#igartists

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 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.

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

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.

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

Story in caption. Week 18 - Worker (#mermay day 1)

With all the exciting insights into the Porkerquarter academy, I completely lost track of time! Only when their preparation for the spring celebration was in full swing, I remembered I had planned on leaving a few days earlier for the Ultramarine Sea. So I hurriedly bid my goodbye and rushed onward towards the coast. A few days of frenzied and exhausting travel followed. But I made it! Just in time for the spring celebration, I arrived this morning at this vast expanse of water. I drank the first of my greater potions of water breathing and shuffled out into the sea. True to their word, my host already expected me just off the coast. The mermaid Undine Silverscale had invited me a few months back to visit her home at The Tinted Barriers. Together, we continued on into the aptly named Ultramarine Sea. The first surprise came as we approached the reef. I had learned that these grow naturally. But at least down here, many merfolk workers are constantly reconfiguring and expanding their beautiful and majestic reef.

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