Author Topic: YoinkTober 2024!  (Read 7427 times)

thegreyarea

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #45 on: October 14, 2024, 08:06:11 AM »
Wow! Excellent works here!!! As usual!

I'll comment later, 'cause now I just have time to drop mine for day 14 - Buried Statue.


NEWS FROM THE SILENT WORLD

TROLL STATUE FOUND AT COPENHAGEN PORT!


Professor Mickelson from Bornholm University, that can be seen giving a thumb up on the picture,
sent us the most recent finding from their Copenhagen expedition, a surprising troll statue found buried
in the sands next to the old port. His team considers that it's from the beginning of the second century.
This statue depicts a troll that developed a long tail, akin to a fish tail, a lot like some trolls detected on
Finnish lakes. However on this one the upper part shows a female body with no visible deformations.
Professor Mickelson believes that this, together with it's contemplative pose and proximity to water,
suggests that some group of survivors used the statue as an attempt to appease the water beasts
and protect fishermen when they risked their lives on the sea.


« Last Edit: October 14, 2024, 06:22:40 PM by thegreyarea »
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thegreyarea

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #46 on: October 14, 2024, 10:58:19 AM »
One more!

This one for day 1, "overgrown ruins". I couldn't resist!



FURTHER ADVENTURES ON THE SILENT WORLD: GOING SOUTH




BTW the original background is a picture of Paris' abandoned railway, from Urbex at Pinterest. (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/urbex-what-lies-below--344032859025890094/)
I'd love to see our team in Paris...

Sigrun and Emil came from adv. 1, page 540 (when they were happily blowing things up)
« Last Edit: October 14, 2024, 11:02:21 AM by thegreyarea »
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Mirasol

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #47 on: October 14, 2024, 06:23:58 PM »
Hi Grey, great edit and drawing! :) There´s some real cool overgrown places in this world.



13: underwater temple

Well, sometimes underwater.
This prompt led me down a nice research rabbit hole on underwater caves, archaeological sites and purposefully flooded places. And as I got ready to draw, a youtuber I follow dropped a video essay on the sunken landmass Doggerland, which was a funny coincidence. :.D

But this is lake Bezid in Romania. A village was flooded to create a water reservoir. But some highpoints, like the churchtower, are still visible, sometimes more, depending on how much water is currently in the reservoir.

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thegreyarea

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #48 on: October 15, 2024, 07:56:19 AM »
Hi! Thanks Mirasol! Your drawing is lovely! Would some troll take residence on the tower? :)

We actually have a few drowned villages sleeping inside dams in Portugal and Spain

This one is in Spain, close to Portugal: https://ominho.pt/mais-imagens-mostram-aldeia-submersa-que-emergiu-no-rio-lima/
And here a few more images: https://www.idealista.pt/news/ferias/turismo/2022/02/16/50999-as-aldeias-ibericas-submersas-que-estao-a-reaparecer-com-a-seca

Doggerland is a fascinating topic. So much land, and maybe so much history, under water... I even considered writing a story about it, but it seems I'd have to live up to 200 y to write everything that I'd like... :)

Now, here's my take on day 2 - Nature Untouched.


NEWS FROM THE SILENT WORLD

UNTOUCHED NATURE SPOT FOUND
IN THE AMAZONIAN FOREST!


Professor Mickelson's expedition, sponsored by Bornholm University, sent us this amazing picture of Mount Roraima,
one of several isolated plateaus standing around 1000m above the South American rainforest.
The expedition comprises two airships, "Lalli" and "Emil", named after the famous duo of explorers from the first century.
The picture, taken from Emil's bridge, shows an outstanding view of the plateau with its many waterfalls and Lalli already landed.
Professor Mickelson's team reports that Nature on these inaccesible plateaus remain untouched by the rash,
allowing the survival of many species believed to be extinct.
They plan to raise funds for setting a permanent scientific base there.


BTW the picture of Mount Roraima is real. I mean, this is not some fantasy scene created with AI. Those waterfalls are really there.  XoX
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Roraima

Sources:
original Mount Roraima picture:
https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2F2ygqhvcdb0o61.jpg%3Fwidth%3D1080%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D03ac8e1c55e5d9a81a3c5c722a8ff3cbc858424d&rdt=63461
original airship picture:
https://imgc.artprintimages.com/img/print/stocktrek-images-uss-macon-airship-flying-over-new-york-city_u-l-q12stcb0.jpg?background=F3F3F3
original airship interior:
https://thinkboxproduction.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/AirShip_Interior_progress_bloom.jpg
« Last Edit: October 15, 2024, 09:16:22 AM by thegreyarea »
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Jitter

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Re: YoinkTober 2024
« Reply #49 on: October 15, 2024, 12:29:25 PM »
Great drawings and combos os drawing and photo. Prof Mickelson is a great explorer, which century does he live in?

A propos Doggerland, if you like detective stories you may enjoy the Doggerland sesier by Swedish crime author Maria Adolfsson. In her books Doggerland didn’t disappear entirely but is an island nation which clearly is Nordic but has some Britishness in it too. And the characters and stories are good! It’s not horrible Nordic Noir, but not cozy crime either. I enjoy them but then I mostly read crime nowadays.
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thegreyarea

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #50 on: October 15, 2024, 04:08:44 PM »
Thanks Jitter! I must find those Doggerland stories! :)

Mickelson lives in the fourth century post-Rash, and is Mikkel's descendant  :mikkel: (so, in my own canon, Sigrun's descendant too  :sigrun:).
I have a few ideas for stories with this "indiana Jones" of mine... And yes, that's why he has the hat  ;D

Here's my take on day 3 - Ancient Tree, this time with a (sort of) short story...


NEWS FROM THE SILENT WORLD

YGGDRASIL FOUND?


Well-known explorer, professor Mickelson, claims the discovery of what would be, without a doubt, the World's largest tree.
Anyone that looks at the massive trunk towering over the professor in the picture will surely agree.
The explorer from Bornholm goes as far as considering that this enormous specimen could be the legendary Yggdrasil:

"We got out of the woods and suddenly that absurd, unbelievable tree was just ahead.
We stood still and silent there for a while. There were no words to describe it.
Tall as a mountain, it made the pines on its base look like grass. No tree can be that big!
But we felt no fear, no. Actually it radiated a sensation of... well being,
a peaceful feeling that filled us simply from looking at it.
I couldn´t think on anything else but Yggdrasil, connecting our world with the cosmos.
We were very tired, and there was a small river to cross to reach the tree,
so we decided to set our camp, rest and wait for the next morning.
I never slept so well, not even at home.
However, when morning came, the tree wasn't there anymore.
There was just a low, flat-top hill, and normal-sized trees.
If we didn't have a few pictures I would think it was just a strange, collective illusion.
But I know what I've seen, and I believe that we... surprised a tree... no, a being,
that human eyes are not supposed to see.
People ask me if we are going back there, to see if we can find it again.
I say it's useless. We saw it because humans were absent for centuries after the Rash, and it got... lazy?
But now it knows we are back, and I'm very sure that no matter how much we search, we won't find it."


I was inspired by Dmeck's story, and decided to play with the idea. The tree base is the hill called "Devil's Tower", in Wyoming, USA, famously featured on Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". The picture I used is a still from the movie. Here's a picture for those that don't know it: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1c80b7x/devils_tower_in_wyoming_usa/

The tree trunk is from wikipedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acero_%28Acer_Platanoides%29_visto_dal_basso,_Milano_Italia_scuola_Manara.jpg

So I just had to put them together, add a few clouds and Mickelson's hat :)
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Mirasol

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #51 on: October 16, 2024, 01:50:25 PM »
Oooh, thanks for the links, Grey, fascinating stuff! And I´m enjoying Indiana JoneSSSS professor Mikkelson´s adventures a lot!

And thanks for the book-recommendations, Jitter! I don´t read a lot of crime-books, but I´ll keep an eye out for these.



14: Buried Statue(s)

Hm. I drew this picture, because I think the statue in question looks so cool with the snow on it, but I couldn´t find any information on the statue itself, not even with reverse image search. :( I know it´s not AI-generated because it was taken in 2019, but still...
I´m sorry, I really should have made sure I knew who´s the original artist and what their intention with this artwork was before I started drawing.





15: Market Place

"I know!", I thought at 10pm last night, "drawing a human-sized market-place will take too long, I´ll just draw one for smaller creatures, it´ll be so much faster!"
Well. by 2am I was eating my words. :V
Anyways, enjoy this picture puzzle, taking a page from Grey´s book:



Welcome, welcome, one and all, to our :sparkle: annual autumn-market :sparkle:!
(This year and tonight only held in the second shelf to the right at the back of the basement)
Still looking for some real special delicacies to fill your storage for the winter with?
:squirrelcookie: Well you´re in luck! :squirrelcookie:
The humans just restocked with the freshest produce and finest wines and cheeses*.
So for one night, and one night only, find all the delicious goods your heart desires (and some entertainment for the little ones while you shop) HERE!
Just remember our motto: Everything that isn´t gone by sunrise is gone forever**!
Please take a bag (tissue) or a basket (shot glass) on your way in, and mind the stairs.

*all items have not been stored for more than one year, guaranteed
**this includes you, esteemed, customers! We are not liable for anyone who gets caught by the humans because you leave too late.
 
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wavewright62

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #52 on: October 16, 2024, 06:03:02 PM »
These are a delight!
Always a newbie at something
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thegreyarea

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #53 on: October 17, 2024, 05:50:14 AM »
Seconding Wave here, Mira! Those are delightful! I love the statue (is it made of wood?), and the contrast with the snow.
And I can totally understand your feelling about trying to make it a bit easier... and somehow it ends being way harder. I've been there, many times  ;)
Your drawing is fantastic, and I'd like to order some cheese, please :D

I've got some things to finish, but hopefully will be able to add a few more things later. Prof. Mickelson sends his best wishes to everyone that enjoys his crazy adventures serious scientific research.
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Jitter

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #54 on: October 17, 2024, 03:59:33 PM »
Reynir checked his gear. Warm clothing, paint, lantern, rope, food and water. All set. Now there was only one obstacle.

“Seriously, Onni, I have to go. Why are you so worried?”

Onni was anxiously hovering at the cave entrance.

“Well, it is a lava tube. I don’t know much about your volcanoes, but I do know lava is dangerous! You can’t go into a lava tube!”

“Itäs an ancient lava tube! It hasn’t been even warm for a thousand years!”

“But you said yourself, there is no way to know for sure that a volcano doesn’t wake up at any given moment! What if…”

“Why must you worry so much? Nothing’s going to happen to me! And in any case, I am a mage! Don’t be afraid.”

“I am NOT afraid, but someone might mistake you for my student! And a student is the responsibility of the teacher. So, I must make sure you don’t endanger yourself.”

“Mistake? How do you mean? You promised to be my teacher!”

“I have promised no such thing!”

“Are you going back on your word? Just because you are afraid of an old lava tube?”

“You are not my student. I merely promised to help you learn.”

“Wouldn’t that make… never mind. I’m going in now.”

“Why do you have to go anyways? What are you expecting to find? Lost treasure? Buried statues? Old World supplies?”

“On the contrary! In there the earth is young, and when I go deep enough, it will be a place no human has ever seen. Nature untouched!”

“A cave of nothing but rock and ice is hardly nature!”

“You told me yourself that the spirits of each land are particular to that land. This is Iceland, the land of ice and fire. Lava and ice are very much nature here. You know that.”

“Stupid Iceland… don’t you dare fall, I won’t come to get you if you get stuck or hurt!”

“Don’t worry! I’m sure Lalli will! Bye now!” With that, Reynir jumped into the circular cave, leaving Onni huffing and puffing and not worrying at all.
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Jitter

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #55 on: October 17, 2024, 04:10:15 PM »
That is one whopping tree, Grey! Do any squirrels live in it by any chance?

Mirasol, I love the mouse market :) The statue is beautiful, but the little guys are adorable  <3 Hopefully they don't take all the supplies for squirrel cookies, though!
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Mirasol

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #56 on: October 17, 2024, 06:20:46 PM »
Grey, based on the photo, I´m pretty sure the statue is made of metal.
I´ll admit I didn´t manage to completely match the color. ^^'

Jitter, three prompts in one! I wonder what Reynir finds down there. :reynir:

I´m glad you all like the mouse-market, I love drawing picture puzzles! :))



16: Merchant´s Store

This year´s first (perhaps only, we´ll see) witch-character! Complete with her flying store selling potions and poison (and all that Jazz ;)).
I´m not super-sure where the theme-combination 1920s and axolotls came from in my head... :P

(rules I set myself for these mini-character-challenges are as follows: I must design an original character with a witch hat and a staff, and only color it with 3 markers, 1-2 additional effect-markers are okay too. If I´ve used the exact marker-combination before for a witch-character, it´s off-limits.)

Here my inspiration for the dress and the car.

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Jitter

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #57 on: October 18, 2024, 03:58:47 AM »
She is gorgeous! As is her axolot!
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JoB

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #58 on: October 18, 2024, 08:49:56 AM »
That is one whopping tree, Grey! Do any squirrels live in it by any chance?
Well, the region is somewhat teeming with rumours of one nicknamed "Godsquirrela" ...  ;)
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thorny

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Re: YoinkTober 2024!
« Reply #59 on: October 18, 2024, 11:00:31 AM »
I'm not even going to attempt to do all the prompts; but I do have another.

It's longer than I originally intended; it kind of got away from me. I was significantly far into it before I realized what it's about.

Inn the middle of nowhere

   The roads are hazardous, of course; everybody knows that. Any distance that can't be covered in daylight usually isn't worth the trip. But sometimes longer trips are necessary. No human society has ever managed without some long distance trade; not everybody who wants to marry can find a marriage partner close to home, especially with so many tiny communities. And all those tiny communities, and the larger ones too -- they crave news, they crave new stories. We are the species that tells ourselves stories, after all.

   So there are travellers; though not many. And, given that there are travellers -- there's need for shelters en route.

   Some of them are unstaffed bunkers; many of them places found by the travellers themselves, with word spread among each other, and maps left in the nearest towns for those who aren't part of the travelling community to use. But here and there, among the more-used routes and occasionally along a rarely-used trail, there's an isolated building or three kept in repair, area cleared around it, fenced gardens and livestock paddock and a sign along the trail. Sometimes these places grow into another tiny settlement. Sometimes they disappear. Sometimes one turns into a trap; approach with caution, pay attention to your cat! and worse in some ways, if only because the cat likely won't warn you: there are still evil humans in the world.

   But the word passes, among those who need to travel. The best reassurance to the customer, and the best advertising for the proprietors, has always been word of mouth (and the strongest warning, these days, the sudden disappearance of that word.) And the place whose sign reads only "Inn Within" has always had excellent word of mouth, ever since the mid first century when Tarja told stories there and Hennet cooked. They never said where the beer came from, and that hasn't been explained since -- but it's very good beer. Everyone assumes some hidden community, which trusts only the Inn but isn't about to extend that trust to the customers.

   The sign's painted on the outer ring of a double palisade, both rings twenty feet tall, electrified wire strung near the top. Outside the ring, some cleared grazing and hay area for use on bright sunny days. Inbetween the rings produce grows in season. (No grains, though: maybe those come from the beermakers?) Inbetween the rings, also, the traveller must stop to be inspected. Ring the bell at the sign; someone will check what they can check by sight from the watchtower. Hold your cat where they can be seen, or the Inn will wonder why you haven't got one. The outer gate will open, if you've been approved; then the Inn's cats will inspect you also, and then one of the humans will check your weapons, and list them as you stack them in a locked cabinet. In emergency, the Inn can open those cabinets from inside the building.

   Inside the inner ring: barns and paddocks for the Inn's livestock: healthy pigs, sheep, and cattle and, of course, chickens. Separate barn and paddock for the travellers' creatures: horses and mules, mostly. Cats, of course, come into the inn with their humans; so do any dogs, though the Inn's dogs live with the livestock until their old age, when they need the extra warmth of the stove.

   And inside the inner ring, of course, the inn itself. It's run these days, in the late second century, by two intertwined families. Occasionally over the years a traveller has married in, or someone born in the Inn has either married out or otherwise chosen to leave; but for the most part the family's pretty stable. Everyone knows what their part is, and everyone knows how to turn their hand to other work if their hands are more needed elsewhere than their specialty. The menu varies; but the food is always good. The beds in the multiple rooms upstairs are warm and clean, with nearly always enough of them to choose one's bedmate or to choose to have none; and one can be assured in either case of sleeping safe. There's always music -- a traveller can pay their bill that way, or if there's no good musician on that road that night two or three of the Inn family will step in. And there's always news, of course -- the Inn family will pass on what other travellers have left, so there's news even if the only customers there that night are from the same place -- and, of course, there will always be at least one story.

   Tonight there's only a small group there, three of them a Trader family with a cart of scavenged goods plus the grain and cider they've been taking in payment for them parked in the barn; one an old woman who wants to see once more the daughter who married out; and one a young man doing what young men do. Perhaps he'll marry in somewhere down the road, but he's not ready to do that yet.

   The storyteller is one of the Inn people; also an old woman, but telling a new story, which she says she had from travellers a month ago. It's a very odd story -- a story about trolls. There are of course lots of stories about trolls, but this story is told from the point of view of the trolls! And these particular trolls -- they're changed from the humans they were two centuries ago, very much so; but their minds and their souls are not destroyed. They're still capable of love, and of compassion. All of them have killed -- but none of them has killed healthy humans; or other healthy animals, either, except out of need to eat. Over very many years, a few such managed to find each other, in the ruins of the world; and joined together. So one of the tiny communities in the world now is a group of trolls; travelling through the ruins at night when and where no human dares, salvaging books and other knowledge, useful tools and beautiful things, before the weather can destroy them; in hope of a time in the far future when perhaps they can make these available to the human communities, without being automatically destroyed because the humans assume by their appearance that they're like all other trolls.

   The story gets applause, and fascinated reaction. Wouldn't it be great if such things were true! But of course, say all the listeners, such a thing could never happen. Everyone knows what trollification does to a human. It's essential to kill them; and a kindness of a sort, even when it's done by burning alive. The best that can be done is if a mage can help their souls home; and even that is usually not possible. But it's pleasant to tell fantasies, safe and well fed before a good hot fire! Tell the one about the cats who built a house on their own, next!

   The storyteller laughs, and starts the story about the cats who built their house. She's certainly not going to tell them the one about who the beer comes from.