"Shake and quiver, little tree, throw gold and silver down to me."

Chapter 4: The future queen’s revenge.

"Nibble nibble little mouse, who is nibbling at my house?"

Chapter 3: The lost girl embraced by fire.

"Oh Grandmother, what horrible big mouth you have."

Chapter 2: The girl who runs through the woods.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me"

Chapter 1 - The Princess in the Tower

"*REDACTED* was a regular girl whose talents were cultivated with fear and high expectations. To bear her pain, she hid her heart behind heavy walls at the end of the Tower of the West sky. 

@maeirys and I created an art challenge as an excuse to draw illustrations based on one of our favorite themes!

This years edition, we are going to draw Magical Girls inspired on some of the most well known fairy tales compiled by the Grimm Brothers!

We let fortune decide for us and i'll draw the "Hero's version of the story"

What fate awaits to these magical girls?

You are more than welcome to participate as well!

Just remember to use the hagstag #Talecember and #Talecember2022

Prompt 29: Forest

On the world of Tuule many analogues to life on Earth. The existence of photosynthetic plant life itself is a marvel of convergent evolution. The structure of forests, however, is quite different from that of Earth. Being tidally locked, Tuulian photosynthesizers do not have the luxury to grow in any direction they please. And while you may think the uninterrupted stream of sunlight is more beneficial, Tuule’s atmosphere is subject to regular storms usually lasting 4-5 days at a time, as well as outlier storms that can last for even longer. Naturally, the plants of Tuule have evolved to live with these environmental aspects.

Prompt 26: Symbiosis

Symbiotic life is quite prevalent on Tuule. Here are some curated examples for your reading pleasure.

Sockwhales are, unlike what their name implies, a complex invertebrate lifeform that has developed symbiotic relationships with a species of microorganisms. Their name comes from their bodies bearing a general resemblance to that of wind socks with wings attached, as well as their main habitat being that of Tuule’s upper atmosphere. Their lives consist mainly of inhaling clouds of aeroplankton. Their symbiotic relationship is prevalent when you take a look at their wings, which are actually microorganism colonies that grows out into large mats. These microorganisms benefit by having their home be up in the sky, far away from most predators, as well as greater access to sunlight. The Sockwhales benefit by having a much larger lifting surface to keep themselves in the air perpetually, spending little energy keeping aloft themselves. 

Some animals have taken symbiosis to the next level, becoming ‘Composite Lifeforms’. The largest group of these organisms is a family classified as the ‘Pseudovertebrates”. At first animals from this family puzzled xenobiologists, as it seemed that they had somehow evolved a bone composition and structure completely different from that of Tuule vertebrates, despite being closely related in several other ways. It was discovered that the bones of Pseudovertebrates were a completely different species of heavy metal accreting microorganism which had integrated itself within Pseudovertebrate bodies long ago. The resulting combination is a variety of forms that have evolved into a wide spread of niches. Pseudovertebrate life cycles differ from that of Tuule Vertebrates in that they are born with a frail bone structure and go into a cocoon stage in which their much stronger symbiote bones form. These bones are made from a variety of heavy-metal blended materials, and can vary in composition between species and geological regions. Mutations in the microorganism affect Pseudovertebrates differently, allowing for a wider variety of forms than would be with a conventional skeleton. The animals themselves benefit from this by having an incredibly strong bone structure, an efficient way to sequester heavy metals from their own bodies, and greater evolutionary flexibility. The microorganisms benefit by having a steady nutrient flow provided by the animal and a secure home. 

Prompt 24: Tea

In Tekhnian culture there are many stimulant beverages that are parallel to Earth coffee and teas in both use and cultural significance. 

Sea-Coffee is the closest analogue to something you might find on Earth. The Sea-coffee itself is a photosynthetic intertidal plant native to the vast intertidal plains and flash-reefs of Tuule. It’s roots contain a pesticide-laced sap that acts similar to caffeine when ingested by Tekhnians. The roots are split open and pressed to extract the sap, which is then mixed with water and boiled to create sea-coffee. Boiling the mixture for longer will cause the consistency to change, making sea-coffee jelly another popular way to consume the substance. Because of the properties of the plant, the roots keep best non-refrigerated for long periods of time, allowing for ease of storage and transport. Many varieties of sea-coffee exist with varying strengths and flavors. While much of Tekhnian agriculture has changed due to many years of artificial genetic modification, the art of Sea-Coffee farming and brewing has gone relatively unchanged throughout history.