YoinkTober 2024!

[Mirasol]

Thank you, Jitter! This is actually the first year I made a flowerbed in my (parents´) garden (with some different dahlias, as well as sunflowers, coneflowers and marigold). It has somehow thrived despite my periodical complete neglect... The "digging them out for the winter"-part is fast-approaching now, and admittedly I haven´t completely thought this through... But I´ll figure it out.
(They´re also still blooming, so I kinda feel bad having to cut them already? But it´s cold outside...)


25: Summoning Altar

I already did a fanart for Cult of the Lamb this year, which was the first association I had here, so instead I drew a Great Fairy´s Fountain as they look like in the Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time. Because I already drew Botw/Totk-fanart and this one generally looks most like an altar.

For those unfamiliar, Great Fairies in the Zelda-games are (mostly?) benevolent spirits who live in a magic spring and help travellers who stumble upon them by healing them and/or giving some powerup, though the latter often against some level of payment or as a reward for helping them. There´s usually more than one and they call the others their sisters. They are sometimes associated with the franchise´s main-religion, but not always. In Oot they are, and in my opinion their places of residence look like someone built a temple around them, so I thought it matches the prompt quite well.
After the first time you visit a Great Fairy´s Fountain, you´ll usually find it empty and have to call for the fairy (or summon it ).

Can´t imagine they get a whole lot of passer-by´s though. They´re all in unremarkable holes in the ground or in walls.
(Mje, I´m not super-happy with how this turned out though...)




26: Volcanic Terrain

There´s a super-volcano under the Yellowstone Park, so I thought this qualifies.
This time trying to draw in a comic-like stylization. And this was the hour of my rarely-used, really brightly-colored markers, as they matched the colorscheme perfectly for once.

[Jitter]

I guess it would be silly to call a picture of the Grand Prismatic Spring “cool” but I love the painting! I’m fascinated by volcanic features, luckily mostly from afar.

[thegreyarea]

Amazing drawings/paintings, Mira!!! You are awesome!!! 
Also amazing montage, Jitter!!! I wish we saw more of Lalli using his powers... And of course I'm very happy that my work served as inspiration!

Busy week, and busy weekend (mu birthday!) so I got a bit delayed... again!

So, to recover a bit, I took inspiration from Jitter and tried to handle more than one prompt at the same time. I hope you enjoy this little story, that may be continued...

Let's star with day 6, Rocky Ruins, and them we move to some Deserted Drylands (day 24), and from that we may find some Idle Portal * (day 30, sorry to get there early   )

NEWS FROM THE SILENT WORLD

SURPRISING DISCOVERY AMONG ROCKY RUINS!

Famous explorer, Professor M.Mickelson, made a surprising discovery, hidden under
some rocky ruins, next to a vast city that existed before the Rash
on the hot southern lands extendidng beyond the Mediterranean.
In this picture we can see a large, heavily decorated and perfectly
round metallic device that was deeply buried on a level that,
Mickelson explains, would mean it was crafted many
millennia before the Rash!
Yet the device was in perfect shape, showing no sign of aging.
It also displays a level of detail that, in the words of the Professor,
"Can't be found anywhere else in the whole world, be it silent or not".
Mickelson, whose back, and famous hat, can be seen on the right side,
added that he and his team haven't yet find the purpose of this mysterious
device, claiming that further study is necessary to uncover its many secrets.

---

NEWS FROM THE SILENT WORLD

CITY BURIED IN DESERTED DRYLANDS!

After news of a surprising discovery (that our readers will recall from a few days ago),
Professor MIckelson's team shared the amazing picture above.
In this fascinating view, taken as the expedition left, one can
observe the huge size of the ancient city that now lies under the sand.
On the background three massive, awesome constructions, called "pyramids",
shine under the sunset. There are historical accounts of them dating from
ancient times, forty centuries (!) before the Rash.
Up to our days they stand, indiferent to time.
The fascinating device we reported about can be seen hanging below
one of the expedition's airship, on its way to Bornholm University for further studies.
The professor informed us that soon the Archaeological Department will begin
a call for additional funding to sustain their research and allow
more awesome discoveries.

---

NEWS FROM THE SILENT WORLD

A PORTAL TO THE UNKNOWN?

Our loyal readers will surely be delighted to know that the ancient and mysterious device,
recently unearthed in the distant south, will be part of the new exposition
currently being set on the  Archaeological Museum in Bornholm!
Professor Mickelson, on the right in the picture, flanked by his loyal assistant Ms. Tuuri,
informed us they are pretty confident that the device would have ritual purpose,
probably representing some kind of opening between our world and another,
perhaps a connection with the forgotten gods of those old times.
Therefore it was decided to mount it on a vertical position,
and a ramp will be set to allow visitors to pass through the portal.
We can add that an extra piece, a round altar found next to the ring,
will also be on display, and that considering the extraordinaire
toughness of the material visitors will be allowed to
actually touch these findings! We can't wait to feel that!

Our dear readers will be happy to know that presenting this issue of NFTSW grants a special discount price to see the exposition.

- Discount limited to two persons per issue - Additional conditions may apply - Please check previously the information available at the Museum's Ticket Office -


* And this series is dedicated to Jitter, that, IIRC, is a big fan of Stargate

Note: The first picture is a still from "Stargate" (1994), the second a montage over an AI generated image (more on that later), and the third another still, from the "Stargate SG-1" series.

[Mirasol]

Well well well, the new edition of NFTSW was so captivating I managed to miss my stop on the train while reading.
It wasn´t the only factor, but this has not happened to me before, and I´ve been commuting for 2,5 years. So I guess you can take this as a compliment, Grey?
I´ll be looking forward to the next edition (that I will NOT be reading on any trains! xD)


27: Crystal Coves

I learned from this prompt that "Crystal Cove" is a state park in California.
But this is Chihuahua, Mexico, and a study from this awesome photo I found.

[Mirasol]

28: freezing Fjords

In which Sigrun finally takes everyone to Norway.
First order of business after the captain´s grand speech should be getting warmer clothes though...
(reference was from a tourism-site hehe)

[Jitter]

I am, and I recognized the gate in the first picture immediately. You did add prof Mickelson or at least his hat in the last one, right?

In sincerely hope no one is walking through the gate at the same time someone else is touching the smaller round altar. The swoosh brings instant extermination.

Now I can call the art cool, Mirasol! Although I guess the cave is actually stone and not ice Looks like a fascinating place. And Norway, so beautiful.

[dmeck7755]

This is great!.. Sorry I have been so remiss.  I have been trying, but my creative spark is sputtereing. 

Love everything.

Question about the crystal caves.  Aren't they the ones that are really really hot and have the funky humidity? 

Spoiler: show

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_of_the_Crystals

So are we sure your person is not a troll? or already deceased?  I bet the trolls would love the warmth and humidity..
I hope you don't mind, but that does give me a story idea..

[Mirasol]

Question about the crystal caves.  Aren't they the ones that are really really hot and have the funky humidity? 

Spoiler: show

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_of_the_Crystals

So are we sure your person is not a troll? or already deceased?  I bet the trolls would love the warmth and humidity..
I hope you don't mind, but that does give me a story idea..

Glad to have you back Dmeck!
Yes, I think those are the ones. I had read about the temperature, but not the humidity. Beautiful place, but being in there must suck...

And I don´t mind at all. I´m looking forward to reading it!


29: Eldrich Forest

Is that a tree? Are any of those trees? I´d recommend to Emil to not look up, in any case. Just keep walking... And try not to touch anything.
(I was too tired to color this...)

[JoB]

In sincerely hope no one is walking through the gate at the same time someone else is touching the smaller round altar.

If I remember the series correctly, nobody touching this "altar" will be required. (Hence them installing the iris.)

Aaaaand here's your belated HB cake-let, Grey! 

[Jitter]

JoB, you are right, offworld activation will create an incoming wormhole that causes exactly the same kawoosh.

And this facility probably won’t have the speaker announcing “unauthorized offworld activation”. Nor “chevron seven locked” for that matter.

But I assume everyone else just thinks this gate is buried and don’t dial for Tau’ri.

[Mirasol]

30: Idle Portal

Admittedly, a bit of a shitpost, in terms of "trying to learn how to draw environments". xD
But anyways, here´s the Nether-portal in Minecraft, as it is traditionally built in a more or less completely empty world in creative mode that was loaded for no other reason than to impress siblings/friends with the fact you know how to do this. Or at least that was my experience playing Minecraft with my brother in our early teens. (He went a lot more strategic about playing this game than me.)

[Mirasol]

31: Astral Plains (decided to only go with the first half of the prompt)

Happy Halloween!
And just like that, it´s the last entry again, huh? What will I do with all that free time now? (Kidding, I actually have a LOT to do for college starting soon. So I´m glad the challenge starts and ends before that really goes into full swing... ^^')

Did any of you see/play that little Halloween-game Google had for the 31.? You are a wizard cat and fight ghosts in space. It´s very cute. The protagonist is such a creature. It inspired me and it matched the prompt, so I drew the second level.
Lower half is drawn with markers, upper half with watercolors.

[thegreyarea]

Mira, I’m glad you liked that edition of NFTSW! Always happy to disrupt your commute spark a new opportunity to break from the routine!
And your drawings are fantastic! I checked the link and that cave looks beautiful, and, as demck pointed, very, very uncomfortable!

I also love the scene with Sigrun and the team on that touristic spot Did they have time to reinvent the selfie after the rash?

Also love the eldritch forest! Emil has some experience on what can happen when you look up… and I think you did the “trees” with the exact level of ambiguity… Well done!

Thanks for the cake, JoB! I actually love the concept of the birthday cupcake. So simple, and yet it delivers the message!  

As for the stargate, I’m sure no one will try to make it work, so everyone will be safe, right? Right?

Back to Mira’s drawings, we get the nether portal… It’s pretty! And I like the boxy clouds too!
Since I never played Minecraft, a quick check on it was mandatory (to me), and I found…
https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Nether_portal
Which has a lot of things whose meaning I have no idea, and this little piece: “There is an infinitesimal chance of failure for the corresponding portal to generate in the Nether, leaving the player trapped until death or until another portal can be constructed, either in the Nether or by another player in the Overworld. “ Sounds like a lot of fun… 

The Astral Plains are lovely! So many different things! The background (upper and lower part), the monster, the magical space cat that rides a broom
And thanks for providing the link! I really enjoyed it!

Now, I still have a few things set for this yoinktober… I’m sure my friends won’t complain if I keep posting for some days… next one will be tomorrow!

BTW, Jitter, yes, on the original of that last picture we have Daniel besides Samantha. I turned Daniel into Prof. Mickelson by changing Daniel’s blue uniform to brown, and then drawing the beard and the hat, and removing his glasses. To turn Samantha into Tuuri I made her less tall and changed the haircut. I'm glad you liked it! Maybe we get a bit more of Stargate soon...

[Jitter]

I have more stories stored too, have been writing (well, wrangling) a couple of reports so that I have zero strength to type for fun, but the report willingly be finished soon!

It’s very relaxing to write creatively and balances the work, but recently I’ve been physically unable to do any extra on the computer. But we’ll get to it so watch this space! And thank you so much Mirasol for setting this up! Just thinking the stories is invigorating!

[wavewright62]

Thank you so much Mirasol for setting this up for us all, it's been a real treat.  As usual, I have not done much (haven't really been able to for some years, alas) but am still playing around with the prompts in my head.
That is such a cute game picture, with the wizard-space-rainbow-cat!  It's mad in the best way possible.  I also like the creepy b&w birch forest Emil. (Dunno Minecraft at all, but I appreciate trying to draw game dynamics.)
I've seen the photos inside crystal caves in Mexico and Brazil - mind-blowing!  The silhouette makes a nice contrast.  Per Jitter's comment, volcanic features are cool up close too, including scoria fields and little ferns that take up residence in pools of water caught in the scoria.

Spoiler:  no photos sorry • show

The photos are on the server that I was blocked from shortly after my separation.  I was able to recover a few that I posted on Facebook but there are so many that I can no longer access. 8/

What blows me away about Cairo is the photos taken of the pyramids that show them isolated in the desert landscapes, and then the ones taken from another angle that shows them over the highway from the suburbs and commercial buildings.  I don't know Stargate lore, but the images tickle me!