#orenya

[corruptedpagearts]

Orenya “Ren” Artibus - piece I made recently for an amazing client. Her design is so fun to work with!

#my art #drawing #artists on tumblr #artwork #art #sketch #dnd #dungeons and dragons #doodle #dnd character

[mothdalf]

Heard y’all like soft™️ Russingon as much as I do

They don’t have Christmas but they do have cold Himring winters to snuggle through

#the silmarillion #tolkien #russingon #russingon fanart #fingon #maedhrosxfingon #maedhros #findekano nolofinwean #findekano astaldo #fingon the valiant #maitimo #nelyafinwe #russandol #himring #lord of himring #orenya

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 5: Civilization and Architecture

Solevaille

How did the people come together to form the town of Solevaille?  Yesterday in the History prompt I described the background of Solevaille, how it emerged from the ashes of zombie-ravaged Ludin.  The town’s quiet and picturesque location makes it an ideal spot for artisans of all types, and as such, it has become a humble haven for them.  Thus, its architecture is also all over the place, though mainly with French, Gothic, and Victorian influences.

The most recognizable building in town is Ludinberg Castle.  In Ludin it served as a traditional fortress, but when Solevaille came into existence, many establishments were built right next to the castle, such that it is at the center of the western side of town.  (The town is split by the river into western and eastern halves.)  The most important of these is the University of Solevaille, built out of an old Gothic-style cathedral, a refurbished Ludin warehouse, and several small cottages.  As one might expect, the university specializes in the arts, offering Certificates in Craftsmanship in everything from painting to clock-making... to more ordinary things like anatomy and botany.

Also in the western side of town is the luxurious Hotel de la Vin, so named because A) it’s painted wine red on the outside, B) it has grape vines climbing up the walls, and C) it is rumored its builders drank lots of wine while building it.  And D) they must have been drunk while coming up with the idea, as the hotel went largely unused in such a sleepy, out-of-the-way town.  However, once Lucina became queen and brought all the toys to life, the hotel became a popular hangout spot, where many an upper-class tourist could have tea with some of the court dolls.

The eastern side of town is the main shopping district.  The main hub is Marionette Square, home to whimsical shops and cafes of many types.  Some points of interest here are: * Cloud’s Cuckoo Land: A clock shop run by the eponymous Cloud, a Ceramic.  Specialized in wooden cuckoo clocks. * Lovely Patisserie: Though they are famous for their macarons, they adopt dessert ideas from all over the world. * Peter Pan Pub: A food-and-drink establishment that specializes in absinthe and has a reading corner.  It’s also the favorite hangout spot of Queen Lucina and her twin sister Sinistrina. * Gigi’s Dolls and Toys: Named after Giuseppe Geppetto, often called Gigi by his initials, and father to the above twins.  Long ago when a customer joked that his dolls could come alive at any moment, he said that there was no way that could happen.

Orenya

In last year’s prompt, I mainly described buildings, but this year I will describe some of the major towns of Orenya - specifically everything on the maps of Rumia and Zurem.

The Three Sisters: These are three mini-towns by the sea in southwestern Rumia.  Koinin, the easternmost town, has a few libraries and a thriving paper industry.  Kyonin, to the north, is adjacent to the world’s biggest dragon-breeding ground.  And Selenin, to the south, is a popular recreation spot with its glistening beaches.  Because of the mineral-rich sand, all three towns are famous for glass production.

Drenlin: This is Orenya’s equivalent of Solevaille, minus the dolls.  It is a haven for musicians and storytellers especially, and also a communal repository of old legends and lore.  Its residents are almost exclusively sumiri due to the very bright sunlight that shines on this cool, mild-weathered mountainside town.

Hakushiari: Long ago, it was rumored that this town was in the sky, and was a hub for aural healers.  But now it is on the ground, in a marsh perpetually covered in mist.  The Fog Tree (wani-tren) is abundant here, and since its mossy net is often used in fabric, there are a lot of clothesmakers here.  As well as some mystics, for it is said that strange apparitions appear during eclipses or when all the moons are in the sky.

Azuhala: This twilight town is a hub for makers of magic staffs, and a popular meeting spot for the Danramin (the Mayoral Council - see Hierarchy/Governance).  It is also the site of the yearly Twilight Ball, a large gala where all three races are treated equally and food and entertainment from all over the planet is shared.

Sharun: Here the sun sits exactly halfway on the horizon, and with its dry climate, bathes the town in a ruddy glow.  Once all latrias except one became illegal in the Modern Era (see last year’s prompt on History), the one remaining latria ended up here, where many gather to hear its ethereal unsounds.

Theani: The hills of Wanithea in northwestern Zurem are ideal for growing herbs, so this town is a hub for herbalists.  Most herbalist have their homes scattered all about the hills; the town proper is more for gatherings and meetings.  Thus, though the town is mainly populated by sunestre, its culture is seen as very sumiri-like.

Leshinen: The major mining town of Orenya.  This town is entirely underground, many of its residents living in caverns.  Strings of electric lights line the caves, and precious stones glisten in its walls.  As it is close to Taburoi, the caverns are rich in metal ores.  Many residents even magically refine these ores into strange metallic trinkets; several jewelers also dwell here.

Nendari: Cold, dark, and quiet, this town sits right at the edge of Furmia.  It exists mainly because of its natural beauty, with the auroras frequently flying overhead and the moons especially visible.  This town is famous for hospitality, as it’s a custom here to provide shelter in the well-insulated houses to travelers.  It is also a haven for the strange, and thus the town has a sizable hybrid population.

#worldbuildingjune #orenya #world building june #solevaille

[marie-chatelaine]

~ Peinture Barbara Orenya ~

HUMOUR : * L'orgasme d'un cochon *

L'orgasme d'un cochon dure 30 minutes (oh putain!!!!!!!!!!) ... un cafard vit jusqu'à neuf jours sans sa tête avant de mourir de faim (logique, je sais, mais je pense encore au cochon) ... le mâle de la mante religieuse ne parvient pas à avoir de relation avec la tête attachée au corps, la femelle pour les préliminaires la lui coupe net ... la puce peut sauter jusqu'à 350 fois sa taille (ce serait comme si un humain sautait tout un terrain de football) ... 30 minutes !!!!! le cochon a de la chance !!!!! ... le poisson-chat a environ 27000 papilles gustatives (mais qu'est-ce qu'il y a de si savoureux au fond d'un ruisseau?) ... certains lions s'accouplent plus de 50 fois par jour ... les papillons goûtent avec leurs pattes (ce qui était important à savoir) ... 30 minuuutes !!!!! je n'en reviens toujours pas!!!!! ... les éléphants sont les seuls animaux qui ne peuvent pas sauter ... l'urine de chat est fluorescente soumise à lumière noire (je me demande combien ils ont payé ceux qui ont découvert ce truc) ... l'oeil d'une autruche est plus grand que son cerveau (j'en connais certains comme ça) et les étoiles de mer n'ont pas de cerveau (hahaha j'en connais d'autres comme ça ) ... les ours polaires sont gauchers ... les hommes et les dauphins sont les seuls à avoir des rapports sexuels pour le plaisir (mais est ce que les dauphins savent pour les cochons?????). Maintenant que vous avez souri au moins une fois, partagez ces informations... juste le temps de cliquer sur "partager"... le même temps qu'un orgasme humain ... pas comme un cochon, ne vous mentez pas .. ( 😏 )

Source : Facebook

[alainlesourd-14]

Paname Paris 200k‏ @ParisAMDParis (via twitter)

5 juin  Pluie rue Galande     Paris Orenya

[steemitblog]

via Steem - recent/

#Steemit #Steem - recent/

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 4: History

Solevaille

There are two major events in Solevaille’s history, both brought about by someone skilled with magic deciding to revolutionize the way the town works.  The more recent one, and that made Solevaille what it is today, was the invention of living toys by toymaker Lucina Geppetto (appropriate last name, eh?).  Where before Solevaille used to be a sleepy artisan town, with the living toys it became a country-wide and even worldwide tourist attraction.  The intention was to make Solevaille a place where dolls can coexist with humans in society, perhaps to serve as companions to them.  However, after the ambitious and careless Lucina crowned herself queen after quietly disposing of the mayor and his council, more power was given to the dolls, who the tourists and residents had to submit to.  This would pave the way for the dystopian society it would become over the course of the story.

The other major historical event occurred long ago, at least a century before the story takes place.  At this point, Solevaille was very different.  It wasn’t even called Solevaille; instead it was called Ludin, a small German village famous for its winter holiday celebrations.  That is, until someone (a grinch?) came along to ruin the holiday spirit.  That someone was a sorcerer who called himself Krampus, after the mythological punisher of naughty children at Christmas time.  Krampus was particularly skilled with black magic, and infamous for his penchant for raising the dead.  Every Christmas he would send out his zombies to kill naughty children, who would in turn become more zombies to wreak havoc the following year.  But he didn’t stop there; eventually he had the zombies attack anyone he didn’t like, and throughout the year rather than just on Christmas.  Within years, Ludin suffered a full-on zombie apocalypse, with undead residents outnumbering living ones.  Eventually a group of exorcists managed to stop him, but by then it was too late; Ludin had become a ghost town.

Ludin lay completely abandoned, most of its buildings falling into ruin... except for Ludinberg Castle, which had been maintained by castle enthusiasts for the next several decades.  But after some time, some explorers discovered the ruins and saw potential for a new civilization.  The ruins became a haven for artists and outcasts from society, evolving as a cultural melting pot.  And with that, it became the town of Solevaille.  Ludin was all but forgotten by this time, with the tale of Krampus falling away into obscurity.  The only evidence of its existence is Ludinberg Castle, which now houses the mayor of Solevaille... and eventually Lucina Geppetto (see above) and her dolls upon her self-coronation.

Orenya

In last year’s History prompt, I described several key events in Orenya’s history, such as the Technology Tragedy and the Day-Night War.  But there is more to it than that; Orenya’s history is divided into distinct eras:

Ancient Era: Billions or even trillions of Earth years ago, Orenya had a day-night cycle just like Earth.  In this ancient time, the three races (see Day 2, in which I should have described them) were a little different.  There were the sumi (fairies) populating the sky, the sune (elves) populating the land, and the fylin (merfolk) populating the seas.  Yes, the same fylin that exist today.  Sumi, though, were smaller and with larger wings, whereas sune were taller and had smaller ears (they looked more like standard fantasy elves).  It was also during this era that the planet had a direct connection with Earth via a magical gate - specifically leading to the fantastical land of Crownen, a more standard Middle Earth-esque fantasy setting that I mentioned a bit last year.  As such, many Earth-like animals existed on Orenya at this time, and dragons migrated there from Earth.  In Crownen, Orenya was called the Magic Lands, due to the strong magic culture present even way back then.

Nomadic Era: The planet changed drastically as it became tidally locked onto Moredriva, forming the distinct hemispheres of Rumia and Zurem.  It was during this era that the sumi and sune evolved into the sumiri (the word meaning “fairy-like”) and sunestre (meaning “star elf”) who populate the planet today.  As the name of the era suggests, life was difficult and sporadic, as each of the three races (fylin adapted rather easily to the tidal locking) struggled to survive in a world of eternal day or eternal night and adapt to the geologic shifts that occurred in response to the tidal locking (in the Ancient Era, the geography of the planet was quite different).

Trading Era: Eventually, the sumiri and sunestre discovered that they could trade resources with each other, such as fruit and wood in Rumia and minerals and herbs in Zurem.  With this trade set up, life began to flourish, and not just in the twilight regions of the planet.  In addition to trade between the sumiri and sunestre, there was trade between both of them and the fylin.  This was a time of growth and coexistence.

Warring Era: Unfortunately, the races were still rather proud, and without any real regulation of trade in place, resentment slowly brewed between the races.  This was the time of the Day-Night War described in last year’s prompt.

Modern Era: Having learned their lesson from the Day-Night War, Orenyan society re-built itself, this time with more societal structure.  It was at this time that the three main branches of government came about (see a future prompt for more info on that), and that peace and cooperation became as important to the culture as magic itself.  The races grew friendlier to each other at this time as well, such that hybrids between them became (slightly) more common.

#world building june #orenya #worldbuildingjune #solevaille

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 30: Weather

It’s finally here - the end of the month!  I could not do so last year, but this year I can finish this prompt once and for all!  Here we go...

Solevaille

When you think of the Alps, the first thing you might think of is snow, right?  Well, first of all, there is not as much snow up on those mountains in general as most people think, and second, thanks to being in a riverside valley, the weather in Solevaille is quite moderate.  The mountains surrounding the town help to shield it from high winds, such that only light breezes blow by most of the time.  Many storm clouds lose their pep by the time they reach this valley, so precipitation is not that heavy either.  In fact, one of the reasons why the town was called Solevaille was because of its high rate of clear weather throughout the year.

The most precipitation hits the town in summer and winter.  In summer, many winds blow high over the mountains, causing rain clouds to blow in unpredictably.  This rain is rarely heavy, but has caused many annoyances and complaints of ruined hair or clothes.  Dolls, especially, do not seem to like rain very much, and will rush inside whenever it comes.  Other than that, summers in Solevaille are quite mild compared to lower elevations.  Winter, on the other hand, can get blisteringly cold, even when sunny.  On the plus side, though, snowfall is light and winds are low, and on many sunny days the air sparkles with diamond dust.  Spring and fall are the windiest times of the year, though these winds have inspired painters up in the hills who would sketch the petals and leaves that dance around in it.

Okay, so what about the Deathly Glade?  Well, the weather in the Deathly Glade is constant.  It is always cloudy, always dim, and always still and dry.  The temperature is a constant 13 degrees Celsius, and the air is heavy and even slightly abrasive, to both the body and the soul.

Orenya

I talked extensively about the Sky in that prompt, but here is where I talk about phenomena closer to the ground.  The magisphere was mentioned many times as an atmospheric layer with particles that enhance aural energies, but remember that Orenya's atmosphere in general is very thick.  Most of this atmosphere consists of gases like ozone that form a protective and insulating shield to stabilize life below.  But the most important to the weather are its inner layers, collectively called the "barosphere".  It is called such because it occupies the same space as the magisphere, interacting with it and producing fluctuations that can be felt as differences in pressure.

Most notable here are the presence of clouds within the barosphere.  Clouds can be fluffy like those on Earth, but will hardly ever remain so.  Magisphere distortions enhance the electrical charges running through these clouds, so as a result, the clouds are almost always an off shade of grey, and will often have flashes of sparks within them.  Such clouds are abundant in warm and wet areas, where in some cases the sparks will appear while sea water evaporates.  It also happens frequently in Zurem, where the clouds will react with both the aurora and moonlight.

One general rule of thumb here is that air likes to move from cold places to warm places as air rises in the latter.  In western Zurem, dry winds from the Void mingle with warm mists from Zurem, creating little mist tempests that wander across the landscape.  However, unlike tornadoes, these do not cause much damage besides maybe an herb plant being rustled about.  In western Rumia, refreshingly cool breezes blow through the Three Sisters from Zurem, while its warm air rises high toward Furmia and drops any moisture as snow.

Storms are a big deal on Orenya.  Thunderstorms are the most peculiar, since the electrical charges leading to one interact with the magisphere.  Clouds filled with these charges will descend toward the ground and then flash a small bolt.  Unlike thunderbolts on Earth, Orenyan ones do not do much damage... at least physically.  Rather, it damages the third eye, rendering one unable to use magic for anywhere from a green-arc (about a week on Earth) to an amber month (about 2 Earth months).  However, crystals, metal objects, and glass will acts as lightning rods for these, so often times what look like pikes with metal, glass, or crystal tips will be installed around dwellings in the event of a storm.  At times, people even harness these bolts as a form of consecration or even for powering up a staff.

Weather-working and forecasting is a less common magical practice on Orenya, but still important.  Forecasting is more common as it is seen as akin to divination.  It is much more accurate than on Earth, as not only are fluctuations in pressure more prominent due to the barosphere, it is possible to tap into its interaction with the magisphere to get an idea of what is to come.  Some such forecasters report to or are members of the Danramin, who will report particularly dire weather forecasts to the Miamin.  One branch of the Miamin consists of experienced weatherworkers who will first contact the god of Telwenthe (one of Orenya's moons, characterized by silvery clouds and attributed to the element of Air) for an additional forecast, and then they will report back to the Danramin, who will coordinate with the Miamin and the locals to ward off the threat.  Natural disasters like tidal waves, hurricanes, and unusually nasty earthquakes have been averted this way.

One other thing that occasionally appears on a forecast is the weather being due to an unnatural cause.  More often than not, this is caused by someone manipulating the weather without authorization, sometimes with malintent.  They may be caused by evil sorcerers experienced in weatherworking, or even distressed spirits who "haunt" an area by altering its weather.  These incidents may involve weather events being cursed - for example, rain that brings sickness, breezes that choke one of air, or even mists that drain one's energy.  There was even one incident in Drenlin where a sorcerer enchanted the place to increase the temperature and make the sunlight seem stronger, such that it would melt the skin even off of sumiri if they stayed in the sun too long.  When a problem like this arises, it may be taken care of by the Miamin if the problem is a malignant spirit, or if a person is involved, it will be the job of the Oradamin to stop them.

I will finish with the general climate of the major towns and a few other areas of Orenya:

Drenlin: The place is removed from the ocean and is at higher elevation, so few clouds pass through here.  Instead, cool breezes sweep in from the mountains, heading south towards warmer areas.

Hakushiari: Lots and lots of fog, and very high humidity.  Clouds here are low and especially prone to magisphere disturbances.  During eclipses especially, ghost-like apparitions often appear in the fog.

Three Sisters: Cool and breezy, but also humid.  As a result, the place gets a lot of rain, and can be quite stormy overall as it borders right on the Angry Sea.  The place is also famous for ocean waves that take unusual shapes in the wake of the aural disturbances caused by thunderstorms.

Setsunadri: The Rumia side has the hottest average temperatures on the planet, since no cool breezes blow in from Zurem (due to the proximity to Taburoi).  The Zurem branch, meanwhile, has similar weather to the Three Sisters, except it's eternally dark here.

Angry Sea: This place is home to spectacular storms, with clouds whipping about the sky and massive cyclones stirring up the waters below.  It is practically always stormy here, as the water is very warm and evaporates readily.  In fact, it is estimated that up to 75% of all clouds on Orenya originate in the Angry Sea.

Sonaria Desert: This place is an uninhabitable wasteland due to the scorching temperatures and harsh sandstorms.  The sand here is also very abrasive, so as a result, anyone unfortunate enough to die in here will have they body eroded away by these sandstorms.

Azuhala: It does not rain as often here as it does in the Three Sisters, but the rain is very warm, which happens in the presence of very cold winds that blow in.  Also has an excellent view of the storms of the Angry Sea.

Sharun: Very dry and warm, with little wind.  Occasionally, though, tendrils of cool fog will blow in from Zurem.  When there is wind, that's not a good sign, as it will often be accompanied by a sandstorm blowing in from the Sonaria Desert.

Heavenly/Aurora Mountains: In Rumia there are breezes that blow down the slopes toward Drenlin.  In Zurem there are clouds that are distorted by the aurora, which may produce snowy winds or avalanches that head toward Nendari.

Theani: Receives a trickle of warm mist from Rumia, on top of thin cloud cover warped by the aurora and the four moonlights.

Taburoi: The volcano is mostly dormant, but lava movement beneath its surface will set off small earthquakes in the surrounding areas from time to time.  (Strong enough ones can be felt in the Rumia half of Setsunadri.)  Clouds of ash will fuse with clouds moving in from Rumia to produce a moist coal-like substance that can be used as fuel.

Leshinen: Prone to earthquakes whenever Taburoi experiences the slightest bit of activity.  Here, caverns are specially enchanted to prevent from caving in.

The Void: This cold, dark desert is prone to small dust storms on occasion, but otherwise is chillingly still.  Hardly any clouds pass through here, making the place even more ideal for stargazing.

Nendari: Very still air, and also very cold as it borders on Furmia.  Instead of rain, this place receives snow, which occasionally trickles in from the Aurora Mountains.  The mountains themselves are prone to avalanches, but Nendari is just far enough away to not be affected.

#world building june #wbj2017 #orenya #solevaille

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 29: Communication

Solevaille

Of note, during the Technology Prompt, I didn't mention any communication devices.  The closest thing was the printing press, which only offers one-way communication to the town by telling of recent happenings in town.  However, another important invention was the telephone, which hit Solevaille around the same time as the automobile did.  Before the town became a kingdom, telephones were mostly kept in households for communicating when it was too much of a hassle to leave the house.  And in Ludinberg Castle, the mayor's council used this to keep up with not only the townsfolk, but also each other when they were too lazy to see each other in person.

Once the town became the kingdom, telephones became more widespread.  Marionettes and up are specifically trained in their use, and is their go-to method of notifying the royal court about any mishaps in town.  Or at least that's how it was supposed to work; for some reason, dolls had a hard time figuring out how to use the things.  Moreover, the court operator was among one of the first dolls ever executed, and as a result, the telephone fell out of favor there.  Messages to the court are instead relayed through messengers, which are almost exclusively Marionettes.

But the most important means of communication in Solevaille are written letters and, more importantly, good old word-of-mouth.  Despite being on the front end magic-wise, the town likes to be old-fashioned technology wise.  Letters are especially used nowadays to send questions and comments to the leaders of Solevaille, though once the place became a kingdom, Queen Lucina has made a habit of burning these without ever looking at them.  Verbal communication, even if in the form of gossip, has been a long-standing cultural staple in the town, especially one that is so small and art-based.

That is communication with the living.  But what about communication with the dead?  Necromancy was initially all about that, after all, so Sinistrina must be an expert on that, right?  Well, actually, that is one key ability she doesn't have, much to her dismay.  Instead that role sits with mystics Fortuna Major and Fortuna Minor, of the Smoke & Mirrors Tea Lounge.  However, notably, the dead do not speak.  As Fortuna Major once put it, "their voice is the voice of the soul, and it can take many forms, often transcending the senses".  Still, people may interpret it as speech, and indeed, many people have gazed into Fortuna Major's scrying bowl and claimed to hear the voice of their deceased loved ones.

Orenya

As was briefly mentioned in last year's Technology prompt, the only long-distance communication tool resembling anything on Earth is a keypad-based device that sends Morse code-like signals across electric wires.  These are primarily used in public places in the eight major towns of the planet for reporting disturbances.  These devices are prohibited from being left in homes, as the Danramin and Miamin came to an agreement to do such to prevent there being too many electrical wires running across the wilderness.

Orenya does have a postal system given the advent of paper; letters are usually delivered by dragon or by sea dog to reach their recipients.  Yes, you heard that right... sea dogs, because of their ability to easily be brainwashed, will often be fitted with waterproof glass bags that hold several scrolls to be delivered to outposts throughout the major towns.  Some of these sea dogs even transfer letter bundles to land-based messengers who deliver them to smaller dwellings.

But perhaps the most unique form of long-distance communication on Orenya involves telepathy.  As was described in last year's Magic prompt, telepathy is a notoriously difficult technique to master, especially without the recipient being in physical contact.  However, magitek makes this a bit easier.  As far back as the Trading Era, there were crystal balls that could be used to visualize a person close to the owner.  Families and close groups of friends will often have one used for such "communication" amongst themselves.  However, the key limitation of this is that no words can be spoken.  Just like with the dead, as described in the Solevaille part of this prompt, the forms of communication this offers takes other forms, though on occasion it may manifest as a voice inside the recipient's head.

#world building june #wbj2017 #orenya #solevaille

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 28: Major Figures & Important Players

Solevaille

As I already have most of the first draft of Porcelain Wonderland written, I might as well describe the main characters of the story, as well as a few other important ones.  Well, all but two of them, whose very existence is kind of a spoiler.  But as for the others...

Giuseppe Geppetto: Appropriate last name, eh?  Often called Gigi by his initials, this toymaker runs a shop called Gigi's Dolls and Toys, which I briefly mentioned in the Economy prompt.  But unlike his namesake from Pinocchio, Gigi specializes in porcelain dolls... which, according to many a customer, look like they may come to life at any moment.  (To which he said that there was no way that could happen.)  When not in the shop, he lives at home with his wife Vivi and his twin daughters, who he named Dextrina and Sinistrina because he liked to cradle the former in his right arm and the latter in his left.  (The words dexter and sinister mean "right" and "left", respectively.)

Lucina Geppetto: Born as Dextrina and changed her name when she became Queen of Solevaille.  She rose to fame when she presented her living toys before the mayor on Christmas, and word about them spread that year, culminating into a grand celebration of them at Ludinberg Castle during the following Gallery Festival (see Day 26, Art).  At the festival, she turned the mayor into a Marionette and then persuaded him to let her be Solevaille's first queen.  Indeed, Lucina is quite an ambitious and charismatic young lady, with a seemingly endless amount of energy, cheer, and drama (of the good kind).  However, while she is excellent at coming up with ideas, she is not so good at planning, and even worse at empathizing with people.  Those two flaws would lead her to resort to more and more drastic measures to maintain order over the kingdom.

Sinistrina Geppetto: Lucina's twin sister.  She has quite a shady reputation in town because of her skill with black magic, with a talent for raising the dead and extracting the souls out of living beings (which kills them).  Although she is also responsible for teaching Lucina about magic so that she could bring the dolls to life, she is not in her court, instead being known as "countess" or "town witch".  She is also responsible for the Deathly Glade's existence, and would eventually become its own queen.  But despite all this, she is much more level-headed than Lucina, and tries not to use her magic to cause harm to people... a tall order given its inherently harmful nature.  One notable example of this backfiring horribly is when she “accidentally” places a curse on the Deathly Manor (see, I told you it would be important) that traps all who enter in an intense nightmare.  Not a very good end for people who have been banished to the Deathly Glade.

Euler "Winky" van Winkle: The mayor of Solevaille at the time of the story - well, before he is stripped of his power, that is.  A refined yet jolly old fellow never seen without a monocle, he considers his own position to be less important than its purpose, that being the well-being of the people of Solevaille and the thriving of its artistic culture.

Emille Laroux: The princess of Solevaille, and the first porcelain doll in history to hold a leading position over a country.  Although Lucina oversees most of the work in the kingdom, Emille is notable for carrying out executions (for those who are not banished to the Deathly Glade) and acting as an overall foil for Lucina.  Where Lucina will shower the court dolls with affection, Emille will look down on them.  Where Lucina leaps before she looks, Emille does the opposite.  ...You get the idea.

Krampus: As was mentioned in the History prompt, this evil sorcerer ravaged Ludin, Solevaille's predecessor town, with a zombie apocalypse.  Let's hope Sinistrina does not follow in his footsteps, especially since he has been all but forgotten about.

Peter Pedersen: The owner of the Peter Pan Pub, and a very old friend of the Geppetto family.  Shows up as part of a small resistance force of human "refugees" aiming to escape the dolls' rule over the kingdom (yet somehow stay in Solevaille while doing so).

Cloud Candyfloss: The Ceramic owner of Cloud's Cuckoo Land, Solevaille's local clock shop.  Notable for giving quirky yet meaningful nicknames to the other characters - for example, Lucina is the Queen of Ham (for her hammy demeanor as queen), Sinistrina is Necromantress, Emille is the Hammer Lady (because misbehaving dolls are smashed with a hammer), and Winky is Mr. I Say (after his catchphrase).

Jack "Chrono" Chronopoulos: Cloud's adoptive father.  He invented a time machine about a decade before the story begins, and uses it to travel forward several decades in time, bypassing the entire story.  In said story, he functions as a narrator.

Orenya

I have a collection of short stories planned collectively called the Tales of the Magic Lands, which all take place on Orenya.  Each of these stories focuses on one character (or group of characters) whose existence over the course of history is like an abnormally bright star in the night sky.  Some of those characters are as follows:

Durnem: The first fylin to become involved in one of Orenya's major branches of government - in her case, the Oradamin.  (Not surprising, considering howstereotypically aggressive fylin women are.  Later on a fylin man would become the first of his kind to join the Danramin.)  Like other fylin who would follow in her footsteps, she was motivated to do so by being an outcast from her clan.

Nemaforte: A sunestre herbalist from Theani, living in the Modern Era.  Her name means "poisoned blood", and for good reason: she specializes in peddling poisonous or (especially) psychotropic herbs.  In last year's Flora prompt, I mentioned the extremely-poisonous-but-not-deadly drakima root which causes permanent and destructive psychological damage, and also mentioned an herbalist who ingested it and came out (mostly) sane.  Nemaforte is that herbalist, and she is the only person ever known to have not developed such problems despite experiencing the full effect (involving a long and torturous nightmare).

Drima: A hypnotist whose specialty is luring people into the Void and temporarily enslaving them while draining away their aural energies.  He is notable for seeking to harness the power of Moredriva (who, as was mentioned in last year's Religion/Cosmology prompt, is rumored to make those who gaze upon her too long go mad) to enhance his hypnotic abilities... which is quite a daunting feat considering he's a sunestre, and thus sensitive to sunlight.

Kinenda: A sune of the Ancient Era, who was envious of the sumi for their ability to fly.  Thus, she pioneered the art of psychokinesis, which allowed her to fly just like the sumi could.

Kyomin Sorunor: His name means "dragon master", and he turned out to exceed the name's expectations.  A sumiri from the early Trading Era growing up in Kyonin (not surprisingly), he pioneered telepathic communication with dragons, with whom he was particularly talented at empathizing with.

The Four Bardic Sisters: A quartet of sumiri musicians who witnessed the start of the Day-Night War and strove to utilize their performances to stop it before it got worse.  A difficult task, of course, which drove each sister to a vision quest of sorts to find their purpose in the war.  Even as late as the Modern Era, the story of their quests is widely told, as each sister learns a moral lesson from their quest.  Especially notable from other such fables in that the lessons are less kid-friendly and lean toward the cynical side.  (They're bards - they deserve it.)  Even the origin of their family, the Baoshra family, goes way back, originating with four priestesses who sought to channel the power of the four moons.  According to legend, they enchanted the bloodline so that they would have a single daughter, all with the same man (remember that polygamy is common among sumiri, as was mentioned in the Gender/Sexuality prompt).

Melody Clementine: She is especially unique, as she is an astronaut from Earth.  She and her crew found their way to Orenya, and began conducting scientific research there.  Her presence is especially notable in that A) the natives learned much about things such as the geography of the moons and the stars that are all around, and B) while her crew returned to Earth, she opted to stay on Orenya.

#world building june #wbj2017 #orenya #solevaille

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 27: Transportation

Solevaille

As was mentioned in the Technology prompt, the automobile is a very recent invention in Solevaille.  Before this invention, horse-drawn carriages were the main form of transportation, though due to the town’s rather small size, some people just walk everywhere.  When the living toys came about though, automobiles were banned to preserve the kingdom’s image, and were replaced by old-fashioned carriages drawn by carousel horses (and driven by Marionettes).  There are many of these wandering around the kingdom, mostly used by dolls or people who cannot walk that far.

During the winter holiday season, these carriages are replaced with sleighs, and the carousel horses are dressed up like reindeer.  In other parts of the year (especially in summer), people can ride down the river in wooden duck boats.  During the Gallery Festival (see yesterday’s Art prompt), people are allowed to decorate these carriages.  And, though Queen Lucina does not approve of this, the carriages are replaced with funeral cars on Halloween.  Truly, riding around is mostly done in style.

But how do people get in and out of Solevaille?  Well, there is a long dirt road weaving through the mountains on the German side, but it is poorly maintained and designed with horses in mind more so than automobiles.  After automobiles were outlawed in the kingdom, a parking lot was erected in a spot of land at the more level part of this road.  Nowadays, most people travel to/from Solevaille via cable car, which is ideal for transport over the steep mountain slopes.  People who are feeling especially adventurous will hike all the way, but that journey takes a few days, especially getting to Solevaille as it’s all uphill.  When the cable cars are down, though, the shabbier-looking carousel horses can transport people down the mountain road.

Orenya

One very recent invention on Orenya was the train, which I talked about a bit in the Technology prompt.  The railway system connects all of Orenya’s major towns as well as Setsunadri.  I’m too lazy to rework the maps (from the Geography prompt) to include train routes, so instead I’ll describe where they go.

The only one that goes all the way around the planet is the Mountain Line, so named because it circles around the base of the Heavenly/Aurora Mountains, making stops at Drenlin, Hakushiari, Sharun, Theani, Nendari, and to the “Stop of All Worlds” where one can catch ferry boats to Azuhala (then back to Drenlin).  The other major line is the Southern Line, starting in the middle of the Three Sisters and then stopping at Azuhala, the “Terminal of Darkness” with access to the main prison and the Zurem branch of Setsunadri, then it snakes around Taburoi to its final stop in Leshinen.  A smaller train also connects the two Setsunadri branches, another one runs from Leshinen to Theani with a stop at the Lonely Hill of the Void, and a very recent one runs through a tunnel from Nendari to Drenlin.

But the oldest and most important form of transportation on Orenya (besides walking, of course, or flying in the sumiri’s case or swimming in the fylin’s case) is the dragon.  Dragons have been domesticated on Orenya since the early Trading Era (before then, they were a bit more unruly or scarce), and before trains were invented, they became vital for transportation around the planet.  Dragons can range in size from that of a lion to three times the size of a horse.  There is a saying that the smaller the dragon, the more fun it is to ride; in fact, dragon-back riding is commonly done for sport in Kyonin, one of the Three Sisters (which gets its name from the Latori word for dragon, kyo).  Larger ones are used primarily for freight, like shuffling batteries around the planet.

Long ago, riding dragons was achieved in one of two ways: by pulling reins on them like an Earth horse, or by bonding with them and using oral signals.  But in the middle of the Trading Era, one notable figure pioneered telepathic communication with dragons.  Dragons have been found to respond surprisingly readily to mental signals, understanding them better than words.  In fact, it is even hypothesized that dragons communicate telepathically with their own kind.  To call a dragon, traditionally a summoning whistle was used, as dragons can be trained to respond to a simple tune.  Or just by calling them by a name.

Before trains existed, people also got around in carriages.  But wait, some of you may be thinking.  In last year’s Fauna prompt, I said that Orenyan horses are too small to ride.  Yes, and they are too small to pull carriages as well.  There are three types of carriages: one for the land, one for the sky, and one for the sea.  Land carriages are most familiar to Earthen folk, as they have wheels and are pulled by... electricity.  Solar panels, specifically, so these are exclusive to Rumia.  So they’re more like automobiles.  Sea carriages are basically boats, which may be either powered by electricity or wind (yes, there are sailboats), or drawn by “whalefish” - which are exactly what they sound like: fish as large as whales.  And sky carriages are drawn by the larger dragons.  While it is considered dangerous to ride on a dragon’s back if one is not experienced, sky carriages are safer if a semi-experienced driver is present, and can carry up to five or six people.  Their flight is assisted by wings on the sides, so that the dragon does not have to work as hard to pull the carriage mid-air.

#world building june #wbj2017 #orenya #solevaille

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 26: Art

Solevaille

This will be interesting, as art is just as important to Solevaille as magic is to Orenya (read: so important it’s the cornerstone of its culture).  Before the university got converted into a factory, it offered Certificates of Craftsmanship in all sorts of artistic endeavors.  The focus here was less on getting a degree and more on collaborating with other artists for ideas and inspiration, and help with the craft itself.  Examples of programs include painting, sculpting, fashion design, music, architecture, photography, and about thirty variants of making stuff.  (Queen Lucina herself got her certificate in toymaking.)

Several days back I talked about food - and indeed, the culinary arts are arts as much as anything else.  Specifically, I mentioned how Solevaille’s cuisine was varied, borrowing influences from nearby countries or even exotic faraway lands.  Well, the same is true of all other art.  In fact, one holiday that I forgot to mention on day 10 (which had the Holidays prompt) was Gallery Day, held on actually the first three days of August.  This is a festival during which everyone in Solevaille would showcase a bit of their art, and in turn celebrate art shared by others.  And nobody is exempt.

But wait a minute, some of you may be thinking.  Not everyone in Solevaille is an artist, right?  Well, according to the supposed non-artists, anyway.  A visionary Frenchman who helped found the town proclaimed for it the motto tout est l’art, meaning “everything is art”.  Everything.  Even the most mundane-sounding things, like banking, policing, and cleaning privies.  If nothing else, these people will at least provide a demonstration of their occupation, with an emphasis on the personal twist they each put on it.

This is actually one redeeming quality of the kingdom: it still celebrates Gallery Day in the same traditional manner.  In fact, this is the only time of the year that Solevaille’s residents are allowed to publicly display their crafts.  Here, the dolls act as assistants for once.  Or at least in town.  At the castle, Lucina still shows off her living toys, and even throws a grand ball for the town in the castle courtyard at this time.

Orenya

Orenya actually takes a similar attitude towards art that Solevaille does, in that anything can count as such.  Heck, even spellwork is considered an art, one widely encouraged in its use given the prevalence of magic.  In fact, one thing I forgot to mention in the Religion/Cosmology prompt is the existence of five key virtues celebrated by the Miamin especially.  One of those virtues is creativity.  Although Drenlin is technically regarded as Orenya’s major art hub (as well as Hakushiari to some extent), it is widely understood that it can come from anywhere.  So let’s talk about the types of art that are popular in Orenya’s major towns:

The Three Sisters:  The main resources here are paper, glass, and dragons.  Paper sculptures are especially popular here, and may even be specially coated and enchanted to repel water, as those towns frequently encounter rain.  In fact, many people even make lanterns out of paper, but rather than flames, they employ electric lights powered by a battery.  Electric light displays are actually quite common here, especially in areas shadowed by buildings or dark parts of the woods beyond.  Glass sheets will also often be stained by dyes or even transfiguration, much akin to a magic pen (see last year’s Technology prompt).  Taming dragons is said to be an art as well, and some people may even carry out performances in the sky with them.  There is an arena in Kyonin for exactly that, adjacent to the breeding grounds.

Drenlin:  As was mentioned before, this is a hub for storytellers.  But given the breezes and stunning views, there are many visual artists here.  Some people make pictures of the scenery or even the sky (which can have a lot of interesting phenomena going on, as demonstrated in this year’s extensive prompt on the sky), others make kites to fly in the wind, and some sumiri even perform by dancing around in the sky while gliding from a mountaintop.

Hakushiari: Major hub for clothesmaking and fashion design, and due to the abundance of the color tree (tondela-tren, mentioned in last year’s Flora prompt), a popular spot for painters and makers of dyes.  Many musicians dwell here too.  In fact, there are two instruments that are especially abundant here.  One is the selunor, an abacus-like instrument originating in Selenin that produces a sound somewhere between a harp and a celesta.  Another is the tenmei, named for the strings drawn across its hollow wooden bowl, making it resemble a particularly pudgy lute.

Sharun: In the Modern Era, this town holds the only latria on the planet, which plays music that defies sound.  In fact, this instrument is considered less “artsy” than other instruments, as most of its players nowadays are members of the Miamin, who supposedly let the gods play the “music” for them.

Azuhala: This town is all over the place in terms of art.  For some reason, there are a surprising number of seamsters here, skillfully employing looms to weave together cloth.  In fact, both the loom and the magic pen were invented here.

Leshinen: This is the major art town of Zurem.  Jewelry making and metalworking are especially common crafts here given the abundance of ores and minerals, as it is in close proximity to Taburoi where the blacksmiths dwell.  But there is also a tradition of cave-drawing, where, much like ancient human civilizations on Earth, people would draw something on a stone wall.  However, by law, these drawings are transient, drawn exclusively with a type of transfiguration that predates magic pens (though the latter is commonly used today).

Theani: There is an event that occurs every green month (orbit of Eldarien) called the Potion Festival, where herbalists from all over the hills (and even as far as Nendari sometimes) gather to make creative herbal blends and form unique teas, tinctures, and other brews out of them.  Interestingly, there is some unique visual art and music that comes from here as well, possibly inspired by the aural energies of the herbs in people’s gardens or by ingesting some of said herbs.  This is also common in Nendari, which brings us to...

Nendari: Just as all-over-the-place art-wise as Azuhala.  Notably, though, many fylin who want to take a break from hunting and sparring showcase treasures found under the sea here, as well as the designs of the magic staffs they so commonly make.  Particularly skilled water mages will even occasionally make the still waters of Furmia dance before them, or make sculptures out of ice that travel to Rumia and spectacularly melt.

#world building june #wbj2017 #orenya #solevaille

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 25: The Backpack

Solevaille

When wandering around this whimsical world o living toys, people typically keep the following with them:

- A wallet.  Before the living toys were around, people used to keep currency from at least two neighboring countries on hand, since some shops may accept different ones.  Once the Button (see Day 7: Economy) became standard though, people have been mostly keeping these. - A handkerchief.  This is before disposable tissues were invented, so people keep cloth ones, often dainty or even laced.

- Spectacles.  Some tourists, especially, did not have perfect eyesight, and thus whenever something a doll did struck their fancy, they would have to put these on.  Opera glasses and monocles are also an option. - A pen, and/or a notepad or checkbook - A pair of gloves - Keys, if a resident - Compact mirror and/or makeup (for the ladies) - A pocket watch (for the gentlemen)

What, some of you may be thinking, no cell phones!?  Well, remember that the story of Porcelain Wonderland takes place way before cell phones were invented.  Heck, land line phones were a recent invention.  Also, Porcelains and Cermaics will carry far fewer possessions, often just a small wallet.  Marionettes don’t usually buy things, so if anything, they will carry a bottle of glue in case they are broken - and this is usually more the case for Marionettes with physically-oriented professions such as carriage driving.

Orenya

So, I mentioned in yesterday’s prompt that exploring the wilderness is a common pastime on Orenya.  But what do people bring with them on such a journey?  Well, think about the typical Earthen camping/hiking supplies.  Food and water is a must - in fact, many travelers will bring food along in consecrated metal bottles (see last year’s Technology prompt).  And then things like shelter, cushions to sit on, fans or blankets depending on the temperature of the location... you get the idea.

But remember that Orenya’s overall culture revolves around magic.  And so, it is not uncommon to bring along various magical tools and amulets, especially on a long journey or an errand to a dangerous place.  If someone has a staff, they are all but guaranteed to bring it along on a long trip, as it is considered a close part of themselves and is good for casting spells should the need arise.  Medicine is also a necessity, as people will carry around bottles or pouches containing different herbs and tinctures, and also bandages of course.  Extracts of koberia (doctor’s root - see Day 13, Flora) are extremely common on wilderness excursions due to the herb’s usefulness in treating injuries.

When traveling short distances around town, people will carry less.  The most important item, perhaps, is a coin pouch for purchasing things.  Some people will carry an herb or two for protection or healing, a pen and/or a small scroll for writing, and other essentials.  But there are a couple of odd things people may carry as well:

Dragon “keys”.  These are not metal keys, as the dragons are not mechanical.  Sometimes they may be a little whistle, sometimes they may be a tiny wand, and some particularly skilled dragon-keepers will not need one at all to call their dragon.  See a later Transportation prompt for more on this.

Peddled wares.  Some people have little goods for sale and will travel from town to town to peddle their wares.  Many of these people will carry around a separate bag, box, or cart around to contain these, so a traveling shopkeeper will usually be easy to spot.  In fact, it is wise for everyone else to not carry too much stuff while traveling around town, as if you have a large enough purse, people might assume you have stuff to sell!

Porches versus pockets versus purses.  Storage vessels vary depending on the clothing someone wares.  Often times, if someone wears a cape or cloak, they will wear a large pouch at their hip for storing stuff, or a loose bag slung across the shoulders underneath it.  Pockets are often used in tandem with these for storing stuff; magical items are especially preferred here.  Fylin, notably, exclusively carry pouches for storage.  Some of these even carry waterproof enchantments to prevent water-sensitive contents frm getting wet while thye are underwater.  Another alternative is storing such things in glass bottles, which is especially common with herbs and the like.

#world building june #wbj2017 #orenya #solevaille

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 24: The Frontier

Solevaille

Let’s see, Solevaille is a town nestled in the Alps.  I wonder where the particularly adventurous residents go exploring.  Well, Solevaille hasn’t been known for mountaineering that much since long ago when it was Ludin, but occasionally a painter or something will take a trek out into the surrounding mountains for scenery pieces.  This is another reason some people go to the Starlight Spring (mentioned in yesterday’s prompt on the sky), to paint the stars that are reflected in that spring at night.

Besides the mountains, there isn’t much frontier around Solevaille, and many of those mountains have already been explored by surrounding countries.  It seems that the main frontier here is an artistic one, which is limitless.  And the advent of living dolls opens up a huge frontier for that sort of thing.

Orenya

For an entire planet, I only mentioned eight major towns (not counting the educational district of Setsunadri) in the Geography prompt, didn’t I?  That means that most of the rest of the planet is frontier.  Not surprisingly, exploring the wilderness is a much-enjoyed pastime.  This may be done either on foot or with the help of a transport animal (most commonly a dragon, as will be described in a later prompt on transportation).  As I did in the Geography prompt, I will now describe a few popular exploration places:

The forests of Rumia.  Animal lovers especially enjoy exploring here, with the abundance of tantan, numerous types of swai, and other such animals (see last year’s Fauna prompt).  Botany classes in Setsunadri also involve exploring these, and they are a popular spot for camping.

The shorelines near Hakushiari.  Long ago, sumiri gatherers combed the beaches for fruits and cultivatable plants.  The oceanfruit tree (see last year’s Flora prompt) grows abundantly here, as does the wild descendant of the creamfruit.  The beaches are a popular hangout spot when Kalena’s solar eclipses (see yesterday’s Sky prompt) pass through the area, and are also good for swimming when the Three Sisters are too far away.

The Heavenly/Aurora Mountains.  People often like to explore the former for its spectacular views of the Rumic landscape, and the latter for views of the aurora.  Explorers of both seek to rise above the clouds - in fact, there are small dwellings above the cloud level.

The cold oceans of Furmia.  This is another classic foraging spot, in this case for herbs.  Due to the highly variable aurora activity and interference with moonlight, wild herbs can vary widely in magical potency.  Because of the stillness of the waters, this is also a popular boating and fishing spot.

The Field of Souls.  Only the particularly daring explore this forbidden zone, as as was mentioned in the Magic prompt, the crystals here draw people’s souls out of their bodies, making for a very dangerous place.  This only happens on a moonless night; any other time, the place is impassable due to a curse that keeps all out.

Besides exploring, some people even set up small dwellings in these and other places.  These are often transient, may be exclusive, and lack rules and regulations like the major towns do.  Especially in Zurem, a lot of black market activity occurs in these “villages”.  The Void, for example, is a popular dwelling spot for sorcerers practicing the darkest arts, holding a secret market in a cave beneath the Lonely Hill there.  They also have farms for poisonous herbs, and one for the highly-poisonous witch snakes.  The ones in Rumia tend to be more peaceful though, especially the forest dwellings which are often party sites.  However, there is one infamous village near Hakushiari: the so-called “Spirit Village” in a stagnant bog with heavy fog.  As will be described in the Weather prompt, apparitions often appear here during eclipses, and thus this is a hub for spirit workers and psychotropic herb enthusiasts.

However, in the Modern Era, strict regulations against environmental destruction were set up, especially to limit wildlife in those areas.  As such, both the Danramin and Oradamin patrol the wilderness on dragons, looking for any significant disruptions.

#world building june #wbj2017 #orenya #solevaille

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 23: The Sky (Orenya)

Yes, I did do this for Solevaille - look at the post directly before this one for that.  However, I decided that since there is so much to say about Orenya’s sky (due to it being its own planet with a lot of strange cosmic phenomena going on), it required its own post.  Here goes...

As I mentioned in last year's Geography prompt, the magisphere tints the sky a slight purple, and that plus the fact that the sun is red means that in Rumia, the hue of the sky ranges from a light periwinkle in Drenlin to lilac in Hakushiari to a deep lavender above the Three Sisters to mauve in Sharun and a dark indigo in Azuhala (remember that the latter two are in the twilight region of the planet).  Only above the Angry Sea at the very center of Rumia is it a sky blue in hue, and even then there are purple wisps floating about.

Because Orenya has a very thick atmosphere (which is vital in making the temperatures more stable in its tidally locked state), most stars are invisible even from the darkest parts of Zurem.  In western Zurem where heat flows from either Taburoi or eastern Rumia, the magisphere clouds the sky further, making it appear a very dark and smooth purple.  While this does not happen as much in eastern and northern Zurem (the Aurora Mountains block this effect), instead it has auroras to obscure the sky.

Auroras result from Moredriva's solar wind reacting with the magisphere, and given how strong this solar wind is what with how close Moredriva is to Orenya (remember that Moredriva is much dimmer and smaller than Earth's sun), the reaction produces energy pulses in the sky that may be many colors or barely perceptible.  But even more stunning is the aural patterns, which may even form shapes in the sky.  For millennia, sunestre mystics have employed this as a form of divination, particularly for predicting world-wide events.  Nowadays this is one key job of the Miamin.  Even in Rumia an aurora-like effect produces similar distortions in the sky, though given the overwhelming presence of sunlight, these are less noticeable.

As was also mentioned in last year's Geography prompt, the Void in the middle of Zurem is an ideal stargazing spot.  This is because it is so sheltered from Moredriva's light that the aurora does not reach it, meaning that when there are no moons in the sky, especially when the bright star Reimindra is also absent, the place lies in almost complete darkness and the other stars become more visible.  Notably, unlike on Earth, there are no fixed constellations, as they are not visible on other parts of the planet anyway.  However, during a "dark night" (no moons or Reimindra in the sky), there is a festival held on the Lonely Hill at the edge of the Void where people create sketches or even photographs of a sort of the sky (the latter involves spells that mimic the effect of a magic pen) and draw their own constellations with them, coming up with stories and legends behind the one they saw.  The festival has a very unique name: the Constellation Festival (yes, I know, I'm such a genius when it comes to names).

What is perhaps most important about the Orenyan sky is the movement of its four moons (and Reimindra to a lesser extent) across it.  Of the moons, the silvery Telwenthe, which is about the same size as Moredriva in the Rumic sky, moves the fastest, its orbit lasting about 21 Earth days.  Eldarien, the verdant "forest moon", is the second-fastest, taking approximately 27 Earth days to orbit the planet.  Next is the metallic not-quite-round Parushai, with its orbit of 58 Earth days (about twice as long as an Earth month).  And the big, slow, blue-mist-covered Kalena really takes its time, its month lasting 216 Earth days, or seven Earth months.  Fun fact: its orbit is also the exact length of most pregnancies among land folk, or time as an egg among the fylin, and thus the position of Kalena in the sky at the time of birth has a great astrological significance.

Here is some other data about the moons: Smallest to largest (as seen in the sky): Parushai, Telwenthe, Eldarien, Kalena Smallest to largest (actual size): Parushai, Eldarien, Telwenthe, Kalena Distance from Orenya (closest to farthest): Eldarien, Parushai, Telwenthe, Kalena Brightest to dimmest: Parushai, Telwenthe, Eldarien, Kalena

The distortions in the magisphere also slightly affect how the moons appear in the sky.  In most cases this merely manifests as a rippling effect around its edges, such that unlike on Earth, new moons are perfectly visible in most of Rumia, as people will see a bright purple "halo" around its edges caused by this.  The brightness of this halo is especially evident in Eldarien, given its closeness to the planet. However, Telwenthe and especially Kalena produce weaker halos, due to their gaseous surface.  But since Telwenthe's mists are so thin, the halo affects the surface of the planet as well, leading to an interesting array of colors, especially to the sumiri given their partial perception of ultraviolet light.  Though Kalena produces a weak aura if any, it still remains visible as a hole in the aural disturbances in the sky, as it forms a shield against the solar wind. The moon is especially visible if it passes close to Moredriva.  And finally, Parushai produces the most stunning halos due to its reflective surface, such that it looks like a multi-colored star rivaling Reimindra in its brightness (yes, Reimindra is bright enough to be visible even there; it is the only star that is so).

In Zurem, though, these halos are not as prominent, since more of their visible surface is seen.  (The moons are always at least half full in Zurem, whereas they are only crescents of varying thickness in Rumia.)  The aural disturbances, even the aurora, do not affect the appearance of these moons much, but they can interfere with the moonlight absorbed into the magical herbs of Zurem.  Therefore, dedicated herbalists learn to coordinate their herb growth and harvests with celestial activity.

But perhaps the most stunning phenomena seen in the Orenyan sky are eclipses.  With so many celestial bodies present in close proximity, these are much more common than on Earth.  While we're still on the topic of Zurem, let's talk about lunar eclipses first, involving a moon passing through Orenya's umbra.  This is the only way for any of the moons to appear less than full, and in fact, partial eclipses are very common among the moons.  Even Kalena, which is incapable of a total lunar eclipse due to its size and distance, will occasionally have the umbra pass across it as a round shadow.  On the opposite side of the planet, the same thing will happen with partial solar eclipses, and due to the relative dimness of Moredriva compared to Earth's sun, the obscuring of its surface is more apparent.  Oh yeah, that's another thing I forgot to mention: unlike on Earth, it is perfectly safe to look directly at the sun here, even in Drenlin where it's at its brightest, without worrying about eye damage.  Unless you're a sunestre anyway, as they are particularly sensitive to sunlight.

Total eclipses, as you might imagine, are the most spectacular of all.  Now, on Earth, a lunar eclipse appears reddish due to the way sunlight bends around the atmosphere.  A similar phenomenon occurs on Orenya, and this is evident in the rarest total lunar eclipse of all: that of Telwenthe, which turns a very bright shade of scarlet, magenta, or even crimson.  Total lunar eclipses of Telwenthe are so rare because the moon is just barely small enough to be completely obscured by Orenya's umbra.  And since it moves very quickly across the sky, the eclipse is also very brief, lasting the equivalent of only a few Earth minutes.  More common are eclipses of Eldarien, given how it's smaller than Telwenthe and closer to Orenya. During such eclipses, Eldarien usually turns a shade of brown due to its natural green hue mixing with the red light, and in myth, this leads to a legend of a great dark force killing off all of his forests so that they can be renewed (when Eldarien emerges from the umbra). Parushai, notably, all but disappears during a lunar eclipse, due to his small size.  Partial eclipses with him are actually rarer than total ones because of this.  However, flashes of red may glisten on his reflective surface.  In myth, this is seen as him getting into mischief in his mother's (Moredriva's) absence.

Now on to solar eclipses. Remember how I said that Telwenthe looks about the same size as Moredriva in the sky?  Therefore, its eclipses (also brief and rare for the same reason as the lunar ones, though not as much) allow a stunning view of Moredriva's corona, which may appear a very bright pink or yellow due to its deep red hue.  Many red and purple flashes of light fly across this corona, leading to the myth of him getting into a violent fight with his mother during this time.  Also, because of his thin misty surface, the outer edges appear a dark reddish-purple. Eldarien's solar eclipses also allow a view of the corona, but a much fainter one since he is somewhat larger than Telwenthe and Moredriva in the sky.  However, the eclipse causes the sky to darken more, and also lasts longer.  But it doesn't last nearly as long as Kalena's solar eclipses, the most drastic of all due to how large and slow he is. Moredriva's corona is only visible at the very start and end of the eclipse, during which only a very faint and very dark purple halo surrounds the moon as the sky becomes as dark as that in Zurem.  These eclipses are also a good stargazing opportunity, but not for seeing more stars in the sky - rather, for seeing strange patterns that the magisphere seems to draw among them.  Certain Zuremic herbs are said to induce powerful prophetic visions in people which can be seen in the sky at this time... and so, the economy all but shuts down here, forming an extended "night holiday" lasting anywhere from one to seven Earth days (the longest being when Moredriva passes behind the very center of the moon).  On the other side of the spectrum is Parushai, which is too small to eclipse the sun completely... but does produce a stunning light show when in front of her, featuring bright flashes of amber and gold.

Here is a summary on the frequency of eclipses: Frequency of solar eclipse (most to least): Eldarien, Kalena, Telwenthe, Parushai* Frequency of lunar eclipse (most to least): Eldarien, Parushai, Telwenthe, Kalena* * Incapable of such an eclipse.

But the cosmic phenomena do not end there.  Oh no.  One notably strange type of phenomenon unique to Orenya (and other multi-mooned planets) is the existence of intralunar eclipses, made when the moons shadow each other in the sky.  There are many different types of these, and I could write an entire ten-page essay on them if given the chance, so I'll try to describe these as succintly as possible here.  Some of these occur in tandem with lunar or solar eclipses; for example, when Parushai moves in front of another moon during a solar eclipse, it produces its most stunning light shows yet, and according to myth, said to "tease" his brothers when their mother is not looking.  With lunar eclipses, sometimes more than one moon will cause one at once, leading to said moon obscuring the other.  One notable time in history, Eldarien happened to eclipse at the same time that Telwenthe did, which caused much disappointment as it hid the latter from view.  But when Telwenthe was still visible, its surface glowed in a blue to magenta gradient in Eldarien's umbra... a perfect example of a "pure" intralunar eclipse where the sun and the planet are not involved at all.

#world building june #wbj2017 #orenya

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 22: Work

Solevaille

More often than not in this alpine town, the work people do reflects their greatest passion.  Classically, the people who live here were outcasts from other parts of Europe, aiming to make a living in any way they can.  Those who had creative passions followed them.  Those who wanted to sell things to people could find a few customers.  Those who just wanted to be assistants to people could do so.

Once the town became a kingdom, dolls took over the bulk of the work in places where the public could see them, taking priority over humans.  In the kingdom, humans were technically allowed to continue living on as creators, but they could not be the face of their own wares.  Dolls are capable of some innovation, but not nearly to the extent that they are.

In Lucina’s royal court, many of the Porcelains, especially, take on different duties pertaining to Solevaille’s economy.  For example, one of them oversees the bank, another the press, another the farmlands, another tourism, etc.  Then there’s Princess Emille, who oversees executions of misbehaving dolls and coordinates the Ceramics in the court (who are mainly glorified servants).  And finally Queen Lucina herself, responsible for overseeing everybody, as well as bringing the dolls to life.  Although the factory does much of the latter nowadays, she holds daily ceremonies where she will bring a doll to life with her own magic before a crowd in the castle foyer, often presenting them before children.

Orenya

Orenya’s work ethic is very loose.  It has a very basic economy, where people trade goods they made/bought or services they provide for other such things.  There’s no real jurisdiction over the market besides ethical concerns, largely overseen by the Danramin.  In fact, one of the Danramin’s most important duties is to oversee local economies, and report any crooked salesperson who seems to be disrupting the peace.

It is extremely common for people in a town to use a borrowed public building to conduct a business, or in certain towns in Zurem, their own houses.  (This is all but expected in Nendari, where practically everyone has a warm and toasty house with which to present hospitality and peddle their wares in the meantime.)  In the major towns, there are many street markets present, coordinated by celestial events (e.g. the big jewelry market in Leshinen takes place every time Parushai sets on the horizon there).  Outside of the markets, people will typically travel to peddle their wares while enjoying themselves, or they will trade amongst citizens of their own hometown.

In general, there is a strong culture of “workplace karma”, meaning that you get what you give.  Spontaneously offering to give something or perform a service is an invitation for money or something else in trade... or at least an apology that they have nothing to offer, followed by a small prayer.

#wbj2017 #world building june #orenya #solevaille