al-ma-48

A few weeks ago, after a period of inactivity, I gave Tumblr another try. Bad timing - or perfect timing, depending on the perspective. Obviously Tumblr has chosen to join the alliance of miserable Tiktok copies and force their videos upon me. So I will suspend my Tumblr account. For me personally, this platform really not worth the time.

Story in caption. Week 32 - Icy Fields

Now, these words were far from the quick solution that I was hoping for. We circled several times around the stormy peak, looking down at the gargantuan bodies in the ocean below us! Finally, Lady Tlalecavdal Tempesteeth set a fresh course. “Tiny one, you need to talk to our Eldest. She might be your only chance to eradicate this corruption. But nobody just wanders into her cave to interrupt her reverie. You must prove your worthiness to Guardian Icealdy Nezyldricht”, the storm dragon growled. “I will hand you an artefact with my observations. You must only hand it to our Edlest, do you understand?”. We flew for days, and with every mile the temperatures dropped. Finally, the dragon dropped me off on a vast icy field. “Good luck, tiny one! You will need it…”, she growled and was gone in an instant. It was so cold here! But where should I go? This icy field was so vast. The storm carried tiny ice shards with it that cut into my skin. I wandered for what felt like hours over this plain, feeling a growing sense of despair. But I forced myself relentlessly forward. Just as I felt I could not take another step, the storm suddenly calmed. My search for the dragon had led me to this moment, but as I finally stared up at the massive freezeing dragon towering over me, I froze in terror.

Story in caption. Week 31 - Stormy Peak

Oh, all those sights and wonders I have encountered in the previous weeks! I am so disappointed that I couldn't share it because the publishers cut our budget for express fowl mail. Damn these penny pinchers! So a speedy general update about my activities will have to do. While the kaiju was busy chasing the gargantuan kraken, I visited my old friend, the little shaman Jo’angaman. Having traveled far and wide even beyond this world, I looked to him for guidance about how to get rid of the kaiju. As always, I got cryptic riddles rather than straight answers. He sent me off to The Windy Heights, to search for help up on the stormy peaks. Can you imagine my shock when I ran right into a mighty storm dragon up there? Her mighty roar made Lady  Tlalecavdal Tempesteeth displeasure about my intrusion very obvious! My voice trembled as I called out the shaman's name in a panic. Thankfully, that seemed to calm her down. I took a moment to gather my thoughts before diving into the story of the kraken and kaiju. Together we flew many days until we finally crossed another mountain peak and saw the vast ocean below us. Even from this height, I could see the gargantuan creatures. “This is way beyond your mortal means, tiny one!’, the storm dragon growled worriedly at me.

Week 25 - Kaiju

The squids welcomed Willoughby, Zoanthidia and me, full of hope, to the capital of their strange underwater kingdom, as a gargantuan insectoid creature threatened their realm! Their report reminded me of the aggressive backswimmers living in my pond. Yet this creature was gargantuan, bringing back memories of last year’s visit to the island of kaijun. This creature ruled the interface between ocean and air. It possessed the ability to both fly and dive with equal ease, its insatiable hunger spreading terror in and above the ocean. We discussed our options and decided that our best chances lay in an alliance of the merfolk and squids. We urgently send out messages and squid reinforcements to the group distracting the Kraken. The combined forces finally lured the Kraken towards the kaiju. Instantly, a wild chase began with the kaiju hunting the kraken. The chase let them towards the open ocean, away from the merfolk and squids. Yet, this was only a temporary solution, as I could not leave even one of these horrors free to roam this ocean. Luckily, I knew exactly where I would find help! But this would take several weeks of travel without easy access to modern communication. Hopefully, I will be back in a few weeks with a solution to this unfortunate situation.

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Week 24 - Underwater Kingdom

I let out a panicked scream as I felt the pirate occultist's hand on my shoulder. Luckily, his intentions were not as sinister as his appearance. After establishing that neither of us meant any harm, we learned that Willoughby ‘Twitching’ Tentacle had a pure heart of gold. He loathed his family’s inherited pirate business and craved a change. But having just finished his occultist apprenticeship after occupational retraining, he found it very hard to get a job offer. After weeks of searching the ‘Adventurer wanted’ boards along the coast, a mysterious client made contact. The rewards were minimal, but Willoughby desperately needed experience for his CV. So he took the job and met with his clients, which turned out to be a race of very intelligent squids. They wanted him to defend their underwater kingdom that was under threat. Nobody was more surprised than Willoughby himself when he actually opened a portal and the kraken came through. Unfortunately, only then he understood what his occult teachers meant when they said that summoning a creature is the easiest part. The gargantuan kraken had no intention of listening to the tiny, inexperienced occultist. Zoanthidia and I followed him to this mystical underwater squid kingdom in order to learn more.

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Week 22 - Kraken

Undine was beaming with happiness as we returned to her home. Sadly, we found her beloved Tinted Barriers in a turmoil! Merfolk from the neighboring reefs to the north had arrived just before us, bearing horrifying news. According to their reports, an elder kraken was approaching. Several travelers had reported seeing it, and all communication with villages in the north had ceased! Despite all mundane and magical efforts, only silence answered their desperate call for news. One could only assume the worst - that the kraken had destroyed all life in its wake! Recalling my previous encounters with behemoth creatures, I volunteered to join the reconnaissance mission. As we quietly swam northward, we encountered less and less ocean life. The open ocean can be a lonely place, but close to the reefs, one usually finds an abundance of life. The emptiness was not a good omen of what we were about to come upon! I felt a growing sense of doom as we descended deeper into the ocean, looking for the nearest merfolk village to the north. We entered the vacant village just after sunset. For more than an hour, we desperately searched for any remaining witnesses or signs of the invader. In the end, it was me who found the kraken. Or, to be more specific, the kraken found me…

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Week 21 - Butterfly Bay

The parakeets whispered about the 'Tinted Barrier Reef' more and more often, their tone filled with obvious longing. The locals used the parakeets for their pranks, so I assumed they intended to tease Undine. Considering her desire to leave her former home behind, I wanted to spare her the prank and decided to move on. This time, the magic waters portal brought us to a place called ‘butterfly bay’. Another place with a name that perfectly describes it! Hundreds of glamorous butterflies fluttered in the air above the bay, and the local merfolk cheerfully treasured each of the tiny jewels. What an amazing and welcoming place! Yet Undine did not seem too happy. What was going on? How could one not adore this stunning place full of sunshine, intense hues and affectionate merfolk? I emphatically demanded answers from my friend. To my surprise, it turned out that she was desperately homesick! The trinket had just been an excuse to return home. And the growing restlessness in the Red Dragon Reef and the parakeet’s longing call - all just reflected Undine’s homesickness. ‘You know, Sally, I guess I understood something. Home is the place that I love to leave, and that I love even more returning to!’ I smiled affectionately at Undine, as we returned to her home.

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Week 20 - Parakeet Cove

The ever-changing environment at the Red Dragon Reef transformed as quickly as the mercurial mood of the local merfolk, so it never got boring! Yet, once more, Undine’s restlessness grew with each passing day, so I proposed to move on. There had to be a place in the magic waters that Undine would enjoy enough to call it her new home! So we once more went into a magic waters portal. On the other side, I rapidly squinted my eyes at the unexpected brightness. Rays of sun danced over the shallow, turquoise waters of this tropical cove, illuminating the corals beneath. Branches of the surrounding jungle trees gently swayed in the wind over the cove, adding their shadows to the mesmerizing, shifting dance of light. Above us, huge swarms of parakeets filled the air with color and their sounds. What an amazing tropical paradise. I cherished the huge smile on Undine’s face as the amiable local merfolk welcomed us to Parakeet Cove. Merfolk seem to have a knack for aptly naming their homes. Life here was absolutely enjoyable. And the locals had such a keen sense of humor. By taking advantage of the parakeet's skill to mimic language, they have become true masters of playing pranks on each other. But after a few days, something strange caught my attention.

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Week 19 - Red Dragon Reef

I loved chatting with the friendly merfolk and playing with the frogs and their tadpoles. Yet, gradually, Undine's restlessness grew with each passing day. When asked, she shook her head and mumbled about a special trinket left behind. So, before continuing our journey, we briefly returned to the tinted barriers. If I had not known how gloomy she felt there, I could have assumed she enjoyed our brief stopover. Yet, we continued our exploration of the magic water portals and reached the infamous Red Dragon Reef! According to legend, once upon a time, the two most ancient red dragons fought in the air over this part of the ocean for dominance. For several days, the night sky blazed, visible even from islands far away. Finally, the loser crashed into the sea below. Her final fiery roar unfortunately ignited something combustible underneath the seabed. It scorched the dragon from the inside, and keeps burning inside its shell to this day! We can see its light through cracks in the shell, breaking open and creating an explosion of bubbles and light as fire meets water, before closing again. Nevertheless, corals made the outside of the dragon their home, building a new reef and home for a tribe of merfolk. They were strikingly beautiful, yet their temper matched their fiery home.

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Week 18 - Frog Pond

The past weeks were way more dramatic than I expected, and I met quite a few very fascinating creatures. Yet, thanks to the publishers’ cost cuttings, I had no access to modern communication systems like the mail fowl network. So the story of my adventure will have to be told another time. But finally, once again, I arrived at the coast of the Ultramarine Sea just in time for the spring celebration. Perhaps you recall my very dear friend Undine Silverscale, the mermaid. Last year at the Tinted Barriers, we filled her home with laughter and joy. Alas, I fear this year might not be such an enjoyable time together. Undine confided to me she was very miserable at home. She yearned to explore the world like I do, and feel a similar thrill of discovery. I suppose her home felt too constricted, despite its beauty. Recalling a captivating book about portals connecting different magical aquatic habitats, I proposed to explore them together. Happily, she agreed at once and we set out to locate the nearest waterway portal. To our surprise, it took us to a frog pond deep in a mystical forest. Can I even all the local dwellers merfolk when they are living in freshwater? The strange sights and sounds and taste of the swampy water captivated Undine. Thirstily, she soaked up the new environment with all her senses.

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Story in caption. Week 13 - Cottage

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It was really hard for me to say goodbye to the creative gnomes at Tinker Toll. But I had to leave them behind to start my long journey towards the ocean. For the last days, I have been cutting across the Ever Reaching Highlands. It felt good to be back on the road again! Yesterday, as I followed the trail, I spotted something off the path; I followed it and soon came upon a small cottage hidden in a valley. Ever the curious gnome, I knocked at the hut to find out who might live out here, far from any village. Can you imagine my astonishment when an old friend opened the door? If you've been following my reports for a while, you may recall Newt On, the esteemed thinker and philosopher. To my amazement, I realized it had been nearly two years since our last meeting – the sheer elegance of his Grand Unifying Theory he told me about back then still lingered in my memory. He had retired from his academic life and moved out here, pondering the big questions in life. I spend a wonderful night at his hut, discussing all his latest theories. He graciously offered me the use of his mail fowl to transport this report to you. It will probably be the last report until I reach the ocean - or until I meet another friendly soul with a means of delivering mail…

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Story in caption. Week 12 - Fury of the Tools

Until now, I found most of the retired failed prototypes here at Tinker Toll quite endearing. But the two bio-mechanical and magical dragon constructs I met this week were truly terrifying. They designed their ‘instrumentum fabrica draconis’ as tools for their forges. As any gnome knows, dragon fire is the ultimate fire for forging the most durable tools or weapons. Unfortunately, these creatures usually violently disagree with being used as a tool. So they combined parts of a dying dragon with their mechanical and magical components. The fire part worked like magic, but they sadly also transferred the dragon’s fury about being used as a tool. Only the most daring gnomes could harden their tools in their fiery breath. But if they (and their tools) survived, the results were truly exceptional. I wish everyone would be so open about their failures, as in most cases, the road to true expertise comprises failures and important lessons learned from them. My brothers and sisters here are so skillful at what they do because they share and value these lessons rather than try to gloss over them! Anyhow, I think it is once again time to move on. I want to spend some time at the sea, visiting some old friends. And the journey is endless, so I might not send reports in the upcoming weeks.

For more images and stories see @al-ma-48

Week 11 - Element of Fear

I have limited alchemical and thaumaturgic knowledge. But I know that all the surrounding matter comprises chemical elements interacting with magical fields and particles. Apparently, on other planes, unique elements exist. From the ravaging planes of evil, bold gnomish explorers brought back a hitherto unknown element. Striking profound fear into the heart of anyone looking, they aptly called it ‘element of fear’ and designated it the three letter symbol ‘Ono’! Curious as we gnomes are, the Tinker Toll R&D department promptly set out to explore applications for the new element. The most distinguished schools for training heros are constantly looking for new teaching tools. So they designed one of their bio-mechanical and magical dragons, made of Ono. Aiming to create the most fearsome creature, they constructed it as a tool to toughen up the heroes in training, teaching them methods to control their fear. But the biological components turned out to be the breaking point of the design. While the Ono worked just fine on the outside, it also upset the inside. The dragon’s behavior ruined the intended fearsomeness, as it tried to hide from everything, trembling in deadly terror! Only the most empathic of Tinker Toll’s employees can attend the poor prototype.

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Week 10 - Bright Aquatic Dragon

Yesterday, the gnomes here at the Tinker Toll R&D center presented me with another of their dropped yet revered prototypes. Residing in a huge saltwater tank, this creation is their answer to their marketing department’s request to expand the product portfolio for the well-funded aquatic races on Almaos. R&D once again created a marvelous dragon-like prototype out of biological, magical, and mechanical components. Unfortunately, to appreciate its genuine beauty, the observer has to wear thick black-tinted glasses. The design input asked for an autonomous aquatic guardian patrolling their houses and villages. Studying biological defense mechanisms, they found that intense light could scare away many underwater predators. It worked like a charm - initially. Once again, leakage sealed their end. The engineers could not keep the water out, and this time the mechanical parts did not like the water at all. Even without the proximity of predators, the prototypes flared up brightly. Even worse, they started swimming straight ahead without being able to change direction. Three of the four prototypes are still out there, somewhere cruising the ocean. The gnomes could only salvage one prototype, as its mechanics locked sideways, making it now circle their tank day after day.

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Story in caption. Week 9 - Lost Balance 

I am delighted to affirm that last week I met researchers from the brilliant gnomish design and engineering company ‘Tinker Toll’. Being a gnome myself, how could I resist an invitation to their main research and development facility? And I feel like I am in tinkering heaven! Their current R&D focus is the creation of dragons that are animated by an intricate union of biologics, mechanics and magic. Semi sentient and way meeker than their mighty paragons, Tinker Toll predicts for them to bring our lives and economy to a whole new level. Yet, as always, working at the ultimate frontier of science and magic, things are bound to go wrong at the first attempts. But because of the gnomes’ deep love for their creations and their firm belief that everything has a function - even as a lesson on how not to do something - they keep and treasure every prototype from their projects. I especially liked one called Drang. This prototype burned alcohol to power the mechanical parts of the construction. Yet, the engineers never managed to seal the fuel lines tightly. So thanks to the constant internal leakage of alcohol, it was drunk permanently, and it lost its balance completely. After several failed attempts to seal the lines, they retired the prototype to a cushioned compound erected to keep it safe.

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Story in caption. Week 8 - Pink Oyster (#funguary week 4) This week, we delved into a very humid part of the hidden fungal valley. The scientists presented me another fungus, named ‘pink oyster’ mushroom. But I suppose the name ‘flamingo mushroom’ would be more opportune! Like many of its brethren, the fungus grows on wood, especially small shrubs and sticks. Its micells grow all over and into the wood, devouring it slowly. But once the food source begins to dwindle, this fungus not only develops the most charming pink fruit bodies, it also takes control of the surviving dead sticks. By contracting in an astonishingly coordinated way while using the wood as a skeleton, the fungus leaves its former home, stalking through the wood in search of new feeding grounds. To the uninformed observer, this intriguing fungal creature really appears like a small pink flamingo slowly stalking through the wood! Its slow and charmingly awkward movements ensure optimal disposal and spread of the spores. And when the fungus finally gets caught in an impenetrable shrub, unable to move further, the micell will start spreading again and explore this new feeding ground. Amazing! Yet, as much as I love this valley, it’s time to move on. I encountered a competing research team on our way back and received a most tempting invitation.

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Story in caption. Week 7 - Kraken stinkhorn (#funguary week 3)

The fungal life seems not to be the most harmonious one, at least here in this hidden fungal valley. Yet, the forms and colors are as amazing as their modes of procreation. Today, the Dungeon Corp research team and I came across a fungus they aptly call kraken stinkhorn. I am absolutely not the most sensitive gnome, but the fruits of this evil-smelling fungus stink of rotting cadavers. Lots of them! Like all fungus, this creature dwells in hiding, feeding off dead tissue and wood. Its fruit bodies start off as inoffensive eggs. Upon maturity, they develop their abominable smell. It will irresistibly attract the plant-based vegepygmies, who need carcasses to procreate. Just as they will happily sniff out the eggs, those will explore and vile, purple tentacles will grip their face. Panicked and blinded by the kraken like fruit hugging their face, the poor creatures will dash madly through the jungle, distributing the stinkhorn’s spores all over the place. And when the vegepygmy finally succumbs to fear and exhaustion, the fruit and the attached mycele will start growing again, feeding off the plant life that will form on the body of its prey. The researchers hinted they intend to extract the stinkhorn’s smell and sell it as stimulating perfume to the dungeon keeper’s scavenging employees.

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