#mirach

In order of brightness:

Alpheratz (α Andromedae) is a binary star system consisting of two blue-white giant stars about 97 light years away. The name comes from the Arabic phrase surrat al-faras meaning "navel of the horse."

Mirach (β Andromedae) is solitary red giant star about 197 light years away. The name comes from the Arabic word mīzar meaning "girdle."

Almach (γ Andromedae) is a quadruple star systme about 390 light years away. The primary is an orange supergiant star with a few blue-white stellar companions. The name comes from the Arabic word al-‘anāq meaning "desert lynx."

δ Andromedae is an unnamed triple star system about 105 light years away. It consists of an orange giant, and two red dwarfs.

Nembus (51 Andromedae) is a solitary orange giant star about 169 light years away. Its name was given to it in 1603 in a famous stellar atlas called the Uranometria, although it is of unknown origin.

Alfarasalkamil (o Andromedae) is a potential quadruple star system about 690 light years away. The primary star is a blue-white giant star. The name comes from the Arabic phrase Al Faras al Kamil meaning "the complete horse," as opposed to the constellation Pegasus, which is only the front half of a horse.

Udkadua (λ Andromedae) is a binary star system dominated by a Sun-like star. The system is about 85 light years away. The name comes from a Sumerian word udkadua meaning "the storm demon with the gaping mouth."

μ Andromedae is an unnamed binary star system about 122 light years away. It is dominated by a blue-white giant star.

Shimu (ζ Andromedae) is a binary star system about 181 light years away, consisting of an orange giant and a red dwarf. The name comes from a Chinese phrase Tian Shi Mu meaning "the eye of the celestial pig."

Kaffalmusalsala (κ Andromedae) is a solitary blue-white giant star about 168 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase Kaff al-Musalsala meaning "the hand of the chained woman."

Junnanmen (φ Andromedae) is a binary star system about 720 light years away. Both components are blue giant star. The name comes from Chinese astronomy: Jūnnánmén (軍南門) means "southern military gate."

Rasalnaqa (ι Andromedae) is a single blue giant star about 510 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase Ra’s al-Nāqa meaning "head of the she-camel."

π Andromedae is an unnamed binary star system consisting of two blue-white giant stars about 580 light years away.

ε Andromedae is an unnamed solitary yellow giant star about 169 light years away.

Kui (η Andromedae) is a binary system consisting of two yellow giant stars about 260 light years away. The name comes from Chinese astronomer: Kuí Sù (奎宿) means "legs."

ν Andromedae is an unnamed binary system consisting of two blue-white giant stars about 560 light years away.

This one is based pretty heavily on Dragon!Falin from Dungeon Meshi, but we're bringing through some lizard-y aspects from last year, and very much having fun with the tabby-cat patterns on the back - though technically speaking, Mirach's blue is limited to her wings, adding some markings to the body helps us break up that big plane of sandy yellows and add some interest to the design. We think it turned out well!

If we could fit it in, we'd add a third bit of Marigold notes related to the actual transmutation method, since it's been living in our brain for a while, and we think our Potion Drawing might be a bit... abstract, otherwise?

More or less, the weave - the active transmutation medium - is woven to the inside of the lasso's... lasso, and upon encircling something with it, the weave is transferred to the target, thus making the lasso fall apart entirely as a major component of its structure abruptly ceases to be part of the object.

This transfer-and-break is the same general method through which most of Marigold's "one-use" charms work - as the effect is now tied to the target's body, rather than an object, it simply remains in effect until the weave "wears in" to the body entirely, shifting it from an effect active on the subject to a part of the subject's body.

This means that, before the effect is fully integrated into the body, it can be broken, though as with all charmcraft some effects may still linger. This also makes it so, technically, the charmcraft only casts an effect on the caster - the same effect through which pretty much all Medals work - rather than being a direct interface a la wiring it directly into the bug's body, which is illegal and what Marigold spends a lot of time tiptoing around to produce major effects on a bug's body without the single most useful method for bodily alteration Charmcraft has to offer.

...that was longer than we really expected it to be. We are working on the other contestants, both of this round and the last, though it's going very slowly seeing as the afternoon sun is currently hot enough to melt our brain into a fine sludge. We've got a solid idea of all three other Round 2 designs, and we've finally got a sketch for Mal - though Pola is being delayed, still, due to our poor comics-making decisions. We're working on it! Slowly!