average Faun possesses eight hearts and lungs, each with corresponding pairs of spiracles. Their facial spiracles function as nostrils for scent detection, while the thoracic spiracles located on their necks' sides serve as their primary vocal organs.

Regarding their form and posture, Fauns definitely live up to their genus name. They are obligately quadrupedal hexapods, keeping their thorax in a "centauroid" posture and walking solely on their second and third pairs of locomotors. Their front locomotors, freed from acting exclusively as legs for walking, are their primary manipulators and terminate in highly dexterous tridactyl hands. However, they tend to support themselves on all six limbs when galloping at full speed and climbing, and particularly steep downward grades often make it necessary to clamber down backward. Indeed, they are highly cursorial creatures, having heavily calloused skin on the knuckles of their medial locomotors for extra traction, and hind locomotors that bear weight mainly on the first and second toes rather than the whole foot while running. Although they are rather front-heavy due to their erect posture, an especially flexible and stabilized "waist" characteristic of their genus allows them to easily shift their center of gravity to variations in terrain. In addition to being excellent runners, Fauns are also very good at climbing, as they evolved from an arboreal early ancestor.

The structure of their front locomotors somewhat mirrors the anatomy of the human shoulder girdle; their scapula bones are oriented at a lower position than those of non-sapient Simicentaureans, which makes them exceptional at throwing and hurling things, and the abundance of slow-twitch muscle fibers allows them to perform delicate, high-precision tasks. Their hands, while ungainly at first glance, are surprisingly nimble. The first and second fingers are biramous, with bifurcating distal phalanges that double as small pincers for grasping small, hard-to-reach objects. The middle phalanges also form a paired bone structure that allows the pincer-like fingertip to both pronate and supinate, like a forearm and wrist. In contrast, their third finger is uniramous and highly opposable, functioning as a thumb to allow for complex tool use and grasping. At the center of their sternum, Fauns have a smaller third arm called a "sternal claw," formed from two limb buds that fuse in the middle during pupal metamorphosis. The claw is commonly used for grooming, though Fauns have also been seen using it to hold and manipulate objects while their hands are already occupied.

 As Athyrmatherians, Fauns are colonial organisms, composites of four highly codependent zooids that can both detach and reattach at will, functioning in unison as a single complete organism. Although they are technically four individual organisms and have four separate nervous systems, a "single" Faun only has one personality and identity, with the entire system being interconnected by a series of neural conduits. The actual brain of the gestalt is housed within the cranial zooid, serving as the seat of their consciousness and personhood. That being said, however, their composite nervous system is still somewhat decentralized: In addition to the primary brain in the head, they also have a specialized thoracic ganglion, a sort of non-sapient "secondary brain" inside of their chest cavity which works closely in tandem with the former. The thoracic ganglion functions as a sort of "backup storage" for memory, and a secondary motor cortex for fine control over the voluntary functions of the other post-cranial zooids. It also has a rudimentary, animalistic consciousness, which only awakens when the cranial zooid is detached. If this somehow occurs, the thoracic ganglion will eerily commandeer the headless body to retrieve and re-attach the cranial zooid, returning to dormancy as soon as the head is correctly re-attached.

Fauns are generalist omnivores that descend from a frugivorous ancestor. A relatively large portion of their diet consists of red meat, starchy tubers, fruit, and Sphondamycete "fungi", supplemented by bioplastic foliage as a source of fiber. To process such a wide variety of foods, their labrum and gnathopods work together to act as a robust and tortoise-like beak used for cutting and nipping. Like the beaks of tortoises (and to some extent the teeth of rodents), the beaks of Fauns grow constantly, so they often keep this growth in check by chewing on "wood," bones, or using files. Just behind their beak lie their mandibles and hard palate, which bear hard, keratinous ceratodontes used for chewing. As is the case for most Athyrmatherians, Fauns also possess a crop preceding their stomach, which is used as a temporary storage compartment for food and plays a small role in pre-digestion. This adaptation benefits a plains-dwelling lifestyle, allowing them to stave off hunger between protein-dense meals by eating nutrient-poor roughage. Although they are a singular species, Fauns boast a surprisingly high physical and phenotypic variation due to their cosmopolitan distribution. Depending on geographic ancestry, different populations of the species exhibit adaptations in their external features that allow them to live more easily in climates that differ from their temperate, plains-dwelling baseline. In sociopolitical terms, these have often been referred to as "races," although just like the human equivalent, the perceived differences between Faunish races are purely skin-deep, not indicative of taxonomically or biologically distinct groups. Indeed, all of the variety expressed by Fauns exists within a single shared gene pool, and anyone of any race is capable of interbreeding without any complications.

The most immediately noticeable variations between Faunish peoples are their skin and pelt coloration. With each ethnic group, the quantity of dermal melanin increases or decreases depending on the amount of sun exposure in their native latitudes, and their fur patterning and color is usually influenced by a combination of environmental and cultural factors. For example, the ancestral condition, as seen in the temperate climate Takari Plainers, is a tan skin tone with white or blonde hackles, and brownish green-flecked fur with beige countershading and cream-colored stripes that allow for more effective camouflage in the tall star grasses of their home range. Tropical and subtropical populations, however, namely those living in the continent of Comedia, usually exhibit much darker skin tones for additional protection from the equatorial sunshine and tend to have larger quantities of biliverdin in their coats to blend into dense tropical foliage. Taiga-dwelling populations further north have paler complexions to maximize vitamin D synthesis in a less sun-exposed environment and tend to have monochromatic coats that are black and white.

Due to their tendency to associate and ally with their sister species, Fauns have a rather large quantity of introgressed DNA from other Astutocentaurines, both extant and extinct, due to interbreeding. Experts have likened this to the small amounts of introgressed Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA in anatomically modern humans. For example, most populations have DNA inherited from Shovelfolk (Astutocentaurus alluvium), with the percentages being the largest in the Plainer tribes whose ranges regularly overlap with their diminutive kin. Faun populations living in Borea's northern forests tend to have introgressed genes from Satyrs (Astutocentaurus gnathocornis) and vice versa, and a variety of coastal cultures exhibit introgression from the Mer (Thalassocentaurus sirenius), despite the relatively distant relation of the latter compared to other Astutocentaurines.

The Fauns' propensity for diversity occurs not only on a broader population level, but also on a more personal individual basis. Fauns have a notable degree of variation in their facial features, with each person having a unique likeness that allows them to easily identify each other just by the looks of their faces. Features such as eye and hair color, eye width, brow and cheekbone definition, snout profile, and even auripod curvature have been known to vary considerably, determined in large part by genetic factors that are passed down from parent to child. This is extremely similar to the facial variety seen among humans, which evolved for more or less the same purpose. Fauns, alongside their sister species, converge rather heavily with hominins in terms of psychology and sensory perception. They are very visually oriented creatures, possessing trichromatic vision with a visual acuity that tends to average at 20/20, and they are very good at recognizing and associating meaning to visual patterns and color combinations. They are also very good at recognizing faces, as it is one of the primary means by which they identify each other. Their hearing range tends to fall between 20 to 20,000 hertz, and they are also able to detect infrasound frequencies through their hind feet. The frontal connection surfaces of their zooids also have heat pits that provide a sort of thermal "vision", though these are only used when the zooids are detached from one another. Due to this, much of their learning, pattern-seeking, and communication ability relies primarily on the visual and audio spectrum.

Like humans, Fauns communicate primarily through spoken language. The vocal element of their speech is made possible by complex vocal structures situated within their thoracic spiracles, which allow them to produce a variety of sounds that can be used in different combinations to form words. They can even emulate human speech, a physical ability many other sophont aliens have difficulty with. A pair of synchronized ball muscles roughly approximate to tongues to produce lingual consonants, while well-muscled "lips" at the spiracular openings are used to produce plosives and modulate vowels. Their voices are noted to have a very broad range of tone; When speaking, they tend to do so in a sequence of gentle honking, hooting and bleating tones, which are often remarked as sounding vaguely like the vocals of caprines and panines arranged in a birdsong-like pattern. Much like human speech, however, the cadence of their speaking voices changes in accordance with mood.

As an inherently social species, they also have a variety of non-verbal vocalizations that they use to communicate their mood in a way that transcends language barriers; When outwardly agitated or annoyed, they utter a low growling noise not unlike that of a leopard, which gets louder and accompanied by hisses and beak claps if it escalates to outright anger. When displaying aggression or fighting, they may let out loud, hacking screams and roars, which are more than enough to scare off an unprepared human. When in a state of despair or mourning, they often emit subtle whining and whimpering sounds, with occasional outbursts of melancholy howls that seem to be analogous to a weep. Moments of contemplation and deep thought, however, are often accompanied by low, throaty hums and drums. They even have an equivalent to a laugh in the form of braying and hooting vocals that they emit when they are amused. Although their communication is predominantly verbal, there is also a non-spoken, visual element to their communication. Spoken words are often supplemented by hand gestures and gaze direction to emphasize meaning, and much like hominins they express emotion through semi-involuntary facial expressions.

Fauns exhibit a mild degree of sexual dimorphism, enough so that a casual observer can easily distinguish between the two sexes. Men and women tend to be similar in size, with the former bearing slightly more robust builds with longer tusks and the latter having shorter tusks and wider lower abdominal zooids. Men in particular tend to grow fringed hackles around their shoulders, which is seen as a sign of virility. Despite a convergently mammal-like appearance, Faun women entirely lack breasts or mammary glands, and do not lactate in a traditional sense. They do, however, secrete a sort of nutritious womb-milk to sustain developing larvae (more on that later). As is typical for Athyrmatherians, Faunish men and women have gonads that are internalized within a lower abdominal cloaca, with men having retractable lymphatic penises. In addition to their true gonads, however, the Fauns and their close kin also possess a set of forward-facing, secondarily erogenous organs on their upper abdominal zooids, right between their medial locomotors. While these aren't true sex organs like those of the lower abdominal zooid, these secondary erogenous zones nonetheless play a role in sexual stimulation in both reproductive and non-reproductive contexts. In men, the organ develops in the form of a bristly, foldable frontal clasper ("clavis"), whereas in women it invaginates into a corresponding clasper pouch ("clausura"). Due to the more frontal orientation of these false sex organs, Fauns and other Astutocentaurus often mate while lying down face-to-face, in an odd recapitulation of the human missionary pose.

Fauns are ovoviviparous creatures with highly altricial young. Their particular strategy differs from other live-bearing Athyrmatherians, however, in the fact that they retain both a larval and a pupal stage, and the larval quadruplets hatch from separate eggs in-utero. After feeding on sufficient amounts of womb milk and joining together, the conjoined larvae molt to become a chrysalis, which is then "laid" like an egg to be looked after by the mother and her family. This strategy seems to have co-evolved with their social behaviors, as it encourages tightly-knit family bonds. The chrysalis is essentially a hard, baby-shaped shell of keratin-sheathed bone, containing a soup of liquefied tissue that progressively reorganizes itself into that of the imago stage. The fat accumulated by the larvae is used to develop the brain of the cranial zooid, while the calcified cores of the outer shell are gradually broken down to build the long bones of the developing limbs. As the chrysalis gets closer to hatching over a period of six months, the baby inside becomes progressively more active and aware of its surroundings, the caps over its eyes becoming transparent so that it can see and, therefore, imprint upon its caretakers. Eventually, the shell of the chrysalis becomes so thin that it splits open easily, allowing the small, kitten-like child (also known as a "cub" or "calf") to emerge. Although altricial, Faun babies are capable of eating solid food from the moment they are born, since they emerge with an already well-developed beak. They usually tend to eat the outer shell of their discarded chrysalis first. Society

Fauns are naturally very communal creatures. In particular, their mode of social organization strongly resembles that of humans and other great apes. They live in complex, highly cooperative fusion-fission societies that range in scale from simple band societies to whole-scale feudal nations, each with their own distinct cultures and institutions. Larger communities usually exhibit a distinct social stratification and can be divided into different sub-groups based on labor specialization, wealth, reputation, and power. The degree of social mobility can vary rather widely, but it generally tends to fall within a range equivalent to that of human societies.

As is the case for humans, kinship is integral to the Faunish social organization. All societies associated with the species are known to classify social relationships based on consanguinity (children, siblings, parents, grandparents, etc.) and affinity (marriage), as well as fictive family connections. These familial ties are among the main determining factors for transmitting inheritance and status, as being the spouse, sibling, or child of someone makes one more likely to share or inherit the latter's status. Like all sapient species that recognize a family dynamic, Fauns also have incest taboos, and sexual exchanges between consanguineous and fictive relatives are almost universally regarded as unsavory. Uniquely, Fauns and other Astutocentaurines recognize an additional form of kinship: When two unrelated persons exchange zooids with each other, they are considered to be members of the same family on the basis that they now possess pieces of each other. These are known as "swap-relatives".

Being a sexually dimorphic species, Faun societies typically have concepts of gender. Abroad, the Faunish perspective of gender is primarily binary, distinguishing between characteristics that can be culturally perceived as masculine or feminine and setting different standards for acceptable behavior based on those attributes. Generally speaking, their particular gender binary is very comparable to that of H. sapiens, so terms such as "man" and "woman" are fairly appropriate terminologies. That being said, the swappable modularity of their bodies does give them additional mobility in terms of gender identity compared to other diecious species. A person who doesn't feel content with their body could easily change their sex by quite literally trading their abdominal zooids with another person who is facing similar issues. As such, stigmas against gender dysphoria within Faunish cultures are rare both in modernity and antiquity. Fauns tend to be patriarchal; men are expected to be the family breadwinners and have roles in leadership, whereas women, while not entirely barred from leadership or working roles, are often less dominant socially. Some countries, such as Tinria, have a much more egalitarian attitude toward gender roles, with men and women having much more equality in terms of job opportunities.

Like many Astutocentaurines, Faunish cultures utilize utility vessels, the still-living headless bodies of their deceased, to supplement their employed workforces as well as a source of medical implants. Although they are practically vegetables, the thoracic ganglion is sophisticated enough that utility vessels can be trained to perform basic tasks, and the individual zooids themselves are ideal donors for the implantation of limbs or even entire body segments. As such, when a person who has agreed to donate their body undergoes self-death, their remaining vessel is cached in a body shop with a multitude of others, where it awaits future use. Although this seems unethical on a surface level, in truth the practice is just as much of a funerary rite as it is a source of revenue. In most Faunish cultures, utility vessels are treated with the utmost respect and reverence and are often paid for their services in much the same way as a fully living employee would. Once the utility vessel finally passes on, it is often buried in the same grave as the person's head, and the money it has earned throughout its tenure is usually either inherited by the person's family or buried alongside them as a token of good fortune.

Religion

Due to their cosmopolitan distribution, Fauns have so many religions associated with their species that it is impossible to tar their belief systems under a single brush, as the range of diversity expressed by these ideologies is not unlike the variation of human religions. Their religions can be classified into larger groupings based on shared geographic origins and mythological commonalities, though even amongst these the variation is quite prominent.

The most widespread religions amongst Fauns, particularly those indigenous to the continent of Borea, are the Deleuewean religions. Although these religions have some significant disparities in terms of philosophy, they are grouped together by their shared pantheons and creation myths, as well as the mention of a figure named "Deleuewe" in their respective scriptures. Many gods exist in the Deleuewean pantheon, but creation is attributed to three principal deities. Irir-Ihurhuh, the unisex god of reality itself, is responsible for creating the universe and all of the planets within it. They are also the singular parent of the pantheon's two other principal deities, Irir-Iu and Irir-Iwiche. Irir-Iu, the eldest brother, is the god of the sun, the day and life, and is tasked with bringing light to the world and giving sustenance to all that live on it. Irir-Iu's dance is slow and graceful, and as he does his waltz, whatever side of the planet he occupies is lit by the radiance that glows from deep within him. Irir-Iwiche, the youngest brother, is the god of the sea, the moons and the night, and is tasked with bringing light to the night sky and keeping the oceans alive through waves, currents and tides. Irir-Iwiche's dance is faster than that of his older brother, and as he spins around with his bolas, he causes the oceans to rise at whatever side he's occupying, with the tides being at their highest when his bolas swings closest to the surface. While his own light is often overwhelmed by Iu's during the day, it lights up the night with a dim, yet beautiful glow. The cycles of day and night and the rising of tides are said to be caused by these brothers doing an eternal, circular dance around the planet, and it is through this process that life is sustained and renewed.

Tool Culture, Technology & Science

While the spacefaring Fauns of the Fraternity have access to advanced technology and spaceflight, those who remain on Athyrmagaia live in a perpetual pre-industrial era, ranging from small hunter-gatherer communities to larger-scale feudal nations. Overall, they and the other contemporary Astutocentaurines are considered to be in their own respective equivalent of the Renaissance era. However, this is a very rough comparison, as they also have rather novel materials, resources, and technologies that other pre-industrial aliens do not.

Like many sophonts, Fauns are natural tool users, and have a sophisticated tool culture. Some of their tools are easy to recognize, such as throwing spears, axes, hammers, knives and swords, which can come in one-handed or two-handed variants. They even make use of rather familiar-looking eating utensils that can be described as "spoons" and "forks". Unlike humans, of course, Fauns have a total five manipulatory appendages; Two arms, one sternal claw, and two medial locomotors that, while mostly used for walking, can also serve as hands if needed. This abundance of manipulatory limbs provides them with many more free hands with which to use tools, and indeed, many of their tools are designed around this anatomical quirk. Among such creations is a menagerie of unique "three-handed" tools. Some, such as the thrust hammer, puck hammer, and pole chisel, utilize the combined strength of both hands and one of the medial locomotors to add extra force and power when striking low objects. Others, such as hand-cranked drills, spring-loaded crossbows and various musical instruments, are wielded in both hands while the sternal claw adjusts the device's mechanisms.

Fauns and kin utilize a unique form of long-distance communication that, while restricted to the planetary surface, is nonetheless impressive in that it comes from an unexpected source. In place of manmade radio towers that require electricity to function, Fauns use ramblers, a selectively bred species of clonal vine-like plant that uses shortwave radio signals and sounds to relay information. Thanks to this, word gets around much quicker on Athyrmagaia than in most other pre-industrial societies. There are at least two known cultivars of rambler that see regular use. The "broadcast" cultivar operates similarly to a radio tower, with a larger, more dominant "listener" plant dispersing shortwave radio frequencies to a nearby scattered array of smaller "speaker" plants. The "communication" cultivar, however, functions more or less like a telephone, with two plants that function as both "listeners" and "speakers" transmitting messages to each other via a linear array of sprawling vine colonies. The communication cultivar is the most abundant, as it is often grown in long, continent-spanning arrays not too dissimilar to telephone lines. Ramblers, as effective as they are, do have some disadvantages compared to their mechanical counterparts, however. Although they grow very quickly and can take root in a broad range of soil qualities, they require regular maintenance to ensure that they function properly and do not endanger the ecosystem through overgrowth. Furthermore, although analogous to a radio, the broadcast cultivar is often locked onto a single frequency and cannot be tuned to different "channels." Individuals who specialize in the cultivation and maintenance of ramblers are referred to as "ramblesmiths".

Surface metal deposits are relatively sparse on Athyrmagaia, as many of them have been depleted by previous iterations of advanced civilization over the past 3 million years. As a result, metals such as iron, copper, silver, and gold are highly sought-after building materials among Astutocentaurines. The Fauns, of course, are no different. While they have enough access to metals that they could learn metallurgy from the Shovelfolk and use it regularly in construction and engineering, it is rare enough in nature that people are encouraged to recycle their metals as much as possible. To supplement the relative scarcity of metals on their planet, Fauns also use a rather surprising material: plastic. Their native plant life, the Olekirkophytes, naturally produces polylactic acid in their cuticles, a bioplastic that is normally manmade in most contexts. This has given the Fauns (as well as other Astutocentaurus) a significant head start in polymer science compared to other known pre-industrial aliens, and they harvest the material from plants to mold objects such as utensils, bottles, and even transparent food containers. Due to the high availability of such a material, a majority of known Faunish cultures have been known to practice plastic molding techniques or utilize bioplastic in at least some capacity, including the simplest of tribesfolk.

Despite their pre-industrial status, Fauns are surprisingly well-developed in their fields of science. By the time of first contact, they had already independently discovered the theory of evolution through observations of both extant life and their own fossil record, and had invented their own system of taxonomic ranking. This system is often referred to as "Nounian taxonomy", in honor of the late Tinrian biologist Noun Rich Rorhu, and it is vaguely similar to Linnaean taxonomy in terms of its arrangement of organisms into nested hierarchies. Although their phylogenetic tree has been greatly expanded upon through cooperative research with Fraternity researchers, the traditional Nounian system of classification very much remains dominant in Athyrmagaian academia. Their innovations in medical science are also noteworthy; They inherited their own equivalent of germ theory from the Shovelfolk, and although they are naturally capable of swapping their zooids, they are also competant surgeons, as they have learned how to transplant non-detachable components such as limbs, fingers, and even some organs. This is made possible thanks to a specialized cultivar of tumeofauna, which produces stem cells that are compatible with Astutocentaurine tissue. By applying the substance to a wound before re-attaching a lost limb, the severed nerves, muscles and blood vessels will reconnect twice as fast as they would under normal circumstances. Domestication & Agriculture

Throughout their tenure on the planet, Fauns have utilized a wide array of domesticated animals as companions, mounts, labor, clothing, and food, and continue to do so in the present day. Some of these animals are domesticates of their own creation, while others are more or less "hand-me-downs" from previous iterations of Athyrmagaian civilization.

Their most ancient companion is the beakhound, a dog-like Cynorhynchid that has ancient roots in the First Iteration. Much like our dogs, beakhounds have been selectively bred into a variety of morphs used for a multitude of purposes, such as hunting, guarding, or even just simple companionship. It is not entirely certain how beakhounds came to be domesticated by the Fauns, though evidence suggests that they were inherited simply as a result of how ubiquitous they were in ancient times.

Sedentary cultures are also known to make use of livestock; Depending on the region, one of the most common livestock animals is often the Shazoo, a Xenobovine not unlike our own cattle in terms of its utility. Although it does not produce milk, it is raised for its meat and skin, and in some cases it can even be used for physical labor and transport. The modern shazoo, as it is known in the context of Faunish civilization, is believed to have been developed through the domestication of the wild mock ox. Another common livestock animal is the crawpig, an omnivorous fauxungulate known for its broad diet and strong claws. Although they, too, are occasionally used as a source of meat, they are primarily raised for their unfertilized eggs. They are also rather useful in hunter-gatherer societies as aids in foraging. The Fauns inherited the crawpig from their oldest allies, the Shovelfolk.

Instead of motorized vehicles, Fauns rely on mounts for long-distance travel. The hippogriff is easily the most iconic of these mounts, a giant flightless pachyalatan that has exchanged its wings for powerful, hooved forelegs. Hippogriffs have been a staple of Athyrmagaian transportation since the First Iteration, and it's theorized that the Fauns obtained them through the re-domestication of feral populations. Like the Terran horse, the domestic hippogriff makes for a steadfast companion, forming a lifelong bond with its rider.

Like with any sapient species, the Faun's establishment of sedentary civilization is founded upon agriculture. It is believed that the Fauns inherited their understanding of the practice from the Shovelfolk, since they evolved in the same region and utilize many of the same crops. One of their most commonly grown crops is réhä, a starch-heavy species of star grass. Much like wheat, réhä is ground into a fine powder and used to make bread. Hetūt, an edible root, is also fairly common in their cuisine, being used as a side dish or an ingredient in more complex recipes. Zhėgel, a more aquatic herb, is grown for sugar that is used in pastries. Some cultures also cultivate edibles species of tumeofauna and sphondamycetes, with the former being a favorable substitute for slaughtered meat among cultures who abhor violence.

Interactions with Other Sophonts

Fauns are the latest sophont species to be legally established as citizens of the Fraternity. Unlike many other sophonts, however, the Fauns' introduction to the Fraternity was actually the result of a freak accident. Due to the notion that pre-industrial societies weren't "mature" enough to cope with alien contact, the human team sent by the Fraternity originally intended to study the planet discretely, to ensure that the civilizations of the planet advance in a natural fashion. This secrecy was maintained successfully during the first five or so years, but was cut short when a rogue piece of space debris struck a manned orbital craft, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Lakefront, Tinria. Although both the crew and others involved survived, the incident happened to occur during the merchant town's busiest hours, right before the eyes of hundreds of people. Culture shock quickly disseminated across the native populace as knowledge of alien life spread like wildfire. At this point, it was too late to ethically suppress the news that was spreading so rapidly, so it was decided that the Fraternity would make proper first contact with the species. Despite the language barriers at the time, and a less than favorable first impression, this more proper introduction went over very well, and the initial fear and uncertainty was quickly set aside by curiosity and enthusiasm. Eventually, both parties knew enough about each other that Fauns were seen as eligible for citizenship in the Fraternity, making them the very first pre-industrial aliens to do so.

Despite their pre-industrial heritage, Faunish immigrants were very quick to integrate and adapt to the interstellar, high-tech society of the Fraternity. Although they are a minority group compared to the Fraternity's other sophonts, they are not marginalized by law; Since the Fraternity's form of social stratification does not discriminate based on species, Fauns enjoy sociopolitical equality alongside the other client sophonts, and are granted the same job opportunities as their peers. Their status as a minority group is merely due to their relatively small interstellar population, as they have only become involved in the Fraternity rather recently.

As far as the Fraternity's social circles go, sociopolitical relations between humans and Fauns are perhaps the most idyllic. This is mostly due to the fact that it was humanity that they first made contact with, but it also has to do in part with their own physiology and social dynamic. Fauns are notable for the fact that they are among the few known extraterrestrial sophonts that have a DNA-based biochemistry like that of Terran organisms, and are known to thrive in Fraternity habitats that are otherwise made for a human majority. Barring the unique influences of their body modularity, their general social structure is also very similar to ours, which makes it much easier for the two species to comprehend the nuances of each other's cultures through comparison. It is also due to these factors that a majority of mixed-species marriages tend to be pairings between humans and Fauns.

Although Fraternity Fauns thrive among their alien allies, sociopolitical relations between homeworld Fauns and the Fraternity can be rather complicated. Due to the strictly anti-colonialist process by which sophonts join the Fraternity, the governments of Athyrmagaia maintain much of their political autonomy from the former, and many live their lives without heavy alien political influence. As such, many people planetside, despite being aware of the existence of aliens, are not entirely accustomed to interacting with them. Even amongst homeworlders who do regularly work and interact with aliens, there's a notable preference for working with humans or even fellow Fauns specifically, due to being the most familiar with them. As such, Fraternity researchers who are stationed on Athyrmagaia are often recommended to be issued with Faunish glamours.

As for their interactions with the other sophonts of their own planet, the Fauns are noted to have a rather interesting and variable dynamic with their contemporaries. Although occasional bouts of interspecies violence are not unheard of, Fauns generally seem more prone to befriend their fellow Astutocentaurines than they are to war with them. Indeed, especially in modern contexts, they are known to form joint societies with these other species, living side by side under a shared cultural and ethnic identity. That being said, they do have rather strained relations with the Uerco (Astutocentaurus capiodon) of Hevecca, due to the latter's brutal acts of colonialism during the Age of Terror.

[outofangband]

What were your dye/color thoughts?

In response to this beautiful art of Fingon by @welcomingdisaster

Some of my other dye posts: x, x

I was just thinking about the various plants and other materials that could be used to create blue dyes and where they could be found in Beleriand and Valinor (*according to Tolkien all species of plants and animals can be found in Valinor through the various gardens, the pastures of Yavanna, etc but I still have thoughts on where in Valinor)

Indigo plants would likely be the primary source of blue and purple dyes in Valinor.

It’s possible some seeds were brought to Beleriand either from Valinor or through trade with peoples East of the Ered Luin where it could also likely grow. It’s originally native to tropical and subtropical environments but has been naturalized in temperate climates as well. While it is unlikely to thrive in the colder regions such as Hithlum, it might be grown in Ossiriand, Nevrast or other warmer regions.

Woad, also known as dyer’s woad or dyer’s weed is more widely available in temperate regions and was likely a primary source of blue dyes in first age Beleriand. It grows in scrubland and could be found throughout Eastern Beleriand and parts of further south western Beleriand and possibly naturalized even further through trade. I imagine most humans in Beleriand would probably use this for blue dyes.

Dyer’s knotweed is another plant whose leaves have been used to create blue dyes. Given the climate it grows in, I would imagine it could be found in Dorthonion and northeastern Beleriand

There is also a mineral formed from iron called Vivianite which has been used to create blue pigments. I can see this being used particularly in Eastern Beleriand where deposits were likely more accessible or through trade with dwarven groups in the Ered Luin.

I like to think of this being used in Himring and Thargelion.

Finally, Sarcodon squamosus is notable for being the only mushroom species that we currently know of that can create a true blue dye. It’s found primarily in Pine Forest, so this is another possibility for some thing that could’ve been found in Dorthonion as well as possibly some montane forest throughout the continent. We know that the elves generally did not eat mushrooms although I don’t know if I necessarily wanna go with that is Canon and it’s from the nature of middle earth however, they could’ve still used them for non-food materials. I have a lot of thoughts on the Bëorians and dyeing which comes up here again

Note: Murex snails have historically been used to create royal purple and hyacinth 🪻 blue however I do not believe they would be widely used by the elves as production involves either harming or destroying the animals in large numbers. It takes an inordinate amount of these snails to extract even a tiny amount of the dye. It is possible to extract small quantities of the substance (a mucous secreted by the snail when aggravated) without causing it harm so some seafaring elves like the Teleri might use it, I really enjoy the possibilities of the Teleri using venoms from various sea creatures….

Anyways, I really love world building so if anyone wants to hear about all the possibilities for another color or any other questions, let me know!



[estholden]

Here is a new original art illustration that I have created! This time it's flowers of the Hairy Mock-orange.

🌸 Here are fun Facts About Philadelphus x virginalis Rehder (Mock Orange):

This hybrid shrub is celebrated for its fragrant white blossoms, often compared to the scent of orange blossoms. 🍊

With its elegant, arching branches and profusion of flowers, it’s a timeless choice for cottage gardens. 🏡

It thrives in various climates and soils, making it a resilient addition to any garden. 🌿

[xtruss]

The Last Flower At The Top of The World—and The Perilous Journey To Reach It

Scientists Journeyed to a Stretch of Gravel Off The Coast of Greenland—The Farthest North You Can Go and Still Walk on Land. These Photos Show What They Found There.

— By Sarah Gibbens | Photographs byJeff Kerby | May 08, 2024

An Arctic Poppy thrives on the Northern Coast of Greenland. Among the plant life in this region, these hardy Flowers are like Giants. Some, like this one, grow in clumps that protect themselves from harsh weather. Like a satellite dish, they will slowly turn to follow the sun. On an expedition to understand what lives at this latitude, an Arctic Poppy like this was found about 20 inches south of the World's Northernmost Plant.

At the top of the Earth, the northernmost stretch of land a person can stand on is Inuit Qeqertaat, also named Kaffeklubben Island by early 20th Century Danish Explorers. The region is a dark gray stretch of gravel on the northern coast of Greenland where land slowly gives way to frozen sea ice.

To find what lives amid these rocky soils, climate change researchers and National Geographic Explorers Brian Buma and Jeff Kerby and their team embarked on a journey to survey the region. There, they found a common species of moss (Tortula Mucronifolia), the world's northernmost plant, and a yellow and lime-green Arctic poppy (Papaver Radicatum), growing just a few inches south of the moss.

On the nearby mainland, Greenlandic archaeologist Aka Simonsen discovered a ring of roughly 700-Year-Old Inuit Stones, which may be the northernmost archaeological remains.

Growing in Extremes: The Northernmost Stretch of land in the World, Inuit Qeqertaat, sits off the coast of Johannes V. Jensen Land, a Peninsula in Far Northern Greenland. National Geographic Explorer Brian Buma traveled there to find the northernmost plant-a common moss—and the northernmost flower a few inches south-an Arctic poppy.

Rosemary Wardley, NGM Staff; Martin Gamache, National Geographic Society Sources: Jeff Kerby, Scott Polar Research Institute; Brian Buma, Environmental Defense Fund; SkySat imagery from July 13, 2023, Planet Labs PBC; ArcticDEM, Version 4.1

The research team left their own mark on the mainland coast, staking plots and recording the vegetation they contained to create a highly detailed digital map of the area they surveyed. Information collected from this trip will be the first data logs in what Buma and Kerby hope will be a long timeline of research in the far northern region.

Here, above the Arctic Circle, the planet is warming four times faster than anywhere else on Earth. Changes here will have ripple effects across the globe, which is why the team braved harsh conditions to find what lives on the edge.

The expedition team was led by climate scientist and National Geographic Explorer Brian Buma. The north coast of Greenland was used as a staging point while shuttling gear across sea ice to Inuit Qeqertaat (Kaffeklubben Island).

Brian Buma collected samples from different layers of this snow glacier to understand the unique properties of water in this rarely visited region. This part of the world is a polar desert, and precipitation is scant, so the samples in this glacier represent many years of snow.

From above, the northern coast of Inuit Qeqertaat—and thus the northernmost stretch of land on Earth—is visible. It was near this shoreline that the team found the edge of terrestrial life, including a common species of moss, officially the farthest north, and the northernmost flower on earth—found about 20 inches south of the moss. The small, gravelly island is about a mile north of mainland Greenland.

This is the northernmost flower on earth, a lone and somewhat ragged Arctic Poppy, sitting near the shoreline of Inuit Qeqertaat. Poppies dotted the northern edge, with a few purple mountain saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) only slightly farther up the slope. In the background, Brian Buma surveys various contenders for northernmost plant before a final survey determines this flower to be the official runner-up. Seen just behind the flower, a tuft of ‘Mucronate screw moss’ (Tortula mucronifolia) claims that title.

Identifying mosses and other tiny Arctic flora requires a hand lens and careful attention to detail. Up close, Brian Buma examines their adaptations to cold weather, such as small hairs coating a plant's exterior.

Aka Simonsen, a Greenlandic archeologist, prepares to leave camp with Brian Buma, just as the weather begins to turn. After just a few hours the northernmost island, the team left, intending to return the next day. The window to return quickly closed after a few days when bad weather turned into a storm that brought strong winds and heavy precipitation. The July storm dumped nearly a foot of snow and drifts reached several feet. Harsh conditions trapped the team at their base camp for a week.

Aka Simonsen measures a ring of large stones that may have been used to anchor a tent. The stones are roughly 700 years old and likely left by the Thule people. These artifacts were found on the mainland, near the team's base camp and could be the northernmost documented archeological site on Earth.

When the plane returning to retrieve the team landed, it got stuck in snow, and a makeshift runway had to be constructed by scooping snow with snow shoes. Gravel was placed by hand so the plane's tires wouldn't slip on ice or stick in snow during takeoff. Scientists who return to this northernmost region will be able to use the team's detailed digital map to chart how the ecosystem is changing as the planet warms.

[solarpunkbusiness]

An emerging socio-bioeconomy

The concept of socio-bioeconomy acknowledges the intricate ties between biodiversity and socio-cultural systems. It advocates for sustainable production chains, protects genetic heritage, values traditional community knowledge, stimulates job creation and income generation and positions itself as a strategy for climate change adaptation.

Applied to the Amazon context, the socio-bioeconomy approach presents a vast spectrum of opportunities for generating innovative products, all the while promoting sustainable economic growth and preserving biological, cultural and social diversity. This bioeconomy already exists, but it´s far from reaching its full capacity.

Key opportunities include:

• The development of nutrient-rich superfoods production, such as the products produced by Awi Superfood. This company turns natural ingredients, such as açaí, cupuaçu, camu-camu and nuts, into sorbets and ice creams.

• The manufacturing of natural rubber used in tyres, shoes and fashion, such as produced by VEJA shoes.

• Advanced scientific research on plant species for developing new health products. Ecoflora, for example, has developed a stable, natural blue colourant for the food, beverage and cosmetic industries.

• Sustainable tourism that showcases the region's rich biodiversity and cultural heritage could also thrive. Sumisawa is showing what can be done here.

• Beyond direct biodiversity use, technology-driven businesses have vast potential to enhance forest and bioeconomy competitiveness, with startups addressing the region's unique energy, water, logistics and fire management challenges. For example, Umgrauemeio, with its Pantera platform, provides integrated solutions for fire risk prevention, instant and early detection, fast response and impact analysis, helping to mitigate the devastating effects of mega-fires in various ecosystems.

source

[rickchung]

Má Sài Gòn (Mother Saigon, dir. Khoa Lê) x DOXA 2023.

This is an intimate look into Vietnam’s quietly thriving queer and trans communities. Through a series of portraits, Lê explores different individuals from various marginalized groups across Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) who are all trying to live their lives authentically. It’s a revealing documentary spotlighting the strength and diversity of non-conforming Vietnamese people coping under a restrictive culture and conservative climate of communist rule.

Screening at the 2023 DOXA Documentary Film Festival as part of the Thin Places program at The Cinematheque on May 6.

[kermiethefroog]

Lessons from a Global Ecological Restoration Conference

I know this is not the usual thing I post on here, but I wanted to gather my thoughts in a place I know that I'll check in the future. I hope that this is somehow useful for others and provides insight to work in this field.

1. Ecologists do have hope for the environment!

If there's one main takeaway I've had so far, it's that people working to restore and protect our natural habitats is that they have passion and a deep hope that their efforts will make a difference.

This field is full of so many challenges when it comes to funding and politics, so it was inspiring to see that despite present barriers people from all over the world are trying their hardest to make things change for the better.

2. This conference has set a precedent towards integrating and including the input from Indigenous and First Nations peoples internationally

The entire theme of the conference was to center and uplift voices of Indigenous people from around the globe who are working in habitat and ecocultural restoration.

This is exciting! Many countries do not have formal systems in place to allow Indigenous voices to be major informants and decision makers on projects that occur on their land. It has been and will always be important to include those who are traditional stewards of the land when considering any sort of restoration or land management decisions.

I cannot be sure what the results of this initiative will be. It is a small step in the right direction though and I hope that this conference created opportunities for connections, lessons, and more conversations in the future.

We all have a part to play in recognizing the First Nations Peoples who inhabit or inhabited our land in the past (this goes without saying that this applies internationally) and working toward a future that creates proper access to funding, land, recognition, reparations, and true reciprocity for Indigenous and First Nations Peoples.

If you have not yet invested time in learning, now is a better time than ever. Research your area, connect with community, and raise your voice to make a difference.

3. Collaboration is Key

Most talks I went to and projects I read about lived and died by their ability to collaborate with a diverse group of people who have stakes in each restoration project.

It works best when implemented early, if all groups are equally represented at all levels of decision making, and if factors like environmental outcomes and the human/social dimensions of planning are considered first before the financial.

The most successful projects in ecosystem restoration were only possible due to connections that spanned industries, cultures, generations, and modes of work.

If we want our planet to thrive we need to be willing to have everyone in the room so as many people as possible can have a hand in creating a better future.

4. Things are still an uphill battle

While many of the presentations I witnessed were hopeful and fulfilling, perhaps just as many lacked a positive or negative conclusion that could wrap everything in a neat bow. Navigating government systems, changing climates, barriers to accessible and affordable resources for restoration etc. are all things that impacted various projects discussed this week.

It's also without saying that governments themselves, the policies they hold, and the rates they pass legislation will always create a delay in working towards restoration of our environment in order to prevent further harm and degradation. This of course goes for most policy making (though I suppose it depends on the country).

Climate change still presents unprecedented challenges and will impact all aspects of our livelihoods. That being said, no one atteding suggested any of the efforts being made were futile. I know it can be challenging to see any bright future with the way climate change is discussed in the media so I want to approach this subject with some cautious optimism.

Beyond policies and politics specifically, it is clear that so many people care about and for the planet that we live on. So much so that I think that it can be taken for granted at times or looked over. Yes the science is bleak, yes the outcomes are scary, yes things are going to change no matter what. We still have time to determine the trajectory of that change.

Scientists, government workers, NGO workers, nonprofits, citizen scientists, and many more groups of people at this conference had a staggering sense of hope that was unexpected and so refreshing. As one of the presenters I watched said, "It's better that we at least try. If the outcome isn't ideal we can at least say we gave it a shot." and I think that's a beautiful way to approach any uncertainty. In this field or otherwise.

I would be happy to discuss my experiences more or elaborate on any points made. I put this together hastily at the end of the conference to make sure I didn't forget anything important.