sorry if this is stupid but is Tarken the name of the world or the continent??
Don’t worry Anon, it’s not stupid. I actually think this piece of lore is somewhat confusing. Tarken is the name of the continent, however, as far as the characters are concerned, their continent is the entire world, so they will typically refer to it as the world, but I tend to call it “the continent” because I think it gives readers a better sense of scale.
Details that you don't need to know, but I am going to share anyway because I think it’s cool:
Several adventurers have attempted to search for territory outside of the continent, but none who have set off to do so have survived long enough to come home. In the North, the map ends with a range of impassable mountains, in some parts of the south an untraversable desert, while in others it's a swamp. Lastly, the path by sea has no noticeable obstacles, but every sailor knows that if you try to sail West of Hylien, you’ll never make it home.
Why is it like this? You may ask. Well, once upon a time, the gods all came together and divide up the planet, and part of their agreement was to keep their creations on their part of the planet, so whenever some wanderer starts leaving the boundaries of their gods’ territory, they have to be put back in place, and if they push out too many times, the gods just kill them or teleport them somewhere else.
Is this ever going to be relevant for stories that take place in Tarken? No. It’s just an built-in world excuse so I can continue writing fantasy stories that never move past a continental scale because I like a continental scale much better than a global one. It was also my way of creating a world where all of my fantasy stories could occur in the same world despite having different species and entirely different magic systems.
If you read all of this rambling, thank you. If its confusing feel free to ask me about it, but it's never going to come up in the story, so you can also safely disregard it as well.
As part of our inclusion efforts, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation seeks to welcome all new residents. A partnership at Tarken Recreation Center is helping immigrant youth acclimate to their new country. This specialized program helps youth with language, socialization, and athletics.
Participants receive homework help from bilingual volunteers. HIAS Pennsylvania coordinates these volunteers and curriculum. The youth learn soccer skills from Philly Open Soccer. The City's Language Access Program (LAP) arranged this impactful partnership. Meka Perez is Parks & Rec's coordinator for LAP.
Recently, the program added field trips to their activities. On October 12, 2019, youth from the program attended the Unity Cup championship game in Chester, PA. Transportation was generously provided by the Unity Cup, directed by Bill Salvatore.
According to Meka, field trips, "...broaden the children's horizons. The goal is to open them up to new experiences outside their neighborhood and Tarken. Seeing the Unity Cup game encourages them to continue to develop their soccer skills. We'd love to see them play in the Unity Cup when they're old enough!"
After the field trip, Alex Ponson, one of the founders of Open Soccer, noted how special the event was. "For most, if not all, it was their first time in a professional stadium. It is definitely something they'll remember for years to come. One of our kids said it helped make for his ‘best weekend ever’."
For more information on the program, contact Language Access Coordinator, Meka Perez at [email protected].
On Saturday, March 23rd, Tarken Ice Rink held their second skate night for children on the autism spectrum. Staff members, including Walt Mulholland, RL2 and Gary Stevens, ARL, assisted kids trying ice skating for the first time.
Families expressed appreciation to staff for hosting this event. These children might be too afraid or nervous to try skating with a larger crowd.
All funds raised from this night, will be put to use for future inclusive programs at Tarken Ice Rink and Playground.
