Throrian Handbag

I am planing my next trip to my favorite planet - Planet Thror. The spaceship departs in only five days and I’ve decided to channel my excitement into designing a travel handbag inspired by Throrian art and design. Bold, bright colors, fluffy tassels, shiny metallic embellishments - it will defenitely let the Furry Giants know that I’ve been thinking about them. Their English is rather rudimentary, so I am expecting comments like: “Hot bag for hot girl” or “Much spicy bag!”

We’ll see if I am fortunate enough to earn their admiration. I will probably be talked into surrendering it as a present. Needless to say, I will not relent. I should probably spend the rest of my time before the flight making more…

Escalation of Threat

The tension of working on my new novel is beginning to seep into the walls. Every time I walk up the stairs to the second floor I am borne away by escalating threats up to the midpoint of the novel. By the time I reach the top, I have withered away into a grinning skeleton.







 The only things that keep me sane are my trusty Guard Cat, who keeps watch over my notes and a box of Thornton’s chocolates. Although I’m not sure how long they will last…













 Soon I fear, the horrors of walking up and down the steps will leave me looking something like this:

Interview With the Furry Giants

I have learned a great deal from my interactions with the Furry Giants Tribe and have shared profiles of some of my new acquaintances on this blog:

The Old Furry Giant
The Furry Giant
The Dark Furry Giant
Speckles and Rosebud

Finally, I have been able to gather all of them together for a video that provides an
 in-depth look at their personalities, their tribe and the history of their planet. Here is your chance to meet the Furry Giants face to face:

Speckles and Rosebud

I am presenting two new Furry Giants today who represent the spectrum of the tribe’s attitudes towards the world - one is a disillusioned loner and the other a young dreamer.

They are deeply troubled by the secret they must keep, which affects their attitudes towards visitors from other planets. The younger generation does not even know what exactly they are protecting so fiercely.

Those with a more intense mindset drift into dark, brooding fantasies, imagining a hidden truth that defies redemption. The Speckled Giant is one of them.

The youngest of the Giants, nicknamed “Rosebud” by Earthling visitors sees the intergalactic community through a rosy lens, as reflected in his own rose-tinted image. He gives little thought to the dark secrets harbored by his people and believes the past should not taint the future. According to him, life on his planet isn’t all that bad and he is always excited to learn about new planets and cultures.

I can only wonder whether his rosy innocence can withstand the revelations that will soon shake the foundations of his planet. Will he grow bitter and disillusioned like some of his peers, or do his frivolous curls hide a steadfast heart?

The Old Furry Giant

 This Furry Giant belongs the older generation and is the chief of the entire tribe. He tends to make himself look a little older than he really is, hoping to intimidate the youngsters.

 He really needn’t bother - as grouchy and ill-tempered as he is, he needs no visual enhancement to be intimidating. A sullen loner, he has lost all of his family members for various reasons both within and outside of his control. He had much to lose and has lost almost everything. He fights every day to maintain what little remains and as a consummate pessimist, does not believe in the possibility of a revival in the fortunes of his people. He holds his ground nonetheless.

The Furry Giants are a force to be reckoned with and should never be underestimated. They will persevere!




 Their past is their inspiration, but its dark secrets still hold them back…

The Dark Furry Giant

Getting to know the local tribes, I quickly learned that not every ‘Furry Giant’ has a sunny disposition and that pink highlights are not a universally accepted trend. (Click here for an earlier post on the Furry Giant population). As their fur is capable of advanced mimicry, they have a certain degree of control over their default image when not blending into the environment. This one is especially preoccupied with appearing striking and dangerous. He is not very dangerous really, but that is a secret. Every Furry Giant on the planet has something to hide and appearances are always deceptive.

The shimmering scales that line the front of his body may look as impenetrable as chain mail, but they are actually the most vulnerable area of his body. When he senses approaching danger he rolls himself into a tight ball and becomes completely furry. The fur itself quickly changes colour allowing him to blend into his surroundings. This is only a small example of how little we understand the balance of strength and vulnerability in their bodies and hearts.

Stratum 5: the Scientist

Traveling up the Strata, we have now made it to Stratum 5 - the Scientists. This particular Scientist is a highly skilled and mysterious figure. Few suspect the extent of his capabilities beyond his more obvious functions. His main areas of work include the development of fragrances, chemical enhancements for industrial tools, and chemical weaponry. These roles gives him a great deal of influence imperceptible to an external observer.



 To many, he is primarily the overseer of a large factory for the production of fragrances. Scents play a profound role in this planet’s society and modes of communication - this will be explored in-depth in a later post.
 



His garments are equipped with large pockets that enable him to always carry samples of his work and the tools and ingredients of his trade. He can enhance the sophistication of any meeting or social gathering by offering a new twist on a familiar scent or creating a previously un-smelled custom-made fragrance. All of the planet’s nobility and socialites flock to his factory to obtain the latest developments in perfume technology.

A Scientist’s nose is his most important tool, honed and trained for decades to process the most delicate and subtle scents on the planet. His mask’s short, broad beak allows him to lean close to his work, while its large crystal goggles protect his eyes from fumes and magnify small details. A set of strong nose plugs is woven right into his head-tentacles, available at a moment’s notice to shield his nose from irrelevant or harmful smells.


His seeming openness and enthusiastic readiness to share details about the flamboyant contents of his external pockets allow him to easily deflect attention from the unassuming bottles hidden in his inner pockets. His vast, unseen power is assured by the contents of both sets of pockets.

The Furry Giant

Today I am making a brief digression from the official Strata to introduce you to another type of creature that inhabits this planet. Commonly known as the “Furry Giants” they live on the outskirts of structured society and are an independent tribe. The label ‘giant’ refers to their imposing appearance and massive bodies rather than their overall height. The average Giant comes in at just over six feet. Despite their immense physical strength, they are not aggressive. They are mainly hunters and gatherers and trade peacefully with their neighbors.

Although they look a little exotic, many foreign visitors to the planet find them attractive and charming. Like the other inhabitants of the planet they are amphibious and their bodies are partially covered by fine, shimmering scales. Their fin-like webbed arms help them swim. The thick fur that covers most of their backs and parts of the fronts of their bodies serves the dual purpose of keeping in moisture and providing camouflage. The fur fibres have a remarkable natural feature similar to that found in chameleon skin, which allows them to mimic almost any colour or pattern they come in contact with. When a Giant wishes to conceal himself, all he needs to do is roll himself into a ball, protecting his vulnerable, scaly underside and exposing only his furry back, which blends seamlessly with the surrounding environment. The skin underlying the fur is particularly thick and blubbery, providing an extra layer of protection from attack or cold temperatures.



Their large, bulbous eyes have strong, thick corneas that allow them to see clearly underwater. They are multifaceted, like a dragonfly’s. Their close-range vision is not very strong but they are adept at seeing in low-light conditions. A narrow ridge of fur travels down the backs of their bodies and skulls, expanding between the eyes downward to conceal and protect the rhinarium and mouth area as well as the softer skin of the throat and upper chest.

The group of Furry Giants I have become acquainted with have revealed a shocking secret to me, that has profoundly affected the way I view their planet. It is a secret that is ferociously protected by their generation and can transform their world forever if uncovered. I would love to share it with you, but have been sworn to silence. For now…

In the meantime, I hope you will continue with me on my journey of exploration. My next post deals with the extraordinary skills and moral ambiguities of the 5th Stratum. Never visit without a good nose filtration system.

Stratum 6: The Artist

As you can probably tell, the Sixth Stratum is the most colourful of all. The Artist uses mainly warm colours in his clothing as cooler tomes are reserved for the highest Strata. The design and textures of his clothing reflect the types of work that the Artists are involved with. They include: mosaic making, mask and fashion design, jewellery design, relief carving and other forms of art and design.


The mosaic inlays on the nose of his mask reference one of the most prized and sophisticated art forms on their planet - mosaic making. Most of the floors and walls are ornamented with beautiful stone mosaics, depicting historical and mythological scenes, abstract designs and optical illusions.

 

 Fashion design is no less challenging than mosaic and inlay design, as the main materials include metallic thread and seaweed fibre. This flamboyant Artist is making the most of the materials available. He has also incorporated complex beading techniques with stone beads to showcase his abilities as a mosaic maker.

I have not even mentioned the design of stone and metal furniture, but there will be more on that later….

Keep an eye out for the upcoming Materials and Techniques post!