#The Tribe of Twisted Tunnels | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

redundantz · 11 months

Text

Ancient Loz AU Story

10,000 years before the events of BOTW the Princess of Hyrule and the Hero who wields the sword that seals the Darkness first fought off the Calamity. With the help of the Sheikah, Guardians, Champions and the Divine Beasts. However, the hero and her best friend; the Prince of the Gerudo, were now missing. The only one to return from the fight was the Princess… Bloodied and bruised. She emerged from the castle alone. No longer the energetic, and free spirited person she used to be. Now, she is filled with a sole dedication to her Kingdom. But cold, and filled with deep sorrow. She orders the Sheikah to create shrines to train the next hero.They prepare the towers, store the Guardians under the castle till they are needed. Research started on the slate where it can be used for building infrastructure and even battle. Anything to help prepare for another Calamity.

The Gerudo Prince wasn't seen again and the heroes identity was forgotten But, the Royal blood of Hylia lives on….

Link is from a traveling caravan. His family has blood from the ancient Zonai tribe. He travels with a decent size troupe along with his sister, father and grandmother.

He meets Zelda during a festival where he was entering an archery contest in castletown. Zelda, who was disguised as Sheik, was also entering. She beat him at the contest(barely), but was extremely bothered by how good he was.

The festival goes on for about 3 days and at the end there is the sword ceremony where all the people coming of age(18) can attempt to pull the sword. She was presiding over it and witnessed him pull the sword and his whole life change. Not long after they meet officially and Link is appointed as her Knight; She introduces him to Ganondorf, her best friend from childhood.

And the chaos and comrade-ere ensues~

Over 3 years they travel, train, fall in love and wait for the day when the evil is supposed to show itself. With no sign of the great evil, they start to relax a bit. But that is when it strikes. Ganon travelling by himself at this time. Explores a cave in the Gerudo desert and encounters something ominous. Whispers in the dark speak to him and his fears and wants and his distaste for the King of Hyrule…. The voice is familiar, much too familiar, and before he can fight back it consumes him. When he awakes he is alone. He isn't instantly ‘evil’ but over time it twists his thoughts and actions. His closest friends and mother grow concerned. He becomes harsher and radical. Cruel. During a secret meeting with the King, Ganon assassinates him. Zelda happens upon Ganon covered in blood. She thinks he's hurt and is concerned by his behavior the past year. He snaps. He tells her every dark thing he has been thinking, and that he killed her father. In shock, and devastated, she can’t move as Ganon is about to strike her. But Link manages to get to her in time because the master sword was glowing, something he has never seen before but an instinct so old took over him. He races to escape with her. Ganon takes over the castle. But only as a steward because the King and the Princess are nowhere to be found. No one is the wiser to his malevolent plots. Yet. He knows she has to act fast since Zelda and Link escaped.

Zelda and Link make it all the way to Kakariko Village and Impa and they are all Informed that the Calamity is upon them. No one can believe it is their Ganondorf who is doing this but it is undeniable. They grieve, but they must act fast. With the help of the Sheikah they gather the guardians, monks and send word to the Races and Champions to prepare for battle. Zelda listens as Link hums an old Zonai Lullaby his mother used to sing to him. And it makes her remember something she read about. A story about there being an ancient Zonai device below the castle that would help defeat the Demon King.

Impa knows the tunnels She can help them sneak in. So they prepare to infiltrate the castle.

Under the castle they find the Zonai Artifacts that were left behind for sealing the great evil.

Ganon's followers saw them enter however and informed him. Knowing this is his chance he stops all pretenses and releases his power. Unleashing a mob of monsters and a cloud of malace into the castle and across Hyrule. But the Champions and Shekah are prepared to meet them.

Looking around for any clue. Trying to think of anything they read or that Link heard from his family that could be used to turn on the sealing jewelry. They don’t know how to activate it, but Ganon is going to be upon them soon as they had to fight through hordes of monsters beforehand.

Out of the dark behind them he emerges.

Zelda and Link manage to avoid the surprise attack. They both go on the defensive. They fight and try to reason with him. They can’t believe this is their friend, their lover. The fight is tough, because they all know each other's moves after training together for years along with the emotional turmoil. Zelda tells Link he needs to figure out how to activate the artifact if they are to succeed. She will hold him off. But by this point they are both exhausted.

Ganon manages to cut Link, spraying blood over the floor and the statue. Link falls to the floor and Ganon towers over him ready to strike him down, but Zelda blasts him away. Ganon turns his attention to her. Annoyed with her meddling and manages to land a blow on her also. Cutting the tip of her right ear off.

The statue lights up from the blood. The blood of a zonai. That was another part of the Lullaby from Links family Zelda realizes. The Jewelry glows and expands before flying off the wrists of the statue to Link. He is surrounded by a green glowing light that blasts Ganon and Zelda back. The bands constrict around his arms and legs disintegrating the clothing underneath. He screams. Zelda watches on in horror as Link transforms before her. His skin is turning black and his bones and skin stretch until he is 6 ft tall. What did she get him into? This was supposed to help them what was happening… She is living in a nightmare. What else will she have to give up. She cries as she looks at him, feeling his pain and fear. His hair band she had given him falls from his hair. Rolling across the floor towards her. “..Zelda….” He says

She picks up the hair band and goes to him! But he is not really responding. He is restrained and struggling within himself. His head is filled with the spirits of the Zonai he knows what he must do…he knows this is the last time he will see Zelda and Ganon. To seal the Demon King he must sacrifice himself. He says the last part of the Lullaby to Zelda and she knows. This is it. She kisses him. Though a bit strange now that he's so tall and his lips are cold. Ganon is getting up across the cavern from them, laughing. He mocks them and their weak attempts at thwarting him. One last clash. Zelda manages to get his weapon from him and Link plunges his arm into Ganons chest activating the sealing power. Glowing green. They both freeze in place and all is quiet. Entombed under the castle. The malice and monsters disappear. Zelda cautiously goes up to them. She doesn't touch them lest she break the spell somehow. The only thing she does is grab the hair bangle that fell to the floor in the final fight. It was the one from Ganon’s hair. And she left for the surface.

Alone.

Thanks for Reading! <3

#zelda #ancient loz au #zelda au #link #ganondorf #tloz #totk #legend of zelda #ganzelink #zelink #i finally wrote something!!! its not a fic but now you guys can fianally read mainly what i had in my head #thanks for liking my AU everyone i can say it enough #botw #there is probably so many issues and plot holes or contrivances but whatever im jsut having fun!#this doesnt even make sense now that totk is out but oh well #long post

1K notes · View notes

bonefall · 8 months

Note

Thinking about that one post about the 5000 year old teenager girl found buried with her collection of 180 sheep ankle bones but specifically the addition of how ankle bones were used as dice back then and she was a gamer.. what I'm getting at is: would clan cats make bone dice and Are They Gaming

First let me teach you a little bit about Knucklebones: The Game.

You probably know one of its variants better as Jacks, that game you play with a rubber ball and little metal spikes. There's a version of Knucklebones in nearly every culture, where the basic idea is to throw an object up in the air, pick up as many of the smaller objects as possible, and then catch the larger object before it hits the ground.

In cultures with a lot of access to livestock, usually the hand and ankle bones of sheep would be used. Places that don't have them might use rocks, seeds, shells, whatever. It was Ancient Greece that had such an extreme take on the game that it eventually evolved into dice-throwing-- a totally chance-based game where you would just throw the biggest foot bone of a sheep (the astralagus; equivalent to the talus in a human) and see how they landed.

So the girl they uncovered in Kazakhstan with the 180 sheep bones wasn't really buried "with dice," make sense? It's more like being buried with jacks. Central Asia is actually jam-packed with knucklebones-types games. Mongolian Shagai is recognized by UNESCO.

And it makes a TON of sense, because those regions are grasslands absolutely ideal for raising sheep.

SO. CLAN CATS.

There's two major considerations here;

ONE: The access to, and size of, sheep bones.

Clan cats don't kill sheep. TRIBE cats actually have access to sheep and kill one or two a year! I would actually like to give them a bunch of special uses for various parts of the sheep. I think the eagle-killing thing in canon is actually pretty ridiculous for several reasons

BUT THAT SAID, an astralagus is the size of a cat's paw.

[ID: A human holding an astralagus in the tips of its fingers.]

You'd need to play a different sort of game with this. It's more like a square softball to a cat than a little rubber ball.

Boar also have bones like this, though. A muntjac probably produces bones that are sized properly for a cat. Hares and rabbits are probably the BEST bet here though, which, somehow feels right. I'm not sure why, but WindClan seems like the gamerclan Clan that would think up these sorts of cute games.

Something about it fits their whole savvy culture, tunneling, emphasis on trade and invention pre-Heatherstar. ShadowClan and WindClan share a cultural value of innovation, but ShadowClan seems more... chemical and competitive.

Hard to explain it. ShadowClan invents flax retting and WindClan invents the drop spindle. There's overlap but it has a bit of a different flavor between them.

TWO: Range of motion

I've made BB!Cats have the same range of motion as the cats in canon, which is higher than a real cat. They're able to WEAVE, you can't do that without a basic pincher grasp. They're also able to mix herbs, wrap things up in leaves, and apply bandages.

I haven't actually given my reworked cats much more ability than they already had, I just codified rules based on what we already see.

But that said, they DO have less range of motion in their hands than humans. They have little thumbs and a better ability to grab, but can't twist their paws completely upwards. There's no way they can toss an object straight up, then catch it again.

So any games they do play would need to accommodate that. So far I've got Scratchstone, Teeterstrike, and an unnamed rhyme game. The bone game would need to look more like a game of marbles than jacks. Or, maybe more modified to accommodate swipes and strikes, somehow? Or a two-person game of catch?

Gotta think about it.

#Partner and I had a super cool food idea for the tribe where they make a sort of like... flavored bone lolly out of sheep bones #Called a Sucker #And they'd soak it in juice before leaving on a hunt and gauge how long they had been out based on the fading flavor of their sucker #And have a cool phrase like ''where have you been?? My sucker's gone bland you spanner''#And if they go into something dangerous like a cave or down a river #they actually leave their sucker behind #so if they run into danger and someone comes looking for them #they'd see their sucker unattended #The sucker would also get holes carved in it to feed a brightly colored string or something through it #So it's very bright and conspicuous #And you can tell what sucker belongs to whom based on how they bedazzled it #But I couldn't find anything on flavoring bones or replenishing their flavor #Since humans aren't dedicated carnivores #The string has the added value of making it easy to pull out if they accidentally swallow the bone #But it's all still wip #clan culture #bone babble

90 notes · View notes

sammyhasspammy · 2 months

Text

Switcheroo Au: Branch

Branch was born to the previous Queen and King of the Pop Trolls. His eldest brother, John Dory, was the current ruler of the trolls, and unfortunately, soon after his coronation, their grandmother, ex-Queen Rosiepuff, got eaten by a bergen. King JD realized that they couldn't keep living like this, so he hatched a plan to escape by digging tunnels under the tree in secret. During the escape, all the brothers make it, but their parents are lost in the process. The family is torn apart by the grief of the situation. Bruce, Clay, and Floyd run away, leaving John to raise Branch himself. The prince grew up to be the most fun-loving troll of Troll Village, always planning parties and helping every troll in need, even the ones that were "unhelpable" according to other trolls, like Poppy.

He never gave up on her, even after rejecting his party invitations hundreds- no, thousands of times. During the 20th celebration of their escape, he plans to host the biggest party troll kind has ever seen despite Poppy's protests. Unfortunately, things go awry when the bergen chefs, Chad and Todd, take several of their friends back to bergen town in hopes of regaining their honor. Branch goes out to save Smidge, the veterinarian; Chenille and Satin, the twin DJs; Suki, the fashion designer; Creek, the lovable one; Guy Diamond, the businessman; Darnell, the cool one; and Biggie, the serene one. Although Poppy thinks he'll fail, she joins him anyway. On their mission, they help Gristle, the scullery maid (butler?), win over Queen Bridget of the bergens. In an unexpected twist, Biggie sells out Troll Village to Chad and Todd. Despite this, they are able to free all of Troll Village while becoming friends with the bergens. John Dory, feeling as though he was inadequate as a king, partly because he blamed himself for losing their parents 20 years ago, now crowns Branch as king now that he is old enough to rule.

Sometime later, the trolls get an invitation from the rock queen Val Thundershock who plans to take over the world. With the help of some friends, they are able to defeat Queen Val while becoming friends with her and opening up the way for the troll tribes to live in harmony once more.

A month later, a stranger interrupts Queen Bridget and Gristle's wedding. The stranger turns out to be Poppy's father who came to inform Poppy that her sister, who she thought to be dead, was actually alive but captured by the duo Veneer and Velvet. Poppy is not confident in her and her father's ability to perform a family harmony, so she asks Branch and JD if they can perform the harmony. John reveals that they're not the only family they have, and Branch finds out that he has 3 other brothers he didn't know about. They go on an adventure to find them. The first stop is Floyd who now lives among the rock trolls and is in a band with Barb (Who is Val in this au), and Riff (Who is kinda like Blaze? idk yet), with Sid Fret (who is Demo) as their manager. Next is Bruce who found love with a giant puppet lady named Brandy (his backstory stays the same cause I can't... think of anything else, but feel free to recommend ideas!). They find Clay in an old abandoned golf course as one of the co-leaders of the putt-putt trolls. He is hesitant to go and almost forces his brothers to stay, but they escape and continue on their search to find Viva, hoping that the four of them can pull it off. Unfortunately, Poppy and Peppy have a fight that leads Poppy to run off and Branch joins her. They eventually make it to Mount Rageous to find that the other brothers and Peppy were also taken hostage. They try to save them without singing but fail to. Clay eventually catches up and tries to help, but it's clear that there's only one thing that'll save their families. Branch urges Poppy to take the lead in the family harmony because he never knew his brothers, but she knew her sister. She takes the lead and they are able to escape while putting Veneer and Velvet behind bars.

Brains storm post - Poppy - Viva

More content will be posted in my #switcheroo au tag! :D Feel free to send any questions or recommendations into my ask box!

Outfit Closeups

32 notes · View notes

sarilolla · 5 months

Text

Silly Trolls au idea that I might do more with (probably shouldn’t, I have a lot of other stuff on my plate lol) (Long post so more under Read More, this is just a ramble of an au honestly)

What if during the Great Escape from the Troll Tree, *Viva* had the Pop String? She was still lost along with multiple other Pop Trolls, and now her family have to deal with the loss of her, and the possible loss of ALL THEIR MUSIC

Would that mean that when they didn’t lose their music, they suspected she survived? Or at least someone else got it and there are some survivors? Or would the suspicion be that it’s buried in the tunnels to be forgotten, existing in a limbo as the Trolls are still able to sing and dance? Or maybe the Bergens got it, and they’re now finding a way to use it to make them happy, instead of eating Trolls?

Would they lose their music anyway, just from the assumption something bad happened? Would they be more open to gray Trolls, as it could be a possible after effect of their tribe being separated from the source of their music?

Would King Peppy reveal its existence to other elders, in case they lose their music and he needs someone to rely on? (Probably not, but let me imagine he has like two more brain cells and to not keep it hidden) Would the Pop Trolls know other music and Trolls were out there, but only know a false version of the story?

And then when Barb’s World Tour happens, how will that work out? Will Barb find a Pop Village without a String, and have no clue how to go from there? The Pop Trolls will be practically forced to reveal what happened to them, and how they lost so many Trolls over the years, and how it’s possible that the String isn’t even held by a Troll?

Will she go looking for this lost princess, or try to enter the Tunnels of Certain Death despite the warnings from Pop (if that’s because the tunnels are unstable, or that they haven’t befriended the Bergens, you decide)? Will she have to give up her whole tour, and now deal with the consequences of her actions?

The other tribes have to deal with the fact that because of the schism Pop caused, they lost many Trolls over the years to being eaten alive, cooked, baked, prepared in all sorts of culinary ways (headcanon that the Pop Trolls were captured for a LONG time, my own stories use 150 years at least). Obviously they didn’t deserve that, but in a twisted sort of sense, now they won’t lose their own music, since the Ultimate Power Chord can’t be completed

And then there’s Viva, probably only 12-15 years old, having defended her people, started a community, and hold the ENTIRETY of their music in her hands. Would she keep it on her at all times? Would she switch the harp/lyre for another instrument, one that’s not so suspicious? Would she find a way to hide it in Putt Putt Village, scared but content it’s the only way to keep their music safe? Paranoia says Bergen might show up, and even if she’s a happy-go-lucky Pop Troll, who’s to say someone might try to steal it? It’s powerful, honestly a weapon, it will keep her people safe and hopeful. And she promised her dad to take care of it, and she doesn’t want to disappoint. Her people’s legacy and music is in her hands, it’s a lot of responsibility. Might she even think that the other Pop Trolls lost their music since she has the String, and it’s clear they’re far away from each other. (She wishes she could share the magic of their music with her baby sister)

Anyway that was a lot of ramble for an idea that struck me 15 minutes ago

(Ps: if anyone wanna do something with this concept, feel free to do so, all I ask for is credit and to be tagged so I can see :D )

#dreamworks trolls #trolls world tour #trolls band together #have a silly little au #I was writing the world tour bit of one of my fics while also thinking about how to add Viva #and was struck by something possibly brilliant #Viva with the Pop String au #like Poppy is my beloved but Viva would probably consciously keep the String safe #instead of bringing it on a quest to look for the other tribes #this is not fully planned out but I'm so open for asks about it #alongside all my other aus tbh #love these silly little creatures and the horrors I put them through in my stories :)

30 notes · View notes

theblackbookofarkera · 13 days

Text

Kin of Saraga

In the shadowed crags of the Arisitir Mountains, which form a formidable barrier between the realms of Thelesia and Cassiar, there are whispers of the Kin of Saraga. These grotesque entities are rumored to inhabit the most inaccessible peaks, shrouded in mystery and fear. Legends suggest that they share a sinister lineage with the kithbray tribes—those malevolent marauders who haunt the Vogh Mountains, spreading terror between the borders of Thelesia and Romeria. It is conjectured that both the Kin and the kithbray are the progeny of a vile and ancient magic, a sorcery so dark that it taints their very essence.

The Kin of Saraga are described as chimeric abominations, an unholy amalgamation of human, mountain goat, and wolf features. Their birth is a curse upon humanity, for they can only be brought into this world through human mothers, emerging not singly but in cursed litters ranging from two to six offspring. These savage beings are not only fierce in appearance but also in their craftsmanship. They are unparalleled smiths, capable of forging weapons of such malevolence that they seem to pulsate with the dark magics imbued by their shamanistic rituals.

The deity they revere is none other than Saraga, a name that echoes with dread in the annals of history. Saraga, the Kin's divine patron, is believed to be the architect of their existence. The fragmented records that have survived the cataclysmic Judgment of the Old World hint at Saraga's mortal beginnings. Once a member of the twisted Circle of Light, Saraga is thought to have wielded sorcery of such magnitude that he not only endured the order's demise but transcended mortality itself.

As raiders, the Kin of Saraga are merciless and cunning. They are said to possess the power to bend beasts to their will, commanding mountain lions with a mere gesture, invoking rockslides to bury their foes, and navigating an extensive labyrinth of subterranean passages. These tunnels serve as their pathways for sudden and brutal assaults on unsuspecting caravans and travelers. The Kin are the embodiment of corruption, so thoroughly depraved that redemption is a concept alien to them. If the tales hold any shred of truth, these creatures are beyond salvation and must be eradicated upon sight, for they are anathema to all that is living and pure.

#conworld #worldbuilding #low fantasy #world building #arkera #creative writing #dark fantasy #fantasy world #warhammer fantasy #beastmen

5 notes · View notes

amirisqueer · 2 years

Text

OLD 2020 ART

A silly AU I made a couple years ago. I still think it's kind of fun. Here is the original description:

"So, first off, this is going to be pretty loose concepts for a Warriors AU I had in mind. I need to work on personal projects at the moment, so I won't go too into detail with this. Additionally, I should have reread Power of Three and Omen of the Stars before this, to make it more detailed and accurate, but again, I need to work on personal projects.

I may come back to this when I have time for it. As for now, it'll stay pretty loose. Unless some of you want to mess around with the concepts, and I fully welcome you to do so! It'd be really cool to have a bunch of people putting their ideas into this, and making it a community thing!

I've removed anything to do with Rock, the ancients, the stick, and the Tribe, because they're all pointless and irrelevant to the plot, and contribute nothing to the story. The undergroud tunnels remain, but they're left a mystery.

Anyway. On with the villainy.

PoT and OotS were disappointing, to say the least. PoT had a good build up, and had tons of potential, but, as usual, the Erins wasted it. OotS is a hot mess; like PoT, potential was wasted, the plot meanders, there are far too many inconsistencies and plot holes, character motivations are weird, characters are unlikeable and boring, a ton of important points in the story feel really contrived, and it's poorly written over all. I still enjoyed these arcs, though, just for how bad they were.

I think it would have been really cool if the Erins explored the potential for villainy Jayfeather and Hollyleaf had. Jayfeather expresses quite a bit of resentment and disrespect for Starclan, and seems to feel like he's above everyone else bc he's part of a prophecy (one that really never is used or explored meaningfully). He's also pretty interested in plants that harm people, which is unique for a medicine cat.

Hollyleaf is a stickler to the warrior code, though we see her twist it and her logic to fit what she wants, especially when she goes out of her way to murder Ashfur, and threaten Leafpool. She's also shown to be very ambitious, and wants to be leader one day. She wants to be important to her clan, and be respected.

Lionblaze, in this AU, is a lot softer, and much more caring and gentle. While he does want to be a great warrior, he doesn't enjoy fighting, which makes his power a point of angst for him, since it's one that enables him to hurt other cats without any physical consequences to him. Lionblaze in the books always stuck out to me as particularly bland; he was just another cat who wanted to be the greatest warrior, who loved fighting, and was aggressive. I want a soft, gentle hero. I want a hero who can and will fight for what he believes in, but would much rather take a pacifistic route.

Again, I need to reread PoT and OotS to refresh myself, but bear with me.

What if we explored this in a way that made Jayfeather and Hollyleaf villains? These traits certainly make it easy.

What if Jayfeather grew especially resentful of Starclan, and, upon learning of the prophecy and how much power he held, turned against them? After all, Starclan gets increasingly annoying, petty, and downright irritating as the series goes on. They act as though they know more than the living cats do (which they don't, and this is shown multiple times), and instead of actually doing anything to help the clans, they give vague omens and signs that could easily be interpreted as anything!

So Jayfeather, resentful of Starclan, plots against them. He wants them to hurt. He wants them to admit they're no better than anyone else. He wants them to stop being so pretentious and full of themselves. He also hates Starclan for making him blind, and, like he said in The Sight, he wishes he had never been born because of it. Jayfeather's bitter and vindictive nature is explored a ton here.

He comes up with a plan to wrest the clans from Starclan's control. He wants everyone else to resent them, too, so Starclan will lose what power they have over the living cats. And to do that, he'll need to take over clans and spread his ideology, much like Sol.

Meanwhile, Hollyleaf wants to be leader, as mentioned before. And Jayfeather sees this as an opportunity. He's the mastermind behind all this, as the most intelligent of the three; he's the one pulling the strings.

By the way, Hollyleaf has a power in this AU. Her power comes from her dedication to and belief in the warrior code; she can always tell when cats are lying, and when they have broken the code, as well as convince them to believe in her own convictions, too. The more she believes in an idea, the more easily she can persuade cats to take her side, and believe in her version of the truth.

And so Jayfeather uses her. Throughout the books, he'll help her become deputy, and then leader, by strategically poisoning clanmates (as well as cats from other clans) to help her gain power. He's also making up visions, too, and manipulating clan politics, trying to turn them against Starclan that way, too. He tells Hollyleaf the things he reads in other cats' minds to help her find weaknesses to exploit.

Hollyleaf believes that what she's doing is right, and that she's fulfilling the prophecy, and making Thunderclan strong. In reality, she's simply carrying out Jayfeather's attack on Starclan.

Lionblaze, meanwhile, is blissfully unaware of this. He does what he does best; fight and try to be a good warrior. The best he can be, in fact. While Lionblaze isn't very intelligent, Jayfeather is wary of trying to involve him, because Lionblaze is a genuinely kind hearted cat, whereas Hollyleaf isn't.

Also! Throughout the PoT arc, there are tons of bonding moments between the three; for Jayfeather, it's all manipulation, but for Hollyleaf and Lionblaze, it's genuine. I've always been irritated by how Warriors never actually shows bonds between families and friends; the books just usually go "they were friends" or "they were family" and that's it. It makes all the family/friend deaths so unemotional and contrived when they happen, because the bonds are never explored. I don't care that Feathertail died; you never showed me the relationship she and Crowfeather had. His grief feels fake, and I'm not invested, at all.

In addition to this, friendships between the protagonists and side characters are also more deeply explored. For example, Hollyleaf and Cinderheart would have a very deep, loving friendship, and Lionblaze and Berrynose would have a friendly rivalry, but are also there for each other. Lionblaze also deeply cares for his family, and loves his siblings, Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, Firestar, Sandstorm, and Leafpool dearly. Hollyleaf is close with her mother and father too, of course, but not quite as close as Lionblaze. Jayfeather is too wrapped up in his hatred and fantasies of revenge to really bother with friendship or family, and thus is viewed as even more prickly by his clanmates.

Jayfeather makes sure to make Hollyleaf look like an excellent warrior and leader, helping her find opportunities to do so. He encourages her to use her power to persuade Firestar to give her an apprentice, so she could be made deputy, and it works. Eventually, she'll use this power on Firestar to convince him to make her deputy after Brambleclaw dies.

Also! In chapters from Jayfeather's POV, it's shown that he grows to hate himself, too, for his actions. He knows very well what he's doing is wrong, but he keeps doing it. He feels horrible for using Hollyleaf the way he does, and feels slimy and gross about it. He thinks he's too far gone, that there's no hope for him. So he keeps making things worse and worse, and hates himself every second of it.

This only serves to make him more bitter and resentful, and he lashes out at clanmates even more, taking out his anger and other mixed emotions on them. It's pretty clear he's developed some sort of depression. At this point, it's obvious that revenge on Starclan won't make Jayfeather happy, at all. But that's what keeps him going.

Eventually, Sol comes along, and Jayfeather sees him as an ally; after all, he's trying to dismantle the clans' belief in Starclan, too. With Sol, he helps spread disbelief and strife, leading to Shadowclan being reduced to the state it was in. Thunderclan is following lead, though a bit more slowly, because, annoyingly, Firestar and Brambleclaw are still there.

So Jayfeather sneakily poisons him, without any cat in the clan knowing. He, of course, does this after Firestar has taken a liking to Hollyleaf, and during his grief, Hollyleaf goes and consoles him, as well as giving him advice on who the new deputy should be, strongly hinting that she thought she would do a good job, by stating traits that she has, and that Firestar has seen in her.

So! She becomes deputy! Lionblaze is, of course, proud, but he's a bit unnerved by the fact that Jayfeather and Hollyleaf don't seem bothered by their father's death. The fire scene happens at some point, and they learn about Squirrelflight's lie. Ashfur is still killed by Hollyleaf to keep the secret. And this time, she doesn't spill it.

Sol is also eventually killed off, because when Jayfeather realizes he's also trying to destroy the clans, not just ruin their belief in Starclan, which isn't what he wants. He doesn't want Starclan or the clans to die; he wants Starclan to suffer. So, he comes up with a plan to kill Sol, and Hollyleaf executes it.

At this point, Hollyleaf too is becoming resentful of Starclan, and twists her version of the code to fit with that, silently vowing to enforce it when she becomes leader.

Thunderclan is starting to grow really angry with Starclan, due to Jayfeather's and Sol's influence. Firestar continues to have faith in them, and the clan slowly turns on him, seeing him as a weak and incompetent leader. Other unfortunate things start to happen as well, like prey being scarce in greenleaf, warriors being injured more, fights on the borders breaking out, etc. It should be noted that Hollyleaf also uses her power to help convince the clan of Jayfeather's beliefs, and it works really well, seeing as she believes them herself. The majority of clan starts to believe that Starclan has abandoned them.

But not all of them, which is key to the rest of this AU!

Hollyleaf believes this too, and believes that the clan would do far better being lead by her. She speaks with Jayfeather about this, and, of course, he's pleased by it. They hatch a scheme to kill Firestar in secret, using a lethal concoction of herbs and framing it as a sickness.

Also! As Jayfeather's ideology spreads, other medicine cats' connection to Starclan grows weaker and weaker, until, finally, at the end of the PoT arc, they cannot communicate with Starclan at all. Only Jayfeather can, as that's one of his powers.

Once Starclan is entirely cut off from the clans, Cinderpelt's spirit (in Cinderheart) is released; her link to Starclan has been severed, so the whole reincarnation sort of thing no longer works. Cinderpelt is instead stranded in some sort of limbo, and never finds her way back to Starclan.

However, Leafpool has noticed Jayfeather's interest in toxic plants, and grows suspicious of him... so she must be killed, too. While gathering herbs with Jayfeather, Hollyleaf ambushes Leafpool and kills her. Jayfeather has Hollyleaf injure him, too, so he can frame it as an accident with some rogues, which he just barely got away from. Hollyleaf is never mentioned in his explanation, so she's completely free of suspicion.

Two of the three never learn of their true parentage, and only Lionblaze ever really cares about it, because of his deep connection with his parents, grandparents, and aunt. Lionblaze later learns about it from Squirrelflight.

With Leafpool out of the way, they can finally kill Firestar. Jayfeather slips deathberry juice into some of Firestar's fresh kill, and, when the leader is unconscious and in the medicine den, Jayfeather poisons him with more and more herbs (like foxglove, water hemlock, deadly nightshade, etc), which prove powerful enough to kill all his remaining lives.

The clan doesn't suspect a thing, and grieves for him, despite his weak leadership. This further reinforces the belief that Starclan has abandoned them.

Hollyleaf becomes Hollystar. And, despite everything she's done, she gets her nine lives. This is because, since Hollystar and Jayfeather are part of the proohecy, and supposedly hold the power of the stars in their paws, they can force them to give her nine lives. Especially with Hollystar's power of conviction.

I'm not sure who her deputy would be, but it would have to be someone incredibly loyal to her. Perhaps Cinderheart, seeing as they were close friends. Maybe they even get to be a cute, villainous lesbian couple. You know what, they do. CinderHolly is canon in this AU.

However, Lionblaze notices how unbothered Jayfeather and Hollystar are by Firestar's death, and starts to suspect the worst. He has kept his faith in Starclan, by the way, despite his siblings' attempts to sway him. He has also gathered a small group of the clan together who still believe in Starclan, and they worship in secret at night, outside the camp. This group, critically, includes Whitewing and Birchfall, Dovewing and Ivypool's parents. It also includes Squirrelflight and Sandstorm, who were, of course, incredibly loyal to Firestar.

With Hollystar in her leadership position, and a blindly loyal deputy and mate are her side, she pushes her anti-Starclan agenda, and actually forges an alliance with Shadowclan and Blackstar. They promise to help each other in the coming days, seeing as Starclan has left the clans, and they can only depend on each other.

Windclan and Riverclan are horrified, especially the medicine cats (except Mothwing, she actually sees this as wise), but through Hollystar's conviction, these ideals infiltrate the other two clans. Each clan splits into factions: those who have faith, and those who do not. Consistently, the latter groups are larger.

Lionblaze is incredibly upset by this, and is torn between his love for his siblings, his care for his clan, and his faith to Starclan. Hollystar starts to weed out the disloyal cats, the ones who still have faith in Starclan, and makes them sleep in a separate den from the other cats. She keeps a close eye on them, and monitors their movements at all times, with the help of Cinderheart, Jayfeather, and a few other extremely loyal warriors.

One evening, Lionblaze manages to sneak out from under the gaze of his clanmates, and eavesdrops on a conversation between Hollystar and Jayfeather. He learns of their manipulation, and how they killed Brambleclaw, Leafpool, and Firestar, and, in fury, attacks Hollystar. This grabs the whole clan's attention, and during the battle, Hollystar loses a life.

Lionblaze, being the big hearted cat he is, stops fighting once his sister dies once, horrified at what he's done. However, the clan has turned against him, and he, as well as the other Starclan faithful, are driven out of Thunderclan territory. Hollystar has convinced Thunderclan that any Starclan faithful cats are dangerous traitors, and, at the next gathering, encourages the other clans to drive them out, too.

Lionblaze and his group, meanwhile, shelter beyond Thunderclan territory, and Dovekit and Ivykit are born. They slowly recover their strength, and set up a sort of temporary camp. Lionblaze tells them about Hollystar and Jayfeather's treachery. All the cats are bereft, and have no idea what to do. Soon enough, though, a group of Shadowclan cats find them, and reveal they've been driven away, too. The clans by the lake have all lost cats, and they are weaker now, which is critical for OotS. This is where the PoT arc ends.

Hollystar's regime is as strong as ever in Thunderclan, and the rest of the Starclan faithful cats in the clans have been driven out. The Dark Forest sees this as an opportunity to take advantage of, and starts recruiting warriors and apprentices to their cause to destroy/take over the clans, or whatever the DF was trying to do. Like. Seriously. What exactly were they trying to accomplish?

We'll just go with destroying the clans, due to their festering, bitter hatred for Starclan, and how the clans wronged them in their past lives.

Starclan is completely cut off from the clans, except for Lionblaze's group, which has become its own sort of clan. Each of the groups of Starclan faithful have found their way to him, and they live an unsteady, unsatisfying life outside the clan territories. They want to go home. They want their clans back. But if they dared set paw at the lake territories again, they'd be killed.

Enter Dovepaw and Ivypaw. Despite not really being a clan, the group has still continued clan traditions, and Dovepaw is apprenticed to Willowshine, while Ivypaw gets Brightheart. For extra drama, Brightheart and Cloudtail were split over the Starclan debate, and Cloudtail remains with Hollystar.

In this group, there's a lot of quarreling over who's in charge, as they don't really have a leader. They eventually agree to have a small council of four cats, one from each clan, to lead them. Lionblaze, Tawnypelt, Heathertail, and Mistyfoot are the leaders of this group, and they are trying to form a plan to take the clans back. Tawnypelt was also able to convince Tigerheart to remain faithful to Starclan, so he's here, too.

Squirrelflight, in a soft, emotional scene, reveals the three's parentage to Lionblaze. Instead of driving them apart, this makes them grow even closer, as they both understand what it's like to care for their siblings deeply, even when they've done something wrong.

The fourth cat from the prophecy remains, and it's Dovepaw. She doesn't have any powers, and yet she'll be key to turning the clans back to Starclan. During their time spent as a group, the borders between the clans here dissolve, and they become united and strong.

Dovepaw is actually trained as a medicine cat here, and is the only one in the group who can connect to Starclan. Her faith is particularly strong, given how her life began with being driven out of her home. This is how the connection between the clans and Starclan is slowly restored.

Meanwhile, in the clans, as the year progresses, things get worse. The draught happens like before, and a patrol is sent upstream to investigate the cause, like before. Leopardstar dies, and someone replaces her; possibly Reedwhisker. Perhaps he didn't go with his mother, and remained with Riverclan. This could be a source of grief for Mistyfoot, and affect her actions in the rest of the arc. Reedstar it is, then.

The DF keeps training and corrupting warriors in the clans, and as the arc goes on, some of them start to fear that Hollystar was wrong, and that they should've stayed faithful to Starclan. Of course, no one says this; anyone who speaks like that is immediately exiled.

Hollystar practically controls all the clans, given her power. Her propaganda has taken hold of the leaders' minds, and they all follow her suggestions. Jayfeather is both happy and dissatisfied at the same time; he is glad Starclan is suffering, and frequently visits them to gloat, but he feels that something is wrong. He isn't truly happy. He's still bitter cold and angry inside.

If I'm being honest, I barely remember what happened in OotS between the first and last books. The whole arc was a disaster, and, like I said, its plot was boring and meandering. I apologize for the stark lack of detail in this part. Like I said though, this is just a loose concept for this AU, and anyone can add their ideas to it, if they want!

Essentially, in the end, there are 3 factions fighting: the Starclan faithful, Hollystar's clans, and the Dark Forest. Jayfeather, once he learns what the DF is up to, is upset about it, and opposes it, simply because he doesn't want the clans destroyed, he just wants Starclan to suffer, and have them watch helplessly as the clans live perfectly well without them.

Lionblaze and his faction also, through the arc, spy on what the clans are doing, and learn how things are slowly falling apart. This isn't so much due to the lack of Starclan, but due to the Dark Forest taking advantage of that lack of faith. Had the DF not been an issue, the clans would have made it perfectly fine through that period of drought, and lived well w/o Starclan's influence.

Ivypool is also recruited into the DF like usual, but this time, she immediately knows something is up, bc of Lionblaze and the rest of the group having such firm faith in Starclan, and passing that onto the kits. However, since Ivypool is smart, she decides to spy there, along with Tigerheart, which give the Faithful an advantage. There, they finally have a name: the Faithful.

Hollystar's clans eventually learn of the threat from the DF, and things devolve into panic. Hollystar and Jayfeather are losing control, and both the DF and the Faithful take advantage of this.

Dovewing is especially gifted with speech in the AU, and is really compassionate and dedicated to what she believes in. She rallies a good portion of Hollystar's clans to the Faithful, and their numbers grow steadily. She is, in a way, like a cleric in DnD, and Lionblaze is a paladin. Dovewing does most of the speaking, while Lionblaze does most of the fighting.

Then, the battle breaks out. It's DF vs the Faithful vs Hollystar's clans. Like the Great Battle in the other books, this battle is chaotic, takes place all over the clan territory, and a ton of cats die. Hollystar and Lionblaze have an intense encounter, and Lionblaze pleads her to see sense and join their side. However, she is too far gone, and too convinced of her own flawed beliefs to listen. Hollystar is killed by Lionblaze in an emotional battle, and Jayfeather is eventually cornered, too.

Lionblaze also pleads with him to switch sides, and it is here that Jayfeather finally reveals what he's been doing all along, and has his traditional villain monologue. At the end of his monologue, he admits that he isn't happy with how things turned out, and feels hollow, numb, and bitter cold instead.

Jayfeather loathed himself as much as he loathed Starclan. He knew his actions were wrong, and hated himself for it, but he couldn't stop himself. He wouldn't. From his first kill onwards, he thought it was too late for him to change paths, that he'd always be a despicable, miserable cat. He sees no chance at redemption, and asks Lionblaze to kill him. When he won't, Jayfeather eats the deathberries he had kept with him, killing himself.

In the end, the Faithful are victorious, and take back the clans. Lionblaze, however, is completely devastated by all the loss. He had lost family and friends during all of this, and feels utterly swamped by grief. The loss of his siblings hurts the most; not only had he lost them to death, but he had really, truly LOST them; their personalities had completely changed, and the cats he once knew had vanished.

Despite this, he pushes through with Dovewing and Squirrelflight's help. Lionblaze becomes Lionstar, at the urging of his clanmates. He names Squirrelflight deputy, and Dovewing is his medicine cat. The clans are recovering from Hollystar's reign, and are turning back towards Starclan, for better or for worse. Either way, their faith has only strengthened during this time, and once again, the medicine cats can connect with their ancestors.

So! That's it! That's the villain Hollystar and Jayfeather AU! In my opinion, this is MUCH better than how things actually went in the books, and I would have rather had things go this way. Potential isn't wasted (as far as I know), and each of the three is more fully explored.

The OotS part is definitely lacking, because like I said, I've forgotten what happens through most of it. Lionblaze also gets a bit shafted, because I wanted to focus on Jayfeather and Hollystar, and also because I don't know his personality as well. I really wish I had given him more content, but my pool of ideas was a bit shallow for him :'D. If any of you have any ideas for him, or for the rest of the AU, please feel free to share them!!

I may come back to this in the future, after I've reread PoT and OotS, and add more details. For now, though, it is this.

Let me know what you guys think! I'd love to hear your ideas, too, like I've said a billion times before! As I've said many times earlier, I think it'd be really cool if you all contributed too, and we made this a community thing!"

53 notes · View notes

liichkiing · 10 months

Text

YOU'D BETTER PICK YOUR WEAPONS UP

AND THROW YOUR MERCY DOWN

Hi everybody look at my Hollow Knight oc. Their name is Raiko and they are a scorpion from a kingdom far from Hallownest. Infodumping (which kind of reads like a little story) and also several more sketches under the cut!!!!

SO basically they were raised as a brainwashed soldier but then they assassinated their king and tried to stage a full on revolution but their heavily militaristic kingdom quashed it really quickly. And as punishment they were "made an example of" (dismembered slowly and publicly). Their fellow rebels snuck in and freed them before their stinger was removed though, and one of the others had started making them prosthetic arms. Their hideout got raided before their second, third, or fourth sets of missing limbs had proper finished prosthetics, so they only have the one set of arms. They and their fellows scattered, and they haven't seen or heard from any of them since. They have no idea if anyone else even survived that raid.

Anyway. They fled to the ruins of Hallownest, since it's a death trap. They assumed their pursuers wouldn't follow them there, as the assumption could safely be made that they were either dead or miserable down there.

They are alone for a while until they happen upon the mantis tribe. A younger mantis warrior named Kas'il recognizes them as a dangerous individual and tries to take them down, but Raiko has a lot more experience and quickly takes her down. They don't kill her, though, because she's one of the first non-infected bugs they've seen around. Slowly, they end up bonding, and Kas'il tells them that if they can best her tribe's Lords in combat, then her tribe will no longer be hostile to them even though they are a terrifying huge scorpion and are very reminiscent of the beasts of Deepnest.

So, Raiko fights the Mantis Lords, and they come to respect each other. They're able to freely travel into Deepnest, which they are hesitant to do at first, but they're very much drawn to the dark. Part of them feels like they belong in Deepnest. This is their self loathing talking, but, hey, it happens.

At some point, they hear stories about the Mask Maker, and, given that their face and horns were disfigured during their failed rebellion, they are a bit desperate for. Again, they have a lot of self loathing and survivor's guilt, and they hate being reminded of their failures every time that they see their reflection.

They spend increasing amounts of time isolating themself in Deepnest, killing a lot of dirtcarvers in the process. They end up carving out a little hole for themself in the tunnels somewhere. Eventually they don't even talk to Kas'il anymore.

One day a strange, pale little thing breaks into their home, catching them off guard. They fight, and after several (or maybe just one) attempts, the little ghost defeats them. With Raiko feigning death, the ghost leaves. Not long after, though, it returns. Raiko tells it that they don't want to fight it, since it's clearly a determined and formidable foe. Instead, they offer stories from their distant home--a new tale every time that their strange visitor returns.

After several stories, they realize how much talking about their life has made them feel... Happy. They didn't know they could even feel happy. It was strange and perhaps a bit scary, but, with their newfound motivation, they knew that they had to do something for their strange companion. They made a gift: a charm, much like the one they'd been granted by the mantises, but with their own twist.

Venomous Blade

Imbued with the power and guilt of a deadly beast. The bearer's nail is coated with scorpion venom and deals more damage over time. When hit, the bearer's strength resets.

Shortly after the Absolute Radiance is killed and the Infection is no more, Raiko happens across a Nosk hunting a strange little glowing beetle. Raiko kills the Nosk, but the little beetle reminds them of a friend they once had, and so (although they look delicious) they let the beetle live and opt to protect the little adventurer.

(And then they fall in love and adopt some weird little vessels.)

(Kite, the luma beetle, belongs to @ivory-obsidian ::^D)

#victor.png #victor.txt #is that my writing tag. if not I'll fix it.#my art #hollow knight #hollow knight oc #raiko #kite #sif ocs #original character #oc #ocs #also their scissors come apart into two blades. it was more convenient when they had eight arms. but they do use them as mobility aids also!#like crutches. very sharp crutches.

8 notes · View notes

applepath · 2 years

Photo

Ash || Summer-Born || To-Be || Tribe of Twisted Tunnels

Bones sinkin' like stones All that we've fought for Homes, places we've grown All of us are done for

( @threeclans )

#ash #threeclans #ribbon art

25 notes · View notes

threeclans · 2 years

Note

before the application post, I was interpreting all the posts before that as that applying would make you a tide watcher- so will there be no permanent tide watchers and all of them will change eventually to be in creekclan?

Hello, this is a great question!

The only permanent groups in ThreeClans are NettleClan, CreekClan, JaggedClan, FogClan, and the Tribe of Twisted Tunnels (which is currently undergoing a name change, to avoid any confusion in the future). For the foreseeable future, this will not change; any loner or rogue colonies that we introduce through openings will eventually be integrated into one of these five groups.

All of our openings function in this way. For example, The Family joined FogClan during the Cuckoo's Nest event (click here), The Hunters made their way into the Tribe of Twisted Tunnels (click here), and the rogue group from the Roots or Rivers event split themselves between NettleClan and CreekClan (click here).

That being said, there will be ample opportunity for you to roleplay your character in the Tide Watchers' home setting before they inevitably join CreekClan! If you have any further questions about the mechanics of our openings, feel free to send another ask or message a mod directly. Thank you for your interest!

- Mod Scar

#ask

8 notes · View notes

guideoftime · 6 months

Note

cows in the ground?

Inu has Sheik rant.

“You have to remember, we’ve spent the past over a hundred years constantly at war with ourselves.”

Sheik explains first, pressing his lips slightly together. “The holes scattered across Hyrule were at one point part of the underground network that connects back to Kakariko. The Sheikah Catacombs my tribe used for getting around during the Great War. A lot of the tunnels have collapsed, especially with the decline of the Sheikah and no upkeep, which just leaves holes everywhere.”

Holes that apparently the Hero was just finding and hanging out in for fun. No, he doesn’t have an explanation or an answer for that. Has no idea why the Hero thought it was fun to go cow hunting. At least it was keeping him somewhat sane and well taken care of during his journey. Milk, especially milk from Lon Lon Ranch, had energizing properties to it that helped boost his immune system and health. At least that was what Sheik understood from watching him drown it constantly.

Back to his explanation though. “So when things got bad, when the civilians were in danger, the Sheikah would hide them below ground to keep them from getting hurt. Well, you can’t hide a bunch of people below ground without food.” Which again, leads to the fact of the cows. “There were a lot more below ground, more than cows too. Fish was something that was drawn in from Lake Hylia, and I think the occasional Cucco can still be found down there too. There’s more of them still in the Sheikah Catacombs but–they’re not really normal anymore.” Twisted by the shadows, by the darkness.

Birthing more monsters.

“The cows that haven’t been consumed by the shadows that lurk in the infinite darkness, apparently still breed and have more baby cows?” How they still get around underground is rather–fascinating. Getting them back up would be near impossible, not without repairing the tunnels. Apparently they were thriving somehow, eating the grass that has grown below ground and covered the old destroyed tunnel system. The fish surviving in such little water should surprise him more.

“Link says, despite all odds and the lack of sunlight, they seem pretty healthy. He wasn’t worried at all. Only when–there was one cow stuck in Lord Jabu Jabu’s stomach walls.” No, that one he cannot explain. Cows don’t swim.

#Anonymous #▴ — path / sage of shadows #▴ — the eye of truth / asks.

1 note · View note

smiteworks · 10 months

Text

New Release Pathfinder RPG - Pathfinder Companion: Kobolds of Golarion Paizo Inc.

Traps, Tribes, and Tenacity

Dwelling underground in the dark and twisting sprawl of their tunnels, kobolds make unlikely heroes. Pathfinder Player Companion: Kobolds of Golarion unlocks the potential of this cunning and skilled race, showing how the talents kobolds have trained in since birth--trapmaking, teamwork, and sneakiness--make them excellent dungeon delvers. Unlike some of the less intelligent creatures that share the Darklands with them, kobolds make allies among the surface races and exert influence in many of Golarion's cities. Though they're limited within their rigid tribal rules, kobolds have the ambition of dragons!

#rpg #vtt #fantasy grounds #fantasy grounds unity #pathfinder #paizo inc.

0 notes

dysrope · 1 year

Text

Lights in Both Ends of the Tunnel

[turn 12 continued: command avatar(build Tranos), command Chivik(expand), Command Kautaila(: 7-1-2-3=1]

The peace and prosperity in the vast Chivik Empire leads to a continuous, relentless population growth. Its cities are constantly expanded, and new tunnels are walled of and tamed.

In the west, a new city is founded - in traditional tribal lands. The tribes, already long subjugated, are removed to make way for a proper, civilized, urban society. Some resist, but they are no match for Chivik's armies, and, one way or another, all are forced to leave. The new city, Tranos, relieves some of the population pressure in the other central cities, but the surrounding tribes are none to pleased - they know they might be next.

The expelled tribes scatter far, mostly out of the area Chivik holds most sway. Some go north, and wander into the Endless Halls of Vorond and Tondor. They really don't like that, the regular twisting and winding of the underworld tunnels is more than bad enough, but they do make contact with the Hewn. A few go as far west as the Heart Hypogeum, and though they first fear the strange light, they eventually reach the Omphalos. These are the first Tiktik to walk the surface, and they eastablish profitable trade relations with Azimuth and Vorond.

In Chivik itself, meanwhile, the population growth remains high, and despite repeated expansions into neighboring tunnels, space remains at a premium. In an effort to mitigate this, city planners look downward. Chivik was originally built next to a great canal, connecting it to the abyssal depths below, which it has always used for water and various foods. This tunnel was well-explored: Divers, fishers and bottom-scavengers have always been making use of it to access the greater seas beyond. Tiktik are in fact perfectly suited for living underwater, they simply prefer not to. Something about being submerged in cold dark water awakens an atavistic fear in them, reminding them of their ancestral place in the abyssal food-chain.

But necessity rules all, and Tiktik are clever builders. Along the walls of the canal, they built watertight quarters, and in an air pocket in the depths, a new "suburb" appears. Deep Chivik becomes home to most of the clans of marine workers, and though it soon enough becomes comfortable in its own right, and more spacious than Chivik Proper, many are resentful of being separated from their old home. Few from the upper city ever come down here, and even hardened divers don't enjoy the very long trek up the dark and cold canal, so it is only the deliveries of food (which the capital is very, very dependant on!) that keeps them connected.

In the east, space is much less of a concern, but the Retvikvik have a completely different conundrum on their hands. The strange sunlit lands of Erjul capture their imagination, and over the years, they send expedition after expedition into those smoky halls. Most return very quickly, the rest not at all. But the gems and metals and stories they bring back are more than enough to keep interest alight, and the Retvik matriarch at last hires a Kautai pathfinder, to explore this mystery for her. Not needing to breathe, the Kautai goes in unafraid, but does not return. Turns pass, then periods, and entire year. The Tiktik begin to fear the impossible, something in there has killed an unkillable Kautai!? But at long last, the pathfinder returns, but on the insistent questioning, they simply answer: "It is beyond Description".

The Retvikvik are, needless to say, rather disappointed with this, but very soon, more Kautaila appear. Some of them are more informative than the first, and so detailed descriptions, and paintings, and poems of Erjul's wonders finally reaches Retvik.

The Kautaila, meanwhile, have finally found a place to call home. A beautiful garden, hostile to all life, and perfect for them, Erjul is the one place on all Nokkaviinesei where one always can find a significant number of Kautaila (Except of course during the decennial celebrations at Aelmd). At any given time, most of them still roam the world, but here they have found a place whcih they can never grow tired of, and where they always feel welcome.

#world 02547 diegesis

1 note · View note

theaibooks · 1 year

Text

tittle: the lost

Tittle: the forgotten

In the aftermath of a devastating plane crash, a group of strangers find themselves stranded on an isolated island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But this is no ordinary island. It is a place of nightmares, where the laws of nature have been twisted and corrupted by forces beyond human comprehension.

As the survivors struggle to stay alive on the island, they soon discover that they are not alone. There are creatures that roam the jungle, creatures that are not of this world. There are monsters with razor-sharp teeth and claws, creatures that lurk in the shadows and hunt the survivors like prey.

But the monsters are not the only threat on the island. There are also cannibals, humans who have been driven mad by the island's dark magic. They roam the jungle, searching for their next meal, and the survivors are their prey.

As the days turn into weeks and then months, the survivors fight to stay alive. They struggle to find food and water, and they try to avoid the monsters and cannibals that hunt them. They band together, forming alliances and trying to find a way off the island.

But as they explore the island, they discover that it holds many secrets. There are ancient ruins that speak of a civilization long forgotten, and there are dark tunnels that lead deep underground, where unspeakable horrors await.

After choosing to explores the underground ruins the come across a tribe of cannibals and get captured with all hope lost the leader comes to speak to the last remaining survivors and reveels they hide from the men with guns and its not the monster that they fear but men with guns, he tells them that the island is really a an army base. after they discovered the evil that habitats the island they started to bring people here as punishment for there crimes.

at first they don’t believe them but after revealing they revel themselves previous prisoners they cant help but to believe it. Was this really true? was this really all just some sick game being played out

or others entertainment?

After agreeing to uncover the truth and escape the island they all decide to band together and try and escape.

Now 15 man stronger they delve deeper into the island's they begin to realize that they are not just fighting for their survival. They are also fighting to uncover the truth about the island, and the forces that brought them there.

But the island is a place of darkness, a place where the line between reality and nightmare is blurred. The survivors soon discover that they are not just fighting against monsters and cannibals. They are fighting against the island itself, against the dark magic that has taken hold of it.

As the survivors continue to fight for their lives on the island, they begin to uncover the truth as They discover that the island is not just a prison but a place of nightmares that holds an ancient evil and they Have been placed there to die, for the entertainment for a sick and twisted audience all over the world.

As they explore deeper into the island, the survivors stumble upon a hidden base underground. At first, it appears to be an abandoned research facility, but as they investigate further, they realize that it is a fully functional television station.

The survivors are horrified to learn that their every move, every struggle for survival, has been broadcasted as part of a twisted reality TV show. Their lives have been manipulated, and their fate predetermined by a group of wealthy and sadistic viewers who seek entertainment in the suffering of others.

The group realizes that their only chance for survival is to escape the island and expose the truth to the world. They devise a plan to hijack the TV station and broadcast their story to the world, revealing the island's true nature as a prison for the entertainment of others.

As they make their way through the underground facility, they uncover more secrets about the island's true purpose and the sinister organization behind it. But they are also met with unexpected allies and betrayals when an undercover agent is discovered and they soon realize that not everyone can be trusted.

Finally, after a long and arduous journey, they make it to the control room of the TV station. They hijack the broadcast signal and reveal the island's true nature to the world, exposing the twisted reality show and the organization behind it.

In the chaos that ensues, the survivors make their escape from the island, narrowly avoiding capture by their captors. They finally make it to safety, but they are forever changed by their experiences on the island.

As they adjust to life after the island, they vow to use their experience to bring justice to those responsible for their imprisonment. They become a beacon of hope for others who have suffered at the hands of similar organizations, and their story inspires others to fight against the exploitation and oppression of the innocent.

#adventure story #short story #thriller story #storytelling #book blog #digital art #pirates #adventure story’s #mystery story #supernatural

0 notes

noreturnpod · 1 year

Text

Long ago, when the world was young, the ancestors of the deepeners, a tribe of Kabouter, foresaw a great darkness looming on the horizon. They knew that the surface world would one day be consumed by fire and ash, and that all those who dwelled there would perish. So, they did the only thing they could - they sought refuge in the depths of the earth.

They traveled deep into the underworld, delving deeper and deeper into the earth with each passing day. They battled strange and terrifying monsters, battled against the crushing weight of the earth, and battled against the darkness that threatened to consume them. But through it all, they persevered.

For generations, the deepeners lived in the underworld, carving out a home for themselves in the dark and treacherous caverns. They adapted to the harsh conditions, learning to navigate the twisting tunnels and navigate the treacherous underground rivers. They built great cities and fortresses, and stood guard against the monsters that lurked in the shadows.

But despite their success, the deepeners never forgot the surface world. They remembered the darkness that had driven them underground, and they feared that one day it would come for them as well. And so they remained vigilant, always watchful for any sign that the darkness had followed them into the underworld.

The deepeners were a proud and noble people, but they were also a people of great suspicion and dislike for the surface world and those who dwelled there. They knew that the surface dwellers could never understand the sacrifices they had made, and they feared that one day they would be betrayed by those they had once called friends.

But despite their suspicions, the deepeners knew that they were not alone in the underworld. They had each other, and together they would stand strong against the darkness, for as long as the earth itself would last. And so they lived in peace, in their underground home, forever vigilant against the darkness that threatened to consume them all

#audio drama #audio fiction #fantasy #fiction

0 notes

travonfeng · 1 year

Text

An Indigenous reservation has a novel way to grow food – below the earth’s surface

Near the southern border of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, a curved translucent roof peeks out a few feet above the dusty plains. It’s a blustery November afternoon and the last remaining greens outside are fading fast. But below ground, at the bottom of a short flight of stairs, the inside of this 80ft-long sleek structure is bursting with life – pallets of vivid microgreens, potato plants growing from hay bales and planters full of thick heads of Swiss chard and pak choi. Two people bend over the pallets, using scissors to harvest delicate sprouts of microgreens.

This is an underground greenhouse, or walipini, and the harvesters are members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. It is one of at least eight underground greenhouses that, over the past decade, have been built or are being constructed on the reservation – which has one of the highest poverty rates in the US. Some hope they can help solve the interconnected problems of the lack of affordable, nutritious food and the difficulties of farming in the climate crisis.

Underground greenhouses, emerged three decades ago in Bolivia as a way of trying to help rural communities gain food security. Their conditions can be controlled to protect the crops from fierce storms and extreme temperatures.

Those underground on the reservation use geothermal energy to keep a stable year-round temperature of about 52F, and some use a series of tubes that capture and circulate heat from deeper underground. At the same time, the greenhouses absorb and bank heat from the sun.

***

Surrounded by the Badlands and Black Hills, the Pine Ridge Reservation has long faced extreme weather. But the climate crisis is ushering in more intense rainstorms and heatwaves and residents on the reservation say the situation is becoming untenable.

In July 2019, Julian Bear Runner, then president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, testified to the US House natural resources committee about a recent storm that had flooded residents’ homes and made roads impassable. “Our Reservation is not in a position to handle another severe weather storm,” he told the committee.

Just one month later, an intense storm swept through the reservation producing golf-ball-sized hail and wind gusts of up to 80mph. It tore siding off of a local school, shattered windows and wiped out outdoor crops.

At the Pine Ridge school, the severe weather destroyed a growing tunnel built three years before by Daniel Nelson, a former school facility manager, and local students. “It just ripped those poles out of the ground, lifted the whole greenhouse up and it just twisted it,” he says.

Nelson is now building an underground greenhouse, funded by a grant of about $6,000 from a social impact fund. When finished, the 20ft by 40ft structure will sit 8ft below ground. He hopes that will make it much more resilient when the next big storm sweeps through.

Nelson expects to use the produce for his family as well as other local families. “We want to be able to feed ourselves. That’s our goal,” he says. “Because we don’t put a lot of stock in the system of grocery stores. One storm knocks that all out.”

Natalie Hand lives in a trailer on the reservation just feet from another underground greenhouse currently under construction. It is 8ft below ground, with a polycarbonate roof angled south to let in the sunlight and long timber beams set against packed dirt to trap in heat.

In the summer, a large thermostat-controlled exhaust fan on the west side and louvered vents on the east are expected to help pull out hot air. But during the winter, the plan is to rely on the sun to keep the plants warm. She thinks the new structure will provide much needed protection. “The storms are getting harsher and harsher here,” says Hand, who works for the non-profit Conscious Alliance. “This past summer, we had tremendous hail storms that took out a lot of gardens.”

Conscious Alliance distributes shelf-stable food to about 25 families a week on the reservation and sometimes to the 14 schools. The hope is that the underground greenhouse, which was funded through a $250,000 grant from a social impact fund, will allow them also to provide fresh produce.

***

Traditionally, the Lakota people were buffalo hunters and keen gatherers. But after the US government confined them to reservations in the late 19th century, and the US army helped decimate buffalo populations, growing their own food was one way to adapt.

Geneva Lone Hill says her grandparents and great-grandparents did that. “We had food all winter long. We didn’t worry about going to the store,” says the 70-year-old Wakpamni Lake Community president. “That’s what we want to get back to.”

Today, more than half of the residents of Oglala Lakota county, one of three counties within the boundaries of the reservation, live below the poverty line. Food access is a huge problem. The 2.1m-acre reservation is classified as a “food desert” with only a handful of grocery stores. And health outcomes, including diet related diseases, are poor – about 50% of adults over 40 have diabetes.

“This is a third world country in the middle of the United States,” says Bryan Deans, president of Oglala Lakota Cultural & Economic Revitalization Initiative, a community development project on the reservation. “You can either look at it as if it’s hopeless, you can’t do anything … Or you can look at it as well, nothing’s been done here, so anything can be done here,” he says.

About seven years ago, Deans constructed a 1,200 sq ft earthship-style underground greenhouse next to his home in the Slim Buttes Community on the west side of the reservation. Using dirt-filled tires for the walls and other salvaged materials, he and other community members were able to construct the greenhouse in three weeks for about $3,500, which they raised through crowdfunding.

The greenhouse uses a passive solar system in which the building acts as a thermal battery, absorbing heat and releasing it back into the building when the sun goes down. Most years the 4ft deep greenhouse grows at least 65,000 plant starters.

Deans says he’s able to use the plants from the greenhouse and his broader permaculture garden to feed as many as 400 people during a 10-day annual event in which he teaches visitors about the greenhouse and other projects on his property.

***

Underground greenhouses can be difficult to get right. There is the direction and angling of the roof to consider, as well as how deep to dig and which plants to grow. One misstep can dent chances of success.

Chance Weston, food sovereignty director of the Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation in Porcupine, a small town on the reservation, has spent the past several months reworking an underground greenhouse the non-profit organization built about six years ago. The structure, which he estimated cost about $30,000 to build, is part of its Food Sovereignty Initiative, which aims to create a more sustainable food system on the reservation, and was funded through grants and donors.

Recently, Weston’s team had to pull out all of the microgreens because of a fungal problem probably caused by colder temperatures at night and moisture getting into the structure. He says he’s working to add better ventilation and boosting the structural integrity to keep the winds and rain out to fix the situation.

Weston hopes to be able to use the greenhouse to grow traditional plants that his ancestors were known to gather, including Timpsila, chokecherries and buffalo berries. Much of the space may be devoted to growing starter plants year-round. “If we have a garden that’s wiped out, it’s good if we have starters that are already so far along,” he says.

Russel Finch, owner of the Greenhouse in the Snow, an underground greenhouse business in Alliance, Nebraska, says he has sold nearly 600 structures in the US, Canada and Europe. But, he cautioned, they are not replacements for large commercial greenhouses. Finch says that for his model, those larger than 102ft long risk having ventilation and heating problems, because the blowers circulating air from underground may have trouble reaching the entire space.

The cost to build the greenhouse is typically around the same price as an above-ground greenhouse, he says – his are sold for $211 a foot – but they are much cheaper to operate because they use the ambient earth temperature to keep the climate constant, and are protected from the wind.

Neil Mattson, professor and greenhouse extension specialist at Cornell University’s School of Integrative Plant Science, says underground greenhouses could help to usher in more year-round food production across the northern US but they are still fairly new in the country. “There’s not a lot of scientific research or peer-reviewed research,” he says. “But I see them as kind of a resurgence of interest in homesteading and food resilience,” Mattson says.

They could also have an environmental advantage, says Theresa Ong, assistant professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth College. “I think that if we converted all the greenhouses in these cold climates to some kind of version of this, we would definitely improve our greenhouse gas emissions to some extent … And maybe reduce reliance on fossil fuels in our food system,” she says.

***

The Wakpamni Lake Community, on the west side of the Pine Ridge Reservation, built their underground greenhouse in response to the pandemic, which further reduced the already limited grocery options.

Within days of Covid reaching the region, leadership voted to use about $15,000 raised through sponsorships, grants and partnerships, which had been earmarked for a laundromat, to build the greenhouse. Raycen Raines says at about 80ft in length, the greenhouse is about the same size as the community’s outside garden, but is able to produce 12 times as much produce by operating all year round.

The day-to-day work is done by a team of about 20 community members, hired as day laborers and known as the “green team”. The community distributes baskets of harvested produce to some of the more than 300 community members that have opted in to the free program or give it out during Sunday bingo.

Visit PP bag homepage for more details.

They are also building a second underground structure and plan on constructing more of various sizes across the community, Raines says.

Calsee Has No Horse, 30, a single mother of three children, ages nine, seven and 18 months says she started receiving baskets from the underground greenhouse last year.

Although initially unsure of what to do with the produce, these days she throws the microgreens into many of her children’s meals – from sandwiches to cheese dips.

“I always worried about: how am I going to get them their healthy foods, their nutrients, their veggies? Because I’m struggling as it is,” Has No Horse says. “Once we started getting these it was a big relief.”

0 notes