#unnamed specimens

[edgescience]

Anyone know what this Triceratops skull is? what specimen it might be based on? seems relatively small. It was uploaded to wikipedia commons by Tylwyth Eldar. I'm thinking it's in some french museum.

[seagullcharmer]

watching a couple people play totk and i'm. 42 episodes in (out of 65) and they have mentioned the light dragon exactly once and that was only in relation to levelling up the champion's leathers 😭

[domesticfluffsimulator]

In honor of FFVII rebirth making me ragequit 3 days in a row

[musingmeaninglessly]

In Deep ; Neteyam x Fem!Human! Reader

Summary: When Tuk gets stuck underwater, there's only one person who can save her...

Lil bit angsty, lil bit fluffy. If you're sensitive to matters related to drowning, I suggest you skip this story.

If not, then enjoy! 💙

"Aaaand, I'm officially done."

Hands burning, you release the final inky braid of your boyfriend's that you've been working on.

Leaning his head back against your lap from his seat on the floor, Neteyam's glimmering eyes meet yours as he beams.

"Thank you, yawntutsyìp, what would I do without you?"

You don't get a chance to answer as he gently pulls your face down to meet his, the glass of your exopack chilly against his forehead. When he finally releases you, he's smiling wider than ever, but the same can't be said for the other figure present.

Sharpening her spear, Neytiri's glare never leaves you. Throughout the six month's worth of courting her son, you've never once been able to win her approval. Seeing her pride and joy be practically polluted by a damned tawtute was not her vision for the eldest Sully child.

And you felt that. Even without the prejudices against your species, what could you possibly offer her family? You lack the basic genetics that make the Na'vi so wondrous, not to mention the survival skills and intelligence. No matter how much Neteyam tells you otherwise, you feel inferior. And Neytiri's hostility doesn't help.

Yet in spite of it al, Neteyam had been defiant of his mother for the first time in his life. And it was all in pursuit of you; his star girl, his little love, his mate.

He catches your worrisome look and follows your eyes over to his mother's. With a sigh, he frowns at her silently, but her eyes remain the same, burning more ferociously than the campfire between you. No one says a thing; well, no one actually gets the chance.

"Help! HELP! It's Tuk!!"

The sound of Kiri's voice is the only thing that snaps Neytiri's attention away from you and her son. The teenage girl sprints over to where you all rise from your seats in a panic. She's gasping for breath and drenched from the ocean's waters.

Neteyam takes a step towards his sister, flashing you a worried, yet warm, look before he does so. Ever the level-headed communicator, he puts a hand on her shoulder, "Kiri, slow down. What's happened?"

"We- me, Lo'ak and Tuk- were free diving, and she spotted that new species of coral- you know, the one Norm told us about?"

Your eyes widened at that- you knew exactly which species she was talking about. A mysterious unnamed specimen with the ability to interact with the energy around it, not dissimilar to the Venus Flytrap plants you'd read about on Earth. Norm had told you all about this new discovery made by one of the botanists, detailing it's features and abilities. It was honestly quite fascinating; powerful, alive, dangerous.

"This new species, yes, I remember." Neteyam's green eyes transform with an amber hue just as Neytiri begins bombarding Kiri with a million questions.

"Well, we went to get a better look at it, and I told Tuk not to touch, but she didn't listen!" Kiri begins to cry, her face wracked with guilt. By this point, several overhearing Metkayina have joined the scene, "It's got her!"

"I can't reach her...the gap in the coral is too small..." Lo'ak suddenly appears on land, visibly exhausted.

"Can't we cut her free?" Neteyam sensibly suggests, but his siblings shake their heads.

"We tried, but whenever you cut a piece, even more grows!" Kiri wailed, prompting Lo'ak to put an arm around her. You make a mental note to suggest the name 'Hydra' to Norm once this is all over. "There's a gap in the coral-"

"-I will go!" Neytiri booms, ridding herself of her bow and spear. Lo'ak, however, stops her in her tracks.

"It's no use, mother! The gap is way too small, I couldn't fit through it..."

You squeeze Neteyam's hand sympathetically, and when his amber eyes meet yours, you get an idea. Amidst all the commotion, the panicked voices and desperate dives into the water, it all becomes crystal clear to you.

"I'll get her out."

Everyone's attention snaps over to you in an instant, not quite believing what you've just said.

"My love, it's far too dangerous! What if the water leaks into your mask?" Neteyam kneels down in front of you, sternness lacing his features. You simply shake your head.

"I'm the only one who can reach her and fit through the gap, I must go."

Neteyam exchanges a worried glance with his siblings, ignoring his mother's scornful expression. Lo'ak and Kiri nod to him, and he knows what he has to do.

"Then I will go with you."

"What's going on?"

Jake suddenly appears with Tonowari, presumably returning from some sort of meeting.

"No time to explain, Dad. Please could you fetch Y/N's spare mask?" Neteyam briefly requests, and is met with a nod of his father's head.

Meanwhile, you hurriedly rid yourself of your blouse. It's a flowing, loose fabric- certainly not appropriate for swimming. With no other choice, you're left in your bra before taking Neteyam's hand and diving into the water.

Lo'ak and Kiri promptly follow, helping you get down to the specific spot. Several other Metkayina follow you in, unable to help, but worried for the youngest Sully.

When you see Tuk, you have to do your best not to panic. She's more-or-less unconscious, limbs entangled in the coral's moving tendrils. Neteyam's grip on your hand tightens, but you place yours on his chest, wordlessly reassuring him, and he lets you go.

Lo'ak helps you over to the small gap in the coral. It's no wonder the siblings struggled, the opening is barely wide enough for a human to fit through. Yet, somehow you do, mindful of the fact that one wrong move would put you in the exact same situation as Tuk. With that in mind, you carefully make your way to her body after taking Lo'ak's knife from him.

There's really no other choice but to cut Tuk free, but you have to make quick work of it. Thankfully, your nimble fingers are up to the task as the Sully siblings watch on desperately.

But, amidst your hard work, you fail to notice that the suction lining of your exopack had come slightly free along your jaw, letting in a small trickle of water and, in turn, a whisper of oxygen out.

Neteyam goes to lunge towards you, noticing a small amount of water build up in your mask. But Lo'ak holds him back, signing that you're fine.

That's what you try to tell yourself as you hold your mask to your face tightly, cutting away at the last couple of coral tendrils. When you give Kiri the signal, she slashes an opening above you, and you haul Tuk's body out of the coral entrapment before the tendrils can grow back.

The rest of it becomes a blur. The Sully siblings are at your side in an instant, hauling you and Tuk up the surface. Your mask continues to fill with water and once it floods above your nose, you hold your breath. But, by some miracle, your head soon breaks through the water's edge above you.

Kiri and Lo'ak take Tuk from you while Neteyam wraps his arms firmly around your waist. "It's going to be alright, my love, we're almost there..."

He continues to murmur to you comfortingly through his own panic, finally reaching Jake and grabbing for the spare mask. "I'm going to take this off, alright?"

You have no time to acknowledge his words before your mask is swiftly swept off of your face and the new, dry, undamaged replacement is secured against your skin. You gasp in jagged breaths, only now processing it all as Neteyam bundles you against him.

"My brave, brave girl..." he whispers into your hair, cupping the back of your head as you both float in the water. For a moment, the both of you seem to forget about Tuk, and it's only when you hear her coughing back on the shore that you remember.

"Oh, thank Ewya!" Neytiri gasps, sobbing hysterically as she reaches to comfort her youngest daughter. "Don't you ever do that again, do you hear me child?!"

Tuk nods with a cry, before rushing over to you. "Y/N, you saved me! Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

The rest of the family smile at the two of you, Jake and Lo'ak thanking you profusely while Kiri joins yours and Tuk's group hug.

"Hey, hey, careful. She needs to breathe..." Neteyam protectively instructs, gently pulling his sisters off of you. You smile at them and mouth a silent 'thank you' to your boyfriend, before turning to hug him as he kneels to your height.

"My love," Neteyam's deep voice draws a soft smile from you as he tenderly cups your cheek, "you were so brave."

You can't help blushing at his praise, but grasp at his hand that's cupping your exopack-covered cheek and pull him closer. "You would've done the same if you could have, ma 'Teyam..."

The longer you hold him, the more pronounced the little sniffles heard from him become. Pulling back, you eye him worriedly, 'What is it, 'Teyam? Are you alright?"

Coaxing his eyes open by running the pads of your fingers beneath them, his tearful irises meet yours. "I could've lost you, little one..."

"But you didn't," you gently remind him, holding his hand over your heart, "I'm here, and I love you. Okay?"

Neteyam nods forcefully, almost as if an absence of the action would make you disappear. Yet, his eyes never leave yours. Not even for a moment.

"I love you...so deeply...even deeper than the waters you just braved for my sister..."

Now it's your eyes that overflow with salty tears and you throw your arms around Neteyam's broad shoulders. "I love you, 'Teyam...Nga yawne lu oer..."

"Y/N,"

The sound of your name breaks up the tender moment prematurely, and you spring away from Neteyam. In truth, you'd forgot that his family, and several people from the Metkayina tribe, were watching.

It had been Neytiri's voice that cut through the sweet moment like a knife through butter. You gulp, craning your neck to face the Sully matriarch, who's shrugging off her mate's hand from her shoulder.

You're surely for it now.

But to your pleasant surprise, she drops to her knees and hangs her head in..shame? Eyes wide, you look at her children and Jake, wondering what on Pandora you're supposed to do now. But they all smile softly.

"Forgive me. I've underestimated you, thought you like them. But you saved my child at your own risk. I was wrong."

You can tell that Neytiri's English isn't quite advanced enough to fully communicate her thanks. But it's there in her eyes.

"Please, forgive me..."

With a gentle nod of your head, you smile. You never expected Neytiri to see you as anything other than a Sky Person, but you really didn't expect her to grab at you and pull you into a hug.

Your arms raise to your side in surprise, and the look on your face is clearly comical enough to make Lo'ak burst out laughing- until Jake smacks him up the side of his head. Tentatively, you return Neytiri's hug. "I forgive you..."

"You are good for my son," Neytiri pulls back to look at you with a warmth you've never seen before, "thank you."

"Okay, Mother, let little Y/N breathe." Neteyam chuckles, gently pulling you back towards him. Neytiri shakes her head at her son's overprotectiveness, but fondly places her hand atop your head for a short moment before returning to fuss over Tuk.

You turn back to Neteyam and a soft hum leaves his lips and his eyes trail over your face, before he notices some Metkayina boys gawking at you. Only then do the both of you realise that you're stood in your bra and a pair of shorts.

"W-we, uh, let's get you back to the lab, get you some more clothes." Neteyam suggests, using his towering advantage to shield your body from prying eyes as his own glare at the intruders.

"Good idea," you giggle, desperate to be a little more concealed now that you're aware of your state, "I could do with a nap."

"I'm not surprised," Neteyam's face softens and he tilts his head, "may I join you?"

[gordon-furman]

SHOCK TROOPER LORE POST

aka speculative biology + how my shock troopers work (this post requires at least a bit of knowledge of Half Life/ Opposing Force lore)

First, an explanation of the relationship between the shock trooper/Race X homeworld and Xen.

Xen is a borderworld comprising of many floating islands and the wildlife that live upon them. Existing between dimensions, most creatures upon Xen inhabit it by accident; having been brought by portal storms and then unable to leave. Other creatures purposely fled to Xen due to an oppressive alien force, such as the Nihilanth, the Vortigaunts, and other unnamed/unknown races.

Some of these are Race X native species.

Black Mesa found out about Race X by chance through their teleportation experiments. Through very calculated and very risky missions, Black Mesa was able to obtain some specimens from the places where Race X resided, as well as Xen. Those scientists then took them down to the deepest parts of Black Mesa to study.

Black Mesa had been extracting crystals and wildlife from Xen for a while, these new species were kept secret to only those with the highest clearances. Still, they were not able to gather enough data before the Cascade; when all the alien species contained within Black Mesa were unleashed unto the world.

There is no determined number amount of Shock Troopers who reside on Earth, but we estimate that they are few and far between. Unlike Vortigaunts, most (if any) Shock Troopers who inhabit Earth nowadays are hostile towards both Humans and Combine alike. However, they prove to be smart and reliable allies when possible.

Most everything we know about Shock Troopers and the other species of Race X has been filled in by Shock Troopers themselves. The following information was gathered by a Shock Trooper who had joined a small team of rebels stationed in an abandoned quarry, then passed on to rebel scientists.

THE LIFE CYCLE

(Pictured: a murky healing pool with Spore Launchers)

On their homeworld and their other colonized planets, shock trooper young (called spore launchers) start their lives in pools. They are amphibious in nature and are able to crawl upon land with their tiny arms. The majority of their life, however, is spent in the pools.

Those familar with the borderworld Xen will recognize the healing pool that serves as their watery cradle. Starting from eggs, spore launchers hatch into these pools by the dozen and stay there for much of their adolescent lives. As more hatchlings leave their leathery eggs and inhabit the pools, the natural healing power lessens and lessens; until the pool itself is murky and stagnant.

(Pictured: infant Jack, Tiger, and Spot; my half life ocs)

Adult shock troopers do not care for their young outside of feeding (though it is a common occurrence that they don't get fed), which leads to their pools being a very hostile environment in their later stages. The natural properties of the pool that healed their wounds when they were newborn no longer nurse the bigger and older spore launchers. It is not uncommon for spore launchers to be aggressive towards each other at this time. There are often so many babies in one pool that feeding is foregone entirely; leading to a strictly cannibal diet among the young (though cannibalism is a regular occurrence in pools that are well supplied with food as well.).

Spore launchers come in the same colors as Shock Troopers do, though a Shock Trooper's patterns are often determined by how much nutrients that they collected as a baby. (Which often leads to the most complex and abundant patterns belonging to the most aggressive shock troopers. Or, at least, those that were aggressive in their infant stage.)

(Pictured: Two Shock Troopers and a baby Spore Launcher)

Spore Launchers turn into Shock Troopers via a sort of metamorphosis. Mature Spore Launches encase themselves in a cocoon of their own spit (often mixed with juices and remains of Spore Fruit, a main staple in their diet) and emerge as fully grown Shock Troopers. It is at this point that they assimilate into Shock Trooper culture and community.

Shock Trooper culture is very militaristic and nationalist. They are very competitive and engage in sparing as a sport, though they do not have much to bet but food and actions. (A Shock Trooper who lost a bet, for example, might have to do an unwanted chore or something embarrassing.) They do not have clothing or music, though the very few who have spent time on Earth have enjoyed wind and percussion instruments.

Shock Trooper relationships are different from human ideas of the concept. Romantic relationships are extremely rare (occurring only under rare circumstances and only with Shock Troopers from different colonies) and sexual ones are nonexistent. This means that, in human terms, most Shock Troopers are aromantic, and all of them are biologically asexual.

Instead of romantic relationships, some examples of high value relationships within the Shock Trooper community are mentor-mentees, tight knit friend groups (or squads, as they call them) and leader- follower groups. These relationships can be as complicated as human ones at times; as one Shock Trooper might see their bond as friendship, while the other Shock Trooper might see them as a leader-follower pair.

Despite their differences, it is a common belief in their homeworld communities that Shock Troopers are 'above' all other specie, including those they have domesticated. Some domesticated species found in and around communities are Shock Roaches, Pit Drones, and Voltigores (not to be confused with Vortigaunts). Shock Roaches are symbiotic insect-like weapons, while Pit Drones and Voltigores could be compared (if need be, as these creatures are nothing like Earth creatures) to very aggressive dogs and livestock. Their farming habits support their omnivorous diet; which consists of Spore fruit and Voltigores, as well as anything else they can get their hands on.

(Pictured: a Gene Worm)

While they seem primitive in many ways, Shock Troopers are one step above Black Mesa's scientists; they have mastered reliable teleportation. While they always have a Gene Worm to create teleportation portals, they were able to use Xen crystal constructs and Sprite-powered portals in order to create a reliable network. This network was how they were able to conduct their assault on Black Mesa and attempted colonization of Earth.

Gene worms are one of the final stages of Shock Trooper evolution. Much like ants or bees, Spore Launchers turn into Gene worms with the help of a special chemical jelly diet created in the throats of Shock Troopers. The fed Spore Launcher then feeds on anything it can fit in its mouth to support it's growth, then turning into their 'queen'.

The Gene Worm is the only reproductive being among their species; dedicating much of it's time to laying eggs. There are multiple Gene Worms across their home planet and other places, so not all Shock Troopers are directly related.

Interestingly enough, though Shock Troopers feed and care for the Gene Worm well into it's adulthood, it is not out of any obligation. Ants serve a queen. This queen serves its offspring. The Gene Worm is able to create and change the landscape around it to create a perfect home for Shock Troopers. This, mixed with their teleportation knowledge, has led them to successfully terraform and colonize one other planet besides their own.

(Pictured: a Gene Worm and a Tentacle)

The last example of the Shock Trooper life cycle are Tentacles. Like the Gene Worm, these creatures evolve from Spore Launchers who are fed a special diet. Unlike the Gene Worm, however, these Tentacles are made to the guards of Gene Worm nests and other important areas. Relatively blind, they attack their opponents using hearing to pinpoint their locations. Shock Troopers make sure to vocalize loudly while in their presence to ensure that the Tentacles will not mistake them for an enemy.

Shock Troopers are complicated and highly intelligent creatures who are yet untouched by the decimation of the Combine. Maybe, just maybe, they would make good allies in the future for the war against the Combine; if they knew what was at stake.

However, knowing the overall nationalistic culture of the Shock Troopers and their previous attempt to colonize Earth...probably not.

[saritawolff]

#Archovember Day 8 - Zhejiangopterus linhaiensis

Azhdarchids are known as the largest flying animals of all time, the last great stand of the pterosaurs before . They contained mighty giants like Quetzalcoatlus and Hatzegopteryx, who ruled the skies of the Late Cretaceous. But not all azhdarchids were flying carnivorous giraffes. Some of them were downright tiny, while others reached a more modest, respectable size. Slightly larger than a female Pteranodon, Zhejiangopterus linhaiensis was one such “moderately large” azhdarchid.

Zhejiangopterus lived in Late Cretaceous China and is so far the most complete azhdarchid known, making it very influential to our understanding of this amazing family of pterosaurs. As several specimens have been uncovered, it was probably fairly common in the Tangshang Formation. It lacked the bony crest seen in many of their relatives, instead opting for a long, straight, graceful profile. Like other azhdarchids, Zhejiangopterus were likely terrestrial stalkers similar to storks and ground hornbills, only using their wings to escape predators or move to new hunting grounds.

Not many other animals have been found in the Tangshang Formation. Alongside Zhejiangopterus, there is only the avialan Yandangornis (whose eggs and chicks and perhaps even adults, if they could catch them, could have been prey for the pterosaur) and an unnamed therizinosauroid. However, living in Late Cretaceous China, it could have also come across the titanosaur Dongyangosaurus further South, and further inland: the ankylosaur Gobisaurus, the pachycephalosaurid Sinocephale, the ornithomimid Sinornithomimus, the carcharodontosaurid Shaochilong, and the mysterious theropod Chilantaisaurus. No doubt there were also plenty of lizards, snakes, mammals, amphibians, and small dinosaurs hiding in the coastal grasses, ready to be nabbed by the dragon of Zhejiang.

[maladaptive-ninja-returns]

The Ocean is She(One-Shot)

Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)

Warnings: Loki's POV summary till the Season 4 Midseason Finale.

Word Count: I just sort of poured out whatever I felt for this dude. Which all shades of sad mostly.

MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)

"This is Y/N. She is here to complete her college degree. She will be living here for now." That was the first time Loki saw you.  You stood out like a lost firefly in that lounge among the crowd of broken people on Hero Syndrome. While everyone was giving him the stink eye, you passed a flat smile towards his direction before being pulled by the others into questioning. What is someone like her doing here? Loki was meant to have it as a passing thought. But that passing thought slowly percolated into his life in the form he never really thought he would meet again- a friend. "It's okay, I'll have another one." You smiled at him when he took your cup of green tea your first morning there. And Loki would never admit to his ego that the first act of unadulterated kindness had made his heart sink a little into an unnamed ocean before covering it up with 'this woman must have an ulterior motive'. Ulterior motive. Loki was 'on guard' since then, trying to figure you out. You knocking on his door to join the others for a movie night, making him those heavenly molten chocolate lava cakes on his birthday, buying rings and bracelets that reminded you of him, falling asleep in his presence in the library, asking him to help you study for your exams, sending him pictures of cats on the campus, sharing latest memes with him to keep him up to date; everything you did was seen as motive of some bigger game for the God who had once fallen and twice died. But seemingly, he killed a part himself the day he told you about your origins and you did not blame him for a single second. And nothing was the same for God afterwards.

He started paying more attention to you. His initial reason was that unlike the clowns infesting the building always high on either adrenaline or coffee, you were a specimen that he could study. Right. He was studying how you had a habit of cracking your neck every hour no matter what you did. How you would interact with inanimate objects with emotions, like looking at your assignment on the laptop and asking it with tears in your eyes, 'Why won't you conclude yourself in a way that's not gibberish?!'; or how you would gently pat the car and say thank you whenever you arrived at your destination. How your eyes would light up every time you saw a little spawn of the dogs or cats and your voice would go higher to greet them. He was amused by how your calm persona would do a one-eighty when your menstruation cycle was on the verge of bleeding days. That was the exciting part of his day during the cycle- sitting close to your sweatshirt and shorts-clad figure sprawled on the sofa in front of the TV, watching you threaten anyone who passed the hall. That's all you were to him- an amusing human who helped him pass his days on earth. At least that is what he had convinced himself of, never realising how his day would start by coming out of his room looking for you. How he would take a tour of the entire Avengers facility to find you and when he did, he would play himself off non-chalantly. He did not seem to let himself know how he would automatically come to stand by your side whenever he was to leave the facility and go out into the world. 

The narrator's heart often wonders how he could not see himself getting attached to you. Like that one time, he was the only one up beside Scott and Tony when you were out partying with your college friends; how he pretended to be drowned in a philosophy book while Tony worked on his robot babies and Scott watched the Kaichowa Maid Sama anime; how he intently listened to the phone call Scott got and he immediately recognised your voice even though he sat a bit far; how he heard your slurred words say 'Scottieeeeeee~ please take me home. I am drunkkkk and I kindaaaa don't want to stay heeeere'. "Of course, honey," Scott replied, "but it'll take me an hour to reach-" "Then send someone who'll be faaaaaasterrrrr~" you whined on the line.  Scott looked in the direction of the elevator, wondering whether to call Stark from his workshop when Loki slammed his book shut. "Turn on the sink tap," Loki commanded a confused Scott as he vanished with green and golden hues only to land on the campus grounds in a poorly lit park where you were sitting in the cold grass, your phone still to your ears. "Scott," you whispered into the phone, "you don't understand. I am drunk and I am feeling these waves of horny-ness but I do not want to do it with anyone here!!!" "Let's go home," Loki announced as he stood in front of you, waiting for you to take his hand. And boy did he feel his heart do another dip in that unknown ocean when you smiled at the God with a shade of relief and hugged him the moment you were up on your legs. "Thank you for coming for me." The wave of feeling his heart about to take another dunk into that ocean, he immediately teleported back with you, making sure both you and he landed right next to the sink to help you puke your wobbling guts right into the sink.

As time passed, Loki grew more used to your presence. From sitting together at breakfast and sharing one cup of tea to having reading sessions in his room on his bed. You were one of the rare ones who were allowed to enter his sacred space. No one knew but he thoroughly enjoyed the waves of emotions that would run over your features at different times when you became too engrossed in a manga. Sometimes it was your uncontrollable laughter where you read the same pages again and again; other times it was the repeated punches you threw either on your thigh or on the bed when you found yourself being impressed by something. But then there were the times when you would be in tears when one of your favourite characters died, and you could not stop yourself and Loki would look at you, with the intensity of the moon, wanting to stop time and do something...anything to stop you from crying. 

He did get tested for his belief of looking at you as a specimen. That one time when you and Hope fell into the other end of the universe. This God was ready to draw blood if it meant bringing you back in one piece. Once you were home safe, he could not help but overthink as to why did what he did for you. You were a mere human.  You were not supposed to mean much to him. You were just his amusement. Right? Just his amusement. The very amusement who stood in a barren alien land in front of the most delirious alien army, making Loki calculate in one point two seven seconds how he was about to lose his sleep for the next three months if he was to keep you alive while trying to find a way back home. Home.  Earth isn't my home, he would mentally slap himself back to reality whenever he caught himself thinking of the Avengers facility and the other clowns. But then he would turn to look at you.  Earth was your home. And going home would make you happy. He wanted to see you happy. Another mental slap to his head. You are losing your edge, Loki, he would bully himself to keep himself cold and calculating throughout that demanding journey of looking after you and the monster you had adopted on your way. And of course, Javi.

Any other day, any other life, any other universe, Loki would have punched the numbers as to how useful you were to him dead or alive and then be his way once you fulfilled your purpose of helping him survive. But here, he was doing the basing math of making sure to get you out of all the darkness of the universe unharmed. But life, as we know, has other plans. The music genre too changes when the playlist is on random and the heart is set on adventure for one and survival for another. Aellae came as the genre of dread and darkness. Being well aware of her obsession and abuse of power, Loki knew she would see you as a threat; for she knew the God of Mischief never travelled in a pack unless that pack had Loki's prey or something Loki wanted to keep close. So his first thought was to call in the seven Gods while 'ditching' you in the middle of a desert. Little did he know that you too were thinking from your heart in that space and time. As much as he hated to see you come for his rescue, he would never give up on the time when you two were stuck in that small space in Aellae's dungeons, trying to find a way through the room, bodies covered in sweat, your back and his front finding the angles to become one as you both pushed your way out. How synchronous were your bodies working together, how you readily trusted him with touching you in a way he would never want to witness you being touched by anyone. Why was he thinking that way? All those questions, all those confusions, all those hours of his inside voices bullying him to see you as nothing but a human ticket to a life of peace back on earth- all of them burst with the brittleness of the snow that fell on you as your lifeless figure lay in his arms. This time when his heart sank into the ocean, it did not want to come up. The God could not sense anything but fear crawling on his skin when his hand touched your face and it did not feel warm anymore. Your usually cheerful eyes did not open when he called out your name again and again. The fear he had felt when he first found himself dying when he wanted to live, was nothing in that moment when he was faced with the reality that you might be dead. And just as that little speck of possibility crossed his mind, the hell inside him broke loose, causing a wave originating from his magic destroying everything within a radius of two kilometers. Ever since he was born, Loki, son of Laufey, son of Odin, Prince of Asgard, the Silvertongue, took to his knees for the first time for a life that was not his. He begged for your survival at the cost of his own, no longer denying himself from the truth. His heart did not come up from that ocean that carried your name on every atom in its waves. You were his reason to laugh. You were his reason to be curious in this life. You were his reason to look forward to getting up the next morning.  You had been the reason he had not gone for Plan B of running away from Earth and ending in the bosom of some dying star that would end his misery.  You were the reason he was willing to live a little longer. You were the reason he was ready to love again. 

Even when back from the horrors of the universe, Loki did not stop looking after you. He let Peter in on the secret of your near-death experience because he trusted that boy and he knew how much he cared for you. Both he and the boy would discreetly look for signs of you experiencing any discomfort. Taking shifts in the night, they would help you get out of your nightmares- which were the after-effects of healing you back to life right from the arms of death herself. Loki grew more protective of you but would distance himself whenever found himself feeling whatever little ounces of happiness his heart felt in your company. He would walk the extra mile of punching a man in his face for disrespecting you but he found himself pretending to laugh at your heartfelt confession because his heart could not bear the truth of knowing that you loved him back. You loved him. You, the perfection that walked amongst mere peasants. Loved. Him. And he laughed. He laughed hard enough to hide his tears of happiness that hurt him to the point of no return. He could not let you do that. You were too precious. Too precious to be put in danger again. He was the danger. He brought death to you. He would rather die than do that to you ever again.  And so the God decided to walk away, let out his screams in the middle of the desert to kill his heart for finding love in this lifetime and then hating the fact that it loved him back. The God was no better than a human then. He was in love. But he could hold on to that love for the fear of breaking it with his ill fate.

[nrdynobody]

Chrysomallon squamiferum, the Scaly-foot Gastropod (more commonly known as the Volcano Snail) is a species of deep sea snail that have only been found to live in three hydrothermal vent fields, being the Kairei, Solitaire, and Longqi vent fields, all of which are found off the coast of Madagascar. The vent fields they live in can be as hot as 400 degrees celsius (the water does not boil due to the intense pressure)

They're named for the dermal plating along their foot, which is an adaption made to protect against predatory snails, what makes them really unique however is their distinctive ability to incorporate minerals into their shell giving an additional layer of protection. Specimens from the Kairei vent field (shown above) have an iron shell and are even magnetic, due to the higher concentration of greigite (iron sulfide compound), whereas members from the Longqi vent field have goldish shells due to the presence of pyrite and greigite.

They have a mutualistic relationship with a yet unnamed chemosynthetic bacteria that provides energy to the snail. They mainly serve as prey to predatory snail species.

They are unfortunately an endangered species, threatened by deep sea mining, and there are no current plans for conservation.

[bookreviewcoffee]

At the Mountains of Madness Howard Phillips Lovecraft

The creative legacy of the master of horror literature includes mainly short stories and novels. Sometimes publishers try to group them into cycles, but, in fact, it is completely irrelevant and unnecessary: Lovecraft created his own universe on the pages of stories, whose characters, places of action, books, as a source of various information, intersect with each other, casually mentioned in one novel, then in another, causing a pleasant recognition of the reader and constructing the author's world, animated in this way and looking more believable and deeper. Lovecraft's influence not only on the horror genre, but on literature in general, on culture cannot be overestimated. He became the creator, the founder of a special direction - "Lovecraftian horror", formed at the beginning of the last century and still inspiring more and more new writers to turn to Lovecraft's work in search of ideas, expanding, multiplying and enriching the universe of myths about the ancient gods and old races.

A group of enthusiastic scientists are travelling to Antarctica. Their goal is to collect a variety of geological samples to study the past of the mysterious icy continent. This becomes possible thanks to a unique invention of one of the participants: a special drilling rig capable of penetrating to a depth previously inaccessible, as well as allowing them to cope with the ice cover. As a result of the research, scientists find a strange imprint on one of the rock samples. A representative of Lake's biology department insists on changing the expedition's plans in order to continue the search in the direction where the mysterious imprint was found. Part of the group remains at the prepared base, while the other part sets off into the unknown. After a while they begin to receive incredible, exciting, intriguing and capturing the imagination of scientists information: it turns out that unexplored areas of Antarctica still hide many secrets, one of which has now been revealed - it is an unprecedented height mountain range, shivering in the pinkish haze, illuminated by the low Antarctic sun. And biologists have also stumbled across the cavity during blasting and drilling operations, resulting in the strange, even a little frightening, discovery of incomprehensible figures of either animal or plant origin. Lake decides to carry them back to camp and study them, despite the fact that the sled dogs can't seem to stand the specimens and literally go crazy. The scientists left at the base are eager to continue, but suddenly the camp stops responding to calls ....

Whatever Howard Lovecraft wrote about, be it a detailed tale about an expedition to Antarctica or the simplest story about a cynical and greedy cemetery keeper, one thing you can't take away from him is his ability to create an incredible, lively, disturbing atmosphere of sticky horror on the pages, which runs coldly down your spine and sucks you into its reality, because that's what the author is able to achieve, to convince the reader of the absolute and immutable reality of what is happening. It seems that Lovecraft somewhere overheard, somewhere peeped, somewhere learnt about frightening myths, about which he now tells us only in hints, fearing to reveal too much to the untrained mind; about forbidden cults and rituals, originating in grey antiquity, but survived and reached our days thanks to a small number of those who are devoted to the dark secrets; about some places on our planet, which hold material evidence of bygone eras, of which not even the memory has survived, where the old gods have found rest, endlessly slumbering on half-destroyed pedestals, dreaming of magnificent and unimaginable onyx cities, wandering through caves, penetrating the giant mountains, and dreaming of awakening one day. Lovecraft's stories are every time an encounter with the unknown, the unknowable, the unspeakable and the unnameable. And yet, I have never met an author who would be so precise, detailed, even meticulous in describing the pictures created by his imagination, something non-existent,something that only he alone can see. So no matter how inexpressible and indescribable would not be horror on the pages of the book, believe me, Lovecraft imagines it very well and is quite capable of outlining the strange images seen by his inner vision, in the most refined, slightly archaic (for the effect) in the most sophisticated, slightly archaic (for empty effect) terms, and the reader is simply speechless from all these fine details, photographic details and dark colours that colour the strange stories that go beyond the boundaries of the usual, but create a different reality.

[fadingplaidlibrary]

You asked for rare pairs.

Gunther x Wizard lives in my brain on rainy days.

Elliot x Clint is a weird rarepair.

hello my darlinggg yes yes yes!! here’s a lil bit of both just for you <3

a fluffy drabble double feature baybeee. canon-typical mention of minor injury and alcohol consumption in the second one. word count: 979 for like-minded (gunther x wizard), 294 for a happy accident (elliott x clint). no beta, we die like men. i do not consent for my work to be reuploaded elsewhere. have funnnn ;p

like-minded

gunther had been desperate for a job when he took the position as pelican town’s librarian. it wasn’t ideal, of course, to be suddenly in charge after the last owner had robbed the town blind, but he was up to the challenge. a small life in a small town was his real goal, and at least the seemingly impossible task of replenishing the shelves around him (while also staffing the front desk on his own) keeps him occupied

rasmodius can’t help but feel impressed by the ambitious newcomer. the wizard had never liked the last librarian, found them arrogant from the start. but this new guy, gunther, is different. he seems resolute about the work he’s chosen, what will surely be a years-long restoration project. and despite his reputation as a mysterious, aloof figure, all alone in his tower, the wizard wants nothing more than to share the company of someone who loves and craves knowledge like he does

the wizard’s mentors had passed their wisdom to him with the promise that he would one day pass it to another. they meant that he should one day seek an apprentice, but rasmodius was sure that sharing his personal collection with the small town library would count towards that aspiration. and to be honest… he would have traded his entire tower just to ease this clever new docent’s burden, to make him smile, even. maybe in that easygoing way that deepens the dimples in his cheeks. hm…

one morning when gunther arrives at the library, he finds a box on his front step. inside are three beautiful hardcover books of poems — first-editions, no less! the anthologies are clearly well-loved but still in excellent condition. the next day, he finds a small dwarf-script scroll wrapped in waterproof canvas. the week after that he finds a single perfect ancient seed in a glass jar. every package comes with a small handwritten note, with a brief description of the contents, and signed M. R. in scrawling cursive. maybe these old shelves would be filled sooner than anyone could have predicted…

penny and the children are thrilled to explore the new additions to the library. gunther never reveals the true source of the materials, but he can’t help but wonder… months pass, then a year, and slowly the shelves of both the library and the museum are filled up with fascinating new books and specimens. the new farmer has certainly contributed a fair share, but the majority of the new pieces have come from that same unnamed benefactor

one night, rasmodius finds an envelope on the front step of his tower. inside is a letter from the pelican town library and museum, on official stationery, but handwritten in gunther’s small, neat script. it looks to be… an invitation? to our generous anonymous benefactor - g. von roemer, librarian

when rasmodius breezes into town that night and lands in front of the library, he finds gunther sitting on the bench in front the humble building. “i received your letter,” the older man begins. “you need not trouble yourself with any repayment. i only…” the sentence trails off. he only what? wanted to share his knowledge? yes, but there was more to it. selfishly, secretly, he had hoped that the new docent would connect the dots and… notice him. as pathetic as that sounded, this almighty magician wanted to be noticed by the librarian. and now that he had gotten his wish, he didn’t know what to do with himself

“well now…” gunther’s voice is soft, awestruck. “so it really is you.” his deep brown eyes search the wizard’s face, now glowing with a self-conscious blush even in the weak moonlight. gunther hadn’t expected his anonymous benefactor to be so… so easy on the eyes, as they said back home. he rises slowly to his feet and removes his hat, then continues in his low drawl. “i wanted to thank you in person, mister...” “rasmodius.” the wizard clears his throat and repeats, “mage rasmodius.” gunther nods slowly, eyes still fixed on the man in front of him. “it’s an honor to finally meet you, mage rasmodius,” gunther nods. he swallows hard and adjusts his glasses before continuing. “your generosity has, uh… well, it means more’n you know. i-i’d like to give ya this.” gunther reaches into an inner pocket of his coat, then extends his right hand to the wizard. there, in the center of his gloved palm, lay a gleaming silver key. rasmodius holds his breath. “i had clint make this a few weeks ago.” gunther explains gently. “don’t worry ‘bout clint, he uh… he ain’t the type to ask too many questions. your secret’s still safe with me,” he says with a wink. “go on then.”

the wizard looks down at the key, then up at gunther, then back down at the key, before hesitantly reaching for it. on the handle of the key is a carving of an open book, with the letters M. R. on the pages. rasmodius runs one callused finger over his initials, speechless

“you can stay anonymous if ya like,” gunther says, fixing his hat back onto his head. “but if ya ever need anything, that key’ll let ya in anytime.” the gentle librarian smiles from ear to ear before adding, “and i’ll be here if ya ever need me.” rasmodius briefly worries that his thudding, stuttering heartbeat will wake the whole neighborhood. he closes his hand around the key, still warm from gunther’s pocket, and simply replies, “the honor was all mine.”

years later, clint found himself melting down that same silver key into a pair of matching rings for an off-record special order. gunther was right, clint didn’t ask too many questions, but he didn’t need to. the initials engraved into the rings — R. M. in one and G. V. R. in the other — told the whole story

a happy accident

elliott has always had a thing for strong working men. he enjoys his own foppish aesthetic, of course, revels in his theatrics and melodrama, but nothing gets him going like a down-to-earth man with big arms and strong hands. all of his bravado melts away when clint is around, but he’s sure the blacksmith doesn’t feel the same way

clint is slouched in a booth at the saloon now, one hand wrapped around a glass of pale ale and the other wrapped haphazardly in bandages. the writer sits across from him, offering fumbling apologies which clint waves off. elliott hadn’t meant to startle the blacksmith when he breezed into the shop that afternoon, but when his unexpected arrival led the blacksmith to accidentally drop a heavy-looking iron bar and injure himself, elliott insisted on making it all better — first by wrapping the blacksmith’s sore hand in gauze, and then by buying him a drink. one drink leads to another, and before long clint and elliott are ordering dinner together

clint has always had a soft spot for the poetic types. his own life is full of hard labor, sore muscles, and more than a little loneliness. he’s always felt drawn to people who could look at a rock and see a crystal, who could maybe look at a tired, awkward blacksmith and see someone worth holding close. as he nurses his drink, he wonders if elliott, with all his flowy hair and flowery talk, and who can describe anything like there’s some magic in it, gets lonely too. he watches his companion swirl his wine glass, effortlessly poised and pretty, long flaming locks spilling over his shoulder. one day, clint resolves to himself with a little smile, one day i’ll buy him dinner too

[meltylandartchive]

ive finally finished the unit outfit designs for my fanunit, metamorphosis! ^_^ some more basic info about them under the cut, but all you really need to know is that they are my pride and joy

forming 2 years after !! era, metamorphosis is an initially temporary unit under cosmic production consisting of crazy:b's siblings - kaname tojo, hiiro amagi, and momoko oukawa (who's canonically unnamed but i do what i want forever) . their contract only lasts for 6 months and is essentially just a stepping stone for everyone involved. they have an incredibly tense and rocky start, but despite that, getting attached might not be as much of a farfetched concept as it seems.....

other notes!

i'm a firm believer in kaname being taller than oremeru and i think its really funny to make younger siblings like almost comically tall so he's 6'4 . hiiro's 5'10 (he grew a bit over 2 years!) and momoko is 5'4. small specimen

kaname is 19-20, hiiro is 18-19, and momoko is 20-21

kaname is the leader! it's definitely a new experience for a former solo idol like him whose only experience forming a unit didnt exactly go smoothly ^_^

their first live... doesnt go all too well . read my fic boy

[forgetfulslasher]

Headcanons about "The Obsessed"!

Since IDK released his new video of The Obsessed showing off some of its new forms, I've been thinking quite a bit about its biology! So I've compiled something of a list regarding my headcanons about it. While some things have been omitted as to avoid spoilers for my fic "Obsession", when that is done I will add these details back in.

*Note; The Obsessed's spider form will NOT be appearing in "Obsession", and probably will not appear in anything I choose to do with it in the future (and if it does, then it will be heavily tagged). I do not want to exclude anyone who has arachnophobia/an aversion to spiders from the main story, and so there's no need to worry about that.

With all that said and done, let's begin!

Overview

The Obsessed, as we have come to know it by, is part of an unnamed species of monster. While many cultures have their own names for this specimen, the denizens of the Redwoods simply choose to call it "The Obsessed". This species is NOT common, with at most one inhabiting an entire biome, while most biomes don't even have it at all. They are incredibly territorial and very dangerous when angered, and will typically kill off any apex predators in the area that it sees as competition. Anything it cannot defeat it will live in uneasy peace with, unless the competitor threatens The Obsessed further, in which it will leave in an attempt to find a new home similar to its first one.

Though there is only one species of The Obsessed, its genetic makeup allows it to modify its body as it grows to better suit its environment. For example, a Redwoods Obsessed has slightly reddish skin, while a cave Obsessed would likely be the color of obsidian. These modifications become more extreme as it grows, which becomes a double-edged sword. On one hand, these changes allow the Obsessed to completely dominate its home environment. On the other, these changes might become so extreme that leaving can actually kill it by overexposure, and even if it survives, it may still be incredibly weakened. An Obsessed will not leave its home except for dire circumstances.

Personality

First of all, The Obsessed tends to be pretty reclusive in nature. It will only allow itself to be seen when it wants to be seen, and does a lot of hiding because of this. They tend to be nocturnal but can adjust their sleeping schedules when needed.

As one can expect, The Obsessed is known for becoming scarily infatuated by certain things. Or, rather, obsessed to the point of violence. However, the object of its affections can change depending on what interests it most. In the Redwoods, humans are what it sees to be the most interesting, so a Redwoods Obsessed usually only becomes infatuated with humans. Meanwhile, an Obsessed that lives in biome where no humans frequent might take an interest in a certain animal species, or maybe even a structure or plant species. As long as they can keep the specific thing that they have their eyes on to themselves, they will be happy. However, The Obsessed does NOT like to share, so "keeping something to itself" usually means isolating that thing from everything about it, and killing off anything that competes for that attention.

The Obsessed is incredibly intelligent, although how they display that intelligence varies on what it sees often. A cave Obsessed would not be able to understand human language or write human words the way an Obsessed that's been around humans can. However, a human-acclimated Obsessed would not be able to, say, understand wolf howls the way that an Obsessed that's always around wolves would be able to. For human-acclimated Obsessed, The Obsessed is usually able to see importance in certain objects, phrases, animals or people and adjust its actions toward them accordingly. That is to say, it knows that flowers mean love, screaming means fear, and that people usually like their pets. Basically, as long as it repeatedly sees a behavior, it is typically able to understand it.

Finally, Obsessed are violent. Incredibly so. Like I said before, they don't like to share, and that applies to both biomes and the object of its affections. Furthermore, if an Obsessed does not feel like its being paid attention to enough, it will usually kill the object of its affections and seek out a new one. The Obsessed wants the eyes of its obsession to be on it whenever it wants, and not a second sooner or later. Their clinginess can extend even in death, and past obsessions may have their graves vandalized or even destroyed if The Obsessed sees them get too much attention from mourning loved ones. It is incredibly hard to survive an Obsessed loving you, especially if you have ones you love.

Physiology

The build of an Obsessed depends on how long it's been alive, which I shall go more in-depth with below. It also depends on what biome it lives in. For the sake of simplicity regarding the lifespan, I will only talk about the Redwoods Obsessed as it is what we are all most familiar with. But some parts of them remain the same no matter where an Obsessed lives. All Obsessed start off vaguely humanoid in nature and obtain more monstrous traits the older they grow. They all have very long fingers and legs with two bends in them (think like a Demogorgon from Stranger Things-- THAT is what their legs look like). They also all have certain defense mechanisms to help them hide from prying eyes, such as emitting a black smoke that makes the world around them darker.

Lifespan

0-50: This is the first stage of an Obsessed's life cycle. It is not known if they are born via egg or live birth, but they raise themselves. A young Obsessed is about 5' (five feet) tall and a dark gray/black in color. It has two eyes that glow very faintly, but its smile does not yet glow. Young Obsessed are incredibly skittish and you usually won't see one at all. They spend their early years getting a lay of the land and observing the local wildlife-- including humans. They learn an incredibly amount during these early years. Behaviors such as gift-giving typically start at this age.

50-100: An Obsessed will usually choose their first obsession around this time. It may take some a couple decades to realize what they actually like, but an Obsessed will always have at least one obsession before reaching 100 years. During these years, the Obsessed grows taller, stronger, and much more violent. They go from being scrawny little cowards to capable of taking down a full-grown grizzly bear without even breaking a sweat. Both their eyes and teeth glow brightly in the night, a warning sign that warns others to stay away. They become capable of emitting a thick black smoke to conceal themselves. In the case of the Redwoods Obsessed, it's skin gains a dark reddish tint and it starts growing fur/hair-like projections out of its body.

100-200: The first monstrous traits start to appear during these years. The Obsessed may grow taller, but always stronger, to the point where some believe it to be virtually unkillable. Their eyes and mouth are capable of glowing red or yellow when angered. In the case of forest and Redwoods Obsessed, they will start to take on the attributes of spiders (with climbing on trees/the undersides of caves being a behavior that they start exhibiting during the 50-100 years). Their arms split in two to give them six limbs in total. They begin to grow six more eyes, although they are sensitive to light and cannot glow/must be hidden.

200-300: The Obsessed reaches its final form. Two of the arms that the Obsessed has (aka, half of the set of four it gains once they split during 100-200) shift so that they are behind The Obsessed's shoulder and moreso on its back. Redwoods and forest-based Obsessed sprout six more spider legs from their back, giving them twelve limbs in total. These limbs fold up against its back when not in use. It is able to move incredibly fast, and its speed is unmatched along the trees. It now has eight eyes which are all capable of glowing, though it may hide the six new ones with a flap of skin during the day. There is nothing you can do to fight this. If you become its next obsession, you can consider everyone that you love already dead. And if you anger it, then you sure as hell better be prepared for what happens next, because your death will not be pretty.

Death: If an Obsessed somehow dies of a natural age and not due to the violent life it often lives, it will simply go to sleep and never wake up. Everything about it will disintegrate, even its bones. All that will be left is a thick black dust which smells of copper and ink, eventually carried away by the wind or stained into the ground by the rain. If you find a large patch of ground or grass that stays stained black no matter what, with the dirt many feet below being stained as well, then you know that's where an Obsessed has died.

[unknownmusing]

Baldur's Gate - Halsin x Astarion Fanfic: 'Always there to Travel the Same Path which One Walks' - Prologue 1 to 3 (Act 1) (Spawn Astarion and Ascended Astarion Route)

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Note:

Spawn Astarion and Ascended Route will start with same prologue then it will be separate chapters as rest of fic progresses to represent both routes

-------------------

Notes:

A Baldur's Gate: Halsin x Astarion fic inspired by the game Baldur Gate 3 and watching ongoing playthrough of it on Youtube

Slight canon diverge with some made up Background stuff for Astarion and other characters

WIP mode as use the wiki fandom and playthroughs to get idea of characters

Title refers to how Astarion and Halsin join up with the rest of the *company ( *will be introduced in later on chapters) but also travel a path together which leads to something more.

Starts off with Astarion's P.O.V

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Prologue - 'A Pale Elf in a Grove' (1 of 3)

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Location - Emerald Grove, Western Heartlands, West Faerun - Approaching Early Morning

Astarion's P.O.V:

"Is Halsin a fool?!!! Why has he brought this 'thing' here!!!?"

"I do not know….it greatly concerns….Archdruid Halsin!!!… We…..yes…..we understand…."

Voices.

Whispering amongst themselves before going silent, footsteps fading into the distance of somewhere which smells moist, lush and fresh - like it's not been tainted by any pollutants - and movement of something large, warm and furry choosing to lay down beside me.

Why couldn't I remember what had happened? What even had happened? Had I been attacked by someone or something?

Those questions remain swirling around my aching head - like I been hit by something very heavy and large - that it is difficult to even force myself to wake up so can check my surroudings, only sink into deeper sleep like I'm being made to do it to help me heal. So different when my Master Cazador treated me - his more of punishment so cruel, unkind and harsh it border on machositic that he didn't really care how many times he hurt me.

I must have whimpered because a soft chuffing noise comes from the large, warm furry thing beside me with wet snout nudging me to force me to roll onto my side to face into a warm furry belly and chest of what scenting register is in fact bear at least I think it is. I want to wake, I need to wake.

But the drowiness is settling in so fast, a soothing calming wave washing over me that find myself relaxing for the first time in centuries, allowing myself to fall asleep against the warmth of the large bear beside me.

TIME SKIP

"Hnngh…..Gaahhh!!!?" It is the sensation of sunlight from above burning it's way up my exposed arm which forces me very rudely awake from the deep, healing slumber I had been placed under trying to get up when realise a large, muscular arm - human?…. No….scenting the air…..again….a Wood Elf - is over my waist effectively trapping me against a very muscular, large and naked Wood elf bearing a tattoo mark on one side of his face and horredenous, but oddly enough appealing scars from no doubt from being attacked on his face as well.

Concerned about promixity of our bodies, I shuffle my lower half backwards away from the Wood elf's groin area only to give out a yelp when the large hand which has been around my waist immediatly yanks me flush against the large, muscular chest forcing me to place both my hands on it - or more accurately on top of the Wood Elf's pecs on both their dusky hued nipples to my embarassment even though this unnamed Wood elf does look like a fine specimen.

The sudden hiss of sunlight touching my exposed skin causes me to thrash soon in their grip, managing to wriggle free to quickly roll over to the shadows.

Collapsing slump up against a base for a statue of a wolf carved from stone, I wince at the stinging ache from the sun-burn on my arm hoping my healing factor kicks in, only to notice the wood elf has woken up looking straight at me.

"It's alright, I won't harm you." the wood elf says, voice so deep, husky and soothing it sends a strange shiver through me at the sametime that luring scent of his sweet, smelling blood reaches me.

It is so tempting, I don't realise I prowled out of the shadows into a shaft of sunlight until I'm scrambling back into them cursing myself with my fangs unsheathing themselves, steam still rising from the sun-burnt wounds until finally wisping away and bits of my burnt skin turned to ash to flutter to the ground

"I…need you….to stay just there…" I warn them, only for them to ignore my warning coming over to kneel down in front of me taking hold of my wrist to pull my arm out straight investigating the damage, seeing when I turn my face to one side to wince with eyes slipping shut or peeking open slightly to watch what he's doing.

------------------------------------------

Notes:

Title refers how unexpected emotions begin to form in Astarion that he's not used to and how he loses control to them and Halsin the same.

Third part will deal with introducing the Leader of the Party and their background, plus the start of the Mindflyer attack then moving into Act 1

-------------------------------------------

Prologue (2 of 3) - 'Losing Control to Unexpected Emotions Rising within One'

Location - Emerald Grove, Western Heartlands, West Faerun - Early Morning

Astarion's P.O.V:

Halsin – as the Druid or Archdruid to be precise of Emerald Grove is called – is an enigma of a Wood Elf, with most of his time discussing about Nature, protecting the Grove and in his spare time doing mostly mundane things which some to admit were interesting to know about:

his whittling of little carvings of animals so detailed it actually fascinated me to watch from afar doing his work; seeing him resist the temptation of honeyed treats being sold by travelling merchants that couldn’t resist haggling with them to include more of new variations every-time they came back to just watch his eyes sparkle and pretend he’s not drooling over them and finally, seeing him in his bear form allowing children to ride on his back.

Looking over to where he’s discussing something highly important with another Druid – a female Half-elf called Jaheira, who keeps on flicking her gaze over to me wariness showing in her eyes - probably about myself.

Deciding not to hang around, I keep myself to the large grove's shadows, avoiding the spots of sunlight to head to the extensive cave-system of the Emerald Grove.

Within the cave-system, I make my way down towards the halfling merchant - Arron - located nearby a Altar busy checking his wares he's ascertained from his travels.

He stiffens though, ears twitching side to side then turns his gaze to look at me leaning up against a rock pillar in the shadows causing him to give out a ‘Tch, it’s you’ turning to face me where crosses his arms over his chest.

“I told you already, Pale Elf, if you want to sample my wares find out who’s pickpocketing around here.” Arron states, forcing me to raise an eyebrow because it sounds like he's accusing me of being the one doing it.

"And you think I have something to do with it. Heh, I would not resort myself to such lowly act." I state back, slipping myself away deciding I need to go hunting to distract myself from the mutiple heartbeats that head up to the main entrance.

Reaching where the gate is, I stop myself just in time.

The sun has risen at it's highest peak meaning the gate area is completely flooded with light leaving no shadows for me to use to reach it.

Choosing to lean up against a pillar, I find myself looking over at it trying to ascertain whether make a dash for it or wait until nightfall to go hunting for Prey.

Tilting my head backwards, my mind floods to fact I've not felt any sense of my Master Cazador trying to will me back to the Lair where I took lured Prey - most ended up dead and flung into giant pit, others turned in Spawn like me or completely disappeared that even asking would have risked the ire of him so never asked.

"You seem lost in thought, silver-tongue." the disdaining, dripping tone of the female druidess half-elf Jaheira reaches my ears, I lower my head down un-leaning myself from the pillar I brush past her quickly refusing to even acknowledge when find myself suddenly yanked backwards by a glowing tendril of energy straight into large area of sunlight I'd been trying to avoid.

-----------------------------------------------------------

“Jaheira, what have….you done…!!!?”

“You are too soft, Halsin. We cannot trust this, silver-tongue. You must have noticed how ‘it’ avoids the shadows!!!”

“That I already know. It doesn’t mean you act irrational by doing what you did.”

Shuddering into wakefulness, the first thing to reach my nostrils is the scent of wildflowers – a mixture of so many it takes time to list – with my eyes fluttering open to reveal I’m lying naked in a on a bed of vines and wildflowers entwined together in a cocoon with no sunlight penetrating it.

My acute hearing had picked up Halsin berating until finally blessed silence with me having to use my Predator senses to see how many heat signatures are outside of the healing cocoon – only one – with a gap appearing to reveal the large, wood elf.

Realising he may see the circular scar on my back, I try to move myself only for so much agony to shoot through my body I curl into myself with my bandaged hands wrapping around my bandaged waist shaking so much at it.

“Hgnnnhh…..shit…..shit…..”

Cursing under my breath, biting my bottom lip along with his large hands rolling me onto my back – checking me over – until finally a soothing healing wave from both his hands spreads over me. He is leaning over me in the process, I find myself eying the throbbing, pulsing vein in his neck that pumps his lifeforce within his body.

“Is something wrong?” He asks me, so suddenly I don’t know how to give a proper answer to him which may convince him I'm just appreciating his body and not his blood flowing in his veins.

"I…..umm…may I taste…." I begin to ask, only for him to sit back resting his hands on his lap finishing my sentence. "…to taste my blood." it makes me scramble upwards needing to leave only for him to take hold of me turning my chin to force my face into the crook of his neck.

"Drink."

A command, but not a forced, soft and gentle with myself fully turning in his arms to rest up against his large, muscular chest slipping my hand up cradle the back of his head to tilt his head backwards by his soft, hazel brown locks.

Fangs unsheathing themselves, I sink them straight in hearing him give out a stiffening grunt at it knowing he will react to the venom which will give a numbness and pleasured feeling to the Prey being subdued.

All is quiet, except for occasional soft grunts coming from each-time I take a sip of his blood until finally his large arms are pushing me back seeing how drunk I've become on the taste on it - a blush rising on my cheeks, lips coated still in some of it, that it is so addicting it is feat in me trying to avoid going back for more.

Instead, moving myself over him and placing one hand on his chest to push him down to lay flat on his back noting his hazel brown eyes ringed with gold looking up at mine. Putting my hands either side of his head, I bend down my head down to rest my forehead against his wondering should I do it, licking my lips.

“Thank you.” I tell him, finding weird saying it because I’m not used to saying it – I been ingrained in Master Cazador’s rules and have already broken one – before sealing my lips over his, feeling him stiffening underneath me only to respond with soft, equal fervour it is something part of me wants and other is rebelling at it.

I try to pull away, but he pulls me back into devouring my mouth with his own – lips changing position each-time to deepen the kissing between us both, his tongue flicking across them begging admittance so allow for it to happen.

My whole body quivers up against him.

The sensation of his large hands wrapping around my body, one cradling the back of my head and other resting on my back with his warm, moist tongue entwining with mine inside and outside my mouth makes me want to pull away from him.

Managing to release my lips from his, I gasp breathlessly with my face turned to one side willing myself to calm down - use the seductive techniques I use for Prey to take back to Cazador on him.

“Astarion…..look at me.” Halsin says, voice husky with arousal making me turn my face to look up at him seeing how affected he is – his pupils dilated, lips still swollen from our kissing and no doubt his aroused below – then continues to speak. “I…. don’t whether I can control myself in what happens next.”

Bringing both my hands up to cup his cheeks, looking up into those hazel brown eyes ringed gold I realise what is happening to me - I'm losing control to unexpected emotions rising up within me.

And it is frightening me.

------------------------------------

Notes:

Connected to Prologue (2 of 3) - 'Losing Control to Unexpected Emotions Rising within One'

Introducing Asdalen - a drow elf with Dark Urge Origins and also Halsin's Half-brother (more will be explained about that later in further one chapters) and Lesia, his adopted fae child; Asdalen will be the main leader of the party and romance partner will be Gale.

What happens to Astarion and Halsin will be told in flashback.

------------------------------------

Prologue (3 of 3) - 'When an Unexpected Event Separates Those Close to Others'

Location - Baldur's Gate, Sword Coast, Western Heartlands - 'Whispering Weave' Tavern near the Harbour - Approaching Mid-Morning 

12 DAYS LATER

Making my way through the streets of Baldur's Gate towards the 'Whispering Weave' Tavern, I keep an eye on Lesia who is running ahead - her wispy fae form so different from the various Baldurians and other travellers walking back and forth - of me.

My mind is thinking about my half-brother Halsin - an Archdruid of the Emerald Grove located in the Western Heartlands, Western Faerun - knowing it's been quite some time we have met up to discuss things or even talk properly.

Approaching the Tavern, which is near the Harbour, I see two people are walking down towards it - though one of them seems to be keeping mostly to the shadows I notice and the other I recognise is Halsin, who spotting me goes to say something when I finally reach the both of them only to bite his bottom lip which his companion notices before flicking his gaze over to me.

Lesia, spotting Halsin runs up to him to greet him and hold out her little hands to be lifted up by him.

I wait to see whether he will do it, part of me - an unknown, uncontrolled side whispers, 'Kill them both' and other horrendous things - and the more rational side - though don't know how long it will last - knows he can't deny her.

Finally, he bends down to lift her up, surprising his silvery white-haired companion beside him that approach though still with caution because it's been quite some time since seen him.

"Hello, little one." Halsin says, smiling softly with his companion - keeping to the shadows - admiring in their own way until finally turns their gaze to me.

Behind the white-bone mask I wear to cover my face a strange, prickling sense that I'm being analysed by a Predator hits me.

My own unknown Predator's senses soon wanting to confront back and tear their throat out.

----------------------------

Astarion’s P.O.V:

Coming back to Baldur’s Gate after twelve days, I know at some point Cazador will send out my ‘siblings’ to collect me but he doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to do so as myself and Halsin walk through the marketplace close to the Harbour.

Stopping in the shadows of archway, Halsin turns to face me when sees I seem to be not my usual self – my body tone is showing wariness – so brings a hand up to cup my cheek to reassure me everything is alright with him being here for me.

Immediately resting my forehead against his, hands moving to rest own on his large, muscular chest it makes me realise the twelve days and nights we’ve shared together – his soft, breathless kisses he will give me; reassuring me when nightmares overwhelmed and finally, making sure my bloodthirst is sated – it has felt like freedom.

“I…don’t want to leave you….just yet….” I admit, knowing we must go our separate ways with him heading back to the Emerald Grove and myself back to my ‘prison’ kissing him soon on the lips where he uses his other hand to pull me flush up against him.

Around us the noises of the Harbour and the Marketplace reach my ears – Market stallers shouting out the wares; dock workers heading up and down ramps on ships delivering various goods back and forth and Baldurians going about their daily lives – but I’m not listening to it, just relaxing to kiss my ‘Mate’ is giving me.

Finally pulling back from it, licking my lips at his taste, I smile softly up to him slipping one hand down to clasp my fingers with his, while we soon begin to make our way to the Tavern called 'Whispering Weave' to share a last moment drink before going our separate ways.

Discovering that Halsin had a ‘brother’ of some kind is unexpected, because he never mentioned anything about having a family until now so meeting them – who wears long black thief clothing with hood included, plus bone-white mask hiding their face – along with a little fae child called Lesia, it is taking me some time to try and make sense of them.

I can tell they are like me almost – a Predator fighting their own instincts to attack the presence of another Predator in front of them.

Deciding to introduce myself is the better option of being silent and not saying anything to them.

“You have a beautiful child.” I comment, making them turn their gaze to me.

Body language still showing signs of wariness but relaxing enough to respond back to me.

“She’s….Thank you…Umm…” they begin to say, allowing me to introduce myself. “…Astarion Ancunin, a pleasure to meet you…”

“Asdalen.” They nonchalantly reply, causing Halsin to lower the little one wanting to say something but closes his month instead like he knows it may not help the both of them.

Torn between the awkwardness I’m sensing rising between them both, I decide to relieve it by deciding to say something which is mundane yet helps "I'm famished. How about we all get a bite to eat and all have a good chat together. Maybe even hear some of your lute music, Asdalen.' clapping both my hands together seeing how Lesia jumps up and down at hearing the words 'bite to eat' pulling her adopted father's sleeve.

Halsin having composed himself, slips his arm around my waist to pull me against his side and giving me a certain look of 'I didn't know you had an interest in music' it makes my chest ache at the look he gives me. The sudden thought is that I want to know everything about him - how he become Archdruid, what was his childhood like, how did he find out about his brother - and his brother.

Repair what feels like a fragile relationship between them which could easily be broken anytime.

------------------------

Location - Baldur's Gate, Sword Coast, Western Heartlands - 'Whispering Weave' Tavern near the Harbour - Mid-Morning

Asdalen’s P.O.V:

“Have you been travelling far?”

“Only to certain areas. There’s been some places refusing travellers entry.”

Drunken laughter, chatter and clinking of mugs fills the air with myself and Lesia sitting with Halsin and Astarion in an alcove at the far back of the Tavern where Astarion sitting next to my half-brother is asking me about my travels.

Most of what I tell him is about how on my travels where noticed Missing Poster had been appearing a lot; some places were wary of new travellers due to whispers about raise of Cultists and more monsters beginning to appear in certain areas.

“I see. To admit, I’ve not noticed….that kind of thing due….” Astarion begins to say only tail off, taking a sip of the wine he’s ordered with Halsin moving a hand to place it over his – squeezing it lightly to reassure the pale, High elf who gives weak smile.

‘You’ve been hiding in the shadows for too long.’ I state internally, not saying it out loud lest the Gur Hunters sitting only a few feet away from where we’re sitting overhear and come over to investigate.

Halsin, is happy. A soft, warm glow Lesia describes it to me in silent communication which reassures my brother will be alright in the relationship he has with Astarion leaving me to think of one person who I miss the most – Gale Dekarios, my lover and chosen Mate.

Where is he now?

Is he coping?

Has he returned to Waterdeep?

“Bard, do you play?” A new voice asks of me, leaving the internal questions in my head unanswered, so turn my face to the source seeing a figure wearing fine refine stands there indicating to the lute in the holder on my back.

“I play, yes. It depends on the crowd though and what they would like to hear.” I reply, seeing the newcomer raise one delicate eyebrow in amusement at it. “And you…. what would you like to hear?” asking them a question back to them.

“Me?! Well, let’s see…” They reply, bringing one hand up to tap their chin in deep thought until give small smirk at me. “How about an original composition. I believe this one should suffice ‘Beautiful Voice of the Past’ for you, Bard.”

A violent visible shudder goes through me, Astarion placing his hand on my arm to pull me back down into my seat – I hadn’t realised I had stood up to confront the newcomer – my mind torn in how they knew about the song – a song I composed only for Gale and no-one else – and who played it.

“I don’t play it for crowds.” I whisper under my breath, voice breaking with so much emotion I get back up with Lesia sensing I need to leave allowing me to pick her up.

Politely excusing myself when brush past the newcomer, I weave through the patrons and tables to reach the main Tavern door or would have if it hadn’t been for sudden explosion sending myself and her still in my arms flying backwards over the Tavern bar into the alcohol drink-rack hard.

Followed by tinkling noise of smashed apart bottles of wine, beer and brandy to name a few.

The wooden shelf collapses under my weight, forcing my body to fall to the floor in wounded, bleeding heap of a mess with Lesia beginning to whimper in my arms – her little fae body fading in and out focus due to being very frightened of what is happening – seeing the blurred image of the Tavern patrons running out in all directions only to be cruelly snatched up by what appear to be Mindflyers.

Another explosion rocks the tavern, sending shockwaves through the floorboards which begin to crack and splinter in all directions – sending shards of wood flying in all directions – feeling below me the wooden floor give out on myself with Lesia being wrenched out of my arms by something leaving me to fall into the blackness of the underground cellar.

The faint roars of my Brother’s Wildshape, Lesia crying out my name again and again reach me with Astarion lunging himself towards the collapsed hole made by the falling floorboards to grab hold of my wrist trying in vain to pull me back up – even though I can see he’s struggling due the wounds he’s ascertained.

“Asdalen, quick…..give me your other hand before the next wave hits!!!? It seems to be full-scaled attack on Baldur’s Gate!!!? We need….NO!!!! GET THE HELL AWAY ME…!!!!?” He cries out, only to panic heavily looking over at something or someone I cannot see due to my disadvantaged angle.

A fast, but to me blurred, inky-black shadow speeds it's over to him in such a blink of an eye to knock him over to the other side, leaving me with nothing to grab hold onto to help pull me back up to safety.

Falling for quite some time, I finally reach the bottom of what turns out to be the underground lower cellar for the Tavern with sickening, bone-crunching thud – worse agony than what my own people, the Drows have done to me – it shatters everything instantly, finding myself going limp at it immediatly.

So, this is how I die?

Separated from my half-brother who just met again?

I never got to even tell him…..everything……

Halsin…..Astarion……Lesia…

My thoughts wander in my head, my body is lying shattered beyond compare and any chance of moving is not probable with how serious my injuries are from the shards of glass embedded in it and large wood splinters.

My blood can distantly feel is pooling out from underneath my body or over it to trickle off it to cover the cobbled stones of the cellar in various array of crimson petals.

The unknown, uncontrolled side seems to be gleefully laughing in my head at the demise – death by falling, shattering every bone in my body and allowing my lifeforce to drain away.

It's the last thing I hear before blackness swoops in dark like raven’s wings and I remember nothing thereafter.

------------------------------------

[new-dinosaurs]

Campananeyen fragilissimus Lerzo et al., 2024 (new genus and species)

(Braincase of Campananeyen fragilissimus [scale bar = 5 cm], from Lerzo et al., 2024)

Meaning of name: Campananeyen = Las Campanas air [in Mapudungun]; fragilissimus = the most fragile [in Latin]

Age: Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)

Where found: Candeleros Formation, Neuquén, Argentina

How much is known: Partial skeleton of one individual including parts of the skull, some vertebrae, the hips, and the feet.

Notes: Campananeyen was a rebbachisaurid, a group of sauropods best known for including the bizarre Nigersaurus from the Early Cretaceous of Niger. The preserved portions of the skull in the Campananeyen type specimen had been previously described in a 2016 paper, but were left unnamed at the time. Like in birds, much of the skeleton in sauropods was hollowed out by a complex network of air sacs extending from their respiratory system. In Campananeyen, this hollowing appears to have been particularly extensive, as it exhibits air spaces in the braincase and hip bones that have not been observed in other rebbachisaurids.

Reference: Lerzo, L.N., F.T. Fernández-Baldor, J.I. Canale, J.A. Whitlock, A. Otero, and P.A. Gallina. 2024. They all floated in the Cretaceous: new rebbachisaurid (Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) with a highly pneumatized skeleton from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Cenomanian) of Patagonia, Argentina. Historical Biology advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2383708

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Three: Changmiania vs Bisticeratops

Changmiania liaoningensis

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Eternal Sleeper from Liaoning

Time: 125.755 million years ago (Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous) 

Location: Lujiatun Beds, Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China 

Changmiania is a gorgeously preserved ornithopod known from the earliest time of the famed Yixian Formation, adding it to the ranks of amazing fossils known from this unique preservational environment. The multiple specimens of this species are found in sleeping poses, curled up on the ground with their legs and arms tucked up against them. This indicates they had been buried alive, possibly inside their own burrows. Given the depositional environment of Yixian is a sort of prehistoric Pompeii, with many dinosaurs covered very quickly in ash and dust from an exploding volcano, this makes a certain degree of sense - perhaps the two little dinosaurs had scurried into their burrow to escape the oncoming tragedy (sorry if I just made you sad), or had been asleep and unaware of the oncoming danger. At only one meter long and less than half a meter tall, Changmiania would have been easily missed in its environment, hiding among the dense vegetation from potential predators. With robust leg bones, it would have been a fast runner, able to move efficiently through the crowded undergrowth. It had a weirdly short neck for ornithischians, and that combined with its short forearms and hands indicates it was fossorial - ie, a digging animal, hence its burrow home and final resting place. Given they were found together, they were probably social creatures as well, living in small family groups. The Yixian was a dense temperate forest, filled with freshwater lakes and a great diversity of plantlife. Conifers, ferns, cycads, horsetails, and early flowering plants filled the environment and indicated a humid, possibly rainforest environment. Periodic wildfires, noxious lake gasses, and volcanic eruptions all lead to regular moments of rapid burial and amazing preservation in this environment - essentially giving us snapshots of how it changed over the course of many millions of years. In the Lujiatun bed specifically, Changmiania was neighbors with Euhelopus, Jeholosaurus, Liaoceratops, Psittacosaurus, Liaoningornis, Daliansaurus, Graciliraptor, Mei, Sinovenator, Sinusonasus, Dilong, Hexing, Incisivosaurus, Shenzhousaurus, and outside of dinosaurs mammals such as Acristatherium, Gobiconodon, Juchilestes, Maotherium, Meemannodon, and Repenomamus (yes, THAT Repenomamus), and the toad Liaobatrachus. 

Bisticeratops froeseorum

Artwork by sauriazoicillus, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Froese’s Dééł Náázíní Horned Face 

Time: 74 million years ago (Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous) 

Location: Farmington Member, Kirtland Formation, New Mexico, United States 

Bisticeratops is an early Chasmosaurine, known from a partial skull found in the Kirtland Formation. Yet another of a largely growing number of Chasmosaurine taxa from the Campanian of North America, it appeared to resemble Pentaceratops, but was more closely related to later ceratopsians known from the Kirtland formation, as well as one unnamed taxon from the Almond Formation in Wyoming. Interestingly, Bisticeratops shows signs of bite marks from tyrannosaurids, which apparently had begun to heal prior to death. However, we do not know which tyrannosaurid may have left these marks - while the Kirtland Formation is a well studied environment, the Farmington Member has never yielded dinosaurian fossils before now, taking place earlier than the more famous De-Na-Zin of the formation. Like other iterations, the Kirtland was a coastal plain along the western interior seaway, preserving a muddy and sandy environment that would have been filled with a variety of subtropical plants. It is presumable that other dinosaurs lived here besides Bisticeratops and a tyrannosaurid - hadrosaurs, ankylosaurs, pachycephalosaurs, ornithomimosaurs, and dromaeosaurs would all have been possible members of this ecosystem based on the following and preceding ones from this formation.

[snakebusters]

From Hoser, 2014

FORTITERCARINATA TASTYWHENCRISPY SP. NOV.

LSIDurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A313B2E2-777B-458E-96C6-275E219E8698

Holotype: A preserved specimen at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, specimen number R21746 collected from the Tjaynera Falls Area, Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, Latitude -13.25 S., Longitude 130.733 E.

This government-owned facility allows access to its holdings.

Paratypes: Five preserved specimens at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, being 1/ Specimen number R21733 collected from the Tjaynera Falls Area, Litchfield National Park, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, Latitude -13.25 S., Longitude 130.733 E., 2/ Specimen numbers R12871 and R12888 both collected from Wangi Falls, Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, Latitude -13.163 S., Longitude 130.685 E., 3/ Specimen number R12098 collected from Tolmer Falls, Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, Latitude -13.207 S., Longitude 130.713 E., 4/ Specimen number R12082 collected from Sandy Creek Falls, Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, Latitude -13.25 S., Longitude 130.75 E.

Diagnosis: Fortitercarinata amax (Storr, 1974), until now known as Carlia amax, with a type locality of Mitchell Plateau, Northwest Kimberley District, Western Australia, has been treated by most authors as a single taxon occupying the tropical north of Australia from the Kimberley District, across the Northern Territory to the hilly areas on the south shore of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Divergent from this was Wells and Wellington (1985), who formally named a divergent form from Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, Australia (type locality of Koongarra, NT, Latitude -12.9384 S., Longitude 132.8051 E.) as Carlia instantanea and also Storr (1974) who named a taxon as Carlia johnstonei grandensis, from Groote Eylandt in the north east of the Northern Territory, which significantly Wells and Wellington (1985) also elevated to full species status.

Notwithstanding the fact that both “Carlia instantanea” and “Carlia grandensis” have been ignored by all publishing herpetologists in the 39 years since Wells and Wellington (1985) was first published, the molecular evidence of Potter et al. (2016) confirmed the taxonomy and nomenclature of Wells and Wellington (1985) to be correct in stark contrast to that of all other relevant publishing authors in the intervening period.

Herein, the three other unnamed forms identified by Potter et al. (2016) are formally named as new species.

Therefore, the Fortitercarinata amax (Storr, 1974) complex is as follows:

F. amax is effectively confined to the Kimberley District of Western Australia.

F. tastywhencrispy sp. nov. is the taxon from the Western section of the Top End of the Northern Territory, generally in a line west of between Darwin and the Victoria River District, with the centre of the population in the Litchfield National Park and Daly River districts.

F. grandensis occupies most parts of the tropical north of the top end, including Kakadu National Park, areas to the south that are hilly and extending to the west side of the Gulf of Carpentaria and including Groote Eylandt, being the type locality for that species.

F. instantanea contrary to the assertion of Wells and Wellington (1985) is not widespread in the ranges of the top end of the Northern Territory but is in fact confined to a relatively small part of the Arnhem Land escarpment, this being generally near the type locality. It is F. grandensis that is the more invasive and wide-ranging taxon.

F. tasteslikesheet sp. nov. is a range restricted taxon, apparently confined to the English Company’s Islands and the adjacent Wessel Islands in the far north-east of the Northern Territory.

F. faark sp. nov. occurs in the hills of the southern shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria, extending to the Selwyn Ranges in north-west Queensland.

The six taxa are readily separated from one another by different sets of characters as follows:

F. amax is a brown coloured lizard all over, with no significant contrast between the head and body upper surfaces colour, or if there is a contrast, it is usually only slight.

That is the head may be slightly more brownish than the greyish body, although quite often any slight transition in colour may be half-way down the trunk rather than between head and upper body (on neck) as seen as a rule in the other species.

The dorsum of F. amax has semi distinct dark spotting and more distinct scattered tiny white spots, which also run along most of the length of the tail. Other than the light spots and dull darker spotting, no lines run onto the tail from the body either on top or on the sides of the tail.

F. amax has white spotting separated from black spots on the dorsum, versus joined in all other species.

The belly is always whitish in this species, versus various configurations in the other five species, including whitish, greyish, with or without darker markings.

Upper surfaces of the limbs in F. amax are medium brown with dull blackish spots.

Most F. amax have contiguous prefrontals, versus generally not so in all the other species in the complex.

F. amax average 21 subdigital lamellae under the fourth toe, versus 23 in the other five species.

F. tastywhencrispy sp. nov. is separated from all other species in the complex by having slightly larger spotting than all others in the group (except for, F. faark sp. nov. which has similarly larger spots and blotches) and also well contrasting rather than semi-distinct dark and light spotting.

F. tastywhencrispy sp. nov. is separated from F. faark sp. nov. by having more dark spotting on the dorsum and especially the flanks in particular, versus F. faark sp. nov. which has a preponderance of white spotting, especially on the flanks and along the tail where they are prominent in that species alone there.

F. tastywhencrispy sp. nov. is further separated from the other five species in the complex by the fact that above the white line that runs from the front of the eye, under the eye to neck is a well-defined dark upper edge and line (contrasting with the lighter brown above this line). In all other species this dark line is either absent, or at best poorly defined and not strongly contrasting with the brown on top of the head.

F. grandensis has a dorsum that is brownish in colour and with moderately numerous very small dark brown dots, formed at the distal parts of some scales, more-or-less arranged longitudinally. There are occasionally a smaller number of scattered tiny white spots as well. These are less distinct on the flanks, making them more-or-less unmarked. Head on top is light brown and body is darker and greyish brown above. Upper labials are whitish, with slight dark etching and similar for lower labials.

In all other species in this complex, there is a well-defined white line that runs from near the nostril, across the underside of the eye, across the ear and along the side of the neck to terminate just anterior of the front leg.

This is not present in F. grandensis. In F. grandensis under the eye is white, but there is no obvious line extending beyond and along the neck. Instead, this area is the same brownish or greyish colour of the rest of the neck region.

F. instantanea has a dorsum that is greyish on top, not brown. On the dorsum is a series of spots formed by black and white sections joined, the black often in the form of tiny triangles superimposed over a white spot, leaving white on the sides of the black. On the flanks these black bits are expanded to form squares of 2-3 scales in size, with the white spots moved away from the black to form flecks on the otherwise light grey flank. The black on the flanks is in two rows, leaving a line along the mid flank without black. There are tiny white spots on this line as well as the rest of the flank.

Towards the hind limb and onto the tail, the density of the black on the flank increases to form a semi-well-defined band of black that extends halfway along the length of the tail, below which is a well-defined white line. The top of the tail is a medium grey.

Upper labials have thick, well-defined dark bars that terminate under the white line that runs below the eye.

Upper surfaces of limbs are light grey, but heavily marked with dark spots, blotches and bars giving them an overall mottled appearance.

There is a well-defined white line that runs from near the nostril, across the underside of the eye, across the ear and along the side of the neck to terminate just anterior of the front leg.

This is not present in F. grandensis as a species found in close proximity to this taxon and potentially sympatric with it.

F. tasteslikesheet sp. nov. is similar in most respects to F. instantanea but differs from that taxon by being a lighter sandy grey colour on top and with a generally washed-out appearance in terms of the dorsum. There is a greater preponderance of tiny white spots on top, versus the darker blackish ones, including when they are combined, but the white spots are not exceptionally numerous as seen in F. faark sp. nov.. Upper surfaces of the limbs in F. tasteslikesheet sp. nov. are generally light grey with scattered dark spots.

The head of F. tasteslikesheet sp. nov. is a light yellowish grey, rather than brownish as seen in F. grandensis or brown anteriorly and greyish brown at the back of the head as seen in F. instantanea.

F. faark sp. nov. is readily separated from the other five species by having a dull brown head, a dull grey body and an obvious preponderance of numerous scattered tiny white spots on the top of the body, the flanks and all over the tail. Any darker spotting is small in amount, very scattered, very dull and barely noticeable on close inspection.

Upper labials are white and with thin dark etching on the margins. There is no evidence of any dark line above the white line running under the eye. The upper sides of the head are the same colour as on top.

The upper surfaces of the limbs are brown with numerous scattered white spots and a lesser number of dull dark blackish ones.

No lines run along the sides of the tail.

The six preceding species, being F. amax, F. tastywhencrispy sp. nov., F. grandensis, F. instantanea, F. tasteslikesheet sp. nov. and F. faark sp. nov. are separated from all other species in the two genera, Carlia Gray, 1845 type species Mocoa melanopogon Gray, 1845 and Lygisaurus De Vis, 1884, type species Lygisaurus foliorum De Vis, 1884 as defined by Cogger (2014) by the following suite of characters:

Interparietal distinct (as in not fused to the frontoparietals); prefrontals in contact or narrowly separated; 5-8 (usually 6) supraciliaries; 26-35 midbody rows; dorsal scales are 6-sided, each usually with an angular posterior or free edge, mostly bicarinate and strongly keeled, the keels not being well aligned with the following scales; ear opening horizontally elliptical, much smaller than the palpebral disc and with only one small lobule on the anterior edge; 19-28 lamellae under the fourth toe. Colouration is mainly uniform above (more brownish on the head and ending greyish on the lower end of the body but varying with species). Distinct or semi-distinct spots and blotches on the body, all tiny in size and generally not distracting from the more-or-less uniform appearance of the lizard. Venter is white, whitish, whitish grey, with or without darker markings.

F. amax is depicted in life in Storr et al. (1981) in plate 1, photo 6, second from bottom on right and online at: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/177476229

and

F. tastywhencrispy sp. nov. is depicted in life in

and

F. grandensis is depicted in life online at: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/100485324

F. instantanea is depicted in life in Wilson and Knowles (1988) on page 253 middle left and online at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nieminski/5315225943/

and https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/195641586

and

F. faark sp. nov. is depicted in life online at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/smacdonald/4539877222/ and https://www.flickr.com/photos/zimny_anders/32492490820/ and

and

and

Distribution: F. tastywhencrispy sp. nov. occurs in the region of the Western section of the Top End of the Northern Territory, generally in a line west of between Darwin and the Victoria River District, with the centre of the population in the Litchfield National Park and Daly River districts.

Etymology: In early 2012, I sat at a campfire with an Aboriginal elder from the Marranunggu tribe in the bushland off the road about 2 hours drive south-west of Darwin.

It was a large corroboree with Aboriginals from all across the top end of Australia.

I asked the man about the skink we had just caught and he replied that when you put some seasoning on the dead lizard and cook it up on the hot coals of a campfire that it becomes “tasty when crispy”. Hence the etymology. The words are adjectives in apposition.