HI I’M BACK!!! Back for more RoTL lore! This time I wanted to explain the life and customs of those who live in my story. (Also a little note: all campfolk age like humans bc it was easier for me to organize lol)
The world of RoTL takes place on an island called Gardaenya (Gar-day-knee-uh), there are four camps that reside on it. The four camps are Camp Mountainridge (Juniper’s home), Camp Lakecrest, Camp Plainsview, and Camp Moonwhisper. They are very spiritual and believe their ancestors reside in the stars in a place called The Forest of Free Spirits, their only way of directly communicating with them is an area called the Spirit’s Hollow. They are all inspired by the clans of the Warriors series but with a few changes. Unlike Warriors, the camps don’t constantly fight and are peaceful with each other (for the most part) and individuals can come and go as they please. They can visit other camps for vacations or official duties and can move from their home camps to a different one. Each camp has their own set of traits and physical attributes.
Mountainridge is known for being the strongest and wisest of the camps, their home is atop a plateau that is surrounded by a forest of tall trees that protect the base, as well as having a ring of trees on the surface that protect the camp itself. Their dens are made from clay and purposely arched trees to cover themselves. The sky is open above them and are seen as the most spiritual of the camps because of how high up their home is, ergo being closer to their ancestors. There is a trail of stones that act like stairs down the plateau that they can trek up and down. They are the stockiest and fluffiest of the camps, their muscle mass helps them lift or move large objects and their thick fur ( if they have any) keeps them warm in their high altitude home.
Lakecrest are the swiftest at swimming and the proudest of the camps, their home is a separate island that isn’t too far from the Gardaeynean mainland. The island is surrounded by palm trees and other tropical shrubbery and sandy beaches. Their dens are made from sandstone that are used to protect campfolk from harsh weather. They are the sleekest and plumpest of the camps, their sleek fur (if they have any) helps them navigate the water easily and their plump bodies a symbol of how well fed they are and how it protects them in colder weather. The pawed campfolk have webbing between their toes to help them swim.
Plainsview are swiftest on land and the most modest of the camps, their home is in a gorge that has rings that lead down. They are a desert area that has lots of mines full of precious gems, but has very little greenery due to the harsh conditions. Their dens are made from the caves that the gorge has and each rank has a select level they stay in. They are the lankiest and keenest of the camps, their thin bodies help them run fast enough across long stretches and their keenness helps them while mining for valuable gems.
Moonwhisper are the sneakiest and the most defensive of the camps, their home is in a swampy area that keeps them hidden from sunlight. They have lots of flora that surround them and tons of creepy crawlers that they consider family. Their dens are made from hollowed out or fallen willow trees that they refurbished into safe and cozy homes. Though their waters have been considerably contaminated as of late. They are the shortest and eagle-eyed of the camps. Despite their height, they can navigate their swampy home with ease, and due to their dark environment can see through the dark like it’s daylight.
Upwalker’s Land is where the humans (upwalkers) of this world live, it is a community of humans that live away from the camps in their own area of the island. They domesticated many animals, known as Domestics, and use them the same ways animals are used in the real world. Thunder (Juniper’s mentor) is a Friesian stallion who was born a Domestic but escaped to live in Camp Mountainridge after he was separated from his mother.
The Spirit’s Hollow is a sacred place for all the camps, it is the place where the healers meet and talk to their ancestors. This is also the place where chiefs go to get appointed.
Every full moon, the camps gather for one night on a special Island called the Full Moon Assembly. This is where they announce anything about their camps or other events to the other camps and where the most trading happens.
The camps have knowledge of two beings: the Guardian and the Warden. The Guardian is the embodiment of good and can harness spiritual fire, the flames of which are so hot it can burn an individual and their soul to a crisp. The Warden is the embodiment of Evil that can harness spiritual ice, the ice is so cold it can freeze spirits. They are destined to kill the other and their spirit in order to break the cycle. Though this effort has been in a stalemate for 30,000 years. The last Guardian and Warden to be reincarnated were Quail (Juniper’s past life) and Frost (Wolf’s past life).
The camps believe in two afterlives: The Forest of Spirits and The Woods of Roaming Souls.
The Forest of Free Spirits (Spirit Forest)- this is the place where the spirits of good campfolk go when they die. It is a forest that is permanently green and light, though the sky is as dark as night. The members of the Spirit Forest can choose their appearance and age, meaning they can choose the age they were happiest at without the physical scarring or they can stay how they were when they died. The bodies of these spirits glitter with stardust, giving them a soft, warm glow.
The Woods of Roaming Souls (Soul Woods)- this is the place where evil individuals go when they die. It is a dark, musky forest full of dead trees and muddy, bloody water. The only light comes from the bioluminescent fungi that grow along the ground. The members of the Soul Woods don’t get to choose how they look in their afterlife, they stay the age they died at and their wounds open up and bleed constantly. Their eyes are hollow, save for their flowing irises and pupils. Their aura is dark, like they have a shadow following behind them.
An unknown afterlife that the camps have little knowledge of is The Gray Marsh, it is a place where neutral campfolk go when they die. The marsh is literally all shades of gray, there is no color and the trees are a mix of full and bare. The water is creepily still and unmoving. The members of The Gray Marsh stay the age they die, but their wounds are open and bleeding, their eyes have no sparkle but otherwise normal. After a bloody battle within the story, an evil force traps the souls of those who fell in said battle in the Gray Marsh.
All the camps have the same ranks ordered by the amount of power a campfolk has and how old they are.
Chief- the leader of the camp, they oversee all their campmates duties and hold ceremonies, graduations, and reports. They go through a special ceremony that determines whether or not they are worthy of leadership, if they succeed, they will be granted a leader mark by the founder of their camp that is physically added to them. (this can be a marking on any part of their body that is lighter or darker on their skin)
General- the second-in-command and the next in line for chiefdom. They become the next chief if the old one dies or retires.
Healer- they are the doctors and spiritual leaders of their camp. They heal the sick and injured and interpret messages from their ancestors. They organize marriages, funerals, and healer ceremonies for their novices. Healers take an oath of celibacy and cannot marry or have children.
Campfolk are split into two categories: Defenders and Foragers (they must be 18 or older to become a full fledged Defender or Forager)
Defenders- they patrol and defend their territory from intruders, they are the fighters of the camp.
Foragers- they gather herbs for the healer and avoid the more violent lifestyle of the Defenders. This doesn’t mean they can’t fight, however, if there is a need for more numbers in battle, they are more than willing to help.
Novices- they are the defenders/foragers/healers in training, they can choose to change or stay on their path of training if they find that one path isn’t right for them. They must be 10 years or older to be a novice.
Denmothers(parents)- they are the mothers (or carriers if they identify other than female) of the camp. They care for and raise their younglings or other younglings.
Younglings- the youngest of the camp and the future of all the camps. They are 10 years or younger.
Elders- the oldest of the camp, they are retired campfolk who pass on stories and wisdom to the younger members of the camp.
The camps don’t refer to the seasons as spring, summer, fall, or winter, instead, they have their own seasons that count as one month (meaning each month has 90 days in them). Florus is spring, Solaris is summer, Caducus is fall, and Nivis is winter.
The camps follow a set of rules that govern their way of life and their morals. They are known as The Campfolk’s Creed. The following are said rules that they abide by:
Code 1- Defend your camp; the most important rule of the territories. Protect your campmates, Denmothers, Elders, and Younglings with your life.
Code 2- If you hunt and kill prey, always remember to thank it for it’s sacrifice. It is a blessing that this creature can feed the camp.
Code 3- Denmothers, Younglings, sick, injured, and Elders must eat first. They are the most valuable and vulnerable of the camp.
Code 4- Killing another for any reason other than self-defense is a crime that is punishable by banishment.
Code 5- Protect all Younglings, even if they hail from a different camp.
Code 6- A Youngling must be 10 years or older in order to become an novice.
Code 7- Conspiring with outside parties is forbidden, any fraternization with an enemy party will lead to immediate exile.
Code 8- Generals must have at least one novice before achieving General status.
Code 9- a General can become leader if the old one retires or dies. They must go to the Spirit’s Hollow to perform their chief trial.
Code 10- a Chief must respect the words of their healer, but they can compromise if they believe it necessary.
Code 11- the territories reject domestic life; upwalkers are the destroyers of land.
Code 12- The Spirit Forest is a respected force, it is where our ancestors are.
(THE END FOR NOW THANK YOU FOR READING, my fingers hurt from typing so much 🥲)
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