I haven’t really highlighted any of the villains. One needs to remain a secret, but I have these two fun ones. Really enjoyed writing Urian Coy because I don’t get to do pompous merchants as often as I’d like. Eris is another character type I’ve used and tossed away rather quickly. Hope both of them know what they’re going up against . . . Yeah, they really aren’t ready for Darwin.
I remember this happening in a few Dungeons & Dragons games. We’d be land-based heroes with the occasional ocean adventure involving ships. Then, our group would be thrown a curveball in the form of a quest that takes place nearly entirely underwater. It can throw a group off because the tactics aren’t the same. In fact, this is a different adventure than anything our adventurers ever met. Needless to say, it’s also why I don’t do this very often. Lots of things to consider.
The one time I went all in with an underwater adventure is a story in The Life & Times of Ichabod Brooks. I thought it would be easy and did what I could to make it as similar to a land adventure as possible. Magical devices were given out to assist with breathing, swimming, and the pressure one would face. Since this was a short story, I didn’t go all out with explanations. So, I don’t think I touched on every challenge that comes from this adventure. I did just enough to demonstrate that the heroes had to take precautions. Looking back, I think I’d do a few things differently just to spice it up, but it still works for what it was. This is another reason I began thinking about this specific topic.
As I stated, going underwater brings about multiple questions. Will the heroes be using magical items or traveling in a machine? Are there dangerous animals in the water? How will heroes deal with breathing, temperatures, pressure, and movements? All of this needs to be factored in because most readers have experience with water. Even kids get a sense that being underwater makes it harder to move and impossible to breathe. So, you have to tackle the basic questions to make this adventure believable. After all, the unfriendly and deadly terrain is part of the challenge.
I think some authors mix underwater adventures with ocean voyages too. Aside from the latter having a boat, there are other differences. Most importantly, is the scenery. An ocean voyage is rather lonely with nothing to see for miles besides water. You can’t always have an island in view. Underwater is similar in that you may have total darkness, but you need a visual. So, authors always have things glowing or give the heroes lights to reveal the scenery. Being underwater is like being on an alien planet in that you see formations and life all around you. Things will loom out of the darkness instead of gradually approaching from the horizon. There’s a deadly beauty to being underwater unlike the isolation of journeying on a boat. It’s an important aspect of this scene that can make the difference between vivid and flat settings.
The decision to go underwater is a rough one for authors. Unlike other terrains, you can’t just want to an area and go exploring with the right gear. This is a region of the planet that will have its own mountain ranges and rival the size of continents. Fantasy worlds tend to mimic Earth in land to water ratios, so you’re looking at a greater area to explore. Heroes can’t just drop into the ocean at any point. They need a reason to go, especially since they’d see it as a riskier adventure than anything else they’ve done. One can see how a person would be more comfortable facing extreme heat or cold than the possibility of drowning. Part of that is because there’s a sense you can counter those issues with gear or retreating. Submarine or water-breathing ring breaks at 1,000 foot depth? You’re going to die without question. So, a lot of preparations have to be made by the heroes for the readers to get a real sense of the danger.
I’ll get more into this on Wednesday and Friday. I think there’s a lot more to unpack on the challenges here. Of course, I’m talking about heroes who aren’t able to naturally function underwater like Aquaman and sea elves. This is all about taking a land-based hero into the uncharted depths. The possibilities of what they find are endless, which is what makes this so much fun. You can create nearly anything down there and the tension is easy to maintain since everyone has a fear of drowning.
My son and I first learned about the Dhole (pronounced like Dole) from an episode of the Wild Kratts. These are wild dogs are found in various areas of Asia. They have many names too. Whistling dog, red dog, mountain wolf, Asiatic Wild Dog, Asian wild dog, and Indian wild dog are options besides Dhole. So, you may have heard them referred to without realizing it. Actually, the red dogs from ‘Jungle Book’ are the dholes, which makes people think they are very aggressive.
Dholes are pack animals and they resemble red foxes, but different. You can’t really see the differences since it’s mostly tooth and skull structure. One thing that does stand out is that they cannot be tamed. They will always be either shy or aggressive, so you can’t have a pet dhole like you could with a dog or fox. This is probably why they’re able to compete with tigers and leopards when it comes to food. Of course, they work in a pack and use numbers to help against the larger predators.
It’s unclear why their numbers have dropped below 2,500. There’s no market for them as pets or food. Their fur has a small market, but not a significant amount to explain the numbers going down. So, what are the theories?
They were hunted by the British for sport long ago, but now they are sometimes killed to protect livestock. There used to be bounties on them in India, but it was stopped when people killed too many to maintain the reward. This is not as common, but it is thought that enough damage had been done to start the ball rolling.
Deforestation is a big problem, which also leads to a lack of prey. Dholes need a lot of hunting space. They may need even more than tigers and leopards because the pack is feeding multiple mouths. So, they need to cover a lot of land for the best chance at finding prey. Less space means less food and more competition with the bigger predators. They’re also more likely to interact with people, who see them as vermin and start killing them.
Diseases from domesticated dogs may have gotten into the Dhole population.
There are breeding programs at some zoos. Also, there is an odd fact for them, which is kind of gross:
Dholes urinate while standing on their front paws. So, they pee while doing a handstand.
Here are some pictures (from our latest Bronx Zoo trip) and videos from YouTube:
With camp ending last Friday, I had this past week with my son. So, there wasn’t any writing going on at all. We were up late (for him) most nights and running around left me tired by the evening. This means I have half a book left to write, which won’t happen before school starts on the 30th. Oh well.
I guess it’s easier to do this recap by the day.
Last Saturday
You know, I don’t really remember what we were doing. I think this was just resting up, but there had to be something. Maybe it was just errands to get stuff for the rest of the week. Probably video games too. Well, there was an art project that my son did in the morning. Think it was then errands and ‘Pokemon Legends: Arceus’. That game is going to be mentioned a lot.
Sunday
Father/son trip to the Bronx Zoo. We get there when it opened and managed to see the entire zoo. That includes this summer area:
The animatronic dinosaurs had motion sensors, so they would move when people walked into a certain area. Of course, all the baby animals were a highlight. We saw baby wild horses, peacocks, great argus, and tree kangaroos. Probably more, but those are the ones I can remember.
Tree Kangaroo
Overall, it was a fun outing and we made it home in time for dinner. Vaguely remember that being Chinese food.
Monday
Being out in the heat and walking all day left me barely functional on this day. The long covid was strong with me this day. My son was supposed to get his braces, but that got changed around. So, we did a Princess Peach Lego set and played ‘Arceus’ in the afternoon. Really my son played while I laid down and gave advice. It was a necessary low key day.
Tuesday
I felt better and thought it would be a good idea to go for a walk in a nearby preserve. This place used to be a big landfill, but it was turned into a reserve years ago. Not a ton of shade and it’s mostly uphill walking. They have a herd of goats that keep things neat too, which we met up with. My son reunited with this one goat that tried to eat his hair about 9 years ago. Saw some lizards and various birds. The issue was that I pushed myself a bit too much and realized as we neared the second hour that I made a mistake. We got home in time for lunch and watched the 2009 ‘Sherlock Holmes’. Then, more ‘Arceus’ before I had to make Penne with Vodka Sauce.
Wednesday
My son had an afternoon appointment, so not much happened. It was a minor Lego set then an early lunch. We had to hang around the appointment area after we were done for reasons I can’t disclose. Made it up to my son by getting Slurpees and then another afternoon of ‘Arceus’. Our goal of the week was to catch all of the Alpha Pokemon in the unlocked area. These are bigger, stronger, and more aggressive versions of other Pokemon. We nearly got destroyed by one and made a panicky retreat.
Thursday
Braces! The appointment was early afternoon, so we took it easy in the morning. It was a lot of talking and my son finagled some ‘Arceus’ time before we had lunch. We watched a bunch of ‘Demon Slayer’, which he’s handling very well. Finishing that anime tonight and I’m amazed my son, who hates horror, demanded to and made it through the whole thing with only one mild issue. He doesn’t like jump scares. Anyway, he got his braces on and that set the stage for the rest of the week. We got large chocolate shakes, went home for more ‘Arceus’, and brought in Ramen for dinner. Not the store bought stuff, but restaurant Ramen. My son had trouble chewing, but he figured it out.
Friday
With the braces on, we took it easy and he worked on another Lego set. Eating was taking a bunch of time. We did go out to try to find some pieces for his Halloween costume, which is looking like I’ll have to build from scratch. People are telling me I can wait until the October, but I have to build a shark-shaped guitar, attach frilly sleeves to a suit jacket, iron on lilies to a pink pair of pants, make a cravat brooch, and connect an afro wig to a top hat that I turn into a golden crown. Easy, right? The afternoon was ‘Arceus’ again while I made a stencil and began cutting out cardboard layers for the guitar.
Today
My son goes to his mom’s tomorrow afternoon, so this is our last full day to hang out. We have family coming over and then going to a friend’s for pool and BBQ. Last of our purchased Lego sets may be made and we need to get some materials for the costume. It’s already feeling like a weird day. He’s going to be gone for about 9 days. Even when he gets home, I’ll have work. We won’t get to spend real time together until two weeks from today.
Future
I’ve got school starting up on the 30th. So, I have to get a few things ready like paperwork and getting a haircut. Of course, I’m going to try to write as much of Darwin & the Avenging Elf as I can. It looks like I have 12 days to go if I get 3 sections done per day, so I’m hoping to get into Chapter 13 of 16. I have a few appointments and got invited to a party, which is why I doubt I’ll get any further than that. Much of it will depend on the long covid and my anxiety too. No idea what I will watch when I need a break. I was leaning towards ‘Sandman’, but I heard it was rather violent and I don’t think I’ll be in the right mindset for that this week.
Goals of the week:
Get a haircut
Write more Darwin & the Avenging Elf
Rest up
Do some biking
Buy vegetables and plan out healthy lunches for work.
Welcome to the berry farm. We have all types of fruits that people call berries. I’m sure someone is going to point out what is and isn’t a berry on our list. Just know that we’re aware, but that doesn’t change what we do. Each one can turn you into something different. Some are specific and others are general. Here’s a list of what we have on the bush today. Enjoy and I recommend no grazing. Don’t want to make a bad combo and lose time while our resident de-transmographer does her work. Just a friendly warning to you all.
Blackberry– Transform into any nocturnal creature. Effects wear off at dawn even if eaten during the day. Clothes will not be changed as well.
Raspberry– Tongue transforms into a long, prehensile organ with a possible version that includes retractable barbs. Fairly popular with children.
Strawberry– Transform into a figure of randomly chosen vapor. Chances include toxic gas, perfume, spectral vapor, smoke, mist, and acid. Wind can move you around, but not tear you apart. Beware of vacuums.
Blueberry– Transform into any blue-skinned fictional character. Eating multiple blueberries can turn you into an amalgamation of characters.
Acai– Transforms you into a berry-producing plant. We hold all rights to whatever you sprout, but will leave you with some as thanks.
Elderberries– Transform into an older version of yourself. One berry adds 10 years with no limits. Death will not be caused by these berries, but you may not like what it feels like to 200.
Cloudberries– Transform into a bird. No downside, but kiwis, ostriches, emus, penguins, and other flightless birds are possibilities.
Cranberries– Turns a person into a zombie for a day. Cannot transmit the infection or choose type of zombie. Popular with students who have tests.
Lingonberries– Transform into a rabbit. We don’t know why, but it’s what these berries do.
Red and Black Currants– Fingers transform into sprinklers with each one having a different type of spray. Cannot be turned off. Popular with gardeners, housewives, and spring breakers.
Gooseberries– Transform into a were-goose complete with bad attitude. Useful for handling problematic neighbors and door-to-door annoyances.
Goji Berries– Transform into a dog for a full day. No ability to speak and you need to provide your own tags. Remember local leash laws.
Grapes– Physical abilities increase as you get angrier and more wrathful. Your body will become bigger and more ogre-like.
Loganberries– Transform into a syrupy ooze that stains things red. Your skin will remain this color for one week after turning back.
Mulberries– Transform eyes into special lenses that can see various light wavelengths. It can cause hallucinations.
Salmonberries– Transform into a fish. Best to do when near a large body of water for breathing and in case of large shark form.
Boysenberries– Heads is transformed into that of a poisonous animal complete with venom sacs. Created due to use thinking they were called Poisonberries. Too popular to discontinue.
(Not my best poem. This was definitely an early one. I stand by what it’s talking about though. Not sure what I meant by the 3rd and 4th lines. Oh, Labor Day! Got it. Don’t think I knew how that holiday worked when I wrote this.)
