Edited to add a couple of forgotten thoughts...
I wonder when the world will accept that the internet and the relationships it builds are valid forms of communication and interaction. Here we are,over 15 years past the scandals of meeting people in *gasp* other countries, we have accepted that filling out a form online and paying a fee can find us a soul mate we would have never of otherwise met, and yet we cling on to the idea that a lot of internet usage, is bad.
What sparked this entry? I was sharing an email with a second life friend this morning, and -- as is common for me -- I sort of went off on a passionate treatise on SL vs RL. Some of it is copy and pasted right out of the email, as they are my thoughts, and invade no one's privacy. Most of it, has been said by someone, somewhere, before.
I know a lot of people worry about SL taking over their RL, and in many ways, mine has; if you want to look at it that way. It's easier for me, as my husband is in world also, so he doesn't have many complaints about my being there. But I didn't have much of a social life before, I spent so much time being frustrated that my husband could always find ways to entertain himself, when I just couldn't. For a while it was really rough on our relationship, but I accepted it as I do him and tried to fill my own time, how I could, This was called "The Sims 2" and Writing... a lot.
I wanted to RP as he and I have always done, but he being a very tired hard working guy (and, perhaps, under-stimulated) and us never had a group to play with, it just didn't work.. I wanted to be a part of something, doing something and I was doing nothing. (In the past, I have involved myself with everything from the Autism groups, Girl Scouts, even a spiritual group of sorts, and I put my everything into those things, ending up burned out, and jaded for not being appreciated.)
But it wasn't until Second Life that I felt a true satisfaction, and a lot more appreciation, even though helping to run a sim is a thankless job at times.
In Real Life, I have a disability (or two) Some of my family members do as well. And while it does not define me as a person, it does significantly limit what I can and can't do in this supposed 'real world' That minority of people out there who have disabilities but can still do everything are a minority because, not everyone can do it, realistically. Those of us who can't have to bear the additional burden of being super people too, because the few that can, get exposed and become the yard stick by which all disabled people are measured.
but I digress.
In my case, one of the areas that suffers the most, is my social life. The care giving and teaching aspect of my life, make it hard for my husband and I to have much respite and needed time together. Second Life, is for so many people with chronic illnesses and disability, the way they connect with the world, and feel useful. The way they get so many of the things Real Life denies them. In fact, I am sure that if these folks struggling in Real Life with a life altering challenge told their doctors, care givers, therapists that they were dancing, and visiting exotic places, shopping, crafting things, that they might stamp their patient files "CURED."
But that would never happen because a) medical communities still refuse to see a lot of internet usage as being healthy, or real and b) because those RL limitations exist in the doctors office, where they don't in SL
So, I'm not so sure that SL taking over is such a bad thing, for me and for many. Or that it even takes over as much as it fills a very valid void. Don't get me wrong, Real Life does come first. Always. But as long as no one is loosing jobs, or friends over it, if family and relationships are suffering, this might be a clue that there is a deeper cause for that. Non playing partners are probably the biggest faction of people who do call those of us heavily invested in Second Life "addicted."
But, they have to understand (hopefully) that it is no different than meeting friends RL for RP, or a drink, or to listen to music or go dancing. Some folks live in areas where there is very little to do (I live in a metropolitan area, and it is hard to find interesting things to do here even for the "abled.")
In my situation I figure happy kids, getting what they need, taking care of their education, getting the phone calls made and the errands done, is a good indication that it isn't taking over where it shouldn't
These are the things I want to say to people who worry about getting addicted, or SL taking over. Are you really addicted, or have you found a way to meet some personal needs that are not getting met? Naturally, if that is the case you want to spend free time doing it. Naturally, it draws you to it. Is it fear of addiction, or is it fear of finding that niche in a venue, not everyone accepts as a valid form of communication. Where real relationships are formed.
I know, in my case, the introduction of Second Life into my Real Life... has been a blessing, and from this, I have healed some things about me that were wounded. I have friends again, I have a purpose I could never find in a job I can not hold. I have overcome some social issues, by learning how to use this format to adapt to my needs, rather than adapting myself to someone else's rigid and unforgiving framework.
No one, has called me addicted yet, (though they have teased me in good spirits) But someone can call me addicted if they like. I'm going to call myself happy.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
St. Patrick's Day (IC = Korinda)
I've traveled parts of the world, here and there, but never very far north. So I have never been to this place called "I are land," but as I hear it can get quite cold there, it made sense that people were apparently wearing green.
Told to wear green as I was, I donned my new togs that Neri gave me (I gave her a matching set, we're a little odd that way) as Eacen set about to prepare a little celebration. He, being a little more world wise than I, seemed to know what he was doing. He said this was the sort of day one celebrated in a Pub, but since we did not have a pub, our Tavern in Brenn would have to do.
I took my self to go see Clover, who was unsurprisingly in her kitchen. She had told me on more than one occasion about "I are land" and as she knows all about it, I suspect she comes from up that way. In any event, she had just what I needed to feed the guests in the traditional way.
By the time I returned, the place looked as if a leprechaun had been about vomiting up clovers and rainbows, but Eacen assured me that such tacky decorations are actually bastard traditions in some parts of the world. Who knew? It hardly mattered to me, I'm a very simple nymph, alcohol and loud music to dance to is really all I need to be happy.
And I was very happy. A great number of people turned up, new friends and old alike, I'd never had boiled bacon before, (I hope it comes out of my new clothes) I skipped the green beer and washed my dinner down with more bottles of Clover wine than I should admit to. So much so that I ended up dancing on the table near the horses (yes, the horses were dancing... at least, I think they were.) and by the end of the evening, I could barely hold my eyelids up, much less myself!
It's a good thing I have someone to hold me up, given the way I get at a good revel. And it's an even better thing...
That he doesn't seem to mind.
All in all, at the end of the day... I don't know where the "I are land"ers are, but they can throw a good party of which any Maenad would approve.
Told to wear green as I was, I donned my new togs that Neri gave me (I gave her a matching set, we're a little odd that way) as Eacen set about to prepare a little celebration. He, being a little more world wise than I, seemed to know what he was doing. He said this was the sort of day one celebrated in a Pub, but since we did not have a pub, our Tavern in Brenn would have to do.
I took my self to go see Clover, who was unsurprisingly in her kitchen. She had told me on more than one occasion about "I are land" and as she knows all about it, I suspect she comes from up that way. In any event, she had just what I needed to feed the guests in the traditional way.
By the time I returned, the place looked as if a leprechaun had been about vomiting up clovers and rainbows, but Eacen assured me that such tacky decorations are actually bastard traditions in some parts of the world. Who knew? It hardly mattered to me, I'm a very simple nymph, alcohol and loud music to dance to is really all I need to be happy.
And I was very happy. A great number of people turned up, new friends and old alike, I'd never had boiled bacon before, (I hope it comes out of my new clothes) I skipped the green beer and washed my dinner down with more bottles of Clover wine than I should admit to. So much so that I ended up dancing on the table near the horses (yes, the horses were dancing... at least, I think they were.) and by the end of the evening, I could barely hold my eyelids up, much less myself!
It's a good thing I have someone to hold me up, given the way I get at a good revel. And it's an even better thing...
That he doesn't seem to mind.
All in all, at the end of the day... I don't know where the "I are land"ers are, but they can throw a good party of which any Maenad would approve.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
A question of the ages...
Tonight I have been reworking my character information, I have done this several times now, and I am hoping that this will be the finali-sh draft. I have needed to do this for a long time. As a character grows and evolves, so does their information/character sheet.
Though I seem to have noticed I have done this more than anyone else. *cough* Not that I am self conscious about it, or anything *cough*
But now that I am here again, I am reminded how you can get hung up on something as simple as an age, particularly with playing fantasy people and creatures. There really is no book or science that has been able to put a set aging process of life span on any creatures. You can look at the animal half of models, which tend to age and go through life cycles much, much quicker than their human counterpart and try and balance them, and then you have to kind of find a space within the glamor of being fantasy creatures which are generally accepted to live longer, due to their fantastical-ness.
Ages, years and life cycles get spread all over the map, once you get us all together... you can be 6, or 106 and still be an elven or a fae child. You can be 4, or forty, and still be a child faun. Then again, I have seen adult elves at 80, and adult fauns at forty. Even if it would be fair to force everyone to adhere to the same age scale for the species they are, it would be pretty hard to do!
So I sat here with this dilemma, trying to fill in that age space with something less ambiguous than what I had before, and less specific than a number, when it occurred to me, the most rational way of describing my character's age, was to do so by seasons. Because as the revered Cherno once said to me, years, calendars, time in the form of numbers probably are not things that nature creatures are terribly concerned with. But being nature creatures would make them very in tune with the cycles of seasons.
And, it is a pretty easy scale to work out on your own, I know I am not the first to use this sort of scale, or define my own but I am going to do it anyway.
You can summarize most mammals in the various life stages, and even other animals in similar life stages.
Spring:
Infancy - toddlerhood = Early
childhood = Spring
Adolescence = Late
Summer:
Young adulthood, = Early Summer
Adulthood = Summer
Early Middle Age = Late Summer (tick tock, my harvest clock is ticking!)
Autumn:
Middle age = Early (my harvest clock is running out!)
Old age = Late
Winter:
Venerable old age.
Verging on death/rebirth (if you're into that sort of thing!)
Using these values, I, personally, am better able to describe the life phase of my character, without depending on years, or even using terms such as "The equivlant of a 35 year old in human years." I think my previous, confusing answer was "Early middle age," which I define as being around 35 human years... but others define differently, and it doesn't really *explain* anything to anyone.
But, if I said "Corinda is in her late summer" or Corinda said "I am in my early fall," people would kind of get the point, with a lot of explanation, don't you think? If she said "In my late spring, I ran away from home." People would pretty well get the idea of a person in their late teens, about to grow up very quickly.
It's simple, and I would like to share this as an idea for people to use when defining their characters age, as an alternative, or even a way for people with numeric ages to relate to other characters that just don't have that frame of reference. But I also tend to over complicate things which should be simple, and it has been my experience that the more information you give a lot of players to help them, the more confused they become. So I want to tread softly
But I think it is a worthwhile thought, and worth some exploring... and I am talking about it, here, now, because I am supposed to be finishing my character application/sheet/information.
But it also holds some potential for the way Fantastypeoplebeingtypes could celebrate certain rites of passage, instead of a birthday every year, someone could celebrate their own "equinox" or solstice.
Yup. Still workin on that damn notecard. No closer to it than I was when I started this.
Though I seem to have noticed I have done this more than anyone else. *cough* Not that I am self conscious about it, or anything *cough*
But now that I am here again, I am reminded how you can get hung up on something as simple as an age, particularly with playing fantasy people and creatures. There really is no book or science that has been able to put a set aging process of life span on any creatures. You can look at the animal half of models, which tend to age and go through life cycles much, much quicker than their human counterpart and try and balance them, and then you have to kind of find a space within the glamor of being fantasy creatures which are generally accepted to live longer, due to their fantastical-ness.
Ages, years and life cycles get spread all over the map, once you get us all together... you can be 6, or 106 and still be an elven or a fae child. You can be 4, or forty, and still be a child faun. Then again, I have seen adult elves at 80, and adult fauns at forty. Even if it would be fair to force everyone to adhere to the same age scale for the species they are, it would be pretty hard to do!
So I sat here with this dilemma, trying to fill in that age space with something less ambiguous than what I had before, and less specific than a number, when it occurred to me, the most rational way of describing my character's age, was to do so by seasons. Because as the revered Cherno once said to me, years, calendars, time in the form of numbers probably are not things that nature creatures are terribly concerned with. But being nature creatures would make them very in tune with the cycles of seasons.
And, it is a pretty easy scale to work out on your own, I know I am not the first to use this sort of scale, or define my own but I am going to do it anyway.
You can summarize most mammals in the various life stages, and even other animals in similar life stages.
Spring:
Infancy - toddlerhood = Early
childhood = Spring
Adolescence = Late
Summer:
Young adulthood, = Early Summer
Adulthood = Summer
Early Middle Age = Late Summer (tick tock, my harvest clock is ticking!)
Autumn:
Middle age = Early (my harvest clock is running out!)
Old age = Late
Winter:
Venerable old age.
Verging on death/rebirth (if you're into that sort of thing!)
Using these values, I, personally, am better able to describe the life phase of my character, without depending on years, or even using terms such as "The equivlant of a 35 year old in human years." I think my previous, confusing answer was "Early middle age," which I define as being around 35 human years... but others define differently, and it doesn't really *explain* anything to anyone.
But, if I said "Corinda is in her late summer" or Corinda said "I am in my early fall," people would kind of get the point, with a lot of explanation, don't you think? If she said "In my late spring, I ran away from home." People would pretty well get the idea of a person in their late teens, about to grow up very quickly.
It's simple, and I would like to share this as an idea for people to use when defining their characters age, as an alternative, or even a way for people with numeric ages to relate to other characters that just don't have that frame of reference. But I also tend to over complicate things which should be simple, and it has been my experience that the more information you give a lot of players to help them, the more confused they become. So I want to tread softly
But I think it is a worthwhile thought, and worth some exploring... and I am talking about it, here, now, because I am supposed to be finishing my character application/sheet/information.
But it also holds some potential for the way Fantastypeoplebeingtypes could celebrate certain rites of passage, instead of a birthday every year, someone could celebrate their own "equinox" or solstice.
Yup. Still workin on that damn notecard. No closer to it than I was when I started this.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
I just won't be happy until I acheive...
People tease me for always shopping for hair in SL, and it is true I do shop for hair, but I don't buy hair as often as I shop, and when I do buy hair, chances are I only wear it a little while before I decide it isn't right (Demos just don't give me enough time to decide) Why is it I constantly shop for hair?
Because I still haven't found anything that I find both flattering, and "Greek" enough for Corinda. So, I've been researching hard lately, about what sort of Ancient Grecian hairstyle would look right on my avatar, while expressing both culture and personality, and this is what I have decided on (or rather, fell in love with as if it were meant to be)
Yeah, I know. It just isn't going to happen like that. I think the only chance I have of getting this hairstyle, is moding something I buy. I end up heavily moding any hair that I get anyway, it seems. So I don't know why this intimidates me so.
Another thing I must deal with when it comes to hair, is putting a hair base on my skin. Now that I have a trail version of photoshop reinstalled, I can see that there is an optional hairbase layer on the skin templates I use, but it has no actual hair texture, so I guess it will be clone brushing for me. Once I find a suitable base texture. New skin is *not* an option for me. I finally love the skin I am in, I love my bark, I will not change it except to mod my existing one as I go. That is what makes Open source high quality skin templates so fucking awesome.
One of the obstacles here, will be getting the right colour, which, I struggle with anyway. I have found the only way I can reasonable get the redish-purple colour that plums are... is by buying browns, and tweaking with tinting. Which means I always have some messed up color on my head before the hair texture rezes, and I never know how PINK my hair looks on other people's screens and in different lighting. Because, the secret to plum-ifying brown hair, is hot pink. And I *hate* pink.
So I am sure there is a lot of inconsistency when it comes to what colour of hair I am displaying and when, and it flusterbates me.
I also need to get my body shap down to a suitable grecian woman form. I feel like I have compromised a lot of those soft, curvy features for the sake of skirts. I need to strip down naked, resculpt my body, and figure out how to put my clothes on later.
Moving on. If after nearly a year with this avatar, having purchased more toga-type clothes than I wear, I realize I am going to have to get real on Chitons, even if I have to make them. That's the part I can't do, make them! I can put a texture on a shape, sure... but it's the fold, and wrinkles, and boobie shadows that are a challenge, especially since my working ability with photoshop is very limited.
But I dream of knee length Chitons, held together with cord, and pins at the shoulder, with flexy tufts of fabric that never quite make a sleeve or a mantle. I want colours, but not bright colours. unbleached linen/cotton, brown, sage green, with woven greek key on the trim. maybe even some subtle monotone pattern in the fabric.
And ripped! and just a little dirty. The Goreans are good for providing ripped toga-esque clothes. (Though my favorite is Chernobyl Rasmuson's Wine and grass stained toga. Only another wino-nature creature could truly capture a pure sort of dirty.)
So how am I going to do all this? I don't know, but I have been whining about it for nearly a year if you count the old wordpress blog... I have to do it. once upon a time, I never thought I would be able to build a working kiln, or houses, or skins (well I still need a template for those I can't really make them, but edit them)
So, maybe I need to search out templates for bateau and draped necklines, to see if I can combine them. It's insane though, how the easiest costume to make (literaly a sheet of fabric) is so hard to make in 3-d. Allt he more reason it seems so vein of me, to even attempt to make something so complicated.
Because I still haven't found anything that I find both flattering, and "Greek" enough for Corinda. So, I've been researching hard lately, about what sort of Ancient Grecian hairstyle would look right on my avatar, while expressing both culture and personality, and this is what I have decided on (or rather, fell in love with as if it were meant to be)
Ganked without permission from here. hey it's better than hot-linking or waiting for a yes or no email.
Yeah, I know. It just isn't going to happen like that. I think the only chance I have of getting this hairstyle, is moding something I buy. I end up heavily moding any hair that I get anyway, it seems. So I don't know why this intimidates me so.
Another thing I must deal with when it comes to hair, is putting a hair base on my skin. Now that I have a trail version of photoshop reinstalled, I can see that there is an optional hairbase layer on the skin templates I use, but it has no actual hair texture, so I guess it will be clone brushing for me. Once I find a suitable base texture. New skin is *not* an option for me. I finally love the skin I am in, I love my bark, I will not change it except to mod my existing one as I go. That is what makes Open source high quality skin templates so fucking awesome.
One of the obstacles here, will be getting the right colour, which, I struggle with anyway. I have found the only way I can reasonable get the redish-purple colour that plums are... is by buying browns, and tweaking with tinting. Which means I always have some messed up color on my head before the hair texture rezes, and I never know how PINK my hair looks on other people's screens and in different lighting. Because, the secret to plum-ifying brown hair, is hot pink. And I *hate* pink.
So I am sure there is a lot of inconsistency when it comes to what colour of hair I am displaying and when, and it flusterbates me.
I also need to get my body shap down to a suitable grecian woman form. I feel like I have compromised a lot of those soft, curvy features for the sake of skirts. I need to strip down naked, resculpt my body, and figure out how to put my clothes on later.
Moving on. If after nearly a year with this avatar, having purchased more toga-type clothes than I wear, I realize I am going to have to get real on Chitons, even if I have to make them. That's the part I can't do, make them! I can put a texture on a shape, sure... but it's the fold, and wrinkles, and boobie shadows that are a challenge, especially since my working ability with photoshop is very limited.
But I dream of knee length Chitons, held together with cord, and pins at the shoulder, with flexy tufts of fabric that never quite make a sleeve or a mantle. I want colours, but not bright colours. unbleached linen/cotton, brown, sage green, with woven greek key on the trim. maybe even some subtle monotone pattern in the fabric.
And ripped! and just a little dirty. The Goreans are good for providing ripped toga-esque clothes. (Though my favorite is Chernobyl Rasmuson's Wine and grass stained toga. Only another wino-nature creature could truly capture a pure sort of dirty.)
So how am I going to do all this? I don't know, but I have been whining about it for nearly a year if you count the old wordpress blog... I have to do it. once upon a time, I never thought I would be able to build a working kiln, or houses, or skins (well I still need a template for those I can't really make them, but edit them)
So, maybe I need to search out templates for bateau and draped necklines, to see if I can combine them. It's insane though, how the easiest costume to make (literaly a sheet of fabric) is so hard to make in 3-d. Allt he more reason it seems so vein of me, to even attempt to make something so complicated.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Nothing hairy about me!
Alas! My life as a potter can begin.
It is nearly finished. Finished enough to go on the ground and be seen by others. Not finished enough to put the wheel out (tweaking that), or to sell. But I do intend to sell it (just the kiln, two versions) as soon as I get a hold of a full perm sound for the door, and a couple of scripts I can't seem to find. Also, a new roof texture.
It's funny how you can have literally hundreds of scripts and not one of them does what you want... or how one script that has the same basic purpose as another, can be so different.
This photo has nothing to do with this post, except that I am pleased with the results of the new kid's clubhouse, which is only partially pictured.
It is nearly finished. Finished enough to go on the ground and be seen by others. Not finished enough to put the wheel out (tweaking that), or to sell. But I do intend to sell it (just the kiln, two versions) as soon as I get a hold of a full perm sound for the door, and a couple of scripts I can't seem to find. Also, a new roof texture.
It's funny how you can have literally hundreds of scripts and not one of them does what you want... or how one script that has the same basic purpose as another, can be so different.
This photo has nothing to do with this post, except that I am pleased with the results of the new kid's clubhouse, which is only partially pictured.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Way overdue, but the memories are fresh
On the 21st of February, the lovely Una Woodrunner threw a lovely Mardi Gras party, I don't know how eloquent I can be about it, three weeks too late, but I do have some memories, and pictures of costumes, and what is Mardi Gras without the costumes? (Also, I take hella big pictures, so clicking on them and getting the full sized picture from flickr will grant you the best view.
When I walked into Illusions looking for a Mardi Gras mask, there was one, that I knew if I did not let Eacen have it, he would feel betrayed by me forever.
And since V gains more presence and power the more masks are worn, I, of course, had to put one on too.
Neria looked lovely (as she always does) in an adorable Queen of Hearts costume:
And tel pretty much showed up in his every day clothes:
But none of us would have been there if it were not for a true Queen, (or at least a very emphatic Queen fan!)
The lovely Una herself, the queen of her castle...
And her dashing Lion King, Rat. Who has a taste in women that rivals.
Her taste in clothes. She's a good shopper, but an even better dresser.
I have to admit I don't know most of the people at the party very well... but like Una, her friends are always a hoot to be around.
But honestly, I *love* dressing up on Second Life almost as much as I love listening to music and sharing that time with my friends (which is what the RL side of dances really is, isn't it?)
"Nothing else existed... until I saw you. Then everything changed. I fell in love with you"
When I walked into Illusions looking for a Mardi Gras mask, there was one, that I knew if I did not let Eacen have it, he would feel betrayed by me forever.
And since V gains more presence and power the more masks are worn, I, of course, had to put one on too.
Neria looked lovely (as she always does) in an adorable Queen of Hearts costume:
And tel pretty much showed up in his every day clothes:
But none of us would have been there if it were not for a true Queen, (or at least a very emphatic Queen fan!)
The lovely Una herself, the queen of her castle...
And her dashing Lion King, Rat. Who has a taste in women that rivals.
Her taste in clothes. She's a good shopper, but an even better dresser.
I have to admit I don't know most of the people at the party very well... but like Una, her friends are always a hoot to be around.
But honestly, I *love* dressing up on Second Life almost as much as I love listening to music and sharing that time with my friends (which is what the RL side of dances really is, isn't it?)
"Nothing else existed... until I saw you. Then everything changed. I fell in love with you"
Monday, March 1, 2010
Corinda, in a Plum-pit. (NSFW for Classical Artistic Nudity Lots of Pretty Pictures)
Hamadryads, are a certain sort of tree-nymph who is forever bound --physically-- to her tree.
There were (at least) eight of them in Greek mythology, daughters of Hamadryades, and Oxylos (a forest spirit of the mountain) Each of the eight Hamadryad-nymphs presided over a particular type of tree; One of them was named Kraneia, and she was the Hamadryad nymph of the cherry tree.
Cherry Trees fall into the "Prunus" genus, as do many pit fruit such as peaches, apricots, and yes... plums. Plum trees and Cherry trees are very similar in many ways, even though they are not the same fruit, it is very similar fruit with similar effects on your digestive system. Even though they are not the same tree, the texture of their bark is similar, and the way they bloom in the spring, is also very similar. So similar, that a plum blossom is very difficult to distinguish from a cherry blossom, when both are removed from the tree.
Can you tell the difference? I'll reveal it at the end of this post.
Even the Black cherry and Black Plum fruit is astoundingly similar, and yet, so different.
A side note, see how black plums are redish-purple? Purple is simply not enough! That's what I go for with my hair! sadly this usually means tinting, which is a fiddly process at best and usually makes my hair rez hot pink before the textures come in. and I *hate* pink!
Similar, but not the same, like a mother is to her daughter.
What I share with my mother is tree nymph-hood, and as a fruit tree nymph I am what would be called a Meliad/Meliae, a "genus" that are known for many things, a few of which are the protectors of sheep and goats and of fruit-trees. ( think I need me a goat, maybe!)
Now, Nymphs are well known for being the consorts and companions of Satyrs...
Since Hamadryads are a type of nymph, I don't see that they would be any different, in fact, I think it might have given a Satyr an advantage... since she couldn't really run! Shimmy away maybe... but through the soil that could take a while. XD
At any rate, this, is the inspiration for how a plum tree with a Satyr father, came to be. How a little baby meliad, might have a tree for a mother.
Something that is lesser known, is that nymphs were often companions for centaurs also Particularly Lamian Centaurs..
So it is also, the inspiration for how a nymph born of a Hamadryad, and a Satyr can marry a Centaur and have both a centaur for a son and a faun for a daughter. ((In greek mythology, anything could pretty much give birth to... anything! But even I desire some consistency here.)) Forgotten Realms (AD&D SE) explained it something like this (paraphrased) When a Daddy Satyr and a Mommy Dryad love each other very much --or are at least horny enough, which is all the time-- they either have a Satyr or a Dryad baby! and yet, in mythology, Nymphs were always having babies with men. It seems to me that a nymph almost has a genetic neutrality about her. Forgotten realms also says that female children between a Satyr/Dryad women are Dryads, and males are Satyrs. But you know, limiting it to gender just isn't even realistic. I think men can be nymphs and females can be Satyrs or fauns, if this is what calls to them!
So, Satyr father = Faun Daughter. Centaur Husband = Centaur son. And in a way, we're also just kind of mutts classified by characteristics. Just like genetically strong people should be!
- Left: Plum. Right: Cherry.
- I can source all this, but I'm not going to unless asked.
"A Hamadryad" - J.W Waterhouse
There were (at least) eight of them in Greek mythology, daughters of Hamadryades, and Oxylos (a forest spirit of the mountain) Each of the eight Hamadryad-nymphs presided over a particular type of tree; One of them was named Kraneia, and she was the Hamadryad nymph of the cherry tree.
Cherry Trees fall into the "Prunus" genus, as do many pit fruit such as peaches, apricots, and yes... plums. Plum trees and Cherry trees are very similar in many ways, even though they are not the same fruit, it is very similar fruit with similar effects on your digestive system. Even though they are not the same tree, the texture of their bark is similar, and the way they bloom in the spring, is also very similar. So similar, that a plum blossom is very difficult to distinguish from a cherry blossom, when both are removed from the tree.
Even the Black cherry and Black Plum fruit is astoundingly similar, and yet, so different.
Similar, but not the same, like a mother is to her daughter.
I'm still working on her textures, and I have a few attachments to put on her too. But I loves my Cherry tree momma! But I will I ever know what turned *all* of her to wood while I was away?
What I share with my mother is tree nymph-hood, and as a fruit tree nymph I am what would be called a Meliad/Meliae, a "genus" that are known for many things, a few of which are the protectors of sheep and goats and of fruit-trees. ( think I need me a goat, maybe!)
Now, Nymphs are well known for being the consorts and companions of Satyrs...
Satyr and nymph. Roman mosaic - Pompeii
Since Hamadryads are a type of nymph, I don't see that they would be any different, in fact, I think it might have given a Satyr an advantage... since she couldn't really run! Shimmy away maybe... but through the soil that could take a while. XD
Tile Mosaic, Pan & Hamadryad, from Pompeii
At any rate, this, is the inspiration for how a plum tree with a Satyr father, came to be. How a little baby meliad, might have a tree for a mother.
can not credit for this amazing and lovely picture. It was found on myspace.
Something that is lesser known, is that nymphs were often companions for centaurs also Particularly Lamian Centaurs..
It also seems to me by this picture... that a centaur can have his junk in the front. Thank you vereh much! Now you know why my man wears a toga, and why I can walk. You know you'd always wondered how I had them babies!
So it is also, the inspiration for how a nymph born of a Hamadryad, and a Satyr can marry a Centaur and have both a centaur for a son and a faun for a daughter. ((In greek mythology, anything could pretty much give birth to... anything! But even I desire some consistency here.)) Forgotten Realms (AD&D SE) explained it something like this (paraphrased) When a Daddy Satyr and a Mommy Dryad love each other very much --or are at least horny enough, which is all the time-- they either have a Satyr or a Dryad baby! and yet, in mythology, Nymphs were always having babies with men. It seems to me that a nymph almost has a genetic neutrality about her. Forgotten realms also says that female children between a Satyr/Dryad women are Dryads, and males are Satyrs. But you know, limiting it to gender just isn't even realistic. I think men can be nymphs and females can be Satyrs or fauns, if this is what calls to them!
So, Satyr father = Faun Daughter. Centaur Husband = Centaur son. And in a way, we're also just kind of mutts classified by characteristics. Just like genetically strong people should be!
- Left: Plum. Right: Cherry.
- I can source all this, but I'm not going to unless asked.
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