This isn't common knowledge, but nearly every Seer empowered by the Goddess of Dreams and Prophecies was once a vulnerable person betrayed and sacrificed (to her) by someone they loved, in the pursuit of power. It's normally impossible to recognize them in their ceremonial garb, and oh, prophecies can be tricky? Can be full of loopholes and cleverly-crafted phrases that can lead the subject and hearer to fulfill their own destruction? Perhaps that is not an accident, but a well-deserved revenge.
Before we dive into the fateful event that will shape the characters in the novel, let's learn a little bit about the world in which Matthias and his various headaches - I mean, friends and acquaintances - live.
Serenissima - The Floating City
Welcome to the floating city-state of Serenissima. Located just off the coast of Ejalbenoh to the north (and Tefritn beyond that), Faitne to the northeast and Iite to the southeast, Serenissima occupies a prime strategic position.
With the waters of the sea surrounding it, Serenissima has maintained a strict hold on its independence and serves as a cultural crossroads. A trade center, a haven for artists, and overflowing with universities, Serenissima's power far outweighs its small size.
While filled with boundary-pushing scholars and artists from all walks of life, Serenissima is also very religious, worshiping the gods in the annual twelve-day Masquerade where the citizens adopt masks. Originally a way to mimic the faceless, unknowable, genderless gods, the masks have since evolved into works of art, statements of identity, and colorful costumes.
The citizens believe Serenissima's ability to float in one place on the water is a generous and unusually large gift from the gods, and with no other theory to explain the phenomenon, it is the widely accepted hypothesis. Their devotion to the gods is their way of maintaining the gods' favor so that the city will never sink beneath the waves.
With limited space, buildings tend to be many stories high, with each story either housing one large apartment or several smaller apartments. Restaurants are often on these upper floors as well to take advantage of the view. People tend to live on top of each other, but that's how the citizens like it. Serenissima is not the place to live if you don't like chaos, the nightlife, or people.
(Matthias dislikes all three. Someone help him.)
With a fairly temperate climate, Serenissima is a popular vacation spot, although opinions on tourists vary. They're vital to the economy, but others dislike them and prefer the city to focus on fostering artistry and the university culture. Then again, the university students aren't exactly known for their decorum, either.
Like the surrounding countries, Serenissima is run by a monarchy, although it is in a precarious position with only one heir remaining, Cassandra di Adriel. With Ejalbenoh and Tefritn at war, Serenissima's neutrality and independence are more at risk than ever.
Instead of streets, Serenissima has canals. There is a tradition of city orphans being named after the canals, such as the Sapphire Canal in the art district and the Festival Canal that makes up the city's parade route for festivals. Other important routes include the Grand Canal, which is the main waterway, and the King's and Queen's Canals which lead to the imperial palace, and the Prisoner's Canal which leads past the jail.
Temples to the gods are found all over, but since the gods are believed to reside in the ocean's depths and in the stars, tributes and prayers are placed on floating lanterns cast into the water or tied to Phoenix Feathers (fireworks) and shot into the sky to make your hopes and dreams known.
Finally, Serenissima also prides itself on being provocative in fashion. While other countries can be a bit more buttoned up when it comes to sex and to clothing, Serenissima citizens see no reason to stand on modesty. Outfits are often adapted from other countries' fashions and given a more daring twist such as a high leg slit. This is done regardless of gender.
But possibly the most famous part of the city-state are its living gondolas...
The Dragons
No one knows how the dragons of Serenissima came to be, only that they've been around for as long as anyone can remember. So long as Serenissima has existed, so have its water-bound dragons.
Dragons can breathe underwater, moving through it sinuously from side to side like snakes. They can also manipulate the water around them. This allows them to break up chunks of ice, push objects out of their way, and so on.
While dragons can fish for themselves, their diet must be supplemented with gemstones, and so a symbiotic relationship has developed between the dragons and the people. Dragons live in 'stables' owned by businesses or the rich, who keep them fed on a steady diet of gemstones in exchange for ferrying people through the city.
The dragons are beloved by the people and well-treated. They're also very intelligent. No dragon stays in a 'stable' unless it wants to, and so the stable keepers are careful to always treat the dragons well and spoil them if necessary. Dragons will have preferred gemstones, usually pearls, but will usually eat any gemstone offered.
Sporting spectacular furry manes and long snouts with webbed feet, and scales all over their body, dragons are various shades of blue, green, and purple. Some are multicolored or have black and white on them as well creating patterns similar to those found on fish. Only the males have manes, and the bigger the mane the more impressive the male is considered by the females. However, dragons can change gender at will, signified by growing or shedding a mane. They have cat eyes, going into slits in the light and then pupils expanding to see better in the dark. Dragons have icy breath if they choose and can also store up water to unleash in a torrent, should they feel offended or endangered.
Dragons are capable of communication, and do so by humming and wordless singing. Dragon riders who partner with the dragons learn to communicate back at them in their own hums and notes, but will also communicate using sign language. Dragon riders and dragons pair for life, and the 'language' the two speak to each other is often highly personalized.
While the dragons are a major draw to Serenissima for some, other visitors can be disconcerted by them. Some dragons can grow to be twenty feet long, since they grow throughout their entire lives.
While the dragons are not 'owned' and can leave at any time, it is understandably expensive to buy gemstones to house dragons, and so having many dragons in your 'stable' is a status symbol.
Common colloquialisms often relate to dragons (see last section of post). Used to get around town unless you want to swim, dragons are truly a vital part of Serenissima.
The Gods and Their Gifts
All gods are addressed as they/them and have no names, since their names are sacred and therefore unknowable to humans. They are addressed only by their title such as "the god of art." People swear "by the gods" and "for the sake of the gods."
The tradition of Masquerade started as a way for the citizens of Serenissima to flatter the gods through imitation, mimicking their genderless and unknowable nature by putting on masks. Each day of Masquerade is devoted to a particular god, and while people tend to consider waking up sober and/or sans headache is a sign you didn't party hard enough, those twelve days are also days of heavy worship and donation to the gods, their priests, and their temples. The gods are:
God of Life
God of Healing and Medicine
God of Wealth
God of the Sea
God of Discord and Chaos
God of Learning and Scholars
God of Love and Fertility
God of Earth
God of the Dead
God of Storms
God of War
God of Art
Some gods are more beloved and others are more feared, for obvious reasons. Citizens tend to worship the god of storms in an attempt to appease them, while they worship the gods of life, love, and wealth in hopes of gaining favor.
However, other gods have a more complex relationship with the people. There is no true earth on Serenissima, and so that god is treated almost like the god of trade and foreign relations with countries that are on solid ground. The god of war is worshiped out of appeasement, but this war is not restricted merely to that between countries. This is the god you pray to when you wish for victory in a legal matter, or to settle an argument.
Living on the water, the dead are given sea burials, rowing the bodies out a far distance from the city and weighing them down with items, especially items that were special to them or might serve them in the next life. Death is a fact of life, and the god of it is not so much feared as simply respected, and viewed with a sense of melancholy.
The gods do not directly interfere in the lives of mortals and have not for centuries upon centuries (at least according to legend). They do not speak directly to their priests or others. However, a god may show its favor in subtle ways - usually by the gifting of magic.
Magic is subtle and is considered a reward for developing a skill or talent. If you work hard at something and become highly skilled at it, you may find that you can now do things with that skill that would otherwise be impossible. Festivity bar Corleone devoted her life to spycraft, and to the art of embroidery, from a young age. Now, she embroiders maps that are alive, and shift to show the fates of nations in real-time.
Whatever a person's magic, it is a gift from the gods and venerated as a reward for hard work, dedication, and talent. That magic is not applicable to other things. Your magic is an enhancement of that one skill, and nothing else.
Magic is not generally viewed as something that makes you incredibly powerful, or as something to fear with a few exceptions (as seen below in the Monarchy section). Magic is everyday, a positive sign that the gods are still around and attentive to their worshipers. It's similar to someone being blessed with good looks - positive, for sure, but not something you're going to hold a city-wide celebration over.
Because of this, however, sometimes people who have honed a skill or talent through entirely natural means will be assumed to have magic by others. Matthias gets this a lot (someone please help him).
When praying to the gods for help, answers, or otherwise, do not look for large signs or tangible interference. Look for your prayers to be answered in small, material ways. As a result priests are considered stand-ins for their gods not because the gods speak through them but because the priests train in the skills and qualities represented by the gods in order to to the gods' work for them. Priests of the god of love and fertility offer sex and relationship advice, and priests of the god of death serve as death doulas, while priests of the god of war are often called in to serve as mediators for issues you don't want to take to formal court.
While the gods themselves are not felt, their gifts are, and the work of individuals with magic is something no one can dismiss when trying to solve a murder.
Masquerade
Masquerade is the most important time of the year for Serenissima. People come from all over the world to participate in it and so the city-state makes most of its money for the year from this. Funerals, weddings, and births are planned around Masquerade to take place on lucky days. When speaking of the festival itself, a capital ‘M’ is used. When speaking of a masquerade party, a lowercase ‘m’ is used. The days are known as ‘masques’ so there is Red Masque, Yellow Masque, and so on.
This is usually the time of year when foreign dignitaries, nobles, and royals will visit. Impressing them is very important to Serenissima’s royal family and its nobility. Nobles compete for the honor of officially hosting a masquerade party. There is one official party a night for the nobility that the royals and visiting dignitaries attend, so there are twelve slots open. Generally, the richest families get the slots since they can afford it and it is custom that a portion of money is also donated to charity. If a family has money and fears it will not be enough to host an impressive masquerade but that they will be chosen anyway, they will donate enough wealth to charity beforehand so that their economic status is lowered and they won’t be considered as possible hosts.
This is also when the new ruler will be crowned, if there is a ruler to be crowned. The coronation happens the final night of Masquerade since Masquerade ushers in a new year. Royals are supposed to be good patrons of the arts and so the final night of Masquerade is held in the palace and includes a presentation of art the royal family has bought either earlier that day, at some point in the year, or commissioned to be debuted this night.
There are various opportunities for feelings to be declared and gifts to be exchanged, and many people who are of lower status will give and receive presents at this time rather than on their birthday (many people also literally celebrate their birthday during this time). It’s also considered the best time for charity and so many lower classes receive a financial boost in some way or another. However, many families also strain their wallets spending money celebrating. If there’s ever a time for an addict to fall prey to habit again, it’s at Masquerade.
Each day is associated with a particular god and so the traits of that god are celebrated.
One: Red – God of Life
Two: Yellow – God of Healing and Medicine
Three: Green – God of Wealth
Four: Blue – God of the Sea
Five: Orange – God of Discord and Chaos
Six: Purple – God of Learning and Scholars
Seven: Pink – God of Love and Fertility
Eight: Brown – God of Earth
Nine: White – God of the Dead
Ten: Black – God of Storms
Eleven: Silver – God of War
Twelve: Gold – God of Art
A lot of sex happens on the first and seventh days, since red is associated with life so it’s thought your child will have a good life if conceived on that day (it’s even better if the child is born on that day and so couples will try to plan getting pregnant so that the birth will happen on the red masque day, with some women inducing pregnancy on that day if it doesn’t happen naturally) and since pink is associated with love and fertility.
Yellow is the color associated with medicine and healing. People will petition the god of healing on that day, and medical operations are supposed to be lucky/blessed. It’s considered polite on this day to give a gift of some kind to your local doctor or healer be it money or food.
Day three, the green day, is a day of sales. Go out and do your shopping! It’s the biggest shopping day of the year and people go mad. It’s Matthias’ second-least-favorite day since there are constant fights over merchandise, attempts at theft, and arguments between customers and workers.
No fish is eaten on day four, the day of the sea, since it’s considered disrespectful. All dragons have the day off on this day and are given extra treats. People tend to close businesses on this day since the lack of dragons makes it hard for people to get around.
Orange is a day for pranks since it’s associated with chaos and discord, and is Matthias’ least favorite day since his men are forced to run around and deal with the aftermath of people’s pranks (why is no one helping him). The one thing that’s off-limits is messing with the dragons. Not only are they sacred, dragons have been rumored to injure or eat people who try to use them in pranks.
Likewise, on the sixth day students are given gifts by their families, and tutors, scholars, and other academics are given gifts by their students. Universities tend to receive donations from noble families on this day. Traditionally sweethearts will exchange gifts of books on this day and it’s considered a good day to declare your feelings by gifting a book to someone. Picking a book showcases how well you know the person's tastes and personality, so there's a fair amount of pressure to get them a book they'll deeply enjoy.
Regarding the seventh day again, while a lot of sex happens... this is not the day to have sex if you don't want to get pregnant. While this has never been proven, it's considered common knowledge that if you don't want a kid, having sex capable of procreation on this day is jinxing yourself. Those uninterested in sex for one reason or another are often given small tokens by family, roommates, or neighbors called "Apology Gifts." While the name comes from the joke that it's to apologize for having to hear those around you banging like a screen door in a hurricane, the more serious reason is that this is also the day of love, in all its forms, and it's considered bad luck to think only of sex on this day.
Day eight, the day of earth, is considered a day of trade and foreign relations, since there isn’t much land in Serenissima. There are special deals for tourists in shops (proof of foreign citizenship must be shown) and peace treaties and trade deals between merchants are usually signed on this day. This is also a day for headaches for poor Matthias. Seriously can we get this guy a vacation.
The ninth day is the most serious day when people remember and honor the dead, lighting white candles for them. Jasmine, a white flower, is used on this day. Candles smell of jasmine and jasmine flowers are thrown by the people in the canal that flows to the island of the dead (where the final ceremonies are performed). If someone dies close to Masquerade, then relatives will hold off having the funeral until this day. Most parties that evening are wakes and people will wait up for dead loved ones to return and visit, leaving out food and trinkets for them. Conversely, if a family has been in mourning for a relative who died last year, this is the final day of wearing a white armband or white clothing—after this they have emerged from mourning. This is Matthias’ favorite day since it’s so quiet and he feels the presence of his dead family. He isn’t normally religious but this one day means a lot to him.
The tenth and eleventh days are days of revelry, but also tension. The god of storms is kept away by loud revelry because if the city makes enough noise, the god thinks there is already a storm going on so they don’t need to send another one. But offerings and prayers are also given to them so that they don’t think the citizens don’t need them or have forgotten them. The silver day of war (silver for steel and other metal weapons) is considered a good day to settle arguments and have legal hearings, but that all other activities and endeavors will be cursed. People don’t get married, have sex, take tests, or start new ventures on this day and people will try to avoid giving birth if at all possible since a baby born on this day (it is believed) will be cursed with a tempestuous life and bad luck.
The final day celebrates art. Much art is on sale, and artists are given grants, donations, and gifts. It’s a day to buy art as a gift for loved ones and many people propose on this day using specially-commissioned pieces of art. It’s the final day of Masquerade and so the partying has reached its peak.
In order to honor the gods (and show off your fashion taste), people no only wear masks but outfits corresponding to the color of the day. Technically, you only have to wear one thing in that day's color, such as an armband, a hat, or pair of shoes. Most people, however, go all-out and will wear outfits made entirely in that color. People can plan all year for their masks and outfits.
The key to Masquerade, however, are the masks.
As this started as a way to honor the gods, it is considered deeply bad luck to go out on Masquerade sans mask. There are rare exceptions, such as those in the city guard - it would be all too easy for someone to impersonate a guard if they were allowed to cover their face, and so guards go without masks while on duty.
For everyone else, a mask is a must from the time you get up in the morning and leave your home. This means, however, that Masquerade is the perfect time of year to pretend to be someone you're not, whether that's an entirely new identity... or imitating someone else. Identities are often swapped or hidden, and the whole thing is treated like a game. You're not allowed to tell a person who you are (unless necessary) and the other person has to try and figure it out. If a person guesses correctly you must tell them so, otherwise it's considered bad luck. However, many people take that chance and lie anyway, not wanting to be discovered.
Very much based on the honor system, the fear of the gods leads most people to behave with integrity, even if they also take the chance to behave in ways they normally wouldn't (different gender presentation, trying kinkier sex than usual, performing on stage, etc). With your face covered, your actions don't necessarily have consequences, and that is too big of a temptation for most to ignore. But while most are generally harmless, there are those who take advantage, which makes the city guard extra vigilante in being there to assist those who need it.
Among the rich and noble, where their every move is watched and judged by the others, the stakes are even higher. People will go to great lengths to keep their identities during Masquerade hidden including magic, swapping places with others, and paying lookalikes.
Between the honoring of the gods, the nonstop parties, the sales and art showcases, and the public fashion show, Masquerade is undoubtedly the best and most insane time of the year for Serenissima.
And the worst time for a murder.
A Tradition of Monarchy
Serenissima and its four surrounding countries are governed more or less by some form of monarchy. Whether that monarchy is absolute or in conjunction with another governing body, the tradition of a powerful ruler still holds strong given its history.
The ruling families are all major exceptions to the rules of magic. While magic is a subtle gift from the gods as a reward for dedication, for these families, it is nothing short of a divine and terrifying power. Centuries ago, certain people found they had particular and powerful magical abilities, such as the ability to wield and create fire, or the gift to heal or destroy with a single touch.
What was more, these powers were inherited by their children, and their children's children, something that never happened to others - when a person is gifted magic by the gods, their gift dies with them.
Seeing these individuals as powerful protectors and leaders, nations naturally formed around their dynasties, shaping eventually into the countries as we know them today. While opinions are not universal on the matter, most see these unusually strong and persistent magical gifts as signs from the gods that these people are meant to be their rulers, and nobody wants to risk defying the gods to truly test that theory... yet.
In Serenissima, the di Adriel family has inherited a dual power. With a simple touch, Cassandra can heal someone of illness or wounds... or burn the life right out of their body from the inside out. She holds regular "touchings" where the afflicted line up to receive her healing, and she personally executes those deemed by the justice system to have earned a death sentence.
These are the only two duties she has been allowed by Dante di Fratelli, the regent of Serenissima. While there are those who say he tried to stop her from doing these as well, Cassandra's family has performed such duties for decades and it would be going dangerously against tradition to force her to stop. Cassandra takes both of her duties seriously and considers them no less than sacred.
Others, however, do not wield their inherited abilities so responsibly.
Country #1: Ejalbenoh
Located just to the north of Serenissima, Ejalbenoh is much more culturally conservative than Serenissima. Their climate is known for its rich fields and forests, and they are primarily focused on agriculture. They tend to wear very structured but form-fitting clothing and play around with using padding and fabric cuts to create slightly exaggerated silhouettes.
Co-ruled by a monarchy with an elected parliament, Ejalbenoh is currently locked in a war with its northern neighbor Tefritn.
Country #2: Tefritn
Located further north, Tefritn is a climate with long, blizzard-blasted winters, and arid, dry steppes. Many Tefritns are noted for their red hair, and if someone outside the country has natural red hair they undoubtedly have Tefritn ancestry.
A passionate, loud, and boisterous people, Tefritns believe in defying the cold and dark rather than letting it cow them. They are ruled by an absolute monarchy, but the royal family is large, sprawling, and rumored to be dotted with bastards. The royal family's infighting has spilled over into a war with Ejalbenoh, which unfortunately has put Serenissima in the middle.
Unable to cross through Ejalbenoh to trade with others, Tefritns have expanded their impressive navy to include battle-ready merchant vessels and have taken to using the sea route to make port in Serenissima, and trade there. Serenissima publicly maintains its neutrality, but both Tefritn and Ejalbenoh are aware that whoever controls Serenissima would effectively block the other from all foreign relations (or at least make it extremely difficult), putting Serenissima's independence in deep jeopardy.
Country #3: Iite
Located to the southeast of Serenissima, Iite is a place with dry mountains in the north bordering Faitne and humid jungles in the south. Iiteans wear colorful, thin clothes often embroidered with metal thread, layering up to keep cool while also avoiding sunburn. The way the cloth is draped around the body is a sign of what region the person is from, and clothing styles tend to be worn by all genders.
Iiteans deeply encourage scientific and technological innovation, and that is one of their main exports. They are also known for their fabrics and other textiles, furniture, spices, and colorful dyes used in art.
Iite is ruled by an oligarchy made up of the royal family and other nobles, each of whom governs a particular region. The royal family does have veto power, and the council is rather infamous for being unable to agree on anything. They've stayed neutral in the current war in part due to their location - and because nobody wants to piss off the people with the advanced weaponry.
Country #4: Faitne
Located north of Iite and to the east of Serenissima, Faitne is known as "the land of everything," with mountains, marshes, sprawling fields, and dense forests. They are ruled by an 'elected monarchy' where the various heirs campaign to be voted on by the people, and rule with the aid of elected advisors from various regions.
Faitne is the tastemaker of the area. Food, fashion trends, art movements, and novel genres tend to come from Faitne. Each region has a specific cuisine style both preserved and innovated on, and 'food tours' through the country are popular vacations for those who can afford it. The current fashion trend from Faitne is painted silk fabrics and clothing folded and layered into artistic shapes.
While in a precarious position geographically with the war, Faitne's been distracted lately by mysterious deaths within the royal family, and rumors are swirling of assassination.
Some Fun Serenissima Colloquialisms
“Like trying to keep a pearl from a dragon” = a difficult or near-impossible task
“A draconic relationship” = implies the relationship is based on wealth and gifts instead of actual affection – a sugar daddy/baby relationship
“Dragons swim where they want” = you can’t keep something or someone from happening/a person will do what they please in spite of rules
“When the dragons leave” = yeah, that’ll be the day/an event that’ll never happen
“Colder than a dragon’s breath” = a cold day or an aloof person
“Shedding their mane/growing their mane” = made a life change, may or may not be related to gender
“Feed you to the dragons” = a casual or playful insult such as when a sibling is being annoying
That's (hopefully) enough world building to get you all started! I'm happy to answer questions and will probably do other (much shorter) posts like this to focus on specific aspects of the world. Please feel free to ask questions! I love talking about this story and this setting.
“Magic has been around since the birth of the universe. It exists almost everywhere, but can only be detected by those born or blessed with it. We call these people the Cursed and the Blessed. To be given magic is a blessing, but if you’re born with it...that is the result of a curse.” －The Oracle
In my series, Guardians of the Gods, magic is a supernatural force that only certain individuals are exposed to. Magic can be expressed in numerous forms, but every type of magic is derived from water, fire, earth, air, the light that binds them together, or the darkness that keeps them apart. Those known to wield magic fall into one of two categories: the Blessed, or the Cursed.
The Blessed: Magic bearers that weren’t initially born with their powers are considered Blessed because their magic is given to them by the Oracle, who is revered as a supreme deity and the Epitome of Light. These individuals are usually sought out by him to become Guardians, a group of warriors who fight to oppose the forces of darkness. Their magic typically revolves around the basic four elements, though occasionally one member is deemed the Keeper of Light.
Because only the Oracle has the power to bestow magic upon others, the Blessed/the Guardians are regarded as a rare phenomenon. In realms where magic is studied and appreciated, they are held with high regard and admired with as much vigor as the Oracle. You are quite literally “blessed” if you’re chosen to become a Guardian. After all, why else would a demigod select you, out of the billions of others in the universe?
The Cursed: Magic bearers born into their power(s) are considered Cursed because their magic is connected to Odin, a disgraced demigod regarded as the Epitome of Darkness. These individuals are unfortunate in that them having magic is the result of existing within a cursed bloodline. Their magic is dark at its core and more gruesome than elemental magic. There is greater variation in the types of abilities that can fester within Cursed people. And while not every Cursed mage wishes to obtain world domination, the nature of their magic forces others to see them as a threat that must be eradicated.
Though they’re born with their powers, the Cursed usually aren’t aware of their abilities until a traumatic or catastrophic event triggers an “awakening” within them. The amount of bloodlines affected can extend deep into the future, so long as the Cursed keep reproducing. Magic bearers with these unfathomable powers are usually said to be afflicted by Odin’s Curse, because in the past the only region of the universe that venerated Odin had found a way to “mirror” his assumed abilities through the extensive practice of witchcraft. Ultimately, them and all their future offspring were Cursed with the powers they praised so dearly.
Physical Magic: Only the Blessed and the Cursed can wield magic from their bodies, but since magic exists almost everywhere in the universe, ordinary humans can harness them through ores, the physical embodiment of magic. Ores are chunks of concentrated magic power that are most prominently fused with weapons to give ordinary swords magical abilities. They can be found in any area with a high concentration of magic, or farmed through extensive mining. They’re a convenient way for magic-less humans to stand against magical foes.
A more unknown type of physical magic is referred to as glitter, but in reality it’s concentrated magic particles gathered from highly-concentrated magic areas. Very few people are known to wield glitter as the purest form of physical magic, and those who do are said to be on par with the Blessed and the Cursed.
I apologize for how long this is! Please let me know if you no longer wish to be tagged in these types of posts!!
Can laughing kelpies leave water for short (or long) periods of time? What are their diets? Are all their kids laughing kelpies, or are some the mothers species? Have there been cases of land dwelling 'mates' for laughing kelpies? And are their special songs for courtship/growing stuff, or can a laughing kelpie be singing literally anything? (I have a picture in my head of a laughing kelpie hearing some ridiculous song from a human, and singing it without understanding all the lyrics)
FYI for the future, one question per ask please ; w ; makes it easier to answer and do art…as there were too many questions, just did generic Lucio art. Here is the answer to the ask under the read more! Light on details to keep things reasonable to read ;w ;
Can laughing kelpies leave water for short (or long) periods of time? For short periods of times yes, usually shorte distances though as they can dry out without water. Given they can switch between fresh and saltwater, this is more useful for jumping from body of water to body of water. What are their diets?Small fish and crabs as well as kelp. They are omnivores.
Are all their kids laughing kelpies, or are some the mothers species? They are always laughing kelpies although the laughing kelpie may take on traits of the mother species such as fin design or coloration. Have there been cases of land dwelling ‘mates’ for laughing kelpies? There have been and that is one of the reason there are some semi-aquatic land-based cryptoids due to the cross-breeding. And are their special songs for courtship/growing stuff, or can a laughing kelpie be singing literally anything? (I have a picture in my head of a laughing kelpie hearing some ridiculous song from a human, and singing it without understanding all the lyrics)They can be singing anything for courtship, all based on personal taste there. For growing, it is more about hitting certain pitches just right but each one has a unique growing song all their own that they will sing repetitively. It is believed their growing songs are often passed down from parent to child with each generation adding a different spin to it. They have been known to copy human songs just for fun if they like the sound of it.
(No art needed) Aside from Sombra, are there any other residents that try to mimic each other's communication? (Symmetra mimicking Widowmaker's glowy pattern, Genji blepping at Reaper, anything like that?)
Micking of other mer patterns of communication is actually very common among mers. For them, it is merley learning another language. It seems mers are very quick to learn and identify languages as most mers in Overwatch have picked up sign language easily, although some just seem to refuse to use it like Reaper.
Symmetra mimicks the glowing patterns of Widowmaker and Reaper who sometimes respond in term by offering up polite gifts to her garden. Blepping has become an epidemic throughout aquawatch as many mers are doing it now, and Lucio has been teaching Bastion to “sing”. Junkrat in particular is extremely good at knowing what mers are communicating and making gestures back that seem to be understood making him the unofficial translator.
However, not all mers use their own species methods of communication, especially those not raised by their kin. Symmetra, Reaper, and D.Va all suffer from this and have rather unique communication that developed as a result of being around humans in their formative years. Something that Reaper in particular used to hunt human ships down and sink them.
What is mating season like for roadhog and junkrat?? (No art needed )
OH MY People want to know where the merbabies come from eh? XD
Junkrat does not have a mating season. The mer side of his species doe not have one and the female is just always able to conceive, mostly as it is rare for individuals to run into each other and be of the right sexualities to reproduce. Just best to always be on standby. Arousal only occurs after a lot of foreplay that can last up to a few days of nuzzles and getting to know each other.
He’s unaffected by a heat cycle. Beachhog taniwha, when the heat is there, just puff up more, bulk up more, build elaborate sandcastles on their beach, decorate it with shells and let out loud bellows to bring the ladies to inspect his best beach. Builds a nest and everything. No female beachhogs come but other Mers tell him it looks good so he can feel proud that one day when a female is around, she will be sooooo impressed.
Who the most dangerous creature in Aquawatch? .-Also what does the Junkers look like?-
Answering this with text as it got lots of details XD For the second question, the Junker art is WIP but coming slowly but surely!
The most dangerous cryptoid though...that is not an easy answer! To answer it, we have to look at the spread of their abilities.
Right off the bat, a few mers can be removed from consideration: Sombra, Tracer, Mei, Lucio, Bastion, Junkrat, and D.Va, while dangerous in their own right, cannot compete directly with the larger species. Also all of these individuals have casualty counts that are very low and are not getting bigger than their current size. The ones being considered are Roadhog, Reaper, Widowmaker,Hanzo, Genji,Reinhardt, and Symmetra.
Symmetra though can be eliminated rather quick. She has a low casualty count and although capable of attacking, has a temperament that favors using scare tactics and the like to drive off others. She is not the fastest and her land mobility is not very high. Against some of the others on this list, she would be nothing more than a snack, thus the queen is number seven on the list.
Roadhog is huge and is not lacking in power! Beach Hog Taniwha can easily knock over ships and large trucks without care. On land, they are decent moving around as they spend most time on beaches, however, overall they are not the fastest species and their temperament does not make them all too aggressive most of the time. He is huge and powerful, able to hold his own, but he is not the most dangerous.Reinhardt is next to consider. He is the largest of the mers, powerful, fast, and has high defensive capabilities. However, old age is catching up with him and against some of the others, he becomes disadvantaged due to special adaptions they possess. The only thing keeping him at the top of the pile is the disinterest and inability to get into an actual fight for dominance with some of the lager species as well as having allies during screaming matches against his rival.Next we got the long-tailed dragon merfolk with Hanzo having slight advantage over Genji due to the fact he can still grow naturally. Although not huge, at least not yet, the ability to breath fire and work fast on land and in the water allows the long-tailed dragon merfolk to out maneuver many of the other species. However, their size holds them back and their advantages tend to wane when in deep water where the abyssal creatures will gain a HUGE advantage. Not to mention they tend to swarm together to take on targets.
Widowmaker is powerful in her own right but only at a range. Her accuracy in firing the poisonous barbs is uncanny and that alone can put out of commission many other species. Her ability to move on land is rather high as well given she can crab scuttle over terrain, reducing advantages of some species. The lower mouth as well can rip into species. Add to this that Widowmaker has been responsible for a huge number of casualties, the most of any resident. However, there is one species immune to her venom, strong, fast, and although clumsily on land, makes up for it with a high-rate of regeneration and hyper aggression. Deep Sea Wraiths are an apex predator among apex predators. Most die in their infancy because other mer species TARGET the young before they get large because adults have nothing to fear but human hunters.
Reaper can bounce back from wounds that would kill other species, going as far to regrow lost fins, a trait that researches are looking into to try and help regrow lost limbs ect. Add to this that Deep Sea Wraiths can emit a noxious cloud of gas akin to the sulfuric deep sea vents to confuse and even suffocate prey which then then devour. This smokescreen can trip up the aim of species and act as cover as well.If enraged, A Deep Sea Wraith can double the toxic output and create what is known as a “Death Blossom” that will suffocate mers even as large as Reinhardt if they can’t get out quickly. Add to this the mouth of the Deep Sea Wraith is designed to bite in and any struggle shreds the prey further and they are known to swallow prey alive where they are shredded by teeth along their throat all the way down to the belly. What makes Reaper dangerous though is he knows how to strategy. He’s been known to attack ships and use the weaponry on the ship against others. He understands how humans hunt and turns the tactics back on them, leading to high casualty rates when he was at his high point of ship attacks. Reaper is the most dangerous because he has a fairly even spread across the board rather than specializing in a single area and has a high adaptability. This is an ability shown in the wild. When a deep sea wraith is injured in a fight, it learns the tactics of that species and in the next fight, utilize new strategies to win.
The biggest threat are human “drop ships”which locate wraiths swimming at depths far below and dropping huge anchor harpoons down on the head and letting out a powerful electric shock, killing them instantly. The shock often also kills all small nearby wraithlings if it was tending whelps. This does not allow most wraiths to adapt.... but Reaper seems to be intimately familiar with this tactic and thus tends to swim in a more sporadic pattern, closer to the surface. Most likely he is a rare surviving whelp of a Deep Sea Wraith harvesting.
Reaper was captured was a carefully set trap where Jack Morrison used himself as the bait to get the usually cautious Wraith into full blown attack. Even a top predator can make mistakes after all. So official ranking:1. Reaper2. Widowmaker3. Hanzo4. Genji 5. Reinhardt 6. Roadhog 7. Symmetra 8. Sombra 9. D.Va10. Bastion11. Mei 12, Junkrat13. Lucio14. Tracer
So in Aquawatch I would assume that humans making love with the mers would not count as beastiality. Otherwise the whole mccree/Hanzo thing would be super not okay. So it must be safe to assume that they posses human intellect and ability to consent and have relationships and all of that. If this is the case though, is it not ethically wrong to force a suppressor or contraceptive on Genji? Stunting his growth is to keep him alive, but this..feels ethically shady. Is that why it hasn't happened?
This question I’m answeringin text as it is hard to give a drawing too and its important lorestuff to know c: Warning though, its an info dump! I just hope I don’t ramble on and on ; w ;
Mers and other cryptoidshave a strange place in human society. Some see them as beasts,others as sentient creatures and different areas have different ideasabout things. Overwatch and WOW (world of Wonder) both areorganizations that were created to prove that cryptoids are NOTbeasts, and are , in fact, sentient creatures with their owncultures, ways of life, and ideas that are different from humansociety that need protection. Just because they are not human doesn’t make their cultures “inhuman” or “savage” by comparison.The fact of the matter is human society and social norms cannot beapplied to mer-cryptoids and how they perceive and structure their world.
Cryptoids are divided intotwo categories: Sentient and non-sentient. Most mer-species fall intothe sentient category however that does not mean they are oftentreated like humans. They have human intellect…but many of oursocial norms, knowledge, ect. do NOT apply to their socialstructures. They can learn though! Mers who are raised in closecontact with humans can learn how to read and the like. Still giventhey are usually raised in their own societies with their ownspecies, they are seen as “animals” to capture and put interrible conditions. Overwatch is seeking to have crimes wheremer-species are treated inhuman as being on par with humantrafficking and other charges of the same kind. All residents ofOverwatch are mostly there by choice and call the place home, eachhaving “personal” tanks out of viewing where they can have theirown space like a house and the public tanks are literally like goingout in the street to hang out. Why Overwatch doesn’t police escapedmerfolk too much as it is more a social thing. Widowmaker,Reaper, and Hanzo are the exceptions. All three were going to bekilled if not for Overwatch taking them in and “locking them up”.More like prisoners getting rehabilitated to be released to society. InHanzo’s case, he probably will have the option to go free if hewishes in a few years but so far he seems more content in staying.Reaper and Widowmaker you could say have life sentences for now untilOverwatch can prove they are “not a threat to humans”. Thus whyOverwatch’s facilities are so well maintained and so individuallysetup to give them social opportunities, exercise, natural feeding(aka allow them to hunt), and other such amenities as well as openocean free time as they please (with Reaper and Widowmaker beingexceptions).
Mer cryptoids raised with oraround humans have demonstrated more or less the ability to learnthings about human society and the ability to read. Reaper CAN readand does understand English as do many of the mer cryptoids inOverwatch. Reaper even is aware of human customs and has been knownto get gifts for McCree and other mer cryptoids he like around theirbirthday which is not normal wild behavior. Both Hanzo and Genjihave demonstrated an ability to write in Japanese and English as wellas a few phrases in those languages as well as a very uncannyunderstanding of human society. To say the least they are not dumb,they are aware of what they are, able to tell apart themselves fromother species, and form meaningful relationships based on individuallikes and dislikes and past experiences.
The difference is when they don’t want you in their space, mer crytpoids are more likely to react with deadly force if you don’t take a hint and leave em alone. Mer/human relationships though are limited as more often the mer isn’t too interested in eight out of ten attempts at seduction.
Mer/human relationshipshappen, have happened, and \ probably will keephappening. Mer/human relationships happen but tend to be hard tomaintain as mer cryptoids need a steady supply of water and have tokeep to the ocean and often are combating with ingrained habits forsurvival and hunting that are hard to socialize to human societyafter a certain age. Land cryptoids/human relationships are tentimes more common and have far more hybrid species. The problem withmer species is hybrids are far more likely to be born with manyproblems and deformities than in land-based cryptoids.
Children conceived ofmer/human pairings are rarely healthy, can lead to the death of themother at higher rates, and these hybrids, known as “landsharks” are often unable to live in the ocean or on land and can rapidlypopulate with each other and create even more problems. (More onlandsharks when Junkrat concept comes out c: )
Colonies of landsharks popup from landsharks breeding with each other making even moreproblematic species and are usually culled on sight. Overwatch istrying to work to extend protection rights to landsharks as acryptoid species, not as a hybrid “pest species”. Usuallywhen it comes to issues dealing with landshark colonies, Overwatch isnot contacted and local governments simply cull the population.
Now onto Genji inparticular…
Stunting Genji’s growth isto keep him alive AND is a TEMPORARY stunting until a better and morepermanent solution can be establish, something that Zenyatta hastaken great strides to explain. Genji is aware his growth is stuntedand why. He consented to that treatment without any need to deceivehim.
The fertility thing is morea fear of the health of the whelp that could be conceived. Hybridsaren’t always healthy and given Genji’s state and recovery, it isworried that giving birth to a hybrid that might not even survive afew hours would be devastating. Overwatch is currently approaching itas a health risk and having Zenyatta gently encourage the use of thecontraceptives. So far Genji seems extremely reluctant to do so andhas so far declined taking of contraceptives which goes into a wholenew debate of should it be forced due to risk of patient health orlet him deal with the consequences if conception takes place.
