#ursus minor

[wheretheharekissesthefox]

As a language & astrology nerd, I can't get over the fact that Astarion Ancunin's full name means 'star rabbit' in Latin.

(Latin: astrum = star, astra = stars, Latin: cuniculus = rabbit, Friulian: cunin = rabbit)

That's why I totally dig the star constellation ship name for Astarion x Halsin. They're both associated with star signs (little bear/little dipper & Lepus/hare).

Also, side note: Halsin stems from the Old-Germanic words 'hel'/'hal' = 'hide' OR 'hell' = 'bright' & 'sin' = 'always'/'all-encompassing'/'constant'.

Thus, Halsin basically means 'constant brightness' or 'always hidden'.

Which is really cool in regards to Astarion.

If the name's interpretation is 'always hidden', it fits nicely with the rabbit's stereotypical behaviour of running away & hiding. Thus, Halsin's Astarion's safe space.

If the name's interpretation is 'constant brightness/light', again, it fits with the star theme - and also the fact that Astarion's a vampire and burns in the sun but can bathe in the light of the moon & stars. Thus, Halsin's Astarion's light (therefore symbolically hope) in the darkness.

Poetic, isn't it?

[kiame-sama]

Humans Are Extinct- (Yandere!TWST x Fem!Reader) Monster AU pt 4

(Since my computer died, I will use some of the other monster AU art I haven't used in a chapter yet instead. Hopefully I can rustle up another computer soon or get Ol' Peepaw Sammy (my 10+ year old laptop) to run my drawing software without having a heart-attack.)

Warnings: collaring, aggressive kindness, yanderes are rampant in this story, invasion of privacy, romantic yanderes, platonic yanderes, monster AU, some history for the monster AU, mention of Humans being eaten, Teachers and Crowley are going to have a ROUGH time, more characters being introduced, reader insert, fem reader, Driders, Crows, Minotaurs, Shadow-men, Selkies, Dragons, Fae, Bats, Harpies, Unicorns, Nemean Lions, Grim is less boisterous/confident in this AU given his rough life but he is still the sassy and clueless kitty-creature we all love, reader is called several affectionate pet names by platonic yanderes (Pup/Cub/Chick)

~~~~~~~~

"So... What happened here?"

You cuddled your new monster friend close to you as you looked upon the building you had been carried to by Rook. He had been swift to return you and the cat-monster you befriended to the building the supposed teachers had been leading you towards. Even as you sat on the large spider's back and stared up at the building, you could see the apparent change that had overcome it.

It mostly looked the same as it had when you had run away from it, but there were several improvements and adjustments that had been made in the short time you were away. Where the windows had been boarded up, they were now all clean and fixed. Where the siding of the building had been in obvious disrepair and even falling off in some places, it now looked like it had received a needed bit of care and reconstruction.

"I can answer that!"

You let out a yelp at the sudden interjection, unconsciously reaching out to Rook's torso and clinging to the spider-man in fear. The way you yelped made your sudden visitor giggle in amusement at your behavior. Hanging from what appeared to be a dead tree branch above you was that same pink and black haired guy that had been in the Dragon's nest with you. He had an impish smile as he regarded you, that smile slipping ever so slightly as his eyes flicked over you and how tightly you held to Rook.

Rook was actually both amused and felt endeared by the fact that you grabbed onto him in a bid for protection from the Drider. It was so very sweet to him to see he had earned some goodwill and trust from you by rescuing you from the Undying Ursus Minor. Even when you relaxed upon realizing who was speaking, you very clearly held tightly to your soft companion, Grim.

"Oh? Did you make a friend out in the forest?"

The Bat Fae dropped from the branch, righting himself before he even hit the ground as he approached your little group. He took a long moment to look at Grim before he gained a kind of impish smile.

"I'll have to inform Malleus about your new charge. We wouldn't want this little one getting burned to a crisp by Malleus. Besides, I know how protective and adoring Children of Man can be when it comes to their cherished companions. The last human I met died for their companions."

Grim seemed unsettled by the Bat's presence and you could feel the way his torn wings seemed to pull closer to his body. Maybe it was the fact that the Bat had wings that were a lot like Grim's, and maybe it was the fact that this newcomer had been so keen to startle you. Regardless, you felt a strong need to protect your new friend as he was the only one who didn't seem to have some kind of twisted agenda planned for you.

"Anyway, Malleus and the other Housewardens showed up after you ran away- not a wise move, might I add- so several of them decided you should be somewhere safer than an old run-down building. Malleus did most of the fixing, but it seemed even Schoenheit was keen to make several additions to your accommodations. They're still mostly here, Malleus went back to his nest to give you some space."

You carefully slid off of the back of the large Spider man, noticing the unusual softness of his fur along the back of his Spider body. There was a kind of intimidation you felt now that you were back on level ground, as the height of Rook's Spider back did make you feel somewhat safer. Now you were on level ground and felt very small next to the blond who towered over you.

In some ways, you wanted to question the unusual Bat, but it quickly became clear you were not going to get that chance as the more adult-appearing men approached. The Crow was in the lead and was flanked by four others that seemed to be older than the monster men you had encountered en masse when you first entered this twisted nightmare land. Two of the men you recognized as the two who came with the Crow to retrieve you from the odd Dragon that had claimed you. The other two were unfamiliar to you, but no less beastly than the first.

One of them seemed to be an older man somewhere in his fifties with gray hair and clear creases along his brow and mouth. Attached where his lower half should have been was the body of some kind of big cat, a pair of oddly large wings sprouted along the shoulders of the cat body and the lower back of the man. He almost seemed to walk with a slight limp as his back leg had clearly suffered some kind of damage in the past.

The second newcomer was a man that seemed to be wreathed in shadows. All you could really make out from the darkness was the skeletal white mask adorning his face, lining up on the same place his own skull would be. His bright purple eyes pierced through the darkness and gleamed like gemstones beneath the brim of his top hat. He seemed younger than the others, but you found it difficult to accurately gauge his age due to the shadows that wrapped around him.

"Now that you're done racing off with no regard to your own health, foolish little chick, it seems I must have a lengthy conversation with you regarding the dangers that are ever present to someone as magically lacking as you."

~~~~~~~~

Several Housewardens and even a few Vice-Housewardens gathered nearby the Ramshackle building and watched the interaction curiously. It was true many had all pitched in to make the decrepit building a bit more liveable for you, but it was nowhere near the level of quality they believed an extinct species should have. They did what they could in the short amount of time they had, busying themselves with the project instead of charging headlong into the forest like many wanted to.

Rook and Lilia had excused themselves from the stern lecture the Crow was giving, opting instead to retreat to the nearby group. Many of those present took interest in Rook, as they could detect the scent he now carried due to carrying the fragile Human back to the safety of campus. A few even tried to take a subtle sniff of the Drider in an attempt to catch more of that uniquely Human smell.

"Roi du Poison, your faithful Huntsman has returned victorious with the little Human completely safe and sound!"

Rook was quick to take his place next to the peacock Harpy, practically beaming from the joy of another successful hunt. For all the beautiful muses Rook had claimed, he was closest with his muse Vil Schoenheit as the peacock Harpy had been one of the primary driving forces in Rook's life. From learning to care for his own appearance to taking care of Vil's pin feathers, he had few he could thank half as much as Vil.

Vil gave the slightest of smiles at having his second in command back by his side, his feathers ever so slightly rousing and fluffing out to show the Harpy was pleased. For all the eccentric behavior his Vice-Housewarden showed, Rook was nigh irreplaceable to Vil. Just knowing Rook had been the one to rescue the little Human was also another source of pride for Vil as it was another source of envy from the others.

"At least Rook can be trusted to bring the Human back promptly. I doubt the same would have been said of you, Leona."

The Nemian Lion was standing away from the group, but the clear way his ears angled back showed he was annoyed. Leona knew he wasn't trusted around the Human without supervision. He and anyone else from Sunset Savana would have to prove themselves 'domestic' to even be considered.

It was Sunset Savana that continued to eat Humans the longest and thus had been branded by the other Kingdoms and Queendoms as barbaric monsters. Leona didn't often pay attention in class- especially boring ass History- but even he knew the way Humans had been adored by so many others. Riddle went as far as not letting Leona out of his sight the second they arrived at the rundown excuse of a dorm. He knew the others wouldn't trust him around that fragile Human even with supervision.

"Piss off, Birdy."

Rook was not thrown by Vil's casual sniping towards Leona, the two proud Housewardens always seeming to be at odds. Instead, the Drider turned to the red-haired Unicorn with a pleasant smile.

"Roi du Règles, you will be pleased to know mon Trickster is Mademoiselle Trickster. You mentioned earlier you could sense her purity, non? That would make her a Human Maiden; the ideal boon companion for a Unicorn such as yourself!"

"Is she? Then it seems I must endeavor to even greater heights to protect her. No doubt the common rabble here will be eager to get at the only Human and only female on campus."

It was then a certain displeased yell split the air, originating from the Human in question. The shout unsettled the various students present and even managed to make Riddle almost rear from the sudden interjection.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

~~~~~~~~

You stared incredulously at Crowley, your hands resting over the collar that now sat securely on your neck. Despite how you pulled and groped at the material, you couldn't find a way to unlock it and free yourself from the new and rather dehumanizing feeling of being collared. Even Grim got himself a matching Collar, though his looked more like a pristine bow. Both his collar and your collar had a little device hanging where the tags would be on a dog's collar.

"You've made it more than abundantly clear that you will wander away to areas that can be dangerous to your health if you are allowed to freely roam. I can't have you ending your life prematurely simply because you didn't have the sense to stay away from something dangerous. That collar of yours will make it much easier to dissuade you from going places you shouldn't."

Grim was still trying to wriggle out of his collar while you glared angrily at the overgrown Crow who put it there. You eventually had to stop Grim as the little cat-creature was beginning to thrash and could hurt himself if he wasn't careful. Luckily, the little beast soothed with your touch and stared up at you through his mismatched and scarred eyes. Even though you wanted to lay into Crowley for daring to put a collar on the two of you like you were some kind of pet, the man who had introduced himself as Divus Crewel spoke up.

"I know you don't like the collar, but try to think of it from our perspective, sweet pup. You aren't a normal sight here or anywhere in our world. If certain ne're-do-wells caught wind of a Human living on our campus, they may try to poach you if given the chance. We don't want to give them the chance."

You frowned angrily at the men but also somewhat understood where they were coming from on the matter. Though you really couldn't grasp the concept of Humans being extinct- given the fact you came from a world where Humans were the only truly sentient species- you did somewhat understand where they were coming from. Classifying an animal as endangered only made an increase in the demand for pieces of said animal. They were certain Humans were extinct, so you were more than just a prized commodity to collectors and hunters alike.

"How does the collar help against poaching? If someone wanted to get me with an arrow or a knife, a collar doesn't do anything to stop that."

"That is true in most cases, but your collar is enchanted. The collar keeps track of your location and will alert us as well as the Housewardens if anything does try to harm you. It can't stop a full attack, but it can deflect minor magic."

"Why did Grim get collared too?"

"Because, though I am loathe to let a beast of the forest stay with you, it is better you have some kind of magical protection with you. His skills are subpar compared to a Housewarden, but it is still more skill and magic than you have available to you. Best to keep track of the both of you."

Grim didn't fight his collar anymore, but he certainly didn't look happy as his little torn wings drooped and his ears angled downwards. He was clearly quite displeased but didn't seem too upset despite the fact he did not sign up for this kind of treatment. Once he resigned himself to the collar, he slightly perked up and raised his lopsided gaze to meet that of Crewel.

"Hey, seal-guy, does this mean I have to go to classes with my Hench-Hooman like a student and stuff?"

"It would be ideal to have (Y/n) attend classes, if only to keep her around professors and prevent the loneliness from negatively impacting her health. Humans were known to be a social creature, after all, and with no other Humans around the other students would be the next best thing."

"... So does that mean I can actually be a fancy-pants student and become the greatest mage to ever live?"

"Whatever keeps you by (Y/n)'s side. Though it may behoove us to enlist the aid of other students as well... They will have to prove themselves first, of course."

Crowley nodded along to Crewel's words as if they were the most obvious thing and you vaguely got the impression that the Crow really didn't realize what he was agreeing to. Though he was the Headmage- which to you meant he was the head of the school- he seemed far less aware of the situation as a whole and leaned on the other professors for that information. Something about him made you wonder why he was so eager to keep you on school grounds. It made you think back to his comment about the last human he met and you wondered if that had anything to do with how keen he was to keep you yet seemed keen to let the others take point in explaining things to you.

It was during this thought that the older looking man spoke, his voice aged and almost fatherly in how he spoke to you.

"Naturally, you are still the only true expert on Humans, being one yourself, so we will have to ultimately trust your judgement. I am of a mind with Divus that we should not be allowing a forest beast unrestricted access to you, but you seem to trust this Grim. Should you need something, you have but to ask us one of us. I also feel Mr. Rosehearts, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Draconia, and perhaps even a number of others would be keen to aid you. Don't ever go to Savanaclaw for aid. Though it may have been several hundred years ago, many of those from Sunset Savana and those of specific beastman lineages were instrumental in the extinction of Humans. Better to be safe than sorry with your safety."

He had been introduced to you as Mozus Trein, the History professor. Though you were curious as to why he seemed so fond of you, you figured it had something to do with you being Human and his natural love and fascination with history. You had to admit, it was nice that he didn't talk to or about you like you were a pet or some kind of exotic toy- an exotic animal, maybe, but not a pet. Most of the professors seemed to be of a similar mind- minus the Crow- and that somewhat helped put you at ease with them.

"So, does that mean it will only be Grim and I in here? No one else?"

"Well, the ghosts may pay you a visit and check in on you. Would you like someone to spend the evening here as well? I understand this is a new place and some company may put you at ease. It is my understanding that Mr. Draconia has already made a secondary nest in this dorm for you to use at your leisure, no doubt the others added beds or various furniture as well."

"No, I kind of like the fact that it's just me and Grim, I was just wondering because all of them are here," you gestured to the group of Housewardens and Vice-Housewardens nearby, "so I didn't know if they were staying or not. It is getting super late at night..."

"They should be returning to their dorms soon, though Housewardens and Vice-Housewardens are not bound by the same curfew as the other students."

He glanced at the others before back at you, a serious look of concern painting his features.

"Are you certain you would rather be alone tonight? Some wayward fools may try to enter the dorm when we leave."

The genuine concern in his expression and tone made you seriously consider his words. It was true that you didn't really feel very safe with anyone other than your small companion Grim, but the wizend professor did have a point. His prompting paired with the fact that you had made many poor choices for yourself this night did more to sway you than expected. You looked at the several monsters waiting nearby and had to conceed that someone keeping an eye out was not a bad idea given the already rocky start to your time in such a world.

"... I think you might have a point, actually..."

"How about this; you choose from the Housewardens and Vice-Housewardens who helped fix up this old dorm for you. Clearly they have at least shown they care for your wellbeing enough to put in an effort to make it livable. I will say now- however- should you choose Leona, I will choose someone else for you. I would love to say all our students are safe, but that just isn't the case and we can't take chances with you."

"That seems fair... But how do I know which one Leona is?"

"Leona is the Nemean Lion- ah, but I forget, you don't have Nemean Lions where you're from, do you?"

You shook your head. You could recall that there were Greek myths of Heraclies slaying a golden lion known as the Nemean Lion, but nothing like the monster men you have met.

"I will point him out when you decide who you feel is safest to stay with you."

"Okay. Grim, want to help me choose?"

The stout creature smiled eagerly in response to your question, holding up his front legs for you to pick him up. He was not like a cat in the sense that he was thrilled when you held him, but he did seem to enjoy your warmth and the fact he didn't have to walk when you carried him. As you cuddled Grim, professor Trein began to lead you to the group.

It was easy to feel somewhat safe with the older man and you kept close to his side as you two approached the group of fellow students. They all looked curious at the fact that you and the professor had approached them first. Perhaps you were going to thank them or ask them for something else to help you settle in.

"Listen up, you lot. I would hope others have enough common sense to leave (Y/n) here alone, but we all know that isn't going to happen. Since you are the ones that actually showed up to ensure our only Human is safe, it is safe to assume you care what happens to (Y/n). We feel it would be best to have either a Housewarden or a Vice-housewarden remain here for the evening in the event someone tries their luck."

Professor Trein then glanced back at you, nodding his head towards the group in clear invitation to approach. As you drew close, you couldn't help but take note of how all eyes quickly fell on you. Some of the people there were familiar to you, and some were not.

Rook was among the familiar, same with the Harpy that stood next to him. The only one whose name you recognized was Rook's as he had been the only one to actually introduce himself to you.

"... Can I choose Rook? He's the only name I know..."

"I would happily accept, Mademoiselle Trickster, but there is one far fairer and better than I at all but hunting. I suggest you choose Roi du Poison, the beautiful Vil Schoenheit."

The spider man made a sweeping arm motion to his side towards the Harpy, as if he were presenting the bird-man to you. The bird in question seemed surprised by the sudden introduction but took it in stride and instead turned his purple eyes to you. As you locked eyes with him, something odd happened. His feathers seemed to quiver before the feathers atop his head raised, his tail feathers doing the same to create an almost dazzling display of iridescent colors. He was clearly a peacock bird-man, but what didn't make much sense to you was why he was showing off for you. You didn't think you were really worth showing those feathers to since you weren't a bird like him.

"You are welcome to choose one as fair as me, little Human. I will ensure your safety to the furthest of my capabilities."

It almost seemed like the peacock were trying to make himself seem like the best choice, showing off colors and strength in an effort to have you choose him. If anything, you weren't the only one who was surprised at seeing such a display from the peacock. The others seemed almost shocked by this showing of feathers but someone was clearly far less than pleased upon seeing Vil posturing for you.

"Absolutely not! I refuse to allow anyone who does any kind of display dance for her to be permitted anywhere near her. I would have your head if you weren't my senior, Vil! Such a maiden should not be accosted by eager men who only see her as a breeding toy. Professor, I demand you override this choice and select me to guard this Human. I shall uphold every rule the Queen has set and I will not allow such tomfoolery to burden this Human."

Vil seemed angered by this as his feathers ruffled and stood on end, eyes glaring angrily at the offending Unicorn man. The wickedly sharp tallons on the ends of the bird's fingers seemed to only be sharper when displayed with such clear disdain for the Unicorn. It seemed like a fight was on the verge of erupting before Grim's voice interrupted them.

"I don't like any of them! Maybe the spider-drider-guy, but this is my Hooman which means I should choose who protects us!"

"Are you-? What the hell is a 'Hooman'? She is a Human, not 'Hooman' and I don't appreciate your casual disrespect for her species-!"

It was during the Unicorn's rant that you interrupted, feeling angry that the man would dare talk to Grim like that. Sure, you found it odd that the cat creature called you Hooman, but you certainly didn't mind it either. Even above all of that, Grim was your friend and these men were not.

"And who said it was your place to correct him? I know what I am and I think it's cute he calls me Hooman. What I don't appreciate is how you think you can yell at him! He can call me Hooman if he wants, you are not afforded the same privilege! And I have a name. It's (Y/n) (L/n), so don't you dare ever call me anything else."

Your sudden snapping at the Unicorn clearly surprised and unsettled him as he took several steps back, almost seeming like he was about to rear from your yelling. Even though his blue eyes stared in absolute surprise, you felt no need to back down and if anything you wanted to chase off the delicate Unicorn for daring to raise his voice at Grim. A light chuckle met your ears and drew your ire away from the Unicorn and to another familiar grinning face. It was the pink and black haired Bat.

"Keeheehee, seems she doesn't like you very much Riddle. Or, it could be that Humans are traditionally a pack-bonding species and little Grim is now her pack. Clearly Riddle isn't your choice, so who actually will be?"

You frowned at this question and went back to looking at the group, Grim seemed to be doing the same as he purred and snuggled down into your arms. From those you now knew, you still figured either the Bat or Rook would be best. It was then someone else caught your eye bringing you to a halt as you stared at them.

He had sun kissed skin and dark mahogany hair. Even as he stood in the light of the moon, he almost seemed to have a golden glow that wrapped around his scowling figure. When he noticed you looking at him, his bright green eyes narrowed ever so slightly before looking away from you. His actions were as if he were trying to dissuade you from picking him despite the fact he was among the group. You vaguely recognized him from the many who you first saw when you came tumbling out of the coffin.

"Choose someone else, Mousey. They won't let you pick me, I might gobble you up."

"I'm not a-"

"Yes, you are. You are a little Mousey herbivore of the only sentient species Nemean Lions dared to feast upon."

"Nemean...? You're Leona?"

"I'm surprised you even care enough to know my name. Leona Kingscholar, second prince of Sunset Savana and Housewarden of Savanaclaw. Careful, Mousey, you aren't safe around me. I may not have tasted Human before, but I'm willing to break several laws to give it a try."

He almost seemed like he was trying to actually get you away from him, a look of vague sadness hiding behind his smouldering emerald eyes even as he glared at you. There was more to this tale than he was telling but you knew he wasn't going to give you the information you wanted. With another long look at the golden Lion, you turned you gaze back to the group as a whole.

"I guess... Since the Dragon- Malleus, if I'm remembering properly- isn't here, I'll pick the Bat."

"Aww, I'll be sure to let Malleus know you wanted to pick him. I'm sure he'll be pleased. I can keep an eye on you and make sure those other whippersnappers don't come sniffing around. Keeheehee, cute that you call me Bat, but I also have a name if you feel like using it. Lilia Vanrouge, at your esteemed service, (Y/n). Malleus is my primary ward, but he certainly wouldn't be too displeased if I kept an eye on his hoard as well."

You nodded, wondering just why the Dragon decided you were one of his but not willing to question Lilia as to the true motives just yet. It almost seemed like those present fixed Lilia with a jealous sneer as the Bat happily joined your side. Trein simply nodded, accepting your choice as it was not Leona- whom he planned to berate for threatening you- and was a fairly safe choice. Lilia was of the few who had encountered a Human before in his many centuries, so no doubt he would be safe around you.

"It is decided then. I shall see you in my class tomorrow, (Y/n). Do not hesitate to reach out to me should you need anything. Your other professors and I will be working on getting you a phone to communicate with us faster. For now, sleep well, little cub."

[pooce-art]

Today's 123 Rhodes Island translation. Its Santalla! Another new CN operator, though not really a new character.

With this done, I only have 2 left to do until I completely catch up! Unless they release a new one between now and thursday night.

Notes: this one is pretty minor When Zima says that they're from honey country, its literally more like "we are honeyians" like how you would say American, its just one of those do I make it more clear or like try to make it funnier.

the other notable thing is when Santalla says "but inside Sami's borders... heh" I originally thought she was talking about an accent cus she uses the character for words 话 but it just didn't make sense at all, so after asking someone this is what I got. it just seems like 话那就 is a bit of a filler, but 那就 does mean "then"

not really a translation thing, but an important thing to note is that Santalla's village was mascaraed by Ursus troops after they claimed their land as under Ursus, so she understandably has a grudge.

as always, please tell me any criticisms or comments. feel free to reuse or repost my translations as long as you credit me.

original comic link:

https://terra-historicus.hypergryph.com/comic/6253/episode/5766

[not-s1ckenough]

Welcome to my blog♡ Block, don't report, please.

Active September 2024🩷

name: call me ursu or whatever u want, lol.

age: I'm a minor but very close to 18💀

height: 5'5

st: 78kg

cw: 58kg

gw1: 65kg🩷

gw2: 60kg🩷

gw3: 55kg🔒

gw4: 50kg🔒

ugw: ?kg🔒

Honestly, this is gonna be a space for me to vent. So don't expect much from this. Still I'd appreciate having some ana girlies to interact with♡

If u need someone to speak, I'm here, tough I don't guarantee I'll be helpful.

I think that's all♡♡ I'll be updating tho

[sunder-the-gold]

[Guiding Ahead] The City of Angels: Ethnostate or Civic State?

Before Iberia fell to the Great Silence, there were already Liberi living in Gaul. Before Gaul fell, there were already Liberi living in Victoria. Before Victoria began its fall, there were already Liberi living in rising Columbia.

Liberi are citizens in countries all over Terra, and only in some of them are they a minority. In Iberia they are the overwhelming majority, and in Columbia they are a considerable majority. The only country we can suppose the Liberi face any significant discrimination simply for being Liberi is the Ursus Empire, where the Ursus are the racial majority and favorite.

To all appearances thus far, Liberi are more likely to face discrimination on the basis of civic identity. Just as Victorian felines and Taran felines see each other as Tarans and Victorians, Columbians and Iberians would see each other as Iberians and Columbians.

But the Laterano are Sankta, and the Sankta have only Laterano.

Because once upon a time, they were Sarkaz.

Covenant

(mild spoilers for the PV of the next Laterano event: [Hortus de Escapismo])

One day, a tribe of Sarkaz decided that they had enough of Kazdel's endless cycle of destruction and vengeance. They left behind their homeland and people, and all the dreams and grudges of the past, to build something new and peaceful.

The remaining Sarkaz regarded them as traitors, and harassed them, but the expatriates found something that gave them a chance to survive: The Law.

The new Sankta built a city around the Law, both figuratively and literally. The city of Laterano became a fortress to protect the Sankta from the rest of the world. That also meant protecting the Law which made them Sankta.

Should anyone or anything ever succeed in destroying Laterano, the Law itself might be destroyed. That might cause all Sankta to immediately Fall, and revert back to Sarkaz.

Perhaps if this even deprives them of their 'wings' and dimmed halos, they might be able to pass for normal Sarkaz, and seek refugee among them... but just as their ancestors once rejected Kazdel and the Sarkaz cycle of violence, the descendants would likely reject such a fate as well. Especially since the many generations in between proved that a different and better life is possible.

It must be noted:

Laterano has never been an empire. It did not conquer and annex other nations. It took no slaves, demanded no tributes. Everyone who lives in Laterano, does so by choice; few who have the choice to leave, ever do.

Furthermore, everything Laterano owns, its people built with their own hands. Though without the grace of the Law, they probably could not succeed so much a second time.

Diaspora

But even if the Law survived the destruction of Laterano, the Sankta would not.

First you have the mass depopulation from whatever destroyed their nation. Then you have most of the survivors dying from untreated injuries, illnesses without medicine, starvation, thirst, food poisoning, beast attacks, weather exposure, Catastrope, Oripathy, opportunistic and vengeful Sarkaz attacks...

Furthermore, Sankta can only have Sankta children with other Sankta. So if the survivors simply disperse, they will breed themselves out of existence. Otherwise, wherever they settle, they have to form Sankta-only "Little Lateranos" and Sankta ghettos and keep tightly to their own kind. This will make them seem insular and unfriendly to the natives of their new homes, and thus will invite persecution and exploitation.

If anything, learning the truth that Sankta could have Sankta children with Sarkaz might do more harm than good to the possibility of the Sankta recovering from the loss of their homeland. Especially if the weakness of Cecelia's halo would only be weaker for any of her potential children with a Sarkaz. That way, too, might only breed the Sankta out of existence.

Immigration

For that matter, allowing any non-Sankta into the citizenry of Laterano poses a risk to the perpetuation of the Sankta people. And yet they do allow it.

No Liberi, regardless of devotion, can become Sankta or even give birth to Sankta. But this is not because the Sankta wish it so.

The Sankta have no power to share their blessings with others. At worst, the Sankta choose to ignore the question rather than seek the answers as Andoain did.

(I don't think the Law has the power to make non-Sarkaz into Sankta, either. Given its agenda to ensure Sankta survival, it surely would.)

The Sankta do not forbid Liberi from applying to join the Apostolic Knights; they merely require that Liberi pass the same tests that Sankta do.

Fiammetta would have been the first Liberi in Lateran history to succeed, though she still wouldn't have been able to use the standard weaponry compatible only to Sankta. But even then, the Knighthood was willing to bend their standards for her, and it was her own choice to refuse to join them.

[Guiding Ahead] gives faces and voices to a number of Lateran attitudes. Fiammetta represents Liberi who love Laterans as much or more than Laterano itself, Andoain and Patia represent those Laterans who demand answers to the taboo questions...

But at no point in [Guiding Ahead] is Sankta bigotry against other races so pronounced that the narrative introduces a bigoted character who openly views non-Sankta as contemptible or pitiable. The three most authoritative figures in the story don't even clearly hate the Sarkaz, let alone Lateran Liberi.

Fiammetta's third Archive File does reveal that there are at least two "braindead colleagues" among the Apostolic Knights (or the Notarial Hall) who would not "shut up" about Fiammetta's fitness to join their order. ONLY two, among the whole institution.

Whereas the one writing in her defense says "Old friend, we agree with your opinion." If the 'we' refers to at least two, then the 'old friend' is a third ally in Fiammetta's favor.

A hard number of "two" in vocal opposition, versus a potential three or more advocates. Furthermore, the files don't even make explicit what the two vocal dissenters find concerning. Do they complain because they simply want to keep the Knights racially pure, or do they simply worry that Fiammetta's nonstandard weaponry would bring unnecessary complication to their order's combat capabilities?

Furthermore, we see NO racial tensions in the streets.

Ezell talks just as easily with other Sankta citizens as he does with Liberi citizens. Liberi citizens respond to him no differently than other Sankta.

Of course the differences are still there. Everyone knows the differences are there, especially the Sankta who cannot feel the presence or emotions of the Liberi. But no one wants to bring attention to those differences, or make a big deal out of them.

It's similar to how, in [Lingering Echoes], everyone in Vyseheim's Afterglow district KNEW that Hibiscus was a Sarkaz and not an Elafia or Caprinae. But the most sensible Leithanians, even when her race bothered them, made conscious efforts to overlook what set her apart from them, so they could focus on what made her one of them.

There's not even that level of racial tension in the streets of Laterano.

It doesn't even exist among the Pathfinders, who are not only led by a Sankta, but who include a number of Sankta in their lower ranks along with Liberi. There's no anti-Sankta sentiment driving the Pathfinders, and they're actually MORE racially accepting than the average Lateran citizen, since they embrace peaceful Sarkaz.

The Sarkaz Ban

This might well be a law passed by the very first Sankta, who deliberately erased the very reasons for the law's existence.

Cecelia, with her flickering halo and strange blood, rang the Bell of Revelation by singing a Sarkaz song in the Sarkaz tongue.

I think the first generation of Sankta wanted so badly to cut themselves away from Kazdel and its cycle of destruction that they did everything they could to deliberately forget they had ever been Sarkaz. They obscured their history, they changed their language...

And they tried to ensure that no Sarkaz would ever lay with a Sankta in the holy city to have a Sankta child, and that no Sarkaz would ascend the Tower of Revelation to say, "Hey, Siri!" in a language that the Law would understand.

With this hypothetical true reason for the law forgotten, it seems the modern Sankta continue to uphold it out of tradition, and because of the ancestral fear and hatred of all Sarkaz inspired by Kazdel's aggressions against the sankta, continuing from the present day since before the founding of Laterano.

[h0oty]

Tell me everything abt dusk shadows? Please? Theyre so so pretty and cool and edgy and i love them already and i know nothing abt thrm

ive waited my whole life to hear these words... this is going to be very long.

theyre my little skrunkle next gen oc i made when i was like 9 and have kept alive since then, their story has changed around throughout the years but i did make it when i was 9 so its not the best literature, keep that in mind.

basically theyre the mane character of my next-gen-mixed-with-au hootverse that all my silly little redesigns come from, some story elements are changed and this is important because Sombra takes the place of Chrysalis in season 9 because she accepted Starlight's friendship after she freed the hive.

so when the trio gets unfrozen to be reformed Twilight takes on reforming Sombra and of course it goes like this

because its a next gen and they get in a genuine relationship and Sombra works on himself and gets better, + they have kids but then he slips up one day and accidentally grows evil crystals or something by accident and the kingdom's ponies don't trust him and some even start saying shit like "what if their kids turn out evil like him >:((((" "i cant believe twilight loves tis guy what if SHES evil too?!?!?" and it was disrupting harmony and Twilights like "damn this is wild!!!!! i am going to start twilighting 24/7". so to 'keep her safe' in his eyes, while shes pregant with Dusk, Sombra acts like hes evil again and runs away and then when Dusk is born Twilight has to give them to up for adoption movie style on the doorstep in the rain because its the edgy 2010 oc backstory + ponies were threatening the children because of Sombra and all that (they couldnt give them to one of the mane 6 because it would be too risky for someone to realize it was her child)

Dusk goes to friendship camp one year as a filly and meets their first real friend, Firefly. They keep in contact until their teenage years when Firefly becomes a rockstar and stops talking to Dusk because of the pressure of keeping up a "popular" image. Dusk starts spending all of their time with their other friend Frost Lily, but their declining mental state causes them to see one of those waking nightmares (the ones Sombra trapped the castle with. they inherited it and like. cast it on themself by mistake somehow) and they see a vision of Frost Lily getting really sick and dying. They don't know this was just a nightmare their magic made them see, so they leave town, thinking there's nothing left for them there now. Their wandering leads them to Canterlot, where Twilight sees and recognizes them, and summons them to the castle, where she explains Dusk is her child and everything that happened and why she had to give them away, expecting them to be all happy huggy 'i love you mom'ing!!! But they were actually just really upset and angry at Twilight for not even trying and she kept and raised their other child, ect.

Twilight gets worried about Dusk's mental state which leads to her worrying about Dusk going down the 'same dark path' as Sombra, and she sends them to their own small town just like Celestia did for her when she was young so they can discover joy and friendship magic

this is getting SO long but they become a part of their own mane 6 of sorts that includes firefly, a griffin named boe, a dragon named Carbon, an axolotl named snorkel and a 'baby' ursa minor that goes by ursus once they get there. on the way they meet a suspicious trio of "ponies" that may or may not be demons summoned by Sombra to keep an eye on his child and report back to him on how theyre doing.

Eventually Dusk also turns into an evil alicorn thing but y'know their friends fix that with the power of friendship™  and then they defeat the demons too

wow look a window

i want you to know i was writing for an hour with no breaks i didnt even blink at all during this im so sorry

[zero06iranosaurusrex]

so... back then i was havin some urge to draw bugs lola and daffy as arknights's operator(bugs would be guard,lola sniper n daffy specialist) that later on was getting grown into a 'what if' they become an operator,like...at first i just kinda curious about how they would be there then in few days it grown into how they comin to terra until they become operators,n then i draw the e2 ver of bugs first since i already draw his base splash before maybe next would be daffy n lola as well the plot was kinda like this (this one was pasted from a recent chat that i did with a fellow looney tunes enjoyers and also arknights player

grandpa ranger found three of em around an abandoned originium mine at ursus territory,n he reported to us (the doctor) that he also found a certain rabbit hole nearby

he brings em to us along with his reports,there lola told us that they didnt know anything beside few white masked combatants(yeah reunions,kevin included) was try to attack them as soon as three of em was get out from a rabbithole that bugs made (classic, he forgot the turn to alburquerque as usual),sadly one of the caster injured them,both daffy and lola got minor burns while bugs got more heavy damage on his leg,so they take him n running together into nearby cave (the abandoned mine) until those reunions was get away,then they re founded by ranger which doing some daily area scouting

then knowin three of em was have some burns the doctor told amiya to bring em to the medic ward,there gavial help em while doin some chit chat,and since daffy had too much to talk while being cured,she bonk him with her staff

-then after they re out from the room,lola noticed that there's a lot of animals and humans with animals traits around there,amiya start explaining(y know the stuffs,race etc)

-while that daffy was accidentaly bumped into may and had some nonsense arguments

then cut to evening they go back to the doctor,found em standing with kal tsit,and they got some infos that those three needed to know, the possible way how they ended up there and how to send em back to their home

but since it would need a prototype device (welp thanks to originium dust event,now we got an info that makin portal between two world was kinda possible(?)) with huge amount of originium energies they have to wait at least until the next day after tomorrow

at the mean time there s some daily things happened,like lola teach some small kids how to do a threepoint shoot,daffy still arguing nonsense stuffs with may and bugs doin his usual slapstick with daffy in front of some younger operators and kids there (Also if i remember there also a scene where daffy giving elysium advice how to win against thorn in chess but all the ways he give was useless at the end)

and before those um...montages... at the first night when amiya shows them where they can rest for few days and give em blankets, her wrist that has originium crystals was accidentaly shown to bugs which was the only person that was nearby her at the moment (daffy was already on the bed and lola was takin bath)

and she tells about oripathy and stuffs

then after those daily life segments end,at night bugs was inside the bathroom,alone and wash his face before goin to sleep, while he drains his gloved hand

there's a black transparant rock crystal there,but not that big

well Seeing that bugs wipes away his thoughts about what amiya says before about oripaty n stuffs and go to sleep at the next morning the rock was kinda multiplied,but not that much seeig this he go back to the bathroom and try to get rid of it but nothing worked then he go out from the room,seeking well...amiya,since she is the first person that kindly open to him around the place

when he found amiya he tells her like "hey doc....did ya still remember those rocks that ya said few nights before?" then amiya answered "rocks? ah did you mean originiums,mr bugs?"

and he answered like "yeah dat one...well...i guess one of the rock was stickin to my arm doc..." while he showin amiya his own wrist which has those rock that now has multiplied again but in smaller size then amiya gasped and take bugs to kal tsit

she examine him and found out it is indeed oripathy bugs gulped in frightened face and ask how it can be cured quickly but yeah we both know there's still no cure

then he told kal tsit to didnt tell lola and daffy about this later on until finally they can go back home

well they stay still didnt know anything t\about bugs gets oripathy until a night before the day that the device is ready to bring em back home,amiya was walkin by and accidentaly meets bugs outside the room they then had a talk n at the end amiya explains that indeed oripathy still dont have any cure yet but there s some meds that can endure the symptoms and such and she says that s what rhodes is about and everyone that sick there was having hope to be cured so they worked there as operators n helps each others n other peoples not only for getting the better meds but also better lfes and better places

then at the next day,when they finally can go back home at the same time amiya and few operators are assigned to an urgent mission at the same time so she cannot attend the procedure for opening the portal to send three of our toons back home she only can wave short goodbye at the moment that what was the doctor told to lola and daffy

which was also questioning where's bugs since they didnt see him around even on few minuts before they departured then when amiya comin in rush for a short goodbye,daffy and lola ask her that if maybe she did meets bugs,and she says that she meets him and he just being prepared daffy n lola then both kinda confused for what are he prepared then a footstep comin inside,there's bugs comin but he using rhodes's uniform as seen above and have a normal length of blade inside it s holster attached on a belt (which is it was a spare sword that amiya ask from yato to borrow for him) then they ask him like what did he doin and why those equipments he then answer about his reason that maybe they need some much more vacation times so he decide to stay there longer.both lola and daffy confused why he said that,since it kinda unusual but he says that if the portal device was stable then it means they can go home whenever they please,so nothing to worry about and they can be more relaxed there,on terra without thinkin too much about the teleports and having some 'fun' vacations through terra,he also said that amiya told him before that the rhodes landship would go to siesta,a beautiful country that has nice weather and beach,included with it s music festival to enjoy. heard nice beach and blue sea,daffy instantly agreed in happyness makes lola finally also agreed both decisions. thus their journey began on the land of terra

[missingmywing]

Oh this one is fun - it’s amazing how making one different decision can so strongly alter someone’s whole course.

@khoc-week Day 6: One Choice, New Life

Etheria:

Etheria is really hard because her entire character is based around the choices she makes, especially as the protag Keykid, and while she could make different choices she probably wouldn’t. Not for the major things. So what if, instead, it was a minor thing that wouldn’t normally have much effect - but in this case changes everything. Because what Gula told them was… a lot, and Skuld has to leave, and Etheria really needs time to process. So she and Skuld say goodbye there, and Skuld leaves, and rather than wandering off and running into Dark Chirithy Etheria instead stays, sitting in the house trying to wrap her head around everything she’s found out.

So when Strelitzia shows up, she’s there. And Ven is as well, controlled by Darkness, and suddenly some very rapid decisions must needs be made when the Darkness attacks them. Etheria defends Strelitzia of course, but Strel fights back too, and Darkness is strong but so are they and Etheria manages to break its hold over Ven and drag both him and Strel away into the streets. She knows there’s a very limited amount of time before the Dandelions leave - they’re already in the process of leaving, so she drags them directly to Ava (and if she gets any strange looks for being a Unicornis member with an Ursus and Leopardis member in tow in the Vulpes headquarters - well, Vulpes knows the most about the Dandelions, it shouldn’t be hard to piece together.)

Ava is extremely alarmed at the information she brings, because of how close it was, and that someone is trying to alter the future that isn’t her - she asks Etheria to go with them and watch over them. Etheria is hesitant - she’d planned to stay, this wasn’t - but Strel begs her to come along, and Ven is terrified and unsure now that even he should go if he’s going to be a puppet of darkness -

Ava tells him very firmly that he is a Dandelion, and that the fact that Etheria managed to pull him away was proof that Darkness didn’t have a hold of his heart. They’ll just need to protect both he and Strel, and who better than Etheria?

Etheria caves, keeps her memories, and she, Ven, and Strel form their own Dandelion trio even once they meet up with the others. Strel is technically the only one who’s a leader, but Etheria’s playing bodyguard to both her and Ven so the three of them are always together, so… they kind of end up accidentally having their own input into stuff (mostly because she keeps getting asked and is just like guys pls I’m not even supposed to be here, you’re supposed to be unbiased.

Brain, Ephemera, Skuld, and Strel: lol, unbiased.

Lauriam: I was until you saved my sister.)

Not that it ultimately stops everything or changes Etheria’s ultimate fate, but Strel survives and is sent forward alongside Lauriam, Elrena, and Ven.

Yiskah:

If Yiskah had accepted Ava’s invitation to join the Dandelions, he would have been at the finale right alongside Brain, firmly at his side. He would have taken the final unused pod to return with him to the real world, and send Lauriam and Elrena on their way, and would have been there for that conversation with Luxu, likely participated in whatever deal it is that they struck. He’d have made the jump forward along with Brain - or Brain’s heart as it may be - and they’d have landed in Scala ad Caelum together to find Sigurd waiting.

From there… well who knows, we’ll find out in Missing Link, but it will either be very different thanks to the time jump or Yiskah will end up in the same role as he would have even if he’d died and reincarnated haha.

Aella and Vale:

If Aella had decided not to switch Unions and had stayed in Vulpes with Vale, both of their fates would have been very different. They would have been a lot closer, been there to support each other, and would have agreed to Ava’s offer to become Dandelions because it made more sense than staying and fighting a losing war. Vale wouldn’t fall to darkness and betray her, and she wouldn’t die dueling him in the Keyblade Graveyard.

One could argue that the fates of the Dream Eaters aren’t much better - except as a demigod of death himself Vale can take certain liberties with his and others’ hearts and souls. And as Chirithy pointed out, death and sleep share a boundary. Vale can pull them both into the Underworld in the aftermath of Daybreak Town falling, then bargain their way free. From there… well, the world is open to them. Perhaps they go join Ephemera in creating Scala, or perhaps they stay in Olympus and mark their names in the stars as heroes. This time, that’s a choice they have to make.

Solis:

Ahh Solis my sweet sunshine idiot… I’m afraid to say that you are… very doomed. The best I can do to say that his fate would be altered with his choices are if he also joins the Dandelions, but unfortunately that doesn’t save him because unlike Etheria, Yiskah, and Vale he doesn’t have friends in high places. Even if he survives the keyblade war, he’s stuck as a dream eater. He can help Sora out in DDD, though, so there’s that!

Rosalia:

Rosalia is much the same as Solis in she’s somewhat doomed no matter what she does as a Keykid, so why don’t we go earlier? If she hadn’t jumped aboard that particular pirate vessel, had instead grabbed the next one leaving port, perhaps she’d have instead landed on Captain Teague's ship, and found herself shadowing one Jack Sparrow as they worked aboard his father’s ship.

A particularly notorious pirate duo, they may go their separate ways for a time when he tries to leave the pirate life behind, but she rejoins his crew aboard the Black Pearl after Beckett brands him a pirate and burns his ship. Perhaps she dies in Barbossa’s coup, or perhaps she escapes and later - much later, once the world dies and is rebuilt over centuries - she stumbles over a boy with a brilliant smile and an endless will to help people with the strange key shaped blade of his. The adventure to defeat Barbossa, save Miss Swan, and reclaim the Pearl is a short one, but she finds him endearing nonetheless. Perhaps she’s even the one to give him the keychain, wishing him well on his long journey ahead.

[batlleonafc]

Do you know anything about astronomy? Like can you recognize constellations?

I don't know as much as I would like. I recognize the ones most people know. Ursus minor, Ursus major, Orion, Taurus. And some stars like Wega, Sirius and Arcturus.

I've started to be able to spot the swan this vacation and Cassiopeia.

would definitely love to know more about it, what about you nonny?

[erraticunicorn]

When we look at the stars do we see the same thing?

Of course we both see Orion

Cassiopeia, Ursus Minor, Taurus

But the feeling we get, is that the same?

 /

Do you ever think we are all synced?

There’s some sort of primal energy in the air

Like a metronome ticking its ticks

And we become attune to it?

 \

Weeks where everyone seems down

Wednesdays that feel like Fridays

To not just you,

But everyone around you

 /

Moments when everything is still

Branches, birdsong, dogs

Moments when everything is alive with fire

Forests in a storm, sparrows in a flock

 \

Maybe that’s our sixth sense

A power reader lodged next to our hearts

Or our hippocampus

Or our knee

 /

We are all slaves to routine aren’t we?

Whether it be the week,

The turning of the earth,

The phase-shifts of the moon

 \

The spring of new friendships

The stretched out days in between

The autumnal ends of old relationships

The cold embrace of death

 /

Kindred spirits waiting to be kindled

Paths waiting to be path-found

Adventures awaiting to be re-adventured 

Conversations ready to be conversed

 \

Maybe I’m just making all this stuff up

I have a knack for rambling

Perhaps we are just limited to our five senses

Or possibly, like a flicker in the darkness –

 /

there’s something deeper.

if u like this feel free to sub to my substack :) https://erraticunicorn.substack.com/p/autumnal-waves

[dcviated]

@babelmedicus sent: Dismal and dreary weather. Does the sun ever shine in Ursus?

Winter eternal, hidden beneath penumbra. The medical intern traversed through endless corridors, her destination ending abruptly ahead. A set of double doors greet expressionless viridian, as hushed voices and doctors rush about. Day one.

Her first day on the job as a scientist turned medic in training. After all, science and medicine weren't too far apart from one another. Medicine is an art form, and accuracy is a must. But Ursus has been steeped lately in rumor. Civil unrest? An impending war on the horizon?

Rumors, all of them.

Kal'tsit isn't so sure, but she followed orders. Her first assignment was relatively simple. Assess one of her patients visually to ensure their overall health. Sounds easy, right?

"Good evening, I'm Kal'tsit. Medic-in-training and you're my first patient of the day." Her gaze narrows slightly, studying the Liberi rather intently.

"What brings you in?"

The Liberi feels bare and vulnerable without his weapon at his side. But even were he permitted to wield the grand rapier the young man suspects it would serve little use to him in this state. Perhaps it was from the rigorous training or sparring or his participation in the border skirmish in prior days, but his arm had begun to develop a curious numbness. The bruise and swelling were of little comfort to the predicament. As he imagined it, any medic would rather be tending to an actual ailing patient just as he would rather be working out whatever this issue was through some rest or ice.

It’s a lovely compliment to the bitter and chilling Ursan fall, his expression as he enters the medical wing. Shadows cast over roaring determination. To himself. To his family. And to fulfilling his goals. That he had become injured was likely the first of many missteps on his quest to the heights of the military. Golden gaze meets a powerful green. Feline? How curious. Ironic as it was to observe as a Liberi himself, it wasn’t often one saw non-Ursans in these positions. Nor heard a name quite like Kal’tsit. In contrast to his stubbornness she came across as curt. He’d respond in kind out of respect.

“Captain Stepan Iosifovich Sokolov. I’m your first of the day? This should be quick then. Or at least one would hope hm?” The coat is discarded, underclothes and body. “It’s my arm. My unit insisted I get it inspected. But I’m sure it’s nothing.” And how dare they show concern? Sokolov showed promise and even at a young age was earning a reputation, not to mention admiration from his peers. Any injury no matter how minor couldn’t be left to fester.

[wheretheharekissesthefox]

Ok, so I see the ship name 'Ursa Minor' going around for Astarion x Halsin. I don't want to be a partypooper but... Ursa Minor comes from the star constellation, usually translated as 'Small Bear'. The problem here is that 'ursa' means 'she-bear', it's 'small she-bear' not 'small bear' (male). Thus, regarding Halsin, it should be called 'Ursus Minor'.

Sorry to spoil the fun, guys, but I couldn't keep quiet any longer.

Edit: Sorry, guys, I was a dummy and confused 'minor' (small) with 'major' (big) for a sec. My bad.

[dear-mi]

Alright, so I'm running an actual campaign this summer. Not one for dnd club for a bunch of freshmen, not gonna create the most batshit insane magic items for the hell of it, no more mysterious can.

And I'll be honest, I'm really fucking excited. I've got this whole world I've built, and while not all of it is fleshed out, I've got at least half of it down.

Here it is:

Don't get confused by Aegir tho, it is in fact underwater.

The main portion of the campaign will take place in the northern countries, primarily: Ursa, Johün, Tome, and Orwell.

Ursa is by far my most fleshed out setting, so imma talk about it.

Ursa's main concept came from the country of Ursus from Arknights, who woulda thought, but I've got some pretty good distinctions.

Ursa is inhabited by nine different tribes. Three of these tribes are in the islands, three are in the south western portion, two in the south eastern, and one in the north eastern and is thought to have died out.

The three tribes in the south west have formed a confederacy known as Ursa Minor, made of the tribes: Naht, Arne, and Lera.

This is the most modernized portion of Ursa. They interact primarily with Atlas, Celti, and Borea, while keeping connections with Satano brief.

The tribes of the islands are: Kanat, Vnat, and Mare.

The Vnat are currently the most isolated tribe, occupying those north most islands. After the disappearance of the Wemm tribe, those in the north eastern mountain region, Vnat believed in safety in isolation. Because, now that the Wemm tribe has disappeared, they claim the title of the physically strongest of the tribes, and the fact the Wemm tribe held it before and still went missing was a huge cultural bombshell.

The Kanat occupy the southern most islands, and are primarily sourced in trade and tourism. They have many market deals going with the Mare tribe, whose main export is raw materials in both fish and ores and compounds that are good for construction.

The last two tribes are the Vade and Ulise, who have entered an alliance known as the Cold Breath. The Vade has specialized in a nomadic lifestyle across Ursa's great tundra, while the Ulise have learned how to settle down and survive in its forest just east of the tundra. As living conditions got harsher, lack of shelter and food in the tundra during the winter, and lack of food and other resources in the forest during the summer, the two tribes entered a trade alliance.

This alliance has lead to one tribe being primary benefactors during one season, while the other saves up to provide for both tribes during the following season, as they switch halfway through the year when the climate changes from cold to super fucking cold.

Also, the islands are arranged in the shape of Ursa Major, which I think is fun

Then there's Johün. Johün is, obviously, based from Norse mythology. It's occupied by a race of giants, however the term 'giant' could mean a variety of things.

In this world it just means that in some way they're naturally large. This could mean physically, or it could mean magically. Johün's nation is the most attuned to the natural magics of the world. This form of magic is very different from arcane magic, which is actually considered to be man made or introduce from a different planet or plane.

This natural magic is much more fluid, not needing incantations and components to be used effectively. Any incantations that are used with this natural magic are additionally much more potent and devastating. And I want to make it clear that when I say natural magics I don't mean druids, because Druids are still considered to be arcane in essence.

From my cosmology shit, you can deduce that these natural magics is that actual manipulation of essence.

Then there's Orwell and OH BOY I did not put any thought into that name.

Orwell is the foil to Johün as it is highly arcane involved. The reason for this is that, in the center of the nation, there's a huge lake with a high concentration of magic crystals of arcane nature. This has become their main export and also the center of their culture, as arcane magic has been made into very convenient and quality of life ways.

So it's called Orwell because there's a buncha ores in its wells. Then as I proceeded to tell people about this nation they naturally went "like George Orwell?" Who I had forgotten was a person at the time of making.

SO! That makes a very easy political token though. A high concentration of magic technology means a whole lotta magic technology to be mishandled and abused and used for corruption and such. So thank you everyone for making that connection when I could not.

Lastly, there's Tome. Tome was built between the marryment of Johün and Orwell. The scholars of Orwell who wanted to understand the natural magics and the priests of Johün who wanted to understand arcane magics.

In Tome is where it's said the first Druid, Warlock, Cleric, and Paladin were found. There's a legend that four people unlocked the secret of harnessing the different methods of using the arcane, and so these methods of magic usage were developed. While the study of natural magic aided in developing these arcane magics, the secrets of natural magics still have not actually been discovered.

Now, there's a lot more I could say about these countries. I kinda emphasized on Ursa as it is the main setting, but I could talk for pages and pages more about these countries each. However, I wanna gush about the stories of the pc's and just how fucking cool they are.

[eukaryotesrool]

Giant Panda

Scientifically known as: Ailuropoda melanoleuca (Ailuro meaning cat, poda meaning foot, melano meaning black, leuca meaning white, black and white cat foot!)

(Look at 'em go!)

AKA: Panda bear, giant bear cat (In the original Taiwenese langague: 大貓熊) avoid using just 'panda' unless other people know what you're talking about, not only does it confuse things with the red panda, but the red panda is more accepted to have that name (however I'd recommend avoiding use of it with the red panda too)

(This species has two subspecies, pictured left: the rarer brown panda/Qinling panda, A. m. qinlingensis, which inhabits only the Qinling mountains. Pictured right: the nominate more well known subspecies A. m. melanoleuca)

Because of their somewhat poorly adapt oringinally carnivourous digestive tracts panda bears get little energy from their herbivorous diet, most of their energy comes from the shoots of bamboo, so they eat a LOT in shoot season (April to August) to be prepared prepared for needing to eat the less useful bamboo leaves.

Some people call them stupid beacuse of this (they are big dummies, just for different reasons) but all I see is a highly adapt animal fill a niche unique to its family and order, their stomachs are made special to eat lots of things very quickly so they can get enough energy, their round faces are full of muscles so that their jaws can crush the hard plant, they are comparable to the vegetarian gorilla in their adpations for a sedentary, low energy, lifestyle.

(Wild giant pandas will sometimes eat meat, fruits, honey, and more, but still favor bamboo)

They end up with a lot of cyanide, from their diet, the lethal dose of cyanide in most unadapt animals is 2 miligrams for every kilogram the animal weighs, adult panda bears weigh 100 to 115 kilograms on average, consuming an average of 54.8 to 66.1 miligrams of cyanide in a DAY, but 80% of it gets metabolized into the safer thiocyanate and then urinated out, the other 20% is dealt with through more minor pathways.

They also totally ARE bears! Here the phylogenetic tree!

(The phylogenetic tree)

They are part of Ursidae, the famioy of bears, but NOT Ursus, the genus containing polar bears, brown bears, Asian black bears, and American black bears, they're as much a bear as the Sun bear is!

But more than that they're living fossils! Having broken off from the common ancestor loooooong ago, they are equally distant from every extant bear due to that.

(Panda bears are solitary in the wild, and make a lot of use of olfactory comunication such as pheromones.)

Some have been angry (?) About the conservation efforts put into giant pandas, folks are starting to point out the obvious bias to cute (or something comparable to cute) and instead of trying to help not-normally-considered-cute animals, some get mad at the cute animals getting protection, no, don't do that, it's ridiculous, we should be doing more to help more animals, not doing less!

The giant panda was considered endangered by the IUCN and China, but has since been changed to vulnerable by both, we've made great strides in helping them, and in helping them we created nature reserves which also help to protect snow leopards, red pandas, golden-snub-nosed-monkeys and more! Plants too!

So don't be mad about what we haven't done, be proud of what we have! And make use of the present time and future to do what we've failed to, no matter how little the contribution of the individual may be, it means something, something glorious.

(More brown pandas! There's something so cool about animals with unusual-for-their-species color palates)

Ah, finally, a normal post.

[atozphantomsquadron]

Chapter Fifteen: Styx

Day 5

     Sleep doesn’t come for me, especially not after dealing with Ursus, so I urge Abaster to continue leading me.  Although he tries to insist on us stopping, he relents and motions in front of him, toward the next Circle.  No wall greets us, no guardian, nothing.  I’m surprised by this … every previous Circle has had a guardian, at least.

     I’m only aware we’re in a new circle when I feel the texture of the ground change beneath my feet.  It’s squishy again.  I’m dreading more of Circle 3’s excremental filth, but it smells less repulsive, although it’s no less dirty.

     Abaster motions for me to keep up with him.  “We are in Circle 5 now, Alanna.  This circle is reserved for the slothful and wrathful.”

     I scratch my head gently at this.  “Both in one Circle?  I would have expected the wrathful to be in their own place.”

     “Certain ones are, actually.  These you see around you, these are the minor wrathful souls.  They writhe in the mud, while their slothful counterparts perpetually drown in the muck.”

     I pull out the Inferno again, tossing forward pages.  “Did Dante see this?”

     Abaster nods.  “He did.  The slothful also bottle anger, which is why they are in this ring along with the openly raging.  We can’t stay here for very long, there’s another obstacle to cross ahead.”

     I jog slightly to catch up, although I can feel my energy level dropping.  I really don’t want to ingest any more of the holy water, especially since, if Dante’s correct, the worst is yet to come.  I try to keep pace with Abaster, and soon we’re at a tower, planted into the mud on an unseen foundation.

     Abaster slaps his one hand on the tower’s wall.  A light appears at the top, shining across the murky body of water we’ve reached.  It cuts through the darkness like a knife, and in its beam I can now see another boat approaching, paddled by another boatman.

    Great, more boats.

    “Where are we right now?”

     Abaster turns to face me.  “On the outer bank of the River Styx.  Our ride is approaching, we must cross this river.”

     Styx … Dad mentioned the Styx in his mutterings … he must have crossed here.

     Or is he here right now?

     I scan around quickly, hoping to find some sign of Dad, but seeing nothing.  The boat pulls up to the shore, and I take in the boatman, in a similar outfit to the one that took us through Circle 1.  His face is curled into an eternal scowl, and I can see that the lines in his face seem to have been literally cut into it, enough to draw blood.  I shudder at the thought.

     The boatman narrows his eyes, and his voice is a creak.  “You are mine, soul.  You belong to me.  I have much to show you about the ways of pain.”

     Abaster steps between me and the boatman.  “Phlegyas, no.  She’s not yours.  She’s on a holy errand from He Who Is Called I AM, you cannot have her.”  To emphasize the point, I simply flash the Sword’s hilt toward the boatman.

     He grumbles loudly.  “Damned living souls, why must you come ruin my fun?  What does a guy have to do to blow off a little steam?”  His grumbling escalates into a full-throated scream without words.

     “That’s your problem,” Abaster admonishes, “not ours.  Take us across.”

     Phlegyas glares at us, then sarcastically motions toward the two seats in the boat.  “Welcome aboard.  I’m your host, Captain Phlegyas I-Don’t-Give-A-Shit-About-Your-Quest.  I swear, you cross me and I’ll dump you overboard faster than you can say ‘Apollo can kiss my ass.’  Let’s go already!”

     Charming fellow, really.  It’s when we enter the boat that I notice a distinct difference between myself and Abaster.  When he sits down, the boat barely moves.  When I sit down, though, the boat reacts to the change in weight and displaces some of the Styx waters.  Phlegyas visibly struggles with pushing the boat away from the shore, but eventually we make our way into the further open waters of the river. 

     As we glide over the surface of the water, I become aware of faces, limbs, and bodies sunken beneath the surface of the river, glaring up at me, reaching up, all of them angry.  I try to keep myself away from the edges of the boat: the last thing I need is any of these souls grabbing my water supply, or the Sword.

     One soul’s head bobs out of the water and looks up at us.  “You are different … you are a living soul!”

     Damn.

     He floats over toward the boat, keeping pace with Phlegyas’s paddling.  He reaches a hand up toward me.  “Living soul, tell me if I’m remembered!”

     I grit my teeth and kick him in the face.  Unfortunately, he’s ready for that and the arm that was previously gripping the boat now has a firm hold on my leg, dragging me off the boat and into the water.  I barely hear Abaster cry out my name before I’m submerged, trapped within the writhing bodies of the wrathful souls doomed to swim this river like fish for eternity. My lungs choke for air.

     I see things.  Visions?  Hallucinations?  Whatever they are, they’re nightmarish.  Jennifer Regent standing on a mound of dead supernaturals, among them Trent and Teresa.  Mom and Dad, being shot execution-style by the SSA.  Fahaian becoming engulfed in the flames that he usually controls.

     William and Michi in a passionate clinch, turning their faces to laugh at me while they do it. The wendigo stuffing me down his throat.

     My heart skips.  I gasp, only to ingest a lungful of rancid River Styx water.  I’m drowning.  I’m dying … my last visage will be my friends dead or betraying me in the worst way possible …

     An arm plunges into the water and clutches to the scruff of my neck, yanking me out.  My lungs force out the water I’ve breathed in, leaving me a shuddering, coughing wreck.  I feel weakened, even more than I’ve been since I descended into this place.  My lungs continue to expel water, forcing it out of my mouth and nose.

     I’m barely aware of someone helping to pat my back as I cough up more water.  Trying to catch my breath, despite the swimming-pool sensation running through my entire head, I look over and find that it’s Abaster, a very concerned expression on his face.

     “Am I … going to die?”

     He smiles gently.  “Not this day, Alanna.  Not for lack of trying, though.  It’s okay, just get it out.”

      I cough loudly, which turns into a gurgle, and what feels like another three gallons of water spew from my mouth.  I’m really nauseous now, and I need to get my equilibrium back, so I simply sit back in the boat and try to steady my head with my eyes closed.  I can still feel Styx waters gurgling in my lungs as the sound of the boat’s hull scraping the opposite shore comes to us.

     “All right, get out of my boat!”  Phlegyas is nearly swatting us out of the vessel with his oar.  “I’ve got more assholes to pick up and too little time to do it.”

     We scramble out of the boat and onto the muddy shoreline.  Phlegyas seems a little too much in a hurry to get back across once more, as he’s fully pushed off and paddling away by the time we’re able to turn around to see him.  Abaster sighs deeply.  “Please forgive him, Alanna.  He’s raging from an ancient hurt.”

     “Maybe so, but he could be a little nicer.”

     “You must try to understand, he deals with all of the worst sinners on a daily basis.  He must be this brusque, because otherwise he would be rent limb from limb a million times a day.  Come, though, our time with him is finished.”  He grasps my shoulders and turns me around to face an infinitely tall wall, one of several we have confronted thus far on our journey, glowing red with fire and reeking of death.

     “Where are we?”

     Abaster nods at my question.  “Welcome to the City of Dis.  Come, we must pass through the gates, and the guardians dislike the living.”

     I don’t have to be told twice.  As we approach the gates, I’m aware of several pairs of eyes glaring down on me from high above.  When I look up, all I can see is gloom, though small, faint glints of red shine through it.  As I grasp the handle of the entry gate, I hear screams from above, followed by the black streaks of demonic shadows diving down upon us.

   “Living soul, halt!  Those mortals who pass into this city remain for eternity, our playthings.”  The demons land hard around us, circling us.  Each of them doesn’t look quite as demonic as I would think … many still have human forms despite their bat-like wings.  “Show us who you are.  You will be alone for eternity.”

     My hand tightens on the Sword’s hilt.  Without thinking, I start to draw it, despite Abaster’s cries.  “No, stop!  You, the fallen archangels, must recognize one sent by He Who Is Called I AM!”

     They growl.  None of them seem to care about what Abaster is telling them, so I guess it’s my turn.  I draw the Sword, the gauntlets clanking around my forearms.  I spread my wings and twist my face into a scowl. 

“I am the Guardsman, let me through!”

   “The Guardsman!”  The scoffing of the demon before me catches me off-guard.  “Yet another symbol of the regard placed on humans above God’s original chosen!  You have no power here, Guardsman, you have only despair and defeat to look forward to.”

     That tears it.  Despite the thick mud my feet are being sucked into, I charge, flapping my wings to add power to my strokes.  The Sword comes down through one of the demons, exploding him into a small dust storm.  One tries to grab at a wing, but is met by the Sword slicing through his torso horizontally.  I feel like I have infinite energy, but at the same time I fear for my level of power and my ability to continue on the journey if I continue at this pace.

     I’ve defeated all but one of this party of fallen angels.  The last one cowers before me, looking fearfully at the Sword’s blade.  “I will let you in!  Please don’t destroy me!”

     The Sword slides securely into its scabbard.  The cowardice shown by this demon is appalling.  “See that you remember who it is that bested you today.”  My voice is still a growl.  My energy level is nearly exhausted, and I’m running on pure adrenaline.  My hands are shaking violently as the demon slinks past us and throws the gates open.

     Abaster puts a hand on my shoulder.  “Are you all right, Alanna?”

     I nod, panting.  “I will be.”  I reach for a bottle and slug down four large swallows of holy water.  I’ve nearly emptied the first bottle, and that’s both shocking and frightening because of my limited supply.  Desperately trying to restore my energy level, I allow Abaster to lead me within the walls of Dis.

[michaelparque]

URSUS MINOR @ Rendez-Vous de l’Erdre, Nantes 02/09/2018

Soundcheck - Scène mix jazz

François Corneloup (bs)

Tony Hymas (keys)

Marcus Machado (g)

Rodney Ruckus (dms)

Billie Brelok (rap)

Copyright Michael Parque 2018 All rights reserved