you might think the cosmic radiation from three suns would have detremental effects on the meager inhabitants. maybe that with all that water ( over 90% of the surface area ) the planet would boil under immense heat? no, things work differently in the first universe. so the denizens of the only geographical land mass above sea level, newtofair isle, lived in quiet prosperity. located throughout three main tribes across the isle, these peoples suffered a drastically shorter lifespan of around 20 years before giving birth to a new generation and subsequently withering away to a dry husk which was cast into the raging sea by their offspring as a rite of passage. one afternoon in the middle of the 19 year summer, winter being birthing season, the land dwellers were visited by a giant gray cyclops who strolled up out of the water.
...and he peered down at them...
his massive frame caught the rising sun and cast a shadow on the sky in the light of the setting sun. never before had anyone encountered such a enormous menace and terror shot through their heart sacs. and they ran. shrieks of mortal danger muffled by dense foliage trailed off into the distance as the giant ambled up the shore to the treeline. bending and positioning his hands firmly on his knees he then expelled a river from his lung cavity which cut a wide berth into the ground, eventually pooling into lake in the middle of the isle. he stopped and looked at what he had done and with an expression of subtle contentment slowly turned and sat and stared off into the sea. news of the arrival of this daunting behemoth had spread quickly and the people spent the next several days huddled away in low class jungle hovels. too stupid to pray, yet too smart to pray, they waited and shook with fear and slight anticipation. upon emerging they converged on the lake in the middle of their homeland and wept. "for all of eternity we have been surrounded by the water, now we surround it!" they cried, and it was truly a day to be celebrated. over the following years the people would make pilgrimages to the place where the giant cyclops sat and watched out over the sea and they would praise him for his actions, but to no response. he would sit and stare, unflinching, unyielding in his gaze out over the water. so the years passed and winter approached and suddenly the giant stirred as his eyeball spotted a gleam in the water. he began to stand but it was too late as a mysterious acrylic serpent shot out from the waves and coiled around his gigantic head. he tumbled before regaining his footing and in a fit of panic began to crash through the trees. the serpent hung on despite the wild flailing and as they cut through the wind the serpent fibers began to dry, constricting his choke hold. upon hearing the impending commotion the people gathered to the lake shore as the giant came barreling through into the clearing on the opposite side, head shrouded in an ever tightening grip.
...and he peered down at them, only now his eye was closed...
it was then that the giant lost consciousness and collapsed across the river, his head landing only several yards away from his adoring people and pinning his captor to the ground. the audience, horrified at what they saw, grabbed up spears and rocks to assault the beast but in that instant it was too late for either of the great beings. the giant took one last great gasp as the serpent writhed in agony, crushed under the head weight of his old nemesis. the following day winter came and the people retreated to their customs, and they wrote of the great giant so their ancestors would know of his gift of the lake and how he later met his end sprawled across it. over the cruel winter his corpse would decay and his bones turn to dust until by the following spring all that remained was a tremendous kidney stone peeking out of the middle of the lake. and from the giant's final remains sprung forth a great tree which bathed the lake in glorious shade and produced a sweet pear like fruit which upon consumption gave the isle dwellers a lifespan ten times that which they had endured for so many centuries. so once again they lived in quiet prosperity...until the pirate zombies came in their warships, but that's a story for another day.
...my first attempt at fair isle knitting, in the round no less! 3 X 3 offset ribbing gives it a weird look up close...
...and he peered down at them...
his massive frame caught the rising sun and cast a shadow on the sky in the light of the setting sun. never before had anyone encountered such a enormous menace and terror shot through their heart sacs. and they ran. shrieks of mortal danger muffled by dense foliage trailed off into the distance as the giant ambled up the shore to the treeline. bending and positioning his hands firmly on his knees he then expelled a river from his lung cavity which cut a wide berth into the ground, eventually pooling into lake in the middle of the isle. he stopped and looked at what he had done and with an expression of subtle contentment slowly turned and sat and stared off into the sea. news of the arrival of this daunting behemoth had spread quickly and the people spent the next several days huddled away in low class jungle hovels. too stupid to pray, yet too smart to pray, they waited and shook with fear and slight anticipation. upon emerging they converged on the lake in the middle of their homeland and wept. "for all of eternity we have been surrounded by the water, now we surround it!" they cried, and it was truly a day to be celebrated. over the following years the people would make pilgrimages to the place where the giant cyclops sat and watched out over the sea and they would praise him for his actions, but to no response. he would sit and stare, unflinching, unyielding in his gaze out over the water. so the years passed and winter approached and suddenly the giant stirred as his eyeball spotted a gleam in the water. he began to stand but it was too late as a mysterious acrylic serpent shot out from the waves and coiled around his gigantic head. he tumbled before regaining his footing and in a fit of panic began to crash through the trees. the serpent hung on despite the wild flailing and as they cut through the wind the serpent fibers began to dry, constricting his choke hold. upon hearing the impending commotion the people gathered to the lake shore as the giant came barreling through into the clearing on the opposite side, head shrouded in an ever tightening grip....and he peered down at them, only now his eye was closed...
it was then that the giant lost consciousness and collapsed across the river, his head landing only several yards away from his adoring people and pinning his captor to the ground. the audience, horrified at what they saw, grabbed up spears and rocks to assault the beast but in that instant it was too late for either of the great beings. the giant took one last great gasp as the serpent writhed in agony, crushed under the head weight of his old nemesis. the following day winter came and the people retreated to their customs, and they wrote of the great giant so their ancestors would know of his gift of the lake and how he later met his end sprawled across it. over the cruel winter his corpse would decay and his bones turn to dust until by the following spring all that remained was a tremendous kidney stone peeking out of the middle of the lake. and from the giant's final remains sprung forth a great tree which bathed the lake in glorious shade and produced a sweet pear like fruit which upon consumption gave the isle dwellers a lifespan ten times that which they had endured for so many centuries. so once again they lived in quiet prosperity...until the pirate zombies came in their warships, but that's a story for another day....my first attempt at fair isle knitting, in the round no less! 3 X 3 offset ribbing gives it a weird look up close...
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