Some Guys I Like

I drew this map for @theasimovzineproject which has been published today, at last! Check it out:

I loved getting to meet other fans and help edit the writing! In addition to this map, I also have a story in the zine.

I drew this map in ink on white paper, then inverted the colors on MS Paint. I tried to include all the planets I could find in Asimov's Robot-Empire-Foundation series; I looked over my copies of the books and checked out fan websites, including Reddit debates and a still-running site from the 90s! Hopefully I put them all about where they're supposed to go. 🌌

On Mudwing Culture

My last deliberation on Seawings and their eccentric insult vocabulary seemed to be well-received, so here is another one of my headcanons:

Mudwings are seriously into food.

I know, pretty revolutionary take when there is only a handful of named Mudwing characters, and two of them love eating so much that it either almost or entirely eclipses their personality.

But Clay and Ochre are not what I am talking about. This isn’t about a love of eating (though many Mudwings admittedly do have that). I’m suggesting that, out of all the tribes from Pyrrhia, Mudwings are at the forefront of food preparation and culinary innovation, to the point where a large part of their culture revolves around it.

The State of Food Preparation on the Continent

Pyrrhia as a conglomerate of different cultures largely sustains its populations through hunting and gathering. The average dragon, when the hunger pangs set in, will make a hasty trip into the nearest forest, cave, or scavenger den and round up some prey animals. In most cases, this prey will go straight from the talons to the mouth, or, if the hunter is a bit more forward-thinking, into the pantry, and then from talons to the mouth.

There are a few variations of this practice; Skywings may give the carcass a quick roast on an open flame before eating it, Sandwings may dry the meat out so the excess moisture does not upset their internal water balance, Rainwings will prefer fruit over meat. Icewings will nearly always consume their prey raw and unseasoned, as their extremely delicate palate is easily overwhelmed by intense flavors that may be released through cooking.

More complex forms of food preparation seem to exist mostly outside the scope of the general populace. The practice of “cooking” appears to be limited to the ranks of aristocracy, with dedicated cooks only found within the court of a queen or in private households of other high-born individuals. It creates a sharp divide between commoners and social elites, between the wealthy and (as Sea Queen Coral once put it so succinctly) the “eel-eating masses”. All exemplified through the differing standards of food.

And yet somehow, standing in stark contrast to everywhere else on the continent, nearly every Mudwing-- from the most low-born runts of the Diamond Spray Delta to the most decorated head advisors in the Queen’s palace --knows how to cook, and will do so regularly.

Why is that, and how did it happen?

Historical Benefits of Cooking

Most things that form the backbone of a culture usually start with some ancient practice that was useful at some point in time and then, as people kept doing it, eventually got absorbed into public awareness and became “the way things are done”.

Mudwings face a unique challenge compared to anyone else, as they are the only tribe whose combat prowess is significantly affected by their environment, specifically climate, weather, and temperature. Sure, you can take any dragon, drop them into an unfavorable climate, and they will generally perform worse than under normal circumstances. But the unique weakness of Mudwings is that they lose their breath weapon when they get too cold. Place an Icewing into a burning room and they will still be able to use their frost breath. Pluck a Sandwing from their dry environment and drop them into the humid, sweltering hell of the jungle, their natural weapons will still function. But make a Mudwing cower between two piles of snow for a while, and their internal fire will go out quickly.

As you might imagine, this is a bit of a liability when you have to defend your territory from Skywings hiding and scheming among the frozen peaks bordering your country.

So the ancient Mudwings had to figure out a solution to their conundrum, and what they came up with was this: They got a large pot and filled it with water, threw in all manner of meats, plants, and herbs, whatever they could find where they were holed up, then boiled it until it was good and filling. The hot food in their bellies helped them stay warm even at high altitudes and allowed them to stand their ground against the northwestern invaders.

Soon it became tradition for troops to share a hotpot the night before battle, and a rich variety of hearty broths and stews developed from there, as these were simple to make from scraps and could be reheated easily. The practice became so popular, the Mudwings kept doing it even during peacetime. Soon, in addition to the hunting of prey animals that was commonplace, Mudwings began to cultivate vegetable gardens to have access to a more stable supply of ingredients. Eventually, their growing understanding of agriculture allowed them to grow rice, which was especially well-suited to the abundance of wetlands found in their territory. Everyone was cooking now.

The Role of Food in Mudwing Society

If you ask several Mudwings which core values represent their tribe best, many would likely put forward some variation of “camaraderie”, “family”, or “loyalty to your sibs”. They are a very social people who form deep bonds with those whom they grew up with, and one of the most direct ways to grow close to someone is to share your meals with them every day. As such, the preparation and consumption of food is a vital part in maintaining cohesion between members of a Mudwing sibling group.

Every one of these groups will have a “Bigwings”, which is understood to be a combination of a leader and caretaker role. The Bigwings is aware of all of their sibs’ culinary preferences and needs and has all of the troop’s recipes memorized. When mealtime approaches, he or she makes the call on what kind of dish will be prepared and delegates roles and tasks to the troop. This is a daily exercise that builds the Bigwings’ authority and communication skills, and reinforces trust and familiarity between all siblings.

Next to the Bigwings is the Gatherer, which historically was a role assigned to one or more troop members who foraged for wild vegetables or hunted more prey if the previous communal hunt did not yield enough. While this is still true today, many Gatherers also maintain a garden or wet patch to source fresh vegetables or grain for meals.

And lastly there is the Communicator, which is a role usually assigned to the most social and charismatic sibling. The Communicator is vital for coordinating battle strategies with other troops, which, while very important, is not really all that relevant for this deliberation. What is relevant however, is the role they fulfill during peacetime, which is to set up joint meals between two or more sibling groups. This practice is critical for maintaining morale, as doing this regularly helps expand the troop’s palette and keep their Bigwings inspired. That way the troop’s collection of recipes stays fresh and innovative instead of turning stale and rigid.

Of course how much each troop values culinary exploits varies between individuals. Some Mudwing groups are outspokenly passionate about cooking and advancing their craft. They might view their work as an expression of art and get very upset or offended if you indicate that thinking about food is unimportant or a waste of time. Some extreme cases may even get angry at you if you waste ingredients or refuse to elevate a dish to its fullest potential by not seasoning it well or doing something else to ruin it. Other groups may be more relaxed and casual about food preparation, and a few might even not think about it much at all.

If a Mudwing invites you to dinner, it is paramount to figure out which of these groups they belong to beforehand, so you may get an understanding of how much of a threat this outing may pose to your health, especially if you are an Icewing or Seawing with a limited palate.

Is there any evidence for this in the books?

To my knowledge, there isn't much. Mostly because there isn't much about Mudwings and their culture in general. Across all the books, only one of them has a Mudwing protagonist, and the vast majority of it is spent in the Sky Kingdom, so his roots don't get a lot of exposure. Then whenever another Mudwing comes into the story, they tend to exit it very quickly after, without being able to share more.

I made this theory for myself largely in response to Mudwing culture being such a big question mark. I initially came up with it when I saw a Mudwing gardener in Escaping Peril and thought "That could be a cool direction for the tribe." The guidebook that released recently gave me some additional pointers with regards to a few of the looser points of this theory.

I'm hoping it is interesting, or at the very least entertaining in some way.

DnD character I've been playing in a recent campaign!

Loxen Arngrim on Toyhouse

Some Art Fight attacks from this year!

Characters belong to xX_Tortoiseshell_Xx, incowheerynt, and Galon on Art Fight

Some recent Pokémon oc's I've designed! First one is a fusion of my 4 favorite Pokémon, Flygon, Scolipede, Rayquaza, and Leafeon. Second one is a Flygon and substitute doll fusion.

[Start ID: The first image is a digital drawing of a character reference for Viridian, a Pokémon fusion character of the Pokémon Flygon, Scolipede. Rayquaza, and Leafeon. They have features from all four Pokémon. They are bipedal and have a dragon like build similar to Flygon, with front arms, two pairs of wings, and a long tail. They have red visors over their eyes like Flygon, antennae like scolipede, and head fins like rayquaza. Their neck and body is segmented like a bug like scolipede, their underbelly is a dark gray, the segments are green with red circle markings. Their wings are rhombus shaped and have a red rhombus marking in the middle, the tips of the wings become leaf like. Their tail is a gradient from teal to tan yellow with gray stripes and red fins and a tail fin similar in design to the wings. At the top of the drawing is text that says "Viridian, Flygon x Scolipede x Rayquaza x Leafeon". Underneath the text is symbols for their type, a purple dragon type symbol, a green grass type symbol, and a yellow green bug type symbol. At the bottom of the piece is a rectangle with the color pallet for the design. There is a watermark with the username "TheCraftyDragonC". The background is a mottled dull green. The Second image is a digital drawing of a character reference for Comfy, a Pokémon fusion character of Flygon and the Whimsicott substitute doll. Their body shape is very similar to Flygon, a bipedal dragon with front arms, a pair of wings, and a long tail with three fins at the end. They have a monochrome green color pallet, most of the body being a medium light green with darker green and cream accents. They are very fluff and have tufts of fur sticking out in places. They have a teal visor over their eyes, which are squinted closed. The top of the image has text which says "Comfy, Dragon/???, only move is substitute". Beneath the text is a color pallet for the design. At the bottom right is a watermark with the username "TheCraftyDragonC". The background is a gray green with lighter fluffy accent shapes. End ID]

Oh how I love this fandom

in another Hoenn...

Hi Tumblr, I have no idea how to use this site but I'll do my best.

I have some new free to use dragon bases up on my Ko-fi, as well as all of my previous bases from DeviantArt!

Ko-fi

Visit TheCraftyDragonC's Ko-fi Shop!

I've opened a Ko-fi shop. Come take a look!

Secret Santa gift I drew for a friend!