Hello Peridots The Amazing Artist I Am Lowkey Losing My Cupcakes Because I Did Not Expect Too Get Randomly

Hello Peridots the amazing artist I am lowkey losing my cupcakes because I did not expect too get randomly spammed with hearts XD. But besides that how are you on this fine night?

I'm good and hope you are too :D

It's...quite a bit past midnight where I am however so I should probably Not Be Active soon

I think your art is cool too though! As, shown by the likes,

~Mostly Mollusk~

Part 3 - Part 4 Here - Part 5

Daily Life (and Language, as it’s not officially included) and Veneration.

-Daily Life

The daily life of bugs in and out of Taranoake and Citadell.

---Diet

In seaside settlements, varies based on species, individual and city but tends to consist of other bugs, and plants, including species of seaweed and algae. Frequent travellers like wasps or ants often bring back food from other places as a semi-permanent source. The former will occasionally bring a chunk of stolen honeycomb from a far-off honeybee hive, or a cap of sugar-water (alternately, a cap of dried sugar to mix with strained seawater, though this is not preferred as many non-marine creatures tend to hate the taste of salt.) Larvae and aphids are sometimes used as sweet "kegs" for adult wasps.

An experimental substance has been produced in Citadell for use mostly in battle, made up of digestive enzymes to greatly reduce time spent digesting food, and antibiotics to quicken the rate of wounds closing, to use as a sort of literal "quick-heal".

---Housing

Taranoake

Most terrestrial bugs in the city live in the Fort but some prefer to live elsewhere, such as the ants who have forged small hills of sand nearby the outskirts. Aquatic species make homes in the sand of the bay, or simply lay or float around in the general area without protection.

While there are no rules in the Outpost, Fort Taranoake is generally diurnal. Those citizens who are most active during the night actually sometimes take up residence in the former. As most of the city is asleep at night, the ones who aren't are meant to either be quiet or congregate in areas away from the Fort and Outpost.

Citadell

Unlike in Taranoake, residential areas are scattered throughout the town in rooms along the basins, though certain types of buildings such as these are often localized to one area. The city is noticeably less welcoming to outsiders, having no free place to stay (unless of course you want to camp on the floors of the craters, in which case be ready to wake up early or be washed out to sea by morning). The homes of aquatic citizens are located on the lowest levels, along the permanently-flooded alleyways connecting each basin. The city is naturally dark and peaceful (excluding the scientists, of course), with the dim bioluminescent algae used for food and lighting lining the waterways, so the times most sleep isn’t an issue.

Nocturnal and diurnal residents still get much interaction, as most bugs sleep for only a third to a quarter of the day.

---Games

Bored children and even adults must have something to do, especially those who don't appreciate the violence of Taranoake’s Colosseum, so many games have been developed. The list goes roughly in order of more simple games, often played by children or travellers, to the more advanced.

Tick Tacks

Both bugs get a type of shell and a 3 by 3 grid, with the first to put three in a line being a winner. Normally, different colors of shell will be collected for the two players, however some will simply be marked with notches or paints.

Stick Kick

As the name implies this is simply a game of kicking a piece of driftwood. No objective, only kick

Clammy

A rather idiotic pastime typically engaged in by children who have nothing better to do and no sense of self preservation. This game involves sticking one hand into the mouth of a clam and seeing who can remove their hand before the clam removes it first. A slightly less dangerous alternative is who can annoy a clam the most without getting bitten. Sometimes this is done with horrendous puns, including the common phrases “don’t clam up!” or “don't be so shellfish!” Clams, of course, do not appreciate this game at all.

Victims of this game will often say they lost the limb in a battle of some sort to hide their idiotic childhood. However, due to the fact that many arthropods regenerate parts of their limbs after each molt, it can be obvious just exactly how long ago the injury was sustained...

(One attempt to play tag was made, before it was concluded the game gave an unfair advantage to creatures not bound to land or sea.)

Rainbow Shell

A simple game, yet almost always played by explorer parties. The first person to find a complete rainbow in order of shell colors wins. The same shell can not be used by multiple players. This game may be more difficult for those of us with fewer cones.

Driftshell

A board game played with bits of shell and driftwood dice. An attack or defense would be labeled on the dice, and these would be used to take down an opponent's health (around ten pieces of shimmering shell) or defend against their attacks. Last one to lose all ten health tokens wins. Alternative, more complex versions can be played but this is most agreed upon.

---Economy

Sea glass is used as currency in marine/coastal settlements with differing colors being worth different amounts based on rarity.

In order of worth:

Clear/white - 2

Brown - 3

Green - 4

Amber - 7

Blue - 8

Purple - 10

Black/gray - 12

Yellow/orange - 15

Red - 17

Mixes in between are simply rated based on their alikeness to each color--for example, even on the official color chart as shown here, amber is rated midway between brown and orange. Occasional barters modifying the exact worth based on the color of seaglass, and the value of the goods they’re paying for, do occur relatively often.

---Causes of Death

It wouldn't be a Life section without death! This world can be treacherous, most especially out of the law-bound Cities, so there are a wide variety of ways to die. However, some of the most common are listed below.

Taranoake

-Colosseum

-Dehydration

-Sickness

Citadell

-Old age

Outside the Cities

-Being eaten

-Ironically, starvation

--Government

Laws, leaders, and enforcement in the Cities.

---Laws

-Those alive will not be considered as a food source until they have died of their own accord.

-Resources should not be removed from the care of the owner unless permission is given.

-(Taranoake Exclusive) Children are not allowed to participate in the Colosseum.

--Taranoake Leaders

(Citadell has not had any leaders, in its present or past.)

Current

Arbiter Len

Facilitates discussions and resolves conflicts between groups or individuals in the city. Not an official leader exactly, more of an ambassador.

Past

The Nobles

A family of tyrants and fake rulers who dubbed themselves royal, living in the Fort once a grand castle and leaving all its other citizens to rest in crudely made sand-huts, tunnels and Outpost rooms. All were exiled after this true glory was discovered, and were told they would not be harmed within Taranoake--but the moment they left the city limits, they were killed by mobs of angry citizens, as laws don't apply outside the bounds. >:)

One exile did survive however, see “Pard”.

-Language

Most bugs use three languages, though some only have the first two: audible language (spoken through mandibles, wing buzzing, and sometimes tymbals, covering of the spiracles, etc.), written language (carved into things, much more complex than the audible language and resembling hieroglyphics) and species language (spoken through pheromones, and is mostly only understood by those of the same species or sometimes related ones).

Additionally, some terrestrial bugs have learned to understand the language of fungi. 

A subgrouping of the words in the audible and written languages are universal “basic phrases”: while in audible speech most words or phrases are spoken using one “letter” at a time and may include more complex actions, these are simpler and designed to be recognisable with the most basic information (e.g. holding sounds for longer by putting more space in between each one).

-zt zt zzt (pronounced “ze-ta ze-ta! zehhta”) “Come” or “Come here”. Zs are long while Ts are short.

-tttt tKtt (pronounced “tetetete teKEtete”) “Hello”, can be shortened to “tKtt” for an informal “hi”. Ts are short while the K is long and/or loud.

-t trr rr (pronounced “te te-rrr rrr?”) “Eat”, such as “Where’s food/when we eating?” Rrs are usually vibrations, the longer sound, while Ts are short clicks.

-ktktkk (pronounced “ketekete krr krr”) “Danger” or “Stay back”, such as “danger up ahead” or “I’m dangerous, stay back”. The first two Ks and both Ts are alternating short taps/clicks while the latter Ks are long.

-ttkttt (pronounced “tete-kr-tetete”) “Travel”, “Go” or “Traveller”. The Ts are short but the K might be a bit longer and/or a different sound (such as scraping).

-ztzz (pronounced “ze-te-zehh”) “Yes”. The Zs may be longer than the short T (especially the latter Zs).

-tK (pronounced “te-KA”) “No.” T is short while K is longer and/or louder.

Basic phrases can also be easily converted to written, with each noise having a respective counterpart:

-“Z” is made up of a vertical line, with two dots vertically positioned on the right.

-“T” is made up of a horizontal line with one smaller vertical line positioned beneath each third of the large line.

-”K” is made up of a vertical line with a short horizontal line/dot positioned to the left of its top half.

-”R” is made up of two parallel horizontal lines, the top having a short vertical line connecting to the top side of the right edge.

One dot will be shown above the letter for each time it’s repeated.

--Telecommunication

Just found a cool looking rock and need to tell your friend immediately? Why not ask your local mushroom to send the message for you! Almost every grounded mushroom around you is connected to the mycelium network running through town and beyond, so all you have to do is tell them the message and where to send it (oh, and also learn an entire language). Just make sure you can trust your messenger--mushrooms can be quite the pranksters, and I’m sure you don’t want your message being sent to the wrong person or “accidentally”, ahem, “mistranslated” to tell the recipient how much you hate them.

--Actual Communication (With Bugs)

Without speaking or writing, there are still a myriad of ways invertebrates communicate.

In insects and many other arthropods, antennae make up a large part of body language. Held straight up in the air the bug could be considered surprised or alert, and one holding them straight frontally usually conveys anger, frustration or boredom (depending how far above the eyes they’re held, and the position of the mandibles). More relaxed positions (of varying degrees) like the resting arch of ant antennae signify positive and neutral emotions, like calmness or enthusiasm.

-Veneration

Traditions and lore regarding the Gods.

---Ven

Associated with the dead and living, Ven is a god of verdant groves and seeping blood, the patron god of Taranoake. While they don't inherently demand death as a part of their worship, they consider the Colosseum enough sacrifice.

They are said to look plant-like while still retaining arthropod aspects, having six legs like an insect but with four claws on each end. This may or may not be an accurate depiction as only those close to death through battle have claimed to see them--those and, interestingly enough, travellers who have not learned of Ven’s nature and have seen them as a distant mirage near the settlement’s gates.

Only those on the brink of death, who cannot return, have seen them under their mask, and even bugs who have seen Ven before are unable to dream of the god unless they are visited intentionally.

Those who are not from the City still pay respects to the deity, as is custom.

---The Kindle of Souls

A celebration of life and death, of those who made it and those lost along the way, The Kindle of Souls is this town's way of honoring the dead and their god Ven, encouraging them to guide the souls of the dead to whatever lies in wait.

The festival is an ancient and time honored tradition, and has many accompanying customs including the hanging of green banners painted with yellow through blue all throughout town, the displaying of lights on the tree that has come to be known as The Guardian of the Dead, the traditional food of the red lantern jellyfish that tend to wash ashore around the time of the festival, and the painting of stripes on one’s face to resemble the aspen-God Pando. Overall, the celebration is not as gloomy as one might expect a festival of death to be, but instead more a time for stories and rememberance of those passed.

---Pando

This twisted -- and rather creepy-looking -- tree-god is actually quite benevolent despite their appearance, and is known as the Deputy or Second-Hand of Ven. As the entity formed from such fierce belief in the tree known as The Guardian of The Dead, Pando guides and cares for the spirits of the deceased and has also taken on this epithet. Don’t forget to thank your local tree, because the message will surely travel back to Pando, through the complex system of roots and mycelium this wisdom god uses to spread and obtain knowledge.

---Beforgers

Those who were claimed to have built Taranoake and Citadell long before any inhabited them. Also called The Ones Cloaked In Shadow, rumored by old clams to be dark titans with their heads scraping the clouds. The mite-crabs were some of the only to witness them, though it's said the mole crabs know more and refuse to share.

---God of the Path

See “Bidibi”.

---Hearth

A welcoming god to all wanderers, floating freely amongst the other jellyfish.

---Tydin 

Ever noticed how the ocean is at different places at different times? Well, you can thank this giant sea god for that! Rumor has it that Tydin has been stuck in an eternal state of sleep since… well, only Gods know for sure. Most assume since the beginning of time, but none can back this claim up. Tydin’s breaths and snores create the changes in the tide named after them. No one has actually laid eyes on this ocean god and therefore their appearance remains mystery (though they're depicted as a sea slug), but their existence is generally agreed upon, as no one has a better answer.

---Ne'Mon

Ne'Mon is the god of knowledge and archivists, the patron god of the quiet Citadell. The lower half of their true form resembles that of a jellyfish, with uncountable tendrils used as arms for unending research. However, while Ven more or less follows mortal anatomy Ne'Mon is largely cryptid, with floating appendages and a face resembling a golden bell.

---The Blighted One

Referred to by those of Taranoake only in epithet for fear of invoking their wrath, the deity called Truth of Pestilence or Dreaded God, among other names, is the god of illness and therefore considered by mortals to be the sacred enemy of Ven. Feared more than death itself, for what good are you if you will only spread your darkness?

(Their true name is Ganellak, though only the other Gods are confident and powerful enough to use it lightly.)

---Lemar

The creator and inventor of the Anchors carried by Bidibi, this god was born as a mortal mite crab. But instead of opting for a life of violence in the Colosseum, they dedicated their life to anchoring the gods to this mortal plane, in a time when everyone was just becoming aware of The Drift. Ven granted them godship immediately after all the gods were successfully pulled back to the world.

---The Drift

A period of time in history when the gods began to involuntarily drift away from the mortal plane, causing strange events such as a still, waveless ocean, travelers mysteriously disappearing, and even a pause to death.

Some believe a second wave of The Drift may be coming in the near future, or is perhaps upon us now.

Reblog because there were too many tags/characters for Tumblr to handle

~Mostly Mollusk~

Part 4 - Part 5 Here - Part 6

Characters. (Mortals anyway.)

Keep reading

~Mostly Mollusk~

Part 1 - Part 2 Here - Part 3

Settlements.

Coastal Cities

-Taranoake 

“Bay-City”

A bustling town of bugs and sea bugs, basking in the warmth of the sun.

--Architecture

There are eight main areas of Taranoake to consider: The Gates, Jellyfish Bay, The Outpost, The Colosseum of Ven, The Cast Shell Pit, The Agora, Fort Taranoake, and Training Grounds.

---The Gates

Sandswept driftwood gates with rope tied end to end, dunes collecting around the poles. While nowadays most travellers enter from the Wayward Path, this used to be the main entrance to the city.

Near this area lie shimmering, indigo clam-shell mosaics bearing written welcomes to any who venture into Taranoake.

---Jellyfish Bay

Resting in the center of Taranoake lies Jellyfish Bay, a large pool of water where most of the city's vegetation is grown, for the few among us off put by the idea of eating their fallen friends--or for anyone else in need of a seaweed salad.

---The Outpost

A sight for sore eyes, the travellers off the eastern Path come here to rest after long journeys, beckoned forth by the golden shell beacon perched at its peak. It's an inn of sorts, though without any true owner and rarely caretaker--the denizens here are expected to clean up themselves after they leave, unless of course they die prior.

North of this area rests the skeletal husk of a long-dead beast draped with overgrown seaweed and surrounded by serrated shell, named by locals The Thorns.

---The Colosseum of Ven

Witness grand fights to the death... and maybe even receive a free snack afterwards! Here at the Colosseum, gladiator-fools engage in perilous combat for the glory of battle and the favor of their God of life and death. While victors and any other survivors simply live to see another day, the fallen are consumed by their brethren as it is most honorable to benefit your society even after death.

South of the building the barracks can be found. Connected by a few short tunnels, the room is where fighters rest between battles. Like the main area this place is not short of green blood--many are too stubborn to anticipate combat for long, rather wishing to get back into the fight before a chance to heal up.

---The Cast Shell Pit

After their carapace is judged as unsafe and the previous...owner ill, a corpse may be tossed into the hole with not much thought. It is a mourned soul who is infected in such a way that they can no longer benefit their society. Resting over the mass grave a long shrub has recently planted itself, growing through the sand and gaining worship as an omen of the green god Ven: The Guardian of The Dead, Pando, was formed after the town collectively decided that the tree was in some way sacred.

The pit was meant to contain The Thorns, until it was realized the body was too big to move, relieving the hole of its actual purpose.

---The Agora

Need food? Water? Weapon and shell? Dead bodies? We’ll look no further than The Agora. Overlooking Jellyfish Bay, the city's glorious marketplace has everything you might need after a long day of travel! Visit one of the many vendors for a wide variety of goods and perhaps a conversation, while you're at it.

---Fort Taranoake

Despite its militaristic and intimidating exterior, Fort Taranoake is where the citizens of this lovely town reside. Many call it home nestled within these walls, surrounded by banners and children attempting to scale the walls to reach The Acorn that washed ashore so many seasons ago, the symbol that few but the oldest clam remember.

---The Training Grounds

Some looking to compete in the colosseum, some wanting to travel the world, none having any idea how to fight, many outsiders and citizens alike come to train here. Despite the obvious, combat is not the only class. Students are taught how to forage food, how to learn from their surroundings, how to prepare a meal or subsist off of shells, how to survive the land inside and out of the supposed safety of the city. Regardless of ability, spending some time here could benefit even a champion gladiator or seasoned explorer.

-Citadell 

“Basins-City, Quiet Citadell”

A quiet city along the shore, hidden from aerial view and predators among the tides. 

--Architecture

The city consists of nine bays fading into deep holes, being primarily underground. Rooms are chiseled through the sides of the craters, and platforms are set outside connecting each entry, used as catwalks on low tide and decks at high. In the former case, tarps and stalls can be seen set up on the basins, packing up when the water reaches the third bay and the other areas are soon to follow.

---Six Basins

The holes in which most of the city’s traffic takes place, and rooms are placed around. They can be likened to plazas, and while The Archives has the general layout of a Basin it is considered a room instead.

Notable rooms include:

Woodworker’s Association, Second Basin

Noctiluca Cafe, Second Basin

Kritto’s Stall, Fourth Basin

The Archives, Fifth Basin

H.C. Labs, Sixth Basin

Interconnecting each basin lie series of alleyways where, at the lowest levels, the bioluminescent and edible mosses and algaes are grown, and where the sea-dwelling citizens make their homes. The bugs who cannot live in water are restricted to anywhere else, as the tunnels are drenched no matter the tides, carefully irrigated in a way so as not to flood the plazas.

---The Archives

A massive library carved into the sand, connected through pathway to the fifth basin. Unlike the rest of the caves, the roof is solid, arching over the area and carefully protecting the shell tablets inside from the sun. It is by far the largest room dedicated to one purpose.

---Bellows

A giant, translucent green object with salmon shells placed inside, settled on the sands above the cliffs. When the winds blow strongest, the interior howls and the sounds of the shells rattle through the city, marking the shift in tides.

-Renin

A small, long-hidden ghost town, with merely a sole original occupant. This “town” is composed of dozens of burrowed tunnels and sand statues crudely shaped to resemble frogs.

--Architecture

A labyrinth of tunnels and caves, most filled with fake furniture lining areas that give the whole place an uneasy feel. The whole town is full of cobwebs--and sand lumped together in a vague impression of frogs.

---The Ponds

Three slowly eroding caves towards the bottom of Renin, full of salt water and uninhabitable for frogs.

---Housing

Plenty of sand and rocks shaped into the makings of homes are scattered all around this place, most looking like they haven’t been used in years.

Marine Structures and Settlements

-Kelsik

A town of sea slugs, residing much closer to the water's surface than most other settlements inhabited by the purely-aquatic creatures. Homes are fashioned out of the large shells of other mollusks, and foliage is carefully tended to in the form of rows of seaweed. It's small in that all the villagers know each other well, and travellers are warmly welcomed.

While the population mostly consists of marine gastropods, crustaceans have a history with the town, where a few choose to make their home.

-Cranton's Abode

A driftwood hut pulled together neatly by twine, circled around one side by rocks placed in the formation of a sort of patio, where the work of the lone-though-not-lonely shrimp Cranton unfolds. He's something of a traveller--and scavenger--himself, so despite fire not being an option underseas, his food still manages to be the best of any you'd find this side of the Cities.

-Anemone Reefs

A cluster of inert cnidarians far from the surface, corals scattered through despite its namesake.

In the center of the well-protected forest lies a clearing, where two nudibranch siblings have chosen to make their home.

-The Ruins

A collocation of objects that appear to be more of the strange white internal chitin of dead creatures, those of which terrestrial scientists lament not having more information on. About five full sets of them, just sitting at the bottom of the ocean, all relatively and inexplicably in the same area. No one has any explanation and nothing is known of them except that they must have died some time after the rest of the vertebrates, given their condition. Archeologists may not have time to learn more about these before they are completely worn away by the tide.

-Anchor

A city atop a buoy, inhabited mostly by aerial bugs, and those who can climb up from the seaweed-and-chain “stairways” drifting from surface to seafloor. Though the hard minerals did prove difficult to tunnel through, the sheer size and the natural platforms have made it worth the effort to improve.

I don't have a computer that can handle actually downloading a game and I also don't know if Deltarune Chapter 2 is coming out on the Switch anytime soon so guess I'll just read ALL the spoilers all at once

Just as a note: while it's pretty straightforward on its own, here's more detail on how to navigate my tags (as I've prioritized them mostly for my own use).

-"Peridots-Art" vs "Not My Art": There's always one or the other. Peridots-Art is... pretty obvious (includes digital art, pixel art, written work, etc.) and Not My Art usually refers to reblogs or me just talking about a random subject.

-World Tags: Pretty much always on anything with the Art tag. Can either be a fandom (Bug Fables and Hollow Knight, or WoF for Wings of Fire), or one of my personal worlds (Tonpterus, Mostly Mollusk).

-Character Category: Most posts with the Art tag will either be labeled "Canon", referring to a canon character from a fandom, or "Character", referring to my own characters--whether completely original or a fan-character.

-Specific Characters: Canon characters will have the respective fandom after their name, not always stylized the same as the fandom's tag (e.g. Quirrel HK). Characters of my own creation will only be referred to with their name, regardless of whether they belong to a specific original universe or not.

-Creature Category: Unlike the above three tags, this doesn't always pertain to art. They describe the (currently, only three) categories of species/characters in the post: Humans, Dragons or Bugs. That's all