#Tree fern totem

[greenbarnorchidsupplies]

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[reallyghostlypost]

New Lance dialogue in the newest beta?

The newest update wasn't supposed to have any new content from what I know but I found some dialogue I don't remember ever reading. My memory isn't the best though, so I'll post it here to see if anyone can double-check.

So, potential spoilers for Lance's late game events (including marriage).

"Lance.Marriage.001": "You're a welcome sight, my love. Today's been quiet." "Lance.Marriage.004": "Hello, my love. What brings you to Fable Reef today? I need to replenish my mana potion supply." "Lance.Marriage.005": "Jolyne has many adventurer stories… Just when I think I've heard them all, she has a new one to share." "Lance.Marriage.007": "This is a marvelous tree. I'm looking forward to the feast tomorrow. I would never miss it…" "Lance.Nightmarket.001": "I'm an acquaintance of the wizard selling totems. We've had several expeditions together." "Lance.Nightmarket.002": "Every merchant here has their own story to tell." "Lance.Nightmarket.003": "There's something about that mermaid boat…" "Lance.KrobusDialogue.001": "Krobus was just sharing a charming tale. How is your evening? You look as if you've been running around all day." "Lance.KrobusDialogue.002": "Shadow people are misunderstood. Perhaps we are the monsters…" "Lance.KrobusDialogue.003": "I see. Yoba plays a big role in everything… Lance is busy talking to Krobus." "Lance.KrobusDialogue.005": "There's an ugly history between dwarves and the shadow people. What some do for the pursuit of riches… Greed can be a fickle thing." "Lance.KrobusDialogue.006": "I thought I would see you out here this evening. brought void roots for Krobus." "Lance.KrobusDialogue.007": "Some tribes of shadow people use the darkest time of year to migrate to far away caverns. It can be a dangerous journey if not planned well…"

The first two lines and the one where he brings Krobus void roots sound familiar, but I'm not sure it they were in the mod already or they are basically variations of already existing dialogue with some small changes.

Everything else is new to me. And there are interesting bits of lore here, like humans being at fault for the war with the shadow people (hinted at only in the event with Krobus), migrating shadow tribes, Lance's friendship with the Night Market wizard (wasn't the wizard from the Fern Islands? Shouldn't they be part of the same guild?), more info about Jolyne... really cool stuff :D

So what do you guys think?

[plantanarchy]

idk what it is this year but we have SO many shitty junk plants to overwinter and its just an overwhelming amount of palms and ferns and hibiscus and brugmansia and the two dozen unblooming peace lilies Netflix gave us and like. so many random rehome strays. crotons, goddamn stupid big scheffs, amaryllis, bromeliads. We also have a few dozen money trees in varying sizes that won't sell. A forest of ever larger fiddleleafs. An entire table of hoyas that are past their hype. God, anthuriums... and orchids and dying calla lillies. Cannas that havent gone dormant yet, assorted succulents that should have been pitched and ficus that have been here for years. the 15 foot tall BOP with mealies and the eight foot wide tree philo that's lived two years near the seed cooler growing into the floor. the big, handsome cordylines that the mites are going to love in another month. the old retired stock plants in their cracked pots. no one is going to buy a big woody geranium in late October. the tissue culture raphidophoras we kept accidentally ordering god stop please. the venus fly traps... no explanation needed. the listing 8 foot pencil cactus. the adansonii totems with thrips. the aspidistra with scale. the African violets, the "bonsais", the crusty air plants. Its very claustrophobic caring for all these little bastards and just. knowing I'd rather toss them.

[aqua2fana]

Took an aura quiz for Gotham’s rogues

Accurate 🤷‍♀️ idk

Aura quiz by firstginger

Edward: Green- climbing ivy, snake eyes, frogs, rainboots, koi ponds, abandoned places, clovers. your essence is green: you are bright-eyed and cerebral, unearthing questions. you are devoted to your pride; you struggle to feel worthwhile if you do not have any answer for everything. it is hard for you to not fixate intensely and be certain you are not mundane. you are the orator. you are the totem. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of forest, sage, chartreuse, and jade, who share your desire to learn. you are also drawn to the creative souls blue and orange, who will help you grow and know it is okay to stay guessing. however, you may struggle to get along with the bleeding heart personalities of pink and yellow who are too wrapped up in pleasing others.

Oswald: Purple- geodes, club lights, ferris wheels, sunglasses, hummingbirds, eyeshadow, outer space. your essence is purple: you are gracious and thriving, and that is all you want anyone to see. you become a social chameleon to be exactly what they desire; your ambition adapts, pursuing whatever will come with recognition. you are a leader -- burning bright and never shy to speak. you are the star. you are the demonstrator. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of lilac, royal, mauve, and orchid, who share your decorum and aspirations. you are also drawn to the determined grey and red, who will help you grow and let go of your image to accept your flaws. however, you may struggle to get along with the free-floating personalities of yellow and brown who don't understand your far-reaching ambitions.

Jonathan: Forest- fern leaves, greenhouses, cloaks, bookstores, pine trees, chokers, snake scales. your essence is forest: you are insightful and intense, possessed by your thoughts. you seek the impossible; you are pulled between pragmatism and romanticism, never sure which is right. often you rest in the spaces between black and white, lost in theory. you are the observer. you are the hypothesizer. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of green, sage, moss, and teal, who share your deep contemplation. you are also drawn to the imaginative souls navy and amber, who will help you grow and help you let go of the rational. however, you may struggle to get along with the theatrical personalities of magenta and gold who are too loud in their pride.

Ivy: Sage- herb clippings, macha, bullet journals, mini backpacks, needlefelts, pistachio, laptop stickers. your essence is sage: you are introspective and retreating. everything is organized and planned ahead; you are meticulous, stacking up a card tower you can't let fall. it is difficult for you to untwist your tongue and tell others you need them. you are the observer. you are the writer gone off alone. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of green, forest, honeysuckle, and seafoam, who share your guarded nature. you are also drawn to the self-expressive sky and apricot, who will help you grow and embolden you to say what you need. however, you may struggle to get along with the overly-emotional personalities of rose and cream who ask you to be too vulnerable.

Harley: Magenta- splattered paint, glitter, childhood friends, neon, pleather, dance floors, crystals. your essence is magenta: you are charming and lead with your heart. you are drawn to people; you adore the thrill, that rush of attention when making an instant connection. even if you are not genuine, you are confident. you are the enchanter. you are the party-goer. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of pink, rose, amethyst, and amaranth, who share your magnetism towards others. you are also drawn to the driven noir and umber, who will help you grow and become more introspective. however, you may struggle to get along with the ruminating personalities of forest and marigold who seem to always overthink.

Selina: Noir- drops of ink, eyeliner, crows, spiders, charcoal, painted nails, the night. your essence is noir: you see the world for what it really is and have the desire to perfect it. you embrace all of reality with zeal; there is an order to everything, even the thoughts that drip with darkness. your spirit is undeniable and some may call you quietly passionate or idealistic. you are the conquerer. you are the reformer. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of grey, ivory, amaranth, and hickory, who share your passion for betterment. you are also drawn to the creative magenta and indigo, who will help you grow and let go of your reservations that you must be perfect. however, you may struggle to get along with the philosophical personalities of navy and amber who seem aimless.

Harvey: Fire- sunrises, woven blankets, campfires, tigers, whiskey, monarchs, roadtrips. your essence is fire: you are the bold spirit of adventure. you seek out others who can broaden your horizons; a life best lived is one that's vivacious, but also makes a difference. you are steadfastly committed to your values and do not waver from your opinions. you are the inspirer. you are the opportunist. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of coral, bronze, red, and orange, who share your strong opinions. you are also drawn to the contemplative souls jade and chartreuse, who will help you grow and see the fullness of your vision. however, you may struggle to get along with the opinionated personalities of wine and mauve who act above reproach.

Croc: Beige- lattes, dry fields, footprints, easels, cat fur, pottery, fresh-baked cookies. your essence is beige: you are an even-tempered and comforting presence. you take refuge in your sanctuary and creature comforts; the warmth you exude flees from spontaneity or change. you are consistent and indulgent. you are the sleepy. you are the satiated. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of brown, umber, tawny, and ashen, who share your patient nature. you are also drawn to the expressive souls sky and cream, who will help you grow and teach you to explore new ideas. however, you may struggle to get along with the spontaneous personalities of blush and lilac who seem too frivolous.

Bane: Garnet- brooches, anthologies, stained glass, leaves, dining chairs, long robes, curtains. your essence is garnet: you are a quiet flame that dwells beneath your soft surface. self-confidence armors you; many would call you stubborn, though protective of what has come to dwell in your heart. always just a whisper away is your temper, promising to make the world bend if it would make your loved ones smile. you are the guardian. you are the volcano. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of terracotta, tawny, crimson, and umber, who share your proactive nature. you are also drawn to the vibrant indigo and marigold, who will help you grow and teach you to name what's inside of you. however, you may struggle to get along with the internal personalities of teal and hickory who are too willing to be silent.

Zsasz: Crimson- rose vines, blood, apples, velvet, sharp nails, galaxies, dripping jewelry. your essence is crimson: you are the strong, defiant and avoidant. you crave some sort of deviation; to walk in another's footsteps feels mundane, a waste of your time. you are possessive and never look back at the things you've lost or forgotten. you are the rebel. you are the one who will change the world. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of red, blush, garnet, and bronze, who share your impassioned existence. you are also drawn to the confident souls royal and gold, who will help you grow and show that not everyone seeks to break you. however, you may struggle to get along with the slow-acting personalities of navy and umber who never seem assertive about anything.

Freeze: Umber- book spines, suits, coffee, deep soil, violins, bear fur, staircases. your essence is umber: you are strong and silent, rarely ruffled. yet, you are unmoored; tender and drifting, you are unsure of your motivation save for to do good. many find you generous and stalwart -- but melancholy. you are the keeper. you are the ungrudging. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of brown, beige, hickory, and garnet, who share your profound determination. you are also drawn to the flamboyant magenta and gold, who will help you grow and show you how to follow your heart without guilt. however, you may struggle to get along with the self-focused personalities of royal and crimson who rarely compromise.

Joker: Orange- guitars, fanta bottles, sunglasses, orange peels, butterflies, popsicles, paper lanterns. your essence is orange: dreams hold you aloft and inspire you to be better. you thrive on creativity; there is always a new inspiration that moves you and takes your heart. you draw friends but may show all of them the same smile. you are the restless. you are the adventurer. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of apricot, amber, fire, and terracotta, who share your enthusiasm. you are also drawn to the pensive souls blue and green, who will help you grow and see which projects and emotions are worth your time. however, you may struggle to get along with the headstrong personalities of grey and purple who are too rigid in their perspective.

[lailoken]

Fraw Holt or Dame Holda, the northern witch-goddess travelling upon her sacred goose through the night.

—

“Frau Holda , Venus Mountain and The Night Travellers

From the 10th Century c.e. onwards Frankish clerics and churchmen such as Regino of Prum fulminated sourly against the devilish ' belief of 'certeine wicked women that in the night times they ride abroad with Diana, the goddess of the pagans, or else with Herodias, with an innumerable multitude upon certeine beasts. This was echoed in the fourteenth century law-code of Lorraine which censured those who rode through the air with Diana. The image of the Wild Ancestral Goddess had a powerful influence upon the mediaeval imagination; the author of ‘The Romance of the Rose' wote that a third of the people have dreams of nocturnal journeys with Dame Habondia.

In Northern Europe, the sect of night travelling witches were held to fly through the sky in the retinue of the goddess Herodias or Holda, who leads the ancestral spirits of the Furious Horde in the winter months around Samhain and Yule. Like the Cymric goddess Cerridwen, Frau Holda is the archaic underworld Earth Mother, mistress of death, initiation and rebirth, who rules over the chthonic realm of Hel or Annwvyn. In Scandinavia she is known as Hela, the daughter of Loki, of whom it is related that half of her is fair and half black with decay. This signifies her bright and dark aspects as Freyja/Holda mistress of life and death. The Veiled Goddess encompasses the cosmic dualities of day and night, growth and dissolution, radiance and shadow. Her association with the Wild Hunt is strong in Germany where the ride of the death powers is sometimes called the Heljagd and in Normandy, Mesnee a Hellequin. The Indo-European original of this Witch Goddess is *KOLYO, 'the Coverer' the funereal Otherworld Queen of the Indo-European peoples from which figures as diverse as the Celtic Cailleach and Greek nymph Kalypso are descended.

The life/death aspects of Dame Hela were referred to by the German wizard, herbalist and crystal scryer Diel Breull of Calbach who confessed in 1630 that he had travelled to the pagan holy mountain, the Venusberg, 'four times a year, during the fast.' He had no idea how he got to the mountain. He then confessed he was a night traveller and 'the Frau Holle (to whom he travels) is a fine woman from the front but from the back she is like a hollow tree with rough bark. It was in Venus mountain that he came to know a number of herbs.'

This description corresponds with the female forest spirit called the Skogfru in Old Norse and the woodwife, birch maiden and wild damsel elsewhere who are beautiful women from the front but hollow behind like a rotten log. The woodwives are associated with the Wild Hunt, sometimes being pursued by Woden . (‘Woodwife’ and ‘woodwose’ both stem from the Saxon root-word ‘Wod’ - ‘wild, furious, enthused’). Like many native European initiation sites, the Hurselberg was regarded as the gateway to the underworld, the domain of Frau Venus, the classicized Freyja/Holda. From the Hurseloch cave on the mountain eldritch voices and wailing could sometimes be heard, for it led down into the magical realm of the goddess.

The mediaeval tale of Tannhauser is based upon this initiatory lore for he was a knight minnesinger (troubadour) who while riding past the cavern of the Hurselberg at twilight encountered the beautiful and entrancing Frau Venus, who took him below into the Otherworld regions to be her consort for seven years. In Scottish tradition a related pattern is exemplified by Thomas the Rymer, the thirteen century seer who met the Queen of Elfame beneath the Eildon Thorn and went with her into the world of Faery for seven years.

She gave Thomas a golden apple to eat which conferred the prophetic gift upon him. This is reminiscent of Woden's descent into the heart of Suttungr's mountain where he sleeps with the giantess Gunnlodd to attain the mead of poetic inspiration.

Such goddess forms are comparable to the shamanic Clan Mother of the nether-world in Siberian mythology. And we may note that the worship of the Northern Earth Mother Jord/Hlodyn was carried out at hills and mounds, symbols of the womb of the earth. The Furious Horde at Samhain is esoterically linked with the rune Haegl whose primal form ‘*’ represents the snowflake. This makes sense as Holda is traditionally held to shake down the snow onto the countryside; in the Channel Isles snow showers occur when Herodias shakes her petticoats. Her holy bird, the goose, is also connected with the Wild Hunt, and snow crystals are said to drift from its feathers as it flies overhead. The nocturnal cries of migrating geese are interpreted as the yelping of ghostly Gabriel hounds in Celtic lore and are symbolised by the Bird-Ogham Ngeigh at Samhain. The mystical Ninth Mother-Rune symbolises the nine nights the post-mortem soul takes to travel the Hel-Way, the prototypical Spirit-Road which runs northwards into the Underworld of Helheim.

Frau Holda is the heathen original of Mother Goose, who is remembered at winter tide, and the goose is the magical steed upon which Arctic shamans travel in visionary flight to the Otherworld. The witch Agnes Gerhardt confessed in 1596 that she and her fellow initiates used a vision-salve in order to fly to the dance like snow geese', and went on to describe how she prepared this hallucinogenie ointment by frying tansy, hellebore and wild ginger in butter mixed with egg. Such flying salves' (or Unguentum Sabbati) feature prominently in the worteunning of the night travelling witches.

In fact Styrian witches were still using them in the 19th Century. Hartliepp, court physician of Bavaria, gives a formula used by 15th century Northern witches which involves procuring seven herbs on the appropriate days of the pagan week - heliotrope on Sunna's day, fern on moon day, verbena on Tiw's day, spurge on Woden's day, houseleek on Thor's day, maidenhair on Freyja's day and nightshade on Saeter/Hela's day. This magical operation would ensure that the salve would be empowered with the energies of the principal heathen deities.

In 1582 the Archbishop of Salzburg's counsellor, the erudite mathematician and astrologer Dr. Martin Pegger, was arrested under the charge that his wife had flown with the night travellers to the goddess Herodias in the Unterberg. Within the mountain she had seen Herodias with her mountain-ladies and mountain-dwarves and the goddess is said to have come to Frau Pegger's house by Salzberg fish market on a later occasion. The mention of the goddess' mountain-dwarves is significant for they are sometimes known as the Huldravolk; the folk of the Elder, Frau Holda's holy tree.

The association of cats and hares with witches and night travellers may indicate that they inherited many of the magical techniques from the cult of Seidr, the shamanism of 'inner fire' sacred to the goddess Freyja which included trance journeys and communication with the elves and other entities. According to Saxon lore, Freyja sometimes appears amidst a company of hares and she is known to roam the meadows of Aargau with a silver-grey hare by her side in the night hours. The hare is famed as a totem form in which shapeshifting witches travel.

Freyja, the Teutonic goddess of love, sexuality and mantic sorcery riding a Siberian tiger.

It is know that a strong subterranean current of Freyja worship survived in mediaeval Germany. Closely related initiatory Mysteries existing in the British Isles usually centred on the Faerie goddess, the Queen of Elphame.

An interesting late case is the astrologer and Hermeticist John Heydon in the 17th century, who having imprudently predicted Cromwell's death was forced to flee from London to Somerset. There he claimed to have encountered a green- robed lady at a faery hill. She took him within the mount into a glass castle where he learnt much wisdom and mantic lore. This experience obviously took place in an altered state of shamanic perception.

Frau Holda is the feminine counterpart of the Master of the Wild Hunt, and she is essential to a balanced appreciation of this area of pagan spirituality. The night- travelling witches of the Northern Lands, far from being demonically deluded as ignorant and vindietive churchmen said, were in reality the preservers of a hoary Wisdom Tradition and magical world view which is now accessible to us again at the dawning of a new heathen aeon.”

—

Call of the Horned Piper

by Nigel Aldcroft Jackson

[babylon-crashing]

(... from, Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm’s The Druid Animal Oracle, pages 50-53)

The card shows a tawny owl in an oak tree covered in ivy. A full moon shines between the winter-bare branches of the trees. Hung on the tree are votive offerings to the Cailleach (crone or hag-goddess) of a Celtic head and the spiral of death and rebirth.

Cailleach-oidhche teaches us the wisdom of turning a disadvantage into an advantage. For most birds, the coming ofdarkness renders it impossible for them to feed, but the owl's exceptional hearing enables it to pick out and swoop on unsuspecting prey during the night. Twilight has been described as owl-light, and going for a quiet walk in the woods at this shimmering time of twilight is an excellent way to develop a sensibility to the Otherworld and the inner soul of Nature. You may feel drawn to a study of esoteric lore or clairvoyancy. Working with the owl as your ally will help you to do this.

Dawn reversed, this card may indicate that you need to be wary of withdrawing too much from the world. An ability to be detached and discerning is an asset, unless it becomes a defence against being fully alive with all the vulnerability this entails. Perhaps there is not such a need for secrecy or holding back. The owl can signal a time of change, of initiation, of new beginnings. It can portend the death of one thing, but also the birth of another. An old Sussex saying is, “When owls whoop at night, expect a fair morrow.” Expect a bright dawn and it will surely come.

THE TRADITION OF THE OWL

I am coeval with the ancient oak

Whose roots spread wide in yonder moss,

Many a race has passed before me,

And still I am the lonely owl of Srona

(Domhnull Mac Fhionnlaidh)

The Bardic colleges survived in Scotland until the beginning of the eighteenth century. A collection by Maclean Sinclair entitled, “Gaelic Bards from 1411 to 1715,” includes the poem, “The Hunter and the Owl,” one of whose verses is quoted above.

The idea that the owl is ancient—that “many a race has passed before me”—is also found in Welsh tradition. In the story of Culhwch and Olwen, the earliest of tales to speak of King Arthur and his knights, Gwrhyr Interpreter of Tongues—a man who could speak the languages of birds and beasts—together with three others, goes on a journey to seek the Oldest Animals, in the hope that they will know where the Divine Youth Mabon can be found. They come first to a blackbird, who directs them to an older animal still—the stag. The stag leads them to one who is even older—the Owl of Cawlwyd. Gwrhyr speaks to the owl, saying, “We are King Arthur's messengers. We have come to you since we know of no animal older than you. What can you tell us of Mabon?” The owl replies, “I know nothing of Mabon, but I will be your guide and will lead you to an animal that God made before me.” The owl then leads the party to the Eagle of Gwernaby, who in his turn leads them finally to the oldest animal of all-the salmon, who them to the castle where Mabon is imprisoned.

THE BIRD OF WISDOM

The owl is shown in this story as one of the five totem animals central to British tradition. Arthur's party encounters first the blackbird Druidh Dubh and then moves ever closer to the source of wisdom—the salmon. As a fish, the salmon swims in the River of Life, the Ocean of Being—his wisdom comes from an intimate participation in life. The owl imparts a different wisdom—one of objectivity and detachment. Like the figure of the Hermit in the Tarot, the owl watches and waits—in mined castles, in church towers, in barns, in ivy bushes. Adept at disappearing from view and favoring the night, the owl is the animal that symbolizes esoteric wisdom and secrecy.

Because the owl is sacred to the Goddess in her crone-aspect, one of its many Gaelic names is Cailleach-oidhche (Crone of the Night). The barn owl is Cailleach-oidhche gheal, “white old woman of the night.” The Cailleach is the goddess of death, and the owl's call was often sensed as an omen that someone would die. It was seen as a bird that calls for the soul, or that catches or takes it away. From Berne in Switzerland there comes a belief that the screech of an owl foretells either the birth of a child or the death of a man-pointing to the owl as a bird of the Goddess who is both taker and giver of life.

Knowing of an impending death or birth suggests that the owl is able to foretell the future, and the owl is indeed the totem bird of clairvoyance and astral travel. The veils which surround the normal boundaries of space and time can be pierced, if you take the owl as ally.

THE SECRET FAITH

In later times, all that was sacred to the Goddess and the, “Secret Faith,” was denigrated and labeled as evil by the Church in an attempt to convert people from their traditional ways. We see this process of denigration clearly in the folklore of the owl. Originally a embodying wisdom and discernment, it gradually came to be seen only as a bird of ill-omen. Farmers would nail their bodies to barn doors or walls; the fern owl was named “Puck” or “Puck-bird”—an old word for the devil; and owls in general were called “constables from the dark land.” It became a common saying that the owl was a transformation of one of the servants of the ten kings of hell.

The owl features strongly in the Welsh story from the Mabinogion, Math, Son of Mathonwy. Because it was written down from oral tradition in the twelfth or thirteenth century, it is hard to disentangle the pre-Christian from the Christian influences. Certainly in this tale the owl is considered an unfavorable bird. Arianrhod, the mother of Lieu Llaw Gyffes (the Bright One of the Skillful Hand), swears that Lieu will never take a human wife. But, eager for a companion. Lieu and the magician Gwydion fashion from the flowers of oak, broom, and meadowsweet, a woman called Blodeuwedd. A while later, Blodeuwedd falls in love with a hunter, and together they attempt to murder Lieu, who escapes in the form of an eagle. Gwydion eventually finds the eagle and, striking it with his wand, returns Lieu to human form. He then pursues Blodeuwedd, and rather than killing her, transforms her into an owl, saying: “And because of the dishonor thou hast done to Lieu Llaw Gyffes thou art never to dare show thy face in the light of day, and that through fear of all birds; and that there be enmity between thee and all birds, and that it be their nature to mob and molest thee wherever they may find thee; and that thou shalt not lose thy name, but that thou be for ever called Blodeuwedd.”

The owl is a bird set apart. She stands on the threshold of the Otherworld, reminding us of the ever-present reality of death. But death is the great initiator and as the owl hoots to us from the trees we may come to realize in the depths of our being that our death in reality marks a beginning and not an end.

[hiraeth-wayfarer]

Hiraeth Creature #1052 - Muurova

"To outsiders, and even to a few of the tribes within, the great trees of Hiraeth’s rainforest seem to make an impenetrable fortress of greenery, though the lackadaisical Muurova come and go as they please. Unintimidated by geography and the folklore surrounding their home, Muurova follow the great jungle rivers out to new pastures, small groups being seen near the southern coast and even in eastern and central wetlands— places of relative calm compared to the feared rainforests of the southeast. Depending on who you ask they seem to be masters of memory or luck, as they often choose the calmest waters to rest in, picking mundane or obscure places to relax with few stories behind them. They travel in small herds, occasionally meeting up in lakes and forming a bulwark of rotund bodies or blocking off the shore as they sunbathe. Though they mingle, they never seem to have too much problem rallying back together and finding their friends and family. Meandering with no longing want to rush within their soul, they wait as long as they please until everyone is accounted for before drifting back down a vein of the many jungle rivers or waddling off into the woods. Their patience with each other is a unique trait among most of the jungle beasts, as herds see no need to compete for territory. While they are technically fishers, they prefer to graze from the near-endless flora. It is believed that the jungle’s intense fertility has resulted in the Muurova become a somewhat lazier animal than they were intended to be, as their ocean relatives are said to be much faster, warier hunters. Thankfully, their more patient and sluggish way of life hasn’t bitten them yet. 

Though they are known for their instinctual foresight when it comes to finding a spot to relax, they are nomadic creatures and, as they meander about, they can be vulnerable. A full grown Muurova can hold their breath underwater for over a day, though hunters arrive in the water sometimes, and their young do not have their parent’s capabilities yet. On land, they do their best to scuttle into overgrowth, either covering their hide in moss or blending in with flowers and ferns. Fortunately for weary travellers, if they spot Muurova lazing about, that often means they can also relax for a bit. Muurova barely have any reaction to travellers around and can even be touched or sat upon while they lounge. The people of the jungle seem to have never betrayed the Muurova’s trust, as they are important signals they they are in a safe spot, even if it is just a small pond or glade. The shadows of the ancient jungle hide many dangers as beasts vanish between trees or stalk in the undergrowth, but the Muurova are not one of those beasts, and should be treated as a sign of relief. To many of the folk still thriving in these forests, totems, and markers featuring the Muurova signal that there is a shrine or a hidden sanctuary to rest in nearby, often holding a cache of goods left behind by generous and kind people. Taking too much from these places is said to be bad luck, and sprites will play pranks upon the greedy who already are travelling in a foreboding part of the world. Signs of respite will be harder and harder to find until the unfortunate soul is left with night hanging above them and growls of monsters in the distance, while the Muurova and their friends will most likely be safe and sound."

[treechangeseachange]

Pictures of a ring of six trees in our gully.

I’ve just finished reading ‘The hidden life of trees’ by Peter Wohlleben and I found it fascinating. In first year university biology, if I had learned how trees communicate with each other via fungal filaments in the soil and by emitting odours from their leaves when under attack by insect or animals, maybe my studies would have diverted from biomedical to the plant world! Only thing is, the book is written about northern hemisphere forests and trees. So now I'm bursting with curiosity about the spotted gums, turpentine, Sydney blue gums & iron barks on our block. I wish I knew more about them!

My feeble observations back up some of what I read…

I can see treees of the same species have an understanding between them, their branches lightly touch and their crowns don’t overlap. Whereas with different species, its every tree for themselves. There is a spotted gum growing right up between the branches of a turpentine next to our shack. Their branches rub in the wind. The Dharawal people from north of here believe branches rubbing together can start a fire, so far fortunately these trees just creak and squeak in the wind.

I’m on tree watch now, trying to understand these beautiful organisms that surround us. I’ve observed them through the seasons. Last winter in the thick of drought trees were struggling, wattles and some young trees died. In full summer heat there was a noiseless rain of leaves spiralling down as trees surrendered them. Then I wonder why some trees fare better in some locations. There is a steep bank on one side of our land and it’s predominantly treed with turpentine, do they prefer a slope or is the soil heavier and more to its liking? They are a more balanced tree than the spotted gums who shoot straight up and drop branches as they grow leaving a high canopy and a small number of remaining branches. Spotties are drought experts, growing even when there’s little rain. Much of our forest is populated with spotted gums. Down in the gully where our forest is most untouched - our land was logged 50 years before we bought it - some glorious old giants still stand. Down in the gully where the lyre birds scratch amongst the ferns and leeches thrive in damp places the sun barely reaches, we have found a stand of 6 trees in a circle. We call it a fairy ring, not sure if that’s due to our imagination or the boys’! Since reading Peter Wollheben’s book I’ve headed back down to take a closer look at the ring of trees, I hadn’t remembered all the details and thought maybe they were sister trees supporting and feeding each other via underground fungal networks as described in his book. But I found the ring of trees are not all the same species. Four are turpentine all knobbly and rough barked, regularly spaced branches and dark green leaves. But two are Sydney blue gum. Straight up and smooth trunked where the bark falls away. Why are these two interlopers allowed? They are all impossibly close together on a small mound in the centre of the gully. I suppose they are all clinging to the available soil and stretching to the sunlight. It feels very special standing among these six sentinels. Perhaps they are all working together? The pictures above are the tree ring.

I’ve seen proof this winter in Peter’s assertion that there’s safety in numbers for trees. A forest protects each tree from high winds. Because the State Forest adjoining our land was logged but environmental rules meant habitat trees must remain, a few old ones suffered in the July winds this year. Left standing alone without their neighbours the wind was too much for their top branches. The smell of the fallen branches brought back to me the reek of the forest when it was logged, a pungent almost oily smell. Initially I thought it was the diesel from the logging machines. But then I realised it was the trees. I don’t know if the trees were sending out a warning or pain signal with this odour as Peter writes about, or if it was just the smell of the inner trunk. I have never forgotten that smell as we visited the freshly logged State Forest. And while I’m remembering the logging can I remind my dear readers how I bemoaned this State funded process? It’s been 21 months and the unwanted logs and branches haven’t been burned or cleared up as promised - apart from right on our boundary due to my protest. The felled trees are still lying here minus their trunks, slowly being removed by opportunistic locals for firewood who punctuate our weekends with chainsaws. To me this is a shameful contribution to habitat extinction and removal of carbon storing trees.

Ahem, I digress. Back to the hidden life of trees.

The author talks about trees losing their connection when logging has occurred, saying a logged forest is like a group of badly behaved teenagers, all in it for themselves. At this point, not yet 2 years since the logging, the regrowth is all saplings and scrub, the teenagers won’t be fighting for another decade. And that’s the point about trees, they grow so slowly that most humans don’t see their lifecycle. The largest grandmother spotted gum on our track is 50m tall and must be a few hundred years old. Only Austalia’s First Nations people truly understand our forests with their oral histories going sixty thousand years back. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people only ever used fallen branches for their fires and never took more wood than they needed. They knew when bushfires would come and how and importantly when to use fire to keep the bush in balance, not in the height of summer when the gum of eucalypts is flowing and can explode to create very hot fires that animals can’t outrun. With trees as clan or individual totems Aboriginal people have huge knowledge of trees and how to look after them, rich and meaningful oral books about the hidden life of trees. I feel like a newborn compared to that knowledge bank. I will keep observing and seeking ways to better understand our forest.

[rabbit-light]

Forest Floors

 for Claudia

Folded inside the word is the wood.  Tree totems, patch of earth, bird sound. Nothing is quieter than a wild place in our chests. The word for “air” in an avian language. The fir needle’s fresher wick pulling blood to the surface of the hour. Our betrayers grown into the scenery, taut against the skin.  Some tithe with grasses, the pinecones piling up like drifts of dry snow.  Some swim in the colder water, falling on rocks, picking reeds apart. Redwoods ring and gnats swarm and the deep lakes go dark.  We’ll all come to concluding phrases, full of river-washed stones, full of soft moss.  Forever bound to our bodies. Which falter, which spring up fern-laden groves, which flower and fail.  

Hillary Gravendyk

[caffinedragon]

The movies that freaked me out as a kid.

There were three. One, a movie that came from a long running series I still won't watch at 33. And the other two were movies I enjoyed overall but had a scene in it that I didn't.

The first movie was one of the old Freddie Kruger/ Night on Elm Street movies from way back. Though I didn't know that at the time. Nor which one. There were at least 6-7 of them if I remember correctly.

I was somewhere between 4-6 and had walked out of my bedroom that connected right to the living room when I was supposed to be asleep. (My parents house has the kitchen, dining room and living room all connected in a hallway config with the rooms attached off of those.) I glanced at the screen on the TV, just in time to see the "dude getting eaten by the bed scene" that I believe was in the beginning of the first movie. I could be wrong.

Seeing that scene gave me nightmares so bad that my mom banned horror movies from the house. I began watching horror movies later but still refuse to watch the Nightmare on Elm Street films partly because of this and that the bits I caught when I was older still disturbed me.

However I did watch the Jason vs Freddy film and found it entertaining once I looked at it as more of an action movie than a horror one.

The next movie I saw was an animated film known as Fern Gully. A movie born from the age of protecting the rain forest that featured a fairy and a human whom got shrunk down to fairy size. the two of them are trying to stop an evil pollution being that got released by the very logging machine the human had been working on.

Tim Curry voices the pollution monster and sings the villain song. It's amazing.

Majority of the movie I loved but there is a scene where the pollution being takes over the machine and becomes this giant skeletal monster. This transformation, for reasons I can't remember due to having not watched it since cbildhood, used to bother me so bad I had to walk out of the room until it ended.

I will have to see if I can find a copy and watch it too see if it still has the dame effect.

Unlike the final movie that I did rewatch as an adult and the scene still gives me chills.

The final movie is an old movie from the 70's simply called The Beast master.

I loved this movie because I loved the concept of having a bunch of animal friends that had my back.

The Beast Master is a movie about the son of a king who was prophesied to kill the local Cult leader (BBEG of the movie who plotting to take over and kill the king ) when he grew up.

The Cult Leader is successful in killing the king and due to some pretty messed up magical fuckery by a trio of witches that work for him, they are able to take the unborn child from the kings wife and transfer it into a cow to take somewhere so the kid could be sacrificed and the prophecy nullified.

This ultimately doesn't work and the kid, after being removed from the cow is saved by a local hunter who raises him as his kid.

He later grows up to have a special affinity with animals that includes being able to see through there eyes and communicate empathiclly with them. Pretty much a DnD style druid with a "black" tiger, a hawk, and two ferret thieves.

Insert prince returning home to take his land back and there is the movie.

I am not ashamed to admit I mainly loved this movie because of the protagonist having kick ass animal companions.

So here is where the scene that gives me the heebie jeebies comes in.

I would say about a 1/3 to 1/2 through the movie there is a scene where Dar(the protagonist) and his newly acquired hawk friend come across this large tree seemingly surrounded by tons of piles of bones, cages and a sort of totem pole with an eagle/hawk motif on top of it.

It comes in later.

Hanging from this tree and in one of the cages is a man seemingly scared out of his mind. And Dar, being the kind soul he is, lets the man out. The man takes off across the ground running.

But he doesn't get far.

From beneath the ground this humanoid creature with no mouth, no hair, leathery brown skin and bat wings for arms that connect the full length of his body appears in front of the running man. The thing wraps its arms around the man completly encasing him and shrieks.

The camera then zooms onto the outside were the mans face is pressed against the inside trying to get out. this sick sort of slurpy/squishy sound comes across the speaker along with the mans muffled screams.

Then the sounds stop, and bones collapse at the creatures feet in a heap.

The arms were its stomach and the man was just digested alive.

Just thinking about it now as I write this I am getting chills through me. I can still hear all the sounds from the above scene in my head. Which is pretty good for a B rated or less movie from the early 70's.

The rest of the scene isn't quite as bad. A couple more pop up and just as they head towards Dar his hawk swoops down and lands on the totem at the foot of the tree causing all of the creatures to stop dead.

The hawk is heavily implied to be a symbol important to them and since the hawk was with Dar they don't harm him and later show up to help at the big battle in the end. Plot Armor Via Hawk FTW.

So, those are the three movies that messed with me as a kid. Even if I really liked them.

[greenbarnorchidsupplies]

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[pnwdoodlesreads]

   On October 18, 1899, a 60-foot totem pole from Fort Tongass, Alaska, is unveiled in Seattle's Pioneer Square and "greeted by cheers of a multitude of people." The totem had been stolen from a Tlingit village several weeks before and was presented to the City of Seattle by the Chamber of Commerce "Committee of Fifteen" -- the group of Seattle vandals (who were prominent citizens) that had taken the totem.

Attorney William H. Thompson (d. 1918) responded to allegations that the totem was stolen by saying: "The village has long since been deserted ... Here the totem will voice the natives' deeds with surer speech than if lying prone on moss and fern on the shore of Tongass Island" (Dorpat).

Native Americans of the Northwest Coast carved totem poles to document important events, family history, and to identify a family or a clan. The Seattle totem belonged to the Raven Clan (English surname Kinninook) and had been carved in about the year 1790 to honor a woman named Chief-of-All-Women who drowned in the Nass River while on a journey to visit an ailing sister. The top carving was that of a raven, which in Tlingit mythology did everything, knew everything, and seemed to be everywhere at once. In Seattle, the raven faced north up 1st Avenue.

In 1899, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer sponsored a "Good Will Committee" of "leading Seattle citizens" on a tour of Southeast Alaska ports aboard the steamer City of Seattle. When the ship stopped at Fort Tongass, third mate R. D. McGillvery went ashore. He later described what happened:

"The Indians were all away fishing, except for one who stayed in his house and looked scared to death. We picked out the best looking totem pole... I took a couple of sailors ashore and we chopped it down - just like you'd chop down a tree. It was too big to roll down the beach, so we sawed it in two."

Members of the Committee of Fifteen paid McGillvrey $2.50 for his effort and the pieces were hoisted aboard the ship.

[steelkomodo]

Re: Kamen Rider Wild

After fucking forever, have some more nonsense about Kamen Rider Wild.

The secondary Rider is Kamen Rider Rosé, who is themed on plants.

He’s either a manga artist or florist, but moonlights as a gentleman thief who managed to piss off the Zyuma by stealing some important artefacts of theirs. For personality, think Josuke from JoJo Part 4 filtered through Oren from Gaim.

Like Kamen Rider Beast, he has Mantles based on different plants, and he switches between those instead of forms like Beast.

He uses Flora Totems instead of Wild Totems, and his Driver is called the Flora Driver.

So far, forms I’ve pinned down for him are Rosé (based on flowers), Evergreen (based on trees, specifically the pine) and Tropical (vines and ferns)

Tertiary/evil Rider is Kamen Rider Neo, an artificial rider created by the company who is benefactor to Jin’s zoo.

She has a mission to wipe out all traces of the Zyuma and their artefacts - including Wild and Rosé.

Her Driver is called the Neonizer, which was developed after studying the Wild Totems. The transformation is very “brute-force”, akin to Xiao/Draco Violet’s first transformation - so it’s very powerful, but only lasts a short time.

Neo mostly uses gadgets and weaponry, but powered by the same energy from the Wild Totems.

Basically Kamen Rider Diend/Snipe for being an abraisive jackass.

Wild Totems are artefacts containing the spiritual power of an animal.

The creation of a Wild Totem must involve strong and sincere feelings, or a high emotional state.

There are two ways of creating Wild Totems. Most commonly, they are made by using a special gesture to manifest the Totem from an object connected to the animal in question, such as a eagle’s father or a shark’s tooth.

The Zyuma Totems are the dark counterpart of the Wild Totems, containing the sealed souls of the Zyuma tribesmen. If the Zyuma Totem is not destroyed, then that Zyuma Beast can be resurrected, akin to the Cores of the Roidmudes.

It is said that a Zyuma Totem can be “purified” into a Wild Totem. None know how this can be achieved.

As said before, the Zyuma want to overthrow humanity for the damage they’ve done to the natural world.

They gain power by instilling fear into humans, which they then use for various purposes. Often, this is to create the Zyuma Blanks.

A Zyuma Shogun can absorb the fear of a human into a Zyuma Totem, awakening the spirit within it. They then bond that Totem with a Zyuma Blank to create a Zyuma Beast. This process leaves the victim in a catatonic state, and they may die if the Zyuma Beast is allowed to absorb more fear and grow stronger.

Zyuma Totems are usually shattered when the Zyuma Beast is destroyed by a Kamen Rider. Neo makes a point of destroying every Wild or Zyuma Totem she encounters.

The Zyuma Shogun are themed on animals considered “unpleasant”, and serve as counterparts to the animals of Wild’s Totems.

They are a vulture, a moray eel, a hyena and a komodo dragon. Not decided on names yet.

They can take on human forms via spinning their Zyuma Totems, manifesting an illusion around themselves.

[go-shamelesscollectionwhispers]

Cleric of Y’un subclass

This is a subclass for the cleric and for a specific god. Y’un. Goddess of the hunt. I like making specific god subclasses. The thought of a specific god gifting a divine power to their followers I think adds a small level of depth to the world and the major gods. It’s play testable and if you have any opinions or thoughts I’d love to hear them.

Cleric of Y’un (Specific Cleric Domain)

-When you become a cleric of y’un whenever you hold her holy symbol you become proficient in nature and survival with your proficiency.

-You gain proficiency with ranged weapons, and Light Armor.

Spells:

1st level spells:

Pack hunter’s mark: Mark a large creature as “The Prey” and 4 other creatures or players as “The Hunters.” Whenever another one of the Hunters attacks the prey deal an extra 1D4 Damage to it

Message

3rd:

Plant Growth

Locate Creature

5th:

Commune With Nature

Tree Stride

7th:

Hunter’s Sight: You feel the vibrations of the earth beneath your feet. Every piece of nature works with you to seek and guide you towards the prey you desire, no matter the distance. Even in barren wastes the earth shifts and moves, changing winds and letting plants flourish were none should. For one hour the spell leads you towards the beast you seek. You can feel its steps and the creature is outlined through all that obstruct your view of it once you’re within 100 feet of it.

Y’un’s Mark: You may place Y’un’s mark on three creatures (+1 creature for every higher level this spell is cast at). These creatures gain 1d4 on Dexterity or Strength saving throws, as decided by the creature being marked. They also gain +2 on all attack rolls against non Humanoids. They gain resistance to Poison and Necrotic damage. The spell lasts 2 hours

9th:

Nature’s Resilience: Touch a, tree all plants within 100 feet of the tree actively defend you and 4 other creatures. Creatures attacking you have disadvantage on attack rolls and their movement is halved. If you’re in a wasteland and no plants instead place a seed in your palm and from it a mighty root system sprouts from it and you must place it on the ground. It creates an enclosed dome of roots and ferns, creating a sheltered forest that lasts for 4 days without reuse of the spell.

Hunter’s Projection: You project a beastly astral projection around yourself of a ranger’s familiar. Increase your AC by 3. You now share a space with the chosen familiar. You gain all attributes of  the chosen familiar and you get 2 attack of opportunities for one reaction. Choose two abilities from the creature that are higher than yours. You now have these abilities for the duration of the spell.

At 2nd Level

Channel Divinity: Nature’s Guide

When out in the wilderness you can read things most people can not. You gain advantage on Survival, Nature and Animal Handling checks for 2 hours

At 6th Level

Imbue With Ferocity: At the start of every combat you can choose 2 creatures that can not be feared, or charmed.

At 8th Level

Divine Trapper: Place a totem of your holy symbol on the ground. Any creature that steps over it is overwhelmed with divine radiance. You can speak with the trapped and bound creature. The trap holds for 24 hours. You are alerted when it is triggered. Range of 160 feet to be alerted.

At 17th Level

Hunt Master: You have become a guide and a true hunter under Y’un. Your natural abilities in hunting are now only increased with the guidance of Y’un.

Hunting alone: When you face any large creature head on, alone, your strength and dexterity are increased by 2. And you gain an extra attack. Each attack deals 2d6 Radiant damage. You gain advantage on Dexterity saving throws. You’re focused on the hunt and the hunt alone, you gain disadvantage on perception checks and saves from outside forces. You can also grapple, and knock prone large creatures by using rope or your strength alone.

Hunting as a pack: When you and at least two other creatures attack a large creature or a group of multiple creatures you all gain the ability to communicate with one another through nature. You all get advantage on dexterity checks and saves. You can all speak to one another mentally. You can use Guiding Bolt, Healing Word, Bless,  anywhere with creatures within melee range with a large creature.

[zolzhin]

An Old Alpha

(The leadup to the meeting between Zolzhin and @themagicalmercantile This is my attempt at getting back into the writing game. Here is hoping.)

Deep in the forests of Ashenvale, in the hidden places, dwelled the elves. They slipped between the trees and sat beside ancient pools. Yet long before their presence, long before their existence, it was the home of the wild. There were ancient places, perhaps not of power, but of splendor. Untouched by the hands of humans and their industry, nor even the magical properties of the elven tree tenders. No, these untamed places had only been trodden by paws and claws, those wild animals that came even before the elven druids. And also, perhaps troll feet.

Zolzhin crept through the forest with all the stealth of a wraith, ears twitching and nose sniffing the air for any telltale sounds or scents. Like a prowling cat he moved, sometimes on all fours like the animals he tended and mimicked. Not a single branch was stirred by his passing, not a single leaf misplaced by his tread. There was no confidence in what he did, the arrogance of a skilled hunter, no this was the caution of a wild animal that knew it might be prey. His scent neutralized by tonics, his form’s outline dappled by the furs and armor her wore, he might have been tracked by the most skilled, but those few so skilled even knew he existed. And that was how he liked it.

He did this across the planet, in places unknown to even his brethren. In places inhospitable and unknown, shunned and ignored he made the homes he loved. No other creature besides his wild beast kin had he ever brought here, this place of hidden wonder. The only one who he ever offered, Tamatala, his one friend from the Tauren Tribes, had never made the journey with him. There was a bitter sadness that he could not share these things with others, could not trust in the intentions of his acquaintances, but truly these places were the last sanctuary he could offer. To lose them, would end him.

Parting fern fronds and thick hanging ivy, one would not have seen nor understood that this area was any different from the surrounding terrain. It was close and cramped, overhung and dark. Yet there was a quality about it. A sort of symmetry not found in wild nature. Perhaps how the vines fell in a wall around the area, perhaps how the grass and leaves were even underfoot, or simply the unusual privacy of it. For here, in this forgotten corner of the forest, was one of Zolzhin’s beloved creches. His first and most beloved.

Wolf pups started from their fitful dreams of hunts and play at the sensing of a new presence. No sound betrayed him, but his very aura seemed to disturb and change the air around him. With joyful barks and warbles of pups still learning their voice they tumbled over one another to get at the old beast master. The smile on his lips was genuine, one he did not often share with humanoids. Other animals stirred amongst the beds of moss and strewn leaves. The soft hiss of raptors, barely stirring in the early morning cold, chittering from above as spiders small and large descended on gossamer strands, the plaintive croak of nesting birds further above, and even the cackling laugh of a hyena pup as it rose up to follow the wolves.

They smelled his gifts, each one eager to receive its offerings. The creche housed the small and the weak, those needing aid and time to recover. Some would stay in the creche, guarding and defending newer charges. Others would go out into the world to further their species in the wild. Each was beloved of the old troll, though treated with dignity and respect, in his own traditional way. Packs were slung off his back, and the gifts given forth. Meats for the hyena and its brethren wolves, who set about the food with ravenous delight. Wriggling offerings of lesser insects to the spiders which retreated quickly to their silken homes. For the raptors and birds above he set their food to the side so they could take once they roused better, secure in his gentle training of the beasts that their food would not be disturbed unduly.

As the animals either woke slowly or ate quickly he sat back on his haunches and watched. His ragged bony frame curled into itself, until he wrapped his arms around his legs, and became almost a tiny box of flesh and bones. He rested his narrow jaw upon his knees, tusks jutting out in front of him and over his arms. He sighed deeply, watching the simple joys the animals showed.

It was always the hardest thing, living with the silence he surrounded himself with. Too many hours to think and reflect, too little to keep his mind focused. When one grows old, one thinks about their mortality, their legacy. Who would carry on his legacy? Who would maintain the creche’s and their natural wonder when he finally met his end? And as the years kept turning for him, it was getting closer and closer. He could not avoid the reaper forever. Less and less he thought about his past, pained and fraught with dishonor. With the passing of Vol’jin his chances for ever being accepted back into his tribe were long gone. Who would even remember his misdeeds to forgive them? Could he ever even forgive himself, with no one left to forgive him first?

These black thoughts traveled with him, followed his footsteps like a hunter. They always found him, caught up with him. Yet what to do about them? The pups had finished their meals and most went back to romping and playing, now fully roused for the day. The littlest pup, whom Zolzhin saw instantly was Chaloo, padded up to the distraught troll. Still licking its chops of stray blood it head butted the old beast master’s foot. It was a quick thing, a silent thing. A young pup telling its old alpha to get up and get going. Zolzhin let out a chuckled breath, nodding. Chaloo was right of course. Alphas didn’t mope, alphas worked.

So then what was the work? Provide for the creches of course, but there was more. Legacy. Perhaps the target should be in finding another. A younger creature who could take up his work. An apprentice. It was an ill formed thought, a swift minded plan, but it suited the old beast master. As he uncurled himself from his little box of self-pity he was resolved. This is what he would do.

But FIRST, there were a group of gnomes which had displeased him. Alphas also punished those who came against the pack. Tracking down the little “voles” as he knew them, would be a good exercise in his hunting ability. They might even lead him to further gains for his creches. Voles always had fancy things to sell off to people.

Shifting his treasured gun into his hands, caressing his fingers over the totems and fetishes which adorned it, he cast one last look over the denizens of this creche and silently promised to be back soon. But there was work to be done. Alpha work.

[weddingaaha]

LOVE INSPIRED BY DREAM CATCHERS. WEDDING WITH ETHNIC MOTIVES OF THE INDIANS

A wedding in Indian style is not just a themed wedding, but an exciting project, amazing impressions from which can be obtained not only in the process of celebration, but also during preparation. The implementation of such a wedding scenario is ideal for off- site registration and is appropriate in the summer, in the velvet season, and especially in the middle of autumn. A suitable place could be the territory of a country hotel or an equipped forest meadow. Wooden buildings, moss, stones and trees - the perfect scenery!

KEY DESIGN DETAILS. BRIGHT ORIGINAL COMPOSITION

We take ethnic Indian motifs as the basis for the decor, which I merge into one bright original composition, namely, wigwam, natural fabrics and materials: wood, moss, linen, fur and sackcloth. The color palette for a Native American wedding will suit natural - all shades of wood, sand color. Complement the color composition with intricate patterns of the Navajo tribe and a zigzag print. You can choose one of the wild and mysterious animals characteristic of Indian traditions, such as a wolf or owl, as the central symbol of the decor. The wolf in Indian culture is a symbol of courage, high morality and loyalty to the family, and the eagle owl is a totem animal, personifying wisdom, insight and high position. But all this is a very useful qualities in family life. Also one of the classic symbols for a wedding with ethnic motives of the Indians remains the horse. This style can not do without this beautiful and elegant animal.

Decor made of wood and feathers of birds, animal skins, products made of fur and natural leather, homespun walkways, rugs and warm cozy ponchos will help to stylize the holiday. Pay particular attention to unusual details that may be key points in the design: dream catchers, shaman tambourine, magic amulets, as well as bows and arrows. A special idea for celebrating a Native American wedding in the fall is evening bonfires that can dispel the twilight coolness. They will become a mysterious event, an unforgettable spectacle, which, together with the enveloping forest silence and the tart smell of leaves, will convey the beauty and that elusive mood, which is called the soul of the holiday.

THE DECOR OF THE FESTIVE TABLE. FOCUS ON UNUSUAL COMBINATIONS AND TEXTURE

Wooden tables and benches from simple boards of various shades are suitable furniture for a festive banquet. We recommend using colorful fabrics and drapery, dishes with an eclectic pattern and unusual texture, various ropes, leather accessories, canvas bags, animal skulls, as well as wooden coasters and boxes. Candles in the form of figures of wolves or horses will also look harmonious and give an additional zest to the decoration of the banquet area.

THE IMAGE OF THE BRIDE AND GROOM

THE IMAGE OF THE BRIDE. REFINED INDIAN PRINCESS

When creating the image of the bride, Pocahontas, a courageous, feminine and incredibly sophisticated Indian princess, is first remembered. Bridal outfit should combine romance, weightlessness, tenderness and, of course, bohemian. The bride should feel freedom, so it is worth to abandon the corsets and uncomfortable cut, so that the dress flutters like a feather in the wind. Lace, ethnic motifs, beadwork and long sleeves look perfect in this style.

Makeup and hairstyle of the bride should not be "salon" and bright: you can braid braids, curl unobtrusive light curls or leave hair loose. Floral wreaths on the head, beads with ethnic motifs, leather bracelets and braided braids, ornaments made of wood and bird feathers are perfect accessories.

THE IMAGE OF THE GROOM. EASY NEGLIGENCE AND EMPHASIS ON NATURAL MATERIALS

First of all, it is worth paying special attention to the color and texture of fabrics, the boho-chic style provides a wide choice in this regard and is not limited to several options. Perfect pastel colors: beige, powdery, gray, sand, various shades of brown and others. Give up classic suits and coats. Pants, vest and shirt - the perfect combination. Light natural materials will help to feel the spirit of freedom and ease. You can add a bit of carelessness to the image by slightly rolling up the pants or shirt sleeves. Complement the image of the groom in the style of boho refined and original boutonniere.

Indian style involves a fairly free choice of clothes, the main thing here is that the images of the bride and groom harmonize with each other and look perfect together!

POLYGRAPHIC DESIGN. INDIAN PRAIRIE MOTIVES

For printing, we advise you to choose shades that are combined with decorative elements and floristics. Bright ideas for print - feathers, patterns and ornaments of the Navajo tribe, horns, pictures of tree bark, wild forest animals and dream catchers. Kraft or watercolor paper is perfect for a base in color and texture.

When inviting guests to a stylized holiday, we recommend that you indicate in the invitation about the nature of the celebration, so that they can select suitable outfits and accessories. You can also put in an envelope and a stylized wedding day plan and a map so that delayed guests can join you at any time.

BOUQUET DESIGN. EXQUISITE COMBINATION OF THE INCOMPATIBLE

When making a bouquet in the Indian style, we recommend combining unusual details: fern, dry lotus, natural moss, and giving rise to associations with Indian prairies, blue noble spikes.

WEDDING CAKE DESIGN. EXOTIC TASTE OF LOVE

A memorable and unique wedding cake in the style of boho requires a special approach of originality in everything. He should effectively complete the event and put a bright dot in it. Perfectly fit a cake with an exotic filling or a base of chocolate sponge cake, butter cream and with a high content of fruits and berries. The elements of decor that are typical for the Indian style can decorate pastries: leaves, feathers, lush flowers and succulents.

ENTERTAINMENT FOR GUESTS. INDIAN STYLE WEDDING - UNUSUAL QUESTS

Thematic wedding in Indian style involves many original ideas for the entertainment of the public: competitions, quests and master classes. You can start the event with an unusual hunting quest, where each of the guests must read the tracks and signs (find and identify animal tracks, find a compass tip, solve the rock puzzle) to get to the place of celebration.

The perfect continuation of the party is a competition between two clans: male and female, where the heroes of the occasion will be the leaders. Each guest can be given a name in the spirit of Indian traditions: a keen eye, a dancing flame, a master of rock paintings, a shaman-topographer and others. You can also offer guests and the performance of Indian ritual tattoo - apply body art or a colorful face painting with Indian marks. Excellent options for completing the evening - dancing by the fire and drinking "the cup of the world." You can also perform this mysterious ritual around the campfire, accompanied by magical stories or to the sounds of Indian musical compositions.

GIFTS FOR GUESTS. LOVELY AND ORIGINAL SURPRISES WITH MEANING

The most appropriate and memorable gifts will be: miniature dream catchers, ceramic whistles in the form of birds or animals, succulents in pots or jars with exotic jam.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE ORGANIZATION OF THEMATIC HOLIDAY

The perfect feast in the Indian style is possible only with careful preparation. The overall impression of the thematic event will depend on many details. In order not to miss a single detail, trust the professionals. Do not spare money for the organizer, photographer and decorator, because it depends on a good team how a wedding in Indian style will take place and how your long-awaited day will be remembered!