Ultrablue - Tumblr Posts
β¦ πππππππππ ππ π πππππππ; ππππππππ ππππππ
It's been a while since my last UTb lorepost, so today, I'm going to be doing a rehaul of how I think their nervous system works (as someone who has no knowledge of the brain whatsoever).
Sorry if it's worded oddly β tell me what you think!
An introduction to the different types of bloomage.
Instead of brain matter, denizens possess bloomage central units (BCUs). A BCU can be located in the head, but depending on species / individual, they can form in different areas, most commonly the chest cavity. BCUs are guarded by sheath material, surrounding flesh and bone matter (ie, skulls, spinal cords) It's thought that a BCU is more biologically advantageous than a brain could be, as an organism is not only capable of having multiple, but also, if they suffer damage to an area that houses a BCU, it may be harder to damage than a brain, due to its smaller surface area.
Bloomage systems will also split out to form nerves, which appear to be more blunted sprouts. While bloomage types typically will grow throughout the lifetime of a denizen and be capable of regeneration, Rods do not have this luxury. Rods are also integral to the overall health of the kreyati they're attached to, and once severed, may kill or severely alter them.
Curl devils have small traces of rods in their plumage, but these are closer to the scalp, though may grow along the hairs if not regularly trimmed. Complete severance of these rods will cause deep trauma and physical pain.
+ bonus lamp creature :)
Ta-da! I'm working on a free expansion pack for minuet! This will include the majour species, their distinctions, effects archetypes have on phenotypes, and a lot more!
I plan to release this doc somewhere I can track how many people see it β not who they are, but just how many! I want to be able to gauge impact!
β¦ BIOMECHE (and you!)
Biomeche (plural and singular) are nuggets of naturally occuring biomechanical matter found most commonly in the crust of individual biotic capsules. Biomeche range from a bite sized 1.5 lbs to a staggering 45 lbs.
Each biomeche functions as both an organ(ism) and piece of machinery β keeping itself alive with organelle-esque structures, and being able to double as machine parts (batteries, pumps, filters, etc) if kept well. Larger variants of biomeche tend to live shorter lives when exploited for these purposes in comparison to their smaller cousins, lasting 5-7 years if used responsibly, while smaller variants can live for as long as 14-16. It is currently undocumented how long they live when not used in machinery.
Biomeche are commonly discussed as 'iterations', usually depending on where they're found and their assumed purposes (ex., a 'Solar Flare' biomeche would come from a capsule with a stronger sun and can be used as a light source, or to reliably power larger light sources).
Thanks for the love on the biomeche post.. I plan to be on an update schedule for UTb lore tidbits, likely with @svnkssrβs assistance! How does every Friday sound?
β¦ DENIZENS AND SOCIALISATION (illustrated by @svnkssr!)
Denizens first and foremost are animal people. Even if they appear as humanoids, wing-headed beasts, or nudibranch, their methods of communication can vary wildly from that of our own.
[ ko-fi / bsky ]
To break it down, denizen communication relies on speech, body language, and sensing. Different umbrellas prioritise these different methods in order to communicate, but that is only the tendency and not the 'law'.
For Humaine, socialisation is roughly like our own, speech and verbal cues dominating for them. After speech comes body language (specifically concerning the face), and then comes senses; a humanoid's sense of smell / telepathy is typically poor, and thus cannot always find information about another through any other sense than sight.
Kreyati tend to rely primarily on the body language of others. While they do utilise speech, a kreyati will immediately scan one's body language for certain cues to gleam crucial details. Unlike humanoids, they do not focus by default on the facial features of the creature. Body language is deeply important to them, to the point where different species have their own body languages (ex; curl devils exposing their throats via clothing or gestures to show trust, bristlebacks biting/licking/accepting objects with their mouths to show affection).
Mythocuertas do not actually have a set 'hierarchy' of methods for communication, as they are more abstract creatures in nature and it is more socially acceptable for different species and individuals to form their own or adapt those of others. Curiously, certain mythos species (EATRs especially) use senses like smell to understand someone faster than words could. an EATR's sense of smell is so powerful, they can smell if someone has cancer, if they are pregnant, who is related to them, what they had eaten hours prior, stress, and fear. While they cannot smell intentions, being able to smell out certain traits a skill that is not used lightly.
For these very reasons, it is integral for denizens to be socialised from a young age. While denizens are generally more open minded about discussions concerning their species and phenotype, this cannot be easily relied on. Missed or confusing bodily cues can send or recieve confusing signals and build relationships based on false pretenses or accidentally provoke someone without intending to.
Some sketches of food items in Ultrablue.
More text under the cut!
I'm still thinking about denizen cuisine. I think funguses are a good, generally 'fits all precautions' food item for a lot of them, but what I want to delve into is fauna that they eat, the ones raised for consumption and what their meat looks / tastes like.
Cool down sketch β Ambrosia
Ambrosia is a canid with highly aggressive body-wide cancers, to the point where one has taken form as a half formed face in the back of her head. She is very weak as a result, but it's nurtured a stronger sense of patience and kindness in her. Ambrosia knows she may not have long left, and while she laments the fact she must die young, she knows she won't die unloved and unhappy.
βͺ popping up everywhere β sophiaaahjkl;8901
COMMISSIONS OPEN
PRICING + TOS β https://pyrrique.carrd.co/
quick faq;
Only accepting 4 slots
Turnaround time is ~4 weeks (I'm a busy bee!)
Read my tos before contacting me at DESTRβ¦YUSALL#9230 on Discord
im in the middle of making a comic to introduce her but im going to let you see these shots. soul is by far best girl
β¦ Naming Conventions
Denizens names pull from many things both old and new. While any one of them can be named anything, they tend to follow a system.
Humanoids tend to be named after concepts, and when they eventually have children with someone else, they will name the children based off of those concepts.
For example β Urgency + Criticality = Intensive Care, Deadline, Flaregun / Cupid /
Kreyati can have two recognised names. The first is a personal name, usually given upon birth, and the second is an earned title, solidified by witnesses to their deeds. Many with titles defend them to their dying breath.
For example β Dominic the Great, Saraa the White, The Engineer (Issac), Beloved Sisota Jean
Mythocuerta names tend to be fickle. They by far boast the most languages under their belt, and names brought from these can either be brought about through vocalisation, colours, etc., and they take great pains to do so. They tend to appreciate names that meant a lot in the Old World such as majour cities, that denizens no longer recognise.
For example β Sweden, Quetlztabbine, Laa;haa, Ran'dii, Saturn
Pets of denizens happen to be named adverbs, and it is seen as odd to name them / a child otherwise. These names also tend to be the subject of jokes :)
For example β Always, Overseas, Bodly, Finally
ββββ .βΎ. ββββ
I am very normal about Blacksommar (I am not) and I think Iβve decided that aesthetically it should be a gradient between hard sci-fi and medieval fantasy (with renaissance in between like an unholy concoction)
Iβve been reading medieval bestiaries and a part of it depresses me because they had such whimsy. That the sweet breath of panthers kept away dragons (natureβs biggest gay asshole that would swing on everyone) and I just donβt see that anymore
β¦ Inside an EATR!
EATR mouths are slightly more complex than recognised at a glance...
βΈβΈβΈ Text transcript under the cut!
I. Guard teeth are large, human-esque molars used primarily for intimidation. Breaking or otherwise damaging them is considered an amazing feat.
II. Throat barbs are the actual teeth of an EATR, and can be extended a full foot from the throat canal!
III. Tongues are largely humanoid, if longer.
What came before?
It isn't known exactly when EATRs officially phased out eyesight in favour of echolocation, or why reintegrating it is an uphill battle. While the EATR feels no stress over this and navigates day to day life with the same gusto as other sophonts, they remain a mystery. The Travel Whale, in stark contrast, appears almost all-seeing.
I gotta get back into my worldbuilding project. I miss it, but I've been losing enthusiasm for everything as of late </3
β¦ Wyverns and You
Guess who got a spark of inspiration after going through my Obsidian? I plan to make a seperate post on spawn at some point, but thats for another time ;)
βΈβΈβΈ More text under the cut!
A wyvern queen has yet to be documented. Their nests are waspβesque, made of paper yet spire upwards like towers. It's suspected the queen lies in the centre of this tower, and with hundreds of them swarming the spire, getting to her safely is easier said than done.
βΆ Hark! A sideblog?
That's right, a sideblog! To ease the growing pains of this one, there now exists a blog purely for UTb / Blacksommar content! Give it a look see, we have;
β§ speculative biology / fantasy β§ doodles, rambles, first glance at fics! β§ end of the world scenarios, breed standards, and machines, oh my!
π π π π check it out here >> @royalnumeral