#korvon

[anxious-author76]

Different Cultures of Korvon

I have a lot of details about the different cultures of my fantasy world of Korvon, so I thought I’d post them here. I just need to decide which one to post first. I’ll get through all of them eventually, I'm just curious to see what people are most interested in. So, here are the options.

Dwarven Culture

Ancient Elven Culture

Elven Slave Culture

Human Culture

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Taglist: @dc-writes, @imaghostwriter, @velvetlighthouse

[quirkykayleetam]

Hi! :) For the BTHB card may I request ‘Broken Angel’? ...I’m curious to see what you do with this trope!

I’m so excited!!!  For those who don’t know, the Broken Angel trope refers to a mystical creature who is wounded so they have lost what made them so special in the first place, like an angel losing their wings.  Enjoy!

The creature at the edge of the pond wasn’t a horse.  It’s head was too large and it was bearded like a goat with thick white hair cascading down its neck.  The proportions in it’s legs were all wrong: the creature was too long and lean and graceful to have such large feet.  Itts hooves were cloven, made for climbing swiftly up rocky terrain, not soft terf.  Finally, its eyes glared at Page with such intensity that they could swear that the animal was staring into Page’s very soul.

No, the creature wasn’t a horse, but that wasn’t going to stop Page.  After all, they weren’t really a boy.  And the creature was wounded, whatever it was.  Page had something to say about that.

They approached the animal from the side, wincing inwardly at the sharp red brand pressed into the not-horse’s tender white flank.  It had to be recent; the burn boiled angrily and obviously hadn’t had time to heal.

Blood raced down the creature’s face from a wound in the middle of its forehead.  There was a circle there, crusted black with blood, like something had been forcibly torn or hacked or burned out of the animal’s skull; Page feared it was a combination of the three.

As soon as the 15-year-old approached, the creature reared in alarm.  It stared Page down violently, threatening with its strong front hooves should Page move closer.

It radiated power.  It puffed its chest in fierce defiance.  It had been touched against its will and it would kill before it let any human do such a thing again.

Page didn’t notice any of that.

All they saw were the horseshoes nailed to bottom of the creature’s hooves, painfully crippling it by forcing it to pretend it was something it would never actually be.

The stablehand knelt in the mud.

“I don’t want to hurt you, but that burn needs tending.  Blood’s a’running into your eyes and ‘ya won’t get far with those blasted things on.  I don’t have much.  I don’t know how much help I can be.  But I can at least give ‘ya somewhere to rest for the night while we try to sort things out and get ‘ya free.”

“Why?”

The question blew through Page’s mind light a mighty rushing wind though no words were spoken in the fading darkness.

“I’ve been hurt.  Hell, I’m late as it is and I’ll probably be hurt for this.  Always wished somebody would come along and help me out, even if just a little.  Figure today I can do something for you.”

With that, the creature’s eye grew bright instead of glaring.  Limping softly, it followed Page out of the glade.

[quirkykayleetam]

The Best Place to Start

Hello!  This is Part 2 of Page and the Unicorn.  The first section can be found under the title Broken Angel from the Bad Things Happen Bingo squares.  The next chapter should coincide with another of those squares, but for now had a nice little piece all its own.  TW: For plot reasons this series relies of the whump of a minor (15-year-old), misgenderings of a non-binary character, and unicorn whump that can look very similar to animal abuse.  All specific warnings can be found in the tags.

God, Page did not want to be doing this. They were barely trained as a stable hand, let alone a farrier. The longer they looked at the not-horse’s mangled front hooves, the more they wanted to call not only for the farrier but for the doctor as well: under the improperly fitted shoe, the creature’s hooves were purpled and swollen. Page wondered how it had managed to walk here with only a limp and a few grunts of pain. It was clear that whoever did this wanted to hurt the creature as much as hide its irregular origin; they’d hammered several of the long metal nails into the tender flesh of the not-horse’s foot.

“This is gonna hurt,” they said, scuffing their toes against the straw of the stable floor.  “Are ‘ya sure ‘ya--”

“Is it necessary?”  Like before, the question blew through Page’s mind.  It was clear and powerful.  It brooked no argument.

“To tend those wounds underneath?  Yeah…”

“Then proceed.”  The not-horse looked straight ahead as it spoke.  A surge of awe spread down Page’s spine as they knelt in front of the creatures first hoof.

“Can you balance?” they asked.

The creature nodded, lifting its leg into Page’s gasp.  The stable hand secured it between their thighs and began their work, removing all the pieces they could without coming into contact with the foot itself.  As soon as they jostled a nail, however, the not-horse reared, kicking Page smack in the chest.  The 15-year-old hit the stone wall of the stable with a thud.

Pain.

Page’s head throbbed where it hit the wall.  They could feel the bruise forming on their chest and they could barely breathe.  They were suddenly woozy.

Pain.

Anger, fear, and worry raced through Korvon all at once.  They knew they should flee; certainly the boy would come to their senses soon to call down the authorities on the white beast.  They remembered with powerful clarity the men--the man--who had down this to them.  He had domination in his eyes as he gave the order for Korvon to be thrown to the ground, their legs tied together like a common animal, and their hooves mutilated for his sadistic pleasure.  Korvon hated him.  The unicorn knew then that he could throw the men off like parasitic flies, break their bonds, and skewer the bastard with righteous fury, but they didn’t.  They waited.  They took the pain and injustice, thinking it would be worth it.  If only they could aid the suffering of one who was innocent, they would take anything at all.

Their horn!  Korvon stomped the ground despite the pain, wishing they could have it back if just for that moment.  They could heal the stable hand before making their escape, maybe right one of their wrongs.  As the creature turned to leave, they heard a small scraping noise behind them.  The kid was standing up, hands held up by their sides.

“Sorry about that.”

Sorry?  Sorry?  Korvon couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

“It’s probably a good thing I haven’t eaten today or I’d have coughed it all up.” They turned to the unicorn with a weak smile, though the movement caused them to wince and rub their chest.

“At least we know what we’re expecting now.  What do ‘ya say?  Give me another try?”

The stable hand looked up at the creature, gray eyes wide.  They were full of pain and sincerity and so much trust that Korvon wasn’t sure they could bear it.

Still, they stepped back inside the stall and offered their leg to the child.

“I still don’t know what we’re gonna do about that burn,” they were saying, “but I figure this is still the best place to start.”

Tagging for Page and the Unicorn: (Please let me know if you want to be added or taken off this list) @castielamigos-whump-side-blog

I did my best to research horseshoeing (and unshoeing) practices for this though real horse people will tell I breezed over the important parts.  I’m just excited that we got our first peak inside Korvon’s head and the first mention of our primary antagonist!

[anxious-author76]

The Ancient Elves of Svelle

The elves of Svelle were once a wild, magical race. They were enslaved by the human race after a war that spanned a century, but before the war, the elves kept to themselves, living the trees and honing their magic.

Svelle is a thick forest made up of massive, ancient trees and filled with dangerous animals. It cycles between a blisteringly hot summer and bitterly cold winters, with milder spring and fall in between.

Government: The elves were lead by the Magistrates, the three most powerful mages, as determined by a tournament when one of the three chose to step down or is voted out by the other two. The three Magistrates were also judges and priests.

Social Structure: One’s social standing depended largely on one’s magical talents. The more rare and useful the talent, the higher one was regarded. The rare elf without magic usually became a homeless beggar, or wander off into the woods, never to be seen again. They were also not permitted to have children, as there was a high chance their children would also be non-magical.

Religion: The elves had three gods who they honored with beautiful temples.

Flehara: God of the Forest and the Sun. It is said he created Svelle as a home for his children, and is known as the protector. Has a male priest.

Intesia: Goddess of Water and the Moon. She is the mother of all elves, spirits, and animals, and the lifegiver. Has a female priest.

Lilt: The firstborn of Flehara and Intesia, Spirit of Magic. Is an androgynous, gender fluid spirit who sometimes appears male, or sometimes female. They created magic, and are considered the most active and involved of the gods. Priest may be male or female.

Marriage: Weddings were a big to do among the romantic elves. The proposal included using magic to carve an amulet from a birch tree, and a small poem read as the proposal itself. The wedding would be overseen by a priest of the couple’s choice, and would be a grand party that all attended.

Gender Roles: Women were considered to be more patient and insightful, but more dangerous. They were often the hunters or scholars. Men were considered more impulsive and rash, but passionate and dependable. They generally stayed home to guard their land and families, and many were also great artists.

Music: Elven music was very lively, meant for dancing. It employed flutes, string instruments, and wind-chimes.

Legends: Most legends depict Lilt playing some sort of prank that inadvertently results in the creation of things such as magic or music. There are also a few of exceptional mages.

Holidays: The elves enjoyed many holidays, all celebrated largely the same way. There would be music, dancing, displays of beautiful magics, a bountiful feast, and would end in a round of storytelling. The specific holidays were as follows:

Harvest Festival: When the farmers bring in their harvest in the fall

Return of Spring: The first day of spring

Winter and Summer Solstice/Fall and Spring Equinox: Considered very magical days, the solstices and equinoxes are carefully mapped and vigorously celebrated

Priest Initiation: The day a new priest takes their vows and assumes their new duties.

***

Taglist: @dc-writes, @imaghostwriter, @velvetlighthouse

[anxious-author76]

Dwarves of Olanch

A proud, artistic, and traditional race, most dwarves spend their entire lives in the massive, sprawling underground city that makes up their kingdom. The only ones who ever see the sky are ambassadors, royals, and the guards who patrol the mountain range above.

Olanch itself is a massive mountain range that sits above the kingdom. It has two major seasons, the bitterly cold winter and warm summer. At each change of the seasons, there is a period of intense rain due to the changing temperatures.

Government: Olanch is ruled by a king or queen, and the crown is passed down through the family line. The previous monarch will choose a successor from their children, or possibly a niece or nephew if no suitable heir can be found. The monarch also shares power with the Council, a group of advisers made up of representatives from each social class.

Social Structure: The Dwarven social hierarchy is based on a class system. A person’s class is determined by their passions and talents when they reach adulthood, and each class elects one of their own to represent them on the Council, which advises the monarch on all major decisions. Dawrves show their class through their jewelry and tattoos. Laborers will wear simple iron rings and have no tattoos, while the royal family is usually outfitted in gold and rubies, with intricate facial tattoos. The classes are as follows:

Laborers: the raw labor of the kingdom, this class is the largest, and some say one of the most important.

Merchants: the salesmen, store owners, and traders, who supply everyone in the kingdom from the laborers to the royals.

Artisans: The artistic class includes architects, smiths, painters, jewelers, and tailors. They are most well known due to Olanch’s main export being their beautiful jewelry, strong armor, and rich clothing.

Warriors: This class includes the city guard, royal guard, surface guard, and the ever growing army. Anyone can join, but only the strongest make it to the final stages of training. Many end up leaving to become laborers or merchants.

Ambassadors: The only class to regularly leave Olanch, these dwarves and their guards are responsible for negotiating and keeping peace with Avonde and, when it was still a kingdom, Svelle.

Royals: Made up of the monarch, their spouse, and their children. The siblings of the monarch generally become ambassadors, warriors or artisans. The monarch depends heavily on the Council, but is ultimately the one to make the choice. However, crossing the Council too many times tends to lead to riots and a new ruler overthrowing the old.

Religion: The dwarves have no gods, and believe in no afterlife. They believe that their race came from earth and return to it in death. The city has a massive garden where the dead are buried to promote the growth of the mushrooms that are the main source of food beneath the mountain.

Marriage: The bond between two people is often made with little fuss or ceremony. When a dwarf wishes to marry, he or she presents their love with one of the rings that signify their class. Generally, the more well off of the two does this as a promise to take care of their spouse. Then, there is a simple exchange of vows before the closest friends and family of the couple, oficiated by the proposing partner’s class leader.

Gender Roles: Men and women are seen as equal in Olanch. A woman can be a warrior, or a man an artisan, and no one pays much mind. Homosexuality is also accepted as normal, and though it is rare, if one wishes to live as a different gender than the one they were given at birth, they are treated as their preferred gender.

Music: The music of the dwarves is as beautiful as all other arts they are known for. It is generally very heavy on drums, as the deep rhythm resounds powerfully in the underground city, and makes creative use of the echos that are inevitable living underground.

Legends: Most legends are of great architects or inventors, with a few noble warriors and a lovely prince or princess here and there. The most popular story is of the architect Elchit, who was said to have carved the first caverns of Olanch to provide a home for her husband.

Holidays: There are many festivals that come throughout the year, but only one major holiday, though it is celebrated twice yearly. This is the Celebration of the Rains, held at each change of the seasons. The celebration involves a tournament, a bazaar, storytelling, and music and dance.

***

Taglist: @dc-writes, @imaghostwriter, @velvetlighthouse