Fus ro dah
Lorekeeper
And now! For world info!
Each person is blessed with a totem animal, they take on some features of the animal as they grow. Constellations are animal based, and each child has a marking that magically appears within a few months of their ceremony of the constellation.
Each person is blessed with a totem animal, they take on some features of the animal as they grow. Constellations are animal based, and each child has a marking that magically appears within a few months of their ceremony of the constellation.
SpringStar. A large city named for the natural spring in the town centre. The water is naturally sparkling, and in the evening looks like it's full of stars. Hence the name. They have their own factories to produce steam technology for the island. This city is the Capital of the Island.
Dawn Market: People travel from across the island to trade at the Dawn Market once a fortnight. It opens for business at dawn, as per the name.
Poppy Meadow: The main farming community on the island, they grow crops and raise stock here. They still mostly use horses to plough their fields, but are slowly changing to use Steamploughs.
Rolling Sands: A small desert community that are known for their glassworks, they use the white sands of the desert in their factories.
DeepEarth: The largest mining community located outside of the DeepEarth Mines, it's also home to one of the few train stations on the island for ease of shifting ores, gems and rocks to the capital's factories or the port for export.
Glowfish Port: The main port of the island, they handle all imports and exports. Local fishermen also dock here.
Starbreeze: A small hamlet, mostly home to game hunters and reed gatherers.
Rolling Plains: A small hamlet with fruit orchards. Horses are bred here by the family who lives in the homestead a short distance away from the hamlet.
DeepEarth Mines: The main and largest mines located in the KissingCloud mountain range; copper, bronze and various gems are mined here. The mountain range stretches along the southern edge of the island.
Clearwater Lake: The largest lake on the island, the water is clear and is fed from the Shimmering Falls which is the end of the Serpent River.
Serpent River: The longest river on Clearwater Isle, it flows across the land starting from the sea just north of Glowfish Port.
Horses: Clearwater horses are strong and sturdy, they stand at 16hh at average. They are heavy-set with fluffy hooves and long flowing manes and tails.
Glowfish: A large fish around 3 feet in length, the Glowfish is completely inedible due to their awful taste. Their scales glow in the dark, which is the only use for them. The scales are ground up into dust and made into paint and jewellery. When combined with <something> the glow is enhanced and they can be used for indoor torches.
River Serpent: Silver in colour with a mouth full of sharp fangs, the river serpents are rare and vicious. They're about 6 feet in length and are active in the Dust Seasons.
Shimmerhawk: The Shimmerhawk is somewhat of a chameleon of the skies, the feathers of the bird reflect and refract the colours around it to help it blend in. It's quite hard to spot because of this. Wild game hunters often use them and will pay a high price for a young bird for training.
(INCOMING INTRO POST OF DOOM)
The sun sat low on the horizon, casting the island in a rich red and orange overtone. Tomorrow would bring much needed rain during the Season of the Bloom to help the crops grow strong. An open top steamcar crossed the Longbridge that led to the capital city of SpringStar which was surrounded by a large man-made moat.
The car entered the city and pulled into the parking zone, the engine was cut and it spluttered to silence. The family who owned the vehicle climbed out, all dressed up in their best clothing; for tonight was special.
“Ma! Ma!” The little silver haired girl waved her arms around in an expression of pure excitement. “I'm so so so excited!”
Her mother smiled brightly as her daughter raced around the car a few times, stopping to bounce on her toes. “I am too, darling.” The green eyed woman reached out and set her hand atop the excited child's head.
“Now, Taria, try to calm down.” Her father chuckled gruffly. “We need to get to the Temple yet, so don't tire yourself out.”
“Daron! Tyne!” Her attention shifted to her older brothers, who both turned to look at her. “What do you think I'll get? Huh? Huh? I can't even guess!”
“Well...” The red haired brother, Tyne, grinned. “You -are- pretty hyper. I'd guess a puppy.”
“Probably.” Daron, silver haired like his mother chuckled. “Maybe she'll get a hummingbird.”
Taria's eyes were wide and she hopped about a little more before grabbing her brothers hands. “Come on! Let's go~” She tugged their arms, trying to drag them towards the temple.
“Hey, Taria! Look!” Tyne pointed up above them as a large shipping dirigible passed over them.
The little girl tilted her head right back, her mouth dropping open and her eyes widening as a squeal of delight escaped her lips. “Airship! Airship! Ma! Pa! Can I ride it?”
“Not that one honey, that one is for carrying lots of things to the other parts of the world. Maybe one day we'll take you on the one that flies over the city and up over the mouth of the river.” Her father replied with a smile as the family started to make their way through the streets.
The tall towers of the capital stretched high into the evening sky, casting shadows across the city. Puffs of white steam rose into the sky, smoke rising from the stacks of the factories on the far side of SpringStar. The air was getting cooler as the season began to change, soon the snows would come and the days would shorten.
The temple came into sight soon enough, a large silver building that when from viewed above, resembled a crescent moon. It had been built along the northern edge of the natural spring that SpringStar had been built around and named after. Taria was still dragging her older brothers along with her, picking up speed as she realised which building they were going to.
~
The ceremony was always small, usually it was just the immediate family. The outcomes, of course, would be announced to their friends and the other members of their family. The half dozen Ritecallers stood in their positions, three on each side of the stairs that let to the dais where the child would stand for the ceremony. Each member was clad in identical robes that faded from light blue down to black, silver thread had been used to detail tiny stars over the shoulders which spiralled down to the flared cuffs of each sleeve.
The Head Ritecaller made the seventh member of the temple who was present for the occasion, was in a similarly coloured robe with the same star detailing on the shoulders and sleeves. In the centre of the chest, in the same silver thread was a crescent moon. From the ceiling, thousands of tiny glowing lanterns hung from delicate filaments, each one emanating a soft light.
Taria sat with her family on the cushioned podium, her legs swaying to and fro in excitement as the Head Ritecaller approached the awaiting group.
“Taria, it's time young one. Come with me.”
He offered his hand to the child, who took it without hesitation. The only sound was their footsteps on the floor as the two ascended the stairs, the Ritecaller stopping at the top. Taria stopped and looked back at her family nervously for a few moments before hopping onto the dais with a little cheer.
The lanterns dimmed, casting darkness over the inside of the now silent temple. The Ritecallers clasped their hands together and began a whispering chant, the Head Ritecaller following suit. The sound of their chanting filled the interior of the building as the lanterns went out and the Ritecallers fell silent once again.
The waters of the spring stirred, the soft swirling of water was accompanied by a sudden gentle gust of wind. The stars in the water began to glow, a blue light surrounding them as they rose from the water. They drifted through the window and up over the platform, spiralling around Taria and lifting her from the floor just slightly.
The distant sound of birds soon joined the sounds of the wind as each swirling star grew in size and became a flock of indistinct small birds. Each bird took form as they continued to fly around the child, their calls becoming distinct now. Taria was giggling, her arms were raised in the air as the birds circled her for a little longer and then faded as she was lowered to the ground once again. One lone star-bird remained, perched on her shoulder.
“The sparrow!” The Head Ritecaller exclaimed, raising his arms upwards as the lanterns once again glowed softly.
Watching his little sister spinning in joy on the dais, flapping her arms in excitement; Tyne remembered his own Rite. It had just been his mother and Daron that night, his father was too ill to even leave his bed. As much as Tyne had wanted his Da to be there, his mother had explained that he needed to rest so he could get back to work.
The night had been cloudy, unlike tonight, which was perfectly clear. As usual, the Rite was held on the child's birthday, so it was cold and a few flakes of snow drifted down from the sky. When the stars lifted him into the air, he'd been scared; it was a strange feeling to be floating. He'd heard the sound of rustling trees and the smell of the forest, of earth. Padding feet grew louder and the stars formed into a pack of celestial foxes which circled around him, yipping. Tyne had been delighted, he'd always thought foxes were awesome and had wanted one as a pet. When his feet had touched down onto the ground again, he knelt down and hugged the celestial fox by his side.
“Ma! Ma!” Taria's voice broke Tyne from his reverie as she ran down the stairs, the star-sparrow flying behind her, leaving a faint blue stream of light in it's wake. “I'm gonna fly one day! I've always wanted to fly!”
Carin couldn't be prouder as Taria practically leapt into her arms, almost toppling the woman over. Tyne was pretty impressed, no one in their family had been lucky enough to have a flying totem for generations. He just had a canine totem like his brother and father, like his father's side of the family. Even his mother had a special totem, the doe; even though it wasn't a strong totem, a scarce few were gifted with such a gentle creature.
“Congratulations little sister!” For all his jealousy, he was still happy for her.
The celestial sparrow flitted around the family, the constellation shimming along it's body. The bird would remain with Taria until morning, then it would simply fade away with the sunrise. Daron and Jael gathered around to congratulate her as well, the family talking amongst themselves happily for a little while. Tonight, they would stay in the temple's large guest quarters as there were enough spare beds.
“In the morning, we'll take you kids to see the Dawn Market.” Jael said over his shoulder as they made their way down the hall to the sleeping quarters. “It's been too long since we've had the chance to see it.”
After spending most of the day travelling, they were already tired and quickly fell asleep once they were comfortable in the plush beds. Taria had been asleep in her mothers arms even before they'd reached the room itself,
They awoke just past dawn the next morning and took their time getting ready, there was no rush, this was a short holiday for them. The first one the family had taken in nearly seven years. They thanked the Ritecallers and left the temple, stepping out into the morning sun. It was a mild morning, the sun was warm and the breeze was cool. A perfect morning for the market, save the darkening clouds that threatened rain later.
Breakfast would be taken at the market, the food there was known across the island for being amongst the best. A steamtrolley ran through SpringStar, ending at the section of the city used for events. The market included. There was already a group of people waiting to ride it, a quite boisterous group. Upon a closer look, it seemed they were one entire family. Rolling Plains was only small, and there was only one other family larger than his own by two children. This family was almost twice the size, with three sets of twins. He boggled for a few moments, he'd only ever met one set of twins and they weren't identical like the three sets of siblings before him. It was hard not to stare at them, it was... safe to say, amazing.
An elbow jabbed him lightly in the ribs, it was his father. “Stop staring so much, Tyne. It's rude.”
Tyne flushed in embarrassment as most of the large family overheard Jael's quiet words; obviously they weren't quiet enough. The redhead muttered an apology and looked away to the sound of the other families children giggling.
The steamtrolley rolled down the street along the metallic tracks that had been built into the cobbled streets and stopped at the main station. The last few passengers stepped off the vehicle, leaving it empty for the waiting passengers to climb aboard. Tyne waited till last, still painfully embarrassed. He stepped into the metal trolley, the doors closing behind him as he found a standing place by one of the large open windows. The driver rang the bell three times to signify the start of the journey, and the trolley began to move forwards with a hiss and a puff of steam.
Tyne had never seen the market, when he attended his Rite on his firth birthday they hadn't had time to visit the market with his father at home bedridden; his mother was exhausted from working extra hard around the farm. Daron had been 11 at the time, and even he was doing extra work to help; although most of it was babysitting.
The fox-eared youth watched the city pass by as the trolley moved through the streets, it stopped a few times to get a few other passengers before they reached the large park area. The tram rolled to a halt and the remaining passengers stepped off, most of them going towards the market.
“Taria, stay close. We don't want you to get lost here, okay?” Carin smiled down at the silver-haired child, who was too busy looking at everything to pay attention.
“Now, let's find ourselves some breakfast.” Jael's stomach groaned in agreement, loudly.
All they had to do was follow the delicious smells that were carried downwind, and follow they did. Soon enough they were standing in the circular area filled around the edges with stalls displaying hot and cold foods. People were milling about, shuffling through the lines to find themselves an empty table; although those seemed to be scarce right now.
“Look at all the food!” Taria exclaimed, staring around at all of the stalls offering various foods.
“There's even food here from other countries.” Carin pointed out several stands. “So if you want to try something different, now is the perfect time.”
Tyne was always happy to try new things, food especially. Together they moved past each stall, seeing what was on offer before deciding. With such a wide range of meals to chose from, it seemed the best way to decide.
Dawn Market: People travel from across the island to trade at the Dawn Market once a fortnight. It opens for business at dawn, as per the name.
Poppy Meadow: The main farming community on the island, they grow crops and raise stock here. They still mostly use horses to plough their fields, but are slowly changing to use Steamploughs.
Rolling Sands: A small desert community that are known for their glassworks, they use the white sands of the desert in their factories.
DeepEarth: The largest mining community located outside of the DeepEarth Mines, it's also home to one of the few train stations on the island for ease of shifting ores, gems and rocks to the capital's factories or the port for export.
Glowfish Port: The main port of the island, they handle all imports and exports. Local fishermen also dock here.
Starbreeze: A small hamlet, mostly home to game hunters and reed gatherers.
Rolling Plains: A small hamlet with fruit orchards. Horses are bred here by the family who lives in the homestead a short distance away from the hamlet.
DeepEarth Mines: The main and largest mines located in the KissingCloud mountain range; copper, bronze and various gems are mined here. The mountain range stretches along the southern edge of the island.
Clearwater Lake: The largest lake on the island, the water is clear and is fed from the Shimmering Falls which is the end of the Serpent River.
Serpent River: The longest river on Clearwater Isle, it flows across the land starting from the sea just north of Glowfish Port.
Horses: Clearwater horses are strong and sturdy, they stand at 16hh at average. They are heavy-set with fluffy hooves and long flowing manes and tails.
Glowfish: A large fish around 3 feet in length, the Glowfish is completely inedible due to their awful taste. Their scales glow in the dark, which is the only use for them. The scales are ground up into dust and made into paint and jewellery. When combined with <something> the glow is enhanced and they can be used for indoor torches.
River Serpent: Silver in colour with a mouth full of sharp fangs, the river serpents are rare and vicious. They're about 6 feet in length and are active in the Dust Seasons.
Shimmerhawk: The Shimmerhawk is somewhat of a chameleon of the skies, the feathers of the bird reflect and refract the colours around it to help it blend in. It's quite hard to spot because of this. Wild game hunters often use them and will pay a high price for a young bird for training.
(INCOMING INTRO POST OF DOOM)
The sun sat low on the horizon, casting the island in a rich red and orange overtone. Tomorrow would bring much needed rain during the Season of the Bloom to help the crops grow strong. An open top steamcar crossed the Longbridge that led to the capital city of SpringStar which was surrounded by a large man-made moat.
The car entered the city and pulled into the parking zone, the engine was cut and it spluttered to silence. The family who owned the vehicle climbed out, all dressed up in their best clothing; for tonight was special.
“Ma! Ma!” The little silver haired girl waved her arms around in an expression of pure excitement. “I'm so so so excited!”
Her mother smiled brightly as her daughter raced around the car a few times, stopping to bounce on her toes. “I am too, darling.” The green eyed woman reached out and set her hand atop the excited child's head.
“Now, Taria, try to calm down.” Her father chuckled gruffly. “We need to get to the Temple yet, so don't tire yourself out.”
“Daron! Tyne!” Her attention shifted to her older brothers, who both turned to look at her. “What do you think I'll get? Huh? Huh? I can't even guess!”
“Well...” The red haired brother, Tyne, grinned. “You -are- pretty hyper. I'd guess a puppy.”
“Probably.” Daron, silver haired like his mother chuckled. “Maybe she'll get a hummingbird.”
Taria's eyes were wide and she hopped about a little more before grabbing her brothers hands. “Come on! Let's go~” She tugged their arms, trying to drag them towards the temple.
“Hey, Taria! Look!” Tyne pointed up above them as a large shipping dirigible passed over them.
The little girl tilted her head right back, her mouth dropping open and her eyes widening as a squeal of delight escaped her lips. “Airship! Airship! Ma! Pa! Can I ride it?”
“Not that one honey, that one is for carrying lots of things to the other parts of the world. Maybe one day we'll take you on the one that flies over the city and up over the mouth of the river.” Her father replied with a smile as the family started to make their way through the streets.
The tall towers of the capital stretched high into the evening sky, casting shadows across the city. Puffs of white steam rose into the sky, smoke rising from the stacks of the factories on the far side of SpringStar. The air was getting cooler as the season began to change, soon the snows would come and the days would shorten.
The temple came into sight soon enough, a large silver building that when from viewed above, resembled a crescent moon. It had been built along the northern edge of the natural spring that SpringStar had been built around and named after. Taria was still dragging her older brothers along with her, picking up speed as she realised which building they were going to.
~
The ceremony was always small, usually it was just the immediate family. The outcomes, of course, would be announced to their friends and the other members of their family. The half dozen Ritecallers stood in their positions, three on each side of the stairs that let to the dais where the child would stand for the ceremony. Each member was clad in identical robes that faded from light blue down to black, silver thread had been used to detail tiny stars over the shoulders which spiralled down to the flared cuffs of each sleeve.
The Head Ritecaller made the seventh member of the temple who was present for the occasion, was in a similarly coloured robe with the same star detailing on the shoulders and sleeves. In the centre of the chest, in the same silver thread was a crescent moon. From the ceiling, thousands of tiny glowing lanterns hung from delicate filaments, each one emanating a soft light.
Taria sat with her family on the cushioned podium, her legs swaying to and fro in excitement as the Head Ritecaller approached the awaiting group.
“Taria, it's time young one. Come with me.”
He offered his hand to the child, who took it without hesitation. The only sound was their footsteps on the floor as the two ascended the stairs, the Ritecaller stopping at the top. Taria stopped and looked back at her family nervously for a few moments before hopping onto the dais with a little cheer.
The lanterns dimmed, casting darkness over the inside of the now silent temple. The Ritecallers clasped their hands together and began a whispering chant, the Head Ritecaller following suit. The sound of their chanting filled the interior of the building as the lanterns went out and the Ritecallers fell silent once again.
The waters of the spring stirred, the soft swirling of water was accompanied by a sudden gentle gust of wind. The stars in the water began to glow, a blue light surrounding them as they rose from the water. They drifted through the window and up over the platform, spiralling around Taria and lifting her from the floor just slightly.
The distant sound of birds soon joined the sounds of the wind as each swirling star grew in size and became a flock of indistinct small birds. Each bird took form as they continued to fly around the child, their calls becoming distinct now. Taria was giggling, her arms were raised in the air as the birds circled her for a little longer and then faded as she was lowered to the ground once again. One lone star-bird remained, perched on her shoulder.
“The sparrow!” The Head Ritecaller exclaimed, raising his arms upwards as the lanterns once again glowed softly.
Watching his little sister spinning in joy on the dais, flapping her arms in excitement; Tyne remembered his own Rite. It had just been his mother and Daron that night, his father was too ill to even leave his bed. As much as Tyne had wanted his Da to be there, his mother had explained that he needed to rest so he could get back to work.
The night had been cloudy, unlike tonight, which was perfectly clear. As usual, the Rite was held on the child's birthday, so it was cold and a few flakes of snow drifted down from the sky. When the stars lifted him into the air, he'd been scared; it was a strange feeling to be floating. He'd heard the sound of rustling trees and the smell of the forest, of earth. Padding feet grew louder and the stars formed into a pack of celestial foxes which circled around him, yipping. Tyne had been delighted, he'd always thought foxes were awesome and had wanted one as a pet. When his feet had touched down onto the ground again, he knelt down and hugged the celestial fox by his side.
“Ma! Ma!” Taria's voice broke Tyne from his reverie as she ran down the stairs, the star-sparrow flying behind her, leaving a faint blue stream of light in it's wake. “I'm gonna fly one day! I've always wanted to fly!”
Carin couldn't be prouder as Taria practically leapt into her arms, almost toppling the woman over. Tyne was pretty impressed, no one in their family had been lucky enough to have a flying totem for generations. He just had a canine totem like his brother and father, like his father's side of the family. Even his mother had a special totem, the doe; even though it wasn't a strong totem, a scarce few were gifted with such a gentle creature.
“Congratulations little sister!” For all his jealousy, he was still happy for her.
The celestial sparrow flitted around the family, the constellation shimming along it's body. The bird would remain with Taria until morning, then it would simply fade away with the sunrise. Daron and Jael gathered around to congratulate her as well, the family talking amongst themselves happily for a little while. Tonight, they would stay in the temple's large guest quarters as there were enough spare beds.
“In the morning, we'll take you kids to see the Dawn Market.” Jael said over his shoulder as they made their way down the hall to the sleeping quarters. “It's been too long since we've had the chance to see it.”
After spending most of the day travelling, they were already tired and quickly fell asleep once they were comfortable in the plush beds. Taria had been asleep in her mothers arms even before they'd reached the room itself,
They awoke just past dawn the next morning and took their time getting ready, there was no rush, this was a short holiday for them. The first one the family had taken in nearly seven years. They thanked the Ritecallers and left the temple, stepping out into the morning sun. It was a mild morning, the sun was warm and the breeze was cool. A perfect morning for the market, save the darkening clouds that threatened rain later.
Breakfast would be taken at the market, the food there was known across the island for being amongst the best. A steamtrolley ran through SpringStar, ending at the section of the city used for events. The market included. There was already a group of people waiting to ride it, a quite boisterous group. Upon a closer look, it seemed they were one entire family. Rolling Plains was only small, and there was only one other family larger than his own by two children. This family was almost twice the size, with three sets of twins. He boggled for a few moments, he'd only ever met one set of twins and they weren't identical like the three sets of siblings before him. It was hard not to stare at them, it was... safe to say, amazing.
An elbow jabbed him lightly in the ribs, it was his father. “Stop staring so much, Tyne. It's rude.”
Tyne flushed in embarrassment as most of the large family overheard Jael's quiet words; obviously they weren't quiet enough. The redhead muttered an apology and looked away to the sound of the other families children giggling.
The steamtrolley rolled down the street along the metallic tracks that had been built into the cobbled streets and stopped at the main station. The last few passengers stepped off the vehicle, leaving it empty for the waiting passengers to climb aboard. Tyne waited till last, still painfully embarrassed. He stepped into the metal trolley, the doors closing behind him as he found a standing place by one of the large open windows. The driver rang the bell three times to signify the start of the journey, and the trolley began to move forwards with a hiss and a puff of steam.
Tyne had never seen the market, when he attended his Rite on his firth birthday they hadn't had time to visit the market with his father at home bedridden; his mother was exhausted from working extra hard around the farm. Daron had been 11 at the time, and even he was doing extra work to help; although most of it was babysitting.
The fox-eared youth watched the city pass by as the trolley moved through the streets, it stopped a few times to get a few other passengers before they reached the large park area. The tram rolled to a halt and the remaining passengers stepped off, most of them going towards the market.
“Taria, stay close. We don't want you to get lost here, okay?” Carin smiled down at the silver-haired child, who was too busy looking at everything to pay attention.
“Now, let's find ourselves some breakfast.” Jael's stomach groaned in agreement, loudly.
All they had to do was follow the delicious smells that were carried downwind, and follow they did. Soon enough they were standing in the circular area filled around the edges with stalls displaying hot and cold foods. People were milling about, shuffling through the lines to find themselves an empty table; although those seemed to be scarce right now.
“Look at all the food!” Taria exclaimed, staring around at all of the stalls offering various foods.
“There's even food here from other countries.” Carin pointed out several stands. “So if you want to try something different, now is the perfect time.”
Tyne was always happy to try new things, food especially. Together they moved past each stall, seeing what was on offer before deciding. With such a wide range of meals to chose from, it seemed the best way to decide.
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