Tension
I'm going to expand a little bit and not feel restricted like I can't post other types of photography! I have plenty of other things, just haven't posted them.
Went on a big trip recently and managed to get a bunch of nice Liminal photos, so expect those for a little while as well.
Bald Eagles are beautiful and huge birds, and I'm so glad to be able to see as many as I do in Iowa! In a place with minimal space for wildlife, birds that prey on fish are still plentiful along our rivers, and I find that it's easier to see a bunch of them in the colder months. I saw 3 or 4 of them today alone!
I also saw a few that I mistook for other large birds of prey, and found out that it actually takes up to 5 or 6 years for Bald Eagles to reach their iconic plumage? They end up looking pretty similar to Golden Eagles with their juvenile plumage!
Despite the date of posting, let it be known I'm prideful of who I am and what I stand for. Despite being extremely unhappy with the recent turn of events and for what's to come as an American citizen, and a Trans Photographer/Artist, I won't stop being true to myself.
We've never had the world, so why change for it? 🩸
Hailing from the harsh planet of Ettera, Knights are the only sophont in the Zhagaviit system made of two consciousnesses.
---
At last, here they are! Nearly finished with redesigning every Vivere 44 species. These guys are retconned werewolves which I posted about some time ago. You might have noticed I brought back some space unicorn aspects as well! They've been through so many design changes but I've finally settled on something solid.
More information below!
I'll try to keep this concise. Most of this info is introductory biology.
Knights are the only sophonts living on Ettera, a mostly barren planet where survival is tough. Their civilisation is the least advanced compared to others in Zhagaviit, such as Arrows and Sea Crawlers. They were the third species to be contacted by the ZGC (Zhagaviit Galactic Community) followed by Post Humanity. Knights are known for being hardy, efficient, and motivated.
If it isn't already clear enough, Knights are two species in a symbiotic relationship acting as one individual. Helmets and Hosts have an evolutionary history so intertwined that one cannot survive without the other.
The Helmet is attached to the head of the Host, and will remain there for the rest of their life (unless separation happens - but we'll get into that later). In the relationship, their role is vision and dexterity. Since the Host is effectively blind, it is the Helmet's job to guide them. Their hands are also important, being the Knight's primary manipulators. They played a large part in early tool use. The Helmet lacks a mouth, and receives all its nutrients from the Host through a specialised organ not unlike an umbilical cord.
The Host is essentially the main body of the Knight. Wolflike and mammalian in nature, the Host is the Helmet's mode of transportation. Because they need to eat for two, Hosts are omnivorous and will eat just about anything. Although majority of their diet is comprised of meat, they are capable of digesting plant matter and bones. They are highly skilled and effective hunters.
It is in both party's best interests to assimilate as soon as possible. The Host cannot see without a Helmet, and within a few weeks bonding will become impossible. The stakes are higher for a newborn Helmet, because they cannot feed by themselves and will starve in under a week without a Host or an artificial feeder tube. Prior to first contact with the ZGC, Knights did not have the technology for artificial feeders, and infant death rates were high.
So how do two beings coordinate one body? The fact is that once assimilation occurs, they become one being. The Helmet's brain and the Host's brain are connected by millions of nerves exchanging signals. It's complicated, but the best way to describe the experience would be a 'mutual trance' in which full body coordination is achieved. They have shared interests and intentions. However, a Knight can mentally separate the Helmet and the Host, gaining back individuality; they do this for many reasons, perhaps to discuss something among themselves or simply for company. Yet on the whole, a Knight will spend 80% of their life in this 'trance'.
Both Helmets and Hosts have noticeable sexual dimorphism. Male Helmets are called Pikes, and females are called Guards. Pikes are distinguished by their horn, bold stripes, and more prominent crest spines. Guards lack a horn and have less contrast in their thinner markings.
Female Hosts are called Forts. They are larger than males and have a mane of fur on the back of their necks. Male Hosts, Spires, lack this mane.
In Knight society, individuals are usually referred to based on their combination of Host and Helmet. Since there are four sexes involved, there are four possible combinations.
Guard-spire [female Helmet, male Host]
Pike-fort [male Helmet, female Host]
Guard-fort [female Helmet, female Host]
Pike-spire [male Helmet, male Host]
(Knight languages have their own version of pronouns for each, but in English all are referred to as they/them by default. Of course, each individual has their own preferences. Usually a Knight will refer to themselves as we/us).
____
I'll get into Knight social structure, cultures and more in another post! For now, if you have any questions, feel free to send an ask. Always happy to answer!
I feel like it should be bigger news that in 2024 we found out a whole new category of Thing that apparently lives in humans and we have no fucking clue what it does
Preoccupied by the way polyamory is treated with hate. I've gotten hate for even approaching the subject in the past. There's so much violent rhetoric and ideation surrounding it, so much genuine bigotry and prejudice towards people who practice it. But if you mention that, you get met with dismissal. It's not a big deal. You're taking it too seriously. Who gives a shit. Get over yourself. It is something that people respect so little that they refuse to even see it as a legitimate identity. Even left-wing progressive types will make jokes tantamount to thrashing blue-haired SJW snowflakes when it comes to polyamory. They're gross. They're weird. They're always cringe. It's never the people you want to be poly. I would rather kill myself. You'd think simply changing the structure of a relationship wouldn't be a problem, but even the most ardent defenders of equality can begin to say some pretty awful shit. Problem is, fundamentally, it is not seen as legitimate. It's not seen as deserving respect. There's all this handwringing about how these relationships are doomed to fail in order to justify this kind of thought and speech. It's bizarre to watch unfold. Frankly, it's the same sentiment and a lot of the same jokes as those cracked about nonbinary people. We're at a point where we've firmly accepted that everyone has a right to do what they want within the structure of social norms, you can take any side you want and do it with whoever you want. But as soon as you step outside of those norms, as soon as you go beyond the boundaries of social convention to find what suits you personally, everybody becomes a bitter reactionary.
Part of an educational project I collaborated on with Tyler Rhodes; children used evolutionary principles to design their own life-forms, and I then painted a selection of them :)
Cardinal Colors!
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Having recently obtained my 200-800mm lens, I've been able to finally take photos of animals at a distance, which means bird photos!
Cardinals will be one of the bits of Wildlife I get to see in the Midwest that I'll miss after moving west, along with Red-Shouldered Blackbirds. That doesn't mean I'll get to see any less of other wildlife, though. I expect to see more than I ever have at that point, but it's a few years out.
They aren't migratory birds, and manage to stick it through the winter by eating leftover bits of seed and berries that remain, which means they likely hide closer to forests when situations get dire in terms of food, rather than venture out. Unless they often visit a feeder that's known to them, probably.
snowghoul
kaledo-art
theartofmadeline
prguitarman
janainaart
gummygunk
romaincrisis
tangentwithtanner
titsay
