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Journeywoman's Journeys, A Fantasy Age of Exploration Worldbuilding Quest (Updated Daily)

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[x] The Triple Star

The traditional faith of the Morgoi and Obots, the Triple Star has within the Dominate official status of "respected cult," tolerated as a strange variation of traditional Azenian ancestor-worship.

The Morgoi hold they are the fragments of a primordial deity, the "Triple Star". This entity shattered itself in the distant past. Its mind became the Morogi, and its body Mhet itself. The Morgoi and the Obots are searching for the "soul" of the Star with their collecting. Purportedly, when the "soul" is reunited with the "mind", the "body" will resurrect, heralding an age of universal harmony.

Temples of the faith take the form of magically grown crystal gardens, usually built underground. Obots store their collected objects within, including more abstract articles like music psionically preserved in magical storage crystals. These locales also serve as clearinghouses for what the Morogi reject to add to their personal miscellanies, attracting many merchants.

[x] Old Observers

An ancient heterodoxy of the Imperial Rites, the Observers rejected Azen's reforms of the ancestor faith of the Dominate. Famously pacifistic, the Observers have long been an enemy of the Azenian government, refusing to join the army or in any way participate in state service.

A primarily rural religion, the faith differs in three major ways from the "official" rites. First, Observers follow the Old "Ijani" Calendar. Second, their pantheon of deities is totally different from that of the Dominate, dominated by the leaders of peasant rebellions martyred in conflict against the government and nobility. Third, the Observers believe in reincarnation. They profess that they will be resurrected after death according to their virtue; if great, as gods, if good, as sentient beings, if bad, as animals or plants. Their priests, wearing robes embroidered with faces of their gods, are a ubiquitous presence in the Azenian countryside.

[x] Etomism

A relatively new syncretic religion very popular among the soldiery of the Dominate, the Etomites worship a deified version of the warlord Etom. Etom is said to have been not only a great warrior, but the handsomest man of his age, beloved by all, including the Mother, Seles. When Etom died slaying the great beast Mashklet of the Thousand Teeth, Seles made Etom a deity and her eternal consort. Etom now rules over his own afterlife, where soldiers and others who died glorious deaths may feast and rest and fight eternal.

Etomism is disliked both by followers of the Mother and the Azenian state. Followers of Etom practice their faith mostly in secret. Members must be inducted into the faith through a ritual of animal sacrifice and personal scarification. Etomism is also rumoured to involve blood magic, though it is difficult to determine if this is true or an invention of Imperial and Selesian propagandists.

[x] Imperial Rites
[x] The Mother
[x] Spiritualists

Had a lot of fun with this.

(EDIT: Proofreading changes and a clarification to the Observers.)
 
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Good evening friendos
Scheduled vote count started by AKuz on Mar 6, 2022 at 2:10 AM, finished with 6 posts and 6 votes.
Click to expand...
 
sorry, brain entirely empty, will come back to this after a good night's sleep.
 
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Adventure 1: Journeywoman, Page 26
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    • 3 people have voted: [X] Spiritualists
    2 people have voted: [X] The Mother
    2 people have voted: [X] Imperial Rites
    2 people have voted: [X] The Triple Star
    2 people have voted: [X] Etomism
    1 people have voted: [X] Old Observers

    Adventure 1: Journeywoman, Page 26​

    6th Iyyar 777 After Exile
    Blue skies with fluffy white clouds

    Today we finally started firmly descending downwards from the mountains into another one of those small tree forests and Tarn informs me that our journey across the southwestern corner of the Azenian Dominate is nearly a third complete.

    As we travel deeper into Azenia we've shared the road with not just fellow merchants, but many Azenian patrols, travellers, and long columns of workers involved in Azenia's widespread practice of corvee labour.

    In many Azenian provinces the local Governors and Household Nobles allow subjects to substitute corvee labour in place of taxes. Azenian Citizens are exempt from corvee labour, but must pay tax in precious metal coins and are subject to conscription.

    Though interestingly, the Azenian nobility encourages a culture of conscription and military service being a privilege that Citizens enjoy -it being illegal for subject peoples to possess arms beyond those necessary for their work.

    (Which would explain why our personal arms have been restricted. Not just to prevent our caravan from behaving badly, but also to prevent those arms from falling into the hands of potentially restive subjects)

    We continue onwards under the watchful eye of both the sun and Azenia's soldiers, Tarn's papers allowing us to rest at a series of well built rest stops that line the corvee labour built highways.

    Last night we stayed at an inn in a little village much like Eulich, though clearly older, and with two triangular districts set aside for forestry and woodworking.

    Indeed, we arrived early enough in the afternoon that Jalynn, Bryn and I were able to browse the stalls at the local market. I almost purchased a well crafted wooden sword, but Jalynn then reminded me that this trip would take much longer would I rather lug around a wooden sword for months on end that was functionally useless but nice to look at, or would I rather save my room and money for more exotic goods? Maybe even a metal blade of unique construction?

    Instead we helped Bryn pick out two finely carved wooden masks for her boundlings. She hopes to ward off the unnerved looks that her bone servants have been drawing from the people we pass on the roads by covering their grinning skulls. But personally I think that the masks make them look even more striking and uncanny!

    Tarn says that we're making good time towards our next notable destination, the Azenian provincial capital city of…

    [ ] …Iskut

    A large Tseskiya city built where the forests of southern Azenia meet the vast Kyrif Steppes, Iskut is Azenia's crown jewel in the southern Empire. Centuries old, Iskut is the central city of the Tseskiya peoples and it was surrendered into Azenian control without a fight to prevent its investment by Dominate troops.

    Uniquely for a city, Iskut is built in two levels, an upper level built into tree tops and a lower level built on the ground. In general the inidgenous Tseskiya population lives on the upper level, while other subjects and citizens from across Azenia live in the lower levels, and rumours exist of a cavern system below the city's roots that inhabited by the city's underclass.

    Though Iskut is the headquarters for Azenia's southeastern garrison, and Iskut has a thriving forestry industry, Iskut is mostly famous for its cultural products. Sitting on a major trade hub and being the site of several mage and arts colleges, Iskut is reputed for the quality of its theatres and music halls and artists from across the Dominate travel to Iskut to find their fortunes.

    [ ] …Telegra

    A fairly young city, only a half century old, Telegra was founded by several Chioyone Sword Noble houses on the Dominate's southeastern frontier in order to cement Azenia's control over an area only recently brought into the Dominate.

    Telegra's triangular Citizen's districts are built on an island at the edge of an inland sea that divides Azenia's eastern borders from the neighbouring Steppes, and subject districts have spilled across the nearby shoreline to serve the boats that ferry merchants and resources across the sea and along roads towards Azenia's Imperial Core.

    Primarily a trade hub and military garrison, Telegra's economy is supported by a robust fishing and agricultural industry that spreads out across the nearby province and supplies both Telegra and Azenia's home provinces.

    Half of Telegra is a closed city, with a large military port and a heavily defended city core built around Azenia's signature triangular districts. Thanks to the light hand of the current Azenian Governor the remainder of the city is known for being as cosmopolitan and lawless as an Azenian city can be -provided everyone pays their taxes on time.

    Today's vote is on the major Azenian city that the caravan is headed towards. I'm looking for the circumstances of it's founding, it's age, how it's laid out, any interesting features, and it's general vibe. A proper write in should be around 185 words.
     
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    • [X]...Caedmon

    Caedmon, The First City-State of the Shiftlings: The Empire has held It for roughly 135 years. But ask folk in Caedmon and they'll point out streets, buildings and districts that are far older— Caedmon, one will realize, is a city that has been built on top of and beside ancient Caedmon. 'Never Gone, Never Conquered— Perpetually Caedmon.' is an old saying. Caedmonites often say that Caedmon existed before the Empire, and will exist after. This 'mild' sedition allowed because The City of Caedmon is atop a Hedge. Caedmon exists on both sides; Its narrative inertia as 'The Perpetual City' creating an island of stability in The Wyld that allows one to take a journey through Hedges claimed by the Empire, into the Wyldlands and onto 'The Road To Caedmon' and out again into Caedmon Itself, very quickly. Making it a central hub for Shiftling Storymages, Wyld Ecologists, Mortal and Fae Tradesfolk alike. It also holds the Headquarters of the Azenian Wyld Rangers; elite Soldier-Explorers officially created to discover and claim for The Empire more stable areas of the Wyldlands. (Unofficially, they act as a police force and standing army in Caedmon, insurance against open rebellion.)
     
    speaking on Caedmon a bit more:

    The idea behind its 'managed independence' is the Empire can't out and out crush the city's vaguely seditious behaviors as its stability in the Wyldlands is predicated on the Story Of The City Caedmon maintaining continuity, you can't force a change on a Story that old, you have to work with it or slowly divert it, like a river.
    and lets face it, The Empire likes using the hedges as shortcuts for logistics and Inter-imperial trade, and they can't do that if Caedmon isn't Caedmon anymore. So they keep a very close eye on the de facto independent city-state in their borders and who knows, maybe at the same time they're slowly trying to shift the narrative weight to "The Empire Eternal" and create a stable wyldland area under their full control?
     
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    also, a random thought i just had. 'Never Gone, Never Conquered— Perpetually Caedmon.' is carved into the first, middle and last steps of City Hall. The Empire replaced them once with smooth stones, only to watch as the phrase appeared on the stones they'd placed. Why is that? Because Everyone in Caedmon knows that's what's on the steps to City Hall— Caedmon is half made up of the stories The City tells itself. Caedmon might assert itself in weird ways like that, shortcuts that only exist if you've heard about them, hole in the wall bars that you always end up in if you're feeling lonely at far to late in the night or a beloved corner food-cart that is somehow on every corner you look when you have a craving, ect.
    One might even see something of a folk tradition among Caedmonites who see the City as a Genus Loci, a dreaming god of the City Itself.
     
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    Adventure 1: Journeywoman, Page 27
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    • [x] ...Caedmon

    Adventure 1: Journeywoman, Page 27​


    Caedmon was a city that wasn't there, until it was.

    She and Sky-Sky had meandered to one side of well maintained Azenian road to get a closer look at a flower (A pretty thing, large and orange with spiralling petals of a reddish hue)

    Anne quickly jotted down details about the plant (She'd ask someone what it was called later) and then moved to hop back up on Astride's back. As she moved in a practiced motion she'd done thousands of times before the back of her mind wandered to how much longer it would be until they reached their destination… and then when she settled back onto her mount's back and looked up, suddenly there was a person that wasn't there before.

    Anne started in shock, hand going for her blade (still wrapped in white threads) and then her hand froze in mid air as Anne saw beyond the man (Who hurried by her, entirely unconcerned) to the surrounding city.

    Wait-

    The surrounding city?!

    Anne had never had a city sneak up on her before!

    She pulled on Astride's reigns and spun, seeing city in all directions.

    Her mouth dropped and eyes rose high in wonder, as the sights and sounds of Caedmon (Never Gone! Never Conquered! Perpetually Caedmon!) flowed around, through, and by her.

    "Anne. Hey!"

    Anne's neck snaps around, seeing Jalynn on her horse, trotting over to her, Jalynn's face pulled tight with an emotion Anne wasn't used to seeing: fear.

    "Hey, how fare you?" Asks Anne, furrowing her brow in confusion.

    "I should be asking you that!" says Jalynn coming alongside Anne, her hand snapping out to settle itself on Astride's nearest reign, "You disappeared!"

    "I was fine" says Anne, vexed by her friend's overworry, turning her head again to focus on a group of Azenian troops passing by. (Though this group was not the usual well ordered file, but a looser squad with a much more eclectic set of equipment than she was used to seeing on Azenians), "The city snuck up on me, but I was fine." she sighs.

    "You were gone." snaps Jalynn, tugging on the reigns causing the ever agreeable Astride to turn how the familiar Jalynn wanted, "Just vanished."

    "It was not even half a minute."

    "It was far longer than that. I don't know how you got into the city so fast." Jalynn huffs, "But, I'm glad I found you so fast." she turns in her saddle, "Wait. Where's th- the fucking Caravan?!" Jalynn says, getting increasingly agitated.

    Anne takes control of Astrides reigns and pulls close enough to her friend to set an army on the soldier's forearm, "It'll be fine. We can't have gone far, not for me or for you."

    Anne looks over her shoulder, firmly expecting to see some indication of the Caravan nearby.

    And lo! And Behold! There they were, right behind a crowd of merchants crossing the street, Tarn leading them, Bryn just behind him.

    "Hey there they are." Annes says softly, hand still on Jalynn's forearm before she reaches forward, it now being Anne's turn to take the reigns as she pulls the pair of mounts around in a little half circle.

    Jalynn looks defeated and mad, Tarn waves and Bryn looks from Tarn to Jalynn and then to Anne and frowns, "Hedges'' she says with a tight frown, "I've always heard they had a liking for spiritkin." the tall Aramvolk woman raises an eyebrow at Anne and shrugs, "Or was that the unusually dense? I forget, one or the other."

    -

    After Tarn (An experienced Caedmon visitor) has led the way to the Caravanasary, and purchased rooms for the night (INSISTING that all the caravan hands and guards stay in the same building) he's allowed free time for most of the Caravan.

    Anne is eager to explore the city, but even she knows that she should probably travel in pairs.

    [ ] Watch a performance with Jalynn

    Jalynn hates Caedmon. She simply doesn't trust the slippery city. Her plan is to stay in the inn to drink and enjoy the hired performers.

    Anne is eager to explore this mystical city, but she'd feel bad leaving Jalynn behind, and the performers at this inn are supposed to be excellent, with Jalynn looking forward to seeing some sort of sorcerous sword dancer? Anne might actually learn from the performance.


    [ ] Visit the Storymages with Bryn

    In Bryn's apparent quest to visit and debate all the mystics of the world, tonight she's set her sights on Caedmon's famous Story mages, curious about their beliefs.

    As ever Anne is curious to learn exactly what's up with this type of magic, and is eager to join Bryn on her trip across the city to visit the square where the Storymages mingle with the public to practise their craft.


    [ ] The Twilight Market with Tarn

    Always with goods on the mind, Tarn has decided to visit Caedmon's famous twilight market, where it's rumoured that all kinds of rare or even impossible goods can be found. (Though you can also easily lose your money)

    Tarn isn't looking for the impossible, but merely good deals, and he's requested that some of the company accompany him in case he needs to carry heavy items back to the caravan.

    Any write in should be 75 words or so! I'm looking for who Anne is with and where they're going, and what possible gain there is to go there.
     
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