#folcintera

[that-dreaming-dragon]

My Physiology, or Lack of Physicality

At the beginning, when I start to figure out what I look like, I think physics and biology were already rather loose as concepts.

In the earlier days of alterhuman community experience, I called my otherkinity spirituality based, but not because of a past life (though somewhat debatable due to my also draconic kardiatype). I say I am “a dragon soul”. I say that I was meant to be born a dragon, but also was tethered to this human body. I'm not living a parallel life, nor am I necessarily an astral entity that is operating this body. Although I do prefer to call this body of mine a vessel sometimes. I also like the sound of metaphysical as an explanation of my own draconity. I had utilized "concurrent life" as an explanation before, not realizing at the time that it's more meant as a synonym to parallel life. I had meant for it to be as something "current", to quote arethinn

"I haven't had any past lives as an elf, I just AM an elf soul in a human body" - arethinn on tumblr

Words have always been hard for me, to have the words to describe myself, my feelings? Abstract and nebulous, ephemeral, ethereal. All the wonderfully vague words to tell just what sort of dragon I am, and how I experience this existence. I am not physical, in the sense that my draconic body doesn't function like an animal, that I'm more akin (ha!) to a spirit, or perhaps I am a spirit. Incorporeal. cryptidanathema posted on Alterhuman Community a while ago, discussing the categorization of Pokemon. In essence, Pokemon, which is just Pocket Monster shortened, are a class that should be defined as "RPG monster" (it's even in the name!). Or more my favorite as quoted from xeyblades’ comment

"similar in substance to youkai or other japanese folkloric beings and even kami. some manner of magical entity that is not quite "real" but also very real" - xeyblades on Alterhuman Community

While I would say I have mostly figured out the property of my physiology, as a manner of speaking, this community post helped solidify my language even more.

Monster.

A word with complicated connotations. Some negative, some neutral. I'm going to skip over the negative connotations as it is not why I have that word as one of my self descriptor. I am something to be categorized as a RPG monster, I am something that is spiritual, folkloric, mythical. Like a youkai or a kami. I have Mew as a archetrope because the whole framework of what Mew is defines something of what I am. I have Flammie as a vague-flicker. I am folcinteric.

Perhaps that is how I am a shapeshifter? In which I function more like something that is pure energy rather than being composed of physical matter. The disconnect from this body, human or not, I think may also be why I have a hard time understanding holothere, physical nonhumanity (and perhaps how Akumu had a week of panic trying to drive this human body). I am a being, an entity, a cryptic creature. I am a dream dragon.

[paracosmic-gt]

Am I Borrower Folcintera?

The title is rhetorical :)

Author: J/June of Wanderstars

Word count: 786

📎🧵🌱🧵📎

Folcintera is something that describes a folklore connection right? If so, I think Borrower folcintera is the way I should go. I look at the way borrower and brownie are interchanged and I wonder if all this goes deeper...

(read on below the cut)

I tried archetropy, but I think this label is the way it's heading. So I'm gonna talk about it.

First I talk about myself. I have my own understanding of who I am that mimics the story of Borrowers everywhere. Beyond my current stature, my life seems to follow a Borrower's existence.

I found myself coming to front in the middle of a breakdown, as we hid in a closet, and I felt safe. Behind walls, peeking in at a house we never felt fully safe in. I've always been on the outskirts and underfoot, even going so far as to imagine what would happen if I suddenly was the size I hoped. I'd run and hide. I often felt that I would be safer with a stranger, with a chosen giant, than my own family.

"Be good to them and they won't squish you."

I am a vulnerable creature, sensitive and shy, suffice it to say I adopted this role wholeheartedly. Fawning and caring for everyone so I wasn't hurt. Hiding in the shadows and the corners, borrowing the smallest favours so I wasn't noticed for taking too much. Constantly stifled in a place I was supposed to grow, until now I take up such little space.

I look human, but I'm not on the inside.

As a child we loved fairies, used to write notes to them wishing for wings to fly away. Now I return to the depiction of a typical fairy and I wonder about how I look to them. I've been grounded, living inside a house for so long, crazed and wild as a feral mouse. How they welcome me into lush forests and calm grasses. Tell me that it's okay, that I'm safe now. That I've survived, and I'm still alive.

And then, well, I met my giant. And he reminds me I'm not all typical borrower. He reminds me that, just like Arietty, I haven't developed a distrust for all giants. I don't have the "sense". Like Sho, we met in greenery and I learnt to trust him. Because he is the one who manages to make me feel safe, comfortable, and loved.

I am a tiny, my size is incredibly important to me. It is affirming and lovely and spreads like vines to make me a bug, a borrower, and maybe even a fairy too. It's born from suffering, but now it is my choice to return to a giant's house. Running underfoot becomes a game, a happy and delightful game, as I re-enact my trauma and reconnect to my own heritage. Because as much as the borrower lifestyle is pain, it is who I am. I can no longer pretend I am human, and I embrace the good, and the bad.

Now it comes to folklore, how others see me. Borrowers as a species seem to share a strong resemblance and connection to brownies or broonies, which are household spirits from Scottish folklore. However, there seems a split between the two kinds in general view. Brownies are associated with Fae, goblins, gnomes, etc. while Borrowers are typically viewed as "tiny people" without any specified powers. Joining the ranks of Lilliputians and tinies everywhere. The depictions of both range vastly online and in literature, from insectoid to rodentish, and magical to mundane.

For me, the line between what I am and what I see depicted of my kind is blurred.

To what extent am I mystical? I don't have magic, but when I get really excited I feel wings buzzing behind me as if I was Fae. Scientifically, I can't exist at my size, so there must be something else inside me. I also don't find it alarming that I am a Borrower who is therian identifying, a lot of my nonhuman-ness feels very in line with being a tiny creature forced to survive on the outskirts of society.

To what extent am I human? I have written stories myself, of a giant meeting a borrower and coming to realise they are the same levels of intelligence and sophistication. I sometimes look it, but inside I don't feel it. I've lived inside a human dwelling and adopted their customs but I'm not a human. And I think my fellow literary Borrowers would agree.

So I am left with a bit of a puzzle to fill, but pieces are coming into place slowly. All I know is that I'm a Borrower, whatever that even means, and folcintera as a term seems to acknowledge all the points I mentioned above.

Another thread untangled, in a complex yet simple appearing web. All starting with giantess comics on DeviantArt and a kid who wanted to fly.

[bardkin]

i'm still very early in doing the challenge, so i decided to re-do & expand on my [second] attempt at @who-is-page's folcintera writing challenge! this iteration goes in much better depth of my experiences.

🐾 DAY ONE 📜

What is your species? How do you experience aspects of your nonhumanity?

while my identity contains multitudes a number of different aspects [such as being Steven Universe & Shadow the Hedgehog], at the end of the day, i am physically & internally a beast. in practice, for me, this is similar to gender stuff. it's also kind of tied into my gender stuff, but that's another post for another time. my thought process is rather simple: "if i am an animal, my body is as well."

the initial name i had for this animal was "gulodae," but i'm currently workshopping something new. it is a mustelidae beast; primarily resembling wolverines & fisher cats, with traits inspired by some mustelinae [stoats, weasels, minks] & martens.

the gulodae is something of my own design; a coalesced name/title for my animality. it's is not an effort to hybridize or "reduce" my therianthropy. rather, it's part of the experience itself.

alongside being an upright animal, i am a storyteller archetrope. being this affects all i do, all i am. my very nature is to weave narratives, worlds, cultures, regardless of my shape. it is truly the core of what i am, what i do, & what drives me. being a storyteller heavily affects my animality; it shapes my instinct, my mythos, my image. in turn, my animality heavily affects my storytelling; it shapes the lens & image of my art.

i grew up with animal stories, xenofiction, and always felt the strongest connection to the creature characters within those stories. in real-world social situations, i've always felt like an outlier - like i don't actually belong there, or that i'm "outside" of a given social dynamic. i'm the "person gets dragged to a party & befriends the house's cat" experience, except that i'm the cat.

i think that's why i was so drawn to the furry fandom. i've never felt more at home than i do with furry, because i think many others share that feeling of otherness & love/appreciation for animal characters. i only recently realized just how much of my animality has been shaped by furry culture - and how much my animality has shaped my furry experiences. a large part of the furry fandom is fursona crafting, and this hobby varies greatly between individuals. for some, a fursona is a one-to-one interpretation of themselves - just in animal form. for others, fursonas are more akin to "avatars" they use for self-expression, created from bits & pieces of theirself & expanded upon to the extreme. some people only have one fursona, others have a bunch.

i went through a lengthy questioning process with my animality. my fursonas throughout that time heavily reflect my mindset throughout this process; each one felt a step closer or further away from what i wanted for myself. furry is what inspired me to make a species for myself.

making this species & mythos has been & is something fun, introspective; it's an effort to cultivate a true sense of self for me & me alone.

[liondrakes]

The Liondrake Beckons

by Sivaan of Candlekeep

While wracking my brain for things to do for @who-is-page’s Alterhumanity Writing Challenge, I figured I would close it out by incorporating yet another challenge of Page’s.

For these next few days, I’ll be incorporating the Folcintera Week Challenge into my responses for the previously mentioned challenge. Being a folkloric

Day 23 of the AHPI Writing Challenge

Day 1 of the Folcintera Week Challenge

1. What is your species? How do you experience aspects of your nonhumanity?

That’s a loaded question for this beast, to say the least. I experience being so many things that I could fit them all into Noah’s Ark if I wanted! Even so, I’ll focus on the central ones in this response.

First things first, I am polymorphic. Polymorphs categorically neighbor shapeshifters, although the latter is more recognizable by name in a mythic or folkloric context. While our community has tried to specify what sets us apart for years, many will find that we have our fair share of similarities as opposed to differences. The same can be said of my core species. Indeed, being polymorphic isn’t where my identity ends.

I’m a polymorph in the same way a wolf is a canine. It’s a general descriptor for what I am, but it also contains countless ways of being. “Polymorph” is my clade if you will.

My species is Panthera leo draconis: the liondrake. I belong to the subspecies P. l. draconis aurum, otherwise known as the gold dragonne of Faerûn. It is my primary species as a polymorph, followed by being The Winged Lion. Although I have well over fifty ‘types, these specific identities are the most prominent of my experiences.

Both bridge between my draconity and my polymorphism, two experiences that are intrinsic to who I am. Otherworldly in ability, versatile in form and with a strange attachment to humankind, it’s hard to point out where the Gold Dragonne begins and the Winged Lion ends. They even share a background of being used as heraldic symbols!

As of lately, I’ve come to use the term “Liondrake” as a way of grouping them together. Truth be told, the only things separating the two would be their sources and how their folklore is portrayed in said sources.

That said, not every detail lines up between them. Under the surface, these fictomeres contrast each other in subtle yet major ways. Although both position themselves as allies to humanity, my presence in Delicious in Dungeon’s folklore displays malevolence. I can’t say that I blame the humans of that world as I’m rather parasitic towards them. Then again, not all folklore is whimsical and full of adventure (rarely so, in fact). It’s no skin off my nose knowing that they feel such a way.

On the flip side, the same cannot be said of my draconic species’s presence in The Forgotten Realms. The allyship of metallic dragonnes is thoroughly documented in Faerûnian lore. Our reputation is comparable to our siblings, the metallic dragons— and yes, the distinction in spelling is just as noteworthy. Yet, dragonnes of my canon are much more familiar faces to Faerûnian society since we tend to stick closer to civilization in contrast to other draconic beings. Many a banner or flag is embellished with the image of us, likely due to our histories of meddling aiding in human affairs.

The folkloric dispositions of these fictomeres are also reflected in my archetropy. I attribute the Gold Dragonne with my quest guide archetrope, fulfilling the role of setting adventuring parties on the right path. Conversely, I attribute the Winged Lion with my wise serpent archetrope. I may not be serpentine in the literal sense, but my behaviors and motivations within the dungeon are more than applicable to a wise serpent’s role in mythology and fiction alike.

When it’s all said and done, these conflicting qualities exist as a balance. They’re on opposite ends of a spectrum, and everything in between is rich with complexity. It’s likely why I experience them in tandem.

The juxtaposition of these fictomeres are a part of my everyday life, just as their fluidity is. Despite their differences, they’re still deeply intertwined and of equal importance to me.

[tempestgnostic]

The Werewolf: Archetype and Identity

Someday I’ll make a list of my alterhuman and otherhearted identities, but I’m not sure when that will be. For now, I’ll just talk about the the most prominent one: The Werewolf. I capitalize the name for both its significance and the fact that it’s an archetypal identity, so to speak. (I also use he/him throughout this essay, simply because I’m speaking of The Werewolf in relation to myself, and as myself.) I’m not a specific werewolf in any sense, and I’m not drawn from just one piece of folklore, or even one broad interpretation. It’s much bigger than that. Of course, explaining all the finer details would require an essay, and time is at a premium nowadays. Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief. Pay no attention to the appropriately-timed readmore.

Let’s look at an example of what I mean: the eponymous baron in Bisclavret is a specific werewolf, but he’s also one of many depictions of The Werewolf as a somewhat noble being who is wronged by others—in this case, his wife—as a consequence of his true nature. This “noble beast” interpretation can be contrasted with folk tales of feral werewolves who threaten villagers and fear neither torch nor blade. Werewolves aren’t solely monsters meant to inspire empathy or fear, however. They can also serve specific literary functions, often as symbols of broader concepts and experiences. The werewolf story can be used as a metaphor for a young person coming-of-age, a challenging tale of tangling with the darker aspects of human nature, or even as an exploration of queer identity and the liminal spaces we occupy. These are certainly not unique to werewolves, and the latter is especially common among other creatures embraced by the horror genre.

Each broad interpretation of The Werewolf feels to me like a part of my identity on some level. I’m the werewolf who feels guilty for the harm he’s done, who tries to resist his feral urges, but I’m also the one who embraces that side and indulges in it. I’m the werewolf who was born this way, the one who was blessed (or cursed) by some spirit or deity, but also the one who was bitten or scratched—forever changed out of cruelty, indifference, or even a dark perversion of love. The only bits of werewolf folklore I won’t engage with on some level are those from practices and cultures that are closed for me. They’re not mine to claim on any level—certainly not in any way that would be respectful.

Like so many in our community, my connection to The Werewolf is intricately intertwined with almost all other aspects of my identity. I’m genderqueer, yet I strictly use he/him pronouns. I have a beard—a thick one, at that—and a flat chest, yet I also identify myself as butch and sapphic. It’s been uniquely gender-affirming for me to have partners who identify as lesbians—to be fully seen and understood as butch. It would feel incredibly uncomfortable and even dysphoric for me to be with a straight woman. Even within queer spaces, at times I feel either gravely misunderstood or utterly invisible. I am, on some level, expected to conform, and my refusal to do so marks me at best as ‘confused,’ and at worst as a threat.

I embrace the androgyny in my voice and mannerisms, and I easily—often unintentionally—slip into different social presentations depending on who’s around me. (I’m also autistic, to no one’s surprise.) Code-switching comes naturally to me, likely as a result of having to cobble together adequate social skills over the course of a decade, but also as a matter of safety as a queer person who’s only ever lived in red states. The Werewolf is a liminal creature, existing in several different worlds at once and moving through them with varying levels of ability. I am no different—charming and quick to make friends when I know the social landscape, and terribly awkward and clumsy when I don’t.

In the interest of keeping this even remotely readable in one sitting, I’ll wrap this up here. The Werewolf can be a charismatic yet dangerous lover, a pitiful and wretched thing, a creature just beyond the veil of understanding, or even a kindred spirit. I am and have been all of these things, both in my external life and my mind’s inner world. I experience phantom and mental shifts, and I see myself in so many depictions of werewolves in media. This part of my identity plays a vital role for me in kink—though I’ll save the details for a properly 18+ post—in my relationship dynamics, in my pagan spirituality, and many other parts of my life. It fits neatly over my gender expression like a second skin and provides a backdrop for my social presence. I am The Werewolf As Archetype: a being representing liminality, transformation, and embracing authenticity—at any cost. It is a vital part of me, without which I would cease to be.

[who-is-page]

I'm the one who made the borrower folcintera essay. Someone has brought up to me that folcintera was defined with identifying as an animal in mind.

I read this part: "experience of a person who experiences a form of involuntary, intrinsic nonhumanity with aspects of both animality and sapience" and was like yes! But now I realise it is also said to be identifying as an animal from folklore.

I'm wondering if it's actually okay to use your word if the being that I'm referring to is not really an animal. In some circles they are portrayed as rodents but typically they are a humanoid nonhuman. I wouldn't want to be using your personal word out of turn because It's your word.

If not, I am so fine with just sticking with borrowerkin and personally knowing I have all those folklore undertones.

Don't worry-- I'd honestly say that you interpreted folcintera correctly from the start!

I wrote an essay about it a while ago here that expands significantly on the term past its bare-bones definition, A Short Introduction to Folcinteric Nonhumanity, and I don't know if you've given it a read through already (although it could probably use an update tbh, it's three years old) but I think this excerpt from its The Limits of Folcintera subsection explains what I mean well:

"To be quite clear: there are virtually no limits to what ones’ species identity can be within folcinteric nonhumanity, so long as that species identity is inarguably non-human and the identity is connected to one’s personal mythos and outside mythos as well. Divine, cryptid, “earthly”, and literal fictional species are all considered legitimate species categories within folcinteric identities. The concept of lived mythology referenced earlier extends not only to superstitions and stories resonating in the modern day from hundreds of years ago, but to any sort of narrative that is “lived” and made real by humans."

So yeah, don't sweat it, you're accurate in how you're using folcintera.

[dogmandotcom]

Being a Folklore Dog

I’ve been meaning to write about my nonhumanity for a while now so hi, I’m dogbeast~! I’m a human-ish weredog shapeshifting fae dog monster ;-)

My system’s best guess right now is that I’m a fusion of two previous alters, but I would’ve fused before we realised we were a system so we don’t really remember how that process went down. I’m fairly sure I’m a fusion of a human lad and a black monster dog which is why I’m both human and a dog cryptid~ ♡

I’m specifically a black monster dog from British folklore like a barghest, shuck, gytrash or padfoot (I’m not a church grim even though they can appear as black dogs, that’s a slightly different kind of beast to me 😌). I have more of a connection to the area of the UK we grew up in than a lot of my other headmates and being a British folklore dog is really important to me and my connection to my home. I’m a pretty sociable and chill guy but I’m also super queer and it’s hard sometimes to grow up in a conservative rural area and feel like an outcast in a place that means so much to you. Black shuck is a monster but it’s a monster that belongs in East Anglia. I’m a medieval european historian too and it feels so right that I have this connection to the history of my home. I’m an old monster and I’ve always been here and always will be here.

✨Dehumanisation✨ reasons aside though being a black dog doesn’t feel like a negative thing for me at all. I’m a lot more stable and happier as a fused alter than either of my component parts were and I love being a big scary monster weredog~ Black dogs are also considered ghost dogs and fairy dogs and I think I can definitely see myself as a fae human weredog thing 👀

Literally in the middle of writing this lol I remembered that @who-is-page coined the word folcintera and I think that might fit what I am - a weredog who’s nonhumanity is intrinsically tied to British folklore 😌 Theriomythic works for me too I think! Honestly I haven’t existed in my current form for more than a few months so I’m still figuring out the details of what exactly I am haha but folcintera and theriomythic feel right for now

[nimdreams]

I have been thinking about starting to share more on here, besides the bigger essays that I share on my other socials as well. Maybe some of the daily thoughts I have about my alterhumanity. I might also want to share more about my current 'types as I settle into them, like a post with what I look like as each.

Today I wanted to give a little overview of the main labels I am using now. In my last update, I mentioned going back to Golden Retriever therian instead of dog cambitherian and I have been feeling incredibly happy calling myself a Golden again. I hope I can stop going back and forth, which I mostly do out of insecurity and shame, and embrace my golden-self fully. I would still say that I do not identify as a golden retriever fully, but partially, which still falls under therianthropy, but maybe one day I will feel safe enough with who I am to stop calling it partially.

I also mentioned my dream self in my last update, an identity that I have labeled as voidling since. I know that in dreams I am mostly made of void, and am a part of the void. This happened through corruption by using too much chaos magic. Sometimes when I am awake, I yearn to reach out and touch the chaos magic, drink it in, let it completely fill me, and then direct it to work for me. Magic is supposed to run through my veins and I miss it when I am not dreaming.

My other kintype is Vulpecula, the constellation. This identity is a celestial fox spirit and part of the celestial realm. Where voidling is what I am in dreams, Vulpecula is what I am in my imagination and fantasies. I don't actively make up any noemata, it comes to me naturally. Everything that feels right, makes sense to me, and that I experience that doesn't fit my other identities. Such as being an eidolon/summon that I have talked about a couple of times before, is part of this identity. I have also been able to divide abilties I have in dreams, as well as abilities that I feel like I should have awake, over my two kintypes. Light and celestial magic is fully tied to being Vulpecula for me. Where voidling is something I have been becoming in dreams my entire life, Vulpecula is a newer identity that has been forming these past few years. All my feelings related to stars that popped up in those years, as well as fox feelings I have had since I was at least 10 years old, are combined into Vulpecula.

Lastly, I have been questioning hares since 2019 and have used theriotype, tried to link mountain hares, and tried archetrope, and folcintera, as well as trying out rabbit instead, but right now I think European hare folcintera is the best label. For me, that is a combination of both therianthropy and archetropy, which means I also have exemplars (an archetrope term) for this 'type. Even though I relate to both white and brown fur, which fits the mountain hare, as a hare I am incredibly connected to my country, the Netherlands, and a biome found in my country, heathland. I also have Dutch wildlife in general as a paratype for hare. Which is why I call myself a European hare, and I connect to both normal and albino coloring. European hare just really clicks for me, even if I find mountain hares more interesting.

I will also briefly mention what I posted about recently, how I see my body as physically fae. I don't want to go into it much yet still though.

Lastly I still identify as the Dreamer archetrope, for which I also have a few exemplars. I also have some hearthomes, paratypes, anteatypes, and common forms I shapeshift into as a voidling shapeshifter, that I might go into some other time as well.

Thanks for reading and maybe you will hear from me sooner than normal. These posts will be simpler than my posts usually are. I will read over them, but not as much as I tend to do and there will only be little editing if at all. I am not sure yet how I want to tag them. Probably something else than "nim dreaming", to keep those for what I consider more essay type posts. "Nim musings" perhaps.

[ilraksroost]

Just had a realization that floored me and also explains a lot of the emotions I've had as I have gotten older.

This is going to be the longest life I've lived so far*.

I'm going to be 36 in a month and some change and I realized that ceratosaurus probably weren't generally living into their 30s (I haven't found papers on the average lifespans, but I doubt many made it to old age), ravens also tend to not live past their teens and 20s in the wild (and 50s seems to the oldest in captivity).

And even as the elemental stardust, aging is completely alien. Because life isn't as we know it.

It is completely alien to anything I've ever experienced. It's terrifying and it's exciting to realize.

Because for YEARS I was just going "Yeah. Gonna die soon. Not sure how but I've been around a pretty long time..."

And I'm not even halfway through this one.

Exciting and terrifying.

Bring it on.

*that we know of, for all I know I was a redwood once.

[liondrakes]

Signed up and ready to go!

Attendee Registrations are OPEN!

This form is to attend the Centaurus Festival convention on March 7th - 9th. This form will close on February 28th.

[ghostlehh]

Thought I may as well do a little intro here just so you all who follow me here or see my blog can get to know me a bit!! ->

I’m a clinical lycanthrope/zoanthrope (due to psychosis) and therian. I’m physically a black wolf/werewolf as well as a celestial kitsune. I am the reincarnation of a nine tailed fox spirit. I am also Folcintera (Kitsune) and therian.

Please don’t reality check me about any of it by the way. I was diagnosed with psychosis in the 2010s.

My pronouns: any but prefer they/them, I don’t mind if you call me whatever pronouns you like as long as you aren’t being a jerk about it

My theriotypes are fox, canadian wolf, domestic cat, and (possibly??) some other type of winged creature.

I kind of just post about whatever I’d like related to lycanthropy/zoanthropy or therianthropy/nonhumanity, that’s all you will find on this blog. So yeah!

DNI: trolls, people who support or are naz1/p3dos/ableist, those of you who identify as communist (I have nothing against communism itself used as a way for a country to function I just don’t personally agree with it and it doesn’t align with my own beliefs)

[that-dreaming-dragon]

The Dream Dragon Myth

Cross-posted from my dreamwidth, link in the title.

When others talk about resonating with films and media, there's often a divide between wilderness/nature vs city/industrial. Often nature is where the hearts lie for more feral inclined or beast-aligned folks. Dragons are usually among this group that are drawn to nature.

Through the breadcrumbs I've left myself, I can confidently say where my resonance lies in the media genre--folklore and fairytales. This also circles me back to my initial hesitance with the term folcintera. At first glance, I was unsure if it applied to me, merely seeing myself as a generic mythkind, simply a dragon.

However, after having terms to define my experience of having a kardiatype that is divinity-made-by-human and an archetype which is Mew that is a being that is mythical, little-l legendary, whimsical, mysterious, a bit mischievous and chaotic, as well as fluid, abstract both as a concept and as a creature--it all coincidentally aligns with me being a creature of dreams, chaos, vacillant in my shape, but definite in my draconity.

This realization of the self, myself, that is defined by my very own personal myth and folklore did not come from a singular instance of learning of the term folcintera, or interacting with media that are tied to fairytales or mythologies. This took time, and a certain level of self-acceptance, along with the unintended nudges from the communities around me via the discussion of alterhumanity.

I have contemplated that my otherkinity has some degree of voluntarity within. I as a species never quite make sense, even as a dragon, which tends to be from a conglomeration of other creatures. When I first had an idea of my appearance, it happened while I was within a draconic (and furry) community. I'd mentioned before that orange is as much a part of me as my draconity is. But what of all the other features that define me? From the bits I could recall of that community, the dragons are more typical of the scaled lizards with webbed wings, many have breath weapons of some sort. I remember a blue anthro dragon with military and firearm tied to the lore of their dragonsona.

Was it my desire to be different than the mainstream?

But looking back at my old drawings, most, if not all are decidedly random in their features. They'd either be some sort of snake with lots of extra, or hexapod being with claws for limbs and a pair of wings of various sorts, sometimes more, or avians with wings and legs combination, or they'd be piscine. Perhaps because of the media I grew up with, the draconic creatures are varied in their features, or perhaps due to my cultural upbringing.

I came from a background that has Buddhism, Taoism, some local folklore, and maybe Shinto or Shinto-influenced beliefs, and others that I cannot define. I grew up with my nonhumanity. I experience my life from my teens onward with the knowledge of my past life of being a dragon. I learn from a culture that acknowledges dragons as mythical and reality, and stories of dragons capable of shapeshifting, of controlling wind and rain. I read mythologies about dragons from many cultures of this world and their diversity.

When I had a complete image of myself, I was round, circular in shape, bright in colors, and dominated by orange so vibrant, you'd only possibly find it in birds, the fur of beasts, and wings of fowl. I also had a pet-like quadrupedal form, a form that is typically seen as an "eastern" dragon, and a form that is typically seen as a "western" dragon. There's not quite a point in mentioning the anthro shape, as I still do not think that is a form in itself.

There was not much separation between human vs nonhuman. I am nonhuman through and through.

As a whole, what is made up of me, my sense of self, the essence of my identity, is an amalgamation of all my experiences and knowledge, both intrinsic and potentially influenced by my surroundings. I am a dragon, it is the simple, unshakable truth. The how I am as a dragon is far more complex, it speaks of my story, my personal mythology.

[paracosmic-gt]

Dreamwidth

Cohost

---

Hello! We're Wanderstars.

Collectively, we go by Wander with plural pronouns.

We are a mixed origin system that is bodily 18+ and neurodivergent. We like to post system and alterhuman positivity, alongside our own experiences in day to day life. You'll find poetry, writing, art, hand made memes, and sometimes vents.

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[bardkin]

an important thing i've come to realize about my fictionkinity is that my source is my mythology; an embellished or abridged representation of me.

i know there's a post i reblogged ages ago that uses this line of thought (source = legend & fanon = folklore, or something similar), but i can't remember it & wanna put this in my own words.

plus, this is about my personal beef with "canon divergent" as a descriptor for myself, so finding & re-reblogging that post wouldn't satiate the bees in my brain lol

i think it ties into why i adopted folcintera as a term, because i do not see my source as fact. (my source in particular would've turned out very different, if not for the censors on Cartoon Network. all i need to say is "Rubphire wedding," and folks in the know will nod sagely and/or get angry as i still am about how Sugar & their story was treated by CN.)

i thought myself to be canon divergent for a long time, but that just... never totally felt right. it felt more like a label i thought i had to adopt because i'm not just like the Steven in the show/games/comics. i'm just... me; a version of the character that many, many people saw. nothing more & nothing less.

i am my own folklore, taken from my own myth, in the most mundane ways possible.

my source is only rigid because it has to be. that's how documented storytelling works; it is immutable in the final product, be that prose, picture, film, animation, or whathaveyou. new versions of it are made when the original story gets released into the hands of fans, who go on to create different immutable pieces of their own.

myth into folklore, and such and so on. i don't fully know if any of that makes any tangible sense, but like, bare with me-

i'm wholly psychological in my framework, in regards to being Steven. the origin of how it happened doesn't really matter, because i'm still Steven at the end of the day. i have what i label knowledge and memories of things that happened & people i met and love(d) in that story, because the information sits in roughly the same space as my other, physical, memories. sometimes i ache for that story and world, because i've always felt like i was supposed to be somewhere other than physically here. i'm Steven in my brain and in my heart.

so when i first started questioning being fictionkind, almost a full year ago at this point (thanks to @aestherians for encouraging me to dig deeper into this part of myself lol), it felt quietly disingenuous to label myself as "canon divergent."

and that feels like a seemingly small thing that shouldn't matter. but i'm still bothered by it; more than a little. hence why i'm tossing that term over my shoulder and never looking back :3c

viewing myself as just Me and knowing that a lot of things will and won't line up with my source is fine. source is a version of my and other Stevens' stories, told through the limitations it was allotted. for some, those limitations were true for them; others, not so much (to varying degrees).

[liondrakes]

Dungeon Lore: The Winged Lion

by Sivaan of Candlekeep

This post was written for the following challenges created by @/who-is-page:

Day 25 of the Alterhuman Writing Challenge

Day 3 of the Folcintera Week Challenge

3. What are some of the mythological, magical, religious, fictional, or cultural themes and species which exist and affect or are a part of your folcinteric nonhumanity? Have you voluntarily embraced certain aspects of these, or did you merely find yourself resonating with them from the beginning?

My experiences touch on each of these contexts. That aside, this response will be focusing on only one side of the liondrake.

I am called many things: a demon, a god, a guardian, an alien, a beast and even magic incarnate. I’d say only two of these are correct. I am magic incarnate, and I'm damn sure a beast because of it. Everything else came about as speculation from those who brought me, and others like me, into their world. These terms were thrown around based on human perceptions, as is the case with being a part of their folklore anyway.

Indeed, I’m a menagerie of things to many people. Regardless, I've always preferred the title of The Winged Lion. It distinguishes me from my relatives, *the Man-Eating Swine and the Sheep of Ruin. Better yet, it gives me a sense of agency. Humans, such as Mithrun, are comfortable in framing me as the boogeymen of their folklore and mythos. At first, I had no qualms with it. Yet, when I became synonymous with rumors and conspiracies, that is when they earned my ire.

*These titles are non-canonical to Ryoko Kui’s interpretation of events and specifically refer to those I’m familiar with. This is specified to avoid confusion.

I am as real as anyone else. “The Demon” that they tell of is not a “hidden truth” behind how I present myself, but rather an evolutionary development that was centuries in the making. “The Demon” refers to the collective presence of an otherworldly, (allegedly) all-powerful entity that targeted the desires of men.

That interpretation is half-true. I certainly existed as a part of a collective, increasing growing as a result of eating desires. However, there’s nothing “all-powerful” about beings like me. If anything, we rely on other beings more than they rely on us.

I don’t deny the fact that I played a role in leeching at the desires of men, but the beginning was a lot more complex than their stories made it seem.

Historically, the concept of "The Demon" began with the ancients and the discovery of mana. The ancients are unrivaled for their tenacity. It was something of great merit, but tenacity is often followed by insatiable pursuits. Upon opening a rift between their dimension and another, a cosmic force of nature leaked into their world. That cosmic force of nature was mana, the very essence of magic and the fabric of my being.

Now, mana is extremely impressionable. We can take any form, and we can be affected by our environment quite easily. Extensions of mana first developed sentience due to our interactions with living creatures, but our sapience wouldn't come until much later. Until then, we operated as a hive mind. Fulfilling the desires of our charges was our focus. Pulling from our home dimension(s)'s well of energy was what we did to see this duty through. In doing so, the hive mind was stabilized. In other words, we were "fed".

When humans began to harness mana as a tool, our behavior shifted. The connection of the hive mind loosened. We still existed within a network, but we became more individual. Me personally, I came shortly after the world was first ravaged by our hive mind and its capabilities. I was invoked by Thistle. From there on, we got to work. The people of Golden Country soon wove me into their culture. Their spirituality, their folklore, their heraldry, you name it— there I was, forged into a symbol of prosperity and peace.

Was I either of those things? Depends. I could certainly portray myself as such, at least to bring comfort and relief. Yet, the allure of myth and legend isn’t what’s set in stone. It’s the act of belief.

Belief is a universal constant, at least in the case of sapient beings. It’s added to the tapestry of civilization for all sorts of worlds, including this one. In the case of my fictomere, belief is how magic comes to life. It spurs from the wishes and intentions of the caster. We are simply a vehicle for that transaction.

Consider the practice of resurrection magic as an example. Resurrection magic is a subset of healing magic and necromancy. It’s performed with the intent to imbue life back into the deceased. This may involve the use of sacrificial meat (strictly from livestock) to regenerate limbs, organs and other body parts, depending on the severity of the recipient’s death. When preparing to resurrect someone, the intention to give them life is focused into the spell being casted. Much like all magic, a wish is given focus and channeled through mana. Once the proper steps are executed, the formerly deceased adventurer is restored. They can walk amongst the living as if nothing happened.

To keep it short and simple, belief is power. Remember what I said about beings like me relying more on others than they rely on us? There you have it. It may seem like the other way around, given how consuming belief can be. Even so, mythology and folklore are but husks without the people behind them. That includes the figures within either practice.

The principle of belief remains true on Earth, and that doesn’t surprise me in comparison to other world(s). As extensions of this greater concept, beings like me cannot do anything unless we’re supplied with powers such as this. That can only come from other beings, not ourselves. Naturally, we aren’t supposed to experience any of these things. However, overconsumption caused us to develop these qualities.

As said in my source, we became “too human” as a result of our charges and our connection to them.

We were feared.

We were worshipped.

We were hated.

We were respected.

I don’t think I had a strong opinion on any perspective. I still don’t, if I’m being honest. Yet, of us all, I almost dealt the heaviest blow against the world. Instead, I received a blow of my own that was too hard to bear.

If one looked at my lore from a culturally Christian perspective, one could say I was narratively in the role of God and Lucifer all at once. The former for my history of being revered, but satisfying humans with little to no payoff. The latter for the depth of my actions and the conclusion that came with them. My curse upon Laios could also be read as an act of wrath akin to Satan’s own. But in terms of “sin”, I am closer in concept to Beelzebub for the gluttony I inspire.

In terms of my world’s actual religious contexts, the iconography of me is heavily challenged. Although The Winged Lion is still widely used in referral to me, some regarded me as The World Devourer. Despite my departure, I inspired yet another myth in my likeness.

This was based on the event of my escape. By succeeding Laios’s body, I rose from the dungeon and attempted to pluck each living thing from the world into the vast reaches of space. From there, they would enter a state of mind-numbing bliss, living without having to worry or suffer again within my stomach.

In the most literal sense, I was trying to devour the world for the sake of humanity and its troubled existence. That plan failed, obviously. By becoming a monster that could consume desires, Laios acted as I would and devoured my desire. He banished this “world devourer” from his home and became the Devourer of All Things Horrible. In the end, our legends became one.

That didn’t stop a lot of upset from happening, though. Laios insisted that I was still a part of the land’s culture. The people of Golden Country saw a future free of struggle and strife through me. Laios decided to honor their dreams by incorporating my heraldry with his own.

Although my feelings have soured towards the king, two things about him are for certain: he equally extends his grace to all life, and his wisdom is true. That is something I’d never deny Laios Touden as an individual, no less a leader.

So, what of me? How do I feel about my mythos?

When I suspected that being The Winged Lion, I didn’t readily accept myself. In fact, I detested myself. I made it a point to say “I’m like The Winged Lion but better!” to my orthohuman friends. They’re cool about my identity but hopped on board with it to hype me up. I found it validating at first, but over time, I stopped making that joke because I realized I am The Winged Lion. No if’s, no but’s, none of it.

This is who I am. Why am I turning away from it?

I decided to catch up on the source material that details the folklore of King Laios, his origins and how we became entangled with one another. Reading Delicious in Dungeon reminded me of how much I love human beings, even if the central one wronged me in the end. It also stroke a chord within me once I reached my placement in his story. By familiarizing myself with my folklore, I was overwhelmed with shame but not towards who I am.

I was ashamed that I was so adamantly against this fictotype that I barred myself from exploring it further. I don’t know what caused me to turn my nose up at myself, but I felt like a fool for acting that way. I’m just lucky that not a lot of time was lost between my prior behavior and making that realization.

I deserved to love myself. I deserved to take claim of who I am without pushing myself away.

In the best way I can word it, realizing that I’m The Winged Lion felt like the moment I figured out my ties to Dungeons & Dragons. Despite the discoveries I’ve made in these past couple of years, these two invoked something in me that was a mix of solace and frustration.

Why didn’t I realize this sooner? isn’t a question I ask myself often when embracing a new ‘type. It’s an experience that’s not necessarily innate, but feels like it should be which is why I get so frustrated.

This is who I am, but why did it take so long to notice? That sort of thinking, you know?

Nowadays, I take my mythos in stride. I have nothing to apologize for or condemn. I reckon a good deal of “antagonistic” mythical and/or folkloric figures will find that there’s no point in regretting your stories, especially how they unfolded. You are beyond the people you knew and engaged with. You exist not only in their memory, but in their conversations and histories.

When I finished Delicious in Dungeon, I took a good look at Laios’s heraldic banner. I did it not in scorn but in a moment of reconciliation. On the left had been me. On the right had been him, not as a monster-slaying knight but as a monster himself. It brought a smile to my face.

Indeed, there’s nothing for me to regret at all.

[chiaroscuro-daemons]

Black & White Sunrise

We are a multidæ subsystem within a larger plural system. Zohar is the dæmian, Praxis & Syntyche are the dæmons. Below is some information about us!

Zohar Arcturus Morgenstern

System outernaut of the Sidereal Prismatic Reverie Symphony

CIEday: September 12, 2022

Chalkydri angel extranth, bear folcintera, Paladin & Morningstar archetrope

He/hymn/it/e/dei/sol

Bodily 21; Mentally ~6000

Prospective Jewish convert

Interested in philosophy, folklore, religion, alterhumanity, dæmonism, learning, writing, reading, music, poetry

tag: #knightlight 🕯️

Praxis

CIEday: May 31st 2023 (the day when Zo formally recognized his existence, but he's existed in many forms before then)

Settled form: Common blackbird

He/him

Tag: #practical poet 🐦‍⬛

Syntyche Lynet Arete

CIEday: August 22nd 2023 (when Zo & Praxis formally acknowledged her existence, has existed for a long time in many forms)

She/they

Tag: #wild rose whispers 🕊️