Decided to redo this art from 6 years ago for fun. Hot damn

Where souls disappear

Only you exist here

Siren Philosophy 1

Transcript:

Male Siren 1 (MS1): I do not think that humans eat animals.

MS1: I have never seen one do such a thing, and humans have animals that they do not eat. So they must not eat animals.

MS1: Furthermore, their mouths are small. They cannot eat animals properly. And they cannot rip animals apart, as trolls do, because they are so weak.

Male Siren 2 (MS2): I do not know if that is correct. Many small and weak animals eat smaller and weaker animals. Foxes are small and weak animals, and foxes eat mice and voles.

MS1: That is true, you are correct. We cannot conclude that humans do not eat mice and voles.

Smile

Horotmu-Pavam of Solēsne was a Southern Throne born of the union of Unbodied Horotmu of Solēsne and Headless Pavam of Hatab, and was one of the most famous Solēsne Throne, much to the despair of House Solēsne. They are known best for their failure to synchronize, and the resultant death of a House Venvin scion at their hands, or rather teeth. Horotmu-Pavam has become a character of academic interest, a case study on the art of matching Headless and Unbodied, and a dramatic illustration of the consequences should a pair be ill-considered.

Funeralworms comprise a genus of Juggernaut characterized by a heavily-built, serpentine form, the absence of eyes, a single pair of broad, paddle-like forelimbs, and a prominent array of individually articulated, crushing jaws. They are employed in the disposal of organic materials, the production of high quality fertilizer, and the reclamation of Ibis tissue from corpses. The latter function earning them a central role in Bibat funeral rites, hence the name.

In Bibat, it is believed that Ibis tissue, while a powerful creative force in life, is equally capable of corruption, especially when touched by death. It is therefor not adequate to bury the Ibistouched, since Ibis tissue, if allowed to decompose, has the potential to render the earth fallow and breed illness. By consuming the Ibistouched dead, Funeralworms collect the Ibis tissue from the flesh, freeing it from corruption, purifying it, and accumulating it in their bodies to be returned to the Oracle System. It is mandatory that the corpses of all dagnyds, Sansin, Thrones and Throne-children both headless and unbodied alike, be fed to the Funeralworm. This is not a necessary funeral rite for those who are not Ibistouched, but the devout often choose to have it preformed upon their death. If a funeralworm is not available, cremation is an acceptable alternative.

Funeralworms are semi-aquatic dagnyds that reside entirely in special pools (bymūt)constructed for their housing. At their least elaborate, bymūt are little more than shallow ponds dug into clay soil, but they are often encircled by a low, stone fence with an offering platform at one end, and a chamber for dung collection at the other. These pools are usually located several kilometers from areas of habitation, although many larger cities have grown to encircle bymūt that were originally constructed a more acceptable distance away. These tend to be the most elaborate of their kind, ending up with bespoke temple complexes erected around them. As the functions of the Funeralworm are deeply linked to Bibat customs, their husbandry is entirely handled by Sansin, though the service they offer is a public one.

The design of the bymūt is necessary for the survival of fully mature funeralworms, who are not only so large as to be incapable of freely moving over dry land, but risk being crushed beneath their own weight without the support of water. Newborn funeralworms, at about a meter and a half in length, are the most mobile of their kind, and often attempt to escape their bymūt to explore. This is usually permitted (with supervision), as such young individuals have limited processing capacity, and rarely exist in a context where the sole burden of waste management relies on them. Many Sansin are sympathetic to the plight of the Funeralworm, and see little purpose in restricting the movement of a creature which never approaches agile at any age, and for most of its decades long life will be confined to a single small pool.

Despite a life spent entirely in water, Funeralworms are entirely air-breathing, and are not particularly good swimmers. They are protected from flooding by the high fat content of their bodies, which renders them buoyant and unlikely to drown. The greatest risk floods pose is temptation. Rising water allows Funeralworms the opportunity to travel freely from their bymūt, and many die after becoming stranded once the water level recedes, especially those which are particularly old and heavy.

Would anyone be interested in portraits in this vein for $50 USD (PayPal only)?

Silly design exercise in which I customize the homunculi and throw them into blenders

The Throning of Prince Masminet Dedēsne upon Gracious Cebe of House Rāgan

Pictured here is the Throning of Masminet Dedēsne, unbodied son of Throne-Lady Heniya Dedēsne and Throne-Lord Tasapnu Mitoca, a scion of House Dedēsne, ruling house of Petna Dedēsne (The State of Yellow Flowers) upon Gracious Cebe (“Rain”) of House Rāgan, ruling house of Petna Rāgan (The State of Marble), a Headless Daughter of Throne-Lady Geta Rāgan and Throne-Lord Vesmile Bocna. 

Thronings are conducted between houses as political and financial deals, similarly to marriage. Thronings may be initiated by either the Headless or Unbodied side of the relationship. If the Headless House initiates, they do so by offering their Headless Child to the prospect house along with a dowry, usually of cattle, since modern Thrones, being as large as they are, have substantial appetites and maintenance requirements. If the Unbodied Family initiates, the scion in question is offered at a price, which the prospecting spouse family may accept or reject. In all cases, the Headless leave their birth houses at Throning to join the house of the Unbodied that takes them as their Throne. Although it may seem more profitable to be paid for Unbodied heirs, the trading of Headless heirs to other families, although initially costly, creates a line of trade between two houses, which may last generations, and over which the initial cost is likely to be repaid several fold. Successful Thronings are long lasting, profitable trade relationships between the participating houses. 

Within the Tricolor Court, to which all Houses sanctioned by Emperor and Ibis to rightly govern the imperial provinces belong, Thronings and Marriages are, under ideal circumstances, interlaced, or Socotna. In interlaced Thronings, a pair of Headless-Unbodied siblings are required from each House. The siblings must be of opposite sex, ie. a male unbodied with a female headless and a female unbodied with a male headless, in order for such marriages to take place. The headless-unbodied pairs are joined in simultaneous Throning ceremonies, and the resulting Thrones are married. It is not always possible for these kinds of marriages to take place, but when performed they are regarded as especially sacred. In the Tricolor Court, Headless and Unbodied pairs are required to be of opposite sex. This is done for multiple reasons, firstly because Thronings are seen as a form of marriage in and of themselves, but also because the hermaphroditic nature of the resulting entity is seen as a holy embodiment of the complementary dual nature of the symbolic Ibis-Human marriage. 

The candidates for Throning ceremonies are many years in advance of the Ceremony itself, sometimes before the heirs are even born. While Throning is conducted as part of a political and economic trade between families, the relationship between Headless and Unbodied heirs is in many ways more sensitive than that of a regular marriage, and failed Thronings are tragic and costly. The two components of a future throne are introduced as early as possible, in a belief that the familiarity and comfort fostered by lifelong companionship creates a more stable Throne. In the case of Socotna pairs, while the Throne components are still introduced to eachother, great pains are taken to prevent the potential marriage partners from ever meeting (I.E. a Headless heir may be introduced to their Unbodied counterpart, but forbidden from seeing or speaking to that individual’s  Headless sibling), as such is believed to be a sure omen of future strife and failure. 

Tricolor (Imperial) Throning Ceremonies themselves are prolonged events which last ten days, with the Throning itself happening at noon on the fifth day. Prior to the Throning, the two families celebrate separately, preparing their respective halves of the Throne-to-be. Headless Heirs are subject to fasting, while Unbodied Heirs have great feasts. This is believed to make the process of joining faster, and therefore minimize the period spent in discomfort. Each House has signature garments, perfumes, poems, and games which they like to perform during Throning Ceremonies, which, when the Throning process occurs, are preformed together, often with members of each house instructing or gifting the other with their respective signature goods, games, regalia, etc. While Throning Ceremonies therefore begin in ways which are familiar to each house, the final half of the event is unique to the particular pair of houses which have at this time come together to produce the Throne being celebrated. 

The painting above depicts the Noon Ascent, at which time the Unbodied climbs into the plinth-socket of their Headless partner. The Unbodied, once settled in, is stung upon the base of the spine, and paralyzed from the waist down. The plinth-socket forms a seal, and, over the coming months, their lower body is at once digested and reconstructed to create a seamless fusion between the formerly separate anatomies. Unbodied and Headless heirs, once fully conjoined Thrones, no longer possess separate bodily functions, including the full marriage of digestive, circulatory, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems, and so on. While each partner gains control of the other’s body upon the connection of their nervous systems, such is often not exercised until well into the healing process, and with significant guidance from the other. The Throning process is not painful, but it is profoundly uncomfortable. In the final half of the Throning Ceremony, much of the festivities are conducted so as to pamper and entertain the new Throne, up until the final rights. Nevertheless, they are almost always still noisy and boisterous parties, which many Thrones report to be exhausting and overwhelming in intensity and duration. New Thrones are often allowed to retreat from the daytime portions of their own ceremonies to specially prepared temple spaces to bathe and sleep, although they often reappear in the public court after sunset to attend the recitals of poetry and songs, and accept gifts from their new families. 

On the morning of the final day of the ceremony, rites are conducted to prove the joining of the senses of the Headless and Unbodied. The Unbodied is blindfolded and deafened, while the Headless remains unrestrained. Objects are presented to the eyes of the Headless, and the Unbodied calls out what they have seen, although their eyes are blinded.. Food is presented to the mouth of the headless, and the Unbodied calls out what they have tasted, although their own mouth is empty. A song is raised, and though the ears of the Unbodied are sealed, they can follow and repeat the melody they cannot hear themself. At last, a cut is drawn by sword along the flank of the headless, and blood is drawn, and although the Unbodied is untouched, they cry out in pain. The blood is collected, mixed with spices, and drank from a copper cup by the new Throne, and with the tasting of their own, new blood, the ceremony is finally concluded. The attendees rarely leave right away, so much as gradually trickle back to their own, often distant homes. It is a long journey, after all. 

Imp the Runner, the Exile and Fugutive

Many thrones boast majestic wings, but the vast majority are too large or ungainly in shape to achieve more than an impressive leap or glide at most. House Lujnola is unique amongst its peers for its absolute dedication to the pursuit of flight. They have devoted lives and bodies utterly to the wing. The Lujnola Palace stronghold is one of the most secretive and isolated of all Houses, a kingdom of birds deep in the Petnan Rainforest - it is difficult to reach, and they are perhaps the only primarily endogamous house, behavior which seems strange and self-sabotaging in a political ecosystem built so strongly on the ties of marriage. They cultivate pacts and loyalties instead by way of their services as swift, confidential messengers and deliverymen. The House Lujnola is deeply loyal to the Imperial peerage and Tricolor Court. Despite the mystery they cultivate about themselves, they're anything but rare. Indeed, as devoted travelers and omnipresent messengers, it's hardly unusual for a wandering Lujnola to touch down in one's courtyard. Common, but not unwelcome (if tidings are good), they always carry a promise of interesting news and fine goods from some distant part of the empire when they arrive.

Throne-Lady Heniya of Dedēsne House relaxing with the youngest two of her sons.

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Lady Heniya is the current satrap of the Dedēsne Province, and the matriarch of House Dedēsne. She has 14 living children and two husbands, Tasapnu of Mitoca and Balisan of Ragan, who jointly assist in the management of the province. 

Heniya and her family are Thrones, beings regarded as divine amalgams of man and the godbeast known as the Ibis. Thrones have only existed in Jacantese culture for roughly 400 years, making them relatively recent additions to the ancient theater of Jacantese politics. They are formed by the process of fusing a Magnyd, a human infused with the tissue of the Ibis, and a Dagnyd, an intelligent Ibis-based entity which is explicitly designed to fill some particular role. In Thrones in particular, the only difference betwen Magnyd and Dagnyd is the shape of body one is born into. 

Magnyds are not created from humans in the modern day, the process has been outlawed for over 200 years, and all magnyds which exist are heriditary. The Dagnyds of thrones are known as Unbodied, and are generally born from the wombs of existing, complete Thrones, although they are frequently and readily modified for reasons both practical and fashionable. 

A discontinued model of Pilot from peninsular south Jacanti. When the insurrection was put down, every Juggernaut designed for these pilots was destroyed systematically, as well as the vast majority of the pilots themselves. A small handful still exist, however, but their continued existence is a secretive and illegal one, much like that of the movement they were created to give their lives for.