Post by: wavewright62 on December 01, 2021, 02:02:52 AM
The Forum Advent Calendar 2021
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| 21 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.120msg187013#msg187013)o | 19 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.105msg186975#msg186975)o | 2 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.msg186613#msg186613)oo | 13 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.75msg186856#msg186856)o | 24 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.135msg187063#msg187063)o | 15 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.90msg186908#msg186908)o |
| 5 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.30msg186684#msg186684)oo | 12 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.75msg186837#msg186837)o | 16 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.90msg186929#msg186929)o | 7 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.45msg186735#msg186735)o | 23 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.135msg187046#msg187046)o | 18 (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=1276.105msg186962#msg186962)o |
It has become an annual tradition here on the Forum to construct an Advent Calendar of fanworks in various media, originally based on Minna Sundberg's webcomics, but now an overall celebration of what we as a community love.
Each day from 1 through 24 December, a fanwork treat will be added to this thread, with the grid above becoming live with links to the post as the month progresses. Many of our finest artists and writers are preparing works for our delight, with many focusing on a festive theme. We will also be featuring some classics from calendars past.
The (general) target time to reveal each new work will be in the wee hours of Official Fan Forum time.
:squirrelcookie: :sigrun: :mikkel: :reynir: :emil: :tuuri: :lalli: :onni: :squirrelcookie:
Oh, what the hey, let's throw some snow (https://ssssforum.com/thingies/confetti.html) for you Northern Hemisphere folks to get in the mood!
Post by: wavewright62 on December 01, 2021, 02:52:42 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/olj7GB6.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: Róisín on December 01, 2021, 03:48:51 AM
Post by: catbirds on December 01, 2021, 04:21:13 AM
Post by: moredhel on December 01, 2021, 05:45:19 AM
Post by: tehta on December 01, 2021, 06:12:17 AM
Post by: Keep Looking on December 01, 2021, 06:28:10 AM
Post by: JoB on December 01, 2021, 06:33:52 AM
Post by: Alkia on December 01, 2021, 08:11:43 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on December 01, 2021, 09:23:15 AM
(And thank you so much, Wave, for organizing this!)
Post by: Jitter on December 01, 2021, 09:47:39 AM
Post by: midwestmutt on December 01, 2021, 10:29:09 AM
Post by: Buteo on December 01, 2021, 09:58:18 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 02, 2021, 02:01:44 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/ZxZICxC.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: Jitter on December 02, 2021, 03:26:19 AM
Post by: Róisín on December 02, 2021, 05:19:43 AM
Post by: moredhel on December 02, 2021, 10:15:16 AM
Post by: tehta on December 02, 2021, 01:30:32 PM
It's an omen... for how much troll-blood will be shed.
I miss Kickass Sigrun.
Post by: Alkia on December 02, 2021, 07:58:42 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 03, 2021, 02:21:12 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/QPzo8sd.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: moredhel on December 03, 2021, 04:30:54 AM
Post by: catbirds on December 03, 2021, 04:55:38 AM
Post by: JoB on December 03, 2021, 05:33:15 AM
Woahhh... cool. Can we really find these constellations?Well, Jitter did state what current (Western) constellations they correspond to.
My copy of Stellarium (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellarium_(software)) doesn't list the stated names in the "Old Norse (https://digitaliseducation.com/resources-norse.html)" or "Sami" "star sagas" (that I can switch to instead of "Western"), though. (I have to admit that they're far less crowded than "Western", and also officially labeled as being incomplete.)
Post by: Jitter on December 03, 2021, 07:09:55 AM
Woahhh... cool. Can we really find these constellations?
Oh yeah, I drew them on top of an actual star map (for my area i.e. southern Finland) so they should be reasonably correct. Orion is easy to see when he’s up, as is Cassiopeia, the others are probably easier to find if you have a live map at the beginning. The Swan is quite obvious too at least here in the autumn. You’ll soon learn to recognize the brightest ones and then it’s easier to navigate.
My star map is here, if you have location on it should show your area: https://www.ursa.fi/taivaalla/tahtikartta/
Or you can give it the location and time. This has the compass directions as well as the constellation names in Finnish though, you’ll probably find a version for yourself by googling for star map.
Note however that all of these may not be visible at the same time - I chose which ones I wanted to draw and looked for a time for each when they are nicely visible (on the map) and thus easy to draw. The ones that are in the same picture are in proper relation to each other for the moment I used, so they are fairly close by on the sky.
If you don’t have proper darkness, many of the stars are only visible in brightest nights. On the other hand if you get to properly black skies, there are so many stars that it may be hard to tell which is which :) Lumi and the other Hotakainens would have very black skies and they will see how the Swan flies along the Birds’ Path.
Post by: tehta on December 03, 2021, 08:02:19 AM
I do agree that the Swan and the Souls are the best. My only complaint is as follows: the scout is very clearly visible. Or is that just the scout's eye, shining in the dark?
Post by: Jitter on December 03, 2021, 08:42:01 AM
I suppose the scout is just about to cast as spell on the Troll, no?
Catbirds, one more thing is of course where you are on the planet. Some, such as Mr Orion here, are visible everywhere (although obviously not every night), while others are confined either to the North or the South.
Post by: Alkia on December 03, 2021, 06:46:25 PM
Post by: Keep Looking on December 03, 2021, 10:49:11 PM
Post by: catbirds on December 04, 2021, 12:00:22 AM
Oh yeah, I drew them on top of an actual star map (for my area i.e. southern Finland) so they should be reasonably correct. Orion is easy to see when he’s up, as is Cassiopeia, the others are probably easier to find if you have a live map at the beginning. The Swan is quite obvious too at least here in the autumn. You’ll soon learn to recognize the brightest ones and then it’s easier to navigate.
My star map is here, if you have location on it should show your area: https://www.ursa.fi/taivaalla/tahtikartta/
Ohhhh... I see! I'm a pretty terrible stargazer, honestly, so I thought they were totally different ones with just a few familiar ones like Orion. I thought these constellations were just totally different ones from the ones we generally see in western culture :P It does make me wonder if Finns ever came up with other constellations, though. Since the bird's path is a thing, other stories tied to stars would fit right in.
Post by: wavewright62 on December 04, 2021, 03:21:53 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/agUGGi3.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: Keep Looking on December 04, 2021, 04:04:09 AM
Post by: tehta on December 04, 2021, 05:47:49 AM
Post by: JoB on December 04, 2021, 06:06:03 AM
That sounds like a lovely tradition, Moredhel! Especially as I'm quite a fan of flowers. And your painting is very pretty.Seconded, though I lean a little bit more towards the official patronages (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Barbara) of the namesake. 8)
Post by: catbirds on December 04, 2021, 06:10:45 AM
Also, JoB, that article sure raises a few eyebrows.
Post by: moredhel on December 04, 2021, 08:26:32 AM
(https://moredhel.is-a-geek.net/bazw01.jpg)
That's an awesome orange you choose for the wall.
I just wanted to test what shade of orange I can mix with the ochre paint and the venetian red paint I made.
Post by: Alkia on December 04, 2021, 01:00:11 PM
Post by: Jitter on December 04, 2021, 04:27:45 PM
Catbirds, the buds for next year’s bloom develop in the preceding summer for many plants. Taking them inside to warmth after they have already been cold enough to consider it winter, the branches are fooled to “think” it’s spring so they bloom. Some other plants develop the flowers in the same summer’s growth, so it doesn’t work with all bushes.
A little further about the stars if you are interested:
Spoiler: show
Post by: wavewright62 on December 05, 2021, 02:47:13 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/H7HWzTG.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: Jitter on December 05, 2021, 03:07:05 AM
Wave, he’s great! I like the relaxed atmosphere! And his magnificent nose, obviously.
Post by: tehta on December 05, 2021, 04:23:29 AM
When I was a small child, we had a family tradition of my grandfather sneaking away from Christmas Eve dinner, and returning disguised as Santa. And, much like Mikkel, my grandpa was a huge troll, and would pretend to mix up the gifts in weird ways, and sneak in some coal/switches for the naughty recipients.
I wonder, though: is that another of his jobs, and why does he get fired from that one?
Post by: Keep Looking on December 05, 2021, 06:24:17 AM
Post by: moredhel on December 05, 2021, 07:35:11 AM
That's an excellent drawing! And very fitting for Mikkel.absolutely seconding this
Post by: Vulpes on December 05, 2021, 04:05:21 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 05, 2021, 08:32:43 PM
The colouring did not come out / photograph well, but I did save a clean lineart copy, that I may colour digitally later.
Post by: wavewright62 on December 06, 2021, 02:58:45 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/xpgM8TK.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: moredhel on December 06, 2021, 04:20:56 AM
Post by: tehta on December 06, 2021, 04:33:35 AM
...but what did Emil do to deserve this?
Post by: Jitter on December 06, 2021, 06:40:30 AM
I was also wondering, is it Emil who is getting the sticks, or is it Lalli and Emil is just upset for him? What did they do? Now, let me see, what could it have been? Lalli, certainly you haven’t been running away from the team when you shouldn’t have? Emil, try to keep unplanned setting buildings on fire to a minimum, would you dear?
Citrus fruits would likely be considered gifts in Y90+ too, especially outside of Iceland. Except maybe by Sigrun, who doesn’t appreciate mandarins.
BTW in Finnish too Santa will supposedly bring twigs to children who have been bad. I have just assumed it’s something a child is not expected to like, but now that you explained the roots for it in Central European tradition, I wonder if it’s the same here. I haven’t seen it ever put to practice though, it’s more of a verbal threat, start behaving or you’ll get twigs for Christmas!
Post by: tehta on December 06, 2021, 07:19:40 AM
Post by: JoB on December 06, 2021, 08:44:57 AM
As I mentioned in my reply to yesterday's post, we have the twig tradition in Poland too, and my grandpa found it hilarious to participate (he used willow switches, though, which are more whippy).The original German version (Knecht Ruprecht mit der Rute), too. Though I'm under the impression that we're slowly switching to lumps of coal as an alternative. I guess it might have to do with recent (in the timeframes that give rise to traditions) economic realities ...
(https://cdn.prod.www.spiegel.de/images/611b46ca-0001-0004-0000-000001377390_w1528_r1.5_fpx44_fpy50.jpg)
Post by: Jitter on December 06, 2021, 09:17:12 AM
Post by: tehta on December 06, 2021, 10:29:10 AM
Post by: Mirasol on December 06, 2021, 11:55:09 AM
All the contributions so far have been lovely, both the new ones and the old gems! I´m looking foreward to how this continues! :))
Post by: wavewright62 on December 07, 2021, 02:57:21 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/OWx6ubR.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
The Book and the Brush 
Post by: moredhel on December 07, 2021, 06:51:08 AM
Post by: Róisín on December 07, 2021, 06:52:46 AM
Post by: Keep Looking on December 07, 2021, 07:50:55 AM
Post by: Jitter on December 07, 2021, 10:44:34 AM
Now I wish someone would draw Emil with his hair clipped short to "vaguely yellow", holding the brush, deciding what face to make.
Post by: moredhel on December 07, 2021, 10:53:02 AM
(https://moredhel.is-a-geek.net/constellations.png)
Post by: Jitter on December 07, 2021, 12:30:54 PM
Tuuribird ( <3 <3 <3) gets to carry Vega, which is one of the brightest stars in our sky, and otherwise interesting too! It’s brightness is largely due to its relative proximity to Sun at 25 light years (or 7.7 parsecs). Deneb, the brightest star of the Swan is conversely extremely powerful and is located a staggering 2615 light years from us, making it the farthest one on the list of brightest stars, which on Wikipedia is 92 stars long.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega
Post by: Keep Looking on December 07, 2021, 09:43:32 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 08, 2021, 02:11:33 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/NQv6gVm.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: moredhel on December 08, 2021, 06:05:18 AM
Post by: tehta on December 08, 2021, 09:13:15 AM
Post by: Róisín on December 08, 2021, 09:34:34 AM
Post by: Vulpes on December 08, 2021, 09:48:03 AM
Post by: Jitter on December 08, 2021, 10:38:27 AM
I would like to discuss what are used as “all the things she needed” in this case, but I expect not everyone would find the subject festive :) In any case I enjoy seeing menstruation used as a theme like any other, and in this case heralding a change for the better (here I’m assuming Ensi was happy to be a noita)! Thank you for that, grey!
Post by: thegreyarea on December 08, 2021, 01:08:49 PM
So, after delivering my story (many thanks for the proofreading, Wave!) I found some time to go back and enjoy those previous contributions. I'll put my comments under spoilers just because they are a bit long.
Spoiler: show
Also, all that Emil-Lalli interaction is absolutely delicious! Jitter and Róisin, I also thought it would be interesting to connect both things: the awakening of Ensi's magical powers and the coming of her menarche. One of the (perhaps the most) fascinating things about the Saimaa floating town setting would be how young Ensi discovered and dealt with her magic, and, later, other's magic too. It occurred to me that the gods would wait for a turning point to give their gift (if the gos are the ones that grant the magic. There would be other options, of course).
But what better turning point on the life of a young woman than her first period?
I'm sure that if we search it would be easy to find traditions that connect that moment with changes, including magical ones.
So I decided to go that way, but very carefully because I don't have the personal experience...
As for the "things she needed", I was in doubt if they would still have sanitary pads after 12 years, so I chose not to specify. :) I also recalled a comment from Róisin, a long time ago, about the things they used when away from the more "civilized" solutions, so I'm sure she would be the best person to explain.
Post by: thegreyarea on December 08, 2021, 01:31:51 PM
Spoiler: show
Post by: catbirds on December 09, 2021, 01:33:46 AM
Wave, that's a neat portrait of Mikkel! I love the goblet and the flower crown, it makes him look like an old painting of a king.
I remember seeing helia's yarn crew somewhere! They're probably still celebrating the holidays as we speak, wherever they are... Jitter, to be fair, Sigrun does say mandarins taste like oranges that killed themselves, but never elaborates to say whether or not that's a bad thing, flavour-wise.
tehta, that's such a cute story! I love the sense of domesticity at the beginning and how they plan to move to a better house at the end.
Grey, I love that this story takes place not too long after the rash became a thing! The transition period is so interesting to me... I mean, it probably wasn't fun all the time, but seeing how they celebrate at the time is heartwarming.
Catbirds, the buds for next year’s bloom develop in the preceding summer for many plants. Taking them inside to warmth after they have already been cold enough to consider it winter, the branches are fooled to “think” it’s spring so they bloom. Some other plants develop the flowers in the same summer’s growth, so it doesn’t work with all bushes.
Ooh, that's cool! It's been going on for a while where I live because the winter gets interrupted by warm weather somewhat frequently, so I've seen it in action, but I've been unaware of how it really worked.
I'm interested in learning more about stars! Thanks for the extra information. I don't know where to start, though, since it's all in Finnish. Either way, this star chart makes much more sense when considering it's from the perspective of Y90 survivors. I think they might just go with whatever was more familiar to more of the populace. As it relates to the way society re-formed after the initial spread of the rash, my guess is that a lot of the systems they built society on are the same as the ones we have today, so it makes sense that they'd have the same constellations.
Post by: wavewright62 on December 09, 2021, 03:27:29 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/tSU9mXi.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: moredhel on December 09, 2021, 05:50:47 AM
Post by: Róisín on December 09, 2021, 09:08:58 AM
Post by: Jitter on December 09, 2021, 03:53:24 PM
Catbirds, here’s a cool star map / chart I found: https://www.heavens-above.com/skychart2.aspx?lat=51.4934&lng=0.0098&loc=Greenwich&alt=0&tz=GMT
You can put in your location in various ways, incluiding choosing on a map, on the upper right corner. Under the chart ylu can click on or off names and lines, so you can use it to learn to recognize the constellations without the lines :)
Post by: thegreyarea on December 09, 2021, 06:22:53 PM
Temteno's work is graphically very strong. Lines, colours and that background play together in a very professional way. And it's funny! :)
Jitter, thanks for the star chart! Looks fine! I'll try their mobile app later.
Catbirds, thanks! I'm sure those were very interesting times (particularly for we, readers, safely sitting behind the fouth wall... ;) ), and I'm willing to write more stories on this setting, probably revolving around young Ensi and her way to deal with magic, but also involving the ways those survivors found to live. There's this difference in worldview between people that grew after the rash and the "olders", that would be carrying the weight of their losses and trying to adapt, that I would like to explore.
Post by: wavewright62 on December 10, 2021, 02:27:46 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/20gr8Vl.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: Jitter on December 10, 2021, 01:38:21 PM
Post by: Mirasol on December 10, 2021, 01:41:35 PM
tehta, what a sweet story! I don´t know the original, but it really does fit Emil and Lalli so well!
moredhel, your interpretations of the star-signs are so beautiful! (And Tuuri got one! <3 )
Grey, a revisit of the floating city! I still love the concept, and I loved your story! Especially the description of the light-bathed boats. The mental image alone is stunning! XoX :sparkle:
I remember seeing the two works of Noodles and Temteno in one of the previous calendars. They´re both such fun (and accurate *side-eyes siblings*) depictions of baking! :'D I enjoy both of them a lot!
And KeepLooking, your poem is wonderfully bittersweet! Hehe, I do know the feeling of finding it difficult to grasp that whenever it´s cold here there´s parts of the world where it´s summer. :'D
Post by: moredhel on December 10, 2021, 05:35:41 PM
sure got tuuri one. as I turned the image around to fit the swan, it sponataneously looked like tuuri bird to me.
moredhel, your interpretations of the star-signs are so beautiful! (And Tuuri got one! <3 )
Post by: wavewright62 on December 11, 2021, 02:38:17 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/ZNRGNH8.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: wavewright62 on December 11, 2021, 02:51:02 AM
My target is to share with you all on Christmas Eve as the finale of this Calendar. (I know, kills the suspense, but I think you'll be pleased anyway.)
Post by: tehta on December 11, 2021, 07:21:11 AM
But now I am here to comment on everything...
wavewright: I am sorry to say that your picture makes me sad. The luck didn't help her... (Or is this an AU where it did?)
Keep Looking: I absolutely love the poem. Excellent rhythm and rhyme scheme. And there's some great imagery: you really capture the feel of both winter and summer. I think my favourite part is the middle one, with the ssss reference and the sounds of summer.
Noodles/Temteno: Having just baked four types of cookies myself, assisted by 'never-bake' friends, I have full sympathy for all baking disasters.
grey: My comment on your story was rushed for the forementioned reasons, but I really liked the way the different parts of Ensi's story was tied together by the theme of her learning new things: learning new facts/opinions, learning self-control, and of course learning more about her capabilities. And about the nature of the world she lives in, even.
And thanks to everyone who commented on The Book and the Brush. Especially, who called out specific moments. Nothing more satisfying for a writer...
Post by: moredhel on December 11, 2021, 07:42:00 AM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 12, 2021, 02:48:51 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/RMfb3cD.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: thegreyarea on December 12, 2021, 02:30:20 PM
The small drawings are very funny too! I always wanted to see Emil's pyromaniac side... :emil:
Tehta, thanks for the feedback! I'm very glad that you liked it, hopefully as much as I liked your (brilliant) story!
Wave, another great idea! Count me in for the portraits!
Post by: moredhel on December 12, 2021, 02:36:39 PM
Post by: Jitter on December 12, 2021, 05:00:59 PM
Like several times before, here's some botany:
Spoiler: show
Sweetness from Antillanka :tuuri: <3 :reynir:
Post by: wavewright62 on December 13, 2021, 03:24:56 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/iHtXBAu.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: tehta on December 13, 2021, 03:25:23 PM
I also like the nighttime forest mood. Very cozy!
Post by: Jitter on December 13, 2021, 04:16:55 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 14, 2021, 02:07:19 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/t4ZSYSZ.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: Jitter on December 14, 2021, 06:02:47 AM
Post by: Keep Looking on December 14, 2021, 08:30:43 AM
Wave, your contribution definitely gave me a laugh, and I love Clayres' scene (especially with the description! alas for poor Mikkel's illustrious cooking career, cruelly denied. and alas for the wasted boar.). Gwenno, that's a beautiful cat!
Post by: moredhel on December 14, 2021, 09:44:12 AM
Post by: Vulpes on December 14, 2021, 02:36:08 PM
I'm enjoying the mix of old and new! Some of the older stuff I've recognized, some I'd either missed or forgotten - probably the latter.
Post by: wavewright62 on December 15, 2021, 02:44:26 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/LW0pVDi.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: Jitter on December 15, 2021, 05:43:13 AM
Post by: tehta on December 15, 2021, 09:26:55 AM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 16, 2021, 03:52:14 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/isW9Zzz.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: tehta on December 16, 2021, 06:01:36 AM
Post by: Keep Looking on December 16, 2021, 08:16:59 AM
Post by: Sol on December 16, 2021, 02:58:14 PM
Post by: Jitter on December 16, 2021, 03:15:20 PM
Thank you again, @Purple Wyrm for this gem!
Post by: moredhel on December 16, 2021, 03:42:17 PM
Post by: Róisín on December 16, 2021, 06:02:47 PM
Post by: midwestmutt on December 16, 2021, 07:54:29 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 17, 2021, 04:07:55 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/4loidfB.png)
Spoiler: Open the door • show
Post by: tehta on December 17, 2021, 02:18:16 PM
And then, the theme of hope despite the Rash continues...
Post by: Jitter on December 17, 2021, 03:41:14 PM
Thank you for this.
Post by: wavewright62 on December 18, 2021, 02:35:27 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/jn6NiGR.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: Jitter on December 18, 2021, 05:30:32 AM
Funny also how my immediate interpretation is that Emil is looking at his phone, even though it is his bowl and the direction of his gaze is not shown. I guess I see a lot of boys looking at phones…
Post by: JoB on December 18, 2021, 08:01:31 AM
But who are those between Mama Bear and one of the cubs? One notoro and?Looks like Spider-Dog, complete with partly-everted rib legs, to me.
We had sort of a company get-together yesterday evening (partly by remote-ing), so I have a fresh impression of what "reminisceing times gone by" by people meeting "at work" is likely to look like. There was an awful lot of remembering the most embarrassing moments of absent ex-cow-orkers going on. (Plus a rather sluggish token round of "well, everyone, take turns to tell us about the most embarrassing moment you provided".)
... so, I'd guess that this here party compares notes about Onni, the Quartet, Pastor Anne, other Y0 people, and maybe the Danish Army visiting Kastrup ...
Post by: wavewright62 on December 19, 2021, 04:00:31 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/9fBdnO7.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: moredhel on December 19, 2021, 05:31:39 AM
Post by: Vulpes on December 19, 2021, 09:01:12 AM
Post by: Jitter on December 19, 2021, 01:14:16 PM
I very much enjoyed the way you described Ensi’s awakening powers, the seeing of all cats as well the way she had drawn her Haven and dream clothes. And I have to wonder, who is in the next Haven? Will she know? Will we?
Post by: thegreyarea on December 19, 2021, 07:24:32 PM
Under spoiler to avoid clogging the thread
Spoiler: show
Post by: wavewright62 on December 20, 2021, 02:14:53 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/rIeFirE.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: Jitter on December 20, 2021, 05:50:04 AM
Do the pictures on the cards represent the message, or has it become a fad to have postcards mad of yourself? Or are they Reynir’s drawings for his friends? (Coming to think of it, Onni probably is not in a photo, what with the lighspear).
Post by: tehta on December 20, 2021, 06:07:47 AM
Alkia: I do like the style of the drawing, and the colour scheme conveys the flicker of the firelight so well. And I totally recognized spiderdog, ha.
grey: Ooh, the plot thickens. The whole question of how the first mages figured out what was going on is very, very interesting. I loved seeing Ensi's haven and haven-outfit for the first time (through her eyes), finding out how it all came from her imagination, and getting a glimpse of the dangers. I am also intrigued by the panther, which seems more like Reynir's fylgja than anything.
catbirds: This is a very fitting scene, and I love all the little drawings Reynir hopes to send. Which were of course drawn by you, so: well done. (Although Lalli looking happy next to a sheep seems a little out-of-character. Wishful thinking for Reynir, I suppose.)
Post by: JoB on December 20, 2021, 09:00:21 AM
has it become a fad to have postcards mad of yourself?Well, if the cards are to go all the distance to the recipient, they might well need a bit of motivation to do so ...
Post by: moredhel on December 20, 2021, 09:33:28 AM
Post by: catbirds on December 20, 2021, 02:32:07 PM
(Although Lalli looking happy next to a sheep seems a little out-of-character. Wishful thinking for Reynir, I suppose.)
There was a scene at the beginning of adventure 2 where Lalli hangs out on a mountain, but I don't know how Reynir would've been aware of that! Maybe he can do some clairvoyance-ing through sheep or something. (kidding)
I based the art style vaguely on the ONE instance where we see Reynir's drawing abilities, with all the swirls everywhere, including on the characters' clothes/hair and kitty, where applicable... but they're so small I don't really think they're noticeable >_<
Do the pictures on the cards represent the message, or has it become a fad to have postcards mad of yourself? Or are they Reynir’s drawings for his friends? (Coming to think of it, Onni probably is not in a photo, what with the lighspear).
I thought Onni might've seemed intimidating to Reynir at first, what with his insane strength in dreams, so I tried to make him look a little cartoonishly scary... that's it, maybe I did not succeed or Onni just looks like that normally. Poor guy!
I did not think the actual message through, though. But now that I think of it, if I did, that'd fill up my creative writing quota for the year. :'( Missed opportunities. They're just drawings of friends, however Reynir imagines them while they're far away. He probably spent a lot of his youth imagining the outside world, after all.
Well, if the cards are to go all the distance to the recipient, they might well need a bit of motivation to do so ...
O_O
Hfjklgkf I should probably comment now that I'm here, but I lost track of a few days!! Eeep
Keep, your poems are actually so captivating and pleasing to read! It reminds me of the epics I liked in high school, with the vibrant images of nature. Did you pay attention to the stressed syllables, or were they there coincidentally?
Wave, that's a funny situation for Tuuri to be in! I guess it's time for them to redefine what a Trifolium repens is :( Also, Kitty seems quite happy to be sleeping on paper.
Clayres, I love the way the crew is arranged in a way that looks like you can walk through their campsite! Is Kitty welcoming us? Also, I like the same song... it definitely is perfect for calming down, if not a little too relaxing for get-togethers with my friends.
Gwenno, what a colourful pile of tinsel! The cat seems to like sitting in that, too... funny how they work.
Purple Wyrm's guide: This is funny, but it also definitely could become a thing in-universe! Also, Kitty's very helpful! Curious about why they're debating the existence of magic, though, unless it's just because it's a danish amusement park!
Alkia, the campfire scene looks so dramatic! I'm glad to see everyone together again, even friends from almost... half a decade ago now! Yay :)
Grey, I love the second part of your little series on Ensi! I hope you continue it! You did a great job at capturing the uncertainty and confusion Ensi would've felt as a child born on the cusp of the rash.
Post by: Vulpes on December 20, 2021, 04:39:58 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 21, 2021, 03:05:35 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/zp2UDMv.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: Vulpes on December 21, 2021, 03:17:37 PM
Great parallels with our current situation... I do hope covid doesn't get as bad as the rash disease!
Post by: Jitter on December 21, 2021, 03:33:00 PM
All the deaths and whatnots were bad, but the worst threat to date is the looming booze-less celebration! We need to council immediately! :)
Post by: Róisín on December 21, 2021, 04:16:01 PM
Post by: tehta on December 21, 2021, 05:07:41 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 22, 2021, 03:07:15 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/oskdaVS.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: catbirds on December 22, 2021, 06:40:30 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on December 22, 2021, 11:37:54 AM
Tehta, this is extraordinaire! Congratulations! I think this will get me entertained for a while, trying to find what can happen! Loved it! <3
Post by: moredhel on December 22, 2021, 12:13:03 PM
Post by: Jitter on December 22, 2021, 12:56:09 PM
It’s great, thank you tehta!
Post by: catbirds on December 22, 2021, 02:15:15 PM
Oh the best ending is very evident, if you don’t know whether you have reached it, you haven’t :) I may have played it “a few” times.
It’s great, thank you tehta!
Spoiler: show
Post by: Jitter on December 22, 2021, 04:19:47 PM
Post by: tehta on December 22, 2021, 06:40:52 PM
Spoiler: show
Oh catbirds, I hope you are not too disappointed.
Spoiler: show
Post by: Róisín on December 22, 2021, 07:38:10 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 23, 2021, 03:02:15 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/MdYoNGu.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
Post by: Keep Looking on December 23, 2021, 06:53:28 AM
Grey, the second part to your story was very compelling and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Catbirds, your artwork is lovely!! The light from the window, and Reynir's sleeping face, and all the little doodles and details make it really wonderful.
Róisín, your writing is wonderful as always - you get a real sense for the people and place and attitudes within it! As another Australian, I always enjoy reading your fics about the rash in our country.
Tehta, wow! Your game is really fun and engaging - it took me quite a few passes to get a non-meh ending! And all the different writing for all these different results - just wow!
Jitter, what a beautiful poem! While I don't speak a lick of Finnish, I enjoyed reading the Finnish version just to get a sense of the rhythms and sounds of the poem (which I feel are a very important part).
Keep, your poems are actually so captivating and pleasing to read! It reminds me of the epics I liked in high school, with the vibrant images of nature. Did you pay attention to the stressed syllables, or were they there coincidentally?
I very much do pay attention to the stressed syllables! This poem is a sonnet, so it's very important that it's in iambic pentameter (five unstressed/stressed syllable pairs per line) - otherwise it loses what makes it a sonnet, y'know? But once you're used to writing within a certain meter, the rhythm often comes quite naturally to you. My mother's a poet, so I grew up having a lot of poetry read to me, which is probably why the rhythm of it comes easier to me than it does to a lot of other people.
Meter is very important in a lot of epic poetry, because epic poems were created in order to pass long stories through spoken form - it's far easier to remember and recite something when it has a rhythm, and also means you can put music to it! So it's no surprise that the rhythm in my poetry reminds you of the epics. A lot of modern free-verse poetry doesn't have so much emphasis on rhyme schemes or rhythmic meter, because it's not so much written to be sung or recited, but to be read on a page or spoken out loud in a different kind of performative manner - breaking from rhythmic regularity allows you to bring more emphasis to certain words and phrases - isolating them, stressing them more, breaking the normal pattern of speech, and thus adding to the meaning of the poem. Each type of poetic writing has its own value!
Post by: tehta on December 23, 2021, 04:09:54 PM
If I were winter, I would surely reward such a composition, and come sooner.
Spoiler: show
Post by: lwise on December 23, 2021, 06:29:35 PM
Post by: tehta on December 23, 2021, 07:08:14 PM
Spoiler: show
Post by: lwise on December 23, 2021, 08:07:18 PM
In case you're still stuck and want a hintSpoiler: show
I did have Onni decorate; that's how I got four. I will have to try switching up some other people.
Post by: Jitter on December 23, 2021, 08:15:22 PM
Post by: lwise on December 23, 2021, 09:05:57 PM
Zero elements of Yuletide cheer!
Is it possible to get zero elements PLUS five injuries? So far the best I've done on injuries is five injuries and three elements.
Post by: tehta on December 23, 2021, 09:32:22 PM
"You have accumulated zero elements of Yuletide cheer, which is awful, while allowing four injuries to occur on your watch, which is terrible."
Zero elements of Yuletide cheer!
Is it possible to get zero elements PLUS five injuries? So far the best I've done on injuries is five injuries and three elements.
I am not 100% sure anymore, since I tweaked a few things recently (like making the acorns festive), but no, I don't think so. To get zero you need some of the depressing outcomes that remove some cheer, and those don't tend to coincide with injuries.
Post by: wavewright62 on December 24, 2021, 02:51:35 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/AIEE6lU.png)
Spoiler: open the door • show
This concludes our Advent Calendar for the year 2021, and WHAT a year it has been! Thank you all for being on this ride with us.
Thanks go out to our contributors: skranken, alkia, thegreyarea, Jitter, catbirds, Keep Looking, Róisín, Clayres, moredhel, and Gwenno! Some of you contributed twice, you're spectacular.
I want to single out tehta for a special mention, coming up with two contributions, one of which is that game that keeps on giving! I have not gotten through all the combos of players, but my hat is off to you for the whole construction!
Post by: wavewright62 on December 24, 2021, 02:54:04 AM
Spoiler: first row • show
Spoiler: 2nd row • show
Spoiler: 3rd row • show
Spoiler: 4th row • show
Spoiler: bottom row • show
Post by: thegreyarea on December 24, 2021, 06:03:22 AM
This is amazing! I'll have to make a list to properly comment all this!
Meanwhile many thanks to our extraordinaire promoter, organizer and contributor Wave! You are awesome!
<3 <3 <3
Post by: Jitter on December 24, 2021, 06:06:57 AM
And, thank you Wave for setting up the Advent Calendar once again. It’s been a delight, like always!
The fandom goes on to 2022 and beyond!
Post by: Lenny on December 24, 2021, 07:51:49 AM
Merry Christmas Eve and happy holidays everyone!<3
Post by: moredhel on December 24, 2021, 10:58:26 AM
I've been following along in the background, and this advent calendar has been super fun and added some wonderful holiday cheer to my December!<3 Thank you to everyone who contributed and Wavewright for organising it<3
Merry Christmas Eve and happy holidays everyone!<3
a big thanks from me to all who participated and to wavewright.
Post by: midwestmutt on December 24, 2021, 02:17:22 PM
Post by: tehta on December 24, 2021, 02:41:08 PM
- There are so many cool portraits that it would take all day to properly comment on them all! Maybe I will try later, but no promises.
- And I would like to thank Wavewright for organizing this awesome event, and letting us see so many cool works, both old and new.
Post by: Jitter on December 24, 2021, 05:10:40 PM
Post by: Vulpes on December 24, 2021, 06:17:13 PM
Post by: wavewright62 on December 24, 2021, 08:21:26 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/boh831z.png)
Post by: Keep Looking on December 25, 2021, 12:41:53 AM
Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the advent calendar, and for Wave especially for organising it all! Father Christmas Mikkel in all his full-colour magnificence truly has smiled upon us all.
Post by: Róisín on December 25, 2021, 04:08:04 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on December 25, 2021, 08:30:53 AM
Now, one last pic from my series of portraits to cover the whole team:
Spoiler: show
Post by: Jitter on December 25, 2021, 08:52:02 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on December 25, 2021, 02:17:03 PM
Grey, now you have to give out the vignettes for the other portraits too!Ok, challenge accepted! But I'll do just one each day, because I'm quite busy. And I can't promise they will be good... ;)
Meanwhile, let me invite you all to some (short) reading... Together with a delighful illustration!
https://www.tor.com/2021/12/24/i-cthulhu-or-whats-a-tentacle-faced-thing-like-me-doing-in-a-sunken-city-like-this-latitude-47-9′-s-longitude-126-43′-w/#more-626090 (https://www.tor.com/2021/12/24/i-cthulhu-or-whats-a-tentacle-faced-thing-like-me-doing-in-a-sunken-city-like-this-latitude-47-9′-s-longitude-126-43′-w/#more-626090)
Post by: thegreyarea on December 25, 2021, 02:43:47 PM
"You have accumulated seven elements of Yuletide cheer, which is wonderful, while managing to avoid all injury, which is unexpected" and an extra bonus at the end! <3
Post by: wavewright62 on December 25, 2021, 02:49:03 PM
Post by: thegreyarea on December 25, 2021, 08:08:48 PM
Waaaait, *counts* I did leaveTuuri Organa off the compilation?! (That explains why I had an extra slot left over that I couldn't reconcile. :siv:) My apologies, thegreyarea!Don't worry, Wave. No need to apologize. You did an outstanding job on organizing all this, and it's understandable that one portrait, among so many, was left over the table. Actually that gave me the extra time to add the starry background and to write that small text, so thanks! :)
And now to honour my promise to Jitter here goes a text made around another portrait. Note that I wasn't very inspired so I did a lenghier plot adaptation.
Spoiler: show
Post by: Buteo on December 26, 2021, 01:26:15 AM
I will be revisiting these treasures far into the future!
Post by: Róisín on December 26, 2021, 02:15:28 AM
Post by: tehta on December 26, 2021, 07:25:06 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on December 26, 2021, 07:30:48 AM
Spoiler: show
Post by: tehta on December 26, 2021, 07:49:13 AM
Spoiler: show
Post by: thegreyarea on December 26, 2021, 08:20:22 AM
Reynir of Vengerberg! Very amused by the image. If there is any magic user less like Yennefer... But Onni really fits this role, imo, with his laconic speech and his brooding.I'm glad that you like it. :) Yes, Reynir is quite different from Yennefer... but he would look amazing!Spoiler: show
And Onni is indeed perfect for the job.
I must read those books...
Post by: Mirasol on December 29, 2021, 12:23:33 PM
(http://i.imgur.com/7Hf9NOK.png)
But I must mention catbirds´ contribution extra, for hehe, this style of squirrelcookie seems oddly familiar... :squirrelcookie: :'D
All pieces, new and old this year were amazing! You all did great! Thanks Wave for organizing it (and giving me the option to contribute a little something after all :)) )!
(And of course I´m also enjoying those vignetes that are still arriving!)
Post by: thegreyarea on December 29, 2021, 07:00:08 PM
So here goes another one, a bit delayed because I had a project to deliver today.
Spoiler: show
Post by: Jitter on December 29, 2021, 08:47:37 PM
Post by: tehta on December 30, 2021, 05:17:45 AM
Spoiler: show
grey: Hee. So fitting! Sleipnope and the other cursed ghosts really work in this setting.
Post by: Jitter on December 30, 2021, 06:32:11 AM
We used to have a running welcome thing on the Disqus side where newcomers were welcomed by a package delivered by the Mead Moose, including various important items, among which were squirrel cookies and moose mead, but no rum (due to always being gone). It sort of died down with the disillusionment with the Bunny comic. The squirrel cookies of course live on! But the welcoming practice doesn’t. Tehta, you didn’t get yours I believe?
Post by: tehta on December 30, 2021, 09:47:35 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on December 30, 2021, 10:20:44 AM
If I did, the mead must have been extra strong, as I do not remember...I just bumped into the Mead Moose and asked if he remembered. He said no, but was quite drunk... So I asked and he's going to drop by your house later to deliver this:
Spoiler: show
Post by: JoB on December 30, 2021, 11:00:01 AM
If I did, the mead must have been extra strong, as I do not remember...I wonder whether the Mead Moose may have upgraded itself with Amnesia Antlers ...
Post by: wavewright62 on December 30, 2021, 04:23:33 PM
I'm coming up on my 7 year Forumversary, which was within days of my first binge-read of the comic. I was on Disqus then too (already part of the Namesake fandom). Squirrel cookies were distributed in the Forum when someone reached a milestone. The Mead Moose was invented, but Frances' Urgent Socks hadn't been knit yet and the Moose hadn't migrated to individual greetings, so
(cue weepy violin) While I have helped guide the Moose on occasion, I have never received my very own welcome pack.
But enough about me, I agree that Sleipnope and the ghosts work well in this format. I am having a great giggle over grey's crossovers.
Post by: thegreyarea on December 30, 2021, 08:15:08 PM
:squirrelcookie: O:-)Oh my dear Wave! Congratulations for the upcoming Forumversary (hey, I learned a new word!). May we enjoy your company for many more years.
I'm coming up on my 7 year Forumversary, which was within days of my first binge-read of the comic. I was on Disqus then too (already part of the Namesake fandom). Squirrel cookies were distributed in the Forum when someone reached a milestone. The Mead Moose was invented, but Frances' Urgent Socks hadn't been knit yet and the Moose hadn't migrated to individual greetings, so
(cue weepy violin) While I have helped guide the Moose on occasion, I have never received my very own welcome pack.
And now I must tell you a truth that should be told often:
Spoiler: show
FANTASTIC! And there's more:
Spoiler: show
Post by: Keep Looking on December 30, 2021, 09:39:44 PM
Wave, I'll add my batch of squirrel cookies to your anniversary welcome mix! :squirrelcookie: :squirrelcookie: :squirrelcookie: :squirrelcookie: :squirrelcookie:
And here's some for Tehta: :squirrelcookie: :squirrelcookie: :squirrelcookie: :squirrelcookie: :squirrelcookie:
I definitely remember the welcoming on disqus, it was a really lovely thing when it was happening, and I think it was one of the things that really established this fandom as a friendly and welcoming place. I remember when I first started writing comments-section poetry everybody was really lovely and it really encouraged me to keep going. Starting to write poetry again was both very fun and also, later on, would give me some way of expressing myself and processing my emotions and memories when I was going through some pretty bad patches, mental-health-wise, back in 2020 and the early half of 2021. Also, writing poems is fun!
Post by: tehta on December 31, 2021, 07:44:18 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on December 31, 2021, 09:41:18 AM
Grey, Pirate Sigrun is spectacular! I would absolutely join her crew!Hum... but you already did! Maybe you didn't notice...
Please go back there and check. ;)
Post by: thegreyarea on January 01, 2022, 05:54:33 PM
And to start the year here goes another one, where I tried a different style! ;D I hope you enjoy it!
Spoiler: show
Post by: moredhel on January 02, 2022, 11:23:34 AM
(https://moredhel.is-a-geek.net/flowers.jpg)
Post by: tehta on January 02, 2022, 01:05:30 PM
moredhel, thanks for the update! I have been wondering...
Post by: thegreyarea on January 06, 2022, 07:38:22 PM
Spoiler: show
Post by: tehta on January 07, 2022, 05:52:11 AM
Post by: Jitter on January 07, 2022, 07:28:18 AM
Also a minor point, one of the Valar is a Vala.
Post by: thegreyarea on January 07, 2022, 10:04:36 AM
Tehta, I'm quite glad to hit the mark so precisely, and without knowing! Are there many Silm parodies around? Can you suggest one or two?
Jitter, thanks for the correction. I checked the text and tried to find all the points were it happened.
As for Curumo broken promise... I'm not sure, but the guy wasn't the most trustworthy Ainu around, as Gandalf and Radagast would find during the War of The Ring.
I know he carried a grunge against Arnason/Reynir, and perhaps was just trying to show a (false) friendly face while waiting for an opportunity to stab him in the back... Maybe we find out in that next story (I have some ideas, but didn't have time to develop them yet)
Post by: wavewright62 on January 08, 2022, 02:26:51 AM
Post by: thegreyarea on January 08, 2022, 06:12:20 AM
I think this is a first - fandom treats all the way until Orthodox Christmas! Thank you once again to grey for that series.It has been a pleasure! But let's thank Jitter too: She always finds ways to inspire me to make things!
And it may've been the first, but if it's up to me won't be the last. ;D