Alligator in a humansuit

29. Hunt

A Charizard friend! This was a commission for my friend @antialiasis. Those wings took a long time to get looking good; double-sided irregularly-shaped wings do not lend themselves well to crochet.

~~~

One of my biggest projects - an entire Hydrapple, with all the syrpents included! There's toothpicks in the main head's horns for rigidity, while every syrpent has armature wire inside them for poseability. And...

...that includes the two tail syrpents! All six syrpents other than the main one are completely removable along with the apple top, which has little hooks to hold it in place when it's on there. The apple base also has a plastic pot inside it, to help it hold all that weight.

The one thing they can't do is fold the bonus heads flat against the apple like the ingame model does, but they can get... some of the way there? although it does require something of a Noodle Vortex on the inside for all those tails to still fit in the apple.

Very proud of these good apple noodle friends and how well they turned out!

~~~

[id. Digital doodle of Eddie from Deadloch hugging Triple Pet, their pet crocodile (not at scale). end id]

Right! Now I'd like to say a few words about Triple Pet, my crocodile brother. Triple Pet, you loved eating. Um, specifically pets. Three of them, to be exact.

One time a father called out to me because his daughter noticed the pokemon in my bag and got excited. It was a delightful encounter and she showed me her own plush! ^-^

More of my art @alwaystiredshark

Boots of the Wayfarer

Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)

These worn boots are built to last, perfect for traversing the most treacherous paths without slowing your pace. They even save any unused movement for when you really need to bolt. Crafted from supple leather and embroidered with intricate cloud patterns in vibrant blue thread, they are the preferred choice of tireless couriers and messengers throughout the Forgotten Realms, ensuring that no traveler falters on their journey and no delivery is ever delayed. —

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Next part of my Worldbuilding Master's Series! Notable highlights include:

Foundations of Narrative Control

Creation of Propaganda

Methods of Dissemination

Education and Indoctrination

Historical Revisionism

Public Perception and Belief

Tools of Control and Censorship

Power, Politics, and Manipulation

Resistance and Counter-Narratives

Consequences and Long-Term Impact

Foundations of Narrative Control

Who controls information in this world, and why does shaping truth matter?

Who has the authority to define “truth”?

Why is controlling information important to those in power?

Is propaganda centralized or fragmented?

Are there official narratives everyone is expected to follow?

How aware is the population of narrative control?

Is propaganda subtle or overt?

Are people taught to question or accept information?

Are there competing sources of truth?

How early are people exposed to propaganda?

Is control of information considered normal or controversial?

Are there cultural values supporting obedience or skepticism?

How does narrative control maintain stability or power?

Are there systems designed specifically for messaging?

Is truth seen as fixed or flexible?

What does “truth” mean in this society?

Creation of Propaganda

How is propaganda created, and what goals does it serve?

Who produces propaganda?

What methods are used to craft messages?

What emotions does propaganda target?

Are messages tailored to different audiences?

Are stories simplified or exaggerated?

Is propaganda based on truth, lies, or a mixture?

How is messaging tested or refined?

Are there specialists in persuasion?

Are there recurring themes or slogans?

How often is propaganda updated?

Are there symbols or imagery tied to it?

Is propaganda reactive or proactive?

Does it focus on fear, pride, unity, or division?

Are there hidden agendas behind messaging?

What is the ultimate goal of propaganda here?

Methods of Dissemination

How does propaganda reach the population, and how unavoidable is it?

What channels spread information (media, education, public spaces)?

Is propaganda constant or occasional?

Are there official communication systems?

How accessible is information to ordinary people?

Are messages repeated frequently?

Are there visual, auditory, or experiential methods?

Do people actively consume or passively absorb it?

Are there censorship systems in place?

Are alternative viewpoints suppressed?

How does propaganda reach remote or isolated groups?

Are there informal networks spreading messages?

Is propaganda embedded in entertainment?

Are there rituals or events reinforcing it?

How quickly can information spread?

What makes propaganda effective in reaching people?

Education and Indoctrination

How are people taught what to believe, and how early does this begin?

What role does education play in shaping beliefs?

Are historical narratives taught uniformly?

Are children exposed to propaganda from a young age?

Are there standardized curricula?

Are teachers agents of the system or independent?

Are alternative interpretations allowed in education?

How are critical thinking skills treated?

Are there ideological tests or expectations?

Are students rewarded for conformity?

Are there hidden messages within education systems?

How is dissent handled in schools?

Are there elite or alternative education systems?

How does education reinforce identity?

Are there generational differences in belief?

What defines “learning” versus “indoctrination”?

Historical Revisionism

How is history altered, rewritten, or selectively remembered?

What events have been changed or erased from history?

Who decides which events are recorded?

Are certain figures glorified or demonized?

Are records destroyed, altered, or hidden?

How often is history rewritten?

Are there official versions of historical events?

Are there known discrepancies in records?

Are certain topics forbidden or sensitive?

How are inconvenient truths handled?

Are there multiple competing histories?

How does revisionism affect identity?

Are there attempts to recover lost history?

Are there myths presented as historical fact?

How do people react when history changes?

What is lost when history is rewritten?

Public Perception and Belief

How do people interpret, accept, or resist propaganda?

Do people believe official narratives?

Are there skeptics or dissenters?

How do individuals form their beliefs?

Are people aware of manipulation?

Are there differences in belief across groups?

Do people question inconsistencies?

Are there cultural norms around trusting authority?

Are there consequences for disbelief?

Do people hold contradictory beliefs?

Are there underground movements challenging narratives?

How does propaganda shape identity?

Are beliefs emotionally or logically driven?

How does repetition affect belief?

Are there moments of collective doubt?

What makes people accept or reject a narrative?

Tools of Control and Censorship

What systems are used to suppress, filter, or control information?

Are there censorship mechanisms in place?

Who enforces information control?

Are certain topics banned?

How is dissent detected?

Are communications monitored?

Are there punishments for spreading “false” information?

Are there surveillance systems tied to information control?

Are records restricted or classified?

Are there blacklists or banned materials?

How do people bypass censorship?

Are there underground information networks?

How effective is censorship overall?

Are there loopholes in the system?

How visible is censorship to the public?

What happens when control fails?

Power, Politics, and Manipulation

How is propaganda used to gain, maintain, or challenge power?

How do leaders use propaganda to legitimize authority?

Are there political campaigns built on misinformation?

How do rival groups use competing narratives?

Are there propaganda wars between factions?

Is propaganda used during conflict or crisis?

Are there figures who specialize in manipulation?

How does propaganda shape public opinion?

Are there shifts in narrative with leadership changes?

Are there betrayals or reversals of truth?

How does propaganda influence policy decisions?

Are there power struggles over narrative control?

Do elites believe their own propaganda?

Are there moments when propaganda collapses?

How fragile is narrative control?

What happens when power changes hands?

Resistance and Counter-Narratives

How do individuals or groups resist propaganda and recover truth?

Are there groups dedicated to exposing truth?

How do they gather evidence?

Are there risks in challenging official narratives?

Are there underground publications or networks?

How do dissenters communicate safely?

Are there whistleblowers?

Are there alternative education systems?

How do people verify information?

Are there safe spaces for discussion?

How effective is resistance?

Are there cultural traditions of skepticism?

Do people trust counter-narratives?

Are there internal conflicts among resistance groups?

What happens when truth is revealed?

Can resistance truly change the system?

Consequences and Long-Term Impact

What are the long-term effects of propaganda and revisionism on society and identity?

How does propaganda shape collective memory?

Are entire generations shaped by false narratives?

What happens when truth is uncovered?

Are there lasting divisions caused by misinformation?

Does propaganda create stability or instability?

Are there psychological effects on the population?

How does it affect trust in institutions?

Are there cycles of revision and correction?

Can a society recover from long-term manipulation?

Are there permanent gaps in historical knowledge?

How does propaganda affect cultural identity?

Are there regrets or reckonings in the future?

Does truth eventually resurface?

What is lost when truth is controlled?

What kind of society emerges from manipulated reality?

I would never pay money for a redbox. if you ask politely and are very very persistent (i.e. annoying) they will let you take it away

here's my dad and i taking it away

luckily there are no shortage of freaks like us who will just take them away on our own volition. we did it all "by the book", too: we set up cones and caution tape, disconnected electricity properly, used an angle grinder to grind down the bolts in the concrete so nobody would trip on them, then cleaned everything up afterward and sealed off the electrical panel so the store would know everything is safe and tidy. though they were hesitant when we were first contacting them, they were honestly very relieved and grateful when we finally took it away, especially once they saw that we "knew what we were doing" (we don't) and look like we've "done this before" (we haven't).

the fun part: the reason why this redbox, in particular, was completely full and unraided is because the computer hardware inside had failed some months before the bankruptcy, and a failing company sure as hell wasn't gonna send a tech out to our podunk dipshit city to fix it, so it was impossible to rent movies or take any discs out. plus, for who knows how long, people were returning old redbox discs to this machine and not taking any out, leading to a much higher variety of movies than your average redbox.

there is a thriving community of redbox hackers and modders out there, as well, creating open-source software for repurposing the machines and not letting their very interesting and robust disc-management hardware go to waste. this one belongs to my brother (who was very annoying persistent and did all the legwork of contacting managers and securing permission) who is a programmer by trade and will be hacking it into a family-access movie library, with whatever discs we want. i mean the machine is completely weatherproof and has a built-in AC unit, it would be such a waste to not try to turn it into something cool.

if we get another one, i'm gonna try to mod it into some sort of art or zine vending machine. the disc boxes are just the right size for small print art or stickers. would make a great "little free library" too.

More of my art @alwaystiredshark