Airships

These are some of the airships of late skyfaring-renaissance era.
 Distinguished from the more archaic Lightwaterships by diversity of configurations and shapes, Tanglewindships allow for a more specialized layout and faster flight, but are a devil to refuel, and also prohibitevly expensive.

Eadknairese armor, Thrimas period.

Formidable sets of armor like this date back to the rule of Thrimas dynasty of Eadknair, spanning some two hundred years. Produced in quite large numbers, these sets shared most of the parts, with some variance in shape or decorations, depending on the owner's rank and role. They were highly practical, comfortable for the most part, and therefore not heavily adorned, but still had style.

This particular plate was used in Eadknair's campaign against the Centermages. That didn't go well. The centermages ended up with huge piles of steel-setar alloy junk (cleanly separated from it's vaporized owners), which they, being by and large the robed pricks, hardly had any use for. So they quickly made some of those suits into magically animated armor to guard whatever arcane treasures they deemed fit.

After several more decades, some clever bounty hunters came across one, and decided to capture the beast. After some careful preparation, they lured the walking tin (a stupid creature, if anything: no brain in an empty helmet of course!) into a pit filled with fresh liquid mortar. They poured some on top, and when the block was solid - simply dug it out. The plan was to sell the rarity to the highest bidder, but during transport, as the armor drew further away from the place of its enchantment, the magic wore off, and the scavengers were left with good quality, but absolutely mundane attire.

Over the following years the armor changed several hands until it ended up as a family heirloom in possession of one Mahk (a title, equivalent to sir) Boleere. The guy claims to have had ancestors connected to Thrimas house, and the artifact is just so handy to prove it.
Unexpectedly though, the armor fits him just right. And even seems to anticipate his movements at times. "Strange, is it? I should probably take it to a local sage, let 'im 'ave a glance..." thinks Boleere now and then.

How do I know all this, you ask? Oh, that's a long story... ;)

Butterfly steed

In the lands of Edarneor those fascinated by flight won't have a hard time looking for opportunities. This one, however, is for the more materially prosperous ones.
This is because breeding (and training) the giant passenger butterflies (Papilia Metaphoreas Arcana)  is not by any means a cheap and effortless procedure. Quite the opposite: the species had required centuries of careful magickal selection by the few reclusive conclaves involved. Even then, insects can't naturally survive that big, so each grown up butterfly (and you should have seen the caterpillar, oh boy!) is a combination of organic matter, metamorphic spells and protective runes - you can think of it as constantly being on life support.

That said, a butterfly mount is usually favored by the nobility, and for the purposes of recreation, rather than war (albeit it had seen some use in stealthy operations, since its flight is virtually soundless). More of a status animal, it doesn't excel in speed or altitude, but can make an extremely faithful companion, in part due to its supernatural modifications giving way to some empathy abilities.

It still has a superb maneuverability though, and is capable of migrating extremely large distances without rest, due to excellent wing area and lift properties. So what the beau monde sees as fashion, some islanders and desert-dwellers use as a necessity for traversing the oceans or other areas where landing is simply not possible.

Этюд на тему древнего мема

Ручка, бумага. Давным-давно.

An assortment of keys.

They say the Royal Keymaster has all the keys. Shining or aged, tarnished beyond repair or never handled at all yet; crooked, twisted, straight or folded - thousands of them had passed through his subtle, knowing hands over the course of centuries.

Most come and go, but some stay, when their lock is suddenly destroyed, lost or otherwise phased out from existence.

They remain as a memento of another, impossible reality, a link to the door that cannot be opened anymore. But, perhaps, it can be, or else, what's the point?

Nobody except the Keymaster seems to know that for certain. Nobody is certain, that he, himself, does.

The Race

...

Sir Chickenhold from Roosterton

I don't know why he always carries it.
He says it brings him good luck. I say it brings him one step closer to a traveling circus.

Middle-aged Genetically-modified Ninja Mackerel

Piscine Power!

Catchess

The peculiarity of playing Catchess (yes, that's how it's spelled) is that the cat gets to take any piece on his turn.

Bravo, yet another perfect victory, Mr. Catsparov!
___________________________

Главная особенность игры в шахкоты (да, так и пишется) в том, что кот в свой ход может взять любую фигуру.

Браво, еще одна великолепная победа, мистер Котспаров!

Meteomancer

.

.
They say, you can predict weather. They say you can predict other things, based on weather.
Those, who master it all, no longer care for predictions. They enact, force upon.

Pierced by the storm, they stare into the sky for too long, until their frame is so light as to be supported by wind in the sails of tapestry with their prophecies, worn as a clothing.
That is before they themselves eventually dissolve in the clouds, becoming one with what they had recently struggled to subdue.

Happy New Year, everyone!

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Salamandrake

These peculiar creatures - a kind of amphibious draconian species - inhabit the mountain streams and lakes of Bellaror. They are somewhat clumsy on the ground, but you should see them swim.
Like other amphibians, they grow for the duration of their lives. While getting longer, they sprout new fins at the tail, which, over time, gradually evolve into new sets of feet, to cope with their body length...

Bright and energetic creatures, they often curl up in the water when curious or excited.
It is considered a great luck and good fortune to keep a pet one.

Nose Rock

Little is known about the Nose Rock, which had aptly got it name for what it looks like. Sailors tell stories only a sailor would believe, as always.

Everyone seems to agree, though, on a fact that a raging current flows from the gaps in a rock, accompanied by a whistling gale.
So, with some certainity it could be stated, that, when at sea, one should stay well clear of it.

The Climb

Most people don't remember how these cliffs came to be. But we do keep track of the account.
First, there was only the sea. A vast shallow lagoon, going on for miles.

Then the tubes rose, gradually, over centuries, slowly built by tiny plants, their shells hardening after they wither. Inside each of those wells water was pumped up, always staying level with the top.

Reaching tremendous heights, the pillars gradually covered in dust, earth and moss, their outer shell petrifying completely, no different from any rock. Shrubs and grasses grew on the outcrops, trees crowned the tops.
But something inside there still grows, and the water still leaks through the cracks near the top of each.

This particular man I spotted when flying by - I can never imagine what would he want all this way up. We get few of them here, and fewer even climb that high.
Anyway, it's not my nest and none of my business.

Tower ruins

The outskirts of Dersetar are littered by artefacts and structures of old.

Rarery intact, but mostly crumbled - a shade of battles and kingdoms long past - the nest cosily among the intricate hills, offering some respite for a weary traveller.

In summer one can gaze from these hilltops and ruins upon the surrounding brightly blooming fields, a soothing site to behold.

The Flock

Technology of the Future!

Somewhat inspired by Deponia stuff.

Owlcat

Or a catowl, if you wish. ;)
A little birthday drawing to all who congratulated me.

The Sentry

The sentry of Kaerneth's pass overwatches the mountains in solemn, icy silence.
If you're lucky, and the weather is clear, you could spot it through a telescope from the neighboring peaks. Then it appears completely still, as if bound by centuries-long frost and loneliness.

Sometimes, it takes off. Snow-covered wings suddenly spread in an explosion of frozen dust, raising a thick glistening blizzard underneath - a truly magnificent sight to behold, and the beast plummets from its perch to silently skim the ridges below.
Even the veteran travelers can inexplicably feel the chill of its sharp ever present gaze from dozens of miles.

Индейский бог гнева Бом Бануло