Skautpan Encyclopaedia

A collection of information on the fictional world of Skautpan. Always under construction, now more than ever.

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Capital Cities

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not wanting to put apostrophes in elf names in Skautpan because it's a little cliche but needing to make it known that elves in Skautpan don't do diphthongs because I know people are going to see names like "Keyl" and "Bryes" and read them like kale and bries. I could really just save myself the trouble and write Ke'yl.... actually just solved it. Elves write their own names without apostrophes but humans and other peoples write elfic names with them. So he'd be Keyl to a Cloudlandic and Ke'yl to an Oridjinadic

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Skautpan fun fact: Elves use the honorific "eisuly" in different ways depending on where you are, while the meaning is the same: a declaration of loyalty from the speaker. In Semoly and in urban Jade, it is used during weddings and in the court of law, whereas in rural elfic communities, it's typically used a lot more extensively: Children will say it to their parents, and people will use it with close friends, to gods during their prayers, and with those who have helped or supported them. In Shadow Elfic, compare the word "Yasuhle" which comes from the same Ancient Elfic word, and is used by subordinates to refer to their superiors.

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More Skautpan sketches, from top to bottom: a Shadow Scout who was arrested during the Twin War, the royal portrait of King Bitter IX and Ambassador-consort Keyl, and an Irsough couple

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skautpan fun fact: Skautpan's first supermodel was a Shadow Elf named Nobody Alyn-Spite. She was a silk farmer during the 140's and posed for illustrations for advertisements in the newly expanding colour print industry.

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Irsoughlinn

Irsoughlinn are the Hirculyn people living on the Northwest Islands of Skautpan.

History

In 24th century PrPT, a feud between groups of Elves resulted in an exile of many of them to the west. While some of them settled in the Shadow Mountains, others moved further north and began living in the Northwest Mountains, along with the Sabrefolk. When Irswe split the Sabrefolk into Hircuma and Maw, these exiled Elves integrated themselves into the newly forming Hircuma societies, helping protect them from Macan raids. The Hircuma and Elves mixed, creating the earliest Hirculyna.

The formation of the Sabre Alliance ended the Macan raids, but it was also a period of tension. The Maw and Hircuma societies agreed on hardly anything, and the Hirculyna became a symbol of this tension. The Maw saw them as interlopers, and a sign of the Hircuma's weakness. In an effort to hold the Alliance together, the Hircuma agreed to exile the Hirculyna from the mountains.

These exiled Hirculyna wandered for a few years until finally making their home on the Northwest Islands, and calling themselves Irsoughlinn, an alternate spelling of Hirculyna adapted from a human language.

During the Twin War, the Irsoughlinn refused to contact or trade with any mainland nations, and suffered from poverty throughout with no way to support themselves during poor harvests. Even 200 years after the end of the war, the islands lag behind the mainland in terms of stability, and there is a distrust between Irsoughlinn and outsiders.

Culture and Economy

Irsough culture is marked by a deep devotion to Irswe. They believe themselves to be her true chosen people, and that their exile was the Hircuma breaking their oath with her. Their total isolation during the war was an expression of their pacifism.

Monastic life is an incredibly common path on the islands, with some industries, such as printing, lighthouse-keeping, and weaving restricted to monks. Parents will have multiple children in the hopes that one of them will choose to become a monk.

Irsough only make weapons for hunting and fishing, and do not produce any armour. They mainly trade with the mainland for paper, staple grains, and dried produce, and in return export alcohol, woodwork, and linen. Irsough linen is considered to be the finest and most delicate linen on Skautpan.

Irsough culture retains the "marriage tail" hairstyles that went out of fashion in Hircuma society centuries ago. Children and monks wear their hair in even bob-cuts, and anyone who is able to marry will grow one or two long strips of hair from their bob to tie back in braids, the number indicating the gender they're interested in marrying (mainlanders often incorrectly assume that the braid number indicates the gender of the wearer.)

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Calendar Year

A year in Skautpan is divided into eight months, each with 45 days. The knowledge of months is older than recorded time, and was carried onto the continent by Mermur. The months are named after the old Sharkic translations of the Fortune Demons names.

Kalaknom: named after The Jester (Clacour-cai), the first month of spring, month of The Holy Arrival

Garanom: named after The Armsman (Garora), festival season for Elves

Kruinom: named after The Prisoner (Icur-Icur), the first month of summer

Zaonom: named after The Hermit (Gzaoror)

Zevegnom: named after The Historian (Zevec-cai), the first month of autumn, and the festival season for Humans

Apelnom: named after The Labourer (Cai-apele-cai), month of Peace Day, and Fortress Night

Tesenom: named after The Instigator (Teze-Teze), first month of winter

Alafnom: named after The Martyr (Alavicura), month of Memory Night, and the season for bonfires and feasts

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bonus: slightly more literal translations of some demon names:

The Jester - Clacour-cai - Rowdymaker

The Prisoner - Icur-Icur - Chain-rattler (gloss: clang-clang)

The Historian - Zevec-cai - Secretmaker

The Labourer - Cai-apele-cai - All-Taskmaker (gloss: doing-assorted-doer)

The Instigator - Teze-Teze - The Underhanded Speaker (gloss: sneer/mumble-sneer/mumble)

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A cloud elf in the Jade Official Dress

A dentathrope civil servant wearing a backless variation for her work uniform

uniform of Bathway Street Official School, worn by a human child

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excerpt from Keyl's Ghost Stories, circa 110PT

"She had spent the better part of that year trying to forget Quinin. The way Quinin looked, sounded, felt. Quinin, the brave, bright eyed riverborn, wracked with fever as she rested by Amelica's side.

It was infection that killed her. She had been pierced by an Elfic spear during a skirmish, and the wound itself had been minor. She almost seemed in perfect health when she had returned to her village, at least for a time.

Amelica had tried and tried to come up with an excuse to not participate in the Memory Night festivities, to not have to be reminded, but when the fifth of Alafnom arrived, she had no other option. Carrying food and a torch, she marched down to the cemetery with the rest of her village for the dinner. It was bitter cold, and no one would have borne eating outside during this weather if it hadn't been for the holiday, but Amelica hardly noticed, lost in thought.

Sometime during dinner, she wandered off, she hardly knew she had done so until she realized she was standing by Quinin's grave. Amelica put her hand on the cold stone, feeling the letters, and was startled by someone elses hand being placed upon hers. She spun around, and standing before her was Quinin herself. She stood tall and comfortable, her body as clear and light as spring-water, wearing a cloak that sparkled like mica but folded like spiders silk..."

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Calendar Year

A year in Skautpan is divided into eight months, each with 45 days. The knowledge of months is older than recorded time, and was carried onto the continent by Mermur. The months are named after the old Sharkic translations of the Fortune Demons names.

Kalaknom: named after The Jester (Clacour-cai), the first month of spring, month of The Holy Arrival

Garanom: named after The Armsman (Garora), festival season for Elves

Kruinom: named after The Prisoner (Icur-Icur), the first month of summer

Zaonom: named after The Hermit (Gzaoror)

Zevegnom: named after The Historian (Zevec-cai), the first month of autumn, and the festival season for Humans

Apelnom: named after The Labourer (Cai-apele-cai), month of Peace Day, and Fortress Night

Tesenom: named after The Instigator (Teze-Teze), first month of winter

Alafnom: named after The Martyr (Alavicura), month of Memory Night, and the season for bonfires and feasts

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excerpt from an issue of The New Semoly Inquirer, circa 352PrPT

"The elf was taken into custody after being discovered stealing from a military base by the Shadow Mountains. He was dressed strangely, in a large silk cloak which obscured his body, and a mask made of woven reeds covering the upper half of his face. During his questioning he was unresponsive, and used an unknown language to try and speak with the constables. No treasonous intent could be proven, and so the suspect was sentenced to two months imprisonment for theft and obstruction of official business. This stay was extended to four months after the suspect fell ill and required two months medical care.

Could this be a member of the legendary isolationist Elfic clan rumoured to live in the Shadow Mountains? Intelligence officer Lalin Feldnal says that this is being seriously considered, and that if this is the case, that we will 'welcome the return of our estranged brothers with open arms, provided that they do not impede our strategic goals.'"

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fun fact

The Skautpan zodiac owes its existence to the Sharkfolk, who provided aid to the Fortune Demons in their uprising against Coracu. To show their thanks, the Fortune Demons vowed to look after planetary beings who were born under their stars.

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Timeline of Events

80 years ago: re-emergence of Shadow Elves after the marriage of King Bitter and Keyl The Bard

200 years ago: end of Twin War. First year of the political calendar.

700 years ago: beginning of Twin War, formation of the Alliance of Acuman's Children

1397 years ago: dissolution of the Sabre Alliance

1402 years ago: Irsoughlinn are banished to the islands by the Sabre Alliance due to increased pressure from Macan religious leaders

1614 years ago: elves have established themselves further inland and expanded their kingdom. The term Grass Elf has become a blanket term for the various indigenous ethnic groups of Jade, comprised of elves and humans who have intermixed.

1625 years ago: Sabre Alliance begins between Hicruma and Maw after the high priestess gives birth to a Macanthrope

2004 years ago: division of Sabrefolk into Hircuma and Maw by Irswe. First year of the Hircuma and Irsoughlinn Calendar

2003 years ago: founding of the Elfic Kingdom in Semoly. First year of the Elfic Calendar

2018 years ago: birth of Irswe

2509 years ago: exile of some elves into the Shadow Mountains, creating the Shadow Elves.

2918 years ago: Alalyn and Acumen create Humans and Elves. First year in the Human Calendar.

3022 years ago: Sabrefolk settle the mountains

5000~ years ago: Dentathropes begin to settle the coast in large numbers

7500~ years ago: Alalyn and Acuman are born

10,597 years ago: Mermur creates a writing system to copy spells from the Sharkic language.

10,753 years ago: Mermur creates terrestrial life. Beginning of recorded time and the first year of the Dentathrope and Shadow Calendars

2 million~ years ago: the Fortune Demons settle the constellations, after freeing themselves from Coracu.

45 million~ years ago: Coracu settles the sun with his army of demon slaves.

Note: We are currently in year 200 of the Political Calendar, and you will hear it described as such in inland settlements. However, closer to the coasts you will hear more people counting years through their cultural calendar. I have not noted the starting year for the Macan calendar, as they restart the count every time a new leader is sworn in, but, if you're curious, we are currently in 47 Firetooth if you ask any Maw.

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Magic

Magic is the ability of mortals to perform tasks that would normally not be within their grasp. There are two types of magic: spells, and rituals.

Spell Magic

A Dentathrope is uniquely suited for the role of a spellcaster. This is not due to any inherent biological propensity for magic, but rather the fact that their native language, Landspeak, is the closest surviving terrestrial cousin of Old Sharkic, the language in which spellbooks are written, giving them a head start.

To cast spells, one must learn Old Sharkic, read the lore surrounding the spell, and then meditate on its meaning until one is granted the knowledge.

Spells can be incredibly powerful, and can be casted instantly by someone who has been granted their knowledge, at the cost of some of their energy. Spellcasters are often trained in philosophy and history as well as magic in an attempt to encourage its responsible use.

Ritual Magic

While spell magic is powered by the turning of the planet and requires years of dedicated practise, ritual magic is gifted by the gods and can be performed by anyone provided that they are loyal to at least one deity and have the required materials on hand. Ritual magic is typically weaker and slower, its most common application being the blessing of good luck charms or requests for minor curses. However, priests, with the aid of valuable and rare artefacts, have been recorded in some history books using ritual magic to create powerful effects such as the banishment of evil spirits or healing the sick.

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Cloud Elves

Cloud Elves are the Elfic People native to the province of Semoly. They are the ancestors of the Shadow Elves and the Grass Elves.

Origins

Like humans, Cloud Elves were born from a competition between the twin gods Alalyn and Acuman. Alalyn formed the Cloud Elves from ice floes in Lake Alalyn. They spent two hundred years living in loosely organized townships. When Alalyn saw that the Elves were not bearing as many children as her brother’s humans, she walked among them and seduced an Elfic woman named Feyny, giving her a daughter, Irswe. Although this union resulted in Alalyn being forbidden from creating life ever again, it resulted in the elves believing that Feyny’s family was divinely blessed, and Feyny’s second daughter, a mortal named Semolyny was crowned the first ever monarch at just two days old. After her is named the province of Semoly and its capital city.

Physical Description

Cloud Elves are the tallest of the Elves, and have pale skin and thick dark hair. They have long pointed ears.

Notable Cloud Elves

Gods

Irswe (half-dentathrope/half-cloud elf)

Mortal

Semolyny I (first queen of the Elves)

Lynna IX (first head of state of the Union Of Two Gods)

Asana Desymora (painter)

Fictional

Xryxalis disguises itself as a Cloud Elf in What Might Be Repaired

Veya of Pine (a anthropomorphic representation of the Cloud Elf Kingdom, used in propaganda art during the Twin Wars)

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Dentathropes

Dentathropes are the air breathing ampibious shark-people who live mostly in Rekinaza as well as having scattered settlements along the entire coast.

Origins

Dentathropes are descendants of the Sharkfolk who live in the Morning Sea. The first Dentathrope was the god Mermur, and many more were born after he landed on Skautpan. The Sharkfolk resent the Dentathropes and do not make contact with them, believing that they spurned the gift of the sea and abandoned their people. Dentathropes founded the first city on the continent: Coral Wall.

Physical Description

The Dentathropes stand about a foot taller than all other people except for Macanthropes. They have smooth scaley bodies which usually colour grey, green, or beige. Despite being descended from Sharkfolk, time on land has made the fins of the Dentathropes weak, and they now serve ornamental purposes as opposed from aiding in swimming. This does not detract from the incredible swimming ability of the Dentathropes, aided by their long ribcages and webbed hands and feet.

They have flat snouts and wide eyes, and their mouths are wide and full of sharp teeth. They have no visible sexual dimorphism. They lay eggs and cannot produce offspring with other peoples without divine intervention.

Notable Dentathropes

Gods

Mermur

Alalyn and Acuman

Irswe (half-dentathrope/half-cloud elf)

Mortals

Lapalala (spy, activist, and the lover of Vemenu Closedmouth)

Eelkhe (songwriter and historian)

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Early Origins of Skautpan

Geography

Skautpan was originally a series of large islands, scattered across the planet. Over the course of millions of years, they gradually moved closer together until they were one unified continent. Volcanic eruptions created groups of small island surrounding the mainland.

Life

For a very long time, no life existed at all on Skautpan. The seas surrounding the continent were teeming with life, however, diverse and vivid and complex. Not much is known of this period of history, aside from some fossil evidence of certain aquatic species.

One day, a family of shark-mages bore a child with lungs instead of gills named Mermur-- the world’s first dentathrope. To keep him alive, they cast an air bubble around his body. When the child got older, it climbed onto the shores of the continent and was amazed by the great expanses of land and breathable air. He decided to make his life there, and using his powerful magic summoned companions for himself. He pulled up algae and coral to become plants and fungus, fish to become small animals, and sea serpents to become the great beasts. Soon the land was just as vivid and lively as the sea, and Mermur named it The-Sheet-Whereupon-All-Is-Laid or Skautpan for short.

Mermur bore two twin children to aid him in managing the continent. Alalyn, the matron of weather, and Acuman, the patron of geology, and the two each bore several children of their own through unions with the newly emergent race of dentathropes, who all became minor gods.

Alalyn and Acuman were fiercely competitive, and one day their father asked them to create a new life, to live alongside the dentathropes. Of course the twins made it a competition: whoever’s new life form could bear the most children in one thousand years was the winner. In the south by Lake Alalyn the elves were born, while in the north by the River Acuman the humans were born. Seeing that the humans were reproducing faster, Alalyn attempted to cheat by copulating with the elves, but was only able to create one child-- Irswe-- before her father stopped her. The two twins were forbidden from ever creating life again, and Mermur took a more passive role in the management of life on Skautpan.