#mossback

[xmas-infinite]

one of the last early 2022 designs is Slowturt, the Slowpoke Rival Monstar

Description:

"Often found laying in mud near marshes, layers of moss and aquatic grasses have accumulated on their head and shell. Shy in nature, Slowturt move so slowly that they end up causing others around it to slow down themselves. They have a strange rivalry with Rappit and always ends races at a draw."

Slowturt derives its name from SLOW and TURTLE and ends up being a counterpart to Rappit through their shares inspiration of The Tortoise and the Hare.

The Tortoise and the Hare is a famous Aesop's fable in which two animals, a hare and a tortoise, race each other. The hare is so confident about its speed that it takes a nap to give the tortoise a headstart, but ends up losing after it wakes up too late to catch up. Slowturt and Rappit take up the role of the two animals in this tale, but differs from the story by the fact that the two Monstars always end up in a draw when racing.

Slowturt's other influence is in softshell turtles, in which it takes its long neck and headshape:

-along with "mossbacks", a term used for snapping turtles who have accumulated moss along the backs of their shells from sedentary periods:

[c4rniv0re]

"holy ghost slipped away

don't be afraid to realign"

[morbidpaintz]

Formaldehyde by Mossback 🎶

[chthonicbeloved]

       josie looked at felix over the campfire. the day was winding down. she leaned forward resting her elbows on her knees. looking at him she smiled slightly as she cocked her head regarding him. everyone else had already gone off to bed leaving just the two of them. “it was a long day.” she said with a soft sigh as she looked at him with a cock of her head. “a good day i think though.” she added as she let out a soft sigh. “what did you get up to?” she asked with a small smile.

@arcaneloved​ 

[whatareyoudoingwithamaserati]

Hi. Sleuth’s verse in baphomet. No further comments

[bunny--manders]

PNW achievement: Went to the car wash and there was so much moss on the car that even that didn't get it all off.

[hotvintagepoll]

When I saw that Sessue Hayakawa was pitted against Sidney Poitier my heart sank, I hated to choose between these two hotties.

But then I saw that James Stewart was pitted against Toshiro Mifune and I went absolutely feral with panic. George Bailey staring down the Mifune Sweep?!? My poor heart! Come on everyone, give your votes to James Stewart the same way all the fine citizens of Bedford Falls gave their dollars to Ol’ Mossback George! Give him a fighting chance!

James Stewart vs Toshiro Mifune

[fledglingdoodles]

It happened again! The Mossback’s Northwest episode on WWI German Sabotage in Seattle I worked on has been nominated at this year’s Northwest Regional Emmys! 

This episode was such a blast (heh) to work on and it’s such an honor to be nominated again!

[cabaretofwords]

King Mossback - Hello From The Magic Tavern Season 5, Episode 1

Good to have you back boys!

[aislingsurrow]

⚓️ and 🐘!

Send ⚓️ to see them wearing or doing something associated with Limsa Lominsa.

Early morning trips to the Fisherman's Guild for the freshest catch of the day are common for anyone managing a business in Limsa Lominsa. But Edvard Surrow has to keep a close eye on his daughter when in the city- she tends to make promises she can't keep...

"I learned it as I slept. It'll be this big, Chuchuroon! With shimmering scales, like the moon on the water. And it'll jump! Fly through the air!"

"You have dream fish for Chuchuroon?

"Someday!"

"Someday is a day within a few?"

"I said, someday! First, I need to scare off a Mossback, beat back some pirates and their silly parrot, meet the Seedseer and the Flame General-"

"All this for dream fish? Aisling is good and dedicated fisherlady..."

Send 🐘 to see them wearing or doing something associated with Thavnair.

A trip to Radz-at-Han isn't complete without a stop by Ruveydah Fibers, and Aisling's mother Cecelia knows that. Her discerning eye is quick to find the high quality fabrics and...

"It will look beautiful on you, Mama," Aisling sings.

"Dearest, as a woman of age and experience in a fruitful marriage, I know I must have some discretion! My sweetest Eddy would surely have palpitations were he to see the receipt such a fine garment undoubtedly elicits from this establishment."

"Oh, and it will be pretty!"

"Such charms are fleeting, buttercup, when placed against the roaring passions of my love for your father! How could I agitate his already delicate constitution? His daughter running all-ways around the world and beyond, scaring him and her sweet mother-who deserves a fine gift for such bravery... and so does he!"

"What sort of gift?"

"A dress, of course!"

"For Papa?

"For me! And his gift will be to see me in it!"

(Done for the screenshot meme!)

[dakotaworldsketch]

Here’s a dump of some of the concept art I’ve made for my Homebrew D&D work I’m working on!

In the Withered Dreamlands (working title), the gods that created the world have all perished. They destroyed each other in a divine war that left the planet forever changed and filled with magic.

The tone of the world is whimsical high fantasy. My main inspirations are stuff like Adventure Time, Studio Ghibli movies, the Legend of Zelda, ect.

Photoslugs are gigantic slugs that are often seen in herds grazing on the planes. They graze not on the grass, but on the sunlight as they photosynthesize. I based these guys on irl leaf slugs :)

Here’s some concept sketches for a Haitian Vodou inspired nation in my world that I’m currently fleshing out. I’m really in love with what I’m coming up with so far.

Mossbacks are giant marine mammals that grow plants on their backs. I don’t have much on these guys yet but they’re based on IRL manatees!

[chroniclingworlds]

Occulates

Named for their mysterious nature, these creatures spend much of their time underground or underwater. All have much slower metabolisms than other Mollichordates, a trait that was originally assumed to be ancestral, but recent studies have shown that this is a secondarily evolved adaptation to their unusual lifestyles.

Mole-Worms:

Pictured: the common mole-worm, found across Axane.

Living beneath forests and plains, the blind mole-worms spend most of the year in a slow state, lazily burrowing and munching on tubivores and groundsnakes that they bump into. However, for about a month in early spring, they go into a frenzy. Their metabolism ramps up and they must eat constantly, hunting down anything that moves, and will even go after prey much larger than themselves (although this rarely goes well for them). During this period, they will also seek out other mole-worms to mate with. As they prepare to lay eggs, the frenzy subsides, and they return to slow-moving, docile creatures until the next spring.

Tubivores:

Pictured: the little black tubivore, found on the plains of southern Ejoa.

With a highly modified beak that essentially works as a straw, Tubivores have a highly specialized diet of exclusively tubies. After grasping and subduing the tubie with their powerful claws, the Tubivore slurps it up whole. These burrowers are surprisingly common across the planet and whole batches of them are accidentally upturned by farmers (who usually relocate them to a less inconvenient spot).

Fanged Flapjacks:

Pictured: the crater lake Flapjack, found in the lakes of the Interior Crater of Faon.

Much like a giant, aquatic version of the land flounders, fanged flapjacks burrow in soft mud of lake beds and rivers with just their eyes exposed, waiting for something to pass by. Unlike land flounders, their pharyngeal jaws are not lined with a sticky mucus, and instead lined with rows of thorn-like teeth to snag prey. Because their metabolisms are so slow, they can go hours without coming to the surface to breathe, making them very effective ambush predators. Caution must be taken when wading or swimming in freshwater, as a bite from a fanged flapjack can be quite painful.

Snappers:

Pictured: the Mossback Snapper, the largest species, native to the far northeast of Faon.

These hefty creatures only live in the dense forests of northern Faon, usually hidden under a loose layer of soil and leaf litter. Oftentimes they will even have plants growing on their shells, allowing them to blend in even better. They have very poor eyesight and seem to use movement and smell to detect prey. When a suitably sized animal wanders past, they launch forward and grab the unlucky creature in their bone-crushing beaks. They typically swallow the animal whole and then may not eat again for months. They have also been observed scavenging on carrion, which involves them hauling their massive bodies out of the dirt and dragging themselves towards the meal. Usually this only occurs under the cover of darkness, as leaving their shelter makes them vulnerable to other predators.

Snorkel-Back:

Pictured: the cerulean snorkel-back, the most commonly seen species, native to the Noxa Sea.

A strange offshoot of the Occulate lineage, these animals have taken to the sea. With undulating paddles, they slowly roam the oceans feeding on plants and gelatinous Amorpha, coming to the surface only to stick their double snorkel-like nostrils out of the water to take a breath. They are rarely encountered but have been sighted in seas worldwide, from tropics to the frigid northern reaches of the Suas Ocean.

[enderthevulpix]

So looking at the panels... Marvin called a group "mossbacks"... wonder who he's talking about?

[theanoninyourinbox]

maybe a concept for a Mistystar x Firestar au?

A Lore Ask? Ohohohoho yes please!

So to start, Thistleclaw figures out who the real father of Misty Stone and Moss is, and tries to start an interclan war over it, basically going hey you wet furbrains we have Riverclan kits nyeeehhhh. However Hailstar and Sunstar see through this and come to an agreement that pleases their warriors - after being weaned, the kittens go to Riverclan to be raised there, but Bluefur may visit them on occasion. The two clans become very close this way. When Rusty shows up, it’s to an elderly Sunstar and his deputy Bluefur, with her loyal ex apprentice Tigerfur. Thistleclaw disapproves but Sunstar welcomes the new apprentice, naming him Dawnpaw for his pale orange coat, and apprenticing him off to Bluefur. Redtail and Ravenpaw come back to camp, reporting that someone with Thunderclan scent has been mucking about Riverclan’s side of the border AGAIN, this time stealing and desecrating prey.

The next time Bluefur goes to visit her kits, now all warriors, she brings Dawnpaw, who is as respectful as possible - which Mistyfoot approves of. Crookedstar and Oakheart chit chat with Bluefur while Mistyfoot, Stonefur, and Mossback steal her apprentice for a swimming lesson. Dawnpaw comes back with a fat fish he offers to Crookedstar as a token of friendship. Leopardfur does not approve of the interclan friendships.

Some time later Sunstar passes in his sleep, and Bluestar rises. Crookedstar passes from illness and Leopardstar starts cracking down on the visits. Silverstream survives her kitting in Riverclan camp and refuses to name the father, but little Stormkit looks just like Graystripe. Dawnpaw, becoming Dawnheart, sneaks across to figure out what’s going on - Mistyfoot tells him that Leopardstar has been meeting a gray cat, but has little other details. Yellowfang is found, and Dawnheart is suspicious, a gray cat? In this camp? Brokenstar attacks camp and deputy Redtail is killed saving the kits and his sister, leaving his daughter Sandstorm and her maybe mate Raventail to mourn and Lionheart as deputy. Windclan returns triumphant. Yellowfang saves Spottedleaf, and when Brokenstar returns she blinds him. Thistleclaw tries to kill Bluestar and is stopped by Tigerfur and Dawnheart. Revealed as the traitor, he leaves in a furious huff. Later, after Brokenstar is poisoned I MEAN dies naturally, Thistlestar leads Shadowclan, and then joins up with Leopardstar to destroy the clans.

Stonefur is nearly killed fighting Darkstripe, who is a kit-poisoning terror, and Blackfoot, but Blackfoot sees the cats coming to save the half-clan cats, and throws the match, allowing Mistyfoot, Stonefur, Mossback, Silverstream, Featherkit, and Stormkit to escape, with Oakheart covering them, leading to his death. Lionheart steps down as deputy, and recommends Dawnheart, who recently finished training Cinderleg. Brightpaw and Swiftpaw live through the dogs, just barely. Mistyfoot and Dawnheart have a “secret” romance. The dogs throw themselves and Bluestar off the cliff, and she passes away. Dawnstar names loyal Whitestorm as deputy. Leopardstar refuses to back down, and is overthrown by the returning warriors, leading to her fleeing to Shadowclan. Scourge, attacked as a kit by Thistleclaw, kills Thistlestar and declares war. Leopardstar dies redeeming herself, saving Whitestorm. Dawnstar does not slay Scourge, but his rising drives off Bloodclan. Mistyfoot is chosen by Riverstar himself to lead Riverclan. Mistystar gives birth to five kits - Reedkit, Bluekit, Primrosekit, Pikekit, and Emberkit, and returns the rule of visiting cross-clan kits. Blackstar and Tallstar adopt this, and more kits grace the clans. When the Journey happens, Squirrelpaw, daughter of Sandstorm and Raventail, makes friends with Pikeface, leading to another romance.

I hope you like this AU!