Does anyone have posts brewing?
Muttonhawk Member
Let Slip the Corgis of War
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Dear Mr Curly,
I have done little travelling lately because I have been so dreadfully weary. Can it be true as the old Ecclesiastes said; that all things lead to weariness? Surely not. Perhaps the opposite is true: that all nothings lead to weariness. I have a peculiar feeling, Curly, that I am worn out from something I haven't yet done and the more I don't do it, the more exhausted I become. How strange. Could it be something I haven't realised? Perhaps it's something I haven't said? Something I haven't finished! It must be very large and true whatever it is and a lively struggle in the doing but I look forward to it immensely. I know I need it. First, however, I must curl up in my chair and sleep deeply with the duck. Perhaps I'll dream of this thing and wake up refreshed and do it. My fond wishes to you Mr. Curly, and to all Curly Flat.
Yours sleepily,
Vasco Pyjama
xxx
P.S. Not having breakfast can make you weary. That's for sure!
Most Recent Posts
Janius lifted his arms to block and deflect Kaleeth's strikes. Her ferocity made it difficult to line up flicking blood in her face, so he was only able to do so after Kaleeth had put her momentum into charging into him with a tackle. Janius tried to bring his knee up to hit her below her ribs, but there was no real way to stop her this time.
Peiter was tipsy, that much was obvious. However, there was a part of Sabine that was surprised and hopeful when Peiter kissed her. It was probably the first time he had sincerely initiated a kiss in a long time. Sabine knew better than to think that Peiter was back to normal, but after so long seeing him in the doldrums, she wanted a break from it as well.
"Well..." Sabine reluctantly took the bottle. "Maybe it would be nice to just...relax." She smiled and took a swig of the ale, before putting a hand on Peiter's shoulder. "Just don't drink alone anymore, okay?" She leaned in to kiss him again to see if his good mood wasn't just for show.
Peiter was tipsy, that much was obvious. However, there was a part of Sabine that was surprised and hopeful when Peiter kissed her. It was probably the first time he had sincerely initiated a kiss in a long time. Sabine knew better than to think that Peiter was back to normal, but after so long seeing him in the doldrums, she wanted a break from it as well.
"Well..." Sabine reluctantly took the bottle. "Maybe it would be nice to just...relax." She smiled and took a swig of the ale, before putting a hand on Peiter's shoulder. "Just don't drink alone anymore, okay?" She leaned in to kiss him again to see if his good mood wasn't just for show.
Following Ra'kalesh's teachings, Janius retracted his arm as quickly as he could after hitting Kaleeth's chest. However, Kaleeth was just fast enough to grab about half of his wrist with her fingers. Janius reacted by pulling his arm back harder and twisting it upwards. He got loose, but not without Kaleeth's claws dragging on his skin and opening fresh and bloody wounds. He took a couple of steps back and winced, shaking off the blood from his arm and onto the floor.
"No fair," Janius quipped with a laugh as he bobbed from one foot to the other with his fists raised. "I cut my fingernails, you keep them long. This has to be a handicap!"
Janius had agreed not to hold back in this fight, but he intended to use his new wound to his advantage. At the first sign of Kaleeth attacking, he planned to swipe his hand in front of her eyes in an attempt to get blood in her eyes and counter. It was a dirty trick, he would admit, but he had to make use of every advantage he could get.
"Peiter?" Sabine asked as she entered the room.
Sabine's first reaction to Peiter's greeting was actually to smile back. It was rare enough that he smiled these days that she sometimes forgot how warm it felt to see it. It was as she walked up to him and smelled the ale that things began to seem strange.
"You are undressed. Did you...have you been here alone all day?" Sabine asked with sympathy. She sat down closely beside him and craned her neck forward to see the bottle by his other side. "Have you been drinking alone as well?"
"No fair," Janius quipped with a laugh as he bobbed from one foot to the other with his fists raised. "I cut my fingernails, you keep them long. This has to be a handicap!"
Janius had agreed not to hold back in this fight, but he intended to use his new wound to his advantage. At the first sign of Kaleeth attacking, he planned to swipe his hand in front of her eyes in an attempt to get blood in her eyes and counter. It was a dirty trick, he would admit, but he had to make use of every advantage he could get.
"Peiter?" Sabine asked as she entered the room.
Sabine's first reaction to Peiter's greeting was actually to smile back. It was rare enough that he smiled these days that she sometimes forgot how warm it felt to see it. It was as she walked up to him and smelled the ale that things began to seem strange.
"You are undressed. Did you...have you been here alone all day?" Sabine asked with sympathy. She sat down closely beside him and craned her neck forward to see the bottle by his other side. "Have you been drinking alone as well?"
Fendros spread a thin-lipped smile. "That would be nice," he said, putting an arm around Ahnasha and looking at the sketches. "I seem to remember you having a lot of fun with your drawings. Still, something to keep the memory would be pleasant. Perhaps like Peiter and Sabine's picture." He blew a single laugh from his nose. "Perhaps not something quite as passionate as that, though."
Thinking about the possibility of at least seeing Llarasa again began to turn Fendros' opinion towards supporting a visit. However, the obstacles on his mind swiftly returned and his smile faded. He opted to let Ahnasha go and pick up another letter. "This one's nice. It tells the story behind that dog. Its name is Ruby, they found her in the woods."
Fendros had no doubt that there were many more nice letters. Whether they got through them all that day or set aside time later, Ahnasha could at least get to know the Avarul family a little better. Fendros only regretted that it mostly hid some of the darker attitudes his mother and father held.
Janius tried to ward off Kaleeth by feinting a jab towards her. As she stopped, he thought he had put her off-balance and moved to follow through with another strike. It was only then that he realised the incoming strike. He heard it before he felt it as it forced a high grunt from his mouth. The crowd reacted with mixed winces and cheers. Janius stumbled back and doubled over, clutching his stomach with one arm. He was halted as he was caught by a bunch of spectators.
"Come on! You've got more than that in you!" One of them shouted, before all of them pushed Janius right back into the ring.
This time, Janius took the initiative. He stepped up to Kaleeth with a twist of his torso and threw a pair of punches at her nose before ducking low and striking at her chest. He resolved to keep her tied down with faster attacks while he ducked and weaved around to try and elude her reprisals.
Like most days, Sabine had spent most of her time up in the scholar's loft with Darahil, Marcaille, and the other alchemists. Some cursory tests of the soul-tearing gas had been done since they worked out a method of handling it safely, though there were no immediate breakthroughs. Every day was taxing on Sabine's mind, not only for all the deductions they had to make, but also for the wealth of knowledge she was absorbing from Marcaille. Now, walking through the halls, she was simply tired.
Most times, Sabine would find her friends and Peiter and take the rest of her day to socialise. However, right now, she just wanted to relax with her mate. She didn't find him with the others or any of the places that he had been occasionally assigned for odd jobs, so she was headed to Gallus' pack's room. It amazed Sabine as much as it concerned her how much Peiter tended to sleep now that they weren't travelling.
Thinking about the possibility of at least seeing Llarasa again began to turn Fendros' opinion towards supporting a visit. However, the obstacles on his mind swiftly returned and his smile faded. He opted to let Ahnasha go and pick up another letter. "This one's nice. It tells the story behind that dog. Its name is Ruby, they found her in the woods."
Fendros had no doubt that there were many more nice letters. Whether they got through them all that day or set aside time later, Ahnasha could at least get to know the Avarul family a little better. Fendros only regretted that it mostly hid some of the darker attitudes his mother and father held.
Janius tried to ward off Kaleeth by feinting a jab towards her. As she stopped, he thought he had put her off-balance and moved to follow through with another strike. It was only then that he realised the incoming strike. He heard it before he felt it as it forced a high grunt from his mouth. The crowd reacted with mixed winces and cheers. Janius stumbled back and doubled over, clutching his stomach with one arm. He was halted as he was caught by a bunch of spectators.
"Come on! You've got more than that in you!" One of them shouted, before all of them pushed Janius right back into the ring.
This time, Janius took the initiative. He stepped up to Kaleeth with a twist of his torso and threw a pair of punches at her nose before ducking low and striking at her chest. He resolved to keep her tied down with faster attacks while he ducked and weaved around to try and elude her reprisals.
Like most days, Sabine had spent most of her time up in the scholar's loft with Darahil, Marcaille, and the other alchemists. Some cursory tests of the soul-tearing gas had been done since they worked out a method of handling it safely, though there were no immediate breakthroughs. Every day was taxing on Sabine's mind, not only for all the deductions they had to make, but also for the wealth of knowledge she was absorbing from Marcaille. Now, walking through the halls, she was simply tired.
Most times, Sabine would find her friends and Peiter and take the rest of her day to socialise. However, right now, she just wanted to relax with her mate. She didn't find him with the others or any of the places that he had been occasionally assigned for odd jobs, so she was headed to Gallus' pack's room. It amazed Sabine as much as it concerned her how much Peiter tended to sleep now that they weren't travelling.
Sure, I'll start that in my next post.
Did you want to play out Janius and Kaleeth's bout or summarise it?
Edit: Actually, we can keep Janius and Kaleeth's fight going for now. I'm enjoying it.
Did you want to play out Janius and Kaleeth's bout or summarise it?
Edit: Actually, we can keep Janius and Kaleeth's fight going for now. I'm enjoying it.
Fendros nodded with a frown. "Yes, I've kept that in mind," he said neutrally. In a poorly thought out attempt to avert Ahnasha's attention, Fendros leaned over the chest and reached to rummage through it.
"You know, Llarasa still does sketches every now and then," Fendros said as he slowly pulled out a tied scroll of parchment. As he lifted it out, some loose charcoal powder spilled out of its ends. "She sent me one of the family about a year ago."
Fendros untied the scroll and opened it for Ahnasha. On it were three heads drawn from different angles. The first was recognisable as Monderyn, almost in profile with his head turned slightly towards them. He actually looked inquisitive and almost approachable compared to the pure anger he had shown the last time they saw him. The next was an old, severe, rough looking Dunmer man who had his eyes almost closed, looking down as if reading. Features of his face could be recognised in Fendros, but not Monderyn. The third was a similarly aged Dunmer woman who was looking at something off to the side. Her mouth was lined in a subtle smile, but her wrinkled eyes hinted at a certain sadness. In one blank corner was a rough drawing of a happy looking dog. Llarasa was not a perfect artist, but she had captured a lot on these drawings.
Janius had at least predicted Kaleeth's strategy correctly. He tried to exploit his advantage in agility to its fullest by bobbing and sliding to one side, out of Kaleeth's path and reach. Her line-up left her just open enough for Janius to risk throwing a kick at her side.
With that, Janius broke off and stepped out of reach.
"You know, Llarasa still does sketches every now and then," Fendros said as he slowly pulled out a tied scroll of parchment. As he lifted it out, some loose charcoal powder spilled out of its ends. "She sent me one of the family about a year ago."
Fendros untied the scroll and opened it for Ahnasha. On it were three heads drawn from different angles. The first was recognisable as Monderyn, almost in profile with his head turned slightly towards them. He actually looked inquisitive and almost approachable compared to the pure anger he had shown the last time they saw him. The next was an old, severe, rough looking Dunmer man who had his eyes almost closed, looking down as if reading. Features of his face could be recognised in Fendros, but not Monderyn. The third was a similarly aged Dunmer woman who was looking at something off to the side. Her mouth was lined in a subtle smile, but her wrinkled eyes hinted at a certain sadness. In one blank corner was a rough drawing of a happy looking dog. Llarasa was not a perfect artist, but she had captured a lot on these drawings.
Janius had at least predicted Kaleeth's strategy correctly. He tried to exploit his advantage in agility to its fullest by bobbing and sliding to one side, out of Kaleeth's path and reach. Her line-up left her just open enough for Janius to risk throwing a kick at her side.
With that, Janius broke off and stepped out of reach.
"Oh, Llarasa is quite good at covering her tracks," Fendros assured. "Monderyn and I made sure of that after stealing her journal over and over when we were children." Fendros let out a nervous laugh. "Even if they were found, keeping in touch with some far-flung Dunmer friend is unlikely to raise eyebrows."
As for his reasoning, Fendros waved his arms low in a half-hearted shrug. "Well, you remember when I told you? It was really just trying to escape the possibility of visiting my family in the first place." Fendros looked down at the chest of letters. "I wish I could say I'm still as hopeful about seeing them as I was after I saw how well visiting your family was, but..." He bared his teeth nervously. "The more I think about it, the harder it seems. We've got so much happening at once right now -- going north, the war, raising Rhazii..."
Fendros gestured in the general direction of the chest. "Anyway, I can share any more letters with you, if you like. I have a feeling that Llarasa would like to see some words from you." Fendros lifted his face to give Ahnasha an encouraging smile. He hoped that the subject of a Cheydinhal visit would not be pursued, however inevitable it was.
Janius' eyes widened despite his smile. "What? Now?" He helped Kaleeth up with one hand anyway. He let out a laugh that was just as much out of amusement as it was staving off anxiety. "Alright, just..." Janius suddenly pulled on Kaleeth's hand and leaned forward to peck a kiss on her snout. On his way stepping back, he let her hand go, held his head forward, and smiled. His voice took a lower pitch. "...Try to keep up."
Before they began, Janius slid off his shirt and laid it to one side. Then, raising his curled hands, he began to bounce his heels up and down in place and assume a fighting stance. Knowing Kaleeth, she would probably lash out and try to throw him to the ground. He was ready to sidestep at a moment's notice.
"Ohoho, don't get too cocky, Janius. I've got five on you!" One spectator shouted.
The Redguard that previously fought looked over some shoulders with wads of linen stemming his bleeding nose. "Don't bake be fight you to get by bet back, Kaleeth!"
As for his reasoning, Fendros waved his arms low in a half-hearted shrug. "Well, you remember when I told you? It was really just trying to escape the possibility of visiting my family in the first place." Fendros looked down at the chest of letters. "I wish I could say I'm still as hopeful about seeing them as I was after I saw how well visiting your family was, but..." He bared his teeth nervously. "The more I think about it, the harder it seems. We've got so much happening at once right now -- going north, the war, raising Rhazii..."
Fendros gestured in the general direction of the chest. "Anyway, I can share any more letters with you, if you like. I have a feeling that Llarasa would like to see some words from you." Fendros lifted his face to give Ahnasha an encouraging smile. He hoped that the subject of a Cheydinhal visit would not be pursued, however inevitable it was.
Janius' eyes widened despite his smile. "What? Now?" He helped Kaleeth up with one hand anyway. He let out a laugh that was just as much out of amusement as it was staving off anxiety. "Alright, just..." Janius suddenly pulled on Kaleeth's hand and leaned forward to peck a kiss on her snout. On his way stepping back, he let her hand go, held his head forward, and smiled. His voice took a lower pitch. "...Try to keep up."
Before they began, Janius slid off his shirt and laid it to one side. Then, raising his curled hands, he began to bounce his heels up and down in place and assume a fighting stance. Knowing Kaleeth, she would probably lash out and try to throw him to the ground. He was ready to sidestep at a moment's notice.
"Ohoho, don't get too cocky, Janius. I've got five on you!" One spectator shouted.
The Redguard that previously fought looked over some shoulders with wads of linen stemming his bleeding nose. "Don't bake be fight you to get by bet back, Kaleeth!"
All this talk about gender roles has given me a buffet of thought for how hain gender roles would develop. I don't know how changing reproduction from pregnancy to laying clutches would alter how females would behave. I mean, they have fairly clear males and females, but I haven't exactly got troupes of egg-laying primates here on Earth to compare them with. *sigh* This is my fault for designing such a weird species.
Anyone here know enough about birds, or lizards, or echidnas to give me a hint?
Edit: This is great procrastination fodder C:
Anyone here know enough about birds, or lizards, or echidnas to give me a hint?
Edit: This is great procrastination fodder C:
Just had an idea about Urtelem society. They're hermaphrodites, but so far I've been assuming that Urtelem have gender (Matriarch, Stoneman). Obviously most of that would be other races perceiving them a certain way, but what if Urtelem do have gender, as a spectrum based on age and family position? The further they are from a parenting role, the more male a pronoun they're assigned.
'Male' at birth and through childhood.
'Female' as they reach reproductive age, fuse, and raise a newborn.
'Male' as the baby (pebble?) matures and between pairings, before they're ready for another child.
'Female' for those who are past reproductive age (probably like 600 years?) but are considered 'mothers' of the whole herd- Matriarchs.
'Male' for those who play a passive role in guiding the group once they become elders.
When a matriarch dies, one of the 'male' elders becomes a 'female' matriarch and takes over.
...i'm not obsessed with worldbuilding you're obsessed with worldbuilding
I think the fact that the roles are gendered is more incidental of English being bad at neuter titles. I can see how there would be differences in nurturing vs. leading, but that kinda fuses with the matriarch role. Other associations with gender roles could be fished out, I guess. I don't know, it just feels like an urtelem wouldn't understand anyone trying to explain it to them because of all the other baggage that comes along with a 1 dimensional gender spectrum, let alone a binary. Maybe it's just me being a shitlord. *shrug*
I don't object to how you present it, though.
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