#sirine

[nethereasypeasy]

a moment of magic

[twilightofthesandwiches]

Which Edition of D&D had the best design/artwork of a Sirine?

First Edition

Second Edition

Third Edition

Voting ended onMar 26

[helenapsent]

Sirine and Alkonost

Concept art for the contest from the developers of the game “Vasilisa and Baba Yaga”

Vasilisa was walking through the forest, through an apple grove, and suddenly she heard strange voices! One of them is wailing and crying: “Don't go there! Death is waiting for you at the hut on chicken legs!”, and the second one is exactly the opposite - ”Don't be afraid, Vasilisa! Everything will be fine! Baba Yaga won't touch you!” It's Sirine and Alkonost, birds of beauty. They are sisters to each other. They have maiden heads and bird bodies. They resemble each other like two drops of water, except that their plumage differs: Sirin's wings are black and her claws are sharp; Alkonost is like a clear sun, shining and shimmering with gold. Sirine calls out trouble, all flowers wither from her gaze, the sky closes with clouds and the forest becomes darker. Alkonost attracts happiness, her gaze makes flowers bloom, the sun shines brighter and the forest revives. Vasilisa took out a doll, fed it to her and asked her how to get to Baba Yaga. And the doll answered her: “When you see that the forest is getting darker, and the apples and flowers are rotting, know that somewhere Sirine is flying close by, and when you hear her sorrowful cry, hide among the thick bushes, press your ears with the palms of your hands and don't go a step farther. And if the sun comes out, when the flowers blossom again and the apple fruits are ripe, go out on the path and open your ears. As long as Alkonost sings her song, no misfortune will befall you.”

[fatesline]

a sirinian farmer picking olives.

in addition to their use in dance and games, stilts also serve a more practical use for picking fruit, though ladders aren’t uncommon for the task

[blanketempress]

Piers and Nebettah are lovely teammates

Piers is mine, Nebettah is @mademoisellegush‘s, Ju is @winsbuck‘s

[bigslappin]

Apollo and @scrapchops‘s Nelan

[thestalkerbunny]

Nixie's top two skills. Talking to doggos and bringing fish.

She's so fucking talented

[fatesline]

some gay symbolism

in Belros, rams are associated with homosexuality, since gay sheep are more common than you'd think. in real life, not just a worldbuilding thing.

buttons or jewelry made of ram's horns can be a subtle indicator of sexuality. the cyclamen flower is associated more specifically with lesbians due to their being the favored flower of the somewhat mythologized soldier Emelin, eventually evolving to an association with hares since the flower's petals resemble their ears. however, some lesbians still prefer the ram iconography. same-sex marriages are colloquially known as ram weddings, even though the couple in question might be straight.

(just as gay people may end up in a political marriage with the opposite sex, if you're not the first son (/daughter where relevant) you may end up in a gay marriage in order to strengthen bonds with another family while preventing you from having legal heirs that could enable you to challenge your older brother(s).)

in Sirine, as red is associated with blood, life, and childbirth; blue, as its opposite, can be used to indicate homosexuality or someone who is averse to marrying having children. plenty of straight people wear blue, but it's used as a euphemism, and in plays the use of blue for character's costumes is very deliberate.