#vounous

[kyreniacommentator]

2nd Catalköy International Terracotta Symposium 2018 at Vounous

2nd Catalköy International Terracotta Symposium 2018 at Vounous

  By Heidi Trautmann …. www.heiditrautmann.com ….

The most talked about event, an event that comes just right at a moment of economical and political uncertainties, to boost national pride with the reproduction of the ancestors’ culture – and with it the awareness of Cyprus history. (more…)

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[realityhelix-blog]

((I can’t remember if I posted this one or not. Well, these two didn’t get along so well in the beginning. He wasn’t used to being challenged, and she was used to doing nothing but.))

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A map of Vounous, and surrounding countries and islands, with the most populous cities, and major mountain passes labeled. Over the course of the war, the Vounouti population was decimated, and most cities and towns have been abandoned. The countryside is littered with ghost towns that are slowly being claimed either by nature or bandits.

[realityhelix-blog]

((Lymel sar Vouna is a twenty nine year old Vounouti ex-soldier, member of the Children of the Mountains separatist group, rabble-rouser, and monarchial loyalist. He feels an all consuming responsibility toward Vounous as a whole, and puts its safety and people foremost in his life. To this end, he works to subvert support for foreigners in the country, by which he means anyone who does not have Vounouti parents. These, he feels, should not have citizenship, and should not have the same rights within the country as Vounouti citizens. Ideally, they wouldn’t even live within the country. Since 99% of non-Vounouti citizens are Archosi, this is a sentiment that is not uncommon among the general populace, and the Children of the Mountains enjoy widespread support in many parts of the country. Most notably, they do not receive that support in the capital, nor among the Vouna-Kiir, the ethnic groups they took their name from.

Lymel focuses most of his energy on spreading his doctrine among the people of the capital, keeping his eye on the non-Vounouti citizens located there, and attempting to convince Princess Helix to change foreign relation policies, and to refuse her foreign betrothed in favor of a Vounouti man.

That he is the princess’s only surviving lover from the war has much to do with this, though he would never, ever admit it. 

Part of Lymel’s issues with foreigners stem not only from having been a soldier in a war for freedom and survival for his entire life, but also from a perceived betrayal from his mother. His father was killed in Lymel’s early teens, and his mother remarried an Acrchosi defector. Together, they stole supplies from Archosi soldiers, until their eventual discovery and execution. Lymel considers her a traitor, and discarded her family name in favor of the sar Vouna surname.))

[realityhelix-blog]

((Opalesse sar Falas is eleven years old, and was not directly involved in any battles during the war. She is, however, aware of the continuing bandit problem her country faces, and has decided to become a guard. She is a relatively serious girl, interested in all of the arts of fighting and defending, though in her free time she practices embroidering butterflies.

She is a member of the Fala-kiir, a catchall term for the Vounouti ethnic groups that live exclusively in the low mountain valleys of the country. They are the most populous groups, but also the ones that suffered the most dissolution of culture and customs under Archosi rule. 

On a side note, the mantle illustrated here is based roughly off the kiymeshek, a hood and mantle combination worn by the Karakalpak, Qazaq, and others. ))

[realityhelix-blog]

((Raw lines for Lontius sar Vouna, an Archosi ex-pat, raised in Vounous. Son of servants to an Archosi lord, Lontius lost his parents in the war like so many others. He made himself distinct by saving a group of children, and now resides in the capital as a palace servant. At 14 years old, he is nearly a foot taller than everyone else, and still growing. He has trouble finding clothes that fit. To his great dismay, he shows all the signs of fitting the archetype of Archosi racial perfection.))

[realityhelix-blog]

((Raw lines for Sollah sar Nemyn. At 18, Sollah is a fashion trendsetter, interested in both adapting and preserving traditional Vounouti style and patterns, while creating new styles. She is currently petitioning to become the Royal Clothier, a position that does not yet officially exist, but that she has been filling in an unofficial capacity for the past two years. Sollah learned her incredible sewing skills on the battlefield, mending items and people alike. If needed, she can still act as a medic.))

[realityhelix-blog]

Arrangements: Swords and Seams

The fascination and admiration was palpable within the salle. Colorfully garbed practitioners thronged around, not too close, to watch him dance through the steps of his unique form. None of them had ever seen swordwork like this, their curved blades, axes, and maces poorly suited for the fluid movements. 

Antimony has insinuated himself into the back of the crowd, watching with great appreciation. He would remember every detail, as he remembered everything.

A small girl, surely no more than eleven, outfitted with a pair of foot long wooden rods and quilted practice armor, waits a little closer than the others. She holds a towel, waiting to offer it when he is finished.