Entry I: Something Ancient and Alive

[liondrakes]

Today’s entry is an introspective one, adventurer(s).

I have been thinking lately about the nature of my alterhumanity. Not in terms of labeling, but in terms of what it embodies. Since I first questioned my alterhuman identity as a teenager, I always felt distinctly connected to creatures housed within the lore of human beings. Said creatures were beings that the common human typically waves off as nonexistent, myths and legends to occupy the imagination of their young and nothing further. Yet, those same creatures preoccupied my focus for so long as a child. I became absorbed by stories of werewolves, dragons, gryphons, sphinxes and many other mythical creatures. In terms of earthen animals, dinosaurs and other prehistoric life also garnered my interest. As I compare my current kintypes and theriotypes to my fixations as a child, the nature of my alterhumanity becomes increasingly clear.

You see, I am a being that feels ancient. I feel as if I am a part of something of mythic proportions, the stuff of legends as they say. However, this does not only apply in a mythical sense. I can see this reflected through my non-mythic species as well. In terms of my fictionkinity, I am a Zonai and a Kulve Taroth. Each of these species have distinct ancient qualities to them. Zonai are a long-standing civilization from the prehistory of Hyrule, whose advanced technologies and archaic origins have made the foundation of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom what it is today. Kulve Taroth are classified as Elder Dragons in Monster Hunter. We are revered and highly sought after for our illustrious golden hides. Aside from the closeness in physicality towards this species of mine, our existence as an ancient anomaly within the animal kingdom within Monster Hunter felt right at home to me. It is the distance from the “now” with both of these species that I feel so distinctly connected to.

These feelings are exemplified through my therianthropy as well. Aside from my experiences as a draquus, or a draconic horse, I connect them easily to the earthen species I belong to. The majority of these species no longer inhabit the Earth. Instead, my kind have perished as a result of massive ecological change. I am predominantly paleotherian. Some of my paleotherian theriotypes stretch across different eras of Earth in its state of prehistory. Even so, this distinct relationship with past is something of great value to me. That is not to say that my currently active theriotypes, such as my species as a Bearded Vulture and as an Ethiopian Lion, hold no value of their own. That being said, it is worthy of note how my animality goes beyond the state of earthen creatures and their existence. Considering that the majority of my therianthropy is either mythic in nature (as a gryphon, as a draquus, and as a hieracosphinx) or prehistoric in nature (as a giant teratorn, as a brontornis terror bird, as a yutyrannus and a smilodon cladotherian), it is not hard to see that recurring theme of ancient qualities to my being.

I may be overusing the word “ancient” a lot, but there is just something archaic about my existence as a polymorphic alterhuman. I have no other way of describing it. My connection to prehistory, antiquity, folklore and mythology all date back to when I was a child as the mysteries of the past always drew me in. Perhaps, as a child, it was a sign of my own archaic nature? A sign that I repeatedly missed in a vastly modern society? A sign that has followed me so far that I decided that the humanities were the perfect field for me to be in, so I can further explore the intricacies of those who’ve come before me? I can say for certain that it has been present through my life. Time-honored stories of beasts of legend and of the past captivated my young heart. From it, my understanding of who I was bloomed over time.

Maybe, if I have the time to officially write up on these feelings, I will put an actual name to what I feel like. It’s not as open-ended as folcintera, but it’s a lot more specific than mythkin, theriomythic and paleotherian. I think just being “Ancient” suffices for now.

Best regards from the back porch,
Br'er Lion