Skip to main content

Explorations in Clayland Part 8: Mushrooms on the Move

We're just getting started with the spores...

Here is another collection of mushroom folk.

Winging in from parts unknown, a trio of arial forms.  The leftmost has the standard mushroom folk form, albeit augmented with a pair of wings.  Its pink coloring coupled with flight suggests a fey influence.  A fairy mushroom folk?  Not impossible.  In the center, a highly elongated mushroom has wings instead of arms and is equipped with a saddle.  Transport service with mycological style.  On the left, an ordinary green mushroom uses a pair of fluffy flowers with arial seeds to slow an otherwise fatal fall.  The floral version of a parachute.

Sliding across the undergrowth, another trio makes their presence known.  On the left, an acorn-shell rider wizzes across grass stalks and leaves, spear at the ready.  In the center, one rider takes a more leisurely pace.  Astride, a domesticated slime mold, he'll get where he needs to go in his own time.  Finally, to the right, an orange mushroom picks up the pace.  Screaming along on a snap-pea board, he uses helicopter seeds (only one still attached) to steer and perform feats of acrobatic grandeur.  

Back on foot, a third trio opts for other forms of propulsion (two orientations shown).  On the left and center, blue and green mushrooms carry tanks of noxious chemicals in tanks on their backs, ready to shoot them out of wood-formed guns.  If you look closely, there are tubes that go from the mushroom caps to the tanks, demonstrating that the toxins original from the mushrooms themselves.  In contrast, the rightmost mushroom, in purple, uses a more elegant weapon, for a more civilized time.  A poisoned blowgun.

Finally, a final and disparate trio marches in, ready to do battle.  On the left, a strange bluish-purple mushroom has long blades for hands, surely poisoned for good measure.  In the center, a much-repaired banner-bearer holds a banner-flinging crossbow.  Did I mention he has banners?  On the left, the mushroom king raises a spear in defiance.  It's hard to see from this angle, but his shield has a picture of a mushroom on it as well.

Thanks for joining.  Want another taste of umami?  Don't worry, more mushrooms are on the way soon? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Creative Tool: Idea Mutation

It's mutating out of control!   Here is another wild method of improving the creativity of ideas through the process of introducing random 'mutations'.  I call it Idea Mutation. Method: Start with an idea.  Add it to a circle on the far left side of a piece of paper.  That is round 1. Make two branches off the first idea.  Each branch has a new circle.  That is round 2. For each branch, roll a 10-sided dice and select the 'mutation' from the table below. For each branch, create a 'mutated' idea incorporating that branch's mutation. Continue branching and mutation ideas for subsequent rounds (3, 4, etc.). Modifications: Include different mutations (ex. Add Thrill, More Collaborative, Clearer, etc.) Add null mutation (no changes for certain branches) Change probability of mutations (same mutation for more than one number) Examples:
Post a Comment
Read more

Creative Tool: Idea Bracket

Let the Best Idea Win. How to generate great ideas?  Why not create an Idea Bracket ?  It is analogous to a sports league play-off.  Ideas are pitted against each other, with the winning idea moving on to the next round.  The last idea standing is the winner. I do have a few additional rules.  The Three M's : Modify, Merge, and Markup.  These rules allow for both idea modification and saving sub-winner ideas. Simple enough, right?  Let's try it out on some examples. Story Beginning Location Floating City and Haunted Graveyard merged into Floating Graveyard Screaming Wastelands modified into Blasted Wastelands Winner was Floating Graveyard and Sundered Titan merged into Floating Graveyard of Titans Artistic Inspiration Shack Brainstorming and Review Idea/Notes merged to Shack Review Ideas TCG View modified to TCG Mashup Shack Review Ideas marked for later Monster App and Walk and Song merged to Walk and Song with Monster App Priming Winner was T...
Post a Comment
Read more

Writing Tool: Panic Cards

For writing emergencies only... In a previous post , I created a break-in-case of emergency box for days where I'm severely struggling to get my writing goal in.   In case that box is not enough, or if I'm away from my house, I've devised another emergency method to keep me from veering off my writing track. Panic Cards. What are they?  Simple.  Index cards cut in half with encouraging phrases on one side. The other side has a small, randomized reward for completing the writing task.  I made it random on purpose to increase the intrigue. To use them, I pull out the card, read the phrase of encouragement, and get the writing done.  Once the thirty minutes of writing is completed, I turn over the card and reap the reward. Silly?  Maybe.  Effective?  Time will tell.  It's better to have an emergency plan and never use it than to not have one when an emergency comes calling.
Post a Comment
Read more