land-of-giant-eagles

Some things about Lahan, a fictional place in a semi-realistic realm

[salliin]

Moss is king

In various cultures across Lahan, gardening is a given for anyone. Most homes have at least a small one, and apartment complexes sport usually larger ones with everyone contributing to their upkeep. These gardens usually host a local species or subspecies of the Nymphaea subg. Laugana subgenus in varyingly complex brook systems.

In flatter ground and less mountainous areas, a garden typically has a single, larger pond. Wealthier households might have small islets in it, with a bridge connecting one or more. Hillier apartments typically have many smaller ponds and more quite small brooks intertwining throughout the garden. These brooks have larger stones to walk on for easy tranerse over them and not interrupt the flow.

Moss is a central theme in many of these gardens. Especially in the easternmost reaches of Lahan in Daluyo and Kaiyyo, moss is very well taken care of with more extravagant households exhibiting several species in various shapes. A great example of this is in the Czukíké Central Gardens, where there is a map of Lahan and it's numerous moss species displayed in a single place. This garden half the size of the Daluyo State Parlament is a true testament to the importance of moss on the island.

[salliin]

The one who saved South Herayan

Mézlyu Pétumi-Pénusag was a man from Faichan, who ended up in Lahan, fighting Kaiyyoan guerrilla forces.

Pétumi-Pénusag arrived in South Herayan in 1957, shortly after an attempted coup d'état by Kaiyyo. Their forces had seemingly gotten the support of some villages in Eastern South Herayan in the meantime, and had reached the eastern suburbs of the capital Luyu'áchò.

Governor-general of South Herayan, Qashama Vashnabash, immediately appointed Pétumi-Pénusag as a commander of the 3rd Combined Arms Brigade. She had heard of his achievements on the Mirarian continent and addressed his talents on a letter to existing commanders:

"Aid has arrived from the Fatherland. Not only in the form of much in need munition and gear, but in genius. This man, Mézlyu Pétumi-Pénusag, will take command of the 3rd Combined Arms Brigade, and crush the scum tainting our glorious nation."

Though his first battle was a lost one, he quickly adapted his tactics and managed to drive the rebelling forces away from the capital. Not long after, he started to hunt for the remaining guerrilla forces in central South Herayan. This proved difficult however, as his estimated losses in manpower would nearly double during this campaign. The rebels fought fiercely, and always relocated deeper into the jungle once losses started to ramp up.

His tactical prowess would come to light once again after being assigned to the frontline with Kaiyyo on the coast. He managed to get two destroyers from the South Herayan task force to bombard Kaiyyo positions. This proved more effective than only using artillery, and his forces got within twenty kilometres of Munaghi̧yeo. (To be continued)

[salliin]

Cálùmapas - the Great Protector of the Swamp

This story can be heard in central Lahan in mupltiple countries

The veil had lifted once the morning came. Fàzi snuck behind a bush, waiting for the moment the male ibis would fly away. It soon did and after waiting for a moment, Fàzi got even closer. There was no bigger honor than acquiring the crest of an ibis. Those who wore one would be revered in the village, and [their] [parent] had got one as well.

Fàzi got ready to throw [their] net over the ibis, but just as [they] started to move [their] hand, it got stuck. [They] were thrown away from the ibis with the net into the soft marshy land. Between [them] and the ibis, stood a large, round and beautifully bronze figure.

She said: "Ending a life is not worth a few feathers." with the most beautiful voice Fàzi had ever heard. [They] understood immediately that [they] could be in danger were [they] to fight. But [they] had to get the crest.

"Please, I need the crest of an ibis. What can I do to get it?" begged Fàzi. Cálùmapas looked at the nesting ibis and after a while, looked back at [them].

"She wants you to bring a hundred crayfish to this pond by the next full moon. Do that and you may have one feather from her," told Cálùmapas. Fàzi pondered for a moment. The next full moon would be rather soon. [They] however felt confident and agreed.

For the next 15 days, Fàzi worked day and night catching crayfish, each evening bringin more and more of them to the pond of the ibis pair. Each time, Càlùmapas was there to count the crayfish and confirm the day's progress.

By the last day, every river and creek was empty from crayfish. Although they searched and searched, there were no crayfish in the waters not in the swamp.

But Fàzi was not giving up so easily. [They] snuck into the swamp, took the remaining seven crayfish from the stream coming from the pond of the ibes and returned them to the pond.

Cálùmapas notices immediately the crayfish to have been in the pond and confronted Fàzi about it.

"These were not in the pond by the time I took them. Did you see me take these from the pond?" [they] responded. Cálùmapas and the ibis pair begrudgingly accepted the deal as completed and handed over a single feather from the crest of the nesting female.

This is why the female ibis doesn't have the same crest as the male does.

[salliin]

Lovan flower weaving

Many of the tribes in Dàlwes have this tradition where they hang floral ornaments above the entrance to their homes. This is a local superstition that is believed to come from wanting to attract benevolent spirits to one's community. When asked about those decorations, the locals told us that they are weather charms that request pleasant weather.

These charms seem to have great variety in shape, flower species and size; a testament to the many skilled craftspeople making these. Flowers and other plants are picked from the surrounding nature and sometimes the communal garden.

Their color tells what kind of weather their owner wants. Hunters may wish for fairly weak wind, for prey is extremely wary when the wind blows hard and they can't hear that well. This calls for flowers of very light colour, though not quite white. A person building a house might wish for warm and sunny weather, so their clay walls dry faster. Yellow flowers have granted those wishes for generations.

Modern anthropologists have theorised that this custom comes from trying to attract spirits of the kind that is associated with different weather. Colour choices are less consistent, and may be quite different even between two tribes. This kind of flower artistry is seen in quite many places around Lahan, and some think this is somehow related to some floral traditions in Ystel.

[jespkii]

Dnd classes…. but as frogs!!