Cryptozoology - Blog Posts
Fan of Cryptids, Supernatural, Paranormal, Aliens, etc.
Hello Tumblr today I offer you updated ref sheets of the two main characters from my upcoming comic! Basic lore is that they’re humans who’ve wandered too far, stumbled upon forbidden lands and brought a curse upon themselves…they did nothing wrong actually it was an accident and they just want to go home and be human again.
Percival Tiver (pronounced as "Tyver") is a 17 (at the start of the comic, 18 by midway through the story) year old human-born changeling (he/him) and the main protagonist of «Metamorphosis of a Soul». He’s also Rayne’s older brother. Percy is very optimistic, sometimes even to the point of toxic positivity. He’s a depressed pathological liar and tends to bottle his feelings up a lot. Sometimes he does that intentionally, to "protect" his loved ones from the ugly truth (yes, even his own brother). But, despite all that - he’s a really nice, caring guy. Percy’s loyal to his allies until the end, and takes friendship very seriously - if you happen to dissapoint, or even betray him - chances are you’ll never regain his trust. Though, other than that - he rarely ever loses his temper…and, when he eventually does, you know that shit just got real. Percival’s also surprisingly smart - most of it stems from the fact, that his special interest (cryptozoology, which is very much real in the world they live in) requires a lot of zoology, biology, history and chemistry knowledge. His other hobbies include cooking and drawing. Percy also works at the cafe near his house…well, at least, he used to.
bonus kin lists i made for them :>
Rayne Tiver is a 14 year old human-born changeling (he/him/they/them) and the second main protagonist of «Metamorphosis of a Soul». He’s also Percy’s younger brother. Rayne’s always trying to fit in, and be as painfully average as possible, becoming a people pleaser early on in life. He’s a scaredy cat and a cry baby, but tries his best to hide it (with varying success). Behind that mask, however, hides a really nice guy - Ray has a lot of friends and mutuals, most of whom like him even when he doesn’t try to seem "normal" or please them. Rayne’s looks mean a lot to him - so much so, that he developes a deep insecurity about his appearance once he becomes a monster, thinking that everyone will abandon him now that he’s no longer pretty. He’s also rather short tempered, which often leads to him yelling at his loved ones and instantly regretting it. Ray’s hobbies include reading, ficwriting and attending a school’s drama club (yes he’s a drama kid because of course he is). he’s also pretty much an mtf on the path of self discovery but shhh let’s keep it a secret for now
before anyone asks yes you can make fanart of them i’d love to see that OR you can art trade with me if you want to (but only if i like your art style enough sorry)
Almost forgot the last creature I made for the cryptid artbook project: the Chugaister from Ukrainian mythology. Described as a large bear-like man, naked and super hairy (with almost animal-like fur), that roams the Carpathian mountains. Despite his appearance, he is a benevolent creature and doesn’t seem attack humans unless provoked. In fact, according to tales, he’s quite friendly towards people. He doesn’t speak like humans, but if he encounters you camping in the forest, he will gladly join you to dance around a bonfire, engaging in a sort of friendly dance battle. He’s super chill overall, especially if you share your food.
Additionally, the Chugaister protects humans from evil spirits and dangers, including NIAVKAS.
You might have heard of "Mavka" from the cartoon "Mavka, the Forest Song." BUT Mavkas and Niavkas are separate beings in folklore (though there is some overlap). I remember reading these different interpretations of the same entity come from different regions (can`t find right now) , but generally:
Mavkas are benevolent, playful forest spirits, almost like forest nymphs with green hair. Niavkas, on the other hand, are described as having transparent skin on their backs through which you can see their organs, usually covered with long hair. They are considered extremely dangerous, akin to skinwalkers or certain types of Fae (if you’re familiar with Fae/Fey mythology).
As another Monstober send off, here they are. Every single card in one big deck piece, thank you so much again! Here's to monsters and ghouls 🥂
Dont get me wrong, I’m glad my advice filled posts are the ones that do the best, but I wish this community was more eager to share their love and experiences than to second guess themselves.
I wanna hear about what you did that made you smile today, or what new friend you made in the community. If you’re worrying over second guessing or not knowing, just breathe. I know this religion can seem daunting, but truly, it’s so full of love and I wish there was more sharing on that fact.
So feel free to share some fun things about your practice below!
OKAY
actual altar tour.
so,
we've got:
(from right to left)
several stone pillars
these are pretty assorted. i've got some obsidian, some red and black ones i can't remember the name of (some kind of jasper?), but mostly sunstone. his favorite. i also have some angelite in there, but it's greyed and has little copper/orange flecks, and a pillar of amethyst. there's also a huge fucking sunstone orb, but it's slightly obscured from view.
an entire bowl of other crystals
in here i know ive got some more obsidian, some blood jasper, i've got runic african bloodstone, peacock ore, fools gold, and rose quartz, and some assorted seashells.
black wing shaped holder
contains the giant sunstone orb.
two decks of cards
one of these is from the Luxor in las vegas, they're collectors cards, and the other are from the Nomad in the same area. he just likes playing cards and doing card tricks on occasion, so i figured mister slight of hand would appreciate them
tiny highland cow
plant/inscence
pretty sure this is black sage? i've never burned it, he's not a huge fan of fire in the house and has warned me against it. maybe one day i'll do a ritual burning if i can find a safe spot to.
giant orb and lady pedestal
he's for the femmes and the fags, and my favorite color is purple, so we compromised. however, the Giant Fucking Orb is not something I've ever been able to identify, crystal wise, that i bought specifically because it reminded me of the orchestrator's smile and his energy specifically. i was told it was maybe some kind of quartz..? until a roommate of mine told me how unnerved it made her feel. this roommate and i ended up having problems later on, though, so who knows. maybe he was just sending her 'eat shit and die' energy because she wasn't treating me well.
giant black box and other assorted box(es)
these are where i keep his more personal offerings. i won't disclose what they are atm. the open one is a jewelry set, though
flat black box
his personal set of d&d dice! i've found he prefers those to tarot, for some reason? especially when it comes to yes or nos. i got him a specific set of dice for divination and he's gone nuts over them ever since, communication has been streamlined. there is also a small silver rock on it, courtesy of my wife leaving it for him.
tiny glass + small container
that's a small chalice and edible glitter. i just gave him those for fun. he likes them
bottle of... meds?(not really)
this is a jar from MeowWolf's Omegamart. this is the label.
they're mints. i figured what better place to put my infinite gender supplements
glass portrait
made by someone who is no longer a friend, i took their energy from it and gave it to him instead. regardless of how long ago or how things ended, the love was still there, and he gave me a place to put it to rest in a way that was healthy.
giant flower crown(?)
this is more mine than his, but i saw it at a local renfair and asked if it would be out of line for me to have a headdress as a priestess. he responded with the equivalent of an amused 'i'm just glad you're having fun making me a religion, go for it' and i picked this one because it has horns that resemble his and his orange rose symbols. i wear it when i need a mood boost, and it brings me a lot of peace. i leave it on his altar because it looks nice, and because it gives him a chance to fill it with any energy he deems me needing.
funko pops
okay, so. these were never technically supposed to be his, but they ended up on the same shelf, and they keep the headdress up. he's snatched them by proximity and honestly im fine with that.
oh, and last but not least:
Painted model/pamphlet (right corner)
my wife printed and painted a model of him based off of my drawings and visions. it took her a few tries, but we cherish rough draft Cou as much as we cherish finished Cou. behind him is one of the pamphlets that i printed, and in his hand is a bracelet i recieved celebrating his birthday. a stranger made it for me and then gave it to me, and it just so happened to be my and his colors intertwined when i was having a really hard time.
anyways, thank you for coming to my altar tour! he accepts far more diverse offerings than this, but here are a few things we've left him over the years, haha.
altar tour eventually but in the meantime, here it is
grabbed a close up of his glass portrait because it looks cool
so it's normal and regular when Christians eat the sacrificial flesh and blood of christ (bread and wine), but when I, a worshiper, drink the Orchestrator's breastmilk,
hey, I'm a weird gay person on the internet.
you can call me Priest C, or just C. I'm starting this blog mainly on this entity called the orchestrator, and frankly, this is just gonna be me detailing my worship growth with him. i guess this counts as a pagan practice, because as of right now, i'm one of his only worshipers. he gave me permission to expand, so, i figure i start out like this.
how long have I been working with this guy? about 7 years, formally, but informally for almost 12. he's been my best bud for a hot minute, before i ever realized i was doing deity work. i've been researching him and finding his roots ever since.
how did i meet him? informal summoning when i was a child, which lead to me befriending him. i made him a character in my oc verse long before i realized he was an entity, and have continued working with him formally for as long as i've known of his existence.
every myth starts somewhere. i guess this one starts with me.
anyways, let me know if there's any info i can provide you guys. i'm mostly just gonna be posting fun stuff like signs he sends me and cool things i find for his altar, but there's a pamphlet below if you wanna learn a little more.
ciao,
Priest C.
I am going to the Loch Ness today, my cryptid lover self is shaking
Specimen...........
I had this idea once of tar birds (Tarlings?) that would cover themselves in symbiotic bacteria (that they store in the crop [where normally birds store food for fledglings]) and then spread that bacteria on various foodstuffs (animal carcasses, decaying plants) and then slurp it all up as this black gooey substance. In exchange their whole body surface is the perfect habitat for those microorganisms (and also they look like tar because that’s hella cool and also because they accelerate decay by a ton and that’s thematic :> ) They’re nocturnal and lead a scavenger lifestyle, cleaning up decaying biomatter and leaving behind black puddles of goo (that other living things should probably avoid cause brother, they stink) Their wings feature 2 claws each. Because I think claws are cool . And to dig in detritus and whatnot Fledglings look like normal baby birds... until the first feeding when they receive the “tar” from their parents I call them tarlings because it’s a lil pun and a good working name :>. And this one is called Mortimer because that’s what I named him. Might flesh those out a bit more later, maybe when making some sort of game or animation or something along these lines ! Or I’ll just start a fake encyclopedia documenting animals that don’t exist
Did you know that in Southeast Asian folklore there's a flying bat monkey hybrid that abducts children?
It's called the "Orang Bati" and it's described as being four to five feet tall with reddish skin, large black leathery wings and a long leathery tail. Said to inhabit the island of Seram in Indonesia, the Orang Bati is a nocturnal creature with a diet that mostly consists of small, adorable children who are easy to pick up and fly away with. It's raids take place in the darkness of night and before descending into the villages and cities that border it's territory, the airborne attacker will emit a shrill wail that warns any child who hears it that it's already too late to escape. The residents of Seram insist that the creature is a flying monkey, while outsiders have suggested it's more than likely a giant bat. However, some researchers have stated that physical descriptions (including the shrill wail it lets out before a hunt) match pterosaur physiology.
On November 15, 1966, two young couples from Point Pleasant, West Virginia—Roger and Linda Scarberry, and Steve and Mary Mallette—told police they were chased by a large white creature whose eyes "glowed red". They described it as a flying man with 10-foot wings and said it followed their car while they were driving in an area of town known as the "the TNT area", the site of a former World War II munitions plant. This creature came to be known as "Mothman" and has since been blamed for everything from causing TV static to killing pets to even a bridge collapse. Folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand claims the creature was something real and frightening, but explainable, that got woven into local legends. Others have claimed the creature was a UFO, some a large owl and others say it's a large American Crane.
What do you think the Mothman is?
Momo the Monster, also known as the Missouri Monster (Momo).
Strange and other-worldly creatures have been spotted all over the United States... but were these sightings real? Or the imagination run wild?
In 1972, residents of Louisiana, Missouri claimed to have seen a creature they described as being 7 ft, having a large pumpkin shaped head, thick black fur covering most of its body that emitted a putrid odor, and the only facial feature noticeable were its large glowing orange eyes. At one point, a 20-person posse got together to hunt down the monster, but never found it. Later on, though, tracks were discovered and submitted to Lawrence Curtis, director of the Oklahoma City Zoo who deemed the tracks to be that of an unknown primate species.
So what could it have been? A monster or an ape?
Here is my interpretation of the Bear Lake Monster or Isabella. If anyone has questions about it and why I chose to draw it like this, please ask.