Snow melted not too long ago and Kiwi was able to enjoy herself.

JVL
One Nice Bug Per Day

oozey mess

titsay
Monterey Bay Aquarium

izzy's playlists!

Product Placement
Today's Document
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
taylor price
No title available

❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
wallacepolsom
dirt enthusiast
AnasAbdin
Acquired Stardust
YOU ARE THE REASON
Keni
Not today Justin
art blog(derogatory)
seen from Belarus

seen from Australia

seen from Türkiye
seen from Germany
seen from United States

seen from Jordan
seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from T1

seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from Malaysia
seen from Albania
seen from France

seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from United States
@maple-toast
Snow melted not too long ago and Kiwi was able to enjoy herself.
Professionally done pictures of the Kiwi puppers for your viewing pleasure
Out Of Narrative (18)
Moving away from an in universe narrative I will be listing some details of the setting that won't be readily apparent without context. Details that an in universe narrator would not consider important to point out, even if they could be noted in later works. Much of this information is in regard to humans in general, as Chitterlings and Dryads have been detailed in their own societies. -The setting is primarily iron age equivalent: The process for forging steel is lost knowledge after the Migration. Cottage industry is primarily how all goods are made outside of workshops in cities or larger towns. With the destruction of the guilds in Glory, steps to further technology have stalled. -The setting is young: The apocalypse that drove humans into the Midlands was less than two hundred years before the present and their history has been lost. There are no nobility lines outside of some mayoral positions in older settlements and the concept of an elite class is new again. -There are not a lot of humans While the Midlands are fertile and humans have been able to repopulate after their Migration, there are less than one million spread across the entire region. With Glory's destruction the region took a large population loss to make matters worse. -The setting is small: The Midlands is not an expansive region. It can be crossed by foot entirely within a couple months. This means conflicts will involve a smaller scale and generally be personal problems over grand tales. As examples a major and history making battle is likely to involve less than a hundred combatants per side. A half dozen thugs can hold a village hostage. A few hungry wolves are a deadly threat to a merchant's caravan. Problems where individuals make differences in. -There are no riding animals in the Midlands: While pack and labor animals like donkeys, cow, and oxen are common there are no domesticated animals bred for riding. To travel a person must walk or be drawn in a cart that will be marginally faster. -There are many small villages throughout the Midlands: With widespread supplies of groundwater, villages are founded anywhere wells can be dug. These villages are normally a day's walk from the next but can still feel isolated as it takes effort and some risk for even short journeys between villages. Travelers on longer journeys will often travel lightly as they can resupply at the next village they stop at. -Literacy is rare within the Midlands: Only two languages have a written script; Insight and Gosling Gab. With Glory's destruction the region lost prominent schools, leaving it with few institutions where reading and writing can be reliably taught. For those who are literate it is most common among the few affluent, merchants, and scholars. Scholars are uncommon as they require a patron to fund their studies. In the wake of Glory’s Calamity it is possible Insight’s written word could be lost.
Coins & Trade (17)
Within the Midlands there is an agreement among the great city-states to establish coinage for use in trade between them. Flat stamped chits of metal with value inherent to their weight. These disks depict a symbol based on where they were stamped; A feather for Gosling, a herder's crook for Eldfast, and a lit candle for Glory. The most common coin a trader or a worker in a city will see are hexagonal brass coins. These are generally valued at two for a day's wage of unskilled labor. Often brass coins are called suns, lights, or radiants. A common phrase in Gosling is to "shed light on the situation" which means to improve one's circumstances by offering money. Less valued than brass are circular copper coins. Not as many are made as the copper could be used to make brass, but they are used for small trading. Valued at four to one brass coin they are used to fill gaps when a service or good is not worth a whole brass coin. A common name for copper coins are "greens" given their likely discolouration from age. Silver coins are the most valued and least likely to be seen outside of a merchant's hands. These square coins are valued at fourteen brass coins each, an equivalent to a week wages for a laborer. Common names for silver coins are stars, moons, or flaps. The latter due to how often the corners of the coins become bent. Gold is not used in coins, being extremely rare and far too valuable. It is only used when someone wishes to transport a lot of wealth in very little space. For trade it is made into ingots about the size of a finger and stamped with weight and where it was made. A gold ingot is valued at one hundred and four silver coins or one thousand four hundred and fifty six brass coins. While the trade weights for coins have been set by an agreement among the city-states coin clipping is fairly rampant. There has been discussions that Glory's coins should all be melted down and Morbid forbidden to make their own coins. The outcome of this will likely determine whether Morbid is still considered a city-state to Gosling and Eldfast. Barter is the primary means of exchange outside of the city-states as few coins make it into the hands of those who live between. Those who live along trade routes will still find more use for goods in exchange of their services than for coin. The exception is those who manage ferries and river barges. With weight being a top concern for cargo boats a river trader is likely to take business paid in coin over any other.
The Brotherhood of Roving Hands (16)
Throughout the Midlands nearly all settlements are self governed. While the great city-states have auxiliary towns that help supply them and are in turn protected by their patron, all else are required to handle their own dangers. Few are able to have a militia armed in times of sudden danger, particularly smaller settlements. To fill the need for protection these settlements require, a loose group of mercenaries formed some fifty years ago. An informal company, they have called themselves the Brotherhood of Roving Hands, or Roving Hands for short. Over the years they have garnered themselves a mixed reputation as all of their members are adventure seekers. Some are regarded as true heroes, while some can be thugs as bad as the bandits and brigands they fight. Many members are both, depending on their local reputation. Entry into the Roving Hands is said to be as simple as buying the local recruiter a drink. Whether true or not, the Brotherhood manages offices in larger settlements, particularly around Gosling. The managers of these offices collect fees from members in exchange for supplying information of work and for lodging, but otherwise do not impose rules. Whatever method members find to pay their fees is regarded as fair, provided the member handles any trouble they stir for themselves. While often ill reputed and unorganized the Roving Hands have been notable for coming to the aid of even far flung villages. The Brotherhood's symbol of a palm down and splayed hand, often worn as a wooden badge, is not an unwelcome sight to most who live outside of the city-states. It is often after an immediate threat has been dealt with and the topic of payment is discussed that opinions turn sour. The Brotherhood of the Roving Hands will often butt heads with the Knights of the Moon. Each tends to be expelled from the others establishments as they feel the other will steal their work. But often they will work in different regions, with the Knights guarding well traveled roads and the Roving Hands looking at areas between them.
Edges of the Midlands (15)
Hoarfrost Woods The northern edge of the Midlands is capped in a supernatural region of eternal winter. An unimaginably immense forest of frozen trees and perpetual snowfall. It forms a barrier that very few people have attempted to pass, and fewer who have returned after trying. None beyond the odd desperate outlaw camp stay near the forest where even the ground is solid with ice. Dryads have said the eternal winter of the Hoarfrost Woods was one of the world's strange places that lead to them being created. Whatever befell the forest happened before the Ancestor Trees could bear witness and from the distance it peaked their curiosity. While there are efforts by the Dryads to explore the cold land and find its secrets even they are dissuaded by the danger. Theories, in all likelihood baseless, about the forest include a link to the destruction of the lands beyond the mountains or even Glory's Calamity. A wilder idea is that an ancient people cursed the area or possibly were smote by Mother Sol for some immense breach of taboo. Another is that the cold is caused by a mass snuffing of every Flame of Life in the forest, causing a cold scar upon the land. The only way to find the truth, if any, would be to breach the frozen treeline and wade through deep drifts of snow. It is unknown if creatures lurk in the frozen darkness but rumors persist that monsters do. Whatever sort of creature that could survive an eternal winter would be monstrous indeed.
The Sea of Grass The western reaches of the Midlands bleed into a seemingly endless expanse of sharp yellow grass and short thorny plants. No one has made successful attempts to settle the area due to a myriad of problems, key being the lack of ground water and the sparse rain that reaches the region. The region is also infested with poisonous snakes, the aggressive and gangly birds that hunt them, and swarms of vermin both insect and rodent. All of these animals make the area hazardous to settlers who could otherwise tough the lack of rain. For the above reasons very few attempt to explore the Sea of Grass. It is known that even a week's travel west shows no sign of end to the grass. But the Sea of Grass is not just empty dangerous fields. Explorers have found mysterious stone monuments, ruined buildings, and other signs the region had once been populated. Who these past people were and where they went is a tale explorers risk their lives to find. The glory of discovering and studying a lost people is a prize some adventurous scholars seek. It should be raised that the Dryads may know more details than they tell of the region. But when questioned on the topic I am always told some variant of how they found the area uninteresting to explore and never have bothered. I find it a strange notion from a people with ingrained wanderlust.
Dire Animals (14)
All living creatures have the Flames of Life. But it is only Humans, Dryads, and Chitterlings who have Flames powerful enough to harness magic. This is normally the case, except for Dire Animals. Either as a strange quirk of birth or a fate granted by Mother Sol a Dire Animal is born with a more powerful Flame than others of its kind. These animals will grow larger, stronger, and often more cunning than their kin. Beyond the physical a Dire animal will often be gifted with a mystical power that are strange even to practitioners of the mystical arts. A notable example was a Dire wolf who hunted the foothills of the mountains that could spew fire from it’s mouth. Dire Animals are often extremely dangerous to anyone who ventures into areas they claim. There are stories of Dire animals with golden fur being sent to aid those in need. Even stories of Chitterlings who worship Dire animals as physical Spirits and are granted protection. But most examples of Dire animals are those who terrorize villages and towns. Evil animals who stalk humans and have to be hunted down to be stopped.
It's been snowing too much to go out. Kiwi has been a bit bored.
Non-Traditional Magic (13)
Beyond the traditions of Inner and Outer magic there have always been strange schools of alternative mystical arts. With the destruction of the College of Inner Flame it is likely these alternative schools will gain prominence in it’s teacher’s absence. A troubling consideration as some of these schools skirt or break taboo in search of power. Spirit Binders Considered an unsavory topic this school performs a form of slavery. Through self harming means a Spirit Binder is able to separate a spark of their Flame of Life from themselves and bond it to an object. By itself this act does not create magic though. But as their name suggests a Spirit Binder is able to use this spark to bind a Spirit to the object and give it imbue it with magic. Some known examples of spirit binding have been a wagon able to self drive without an animal. There was a spirit bound sword that would leap into it’s owner’s hand from its sheath and bend around shields. A mystical thief was said to have a key that opened any lock. It is unclear how a spirit being bound to an object creates these effects, but the taboo is evident. To bind a spirit to an object is using one’s Flame is to stake down a living being for power. While it is not known if this causes harm to the Spirit, it is regarded as wrong. These bound spirits are said to only remain so as long as the binder keeps the object near themselves. Spirit Binders thankfully can thus only bind spirits to their own possessions, and taking them away will free the bound spirit. Mystic Wraiths While a Spirit Binder could debatably not be breaking taboo, a Wraith shatters them. This corrupted school performs a vile ritual that sees its practitioner bind one or more Spirits to their own Flames of Life. The effects of which scar the Wraith forever and likely destroy the Spirit they bind to themselves. It is said no Wraith finishes their ritual with their mind intact. Some say they are not truly alive, that their Flame is put out yet they still move. The effects of this vile ritual leave the Wraith’s Flame of Life no longer visible to other mystical art practitioners. It also draws them partly into the world Spirits reside in. Through willpower and skill they can move between both worlds thereafter. A Wraith can become unseen in the Spirit’s world yet still watch into ours. While there they can pass through walls and objects as if they were smoke. Wraiths are said to use these powers to commit all manner of crimes. It is truly terrifying what practitioners of vile magic are capable of. Extinguishers A potent, yet equally dangerous school of mystical arts. In a perversion of both Inner and Outer magics an Extinguisher stifles their own Flame of Life to impose their will on the world around them. At the risk to their own health an Extinguisher uses the power they sacrifice from the Flame to move and change nearby objects in wildly powerful ways. Examples I have heard are of a stone wall made open into a doorway, ground made as water to mire enemies, and a river made frozen during a hot day. An Extinguisher’s magic is said to always leave unnatural cold in its wake. Lingering frost and a chill to the air are signs a practitioner is nearby harming himself. While this practice is not taboo in itself all those who perform it are unlikely to live long. They will in time over exert their Flame, attempting to eke out a little more power, only die when they snuff themselves out. It is said all Extinguishers die with their corpses frozen.
Traditional Magic (12)
While the topic has been hinted at in previous entries I will now attempt to inform you about the power of the Flames of Life and those who manipulate them. I forewarn this is all well researched but second hand information as I am not a practitioner myself. The Flames of Life The exact nature of the Flames of Life have been philosophically debated for all time. Regardless of them being gifts from Mother Sol, a fire Demi-god, or a ready part of nature and animal life the fact remains that all living creatures possess one. Some living creatures, particularly humans, have a more powerful example and are able to harness them for supernatural acts. What is for certain is that humans have been able to reach a stage of focus that allows them to perceive the Flames of Life of themselves and others. Those able to see the Flames recognize them as fire burning within a person's chest. They have studied and seen the Flame's strength corresponds to how healthy and fed the person is. As a person dies their Flame extinguishes. Magic is made manifest when a trained practitioner is able to increase a Flame's strength beyond it's normal limits.
The Mystical Arts The origins of the study of the Mystical arts have been lost to time along with the lands east of the mountains. Recently the study has suffered a horrendous setback again with Glory's Calamity and the utter destruction of the College of Inner Flame. Already a rare few, skilled practitioners of the mystical arts are nearly a dying tradition. There are two recognized schools of study regarding the mystical arts. Both involve a practitioner to impose their willpower onto a Flame of Life, either their own or that of another. These practices are referred to as inner or outer magics respectively. Both acts of magic are referred to as "Stoking the Flames." Inner Magic Those who practice Inner magic are, through rigorous training, able to stoke their Flames of Life. Through willpower they increase their Flames power and are able to accomplish otherwise impossible physical feats. Prime examples are a practitioner being able to leap extraordinary heights or to lift as much as two or more men might. But these feats come at a physical toll, as their Flames burn too hot and risk burning their flesh. Should they stoke their Flames too hard or too long they risk injury or death. As inner magic causes physical strain yet requires intense will to maintain the only accomplished practitioners are those both physically and mentally fit. It is said the training a practitioner must undertake is equally scholarly and brutal, with deep meditation between soldiering drills. It is easy to see why many failed to master the basics of Inner magic. In current times the few remaining practitioners who wish to pass on the art take on apprentices they must train personally. It should be noted that while a practitioner of Inner magic stokes their Flame they radiate palpable heat. Some even emit white smoke from their palms, feet, nose, or mouths during intense maneuvers. For these reasons the traditional garb of inner magic practitioners is light and loose, often with open exposed skin and sandals. It is said that they will never require heavy clothing, as even the coldest nights can be warded by their own Flames heat. Outer magic Said to be even rarer than Inner magic these practitioners are referred to as Selfless Mystics. Selfless in that they stoke others Flames compared to their own. This practice takes an iron strong will to accomplish and a sense of empathy few are able to feel. Practitioners are capable to exerting their will beyond themselves and onto the Flames of Life of another living being and to form bonds to them. These intrusions often require acceptance from those the mystic wishes to alter. But it is said coercion can still be an acceptance. What a practitioner of inner magic is able to accomplish by stoking the Flames of another can be subtle or brazen. The ability to force one's body to heal and burn away illness, to instill strength in another as an Inner magic practitioner does to themselves, and to bond to another on a mystical level are prime examples. But it is also said outer magic can be used to harm and dampen a Flame, particularly forcing harm on those with too weak a will to resist. Animals are said to be particularly susceptible to outer magic. Inner magic requires far more mental training than Outer magic. Practitioners are required to maintain a balance of iron discipline and emphatic openness. As they impose their will onto and stoke another creature's Flame the practitioner is able to feel what their target feels. This sensation is regarded as horrible strangeness many would flee from. Selfless Mystics must feel another's pain to sooth it for example. Few have the capacity for such selflessness. It is likely outer magic will fade away without the college as a haven to teach it's traditions.
Lesser Faiths (11)
While the Cults of Sun and Moon contain the majority of the Midlands faithful there are even looser shaped beliefs to cover. These beliefs are not as well recorded, so unfortunately these entries must be left vague. The Cult of the Calamity The youngest and likely most vile cult to arise is of those who worship Glory's Calamity. Formed primarily of Ghouls this cult has supposedly yet to grown beyond Morbid's walls. From what is said of this heretical cult is that they link the Calamity to the unknowable destruction that drove humans into the Midlands and erased the lands beyond the mountains. They believe the Calamity was an attempt to summon that destruction forth once again. It is said they wish to finish what had been started. Perhaps to bring the Calamity to all other cities and towns. An end goal to make all who live in the Midlands ghouls. Or perhaps they are self destructive and wish to erase everything. Little regarding the Cult is known, least of all solid facts. Particularly information is hard to confirm as Governor Alastor is said to be trying to suppress the cult. This gives credence to their being a Cult of the Calamity at all. Cults of the Elements Strangest of the cults are those who give personification to the individual elements that make up the world. Who tell stories of beings that control elemental spheres of influence. Demi-gods of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water along with elaborate courts of lesser beings. According to the stories these Demi-gods and their courts make sure the world works as the natural order dictates. They keep fire hot, the winds blowing, water flowing, and stone durable. Without their work the world would be fall to ruin. Some of these cults do not worship their whole pantheon, but instead have a patron Demi-god. A ready example is Cults of Earth among miners, who give offerings to their Earth Demi-god to prevent cave-ins. Cults of water tend to form among river traders. Air cultists are rarest but tend to be among those living in the central plains. Fire worshipers are very secretive as suspicion will always fall on them regarding arson. While there are few who openly practice these beliefs their stories never seem to change drastically. The names of the Demi-Gods and their lesser servants seem unique to each cult group but the structure of the Demi-Gods roles are always intact. It is a mystery as to how these disparate groups keep a stable narrative. It is as if there was a secret truth that they were privy to. Spiritualists There is a world next to, but apart from, our own. That world is an empty world where Spirits reside. It is not known exactly what Spirits are and the theories will be addressed later. In regard to faith it is said that these spirits are able to see into our world, and can be sources of knowledge. Spirits mainly reside in areas away from human settlements. They gather in areas of nature such as the deep woods, hidden ponds, or remote mountain crags. Spiritualists will venture to these places and attempt communion with the Spirits. They seek wisdom, to learn secrets, or recover lost knowledge. At least that is what Spiritualists say they do. It is hard to determine if what they speak is truth or a purposed lie. Accomplished Spiritualists often have the ears of community leaders and are paid for the information they return with. Whether Spiritualists are able to commune with Spirits or not has yet to be confirmed. But many a charlatan has been run out of town for claiming to be a Spiritualist.
Taking the bandit for a walk when we met a neighbours dog. Big fluffball is named Luna. She is so well behaved she stays on the neighbours lawn unleashed. Hard to see but she's got a little white mixed in her fur. Apt name for her.
The Cults of Sun and Moon, Celestials (10)
Even before the Migration into the Midlands humans held a dual natured belief in the personification of the Sun and Moon. These beliefs have never been organized enough to be considered a religion. Instead they are highly variable but widespread cults that only share core tenets and mythology. In time these beliefs could gain political traction and institution to become codified religions, but for now the followers focus on ritual and life's more pressing concerns. The Cult of the Sun In all Cults of the Sun the sun is personified as the women who gave life to all living beings. Named Mother Sol, her core mythology tells that all human and animal life is born of her heart's fire. The Flames of Life that any who practise the mystical arts can see within all living creatures, and is what makes a being alive. The most common story is that the world's first creatures were shaped by her with earth, water, and air before being heated in her hearts kiln like fires. This is why living creatures require food, water, and breath to sustain their Flames of Life. In some narratives Mother Sol is an active watcher of the world, her bright gaze keeping sentry as it moves along the sky. In some of these stories she will right wrongs or aid her followers in need. One trend is the appearance of a golden dire animal to save the life of her child in need. During the nights she is either at rest, or away to perform a task vital to the world's survival. In other narratives the sun is her disembodied heart, continuing to provide loving and life giving warmth upon her children. The least common narrative is that she has broken herself into the Flames of Life of all creatures. With their deaths they release their flame rejoin the sun in the sky. This means when all living creatures rejoin her, she will be reborn to start anew and create life again. The particulars of each story change in the various tellings. As the Cult of the Sun is the most wide spread belief in the Midlands many communities practice festivals and ceremonies in Mother Sol's honor. The most common are those during times of longest or shortest days in a year, or those centered around births, union ceremonies, and harvests. The details of these ceremonies change between communities, but there will be eight held during a given year. A common aspect of the Cult is a tradition of medicine, both folk and professional, practiced by those who would call themselves priests and priestesses. Any who wish to have that title must be able to deliver children, set bones, and sew wounds. The service is not required as charity, save to those in a priest's community. A traveling priestess can be expected to ask for a fee for her life saving work. Literacy is no more common among the cult's priests than elsewhere in the Midlands. Eight is a sacred number in every Cult of the Sun tradition, with nine being considered unlucky. With a female personification it is not unheard of for particularly fervent practitioners to adopt matriarchal governing in their communities. Often than with a priestess or even priestess coven holding leadership. The only major office of the Cult of the Sun is the Citadel of the Sun located in Gosling. It is a pilgrimage site for many followers during the largest yearly festival, The Mother's Watching Gaze, set on the year's longest day. The priests who run and care for the faith's center of worship are partly funded by donation, but primarily on renting of space during other parts of the year and through fees for the medical expertise they perform. The Cult of The Moon In tandem to the Cult of the Sun, the Cult of the Moon also personifies a celestial body. But in comparison the moon's appearance is far more varied from place to place. In some areas the Moon is male, in others it is female, and in some neither or both. The only set detail is that the moon is a traveler, in mirror to its visible daily movements across the sky. In some areas the moon is named Sister Luna, in some Brother Loon, and in others far stranger names. But regardless of name or appearance the moon is considered just another child of Mother Sol, much like all living beings. The Cult of the Moon is not as prevalent in the Midlands as the Cult of the Sun, often limited to those who travel often. The most often held character of the moon in stories is that of a face changer who is there to highlight an aspect of human nature. Often these stories are meant to tell a lesson, one either taught by the moon or through a human reversing the situation the moon puts them into. Rarely is the moon considered a villain, primarily a good natured trickster. But once more it depends on the story teller. In general the moon is not worshipped in the same way as the sun. There are rarely celebrations dedicated to the moon, and few holdings dedicated to it. The only shrines to the moon are those made along the roadside of crossroads or at inns. Small and generally simple built, they are made at points to rest and be watched over by the patron of travelers. In contrast to the Cult of the Sun there is an organization among the Cult of the Moon. Self titled the Knights of the Moon, this small military organization acts as road wardens who keep the roads between city-states maintained and safe. They also manage a number of walled inns, which they use as chapter houses in addition to being safe stopping points for travelers. While roads under the knight's management are the easiest to traverse, they do expect to collect tolls from merchants, porters, and generally those who look to have extra wealth. A fact that leaves them in poor regard to those who can pay for their own escorts. Silver is a sacred metal to the Cult of the Moon and chapter leaders will often have silver inlay or thread in their equipment. The fact silver is also used widely for coins is not lost on those who question the knight's intentions. Five is the cult's sacred number and considered lucky, the same number of blue parallel lines that cross the moon's face. This is why patrols of knights will most often be five or ten members.
Celestials There are no records of Celestials being born before humans migrated into the Midlands. Some have stated their appearance as a sign these lands were blessed. Others have said they're lingering curses from whatever destroyed the lands humans came from. Regardless of rumor there have been a notable number of children born with mystical traits since humans settled the Midlands. The two categories of these unusual people have been linked to auspicious births touched by either Sun or Moon. Together they are referred to as Celestials. Moon Celestials Moon Celestials are either extremely rare or not rare at all. Much like the personification of the Moon in myth they are able to change their appearances. In the form they were born in they often have stark white hair, paled and fair skin, and five blue tattoo-like parallel lines and blotches over their whole body. These lines and pools are shaped the same as those visible on the moon, but the orientation changes by the person. All Moon Celestials are talented with a form of mystical arts. In addition to their ability to change their appearance this manifests as either small tricks and strange capabilities or a natural skill at stoking their own Flames. A known trick is the ability to grasp objects without touching them and then to move them from afar. Moon Celestials can be sources of unusual magic that does not interact with the Flames of Life, which confuses many practitioners of the mystical arts. It is a common story note that Moon Celestials, much like the moon itself, will live a trickster or rogue's lifestyle. It is hard to state if this is true or caused by imposters and rumor mongers. But it is fair to say the ability to change who you appear to be could lend itself to that life. As well no one can truly say how many Moon Celestials there are in the Midlands. A thought that gives some paranoia regarding never being sure if someone you meet is showing their real face. Sun Celestials Sun Celestials are uncommon, but not to the point you cannot seek one out in many larger communities. They are most often born with darkened skin and very dark hair, but all are born with eyes of brilliant red, yellow, or orange. None are ever born sickly or will become sick during their lives. All Sun Celestials share mystical capabilities. The first is an immunity to the harm of fire and heat. A Sun Celestial could handle molten iron bare handed, or stay out under the sun when his peers have fled from burns under shade. While they still require water, a Sun Celestial is hard pressed to become deeply thirsty. The next power they possess is to radiate light from their person. With practice they can concentrate and shed light to match candles or shine painfully bright as a bonfire. But this light does not cause warmth as Mother Sol herself does. The last and most miraculous power a Sun Celestial can summon is a talent for stoking the Flames of others to heal injuries. Perhaps this is the warmth their light lacks. With focus and concentration the Sun Celestial mimics what a practitioner of the mystical arts can do to magically stitch wounds and ease sickness. But it is said this taxes the Sun Celestial if they are not also a practiced Stoker. It is said all Sun Celestials are born to a destiny of leadership. Some consider it a burden to have that role pushed on them. But as few stories tell the facts the truth is many Sun Celestials are simply charismatic. Some will go onto rule swaths of followers and others will be small community leaders or heads of a close knit home. Some won't lead anyone at all for that matter. The fact an infamous Sun Celestial was a bandit king shows this destiny does not always lead to a glorious life.
Let kiwi out and she figured taking a nap in the sun was worth a soggy butt
Older photo, but Kiwi still likes to go sun tanning even if it's chilly out.
The Dryad (09)
Dryad mythology Of all the various peoples in the Midlands the Dryads are the least understood. Ghouls were once living men and women. The Chitterlings have wants and needs one can relate to. But the Dryads, people of wood and earth in place of flesh and bone, are unique in their strange ways. To begin discussing the Dryads one must delve into their mythical beginnings. Their story is recounted as fact and not as an allegory, facts retold to them by their Ancestor Trees. Thankfully their story does not oppose the cult of the sun's narrative. Otherwise conflicting beliefs could cause harmful tension. According to the Dryads the world was once flat and barren white. An empty world looked down upon by the sun and moon. This changed with the emergence of the sproutlings that would become the seven great Ancestral trees. The seven trees pulled up the land as they grew and spread roots, causing the flat land to ripple and shape. The mountains were drawn upwards and valleys fell in between. Rivers and lakes filled the cracks rent in the shaping. among the cracks. But the land was still blank and bleached. Reaching skyward the trees caught the light of the sun. The seven trees refined the light into a colour and shared it amongst everything they touched. Thus each of the Ancestor Trees brought one colour into the world so it may mix in the wilds. As all trees will, these primordial trees encouraged more life amongst their roots. Thus the world's forests were created, and from them spread all other plant life. Dryads do not account for animal or human life being created, an omission for the cult of the sun to fill. With the world soon spreading far beyond what they could sense, the Ancestor Trees yearned to experience it in its wild splendor. Yet they could not move to explore it themselves. From this desire the Ancestor Trees created the Dryads. Each Ancestor Tree gave form to a clan set in their colour that would be as eyes and hands. These clans were granted life to experience and live in the world that had been newly shaped.
Physical Form A Dryad is a person of stone and wood who is roughly human shaped but always taller than an adult human. Most humans will reach only as tall as a Dryad's chest. Their body has two arms with hands or hand-like graspers that have three to six fingers, two legs that sometimes end in broad flat feet, a central torso, and a head that will have two eyes, if not other facial features. In place of bone they have a heartwood like core of living black stone and for flesh they have varying types of sinewy wood-like material. They vaguely seem as if a tree grew around a man shaped statue. A Dryad's exact appearance varies wildly. Some are only human-like in the vaguest of terms, looking like trees who have uprooted and taken to walking. Others, particularly the youngest Dryads, have an off, yet statuesque human appearance with smoothed "skin" and prominent features. Most Dryads fall between these two extremes. The only set features among them is the prevalence of their clan colour on their person and in their eyes. The eyes of a Dryad are strange in that they they are not a different material than the rest of their bodies, but they are the only place a Dryad can see from. On any Dryad the eyes can be seen as two solid egg or water drop shaped domes coloured entirely in their clan colour. In general their eyes see as well as a humans in regard to sharpness, colour identification, and motion tracking. But to add to the mystery of how they function a Dryad's eyes can see clearly in all but utter darkness. A clouded night will not obscure a Dryad's vision, but a deep cave will blind them as any human. It is not clear how a Dryad hears or speaks, to the point Dryads cannot explain how they do so to a human. They speak clearly in words that sound like they come from inside their chests, but without the need for breath. Voice wise they vary in pitch and tone as a human would, although Dryads lean to a guttural sound. Despite a lack of ears they can simply hear about as well as a human can in the same situation. The last mystery is their mystical sense of direction. No matter where they are a Dryad will always know the direction and distance they are from their Ancestor Tree. While not always helpful finding new locations, a Dryad always knows their way home. Along with their strange senses a Dryad has little need for many human requirements. If they breath air it is unlikely they could easily be deprived of it. A Dryad can stay submerged in water for a very long time without becoming concerned. Dryads "eat" by mixing water and earth to soak their limbs in or to coat on themselves. They simply absorb what they require from the mud. Sightings of Dryads laying in puddles alongside the road after rain showers are not unheard of. Dryads lack a need to sleep, although they can become physically tired. Short breaks to rest while eating are often the only interruptions they will take during a task. A non-fatally injured Dryad is capable of complete healing given time. Even the loss of a limb can eventually be regrown over a number of years. They do bleed an ichor the same colour as their clan, which hardens to plug holes that are healing. In regards to the highly variable nature of their forms the Dryads explain it as such: Before the ancestral trees became aware of humans the Dryads have had far more mutable forms. Many of them closer in shape to animals, or loose amalgamations of limbs. But when the previous incarnations of Dryads witnessed the ways humans were capable of exploring and shaping the world around them, newer incarnations of Dryads took on more and more human-like appearances. A strange occurrence of this is that sometimes the otherwise sexless Dryads will have distinctive sex traits, such as facial features close to a man or womens, or a figure like a broad shouldered man or with a women's curves. When questioned on this matter, the Dryads who have asked their ancestral trees note the trees find the human form appealing. There are mixed opinions, some very strong, among the Dryads on this topic. It is noted that Dryads do have a Flame of Life, but it is unlike any shared by human, Chitterling, or animal. Where a human's Flame burns brightly behind their breast, a Dryad's flows inside them along their living stone. Where a human's Flame is a hearth's fire, a Dryad's is a stream. Both can be stoked and worked in the same manner, and it is said the Dryads have their own practices of the mystical arts.
Dryad life cycle Dryads, as a sexless people, are not born in the same way as a Human or Chitterling are. All Dryads are created directly from their clan's ancestral tree In a process that takes about four years. The ancestral tree will bud a pod that, when it blooms, the new Dryad will emerge from. These newly born Dryad are fully formed and aware of who they are. But it is said only a minority of newly formed Dryads are actually new souls, as many are old souls reborn to new bodies. On this notion of Dryad rebirth, the Dryads say that their souls can be moved from their body to the next in a process the Dryads call reincarnation. Dryads are not immortal, although their bodies can survive for about one hundred and fifty years if they do not come to harmful death. When a Dryad nears death, they can return to their Ancestor Tree and their spirit will be reincarnated in the next body the tree creates. A Dryad who dies far away from their Ancestor Tree will still be reincarnated, but they lose all memories from their previous incarnation. While a Dryad's spirit lives on in their next incarnation, they do not hold onto all of their memories. The Ancestor Tree collects these memories and remembers what they experienced for them. If asked it can tell them their own story again. But primarily a newly incarnated Dryad simply knows who and what they are, if not what they have done before. A fresh chance to experience the world again. The memories of those Dryads who die away from their Ancestor Tree are lost forever.
Dryad Culture It would be fair to say from the perspective of a human that Dryads do not share a culture. Each Dryad knows it's identity, where it came from, and even why it was born. It is unlikely a Dryad will require industry on a scale a human settlement would. As a Dryad requires little to sustain itself they are able to explore and learn with a focus only the most devoted or wealthy of humans could match. It is also fair to say a Dryad can learn several human lifetimes worth of skills with their extreme ability to concentrate and lack of sleep requirements. Individual Dryads will pursue goals that interest them, although most have a sense of wanderlust to fulfill. Some will try and hone broad ranges of skills and knowledge, while others will spend a hundred years perfecting one art form. All of this knowledge is retained by their Ancestor Tree, and could be drawn from again in their next Incarnation if they require practical skills. Dryads found outside of their forest are looking for something. It could be to learn, to be in a new experience, or to see something not seen before. While this is all done at the behest of their Ancestor Trees, a Dryad will likely seek these things for their own sake. For a people that can effectively live forever it is unlikely to meet one who is jaded to life's simple beauties. The only unifying bond among the Dryads are their Ancestor Trees. Among members of a clan there has been said to be a sense of camaraderie. But this is not nearly as strong as a family bond. Only the Ancestor Trees can be said to be the idol of a Dryad's devotion. Their reason to live, truly. While a Dryad will only follow the wishes of their clan's Ancestor Tree, any Dryad will come to the defense of any of the trees if the need were to arise. It is unknown what could happen should one of the Ancestor Trees fell, but in my opinion I hope none find out. The seven clan names of the Dryads are mercifully analogous to their colour when spoken in a human tongue. To say a yellow coloured Dryad is "of the Yellow Clan" is considered acceptable to them. The seven clans are the following seven colours: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. Dye makers are envious of just how pure and ideal a Dryad can be of their colour. The Dryad language is a deep and rumbling affair that can sound as rocks sliding. Without the need to use breath the Dryad's language is a thick and dense sound that packs much meaning in the notes where a human tongue has to stop to adjust our mouths or move air. The language is called Woodsong by humans. A human cannot speak the complex and dense sounds a Dryad makes for the language.
The Forest of the Dryads
Located in the southern west area of the Midlands, the forest occupies nearly a fourth of the whole Midlands. The Forest of the Dryads is closed to any but the Dryads themselves. A measure for others safety as much for the Ancestor Trees security. The forest is unlike any other in the Midlands, and is deadly to humans. Or any animal for that matter. Where in other forests animals such as wolves, deer, and boar roam, only plants exist in the Dryad's home. Many are as active and mobile as animals, and most have a desire to collect their own food. While these plants seem to know to not bother Dryads, they will try and bring down any animal or human who enters the forest. For this reason, and out of courtesy to the Dryads, most every settlement nearby considers it taboo to even suggest entering the forest. Little is known of the forests interior beyond what the Dryads speak of. Much of it is untamed and left to the habits of it's moving plants. In some areas Dryads have taken to actively working the land, in what is said to be equal parts farming and ranching. A Dryad's garden is a section of the forest where one has grown it to their desired form. A Dryad I spoke to said it is like how a human might raise and breed dogs. Some Dryad gardens are made to do a task, and others as a form of pet. There are few structures in the Forest of the Dryads, the exceptions being the Ancestor Trees themselves. As natural growths the trees have hollow spaces that the Dryads enter so they can speak directly with and gain knowledge from their clans tree. The other notable exception is apparently a fairly sizable shrine to the sun, made by Dryads who like humans and wished to who pay respect to our mother. The last known detail of the Forest of the Dryads is that it contains trees whose wood is as strong as iron. However the Dryads harvest and shape it they can create wooden objects of match to forged iron. A sharpened blade of wood can be a very unique sight, but unlikely found away from the forest itself. Based on it's dull dusty colour the iron hard wood is simply called Greywood.
Modern Chitterings and The Floating City (08)
For a human to understand the mindset of a Chitterling three points have to be focused on to grasp their perspective. These are aspects that nearly all of Chitterling culture revolves around. The first is that Chitterlings do not live long. Easily half as long as a human. They feel an anxiousness to always be using their limited time. This leads to them being ill suited to lengthy periods of inactivity, as they tend to abandon what pauses them for other avenues. A Chitterling aid is an eager worker, but will need an exhausting list of tasks to follow. When left with little to do they often perform petty acts of organization such as gathering loose objects to make impromptu hand crafts. Folk stories of Chitterlings confined to one area state the Chitterling will eventually use everything in the area for a new sport they have just made. The second point is that Chitterlings are born in large numbers. With a single female likely to lay a minimum of six eggs in her life, the Chitterling population grows extremely fast. Having so many, individuals are not valued over the group which leads to those who don't follow the majority pushed out to fend for themselves. Chitterlings in the Vale have a strong collectivist mindset not seen elsewhere in the Midlands. This point is often not as strongly present in Chitterlings born to small communities in human lands. The last important point to consider is that it is hard to distinguish between Chitterlings. As Chitterlings have few fur patterns, differences in colour, or pronounced facial features they are difficult to tell apart. While amongst themselves they can use scent to readily identify each other, even they can have difficulty seeing differences from a distance. This uniformity among themselves has lead to increasingly striking means to distinguish oneself through the use of dyes, pieces of distinct clothing and jewelry, or in extreme cases self scarring. These concerns are compounded when the fact each Chitterling is born with two or more nearly identical siblings. It has to be emphasized that Chitterlings can go to bizarre extremes to stand out amongst their own. With these points in mind the overall culture of the Chitterlings of the Chittering Vale is one of a stifling massive collective. With possible influence from Eldfast culture they have made themselves a sort of two sided caste system. After birth in the communal egg caches children are assigned into Laborer or Organizer castes, to be trained for work that the city needs. Laborers make up about two-thirds of the population and fill the most variety of roles such as craftsmen, builders, farmers, law enforcement, child rearing, and otherwise filling any physical work needs. Laborers are taught one or two specialized crafts but are free to join the ongoing work shifts such as construction or porting of goods. In general a Laborer will work at a shift for half of a day, be paid, and then choose to continue if the project is unfinished or spend their time elsewhere. This flexibility helps Laborers voice their discontent with a particular Overseer, as one who abuses their position will find themselves without workers. Laborers who do child rearing though are required to see to their charges for a full five years. Organizers are taught to be the engineers, quartermasters, and foremen who plan for the city's needs. The Organizers have internal ranks limiting how many laborers they are allowed to oversee, and as such how much authority they can wield. When working projects that involve multiple Organizers the highest ranked is given difference to in planning. These ranks are closely tied to a Chitterlings age and thus experience in their field. It has been noted that a majority of Overseers are chosen from among female children. An odd trend as there had been no noted matriarchal leaning among Chitterlings before the Floating city was founded. There is suggestion of a third "civic" or ruling caste beginning to form among the highest rank Organizers. Those who have the authority to call for broad changes to how the city runs. Internally these positions are being handed down from trainer to apprentice, and seem like they could lead into an elite or nobility station in the future.
The Sprawl and Floating City
Since returning to the Chittering Vale with human knowledge the Vale has undergone a drastic transformation. The grasslands adjacent to the Vale are now blanketed in farming and ranching lots. Primarily reptile, chicken, and insect ranches with farm land used to produce animal feed. Networks of wells and pumps bring water up from the Frozen River to supply these lots. The land is used haphazardly in a massive sprawl of fenced lots, winding dirt roads, and buildings too low for humans to enter. The only paved roads in the sprawl are those that connect to the major trade road, which are fairly straight lines into the Floating City. Spanning the width of the Vale's central valley the Floating City is a seemingly impossible marvel of engineering. Composed of vast quantities of silk, wood, traditional rope, and any other material the builders could incorporate the city is the suspended home to a million Chitterlings. The city is traversed by series of bridges which link wide wooden platforms that act as the city's hubs. Each of these disk like platforms tend to be as wide as forty men across and are each named like streets. The individual bridges that link the hubs and buildings are colour marked to make directing functional, with no hub having more than eight connections. Buildings are often vertical, built tall and thin like icicles or cocoons that have walking ledges around the outside. They are most often single room buildings, but those with multiple rooms will have them stacked atop one another, with access to each level on the outside of the building. Housing and light workshops are built around the hubs or are partitioned in separate clusters. These building clusters tend to have few bridge entrances and are like smaller internal communities. They will have ladders and short means to quickly cross to each other or to ascend and descend amongst them. Heavy storage and industry buildings are built along the valleys cliff faces on the southern end of the city. They are built for ease of access to the farming sprawl and to have solid foundation to work on. Artificial caves have been carved into the cliff faces and are where female Chitterlings go to lay eggs in communal caches. As there are dedicated laborers for child rearing and the children are fairly independent within four years, Chitterlings do not form families like humans do. Generally the children under the same tutors, in the same caste, and born the same year will work and live together as close knit friends. The Floating city is in a constant state of maintenance and expansion. While the city currently only occupies an otherwise narrow slice of the Vale, it could one day encompass the whole valley. It is said half of the city's residents are employed in its construction forces. Although this is likely an exaggeration the fact is almost every resident will contribute some small part to the city's structure during their lifetime. Commerce in the Floating city is handled unlike the rest of the Midlands. In a general sense all work is done for the sake of the entire city, with necessary goods and services provided freely to the population at large. The exception to this is that work is paid for with copper coins, each valued at trade for one meal. So a normal Laborer will be paid the value of a meal for half a day's work, letting them keep fed as long as they work. Specialized work can yield more pay, but often has rules regarding quotas to meet. There is market for trade in luxury goods, such as clothing and jewelry. Acquiring these luxuries tends to just be a matter of working harder and saving meal tokens. The entire city constantly sways and shakes lightly, which can make those unaccustomed ill. It is best not to consider the rapidly flowing water below the city, while still keeping a mind of one's footing. A slip will often land you on a lower level with bruises, but those unlucky could end clinging to suspension. Those very unlucky will have a clear fall into rocks or the Frozen River.