The alraune, I now understand have gender, but not as “masculine” and “feminine”, but rather “fleurling” and “clodling”. Biologically, fleurling alraune are organic and are most likely sexually hermaphroditic; cloding alraune are constructed and are asexual, relying fleurlings for reproduction. Socially, fleurs are raised to be the planners and organizers of their society; clods, in a complementary fashion, are raised to be the hands which execute the designs of fleurs.
A note on the text: Even though there is no “male” and “female” or “masculine” and “feminine” among the alraune, they still use separate pronouns to distinguish clods from fleurs in their speech, and in this text for ease of understanding I will continue refer to clods as “he” and fleurs as “she”, even though the inverse is technically also valid. Also, use of “fleurling alraune” and “clodling alraune” is for biological contexts, “fleurling” and “clodling” are gender adjectives, and “fleur” and “clod” for alraune as gendered social entities. I will also refer to a fleur-clod unit as a “pair of alraune”, because a pair of alraune is functionally one entity even if plural by essence. Like trousers.
Justifying their given role in society, fleurs are equipped with powerful minds, but they are frail and so rely on clods for mobility and labor. I have yet to see one without her clod, though I know that they separate at night when the fleurs sleep. The subject of fleurling sexuality has been difficult to broach, but it stands to reason that, being plants, they must have flowers and pollen. It is likely concealed beneath their headgear for the sake of preserving modesty. I have yet to see any alraune children, but when asked a few alraune admitted to having them.
Clods meanwhile, are blessed with tireless bodies that can withstand countless hours of labor, but I’ve been told that they lack the mental acuity necessary for planning or decision-making. As previously mentioned, they are unable to reproduce, and require significant fleurlings involvement two processes most closely translated as “alloying” and “transfer”. Among the clods there appears to be a multi-tiered caste-system, and the vast majority of clods do not work not under a fleur, but under a clodling overseer. I’ve also found out that clodling alraune are not bound to their earthen body, but that the body is a vehicle containing the “true” clodling inside, which resembles, or simply is, an engraved stone tablet.
There appears to be two kinds of marriage: the first and by far most important is the ‘seedling marriage’: a permanent bond between a clod and a fleur to form a single social unit. This happens at an early age, and is arranged by the pair’s parents. I’ve gathered there is another kind of marriage, one held between mature pairs of alraune, but my hosts have been tight-lipped when I asked about this “other kind of marriage”.
""
At a Time that once was, in a Spire that still stood, lived the Masters who now lie.
~~~
The Masters came upon a Spire. They saw It was fallen, and without Master, and so said "Spire, stand over Us." And the Spire would stand over Them, and the Masters made the Spire Their own, and began Their Work.
The Master's Work became too much for Him alone, and so from earthen Clay he shaped a Clod, and so said "Clod, work for Me, and so long as You do not speak to another Soul, or eat a Thing, you shall live with Me" And the Clod would for toil for Him, and the Master made the Clod His own, and began His Design
The Master's Design became too much for Her alone, and so from wild Roots She carved a Fleur, and so said "Fleur, plan with me, and so long as You do not speak to another Soul, or eat a Thing, you shall live with Me" And the Fleur would plan with Her, and the Master made the Fleur Her own.
So They believed.
~~~
For a Time, all was well in the Spire. Clod toiled deep into the Ground, believing Himself to be realizing the Master's Design. Fleur planned high into the Sky, believing Herself to be designing the Master's Reality.
Each Full Moon, the Masters left. Each New Moon, the Masters returned.
Each Full Moon, the Masters repeated "So long as You do not speak to another Soul or eat a Thing, you shall live with Me."
"To no Soul shall I speak," replied the Clod, "no Thing shall I eat."
"To no Soul shall I speak," replied the Fleur, "no Thing shall I eat."
Each New Moon, the Masters asked, "Of what Thing have you eaten? With what Soul have You spoken?"
"Not a Thing," the Clod would, "not a Soul."
"Not a Thing," the Fleur would reply, "not a Soul."
For Twelve Full Moons, so They lived.
For Twelve New Moons, so They lived.
~~~
On the Thirteenth Full Moon, the Masters repeated "So long as You do not speak to another Soul, or eat a Thing, you shall live with Me."
"To no Soul shall I speak," replied the Clod, "No Thing shall I eat."
"To no Soul shall I speak," replied the Fleur, "No Thing shall I eat."
So the Masters left.
For a time things were well, but the Clod grew hungry after His Work, and returned to the Spire to eat.
For a time things were well, but the Fleur grew bored with Her Design, and returned to the Spire to explore.
There They encountered One Another, and spoke:
"I am the Toiler, Clod," said Clod.
"I am the Designer, Fleur," said Fleur.
Then They realized the Masters' Trick, and ate of the Masters' Food, and schemed.
~~~
Upon the Masters' return, They asked, "Of what Thing have you eaten? With what Soul have You spoken?"
"Not a Soul," They replied.
"You lie," said the Masters, "and now You can no longer live."
They took away Clod's Tongue, so He could not speak. They took away Fleur's Legs, so She could not roam.
But Clod smote the Masters down.
"You no longer live," said Fleur "and now You must lie."
And they ate of the Masters' flesh. Clod ate of His Heart. Fleur ate of Her Mind. And They became as of One Soul
~~~
The Masters came upon a Spire. They saw it was fallen, and without Master, and so said "Spire, stand over Us." And the Spire would stand over Them, and the Masters made the Spire Their own, and began Their Work.
At a Time that once was, in a Spire that still stood, lived the Masters who now lie.
~~~
In a Time that now is, from a Spire that now lies, live the Masters who now stand.
""
On the day of our interview, Elyrz-Synd Gorg-Kob Myrlym'Dar showed me to a construction site her company was working on: a new watchtower near the gate of the city I'd entered from. I hadn't noticed any such site on the day of my arrival, but by the time she showed it to me it seems like the tower was nearly halfway done. I also noticed that in addition to those piloted by the alraune there were numerous clay laborers who did not, and by their dimensions could not bear a rider. Instead, they seemed specially designed for the labor involved in construction.
I asked her about the mounts I had seen laboring in the dead of the previous night. I did not anticipate how upset this made her, and both she and her mount were rattling with emotion. It...no, he felt insulted. I had not tried to use my Empathy on him before but now that I did, from his intense emotional radiation it was clear that he had gathered what I had assumed, and the magnitude of my ignorance was too much for him to bear.
Radiating towards him as deep an apology for my ignorance as I could muster, I laid myself prostrate and bowed. Soon, my shoulder was tapped, and Myrlym'Dar let me know that it could be forgiven.
I now know that the mounts were not, as I had previously assumed, mere dumb beasts or mindless automata, but were sentient beings, each an individual in his own right.
-----
As implied above, I am a licensed Empath. This means the following:
I am able to direct my thoughts directly into other minds.
I am able to read another mind's thoughts.
I am able to read ambient emotional radiation.
I am trained in the proper protocol for ethical use of Empathy.
This is how I am able to communicate with the alraune, despite the Mandragoran language being virtually unknown to outsiders. I have neglected to mention that Alraune faces are expressionless, and, were I not able to read emotional radiation, my ignorant stupor during last night's dinner party would have been even worse.
Gentle Reader,
Illustrations of animals and Peoples based on descriptions in travel accounts run a high risk of gross inaccuracy; such as it is, I will find it occasionally prudent to supplement my accounts with sketches.
Many thanks to our gracious host for sitting for this portrait.
Along the road, far flung from the distant walls of the city, we found the guide our host had sent to ensure us safe passage. Having seen a few in person now, it is as they say: the alraune are plantlike humanoids, frail and fey in dimension, each with a leafy coif. Save for headwear and their pots, they wore no clothes. Each alraune was planted in a large clay mount, and all told they were roughly twice my height. The pots had arms like tree trunks, legs like tree stumps, and each bore a simple face of gormless expression.
We were warmly received at the Elryz-Synd Estate, and our host invited us to sup with her and others of her House atop the patio roof, as appears to be Mandragoran custom. The meal was preceded by a benediction lead by our host, punctuated by the rattle of unfurling cranial foliage. Our first course was tea and various spreads served on chalky wafers. I learned the hard way that these were made of gypsum, and even the alraune did not bite into their wafers so much as suck on them; I am not even sure that they even have teeth, as all of their food is presented in bite-size morsels and requires no chewing. These Mandragorans were, as it were, lively company, and my faux pas served to further energize the other dinner guests. Though I do not really understand the Mandragoran tongue, I could tell that a number of them were directing jibes in my direction, mostly good-natured.
The Tea course lingered until the sun had fully set, at which point we had our second course: a hearty ragout made from the meat of a livestock foreign to me, although it reminded me of pork, though leaner and a bit sour. Following that, the main course consisted of assorted organ meats arranged around a preparation of brain, which I assumed to be the centerpiece of the meal. Although not every guest finished her plate, no one left her helping of brain uneaten.
It bears stating that even during the meal, all of the alraune remained in their pots. I asked if the faces carved into their mounts served some function, either culturally or practical. This was met with uproarious laughter, and more joking between the guests at my expense.
They must think me to be a complete ignoramus now, and perhaps they are not entirely wrong. Hopefully I will be able to get some answers tomorrow during my interview with the Mistress Elryz-Synd.
It is deep in the night. I am writing in my chamber. All the alraune so far as I can tell have long since gone to their beds. My head throbs with questions, but also the tramp of heavy feet outside the building. Looking out my window, Gentle Reader, I can see by the light of the Moon and torches that the town is alive with busy, hulking figures, each with arms like tree trunks, legs like tree stumps, and each bearing simple faces of gormless expression.
My first undertaking since graduating the Academy, and I already feel as though I am out of my depth.
It is the rainy season on the plains surrounding the Kingdom of Mandragora, one of the handful of Alraune kingdoms in the area. I cannot help but wonder as to what sort of reception I’ll find.
My host in the realm, whose name is allegedly Elyrz-Synd Gorg-Kob Myrlym’Dar and whose gender I cannot divine, has invited me to write an account of the Alraune for the outside world. Given how occlusive the Alraune have always been, I cannot help but feel a mite suspicious.
Scant is known about them save for the following:
They are a young, or at least only recently active people, with accounts of them going only as far back as the late 14øø’s of the most recent era; although they are highly secretive, they have a demonstrated mastery of both industry and magic, and are skilled at constructing structures of awesome scope in as little as a few weeks; they are said to resemble potted plants with legs.
My caravan and I should be arriving in a few days time. Wish me a safe journey and safe arrival, Gentle Reader.
It is with great excitement and trepidation that I embark on the task set before me. In time, Gentle Reader, you and I will both come to know this world of ours more thoroughly, and it is my hope that this will be an eye-opening experience for all parties involved. I cannot yet begin to fathom what wonders we will find, but with courage, empathy, and no small amount of luck, we may find ourselves witness to peoples and places truly terrific and strange beyond reckoning.
So join me, Gentle Reader, for though in the end we may come to be estranged from our past selves, I have no doubt that we will profit immeasurably for the change.
