Unwillingly

| ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴᴛʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀʟɪɴ | However vaunted his legacy, the will of Malin remains a mystery to many. It was He who first ushered Elvenkind into the venerable age of Malinor, an era whose radiance yet lingers in both the past memories and future dreams of many. However, for reasons that elude even the most wisened of our people, He would not linger to witness the slow fall of the kingdom He labored to build. From His absence, a period of cultural fragmentation did grip our people with such force that would leave them divided for millenia to come, from which only a scant few of us would ever recover. Despite this, it is His legacy that has prevailed among Elvenkind against all odds. Illustrious and exalted is His word, yet true record of His teachings remain sparse, scattered, and oft diminished — it is perhaps the greatest academic shortcoming of We Elves, to permit this wisdom to vanish so readily. It is for this folly that those entrusted with the stewardship of our people are obligated not to surpass nor replace, but to see His dream for Elvenkind realized where neither presence nor literature can accomplish. Critically forgotten of bygone monarchs is this obligation — summarily defined as the Mantle of Malin, the right to rule. It is this very bylaw that would seek to uphold the precedence of His vision and the authority from which elven kinghood descends. Be it for a desire to restore Elvenkind, or a wanton thirst for power, there were once those who have seized readily the right of kinghood. Such were the tales of Tristin Tresery and Kairn Calithil, fabled Elvenkings who employed unconventional means to achieve a conventional end, thereby leaving behind monumental marks in chapters of history. However disputed their reigns, what remains irrevocably true is the brilliance with which they would go on to influence later elven politics, thus lending question to Elvenkind’s predisposal to notions of kinghood. However, kinghood was never meant, nor should ever be prized as an object of pursuit in and of itself. Its place among Elvenkind was first defined by Malin, with later understandings to be measured against the standards He had originally set. Where that measure was kept in mind, the right to rule retained a sense of truth, and where it was neglected, became subject to the fickle definitions of the one who wore it. Swiftly is the splendor of the Mantle of Malin diminished if not wielded by the hand who long to uplift Elvenkind, rather than weaponize it. It is the lesson first taught in the haughty lord who acts not in the interest of His people, then learned by the selfless lord who would. Oft are such challenges to tradition met with vitriol and scorn, yet the cause is not difficult to discern. The lives of elves unfold at an achingly slow pace, granting ample time to perfect the environments they craft for themselves, from which they grow reluctant to deviate. Too, is comfort among the many vices that grip our kind, for which many would woefully trade tomorrow’s promise for today’s ease. No less, however, is it among the many virtues of our people, the capability to shepherd our sanctified heritage for millenia. Hardly does this treatise seek to undermine nor impress the likeness of the August King, yet it would profess to lay the foundation for those who might both revere and carry forth his will. May it be song of the elves is sang once more. Malin tali’Lye laurier div’eth

dont care didnt read you're probably right take my upvote

The founder of Hallowcliffe, an old crow, curiously squints at the mention.

as someone who is super figura illiterate this is great to see back again! would love to use this

E L V E N K N I G H T S O F M A L I N “ᴇʟᴠᴇɴᴋɪɴᴅ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ɴᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴꜱʜᴀᴋᴇᴀʙʟᴇ ᴇᴅɪꜰɪᴄᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴘʀᴇꜱᴜᴍᴇ. ɪɴ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ, ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴏꜰᴛᴇɴ ɴᴏᴛ. ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʙʏ ʟɪꜱᴛʟᴇꜱꜱ ʜᴀʙɪᴛ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛᴇɴᴄʏ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴇʀᴇʟʏ ꜱᴛᴜʙʙᴏʀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰʀᴀɢɪʟᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴀʏꜱ, ᴏᴜᴛʀɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴꜱᴜꜰꜰᴇʀᴀʙʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀɪᴅᴇꜰᴜʟ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀꜱᴛ, ʏᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜱɪꜱᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ꜱᴘɪᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛ. ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴀᴅᴏx ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴀɴꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴏʟᴠᴇ, ʏᴇᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴄʀɪᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛᴏ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴄʀᴇᴅ ᴅᴜᴛʏ ʀᴇǫᴜɪʀᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴡɪʟʟɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢᴜɪᴅᴇ ᴀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ɢᴜɪᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ.” — Evar’tir Oranor, High Prince of Amaethea ORIGIN ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ It is beyond dispute that those who claim the blood of Malin, and in turn pride themselves as Caurosian, are charged with the sacred duty of upholding elMyumier’tir for the betterment of themselves and their elven brethren. While these elves would labor to uphold the mantle of dignity their ancestors sometimes did not, even gravely neglecting it, no less insidious is the vice of apathy. So pervasive has this vice proven that ancient elven philosophers would eventually theorize elves were the only of the descendant races to be afflicted with two Ibleesian curses: one of infertility, and one of sloth. It was for this sloth that elves were perceived to toil on earthly sorrow, lamenting the absence of their forefather and suffering a slow decline of His reverential teachings. That was until High Prince Galahad Ilumrin brought His teachings to the denizens of Caurost, who recognized that the will of Malin could not be entrusted to personal conviction alone. For never had there been indication or prophecy of His return, His vision and will would need to be carried out by His children. Home to Caras Siol is this order of elven elites sworn to defend the ideals of Malin, Myumiaran Law, and Elvenkind as a whole to their dying breath. It is the duty of these vaunted elites to guard the future of Mali where those who do not dedicate their lives to martial prowess and cultural vigilance fall ever short, and labor towards seeing the August King’s fabled glory restored among Elvenkind as both the enforcer and protector of His vision. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ɢᴏᴏᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡɪᴄᴋᴇᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴠᴀʟᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴄᴏᴡᴀʀᴅɪᴄᴇ. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ɪɴᴅᴜʟɢᴇɴᴄᴇ. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴏɴᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ꜱᴄᴏʀɴ. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴠɪɢɪʟᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴜɴᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴᴛʏ. THE CHARGES ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ It is understood by those of elMyariran that the memory of the August King has suffered neglect among modern elves, their ancestry dimmed by the fading of his veneration. Spoken of only in passing, dismissive verse or indifferent prose, his teachings are perceived to fall upon the deaf ears of scarred souls. It is for this plight that the wisdom of Malin lends its shape to the codes that guide the order, indisposable and absolute to those noble in their cause, for it is He whom Elvenkind owes their ancestral birthright. Of these truths, there are seven. ⤜ Drink not of blackened craft, and let no shadow rule thy heart. ⤜ Of the lost shall you guide, of the the frail shall you lift, and of the weak shall you guard. ⤜ As light on water shall you walk, and leave your path more radiant than before you crossed. ⤜ With warning shall your steel draw, and with mercy shall your strikes land. ⤜ Of still spirits shall you scorn, and steeper the path shall you walk. ⤜ With words tamed shall you speak, and as starry moonlight shall you heal. ⤜The August King shall you defend, and by His will shall you illuminate Elvenkind. STRUCTURE & HIERARCHY ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ As a direct representation of the pinnacle of Elven swordsmanship, culture, and courage, the Myariran are not led by a single figurehead, but rather a small handpicked council of peers who best represents the values of Myumiaran Law and the will of Malin. Beyond the single honorific, the bonds of brotherhood run strong through the order, all are equal and treated as such. All whose hard work leads them to the Oath Eternal are welcomed into Malins Amber Halls for eternity, his warmth ever present. SULIERIR ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʟɪᴛᴇ Recognized by their iconic silvered regalia, the Sulierir are the highest echelon of the Myariran, second only to the High Prince himself. It is for their prestige, excellence, and acclaim that they are among the elite of the elite, charged with ensuring the order’s guarding hand extends into lands of turmoil and strife among Elvenkind while guiding the Okarir and Inderir in their stead towards stability. While their duties are many, firstmost are they a bastion of stability to the order, tasked with the oversight of day to day operations and the guidance of the Okarir and Inderir. Second, they are a front of wisdom through which they ensure both Myumiaran Law and the will of Malin is well understood and readily shared among their peers. Often they work in direct concord with the High Prince, each acting as his personal sword and shield in the capacity of royal guards, operating even above local military authority. Not unlike the Immortal Triad of Malin, the Sulierir exist as a council of three. While none of which assume command over one another, their authority over the order is absolute and all three are beholden to the will and word of the High Prince. OKARIR ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴜʟᴡᴀʀᴋ Recognized by their distinct bronze regalia, the Okarir are the backbone of the order, being among those who have proven themselves as both exemplars of Myumiaran law and as protectors of Elvenkind, chosen to have undergone the ascension rites. Armed with minds no less sharp than their blades, it is these noble warriors that stand as elites among Elvenkind and brethren among one another. Be it quests of errantry or raising banners upon the battlefield, the Okarir are fearless in their approach to worldly turmoil and the Oaths Eternal. They seldom hold themselves to one specific station, their foremost responsibility protecting the sanctity of Myumiaran Law and the will of Malin, often seeking out wickedness and cowardice where it festers. Their eyes remain ever open, scouting for recruits and searching for latent potential hidden amongst elvenkind. It’s not uncommon that the Okarir will band with one another to explore uncharted lands in search of devilry, or even pursue elven academia as custodians of knowledge-seeking. Traditionally, each Okarir is known to assume no more than one Inderir at a time, though this is merely customary rather than codified, and may vary depending on the aptitude and potential of recruits they cross. INDERIR ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴɪᴛɪᴀᴛᴇ Entrusted with no uniform yet, the Inderir are both the apprentices and future of the order, but not yet privy to the sanctity of the oaths. They are the students, the newly blooded, the fledgling warriors. It is at this station that the prospective elites prove their mettle to the Sulierir and High Prince through the shadowing of their superiors and tireless study of Myumiaran Law and Elven culture. Entrusted to the mentorship of the Okarir, it is at this rank in which prospective elves pursue prerequisite evaluation by the Sulierir, though central to their station being the pursuit of the Trials of Mind, Body, and Spirit. They lend their days to instruction, observation, and training in the shadow of their mentor, and may be expected to assist with both internal and external affairs of the order at times. They’re afforded no uniform nor emblem at this rank, for it is in the shadow of the Okarir alone that they study. Arguably, it is under this station through which they suffer the most scrutiny and judgement, which may measure their etiquette, how they answer to hardship, or conduct themselves in the face of upset. It’s not uncommon that this rank is idled for years until one proves their readiness. TRIALS ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Oceanside gales roll through the serene lands of Ame’miruelan. Little pine needles and thimbles of pinecones fall overhead a protruding precipice, sat upon by a noble spire of mossy stone and blooming ivy. At its front does the piercing trill of clashing metal reverberate beneath a stone arch, where two duelists clash upon a platform; one of silver, and one of bronze. The silvered knight lands a clever parry on the bronze knight, sending him stumbling towards the edge of their platform that watches with radiance over the valley below. The silvered knight looked upon his student, gaze heavy with neither scorn nor satisfaction. He extends a hand, only then granting a smile to his fallen opponent. “leyuan,” says the silvered knight. “ehya, your footing is stiff; you are like a wintry tree, brittle and stiff. Get up, the fight shall be long! Again!” Before an elf may be considered a knight of the order, they must first satisfy tutelage beneath an existing member of the order as an Inderir. This member, designating themselves as both guardian and mentor, shall guide the Inderir through three rigorous trials that are each devised to test the fruit of their character, spirit, and virtue. ᴘʀᴇʀᴇǫᴜɪꜱɪᴛᴇꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴜᴛᴇʟᴀɢᴇ The aspiring Inderir must… ⤜ Be of pure elven descent ⤜ Demonstrate martial skill, bodily health, and feats of endurance ⤜ Display intellectual acumen such as problem-solving and analysis ⤜ Be of a morally sound and noble character ⤜ Receive sponsorship by an existing Sulerir, who affirms their worthiness Those who satisfy this criteria shall then assume study under the guidance of their mentor, of which they shall shoulder a small range of responsibilities. These may range from aiding their teacher on missions, studying Myumiaran Law and elven history, or practicing combat tactic and prowess. This period typically lasts for two to three years, depending on the aptitude and age of the initiate. Should one pass their prerequisite phase with approval from an existing Sulierir, they will then be called upon to undergo three trials: one of the mind, one of the body, and one of the spirit. While these trials obey a trifecta of overarching principles and themes, they are not binding in nature, and may be tailored to the nature of both the mentor and initiate in question in order to encourage identity and personalized paths undertaken by each. It should be noted that while these trials are somewhat freeform, it remains no less critical to the Okarir that the trials they distribute are not forgiving, for failure to truly test an initiate’s aptitude through rigorous trial may result in the indefinite revocation of mentorship by a Sulierir. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀʟ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀʀᴇᴛʜᴜɴ The Trial of Marethun is meant to measure an initiate’s merit of physical strength, endurance, and combat instinct. The initiate is tasked with demonstrating their martial ability and resilience under rigorous circumstances, as they shall be entrusted with the defense of others should they succeed. While the nature of this trial may vary greatly, it will generally demand the initiate be subjected to bodily strain. This may include a test of combat upon perilous terrain, wilderness survival, or the slaying of a mighty foe. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀʟ ᴏꜰ ᴀʀᴄᴀᴛɪᴜꜱ The Trial of Arcatius shall demonstrate an initiate’s inner wisdom and capacity for thought, for of utmost importance to these vaunted elvenknights is their ability to be more than brute soldiers. Like the Trial of Body, this trial may assume a multitude of forms, though one will generally be expected to explore thought-provoking ideas such as scholarly works, the writing of literature, or their ability to engage philosophical or moral discourse in order to display their ability as a mind capable of guiding both themselves and others. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀʟ ᴏꜰ ᴠᴀʏᴀɴ The Trial of Vayan is oft the most profound and the most intimate, and may be shaped wholly by the mentor. Whether through the carrying of a burden for another, facing one’s fear, or a great act of service, this trial may call for acts of profound sacrifice, conviction, devotion, loyalty, or other tests of inner character. It is custom that this trial be silently awaited rather than pursued as a quest by the initiate, acting instead as a metaphor for one’s final act of sloth and the stillness of the spirit before they pursue a life of constant ambition. SPECIALTIES & TRAINING ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ While they are no less entrusted to wield their sword and shield valorously where it calls, the Myariran are held to unique and often prestigious specializations purposed to ensure precision above brute strength or spectacle. They are knights, yet they are the rangers of their kind in twain, taught in often discreet operations and methods of attack above all. Of these fields, there are six, each of which the Sulierir are expected to master without flaw in order to prove their own worth as well as ensure the Okarir in their stead are efficiently trained. Those who display inadequate mastery may either receive additional scrutiny from the High Prince or Sulierir, if not be outright stripped of their noble station among the order. ʜᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ & ᴘᴜʀꜱᴜɪᴛ ⇄ Foremost are the Myariran trained in the tracking of notable targets and beasts. It is their duty to recognize the patterns of their elusive foe in order to track their whereabouts, be it an errant hovel in the woods or hidden in plain sight amidst the safety of bustling capital walls. They shall be taught how to form connections among social circles and the art of cornering the fleeing, either in ongoing battlefield chases or cat-and-mouse pursuits. ʀᴀɴɢᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴍʙᴀᴛ ➴ While the sword is a fabled challenger as any, it is the bow, and not uncommonly crossbow, that is held to esteem among the arsenal of the Myariran. While they recognize it is not always the ideal contender, oft do they avoid engaging in close quarters where they can help, for it is to their conviction that the most lethal warrior is one that eludes the eyes. They shall be taught mounted archery, how to draw longbows, how to crank crossbows, as well as how to engage from afar. ᴡɪʟᴅ ᴀᴛᴛᴜɴᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ 𖧧 As they are not druids themselves, the Myariran attunement to nature is deeply practical rather than magical. They shall be taught local geography, mapping, charting of the lands, as well as how to conceal their movement among various terrains. It’s not uncommon that they may be made to navigate perilous obstacles in order to improve their sense of situational awareness. ɪɴꜰɪʟᴛʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ & ʀᴇᴄᴏɴɪꜱꜱᴀɴᴄᴇ 👁 Similarly, the Myariran are beacons of knowledge and intel. Those who display particular intellectual acumen may be tasked with the gathering and relaying of information, particularly through the observation of enemy circles up-close. Direct engagement is often prohibited in this field unless required to preserve mission success. ꜱᴘᴇᴇᴅ & ᴘʀᴇᴄɪꜱɪᴏɴ ༄ Myariran are expected to be able to cover vast swathes of land swiftly when needed, including the honing of repositioning, withdrawal, and foot chases. They are expected to maintain dexterity while adapting to a swiftly changing environment in order to outrun or keep up with swift-footed opponents. ꜰɪᴇʟᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ∴ For their often discreet style of combat, field communication is among their most critical of specialties. Methods are divided between wordless hand signals for when stealth has not been compromised, and verbal commands in Ancient Elven for when it is. Myariran shall be taught how to identify and pass information to each other in order to conceal intel or prevent revealing one’s position. RITES ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ᴏꜰ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ “ꜰɪɢʜᴛ, ꜰɪɢʜᴛ, ꜰɪɢʜᴛ ᴏ’ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀʟɪɴ.” Wisps of smoke scurry away from the glowing embers inside the brazier, the faint shadow of the amber-colored firepit stretching its long fingers across the cold stone floor. From atop the stairs comes the command from the crowned figure, simple yet epochal. “ᴋɴᴇᴇʟ.” A hooded figure emerges from the crowd, stormy-grey cloak flowing softly behind them with every padded step. They stand before the kneeling Inderir, an intricately crafted blade with a smooth chunk of Amber resting within the pommel produced from deep within the folds of their robes. There was no hesitation from the pupil as they grabbed the blade. Quickly did they unsheathe it, slicing into the palm of their left hand, held out and above the brazier. With a firm squeeze of the fist did several drops of ichor fall into the fire, sizzling as it came into contact with smoldering brazier below. Upon completing one’s trials, a Sulierir may deem an Inderir worthy of elevation as a fledged member of elMyariran. While it is hardly an elaborate ceremony, it is one of utmost gravity, as well as a turning point in many Elves’ lives. It should be noted that satisfying one’s prerequisites or the three trials does not guarantee elevation, and an Inderir may be subject to further scrutiny should conflicts of interest arise. Be it upon a victorious battlefield or princely halls, it is often a public and sometimes spontaneous ceremony traditionally held before the grace of the High Prince, though its sanctity remains undiminished regardless of time or place. Members of the order shall assemble before a smoldering brazier, the Inderir initiate kneeling at its foot with their signature weapon of choice. The Sulierir shall guide them to recite the oaths and tenets of the order, head bowed in reverence, fealty, and service to the High Prince and subsequently those of Elvenkind. Upon completion, they shall stand and be instructed to open their palm, where they shall score it through with a blade and allow the blood to drip into the flames of the brazier. The Sulierir shall then brush atop their brow a crescent smudge of ash, such an exchange signifying the initiate’s surrender of the self and sacrifice to the High Prince, elMyumier’tir, and the whole of Elvendom. Lastly, often in accord with the Inderir’s mentor shall the Sulerir bestow an epithet known as a Mantle Name. Not chosen nor bestowed liberally, this title often reflects one’s most emblazoned virtue, deed, or strength of character as a standard by which they shall be future measured. Traditionally assuming Ancient Elven, all translations bear the honorific prefix “ah-”, and seed word descriptor “ito” which denotes status, style, and essence of being. Examples include… Ser Galahad the Good → ahGalahad ito Ayla Ser Maeth the Mighty → ahMaeth ito Ceru Ser Moriaen the Merciful → ahMoriaen ito Myarir In formal settings, it’s not uncommon that an Okarir will be referred to exclusively by their Mantle Name, or by their honorific prefix and given name alone. However, as these names are often bestowed with virtue and respect, too can they be tarnished for shame and indignity. Okarir who stand in violation of their sacred oaths, betray their brethren or the order as a whole, may see their title revoked, or in particularly egregious cases, changed to reflect that of their vice. One who was known for their bravery shall be known for their cowardice, or one who was known for their honesty shall then be known for their lies. ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇᴘᴀʀᴛᴜʀᴇ “ᴍᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀʏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ʙʟᴇꜱꜱɪɴɢ…” Fire crackled loudly amidst the silent congregation, flame licking softly at the wooden pyre built in the middle of the shaded canopy on the outskirts of the Deepwoods. Neither elf nor beast dared break the dreaded stillness of those gathered, the grief palpable and inescapable. The stacked boughs of the pyre creaked in protest as the flame began to consume it, creeping slowly toward the shrouded figure resting in the centermost position of their final resting place. There were no grand speeches, nor was there time to tell tales of victory, there would be time enough to write songs and books another day. Only silence followed. After some time did many of those gathered begin to make their way back to the City of Solitude in search of respite from the pain, ready to eat, drink or pray their sorrow away. Yet a select few did stand there wordlessly watching as their brethren, a bond forged in the crucible of combat, made their way to Malin’s Amber Halls. Tears rolled freely down the face of the staunch warriors who stood guard over the fallen, but no hands raised to wipe them away. There was no shame in their emotions, for they were now deprived of one of the best of Malin’s kin. For a time their charge was simple, though no weight was lifted from their shoulders. Those of the Myariran take the passing of their own with the utmost intensity and respect, doing all they can to honor the fallen and ensure their legacy and teachings are carried forward to future generations. All who have undergone the Oath Eternal, lest they have tarnished their name during their service, are given a funeral in accordance with the way of the order. Traditionally started beneath the canopy of the Widow’s Peak, the final resting place of many respected Elven leaders and warriors alike, the Rite of Departure is an incredibly somber affair that from start to finish will often last for days, putting the Princedom into a state of reflection and self-evaluation. The rite starts with the disposal of the fallen members body, their body enshrouded by a plain cloth and set ablaze in a great pyre. There are no speeches given, and hardly any words are spoken at all. Some chose to pray softly to themselves, their words hardly audible to those beside them, though most stand in silence as they let their thoughts roam. It is seen as a time to meditate on what it means to be Myariran, understanding the burden one carries as a member of the Order in their attempts to follow in Malin's footsteps. While those not of the Myariran are allowed to attend this funeral they are all but explicitly forbidden from speaking, though they are not required to stay for the duration of the entire burial. Members of the Order stand silently until the fire has become a smoldering pile of ash and soot, where they shall kneel and place their thumb into the ash before them and smear it upon their forehead just as it was once placed there during their initiation. They shall not wipe the ash from their brow until the conclusion of the Rytes, carrying the fallen with them for the duration. A sole Sulierir will fill an urn that has been engraved with intricate designs that tell the story of the Myarir’s life. These designs allude to the victories, feats of the Myariran and are meant to be an artistic history on the individual. It is taken deep within the crypts to rest, a present reminder to the rich Mali history. It is hereon that the city shall enter a period of mourning, colloquially known as the Long Vigil. Observed for a period of one year, or one elven-week, all citizens are expected to behave in accordance with the solemnity of the occasion and thereby neglect revelry, disorderly conduct, unruly speech, or other acts that are perceived to squander the legacy of the fallen. An excess of public crowds may be monitored, and city gates will often remain closed in order to ensure peace during this period of vigil — all of which enforced by the Myariran. It is the rare, and perhaps only instance in which they wield such authority over those they’re beholden to protect. All lights within the city would be dimmed, if not entirely unlit, casting a shadow upon the City of Solitude in her time of sorrow. At the end of this one year period, and the lifting of the Long Vigil, tradition calls for a city-wide gathering where food, drink, stories and praise is readily shared, primarily centered around the deceased Myar. While this feast does not share in the same somber tone the rest of the Long Vigil calls for, it is still a time of remembrance and not an outright joyous affair. Here would be a more proper time for Myariran and non-Myariran alike to come together and share their memories to ensure the dead are not forgotten. THE OATH ETERNAL ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ɪ ꜱᴡᴇᴀʀ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ’ꜱ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀʟɪɴ, ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ ꜰᴇᴀʀ, ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ʙᴇ ɪɴꜱᴛᴇᴀᴅ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴏɴᴇ ʜᴀɴᴅ ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ꜱʜɪᴇʟᴅ ᴍʏ ᴋɪɴ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴍᴀʟɪᴄᴇ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴏᴜᴛꜱᴛʀᴇᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ʟᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏꜱᴘᴇʀɪᴛʏ, ʜᴇʀᴇ ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ꜱᴇʀᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ, ʜᴇʀᴇ ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ᴅɪᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ʙʟᴇꜱꜱᴇᴅ ʙᴇ ᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇʀꜱ, ᴋᴀᴇ ʜᴀᴇʟᴇʀᴇ, ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪ ꜱᴡᴇᴀʀ. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

E L V E N K N I G H T S O F M A L I N “ᴇʟᴠᴇɴᴋɪɴᴅ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ɴᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴꜱʜᴀᴋᴇᴀʙʟᴇ ᴇᴅɪꜰɪᴄᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴘʀᴇꜱᴜᴍᴇ. ɪɴ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ, ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴏꜰᴛᴇɴ ɴᴏᴛ. ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʙʏ ʟɪꜱᴛʟᴇꜱꜱ ʜᴀʙɪᴛ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛᴇɴᴄʏ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴇʀᴇʟʏ ꜱᴛᴜʙʙᴏʀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰʀᴀɢɪʟᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴀʏꜱ, ᴏᴜᴛʀɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴꜱᴜꜰꜰᴇʀᴀʙʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀɪᴅᴇꜰᴜʟ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀꜱᴛ, ʏᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜱɪꜱᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ꜱᴘɪᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛ. ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴀᴅᴏx ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴀɴꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴏʟᴠᴇ, ʏᴇᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴄʀɪᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛᴏ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴄʀᴇᴅ ᴅᴜᴛʏ ʀᴇǫᴜɪʀᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴡɪʟʟɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢᴜɪᴅᴇ ᴀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ɢᴜɪᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ.” — Evar’tir Oranor, High Prince of Amaethea ORIGIN ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ It is beyond dispute that those who claim the blood of Malin, and in turn pride themselves as Caurosian, are charged with the sacred duty of upholding elMyumier’tir for the betterment of themselves and their elven brethren. While these elves would labor to uphold the mantle of dignity their ancestors sometimes did not, even gravely neglecting it, no less insidious is the vice of apathy. So pervasive has this vice proven that ancient elven philosophers would eventually theorize elves were the only of the descendant races to be afflicted with two Ibleesian curses: one of infertility, and one of sloth. It was for this sloth that elves were perceived to toil on earthly sorrow, lamenting the absence of their forefather and suffering a slow decline of His reverential teachings. That was until High Prince Galahad Ilumrin brought His teachings to the denizens of Caurost, who recognized that the will of Malin could not be entrusted to personal conviction alone. For never had there been indication or prophecy of His return, His vision and will would need to be carried out by His children. Home to Caras Siol is this order of elven elites sworn to defend the ideals of Malin, Myumiaran Law, and Elvenkind as a whole to their dying breath. It is the duty of these vaunted elites to guard the future of Mali where those who do not dedicate their lives to martial prowess and cultural vigilance fall ever short, and labor towards seeing the August King’s fabled glory restored among Elvenkind as both the enforcer and protector of His vision. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ɢᴏᴏᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡɪᴄᴋᴇᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴠᴀʟᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴄᴏᴡᴀʀᴅɪᴄᴇ. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ɪɴᴅᴜʟɢᴇɴᴄᴇ. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴏɴᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ꜱᴄᴏʀɴ. ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴠɪɢɪʟᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴜɴᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴᴛʏ. THE CHARGES ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ It is understood by those of elMyariran that the memory of the August King has suffered neglect among modern elves, their ancestry dimmed by the fading of his veneration. Spoken of only in passing, dismissive verse or indifferent prose, his teachings are perceived to fall upon the deaf ears of scarred souls. It is for this plight that the wisdom of Malin lends its shape to the codes that guide the order, indisposable and absolute to those noble in their cause, for it is He whom Elvenkind owes their ancestral birthright. Of these truths, there are seven. ⤜ Drink not of blackened craft, and let no shadow rule thy heart. ⤜ Of the lost shall you guide, of the the frail shall you lift, and of the weak shall you guard. ⤜ As light on water shall you walk, and leave your path more radiant than before you crossed. ⤜ With warning shall your steel draw, and with mercy shall your strikes land. ⤜ Of still spirits shall you scorn, and steeper the path shall you walk. ⤜ With words tamed shall you speak, and as starry moonlight shall you heal. ⤜The August King shall you defend, and by His will shall you illuminate Elvenkind. STRUCTURE & HIERARCHY ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ As a direct representation of the pinnacle of Elven swordsmanship, culture, and courage, the Myariran are not led by a single figurehead, but rather a small handpicked council of peers who best represents the values of Myumiaran Law and the will of Malin. Beyond the single honorific, the bonds of brotherhood run strong through the order, all are equal and treated as such. All whose hard work leads them to the Oath Eternal are welcomed into Malins Amber Halls for eternity, his warmth ever present. SULIERIR ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʟɪᴛᴇ Recognized by their iconic silvered regalia, the Sulierir are the highest echelon of the Myariran, second only to the High Prince himself. It is for their prestige, excellence, and acclaim that they are among the elite of the elite, charged with ensuring the order’s guarding hand extends into lands of turmoil and strife among Elvenkind while guiding the Okarir and Inderir in their stead towards stability. While their duties are many, firstmost are they a bastion of stability to the order, tasked with the oversight of day to day operations and the guidance of the Okarir and Inderir. Second, they are a front of wisdom through which they ensure both Myumiaran Law and the will of Malin is well understood and readily shared among their peers. Often they work in direct concord with the High Prince, each acting as his personal sword and shield in the capacity of royal guards, operating even above local military authority. Not unlike the Immortal Triad of Malin, the Sulierir exist as a council of three. While none of which assume command over one another, their authority over the order is absolute and all three are beholden to the will and word of the High Prince. OKARIR ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴜʟᴡᴀʀᴋ Recognized by their distinct bronze regalia, the Okarir are the backbone of the order, being among those who have proven themselves as both exemplars of Myumiaran law and as protectors of Elvenkind, chosen to have undergone the ascension rites. Armed with minds no less sharp than their blades, it is these noble warriors that stand as elites among Elvenkind and brethren among one another. Be it quests of errantry or raising banners upon the battlefield, the Okarir are fearless in their approach to worldly turmoil and the Oaths Eternal. They seldom hold themselves to one specific station, their foremost responsibility protecting the sanctity of Myumiaran Law and the will of Malin, often seeking out wickedness and cowardice where it festers. Their eyes remain ever open, scouting for recruits and searching for latent potential hidden amongst elvenkind. It’s not uncommon that the Okarir will band with one another to explore uncharted lands in search of devilry, or even pursue elven academia as custodians of knowledge-seeking. Traditionally, each Okarir is known to assume no more than one Inderir at a time, though this is merely customary rather than codified, and may vary depending on the aptitude and potential of recruits they cross. INDERIR ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴɪᴛɪᴀᴛᴇ Entrusted with no uniform yet, the Inderir are both the apprentices and future of the order, but not yet privy to the sanctity of the oaths. They are the students, the newly blooded, the fledgling warriors. It is at this station that the prospective elites prove their mettle to the Sulierir and High Prince through the shadowing of their superiors and tireless study of Myumiaran Law and Elven culture. Entrusted to the mentorship of the Okarir, it is at this rank in which prospective elves pursue prerequisite evaluation by the Sulierir, though central to their station being the pursuit of the Trials of Mind, Body, and Spirit. They lend their days to instruction, observation, and training in the shadow of their mentor, and may be expected to assist with both internal and external affairs of the order at times. They’re afforded no uniform nor emblem at this rank, for it is in the shadow of the Okarir alone that they study. Arguably, it is under this station through which they suffer the most scrutiny and judgement, which may measure their etiquette, how they answer to hardship, or conduct themselves in the face of upset. It’s not uncommon that this rank is idled for years until one proves their readiness. TRIALS ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Oceanside gales roll through the serene lands of Ame’miruelan. Little pine needles and thimbles of pinecones fall overhead a protruding precipice, sat upon by a noble spire of mossy stone and blooming ivy. At its front does the piercing trill of clashing metal reverberate beneath a stone arch, where two duelists clash upon a platform; one of silver, and one of bronze. The silvered knight lands a clever parry on the bronze knight, sending him stumbling towards the edge of their platform that watches with radiance over the valley below. The silvered knight looked upon his student, gaze heavy with neither scorn nor satisfaction. He extends a hand, only then granting a smile to his fallen opponent. “leyuan,” says the silvered knight. “ehya, your footing is stiff; you are like a wintry tree, brittle and stiff. Get up, the fight shall be long! Again!” Before an elf may be considered a knight of the order, they must first satisfy tutelage beneath an existing member of the order as an Inderir. This member, designating themselves as both guardian and mentor, shall guide the Inderir through three rigorous trials that are each devised to test the fruit of their character, spirit, and virtue. ᴘʀᴇʀᴇǫᴜɪꜱɪᴛᴇꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴜᴛᴇʟᴀɢᴇ The aspiring Inderir must… ⤜ Be of pure elven descent ⤜ Demonstrate martial skill, bodily health, and feats of endurance ⤜ Display intellectual acumen such as problem-solving and analysis ⤜ Be of a morally sound and noble character ⤜ Receive sponsorship by an existing Sulerir, who affirms their worthiness Those who satisfy this criteria shall then assume study under the guidance of their mentor, of which they shall shoulder a small range of responsibilities. These may range from aiding their teacher on missions, studying Myumiaran Law and elven history, or practicing combat tactic and prowess. This period typically lasts for two to three years, depending on the aptitude and age of the initiate. Should one pass their prerequisite phase with approval from an existing Sulierir, they will then be called upon to undergo three trials: one of the mind, one of the body, and one of the spirit. While these trials obey a trifecta of overarching principles and themes, they are not binding in nature, and may be tailored to the nature of both the mentor and initiate in question in order to encourage identity and personalized paths undertaken by each. It should be noted that while these trials are somewhat freeform, it remains no less critical to the Okarir that the trials they distribute are not forgiving, for failure to truly test an initiate’s aptitude through rigorous trial may result in the indefinite revocation of mentorship by a Sulierir. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀʟ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀʀᴇᴛʜᴜɴ - The Body The Trial of Marethun is meant to measure an initiate’s merit of physical strength, endurance, and combat instinct. The initiate is tasked with demonstrating their martial ability and resilience under rigorous circumstances, as they shall be entrusted with the defense of others should they succeed. While the nature of this trial may vary greatly, it will generally demand the initiate be subjected to bodily strain. This may include a test of combat upon perilous terrain, wilderness survival, or the slaying of a mighty foe. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀʟ ᴏꜰ ᴀʀᴄᴀᴛɪᴜꜱ - The Mind The Trial of Arcatius shall demonstrate an initiate’s inner wisdom and capacity for thought, for of utmost importance to these vaunted elvenknights is their ability to be more than brute soldiers. Like the Trial of Body, this trial may assume a multitude of forms, though one will generally be expected to explore thought-provoking ideas such as scholarly works, the writing of literature, or their ability to engage philosophical or moral discourse in order to display their ability as a mind capable of guiding both themselves and others. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀʟ ᴏꜰ ᴠᴀʏᴀɴ - The Spirit The Trial of Vayan is oft the most profound and the most intimate, and may be shaped wholly by the mentor. Whether through the carrying of a burden for another, facing one’s fear, or a great act of service, this trial may call for acts of profound sacrifice, conviction, devotion, loyalty, or other tests of inner character. It is custom that this trial be silently awaited rather than pursued as a quest by the initiate, acting instead as a metaphor for one’s final act of sloth and the stillness of the spirit before they pursue a life of constant ambition. SPECIALTIES & TRAINING ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ While they are no less entrusted to wield their sword and shield valorously where it calls, the Myariran are held to unique and often prestigious specializations purposed to ensure precision above brute strength or spectacle. They are knights, yet they are the rangers of their kind in twain, taught in often discreet operations and methods of attack above all. Of these fields, there are six, each of which the Sulierir are expected to master without flaw in order to prove their own worth as well as ensure the Okarir in their stead are efficiently trained. Those who display inadequate mastery may either receive additional scrutiny from the High Prince or Sulierir, if not be outright stripped of their noble station among the order. ʜᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ & ᴘᴜʀꜱᴜɪᴛ ⇄ Foremost are the Myariran trained in the tracking of notable targets and beasts. It is their duty to recognize the patterns of their elusive foe in order to track their whereabouts, be it an errant hovel in the woods or hidden in plain sight amidst the safety of bustling capital walls. They shall be taught how to form connections among social circles and the art of cornering the fleeing, either in ongoing battlefield chases or cat-and-mouse pursuits. ʀᴀɴɢᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴍʙᴀᴛ ➴ While the sword is a fabled challenger as any, it is the bow, and not uncommonly crossbow, that is held to esteem among the arsenal of the Myariran. While they recognize it is not always the ideal contender, oft do they avoid engaging in close quarters where they can help, for it is to their conviction that the most lethal warrior is one that eludes the eyes. They shall be taught mounted archery, how to draw longbows, how to crank crossbows, as well as how to engage from afar. ᴡɪʟᴅ ᴀᴛᴛᴜɴᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ 𖧧 As they are not druids themselves, the Myariran attunement to nature is deeply practical rather than magical. They shall be taught local geography, mapping, charting of the lands, as well as how to conceal their movement among various terrains. It’s not uncommon that they may be made to navigate perilous obstacles in order to improve their sense of situational awareness. ɪɴꜰɪʟᴛʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ & ʀᴇᴄᴏɴɪꜱꜱᴀɴᴄᴇ 👁 Similarly, the Myariran are beacons of knowledge and intel. Those who display particular intellectual acumen may be tasked with the gathering and relaying of information, particularly through the observation of enemy circles up-close. Direct engagement is often prohibited in this field unless required to preserve mission success. ꜱᴘᴇᴇᴅ & ᴘʀᴇᴄɪꜱɪᴏɴ ༄ Myariran are expected to be able to cover vast swathes of land swiftly when needed, including the honing of repositioning, withdrawal, and foot chases. They are expected to maintain dexterity while adapting to a swiftly changing environment in order to outrun or keep up with swift-footed opponents. ꜰɪᴇʟᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ∴ For their often discreet style of combat, field communication is among their most critical of specialties. Methods are divided between wordless hand signals for when stealth has not been compromised, and verbal commands in Ancient Elven for when it is. Myariran shall be taught how to identify and pass information to each other in order to conceal intel or prevent revealing one’s position. RITES ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ᴏꜰ ᴀꜱᴄᴇɴꜱɪᴏɴ “ꜰɪɢʜᴛ, ꜰɪɢʜᴛ, ꜰɪɢʜᴛ ᴏ’ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴀʟɪɴ.” Wisps of smoke scurry away from the glowing embers inside the brazier, the faint shadow of the amber-colored firepit stretching its long fingers across the cold stone floor. From atop the stairs comes the command from the crowned figure, simple yet epochal. “ᴋɴᴇᴇʟ.” A hooded figure emerges from the crowd, stormy-grey cloak flowing softly behind them with every padded step. They stand before the kneeling Inderir, an intricately crafted blade with a smooth chunk of Amber resting within the pommel produced from deep within the folds of their robes. There was no hesitation from the pupil as they grabbed the blade. Quickly did they unsheathe it, slicing into the palm of their left hand, held out and above the brazier. With a firm squeeze of the fist did several drops of ichor fall into the fire below, sizzling as it came into contact with smoldering brazier below. Upon completing one’s trials, a Sulierir may deem an Inderir worthy of elevation as a fledged member of elMyariran. While it is hardly an elaborate ceremony, it is one of utmost gravity, as well as a turning point in many Elves’ lives. It should be noted that satisfying one’s prerequisites or the three trials does not guarantee elevation, and an Inderir may be subject to further scrutiny should conflicts of interest arise. Be it upon a victorious battlefield or princely halls, it is often a public and sometimes spontaneous ceremony traditionally held before the grace of the High Prince, though its sanctity remains undiminished regardless of time or place. Members of the order shall assemble before a smoldering brazier, the Inderir initiate kneeling at its foot with their signature weapon of choice. The Sulierir shall guide them to recite the oaths and tenets of the order, head bowed in reverence, fealty, and service to the High Prince and subsequently those of Elvenkind. Upon completion, they shall stand and be instructed to open their palm, where they shall score it through with a blade and allow the blood to drip into the flames of the brazier. The Sulierir shall then brush atop their brow a crescent smudge of ash, such an exchange signifying the initiate’s surrender of the self and sacrifice to the High Prince, elMyumier’tir, and the whole of Elvendom. Lastly, often in accord with the Inderir’s mentor shall the Sulerir bestow an epithet known as a Mantle Name. Not chosen nor bestowed liberally, this title often reflects one’s most emblazoned virtue, deed, or strength of character as a standard by which they shall be future measured. Traditionally assuming Ancient Elven, all translations bear the honorific prefix “ah-”, and seed word descriptor “ito” which denotes status, style, and essence of being. Examples include… Ser Galahad the Good → ahGalahad ito Ayla Ser Maeth the Mighty → ahMaeth ito Ceru Ser Moriaen the Merciful → ahMoriaen ito Myarir In formal settings, it’s not uncommon that an Okarir will be referred to exclusively by their Mantle Name, or by their honorific prefix and given name alone. However, as these names are often bestowed with virtue and respect, too can they be tarnished for shame and indignity. Okarir who stand in violation of their sacred oaths, betray their brethren or the order as a whole, may see their title revoked, or in particularly egregious cases, changed to reflect that of their vice. One who was known for their bravery shall be known for their cowardice, or one who was known for their honesty shall then be known for their lies. ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇᴘᴀʀᴛᴜʀᴇ “ᴍᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀʏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ʙʟᴇꜱꜱɪɴɢ…” Fire crackled loudly amidst the silent congregation, flame licking softly at the wooden pyre built in the middle of the shaded canopy on the outskirts of the Deepwoods. Neither elf nor beast dared break the dreaded stillness of those gathered, the grief palpable and inescapable. The stacked boughs of the pyre creaked in protest as the flame began to consume it, creeping slowly toward the shrouded figure resting in the centermost position of their final resting place. There were no grand speeches, nor was there time to tell tales of victory, there would be time enough to write songs and books another day. Only silence followed. After some time did many of those gathered begin to make their way back to the City of Solitude in search of respite from the pain, ready to eat, drink or pray their sorrow away. Yet a select few did stand there wordlessly watching as their brethren, a bond forged in the crucible of combat, made their way to Malin’s Amber Halls. Tears rolled freely down the face of the staunch warriors who stood guard over the fallen, but no hands raised to wipe them away. There was no shame in their emotions, for they were now deprived of one of the best of Malin’s kin. For a time their charge was simple, though no weight was lifted from their shoulders. Those of the Myariran take the passing of their own with the utmost intensity and respect, doing all they can to honor the fallen and ensure their legacy and teachings are carried forward to future generations. All who have undergone the Oath Eternal, lest they have tarnished their name during their service, are given a funeral in accordance with the way of the order. Traditionally started beneath the canopy of the Widow’s Peak, the final resting place of many respected Elven leaders and warriors alike, the Rite of Departure is an incredibly somber affair that from start to finish will often last for days, putting the Princedom into a state of reflection and self-evaluation. The rite starts with the disposal of the fallen members body, their body enshrouded by a plain cloth and set ablaze in a great pyre. There are no speeches given, and hardly any words are spoken at all. Some chose to pray softly to themselves, their words hardly audible to those beside them, though most stand in silence as they let their thoughts roam. It is seen as a time to meditate on what it means to be Myariran, understanding the burden one carries as a member of the Order in their attempts to follow in Malin's footsteps. While those not of the Myariran are allowed to attend this funeral they are all but explicitly forbidden from speaking, though they are not required to stay for the duration of the entire burial. Members of the Order stand silently until the fire has become a smoldering pile of ash and soot, where they shall kneel and place their thumb into the ash before them and smear it upon their forehead just as it was once placed there during their initiation. They shall not wipe the ash from their brow until the conclusion of the Rytes, carrying the fallen with them for the duration. A sole Sulierir will fill an urn that has been engraved with intricate designs that tell the story of the Myariran’s life. These designs allude to the victories, feats of the Myariran and are meant to be an artistic history on the individual. It is taken deep within the crypts to rest, a present reminder to the rich Mali history. It is hereon that the city shall enter a period of mourning, colloquially known as the Long Vigil. Observed for a period of one year, or one elven-week, all citizens are expected to behave in accordance with the solemnity of the occasion and thereby neglect revelry, disorderly conduct, unruly speech, or other acts that are perceived to squander the legacy of the fallen. An excess of public crowds may be monitored, and city gates will often remain closed in order to ensure peace during this period of vigil — all of which enforced by the Myariran. It is the rare, and perhaps only instance in which they wield such authority over those they’re beholden to protect. All lights within the city would be dimmed, if not entirely unlit, casting a shadow upon the City of Solitude in her time of sorrow. At the end of this one year period, and the lifting of the Long Vigil, tradition calls for a city-wide gathering where food, drink, stories and praise is readily shared, primarily centered around the deceased Myariran. While this feast does not share in the same somber tone the rest of the Long Vigil calls for, it is still a time of remembrance and not an outright joyous affair. Here would be a more proper time for Myariran and non-Myariran alike to come together and share their memories to ensure the dead are not forgotten. THE OATH ETERNAL ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ɪ ꜱᴡᴇᴀʀ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ’ꜱ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀʟɪɴ, ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ ꜰᴇᴀʀ, ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ʙᴇ ɪɴꜱᴛᴇᴀᴅ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴏɴᴇ ʜᴀɴᴅ ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ꜱʜɪᴇʟᴅ ᴍʏ ᴋɪɴ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴍᴀʟɪᴄᴇ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴏᴜᴛꜱᴛʀᴇᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ʟᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏꜱᴘᴇʀɪᴛʏ, ʜᴇʀᴇ ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ꜱᴇʀᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ, ʜᴇʀᴇ ɪ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ᴅɪᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ʙʟᴇꜱꜱᴇᴅ ʙᴇ ᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇʀꜱ, ᴋᴀᴇ ʜᴀᴇʟᴇʀᴇ, ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪ ꜱᴡᴇᴀʀ. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰⋆⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Username: Unwillingly Character Name: Galahad Ilumrin Affiliation: Principality of Caurost Desired Rank: Vanguard Which games will you be attending?: The Battle of Eldmyr

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—— E L V E S O F T H E S K Y —— “ɪᴛ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏꜱᴍᴏꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀᴛʜ. ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀᴜɢʜɪɴɢ ᴡɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ɢᴜɪᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ ɪɴ ɪᴛꜱ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ, ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜɪᴍᴍᴇʀɪɴɢ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ ᴡʜᴏ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ᴍᴀᴘ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʟʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴏᴜʟ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛʏ ꜱᴜɴ ᴡʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴡᴀʀᴍᴛʜ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ʟᴏɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴏʙʟᴇ ꜱᴋʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱʜᴀʟʟ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴀʟʟ.” —Urosir, the First Augur ᴘʀᴇʟᴜᴅᴇ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · ᴏᴠᴇʀᴠɪᴇᴡ Home to the the far-reaching heights of Azuras’ many mountains and cliffside heights dwell a peaceful diaspora of elven folk known as the Acaele’onn, or Elves of the Sky. Sworn to a life of pacifism, spirituality, and harmony, the Sky Elves are best defined by their peaceful yet vibrant outlook on life, as well as their sacred practice of augury, or sky divination. At the heart of their beliefs lies the unequivocle truth that Malin dwells not among descendants in the material plane, but in the heavens above, through which earthly divination may be used to one day find him. While the origin of their beliefs are largely unknown, some suspect them to be the product of cultural diffusion as a subculture of ancient Lye’naeran elves. ᴠᴏᴄᴀʙᴜʟᴀʀʏ Acaele’onn . . . . . . . . . . Elves of the Sky. lit - Born of the Sky Sumana . . . . . . . . . . . . Savant, one specialized in a particular field, referring to Augur Aeth’nor . . . . . . . . . . . .Where Malin is believed to dwell, a domain beyond the veil Sulieraeth . . . . . . . . . . .The practice of sky divination, or charting Aeth’nor Talar . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The celestial veil which separates the Material Plane from Aeth’nor ito’Hileia . . . . . . . . . . . Refers to the inner peace necessary to master Sulieraeth elTayna’tir. . . . . . . . . . Laws of Life, refers to the core truths upon which Acaele’onn beliefs are founded ᴏʀɪɢɪɴꜱ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · The Acael’onn are believed to have emerged after the fall of Malinor as a subculture of ancient Lye’naeran elves, each defined by their monotheistic beliefs and their devout sense of spiritual reverence. Some modern Acael’onn Augurs claim their ancestors once served among Malin’s court as a devoted council of soothsayers and clairvoyants, who worked in cooperation with the druids to interpret prophecy and fortune in tandem with the natural balance of the world. While their exact origins are unknown, it is said they diffused as a distinct group either before, during, or after the Acaelanite and Lye’naeran schisms that unfolded shortly after the fall of Malinor. Whether they actively partook in those conflicts or simply rejected them is unclear, as the Acaele’onn have labored tirelessly to conceal the secrets of their history ever since. It is for this reason that their ancestry is shrouded in mystery, for there exists many gaps and unexplained time jumps in their timeline in what few records there are of them. At some point, it was understood that the Acaele’onn distanced themselves from their high elven, wood elven, and dark elven cousins, as they followed neither Larihei, the Aspects, or Velulaei. Some historians suggest that they feared persecution or hostility from their brethren and withdrew themselves from elven societies entirely, as the Lye’naeran had once experienced with the Acaelanites. This withdrawal allowed them to further refine their spiritual practices in isolation, which would eventually develop into a culture that alike modern Acaele’onn elves. ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄꜱ & ꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴜʀᴇꜱ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · As a deeply spirited and and harmonic people, their values leave little room for worldly politics, law, or conventional government. For it, they have evolved into a deeply isolationist people who separate themselves from the turmoil of the world and elven brethren below. While they are not at all hostile in character, their cultural and social detachment to these conventional systems can sometimes be misinterpreted as haughtiness by other elves, if not outright supremacy. It is rare for the Acaele’onn to ascend from their skyward abodes without necessity, favoring instead the calm of their mountainous homes. They look upon the world below often as a land divorced from their own, which may disturb the spirit if idled in for too long. Monetary exchange has little meaning to them, though they acknowledge coin as a legitimate currency among other societies nonetheless. It is for their pacifist outlook that their society maintains a strict aversion to conventional weapons. The rejection of metal or bladed arms is believed to be rooted in their preference for the natural world, resulting in most of their weaponcraft being made from wood, bone, or stone, yet even so are the possession of weapons regarded as taboo. Most often, arms are left at home when within their sanctuaries, and are only wielded in the rare event they travel beyond their mountainous dwellings. Though it is rare for them to permit entry to outsiders, the few who enter are made to relinquish all arms on their person in order to protect the peace of their community. It’s important to note that these elves do not engage in traditional politics such as alliances, military, government, or law, Their society is largely without internal hierarchy beyond the spiritual authority of the Augurs, who are often the closest thing they have to leaders. It’s unclear how Augurs assume their roles, but most believe it’s a role often bestowed by the legitimacy and respect of others rather than self-imposed or elected. In some Acaele’onn cultures, there may be only one Augur at a time, while others may be led by a small council, or even an undefined conglomerate that pursue augury together. CULTURE ʙᴇʟɪᴇꜰꜱ & ᴠᴀʟᴜᴇꜱ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · Laws of Life At the heart of Acaele’onn culture lies three core truths upon which their society is founded, called the Laws of Life or elTayna’tir: ʜᴀʀᴍᴏɴʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀꜱꜱɪᴏɴ ᴄᴜʟᴛɪᴠᴀᴛᴇꜱ ɪɴɴᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ. ɪɴɴᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ ʙʀɪɴɢꜱ ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʏ. ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴍᴀʏ ᴍᴀʟɪɴ ʙᴇ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ. While their exact origins are unknown, many believe them to be rooted in the teachings of ancient Lye’naeran philosophers, passed down through centuries into the development of present-day Acaele’onn beliefs. While Augury on a practical level may reflect observation of the skies, similarly does it reflect a mastery of the self and one’s inner peace, or what they sometimes call “ito’Hileia” in written texts. It is believed that elven spirit is metaphysically interwoven with the heavens, such that the troubled souls of many may bring grey skies or even tamper with the readings of Augurs if not quelled. There exist an array of symbolic icons within Acaele’onn culture, three being most prominent. Among them, birds act as an almost reverential symbol of freedom and discovery, possessing the free-spirits and aspiration these elves seek to attain. To cage or domesticate a bird is highly frowned upon within their society, for both their compassionate outlook on life as well as the metaphorical implications of imprisoning one’s spirit. The winds, often present in their high-reaching altitudes, are thought of as conduits of knowledge and guidance believed to carry messages from distant lands. There even exist ancient texts that arrest to the belief that strong winds are fae spirits sent by Malin in order to guide Augurs to him, though this is unconfirmed and has devolved largely into a folktale among their culture. Lastly, there exist a small triad of pastels colors said to reflect best their harmonious values. Soft white, which represents the roiling clouds and hidden gales; pale yellow, which represents the warmth of the sun and compassion, and pastel blue, which represents the starry sky and moon. Central to their belief, however, is the conviction that Malin’s realm lies beyond the mortal coil. It is said that high above, there dwells a great and infinite celestial veil dividing descendants and the heavens, and that the shimmering stars at night are motes of divine light from His realm piercing through from the other side. To learning youth, it is often described as hiding beneath a blanket on a sunny day, and small dots of sunlight shaft through the gaps in the threadwork. It is said that to step past this veil is to enter the domain of the August King, whose realm is neither separate from nor located within the Material Plane. For this, they believe that divination acts both as a guide and conduit through which they may communicate with or chart the path to reach Malin above. ᴄʟɪᴍᴀᴛᴇ & ᴀʀᴄʜɪᴛᴇᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · Bound to no one geographic region alone, the Acaele’onn are historically known to host their people in most reaches of the world, for their presence is rooted in altitude above environment. It is the dry, arid peaks of desert boulders, foggy jungle mountains, or icy snow caps that these elves traditionally settle, for it is to their belief that the thinner one’s boundary between the earthly realm and the skies, the closer one is to reaching Malin above. It’s uncommon that their sanctuaries utilize conventional city-walls, and may either be traversed freely, or are pitched upon unavigable plateaus instead. The nature of their architecture can heavily vary in material and composition, but tend to possess an airy, almost flowing quality to their designs that allows for wind gales to pass through, wood and sandstone being most traditional in their architecture. Although modern historians believe these materials were used for their ease of shaping or even their pale, harmonious tones, others argue it reflects a lifestyle that does not favor forceful labor or heavy construction, subsequently resulting in a people who do not possess the brute strength suited for such rigorous work. ᴀʀᴛ & ᴇɴᴛᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴᴍᴇɴᴛ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · Expression is a critical element of Acaele’onn lifestyle. Things such as artisan work, crafting, and clay sculpting are often delighted for their beauty, including both the craft of instruments and practice of music. A traditional game often played among youth is one dubbed Balance Bird, or metta’meracahe in Ancient Elven. In this game, two elves will assume narrow platforms within arms reach of each other, often being upright wooden logs, carved sandstone pillars, or even a horizontal wooden beam laid between two points, and attempt to throw the other off of their platform without losing their footing. Bare hands are standard, but they may sometimes utilize wooden staves as weapons. ᴅɪᴇᴛ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · As the Acaele’onn’s devotion to pacifism extends even to the consumption of animals, they possess an almost exclusively vegetarian diet. Rejecting a meat-based diet is viewed as an expression of compassion and flexibility, as they instead prefer a diet rich in plants, fruits, grains, vegetable, as well as some seasonal variations depending on the environment of their high-altitudes. It is for this diet, and their sometimes uncompromising environments, that they’ve become skilled agriculturists and farmers capable of cultivating small farms in even the steepest of landscapes. Similarly, alcohol is strictly prohibited among the Acaele’onn for their belief that it clouds the mind and disturbs the spirit, preferring instead herbal teas and fermented drinks made from fruits or flowers. ᴅᴀɪʟʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · It’s not uncommon that the Acaele’onn start their days before dawn, waking not long before the sun rises, as it’s believed to be an optimal time for sky observation, be it through tracking bird flight patterns, sunrise colors, or fading stars. Young elves are known to make study of dawn patterns under the guidance of the more adept Augurs, while others spend their time in meditation or pilates stretches. During the day, those who are not undergoing celestial study or are not Augurs themselves tend to the local farms or gardens, artisan work, as well as caring for the youth. Despite this relegation, these positions are hardly viewed as secondary or lower class, for the Acaele’onn are a strongly community-driven people who are happy to provide for one another if it means offering a helping hand. At sunset and night, Augurs will take to their spires and observation towers to study the starry sky, while families, adults, and youth are provided respite after a day’s restless work. It is often that they gather before small bonfires or braziers to share tales with one another, play games, or merely to enjoy the company of one another before they sleep. ᴇᴅᴜᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · While academics such as basic math, reading, and the sciences are taught on a baseline level to Acaele’onn youth, it is the teaching of compassion, wisdom, and spiritual oneness that encompass the crux of their teachings as opposed to rote memorization or equations. These subjects are oft confronted through abstract, philosophical inquiry or even ethical dilemma, not being uncommon that such teachings are interwoven into the arts such as music, dance, and design as means of understanding natural patterns. Children lucky enough to particularly excel in these fields may pursue sky divination under the wing of an Augur, while others go on to be taught agriculture, crafting, and visual arts. ꜰᴀꜱʜɪᴏɴ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · Freedom is a critical indicators of Acaele’onn fashion, for which they often embrace loose and free-flowing attire that scarcely constricts the body. Comfortable robes, wraps, and drapes dyed of pastel saffron, ochre, beige, or powder blue shades are traditional. In colder regions, layering is permitted, though generally prioritize flexibility and coverage rather than bulk. Jewelry is an adored element of fashion among their people as a motif of expression and art. Necklaces and bracelets are often made from beads crafted from ivory, agates, wood, or gemstones, of which they often wear several, typically either in spiritual reverence or familial connection. Talismans, rings, and even exotic gold piercings are common as well. Feathers are a rarity among their attire, as they reject harvesting or capturing birds for material value, and tend to forage for molted or wild feathers instead. On most occasions, however, they’re gifted to the Augurs as a token of luck and clarity for their readings. Among elves preparing to pursue true augury, it is traditional for one to shave their head as a sign of dedication to ito Hileia, as well as a detachment from one’s mortal coil. For most, this is temporary act, though some elves may choose to continue to shave their heads for life for further understanding of the heavents. ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ & ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘꜱ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · Language among the Acaele’onn can assume many forms, be it body language, sayings, or gestures. Open palms are a universal sign of trust, especially when each are placed abreast or over the heart and offered outward to one’s company, and may even be regarded as a traditional greeting among their people. Conversely, crossed arms or to address one while turned away is regarded as a sign of hostility, distrust, or confrontation. Feathers, rare they are among most Acaele’onn, while mostly gifted to the Augurs, are sometimes entrusted to others as a token of respect, adoration, or even love. Despite their spiritual worship, relationships are often temporal. Ceremony or formal engagement are unconventional for courtship, both of which are rare and sometimes even taboo, as partnerships are not bound by written contract. This is to say, wedding ceremonies are almost entirely unheard of, as well as the often binding conventions of “husband” or “wife.” While children are often under the gate of their guardians, it’s not uncommon for them to be entrusted to the guidance or wisdom of others due to the profound sense of community among their society. AUGURY ᴄʟᴏᴜᴅ ᴀᴜɢᴜʀʏ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · Cloud Divination is often taught to practicing Augurs from a young age, being one of the four methods by which they interpret the skies. Relying on three components such as shape, movement, and type, each carry significant distinctions and interpretative meaning. CATEGORY SHAPE INTERPRETATION TYPE Thin, wispy clouds Clarity, guidance, and serenity. The near future is gentle and forgiving. Small, patchy clouds Uncertainty, contemplation, and doubt. One should change their current path. Smooth, veil-like clouds Mystery, curiosity, and discovery. There is more than meets the eye. Feathery, low clouds Memory, regret, and longing. One feels burdened by the past. Low, fluffy clouds Potential, opportunity, and luck. The present is rich with potential if seized. Thick, roiling clouds Transformation, awakening, and vitality. One should prepare for challenge and trial. Low, flat clouds Guilt, stagnation, and despair. Sorrow and anguish loom not far. MOVEMENT Steadily moving with the wind Harmony, acceptance, and alignment. One’s spirit is in accordance with the natural world. Quickly moving with the wind Urgency, tenacity, and importance. Events will unfold quickly and leave little room for hesitation. Barely moving or suspended Reflection, introspection, and pause. One should turn their attention inward. Moving towards one another Reflection, introspection, and pause. One should turn their attention inward. Moving away from one another Conflict, division, and distrust. Individuals or groups shall soon diverge. Unpredictable movement Confusion, uncertainty, and disorder. Forces shall soon disrupt the natural harmony. SHAPE Hand Seeking, guidance, and connection. One is being beckoned towards something. Face Awareness, presence, and identity. Clarity lies within oneself or another. Wings Freedom, awakening, and ascent. One’s burdens shall soon lift. Bird Omen, discovery, and message. A great prophecy will reveal itself. Bridge Transition, crossing, and change. A divide may soon be overcome or resolved. Crown Revelation, divinity, and faith. Recognition or spiritual favor awaits. Eye Wisdom, perception, and understanding. Hidden knowledge shall soon reveal itself. Flame Energy, passion, and vibrancy. One’s spirit stirs. Path Journey, direction, and motivation. There lies a way forward. Tower Isolation, vigilance, and caution. One must stand stand apart to find clarity. ꜱᴛᴀʀ ᴀᴜɢᴜʀʏ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · Unlike Bird or Wind Divination, Star Divination is regarded as one of the most difficult forms of divination to master due to the challenging means with which one must track, recognize, and chart the cosmos. For centuries have the Acaele’onn attempted to uncover the mystery of constellations, many who believe these patterns to be the direct influence of Malin himself as visual cues through which they may reach Aeth’nor. Heial, the Halo A circular formation symbolizing order, unity, and justice. It lies roughly one hand south and one hand west of Raell. Bordering constellations are Berrlyth, Wehnor, and Silan. This constellation is most visible during the Grand Harvest, two hours after midnight. Silan, the Dueling Swords A converged formation symbolizing confrontation, strength, and conviction. It lies roughly three hands west and two hands north of Wehnor. Bordering constellations are Lentileyu, Celiame, and Heial. This constellation is most visible during Snow’s Maiden, one hour before midnight. Wehnor, the Wheat Sheaf A triangular formation symbolizing health, nourishment, and community. It lies roughly one hand south of Lentileyu. Bordering constellations are Silan, Rael, and Berrlyth. This constellation is most visible during the Deep Cold, at midnight. Taliyna, the Stag A v-shaped formation symbolizing grace, guardianship, and truth. It lies roughly two hands south and two hands west of Raell. Bordering constellations are Enet, Wehnor, and Lentileyu. This constellation is most visible during Snow’s Maiden, three hours before midnight. Lentileyu, the Lotus Flower An arc formation symbolizing inner peace, spirituality, and clarity. It lies roughly one hand north and one hand east of Celiame. Bordering constellations are Heial, Taliyna, and Berrlyth. This constellation is most visible during the Amber Cold, one hour after midnight. Enet, the Hourglass A rectangular cluster formation symbolizing balance, choice, and patience. It lies roughly four hands west of Silan. Bordering constellations are Wehnor, Heial, and Raell. This constellation is msot visible during Sun’s Smile, three hours after midnight. Celiame, the Sky Tree A branching formation that symbolizes memory, ancestry, and connection. It lies roughly five hands north of Berrlyth. Bordering constellations are Silan, Taliyna, and Lentileyu. This constellation is most visible during the month of the First Seed, three hours before midnight. Berrlyth, the Bow & Arrow A triangle formation symbolizing intent, focus, and readiness. It lies roughly one hand north and three hands west of Taliyna’s antlers. Bordering constellations are Taliyna, Heial, and Enet. This constellation is most visible during the Sun’s Smile, four hours before midnight. Raell, the Bamboo Reed A clustered formation symbolizing flexibility, endurance, and growth. It lies roughly three hands east and two hands north of Silan. Bordering constellations are Enet, Celiame, and Heial. This constellation is most visible during Malin’s Welcome, five hours after midnight. ʙɪʀᴅ ᴀᴜɢᴜʀʏ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · Bird Divination calls for the observation and recognition of birds, most of which observed are exclusively high-altitude fliers. While the Acaele’onn have studied many avian creatures despite their reservation in the mountains, there are eight which remain most prominent and witnessed in their environments. It’s difided into categories of movement and species, each carrying their own divine interpretation. SPECIES INTERPRETATION Eagle Freedom, strength, and spirit. One should remain open-minded in their path forward. Vulture Resourcefulness, opportunity, and versatility. There will soon be many choices to be made, choose wisely. Hawk Precision, accuracy, and wit. A ttest of readiness shall soon be confronted. Goose Community, expression, and joy. Good tidings lie ahead. Crane Patience, hospitality, and gentleness. Rewards shall soon come with mindfulness. Swan Family, grace, and serenity. Relationships and groups shall align favorably. Condor Isolation, observation, and journeying. One must be prepared for a change in circumstances. Stork Nurturing, luck, and new beginnings. One’s children shall be healthy for the foreseeable future. MOVEMENT INTERPRETATION Steadily gliding Clarity, peace, and gentleness. The future is optimistic. Weaving or fluttering Weakness, frailty, and hopelessness. One feels lost and seeks a guiding hand. Rapid and direct Ambition, purpose, and confrontation. The path ahead is plain and clear. Careful and cautious Anxiety, restlessness, and dread. One is troubled by inner conflict and turmoil. Erratic and jagged Frustration, inner conflict, and resentment. One’s spirit is burdened. Converging pairs Unity, bonding, and trust. Individuals may walk similar paths. Diverging pairs Mistrust, apprehension, and doubt. Individuals may encounter an unsteady path. Slowly circling Death, doom, and dark omen. Calamity shall soon reveal itself. Numbered flocks Community, support, and shared burden. The number of birds indicate the amount of involvement or outreach. ᴡɪɴᴅ ᴀᴜɢᴜʀʏ · ───── 𖤓 ───── · Unlike Cloud and Star Divination, Wind Divination is among the easiest of divinations to learn. Practicing Augurs are often taught this form of divination from a young age for its ease of understanding, as well as its more sensation-based interpretation. It’s divided into categories of gale strength and direction. STRENGTH INTERPRETATION Light Guidance, influence, and presence. Encourages reflection and thought. Steady Stability, consistency, and vitality. One’s spirit is aligned with the the natural world. Brisk Urgency, change, and development. Events shall unfold that requires one to adapt. Violent Disruption, challenge, and turmoil. Major reflection is needed in order to prepare for unexpected encounters. DIRECTION INTERPRETATION North Insight, understanding, revelation. One shall soon receive guidance from the unseen. East Beginnings, inspiration, and innovation. Opportunities pertaining to community and work shall arise. South Growth, grounding, and introspection. One shall be called to explore new ideas. West Completion, satisfaction, and reward. A great endeavor or journey shall soon be overcome.