ohwormwoodlore
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the ever-watching eye // @ohwormwood side blog // lore/worldbuilding blog
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hi local artist with a vampire character here i can confirm that this is true
hey don’t cry. every vampire is gay. okay?
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i gotta replay hollow knight i think... i love the worldbuilding and style of it, but i never got past the mantis sisters bc i played it on the ps4 and i hate the ps4 controller with every fiber of my being
also all i can think of with the bristleworm is that it flies like the Eater of Worlds in Terraria or like how you play the game snake lmaoooo
Increasingly unhinged Pale Wyrm reconstructions
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Sanguine: Vampirism
Creator's Note: This is a more in-depth look at the way that vampirism works in Sanguine! Things are obviously subject to change, but this is the most finalized version of this document that I have written thus far.
Trigger warning: Blood, medical topics, brief descriptions of body horror
The Sanguis Endogenous Retrovirus
The Sanguis Endogenous Retrovirus, colloquially known as Vampirism, is a group of chronic disorders contracted through a previously unknown form of endogenous retrovirus found in the saliva of infected individuals. Upon infection, copies of the virus’ genetic material are inserted into the host’s genome, causing mutation of DNA. The mutation of the host’s DNA causes physical symptoms such as the heightened production of draculin, anemia, photophobia, and other bodily disorders.
Progression
Stage 1: Infection
Instances of the endogenous retrovirus responsible for both contraction and mutation of the body are present within saliva of infected persons, accompanied by draculin, a glycoprotein and anticoagulant found within the salivary glands of vampire bats (Desmodontinae). Once introduced into the bloodstream of a host, the virus rapidly spreads throughout the body, attacking cells and inserting its own genetic material into the host’s genome. Initial symptoms are often attributed to the effects of the draculin protein, though other traits consistent with sickle-cell anemia will begin to emerge due to the lack of healthy blood cells.
Stage 2: Mutation
Within a week physical symptoms of cellular mutation will begin. The first and most common mutation to occur is that of the stomach, kidneys, and bladder, which become unable to digest any form of plant material and forces hosts to take on the diet of an obligate carnivore. As the disease progresses, this will further develop into hematophagy, rendering the host only able to digest raw meat and blood. The kidneys undergo mutation to bear the increase in protein and iron consumption. Nearby, the adrenal glands enlarge to allow for an increase in adrenaline production and mutation of sexual organs begin. Hosts develop infertility as a result of physical stress and mutation of the ovaries or testicles. Menstruation also ceases. Two weeks after infection, myostatin production will begin to slow marginally, causing an increase in muscle mass as the disease progresses.
Stage 2a: Dental Abnormalities
Progressively, dental lamina cells are created from altered DNA, creating a new set of teeth and, when fully developed, triggers the production of odontoblast cells. These cells eat away at the roots of the teeth and cause them to fall out, at which point they are replaced by the new set of adult teeth. The new set has several notable mutations; the upper incisors do not possess any enamel, and both sets of incisors are sharp, consistent with that of other carnivores, who naturally evolved this trait to cut into the flesh of their prey. Creation of dental lamina will continue, allowing for teeth to be replicated if lost.
Stage 2b: Photosensitivity
At 4 weeks, the host begins to develop various forms of sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation, mainly in the retina and skin. The retinas, which are typically only able to see ultraviolet light up to a wavelength of 300 nanometers (nm), are mutated and grow capable of seeing up to 310 nm. This increase causes photophobia and migraines. The skin begins to display some traits similar to conditions such as xeroderma pigmentosum, causing blisters to the epidermis when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Exposure of sunlight to the skin is extremely damaging, rendering it near impossible to go outdoors during the daytime.
Stage 2c: Immune System Abnormalities
Blood-related symptoms worsen around the eight week mark, causing further fatigue, dizzy spells, weakness, paling of the skin, coughing up blood, and nosebleeds. This is also the time during which production of the virus as well as its physical mutations begin to plateau. At the same time, the rate of infections and contraction of other viruses drastically lowers, as any foreign bodies are attacked and neutralized by the existing instances of the endogenous retrovirus. This also gives the host a relatively stable immune system and increased protection against other forms of bloodborne viruses.
Stage 3: Psychological Effects
Along with the physical changes the virus physical brings, studies have also found psychological changes throughout the nervous system. The amygdala experiences hormone spikes, causing symptoms of anxiety, depression, paranoia, and psychosis, which occasionally causes delusions and hallucinations. Furthermore, hosts develop altered sleeping habits, known to sleep up to 75% of the day, though it is unknown if this is due to changes in the brain or the body’s need to compensate for the symptoms of the virus.
Roots
Further observations of hosts seem to indicate that the virus alters the body in line with that of nocturnal carnivorous predators, replicating the biological functions that allow for such species to thrive in the wild. It is theorized that, on some level, this virus is a product of divergent evolution in the early hominids, who would have benefitted from these mutations in their environment. It seems to have persisted for thousands of years, with instances of so-called ‘vampires’ have been recorded throughout history through folklore, popular culture, and even criminal cases. A cure has not been found, and while minor symptoms can be alleviated through medication or naturalistic approaches, the disease is currently considered to be chronic in nature.
#worldbuilding#sci fi worldbuilding#vampires#lore dump#vampires in this world have it rough#but i like the more realistic approach so#here we are
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Playlist: Sanguine
Creator's Note: I didn't have time to really scrounge up anything today besides a slight update of the blog, so here! Have the playlist for this story.
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Tidbits: Sanguine
AKA, I give an unsolicited Tedtalk about word etymology and vampire bats.
Some fun facts and stuff about my vampire disease worldbuilding project >:)
Sanguine is kind of a pun/semi-ironic name: primarily, it means to be happy or optimistic, but in it's original latin form, it is derived from sanguineus (bloody) or sanguis (blood). How we got from gore to chipper I have ZERO idea, but I am a fan of latin so I decided to fuck around and find out.
The Seward Institute is also a reference! Dr. John Seward is a character from the original Bram Stoker Dracula, whose primary role in the story as a doctor is to provide a scientific POV on vampires.
Vampire bats contributed a solid 60% of the information that I used for the medical side of things, and I can't help but appreciate the fact that their entire existence is a meme. For one, their latin name is hilarious- the prefix desmos- translates to something along the lines of "bundle" or "group", dont means "tooth", and the classification of the common vampire bat is rotundus, which means that it literally translates to round bundle of teeth. Second, they produce an anticoagulant that they literally named draculin. Third, they are the only group of bats that can RUN, which Wikipedia describes as "a unique, bounding gait", and when I looked up a video all I could think of was the weird rabbit puppets from Dark Crystal. Finally, they're incredibly social to the point that they will feed other bats blood the way that baby birds feed... which is just. all weird. Long story short, vampire bats are weird little goblins.
I'll probably post even more tidbits as I go on, but this is all I can share for now!
#worldbuilding#sci fi worldbuilding#bats#vampires#vampire bats#they're just little goblins guys#round bundle of teeth
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Introducing: Sanguine
Sanguine has been sitting on the back-burner for a while now, but since I started this account I decided that it was probably the best way to start off!
The idea at the center of this all is looking at the trope of vampirism in a different light. Not just humanizing it, which has definitely been done before, but extrapolating upon the actual effects of vampirism as a whole through the lense of modern medicine. When I first had this idea, I kind of toyed with it for a bit, then forgot about it. When I found it again, I proceeded to spend an entire day researching so that I could create an in-depth document that outlines symptoms, causes, and transmission.
That being said, trigger warning! Lots of blood related talk and medical topics, since I know some people are sensitive to that.
To better summarize over four pages of writing, vampirism, formally known in this story as called the Sanguis Endogenus Retrovirus, is a blood-transmitted disease, like malaria or Hepatitis B/C. However, its usually spread through animal hosts. Within nonhuman animals, it's functionally inert, but when the virus finds itself in the bloodstream of a human host, it begins to make copies of itself and insert them into the hosts' genome, causing mutations. Some key aspects are that the human host is essentially mutated to spread the virus, whether they wish to or not:
The salivary glands produce even more copies of the virus, as well as draculin, the anticoagulant (blood thinner) found in the saliva of real life vampire bats
Teeth undergo a process similar to tooth growth in shark, and are able to be replicated if lost
Muscle mass increased, though through the same chemical process seen in muscular hypertrophy (the overgrowth of muscles)
The immune system becomes even tankier, as the virus attacks any other foreign bodies to maintain control
The eye changes to be able to see more UV light than average
On one hand, a lot of these seem like they'd buff an infected person, but the "pros" (if you can even call them that) are significantly dimmed when you take into account the cons:
A lot of traits consistent with sickle-cell anemia like fatigue, dizzy spells, weakness, and paling of the skin become chronic
The stomach, kidneys, and bladder all mutate, making the host unable to consume plant matter (aka become an obligate carnivore), while still being able to survive the resulting increase in protein and iron
Eyesight in daylight grows increasingly more sensitive, to the point of migraines
Skin blisters in any kind of UV light, and takes even longer to heal than average burns
Can cause effects like coughing up blood and frequent nosebleeds, which can lead to further exacerbation of the anemic traits mentioned before
The glands that produce adrenaline begin to work overtime, alongside the amygdala, which controls survival instincts and causes extremely heightened levels of anxiety and paranoia
The body requires much more sleep than before, up to 18 hours a day as a means to compensate for the energy needed to sustain the body and the virus
Overall, it becomes something of a very aggressive chronic disease rather than the Twilight sparkly vampires or demon-like Nosferatu equivalents. And because it's remains dormant when inside of animals, its hard to predict or contain the disease. However, the upside is that it is incredibly rare yet fast-progressing, meaning that "damage control" is often able to be conducted early on.
By "damage control", I mean the general detainment and capture of people who have contracted vampirism and the overall proliferation of an intercontinental conspiracy to suppress the existence of the disease from the public.
So, like with everything, the government(s) are in on it. And they're not afraid to commit crimes against humanity to keep the social order in check.
This brings in the Seward Institute, a medical research and technology company that specializes in blood-related diseases, developing treatments and medical technology, all while beneath the surface performing (wildy unethical) government-funded studies on individuals infected with vampirism.
Because of their massive global influence, medical technology (and the medical field overall) have gained an even higher status, and STEM research within colleges has increased tenfold. Seward hands out internships to those who seem promising, and this is exactly where we find one of the main characters of the actual story behind this project.
But that's for another day :)
I gotta keep some kind of other content to show you guys for later. Can't reveal all the secrets at the very start!
I'll keep on posting more as we go, so tune in!
#worldbuilding#characters#sci fi worldbuilding#vampires#vampirism#psst... if you got down here i have a secret#this is secretly... a midwestern horror project#you'll see in a bit
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Working on the first major worldbuilding masterpost!
This weekend I'm gonna be grinding out one of my smaller worldbuilding projects into a format that I can show to you all. It's a bit different from my usual tastes- more modern science fiction than anything else- but I figured that it would be a good start for this account!
Stay tuned! Sanguine is coming soon!
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Tidbits: Lullaby Lavendula
A collection of stuff that didn't fit on the character profile but are still worth mentioning!
Hilariously, her last name is a pun for the lavender genus, Lavandula... It wasn't even intentional, I genuinely didn't know that there wasn't an E in there.
If I had to compare her to an existing character, she's very much like a mix between Ralsei from Deltarune, Roselina from Super Mario Galaxy, and Sheeta from Castle in the Sky!
Her playlist largely consists of kalimba covers and covers by Video Game Music Box.
She's actually a lot smarter than she seems, she's just constantly sleepy so only one braincell is active at any given time... she'd be too powerful if she actually had a normal sleep schedule...
She gives the best hugs in the world, and it's mostly in part because she's fluffy... it's like hugging a cloud that smells like lavender and mint.
I mentioned it in her main post, but I'm actually working on a cosplay for her. I hand dyed the nightgown and made the choker using lace, ribbon, and hot glue. I plan on doing the horns and ears next!
For Christmas, the friend who helped me create her gifted me a lamb Build-A-Bear, complete with a doll dress and a little bell necklace. I have since made her a matching choker with the bell, given her the septum piercing, and embroidered a lavender sprig into her hand! I love her very dearly!
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PLEASE talk to me about my lore.
If you have any questions/comments about my creations, please ask me! I literally love to talk about my little guys and my little fictional realms so much, and I'd love to see more people and their creations too!!!!
#ask me stuff#i wanna talk about lore#begging pleading on my knees#give me literally any excuse to ramble about my ocs
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Lullaby Character Profile
Creator's Note: Lullaby is a character who A) I love very dearly, and B) has an interesting creation story, because she was conceived after a renaissance faire trip with my best friend, and after I saw a lot of others cosplaying as their characters I really wanted to create a sort of "ren-faire-'sona", so to speak. From there, she kind of evolved into her own thing. I've been working on her cosplay for months (so far I have her dress and choker), and now she even has a Dungeons and Dragons sheet! She doesn't have any attachment to my worldbuilding, other than D&D and a sort of Modern Fantasy AU that I did for fun, so I figured she was a perfect first profile!
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Lullaby Lavendula “Sleepy-Head” | Nonbinary | she/they | 20 yrs. | Sheep Satyr
Story: N/A (Unused/Unplayed D&D Character)
World/Setting: Dungeons and Dragons canon/Undeveloped High Fantasy World
Lifestyle
Sexuality: Sapphic
Partner: None
Occupation/Status: Traveling Performer/Charm Maker
Personal Effects: Scimitar, painted shield, lavender sprigs, kalimba, writing supplies, a very old music box
Physical Traits
Appearance: Short, a bit chubby, unguligrade legs, round features, white lamb's fur on legs and neck, droopy, rounded ears, droopy short tail, large black nose, wears a simple nightgown, lavender and baby’s breath flower crown/corsage
Eyes: Lavender, white lashes, have a sleepy appearance
Hair: White, curly, has braided strands in the front, bangs, and a chin-length bob cut
Skin: Pale, rosy cheeks, white freckles
Piercings: Ear lobes
Tattoos: None
Voice Claim (Optional): N/A (Soft, gentle, generally very feminine)
Magic/Abilities: Spellcasting (Druid, Circle of Dreams)
Bio
Personality: Calm, kind, warm-hearted, sleepy, spacy, peaceful, patient, polite
Likes: Lavender, tea, music boxes, sleeping, stargazing, moths
Dislikes: Mornings, loud music, anger, coffee
Brief History: Lullaby was raised in a family of druidic craftsmen, who taught her how to create enchanted charms and trinkets from wood. When she came of age, she left the Feywild to travel the world. These days, she performs music and creates charms for food and housing. Despite her quiet and serene appearance (and tendency to take impromptu naps), she is more than capable of defending herself if need be... what do you think the horns are for?
Circle of Dreams my beloved... maybe I'll post her D&D sheet eventually... maybe not... but either way I love her!
#character creation#characters#original character#worldbuilding#dungeons and dragons#fey#satyr#character profile#character reference#lullaby lavendula
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How I do my world descriptions!
Similar to how I write my OC profiles, I also have devised a way to create a very brief and simple summary of my settings/worlds! This is partially inspired by the system that World Anvil uses, as I used to use their website (stopped because I had too many worlds and the system was a bit annoying), so it's overall pretty simple in terms of general information!
World/Setting
Genre:
Story:
Setting:
Location
Geography:
Climate:
Flora:
Fauna:
Society
Civilization:
Social Structure:
Government:
Economics:
Culture
Religion/Philosophy:
Traditions:
Ethics/Values:
Recreation:
Magic/Technology
Magic System:
Technology:
Medicine:
Infrastructure:
Rules/Restrictions:
Most of my projects do not have any kinds of maps, but maybe in the future!
Like the character profiles, feel free to use as you wish!
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How I do my character profiles!
I have a kind of system (?) that I use when I make a new OC that I wanna hold onto. It's gone through a few variations over the years, ranging from extremely detailed to very simple, but this is the most recent iteration, and the way that I'll post the profiles on this blog!
Name “Alias” | Gender | Pronouns | Age | Species
Story:
World/Setting:
Lifestyle
Sexuality:
Partner:
Occupation/Status:
Personal Effects:
Physical Traits
Appearance:
Eyes:
Hair:
Skin:
Piercings:
Tattoos:
Voice Claim (Optional):
Magic/Abilities: None
Bio
Personality:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Brief History:
If I have a proper reference and/or art of the character, I'll put it at the very top, beneath their name and info.
Feel free to use this if you want! I'm more than happy to let people use this as a template for their own OCs.
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welcome to the wormwood athenaeum
artemisia | libra | 🏳️🌈 | she/they
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i can contain it no longer... i must create a worldbuilding sideblog
i honestly just want a place to stash all of my characters and keep it organized. a lot of these guys have been rotting in my google docs for literal years without seeing the light of day, and its their time in the spotlight!
this is really just a fun addition to my art blog @ohwormwood , so be sure to follow me there if you're just tuning in!
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