#equinox local group

[identityarchitect]

4, 7 or 38 for any of ur RW ocs 👀👀 and if u want to, A >:3

How easy is it to earn their trust?

ill just answer for the equinox local group, if i went thru all my ocs we'd be here forever lol

no peaceful ending - precollapse decently easy. post collapse basically impossible unless she knew you before

fibres of silence - not necessarily difficult, but they have a good sense for bullshit

glowing wind between speckled trees - not easy or difficult. altho she's not very social (doesnt talk one on one very often) so there's not a huge amount of opportunities to gain her trust

dappled light over decaying leaves - same as w/ wind

hallows of fate, damned - im honestly not sure he lets himself trust anyone (because of his whole religious guilt thing).

awakening winter - if you work with him on the solution he'll trust you, but its easy to break it, especially if he suspects you're going to try and stop him

What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

for all of them i'd say anything that relates to when the ancients were alive.

pre-collapse peace is probably indifferent to nostalgia, post-collapse she despises it (because she hates the ancients).

silence probably also dislikes the ancients, so similarly dislikes nostalgia.

wind doesn't like nostalgia, because she prefered it when the ancients were alive, and wishes they were still around.

light enjoys nostalgia. i think she's probably quite interested in ancient culture, so being nostalgic is fun.

fate absolutely doesn't like nostalgia. it triggers her guilt to hell and back, being a reminder of how she failed her citizens.

winter doesn't care for nostalgia. dwelling on his creators is a useless distraction from finding the solution.

What memory do they revisit the most often?

pre-collapse peace, she probably thinks about talking to wind and light. i dont know if they got together but if they did, that's what she'd think about.

post collapse peace would spend a lot of time going over her interactions with winter to try and figure out the tipping point, but i think she thinks about talking to her citizens in the void a lot. the way they were so happy, so calm, and she and her kind were made just to suffer.

silence - their last conversation with peace before she shut off communications. wishing they knew what to say to get her to stop.

wind - probably any conversation she had with her citizens about tea, or overseer footage of peace's can collapsing.

light - probably also overseer footage of peace's can collapsing.

fate - its mistake. trying to find any possible way he could've stopped it, or some days trying to rationalise away any way it could be anything but his fault.

winter - peace's final communication with him. she travelled to the local communications array (which had survived her collapse) and sent a message to him, that she was coming. he's unconcerned, mainly because worrying about it would get in the way of finding the solution before peace shows up to destroy him.

a) Why are you excited about this character?

i like all the angst potential. i also like playing around with different opinions of the solution, which is really fun and has ended up being basically the main thing with this group

(ask game here)

[genderfluid-insomniac]

Sun Wukong, Macaque, and MK x magi king!reader with Djin equips

The entire gang had just gotten off a boat to an island that was praised for how amazing the festivals were and how their king was just as kind and down-to-earth as the citizens said. Despite the many protests from both celestial primates about the mode of transportation, everyone begrudgingly went along and it was all worth it since a kingdom-wide festival was currently being celebrated.

There was a drinking competition and other various competitions for the public much to MK and Mei’s delight. Tang immediately went over to talk to someone who looked like a fellow scholar sitting at a food stall and Pigsy behind him, who was chatting up with the cooks and exchanging recipes.

Wukong and Macaque as much as they didn’t like one another both wanted to stay out of the crowds and wandered over to the drinking competition. Macaque’s tail swished happily behind him when he caught a glance of a group of dancers with a small stage who seemed to be acting out a local folktale of sorts.

He left Wukong’s side and stood nearby to watch the rest, groaning when he felt the other tail repeatedly poking him and doing his best to ignore it. A minute after it kept going he dropped both of them into a portal and away from the crowd.

A small argument turned into a small big scene and thankfully MK was able to break it apart, standing between the two with his arms wide and doing his best to stop the harsh conversation. There was a loud slam behind them that drew all of their attention away from the current situation and they looked over to where the drinking competition was, seeing someone dressed in bright colors put down a large glass of alcohol and wander over to the trio.

“Hey, you three must be new! I don’t recognize you but welcome to the Equinox Festival. There’s something here for everyone! I should’ve intro-” you said before you were interrupted by the local fisherman next to you who held up a new glass presumably for you. “King Name come on! Let’s finish this competition fairly- hey why not invite them over?” he said and waved a bit drunkenly, meanwhile the three in front of you faced you with flustered and shocked expressions. “You’re the king?!”

[aspens-apothecary]

Mabon Celebration Ideas!

As some of you know, this Saturday is Mabon, the celebration of the Autumn Equinox. Some also refer to it as the "Pagan Thanksgiving", as you celebrate the bountiful harvest and are thankful for the earth and its many gifts.

Mabon marks the time of equilibrium, where the days and nights are of equal length. During this time, it is good to set intentions that involve decrease, such as ending unhealthy habits, self-destructive behaviors, or bad relationships.

Decorating for Autumn

This a great time to decorate for the coming autumn and spooky seasons leading up to Samhain! I like to open the windows and then cleanse my space(usually a simmer pot and smoke cleanse) and after, i actually physically clean the house.I then close the windows and stir my simmer pot, while setting new intentions for the household until the spring equinox. I then collect the things I want to decorate with(the usual fall decor; pumpkins, pine cones, leaf garlands, gourds and an autumn wreath on the door) and then decorate to my hearts content!

Release and Move Forward

Another thing I usually spend time on is meditation, centering myself, letting go of past baggage from the year and setting new personal goals and intentions until spring.

Find a nice spot outside, where you feel connected to the world around you. Take a journal with you, and meditate. Write down what you want the next few months to bring into your life. Set those intentions in any way you choose.

Have a nice Hearty Meal

Who doesn't love a good meal with great people? You can make a roast, hold a potluck Mabon dinner ect, I usually host a bonfire night and everyone brings their own dishes to feel the group. During covid, I made a pot roast for my fiance and I! You could also do a picnic!

Fall Activities

Apple Picking, Corn Mazes, going to a Pumpkin Patch, all fall activities that are fun for the whole family, as a cute date, or great solo fun!

Honor Persephone and Demeter

If you are one to honor deities/spirits during the holidays, Persephone and Demeter are two that will definitely fall into Mabon.

According to the myth, Autumn is the time where Persephone must leave her beloved mother and travel to Hades, to fulfill her role as the Queen of the Underworld. Each year she lets go of the concerns of the upper world, and willingly descends to guide the souls of the dead over the threshold of Life and Death.

Creating an altar, and leaving offerings for them in honor of their sacrifice is an amazing way to celebrate.

Other

Other things you can do include cleansing ritual baths, Divination for the new few months, hiking, offerings for the local nature spirits, make a gratitude list for the last few months and thank the earth for her gifts

Mabon Symbols:

Cornucopia (horn of plenty), pinecones, seeds

Colors: Orange, red, yellow, brown, copper, dark yellow, dark green

Foods: Corn, beans, squash, apples, pumpkins, cider, root vegetables, pomegranate, wine

Herbs: Yarrow, rosemary, sage, mugwort, rosehips,

Stones: Amber, citrine, cat’s eye, aventurine, sapphire, jasper

Flowers: Sunflowers, thistle, marigolds

Deities: Mabon, Green Man, Demeter, Persephone, Morgan, Pomona, Inanna

Animals: Owl, stag, blackbird, salmon

I hope this gives you a few ideas! Add your own ideas to this list! These are just the ways I like to celebrate!

[moneeb0930]

ORIGINS OF HAPI (NILE) VALLEY CIVILIZATION

The progenitors of the Nile Valley civilization were Nilo-Saharan peoples who migrated to the Hapi (Nile) Valley from the Green Sahara, Nubia and Northeast Africa. The cattle cults of Het-Heru (Hathor), spiritual beliefs, iconography and cultural motifs associated with the old Kingdom can be traced to these regions prior to the unification of the two lands. The science of mummification began in Libya with the 5600 year old Tashwinat Mummy, known as the “Black Mummy of the Green Sahara''. The Black Mummy predates the oldest Kemetic mummy by over 1000 years. Astronomy and the study of the procession of the equinox began in South Africa at the site of the Adams Calendar Stone Circle and continued at the Napta Playa Stone circle located in modern day Sudan. This 7000 year old ceremonial center dried out around 3400 BC and they transferred their knowledge into the Nile Valley. The earliest images of Pharaonic Kingship were found in Nubia at the site of Qustul were the oldest depiction of Pharaonic Kingship is shown on the Qustul incense Burner. The original populations of the Nile Valley were no different than modern Sudanese, Ethiopian, Eritrean and Somali populations of today with a mixture of western Eurasians via the Levant whom for the most part settled in the Delta region. The cultural overlap of Kush and Kemet existed from the very dawn of Hapi Valley civilization and the cultural fusion was expressed in the customs and spiritual beliefs of its early inhabitants. These ancient traditions are continually practiced in Africa to this day.

Below are the results from a genome project conducted by Dr. Shomarka Keita, a Research Affiliate and Biological Anthropologist in the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution and Dr. A. J. Boyce, who works at the Institute of Biological Anthropology and St. John's College

Oxford University.

PROJECT MUSE

Genetics, Egypt, and History: Interpreting Geographical Patterns of Y Chromosome Variation

IV, XI, V=Nilotic African

VII, VIII=Near Eastern

235 S.O.Y. Keita and A. J. Boyce

Early speakers of Nilosaharan and Afroasiatic apparently interacted based on the evidence of loan words (Ehret, personal communication). Nilosaharan’s current range is roughly congruent with the so-called Saharo-Sudanese or Aqualithic culture associated with the less arid period (Wendorf and Schild 1980), and therefore cannot be seen as intrusive. Its speakers are found from the Nile to the Niger rivers in the Sahara and Sahel, and south into Kenya. The eastern Sahara was likely a micro-evolutionary processor and pump of populations, who may have developed various specific sociocultural (and linguistic) identities, but were genealogically “mixed” in terms of origins.

These identities may have further crystallized on the Nile, or fused with those of resident populations that were already differentiated. The genetic profile of the Nile Valley via the fusion of the Saharans and the indigenous peoples were likely established in the main, long before the Middle Kingdom. Post-neolithic/predynastic population growth, as based on extrapolations from settlement patterns (Butzer 1976) would have led to relative genetic stability. The population of Egypt at the end of the pre-dynastic is estimated to have been greater than 800,000, but was not evenly distributed along the valley corridor, being most concentrated in locales of important settlements (Butzer 1976). Nubia, as noted, was less densely populated.

Interactions between Nubia and Egypt (and the Sahara as well) occurred in the period between 4000 and 3000 BCE (the predynastic). There is evidence for sharing of some cultural traits between Sudan and Egypt in the neolithic (Kroeper 1996). Some items of “material” culture were also shared in the phase called Naqada I between the Nubian A-Group and upper Egypt (~3900-3650 BCE). There is good evidence for a zone of cultural overlap versus an absolute boundary (Wilkinson 1999 after Hoffman 1982, and citing evidence from Needler 1984 and Adams 1996). Hoffman (1982) noted cattle burials in Hierakonpolis, the most important of predynastic upper Egyptian cities in the later predynastic. This custom might reflect Nubian cultural impact, a common cultural background, or the presence of Nubians.

Whatever the case, there was some cultural and economic bases for all levels of social intercourse, as well as geographical proximity. There was some shared iconography in the kingdoms that emerged in Nubia and upper Egypt around 3300 BCE (Williams 1986). Although disputed, there is evidence that Nubia may have even militarily engaged upper Egypt before Dynasty I, and contributed leadership in the unification of Egypt (Williams 1986). The point of reviewing these data is to illustrate that the evidence suggests a basis for social interaction, and gene exchange.

236 S.O.Y. Keita and A. J. Boyce

There is a caveat for lower Egypt. If neolithic/predynastic northern Egyptian populations were characterized at one time by higher frequencies of VII and VIII (from Near Eastern migration), then immigration from Saharan sources could have brought more V and XI (Nilo-Saharan) in the later northern neolithic. It should further be noted that the ancient Egyptians interpreted their unifying king, Narmer (either the last of Dynasty 0, or the first of Dynasty I), as having been upper Egyptian and moving from south to north with victorious armies (Gardiner 1961, Wilkinson 1999). However, this may only be the heraldic “fixation” of an achieved politi- cal and cultural status quo (Hassan 1988), with little or no actual troup/population movements. Nevertheless, it is upper Egyptian (predy- nastic) culture that comes to dominate the country and emerges as the basis of dynastic civilization. Northern graves over the latter part of the predynastic do become like those in the south (see Bard 1994); some migration to the north may have occurred—of people as well as ideas.

238-239 S.O.Y. Keita and A. J. Boyce

After the early late pleistocene/holocene establishment of Afroasiatic-speaking populations in the Nile valley and Sahara, who can be inferred to have been predominantly, but not only V (and XI), and of Nilosaharan folk in Nubia, Sudan, and Sahara (mainly XI and IV?), mid- holocene climatic-driven migrations led to a major settlement of the valley in upper Egypt and Nubia, but less so in lower Egypt, by diverse Saharans having haplotypes IV, XI, and V in proportions that would significantly influence the Nile valley-dwelling populations.

These mid-Holocene Saharans are postulated to have been part of a process that led to a diverse but connected metapopulation. These peoples fused with the indigenous valley peoples, as did Near Easterners with VII and VIII, but perhaps also some V. With population growth the genetic profiles would become stabilized. Nubian and upper Egyptian proximity and on some level, shared culture, Nubia’s possible participation in Egyptian state-building, and later partial political absorption in Dynasty I, would have reinforced biological overlap (and been further “stabilized” by ongoing population growth).

Source:

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/187884

HEAD to HEAD: Ancient Egypt Reconstructions COMPARED (Bas Uterwijk vs TKM): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8iN6EFVTbQ&t=35s

Visit A Virtual Museum:

https://www.knowthyselfinstitute.com/museum

"I have not spoken angrily or arrogantly. I have not cursed anyone in thought, word or deeds." ~35th & 36th Principals of Ma'at

[dragonthunders01]

Spec Evo Vault, Rainbow Squid

Among the largest organism of "The Future is Wild" timeline, as well the largest squid and animal on the planet in 200 M.y. in the future, the Rainbow Squid is one of the extraordinary representatives of how far cephalopods achieved in terms of evolutionary adaptations on color change

Morphologically speaking it still maintains the average squid shape with a large mantle and equally sized arms, although these not longer serve purpose on hunting and seem to be only relying on their main tentacles under the flattened horizontal row of arms that placidly undulate.

Anatomically and behaviorally, however, there were some remarkable changes, including the now longer lifespans that extend up to a century. With such long life, they were able to develop their intelligence further in a way that is capable to control their chromatophores extraordinarily.

This animal is capable of mimicking its surrounding environment to the point it can turn invisible in any direction, imitating the upper light of the surface or the dark bottom of the ocean, as well is capable of produce varied flashing multi color patterns tht works out for warning of any minor intruder swimming towards them.

This trick also helps them to hunt down the local Ocean Flishes, this thanks that their flat arms can imitate the school of Silverswimmers, and when one of these gets into the range, the flish is caught off guard with one of their tentacles.

Normally they wander across the ocean solitary with no boundaries but once a year in the full moon in autum equinox, they reunite in the south region facing the supercontinent in order to mate, and like giant oversized birds of paradise with LED screens for ornamental organs, the males to court a female display a spectacle of colors and lights.

Although with their size, and with the ecological vacuum left of the last mass extinction eliminated a chunk of possible competitors and dangers, they are still vulnerable to the few predators around, specially to the attack of large groups of sharkopaths, derived fasts sharks characterized by their coordinated method of hunting that is guided by electroreceptors and flashlights patterns across their bodies that allow them to communicate the location of a prey (they will have their space in an spec vault entry).

If one of those is capable of locate and attract enough individuals, a Rainbow squid only hope is to remain hidden with their camouflage, and even with that, panic can eventually end up causing it to lose their veil and leave them as the dinner of the far future sharks.

Notes

-There is something bugging about the hunting behavior of the Rainbow Squid that seems to be so inefficient regarding the nutrient value would offer just to hunt few flishes in a single day, for an animal that their size is as big as a whale which ingest a single animal of the size of a seagull, there should more suitable or preferable prey, and we are talking about an animal with one of the largest brains on 200 million years, is like a guy hunting bees and just ate them one at the time.

-I would have liked the body plan of this animal was more varied than just bein a big squid with large flat tentacles, something on that size as well living far in the future likely would change further and considering how diverse are squids and octopuses it could offer even more possible shapes apart of the streamlined surface coleoids, considering the rainbow squid is mostly an ambush predator and probably is a descendant of deep water species.

[magicoldcottage]

Is your practice Anglo-Saxon?

Have you heard of any of these terms ?

Maiden, Mother and crone

Triple Goddess

Three Mother Goddess

The Mothers

Mabon

Many of us have the triple goddess as cornerstone of our practice but do you know what you are actually worshiping?

This is one of the earliest representations I have found of the mothers from Bath Spa in England, where pagan traditions from across Europe came together. Although not clear it is the standard three representations, Maiden, Mother and Crone.

The Mothers: The Benevolent Spirits of the Anglo-Saxon Peoples

The Anglo-Saxon peoples, inhabited England from the fifth to the eleventh centuries and had a rich and complex religious system. One of the most intriguing aspects of their beliefs was the concept of the Mothers, the benevolent spirits who protected and nurtured the land and its inhabitants.

The Mothers were female deities associated with fertility, abundance, and prosperity. They were often depicted as matronly women, sometimes holding children or fruits in their arms. They were worshipped in various ways, such as by offering them food, drink, or coins, or by carving their images on stones, altars, or buildings.

The Mothers were not a single entity, but rather a collective term for a variety of local or regional spirits who had different names and attributes. Some of the most well-known Mothers were the Matres, the Matronae, and the Modron.

The Matres and the Matronae were usually depicted in groups of three, representing the three aspects of the female life cycle: maiden, mother, and crone. They were especially popular among the continental Germanic tribes, who brought their practices to Britain during the Anglo-Saxon migrations. It's worth noting however that each tribe had slight different beliefs, stories and rituals.

The Modron was a Celtic goddess who was identified with the Welsh Rhiannon and the Irish Macha. She was the mother of Mabon, the divine son who was kidnapped and rescued by King Arthur and his knights. The same Welsh Mabon celebrated these days at the Autumn equinox.

The Mothers were not only revered by the common people, but also by the kings and nobles, who sought their favor and protection. Some of the most famous Anglo-Saxon kings, such as Alfred the Great and Athelstan, claimed to be descended from the Mothers, thus legitimizing their authority and prestige. The Mothers were also invoked in times of war, as they were believed to grant victory and peace to their devotees.

The Mothers were not completely replaced by Christianity, but rather adapted and assimilated into the new faith. Some of the Mothers were identified with Christian saints, such as Mary, the mother of Jesus, or Anne, the mother of Mary. Others were regarded as guardian angels or holy ancestors, who continued to watch over and bless their descendants. The Mothers were also incorporated into the folklore and customs of the Anglo-Saxon peoples, who celebrated their presence and power in festivals, songs, and stories.

The Mothers were an integral part of the Anglo-Saxon worldview, as they embodied the values and ideals of their culture. They were the sources of life, abundance, and joy, who cared for and sustained the land and its people. They were the symbols of the bond between the human and the divine, the natural and the supernatural, the past and the present. They were the Mothers, the benevolent spirits of the Anglo-Saxon peoples.

Yule Calibration

Did you know the Mothers had their own day of celebration as part of Yule (ġēola or ġēoli in Anglo-saxon). On the first day of Yule, The day before that Winter Solstice. people honoured the Mothers, the goddesses who watched over the family and the land. They offered them food and drink on Mother’s Night, and asked for their blessings for the coming year.

For more ideas click here for my Masterpost

[three-of-crows]

(either Katya and Lann or Kadee and Katya!)

3) casually linking arms, holding-hands, sharing hugs that lasts a teensy tiny bit longer. AHHHHH

One million years later...

IT’S GIRLS TIME!

"Ok, everybody, let's do it from the beginning."

The weather around the Wound was as weird as the landscape and everything that lived there. But it didn’t mean the local Ulfen community would let the approaching equinox pass without a celebration. If the endless winter back in their motherland never stopped any of their ancestors, neither a Witch's trickery would do that.

The group of people was in the square of the citadel, laughing and talking to each other. There were not only the Irisseni folk, but Mendevian people as well, and even some mongrels joined the rehearsal.

Bjorn clapped two times, and everybody made a circle again. Kadira reached her hand for the girl by her side, but she refused politely, saying she was tired. Before the tiefling could say anything, a familiar light shone in her peripherical vision.

"May I join you?"

Ekaterina was there. Bjorn, the 'dance master', scoffed, "Look at who decided to leave the burrow".

"Can you love me less, dear brother?"

He gave a playful smile. "I just can’t. Ok, let's do it! One, two, three and..."

The people followed his instructions, though many of them already had understood the coreograph movements. Some still bumped at each other and giggled, but the circular dance kept going on.

Kadira was self-aware of her hooves all the time, but couldn’t help and stayed there. That dance reminded her of her grandparents and the small parties her family used to organize. And when Ekaterina appeared and asked for her hand — literally —, she felt more nervous e made her best to concentrate.

Though she was not free of mistakes as anybody, and bumped at the druid by accident.

"I'm sorry," that was her first reaction.

Ekaterina laughed. "You are ok. Phew... I lost the ability to do this."

"No, you are good at this," Kadira disagreed.

Two lines were formed and they had to leave each other's hands. Kadira felt slightly weird when the warm palm of the druid left her alone.

"Clap your hands, clap your hands!" Bjorn walked through the lines.

The lines mixed and Ekaterina and Kadira was apart. The tiefling craned her neck and spotted the woman smiling at her mother in the meantime.

Her heart got small.

The bards kept playing, and the dance kept its flow. It seemed a decade until the sequence of the circle was restored.

"I got you," Kadira said as her arm reached Katya's.

The redhead smiled. "Did you miss me? Because I did."

Kadira thanked the destiniy for her skin didn’t blush easily. Though her tail could be too much talkative, and she coiled it immediately.

"And we are done!" Bjorn cheered the people up. "Good job, everybody!"

Some were so relieved that they finally made it that started to hug each other. Kadira and Ekaterina stayed in the same place, with linked arms for a long time.

Annya approached behind them, passing her arms around their waists. "My beautiful girls."

Her gesture made them get closer. Pressed against Katya, Kadee closed her eyes, afraid that her expression could be as talkative as her tail.

But when she noticed, Annya has gone for a long time, and she simply was attached at the other.

"Shelyn, help me," pleaded quietly.

Though, deep down, she was not sure if she did need help.

[princeoftrashy]

I updated the character designs of three significant figures in Sol's life + some bonus concepts. Read below for close-ups, character notes, and more backstory.

This is Sol's mother. She and Icarus met while she was in college. They didn't start dating right away, and once they did, they stayed dating for a long time. It wasn't until she got pregnant with Solstice that they finally got married.

Their marriage was rocky from the start, however. Although Icarus earned a pretty decent amount from his bounty hunting, neither of them were very financial conscious, so they were always fighting over money. And since he was gone often, Hanna was usually left struggling with Solstice alone. Eventually, she caught him with Leona, a mutual friend of theirs, and found out about their longstanding affair. They got a divorce soon after.

It was difficult for her after Icarus disappeared a few years later, since she couldn't rely on his help with Solstice anymore. She started working a lot more, which had the unfortunate affect of straining her relationship with her daughter in the years following. Sometime after Solstice ran away in her teens, an old college friend moved back to town, and they ended up starting a business together.

This is Sol's father. Originally, he was blond, but while redesigning him, I ended up liking the brown hair instead. I held a poll to decide the color, and most people seemed to agree with the decision to change his hair color to brown.

After the divorce, Icarus visited Solstice as often as he could and was always spoiling her with treats and toys. Around the time Sol was 9, Icarus left on a trip to Gowoa to hunt down a group of rouge vampires. But while on the job, they overwhelmed him, captured him, and tortured him for days. Eventually, they left him for dead, half-turned at the bottom of a canyon. A group of the Vampire Queen's guards found him while hunting down the same rouge vampires,. They took him back to their base to treat him.

As a newly turned vampire, he wasn't allowed to reenter society until he could control his bloodlust and swore fealty to the Vampire Queen. Although contact with his family wasn't forbidden, it was discouraged for newborns, as many choose to leave behind their old lives completely after the first year. After the year isolation, he ultimately chose not to go back home and let his family and friends believe he had passed.

Since then, he joined the Queen's guard and is currently the vice-captain. Fun fact, he actually knew Equinox as a kid, and was often assigned to guard over the three younger princes whenever they would visit the Vampire Queen's castle.

This is Leona. She's known Icarus since they were kids, and although she had feelings for him, it remained unrequited. They both went into the bounty hunter business together after high school. Icarus for a career, and Leona to pay for her college courses. Sometime in college, she met Hanna and they became close friends. Leona is actually the one that introduced the two.

After her graduation, Leona stayed with the guild and worked her way up to the administrative part of the Hunters' Guild, eventually becoming the head of one of the local branches. Sometime before Icarus' marriage, their relationship began to change into a romantic one. He considered breaking off with Hanna, but Leona convinced him otherwise due to her own guilt.

When Solstice was born, Hanna was very close to the family, even being given the name of "Auntie." Once the affair was discovered, her friendship with Hanna completely dissolved, and although she tried to apologize, Hanna made it clear she never wanted to see her again. Meanwhile, she and Icarus tried to continue their relationship, but they eventually broke up. By the time he disappeared, she hadn't heard from him for months. She regrets ever engaging in the affair and wishes she had been a better friend to Hanna.

When Solstice first entered the Hunters' Guild, Leona tried to take her under her wing, much to the girl's resistance at first. But due to Leona's guidance, Solstice's skills as a bounty hunter quickly progressed, even surpassing more seasoned professionals. She keeps an eye on her even now, but tries to maintain her distance if possible.

Last, but not least... these are Sol's paternal grandparents— or at least concept designs for them. Since Icarus' color scheme has changed, I needed to figure out where Solstice's blonde hair came from. So I quickly designed Icarus' parents. His father, Castor, is somewhat relevant, so I'll give him a more fleshed out design eventually.

Ayla died when Icarus was very little. Her death resulted in Castor being very distant with their son. They haven't spoken since Icarus left home at 18, and Icarus openly says that he hates his father. Castor does not know about Solstice.

Anyway, that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed character designs and backstories. 👍⭐

[jkl-fff]

Sacred game time: if you could make a religion, what rules/guidelines would you dictate its followers to follow?

(Religions in this case don't need to have a God, and can even be anti-theist, as in directly apposed to a God)

My first inclination was to be a bit flippant. However ... I decided I actually want to give this some sober reflection ...

Renunciation of the pursuit of wealth. Instead, knowledge and wisdom and health are to be sought as true riches. Studying anything is a spiritual practice, for the mind and the spirit are one. Fun physical activity, too, for the body and the spirit are also one.

Appreciation of the natural and regional world. Meaning local flora and fauna and indigionous populations are to be studied, protected, cultivated, and celebrated as part of a more universal appreciation of nature and humanity's rightful place in it.

Community and communal service. It is not enough to renounce wealth, but to help the less forunate through individual and organized acts of service. After all, we're not parochial puritains, but people who live among the people.

Political action dedicated to the freedom and enfranchisement of all peoples, regardless of if they're member of this religion or not. My religion is not to abstain from politics (a foolish and ultimately impossible task), but to loudly (and forcefully if need be) oppose fascism and oppression.

Since a religion needs holidays, I'll say we have feast days on the solstices and equinoxes with a sermon about one of the four above principles. And particular traditions about celebrating to be developed later. Each one is to be preceded by two days of communal service (the congregation arranges something to do together, compared to encouraging individuals and groups to do perform service the rest of the time). Regular "worship" involves a weekly physical activity together for health and meditative purposes (I like martial arts, but aerobics or dance or hiking or swimming or anything like that would be good), followed by a period of fellowship and discussion in smaller groups to share what's been studied/learned in the past week.

We would worship no deity, but venerate the divinity found in various exemplars who had exemplified one of the above principles. Anyone could be an exemplar, though, from mythological figures to the most mundane of creatures. The idea would be that it isn't the person, real or fictional, but the virtue they demonstrated. Jesus and Anansi, Marie Curie and that crow who helped another crow, etc.

[zerogate]

In the early 1970s, a zoologist out hunting for the haunts of Britain’s last small colonies of horseshoe bats, happened to pass one such group of standing stones on his way home in a spring dawn, and noticed something peculiar. He was equipped with an ultrasonic detector to monitor the high frequency sounds of bat navigation, and was startled to find a strong signal coming from the ancient site. It was a rapid and regular pulse unlike anything he had ever recorded before. He searched the area for signs of life, but found nothing and left just as the sun came up, with the slightly uncomfortable feeling that he had been eavesdropping on some megalithic conversation amongst the stones themselves.

The zoologist mentioned his odd experience later to the writer Paul Devereaux, who in turn passed it on to the Institute of Archaeology at Oxford where it reached the ears of a research chemist. Don Robins is one of a small group of scientists – physicists, geologists and electronic engineers – who call themselves the Dragon Project, after the active energy currents which are said to illuminate a landscape in Chinese geomancy. The group are interested in the factors which led those who built stone circles to such tremendous efforts, which clearly stretched the “macro-chip” technology of their day to its limits. The Project members wondered, when they first got together, whether there was anything special about the sites, some physical factor which could be measured. An anomaly, perhaps, in Earth’s electromagnetic field which produced unusual interactions with cosmic and solar radiation.

The problem they faced was which end of the spectrum to begin their explorations, and the zoologist’s story was just the hint they needed. A sensitive wide-band ultrasonic detector was constructed and field-tested for the first time in 1978 on the Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire.

Rollright is not a major megalithic site like Stonehenge or Avebury, but it is little visited and much revered. It has a circle of approximately seventy-three stones called the King’s Men – rumour has it that they keep moving and can’t be accurately counted; traces of several other circles; the Kingstone – an isolated menhir; and a collapsed dolmen known as the Whispering Knights, whose capstone was once dragged down the hill to be used as a bridge across the stream, until, it is said, it too kept moving and had to be returned.

Robins arrived at Rollright before dawn on a foggy morning in late October that year. “I walked around the site,” he said, “clutching the detector rather self-consciously, fully prepared to pretend that it was a transistor radio should I encounter a stray visitor. The detector showed a flickering, minimal background, but in the vicinity of the Kingstone I observed a rapid regular pulsing. This ultrasound effect was noticeable for some yards around the Kingstone … and faded soon after dawn.”

Encouraged by this finding, the group built an even more sensitive detector designed to exclude all possibility of radio interference and stray signals from local energy sources or geological faults. And they put it into action all year round. On streets and bridges, in gardens and woods nearby, there was never anything more than weak and random background noise. But at Rollright there was a consistent pulsing which could be measured near dawn on any day, regardless of weather conditions, and which rose to an ultrasonic screech lasting for several hours on those mornings in March and October which coincide with the feasts of equinox. And there are records of equinoctial rites being held at Rollright even in historic times.

[...]

At other times, the stones seemed almost to be creating an ultrasonic barrier. “This was the weirdest thing,” says Robins:

You always have a background of ultrasound in the country – the movement of grasses, leaves rustling, even your own clothing. It all registers. But one morning, as we moved in and out of the circle monitoring the levels, suddenly we found that there was complete ultrasonic silence inside the circle. Our first thoughts were that it was an instrument malfunction. Then we walked through a gap in the stones and there was sound. Inside, silence – outside, normal background levels.

-- Lyall Watson, Beyond Supernature

[felidaefatigue]

Native plant miniprints posts part five! These prints will be available on my etsy on the equinox, m.20 2023.

Since part of why I wanted to work on this project is that I wanted to learn more about familiar, local plantlife (I'm on treaty 7), I figured I should share some of that information while posting them. Of you have any other information about these plants please share!

Mountain Hollyhock, Iliamna rivularis - Related to okra and hibiscus as a mallow, which is exciting to me because I want to see if it can be used as neri in papermaking - Like a number of our native species it needs heat to germinate, and is often prolific after a fire. - Though ironically it's primarily found by mountain streams.

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, Peritoma serrulata - Can be a little stinky but VERY attractive to pollinators and great for bee keepers for honey yeilds - Used for a yellow green dye

Rosey Pussytoes, Antennaria rosea - Gets its name from looking like fuzzy toebeans - Interestingly, most groups are clones and the mostly reproduce through apomixis meaning the seeds are unfertilized- so its pretty rare to find male flowers.

find the rest of the posts here, including any future additions:

1/2/3/4/5/(tbc)

[identityarchitect]

6 & 10 of the oc ask game forr awakening winters perhaps :0?

Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?

hmm. id honestly say immovable, but he disagrees with a lot of the laws that the ancients had and substitutes his own.

What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?

oooh uh. i imagine fibres of silence may have spoken to him many times and he probably lied to them, so maybe that? and no it doesnt haunt him. he believes that whatever is necessary to find the solution is moral, and anything that prevents finding it is immoral, so in his view he was perfectly justified lying to fibres of silence to stop them from trying to stop him finding the solution via peace

(ask game here)

[hilda-lying]

Iterators are stupidly hard to draw. More human-like than in-game portrayal bc i wasn't able to adapt canon well enough into my style

Welcome my favorite robotic child! Who i successfully traumatize throughout his storyline. Twice. Thrice, actually. He is senior iterator of Equinox Local Group

[queenlua]

on my drive home from work, i saw a giant bald eagle with an enormous tree branch in its talons

i flat-out thought i hallucinated it, because wtf is an eagle doing with nest material in late october

but i just saw someone post a photo of that exact eagle with that exact branch in the local birders’ group

so like.  whaaaaa?  i get that the whole autumnal-recrudence-of-the-amatory-urge is a thing, but, i thought that pertained mostly to singing/territorial displays, not nest-building, and also it seems a little late for that regardless (too far from the equinox)...

learn something new everyday

[nessaannepaints]

Coffee Crawl: A Diary Entry

I thought it would be interesting to document my day going around to locally owned restaurants and coffee shops to sample. They gave you a shot glass worth of whatever coffee they were promoting. So it’s not like I chugged a liter of coffee the whole morning with my handy cactus mug.

10 am- I arrive and get my punch card. The first place is already open for the first morning group session. It’s 30 degrees outside and sunny.

10:15 am to 10:30 am- I wait in line at the next shop. There is a little flurry of snow. It’s a small donut shop that is serving a cold breakfast brew. Normally I am patient but 1) I haven’t really had coffee 2) it’s freezing. This definitely was the longest wait and it wasn’t bad. This is one of those donut shops that serve outrageous eccentric donuts. I like this place but I wanted to go to this waffle place.

11 ish- I’m at the waffle place. They have these really good ice cream sandwiches made with hot fresh Belgian waffle quarters and you guessed it…outrageous ice cream flavors. Something to mention: the night before, I celebrated both St Patrick’s Day and the Spring Equinox. Also, I started my period the day before. So, I wanted that good crap kind of food. I devoured that mf. This older woman looked at me like I was some trash gremlin eating trash. But, she’s missing out.

11:45- I take a break from the coffee hunt. By now, I have had three shot servings of coffee (the waffle place added Baileys upon request) and one espresso shot. So I browse this small independent vintage bookstore. Trying not to give into temptation. As I am browsing, my heart is starting to race. Then I begin to sweat. But I refuse to go through the hassle of taking my heavy winter coat off. Finally, I purchase an art and music history book from the 1930s for $20. There was much to choose from. My first choice was a light brown, beautifully embellished book about tuberculosis (definitely published in the early 20th century). It was $80…and I am a cheap bastard. Then there was a geology book also $20 but as I read through, I started lacking interest. I want to go back to that store though. When I finally become rich and famous, I am coming back for the beloved tuberculosis book.

12:45- I start feeling light headed. So I sit at the brewery with a glass of water. And then get a breakfast beer with my ticket. The bartender is taking pictures of her favorite coffee mugs from customers. She takes a picture of mine.

1:20- I stop at a CBD+Hemp store. It’s small and a group of people come in. Fuck this, I’m out.

1:45- The final coffee shop on my ticket is a coffee lounge where you can chill out with rescued cats. Obviously you need to make a reservation to hang out with the cats. There was a 20 minute waiting period. By now, I have had four coffee shots, one tea shot, one stout, three small coffee related treats. As much as I would have loved to hang out with the cats, I decided to call it a day. There was also the risk of surprising Jewel with a sibling.

2:30- I make it back home. I am diedrayting and sleepy. So I drink two glasses of water before taking a nap with Jewel.

4:45 I wake up and drink more water. I also take a quick shower because I feel mildly disgusting. Tonight I am making myself some healthy dinner.

Overall, I actually had a wonderful time. We don’t get to visit this part of town very much so it was a treat to check out the shops and restaurants.

Seriously, support local businesses.

[fenrirswood-hq]

MARCH FULL MOON

IC DATE: 5th of March till the 7th of March OOC DATE: 3rd of March till the 17th of March PARTICIPATION: mandatory THREADS OUTSIDE OF EVENT: allowed! TAG TO USE: #fenrirworldserpent

The curfew is no longer in effect, and the fog is gone, the world seems to be… normal again. Or so the local people think, as they prepare for the March Equinox and Easter. The Supernaturals instead are once again at a loss where to prepare and what to prepare for. They were unable to stop ten people from falling asleep. Fourteen individuals are now resting in the hospital, fast asleep, unable to be woken by science or magic. And everyone fears what will happen next.

Witches and Werewolves alike are called together at the evening of the full moon, gathering in groups at the Lords Woods, coming together or alone, joining with the same dread. They all know and understand their first attempt at stopping the killer has been thwarted, so they face uncertainty once again. What’s next?

The answer comes as the Supernaturals gather. One of their numbers is missing. One of their numbers hasn’t shown up and isn’t answering.

ooc: this is an interactive event! You have been teamed up in the discord to answer three riddles, once those have been answered a channel in the discord will open and it will be revealed who has gone missing. One character of every member is allowed to participate, and you get to decide! There is also another team up for the day of the full moon, and those can be found below, as well as the FIVE and the SEVEN.

THE TEAM-UPS:

You both know it's full moon, and you both know something could happen, but one of you knows about the supernatural and the other is still in the dark, will you figure out together? Topher Romijn & Zach Quinn

You heard something in the woods, just before you went over the barrier, just before you disappeared under the canopy. You stood still for ten minutes, until a second person joined you. Now you're both hearing something, time to investigate. Evanora Ray & Axel Sullivan

Get some more supplies they said, go back into town they said. Sure, sure, you leave the woods again with a freaking grocery list and you're dragging this wide-eyed stranger behind you. Handsome, but not a witch nor a werewolf. Why?! Reza Harris & Sunil Kota

It makes sense that you're going there together, but it's funny as well. You know him as the owner of the pub that supposed to be your direct rival. You feel weird doing it as well. The three of you have to make due, splitting up now would make no sense at all. Nishant Dosi, Oh Chung-Ae & Rudy Alvaro Perez

You don't want to baby-sit, technically this is not baby-sitting, but you feel rather awkward taking this new person with you, especially during this full moon. You've heard your Alpha's talk, you know something could happen tonight: someone could disappear. Joel Edgar Rojas & Seraphine "Sena" De Belay-Candella

You're taking care of the newest witch. That's how Helia put it at least, a new witch, whatever that means. But you're too worried, you've been hearing horses, you think they're here, you think something is going to happen... Can you take him along? Roxanne "Roxy" Alleyna & Casey Connor

THE SEVEN DREAMERS:

OH CHUNG-AE ZHYAN SURI REZA HARRIS AXEL SULLIVAN OPEN OPEN OPEN

THE FIVE DREAMERS:

ALDEMAR RAMEEK NISHANT DOSHI JOEL EDGAR ROJAS OSIRIS JABBER OPEN