Spear-bearer

A Duality blog for an aspiring knight and friends. Sam The Apprentice. Smith The Forgemaster. Faithe The Swordswoman. Lance The Axe-man. Enri The Bard. Verity The Courier Farran The Child. Solon The Mage. Feel free to ask anything or start an rp! Seriously, you wanna rp, just shoot me a starter or a note asking me to start and who with. I don't bite!

[forta-ver--watchmaker]

I require more Sam headcanons! And/or Rick.

Okie-doke, two of my best boys, coming up!

Sam:In the pokemon-verse, I had him do a nuzlocke and then cameo in a plot-centric role for another. His starter was Deneb the torchic, but he only traveled with Tim in the cameo.

Sam’s skill with a spear comes from the story he’s from, since staves and stave-like weapons are his specialties.

Him being a forge-hand gave me the excuse to draw armor and weapons all the time. C’:

Sammy-boy is Ace like me!

Sam dislikes snakes. In his first story, the biggest bad likes to represent itself as a great black snake and other unpleasant things.

If Sam were a pokemon, he’d be a mienfoo (mixed with a zangoose, so he’d inherit the snake intolerance).

Duality!Sam’s full team would have been Deneb, Antares, Sulaphat, Tim, and probably Cass the azumarill or Bart the swellow.

Sam can sleep anywhere! Usually flopped like a ragdoll.

If Duality had continued (and I ever finished anything ^^;) I would have had Sam forced to fight the troubles Enri was dabbling in. Curses and spite and familial woes all around!

I also considered putting Sam into Distortion, but in his modern Nuz!form. Glad I didn’t go that route. XD

Rick:Like all my characters, he also came from another story. The funny part is, he’s a side character in the story Sam originally is from. Small world!

He’ll never get over how quickly he forms crushes. Or how easily discouraged he is about pursuing them.

Rick is a twin and a younger brother! He’s the rowdier twin and looked up to his big bro a lot… Too bad big bro let him down. Big-time.

Rick’s first pokemon was Amelie, and she taught him a lot about the responsibilities of being a trainer. He misses her so much.

Since I have a bad habit of doing multiple versions of characters’ stories, there are two versions of Pokeverse!Rick. One was part of me and my friend’s X-version adventure (he got to be in Distortion). The other was my White 2 and Y-version trainer (got to be in Hyperion).

Hyperion!Rick is a zoroark.

Distortion!Rick is a regular human.

He wears tacky things for attention; you won’t easily forget bright, ugly patterns so you sure as hell won’t forget the rowdy personality wearing them.

Rick can dance pretty well. The faster and more acrobatic, the better. (His ability rivals Enri’s).

Rick’s favorite battle type is rotations. He loves how quickly the tables can turn and how chaotic rotation battles get.

[dualityspear]

Welp, it's been forever since I posted anything here... But this is relevant to the blog, so... yep!

[forta-ver--watchmaker]

Discounted Pokemon Commissions

(Inked Trainer+Team)

I’m just gonna throw this out there, but my Pokemon commissions will almost always be considerably cheaper than anything else I offer. It’s my comfort zone, drawing those lovable pocket monsters…

With that in mind, here’s a list of what’s discounted right now: 

Just Pokemon: Sketch, shaded sketch, colored sketch, inked (not shown below)

Sketches start at $15, +5 per extra pokemon

Keep reading

[forta-ver--watchmaker]

Reminder that this is still going!

[dualityspear]

Sorry to be using this blog to signal boost, but crazy things have happened and I need this to reach a wider group... My sister's dA journal explains it a lot better than I can right now: http://artheartdog.deviantart.com/journal/Emergency-Commissions-632088160 So please take a look?

[dualityspear]

So I went and read through the Des Antarsia tag, cuz I was looking for some of the stuff I wrote for my characters. And I read through some of the stuff I had on my human char, and cackled. I had so many awful things planned for the poor muffin child!

[dualityspear]

Contribution to the modern AU: Faithe and Theo allegedly house-hunting. More likely just - and this is her idea, mind - asking to be shown (ugly) houses so Faithe can Snapchat about it. Payback for having been lied to about awful rentals in the past? *shrug*

She will probably be sued eventually for this bizarre form of ‘justice’ but in the meantime she’s having fun.

In other news, I’ve apparently forgotten how to draw already. And attempts to paint left-handed have failed me. >|’D I’m sorry @sanitys-rebellion, I’ll be doing more of these silly paints in the near future.

[dualityspear]

#he loves her bus she's recently discovered 'if i throw myself at theo he will def catch me'

Oh no! But Theo, nowhere’s safe - Faithe will probably do the same at least once!

[dualityspear]

Contribution to the modern AU: Faithe and Theo allegedly house-hunting. More likely just - and this is her idea, mind - asking to be shown (ugly) houses so Faithe can Snapchat about it. Payback for having been lied to about awful rentals in the past? *shrug*

She will probably be sued eventually for this bizarre form of ‘justice’ but in the meantime she’s having fun.

In other news, I’ve apparently forgotten how to draw already. And attempts to paint left-handed have failed me. >|’D I’m sorry @sanitys-rebellion, I’ll be doing more of these silly paints in the near future.

[thecuteandthecute-ish]

[anglepoiselamp]

Most marine mammals are very flexible because they are made of 99% blorp.

[losertakesall]

Blorp.

[eduardo-]

Science.

[mycaterpie-deactivated20140211]

what the fuck is the last 1%

[savannahgambino-deactivated2023]

1% squish

[axew]

[dualityspear]

Post-Twilight: Solon, Pt. 2

((The second half of this.))

The stars faded back into existence and Solon groaned. The night was cold and his body ached.

Hours had passed in moments through the mental link. Instinctively, the birds had flown to Solon's side during it - their bodies attempting to become as close as their minds. Another thing that never failed to amaze the mage.

A hand entered his field of vision, and Solon tensed. His gaze traced up past the wrist, linen shirt, luxurious fur cape that had seen better days, all the way to the haggard face they belonged to. Brilliant eyes the color of precious turquoise stone met him, exhausted, but alive. And grateful. 

The bard chuckled at him.

"I know I've not been the most trustworthy person lately, but I promise I don't bite!"

His gaze fell and the hand and smile shortly followed. "... I... You...." he looked back to Solon.

"Thank you."

Solon watched the bard with amazement. Such a powerful curse could not be shaken so easily.

And yet, he fights...

There was hope yet for the man.

"Fortune smiles on you, child. With the curse you are under, you are a candle in the dark, lit but burning down."

"Eh?"

"There will be points at which that light is strong, and the darkness is repelled. But as this is true, so is the opposite. There will be points at which the flame flickers and you threaten to be overwhelmed."

Solon paused, a grim frown on his face.

"Should this happen, you will be lost forever and your body shall be a puppet."

"... A puppet for what?"

"Whatever foul beast laid this curse."

Enri was floored by this development. A curse? On himself?

He had suspected some foul evil was afoot; something clouded his judgement, after all. But he had not expected it to be this bad. Fear washed over him and he turned away from his rescuer.

What do I do now?

Lealtad finally broke free of her apriball, and Cancion followed suit. They fussed over Enri and regarded the newcomer with suspicion, but did not attack. They were indebted to this man. Enri absently stroked his girls, lost in thought.

He'd almost been lost today, and he couldn't have stopped it on his own. His own team wasn't enough to help him...

He turned back to Solon, concern apparent, despite his attempts to mask it.

"Can I be helped at all, then? You are knowledgeable about such matters in a way I've never seen. Can I be helped, mage, err...?"

"Xoloni, child," he chuckles, "or Solon if it is easier. And yes, you can. You merely need ask."

Enri blinked, surprised. Who was this man? And how could he be so kind?

Then a smile crossed the bard's face and he gave a slight bow. "Well, then... Enri Syrinxsong, at your service, Mage Solon. I wish to travel alongside you - learn what this curse is and how I can shake it for good... If you'll have me, that is."

Ah. That's the spirit, child.

Solon smiled.

"Come. There is much to learn."

[auric-pauper-deactivated2014041]

Tell me this is not one of the most motivating demotivating posters you’ve ever seen.

Made by Drakevarg

[glenn-griffon]

These are so perfect.

[elfdragon12]

I love these.

The paladin one makes me think of Gamagoori of Kill la Kill. That is a perfect RPG class for him though.

[by-forge-and-hammer]

[by-forge-and-hammer]

At the mention of the Kangaskhan Theo gulped slightly. If there was one thing he hoped to never, ever, see in his life an angry Serafina was one of them. And if there was one thing that could make Serafina angry it was needless violence and stupid people.

But that was a thought for never another time.

"There’s nothing wrong with a tavern run."

Besides, if anyone needed a drink and some relaxation, it was one of Ritter’s men. Er, women. Er…well, he knew what he meant.

[dualityspear]

Faithe chuckled. Poor Theo probably needed a good drink.

Ace wandered over, reporting in from an uneventful patrol, and Faithe rubbed his neck absentmindedly. There wasn't much of a selection since the fire... her favorites had all burned down - with the exception of the Warrior's Rest. But that one didn't open 'til late.

Seemed a good time to try someplace new.

"Well then, we could start at the Blue Druddigon; I hear they've got some good winter ale. Unless you got another place in mind."

[whiskey-wolf-deactivated2020060]

And this is what happens when a masterfully crafted katana collides with a masterfully crafted longsword.

Suck it, katana

[val-ritz]

And that is what happens when a masterfully crafted scalpel collides with a masterfully crafted guillotine.

Does nobody understand that longswords and katanas are two different kinds of tool?Longswords are essentially sharpened fucksticks designed to destroy the shit out of anything resembling armor that comes their way. They shatter bone, jelly flesh, and essentially fuck people up by sheer inexorable force of being a goddamn sharp steel bar.

Katanas don’t do that.They’re not meant to withstand collision with armor or a brick wall or a charging fully outfitted warhorsebecause the circumstances of its development didn’t call for that. It’s a precision instrument. It’s designed to be lightweight, outmaneuver, and find weak spots, not go barreling into people hack-n-slashing your way to victory. It’s a specialized tool.

In a sense this reflects a core difference between cultures; katanas are a shitton of work and preparation to make the execution as efficient and streamlined as possible, while longswords are more durably and simply made in response to a climate that would require a soldier to be a one-man battering ram in battle.

[bloganddice-deactivated20190518]

Actually no. The vaunted differences between the katana and the longsword are largely myth. First off: longswords are nowhere near as heavy as everyone thinks they are, the weight difference between an average longsword and an average katana is very slight. Second: Longswords are not just random hack and slash weapons. THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS JUST RANDOM HACK AND SLASH WEAPONS EVERY WEAPON IN THE WORLD REQUIRES SKILL AND FINESSE! To use a longsword requires precision and training and skill. If you think the longsword requires no skill I suggest you try fighting a master, or go read The Flower of Battle by Fiore dei Liberi. Third: The structural differences between a katana and a longsword make little to no functional difference. The reason the katana is so narrow and has a slight curve has nothing to do with functionality and EVERYTHING to do with iron being very rare in Japan. The curve on a katana is only enough to help increase the cutting length while using the minimum of material. The differences between Katana technique and longsword technique are about as large as the differences between Italian longsword technique and German longsword technique. Because there’s only so much you can do with a long sharp piece of metal. Fourth: The Katana did not evolve. They came up with one design and never changed it for thousands of years, not once. The design process of the longsword is well documented, it went through thousands of permutations and redesigns to make it more efficient, more useful and more adaptable. Fifth: Longsowrds took a fuckton of work and preparation. Ok, I’m about to burst your bubble here, but bear with me because you’re going to learn something. When the Japanese developed their folded steel technique it was in response to the fact that their iron ore was not only rare, it was also so full of impurities it was brittle and pretty awful at being a weapon.  All the Japanese folded steel technique really did was bring their steel up to the quality that was standard in most European steel. Why do I say Japanese folded steel? BECAUSE THE REST OF THE WORLD HAD ALREADY GOTTEN THERE ABOUT A THOUSAND YEARS BEFOREHAND! Japanese Folded Steel is primitive compared to some of the shit we were producing for weapons at the same time in Europe. And do you want to know who the masters of that were? THE FUCKING VIKINGS! Japanese folded steel involves hammering one piece of steel into a fucking sandwhich over and over and over again. Viking folded steel involves taking separate rods of Iron (For a flexible core) and Steel (for a hard edge) AND FUCKING BRAIDING THEM TOGETHER! LITERALLY BRAIDING TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF METAL IN THREE OR MORE PIECES TOGETHER AND THEN HAMMERING THAT INTO A SWORD! JUST TRY AND TELL ME THAT’S NOT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING YOU’VE EVER HEARD! Sixth: The Katana was a backup weapon. It was literally the last resort. It got a lot of reverence in bushido because of how pretty it was and for no other reason. But the chief weapon of the samurai was actually their Kyu (longbow) followed by their Naginata (A spear, which was essentially like a katana on a stick and WAY more effective) or their Tetsu bo (A big conical wooden club covered in iron studs) and then if none of that worked then they would use the katana.  Seventh: The function of a longsword depends on the historical period you’re thinking of. In the 15th century and onward they were for dealing with plate armour and their design changed to reflect that. But they existed long before then and had many different functions, people of each period tailoring them for their specific needs. Eighth: Swords are expensive. Doesn’t matter what period or country you’re in a sword is a LOT of metal and metal is ALWAYS expensive.  In almost every culture spears and axes were FAR more common than swords. This caused a widespread phenomenon that historians/archaeologists/folklorists refer to as “the cult of the sword” where the rarity and beauty of swords causes them to become an object of reverence.  Almost every culture that developed swords also developed a weird spiritual reverence for them. The cult of the sword died off FAR later in Japan than it did in Europe which is why katanas have so much reverence and mythology attached to them even into the modern age. Ninth: Stop idealising other cultures because they’re over there.

[onslaughtsix-archive]

Fuckin’ weeaboos.

[necoho]

Adding to that (regarding the vikings):

That braiding technique described earlier on had the same reasons for its development as that of folded steel; bog iron was the most common available ore in Scandinavia and not very pure either.

Furthermore, that made metal indeed very expensive. Most warriors in viking culture wore boiled leather helmets and body armour if they wore armour at all. The most common form of defence was the wooden shield we all know from depictions (actually one thing out of very few that pictures get right).

The weapons that found most employment were spears (cheap because they largely consisted of wood plus practical as they allowed you to engage your enemy from a distance whilst you held your shieldwall intact). Axes were predominantly wood, too, and could be used when your spear breaks, falls or became lodged in a dead or dying body.

Swords and metal armour were the equipment of the wealthy (chieftains).

[gap-var-ginnunga]

i rarely reblog things for commentary, but here it is. (did i mention my hardon for longswords?)

[fuckyeahvikingsandcelts]

Freaking Vikings knew what they where doing

[by-forge-and-hammer]

[by-forge-and-hammer]

"Not specifically, no," Theo shook his head, frowning slightly. Maybe he should have paid a bit more attention to who was doing the talking instead of Katie readying to lob her shoe at him. "I think it was just people talking, loudly and at the wrong time."

"I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about," He sounded more confident as he spoke. Though, for him, that wasn’t saying a whole lot. But it did involve less stuttering and fiddling with his fingers. "We haven’t left Castelia yet and after everything that’s happened it would take a lot more than some talk to chase us off."

The forgehand gave a smile he hoped was reassuring. Faithe no doubt had enough on her plate right now, there was no need to add extra worries. Plus it was true. Between Katie and her father it would probably take an act of Arceus to stop them from wanting to rebuild.

[dualityspear]

Faithe sighed and relaxed, if only slightly. There wasn't much she could do without names or descriptions. Preferably both; she could set her brother to the task of hunting 'em down...

But no, Theo was right - it'd take more than talk to chase off Katie and her father. Smiths were stubborn folk, that much was sure.

She smiled and shook her head.

"Yep... yep. At least y'all got Serafina t' discourage anythin' physical."

People could be so stupid when things were going wrong...

Faithe shook her head again, slower this time. Time to change subject, 'cuz if she kept on this track she'd probably want to strangle somebody. And she might just go hunt down some poor nobody to do it.

"So you got any ideas for where t' go tonight? 'Cuz you know if you let me pick, I'll just say 'tavern' same as always."

[by-forge-and-hammer]

[dualityspear]

Faithe almost jumped when the herdier zoomed past her and it made her laugh. Silly dog. Scaring her like that…

She ruffled his ears before her own dogs scrambled over to play. Babe just about flipped poor Francis with an exuberant tackle, whole body wiggling as she did. Ace...

[dualityspear]

She winced. Why did she ask about work? He didn't want to talk about that! Especially not after everything...

Faithe found herself fiddling with her hair, which only made it fluffier. Probably had her looking as frazzled as she felt.

"Oh? Well if y'all want I could make some good hearty torchic soup - that's th' best for bein' sick..."

She frowned; nothing was worse than being sick when you had work to do.

"An' someone's been harassin' y'all? Y'know who they was, or...?"

[astronomy-to-zoology]

Black-knobbed Map Turtle (Graptemys nigrinoda)

…a species of emydid turtle that is endemic to the southeastern United States, specifically the Mobile Bay drainages in Mississippi and the Tombigbee/ Black Warrior River systems in Alabama. Black-knobbed map turtles are typically active from April to late November and have a diet that consists mainly of algae, insects, mollusks, sponges and bryozoans. As its common name suggests G. nigridoda's first four vertebrate posessing knob like processes. The second and third processes typically more dominant and will reduce with age. G. nigridoda is also sexually dimorphic with females being twice the size as males, poscessing higer carapaces, and shorter tails than males.

Currently Graptemys nigrinoda is listed as near threatened and faces threats from habitat degradation and habitat loss.

Classification

Animalia-Chordata-Reptilia-Testudines-Emydidae-Deirochelyinae-Graptemys-G. nigrinoda

Images: graptemys.com and M. North

[dualityspear]

✧

✧ Faithe doesn't show it so much outwardly, but she's internalized the idea that she's not pretty or a proper lady and will never be married because of it. She's stubborn and rebellious on the one hand, because she'll be the first to say "Stuff it" when someone tries to tell her or another girl that. But on the other, she feeds into the idea that she can't be perfectly happy without a husband and kids.

[dualityspear]

✧✧ for anyone.

((We'll go with Sammy. I don't think I've answered anything for him in a while...✧ Sam has abandonment issues; he hides it fairly well (I suppose) but he's always wondered why his original family never came looking for him. Why did they just leave him to be wandering alone in the woods? 'Cuz even if he doesn't remember them, he knows no kid could have been out that far from a major road without -someone- traveling with them. That's why he's so attached to friends and his surrogate family.✧ Pokemon that self-destruct or explode make him extremely nervous; the battle on Driftveil bridge is responsible for part of that, but part of it goes much deeper...

[inboxideas]

Everybody has some kind of scar. Send me a ✗ to hear about a physical scar my character has, or a ✧ to hear about an emotional/mental scar.

submitted by anonymous.