Holiday: Have a Blood Orange Boston Sour to celebrate New Year’s Eve!

Have a Blood Orange Boston Sour to celebrate New Year’s Eve!

Coupe: Coupes, pronounced coop like where a chicken lives, we’re designed specifically for the drinking of champagne. They were not made in the image of any famous French breasts as many scandalous rumors would have you believe. The wide saucer shape makes this a subpar glass for enjoying champagne sip by sip, but that same shape makes it ideal for showing off interesting textures and colors in cocktails. 

If you want to enjoy a drink from a coupe glass this New Year’s Eve, why not try a Blood Orange Boston Sour. The ingredients and instructions required to make it are below.

What you will need:

2 ounces fresh blood orange juice

2 ounces bourbon

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

½ ounce ginger liqueur

1 egg white

Blood orange slices for garnish

What you do:

Combine orange juice, whiskey, lemon juice, liqueur, and egg white in a cocktail shaker, fill halfway with ice, secure lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and top with blood orange slice.

This recipe brought can be found on Zestful Kitchens.

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COVID, economic hardships, systemic inequality, and even the weather are causing great harm as we leave 2021 behind. If we all made improving the lives of everyone our top priority we could make a titanic change in the lives of millions in 2022.

Do things to make the world a better place.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: A locket from Four Swords.

 A locket from Four Swords.

Heart Container: In Four Swords heart containers are similar to and different from their counterparts in the main branch of the Zelda franchise. This is mostly due to the procedural nature of the game. In Four Swords, heart containers increase the total health max for all Links by one when found. Each stage has between two and four heart containers to find, but the added health is lost between stages.

Last Christmas they gave you their heart, the very next day you gave it away. This year, you’ll be in tears. ‘Cause they are coming to get you. 

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Big thank you to George Michael and Wham! For inspiring my Christmas music horror-themed post this day after Christmas.

Christmas can be an extremely stressful time for many for a lot of different reasons. Make sure the people you love and care about know that and hear that love in a way that makes sense to them.

Let’s spend more time worrying about making other people feel special and less time worrying about what new things we’d all like to own. That idea is the basic moral of so many Christmas movies you’d think we’d have gotten the message by now.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Holiday: A lump of coal for christmas.

A lump of coal for Christmas.

Coal: Given to the naughty in their stocking, coal is supposed to be a warning for those naughty individuals to change their ways. Based on current events, those naughty people just leaned into being extra naughty and then sold the coal to the energy sector and made off like bandits.

If you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas. If you don’t, today is the 25th of December, 2021.

Most people that know me would describe me as quite the grinch around Christmas, but I’m working on letting others have their holiday joy.

Hope they would also say that I’m no miser and strive to make sure that everyone has something to be happy about this time of year.

If you are in a position to make someone’s life better, you should do it. Every little bit helps in these ever difficult times.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: A tablet of ancient power from Four Swords.

A tablet of ancient power from Four Swords.

Heart: As both the measure of Link’s vitality and the primary means of restoring it, hearts are a precious resource while adventuring. Especially if you are a jump first look later sort of player such as myself. Hearts can be found all over levels in Four Swords, but most often by defeating enemies, cutting grass, or breaking the right breakables.

In searching for anything that would cure their child’s illness, parent and archaeologist Dr. Evelyn Weisz has left the boundaries of traditional medicine and turned to the occult. While they studied at university they wrote a thesis on mystical healing practices in the ancient world, but that was just intellectual curiosity then. Now, with an ancient tablet in hand, they are attempting to call up a spirit to cure their child no matter the price.

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I won’t say that most of the text that appears in my drawings actually says something, but this tablet definitely says something. The problem is I actually forgot what I made it say.

The world is a crazy and difficult place. You don't need ancient magic to make it easier for others.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: A council of fairies from Four Swords.

 A council of fairies from Four Swords.

Fairy: As in many Zelda games, minor fairies heal Link for a significant amount of hearts when found during his adventures. As Link is without bottles in Four Swords, he can’t store fairies for a later time when his health drops. The great faeries preside over each of the three zones prior to Vaati’s Palace. They are responsible for awarding any medals and keys Links might have earned during the level.

In the ages since mortals ascended into de facto rulership of the world, the power of the fae has dramatically waned. Now, centuries after the last sighting of a great the surviving faeries are considerably diminished from their once grand stature. The strongest among them still meet in secret councils to plot how their people might survive, but some are beginning to speak about what should be done to take back what was stolen.

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The look of these fairies is based on the stray faeries from Majora’s Mask. The people making Zelda games used the design created for an N64 game in two different handheld adventures, Oracle of Ages and Four Sword. The mischievous forest fairies of Labrynna’s lost woods in Oracle of Ages appear as stray fairies as do the great fairies in Four Swords before they take on a more human form. I think that call back to the connection between Great Faries and stray faeries in Majora’s Mask is a neat design touch that probably is missed by most. It was by me until I started drawing and writing about all of the items.

Weather disasters are way more common than they used to be. A global pandemic is still ravaging the world. People are buckling under increased asks and pressures. Make the world a better place in some way. Give if you have something to give. Do if you have time to do.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Holiday: A dreidel on the last day of Hanukkah

 A dreidel on the last day of Hanukkah.

Dreidel: This simple spinning top is marked on its four sides with Hebrew letters. A simple push your luck game uses the four letters to indicate whether you should put into the pot, take the whole pot, take half the pot, or do nothing on your turn.

I am not Jewish nor do I speak, read, or write Hebrew so I hope my Hebrew lettering is acceptable. I originally was going to have hey and shin but shin was not happening so I went with nun.

Anti-semitism is reprehensible and should be squashed out whenever it appears. Being anti-Israel or critical of the Israeli government is not inherently anti-Semitic. Harmful colonial practices are bad whether the colonial power represents a persecuted minority or not.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: Three magic keys from Four Swords.

Three magic keys from Four Swords.

 

Hero Keys: A few weeks ago we discussed the Golden Keys in Four Swords which can only be obtained after obtaining the three Silver Keys, defeating the sorcerer Vaati for the first time, and then earning 3,000 rupees in each of the three levels. The Hero keys are the next and final goal for Link in Four Swords. Any Link that has earned a set of Golden Keys and then vanquished Vaati a second time can earn the three Hero Keys if they complete a level with a whopping 5,000 rupees in their pouch. Defeating Vaati after gathering a complete set of Hero Keys is the final challenge for the Links in Four Swords.

These keys don’t open such an insignificant thing as a mundane lock. Instead, they open up the unbelievable possibilities of magic. The metal used to forge these keys allowed each to be imbued with a unique power. What would you do with such power, and what could you do to keep yourself safe from people who want that power for themselves?

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Locke and Key season 1 inspired these drawings and Locke and Key season 2 recently came out on Netflix. I really enjoyed both seasons and recommend them if you’re looking for something to watch. I know they are based on a comic. I never got too into the comics as there were so many when I found out about them that I didn’t know or care where to start. There is some really interesting storytelling and worldbuilding in Locke and Key though. Maybe I ought to sit down and give them a real chance. 

The U.S. had yet another school shooting. I am deeply saddened by the tragedy and I hope that something tangible and effective will eventually be done to stop the cycle of violence plaguing schools and other supposedly safe communal spaces. Guns shouldn’t be freely available to children, nor should they be sprinkled throughout the world like lethal confetti.

Be excellent to everyone, it could save a life.

-Ceph

Four Swords: Three questions from Four Swords.

Three questions from Four Swords.

You should recognize these keys as the three that were hung on the keyring from last week. If one of those rings really piqued your interest, I made sure to give you the chance to pick your favorite and leave the rest behind. It also gives me a break from having to think up new and interesting ways to describe how you get a set of keys earned by capturing an increasingly large bounty of rupees.

Where there is a key, there is usually a lock. Where there is a lock, there is usually the question, “why did someone want this locked away?” Sometimes, the only way to answer such a question is by using the key in the lock and freeing whatever was locked away. Can you be sure that what you seek isn’t best left locked up?

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WIth these staple items, I like to break apart the component pieces in my drawings and set them up as individual cards. Not only does it make me feel like I’ve drawn a whole bunch of different things when I’ve really only drawn a small bunch of things; it also lets me give collections to players piecemeal. Maybe they need all three of these keys but start with just finding one, and then have to fight hard to earn the second, and delve deep into the unknown to find the last. Once they have found all three, rewarding them with a new item card to show the set completed can be a fun way to commemorate their achievements.

Only one or two more key posts before we move on to other sets of pallette swapped objects. Look forward to showing off my attempts at being creative and efficient.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Holiday: A horn of plenty with much to be thankful for.

 A horn of plenty with much to be thankful for.

Cornucopia: Literally meaning horn of plenty, cornucopia symbolize prosperity and wealth. Two stories explaining the origins of the first cornucopia both involve a male god hero, either Zues or Heracles, breaking a horn from the head of a mythical creature associated with food and prosperity, a goat or a river god respectively. Once broken off, the horns overflowed with an endless supply of food which would truly be a magnificent gift in a world where one bad season meant years of starvation.

According to local legend, this wicker basket was made by the poorest woman in the villages to carry the alms given to her as charity. No matter how much she was given, the woman always asked for more, causing many in high town to think her greedy and false. Only after her death did the haughty citizens of high town find out the woman gave every home in poor-side enough to put at least a little in every mouth, taking only the smallest share if any was leftover. Now, this ceremonial horn of plenty overflows all year with enough food so that everyone in the village has forgotten the fear and pain of going hungry.

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American Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday. I grew up understanding that it was THE thanksgiving, Canadian thanksgiving didn’t exist nor did any other thanksgivings, and that it was the tale of caring and cooperation that opened up relations between Indigenous Peoples and hardworking pilgrims. I learned of it as an indulgent feast day with thankfulness tacked on the side and any discussion of the plight of indigenous people was tokenized at best.

American thanksgiving doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. Not everyone is happy that pilgrims were able to survive their first few years here because it was the beginning of the colonial take over that was brutal and continues to be extremely harmful to this day.

More and more it also marks the hardest time where families have to scrape together what they have and make not enough stretch too far.

If you have enough of anything, I implore you to be thankful for what you have enough of as there are many who don’t have enough of anything. If you have more than enough, please consider giving to a local charity organization to ensure that everyone has a real chance to have something to be thankful for.

This year I am thankful for the fact that I have enough of a lot. I have a home, a wife, an education, an important job, free time to draw, and so much more.

Give what you can to those that have needs.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: A ring of keys from Four Swords.

A ring of keys from Four Swords.

Golden Keys: Any Link that has already earned a set of silver keys and defeated the sorcerer Vaati in their palace can attempt to earn a set of golden keys. To earn the three golden keys, a Link must gather at least 3,000 rupees in each stage prior to Vaati’s palace. This more valuable set overrides the set of silver keys previously won, but is still only the second of the three sets of keys to Vaati’s palace. It’s no wonder Vaati’s palace gets invaded if there are this many duplicate sets of keys to the front door.

Known as the keys to the kingdom, these keys open the three most important doors in the land. The golden key opens the coffers and vaults where the nation’s wealth is securely held. The silver key opens the deepest door in the dungeon where the most dangerous person is held. And the copper key opens the secret passage beneath the great hall where the greatest secret is held.

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It is going to be mostly just keys here at The Speaking Squid for the next few installments. There are a ton of keys in the Zelda franchise and Four Swords doesn’t shy away from that. It can be difficult to come up with new and interesting ways to represent keys in Zelda games, so I often use keys as a way to check back in with how much I’ve grown. It is a good thing to return to a subject you’ve already explored with new skills and ideas. Everytime I come back to drawing keys I find I have a new twist or technical skill I want to try out.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

 

Skyrim 10th Anniversary: The longest, most Morrowind, fetch quest in Elder Scrolls.

Skyrim 10th Anniversary: The longest, most Morrowind, fetch quest in Elder Scrolls.

Stone of Barenziah: Barenziah, the former queen of Morrowind, was coronated with a lavishly jeweled golden crown. During her reign, the crown was stolen and each of its 24 main jewels were removed. These 24 crown jewels were scattered across Skyrim in places both wild and civilized, guarded and unattended, obvious and hidden. The body of the crown has been smuggled out of Morrowind, and now it will only take someone tracking down each of the 24 missing jewels to recreate a priceless piece of history.

On the eighth day of Skyrim,

tenth anniversary,

frustrating fetch-quest,

sons killing fathers, 

limitless knowledge,

one dragon priest mask,

a Talos icon,

knee seeking arrows,

Golden Dragon Claw,

and a helmet of iron and horn.

One of the most iconic experiences of non-modded Skyrim is missing one or two of these damned stones and needing to hunt through all 24 locations to see which one you missed as they, rightfully, do not have waypoints. Waypoints would ruin the experience on this sort of quest, which really reminded me of the days of exploring through Morrowind with no guide but a journal that only organized information as well as you could remember what page the information was written on.

I hoped you enjoyed my tour of iconic Skyrim items. I post item drawings every Sunday. I am currently working through drawing a card for every item in every game in the Zelda franchise. If you liked what you saw during Skyrim week, come back on Sunday to see what else I’ve drawn up.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Skyrim 10th Anniversary: A powerful amulet worth killing for.

 A powerful amulet worth killing for.

Gauldur Amulet: This amulet once belonged to the Arch-Mage Gauldur, whose wisdom, power, and benevolence was relied on by great kings of the first era. So great was Gauldur’s fame that it overshadowed his three sons who grew resentful and envious of their father. Driven by jealousy, the three sons murdered their father and took from him his amulet of power so that each might have a piece. Each carrying a fragment, the three hateful sons terrorized the lands until each was slain and entombed across Skyrim where the three fragments of the amulet remain to this day.

On the seventh day of Skyrim,

tenth anniversary,

sons killing fathers, 

limitless knowledge,

one dragon priest mask,

a Talos icon,

knee seeking arrows,

Golden Dragon Claw,

and a helmet of iron and horn.

The Gauldur amulet’s +30 to each stat is just too good to pass up in the early and mid-game. At least I found it to be.

Also, Gauldur looks a whole lot like Galdr. Which just happens to be the Norse word for a spell or magical incantation. This reminds me, and hopefully all the other world builders, that I put way too much effort into coming up with original names and not nearly enough energy into stealing names.

The party winds down tomorrow with our eighth and final day of the Skyrim tenth anniversary celebration.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Skyrim 10th Anniversary: An impossibly complete volume of lore from twisting pathways of Apocrypha.

An impossibly complete volume of lore from twisting pathways of Apocrypha.

Oghma Infinium: This magical tome of knowledge was penned by the wizard Xarxes and records the unimaginably vast information revealed to Xarxes by Hermaeus Mora, daedric prince of knowledge. Reading from this skin-bound tome instantly gives the reader a greater understanding of a selection topics, but the entire book is too vast to be fully absorbed by a sane mind and therefore the reader can only glean a small number of the secrets contained in the many pages of the tome.

As far as magical books go, the opened pages of the Oghma Infinium as it appears in Skyrim work pretty well as any generic magical book or tome of forbidden knowledge. Drawing interesting but meaningless magical runes is far more difficult for me than many other types of details. I always wonder how other fantasy artists approach drafting visually convincing magical texts.

On the sixth day of Skyrim,

tenth anniversary,

limitless knowledge,

one dragon priest mask,

a Talos icon,

knee seeking arrows,

Golden Dragon Claw,

and a helmet of iron and horn.

Two more days in the eight days of Skyrim’s tenth anniversary. Tomorrow brings us back toward the neck with an item I assume almost every Skyrim player uses for a long time.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

 

Skyrim 10th Anniversary: The wrathful visage of Rahgot, priest of the Dragon Cult.

The wrathful visage of Rahgot, priest of the Dragon Cult.

Dragon priest mask: Each of the nine high priests of the dragon cult bore a mask that now bears their name. Based on the coloration, archivists have identified this mask as having belonged to Rahgot, one of the last surviving priests of the dragon cult. Other similar masks are mentioned in the histories of the dragon cults and the frigid north. Each was made from different materials and carried a unique enchantment.

On the fifth day of Skyrim,

tenth anniversary,

one dragon priest mask,

a Talos icon,

knee seeking arrows,

Golden Dragon Claw,

and a helmet of iron and horn.

Check back in tomorrow to take a peek in a daedric book of lore.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

 

Skyrim 10th Anniversary: An Amulet of Talos banned by the Aldmeri Dominion.

An Amulet of Talos banned by the Aldmeri Dominion.

Amulet of Talos: As part of the peace treaty between the weakening Cyrodillic Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion, any worship or veneration of Talos is forbidden. Talos was once a mortal human but rose to become a god. The Elven supremacists of the Aldmeri Dominion despise the idea of a mere human reaching the position of divinity and therefore work to stamp out the worship of Talos by any means necessary. Devout worshipers of the now banned god carry these amulets to ensure the worship of Talos survives.

On the fourth day of Skyrim,

tenth anniversary,

a Talos icon,

knee seeking arrows,

Golden Dragon Claw,

and a helmet of iron and horn.

I went with the Skyrim concept art for the Amulet of Talos instead of the game art because I thought the spear head looked more compelling than the axe head shaped amulet in the game. I will say this is probably a dangerous amulet to wear around your neck, but it could come in handy as a punching dagger in an emergency.

With day four of our Skyrim celebration done we look forward to tomorrow. Another symbol of a devout follower, but to an altogether different being of worship.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Skyrim 10th Anniversary: An arrow taken from the knee of a Skyrim guard.

 An arrow taken from the knee of a Skyrim guard.

Knee-seeking Arrow: Prior to becoming a member of the hold’s guard, this proud Nord used to be an adventurer just like you. That was before the cursed day when an errant shot from a bandit struck the adventurer in the knee. The lingering pain and stiffness from that arrow shot to the knee ended their adventuring career and forced them to take up a life of public service.

Day three of the Skyrim 10th anniversary celebration brings us a famous meme from the game. As a DM I rarely track mundane ammunition for my ranged players, but I am a big fan of single-use consumable ammunition that has bonus qualities. I’d imagine a knee-seeking arrow does reduced damage but applies a difficult-to-cure slow debuff on a successful hit.

I hope you are enjoying the selection of items. I was going to be able to say that I chose all non-weapon items, but of course, I had to do an arrow which threw the pacifism item set out the window.

On the third day of Skyrim,

tenth anniversary,

knee seeking arrows,

Golden Dragon Claw,

and a helmet of iron and horn.

See you tomorrow for some holy or heretical jewelry, depending on who you ask.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Skyrim 10th Anniversary: The golden dragon claw from Bleak Falls Barrow.

The golden dragon claw from Bleak Falls Barrow.

Golden Dragon Claw: Hidden in the depths of ancient Nordic ruins are puzzle locks that the dovahkiin can only pass by learning their secret code. Each puzzle-locked door is paired with a different precious dragon claw that bears the passcode as well as acting as the knob for the door. The golden dragon claw opens the way to the treasures held in the deepest sections of Bleak Falls Barrow.

Before anyone types out their comment about the skeleton key and puzzle doors, I will say I was very specific in my language regarding who is limited to using the dragon claws.

That was day two of my week-ish-long celebration of some great items from Skyrim. I chose items that would work well in any fantasy game and not just an elder scrolls game so that anyone can use them to represent their loot.

On the second day of Skyrim,

tenth anniversary,

Golden Dragon Claw,

and a helmet of iron and horn.

See you tomorrow for more Skyrim goodies.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

 

Skyrim 10th Anniversary: The iron helmet from Skyrim.

 

The iron helmet from Skyrim.

Iron Helmet: The iconic helm of the dovahkiin, scarred by the fangs and claws of dragons terrorizing Skyrim.

Happy 10th anniversary Skyrim!

I am a huge fan of the Elder Scrolls series and just had to sit down and draw some of the iconic items from the fifth installment of the main series.

Check-in every day for the next week to see a collection of items from Skyrim, and to enjoy my wonderful and wholly original song.

On the first day of Skyrim,

tenth anniversary,

a helmet of iron and horn.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: Covert instruments from Four Swords.

 Covert instruments from Four Swords.

Silver Keys: In Four Swords each of the three Silver Keys is awarded to any Link that gathered at least 1,000 rupees. To enter Vaati’s Palace, the fourth and final stage, Links must gather the three keys from the three Great Faeries. If the Links didn’t gather up enough rupees to earn all three keys, they cannot enter the lair of Vaati and rescue Princess Zelda and must try again. The silver keys are the first of three sets of keys that can be earned through repeated attempts at playing through Four Swords. 

Few societies of law and order allow just anyone to walk around carrying a well-stocked supply of lock picking tools without some sort of permit. There isn’t a sensible society that would allow a person to carry not one but four picks that make the bold but honest claim to be able to pick any lock, even apparently unpickable ones. All of that is to say, you shouldn’t show these picks off to anyone unless you want everyone blaming you for every misplaced valuable or locked door murder.

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I’m a huge elder scrolls fan. I could have individually drawn all the lock picks and skeleton keys from the various elder scrolls games and released them in drips and drabs until you collected the complete set, but that wouldn’t have given me an excellent set of thieves tools and legendary thieves tools.

If you are like me and enjoy technical YouTube videos, you probably have already enjoyed lockpicking YouTube channels. I’m a big fan of watching the Lockpicking lawyer to get inspiration on writing interesting lock-picking challenges for my games.

Welcome to November. It is getting cold where I live which reminds me that this is usually an extra tough time for many people who struggle financially. If you have more, consider giving back to people with less. If you have power, consider using it to make a more level playing field by raising up the lowest among us.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Holiday: Have a harvest time scythe this Halloween!

Have a harvest time scythe this Halloween!

Scythe: Originally scythes were tools used to mow, or reap, grain that was ready to be harvested. The popular image of a dark-robed skeleton wielding a scythe as the embodiment of death came about as Europe was experiencing repeated outbreaks of the Black Plague that would eventually kill one-third of all Europeans. Death on such a massive scale is easily likened to a farmer, scythe in hand, cutting down the countless stalks of grain. While they started as tools, there is historical evidence that scythes were used as weapons with specific fighting styles being recorded to best take advantage of the scythe's unique shape.

A simple charm was spoken on this blade by a traveling mage who was offered a warm meal and a dry place to sleep. The charm keeps the blade razor sharp without needing to be honed by whet stone. The charm seems a simple thing, but the farmer that doesn’t slow from a dull blade or stop to sharpen can cut more in a day than two or three skilled reapers.

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Happy Halloween! It probably won’t surprise you that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Ghoulish dress up, spooky movies, chocolate and peanut butter candy, and a great excuse to walk around at night. All of that is just great. I hope you have a wonderful Halloween this year.

Here’s to more treats and less tricks.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

 

Four Swords: A handy item from Four Swords.

A handy item from Four Swords.

Razor Seed: Just like armor seeds and Pegasus seeds, razor seeds can be randomly found in Four Swords by cutting grass. Picking up the seed doubles that Link’s sword damage for the remainder of the stage. Seed-hungry Links can only benefit from two razor seeds at any one time.

Prophet’s palm is a hand-shaped fruit tended by monks who use the fruits as foci for divinations. Travelers must visit the temple orchards and search the dense trees for a rare five-fingered fruit. If they are successful in locating a rare fruit, they can ask the fruit one question and receive an answer in the form of a hand gesture that must be interpreted.

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This unfortunate drawing attempts to capture the Buddha’s Hand Citron. This visually compelling citrus fruit was a very memorable discovery. I never thought citrons could look so unique having grown up on very homogenized lemons and limes. Diving down the rabbit hole of global citrons, I found that there are a lot of unique textures and shapes in that fruit family that have been bred out of the citrus I see and eat here in the United States. 

Go out there and find some unique-looking food. You know, you might find your next favorite thing. Unless you find durian, then I’m sorry you didn’t find jackfruit instead.

Next week we are taking a break from Zelda items to celebrate Halloween. See you next week!

Be excellent to everyone

-Ceph

 

Taking a week off to celebrate

No new post this week as I’m celebrating an important milestone in my life.

Come back next week for more items from Four Swords.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: Desert fruit from Four Swords.

Desert fruit from Four Swords.

Pegasus Seed: In Four Swords, seeds are consumable power ups that can be found by cutting grass. The pegasus seeds double the speed of any Link that eats the seed for the rest of the level. With the speed boost, Link can avoid enemy attacks and rush to be the first to treasure.

The pitaya is a fruit of the desert and a favorite treat of the giant winged thunder lizards. Heroic stories of old speak of brave heroes taming the wild beasts to serve as powerful companions and mounts. To capture the beast, heroes stalked the fruiting groves of cacti and rushed the lizards only after they had gorged themselves into a stupor pitaya fruit.

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Indigenous peoples' day is tomorrow in the United States. Celebrate all the amazing things the indigenous peoples did prior to, during, and after contact with Europeans. Christopher Columbus was a vicious man whose actions are were abominable and whose legacy is misrepresented in history. In the most literal sense, he couldn’t have discovered America if there were humans there when he arrived. 

 I’ve been struggling to finish drawings lately. I’m still drawing but I’ve been stuck with about 30 drawings left to do in the Wind Waker set for a while now. Lots has happened to help me stay stuck; bought a house, moved, school started back up, Covid is still hanging out, but I want to put out there that I’m still working. 

While I haven’t been able to push through to the end of Wind Waker, I have gotten five good drawings based on a certain open world rpg that is celebrating its tenth anniversary next month. Watch out for those coming soon.

The world is still a crazy and deeply inequitable place. Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph